Latest Offenders Edinburgh

Description

A music teacher who targeted young girls during a campaign of grooming, abuse and rape has been jailed for 11 years.

Matthew Birch, 45, who was said to regard adolescent girls as being fair game, attacked his victims while he worked at secondary schools in North Lanarkshire and Fife.

The former police officer had initially been described as a fun teacher and a father figure but a court was told that he preyed on vulnerable girls with musical talent.

Birch, of Edinburgh, was found guilty in December of nine charges including rape and engaging in sexual activity while in a position of trust between 2006 and 2017. Passing sentence at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge William Gallacher said: You have been convicted of a

Description

Speaking on the I'mPossible Conversation YouTube channel, Strachan, who calls himself a 'forgiveness life coach', said he has spent time learning about "personal development".

Strachan, from Edinburgh, told how he raped a girl while she was sleeping when he was 21.

He was asked by host Sukhee M: "You mentioned about 'forgiving myself for my past'. How can people use forgiveness to improve their lives?"

The DJ and event organiser, whose stage name is 'Craig Saint', replied: "Admit what you've done and just ask the universe. For me it was forgiving myself.

"When I had my spiritual awakening last year, it was so, so scary. I was reminded of something that happened when I was 21. When I was high and totally f**ked up I raped a girl.

"I had sex with her when she was sleeping. It lasted about 10 seconds - she was in my bed and as soon as it happened I instantly knew, 's**t, I should not have done that'.

"When I had my awakening, when I discovered god or the universe, this was 2019. And I kept getting all these horrible feelings because I was getting well-known in Edinburgh. My nights were getting really popular, and I had this like shadow behind me, like 'remember what you did - remember you can't forget this'.

"I got so, so bad. It got to like last summer and like it was eating me inside. It was absolutely tearing me apart. I've got a really upbeat, happy personality and I was trying to mask my real feelings by being happy.

"I was honestly dying, I felt so, so bad. I was contemplating suicide. I just wanted out - it was really, really hard."

After leaving Edinburgh he moved out to Ibiza and started dating another girl, who he said had also been raped.

'I MADE A HORRIFIC MISTAKE'

He said: "I felt so guilty. I kept feeling these feelings of guilt and shame for months afterwards."

Strachan added: "I really hope the girl forgives me one day... I was comparing myself to all these bad people when in actual fact I made a horrific mistake."

The interviewer asked him: "Have you forgiven yourself?"

Strachan, who now lives in Barcelona, said: "I think, right now, I have. I really do. This very second, I've been getting signs from the universe that I need to tell people about it, tell people my story."

The life coach said he lives by the "law of attraction", a belief that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into people's lives.

One concerned person told The Scottish Sun: "Whats concerning is lots of people are aware of this and this man is still being allowed to work in bars and nightclubs and no one seems to care or be bothered."

Strachan told The Scottish Sun: "I don't believe that someone should have to spend a lifetime carrying their mistake if they have done everything in their power to fix the situation. I did admit to this and I also got in contact with the girl and her family to apologise for the situation. And I really hope that they do.

"That's why I created The Forgiveness Movement - to help people who are afraid to speak up about their wrongs and give them help with how to seek forgiveness and forgive themselves.

"I believe we as a society need to have love, compassion and understanding for each other rather than blaming and condemning. We all make mistakes and we should forgive each other for our wrongs rather than shaming."

The description on the YouTube video reads: "Craig is an international DJ, producer and event promoter from Glasgow with a love for bringing joy into the lives of the people he meets - whether on the dance floor or in person. He is extremely ambitious, goal orientated and fun, inspiring others to create the best version of themselves.

"By having such a strong production work ethic, spending 5 focussed years in the studio, (releasing under his Sesentayuno alias) last year he landed gigs in Switzerland, Italy, Ibiza & across Scotland, as well as selling out events in his home club at The Mash House in Edinburgh.

"Local & international crowds alike bond with his ability to create an incredibly fun party vibe, which takes the dance floor on an unforgettable journey. Craig shifted his focus throughout the lockdown to personal development, the law of attraction, coaching & helping others through their spiritual awakening.

"Now focus back on music with a fresh perspective to producing & the industry, he is using his skills to coach others how to make 'Groovy Tech House' music and preparing tracks for upcoming releases."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: We are aware of the video and enquiries are being carried out.

Description

A serial sex offender deemed to have "psychopathic traits" has been given a life sentence after he was assessed as posing a high risk to the public. John Bermingham, 55, was convicted of subjecting three victims to abuse during their childhoods in Edinburgh, following a trial earlier this year. He was previously jailed for 12 years in 2002 for carrying out sex attacks on a teenager and an 11-year-old girl. On his release he was jailed twice for breaching court-imposed orders. He was acquitted of attempting to abduct two young girls at Hallglen, Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, following a trial in 2018. After his arrest he was found to have sweets, sleeping pills and condoms in his possession. Following his latest conviction, the trial judge, Lord Fairley, called for a full risk assessment report to be prepared on the former boxer and career criminal.

High risk

Dr John Baird, a former consultant forensic psychiatrist at the State Hospital at Carstairs, concluded that Bermingham was a high risk. Advocate depute Lisa Gillespie QC asked him if he was in any doubt about that he replied: "I have to say I am not." Dr Baird added: "He has got, I would suggest, quite a number of psychopathic traits." He told the High Court in Edinburgh he had come to the inevitable conclusion that Bermingham's risk could only be managed when he was confined in a closed prison. Dr Baird added: "He appears to believe that he was the subject of sustained police harassment and successive miscarriages of justice." Lord Fairley imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction which he said was necessary to protect the public from harm. The judge told Bermingham: "I am quite satisfied that you do, as Dr Baird concluded, meet the threshold for psychopathy."

Indeterminate sentence

He ordered him to serve a minimum of four years imprisonment under the indeterminate sentence but emphasised that was the period to be served before the Parole Board could consider his case. He told Bermingham: "It certainly does not signify you are likely to be released at the end of that period or that you will ever be released. That is, as I have said, for others to decide." Bermingham's latest convictions were for three charges of indecent conduct towards two girls who were subjected to repeated sexual acts by him from the ages of eight and 14 at addresses in Pilton and Muirhouse in Edinburgh in 1999. He was also convicted of a further indecency offence against a boy, aged 13 or 14. Bermingham, who denied the charges, was also found guilty of assaulting an adult woman. She was punched on the head and body on various occasions between 1999 and 2001 at addresses in Edinburgh He was told that he would be on the sex offenders register indefinitely following the sentencing.

Description

A music teacher was yesterday jailed for assaulting teenage girls at a boarding school with drumsticks.

James Clark, 56, former chief drum and pipes instructor in the Army, had been found guilty of common assault by hitting or touching their backsides.

He was also convicted of breach of trust by sexual activity with, or directed at, pupils and communicating indecently with a girl.

Clark was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison after attacking seven girls, aged 13 to 18. Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that he had a 'habit' of touching girls on their bottoms at the school in Perthshire.

Jurors heard that Clark engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old in 2018, kissing in her a cupboard and performing a sex act in the bagpipe store.

The victim, now 20, said Clark 'abused' her in his car, in the band hut, 'in the drying room...and at one point in the children's tuck cupboard'. She said he had put his hand up her T-shirt and under her skirt.

One former pupil, now 23, said she felt 'violated' after being regularly struck on the backside, often during tartan skirt-fitting sessions in the school shop.

She said during a music trip to Switzerland Clark, pictured, smacked her on the behind 'pretty much all the time'.

Other ex-pupils said when they challenged him about hitting bottoms with his hands, drumsticks or a rolled-up copy of the register, father-of-six Clark, known as 'Drummie', would tell them: 'I'm your school Dad.'

One victim said when she was 16 Clark cornered her at a Christmas concert in the school and told her: 'The two of us should have children together.'

He was also said to have hugged girls and entered one pupil's bedroom when she was asleep, sat on her bed and kissed her on the forehead.

Clark, of Edinburgh, had denied the charges. Sarah Livingstone, defending, said he had an 'illicit affair' with the girl, but prosecutor Cheryl Clark said the victim had been groomed.

Sheriff Alistair Brown, sentencing, said: 'Sexual activity by a man in relation to a girl under 18...in a position of trust is absolutely prohibited. There are no exceptions. It is always a crime.'

Clark, now a gardener, showed no emotion as he was led to the cells. He will never work with children again.

Description

Judge Lady Poole praised the bravery of the four young women as she gave their attacker Dillon Anderson,21, a nine year prison sentence.

He raped the young women during a horrifying campaign of abuse which he began when he was just 14-years-old.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Anderson throttled two of his victims during the assaults. One woman - a former undergraduate of Edinburgh University - said Anderson repeatedly caused her to pass out after compressing her neck. On one occasion, he was so scared that he had killed her, he checked her pulse.

Jurors heard how he Anderson wanted her to take part in rape role plays where she would be unconscious and he would do whatever he wanted.

Describing one occasion, she was throttled, the woman - who is now aged 23 - told police: When I came round, he was checking my pulse and he said I thought you had died. He looked panicked.

One of the woman also made a covert recording of Anderson attacking her - the sounds of her screaming and telling her assailant to stop were played to jurors. Anderson could be heard laughing manically as he ignored her pleas.

The story emerged after Anderson - a former resident of Edinburghs exclusive new town area - was found guilty earlier this year of raping the women, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

On Tuesday, judge Lady Poole told Anderson that his conduct was disturbing - she also ordered the authorities to supervise him for four years following his release from custody.

Passing sentence, Lady Poole told him that she had read statements from the women detailing how Andersons conduct has affected them.

She added: The sexual violence you perpetrated is disturbing. One of your victims spoke to losing consciousness because of you compressing her neck.

When she came round, there were times you were having sex with her. There were other times when she came to, and you said you thought shed died and laughed, or you were checking her pulse because you thought she might have died.

These were terrifying experiences. I have read victim impact statements. Your victims suffered grievously at your hands, and their contact with you has left them with long lasting emotional scars.

They are to be commended for having the courage to come forward, and go through the difficult experience of giving evidence about what happened to them.

Anderson committed his offences between May 2014 and January 2020.

During the trial, the court heard Anderson claim he was a virgin when he physically restrained a girl, who was then aged 14, at a house in Newtongrange, Midlothian.

The court heard how he forced her to lie on a bed and removed her clothing before raping her on an occasion between May 2014 and June 2014 .

On various occasions between August 2015, at addresses in Edinburgh and West Lothian, Anderson raped another girl who was aged 18.

Anderson then repeatedly raped the Edinburgh University student - who was aged 19 - between September 2017 and December 2017.

The court heard how Anderson often choked her during sex.

Jurors heard extracts from statements she gave to the police.

She told detectives: He would use a lot of force and I kept saying get off. I tried to grab his hands and continue. He would squeeze my throat and I couldnt breathe.

I dont know how long it went on for. But I got the same feelings as before the fuzziness and everything.

I started thinking is that what dying feels like.

Some of the times he did this to me, he would say I actually thought you had died and he would laugh. I eventually passed out.

As he strangled me, I lost complete consciousness. I am not sure how I had lost consciousness but when I came around I was really sore. It was intense pain.

The young woman also told the court of how Anderson subjected her to unwanted attention and had bombarded her with unwanted phone calls and social media messages.

Anderson also preyed on another woman between December 2018 and January 24 2020. The court also heard how he also throttled this woman, who is now aged 24, before raping her.

During the recording which was played to jurors, the woman was heard crying and repeatedly screaming get off of me. Anderson can be then heard telling the woman: breathe, breathe, breathe and breathe in, breathe out and inhale, inhale, inhale.

The woman can be heard to ask: What are you doing you f***ing psycho? Anderson was then heard laughing.

On Tuesday, defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran QC told the court that Anderson had started to appreciate how his actions had affected his women.

He added: There is the beginning of an acknowledgement on his part. There is an insight on his part into how his conduct affected the complainers and how it was utterly inappropriate.

These are perhaps the beginning of rehabilitation.

Passing sentence, Lady Poole also placed Anderson on the Sex Offenders Register for life. She also ordered that Anderson not contact his victims for 25 years.

She said: Your victims have suffered long term effects from what you did to them, and deserve to be protected from you.

Description

At the High Court in Aberdeen today, Lord Burns sentenced Michael Dixon to 4 years imprisonment after the offender was convicted of charges of sexual abuse.

On sentencing, Lord Burns made the following statement in Court: You were convicted on 12 March 2021 of charges of sexual abuse in the late 1980s. It comprised of the most serious forms of abuse including vaginal rape and anal penetration. This occurred on many occasions. Your victim was 11-12 years of age. You were 14-15. She was and remains deeply traumatised by these crimes, as was obvious from the way she gave her evidence. You continue to deny that you abused her and appear unable or unwilling to accept responsibility.

You also abused another child when she was 9 years old. You were then 17 to 18. You continue to deny these offences also.

You have convictions for sexual offending some of which occurred in June and September 1990. It too was perpetrated against 3 young girls of 7 and 9. After that in 2001 you abused another 9 year old girl on one occasion.

Your offending behaviour thus spanned a period from 1987 to 2001 but the majority of it occurred between 1987 and 1991 when you were 14 to 18 years of age.

I must have regard to the fact that you have remained out of trouble since 2001 and that there is no suggestion that you now present a material risk of further offending. The current assessment is of low risk. That is in contrast to any assessment which had been made at the time of the offences.

I can also take account of the views in the Social Work report that your offending was at least in part a result of adolescent problems which you were experiencing. You appear to have managed to overcome those difficulties. Despite your denial of the current offences, you appear to recognise the harm you caused to your other victims and have made positive efforts to desist from further offending.

You are now 47 and have a stable relationship. You have made a new life for yourself and you have a good employment record. It is to your credit that you have also taken an initiative in supporting people with mental health in your last employment.

The offences of which you have recently been convicted are very serious ones which must be dealt with by a significant custodial sentence. I have full regard to your age when you committed them. I recognise that public protection does not require to form a material element in this sentence.

In all the circumstances, I can limit that to one of 4 years. That is a cumulo sentence on all the charges. I will backdate that to 12 March 2021.

You will remain on the Sex Offenders register indefinitely."

Description

An Edinburgh pensioner who sexually abused a string of schoolgirls over a 15-year period has been jailed. Frank Boyd, 73, repeatedly molested the youngsters by touching their breasts and genitals when the girls visited his home in Edinburgh. Boyd also climbed into bed with the girls and rubbed his body against them after being left alone with them on occasions between 2004 and last year. The elderly predator even groped one girl while his wife slept in the next room and was eventually caught when a victim told a teacher what had been happening to her during the visits to his home. During the police investigation two more victims then came forward to reveal they had also been sexually assaulted by the OAP while in his home. Boyd - who served in the British Army for 25 years - pleaded guilty to six sexual offences against the three girls when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month. He returned to the dock for sentencing on Friday where Sheriff Kenneth McGowan jailed Boyd for 27 months and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years. Prosecutor Aidan Higgins read a written narration to the court stating Boyd targeted the first victim in 2004 when she was just 11-years-old. The girls police statement described how Boyd sexually assaulted her on various occasions over a three-year period while his wife was either in the kitchen or having a nap. She said he would encourage her to lie on top of him and abused her by putting his hands under her clothing and touching her genitals. The girl added she didnt ever tell anyone about the attacks as she was stressed about upsetting anyone. The second victim also visited the perverts home and said the abuse began around 2008 when she was 11-years-old. She described to police one occasion when Boyd, of Broomhouse, Edinburgh, climbed into bed with her and she was forced to push him off her after he had touched her genitals. The girl also said Boyd had a fixation on my boobs as from 11 to 12 I began to develop and that he would regularly brush my boobs with his elbow in the passing. She added: I began asking people to chum me to the kitchen so I wouldn't have to be alone with him. I never told anyone about this at the time because of how well respected he was. He previously had a career in the army and he was a very social man. I was sure I wouldn't have been believed as it was my word against [his]. This behaviour went on for years. The third victim was just seven when Boyd began sexually abusing her in a campaign that lasted three years. The court heard Boyd routinely sought out opportunities to be alone with the youngster in his kitchen or his bedroom. The fiscal said Boyd would pull her towards him, place his hands over and under her clothing, and grope her private parts. The fiscal added: On some occasions the accused would get into bed with the complainer and rub his body against her back.

Description

A former soldier who was part of the Queen's guard at Balmoral Castle has been jailed for nine years for sexual abuse against children.

John Paul Hoy repeatedly molested and raped two girls and indecently assaulted a third victim in his home in Edinburgh between 1986 and 1996.

Judge Lady Scott said the 46-year-old had "dominated and terrified" his victims.

Jailing him at High Court in Edinburgh, she said Hoy had blighted their lives.

Lady Scott said: "These offences constitute a very serious and persistent course of sexual abuse of children."

"You blighted their lives and caused significant and obvious damage, especially to the second victim who spoke of her childhood being taken from her."

"The damage to her was all too evident in her evidence, as indeed was her bravery."

The judge told Hoy, who was assessed as posing a high risk of sexual harm: "The scale of the abuse to the first and second victims is extraordinarily serious."

Lady Scott said that in sentencing Hoy she took into account he was also a child when a large part of the offending occurred.

She also noted that Hoy had lengthy Army service which had left him struggling with the effects of post traumatic stress disorder.

'Pomp and circumstance'

Hoy was 12 when he began committing sex crimes in 1986 against a nine-year-old girl with the abuse escalating into repeated rapes.

His second victim was aged seven when he began preying on her in 1988 and she too became the target for repeated rapes.

A third girl was indecently assaulted by him at a house in Edinburgh on two occasions when she was aged between nine and 13.

Hoy had denied the 11 charges of rape, indecent conduct and indecent assault. He was found guilty following a trial.

He was acquitted of a further rape charge against a girl aged 14 or 15 allegedly committed at another address in Edinburgh between 2004 and 2006.

At his trial he lodged a special defence of alibi which stated that for two periods in 2004 he was stationed with the Army in Aberdeenshire at Balmoral, the Queen's residence in Scotland.

He told the court: "We were part of the Queen's royal guard at Balmoral so it was pomp and circumstance, but also with guard duties."

His first victim told jurors at his trial that she was subjected to repeated abuse. She said: "I was a little girl. I was scared. I was living in terror some days."

His second victim told the court: "I didn't have a childhood. My childhood was taken away from."

'Abhorrent' crimes

Defence counsel Iain McSporran QC said Hoy continued to maintain his complete denial of guilt.

Hoy was placed on the sex offender's register indefinitely.

The children's charity, NSPCC Scotland, said Hoy subjected young girls to "terrifying ordeals", and the crimes he committed against them was "abhorrent".

A spokesman said: "They have shown immense bravery in speaking out.

"Cases such as these show that people who experience sexual abuse will be listened to and justice can be achieved. It is so important that these girls receive the support they need to recover."

Description

A PERVERT who was caught with hundreds of child abuse movies on his phone by his new boyfriend has escaped a jail sentence. Blair Houliston was found with films showing children as young as two-years-old bound and gagged while being sexually abused by adults. Houliston, 27, used WhatsApp and Kick Messenger to contact paedophiles in the US who sent him the horrific abuse images. He told one online paedophile he was into kids, rape and incest and was caught with hundreds of images and movies when police raided his home in 2018. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told Houliston was arrested after his new boyfriend was left shocked after spotting disturbing material on his mobile phone and raised the alarm. Houliston admitted possessing the indecent images of children during an appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this year and returned to the dock for sentencing. Sheriff John Mundy said: This behaviour is quite disgraceful and I hope you have had some insight into how this affects children. However I am treating you a first offender and the report heavily recommends in your case a community payback order. But I have to warn you now that I was considering a custodial sentence and if you dont comply [with the CPO] it wont be a short one. Houliston, of Greendykes, Edinburgh, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for two years and on a supervision order for the same length of time as a direct alternative to custody. He will also have to attend the Moving Forward Making Changes organisation as part of a conduct requirement imposed by the court. Previously the court was told Houliston was in contact with paedophiles in Texas and the online chats had been extremely sexual in nature He had been asked by one pervert What are you into, sir? and Houliston was said to have replied kids, rape and incest. He was then sent scores of child abuse videos and images through the online apps. Prosecutor Rosie Cook said Houliston had met a new partner through a dating app in March 2018 and invited the man back to his home later that month. The fiscal said during the meeting the man saw something concerning on Houlistons mobile phone and decided to contact the police. Ms Cook added officers found hundreds of images including those of two-year-old children being abused on a computer program known as Mega, which was said to be similar to Dropbox. Solicitor Kevin Connor, defending, said his client was a first offender and had suffered from ADHD from the age of six though he added Houliston is not using that as an excuse into his behaviour. Mr Connor added the amount of images shared by Houliston was small and he had been attending the Stop It Now group since pleading guilty to the offences. Houliston pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children at his home address between January 21, 2015 and April 4, 2018. He also admitted to distributing indecent images of children between January 21, 2015 and January 21, 2018.

Description

A sports therapist who sexually assaulted more than 20 male victims during massage sessions has been jailed.  Matthew Priest fondled his clients after they had contacted his sports masseur business to be treated for muscle injuries.  
 
Priest, 41, carried out a three-year campaign of sexual assaults on the male clients at his Edinburgh flat where he operated his business, The Edinburgh Massage.The therapist admitted six attacks on men in December 2018 and was sentenced to a five-year Sexual Offenders Prevention Order, a two-year supervision order and unpaid work.Following press coverage of the case more victims contacted the police to report they had also been sexually assaulted by Priest.Priest pleaded guilty to a further 15 sex assaults on unsuspecting male clients at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

Sentencing him today, Sheriff Donald Corke said: “You pled guilty to 15 charges of sexual assault on men in the course of your work as a sports masseur.

“These further 15 cases have arisen from the publicity surrounding the case so it is no fault of the prosecution that they were not prosecuted at the same time.“You performed intimate massages on these men including the full removal of their clothing and massaging their groin area.
“Your behaviour was clearly harmful, your behaviour was planned and you abused your professional position. You even charged them as if you had provided the services they expected.”

Priest was jailed for 16 months and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.Previously prosecutor Susan Dickson told the court victims included students, amateur runners and an Edinburgh Fringe performer who required a professional sports therapist to treat muscle injuries.
Most of the men contacted Priest for treatment after reading reviews of his services online while the pervert also made contact with one man in the changing rooms of a gym and offered to help him with his injuries.

The victims - who cannot be identified due to legal reasons - mostly believed the sexual touching by Priest was “ an accident” at the time but later reported the incidents.

Defending solicitor Matthew Nicolson said all the offences took place over the same time period and that his client was “a very different man and is getting on with his life”.The brief said Priest has set up two new businesses including a photography company and that he has “no intention of going back to his previous field of employment”.

Mr Nicolson added: ‘He fully understands these are serious charges and these are the sort of charges that custody would be in the forefront of any judge’s mind.”

Priest admitted sexually assaulting 15 men at his Easter Road home, between January 2015 and June 2018.

Priest offered £45 per hour advanced sports massage sessions and according to his website, which is now closed.

Description

A hairdresser who deliberately tried to infect 10 men with HIV has been jailed for at least 12 years.

Daryll Rowe became the first man in the country to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus after meeting the men on gay dating app Grindr.

Branded "grotesque" and a "sociopath" by his victims, the 27-year-old was convicted in November of 10 charges - five of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a "determined hateful campaign of sly violence".

"You are the first individual to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV," she said.

"With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

"Unfortunately for five of the men you met, your campaign was successful."

The judge continued: "They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts.

"Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you."

She told Rowe he poses a significant risk to the public, adding: "You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life."

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the North East where he went on the run from police, targeting two more victims.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was "clean". When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards he would become aggressive and taunt them over text, telling one: "I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!"

Rowe repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims.

He told jurors he believed he had been cured of the virus by the time he moved to Brighton, having adopted the practice of drinking his own urine as a treatment, supplemented with natural remedies, including oregano, coconut and olive leaf oils.

He sat in the dock, showing no emotion during his sentencing hearing as prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC read out statements from nine of his 10 victims, which she said showed the "devastating consequences" of Rowe's actions.

Many told how they had considered suicide having suffered physical and psychological damage, needing to take daily medication.

Rowe's first victim told how he had considered taking his own life after he was diagnosed with HIV in January 2016.

He said: "Darryl has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this."

One said he thought he was going to die when he found out he had the virus, while another told of the "shattering effect" it had on him and his family, believing "it was a life-long sentence, which would eventually kill me off" because of the stigma surrounding the disease.

"While for some cases of GBH it might be possible for victims to put the acts behind them, unfortunately this will never be the case for me," said a different victim, who requires daily medication.

"There is a virus inside me which will give me a horrible and painful death unless I take pills for the rest of my life."

The court heard a psychiatric report found Rowe's crimes were carried out with a "significant degree of rage, control, sadism and violence".

"This defendant is the first individual in the UK who falls to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of the intentional infection of others with the HIV virus," said the prosecutor.

"This was a deliberate campaign to infect multiple men with a serious life-threatening and life-changing disease such that it falls outside the sentences envisaged by the (sentencing) guidelines."

Felicity Gerry QC highlighted comparable cases from around the world, urging the judge to pass a sentence that would not add to the "social stigma" of HIV, but inform the public the virus is not what it was in the 90s.

"He was a vulnerable young man in a community where the disclosure of one's HIV status remains unusual, in the context of how he was meeting people," she said.

"This is not a terminal illness. Those who live with HIV have good and high life expectancies."

She added: "There really is a need for therapy and not incarceration."

Sussex Police came under fire over claims they put gay men in danger when they released Rowe on bail, after which he continued his campaign.

Northumbria Police have been accused of wrongfully arresting and detaining one of his unsuspecting victims as he came to terms with his boyfriend's crimes.

Rowe's final victim blamed police for putting him at risk and said more could have been done sooner to stop Rowe's offending.

It was 18 days after his arrest that Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council urged gay men to get tested for HIV if they had been sexually involved with "a man in his 20s with a Scottish accent".

Police appealed for anyone with information or potential victims to come forward but refused to publish his name and photo.

He was later identified by a newspaper, prompting widespread media reports.

Description

A YOUTH worker caught swapping child abuse images with other perverts online and even encouraging one to rape a baby in disturbing Skype conversations today walked free from court after avoiding a jail term.

Matthew Lynch told cops "I've never done anything - I work with children" when they explained why his home was being raided in November last year.

But an investigation into the contents of his smartphone and laptop unmasked horrifying conversations with online perverts.

In one conversation another depraved paedophile told Lynch he could have watched him with a "zero" - a codeword for a young child he was abusing - if he had been online.

Lynch asked the man if he had abused the child to which he replied "I would have been tempted if you would have been watching."

Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed told Dundee Sheriff Court: "The accused then wrote 'looks tasty' - and asked how the man had abused the child.

"His computers were forensically examined and six indecent images were recovered from Skype.

"They depict boys aged between three and six.

"Skype chat conversation logs were also found.

"They discuss sexual abuse of a child by another male.

"There were also chat logs on his iPhone."

Lynch was employed as an assistant youth worker with the Dundee Carers Centre when his sick crime was uncovered.

He is listed on their website as having worked as part of their young carers project.

It is understood he left the charity within days of the police raid last November.

The organisation provides support, advocacy and training for those who provide unpaid care for family or friends - as well as organising short breaks for carers and those they care for.

Lynch, 24, of Calder Grove, Edinburgh, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges of downloading child abuse images between March 17 and November 17 last year and distributing them on March 23 last year at an address in Dundee's Portpatrick Terrace.

Defence solicitor Billy Rennie said: "He lived an isolated lifestyle and developed somewhat secretive relationships.

"Thats how this ultimately led to the offences in questions.

"In these discussions online he was to some extent let into a discussion about these images.

"This was with an individual he'd never met and whose name he didn't even know.

"They were fairly graphic and horrific images."

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said: "These are serious offences but in the circumstances I think I can deal with it by a community payback order."

He imposed a community payback order with 200 hours unpaid work, two-and-a-half years supervision, an order to take part in a sex offenders rehabilitation programme and conduct requirements around his contact with children and internet use.

Lynch will also be on the sex offenders register for 30 months.

A spokesman for NSPCC Scotland said: "These were extremely worrying offences that involved images of children being abused.

"These are real children and behind every single one of these pictures is a young victim who will need considerable support to recover from the crimes inflicted on them.

"Possessing and distributing indecent images of children is an appalling crime. It's vital that police continue to investigate those responsible and bring them to court and people on the sex offenders' register for crimes of this nature must be strictly monitored."

Description

A man who sexually assaulted women while they slept has  been jailed.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Justin Lovell was sentenced to seven in prison for the rape of two victims and the sexual assault of another at various addresses across the Capital.

Officers from the city’s Public Protection Unit initially began their investigation into 25-year-old Lovell after a 19-year-old female reported that she woke to find herself being attacked following a party in the west of the city in January 2015.

Further offences were then uncovered after detectives spoke with more women who disclosed similar offences, all of which occurred while they slept, having attended parties.

Lovell was detained on 29th July and was convicted last month.

Detective Constable Richard Johnston from the PPU at Fettes Police Station said: “I would firstly like to thank the women who came forward to report his offences to police.

“Their bravery and continued assistance during our inquiries undoubtedly led to Lovell’s conviction and means he cannot carry out further crimes against women as he serves a custodial sentence.

“Justin Lovell has shown himself to be an opportunistic predator, who targeted woman while they were at their most vulnerable and left them deeply traumatised as a result of these attacks.

“He will now spend several years in prison for his crimes and we would like to assure all survivors of sexual offences that their reports will be handled with the utmost seriousness.

“Whenever such reports are made to us we will investigate thoroughly and work closely with our partners at the Crown Office to bring those responsible to justice and ensure they are removed from our communities.

Description

A former council senior planning officer, convicted of downloading child abuse images, is re-considering appealing his dismissal.

Kingsley Drinkwater (51), was fined 1000 and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years after he pleaded guilty in February to the charge.

After he was later dismissed by Midlothian Council for failing to inform his manager of the charge he originally appealed.

He told the Advertiser: I did appeal. They seemed to take none of my personal circumstances into it.

But my circumstances have changed now. I dont know if I would gain much from it. I had thought I had nothing to lose. But to be honest the stress of the wait has come back to me.

It probably looks worse than it is. There is a whole lot more to this.

Its something I still dont understand why I did it.

Im in a difficult situation. Im trying to get myself back together. I have had a terrible time since 2008.

It doesnt look good and I know it. But it was a minor offence that I have been fined for and thats it.

In February this year Mr Drinkwater pleaded guilty to downloading indecent photographs of children on August 23, 2013, at his home in Edinburgh.

He told the Advertiser that his life had been hell when he committed the offence.

He said: I have lost my daughter, I get limited access.

Im trying to put my life back together. I have lost pretty much everything. Its been hell. My house was repossessed. And at the moment I cant afford to pay the rent on my current house.

I have been climbing mountains for the last 10 years, particularly the last four years. Every time I think I think I have got clear something else happens.

And right now you have presented me with another mountain to get over.

I have dreaded it since February that something would happen, but there is a lot more to it than just what it says on the charge sheet.

There is people that deserve to be handled in this way. But I havent been involved in anything, just looking at stuff on the internet.

There was no offence against any person, just looking at stuff and deleting it.

Because I was at such a ridiculously low point at the time I wasnt thinking about what I was doing.

Believe it or not Im a decent person who tries to help others and always does the right thing, but I was so low at the time. My mind wasnt with it. I could have done anything.

A spokesperson for Midlothian Council said: Midlothian Council does not comment on individual disciplinary matters.

Description

A ring of eight paedophiles, including a former welfare campaigner for young gay men, were today convicted of child abuse and producing indecent images of children. The men, from across central Scotland, were found guilty by a jury in Edinburgh of more than 50 charges, ranging from abusing infants from three months old to conspiracy and holding more than 125,000 images of child pornography.

Two of the leaders of the gang, the biggest paedophile network uncovered in Scotland, were convicted of raping and abusing the young children of close friends while they were babysitting, and sharing images of the abuse.

One, James Rennie, 38, then the chief executive of the gay and lesbian helpline LBGT Youth Scotland, had been babysitting the son of close friends, called Child F during the trial, since the child was three months old. The child's parents were so comfortable with Rennie that he was allowed to bathe, change and dress the boy, whom he went on to abuse repeatedly for four years, allowing another ring-leader, Neil Strachan, to participate.

An engineer with previous convictions for child sex offences, Strachan, 41, had photographed himself trying to abuse an 18-month-old boy he was babysitting for friends on New Year's Eve in 2005.

Rennie, a former secondary school teacher since sacked from the helpline, had championed the rights of young gay people. But in private, said Dorothy Bain QC, prosecuting, he had been "polluted by deviant compulsion".

During one of the most harrowing trials of its kind, the images were so graphic that the court had to be cleared of the public and media during the 10-week hearing. At one stage, the judge, Lord Bannatyne, suddenly adjourned the hearing without explanation after hearing about the rape of a four-year-old girl.

The police uncovered the paedophile ring after Strachan, a maintenance engineer for a paint firm and formerly secretary of Celtic Boys Club in Edinburgh, handed his computer in for repair. On its hard drive, a repair technician found an image of an 11-year-old boy abusing himself.

A further 7,000 images were found, together with emails clearly showing that other children were at serious risk. Lothian and Borders detectives launched Operation Algebra, and were given warrants by courts in the United States to obtain email records from Microsoft. Expert witnesses were able to identify one digital camera used to record the abuse from the photographs.

That investigation exposed Rennie's identity. He had assumed the email name "Kenny Plover", whose email address "kplover99" was said to stand for "kiddie porn lover". His email account was accessed from the offices of LGBT Youth Scotland in Leith, Edinburgh.

Sophisticated tracking equipment then located Rennie's broadband Wi-Fi signals in the Meadowbank area of Edinburgh.

Strachan, using the name "Mark", sent Rennie images of his abuse of the toddler on New Year's Eve. Further investigations by police uncovered the identities of the other six men who made, shared and collected abusive images: Colin Slaven, 23, from Edinburgh; Neil Campbell, 46, John Milligan, 40, and John Murphy, 44, all of Glasgow; Ross Webber, 27, from North Berwick; and Craig Boath, 24, from Dundee.

Milligan had 78,000 images in his possession. He was allowed to listen on the telephone to Rennie abusing the toddler, and had discussed getting access to the boy. Webber, Boath and Milligan were found guilty of conspiring to participate in the sexual abuse of children along with Strachan and Rennie. Campbell was cleared of conspiracy. The men will be sentenced later.