Latest Offenders Durham

Description

A sex offender given a chance to reform breached his court order within weeks by hiding a tablet containing over 200 child abuse images.

Andrew Boatwright, 25, of Sorrel Close, Stockton, had received a 20-month suspended sentence for two years in April for possessing indecent images of children, prohibited images, and extreme pornography. He was also required to sign the sex offenders’ register and comply with a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Caroline McGurk said Boatwright used an alias on his Xbox and an incognito browser on the unregistered Samsung tablet, found hidden under his mattress. She added: “He failed to volunteer the existence of the Samsung tablet; they later found it hidden under his mattress and indecent images were recovered from it at a later date.”

Boatwright pleaded guilty to downloading 38 Category A, 58 Category B, and 169 Category C indecent images of children; three breaches of his sexual harm prevention order; and breaching notification requirements between May 10 and September 18.

Mitigator Eleanor Bohill cited his “disturbed and troubled background” and history of illicit substance abuse from a young age.

Judge Jonathan Carroll activated 14 months of the suspended sentence and added 20 months for the new offenses, totaling two years and ten months in custody.

“You were only 73 days into that order when you committed these offences,” the judge said. “I am certain that you knew full well that you should have disclosed the Samsung tablet to the police otherwise you wouldn’t have needed to hide it under your mattress or failed to disclose it to the police.”

He added: “I have no doubt at all that the court’s primary concern in April was to give you a chance to engage with probation service to help you get back on track and help you deal with your innate sexual desires and emotions. You only get one chance at that and you have squandered it.”

Description

A Chester-le-Street man who groomed and sexually abused a teenager has been jailed for 13 years.

Jonathan Paton was 31 when he met the girl online after telling her he was 20 years old, and that his name was ‘Jonny’.

He quickly struck up a conversation with her on Snapchat and then arranged to meet her in summer 2020.

Paton, now 36, encouraged the girl to go to his house where he had sex with her. He then continued to have sex with the teenager for several months, and even said she should have his baby once she turned 16.

The girl bravely reached out to police to report she had been raped after several incidents where she told Paton ‘No’ but he continued to have sex with her.

After the victim came forward, Paton tried to erase all previous contact with the girl by deleting messages and removing her off Snapchat.

He was arrested and, while in interview, denied the offences of rape and denied having any sexual contact with the victim.

However, downloaded text messages from his phone proved the allegations.

Paton was charged with rape of a child and four counts of sexual activity with a child as well as grooming.

He was found guilty following a trial and appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday (November 26) where he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and handed an indefinite restraining order, as well as sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Detective Constable Liam Padget, from Durham Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

“Paton continuously told us how he had met the victim but nothing sexual had ever happened. He also claimed he did not know how old the victim was however this was overturned when officers uncovered his messages back and forth with her.

“Paton knew that the victim was a child and was therefore vulnerable, but he continued to sexually abuse her for his own gratification. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“We are constantly working with specialist officers to monitor, expose, and jail similar sexual abusers like Paton.”

Description

A depraved pervert who left his victim "broken" through repeated rapes and sexual assaults has been jailed for over 20 years.

Stuart Cox, 63, escalated his abuse over years by using pharmaceutical stimulants to sustain it. He remained impassive at Teesside Crown Court as the victim's impact statement revealed her devastation.

The victim, who cannot be named, wrote: Since the time of the crimes, I have been isolated keeping myself to myself. I didnt want to talk or open up because it has been a really long battle for justice.

I would often wonder how much longer before I would get my peace and justice.

She added: Im never going to forget it. What happened to me is going to stick to me like glue.

I have never been the same emotionally. I feel broken, defective and this is due to what happened to me I am just shattered and never picked up all the pieces.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said Cox, of Sandport Walk, Stockton, was convicted of 14 offences, including multiple rapes, attempted rapes, sexual assaults, and assaults by penetration.

Mitigating, Andrew Turton noted Cox's medical issues and productive use of remand time, adding: He is expecting a significant period in custody.

Judge Timothy Stead imposed 21 years' custody plus a one-year extended licence, stating: The victim will never forget these matters. It is quite apparent that her life in every aspect has been badly affected.

She refers to herself as broken and she has a fear that she will not be regarded as good enough for an ordinary relationship in the future.

I fear that she will bear the marks and anguish of this offending for the rest of her life I hope it is not so but I fear it is a near inevitability that it will be.

Cox received an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, indefinite restraining order, and lifelong registration on the sex offenders register.

Description

A sex offender shook his head in denial as he was jailed for eight years. Daniel Dixon, 34, raped a child as a teenager, forced another to watch explicit sex videos, and raped a second victim years later.

Dixon denied the offenses but was convicted after a trial at Teesside Crown Court, where Judge Joanne Kidd said the evidence against him "had been overwhelming."

In court statements, one victim described suffering suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression from the abuse. The second felt "ashamed, embarrassed and dirty."

Dixon, of Hartington Road in Stockton, was found guilty of rape, child rape, and causing a child to watch a sex act.

In mitigation, barrister Victoria Lamballe called Dixon a "victim of his upbringing," claiming he was physically and emotionally abused. "A boy who has grown up around domestic violence, has gone on to abuse himself," she said.

Judge Kidd told Dixon he had shown one victim "a highly disturbing video, to try and normalise what you were about to do. You forced yourself on [the victim]." She added that he had "continued to maintain his innocence and has a lot of work to do in custody, to make sure your attitude does not go with you throughout your adult life."

Dixon was sentenced to eight years, serving two-thirds before parole eligibility, plus a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Sergeant Claire McNeill of Cleveland Police said:

"The victims in this case suffered considerable trauma from what they went through, but I must commend their bravery in coming forward to report to police and I thank them for their support throughout our lengthy investigation.

"Dixon added to their stress and pain by continuing to deny what he had done but I’m relieved that a jury has now convicted him and that he’ll spend a considerable amount of time in prison. I do hope the victims share my relief and they can be further reassured that on his eventual release, Dixon will be subject to lifelong and strict conditions. We will be monitoring him closely and will take decisive action on any breaches."

Description

A sex offender failed to disclose his past conviction to a new partner living with her two children.

Michael Gill, 31, of Braeside in Edmondsley near Chester-le-Street, frequently stayed with the woman and had unsupervised contact with her children during their three-year relationship starting in 2022. Durham Crown Court, sitting at Teesside, heard he once joined them on a week-long camping holiday in Scotland.

The court learned that Gill, under Probation Service supervision for part of this time, failed to inform them or his police monitoring officer about the relationship—breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and sex offender notification requirements.

These stemmed from his 2020 conviction for attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming, for which he received a three-year community order in September 2020.

Prosecutor Martin Towers said when the partner learned of the conviction, Gill claimed he was "set up by a past partner," and she believed him, unaware it barred contact with her children. As a result, the children were removed from her care.

Gill admitted two SHPO breaches and three notification failures.

In her victim statement, she said from the moment he entered her life, she was "totally gullible" and fell for his lies. He lied about his identity, name, date of birth, and place of birth, claiming it was to "disguise his identity to society." He fed her stories of an abusive ex-partner that led to his self-harming.

Her main regret: not ending the relationship sooner. "I’m angry he took advantage of my trusting nature. He groomed me to get closer to my family," she added.

In mitigation, Albany Kidd said: "He understands he should have been much more open to the police and the Probation Service, from the outset, but he denies, wholeheartedly, entering into the relationship to get closer to her children."

After "meeting" on Facebook, he learned of the children later. "He accepts having stayed at her address but claims to have misunderstood the terms of the notification requirement."

While at her home, he may have been unsupervised in a room with the children, but she was in a neighboring room. "There’s no suggestion he’s abused his position in the household with the children."

He apologizes to her, realizes the impact on her family, and "never thought about the consequences of them being taken from her into care." A software engineer working from home, he has not sought another relationship since.

Judge Nathan Adams noted Gill's "flagrant disregard" for court orders, with no disclosure over three years. "When confronted you lied about your history and previous convictions. She was vulnerable and you convinced her these were lies of an ex-partner."

"It’s right to say there’s been no suggestion you had any sexual contact with either child, but that’s not the point. There were court orders in place and you flagrantly ignored them. When matters came to light these two girls were removed from their mother’s permanent care. She was placed in that position by you."

The judge imposed a 28-month prison sentence, with Gill to serve up to half in custody. He remains on the sex offender register, and his SHPO was extended five years in September.

Description

An inquiry has concluded that Neville Husband, an officer at the notorious Medomsley detention centre in County Durham, was "possibly the most prolific sex offender in British history."

Husband was jailed in 2003 for abusing five teenagers at the facility, where hundreds of young men aged 17-21 endured physical and sexual attacks by staff from 1961 to 1987. He died in 2010.

The report by Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Adrian Usher details missed opportunities by the Home Office, police, and prison managers to halt the abuse.

Durham Police and the Ministry of Justice have apologised, with the latter doing so "on behalf of all governments, past and present."

Inmates' complaints were dismissed, leaving them to report abuse to their assailants. The report calls it a "cautionary tale," warning that mistreatment of the vulnerable remains "still an issue" in youth custody.

Designed for "short, sharp, shock" sentences for low-level offenses, Medomsley saw endemic physical violence and summary punishments. Sexual assaults often occurred in the kitchen, where Husband raped inmates.

Chief Constable Rachel Bacon called the report "extremely difficult reading," exposing "shameful failings by police at that time." She added: "On behalf of Durham Constabulary I wish to publicly offer my sincerest apologies to those victims and their families for those failures. Thousands of young men were let down by the system and are continuing to live with the wounds left by that abuse. Those victims were, and remain, our primary concern."

Usher stated: "I have chosen to omit many of the most heinous details of... abuse but I believe it is necessary to include enough to make clear the extent of the horrors that some of those young men endured." He noted the "silence of many" enabled the abuse to persist undetected.

The report found:

• Police dismissed allegations without recording them and threatened inmates with return to Medomsley if they persisted.
• Leadership was either aware and complicit, or lacked curiosity and incompetent.
• Victims had never received a public apology; all bodies should "examine their organisational consciences."
• Two inmates' deaths in 1981-82 were "arguably avoidable."

Survivors like Peter Toole (sent in 1985) recalled: "You weren't even in for a minute and the abuse started. I just thought 'this is it, this is Medomsley, just get on with it and take it on the chin'."

Jimmy Coffey (sent in 1979 at 18) said: "For that first week I was there, I was just continually seeing violence and cruelty and spitefulness. I still have problems now with flashbacks."

The Ministry-ordered inquiry said Medomsley operated "effectively beyond the reach of the law" for 26 years. Besides Husband, storeman Leslie Johnson was jailed in 2005 for sexual assaults, and other guards for physical attacks and misconduct.

Labour Under-Secretary for Justice Jake Richards apologised in an open letter, pledging a panel to improve youth custody safeguarding. He said: "I want to recognise that none of this would have come to light without those who bravely came forward to report the abuse. Please be assured that ministers and government officials are taking this extremely seriously and we will put the voice of victims at the centre of our work moving forward. I know these words cannot change what has happened in the past, but I hope they demonstrate this government's determination to take proper action."

Description

A specialist child protection detective has joined a Judge in praising a young child for their bravery in speaking out about abuse they’d suffered, and for preventing the perpetrator from carrying out further harm to the victim or to other children.

Detective Sergeant Allan from our POLIT (Paedophile Online Investigation Team) spoke as 24-year-old Kane Povey received a 12-year sentence after pleading guilty to six offences half-way through his trial.  

Povey will serve 11 years in prison and one on licence.

An investigation into Povey began in October 2022 after police received a report of sexual assault and rape of a seven-year-old child. 

Cleveland Police immediately put safeguarding measures in place for the child and offered the victim and family further specialist support from local professional partner organisations.

Povey was arrested and interviewed but he denied the allegations however on receiving extensive evidence from police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised six charges against him.

These comprised three counts of rape of a child under 13 and three counts of causing or incident a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Povey continued to deny any wrongdoing and a trial began in September this year.  Mid-trial though, he changed his plea and admitted the six charges.

He was remanded in prison until his appearance at Teesside Crown Court for sentencing today.

As well as imprisonment, Povey will be placed on the sex offenders’ register, will be subject to a SHPO (sexual harm prevention order) for life and on his eventual release, he’ll be subject to strict conditions and monitoring by specialist police officers.

Detective Sergeant Allan said:

"Firstly I’d like to acknowledge the bravery of this young child for coming forward and having their voice heard and believed.  In doing so it allowed police to take immediate action to safeguard them and protect other children from Povey.

“Povey is a dangerous and predatory man who has caused this child untold struggles in their day-to-day life, but the child and their family have shown incredible bravery throughout the police and court process.

“I hope today’s result will bring a degree of comfort to them all and I wish them all the best in going forward.”

Description

A pervert was caught by paedophile hunters sending sexually explicit messages to decoys posing as children, a court heard.

Michael Parr, 41, encouraged the 'girls'—actually adults—to perform sex acts on themselves and sent a naked photo of himself.

Over nearly two months, he messaged decoys pretending to be 12 and 14-year-old girls.

Prosecutor Dan Wilberforce said the group handed messages to police after Parr's arrest. He noted Parr sent a 'how to guide' for sexual behavior and photos, plus a genital image to one decoy.

Parr, of Middleham Close, Ouston, Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to incite a child in sexual activity between September and October last year.

Defense lawyer Caroline McGurk said her client accepts punishment, but "his life has been blown apart and will never be the same again" after a violent attack injury led him to social media. She added: "When I read the messages to him, his embarrassment and shame were palpable." His offending cost his marriage, home, and job.

Judge Jonathan Carroll jailed Parr for 32 months for his "persistent and protracted" attempts.

He said:

"You had suffered an injury, you were at home suffering from a temporary disability, you were bored and you got involved in chat forums.

"You then ended up in communication with the first apparent child and the communication made it clear that she purported to be a 14-year-old. She was not a child; she was an adult putting herself online to catch people like you.

"You didn’t know you were dealing with an adult, you thought you were dealing with a child and the communication became sexual over an extended period of time."

Parr must sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Description

A Spennymoor paedophile asked a teenage girl for sex, suggesting they film it and "make a lot of money" by posting the video on OnlyFans.

Adam Fowler messaged the girl for nude pictures and paid her for explicit videos of her and her boyfriend.

When she rejected his request—after he said they could make a fortune posting it to OnlyFans—he grabbed her thigh and kissed her, Durham Crown Court heard.

Fowler had previously paid her “tens of pounds” for several videos she sent him.

The 36-year-old, of Lakeside Court in Spennymoor, appeared in court on Wednesday (October 22) for sentencing on 11 charges.

He admitted some in May and others more recently, after a trial date was set for January 2026.

The charges included six counts of making indecent images of a child, paying a child to engage in sexual activity, causing and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child, and causing a child to watch sexual activity.

The last charge involved a video sent to another girl after he performed a sex act on himself, with an aubergine emoji over his private parts.

Prosecutor Ian West said Fowler was arrested in 2022 and, after release under investigation, downloaded many indecent images later found on his devices.

He was interviewed three times—in April 2022, and February and September last year—declining to answer questions each time.

Defence barrister Johnny Walker said since his "decision of good sense" to plead guilty, Fowler has been remanded in custody for the first time.

“He’s a man of previous good character, an industrious, hard-working man, who is now experiencing custody for the first time at the age of 36.

“He is profoundly aware of the impact on both girls, and, through me, wants to send his heartfelt apologies for the damage he has caused.”

Judge Deborah Sherwin noted a “significant” age difference between Fowler and the two complainants, who were exposed to things they should not have been at their ages.

She highlighted “opportunism” on his part and the “significance” that many indecent images were downloaded after his 2022 release under investigation.

She jailed him for six years and four months.

Fowler must sign the sex offenders' register and face internet restrictions under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Ten-year restraining orders prohibit him from contacting or approaching either victim.

Judge Sherwin warned that future sexual offences could deem him a “dangerous offender,” leading to lengthier sentences.

Deprivation orders were made for all devices containing the offending material.

Description

A trans child rapist bombarded a probation officer with threatening phone calls from jail, vowing to knife "a load of men", a court heard.

Marcia Walker, 51, made the calls from Frankland Prison—a top-security men's jail in Durham—where she is held as too dangerous for a women's facility. Inmates there include Soham killer Ian Huntley, ex-cop Wayne Couzens, and Milly Dowler murderer Levi Bellfield.

She left four voicemails threatening to "get a knife", adding to her history of threats: placing a nail bomb under a governor's car and having him shot; using an intercom to claim a bomb would detonate in the staff car park; sending a letter claiming she had bombed Theresa May as Home Secretary; attacking a prison guard; and threatening to kill another when her razors were confiscated, preventing shaving.

Walker, previously Mark Walker and jailed for 13 years in 2003 for raping two girls (one aged four), is legally female but barred from women's prisons due to her sex conviction.

She admitted sending a communication threatening death or serious harm and was jailed for nine months by Teesside JPs.

Walker is segregated at Frankland, with male prisoners locked in cells for 45 minutes while she washes and eats alone.

A source previously told The Sun:

“There is a lot of anger at the jail but it’s a Catch-22 situation.

“She has to be treated as a woman but cannot be moved to a female prison because she poses a risk. And, as she’s legally a woman, she must be kept apart from male inmates.”

Description

A 19-year-old teenager was caught on CCTV performing a sex act involving a metal rocking horse and a tree branch at Burn Valley Park in Hartlepool last October.

Two camera operators witnessed Callum Green committing the act live and alerted police, who arrested him on Rydal Street.

Green, of Alston Street, admitted criminal damage to the playground but denied outraging public decency.

At Teesside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (October 15), it was heard that the rocking horse "required professional cleaning" after the early-morning incident.

Defense lawyer Tyler Plunkett agreed with the facts but argued the outraging charge didn't apply, as it wasn't in front of at least two public members.

Prosecutor Anne Mitchell countered: "It is the Crown’s case that both [CCTV operators] were witnessing the events in live CCTV."

District Judge Helen Cousins, addressing Green—who wore a light blue suit and tie—called the incident "unedifying to say the least."

She ruled: "I take the view that time has moved on and watching on a live feed does amount to being present. I therefore reject the submissions and find the case proved."

Noting Green as a "very young man," she ordered a pre-sentence report, adding: "All options are open so far as sentencing is concerned. I want to know more about you, what motivated these offences and what I can do about it."

Green was granted conditional bail, barring him from Burn Valley Gardens or any recreational playground in Cleveland, with sentencing set for November 14.

Description

A man who tried to rape a teenager as she walked through a park has been given a 14-year extended prison sentence.

Malcolm Clixby attacked the girl in South Park, in Darlington, at around 4.50pm on November 2 last year.

The 43-year-old followed the teenager as she walked to a party before grabbing her from behind and trying to rape her.

She managed to bite Clixby’s hand several times, which caused him to let go of her, and she ran to a nearby petrol station for help.

Police were called and a search for the suspect was launched, while officers safeguarded the young woman.

Later that evening, just before 8pm, Clixby attended Darlington Police Station to hand himself in.

Before being placed in cuffs, he told officers: “I want to report an incident I have done – I groped somebody in South Park and attempted to rape her.”

Clixby, of Darlington, was questioned by detectives and later charged with attempted rape and sexual assault.

He admitted sexual assault, but denied attempted rape. However, a jury sitting at Durham Crown Court found him guilty of the offence following a trial.

Clixby appeared back at court today (October 9) where he received a 14-year extended sentence, comprising of eight years in prison and six years on extended licence.

In a victim impact statement, the young woman said:

“This incident has affected me in a lot of ways – in the first month I couldn’t leave the house and I didn’t go to college or work, so it has affected my career.

“It has had a massive impact on my social life – I was so anxious about going out so I stopped going out with my friends.

“It stopped me sleeping – I had really bad, vivid dreams about what happened that night.

“The biggest impact this has had on me is the fact that it caused me to have such bad anxiety. This was something I never suffered with before this incident, and it has impacted my future studying. I have decided to take a gap year from university because, although I am getting better, I do not feel as though at the minute I could deal with the stresses from this, so it has been postponed.”

Detective Constable Subhaan Ali, of Darlington CID, led the investigation. He said:

“Firstly, I want to commend the bravery and resilience of the survivor, who has shown incredible courage in reporting her ordeal to police and seeing the case through to court.

“Every step of the way, she has been determined to support our investigation and has done everything she can to help secure a conviction and get the justice she deserves.

“Clixby deliberately and opportunistically targeted the girl as she walked alone to a party – he turned what should have been an enjoyable evening with friends into a horrific nightmare that will have a significant and profound impact on her for many years to come.

“He clearly poses a significant risk to lone women and girls, so I am pleased to see him receive a substantial prison sentence.

“I can only hope that the survivor and her family can take some comfort from this sentence imposed and that she is able to move forward with her life again.”

Description

A rapist who twice ignored a woman's pleas to stop her ordeal has been jailed for eight years.

Martin Hume refused to heed the victim's requests to end the assaults, during which she was in pain. Durham Crown Court heard she quickly made clear she did not want any sexual activity.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said in one instance, realizing he would not listen, she lay motionless as the attack continued.

Hume, 34, of Gloucester Place, Peterlee, denied two rape charges but was convicted by a jury on the fourth day of his August trial.

He appeared for sentencing via video link from HMP Durham, where he has been held since the August 21 verdicts.

The victim, with a family member, read her impact statement, telling Hume: “You have ruined me,” and describing her experiences as like “living in hell.”

She said she feared encountering him publicly before his conviction, sometimes entering a “state of panic” when out, and has undergone counselling for her “emotional distress.” But she added she is glad she had the courage to “speak up,” concluding: “The last thing I want to say is: ‘No means no’.”

Defense counsel Dan Cordey said in mitigation: “He accepts he will receive a custodial sentence of some length today. He was tried as a man of good character and is now facing his first custodial sentence. He had no experience of custody whatsoever.”

Cordey noted the trained welder has earned “trusted prisoner” status on remand and become a wing cleaner.

Judge Jo Kidd ordered Hume to serve two-thirds of the sentence before license eligibility. He faces an indefinite restraining order barring contact with the victim and must register as a sex offender “until further order.”

Description

A 'deeply disturbed' man who raped three women has been jailed for his 'heinous' crimes.

Christopher Bell, also known as Christopher Ward, 33, of Maple Grove, Sedgefield, admitted the offences on the second day of his trial last month. However, a judge called it "deeply disturbing" that he later told Probation workers he did not think anything he did was wrong.

Bell appeared at Durham Crown Court for sentencing on six counts of rape, one of strangulation, and one of assault by penetration. He pleaded guilty after two victims had testified, with the third waiting to do so. Other charges were left on file.

All three victims attended court on Friday (September 26) to deliver impact statements. One, a teenager at the time of the offences, said she is now “an empty shell” compared to her former bubbly self, feeling "heartbroken" daily and suffering insomnia, nightmares, depression, and PTSD.

Another described being consumed by paranoia, unable to sleep due to flashbacks. The third, strangled during rape, said she felt like she was going to die at his hands.

Prosecutor Jane Waugh noted the “heinous sexual offences,” with those against the third victim occurring while Bell was under investigation for the first two.

Defence counsel David Callan said Bell left school with qualifications, attended agricultural college, worked as a landscape gardener and with horses, and has “a strong work ethic” and previous good character. Remanded for over seven months, he has taken religious instructions from a Roman Catholic priest and plans to enter a religious order post-sentence.

Judge Nathan Adams said Bell's guilty pleas came “about as late as they could be,” after maintaining innocence until trial began. He found it “deeply disturbing” that Bell told the Probation pre-sentence report author he “didn’t consider anything he did was wrong,” adding: “It clearly shows you are a deeply disturbed individual.”

The judge imposed eight-year consecutive sentences for offences against each victim, totalling 24 years, followed by three years' licence supervision. Bell must serve at least 16 years before parole eligibility, possibly the full 24. He must sign the sex offender register for life and is subject to a 30-year restraining order barring contact with victims.

Description

A child rapist has been jailed for 29 years after boasting to a police officer. 

In May this year, Jaifar Trigwell began talking to who he believed was another paedophile online. He bragged about abusing and raping a child and also videoed some of the acts and went on to propose to exchange them with the officer. 

The abuse which occurred between 2023 and 2025 ended abruptly with the 42-year-old’s arrest. 

Jaifar Trigwell denied the allegations whilst in interview and stated he lost his phone at the time of the online conversations however he later pleaded guilty to four counts of rape of a child, two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and four counts relating to indecent images. 

Trigwell, of Darlington, appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday (September 15) where he was jailed for 29 years. He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life, issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim. 

Detective Constable Amie Thornton, from Darlington Safeguarding Unit, said:

“The abuse suffered by the child will have a significant and profound impact on them for many years to come. 

"I would like to praise the amazing courage shown by the victim and officers working on the investigation which ultimately led to Trigwell having no choice but to admit the offences and plead guilty. 

“We are constantly working with specialist officers to monitor, expose, and jail similar sexual abusers like Trigwell.”