Latest Offenders Devon

Description

A prolific offender whose sexual violence against women spanned more than a decade has today, Friday 30 May, been jailed for 30 years plus an extra five years to be served on extended licence.

Peter Wilkinson, 53 of Drake Gardens, Tavistock, was found guilty of 21 separate offences following a five-week trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

He must serve 2/3 of the 30 year custodial sentence element of the sentence before he can be considered for parole. Wilkinson must also sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. 

During the trial, the court heard how the offending took place between 2012 and 2024 in the Tavistock area against five women, four of whom were especially vulnerable.

Wilkinson was arrested in October 2023 following a report that he had sexually abused a woman on numerous occasions. He was arrested and after extensive investigative work, the investigating officer was able to identify and establish a further four more victims who Wilkinson had also targeted and abused.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Craig Ferguson prepared a voluminous and intricate case with the assistance of Beth Wycherley, a Senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyer from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team. Wilkinson was charged with multiple rapes, sexual offences, physical assaults and strangulation, all of which he denied. He remained on remand in custody until the start of his trial at Plymouth Crown Court on Monday 24 March 2025. 

Throughout the trial the jury heard detailed evidence from each of the five victims who spoke of the trauma Wilkinson had caused them. The jury also heard evidence from multiple witnesses, and from Wilkinson himself who denied any offences and claimed that all of the victims had lied about him.

On 22nd April 2025, after two days deliberation, the jury came back with unanimous verdicts finding him guilty of multiple counts of rape, serious sexual assault, physical assault and strangulation committed against five victims. 

Today, Friday 30 May, the court reconvened at Plymouth Crown Court for Wilkinson’s sentencing. 

The court heard powerful victim impact statements. One victim said that she never wanted to see Wilkinson’s face again. She described: “He hurt me, he frightened me and he forced me to do things I did not want to do.”

Another spoke of being “vulnerable, frightened and exhausted” and suffering repeated nightmares and flashbacks. 

A number of the victims spoke of still being in fear of Wilkinson even though he is locked up.

In mitigation it was heard that Wilkinson has an intellectual disability which results in him living a “basic” existence. 

In sentencing Wilkinson, HHJ Robert Linford said the following: “You were a sexual predator who selected, groomed and abused woman.”

Judge Linford added that Wilkinson carefully selected the majority of his victims due to their vulnerabilities and inflicted physical pain and suffering on them. He also detailed the profound effect Wilkinson’s offending had.

He said: “It does not need me to say that these offences dredge the depths of depravity”, before adding that the offending “utterly beggars belief”.

Judge Linford noted that Wilkinson suffers his own intellectual difficulties, but knows right from wrong, adding “I am sure you targeted these women because of their vulnerabilities”. 

Speaking after the trial DC Craig Ferguson said: “Peter Wilkinson is a dangerous and predatory sexual offender. The offences in this case were harrowing with vulnerable people being targeted and abused in their homes where they should have been able to feel safe and secure.

“I have been a police officer and detective for 21 years, and this is some of the worst and most disturbing offending that I have been caused to deal with.

“This has been a lengthy, complex, and difficult investigation. I know that the outcome of this case will not have diminished the impact that Peter Wilkinson has had upon the victims and their lives, but I hope that they can now try to move forward in the knowledge that he cannot hurt them, or anyone else, anymore.

“I want to pay tribute to the strength and courage of the five women who have survived this abuse, and who each found the strength and determination to give their evidence to the court.

“Without the courage and resolve of these women Peter Wilkinson’s offending may have never come to light, and he may never have been identified and brought to justice.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Neil Lloyd said: “I welcome today’s verdict and thank the court and jury for their time. 

“My thoughts remain with the victims who have shown tremendous courage and strength throughout the investigation and during the trial. I hope today’s verdict provides some degree of closure and that they can begin to rebuild their lives. 

“Wilkinson was a prolific offender whose violence against women spanned more than a decade. He selected the victims because they were vulnerable, and he probably thought they would never be able to speak out or be listened to.

“I want to mention DC Craig Ferguson and PC Helen Winterson, a sexual offences liaison officer (SOLO). DC Ferguson meticulously built the prosecution case over several years, working tirelessly and with great commitment to completing all possible enquiries, whilst PC Winterson  supported the victims throughout the difficult criminal justice process, assisting DC Ferguson with some of the victim interviews, and supporting the most vulnerable in the case. 

“Their work, together with our colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, left the jury in no doubt of Wilkinson’s guilt, and ensured the victims’ voices were heard loud and clear.

“We would urge victims of sexual abuse to report their perpetrators. I would like to reassure them that we are fully committed to putting an end to violence against women and girls. We have officers like Craig and Helen across the force who are ready to listen to you and ensure your voice is heard.”

Description

A registered sex offender who travelled from Devon to Wiltshire to sexually abuse a young girl has been jailed following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Jon Iacomino, 56, from Honiton, made the journey last September, after communicating online to make plans to abuse a girl. When he arrived in Wiltshire, he was met by officers from SWROCU, arrested, and has been remanded in custody since.  

Iacomino was already on the Sex Offenders’ Register.  

He pleaded guilty in March to:  

• two counts of arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence  
• three counts of making category A, B and C indecent images   
• two counts of distributing category C indecent images   
• one count of possessing extreme pornography  

He was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday (16 May) to a total of eight years and 10 months, with five years 10 months in prison and three years on extended licence.  

During the sentencing the Judge said Iacomino “represented a significant and ongoing risk of causing harm in the future by the commission of similar further offences”. He was deemed to need “careful supervision” which could only be done by the judge handing him an extended licence of three years.  

Four further offences, two of making and two of distributing indecent images of a child, will lie on file.  

Iacomino will be on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and was handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

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A YOUNG rapist has been locked up for more than five years after he carried out a sex attack on a woman.

Harry Davies, 20, pleaded guilty to assaulting his victim in Newport last summer.

The offence was committed in June when he was still a teenager, prosecutor John Ryan told Newport Crown Court.

Davies, from Beer, Devon was sent to a young offender institution for 63 months by Judge Eugen Egan.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for life and made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact the woman.

Description

A police officer who raped a woman he met on a dating website has been jailed for eight years.

PC Stuart Mines, 49, was off-duty when the attack took place at his home in Devon in October 2022.

Following his conviction by a jury following a trial at Exeter Crown Court he was sacked by Devon and Cornwall Police after more than 20 years’ service.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had suffered severe mental trauma following the rape and had been unable to work as a result.

“Emotionally, I’ve been a total wreck. I’ve spent endless nights unable to sleep, feeling worthless and violated by the actions of this horrid person,” she told the court.

“Mines has ripped my confidence away. Every time I hear a police siren, see a police car or a police officer, it has triggered panic and nausea, and has been and still is a constant reminder of what he has done.

“He completely destroyed my faith in men and the police force.

“How can someone in a position of trust who as a police officer, who should have integrity, respect, empathy, courage, fairness and accountability, do what he did as a police officer?

“As a man, he should have been trustworthy, law-abiding and morally respectful to women. He was none of these.

“I trusted him because he was a police officer, but he broke the law, he raped, lied and treated me with such disdain, being abusive and humiliating me whilst he laughed and thought it was funny, laughing at my distress.”

Kelly Scrivener, defending, said Mines had found being remanded into prison a difficult experience because of his policing career.

“The media coverage of the trial verdict meant that that the people he was placed alongside on that wing realised he was a police officer, now a former police officer,” she said.

“That identification has led to extra problems that have been managed successfully by the prison but continue to have to be managed because of threats and comments.”

Jailing Mines for eight years, Judge Stephen Climie said he had “torn apart” his victim’s life and said the attack had caused her significant harm.

“I have considered very carefully the extent to which the offence of rape was the primary trigger for many of the issues which are detailed in her victim personal statement,” he said.

“In my judgment, having watched and listened to her, I am satisfied that the impact of this event can be described as severe, some might go so far as to say even extreme.”

The judge said the offence was aggravated by the fact Mines was a serving police officer at the time.

“It is aggravated to an extent by virtue of the fact that you as a serving police officer at that time could and should have been somebody who, and I quote your victim, were capable of being described as somebody with integrity, respect, empathy, courage, fairness and accountability,” he said.

“In respect of accountability, you are now being held to account.

“In respect of other matters, I make it clear that, as with any walk in life, there may well be a bad apple or two within any given profession who as a result of their behaviour, attach a degree of blame to others within that role.

“Your conviction should not, in my judgment, in any way, shape or form, impact upon the integrity of the police generally, least of all, the Devon [and] Cornwall Constabulary, who do operate appropriately with integrity, respect, empathy, courage and fairness.”

The judge also placed Mines on the sex offenders’ register for life and imposed an indefinite restraining order not to contact his victim.

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A Devon man has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years for abusing a young girl and possessing hundreds of images of child sex abuse.

Wade Robinson, aged 31 and of no fixed abode but with links to both Tiverton and Exeter, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to five charges of possession of online child abuse and three counts relating to the sexual assault of a child.

Robinson was also told that upon release he would have to serve three-and-a-half years on licence and will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

An investigation was launched into Robinson after investigators linked him to an online account after a child abuse image was uploaded to a website.

Officers executed a warrant at an address in Exeter in the 2022. Upon arrival, Robinson fled the property by jumping out of the garden window before chucking his phone over a neighbouring fence in an attempt to get rid of it.

Officers managed to detain him in the garden and were alerted by the neighbour that Robinson’s phone was on their garden lawn.

He was arrested and interviewed where he refused to give officers the PIN to his phone, despite this, the digital forensics team were able to open the device. Officers discovered more than a thousand images of child sexual abuse including Category A material, which is of the most serious in nature.

Following Robinson’s arrest, a victim came forward and disclosed that she had been abused by Robinson and provided her account. Several images found on Robinson’s phone were examined and found to be that of the victim who was a child. After professional analysis, detectives managed to provide evidential material to the Crown Prosecution Service and secured eight charges against Robinson.

Detectives from Devon & Cornwall Police managed to build such a strong case against Robinson that he had little option other than to plead guilty to the offences. This guilty plea also spared the victim from having to go through the court process.

Robinson, who refused to come out of his cell to face sentencing, will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

On sentencing Judge Adkin commented: “He has refused to engage with the court and is not on the video link and is clearly an individual who doesn’t have the courage to face up to the fact he has committed these incidents of utter depravity.”

Description

A 60-year-old man who sexually abused an underage girl has been jailed today, 19 September.

Paul Hemmings, from Newton Abbot, appeared at Exeter Crown Court where he was sentenced to nine years in prison. He will sign the Sex Offenders Register for Life and the court also granted a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Hemmings pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual activity with a child on the first day of trial in July and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.

The court heard that the offences against the 15-year-old victim took place over a period of three months.

Hemmings initially denied the offences and told Detectives that it was ‘fictitious’ and ‘made up’ but he later changed his plea at trial.

On sentencing Hemmings, the Judge told him that he had tried to minimise his conduct in blaming the victim and only felt remorse for himself.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Tamsyn Dingley said: “Hemmings exploited a young girl, who he knew was under the age of consent, and he knew what he did was wrong. Hemmings groomed and manipulated the victim and justice has been served in his conviction.

“My praise and thoughts remain, as always, with the victim for speaking up and telling us what had happened. I hope that she can now focus on herself and find some closure.”

Description

A man who sexually abused two young girls has been sentenced.

Jack Nepean sexually assaulted a seven-year-old girl left in his care in Crawley on New Year’s Eve.

An investigation in Devon also revealed how he had also abused a five-year-old girl there.

The victims have been praised for their “extraordinary bravery” for reporting their experience to police.

Nepean, aged 30, was jailed for a total of 12 years when he appeared for sentencing at Hove Crown Court on September 11.

He was told he would have to serve a minimum of two thirds of the sentence before he can be considered for parole.

The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to restrict his future access to children and devices.

Sussex Police investigated Nepean, who admitted sexual assault be penetration of a girl under 13 In Crawley, sexual assault by touching of a girl under the age of 13 in Crawley, making indecent images of a child in Sussex.

This took place when the girl was in Nepean's care on New Year's Eve from December 31, 2022, into January 1, 2023.

The offences were disclosed to police in early January 2023. Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police identified further offences linked on Nepean’s mobile phone and investigated further sexual offences committed by Nepean.

He admitted sexual assault committed on a five-year-old girl, making indecent images of the child, three counts of voyeurism, and three counts of possessing indecent images of children in category A, B and C.

Nepean, formerly of an address in Devon, has now started his prison sentence.

Description

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 judge who jailed a man for more than six years after he carried out a string of offences - including robbing vulnerable sex workers and asking teenage girls to have sex with him in return for £2,000 - said it was "by no means pure chance" that the majority of his victims were females.

Luke Smerdon, aged 35, from Exeter Road, Ivybridge appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to a slew of offences, including robbery, attempted robbery, six malicious communication charges and causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Sentencing Smerdon, Judge Robert Linford said he noted that Smerdon had a previous offence for robbery in Ivybridge where he threatened a female shop worker with a knife.

He handed Smerdon a series of sentences for each of the offences, totalling 77 months - six years and five months. He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Restraining orders were also put in place.

Prosecutor Bethany Rickerby outlined the offences, including sending malicious communications to several victims, including a hand-written letter posted through the letterbox of another Ivybridge man. The letter stated: “Stop giving cocaine to children - you don't see me very often but when you do I will rip you, your friend and your family to shreds" and was signed "your secret admirer". When confronted by this victim, Smerdon claimed he'd been paid £20 to put it through the man's letterbox.

A female victim received a Facebook message from a person calling themselves Shane Blackwell - a fake account which was set up by Smerdon - stating "If you ever slag me off in the Exchange [a pub] again I will ram a knife down your throat you silly little slag". When she asked who 'Shane' was, Smerdon replied: "I will wait for you one night after you finish your shift".

Another woman was sent a message on August 8 from 'Shane' saying "I'll give you £300 for a shag". The woman wrote back telling him not to contact her again, whereupon he replied, stating he would “pop round and see your c*** boyfriend later and smash your windows in”, adding “I'm going to get someone to f***ing rape you, you whore".

The woman was later told Smerdon had sent the messages and when she asked if he wanted to apologise, he said he was going to "wait a few weeks" and then send "wine and flowers", adding "I must've been super drunk. It was a joke".

At a later police interview he admitted creating the fake Facebook profile, claiming the messages were sent when he was drunk and he couldn't remember sending them. He said the tone of the messages to the women were due to his obsession with fantasies and murder mysteries.

He was released on conditional bail not to go into Ivybridge, but he then began drinking in Plymouth, which was where one of his victims lived, which the court heard left her fearful for herself and her family.

Ms Rickerby told the court that in 2023 Smerdon approached a sex worker in Plymouth paying her a pair of wireless headphones for oral sex. However, in early July 2023 he engaged her services again, this time offering her £40 for oral sex. They headed to an abandoned car where they completed their transaction.

However, the court heard this time he threatened to stab her if she did not return the £40. Fearful for her safety she handed back the money and fled. She later told police the tone of Smerdon's voice made her believe she would be hurt regardless of whether she gave the money back or not.

Two weeks later, Smerdon sought out another sex worker in Plymouth. He drunkenly offered her £50 for sex with a condom and they headed to a nearby industrial estate car park. On the way, they spotted the first sex worker who issued a warning to her fellow sex worker about Smerdon, saying he was "dangerous" and would try and take the money back, but this was ignored and put down to jealousy.

The woman refused to get into an abandoned vehicle, telling Smerdon she was afraid he would do something, like "try and knife" her, so they had sex beside a vehicle after she had put the money into her bra. However, as she walked away he grabbed her and attempted to put his hand over her mouth, grabbing at the money he'd given her. She fled and later found the first sex worker, whereupon they both contacted police. Officers later found Smerdon asleep in another vehicle in a car park.

During interview he made a series of claims, stating that with regards the second sex worker, they had agreed to have sex for £40 but while they were having sex she had "seen his Jack the Ripper tattoos which had caused her to panic and try and leave". He said that he took issue and try to get his money back and that he "may have held [her] by the throat".

He changed this story after he was shown CCTV footage of him grabbing at her beside the vehicle, claiming that she had asked him for sex and then changed her mind "midway through" and tried to leave, causing him to become angry and take the money back, resulting in a struggle. He insisted he could not have robbed her as "she was selling an illegal act anyway".

The court heard that in early July a woman in the Noah's Ark pub in Courtney Street had her bank card taken and later found it was used a number of times, totalling £656.46. When Smerdon was arrested on July 27, 2023 the card was found in his possession.

Ms Rickerby said the final offence took place on September 11, 2023 just outside of Plymouth Pavilions. At around 5.45pm a 15-year-old girl and two 16-year-old girls were standing on a grassy area and were approached by Smerdon - who appeared to be in drink - and asked them if they would have sex with him.

The 15-year-old pulled out her phone and recorded him as he first offered them £1,000 and then £2,000 for sex, as well as a pair of AirPods for oral sex. When he was told they were all 16 or under, he replied: "I'm not worried about that."

He began to ask each one individually for sex before one girl replied: "F***, no". After further refusals he finally walked away.

Ms Rickerby said Smerdon saw CCTV footage released by police and cut off his Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) tag, fled his address before giving himself up to police a few hours later.

During interview he first claimed he was not the man in the CCTV footage video, claiming it had been dubbed over to sound like him, then claimed he had been set up by the girls who had been waiting for him on a street corner. He also denied he had been drunk. When he was shown the footage of him approaching the girls, he said he could not be sure it was him as he had blacked out.

However, when he was eventually shown the phone footage, he admitted to making up a "cock and bull story" and admitted asking them for sex. He said he was very drunk and thought the girls were 16 years old.

In mitigation, Smerdon's advocate said the incident involving the teenage girls was incitement but there was no contact and it was a relatively short incident. In addition, while in prison on remand he had addressed a number of his "difficulties".

Sentencing Smerdon, Judge Robert Linford said the malicious communications related to "frankly hideous threats of violence and more directed towards people to whom you seem to have borne a grudge".

He cited the violence, paying someone to carry out a rape, ripping a family to shreds, threatening to kill someone. He said these were "deeply disturbing, violent, frightening messages." Judge Linford said when arrested, Smerdon admitted them, claiming they were a joke that went too far, but "none of them were funny".

While on bail for those offences he then committed robberies, which Judge Linford said had a "theme - that theme was they were sex workers". He said Smerdon threatened to stab one and she had fled "terrified". He said the second female victim was warned by the first but "unwisely, but no doubt desperate for money" she carried out the transaction.

He said that he was again arrested and interviewed yet was "inexplicably admitted to bail, again".

The final incident, again while on bail, involved underage girls, but even after they told him their age "you did not care. You were like an animal, preying on young vulnerable girls for your own selfish sexual desires".

Lead investigator Det Con Adam Fitzpatrick said: "Luke Smerdon is a dangerous individual who has made multiple attempts to target women in Devon and Cornwall. The sentence he received today at court is the result of three cases and multiple officers hard work and dedication to bring him to justice."

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.

Description

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."

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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.

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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.