Latest Offenders Merseyside

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A man from Halewood has been sentenced to 22 years in prison with a further year on extended licence for 20 counts of sexual offences against a child.

Michael Smith, 64, from Halewood, was jailed today, Friday 1 March, after he was found guilty of the offences following a trial held in January at Liverpool Crown Court.

The investigation was carried out after we received a report in 2020 of multiple sexual offences against a child, which had spanned a several-year period.

Smith was also handed a Restraining Order and placed on the Sex Offender Register for life.

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A man from Liscard has been sentenced to 18 years in prison with three years on extended licence after being found guilty of 30 counts of historical sexual abuse against two children in Wallasey.

Brian Cawood, 61, of Silverlea Avenue, Liscard, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Wednesday 14 February, after a jury found him guilty of the various offences, which date back to the 1980s and 1990s.

Cawood has also been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

Detective Constable Becky Robinson said: “I hope this sentencing shows that time is no barrier in reporting offences to Merseyside Police and we will take every report extremely seriously, regardless of when it occurred.

“This result was only possible thanks to the sheer determination and bravery of his victims, despite Cawood denying the offences.

“Thankfully a jury saw through his lies and he will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison.”

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A former cheerleading coach has been jailed after being found guilty of sexual offences against children as well as possessing and distributing child abuse images.

Today (Monday 5 February 2024) Tom Walsh (DOB: 06/08/1986) of Shaw Lane, Prescot was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after he was convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse against three girls, as well as possession and distribution of child abuse images. He was sentenced to 15 years in jail with a further 5 years on license. He also received a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and was registered as a sex offender for life.

The 37-year-old was found guilty of 28 charges relating to sexual offences against children which took place between 2011 and 2020, following a criminal trial at Bolton Crown Court that concluded on Friday 2 February 2024.

Walsh was a cheerleader and assisted in the coaching of children for a number of years where he met two of the victims, whilst the third he groomed online.

The sexual offences against the three victims were committed in Manchester and Liverpool, although Walsh also communicated with a number of girls across the UK to obtain child abuse images from them.

An investigation into his offending was launched following an investigation by Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCU) where covert officers communicated with Walsh online. As enquiries progressed, Walsh’s sexual interest in children – young girls - became apparent.

The investigation led to Walsh being arrested on 20 August 2020 on suspicion of possession and distribution of child abuse images.

The investigation subsequently uncovered numerous indecent images of children saved on Walsh’s device and messages between himself and a number of victims. He primarily used the app Snapchat to communicate with his victims and evidence of screen recording software was recovered which showed how the defendant had saved child abuse images and his conversations with victims.

Following an extensive investigation, a number of victims were identified, including the three girls who were victims of child sexual abuse. Walsh contacted one victim online when she was just 13-years-old and over the next 6 years groomed and sexually abused the girl, even sending her child abuse images. Two further victims, who were teenagers at the time and came contact with Walsh through cheerleading, were identified during the investigation.

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A man has been jailed after raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Ellesmere Port.

Max Dufley, 34, of Eaton Road, West Kirby, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 16 January where he was sentenced to six years.

He was previously found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

The investigation began on 18 June 2021, after a woman contacted police to report she had been raped by Dufley in May 2021. During the incident, she had awoken to find Dufley sexually assaulting her, before raping her.

After a thorough investigation, Dufley was subsequently charged with the offences in August 2022.

He originally denied the charges but was found guilty on Thursday 5 October following a four-day trial.

On top of his prison sentence, Dufley is subject to a restraining order, sexual harm prevention order, and must sign the sex offender register.

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A paedophile caught with a massive collection of child abuse images had carried out secret online searches for "ISIS rape" and baby porn.

James Somerville, 38, of Hazelfield Court, St Helens, had 217,824 indecent images on five different electronic devices stashed in his home. 217,076 of these were category C images, 375 were category B, and 373 were of the highest category A, "involving children in penetrative sexual activity or sexual activity with an animal, or sadism".

He was caught on January 22 2019 when police executed a search warrant and seized a number of items, including a hard-drive, a USB stick, three storage devices and a disk drive. He denied three counts of making indecent images of children (categories A, B and C), but was found guilty following a trial. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, January 12, for sentence.

Prosecutor Lee Bonner told the court Somerville had used an anonymous browser to carry out online searches for indecent images of children as young as three-years-old and "babies in diapers", as well as for "jihad rape" and "ISIS rape". On his devices, files were found from Eastern European and Russian companies which provided "images of young 'models' under 16 of a sexual nature, with themes such as Christmas or Birthday parties".

Jonathan Rogers, defending, said Somerville continued to maintain his innocence. He said several letters from his family, including his partner and son, showed a "positive side to his character, for example the sacrifices he has made to care for his partner, the charity work he has done for others, the volunteering at soup kitchen in the city centre, and the evidence he had helped strangers who were suffering in his community."

Sentencing Somerville, Judge Simon Killeen said: "It should be shouted in courts throughout England and Wales that this trade, the trade in abusive films and images of children, is utterly horrific. People like you, who download these images, encourage the makers of these to abuse children. There are real people on the other end of these films. "You denied your guilt and still do, and there's clearly a total absence of remorse on your part, or any insight into what the jury, on compelling evidence, found what you had done."

Somerville's girlfriend, supporting him in court, sobbed as he was sentenced to a total of 16 months in prison, and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Somerville had to be ordered by the judge to leave the docks and go to the cells after remaining to talk with his girlfriend.

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A teenage girl was raped in a newsagents after being lured into a back room by a shop worker who had promised her cigarettes.

Saidi Hussain gained his victim's trust by plying her with free vapes before attacking her once they were alone together inside the store. But the 24-year-old "remains in complete denial" over his horrific assault, having accused the youngster of "making the whole thing up".

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Thursday, that he had befriended the teen as a customer of the store on Linacre Lane in Bootle where he "helped out from time to time". Hussain, of Louis Pasteur Avenue in Netherton, was said to have given her complementary e-cigarettes during past visits before she attended the premises at around 8pm on Sunday, March 5, last year in order to buy cigarettes.

He "told her they were kept in the back of the shop" before "showing her the way through to a back room in the premises", then sexually assaulted her. The defendant then persisted in his vile behaviour by "telling her she could have cigarettes if she performed sexual activity upon him", before exposing himself to the girl and proceeding to rape her on a pile of boxes.

She subsequently fled to a friend's house and disclosed her ordeal. Hussain was arrested the following day, but under interview claimed there had been "absolutely no sexual contact at all" with the complainant.

He later changed his account, stating that she had "initiated all of the sexual contact". However, he then reverted back to his original story at trial.

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said: "This was a back room of a shop premises, into which she was tricked to enter. It must have been apparent to him that she had been drinking, and to that extent there was an element of vulnerability about her - in other words, she was in a situation where somebody could take advantage of her, and he did."Iranian national Hussain, an asylum seeker with "no right to remain in the United Kingdom at the present time", has no previous convictions. Gerald Baxter, defending, told the court: "He has no previous record, but of course for this type of offence that is of little significance."

Hussain was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault by a jury. Appearing in court via video link and assisted by a Kurdish interpreter, he was jailed for nine years - a term of which he must serve at least two thirds before being released on licence.

Sentencing, Judge David Potter said: "She was known to you as a customer in the shop where you helped out from time to time. She knew you, and you had been friendly towards her and had given her free vapes in the past.

"On this Sunday, she had been drinking and was tipsy but not falling down drunk. She went into the mini market in order to obtain a vape.

"Having got that, she left. She then telephoned a friend, who asked her to go back to the shop to obtain some cigarettes, so she returned to the shop.

"When she returned to the shop, you were the only other person there. She asked you for cigarettes, but you told her they were kept in the back of the shop, and so you showed her the way through to a back room in the premises.

"Once there, you having directed her to be in the back of the shop with you, you raped and sexually assaulted her. By this time, she was in a state of complete panic.

"She did not know what to do. She had been entirely traumatised by your assault of her.

"You were interviewed by the police and lied, saying that there had been absolutely no sexual contact with her at all and that she was, in effect, making the whole thing up. You later changed that account to say that, in fact, she had initiated all of the sexual contact - you being reluctant and she being the person in charge.

"You later changed that account, and before the jury said that no sex took place between you in the back of that shop. She has found it very difficult to come to terms with what happened.

"She had been drinking, and you were friendly from previous occasions. You took advantage of that and isolated her in an unfamiliar environment so as to commit these very serious offences.

"The main mitigation is your previous good character. You came to the United Kingdom in order to flee persecution as a Kurd in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"While you have clearly abused the protection offered by the United Kingdom by committing these offences, you have otherwise led a law-abiding life. You remain in complete denial of what you have done.

"That is your right, but it means that until you accept what you have done there is very little that can be done towards your rehabilitation. You do not accept any responsibility for your actions that day."

Hussain was also told to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was given a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim indefinitely.

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AN offender previously jailed for activity which was deemed to constitute ‘child abduction’ in Warrington has been locked up again.

Ronald Howard was told to ‘stay well away’ from a teenage girl he plied with alcohol, having been incarcerated for six months in April last year.

However, the 26-year-old has now reoffended after he pretended to be a woman during sexualised chats with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

He appeared before Liverpool Crown Court charged with attempted sexual communications with a child.

Frank Dillon, prosecuting, told the court that on November 30 last year, six months after he was jailed for the Warrington offence, Howard contacted the fake profile of ‘Milly’, a 13-year-old girl on the Rando Chat app.

This account had been set up by an undercover police officer tasked with rooting out online child sex offenders.

The defendant pretended to be a 19-year-old woman and the conversation became sexualised, with the defendant sending the ‘girl’ an image of a woman exposing her breasts.

The conversation moved to Snapchat, and Howard sent a picture to her which he claimed was of ‘her boyfriend’s penis’. He also encouraged her to send him photographs of herself.

Police were able to identify Howard through his phone number, which was known by the probation service, said Mr Dillon.

He was arrested on December 22 and made no comment to most of the questions when interviewed.

The court heard of his previous conviction for child abduction in April last year, with the court hearing on that occasion that in January last year, police attended his then-flat on Silverdale Road in Newton-le-Willows and issued him with a child abduction warning notice.

At the time of serving the notice, police found the girl inside Howard’s flat and returned her to her place of residence, namely a care home in the Warrington area.

On March 2 last year, , at around 8.30pm, the girl’s carer and a colleague had to leave the home to look for her after she went missing.

They found the girl on a dirt track with the defendant, who was holding her up as they walked as she was unsteady on her feet.

The carer could smell alcohol on the girl’s breath, who was finding it difficult to keep her eyes open and whose head was ‘floppy’.

She asked the man who he was, to which he gave a false name and address, as well as saying he was from St Helens but was currently homeless. He did not reply when asked how he knew her.

As she began to sober up the next day, she confirmed the identity of the defendant and that he had been served with a child abduction warning notice.

She told the carer they had been to a Co-op together for alcohol and that they had kissed, but she could not remember anything else.

Howard was sentenced to six months in prison and handed a restraining order not to contact the girl or enter the Warrington street on which she resides for seven years.

After approving the restraining order, Judge Potter added: “Stay well away from this child.”

For this latest attempted sexual communications with a child offence, recorder Eric Lamb sentenced Howard, of Grange Park Road in Thatto Heath, St Helens, to 15 months in prison.

He was also ordered to sign on the sex offender register for 10 years and hit with a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

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Four women were randomly targeted by a serial sex offender while going about their daily lives in St Helens.

Govar Abdul-Rahman, 28, preyed on four women in the course of a single month. On June 26 2022, he sexually assaulted a woman at Queens Park leisure centre after following her around the swimming pool and into the sauna and steam room. On June 29, he sexually assaulted another woman at the same place, again preying on her after following her into the sauna.

At around 3am on July 17 2022, he followed an 18-year-old woman into an alleyway, where he attempted to kiss her before pushing her into a wall and groping her twice.

Finally, on July 24 2022, he scaled a fence and sneaked into an 18-year-old woman's supported living accommodation with the intention of sexually assaulting her. When the woman woke up and saw him standing over her bed, he panicked and fled through the window he had entered by. But he returned to the flat a week later in the early hours of July 31, and once again tried to get in through the window before being caught red-handed by the woman, who came to investigate the suspicious noise.

Abdul-Rahman, formerly of Silkstone Street, St Helens, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on November 16, to be sentenced for four counts of sexual assault, trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, attempted trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, and voyeurism.

Victim statements from the four women were read to the court. The first victim, who was attending the swimming pool with her daughter when Abdul-Rahman assaulted her on June 26, said: "I do think that since this incident my mental health has deteriorated and I worry a lot more about being around men. Because of my mental health, I used the gym as a lifeline, but I get nervous thinking about going now.

"Since this incident I have not been able to go swimming at the leisure centre. I used to go to various classes but since this incident I do not feel comfortable enough to go back to the pool and I don't feel confident in going. "

The second victim said: "Sport has been a big part of my life as I started when I was just four years old. It made me be the person I was. I was confident, outgoing, and never afraid of doing anything. After this incident happened, I didn't go to any gym for 11 months, and I have still not been to that swimming pool.

"It has affected my everyday life. I feel I don't trust people like I used to. I'm a much quieter person who chooses to stay in and be safe rather than go out and socialise with friends."

The third victim, who was on a night out with friends when she was attacked, said: "I don't feel that I can trust many people like I used to. I used to feel confident but now I have developed some insecurity and I'm finding it difficult to overcome what has happened. I have cried hysterically in front of friends and family when out in busy places. These emotions are now to me and I don't know how to control them. I have never experienced this before. I used to love being out with friends."

The fourth victim, who was sleeping soundly when Abdul-Raham crept through her window, said the traumatic incident had worsened her struggles with anxiety and depression.

She said: "I moved into my flat to try and make it a safe place to be. This incident has brought back trauma I have spent years trying to heal from. I no longer have the flat as a safe space, which has knocked me back even further.

"Since the incident I felt panicked and upset when I have to go back to the flat. When I had to return after the incident I burst into tears. I no longer feel the flat is safe space for me. I found it difficult to get to sleep and I had to stay at a family member's address just to get away from the flat. If I hear any noses in the night it wakes me up and puts me on edge. I no longer like going outside as I no longer have any trust in people."

Abdul-Rahman was sentenced a total of 20 months in prison for the four sexual assaults, and seven years with an extended five years on licence for trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, attempted trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, and voyeurism, to be served consecutively.

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A MAN who committed "heinous" sexual abuse on a girl and then put his victim through the ordeal of a trial has been jailed.

Connor Paul Gavin, 21, of Blackbrook, St Helens was found guilty by a trial by jury at Liverpool Crown Court last month.

Today (Friday, November 17) he was sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison for nine counts of rape and sexual assault of a child under 13.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Lesley Prendergast said: “Throughout the whole process, the investigation and the trial, Gavin continued to deny all the allegations made against him. Thankfully the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty. 

“His denial and not accepting what he has done has been incredibly difficult for the victim. She has showed immense courage and bravery to report the utterly depraved actions he committed.

“As you can imagine for victims of such an appalling crime, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting. I hope this sentence provides some comfort in knowing they did the right thing to report Gavin’s heinous crime to us.”

Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm, and we take all such reports extremely seriously.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police. 

“We have a dedicated team of specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

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A paedophile has been jailed again after police visited his home.

Ian Hobley, 55, of Town Lane, Bebington, was found to be in breech of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) when police visited his home on Friday, October 6. When officers entered his home they found an electronic device he had failed to register.

After reviewing the phone they found suspected indecent images of children and he was arrested. When Hobley’s devices were further examined, there were 450 images classed as Category A, along with 1,179 other images in Categories B and C.

There were also two Category A videos found. He was brought before Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, November 7, having pleaded guilty to 11 offences involving making indecent images, possessing prohibited images and three offences of breaching the SPHO.

He was jailed for two years and was issued with a SHPO for ten years.

Detective Inspector Steven O’Neill said: “Hobley was arrested after officers on a routine home visit as part of his SHPO found an electronic device that he hadn’t registered with us. This led to the sickening discovery of explicit sexual images of children.
“Hobley pleaded guilty to the offences because the evidence was so strong against him.

“Officers working in the Sex Offender Unit regularly conduct visits each month to ensure that offenders on the Sexual Offenders Register living in the community are closely monitored. Officers also work closely with partners in probation and housing to ensure that the public are protected and risk of further offending is minimised.”

This isn't the first time Hobley has been in court, with previous convictions in 2003 and 2008 for indecent image offences.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "Sex offending has such a huge and terrible impact on victims, and we are determined to continue looking to innovative new ways of identifying repeat offenders at the earliest possible opportunity, to prevent young people coming to further harm from abuse and exploitation."

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A Wirral man has been jailed today, Friday 27 October, for breaching an order by possessing sexual images of children.

Andrew Davies, 52 years, of Mill Lane in Wallasey was sentenced to three years and 11 months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon.

The court heard that in November last year, officers conducted a routine visit to Davies’ home under the Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed on him. When officers were checking his electronic devices, he admitted using social media which is a breach of his terms.

His electronic devices were seized, and detectives found 133 prohibited and distressing images of children of a sexual nature found on them.

Davies was found guilty of all 133 prohibited images found on the device and nine breaches of Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The Sex Offender Unit ensure that sex offenders living in the community are closely monitored.

Detective Inspector Steven O’Neill, from the Sex Offender Unit, said: “Davies went so far as to try and evade guilt by accusing his family members saying that they were responsible for downloading the images on to his device.

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A HORRIFIC sex-offender has been jailed for repeatedly breaching orders preventing him from being around children.

Adam Blyth, 24, was sentenced in August 2014 for five different charges involving the rape of a child under the age of 14.

As part of this Blyth was served a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 10 years, a court order which restricts the actions of someone the courts feel is at risk of causing sexual harm even upon their release from prison.

This order included restrictions around unsupervised time spent with children.

The sex-offender appeared at Liverpool Crown Court last week following two breaches of this order, in which Blyth was pictured around young children.

Prosecuting, Andrew Jebb told the court how in "the middle of 2022" Blyth had been pictured with his three-year-old son on a train, in an unsupervised visit.

Further, Blyth was pictured at a family party in Warrington on August 20 this year with his partner’s son. He was seen on CCTV alone with the child, who is also three, on various occasions, as well as arriving in the same car.

This second breach also took place while on bail after having been arrested and warned by police for the picture taken with his son.   

These were not the first breaches of the order, as Mr Jebb told the court that this pair of offences were the third occasion on which Blyth had breached his SHPO.

Blyth, of Grasmere Fold, St Helens, breached the order in 2017 and 2018.

Defending Blyth, Sarah Griffin told the court that "substance abuse made him think he could just act normally" despite the order.

She said: “He has been trying to address his substance abuse, to address his use of drugs, alcohol, and his mental health.”

Ms Griffin also reiterated that, whilst the visits were unsupervised, in both cases he was not alone with the children. This was proven by the fact that someone else took the picture of him and his son, and that the party was a large family gathering with lots of other adults nearby.

Judge Trevor Jones, presiding over the case, said:

“You are 24 now and were sentenced 10 years ago for a number of serious sexual offences when you were 14.

“The defendant accepts he was fully aware of the order when he breached it.”

Judge Jones also told the court that, in a pre-sentence report on Blyth, he was judged as being a "high risk of reoffending".

For the two counts, Blyth received terms of 22 months imprisonment

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"I know what this is about." These were the words of a 'monster' paedophile when police raided his house earlier this year.

David Eyre, 55, who claimed his offending was due to a pornography addiction, was targeted by Merseyside Police officers from the specialist Online Child Abuse Investigation Team on June 20 this year following a lengthy investigation into his online activity, the Liverpool ECHO reports. Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (October 23) how Eyre told officers "I know what this is about" when they visited his Southport home and pointed at his computer, adding, "the devices are down there".

Prosecuting barrister Robert Dudley said police found "a computer tower" and three hard drives. The defendant added there was also another computer at his mum's address. An iPhone was also seized and examinations found its search history included "1970s school girl pornography" and "extreme beastiality".

During his first interview he answered no comment. However, after examining his electronic devices police officers found a disturbing haul of indecent images that included a number of photographs and videos of the same child. On August 16, Eyre's home was raided again and a second iPhone was found along with a suicide note.

Mr Dudley told the court how when questioned again the defendant admitted to having an addiction to pornography. He said he was "desensitised" to extreme pornography and added "when you're bored it pulls you back in". The court heard he had sought help for his addiction in the past but could not afford the sessions.

He said his addiction dated back 35 years but this was the first time he had acted on it and "was a threat". The court heard Eyre's devices contained hundreds of images and videos.

During the interview, Eyre, who had last wiped his computer three to four months before his arrest, said: "I'm glad of the intervention." The offending started when the victim was just 15 months old and continued until she was four.

Three moving victim impact statements were read to the court by Mr Dudley. The victim's dad said: "When I found out she had been sexually assaulted my heart sank." He said: "How can a monster hurt a beautiful, innocent girl". The court heard how the victim's family "don't know what damage this will cause in the future".

The victim's mum added she was "numb" when she was told what happened and "everything felt mumbled". She said she felt guilt because her daughter would have "wondered why we weren't there in her time of need".

She added her daughter's "innocence was taken away" and she would now have a "lifetime of picking up the pieces". Lastly, the victim's nan added the family is "going through a grieving process" and their "world crumbled" after Eyre's criminality was revealed.

Officers investigating Eyre not only charged him with assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration and touching, but also three counts of taking indecent images and three counts of possessing indecent images, among a number of other charges.

He possessed hundreds of images, including nearly 650 category A - images of the most serious nature - that he had made himself. He also possessed images of prepubescent girls as young as seven.

Louise McCloskey, defending, said: "What can one say about these types of offences" and added it was all said in the victim impact statements heard in court. She said the offences would have been like a "hand grenade going off" for the victim's family.

In mitigation, she added that the defendant had written an extensive letter to the court which "showed proper acknowledgement of the harm he has caused". Ms McCloskey added the defendant had his own difficulties as a child and these issues had manifested into a porn addiction.

She said the defendant should be entitled to full credit - due to his earlier guilty plea to 16 different offences at magistrates' court - and asked that any sentence issued be "significant, but determinate".

His Honour Judge Robert Trevor-Jones told the defendant he was treating the two counts of penetration as the lead offences on the indictment. The judge acknowledged Eyre's letter had expressed remorse and referred to desensitisation surrounding the serious pornography.

Judge Trevor-Jones told Eyre his addiction was "entrenched behaviour" and saw him "completely preoccupied". But he also acknowledged how Eyre was a "psychological, physical and emotional risk to children" and only an immediate and lengthy custodial sentence would suffice.

The judge sentenced Eyre, who wore a short-sleeved flowery shirt during court, to 14 years with an extended licence period of five years. He will also have to sign the sex offenders' register for life. The judge also enforced a sexual harm prevention order, a deprivation order on his electronic devices and a restraining order to prevent him contacting the victim or her family.

Detective Inspector Victoria Tinsley, from Merseyside Police's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: "Merseyside Police is completely committed to bringing child sex offenders before the courts, no matter how long ago the abuse took place. We have specialist officers within our Online Child Abuse Investigations team who are dedicated to investigating these crimes, bringing those responsible before the courts and ultimately protecting young people from unimaginable suffering.

"Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police. We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion."

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A woman in her eighties was sexually assaulted by a perverted burglar who broke into her home. The bedbound victim, woke to find Anthony Shakleton 'standing over her' with a hoodie over his head before he carried out the 'dark and deviant' act, a court heard.

Shakleton, 33, had broken into her home in Birkenhead, Wirral as she slept in the early hours of May 31 this year, Liverpool Crown Court was told.

The terrified woman asked who he was and told her to get out. Robert Dudley, prosecuting, said Shackleton shouted back at her that she was a "nosey b***h" and a "c***" before sexually assaulting her.

When Shackleton realised the victim wore an incontinence pad he called her "a baby", the Liverpool Echo reports. He also placed, what was described as being like a golf ball, in her mouth and a flannel over her face.

Mr Dudley told the court Shackleton also slapped her in the face leaving a "red mark".Shackleton stole the victim's purse and a sentimental bracelet, which was given to her by her son who died in tragic circumstances.

The 33-year-old was linked to the horrific crimes after DNA evidence was found on a disposable vape left at the property and on the woman's purse which was stolen.

The woman also provided a victim impact statement and it said how she "does not want to see anyone" and was "scared to sleep". She added how she still sees images of Shackleton.

Her daughter also provided a victim impact statement and described how her mum's life has been "shattered" following the incident. She said how her mum was rushed to hospital following the incident and doctors feared she would not survive the night due to being so frail.

She added how her mum was hospitalised on various occasions since the incident but thanks to her "tenacity" and "mental strength" has come through.

Mr Dudley read the statement on her behalf and in it, she addressed Shackleton directly. "You deserve to go to prison for a long time as you are clearly a danger," she said.

The court heard how Shackleton had four previous convictions in his adult life, including burglary and conspiracy to commit blackmail. Chris Stables, defending, told the court the mitigating circumstances put forward was "in no way an attempt to justify what happened" and there was "scant mitigation to be found".

He added: "No amount of punishment will be enough but the court is here to take an objective view of the offences."

Mr Stables told the court he had a troubled childhood and suffered with substance and drug abuse. He said the "need to fund the addiction lead to the crimes" and was under the influence of drink and drugs at the time of the incident.

He said Shackleton had previous employment and did "possess employability skills". Mr Stables said: "He feels disgusted and embarrassed and regrets it bitterly."

Shackleton, of Queens Drive, Prenton, previously denied sexually assaulting his victim, but later pleaded guilty to both burglary and sexual assault on a female.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones addressed Shackleton and said how the offence of burglary was "despicable enough", however, the second offence of sexual assault was a "dark and deviant impulse which is difficult to believe".

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A paedophile collapsed in the dock moments before he was due to learn his fate from a judge after plotting "fun meets" with girls at an Aldi supermarket.

Shaun Moynihan engaged in lewd discussions with what he believed were 13-year-old children in online chatrooms. But, unbeknown to him, he was actually speaking to undercover police officers.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Friday, that the dad began communicating with a PC posing as a 13-year-old girl on RandoChat on November 3 last year under the name "Anonymous Man 51" and using a photograph of himself as his profile picture. Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, described how he gave his first name and said he was "looking for fun meets".

Moynihan, of Clifford Road in Birkdale, "asked if she had big boobs" and stated he "wouldn't meet her until she was 16 or 18", but then "backtracked and said he would meet up as long as she looked older". The chat then continued on November 8, with the now 52-year-old suggesting that they meet on the coming Saturday.

The messages then became "extremely graphic and highly sexualised", with the defendant asking if she was a "naughty girl" and questioning her on her sexual preferences. Moynihan asked to meet up for sex, stating that he would drive to her location and they could then "go wherever she liked"

He proposed going to a hotel afterwards and said he would buy her underwear. The pervert asked whether she was in school at the time and instructed her to go to the toilet to record a voice note for him.

Moynihan then started a second chat with another decoy, who was also supposedly aged 13, on the same platform that day. But he was again talking to a police officer.

He stated that he was "Shaun from Southport" and again said he was "looking for fun meets". Moynihan suggested meeting at an Aldi store at 6.30pm the same day and asked whether she was "into naughty stuff".

The messaging continued on November 10, with him by now going by the username "Sean, Man, 51". He was reminded of her purported age, but said they could still "kiss and play with each other".

Moynihan detailed sex acts he wanted to perform on her and again suggested meeting at Aldi that night before "taking it from there". He asked her to turn up "without wearing any underwear" and said he would be there "at 6.30pm in his silver car".

Officers subsequently searched Facebook for users called Shaun in the Southport area and identified him from his profile picture. Moynihan was arrested at his workplace on January 16 this year and, after being cautioned, replied: "I have engaged in online chats but never knew they were children."

Under interview, he accepted that he had been chatting to children but "denied any intention of meeting a child" - instead saying that it was "fantasy only". He has no previous convictions.

Moynihan had previously been due to be sentenced on Friday last week, but the case had to be adjourned after he seemingly suffered a panic attack. After entering the dock, he was heard to say that he was "claustrophobic" and began hyperventilating.

The defendant initially appeared to have been calmed down by a security guard, but his state worsened once more when the judge entered the courtroom. The dock officer remarked that she believed he had stopped breathing and Moynihan appeared to fall unconscious, with his head having fallen back as he sat apparently unresponsive.

An ambulance was called, and he was subsequently taken to hospital. His sentencing was adjourned for seven days as a result.

Jeremy Rawson, defending, told the court today: "References speak highly of him. He has kept the support of his family since his arrest.

"He has always worked, either in the care system or in shop work. At the time of the offence, he was working as a salesman in mobility products.

"He is the sole wager supporting the family. His wife is sitting in the public gallery and is supportive of him."

Moynihan admitted two counts of attempting sexual communications with a child, two charges of arranging a child sex offence and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He put his head in his hands and cried as he was jailed for two years and 11 months and told to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "You were making persistent efforts to try to meet up. You are someone of fully good character before this offence took place.

"Clearly, you are remorseful. One hopes, given the indication I have seen in this courtroom, that you are able to bear what you have done.

"It seems you were a long time user of chatrooms. Clearly, this is something that led on to what you did.

"You are 52 and the girls, so-called, were 13 years of age. There is no getting away from that fact."