Convicted Wicklow child abuser may have fled to England

David Hubbard, who pleaded guilty to GBH in 1990 following an assault on his 3 month old baby daughter where he almost killed her by inserteing a blunt instrument into her vagina which caused a severe rupture requiring 6 hours of surgery. He was also convicted of a sexual assault on a 10n yr old girl in 1985. Seen here following his release from The Midlands Prison. Pic taken 9-3-2023

April 05 2023 02:00 AM

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Convicted baby abuser David Hubbard is being investigated over a suspected breach of the Sex Offenders Act after fleeing Ireland for the UK.

It’s understood gardai were contacted by social services in Liverpool after the child predator presented himself at a centre in the city seeking to access benefits there.

Following enquiries, it was established he had travelled to the UK by ferry earlier this month.

It’s further understood the Wicklow native maintains he signed on at a garda station, as required by the provisions of the Act, prior to travelling and this is now being checked.

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Officers have made also inquiries into the identification documents used by Hubbard on boarding the ferry.

One of Hubbard’s victim’s, Catherine Potts, said she had been informed of Hubbard’s movements after expressing concerns regarding his current whereabouts.

Hubbard had been staying in the Wicklow area following his release from prison earlier in the month — but left after Catherine spoke out publicly to warn of his presence in the county.

“The gardai have been very good to me all the way through this,” said Catherine, who was sexually assaulted by Hubbard when she was just 10 years old.

“I remain very concerned for the welfare of children where David Hubbard is concerned.

“I was concerned enough to ask where he is now and I was told he is no longer in Wicklow.

“A social services worker contacted the gardai after he turned up in Liverpool and the gardai have tracked his movements back from there.

The Sunday World confronted Hubbard about his crimes on his release from the Midlands Prison on March 8.

As he walked out the gates, we asked the predator if he was finally willing to apologise to his victims. But instead of begging for their forgiveness, he responded with a curt ‘no’, turned his back and scurried away.

Hubbard’s release from the Midlands Prison came after he served 18 months of a two-year-sentence. This sentence was imposed after he was convicted of indecently assaulting Catherine Potts more than 37 years ago.

Brave Catherine reported the historic sex attack in 2016 after seeing pictures of Hubbard lying next to an infant at his home in Great Yarmouth, England.

“That photo set off all kinds of alarm bells in my head,” Catherine told us.

“I knew straight away who he was. And I just thought, Jesus Christ, 30 years later and he is still around infants. That’s why I waived my anonymity. People need to know who he is and what he has done. He has ruined lives.”

Seven years after the attack on Catherine, Hubbard carried out a sickening attack on his own daughter during which he inserted a ‘blunt object’ into the then three-month-old’s vagina.

He was jailed for four years at Dublin Circuit Court on May 18, 1992 but was not identified at the time to protect his victim.