Latest Offenders Durham

Description

A "risk-taking" voyeur covertly filmed two women in the bath or showering on separate occasions, in one case after entering the victim’s home as a trespasser.

But when Paul Shields tried to repeat the act, the second woman being filmed, with whom he had an “infatuation”, realised a camera phone was being pointed at her from above the bathroom door.

Durham Crown Court was told she shouted at the intruder and the defendant fled, retreating by the way he entered her home, via a landing window and across roofing.

The woman, who had previously been subject of inappropriate remarks by Shields and the recipient of unwanted presents, one of them a vibrator, informed police and the defendant was arrested later that day.

When interviewed, he said he had seen the woman’s bathroom light going on, at 6.20am that day, February 24, and “on impulse” climbed onto her garage roof and into her home, setting his phone to record.

But when she shouted, he said he, “came to his senses” and left.

He told police he had not viewed any footage he might have captured of the woman in the shower and deleted it from his phone, adding that he was “appalled” at what he had done.

Philip Morley, prosecuting, said subsequent police inquiries revealed this had not been an isolated incident.

It emerged that four months earlier he had also sneaked into the same woman's home and did something similar, but on that occasion without being spotted.

Police discovered it by seizing his mobile phone and finding a video of the same woman in the shower.

She confirmed she was completely unaware any footage had been taken on that occasion, in October last year, which was also at about 6.25am.

Mr Morley said in her statement to police, the shocked victim said she was “sickened” after the discovery of the previous footage, of which she had been unaware.

She said she was worried what his motives were as to what he may have done with that footage.

The victim said she was also concerned how many times he had trespassed into her home to carry out, “such a disgusting and intrusive act”.

Mr Morley said examination of the defendant’s computer hard drive revealed there had been a second victim.

A folder was found with another woman’s first name on, followed by five stars.

It was found to contain 20 videos of another woman in the bath or shower.

That victim was identified, and, when informed, she was horrified to be told of the police discovery.

When interviewed about the package of footage from the computer folder the defendant gave police a prepared statement confessing to having, “an interest in voyeurism”, but he initially claimed the footage was taken with the victim’s consent.

Mr Morley said given the woman’s shocked reaction, “that was clearly not the case at all”.

In her victim statement she said she felt "devastated" any man could have done this and feared it would have a huge impact on her mental health, but she added that despite the “great shock”, she would, “fight it”.

The 55-year-old defendant, of Blencathra Way, Chester-le-Street, admitted one count of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and 21 of voyeurism, offences committed in Bowburn and Darlington.

Robin Turton, for Shields, said he has nothing similar on his record, and the only other matters were unrelated and of some age.

Mr Turton said the defendant has struggled for most of his life with his mental health and since committing the offences, assessments have pinpointed potential disorders, including ADHD, which may have played a part in his offending.

The defendant has also sought assistance from a charity dealing with sex offenders to address his offending, work he is keen to continue, outlining the remorse he feels.

Despite his issues, Mr Turton said the defendant has held down a good job, which would be at risk if he was to be jailed.

He added: “This is a man for whom there’s a realistic prospect of rehabilitation with the appropriate support network, so he can put this behind him.

“I would argue that notwithstanding these shameful offences, he is someone who can be sentenced in a constructive way rather than with a custodial sentence.”

But Recorder Andrew Dallas said the defendant had admitted 21 separate cases of voyeuristic activity, which he described as, “extraordinary and worrying behaviour”, which both his unwary victims found, “extremely upsetting and shocking”.

Recorder Dallas told the defendant he displayed, “extraordinary risk taking”, on more than one occasion, “to satisfy your sexual interest in voyeurism”.

The Recorder said it was “concerning” the level of risk the defendant was prepared to take in such circumstances and after being arrested it soon emerged it was not, “a one-off.”

He told Shields: “I take  the view it’s too serious for anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.”

Imposing a three-year sentence, he made Shields subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining orders relating to both women, indefinitely.

Shields will also be subject to notification as a sex offender, also for life.

Forfeiture and destruction was also ordered for the seized phone and the computer hard drive on which the offending material was recovered by police.

Description

A man who repeatedly abused a young girl, treating her, in her words, as, “a sex toy”, was today (Tuesday, October 15) sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.

Allan Spacey committed the offences on a victim who a judge said he knew was, “young, naïve and vulnerable”, at the time.

But Durham Crown Court heard that despite being convicted of the offending, following a trial in August, the 68-year-old defendant of The Crescent, High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, remains in denial.

The court was told the victim felt alone in the world and self-harmed as well as attempting to take her own life twice, in the wake of the abuse.

But she eventually disclosed what had happened to her at Spacey’s hands and it led to the defendant being charged with six counts of sexual assault, one accounting for multiple offences.

Emma Dowling, prosecuting, said after the police became involved, Spacey sent the girl numerous messages.

He went on trial at the court on August 19 and, following a week-long hearing, was found guilty on all six counts by the jury, including some of sexual assault on a girl under 13.

Today’s sentencing hearing was read an impact statement by the victim who said she still struggles to believe what Spacey did to her and what he took from her, having put her, “through hell.”

Labelling her abuser as, "weak and pathetic", she said: “I want to protect other young girls and show them what Alan Spacey is.”

She said she was, “young and naïve” at the time and that Spacey knew how vulnerable she was.

“How can you blame a child for her own sexual assault,” she stated, and she said she fears the effects of Spacey's abuse will live with her for the rest of her life.

But she said his “sick perversions” have made her strong, and, following his conviction, she now feels, “on her way to better days.”

The court heard Spacey has 12 convictions for 38 past offences, but those are relatively old and unrelated to the present matter.

Robert Mochrie, in mitigation, said there was little he could say on his client’s behalf, as, “unhappily he still denies this was the correct verdict.”

But he said the defendant accepts, in the light of that verdict, that the judge must perform her public duty and pass an appropriate sentence.

“He is, of course, 68 and any sentence will take him into old age.

“As there are multiple offences, I ask you take into account totality.”

Mr Mochrie added: “As he will be an elderly gentleman when released you might be able to temper sentence slightly to take account of that.”

Judge Sarah Mallett quoted the victim in describing the defendant having treated her, “like a sex toy,” and having put her, “through hell”.

The judge told Spacey: “You knew how young, naïve and vulnerable she was.

“At the time she was self-harming and tried to commit suicide twice.

“Despite everything she has endured, however, she has matured and is an impressive young woman.”

The judge said the defendant has had, “a strong work ethic”, through his life and she bore in mind his age, but she noted, “there was an absence of guilty pleas in this case.”

Imposing the 15-year sentence, Judge Mallett said Spacey would have to serve at least two-thirds before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

Upon completion of the sentence, he will also have to serve an additional year the subject of licence supervision.

Other aspects of the sentence mean he will be barred from ever working with children and will not be allowed unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, by way of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Spacey will also be subject to notification requirements by way of registration as a sex offender, again indefinitely.

A lifetime restraining order prevents him for ever contacting or approaching his victim.

Description

The full extent of a paedophile’s sickening child and animal abuse interest emerged after he was jailed for offences including voyeurism, earlier this year, a court heard.

Cameron Greaves, now 21, received a total prison sentence of 18 months at Durham Crown Court, in May, after he admitted two counts of voyeurism plus possession of indecent imagers of children and extreme pornography.

The lead offences at that hearing were considered to be those of voyeurism, the covert filming of two boys doing private acts against their knowledge by Greaves, with the other offences relating to 16 indecent images of children and an unspecified number of extreme pornographic images.

Just a few months into his term of imprisonment, Greaves appeared again for sentence before the court, this time via video link from HMP Northumberland, where he is serving the jail term imposed in May.

Charlie Thompson, prosecuting, told the latest hearing that Greaves now falls to be sentenced after new charges were brought once the full contents of devices seized from him by police, in April, emerged.

The defendant, from Crook, admitted three new charges of making incident photographs of children and four of possessing extreme pornography when the case went before magistrates, in June.

It was sent to the crown court for sentence.

Mr Thompson said the new charges related to a far greater number of images, about 1,500 featuring indecent child material, 98 classed as extreme pornography and 54 prohibited images of children, in cartoon or CGI format, some stills but many of them videos.

Much of the offending material, particularly the images and videos featuring animals, were said to be of a sadistic nature featuring gross acts of cruelty and torture, while the child abuse images featured very young children, some in discernible distress.

Mr Thompson said Greaves had traded in the images, requesting, “the harder the better” from one like-minded individual with whom he communicated online.

Greaves had sought to buy some of the animal abuse material which originated from a now jailed British zoologist in Australia.

Cole Cockburn, for Greaves, said the images were gathered during the period covering the original conviction, offences dating back to a time when the defendant was aged 19, and of previous good character.

Mr Cockburn said the offending stemmed from the defendant’s addiction to pornography.

He said the harsh conditions his client has endured serving his prison sentence have exemplified the defendant’s, “on-going shame and deep regret.”

Mr Cockburn said: “He desires to leave prison as a man who can put this all behind him.

“He was well-liked before he went to prison and has made it clear when he does leave prison, he will do so with a deep-rooted desire not to return.”

Judge Nathan Adams told Greaves: “This is effectively the second part of a sentencing exercise started by Judge Kidd, in May.

“It appears for the previous two years you have been accumulating an extremely high-level of illegal material, including images featuring the abuse of children as young as one or two, just horrific conduct.”

He said the extreme images feature more than 70 videos of animals being, “tortured, mutilated and killed.”

Judge Adams said the officer overseeing the investigation described it as some of the most disturbing material he has had to view as part of his professional duties.

He said people like the defendant prepared to seek out and pay for material featuring such “horrific conduct” only encourage the making of more images of child abuse and sadism to animals.

Imposing a 28-month total sentence, it adds a further ten months onto the prison term passed on Greaves in May.

He also ordered deprivation of all the images and videos, plus the devices seized by police during their inquiry.

Greaves is already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both for ten years, arising from his sentence in May.

But he was told the ten-year notification requirement period will now start afresh.

Detective Constable Liam Padget, of Durham Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said the force’s digital investigation unit launched an operation in June 2023 after it identified Greaves as having control of a Google account onto which indecent images of children were uploaded.

Greaves’ devices were seized immediately and upon examination, it was found he was in possession of a large quantity of extreme pornography, plus more than 1,500 images and videos featuring child abuse.

As a result, he was further arrested for these offences and brought into custody.

He was interviewed and later charged with possession of extreme pornographic images, possession of indecent images of a child, making indecent images of a child and voyeurism.

Det Con Padget said: "Following an in-depth investigation we can see Cameron Greaves has very deep-rooted sexual perversions, which included possessing disgusting child abuse images and images involving animals, even going to the lengths of recording others without their knowledge.”

He added: “Hopefully the sentence passed will deter others from sharing in children's misery".

Description

A sex offender who abused a young boy and left him feeling like he had "no hope or future" has died behind bars.

Former soldier Malcolm Burwood subjected his young and "frightened" child victim to horrific sex attacks and left him so "haunted" he tried to take his own life. A court heard the youngster had been threatened to keep quiet about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Burwood, from Houghton-le-Spring.

But half a century later, in March 2019, Burwood was jailed for 12 years after being convicted of four sex offences. He was also made to sign the sex offenders register for life.

During the sentencing, Burwood's victim told Newcastle Crown Court: "I clearly remember being a very frightened child. This has haunted me, it has blighted my life." He added: "I have felt there is no hope or future. It is like a storm inside of me."

The court heard Burwood, who was 79 at the time he was jailed, had a "catalogue" of medical problems, including obstructive airways disease, renal failure and hearing loss. He also had a wife who was seriously ill in hospital.

The judge told him: "Prison is going to be harder for you to endure than a young and fit man but the central argument is, had you gone to the police at the time of this offending, you would have served your prison sentence when you were young and fit."

A Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) report published this month confirmed that Burwood died of prostate cancer on April 7, 2024. At an inquest on May 30, the coroner concluded Burwood died of natural causes.

Description

A man arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexualised online chat with an underage girl committed numerous similar offences when released under investigation.

In each case, however, defendant John Paul Williamson was unaware the “girl” with whom he believed he was exchanging messages, was, in reality, a police decoy.

Durham Crown Court heard that he swapped messages with what he thought to be a 12-year-old girl, on a profile going under the name ‘Holly’, on a chat app in late March, 2022.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said Williamson introduced himself as a 26-year-old man, his age at the time, and from the outset was told Holly was only 12.

Mr Newcombe said following a couple of introductory remarks in which he asked her to send him images of herself, the defendant soon moved the conversation on to sexual matters.

He sent sexualised pictures of himself and asked her if she liked older men.

Mr Newcombe said the defendant told her not to be shy and sent her explicit photos of himself asking if she liked them and would she like to see more.

Although Holly gave only innocent answers, Williamson persisted and sent her five further requests for pictures.

He was arrested and interviewed in April 2022, but gave no comment and was released, only to commit further similar offences.

Mr Newcombe said the defendant became involved in similar chat room exchanges involving three other “girls”, supposedly all aged 13, in which he suggested they should engage in sexual activity, repeatedly asking them to send him photos.

When he was re-arrested, in January 2023, he denied using the chat room app and blamed the offences on a named cousin, who, it emerged did not exist, so it was all an invention as a cover story for himself.

Mr Newcombe said police also discovered indecent images of children on devices in Williamson’s possession, including 71 in the most serious category, both stills and moving.

These featured children as young as five being abused by adults, while there were also two images classed as extreme pornography, showing scenes of bestiality.

Williamson, now 28, of Pine Avenue, Durham, admitted four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three of possessing indecent images of a child and two of possession of extreme pornography.

He also asked for 20 further charges of attempted sexual communication with a child to be taken into consideration.

Mr Newcombe said in each of those cases they were police officers posing as underage girls on chat apps.

He said the aggravating features of the case was the attempt to solicit images of the children he believed he was communicating with, his “persistence”, particularly post his first arrest.

“So, despite police having spoken to him about similar behaviour, he just carried on doing exactly the same.”

Robin Patton, for Williamson, said whatever sentence the defendant serves, his life, post-release, will no longer be the same due to the scrutiny he will be placed under, with his online behaviour monitored by the sex offenders’ management unit and the Probation Service.

“He’s now 28, of previous good character and with a job until he was remanded into custody, where he has spent the last six months.

“During all of this offending he never, actually, met a child.

“He’s a sad and inadequate figure according to the Probation Service.

“When released he will still be the same due to a deep-seated sense of inadequacy.

“But he will be monitored upon his release.”

Judge Geoffrey Marson told the defendant he committed, “a catalogue of persistent and serious offending", even though no real child was harmed by him.

“But, at the time, you believed these girls existed and were aged 12 or 13.

“It’s perfectly clear you have a sexual interest in children, which, at the moment, you are unable to control.

“You also have a propensity to possess extreme pornographic images and others of children.”

The judge said the attempts to sexually communicate with what he believed to be children were, “among the worst I have ever come across.”

He added: “To make matters worse, you were arrested in April 2022 and then offended again from November 2022, committing a further catalogue of similar offending.”

Imposing a total three-year prison sentence, Judge Marson told Williamson he will spend up to half in custody before being released on licence.

The judge also made the defendant subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both, “without limit of time.”

He also made a forfeiture and destruction order for the devices seized from the defendant during the investigation.

Description

A sex offender who groomed a young boy and sent him photos and videos of naked men has been jailed.

Martyn Fryatt groomed the child over the course of a year, sending him sexually explicit messages and images and videos of naked men and young boys. The 71-year-old repeatedly told the boy to delete the photos so that his parents wouldn’t find them.

Fryatt, a former Christian missionary, was arrested after the boy’s mum discovered the images and messages on her son’s phone and called the police. The phone was analysed by specialist officers who uncovered numerous sexually inappropriate WhatsApp messages that had been sent by Fryatt, along with images and videos of men and young boys exposing themselves.

Fryatt, of Burnopfield, was charged with several offences, including making indecent images of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child, and engaging in sexual communication with a child. He admitted the charges and appeared at Durham Crown Court on August 20 where he was jailed for a year and two months.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offender register, both for ten years.

Description

A taxi driver took advantage of a female passenger's drunken condition, going on a “detour” to rape her in a secluded cemetery car park before dropping her at home.

The heavily intoxicated woman was put in the taxi by a friend, following a night out to celebrate a birthday, with the driver David Greaves given the instruction to take her straight home.

Durham Crown Court heard that a trip which should have taken between five and ten minutes lasted almost an hour before the passenger, oblivious to what had taken place on the journey, was dropped at home and helped to bed by a family member.

On waking the following morning, she had little recollection of the events of the previous night, but, due to internal soreness, she began to have her suspicions.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said she was terrified she had been taken advantage of by the taxi driver on the journey home.

Greaves was contacted and accepted having had sexual intercourse with the woman.

Horrified at the thought, the woman contacted the police and, when arrested and interviewed, Greaves again confirmed having had sex with her on the journey to her home.

Mr Cleasby said he gave police, “an account of a long-running sexual encounter, going into graphic details, minimising her level of drunkenness”.

He said Greaves' version of events suggested the woman was, an “enthusiastic” participant in the sexual activity.

The now 42-year-old defendant, of Wansbeck Close, Spennymoor, was charged with rape and denied the allegation, maintaining his account that it was a consensual encounter.

Following a five-day trial at the court, in late May, he was convicted on the jury verdict.

He was remanded in custody pending preparation of a background probation report prior to sentence being passed, at the court on Thursday (July 11).

Mr Cleasby told the sentencing hearing the defendant had taken advantage of the victim’s, “extremely vulnerable state”.

He said: “It was a protracted incident with a degree of planning, driving her to a car park of a secluded cemetery to carry out the attack.”

Mr Cleasby said it was an “abuse of trust”, with a significant degree of planning, awaiting the opportunity to carry out a sexual attack.

He then read the victim’s impact statement in which she said the incident had, “changed my life forever”.

She said she had gone through periods of self-loathing and disgust, low confidence and esteem, as well as suffering panic attacks and depression and being hyper-vigilant, “seeing danger everywhere,” with major trust issues.

The court heard she has also suffered from severe migraines and turned to alcohol more than usual to try to cope.

But she has also struggled to sleep and when she does, she is prone to having nightmares.

Stuart Duke, in mitigation, told the court the position of the defendant remains the same, maintaining his innocence.

“But he accepts he was convicted by the jury and will receive a significant term of imprisonment.

“He regards his life as effectively over and is very pessimistic about his future.

“He has no previous convictions and has never been to prison before.

“He’s found his time as a vulnerable prisoner extremely distressing and difficult.

“It will be many years before he will be at liberty.”

Mr Duke said despite his lack of past convictions, the defendant was classed as, “a dangerous offender” by the author of the Probation Service report.

Judge Jo Kidd told Greaves: “I take the view that you continue to hold a thoroughly delusional and incorrect view of the predatory rape you carried out on the victim in this case.”

She said he would have been aware of the victim’s vulnerabilities at the time of the pick-up.

“They couldn’t have been more obvious to you.

“You drove her to a secluded area some distance from her home.

“No one will ever know what you did to her when she was in that secluded, dark area, in that taxi with you.

“It’s an understandable source of trauma to your victim.”

The judge said Greaves, “took no account, whatsoever, of her bodily autonomy and her right to choose with who and when and where she would engage in sexual activity.

“Your delusional attitude continues to be disturbing.

“The way you described that sexual activity seemed to contain elements of relish, enjoying the description.

“Understandably, the probation report author’s view is that you pose a danger despite having no previous convictions.

“There was an element of abduction and this was a sustained incident.

“The victim was particularly vulnerable and has endured severe psychological harm.”

Judge Kidd, therefore, imposed an extended sentence of 15 years, with a 12-year custodial element, to be followed by a three-year licence period.

She told Greaves he must serve at least two-thirds of the custodial period, eight years, before being eligible for consideration for release by the Parole Board.

Judge Kidd also made the defendant subject to an unlimited restraining order, prohibiting him from ever contacting or approaching his victim.

He will also be subject to notification as a sex offender for an unlimited period and entered on the barring list from ever working with children or vulnerable adults.

Judge Kidd said she did not feel it necessary to impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, the terms of which would have sought to ban him from driving taxis in future, as, by way of his conviction, he will not be permitted to hold a licence for such work in future.

Having told the defendant to return to his wing to begin serving his sentence, Judge Kidd thanked the victim and her family for the “dignity and courage” they have shown during the court proceedings.

Description

A child rapist has been jailed years after abusing a youngster.

Stewart Tuck, 24, carried out attacks on his victim when he was a child at secondary school himself. Tuck's victim reported him to the police years later, after finding out the abuser had committed another sex crime. Teesside Crown Court heard that Tuck was caught with an indecent image of a toddler by a person who had access to his phone, in 2022.

He was reported to the police and as Tuck faced court, his previous victim heard what was happening and came forward.

Tuck, of Wheatley Road in Stockton, pleaded guilty to nine historic sexual offences.

• Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
• Two counts of rape of a child under 13
• Causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

Tuck also admitted to his more recent offence of taking indecent photos of a child.

Judge Jonathan Carroll told him: "The discovery of your adult offending was the trigger for your first victim to come forward. You remain a significant risk of casing serious harm, by committing further offences."

The judge handed Tuck an extended sentence, totalling seven-years-nine-months. He was jailed for four-years-and-nine-months; and he will be under an extended licence for three-years, after he is released from prison. He must serve two-thirds of the prison term, before he is eligible for release. He was made the subject of a restraining order. As a registered sex offender, he must register his address with the police, for the rest of his life.

Description

A rapist who left his victim living in fear has been jailed for nine years.

Anthony Hamilton attacked the woman at her home in 2021, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Hamilton, 39, of Scholars View in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, had denied offences including rape, but was convicted by jurors.

At his sentencing hearing, he maintained the sexual contact was consensual, but Recorder Thomas Moran said Hamilton's victim had "submitted" to him as she was "terrified" of him.

The judge said Hamilton, who represented himself at the sentencing while appearing via video link from HMP Hull, focused on his sense of injustice.

He said Hamilton "painted a very vivid picture of an emotionally unstable" and "self-pitying" man who claimed he had "lost everything".

Mr Recorder Moran said Hamilton's offending had had a profound affect on his victim.

Hamilton must also sign the sex offender's register for life.

Description

A police worker sent an explicit photo of himself to a 'teenage girl' he met online.

Matthew Bowers made explicit sexual comments and encouraged the girl to perform a sex act, during a conversation on Snapchat. Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that the girl was actually a decoy.

Bowers, who works for North Yorkshire Police, gave sexual instructions to 'Jazz' who let him know she was 13. The 30-year-old gave himself a false name during the chat, and pretended to be younger than he is, the Middlesbrough court heard. The two met on Rambo Chat, but quickly moved the conversation to Snapchat.

Bowers, of Amberley Grove in Darlington, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child. Chris Baker, mitigating, told the court that his client had been in the navy for eight years, before he started working in IT for the force. Mr Baker added that Bowers' family are standing by him.

Judge Howard Crowson told Bowers: "You thought you were talking to a 13 year-old girl, who had been expressing ignorance about sexual matters. The person you were speaking to was an adult - he was a decoy."

The judge jailed Bowers for 28-months. He was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16.

The order also imposes restrictions on Bowers' online use - he is banned from using virtual private networks; private browsing and cleaning software. He must declare use of remote storage or clouds to the police within three days. Bowers was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements, for the next 10 years.

Description

A dad who discovered that his young daughter had been sent sexual messages online was living "every parent's nightmare".

The parent discovered the highly explicit messages from John Barker, 33, which had been sent to his primary-school aged child earlier this year. The victim had not known Barker before he contacted her.

After contacting police, Barker was arrested and granted bail. But as police investigated, he then went back online and contacted another 'child's' profile, and tried to get them to take part in sex acts with him online.

However, Barker was actually talking to an adult who had set up a fake profile, as part of a child protection group's efforts to catch paedophiles. Barker, who is now of no fixed address but formerly of North Lodge Terrace in Darlington, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child; inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; and two counts of making indecent photos of a child.

On Friday, he stood in the dock at Teesside Crown Court as Judge Jonathan Carroll told him: "A dad found what is every parent's nightmare - that his young daughter had engaged in sexual communication with an unknown male.

"It's the adult world's responsibility to protect and care for our children. The internet and social media is becoming the hunting ground of people like you, who see children as easy sexual targets to be exploited.

"It was abundantly clear that she was young. It is clear that you were seeking to go down exactly the same path with the second user as you did with the child victim."

Barker was jailed for 53 months. He will serve half of the sentence, before he is released on licence. He was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, and he will sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

Description

A predatory sex offender has been jailed for abusing a teenager and downloading more than 100 child sex abuse images.

Christopher Grundy, posting as Boylover44, was caught by an undercover police officer posing as a pervert with similar sexual interests.

The 52-year-old asked the officer to move onto an encrypted messaging service before sharing sickening descriptions of his sexual proclivities with him.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Grundy went on to sexually abuse a vulnerable 17-year-old while he was already on bail for downloading the child abuse images.

Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said a further check of the defendant’s mobile phone recovered further child sex abuse images.

She said police officers also recovered extracts of conversations with other like-minded people where Grundy spoke off his sexual desires and asked for indecent images of children.

“During these chats he demonstrates a sexual interest in children,” she said.

In an impact statement made by the teenage victim, he spoke of how the assaults affected his mental health after Grundy informed other teenagers that he was lying about what had happened to him.

The defendant had claimed to police officers that he had been searching the internet for child abuse in an attempt to track down a person he alleged had sexually assaulted a relative.

Grundy, of Darlington, pleaded guilty to six charges of downloading child abuse images and one charge of downloading an extreme pornographic image involving an animal.

He was found guilty of three charges of sexual assault after he attacked on the teenager between October 28 and 31 last year following a trial.

The judge heard how the defendant had a previous conviction for sexual assault on a teenage boy dating back to the late 90s.

Dr Christopher Wood, representing Grundy, said the father-of-one was on lifelong medication to treat HIV and pointed out that his pre-sentence report had highlighted areas where work could be done with his client.

Judge Richard Bennett branded Grundy’s behaviour as ‘predatory’ as he jailed him for a total of five years for all offences.

“You were much older and he was encountering a number of difficulties in their life,” he said.

“You were aware of that and you were aware that he had a difficult relationship with his mother.

“It is clear that you were sexually attracted to him and used their vulnerability to your advantage.”

Grundy was issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life as well as being made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Bennett added: “In a cynical attempt to get your defence in first, you spread lies about the victim among other teenagers, which resulted in him being threatened.

“I was able to observe the aggressive and angry side of your character when you were giving evidence – you have a short temper.”

Description

A sex offender who served a lengthy prison sentence for repeatedly raping a young girl is now back behind bars for similar historic offences on a boy.

John Patrick Harrop, then 25, and from Darlington, received an indefinite prison sentence for public protection at Teesside Crown Court, in 2012, after admitting six specimen counts of rape and two of sexual assault on a girl under 13.

The judge passing sentence branded him as posing “a very high risk of sexual and emotional harm” to young vulnerable males and females.

That sentence was subsequently varied on appeal to one of ten years, with eight years’ extended licence period.

Durham Crown Court was told he was released from that sentence at the mid-point in the custodial element, and subsequently performed well under probation licence supervision with his risk factor to children lowered to “medium”, as he was said to have since been “re-integrated” into the community.

But, following a further complaint, made in 2021, about Harrop’s past sexual conduct, this time from someone who was a young boy at the time of the abuse, the defendant faced further charges, this time which he denied.

After a three-day trial at the court early last month, the now 37-year-old defendant, of Woodbine Road, Pity Me, Durham, was convicted on unanimous guilty verdicts of three counts of rape and two of sexual assault.

An impact statement was read to yesterday's (Monday May 13) sentencing hearing by his latest victim.

He told the court he felt that the defendant “took my childhood away”, adding: “As I grew older I realised what happened to me was so wrong, without speaking up about it.”

Robin Patton, prosecuting, said there has been no further offending by the defendant, who has undertaken courses under the direction of the Probation Service.

Jonathan Walker, for Harrop, said the offences for which the defendant was previously convicted have “many of the hallmarks” of the offences before the court now.

“They are ugly, horrible offences, but, arguably, not as grave as the offences for which he was convicted in 2012.”

Mr Walker described them as, “relics of the past”, since when the defendant has spent a lengthy period of incarceration.

“He was as close to having been a model ex-prisoner as can be imagined and his behaviour since his release has seen a complete lack of any offences.

“He impressed all of those with a professional obligation to look after him.

“These offences presented themselves in 2021 and he’s now to be separately sentenced for something which was part of the same pattern of sex offending.

“He’s served a lengthy period of imprisonment and this type of warped behaviour won’t be repeated.”

Recorder Tony Hawks said he accepted there was something of “an overlap” in the offences for which the defendant has spent a long time locked up and those for which he is before the court now.

But he said the complainant in this case made no disclosure at the time and the offending only came to light in relatively recent years.

Recorder Hawks said he noted from the probation documents before the court that the defendant continues to deny these offences and so he will receive no discount on his sentence, despite having committed no further offences in recent years.

He noted, however, that the defendant is no longer considered “a dangerous offender”, although he would be sentencing him as, “an offender of particular concern”.

As such, Harrop must serve two-thirds of the eight-year sentence imposed by Recorder Hawks before being eligible for release on parole.

He told the defendant: “If you admitted these offences when you admitted the others you would not be in the position you are in now.”

Harrop will also be subject to lifetime notification requirements as a sex offender.

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A sexual predator who abused vulnerable females has been jailed for 29 years after being categorised as a "dangerous offender."

Roy Foster, 63, raped two young girls and tried to rape another. He abducted his fourth victim by tempting her away with the offer of choosing a toy.

Teesside Crown Court has heard that Foster abducted the girl with the intention of committing a sexual offence. On Monday, Foster appeared in court, via video link from Durham prison, wearing a white shirt and a grey pullover.

Ian West, prosecuting, told the court that Foster had four victims - and each girl was vulnerable. He indecently assaulted his first victim and later raped her.

The attacks happened over 30 years ago and in a statement, the victim said: "For years and years, I've kept what happened a secret from my family and friends. It has eaten me alive from the inside out. He's been able to go about his life as he wanted to."

The woman reported Foster to the police in March 2023. The court heard that years later, Foster tried to rape his second young victim, after "plying her with alcohol" when he was drunk himself. "It would seem she was specifically targeted," Mr West said, "because he could rely on her not to resist."

Foster raped his third victim twice. The Middlesbrough court heard that Foster supplied her with drink and drugs. In court, she stood up to speak of her "anger, frustration and sadness" over what Foster did to her.

He targeted his fourth victim by offering her the chance of choosing a toy, if she came with him. The child went with Foster but a member of the public intervened.

Children's toys in bedroom

Mr West said that when police searched Foster's home, they found children's' toys in one of the bedrooms. "He had no children or grandchildren of that age," Mr West said. Foster, of Low Grange Avenue in Billingham, was convicted of all eight offences by a jury, after a trial in January.

He was found guilty of sexual activity with a child; three counts of child rape; sexual assault; abducting a child with the intent to commit a sexual offence; and two counts of attempted rape. Foster appeared to close his eyes for periods of time as the court heard mitigation from Paul Cleasby.

Mr Cleasby said that "there was no evidence that one of Foster's victims was affected by the alcohol he gave her. Alcohol wasn't used to facilitate this offence - it can't be said to have diminished her capabilities. Nothing I say is intended to diminish the seriousness of the offences against her."

Foster's barrister told the court that his client "collected bric-a-brac of all descriptions" rather than just toys for young children. He said that a psychiatric report had found that Foster is of "extremely low intelligence and has a learning disability".

"It's hard to understand if he knew the impact of his offending on others," Mr Cleasby added.

'Sense of sexual entitlement'

Judge Jonathan Carroll told Foster that, "in their different ways, all of your victims had some degree of vulnerability and in one way or another, all of them suffered at your hands. Despite your intellectual limitations, you had sufficient intellect to modify your grooming.

"You still don't recognise your criminal offending. You still continue to display, even at your stage in life, a sense of sexual entitlement."

The judge told Foster that he qualified for an extended sentence because he is a "dangerous offender." Foster was handed a 32-year sentence, made up of a 29-year prison term and a three-year period on extended licence, in the community. He will serve two-thirds of the 29-years before he is eligible for release. He must sign the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.

After the sentencing, Detective Constable James Limon said: “This case was a collaborative effort by Stockton CID, the Complex Exploitation Team and the Domestic Abuse Unit. Roy Foster is a dangerous sexual predator who targeted and abused vulnerable females, both adult and children, over the last 40 years.

“His youngest victim managed to escape harm thanks to the quick-thinking actions of a member of the public. Had that not occurred, Roy Foster would have likely committed further offences against that child.

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A voyeur who recorded women in toilet cubicles for his own sexual gratification has been jailed.

Pawanjit Singh, also known as Robbie, snuck into female toilets and hid in cubicles before using his mobile phone to secretly record his victims as they used the toilet next to him.

He captured 26 clips and six images of numerous women in several different pubs in the North East in September 2020.

In May 2021, the 35-year-old was caught by a woman as he was in the act of recording her in the female toilets at Washington Service Station.

The woman confronted him, and subsequently contacted police.

The investigation progressed when police accessed Singhs mobile phone and, after interrogating the device, uncovered the voyeuristic content.

Singh was charged with 27 offences of voyeurism and appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates court in April where he pleaded guilty to all counts.

Last Thursday (May 2), Singh of Henry Street, Shiney Row, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and was sentenced to one year in prison.

He will spend ten years on the Sex Offenders Register, was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was ordered to have his devices destroyed.

Talking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Kate Bain, of Northumbria Police, said: We would like to thank the woman who turned out to be Singhs last victim after she witnessed and challenged his offending meaning the scale of his depravity was uncovered.

Singh secretly filmed women in what should have been a totally private space, without their knowledge or consent. He showed no respect for these women whatsoever and saw them only as tools for his own sexual gratification.