Latest Offenders Lancashire

Description

A woman was left horrified after learning her new partner was a convicted paedophile only when the police came to her house to look for him.

The mum from Blackpool said she felt like her dreams had come true when she met Lee Martin and started a relationship with him.

But unknown to her, Martin, 32, was a convicted child sex offender who had served a five year prison sentence for a serious sexual assault on a child 10 years ago.

Following his release from prison he was subject to strict conditions he must not have any unsupervised contact with children under 16 unless it was approved by social services and the parents were aware of his convictions.

In November last year, officers from Lancashire Police went to Martins home in Claremont Court, Blackpool, to check on him. Martin was not at the address and a neighbour informed them he was living with a woman at another location in Blackpool.

When the police attended that address, they found Martin in a parked car outside the premises, claiming he was sleeping rough.

He later confessed he had been living with the woman and her children for a few weeks.

The woman told police she had been in a relationship with Martin and he sometimes stayed at her home. When his flat was badly damaged in a fire she allowed him to move in - but she had no idea of his sordid past, she said.

The day I met him I had no idea he was a sex offender. He came across as very loving and caring. He asked me personal questions about my children and their fathers," she told the court.

He asked me if I had family in Blackpool and had a problem with male friends including my childs dad. I pushed people away because of him.

The woman said the relationship moved quickly, with Martin asking her to marry him and have a baby. He also asked to take on a parental role to her children and would take them to school or to the shops to allow her time for herself.

I felt like my dreams had come true as they needed a father figure in their life," she said.

Rachel Woods, prosecuting, said there was no suggestion any physical harm had come to the children while they were in Martins care.

However he breached the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by spending time with the young family.

The woman said: I feel Lee saw me as an easy target. I was a single mum with no family around. I feel like he took advantage of me. I feel like I was brainwashed and always think what he could have done to them if I had allowed him more access.

Martin pleaded guilty to breach of the SHPO and two breaches of the notification requirements which oblige him to inform the police of any change of address.

He appeared via videolink at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

Recorder Jones, sentencing, said: You duped this woman in every way. You gave her the impression of being a caring and decent individual who would look after her and her children.

I stress that no harm of a physical nature came to them. Had that been the case you would be here for more serious matters but the degree of the breach of trust is best summarised by the fact you wished to become their stepfather.

Their trust has been completely destroyed by your lies and manipulation. Your intentions may have been genuine but you did not give them the truth they deserved.

Holly Nelson, defending, said Martin had cut contact with the woman and was back in a relationship with his ex, who does not have children.

Recorder Jones jailed Martin for 30 months for breaching the SHPO and 20 months to run concurrently for failing to notify the police of a change of address.

Description

A man and woman who brought 'unimaginable pain' to two children have been jailed.

David Aspden, 50, kicked a girl while wearing a steel toe-capped boot and poisoned her dog with antifreeze.

He also pointed a gun at a stray cat and told the youngster it would be her fault if he pulled the trigger, Preston Crown Court heard.

Judge Graham Knowles QC, sentencing, said Mr Aspden treated the girl and a boy with "cruelty that was almost casual".

When the girl, who can not be named for legal reasons, told Aspden's wife Sharon about his violence towards her, Mrs Aspden supported her husband. Mr Aspden went on to sexually abuse her, the court heard.

David Aspden, of Darwen, has now been jailed for 13 years for the sexual abuse and cruelty he directed towards the girl and boy. His wife, also of Darwen, has been jailed for two and a half years for cruelty.

Shirlie Duckworth, prosecuting, said while the abuse was happening, Sharon Aspden, a hairdresser, was frequently drunk to the point she would wet herself. David Aspden smoked cannabis on a daily basis.

On one occasion Mrs Aspden gave the girl a black eye when she attacked her in a drunken rage, Ms Duckworth said.

The couple were often violent towards each other, with Mr Aspden pushing his wife down the stairs.

During a trial at Preston Crown Court, it was heard that David Aspden showed the boy and girl pornographic. He also molested the girl, the court heard.

He abused her in front of the boy and on one occasion gave her a cannabis joint before ordering her to take her top off.

"I had no idea what planet I was on", the girl said.

But when the girl formed a friendship with a younger boy, David Aspden called her a paedophile.

"You are, amongst many other things, a hypocrite", Judge Knowles told him.

Following his conviction for cruelty and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, David Aspden told a probation officer the girl was "an attention seeker who thrived off the drama" and said the boy had been put up to giving evidence against him in court. Sharon Aspden claimed the two youngsters were lying.

Judge Knowles QC said there was "no realistic prospect of rehabilitation" for the couple and said they must be punished immediately and severely for what they had done.

In a victim impact statement, the girl said she had suffered mental health problems and self harmed as a result of the abuse, but felt proud to have brought the Aspdens to justice.

Looking directly at the pair in the dock, she said: "I would like to say I am not scared of either of you now and I have seen straight through both of you for what you are. I know full well you wouldn't have dared to do something like this to someone your own size.

"It has been a long journey but right now I am not doing too bad. I know now you will suffer as a result of your actions and I think I can find peace with that."

The boy said he was scared and upset by the way Mr and Mrs Aspden treated him.

Sending both defendants to prison, Judge Knowles QC said: "You two, between you, brought about unimaginable harm and pain to these two children."

Description

A dangerous sex offender who groomed an 11-year-old-girl over a period of three years in incidents dating back to the 1990s has been jailed.

John Best appeared before Judge Graham Knowles at Preston's Sessions House on Thursday, after admitting nine counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 13.

The court heard how Best, now 55, had groomed his victim from the age of 11 by plying her with sweets and cigarettes.

At an earlier hearing, prosecutor, Peter Barr said the offending 'progressed' over 12 months, starting with Best attempting to kiss his victim, before inappropriately touching her, over the top of and then underneath her clothes.

Mr Barr told the court the offending only came to light in May 2020, following an incident whereby Best had gone missing from his home.

When he was found, he was arrested and admitted his guilt.

Best, of Church Street, Accrington, has 20 convictions from 67 offences, including a long period where he was driving while disqualified and went to prison time and time again, but no previous sexual offence convictions.

It was heard that the courts had also tried something other than immediate imprisonment but to no success.

In a personal statement, Best's victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had been affected by the incidents her entire adult life.

Her statement read: "I feel like I lost my childhood. As I grew into an adult I developed anger issues, and find it difficult trust anyone.

"It's affected my relationships with my family and friends and has caused me severe mental health issues.

"It's affected me my whole life and I am still suffering now, all these years later.

"I found the police investigation difficult but he needs to be held responsible.

"He took my childhood from me and he needs to be punished."

Best was given an extended sentence and jailed for 11 years and given 10 years on licence and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.

Detective Constable Vicky Heys, of Blackburn CID, said: Best abused his young victim over a number of years to satisfy his own twisted sexual desires and has robbed her of her innocence.

This conviction and sentence is justice for her and I commend her for her courage in coming forward and facing her abuser through the court process.

"It must have taken extraordinary bravery to do this, especially after so many years and she has behaved with dignity throughout this investigation.

Lancashire Constabulary remains committed to investigating allegations of this nature, no matter how historic, and no matter what the role, position and status of the alleged offender, and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be treated sensitively and professionally.

Description

A pervert who sexually abused a young girl over the course of a decade has been jailed for 21 years.

Graham Gill, now 68 years old, carried out the horrific abuse on his young victim during the 70s and 80s in the Leyland area.

He is now behind bars thanks to the bravery of the victim in coming forward to report the abuse and the tenacity of the Detective Constable who investigated the case.

Gill had denied the offences but was found guilty by a jury following a week-long trial at Preston Crown Court.

The jury unanimously found him guilty of 16 counts ten of indecent assault, four of rape and two other sexual offences. The victim was aged between six and 16 at the time.

Gill, of Sandringham Avenue, Leyland, was sentenced on January 14th to 21 years and will serve two thirds of that sentence before he is eligible to apply for parole.

Det Con Michelle Thompson, of Lancashire Constabularys Child Protection Unit, said: Gill is an abhorrent offender who subjected his young victim to systematic and violent sexual abuse over a lengthy period.

I would like to commend her for her courage in both coming forward to report this horrific abuse and in facing her abuser through the court process.

I hope that this conviction and sentence gives others who may have suffered similar abuse to come forward.

Lancashire Constabulary remains committed to investigating allegations of this nature, no matter how historic, and no matter what the role, position and status of the alleged offender, and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be treated sensitively and professionally.

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Gareth Holliday, 37, was caught in a sting carried out by a paedophile hunter group, a court heard

A grieving dad has been jailed after he was caught trying to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex.

Gareth Holliday, 37, travelled an hour from his home in Blackburn to a location in Rochdale intending to have sex with an underage girl in his car, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Unbeknown to him, he had been trapped in a sting carried out by a paedophile hunter group.

The girl he believed he was meeting was in fact a much older woman acting as a decoy, the court heard.

Holliday was confronted at the scene and police were called.

He was arrested and in interview did not deny that he had been exchanging sexual messages with a person he believed to be 13-years-old.

However, he claimed he had gone to meet the girl to 'make sure she got home safe', the court heard.

Mark Friend, defending, said Holliday suffers from learning difficulties and has an extremely low IQ.

"He has been met with tragedy," Mr Friend added.

"He and his partner - who has similar learning difficulties - have been in a relationship for some time and that tragedy... was devastating, the loss of his second child.

"It's unlikely to engender much sympathy but it's right that the court hears it.

"Subsequent to his arrest he was subjected to some rather unpleasant treatment in the community and he's now moved address.

"He would not be a difficult man to bully."

Anna Bond, prosecuting, told the court Holliday had initiated the contact with the decoy on a social media site and asked if she would like to be his 'sex friend'.

The decoy immediately informed him she was 13-years-old but it did not deter Holliday from continuing to send sexually explicit messages via WhatsApp.

He sent pictures of himself performing a sex act and encouraged the decoy to do likewise, the court heard.

Holliday also deleted some of the messages and told the decoy to do the same.

Sentencing, Judge Elliot Knopf said: "You were astute enough to groom this person you believed to be a girl.

"You were astute enough to delete messages from your phone and to suggest to her likewise.

"A level of awareness that is a relevant factor it seems to me."

Holliday, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison after admitting seven child sex offences.

He will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

"I accept that this will be difficult for you," Judge Knopf added.

"You are someone who may prove to be vulnerable.

"But you knew full well what you were doing... these are serious offences that are far too common in our society nowadays.

"Members of the public expect that people who involve themselves in this sort of activity will face an appropriate sentence to act as a deterrent and punishment, and to ensure that this behaviour, that is potentially so serious, will not be tolerated at all."

Description

A paedophile who filmed himself sexually assaulting a child and shared the recording with other sex offenders online has been jailed for eight years.

Jay Hamilton, 38, also secretly filmed children getting undressed and shared them online.

An investigation was launched on November 5, this year, after Lancashire Police were contacted by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. They raised concerns about indecent images being shared via a social media application.

The IP address of the account being used to share those indecent images 21 in total was traced to a property in Accrington and Hamilton was arrested on the evening of November 5.

During police interview Hamilton admitted being attracted to young girls and said he got a thrill out of sharing indecent material online.

Hamilton, of no fixed address, was charged with sexual assault on a child, voyeurism and making indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to all charges put to him when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates last month.

On Friday (December 10) at Prestons Sessions House, Hamilton was sentenced to eight years in custody and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), limiting his interactions with children.

DC Lee Forshaw, of East CID, said: Jay Hamilton is a despicable individual who clearly presents a danger to children. To satisfy his own sordid sexual interests, he took it upon it himself to make abhorrent child abuse material which he then shared with other sex offenders.

Even though he stated in his police interview that he was fully aware his appalling behaviour was wrong, he continued to do it anyway. Without the quick actions of the police and our colleagues from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, I am convinced Hamilton would still be continuing to engage in his sordid criminal acts.

I welcome the sentence handed down by the court. Once Hamilton is released he will be subjected to monitoring and the public will be afforded the further protections of the SHPO and notification requirement.

Description

A St Annes paedophile who repeatedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl while working as a private music tutor in the late 1990s has been jailed for his crimes.

Gary Fox, 62, of Clifton Drive North, was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault at Preston Crown Court in September.

Investigation officer Mick Cross, of Lancashire Police's public protection unit, said: “Gary Fox, a married man, made a deliberate decision to pursue a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He must have known known that this was wrong, especially as she was his student and he had a duty of care to her. It did not stop him. He effectively groomed and then sexually assaulted a child in order to satisfy his own sexual urges.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim for having the courage to effectively re-live her ordeal through these court proceedings. I hope that the conviction and sentence give her some sense that justice has been achieved after all this time and that it gives others who may have suffered such abuse the confidence to come forward and report it to us confident in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally, regardless of the time passed or who the alleged perpetrator.”

Fox met his young victim while giving private music lessons. He soon started making inappropriate comments towards her before escalating to physical abuse.
 
Howard Gough, head of the North West CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: ‘’Gary Fox was in a position of trust as a music teacher when he exploited a young girl for his own sexual gratification.

“I would like to commend this brave woman for finding the courage to stand up to the man who manipulated and abused her all those years ago, and for her ongoing support of the police investigation and subsequent successful prosecution of him.
“I wish her the best for her future, safe in the knowledge that a very dangerous man is now serving a prison sentence thanks to her strength and fortitude in standing up to him."

Description

A child sex predator who coerced a schoolgirl into performing a sex act on him continued to try and groom her even after her mum found out.

Connor Hegarty, 27, touched the teenager inappropriately and bombarded her with indecent messages.

The girl's horrifying ordeal was only found out when her mum discovered messages between the two and confronted him, reports Lancs Live.

After the brave victim came forward about the extent of the grooming and the abuse, he left her to face a gruelling and traumatic cross-examination while he dodged court appearances and evaded police.

In a powerful victim impact statement, the girl told how she had been left suffering panic attacks and night terrors as a result of his despicable actions.

Hegarty, of Fairburn, Skelmersdale, finally faced justice at Preston Crown Court after belatedly admitting three counts of sexual activity with a child - but only after first denying it and forcing her to give evidence in court.

Prosecuting, Jacob Dean told the court that Hegarty was aged 23 and lived in Skelmersdale when the offences took place in 2017.

He manipulated the young girl into keeping their messages a secret and arranged for her to sleep in his house.

On that night, he gave her beer, touched her body and incited her to perform a sex act on him despite her trying to convince him it was a bad idea.

He also pulled her jeans down and attempted to perform a sex act on her but was told to stop and that she was going to sleep.

Mr Dean said: Over the next few days, he messaged her to say that last night was amazing, asking when she would be ready for sex and telling her not to tell anyone.

A few days later, her mum was using her iPad and received notifications of messages from the defendant.

The explicit messages included references to doing more next time and that your ar** is mine.

At the time, the girls mum knew he was older but not how much older.

She informed Hegartys mum who kicked him out the house and she also confronted the paedophile directly, at which point he admitted liking the girl but said nothing physical had happened.

The woman told him to stop messaging her daughter but he did not, this time making references to oral sex.

She shared screenshots of the messages with Hegarty and his mum but was still not aware of the extent of the contact between the man and girl.

Only two years later as they watched a soap opera with a grooming story line did the girl feel able to talk about how much she had groomed him.

Mr Dean said: At that time, they decided not to report him to the police, she was focusing on school. The defendant had moved away but moved back to the area and continued messaging her and one day they did meet.

The girl bravely told a friend at school what had happened and then told school staff before giving a video interview to the police.

Hegarty was arrested but denied being in a physical relationship with her and meeting her on that day, claiming he was out of the area.

However, his phone was seized and searched and his lies uncovered.

He continued to deny his sick actions to the point where a trial began with the girl was forced to go through the ordeal of a cross-examination in which she had to answer his claims that she had lied about the beer and sexual contact and that she had accessed his Facebook account to send the messages to herself.

All the while, he refused to attend hearings and evaded police before being arrested and jailed for six weeks for bail act offences.

In a victim impact statement, the girl reflected on the pain he caused and detailed how she now suffered panic attacks and night terrors, as well as having to face rumours about what had happened when it was first reported to the police.

She said she now struggles to trust people and fears physical contact, even from loved ones, adding that she feels she has had part of my childhood taken away from me.

Defending, Beverley Hackett said that Hegarty was deeply ashamed and embarrassed and appalled by his actions.

She said letters from him and family members detailed his own traumatic upbringing and explained why he felt more comfortable around children than adults.

Sentencing, Judge Graham Knowles QC refused to give any credit for the guilty plea, given that it had come after the trial had begun and the girl had to face his lies about what had happened.

He said: I want to be very clear what happened with [the victim] and everything that went on between you and her was not in any way or to any extent her fault. Not at all.

Judge Knowles issued an indefinite restraining order banning Hegarty from contacting her and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which bans him from having contact with girls under the age of 16.

He also issued an indefinite notification requirement, informally known as the sex offenders register, and jailed Hegarty for six years.

Description

A paedophiles sick collection of indecent photos included children as young as two-years-old.

Lee Bayliss used search terms including 13yo [13-year-old] and girl w*** to access the pictures of children being abused.

The 49-year-old amassed a collection of more than 1,100 horrifying images over a two year period which began shortly after he was handed a community order for similar offences.

A sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) issued at Gloucester Crown Court in 2018 banned him from deleting any search history and ordered him to hand over any internet-accessible devices when asked to by an officer.

Bayliss, of Sephton Drive, Ormskirk, tried to hide his depraved habit by using virtual software but it was uncovered when police officers from Lancashire Constabulary visited him on August 6 last year.

Peter Barr, prosecuting, told Preston Crown Court : As part of routine monitoring of Mr Bayliss as a sexual offender, police attended his home address.

He opened the door and allowed the officers in.

Bayliss proceeded to hand over devices including an iPhone 6, a HP laptop and an Android Zebra mobile computer.

While there, police noticed an iPhone 4 on charge which had not been handed over. Upon closer inspection, it was observed there were few apps and little data on it, which Bayliss explained by saying it had been wiped but he couldnt remember when.

This alone constituted a breach of his SOPO and further investigation found an Apple Mac had recently connected to Bayliss wifi.

He initially denied owning such a computer but then said it was in pieces and hadnt used it. This lie quickly unravelled and it was found that virtual software had been used to operate the computer without leaving a record.

In another breach of the SOPO, the Android device showed that its Google data history had been paused or deleted.

Mr Barr said: "The defendant said he had not looked at pornography and no traces were found on any devices.

However, when police accessed the Nokia he found there had been used frequently to access pornography, some which had questions search items.

These including '13yo', 'teen', and 'girl w***'.

Mr Barr said that the children in the 74 Category A images were described as pre-pubescent girls aged two-four, three-six and six-10.

Baylis, who has two previous convictions for 15 offences, had earlier pleaded guilty to deleting data in breach of his SOPO and four counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Defending, Kristian Cavanagh said that Bayliss recognises that the offending is abhorrent, he attributes it to a lapse and wants to stop looking at such images.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland QC said: To describe this as persistent breach offending is correct.

Its also significant the actual duration of this is so close in time to the community order that it amounts effectively to offending while on licence.

Its a great shame for you that you did not come to the conclusion that this kind of sexual behaviour is completely unacceptable when were you made subject of the community order in 2018.

Bayliss was handed a 27 months sentence.

Description

A double rapist who murdered a teenager has failed in another bid to be freed from prison.

Anthony Entwistle was jailed for life in March 1988 for the murder of Michelle Calvy, a Witton Park High School pupil.

He abducted the 16-year-old Blackburn schoolgirl while she was walking along a canal before raping and strangling her and then dumping her body at a Tockholes beauty spot, in a crime that shocked the town.

Entwistle, then in his late 30s, carried out the attack within a few weeks of being released after serving a 10-year sentence for rape.

He had earlier been sentenced to seven years for two similar offences.

The Parole Board considered his case last month after the killer, now in his 70s, indicated through his legal representative that he wished to be released or, failing that, transferred to an open prison.

A document detailing the Parole Boards decision said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Entwistle was suitable for release.

"Nor was a recommendation made to the Secretary of State that Mr Entwistle should be transferred to open prison.

At the time of his offending, Entwistle acted in a predatory manner, had a preference for sex involving violence and poor emotional control as well as lacking empathy for his victims, according to the parole papers.

While his behaviour behind bars presented no problems, no-one could recommend he be released because there was insufficient evidence of reduction in risks and not enough understanding by Mr Entwistle of his key risk factors.

The document added: The panel considered that there had essentially been no progress since Mr Entwistles last parole review in 2018.

As Mr Entwistle had not sufficiently reduced his risks to the public, he was appropriately located in custody.

"Any benefits of a move to open conditions at this time were considered to be outweighed by the remaining risks that Mr Entwistle represents.

Initially he was handed a whole-life tariff, which at that time could be set by the then-home secretary, meaning he would die behind bars.

But in March 2009 Entwistles whole life term was overturned by a High Court judge who instead imposed a minimum 25-year tariff for him to serve before being eligible to apply for parole.

This was his fifth review since he became eligible for parole in 2012.

He is due for another review in about two years time.

Description

A dad-of-three broke into the home of two unsuspecting women before performing a sex act.

The horrified women woke in the early hours of the morning to discover Michael Shaw crouched in the bathroom with his pants pulled down to his knees and genitals exposed.

The disturbing discovery was only made when one of the victims thought she could see her own reflection in the near darkness, only for the figure in the mirror to move.

Shaw, 30, of Railway Path, Ormskirk, is believed to have spent around 20 minutes in the house before he was discovered and then proceeded to perform a sex act on himself after being kicked out.

Prosecuting, Keith Sutton told Preston Crown Court the disturbing incident happened in February.

He said Shaw climbed through a bathroom window.

Mr Sutton said: At 1.20am the two females in the property were in bed.

One of them was awake watching a film, the other was asleep.

When one got up to go to the toilet, she realised she could hear some noise, it sounded like something on the roof or somewhere else in the house.

She went onto the landing and could hear something, she woke the other female who went downstairs.

The first woman saw a reflection in the bathroom mirror which she could see through the door.

She could see the reflection of something in the bathroom.

She wasnt sure what but then she saw that reflection moving as if someone was crouching down.

The second complainant came back up, there was a brief discussion about what had occurred and then the first female stepped into the bathroom and looked behind the door.

Her reaction was a scream, it was described by the second complainant as hysterical, and she stepped back.

The defendant was in the bathroom with his trousers down to his knees.

The second complainant shouted at him to ask what he was doing, how hed got in.

Shaw responded by saying he was sorry and picked up his shoes which he had taken off after entering the home.

He then sat down as if to use the toilet but was told to leave.

He sat down again on the stairs to put his shoes on and was again ordered to leave the house.

Mr Sutton said: One complainant went to call the police and the first complainant watched him exit and it was clear that he was carrying out a sex act outside the property.

Shaw left and returned to the temporary accommodation where he was then staying.

The women gave a description of him to the police, who visited him the following day and found clothes matching those seen that night.

Shaw was arrested and gave a confused account when interviewed.

In a victim statement summarised by Mr Sutton, one of the women said she had been left anxious and unable to sleep without prescribed medication.

She said she suffers from night terrors and no longer feels safe in her own home despite having an alarm and camera system installed.

She said it still plays on my mind knowing he was in my bathroom watching us for 20 minutes.

The woman also explained her fear of catching Covid-19 meant no-one else had entered the house for almost a year and that this safety was violated by Shaw and the officers who came to investigate.

The court heard Shaw has one previous conviction for possession of a knife which occurred around a month before this incident and resulted in a three-month suspended sentence in May.

At a hearing in April, he pleaded to two counts of exposure and one of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Defending, Michael Hagarty said Shaw had suffered from childhood trauma which had been exacerbated by drug and alcohol use leading up to the day of the offences.

Mr Hagarty explained that in the months leading to the incident, Shaw had been forced to leave the Ormskirk home he shared with his mother as a result of flooding and had been staying alone in temporary accommodation.

He detailed a number of incidents in which Shaw had displayed erratic or concerning behaviour in the preceding months, two of which led to him being detained for his own wellbeing.

Psychological analysis identified issues of childhood trauma which were being amplified by use of alcohol, cannabis and cocaine.

A diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder affecting his ability to control his actions was also made and Mr Hagarty said the issues relating to trauma had been made worse by Shaw being unable to see his own children.

Mr Hagarty said Shaw was confused by his actions and felt remorse for the impact on his victims

Sentencing, Recorder Ben Douglas-Jones QC described Shaws behaviour as frightening, disturbing and offensive.

Referring to the moment when one woman realised there was an intruder, he said: Just imagine how frightening that must have been.

Its like something from a horror movie.

Shaw was given a 30-month jail sentence, ordered to sign the sex offender register for life and made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A pensioner who subjected a boy and girl to sexual abuse over a decade has been jailed for 11 years.

David Gardner, 65, of Alderley, Skelmersdale, molested a boy and girl between 2000 and 2010.

He was found guilty of sexual activity with a child and causing and inciting sexual activity with a child. He had pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

Gardner was jailed for 11 years during a hearing at Preston Crown Court on July 2.

Police have now revealed more disturbing details about the case.

A spokesman for the force said that Gardner made one of his victims watch videos of older men raping children.

Although the victims were too young to fully understand what the defendant was doing to them, one did question what he was doing. In response, Gardner said it was all just fun.

When Gardner was arrested, officers seized his electronic devices, they found thousands of images of indecent images of children, as well as extreme pornography.

DC Dawn Croucher, of West Lancs CID, said: First and foremost I want to praise the victims in this case for the bravery they have shown in coming forward and disclosing the horrendous offences Gardner committed against them.

Gardner is a despicable individual who abused children to satisfy his own perverted sexual interests. Although no sentence will ever reflect the damage a defendant has caused, I am pleased Gardner will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars.

I would encourage anyone who has been the victim of sexual offending no matter how long ago it occurred to contact Lancashire Police. You will be listened to and we will do all we can to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Description

A pervert who travelled to Liverpool to meet a 14-year-old said he wanted to have sex with her in a McDonald's toilet.

In messages to the 'girl' Mark Needham said he wanted her to wear a short skirt for "easier access" to her underwear.

The 34-year-old sent pictures of his genitalia and pornographic videos of himself telling the girl he wanted to have sex with a "schoolgirl".

But he was really talking to a member of a paedophile hunter group, and was duped into meeting the 'girl' at Liverpool Lime Street Station where he was arrested.

Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court, said a member of the 'paedophile hunter group' called "N-force for Justice" was posing as a 14-year-old girl called Darcy on an adult chat site called "Hi".

Needham began speaking to the 'girl', who told him she was 14 and "still at school".

Ms Mottram said the "chat continued and became increasingly sexual in nature".

Needham first sent a photo of himself and after receiving a picture of the fake girl he said "I love your t**s, your body is amazing" and told her "I want to f*** a schoolgirl".

He asked the 'girl' to perform a sex act on herself and when he was told she was with a friend suggested they had a "threesome".

Ms Mottram said Needham sent "pornographic videos of himself" and sent photos of his genitalia.

He arranged to meet her on October 8 but said he'd changed his mind "due to her age".

On December 12 the paedophile hunter group said the girl was "coming to Liverpool for the day".

Needham agreed to meet her and when asked what they would be doing he told the '14-year-old' "s****ing you in Maccies toilet LOL".

Members of the group travelled to Liverpool Lime Street Station and when one woman pretended to be 'Darcy' Needham gave her a hug before they detained him and called police.

He told the group he had "planned to talk to her and take her to a hotel room" and he had "asked her if she would wear a short dress as it would 'be easier to get access to her knickers'".

He also told the group "I have got no excuse for what I've done".

In a police interview he confirmed he used chatrooms to talk to women and "liked to talk dirty to them" and "liked uniforms".

He told police "it was the uniform that was the fantasy, not the age of the girl".

The offences took place between November 24, 2017 and December 11 of the same year, prompting Judge David Aubrey, QC, to question why it took so long to come to court when he admitted the offences in a police interview.

Ms Mottram said there were various "requests" from police but added "what has been requested has not perhaps been necessary".

Needham was charged with the offences in January this year.

The court heard Needham has previous convictions but "nothing of a sexual nature" and "nothing since 2013".

Helen Longworth, defending, urged the judge to suspend any custodial sentence.

She said: "He is very sorry for what he has done and is seeking to understand why he has done it."

Ms Longworth said: "The most significant feature really is the delay."

She said Needham has "lived with this issue hanging over him" for the three years and during that time has not committed further offences.

Needham, of Windrows, Skelmersdale, admitted attempting to incite a girl into sexual activity, attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

Judge Aubrey said the delay in the case was "unreasonable in the extreme" and "inexcusable" as Needham had admitted the offences in a police interview.

He took into account Needham had been in "no trouble whatsoever" since the offences had taken place.

Despite the mitigating features the judge said: "The appropriate punishment can only be achieved by a sentence of immediate custody."

Judge Aubrey explained the sentence would have been three years, which was reduced to two years to reflect his guilty plea and reduced again by another year to reflect the delay.

As a result, Needham was jailed for one year.

He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention order for the same period.

Following the sentence Judge Aubrey said the delay was "more than unsatisfactory, it was unnecessary" adding had it not been for the delay the sentence "would have been considerably longer".

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A man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old boy in his own home on Christmas Day has been jailed for four years.

Kieran Seery , 31, of Dowry Street, Accrington, was sentenced today (June 8) at Burnley Crown Court. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which lasts 15 years.

It follows a trial last month which found Seery guilty of sexual assault.

The incident occurred in the early hours of December 25 2019, after Seery had attended a Christmas Eve gathering at the victims address and was later told he could stay the night.

The boy was asleep when he was woken by Seery, who attacked him before fleeing the address at around 8am.

He was arrested two days later in the Greater Manchester area following a public appeal for help locating him.

Det Sgt Helen Mercer, of Blackburn Police, said: Seery carried out a horrific and predatory attack on a young boy, and he deserves nothing less than the sentence he has received today.

Since the incident he has shown a complete lack of remorse and has consistently denied his guilt, forcing the victim to go through the further ordeal of a trial.

I cannot overstate the impact this incident has had on the young victim. He went to bed excited about Christmas Day and was woken in the early hours of the morning being subjected to a horrendous sexual attack. No child should feel unsafe in their own home, and no doubt the boy will carry the mental scars from this for a very long time.

He must be commended for his bravery in reporting what happened to him and I hope todays verdict gives him a sense of closure and enables him to start moving forward with his life.

We also hope todays verdict shows that at Lancashire Police we take all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously. Anybody who has been victim of this type of crime is urged to report it to us as soon as possible, safe in the knowledge they will be treated sensitively and professionally.

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A teacher and university worker caught with sick videos of children was finally jailed five years after being arrested.

However, despite possessing videos which were in the most serious Category A and lasted up to forty minutes, German national Olaf Raetzel is likely to be released within a matter of weeks.

Preston Crown Court, sitting at Burnley Crown Court, heard that Raetzel, 51, was arrested in Ormskirk in 2015 but failed to turn up for a police appointment.

He started a new life in Dublin where, despite his perverted past, he was working as a content moderator for a social media company.

He was detained again in September last year on a European Arrest Warrant and brought before a special High Court session which granted his extradition.

More than five years on from a police raid at his home in West Lancashire, he pleaded guilty in December to three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Prosecuting, Eleanor Gleeson said police seized a laptop, USB device and Samsung tablet in May 2015 and recovered 21 files containing the sick photographs and videos.

In total, there were seven videos classed as Category A, five videos in Category B and nine Category C photographs.

However, there were further inaccessible files whose names alluded to illicit content, while his browser history was also suggestive of illegal content.

The youngest children seen in the videos were estimated to be aged between five and eight, while the majority involved girls believed to be girls aged 9-15. The videos ranged between two to 39 minutes long.

Raetzel, now of no fixed address, gave no comment in interview and was released on bail, only to fail to turn up to an appointment at Ormskirk police station in November of that year.

Defending, Peter Holden said Raetzel came to the UK in the early 90s and had undertaken a degree in Theoretical Physics. He then started a PHD before moving into teaching and went on to a job as a learning technology development officer at Ormskirks Edge Hill University.

Mr Holden said: It was an unhappy time for him in Lancashire and he began to engage in the activities outlined in the pre-sentencing report.

Mr Holden admitted that the perverts refusal to attend a police appointment painted a picture of a man who panicked and fled justice.

But he said that Raetzel had no previous convictions in Europe or the UK and had committed no further offences in the Republic of Ireland.

His devices were searched upon his latest arrest and no further illegal images were found.

Sentencing, Judge Sara Dodd said that had Raetzel been brought before the court in 2015, he would likely have been handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

However, as that time has now passed and no further offences committed, this was no longer deemed necessary to protect the public.

She handed Raetzel a five month sentence, of which he will serve no more than half.

The two months already served in Preston since the hearing at the lower court count towards that time, meaning he is likely to be released within weeks.