Latest Offenders Devon

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A retired teacher has been jailed for sexually assaulting boys at the prestigious Salisbury Cathedral School and another boarding school. Piers Le Cheminant was convicted of 10 indecent assaults against nine boys over a 21-year period.

The 77-year-old targeted boys at Oakwood boarding school in Chichester, West Sussex, until one of the pupils made a complaint against him, Winchester Crown Court was told. He was then able to take up a position at the Wiltshire school, where his offending continued.

Le Cheminant, of Newton Abbot, Devon, would call boys to the front of the class and grope their buttocks while their classmates watched, the court was told. He would also watch the boys shower after they had played sport and took some of his victims somewhere private, where he would grope them and smack their buttocks.

Judge Timothy Mousley KC said the defendant had shown a “lack of remorse” for his crimes, which happened between 1965 and 1986.

He said: “One of the children was only eight years old when you started to abuse him. Each of these boys was particularly vulnerable and you took advantage of that.

“The harm was severe in some cases and you breached the trust which others expected of you. You have left them with appalling memories of their time at school.”

As well as being jailed for nine years, Le Cheminant was given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register.

Salisbury Cathedral School dates back more than 900 years and is located beneath the spire of the famous cathedral. Founded in 1091 by St Osmund, bishop of Salisbury and nephew of William the Conqueror, it is one of the world’s oldest educational establishments.

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A Sidmouth man who ran a paedophile internet chat group has been jailed after police were tipped off by the FBI in America.

Nicholas Craig, aged 37, of All Saints Road, used four online aliases to hide his identity and posed as a 15-year-old boy from Slovakia when he acted as administrator of a Kik chat group called teenpixunder18.

The group was infiltrated by an FBI agent who discovered that it was being used as a front to exchange child abuse images and movies and for adults to share child sex fantasies. Police arrested Craig in February last year as a result of information from the FBI about the Kik chatroom.

Craig was found with the middle section of an anatomically accurate child sex doll when police searched his home. They found more than 1,000 images and movies on his computer, phone and a memory stick.

Officers also discovered that he had been using Twitter, Telegram or Instagram to contact children as young as 10 and engaging them in sexual chat.

Craig admitted three counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, one of distributing and 15 of making or possessing indecent images of children.

He was jailed for three years by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention order which will restrict his access to children and the internet for 10 years, and put on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.

The judge told him: ”It is quite clear that you have a sexual interest in children and was acting on it. Still to this day, you underestimate and minimise the harm caused by your offences.

“The most significant aggravating feature is your role as administrator of a group which was sharing indecent images of children.”

Mr William Parkhill, defending, said Craig got involved in the chat groups while living on his own and isolated from normal human contact during the Covid lockdowns.

He said: “He entered the rabbit hole of the online indecent images community and has to accept that he travelled a fair way down that rabbit hole.”

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A Devon man has been jailed for raping a woman in a field. Jack Frankum asked the woman for a lift home from an agricultural event.

When she stopped to urinate in the remote location he sexually assaulted and then raped her. The 28-year-old, from Cheriton Bishop, denied the offence but was found guilty at the end of a trial at Exeter Crown Court.

He has been sentenced to eight years in prison. The victim said memories of her ordeal were like a "horrible shadow" following her.

Frankum will serve two thirds of the eight years in prison, with the remainder on licence.

The offences took place one evening in August 2019. The court heard how the victim had pleaded with him to stop. She described how, after the offences, Frankum had acted like nothing had happened and tried to make small talk and unrelated conversation. In police interviews she said the ordeal had left her feeling worthless and frightened of Frankum.

She said: "I find it hard to put into words how strongly I feel about this. I hate him and the mark he had left upon me."

Ms Virginia Cornwall, defending, said it had not been a planned assault and he was a man of previous good character.

Judge Anna Richardson said friends of Frankum had described him as polite and courteous and a valued member of the community.

Following the sentencing the police case officer, DC Craig Ferguson, said: “This has been a very lengthy and detailed police investigation, which has seen some delays in the courts whilst we awaited trial.

“I wish to acknowledge the courage and fortitude of the victim in remaining committed to this case, and her path to justice throughout this investigation and the delay that we have seen.

“I also wish to pay personal tribute to the victim, and her absolute strength in attending court to give her evidence at the trial.

“I acknowledge that this was incredibly difficult for her given what Frankum had done. It is only through the victim’s strength throughout this process that we have seen this result, and I hope that she can now move forward in her life with her family in the knowledge that she has seen some justice for what he did to her.

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A CORNWALL man has been sentenced for a string of sex offences including attempted sexual communication with a child and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Lee Sharp, aged 39, formerly of Liskeard, has been jailed for a total of six sex offences after appearing at Truro Crown Court on Wednesday, May 10.

Sharp was sentenced on one count of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, one count of attempted sexual communication with a child, one count of incitement to view sexual material, and three counts of making indecent images of children.

The offences took place over the course of two years, between September 2020 and November 2022. 

Sharp pleaded guilty to all of the offences.

During his sentencing, Sharp was handed down a sentence of 52 months imprisonment and made to pay a victim surcharge.

According to the Sentencing Council, the maximum sentence for sexual communication with a child ranges is two years custody, with the maximum sentence for breaching a sexual harm prevention order being five years custody. 

The maximum sentence for the possession of indecent images of children is five years custody.

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A 66-year-old Cullompton man has been jailed for raping a child more than 20 years ago. Keith Barons, a retired housing association manager, gave the girl alcohol before subjecting her to a terrifying ordeal.

He was aged in his early 40s at the time and the child 12 or 13 years old, Exeter Crown Court was told. She lived with the trauma of what he did to her for years before going to the police in 2019.

When questioned Barons denied doing anything wrong and claimed she was making up the story. But just before the case was due to go to trial he confessed and now says he is ashamed and sorry for what he did.

The judge said the actions of the former Sanctuary Housing manager had been "wicked" and that he had repeatedly lied when confronted with the truth. Recorder Don Tait also praised the courage of the victim who read a statement in court describing the psychological price she has had to pay.

"What you did to that young girl has had an awful effect on her life," he told the defendant. "She had the courage to read her own victim statement and what a huge amount of courage that must have taken for her. When she told you she would never forgive you she looked you in the eye."

Barons, of Court Drive admitted rape of a child and indecent assault and was jailed for 13 years.

Prosecutor Miss Heather Hope said the rape happened after he gave the girl vodka. She could remember feeling "groggy" and freezing in terror while Barons undressed and raped her. On another occasion Barons groped the child by touching her breast.

In her statement the victim said not a day had past since where thoughts of what happened resurfaced. When she did go to the police her "tortuous journey" was made worse by delays caused by his denials and the barristers strike.

Mr Simon Burns, defending, said Barons would regret his actions for the rest of his life. He read a letter in which he apologised. The defendant is hard-working family man with no previous convictions. The court was read positive references from friends.

Recorder Tait said Barons had denied and then tried to plea bargain his way out of responsibility. "You may express remorse now but for years you lied and lied. She was the one who had to suffer. She has had a long wait to see justice being done and I'm sorry the system let her down to that extent.

"No one listening to her personal statement could not be moved by it. In my experienced you are one of the bravest young women I've heard. You suffered for many many years for what this man did to you and finally had the courage to go to the police.

"Thank you for having the strength and courage to read your victim statement." 

Description

Philip Rendle groomed the boys by giving them alcohol and allowing them to drive his car.

A 60-year-old man has been jailed for sexually assaulting two boys during a camping trip more than 20 years ago. Philip Rendle plied the boys with drink before committing the offences at Brean Sands in Burnham-on-Sea.

He gained the trust of the boys' families before making the trip and groomed the children, aged 13 and 14 at the time, by giving them money to play in amusement arcades. But he had a dark past that included a police caution for molesting a Boy Scout a decade earlier.

Rendle, now living in Devon, was convicted of three offences of indecent assault, one by penetration. He has been locked up for nine years.

Taunton Crown Court was told one of the boys woke up to find Rendle molesting him.

In a victim personal statement he said the assault had caused psychological trauma and he had never got over the impact. He said his childhood was ruined and as the years went by he suffered while trying to bottle up what had happened.

The second victim experienced similar psychological difficulties. His life suffered and he had tried but failed to forget what happened.

Ms Emily Cook, defending, said Rendle had previously sought psychological help for his behaviour. He now finds it difficult to get work and suffers with depression.

Judge Paul Cook said the children were particularly vulnerable. They were given drink and were a long way from home.

Rendle, of Ashburn Close, Ashburton, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to monitor his behaviour in future and told to sign the Sex offender Register.

Detective Constable Philip Hockey said: “The two victims have shown great courage throughout the investigation and the subsequent judicial process.

“It takes bravery to speak out about such a traumatic and violating experience, especially one which they had locked away from their families for more than twenty years.

“I hope this is some kind of justice for them both, provides some closure and assists them to move forward positively with their lives. I hope they can also find some peace knowing they no longer have to keep this secret hidden.

“It is never too late to speak out about something that has happened to you. This case shows that everyone will be listened too, the matter investigated thoroughly no matter how much time has passed and there is support available for you.

“If you have been affected by this inquiry then please don’t hesitate to contact police via the non-emergency 101 number."

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A former soldier from Okehampton has been jailed for 14 and a half years for multiple historic sex offences against children. Stuart Hood, from Okehampton, sexually abused a boy and two teenage girls.

His offending started when he was a teenager himself in the 1970s and continued when he was a young adult. The prosecution in his trial described Hood as a bully capable of 'deviant sexual behaviour' who enjoyed assaulting his physically weaker victims. He chased one with a horse whip and stripped another naked.

Hood, aged 59, was found guilty of 11 offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child during a trial in January. He returned to Exeter Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced.

The trial heard how all three victims had, at one point or another over the years, told different people what had happened to them when children. The offences finally came to light until 2018 when the male victim went to police.

One victim said in a statement that his childhood had been made a misery by Hood's behaviour. "He is a sick, perverse and a sadistic liar,' he said. "I trust the sentence reflects the immeasurable harm he's caused me."

A second victim said she hoped that by coming forward people who have suffered abuse in their own lives will have the courage to go to police and not carry the shame of what happened with them.

The defendant told his trial the victims were lying. A number of character references were read to the court saying he was a hard-working married man.

Joss Ticehurst, defending, said Hood had committed the offences many years ago and since them had become a valued member of the community and devoted family man. He was a teenager himself when committing most of the crimes.

Judge Anna Richardson said: "People are not necessarily one thing or another. I accept you have been a good family man and a valued member of the local community. That does not change the fact to your victims you were a dangerous and violent abuser."

Hood will serve at least two thirds of his sentence in jail before he is considered for release.

Description

A perverted pensioner masqueraded as a teenager online while trying to communicate with children. Gary Chivers from Dawlish used chat platforms to strike up conversations with what he thought were girls aged as young as 10.

The 71-year-old told the 'girls' he was 15 and tried to persuade them to send him sexual pictures. It turned out he was actually speaking to a paedophile hunter group who arrived at his address and called police.

Chivers has a history of committing similar offences and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the time. A judge at Exeter Crown Court branded him a danger to children and sent him back to jail for five and a half years with an extended licence period of 18 months.

Chivers made contact with five different profiles of young girls while using the OK Live platform. In each case he quickly turned the chat sexual, sending graphic photos of his penis and making suggestions about masturbation.

He pestered them for videos, tried to call the 'girls'' and told them he was a teenager or in his twenties. He was caught when he replied to a request from one of the profiles for his photo and address.

He was arrested on August 18 and police discovered evidence of his behaviour on a number of devices. The defendant admitted multiple offences of attempted sexual communication with children and attempting to incite sexual activity with a child.

Chivers was jailed in Reading back in 2015 for offences of inciting children to sexual activity and distributing indecent images of children. He given a SHPO to monitor his activity.

Mr Dan Pawson-Pounds, defending, said Chivers was leading an isolated life at the time of his latest offences.

Judge David Evans said the parole board will assess when he is suitable for release. He said Chivers, of Plantation Terrace, had displayed a clear pattern of behaviour and an extended sentence with licence conditions was needed.

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A paedophile targeted teenagers in chatrooms and shared sexual fantasies and pictures with another pervert, a court heard. Mark Stevenson, 37, struck up conversations with what he thought were girls aged 12 and 13 and asked if they wanted to have sex with him.

He did not know the people he was chatting to online were undercover police officers looking to catch paedophiles. But even after his arrest he continued to offend, asking one decoy if she was a virgin and sending videos of himself masturbating.

Stevenson, of Pilton Causeway, Barnstaple, was described in court as a lonely man who led a solitary life. He said he was not motivated by a sexual interest in children but admitted multiple offences, including distributing indecent pictures of children and attempting to engage in sexual communication with children.

The judge said: "The offences represent a series of offences that demonstrate you have a clear sexual interest in young children and those in their early teens. It is quite clear you were seeking out various contacts with those in their early teens and were quickly made aware the children concerned, in each case decoys or similar, made their age known to you but you did not desist."

Stevenson was jailed for 21 months.

Prosecutor Ms Victoria Bastock said Stevenson was arrested after a visit by police to his home address in November 2020. They seized a number of devices and found messages dating back to November 2017.

They showed Stevenson in enthusiastic communication with another paedophile sharing fantasies about rape and sex with children. He also shared indecent images of children aged between five and 16.

Stevenson also joined a teen chatroom and started talking to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl. He followed this up with messages to other decoys on Kik Messenger, Skype and WhatsApp. In each case the conversation was sexual and Stevenson would make lewd suggestions and ask if they wanted boyfriends. He also asked for photos.

Stevenson was released under investigation but committed almost identical offences in July 2021. He joined the UK Teen Friends chatroom and direct messaged a 12-year-old decoy, sending her an indecent video of himself and saying he wanted to see the child naked.

Mr Jason Beal, defending, said Stevenson endured a difficult lockdown, family bereavement and was a good candidate for rehabilitation.

Judge Peter Johnson said Stevenson had minimised his crimes by suggesting he was sharing in the fantasies of others.

The defendant admitted distributing indecent photos of children; making indecent photos of children; four offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with children and two of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He must sign the sex offender register for 10 years and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period. 

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A child sex offender who stabbed and seriously injured two police officers in a 'savage' and drunken attack after they found him drinking at wheel of car has been jailed for 20 years.

Jon Ross, 62, stabbed and slashed at PCs Darren Brimacombe and Timothy Willett after they responded to a disturbance at a home in Dartmoor.

Ross burst from his parked car launched a 'frenzied' attacked the officers with a knife after they found him in Princetown, Devon, in the early hours of July 9, 2021.

PC Brimacombe suffered a serious arm injury and cuts to his head and face while PC Willett sustained serious injuries to his arm and fingers.

Both officers needed hospital treatment and have undergone surgery as part of their recoveries. Neither officer has come back to frontline duties as a result of the incident, and both are looking for other roles within the force.

Ross of Burrator Avenue, admitted to two counts of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, with intent. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of affray and assault on a previous occasion.

He was sentenced to 12 years for these offences.

He had previously been found guilty of four historic sexual offences against a child in a trial that concluded in April, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The total 20 year sentence will be served consecutively and was handed down by Judge Simon Carr at Truro Crown Court yesterday.

Ross must serve two-thirds of that before he will become eligible to be released on licence and will be on the Sex Offender's Register for life.

Judge Carr praised the victim of the sexual offences and said: 'Your victim gathered the courage to approach the police to report what had happened to her.'

Referring to the serious assault on the officers, he said: 'Frenzied is a term overused by the court but not in this case.

'Armed with a knife, you stabbed out repeatedly causing permanent injury to both. The psychological damage has been immense. You went on to attack two other officers.'

The court heard how police were called to reports of a disturbance at a property late on July 8, 2021.

Officers were told Ross had been drinking alcohol, had taken his car keys and left the address and that the caller was unsure of his state of mind.

PCs Brimacombe and Willett, who knew Ross from previous community work, searched the area and located his vehicle.

They found him in the driver's seat and drinking from a bottle.

Both officers calmly spoke to Ross despite him being verbally abusive and aggressive towards them.

Without warning, Ross swung at and narrowly missed PC Willett with a knife.

He then exploded out of the open car door and attacked PC Brimacombe, repeatedly stabbing him as they grappled on the ground.

The officer suffered lacerations to his scalp and face — nearly having the end of his nose cut off.

Ross stabbed PC Brimacombe in the arm, causing a significant arterial bleed.

PC Willett then struggled with Ross and pulled him off his injured colleague.

He was stabbed in his forearm and sustained finger injuries as he wrestled the blade from Ross's grasp.

PC Willett deployed his Taser to subdue Ross, allowing PC Brimacombe to apply handcuffs and detain him.

Both officers then activated emergency buttons on their radios to request immediate help.

PC Brimacombe's arm was bleeding so heavily, a police-issue tourniquet had to be applied to the wound.

Ross was later found to be twice over the legal limit of alcohol to drive a vehicle.

Devon and Cornwall Police released shocking images of the scene, with the blessing of PCs Brimacombe and Willett, to highlight the dangers faced by officers.

Detective Constable Craig Ferguson said after the sentencing hearing: 'We are pleased with the outcome in what has been a lengthy and detailed police investigation.

'Jon Ross employed an extreme and savage level of violence, with a bladed weapon, to severely injure the two police officers.

'The officers were on duty and in uniform when they attended to try and help him. They knew him personally from previous dealings where they had successfully helped him.

'The officers sought to speak with him and tried to help, but he responded by repeatedly stabbing them in a sustained attack.

'As a result, Jon Ross has been imprisoned for a lengthy period of time, meaning that a significant risk has now been removed from our local community.

'I have worked as a police officer for the past 18 years and can say that this assault is without doubt the worst incident of its kind that I have dealt with.

'The officers conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism, both before and after this terrible ordeal, and we have concluded that their approach and conduct throughout was of a very high standard.

'There was nothing that they could do to plan for or avoid the extreme level of violence that Jon Ross had in mind.'

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Parker added: 'I would like to praise the courage shown by the sexual assault victim.

'This is an important reminder that such reports will always be taken seriously by the police and justice will be sought and we would always encourage victims to come forward.'

He added: 'The assault on the officers reflects the dangers and challenges police face on a daily basis, despite this force area being one of the safest places to live in the country.

'They understand risk comes with the nature of policing but being assaulted on duty should never be condoned or seen as 'part of the job'.

'Devon and Cornwall Police will always seek to pursue and prosecute those who behave in this way.

'This incident could all too easily have resulted in a more tragic conclusion.

'I would like to take the opportunity to praise the bravery of PCs Brimacombe and Willett and acknowledge the actions taken by their colleagues and other emergency service workers who came to their aid, whose actions and professionalism under difficult circumstances played a huge part in preventing an even worse outcome.'

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A HEATWAVE peeping tom has been jailed for spying on a 17-year-old girl as she slept on her bed naked at 6.30 in the morning.

The horrified teenager woke up to hear the sound of a camera phone snapping and saw a figure peering through a narrow gap in the blinds that covered her ground floor window.

She called her mother who shouted at prowler Kristoffer Roberts, pictured, causing him to flee. He was identified from doorbell video footage and his fingerprints were found on a beer bottle he dropped at the scene.

Roberts was already a registered sex offender, having previously been jailed in 2014 for using a phone to take 657 ‘upskirt’ pictures or videos of unsuspecting women.

He went on to attack his girlfriend so violently while high on drink and drugs that she was left traumatised and unable to carry on her training as a nurse.

Roberts, aged 29, previously of Drum Way, Heathfield, Newton Abbot, but now of Abelia Close, Paignton, admitted voyeurism, strangulation and battery.

He was jailed for a total of 22 months and put on the sex offenders’ register for a further seven years by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: ‘The victim of your voyeurism was a 17-year-old girl lying in her own bed asleep and naked because of the temperature. She became aware of someone standing by the window and of a clicking noise being made by a mobile phone taking photographs.’

Miss Felicity Payne, prosecuting, said the girl’s mother called police during a spell of very hot weather in August 2020 to report that a prowler had been taking pictures of her daughter through a small gap in the blinds.

He was identified through CCTV footage and arrested wearing the same baseball cap. He also dropped a beer bottle at the scene with his fingerprints on it.

Miss Payne said Roberts put his partner’s neck in an arm lock and strangled her three times with increasing force after she told him to leave her home in Torquay because he was drunk.

She was so badly affected by the ordeal and by his behaviour during their relationship that she failed nursing exams and is now appealing to be allowed to continue her degree.

Mr Martin Salloway, defending, said Roberts’s problems arose from his abuse of alcohol and drugs to mask the psychological effects of a violent and unhappy childhood. He is now addressing all these issues in custody and is truly sorry for the harm he has caused.

Description

A successful interior designer has been jailed for sexual activity with a vulnerable 15-year-old girl more than a decade ago. Daniel Kelly groped the girl's breasts after kissing her at his former home in Newton Abbot.

He groomed the girl by sending her sexually explicit messages and promising her alcohol and drugs. He preyed on her youth and inexperience to 'satisfy his lusts', a court heard.

'The teenager did not tell police until 2018 but Kelly's actions caused deep emotional scars and she still suffers flashbacks. In a statement read in court she said she 'hated' him for what he did to her.

Kelly, aged 40, was 29 at the time of the offences. He has a previous conviction for very similar offences and was jailed in 2017 for two years. Exeter Crown Court was told that since then he had rebuilt his life and earned decent money as an interior designer.

But Judge Peter Johnson said his claims of remorse were hollow because he had pleaded not guilty and was convicted of two offences of sexual activity with a child at a trial in June. He jailed Kelly for two years and nine months.

The judge said: "During the summer of 2011 you sent her wholly inappropriate texts as part of a grooming process. They made reference to drinking alcohol, drugs and sexual activity. "

When the girl visited his house Kelly provided booze then kissed her and put his hand on her bottom. A few days later she visited the house with a friend but fell asleep. Kelly climbed into the bed and fondled her breasts, kissed her on the mouth and put her hand over his penis.

The girl told schoolfriends what had happened but police only got involved after she made an attempt on her own life some years later.

Judge Johnson said the defendant regarded himself at the time as a 'Jack the Lad'.

"Alcohol was employed so you could satisfy your lusts," he said. "It is said you have changed markedly and I accept that. This was ingrained behaviour. I find it very difficult to accept your remorse when you didn't accept responsibility at the trial and it sounds hollow.

Kelly, of New Walk, Totnes, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will last 10 years.

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A vile man said he "would like to be there" after watching a video of a little girl being being sexually abused.

Christopher Smith, 31, sent messages to paedophile, Vicki Bevan, online and responded to a clip of her abusing a young boy with "thats hot" and to one of her abusing a girl with "I would like to be there". Bevan was part of a paedophile ring based in St Helens and carried out some of her appalling sexual fantasies alongside Paul Rafferty and Tony Hutton by raping and abusing a young girl.

Bevan also spent time discussing with another man their desire to kidnap, rape, torture, kill and then eat children after sexually abusing them. The vile woman made contact with Smith, who lived 230 miles away, on internet chat rooms before sending at least two clips to him.

Charlie Barrass-Evans, prosecuting, said Smith was caught by an undercover police operation, where officers posed as chatroom users on Kik. Smith was using the hashtag andysmith01 and offered to "trade" child images before being traced through his phone.

Smith sent three child abuse images and said he had "personal stuff" before moving the conversation to Snapchat. He refused to give police the PIN number of one of his phones when he was arrested.

A forensic download identified the videos from Bevan, along with 36 child abuse images or videos. Smith of Clare Drive, Tiverton, Devon, admitted two counts of distribution and four of making, by downloading, indecent images of children and was jailed for two years and four months by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

Bevan, 37, of Newtown, St Helens, was jailed for life with a minimum term of ten years at Liverpool Crown Court in May this year. Accomplices Paul Rafferty, 62, and Tony Hutton, 42, were jailed for ten and four years respectively.

Judge Johnson said: "You exchanged messages with Vicki Bevan, who is now serving a life sentence, and it seems there were real time exchanges going on which at the very least were encouraging her to abuse children in which she was telling you what she had been doing.

"This sentence could not have been suspended because of the proximity between you and the maker of the images."

Evie Dean, defending, said Smith started using chatrooms at a low point in his life after the breakdown of a relationship and when he was drinking, taking cocaine, and in a self-destructive spiral.

She said: His remorse is genuine. He says his behaviour was disgusting and unforgiveable. He has been open and honest about assessing the material for his sexual gratification, which stands him in good stead when it comes to rehabilitation."

Description

A Snapchat groomer has been jailed for befriending girls online and then bombarding them with threatening messages to send him naked pictures.

Paedophile Christopher Ware, 32, set up multiple accounts on social media, lied about his age, his name and sometimes pretended to be a girl in order to gain the trust of seven victims aged between nine and 15.

He would initially be friendly to the girls before demanding they send pictures of themselves.

When they refused he resorted to blackmail, telling some of the children he knew which school they went to and where they lived. He also said he would shame them by posting pictures and details online.

The supermarket worker was tracked down after one victim and the mum of another found clues to help track him down.

A judge at Exeter Crown Court praised the efforts of parents and children who informed police and brought Ware to justice.

Judge Timothy Rose told Ware: "You wrought a campaign of intrusion and influence in children's lives. You bombarded them with sexualised comments, requests and demands and threats of blackmail."

Ware, of St Peter's Street Tiverton, was jailed for four years and nine months. The defendant, who has previous links to Dunster in Somerset, pleaded guilty to 15 offences of engaging in sexual communication with children under 16; attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He appeared via video link from custody and held his head in his hands while listening to the sentencing hearing.

Ms Heather Hope, prosecuting said the first set of offences happened between January and July, 2018.

Ware contacted a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat using the false name of Ashley Page. The girl did not recognise the name but thought it might be somebody she knew so accepted his request.

"He sent her messages demanding she should send him nude pictures," said Ms Hope.

The girl blocked him but Ware managed to contact her again and continued to pester her using different names. He lied about his age, saying he was 23, then 18 and finally 15.

He continued to bombard her with messages, even when she was at school, asking if she wore a thong and sending her naked images of women.

The girl became so scared of his threats that she eventually sent naked pictures of herself.

Ware continued to message other girls, using the same threats and making the same kinds of demands.

He used a false name to pester a 13-year-old on Snapchat, saying he was aged 14. When she blocked him he would message through other accounts, asking if she was bisexual.

The girl turned detective using clues he left on the messages and Ware was tracked down, arrested and taken into custody at Bridgwater.

When police checked his computer they found he had been using it to search for indecent videos of teenage girls.

They also discovered he had been messaging other girls, again using false identities.

They included a 14-year-old who Ware inundated with requests for naked photos. He sent her a picture of himself on the toilet with trousers down and penis exposed.

When the girl blocked him he pretended to be a schoolgirl. The victim realised it was the same person due to distinctive orange-coloured walls in the messages sent to her. When she blocked him Ware again resorted to threats saying he knew where she lived.

She told her mum and police were called in for a second time. 

Ware was bailed but carried on offending.

In August 2020 he pretended to be a 16-year-old boy and messaged a 14-year-old on Snapchat.

He asked for naked pictures and even offered to pay money for them, sending a picture of his bank card with a name on.

"He then threatened her that if she didn't send nude images of herself he would 'shout her out for nudes' meaning he would make it known to others on Snapchat she had sent images of herself.

Some of the victims said Ware had sent images of his penis. One described it as 'proper small'.

When the mother of one 15-year-old schoolgirl found out what he was demanding she took control of the phone and pretended to be the daughter to get information about who he was.

She then took the information to police.

Ware's youngest victim was aged just nine when he started asking her about her bra size and saying 'show me pants'.

He continued to frighten and put pressure on the girl even when she refused.

He was arrested again on November 16, 2021. Police had to force entry after Ware barricaded himself in his bedroom.

The court was read victim impacts statements from some of the girls and parents.

One 'angry and confused' parent said he daughter had retreated into her bedroom and now suffered severe anxiety.

A father said his daughter had also become distrustful of people, especially men.

Other victims said they too suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of Ware's behaviour. 

"I did not want to send images to him but was so scared he knew where I lived and would hurt us I felt so out of control and felt I could not tell anybody," said one.

She said she was thankful her family had taken her phone and stopped her ordeal.

Another said she did not know who was messaging her but it turned out to be a 'nasty person with horrible intentions'. She had attempted suicide as a result of what he had done and suffered terrifying nightmares.

Mr Will Rose, defending, said Ware was a man of previous good character. The defendant denied having a sexual interest in children.

He said Ware deserved credit for pleading guilty and saving the girls from giving evidence at a trial. He was very sorry for what he had done.

He said Ware came from a broken home and his relationship with his father 'soured' after he discovered he was sleeping with his partner.

He 'hit rock bottom' and self-medicated by drinking alcohol, said Mr Rose. It was then he became 'entangled in a cycle of offending'.

Judge Rose said: "The worst part of this, apart from the terrible harm you've done, is the fact you were arrested and interviewed and kept on doing it and kept on going back to the type of comprehensive and damaging behaviour."

He said Ware had caused 'persistent and terrible harm' to girls he knew the ages of.

"On a number of occasions you resorted to the use of threats amounting to a form of blackmail in order to get what you wanted in terms of sexual images and sexualised responses."

Judge Rose said the sentencing guidelines restricted the length of sentence he could impose for the crimes. The sexual communication offences carry a maximum of two years and Ware was entitled to a reduction of one third for his guilty pleas.

"I commend all the children involved and the parents for the way brought matters to the attention of police.

"It takes a certain kind of fortitude and resolution to do that and the court expresses gratitude to all the families and individuals who came forward."

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A Devon man has been jailed for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

Jason Pagan, 48, told the child he was just playing when his tickling turned into sexual touching, Exeter Crown Court heard.

He touched the child over her clothing and then massaged her naked buttocks.

The factory worker, of Higher Roborough, Ashburton, was convicted of sexual assault by a jury after a trial in October. He denied doing anything wrong.

He returned to court on Tuesday [January 11] and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. The judge was told he still denied the offences but was sorry for the effect on the child.

A judge said she had 'lost her innocence' as a result of the assault. Judge Peter Johnson said: "I've considered with care whether it is appropriate to suspend the sentence and in my view it is not. Whilst it may be said you are capable of being rehabilitated this offence is so serious that only immediate custody is appropriate.

"There is ongoing harm to the young child.

"She has lost her innocence and that's why this must be an immediate custodial sentence."

Ms Kelly Scrivener, prosecuting, said Pagan maintained he had just been innocently playing with the child.

"What the jury did not hear is that he has a number of sexual offences recorded against him," she added.

Pagan was convicted back in 1993 of three offences of indecent assault on a female under 16. The defendant was sent to a Young Offenders Institution for 42 months for those offences. Since then he has been in trouble for criminal damage, dishonesty and threatening a person with an offensive weapon.

Ms Emily Pitts, defending, said the public would be better served with Pagan receiving a suspended sentence.

He had endured a difficult childhood and his life had fallen apart since committing the offence.

She said he was 'ashamed, embarrassed and disgusted' and was living a 'terribly isolated life'.

But she said he was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and was making efforts to get his life back together.

Pagan was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his access to children and told to sign the sex offender register.