Latest Offenders Essex

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.

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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.

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A "DANGEROUS" paedophile has been jailed for multiple sexual offences against a child which began when she was eight years old.

Phillip Hull, 28 of Hawtree Close, Southend, appeared at Basildon Crown Court today where he was jailed for more than 10 years after admitting to multiple sexual offences against a child.

Hull was arrested two days after Essex Police's child abuse investigation team received a report of sexual abuse.

The victim reported multiple accounts of sexual assault, which began when she was eight years old.

Following extensive enquiries, Hull was charged with attempted rape of a girl under 13, two counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13, two counts of causing a girl to engage in sexual activity, observing a person doing a private act, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and four counts of assault a girl under 13 by touching.

In a court hearing, Hull denied attempted rape of a girl under 13, two counts of causing a girl to engage in sexual activity, voyeurism and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

This plea was accepted by the judge and Hull was sentenced today to 10 years and six months in prison.

He has been ordered to serve at least two thirds of that sentence.

He was also issued with a restraining order against the victim for life. As well as this, he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and issued with a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed on eight child sex charges after staff at a nearby shop caught him abusing a 12-year-old boy.

Christopher Wren, 69, was arrested in July last year after Co-Op employees saw him naked in his hot tub with his victim.

Last Wednesday, Chelmsford Crown Court heard how Wren, of Hill Road, Harwich, started abusing his victim after paying the teenager to complete odd jobs around the house.

Following his arrest, Wren admitted five charges of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and three charges of sexually assaulting a child under 13.

As the charges were read out, Wren stood with his head bowed, dressed in grey joggers and a grey Puma jumper while his wife sat in the public gallery.

Christopher Martin, mitigating, said it was the first time Wren had offended and that he was in serious ill-health, having been discovered in his cell in a diabetic coma on three separate occasions by prison staff.

He said: “The defendant is a well-educated man who has, throughout his adult life, contributed to society in a manner he has enjoyed regular employment.

“He has been married for 40 years, and his wife is fully aware of the circumstances of this offending and remains supportive if not understanding in terms of Wren.

“He has several serious health conditions – he has been diagnosed with type two diabetes and has been undergoing a triple heart bypass.

“In the last three weeks, he has been rushed from HMP Chelmsford to hospital having been found in his cell at having suffered a diabetic coma – the bottom line is that Wren is not a well man.”

Judge Alexander Mills sentenced Wren to four years in prison and reminded the defendant of the impact his offending had on his victim.

He said: “It’s clear there has been an impact and remains to be impact on the victim and the family, and I have taken that into account.

“Four years is the least I can impose in the light of the seriousness of the offences in this case."

Description

The first person in England and Wales to be convicted of a cyber-flashing offence has been jailed for 66 weeks. Nicholas Hawkes was convicted under the Online Safety Act after cyber-flashing became an offence on January 31 this year.

The 39-year-old, from Basildon, Essex, was already a convicted sex offender when he sent unsolicited images of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and a woman in her sixties on February 9 this year.

Southend Crown Court heard on Tuesday that that evening Hawkes asked to use his father's phone to call probation. He went into another room where he sent the indecent photo via WhatsApp to a woman in her sixties, using his father's phone.

Minutes later, on the same device, he sent an explicit image to the child over iMessage, who was said to have been left "overwhelmed and crying". Both victims took screenshots of the messages and the woman reported him to Essex Police the same day.

Prosecuting, David Barr said the offences "fall as part of an established pattern of behaviour of the defendant".

The court heard Hawkes' offending has been exclusively sexual in nature and started after he was kidnapped, stabbed and held at a £5,000 ransom demanded from his father when he was 31 years old.

He does it to 'create chaos'

Barry Gilbert, defending, argued Hawkes does not receive sexual gratification from his offending and instead "does it to create chaos when he's under personal pressure" as a result of his PTSD following the attack.

However, Judge Samantha Leigh rejected the argument that he did not receive sexual gratification and said "you clearly are deeply disturbed and have a warped view of yourself and your sexual desires".

She added: "There is a duty that I have that is a duty to protect, there is only one sentence for this set of offending it clearly crosses the custody threshold."

Despite his previous offending, Hawkes has reportedly not received any treatment. Though he was offered 12 appointments with a psychiatrist, he never received them as the waiting list was too long, the court heard.

Hawkes admitted during an earlier hearing at Southend Magistrates' Court to two counts of sending a photograph or film of genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation. He was jailed at Southend Crown Court on Tuesday.

Cyber-flashing can involve offenders sending people an unsolicited sexual image on social media, dating apps, Bluetooth or Airdrop.

Victims of the offence and other image-based abuses receive lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act from the point they report it.

Hawkes was already on the sex offenders register until November 2033 after last year being convicted of sexual activity with a child under 16 years old and exposure, for which he also received a community order.

On Tuesday he pleaded guilty to breaching the order and breaching a suspended sentence for another sexual offence.

He was also sentenced for those offences and will serve half of the 66 weeks in prison and will then be released on license.

He was handed a restraining order for both women lasting 10 years, and a sexual harm prevention order banning him from approaching women who he does not know on public highways and in parks for 15 years.

Description

A retired priest who sexually abused two schoolchildren at his home in the 1980s has been jailed for 32 months.

Edward Phillips-Smith, 73, exploited his position as chaplain at St Peter's Collegiate School, Wolverhampton, to groom the young pupils.

In a statement read to Oxford Crown Court, one of his victims described his actions as "selfish, exploitative" and "perverted".

Sentencing, Judge Pringle said: "You as a teacher were in a position of absolute trust with that young boy and you abused that trust".

The court heard Phillips-Smith, who subsequently moved to Essex and had been known to the children as Father Eddie, would run after-school clubs.

Seen as "more relaxed" than other teachers, the priest would tickle children to make them laugh.

Prosecutor Fern Russell said: "He was fun to be with, the children would sit on his knee."

She described how he invited the two victims to his home in Brewood, Staffordshire in the early 1980s.

The court heard the boys went to his room during a thunderstorm and ended up in the defendant's bed.

In the middle of the night Phillips-Smith woke the boys up and encouraged them to perform a sex act on him.

Victim Will - not his real name - said in a victim statement read out in court the priest's actions were “selfish, exploitative [and] perverted”.

Speaking of the devastating impact on his life and relationships in the decades since, he said: "I fear I will never be free of the shadow he cast over me as an innocent child looking for acceptance.

"He called himself Father but he’s no man of God."

Speaking for the defence Lucy Tapper said the former priest had expressed "sincere regret" and there had been no repeat of the event, despite Phillips-Smith coming into contact with children in the course of his daily life.

Phillips-Smith, of Hadleigh Road, Frinton-on-Sea, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child.

He was handed a sentence of 32 months for the assault, and 16 months for the counts of indecency, to run concurrently.

He was also given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order limiting his communication with either of the two victims.

On sentencing, Judge Pringle told the defendant: "You were widely loved by the pupils at that school. You were fun. You were not as strict as some of the other masters.

"The boys loved being with you because you made them laugh and you'd sit on their knee and you would tickle them."

The effect and "mental anguish" on Will was clear from his statement, the judge added.

"What is interesting, in what you did as far as [Will] is concerned – after that episode that I’ve described you ‘dropped him like a stone’. You weren’t interested in him any more because he didn’t play the game," he said.

'Red flags'

Staffordshire Police began investigating in February 2023 and arrested Phillip-Smith in May.

Det Const Gemma Grimshaw from the force's rape and sexual offences team thanked those who came forward for their "exceptional bravery".

“I hope this serves as a message to any survivors of child sexual offences that they will be listened to, supported by specialist officers and spoken to in confidence," she added.

Lichfield Diocese said it had handed the priest's file to police after identifying several "red flags" during a past cases review, external, carried out between 2019 and 2022.

A diocesan spokesperson said: "The crimes committed show serious unacceptable behaviour for any priest, from whom we expect the highest standards of personal and professional conduct especially on behalf of children and vulnerable people in their care.

"While safeguarding expectations and processes have improved very significantly over the decades, we are very aware that the hurt caused to survivors of abuse does not go away."

The spokesperson urged anyone affected to contact its safeguarding team, external.

They added Phillips-Smith had moved on to three further posts in the south of England before retiring.

A spokesperson from Three Spires Trust, which now runs St Peter's Collegiate Academy, said they were very sorry to hear about the historical case.

"Our thoughts are with all those involved," the spokesperson added.

"The safeguarding and protection of children is our key priority."

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A RAPIST who sexually assaulted a woman in a vulnerable state on Christmas Day before fleeing a fatal crash on the A127 has been jailed.

Thomas Black, 30 of Middle Street, Nazeing appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday where he was jailed for eight years after admitting multiple sexual offences including rape.

An investigation was launched on December 25, 2019, after police were called to an address in Westcliff in the early hours following concerns for a woman. Enquiries revealed the woman had been sexually assaulted while in a vulnerable state.

Later that same day, after he had "taken a cocktail of drink and drugs", according to an inquest, Black hit a pedestrian as they crossed the A127 in a fatal crash near the Dick Turpin pub.

Sentencing him in 2021, the magistrates' bench said the victim, Christian Taylor, 36, from Wickford, "may have survived had the defendant stopped".

The scene - the victim's body was not found until two days after the Christmas Day crash (Image: File photo)

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said there was not enough evidence to support him being charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and Black was charged with and admitted failing to stop and failing to report a crash. He was given four months in jail suspended for a year and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Black was arrested on suspicion of rape on Boxing Day of 2019 at his home address. In interview, Black denied his actions and he was released on bail while enquiries continued.

This included his phone being downloaded, which revealed several private sexual images of the victim, which had been taken without her consent and shared into a group chat.

Black was subsequently charged with rape of a woman over the age of 16 and sexual assault.

Despite initially pleading not guilty, Black changed his plea to guilty on the first day of the trial on November 20.

Speaking after the sentence, the victim described the devastating impact that Black’s crimes have had on her: “The entire investigation was tough and the embarrassment, degradation, anxiety and stress that this has caused me cannot be measured. His actions impacted my life in the worst way for four years and will remain with me forever.

“Detective Constable Jackie Spooner and Mandy Moxon from the investigation team could not have been any more supportive.

“DC Spooner left nothing unturned and I felt like she was determined to get justice for me. The team made me feel calm and at ease and their mannerisms were perfect in helping me throughout the difficult process.

“About three years into the investigation, I wanted to stop the whole thing. DC Spooner encouraged me to push on. She never gave up on me, I felt so protected.

“The prolonged amount of time it has taken to get justice has taken its toll on me.

“Moving forward, I have to deal with the continued anxiety, memories of this ordeal and also with my mistrust in men which I did not suffer from before this awful experience.

“Despite my horrendous ordeal, I’m so grateful for the support I received and I hope that this has inspired other victims, who haven’t found the strength to come forward yet to reach out and report. You will not be alone.”

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A PAEDOPHILE and former choir master has been convicted of a series of vile sex offences, including abusing boys under the age of 11 years old.

Thomas Rodgers, 44, from Billericay, initially denied committing the crimes, but was convicted by a jury following a trial this month.

The historic offences took place in the 1990s, when the victims were all children, but only emerged after the crimes were reported to police on January 5, 2019.

Following an investigation by officers from Met’s East Area Command, Rodgers was arrested on February 10, 2019, on suspicion of sexual assault.

Rogers has previously worked as a choir master in Essex.

A spokesman for Met Police said: “Rodgers was bailed to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court where, following a trial on Tuesday, December 5, he was convicted.

“Rodgers was convicted of indecent assault on a male aged eight to 11 years; indecency with a child aged eight to 11 years and indecency with a child aged five to seven years.”

Liam Woon, investigating police constable for Met Police, praised the victims for showing bravery to come forward and report the offences to police.

He added: “The offences in this case took place in the late 90s when the victims were children.

“That trauma has followed them throughout their lives.

“I hope this conviction brings the victims a sense of closure and highlights that no matter how much time has passed, we will investigate all reports of sexual abuse with a view to placing those responsible before the courts.”

Rodgers will next appear in custody for sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, January 10.

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A man who posed as a teenage girl online to get dozens of young boys to send indecent pictures of themselves, before blackmailing them into sending more has been jailed for 21 years.

Jay Lang, 24, of Driftway, Basildon, Essex, set up accounts on Snapchat and Instagram under a pseudonym, claiming to be a 16-year-old girl, Basildon Crown Court was told.

Marc Brown, prosecuting, said Lang ‘would target young boys aged between 11 to 16 using these social media profiles to first of all engage those young boys in conversation’.

‘Those conversations would develop, at first flirtatious conversation, then to more sexually-explicit conversation,’ he said.

He said it would lead to Lang inciting the victims to send indecent videos and photos of themselves.

The prosecutor said that ‘unbeknown to each of the victims’ the defendant was using a screen-recording app on his phone and would save the images, and later use them to blackmail the boys.

Lang would reveal himself as a man and ask for further images or demand cash, threatening to publish the images the boys had already sent if they did not comply.

He sexually abused one of the boys in person after they felt they had no choice but to agree to his request to meet, the prosecutor said.

Lang also blackmailed another boy into filming himself performing a sex act with a male friend, the court heard.

‘He would use the threat of exposing the videos if they refused,’ Mr Brown said.

‘In the case of some victims he did indeed publish the videos.’

He said the offending spanned around three years, from 2019 to 2021.

‘The offending came to light in November 2021 when one of the victims reported what happened to him to police,’ the prosecutor said.

Police analysis of Lang’s phone identified 540 videos and 140,000 images, with 220 potential victims identified.

‘As a result of all of these inquiries, some 26 victims provided evidential accounts,’ the prosecutor said.

He detailed each of these accounts, with one victim telling how he was sent a selfie-style image of a topless teenage girl – who the boy thought he was speaking with.

Lang’s fake social media account said it was ‘only fair’ that the boy should send an image back, which the victim did with an image of his genitals, the prosecutor said.

The account requested further images and video of the boy performing a sex act.

When the boy tried to cease contact with the account, Lang got in touch via a separate account revealing himself as a man and threatened to share the images with the boy’s friends and family.

‘He felt he had no choice but to resume contact with the account,’ the prosecutor said.

The defendant asked to meet in person and the boy agreed to due to the threats of publishing the images, Mr Brown said.

He said Lang drove the boy to a secluded location in a van and sexually abused him.

The boy said in a victim impact statement read to the court that the abuse ’caused me to have suicidal thoughts on a daily basis’ and he had tried to kill himself several times.

Referring to another victim, the prosecutor said Lang ‘demanded £2,000 or the images would be posted on Facebook’.

Lang admitted at an earlier hearing to 46 offences, including causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, blackmail and causing or inciting child sexual exploitation.

He also admitted to arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence and to causing or inciting child prostitution of pornography.

Judge Samantha Cohen, jailing Lang for 21 years with an extended licence period of six years afterwards, told him: ‘You are a predatory, manipulative and dangerous young man.

‘You have wreaked havoc through the lives of 26 young men and their families.’

She said he was ‘aroused by the power and control’ the offending gave him and that it caused ‘anxiety, depression, sleeplessness and suicide attempts’.

The judge said it was ‘compulsive conduct over three years’ and had happened despite him being in a ‘permanent relationship’ at the time and having fathered a child.

Lang was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

The defendant mouthed ‘thank you’ to the judge as he was led from the secure dock to the cells.

Nick Bonehill, mitigating, said Lang had pleaded guilty to the offences, avoiding the need for a trial.

He added: ‘Through me, he apologises to each and every victim.’

Essex Police said it was the largest child exploitation investigation the force has ever undertaken and the judge praised their work as a ‘tour de force’.

Detective Sergeant Ben Rushmere, who leads the child sexual exploitation proactive investigation team, said: ‘Today’s sentence rightly highlights the true scale of Lang’s horrific offending.

‘He used social media to prey upon young people and exploit them either for financial gain or for his own gratification.’

He said he wanted to ‘commend each and every victim, and their families, who came forward and worked with us’.

‘It is only with their candour and support that we have been able to build a case so strong that Lang was left with no other option but to admit 46 extremely serious offences.’

Description

A man sexually assaulted a woman while she slept in her own home. Darrel Phillips, 44, travelled to the victim's house in Tower Hamlets on July 12, 2020, to stay the night in her spare room.

Then in the early hours, Phillips told the woman that he wanted to have sex with her but she rejected his advances.

The next morning she woke up in pain and realised that her clothing had been removed from the waist down. She also recalled a memory of Phillips in her bed and pushing him away, saying 'no'.

The woman reported the incident to the police and detectives from the Central East Command Unit began investigating. Phillips, Saffron Walden, Essex, was arrested, but when interviewed he declined to answer questions and denied all allegations.

Phillips was found guilty of assault by penetration at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, July 14, following an inquiry by detectives specialising in investigating sexual offences. The woman has been supported by specially trained officers throughout the investigation.

His sentencing on Tuesday, September 5, follows a five-day trial where he received an indefinite restraining order against the victim. He has also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely

Detective Sergeant Michael Dixon from the Central East Safeguarding Team, said: “Phillips showed no regard to the rights of a woman and he attacked her whist she slept. I would like to take this opportunity to commend the victim-survivor, who has shown enormous courage throughout this process and fought for justice.

“We fully understand that reporting a sexual crime can be traumatic for anyone. I would urge anyone in this position to get in contact with the police – you will be listened to and supported by specially trained officers.”

Sexual Offences Investigative Techniques Officer (SOIT) Thomas Coe from the Central East Safeguarding team added: “I would strongly encourage any person who has been subjected to a sexual offence to report to police, and visit a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) or Haven.

"Part of the reason that this conviction was secured is because it was reported immediately, and vital forensic evidence was gathered at the earliest opportunity. I hope this sends a strong signal to victim-survivors that we are absolutely committed to investigating these crimes fully.”

Description

A man who formerly edited both the Independent on Sunday and New Statesman has been sentenced for making indecent images of children.

Peter Wilby, 78, was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) at his home in Essex in October.

Wilby admitted to officers he had a sexual interest in children and had been viewing indecent images since the 90s, while employed by national titles.

He was given a 10-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

Investigators found 167 indecent images of children, 22 of which were Category A images, the most serious.

'Betrayed trust'

He admitted three charges of making indecent images of children at Chelmsford Crown Court.

Adam Sprague, operations manager at the NCA, said: "The material accessed by Wilby and recovered from his computer showed real children being cruelly and sexually abused.

"He was viewing this content while working as the editor of prominent national news outlets, a role in which he was entrusted to form the news agenda for the British public. A trust which he has greatly betrayed."

Wilby was also given a rehabilitation requirement of 40 hours is subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

A New Statesman spokesperson said: "The New Statesman staff and management had no knowledge of Wilby's arrest or charges before they were reported and are shocked and appalled to learn of these horrifying crimes.

"Wilby was New Statesman editor from 1998 to 2005, and remained a contributor."

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A PERVERSE man who covertly filmed a child as she bathed has been jailed for 18 months.

David Quick, from Walton, hid his mobile phone with its camera pointing towards the victim.

However, the 53-year-old was caught after she spotted the Samsung’s camera lens poking out the top of a washbag, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Quick was confronted by the victim after she accessed his phone and found a naked picture of herself on it in January 2019.

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said Quick was arrested later that day and police officers examined his phone in the investigation which followed.

The prosecutor said they found 55 category B indecent images of children on it and at least 40 category C indecent images, of which at least 14 images and one video were of the victim.

The distressing content had been feeding into a series of apps on his phone and removed from his camera roll in a bid to hide them.

The victim’s mother said Quick’s crimes were “precise, calculated and devious”, adding: “He took something from her that was not his to take and he did so in an underhanded way.”

Quick, of Saville Street, Walton, admitted two offences of voyeurism, taking indecent images of a child and possessing both category B and C indecent images of a child.

He was jailed for 18 months on Tuesday afternoon.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE who was found to have thousands of child and animal abuse images after police raided his home has been jailed for more than two years.

David Connery, 51, of Carnarvon Close, Southend, was charged with three counts of making indecent photograph of a child, a further three counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying an act of intercourse with an animal.

Police raided his home on two separate occasions, and found more than 4,000 indecent images and messages.

Samantha Wright, prosecuting, said: “Officers attended Mr Connery’s address on February 10, 2021 and seized items which included iPhones and a Samsung laptop containing indecent images

“A warrant on February 7, 2022, was also executed which saw further devices seized with indecent images and messages speaking about children in a sexual manner.

“These messages also involved creating images of children for financial gain with some of the victims as young as four years old.”

Connery was hospitalised and a hospital discharge report from July 22 revealed he had a self inflicted open wound to the chest caused when he shot himself with a crossbow. 

 Following the discharge he was diverted to mental health organisations including Samaritans.

The February 2021 raid found more than 4,000 indecent images of children on Connery’s devices with 25 categorised as extreme pornography files.

On February 2022, the police found further images of extreme pornography including bestiality images and videos involving sex with animals.

Sentencing him at Basildon Crown Court on Wednesday, Recorder Caudle said: “When sentencing, I consider. the number of aggregating factors including a network of perverted like minded individuals who sent images back and forth.

“I am also considering the length of time of offending as high volume and over a long period, as well as the age of the victims.

“The Whatsapp chat messages show your facilitating of the distribution of these images as well as an obsession with young children and violence towards them.”

Recorder Caudle sentenced Connery to 28 months' imprisonment for the distribution and possession of indecent images. He is to serve half of the sentence then will be released and subject to licence. 

Description

A MAN has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offences against a child.

Thomas Thorpe-Keen, 23, of Creasen Butt Close, Heybridge, came on to the radar of Essex Police’s child abuse investigation team in 2020 after concerns around his contact with underage girls.

He was issued with a sexual risk order and criminal behaviour order which had a number of conditions, including not allowing him to be in the unsupervised company of anyone under the age of 18, which he breached continuously.

In 2019, Thorpe-Keen targeted a 15-year-old victim.

He stalked, coerced and controlled the young girl, watching for when she was alone at home and raped her multiple times.

He was arrested in July 2022 after he had raped the victim, left the address and then broken back into the property through the living room window, before threatening to kill her.

After a three-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Thorpe-Keen was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour, multiple rape, rape and breaches of court orders.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, June 9, via video link and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In an impact statement, his victim said: “I have suffered with anxiety since the rape and controlling behaviour.

“He was so controlling that I lost a lot of friendships.

“I still find it difficult to talk about my emotions and how I am feeling and I will often shut down.”

Investigating officer PC Thomas Olson said: “Thorpe-Keen is a manipulator.

"He is a dangerous individual and has seriously affected the life of the victim.”

“Despite being a long investigation, I am so proud of how the victim has conducted herself and the bravery she has demonstrated.”

Description

A man convicted of raping another man after leading him to a Chelmsford alleyway has been jailed for 8-and-a-half years.

In the early hours of August 9 2019, following a night out, the victim became unwell in Baddow Road when he was approached by 29-year-old Luke Bennett who offered to help him.

Bennett, of Townsend, Springfield, walked the unknown man to an alleyway off Baddow Road and raped and sexually assaulted him.

Bennett called for an ambulance, and waited with the victim, 20s, but left when the paramedics arrived.

He was arrested nearby a few hours later and subsequently charged with rape and sexual assault.

Bennett was convicted of rape and sexual assault following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court on June 22 2022 and, on Wednesday (May 3), he was sentenced to 8-and-a-half years imprisonment.

He was also made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will be a registered sex offender indefinitely.

Detective Constable Ann-Marie Aubynn, who led the investigation, said: “We support all victims of sexual assault or rape and would encourage anyone who has been sexually assaulted to come forward and report to us so we can support you too.”