Latest Offenders Kent

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A sex offender who repeatedly raped a woman while she lay unconscious has been jailed for life.

Aurel Birlan put his victim through a near two-hour ordeal during an attack which only ended when he was confronted by a passer-by.

The offences were committed in Medway during the early hours one morning in December.

Yesterday, Maidstone Crown Court heard how Birlan, of Watts Street, Chatham, was interrupted by a man who had encountered him and the victim in a public place.

The passer-by noticed she was undressed, not moving and appeared to be injured.

He questioned the 44-year-old man about what had happened, before calling 999 and waiting with both the offender and victim until police arrived.

Birlan was arrested at the scene and an investigation was launched.

Police later recovered CCTV which showed the victim's repeat pleas for him to stop and that she was unconscious for more than an hour during the assaults.

Birlan was charged with two counts of rape, and three counts of sexual assault.

He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The judge ordered him to serve a minimum of eight years and three months before he is eligible to be considered for parole.

He was also added to the sex offenders register for life and made subject of a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim.

Investigating officer, detective sergeant Kendal Moore said: "Birlan subjected his victim to a prolonged and truly harrowing ordeal, only stopping when a passer-by bravely intervened.

"Today's sentence will hopefully go some way to allowing the victim to live a normal life, knowing at least this dangerous man is now behind bars.

"She has shown tremendous dignity and bravery throughout the course of this investigation and I wish to commend her for that.

He added: "I would also like to thank the member of public who challenged Birlan. His courageous intervention was absolutely vital in ensuring Birlan was promptly arrested and that the victim was also protected from suffering any further harm."

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A soldier has been kicked out of the Army after he had 'rough sex' with a woman and performed a sex act on her which he knew she 'absolutely hated'. Sapper Thomas Herrington, who was accused of pulling the woman around his bedroom by her hair and tying her to his bed with a dressing gown belt, said he had asked about her 'pain threshold'.

It was alleged he violently raped the woman when he was 18 years old, after he told a court martial she 'liked rough, kinky sex'. It was claimed the Army engineer targeted the woman while she was 'out cold' from drinking vodka at a party.

A military court dismissed two charges of rape. However, he was convicted of sexual assault by penetration after the woman told the court he horrified her by putting his thumb in her bottom. The woman told police: "It felt really malicious. He knew I didn't like it and he was talking like he was proud. That was really violating because of how much I hate that."

Spr Herrington claimed the woman liked being 'roughly-handled', that she previously sent him naked selfies on Snapchat and she sent him sexualised messages before the party. The soldier, now aged 20, said they had sex in the weeks prior to that night, claimed she had 'enjoyed' passionate sex that night and was 'stunned and confused' by the allegations.

But Spr Herrington, formerly of 1 Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment, has now been dismissed, as a judge told him boundaries during sex must be respected. Sentencing him, Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor said: "It was an unwarranted and unwanted action that meant she consequently fled the room.

"Rough interactions has its own inherent danger. Boundaries must be respected - you knew because she had told you she agreed to rough sex but that did not include anal activity. It was abhorrent to her. This was a boundary you should have respected."

Spr Herrington's lawyer, James Hay, told the court a 'lengthy and onerous' community order would allow him to address his 'catastrophic error of judgement'. In a victim statement read to the court, the woman said that since the incident 'I am struggling to cope with the guilt and shame that I am left feeling'.

As well as being dismissed, the soldier, who recently failed a drugs test, was handed a three year community order, and 240 days of unpaid work. He will be on the sex offender register for five years. During the four day trial at Bulford Military Court, Wilts, a board heard the woman 'drank so much she passed out on one of the beds' at the party, before Spr Herrington was seen 'cradling' her and carrying her to his bedroom.

She claimed he gained pleasure out of her 'struggling', dragged her by the hair when she tried to escape, and pinned her down by his dressing gown belt in an attack so violent she said she thought he'd kill her. She said she eventually managed to 'wriggle away', escape the room without any clothes on, and return to the party crying 'I couldn't stop him, I couldn't move, I told him to stop'.

The woman described the alleged attack as 'the most unconsensual experience of my life'. Spr Herrington told the court sex that night had been consensual after the pair struck up a sexual relationship.

He said: "We had spoken about interests and liked rough, kinky sex. She said she liked choking, hair pulling, the odd bit of spanking and being roughly-handled." Spr Herrington said the woman was not drunk but 'happy and giddy' during their first sexual encounter that night.

Later, while at the party, the woman appeared to fall asleep and Spr Herrington carried her back to his room. He said: "I locked the door because we were going to have coitus, I didn't lock the door because I was going to have sex with an unconscious woman.

"I said 'are you OK?' and she said 'I'm fine'. I wanted to make sure she was responsive and that she was OK. I told her if you don't want to do this just tell me to stop.

"We had spoken about how I tend to get a bit more rough when drinking and I didn't know her pain threshold so I wanted to make sure she was OK. She was enjoying it, she was moaning."

Spr Herrington said suddenly the woman 'jolted forward', got up, and ran out of the room naked. He told the hearing he was 'completely stunned' and 'didn't know what I had done wrong'.

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A sex offender banned from being naked in public who exposed his buttocks and defecated in front of a stranger has been acquitted. Marcus Dalby, of Ashford, was handed the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) last year following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court. It was designed to keep the public safe after the 29-year-old was found guilty of performing a sex act in front of a schoolchild on his porch. Yet just three months later, in November 2021, Dalby defecated on his hands and assaulted another stranger as she walked home on a path near Ashford International Station. He was charged with common assault and being in breach of a SHPO. But a judge told jurors today Dalby had no case to answer for the charge of breaching the SHPO, as the previous court order was not fit for purpose. After prosecutors and the defence thrashed out legal arguments, it appeared the issue was the court order's wording. The argument has been whether or not the prosecution could prove the defendant was in fact naked. Although designed to protect the public, the order only made it illegal for Dalby to be naked or appear to be naked in public. Prosecutor Sophie Stannard argued Dalby was indeed naked while exposing the cheeks of his bottom in the direction of his victim, after partially pulling down his underwear. But defence barrister Gordon Ross highlighted Dalby had only momentarily exposed his buttocks, which did not legally constitute nakedness. Judge Mark Weekes ruled in Mr Ross favour after considering the Oxford Dictionary definition of the word: Having no clothes on the body. He told jurors Dalby had no case to answer and the previous Sexual Harm Prevention Order was not fit for purpose. The SHPO prohibited this defendant from appearing naked or to be seeming to be naked in a public place. The argument has been whether or not the prosecution could prove the defendant was in fact naked. Jurors were ordered to deliver a not guilty verdict before Dalby pleaded guilty to common assault, which he had previously denied. Dalby was exposing and touching his buttocks, while defecating, with the mess on his hand, as he overtook the girl, who is in her late teens, the jury heard previously. Looking into her eyes Dalby then held onto the girl, trying to grab her by the throat, as she tried to free herself while screaming, the court heard. A police investigation led to Dalby being identified on CCTV and subsequently arrested, however, he denied any wrongdoing in a police interview. Dalby, of Pollard Close, told officers he found the girl attractive from behind and wished to speak with her, and hoped to make her laugh by exposing his buttocks, the court heard. He argued he unintentionally broke wind and tried to catch his poo and denied assaulting the woman, jurors were told. Fighting back tears from the stand on the first day of Dalby's trial, the complainant described him overtaking her and then acting fidgety. I didnt understand why someone would do something like that I was disgusted, I didnt think it was real, she told jurors. When he came towards me, his hands came towards my throat and there was fighting, his hands were everywhere. She described his hands as dirty and probably with faeces on them, adding Dalby approached her three or four times while entirely silent. I just started screaming probably for help. No one heard me, she went on. She described how Dalby then fled, giving her the opportunity to run home. I was in a panic and I fell to the floor, she explained. Dalby will be held on remand pending probation reports and will be sentenced at the same court on June 17.

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A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young girl over a period of several years - from when she was just six. Aron Scott, 27, from Thanet, began his campaign of abuse more than a decade ago. When his victim was just six-years-old, he would encourage her to engage in sexual acts. The offences continued when she was in her early teens and Scott raped her on a number of occasions. His victim later told her family about Scott's behaviour, and they contacted Kent Police in 2020. Her disclosures led to an investigation by the East Kent Vulnerability Investigation Team, who charged Scott with multiple sexual offences in September 2021. Scott, of Birds Avenue, Margate, later admitted 12 charges including rape of a child, sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. "The impact on his victim is difficult to underestimate..." On May 11, he was jailed for a total of 10 years and 10 months. An indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed to prevent future offences following his release. Det Con Susan Kingsnorth, Kent Police's investigating officer, said: "These offences began when Scott was a child himself, but continued well in his adulthood. "The impact on his victim is difficult to underestimate and I would like to praise her for telling her family and then supporting us as we built the case that has now seen Scott jailed for a significant period of time. "I would urge anyone who is being or has been sexually abused, or anyone who knows of a child they fear may be the victim of such offences, to contact police immediately. "We will take action to protect the victim and bring any offenders to justice."

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A sex offender who abused two children for a period of eight years has been jailed.

Robin Noble, of Halstead near Sevenoaks, committed a series of offences with one of the victims between 2008 and 2012, and with a second victim between 2005 and 2013.

The abuse was reported to Kent Police and Noble was arrested on December 13, 2018.

Noble, 65, was later charged with multiple sexual offences involving children and six counts of making indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to the indecent image charges but not guilty to the other offences. On April 1 this year he was convicted of 16 sexual offences involving children, after a 10-day trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Now Noble has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment after a sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, May 16.

He was also added to the sex offenders register indefinitely and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Investigator Becki Pike, from the West Kent Child Protection Team, said: "Noble subjected his two vulnerable young victims to dreadful crimes for his own gratification and, by pleading not guilty, forced them to revisit their ordeal.

"The victims displayed tremendous courage in speaking up and then assisting us to bring this appalling man to justice.

"I would urge anyone who has been a victim of any sexual offence to report this to the police.

"We have a team of specialist officers who work to ensure that offenders like Noble do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago.

"We will always treat any information with the upmost confidence and sensitivity."

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A roofer refused to begin his jail sentence - until he had kissed goodbye to his lover.

Convicted sex offender Stefan Crocker had just been given a 30-month prison term for attacking a woman he met on a Tinder date.

But instead of going straight to the cells at Maidstone Crown Court - he embraced his girlfriend, who had watched proceedings from the public gallery.

As the security guard pulled him away, the lovelorn Crocker shouted: "I am sorry but I can't kiss my girlfriend for (another) 30 months".

The incident was also witnessed by his victim, sitting with a police officer just a few feet away. She was later escorted away from the courtroom through a side entrance.

A jury had convicted Crocker, now of Maybourne Place, Staplehurst of sex assault by penetration after an incident in September 30, 2017.

Prosecutor Richard Hearnden had told how the victim had met Crocker after the two began talking on a dating website and agreed to meet up in a pub in Tonbridge.

The jury heard how she drank a lot of alcohol and vomited twice on the return to her home and it was there she was sexually assaulted by Crocker.

The judge, Recorder Alistair Webster QC, told him his claim that his victim had planted his DNA on her had been "ludicrous" and branded him a "glib liar" who had still not accepted that he had carried out the attack.

The victim, in her impact statement which was read to the court, told how she had "blocked out the incident from her mind to protect myself".

But she told the judge: "I feel foolish and weak to have let it happen to me. It does make me feel dirty.. I keep asking myself 'why me?'

"I refuse to let this incident define me. I am still me. I didn't deserve this to happen to me. It shouldn't have happened to anyone. I feel like I have been taken advantage of and violated... I want to get on with my life."

In a second statement she added that Crocker's lies had forced her to re-live the nightmare ordeal which had left her too frightened to sleep.

"He made it look so easy to lie. I have to live with what he's done and the lies he has told."

After the hearing the judge apologised to the victim for the delays in the trial which were "excessive."

The judge said that in a probation report Crocker, formerly of Tanyard Estate, Sandhurst, near Cranbrook, took responsibility for what had occurred but had shown no remorse.

He told Crocker who was cleared of a second charge of rape "I saw you give evidence and I found you a ready and glib and, on the face of it, a persuasive liar."

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The 46-year-old also groped a 14-year-old school girl at another stop, then told police her skirt was too short. The ex-William Hill manager would also sneak behind an unsuspecting woman in her 40s before grabbing her waist and chest, Canterbury Crown Court heard. Police released Jarvis pending further enquiries after two of the attacks, paving the way for further offending. On Wednesday, he was handed 32 months' custody and a 10-year restraining order. Jarvis lurked around bus stops before approaching his victims, prosecutor Paul Valder said. In July, he touched the teenagers thigh in front of other children while under the influence of alcohol. Following his arrest, police released Jarvis under investigation. He then launched an attack on a woman during another school run. She felt someone grab her from behind, she felt a strong grip around her waist," Mr Valder said. At first she thought it was a joke but it was a very tight grip as she couldnt use her arms." Jarvis restrained her for nine seconds, grabbing her breasts before she fought him off, the prosecutor continued. The court heard Jarvis then targeted a four-year-old girl in front of her mother shortly after police released him. Prosecutors said Kent Police had not specified whether Jarvis was released on bail or under investigation on each occasion. Jarvis victims told the court of their turmoil in the wake of the attacks. People tell me [the assault] was one chance in a million but it did happen to me and I feel it could happen again, the 14-year-old said. The woman in her 40s branded the abuse nightmare-inducing and terrifying, prompting her to constantly look behind herself. Your behaviour is the sort that is so strange and startling that is itself something very difficult to understand and accept... And the four-year-old's mother told how her once bubbly daughter now suffers panic attacks, adding: [She is] scared of men who talk to her - unable to go close to family members. The judge, Recorder Trimmer QC called Jarvis actions dangerous and concerning incidents of sexual assaults. Your behaviour is the sort that is so strange and startling that is itself something very difficult to understand and accept, he added. But the judge highlighted Jarvis had previously suffered a head trauma affecting his behaviour, with alcohol abuse exacerbating mental health issues. Psychiatric reports were unable to clarify the extent of damage Jarvis sustained. However, they stressed he now suffers from epilepsy. Mitigating, James Harrison said Jarvis was of previous good character and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He also plans on quitting alcohol, going back to education and addressing mental health issues, which can cause him to misread social situations", the lawyer added. Jarvis, of Grange Road in Ramsgate, pleaded guilty at an early opportunity to two counts of sexual assault and sexual assault of a child under 13. He will be placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and be subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. Commenting after Jarvis was sentenced, PC Sonja Lupton, Kent Police's investigating officer, said: "Every woman and girl has a right to feel safe in the communities in which they live and that is why tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for Kent Police. "Jarvis's actions against these victims were abhorrent and I hope the fact that the offender has been held to account gives them some sense that justice has been done. "We are committed to bringing perpetrators of such offences to justice and I encourage any victims who have not reported similar offences to us to do so as soon as possible, either through our website or by calling 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress."

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An alcoholic paedophile who targeted 'six children' on Facebook, ordering one to not tell her mum, has been jailed.

Steven Boorman, from the Sittingbourne area, believed he was badgering and sending indecent images of himself to underage teenagers.

But the 39-year-old was attempting to simultaneously groom paedophile hunters, telling one to be a big girl, and another mum does not need to know.

Canterbury Crown Court Judge Catherine Brown jailed Boorman, of no fixed abode, for 16 months.

Boorman badgered and pressurised the fake Facebook profiles over a series of weeks in autumn 2020, prosecutors said.

Representing himself from HMP Elmley, he said in mitigation: Ive never done this before, the drink overtook me. I would like to get back to normal, Ive lost all my family.

Boorman will be subject to a lifetime of notification requirements and 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

He pleaded guilty to nine non-contact sexual offences in August last year.

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A security expert led a secret life as a child rapist and made his victim "pinky promise" not to reveal the abuse.

Ken Clark had toured China, India and Japan as a high-ranking executive with a nationwide security company and even volunteered to help the NHS during the Covid pandemic.

But behind the facade, he preyed on children as young as three and kept silent with "a pinky promise" where people grip eachother's little fingers and make an agreement.

Family members listened and wept in the public gallery as they heard evidence against the 65-year-old at Maidstone Crown Court.

Clark, formerly of Chapman Avenue, Maidstone, was found guilty of 18 child sex offences, including rape, and having indecent images.

He has now been given a 20-year jail sentence. The judge added an extra year which will be served on licence when the parole board allows him to be freed.

As he was being led away - refusing to look at the public gallery - one mother shouted: "I hope you ******* rot".

In 2012, when he was logistics manager for Secom in Maidstone, he bragged about getting tickets to go to Leeds Castle for the Olympic Torch celebrations.

He wrote: "The weather that week was a lot of rain and despite a few dark clouds, the event went without a drop. Dizzee Rascal and Twist & Pulse performed on stage.

"Lloyds TSB gave us the opportunity to hold a real Olympic Torch and Coca Cola gave away special bottles of coke to drink. Other sponsors gave away frisbees, wrist bands, banners and flags etc.

"I must admit, being there and seeing it caused a lot of emotion for people and I felt honoured to be a part of it."

But a jury heard despite the respectable image Clark was secretly attacking youngsters.

The judge, Recorder Simon Stirling heard during a three-year campaign of rape he left his victims suffering nightmares, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts and probable long-term psychological damage.

One of his victims was particularly vulnerable because of a medical condition.

The sex attacks only ended when one victim spoke out, revealing Clark had made them promise not to say anything.

Even then Clark denied the attacks and tried to blame others - but the jury saw through his lies.

Tom Dunn, defending, told how Clark had enjoyed a career in security providing services for the Chinese government, building hospitals in India and also working in Japan.

He added that now Clark had lost everything, his job, his wife and his home.

But the judge said his contributions to society was nothing in comparison to the damage he had done to his victims - and ruled that he still posed a danger to children.

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A perverted courier, who delivered important documents to crown courts in Kent has been branded as "dangerous". Michael Quenby was one of the delivery drivers used by the Crown Prosecution Service for legal items at Maidstone and Canterbury courts. But the 37-year-old, has now been convicted of raping a child and has been given a 19 year extended sentence Judge Philip St John-Stevens told him: "You are a highly manipulative man. It was harrowing watching your victim give evidence. "You robbed your victim of her innocence and childhood." Quenby, who worked for an external company which carried out work outsourced by the CPS, was given an immediate 15 year jail term and the judge added another four years which will be served on licence when he is released. He will serve 10 years before he can apply for parole. A jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard how he secretly preyed on a schoolgirl and kept a stash of illegal child images together with sex toys at his home. They were told four sex dolls and a blue folder containing indecent images of children were found at his home. Quenby, now of Church Lane, Ripple, Deal was convicted of 12 charges of rape and sex assaults. Prosecutor Dominic Connolly told the court how in 2018 the victim was seen by her mother to be upset and was asked the reason why. The young child explained to her what had happened. He said: "Her mother was shocked and horrified. She asked if what she said was true and explained the seriousness of the allegation she was making and the child said it was." Detectives had gone to his former home in East Street, Faversham, where they discovered three laptops, a MacBook and two iPads. In April 2018 he was further quizzed by police and told them they would find deleted indecent images of children on his computer. Mr Connolly added that Quenby said a decade earlier he was in a chat room, where the conversation was about sex. "Her mother was shocked and horrified..." He added: "He said that some of the participants were talking about having sex with children. "Without asking, he was sent indecent images." The prosecutor added that Quenby considered himself to be "asexual in that he wasnt sexually interested in male or female." "He has never had sex. He had never searched the internet for images of children but had searched for adult porn." As the verdicts were delivered, Quenby turned to the public gallery where a member of his family sat but didn't say anything.

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A man has been put behind bars for a string of masturbating incidents across South Londons railways, following an investigation by the British Transport Police (BTP). James Gathercole, 36, from Beckenham, repeatedly masturbated in front of women and teenage girls on trains around South-East London before eventually being caught by the police. He was found guilty of ten indecent exposure offences between December 2020 and November 2021. Six of which occurred in one single day. Gathercole was sentenced at London Crown Court in February to sixteen months in prison and will be placed on the sex offenders register for the next ten years. Its clear from Gathercoles persistent and sickening actions that he is a danger to women and girls, and Im pleased to see that after a rigorous investigation this serial offender is no longer free, said BTP detective constable Sonja Lucas. These incidents will have had a serious impact on the victims lives, and no one should have to experience such vile behaviour, she added. The Beckenham man, , was first detained in November last year when a teenage girl approached an off-duty police officer in distress, saying that Gathercole had exposed his genitals and touched himself inappropriately in front of her on a train at New Cross Station. Officers from the BTP shortly arrived at the scene to arrest him and he was remanded in custody. This sparked a months-long dedicated investigation by the BTP into a series of reports about masturbating incidents on trains in South-East London, which were soon linked to Gathercole. The court heard how on 7 August 2021 Gathercole committed six separate offences throughout the afternoon and evening, exposing himself to young women and teenage girls on services between New Cross Gate, Lewisham, and Sydenham stations. BTP detective constable Lucas said: We are absolutely committed to stamping out this behaviour, and we will continue to target patrols to crime hotspots to catch and deter sexual offenders. I would also urge anyone who witnesses or experiences a sexual offence or sexual harassment on the railway to report it to us by texting 61016. We will always take you seriously, she added.

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A teenage sexual predator that sexually assaulted a schoolgirl and raped an adult female has been sentenced.

Thomas Robert Birch, (now 18) formerly of Gravesend appeared in front of a judge and admitted the rape on the adult female but denied two counts of sexual assault against the child.

However, Birch who is now living in the Twydall area of Medway was found guilty and convicted on both charges.

The court was told that Birch who was 16 at the time, visited a house belonging to the parents of the victim.

When Birch was left alone, he sneaked up stairs and sexually assaulted the 14-year-old victim whilst she lay in her bed. Birch was fully aware the child was awake and continued to molest her even after she demanded him to stop.

After the attack, Birch calmly went back downstairs, said goodbye to the family members of the victim and left as if nothing had happened.

The victim told her parents who in turn informed the police.

However, the police did not act on the accusations until a woman came forward seven weeks later to say Birch had raped her.

Again Birch denied the rape, however, he finally admitted it when he realised the attack had been filmed on a ring door bell.

Birch escaped a prison sentence and was instead handed a community order and told to register as a sex offender.

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A former company boss has been jailed after grooming a child he met using social media apps. David Smith, of Queripel Close, Tunbridge Wells, shared disgusting images and videos on Kik messenger while chatting to the child, who he believed was 12, for 45 minutes. After being confronted, he told police: "Oh god this is the end my life" The 57 year old - known as Kent Guy - was caught after he began chatting on #1 Chatavenue to "Jacob", who he believed was a 12 year old schoolboy, Maidstone Crown Court heard. But prosecutor Martin Yale said it was an undercover police officer and Smith began a two-hour sex chat. As a result, police raided Smith's home and after seizing a hidden iPad which revealed he had been talking to a real child. The device was submitted for forensic analysis. Chat logs were located which illustrated Smith had been involved in explicit communications with other online profiles.

'Smiths use of abhorrent language on chat logs was accompanied with repeated demands for children to send him indecent images...'

A child was identified from the logs who was 12 years old. Smith had sent sexual images of himself to the child and also encouraged them to send indecent photos to him. During a police interview, Smith presented a prepared statement stating he believed that he had been communicating with adults who were using fake profiles. He was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. After pleading guilty he was jailed for 28 months and ordered to sign the Sex Offender's Register for 10 years. Judge Julian Smith told him his second victim was real person- a young child "exploring his sexuality". He added: "He sent Smith five pictures of himself and a video. This wasn't a classic case of grooming and this was not face-to-face contact. But the encouragement he gave to the child was sophisticated and effective "They talked about meeting up but it may well be it was just part of Smith's fantasy and he intended nothing of the sort. There was no subsequent meeting and the conversation took 45 minutes..but the impact on the child was real." Nichola Cafferkey, defending, said Smith was suffering from low self-esteem and the chats were a form of "escapism" and he never intended to meet the children. Detective constable Lee Sparks of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: "We will do everything in our power to proactively target people like Smith, who seek to commit sexual offences against children, and ensure they receive a prison sentence. "In this case, the evidence was overwhelming. Smiths use of abhorrent language on chat logs was accompanied with repeated demands for children to send him indecent images. "There was also extremely concerning evidence of tentative arrangements by Smith to meet a child to engage in sexual activity."

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A delivery driver was caught by paedophile hunters who trapped him at work which then led to a bust up. Walter Ripley believed he was sharing sex messages with a 14-year-old schoolgirl called 'Poppy' on WhatsApp. But he was talking to a "decoy" from a group calling itself Undercover and Expose. The judge criticised the three year delay that it has taken to bring the pervert to justice after he was caught by the group in February 2019. Prosecutor Sophie Shotton said the delay was caused by "staffing problems", Ripley being "released under investigation" and then the pandemic. Now the 33-year-old has been jailed for three years after admitting four charges of trying to groom someone he thought was a child with a view to having sex and sharing images. Maidstone Crown Court heard how the offences came to light because of the "online child abuse activity group" called Undercover and Expose. Judge Philip Statman told Ripley: "This group has individuals who are prepared to go online and act as decoys. One of them called "Poppy" chatted with you on WhatsApp. "She told you from the outset she was aged 14. You were responsible, in graphic terms, of then telling the decoy what it was you would like to do to her - although you made no attempts to meet her. Despite that Ripley, of Orchard View, Teynham, sent her a disgusting image andvideos of himself saying he wanted to have sex with her. Judge Statman continued:"You also sent voicemails of a sexual nature, disguising your identity by referring to yourself as Donald. Members of this group confronted you at your work address. There was some form of disturbance and the police were called. "It is shocking that individuals such as you can go into chatrooms and speak in this way to individuals." "You also sent voicemails of a sexual nature, disguising your identity by referring to yourself as Donald..." The court heard how Ripley - described as an "isolated and lonely individual" - had "a terrible upbringing" with both parents in trouble with the law and his father was jailed. The driver - who was sacked after being confronted by the paedophile hunters - will now remain on the Sex Offender's Register indefinitely and has been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

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A former teacher has been jailed for sexually abusing a young boy nearly 30 years ago. Chris Pearson, who was a teenager at the time of the offences, denied the crimes but was convicted this week. The Chatham resident was handed a seven-year sentence for abusing the nine-year-old in the 1990s. Croydon Crown Court also heard how Pearson was previously head of music at Cobham Free School in Surrey. But he'd lost his job there after being arrested on a suspicion of email grooming girls although after being questioned no further action was taken on that matter. He then got a job as a train guard with South Western Railway. The married father-of-two was unanimously convicted of three counts of rape and one count of indecency with a child. "He accepts he went too far in assisting two students..." The jury found him not guilty of another count of indecency with a child. Pearson, of Beaconsfield Road, graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in music in 2002 and taught the subject at Longfield Academy near Gravesend, and was curriculum leader for performing arts at Bacons College, Rotherhithe. He contested the charges, relating to offences between June 1995 and July 1997. Judge Deborah Charles told Pearson: You raped him repeatedly. In evidence in court he said he thought he had been raped on a dozen occasions. At the time you raped him he didnt realise what you were doing to him was wrong. You had groomed him under the guise of playing games, having to guess what music track was being played. He felt tormented mentally and the forfeit was a wrestling game, where you would put a hold on him, sitting on him and pulling his head back until he as screaming in agony and begging for mercy. There is no evidence or remorse, which the court could take into account. He had no axe to grind against you, there had been no falling out. In his victim impact statement, the complainant said coming forward was to rid himself of the demons which had plagued his life for 25 years. He said he suffered flashbacks and triggers to childhood memories he would rather forget and spoke of years of suffering due to Pearson. Prosecutor Richard Job told the jury Pearson was 15 to 16 years-old. The complainant was not a relative, but would spend time with Pearson, initially for fun wrestling. The defendant would invite him up to his room to play with him, wrestling as WWF was very popular at the time. The defendant would try out his latest wrestling moves on the younger, weaker child, added Mr Job. The victim told the jury he was smaller than Pearson and would be forced to submit during the wrestling sessions and would scream in agony. Pearson also enjoyed demanding the younger boy beg for mercy the court heard. The defendant took advantage of his youth and naivety, not appreciating the enormity of what was happening. In his teens the complainant recognised he had been abused and felt shame and disgust. The jury were told the complainant first revealed what happened in 2017 and the police were then informed. Officers later interviewed Pearson. He made a complete denial, said the prosecutor. Pearson, told the jury he had never been in trouble and was a man of good character. The judge questioned why there were no references from teacher colleagues, considering his professional academic background. Surrey Police investigated an allegation of grooming of schoolgirls via email. They were misguided and overly friendly and not sexual, said Lucy Organ, defending. Mr Pearson was arrested and questioned and there was no further action. There were emails to females, aged 15 to 16, that were not sexual in nature. "At the time you raped him he didnt realise what you were doing to him was wrong. You had groomed him under the guise of playing games" They were inappropriate in their quantity and times, sent late at night and showing some favourability, like helping one pupil to become head girl. He accepts he went too far in assisting two students. He is not a teacher any longer, he lost his job in 2017. It is 25 years since the offending, added Ms Organ. She said he had established himself as a family man and has been able to lead a useful life, despite his offending as a youth. She continued: He was a child when the offences were committed, which is very hard to imagine when you have a man of 42 in front of you. Pearson was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life; was barred from working with children and other vulnerable groups and told he must serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is eligible for parole.