Saxon founder Stephen Dawson jailed for historic child sex offences
Founding member and bassist of heavy metal band Saxon, Stephen Dawson, has been jailed for historic child sex offences involving four counts of indecent assault of a child under the age of 14.
Rotherham-born Dawson was found guilty of abusing a six-year-old girl repeatedly in the 1990s. The 72-year-old was given the verdict at an earlier hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on March 21st, and was given a five-year custodial sentence on April 11th.
Detective Constable Robert Heath, the officer in charge of this case, explained that Dawson “thought he had got away with committing these horrific crimes against a young, vulnerable victim 30 years ago.” He said that the victim has “shown extraordinary strength through coming forward” which resulted in Dawson receiving “a number of years in prison” for “his evil acts.”
Dawson was the bassist in Saxon, which sold more than 23 million records and created top 20 singles such as ‘Wheels of Steel’ and ‘747 (Strangers in the Night)’.
Formed in Barnsley in 1975, the band were regarded as a significant contributor to the new wave British heavy metal movement, establishing themselves as one of the most successful metal acts during a time when the genre experienced a significant transformation. Notably, Ozzy Osbourne supported the band in 1981 during their sold-out tour in Europe.
Dawson was also allegedly the basis for Spinal Tap character Derek Smalls, played by Harry Shearer, who sought to imitate the bassist’s onstage mannerisms. Dawson later explained that being an influence on the mockumentary was something he was “proud” of, even if it was uncreditted.
Discussing the charge, Detective Constable Robert Heath assured that the case “demonstrates just how seriously we take these offences,” urging others who have “been subject to any offence, no matter how long ago it happened, to come forward and report it to us.”
He concluded: “We are here to listen, investigate, and bring the perpetrators before courts.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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