Latest Offenders Devon

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A ‘HIGH RISK’ sex offender has been jailed after he went off the police’s radar and downloaded horrific child abuse movies on his phone.

Bradley Lulham is a registered sex offender because he was jailed for seven and a half years for raping two small boys a decade ago. It meant he had a legal obligation to tell the police where he was living.

He failed to do so on two separate occasions and was arrested living at a secret address after police went to investigate the downloading of a child rape video clip to its IP address.

They found Lulham had been living there for seven months while he was officially registered as residing in Dawlish. They also found child images and movies on his phone. 

Lulham, 30, previously known as Daines-Degroot, of Devon View, Dawlish, admitted twice failing to comply with the terms of the sex offenders’ register and three offences possessing indecent images of children. He was jailed for 16 months by Judge James Adkin at Exeter Crown Court.

He told Lulham: ‘There was a long period of non-compliance and potential for harm because the police could not track a known sex offender. There were moving images portraying very young children.

‘There is a serious and imminent risk of further image offences and a serious and imminent risk of further contact offences.’

Mr Lewis Aldous said Lulham first broke the terms of the sex offenders’ register in 2021 when he moved back to his mother’s house in Dawlish without telling the police and for a second time in 2023 when he lived with a vulnerable woman in Brixham and downloaded the new abuse images.

He had more than 300 images of which three were movies showing very serious abuse of a boy aged under five.

His previous conviction was for raping two young boys at a caravan park in Dawlish, for which he was jailed for seven years and six months

Mr Martin Salloway, defending, said Fulham has problems with his physical and mental health and it would be more in the public interest for him to tackle his issues in the community.

Description

A depraved paedophile from North Devon has been jailed for 27 years for a 'campaign of rape' against two children. Tyrone Barton was convicted of multiple sexual offences at Exeter Crown Court.

The 64-year-old, from Barnstaple, admitted 12 offences. The judge said the most serious offence 'could only be described as evil'.

The court heard moving statements from both victims in which they described the trauma caused by offences. Afterwards, police praised their courage in coming forward and welcomed the sentence.

Prosecutor Simon Burns said the earliest offence dated back more than 20 years. Barton's behaviour included violence and threats. "It is hard to imagine a case of such depravity," said Mr Burns.

The offences came to light in 2022. Barton told police the accusations were 'probably true' and described himself as 'sick'.

The first victim said in a statement they had been psychologically traumatised by the abuse and finds it hard to trust people. The second will never forget what Barton did. Both are trying to rebuild their lives. "I am so angry with him," said one.

Judge Stephen Climie said Barton, of Woodville, carried out his sick crimes 'without a thought for anything other than your own sexual gratification'.

The court was told Barton was ashamed of his behaviour. The judge added: "I hear the expressions of remorse but view them with great suspicion." He said Barton had shown no remorse at the time he abused the first victim or when he deliberately targeted the second some years later.

"This is a case involving a campaign of rape against two victims." He said if each offence was sentenced consecutively the overall term would be in the range of a 100 years. The 27-year sentence reflected the totality of multiple crimes, including rape of children under 13, attempted rape and indecent assaults.

Devon and Cornwall Police released a comment on behalf of the officer in the case. It said: "We welcome the outcome of this case and would like to thank the victims for their strength in reporting. Their fortitude has resulted in this conviction and that now gives agencies the tools we need to prevent further harm."

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AN ABUSER who sexually assaulted two young children has been jailed after they went to the police more than 30 years after their ordeals, court reporter Ted Davenport writes.

Darren Medland touched the boy and girl when they were aged six to 12 in the 1980s and 1990s and he was only a few years older.

He carried out one sexual attack when he was on holiday at Butlins in Minehead.

His crimes remained undetected for decades until one victim contacted the police and the other came forward.

He denied all the allegations until the day he was due to stand trial at Exeter Crown Court earlier this year.

He was jailed after a judge told him that he had caused psychological damage which would blight the lives of the two victims.

Medland, aged 54, of Coopers Drive, Barnstaple, admitted 16 offences of indecent assault or indecency with a child and was jailed for eight years by Judge James Adkin at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: Your offending has affected the victims entire adult life. One suffers from night terrors and flashbacks.

You have acquired another sexual conviction since these offences, so you cannot be considered of good character.

Miss Emily Pitts, prosecuting, said carried out most of the abuse while he was aged between 14 and 22 and living in Barnstaple in the 1980s. He carried out one assault while on holiday at Butlins in Minehead.

The assaults consisted of touching over and under clothes and the most serious offence would now be categorised as an assault by penetration of a child under 13.

Mr Nick Lewin, defending, said Medland had himself been the victim of childhood sexual abuse and had grown up in a dysfunctional household. He has managed to live a law-abiding life for most of his adulthood.

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Former Colston's Girls' School headteacher guilty of indecently assaulting teen girl
Alistair Perry had been at Colston’s Girls’ School for nearly 20 years and rose to become its headteacher.

The former headteacher of one of Bristol’s best schools has been found guilty of indecently touching a 16-year-old girl on her breasts and private parts.

Alistair Perry, the former headteacher at Colston’s Girls’ School, stood accused at Cardiff Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault of a 16-year-old girl in his home in Weston-super-Mare.

The attacks, which took place in 2000, did not come to light until 2016 when the girl agreed to let her psychiatrist break patient confidentiality to tell the police.

A former pupil of Perry at Colston’s Girls’ School also told the court the former history teacher was well-known for “looking down people’s tops” and made sexual jokes in classes.

The jury returned after a five-day trial and found him guilty on both counts.

As it happened: Colston's Girls' School headteacher on trial for touching teen
Perry has been granted bail and will be sentenced at a later date. He has also been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

Perry offered to tutor the girl
 
Alistair Perry, former headteacher at Colston's Girls' School is in court
The court heard how Perry had offered to tutor the girl in maths, despite being a history teacher in Bristol.

Struggling with her GCSE revision, her parents - who Perry got to know in church - agreed. But when she got there he moved her to his bedroom from the study and started massaging her shoulders.

He then slid his hands down under her bra, massaging her breasts before spinning her round and trying to kiss her.

But she shook her head from side to side, avoiding his unwanted approaches, before he suddenly stopped and apologised to her.

He invited her to babysit
 
Shortly after the first attack, he invited her to come round to babysit his one-year-old son.

The married dad - who was serving in the worship group in church and described himself as a staunch Christian - told her parents he was going to a church home group with his wife.

But when the victim turned up, Mrs Perry said her husband needed to do marking and would join her at the group later.

Colston’s Girls’ School governors defend former Bristol headteacher accused of touching girl
A short time later, he came downstairs and called his wife to say he was not going to make it.

That same night he picked the girl up and put her on his lap. He then “touched her all over”, the court was told, placing his hands under her bra on her breasts and into her knickers onto her private parts.

She was on crutches at the time and tried to get away, before Perry stopped after about 10 minutes and apologised profusely.

Girl's family confronted Perry
 
During a church camp that summer the victim opened up to her cousin, who was training to be a junior doctor.

She approached the girls’ parents, and they decided to confront Perry.

When they did, Perry stayed silent. The teacher said he “had wanted to protect his family” because he knew how “destructive” the allegations could be.

Her dad did not report Perry to the police because he felt he did not want to put his daughter through the “invasive questioning” and was worried they would not believe her.In his statement to court, he also said he felt Perry losing his job then was a “disproportionate” reaction.

When the church found out, they sent a deacon to speak with the former teacher, but the leaders decided against telling the police.

A deacon, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, said he had gone “armed with Scripture” but the incident was a matter for “him [Perry] and God”.

Perry, 46, now of Colaton Raleigh in East Devon, has been granted bail and will return to court to be sentenced next month.

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A DISGRACED anaesthetist who downloaded more than 14,000 child abuse images from the dark web has been jailed after he was caught watching adult pornography during a hospital operation.

Dr Alexander Grice, was using his iPhone to watch a video of a topless woman undergoing surgery while he was supervising a real operation at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

A nurse reported him to the authorities and the police later found child rape videos on the phone.

He had downloaded so many images and movies that he had filled up its memory and transferred thousands to the hard drive of a computer.

The movies included some which showed very young children being abused while apparently in hospital but an exhaustive police inquiry showed he had downloaded rather than created them.

He used a Virtual Private Network to conceal his identity and used an Onion router to access chat rooms on the dark web where he accessed the material.

Grice was sacked by the hospital after an investigation and has since changed his surname to Knight and retrained to become an electrician. His wife has divorced him and he has been shunned by his family.

He was allowed to carry on working at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital despite being convicted of taking secret images at a shower block at a French camp site in 2017.

He was cleared by the General Medical Council after persuading them that he was suffering from a mental illness at the time which led to his actions and agreeing to receive treatment.

Former consultant Grice, aged 54, of East Street, Chulmleigh, admitted three counts of making, by downloading, indecent images of children, and possession of prohibited and extreme images.

He was jailed for a year and eight months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court. He was put on the sex offenders register and made subject of an order which enables the police to monitor his use of the internet, both for 10 years.

The judge told him: There was deliberate searching for such imagery and evidence that you were an avid user of chat rooms. Some of the victims were unconscious or drugged.

Many of the children depicted being raped were very young and vulnerable and some showed discernible pain or distress.

You are undoubtedly a person with personal qualities and achievements. You have lost your job, your career, your family and your good name.

Miss Mary McCarthy, prosecuting, said a police investigation began on May 20, 2022 when a fellow health care professional looked over his shoulder during an operation in which he was the consultant anaesthetist and saw him watching a clip on his phone of a topless woman on an operating table.

Police found more than 14,000 images or movies on his phone or hard drive, of which 3,423, were in the worst category, effectively showing child rape. Another 2,822 showed non-penetrative abuse, and 8,890 showed naked or partially naked children.

Mr Nick Wragg, defending, said Grice was suffering from serious mental health issues when he committed the offences, which have led to his wife divorcing him and his children distancing themselves from him.

He said: It has been a catastrophic fall from grace. He had been a very successful man and the impact on him has been very great.

He attempted suicide after his arrest but has since privately funded 42 sessions with a psychotherapist.

Description

A sick predator approached young children playing in the street and offered them cash to bite and hit him and kick him in the groin before sexually assaulting them.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Wednesday how Gary Campbell withdrew 1,000 in cash in a premeditated plot to lure children as young as six into carrying out his vile fantasies.

The offences dated back to July 24 and 30 last year a court heard and involved four young children aged between six and nine.

Prosecuting, Trevor Parry-Jones said Campbell, of Dolton, had travelled down from his home in Devon to visit a friend in Warrington. After withdrawing the large sum of cash, the defendant headed to an area of Padgate on July 24, 2023.

CCTV footage recovered from Cheshire Police showed the defendant parking his car nearby to a subway.

He then walked two minutes to a suburban area, described by Mr Parry-Jones as somewhere that children would frequently play, that was nearby to a school and play area and loitered in the area before approaching two children under the age of ten.

Campbell asked the children for help in finding some money which he had already hidden and when the children found the money, he would then reward them with a 20 note.

When one of the children returned home and their mother found them to be carrying cash, she grew concerned and contacted the police.

A court heard how the 60-year-old deliberately targeted the two children again a few days later on Friday, July 28, approaching them on the street and asking them to kick him in the groin, bite and hit him in return for cash.

He then asked the children to urinate in a chocolate milk bottle which he put in his jacket.

Mr Parry-Jones added, He said he would set them a maths test and if they get it right, he would give them the money. The money was stuck in their waistbands.

Campbell took the money from their waistbands, looking at their genitals as he did before he proceeded to take indecent images of the children.

On a separate occasion on July 30, the defendant returned to the same area near to the subway and approached another pair of children, both aged under 10.

He used an alias name, Peter, and sexually assaulted both children, forcing the other child to watch the sexual acts as they took place. Campbell then paid each child more than 100 in cash each.

Cheshire Police officers when initially contacted on July 24 by one of the childrens parents in relation to the incident when Campbell first offered the two children money, had retraced the steps taken and scoured CCTV from the area which identified the defendant walking around the area each day from July 24 to 30.

AMPR CCTV also showed the defendant driving from Devon to Warrington.

The defendant was arrested on August 25 at his home in Devon and confirmed he had been in the Warrington area visiting his friend and helping to decorate his house, Mr Parry-Jones added.

The defendant was bailed before being arrested again on September 23, 2023. He was found in position of 27 indecent images on his mobile phone and his computer and other devices were taken by police.

He denied being in the Padgate area when questioned or talking to the children involved.

Appearing for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday (February 28) Campbell pleaded guilty to six counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, eight counts of sexually assaulting a child, four counts of paying for the sexual services of a child, one count of possession of indecent images of children, one count of taking an indecent image of a child, and two counts of causing a child to look at/watch images/videos of sexual activity

The victim impact statements of the parents of some of the children involved were read to the court and expressed the extent of the damage caused to the lives of the children targeted by Campbell.

A statement by one parent read by Mr Parry-Jones began, I want Gary Campbell to know that before my little boy met you, he was an outgoing child. Now he has no confidence at all.

I had to deal with social services in my home. I had to listen to all the horrendous things that had been done by a stranger.

If I could spend everyday holding him or hugging him I would. You have taken his childhood away from him and you had no right to do that.

I should not have to explain to a seven-year-old what a paedophile is.

A second statement from another parent echoed the harrowing effects the incident had on her son and her family.

She added: I was absolutely heartbroken when I found out of the incident.

I constantly think that something is going to trigger him at some point.

I am now unhealthily anxious when he goes out. I cannot shake the feeling that something is going to happen to him.

The last victim impact statement from a third parent began, It makes me sick that some one would do something so horrendous to my son. He has been traumatised by what has happened to him.

This whole ordeal has broken us as a family. We had only just started letting him out when this had happened.

Defending, Jeremy Rawson told the court his client has genuine regret and remorse following his offending and has been in a dark place for several years.

Mr Rawson explained how his client has blackouts and states he does not recall the events he is being sentenced for.

Honour judge Katherine Pierpoint addressed the defendant before sentencing.

She said: There were children playing in that area and you deliberately targeted them.

This was deliberate, pre-planned and predatory behaviour designed to entrap young children.

This is a prime example of grooming behaviour.

The police should be commended for their investigation into this matter.

I have considered with care the carefully prepared and emotional heartfelt statements of the mothers of these boys.

I hope you understand the widespread devastating effect you had had on these families and these boys.

The only person to blame here is you. These four boys have been brave and courageous speaking out and their families should be proud of them.

In my judgement you clearly have a sexual interest in children.

Judge Pierpoint served Campbell a 9-year immediate sentence for the offences with an extra five years on licence of which he will serve two thirds of before being considered for release on licence.

He will also be signed onto the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Following the sentencing, DC Danielle Taylor of Cheshire Police provided the following statement: This has been a complex and lengthy investigation which uncovered Campbell's horrific behaviour towards the most vulnerable members of society.

It became apparent throughout the investigation that Campbell was a devious sexual predator whose offending saw him prey on young boys, who he targeted whilst they were innocently playing outside.

Campbell failed to account for his actions on interview and has not shown any remorse throughout this investigation.

Thanks to the overwhelming evidence that we had against him, he has today received a custodial sentence.

All of the young victims have been so brave and should be commended for how they have dealt with the whole police investigation. I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to their parents who have supported the investigation from the outset. I am also grateful to the CPS for their assistance with this case.

I am confident that this sentence passed today will show the public that Cheshire Police take all reports of sexual offending seriously and that we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

I hope Campbell uses his time in prison to reflect on the devastating effect that his actions have had."

Description

Matthew Clarke gained the 14-year-old's trust before regularly meeting up with her at hotels around Devon, a court heard.

He emotionally manipulated his victim by saying he was depressed and used encrypted chat to keep their relationship a secret. After his arrest police found images on his phone of the pair having sex.

Clarke, 28, of Bank Lane in Brixham, has been jailed for four years for multiple offences of sexual activity with a child.

The judge told Clarke: "You embarked on a sexual relationship, a relationship you knew was not only unlawful but you must have appreciated had a potentially devastating impact on the victim. These offences were in part as a result of a degree of grooming."

Exeter Crown Court was told the pair met at a party where people who liked animals dressed in furry costumes. The teenager's parents attended with her and there was no sexual element to it.

Clarke was in a relationship with someone else but told the girl he was unhappy and only she could help him. The relationship turned sexual and Clarke would book them a room at the Premier Inn and other hotels.

He became more demanding about sex and also said he wanted to take pictures and video. He would emotionally manipulate the girl by becoming upset in order to get her to do what he wanted.

Clarke also told his victim she would get into trouble if the truth came out. The victim eventually confided in a friend and Clarke's manipulative and controlling behaviour came to light.

The victim said in a statement Clarke's behaviour had a devastating impact and feared nothing would make it right.

Clarke pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child; one offence of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three of making indecent images.

Detective Constable Natasha Elliott-Smith said afterwards: Through support of specialist trained officers, the complainant was able to provide a compelling victim testimony and this no doubt influenced the defendant's guilty plea.

I would like to thank the victim for their bravery in coming forward. I would also like to thank their family and friends who have provided ongoing support to them and assisted greatly with the police investigation. We hope this sentencing can begin to offer some closure for you.

This case once again shows the Polices commitment to supporting victims of sexual abuse, to thoroughly investigate offending of this deplorable nature, to protect the vulnerable in our society and bring offenders to justice.

Mr Paul Dentith, defending, said probation had requested he be given a community order and complete a sex offender programme. Clarke has no previous convictions, is ashamed of his behaviour and has mental health conditions.

He was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice and must sign the sex offender register for life.

Description

A creepy passenger who stared at a woman and her children while fondling himself on the bus to Cullompton has been sent to prison - a year after being convicted of an almost identical offence. Nikolay Nikolov was on his way home from some unpaid work ordered by the court when he sat himself close to a family on the top deck.

The 23-year-old Bulgarian was soon staring at the woman's breasts before shifting his perverted gaze to her three-year-old daughter. The woman told him to stop and moved seats but Nikolov followed them and carried on acting strangely.

The children told the woman that the man had exposed himself and CCTV later revealed he spent much of the journey between Exeter and Cullompton rubbing his crotch and masturbating.

Nikolov admitted outraging public decency when he appeared at court. The offence also put him breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed by the courts in 2022 for touching himself while staring at teenage girls on a bus.

Nikolov, of Fore Street, Cullompton, has now been jailed for 16 months. The judge said he had not learned his lesson from his previous sentence and was still a risk to the public.

The offence happened in September after Nikolov had completed a session of unpaid work and boarded at Exeter Bus Station. The woman, two children aged three and seven and her 13-year-old nephew, were upstairs on the back seat.

Nikolov sat in the row in front of them - ignoring many empty seats, said prosecutor Ms Hollie Gilbery. He started staring at the woman, trying to look down her top, and at the younger child. When she told him to stop he said he was sorry but 30 seconds was at it again.

The woman moved with the children to a different part of the bus but Nikolov crossed the aisle to get closer. He resumed his staring at the child and the woman went downstairs to tell the driver.

While she did that the older children noticed his exposed penis. CCTV revealed he had been fondling for a significant proportion of the journey. The woman called police who recognised the description and arrested him at his home.

He initially told police he had been masturbating on the bus but denied he was aroused by the other passengers.

Nikolov was banned from sitting next to females on public transport at the time because of his previous behaviour. He has breached his SHPO twice before and been punished with more unpaid work.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert said he had not been able to complete rehabilitation work with probation previously because of his lack of English. But he said his English language skills were not much improved. He is sorry for his behaviour and wants to stop.

Judge David Evans said Nikolov was not a good prospect for rehabilitation at the moment and his risk could not be managed in the community. The defendant will serve half of his sentence in prison and be subject to a SHPO for seven years.

The order bans him from following and sitting next to females on public transport.

Description

A pervert from Dawlish has been jailed for amassing a huge collection of child abuse images and videos downloaded from the dark web. Paul Powell, 56, also set up a spy camera to secretly film a woman in a bathroom.

Police seized computers from his home and found he had been looking at more than 50,000 images and movies showing the sexual abuse of children. About 3,000 were in the most serious category showing the worst type of depravity.

The defendant, of Springfield Gardens, has been jailed for two years and four months. The judge said Powell had been heavily addicted to viewing porn online and the material became more extreme over time.

Prosecutor Mr Nigel Wraith said police traced an IP address linked to illegal downloads to Powell. They searched his property in February 2022 and took away a number of devices.

A pervert from Dawlish has been jailed for amassing a huge collection of child abuse images and videos downloaded from the dark web. Paul Powell, 56, also set up a spy camera to secretly film a woman in a bathroom.

Police seized computers from his home and found he had been looking at more than 50,000 images and movies showing the sexual abuse of children. About 3,000 were in the most serious category showing the worst type of depravity.

The defendant, of Springfield Gardens, has been jailed for two years and four months. The judge said Powell had been heavily addicted to viewing porn online and the material became more extreme over time.

Prosecutor Mr Nigel Wraith said police traced an IP address linked to illegal downloads to Powell. They searched his property in February 2022 and took away a number of devices.

Analysis showed a large number of indecent images of children "downloaded from an extremely secure dark web network," said Mr Wraith. There were 2,967 in Category A; 2,403 in Category B; and about 50,000 in Category C. He also searched Google looking for child abuse material, the investigation showed. Police also found footage from a spy camera he had bought. Powell saved footage showing a woman visitor using a shower. She had no idea she was being filmed.

The defendant pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images and possessing prohibited images of a child.

Mr Warren Robinson, defending, said Powell was a man of previous good character who had sought help for his behaviour. He had tried to stop before but had slipped back into his deviant habits. He had not shared any of the images and is sorry.

Judge James Patrick made Powell subject to a sexual harm prevention order and told him to sign the sex offenders' register. Both for ten years.

Description

Michael Kellard, 64, was found guilty of 15 child sex offences by a jury after a trial last month.

Kellard faced 17 child sex offences at Bournemouth Crown Court involving two young male victims dating back 20 years. He was found not guilty on two counts of rape.

The charges related to incidents which occurred from December 7, 2000, to May 2005.

Jurors found Kellard guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child, three counts of rape, four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and five counts of indecent assault on a male person.

Kellard, of Dunkeswell in Devon, will be banned from working with anyone under the age of 16 or in a vulnerable position.

He will serve 12 years in prison and the final 6 years on licence.

He has been put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 20 years which prevents him from having contact with anyone under the age of 18 without written consent.

Judge Susan Evans KC said in her sentencing remarks that Kellard "groomed" his victims, gave them alcohol and went on to sexually abuse them in his van, hotels, his mother's home and his brother's flat.

 Judge Evans said: “You were a charismatic individual involved in a sport popular with teenage boys.

“You were regarded as the go-to guy for teenage boys aspiring to be racing drivers.

“You abused your position at the top of the sport.

“You took advantage of your position, and you knew the boys were vulnerable due to their ages.

"Karting is an expensive hobby which you subsidised on a basis to sexually abuse your victim.

“The effect of your abuse has had life-long and life-changing effects on your victims.”

Kellard was a go-karting enthusiast, travelling around the country, training and driving with young go-karters.

He also ran a kart shop at the Clay Pigeon raceway, off the A37 between Dorchester and Yeovil, where he would also frequently train young racers.

The two victims both met Kellard through go-karting. 

Description

A child rapist from Devon has been jailed for the sexual abuse of three girls. Aaron Bennett, 33, was convicted of eleven serious sexual offences at a trial in October.

The paedophile returned to Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday (November 21) to be sentenced for his crimes. Judge Stephen Climie imposed a 28-year sentence with an extension of eight years due to the danger he poses.

The judge said the offending had a significant psychological effect on the victims. He told Bennett: "This for you is the end of a chapter in your life and the beginning of your time in custody.

"Observing the evidence of the three victims in this case was a matter which caused significant upset among jurors who had to try this case.

"It was compelling and obviously credible evidence given by three young people despicably and seriously abused. One can only hope in some shape this sentencing can draw some sort of line to allow them to move forward in their lives."

Bennett, of New Exeter Street, Chudleigh, was convicted of rape of a child under 13; attempted rape of a child under 13; sexual assault of a child under 13; and assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.

The court heard moving victim statements in which they described the trauma caused by Bennett. He used threats and violence to ensure their silence. He threatened to kill loved ones if they revealed what he had done.

Each of the victims suffered psychological distress trying to bottle up what had happened to them. One said she no longer feels safe around men.

Another added: "I've not given up on being happy. I've worked on my mental health. I want to move on with life and focus on the positives although I know it will not be an instant thing."

Mr Adrian Chaplin, defending, said Bennett was a man of previous good character and there had been substantial delays in getting the case to court.

Judge Climie said he was satisfied that Bennett should be subject to an extended sentence due to the danger he poses. He will serve two thirds of the 28 years in prison before being considered for release. What remains of the full 36 years will be served on licence.

He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the sex offender register. 

Afterwards Detective Constable Donna Tullock from the Local Safeguarding Investigation Team said: “I firstly must commend the incredible bravery of the victims who had the courage to come forward and support this investigation. Without their strength in character, we wouldn’t have been able to build such a strong case.

“Bennett is now where he belongs - behind bars where he will face the consequences of these abhorrent crimes. He is a dangerous predator and a threat to children.

“Nothing will ever take away the trauma that these individuals have been through, but I hope that there can be some reassurance in knowing that this man will be locked up for a considerable amount of time.

“We truly hope that this outcome gives other victims the strength to come forward and report incidents of rape and sexual assault to us. We have support mechanisms in place to help support victims throughout the process.”

Description

A 57-year-old Devon man who arranged to sexually abuse a child has been jailed for five and a half years thanks to a police sting operation.

James Pidgeon, of Crest Hill, Buckfastleigh, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, as well as the distribution of indecent photographs of children and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which places restrictions on a person's access to the internet.

Pidgeon was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 October, to the jail term with an extended five years on license. He was also given an indefinite SHPO and forfeiture of digital devices order.

Exeter Crown Court heard how Pidgeon, a registered sex offender with prior convictions for possession and making indecent images of children, was already subject to an SHPO.

Despite the prevention order, he continued to commit online offences relating to children.

Following work carried out by the Devon and Cornwall Police Paedophile Online Investigation Team, Pidgeon was identified by investigators and an investigation was launched.

Meanwhile, a sting operation by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) revealed that Pidgeon was engaged in online conversations with someone he believed had access to a child. In fact, the person was a NEROCU police officer.

Transcripts of their online conversations showed that Pidgeon had bragged about how he had been a paedophile for more than 30 years and sent multiple indecent images and videos of children being sexually abused, some of which featured babies being abused.

Within these transcripts, Pidgeon talked of his desire to rape children, with his sexual preferences being female toddlers, and that the purpose of the meeting was to gain access to a child that he could rape.

They arranged to meet up on Torquay seafront where officers swooped in and made their arrest.

Pidgeon was remanded into custody in July this year and was charged with arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, distribution of indecent images of children and breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

Investigating Officer Detective Constable Sophie House said: “Despite being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, this did not deter Pidgeon from continuing to commit online offences relating to children.

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A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after he raped two women earlier this year.

Lewis Stewart, of no fixed abode, Torbay, was found guilty of three counts of rape at his trial and pleaded guilty to possession of drugs and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Last week, he was sentenced to life at Exeter Crown Court, where Judge Climie told him he would serve a minimum of 18 years.

The court heard during the trial that Stewart had been on a night out in Torquay Town Centre on 21 January when he targeted two vulnerable women - he was captured on CCTV following and watching them.

He got in a taxi with them back to an address where he subjected them to rape, boasting about his actions to them the following day.

On arrest officers seized Stewart’s phone, where they found a photo of one of the victims in a vulnerable state. He was also in possession of drugs with evidence of dealing found on the phone.

Following a nine-day trial a jury unanimously found him guilty of three counts of rape.

Investigating officer, DS Parsons said: “Stewart presents a real risk to the public and this is reflected in the sentence he has been given by the courts.

“His crimes have had a detrimental effect on his victims and their families, and I praise their bravery and courage to come forward and report what happened to them.

“To repeat the words of the sentencing judge, ‘Stewart is a highly sophisticated and manipulative offender which is evident in his controlling and coercive behaviour towards the opposite sex’.

“I hope the outcome will help the victims find an element of closure and that it sends a clear message that offences of this type will be investigated, and offenders bought to justice.”

Superintendent Nicky Seager said: “As the Force Lead for Rape and Sexual Offences I am incredibly proud of this latest sentencing result clearly demonstrating that Devon and Cornwall Police are committed to protecting our communities and providing victims with a quality service and support.

“This very serious case is an example of a suspect focused investigation where Lewis Stewart’s actions were subject to scrutiny and not the victims who stood trial. The success demonstrates an effective prosecution team ethos by police colleagues working closely with CPS South West dedicated Lawyers.

“I want to reassure any victims of this horrendous crime type that we are working jointly to transform and improve the way we respond to and investigate rape.

“This investigation is evident that relatively swift justice can be achieved and will shape the criminal justice landscape for more victims of these heinous crimes."

Mark Major of the CPS said: “I welcome the conviction of Lewis Stewart who committed appalling offences against vulnerable females.

“I would like to commend and thank the victims for their strength in coming forward to support this prosecution and in telling what happened them."

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A sex predator was caught and arrested on the M5 after police traced his car. Nicholas Ashby, 41, sexually assaulted a woman and attempted to rape another woman as they walked home.

The first incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, September 25 2022, when the victim was walking home alone after a night out with friends. As she walked along Bear Street, near the entrance of Barnstaple Cemetery, she noticed a car pull into a lay-by ahead of her, reports Devon Live.

Once she had passed the vehicle, she was approached by an unknown man who sexually assaulted her and put his arm across her neck causing her to momentarily pass out. When she woke, the offender returned to his vehicle.

The woman hid behind a nearby vehicle; fearful that the offender would return. It was here that the victim instinctively noted down as much detail as she could of the man and his car on her phone - an act which was commended in court.

Once at home, the police were alerted, and an investigation was launched by Barnstaple CID, while a Sexual Offences Liaison Officer was allocated to support the victim. Immediate enquiries were carried out to identify the suspect based on information the victim had given and a public media appeal was issued.

The following week, in the early hours of Sunday 2 October 2022, a woman was attacked on Beaufort Walk while walking home. The victim had been on her phone to a friend when her battery suddenly died. A short time after, she was approached from behind by a man who threatened her with a craft knife, telling her that if she made a sound, he would hurt her. Ashby pinned her to the floor, marking her with the blade and continued to attack her before running from the scene.

The victim managed to get to her home address and alert police. Specially trained officers and an ambulance crew attended.

Both cases were linked, and detectives from the Major Crime Investigation Team progressed fast-track enquiries. CCTV analysis of both incidents identified a black Mercedes E class estate which was seen driving through and around the area on both nights of the attacks.

Officers received information from the forensics team stating that the DNA taken from Nicholas Ashby matched the profile to that of the DNA identified on the victim’s clothing and his arrest was sought.

His car was tracked to the M5 where traffic officers were waiting for him. Ashby was arrested on January 5 while out driving in his car and even though he provided ‘no comment’ during police interviews, he was charged and remanded for both attacks.

Footage released by Devon and Cornwall Police, which you can watch at the top of this article, shows the moment Ashby was pulled over and arrested by police. The video shows Ashby exiting his car, when a police officer says: "Okay, just to let you know, okay, you're under arrest on suspicion of rape, okay?".

The footage then shows a handcuffed Ashby being put into the back of a police car.

Ashby had previously pleaded guilty in May 2023 to the sexual assault of a woman in Barnstaple in September 2022 and the attempted rape of another woman in Barnstaple in October 2022.

With an overwhelmingly strong case presented by the prosecution team, Nicholas Ashby pleaded guilty in May 2023. Ashby was told he would serve a minimum of seven years and 11 months.

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A CHILD abuser who persuaded primary age schoolgirls to dance naked for him has been jailed for the second time.

David Milton plied the victims with alcohol and told one that his sexual touching was ‘a special game’ when she was visiting his home at Newton Abbot.

The former lorry driver is already serving a 16 year sentence for abusing two other young girls in and 1970s and 1980s and has now been jailed again for abusing two more at around the same time.

One was so innocent that she only realised that what he had done to her was wrong when she went to sex education lessons at secondary school. She told police that she would have reported Milton earlier but had mistakenly been told that he had died in the 1990s.

She wrote a victim personal statement which said she had experienced a lifetime of suffering as a result of Milton’s actions.

She said: 'There are scar that never heal. They keep being scratched again and cause more anguish and pain.

'He thought he had a right to use us as playthings to satisfy his warped desires.'

Milton, aged 83, formerly of Howards Way, Newton Abbot, admitted indecently assaulting against one girl four times and another girl once. All the offences took place in the late 1970s.

He was jailed for six years with a two year extended licence by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court. He is already on the sex offenders’ register for life.

The judge told him: 'You grossly abused your position and grossly exploited the victims’ youth and innocence by assaulting them in the ways they have described. It took a great deal of courage for them to speak out.

'I have heard their personal statements and they give a vivid insight into the long term and very significant harm you have caused. They have had to live with it all their lives while you simply got on with life unaffected.

'That disparity is a real injustice and no sentence I pass can undo that injustice.'

The judge told him the sentence would have been even longer but for his old age, ill health and the long sentence he is already serving.

Miss Heather Hope, prosecuting, said the two new victims came forward in 2021. One told police she was abused while visiting Milton’s house in the 1970s.

He gave her and other girls who were there alcohol and encouraged them to be ‘giggly and hyper’ and to dance naked. He also touched her sexually in different ways when they were alone and took her into his bed when his wife was out working nights at a holiday camp.

He told her the abuse was ‘their little game’ to encourage her not to tell anyone. The other girl told police she only went to Milton’s home once but he took her into his bed where he put his hand inside her underwear and asked ‘do you like that?’.

Mr Herc Ashworth, defending, said Milton disputed the suggestion that he gave the girls alcohol. He said Milton had led a blameless life other than for a short period in the 1970s. He is now in poor health, which will make his prison sentence more difficult to endure.

In the previous case in 2017, Milton denied any sexual contact with two other girls but was found guilty by a jury. One of those victims gave evidence that she was so young and innocent when he abused her that she only realised the seriousness of his actions when she went to sex education lessons at school.

All the offences were committed when Milton was living in an estate near Newton Abbot in the 1970s and 1980s. The prosecution described him as having ‘an insatiable appetite for young children and no inhibitions at all’.

They said he brainwashed the victims and assaulted one of the girls while babysitting. He bullied the girls into keeping his abuse secret by telling them they would be taken into care if they told anyone what he was doing.

He received a 16 year sentence of which 15 years was a prison sentence with an additional year’s extended licence.