Bradford lay preacher Terrence Budd was today jailed for six years and nine months for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy.

Budd appeared at Bradford Crown Court following his arrest in Wales last Friday - a week after he went on the run after failing to appear before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing.

Passing sentence, Judge James Barry branded Budd, 59, a "grave and serious danger to youngsters".

And Judge Barry revealed that his victim had been so traumatised by his actions that he had built a barricade around his bed to keep Budd away.

Judge Barry said: "You were entrusted to the care of this boy by his parents, to whom he could not readily escape as his home was 300 miles away.

"He was so distressed by your actions he built a barricade round his bed to keep you away.

"You yourself as a child tried to kill yourself when something similar happened to you. You seem to think that it doesn't matter as much now because counselling exists for children.

"You are a grave and serious danger to youngsters with no proper concern for your potential victims."

Budd, of Taunton House, Little Horton, a lay preacher with the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Little Horton, pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court in March to one offence of indecent assault and one of gross indecency against the boy.

A nationwide police hunt was started after he failed to appear at Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on Friday May 14 after he was granted bail by Judge Barry.

He was arrested in Caernarfon, North Wales, last Friday, where he was found sleeping in a bus shelter after strong winds blew down the tent in which he had been hiding.

In mitigation, Nicholas Askins said that Budd had gone to Wales to meet with members of his family to visit his mother's grave.

"He did himself no favours by failing to appear in court. He was found by police in a bus shelter cutting a very pathetic figure," said Mr Askins

Budd, was born on the Isle of Sheppey and lived in London before moving to Bradford,

In 1985 Budd was sentenced to a total of four years at Peterborough Crown Court after admitting six charges of indecent assault on three boys under the age of 16.

In 1992 he was sentenced to four years at Leeds Crown Court for similar offences.

Both convictions came before the National Paedophile Register was set up and meant Budd was not listed as a child sex offender.

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