Latest Offenders London

Description

A man who carried out a series of horrific sexual attacks over several years has been jailed, following an investigation by the Met.

Kevin Smith, 55 (23.05.66), of Edwin Street, E16, was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November having earlier pleaded guilty at the same court to 18 counts of rape and assault by penetration.

Smith, who also used the name 'Ian Dormer', will serve six years on licence on release.

The offences began in January 2016 with the last in July 2021.

The victim, who is a vulnerable woman, disclosed what was happening to mental health services staff and they alerted police shortly afterward.

Smith was arrested on Saturday, 24 July. He was charged and remanded in custody the following day.

Officers from the North East Safeguarding Team conducted a fast-moving and meticulous investigation. Smith's phone was seized and interrogated, revealing a disturbing search history around rape and other sexual offences and the legality around them.

A thorough search of Smith's address was also conducted, during which officers discovered he had made plans to flee before police arrival. He had removed the sofa, bed and wardrobe in apparent attempt to give the impression he had not lived there, and had also packed what was left of his belongings into boxes.

On his phone officers found he had researched where he could go to disappear within the UK, and how he could get rid of his phone so that the police would never find it.

Detective Constable India Allen said: "This was a harrowing investigation involving a female victim who suffered terribly at the hands of Smith, who used a position of trust to abuse her.

"Her support during our investigation and the judicial process has been crucial. I would like to thank and praise her for the outstanding courage and bravery she has shown. I hope Smith's substantial sentence will give her some small measure of comfort as she looks to the next chapters of her life, safe in the knowledge that Smith is behind bars.

Description

A former science teacher has been jailed for being in a sexual relationship with a pupil.

Robert Hanna, 43 (11.01.78) of Southwark, London appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November where he was jailed for three years for six counts of sexual activity with a child whilst in a position of trust.

Detective Constable Erica Slater, from Central South Command, said: “This was a complex case where Hanna denied everything from the beginning and lied continuously throughout the case. However, the victim courageously remained steadfast in her evidence and following a thorough investigation his accounts were disproved.

“Today’s sentence highlights the severity of this case and I would encourage anyone who is a victim of or victim to sexual abuse in any context to contact police. We have specially trained officers to investigate as well as ensuring there is ongoing support provided to the victims.”

Hanna had previously been found guilty following a trial at the same court on Tuesday, 19 October, following a 12-day trial. During the trial the investigating detective travelled to the North East of England in order to obtain further evidence from the victim and additional evidence to secure the unanimous guilty verdict.

He has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), preventing him from having any unsupervised contact with people under 18 and he will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The court heard how Hanna was a teacher at a school in Southwark from 2015 until May 2019 when he was subsequently dismissed.

During this time he began having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old pupil whom he helped to achieve good grades in physics.

During a school prom he asked a group of pupils to meet up with him. Hanna then purchased alcohol and met with a few of the girls.

A sexual relationship began with the victim, over a four-month period. The victim told Hanna that she wanted the relationship to end but he persuaded her to meet with him one more time, he then broke up with her.

On Monday, 1 April 2019 the victim found the courage to inform a teacher of what had been happening and the school immediately suspended him. Police were alerted and an investigation began, led by specialist officers from Central South Child Abuse Investigation Team.

Officers interviewed him the following day and he denied being in a sexual relationship with the victim. A subsequent investigation found hotel check in and check out confirmation, banks statements and phone download evidence that corroborated the account given by the victim.

In May 2020 Hanna was charged as above.

Description

A dangerous predatory offender who targeted teenage girls and then sexually and physically assaulted them has been jailed.

Joshua Plunkett, 25 (27.11.95), of Reginald Road, Lewisham, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, 18 November to 14-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He will serve at least eight-and-a-half years of the sentence in prison, with the remainder to be served on licence. He also received a 15 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register.

He was convicted at the same court on Friday, 17 September of:

- Possession of a prohibited image;

- Sexual communications with a child;

- Controlling coercive behaviour;

- Disclosing private photographs;

- Actual bodily harm;

- Two counts of sexual activity with a child;

- Perverting the course of justice;

- Causing a child to watch a sexual act;

- Breach of a Sexual Risk Order;

- Failing to comply with section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The court heard that Plunkett targeted five teenage girls aged between 13 and 18, between 2016 and 2020.

After befriending his victims online, he would then exercise coercive control and abuse them physically, sexually and emotionally. Several victims told detectives he used ‘strangle holds’ on them. He broke the finger of one of his victims and bit her so forcefully that a complete mouth impression was left.

Plunkett used coercive control to dominate his vulnerable victims and would publish graphic images of them online to punish them and cause embarrassment if they upset him or tried to break contact.

Even after he was arrested and charged, following a comprehensive investigation by the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, his reign of terror did not stop as he sought to intimidate one of his victims while on remand to avoid justice.

Plunkett’s offending began in 2016, then aged 20, when he started an online conversation with [Victim 1] who was 15 at the time. As the victim started to feel Plunkett genuinely liked her, he started to ask her to send him intimate pictures of herself. She told him no because she was not ready and Plunkett responded by sending nasty messages and abusing her via text message. The victim relented and sent him a series of sexual photographs.

In July 2017, Plunkett began a conversation with [Victim 2] who was 13. He asked her how old she was, and she added a year to her true age and responded 14, but that did not deter Plunkett and he sent her a series of sexual messages.

[Victim 3] first met Plunkett through Facebook when she was 15 and they started messaging. They met up in March 2018 when she was 18 and he was 22. As the relationship developed, Plunkett began demanding access to her social media accounts. In May 2018, Plunkett demanded her phone and when she refused he grabbed her around the neck and strangled her. He did the same thing just three weeks later. In June 2018, the victim ended the relationship. This angered Plunkett who logged onto her social media account and was abusive and rude and sent a number of explicit pictures and videos of the two of them engaging in sexual activity to her friends and family. Plunkett’s actions ruined the victim’s modelling career and damaged her self-esteem.

Plunkett met [Victim 4] in 2018 when she was 15 and he had sex with her. In September 2018 the two were play fighting when he deliberately took hold of her finger and tried to snap it, which resulted in a suspected break. While on remand in prison in December 2018, Plunkett persuaded the victim that it was her fault he was still in custody because of what she had said in her police interview. Over the next four weeks or so he made a concerted effort to persuade the victim to retract her account that there had been any sexual element to their relationship. His efforts worked and she withdrew her statement in January 2019. However, after speaking with detectives she thankfully changed her mind and further disclosed the full extent of the abuse in June 2020.

In January 2020, having been released from custody on bail, Plunkett attended [Victim 4]’s home uninvited, giving an excuse that he thought he had taken her keys a couple of weeks earlier. Breaching the Sexual Risk Order that detectives had secured, he entered the victim’s bedroom while she was listening to music and immediately started punching her repeatedly in the face and head, causing her to fall to the floor. He then kicked her in the face and gave her a cut to her forehead which bled profusely. She managed to get slightly towards the door when he pulled her back by her hair – pulling some of it out – and she fell to the floor again where he resumed kicking her. He then took the victim’s mobile phone and bankcard and left the scene. All this was witnessed by her 12-year-old sister.

Plunkett contacted [Victim 5] over Snapchat in September 2019. He told her he was 16, but he was in fact almost 24. The victim told him her true age, 14. Plunkett asked the victim to watch some of his videos on Snapchat story. One of the videos he sent was of him having sex, so the victim blocked him. In the summer of 2020, while on remand for these offences, Plunkett attempted to add the victim as one of the contacts he could phone from prison. He lied to the prison authorities and said she was his 24-year-old cousin, meaning he once again breached his Sexual Risk Order.

Detectives began their investigation into Plunkett in September 2018, and first arrested him in November 2018. He was further arrested another three times throughout 2018 and 2019. It was a complex investigation which involved five victims and offending dating back to 2016. It took eight months of detectives closely working with the victims before the full extent of Plunkett’s abuse came out.

Detectives also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to protect the victims and any potential future ones by doing things such as applying for Sexual Risk Orders, working closely with the prison to gain intelligence and making a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act application after he refused to provide the PIN for his phone.

Detective Constable Natalie Franklin, the investigating officer from the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, said: “Plunkett is a cruel monster who preyed on young teenage girls. He would make their lives a living nightmare for his own twisted pleasure by abusing them with sexual, physical and emotional violence. He is the personification of violence against women. Even when he was on remand awaiting trial he exercised his control by intimidating one of his victims and making her so fearful that she withdrew her statement.

“This was a complex investigation which involved hundreds of hours of enquiries to be carried out, but we were happy to work around the clock to make sure that Plunkett was brought to justice so he could not hurt and control any more young girls.

“I would like to praise the bravery of Plunkett’s victims who came forward and gave evidence. It cannot have been easy for them to re-live their traumatic ordeals, but their courage resulted in us being able to build a strong case against Plunkett which has resulted in him being put behind bars for a considerable amount of time.”

Description

A woman who ran a sexual services business has been jailed alongside her brother and an associate after detectives discovered they were exploiting vulnerable women for their own financial gain.

Claudia Anca, 27 (31.05.94) and Vasile Anca, 24 (08.01.97), both of Garfield Road, Chingford, and Mihaita Strat, 51 (14.11.70), of Henley Road, Redbridge, were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 November following a comprehensive investigation by the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team.

The Ancas were each sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and Strat was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

All three originally denied their involvement and a four-week trial started on Monday, 8 November. However, due to the vast amount of evidence against them, they all pleaded guilty on Tuesday, 9 November to controlling prostitution. The Anca siblings also pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs.

Charges of trafficking have been left to lie on file.

The court heard the defendants ran a sexual services business which was advertised on a website. The business provided transport for the sex workers to and from a customer’s location, which was a hotel or home address. Typically, a customer would phone the number on the online adverts and a woman would be driven to their preferred location, which was usually a hotel.

Claudia was in charge of the enterprise. It was her phone number that took the calls from customers and she directed the sex workers. Her brother Vasile had a leading role and assisted Claudia in running the business as well as frequently providing transport for the women. Cocaine would also be provided by the siblings if asked for by the customers.

Strat also assisted in the running of the business. At times he helped Claudia with the website and gave direction to the sex workers. Like Vasile, he also acted as a driver, transporting the women to appointments and back.

The court heard the trio ran this business from at least March 2019, which is when a company called ‘Ace Concept’ was set-up, with the siblings listed as directors. It did not appear have a legitimate purpose and was set-up to facilitate the criminal enterprise.

Detectives discovered that Ace Concept was linked to a number of adverts on a classified website. Claudia’s phone number was on the individual adverts to book sexual services with the women. In addition, the siblings’ cardholder details were listed for the adverts on the website.

There were 73 payments from the siblings between July 2019 and January 2021, totalling £23,162.99. Strat also paid for some of the advertisements in August 2020.

During their investigation, detectives identified and confirmed at least six call outs to hotels through CCTV, mobile and ANPR work. On two of these occasions, the Met deployed undercover officers to pose as customers.

On 10 December 2020, an undercover officer called Claudia and they discussed prices for sexual services and drugs. The officer went to a hotel in Barking where he met the woman and later had the drugs delivered by Vasile. The officer then made his excuses, paid her in full, and left the hotel. The woman was picked-up by Vasile and taken to the siblings’ home address.

The drugs provided to the officer were analysed and confirmed to be cocaine. The packaging was also examined and Vasile’s fingerprint was found on it.

With enough evidence now collected against the defendants, detectives ran a ‘sting’ on 13 January 2021 with the aim of arresting the trio.

The sting began with an undercover officer calling Claudia and arranging for two sex workers and cocaine to be brought to a hotel in Barking. Shortly before 22:40hrs, Claudia called the officer to say the girls were outside the hotel. He went to meet them and Strat called out ‘did you order an escort,’ to which he replied he did.

The officer told the women to go and wait inside the hotel. Strat was then arrested by officers, who found £890 in cash in his car as well as a Satnav, which had the siblings’ address in it, and a small zip lock bag, which later tested positive for traces of cocaine.

Police officers later examined the sex workers’ bags – inside were several unused condoms and three black wraps of powder, which later tested positive for cocaine.

At about 23:40hrs on 13 January, officers attended the Ancas’ home address and arrested the siblings. Officers searched the house and seized a quantity of cash and cocaine, several mobile phones and a pink notebook which contained several handwritten financial entries for the business.

Whilst at the police station, Strat noticed Claudia and said to an officer under his breath, ‘that is the boss, she is the boss.’

Claudia’s mobile phones were analysed by detectives and contained messages between herself and customers, sex workers, her brother and Strat. A typical message to the sex workers would indicate the price agreed for an hour, the postcode of the meeting venue and the mobile number of the client. There would also be messages discussing the services requested.

Detectives also found a message on her phone which demonstrated the control that was being exercised. As well as financially controlling the girls, Claudia dictated how the women should look. Officers found a message on her phone that she sent in December 2020 instructing the girls to dress elegantly, with make-up and straightened hair. She said they would be photographed by the drivers before meeting with customers and if they did not ‘respect her rules’ they would be sent home to get changed or ‘even off.’ The drivers were told not to leave with the girl before she gave her confirmation.

Photos of women posing in their underwear were also found in WhatsApp messages sent from Claudia to Strat, and were similar to those used in the online adverts.

The trio all gave ‘no comment’ interviews and were subsequently charged on 15 January 2021.

Detective Inspector Nigel Penney, from the Met’s Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, said: “This was an excellent investigation by my team of detectives, which resulted in the defendants changing their pleas to guilty due to the overwhelming evidence against them. This criminal enterprise was run and controlled by Claudia Anca who, along with her brother Vasile and Strat, had absolutely no regard for the welfare or safety of the women they exploited for their own greed.

“The Met is committed to keeping London a safe place for everyone and will continue to work behind the scenes to robustly target and bring to justice people like the Anca siblings and Strat who treat people as nothing more than an object to make money.

“We remain absolutely dedicated to doing all we can to protect women and girls, like those who were exploited by the Ancas and Strat. The Met takes all reports of exploitation extremely seriously and I would encourage anyone who has suffered from these kind of offences to contact police where they will be treated sensitively and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”

Description

A man has been jailed for a total of 22 years having been found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

Mark Bolton, 55, (5.12.65) of New Malden was sentenced on Friday, 5 November, at Kingston Crown Court, having been convicted on 2 September after a trial at the same court.

He was found guilty of five counts of raping a child, two counts of attempted rape of a child, seven counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of assault by penetration of a child and one count of sexual activity with a child.

In addition he was found guilty of two counts of causing a child to engage in or watch sexual activity and one count each of taking indecent photographs of a child and voyeurism.

Mark Bolton, previously known as Dermot Bolton, committed the offences over a period of nine years against two girls under the age of 13. Bolton was known to the children and their relatives.

Police were alerted to Bolton’s offending after one of the victims spoke to a member of staff at their school. The school contacted the child’s mother, who in turn called police on 1 December 2020.

An urgent police investigation was launched and Bolton was arrested by Met officers the same day.

Detective Constable Katy Waddington who led the investigation by the Met’s South West BCU said: “The details of this case were some of the most distressing I have heard in six years investigating child abuse.

“Mark Bolton sexually abused the children having groomed them and ultimately secure their continued silence. He used covert hidden cameras and his knowledge of IT to further his sexual interest in children all the while positioning himself as a respectable family man.

“I continue to be in awe of victims who come forward to face their abusers, even more so in cases where the abuse was by someone they trusted. There are not enough words to describe the bravery and dignity shown. I hope the children and their relatives will find some peace moving forward, and the lengthy prison sentence will reassure them as they begin to rebuild their lives.”

In addition to a 22-year prison sentence, Bolton was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A teacher from a school in Leytonstone has been jailed for two years after admitting she had a sexual relationship with a pupil at her school.

Disgraced sports tutor Erin Hebblewhite, 29, admitted to seven charges which involved abusing her position to groom and sexually abuse a 16-year-old at Connaught School for Girls.

Hebblewhite took the teen's virginity in a restaurant bathroom on Valentine's Day and was the first person to kiss her.

The Sports Teacher of the Year contender also tried to pressure her into having sex in the toilets of Primark during a shopping trip.

The offending came to light when the teen's phone was seized by her mother and a family member was able to find explicit messages despite pleas from Hebblewhite for the girl to delete them.

Four charges relate to sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 to 17 and abusing her position of trust, with the fifth charge being sexual activity in the presence of a teenager.

The other two charges are taking and possession of indecent photographs of a girl under the age of 17.

Judge Neil Sanders, passing sentence, imposed a 10-year restraining order and sexual harm preventing order banning her from contacting the victim or working with children in any capacity.

He also jailed Hebblewhite for two years with all charges to run concurrently.

He said: “You sent her a text asking if she liked you. From that point, the relationship developed.

“It developed into flirtation, with you calling her a heart throb and the sexual encounters began.

“This involved kissing in the school premises and [the complainant] felt she was pressurised and she gave in.

“You went on a date in a restaurant and that was the first occasion in which there was sex.

“There were rumours going around the school and, in fact, the school warned you to be careful as you could get into trouble.

“When you split up with your partner, [the complainant] would go to your house and the sex would continue in your house.

“She had pictures taken of her. She felt she needed to do so to make you happy.”

He continued: “I have read the victim personal statement and can summarise as such the areas [the victim] describes is feeling guilty and shame and depression, PTSD and feeling suicidal.

"She describes the interruption of an important time of education and development.

'She talks about the damage to her relationships of her friends, family and her best friend. She says she struggles with adult relationships and she found the criminal process an ordeal.

“Given the number of your offences, I consider the appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.'

Hebblewhite, from Brighton, wearing a navy suit and cream jumper, broke down in tears and tried to speak to her girlfriend who was supporting her from the public gallery.

The complainant attended the sentencing hearing alone but was supported by a police victim support officer.

Description

A man has been convicted of attempted rape following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

Daniel Bilan (18.09.93) of Camden, NW5, will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, 21 December.

On Sunday, 4 April, police received a report of an attempted rape which had occurred at a property in Camden.

Officers attended and spoke to the victim, a woman in her 20s, who said she had been attacked by a housemate who had recently moved in.

She was provided with specialist support from officers and taken to a nearby hospital.

She said: “After the trauma and disgust I am facing from the attack, I am very happy with the result of the trial.

“I am hoping this is the start of my journey to recovery from my worst experience created by his actions. Thank you to the Police, CPS and Women’s Solace for helping me through the trial and investigation.”

Detective Sergeant Joel Gregory, from Central North’s Serious Sexual Offence team, said: “The victim in this case showed great courage in providing evidence during the trial which left the jury in no doubt as to Bilan’s guilt.

“I would also like to commend her housemate for calling 999 after hearing the attack, allowing us to attend the scene very quickly and arrest Bilan almost immediately.

“We take all reports of sexual offences incredibly seriously and we hope this case shows we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice.”

Description

A teenager exploited the failures of a mum as he raped and sexually abused two of her vulnerable children.

Brandon Mullin preyed on the youngsters, siblings a judge said were victims of the worst neglect he had ever seen.

His terrible abuse only ended when the children were taken into care.

Mullin, now 19, was convicted of 10 sexual offences against two victims following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

His crimes included the rape of a boy and abuse of a girl.

Mullin was a child himself at the time of the offences, though Judge Garrett Byrne today declared: "I am satisfied you knew perfectly well what you were doing was wrong."

Passing sentence on Monday morning, Judge Byrne described Mullin as a "cold and calculated individual" who had no regard for the impact of his actions on his victims and had displayed no remorse for his "wicked deeds".

He added: "The harm you have caused these children is incalculable. You have caused them physical, emotional and developmental harm. The harm will last the rest of their lives."

Classing Mullin as a dangerous offender, Judge Byrne handed the teen 13 years' detention at a young offender institution with an extended licence of three years.

This means Mullin will be locked up for at least two thirds of his detention period before he can be considered for parole.

Once released, he will be subject to strict conditions for the rest of that 13 year sentence, plus a further three years.

He was also given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Ian Whitehurst, defending, had told the court Mullin was found to have been a "vulnerable and immature individual" at the time of his crimes and that "there was no structure in his life whatsoever".

He said there had been a "marked improvement" in his client since he had been taken into custody and that he was now engaging with a number of rehabilitation services behind bars.

The court had previously heard of the backdrop that allowed Mullin to prey on his victims.

The children, and their other brothers and sisters, grew up in a chaotic and filthy environment without adequate food and clothing, basic hygiene, medical care, any toys or love.

Judge Byrne said their home had not been safe with many people - mostly "strangers" to them - coming and going.

Their mum, who cannot be named because that would identify her children, admitted five counts of neglect relating to each child "from birth until the date of their removal by social services".

Her pleas were made on the basis she did not know about the sexual abuse and was not involved in it.

This was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Sentencing her last month, Judge Byrne said while the mum didn't "participate" in the abuse, her neglect "led" to it.

He told her: "You were rarely there, choosing instead to prioritise your own needs over those of the children."

He added that her neglect meant Mullin " was afforded the opportunity of sexually abusing them ".

The judge said: "If your basis of plea is you had no responsibility for that, then I reject it.

"I accept you didn't know about the abuse. But if you exercised greater control... that abuse may not have occurred."

David Polglase, who prosecuted both the mum and Mullin, said agencies and professionals had tried to support her.

However, he said a family support worker noted she was "clever" in "giving out the right signals but then not complying", while the judge observed she would "pay lip service but fail to follow through with action".

The court heard a turning point came when one of her children, a little boy, was found " wandering the street, barefoot, with no coat, in cold weather, in wet clothes and with a wet nappy".

The mum, who also admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply in relation to a police swoop after her children had been removed from her care, was sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Speaking as he locked up Mullin, of Kensington Road, Kensington, Judge Byrne said the only positive to emerge from the case was that the children were now being looked after by loving, caring foster parents.

Description

A London man who travelled to Cambodia and engaged in sexual activity with a child has been jailed.

Gary Cosgrove, 59 (05.03.62) of Bethnal Green was sentenced on Friday, 29 October at the Old Bailey to two years and five months' imprisonment. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order for a period of ten years.

On Monday, 6 September, prior to a trial, he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of a child and inciting a child to commit a sexual act.

On Friday, 13 April 2018 the Met received intelligence reports from the National Crime Agency of a male sexually abusing, grooming and exploiting children in Cambodia.

Intelligence suggested the male had been travelling around the locality of an area called Sihanoukville, meeting with children and sexually assaulting them.

Detectives from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime began investigating and detained Gary Cosgrove on Thursday, 31 May 2018 at Heathrow Airport. He was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a male child under 13-years-old.

During his interview he confirmed he was present in Cambodia, engaging with children, giving them gifts such as food, money, clothing and toys. He denied committing any offences of a sexual nature against these children.

Numerous items were seized from him, including data storage devices. Further electronic items were seized following a search at his address.

He was subsequently bailed with conditions.

A number of items seized were sent for analysis, one of which was found to contain video of a male sexually communicating with a child and also a large number of images of naked children.

A particular video, which was around 50 seconds in length, revealed an explicit conversation with a child where a male could be heard trying to persuade her to remove her underwear – she was around four-years-old. She appeared to be holding paper currency.

It was discovered that the video was made on an iPhone 6 Plus on 5 January 2018. The location of the footage showed to be in Cambodia, which was where Cosgrove was at the time.

Cosgrove was further interviewed about this matter on Tuesday, 26 June 2018 but denied he was the person recording or talking on the video. He was again bailed.

Voice analysis was later completed and a report from an expert in forensic speech and acoustics found the recording provided moderately strong support that Cosgrove was the speaker. Cosgrove continued to deny all questions put to him. In July 2019 he was charged with possession of indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to commit a sexual act.

Detective Constable Mike, Penn, from Central Specialist Crime said: “This sentence highlights the Met’s and partner agencies determination to track down these offenders and tirelessly investigate offences to secure their convictions and safeguard vulnerable children no matter where they are in the world.

“If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape or you have information about an offender, contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency – there are specially trained officers who will listen and investigate where needed.”

Peter Vernon from the NCA’s International Liaison Network, said: “Gary Cosgrove targeted vulnerable children in Cambodia then groomed them, building their trust through the provision of gifts, before sexually abusing them.

“Transnational child sex offenders like Cosgrove think that by conducting their abuse in a remote part of the world, they won’t get caught. However, as this case shows, borders are not a barrier.

“The NCA works closely with international partners to target British nationals who commit these offences overseas. We are then able to share information with our partners back in the UK to ensure they face justice for their crimes.”

Description

One of Britains most notorious paedophiles has failed in a bid to be freed from jail for the 10th time.

Child killer Sidney Cooke, 94, is one of the oldest prisoners to come before the Parole Board in recent years.

His latest request for release was rejected on Thursday.

When he was jailed for life with a minimum term of five years in 1999, a judge described Cooke who is also known by the surname Lomas as a paedophile of the highest level of risk and his victims said they hoped he would die behind bars.

Then 72, he had admitted a campaign of abuse against two brothers in the 1970s which began when they were just 13 and spanned five years.

His behaviour in prison had been mixed and had provoked concerns and even allegations over the years

Parole Board

Prior to that he had served nine years for the 1984 killing of 14-year-old Jason Swift.

He has also been linked to the unsolved murder of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley, who disappeared in 1984 after visiting a funfair near his home in Wokingham, Berkshire, and is suspected of being involved in the kidnap and murder of six-year-old Barry Lewis.

Nicknamed Hissing Sid, Cooke was one of a 1980s gang known as a Dirty Dozen suspected of being responsible for the killing of up to nine young boys during sex orgies.

Operating from a flat on the Kingsmead estate in Hackney, east London, the gang hired rent boys or snatched children off the streets and subjected them to sexual torture.

Cooke travelled the country preying on vulnerable youngsters, setting up his childrens Test Your Strength machine in fairgrounds and using this as an opportunity to lure boys before drugging them and subjecting them to brutal assaults.

The Parole Board said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented the panel was not satisfied that Mr Cooke was suitable for release nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Cooke should be transferred to open prison.

The document detailing the decision described Cooke, at the time of his offending, as having manipulative and controlling behaviour for his own gratification and believing he could have sex as and when he wanted.

It added: His behaviour in prison had been mixed and had provoked concerns and even allegations over the years.

He will be eligible for another parole review in about two years time.

Description

A former ballet tutor at a dance school in west London has been sentenced for thirteen counts of sexual assault.

Yat-Sen Chang, 49 (16.10.71) of Theatre Kiel, Germany, was found guilty of the offences on Tuesday, 11 May after a two-week trial at Isleworth Crown Court.

On Wednesday, 20 October he was sentenced at the same court to nine years in prison.

This case concerns allegations of sexual assault made by four victims, victim [A], victim [B], victim [C] and victim [D].

At the time of the offences, Chang was a ballet tutor at a dance school in west London.

In 2016, police were contacted by victim [A] and victim [B] who alleged seven sexual offences against Chang over a two-year period.

Following this, victim [C] and victim [D] came forward and alleged seven sexual offences against Chang over a three-year period.

This referred to instances of sexual assault that occurred during private ballet tuition lessons held by Chang with each of the victims.

Following these allegations, an investigation was launched by officers from the West Area Child Abuse Unit.

Chang was arrested on 14 April 2016 on suspicion of sexual assault and was further interviewed on 27 August 2020. He denied all allegations against him.

Chang was charged twice, first on 12 December 2019 and again on 10 November 2020, for a total of 14 counts of sexual assault on four females. These charges related to incidents that occurred between 1 December 2009 and 10 April 2016 at a dance school in west London, his private residence and a London ballet school.

After a trial that lasted just over two weeks, Chang was found unanimously guilty of twelve counts of sexual assault on a female, and guilty of one count of sexual assault by penetration of a female. He was acquitted of one count.

Detective Constable Helen Larson, of the West Area Child Abuse Unit, said: “Chang abused his position of trust and power to prey on his young victims when they were most vulnerable. The sentencing today has put a dangerous and predatory individual behind bars, and I am sure that this has prevented further offences taking place.

“The victims showed extreme bravery and courage in reporting the incident and helping us to bring Chang to justice. I hope that the result today brings them some closure so they can begin to move on with their lives.

"It remains a top priority for the Met to tackle and prevent instances of sexual assault, putting offenders behind bars and bringing justice to the victims. I encourage anyone who has been a victim or witnessed a sexual assault to contact police. We have specially trained officers who will give advice and take all allegations seriously. You will be supported."

Description

A man who was jailed for a series of sex attacks on women in Tower Hamlets has had his sentence increased.

Ali Husseini, 27 (25.05.94), of Poplar High Street, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, 6 August, to six years and nine months' imprisonment, having been convicted of two counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault.

The police and Crown Prosecution Service thought the sentence was unduly lenient and referred the case to the Attorney General.

On Wednesday, 13 October, judges at the Royal Courts of Justice reviewed the facts of the case. The bench accepted that these were not offences that involved sophisticated planning, however the offender’s choice of remote location in which he could lie in wait, was a considerable aggravating factor. In light of this his original sentence was quashed and he was handed a new sentence of nine years' imprisonment.

Husseini will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years upon his release and he will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Charlotte Baghurst, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: "Husseini is a violent and dangerous man and it is right that he will serve a longer term in prison for his awful crimes. I hope that this will enable these brave victims to feel safer in their communities and get their lives back on track.

"He carried out a number of predatory and prolonged attacks on lone women as they went about their day-to-day business and instilled fear in women and girls for a number of weeks.

"Everybody in the Met is absolutely committed to bringing justice to victims of sexual assault, and to make London a safer city for women and girls. Our teams will stop at nothing to investigate allegations and to provide support to victims."

During his trial, the court heard how Husseini would follow lone women into the subway underneath the A12 in the Poplar area. Upon picking his victim, he would chase them and sexually assault them.

On 10 August 2020, Husseini followed a 32-year-old woman as she returned home from nearby shops. As she walked through the subway he ran and grabbed the victim by her throat, forcing her forwards before sexually assaulting her. The victim was able to bite Husseini’s arm causing him to let go and run away.

On 3 September 2020, Husseini targeted a heavily pregnant female as she walked through the empty subway back to work. The victim heard heavy footsteps behind her and Husseini slapped her from behind, causing the victim to scream and run away.

On 4 September 2020, Husseini followed a 20-year-old female as she walked home from work. Husseini held her by the throat up against the wall of the subway and began touching her. He then tried to undo the victim's trousers zip and started to undo his own. The victim began screaming which caused Husseini to run away.

Following an investigation, Husseini was arrested on 24 September 2020. He was charged on 25 September 2020 and remanded in custody.

Description

Met Police officer Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to a whole-life term for the murder of Sarah Everard, in a case that sparked national outrage and calls for more action to tackle violence against women.

Couzens admitted the kidnap, rape and murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive when he appeared in court several months ago.

But it was only during his sentencing that the full details of his crimes emerged.

Ms Everard was walking home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, at about 21:30 BST on 3 March when she was abducted.

Couzens' choice of victim was random, but the attack was planned.

In his sentencing remarks, Lord Justice Fulford said there had been "significant planning and premeditation" by Couzens.

The police officer had "long planned to carry out a violent sexual assault on a yet-to-be-selected victim" who he intended to coerce into his custody, noted the judge.

Couzens spent at least a month travelling to London from Deal, Kent, where he lived, to research how best to carry out his crimes.

Several days before the attack, he booked a hire car, which he would use for the abduction, as well as a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon.

After finishing a 12-hour shift at the US embassy that morning, Couzens, a parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, went out "hunting" for a lone, young woman to kidnap and rape, the prosecution said.

The court heard how Couzens used the knowledge he had gained from working on Covid patrols in January and his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card to trick his victim under the guise of a fake arrest for breaching coronavirus guidelines.

The 48-year-old, who had been a police officer since 2002, handcuffed her before bundling her into the car and driving away.

The abduction was witnessed by a couple travelling past in a car - but they believed they had seen an undercover police officer carrying out a legitimate arrest, so did not intervene.

The whole kidnapping took less than five minutes.

Sarah Everard's last known movements

Couzens then drove to Dover in Kent, where he transferred Ms Everard to his own car, before travelling to a remote rural area nearby.

It was there that he raped and murdered his victim - strangling her with his police belt.

By 02:31 Couzens had left the scene and was spotted at a service station buying drinks.

He visited the site where Ms Everard's body was dumped twice, leaving just before dawn.

The next day, as the search for her escalated, Couzens bought petrol, which he used to burn her body inside a fridge.

He also purchased two green rubble bags, which he used to dump the remains in a pond near an area of woodland he owned in Hoads Wood, Ashford.

A week after she disappeared, Ms Everard's body was found in a woodland stream, just metres from land owned by Couzens.

Meanwhile, Couzens returned to normal life, carrying out mundane activities like calling a vet about his dog.

Days later, he even took his wife and two children on a family trip to the woods where he had burnt his victim's body.

However, on the 8 March, the day he was due to return to work, he reported in sick.

The following day he was arrested at his home in Deal.

In a brief police interview, he told a false story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang, claiming they had demanded he deliver "another girl" after he had underpaid a prostitute a few weeks before. He then claimed he kidnapped Ms Everard, drove out of London and handed her over to three men in a van in a layby in Kent, while she was alive and uninjured.

But after Ms Everard's body was discovered in a pond just 130 metres from land owned by Couzens, he was charged.

Couzens has since been sacked by the Met, but the force is still facing questions over whether chances were missed to prevent his predatory behaviour.

After Ms Everard's murder, the police watchdog announced it was probing alleged failures by the Met to investigate two indecent exposure incidents linked to Couzens in February.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is also investigating alleged failures by Kent Police to investigate a flashing incident linked to Couzens in 2015.

Couzens transferred to the Met in 2018, from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, where he had worked since 2011.

Two years later he began working for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command as an authorised firearms officer at diplomatic premises around central London.

In July, appearing by video link from Belmarsh high security jail, Couzens pleaded guilty to murder at the Old Bailey.

On Wednesday he appeared in court again - this time in person - for a two-day sentencing hearing.

There, he faced Ms Everard's mother, father and sister, who described to the court the torment of losing their loved one in such horrendous circumstances.

Her father, Jeremy, demanded that Couzens looked at him as he told the murderer he could never forgive him for taking away his daughter.

Her mother, Susan, said she was "tormented" at the thought of what her "precious little girl" had endured.

"I go through the sequence of events. I wonder when she realised she was in mortal danger," she told the court.

"Burning her body was the final insult. It meant we could never again see her sweet face and never say goodbye.

"Our lives will never be the same. We should be a family of five, but now we are four. Her death leaves a yawning chasm in our lives that cannot be filled."

Description

Two men have been sentenced this morning (Friday) after previously being found guilty of raping a teenage girl in Watford.

TShai Bromfield, aged 24, formerly of Airco Close, Colindale, London, was sentenced to 12 years after he was found guilty of one count of rape.

Ryan King, aged 21, formerly of Thorpe Crescent, Watford, was also sentenced to 12 years after being found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

The pair, who were previously convicted at St Albans Crown Court on Wednesday 19 May following a week-long trial, will serve custodial terms of nine years.

They will serve the remaining three years on extended licence, meaning they can be recalled back to prison any time up to 2033.

The court heard how on the evening of Monday 22 May 2017, Bromfield who was 19 at the time and King who was 17 were out socialising with a group of young people in Watford, which included the victim.

The victim, then aged 14, wanted to change her outfit and got into Bromfields silver Nissan Primera to do so with privacy.

However, Bromfield also known by the nickname Chopper and King proceeded to drive the victim to an unknown location in Watford before taking it in turns to rape her inside the vehicle.

Detective Constable Ayodeji Afolabi, from Hertfordshire Constabularys Halo team*, investigated the case. He said: Todays sentencing has been a long time coming for the victim, who has shown nothing but courage throughout the investigation and subsequent trial.

Bromfield and Kings choice to enter not guilty pleas meant the victim had to endure the trauma of a trial and relive her ordeal in court.

Her bravery and determination in giving evidence, plus the vital statements from other witnesses, has meant we have been able to convict her attackers and prevent them from harming anyone else.

Bromfield and King preyed on the victim when she was vulnerable, and cruelly exploited her for their own gain. She has since received specialist support from the Independent Sexual Violence Adviser service to help her process what happened and begin to move forward.

We hope this result will enable her to find closure and we wish her all the very best.

Both Bromfield and King have been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

The Hertfordshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) has its own Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service that offers support to anyone who has experienced sexual violence or sexual abuse, both recent and non-recent.

Hertfordshire has ISVAs who work with adults, and specialist Young Person ISVAs, who support those aged between 13 and 17.

They support male, female and transgender clients in Hertfordshire. ISVAs can provide sensitive and professional support, and can help victims to access additional services they may need.

Description

A London man has been sentenced to a total of eleven years and three months imprisonment for sexual exploitation offences against a 13-year-old Brighton girl, and of separately attempting to meet a girl for sexual purposes.

Kerien Rudland, 24, unemployed, of Alwold Crescent, Eltham, London, SE12, was sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on Friday 25 June.

He had pleaded guilty at Brighton Crown Court on 27 November 2019 to to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, meeting a child following sexual grooming and two counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded not guilty to two offences, of abduction and sexual assault, and these were directed to lay on the court file without being proceeded with.

He was also convicted on 5 December after a separate trial at the same court of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communications with a girl under 16, and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

These offences related to his engagement online from his family address in Hull, with someone online who was pretending to be a 13-year-old girl. He was arrested on suspicion of that offence by Humberside Police in August 2018.

The language used by Rudland when communicating with the Brighton girl on Facebook were very similar to those sent to the 'decoy' account.

Rudland will be a registered sex offender for ?life and ???was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to children and computers until further court notice.

The sexual exploitation prosecution, authorised by the CPS, followed an investigation by officers from the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit into a report received on Sunday evening (10 February).

Detective Sergeant Matt Stevens said; "Rudland met the girl on the Internet, groomed her online, met her in Brighton on Sunday 10 February 2019 and had sexual activity with her on the beach in Brighton and on a train with her on the way back to London. She was reported missing by her family, and when we checked her PlayStation we found recent contact between them via Facebook.

"As a result of our intensive enquiries, working with our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, they were located in London at his mother’s address where he was living, by 11am the following morning and he was arrested.

"The girl was safe and has been receiving support from our specialist officers and independent agencies since.

"We also received valuable assistance from both Humberside Police and British Transport Police.

"Kerien Rudland is without doubt a serious danger to children. He began his offending online, quickly progressing to contact sexual offending with a child. Sussex Police Safeguarding Investigation Units work tirelessly to safeguard children, prosecute offenders and enable them to be removed from society.