Description

A sexual predator has been jailed for over two years for performing a lewd act near a children’s playpark.

Kevin Payne, 67, was under a strict court order not to go anywhere near children’s play parks following previous convictions for child-sex offences.

But on June 12 he parked his car at Valley Gardens in Harrogate and made his way to a wooded area near a children’s play area, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said a passer-by spotted Payne performing a lewd act in woods overlooking the play park.

Payne was “startled” by the passer-by, who spotted him through a gap in a hedge and shouted over to him as Payne ran away.

“The passer-by gave chase and (as) he followed Payne, he took a number of pictures of him before apprehending him and keeping him there until police arrived,” added Ms Morrison.

Payne was arrested and admitted breaching a sexual-harm prevention order which prohibited him from going within 100 metres of any recreational area where there may be children present.

However, he denied a separate charge of outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner, namely performing a lewd act.

Payne, from Bradford, was due to face trial today but admitted the offence at the last minute.

Ms Morrison said that Payne committed the offences in Harrogate while under investigation for downloading indecent sexual imagery online.

He was arrested for those offences in December last year after police monitoring officers paid him a routine visit to check he was complying with the sexual-harm prevention order following a previous jail sentence for child-sex offences.

Payne handed over his mobile phone on which police found internet searches for sexual images of children and an indecent photo of a child rated Category A – the worst kind.

They also found six images of extreme pornography, namely bestiality.

Payne admitted making an indecent image of a child and possessing six extreme-pornographic images following his arrest and was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of a six-month jail sentence imposed in June last year for making indecent images of children.

He was released from prison in January this year and went on to commit the offences at Valley Gardens in June.

The Crown proceeded to sentence on all matters today as the prosecution outlined Payne’s 40-year criminal history, which comprised 51 previous offences including many for indecently exposing himself in front of young girls and making indecent images of children.

His rap sheet also included voyeurism, kerb-crawling, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, serious violence, harassment, public disorder, and breaching court orders.

He had been given extended prison sentences in the past for child-sex offences as various judges deemed him a dangerous offender.

Defence barrister Derek Duffy said Payne “did not intend to be seen by anybody” in Valley Gardens when he carried out the lewd act.

He said that Payne had rented accommodation in Bradford before being remanded in custody, but he had since lost that and intended to live with a friend in Harrogate upon his release from jail.

He added that Payne - formerly of Ling Park Avenue, Bingley, but currently of no fixed address - was a retired man who had lost all contact with his family and was a “rather despondent” figure.

Judge Simon Hickey described Payne’s latest offences in Valley Gardens as “quite revolting” and told him: “You are, worryingly, 67, and you are still committing offences of this nature.

"Fortunately, the children were not to see what you did.”

Payne was given a 27-month jail sentence but will only spend half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence.

He was ordered to sign on the sex-offenders’ register for ten years and the judge ordered that the sexual-harm prevention order would remain in place.

Mr Hickey said the named witness who chased and detained Payne would be paid £150 from the public purse for his “very-public-spirited” actions.

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A BRADFORD man has been jailed for 17 years for sexual and violent offences.

Anthony Mawson, 38, was convicted by a jury in May of offences including rape, sexual assault by penetration and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today on a video link to prison.

Mawson, who had been held on remand in HMP Leeds for many months, was guilty of serious and depraved conduct, the trial judge Recorder Gavin Doig said.

He had read the probation and psychological reports prepared following the trial.

Recorder Doig told Mawson he had shown ‘no hint of remorse, humility or understanding’ during his trial.

He had twisted the victim’s fingers and leg and punched them on the hip.

He was imprisoned for 13 years for the sexual offences with four years to run consecutively for the matters of violence.

Recorder Doig ordered him to sign on the sex offender register for life.

Mawson’s barrister, Ian Howard, said he had significant learning difficulties and had recently been found to be dyslexic and autistic.

While on remand he had addressed his drugs misuse and he was gaining qualifications to equip him to gain employment on his release.

Mr Howard said that Mawson had an aptitude for music and lyrics and had been put forward to feature on national prison radio. There was talk of moving him to London to better access those facilities.

He was taking steps to ensure he was fully rehabilitated on his release.

His disabled mother had been unable to visit him in prison because of the Covid pandemic.

Mr Howard said Mawson knew he was going to get a sentence of more than seven years so he would not be released at the halfway stage.

After the case, Detective Sergeant Matthew Harrison said: “We welcome the lengthy sentence handed down to Mawson today.

“He is a violent man.

“I would like to praise his victim’s bravery throughout the court process. I hope this sentence brings them some closure so that they can finally move on with their lives.”

Description

A FORMER vicar has been jailed for possessing indecent images of children just a few years after a 10-year order against him for the same offence expired.

Peter Leslie Benson, 62, of Duckworth Lane in Bradford, pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child on September 1.

On Monday, he was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates' Court.

Benson – who appeared in the dock wearing a stripey blue top and had a thick grey beard with the same colour hair – was caught with 67 illegal images on devices seized by police. 

 These included nine category B images – those of children which involve non-penetrative sexual activity, and 58 category C images – footage which does not fall into the more severe categories.

There was also a category B video.

Police received a referral on August 22 this year from the National Crime Agency (NCA) stating a Twitter account associated with a similar address to Benson had uploaded indecent media, the court heard.

There had also been uploads made on Facebook, on an account registered to a “Peter James”, which police later linked to Benson.

He was arrested on August 30 and a number of items and devices were seized.

The court heard indecent images of children were found and there was evidence indicative of Benson having chats with children on Facebook.

The court records show Benson had possessed the images between September 19, 2014 and August 30, 2022.

But the prosecution said the 62-year-old claims he did not download them in 2014 – when Benson was the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in relation to a conviction in 2010 – and that they may have been made then.

Benson’s defence lawyer said: “This is someone from an early age who has struggled with his sexuality.

“It’s clear he’s had difficulty to deal with that.”

He added: “If it was adult males it wouldn’t be a problem but it’s young boys and that’s what he needs to sort out.”

The court heard: “It’s not the strongest point but he hasn’t in the last 12 years reoffended, it’s clear if he has supervision and help it’s likely he won’t reoffend again.”

The magistrate said: “I’ve heard and read a lot about you, it goes without saying it goes across the custody threshold.”

He added: “This has happened 12 years after you were sentenced fpr previous sexual offences.

“I accept what your advocate again says that you haven’t been before the court in that time but it was right to say that once up, the sexual harm prevention order for your previous conviction you had, you have, on the face of it, reverted to type.”

The court also imposed a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will last indefinitely, preventing Benson from using any device that can access the internet unless it is registered with police, who can use software to monitor his activity.

The magistrate said this was to protect the public from harm and Benson.

He added the indefinite nature of it was “made on the facts in this case” and what happened at the end of the last order.

Benson was handed a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years, back in 2010 at Carlisle Crown Court for downloading 38 indecent images of children – who were aged between six and 16.

He was also made subject to restrictions under a sex offender’s prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Benson was a vicar at the time and lived in the Cockermouth area of Cumbria, serving parishes including St Bridget Church in Brigham, Christ Church in Great Broughton and Columba Church in Broughton Moor.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Carlisle revealed Benson was suspended when he was arrested in November 2009 and was asked to resign when he pleaded guilty to the offences.

The spokesperson said:  “We are appalled to learn that Peter Benson has re-offended and are shocked and saddened to learn of his further crimes.

“They are crimes, of course, which have seen the terrible mistreatment of children and young people.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are abused and violated in this way and we must continue to do all we can to protect these victims.

“As a diocese we continue to place the utmost importance on upholding all necessary safeguarding protocols and procedures.

“In Peter Benson’s case as soon as he was accused of his original crimes he was suspended and moved from the vicarage in which he was living.

“In August 2010 he received a suspended sentence and two years’ Supervision Order (Probation).

“He was also subject to a Sexual Offences Protection Order.

“He was prohibited for life from ministry and subsequently left the Church of England.

“All appropriate safeguarding plans were enacted should Benson have wished to attend church.” 

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A CONVICTED paedophile who hoarded more than 900 indecent images of children has been jailed for just over two years.

David Henderson, 30, of Exmouth Place, Bolton, Bradford, was caught with 931 images on a mobile phone he had been hiding from the police.

Just over 400 of the images, both still and moving, were at Category A, the highest level of seriousness.

Henderson has earlier pleaded guilty to six offences of the possession of indecent images of a child, as well as breaching a Sexual Offences Protection Order which was imposed in 2015 for similar offences.

Prosecutor Heather Gilmore outlined how police had initially received intelligence connecting Henderson's IP address with a Twitter account which had shared a Category B indecent image.

Further intelligence linked him to a Snapchat account where more indecent images were shared.

But a search of his home in September 2020, found nothing. A second search almost a year later resulted in a handful of images being found on a device, but it wasnt until a further search in May 2022, that a hidden mobile phone was discovered.

A forensic examination uncovered 403 Category A images, 424 Category B images, and 104 Category C images.

Ms Gilmore said there was a high number of images and that they were of girls between the ages of four to 13. There were also searches on the phone consistent with looking for images related to familial sex abuse.

Hendersons barrister, Camille Morland, said that Henderson was an intelligent and able man, but that things deteriorated for him during lockdown once he was furloughed. He relapsed and committed these offences, she added.

Judge Colin Burn said that the used of a hidden phone was in full disregard of the order made in 2015 and that this as both deliberate and devious.

His actions have undoubtedly led to harm he added, sentencing him to 26 months imprisonment.

He must also comply with notification requirements for the next ten years. A new Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also made.

The court had also heard that Henderson was convicted in October 2015 of four counts of distributing indecent images and six of making indecent images more than 12,000 images in total.

He was also convicted of possessing 2,500 prohibited images and possessing six extreme pornographic images.

He was sentenced to a three-year community order, an indefinite sexual offences prevention order and ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender has been jailed for 22 months for grooming two vulnerable teenage boys in breach of a court order.

Richard Daish, 49, of Trackside, Oakenshaw, Bradford, pleaded guilty to three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today on a link to HMP Leeds where he was remanded in custody.

Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said the police called at Daishs home to discover a 17-year-old boy was at the property.

The court heard that the youth was vulnerable and at risk of exploitation.

The police seized Daishs phone and found that he had been in contact with another boy aged 16.

There was then a third breach of the order involving the first victim returning to the address, Miss Hoskins said.

The court heard they were serious breaches over three months involving grooming behaviour.

Lydia Pearce said in mitigation that Daish wanted an immediate prison sentence but she asked that it be kept to the minimum length possible.

Recorder Tahir Khan QC said Daish knew full well what the terms of the order were. He was prohibited from contacting the boys or letting them into his address.

His probation officer had assessed him as at a high risk of reoffending.

Daish was jailed for 16 months for the first two breaches with six months to run consecutively for the third breach committed while on bail.

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A DANGEROUS and predatory sex attacker has been locked up for four years and seven months for abducting a young schoolgirl by dragging her into woods and sexually assaulting her.

Martin Duna threatened to kill the terrified child during the attack in broad daylight in Bowling Park in Bradford on October 11 last year.

He was labelled a dangerous offender within the meaning of the sentencing act and given a five-year extended licence period on top of the lengthy stretch in a young offender institution.

Duna, 19, of New Hey Road, East Bowling, Bradford, pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13 and robbery of her phone.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that Duna, who was a total stranger to his victim, got up from a park bench and followed her. She heard his footsteps behind her and they quickened when she walked faster.

She was grabbed round the waist and pushed into the woods, prosecutor Philip Standfast said.

Duna asked her if she had a boyfriend and she lied, telling him yes. He then squeezed her breast and put his hand down her skirt.

He put his hand over her mouth and because she was so scared, she was breathing noisily, the court was told.

He told her to be quiet or he would kill her, Mr Standfast said.

He then robbed her of her phone but she alerted two boys who were in the area and they chased after him and got it back.

A police appeal was put out to trace the sex attacker and Duna handed himself in at Trafalgar House Police Station.

He had admitted the robbery before owning up to the sexual assault. He told his probation officer he was motivated by a desire to steal from the child and not by any sexual intent. He admitted the offence after his DNA was found on the childs shirt but still sought to minimise his actions.

The girl said in her victim personal statement that she no longer went into the park. She still had flashbacks and difficulty sleeping.

Hes changed my life, she stated, saying her routine was now different because she was so scared.

Mr Standfast said the case was aggravated by the fact that Duna had abducted the child, used violence and threatened her with even more serious harm.

Peter Hampton said in mitigation that Duna was young and immature. He had no previous convictions and he was very sorry. He would never do it again.

Mr Hampton said the assault was impulsive and unplanned and Duna had stopped even before the two boys came on the scene.

Judge Jonathan Rose said it was a horrendous offence. The girl had entered the park as a happy-go-lucky child and left it as a damaged child.

She and others were entitled to go about their lawful business without being molested by those like Duna.

Your actions demonstrate that you were not prepared to allow her to enjoy that freedom Judge Rose said.

He told Duna to reflect in custody the fear that was in that child when he followed her.

He was determined to have sexual contact with her. He grabbed and abducted her by dragging her into a wooded area where she was isolated.

He threatened to kill her and she must have known about women who had been abducted and murdered by men.

This was an appalling attack on an innocent child, Judge Rose said.

Duna had failed to this day to give any explanation for his behaviour and that was deep-ly troubling to the court.

He had been advised by other prisoners held in custody with him on how to try to minimise his offending.

Duna had lied about watching pornography and he was in a relationship when he committed the offences.

His probation officer said he was predatory and had been prepared to take extreme risk.

She stated in her report that he posed a high risk of serious harm to young girls who were strangers to him by committing even more violent sexual offences in the future.

Judge Rose made an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Duna must sign on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A sick predator who raped a teenage girl, subjected a young man to a violent sexual assault, and kept footage of children using a bathroom has today (Fri) been jailed for more than ten years.

Bradford man Damien Smith, 35, will now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will also be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

The citys crown court heard how Smith subjected the young man to a "violent and shocking" sexual assault in 2017, but he was not prosecuted until his later offending against a teenage girl came to light.

Neither of Smith's victims can be identified due to legal reasons, but Judge Colin Burn said his offending was something they will never forget. Judge Burn said the picture presented was of Smith being "a predatory person" and his best piece of mitigation was his guilty pleas to all of his crimes.

He said the teenage girl had bravely reported Smith's repeated abuse of her and when he was arrested, police found indecent images of children on his phone along with recordings of youngsters using a bathroom. Smith, who is currently in custody at HMP Leeds, pleaded guilty to a series of offences including rape of a child, sexual assault, voyeurism and possession of indecent images of children.

In her victim impact statement the girl bravely said: "I feel a lot of anger towards Damien for what he has put me through." Barrister Fiona Clancy, for Smith, said he accepted absolutely that his behaviour was unacceptable and he was disgusted with himself.

"He is remorseful. He is ashamed," said Miss Clancy. "He wishes to serve his time and be punished for this offending."

Judge Burn sentenced Smith to a total of 10-and-a-half years in jail and explained he would have to serve two-thirds of the term before he could apply for release.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Julie Deacon, of Bradford Safeguarding Unit, described Smith as "a danger to children".

"I would like to praise the bravery and courage from his victims in coming forward and reporting his crimes to police," said Det Insp Deacon.

"Thanks to a thorough investigation by Bradford District Safeguarding Unit and partner agencies, it left Smith with no choice but to plead guilty to the offences.

"This guilty plea has spared his victims a trial. I hope that knowing he is behind bars for a long time will bring them some closure as they try to move forward with their lives. West Yorkshire Police take all reports of this nature seriously and anyone who is a victim of a sexual assault can rest assured we will do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice."

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A sex chat pervert who talked about doing Fifty Shades of Grey with an under-age girl has been jailed for a total of 23 months.

Mohammed Eithan Khan said he would take the teenagers virginity during online chats and asked her to send him photos of herself in her school uniform or naked.

Khan, 23, of Great Horton Road, Bradford, admitted a charge of engaging in sexual communication with a child and he also pleaded guilty to separate charges of possessing indecent images of children.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that the offending took place at a time when Khan had issues with loneliness and was isolated from reality. The court heard that he had kept out of trouble since.

But Recorder Jason Pitter QC said that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

Khan had initiated the contact with the under-age girl and had communicated with her over a period of about three months.

You must have been aware how young she was, he said.

You deliberately sexualised even simple conversations making her feel uncomfortable, telling her that you would take her virginity.

The conversations became increasingly sexualised and you made reference to the film Fifty Shades of Grey.

After his arrest Khan denied having any intention of carrying out the acts referred to in the messages sent to his victim.

The court heard that the indecent images downloaded by him involved female children aged between five and 14.

What is of particular concern to me is that there appears to be a lack of true remorse for your actions and an inability to engage with the reasons behind your offending, the recorder said.

Khan was jailed for 14 months for sexual communication with a child and an additional nine months, to run consecutively, for the possession of indecent images.

He will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the next ten years and comply with a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Description

A BRADFORD police officer has been jailed for ten years after being found guilty of a "disgusting sexual assault" on a woman after a night out more than five years ago.

West Yorkshire Police Sergeant Ben Lister, 36, was found to have raped the woman at a mutual friends house following a night out drinking together in a group on August Bank Holiday weekend 2016.

Lister had denied the offence, claiming his victim consented to the intercourse, but he was found guilty of rape and assault by penetration by a jury at Bradford Crown Court today.

His vile attack led to his victim becoming pregnant, but Lister denied knowing he had fathered the womans child.

Bradford Crown Court heard Lister raped his paralytically drunk victim - many years his junior - as she drifted in and out of consciousness at a friend's house.

When she asked if they'd had intercourse he lied, telling her he'd only performed oral sex.

He said the woman was later in denial that the baby had resulted from a rape, but a DNA test proved Lister was 18 million times more likely to be the dad than not.

In sentencing, Judge Jonathan Rose said: "What you did on that night was to rape a woman who was, in my view, vulnerable because of her physical condition.

"This woman was out with her friends... Your account is that you were not heavily drinking. You should have been more aware of your responsibilities.

"She returned to a house where she had stayed before and had the right to feel safe.

"She drifted between a state of unconsciousness where she was aware of - but unable to stop - what you were doing.

"You took advantage of knowing she could not physically fight you off.

"You penetrated her with your fingers, you penetrated her with penis. You did not use protection.

"The consequences of such were devastating for this victim because any act of rape is devastating to the victim, but devastating for her because you got her pregnant.

"The next day, you contacted her via text message. She asked you whether you'd had sex together and you told the first of many lies, you said you hadn't.

"You thought you had got away with it and you nearly did. But a few months later, she realised she was pregnant and she realised that she had been raped.

"You gave not for one single moment had any remorse for what you did."

After getting a taxi back to a friend's house they had both slept on separate sofas, but in the early hours of the morning, the woman woke to Lister pulling her from the sofa and drifted in and out of consciousness during the rape.

Prosecutor Richard Woolfall, read out the victim's impact statement which said she 'saw Lister' in her baby's face.

She said she used to "sort of resent" her child as her child was "a constant reminder of what he did to me".

She described her child as "caring" and said she just wanted her child to "know the truth".

Following the jurys verdict he was jailed for 10 years for rape and four years for the assault by penetration, to be served concurrently, and required to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Pauline McCullagh, head of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit for the Crown Prosecution Service Yorkshire and Humberside, said: This woman was raped, and as a result, she became pregnant with her attackers child.

The offence of rape has profound effects on victims. Although he was not on duty when he committed this terrible crime, Lister was still a serving police officer, charged with upholding the law and protecting the public.

Our thoughts remain with the victim, as they have been throughout.

Description

A man aged 68 has been jailed for six years for sexual offences against a boy.

Paul Malone, of Stone Street, Allerton, Bradford, had already served a five and a half year prison sentence imposed in 2017 for similar offending against another child.

He was convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday of two allegations of sexually touching a boy under 13.

His victim read out a moving statement in court detailing how the abuse had ruined his childhood. His schooling was affected, he had suffered sleepless nights and had struggled both emotionally and physically to form relationships.

Geraldine Kelly said in mitigation that Malone was already under supervision as part of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed in 2017.

He was the sole carer for his ill mother and lived with her after his wife had divorced him.

Deputy Circuit Judge Peter Armstrong said they were two very serious offences against a vulnerable young boy.

Malone had been sentenced to five-and-a-half years imprisonment in 2017 for similar offending against another child.

You have an unnatural sexual interest in young boys, Judge Armstrong told him.

He praised Malones victim for the moving and eloquent statement he had read out in court at todays sentencing hearing.

Malone is already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he must continue to sign on the sex offender register for the rest of his life.

Description

A Bradford man has been jailed after he was found guilty of raping a woman following a re-trial.

Christopher Davies was convicted at Bradford Crown Court on 14 January 2021 following a five-day trial.

The initial trial was held in May 2021, but jurors failed to reach a verdict.

The incident occurred on 6 January 2019, when Davies, 49, invited the victim to his house in Thornton Drive, Bradford.

Davies lured the victim into the property, before raping her. The victim fled the property on foot when Davies went into the bathroom.

She then reported the incident to the police and Davies was arrested and later charged with rape and sexual assault.

Following his guilty verdict, he was remanded and today at Bradford Crown (4 February 2022), Davies was sentenced to seven years and three months for rape and one year and nine months for sexual assault, to run concurrently.

He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

West Yorkshire Police Detective Emma Lindley, who led the investigation said: I would like to praise the victim for coming forward and reporting Davies actions. Its not been easy especially going through a re-trail, but she has shown courage throughout and Id like to thank her for her bravery.

I hope this sentencing brings comfort to the victim and also brings closure, as she moves forward with her life.

We take all reports of this nature seriously and anyone who is a victim of a sexual assault can rest assure we will do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Description

A BRADFORD man bragged online about indecent images he had taken, not realising he was chatting to an undercover police officer on the other side of the Atlantic.

The US authorities then flagged up Haseeb Rashads online activity to the UKs National Crime Agency, and a British undercover officer made contact with the now 23-year-old.

Once arrested, Rashad was found to have around 600 indecent images of children on his phone and computer.

Only 19 and 20 at the time of the offences, he was said to have been groomed by an older man who encouraged him to take his own indecent images.

This led to Rashad, of Highlands Close, Bradford, taking two indecent photos of a young boy and sending them on to at least one other person via Snapchat.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Rashad suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and was described as being abnormally compliant and suggestible in a report presented to the court.

He pleaded guilty to a total of nine charges, eight of which related to indecent images of children, with the final charge being possessing prohibited images of children.

The charges covered a year-long period from March 2019 to March 2020 and included taking two category C indecent photographs of a young boy and distributing those images; distributing eight category A, 16 category B and 7 category C indecent photographs of children, and making 388 category A, 115 category B and 85 category C indecent photographs of children.

Recorder Benjamin Nolan QC sentenced Rashad to 26 months in prison. He received 18 months for two counts of category A offences, nine months for two category B offences and six months for the category C offences, all of which will be served concurrently. He also received eight months for taking and distributing indecent images of a child.

Rashad was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years and he was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. His electronic devices, including phone and computer, were forfeited.

In sentencing, the Recorder said: These offences were particularly vile involving very young children. Making and distributing images of children are serious incidents and require substantial sentencing.

The prosecutor told the court that Rashad initially began chatting to an undercover officer in the US using cloud-based instant messaging service Telegram, under the user name UKLad21, in March 2020.

He bragged about the indecent images he had taken, and shared links online to other indecent images, all for acceptance and credibility.

His activity was flagged up by the US authorities to the National Crime Agency, and an undercover officer from the UK, posting as SwimDad, sought Rashad out online.

In their chats, Rashad was said to have posted about hoping to get married and have his own children to abuse and about travelling to Eastern Europe to abuse children there, as well as detailing how he gained his victims trust and co-operation through a game of truth or dare.

Rashad was arrested on March 20, 2020, and initially did not admit that he had a sexual interest in children.

He told police that he had not actually viewed the indecent images in the links he posted online for others - but had just clicked on them once and then shared them.

Rashad co-operated with the police investigation by handing over his code to unlock his phone and gave permission for his online account to be accessed.

An examination of both his phone and computer, saw most of the indecent images found on his phone, with some in a secure folder entitled my eyes only.

In his defence the court heard that Rashad had been abused and groomed by an older man, who had persuaded the defendant to take the indecent images of a young boy.

He was guided, encouraged and incited, adding that Rashad, who had the victim of a traumatic experience, suffered from PTSD as a result and had a social anxiety disorder too.

His barrister said that Rashad had tried to get out by deleting the app he used to chat to others, but had relented and eventually reinstalled it.

He has the motivation and capacity to change, he added.

Description

A MAN who blackmailed young girls into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos saying “listen to me, or else” has been jailed for seven years.

Callum Sellers told one teenager he was a 17-year-old photographer from Yorkshire with an interest in railway engines before persuading her to send him topless images, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Then he pestered her for more, threatening to send the pictures he already had to her mother, prosecutor Nick Adlington said.

The girl, who was 15 and from a different part of the country, was blackmailed into sending Sellers videos of her performing sex acts on herself.

He messaged: “Tick-tock, hurry up,” and “how badly do you want the pics deleted?” leaving her crying, shaking and feeling utterly degraded.

She told a friend what had happened and then a teacher and her mother were alerted.

Sellers, 21, formerly of West Bowling, Bradford, now in HMP Leeds, had 1,624 indecent images of children on his phones when they were seized by the police in November last year.

He went on to plead guilty to a total of 24 offences of possession of indecent photo-graphs at Categories A, B and C; inciting or attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and making an unwarranted demand for sexual images and videos with menaces.

Mr Adlington said other threatening messages to Sellers’ victims included “let me see you or else” and “Do as I say or I’ll post it because I know your Facebook.”

Hundreds of indecent images of different girls from around the country were found on his phones. Some were traced but others couldn’t be found, the court was told.

One girl, who was 15 at the time, said in her victim impact statement: “I still feel rubbish.”

She had panic attacks and nightmares and stated: “I feel guilty like it’s my fault and I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

Sellers’ barrister, Victoria Smith-Swain, said he was of previous good character and had just turned 20 at the time he began offending.

He had worked as a picker/packer at a warehouse and his interests included photography and railway engines.

Sellers had traits associated with autism, including highly restricted interests. He felt lonely outside of work and began to engage with girls over Snapchat. His sexual interest in them became obsessional and helped to manage his depression, the court was told.

He had written a letter of apology to his victims expressing his remorse and conceding that his behaviour had been “degrading and debilitating” for them.

Sellers had been working in prison as a painter while on remand since March, Miss Smith-Swain said.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said Sellers groomed, pestered and intimidated the 15-year-old into sending the explicit videos of herself.

She had the presence of mind to take screenshots of his messages and hand them to the police.

In all, there were 92 images of young girls on Sellers’ phones. Several were identified by the police and contacted, Judge Mansell said.

Sellers sent threatening messages to some of the girls, including “ignoring me now?” before demanding more explicit images.

Two of the girls were just 13 at the time Sellers targeted them.

One girl pleaded: “OMG delete it. You said you’d leave me alone” while another told him: “Stop, please, you’re ruining my life completely.”

Judge Mansell said Sellers’ demands could have led girls to self-harm or even commit suicide because of the psychological damage he had done to them.

But he was just 20 at the time and very immature, with developmental difficulties from childhood. He became “obsessed if not addicted” to gaining sexual gratification from the images, Judge Mansell said.

He warned Sellers he was “right on the cusp of being deemed dangerous,” and receiving an extended sentence of imprisonment.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for an indefinite period and Sellers must sign on the sex offender register, also indefinitely.

Judge Mansell made a restraining order banning him from having any future contact with any of his victims.

He told Sellers to reflect long and hard on the damage he had caused to the girls.

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A tech addict who hacked into teenage girls' Snapchat accounts and tried to bribe them into sending him naked pictures of themselves has been jailed.

Robert Parsons, 22, "toyed" and "teased" with his victims, who were aged between 14 and 19, and on one occasion posed as a 14-year-old boy.

His actions left the girls with severe trauma, Bradford Crown Court heard.

He was given a five-year custodial term to be followed by a closely-monitored four-year licence period.

At an earlier hearing Parsons, who carried out his offending while subject to previous sexual prevention orders, admitted 24 offences related to illegally accessing the Snapchat accounts of his victims.

The court was told how he had left the girls feeling frightened and embarrassed after accessing their private photos and, in one case, posted an intimate picture on a public platform.

The mother of one of the victims, a 15-year-old girl, said her daughter had suffered an horrific ordeal during which she was blackmailed by Parsons.

Prosecutor David McGonigal said Parsons was addicted to using internet devices and had persisted in offending with disregard for his existing court orders.

Sentencing him, Judge Andrew Hatton said Parsons had caused severe psychological trauma to the the girls and he was satisfied he met the criteria for an extended sentence as a dangerous offender.

His list of offences included attempting to cause a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, disclosing private sexual photos without consent, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, breach of the sex offender notification requirements and possession of indecent images of children.

His previous convictions included making indecent photos of children dating from when he was aged 15 and 16.

Parsons' barrister Abdul Shakoor said he was addicted to pornography and that had led him down a path of social isolation, with lockdown having made matters worse.

Fortunately, none of the complainants sent the images Parsons demanded so no sexual activity without consent ultimately took place, Mr Shakoor said.

Parsons, formerly of Wavertree Park Gardens, Bradford, but held in custody at HMP Leeds, was also given a nine-year sexual harm prevention order and must remain on the Sexual Offenders' Register for life.

Det Insp Lee Speight said Parsons posed a threat to young women and praised the bravery of victims and their families for giving evidence.

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Tyrell Robinson and his friend Korie Berman met three 14-year-olds at his flat in Bradford in August 2018.

Bradford Crown Court heard the 23-year-old knew the girls' ages and had discussed the fact with Berman, 22.

Both men admitted sexual activity with a child. Robinson was jailed for three-and-a-half years and Berman for six.

Gillian Batts, prosecuting, said the player had met the victims at a social event he had been told not to attend by Bradford City's management.

The court was also told the club had given all players safeguarding training regarding young and vulnerable people, which included guidance about not giving under-18s their contact details.

'Violently ill'

However, Robinson later sent one of the girls a message saying: "I think you are stunning, but your age is a killer."

Robinson, from South Ockendon, Essex, admitted having sex with one of the girls in his bedroom after he and Berman met up with them.

He also took a photo of Berman in bed with the two other girls and shared it with him.

Berman admitted to police he had sex with them, although the court heard the girls, who had been given alcohol, had "little or no recollection" of events and had been "violently ill" afterwards.

The court also heard Berman, from Thurrock in Essex, had sex on two other occasions with one of the girls at Robinson's flat while the footballer was away.

Robinson was suspended by Bradford City days after the attack in August 2018 and was later sacked by the club.

Judge Richard Mansell QC said the teenagers had been "immature, typical 14-year-olds who were sexually inexperienced, naive and vulnerable to grooming and sexual exploitation by adult men".

All three girls and their families suffered considerable harm, he added.

In addition to their sentences, both men will be on the sex offenders' register for life.