Latest Offenders Bournemouth

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A MAN who arranged to meet a ‘mother and her two daughters’ with the intent of having sexual activity with a child has been jailed after a undercover police sting.

David Merrick Taylor began talking to a woman online who he believed was a single mother who had two daughters, aged eight and 11.

Taylor sent pictures of himself and discussed what he wanted to do to the girls before arranging a meeting at Bournemouth Pier.

The meeting in January came just days after first exchanging messages with the undercover officer who had assumed the role of the fictional mother.

The 48-year-old was then identified by officers and arrested.

He had a rucksack with him which contained lubricant, condoms and sweets.

The defendant, of Havilland Road East, Bournemouth, admitted a charge of attempting to arrange or facilitate sexual activity with a child at Poole Magistrates’ Court on January 23.

He was jailed for four years after appearing at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Prosecuting, Richard Sedgwick said Taylor committed this offence while subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which had first been issued following an extremely similar crime in 2017.

On that occasion he was caught by a paedophile hunter group, who passed information on to police.

Mr Sedgwick said on January 19 of this year the defendant started messaging the undercover police officer on messaging service Chatiw and the content of what he said became explicit and of a sexualised nature.

The meeting was arranged in the days that followed and officers arrested the defendant at the pier.

During interview, Taylor, who has autism and Asperger’s, initially made no comment but went on to say the situation had been a “fantasy he never intended to go through with”.

Mitigating, Roderick Blain told the judge it was a question of “how long” his client was jailed for rather than the type of sentence issued in this case.

He said first contact with the undercover officer to arrest covered just three days.

The barrister described the way Taylor behaved as “very unsophisticated”.

Judge Brian Forster QC said the case was “particularly serious” given the defendant had been sentenced to a significant period of imprisonment for a very similar offence in 2017 and he was already subject to a SHPO.

“You travelled to this area (the pier) for the purpose of carrying out sexual activities with a child aged eight or 11,” said the judge.

“You travelled to the area equipped with lubricant gel, fruit flavoured condoms children’s sweets and binoculars.”

He added: “Courts have a clear duty to deter sexual predators from committing crimes against children.”

Taylor was placed on the sex offender’s register indefinitely, with terms of a new SHPO made at a later hearing.

Description

A 63-YEAR-OLD man who admitted possessing extreme pornographic images of children has escaped an immediate jail term.

Robert Billson, of Draycott Road, Bournemouth pleaded guilty to a catalogue of offences when he appeared before Liverpool Crown Court.

Billson, who was living in the Liverpool area at the time of the offences, admitted two charges of possessing extreme pornographic images of children and one of possessing prohibited images of children.

He also pleaded guilty to three offences of making an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child and one of possession of an indecent photograph/pseudo photograph of a child.

Billson, described as a businessman, received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also made the subject of a 60day rehabilitation requirement and two-month curfew between 7pm and 6am at his home address in Bournemouth.

A forfeiture destruction order was made for devices and he was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.

Description

A man who had more than 64,000 indecent images of children on his computer admitted his guilt as soon as police entered his Bournemouth home.

The haul of still and moving images David Ballam possessed included scores of the most serious type.

Some of the content involved children no older than 10 years of age.

Officers had been contacted about suspicious online search activity relating to child sex abuse from the IP address associated with his home address.

Following an investigation, police visited the 52-year-olds address in Belle Vue Road, where he lives with his elderly father, in December last year.

Prosecutor James Nash told Bournemouth Crown Court: Police officers went to his home address. Mr Ballams father let them in.

He (the defendant) presented his hands.

"He said: I am guilty. I have been looking at pictures. They are there. They are very young. I have been looking for the last couple of months.

Police seized his computer and found a total of 64,116 still and moving images, with 178 Category A (the most serious), 122 Category B and 63,816 Category C.

At the hearing on December 4, Mr Nash confirmed Ballam had not been involved in the creation of the images but sought them out online and downloaded them over a year-long period, with evidence of systematic storage on the computer.

Mitigating, Tom Evans said the defendant, who had no previous convictions, was remorseful and aware of the contribution his offending had on child sex abuse crimes.

Mr Evans added that Ballam, who is the full time carer for his father, was an extremely isolated individual who suffered from mental health issues for some years.

In sentencing the defendant, who admitted three counts of making indecent images of children at an earlier hearing, Recorder Alexia Power said his mental health had contributed to the offending.

She said a large number of children were seen in the images and only a custodial sentence could be justified although suspended the sentence, noting there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Ballam was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay 200 costs and a 140 surcharge.

He was issued with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years, required to follow an eight-week overnight curfew and told to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

DI Neil Third, of Dorset Polices paedophile online investigation team, said: The possessing and sharing of indecent images online fuels the demand for their production, which results in truly awful acts of sexual abuse being carried out against children that have a devastating and lifelong impact on the young victims.

We are determined to identify those responsible for these offences and bring them before the courts. We work with a range of other agencies to gather information and intelligence and will act on this to ensure offenders face justice and victims are safeguarded.

Description

A BOURNEMOUTH man who groomed a 14-year-old girl into having sexual activity made her feel "vulnerable and afraid".

Matthew Joseph Keets, aged 23 and of Bennett Road, Bournemouth, began messaging the schoolgirl over social media platform Snapchat in the summer of 2019.

As reported, Keets admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of sexual communication with a child, one count of possession of indecent moving image and four counts of possession of an indecent image.

This came after months of offending, which included Keets and the victim engaging in consensual sexual activity at the defendants home in October last year.

The girl was reported missing in November last year and was found by family members at Keetss address. He was arrested and admitted to engaging in sexual activity with the victim but claimed he did not know she was underage.

He was released on bail with conditions not to contact the victim but, following reports Keets was breaching those conditions, officers attended his address in February and found him in company with the victim.

Keets was arrested again and an examination of his mobile phone revealed a number of messages illustrating the defendants grooming behaviour toward the victim as well as indecent images of her.

Prosecutor Tom Wright told Bournemouth Crown Court on Thursday, October 29, that some of the messages between Keets and the girl presented a subtext of "fantasies of domination" on the defendant's part.

Keets's most recent sexual activity with the child was after he had been arrested on three occasions for his interaction with the girl and released under investigation by police.

A victim impact statement read by Mr Wright said Keets initially told the girl he was 17 when they were exchanging messages. He was in fact 22 at the time.

When they met in person he revealed his real age before the sexual activity began, the court heard.

"I was vulnerable and he took advantage of it," the statement said.

It added: "I feel like he has taken away part of my teenage years when I should have been having fun with my own friends."

The girl said she felt pressured by Keets to comply with his sexual demands and this left her feeling "vulnerable and afraid".

The defendant would give the victim free cannabis and food.

Mitigating Kevin Kill said Keets, who has Asperger syndrome, had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to the string of offences.

"He is a relatively young man with some very complex issues and he needs help with it," said Mr Hill.

Judge Stephen Climie told Keets that he should be under no illusions over the fact that his actions had a "very serious affect" on the victim.

"She will struggle with it (Keet's offences) and that is your fault and your responsibility", the judge added.

The defendant was warned that if he commits any offences of a similar nature involving children in the future, it is likely the courts will find him to be dangerous.

Keets was issued with a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order, which both last for 10 years.

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A FORMER New Forest man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the brutal rape of a woman as she walked through a park.

Luke West (29) was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court following an 11-day trial in which he was also convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on his victim, a cleaner in her 40s.

She had been walking through Lower Gardens in Bournemouth on her way to work early one morning last November when West from behind grabbed her around the neck and then raped her.

The attack was so violent the court was told she thought she was going to die. The victim was found a short time later, naked and badly injured.

She was treated in hospital for a fracture to her eye socket, and significant bruising to her face, neck, chest and arms.

A major investigation was launched by Dorset Police, which included an extensive trawl of CCTV footage, and a man seen running away from the area was identified as a suspect.

The following evening officers stopped a man matching the description of the suspect. He gave a false name but was arrested and confirmed to be West, who was living at an address in Durley Chine Road in the town. Detectives also obtained DNA evidence linking West to the offence.

West denied both allegations of rape and causing grievous bodily harm but the jury took just three hours to convict him on both counts.

In 2015 West, who was then living in Dinham Road, Ashley, had been jailed for four years for holding his girlfriend at knifepoint and threatening to kill her. He punched and bit her because he believed she had been sleeping with other men.

West, who had previously lived in Cadnam, had earlier convictions for assault and robbery.

After the verdict and sentencing at Winchester, Det. Insp. Wayne Seymour, of Dorset Polices major crime investigation team, said: This was a despicable offence, which saw Luke West subject his victim not only to a terrifying sexual attack but also a brutal physical assault.

While it can be of little consolation to the victim in this case, thankfully incidents of this nature are extremely rare in this area and I am grateful to all the officers and police staff who worked tirelessly on this investigation so that we were able to swiftly identify West as the suspect and apprehend him.

He added: Finally, I would like to praise the victim for the incredible bravery she has shown in supporting the investigation.

She has been through a truly horrific ordeal and for her to have shown the courage to give evidence at trial, and help bring this dangerous offender to justice, I hope will inspire others who have been subjected to such terrible offences and help give them the strength to come forward.

Description

A New Forest paedophile was sent down for more than two decades after being convicted by a jury of 25 “evil” child sex offences.

Dean Randall, 41, previously of Prince of Wales Road but living in Bournemouth before he was jailed, was found guilty in January at Southampton Crown Court.

Randall was convicted of four counts of rape, three counts of buggery, four counts of indecency with a child and 15 counts of indecent assault. The offences which took place between 1993 and 2004.

One offence was against a victim who was 16 or older at the time therefore was not a child sex offence.

Randall inflicted a tirade of abuse against his young victims, two boys and one girl, for nearly a decade.

In 2017, the victims came to Hampshire Constabulary to tell their story and get justice for what had happened to them.

Randall denied systematically raping or indecently assaulting anyone which meant his victims had to have their harrowing experiences retold in court.

He was jailed for 25 years.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Sergeant Russ Smith from the Western Investigation Team said: “Randall perpetrated repeatedly evil crimes against his victims and now adults, they have broken the silence. The verdict and sentence is testament to their courage and bravery in coming forward.

“I sincerely hope this begins to bring some closure to those he affected, and that it helps others who have suffered similar abuse to find the confidence to come forward and speak to the police knowing their voices will be heard.”

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender who worked as a webcam model is back behind bars after admitting further offences against a teenage girl.

Connor Hayes, 25, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a child aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and causing a child aged to watch a sexual act. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

He was also told he would be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and the previous Sexual Harm Prevention Order he was already subject to was to be extended to 2028 and amended to exclude him contacting girls under 16.

In December 2016 Hayes was jailed for two years after admitting to taking an indecent moving image of a child, possession of indecent images of a child and paying for the sexual services of a child. He befriended his victim in 2014 when the girl was aged over 16.

Although she was over the age of consent she was aged under 18, making it illegal to make or possess indecent images of her. He and a second man got the girl to take part in a sex video claiming it was just for him, but subsequently uploaded it to the internet.

It was during the course of this investigation that the offences relating to the most recent convictions were discovered.

At the time of the offences Hayes was working as a webcam model, selling videos and live footage of himself engaging in sexual acts, said a police spokesman.

"On Wednesday October 14 2015, Hayess computer was seized and examined. Messages were discovered between Hayes and the victim," said the spokesman. "They were sexual in nature and alluded to the victim being aged 15. Hayes spoke about loving the girl and getting a hotel. He also suggested that they could engage in sex for money when she was 16 or 17."

On September 6 2015 Hayes sent a link to the victim directing her to a pornographic website and between August 2015 and October that year there were 53 Skype video calls between them.

The victim told officers Hayes first contacted her in 2014 when she was 14 years old via Facebook, and then over Skype. During the Skype videos Hayes asked her to undress and perform sexual acts and exposed himself to her.

He was arrested in June 2016 and subsequently charged.

Detective Constable Mandy Brimicombe, of the Integrated Missing Persons & Child Sexual Exploitation Team (IMPACT), said: Connor Hayes targets vulnerable teenage girls for his own sexual gratification. He knew full well that his victim on this occasion was under age and that it was a serious criminal offence."

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A PUB chef has been jailed for life for "giving a present to himself on his 20th birthday" by stabbing his "lovely and joyful" flatmate to death.

Ryan Thornton watched a violent pornographic film on his computer before he attacked 34-year-old Venezuelan national Stela Domador-Kuzma in the flat they shared in Bournemouth in the early hours of July 8.

Thornton, who was said to be "addicted to dark and twisted violent pornography", was sentenced to serve a minimum of 22 years and six months at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to murder and 11 charges of possessing child pornography.

The judge, Mrs Justice May, told him: "You impulsively decided to make a present to yourself on your 20th birthday of violent forced sex."

She added: "The bewilderment and terror she experienced can only be imagined."

Matthew Jewell QC, prosecuting, told the court that Ms Domador-Kuzma had recently moved into the shared four-bedroom property, which had a communal kitchen and bathroom but locked bedrooms.

He said that the defendant had spent the day of July 7 watching the England v Sweden World Cup match in a pub and had gone on to buy lager and gin before returning to the flat in Richmond Gardens where he also smoked cannabis.

At about 4.30am on July 8, he was found in a nearby street with a stab wound to his knee and hands and he was taken to hospital.

Police attended the flat and found Ms Domador-Kuzma's body covered in blood. She had been attacked in her bed in a "prolonged struggle" and had died of 17 stab wounds to her neck, chest, left arm and leg, and her vest top had been cut off her with scissors.

Officers found the defendant's laptop with a violent pornographic video open. His computer contained other violent and forced sexual pornography videos as well as indecent images of children.

Describing Ms Domador-Kuzma, Mr Jewell said that she was "well-educated and well-travelled", worked for Barclays Bank and volunteered for a disabled watersports group.

He said: "She is described as being a lovely person, fun to be around, warm and confident, always smiling and someone you could instantly get on with."

Mr Jewell added that she had not been in a relationship with the defendant and had described him as "untidy and dirty".

Nigel Lickley QC, defending, said Thornton was "lonely and isolated" and added: "He went in planning to enact some kind of sexual fantasy, but in the real world she screamed and he reacted and panicked.

"He killed that young lady in the most terrifying circumstances.

"He undressed her and carried out one act of sexual gratification."

A statement read on behalf of the victim's mother, Olga, said: "She left footprints in the hearts of everyone who had the pleasure to meet her.

"She will always be remembered as a joyful person with a sassy smile who embraced life."

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender who formed a relationship with a single mum without telling her his true identity has been jailed.

It is the second time Andrew Dolman, 36, has lied about who he is to women with children.

The defendant, who has abused two teenage girls and an adult woman, left a Bournemouth mum "devastated" last year after meeting her via dating site Plenty of Fish using the name Andy Wood.

He was sentenced to 10 months in prison in September 2017 after admitting breaching a number of notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

On Friday, Dolman, of Cecil Road in Boscombe, returned to Bournemouth Crown Court to be sentenced for similar offending.

The defendant, who admitted breaching his sexual offences prevention order and failing to comply with the notification requirements of the register, was in a relationship with the Dorset woman for around two and a half months.

He was once briefly left alone with her children while she went to the shops. Prosecutors accepted he did not form the relationship with any intention of abusing the children.

Stuart Ellacott, prosecuting, said: "The defendant is under multi-agency public protection arrangements as a high-risk sex offender."

Dolman's victim knew he had been in prison, but believed it was for "football-related violence", Mr Ellacott said.

The defendant has a slew of convictions relating to non-compliance with his order, the court heard. He has previously been convicted of indecently assaulting a young girl in Warwickshire in 2000 and having sex with a girl under 16, and detaining a child, in West Dorset in 2012.

Nick Robinson, mitigating, said Dolman's appearance in the Daily Echo would be "tantamount to torture" for the defendant.

"This was not a targeted attempt to gain access to a child," Mr Robinson said.

"He found a meaningful friendship and had somebody to talk to."

The court heard Dolman was himself sexually abused from a "very young age" and has been "isolated and segregated' by reason of his convictions.

"He did not ask to be sexually abused as a child, but he was, and he grew up to sexually abuse others," said Mr Robinson.

"He is doing the best he can to try and live life."

Press coverage of the case means the defendant will "continue to suffer very severely" the barrister said, adding: "It is probably the worst punishment."

Judge Peter Crabtree said Dolman has a "history of disobedience of orders".

"I note the probation officer's assessment that the likelihood of reoffending is high, and that the risk or serious harm is also high given your apparent inability or unwillingness to comply with restrictions placed on you. This makes you, in the probation officer's assessment, an unmanageable risk in the community," the judge said.

"You have repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to comply with notification requirements, and now your sexual offences prevention order, in circumstances where they are in place for very good reason - that is, to protect young females and female children."

Sentencing Dolman to 16 months in prison, the judge warned: "You must understand that compliance with these orders is not optional."

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THE owner of a toy company has been jailed after being caught with images of infants being "tortured".

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Ian Buckingham had more than 1,100 images of child abuse in the most serious category, more than 600 of which were videos, on computers seized from his home in Roumelia Lane, Boscombe, in December 2017.

A police forensics officer with some 17 years experience said the images were "the worst he has ever seen in his career", said prosecutor David Reid.

The court heard Buckingham, 40, "hates himself" for what he had done, having started to view the images after the death of his mother in 2016, while self-medicating with drugs.

Mr Reid said: "The sample images show very young children, one particular case cited an infant perhaps no older than 12 months."

He said "in excess of 100" of the most serious images, in category A, "depict young children little more than babies, clearly being tortured and put in pain".

In total Buckingham, who has one previous conviction from 2001 for an unrelated offence, had 1,146 still and moving images in category A, 373 in category B, 3,175 in category C and 95 'extreme pornographic' images depicting bestiality.

He admitted 19 counts of possessing indecent images or extreme pornography.

Buckingham is listed as the director of toy firm Fidget Brothers, which has its registered address at his former flat in Boscombe. The court heard he had "given that flat up" as it was "no longer suitable" and currently had no home address.

In mitigation, Kevin Hill said: "Mr Buckingham says that he hates himself for what he did. He says he wants to get well."

The court heard the defendant had been diagnosed with "mental illness" and "serious migraines" and had "suffered considerable anxiety since these offences, and continues to do so in prison".

Mr Hill said his client "wants a better life for himself" and had taken on three jobs in prison to "make the very best of the time he has".

He said Buckingham plans to study for an art degree on leaving prison.

Sentencing Buckingham to 20 months in prison, Judge Peter Crabtree OBE said his actions had helped to fuel "a vile industry" which would have "a lifelong impact on the children who are subject to abuse and the women, and it is always women, who have to perform vile acts with animals".

Buckingham was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

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A SEXUAL predator pictured holding a new-born baby in his arms is back behind bars after failing to tell the tot's mum of his previous convictions.

Curtis Ferguson, who had recently met the baby's mother, spent three years in prison after preying on children in Warminster, where he lived, while still a teenager.

Shortly after his release from prison in July 2016, the former St Augustine’s Catholic College pupil moved to Windsor Road in Bournemouth.

He then met the young mum, who was heavily pregnant.

She gave birth to a son in August.

A court heard Ferguson, now 26, then started visiting her home almost daily, sometimes letting himself in and even picking up the baby without permission.

Over the course of several months, the defendant became so well-known to the new mum that she considered asking him to babysit for her.

However, in February of this year, she learned of the defendant's previous convictions after a friend shared a news story about him on Facebook.

Ferguson admitted two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecuting at Bournemouth Crown Court, Stuart Ellacott said Ferguson had described the baby as "good-looking" and "beautiful".

In 2009, Ferguson admitted sexually assaulting a female child under 13 and causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced to a community order.

Four years later, in July 2013, Ferguson was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a male under the age of 16 and five counts of inciting a male under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

All charges relate to one victim, a boy abused by the defendant as part of a 'dares' game. Two years after the abuse, Ferguson allegedly made "threats of blackmail" and assaulted the same child again.

He was sentenced to three years in prison and served the full sentence after breaching a notification requirement when he was released midway through the term.

Mitigating for Ferguson, Robert Grey said the defendant could only be sentenced for breaching the terms of his sexual harm prevention order.

Ferguson rejected a suggestion made in a pre-sentence report that he "may have been grooming this child", Mr Grey added.

Sentencing Ferguson to 16 months in prison, Judge Jonathan Fuller QC told the defendant: "You were never left alone with her son but you were no doubt moving towards that position because you were ingratiating yourself and friendship with the family was increasing."

Judge Fuller said Ferguson is "still a young man", but is "heavily convicted for sexual offending".

"Offending in this case was deliberate and it was over a prolonged period of time," he said.

"I do not sentence you on the basis you were grooming the child, but you were opening yourself to the possibility of access to a young and vulnerable child.

"As the author of your pre-sentence report makes clear, your sexual predilections are wide-ranging and you are in the highest category for risk both in terms of reoffending and of causing harm to children."

Description

TWO men who filmed a video of themselves having sex with a teenage girl that was subsequently put on the internet have been jailed.

William Wright, aged 24, of Andover Green in Bovington, and Connor Hayes, aged 24, of Namu Road in Bournemouth were sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Police have used the opportunity of the sentencing to urge victims of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) to report offences.

Detectives said Hayes and Wright exploited their victim's vulnerability to engage in sexual acts with her.

 Although the girl was over the age of consent, she was under 18, making it illegal to make or possess indecent images of her.

Wright pleaded guilty to taking an indecent moving image of a child, intentionally obtaining for himself the sexual services of a child under the age of 18, distributing an indecent moving image of a child and making indecent images of a child.

Hayes pleaded guilty to taking an indecent moving image of a child, possession of indecent images of a child and paying for the sexual services of a child.

The pair were sentenced to two years in prison and also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.

The court heard that Hayes befriended his victim in 2014. The girl was over the age of consent, but under the age of 18, meaning it is illegal to make or possess indecent images of her.

In November that year, Hayes got his victim to take part in a sex video with his friend Wright, telling the girl that the video was just for them and would not be shown to anyone else. Hayes told her that if the video got out he would be in trouble as she was under the age of 18, the court was told. After it had been recorded the victim asked the pair to delete the video.

The video was discovered to have been uploaded onto the internet around November 2015.

On December 15, 2015 both men were arrested at their home addresses. Several computers and phones were seized.

An examination of the iPhone belonging to Wright showed that there were ten video clips and 27 still images of the victim. Examination of a laptop used by Hayes showed there were 18 images of the victim which were indecent.

The pair were charged on May 3, 2016.

Detective Constable Mandy Brimicombe, of the Integrated Missing Persons & Child Sexual Exploitation Team (IMPACT), said: "Hayes and Wright exploited their victim's vulnerability to engage in sexual acts with her. They knew full well that she was under the age of 18 when they published videos of her on the internet. This is a serious criminal offence.

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Police appealing for help to locate a man who is wanted in connection with an indecent exposure have found him in Southampton.

Stephen Gadd, 51 and of no fixed abode, was due to appear before Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, September 19, charged with an exposure that was alleged to have occurred on Friday, June 17, on Loch Road in Poole.

He was also due to appear at Bournemouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, October 12, for breach of post-custodial supervision. Gadd failed to attend both hearings.

He was also wanted for failing to report at a police station as part of his requirements as a registered sex offender.

Gadd was arrested in Southampton on Saturday.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "We would like to thank members of the public for assisting in this matter."

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Three men have been jailed for life for murdering a sex offender from Dorset.

Stuart Wareham, 26, his half-brother Lee Wareham, 33, and Benjamin Walter, 22, beat Geoffrey Reed to death, before putting his body in a suitcase and burying it in woodland.

At Winchester Crown Court, Stuart Wareham got a minimum 20-year term. The other men must serve at least 18 years.

Reed, who spent time in jail for raping two people including a child, was killed at home in Cecil Road, Boscombe.

Passing sentence, Judge John Griffith Williams said Reed, 57, was "brutally murdered" in a "terrifying attack".

'Vulnerable and frail'

He said Stuart Wareham, who shared Reed's flat, was "principally responsible" but the other defendants, of no fixed address, were "willing participants".

"Stuart Wareham killed him not because he considered him a paedophile, but because he saw an opportunity to take his flat," he said.

The judge added: "No defendant is in the least bit remorseful."

Simon Jones, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Reed was "vulnerable and frail" when he was beaten to death on 7 June.

"While it is true that Mr Reed was a convicted sex offender this cannot justify the brutal attack on him and from which he died," he said.

The killers buried his body in a shallow grave at Lytchett Matravers, near Poole. They told police he had gone to Weymouth for a few days.

But officers were suspicious and used sniffer dogs to find a possible burial site on 12 June.

The body, which showed signs of "horrendous" blunt force injuries, was disinterred the next day.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Insp Stewart Balmer from Dorset Police praised the "brave" witnesses who came forward and helped police to catch the killers.