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A man who abused a woman who was seventeen at the time over a period of eight months has been sentenced to fifteen years behind bars and will be on the sex offenders register for life, after he was found guilty at Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday, 2 July 2025. 

Dylan Lowther, 21-years-old of Hull was sentenced yesterday (Tuesday, 16 September 2025), after he was convicted of 11 offences following a five-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court on Wednesday, 2 July 2025.

Lowther was found guilty by a unanimous jury of four counts of assault by penetration, three counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour.

The investigation was launched in 2024 when Lowther was brought to the attention of officers after a woman attended a police station in Hull reporting a history of abuse.

Shortly after the launch of the investigation, Lowther was arrested and later interviewed by detectives. Whilst being interviewed, Lowther denied all allegations of abuse put to him and claimed that the reports were false and malicious. Lowther was remanded in custody after being charged with the 11 offences.

Leading the investigation Detective Constable Nadine Wilson said

“Today I would like to thank the woman who came forward, it is solely through her bravery and courage that we were able to launch this investigation and bring this offender to justice.

“This ordeal will undoubtedly stay with the woman for the rest of her life, no amount of justice will erase the harm and trauma Lowther has inflicted, but I hope knowing he will be behind bars for a very long time will bring some kind of relief.

“We take all reports of sexual and domestic abuse seriously and continue to seek justice for those who have suffered at the hands of predators.

“Our specialist trained officers work closely with partnering and support agencies across the region, to support victims and survivors and to bring justice to perpetrators of sexual crimes of any nature.

“When ready, we urge victims to come forward and tell someone, report these crimes to the police and we will do everything we can to hold those accountable.”

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A Kuwaiti migrant has been jailed after forcefully kissing a suicidal woman in the street when she refused to accompany him back to his asylum hotel, a court has heard.

Zayed Alanzi, 26, approached the woman in Hull and would not take no for an answer as he harassed her in the early hours of April 28.

The woman later told magistrates he was a complete stranger who left her feeling violated. He allegedly grabbed her by the cheeks, squeezed her face, kissed her on the mouth and forced his tongue inside, before she managed to wrestle him off. The incident reportedly took place near the Royal Hotel in Hull, where Alanzi was staying at the time.

Referring to a vulnerable teenager for whom she said she had acted as a decoy, the victim added: It was either that or he would do it to the other one. He asked me to go up a road. I said No. Im going that way, and thats when the police turned up.

During his trial, Alanzi who is married denied the offence and claimed through an Arabic interpreter that he had only tried to help the woman to her feet. He also claimed she had consented to the kiss.

However, magistrates rejected his defence and sentenced him to 12 months in prison. He was also placed on the sex offenders register and ordered to pay 187 in costs.

He is expected to serve less than half of his sentence.

It is understood that deportation proceedings may now be initiated against him following his conviction.

The case was first reported by The Sun, which said the woman told the court she had made it clear several times that she wanted to be left alone. The tabloid also reported that the assault left her deeply shaken.

Alanzi had been living at the hotel while his asylum application was being processed.

His conviction comes amid growing concern over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers, especially in city centres.

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A serial sexual predator has been jailed for 28 years after he was finally brought to justice because of fresh police investigations that were launched in the wake of the "Jimmy Savile scandal inquiry".

Gavin Lancell managed to evade being held to account for his depraved actions many years earlier but the police eventually reviewed his case and investigated further after one of his victims contacted a high-profile police operation that had been set up following allegations made against Savile, a former BBC disc jockey and the presenter of TV series Jim'll Fix It.

Lancell's luck at last ran out when the sexual allegations against him were finally taken forward and were heard during a trial at Hull Crown Court.

Lancell, 53, formerly of Bransholme, Hull, denied 20 sexual offences, including rape, having sex with a girl under 13, indecent assault and indecency with a child, between 1992 and 1996, but he was convicted by a jury of all the offences.

David Godfrey, prosecuting, said that Lancell, previously known as Gavin Eckles, had a "clear sexual fascination" for two young girls and he committed sexual offences against them. One of them spoke out in 1996 but she was "not listened to" and both girls came forward in 1999 and spoke to police.

"Their accounts were recorded on video," said Mr Godfrey. "Both girls made clear allegations of sexual abuse in 1999 but, at this time, like in 1996, the allegations being made by the girls were not taken further and the defendant was not prosecuted." One of the girls made attempts in 2012 to contact the police to hold Lancell to account.

A female detective constable told the court that an Op Hydrant programme was set "on the back of the Jimmy Savile scandal inquiry" to look into allegations of historical sexual abuse. It was initially set up to review allegations against 'institutions, politicians and celebrities".

One of the victims was aware of this initiative and she again contacted the police. The case was transferred to Humberside Police for investigation. She and the other victim were again spoken to by police in 2021 and provided further video evidence.

Lancell had been interviewed by the police in 1999 and he made denials but the details had not been transcribed or stored. He was arrested and interviewed in October 2021.

"Allegations of this sort have a habit of bubbling up to the surface," said Mr Godfrey. "They never go away and, indeed, that's what happened in 2021."

Lancell told police: "I am strongly denying it. I am still in shock." He claimed that he felt "disgusted" because he had "done nothing wrong". He replied "No" when individual allegations were put to him.

"My story hasn't changed because it never happened," he claimed. "I did nothing then and I have still done nothing." He continued his denials during the trial.

Lancell, of Bramham Grove, York, will have to register as a sex offender for life. He had been on bail during the trial but this was revoked and he was remanded in custody after he was convicted by the jury.

He was sentenced in his absence after declining to come up from the cells into the courtroom.

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A convicted sex offender who had already been jailed for two years after intimately touching a girl and taking explicit pictures of her has been told: "You remain a dangerous sexual offender."

Thomas Edeson had been locked up in 2021 because of his worrying sexual interest in young girls but he later breached a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and fell foul of the police again. He had previously kept images for his own sexual gratification. But he was eventually trapped after three years when internet crime investigators tracked him down after disturbing information came to light, Hull Crown Court heard.

Thomas Edeson, 26, of Franklin Street, Hull, admitted new offences of disclosing private photographs between January 1 and February 2 last year and breaching his sexual harm prevention order between June 1, 2023 and February 2 last year.

Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that Edeson had been jailed for two years and given the ten-year sexual harm prevention order in August 2021 for offences of sexually touching a young girl and two offences of making indecent images of her between May and August, 2018. He had been cleared at a trial earlier this year of more serious sexual offences.

Edeson posted sexualised images on the internet and when he was challenged about this, he said: "I don't need anybody's permission to post photos." He was in breach of the terms of the sexual harm prevention order by doing this.

"It was a deliberate breach," said Mr Masson. "The images were circulated widely and publicly." Edeson had deleted messages but this was in breach of the terms of the sexual harm prevention order concerning the retention of his internet history for police checking.

Judge Alexander Menary said: "It was a deliberate breach. It was something he knew he ought not to do." Edeson had said at the time: "I do what I want." Judge Menary told Edeson: "You remain a dangerous sexual offender."

Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Edeson admitted both of the new offences. During police interview, he admitted deleting messages and posting sexualised images. "That was wholly and utterly unacceptable behaviour," said Mr Brook.

Edeson had previously apologised for this. It had been a surprise that the sexual harm prevention order terms were wider than thought and included deleting messages rather than just relating to the use of internet browsers and the deletion of search histories.

"It's at the wider margins of what would be expected to be covered by that," said Mr Brook. An aggravating feature was Edeson's previous convictions.

Edeson had earlier spent 10 months and two days in custody on remand before bring given bail and put on a curfew. "He has done the equivalent of a two-year sentence," said Mr Brook. "He will have to engage with probation and be monitored by probation."

Edeson was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence. He will continue to be subject to the sexual harm prevention order and he will have to continue to register as a sex offender.

The previous hearing in August 2021 was told that the National Crime Agency received a tip-off in April of that year that a Google Photos user had uploaded four images taken by him of a young girl. The most serious picture showed sexual touching of her but the others were less graphic and involved moving her clothes to expose her.

Police investigated and found large amounts of electronic devices at his home as well as a large amount of unwashed children's underwear.

Messages had been sent to a woman and they involved sexual conversations about the girl.

There was the "strong inference" that it would be something to do with sex, the court heard that day.

Edeson admitted in a message in June 2021 that he had dreamed the previous night about having sex with the girl. There seemed to be plans in the pipeline to recruit the girl for further sexual activity, the court was told that day.

Edeson had, at the time, been having a sexual interest in pre-pubescent girls for some years. The girl was left confused, scared and worried by what happened.

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A "sadistic" sex offender who was found guilty of a number of child sex offences, including rape, has been locked up.

Connor Laud, 27, of Hull, was convicted by a jury of the rape of a child under 13 and two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity following a trial at Grimsby Crown Court last month.

At a sentencing hearing on Thursday, June 19, Laud was jailed for 16 years and was placed on the sex offenders register for life with a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

He came to the attention of officers after Humberside Police received a report that a child had disclosed the nature of the sexual abuse they had been subjected to.

Arrested and interviewed by detectives, Laud denied all allegations of abuse put to him, claiming the child must have become confused. He also denied having a sexual interest in children.

However a jury returned guilty verdicts following a four-day trial in May.

Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Gayle Allwood said: “I’d like to praise the child, and their family for their bravery, I cannot begin to comprehend how they have felt throughout the entirety of this investigation.

“Laud is a perverted and sadistic man and, whilst this sentence does not take away the pain and trauma induced, it is because of the family's sheer courage that he is going to be behind bars for a very long time.

“When ready, we urge victims to come forward and tell someone, report these crimes to the police and we will do everything we can to hold those accountable.”

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A serial sex offender has been jailed for 18 years.

Paul Willby, 64, of Axminster Close, Bransholme, Hull, admitted a string of sexual offences, including raping a child and others of possessing prohibited images of a child and possessing extreme images of bestiality.

Julia Baggs, prosecuting, said that Willby was arrested and computer equipment was seized from him. Indecent images of children were found. They included 98 in the most serious Category A, 16 in Category B and 292 in Category C.

A laptop was also searched and other images found included 17 in Category A, 11 in Category B and 201 in Category C. There were also two prohibited images and 33 of bestiality. During police interview, Willby made no comment to all questions, Hull Crown Court heard.

Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that there had been no further offences while he had been on bail until May 9 before being remanded in custody. He had no previous convictions.

Willby was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he will have to register as a sex offender for life.

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An online pervert who repeatedly sent explicit messages and images to who he thought were young girls has finally been jailed after he was trapped in undercover police operations designed to "wheedle out" potentially dangerous people like him.

Serial offender Michael Warchol thought that he was exchanging messages with real girls but, unknown to him, they were decoys that had been set up by investigators, Hull Crown Court heard.

Warchol, 27, formerly of Orchard Park, Hull, but recently in custody on remand, admitted two sets of offences involving attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to watch or look at images of sexual activity and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Maya Hanson, prosecuting, said that Warchol was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order at Hull Crown Court on December 21, 2023 for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Police received information from the regional organised crime unit that Warchol had been having conversations with a decoy 12-year-old girl between December 4 and 19 last year. It began on the social media platform Kik and moved to Snapchat.

Warchol immediately sent an intimate picture of himself and the fake girl told him that she was 12 years old. Despite this, the conversation continued and Warchol sent another intimate picture of himself as well as an explicit video and a selfie-type image.

He asked the girl for images of herself and asked her about sexual activity. "He requested that they video call so that he could show her," said Miss Hanson.

Details of Warchol were obtained and facial recognition software matched an image that had been sent to the girl with him. He was arrested at his home on January 14. Police found 25 mobile phones, not all of them working, and a seemingly broken laptop.

On February 12, a further referral to the police was made by the East region special operations team regarding Warchol's communication with a decoy 14-year-old girl. He asked for a picture of the girl and, when one was sent to him, he sent an intimate image of himself.

He communicated with the fake girl between December 2 and 19. She told him that she was a child and that she had a day off school but the conversation continued. He sent a series of explicit images and asked intimate questions. He requested pictures of her and he told her: "U know what I really want of u." Warchol was arrested on March 11 but he made no comment to all questions. His previous convictions included possessing an offensive weapon in 2019.

David Godfrey, mitigating, said that the offences were serious but Warchol had pleaded guilty. Drug and alcohol use had affected his impulse control. Warchol was emotionally insecure for his age and he had never had a social group.

"He knows that, when he gets out of prison, he is going to have to stay off his computer and fight these urges and understand why he keeps engaging in this behaviour," said Mr Godfrey. Warchol realised that it was the police's job to "wheedle out people like this" by using decoys. It was possible that he might be deported to Poland.

Warchol was jailed for two-and-a-half years. He was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he must register as a sex offender for life.

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An ‘extremely dangerous’ and ‘controlling’ man has been sentenced to a total of 15 years behind bars with an extension of five years on license, and will be on the sex offenders register for life, after he was found guilty at Hull Crown Court on Friday, 23 May.

Deven Huteson, 26-years-old, of Greylees Avenue, Hull pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating, three counts of criminal damage and malicious communications.

 Having refused to admit further offences, Huteson was found guilty of two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault by penetration, assault causing actual bodily harm, assault by beating, and coercive and controlling behaviour, following a five-day trial.

Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Melissa Bell said: “Huteson is an extremely dangerous offender, who over a four-week period, subjected a woman to extreme levels of violent abuse and controlling behaviours and continues to show no remorse for his crimes.

“I am reassured that he is now off our streets and in prison for a substantial number of years, unable to inflict such incomprehensible emotional and physical harm to anyone else.

“I’d like to praise the woman for her sheer bravery for coming forward and reporting the horrific crimes she was subjected to; I cannot begin to comprehend how she has felt throughout the entirety of this investigation and court proceedings, especially after Huteson denied offences, making her relive the trauma she endured throughout the trial.

“I hope the result today will also encourage others to come forward if they have experienced something similar, and I’d like to offer my reassurance that we take all allegations like this seriously, and will do our upmost for our victims, as well as safeguard our wider communities against people like Huteson.”

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A couple who pinned a woman to the floor and raped her have been jailed.

Anthony Preston, 22, and Nicole Rickatson, 27, "took advantage" of the woman's trust when they assaulted her in December 2023 for "their own sexual gratification", Humberside Police said.

The pair, of Allendale, Hull, were convicted of rape at Hull Crown Court in February following a 10-day trial. Preston was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

During a sentencing hearing earlier, Preston was sent to prison for seven years and six months, while Rickatson was given a six-year term.

Following the attack, Preston tried "to cover up their sexual deviancy" by removing evidence from a bedroom, but it was later recovered by officers, the force said.

Following their convictions, Det Con Thomas Birkenhead said the pair had "refused to admit their crimes" and instead made the woman "relive the ordeal all over again by subjecting her to a trial".

He commended the woman's "bravery and strength in coming forward" and said the verdict did not "take away the continued trauma she must endure".

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A seedy pervert drove around east Hull looking opportunities to approach and attack unsuspecting women – and filmed himself grabbing and intimately touching one woman as she walked home alone.

Dylan Templeman made random attacks on women – two of them within an hour of each other – and he was part of a social media group who filmed themselves performing lewd acts in public, a court heard. Templeman, 22, of Severn Street, off Holderness Road, east Hull, admitted two offences of sexual assault on women on September 21 last year.

He also admitted exposing himself to a mother and her stepdaughter in Hull on September 14 and a further offence of having indecent images of children. Julia Baggs, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that a mother and stepdaughter were walking through Sutton village at 8.40pm on September 14 when the stepdaughter became aware of a man walking closely behind them in a suspicious manner.

When they turned around in Burlington Road, he had exposed himself and was playing with himself. When he was challenged by the women, he ran off. Police were called and, through an identification procedure, they were able to identify the culprit.

On September 21, a woman was walking home alone at 12.20am in Hull, when she was suddenly grabbed on her bottom by a man. She shouted at him and he fled. The woman heard the engine of a car start up nearby and she spotted a small black car.

About 40 minutes later, another woman was walking home after her night shift at 1am on a road in east Hull, about a mile away from where the first sexual assault incident happened.

A man suddenly appeared and grabbed the woman between her legs and touched her intimately. The shocked woman broke free and ran off, pursued by the man. He ran into Bedale Avenue and got into his car.

The victims of both sexual assaults were able to give descriptions of the attacker. Police traced the car the following evening and Templeman was arrested. Analysis of his phone showed footage, which he had taken himself, of him grabbing the woman in the second assault.

Details were given in court of some of the footage shown on a social media platform in which people carried out disgusting acts in public. Templeman had three cautions for sex offences and battery in 2022.

Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that Templeman had expressed a degree of shame and embarrassment and he said that he was deeply sorry for his actions. He was working in the information technology sector and lived at home with his mother.

Judge Gurdial Singh said that Templeman joined an online group in which "like-minded members boasted about what they did and encouraged people to do the same". The women were vulnerable because they were walking home at night.

Templeman was jailed for two years and seven months. He was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he must register as a sex offender for life.

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A serial sex offender has been jailed for 19 years after being found guilty of 23 sexual offences - including 11 of rape.

Leigh Nicholson, 52, of Bransholme, Hull, denied them all, but he was convicted after a trial.

Hull Crown Court heard he had convictions for two previous offences, allowing himself to be carried in a vehicle taken without consent in October 1990 and a public disorder offence in September 2000.

Frances Pencheon, mitigating after the guilty verdicts, said that they were serious offences and, because of the level of psychological harm caused, they attracted long prison sentences for a reason.

"He has never faced a custodial sentence before. He has worked at times during his life. He has been an active member of society. He is aware that he faces a very lengthy sentence as a result of these convictions."

Nicholson, who had been on bail during the trial, was jailed for 19 years and he will be on extended licence of one year after his release from prison. He will have to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before he might be considered for possible release.

Nicholson showed no emotion as he was led out of the secure dock to be taken down to the cells.

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An online pervert who was caught with sickening indecent images of children realised that he could be in big trouble and made an internet search: "What do HM Prison cells look like?"

Shane Silby found himself in hot water after police discovered that he had been been downloading images of children as young as three years old, Hull Crown Court heard.

Silby, 51, of Bransholme, Hull, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children on March 30, 2023.

Ben Hammersley, prosecuting, said that police were given information that indecent images of children had been downloaded from the internet from an identified IP address and postal address. A search warrant was issued.

Police found that the regular occupant of that property was on holiday and that Silby was looking after it. He was arrested from his home on March 30, 2023.

A laptop was found to have indecent images of children, including 30 in the most serious Category A, 26 in Category B and two in Category C. They featured children as young as three years old.

Silby had made an internet search for "What do HM Prison cells look like?" During police interview, he made no comment to all questions. He had convictions for 11 previous offences, most recently in 1996 but none of a similar type.

Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Silby had worked for most of his life but he had recently not been able to work because of illness. He pleaded guilty to the offences.

Judge Tahir Khan KC told Silby: "You downloaded indecent images of children and you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity."

Silby was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence and 25 days' rehabilitation. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

"If you don't do what's required of you by the probation service, that will bring you back before the court and you may have to serve out the 16 months," said Judge Khan.

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A depraved serial sex offender who repeatedly defied court orders designed to protect the public and brazenly failed to learn his lesson from his many previous prison sentences has been jailed again.

Seedy pervert Robert Wynn seemed to be "addicted" to sick sexual images involving animals and he persisted in going to great lengths to try to outfox the police and continue to look at the vile pictures, Hull Crown Court heard.

Wynn, 38, of Brecon Avenue, east Hull, admitted three offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and two offences of possessing extreme images of bestiality.

Blaise Morris, prosecuting, said that a five-year sexual harm prevention order was made by Hull magistrates in November 2022. Wynn was later released from prison. A spot check monitoring visit was made on January 1, 2023 at the bail hostel where he lived and an unregistered phone was found.

Its internet history had been deleted between December 27 and 28, 2022 but 13 extreme images were found. Wynn's phone was examined on March 28 last year and eight extreme images were found.

On April 14 last year, police were unable to make contact with Wynn and his father said that he did not know where he was. The next day, it was discovered that Wynn had failed to charge the battery of his electronic tag and it had stopped sending signals. This was a breach of the sexual harm prevention order.

Wynn had convictions for 15 previous offences, including five of possessing indecent or extreme images. He had been jailed for two years in November 2011 for making indecent images of children and possessing extreme images offences.

Wynn breached a sexual harm prevention order and was jailed in 2014. He had been jailed for four months in 2016 for possessing indecent images of children and he was jailed in 2017 for 16 months at Hull Crown Court for possessing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He was jailed at the same court in May 2018 for two years and four months for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and breaching his notification requirements as a sex offender. Wynn was jailed for two years and eight months in 2021 for offences including failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Wynn had an unenviable record for sexual offences. "He would like to apologise for his actions," said Mr Hammersley.

"He is deeply, deeply sorry for his persistent breaching of his notification requirements. He has been doing well. There has been no further offending.

"He realises that there are issues that need to be seriously addressed if he is to be prevented from offending in the future. He has not been in work for a long period."

Judge Mark Bury said: "He appears to be addicted to images of bestiality and he persists in looking at them."

He told Wynn: "You are not learning your lessons. Sexual harm prevention orders are there for a purpose. They are to try to prevent you from looking at images which are prohibited.

"You seem to be addicted, or certainly were, to those types of images. You went to quite a number of lengths to disguise that.

"The time has come when you have to be punished and deterred because, at the moment, you are just not learning lessons. Time and again, you take no notice of court orders, which are meant to protect society at large, and the reason you don't is that you have your own sexual gratification at the forefront of your thoughts."

Wynn, who had been on bail, was jailed for three years.

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A serial sex offender who targeted a young girl left the victim struggling with "trauma" and the "immense" impact of her ordeal.

The girl had since "faced many obstacles" because of what she had suffered and this had taken its "toll over the years" on her, Hull Crown Court heard.

John Hill, 58, of Malm Street, off Anlaby Road, west Hull, denied five offences of indecent assault but he was convicted by a jury after a trial. He also denied six offences of indecency with a child but he was convicted of four of them.

Dale Brook, mitigating, told the trial that Hill intimately touched the girl. "He told her she was a good girl," said Mr Brook.

"She thinks that he was grooming her and building up to wider sexual activity. It did progress." More serious sexual behaviour took place. The victim eventually contacted the police.

Hill was arrested but he denied any sexual abuse of the girl. "He said that he didn't know her and had no recollection of her," said Mr Brook.

The victim told the court: "I now struggle with trauma. It impacts me more than I ever thought it would. I know I have faced many obstacles because of it. It takes its toll over the years.

"He was the man who groomed and abused me. He has no remorse. He is a paedophile and a child molester and nothing he does will change that.

"This whole ordeal has been immense. I know I will be dealing with this for the rest of my life. He is the face of my abuser. I am no longer afraid."

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said: "There is really very little that can be said, given that the defendant was convicted after a trial by the jury.

Judge Richard Woolfall told Hill: "These are very serious offences. The guidelines make it plain that a significant sentence will be required."

Hill was jailed for 15 years and he will be on extended licence of one year after his release from prison. He was branded an offender of particular concern.

Hill had been on bail during the trial but he was remanded in custody on December 6 after the jury returned its verdicts.

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An online child activity group lured a serial sex offender into sending illicit images to who he thought was a 12-year-old girl but was in fact a decoy.

Having been convicted six years ago of sexual offences, Patrick Wallis was again tricked into thinking he was communicating with teenagers.

The group Predator Exposure set up a decoy in 2018. Another group, Guardian Angels also had a successful sting which led to a further conviction of the sex offender.

Wallis, now 30, was handed a seven-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, intended to restrict his internet access for his sickening online activity.

But at Grimsby Crown Court, he again admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl aged 12 years. He also admitted attempting to incite a girl aged 12 into sexual activity.

Wallis, now of Osborne Street, off Ferensway, Hull, admitted sexual activity with a child under 13 years and breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He had formerly lived in Grimsby and Immingham. Miss Holmes said a total of seven offences were admitted.

At Grimsby Crown Court, prosecutor, Claire Holmes told how a third online vigilante group set up a decoy between February and April 2021. The group streamed their attendance at Wallis' address live on Facebook during which he was confronted with the allegations.

He was arrested by Humberside Police on April 6, 2021, who had received details of his online conversations.

Miss Holmes said: "They were strikingly similar offences as before in which he was speaking to a decoy. He told police he thought she was 18."

The prosecutor said he asked her if she would perform sex acts. He sent images of his privates. He also wanted to arrange a meeting in Newcastle.

For Wallis, John Dunning said his client had learning difficulties and mental health problems.

He told the court the offences were over three years old and there was no evidence of further offending. The defendant leaned with his head in his hands on the front of the dock in court.

Judge Gurdial Singh said the Wallis had twice breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and "had not learned his lesson." The judge said: "He is contacting young girls with a view to having sexual contact with them."

He said the paedophile hunters had made it clear that she was "a 12-year-old girl". He said Wallis had also deleted his internet history which is a breach of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Judge Singh jailed Wallis for a total of five-and-a-half years. He extended the Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.