Wigan boxing coach who sexually abused teenage girl is now behind bars

Robert Sharpley was a boxing coach in Wigan in the early 1990s and would often flirt and wink at the girl during training sessions.

On one occasion, the teenager and others from the class went to a party at his house, where he grabbed hold of her and kissed her.

Other incidents at his house involved him taking her upstairs while his family was present, locking the door to his bedroom and showing her a catalogue of sex toys and images of bondage.

He also invited her over to babysit, before taking her upstairs and forcing her to perform a sex act.

Sharpley took the girl to a club in Blackpool in the mid-1990s, then to a house in Wigan where they had sex.

She reported the abuse in 2018 and he was arrested soon afterwards.

Sharpley, 62, now of Pengbout, Govilon, Abergavenny, has now been jailed for 42 months by a judge at Bolton Crown Court, after pleading guilty to two counts of indecent assault. He will have to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Det Con Jenna Boyer, from Greater Manchester Police's Wigan district, said: "Sharpley abused his position of trust and manipulated a young girl into performing sexual acts on him and forcing her to have sex with him. This was an abhorrent abuse of power and only served to sustain his perverted sexual desires without sparing a second thought to the long-lasting impact this could have on the young girl.

"The exploitation of young teenagers is inexcusable and I admire the strength and courage it must have taken for his victim to report this abuse to police. Her determination and support throughout this investigation has been instrumental in ensuring a custodial sentence was passed down to Sharpley today.

"I hope today's result demonstrates to those who feel they can commit such vile abuse and get away with it that GMP will do all it can to ensure you face justice and pay for your actions. I hope this also sends a message to anyone who may have been a victim of sexual abuse or may know someone that is a victim that we will ensure you receive the specialist support you need and we will always treat any reports and investigations with the utmost sensitivity and seriousness. No-one should be made to suffer in silence."

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