Latest Offenders Gosport

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A man has been jailed for a total of 25 years for the rape and sexual abuse of a child in Gosport.

Sean Healy, aged 76, was charged with two counts of raping a girl under the age of 13, four counts of assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by touching, and one count of assault by penetration of a girl under the age of 13.

The offences were all committed against one girl between 17 November 2014 and 16 November 2020, with the abuse taking place at Healy’s home address in Maynard Close, Gosport.

Healy denied the offences, and the case went to trial at Portsmouth Crown Court on 21 October 2024. On 25 October, Healy was found guilty of all seven charges by a majority jury verdict.

Appearing at the same court on Monday 31 March 2025, Healy was jailed for a total of 25 years in prison.

During the sentencing hearing the court heard a statement from the victim, which included the following: “I have let what Mr Healy put me through drag me down for the past years and it has drained me. To this day I have been letting the trauma hold me back from achieving my goals. Today is the last day Mr Healy will hold me back”.  

DC Lucy Allan, from the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Sean Healy is a dangerous individual who continuously abused a child over a number of years, starting when the girl was very young.

“The bravery of this girl in speaking to police and reliving the most traumatic moments of her childhood is to be commended. Her courage has ensured that Healy has been sent to prison where he cannot harm another child.

“Crimes of this nature are some of the worst that police have to investigate, but we will do everything we can to safeguard those who have been abused, secure justice for them, and relentlessly pursue the criminals who prey on the most vulnerable members of society such as children.”

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A Gosport man who filmed himself raping a woman as she slept has been jailed for two decades.

Louis Charles Cann, 38, raped two women multiple times in a ten-month period in Portsmouth and Gosport, police said.

Salisbury Crown Court heard that the women were manipulated by Cann, threatened with violence and verbally abused, and one of the women was physically assaulted by Cann when she said no to having sex with him.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Adam Feest KC remarked on the humiliation, degradation, blackmail and manipulation used by Cann, in order to rape these women, with the judge noting that one of the women was treated like a rag doll.

He said: Neither I nor anyone listening to this case can properly understand the long-lasting trauma, distress, and fear that your actions have caused.

Cann, of Rampart Row, was charged with nine counts of rape following an investigation by Operation Amberstone Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabularys specialist rape and serious sexual offence investigation team.

He denied the charges - but was found guilty of all the offences on Wednesday, June 5 by a jury.

Detective Sergeant Samantha Brown, from the Operation Amberstone Team, said: The level of sexual violence and abuse that these women have suffered at the hands of this awful man is truly shocking.

These women were degraded, manipulated and assaulted in the most appalling way.

Nonetheless, they have shown incredible courage in standing up to this cowardly individual, and because of their strength and bravery Cann will now spend a lengthy period of time in jail.

She added: We want anyone who has been affected by rape or sexual abuse to have the confidence to report this. You will be believed, and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.

Cann was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with an additional extended five-year licence period.

He was also handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

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Mark Richard Phillips of Forton Road was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 1 March.

The court heard that Phillips, who was subject to a SHPO, was arrested in August 2023 after concerns were raised about unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 at his business premises on Forton Road, the Nurd Shop.

He suggested that as the door to the premises was open it was a public space, but the court saw his actions that had been reported to police were clearly a serious breach of his SHPO.

Offender Manager Mathew Lawn who investigated the case said: ”Thankfully no children were harmed by Phillips’ actions, however it was clear that by organising events for young children in his business premises which was clearly a breach of his SHPO, that he had no intention of following the conditions of the order.

“Police were alerted by concerned parents after their children reported suspicious comments and behaviours from Phillips when he was the only adult present.

“I’m pleased that the court has taken this breach so seriously. It brings reassurance for the local community and sends a clear message that anyone found to breaching the conditions of an order they are subject to will face a significant custodial sentence”.

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A man who made plans to travel across the country in order to rape two children has been jailed.

Martin Allaway, aged 47, of Nobes Avenue in Gosport, also downloaded more than 2,000 child abuse images, 166 of which were Category A – the most serious.

Allaway appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 27 September 2023 where he admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard on Friday 19 January this year that between January and May 2021, Allaway had been speaking to a woman online and detailed how he intended to travel to Sheffield in order to rape two children.

Allaway researched train times and ticket costs, and planned the date and time in which he would travel. He did not proceed with his plans, however, and subsequently withdrew from further communication with the woman.

The person Allaway had been speaking with was in fact a covert investigator from the Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU), and the ‘children’ that were discussed during their conversations did not in fact exist.

Following further investigation by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, Allaway was charged in August last year, and at the sentencing hearing he was jailed for 32 months. He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

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Previous name Jamie Waller.

Abigail Waller returned to the dock just three years after she was jailed for child sex offences under birth name Jamie. The 29-year-old, who now likes to be called 'Abi', breached court-imposed conditions by messaging three schoolgirls on Facebook - using her wife's phone.

Jurors heard that using a fake profile with photos of an 'attractive' young man, Waller told the 13 and 14 year old girls that they were 'so pretty' and 'really beautiful'. Waller, who now has long dark hair in a pony tail and wore a pink floral dress during his trial, tried to argue her wife of nine years Lucy Waller was behind the messages.

Now, the sex predator - formerly a disability care worker - has been jailed again, this time for three and a half years. In court, 'she' and 'her' pronouns were used by barristers and the judge when referring to Waller.

However, Mrs Waller - who appeared as a prosecution witness and gave evidence against her spouse - referred to Waller as 'Jamie', used the pronoun 'he', but also referred to her as: "Abi, as she is now". Waller, from Gosport, was jailed at Portsmouth Crown Court for

five years in 2020 after admitting a string of 'serious' child sex offences. The offences included blackmailing a 13 year old girl into sending Waller sexual photos of herself, and having the child call Waller 'sir' or 'daddy'. 

At court in 2020 Waller was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order [SHPO], banning any contact with children under 18 and the use of devices connected to the internet unless Waller informed police about them.

The following year, while in prison, the paedophile 'started identifying as a woman'. In May 2022, Waller was released from jail half-way through the sentence and was taken back by wife Mrs Waller at their home in Gosport. But within three months, Waller had started her 'grooming process' again.

At his trial, prosecutor Tim Dracass told jurors at the same court where Waller had been previously convicted that the paedophile breached the order in August 2022 by messaging three girls on Facebook, two of whom were 14 and one of whom was 13. Waller used his wife's second phone, a Samsung in a pink case, while she was out at work and used a Facebook profile under the name of Jake Smith, it was heard.

Waller told the girls 'you are really beautiful', said they were 'so pretty', sent a love heart emoji, and claimed to be aged 14. Waller was caught by police on August 4, 2022, when officers visited the house for a separate reason and discovered Waller hiding the Samsung in her lap.

Opening the three-day trial, Mr Dracass told jurors of Waller's gender change and that she was 'previously Jamie Kevin Harold Waller'. Mr Dracass said: "The defendant is Abigail Waller, that's how the defendant wishes to be known and currently identifies. She has been charged in that name. She was previously known by a different name, her birth name, Jamie Waller."

Giving evidence against Waller, Mrs Waller said: "I've decided to divorce [Waller]." She said her Samsung was a secondary phone which she mainly used as an alarm clock, but that it was connected to the internet and had Facebook on it.

The phone had three Facebook accounts linked to it - Lucy Waller, Jamie Waller, and Jake Smith. Mrs Waller said when she left for work at 7.30am on August 4 she left the phone upstairs - not on the sofa where it was found in Waller's lap. Mrs Waller told jurors: "I've never done anything with it [the Jake Smith profile]... I've never used it."

Defendant Waller gave evidence and was asked her name. She told jurors: "Jamie Kevin Harold Waller, but I prefer Abi. I started [identifying as a female] around 2021, the end of September 2021. I identify as a female. I'm waiting to [be seen by] a gender identity clinic."

Waller has been serving time at men's prisons - HMP The Verne on Isle of Portland, Dorset, and HMP Winchester. Giving evidence, Waller claimed she 'didn't send messages' to the young girls, 'didn't recognise them', and suggested her wife was behind a plot to frame her to 'set me up'.

Waller said: "The only person who I know had access to [the phone] was my wife, Lucy. We were arguing quite a lot, there were difficulties. As far as I was aware, we were still together. I believe [Mrs Waller sent the messages] to maybe get me in trouble, to get me put back in."

Waller added: "She knows that I have been in trouble for it before in the past. I believe she was actually in another relationship with another, current boyfriend that she is with at this time and she wanted me out of the way without telling me."

Waller also claimed she is no longer aroused by children. "I had a sexual interest in young girls, not anymore", she said. "I've done offending behaviour courses whilst I was inside."

Waller was convicted by a jury of four counts of breaching a SHPO. Mr Dracass said: "This was the start of something that could have resembled the circumstances of the previous conviction. Had the police not intercepted this phone when they did so, the crown submits it may well have been that there was a risk that serious harm could have taken place."

At the sentencing hearing, Ellie Fargin, defending, asked the judge to consider how Waller will cope in prison as an inmate who identifies as female. She said: "We ask you to bear in mind the conditions in prison and the issues Ms Waller will face in prison due to her ADHD and autism and because of her gender identity matter which she is awaiting treatment for."

Judge Michael Bowes KC jailed Waller for three and a half years, saying that her messages were a 'pre-cursor to what Waller had in mind'. Sentencing Waller, Judge Bowes KC said: "You have a serious record for offences involving children. "Looking at your previous convictions... There is a very unpleasant background of seeking to blackmail children."

Judge Bowes KC highlighted the fact Waller re-offended three months after being released from prison. He continued: "The messages themselves would appear to be fairly innocuous, but I am satisfied they were part of a grooming process.

"[The messages] were to gain their trust, with a view to take matters further and that's part of the gravity of these offences. At your trial, you denied matters, seeking to blame your wife, but the jury convicted you."

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A man has been jailed for raping a woman.

Darren House, of Whiteacres Close in Gosport, was sentenced yesterday at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The 46-year-old was charged with one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration, relating to an incident which happened in Gosport on 3 May 2023.

The woman, aged in her 40s, provided a statement to be read to the court on her behalf: “I literally think about this incident most days. It makes me feel sick when I think about it.

“When I think about it, I get upset, I cry and shake. Even now. I feel humiliated and degraded by him. I have to live with this for the rest of my life.”

House was sentenced yesterday to 13 years in prison.

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A 65-year-old man from Gosport has been jailed for historical child sex offences.

Shaun Anthony Hewer, who had previously been found guilty of the five offences, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Tuesday (5 December).

Hewer, of Bury Road, Gosport must serve nine years behind bars, followed by one year on licence.

He will not be eligible for release until he has served two thirds of the nine-year sentence handed down to him.

The offences, for which he has now been jailed, occurred at an address in Gosport between 1978 and 1989, when the victim was aged between four and 16 years.

Police staff investigator, on the Fareham and Gosport District Investigations Team, Nikki Ginn, said: First and foremost, I would like to praise the victim in this case for the bravery she has shown in ensuring this child abuser has been brought to justice.

I am so pleased for her that justice has finally be served in this case.

After more than 40 years of having to deal with what Hewer did to her, she has now seen him put behind bars, where he belongs.

He took her innocence from her when she was only four years of age and continued to abuse her into her teenage years.

While I know this result wont rid her of the memories of what he did to her, I truly hope it allows her to move forward with her life, safe in the knowledge that he can no longer harm any other children.

I also hope this sentence will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us, even if a considerable amount of time has passed since the offences took place.

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Alexander Edward Davies of Pavilion Way was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, September 15. He had admitted breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, three offences of making indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children, and possessing extreme pornography at an earlier hearing.

Police said Davies was arrested after officers identified a phone that was uploading indecent images of children to the internet. This was found at a family members home and had been hidden. Usage of the device and online activity was a clear breach of Davies Sexual Harm Prevention Order, police said.

Investigating officer PC Gemma Southcott said: Whilst these were not contact offences the breaches of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order are very serious and Im pleased that Davies sentence reflects this.

We take the management of sex offenders incredibly seriously, and invest significant resources into doing everything we can to keep the public safe.

Officers will often make unannounced visits to offenders where they may be subject to an intrusive investigative interview process. This helps us understand an offenders routine, interests and behaviours so we can closely monitor them.

We can also examine their digital devices to ensure they are sticking to the legal requirements imposed on them. These orders are put in place to protect the public, and ensure that individuals do not re-offend.

Where sex offenders fail to comply, as can be seen in this case, they can and will be returned to jail.

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A disgusting sex pest who grabbed a womans throat and groin in a Gosport street while refusing to let her walk past has been jailed.

Drunk Jamie Bicknell left the woman feeling scared and violated after grabbing her by the throat and hair before groping the victim between her legs, Portsmouth Crown Court heard. It happened when the 32-year-old refused to leave the female alone in Stoke Road, on February 2, 2021.

Bicknell had been asked to leave a nearby restaurant at around 9.50pm for his drunken behaviour after he ordered some food. He then approached a woman outside and began making lewd comments and asking her for sex.

The court heard how the woman tried to get past Bicknell before he grabbed her by the throat and continued talking to her. He then grabbed her hair before touching her sexually in the groin area. You refused to stop and were intent on sexual abuse. She was petrified, judge Timothy Mousley KC said. She was wearing her hair in a bun which you took hold of and then touched her in the area of her groin. Your hand remained there for a few seconds before she managed to escape.

CCTV footage showed that Bicknell had travelled by bus from his home on Gregson Avenue before walking to Stoke Road. He had a conversation with the bus driver during his journey - sharing his first name and discussing mutual friends - the details of which allowed police to identify and track him down.

The court heard how the womans world collapsed following the attack with her turning from someone who was outgoing and bubbly to being scared all the time and was now taking medication to treat anxiety. He invaded my personal space. It was truly disgusting. I felt violated, she said in a statement read out to the court.

Bicknell was found guilty by jurors of sexual assault following a retrial.

The court heard Bicknell, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder, committed the offence during a difficult period with his partner which led to him turning to drink and looking for trouble when going out.

Bicknell was jailed for two and a half years and given an indefinite restraining order and sex offender notification requirements.

Police staff investigator Sophie Close said: Reporting sexual offences takes a huge amount of courage, and the victim in this case has shown such bravery by coming forward and working with police to bring Bicknell to justice.

This attack was terrifying for her. Bicknells actions were appalling and disgusting, and behaviour of this kind will never be tolerated. Our officers work hard to identify perpetrators of this type of behaviour, and we want to encourage anyone who has been affected, or has witnessed someone behaving in this way to please report it to police.

A police spokesman added: We carry out regular patrols in areas where problems have been identified to us and where there is high footfall in the Night Time Economy to challenge and prevent perpetrator behaviours, identify people who may be vulnerable, and to offer safeguarding advice.

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A TEENAGER left a 14-year-old girl feeling "dirty" after taking advantage of her and having sex with her, a court heard.

Southampton Crown Court heard Curtis Goodwin had sex with the girl in Southampton last summer when he was 17.

Prosecution barrister Tom Wright told how the victim was trying to get cannabis when she spoke with Goodwin - but he then preyed on the vulnerable girl.

The court heard the girl was vulnerable due to her age and although Goodwin knew her age, he continued.

Goodwin, now 18, pleaded guilty to three charges of engaging in sexual activity with the girl, and one of inciting her to engage in sexual activity.

In a statement read out in court, the girl said she has lived with the effects of the crime since it happened, and the impact has been catastrophic.

She said: "I wonder how I will learn to live with what happened. I have become depressed and Im 15 years old.

It ruins what I am doing whether that be schoolwork... I feel dirty and I cant wash it off.

Mr Wright called for the judge to impose a restraining order for five years barring Goodwin from contacting his victim.

Defending, Gemma White asked the judge to consider Goodwins age and lack of maturity.

She added: Everything that I say on behalf of Mr Goodwin does not wish to detract away from the impact on the victim.

"This is an extremely serious sexual offence against a young girl.

She said the offence had been opportunistic and Goodwin had not sought out the sexual activity.

Goodwin, now of Springcroft, Gosport, was previously subject to a child abduction warning notice in 2020.

Judge Christopher Parker QC said Goodwin took advantage of the victim.

The judge handed Goodwin two years in youth detention but suspended this for two years.

A restraining order was also granted with Goodwin also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and must sign on as a registered sex offender.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Parker added: If you get involved with young girls again you will receive a very long sentence indeed.

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Levi Seriki-Walters, 35, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court today (May 10).

The court heard that police were called to the commercial car park near The Anchorage at around 1.40am on August 27, 2020 after witnesses described hearing a woman crying for help.

Officers attended and spoke to the woman, aged in her 20s, who was found by members of the public in a distressed state.

She told police that she had been physically assaulted and then raped by a man known to her.

Police subsequently arrested and charged Seriki-Walters with rape.

The court heard that Seriki-Walters had been seen on CCTV chasing the woman from the scene, and forensic enquiries supported that he had raped the woman.

Despite the evidence put to him, he denied the offence and the case went to trial in April this year.

On Tuesday, April 12, the jury found Seriki-Walters guilty after deliberating for approximately two and a half hours.

Det Con Jasmin Curson, from the Operation Amberstone team, said: I want to commend the bravery of this woman for telling officers what had happened to her, and for working with police throughout the investigation and trial period.

She experienced something terrible that no person should ever have to experience.

The man responsible has now rightly been brought to justice and put behind bars where he cant harm another person in this way.

We take allegations of sexual offences incredibly seriously, and do everything in our power to support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. We also work closely with a number of support agencies who provide specialist help to those who need it.

Anyone who has been affected by this type of crime is encouraged to contact police on 101 where you can speak to a specially trained officer in confidence. We understand not everyone is comfortable talking to police, but please know that there are other independent support agencies out there that can provide you with the help you need.

Details on how to report sexual assault and where to seek support can be found at hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault.

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A man has been jailed for 15 years for sexually abusing a child over a four year period in Gosport.

Shaun Healy, aged 73, abused the girl between 2016 and 2020, with the assaults beginning when the child was under the age of 13.

Police were contacted about the abuse in March 2020, and following an investigation Healy was charged with the following offences:

4 counts of assault by penetration of a girl under 13

Rape of a girl under 13

He denied the charges, but was found guilty of all the offences following a trial which began on 6 December 2021 at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Appearing at the same court for sentencing today (Friday 14 January), Healy, formerly of Maynard Close in Gosport, was handed a 10 year prison sentence with a five year extended licence period.

Following the sentencing, DC Marie Todd said: “This was a shocking and prolonged period of sexual abuse perpetrated against a child.

“The bravery shown by the girl in this case has been outstanding, and I want to commend her for having the courage to talk to police about what happened and for helping us bring Healy to justice.

“No child should ever have to suffer abuse, and I want to encourage anyone who’s been affected by this type of offending to speak out about it. You can talk to the police, someone you trust, or speak with any of the excellent support services available if you don’t feel comfortable contacting the police.”

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Predatory pensioner Brian Rutledge, of St Georges Walk, Gosport, has been jailed for nine years for his crime after being convicted of two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 and one count of buggery with a boy under 16 following a trial at Reading Crown Court.

The offences all occurred in the 1980s when Rutledge – now 82 – was a parish priest at a church in Reading.

The disgraced priest had set up and run a number of clubs for boys while at the church.

His victim, then aged 15, was a member of one of the groups when he was targeted by the twisted pervert.

During a stay at Rutledge’s home, the youngster was sexually abused and raped.

The victim had woken to find Rutledge sitting on his bed and he told the victim that he had been ‘chosen’ before clambering into bed with him and molesting him.

After carrying out his sex attack, depraved Rutledge then told the boy not to tell anyone about what had happened, saying that keeping it as a secret was good practice for when the youngster became a priest.

Thames Valley Police said the sex attack left the victim so traumatised by the assault, that he gave up any thought of entering priesthood.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Neil Callaway of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit based at Reading police station, said: ‘What Rutledge did was a complete abuse of his position within the Catholic church and the local community.

‘He had no concern for his victim, only for his own gratification.

‘He is now in prison where he belongs.

‘The victim in this case has shown incredible strength and bravery in speaking about what happened to him, and I would like to thank him for doing so.

‘This conviction shows that when victims come forward and report crimes such as these, they will be believed, and no matter what the passage of time, they will get justice.’

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Marc Daniel Ward, 29, has been jailed for a decade after previously admitting to abusing a child.

Ward, formerly of Brewers Lane in Gosport, previously pleaded guilty to nine counts sexual activity with a child, one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and a single count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, he was given a ten year prison sentence, and an extended licence period of four years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Claire Ratcliffe said: “It takes an incredibly amount of bravery to report abuse to anyone, and we commend the child involved in this case for their courage throughout this police investigation.

“No child should ever have to suffer, and we are committed to bringing to justice those who target children in this way.

“I am pleased that Ward is now behind bars and unable to harm another child.

“We encourage anyone who is being abused, or knows of anyone being abused, to find the confidence to come and talk to police, or a specialist charity such as the NSPCC.”

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A disgraced former Royal Navy commander, who was once honoured by the Queen, has avoided jail after being caught on camera by paedophile hunters posing as a 14-year-old boy.

Lieutenant Commander Graham Trewhella, from Gosport in Hampshire, blamed 'loneliness' after being arrested for using dating app Grindr to meet someone he thought was a teenage boy, a court heard.

But when he arrived to meet ‘George’, the 62-year-old was instead greeted by a man from vigilante paedophile hunting group Trap, an online organisation with more than 241,000 likes on Facebook.

Hampshire Police were called by the group and later found more than 1,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

Trewhella was arrested by officers on October 28, 2017, before retiring from his position in the Navy.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard that the father of three, who used his own photos for his Grindr profile, spent two days messaging someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy called 'George'.

Following his arrest, police found nearly 1,100 indecent images of children on his Dell computer - including 329 of the most severe category - with analysis suggesting searches for the images dated back to 2015.

Trewhella pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to arrange or facilitate a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and three charges of making indecent images.

Prosecutor Nicholas Hall told the court the disgraced naval officer at one point said he wanted 'maybe (sex) later'.

Mr Hall said: 'The person posing as George made it plain that he was only 14 and asked whether the defendant would be happy with that and he said that he was.

'This went on for certainly two days.'

In a video uploaded to Trap's social media pages, a shocked Trewhella stands in a hat and grey Rab coat, and is challenged by a man who tells him: 'You've thrown your life away'.

Struggling for words, Trewhalla replies: 'I don't do anything outside' and 'I wasn't going to do anything'.

When he later spoke to probation, Trewhella admitted his actions were 'absolutely wrong' and 'unbelievably irresponsible'.

'When I look at what I've done now it horrifies me - I'm incredibly remorseful.'

Trewhella had been named on the New Year's honours list in 2009 for services to the Royal Navy.

In mitigation, Phillip Allman told the hearing that Trewhella's three children had remained supportive of their father.

He added that his actions came as 'a result of loneliness' after splitting with his wife 15 years ago, saying: 'This is the most remarkable stain on his character.

'It's something he will ultimately have to live with for the rest of his life,' Mr Allman said.

Sentencing, Recorder Simon Levene handed him a 17 month jail sentence suspended for two years, commenting that putting him behind bars would do 'nothing towards he rehabilitation'.

Mr Levene said: 'You are deeply ashamed and very, very embarrassed - not just at being caught but at what you realise you've been up to over the last few years.

'I accept that this is a case where I can suspend the sentence because I think that you fall into that category of offender who can be helped.'

He added that in jailing him there was a risk that sex criminals in prison could make him an even worse offender.