Latest Offenders Cheshire

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George Johnson and Vincenzo Montessori have been jailed after they were caught on video sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a house party in December 2020

Two vile teenagers who took advantage of a drunk woman at a house party were captured on video "taking it in turns" to sexually assault her.

George Johnson and Vincenzo Montessori, who were both aged 17 at the time of the gruesome crime, sexually assaulted the 20-year-old victim while at a house party on December 27, 2020. The victim could not remember the evening but was told by a friend afterwards that she had been sexually assaulted, and she subsequently reported it to police.

On video footage captured on the phone of one of the partygoers, two people can be seen sexually assaulting the woman. Johnson, of Dunkirk Lane, Whitby, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and Montessori, of Polden Close, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire were identified from the footage, Liverpool Echo reports.

Johnson and Montessori, both now aged 20, are seen to take it in turns to sexually assault the victim. The footage shows the victim in an intoxicated state and it was said in court that she was unable to consent or prevent what was happening to her. During the footage, Johnson attempted to rape her.

They were both arrested and later charged in relation to the incident. Johnson was found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a week-long trial at Chester Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 years in a young offender institution.

Montessori was sentenced to five years in a young offender institution after pleading guilty to sexual assault prior to a trial. In addition to their sentences, both will be subject to a restraining order and must sign the sex offender register.

Description

A man who was previously convicted of a series of sexual abuse on a young girl more than 20 years ago has been jailed for 28 years.

Mark Anthony Foster, (who is also known as Tony), of Forster Avenue, Weaverham, was found guilty of 11 counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, four counts of rape of a girl under 16, four counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14, plus one count of rape of a girl over 16, on Friday 12 April following a 13-day trial at Chester Crown Court.

The 62-year-old appeared back at the same court to be sentenced on Thursday 13 June.

The court had heard Foster committed a number of indecent assaults and rapes on a girl between 1995 and 2001, when the victim was aged between nine and sixteen.

The case came to the attention of Cheshire Police in August 2020 when the victim bravely came forward to disclose what had happened to her.

She reported the offences took place in the Northwich area by Foster. Over a period of seven years, Foster groomed the victim, subjecting her to multiple indecent assaults and rapes.

The offences became more violent as time progressed, including administering the victim with medication before raping her.

In interviews following his arrest, Foster continued to deny the allegations, but was subsequently charged in January 2023 and found guilty following a 13-day trial.

On top of his 28-year custodial sentence, Foster will be subject to an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim, an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and will be subject to the sex offender register for life. 

Description

Today (Thursday 30 May), Nicholas Moxham has been found guilty of a series of depraved and abhorrent offences against women, including rape, prostitution, slavery and sexual assault, many of which took place in his home where he set up secret cameras to watch his victims and film his disturbing behaviour.

Nicholas Moxham (5/3/72), of Briarfield Road, Heaton Chapel, was found guilty of the following offences after 5-week trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court:

• Controlling prostitution for gain x6
• Requiring a person to perform forced or compulsory labour x3
• Rape x6
• Attempted rape
• Assault by penetration x3
• Voyeurism x13

Moxham first came to the attention of the police in June and July 2020 when witnesses reported seeing someone called ‘Nick’ in the company of sex workers and often loitering near homeless shelters.

Over time, he recruited six women as sex workers, arranging for clients to visit his home and an address in Longsight, Manchester.

Many of these encounters were covertly filmed by Moxham using specialist equipment including secret cameras hidden in pens.

On several occasions, videos showed Moxham raping or sexually assaulting women, sometimes whilst they were unconscious.

During a warrant at his home on 17 August 2021, officers found a woman, described as ‘pale and malnourished’, under a duvet on his living room floor. Immediate safeguarding measures were put in place to protect her, and the investigation advanced to identify other victims.

During this raid, officers recovered computer hard drives, storage devices and spyhole cameras, despite Moxham’s attempt to dispose of the evidence by throwing a hard drive out of his bedroom window as police entered his house.

Detective Sergeant Lee Attenborough, of Stockport CID, said: “This is one of the most horrific and upsetting cases my team has ever had to deal with.

“Moxham is a controlling and predatory sex offender who thought he was untouchable, denying his horrendous crimes right to the very end, forcing his victims to go through the ordeal of a trial.

"He showed absolutely no regard for any of his victims, some of whom won’t even know they were targeted due to the calculated and covert methods he used to take advantage.  

“His offending was well-planned and continued whilst he was under investigation, even boasting to one of his victims that he was too clever for police.

"His victims have been extremely brave, and I can only commend them for coming forward to give evidence against Moxham. I know this hasn’t been easy, but thanks to their courageous actions, Moxham is off our streets and will now face a considerable time behind bars.

“I know that reporting crimes like this can be incredibly difficult and traumatic, but we would urge anyone who has suffered violence or controlling behaviour of any type to come forward.

“If anyone has been affected by this case or believes they may have been targeted, we have specialist officers who can help.

“We are determined to bring offenders to justice and make Manchester a safer place for everyone."

Description

A prolific sex offender who repeatedly filmed himself carrying out indecent acts across Congleton and Macclesfield has been jailed.

Lewis Spencer appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 14 May where he was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

The 23-year-old, of Birch Road, Congleton, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Spencer had previously pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault, seven counts of exposure and possession of extreme pornography.

The court heard how on Tuesday 26 December 2023; Spencer was due to start his first shift at a fast-food establishment in Macclesfield.

The victim, a 21-year-old woman, also worked at the store. She began taking a stock count at around 5.40pm that day when she noticed Spencer standing close behind her.

The victim had a feeling that Spencer was recording her, but she continued working, assuming it was nothing. She then felt Spencer touch her with something.

She turned around but Spencer apologised and put his phone away.

After their shift ended, the victim told her manager about the incident and how it had made her feel uncomfortable.

The manager checked a CCTV camera in the store which revealed Spencer had been carrying out a sexual act behind the victim, without her knowledge.

During the incident he touched her with his penis while he recorded himself on his mobile phone.

The incident was immediately reported to police and Spencer was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault at his home address on Thursday 28 December 2023.

Following examination of his mobile phone, which was seized upon arrest, officers discovered 17 videos of Spencer committing similar sexual offences against a number of women between Sunday 10 December 2023 and Tuesday 26 December 2023.

All of the videos depicted Spencer carrying out sexual acts near to or behind women of various ages, all of whom appear to be unaware of what he was doing.

Following enquiries, officers identified two women from the videos that had previously worked with Spencer.

Extreme pornography was also recovered from his phone.

He was subsequently charged with four counts of sexual assault, seven accounts of exposure, and one count of extreme pornography.

Description

The former landlord of a Flintshire pub has been jailed after he was found guilty of rape and sexual assault offences.

Following his trial at Caernarfon Crown Court, Gareth Lambert, of Moore Lane, Frodsham was today sentenced to 24 years in prison.

Lambert will serve an 18-year custodial term, with a further six years to be served on extended supervision.

The 31-year-old was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault.

The offences occurred in January and February 2022, when Lambert ran the Crown and Liver public house in Ewloe.

Lambert was arrested following reports from two female victims, that he had committed sexual offences against them in a flat above the pub.

At the time these incidents occurred, his victims were aged 25 and 38 respectively.

Description

A MAN from Cheshire has been jailed after he admitted sexually abusing young boys online.

Nicholas Hatton appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, April 16, where he was sentenced to 18-years in prison.

The 34-year-old, of West Street, Crewe, had earlier pleaded guilty to –

Six counts of causing/inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity 

Two counts of causing/inciting the sexual exploitation of a child aged 13-17

One count of possession of indecent images of children

Three counts of making indecent images of children (A, B, and C)

Three counts of taking indecent images of children (A, B, C)

One count of possession of prohibited images of children

In addition to his prison sentence Hatton was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

The investigation into Hatton initially began in 2021 when officers from Cheshire Police received intelligence from a social media company in relation to his online activity.

A warrant was conducted at Hatton’s home in Crewe where a number electronic devices were seized and sent for analysis.

During examination of the devices officers recovered over 12,000 indecent images of children, more than 750 indecent videos and 1,050 prohibited images.

Following the discovery, Hatton was rearrested in June 2022. During questioning he denied all knowledge of who the children in the images were. He was subsequently released on conditional bail.

Thanks to the help of the Cheshire Police Victim Identification Officer, detectives were able to identify two of the four victims in the case – both of whom were teenage boys in America.

The victims confirmed that they had been in contact with Hatton for several years and that he had enticed them into engaging in online sexual activity.

One of the victims was 12 when the offences began. He told officers that he had been groomed by Hatton throughout his childhood, stating that he had been coerced into sexually abusing a two-year-old family member on camera.

As a result of his admissions, the teenager has since been convicted of rape and sexual assault in America and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Hatton was subsequently charged in connection with the offences and later pleaded guilty to all of the charges.

Description

A physiotherapist who carried out a sex attack on an elderly client at his clinic has been jailed. Richard Hughes, 54, assaulted his pensioner patient three times as she lay face down on a treatment table in Willaston.

Chester Crown Court the victim - who had made an appointment for help with her back problems - got up from the table and challenged Hughes before fleeing the scene. She then called 999 and reported Hughes to police.

Officers attended the clinic later that day last year and arrested Hughes on suspicion of sexual assault. Now the defendant, of Crewe Road, Willaston, has been jailed for 12 months. He had already pleased guilty to three charges of sexual assault.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Rob Bushell, of Crewe CID, said: “The victim was seeking treatment for her back problems and put her trust in Hughes to help but instead, she was subject to a terrifying ordeal.

“Hughes held no regard for how his actions would impact the victim and took advantage of her while she was in a vulnerable position, all for his own perverse sexual gratification.

“I hope that the sentence handed to Hughes provides some closure to the victim, who has shown an incredible amount of bravery throughout this investigation. I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage anyone who may have also been a victim of sexual assault to please get in touch.

“We continue to do all we can to tackle any incident of violence against women and take all reports of such crimes extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

In addition to his 12-month prison sentence, Hughes was also handed a lifetime restraining order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years.

Description

A PERVERT was caught in possession of hundreds of depraved images of a sexual nature involving animals.

Police also found vile indecent images of children on electronic devices belonging to Martin Bartrop.

The 35-year-old, of Runcorn, was later charged with two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals, three counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing indecent images of children.

He admitted all of the offences before being sentenced at Chester Crown Court.

Detailing the facts of the case, prosecutor Mark Connor informed the court how in January 2021, police seized Bartrop’s Dell computer and mobile phone.

These were sent off for a forensic analysis, and this confirmed the presence of indecent images of children.

Officers found 11 photos in total, of which six were graded as category A – the most severe involving child rape.

Of the remaining five, two were categorised as category B and three as category C.

Further searches also found 525 extreme pornographic images.

These portrayed, in an ‘explicit and realistic way’, a person performing an act of intercourse with an animal.

The charge describes them as ‘grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character’.

A later search found a further eight disgusting images of this kind.

Before sentencing, judge Steven Everett confirmed that the custody threshold had been crossed, but he opted to draw back from making the jail term immediate.

Bartrop, of no fixed abode, but of Runcorn, was sentenced to 16 months in prison suspended for two years.

This will include 35 days of the Horizon sex offender rehabilitation programme, 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He must also sign the sex offender register for the next 10 years and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

In addition, the court approved an application for the forfeiture and destruction of the Dell computer and mobile phone seized by police during the course of the investigation.

Description

The victim of a sex offender will "never be able to forget what he did to her".

Peter Griffiths appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 25 March where he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The 52-year-old of Albemarle Avenue in Hartford, was previously found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a girl under 16 and one of inciting the same girl into sexual activity.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable Joanna Barclay said: "I would like to commend the victim for the bravery and courage they have shown in coming forward and talking about what happened to them.

"Nobody should have to experience what the victim has been though and while she will never be able to forget what happened to her, I hope that the fact that he is now behind bars will provide them with some closure."

In addition to his prison sentence Griffiths was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Joanna Barclay added: "We treat all allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously, and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.

"Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity."

Description

An Ellesmere Port man found with indecent images of children on his computers was also found to have been sexually abusing a girl for several years.

Jordan Leiper, from Rossmore Gardens, Little Sutton, previously pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to a total of 10 charges five in relation to downloading and possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography, and five in relation to child sex offences. The defendant did not enter a plea on two further counts, which were ordered to lie on file by judge Michael Leeming.

Appearing back at court on Monday, March 25, the 27-year-old was sentenced to a total of seven years, eight months

Prosecuting, Karl Scholz said police had received information from the National Crime Agency that an address in Ellesmere Port was being used to obtain indecent images of children.

Police attended in July 2023 and, during their searches, seized six devices two of which the defendant had attempted to hide on a flat roof outside the bedroom window.

Analysis of the seized devices found hundreds of indecent videos and images of children. Of those, 243 videos and 42 images were assessed as category A the most serious category, with 51 videos and 24 images assessed as category B and 23 videos and 21 images at category C. In addition, there were 10 videos and 21 images of extreme pornography, plus four prohibited images of a child.

Judge Leeming noted the indecent material included children aged between six and 16, with some involving children performing sex acts on other children and one image involved a child in pain.

Some of that material had been obtained while Leiper was already subject to an existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a sex offenders rehabilitation programme, the court heard, after Leiper had previously been sentenced for possessing indecent images in 2017.

Also found in the material caused officers concern as chat records were found of Leiper and an underage girl, the court heard.

Police interviewed the girl and found she had been groomed from the age of 12, with "frequent" sexual activity happening at that time and which included sexual intercourse when she was 15. Leiper had also sought indecent images of the girl during this time.

Mr Scholz read out a statement on behalf of the victim, who was present in court for sentencing, in which the victim said she had always struggled with her mental health, but had not understood why.

She had added: "In reality, I was being groomed and being taken advantage of for a long time."

The victim added her brain was "in a fog" and she did not have any energy to take care of herself, and she wondered what kind of adult she could have been had this not happened to her.

The judge added he did not look favourably on the defendant's pre-sentence interview with probation, where he had tried to deny the sexual offences ever took place.

Defending, Max Saffman said that was no longer the defendant's position and he accepted they had taken place, knew he had done wrong and was to be punished.

The sexual offences had taken place several years ago and he had not reoffended on that type of crime since.

Judge Leeming told Leiper: "You are a persistent sexual offender with an unhealthy interest in child pornography.

"You would have known full well that engaging in behaviour like this is not only unlawful but completely unacceptable."

He added Leiper's actions had had a "destabilising" effect on his victim.

The judge said, while the age gap between the defendant and the victim was "not enormous", it was still "significant".

Leiper must serve half of the 12-month sentence he received for the indecent images offences, and two-thirds of the six years and eight months he additionally received for the sexual offences with a child, in custody.

He was handed a new indefinite SHPO restricting his internet usage and contact with children, and handed an indefinite restraining order preventing contact with his victim.

He must sign the sex offenders register for life, and the devices seized were to be deprived.

Description

A cyber forensics expert who sold software to the police, Interpol and the FBI has been jailed after he accidentally gave his work a hard drive full of child pornography.

Iain Nash was jailed for 15 months and branded a danger to children after officers discovered a library of child pornography on his home PC.

The 46-year-old mistakenly handed in a personal hard drive with the images on and 'frantically' messaged a colleague, pleading with him to 'delete the image'.

Suspicious, the co-worker looked through the device and found vile images of youngsters being abused by paedophiles, a court heard.

Nash was then given a deadline to allow him to surrender himself to police and confess.

Officers then seized Nash's mobile phone and a total of 35 other electronic devices and found 1,123 pictures - some including a 12-month baby - plus others featuring girls aged between four and six being raped.  

Sentencing him, the judge slammed his crimes as 'truly horrific' and said: 'It is the demand for this material which stokes and incentivises the supply of it,' adding 'these were real children being raped by real men'.

When quizzed, Nash, who lives in a £540,000 house in Congleton, Cheshire, claimed he only took a sexual interest in children for a brief time in 2013 when his marriage was on the rocks. 

But officers found a poem he had written in 2006 in which he confessed his desires for underage girls.

At Chester Crown Court, Nash was jailed after he pleaded guilty to charges of possessing, making, taking and distributing indecent images of children. 

He was also made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign on the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years. His current girlfriend is standing by him.

The court heard Nash had begun working for MD5 Ltd, a Digital Forensics company who provides Virtual Forensic Computing software to law enforcement agencies.As well as Interpol and the FBI, clients also included the National Crime Agency, Homeland Security, the Australian Federal Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Prosecutor Philip Clemo said: 'The defendant's role was as a Business Development Manager, selling software to high-tech crime and law enforcement agencies and involved him visiting police stations and giving demonstrations of the software packages.

'At the beginning of January 2020, the defendant handed in his notice and worked his four week notice period which ended on February 6.

'The defendant returned the laptop and phone he had been provided with and, in accordance with standard procedure when employees left the company, these were forensically imaged and there were no issues with either device.

'The defendant had also been asked to return the external hard-drive he had upgraded his work laptop with, which he did on January 31. However, a staff member at MG5 who the external drive had been given to, was contacted by the defendant on the February 3 stating that he had provided his personal external drive in error and asked for it to be handed back.

'He stated within the message "If you've already imaged it, I'd be obliged if you would delete the image" and said he would be at the office within two hours. 

'Suspicions were raised and when the staff member viewed data from the drive, he identified video and image files indicative of indecent images of children.

'The defendant was then contacted and given a deadline to contact the police otherwise his former manager would contact them himself. The defendant did attend at Congleton Police Station on February 14, 2020, saying that two years earlier he had downloaded pictures of young girls from the internet.

'His mobile phone was seized, along with the external hard-drive he had handed in to MD5 and 27 other electronic devices seized from his address.'

The court was told images included those of a child aged 12-18 months, and images of children were located on seven devices. One file read 'hot teen girls are best 2'.'

Nash had set webpages as favourites including 'welcome to paedo paradise' and 'the best child porn site ever!!!'. 

Two documents entitled 'Dangerous Innocence.doc' and 'Lotis Gala Night.txt' were found, with the former being written by Nash, detailing the narrator's 'first sexual encounter' and attraction to female children.

A document containing altered lyrics to the 1999 hit song Mambo Number 5 by German singer Lou Bega was filed under the name 'Paedo No 5'. 

Nash was later bailed but was subsequently caught drink driving and was then convicted of weapons offences after security staff found a pen knife in his pocket as he attended court.

In mitigation, defence counsel Nicola Daley said: 'I accept this is a serious case that undoubtedly passes the custody threshold and the defendant comes to this court in trepidation and fear of that. But this is also a case of a 46-year-old man who at the time he committed these offences he had no other convictions. Though some of the images date from 2020 the majority of the dates were a lot earlier.

'They are all dates now that are multiple years away from where we are now in 2024.'

But in sentencing the judge Mr Recorder Richard Conley told Nash: 'There can be no doubt as to the gravity and the truly horrific nature of the material that was in your possession.

'These were real children being raped by real men for the sexual enjoyment and gratification of people like you. Were it not for people like you, these horrific offences would not have to be committed. It is the demand for this material which stokes and incentivises the supply of it.

'It has been suggested the offences only occurred over a short period of time, in a particular low point in your life when your marriage was joyless and in free fall and in decline. But it is also suggested more strongly you did not simply flirt with this sort of material but had a much more established and entrenched attraction to young children, girls in particular.

'I take the view that you are someone who has a serious problem you won't fully face up to. You refused to accept that you were attracted to children and I take the view that you present a danger.'

The judge added: 'I fully accept that you did not intend to return that hard drive to your employer, quite the opposite, but I do not accept that you forgot those images. 

'I suspect you spent an uncomfortable and anxious weekend on February 1 and 2, knowing exactly what was in that hard drive and worrying whether it would be discovered by your former employer.

'The fact is you were frantically seeking its return to you, knowing as I am quite sure you did, that the hard drive contained incriminating and illegal matter upon it. The fact you returned the hard drive on the Friday, seeking its return on the Monday, highlights to me the first of numerous examples of your deceitful and dishonest nature.'

Description

A 58-year-old who indecently exposed himself in front of children playing in woods has been jailed.

On Saturday (March 9), Alan Mercer asked girls to stand guard while he went to urinate.

Having then told the victims he had finished, they turned around to find Mercer with his trousers around his ankles in the area close to Lockeyer Park in Burnley.

Following CCTV enquiries, police arrested Mercer a day later.

He was charged with exposure on Monday this week and appeared at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Mercer, formerly of Astley Street, Dukinfield, was jailed for 26 weeks and was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “We do not tolerate behaviour of this nature and we will do everything in our power to identify the offender and put them before the courts.”

Description

An Ellesmere Port paedophile who continued to download indecent images of children while on police bail has been jailed.

Mark Donaghey, 58, of Elaine Close, Great Sutton, pleaded guilty to two sets of downloading and possessing indecent images, which Chester Crown Court heard included children as young as 18 months.

Appearing at the court, sitting at Chester Magistrates Court, for sentencing on Tuesday, March 13, Donaghey received an extended prison sentence as Judge Patrick Thompson said he posed a "very high risk" to members of the public, particularly children.

Prosecuting, Nadeem Nemat said Donaghey had originally been arrested in February 2023 on suspicion of downloading indecent images, putting him in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He gave a 'no comment' police interview and was bailed.

While on bail, Donaghey continued to acquire indecent images and was rearrested and charged.

The court heard it was accepted there was some time overlap between the two sets of indecent images cases, and they had been obtained between March 2018 and October 2023.

Computers and laptops were seized, and among them were several hard drives.

Analysis of the devices after the first arrest showed 944 indecent images of children assessed as the most serious category, category A, plus six category A videos. There were also 840 category B images and 4,907 category C images, as well as 142 prohibited images of a child. One category B image was of an 18-month-old child.

There was also evidence Donaghey had used internet search terms to seek the indecent images online.

Analysis of a second set of devices after Donaghey was rearrested showed 583 indecent images and 22 videos assessed as category A, 459 images assessed as category B, plus 914 images and two videos assessed as category C. There were also eight prohibited images of children.

Donaghey had previously been jailed for 18 months in 2002 for attempted gross indecency with a child. In 2005, he was handed an extended sentence of five years plus five years for engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child aged 13 or under, as well as outraging public decency.

A report from probation said Donaghey was a "very high risk" of serious sexual harm.

Defending, Peter Barnett said the best mitigation that could be put forward for Donaghey were his prompt guilty pleas, for which he was entitled to full credit from his sentence.

The defendant showed "self-inflicted destruction" with his behaviour.

Judge Thompson told the defendant: "It is clear to me you have a very unhealthy sexual interest in children."

Donaghey was sentenced to three years in prison for which he must serve at least two-thirds before being eligible for parole plus two years extended licence.

He was handed a new life-long SHPO and he was deprived of all the seized devices.

Description

An abstract artist who molested a schoolgirl after inviting her to his studio to see his work and plying her with cider has been jailed. 

Ralph McGaul, then 36, admitted to sexually abusing the 14-year-old on four occasions over a three-month period in 2020.

The artist took advantage of the teenager, who said she 'sometimes doesn't recognise herself anymore' after the abuse, on a picnic and at his arts studio in Bollington, near Macclesfield.

The sex offender also spoke to her about them eloping to Cornwall where he said they would go surfing and then have 'hot steamy sex' in his tent.  

After McGaul got back together with his long-term partner, he declined to see the girl anymore and when she asked why, he messaged her: 'I'm sorry for what happened and the things I have done and how I treated you. I'm ashamed of myself.'

McGaul was eventually reported to police and was arrested in February 2022.

The girl, now 18, told police how she gets 'intrusive thoughts' about McGaul which leave her feeling 'upset and disgust'. 

In a statement to police, the victim said: 'I try really hard not to think about what happened and the man who did it to me, but I often get intrusive thoughts about him and when I do, I get an overriding feeling of upset and disgust.

'It is these same feelings that leave me unable to behave normally or carry on. I am left completely deflated, experiencing feelings of dread and I withdraw into myself, away from those that I love.

'I often don't seem to have the energy for anything else, I struggle to engage with others to maintain conversations with family, friends, I can't concentrate on work, or school. 

'Because of this, I have had to take time out from school and work, unable to dictate my own routine and schedule because of what happened.'

She added: 'These events have completely changed my ability to be around people.  

'I'm normally an outgoing, bubbly, conversational person, yet often I have found myself wanting to be alone, withdraw and push people away. I sometimes don't even recognise myself anymore

'There is an overwhelming sense of disassociation from myself as an individual and everything going on around me. 

'I feel as though I have been transformed into a new person, someone who I do not always recognise, sometimes a complete stranger from the girl I once was before this all happened.

'I used to be confident and independent when out alone in public, but now I find myself thinking twice about everything I do and how people behave around me.

'Even in broad daylight I am anxious and hypervigilant of everyone. I find myself attempting to anticipate what their intentions are, predicting the worst in some cases.

'I feel estranged from the idea of safety in some cases, a feeling I never had prior to all that happened. 

'I have had multiple nightmares about the event and what he did and what he might have done if I had never spoken up.'

At Chester Crown Court, McGaul now 40, who studied art in Brighton and Barcelona was locked up for five years and four months after he was convicted of sexual assault. 

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely and was banned from contacting the girl under the terms of a restraining order.

He admitted four charges of sexual activity with a child but denied having sexual intercourse with her. He was cleared of rape and a sexual grooming offence.

The pair became close after originally meeting in December 2018, by chance whilst cycling.

Prosecutor Mr Matthew Dunford said. 'She described an occasion when the two of them had been out for a picnic and were laying down outside.

'She described that he began to spoon her and she asked him what he was doing. He said he could not help it and tried to ignore him and she felt she could not just get up and leave as she was, as she put it, "in the middle of nowhere".

'She described other occasions where the defendant had spoken to her about moving with her to Cornwall. 

'He said that after surfing they could go into their tent and have hot steamy sex. The defendant went on to say to her that he saw her as more than just a friend.

'For her part, she told him that she saw him as a really good friend. She told him that she was 14.'

The prosecutor added: 'There was an occasion in June 2020 when she had gone to his shed where he was living at the time. During the day, he had shown her how to carry out screen printing and she ended up staying for tea.

'But he gave her some cider to drink and she described how it made her feel quite dizzy. Afterwards, she describes being sat on the bed when he started to touch her and she says she did not know how to tell him to stop.

'He began taking his clothes off and not knowing how to leave the situation, she went along with it. She describes feeling like she was frozen and described that she did not know how to say no.'

'Some time after this, she describes becoming aware that the defendant had got back with his partner and she says that that made her feel confused. She messaged the defendant setting out how she felt.

'She said to start with she had blamed herself for what happened, but as time had gone by, she realised it had not been her fault. 

'The defendant replied saying he was sorry for what had happened - for the things he had done and how he had treated her. He said he was ashamed of himself.'

Police arrested McGaul in February 2022 but he gave no comment in the police interview.

His counsel Mark Ford KC, said: 'In the months leading up to when the offences took place, his relationship with his partner had broken down and the defendant was effectively disconnected from the services that previously provided stability in his life.

'Their chance meeting had profound consequences for them both. As the evidence of messages on social media make clear, the complainant was keen to accompany the defendant and without having any preconceived notion as to where the meeting was likely to lead, he found himself falling in love with the victim.

'She was an intelligent and articulate young woman.

'She was interested in all the things that the defendant was interested in, the outdoor life, music and art. 

'The defendant became utterly smitten with her as is often the case when someone's emotions are caught up in the delirium of romantic love.

'Illogical or hopeless as it may seem, people in this situation may believe their feelings are reciprocated. Mr McGaul certainly did.'

At the sentencing, the judge Mr Recorder Eric Lamb told said: 'It has been put forward on your behalf that your actions were illogical and foolish and ultimately damaging but it was based on the self delusion that there was or could be a relationship between yourself and the victim.

'She was 14 and you were 36 and as you rightly acknowledge in your course of self analysis and demonstration of remorse you were the adult and you should have known better.'

Description

A man from Crewe has been jailed after he admitted engaging in sexual activity with children.

Andrew Cork appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 1 March where he was sentenced to 11-years in prison.

The 53-year-old, of Verdin Court, Leighton, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity (no penetration) and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted one count of possession of indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent images of children.

The case against Cork began in May 2022 when officers from Norfolk Police contacted Cheshire Police to report that a man had been engaging in sexual communications with a 9-year-old child in Norfolk.

The man had been using a mobile telephone number which placed him in the Crewe area.

The investigation was undertaken by the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) at Cheshire Police and following further enquiries officers identified Cork as the suspect.

A warrant was conducted at his home on Thursday 14 July and Cork was arrested. Several electronic devices were also seized, including a laptop and two mobile phones.

During questioning Cork admitted that he had been engaging in sexually explicit communications with the child in Norfolk, he also told officers that there were indecent images of children on his devices although he denied being sexually attracted to children.

Cork was subsequently released on bail while further enquiries were undertaken, including analysis of all his electronic devices.

During the analyses officers discovered over 300 indecent images of children and more than 60 sexually explicit videos of children. Officers also discovered that he had also been engaging in sexual communications with an 11-year-old child in Birmingham.

Cork was later charged in relation to all the offences.