A man has been handed a lengthy jail sentence after police uncovered his “sinister activities” during a sexual abuse investigation.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) revealed that Peter James Wilson, from the Greater Manchester town of Atherton, abused seven victims over a 51-year time frame, starting all the way back in 1972 when he was just 14 years old.
The now 67-year-old began what has been described as a “horrifying pattern of abusive behaviour” towards young people that “persisted for decades”.
Police say he subjected multiple victims, regardless of their age or gender, to “deeply traumatising experiences”, which ranged from things like inappropriate advances, through to “devastating” acts of coercion and even rape.
As the years passed, Wilson’s predatory behaviour continued to escalate, as he manipulated and took advantage of his victims, while “shattering their innocence and trust” in the process – but GMP says 2023 marked a “turning point”, as Wilson was arrested at his home on suspicion of sexual assault involving a child.
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An Atherton man has been handed a lengthy jail sentence after a ‘sinister’ sexual abuse case / Credit: GMP
Wilson’s arrest followed a brave disclosure from one of his victims, and this led to a thorough search of his property, which went on to reveal shocking evidence of his sinister activities.
Among the items seized from Wilson’s home were two mobile phone devices, a disc enclosed within an envelope, and a small camera containing an SD card, while police said they also “disturbingly” recovered a hidden camera, and after analysing these items, videos depicting the “cruel exploitation” of a female child, aged approximately six to eight years old, were unearthed.
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After gathering this information, GMP initiated ‘Operation Bunker’.
‘Operation Bunker’ led to the discovery of further victims, and went on to manage all 28 counts of Wilson’s abuse and crimes.
Wilson pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 by touching, sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 by penetration, and creating an indecent image of a child, as well as being found guilty by a jury of 23 further sexual offences relating to children and adults – including indecent assault and rape.
He was sentenced to 27 years in prison yesterday (16 September).
He will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), GMP has confirmed.
Featured Image – GMP
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
17th September 2024 
