Latest Offenders Blackburn

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The brave victim of a dangerous paedophile who raped and sexually abused her over a period of five years when she was a child has said the justice system 'needs to change' when it comes to investigating serious sexual assaults.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons and who is now an adult, stood up in court and read a lengthy personal statement in which she detailed how she thinks the justice system is more geared to supporting perpetrators of sexual abuse and rape than it is to supporting victims.

Preston Crown Court heard how David Sallis committed the heinous crimes between 2004 and 2009, when the woman was between the ages of eight and 12 and he was aged around 27.

Sallis, of Whalley Banks, Blackburn, was sentenced for five counts of rape, and assault by penetration, all of which he pleaded guilty to an at earlier hearing.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, told the court the abuse began when the child was just eight years old, and would take place at various locations including in Bury and Peterborough.

The abuse stopped when the child turned 12, but she was too afraid to report the crimes to the police until several years later.

Mr McEntee said: The Crown say this was a lengthy and sustained period of the worst kind of sexual abuse, and the pre-sentence report shows a complete failure to appreciate the magnitude of what he had done.

The defendant seeks to minimise his actions, but there was a real and severe psychological harm caused to the victim.

Mitigating for Sallis, Ayesha Smart said he had last committed a crime before this campaign of sick sexual abuse in 1998, and had worked every day in prison since being remanded in custody.

However, in a statement read to the court, Sallis victim detailed how she had been left anxious and traumatised by the abuse but refused to let it define her or her future.

She said: Its been a very long process and I can hand on heart say I can 100 per cent understand why victims of rape and sexual abuse dont come forward.

The system is flawed. Had I not had the support at home or the support from the officer in charge of my case I would not have been able to fight.

We have a system that supports paedophiles more than victims. The person who committed the vilest crimes has had the most support.

The only person who picked up the phone and explained things to me was the officer in charge of my case.

I am yet to receive any support from victim support and am yet to be assigned a support officer.

I didnt even know the date of this sentencing, I found out from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Do I not deserve an explanation, or do victims just need to be left in the dark? Things need to change.

I should not have to wait for a call from the officer so he can explain what the next steps are.

The NSPCC published a report into child sexual abuse statistics which showed one in 20 children in the UK had been sexually abused.

More recent statistics from Rape Crisis show that one in six children have been abused.

We are told about how many women and children are victims of these crimes, but never about how many men commit these crimes.

We are told about how many victims of harassment there are, but never about how many men are committing the harassments.

We are told statistics about teenage pregnancies, but never about the boys and men getting these women pregnant.

Men arent even part of it. A change needs to be made.

In sentencing, Recorder Michael Maher praised the victim for her bravery, and addressing Sallis he said: Your sexual deviancy robbed her of her formative years and damaged her adolescent and adult life.

I have listened in total to her victim personal statement and the profound impact it has had upon her.

While you have pleaded guilty I dont accept that you have any remorse.

I believe you are dangerous as defined by statute and you do pose a risk of significant harm.

Sallis, 47, was jailed for 14 years and three months and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

DC Phil Scott, of East CID, said: The victim has shown tremendous courage throughout this process. The way she dealt with such a heinous crime has been truly inspirational. Most people could not comprehend what she has lived through.

I welcome the sentence handed down Sallis, which reflects the seriousness of his crime.

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A MAN who had secretly filmed a sex act between him and his partner sent it to another "woman" who he was involved with on an internet chat site.

Blackburn magistrates heard the sexually explicit betrayal backfired on Alistair Watson when the other person in the chat room blackmailed him by threatening to reveal his treachery to his partner.

He confessed all to his girlfriend and she involved the police.

Watson, 24, of Kelvin Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to voyeurism by recording another person doing a private act with the intention that he and a third person would, for the purpose of sexual gratification, look at the image knowing the other person did not consent to the recording with that intention.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison suspended for 24 months and made subject to a community order with 35 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 60 hours unpaid work.

He was made subject to a restraining order for 12 months which prohibits any contact with the victim and ordered to pay £85 costs and £128 victim surcharge. He was made subject to the Sex Offender Registration requirements for seven years.

Peter Kelly, prosecuting, said Watson had confessed to his partner that he had been chatting to a girl in Portsmouth via the Kik messaging app.

He had sent the girl, known as Amy, a video of him masturbating and she had asked for other images.

He had sent nude pictures of his partner and then the video of them having sex on the couch which he had secretly recorded without her consent.

"She didn't give any permission for these images to be disclosed to a third party and she was unaware of the recording," said Mr Kelly.

Peter King, defending, said his client was aware of the distress he had caused and was desperate to ensure he was taking full responsibility for what had happened.

"He embarked on a series of communications with this person which appears to have been an entrapment from the start," said Mr King.

"He never thought it would develop into a situation where he had no control and he was being exploited by this other person. When it became obvious he had lost control he put a stop to it and fronted up."

He said Watson thought he was dealing with a person who could be traced but that was not the case.

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A MAN convicted of repeatedly raping a teenage girl has been jailed for 13 years.

Lorne Turner was told by a judge he had asserted that the victim was lying, but that a jury had rightly rejected his defence.

The 38-year-old of Aberdale Close, Blackburn, had been found guilty after a trial of three charges of rape.

He had admitted a single charge of sexual activity with a child.

Preston Crown Court heard that his behaviour had included him offering the girl money for sex. She had refused, but he had gone on to rape her. She had also tried to resist him, but could not stop him.

Turner had denied the rape allegations, asserting that the girl had been lying.

Mr Thomas Gilbart, defending, said

“He understands that the offences he has been convicted of can only be met with a substantial custodial sentence.

“He has never served custody in the past. He has anxiety and fear about the lengthy sentence that will be passed.”

Judge Angela Beech told Turner: “Your conduct towards the girl has had, to put it mildly, a profound effect on her.”

The judge said the girl had urged all those who have been sexually abused to speak out about it.

Turner will be on the sex offenders register for life and banned from having any unsupervised contact with any girl under sixteen.

DC Lyndsey Vaughton, who led the investigation said:

“This has been a very traumatic time for the victim. But, I am satisfied that the sentence fits the crime committed. Whilst, the trauma the victim suffered will never go away she will have some comfort in knowing her attacker is behind bars.”