Preston Martial Arts Teacher Sentenced For Sex Abuse

05/07/2010

Nicholas Tuley, a 43 year old martial arts instructor from Broadgate in Preston, was sentenced as a dangerous offender to an indefinite term of imprisonment for public protection at Preston Crown Court today.

He had pleaded guilty at earlier hearings to 17 charges of sexual offences against four boys over a 14 year period.  In sentencing him, Judge Heather Lloyd set a minimum tariff of 10 years and 6 months, less the time spent on remand, before he will be eligible to apply for parole.

Nicholas Tuley came into contact with his victims when he ran a jujitsu club on Fylde Road, Preston, teaching jujitsu classes and organising trampolining and Dungeons and Dragons games.  Many of the offences took place at the defendant's home where he invited his victims on the pretext of playing Dungeons and Dragons, playing on the computer or showing them his collection of martial arts weapons.

Tuley targeted each of his victims, who were aged between 10 and 15 when he abused them, by befriending them and manipulating situations so that they were alone with him.

Duncan Birrell, Crown Advocate at Lancashire CPS said:

"Nicholas Tuley carried out an appalling catalogue of crimes over many years.  He took advantage in the worst possible way of the position of trust he was in, subjecting young and vulnerable boys to serious and degrading assaults, manipulating and dominating them purely for his own sexual gratification.  In each case he systematically targeted his victims and ingratiated himself into their lives with the objective of then abusing them sexually.  What he did has had a devastating and long lasting impact upon them.

"Because of the courage of his victims in coming forward and being prepared to give evidence against him, Nicholas Tuley is now beginning an indefinite prison sentence and thankfully can no longer pose a danger to children."

Nicholas Tuley was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence for public protection, with a minimum tariff of 10 years and 6 months, less time spent on remand.  He will only be considered for release after that point should he no longer be considered to pose a danger to the public.