Latest Offenders Derbyshire

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A 35-year-old groomed who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, sending her a message which read: “Would you like to get naked and snuggle?” Derby Crown Court heard how Csaba Tokes also asked the "teenager" what her sexual fantasy was after he began chatting to her online following a split from his long-term partner.

But unbeknown to the Ilkeston man “Ava” was really an undercover police officer posing as the teen. Handing him a two-year community order, Judge Robert Egbuna said: “What is clear is that the decoy made it clear they were aged 14 (and) from the communication you had between yourself and the decoy it’s apparent there’s an element of sophistication in respect of the grooming behaviour which took place.

“You even ask ‘would you like to get naked and snuggle?’ and it’s apparent there’s some quite clever grooming. (But) it is also clear there’s an element of reticence from you when the decoy, on a number of occasions, messages you and you do not reply.

“I do not accept that a break-up from an adult leads to someone having an interest in children (but) the pre-sentence report concludes that you are at a high risk of communicating with young children.”

Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said the officer set up Ava as a decoy, who Tokes started messaging firstly on the app Kik in November last year and then their conversations moved to WhatsApp. She said Ava told him she was aged 14 and from Nottingham and he told her he was 35 and lived in Ilkeston.

The prosecutor said the early messages were not of a sexual nature and included talk about what video games they both liked to play. Miss Allen said: “On November 28 she sent him a message saying ‘I thought you liked me?’ as there had been no communication for three days and he replied ‘I do like you but you are very young’ and he asked her if she’d had any boyfriends to which she replied she’d had two.

“He then asked her what she had done sexually and asked if she was a virgin. They then spoke in person and they spoke about meeting up and maybe going to see a film, going for a walk or going for a McDonald's.”

The prosecutor said Tokes was arrested at his place of work in January of this year. He pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child between November 7 and December 3, 2022.

The defendant has no previous convictions. Benn Robinson, mitigating, said his client was born in Romania but had moved to Hungary when he was aged three and has no family here in the UK. He said: “He had a four-year relationship but unfortunately that broke down which led to some isolation and loneliness and he reached out online.”

As part of the community order, Judge Egbuna ordered that Tokes attend a 43-day sex offender treatment programme and 55 rehabilitation sessions. He also ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, placed him on the sex offender register for five years and handed him a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

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A Derbyshire scout leader sexually abused two young boys for a number of years, plying one of them with alcohol before carrying out sex acts with him and which led to the victim becoming an alcoholic. A trial heard how paedophile Douglas Anthony Whitelam, a former Rolls-Royce worker, made the victims touch him sexually and he did the same to them on many occasions.

The now 70-year-old recently-divorced dad-of-two was arrested when one of the men came forward in 2016 to report what happened to him as a youngster and the second one reported his abuse two years later, but the defendant denied anything ever happened. That meant both had to relive their ordeals at a trial.

Jailing the defendant, of Hilton, for 13 years, Judge Martin Hurst said: “(The first victim) suffered significant psychological damage as a result of what you did to him. You deliberately isolated him, took him into your bedroom and you clearly groomed him.

“The psychological impact on (the second victim) has been severe, your behaviour took place over a sustained period of time and he was particularly vulnerable. It seems to me your latent homosexuality was the root cause of this and you felt unable to reveal it to either your ex-wife or your children.”

Robert Underwood, prosecuting, said Whitelam was a teenager himself when he targeted the first young victim when he was on a five-year apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in Derby. But by the time he abused the second boy in the 1990s he was involved in the scout movement in the city.

Mr Underwood read out two victim impact statements made by the boys Whitelam abused and whose identity is protected by law. In his, the first said: “The impact this has had on my life has been devastating.

“Plying me with alcohol was the start of my alcoholism which has stopped me from holding down a job and a number of sexual relationships. The memories of what he did to me will stay with me for the rest of my life. No sentence can be long enough.”

The second victim, in his impact statement, said: “He deserves everything he gets and I have no bad feelings about him going to prison. He totally ruined my life from a young age.

“His huge facade was him being a pillar of the community and a scout leader, he’s an absolute fraud. His sexual abuse of me took away my trust and caused profound mental issues,”

Whitelam was initially on trial in 2021 but a jury failed to reach verdicts and were discharged. Then, following a five-day retrial trial, in March of this year at Derby Crown Court, Whitelam was found guilty of a number of counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14 and indecency with a child.

In 2003, he was an Assistant District Commission and was involved with the Derby North movement when he was handed a Medal of Merit by the Scouts.

Gregor Purcell, mitigating, said: “He is a man who is now 70 and is approaching his 71st birthday. He has his own family who have stood by him, they are present here today, they remain supportive and will remain supportive on his eventual release.

“He was given a life-saving award when he rescued a child from a swimming pool and he is someone who has provided support and remained an active member of the community.

“He is someone who, despite the offences he’s been convicted of, who throughout his later life has been a positive influence in the community.”

In a statement released after sentencing, a spokesman for the Scouts said: “We are aware of the case involving former Scout volunteer Douglas Whitelam. In 2017 the police informed us that some historical abuse allegations had been made against a former scout volunteer that had taken place in the 1970s and 1980s (and) we supported the police in their investigations.

“Whitelam has not been a member of the Scouts since 2005. Following this conviction, he will never again be able to volunteer with the Scout movement. There is no place in the movement for anyone who behaves in this way.

“Everyone at Scouts works to a strict code of practice to put young people first.”

Sergeant Mark Sharma, who was one of the officers who brought Whitelam to justice, said: “The trauma of the abuse caused by Tony Whitelam has had a lasting effect on both victims. Their bravery in coming forward and strength through this court case cannot be understated.

“At no point did Whitelam show any remorse or accept responsibility for his actions forcing his victims to give evidence twice in court further adding to their stress and anxiety. His sentence will hopefully give the victims some form of closure and encourage other victims of such abuse to come forward.

“Anybody who has suffered abuse, no matter when it has taken place, should know that we will always take those reports seriously and complete a thorough investigation to help bring those responsible to justice.”

As well as the prison sentence, Judge Hurst placed Whitelam on the sex offender register for life and handed him a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

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A paedophile turned up at a Derbyshire railway station with a bottle of whisky and beer in a rucksack to take a 13-year-old girl he’d groomed online to some nearby woods for sex.

In a message shortly before he did, Ryan Burton told the teenager to say she was his cousin if anyone challenged them. But unbeknown to the 25-year-old, Leah, who he’d messaged continually for three weeks and badgered into meeting him, was really an undercover police officer.

Jailing him for 27 months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “What you set about doing in January and February of this year was appalling, quite frankly. You did not know it was a police officer, you thought it was a 13-year-old girl.

“I am not going to repeat the disgusting things you said you were going to do to her but sometimes people say these things and never go out of their bedroom and the court can be content it is all talk. But that did not happen with you.

“You intended to meet up with what you thought was a 13-year-old girl in order, and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about this, that you will have had sexual activity with her. You arrived at the station, you had a rucksack and in it booze to ply her with but thankfully it was not a 13-year-old girl.

“I take into account your age and I take into account that you were bound to be caught and that demonstrates an element of naivety. But there is concern (from the probation service) in your pre-sentence report that you pose a high risk to female children online aged 11 to 16 in order to satisfy your sexual needs.”

Stefa Fox, prosecuting, said an undercover police officer set up a profile for the decoy, named Leah, and that “almost immediately” the defendant began chatting to her online. He said very quickly their online chat turned sexual and over the next three weeks the officer gathered 188 pages of chat logs between them.

The prosecutor said: “He asked her what school she went to and told her he was a fast food manager. He sent her a picture of his (private parts) and asked her if she liked it and if she wanted to have sex with him. The conversation continued with him saying ‘you look very young, it’s going to be fun dating you,’ and ‘can I see you nude?’.

“He said she would look cute in her school uniform and then sent her a video over Snapchat of him (touching himself sexually). Throughout their conversations he persistently tried to make plans to meet her.”

Mr Fox said the pair did arrange to meet at Alfreton railway station on February 22, this year, and he sent her messages that morning saying he would take her to some woods he knew and that if anyone saw them together she should tell them she was his cousin. He said the police confronted him at the railway station and he had a rucksack in which was a bottle of whisky, beer, food, soft drinks and a towel.

Burton, of George Street, Alfreton, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He has no previous convictions.

Mark Knowles, mitigating, said: “I asked the defendant if there was any shame and embarrassment in terms of what he told the probation service and he told me he finds it difficult to speak to people generally."

As well as the jail term, Judge Smith placed Burton on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

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This pensioner twice contacted who he believed were 13-year-old girls online and engaged in explicit sexual chat with them. Derby Crown Court heard how Bryan Eaglefield told the first one he would like to kiss, cuddle and shower with her.

After being arrested and while under investigation for that offence he carried out the same perverted act with a second underage teen. But on both occasions, Summer and Olivia were actually undercover police officers.

Lesley Pidock, defending the 67-year-old father-of-two, said: He has worked all of his life in factories and was made redundant. He then began working in a care home until he retired three years ago which coincided with the national lockdown in 2020.

That was set against unhappy domestic circumstances where his marriage of the last 11 years had failed and he found himself locked in struggling with loneliness, social isolation and a failed marriage. Any friends they had were joint friends and he lost them during the split from his wife.

That is the best he can do to explain what led him into this position. He has behaved appallingly and he is incredibly ashamed. He has lost contact with everyone in his life apart from his two daughters as a result of his actions.

He now lives entirely on his own. Sam Lowne, prosecuting, said the first offence took place in February 2021.

He said an identity called Derbys M linked to Eaglefield began chatting to 13-year-old Summer online and that the conversation quickly moved to sexualised chat.

The prosecutor said: Summer was really an LEO, or law enforcement officer and the defendant started telling her her pyjamas were sexy, that he wanted pictures of her and that he would like them to kiss, cuddle and shower together and asked her what was under her dressing gown.

A warrant was executed at his then address, he was there with his wife and he was arrested and his devices were seized and analysed. He told officers I have been talking to young girls and on one Nokia phone were two indecent images.

In an interview he said it was friendly banter. Mr Lowne said while under investigation for that, in November 2022, Eaglefield, of Heanor, began talking online to Olivia, another 13-year-old girl.

He said during those chats he told her how he would like to kiss and cuddle her and shared an image of himself to her. The defendant, of Cromford Close, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of making indecent images of a child.

He has no previous convictions or cautions of any kind. Handing him a 14-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: I have absolutely no doubt, in your loneliness, you moved from looking at adult sites, which is not an offence, and then got yourself involved with children, which is.

The problem here is that having been detected and spoken to by the police, you did it again and that makes it a lot more serious.

As part of the suspended sentence order, Judge Smith ordered Eaglefield to attend a 45-day sex offender treatment programme and to attend 55 rehabilitation sessions. He placed him on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed him a sexual harm prevention order, also for 10 years. The defendant was also ordered to pay 400 towards the prosecution costs.

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A church volunteer messaged a teenage girl on social media about the size of her breasts.

Raymond Bown, 66, from Mickleover, Derbyshire, also made comments about slapping the 15-year-old on the backside.

Sentencing him at Derby Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Bennett told Bown that a man of his age "should have known far, far, better" and that his contact with her was "very unwise", reports DerbyshireLive.

"Particularly for someone who does volunteer work at the church and for your involvement with a football team," he said.

"What you did was quite lewd and quite disgraceful."

Mark Achurch, prosecuting, said the offence took place in September 2021 when Bown made contact with the teenager.

Police were then informed about the messages and an investigation began.

Bown pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Regarding the specific sentence, the judge said: "This is a relatively new offence and there are guidelines for it going from a community order to one year’s custody, but your hitherto previous good character allows me to step outside the guidelines so it will be a financial penalty.

"As a result of the offence you will be subjected to notification requirements (to sign on the sex offender register) for five years."

He added: "The offence may well bar you from working with children but that will be down to the DBS where you will have the opportunity to make representations.

"You will also be the subject of a restraining order not to contact the victim directly or indirectly which includes social media which is the means you used to contact this young woman."

Judge Bennett fined Bown £500, ordered him to pay £1,500 prosecution costs and a £50 victim surcharge.

He offered to pay the full amount in four months through his barrister, Catherine Picardo. If he does not pay the £500 fine within that time he could be sent to prison for 28 days.

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A former bus driver has been jailed for six years for sexually abusing a teenage boy. Mark Gadsby, who worked around the South Derbyshire and East Staffordshire areas, committed the heinous acts when he was in his 20s, but his sickening crimes went unpunished for years.

The 41-year-old lived a normal life and was even featured in a national newspaper for weight loss before the victim, who was 13 when the abuse started, came forward to tell his story. He had been targeted by Gadsby after being driven to school by him on the bus.

It begun with text messages asking the boy to meet up, before Gadsby began to give the boy lifts in his Ford Fiesta and eventually began to physically abuse the victim on a country lane in Staffordshire. That abuse then progressed to taking place in public toilets and in Gadsby's mother's house when she was out at work, Derbyshire Live has reported.

As well as the physical acts, Gadsby also groomed the victim and threatened to tell others about the abuse, which "ruined his teenage years".

The victim, who is granted automatic anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act, released a statement, saying: I do get upset about it still and I just think why did he need to do that?

Its just the way of how controlling and overpowering and how frightened he made me feel but why would someone want to do that to someone whos 13-14 years old? He was just a big fat sweaty person, no one else would look at him, at 21 years old he shouldve been going out Friday and Saturday nights, not targeting a 13-year-old.

Gadsby, of Cross Side, Ashbourne, was sentenced at Derby Crown Court on April 3. He pleaded guilty to one charge of buggery and six of gross indecency with a child under 16.

Separately he also admitted to two indecent images offences after a number of indecent images of children were found on his phone. As well as his six-year jail term, Gadsby was also given a sexual harm prevention order will have to sign the Sex Offender's register for the rest of his life.

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A teaching assistant sent teenagers at the school where he worked a ‘sex questionnaire’ asking their bra sizes and whether they were virgins.

Kevin Doxey, who worked at Anthony Gell School in Wirksworth, Derbyshire, admitted four counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child at Derby Crown Court.

The 27-year-old had sent a picture of his genitals to one of the victims, alongside a winking emoji and message saying ‘I wish you were here’.

One of his victims told her parents about what he had sent her and they contacted the police, which led them to seize his phone and found more messages to other young girls.

Laura Blackband, prosecuting, said: ‘He obtained the Snapchat details of four girls who were all students at the school and sent a series of sexually charged messages to each of them.

‘The communication included a “sex questionnaire” which had a huge number of questions on them which we say could have led to possible sexual activity.

‘[Victim one] was 15 and she was very distressed by the questions. He would ask her to pick a number and would get her to answer the questions.

‘She initially said no but when she was on a sleepover he texted her a [sexually explicit] photograph of himself with a winking emoji and three kisses.

‘She showed it to one of her friends and she said, “You need to tell someone about it.”‘

Three more victims were identified by police and said they were sent Doxey’s ‘sex questionnaire’.

Ms Blackband said a second victim told of how Doxey asked her ‘weird stuff’ over Snapchat, like asking if he could come and pick her up in his car and whether she was a virgin.

Another girl said she had been sent ‘inappropriate’ Instagram messages by Doxey.

Ms Blackband added: ‘In the questionnaire, he asked questions such as her bra size and “what do you wear in bed?”

‘She said she didn’t want to answer any of the questions but he replied, “You have to.”‘

The final victim ignored the questionnaire but the defendant was said to have ‘badgered’ her, asking: ‘Are you going to answer them?’

Doxey was initially suspended from the school and then left, and was said to have gone to work in a supermarket.

Two of his four victims, supported by their families, bravely read their victim impact statements to the court.

One said: ‘I was at school, a place where I felt safe and confident and all of that was taken away from me by a person in authority. I was a child, he was an adult, a teacher.’

Another victim revealed she tried to take her own life, adding: ‘Kevin was one of the main causes of this.

‘I recently saw him in Morrisons in Belper, I did not know he was working there and it brought back memories and I had to leave the store.’

One of the remaining two statements, which Ms Blackband read out, said: ‘I was only a child at the time, when I look back now it was shocking.’

The other said: ‘School was meant to be a safe place but Kevin took that away from me.’

Doxey told the police the explicit photograph was sent to his girlfriend, but ‘the police looked at thousands of messages between them and not one was of a sexual nature’.

Mitigating, Dan Scothern said Doxey now works for a company called Clear Group.

He said: ‘In his words, “I understand what I have done and the huge amount of damage I have caused not just to the victims but to their families and my family.”

‘He says, “If I could go back and change everything I would.”‘

Jailing Doxey for two years on Friday, Recorder Graham Huston said: ‘I have to deal with you as a persistent sexual predator who used his position of trust to exploit their vulnerabilities.

‘You have messed with the minds of these young women and you knew what you were doing was unlawful because you had undergone full safeguarding training.

‘I consider the witness statements and the victim personal statements of each complainant very carefully. You caused real harm to each one of them.’

Doxey, of Cromford Road in Wirksworth, will also be on the sex offender register for 10 years and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Metro has contacted Anthony Gell school for comment.

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A teenager has told how his childhood was ruined after he suffered years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of a predatory Derbyshire sex offender.

Michael Sutton hit the teenager with a belt as well as sexually assaulting him on repeated occasions over an eight-year period from 2012 to 2020.

The abuse came to light when the 32-year-old was arrested for an offence of taking a child without lawful authority after an incident involving another teenager in Nottinghamshire in February 2021.

In a victim personal statement, explaining the effect Sutton’s abuse had on him, the teenager said: “I don’t feel like I can trust anyone and I have felt like this since he started doing what he did to me. I am always wary around new people and I know that is because of him.

“At first I thought what he was doing to me was normal because I was so young. It was only when I got older that I started to realise it was wrong. Even then, I didn’t feel like I could tell anyone because I felt like no-one would believe me.

“I will never be able to forgive him for what he did to me, he ruined my childhood. I’ll never be able to forget what he did to me and this really upsets me.”

Sutton, of Killamarsh, admitted assault, sexual assault, child cruelty and taking a child without lawful authority. He appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on January 25, where he was jailed for a total of four and a half years.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order for ten years, preventing him from having any contact with the victim.

Detective Constable Naomi Davies, of the child investigation team, said: “The survivor in this case suffered years of abuse at the hands of Sutton, a predatory sex offender.

“At a time when they should have been carefree and enjoying spending time with their friends and all the usual childhood fun, they were instead left feeling traumatised and hurt by Sutton’s evil actions.

“The physical and sexual abuse may have stopped but the nightmare never ends for the survivor, who will have to deal with the psychological effects of what happened to them for years to come.

“I’m pleased Sutton is now behind bars for his crimes where he belongs.

“The bravery this young person showed in coming forward and telling police about the abuse they suffered is incredible and I’d like to commend them for that, as well as their dignity throughout the legal process.

“If anyone out there is suffering or has suffered sexual abuse of any kind, please don’t suffer in silence. We will listen and support you throughout the whole process without any judgement. Our specially trained officers are on hand to help you, no matter when the abuse took place.”

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They saw him pleasuring himself at his front window.

A pervert deliberately exposed himself to two teenage girls as they walked to school. Derby Crown Court heard how the pupils walked past the Derbyshire home of George Torry to see him stood at his front window pleasuring himself sexually.

One of the shocked teens then called her mother who contacted the police and the 66-year-old was arrested. The defendant appeared via video-link from HMP Nottingham for his sentencing hearing this week which was told how he has previous convictions and that, at the time of this offence, he was the subject to a suspended sentence order, imposed just five months earlier, for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Jailing him for 10 months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: "Mr Torry, you were given a chance back in June and to a certain extent you took it. You did most of the unpaid work, did some of the rehabilitation sessions and I appreciate now that things were going on in your life which may have given rise to the way your behaved.

"It was highly likely someone was going to see what you were doing. I don't know if it was a cry for help or not but this was done in front of children on their way to school on a public highway."

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said Torry was initially handed a sexual harm prevention order back in 2006 as part of his punishment for an offence or offences which were not revealed in court. He said in June of last year, the defendant was handed a 10-month sentence, suspended for two years, for breaching it.

The prosecutor said at around 8.20am on November 10, two pupils aged 14 and 16 were walking to school and when they walked past Torry's address in Dimple Road, Matlock, they saw him. Mr Jones said: "He was standing in the window and they could clearly see the area between his thighs and chest.

"He was (pleasuring himself sexually) and they were shocked. One of the young girls telephoned her mother who made contact with the police and the matter was reported.

"Both girls were spoken to and were described as 'shocked and fearful' because they walk that way to school every day. This happened just five months after his last offence."

Torry pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and to being in breach of his suspended sentence order. Katie Hodgkinson, his barrister, said her client had lived in Cyprus for eight years where he found a wife and returned to the UK with her and their son, now aged 11, to take advantage of the free health care system here in the UK.

She said: "He went 16 years without breaching or offending and something must have happened to affect his thinking. Three close friends died during the pandemic and he was then no longer able to reside with his young son. He has had to move five times in a short period of time and this was not a specific targeting of his victims."

As well as the jail term, the order will carry on for another seven years.

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He had horrific abuse movies and hundreds of disgusting cartoons

A vile pervert kept depraved films of children being abused in a file he simply called 'Keep Out'. The horrific file also had hundreds of cartoon depictions of material that was similarly vile.

Paul Taylor had search terms for underage images and bestiality when police analysed devices that they took from his Swadlincote home, Derby Crown Court heard. The 33-year-old was also found to have images of adults engaged in sexual acts with animals when he was arrested.

When questioned by the police over the sick material, Taylor, of Meynell Street, Church Gresley, said he had "no idea what's going on". Justin Ablott, his barrister, told the hearing: "There is a pre-sentence report that has been prepared." Judge Shaun Smith KC replied: "It's sad, not bad, he clearly needs help and help is available."

Handing him a three-year community order, Judge Smith said: "What you were doing was very wrong. People think that if you are just looking at the pictures then no-one is being hurt, but they are.

"The people in the images are being hurt and that is really serious. People like you look at them and because you do the people taking them carry on taking the pictures.

"When someone looks at them it gets them into trouble and here you are in the crown court. You have held down a good job and here you are looking at a potential prison sentence."

Serena Varatharajah, prosecuting, said police executed a search warrant at Taylor's home on February 17, 2021, and seized a mobile phone and a laptop. She said analysis of both was carried out and the abuse images were found in the 'Keep Out' folder, reports DerbyshireLive.

Miss Varatharajah said in total there were two moving images of the most serious category A which typically show adults engaged in sexual intercourse with underage children. The prosecutor said there was one video of category B, one category C, two extreme pornographic images and 625 prohibited images.

These typically are cartoon recreations or reenactments of real child abuse. Miss Varatharajah said: "The search history was looked at and there were searches for 'bestiality' and for sexual conduct with children.

"He was interviewed and said he had 'no idea what's going on' in terms of the images but confirmed the mobile phone was his and then answered 'no comment' to the questions he was asked."

Taylor pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one count of possession of extreme pornography and a further count of possessing prohibited images. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Smith made him the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order under the terms of which he is not allowed to delete his internet history and must let the police know of any social media accounts he has or creates along with their passwords.

He was also placed on the sex offender register for five years and under the terms of the community order must take part in a sex offender awareness course and attend 45 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service.

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A man who murdered a pregnant woman and three children in Derbyshire will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was sentenced to a whole life prison term.

Damien Bendall pleaded guilty to murdering his then partner Terri Harris, her 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett, her 13-year-old son John Paul Bennett, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent.

He previously denied the murders but changed his pleas when he appeared at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, where he also admitted raping Lacey.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said the sexual offence was committed "in the grossest breach of trust" as the 11-year-old's life ebbed away.

He said "just punishment" required that Bendall be kept in prison for the rest of his life in relation to each count of murder, and he also imposed another whole life order for the rape.

Lacey and John Paul were Ms Harris's children from a previous relationship, and Connie had been at the house in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, for a sleepover.

Connie was only due to stay for one night, but managed to get permission from her mother, fatefully extending her stay by another night - coinciding with the attacks, the court heard.

Bendall, 32, is believed to have gone around the family home looking for his victims individually, and then attacking them in different rooms in order to kill them, the court was told.

He murdered the four victims at the house he shared with Ms Harris, 35, in what prosecutor Louis Mably KC told the court were "brutal, vicious and cruel attacks" on a "defenceless" woman and three children.

Mr Mably said Bendall attacked them with a claw hammer which he used to hit them over the head and on the upper body.

"Their skulls were smashed in" and "it was perfectly clear none of the victims stood a chance," Mr Mably added.

He continued: "One of the dreadful facts about this case is that during the attacks, the defendant raped 11-year-old Lacey."

Ms Harris and the three children were found dead in Chandos Crescent on 19 September last year.

After Bendall killed them, he took John Paul's games console, then went to Sheffield in a taxi, and there he exchanged the device for drugs, said Mr Mably.

Bendall would later tell police he had consumed "three to four bags of cocaine and then blacked out".

In an interview with officers at Ripley police station after he was arrested, Bendall told them: "I used the hammer."

He added: "Bet you don't usually get four murders in Killamarsh do you - well, five (murders), because my missus was having a baby."

Mr Mably said: "On the night of Saturday September 17, 2021, stretching into the early hours of September 19, the defendant brutally and viciously murdered his then partner, Terri Harris, who is aged 35 - and was in the early stages of pregnancy.

"He also murdered Terri's two children, by a previous partner, her 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter Lacey, and he murdered Connie Gent, also aged 11.

"She was a friend of Lacey's who just happened that evening to be staying at Lacey's house for a sleepover."

John and Lacey's father, Jason Bennett, said that the murder had "destroyed" him and that life now seemed "pointless".

In a victim impact statement, he said: "It's like my heart has been shattered into a billion pieces never to be repaired. I'm a shadow of my former self, I am nothing... I have lots of love around me but the love I crave off my beautiful kids, I can't have that, that's a hole that can never be filled."

Connie's father Charles Gent said no sentence would ever be sufficient justice for his daughter's death adding: "The man who carried out the crimes can only be described as truly evil and should never be free from incarceration, just like the families of the victims in this case will never be free from their life sentence as a result of the shocking and abhorrent crimes he committed on a defenceless woman and children."

After sentencing, Andrew Baxter from the CPS said: "It is hard to put into words the scale of Damien Bendall's barbaric and horrifying actions. He went through the house looking for the victims until he had killed them all, raping one of the children in the attack.

"What he did left two families utterly devastated by grief and a community in bewilderment and shock."

Earlier, Mr Mably told the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, that prosecutors were seeking a whole life term for Bendall, given the gravity of the offences.

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David Twiname, 74, of Wingfield Road, Alfreton was charged with 28 sexual offences, including multiple rape charges, many of which relate to children under the age of 16. The first of the offences date back to the 1970s.

He appeared at Derby Crown Court in September 2021 after denying 10 counts of rape, five of which related to a child under the age of 16, and five counts of indecent assault.

Twiname was bailed pending a trial and a jury found him guilty on all counts in February 2022.

He had previously admitted several other offences including the indecent assault of another child under the age of 16, extreme animal pornography and sexual offences with a dog – the most recent of which happened in 2019.

He was sentenced to 31 years’ imprisonment at court today (Thursday 13 October).

Twiname’s wife, Judith Button, 59, was handed a two-year sentence suspended for a period of 21 months and given rehabilitation and community service orders.

Button, also of Wingfield Road, Alfreton had previously admitted charges of two sexual offences relating to children dating back thirty years and two charges relating to sex with a dog, between 1987 and 2004.

A second woman, Antoinette Holroyd, 78, of Alfreton Road, Underwood had also admitted indecently assaulting a boy under 16 and received a 21-month sentence suspended for a period of 21 months, and a rehabilitation order.

Both Button and Holroyd have been added to the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years.

Detective Sergeant, Dan Saunby said:

“The was an extremely complex case which spanned decades and impacted the lives of all those affected, some of whom were just children at the time of the offences.

“I would like to thank the survivors involved for their bravery and stoicism over the last few years, and whilst nothing can ever undo the harm that Twiname, Button and Holdroyd caused – I really do hope that today’s sentencing will allow them to move forward with their lives.

“Twiname is not only a paedophile, he is also a master manipulator who encouraged others to partake in his depraved fantasies. In denying several of the charges he prolonged the suffering of those he abused by forcing them to endure a trial. Thankfully the jury saw through his web of lies and found him guilty.

“To anyone reading this who may have also suffered sexual assault or abuse, whether now or in the past, please do speak to someone. There is help available, whether you wish to involve the police or not.

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A former canoe instructor from North West Leicestershire has today (Friday) been found guilty of non-recent indecency offences on young boys.

Michael James Hudson worked as a canoe instructor in North West Leicestershire between from the 1970s into the 2010s.

In 2020 the force received a report from man reporting he had been indecently assaulted on a number of occasions by Hudson when he was a teenager.

That investigation then led officers to contact another victim, who did report the offences against him to a third party in 2017 however wasn’t able to support the investigation at the time.

Following contact from officers he too agreed to support the case and provide evidence against Hudson.

After a lengthy investigation Hudson was charged with 10 counts of indecent assault on boys under the age of 16.

Today 81-year-old Hudson of Sycamore Drive, Moira, admitted his involvement in all the offences and was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison. 

Detective Sergeant Anna Blockley from the force’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU), said: “We are pleased Hudson has now been found guilty of the offences.

“This was in no way easy for the victims and has been a deeply traumatic time for them.  I applaud their courage in coming forward.  I hope this outcome will now help them move on with their lives and reassure them that their concerns were taken seriously, no matter how long ago the offences occurred.

“Hudson was an instructor at various canoe clubs in North West Leicestershire between the 1970s and 2010s.  We strongly believe there may be other victims of Hudson out there who for whatever reason haven’t come forward and reported the offences. 

“If this is you then we encourage you to come forward.  Please be assured your report will be dealt with by specialist officers who will support and guide you throughout the process.”

The Child Abuse Investigation Unit historic crimes team deal with all non-recent reports where the offences have occurred against children.  A dedicated team of officers help and support victims, and also liaise with partner agencies to ensure that support continues even after the case has been dealt with.

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A university student from Derbyshire violently raped a woman and left her fearing she would die at his hands. Derby Crown Court heard how Matthew Brown head-butted, punched and then choked the victim unconscious as he sexually and physically attacked her.

The 27-year-old then denied what he had done, which forced the brave victim to come to court and relive her ordeal by giving evidence in the witness box. But after hearing both sides of the story the jury found the Ashbourne man guilty of three counts of rape.

Jailing him for 16 years, Recorder Jason Macadam said: “You violently attacked and sexually assaulted (the victim) in a number of ways. The jury were sure the account given by the victim was a true account - that violence was meted out when you carried out this sex attack.

“(In your pre-sentence report) you still sought to minimise your assault, accepting that sexual activity took place and that (during it) you were violent towards your victim.

“Mr Wilson (his barrister) tells me that you feel awful about what you did but you could have spared the victim the ordeal (of giving evidence). You did not, you had a trial and during it you ran an entirely different account which did not accept culpability for the crime you committed.“(The victim's) account of what happened was horrific. She said you raped her in a number of ways and during it you assaulted, headbutted and punched her.

“She said you choked her to the point of unconsciousness, she said she believed she would not escape and that you would kill her. I have described her as stoical and she has to be congratulated that this has not had greater consequences on her.

“I found you to be quite deliberately dishonest when you gave your account to the jury. You present a threat of risk or harm to females.”

A trial earlier this year was told that the rape took place at a house in Derbyshire. Prosecutor Jonathan Dee said during it the victim was raped in a number of ways and also assaulted while she was being sexually attacked.

He said: “It was a prolonged and sustained incident and there was violence. She (the victim) is not present in court but I have spoken to her family (who were in court) and they tell me she is getting on with her life but she is understandably very concerned about being alone at night.”

Having heard all of the evidence a jury found Brown, of Shirley Common, Shirley, guilty of three counts of rape.

Roger Wilson, mitigating, said his client “has hope of rehabilitation” when he is released from his prison sentence.

He said: “He was a university student at the time, he was studying medicine and pharmacology at the University of Nottingham. He feels awful about what he did, he regrets it and feels bad about his behaviour. The victim is obviously getting on with her life and he hopes she has not been scarred hugely by this.”

The 16-year sentence is made up of 12 years plus a four-year extended licence. It means Brown will be eligible to apply for parole two thirds of the way through the custodial element - that is to say eight years into his sentence. He was also handed a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offender register for life.

To protect the anonymity of the victim, comments have been disabled on this story.

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A Derbyshire dad-of-two took his "flirtatious" behaviour too far when he sexually assaulted a colleague at the factory where they worked together. Derby Crown Court heard how Stuart Smith told the victim "I would do anything to get alone with you" before grabbing their hand and forcing it against his groin.

The 43-year-old then told them not to tell anyone "as we will both get into trouble". Handing him a three-month jail term, suspended for two years, Recorder Jason Macadam said: "Let's make no odds about it, you have worked in this industry for a long time, but it has never been acceptable to do what you did. In the old days you might have been quite rightly punched in the face and told where to go by some victim who might react that way.

"But all will be shocked and outraged and unchecked, your attitude would pose a sexual threat and it needs addressing."

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting said at the time of the offending Smith and the victim worked together at Loscoe Chilled Foods Ltd, in Heanor Road, Heanor, which calls itself one of the UKs largest manufacturers of meat products. She said the defendant became "flirtatious" with the complainant, telling them how attractive they looked and on one occasion pulling the victim towards himself and giving them a hug.

The prosecutor said: "(The victim) complained to their manager about his flirtatious behaviour. On one day he asked them to borrow a fob to gain access to a room telling them 'I will do anything to get alone with you' and they challenged him.

"He followed (the victim) out of the office asking if they were naughty, grabbing their hand and putting it against his (private parts). He then grabbed it himself and said 'look at this' then later saying 'you are not going to tell anyone are you because both of us will get into trouble'."

Mrs Bradley said the victim reported what had happened to their manager and an investigation began. She read out a victim impact statement in which the complainant told how they "felt sick and distressed and uncomfortable".

Smith, of Pear Tree Avenue, Ripley and who has no previous convictions of any kind, pleaded guilty to sexual assault against the victim, whose identity is protected by law. Sonal Ahya, mitigating, said her client has a partner of 16 years and they have two young children together.

She said at the time of the offence he was going through "a particularly difficult time in his life". Miss Ahya said: "In his pre-sentence report he tells how it was 'a factory thing' and 'banter'.

"His work is old school and (he) displayed attitudes that were incredibly outdated. He lost his job for 24 years because of this arrest and these proceedings."

As part of the suspended sentence, Recorder Macadam ordered Smith to attend a 43-day accredited program to address his offending. He also ordered him to attend 55 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service, to pay 250 prosecution costs and placed him on the sex offender register for seven years.

Derbyshire Live has contacted Loscoe Chilled Foods Ltd and is awaiting a response.