Latest Offenders Leicester

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A Leicester man who admitted to a number of offences linked to indecent images of children has been jailed.

Neil Garnett, 58, of HMP Leicester, appeared at Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 23 May) and pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of distribution.

He was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.

In April 2021 officers received information suggesting Garnett has been accessing indecent images of children online.  He was subsequently charged with three counts of making Category A to C images, of children.

Garnett failed to appear in court for his first hearing in March this year and was arrested for failing to appear in court.

When he was arrested a mobile phone was seized from him and contained indecent images of children.

After further examination of the phone the true extent of his offending was discovered. Hundreds of images of children ranging from Category A to C were found on his phone.

He was further charged with three counts of making category A-C indecent images of children and three counts of distribution of Category A-C images of children.

At crown court yesterday, he was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Glen Reid from the force’s Artemis team in the Digital Hub was the investigating officer.  He said: “When Garnett was interviewed about the offences, he tried to trivialise his actions.  Just because these offences are online, doesn’t make it any better than physical abuse. Online offenders are perpetuating the harm caused to children.

“We are pleased he admitted his involvement in these offences.  We hope his time in prison, with the addition of being given a SHPO and being placed on the Sex Offender’s Register, will deter him from committing further offences and he seeks the help he needs to reform.”

• During an investigation of this nature specialist officers will grade indecent images of children categories A to C. Category A images are the most serious. Categories B and C are less serious than category A as far as sentencing is concerned but nonetheless are still serious images of child abuse.
• The offence of making indecent images relates a person performing an action that has ‘made’ those images appear on their device, for example by downloading them from a website. Making indecent images does not mean that they are the person that was the actual contact abuser.

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A man has been jailed for rapes he committed more than 10 years ago.

Leicestershire Police said Thomas Prince attacked two victims the first time he met them - overpowering one and giving the other alcohol so he could take advantage of her.

The victims, who did not know each other, were raped in June 2011 and December 2012.

Prince was sentenced to nine years and three months in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Friday.

The 26-year-old, of Western Road, Leicester, was found guilty of four counts of rape following a trial.

Officers said Prince's victims, who are now adults, independently reported the attacks in 2020.

'Degree of closure'

Det Con Rachael Lee said: "I'd like to commend them on the strength they showed in giving evidence during the trial.

"Since each of these horrific incidents occurred, they've been living their lives, continually traumatised about what had happened to them.

"To stand up in court and recount your ordeal in front of a jury takes an unbelievable amount of courage, but ultimately in this case it meant that Prince is now dealing the consequences of his crimes.

"I hope the outcome has provided them with a degree of closure."

She said it "became apparent there may be other people out there who are victims of Prince", and urged anyone with any information to contact the force.

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A man has been jailed for child sex offences committed on the Lincolnshire coast over a period of nearly two years. Kevin Clarke, 38, of Gresley Close, Leicester was given six years in prison at Leicester Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to nine charges.

Clarke was sentenced for offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual communication with a child. He was also sentenced for making and possessing illegal images of children, including 269 images in category A, and two in the extreme category.

The charges relate to offences that happened in Skegness, between January 1, 2021 and October 28, 2022. DC Michelle Adamson, of Lincolnshire Police PVP, said: "Clarke had built a relationship with the victim knowing, when the relationship began, she was just 14 years old.

"Getting this man convicted means he will not be able to offend against any other child or young person."

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A man has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of the rape of a teenage girl.

Warren Waldrom, now 30, attacked the girl at an address in Coalville, Leicestershire, in July 2017, when she was under 16.

He also denied a charge of sexual assault but was convicted of both at Leicester Crown Court in February.

Police praised the victim and her family for their bravery and patience in bringing the case to court.

Police said Waldrom, of Radiant Road, Leicester, took the girl to his former home address in Coalville and later sexually assaulted her.

'Extremely difficult time'

She told him to stop, which he did, but shortly after he returned and, despite her pleas, raped her.

The victim told friends and then family, which led to Waldrom being arrested.

He claimed he thought the girl was older and the sex was consensual but officers said "further extensive enquiries" led to him being charged in November 2019.

Det Con Katie Leadbetter, of Leicestershire Police, said: "This has been an extremely difficult time for the victim and her family as they have waited firstly for our extensive enquiries to be completed to enable charges to be made and then for the trial to be heard.

"Without the victim's bravery, patience and co-operation during this time, we would not have been able to see this conviction happen."

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A man who had unknowingly been speaking to police when he was arranging to meet a child to rape has been jailed.

Joseph Hopkinson, aged 39, travelled by train from Leicester to Cheltenham in August 2022 intending to rape a 10-year-old.

He had in fact been communicating with specialist police officers who arrested him as he arrived at Cheltenham railway station on 17 August.

Hopkinson has been sentenced to seven years and two months for the offence.

He has has remained behind bars since his arrest.

The 39-year-old was also found to have cannabis on him and in his home when it was searched by Leicestershire Police.

Switched to guilty plea

The 39-year-old, of St James Road in Leicester, denied the offences and was due to stand trial at Exeter Crown Court on 13 February.

However, he changed his pleas to guilty on what was meant to be the first day of his trial.

At Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday he was jailed for seven years and two months for arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, namely the rape of a child under 13.

He was also sentenced to nine months for two drugs offences, to run concurrently.

'Significant harm'

Detective Inspector Simon Goodenough, from the child sexual exploitation and indecent images of children teams said: "Hopkinson has a clear sexual interest in children and was intent on causing them significant harm.

"He spent months communicating with the police operative about abhorrent things he was wanting to do to young children, and it was evident that he was planning to carry out his vile thoughts and ideas."

He added that police teams work "tirelessly" to pursue sexual predators who are intent on causing harm.

Officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) worked with Gloucestershire Constabulary's Indecent Images and Child Sexual Exploitation teams on the investigation.

Detective Inspector David Wells, from SWROCU's online investigations team, said: "There is no doubt Hopkinson posed a serious threat to children and the sentence handed to him reflects that."

Hopkinson has also been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A Detective has described the behaviour of a convicted sex offender as dangerous and disturbing after he carried out attacks on two lone women in Loughborough last year.

Detective Sergeant Amanda Boswell, who oversaw the investigation, has spoken how the defendant – Grzegorz Luczak - showed predatory behaviour, targeting women who were both under the influence of alcohol as he was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday (30 March).

The 45-year-old formerly of Holmfield Avenue, Loughborough, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

During an evening in March last year, Luczak admitting spending a number of hours driving and frequently stopping around Loughborough town centre around the time that the bars was closing. The prosecution believed his intention was to voluntarily seek out a vulnerable woman to assault that night.

Hours later, an intoxicated woman got into his car believing it to be a taxi and asked to be taken home. He did not ask her to leave and instead he drove off with her in his vehicle.

A brave member of the public tried to intervene and assist the victim to get out after she felt uneasy about the situation. She took images of his car and warned the driver against doing anything to the victim.

These are words of warning he clearly ignored as when he continued his journey, he sexually assaulted the victim despite her protests.

She was thoroughly scared and the incident only ended when she escaped out of the moving car and fled to a nearby house, alerting the occupants shouting for help.

Luczak was arrested but without sufficient evidence to charge him at that stage, he was released under investigation to allow officers to complete further enquiries.

In August some months later, Luczak was once again driving around Loughborough town late at night, for what he later claimed was to collect scrap items discarded by residents that he could mend and sell.

He spotted another vulnerable woman walking home from an evening out, alone, in a quiet residential street and immediately turned his car around, travelling the wrong way down a one-way street, to approach her.

CCTV captured the moment he got out of his vehicle, instantly attacking the woman and wrestling her to the floor. She was then subjected to a serious sexual assault.

Luczak was later arrested and charged with one count of sexual assault and two counts of digital penetration of a female over 13 and he was found guilty of all counts at a trial in February.

Detective Sergeant Amanda Boswell, from the force’s SIGNAL team, said: “This man subjected both women to degrading and humiliating attacks causing a level of emotional trauma that is unforgivable. He deliberately sought them out and targeted them as lone women, late at night; this is disturbing and worrying behaviour which thankfully the jury recognised in their guilty verdicts against him.”

“Women are entitled to go on a night out and drink alcohol if they so choose. Doing so, should not make them vulnerable to men like Luczak. Women should be able to walk home safely and not be targeted.”

“This investigation has shown how important it is to work as a team with the victims and their wishes at the centre. Victims should feel listened to, supported, respected and understand how important they are to cases like this. We are unable to achieve results like this without them.

“Both victims and witnesses in these cases have demonstrated immense courage and strength throughout the investigation and in providing evidence at the trial. It shows bravery and commitment and I want to thank each of them for the part they played in securing the conviction of a clearly dangerous man.”

DS Boswell added: “Given the obvious repeat offending of Luczak, there could be other women who have been assaulted by him in similar circumstances and didn’t feel that they could report the incident at the time. If you are a victim, I would urge you to come forward and contact my team. We have specialist officers who can support and guide out through that process and we also work closely with a number of other agencies and can refer you for ongoing support.”

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The four-year dedication of an officer to see justice done for a teenage girl who was raped has led to the man responsible being jailed for 15 years.

Detective Constable Suzie Brenton from the force’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) has remained committed to the case since taking over as the officer in charge in February 2019.

Her efforts to ensure the victim’s voice was heard have never waived and on Monday (27 February), following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, Kevin Sidwell was found guilty of two counts of rape – which occurred on at least 10 separate occasions – and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was found not guilty of a further two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of a child.

The 54-year-old, of High Street, Barwell, was given a total of 15 years in prison for the offences which happened between December 2010 and May 2018.

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

Working closely with the victim and her family, DC Brenton worked tirelessly to ensure the offences were thoroughly investigated and provided support every step of the way.

She said: “I am so pleased after more than four years this case has been heard in court and the person responsible for committing these horrific crimes will now be behind bars for many years.

“Throughout this time my focus has been getting justice for the victim and doing all I can to support her and her family through the process.”

The offences were first reported to police in July 2018 by the-then 13-year-old girl and her family.

Following an extensive investigation and examination of the evidence, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, Kevin Sidwell was charged in 2020.

DC Brenton added: “The courage and strength the victim has shown, supported by her family, since making that initial report has been incredible. Their willingness and determination to see this man answer for the devastation he has caused is truly commendable. 

“While yesterday’s verdict will not take away the pain and suffering, I hope it will enable them to begin to move forward with their lives.”

Detective Superintendent Gav Drummond, who is responsible for overseeing the CAIU, said: “I want to commend the efforts of all the officers involved in this case - from those who took the initial report and ensured the girl was no longer in danger – but particularly to DC Brenton for her outstanding hard work and commitment to see this case to conclusion and to achieve justice for this child.

“Her efforts are a shining example of the work officers do every day - striving to safeguard the most vulnerable in our society and deal with those who the cause most harm.”

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Ian Featherstone, who lives in Bushby, groomed the teenage girl for sex while working at a boarding school and was given only a suspended sentence at court

The schoolgirl victim of a sex offender teacher from Leicester has revealed how he stole her innocence in a heartbreaking statement describing the impact of his crimes. Ian Featherstone groomed the teenager for sex while working at a private boarding school, a court heard.

She was a pupil at Abbotsholme School, near Ashbourne, in the Derbyshire Dales, when the 44-year-old struck up an inappropriate relationship with her. Starting with text messages, the exchanges turned to sexualised chat before escalating further to sharing intimate photographs and eventually sex.

Featherstone pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust when he appeared before a judge at Derby Crown Court. He was a married father-of-two when the offences took place, but has since lost his job and is now living with his parents in Pulford Drive, Bushby, reports Derbyshire Live.

The teenager revealed to the court how the sexual abuse she suffered at Featherstone's hands had affected her life. "I didn’t realise what was happening, what he was doing, until someone told me that what he did was not normal," she said.

"It felt right because I finally thought I had found someone who wanted me. However, this never explained why I felt on edge and scared around him.

"I tried ignoring the sexual comments he made, but he always said more. This increased my fear, and I was always questioning if I could trust him. However, I did trust him, and that cost me everything."

The court heard how the Featherstone told the girl not to save his contact details. Instead, she had them on a piece of paper she kept with her phone, so his wife of 14 years did not find out about the relationship. He would also only communicate with her on a social media platform to avoid detection.

"I lost my innocence," added the girl. "I never understood this concept until he did what he did. I have had to grieve that I have lost what it meant to be a teenager. I have had to leave school behind as the weight of pain was too heavy for me to carry on anyone.

"I was always crying, breaking down and having to get picked up every day from school. He pushed my mental health to the limits. This completely destroyed me.

“I self-harmed to cope and even wrote suicide notes. I didn’t want to carry on anymore. The guilt, pain, sadness, and the constant abuse became too much."

The girl turned to Featherstone during the hearing and addressed him directly. "No amount of tears could explain the pain," she told him. "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my confidence, and my own voice.

"You have no idea how worthless you made me feel. Always being too scared to say no, or not to do as you wanted. This always scared me." She added: "I knew in the end you would always have your way, no matter if I said no. This lives with me, it will never leave."

Featherstone was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but suspended for two years. An electronically monitored curfew will confine him to his home address between 7pm and 5am.

The defendant was ordered to attend a 45-day sex offender awareness programme, as well as 55 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years.

Speaking at the conclusion of the case, Detective Constable Sarah Parkin commended the victim's bravery in speaking out against her abuser and helping to bring him to justice.

"Mitigation in court tried to explain away Featherstone's offending, and even tried to paint him as the victim, but he is clearly a sexual predator who preyed on someone who should have been safe in his care," she said.

"I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward and reporting this matter to the police," she added. "Anyone who is reading this and may have been the victim of sexual assault or abuse, please do speak to someone. There is help available. If you do feel able to contact the police we will always listen, investigate, and support you through the process."

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A trans woman who groomed and had sex with a 14-year-old girl, making her pregnant, has been jailed.

The defendant - named by police as "David Orton, also known as Danielle Rose Gemini" - was found guilty of penetrative sexual activity with a child following a trial.

Officers said the victim had been vulnerable and initially refused to believe she was being sexually abused.

However, she later changed her mind and told police what had happened.

The offender, whose name was recorded as Danielle-Rose Gemini by Leicester Crown Court, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years.

Leicestershire Police - who said the 25-year-old identified as a woman at the time of the offences - were not able to give a current gender identity.

The defendant was also charged with raping the girl, but was found not guilty of this following the trial.

Det Con Sarah Le Boutillier, the investigating officer, said: "Throughout our interviews, Orton refused to accept that there was any wrongdoing and [claimed] that they were in fact the victim," she said.

"The claims were unfounded."

The victim was 14 when her parents originally raised suspicions in October 2020.

Police said the offender was a family friend who often stayed over at the victim's house. The girl's parents became suspicious of a sexual relationship, police said, but the girl refuted those concerns.

"Orton used the victim's vulnerability for their own gain and not only groomed the victim, but also her parents who believed Orton was a genuine friend," said Det Con Le Boutillier.

"This was a complex and lengthy investigation; the initial report was made to the police more than two years ago. The victim's parents refused to accept her initial explanations and persevered with their concerns.

"We are pleased the victim found the courage to eventually talk about what she had been through and recognised that she was a victim and that Orton's actions were not that of a friend."

'Not easy to speak out'

The girl provided information to police in June 2021.

The defendant, of Willowbank Road in Hinckley, was interviewed and subsequently charged with four counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, and two counts of raping a girl aged 13 to 15.

A jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, but not guilty verdicts on the other counts.

Det Con Le Boutillier said: "We hope the verdict and sentence now helps the victim to come to terms with what happened and try and put that time behind her, and also reassures her parents that they did the right thing by coming forward.

"We would like to reassure anyone else who may be in a similar situation to report their concerns, as they will be heard and we will help them through the process.

"We know it's not always easy to speak out; we have specialist officers who can help you every step of the way and also put you in touch with agencies who can advise and support you moving forward."

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A man from Loughborough who admitted being “sexually attracted to babies and toddlers” has been jailed for 25 years, after he paid for the abuse of young children in Asia.

National Crime Agency investigators identified that Ian Wynter, 59, targeted financially vulnerable individuals in countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia. He would give them explicit direction and pay them to live stream themselves carrying out the abuse.

Wynter was arrested by the NCA in January 2020 after flying into Gatwick Airport from Shanghai, China, where he had been living and working.

Officers seized a number of electronic devices, including phones, a laptop and an external hard drive from him at the airport, as well as from his UK home in Loughborough.

They recovered thousands of online chat logs which showed Wynter speaking with offenders based all over the world.

In the chats, Wynter describes himself as a “paedophile” who is “sexually attracted to babies and toddlers”. As well as discussing raping them among other horrific ‘fantasies’, he also advised others on how to carry out abuse without getting caught.

While on a trip to Thailand in 2020, he engaged in an online conversation with another paedophile about potentially finding a local child to abuse.

The chat logs and financial records showed that Wynter had paid a man in the Philippines to abuse a two-year-old boy for him via video call, on multiple occasions in 2019. Video recordings of these calls made by Wynter show him directing the abuse throughout, as well as requesting specific sexual acts in the chat box.

Additional messages show the man telling Wynter he is in financial difficulty and needs money for “milk and diapers”. Wynter later passed on the contact details of the Filipino facilitator to another online user, who he said was willing to pay “$125 up front for a show”.

The facilitator has since been sentenced to 15 years in prison in the Philippines and local authorities safeguarded the child.

Wynter also paid another male facilitator in Indonesia for several video calls of him abusing two-year-old boy in 2018. In this case, the man said the money would help pay for his diploma.

17,000 indecent images of children (6,000 in category A) were stored across Wynter’s devices, many of which he had also shared online. Within these was a naked image of a child that he had taken himself.

In June this year, Wynter pleaded guilty to 13 charges including multiple counts of encouraging the sexual assault & rape of a child under 13 and the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

He was sentenced today (09/11/2022) at Leicester Crown Court to 25 years in prison.

He will also be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has been placed on the Sex Offender Register.

Tony Smith from the National Crime Agency said:

“Ian Wynter is a prolific sexual offender who caused very young children to suffer the most horrendous abuse at the hands of willing facilitators, giving them specific direction and financial reward.

“Wynter spoke with thousands of other predators online with whom he openly discussed his horrific sexual fantasies, and offered advice on carrying out abuse while avoiding detection.

“This case is a key example of how predatory sexual offenders are using online platforms to target vulnerable children overseas, as well as to connect with other like-minded individuals. Wynter’s sentence reflects the gravity of his worldwide offending and our commitment to bring him to justice.

“The NCA works with law enforcement partners across the globe to ensure we are identifying and disrupting offenders, and safeguarding children, wherever they are.”

Bethany Raine, CPS Specialist Prosecutor, said:

“Wynter demonstrated sickening depravity by paying adults to sexually abuse children in video calls and exploiting innocent children in other parts of the world.

“This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA and international partners, will work to bring to justice those who sexually abuse and exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.

“Working with our international partners we have also been able to help the Filipino courts jail one of the abusers Wynter encouraged in his appalling search for sexual gratification.”

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A man has been sentenced to more than 12 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to five counts of rape and one count of controlling and coercive behavior.

Initially the victim of the offences – an adult female - had been afraid to report the crimes but after confiding in close family and friends and seeking support, she gave permission for police to be called.

This led to officers arresting Tobias Lee, 32, of Macaulay Road, Rothley, and an investigation being launched.

Enquiries included accessing a phone recording which had been made by the victim which showed bullying and controlling behaviour by Lee as well as obtaining statements.

This included statements bravely provided by the victim regarding the rape offences which Lee had committed against her.

The investigation led to Lee being charged and at Leicester Crown Court last Tuesday (25 October), he was sentenced to 12 years and six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the offences. He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Support continues to be provided to the victim.

Officer in the case, Police Investigating Officer Anita Vaughan said: “Thanks to the bravery of the victim in reporting these horrendous crimes, we were able to ensure she had the right support available while carrying out a full investigation.

“This led to Lee pleading guilty to the offences and being sentenced.

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A 'perverted' 66-year-old man abducted and raped a 12-year-old girl he had met online. Dinato Rizzi knew the girl was under 16 and had planned how he would cover his tracks if he was caught, a Leicestershire Police investigation found.

Rizzi, of Netherhall, Leicester, The court heard he had been in contact with the child online and later said he was not aware of her age - a claim described by a detective on the case as "completely absurd".

Rizzi's victim bravely shared her experience with specialist officers after her mother discovered she had been in touch with him. The mum contacted police in January to say her daughter had disclosed she met a man online and had been to his home in of New Romney Crescent.

She provided screenshots of messages the man and her daughter had exchanged. The girl then told police that she met with Rizzi on a number of occasions over the previous weeks and sexual activity had taken place between them at his address.

Detectives from the force's child sexual exploitation team investigated and subsequently arrested Rizzi and later charged him with a number of crimes against the child. He was found guilty of 13 offences following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court and was sentenced on on Friday, October 21.

Detective Constable Sue Cockerill, who investigated the case, said officers uncovered messages exchanged between the two where Rizzi, who is known locally as Dean or Deano, acknowledged the girl was under 16 and how he would cover his tracks if he got caught.

Detectives are still investigating Rizzi and suspect he could have other victims. Det con Cockerill added that investigators are examining devices recovered from his home and suspect he may have been in contact with other girls.

She said: “Rizzi claimed that he didn't know that the girl was under 18, a claim which is completely absurd. Anyone who takes one look at this young girl can see she is that – a young girl who doesn’t even look like she could be 16 years old let alone 18.

“She told him her real age and this man simply chose to ignore it, sexually exploiting her and taking advantage of her vulnerabilities for his own perverted gratification. This young girl and her family have been through a terrible ordeal. 

"She has been exceptionally brave in recalling her interactions with Rizzi. I hope now, finally, she and her family can start to rebuild their lives and move past what has happened.

“I would like to thank Claire Fraser KC and Sarah Holland from the Crown Prosecution Service for their significant hard work and commitment in bringing this case before the court and securing a conviction against Rizzi. We are continuing our investigation into Rizzi which includes the examination of devices recovered from his home.

"We suspect that he may have been in contact with other girls and could well have committed sexual offences against others. I would therefore urge anyone who may have been a victim to please contact us. We have officers who are trained to speak sensitively to children who may have been victims of similar offences.”

Rizzi was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was

A jury found Rizzi guilty of the following offences between December 2021 and 27 January 2022

• Two counts under the Child Abduction Act namely taking a child so as to keep her
• from a person having lawful control
• One count of taking indecent photographs of a child
• One count of taking an indecent image of a child
• One count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• Four counts of rape of a child under 13
• Two counts of One count of assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• Two counts of rape of a child under 13

The young victim's mother has shared the impact of the offences on her daughter in a statement, which she said will affect her for the rest of her life. The mum said: “She should be at a point in her life where she is looking forward to her future but she feels she doesn’t have one.

"She can’t see her friends as much and her schoolwork has suffered massively. Her social development has suffered in many ways as well and she continues to sleep in my room at night," she said.

Detective Inspector Gary Bee, who leads the force’s exploitation team, said: “This case highlights the dangers that can lurk online and the sophisticated methods that sexual perpetrators use to exploit young and vulnerable children. It’s a timely reminder to all parents to ensure that they have safeguards in place at home to understand their children’s use of the internet and social media.

“Rizzi’s level of offending against such a young child is particularly concerning and I would urge anybody with any concerns around historic or ongoing abuse by him to contact Leicestershire Police, your concerns will be dealt with confidentially and by specially trained officers.”

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TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari's accomplice Raees Jamal had already been convicted of rape long before being convicted of murder. On Friday, four people, including Jamal, were found guilty of murder by a jury at Leicester Crown Court after a trial lasting 50 days.

Now it can be reported that Jamal had been convicted last year of raping a 17-year-old girl at his home in Loughborough. The trial for that crime took place before the TikTok trial and to ensure fair verdicts in the murder trial the jury was not told of the rape case and the press were not allowed to report it.

Jamal was sentenced for the rape at Leicester Crown Court in August 2022 and was given 10 years behind bars. During that hearing, the judge urged Jamal's young rape victim not to blame herself. The jury heard how Jamal had invited his victim to his home to watch a film just a few days after she had turned 17. Jamal pinned his victim on his bed and had unprotected sex with her, despite her trying to push him off and repeatedly telling him 'no'.

Judge Robert Brown told Jamal's victim's family members, who were in court for the sentencing: "She is a victim. She must not think she did anything to cause this rape. She did not. Tell her that from me. I hope it helps her come to terms with this."

The rape took place in June 2020 when the girl agreed to go out in Loughborough town centre with Jamal and later went back to his home in Lingdale Road in the town. His parents, who were at the house when she arrived, went off to work a night shift and Jamal took the girl upstairs to watch a film and he was "pestering" her for some time before trapping her under him and attacking her.

Daren Samat, prosecuting, said the girl had been 16 when Jamal started chatting to her on social media. Describing the day of the rape he said: "They went upstairs to watch a film and within minutes the defendant began to pester her. She said she didn't want that. She said no several times and tried to persuade him physically."

In a letter to police about how the crime had affected her, the victim said she had tried to kill herself and she remained "haunted" by what had happened, as well as being left with the scars of her suicide attempt. She said in the letter: "It's been two years since the rape happened and I still, to this day, get haunted. I've never felt so isolated and most nights I cry myself to sleep. I haven't learned how to live with this." Mr Samat said: "There is psychological harm here and grooming, via social media, over the course of about six months."

Ayoub Khan, representing Jamal, tried to argue there had not been any grooming and that the attack had not been sustained but the judge rejected both those statements. Mr Khan added: "He had only just turned 20. He is a young man who had a fairly turbulent upbringing."

The judge told Jamal: "When she met you she did not have sex in mind and did not want intimacy in that early stage of your relationship. I think it is justified to describe it as sustained. She was trapped. She was pinned on the bed and you overpowered her. She was not egging you on - she repeatedly said 'no' and 'stop it' and tried to push you off.

"She has undergone severe psychological harm." His sentence for the rape is likely to be eclipsed by whatever minimum term the judge decides in the murder case. As well as being jailed for the rape, Jamal was given a lifetime restraining order to keep him from contacting his victim and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

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A disgraced Leicestershire teacher who was jailed for grooming and abusing one of his students has been given a lifetime ban. Tony Fraine has been barred from the profession over future fears for students' safety.

Fraine, who taught at Hinckley Academy and John Cleveland Sixth Form Centre in Hinckley, was jailed in 2020 for the predatory behaviour which he committed against a 17-year-old pupil. The vile head of department had manipulated the teenager into the inappropriate relationship and coerced her into sending explicit images and messages.

He was jailed for two years. Now, the 39-year-old has been banned from ever teaching again in the UK after a disciplinary hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) took place.

The hearing was told how Fraine had become a newly-appointed teacher at the school in 2005, later rising to head of the science department in 2010. It was in 2019 when the first allegations of his predatory behaviour were made.

From here, he was suspended from the school and put on trial at Leicester Crown Court. It was here where it was heard how Fraine had begun the abuse by sending his victim flattering messages which then became sexualised. He also gave her a gift of underwear, while she later sent naked images after going along with his repeated requests.

After pleading guilty to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, he was jailed for two years. Fraine is also currently subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and is on the sex offenders register for the same period.

For the TRA panel, they felt letting Fraine return to the classroom would put children at risk and harm public confidence. There was a strong public interest consideration in respect of the protection of pupils and other children given the very serious findings relating to sexual activity with a pupil and conduct associated with grooming, they said.

The panel considered that Mr Fraines behaviour in committing the offence would be likely to affect public confidence in the teaching profession if Mr Fraine was allowed to continue teaching, given the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community.

Saying the need to issue the ban was in the public interest, the TRA said they had to treat the case with the utmost seriousness, believing that a lifetime ban was both proportionate and appropriate.

The seriousness of the offences including the grooming behaviour which took place over a substantial period of time was a significant factor, they said.

Concluding the report, Sarah Buxcey, from the TRA, believed Fraines actions meant he could not teach again.

The panel finds that the conduct of Mr Fraine fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession, she said. Mr Fraines offending behaviour was serious, concerning sexual activity with a pupil, which ultimately led to a sentence of imprisonment, which I agree with the panel is relevant to his ongoing suitability to teach.

I have concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest in order to achieve the intended aims of a prohibition order.

Fraine has 28 days to appeal the ban at the High Court.

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A 6ft 10in knifeman who attempted to rape a woman in the street late at night in the Midlands has been revealed. Matt Mellor admitted attempted rape during an appearance in court yesterday.

He also admitted having of a bladed weapon and also breaching a sexual harm prevention order he had been given after a previous offence. On February 26, he began stalking a young woman in Northampton.

He grabbed her on Wellingborough Road and dragged her to the ground. He proceeded to attempt to rape her at knifepoint.

The woman managed to attract the attention of local homeowners, who came out to help her as Mellor fled. He was arrested later that day.

Lead Investigator, Detective Constable Adam Kelly, said Matt Mellor is a very large man, about 6ft 10in in height, and his actions on that night would have been an absolutely terrifying experience for this woman who should have been able to walk wherever she liked without fear of such an attack. She showed tremendous bravery in fighting him off whilst shouting for help and I would like to thank her for her support and courage during our investigation.

I would also like to thank the local residents who quickly came to her aid that night and also to the local businesses in the area who have assisted us with our inquiries and the procurement of CCTV which helped us piece together this crime. To be able to take such a dangerous offender off the streets helps to make Northamptonshire a safer place for people to go about their daily business and I now expect it will be a long time before Mellor is released from prison, which is great news.