Latest Offenders Chester

Description

A police dog handler who throttled and punched a woman while trying to rape her in her home has been jailed.

Greater Manchester Police officer Ernesto Ceraldi attacked the woman after meeting her in a Rossendale pub in April, Preston Crown Court heard.

She tried to escape but he chased her while naked and continued attacking her until a neighbour intervened.

Admitting attempted rape and assault, the 44-year-old was sentenced to five years and four months in prison.

The court heard Ceraldi, who has since resigned from the force, met the woman on 1 April and was invited back to her home, where they drank wine and he showed her photographs of his police dog.

'Who can I trust?'

Prosecuting, David Traynor QC said the woman described how Ceraldi's attitude "changed all of a sudden" and he demanded she perform a sex act and grabbed her hair.

He said Ceraldi, of no fixed address, pushed her against a wall, causing a picture to fall and smash, and put his hand around her throat, adding: "The pressure was horrific, she nearly stopped breathing."

He said the naked officer repeatedly punched the woman and then pursued her as she tried to escape, but a neighbour heard her screaming and came to help her.

Ceraldi then went back inside, where police found him sleeping naked on the sofa, with his leg through the arm of a jacket.

In a statement, the woman said as Ceraldi had been a police officer, she "should have been able to trust him without a shadow of a doubt".

"If I cannot trust a police officer with 21 years of service, who can I trust?" she said.

She added that while her injuries had healed, she did not know "if the mental effects ever will".

"I can no longer go out and return home after dark on my own," she said.

"Someone must come into the house with me to put me at ease."

'Genuine fear'

Julian King, defending, said Ceraldi, who had a wife and two adult children, had been commended for his work at the 2008 Uefa Cup final and in the Salford riots in 2011.

He said the dog handler's "isolated" actions were "out of character" and had been aggravated by "the substantial consumption of alcohol".

Sentencing Ceraldi, Judge Simon Medland QC said the former officer's actions had been "aggressive and coercive and violent" and he had used his job to "fill the victim with confidence".

"It terrified the victim and she was in genuine fear for her life," he said.

However, he added that he believed Ceraldi had shown genuine remorse and said a "very significant" feature of the case was that he pleaded guilty at a plea and trial preparation hearing, having previously denied the offences.

Ceraldi was also told he would be subject to sexual offence notification requirements for the rest of his life and handed a restraining order.

Description

Later sexual abuse by notorious Rochdale grooming gang leader and paedophile Shabir Ahmed could have been prevented if earlier offending behaviour and the threat he posed to children had been properly addressed, a damning report has found.

Almost three years after being commissioned, a review into allegations of historic child sexual exploitation has found that children in Oldham were being exploited and let down by services which tried and failed to protect them.

The review, commissioned by Oldham Council in 2019 and written by experts Malcolm Newsam and Gary Ridgway, looked at the way authorities have dealt with child sexual exploitation in Oldham between 2011 and 2014, and one specific case dating back to 2005.

Among its damning findings, the review has uncovered that Shabir Ahmed worked as a welfare officer in Oldham unchecked for a year despite being accused of serious child sexual abuse.

Ahmeds links to Oldham and the council had been investigated as part of the review, which has uncovered serious failures in how authorities dealt with the predator.

The report has found that there was a significant allegation of child sexual abuse made to police in 2005 against Ahmed whilst he was working at Oldham Council.

This occurred three years before he was arrested in relation to the widespread grooming and gang rape in Rochdale, which also saw abused girls let down by police and social services.

Known as Daddy by his victims, he was found guilty of two rapes, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment.

In June 2012 he was found guilty of a further 30 rape charges and was jailed for an additional 22 years, adding three years to his overall prison term.

Ahmed, now 69, worked at Oldham Council between 1988 and 2006, and was employed as a welfare rights officer seconded to the Oldham Pakistani Community Centre.

This role would have meant he would potentially have had contact with a range of vulnerable adults and their children.

The review team state they believe there were serious failings in how both the council and Greater Manchester Police investigated concerns in respect of Ahmed while allegations of child sexual assault were being levelled at him during his employment as a welfare officer.

The full details of his case have not been made public due to concerns about jigsaw identification of his victims.

However a summary of the case included within the report finds that as early as 2005, GMP was notified of a serious allegation of child sexual abuse perpetrated by Ahmed.

The victim, now an adult, also alerted police that Ahmed had also potentially had contact with a young child who lived outside of Oldham.

A crime report was not submitted on the back of this information which GMP said was in line with its working practices at the time. However, the review team says the National Crime Recording Standard in place at the time required a crime to be recorded.

GMP also failed to inform the local authority responsible for the child, and also did not notify Oldham Council which was then Ahmeds employer.

As a result of the disclosure that he potentially presented a serious risk to children, Newsam and Ridgway say a full assessment should have been undertaken to assess the risks he posed to any other children he may have come into contact with.

But instead insufficient enquiries were made into whether his role gave him access to vulnerable adults and children.

If this had happened it may have potentially avoided the tragic abuse of other children, the report states.

In February 2008, Ahmed was arrested for sexual assault on a child, and that July was also arrested on suspicion of abducting two other children.

However the review states that neither of the two children made a complaint, and consequently no crime was recorded and no further action taken.

When queried by the review team, Oldham Council was unable to find any record of being notified of these allegations by Greater Manchester Police.

And there is no evidence that GMP had notified the council about the allegations, so that it could investigate the risks he may have posed to children he could have been involved with through his job.

Oldham Council were also not involved in subsequent strategy discussions between GMP and Rochdale Council about Ahmed, and both the 2008 and 2005 allegations.

Even after Ahmed was charged with sexual assault at the end of September 2008, no action was taken by Oldham council to undertake a safeguarding assessment, or liaise with the police force.

He would not be jailed for his prolific sexual offending until 2012.

In 2011 he was charged with the rape of the child in 2005, and remanded in custody.

Oldham Council was notified by the probation service, and given the profound child sexual abuse, this shouldve been a further opportunity to initiate a full assessment of [Ahmeds] circumstances but there is no evidence of this having occurred.

GMP requested copies of files about Ahmed and his family, which informed Oldham Council about the child that lived outside of the borough that could have potentially been put at risk.

This significant information should have prompted the authority to begin a multi-agency strategy discussion to assess the threats presented to any other children. However the review states that the council has never been able to locate any record to explain why this never occurred.

The following year another young woman bravely revealed she had also been abused by Ahmed, and GMP notified Oldham Council of the allegations.

The abuse occurred while he was employed as a welfare rights officer, but it is not known whether he had been involved with her family in a professional capacity.

However the report states that childrens social care inexplicably closed the case within a few days without undertaking any assessment.

The authority has been unable to locate anything further on this child and the review finds there is no evidence of an assessment of her allegations or her vulnerability.

The review team have been informed that the case was discontinued by Greater Manchester Police on the basis that there was no realistic prospect of conviction, the report states.

Neither Greater Manchester Police nor Oldham council was able to provide the review team with any assurance that the childs allegations and vulnerability were appropriately dealt with.

The review team conclude that there were serious multiple failures by both Greater Manchester Police and Oldham council to follow the procedures in place to investigate the threat [Ahmed] presented to children.

If these procedures had been followed, his offending behaviour could have been addressed at an earlier stage and potentially the abuse of his subsequent victims may have been prevented.

Further findings

The review also finds that a number of working Oldham taxi drivers had been accused of rape or sexual offences against children but kept their licences.

Two drivers who were alleged to have assaulted girls should have had their licences revoked by the council, and several known offenders had been granted or had their taxi licences renewed by councillors.

Following the Rotherham scandal, in 2014 Oldham council reviewed all the cases where licence holders had been accused of sexual offences.

There were originally five drivers identified who had serious criminal convictions, but only one of these was taken to the licensing panel and had his licence revoked.

One of the remaining four went on to commit a sexual assault on a young female passenger in 2015. He had been convicted of an indecent assault on a woman in a shopping centre, and received a conditional discharge.

He was convicted in 2017 of the later assault, and the judge in the case queried why a licence had been granted given his previous conviction, which triggered a formal complaint to the council.

Following this the councils chief executive Carolyn Wilkins ordered officers to undertake a review of all licensed drivers, which were around 1,300 people.

The report listed nine drivers, where one had been convicted of offences against children.

Of these nine, six licences were revoked or ended.

One driver had been questioned by police in relation to two separate alleged sexual assaults, three years apart, on two young female passengers.

There were also concerning details of the offence by another driver. It was alleged that a victim was a customer who had been sexually assaulted in his taxi and subsequently raped.

The Crown Prosecution Service had taken no further action, but this was the only detail that was supplied to the licensing panel.

He raised the matter formally with the-then chief constable of GMP, Ian Hopkins, in 2018 but did not get a response.

GMP has now confirmed it has commissioned a review of the content, application, and senior ownership of the forces policies on disclosure around taxi drivers.

Cover up?

Large portions of the report are dedicated to establishing whether authorities, the police, council and political leaders, covered up the activity of grooming gangs in the borough.

The review team conclude they find no evidence of a widespread cover up of sexual exploitation, and the review finds no evidence that senior managers or councillors sought to cover up the potential exploitation of children by local taxi services.

And the team were provided with no evidence, either through interviews or documentary review, to suggest that there was widespread exploitation of children in residential settings in Oldham.

An official statement released by GMP stated that they only had two pieces of intelligence about potential CSE, and neither of these were substantiated.

This was based on the response of a police sergeant who was asked to provide information in relation to the media enquiry.

The review team says that there was no doubt that during this same period there were legitimate concerns by the council and police that high-profile convictions of predominantly Pakistani offenders could be capitalised on by a far-right agenda and lead to the victimisation of the Pakistani community.

However it is clear from all the evidence we have seen that the council and its partners in no way avoided addressing this, and in fact saw successful disruption and prosecution as the route to winning the confidence of all communities in Oldham, they write.

There is significant evidence that the council did everything possible to publicise the threat of child sexual exploitation.

Reports went to council committees, bi-annual meetings were held with the leader, chief executive, cabinet members and the opposition leader to discuss safeguarding issues, and the council introduced a training module on CSE for councillors to attend.

This included the roll-out of performances of a play, Somebodys Sister, Somebodys Daughter, about sexual exploitation which was shown to more than 3,000 Oldham pupils across all the boroughs schools.

Then-council leader Jim McMahon wrote on his blog in 2014 that anyone who shies away from accepting that in Rotherham, Oxford, Rochdale, and here in Oldham and that this particular form of abuse is predominantly Pakistani men targeting white girls is not helping the victims and nor is it helping the Asian community at large.

He said that despite court cases being jumped on by far-right campaigners that was in fact more of a reason to act.

If we dont tackle wrongdoing, we give more oxygen to those who seek to gain politically by accusing those in authority of cover-ups and failures, he wrote.

The review team say they believe this clearly refutes suggestion that Mr McMahon was intending to protect perpetrators from the Pakistani community, but rather wanted to tackle it head on.

What the authorities say

In response to the report, Greater Manchester leaders have apologised for the failings by both police and child protection services.

Oldham council leader Amanda Chadderton said: We fully accept the findings of this independent report.

It highlights clear failings, where our services at the time were not good enough to protect vulnerable young people suffering the most awful abuse. For that I am deeply sorry.

I can never fully understand what those girls went through, and I also know that an apology now will never make up for what has happened in the past.

I do hope, however, to offer some reassurance that, as a council, we havent stood still since the time period the review refers to.

We have learned from reports carried out in other towns and cities across the country, and from changes in national guidance, and have changed the way we do things as a result.

The way we work has already moved on immeasurably.

That said, we are not complacent. We can and will improve further, wherever we need to.

Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Stephen Watson said: The safeguarding arrangements that were in place in GMP during the time period covered by the review were not good enough to protect children from sexual abuse.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to everyone affected by the events considered in the report. Our actions fell far short of the help that they had every right to expect and were unacceptable.

I am sorry for the hurt and on-going trauma they have suffered because of what happened to them.

Description

A paedophile has been deemed dangerous by a judge after befriending a teenage girl online and persuading her to perform sexual acts for him. Dante Ingham-Marsters also made the victim watch as he performed an act himself.

Ingham-Marsers, who was already the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he committed the offences, has now been jailed after a jury convicted him of two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, the 27-year-old was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years. He will also spend an additional two years on extended licence following his eventual release.

Ingham-Marsters, of Bollin Avenue, Bowdon, originally made contact with the girl - who was under 16 - on social media app TikTok and used other social media sites to speak to her, the court was told. She watched him perform a sexual act on at least two occasions and incited her to engage in two separate sexual acts, on at least three occasions each.

After being arrested, Ingham-Marsters admitted speaking with the girl, but said that the conversations were not sexual in nature.

In a victim statement, the girl said the incidents made her feel 'emotionally abused' and that she can no longer trust anyone. She also said that she suffers with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as a result.

Defending, Max Saffman described the case as 'very difficult to mitigate after a trial'. He made reference to Ingham-Marsters 'immaturity' and said that he has' difficulties forming relationships with those his own age'. Mr Saffman added that Ingham-Marsters 'gravitates towards' teenage girl, but stressed that there was 'no physical contact' between him and the victim.

Judge Bernadette Baxter deemed Ingham-Marsters as a dangerous offender and passed an extended sentence. She said: The jury rejected your denials and clearly accepted [the victims] evidence, as do I.

Her victim personal statement makes it clear that your offending has had a detrimental impact on her; affecting her self-confidence and her trust in people. Luckily she has the support of her loving family.

Ingham-Marsters will spend at least two-thirds of his seven-and-a-half year sentence in jail, before being considered for parole. Upon his release, he will spend the rest of his sentence, as well as an extra two years on extended licence.

The judge added: Sadly, you have a history of this type of offending. In 2015, you were jailed for 33 months for two offences of sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. You also have eight convictions for breaching a SHPO.

In my judgement, these offences demonstrate that you are a predatory sex offender. You have previous convictions and are repeatedly breaking the terms of the SHPO you are subject to.

You are always on the lookout for a sexual opportunity. You identify young or vulnerable victims online, you pre-plan and have little or no internal controls to check your sexual impulses.

In my judgement, these factors clearly demonstrate that you meet the test for a dangerous offender and there is a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public from you.

Following his sentence, Ingham-Marsters will be subject to a SHPO and will have to sign the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period of time.

Description

A man raped a woman in her home after meeting her on a dating site. Michael Collins has been locked up for eight years following the attack on his victim, who he met on Plenty of Fish.

The incident happened in 2016. Collins, now 28, went to the woman's house after making contact with her online. Minshull Street Crown Court heard the victim thought he was picking her up to go on a date.

They stayed at the woman's house. After watching TV, they kissed, which was consensual, the court heard.

Collins then attempted to put his hand under the woman's breast. She said no - and told him she didn't want to have sex. He continued to touch her, despite her protests. He sexually assaulted and raped her.

The court heard Collins said: "For f**k sake, that took me an hour to get that out of you." He repeatedly told her she was 'p*****g him off' and that she was 'lazy'.

The victim, the court heard, has suffered psychologically, has left the home and now suffers from anxiety. Defending, Richard Orme told the court Collins, originally from Ireland, comes from a 'family-focused' community. He followed his parents to Manchester to 'make a life in the UK'.

Recorder Abigail sentenced Collin to eight years. She said: "It was your intention to have sex, the consent was entirely irrelevant."

She said that while Collins 'may have matured', the fact he has 'persisted on the delusion that what he did was acceptable' meant he was still a 'risk' and must be kept behind bars.

Collins, of Craig Road, Gorton was found guilty of two counts of rape; sexual assault; and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

Following the case, DC Martyn Bateman, of GMP's City of Manchester C.I.D, said: "Despite being told no, Collins forced himself upon this woman to satisfy his sexual desires. Sexual offences often have a lifelong impact on victims but, hopefully, today's result will provide her with a level of closure.

"It is also my hope that this case builds public trust and confidence that, though these cases can take some time, GMP is committed to bringing offenders to face justice by launching thorough investigations which gather all evidence to secure the best possible outcome."

Description

A judge had to stop sentencing a paedophile after he realised he knew him and did not want to prejudice the case. Christopher Jeacock, 37, of Bowdon, had earlier pleaded guilty to the making of indecent images of children, possession of a prohibited image of a child and possession of an extreme pornographic image.

Judge Mark Savill stopped the proceedings at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday and claimed the name had rung a bell. After confirming that Jeacock worked for Hale United FC, he stated he could not continue sentencing him.

Judge Savill said: I cant do this case. Its not your fault - very unfortunate but its one of the prices we pay for local justice. Bottom line is there cannot appear to be any kind of prejudice or advantage to you by virtue of any connection you or I may have.

The case was then adjourned to be dealt with by another judge. Katherine Wright, prosecuting, said that officers from Greater Manchester Police became aware that a social media account linked to Jeacock had been used to post indecent images online.

A warrant was executed at his home, which he shared with his parents, and he was arrested and his devices were searched. Whilst the police were searching his bedroom, he told them that his parents had nothing to do with this' and he knew nothing about the images of children.

Officers seized an iPad and two iPhones. He was interviewed that same day on March 25 of last year and admitted it was likely that he had viewed the images.

He said he had used the Kik messenger site to enter chat groups where images were shared and he had clicked on Dropbox links which automatically downloaded into his personal Dropbox, Ms Wright said.

He stated he knew they were illegal material and should have done something about them. He accepted the devices were his and he was solely responsible for its contents.

A search of the iPad revealed 16 category A images, 10 category B images and 15 category C images, which were all inaccessible. On one iPhone there were seven inaccessible category C images, and on the other there were two accessible category C images and five inaccessible category C images.

The police also analysed Jeacocks Dropbox account, which revealed 113 category A images, 75 category C images and 1,044 category C images. In total, 1,900 images were recovered.

The court heard that the videos depicted children as young as three being sexually abused by adults and one of the extreme pornographic videos showed a man having sex with a dog. Folders in the Dropbox were named indicating that they contained the indecent images.

In a further police interview, he gave a prepared statement in which he accepted the devices belonged to him. He said that since his arrest in 2021 he has made a conscious effort to address his offending and ensure it does not recur.

I have received support from my GP, the Greater Manchester Mental Health team, and I have discussed my mental health with my family and friends who have both been very supportive, he said in the statement. He added that he had undertaken worked with the Safer Lives programme, which is designed to assist sex offenders.

From March 2020 my mental health deteriorated, my business shut down and created financial issues and the loss of social involvement led me to feeling alone, the statement read.

I was worried about my partner's problems and I became isolated. This led me to sit on the computer where I became involved in group chats. I am truly devastated by my behaviour and genuinely remorseful for my actions.

Jeacock was said to have one unrelated previous conviction. His barrister, James Heyworth said his client does not have face-to-face contact with children and said it was possible for the devices to be wiped.

Sentencing, Recorder Ciaran Rankin said he had read a letter from Jeacock, his mother, the Safer Lives Programme note of attendance and his presentence report. You have accepted that you are responsible, he said.

Jeacock, of Royal Gardens, Bowdon, was handed a three year community order, 200 hours unpaid work, 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and an Accreddited Sex Offender Programme. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the Sex Offenders Register, both for five years.

Description

Rachel Fenton, previously known as Richard Fenton, was jailed yesterday for 10 years after admitting 21 child sex offences and a drug offence, including seven counts of attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. A court heard a number of indecent images of children, including a large amount of child sexual abuse photos, were found on Fenton's devices.

The 45-year-old pervert was arrested but, even on police bail, Fenton continued to try and get indecent images from children.

They were snagged both times as the profiles alleging to be children were actually run either a vigilante group and a police operative respectively, whom Fenton tried to incite to meet and perform sexual activities.

After the first occasion, in November 2020, Fenton was arrested at an address in Wythenshawe, Manchester, on suspicion of arranging a child sexual offence, and suspicion of possession of a class A controlled drug and possession of cannabis.

Fenton was arrested for a second time in January 2021 on suspicion of a number of sex offences, reports Manchester Evening News.

Detective Constable Ceri Martin, of Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) Sexual Crime Unit, called Fentons crimes "deplorable and completely unacceptable".

He added: "Fenton is a paedophile who knowingly attempted to exploit children for his own sexual gratification.

"This behaviour is deplorable and completely unacceptable. The safety of our children is a top priority in Greater Manchester and I hope today's sentencing spreads the message to anyone thinking of engaging in this type of behaviour that it will not be tolerated.

"GMP will do their absolute utmost to thoroughly investigate all reports of this type of crime and bring the perpetrators to justice."

The defendant, of Wythenshawe, pleaded guilty to 21 child sex offences at Manchester Crown Court, including seven counts of attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, five counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

Fenton also been issued with a sexual harm prevention order and been made to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A mother-of-one and her rapist boyfriend have been jailed for a total of 26 years over sickening sexual abuse they inflicted upon two young girls.

Tiffany Eccles, 27, and John Mills, 38, forced their victims to watch them have sex 'as a demonstration' before Mills raped both girls on separate occasions telling one to keep it their 'little secret'.

The couple were arrested last November after one of the victims told her mother how she had been abused by the couple over the course of four years, starting when she was just eight.

Landscape gardener Mills, of Bury, Greater Manchester raped the first victim at least five times and made her watch him and Eccles have intercourse. The sick group sex sessions involved them playing a game of spin the bottle whilst naked.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Mills was jailed for 19 years and three months after he admitted rape, assault by penetration, sexual assault and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Girlfriend Eccles, also from Bury, was jailed for seven years and two months after she admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard the first victim was targeted after Mills befriended her father. Prosecuting, Mr Jon Close said the first attack happened during a camping trip attended by the couple, the now-teenage victim and her father and other friends.

'She was just eight years old and stayed in the same tent as the defendants,' he told Minshull Street Crown Court.

'He began touching her and she tried to get out of the tent he pulled his hand over her face saying: "Shh! don't do that".

'She was shouting for her father but he didn't hear as he was asleep. He told her not to tell anyone saying it was their "little secret".

'She knew it was wrong but was too frightened to tell anyone as she was fearful she would get into trouble. Eccles was present at the time but was asleep.

'The offending escalated when he took her to a shop in his car and he bought condoms. As they were coming back, he turned down a country road and told her to lie down in the back of his car and he raped her.

'Another car containing teenage boys arrived on the lane but they thought she was older than she actually was and Mills drove away.'

In one incident, Mills raped the girl whilst Eccles was in another bedroom aware of what was happening. He also raped her on a sofa at his home.

'On one occasions she was told she had to stay with Eccles until Mills got back from work,' said Mr Close.

'She recalled him saying the could "have some fun". They were drinking alcohol and when he got back they went to a bedroom where they were all naked and they played Spin the Bottle.

'Eccles and the girl engaged in sex acts whilst he watched before joining in. The girl recalls how Mills made her watch him and Eccles have sex saying: "watch this". She felt disgusted. She said Mills was manipulative saying saying there would be lots of girls her age who liked these things.

'She said he was like two different people, one hand being friendly then on the other being totally different.'

As Eccles and Mills were locked up for a total of more than 26 years, relatives of the youngsters burst into applause in the public gallery and shouted: 'You filthy scumbags - hope you f**king rot.'

Police examined Mills' phone and also discovered he had filmed Eccles having sex with another man.

Another victim came forward to a teacher in school after she learned of the arrest. It emerged that their ordeals only came to an end when Covid-19 lockdown restrictions prevented them from meeting.

The court heard the second girl told police how Eccles stripped off at a house whilst Mills watched and then told the youngster to get undressed whilst they play a 'game.'

Eccles then had sex with Mills in front of the girl as a 'demonstration.'

During the hearing the mothers of both girls also gave emotion-charged statements detailing their heartbreak over the victim's ordeals.

In mitigation for Eccles, Anna Chestnutt said her client had started dating Mills when she was 18 and added: 'The offending was only ever instigated by Mills and she acted under his direction.

'She suffered a campaign of emotional abuse and manipulation at his hands. He demeaned her and left her trapped and in fear of him. He would threaten to leave her if she did not comply with his demands.'

In a letter to the court Mills said: 'I know I caused a great deal of trauma, hurt and pain to a great many people. I can't take back what I have done and make it right but I wish I could.

'I didn't think about my actions at the time but I realise I have torn lives apart and innocent people now suffer for what I have done. I hope they will eventually find peace.'

In a statement, the first victim, told officers: 'What happened has made me want to physically hurt myself in ways which are unimaginable, this has made me not want to walk this earth any longer.

'I have been suicidal for as long as I can remember and I have tried to take my life four times.

'What you did to me was sick and you both deserve everything coming your way. You've destroyed my life but I will not be silenced any longer.

'Before any of this happened and I was a bright and confident girl who walked around with a permanent smile on my face. I enjoyed life like any other child would and you ruined that.

'Now when I close my eyes at night all I remember is the repulsive things you did to me.

'You took advantage of me - a child and a minor - and you knew I couldn't fight back. Reporting you to police is my payback as I am strong enough to realise you will not ruin me any longer.

'I will never get back the body I had before the abuse but if I didn't speak up about this, I would never have been saved and this would have happened to other children.

'You brainwashed me into believing what you did was wrong and all you thought about was yourselves and your sick pleasures.

'I want you to sit there and listen to me as I had to do with you when you did all those horrible things. Hear my words - what you did will not define me.'

The second, now also in her teens, said in a statement: 'I was subjected to horrific things no child should ever be subjected to. They did what they wanted regardless of my feelings... They manipulated me.'

Mills held his head in his hands whilst Eccles wept as Judge Bernadette Baxter said: 'There was literally nowhere that was a sanctuary for these defenceless children when they were with you.

'This vile behaviour was committed over a number of years and the victim's statements make clear the dreadful and long-lasting impact your depravity has had on them.

'You have affected their confidence, their self esteem, their ability to form trusting relationships, their mental health and even their will to continue living. Your behaviour will live with them long after any sentence I pass expires.'

Eccles and Mills were also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register and abide by an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Both were barred from contacting the girls under the terms of a restraining order.

Following Mills' release from jail he will be on licence until 2043 under the terms of an extended sentence.

Description

An 'abusive and serial predator has been jailed for 30 years after controlling and manipulating numerous women before raping them. 'Monster' Jonathan Mealing, 52, was convicted by a jury of 17 offences including multiple rapes, sexual assaults and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in March this year.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Mealing, of Whitefield, Bury, felt he was entitled to sex and would often force his victims into having sex throughout the day and night. He told one of the victims it was their duty.

He also controlled and manipulated them, telling them who they could have contact with, what they could wear and in one incident, how much food they could eat. He became aggressive and violent if they resisted, the court heard.

Today Mealing was jailed for 30 years with an extended licence period of eight years as a judge deemed his offending as abusive, serial and predatory.

Prosecutor Huw Edwards told the court that Mealing took the driving licence from this first victim and prevented her from using her mobile phone. He belittled her, assaulted her and deprived her of food, he said.

In essence, he controlled every aspect of her life. He frequently demanded sex from her and there were times when he had sex with her whilst she was asleep.

The second victim was also controlled by him in that he restricted contact with her family and friends. There were references to him as a Prince Charming before showing his true colours, Mr Edwards said.

He went onto rape her, and when she said that she didnt like it, he replied: Well I like it. He also told her it was her duty for perform oral sex on him, and said she wasnt allowed to say no to him. He then sexually assaulted the woman.

Mealing forced his third victim to leave her job, accusing her of cheating on him and took control of her bank account. The court heard that during a food shop, she could be seen on CCTV doing the international hand gesture for domestic violence. Sadly, no one knew what the symbol was, the prosecutor said.

The abuser went on to rape the victim twice. The sentencing judge said already read the victim impact statements in advance of the hearing, and said the one by the first victim was particularly harrowing.

The rapist was said to have one previous conviction of domestic violence dating back to 1993.

In mitigation, Iain Simkin said Mealing continues to deny the offences and said this will be his first period of custody that he will suffer.

This offending pattern is of an abusive, serial and predatory sex offender towards women, Judge John Potter said. You viewed each of your victims as little more than objects to be exploited by you to satisfy your selfish and misogynistic desire.

You quickly persuaded each of them to share intimacy with you and as you did this you deliberately tried to destroy their independence. You tried to limit those with whom they have contact with, you tried to take over their financial affairs and you threatened violence or caused violence upon each of them when they tried to resist.

The judge said that Mealing had acted in a campaign of rape against the victims and said one of the women described him as a monster.

Finding him to be a dangerous offender under the sentencing guidelines, Judge Potter said: You have no insight whatsoever as to the risk you present to others. You have not a shred of remorse for the gross and serious harm you have caused.

Mealing, of Welbeck Close, was jailed for 30 years with an extended licence period of eight years. He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made subject of restraining orders in relation to each victim for life.

He will serve 20 years in prison before being considered for release by the parole board. That means you will either be in custody or subject to licence conditions until you are 90, the judge added.

Detective Sergeant Steve Horton, of GMP's Bury district, said: "Mealing's treatment of the victims was deplorable. I would like to thank them for their courage and providing us with evidence which enabled us to pursue this prosecution. Though these offences often have a lifelong impact on victims, it is my hope that this result provides them with a sense of closure.

"I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to people who are being coercively controlled or sexually abused to contact us or one of our specialist partner agencies. Greater Manchester Police will do everything in our power to keep you safe and ensure that the person responsible for harming you is brought to face justice for their crimes."

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Rapist Amanuel Tsegay, 37, caught a train from Manchester to Preston where he stalked the city streets in search of victims before attacking two lone women on September 22, 2019.

The CCTV footage was released by Lancashire Police after Tsegay, of Lords Avenue, Salford, was jailed for 12 years and seven months at Sessions House in Preston yesterday (Wednesday, May 4). He was also handed a six-year extended licence period after a judge deemed him to be a dangerous offender and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Speaking of the footage, Det Insp Fiona Jackson, from Lancashire Police, said: Amanuel Tsegay is a sexual predator and it is clear from CCTV footage that he was prowling around the centre of Preston looking for vulnerable women.

"He raped one young woman, forced another woman into a kiss and made lewd comments about performing a sex act towards two others.

The 18-year-old rape victim was targeted by Tsegay at around 4.20am after he found her separated from her friends following a night out in the city.

The teenager had been walking along Lancaster Road alone when she was confronted by Tsegay near the Harris Museum. He led her towards grassland between the Guild Hall and the bus station where he raped her.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, she said: Before that night I was happy, I liked to meet new people and make new friends. I didnt have any worries and now that has all changed.

Since the attack, she has been unable to sleep, suffers recurring nightmares and has been forced to give up her job due to anxiety.

Another victim, aged 19, was grabbed by Tsegay who forced himself on her that same night after she kindly offered him some food. She now fears leaving her own home.

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24 year old Thomas Cooper of Tame Street, Denton, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment, as well as being subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and his name on the sex offender register for life,

The court heard how in December 2021, Cooper had been communicating online with a girl that he had contacted after adding her on the social media platform SnapChat.

After grooming the victim online, he made arrangements to meet the girl and subsequently engaged in sexual activity with her on two separate occasions.

These incidents were later discovered by the victims family who alerted police.

On the 31st January this year, Cooper was arrested in the Ashton-Under-Lyne area and taken into police custody. In his interview, he blamed the victim for forcing him to engage in sexual activity against his will on both occasions.

During the investigation, detectives were able to obtain enough evidence which lead to Cooper eventually pleading guilty to the offences.

Detective Constable Mike Allen, of GMPs Tameside district complex safeguarding team, said: Cooper is clearly a predator prying on children for his own sexual pleasure.

Sexual offences often have a long lasting impact on victims and Greater Manchester Police is committed to preventing this harm. I would, therefore, like to use this opportunity to encourage any young person who is being contacted by an adult or whos aware of an adult inappropriately contacting a young person, to report it to an appropriate adult or agency so they can be safeguarded and supported and the suspect can be identified.

I hope this result today warns offenders that this behaviour will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and that authorities here are committed to ensuring they face justice.

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A man from Middleton, has been jailed for 8 years after an investigation into online child sexual offences after appearing at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday, 3 May 2022.

Denis Atkinson, of Millbeck Road, pleading guilty to the following offences:

1x count of attempting to meet a child under the age of 16.

4x counts of attempting to sexually communicate with a child.

1x count of attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

1x count of possessing an image of extreme pornography.

1x count of possessing 5x prohibited images of children.

3x count of distributing category A,B and C indecent images of children.

3x count of making a total of 4,035 indecent images of children ranging from category A-C.

He is being placed on the sex offender register for life and being subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

On the 14th June 2019, police received intelligence from the USA based 'National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children' (NCMEC) who stated that in November 2018, a user on the 'Kik.com' messaging app using the name 'denismufc93' posted an indecent photograph of a child, which was intercepted by the NCMEC before being passed to the UK based National Crime Agency.

Further enquiries established that the mobile phone connected to the Kik account was registered in the name of Atkinson at his home address in Middleton.

Shortly after this discovery, Atkinson began to communicate online with the decoy profile of a 12 year old girl which was controlled by law enforcement. He messaged the profile using the name 'Warren' with a profile photo of a male in his late teens. Atkinson informed the child profile that he was 18-years-old and did not react to the child profile informing Atkinson that she was 12.

Conversation of a general nature took place before Atkinson eventually started to turn the conversation to be more sexualised, asking the child profile 'so are we dating' and asking if they could meet in Cardiff, suggesting that the profile bring along a friend that he could speak to beforehand to get to know them.

Over the following month, Atkinson became persistent in asking the child profile for pictures, again regularly asking if they were now dating and stating that he loved her and wanted to have sex when they met.

Atkinson's behaviour continued to escalate by asking the child profile sexualised questions asking about her sexual history and what sexual acts she would perform on him.

Atkinson was reminded on a number of occasions that the child profile was 12-years-old and in foster care.

In July 2020, Atkinson told the child profile that he would arrange to stay in a hotel with her with further sexual comments being made by Atkinson. On the 7th August 2020,

Atkinson sent a number of messages to the child profile, in which he confirmed that he was due to set off to the arranged location where they would meet, at which point the child profile explained that they were unable to meet him. Atkinson stated ' We will have to meet some other time'.

Numerous chat logs seized by police as evidence showed that Atkinson had a clear interest in underage girls and on Wednesday 2nd December 2020, officers from GMPs Online Child Abuse Investigation Team attended Atkinson's address and arrested him before he was subsequently charged with the offences.

A number of mobile phone devices were seized from Atkinson's home address and upon examination, thousands of indecent images of children were found including around 836 categorised as 'Class A', the most serious category of images. Atkinson also attempted to sexually communicate with a large number of underage children using several different messages apps, adopting numerous fake male and female personas.

In police interview Atkinson commented 'I can't remember' and 'It wasnt me I must have been hacked' to the questions presented to him, before then stating 'everything is true, you dont need to go through it anymore'.

Detective Inspector Suzanne Keenaghan, of GMPS Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: "Atkinson is very clearly a danger to children. His messages to who he thought was a 12-year-old girl, together with his clear intentions to meet a child and the images that he possessed, to satisfy his depraved sexual desires is utterly deplorable

"Child Sexual Exploitation takes place in many forms and in this case Atkinson engaged in online communications with what he believed were young children, not sparing any thought for the lasting damage his actions could have.

I am pleased with the sentence he has received, which has been as a result of a thorough investigation working with the National Crime Agency. Our team work tirelessly to bring these people to justice and we will continue to do so."

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A man from Wigan who sent sexually-motivated messages over a sustained period to a girl nearly four decades younger than him has been jailed for 14 years after key evidence from his survivor.

The victim - now aged 16-years-old - has been praised by investigators after helping to bravely report to us Michael Dennett (54) and then support our probe into his year of offending against her between 2017 and 2018 when she was aged just 12-13.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Dennett, of Poolstock Lane, started messaging the girl after the breakdown of his relationship and began to embark on a persistent campaign of sexually-motivated offending; sending her indecent images and asking her to send them in return.

Dennett's offending was also physical as the victim spoke of wanting him to 'leave her alone' when he would try to hug and kiss her, but she helplessly 'felt like she couldnt say no' as he also would inappropriately touch her.

It was reported to police initially after her mum had found sexualised messages on her phone from Dennett before subsequent disclosures came from the victim around sexual assaults.

Dennett was initially arrested for the communication in November 2018 and then subsequently interviewed in February and November 2019 as enquiries continued and forensic evidence was collated.

When we first interviewed Dennett in November 2018, he refused to provide comment when asked about some of the messages we had seen he'd been sending to the victim.

As enquiries by our Wigan Child Sexual Exploitation team continued, the victim reported a new allegation prompting us to arrest Dennett for a second time where he didnt admit any offences and suggested that the victim had been 'put up to this'.

Due to the detail of evidence the victim was able to provide us, we were able to charge Dennett with nine offences - including three counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual communication with a child.

He was found guilty after a trial in February 2020 of the communication offence, before being convicted of the remainder of the offences in a re-trial earlier this month.

Yesterday (Thursday 28 April) Dennett was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

The survivor of Dennett's abuse has received ongoing specialist support throughout the case and we have praised her for the evidence she was able to provide to us and the courts to help bring her offender to justice.

Police Constable Vicki Flemming, from our Wigan Child Sexual Exploitation team, said: "I want to firstly pay tribute to the survivor of this campaign of sexual abuse for their bravery in not only helping to report this incident to us, but for also having the courage to give evidence in court that was key to the success of this case.

"Michael Dennett's offending was predatory and repulsive and it's clear that he was a clear danger to this child and deserves his place behind bars for a number of years to come.

"We are committed to bringing to justice any sex offenders - especially those who target children as a way of gratifying their own depraved and perverted desires - and I want any victim of such abuse to know that we are here to listen to your concerns and to take thorough and robust action to bring offenders to justice."

Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email [email protected]

Survivors Manchester provides specialist trauma informed support to boys and men in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

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A man who sexually abused a young girl in Cheshire in the 1990s has been jailed. Gerard King, of Bury, previously lived in the Wilmslow area and Chester Crown Court heard how he systematically abused the victim for three years.

The victim had previously reported the offences to professional agencies on several occasions. But she had 'never received the support' to take the case further - but eventually came forward again to police in 2020.

A detective constable at Cheshire Police stated that King put her through 'horrifying' experiences. King also made the victim recall the events during a 'distressing' trial.

Detective Constable Lee Ferris, who led the investigation said: Firstly, I would like to recognise the bravery and determination that the victim has shown throughout this investigation. She had previously reported the offences, on several occasions, to numerous professional agencies, but had never built up the courage or received the support she needed to take the case further.

When she came forward to police in 2020 we provided her with the specialist help and support she need to ensure that she was able to tell her story. What King put her through was truly horrifying, he systematically abused her over a three year period in order to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

Not only that, but he also made her endure a trial and recount what he had done, which was extremely distressing. But thanks to her courage, he is now facing the consequences of his actions.

"The sentence handed to King reflects the severity of his crime and I hope that his conviction will encourage other victims to come forward. As this case demonstrates, we treat all reports of historic sexual offences seriously and we will always do our best to ensure offenders are brought to justice.

King was found guilty of one count of rape of a child and seven counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 following a five day trial at Chester Crown Court, which concluded on Monday (April 25).

The 59-year-old returned to court the following day (April 26) where he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, plus one year on extended licence. King was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A perverted pensioner has been jailed for 17 years for his horrific sexual abuse of a young boy and girl more than 30 years ago.

Paedophile Peter Byrne violently raped both his victims on multiple occasions and Judge Andrew Hatton imposed an extended licence period on top of his jail sentence after concluding that the 76-year-old was a dangerous offender.

Former Calderdale man Byrne was first convicted of indecently assaulting girls under 14 back in 1970 when he was 25 and he also admitted further sexual abuse offences in the late 1980s.

In 2016 at the age of 69 Byrne, now of Townsgate Way, Irlam, Manchester, travelled 150 miles to have sex with an eight-year-old girl only to find out he had been talking to an undercover police officer.

Byrne was jailed for 30 months for that offence, but his court case prompted two more of his victims to contact the police and last month he was convicted of a series of serious sexual offences against them dating back to the 1980s and early 1990s.

Byrne was jailed today for offences of rape, buggery and indecent assault and his own barrister David Hall said the pensioner would be a frail old man when he becomes eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his 17-year jail term.

Judge Hatton said the victims impact statements made harrowing reading and by putting them through a trial Byrne had continued abusing them by requiring them to be cross-examined.

Both of them have been significantly impacted by your offending, he told Byrne via a video link to HMP Leeds.

Both of them clearly found the experience of giving evidence in their own ways very difficult.

The court heard that Byrne plied the young girl with alcohol and also recorded some of the abuse using a camera.

He said Byrne had used violence of a gross nature against both complainants, who must not be identified for legal reasons, and they had both suffered a severe psychological impact.

Byrne is already subject to a lifelong notification requirement as a sex offender as a result of his previous crimes.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Lindsay said: I would like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and reporting these matters.

Because of this, Byrne has got the sentence that he deserves. This case shows that, despite the passage of time, people like Peter Byrne can be brought to justice and I would urge anyone who has suffered in a similar way to come forward and to report the matter to us.

We have dedicated safeguarding officers here in Calderdale who are able to support you, will believe you and will take your reports seriously.

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A pervert asked what he believed was a 13-year-old girl to ring him for a sick phone call, but didn't realise he was actually speaking to an undercover cop. Paul Barrett has been jailed for two years after failing to convince a jury that he thought that the account he was speaking to was an adult 'role playing'.

Barrett, who was 40-years-old at the time of the offence, used an online chat room to speak with a profile called 'Sasha' between January and February 2019, Bolton Crown Court heard. Despite the account telling Barrett that she was 13-years-old and in school, he turned the conversation sexual.

In the first conversation, Barrett asked if she liked getting kissed and also asked if she wanted to perform sexual acts on him. The following day he asked the account questions about her school uniform and detailed sexual acts that he wanted to perform on her.

Sickeningly, Barrett then sent a message with his phone number and asked if he could speak with the girl directly so he could 'hear her orgasm'. The undercover police officer operating the account rang the number twice but Barrett did not answer.

Barrett, of Nearcroft Road, Wythenshawe, was arrested in March 2019 but denied the offences in interview and subsequently pleaded not guilty to a string of crimes under the Sexual Offences Act. Following a trial, a jury found him guilty of sexual communication and three counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Defence barrister Helen Longworth told the court that Barrett has a 'supportive' family, including a partner and two step sons. She said that at the time of the offence, he was going through 'family difficulties' and 'stress' at work.

Ms Longworth also said that Barrett, now 43, has no previous convictions and cited the long delay between the arrest and case going to trial. She added: "Imprisonment will affect him but also have a significant impact on his family who clearly rely upon him."

Judge Tom Gilbart jailed Barrett for two years. He said: "I find it utterly mind boggling to consider how a father could act in this way to a person he thought was a 13-year-old child."

"These were extremely serious offences in which you sought to engage a child in sexual activity of the most serious kind. It was predatory behaviour by you."

Barrett will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the next 10 years. He will also have to sign the Sex Offender Register for the same length of time.