Latest Offenders

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A Brechin paedophile caught in simultaneous stings told undercover police posing as a schoolgirl of his desire to take her to a Premier Inn, pretending she was his daughter and ply her with cider.

Sick Scott Strachan appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to be sentenced after admitting trying to communicate indecently with two children.

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A PAEDOPHILE who was caught by a civilian-operated hunter group after sending sexualised photographs and messages to a child decoy is beginning a 32-month prison sentence.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Giles Cockett, 39, of Dick Lane, Bradford, was autistic, suffering from a depressive disorder, lived a secluded lifestyle, and was estranged from his family.

However, he had a significant record of previous convictions dating back to 2018 involving similar offending.

He will now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will be subject to a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Prosecutor Camille Morland said Cockett began speaking to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl in early August last year on a platform called Chat Hour.

In fact, the profile was a decoy operated by a civilian group known as Protecting Kids Online.

On August 2 Cockett approached the girl, engaged her in conversation and asked if she liked sex chat. She immediately told him that she was just 14.

Cockett steered the conversation towards masturbation, moved the messaging onto Kick and, over the next six days, asked her to talk to him about her private parts, told her she would look sexy in a swimming costume, talked again about masturbation, and sent photographs of himself and where he lived plus a picture of a penis.

The messaging was reported to the police and Cockett was arrested at his home.

He admitted what he had done, told officers he was autistic, and that he did not believe that masturbation was a subject that was sexual in nature.

He later pleaded guilty to attempting to incite sexual activity with a child, attempted sexual communications with a child and two counts of making indecent images of children.

The court heard that Cockett had previous convictions for attempting to communicate sexually with a child, and possession of indecent images.

For those convictions at Chester Crown Court, he received a five-year community order and later a three-year community order.

Miss Morland described his offending as “a fairly entrenched habit”.

Mitigating, Abdul Shakoor said as a result of Cockett’s autism diagnosis “his understanding of what he was doing and the consequences of what he was doing was reduced.”

He said Cockett was “very motivated” and willing to work to address his offending and mental health issues but that he lived “a secluded lifestyle” and was isolated from his family.

He said that had a bearing on his social interactions online, which had led him to begin offending again.

He said: “He recognises that when that occurs, he leans towards offending.”

Sentencing Cockett, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, to a total of 32 months imprisonment, Her Honour Judge Sophie McKone said: “Over about six days you made sexual communications with somebody you believed and no doubt hoped was a 14-year-old girl.

“It was in fact a decoy, but you did not know that, and you engaged in sexual talk with somebody who, in your mind, was 14.”

Referring to the indecent images found in Cockett’s possession Judge McKone said: “These children were real children and were really being sexually abused.

“Although you did not touch these children you are indirectly responsible for the abuse of the children in those pictures.”

She pointed out that although the decoy was not a real child Cockett had “made a full admission that you are sexually attracted to children.

“You are not an unintelligent man.

“You have expressed guilt and remorse.

“You do have a recognition that what you did was wrong.”

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A “dangerous” sex offender has been jailed again after he subjected a teenage girl to a shocking broad daylight attack on the doorstep of her Calderdale home.

The youngster, who must not be identified for legal reasons, had been talking to drink-fuelled David Collier at the front door when the 35-year-old began making crude sexualised comments and rubbing his genital area.

The incident, which took place on a residential street last year, was captured on CCTV footage which was played in court and it showed cars driving by and even a pedestrian walking his dog within a few feet of the defendant.

During the sexual assault Collier touched the girl between her legs over her clothing and forcibly kissed her before taking his penis out and rubbing it over her chest. The girl was able to go back inside her home when another male approached Collier.

During a hearing at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday, it was revealed that back in 2013 Collier, of Woodstock Road, Manchester, had been jailed for eight-and-a-half years for attempting to rape a man.

While serving that sentence Collier had completed a sex offender programme, but Judge Ahmed Nadim said today that the defendant did not seem to have learned from that experience. The judge said: “That tells us something about the future risk he presents."

Collier admitted offences of sexual assault, engaging a child in sexual activity and engaging in sexual behaviour in the presence of a child and his barrister Jo Shepherd said he was thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour that evening.

Judge Nadim concluded that Collier met the “dangerous offender” criteria and imposed a 30-month jail sentence with an extended licence period of 18 months. Collier will also have to comply with a sexual harm prevention order for the next 15 years and he is already subject to sex offender registration with the police for the rest of his life.

In her victim impact statement which was read to the court by the prosecutor the complainant described how she felt she wouldn’t have been believed if there had been no CCTV recording.

Prosecutor Anthony Moore said the girl felt angry, annoyed and isolated.

Judge Nadim told Collier over a prison video link that he had behaved in a “sexually perverted manner” in broad daylight. He said: “This offending occurred while you were stood on a public pavement on a residential street."

In reference to the sex offender programme completed by Collier the judge said: ”That measure designed to protect the public interest was insufficient because you, despite having undergone such a programme and served a substantial sentence of imprisonment for a sexual offence, conducted yourself in this way.

“In a public street where you could be viewed by passing traffic and members of the public on the pavement.”

After imposing the extended sentence on Collier the judge told him that he was in cusp of receiving a life sentence for any further offending.

“Your future is in your own hands. Be warned,” he added.

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An abuser has been jailed for 16 years after he subjected a woman to months of physical assaults, controlling behaviour and repeatedly threatening to kill her.

Benjamin Levy slammed her head into a door frame, threw her into a radiator and struck her with a gym weight during months of physical and mental violence.

The 36-year-old from Brierley Hill carried out a sustained catalogue of offences, including sexual violence.

But the woman he was abusing was able to tell us what he was doing and our investigators put together a case which when it was presented at court last week saw Levy jailed for 16 years.

Levy was charged with more than 15 offences including controlling and coercive behaviour, assault, threats to kill, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without their consent and sending a threatening message.

Levy, of Lower Derry Street, denied the charges both in police interview and during early court hearings but later changed his plea to guilty.

As well as the jail term, which also includes a further five years to be served on licence, the judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Thursday (9 January) also ordered Levy remain on the sex offender register for life.

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A man who used a game of “ants in pants” to try to cover up his sexual abuse of a young boy has been jailed for more than five years.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Tuesday that 37-year-old Wakefield man Khuram Rashid was still “in denial” about his offending against the youngster despite a jury finding him guilty of three offences of sexual assault following a trial.

The mother of the victim, who must not be identified for legal reasons, provided an impact statement in which she described how they had been pressured by others to forgive the defendant and consider his feelings while their feelings had been overlooked and condemned.

The court heard that Rashid, of Ings Road, had been a man of previous good character and was highly regarded by his employers.

Barrister Kitty Colley, for Rashid, said he held a “managerial position” and Recorder David Gordon noted that the jury had heard a number of testimonials about the defendant relating to his work at Leeds Railway Station.

Recorder Gordon said there had clearly been “grooming behaviour” in Rashid’s offending. He told Rashid: “You dressed up sexual touching as innocent playfulness."

The court heard that when Rashid was questioned about the sexual touching allegations by the boy’s mother he laughed and said the youngster was confused. Recorder Gordon said Rashid told the mum that they had played a game called “ants in pants” and that had led to some confusion.

The judge said Rashid also talked about “tickling” each other. He said: “All in all you denied the allegations being made by the complainant and his mother. Those were denials you have persisted in right up to today.

"You were convicted after a trial so I can give you no credit for pleading guilty.”

Jailing Rashid for five years and three months Recorder Gordon said his offending had had a profound impact on the boy and his family.

He said Rashid had also told the youngster that what he was doing to him was “perfectly fine”.

Recorder Gordon said Rashid would now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and he would also have to comply with the terms of a indefinite sexual harm prevention order which restricts his unsupervised contact with boys under 16.

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Lancashire man David Bennett – a registered sex offender - filmed the sex assaults on his phone, with the victim having no recollection what had happened.

Bennett and the woman had shared drinks at her home one evening in May last year, having earlier agreed to go on a date.

They then briefly went to a friend’s house together, before returning to her home.

From then on, she was unable to recall the remainder of the night. It was while she was asleep and unresponsive that Bennett sexually assaulted her.

Bennett attempted to contact her numerous times in the days which followed.

Concerned by his strange behaviour in continuing to ring and text her and having searched his name on the internet where she found newspaper articles relating to Bennett’s previous offending, she contacted Lancashire Police who launched an investigation.

When he was arrested, Bennett’s phone was seized and videos of him sexually assaulting the woman while she was unresponsive and not moving, were found.

Bennett, 40, of Blythewood, Skelmersdale, appeared at Preston Crown Court on Monday (13th January) for sentencing.

He had been found guilty by a jury of two offences of sexual assault after a trial.

The judge passed a 10-year sentence, comprising five years in prison with an extended five-year licence period.

An indefinite restraining order and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order were also imposed by the judge.

Det Con Chris Wilding of Lancashire Police's South Division Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, said: “David Bennett is a dangerous offender and I welcome the lengthy prison sentence which the judge passed.

“He committed abhorrent offences against his victim who was unable to defend herself.

“We take all offences of a sexual nature very seriously and will investigate them thoroughly so that offenders can be brought to justice.”

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A sex offender who traded videos and pictures of “misery, debauchery and child cruelty” has been jailed for 18 months.

Among the films of children being sexually abused that John Gary Humphreys sent to his online contacts was one of the rape of a toddler aged six to 18 months old, York Crown Court heard.

Lydia Carroll, prosecuting, said the 45-year-old complained in online chats about others shutting down access to their stock of indecent images of children.

Humphreys, of Coupland Road, Selby, pleaded guilty to three charges of distributing indecent images of children and three of possessing indecent images of children.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Humphreys he had taken part in a “filthy trade in misery, debauchery and child cruelty.

“You were passing on through the internet the most horrendous images of children.”

Comparing Humphreys to a drug dealer, the judge said he had to be jailed to deter others thinking of “pushing” similar images by putting them on the internet “where everyone could see them".

He jailed Humphreys for 18 months and made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. Humphreys will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Ms Carroll said police got a tip-off that Humphreys was uploading sexual images of children to the internet and raided his home in September 2023. He tried vainly to hide a mobile phone from them.

Forensic examination of his mobile revealed he had been downloading thousands of images from the Mega Folder cloud facility and trading illegal sexual images of children via Telegram as well as sending other people links.

The folders had names often used for sexual images of children.

Forensic investigators found Humphreys had uploaded 23 videos and five pictures of the worst category of sexual images of children via Telegram as well as 25 more videos and pictures of less serious categories.

He also had his own cache of nearly 4,000 images, 997 of which - including 83 videos - were in the worst category and more than 2,500 in the least serious category. All could be easily accessed. Police found 62,000 more images which they did not categorise.

For Humphreys, Sean Smith said since his arrest, he had undertaken an initial course with Safer Lives, an organisation that rehabilitates sex offenders, as well as having monthly meetings with its representatives.

He no longer used the internet and, for family reasons, now lived in a van where it was difficult for him to access the internet.

A medical report following an assessment in November 2023 suggested he may have autism and this may have contributed to his offending, among other causes which the barrister did not identify.

The judge accepted that Humphreys had worked to rehabilitate himself and was “ordinarily a decent man”.  

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A Highland man who was caught in an online paedophile hunter sting has been placed on the sex offenders register.

John Floydd sent sexual messages to a volunteer decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl, instructing her to perform a solo sex act and asking for a topless photo.

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A child rapist who subjected his victims to “depraved and sickening” abuse has been jailed.

Wayne Traill, of Stonebridge Road, Northfleet, was convicted of 21 separate offences after repeatedly abusing multiple victims for more than a decade.

The 52-year-old targeted one of his victims during the 1990s and went on to later exploit a further two children, warning them they would not be believed if they reported his crimes.

Police officers were told of the abuse in March 2022 and Traill was arrested.

He refused to comment during interviews and initially denied any wrongdoing at court.

However, he eventually pleaded guilty shortly before a trial at Woolwich Crown Court, admitting charges including rape, attempted rape, sexual assaults and gross indecency.

On December 19, Traill was jailed for 21 years after the judge branded him “a dangerous sexual offender” who had “groomed and abused” his victims.

Upon his release from prison, Traill will be subject to an extended licence period of eight years and will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Detective Constable Daniel Grant, who led the investigation, said: “Traill repeatedly subjected his victims to depraved and sickening abuse, causing incalculable damage to their young lives.

“He is a predatory child sex offender who used fear and intimidation to obtain sexual gratification, and whose deplorable actions will sadly have a lasting and profound impact on those he targeted.

“The fact justice has finally been served is largely down to the incredible courage and bravery of his victims and I am grateful Traill is at least now behind bars where he can cause no further harm to other young children.”

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A high-risk sex offender has been locked up for his behaviour to a woman in the street.

Anthony Hooper, of Knights Green in Flint, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court for sentence on Wednesday afternoon.

The 69-year-old had been convicted after trial of sexual assault, as well as breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), both of which happened in 2024 in Flint.

Prosecutor Justin Espie told the court: "The defendant is known to be a high-risk registered sex offender with a number of previous convictions and the subject of a sexual harm prevention order."

The SHPO prohibited him from speaking to any female of any age in a manner that a reasonable person would believe to be sexual - unless that person expressly consented to being spoken to in that way.

On the day in question, Hooper touched his victim in the street, making her feel extremely uncomfortable, as well as making unusual comments.

At that stage, she was unaware Hooper was a registered sex offender.

Mr Espie said his behaviour during the offences was "concerning" and "sexualised."

In her victim personal statement, the woman said Hooper's behaviour had made her angry, adding: "Nothing about this is my fault.

"I'm very concerned about bumping into him."

She added the incident had caused her a great deal of anxiety.

Gary Harvey, defending, told the court: "The pre-sentence report doesn't do him any favours.

"I don't try to suggest there's a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

"He had the trial and was convicted - I can't go behind that."

Mr Harvey conceded Hooper's actions had amounted to a deliberate breach of his SHPO.

District Judge Gwyn Jones told the defendant: "Mr Hooper, the sexual assault had a significant impact on the victim.

"And your sexual behaviour made the victim feel extremely uneasy.

"You do not wish to take any responsibility for your actions and don't want to address any matters.

"On that basis, and in view of your record of offending, I'm satisfied that the risk you pose to females is such that there's only one sentence - one of immediate custody."

Hooper was jailed for 52 weeks in total and must pay a £187 victim surcharge.

A six-year restraining order was imposed for the victim's protection.

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Detectives have praised the bravery of a victim who recorded a rapist’s violent attack on her.

Timilehin Olatunji launched a sustained attack on the woman at a property in Nottingham in the early hours of 29 September 2024.

The victim was able to use an app on her mobile phone to record the audio of the assault.

She was later able to escape from the address and report what had happened to specially-trained officers.

Thirty-five-year-old Olatunji was arrested a short time later.

He was charged and later pleaded guilty to three counts of rape.

Olatunji was jailed for 10 years when he appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Wednesday (15 January).

He was also added to the Sex Offenders' Register for life and made the subject of an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Auty described the attack as 'despicable and vile' and behaviour 'beyond rational understanding'.

He told Olatunji:

"You took it upon yourself to rape her in the most brutal, sadistic and cruel way imaginable."

After the hearing, Detective Constable Emily Bucklow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“The recorded evidence of Olatunji’s horrific assault made this case particularly harrowing for all the officers who worked on it.

“It is one of the most upsetting things I have had to listen to in my policing career and only enhances my admiration for this victim’s bravery.

“I would also like to commend her for the courage she showed following Olatunji’s arrest and dignity during the subsequent court proceedings.

“He subjected her to a violent, degrading and sustained ordeal but she has shown immense bravery to help us bring him to justice.

“I hope the sentence handed down will at least provide some closure to what must have been an acutely distressing period of her life.

“I also hope the sentencing of Olatunji will encourage other victims of rape and serious sexual assault to have the confidence to come forward and report offenders.

“Our experienced officers are here to help the victims of appalling crimes like this.”

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A "depraved" former prison officer who denied having a sexual attraction to children and instead insisted he abused two young girls for "a sense of danger and excitement" has been jailed for 13 years.

Russell Maitland, 37, admitted a number of offences, including raping and sexually abusing one girl and sexually assaulting a second.

A court heard the first victim was sexually assaulted between the ages of four and 12 and raped between the ages of seven and 11.

The second victim was sexually abused between the ages of four and six.

Judge Summers told Maitland: "The charges to which you have pled guilty include charges involving a horrific catalogue of sexual violence perpetrated against two girls."

The judge said he was concerned with the criminal justice social work report, which noted while Maitland accepted responsibility for the offences, he denied having a sexual attraction to children.

Judge Summers stated: "You suggest these offences were committed because of need for 'a sense of danger and excitement'. That is difficult to accept."

The judge noted that Maitland's abuse of the second girl continued despite the first victim having reported his behaviour to Police Scotland.

He stated Maitland's conduct was for his "own deviant sexual ends".

Judge Summers made reference to the victim impact statements, noting the girls "each struggle on a daily basis" due to Maitland's abuse.

The judge said: "In relation to each of these children your offending was persistent and pervasive.

"It was carried out on a number of occasions over a number of years.

"Your offending was calculated and it was predatory. It was almost unimaginably depraved. It is hard to comprehend the harm that this will have caused."

The offences took place in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, and in Aberdeen.

Maitland was handed a 16-year extended sentence at the High Court in Aberdeen on Tuesday, with 13 years in jail and three years on licence once released back into the community.

He was also added to the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was banned from contacting his victims.

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A Barnsley man jailed in his early 20s for sexual offences committed against a child is beginning another stint behind bars, after he admitted to raping a 12-year-old girl.

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A Huddersfield predator who claimed he was involved in a “loving” relationship with a teenage girl has been jailed.

Alexander Rowe, now 30, committed a number of sex offences against the youngster and has been put behind bars for five years.

Rowe, of Marsh, admitted having a sexual relationship with the victim when he was initially questioned by police, but denied the offences and was found guilty of inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with her following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the girl said she had been prescribed anti-depressants and the offending had affected her day-to-day life. She said it had been difficult to put into words how it had affected her, but it was a lot to go through at her age.

Barrister Anastasis Tasou, for Rowe, said his client maintained what he had said in his evidence that this was a “loving and reciprocal relationship” with the complainant.

Mr Tasou told the court Rowe was a man of previous good character and a great many positive testimonials had been submitted on his behalf. He said: “This is his first and likely to be his only experience of custody."

Recorder Patrick Palmer said Rowe and the victim had exchanged messages on Snapchat and he had asked the teenager to send sexual pictures of herself. He told Rowe: “You of course pleaded not guilty to these matters. You had your trial before the jury and you were convicted of these offences.

"You do not have any extra punishment because you fought the case but there cannot be any credit for a guilty plea.”

Recorder Palmer imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention on Rowe and told him he would also have to register as a sex offender with the police.

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A Paignton man has been jailed for 12 years after admitting a string of sexual offences against children.

Craig Short, 53, of Woodland Mews, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday (January 14) and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Short’s crimes, which did not take place recently, involved a boy and a girl when they were aged between six and 15-years-old.

Short, who had previously pleaded guilty to indecency with a child, was charged with six counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and four counts of sexually assaulting a child.

In addition to the prison sentence, he was handed six years on extended licence, meaning he will serve the extra period in the community.

During the sentencing hearing, the court heard how Short sexually abused the male victim at a variety of locations and showed the boy pornographic videos.

The second victim in the case also described how she had been sexually abused as a child by him.

Short, who initially denied any wrongdoing when questioned by police, saying that the allegations against him were made up, later admitted his guilt.