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Child Abuser Who Faked Disability Jailed for 15 Years After Ruse Exposed

Digital evidence let prosecutors reinstate full criminal proceedings.

Overview

  • John Siddell, 41, was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Tuesday to 15 years in prison with a two-year extended licence for abusing three boys under 14.
  • Judge Keith Raynor also imposed a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order that restricts Siddell after release.
  • His brother, James, 44, received 33 months for perverting the course of justice after helping stage a fake illness to thwart the case.
  • CPS and police gathered Ring doorbell clips, home CCTV, social media posts and club footage that showed Siddell walking, talking and socialising despite claims he was mute and immobile.
  • Siddell was earlier deemed unfit and faced a fact-finding hearing, but a May 2024 psychiatric assessment found no reliable basis for that, allowing prosecutors to revive full charges and secure convictions.