Latest Offenders Bolton

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A sex offender who repeatedly targeted a woman has been jailed for more than four years.

Married grandfather Stephen Riley attacked his victim on several occasions as she slept - but it was years before she felt able to complain to police.

Jailing the 64-year-old, Judge Tom Gilbart told him: This was quite shocking criminality by you. It was predatory behaviour which has had a significant impact.

Riley, of Sandridge Close, Kearsley, appeared in the dock at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty to assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault just days before his trial was due to start.

The court heard that the abuse began eight years ago when, on the first occasion, Riley sexually touched the woman after finding her asleep on a sofa.

She then heard the defendant say, I always knew you were a slag, said Mr Edwards, who added that the woman pushed Riley away asking him, How could you do that?

Following that incident, the defendant made repeated suggestive comments to her, said Mr Edwards.

The woman did not inform anyone about the assault but the following year Riley sexually assaulted her once more and, on a third occasion, he again repeatedly touched her as she was sleeping.

She describes the defendants conduct as relentless, said Mr Edwards.

When confronted, Riley claimed he had been sleepwalking.

The woman eventually complained to police and Riley was arrested but initially denied the allegations against him.

Damian Zelazowksi, defending, said Riley, who suffers with physical health problems, claims he was drunk at the time he committed the offences.

He has quite openly accepted that his behaviour was entirely wrong, said Mr Zelazowski.

He cannot explain his behaviour but he shows a willingness to understand why he behaved in that manner.

He deeply regrets the harm and upset that his actions have caused.

Judge Gilbart sentenced Riley to four years and nine months in prison, placed him on the sex offenders register for life and barred him from working with children and vulnerable adults.

He told Riley that his victims life had been seriously impacted all because of your selfish decision to satisfy your own sexual lust.

You should be utterly ashamed of yourself, he added.

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A BAR manager attempted to persuade a 13-year-old girl to model for him and offered to pay her for sex.

But convicted paedophile Link Robinson did not realise the teenager he had targeted in a chat room was an undercover police officer.

Robinson was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order after being convicted of possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

And when police arrested him again at his flat in Bradshawgate, Bolton, they discovered that he had devices capable of accessing the internet which he was banned from having unless his offender manager was informed.

At Bolton Crown Court Robinson, a father-of-one, was jailed for three years after admitting attempting to communicate with a child in order to obtain sexual gratification, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and four breaches of his sexual harm prevention order.

Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, told how, on September 23 last year 34-year-old Robinson, using the name Model Scout, logged into an online chat room and began a conversation with "Izzy".

Her profile made clear that she was a schoolgirl.

"The defendant messaged her asking her why she wasn't in school and asked if she wanted to earn some cash by modelling for him at his apartment in Bolton," said Mr Whelan.

During the subsequent chat Izzy, who was an undercover police officer, told Robinson, she was aged 13 and a virgin.

The conversation quickly became sexualised with Robinson, sending her pictures of male private parts, encouraging her to commit a sexual act and offering to pay her 150 if she would model for him and they had sex.

"I was thinking if you wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend we could be and that would lead to sex stuff. I'd pay extra if needed," he told her.

Robinson also messaged Izzy using Kik Messenger using the name AdiBoy87 and encouraged her to send him pictures of herself. But he became angry when he traced to pictures she used to a Russian Instagram account.

"He accused her of being fake, stating 'I am trying to date and have sex with you. I want you to be real'," said Mr Whelan.

Police tracked Robinson's IP address to his home and he was arrested on January 14.

He initially denied being in contact with Izzy although he admitted having used a number of chat rooms.

"He stated the reason he couldn't specifically remember September time was due to it being Freshers Week which was a busy time of year for the bar that he is manager of," said Mr Whelan.

Robinson, who also uses the aliases Carl Robinson and Cark Robinson, admitted that he had changed his name by deed poll following his previous conviction.

Michael Goldwater, defending stressed that the contact with Izzy had been on a single occasion and was "relatively short" in duration.

"The defendant is very distressed at his own behaviour and is very remorseful," he added.

"Although he recognises these are very serious offences, he is confident that, having served his sentence, he will not trouble the courts again."

Jailing Robinson, Recorder Andrew Long told him: "It is clearly indicated that you have a sexual interest in children."

Robinson was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

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A former junior football coach who was previously jailed for sexually assaulting boys has been found guilty of raping a teenage boy.

Michael Coleman, 79, attacked the 15-year-old in the mid-1970s after he joined the team he managed in Bolton, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

He also indecently assaulted the boy in a changing room and at his flat.

Coleman, who received a seven-year term in 2018, was sentenced to a further eight years at Bolton Crown Court.

GMP said Coleman, of HMP Forest Bank, approached the boy in the showers after he had been at the club for about four months and sexually assaulted him.

He went on to take the teenager out drinking in Bolton and on one occasion, took the boy back to his flat on the pretence of buying him some food and then indecently assaulted him.

'Harrowing'

A police spokesman said after another night out, Coleman raped the boy at the flat, before driving him home.

The attacks were reported after Coleman was jailed for seven years in 2018 for three counts of sexual assault against boys aged 12 and 13 in the 1980s.

That case was the result of a nationwide investigation into non-recent sexual abuse in sport, which saw GMP and other police forces work with the NSPCC, the Football Association and local councils to identify offenders.

Speaking after Coleman was sentenced on Tuesday, a GMP spokesman said it had been "a harrowing investigation".

He said he could not imagine "the psychological effect" the abuse had had on the complainant, "not only as a young man, but throughout his life, but I hope that the verdict brings some form of closure and a sense of justice being served".

He added that the boy "should have been able to trust Coleman as a local football coach, but was instead let down by him in the most horrendous way".

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The general manager of a tipi hire company has admitted committing fraud and sex offences ahead of a trial for further voyeurism charges.

Gareth Fearnley Edwards, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by abuse of position at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on June 29.

Edwards was the general manager of Big Chief Tipis, based in Bolton, where he falsified freelancers' invoices before paying the fees to himself, heard the court.

The manager, of Willand Close in Breightmet, also pleaded guilty to one count of recording a person doing a private act and one count of making an indecent picture of a child at a plea and trial preparation hearing in Bolton Crown Court today (July 5).

He pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempts to possess indecent pictures of a child, another count of recording a person doing a private act and another count of making an indecent picture of a child.

Edwards will go on trial for the offences he denies.

The case has been adjourned until the trial is scheduled to begin on June 6, 2022.

Edwards has been released on bail.

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The managing director of an 8 million technology firm who exchanged explicit messages with teenage girls on Snapchat has avoided going to jail.

Austin Kitchen, 36, posed as a 25-year-old man with flash pictures of his luxury Tesla and BMW cars.

He targeted three victims, including one girl, 15, who was bombarded with compliments from him on a daily basis and showered with gifts.

He told her: "You look really hot", adding: "I want to sleep with you, bend you over and throw you on the bed."

Kitchen, a married dad of two, also told another girl, 14, that she had "nice boobs".

The boss of family run Velden Engineering in Bolton, Greater Manchester, was arrested after the dad of one of the victims saw the explicit messages while checking his daughter's phone.

One message by Kitchen read: OMG, what Id give to have my head between your gorgeous legs right now.''

Others said: Is it wrong that I find the idea of you in a school uniform a turn on? If you wanted you could entertain me tonight with some pics and show me you're worth spoiling.''

Police searched the businessman's mobile phone and discovered a pornographic video of another unidentified girl, aged between 15 and 17, pleasuring herself.

The incidents happened between April and November 2017 after IT expert Kitchen took over as the managing director from his father.

The firm has featured twice in the BBC TV series Troubleshooter, with Sir John Harvey Jones.

In a statement the 15-year old victim's mother said: ''She was a bright child who wanted to do well in life and had dreams and aspirations for the future - but this has had a distressing impact on her.

''She has struggled in school in the final months and could not do well with the stress of the exams due to the thought of having to stand up in court in front of strangers.

"She tried to go to college but with her anxieties, she had to seek professional help after she said she didnt want to live anymore and she said she was self harming.

"We as a family feel this situation will have a lasting affect on her.''

Kitchen, of Horwich near Bolton, admitted to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child and possessing indecent images of children.

He was given a 10 month jail sentence, suspended for two years at Bolton Crown Court.

This is after he told the court he is "addressing his issues".

The dad has been forced to live away from his partner of 20 years and their two daughters since his arrest.

Prosecutor Joe Boyd said: The first victim was aged 15, and she came into contact with someone on Snapchat with the name of Austin Delusham, now identified as the defendant.

''He contacted her everyday and said she was pretty and found her attractive.

"They spoke about her time at school and her problems at home and he would comment on all her photographs asking her to send him one in her school uniform, which she did.

"He responded saying you look really hot and told her he was 25.

''She confided she was 15, but that did not deter him and he continued to communicate with her.

"The conversation soon became sexual as the defendant told her he wanted to sleep with her, bend her over and throw her on the bed.

These comments scared her yet he meanwhile continued to ask her for images, contacting her throughout the night to the point she turned her wifi off in an attempt to stop the contact.

She then spoke to him about the fact her e-cigarette was broken and he immediately purchased one for her.

"He then said that it was her birthday coming up and promised to buy her lots of presents.

''She then asked for clothing and requested a North Face coat.

"She put it in the basket to highlight which one she wanted and he purchased it for her and sent it to her home address. Approx three weeks later he purchased some leggings for her explaining that he was helping to cheer her up.

''When she asked what he wanted in return he said that he wanted to sleep with her.

"She said she was unsure because of her age but he urged her to meet him and the two met on several occasions- although they were never alone.

''On the first occasion he met her at some local shops in Leigh.

"He attended at her request and brought her cigarettes.

"He then placed 20 in her coat pocket and when he drove away he messaged her saying did you like that money?.

"At the time she was with her friend. On another occasion he met her at Boothstown and gave her and her friend a lift to the park.

The two had now been communicating over a number of weeks and towards the end of this period, unbeknown to her, her father started to check her Snapchat account and he saw a number of messages between Kitchen and her that caused him a great deal of concern.

''He saw messages that said are you not ready yet? Looking sexy as f..k in your uniform? Xxx its wrong how much Id want to completely destroy you wearing that... things Id do would be so bad.

Please try and be patient BBE, Ive spent over 200 on you so far so you cant say Ive not been generous especially as its not even your birthday for a few months.

''You will get everything you want you just need to be patient and wait till we do more.

When he saw the messages he contacted the police.

Officers later spoke to colleagues in Hampshire who said Kitchen had also been chatting to two other girls from the south of the country.

One said he offered to buy her pizza from Domino's and asked for her address so the food could be sent there.

He also sent pictures of his cars, plus other pictures of his face and in return asked for "cheeky pictures" if she wanted him to get her a jumper she liked.

She also received a message from Kitchen saying he was driving ''down her way'' and asked if she wanted to meet him at a hotel.

The girl did not meet him.

The third victim said Kitchen showed her pictures of his Apple Mac computer and of jewellery from Pandora.

He asked if she liked the earrings and asked for her address. He also asked if she had a boyfriend and if she liked the website called Pretty Little Thing.

A few days later a pair of Pandora earrings arrived for her, and he asked her for a picture of her with the earrings.

The victim said the defendant knew she was 14 as he had seen her Instagram account.

He also asked her what body part she liked, saying she had "nice boobs".

The victim said she told him she was 14 and that she "didn't have any boobs".

On another occasion the defendant had offered to buy her a pizza but she refused.

In mitigation, Kitchen's lawyer Steven Swift said: He is someone who finds it very very difficult to talk to or discuss the substance of the allegations.

"He is taking steps and trying to address his thinking and there has been no further offending of the last two and a half years.

"As a result of the offences he is not living at home and he is living with his parents.''

Sentencing, Judge Richard Gioserano, said: You were engaged in grooming behaviour, in particular the use and promise of gifts to encourage those girls to interact with you.

"There was a significant disparity in age and you lied about your true age.

''You have been with your partner now for nearly 20 years.

"You have been a hard working family man.

"You have two daughters of your own. You worked hard and made your way through and up the family business and you are now the managing director of it.

"That fact does not save you but until now you have not shown signs of being capable of such a thing, according to your character references.

''You must now live with that, you must live with the harm, not only caused to the girls, but also the harm to your partner and your own children.

"There is little you, or I, can do to repair the emotional harm to those girls.

"I have reservations about your genuine remorse.

"In my judgement, you seem to be put in fear of addressing the whole of your distorted sexual thinking.

Kitchen was also ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work, abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of 1,800.

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THIS if the face of a sadistic carer who was only caught for the vile abuse he subjected his victim to when police, investigating child porn offences, raided his home.

As well as two million images found on his computer, officers discovered a hard drive containing more than 500 videos which Stuart Barrett had created up to 10 years earlier, showing himself abusing a vulnerable disabled man.

Barrett was supposed to be supporting the man, who needed round-the-clock care but instead he was seen in the video taunting, humiliating and assaulting his victim both sexually and physically.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Judge Tina Landale described 35-year-old Barrett as “every family’s nightmare” as she sentenced him to 14 years in prison with a further four years on licence.

Barrett was employed by Bury Independent Living Development to help look after a 49-year-old man who has profound physical and mental disabilities, is registered blind and is unable to communicate.

But for three years from 2008 he repeatedly abused him, sexually and physically. Barrett, of Lark Hill, Farnworth, would slap, punch, kick and bite the man, sexually assaulted him and, on one occasion, attempted to orally rape him.

“You abused your position of trust to taunt, humiliate, physically and sexually abuse him, believing you could get away with it,” the judge told Barrett.

“So confident were you of this, you filmed yourself abusing him in 506 films. Your conduct can only be described as sadistic.”

Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, told how the victim’s ageing parents had placed him in Bury local authority care when they could no longer look after him themselves. The man was described as “extremely vulnerable”, needed round-the-clock support and was unable to raise the alarm about the abuse as he could not speak or communicate in any other way.

“These offences would have gone undetected were it not for the defendant’s folly in recording the crimes and retaining the footage — footage that was found by police in 2018,” said Mr Bassano.

The public gallery in court was cleared as the judge viewed several of the harrowing videos made by Barrett. The physical assaults were described as slapping, punching, prodding and flicking, mainly to the head or face, kicking him in the groin and biting him on the nose or ears, while the sexual abuse included kissing, Barrett exposing his genitals, touching the victim’s genitals and attempted oral rape.

“On several occasions sexual touchings were accompanied by physical violence,” said Mr Bassano.

“Some of the activity was evidently carried out for the defendant’s sexual gratification. Most was done out of a sense of sadistic, gratuitous cruelty. Because of the victim’s inability to communicate we will never know the true harm he suffered. But his distress is sometimes evident on the recorded footage. His brother is broken by the thought of what has happened.”

In a victim statement the man’s brother said: “I cannot put the level of anger I feel into words — to think that someone who could not protect themselves has been preyed upon by this man breaks my heart.”

The court heard that police visited Barrett’s home in February and June last year and found vast quantities of indecent images of children he had downloaded between August 2011 and May 2012. There were so many images and videos that police stopped reviewing them after the first 25,000. They also found 22 indecent images of children Barrett had covertly taken himself of girls aged between four and eight.

“The girls were out and about, sometimes climbing or sitting on a telecoms box, a fence or crouching on the pavement and thereby exposing their knickers,” said Mr Bassano.

Barrett, who sat with his head bowed in the dock, had pleaded guilty to committing the offences against the care victim and the indecent images of children charges. Rachel Cooper, defending Barrett said: “He cannot explain why he did what he did.”

She added that until his arrest, he was undiagnosed as being autistic, had no friends and lived alone.

“Being maladapted to exist in the world with no support and no help, unfortunately it has been expressed in the worst possible way,” she said.

“It’s perhaps a sad feature of this case that he is going to have a great deal more social interaction in prison than he has had for the last 10 years.”

Judge Landale told Barrett that he posed a high risk of harm to the public and so handed him an extended sentence. He will not be eligible to apply for parole until two thirds of the way through the prison term and was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

“It seems to me there is no realistic prospect of reducing the risk that you pose because you have no insight into why you were behaving in the way that you did and paid lip service to expressions of remorse,” she told him.

Speaking after the sentence hearing the victim’s brother said he was satisfied with the prison term. “I am happy with that. I can sleep tonight,” he said. “He was a menace to society, a threat to children and he is locked up for a long time.”

He stressed that the majority of carers are “fantastic”, but admits to initially being wary after his brother’s abuse first came to light. “But I know he is happy now,” he said.

Bury Independent Living Development chairman David Newns said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by these historic events and we welcome, very much, the sentencing of the perpetrator. Safeguarding of vulnerable adults and the vetting of all employees are of paramount importance to us at Bury ILD. This is evidenced through CQC and Bury Council inspections which are carried out regularly. We are working very closely with both these bodies to support the individual and the family concerned.”

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SERIAL sex offender has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after he was found guilty of committing sexual offences against both an adult and a child.

Simon Robertson, 51, of Coley Lane, Chilbolton, was convicted and sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday 27 January.

Robertson was convicted of one count of rape against an adult, one count of rape against a child and three counts of sexual activity with a female child.

The offences against the adult victim took place in Haringey, North London, between January 2001 and May 2003.

He was also convicted of sexual offences against a child victim in Maidenhead, Berkshire, between May 2013 and June 2014.

Robertson was found guilty by a unanimous jury following a three week trial.

Investigating officer Det Con Victoria Steele of the Thames Valley Police Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation completed by the Child Abuse Investigation Unit and Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit in relation to serious sexual assaults on victims who were selected by Robertson due to their vulnerability.

“As a result of the abuse, the victims and their families have suffered long term, ongoing effects. The high sentence reflects the severity of the offences committed by Robertson and the danger he poses to women.

“The victims in this case had to relive the trauma of the abuse they suffered due to Robertson’s not guilty plea, but the evidence they provided was compelling.

“The victims have displayed extraordinary bravery and it is a result of their courage that Robertson now faces many years in prison.

“I hope this provides them with a sense of justice and an opportunity to look positively to the future.

“Robertson is a serial sex offender who poses a real and very serious threat to women.

“He will rightly now spend a very long time in prison.”

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A paedophile who sexually assaulted young girls he groomed over social media has been jailed.

Shane Fielding, 21, of Cheriton Drive, Bolton, used social networking apps to prey on girls as young as 13. Attacks took place after meetings were arranged following online chats.

Fielding pleaded guilty to grooming, two counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. At Bolton Crown Court, he was sentenced to three years, two months in prison.

The offences came to light after GMP officers investigated Fieldings communications on social networking sites.

Police said he chatted to girls over the internet to gain their trust ahead of meetings. The charges relate to four girls who were aged between 13 and 15 at the time.

Det Sgt Lisa Clarke praised the victims for their courage and bravery.

She said: I would ask everyone to be aware of the dangers of communicating with anyone they dont know on social media and for parents to be vigilant about their childrens access to technology.

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A RAPIST who used Facebook to distribute a video of his victim having sex has been jailed for nine years.

Sentencing Kevin Bond, Judge Graeme Smith told him: It was a totally despicable way to act.

Following a six-day trial at Bolton Crown Court Bond, aged 32, of Elsdon Gardens, Tonge Moor, was found guilty of rape, disclosing a private sexual video with intent to cause distress and a sexual assault.

He admitted a further count of common assault and was cleared by a jury of three further counts of rape and criminal damage.

The court had heard how the sexual assault charge arose because Bond had filmed his victim without her knowledge as she slept on May 25, 2014 and she only found out about it when he passed her a pen drive containing the footage.

Then, on April 27 last year he called at her home and saw her, through the letterbox, committing a sexual act with a man.

Furious, he admitted assaulting her, and the court heard that he was so jealous that he used Facebook to send her partner a video he had taken of her having oral sex with himself.

Bond went on to threaten his victim that he would distribute further sexual videos of her.

She would have known that you were going to potentially carry out the threat, Judge Smith told Bond.

With his victim fearing he would go ahead with distributing the videos, that evening Bond raped the woman. It is quite clear to me that you had sent a sexual video without her consent and that resulted in her having sex with you against her will, said Judge Smith.

Colin Buckle, defending, said Bond was remorseful.

He added that the greatest punishment father-of-two Bond will endure is the loss of contact with his children while he is in prison.

But Judge Smith told Bond: This is something you have entirely brought upon yourself.

Bond has been placed on the sex offenders register for life and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for an indefinite period.

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A PRIMARY school caretaker and married father-of-three has lost his job and his family — after trying to arrange for a 12-year-old girl to be sent to him for sex.

Police raided Joseph Hart's Horwich home in May, 2012, after intercepting texts sent to a notorious paedophile arranging to pay £100 per hour for the girl.

He was immediately suspended from his job at Chorley New Road Primary School — and has now been banned from working with children.

His former employer, Bolton Council, stressed that none of the charges related to his employment or place of work.

Police found 61 indecent images of children on the 34-year-old's computer when he was arrested, Bolton Crown Court heard.

The caretaker, who has Asperger's syndrome and an obsessive compulsive personality, initially claimed he was trying to trap paedophile Darren Leggett.

But a jury rejected this and found him guilty of arranging a child sex offence.

He admitted six further counts relating to the indecent images before his trial in November.

Giving a suspended two-year jail sentence yesterday, Judge Elliot Knopf said Hart's case was "unique" and that the deal was in its "early stages".

He also said the defendant did not understand the "outcome of his actions".

Hart made contact with Leggett by text on February 6, 2012 after finding him on a website.

But Kent Police arrested Leggett on February 10, seizing a phone which was found to contain texts sent between February 6 and 9.

Hart, of Green Lane, Horwich, was arrested in May the same year and was then suspended by Bolton Council.

Hart arrived at court expecting to be jailed and had a suitcase with him in the dock.

Vanessa Thompson, defending, said Hart had been married with three children, but that he had split from his wife since the case came to light.

She said: "He is never going to work for the council again and never will he work in the capacity he was before."

Judge Knopf said: "Your case is different and complex and in many respects unique.

"You are someone who suffers from Asperger's and the result of it would appear to be an obsessive compulsive personality, and you do not understand the outcome of your actions.

"It is an explanation as to how you came to be involved in all of this.

"The arrangement with Leggett was very much in embryonic form. No venue had been agreed for what was to happen. Very little had been discussed.

"Once Leggett was out of the way there is no evidence that you tried to pursue enquiries with anyone else."

A council spokesman said: “We can confirm that Mr Hart was immediately suspended from duty as soon as he was arrested and no longer works for the council.

"None of the charges related to his employment or place of work.”

Hart was given a prison sentence of two years, suspended for the same period, for arranging a child sex offence.

He was given a concurrent nine-month sentence for the six charges of making indecent images.

The former caretaker was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a five-year sexual offences prevention order.

Leggett, a convicted paedophile from Kent , was jailed indefinitely in June, 2012, for 31 counts of child sex abuse.

He will be in jail until at least 2019 and must then prove he is no longer a danger before his release can be considered.

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A college welfare officer and young person's football coach who downloaded thousands of indecent images of children has been jailed.

Daniel Dawson, 36, of Darcy Lever, Bolton, had pleaded guilty to 19 offences of possessing and making indecent images of children.

At Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, he was jailed for 12 months.

He was also given a sexual offences prevention order and made to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Police said Dawson was caught in April following an international investigation into the activities of an online retailer based in Canada selling films containing child pornography and indecent images of children.

1.5 million images

When warrants were executed at the Canadian premises, customers from around the world were identified and cases were passed to the relevant police forces.

Greater Manchester Police raided Dawson's home and seized a number of computers and media storage devices and a total of 1.5m images were recovered.

A computer specialist sampled more than 15,000 of these images and identified more than 6,500 indecent images of children aged six to 14 years old.

Due to the sheer volume of indecent images, the specialist could not examine all of the pictures.

Officers also recovered evidence that Dawson had repeatedly searched the internet for indecent images of children.

At the time, Dawson was working as a welfare officer at Glossopdale Community College in Derbyshire and coached at Middleton Lads and Girls FC.

He was suspended from both roles immediately following the initial police involvement.

Dawson previously held similar positions in other schools across the region.

There was no evidence to suggest Dawson committed any offences against the children he came into contact with in a professional capacity, police said.

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A COUPLE lured vulnerable girls to their home, got them drunk and gave them drugs before sexually abusing them.

At Bolton Crown Court yesterday, a jury unanimously found 28-year-old Kieran Huelin guilty of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and sexual activity with a child.

They also unanimously found Huelins girlfriend, 26-year-old Laura Crank, had engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a child, incited a child to engage in sexual activity and had sexual activity with a child. Crank was in the dock but as she has a learning disability, Judge Timothy Clayson found she was not fit to enter a plea or stand trial.

The court heard the couple, of Longfieldu Road, Daubhill, invited vulnerable children to their home, gave them drugs and alcohol, and sexually abused them.

In 2009, a 13-year-old girl went to Huelins flat, in Brookhouse Avenue, Farnworth, after falling out with her mother.

Crank and Huelin gave her seven or eight cans of lager and amphetamines.

They made the girl sleep on a mattress on the living room floor with them, before forcing her to watch them having sex.

When the teenager tried to turn her head away, Crank took hold of her head so she was still watching.

Huelin had sex with the girl later in the evening when she gave in to their requests. Gary Woodhall, prosecuting, told the court: They encouraged young, probably vulnerable, teenagers to come to their flat. They supplied alcohol and drugs to underage children.

In that unusual and highly inappropriate environment they were able to take sexual advantage of vulnerable young girls.

Huelin denied the charges but was found guilty.

The jury also found Crank committed another offence with a 15-yearold girl, who went round to the flat with a different group of friends on a separate occasion.

The couple will be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on May 31. Huelin was remanded in custody and Crank was released on unconditional bail.

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A CROSS-dressing paedophile who sexually abused a six-year-old girl while wearing a wedding dress has been jailed for a total of 15 years.

Stephen Owen, aged 62, was yesterday found guilty of four counts of indecent assault, three charges of indecency with a child, and two counts of attempted rape committed against two girls in Bolton in the 1980s and 1990s. The court heard he wore his wifes dresses and shoes before touching one of the girls and forcing her to perform sex acts.

He later gave her money for sweets and told her that it was their little secret, the court heard.

Owen gave the second girl money after forcing her to perform sex acts, the jury of six men and six women heard.

One of the girls is now in her mid 30s and the other in her late 20s and cannot be named for legal reasons.

The abuse took place when they were aged nine to 15 and six to 11. The case came to light after one of the victims saw an article in The Bolton News about Owen, who was jailed for nine years in 2008 after being found guilty of 13 sexual offences against a third young girl.

Owen was sentenced to a further nine years for the latest offences and given an additional six years to run consecutively to his existing sentence, totalling 15 years.

Detective Constable Mike Mather, of Bolton CIDs Public Protection and Investigation Unit, said: Owen was quite clearly a danger to the public and todays sentence reflects that.

His crimes were heinous and I just hope todays result will give some comfort to his victims who were brave enough to come forward and report him.

I also hope that this conviction will act as a ray of hope to other victims of sexual abuse and encourage them to come forward to police.

Description

An ex-hotel porter and child abuser who killed an elderly couple in a hotel arson attack has been jailed for life. The judge at Liverpool Crown Court described Lee Carson as an "extremely dangerous young man".

Carson, 24, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, was found guilty of manslaughter after the fire at the Moat House Hotel, Bolton, in April 2001.

William Robertson, 75 and his wife Margaret, 81, from Blackpool, Lancashire, both died in the fire.

Carson was caught after telling friends he started the blaze at the hotel, which was caused when he set fire to mattresses in a corridor.

The couple were on holiday when they died

The bodies of Mr Robertson and his wife were found in a corridor after the attack.

They both died from smoke inhalation.

An inquest jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing in September 2003.

Carson had denied starting the fire and pleaded not guilty to murder and two alternative charges of the manslaughter of Mr and Mrs Robertson.

In February a jury took just under four hours to find him guilty of the manslaughter of the couple but acquitted him of murder.

Convicted sex offender

Carson had previously been convicted of indecent assault on a 15-year-old girl in 1998.

He is currently serving four-and-a-half years for another indecent assault on a young girl in May 2002 and will serve at least 15 years after being given two life sentences for manslaughter.

Speaking outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Tony Cook from Greater Manchester Police, who led the investigation said: " We are pleased that a very dangerous man has been removed from the streets for a long time.

"Lee Carson admitted his involvement to those close to him yet he still refused to plead guilty.

"I hope that the victims and families of the victims involved in the fire will now be able to move on with their lives knowing that justice has today been served and that Lee Carson will have a long time in prison to reflect on his actions that tragic night."