Latest Offenders Leigh

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A convicted sex offender used a social media platform to send indecent images of himself to girl aged 14.

Jordan Saunders, 25, started sending messages to a 14-year-old girl on Instagram in February.

Southampton Crown Court heard how the conversion between Saunders and the girl – who was unknown to him – started very generally.

Four days after initiating conversation, Saunders sent two indecent images to the girl, accompanied by inappropriate messages.

Prosecuting, Keely Harvey said how the pictures were set to disappear after being opened.

But Saunders, previously convicted in 2017 of three counts of sexual activity with a child, did not expect the recipient to be the victim’s parents, who were checking the parental controls on her phone when the pictures were sent.

Ms Harvey said: “The victim’s parents are very vigilant about internet safety, and checking their daughter’s phone revealed the photos and inappropriate messages.

“They did some investigating, found the defendant’s name, and reported him to the police.

“The victim told her parents he had asked her for an inappropriate picture of herself, which she did not send.

“She felt his messages were weird and inappropriate, and often did not respond to him.

“The defendant initially denied knowing the victim when he was interviewed by police.”

The victim, now 15, thought Saunders was a friend from a club she had attended, until he revealed his age to her.

In an impact statement read out in court, she said his “creepy messages” and interaction made her feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.

She said: “I felt disgusting and didn’t want anyone else to do this to me.

“I cut all my hair off so no grown-up men would want to do what he did.”

Saunders, of Bramble Close, Eastleigh, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with the requirements of a sex offenders register, and pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Mitigating, Eve Shelley said Saunders is seeking counselling in light of this incident.

She said: “He is looking for mental health support and further imprisonment will impact his mental health.”

Judge Nicholas Rowland deemed Saunders to be “dangerous” and posed a risk of harm to girls.

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

As well as his prison sentence, Saunders will be on the sex offenders register for life and subject to a new sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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A man has admitted to having more than 700 indecent images of children on his devices.

Rory Lord, 40, remained stony-faced in the dock as he pleaded guilty to three charges.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how on April 8, 2022, police were alerted to an upload of indecent images.

Identifying Lord as a suspect, officers attended his address and searched his devices.

Prosecuting, Anthony McCafferty said: “A search was conducted and his devices seized and searched.

“A total of 746 images were found on his devices. 133 of these were Category A – the most serious – 273 Category B, and 340 Category C.

“All children in the images were under the age of 16."

He added: “A bank card with someone else’s name on it was also found at the property.

“The defendant accepted that he found the card and was going to keep it. It is not linked ot the indecent images.”

Lord, of Somers Way in Eastleigh, admitted three charges of possessnig indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and theft.

Magistrates sent the case to Southampton Crown Court, where Lord will be sentenced on June 17.

“You must keep your nose clean until then,” he told Lord.

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THE dad of a boy convicted of murdering Brianna Ghey in Culcheth has admitted charges that make him a sex offender.

Kyle Ratcliffe, of Leigh, was charged with two counts of exposure and one of taking an indecent photograph of a child.

He admitted all three charges before Manchester Crown Court this morning, Thursday and was subsequently jailed for 15 months.

They involved him performing a sex act on himself while driving his Maserati car after observing two teenage girls.

He also took a photo of a child getting changed at a water park in Delamere, near Northwich, last summer.

The particulars of the exposure charges stated that the 36-year-old twice intentionally exposed his genitals intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress.

They took place in Salford in November last year shortly before his sons murder trial was due to start.

He appeared before Manchester Magistrates Court on January 19 in relation to the three charges, where he confirmed his name and personal details.

No plea was entered, with the case sent to Manchester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing today, Thursday.

Kyle Ratcliffe is the father of Eddie Ratcliffe, who was jailed for life for the murder of Birchwood teen Brianna Ghey in Culcheth Linear Park.

He was remanded in custody until his plea hearing date, therefore missing his sons sentencing hearing.

Appearing in court today, the defendant entered guilty pleas to all three charges, with judge John Potter proceeding to sentence.

Reporting restrictions were in place preventing the link between him and his son from being published in the event that a trial would be needed.

They were removed following his guilty pleas, however, reporting restrictions remain ensuring the victims of the exposure and photo-taking charge remain anonymous.

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A 35-year-old man from Eastleigh has been jailed for seven years for historic child sex offences.

Nathan Anthony Savory, of Chamberlayne Road, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court last Friday (16 February), having been found guilty on four counts on Friday 8 December 2023.

As well as the time he will now spend behind bars seven years for one count and 54 months concurrent for the other three - Savory will also be subject to a restraining order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The offences, for which he has now been imprisoned, took place in Eastleigh between Wednesday 16 March 2011 and Saturday 16 March 2013.

At the time of the first incident, the victim was just 13 years of age.

Savorys crimes came to light when the victim, then 23, reported the incidents to police in 2021.

She had wanted to report the offences many years earlier, but Savory had made threats towards her.

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A Wigan borough man who admitted making hundreds of indecent images of children has been jailed.

Karl Ashton, 36, of Rugby Road, Leigh, pleaded guilty to having the pictures as a trial was due to start in October.

He made four of the most serious (category A) images, five category B and 133 category C between October 4 and November 13, 2018.

He also admitted making three category A images, one category B and 31 category C between October 20 and November 6, 2022.

It was ordered that a charge of perverting the course of justice should lie on file.

Ashton has now been jailed for 21 months by Recorder Peter Atherton at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order will run for an indefinite period.

He must pay a £187 victim surcharge and the devices upon which the images were found will be forfeited and destroyed.

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A HAMPSHIRE man has been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of committing a spate of child sex offences across Eastleigh and Hedge End.

Michael Littlefield, 39, of Camborne Close, Bishopstoke, had previously been found guilty following a five-day trial at Southampton Crown Court in April.

He was convicted of eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, one count of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was found not guilty of one count of rape of a child under 13 and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity by the same jury.

The court heard how Littlefield sexually abused three children on multiple occasions over a six-year period between 2014 and 2020 in the Eastleigh and Hedge End areas.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court he jailed for a total of 14 years in prison and will also have to spend four years on licence following his release.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Kimberly Duncan, of Hampshire Constabularys Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: I must place on record the incredible bravery of all three victims in coming forward and reporting the abuse committed by Littlefield.

"Each child showed maturity beyond their years in articulating the crimes committed against them.

They were very young children when Littlefield decided to take away their innocence the victims will now have to live with this ordeal for the rest of their lives but a very dangerous man is now behind bars.

We hope the sentencing can provide the victims with a sense of closure and comfort that he can no longer harm them.

We want to show you that no matter the circumstances, Hampshire Constabulary are committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court."

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AN EASTLEIGH man has been jailed for five years after he attempted to meet a person he thought was a child.

Simon Patrick Westwood exchanged messages, often of a highly sexual nature, with children over a nine-month period, a court heard.

The 46-year-old from Eastleigh also made arrangements and travelled to an agreed location to meet with who he believed was a child. The child was not real.

Westwood admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and arranging and or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

The offences took place between January 2021 and October 2021.

He was jailed for five years at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.

Westwood was also ordered sign onto the sex offenders register as well as being made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Angela Smith-Jones said: In a day and age where social media is so prevalent in young peoples lives, and the ease in which messages can be sent by people unknown to them, it is incredibly important that we, as the police, are in a position to investigate if we believe that criminal offences have taken place during these exchanges.

During this investigation, we have worked closely with the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) in order to develop evidence against an individual who had every intention of meeting who they believed to be a child in order to commit sexual offences against them.

We want to continue to protect any vulnerable people, including young children, against possible sexual exploitation and I hope that this conviction shows the lengths that we will go to investigate any such claims.

DC Smith-Jones added she hopes this sentence will alert others to the "dangers of the digital world" and encourage victims of child sexual abuse to come forward.

Detective Inspector James Oxley, of the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: By working in collaboration with Hampshire Constabulary, officers were able to carry out a thorough investigation, demonstrating the lengths we continue to go to disrupt sexual exploitation and keep children safe from harm.

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Michael John Edward Bunker was caught with 11,710 still images and 427 video clips of children.

These ranged from category A - the most serious - to category C.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court he was charged with three counts of making indecent photographs of children and a single count of possessing to show indecent photographs of a child.

The 57-year-old of Leigh Road, Eastleigh, pleaded guilty to the offences that happened between 2018 and 2020.

He was jailed for two years, suspended for 24-months.

He must complete 40 rehabilitation activity days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Bunker has been made the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for the same period

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Martin Edward Manns sent naked photos of himself to a girl while she was on her school break.

The 59-year-old of Twyford Road, Eastleigh, was in fact speaking to a decoy profile set up by a group of paedophile hunters.

However, at the time he had been under investigation for another child sex offence.

Prosecution barrister, John Upton, told how earlier this year, Manns had set up an online profile with the name ‘Up for it’.

He then sent messages to a 13-year-old girl called Mabel H via the website Chatiw.

But again, Manns was actually speaking to a fake profile - on that occasion controlled by a police officer.

He had even arranged to meet the fictional teenager at the Lidl store in Coles Close, Eastleigh.

Manns was seen in the car park using his phone and then followed back to his house by officers.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, he was charged with intentionally attempting to communicate with a child under the age of 16 for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification and attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 with the intention of sexual activity.

He pleaded guilty to the offences which happened between September last year and June this year

Defending, Gaylene Coles said that her client was “extremely remorseful and ashamed for his behaviour”.

She added that Manns felt “very unable to verbalise his thoughts and actions and why these matters came about”.

However, she said he had been impacted by the loss of his mother, mother-in-law and what his daughter had experienced in childbirth.

Judge Christopher Parker QC said that Manns posed a significant risk of serious harm to young girls.

Furthermore, he decided that he represented a risk to the public.

He was jailed for five years and will be subject to a two-year licence upon his release.

Manns will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely and will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order until further order.

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MAN was caught with thousands of cartoon and animated pornographic images of children.

Daniel Paul Cordory had 7,148 pornographic images of youngsters stored on his desktop computer, a court heard.

Prosecution barrister, Christopher Amis, told how police had raided the 35-year-old’s home in Twyford Road, Eastleigh and a preliminary analysis of his machine revealed files of cartoon and animated-style children.

During a police interview, Cordory claimed “pop-up images of children had appeared” when he was surfing adult sites.

He later told officers he had taken steps to stop the pop-ups.

The court heard how Cordory spent time playing a computer game that showed children being abused.

Mr Amis said how the defendant was in control of some of these characters, described as clearly child-like.

However, he added: “There is in fact no victim because the images are cartoon.”

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, Cordory was charged with a single count of possessing prohibited images of a child - he pleaded guilty to the offence having been arrested in July last year.

His stash of images was described in court documents as grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character.

Cordory has no previous convictions and Chris Gaiger, defending, argued that there was the prospect of rehabilitation.

Judge Nicholas Rowland gave him a 24-month community order to include 40 rehabilitation days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

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A man has been jailed for more than 13 years after kidnapping and threatening to kill a 19-year-old woman in a park.

Jeremy Blake Simmons, 20, attacked a woman at about 2.15am on August 4, 2020 as she walked along Leigh Road in Eastleigh.

Simmons told his victim he had a gun, before he began punching and kicking her to stop her from screaming.

He then dragged her into the recreation ground which is alongside the road.

Prosecution barrister, Christopher Wing, said how the woman was left feeling anxious, depressed and suffering nightmares following the attack.

The court heard Simmons, of no fixed address, said he had been trying to rob the woman, who was completely oblivious to his presence.

Before the attack started, the victim was able to call 999 meaning the whole ordeal was heard over the phone.

A CCTV operator alerted the police, who subsequently rescued the "distraught" victim.

Simmons previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing actual bodily harm, one count of threats to kill and one count of kidnap at Southampton Crown Court on September 9, 2020.

Following a three-day trial at Southampton Crown Court, on Wednesday, March 10, Simmons was also found guilty of kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence.

He also pleaded guilty to a separate incident of robbery and four counts of fraud, in which Simmons stole a handbag from a woman who had been separated from her friends in East Park, Southampton.

Defending, Elisabeth Bussey-Jones said her client's life had spiralled out of control following the death of his mother in 2019.

She argued he had been subject to severe abuse and neglect as a child.

However, Judge Christopher Park QC branded him a danger to the public and gave him an extended sentence following the two attacks.

He was jailed for a total of 13 years and four months at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday (May 12).

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Sean Owens from Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone team, said: “This was a truly harrowing and unprovoked attack on a vulnerable woman late at night.

"At a time where she should feel safe walking home within her local community, she was subjected to a serious assault.

"I would like to commend the victim for her courage that she has shown throughout the whole investigation.

"This was no doubt an awful ordeal which she was faced to re-live; but we must praise her for doing so, as it is not always easy to do so.

"I would also like to say thank you to the CCTV operator who alerted police to the attack – undoubtedly their quick thinking ensured that the victim was not subjected to a more severe and violent attack."

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A SEX OFFENDER sparked a manhunt by driving around Hampshire towns exposing himself to women.

Vivendra Ashafi Lal left his victims shaking, crying and hysterical, a court heard.

Prosecution barrister, Mark Gadsden told how the 42-year-old would drive around Eastleigh, Chandler’s Ford and Fair Oak in his Toyota.

He would then pull up to ask his victims the “whereabouts of McDonald’s”.

The father of two of the High Street, Eastleigh, “would then proceed to fondle or masturbate” himself, Mr Gadsden added.

All of Lal’s victims were women and aged between 54 and 83-years-old.

His youngest - and who had learning difficulties - was reduced to tears after he approached her in Chandler’s Ford.

Another victim told how when she realised Lal’s trousers were down and he was “totally exposed” she “immediately screamed and walked away quickly”.

She said the ordeal “left her shaking and hysterical”.

During a final incident, he touched himself in front of a woman gardening at her home in Fair Oak.

Lal drove off but realised the road was a dead-end and tried to cover up his registration plate.

When he drove back out a witness was able to take a photo and report him to police.

Officers launched a hunt to track him down and when he was finally arrested and interviewed, he gave no comment.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court he was charged with five counts of indecent exposure.

He previously pleaded guilty to the offences which happened between September and October in 2019.

Defending, Laura Deuxberry said: “The fact is he hasn’t offended in the last year and seven months. Your honour, you will have already heard more than once he is of previous good character.”

She added that Lal was ashamed of what happened and extremely remorseful.

Miss Deuxberry added that he “wants to get help to understand why it happened”.

She argued for the judge to suspend any custodial sentence.

During sentencing, Judge Peter Henry deemed the "extremely unpleasant" offences so serious that they crossed the custody threshold.

He said: “You are an untreated sex offender. Rehabilitation is a possibility, and the public is best protected by you understanding why you committed these offences.”

He jailed him for nine months, suspended for two years.

Lal must register as a sex offender for ten years, complete 31 sessions of an accredited programme, 120 hours of unpaid work and ten rehabilitation days.

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A MAN has been jailed for seven years after raping a 24-year-old woman.

David Gordon Howse, 33, of The Quadrangle, pleaded guilty to raping a 24-year-old woman between 11.30pm on January 8, 2019, and the early hours of January 9, 2019.

The woman was said to be walking across a car park area between Beaulieu Road and Selbourne Drive in Eastleigh when Howse approached her.

He then followed her into an alleyway in Whyteways where he raped her.

Howse was arrested in late December 2019 and charged with the rape in July 2020.

Today, at Southampton Crown Court, Howse was sentenced to seven years in prison.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Inspector Gareth Jones of Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone team, branded the crime "truly harrowing".

He added: "I would like to pay tribute to the victim for the courage that she has shown throughout the investigation; we understand it is not always easy for victims to have to re-live an already terrifying ordeal.

“Hampshire Constabulary is dedicated to getting justice for victims and ensuring Eastleigh is a safe place to live.

“I hope this sentence today goes someway to giving the woman closure and reassures her, and the communities in Hampshire, that justice has been served."

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A HAMPSHIRE shopkeeper sexually assaulted a teenage girl’s within hours of groping another woman.

Michael Tut invited a 16-year-old girl to look at his “new decor” in the flat above an Eastleigh shop.

Taking the invitation at “face value” she obliged, a court heard. However, as she was leaving, the 56-year-old, of Turtle Close, in Fareham, began to hug her and tried to kiss her.

He went on grope her and touch her inappropriately which left her “shocked and frightened”.

She is said to have immediately messaged her mother who later called the police.

Prosecution barrister, Mary Aspinall-Miles told Southampton Crown Court how earlier in the day he had persuaded another woman to go for “lunch”.

And, that when they had finished eating, Tut asked his victim to take a selfie with him.

Ms Aspinall-Miles said that the shopkeeper sat behind the woman and kissed her cheek before groping her multiple times.

Tut used his position to become friendly with young teenage girls and would allow them to buy tobacco and offer them free alcohol, the court heard.

He was charged with five counts of sexual assault following the events of June 3, 2019 - to which he pleaded guilty.

Defending, Gemma White, argued for the judge to follow the recommendations of a probation report which suggested there was a low risk of Tut reoffending.

Judge Gary Burrell QC gave him a 36-month community order to include 30 days of rehabilitation activities. He must do 100 hours of unpaid work and will be the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Warning Tut of any potential breach Judge Burrell said: “For goodness sake behave like your age.

“You do not want to spend a year in Winchester prison Mr Tut because you might not survive.”

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A VILE paedophile raped and sexually abused girls as young as one then bragged about what he had done in messages to other perverts.

Ian Story was caught when police arrested him on suspicion of possessing and distribution of indecent images of children.

But when the images were examined, horrified officers realised Story was in several videos and pictures abusing children himself. He was easily identifiable by a tattoo and jewellery he was wearing.

When questioned about his behaviour Story told police he did it because he had not had adult sex for 10 years.

Michael Maher, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court: "The case concerns a 55-year-old defendant with a sexual interest in very young children.

"Over the course of a decade he has harvested a large collection of indecent images of toddlers and, indeed, generated his own collection."

The court heard that five young girls, including toddlers, were sexually assaulted, with Story sometimes filming himself committing the crimes and distributing them to other perverts.

In total Story pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, 14 counts of making indecent images of children, seven of sexually assaulting a child, two of assault by penetration of a child and one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mr Maher said that, when he was arrested and police searched his bedroom Story pointed out his phone and provided the pass code.

The court heard that Story's wife asked him if the allegations against him were true and he admitted they were.

Investigators found 15 videos on the phone including some which show a toddler performing a sex act on Story whilst he was "variously praising, encouraging and cajoling that little girl".

"There was powerful evidence of his identification as the defendant's tattoo was seen on the videos and, indeed, he had a distinctive watch and jewellery which were being worn by him," said Mr Maher.

On all Story's electronic devices police found he had downloaded a total of 904 of the most serious category A images, including 36 videos, 1,466 category B images and 21,795 category C images.

"This defendant had a profound interest in very young children as the majority of images show children between the ages of six months and eight years.

Mr Maher said Story, of Gordon Street, Leigh, was also distributing images to multiple individuals using email, WhatsApp and Telegram, an encrypted messaging service.

"Sexualised online chat with other sexual miscreants show the defendant bragging about the sexual abuse," said Mr Maher.

Police managed to identify victims in the videos and pictures produced by Story.

"He admitted he was sexually gratified by what the children did, said Mr Maher. "The bizarre explanation he gave for this predilection was, 'I think I missed out on not having any sex for about 10 years'."

In statements to the court the families of Story's victims described it like being in "a nightmare".

Paul Becker, defending, stressed that married Story was previously a man of good character and has shown some remorse.

Jailing Story for an extended sentence of 18 years plus a further five years on licence Judge Graeme Smith told him: "It is impossible to listen to the graphic details of that abuse without feeling disbelief that someone could treat any child in such an appalling way.

"You considered only your own depraved interests."

He added that Story's "deeply engrained desire" to abuse children means he poses a "high risk of serious harm" to them.

Speaking after the sentencing DC Philip Kelley of Greater Manchester Police said: These offences were heinous and despicable, and I am glad we have been able to take this man off the streets and put him behind bars.

Storys abuse was purely for his own perverted sexual gratification and he did not spare a minutes thought for the devastating and lasting impact crimes such as this can have on the lives of victims.

Ensuring that victims are safeguarded and offenders are brought to justice is one of GMPs highest priorities. I hope todays sentencing serves as a stark reminder that the abuse of children will never be tolerated and you could face a lengthy jail sentence. There are a number of specialist services available to help prevent offending.