Bolton grooming gang leader jailed for 15 years

Ashley Darbyshire, the ringleader of a grooming gang in Bolton, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting to 19 offences, including rape and sexual assault, against underage girls between 2016 and 2018. Darbyshire, who began targeting his primary victim when she was 13 and he was 19, groomed and manipulated her, subsequently introducing her to other gang members who also abused her. The offences often took place in a 'party house' in Blackrod, where victims were plied with alcohol and drugs, and subjected to repeated sexual exploitation by the group, which ultimately consisted of ten men. The men used social media and local hangout spots to contact and lure the victims, sending indecent messages and images to initiate sexual conversations. Victim impact statements described the lasting psychological trauma inflicted by the abuse, with one survivor stating her life was 'destroyed' by the gang's actions. The court heard that the group collectively amassed over 30 convictions for a range of sexual offences against multiple girls under 16.