The psychological harm caused to the survivors of these crimes is immeasurable; and in many cases, has had a profound and devastating impact on their lives.
While no prison sentence can, in any way, take their trauma away, the substantial number of years handed down to the criminals pictured here means their involvement in the criminal justice system has resulted in dangerous offenders being taken off the streets for a significant period of time.
Some of the defendants admitted their crimes, while others were found guilty following a jury trial.
The longest sentence handed down to the sex offenders on this list was given to Arshid Hussain, the ringleader of an evil Rotherham child abuse gang who stole the childhoods of vulnerable girls. He was jailed for 35 years.
Two of the despicable criminals received life sentences, meaning that should they ever be released from custody, they will be monitored by the authorities until the day they die.
*Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre works to support recovery from the emotional and psychological distress caused by trauma from rape, sexual violence or sexual abuse/exploitation whenever it happened in a persons’ life.
Anyone wishing to access their information and support line should call: 07517 100 757. You can also call their office line on: 0114 2412766 or email them at: [email protected]
21. Lee Grant: Serial rapist jailed for 19 years over horror attacks which "ruined" one victim's life
Lee Grant, aged 45, of Junction Road, Stainforth, pleaded not guilty to an array of offences, including rape, sexual assault and indecent assault on a girl, prompting a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court in 2024. A jury found him guilty of 10 of the 11 offences he was charged with and after being remanded in custody, Grant has now been sentenced for his crimes. Sign up for newsletters from The Star The offences he was convicted of include two counts of rape of a girl aged 13 to 15, five counts of sexually assaulting a woman, one count of raping a woman and two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14. Some of the offences were non-recent, having taking place between 1993 and 1995 and in the early 2000s, with others taking place within the past five years. The bravery of one of Grant's victims in telling police about his crimes led to other victims coming forward. It led to a lengthy and complex investigation which has now resulted in Grant being jailed for 19 years. | SYP
![It took jurors just under a day to find Leo Del Pellegrino, 26, guilty of 11 sex offences including nine counts of rape and one count of attempted rape.
Following the verdict being reached at Sheffield Crown Court in July 2017, Judge Julian Goose QC sentenced Pellegrino, of Addlestone, Surrey, to 17 years in prison, with an extended license period of five years, imposed due to the 'serious risk' of harm he is deemed to pose to members of the public.
Pellegrino was sentenced for the 11 counts relating to the horrific sex attack that took place on November 7, 2016; as well as for a further eight counts that he admitted to before the trial which relate to the use of extreme pornography, including media that depicts women being raped at knifepoint.
The court heard how in the run-up to the incident, Pellegrino and several of his work colleagues, all of whom were visiting Sheffield on a business trip, had gone for a meal and drinks.
During the course of the evening he began scouring profiles across numerous dating apps in a bid to find a victim to prey upon.
"In effect, you were casting a net to see which woman you might find," Judge Goose told Pellegrino, adding: "[You were motivated by] your clear obsession with pornography of real rape."
Pellegrino, an IT consultant, was found to have used search terms such as 'Asian rape' and 'real rape video' on his computer, prior to the incident taking place.
After making contact with his victim, a Chinese national studying in Sheffield, Pellegrino convinced the young woman to meet him outside a shop near her flat.
He managed to gain access to her flat by telling her he needed to use the bathroom, and once inside he began carrying out the sickening ordeal which lasted for around five hours.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/jpim-static/image/2025/02/21/12/19/Leo-Del-Pellegrino-Lengthy-jail-term-for-sadistic-man-who-subjected-Sheffield-student-to-five-hour-s.jpeg?crop=4:3&trim=&width=800)
22. Leo Del Pellegrino: Lengthy jail term for sadistic man who subjected Sheffield student to five-hour sex attack to live out 'real rape fantasy'
It took jurors just under a day to find Leo Del Pellegrino, 26, guilty of 11 sex offences including nine counts of rape and one count of attempted rape. Following the verdict being reached at Sheffield Crown Court in July 2017, Judge Julian Goose QC sentenced Pellegrino, of Addlestone, Surrey, to 17 years in prison, with an extended license period of five years, imposed due to the 'serious risk' of harm he is deemed to pose to members of the public. Pellegrino was sentenced for the 11 counts relating to the horrific sex attack that took place on November 7, 2016; as well as for a further eight counts that he admitted to before the trial which relate to the use of extreme pornography, including media that depicts women being raped at knifepoint. The court heard how in the run-up to the incident, Pellegrino and several of his work colleagues, all of whom were visiting Sheffield on a business trip, had gone for a meal and drinks. During the course of the evening he began scouring profiles across numerous dating apps in a bid to find a victim to prey upon. "In effect, you were casting a net to see which woman you might find," Judge Goose told Pellegrino, adding: "[You were motivated by] your clear obsession with pornography of real rape." Pellegrino, an IT consultant, was found to have used search terms such as 'Asian rape' and 'real rape video' on his computer, prior to the incident taking place. After making contact with his victim, a Chinese national studying in Sheffield, Pellegrino convinced the young woman to meet him outside a shop near her flat. He managed to gain access to her flat by telling her he needed to use the bathroom, and once inside he began carrying out the sickening ordeal which lasted for around five hours. | SYP
23. Shoe rapist James Lloyd handed life sentence
Women in the Dearne Valley, between Rotherham and Barnsley, lived in fear of being raped in the mid 1980s because of numerous attacks as they made their way home from nights out. James Lloyd’s attacks were carried out between 1983 and 1986. He was never caught and he went on to marry and have children, keeping his evil secret close to his chest. But although Lloyd believed he had covered his tracks and gotten away with his sex attacks, his past eventually caught up with him two decades later and he was eventually jailed for his heinous crimes. He was 26 when he started offending, tending to accost lone women as they made their way home from nights out, tie them up with their stockings and rape them. In a sick twist, he used to steal their shoes, stockings or jewellery as a ‘trophy’ of his sex attacks. Checks with police databases brought up a list of 43 people as being possible relatives of the rapist, including his sister, whose DNA had been registered after she was processed for a drink-driving offence. Lloyd admitted raping four women and two further attempted rapes. He was jailed for life in 2006 and ordered to serve a minimum of 14 years and six months behind bars. He appealed the sentence and it was later reduced to seven years and 263 days. Judge Alan Goldsack, who jailed Lloyd at Sheffield Crown Court, said: “Few sexual cases are more serious than these.” But Court of Appeal judges said not enough credit had been given for the rapist’s guilty pleas. | SYP