Latest Offenders

Description

A former Isle of Wight youth football coach has been handed a suspended prison sentence and forced to register as a sex offender after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children.

Reece Simon Anderson, 23, of Vectis Road in East Cowes, appeared before Southampton Crown Court for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty to 3 counts of possession of an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child, namely 25 Category A, 117 Category B and 16 Category C images, as well as 13 Category A videos.

In October 2021, Police moved in and arrested the then Solent University student – thought to be at his accommodation in the city of Southampton. An examination of his devices revealed a stash of more than 170 indecent images or videos of varying severity.

According to Anderson’s social accounts, the paedophile had been involved in football as a youth coach since September 2018, qualifying as an FA Level 1 coach in January 2020.

At university, the 23-year-old had been studying Football Studies (BA) with an interest in youth development and an aspiration to become an academy manager for a professional football team.

Anderson has now been barred from working with children following his sentencing.

Recorder Gordon Bebb KC handed Reece Anderson a 6-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and placed him on the sex offenders register for a period of 7 years. Anderson has also been made subject to a 7-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to complete a Horizon programme with 25 rehabilitation days.

His devices are to be destroyed

Description

A married barman who raped a teenage girl in bushes near a popular Oban music and wedding venue has been jailed.

Anouar Ben Said, 36, pounced on his 19-year-old victim after she had left a pub six hours after meeting colleagues for drinks.

The disgusting predator attacked the terrified young woman in bushes near the car park of The Corran Halls in the early hours of  August 13th 2021.

A jury at the High Court in Stirling was told that the off-duty hotel worker put his hand over the victim’s mouth, removed her clothing and raped her – leaving behind his DNA.

The sex offender from Tunisia went on trial after pleading not guilty to rape – claiming the sex was consensual – but prosecutor David Logan described the ordeal as “a nightmare”.

Anouar Ben Said was living in Oban at the time of the ‘nightmare’ rape

Jurors didn’t believe Ben Said as they heard evidence over a three-day trial.

Witnesses told the court they had seen the teenage girl come “sprinting” out of the bushes “screaming” or crying.

She received scratches to her face from twigs and branches as she fled through the undergrowth.

The stricken young woman collapsed “distraught” when she found people she knew in the car park and later spoke of what had happened.

Judge Lord Weir told jurors they were entitled to take evidence of her distress into account.

Ben Said jailed for the rape near The Corran Halls in Oban

The jury of eight men and seven women took under three hours to find Ben Said guilty of rape.

They reached the verdict unanimously.

Lord Weir revoked bail and deferred sentence until January 12 next year at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He told Ben Said he had been found guilty of “a very serious and concerning rape”.

Andrew Crosbie, defending the now-convicted criminal, reserved mitigation for the sentencing hearing in the new year.

Description

A dangerous sex offender who targeted young and vulnerable victims is tonight starting a lengthy term behind bars.

‘Predatory’ Neville Jones, of Pearson Street, Spennymoor, was found guilty by a jury last month of 17 sexual offences including one rape, and several counts of sexual assault on a child under 13.

A judge described the impact of one of the 40-year-old’s crimes as having “arguably the most significant impact that I have ever seen” on the victim.

His victims, three girls and one boy who cannot be named, were all under sixteen when he committed his crimes.

Two were aged under ten when he sexually assaulted them.

One of his brave victims said in a statement read to Durham Crown Court on Friday (December 1): “As I grew up and got older, I realised what he had done to me as a child.

“I trusted him. He groomed me.

“I have no trust in men anymore – they are only interested in one thing. Neville Jones used me for that.

“This had a big effect on me because that I trusted people even less.

“I didn’t have many friends growing up and I think that’s why he targeted me.”

Jones’ first crimes date back 20 years and a court heard he had continued to offend since.

Prosecutor Mr Robin Turton read out the personal impact statement of another of his victims, which said: “He was telling me how great I was and how he would look after me.

“I have gone through lots of different types of therapy.

“I was scared to leave the house. Trying to live a normal, successful, and productive life has been impossible.

“He left me frightened and feeling flat.

“I feel that he got off lightly. He was out there living his life.”

The court heard Jones is now a father himself, although he has no relationship with his child.

Appearing via video link from prison he spoke only to confirm his name.

Sentencing him, Judge James Adkin described Jones as “predatory” and “scheming”, and said he presents a “high risk of harm to children”.

“What you did to those children hasn’t only ruined their lives, you have left a trail of misery for the parents of your victims in your wake,” he said.

“I have taken into account how you targeted the vulnerable, how you caused immense harm.”

The judge determined he is a ‘dangerous offender’ and handed him an extended determinate sentence of 38 years.

He will serve at least 22 years before a parole board will determine whether he can be released.

Description

A man has been jailed for 17 years after he used his hair removal business in Bradford as a base to sexually assault eight women.

Terry James, 53, of Halifax Road, Dewsbury, also admitted distributing indecent images of children.

At Bradford Crown Court, the judge described James as a "dangerous" offender who had "betrayed" victims who had trusted him.

James was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard James, who appeared friendly and professional to his clients, put goggles and blindfolds on his victims during laser hair removal treatments, before using a secret camera to film and photograph them.

The court was also told James had lured victims into his business by offering discounts on the laser treatments.

James had previously denied the offences, but on the final day of a trial in September pleaded guilty to 13 charges of assault by penetration, five of sexual assault and further offences of distributing and possessing indecent images of children.

Judge Sophie McKone described James as a man "with no sexual boundaries" whose perverted desires were not satisfied by looking at indecent images of children.

'Most vile'

During his sentencing it emerged that in 2017 he had been given a suspended prison sentence of four months for possessing indecent images of children and in May 2020 he had been arrested again for having similar material.

He was released under investigation for those offences and went on to commit the more serious sexual offences against the women.

Before sentencing him Judge McKone told James: "These women trusted you. You led them to believe you were their friend and you betrayed that trust in the most vile way."

The judge said James' selfish actions had had a profound impact on his victims' lives and the fear of the videos ending up on social media must have made the women feel incredibly anxious.

Two of James' victims read out personal statements in court.

One described suffering flashbacks of the abuse and having to undergo counselling, while the other said she could no longer trust men in a professional capacity.

Another victim said she felt "violated" by what James had done.

Judge McKone concluded that James was a dangerous offender and that an extended licence period of three years was needed.

James will have to serve at least two thirds of his 17-year sentence before the Parole Board can consider whether it is safe to release him.

Description

A sick paedophile who kept a photo of a child as a screensaver on his secret phone has been jailed. Barry Taylor, 57, hid the device in a toolbox in his shed in Northam.

When police found it in a search they discovered he had been sharing horrific images of child abuse with other paedophiles. Taylor claimed he found the phone on the street but analysis revealed he had been using it to search the internet for indecent photos.

Taylor has a history of similar offending and was described in court as someone with an entrenched sexual interest in children. He said he was terrified of going to prison but was sentenced to two and a half years.

Prosecutor Nigel Wraith said in August 2020 Taylor told his supervising police officer that he had thrown his phone in the sea after receiving threats. Police quizzed him about effectively deleting the search history on the device.

The truth was that Taylor had kept his phone and hidden it in the shed. When police found it during a search in August 2021 he said the device did not belong to him.

Police found 252 images of children on the phone. Some were in the most serious category showing the sexual abuse of babies.

They also found evidence he had shared a small number of images with two men in 2017 and 2018. Taylor's behaviour put him in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed by the courts in 2019 when he was jailed for nine months for making indecent images. The defendant, of Benson Drive, admitted breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, three offences of making by downloading indecent images of children and distributing indecent images.

Michael Green, defending, said Taylor was scared about going to prison and has caring responsibilities at home.

Judge David Evans said he had a good insight into his offending and accepted he is remorseful. He added: "You have a sexual interest in underage children. Undoubtedly this was a very serious and persistent breach that went on for some time and you failed to reveal possession of the mobile phone."

He said people should be concerned about Taylor's behaviour but there was no suggestion it had gone from online offending to contact crimes. 

Description

A sadistic rapist has been jailed after carrying out a horrific raft of sexual offences inflicted upon a vulnerable woman.

Richard Morland recorded more than ten hours of his sexual abuse on a number of digital devices over a protracted period of time.

A judge told the defendant that his sickening offending was some of the worst she had ever witnessed after watching some of the disturbing video footage.

The depraved 47-year-old also broke into the home of another woman in the early hours of New Year’s Day and spent six hours hiding inside waiting for her to return but eventually left after stealing several pairs of worn-underwear.

Morland was captured on ring doorbell footage when his victim returned home to find her patio doors smashed open.

When police arrested the defendant, they carried out a search of his Shildon property and recovered a length of rope, a roll of tape and several pairs of unwashed underwear stuffed in a drawer, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Judge Jo Kidd branded Morland a dangerous offender as she passed a 27-year sentence for the horrific sexual abuse he inflicted on his victim.

“He repeatedly raped her and that is aggravated significantly by the fact he recorded those crimes,” she said.

“I had the opportunity of watching a short excerpt of the particular rapes set out in the charges, they make for the most disturbing viewing.

“What is clear is that his behaviour towards his victim was punctuated by physical force against the background of her screaming, crying, and trying to push him off. She was repeatedly telling him how much he was hurting her.

“One final image shows her cowering against a wall, a broken victim. He would also tell her he was going to tie her up and used that threat to terrorise her.

“This is one of the most perverted, sadistic, expressions of violence towards a woman that I have ever seen.”

Morland, of Shildon, pleaded guilty to several rapes on the same victim, and trespass with intent to commit a sexual act when he broke into the house in Newton Aycliffe.

Robert Woodcock, prosecuting, said the defendant’s abuse was ‘bullying, sadistic, and misogynistic’ when he outlined the catalogue of offences, which occurred over a protracted period of time, including repeatedly raping the woman.

He said that Morland used his victim’s past suffering against her in an attempt to force her to engage in sexual activities.

Dealing with the second victim, he said Morland had superimposed her face onto video footage of him raping and sexually abusing his first victim.

Mr Woodcock said the defendant's behaviour in the property had left her feeling scared and unable to relax in her own home.

Syam Soni, mitigating, said his client regrets the impact that his offending had on the two victims.

Morland was told he would serve 22-years in prison before being released on a five-year extended licence period.

He was also made subject of an indefinite order to sign on the sex offenders’ register.

Description

A prolific child sex offender befriended a family and babysat their two young children, buying them sweets, ice cream and toys, a court heard.

Their parents knew nothing of Stephen Carruthers' sordid past. He's now been jailed for breaching a court order which stipulated any contact he had with children aged under 18 must be approved.

Carruthers, 64, was only caught when the children's nursery raised concerns with the parents. He was the subject of an indefinite sexual offending prevention order (SHPO) when he first met the children's mother.

Carruthers, of Clevedon Road, Blackpool, was invited to the house but did not mention his previous convictions, Preston Crown Court heard. As he got closer to the family he began looking after the children while their parents went to work.

He put them to bed and would be in the same room when they were having a bath, the court heard. He stayed over at the house on several occasions and was often trusted to be alone with them. However when the parents - who knew nothing of his past - were told by staff at the nursery they were worried about the children's behaviour, reports Lancs Live.

The children's father said Carruthers was "very keen on the children" and would buy them sweets, ice cream and toys.

He visited the house almost every day and would often bend down to cuddle them. When the parents went out and left him with the children, Carruthers told them not to rush back, he said.

Preston Crown Court heard the defendant was subject to indefinite notification requirements, otherwise known as the sex offenders register, which meant any contact with children under 18 must be approved. He had not told the police or social services he was visiting the house and spending time alone with the children.

He has a string of convictions dating back to the 1970s and in 2009 was handed an indeterminate sentence for public protection for an offence of sexual activity with a child. During that hearing, the court heard how he and another paedophile he met in prison lured four teenage boys to a flat they shared in Blackpool, with boasts of money and celebrity contacts.

Judge Christopher Cornwall described the pair as "incorrigible, predatory paedophiles." Carruthers' release was only granted when the Parole Board considered he was no longer a risk, however when his contact with the children came to light he was immediately recalled on licence.

Carruthers pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching of a SOPO and two counts of breaching notification requirements. Judge Sarah O'Brien said there was no evidence he had harmed the children. She said: "Your probation progress report sets out that you have attended all your appointments and have been open with professionals, however you failed to share the most important information - that you were having unsupervised contact with two young children.

"You managed to gain the trust of these parents to be left in charge of two young (children). These are not just persistent, but flagrant breaches." He was jailed for three years.

Description

A dangerous sex offender from Droitwich has been sentenced to more than 20 years.

Adam Essex, aged 41 years from Droitwich, was handed the 26-year sentence at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday (28 November). He had previously been found guilty of eight serious sexual offences including two counts of rape, sexual assault by penetration, controlling and coercive behaviour with the threat of violence and witness intimidation. 

The offences took place between August 2021 and April 2022 and the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all eight charges.

The victim initially reported the crimes in March 2022 and the early investigation, led by DC Rachael Lynch from Worcester station, involved teams from patrol and CID, resulting in Essex being arrested on three separate occasions as further offences came to light. 

He was charged and remanded with controlling and coercive behaviour on 11 April 2022. Following this charge, an extensive action plan was put in place to move the case forward to court. 

DC Mark Wilson was asked to assist DC Lynch, finally leading to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising charging Essex with eight serious sexual offences.

Detective Inspector Sharon Wallace-Rathmell said: “This was an extremely challenging investigation and I’d like to congratulate DCs Lynch and Wilson, and the wider teams, for the dedication and commitment they have shown throughout, culminating in a long sentence for a dangerous sex offender.

"Officers who work in the field of Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) can find themselves working on complex and multi layered cases which require resilience and perseverance. They are skilled and professional officers working with compassion and dedication to support victims and prosecute offenders and I thank them for their work.”

Essex will remain on the sex offenders register for life and will remain on licence for four years upon release from prison.

Issued by MN, Corporate Communications

Description

A Moray businessman has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women following a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Michael Ramsay had denied charges that he sexually assaulted one woman by penetrating her with his fingers and sex toys and another by trying to remove her clothes and kiss her.

But a jury took under an hour to return guilty verdicts on both charges, after hearing two days of evidence against the 66-year-old.

They also convicted him of two charges of communicating indecently, relating to sexual comments he made and sexual messages he sent.

Ramsay gave one woman “hot toddies” and vodka at his Ardgilzean home near Elgin in March 2018, before subjecting her to an unwanted massage and assaulting her.

At his second home in Findhorn, Moray, the predator convinced his second victim to try on a “mini kilt” belonging to his then-estranged but now-ex-wife, having convinced her it would be a good outfit for an upcoming Burns Supper.

As she did so, Ramsay tried to take down her trousers and kiss her.

Moray businessman Michael Ramsay prevented one victim from escaping

In evidence led by fiscal depute Robert Weir, the court heard both women tell the jurors that their attacker’s attention was unwanted.

The first woman said she “wanted to leave” to get away from the sex offender but “he would not let me”.

She added: “He would grab my arms and pull me. He physically restrained me. I remember being scared and not wanting to be there”.

The witness told the jury that, following the assault, she “felt gross”.

The then-partner of the second victim told the court how she was left “disturbed” and “flustered” by the incident.

Businessman told jury his victim near Elgin ‘seemed very keen’ for unwanted massage

After being arrested for the Ardgilzean assault, Ramsay told police officers: “Her fluids are on the sex toys in the house. She used them on herself”.

One officer told the court that “he made reference to a phone recording that he would have in his possession that detailed a conversation that showed that the acts between himself and the complainer were consensual”.

But the court heard further enquiries didn’t turn up any recordings that were relevant to the investigation.

When Ramsay was detained for the incident in Findhorn, he told them: “Check her mobile telephone for blackmail”.

Taking to the witness stand to give evidence in his defence, he told his solicitor advocate Bill Adam that any contact with the women had been consensual.

Asked about the offer of a “full body massage” that he made to the first woman, he replied: “She seemed very, very keen for that to happen”.

Michael Ramsay claimed Moray sex assault victims were ‘entrapping’ and ‘blackmailing’ him

Speaking about the second incident, Ramsay claimed: “I was buckling her kilt up”.

He told Mr Weir under cross-examination: “While I was kneeling down, I said, ‘Do you want to take your PJ bottoms off so you can get a better perspective on how it will look’?”

The accused explained to the court that, when he moved to pull them down, she exclaimed: “Oi, that’s my knickers!”

When asked why his accusers had made allegations if that were the case, Ramsay said he believed the first woman had been tasked with his “entrapment” by his estranged wife’s lover.

He told the jury that the second woman was attempting to “blackmail” him.

But the jurors took under an hour to reject his version of events, returning majority guilty verdicts on all four charges.

Sherriff threatens Findhorn pervert with jail sentence

Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told Ramsay, of Findhorn: “You have been found guilty of these charges.

“Charge one, in particular, is an extremely serious charge and I’m required to give consideration to all sentencing options – including considering a custodial sentence”.

She deferred sentencing Ramsay until the new year to allow time for the production of a criminal justice social work report and an assessment of the pervert’s suitability for a rehabilitation programme.

The sheriff also placed Ramsay on the sex offenders register with immediate effect, with his eventual length of registration still to be determined at sentencing.

Description

A Fife masseuse who sexually assaulted a client has lost his job, wife and home.

Mark Robertson was giving a massage to a woman in her 20s at his home on February 9 this year.

A trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard she was lying on her back when 32-year-old Robertson’s technique caused her to arch her back in discomfort.

The woman, whose eyes were covered with a pillow, described feeling a wet mouth on her breast.

He was found guilty of sexual assault after a trial.

Maintains innocence

Robertson, of Dalgety Bay, returned to the dock this week to be sentenced after social work reports were prepared

His solicitor David McLaughlin said: “My Lord will see his previous work ethic. He’s someone who, in the past, always tried to challenge himself.

“Mr Robertson maintains his innocence.

“He’s had some personal difficulties.

“Mr Robertson is 32, he is a first offender, he has nothing before the courts other than this.

“It is a serious matter. There are aggravating factors.

“Mr Robertson was in a position of trust.

“The victim was in a vulnerable position.

“Because of that, notwithstanding his position as a first offender… this is a matter which crosses the custody threshold.”

Trial evidence

At the conclusion of the trial, Sheriff Francis Gill said he found the woman’s evidence was given in a straightforward manner and both credible and reliable.

Prosecutor Catherine Stevenson previously told the court: “The accused started breathing heavily and pulling her into him and then touched her breast with his mouth, without her consent.

“She immediately reacted and asked the accused what he was doing, which emphasised this was contact which was not consensual.”

Ms Stevenson said Robertson immediately apologised but the distressed woman reported him.

Robertson claimed contact was accidental with the “side of his face” and not his mouth.

The court heard Robertson had only massaged between five and ten people prior to the incident, also sent the woman an apology message afterwards for providing an unsatisfactory service.

Sheriff Gill said he did not find Robertson’s explanation plausible and found him guilty of the sexual assault.

Lost everything

Mr McLaughlin continued: “Because of what he has been found guilty of, Mr Robertson has begun to lose much of his life.

“The first of those things was his job – it was a good job.

“However, that was lost because of the actions he was found guilty of.”

Mr McLaughlin said that Robertson’s marital difficulties have been “exacerbated” and he and his wife now live apart.

“The mortgage that he has with his wife, he is unable to keep up repayments.

“A process has begun whereby the house will be sold.

“In effect, he’s lost his job, his marriage and his house.

“His reaction was to step away from matters and apologise to the complainer.

“That might tell My Lord that this was a fleeting incident which Mr Robertson regrets deeply.”

Register

Sheriff Francis Gill placed Robertson under supervision and on the Sex Offenders Register for six months.

He said: “Mr Robertson, as I explained to you at the day of the trial, I did not believe your version of events.

“It was clear from her evidence that she was extremely frightened and distressed by the incident and that had a big impact on her.

“Although this is your first offence, it is a serious matter.

“Having regard to what’s been said on your behalf today, I am persuaded to follow the recommendation in the criminal justice social work report.”

Description

A "predator" who pretended to be asleep while sexually assaulting lone women on trains has been jailed. 

Adriano Repetti, 46, is known to have sexually assaulted four women on trains between Cambridge and Kings Cross but police believe there could be more victims. 

Each time he would choose a seat near a lone woman, trapping them by the window. 

He would then pretend to fall asleep, then with his eyes closed he would reach out and touch his victims. 

Repetti was caught when at around 7.30pm on August bank holiday Monday (August 28) he started to touch a woman. 

He ignored her when she asked to leave the seat but the woman bravely texted British Transport Police on 61016 while he was sat next to her. 

She wrote: “I have no idea where to report this to but some guy is touching me on the train.” 

Officers met the train at Kings Cross station and Repetti was arrested. 

By a stroke of luck, another woman who saw Repetti being arrested came forward to tell officers he had also assaulted her the previous weekend (Saturday, August 19). 

An investigation revealed two more women who Repetti had sexually assaulted between July and August. 

On July 22, a 25-year-old woman had taken a photo of him as she left a train where he had targeted her. 

And on August 23 he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman who reported the incident to officers at Kings Cross. 

Detectives believe Repetti is likely to have committed more offences and have urged victims to come forward. 

When interviewed, Repetti admitted his actions but showed no remorse, saying he did not think he had targeted women. 

Repetti, of Manor Way in Fulbourn, pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by touching. 

At Inner London Crown court on Tuesday November 21, a judge sentenced him to four years and 10 months in prison. 

Detective Constable Mark Luker, investigating, said: “Repetti’s predatory actions have traumatised his victims and they have all been deeply affected. 

"Despite this, they were brave enough to come forward to police and, thanks to their testimony, a dangerous sex offender is now behind bars. 

"Anyone using the rail network to offend in this way should know that British Transport Police have officers looking for you day and night. You will not get away with it.” 

Detective Inspector Paul Attwell, senior investigating officer in the case, said: “British Transport Police go after sex offenders with everything at our disposal, including teams of dedicated plain clothes officers, 150,000 CCTV cameras and over 100,000 texts sent to 61016 every year. 

“The importance of reports from victims and witnesses can’t be understated. Men like Repetti are the reason that text 61016 and the Railway Guardian app exist. We know how important it is that victims can silently contact police while an offender may be sitting next to them. 

“Everyone should save 61016 or download Railway Guardian before you travel so you can discreetly text us if you need us.”

Description

A paedophile who repeatedly breaks court orders designed to control his behaviour is back behind bars after secretly setting up a Facebook account. Ian Mitchell also took a picture of pre-pubescent girl in swimwear which he deleted from his phone – but not before police became aware of its presence thanks to remote monitoring of his device.

Swansea Crown Court heard Mitchell has a history of sexual offending stretching back almost 25 years which began with him sexually abusing a young girl and has gone on to see him being caught multiple times with indecent images and videos. He has even been caught reoffending in prison by collecting newspaper cuttings of pictures of young girls in nativity plays as well as collecting articles about notorious child murderers. Mitchell's barrister said her client acknowledges he has "urges" and wants help to deal with them.

Tom Scapens, prosecuting, said Mitchell was released from his last custodial sentence in August this year and registered with police and then on October 26 had "e-safe" monitoring software installed on his mobile which allows police to remotely monitor phone activity. The court heard that "within hours" of having the software activated at Swansea Central police station an "image of significant concern" appeared on the phone – namely a photograph of a pre-pubescent girl in a swimsuit. The following week police went to his flat in Swansea's High Street and examined the mobile. Officers saw the photo which they knew he had taken had since been deleted and they saw he had signed up to Facebook in breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

The defendant was arrested and in interview admitted taking the photograph of the girl saying he had found a sim card and when he plugged into his television the picture of the youngster had appeared on the screen. He said he took a picture of the image on the screen before "panicking" and wrapping the sim in tissue paper and flushing it down the toilet. He also said he didn't know he was not allowed to have a Facebook account.

Ian Spencer Mitchell, of High Street, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order by deleting a photograph and having a social media account when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. The court heard he has two different dates of birth recorded on the system and is aged either 59 or 61. Mitchell has 40 previous convictions for 123 offences.

The court heard the defendant's sexual offending began in 1999 when he was sentenced to 18 months in prison for gross indecency with a child. This offence had seen him sexually assaulting a girl and showing her a pornographic film while masturbating. He was placed on the sex offenders register but failed to tell police where he was living after his release from prison and was subsequently put on the wanted list. He was arrested in 2004 in a Jobcentre in possession of a bank card in a false name.

In 2005 Mitchell was given an extended sentence as a dangerous offender, comprising nine months in custody with an extended three-year licence, for making indecent photographs of a child and in 2011 was jailed again and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for making and possessing indecent images. The following year he was sentenced to three years in prison for once again making and possessing indecent images. Mitchell's offending continued upon his release from prison and in 2015 he was sentenced to 40 months in prison for engaging in online chats about sexual abuse and for distributing indecent images and videos including of Category A which covers the most serious kinds of child sexual abuse and rape.

While serving this sentence at HMP Channings Wood in Devon the defendant was found with a secret stash of newspaper cuttings of pictures of young girls in swimming costumes or in nativity plays – some of which he had stuck onto pictures of naked woman in a pornographic magazine. He also had a collection of newspaper clippings of stories about notorious child murder cases. All the items were found during a search of his cell. For this offending Mitchell was given a second extended sentence in 2017 comprising 12 months in prison followed by a three-year licence period.

The following year the defendant was given another extended sentence as a dangerous offender after police in Swansea found more than 4,000 indecent and prohibited pictures on his phone and in his iCloud storage account and found he had engaged in sexualised conversations on WhatsApp in which he pretended to be a girl aged 11 to 13. The passcode to his phone – "Little Girls ****" – reflected his interest in child sexual abuse . For making, possessing, and distributing indecent images and breaching a SHPO the defendant was sentenced to two years in prison with an extended three-year licence period. The court heard he breached the SHPO again in 2021 after buying an internet-enabled video games console. Mitchell initially lied to police claiming another resident of the hostel had given him the device but checks showed he had in fact purchased it from a Swansea city centre shop. The defendant was released from this final sentence on August 16 this year.

Nicola Powell, for Mitchell, said following his release from prison over the summer the defendant had elected to have "E-safe" software installed on his phone "because he wanted to be safe". She said while helping his partner to move house the defendant had come across a sim-type card which he put into his television to see what it contained and had then "foolishly" taken a photo of the picture on the screen. She said the image of the girl was not indecent but it was accepted that it was "an image of concern". The barrister said Mitchel had then deleted the photo from his phone "to try to prevent any further urges". Miss Powell said the defendant was "trying his best" to deal with the "urges" he has and wants help to do so.

Recorder Aidan Eardley KC said he had been told that the defendant acknowledges he has "serious problems" and has "urges he has difficulty resisting". He said there was no possibility of suspending the prison sentence that was due as Mitchell was "unable to abide by court orders" including breaching sexual harm prevention orders on no less than four previous occasions. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas the defendant was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The sexual harm prevention order remains in place.

Description

A convicted sex beast ignored strict requirements put on him as he repeatedly kept quiet to "avoid detection".

Matthew Nicholls showed a "flagrant disregard" of a court order when he remained silent and spent a large amount of time living with a woman at a house that the police knew nothing about.

The 44-year-old admitted two offences at Hull Crown Court of failing to register his details in connection with his requirements as a convicted sex offender.

Chloe Pinches, prosecuting, said that Nicholls was a registered sex offender after he was jailed for 10 months at York Crown Court in September 2019 for causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

He had texted and sent messages to a girl on Facebook, Hull Live reports.

On June 1 this year, police were told that Nicholls had been staying at a house in East Yorkshire, and that he had not notified them. The woman who lived there was in a relationship with Nicholls and her child lived there.

The woman denied that Nicholls was in the house. "He was later found to be upstairs," said Miss Pinches.

The woman had started talking to him on an online dating site and they met at her home. He had moved in and spent time there over a period of about six months.

She was aware that Nicholls should have notified that he was living there, but she was trying to protect him from the authorities. He had been spending at least two days a week there.

"He purposefully chose not to notify the police," said Miss Pinches. "The child was put at some risk."

Hannah Turner, mitigating, said that Nicholls "fell deeply in love with" the woman and he fully accepted spending time at her house. "He was very candid about why he did what he did," said Miss Turner.

"This was a stupid decision on his part, perhaps a rather misguided way he was seeking to have a normal life and a family life. She was fully aware of this order being in place.

"She understood what orders were in place and why they were in place. He wanted her to be fully aware of the picture and what has happened in his past before she made any decision to have him as part of her family.

"He fully accepts that this was not the right way to go about this. They are still in a relationship. This is the defendant's first breach."

Recorder Taryn Turner told Nicholls: "You knew by dint of your conviction in 2019 that you became a registered sex offender. You were well aware of the implications of that order and what your obligations and responsibilities entailed.

"You were required to register at the local police station your address. Police were made aware that you had been staying at an address that was not registered to them as you living at.

"You made determined attempts to avoid detection and there was a very long period of non-compliance of around six to nine months. You had purposefully chosen not to call the police.

"You were deliberately avoiding informing your police officer who was supervising your order. You were deliberately avoiding telling him or her of your situation.

"This offence does demonstrate a flagrant disregard of court orders. You have deliberately chosen to ignore it."

Nicholls, a supermarket worker, now of Tadcaster, was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, 150 hours' unpaid work, 20 days' rehabilitation and a seven-month monitoring order. He was ordered to pay £425 costs and a previous sexual harm prevention order remains in place.

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A former footballer raped a sixth-form student while she slept. Terry Nicholas met the girl, who was then aged 17, while drinking at a pub before they went back to his house with a group of other people.

The 36-year-old waited until the teenager, who was "completely out of it" went to bed at the property. He told the others he was "just going to the toilet", snuck into the bedroom and began assaulting her as she slept.

His victim woke up during the attack and pushed him away. He then told her and another woman to leave the house.

North Wales Live reported that Nicholas, of Jubilee Road in Buckley, was jailed for eight and a half years after a jury found him guilty of the attack which took place in his home in the summer of 2021.

The court had heard Nicholas had bought cocaine as he was a "casual user" of the drug, the court heard, and the judge believed that having sex with the woman was his "clear intention" that night.

Prosecutor Siôn ap Mihangel told the court, through a victim impact statement, that young woman felt "constant uneasiness" around men since the traumatic ordeal and dreaded going to sleep due to "night terrors" and having the feeling that "someone was back on top of her". She endured a "depressive episode" and "struggled with self-worth" following the attack.

Defending, Martyn Walsh, said his client had a "reasonable career" playing football for local teams. He stressed Nicholas had "no offences of a sexual nature on his record".

However, the judge Simon Mills felt that there was some "concerning" sides to the defendant identified through a pre-sentence report for the courts. Judge Mills said the 36-year-old's attitude was "misogynistic" when he claimed he "didn't need to commit sexual offences" to sleep with women.

The judge went on to lock Nicholas up for eight-and-a-half years, listing him as a sex offender for life. He said: "You raped her and treated her with contempt. And in effect, that's what you've done ever since.

"You've not shown a shred of remorse, let alone recognition, for what you did. You provided misogynistic views verging on an attitude you could not care less about what you're facing. I urge you to take a long, hard look at yourself, the way you act, the way you treat women and the way you think."

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A pervert has been jailed for three sex attacks on women in 30 minutes. Dylan Makepeace, 24, from Mile End, was arrested after a group of boys followed him from the second attack, and was detained by them at the scene of the third, allowing police to swoop.

On November 27 last year, two women saw Makepeace acting strangely near their home in Bethnal Green. They then realised he was following them into their complex and onto their floor despite earlier asking them how to get to a different level.

One of the women began filming Makepeace out of fear, who then attacked them. They both fought back and hit out at him. After a struggle which saw him push the women to the floor and pin them to the ground, he ran off after one of the women hit him with a mobile phone.

They both suffered cuts and scratches. The women then called police to report the attack. Around 30 minutes later - at 6pm - he approached a third woman going home from the gym and entered the communal entrance of her complex, in Mile End. She became aware that Makepeace was following her.

Once inside the complex she tried to stand to the side in the hope that he would walk past rather than follow behind her. But instead of passing her, he grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth.

She tried to scream but Makepeace told her to "shut up". She tried to hit him with her key, and during the struggle they both fell over and he put his fingers down her throat as she tried to scream.

He also hit her head hard onto the ground. Makepeace then called her nasty names before sexually assaulting her by touching her over her clothes.

The woman bravely continued to fight back and managed to hit him with her keys. But Makepeace escaped when some boys on bikes appeared outside the apartment block. A resident heard the woman’s screams and came out to help. They took her into their flat and called the police.

Police arrived and were flagged down by the young men on bikes who had followed Makepeace and detained him until police arrived. Officers arrested Makepeace and carried out an ID parade which linked him to the first attack.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court, Makepeace pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating, sexual assault on a female, intentional strangulation, and section 20 grievous bodily harm.

He was sentenced to five years with an additional three years on licence. He was also put on the Sex Offenders Register for life, and was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Sergeant Michael Dixon, who led the investigation for the Met’s Central East Safeguarding team, said: "Dylan Makepeace is very clearly a danger to the public and especially lone women. He was opportunistic and violent in his approach. He specifically targeted women as they returned home and entered private residential areas to carry out his attacks.

"I want to pay tribute to the bravery of these three women. They all showed incredible fortitude as they supported our investigation. I am in no doubt that London is a safer place with Dylan Makepeace behind bars."