Tenth man part of Blackrod grooming gang convicted of sexual offences against girls under 16 handed 15 years

On Monday 28 April at Liverpool Crown Court, Ashley Darbyshire (01/01/1997), of Bolton, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was found guilty of grooming, raping and sexually assaulting underage girls in Blackrod, Bolton, between 2016-2018. He will serve 10 years in custody.

He has been put on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. 

He was the main offender of a group of sexual predators who preyed upon young teenage girls in the local area.

On the first day of a sentencing set to last into tomorrow (29 April), Darbyshire was sentenced alongside three other men.

The offences began in 2016 when the primary offender, Darbyshire, who was 19 at the time, first came into contact with the primary victim, a girl aged 13.  

He went on to introduce her to nine of his friends, and they went on to use and abuse her at their disposal on numerous occasions into 2018. 

The group of men were all convicted of a range of sexual offences - over 30 convictions between them - including rape, sexual assault and sexual activity with a child under 16. 

The men, who were all aged from between 17 and 29 at the time when the offences began, also approached the other victims, all girls under the age of 16, via private messaging and social media platforms. 

They got to know the girls from where many local teenagers would hang out and socialise near the community centre. 

The men plied some of the victims with alcohol and drugs. Some of them would send indecent images of their private body parts to the girls as well as initiating sexual conversations with them on messaging platforms.  

The group were friends of a male who was 17 at the time, and would visit his main home address where he lived with his father, a rented property in Blackrod, where most of the offences took place.  

He was a regular drug-user and would often bring his friends over to the house where they would hangout, use drugs and drink alcohol.

After a while, some of the friends would stay over at the address, and over time, the property deteriorated into a squalid condition. The men punched holes through the internal doors, smashed lightbulbs and even urinated in the corners of some of the rooms.  

The offences eventually came to light after an incident involving one of the victims and another defendant, on Sunday 17 June 2018.  

He messaged her to come over to an address in Blackrod. He was intoxicated and took some car keys belonging to his friend's father. 

The defendant left the house and sped off in the car with the 15-year-old girl travelling as a passenger. He drove round a bend, swerving to miss an oncoming vehicle, and crashed the car into a row of parked vehicles.   

The impact set the airbags off and caused a cut to the girl’s eye.  

On waking up for school the next day her eye was badly swollen. She initially told her mother and teachers at school that she had fallen out of bed when they asked her what had happened.  

Her friends became suspicious and told teachers of their concerns which led to the victim confessing and other victims coming forward.  

The police were notified, and an investigation was launched.  

Ashley Darbyshire (01/01/1997), of Bolton, was convicted of three counts of rape, 12 counts of sexual activity with a child, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of making indecent photographs of a child. He was sentenced to 15 years, to serve 10. 

Brandon Harwood, (20/09/1999), of Bolton, was convicted of one count of rape, one count of attempted oral rape and one count of sexual activity with a child under 16. He was sentenced to 10 years, to serve two thirds. He has ben placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Ross Corley (14/01/1995) was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child and sentenced to 28 months in prison and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

Another man convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, was sentenced to 15 months, suspended for two years. He will do 100 hours of unpaid work and has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has been placed on the Sex Offenders' register for 10 years.

The men, many of whom showed no remorse for their actions in court, were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 28 April 2025. The sentencing of the remaining defendants will continue into tomorrow (Tuesday 29 April 2025).  

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Samantha Parry, from Bolton CID, said: “I am glad that this group of abhorrent individuals have been handed substantial sentences and are off the streets of Bolton and where they belong, behind bars. 

“I want to thank the victim-survivors that all came forward and put their trust in us to disclose the awful things that were done to them by these predatory men while they were trying to go about their lives as normal teenage girls should be able to do. 

“We could not have gotten this far without you. You are all so incredibly brave and I hope you know that. Although today’s result cannot take back what has happened, I hope that these sentences will bring you some comfort as you try to carry on with your lives. 

“I’d also like to take this chance to reach out to all victim-survivors of sexual abuse. We are here to listen to you when you are ready and will work at a pace that is comfortable for you.   

“We take sexual offences very seriously, no matter the passage of time since it took place.” 

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

Greater Manchester Police can be contacted via 101 or through the Live Chat function on the website, www.gmp.police.uk. Reports can also be made anonymously through the independent charity – Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

For more information and to find the support services available to you, please visit our support pages.

We understand how tough it can be to come forward and report domestic abuse, but we would encourage anyone who is currently suffering in silence to reach out.

To start a report, visit www.gmp.police.uk and click on the blue ‘Live Chat’ icon.

A domestic abuse survivor has encouraged other victims and survivors to report their experiences via Live Chat.

How to get help

- Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

- Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email [email protected]

- We Are Survivors Manchester - provides specialist trauma informed support to male victims in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape, or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.