Latest Offenders Belfast

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NI’s former chief fire officer steps down from church position after admitting sex offencesNorthern Ireland’s former chief fire officer has stepped down from his church position after pleading guilty to two sex offences.Gary Thompson, who led the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) from 2016 until he was suspended as a precaution in December 2018, initially denied a total of nine allegations of indecent assault on a female, said to have occurred on dates between July 1, 2006 and November 1 of the same year.

The 56-year-old, with an address at Rogan Wood in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, first appeared before Ballymena Magistrates Court at the end of 2019.

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A scheming paedophile who sexually abused a girl with learning difficulties was caught when he mistakenly sent social media messages to her mum admitting his crimes.

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The encounter at his home was brief and the molester seemed visibly surprised by our visit.

We asked him a simple question what would he say to his victims?

His reply, we didnt get any. He spotted our snapper and then closed the door in our face.

Linda Williamson and Toni Harrison arent the least bit surprised by their abusers reaction.

I dont think hes sorry, not for a second. In my eyes, hes a monster, says Linda.

At his sentencing, the court was told that Doherty fully accepted Linda and Tonis accounts of what happened, although he denied any recollection of playing a diaper-changing game.

Not only did he apologize for the abuse, but Doherty also apologized for the long-term psychological damage his sickly actions caused.

His victims are grateful that he finally pleaded guilty, but they believe its all just a front.

I would never call anyone bad. But after seeing him in court, hes the scum of the earth. Its sad that people like him exist in our society, admits Linda.

Doherty has built a life of his own and is well known in a community that is unaware of his past.

Jonathan Doherty was shocked when he saw our photographer

It has also been revealed that he is also a member of the Apprentice Boys in Co Londonderry.

Sunday Life understands hes the chaplain of the Campsie Club but thats about to change.

The Loyal Order has now been informed of his catalog of sex crimes, which began when he was just 10 years old, and have been in touch with survivor Linda.

Everyone I spoke to said Jonathan denied being on the list (sex offender registry) and so they wanted to confirm what happened.

He was proud of that. Every year he would have been paraded. He was the chaplain and read from the Bible.

I dont want to beat up the Apprentice Boys. You acted quickly and cut ties with him.

Sunday Life contacted the Apprentice Boys and they said the wheels are already in motion to sack Doherty.

Actions are being taken. Our associations rules state that any single member who is convicted or placed on a sex offender list as a result of what you are referring to will be automatically disfellowshipped, a spokesman said.

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A sleazy coked-up pervert who repeatedly sent pictures of his penis to a 13-year-old girl refused to speak to the Sunday World after being approached about his sick crime.

Gavin Anthony Gillen was jailed at Newry Crown Court for 10 months yesterday, for sexual communication with a child – just 24 hours before his older brother James Gillen is due to be sentenced in the same court for shooting a man with a crossbow.

Gillen also sent a series of sexually explicit images to the child just over two years ago and then claimed he couldn’t have done such a thing because he’s gay.

Last Wednesday the court heard even though he knew full well he was almost 30 years older than the schoolgirl, 43-year-old Gillen still engaged the child in a series of flirtatious, sexually explicit messages, telling the teenager “she was a total honey”.

Gillen, from Milfort Avenue in Dunmurry, was due to be sentenced after he confessed to one count of sexual communication with a child “for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification” but Judge Peter Irvine KC adjourned the case and said he wanted to reconsider all of the papers before deciding what to do with the creep.

The Sunday World went to Gillen’s door to ask him about his sickening crime but he refused to open the front door.

Sources have told theSunday World that Gillen rarely answers the door as he owes so many people money, often related to his consumption of drugs.

And we have learned from sources who know Gillen he has a habit of sending unwanted sexual explicit messages to women.

Prosecuting counsel Nicole Auret outlined how the offence was committed in the early hours of December 17, 2020 when Gillen began sending the girl messages.

The barrister described how Gillen began by commenting on skimpy clothes and asking her “if she had seen porn” but he then goes on to ask her “if she has seen a penis and if she has looked for pictures of penises on the web”.

“At one point he sent her two pictures of an erect penis and asked her if she thought that d**k is nice,” said Ms Auret, adding Gillen also asked “if she liked girls rather than boys”.

Ms Auret told the court Gillen sent her the d**k pics “several times” but warned her to delete them.

The police were alerted and were able to take screenshots of the messages “but that was the extent of the co-operation” of the teenager and her family, the court heard.

Arrested and interviewed, Gillen accepted he knew the girl was just 13 when sending her sexualised messages and the explicit images.

Claiming he had been in a bar drinking and taking cocaine, Gillen further claimed “he was trying to advise her to stay away from boys and said that he was a homosexual man”.

He said the images he sent were not his own penis but did accept his behaviour “was inappropriate”.

Defence counsel Conor Lunny said Gillen was “quite emotional about the devastation that his actions have done to his own life and relations with his close family”.

“I’m under strict instructions to offer sincere and full apologies, for what it’s worth, to the injured party and her family,” said the barrister.

Jailing Gillen, Judge Peter Irvine KC said legal guidelines made it clear that offences involving the sexual exploitation of children are serious and must be met with appropriate sentences.

In addition to a 10-month jail sentence, Judge Irvine ordered Gillen to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and also imposed a sexual offences prevention order, which places prohibitions on where Gillen can live, who he can date, where he can work and what devices he is allowed.

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A former Army Corporal has avoided jail after admitting making and possessing indecent images of children.

Philip Francis McLernon claimed he couldnt remember looking at the explicit photos and videos.

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A former firefighter from Bangor has been handed a seven and a half year prison sentence for sexually assaulting three teenage girls after plying them with drink and drugs at his party house in the town.

Shamed William Rowan Ferguson pleaded guilty to charges of rape and sexual activity with girls under 16.

Ferguson aged 47 now with an address at Crumlin Road based in North Belfast further admitted inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and also sexual assault.

Following his guilty pleas, a prosecution lawyer asked for a number of other offences to be left on the books and not to be processed without the leave of the crown court or the court of appeal.

Downpatrick crown court sitting in Belfast, heard that one of the girls recounted how there was regular parties at Fergusons home in Bangor where they were given drink and drugs.

The offences were committed between January 1st 2015 and April 2016.

The court was told that Ferguson threatened the girls with paramilitary action if they spoke out.

Last Friday, February 9th, Ferguson stood in the dock of Belfast recorder court dressed in a grey two pIEce suit and shirt and clutching a walking stick.

Belfast recorder judge David McFarland told Ferguson that had he contested the charges and be found guilty he would of jailed him for total of 10 years for what he described as significant offences. T

he judge said that although Ferguson had made some admissions in the police station he denied the charges in court. Judge McFarland said he was aware that there had been some discussions between his defence and the prosecution even though a trial date had been fixed but he said that the public would not have been aware that these discussions were going on in the background.

The judge added the victims in this case and their families would of heard you had entered not guilty pleas and that there was going to be a trail despite any assurances given to them by the prosecution.

The Belfast recorder said this would have caused significant difficulties for members of the public particularly the victims particularly when they are evidence is going to be challenged and cross examined about the truthfulness of their accounts that can be a traumatic experience for a witness preparing to give evidence.

The judge said that finally admitting his guilt Ferguson was telling your family and the wider public that you did do this to the victims and they were telling the truth. You cant deny that. It is a public admission by you that what you did was wrong, by your guilty pleas the victims were spared the traumatic experience of having to give evidence and also spared the public purse the cost of an expensive trial.

Judge mcfarland said that as a result of Fergusons late guilty plea he was reducing the ten year sentence to one of seven and a half years saying half of the sentence would be spent in custody with the remainder spent on supervised licence upon his release.

The sentence imposed was four years for rape which was consecutive to a three and a half year sentence for the offences of sexual activity by an adult with a child aged 13-16, an adult committing a sex act with a child and causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He received a further 6 month concurrent sentence for sexual assault.

Ferguson was placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life and he also made the subject of conditions under a sexual offenders prevention order on his release from jail.

He is banned from approaching children under the age of 16 without reasonable excuse, he is not aloud in a motor vehicle with a person under the age of 16 without the approval of his designated risk manager, he is also not aloud to enter into a relationship of an intimate nature without notifying his risk manager, at the end of his sentencing remarks

Judge McFarland told prison guards take him down.

There was emotional scenes in the public gallery where the victims sat with the families, with some hurling abuse at Ferguson as he was taken to the cells below.