Latest Offenders Essex

Description

A former teacher and choirmaster, who is also a musician and had worked on TV and film projects, has been jailed for 12 years for child sex offences.

The offences concern 19 victims and span more than 40 years.

David Pickthall was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2015 for his services to education and charity, and had worked on a number of TV and film projects.

A since-deleted online biography detailing his career achievements noted that he was the "musical voice" of villainous penguin Feathers McGraw in the 1993 short film Wallace And Gromit: The Wrong Trousers.

The 66-year-old, of Ingrave Road, Brentwood, Essex, also worked on the post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Days Later and with a number of philharmonic orchestras.

Judge Mary Loram KC, sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court, told Pickthall: "You are without a shadow of a doubt a predatory and manipulative paedophile who has adapted his offending over the years."

She added: "If you hadn't been arrested you would have carried on."

The judge sentenced Pickthall to 12 years in prison, with a four-year extended licence period, and also made him subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

The defendant, who glared at the judge during sentencing, slowly put his jacket on afterwards before he was led to the cells.

He had admitted at an earlier hearing at Colchester Magistrates' Court to 29 child sex offences concerning 19 people and spanning more than 40 years.

The crimes were committed between 1980 and 2021 in Brentwood in Essex and Upminster in east London.

Description

An Essex man who made payments to live stream and direct the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines has been jailed for 15 years.

Cesar Cordero Conejo, 39, from Ilford, was investigated by National Crime Agency officers, after being identified by international law enforcement agencies as a UK-based offender obtaining child sexual abuse material and livestreamed child sexual abuse from a Filipino woman.

Information regarding Conejo, from between September 2022 and February 2023, was provided to the UK. This included a number of message exchanges between him and the woman, which were provided by Homeland Security in the US.

In one message, she told Conejo that she is giving birth but doesn't have money to go to hospital, to which he replies: "well good luck ok, hope you have another girl." Later in the chat he asked her to get the children to carry out sex acts on each other.

In further messages, Conejo indicated that he wanted to travel to the Philippines to rape one of the children himself, saying that he'd pay the woman 100 dollars a day in return.

NCA investigators arrested Conejo in July 2023 and conducted searches of his home, seizing a number of devices, including a laptop and phone. Forensic examination of the devices revealed they contained in excess of 12,500 indecent images of children, including 4,706 in the most severe category A.

Further chat records between him and various Filipino women dating back six years were also identified. One message stated: "Do you have PayPal darling. I wanted to see your daughter today."

Financial enquiries showed that he had sent a number of Filipino women a total of £1,300 over the course of six years. At least sixteen of these payments were linked to one woman who abused children known to her, for financial gain.

A number of child victims were rescued and safeguarded in the Philippines, including three in relation to this case.

These three children would have been aged between five and thirteen at the time of the offending. The imagery obtained from the Filipino woman included category A images (the most severe) involving penetration with a number of objects, and oral rape. The youngest rape victim was only 2-3 years old and was directed to perform sexual acts with others.

In custody, he was charged with causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 13. He was later charged with further counts of causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a child, offences relating to making indecent images of children, possessing indecent images of children and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

He pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 4 January and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment at the same court today (17 October). He will also become a Registered Sex Offender for life and was given a 20-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

NCA Operations Manager Jen Cruickshank said: "This was a horrific case which is shocking on so many levels.

"Not only did Conejo orchestrate the most depraved abuse imaginable on vulnerable children, purely for his own sexual pleasure, he displayed his intentions to travel to the Philippines to carry out these attacks personally.

"He is a dangerous, high harm offender who posed a significant risk to children.

"The fact they were on the other side of the world probably hadn't escaped his attention, and no doubt made him think he'd avoid detection.

"However, the NCA has the capabilities and international reach to ensure that offenders like Conejo don't escape justice."

Description

A BASILDON man, who has been described as a "monster," has been jailed for sexually assaulting a child multiple times.

Harrison Hawkins, 37, of Kings Road, Steeple View, Basildon, was sentenced to a total of four years and six months in prison.

At the same court in May, Hawkins admitted three counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, two counts of taking indecent images of a child, and one count of possession of extreme pornographic material.

Officers launched an investigation in June 2020 after receiving reports of indecent images of a child on Hawkins' phone.

Then, allegations of sexual abuse were put to Hawkins in November 2021 after the victim bravely told officers from our Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT) about further incidents.

Hawkins was interviewed about these allegations and replied "no comment" when questioned.

He was subsequently charged and pleaded not guilty to all charges but changed his plea to guilty midway through the trial.

Today he was sentenced to four years and six months behind bars for sexual assault of a child and 24 months behind bars for two further counts of sexual assault on a child.

He was also jailed for nine months for each count of taking indecent images of a child and three months for possession of an extreme pornographic image.

All the sentences will run concurrently.

Hawkins was also given a 10-year restraining order and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The court ordered forfeiture and destruction of devices connected to the images and to pay a victim surcharge of £120.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Det Con Ian Burgess, who led the investigation, said: “Today’s sentence reflects the gravity of Hawkins’ offending.

“I want to pay tribute to the victim and her family who has been through an awful ordeal. They have displayed immense courage and dignity throughout.

“I hope today’s result brings some closure for them.”

A mum, who remains anonymous, has praised the police after her daughter's abuser was jailed.

She added: “We have been believed and I would say to anyone else who finds themselves in this position to go to the police and report it. You will be listened to and treated with respect.

“It feels like a black cloud has been lifted from over our heads and we can start to rebuild our lives.

“He was like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He appeared charming, friendly, and seemed so shy.

“But I know it was all an act and he is, in fact, a monster.

“We have got a life ahead of us and that is thanks to the justice Essex Police helped us achieve.

“The officer is our hero. I’m so thankful to him. He saved our lives.”

Description

A 53-year-old man has been jailed for nine years and six months after he was convicted of sexual offences against five victims.

Sean Richmond, of Hillyfields in Loughton, Essex, pleaded guilty to 14 offences included attempted rape.

He was first arrested in 2015 after reports he had sexually assaulted two victims between 1985 and 1991. Following his arrest, three more victims contacted Essex Police to report that they had been sexually abused by Richmond over 30 years ago.

Richmond was jailed on Wednesday at Chelmsford Crown Court and after the sentencing Det Con Matthew D Edson, said: "Richmond is no doubt a danger and he has spent decades thinking he could get away with abusing children."

The trial began at Chelmsford Crown Court on 28 May and Richmond entered a guilty plea to 14 offences on the second day of the trial.

He was convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecency with a child and one count of attempted rape.

Alongside his sentence, he has made subject to an indefinite restraining order and will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

Description

A paedophile who sexually abused two young girls was convicted thanks in part to innovative software which recovered incriminating videos he had attempted to delete from his phone.

This software was purchased and funded in part by illicit profits recovered from criminals by the police.

Barry Larkin, 32, was described by sentencing judge Richard Wilkin as a “paedophile and a complete coward” after he was unanimously convicted of eight charges following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

An investigation, led by our specialist Child Abuse Investigation Team, established Larkin, of Barn Mead, Harlow, had groomed and abused two young girls in 2022.

The mother of the two girls raised the alarm after her suspicions were raised and detectives launched immediate enquiries.

With support in place, the two victims revealed the extent of the abuse they had suffered.

It was revealed on one occasion Larkin had threatened one of the girls, advising her if she told anyone, then “she would be sorry”.

Police investigation

Larkin was arrested in June 2022, his mobile phones were seized and analysed using new software purchased by Essex Police that year.

This software was partly funded by money recovered from criminal enterprise through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

We were able to recover some footage Larkin had captured of his abusive behaviour.

The trial judge allowed the unusual step of showing some of the abusive material to the jury, playing distressing videos in court.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Rachel Horton explained:

“This was not an easy decision made by the court.
“It was decided that a verbal description of the videos was never going to prove the true extent of what the girls suffered.
“The jury is made up of everyday members of the public and understandably the videos caused the jurors to experience a high level of distress.
“The judge has therefore excused them from any form of jury service for the next 10 years.”

The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and one count of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Larkin admitted taking an indecent photograph of a child at an earlier hearing.

At the same court on Tuesday 3 September, Larkin was deemed to be a dangerous offender and handed an extended sentence.

Jailed

This sentence will comprise 12 years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of two years.

Judge Wilkin said:

“You took away their innocence for your own sexual gratification.
“You are dangerous in my assessment.”

'Dangerous and opportunistic'

DC Horton added:

“These convictions are the positive result of hard work across a number of different teams within Essex Police, together with the commitment of 12 ordinary men and women who sat through a difficult trial before delivering just verdicts based on the evidence.
“We would first pay tribute to the victims and the family of the victims, who have stuck with us and displayed strength and patience in their wait for justice.
“These two girls suffered awful abuse at the hands of a despicable individual, who was rightly judged to be a dangerous and opportunistic paedophile.
“Both girls have shown remarkable maturity during this investigation and are a credit to their family.
"It is my hope they can now put this case behind them, to some degree, and rebuild their lives.
“This conviction was in part helped by pioneering work by the civilian staff at the Harlow Digital Media Hub to keep Essex Police as a frontrunner amongst other forces when it comes to the recovery and review of digital evidence from devices.
“New equipment and software that was purchased in 2022, some of which is provided through funds recovered from criminal enterprise through the Proceeds of Crime Act, allow us to use criminal profit against other criminals and in support of vulnerable victims.
“These convictions relied heavily on digital evidence, some of which would not have been recovered if not for these improvements.”

The two victims were supported throughout this case, from initial disclosures to sentence, by an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA).

An ISVA operates entirely independently of the police, providing emotional and practical support to victims and survivors of both recent and non-recent sexual abuse.

Description

An intelligence officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA) who abused his access to the dark web to view hundreds of indecent images of children on his work computer has been jailed for 18 months. In June, Adam Taylor, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, admitted two counts of misconduct in a public office, three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Sentencing the 40-year-old former NCA officer at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, Judge Justin Cole condemned Taylor for the “gross abuse of trust” placed in him. The judge told Taylor “Because of people like you there’s a market for this”, saying interest in “vile” indecent images has led to the “rape and torture of innocent children”.

Taylor, who never moved out of his family home, was a grade five intelligence officer in the NCA, equivalent to a police constable. He had access to the dark web, although he was not required by his work to view such images because his focus was on offences involving drugs and firearms, the court heard.

Taylor was arrested by officers from the NCA’s anti-corruption unit after it was established that an IP address linked to his home was accessing illegal content. The defendant admitted to committing misconduct by making indecent images of children on a work device between March 2019 and April 2022.

He had 221 category A images – the highest category of seriousness – as well as 203 extreme images and hundreds of category B and C images on both work and home electronic devices between May 2012 and the time of his arrest. Prosecutor Amy Nicholson said Taylor “sought to use his employment to gain further access to child sexual abuse material” in “deliberate intentional acts” that caused a “high level” of harm.

She went on: “The defendant’s conduct will have undermined public trust and confidence in the NCA and its investigation of this sort of offending. Furthermore, the viewing and downloading of indecent photographs of children perpetuates the production of further indecent photographs, which requires the serious sexual abuse of young children.”

Eddison Flint, defending, said Taylor was at a low risk of reoffending and was “not a man who needs to add to the prison population”. Taylor has also been given a sexual harm prevention order and was made to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Catrin Attwell, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Adam Taylor intentionally used his employment to obtain information to facilitate the viewing and downloading of indecent images of children and used NCA official devices for this purpose. The indecent images of children on the devices contained some of the most horrific sexual abuse of children.

“His actions were a gross breach of the trust placed in him as an officer and severely undermined the integrity and standards expected from those in his position. After collaborative work from the CPS and the NCA, Taylor was left with no option but to plead guilty and face the consequences of his actions.”

NCA director general Rob Jones said: “The NCA is committed to protecting children from sexual abuse, wherever in the world it is happening. We are determined to ensure there is no safe haven for perpetrators, including and especially within law enforcement.

“NCA officers from our anti-corruption unit carried out a meticulous, covert investigation which identified Taylor’s offending and ultimately brought him to justice. The NCA will work tirelessly to tackle corruption and breaches of our standards of professional behaviour, without fear or favour, wherever they occur."

Description

A couple, who used the former online chat site Omegle to facilitate sexual offences against children have been jailed for a combined total of 15 years.

Summer Andrew, 23 of Old Road, Clacton and Nick Barrett, 23 of Claydon Road, Harwich appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday 17 July where they were sentenced.

An investigation by our Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) was launched in December 2021 following intelligence about Andrew and Barrett engaging in sexual activity online whilst in the presence of children online.

Further enquiries revealed that the pair had filmed themselves having sex in exchange for watching live footage of a four-year-old child being abused.

They were arrested and charged on 29 June 2022. Nick Barrett was charged with engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

Summer Andrew was charged with arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

Barrett pleaded guilty to both offences and was sentenced to 12 years to serve at least 7 years in prison. During the court process, Barrett was described as lacking insight into your sexual preoccupation and present a real risk of sexual harm to children in the future.

Andrew pleaded not guilty but following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, was found guilty on 11 April 2024. She was sentenced to three years in prison.

Both were issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and an indefinite NRO (Notification Requirement Order).

Judge Morgan said This offence is so serious only a custodial can be justified.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Nicola Hadfield said The tireless work of our officers has managed to safeguard other children from coming to harm in the hands of Barrett and Andrew.

The two will now be registered sex offenders, meaning that they will have indefinite notification requirements and every interaction with any children in the future will be monitored.

These offences took place on the former online chat room site Omegle, which would allow users to video chat with randomly selected users.

Omegle shut down after 14 years in November 2023 following multiple investigations into child abuse being attributed to the site.

Its a positive move forward to see a large online platform taking accountability for offences which may take place on their site.

Description

A registered sex offender from Woodford Green has been jailed after raping a woman at knifepoint. 

Keanu Vella, 30, of Maldon Walk appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on July 11 to be sentenced for rape, false imprisonment and breaching a court order.

His sentencing follows an incident on May 10, 2023, where he arranged for a woman offering escort services to visit him at his home. 

When their agreed appointment time had finished, the 30-year-old was found to have held the victim against her will and raped her at knife-point. 

The Metropolitan Police were alerted to the incident after a passer-by discovered the victim outside Vella's address. 

The 30-year-old was arrested and police discovered the registered sex offender had changed his address to the Maldon Walk property without telling his offender management officer. 

He was charged on May 12, 2023, and remanded in custody to appear in court where he later pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements.

On March 12, 2024, Vella appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court and pleaded guilty to rape and false imprisonment offences. 

Det Cons Jessica Stephens, said: “Keanu Vella is a registered sex offender who is a clear danger to women.

“He has demonstrated that he is unable to comply with the court ordered notifications that allow him his freedom, and it is right that he will now be in a place where he no longer poses a threat to women and girls.

“I hope that the sentence handed down encourages other victims of sex offences to come forward."

Vella's sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court:

• For failing to comply with notification requirements he was sentenced to 40 weeks' imprisonment.
• For false imprisonment he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment.
• For rape he was sentenced to twelve years and nine months' imprisonment with an extended licence to 18 years and nine months.

He is also subject to an indefinite Registered Sex Offender notification requirement.

PC Emma Porter said: “We are grateful to the victim in this case. She has shown strength, courage and patience throughout the court process.

“Now that Vella is behind bars it is my sincere hope that she can put his abhorrent actions behind her and move forward with her life."

Description

The streets of Essex are safer today for women and girls after a dangerous sexual predator, who plotted to kidnap, rape and murder a television presenter, was handed a life-sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of 16 years in prison.

Following a robust investigation by Essex Police’s Major Crime Team, which led to the successful conviction of 37-year-old Gavin Plumb, he was today sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court.

During a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, jurors were told Plumb had been plotting an attack on Holly Willoughby since 2021.

Obsession

Plumb developed an obsession with Holly Willoughby over a number of years.

He had scoured social media and material online, amassing thousands of images of the star and gaining detailed knowledge of her activity and movements.

But Plumb – who has previous conviction for kidnap and attempted kidnap of women - had a sinister and violent streak and began plotting to abduct, attack and murder the television presenter.

He joined various online forums, including one called “Abduct Lovers”, and began a series of discussions on online forums dating back to 2021 where he discussed his plan to kidnap the presenter from her family home.

During online discussions, Plumb discussed how he would restrain his victim and even purchased equipment to assist him including metal cable ties, ropes and chloroform.

Jurors were shown evidence of conversations between Plumb and a man called “Marc”, where they discussed graphic detail about sexual and violent offences they plotted to carry out against the victim.

Plans thwarted

But Plumb’s depraved plans were thwarted thanks to the work of an American undercover police officer. In October 2023, Plumb continued planning his attack in online forums but did not realise that another man he was seeking to draw into the plot, was in fact an American undercover police officer.

However, thanks to the American police officer and the prompt actions of Essex Police detectives, Plumb was arrested in October 2023 before he could carry out his crimes against his intended victims.

The officer, engaged in conversation with Plumb online and spotting the immediate danger to Holly Willoughby, duly contacted the FBI and British police. Plumb was arrested by Essex Police at his home in Potters Field, Harlow on 4 October 2023.

A significant risk to women

Following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Plumb of Potters Field, Harlow was convicted of soliciting the murder of Holly Willoughby, encouraging or assisting the commission of her kidnap and encouraging or assisting the commission of her rape.

Handing down sentence to Plumb, Judge Mr Justice Murray praised Ms Willoughby’s “considerable courage” and said he “has no doubt that this was all considerably more than a fantasy” for Plumb.

He also pointed to the Plumb’s previously violent and sexually motivated convictions, the purchase of items in order to commit offences and concerted research into the personal life of Ms Willoughby.

Speaking directly to Plumb, the judge said it was clear from the evidence that Plumb posed a significant risk to women and passed a discretionary life sentence, with a minimum of 16 years to be spent in prison before being eligible for release from custody.

If and when Plumb is released, he will be subject to licence conditions for the whole of his life.

Description

A convicted sex offender, who bragged on an online chat room that he would not stop offending has been jailed for over four years.

Lewis Parker, 23 of Westcliff Avenue, Westcliff appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday July 1 where he was sentenced following proactive work from the Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT).

Officers attended Parker’s address May 9 following intelligence that he had been accessing indecent images of children online. He was arrested on suspicion of multiple offences. Devices, which Parker was prohibited from owning following a previous conviction, were seized for analysis.

This analysis showed that Parker had been engaging in conversations on ‘dark-web’ chat rooms and discussing trading child pornography.

In one conversation, Parker bragged how he was “on the reg” meaning sex offenders register and appeared to brag that his previous convictions had no effect on him.

He was charged with three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of possession of a prohibited image of a child, two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image, four counts of breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and four counts of failure to comply with notification requirements on the Sexual Offenders Register.

On May 10, he pleaded guilty to all charges. He appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday July 1 where he was sentenced to four years and four months in prison. He will also remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A man has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to 20 offences including making and distributing indecent images of children.

James Green, 45, of Colne Road, Clacton-on-Sea, was sentenced when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Wednesday 12 June.

He previously admitted:

• Three counts of distributing an indecent image of a child
• Three counts of making indecent images of a child
• Possession of extreme pornographic image
• Possession of a prohibited image of a child
• 10 counts of a breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and Sex offenders’ notification requirements

Officers launched an investigation after we received information regarding illegal online activity which was linked to Green.

Essex Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) went to Green’s home in April this year after receiving information that he had attempted to access indecent images of children and breached his order.

Under the requirements of Green’s order, he was prevented from using any device which could access the internet or possess a phone not notified to police.

He was arrested after initially trying to hide his phone. The device, hidden under a tile in his ceiling, was found to contain illegal content.

He answered no comment during questioning but was charged and remanded into custody.

He plead guilty on Tuesday 30 April after the irrefutable evidence against him.

Description

A RAPIST has been jailed for more than four years for multiple sexual offences and making indecent images of children.

An investigation into Alex Symeonides, of Westcliff Park Drive, Westcliff, was launched in October after Essex Police's specialist team received intelligence that the 20-year-old was using an internet connection to view indecent images of children.

He was arrested and during interview he admitted accessing indecent images of children.

As the investigation progressed, officers found a number of indecent images on his devices. They also discovered evidence of sexual assault offences.

Following this work Symeonides was charged with two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and he admitted all these charges at court.

Symeonides appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Monday, 10 June where he was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison.

Detective Constable Matthew Wright, who led the investigation, said: “Symeonides is a dangerous offender and Essex is a safer place with him behind bars.

“We are committed to protecting people from harm and will leave no stone unturned in our work to secure charges against predatory offenders.

“Our forensic and detailed work throughout this investigation revealed additional offending and with the evidence placed in front of him, Symeonides had no option but to admit his guilt.

“Essex is no place to hide for sexual offenders and those who abuse children.

“I hope this sentence helps those impacted by Symeonides’ crimes on their road to recovery.”

Alongside his jail sentence Symeonides was issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Last year, Essex Police's online investigation team made more than 600 arrests or suspect interviews for these offences and secured 424 charges – the most of any force anywhere in the UK.

In the past year the team also solved 92 per cent of the 450 investigations they carried out.

Essex Police has the third highest conviction rate for sexual offences which make it to court, while last year the force also safeguarded more than 2,500 children from sexual crimes.

Description

A pervy coke fiend who told a woman he wanted to 'f**k her nappy' then was caught in her flat wearing her thong has been jailed for 28 months. Antony Debono used his victim's Instagram account to send obscene messages to her friend, sent her threatening sexual messages directly over WhatsApp and Facebook, and left 64 voicemails describing the disgusting things he wanted to do to her.

The 44-year-old dad appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, November 13, after admitting stalking and cocaine possession on July 6 this year. His terrifying stalking campaign, which began in May this year, reached its climax when the tyre fitter was caught wearing his victim's grey thong and sniffing coke off her kitchen counter after police were called to her home in East London on July 4.

Creepy Debono, from Creek Road in Canvey Island, Essex, was known to the victim, who initially cut him off after finding photos of her groin on his phone. But she took the weirdo back into her home after he was made homeless in November 2022, allowing him to stay with her and her young daughter at her flat in Woodford Green in Redbridge, East London.

However, their relationship soured again after she discovered empty bottles of vodka in her daughter's bedroom and threw him out. "After that, she kept him at arm's length... She did not want anything more to do with [him]," prosecutor Sarah Gabay told the court.

On May 13, Debono began his stalking campaign, using the victim's own Instagram account to send lewd messages to her friend, including 'F**king you', 'F**king your fanny', and 'F**king your boobs', the court heard. When the victim confronted the deviant about the smutty messages, he denied it.

Then on May 15, he then sent similar messages directly to the victim over Facebook, writing 'F**king b*tch, f**king your nappy, pulling things down, licking the crack of your p*ssy, f**king your arse, f**kin your brain out, f**king you in your red thong, love...'.

She blocked his number on WhatsApp, but the weird behaviour continued and on May 16, Debono left her 64 voicemails outlining his fantasies which included 'I want to give my... a nice good f**k'.

When the victim went on holiday to Thailand from May 24 to June 5, Debono let himself into her flat and foraged through her knicker drawer, throwing her underwear all over her bedroom floor and taking photos of them.

When the victim went on another holiday to Spain, Debono returned to her flat and plundered her knicker drawer again, this time draping a pair of red pants over her bathtub. Police were called by a friend and arrived to find cocaine on the kitchen counter, pants strewn over the flat, and Debono wearing a grey thong owned by the victim.

In an impact statement read by prosecutor Ms Gabay, the victim said the messages made her feel 'disgusted and ashamed', and she felt 'stupid' because she thought Debono had changed.

"Those messages gave me anxiety, panic attacks, chest pains, and bad nightmares. This has made me fearful that he will follow through on these threats... I'm in fear he might kill me afterwards," she said.

Calling the messages 'grossly offensive', Ms Gabay said: "Very serious distress has been caused to her and she's made considerable changes to her life to avoid any contact with him."

Defence barrister Sumita Mahtab-Shaikh said her client was remorseful and is 'making a real effort' to get off alcohol and drugs. "Because of his intoxication he lacked the insight into how his behaviour impacted on his [victim]," Ms Mahtab-Shaikh said. "There seems to have been a troubled background to the relationship."

Mr Recorder Philip Brook-Smith KC told Debono the messages and voicemails were 'disturbing', 'unpleasant', and 'threatening'. "It's plain she has suffered considerably as a result of your stalking her and his made changes to her lifestyle to try to come to terms with the threats and anxiety she has experienced," he said.

Recorder Brook-Smith jailed Debono for 28 months for stalking and gave no separate penalty for drugs possession, except for the cocaine to be destroyed. He also imposed a restraining order that bans Debono from entering the London Borough of Redbridge and from making contact with the victim or her daughter.

Description

A student travelled 225 miles from his Essex home to meet a 12-year-old girl in Leeds for sex, after a CGI image of her was planted on Facebook.

Ahmed Sablu caught the train and had booked a room at Leeds Ibis hotel after targeting what he thought was a child. But the profile was a decoy run by the hunter group, Predator Exposure, who had created the image of the girl using CGI. They confronted Sablu when he arrived at Leeds Railway Station on February 12.

The 24-year-old first made contact with the girl on December 30, sending a friend request. They traded hundreds of messages over the following weeks on different platforms, including Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, prosecutor Jennifer Gatland told Leeds Crown Court.

She said most of the conversation was “fairly everyday” about what they had been doing, and did not have any explicit content, although the profile repeatedly made it clear she was just 12 and was attending school.

But Sablu then said he was planning to come to Leeds, would book a hotel with a double bed and wanted to have a shower with the girl. They agreed to meet on February 12 when Sablu was intercepted, having caught the train from his home on Spring Road, Clacton-on-Sea.

Predator Exposure livestreamed the confrontation before he was arrested and led away to be put in to the back of a police van. He told officers: “I’m sorry, I messed up.” However, he then gave a no-comment interview at the police station.

They later found that he had booked the room at the Ibis in Leeds for that day. He later admitted attempting to meet a child following grooming. He appeared in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he has been held on remand.

A pre-sentence report prepared by probation had suggested Sablu had minimised his offending, but his barrister Matthew Harding, said many such child-sex offenders often have a “degree of reluctance” to accept their attraction to children.

Mr Harding said: “He accepts what he did was wrong. The majority of messages he sent were mundane. There was little of the gratuitous or explicit language often found in offences of this nature.”

Sablu, who is from Bangladesh, was in the UK on a student Visa, which has now expired.

Judge Richard Mansell KC told him: “It was perfectly clear that she was just 12. It became clear you were sexually interested in her.”

Judge Mansell made reference to Sablu’s comments to officers about “messing up”, and told him: “The only way you messed up is that you got caught, travelling many miles to meet someone you thought was a 12-year-old girl.

“You were fully intent of having sex with her in that hotel room. You have absolutely no insight into the gravity of your actions.”

He gave him 12 months’ jail, with a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), and put him on the sex offender register for the same period of time.

He was also told he was “liable” to be deported once released from prison.

Description

A man has been sentenced to almost four years in jail after CAIT detectives were able to link him to the sexual assault of a young girl in Harlow.

Officers were alerted to an incident on Wednesday 15 June 2022 at Oakwood Pond.

During the incident, a teenage girl was approached by a man shortly before 4.20pm and sexually assaulted her.

Thankfully, she was able to get away and seek help.

We then launched an investigation into the incident and used the description given to us by the victim in order to locate Luis Palma.

His distinctive clothing, a blue t-shirt, blue denim shorts and Vans-style trainers, allowed us to identify him using CCTV. His description and images of him were then circulated amongst officers who were patrolling across Harlow.

On Friday 17 June, officers passed a man who was holding a Nike bag which appeared to be similar to one being carried by the man in the CCTV footage. He was then followed and paused to look back at officers before walking into two waiting officers ahead of him.

He was then arrested and during a search of his home, each of the distinctive items of clothing were all found.

As the investigation progressed, officers also uncovered sexually explicit messages on Instagram between Palma and a 14-year-old girl. Throughout the messages, the girl had made it clear that she was aged 14 but Palma pursued the conversation.

Palma, 31, of Fold Croft, Harlow, was subsequently charged with sexual assault and sexually communicating with a 14-year-old girl between April 2022 and June 2022.

Palma appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court in February and admitted both charges.

He was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday 10 April to 44 months in jail. He will remain on the sex offender’s register for life and will be deported at the end of his sentence.

Officers were also successful in applying for a sexual harm prevention order and he has been banned from entering Harlow indefinitely.