Latest Offenders Cheshire

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A PAEDOPHILE has been locked away by the courts after he was found to be in possession of a sickening stash of photos.

The photos found on a laptop belonging to Keith Secker involved children being sexually abused.

The 46-year-old was later charged with three counts of making indecent images of children (IIOC), one of possessing IIOC and one of breaching a suspended sentence order.

He indicated guilty pleas to all charges before the magistrates’ court, with the case committed to Chester Crown Court for sentence.

The court heard from Karl Scholz, prosecuting the case, how the matters came to a head in February last year.

Police seized Secker’s laptop in Runcorn and submitted it for a forensic examination, with the results confirming the presence of child sex abuse images.

In total, 83 IIOC were discovered, with examples from each of the three categories such images are graded.

Of the 83, 37 were classified as category A – the most severe category involving child rape – while 29 were category B and 17 were category C.

Before sentencing, judge Simon Berkson remarked that the only appropriate sentence he could impose was one of immediate custody.

This was due to the severity of the offences and due to the defendant already being made subject to a suspended sentence order at the time the offences were committed.

Secker, of East Lane in Runcorn, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offender register for the next 10 years.

It was also ordered that he pay a statutory surcharge to fund victim services of £187, while a further order was approved to deprive the defendant of his laptop seized during the police investigation.

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A man who 'claimed to be shy and private' secretly filmed himself having sex with a woman at his home.

Alistair Chase used a hidden camera to film the intimate encounter in his lounge at his home in Hartford, near Northwich in Cheshire. The devastated victim only found out after spotting the footage of the pair having sex on his phone, Chester Magistrates' Court heard.

She said was left feeling 'so violated' as she condemned his 'selfish sense of entitlement'. Chase, who works as a director for his parents' property management company, claimed he had 'difficulties' establishing relationships with women and said he recorded the intimate moments for himself.

The 43-year-old was ordered to pay £500 in damages at court and was handed a community order. In a statement, the victim said she had to take months off work following the ordeal and was left feeling like she 'wanted to die'.

She said she has been left struggling to sleep and now 'doesn't feel safe in her own home'. The victim said: "He told me he was a shy and private person who was fortunate to have a privileged lifestyle due to his parents.

"He does not have a mortgage himself and clearly has a selfish sense of entitlement. This has been incredibly traumatic and has been the worst experience of my life.

"Finding out that Alistair had taken an intimate video of us without my consent left me feeling so violated. It was traumatic to be watching those intimate private moments.

"My whole world just fell apart and I did not trust my own judgement anymore after this abuse of trust. I felt completely manipulated by him.

"I did not feel even safe in my own home and I have installed a new alarm and camera. I was stressed about my job and I did not feel the same person anymore.

"I just lost myself. Myself and my confidence has gone. My mental health is very bad due to anxiety. I receive weekly calls from my GP.

"I feel so powerless and humiliated. I had a breakdown and completely withdrew. I did not leave my bed for a month. I wanted to die.

"I had to take antidepressants as I was feeling suicidal. I took four months off work from a job that I love.

''I lost so much self-esteem and on my return to work, I was anxious and had lost confidence and did not want to be around people.

"It was problematic having to travel. I would not be comfortable to stay in hotels rooms feeling that I would be recorded again.

"Prior to this I had a great career path, great relationships, and no mental health issues. He's taken so much away from me.

"I have been told I will need to take medication for a few years to keep things as normal as possible. My life has become very small.

"I continue to pay for trauma and therapy sessions and will need to continue with them for some time to come. I feel ashamed for allowing this manipulative man into my lives.

"I'm told the hidden camera was in situ at the time of his arrest. This has been the most difficult and harrowing experience for me."

Lucy McGowan, prosecuting, said: "The complainant contacted police to report that the defendant had filmed her without her consent having sexual intercourse with him. The two videos were of them engaging in oral and penetrative sex in the living room at his home and the complainant handed the mobile phone to the police."

In police interview, Chase gave no comment other than provide a pre-prepared statement. This read: 'I accept I filmed myself and (the victim) engaging in sexual activity without her consent.

'They were kept solely for my own enjoyment. I regret doing this and I apologise for doing so.'

In mitigation, Chase's lawyer Martha Whitehead said: "He is someone who has had difficulties during his 20s and 30s in establishing healthy relationships with others. He said this was a way of recording intimate moments for himself and there is no suggestion of any distribution.

"He accepted his actions and apologised. He wishes to make it clear that he apologises again to the victim.

"He has no wish or no intention to contact her and he understands that a restraining order will be made by the court. He wishes to apologise in public to her for his actions which he can now see have deeply affected her.

"He does not wish to excuse or avoid responsibility for his actions. We accept that the impact on this complainant is significant but you must also look in detail at the background of this defendant."

Chase, of Grosvenor Avenue, Hartford, pleaded guilty to one charge of voyeurism. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order including 250 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation days.

He was ordered to pay £500 in damages and to sign the sex offenders' register for five years. A two-year restraining order was also imposed and Chase's mobile phone and two laptops were confiscated.

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A violent and manipulative man who subjected two women to horrific abuse has been jailed.

Laurence Patrick Leavy, of Cledford Lane, Middlewich, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 19 December where he was sentenced to 18 years, plus six years extended licence, for multiple counts of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour.

The 43-year-old was found guilty following a trial, which concluded on Wednesday 13 December.

The case first came to the attention of Cheshire Police when it was reported in May 2021.

The woman reported Leavy being charming when they first met, but he then dramatically changed and started to become abusive.

The victim was regularly verbally belittled and physically assaulted. On one occasion she described him losing his temper in the car. He pulled over and dragged her from the vehicle, throwing her into a field and driving away, leaving her there.

She was forced to partake in sexual acts which she did not consent to and was raped on a number of occasions.

When this victim reported what had happened to police, officers sought another potential witness to Leavy’s abuse, who then also decided to make a formal complaint.

The second victim also reported being abused by Leavy. She was verbally abused, making her feel very insecure. Leavy also refused to work and caused her immense financial pressure.

The victim reported Leavy would force her to have sex on demand. He had also assaulted and raped her multiple times, including while she was pregnant.

Leavy was subsequently charged in December 2022.

In addition to his prison sentence, Leavy was also handed lifetime restraining orders against the victims and ordered to sign the sex offender register for life.

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A Wirral man has been jailed today, Tuesday 5 December, for kidnapping and breaching an order.

Robert Byrne, 56 years, of Fountain Street, Birkenhead was sentenced to five years and four months in prison with five years on extended licence after he pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court.

He was also issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order with three further conditions added.

A deprivation order has been issued in relation to clothing and radio seized by Merseyside Police.

The court heard that in February a 13-year-old boy was upset and had entered a Liverpool city centre shop in the early of hours of the morning, asking the shopkeeper to contact police as he was reported missing.

While reporting it to police via phone the shopkeeper saw Byrne walk past the shop and asked for his assistance, as Byrne had previously identified himself as an undercover police officer.

Wearing clothes similar to a police uniform, Byrne took the teenage victim to a nearby fast-food place where police officers tracked him down and arrested him.

Police took the young victim safely home.

After Byrne’s arrest, several items consistent with a police uniform were seized.

The investigation was led by Detective Inspector Victoria Tinsley from the Sex Offender Unit who ensure that sex offenders living in the community are closely monitored.

She said: “This was very disturbing incident where Byrne preyed up on the young victim’s circumstances of being vulnerable and upset.

“What was also alarming was that Byrne had previously told retailers that he was a police officer working undercover. This showed the lengths his predatory behaviour would go to in order to win the trust members of the public by impersonating a police officer. 

“Thankfully genuine police officers quickly tracked Byrne down, and the young victim was taken safely home before any potential harm came to him.

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A paedophile who sexually abused five teenage boys has been put behind bars for 23 years. Anthony Spelman, 57, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court today, November 10, for three counts of rape, two counts of indecency with a child and 19 counts of indecent assault.

Spelman, previously of Arbour Hill Prison, Ireland, was found guilty after a 12-day trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Tuesday, September 5. The case against him began in 2017 when a number of men came forward to report that they had been victims of Spelman in Crewe, after seeing a court article about him in Irish news publications.

The article reported how Spelman had been handed a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a seven-year-old boy between 1985 and 1986. All of the men in Crewe reported they had also been sexually abused by him as teenage boys while living in the town, between October 1993 and 2002.

They said Spelman would often provide them with alcohol and take them out in his car, on occasions letting them drive. An investigation was subsequently launched by Cheshire Police and Spelman was initially arrested for the offences in Crewe in 2018, while serving his suspended sentence in Ireland.

However, while officers were conducting enquiries, the Director of Public Prosecutions in Ireland appealed the sentence and Spelman was handed a custodial sentence. This was extended after more offences in Ireland came to light while he was serving.

The Cheshire Police investigation continued and in March 2023 Spelman was extradited to the UK after his prison sentence ended, meaning detectives were finally able to charge and remand him for the Crewe offences. On top of his 23-year sentence, Spelman will serve a further one year on licence. He was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period and must sign the Sex Offender Register for an indefinite period.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Lindsay Wooffitt said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and the strength they have shown throughout the trial after Spelman refused to take accountability for his horrendous actions.

“I hope his sentence provides them with some sense of closure after carrying this on their shoulders for 20-30 years. Spelman was found guilty of despicable crimes, targeting young boys in the community where they lived, somewhere they should have been able to feel safe.

“In interview, he tried to deny the allegations, but justice has now been served and he is facing a lengthy spell behind bars. I hope Spelman’s conviction and sentencing encourages anyone who has been subjected to similar offending to report it to police.

“People should feel confident that they will receive the help and support they need. All victims will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and any allegations will be taken extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated.”

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A man told a girl he thought was 14 he wanted to "spank" her and encouraged her to take cocaine. Stuart Tudor, previously of Connah's Quay, but now living in Cheshire, engaged in explicit sexual conversations with the girl on the social media platform Scout and on What'sApp.

But the "girl called Olivia from Flint" was in fact a decoy deployed by paedophile hunters who confronted Tudor on the doorstep of his home Mold Crown Court heard today.

Prosecutor Rosemary Proctor said Tudor sent a series of messages to the decoy in August last year. He asked if she was wearing leggings, how hot she likes her bath, if she takes her phone with her to the bath, and if she wanted a hand to wash her back. He went on to say he had taken lines of cocaine, the court was told.

There was a further exchange of explicit messages into August. He told her they should spend time together where they could watch a film, take drugs, drink alcohol and spank her buttocks. He then sent an image of a pair of reddened buttocks, WalesOnline reported.

He asked the decoy about her pyjamas, if she had a boyfriend, if she had kissed anyone and said he would teach her how to kiss. Tudor said they could have sex and they could either park up in his car or meet in a hotel room, the court heard.

The decoy asked Tudor if it bothered him she was 14 years old and he replied "You like me because I'm older yeah?" The next day the defendant sent a video lasting 38 seconds of a woman being spanked, and told her to delete it straight away.

On August 27, 2022, six members of the paedophile group of which the decoy was a member confronted Tudor at his home and the police attended. He was arrested and a Samsung phone was seized, but he answered "no comment" in interview.

Tudor, now of Old Chester Road in Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, pleaded guilty to four counts of attempting to incite a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation, defence barrister Robin Boag said his client had the "sense" to plead guilty at the first opportunity. He conceded the defendant had initially sought to blame his use of cocaine and "boredom", and acknowledged there was an element of sexual gratification in his client's actions.

Sentencing, Recorder Simon Mills said: "If a man chooses to play with social media platforms on whatever and they are engaging in sexual communication with somebody saying they are 14, 13, sometimes younger than that, if they take that step and continue with the conversation once an age is claimed.

"They're first of all taking the risk that might be a genuine vulnerable child and also, in this day and age, they're taking the risk it's a group of people, like the one individual in this case, who ruthlessly act to expose people in this way. This court wonders why people do it, because it's a wicked thing to do and the risks of being caught are extremely high. The court has weekly cases like this where people throw away their good character and reveal in themselves an urge to communicate with a child in a sexual way."

Tudor was sentenced to two years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

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A predatory paedophile sexually abused a child he was supposed to be babysitting. Detectives described Kevin Griffiths' crimes as 'every parents' worst nightmare', as he was jailed.

Griffiths, 66, from Frodsham, Cheshire, repeatedly abused the child over a two-year period in the 1990s. He struck when he claimed to be taking the child to bed to read a story, Cheshire Police said.

Griffiths, of Ship Street, Frodsham, was found guilty following a trial at Chester Crown Court, and ordered to sign the sex offender's register for life. After the hearing, Detective Constable Beth Colbourne, who led the investigation, said: "What Griffiths did was every parents’ worst nightmare.

"He was trusted to look after the victim, but instead of caring for them he preyed on their vulnerability. He would take the victim to bed, under the pretext that he was going to read a story, but once they we’re in the bedroom he sexually abused them, causing untold harm and distress.

"It is a testament to the strength, bravery and determination of the victim in this case that we have been able bring Griffiths to justice, more than 30 years since the offences occurred. I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide them with some closure and help them with their recovery.

"Sexual assault of children causes terrible distress to all involved, not least the victim themselves, and I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault – no matter how long ago the incident took place – to come forward and report it. We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated."

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POLICE have released the mugshot of the Winsford man jailed after approaching underage children.

Last week, Neil Owen was jailed for 89 weeks after pleading guilty to breaching an 18-year-old court order.

The sexual offences prevention order, which was handed down by Vale Royal Magistrates Court on January 28, 2005, banned the 53-year-old from communicating with children.

But on August 24 earlier this year, Owen, of Abbotts Way, breached the order by twice approaching and communicating with a 15-year-old child.

Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced him to 18 months.

He will also serve a further 11 weeks as a result of a suspended sentence handed to him last month.

At Crewe Magistrates' Court on August 10 Owen pleaded guilty to three offences following an incident at the Red Lion pub in Wharton in July.

He was charged with assault by beating, using threatening or abusive words and breaching a community protection order.

Owen was seen acting aggressively and swearing before he assaulted another man, in turn breaching a community protection order imposed on him in January.

This order had been issued after Owen acted towards ambulance staff at Winsford Lifestyle Centre.

Taking his guilty plea into account, magistrates sentenced him to 11 weeks in jail, but suspended the term for 12 months due to his ongoing rehabilitation work with the Probation Service. 

However, by committing this latest offence, Owen will have to serve the sentence.

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Jade Berry, 27, was staggering through Rivacre Valley Country Park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, at 9pm when she accosted the child as he sat on a woodland bench talking with a friend about his forthcoming 14th birthday.

Berry sat between the two boys and began stroking the 13-year-old's genitals over his clothing before offering him sex and saying she would 'ride you till morning'

As the shocked youngster and his friend got up to leave, she pulled down her trousers and exposed herself before passing out in a drunken stupor.

The two boys took videos of Berry before getting up to leave. She was identified after leaving her bank card and phone on the bench.

When interviewed by police, Berry exclaimed: 'Oh My God, I do not recall anything' - but was later picked out by the boy at an identity parade.

The 13-year-old, who has ADHD, said he was so traumatised by the encounter that he tried to take his own life.

At Chester Crown Court, Berry - who lives in the village of Little Sutton near Ellesmere Port - pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was sentenced to 12 months in jail suspended for 18 months. 

Berry was also ordered to wear an electronic 'sobriety' tag for 120 days as part of an alcohol abstinence monitoring programme and will have to complete 35 rehabilitation activity days. 

She was told to sign on the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years.

Berry had told the court she had mental health issues. 

The incident occurred on October 3 last year after Berry was making her way through the 300-acre nature reserve after a drinking session with friends. 

James Coutts, prosecuting, said: 'The victim was seated on a bench in woodland when the defendant approached him. 

'She was unknown to him and was clearly intoxicated. She sat between the two boys and began to touch and rub his genitals and the upper area of his thigh over his clothing whilst making highly inappropriate and sexualised comments. 

'She said she was going to "ride him till morning".

'They had in fact been talking previously about his upcoming 14th birthday - and it was quite clear to them she knew how old he was.

'The boys almost immediately left, leaving her on the bench. She removed her clothing and exposed her genitals and buttocks before passing out. They did take a video of the scene.

'The victim went home and told his mother who contacted the police. The officers attended the scene and found her bank card and her phone.

'By the time the officers arrived she had left the area. But she was arrested on October 5. Her response to being arrested was, "Oh My God, I do not recall anything".

'She was asked questions in an interview. She answered "No comment" to all questions. An identity parade was arranged in which the victim was involved. He successfully identified the defendant as the one involved in the incident.'

Mr Coutts described the impact of the incident on the teenage victim.  

'The victim described feeling low after the assault and described an occasion where he tried to take his own life. He had night terrors about the incident afterwards and nightmares. 

'He described taking medication and does not feel able to return to the park. He does not leave the house much. He is feeling scared, anxious, and generally feeling unsafe.

'He has received counselling from two separate sources to aid his recovery but he has lost the confidence that he had. Clearly there are aggravating factors to this offence. 

'There was the presence of alcohol and the inebriation of the defendant and the victim was particularly vulnerable due to his age and difficulties.'

Berry had one previous conviction for drink driving from 2021.

Her counsel John Wyn Williams said: 'She has sadly suffered from mental health problems since the age of 15 or 16 and Covid was a particularly difficult time for her. 

'She has a self-destructive nature and because of this nature she has turned to alcohol to deal with his issues but she now realises that is not the answer to her problems.

'The separation of her parents is another factor that has caused her mental anguish. Her memory of this unfortunate incident is fairly scant but she did not want that young boy to have to give evidence in a trial. 

'Her psychiatrist identifies anxiety disorder, panic attacks [and] borderline personality disorder, as mental health issues - and because of those problems she has been drinking too much.

'It seems that her alcohol intoxication may have led her into doing and committing this offence. There is genuine heartfelt remorse and she shows the victim empathy.

Sentencing, judge Eric Lamb said: 'As it was a chance meeting, you were not aware of the vulnerability of your victim but the consequence of what you did have been awful for the complainant and his family. 

'He has tried to take his own life, suffered night terrors, and required counselling in an effort to overcome the impact of that which you have done.

'You have no recollection of what you did as a result of the amount of alcohol that you had taken but the commission of an offence, when drinking, is an aggravating feature.

'The reasons for your taking alcohol are many and complex and although I must have regard to whether or not you present a risk of serious harm to members of the public by the commission of further specific offences, in your case the conclusion is that such a risk is low. I accept that there is genuine and heartfelt remorse.

'On the one hand, this is a sexual assault on a young person by someone who is 27 years of age and it is plainly a serious matter. 

'But on the other side there is strong personal mitigation as a result of genuine remorse, and the series of events that have led you to your mental health difficulties. You now realise that you must alter your ways.'

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AN offender who was previously branded an ‘animal’ by a judge has been put behind bars once more.

Connor Standish was locked up for seven-and-a-half years in December 2016 after embarking on a one-man crime spree.

These offences included an armed robbery, biting police officers and threatening a teenage girl with a knife after she refused to perform a sex act on him.

He was also caught carrying an imitation firearm on one occasion.

Sentencing at Chester Crown Court three-and-a-half years ago, judge Neil Flewitt said: “That is the behaviour of an animal.”

The 27-year-old has now been jailed again for assaults which saw him bite and spit at people during the Covid pandemic.

Warrington Magistrates’ Court this month heard how Standish assaulted two men on June 15 and 19, 2020.

Also on June 15, 2020, he threatened a woman that he would arrange to get her house burnt down, intending that she would fear that the threat would be carried out.

He was later charged with two counts of assault by beating and one of threatening to destroy property.

All of the offences occurred in the Widnes areas, with court documents listing the defendant’s current address as HMP Oakwood in Featherstone, West Yorkshire.

Magistrates took his guilty pleas into account but determined that only immediate custody was appropriate due to the biting and spitting occurring during the pandemic.

Standish, formerly of Davenport Row in Runcorn, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment.

He was also ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £128, however no compensation was ordered due to him serving a prison sentence to 2025, with no means to pay.

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A PREDATOR who preyed on a child by engaging in sexual activity with him has been put behind bars.

Finlay Stewart committed a series of child sex offences against the youngster, knowing that the victim was not aged 16 or over.

The now 23-year-old defendant was brought before Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, August 8, to be sentenced over eight sexual offences involving a minor.

He was handed an inevitable immediate prison sentence and ordered to sign the sex offender register for life.

Oliver King, prosecuting the case, told the court how Stewart was to be sentenced for carrying out five counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

He also admitted his role in sole counts of sexual communications with a child, possessing indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images of children.

The court heard how the defendant, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, intentionally communicated in a sexual manner with a boy under the age of 16.

Through their sexual conversations, Stewart asked the victim to supply an indecent image of himself, before these discussions led to physical sexual activity.

Police found six indecent images of children of the defendant’s devices, along with four prohibited images of children.

The latter are described as being ‘grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character’, such as concentrating on the genitalia of a child or show a sexual act involving a child.

Prohibited images cannot be photographs or photos which have been photoshopped. They are therefore sketches, paintings, cartoons or any other unreal ‘depiction’ of a person.

Stewart, of Cherry Tree Avenue in Lymm, entered guilty pleas to all charges and was sentenced by recorder Eric Lamb to three years in prison.

He was also made the subject of sex offender registration and notification requirements with the police and a sexual harm prevention order – both for an indefinite period.

In addition, the court approved an order to deprive the defendant of the devices seized by police and a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim, again indefinitely.

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A "twisted" paedophile who posed as a model scout to lure child victims has admitted 88 sex offences.

David Harmes, 27, pleaded guilty to crimes involving 39 victims in the UK and six in the USA over a six-month period between July 2019 and February 2020.

He was remanded in custody at Chester Crown Court on Monday ahead of his sentencing on September 5.

Cheshire Constabulary said Harmes kept his real identity hidden, adding: "All this deceit and manipulation was to fuel his twisted obsession".

He targeted youngsters aged between six and 15, all of whom except one were female, drawing them in after spotting them on YouTube or Instagram.

Harmes, from, Winsford, Cheshire, used a number of disguises, including posing as a model scout, "Jess", and claiming to be working for major clothing outlets.

He had finished serving a sentence for similar offences around five months before he began committing more crimes.

Detective Sergeant Mark Naylor said: "Having received intelligence that Harmes was offending, his laptops, phones and other digital devices were seized in a warrant at his address, and Harmes was returned to prison for breaching his Sex Offender Notification Order on 8 February 2020 preventing him from committing further crimes."

He was linked to the crimes by his distinctive bedding, seen in images found on his devices, and footage of him accidentally opening his laptop and filming his face for just a few seconds.

The charges included possessing, making and distributing indecent images, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Detective Superintendent Simon Draco said: "This has been a complex and meticulous investigation with international based victims that has resulted in the conviction of Harmes and will bring justice for the victims of his offending."

"Cheshire Constabulary has an investigation team dedicated to targeting those who sexually abuse and offend against children online and teams across the force work with partners to educate children, parents and carers about online predators, to safeguard children from potential harm.

"We're really keen to drum home the message that parents and carers need to know what their children are doing online in order to protect them from predators like Harmes.

"We all know that we need to teach children not to speak to strangers in the street, but we need to drive home that very same message for the online world too, to prevent people like Harmes taking advantage."

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AN Ellesmere Port child rapist who took indecent pictures of his victim and also continued to be an online predator while on police bail has received an extended prison sentence.

Derek Smith appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, June 23, where he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, plus five years extended licence.

The 42-year-old was earlier found guilty of 24 counts, including the possession and taking of indecent images of children, engaging in sexual communication with a child, inciting a child aged 13 to 17 to engage in sexual activity and multiple counts of rape.

The investigation initially began following a report from the National Crime Agency (NCA) which made Cheshire Police aware that a 'category C' indecent image of a child had been uploaded to the internet.

Detectives were able to successfully identify the address of the user who had uploaded the image and on Tuesday, July 27 last year, Smith was arrested, and searches were conducted at two addresses linked to him in Chester and Ellesmere Port.

Officers recovered numerous electronic devices during the warrants, two of which were later found to contain 231 indecent images and videos of children.

Of the images found, 43 were of category A, 74 were of category B, and 114 were of category C.

Cheshire Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team (OCAIT) discovered that 26 of the images recovered were first generation images of a young girl, taken by Smith on his own device.

On Friday, September 9, Smith was charged with nine offences and was released on conditional bail for the case to be heard at court. However, he was not deterred by this and continued his predatory online activity.

Smith, who went by the name 'Degsi' on a dating app, engaged in several sexualised conversations with three young girls, aged 13 and 14. He requested inappropriate images of them and encouraged them to commit sexual acts upon themselves.

However, unbeknown to Smith, he was speaking to three adults acting as child ‘decoys’.

In a bid to identify Smith, the decoys arranged a meeting on Wednesday, October 5, using a decoy profile of an adult woman.

Smith was waiting at Cheshire Oaks when he was confronted by the decoys and swiftly arrested by officers.

During questioning, he answered no comment to everything posed to him by officers, even when shown messages that he had sent to the three different decoys.

A further seven sexual charges were secured against Smith, and he was remanded into custody.

As detectives were working to bring the extent of his crimes to light, the victim pictured in the indecent images (recovered from Smith’s devices), felt able to disclose her abuse at the hands of Smith.

While he was still on remand, Smith was arrested again and subsequently charged with eight more offences, including multiple counts of rape and sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 17.

Smith pleaded not guilty to all offences. However, after listening to the extensive evidence gathered against him, a jury found him guilty on all charges on Wednesday, May 17 this year.

Detective Constables Louise Murphy and Abi Axon, from Cheshire Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, attended Smith’s sentencing and said: “The long list of offences Smith subjected the victim to is nothing short of horrific.

“He has shown no consideration for the victim at any stage, refusing to admit to the extremely serious sexual offences he committed and making the victim give evidence at court.

“Being subjected to the court process can be a stressful experience for victims in cases involving sexual offences, particularly when they are so young.

“We would like to praise the victim for the bravery shown in disclosing what Smith subjected her to and how she conducted herself whilst the trial was ongoing.

“On top of this, he also possessed more than 230 indecent images of children for his own sexual gratification – behind each of these images there is a child being sexually abused.

“We hope the fact that Smith is now behind bars, where he can no longer sexually exploit young girls, gives the victim and her family some closure.

“However, they will continue to receive the help and support they need to move forward with their lives.”

In addition to the custodial sentence Smith was ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order for life.

Detective Sergeant Dave Walton, of the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Sexual abuse is an unforgivable crime, and this is a particularly distressing case.

“I would like to thank the officers involved in this complex investigation for all their hard work in unravelling the extent of Smith’s offending and gathering the required level of evidence to secure convictions for all 24 offences.

“Smith’s attempts to engage with children online highlights the need for parents and guardians to warn their children of the dangers of communicating with people via social media, to check that they are using those applications safely and to keep an eye out for any warning signs of sexual exploitation.

“I hope that Derek Smith’s convictions and sentencing encourages anyone who has been subjected to similar offending to report it to the police.

“They should feel confident that they will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers and other support agencies we work alongside.

“All victims will be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve, and any allegations will be taken extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and the needs of the victim as our main priority.”

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Gary Lewis was found guilty of 7 counts of child sexual abuse following an 5-day re-trial at Chester Crown Court.

The 57-year-old returned to Chester Crown Court on Friday 16 June 2023 where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In addition to his prison sentence, he has also been added to the Sex Offender Register for life.

During the trial the court heard how Lewis began abusing his victim when she was just three years old.

He held a position of trust and was supposed to be caring for her, instead he used his position to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

Over the next four years he subjected her to repeated sexual offences, including indecent exposure and rape. He would force her to watch pornography and encouraged other people to sexually abuse her.

The girl attempted to seek help at the time of the abuse, but Lewis denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the victim was lying.

The abuse finally came to an end in 2003 when all contact between the pair was stopped.

In April 2019 the victim contacted Cheshire Police to report the offences and Lewis was subsequently charged with multiple offences.

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THE Crown Prosecution Service has commented after a Cheshire woman who posed as a man to become romantically involved with another woman was found guilty of a sexual assault.

Bilham was found guilty of sexual assault by kissing following a trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Wednesday, June 14. She was found not guilty of 16 other sex offences.

The CPS said Georgia Bilham, 21, of Bunbury Road, Alpraham, Cheshire, deliberately duped the other woman into thinking she was a man called George Parry from Birmingham.

A number of years ago, the two began talking on Snapchat. Bilham had the profile name ‘George_132’ and the picture attached to that profile was a cartoon image of a blonde man with sunglasses.

Georgia Bilham presented as 'George' both online and in person, for the whole time that she and the victim were in contact with each other.

When the two would meet up, Georgia kept her hood up, dressed and spoke like a boy and removed the victim’s glasses from her. The victim is very short-sighted and without her glasses is virtually blind. Georgia refused to let her victim touch parts of her body which would prove that she wasn’t a man.

The CPS said that the sexual activity that took place was based on a false pretence – and so did not involve true consent. Bilham deceived the victim into thinking she was in fact a young man. The motivation for the pretence is not clear.

On May 11, 2021, Bilham and the victim had been out driving together and the car came off the road. The car was stuck. Georgia panicked and told the victim to run – no doubt as there was a risk that her true identity would be established.

But the police arrived and spoke to Georgia in their car and the victim overheard them mention the name of Georgia Bilham which was on her driving licence. She confronted Bilham… “Are you a girl?’. Bilham replied ‘It’s a fake licence, cos I don’t have one – that’s why I told you to run….’

In the days that followed, Bilham worked hard to persuade her victim that she was a man. The deception finally came to light when Georgia met the victim’s mother who didn’t have the victim’s sight problems and became suspicious. She confronted her daughter with her doubts and the victim went online to find out more about Georgia Bilham.

On the night of August 19, 2021, the victim told Georgia: "Just admit you’ve been caught out I know more than enough now." The next morning, Georgia Bilham messaged the victim, apologising for what she had done, saying: “It just took over my life”.

The matter was reported to the police. Georgia Bilham was arrested and interviewed under police caution. To each question, she replied ‘no comment’.

Bilham will be sentenced on July 19 at Chester Crown Court.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Mairead Neeson, a specially trained prosecutor with CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: “Sexual offences can be committed in different ways.

“The Crown Prosecution Service’s case here was based upon deceit, manipulation and the lack of genuine consent. We said that the victim didn't give her true consent to sexual activity with Georgia Bilham, that when the victim agreed to have sexual activity with 'George Parry' it was on the basis that George was male and not female and that she had been deceived.

“We said that Bilham’s actions in pretending to be male, deprived the victim of her freedom to choose whether or not to engage in sexual activity.

“This is because a person consents to sexual activity only if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

“The victim thought she was having sexual activity with a man. If she had known that the man she thought was George Parry was in fact a woman, she would not have agreed to the activity.

“This has devastated the victim and her family and the effects of it will remain with her for a long time. The victim thought she was in a loving relationship with a man but it was all lies and Bilham is now a convicted sex offender.”