Search results for Leicestershire

Description

A man who raped and sexually assaulted a teenage girl while working as a police officer in the 1970s has been jailed.

Barry Grummett was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court today (Friday 9 October) after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of indecent assault on 1 October following a trial.

The 86-year-old worked as an officer for Leicestershire Constabulary between September 1970 and October 1981.

In 1977, he attended the girl's address to check on her as she had not gone to school. While alone in her house in Leicestershire, he raped her. He visited her on further occasions over an 18-month period, when he touched her inappropriately.

Grummett sexually assaulted the second victim, who was an adult at the time, at an address in the late 1970s when he touched her inappropriately while they were alone. He was not understood to have been on duty at the time.

His crimes were first reported to Leicestershire Police in 2023 and he attended a voluntary interview, during which he denied the allegations.

Grummett, of Loughborough Road in Hathern, was jailed for a total of 10 years.

Detective Inspector Amanda Boswell, from our Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU), said:

"The force takes reports of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and will always work to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"Grummett was working as a police officer - a position that carries great responsibility and trust. Taking advantage of and abusing that role for sexual gratification will simply not be tolerated.

"Both victims must be commended for coming forward and providing evidence in front of a jury that has resulted in him finally being brought to justice for what he did nearly 50 years ago.

"I hope this outcome provides them with a degree of closure and allows them to move on with their lives as best they can.

"I would also encourage any other victims of non-recent sexual abuse - either at the hands of Grummett or by someone else - to come forward and also seek justice. Please be reassured that it's never too late to speak out."

Description

A woman who was sexually abused as a child has helped convict a serial sex offender of further offences after seeing news of his other crimes.

Leon Bowes, 35, was already serving life imprisonment with a minimum of 17 years behind bars after being convicted on 20 November 2024 of 25 offences against three women.

Yesterday (Thursday 16 July), at Leicester Crown Court, he was found guilty of a further four sex offences against another victim – who was 12 and 13 at the time of the offending.

He has been ordered to serve another four years – taking his minimum term in prison from 17 years to 21 years.

The victim, who is now in her 30s, contacted police on 21 November 2024 after reading the news of Bowes’ conviction on Leicestershire Police’s Facebook page.

She reported knowing Bowes during 2007 and 2008 and during that time they had engaged in sexual activity on multiple occasions.

At the time Bowes was 17 and 18 and was aware the victim was under the age of consent.

Following a thorough investigation of the new offences, Bowes was charged with two counts of rape of a girl under 13, and two counts of sexual activity with a child. He has been found guilty of all four offences.

DC Josh Evans, from the force’s specialist rape and sexual assault team, is the officer in the case.

He said:

“This case highlights the significant impact that media coverage and public appeals can have in encouraging victims and survivors to come forward, even many years after abuse has taken place.

“The victim in this case told me she came forward after seeing our reporting of Bowes’ crimes against the other women.

“She had never disclosed what had happened to her as a child but seeing other women had made reports and recognising her own experiences in the coverage of the case, it gave her the courage to call police.

“By reporting what had happened to her we were able to investigate the further offences and present that evidence before the courts.

“Although Bowes is already in prison, it was vital we did everything we could to ensure this victim got the justice she deserves.

“I want to thank her for having the confidence to tell us about what happened to her nearly 20 years ago. Even though at the time she did not see that Bowes’ actions were wrong, she now realises he took advantage of her as a young vulnerable girl and groomed her for his own sexual gratification.

“I hope this conviction will help encourage any further victims of Bowes to come forward or any victims of sexual assault. No matter how much time has passed, we are here to listen to you and to help and support you.”

Description

A detective’s perseverance to get justice for teenage victims of grooming has resulted in a man being jailed

In 2021 Kieran Ridgway came to the attention of the force after a report was received from concerned parents of two teenage girls.

Ridgway used Snapchat to strike up a conversation with the girls under an alias.

He would ask random questions and when he received a response he continued the conversation, offering them alcohol if the children engaged in sexual acts with him.

That initial report in July 2021 was allocated to Detective Constable Stacey Swan from the force’s Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) team.

She was able to establish that the girls, who were 12 and 13 at the time, had met a man in a car park who said he would give them alcohol if they carried out a sexual act on him.

On this occasion no physical contact was made between the victims and they alerted their parents to the incident.

Those enquiries then led DC Swan to identify and arrest 29-year-old Ridgway in October 2021.

Through her diligent investigation she was able to identify further victims who had also been contacted in the same way.

Three girls, who were all under 16 when the offences occurred, reported being contacted by Ridgway on the social media platform and over time they all struck up a friendship with him.

He lied to them regarding his age and preyed on their vulnerability to entice them in.

Between June 2017 and February 2020 Ridgeway carried out sexual activity with all three of these victims. One of the victims truly believed she was in a relationship with him. However, he continued to contact underage girls.

During the investigation Ridgway was interviewed on two different dates and throughout he maintained that an unknown third person had set up a fake profile on Snapchat under the name ‘Josh Whitcombe’ using his details. He denied asking the children to engage in sexual acts with him, stating he bought the alcohol for them out of kindness.

After a trial in May, Ridgway of Coalville, was found guilty of five counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, sexual activity with a child (non-penetrative), sexual communication with a child, meeting a child following grooming and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

On Friday (10 July) he was sentenced to nine years in prison and will be subject to a three-year extended licence period following his release. The court also imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).  Ridgway has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

DC Stacey Swan said:

“This has been a complex investigation into repeated grooming and sexual offences against children carried out by the defendant.

“An initial report to police regarding two teenage girls being groomed and given alcohol by the defendant lead to the uncovering of a history of repeated behaviour, where the defendant has contacted teenagers, exploiting their age, vulnerabilities and locality to groom and commit sexual offences against them.

“Lying about his age, pretending to connect with shared troubles, before coercing the girls to engage in sexual activity, for his own gratification.

“The victims in this case have shown immense bravery in coming forward and discussing these awful experiences. I hope that they take some comfort that Kieran Ridgway has now been brought to justice for his crimes.”

Detective Chief Inspector Hazel Sandall is the force’s child safeguarding and exploitation lead. She said:

“Two of the three non-recent victims were very reluctant to provide any formal evidence.  DC Swan worked tirelessly, listening to them and supporting them to be able to give crucial evidence in the form of video interviews.

“Due to the delays in the legal process and distress this caused them, the victims were reluctant to stay engaged with the court process. DC Swan visited them personally on several occasions, offering them support and reassurance throughout, ensuring they remain invested in the trial.

“It’s down to the victims’ courage and DC Swan’s commitment to see justice served that has led to the successful outcome of this case.

“The child exploitation team is a specialist department equipped to deal with exploitation offences. The team works closely with partner agencies to ensure that victims of exploitation are listened to and supported throughout the investigation, and perpetrators are held to account and brought to justice.

“Throughout this investigation our social care partners were also a vital support in keeping the victims on board.

“All those involved in the investigation are expert practitioners who go above and beyond for the young people they support, we’re very proud to be a part of a multiagency approach which safeguards children.

“Ridgway contacted some of the victims through Snapchat where he groomed them with promises of alcohol in exchange for sexual acts. This is a timely reminder for parents and carers to check their child’s use of social media and that they are engaging with suitable persons.”

DC Swan added:

“Due to Ridgway’s offending and the way he conducted himself over many years, we believe there may be other victims of his crimes, who for whatever reason, have not reported what’s happened to them.”

Description

A senior detective has praised the courage shown by a rape victim after a man was jailed today (Friday 10 July).

Having been convicted of attempted murder, rape, sexual assault and robbery following a trial in April, Macauley Worden was sentenced to 34 years’ imprisonment when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court.

He attacked his victim on the canal towpath near Belton Road in Loughborough in the early hours of 30 August last year, pushing them to the ground and repeatedly punching them.

Twenty-eight-year-old Worden then raped and sexually assaulted the victim while attempting to strangle them. Following the incident, he made off from the scene with their phone and wallet.

On 3 September Worden, of no fixed abode, was found sleeping rough in a tent around a mile from where the incident occurred.

Today Worden was also placed on the sex offender register indefinitely and also made subject to an indefinite restraining order, prohibiting contact with the victim.

Detective Inspector Majid Zaveri, from Signal – our specialist rape and serious sexual assault team – was the senior investigating officer. He said:

“I hope the sentence passed today has provided the victim with a degree of closure which will allow them to move on with their life.

“The strength and courage they’ve shown throughout the investigation – and particularly during the court process – is testament to their character and determination to ensure that Worden was brought to justice for what was undoubtedly a violent and incomprehensible attack.”

Detective Constable Chris Fox, the officer in the case, added:

“We will always take a zero-tolerance approach to anyone committing sexual offences.

“Today’s sentence shows that the courts also take a similar approach and will ensure that those responsible are locked up for a significant amount of time, meaning that they cannot cause harm to our communities.

“I hope this outcome provides reassurance to the public and encourages anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward and seek justice.”

Description

A repeat sex offender has been jailed after offering to pay a “teenage girl” £300 for sex.

Zacharie Hall, 31, of Bishop Road, Castle Donington, had already served a 16-week youth custody sentence in 2013 for a sexual offence against a girl under 16. Last January he befriended “Tilly” on Facebook — a decoy run by paedophile hunters.

Over 18 days he sent her explicit messages, including a photo of his genitals, urged her to perform sexual acts on herself, and told her it was “normal” for girls of her age to have sex. He discussed taking her virginity, taking drugs and alcohol with her, and offered her £300 to sneak out and meet him. In one message he said: “Don’t bring any clothes — you won’t be needing them.”

Hall pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity. At Leicester Crown Court on Thursday, April 2, Judge Philip Head told him: “You made it clear your intention was to have sexual intercourse with her. You offered her £300 to meet. You told her to come to your house and talked about videoing the two of you having sex together.”

The judge described Hall’s attitude in the pre-sentence report as “really concerning” and said he was “minimising” his offending. Hall has a history of anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and emotionally unstable personality disorder.

He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison, with an extended licence period of four years and four months. He will serve the first two-thirds behind bars and can only be released early if the parole board deems him no longer a risk. He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A phone store manager who stole videos and images of children from his customers mobile phones for his sexual gratification has been jailed.

Steven Drew, 38, of Newstead Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire appeared at Lincoln Crown Court earlier today (23 March) where he was jailed for seven years. Drew will also serve an extra two years on licence for the following:

• Sexual assault of a girl aged under 13.
• Five counts of taking indecent images of children.
• Three counts of making indecent images of children.
• Possession of prohibited images of children.
• Possession of extreme images.
• Two counts of voyeurism.
• Possession of a Paedophile manual.
• Three counts of causing a computer to perform function to secure/enable unauthorised access to a programme or data.

In 2022, Lincolnshire Police received information that an Emule user, a file sharing website, had shared and was offering to share indecent images of children online. A warrant was executed at an address in Lincolnshire on 11 January 2023, and Drew, who was living and working in Lincolnshire at the time, was arrested two days later on suspicion of distributing indecent images of children.

His digital devices were seized during the warrant. After forensic examination, detectives uncovered thousands of Category A-C images, as well as prohibited images of children and extreme images, with some of them dating all the way back to 2007.  It was also found that Drew had been using his position as a manager in a phone shop to obtain images and videos of children when customers would bring their devices in.

Drew was further arrested on 8 January 2024 for possession of indecent images of children, taking indecent images of children and voyeurism. He was released on bail with one of the conditions being not having contact with any child under the age of 18.

Other evidence found on the 38-year-old’s phone also showed that he had sexually assaulted a young girl under 13 prior to him being arrested.

Whilst Drew was on bail the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) worked tirelessly with their victim identification colleagues to ensure Drew’s victims were identified and safeguarded.

Drew was arrested for a third time in June 2025, on suspicion of 14 offences and was remanded into custody. During investigations it was found that Drew continued to take indecent images of children whilst he was on bail.

He pleaded guilty to 17 counts at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday 30 October and remained in custody until his next court appearance.  

Drew has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and has also been given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The officer in charge of the investigation, DC Nicola Paradowski from POLIT, said:

“Drew is a dangerous individual who has manipulated and exploited people to obtain images of their children for his sexual gratification. The type of offending Drew has conducted is abhorrent, and it’s evident from this case that Drew has a clear sexual interest in children, and that he would stop at nothing to fulfil his needs.

“I would like to thank the families for their courage and support throughout the investigation, even though this has been a deeply upsetting time for them. Lincolnshire Police take this type of offending extremely seriously and we continue to be relentless in our pursuit to bring people like Drew to justice.”

Judge Hirst who passed today’s sentence stated that Drew had a long-standing sexual interest in children and that he posed a significant risk of causing serious harm.  Judge Hirst therefore deemed Drew as a dangerous offender which means he will serve an extended sentence period in prison.

Description

A paedophile has been jailed for sexual offences against girls which began more than 50 years ago.

George Davey, 76, abused the first victim between 1975 and 1985 and a second girl between 1983 and 1986. 

He sexually abused a third girl between 1995 and 2003, and a fourth victim between 2001 and 2002, and later in 2022. 

Davey also sexually assaulted a fifth victim in 1993 and exposed himself to a woman more recently between 2019 and 2020. 

Davey’s crimes came to light in December 2022 when one of the victims reported she had been sexually abused by him. This encouraged others to come forward. 

On Wednesday (18 March), at Cambridge Crown Court, Davey, of Shelthorpe Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, was jailed for 22 years and four months, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to:

• nine counts of indecency with a child 
• two counts of attempted rape of a girl under 16
• one count of indecent assault on a girl under 14
• one count of indecent assault
• one count of sexual assault on a female
• one count of exposure

DC Louise Wick, who investigated, said:

"This conviction for historic offences shows that justice is possible no matter how long ago the crimes occurred. 

“The sentence reflects the gravity of Davey’s predatory abuse and the devastating harm it has caused to his victims.

“I would like to thank them for their remarkable courage in coming forward and supporting a prosecution, which has led to Davey being jailed for a very long time.

“I hope this result offers some reassurance to the victims and their families as they continue rebuilding their lives.”

Description

A 31-year-old man has been jailed for nearly three years after he admitted to breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Simeon William James Weekes, previously of Wigston, Leicestershire, was issued with a SHPO in February 2018 following his conviction for making indecent photographs/pseudo photographs of children.

The SHPO was issued with certain conditions he was required to abide by, including not deleting any search history or downloading and deleting mobile phone apps.

However, on September 16 last year, when police officers made an unannounced visit to Weekes’ home address in Northampton, they analysed his mobile phone and found that he had downloaded and then deleted a social networking app.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with breaching his SHPO.

On October 29 last year, Weekes appeared at Northampton Crown Court where he pleaded guilty, returning to the same court earlier this year (January 15) where he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

Investigating officer PC Leanne Tyson, from the Force’s MOSOVO team, said:

“Being given nearly three years in prison for deleting your app history may seem harsh to some, but we will never apologise for taking a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to the management of sex offenders.

“The conditions of a SHPO are put in place for a reason and there are no excuses for not abiding by them.

“We will always seek prison sentences and we will continue working hard to bring more people like Weekes to justice.”

Description

A dangerous sexual predator who groomed a 12-year-old girl with a torrent of over 1,000 messages has been jailed for nearly five years, following a British Transport Police (BTP) investigation.

Michael Lawrence, 38, of Tudor Road, Hinkley, was found guilty and sentenced for two counts of Inciting a Girl Under 13 To Engage In Sexual Activity on 13 February, following an earlier trial at Leicester Crown Court.

Despite maintaining his innocence and pleading not guilty, Lawrence was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison, plus two years on extension.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with a child under 16 unless with consent where they know of his convictions.

The order also prevents him from using social media or apps to contact children as well as deleting search history, wiping or encrypting any devices.

The court heard how Lawrence befriended the school child at Kettering station in summer, 2022. Over a period of two years, he sent the victim a barrage of more than 1,200 messages and voice notes on social media.

Once he had groomed her into a friendship, he then began sending increasingly brazen sexual messages where he told her had a “crush” on her and repeatedly tried to instigate sexual contact. In one message he said “sorry if I’m being flirty with you I’m naughty.” Before the next day then suggesting they could “be together secretly.”

In one 30-day period alone, he sent 223 messages, including one conversation where he warned her to be careful with what she tells her dad about him.

The barrage of messages only came to light following a separate police investigation. When officers went to the remorseless predator’s address to arrest him, he said “do you think I’m f****** dangerous?”.

BTP Detective Constable Alex Price said:

“This sentence is testament to the courage of the young girl who supported our investigation to get this extremely dangerous sexual predator behind bars.

“The disgusting motive for Lawrence’s behaviour is obvious from the sheer number of messages he sent to her and his deliberate, escalating behaviour over two years, yet he’s never shown any remorse for his actions nor the lifelong impact they will have had on the young girl.

“If you experience or witness any sort of behaviour which makes you feel uncomfortable on the railway, text us discreetly on 61016, or call 999 in an emergency. We will always take you seriously, and we’ll stop at nothing to bring sexual offenders like Lawrence to justice.”

Description

For more than three years a woman was subjected to malicious communications online at the hands of her former partner.

After a lengthy and complex investigation, Declan Guess was jailed yesterday (Thursday 12 February) for three-and-a half-years at Leicester Crown Court. He was also made subject to a restraining order, a sexual harm prevention order and will be placed on the sex offender register.

The victim was in a relationship with 24-year-old Guess, but after their relationship ended, he began sharing intimate photographs of her online, taken when she was a teenager.

In October 2022, the victim’s family reported that strangers were visiting their home looking to engage in sexual activity with her.

When the visitors were challenged, they showed posts that had been published on multiple websites advertising the victim as providing sexual services.

After an investigation was launched Guess was identified as being involved in these malicious posts.

When officers seized his mobile phone they discovered a quantity of intimate images of the victim, indecent images of other children as well as images depicting bestiality.

During the investigation over 500 indecent images of children were discovered across his devices.

Once Guess’s devices were examined, new evidence was uncovered relating to his online offending and he was further arrested again in June 2025 for stalking.

In August 2025 a Stalking Protection Order (SPO) was issued by the courts prohibiting 24-year-old Guess from having any form of contact with the victim, whether in person, online or by third party.

Despite the order being in place he breached the conditions in September 2025 when he started following the victim on Instagram, this led to him being arrested and remanded into custody.

He was subsequently charged with stalking, breach of stalking protection order, possession of extreme pornographic images, three counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of distribution of indecent images of children (IIOC).

Earlier this week Guess was due to stand trial but pleaded guilty on the first day to stalking and distribution of IIOC (category A and C).

Investigating officer, PC Kate Butler from the Artemis team, said:

“The impact these offences have had on the victim are immense. Her whole life was turned upside down. “

In her Victim Personal Statement (VPS), the victim, who is now in her 20s, said: “Men started turning up at my family home looking for me and I found out this was because my name, my intimate photos and my address had been put online advertising me for sex. This was frightening and left me feeling very vulnerable.

“The whole situation has caused me so much stress and upset over the years. I just wanted it to stop. What Declan has done to me has had a very severe impact on my self-esteem and mental health. In many ways it has ruined my life.”

PC Butler added:

“While we can’t turn back time for the victim, we hope that Guess’s guilty plea helps her to put those events behind her. We are pleased his admission of guilt has meant that the victim has not been subjected to giving evidence in court. 

“This has been an extremely complex investigation, and we thank the victim and her family for their courage in reporting what they had been through and we hope this reassures the wider community that we do take these offences seriously and will use our powers to bring people to justice.

“We also believe there may be other victims of Guess, who for whatever reason have not reported offences to us, we would urge you to get in touch. We have specialist officers who can support and guide you through the process and put you in touch with other support agencies.”

Description

A 34-year-old man convicted of rape and breaching a sexual risk order has been jailed for more than six years.

Oliver George White admitted the breach of the sexual risk order before the jury was sworn in at his trial on August 7, 2025, at Northampton Crown Court, but continued to deny three other serious sexual offences.

The breach of the sexual risk order occurred on February 6 this year, when White without any reasonable excuse failed to notify police of a relationship, which he was required to do under the terms of the order issued by Northampton Magistrates’ Court on March 6, 2024.

White, previously of Loughborough, stood trial in connection with the other three sexual offences, and on August 20, he was found guilty of raping a woman at her Northampton home between January and September 2023.

However, the jury found him not guilty of two of the three charges - a second count of rape and one of attempted rape, and he was discharged by the presiding judge in relation to these matters.

Last month (October 16), White returned to Northampton Crown Court to be sentenced and was handed a six year and two-month prison term. He was also given an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.

Detective Sergeant Elizabeth Jeeves, of the Force’s SOLAR Team which investigates rapes and serious sexual assaults, paid tribute to the bravery of his survivor.

DS Jeeves said:

“Oliver White showed a lack of empathy and remorse towards the survivor in this case, who showed immense courage throughout the trial.

“Without her bravery throughout our investigation and court case, White could still be on the streets, but instead he has rightly been jailed for the abhorrent crime he committed.

“Violence against women and girls remains a priority for the Force and we are committed to bringing the likes of White to justice. We know how hard it is to take that step of reporting to us, but when you do, we will do all we can to support you.”

Description

The actions of two witnesses who reported separate rape disclosures made by different women have led to the man responsible being jailed for more than 17 years.

Adam Shellard was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court after being convicted in August for a total of 10 offences.

Today’s (Friday 31 October) outcome follows a complex and sensitive police investigation which has taken five years to conclude.

Since 2020, specialist detectives have been working tirelessly to gather vital evidence relating to a string of sexual offences committed by the 27-year-old.

This first began after both victim’s confided in two separate people about the abuse they had endured.

Following these disclosures, in July and October of that year, those admissions were reported to police.

Detective Constable Chris Sherwin and Anna Pulsford, from the force’s dedicated rape and serious sexual offences investigation team, were assigned as the officers in the case.

Initial contact was made with the victims to offer support and discuss their options regarding the progression of the case.

Over the course of the next 18 months, DC Sherwin and DC Pulsford worked closely with the women as they undertook the difficult process of reliving the trauma inflicted upon them.

It was established Shellard, of Bosworth Road, Measham, had committed these offences over a five-year period.

During that time, one of the women was subjected to repeated acts of rape, sexual assault, coercion, physical violence, and threatening behaviour.

The second victim was raped multiple times over the course of just over a month.

Due to the strength of the case and the detailed accounts provided by the victims, Shellard was charged in March 2022 with 10 offences.

Six offences – three counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of coercive and controlling behaviour – were against the first woman.

And three counts of rape were against the second woman.

During the investigation, officers also uncovered additional offences involving a person connected to one of the victims. Shellard was subsequently charged with one count of racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence.

Following a trial in August this year, he was found guilty of all crime and was sentenced today to a total of 17 years and seven months.

DC Sherwin said:

“The two women disclosed what Shellard had done to someone they knew, and it was these two people who initially came reported to police. I want to truly thank them for coming forward and alerting police to the horrendous crimes being committed by Shellard.

“The victims in this case have shown so much strength during what has been an extremely difficult and long process. They have wait five years to get justice and their determination to see this through to the end has meant that a dangerous sex offender is now behind bars.

“This case really highlights the importance of the people around us having the courage to make a stance and speak up when. If someone you know is a victim of a crime, don’t stay silent. What you know could be the key to protecting someone’s life or ensuring those who cause the most harm in our communities are held accountable.”

Description

A rapist convicted of four counts of rape against two victims was sentenced to a total of 17 years in jail yesterday (Wednesday 22 October) – following a case in which the Judge said he ‘sought to dominate all aspects of the victims’ lives’.

The sentencing hearing, held at Leicester Crown Court, follows Charles Isabirye’s conviction after a trial at the same court last month.

Isabirye, formally of Ratcliffe Road, Loughborough, denied the offences throughout the trial and claimed this his victims made up their allegations in collusion with each other.

At the sentencing hearing, where Isabirye was also sentenced for one count of breaching a restraining order and three counts of witness intimidation – counts which the jury also found him guilty of – His Honour Judge Evans, commented about the complex nature of the investigation and the conduct of the officer in the case, DC Sarah Le Boutillier

He stated she “conducted herself with professionalism” despite accusations made by Isabirye about her conduct and integrity.

Addressing Isabirye, he said:

“You continue to focus the blame for your current predicament on one of the victims, stating that ‘If it was not for her, you would not be in prison’.

“During the trial, you focussed upon the unfairness of the prosecution rather than the witness testimony, cleaving to the notion that the case was closed. You found and saw conspiracies everywhere and painted yourself as the victim.

“I have no doubt that you present as a serious risk to women.”

The 48-year-old was also made subject to a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victims and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Le Boutillier added:

“I have nothing but praise for the victims in this case, not only for coming forward and reporting what happened to them, but for the bravery they showed in court throughout a lengthy, difficult trial.

“Isabirye sought to discredit them at every opportunity.

“While it doesn’t change what they went through, I hope they find some comfort in knowing he’s in prison for a significant amount of time.”

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a woman after a night out in Brigg was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday, 6 October 2025 to four years and eleven months in prison and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

James Ward, 34-years-old, of Bottesford, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration after approaching a woman who had been socialising with friends at a bar in Brigg during the early hours of Sunday, 1 August 2021.

After engaging her in conversation, Ward left the venue with the woman and took her to a nearby field, before sexually assaulting her. The woman was later found by her friends in a state of distress, while Ward fled the scene.

An investigation was launched to understand the circumstances surrounding the assault and following lines of enquiries, Ward was identified and arrested at his home address on Sunday, 1 August 2021 and subsequently charged.

Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Rebecca McInnis said:

“Ward’s actions were abusive and exploitative, targeting a vulnerable woman for his own predatory gratification.

"This traumatic experience will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the woman, and while no outcome can reverse the harm caused, I hope his guilty plea provides some measure of relief.

“We take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously and remain committed to seeking justice for those who have suffered at the hands of exploitative predators.”

Description

A Loughborough man has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexually abusing five children in the 1980s.

Detectives from the force's Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) have praised Jayesh Khunti's victims for their bravery in providing evidence that led to him being sentenced at Leicester Crown Court today (Friday 26 September).

Two victims - a man and woman - first contacted the force in 2022 to report what had happened and as the investigation progressed, two men and a woman were spoken to and disclosed that they too had been sexually abused by Khunti.

On 30 May, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, 56-year-old Khunti was found guilty of:

• Seven counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years
• Five counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 years
• Three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 years of age
• One count of committing buggery with a boy under 16 years of age

Khunti, of Beck Crescent, Loughborough, was sentenced to a total of 13 years' imprisonment and placed on the sex offender register for life.

Detective Constable Katie Harris, from the CAIU’s non-recent team, was the investigating officer. She said:

"First and foremost, I hope today's outcome provides those involved in this case with a degree of closure.

"They've continued to live their lives as victims of sexual abuse for several decades and - because Khunti continued to protest his innocence - had to re-live their ordeals in front of a jury. However, the detail of their accounts was key in securing a conviction and ensuring that Khunti is now in prison.

"I hope this case serves as a reminder to any other victims of non-recent sexual abuse that it's never too late to tell us what happened and that offenders can be brought to justice."