Father Faces 27 Charges in Child Sexual Abuse Case
A 69-year-old father groomed and raped girls as young as seven years old over an eight-year period before allegedly offering them to his sons, a court has heard. Bradley Dilsworth, 68, is currently on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court facing 27 separate charges relating to four alleged victims.
Detailed Allegations Spanning Eight Years
The prosecution alleges that Dilsworth targeted four girls between 2002 and 2010, with the abuse beginning when the first victim was just 10 years old in 2002. According to court testimony, the defendant allegedly drugged one girl with blue liquor during the initial assault, after which the rapes became "normalised" and continued until she was approximately 15 years old.
Dianna Wilson, prosecuting, told jurors: "The prosecution alleges that Mr Dilsworth groomed and abused four young girls between 2002 and 2010. He offered one of these girls to Mr McCarthy."
Family Involvement and Additional Defendants
The court heard disturbing allegations of family involvement in the abuse. Dilsworth allegedly arranged for his son Bradley Quinton, 45, to rape one of the girls, while another son, Daniel Dilsworth, was reportedly offered the opportunity to have sex with the same alleged victim but refused. Daniel Dilsworth is now expected to give evidence against his father during the trial.
Two other men face related charges in connection with the same case. Bradley Quinton denies one count of attempted rape of a girl under 16, while Nathan "Hamish" McCarthy, 56, of Harlow, Essex, denies one charge of rape against the same girl. Jurors heard that McCarthy allegedly raped her "simultaneously" with Dilsworth.
Police Investigation and Evidence
The case came to light after police seized a desktop computer containing approximately 16,000 images of one alleged victim from Dilsworth's home in Walthamstow, East London, in November 2024. This seizure led to his arrest, though the court heard that concerns had been raised with police as early as 2006 by Daniel Dilsworth and another relative, with no charges brought at that time.
Dilsworth faces 17 charges of rape, five counts of sexual assault by penetration, and two charges of taking indecent photographs of children. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Defense Statements and Trial Proceedings
Following his arrest, Dilsworth told police he knew three of the girls but denied all allegations of rape and grooming, stating they "did not happen." His son Quinton, who became aware of the allegations in November 2024 when his father was first arrested, provided a prepared statement to police saying: "I wish it to be known that I have no knowledge of any rape and I deny this allegation wholeheartedly."
The prosecutor added that after giving his statement, Quinton remarked: "This is all some completely jumped up bulls**t."
The trial continues at Snaresbrook Crown Court with all three defendants maintaining their not guilty pleas. Dilsworth remains accused of what prosecutors describe as a systematic pattern of grooming and abuse spanning nearly a decade against vulnerable young girls.
