Latest Offenders Merseyside

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A child rapist has been jailed for 24 years for subjecting two young girls to years of sexual abuse in Warrington.

Anthony Wilcock, of Harvey Avenue, Newton-le-Willows, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday 9 May where he was handed the custodial sentence. He will also need to serve an extra year on extended licence.

The 44-year-old had previously denied three counts of sexual assault by penetration and eight counts of rape but was found guilty following a trial.

The court heard how Wilcock had abused the victims over many years in the Warrington area. One girl was abused when she was aged between nine and 15, and the second girl when she was aged between 12 and 14.

The offences were reported in April 2023 and the victims bravely spoke about what had happened to them. Following enquiries, Wilcock was arrested. He was then ultimately charged with multiple offences in May 2024.

On top of his 24-year sentence, Wilcock was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life and is also subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, plus restraining orders to protect the victims in this case.

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A paedophile preyed on a schoolboy, taking him on days out to race tracks, truck stops and Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Paul Jones, 62, pretended to bond with the teenager over a shared love of machines and Formula One - all the while forming "an unhealthy sexual interest" in him.

At Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, May 5, prosecutor Simon Christie said the victim was vulnerable, and "the defendant appeared to be supportive of the victim's particular needs, took him to race tracks and to see various truck stops around the country.

"There was a considerable degree of exchange in digital form, with the defendant becoming quite demanding and seeking the victim's attention, not wanting to share the victim with other people."

Jones, of Davenham Avenue, Oxton, admitted sexual activity with a child, as the court heard how on two occasions he had touched the boy sexually.

In a victim statement, the now adult survivor said: "I have found the whole process extremely difficult and stressful. I often ask myself if all the stress is going to be worth it, will I be able to keep going, will I be able to keep fighting to the end?

"I have been feeling bad and carry guilt for making the report to the police... I often feel selfish for making the report when I did due to the time that had passed since it happened. My mum was so worried about me and what happened. I feel it has taken a toll on her."

He said the stress of dealing with what happened had resulted in him being signed off work, and that he struggled constantly with fear and anxiety.

He added: "The offences committed against me had a huge impact on my life and continue to do so. I'm struggling to sleep due to stress and anxiety. I'm constantly exhausted and some days I won't leave the house at all. I find myself missing things I would normally enjoy as I can't face it."

Stella Hayden, defending, said Jones was of previously good character with no past convictions. She said: "He appreciates he is the only one who bears any culpability. The victim was a child when this took place and he instigated the sexual abuse of him.

"There are a few slightly more positive aspects of his report. These can be difficult offences to accept and there was a small step forward in that regard, and he was able to understand the impact on the victim.

"He did express remorse and willingness to engage in any rehabilitation work he may be offered. He expresses no objection to a curfew and would pay any penalty the court sees fit to impose." She urged the judge to pass a suspended sentence.

Judge Andrew Menary explained to the court that, though other allegations had been made about Jones by the victim, he was only able to sentence the 62-year-old on the basis of his guilty plea.

He said: "You and (victim) were interested in things mechanical, in particular haulage companies and Formula One, and you took him on a number of trips on his own to see a number of places of interest to you both, for example the airport.

"Much of that the victim would have enjoyed. What he did not enjoy was the unhealthy interest you showed in him. At least to an extent, your motivation for spending time with him was an unhealthy sexual interest in him."

The judge explained how Jones touched the boy sexually twice while at his home.

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A man from Sefton has been jailed today, Friday 2 May, after pleading guilty to 27 child sex offences targeting underage children across the country.

Michael Lymath, of no fixed address but formerly from Southport, was sentenced to 20 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court today, plus eight years extended licence period which is additional time during which the offender is supervised in the community after their release. He had pleaded guilty to the catalogue of sex offences against underage girls at a previous court hearing.

In December last year detectives arrested and charged 43-year-old Lymath following a report from a child victim that they had been offered payment for images. A search of Lymath’s home address was conducted where numerous exhibits were seized, Lymath was initially charged with the reported offence along with Possession of cannabis, Possession of cocaine and Possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

Lymath was remanded into custody by the courts while detectives continued investigating the full scope of Lymath’s offending, which resulted in him being convicted of 27 offences which he committed across the UK between 2020 and until his arrest in December 2024.  The long list of additional charges included Rape of a girl under the age of 13, Cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, Engage in sexual communication with a child, Attempt to cause/incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, two counts of Cause a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity, Possession of cannabis, Possession of cocaine and Possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.

The court heard that Lymath would prey on underage children on social media under various guise’s that included pretending he was a 17-year-old boy and message them.

Following a complex investigation detectives discovered that he had been in contact with several victims from across the UK. Lymath had groomed children online and had met them in person where he engaged in sexual activity.

He had also lured multiple victims to send explicit images of themselves by offering them payment.

Detective Constable Rory Quigley said: “This sentence follows a lengthy and complex investigation to bring Lymath before the courts so that he pays for his crimes.

“He was a prolific sexual predator – targeting young and vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification, thinking he could get away with it.

“He manipulated his vulnerable young victims and sent them explicit videos to watch. In one instance he told child victim that he knew where they lived to manipulate them into sending him sexually explicit images which were categorised A, B and C.”

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A MAN has been jailed for nine years after raping a woman in St Helens.

Nadal Mehemed, 36, of South John Street, in St Helens, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today (Thursday, April 10), after pleading guilty to rape and robbery.

On Saturday, June 2024, Mehemed assaulted and raped a woman inside a property and forcibly took her mobile phone in an attempt to prevent her from contacting emergency services.

The woman’s call still went through to police call handlers and part of the incident was recorded and used in evidence against Mehemed.

As well as a prison sentence, Mehemed has also been given a life time restraining order against his victim and placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

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A St Helens man has been jailed today, Monday 27 January, for the rape and sexual assault of two girls.

Declan Tracey, 22 years, from St Helens appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and was sentenced to seven years in prison. The judge put him on the Sexual Notification for life and put a restraining order in place for 14 years.

Tracey pleaded guilty to 10 sexual offences committed between 2016 and 2020, which were oral rape, eight counts of attempted rape.

Detective Sergeant Bob Sandham said: “I would like to praise the courage and dignity the two young victims have shown throughout the investigation. While no sentence will repair the damage he has inflicted on them and their innocence has been taken away, I hope this conviction has secured some justice for them.

“Violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.”

Detective Sergeant Sandham added: “We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.

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A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting a girl and taking and sharing indecent images of her. Ryan Woolsey, 25 years, of Withensfield, Liscard was put behind bars for 13 years and eight months.

Woolsey was convicted of two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, possessing an indecent photograph of a child, distributing an indecent photograph of a child and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

During the course of the investigation into Woolsey’s offending, officers seized Woolsey’s devices and found he had taken and shared indecent images of the victim as well as assaulting her.

Detective Inspector Rob Pritchard said: “I know that people hearing the details of Woolsey’s crimes will feel complete revulsion at the way he exploited a young child. His crimes are quite simply despicable. Woolsey had no regard for the impact his behaviour would have on the victim, and thought only of his own sordid gratification.“Sex offending has a huge and devastating impact on victims and their families, and that harm can last a lifetime. I want to pay tribute to the victim in this case and her family, whose courage in coming forward and co-operating with the investigation has been humbling.“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the team who investigated Woolsey, whose actions have helped put him behind bars and spare this child and others from further harm and exploitation. I hope Woolsey spends the long time he has in prison considering the terrible impact of his actions.”Det Insp Pritchard added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and stopping those who seek to do them harm – including those who share images of that abuse. Our Unity team is dedicated to preventing sexual offences and protecting people from the trauma and hurt sexual abuse can inflict.

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A man has been jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of multiple child sex offences in Bootle.

Liam Brannan, 33, of Antonio Street, Bootle, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Monday 11 November, after a jury found him guilty of the following offences:

• Three counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13
• Six counts of sexual assault
• Two counts of rape

He has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a Restraining Order and a lifetime requirement to sign the Sex Offender Register.

Brannan targeted his victim between 2019-2021, with the first offence occurring when she was 12 years old.

Brannan was arrested in March 2022 and following a complex investigation, he was charged in January 2024.

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A man from Southport has been jailed for multiple sex offences, including creating and sharing digitally altered pornographic images of children and women – known more commonly as ‘deepfakes’.

Karl Marshall, 47, of Rufford Road, Southport, pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child, sharing a photograph or film of a person in an intimate state for the purpose of sexual gratification and voyeurism.

He was jailed for two years and two months yesterday, Tuesday 22 October, at Liverpool Crown Court.

A ‘deepfake’ is an image or video that has been digitally altered with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to replace the face of one person with the face of another.

In recent years, there have been examples around the world of people using the technology to add the faces of celebrities or public figures - most often women - into pornographic films.

Marshall used the faces of real women and children without their knowledge to create pornographic images and shared them online.

As part of a complex investigation, it was also found that between July 2023 and January 2024, Marshall made 266 indecent pseudo-images of children using AI technology.

In a Victim Impact Statement, one of the women who Marshall used to create pornographic images said: “Knowing those images of me are out there circulating the internet is so violating. It was like I was just a piece of meat he could objectify. After discovering the images I questioned why me? Why had Karl targeted me in such a way?

“I stopped making an effort, stopped wearing makeup and didn’t wear my hair down because maybe just maybe if I hadn’t done that before maybe Karl wouldn’t have looked twice at me and maybe it would prevent it from happening again.

“I’m not the same person I was before. My confidence is low, I question my judgement of others, I worry when a man looks at me for too long and panic that he may have seen the images. I’m permanently anxious and on the edge and struggle to sleep all because of Karl’s despicable behaviour.”

A second woman who was targeted in the same way said in her Victim Impact Statement: “I am a changed person. I don’t trust as I once did. I question has this person or that person seen the images of me? Have they been distributing them? I feel unsafe in my own skin. No one touched me yet I feel violated and used. It’s indescribable how dirty and weak you can feel when you have zero control over the situation you find yourself in.”

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A WIRRAL man has appeared in court for the second time on charges of possessing hundreds of indecent images of children. 

Leslie Ward, 71, appeared for sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday (October 11) after pleading guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children and one charge of possession of indecent images of children.

David Watson, prosecuting, described how Merseyside Police acted on information that a "known sex offender" had been accessing indecent images of children from Ward's address at Clarendon Road, Wallasey. 

Ward's address was raided and police seized a HP Desktop device with external hard drive.

The device was examined and officers found 128 Category A images and seven Category A videos; 383 Category B images and 11 Category B videos and 139 Category C images and 11 Category C videos. 

Category A images are the most severe and can involve the sexual abuse of children.

At a police interview in November 2023, Ward told police that although his computer had been purchased new from Curry's he suspected it had been used before.

He also disputed he had a sexual interest in children saying he preferred "late teen boys".

In 2015, Ward was sent to prison for eight months and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order after he admitted possessing 2,690 indecent images and moving images of children – 100 of them in the most serious category.

David Birrell, defending, said Ward, who came into court using a walking stick and had issues hearing the proceedings, was retired but had worked in as an administrator in an office dealing with data input. 

Married for 44 years, Mr Birrell said Ward's wife was standing by him.

Mr Birrell also listed Ward's numerous health conditions, which includes Parkinson's disease. 

He said: "He (Ward) is not a risk to the public because he doesn't really go out and in his case there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. 

"He has a problem which is unlikely to go away without some help. Prison was tried and didn't work." 

Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC described the 650 images in Ward's possession as containing "appalling abuse of very young children."

"You knew full well what you were doing but you have very significant health problems that would make it difficult for you to serve a custodial term," he said.

Judge Menary handed Ward a 20 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered him to undertake 20 days of a rehabilitation activity, namely the Maps for Change programme. 

Ward will also pay costs of £1,630 and be the subject of a ten year sexual harm prevention order. 

Judge Menary added: "I wonder about that given your apparent persistence in downloading this material."

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A former Merseyside Lord Mayor who has been an elected councillor for more than three decades has been kicked out of the Labour Party after he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.

Councillor Paul Tweed, who represents the Litherland ward on Sefton Council, appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court last week having been arrested and charged on three counts of making indecent images of children.

Tweed, of York Close in Netherton, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children at his home between 9 September 2020 and 13 May 2024.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children.
Merseyside Police on Wednesday 2 October confirmed that Tweed, 61, was arrested on 24 September, as part of an ongoing investigation into sexual offences. He appeared in court the following day. He will be sentenced next month.

Tweed was first elected to Sefton Council in 1992 and has held a number of high ranking positions on the local authority, including holding the cabinet portfolio for corporate services and performance between 2012 and 2015.

He became Sefton's Lord Mayor for the year 2008/09, attending numerous events as the borough's first citizen.
The Sefton Labour group said it took "immediate action" to remove Tweed as a member after it became aware of the offences, but despite Sefton Council asking him to resign following his guilty pleas last week, he currently remains an elected member of the council, sitting as an independent.

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: We were extremely shocked to hear of these charges and subsequent guilty plea and we have written to Councillor Paul Tweed asking him to resign with immediate effect.
As a council this is completely at odds with our values and high standards the public expect and deserve. We will assist the police investigation in any way we can.

A statement from Sefton Labour Group said: "We are deeply troubled to hear of these disturbing charges. Immediate action has been taken in response and we can confirm that Councillor Tweed is no longer a member of Sefton Labour Group or the Labour Party."
Tweed will appear for sentencing at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on 6 November to allow time for a for pre-sentence report to be obtained.

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A Bootle man has been jailed for six years after repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl.

Brian Colin McCoy, 64 years, of Bootle was accused of touching a girl inappropriately on a number of occasions in multiple locations.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, 30 September, where he was jailed after being convicted of the following offences:

• Meeting a girl under 16 following grooming
• Assaulting a girl under 13 by touching
• Three counts of assaulting a girl by touching
• Causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.

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A disgraced teacher sent pictures of his naked genitals to teenage girls and begged them for indecent photographs after targeting them online. Robert Collins, 39, was the head of art at Formby High School when he sent perverted messages to several young girls over a period of four years.

His offending was discovered in June 2023 when Collins sent online messages to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl. He told the youngster - who was really an undercover police officer - he was a teacher and asked her "what's the naughtiest thing you've done?". He also asked if she wanted to be in detention with him.

He repeatedly asked her to send him pictures of her body, telling her: "I'm only asking because I like you a lot." He also sent the "girl" a close-up picture of an erect penis and a man's torso along with the message: "Here's my d*** X".

Police then went to Collins' home in Banks Road, Southport, and his electronic devices were seized and examined. These revealed chat logs with three other teenage girls.

Jo Maxwell, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court today, said: "Sexual communications with the children and attempted communications were discovered on two phones and a laptop. The communications revealed the defendant had a sexual interest in children. He used different names for himself but always identified himself as a teacher."

The messages spanned a four-year period from August 2019 to May 2023. One girl, who was traced by police, confirmed she had chatted with Collins on Snapchat, Facetime and Omegle, a video chat website shut down in November 2023. Ms Maxwell said: "He told her he was in his early 20s. She said when she heard his voice over a phone call she could tell he wasn't a teenager. He sounded older and she was aware there must have been a disparity in their ages."

He told the girl he was moderating GCSE artwork and offered to help her with her own GCSEs. He also sent her a picture of his penis and asked her to send pictures of her own body in return which she refused to do.

Ms Maxwell said: "He would tell the girl that he loved her and they had a future together and that he wanted to be in a relationship with her. She informed the officer she didn't want to be in a relationship with Collins. There was a disparity in age. She didn't trust him and she thought it was weird that he would send sexually explicit images to her."

Another girl was just 13 when she was contacted on social media by Collins who asked her: "What are those t**s like?" The girl sent a photo and he replied: "Any of them out?". He asked her what her body was like, asked for more pictures and if she would be willing to meet.

Other perverted messages were sent to what Collins believed to be a 15-year-old girl though police were unable to trace her and so it was not known if she was a real teenager or a decoy by online paedophile hunters. Also found on his devices were four category C indecent images of girls.

Collins, who has no previous convictions, initially denied the offences. But he later confessed, telling police: "I was not targeting a particular aged female. It was scattergun." He pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual communications with a child, four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of possession of indecent images of children (category C).

Emma Kehoe, defending, said: "Anything that I say on behalf of Mr Collins is not an excuse for what he did and he wants to make that perfectly clear through me, because he is embarrassed, devastated about what he did. But there are explanations in relation to why he offended... It's a background that goes some way to explain why this teacher, who had been respected and well liked over the 11 years that he worked, found himself communicating with young women online in the way that he did.

"Collins found himself at home during 2020 lockdown unable to properly carry out his job, that he had carried out well and was well respected for, and he felt frustration because of that, because he cared very much about his students and he loved his job as an art teacher. Incarcerated at home, unable to teach properly during lockdown, he found it very difficult.

"He was teaching online, which was why he found himself in front of the computer for hours on end, and that led to him using it not just in his professional capacity but in the way which brought about the offending. He has been diagnosed with a number of mental health issues including autism and through that diagnosis came an understanding of himself and why he acted the way he did, not just then but in other ways in his life, because in many ways he couldn't understand why he felt different from others.

"He wants to apologise through me. He wants to reiterate he is embarrassed and ashamed, not only for himself but for his family and for his school and past students."

She said Collins had made significant efforts to rehabilitate himself since his arrest, undergoing therapy and completing a number of sex offender courses including a Safer Lives course and the Stop It Now rehabilitation programme. He had also completed volunteer work for food banks and the mental health charity MIND.

Sentencing Collins, judge David Potter accepted his mitigation, saying: "I have no doubt that you are truly remorseful for your offending and I have no doubt you have placed great stock in your rehabilitation, such as I'm satisfied there's a low risk of your reoffending."

But he added: "Despite your remorse, what must be remembered is time and again you made contact with children under 16, time and again you solicited pictures of their bodies and on two occasions you sent pictures of an erect penis to them. In such circumstances a custodial sentence is required." He sentenced Collins to a total of two years and six months in prison.

Mr Alex Wood, Headteacher at Formby High School, said: “We were absolutely appalled to learn of these shocking offences. While the offences are in no way connected to Mr Collins’ work at Formby High School, the severity of their nature meant he was immediately suspended from all duties following his arrest and subsequently dismissed.

“The safety and wellbeing of our students will always be our highest priority and we have robust safeguarding policies in place to ensure their protection.

“We have fully co-operated with the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and Merseyside Police throughout the investigation and thank them for their diligent work in bringing this individual to account.”

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A vile sex offender who assaulted a girl hundreds of times left a 'horrible shadow' lingering over her for decades. Terry Godwin targeted his victim when she was a young child.

The abuse went on for years - haunting his victim for 'as long as she can remember', Liverpool Crown Court heard. Godwin even paid money in an attempt to buy his victim's silence.

But decades later, he has finally faced justice for his evil crimes. The court heard on Tuesday (August 20) how the victim came forward to police in 2022, the Liverpool Echo reports.

David Polglase, prosecuting, described how the complainant told Merseyside Police she 'spent her life pretending that the abuse didn't happen'. Godwin was aged between 12 and 19 when the offences took place, and was said to have sexually abused his victim more than 250 times.

The now 39-year-old, of Corwen Close in Moreton, Wirral, assaulted her while masturbating and instructed her to perform sexual acts on him before 'giving her money to keep quiet'. In a statement read to the court on her behalf, the victim said: "For as long as I can remember, I have had this horrible, dark shadow over my life.

"It has affected me in ways it is hard to begin to explain. The shame I felt, I still feel. I have led an extremely lonely life and I have never truly known happiness. I have considered whether it would be easier not to be here. The trauma has stolen my childhood and a lot of my adult life."

She added: "This was all that I knew - pain and misery at the hands of Terry Godwin. He has ingrained feelings inside me that make me feel like I don't deserve to be loved. Happiness is an emotion that only other people feel.

"I believe this man to be a danger to young girls. I am already thinking about the time when he walks the streets again and I am worried what he might be capable of."

Godwin, who has no previous convictions, admitted a total of 42 child sex offences including indecent assault and gross indecency with a child. Rebecca Smith, defending, told the court: "It is quite clear that he has always offered an apology.

"It may not be worth much, but he has always reflected and indicated not only an apology for his behaviour but also how he is disgusted with the offences he committed. The defendant has had to have a number of biopsies and has had to have surgery, and he has had a diagnosis of a rare swallowing condition called achalasia. It is something he will have to deal with, and it might be somewhat more difficult to deal with when he is incarcerated."

Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, Godwin was jailed for seven years - of which he must serve at least two thirds before becoming eligible for release - and handed an additional year on licence. Sentencing, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "There has been read to me a particularly moving victim personal statement in which your victim has described how what you did has cast a horrible, dark shadow over the entirety of her life.

"She continues to live with what she describes as the mental torture of what you did to her. These feelings are with her every day of her life. I am satisfied that your victim has suffered severe psychological harm. You gave her money in an attempt to persuade her not to tell anyone what you were doing."

"I take into account your subsequent lack of offending. You have reached the age of 39 without committing any further offences. I take into account your ill health."

Godwin was also handed a 20-year sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for life. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

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A primary school headteacher has been caught with category A images of child sex abuse and extreme animal porn on his mobile phone.

Ian McDonald, who has since quit as head of Bishop Martin School in Skelmersdale, was given a community punishment and put on the sex offenders register by a Preston Crown Court judge after admitting to downloading seven films that fall into the most serious class of abuse.

The father of one also pleaded guilty to making 14 category B images and three category C images plus possessing 10 extreme porn films involving humans having intercourse with animals.

The hearing was told they had been downloaded from the popular messaging app Kik.

Former colleagues today expressed disgust, shock and anger that someone in such a position of responsibility with children should be involved in such crimes. They also questioned whether he might be guilty of other child sex offences that have not so far emerged.

McDonald, 46, formerly of Skelmersdale and now living in St Helens after the breakdown of his marriage, had appeared at Preston Magistrates Court in June to admit to the offences and was subsequently sentenced at the citys Crown Court last month to a three-year community order, which included completing 30 days of rehabilitation activities and the forfeiture and destruction of his mobile.

He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign onto the sex offenders register for the same amount of time.

A one-time colleague, who asked not to be identified, said that the first suggestion that anything was amiss at the school came in March last year when McDonald was in work as usual but then suddenly left at an uncharacteristically early hour.

Thereafter all the schools locks were changed to prevent him, as the keyholder, from getting back in.

His school computer was seized, although this was later returned with the message that there was no evidence of its having been used for improper purposes.

McDonald was suspended by the board of governors and in September 2023 it was announced, without explanation, that he was no longer the headteacher of Bishop Martin and any references to him on the school website or literature were expunged.

The school has since become an academy and has a new headteacher.

The ex-colleague said: When it all came to light in June this year everyone was absolutely gobsmacked.

"No-one thought of him as the type of person who would do this the worst possible child abuse images and animal porn. He was very dedicated to his job and prided himself on Christian values which made this all the more shocking and sickening to learn.

"Here was this man in such a position of power over children doing this. Since we found out about it, we cant help asking was it just images? and racking our brains as to whether there were any opportunities for him when he was alone with children. Have we missed something? Will something else come out?

Bishop Martin School, on Birkrig, Skelmersdale, has been contacted for a comment but has so far not responded.

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A WIRRAL man who breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) has been jailed for 20 months.

Wayne Thomas, was sentenced yesterday (Thursday, August 1) at Liverpool Crown Court.

Thomas, 23 and from Birkenhead, is a Registered Sex Offender and required to adhere to conditions under the Sex Offender Register and his SHPO.

Bell was found to have breached his conditions when he had unsupervised contact with a young girl under the age of 18, without the consent of the child’s parent and the approval of Children's Social Services.