Search results for Merseyside

Description

An NHS worker concocted a "ludicrous" explanation after sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, claiming they were merely "play fighting."

Leam Lock, 42, of Chatteris Court in St Helens, squeezed the girl's bottom, kissed her with his tongue in her mouth, groped her breast, and told her he "wanted her so bad" and that she "shouldn't tell her mum what happened," Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Fiona McNeill said the victim reported the incident to her mother and a friend, prompting police involvement. Lock then claimed the girl had licked his face and her "tongue had accidentally gone in his mouth."

In a statement read to the court, the victim described feeling "sad and low" and "finding it difficult to trust any men." Lock has one prior conviction for theft.

Defense counsel Steven Swift noted Lock's "very positive work ethic," his 12-year role as a payroll operations manager, and no relevant prior convictions. References from his sister and mother highlighted the "high regard" his family holds for him. Swift added: "It was only after the case concluded that the defendant confided in his siblings. He has been trying to deal with this matter on his own for some time now."

A jury convicted Lock of one count of sexual assault of a child. He shook his head as Judge Ian Harris jailed him for two years, with a woman in the public gallery waving as he was led away.

The judge told Lock he had "behaved disgracefully to the child" and invented a "ludicrous explanation," adding: "At trial, you were to say, ludicrously, that [victim's name] licked your face and that her tongue accidentally went into your mouth.

"She says her trust in men has been ruined. She still feels pained by what she has been through.

"Your mother and sister set out how you have assisted your parent and how you have cared for others. You have no relevant or recent convictions.

"Although suspended from work, you held a reasonably responsible job in the payroll department with the National Health Service."

Lock was also handed a restraining order which will prevent him from contacting the complainant for 10 years. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for the next decade.

Description

Police discovered Peter Jemmett had committed sexual assaults over nearly 20 years after his arrest in a paedophile hunter sting in March 2023.

Officers seized his phone and found 42 videos of him abusing a sleeping or deeply intoxicated man, recorded from February 2004 to just a day before his arrest.

The victim was unaware until informed by police and confirmed he "had not consented to any of the acts" and was "very shocked" upon learning of the abuse. Jemmett, 63, formerly of Marshalls Cross Road in St Helens, now claims he is "at a loss" as to why he did it.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the footage showed Jemmett kissing the victim, exposing and touching his penis, and performing oral sex. The assaults stemmed from messages with a decoy child account on a dating app and WhatsApp. He also shared explicit images of the victim with the group, falsely claiming they depicted himself.

In April 2024, Jemmett was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and lifelong sex offender registration for the messaging offenses.

Defending, Charlotte Kenny said: "It is difficult to know what to say in cases of this nature. It is a most unusual case. He has suffered a stroke. He is left handed. He is unable to use his left hand now and has general mobility problems.

"He was educated at a special school. He has speech difficulties.

"He has presented over the years as a somewhat isolated character. Mr Jemmett informs me that, at the time when these acts were taking place, he too was also under the influence of alcohol.

"He does not have a history of earlier offending so far as sexual deviancy is concerned. When I asked the defendant why he thinks he committed the offences, he says that he is very much at a loss."

Jemmett admitted four counts of sexual assault. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for an additional 40 months and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said: "Not only did you sexually assault him, you did so when he was either asleep or passed out through alcohol. You set up your phone to record on video the acts that you carried out.

"These video clips ranged from a few seconds up towards minutes of activity, throughout which he was utterly unaware of what was going on.

"That this happened on so many occasions over such a prolonged period when he was unconscious and asleep are significant aggravating features.

"The further aggravating feature is that you actually chose to share some of these images to another, that other in fact being a paedophile hunter group who you were corresponding with."

Description

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.

Description

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.

Description

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.

Description

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.”

Description

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."

Description

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.

Description

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.

Description

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.”

Description

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.

Description

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.

Description

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.

Description

A woman cried "I love yous all" as she was locked up for sexually abusing a teenage girl. Lucy Wilding targeted her victim over the course of several months after grooming her on Snapchat.

This included sending her a "manipulative" video, in which she asked the youngster to "be her girlfriend" by spelling these words out in love hearts. The 20-year-old then engaged in sex acts with the teenager on dozens of occasions.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Monday, that Wilding was aged 18 when she initially met the complainant in Liverpool city centre in early 2023. The two thereafter began exchanging messages over Snapchat and began meeting up with one another in the spring.

Steven Ball, prosecuting, described how this progressed to the 14-year-old girl staying overnight at the then 19-year-old defendant's home, sleeping in the same bed together. This led to Wilding, of Southey Street in Bootle, touching the teen sexually on at least 20 occasions, with the victim reciprocating these acts on at least four occasions.

She was said to have known the victim's age "from the outset", but "would tell other people that she was 17 so they would not get into trouble". The sex offender also sent the girl a "quite manipulative" video on one occasion in a clip showing balloons and love hearts spelling out words on the floor "asking her to be her girlfriend".

The child's mum became aware of their relationship during the summer of 2023 and warned Wilding to cease her contact. But the mother informed the police around a month later when she continued to contact her daughter "using fake social media accounts".

Under interview, she claimed that she "thought she was 16". But messages recovered from her phone showed that Wilding, who has no previous convictions, had sent messages to the girl's mum "apologising for the stress and drama caused" and "acknowledging she knew it was wrong, but also reassuring her that she would wait until she was 16".

Stuart Nolan, defending, told the court: "These are very serious matters, and the court will be concerned with them. She is a woman of hitherto good character.

"She still works at a company in Merseyside, Makro. They are aware of the circumstances of this hearing. The indications are that she is well liked there, and she intends to work there as soon as she possibly can.

"She is clearly well thought of by her family and friends. She has previously required the assistance of medical practitioners for anxiety and depression. She understands the gravity of what went on. This is a young woman who is obviously terrified at the prospect of jail."

Wilding, who appeared to be in tears at times during the hearing, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and two charges of inciting sexual activity with a child. Wearing a navy blue suit and tie over a white shirt in the dock, she was jailed for 18 months.

Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "She was a child. While you yourself were relatively young, you were an adult. You should have stopped and you should not have carried on seeing her, but you did.

"She stayed over on many, many occasions at your address. During this period of time, you engaged in sexual activity with her. Unlike her, you were aware that it was wrong. You knew full well that she was underage.

"You have never been before the courts before. It is a great shame to find a woman such as you, who has a number of positive attributes, in the dock in a crown court facing serious sexual allegations.

"I take into account your lack of maturity, but this was not just a one off incident. This was a number of times with a number of offences over a number of months.

"The number of people supporting you today shows you are well viewed by those who care for you and love you and someone who, at the start of your adult life, does have a positive future ahead of you. You are someone who, in the past, has struggled with your mental health.

"The fact is that you, as an adult, should have controlled your behaviour and you failed to do so. Anybody involved in sexual activity with a child will be viewed gravely by these courts.

"The law is in place to protect minors, sometimes from their own actions. You, as an adult, knew it was wrong. In this case, you do present a risk to the public. In this case, in my judgement, appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence."

Wilding was also handed a sexual harm prevention order, a notification requirement and a restraining order - all lasting 10 years. She turned to the public gallery and said "I love yous all" to her sobbing supporters as she was led down to the cells.

Description

A woman recognised her rapist and "took matters into her own hands" in order to bring him to justice. Kevin Knox spiked his victim's drink with sleeping tablets before sexually abusing her as she lay powerless to resist in her own bed.

Months later, the 33-year-old attempted to attack her again in an almost identical manner. But the quick-thinking complainant rumbled his depraved plot and swapped their drinks around, meaning that he "ended up essentially drugging himself".

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court heard that Knox raped the woman in August last year before returning to her flat for a second time three months later, leading to an incident which saw him break into the address and steal a kitchen knife. Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, described the "strange circumstances of the case", with the victim having been "supplementing her income" by working as an escort at the time.

Knox, of Maplewood in Kirkby, initially met her as a "potential client" via the website AdultWork. They were said to have "come to an arrangement that he would pay her a sum of money in return for sex", namely £1,750, but he "had no intention of paying".

He instead spiked the woman's vodka drink with zopiclone, a sleeping tablet which was subsequently found in her system, leaving her "feeling extremely groggy" and "rendering her pretty much incapable" before "forcefully" raping her in her own bed. Knox then allegedly stole her bank cards before leaving, although he was subsequently acquitted of charges in relation to this.

Then, in November, he contacted her again "asking if he could pay for her services" using a different phone number and a false name of "Danny". She however recognised him upon him subsequently attending her apartment once more and "decided to take matters into her own hands".

Knox again poured two drinks, but she switched their glasses without his knowledge. He then "started to demonstrate signs of having been drugged" and was subsequently dropped off at a petrol station by the woman.

However, he then returned to her now empty flat once more and smashed a window in order to gain entry before stealing a knife from the kitchen. Police officers then attended the scene and found Knox "wandering about in a communal area" and "stumbling around" with the weapon.

Zopiclone was then similarly found in his system following his arrest. Traces of his semen were also detected during swabs taken from the complainant following the first incident.

Mr Roberts told jurors: "The crown say that, in August, he went round to the flat of an escort intending to have sex, whether she liked it or not and whether he was able to pay or not. The crown say that he saw her as an easy touch and that, a couple of months later, he went round to the same address with the intention of doing exactly the same thing.

"This time, in a strange turn of events, he ended up essentially drugging himself. Then, he broke into her house and armed himself with a knife - thankfully, the police intervened before he could use it."

Robert Wyn Jones, appearing for the prosecution yesterday, told the court that Knox has a total of four previous convictions for eight offences including burglary, but none for sexual offences. He was however subjected to a sexual risk order in 2016 due to "sexually exploitative behaviour towards adolescents and young females" and his "inappropriate sexual interests".

Simon Christie, defending, told the court: "It is of note that his antecedents are for different matters. His only sentence of imprisonment was in September 2016, when he received four months for a wholly different matter.

"He is now in a completely different position, facing, with little experience of the system, a substantial prison sentence. These are serious matters. He is educated. He has been a worker in bars and warehouses.

"He has the benefit of substantial family support. His parents are in court today, and others have supplied references speaking of the other side to the defendant - a respectable family man, a hard worker and a person who people can rely on.

"The defendant is in relatively poor health. He has depression, ulcers for which he has had surgery, Bell's palsy and kidney stones."

Knox was found guilty of three counts of rape and one of burglary by a jury. He was jailed for 12 years, of which he must serve at least two thirds before becoming eligible for release, and handed an additional two years on licence.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Harris said: "In my judgement, you never intended to pay her anything. You spiked her drink in the way she alleged and used violence on her to have intercourse with her.

"She was incapable of fighting you off. She was trying to push you away, but you ripped her shorts off and were determined to have sexual intercourse.

"Testimonials say what a great person you are and how honest, trustworthy and helpful in your community you are. From my observations, I do not find you to be honest, helpful or trustworthy." Knox was also handed an indefinite restraining order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.