DNA Breakthrough Jails Leeds Rapist Nearly 50 Years After Student Attack

Overview

• David Sharp, 66, was sentenced to six years on Thursday, and he must remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
• A jury at Leeds Crown Court found him guilty in March of raping and indecently assaulting an 18-year-old student in 1977.
• West Yorkshire Police reopened the case in 2023, built a DNA profile from preserved swabs, and linked him through a close relative’s profile.
• The survivor told the court the assault has haunted her daily for decades, and she said she now feels believed and that justice has been served.
• Detectives said fast-improving DNA tools will keep driving cold-case reviews, and they urged victims to report crimes even many years later.