Latest Offenders Cheshire

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A disgraceful child abuser preyed on a sleeping boy in a tent.

Michael Cullen, now 36, of Catherine Street, Widnes, faced justice on Monday at Liverpool Crown Court after jurors convicted him at trial on March 10 of one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one of incitement.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, said Cullen had displayed elements of planning and grooming behaviour before abusing the young teenager.

Judge David Swinnerton said that during the day before the offences, Cullen had indulged in behaviour of a type that were it to have happened between two people of the same age one might describe as flirtation.

This was namely spraying water at the boys groin, drawing a dog on his thigh, and stroking his leg with his foot.

He said Cullen had woken his victim while he was sleeping in a tent, touched him under clothes and coaxed the boy to do the same to him.

Cullens victim felt like he was having an anxiety attack and zipped his sleeping bag back up.

Mr Riding said the boy had provided two impact statements but did not want them to be read out in court.

Judge Swinnerton confirmed he had read them and the victim said the abuse had a significant impact on him, and the boy had struggled to sleep and his relationships had been affected.

Carmel Wilde, defending, said there had been no long-term grooming and no drink, drugs or luring, and although there was a disparity in age, she called it not a gross disparity - a claim later rejected by the judge.

She urged the judge to consider that Cullen had no previous convictions and showed willing to engage in the Horizon sex offender programme, adding he remained in denial.

Ms Wilde said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and said references had been submitted to the court describing positives in Cullens character, suggesting a suspended sentence with rehabilitation could serve the public interest.

She said there had been threats in connection with the case, including that Cullen would be killed if he was imprisoned.

Judge Swinnerton sentenced Cullen to three years in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register for life alongside a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order.

Branding the abuse disgraceful, he said: There was undoubtedly a significant disparity in your ages and there are elements of planning and grooming.

Cullen must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.

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A CONVICTED rapist from Chester tried to contact his victim weeks after being released from prison.

Neil James Shaw, 37, previously of Blacon, was jailed for eight years and told to sign the sex offenders' register for life after being found guilty of rape in June 2018.

He was released from prison in December 2021, to serve the remainder of his sentence out on licence, but within weeks he had tried to contact his victim by sending her a friend request on Facebook on February 4, Chester Crown Court heard on Thursday, April 14.

That put Shaw, who had been staying in London Road, Sandbach, in breach of an indefinite restraining order which prevented him from contacting his victim.

Judge Patrick Thompson jailed Shaw for 18 months, after Shaw admitted the breach.

Shaw had previously been convicted by a Chester Crown Court jury of rape, common assault, putting a person in fear of violence and engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour. He had also breached a restraining order then.

Shaw raped his victim by refusing to stop during consensual sex despite the victim becoming upset and telling him no and to stop. After the rape he allegedly told her: Its not rape if its your bird.

After the 2018 conviction, the victim said: If people read this article and are going through what I went through, I hope it gives them the strength to come forward. People will believe you.

Nobody should make you feel that low about yourself when they are in the wrong. If I have saved one person by them reading this then thats more than enough for me.

At Chester Crown Court this month, a statement from the victim told of the impact at receiving the friend request on Facebook, and how she feared Shaw would subsequently visit her home.

Detective Constable Kelly Birch from Chester CID said: I welcome the sentence handed to Shaw and I hope that it acts as a warning to others.

Shaw was well aware of the restrictions against him yet despite this he still tried to contact his victim via Facebook, causing her further unnecessary distress and anxiety.

Thankfully the victim had the courage to come forward and report the breach to police, and as a result Shaw is now back behind bars.

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A MAN from Cheshire who sexually assaulted a sleeping child and shared indecent images he had taken online has been jailed for four years and four months.

Craig Crowther, 31, was identified by National Crime Agency investigators as username craggy2014 who, on numerous occasions, discussed his sexual interest in children with who he believed were other paedophiles online.

In May 2020, Crowther, of Tilstone Close, Northwich, told an undercover police officer posing as another user that he likes to get involved with children, and had access to a child who he had sexually abused.

Frances Willmott, prosecuting in Chester Crown Court today, April 14, said he even shared indecent images of the child in order to get accepted into an online paedophile group.

The court heard how on July 15, 2020, he had conversations with an undercover FBI officer and shared 10 images of children, even encouraging the officer, who he believed was another user, to take pictures of a child and send them to him.

Crowther bragged he had taken a sexually explicit photo of a sleeping child who he had sexually assaulted and also admitted to videoing the child but then deleting it immediately, knowing it was wrong.

Crowther was arrested in July 2021 where 56 indecent images of children were found on his phone between categories A and C, including some of him sexually assaulting a child.

When NCA officers arrested Crowther, he made a number of comments including, my life is over, nobody knows, Ive been expecting you, I know what Ive done and what Ive been on and I got no sexual gratification from it.

He was charged with three counts of assault of a child under 13 by touching, three counts of making indecent images of a child (ranging from category A-C), two counts of taking indecent images (category B and C) and two counts of distributing category C indecent images.

Crowther pleaded guilty to all the charges on February 11 this year at Chester Magistrates Court.

Defending, Brian Treadwell, told the court his client did express remorse for his actions and accepted full responsibility.

Crowther was sentenced to four years and four months in prison at Chester Crown Court today, April 14.

Once released, he will remain on licence for four years, as well as being subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Sentencing, Judge Patrick Thompson said: You made it clear in conversations that you have an unhealthy interest in young children.

He added that his explanations for his behaviour in his pre-sentence report were full of denial, one of those being that he only shared images online to catch out other paedophiles - a claim which the judge dismissed.

It seems to me that you are not prepared to accept the reality that you are a paedophile, Judge Thompson told him.

I am afraid children must be protected from men like you.

NCA investigations manager Hazel Stewart said: Craig Crowthers crimes were despicable, and our intervention helped safeguard children.

He was prepared to share explicit images of his victim to like-minded individuals online, bragging about his abuse to gain their respect.

His actions were callous beyond belief and by his own admission, he knew exactly what he was doing.

The NCA works to protect those affected by child sexual abuse and disrupt offenders who pose a sexual threat to children, ensuring they face justice.

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A man has been jailed after he was found guilty of a serious sexual offence against a child under five years old

At his trial on 31st January 2022, David Shaw formerly of Winsford but more recently Crewe was found guilty of committing a serious sexual offence against a young person known to him.

At Chester Crown Court he was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment

A sexual harm prevention order was put in place to prevent him from engaging in a particular activity which includes:

- Having any unsupervised access to any child aged under 16

- Must not live in the same household as a child aged under 16 without written approval from childrens social services

- Conditions not to have any contact with the victim

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A 25-YEAR-OLD man from Ellesmere Port has been jailed after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by possessing indecent images of children.

Neil Webb, of Bruera Road, Ellesmere Port, was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, March 8.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to two sexual harm breaches and breaching his suspended sentence.

Webb was previously convicted of possessing and making indecent images of children at Cheshire Magistrates Court on February 12, 2021 and sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months.

He was also subjected to the notification requirements of the Sex Offender Register and given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DS Keith Campbell said: As a registered sex offender Webb was required to adhere to a number of conditions to deter him from reoffending. An officer allocated to monitoring him visited his home address on June 25 to ensure he was keeping to his conditions.

"Following a check of his mobile phone, she discovered it was on private browsing mode which masked his internet history - a breach of his prevention order.

The officer then checked the device, and no indecent images of children were found. But on further scrutiny of the phone, the officer discovered there were in excess of 350 bookmarked URLs (or web addresses). These related to category C indecent images of children.

On February 2, a warrant was executed at Webbs home address and a further phone, which was not registered with the police, was seized from him. This was found to contain 198 images indicative of indecent images of children.

DS Keith Campbell said: This shows the effectiveness of monitoring offenders who are subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and highlights the consequences of not adhering to the conditions.

I hope it reassures people that we do carefully monitor registered sex offenders in the community and take action when a breach is discovered.

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A PAEDOPHILE drama teacher sent sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old pupil he met during rehearsals for a school play.

Jason Ryan, from Grappenhall, was handed a 10-year notification requirement at Warrington Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 1, following his conviction in the Republic of Ireland last year.

The dad was spared prison in December after admitting sexual exploitation of a child.

Sligo Circuit Court heard that his offending occurred over the period of a month during 2014, during which he bombarded the girl with dozens of Facebook messages many of which were of a sexual nature.

Ryan, of Kildonan Road, used the pseudonym John Marks and first contacted his victim a month after the musical was staged.

On one day alone he sent her 40 messages, including one with pictures from her account alongside the caption mmmm.

The now 43-year-old who ran his own production company sent her a photograph of herself in a bikini beside a pool during a family holiday, leaving her feel uncomfortable.

On the advice of friends, she reported Ryans behaviour to a teacher and the schools principal subsequently contacted police.

His then home in Kilkenny was then raided by officers in July 2014 when his wife and three children were present.

The defendant was arrested at the scene with a laptop, mobile phone and tablet seized by the Garda and a lengthy investigation followed.

Ryan, who ran his own production company, was also found to have complimented the girl on her eyes, smile and body stating in one message: You look so hot and your body is so mmm.

He claimed to have been aroused by a picture of her, about which he said: You have to admit you look hot in that pic.

She was also asked if she had a boyfriend and whether she was sexually active, but after reminding him that she was 14 the teacher replied he knew some girls who start at 12.

The complainant then told him to leave her alone, to which he responded that he thought the conversation might turn you on a little.

Ryan then apologised and admitted that he was attracted to her before agreeing to cease his messaging.

Under interview, he confessed to using the Facebook account and claimed that he thought the girl was aged 15 or 16.

A statement read out to the court on her behalf described how she was left anxious and frightened for years afterwards and became less interested in music and drama as a result.

Ryan, whose partner died in November 2020, was described by his defence counsel as a good person who did a very stupid thing.

He was working at an NHS vaccination centre as of late last year.

Judge Francis Comerford imposed a 23-month imprisonment suspended for 23 months.

Ryan who has one previous conviction for a minor motoring offence was this week ordered to sign the offenders register at Warrington Police Station within three days by magistrates panel chairman Lynn Colter-Howard.

Representing himself in court, he replied by saying: I fully understand, thank you very much.

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A RAPIST has been jailed for nearly seven years after admitting sexual offences.

Joshua Foote, of Newhaven Road in Orford, raped and sexually assaulted a woman during the incident in June 2019.

The 24-year-old was handed six years and eight months behind bars on Monday, February 21, having pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault.

He was also told to sign the sex offenders register for life and ordered to pay a 170 victim surcharge.

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A RUNCORN paedophile abused two children over a period of several years and offered to pay for sexual favours from them.

The offences committed by Alan Kent, from Runcorn, were two separate spates of abuse between 2005 and 2019.

He preyed on the children in a similar way although there were ten years between the periods of his offending his abuse of one child began around 2005 and the other around 2015.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that Kent offered to pay for sexual favours from them and indulged his sexual fantasises while the children understood very little of what he was asking them to do.

The parents of the children knew nothing of the abuse. It came to light when they spoke out.

One told a partner when she was an adult, the other told a teacher at her school.

The police were called in and Kent was arrested at his home in June 2019 and was eventually charged with 9 counts of sexual assault on a child, four of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one charge of attempting to sexually assaulting a child.

He denied all of the charges but was convicted following a trial.

On Friday at Liverpool Crown Court, Kent was jailed for seven years and was placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for life.

He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order that bans him from any contact with girls under the age of 16 and from making any contact with either of his victims.

Jo Lazzari is Head of the rape and serious sexual offences Unit at CPS Mersey Cheshire.

She said: Alan Kents offending has spanned several years and caused unimaginable distress and trauma to his two victims.

His offending seemed to get worse over the years and he has learnt nothing from the harm he has done.

He is now in his Seventies and some of his offending dates back almost twenty years. But that is no hindrance to the Crown Prosecution Service bringing a prosecution.

The CPS would like to thank the victims in this case and their families for coming forward and helping us to get this dangerous predatory offender jailed.

Their courage in supporting a trial has undoubtedly made other children safe from his depravity. We recognise that abuse stays with survivors for their whole life. If there are people out there who have been affected by similar trauma we would urge you to come forward no matter how long ago it happened.

We are working with the Police and the Courts to make sure as many abusers as possible are brought to Justice and that victims receive the support they deserve.

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A teen found with images of girls aged three or four being sexually abused had been downloading child abuse pictures since he was 13.

Ryan Cham was found with 878 indecent images of children when police raided his parents home in Noctorum and seized electronic devices from him last year.

Later analysis revealed that Cham, now 19, had first downloaded indecent images in October 2016, when he was just 13.

However, Carmel Wilde, prosecuting, said Cham later told police his offending had mainly escalated during the pandemic when he was isolated and spent far more time online.

Police eventually raided his familys home in February last year after tracing his details to an indecent image uploaded to the Discord app.

Ms Wilde said an analysis revealed that some of the images showed girls as young as three or four being raped.

She added that 150 of the images fell into the most serious Category A, with 287 in Category B and 441 in Category C.

Cham had also pleaded guilty to possessing two images which were extreme pornography.

Quentin Neal, defending, said Cham had already sought support to try to address his offending and had accepted responsibility for the offences early by pleading guilty to making and possessing indecent images of children.

He also pointed to Chams lack of maturity when he started offending.

Mr Neal said: It was an early guilty plea, there were admissions made at the police station stage.

Your honour has referred to the defendants lack of maturity, he was between 13 and 18 when these offences were committed.

Mr Neal said a combination of factors made Chams one of those very exceptional cases where a community order was appropriate as opposed to a prison sentence.

The judge, Recorder Eric Lamb, said character references submitted by Chams family and friends revealed the shock many of them felt once his offending became clear.

Recorder Lam said: It comes as a shock to those who know you and love you that you have behaved in the way that you did by downloading disgusting images of children suffering abuse.

Your loved ones are at a loss to explain your conduct and it becomes more concerning and unusual when I read the character references that have been uploaded on your behalf.

Recorder Lam said he felt Chams was a case where a community order would be the most effective way to protect the public in the future and that Cham had taken clear steps towards getting support to stop him reoffending.

He added that a pre sentence report had assessed his risk of reoffending as low if he was given the correct support.

Cham, of Saughall, was made the subject of a community order for 30 months.

That order will see him take part in an intensive course aimed at stopping reoffending among those convicted of a sexual offence.

He must undertake 35 rehabilitation days and pay a 500 fine.

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A paedophile told a supposed teenage girl: "I want to be the man who teaches you everything you need to know about sex."

James Smith, 44, who even called himself a "nonce pedo" online, targeted underage girls on chat forums.

Smith thought he was talking to a 14-year-old child called 'Darcie' when he discussed performing a sex act on her.

The predator sent her a photo of his penis and joked that what he was doing was "classed as grooming a minor LOL".

But he was actually talking to a decoy profile, set up by paedophile hunter group Children Online Battling Real Abuse (Cobra).

The pervert is today starting a prison sentence after it emerged he had also chatted to another COBRA decoy, 13-year-old 'Bekki'.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Smith, of Halliday Close, Birchwood, Warrington, started talking with Bekki on the chat platform SayHi last June.

Smith, whose profile featured a picture of a dog but also a second image showing a naked torso, had a bio saying he was a "nonce/pedo".

He asked Bekki "hey sexy girl, how are you?" before asking how old she was, when she explained she was 13.

Natalia Cornwall, prosecuting, said Smith told her he was a sex offender who had been convicted for having sex with a 13-year-old girl, which the court heard isn't in fact true.

The conversation moved to WhatsApp and they continued talking about general topics until August, when Smith's messages turned sexual and he told Bekki he had been drinking and doing "silly things" like trying on knickers, tights and miniskirts.

Ms Cornwall said he went on to say he loved girls' underwear and if she was in her underwear, he'd "well look".

Smith told Bekki that he loved to perform a certain sex act and if they met, he would like to touch her, before claiming his real name was John.

The court heard Smith carried on talking with Bekki until October, but no arrangements were ever made to meet her, despite her asking in September how they would meet if she didn't know where he lived, and him replying that he would always meet in a public place.

However, in September he started talking with Darcie on the app Jaumo, who told him she was 14 after he messaged saying she was "sexy", using the name John McGee.

Despite knowing of her apparent age, he said she was "hot" and in one message talked about her "staying the night" with him at his address.

He made the comment about teaching her about sex, talked about performing a sex act on her, sent the naked photo, and joked about grooming.

Ms Cornwall said Smith suggested meeting Darcie on more than one occasion, saying that she could meet him in Warrington in late October, only for him to then go quiet online.

On November 5 he made arrangements to meet Darcie at Manchester Oxford Road station and told her what train he was getting and that he would text before he arrived, but he didn't in fact travel.

Smith then disclosed his address to an adult decoy, before Cobra went to his home and confronted him about the vile chats on November 11, which they live streamed on Facebook.

The group also contacted police, who arrested the pervert.

When interviewed, he told officers he knew the accounts were decoys set up by paedophile hunters and that he only engaged with them to get "cheap thrills".

Smith later admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Philip Tully, defending, said his client didn't have any previous convictions, but accepted he had a caution for sexual assault in 2005.

He said Smith recalled this involved him trying to "console" a 15-year-old girl by hugging her and giving her a peck on the head and there wasn't any sexual motivation behind it.

Urging the judge to spare him jail, Mr Tully said Smith had a good work record and had shown "genuine remorse" and insight into his offending.

He said: "Shortly before the commission of these offences, he had to deal with the very difficult time in his life of the death of his father, someone who he cared for. That seems to have had a profound effect upon him.

"He's not someone in the best of health - diagnosed with COPD and also a skin disorder."

Mr Tully said Smith had been "absolutely frank" with the author of a pre-sentence report about why he committed the offences and was open to help from the Probation Service, which he argued Smith - who had already spent three months in custody - wouldn't receive if he was sent to prison.

The judge, Recorder Rick Pratt, QC, said Smith took steps which were "more than merely preparatory".

He said: "Whatever the truth of the matter was, you believed you were communicating with young children, and children who were significantly below the age where they could properly make sexual decisions for themselves, and you preyed on what you believed to be that innocence."

The judge said the offences involving Darcie were more serious and said: "Your conversations with her demonstrated in my view a clear intention of what you had in mind."

Describing what Smith had said about wanting to teach Darcie about sex, the judge added: "It also included - perhaps somewhat sinisterly - the phrase that what you were doing 'would be classed as grooming a minor LOL'."

Recorder Pratt said he was satisfied Smith had intended to take part in penetrative sexual activity with Darcie.

The judge said he took into account Smith's mitigation, and "most importantly that no child was actually involved".

He said: "That does provide some mitigation because the case doesn't involve actual harm to a child here.

"Nevertheless, I have to balance that against your very clear intention."

Giving him 25% credit for his guilty pleas at a plea hearing, the judge jailed Smith for two years and three months.

He told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and said he must comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

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A SEX offender has been sent back to prison for a second breach of a court order designed to prevent further offending.

Keir Dean flouted his sexual harm prevention order within months after being released from custody for his first breach.

The 24-year-old, who was previously sentenced for sexual activity with a child, was prohibited from having mobile phones capable of storing digital images.

But police found three such devices after attending an address he was present at.

Dean was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, appearing via video link from HMP Altcourse, over charges of breaching his sexual harm prevention order and possessing cannabis.

Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, explained how he was found in possession of two iPhones and one Samsung mobile phone, but nothing incriminating was found on them.

The defendant was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in July 2018 for two offences of sexual activity with a child.

The court heard how he previously breached this order in July 2019 when he sent snapchat messages using a mobile phone, and he was sentenced in March 2020 to two years in prison.

The defendant was released in March 2021, but when police attended an address at which he was present on September 20, they found him to be in possession of two bags of cannabis.

He initially told officers he had no phones, but police found three at the address, with the Samsung phone showing messages sent by him.

During his police interview, he said he did not know who the iPhones belonged to, and that the Samsung belonged to a relative that had leant it to him days earlier.

Ms Nemat told the court that this was a deliberate breach of the order for a second time and revealed that this was the defendants sixth appearance in court.

Zahra Baqri, defending, said: The best mitigation I can offer is that he pleaded guilty at the first hearing.

I ask that he be afforded full credit for his guilty pleas and that you pass the shortest sentence possible commensurate with your public duty.

Before sentencing, judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: This is the second time you have been before the court for a breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

You came out of prison some time during 2021, and within a matter of months you were found in possession of three mobile phones capable of storing images, placing you in further breach of your order.

When the phones were downloaded there was no incriminating material, but given the matter of your previous offending , you pose a clear and serious risk of harm if you were to use such devices without notifying the police about them.

Dean, of Heather Close in Birchwood, was sentenced to two years in prison.

An order was also approved for the forfeiture and destruction of the mobile phones and cannabis.

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Keith Brookes has been sentenced to 3 years imprisonment, he must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is in place for life.

The details of this case are sensitive and have not been made public.

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A paedophile referee turned up to children's football matches and started running the line and giving offside decisions.

Roman Fletcher has a history of grooming youngsters and is subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The 21-year-old, formerly known as Peter Burns, was previously locked up for using his role as a wrestling referee to target victims.

But he then started using his training as a football official to get closer to children - only to be spotted by an eagle-eyed coach.

Liverpool Crown Court heard FA coach Natalie Pinnington coaches a girls under 14 team, Brookvale United, in the Warrington area.

Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, said Ms Pinnington worked with Fletcher, of Halton Road, Runcorn, when he was 14 or 15, because he refereed games she was involved in.

However, she hadn't seen him for a number of years and knew he wasn't allowed to work with children and that she should contact the FA if she saw him at youth football pitches.

On September 26 last year, while coaching at Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub in Warrington, she spotted a man with a Sports Direct carrier bag.

Ms Mottram said: "Ms Pinnington had thought he was either the referee or an assistant of some sort, as he had stood about the side of the pitch and at one point, he gave a decision on an offside."

Ms Pinnington saw the man talking to a fan aged around six, then playing football with a group of youths aged around 10 to 12, before she was told it was Peter Burns.

On October 10, Fletcher returned to the hub and was spotted by Ms Pinnington at the side of the pitch.

Fletcher was told to leave and wait outside, which he did, but at the end of the game he came back and went in goal while playing football with a group of children aged between eight and 13.

The court heard Ms Pinnington took a photo of him on her phone and contacted the FA.

Ms Mottram said Fletcher returned to the hub again on November 7, when he played football with boys aged between nine and 12. This time Ms Pinnington called the police and Fletcher fled.

When arrested and interviewed, he accepted breaching his order but "stated he had no intention of causing any child sexual harm".

Fletcher admitted three breaches of his SHPO.

In 2017, Fletcher was given a youth referral order for four offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, relating to one boy and three girls.

In 2019, he was locked up for 12 months for one offence of the same charge, relating to a boy, when he was hit with the SHPO.

Ms Mottram said: "Those offences involve this defendant engaging with children under 13, around 11 or 12, in fact under the guise of wrestling and inviting them to perform wrestling moves with him, to the extent of sitting on his face during the wrestling moves. That is the modus operandi for all of those offences."

Recorder Ian Harris said police examined Fletcher's phone in November and found texts in which he told a friend if police found out he was attending children's football matches, "he was going to go anyway".

The judge said in a "contradictory" pre-sentence report Fletcher said he wasn't blaming his diagnosis of autism for the offences, but also denied any sexual attraction to children.

Recorder Harris said a probation officer found his account "implausible" as he has "a history of grooming behaviour towards children".

Jeremy Rawson, defending, asked the judge to bear in mind his client's autism and "pathological demand and avoidance syndrome".

Mr Rawson said: "He suffered significant bullying whilst he was a young boy, to such an extent he has difficulty in relating to those of his own age."

The lawyer said Fletcher was "football obsessed" and when he came out of prison, tried to join an FA scheme called Man v Fat, set up to help people with weight issues.

But the FA found out about his convictions and barred him from the scheme, so he was "left very much at a dead end as far as football was concerned".

Mr Rawson said Fletcher, who lost a job because of physical issues, expressed "regret and remorse".

Recorder Harris said Fletcher "attended a children's football pitch and seemed at least on one occasion to be helping to referee", but was spotted by Ms Pinnington.

He said: "On October 10 she actually approached you. You said you were helping to run the line."

The judge said Ms Pinnington later called the police, adding: "She is to be commended for her behaviour."

He told Fletcher: "It's a persistent breach that may, and in my judgement would, have led to harm."

Recorder Harris said the pervert's criminal record and latest offences showed a continuing "sexual attraction and infatuation with children".

Jailing him for 16 months, Recorder Harris found Fletcher's mental state and diagnoses didn't affect his culpability.

He said: "You were cunning and deceptive in your actions when you breached the order on those three occasions and you knew full well what you were doing.

"I have no doubt a future form of paedophile offending would have occurred."

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A paedophile has been sent to prison for 20 months for getting high on cocaine and having group sex with an Alsatian.

Trans woman Claire Goodier - who was previously known as John and convicted of child abuse images as a man in the past - admitted the offence in an earlier hearing.

Goodier, 60, was described as 'manipulative' and 'deceitful' by a probation officer at the Chester Crown Court sentencing today.

The pervert was listed under a male name but with a note added to be addressed in the hearing as Claire.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order is under her new name, but it is not clear whether she will serve time in men's or women's prison.

Judge Steven Everett called the crime in taking part in the dog act with other adults as 'despicable' 'disgusting' and 'depraved' as he jailed the pervert for 20 months.

Goodier has twice been convicted of possessing indecent images of children, back in 2006 and 2009, with the judge admitting the defendant had been 'astonishingly lucky' to avoid previous spells behind bars after receiving suspended sentences.

Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, December 22, said the police had called to Goodier's home on July 19, 2019, to carry out a routine check due to being on the sex offenders register for life, reported the Northwich Guardian.

Officers took a laptop which contained evidence Goodier had searched the internet for bestiality content and when a full analysis of the equipment was finally completed some two years later, it emerged hidden folders contained 31 indecent images of a sex act with an Alsatian breed of dog.

Mr Barnes said: 'She admitted possession of the images.

'She said she had fantasised about it for a number of years and after talking about it with people in Northwich, was put in touch with others in Bournemouth.

'She travelled down there in December 2018 and took part in the sex act with other people and the Alsatian dog.'

On arrest on June 17 this year, police also found another pen drive in a handbag containing the same images and 3.5 grammes of cocaine.

When the sex act was committed between December 15 and 16, 2018, Goodier had also been in breach of a suspended sentence order, which had been imposed in May of that year for failing to adhere to the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.

Simon Mills, defending, said his client had always been 'frank and honest' with the probation service and although accepting the behaviour had been depraved and disgusting, called on the Judge to consider another suspended sentence.

He said: 'This incident took place some three years ago. 'The picture now is one of sporadic offending.

'This is not a case where the offending is getting more and more serious.

'She will do everything asked of her by the court and there are tentative signs of improvement in her attitude and approach.'

Goodier had also failed to comply with the terms of the sexual harm prevention order in November of last year, when she was 13 days late, blaming being in isolation due to Covid guidelines.

Judge Everett told Goodier he did agree with the probation service assessing her as being a low risk of re-offending as he sent her to prison.

He said: 'You are a long, long way from changing your life.

'You deceitfully took part in a cocaine-fuelled incident with other persons.

'Since the terrible offence took place you kept the images unashamedly for your own sexual gratification.

'In the middle of all this, you failed to comply with the terms of an order, which some might say is a minor breach, but it's not for the first time.

'Your record is appalling and it could be said you were astonishingly lucky not to go to prison previously.

'A message must go out that if you commit such disgusting behaviour then you must go to prison.'

Goodier sobbed after learning of the 20 months sentence, ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and order to sign the Sex Offenders' Register.

Description

An aspiring toy shop owner sent a sexual picture of himself wearing Cookie Monster pyjama bottoms to an undercover police officer he thought was a 12-year-old girl.

David Parry, 39, of Boston Avenue, Runcorn, is now behind bars after being snared in an online sting operating in the East Midlands and engaging in sexual communication with elements of grooming.

Parry, who was planning to open a toy shop before facing justice today at Chester Crown Court, exchanged messages with fictional schoolgirl persona Zoe via Kik Messenger between October 8 and October 20 last year.

Matthew Dunford, prosecuting, said Zoe was really an undercover police officer who told Parry she was 12 years old.

Parry's messages quickly became sexualised.

When Zoe asked why he used the profile name UKDaddyDom, cyber pervert Parry said he liked to be dominant when Im with a girl, I like to play the daddy role.

The next day he sent a sexual picture of himself wearing pyjama bottoms.

On October 13 he said was feeling very horny and asked her to send him a sexual picture of herself, assuring her I wont tell anyone.

He also sent the girl a video of himself performing a sex act.

On November 10 last year, officers from Cheshire Police arrested Parry at home in Runcorn and seized two laptops and a mobile phone.

UKDaddyDom denied having indecent pictures but a forensic trawl uncovered abuse images featuring girls aged between five and 13 years old.

These consisted of: 48 of the most serious kind in Category A, 30 Category B, and 132 Category C, totalling 210.

Digital clues showed he had shared two Category A images on November 25, 2012.

Parry claimed he spoke with people online who appeared to be under 18 years of age but said you never know.

At North Cheshire Magistrates Court in Warrington on November 23, Parry pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, causing a child under 13 to watch sexual activity, possessing 210 indecent images of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child, distributing an indecent image, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Mr Dunford said Parry had seven previous convictions for 16 offences, although none for sex offences.

Parry served a prison sentence after he was jailed in August 2000 for attempted robbery and having an imitation firearm with intent.

His most recent previous conviction was in 2008.

Paul Wood, defending, pleaded mitigation for Parrys prompt guilty pleas and a significant delay in bringing the case to court.

He noted the abuse images were not recent and clustered from 2010-12.

Mr Wood urged the court to consider a suspended sentence as the best way to serve the public interest by rehabilitating Parry.

He argued the distribution offence could be treated as an aggravating feature of other charges due to the small number of images.

Mr Wood said: One of the best things I can say is, hes very sorry, he knows hes got to change his ways.

This case has absolutely turned his world upside down.

In terms of mental health, hes very vulnerable in my submission and hes found it remarkably difficult with these proceedings hanging over his head.

He conceded Parry had expressed some minimisation with regard to his attraction to young girls in conference with the probation service and had tried to blame booze and drugs for looking at abuse images.

Parry also had a business.

Mr Wood said: The defendant has a business.

Its just to make it abundantly clear its reasonable for the defendant to conduct that business.

Judge Michael Leeming, presiding, told the court Parry had applied to open a toy shop in Halton.

He said Parrys offences spanned a decade and were too serious for anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.

During his summing-up, he said Parrys offending had involved sending a sexual picture of himself wearing pyjamas, Cookie Monster pyjama bottoms.

Judge Leeming sentenced Parry to three years and two months in prison and made him subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to run indefinitely, and placed him on the sex offenders register, also to run indefinitely.

Sending him down he said Parrys guilty pleas showed he accepted he contributed to the demand and victimisation of vulnerable children who are subjected to abuse, and warned him: Its important for you to understand these arent victimless offences.

The judge said the attempted sexual communication charges showed an escalation, although he noted there was no real child victim in relation to those counts.

He said the defendants attempts to minimise his crimes left him not satisfied theres a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Considering the representations on Parrys behalf and a pre-sentence report, Judge Leeming said: The author presents you as medium risk of serious harm.

Its felt you can be managed in the community as you have made lifestyle changes to remain offence-free.

For example, contacting your GP to assist with regard to depression, youve abstained from alcohol, and youve applied to open a toy shop in Halton and expressed a willingness to engage with probation.

A post on Parry's social media business page yesterday said it would be shut today due to "appointments".