Latest Offenders Bedfordshire

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A registered sex offender has been sentenced to more than 20 years’ jail for raping a child and making her film indecent videos for him.

Jamie Thacker, aged 34, who has been previously convicted of possessing indecent images of children, had messaged the victim via WhatsApp and given her instructions to film indecent videos of herself.

The videos were discovered by a family member of the victim, and further disclosures were made that she had been previously raped by Thacker.

Thacker, who previously lived in Everton, near Biggleswade, pleaded guilty to 10 different counts, including rape, assault by penetration, and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

He was sentenced at Huntington Crown Court last Thursday (17/10) to 21 years in prison with a further five years on licence due to the danger he poses.

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A former Bedfordshire Police officer who targeted vulnerable teenage girls over social media for sexual gratification has been jailed for over three years today (Wednesday 16 October).

Elliot Wright, aged 29 from Henlow, Bedfordshire, was working as an officer in the collaborated Roads Policing Unit when he arranged to meet a teenage girl who was at risk after finishing a shift on 21 March this year.

The girl, from Hertfordshire, was subject to a deprivation of liberty order for her own safety. Staff at her care home contacted police when they saw her getting into a car, and officers were able to track down Wright’s vehicle near his home in Bedfordshire a short time later and arrested him.

The victim told officers Wright had asked her to delete his messages before he was stopped. Following his arrest by Hertfordshire Constabulary officers, detectives traced potential further victims on his social media including a 16-year-old girl who he had paid in return for sexual images.

An investigation into Wright, led by Hertfordshire Constabulary, showed he had been aware she was vulnerable and often needed money to buy food. He offered her £3 on one occasion for images.

He was soon charged and was immediately suspended by Bedfordshire Police at the time of his arrest. He had his vetting removed and was dismissed from the force in July.

Wright pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, arranging the sexual exploitation of a child, abduction of a child in care, paying for the sexual services of a child and perverting the course of justice. A further charge of misconduct in a public office, which he denied, was ordered to lay on his file.

He was sentenced by a High Court judge to a total of 42 months at St Albans Crown Court, and will serve half his sentence in prison and the second half on licence. Wright was also granted an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A man from Leighton Buzzard, who was branded a dangerous offender, has been jailed for sexually abusing a child over a five-year period.

Peter Cutler, 62, will now spend the next 14 years in prison, plus an additional seven years on licence, after pleading guilty to 22 offences relating to child sexual abuse.

The abuse spanned over five years, until the child, who is now a teenager, opened up to a trusted adult. Together they reported it to police and were able to work with specialist officers.

Subsequently, Cutler was arrested, however whilst he was out on police bail, he admitted to family members that he had sexually abused a child. When he was asked to explain himself, he claimed he didn’t know what he was doing.

Cutler, of Heath Road, Leighton Buzzard, was sentenced on Thursday (18 July) after pleading guilty to the following:

• Seven counts of assaulting a child by penetration
• Six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child
• Five counts of sexual assault of a child
• Two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child,
• Two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act 

He will serve 14 years in prison, with an extended licence period of seven years on his release, due to his dangerousness.

Cutler will also have to adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Restraining Order, with notification requirements for life.

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A former school child protection officer who sexually abused his pupils has been jailed.

Alexander Charles Ralls, 47, was found guilty of over 40 non-recent sexual offences at Bradford Crown Court.

The court heard he had carried out the offences while working at York public school Queen Ethelburga's.

Ralls, of Hazel Mead in Bedfordshire, was jailed for 16 years on Monday, and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

During a six-week trial at Bradford Crown Court, it was heard how, over a four-year period, Ralls used his position of trust to exploit his victims in the UK and on school trips abroad.

He was suspended from teaching and subsequently dismissed in 2015 following a disclosure made by a former student, according to the school.

'Sickening actions'

North Yorkshire Police said Ralls posed as a person with medical knowledge who told his victims to remove their clothes to examine them and then molested them.

Ralls was found guilty of 31 charges of sexual assault, 10 charges of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and two charges of assault by penetration.

Investigating officer Det Con Suzanne Hall said Ralls had used his position of trust to "coerce and influence".

Det Con Hall added: "The extent of his offending was staggering and the fact that he continued to use the same excuse of providing medical care to carry out his sickening actions, shows his utter arrogance towards and contempt of his victims."

A spokesperson for Queen Ethelburga's said "significant improvements in safeguarding practices" had been made since then.

The spokesperson said the school wanted to express their "heartfelt sorrow and regret" to the victims.

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A man from Leighton Buzzard has been jailed after he groomed a teenage girl online and arranged to meet her at a hotel for sex.

Ronjohn Bhowmick, 60, used Facebook to befriend someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, chatting to her about school and homework before moving the conversations to a more sexual nature via texts and WhatsApp.

He then arranged to meet the girl and booked a hotel with the intention of having sex with her.

When he was arrested at his home address, he claimed that “he was just being silly and sending messages.”

Bhowmick, of Miletree Court, Leighton Buzzard, was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday (Wednesday) at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

He will also have to adhere to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order upon release.

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A man who followed a woman down an alleyway after she left a bar and then raped her has been jailed.

Loui Cadman, 25, filmed the woman on his mobile phone before attacking her in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, on 20 November.

He was given an extended sentence of 12 years and three months by Luton Crown Court.

Overseeing the hearing, Judge Rebecca Herbert told Cadman: "Your behaviour was predatory."

CCTV footage revealed Cadman followed the woman down an alleyway from Lake Street towards Duncombe Drive after she left a nearby bar at about 01:30 BST.

The court was told the woman had become separated from her friends that night and had lost her mobile phone.

After the attack, the woman reported what had happened to door staff at a nearby pub, which was reported to Bedfordshire Police.

Cadman was found near the scene and arrested.

Secret filming

When officers examined his phone, the intimate footage he had shot of the woman was discovered. They also found other video clips Cadman had secretly shot of young women.

The court was told since the attack the woman could no longer socialise or sleep and had suffered panic attacks.

Judge Herbert said: "I have no doubt you were walking the streets hoping to come across a vulnerable female who was very much the worse for drink."

Cadman, of Meadow Way, Leighton Buzzard, was found guilty of rape earlier this year. He had pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism, possession of indecent images and possession of cannabis.

He was told by the judge the extended prison sentence comprised of nine years and three months in custody and a period on licence of three years.

Det Sgt Shona Birkby, from Bedfordshire Police's rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) team, said: "All the evidence shows Cadman had deliberately preyed on what he viewed as a vulnerable woman."

Ms Birkby commended the bar staff for helping the woman.

She said: "We all have a responsibility to help tackle male violence against women and girls.

"And their actions in supporting her and reporting what had happened to us has played a big part in this outcome."

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A man abused a young girl before turning his attention to another young victim - giving one gifts to buy her silence. Peter Bingham's behaviour had a devastating effect on the girls with one victim from Flintshire saying she had tried to destroy her body by self-harming.

Yesterday, the 54-year-old was finally brought to justice after a jury found him guilty of five sex offences following a trial in April. A judge at Mold Crown Court jailed him for a total of five years. Prosecutor Elen Owen said his first victim was under the age of 12 when the abuse started and recounted details of the incidents to the court.

Later, when the victim told Bingham to stop, he reacted angrily, the court heard. Her mother trusted the man and "brushed off" his behaviour, but she had been "groomed" by him too, said Ms Owen.

However, when the abused daughter reached her mid-teens Bingham's offending stopped "quite abruptly". Ms Owen said: "He turned his attention to (a) younger girl." This was a girl who remembers being abused by Bingham just before her ninth birthday, the court heard.

Bingham's first victim, who is grown-up, read out a statement in court in which she recalled the abusive events. She said she later self-harmed because she wanted to destroy her body "so no man ever wanted to touch" it again.

She also said she will not allow anyone to tickle her as he did it and still struggles to accept kindness, fearing people might want something in return. She blocked out the memories of the abuse out of self-preservation but coming to the trial had brought it all back and she dreaded the possibility she might see her abuser in court.

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A paedophile from Arlesey has been jailed after being found to have possessed and distributed indecent images of children.

Registered sex offender Terence Thatcher, 56, of Bury Mead, was arrested in February this year after Bedfordshire Police carried out a warrant at his home address.

Officers seized a mobile phone containing more than 1,100 indecent images of children, along with two prohibited and five extremely pornographic images.

There was also evidence of chat streams that showed Thatcher had shared these images with other users.

Part of Thatcher’s sexual harm prevention order when he was released from prison in 2019 was that he needed to notify his offender manager that he had a new phone, which he had not done.

On investigation, the phone was also logged into various social media accounts that he had not sought permission to use, resulting in a further breach of the conditions of his order.

Investigation Officer Emma Shipton from Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team said: “Viewing, possessing and distributing indecent images of children is by no means a victimless crime.

“It causes and propagates real harm to the children concerned, as they are abused and exploited in such a vile and appalling way, and people like Thatcher share this disgusting abuse online for other individuals to view.”

Thatcher was sentenced on Friday, May 19 to a total of two years and eight months in prison, with an additional three years on licence, after pleading guilty to making, distributing and possessing indent images of children, possessing prohibited and pornographic images and for breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

He has also been handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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A middle-aged man who masturbated in front of two women on a London service train has been jailed. Dean Benjamin, 41, targeted his first victim shortly after 5pm on March 3 on a train to Nottingham before approaching a second woman in the first-class carriage.

The first victim noticed Benjamin staring at her while leaning on the luggage rack. Moments later, she looked back up and saw that he had placed his hands down the front of his trousers and was clearly masturbating.

She was able to text British Transport Police using its 61016 service and told a passing ticket inspector who moved her away and sat her in the first-class carriage. A short while later, Benjamin made his way to the first-class carriage and began masturbating while staring at a second woman as she worked on her laptop.

A ticket inspector was informed and an off-duty police officer who was travelling on the service apprehended Benjamin until the train arrived at Kettering station. He was removed and immediately taken into custody.

He later pleaded guilty to outraging public decency and has now been jailed for a total of 26 months. Benjamin, of Stockingstone Road, Luton, had also been in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order when he committed the offences.

DC Mohit Behl, investigating officer in the case, said: “Benjamin is quite simply a disgusting individual who targeted two lone women for his own sexual gratification.

“I hope his prison sentence serves as a stark warning to sexual offenders – we will do everything in our power to put your behind bars, without exception. If you experience or witness repulsive behaviour such as this on the rail network, I urge you to report it to us either by texting 61016 as the victim did in this instance, or by calling 0800 40 50 40.

“Nothing is too small or too trivial to report, and we will always take you seriously.”

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A paedophile who sexually assaulted three people has been jailed for 14 years, more than 20 years after the offences were committed.

Steven Smith, 48, of Grantham, was found guilty of sexual assault offences on two women and a boy in the 1990s in both Arlesey, Bedfordshire and another part of the country. Smith received a 14-year custodial sentence at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday, December 13 and will be on the sex offender’s register for life.

Bedfordshire Police are encouraging victims of sexual assault to come forward, no matter when the incidents took place.

Detective Constable Hayley Carroll from Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Investigation Team said: "We are all incredibly pleased with this outcome. It serves as an empowering reminder to all members of our community – victims and non-victims – that it is never too late to report a crime.

"Our hope is that this result serves as encouragement to everyone, emphasising how powerful the process of reporting can be - for both recent and non-recent offences.

"Sexual assault is an abhorrent crime, and child victims are very often affected into their future, and it can impact their development and growth both mentally and physically.

"All three of the victims are extremely pleased and relieved that they can now move forward with some closure regarding this chapter of their lives."

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A Bedfordshire man who downloaded indecent images of the most vile nature has been jailed for three years. Michael Johnson, 73, of Park Street, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, and six counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Johnson was previously registered as a sex offender and had been handed a suspended jail sentence of two years for offences linked to indecent images of children. He was also given a SHPO which prevented him from owning any devices without them being registered, and downloading file sharing software.

Deborah Simpson from Bedfordshire Polices offender management team was carrying out a routine visit in November 2021 when she became suspicious of software downloaded onto Johnsons computer. After noticing this, the computer was seized, and when searching the device, officers discovered indecent images of children, which were almost identical to those previously found in Johnsons possession.

n March 2022, further enforcement was carried out by Bedfordshire Polices cyber teams, where they were joined by a specialist digital media dog for the search. A further 12 unregistered devices were discovered and seized from Johnson, which resulted in a further charge of breaching his SHPO.

He was sentenced on Thursday (August 25) at Luton Crown Court to three years in prison, and his previous suspended sentence was activated. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigation Officer Deborah Simpson, who led the Bedfordshire Police investigation, said: "Johnson experienced sexual pleasure accessing images of the most vile nature involving very young children. He has shown no remorse for his actions, as he has continued to repeat his behaviour and ignore the prevention plan put in place.

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A predatory sexual offender who admitted raping a young girl in Norfolk has been jailed.

Anthony Smith, 41, had been due to stand trial at Norwich Crown Court having previously denied a raft of offences against the girl, aged under 13.

Offences included rape, in the King's Lynn area between February and December 2019.

But Smith has been given an extended 21-year sentence, made up of 16 years in custody and five years on licence, after he admitted rape.

Smith also admitted assault of a child under 13, sexual assault of a child and an offence of causing a child to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The court heard Smith had "pestered" the victim who he met up with and took to a secluded spot by the River Ouse in King's Lynn where he attacked her despite her cries for him to stop.

Sentencing Smith on Thursday (July 28), Judge Katharine Moore described Smith as being a "significant risk of causing serious harm" to other children.

Judge Moore said: "She (the victim) was telling you no but you didn't stop.

"She was crying but you didn't stop.

"She was scared."

The judge said that from "first to last" Smith had been "grossly corrupting".

Smith, of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, was prohibited from contacting the victim indefinitely and was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Robert English, for Smith, said this was not a conviction after trial for his client who entered his guilty pleas before a jury was sworn meaning witnesses were saved from giving evidence.

He said the offences were "out of character" for the defendant who has no previous convictions for matters of this type.

A Norfolk Police spokesman said: "This case involved the predatory sexual behaviour of an adult over a young child.

"The sentence passed by the court reflects the severity of the defendant's actions and the threat that he poses and will ensure that the victim and public will remain safe from this individual in the future."

The spokesman added: "The victim and family wish to express their thanks to all involved and are relieved that they now have the closure they needed to move forward with their lives.

"Most importantly I hope the victim can move forward and have a happy and successful future.

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In the first incident Gallagher continued to rape the victim even after she repeatedly told him to stop, while on the second occasion she woke up to find Gallagher raping her.

Immediately after the second incident the victim called a friend to stay in her home as Gallagher refused to leave.

A victim impact statement read out in court said the victim had suffered significant trauma as a result of the incidents, which continues to this day.

At Luton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday), Gallagher was sentenced to three years in prison for the first offence and six years for the second. The sentences will be served at the same time.

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The offences were carried out against a boy and a girl

A man convicted of sexually abusing children has been jailed for a total of nine years, and added to the sex offenders register for life. Peter Crane, 65, of Billington Road, Leighton Buzzard, was convicted by a jury at Luton Crown Court on 21 January, of the offences against a boy and a girl which took place in the 1970s and 80s.

PC Matt McCarthy, from Bedfordshire Polices Protecting Vulnerable People team, said: Crane to this day refutes the overwhelming evidence against him including strong and brave testimony from the victims who were incredibly young when the abuse began, and have had to live with the consequences into adulthood.

"As well as the emotional impact of his offending, he has continued to put his victims through a further ordeal of a trial. No matter how much time has passed, we will always fully investigate and seek to prosecute any sexual offenders and would encourage anyone who has experienced abuse to come forward, regardless of when it happened.

As well as the nine-year jail term, Crane will remain on licence for a further year following the sentence and will be registered as a sex offender for life. It is never too late to report sexual abuse. To report a crime, or seek advice, call Bedfordshire Police's non-emergency, 24/7 number: 101. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use our textphone service on 18001 101.

If you are concerned about a child, you can also contact the NSPCC to speak to a professional practitioner, speak to the children's social care team at your local council or contact Crimestoppers confidentially and anonymously. If someone is in immediate danger, always call 999.

The force has specialist teams dedicated to supporting victims and works with a range of other agencies to provide support. Bedfordshire Victim Care Services offers a comprehensive range of support to victims of crime, even if it has not been reported to the police. To find out more, visit Bedfordshire VCS.

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A teaching assistant has been found guilty of having sex with a 14-year-old pupil in a supermarket car park.

The boy was a pupil at a school in Hoddesdon, in Hertfordshire, where Hannah Harris, now 23, worked.

She tricked the boy's parents by claiming to be the mother of the boy's fictional girlfriend.

However, she was caught in 2020 when the boy's older brother found out, and has been convicted of sexual activity with a child. Sentencing is next month.

St Albans Crown Court heard Harris had contacted the boy's parents, telling them her name was Olivia, and that her teenage daughter Kayla was their son's girlfriend.

In one text, Harris wrote: "Seems Kayla and [the boy] are getting on well, so I am happy to ferry them around."

"The names Kayla and Olivia were fictions to hide the fact they were meeting up," prosecutor Simon Wilshire said.

"The parents were in fact talking to Ms Harris, as that was the number they had been given for 'Olivia'."

'Duped'

When the victim's older brother found out about the relationship in January 2020, the boy admitted both Olivia and Kayla were fictitious.

"When the parents became aware, they realised they had unwittingly facilitated the contact," Mr Wilshire said.

"They had been duped by the boy into the belief he was seeing someone of his own age.

"As a teaching assistant at his school, she [Harris] would have known his age - such activity is a criminal offence regardless of whether he believed himself to be a willing party."

In a police interview, Harris said the first contact was initiated when the boy sent her an Instagram message.

She said she replied and communication continued until she agreed to meet him outside school hours.

Custody 'inevitable'

Harris, from Harrier Mill, Henlow, in Bedfordshire, denied four charges of sexual activity with a child in December 2019 and January 2020.

Three of the charges related to offences alleged to have taken place on Dunstable Downs and at her home, but she was cleared by a jury on those counts.

However, she was found guilty of one count of having sex with the boy in a supermarket car park.

Following the verdict, defence barrister Julia Flanagan said Harris was now in a stable relationship.

She said there had been concerns for her mental health, but she had returned to working in IT, a job she held down before becoming a teaching assistant.

Judge Caroline Wigin said: "The sentence is inevitably going to be custody."

She bailed Harris and told her she must abide by a curfew between 19:00 and 07:00 GMT, and that she will also have to register as a sex offender.

Sentencing is due on 9 March.