Latest Offenders Merseyside

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William Adams was branded a 'predatory paedophile' by police after he was jailed for life

A paedophile rapist serving a life sentence for his horrific crimes has been convicted of more sick offences.

William Adams was locked up in 2007 for a sickening campaign of rape against a 12-year-old girl in Liverpool.

This week he was handed a further three years for historical sex abuse in Northern Ireland in the 1980s.

The case was just the latest prosecution of Adams for sex offences against children.

The 54-year-old served seven years in jail for the rape of a schoolgirl in Ireland before travelling to Merseyside in 2005, just days after his release from prison.

Almost as soon as he arrived in Liverpool he befriended his next victim, lavishing her with gifts and taking her family on a three week holiday to Blackpool - funded by Adams' Catholic priest lover.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Adams raped his victim every night of that trip.

Adams, then of Meadow Hey, Bootle, pleaded guilty to five charges of raping the girl between May and November 2005. He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of seven-and-a-half years before he could apply for parole.

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

Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Lol Forrest, of Merseyside Police, said: We feel Adams is a predatory paedophile who used his charm to gain access to a vulnerable member of society.

I hope that his victim and her family can take some comfort from the fact that he will be in prison for a long time.

Adams remained in jail and was transferred to Northern Ireland to face further sexual offence allegations dating back to the early 1980s.

He was found guilty of historic sex offences linked to his time at a County Down training and care centre earlier this year and handed the three year term at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday, the Belfast Telegraph and Irish News reported.

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He also wanted to rape the man's nine-year-old autistic daughter

A paedophile asked a dad if he could rape his two-year-old daughter in a series of sickening messages.

Matthew Parr said he also wanted to rape the man's nine-year-old daughter after being told she was autistic.

The 46-year-old didn't realise he was actually speaking to an undercover police officer when he requested a description of the children and asked "would it be like a foursome?".

Parr even sent the police officer a disgusting child rape video of a toddler, aged between two and three.

Charlotte Atherton, prosecuting today at Liverpool Crown Court, said on March 12 last year Parr contacted the officer, who was using the name 'MancDad', on Grindr.

Between March 12 2020 and June 16 2020 Parr messaged the officer, who called himself 'Lee', and said he was a dad of two, to which the paedophile replied "that sounded amazing".

They exchanged details for Wickr, an online communication platform, and Parr messaged the officer under the name 'DirtyBiLabourer' and made various sexual suggestions related to the children.

Ms Atherton said: "The officer said he was happy to meet like-minded individuals for what he called 'play time'."

The next day Parr asked if he could perform sex acts on the children and said "do you know any others that play" before he "asked for a description of the children".

Parr also asked the officer if he was "free that weekend" and "would it be like a foursome?"

On April 8 Parr again asked "when he would next have his children" to which the officer replied it was "tricky" due to coronavirus restrictions.

Parr continued to ask when he could see the children and said "he'd been having lots of horny talk and 'I'd love to meet'".

Two days later Parr gave the officer his email address and emailed him to say he would "love to get to know the three of them".

He told the officer: "Initially he just wanted to meet up and see how he goes because he didn't want to scare the children and would 'like to let them lead'".

When the officer said he would "watch" Parr asked "if the officer was a cop or undercover because he was scared".

Ms Atherton said he then sent the officer a video of a toddler, aged between two and three, being raped.

After the officer said the children were "great about it in particular because his eldest was autistic" Parr continued to confirm he "remained interested".

Ms Atherton said there was less communication between May 1 and June 16 and Parr "didn't follow up on the date given by the officer".

Parr was arrested on June 23 and he admitted deleting sickening images of children, chats and mobile numbers.

He claimed he had spoken with others who had "admitted to abusing their own children".

Officers discovered 29 images of child rape, 70 other indecent images of children and two images of extreme pornography.

Parr has two previous convictions and in 1994 was fined for soliciting for immoral purposes.

James Heyworth, defending, said it was "unlikely to have materialised in a face-to-face meeting".

He said while Parr didn't admit his offending in the first police interview he did admit it in a subsequent interview.

Mr Heyworth said: "So many people in this sort of offending often deny any sexual interest in children.

"He is clearly a man who is unwilling to admit he does, when the facts clearly demonstrate he does."

Speaking about a pre-sentence report Mr Heyworth said Parr appears to be in a "type of denial about why he did this and what the underlying motivations were".

In the report Parr also "continues to talk about having online sexual communication" which Parr claimed was in relation to adult sexual activity.

Mr Heyworth stressed Parr didn't have "any recent relevant convictions" and "did make some attempt to contact 'Stop it Now'" but Mr Heyworth added "I accept on his behalf there is a long way to go to fully appreciate what he was doing".

Parr, of Old Wargrave Road, Newton-Le-Willows, admitted; three counts of making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornographic images, three counts of distributing indecent images of children and two counts of arranging the commision of a child sex offence in relation to the two fictional children.

Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said the nature of the conversations will "appall and outrage all decent minded people" adding it was "truly outrageous behaviour".

The judge said: "You were planning and largely hoping such a meeting could be arranged and for a time you pushed for such a meeting."

Judge Menary said if a meeting had happened "I have no doubt your expectation was penetrative activity with very young children would occur".

The judge said: "It seems likely you had become suspicious of 'Lee', at one point in fact asked if he was a police officer."

Referring to Parr ceasing contact with the officer Judge Menary said: "I am sure at that point, not because you lost your desire to do what you earlier proposed but because you were fearful because the conversation in the end might not have been real."

Parr was jailed for five years and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He must also adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.

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A girl said she "didn't want to be here anymore" after being sexually abused by a predatory taxi driver.

Steven Halton molested two victims - both young teenage girls - in sickening attacks around 25 years apart.

His first victim, Girl A, came forward after his second victim, Girl B, went to the police and exposed the pervert's abuse against her.

The 58-year-old denied any wrongdoing, which forced both of his victims to relive their ordeals by giving evidence in a harrowing trial.

But he was found guilty of 10 counts of indecent assault against Girl A and four counts of sexual activity with a child against Girl B.

Halton, of Merlewood Avenue, Southport, today told Liverpool Crown Court that he still maintains his "innocence".

Judge Brian Cummings, QC, said the factual basis upon which he would sentence Halton was "one of which I am myself sure, having heard the evidence".

The judge said Halton abused Girl A on multiple occasions, touching her breasts, bottom and genitalia over clothing, forcibly kissed her, and on multiple occasions committed sexual offences involving penetration.

He said Halton "made her life a misery" in the 1990s.

Judge Cummings said Halton then abused Girl B in the last decade, when he groomed her and kissed her "insistently and in a manner that the jury rightly found was sexual".

He said this happened on four occasions, the second of which when he also tried to undo her bra and unzip her jeans, and on the third time when he gave her a lift in his taxi, put his hand under her skirt and touched her upper leg and groin area over clothing.

Girl B's dad made a victim statement to the court in which he said finding out what his daughter had been through was "devastating".

Frank Dillon, prosecuting, said the father referred to their lives being "turned upside down" and how the ordeal affected his family.

Mr Dillon said: "He feels bad that he perhaps misread his daughter's moods and had not understood them."

Judge Cummings interjected and said: "Well, parents always feel bad but for what it's worth, from my point of view he really shouldn't."

Mr Dillon summarised how Girl B explained Halton took "advantage of her" and left her suffering from "sleepless nights, bad dreams and trauma that is indescribable".

He said: "She went to counselling because she went through a stage of not wanting to be here anymore, when as she put it, she saw no purpose and was really down."

Mr Dillon said: "She was given money to keep her quiet, She says these memories will not fade, they will stick with her forever."

He said the abuse made Girl B feel "worthless and weak".

Mr Dillon said: "She still lies there sobbing into her pillow questioning why these events have impacted her life forever."

Girl A said she had struggled to live with what happened to her, which led to low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, and feared she wouldn't be believed..

The now adult woman said she also felt "guilty" that she hadn't reported the abuse sooner, because that may have prevented Girl B from being molested.

However, Mr Dillon said the blame didn't lie with Girl A and Judge Cummings said he repeated the observation he made earlier about Girl B's dad's views.

Girl A said she has problems sleeping, described being put through a trial as "unbearable", how she felt angry, and had to have counselling to rebuild her life.

The court heard Halton had a small number of previous convictions for dishonesty dating back to the period from 1985 to 1990.

Charlotte Kenny, defending, said: "Your honour will of course have noted the defendant's position. He maintains his innocence. That ultimately will be a matter for him and his reflection and hopefully there will come a point in time when there is at least an appreciation of the position and consequence.

"There is very little - and the defendant knows I'm about to say this - there is very little I can say on his behalf, he having entered into a trial."

Judge Cummings said Girl A had been "particularly vulnerable" and told Halton: "It's a serious aggravating feature of your case that there were multiple offences committed against the victim and there have been very significant lifelong ill effects on her, dealt with in the victim personal statement and dealt with also and movingly during her evidence at trial."

He jailed Halton for 15 years and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Halton must also comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order indefinitely.

Speaking after the case, Detective Inspector Paula Furlong said: "Halton continued to deny his offending meaning his victims were forced to endure a trial. I am pleased that he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

"I would like to take this opportunity to praise both of his victims for their courage and dignity throughout the whole of this investigation and hope that by seeing him sent to prison will give them some sort of closure and allow them to move on with their lives knowing he cannot harm anyone else.

"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.

"Anyone that has been a victim of a similar sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice."

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A paedophile sent sick WhatsApp messages to a boy and suggested he play a sexual "prank" on his mum.

Convicted sex offender Paul Roberts groomed the child with presents and invited him to his flat to play XBox.

While there he cuddled and kissed the boy, who also got undressed after a "water fight" involving another child.

But his twisted behaviour and the detail of the supposed prank, which is too obscene to publish, came to light after Robert's online persona "Saint" was exposed.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Roberts, 37, was hit with a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in October 2011.

That was made when the pervert received a community order for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Charlotte Kenny, prosecuting, said Roberts, of Boardsman Lane, St Helens, first breached the SOPO by having unsupervised contact with two children in 2019.

She said Roberts had regular contact with a boy - Boy A - with the permission of that child's mum, which was therefore not a breach.

But during a safeguarding investigation, Boy A revealed two friends had unsupervised contact with Roberts, when he took them to a cinema and a park.

Ms Kenny said both of those boys' parents were unaware of Roberts' convictions and he received 16 months in jail, suspended for two years, on July 17, 2020.

However, within days of being spared jail, he started sending WhatsApp messages to Boy A, now without his mum's knowledge or consent.

This came to light when the National Crime Agency investigated someone using the online profile "Saint", which was later discovered to be Roberts.

The court heard Roberts had only produced one mobile phone when visited by an offender manager, but when NCA officers raided his home on May 7 this year, they found four mobile phones and two laptops.

Examination revealed he had used CCleaner software on February 12, 2021 to wipe data from the devices, but "artefacts" showed he had sexually explicit chats with another person online about "sexually abusing children".

Roberts also talked about a boy who he had kissed and cuddled and about having had "nice views" of him naked.

Ms Kenny said there was "some indication" this was Boy A.

The court heard WhatsApp messages recovered from Roberts' phone showed him "grooming" Boy A with affectionate terms but also asking him about sexual topics and suggesting he play a sexual "prank" on his mum.

Ms Kenny said the boy was interviewed in the presence of his mum, who was described as "gasping in shock" when she heard the sexualised comments sent by Roberts.

Boy A revealed he had been to Roberts' flat at least three times, maybe five times.

He said he had been "uncomfortable", but that Roberts had taken him to the cinema and bought him presents, including clothing, computer equipment, money and a bike, which made him feel "really happy".

He said one time when playing XBox, Roberts had cuddled him, one time he kissed him on the lips when he left his flat, and another time they had a water fight when another friend was there, after which their clothes were wet and they had to take them off to dry.

Ms Kenny said: "On one occasion he offered to buy him some condoms."

Roberts admitted three new counts of breaching his SOPO and breaching the suspended sentence imposed last July.

Jeremy Rawson, defending, accepted it was a "serious and persistent breach", but questioned whether there had been a risk of "very serious harm or distress", given his client had never been convicted of any sexual assault in the past.

He said an offender manager did not propose any alternative to immediate custody and Roberts knew he would receive a prison sentence, but said he had shown "remorse and regret".

The judge, Recorder Ian Harris, said Roberts had been "given the benefit" of a suspended sentence in July 2020, seemingly because of optimism about his views expressed in a pre-sentence report.

He said: "You have shattered any prospect of a non-custodial sentence by your subsequent actions."

The judge added: "You have a disregard for court orders and in my judgement there is a risk of very serious harm to children."

Recorder Harris imposed a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) - an updated version of SOPOs - for a period of 15 years.

He said Roberts' actions demonstrated "you cannot or will not stop offending in a way which in my view is dangerous to children".

The judge jailed him for three years and four months in total, which included 12 months of his previous suspended sentence.

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A man sent vile sexual messages to a 13-year-old girl and then accused her of lying when she reported him.

Barry Warner, 51, started chatting to the girl but when it became clear the messages were becoming inappropriate, the teenager drew him in just enough to ensure he incriminated herself.

Warner, of Bedford Road, Birkdale, then began to panic - first accusing the girl of lying, then saying it was just a bit of fun, and then pleading with her to delete the messages.

The girl showed the messages to her mum, who reported Warner to police.

At first Warner tried to deny everything to officers, claiming it was "bulls***" and that he thought he was chatting to the girl's mum.

But his excuses soon collapsed when it was clear from the messages he knew exactly how old the girl was.

Warner, a self-employed heating engineer, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday) to be sentenced.

Prosecutor Tom Watson said: "The messages were manipulated by the defendant to become sexual in nature, such as asking to exchange pictures.

"However the girl was astute enough to suspect he was a paedophile and gave him an opportunity to provide further evidence of this.

"She definitely had a level of awareness he was trying to draw her into sexual communications.

"She was one step ahead of him."

The court heard the incident had had a "significant impact" on the victim, leaving her anxious and causing her to lose weight and become withdrawn.

Jeremy Rawson, defending, said Warner now accepted responsibility for his actions and regretted them.

Mr Rawson said: "His mother is in long-term care at a nursing home with dementia. He is a decent man who has worked hard and assists his neighbours."

The judge, Recorder Ian Unsworth QC, told Warner: "From the outset you claimed you thought you were communicating with the girl's mother. This flies in the face of the evidence.

"You deliberately targeted a young girl - it was pre-planned, predatory sexual behaviour.

"You asked her for pictures, and offered pictures of yourself.

"She was a vulnerable, fragile child. Your motives were purely sexual and the messages were of a vile nature.

"When the game was up, you suggested she was lying, pretended it was a joke, and then pretended you didn't know the age of the victim when you knew you were dealing with a girl of 13."

Warner was jailed for 12 months, of which he must serve half and the rest on licence. He was also put on the sex offenders' register and given a restraining order, both lasting 10 years.

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A twisted sexual predator took a teenage woman's knickers as a trophy after trying to rape her.

Shakur Valentino put his hand over the mouth of the 18-year-old victim "to silence her protests" as she screamed for help only for a friend to intervene.

But after he was arrested, he was released by police and just weeks later raped a gran near London's Piccadilly Circus.

Valentino was previously jailed for 12 years, with an extended five years on licence, for raping that woman, who was in her 60s.

Today he was hit with a further five and a half years in jail, with an extended two years, for the attempted rape of his first victim.

Judge Louise Brandon said "a disturbing feature" of both cases was that he "took trophies in the form of items as a reminder of your offending".

Valentino, 23, from St Helens, denied raping the teenager, but on the day she was due to give pre-recorded evidence for a trial, admitted attempted rape.

Philip Astbury, prosecuting, said: "It's an attempted rape that comes as close to the full offence as the prosecution say could be imagined."

Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim and two friends met Valentino, then 21, on a night out in St Helens in the early hours of December 9, 2018.

Mr Astbury said the woman and Valentino "were attracted to one another" and the group got a taxi back to the victim's dad's house.

At around 5.30am, the victim and Valentino went into a bedroom and had sex, but they stopped, she put on a dressing gown and left the room.

She told her friends she was "tired" and keen to get some sleep before getting up for work, but when she returned to bed, Valentino "wanted more sex".

Mr Astbury said: "She told him no as she was tired... the defendant refused to take no for an answer."

He said Valentino forced her onto her back and she "protested and told him no, she wanted to go to sleep", but he climbed on top of her.

She tried to fight him off but he was "simply too strong" and when she cried out "he placed his hand over her mouth" to "silence her protests".

Mr Astbury said she believed he raped her, but the prosecution after consulting with the victim took the "pragmatic decision" to accept he didn't.

He said a friend heard her cries and entered the room to find Valentino on top of her.

Valentino "jumped up" and the victim escaped, so frightened that she "ran from the house wearing only her dressing gown and hid behind a parked van in the street".

Her friend confronted Valentino, who accused the victim of being "mental" and left before police arrived.

Officers arrested him nearby, but he claimed any sex was consensual and the victim was "off her head" on alcohol, cocaine and ketamine.

Mr Astbury said a toxicology report refuted these claims.

He said: "Officers found the complainant's knickers hidden in his boxer shorts."

The prosecutor added: "He did accept he had deliberately taken her knickers when getting dressed, but was unable to explain why he had done that."

Mr Astbury said the woman was now receiving counselling and revealed how the attack affected "how she sees others and how it affects her in public places".

Valentino was previously convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm in 2017.

In June 2019 he admitted two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, kidnapping and assault causing actual bodily harm, relating to an attack at around 3.30am on February 4, 2019.

Mr Astbury said Valentino pursued a cleaner walking to work through the west end of London and shouted at her.

He said Valentino grabbed her by the hair, dragged her into an alley and raped her, then threatened a homeless man who tried to intervene.

The rapist carried on but the witness raised the alarm and police arrested Valentino as he fled.

Valentino claimed that victim was a prostitute and any sex was consensual, but Mr Astbury said it was all captured on CCTV.

The footage showed him "hanging around" Piccadilly Circus for around an hour and approaching three other women.

Mr Astbury said this attack was around eight weeks after the first and it appeared Valentino had been released under investigation by police.

Judge Brandon raised Valentino taking clothing in both incidents, to which Cheryl Mottram, defending, confirmed he took the gran's leggings.

Ms Mottram suggested when police arrived the leggings were "taken more out of haste to escape than as a trophy or a trinket".

She said a psychiatric report made clear Valentino "suffered significant traumatic experiences" as a young child that impacted on his thinking.

Ms Mottram said: "There is of course the significant incident in relation to his grandmother, which caused the upheaval of the family being relocated. He had to change his name and he was initially in protective custody."

She said Valentino, who displayed "inappropriate behaviour" in school, was also "abused" by people meant to be looking after him and this was a case of "the abused becomes the abuser".

Ms Mottram said her client now accepted in the bedroom "it was almost like he had switched off to what she was saying to him".

She said he expressed "genuine remorse", his mum and siblings remain supportive, and he hoped to tackle his issues.

Judge Brandon told Valentino he made derogatory remarks about both victims after his attacks, which "disclosed your deep seated and disgraceful attitude to women and you thinking you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, when dealing with women".

The judge said having read the psychological report, she struggled to accept he was genuinely remorseful.

She said it was clear he had been affected by childhood traumas, adding: "You are a very damaged young man."

However, she said he was also "a very dangerous young man".

Judge Brandon said his behaviour was "impulsive and unpredictable", adding: "There remains a complete denial on your part that your actions on either occasion were wrong."

She said more than two years later, his first victim still struggled to sleep because of the "terrifying" attack and no longer stays over at her dad's home.

Judge Brandon said: "It is always on her mind and it continues to impact her ability to live in the way she should be able to do so."

The judge made the sentence consecutive to his existing term, meaning Valentino will have to serve almost 12 years at least behind bars, before he can apply for parole.

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An obsessed man who was in a sexual relationship with a schoolgirl threatened to throw acid in her face and stab her.

Michael Collins, 35, had only recently been released from prison when he started talking to the 15-year-old via Facebook last summer while she was trying to track down her biological mum.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today how Collins, of no fixed address, threatened to throw acid in the girl's face and threatened to stab her outside her school after becoming possessive over her.

A judge told 35-year-old Collins, that it was accepted by the prosecution that it was a loving and caring relationship in which you showed genuine affection for her.

The threats he made to the girl, who is from Newton-le-Willows, were hollow but his victim took them seriously, said Judge Neil Flewitt, QC.

Nicola Daley, prosecuting, said the couple began communicating a month after he was released from Hindley prison in August last year after being recalled to finish a previous sentence.

Their contact via FaceTime and their meetings, which included having sex while the girl was in her school uniform, came to light in November after she confided in a teaching mentor that she had slept with a much older man who was now behaving in an aggressive way.

The police were called and when interviewed she said they had argued earlier that day during the course of it he threatened to throw acid in her face.

Although she was concerned about threats he had made she remained in contact with him as they both wanted the relationship to continue.

She said things became difficult when he was off his head on drugs.

The girl told school staff they would drink vodka and take cocaine together and said she performed a sex act on him.

After daily contact by FaceTime, the girl said they first met at Hunts Cross station where a group of lads said she should not be with him because of her age but she claimed he was her uncle.

They had sex and the dad-of-three did not take any precautions saying he wanted her to have his baby.

Miss Daley said: That was a mutual wish.

He made threats about throwing acid and stabbing her after becoming jealous about other boys or after they had been drinking, smoking cannabis and taking cocaine.

After their relationship came to light the girl left the area, but on December 31 Collins turned up in a stolen car to see her at her new address.

When he realised a police helicopter was overhead he got out and said he would be back in a couple of minutes but did not return.

He was arrested the next day at his grandads home in Kirkby.

Miss Daley said: She is extremely torn and drawn to the defendant and in many ways wishes for the relationship to be allowed to continue.

It appears he had genuine affection for her.

Stuart Mills, defending, said that the girl had not been scared of Collins, who had maintained a loving relationship with her. It was a loving caring relationship in which both sides were happy to engage.

He has done wrong because of the age difference and he will be punished for that.

Their contact initially began after he was released from prison and was feeling lonely and isolated, said Mr Mills. He intends to move away from Merseyside when freed and make a fresh start elsewhere.

Collins had pleaded guilty to six offences involving sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was jailed for five years and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The judge also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A convicted paedophile was caught living with his new partner and her children who had no idea of his sinister past.

Despite this breach, Dylan King was sent to back to jail again for a further breach, which once again involved not telling police where he lived.

King was previously jailed last June after he 'disappeared' for seven months.

He was eventually found living a woman and her children after meeting her on a dating app.

King hadn't told the woman about his sickening past and when she found out she was 'angry and disgusted'.

The 30-year-old was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register and jailed for two years and three months in 2012 for sexual activity with a child under 16 years of age.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday after the court heard he had moved without informing police within three days of his new address.

Louise Santamera, prosecuting, explained on February 22 last year King was released from prison after previously breaching the same order.

He then moved without telling police, Ms Santamera said, but King claims a Merseycare staff member said they would tell police the new address.

Ms Santamera said that due to his previous breaches it "must be abundantly clear he and he alone is responsible for attending the police station to provide these details".

Gary Lawrenson, defending, said this was not accepted and it was an "unintentional act of forgetfulness".

King has eight previous convictions, a number of which are failing to comply with notification requirements.

These arose after his 'disappearance' from Merseyside for seven months.

When he was eventually found King was living in Teesside with a woman he had met on a dating app and her children, all of whom had no idea of his sinister past.

He had mentioned to the woman he had been in trouble with the police and had served time, but didn't explain he was a registered sex offender.

A court heard he had placed the children at "serious risk" after being left alone with them "numerous" times.

There was no evidence any offence had been committed against the woman's children.

Mr Lawrenson today said: "The gist of the probation update is positive in that he is making steps to address his issues."

Mr Lawrenson said King is "trying to make some progress" in addressing his mental health issues.

He said: "I think it will be right to say in the past his response has been pretty awful so [the probation service] are quite impressed with his positive attitude in recent times."

King, of Grey Road, Walton, admitted failing to comply with his notification requirements.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: "Regrettably on numerous occasions you have failed to notify the police of any change of address."

The judge said it was "difficult to determine whether this was a deliberate act of an unintentional act of forgetfulness".

King was jailed for one year.

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A 'sweating' and 'fully naked' pervert ogled a group of teens from his balcony as he performed a sex act on himself.

A horrified onlooker witnessed Trevor Smith performing the sex act while looking at a group of around nine teenagers on March 18 this year.

She said she "felt physically sick" and called police, who discovered the 50-year-old sweating profusely and "out of breath" as pornography played from his mobile phone.

Chris Hopkins, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court, explained the disgusted onlooker lived in an adjacent apartment block and "at about 9.50pm was alerted to a noise in the street".

Mr Hopkins said: "She looked out her window and saw a group of about nine teens, male and female, were walking along in the street.

"She then noticed this defendant hanging out of his window."

Mr Hopkins said he was "well known" by neighbours and the woman recognised him.

Smith had his hand on the window ledge and was "leaning over the window ledge looking towards the ground".

The woman saw when Smith stepped back from the balcony that he was "fully naked" with his "boxer shorts pulled down to his knees".

Mr Hopkins said Smith appeared to be performing a sex act on himself.

He said: "She was horrified and felt physically sick, especially because the group of kids walking passed and he was looking out towards them."

She said it was "disgusting" and near a busy road, adding "anybody could have seen what he was doing".

The horrified woman called police, who arrived to find Smith "wearing a towel", "out of breath" and "sweating".

They searched his bedroom and discovered a bag of cannabis and noted that on his mobile phone "pornography was visibly on display".

On June 19, 2012 Smith was handed a 12-month conditional discharge for outraging public decency.

He was handed a community order for three years in June 2016 for a similar offence which he later breached by failing to comply and for drug and drink driving, for which he was locked up for three months.

On October 24, 2019 he was handed a 26 week sentence suspended for two years after he was found "intoxicated in a lift at a train station thrusting his hips towards a cleaner's cone" which was witnessed by members of the public.

He breached this suspended sentence by committing the offence on March 18 and was remanded into custody. He will also have to serve part of the 2019 sentence that was suspended.

Mark Philips, defending, emphasised it was unlikely the group of teenagers would have seen Smith as he lived on one of the higher floors and it was late at the time of the offence.

He said: "He tells me he has looked at himself whilst in prison and realises his whole offending has been related to drug abuse."

Mr Philips said Smith has started a drug awareness course and he now wants to "start his life".

He explained Smith had completed his suspended sentence in part and carried out Rehabilitation Activity Requirements.

Smith, of Hall Street, St Helens, admitted possession of cannabis, exposure and breaching his suspended sentence order.

Judge Stuart Driver, sentencing, said the offences were aggravated because "you were focused on the group of teenagers when you committed this offence" and because of his criminal record.

The judge jailed him for 10 months.

Smith must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Description

He sent the girl a 55 second video clip of him touching himself and said, Do you want daddy, baby?

A retired Cammell Lairds worker engaged in filthy online conversations with a 13-year-old girl hoping they could meet up.

Colin Robinson, 75, encouraged the child to bunk off school, sent her an indecent video of himself and said he wanted to seduce her.

When told she lived in Manchester, he replied: "You are now in big trouble, its just down the M57."

But unknown to the Wirral grandad he was actually communicating with an undercover officer going by the name of Lucy, posing as the school girl.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he has no previous sexual convictions and is now remorseful and ashamed, but Judge Gary Woodhall told bald Robinson: "Only a custodial sentence can be justified."

Robinson, of Borough Road, Seacombe, had pleaded guilty to five offences involving attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, attempting to incite a child to engage in a sexual act and attempted sexual communication.

He had initially pleaded not guilty and had been due to stand trial in August but changed his pleas.

Paulus Barnes, prosecuting, told how the offences took place between September 12 and 18, 2019. The undercover officer set up a decoy profile on Kik Messenger using the handle Lulu Girly Girl and also set up Gmail and Skype accounts.

On September 12 that year she logged onto a free to use site called Chat To You. Mr Barnes said: "She received a private message from Aged Mariner, 66 years from Merseyside. She told him she was only 13 and he said 'Mmm that is so hot xxxYou are lovely'."

She accepted a friend request from him which also displayed the name Colin Robbo and he began sexualised conversations with her.

Mr Barnes said: "He wanted to seduce her.

"The officer told him she was still at school but off school. He asked her to touch herself and began instructing her to masturbate herself."

He made various other highly sexualised remarks and asked if he could call her. He said he had spent the weekend fishing and playing golf but had been thinking about her which had aroused him.

Robinson made similar comments in other conversations and told her what he wanted to do to her and asked her to miss school but when she said she could not travel to him he became aggressive and dominating.

The next day he apologised but continued telling her what he wanted to do sexually with her, said Mr Barnes.

He sent her a 55-second video clip of him touching himself and said: "Do you want daddy, baby?"

Robinson was identified and traced and interviewed on October 21 and confirmed he used the Chat To You site under the name Aged Mariner, but said he thought the site was for adults only.

Mr Barnes said: "He said if he had been chatting to someone 13 he would have told them to find someone of their own age."

He maintained he did not recall speaking to anyone aged 13 and when told he had been speaking to an undercover officer he said he had been entrapped.

The court heard that he has six previous convictions for 13 offences involving dishonesty, with the last one in 1978.

Judge Woodhall told Robinson: "You have expressed disgust at your behaviour and said you are ashamed. When interviewed you continued to deny sexual gratification. That is utter nonsense."

He said he accepted he has health problems, has no similar convictions and that the delay in the case reaching sentence was not entirely Robinson's fault.

But Judge Woodhall ruled that it was so serious there had to be an immediate jail sentence.

The judge said the chat conversations "from the outset were highly sexualised".

He said the grandad had encouraged her "to bunk off school" and "made reference to the fact she lived a short distance away down the motorway no doubt implying you could meet".

Zahra Baqri, defending, had told the court: "My client is utterly disgusted with his actions over those few day in 2019. He accepts he is at real risk of being sentenced to immediate imprisonment but I invite you to suspend the term."

She said: "He accessed dating applications on the computer in order to speak to adult women so his original use was legitimate.

"He accepts he did think and knew he was talking to a 13-year-old child and continued with these communications. He accepts that."

Ms Baqri pointed out that there was no real victim and no sexual activity took place between them.

She said: In his probation report he speaks about feeling confusion and shame.

"He had started employment at the age of 15 and worked for Cammell Lairds for 50 years. He has a strong close family including siblings, children and their offspring."

She added: "He unreservedly apologises for the humiliation and upset he has caused his family. He apologies for his vile and scandalous behaviour."

Robinson was jailed for two years.

He was also ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same length of time.

Description

A fairground security guard slapped and groped the bottoms of two teenage girls in "sinister" attacks.

Former doorman Paul Long worked at a temporary funfair when it came to Birkenhead Road in Seacombe.

But the "large and physically imposing" 59-year-old preyed on two children in separate incidents on the same evening.

He slapped the bottom of a 15-year-old girl while giving her first aid, then laughed in her face and followed after her.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he then trapped a second girl, 14, on a Waltzer ride and grabbed her bottom, before squaring up to her dad when he arrived.

Long was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault after a trial, when the girls had to go through the ordeal of giving evidence and reliving the attacks.

Judge Brian Cummings, QC, today said the factual basis upon which he would sentence Long was "one I am myself sure of, having heard the evidence".

He said Long "took advantage" of the access to children he had as a funfair security guard to commit the crimes.

Judge Cummings added: "I also note that you are a large and physically imposing man."

Long, now 61, of Huddleston Close, Woodchurch, Birkenhead, struck twice on Thursday, March 28, 2019.

Judge Cummings said the first girl "cut her foot quite badly getting off one of the rides" and was told to go and see Long, who she asked for a plaster.

The cut continued to bleed so she went back for a second plaster, this time alone, when she accepted Long's offer to help by putting it on her foot.

The judge said: "You then slapped her on the bottom and started laughing."

The girl walked back to a group of friends, but Long followed after her, stopping if she looked at him, and only left when she reached her friends.

Judge Cummings said: "It was rather sinister."

The second girl went on the Waltzers with her male cousin, but when they sat down in a car, Long got in and sat between them for no apparent reason.

Judge Cummings said she felt "uncomfortable" and wanted to get off, but he wouldn't let her and the ride started.

The judge told Long she was "struggling to breathe and nearly started crying", but he asked her age and when she said 14, "you expressed surprise and said you would kiss her if she were older".

The pervert asked if she wanted him to kiss her before grabbing her bottom, when her cousin saw she was crying.

Long held a safety bar down "to prevent her getting away" - during which time the judge said she was "trapped in" - but the girl managed to squeeze out and the two children ran off.

"Very upset and hyperventilating", she called her dad, who drove immediately to the fair.

Judge Cummings said: "You approached in an aggressive manner. You had the effrontery to get in his face so to speak and push him back."

The judge said "surprisingly" Long didn't face a separate charge over that "physical confrontation", but it was an aggravating feature.

He said: "It highlights, I'm afraid, your complete absence of remorse."

Judge Cummings said Long denied any wrongdoing in his police interviews and at trial.

He told him: "You said the witnesses were all lying. They weren't - you were."

David Birrell, prosecuting, said the girls described the impact of the attacks in video interviews in the autumn of 2019.

The first girl said she had "pushed it to the back of her mind".

However, she said: "I do get a bit wary when I'm walking around, when I'm on my own. I'll have people walk me home."

The second girl said the attack made her feel "crap", adding: "I don't like going out. I go out with my mum and dad, but I have only been out twice."

Long has 10 previous convictions for 13 offences, mainly for dishonesty in his youth.

He was last convicted in January 2017 of causing death by careless driving, when he had tried to help a drunk man.

Long pulled over after seeing Aso Azzizi collapsed outside The Crown pub in Birkenhead, at around 2am, on January 31, 2015.

He checked the 30-year-old was okay, who started walking off down Conway Street, and got back in his Ford Mondeo, parked on the other side of the road.

Long decided to do a U-turn, but "didn't look properly" in his mirrors to check it was safe and failed to indicate.

Renault Megane driver Kieran Platt - speeding at around 60mph in the 30mph zone - came up behind and clipped the front of the Mondeo.

The impact sent the Megane spinning to the opposite side of the road, where it hit Mr Azzizi, throwing him into metal railings.

Platt, then 21, from Prenton, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for four years.

Long received a community order with unpaid work for the lesser offence.

John Weate, defending, said that case had "a lasting effect" on Long.

He told the court his client continued to deny the sex attacks.

Mr Weate said there were "troubles" in Long's family background, which led to his offending as a youth.

He said Long then worked until 2017 without any convictions and as part of his job in the security industry, stopped many illegal activities.

The lawyer said: "He's a man who can become very emotional at times.

"He's suffered difficulties through the break-up of relationships, there's been estrangements from his children, who are now adults, albeit he has a close and loving relationship with one of his sons."

Mr Weate said despite "strain" on his current relationship of nearly a decade, his partner had remained "supportive".

He said Long was considered a "low risk of further offences" and argued it would be of benefit to society if he was rehabilitated, rather than jailed.

Judge Cumming said there was a "breach of trust" as Long's job was to ensure the safety of visitors to the fair.

He said he was "the very person that the victims in this case should have been able to turn to if sexually assaulted in the fairground, not the person committing these assaults".

The judge jailed Long for eight months, who looked at his girlfriend in the public gallery and shook his head.

Long must sign the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Description

Mark Jacobson, of Washington Parade, Bootle was also made to sign the sex offender's list and hit with a restraining order

A monster who raped a child and forced them to watch sexual acts has been jailed for 16 years.

Mark Jacobson, 44, of Washington Parade, Bootle, was found guilty of 16 counts of serious child sex offences.

These include two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape and multiple counts of sexual activity with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Today, at Liverpool Crown Court, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Jacobson was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and was issued with a restraining order and sex offender notification requirement.

Detective Constable Lucy Emmett said: Jacobson is a dangerous individual and he will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars where he can no longer pose a risk to children.

Merseyside Police is committed to protecting children from sexual exploitation and those who seek to do them harm.

I would urge anyone who has been a victim of child abuse, or thinks a child is being abused, to contact police immediately, where a report can be made in confidence.

Similarly if you have suffered a sexual offence and can find the courage to come forward, we will take your report extremely seriously and investigate it thoroughly.

Description

The "danger to women" pretended to comfort the child just after she had been sick then raped her

A predatory paedophile raped a little girl who had just been sick when he was pretending to comfort her.

Philip Jones was branded a "danger to women" after he made thousands of searches on internet rape sites, then spiked a victim's drink.

The former soldier was caught by a doorman at a Wirral pub putting powder into a woman's drink so he could sexually assault her in 2013.

Jones, who also downloaded child sex abuse images, was jailed for five years, with an extended three years on licence, in 2014.

Last December he was sent back to prison for hiding a mobile phone from police, after secretly working as a maintenance man in family homes.

But today it emerged that the 59-year-old had also raped and molested a little girl prior to his arrest in 2013.

That abuse only came to light when the child revealed last May that she had been living with the trauma for nearly a decade.

She sat with her mum holding her hand at Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon, when Jones was produced on a video link from prison.

Eric Lamb, prosecuting, said: "She explained that she wanted to disclose the offending for several years and she felt the burden of carrying the secret.

"The defendant told her she must not say anything to her mother and she was scared of being reprimanded so chose to say nothing.

"But it had been on her mind for many years and she said she wanted to 'get this off my chest'."

The court heard the girl was "confused" when first sexually assaulted by Jones and on a second occasion she had just vomited.

Jones pretended to comfort the child but raped her, when she cried and said he was hurting her, so he stopped.

Mr Lamb said Jones also raped her on another occasion and in a fourth incident he performed a sex act on her.

When interviewed last July, he gave a prepared statement and denied any of the abuse.

However, after several court hearings, Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault.

The girl said at first she didn't want to write a victim statement and just wanted to concentrate on her education.

Summarising a statement, Mr Lamb said she worried about "everyone at school" finding out what happened.

He said if the girl smelled the same body wash that Jones wore, memories of her abuse came flooding back.

Sometimes if stressed she said it would "pop into her mind" and she would start crying.

The girl said: "It makes me feel really sad."

The victim added she was "confused and scared" because Jones told her not to tell anyone.

Jones, of Poulton Road, Seacombe, and formerly of Trafalgar Road, Birkenhead, has previous convictions including wounding in 1990.

He became a HGV driver after leaving the Army and in 1996, for a sexual offence now classed as rape, he was jailed for three and a half years.

Jones targeted the 24-year-old woman at The Tap in Charing Cross, Birkenhead in February 2013, using nitrazapam - prescribed for insomnia and related to date rape drug Rohypnol.

When the then 52-year-old's computer was seized and examined, 183 indecent images of children were found, along with extreme porn.

He had searched the internet using the term "date rape" on 52 occasions and visited a rape site 23,500 times.

Jones admitted administering noxious substances for facilitating sexual activity and 15 offences involving downloading and possessing indecent images and extreme porn.

He was jailed for 20 months in December for failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register and breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Police raided his home on November 4, when they found a secret phone hidden behind a kitchen cupboard.

He has since been recalled on the licence of his 2014 sentence, which isn't due to expire until June 2022.

Rebecca Smith, defending, today said Jones accepted he would receive a long prison sentence.

She said: "He understands the difficulties, embarrassment, the distress and the misery his offending has caused."

Ms Smith added: "He knows now that his behaviour on these occasions was selfish and he hadn't considered the wider impact of his behaviour."

The barrister said Jones had undertaken courses to address his offending, recognised the "demons" he had to live with and apologised to his victim.

Judge David Swinnerton said the girl had been "scared" to disclose the "disgraceful abuse" committed against her.

The judge said Jones now said he recognised the distress he caused and apologised, but in all the courses he had attended due to his earlier sexual offending, he didn't disclose these crimes and when the child did, he initially denied them, "so your remorse doesn't appear to have been very strong at that point".

He said the girl described her distress at remembering the pain of the abuse and added: "I have no doubt that as a memory that will not go away, no matter how well she manages to cope with it."

Judge Swinnerton said one rape was when the girl was "particularly vulnerable" after being ill.

He said: "You acted as a predatory paedophile when the opportunity presented itself to you."

Judge Swinnerton jailed him for 13 and a half years, with an extended five years on licence.

Jones must serve at least nine years behind bars before he can apply for parole and will only be released then if he is no longer considered to be a risk.

He must sign on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a SHPO for life.

Judge Swinnerton turned to the girl after Jones was sent down and said: "Thank you for your bravery in coming forward and in coming [to court] today."

Description

A serial child rapist forced girls to pose for semi naked pictures during his catalogue of abuse against them.

Sick Stephen Rafferty committed abhorrent acts against three children who were all under 14.

When one girl bit the vile paedophile he punched her and called her "Satan's child", swearing her to silence.

The now 27-year-old was convicted by a jury of 13 sexual offences against the children, including nine counts of rape.

He had previously admitted six counts of sexual assault against the victims.

Judge David Swinnerton, sentencing Rafferty today at Liverpool Crown Court, said with his first victim he began "massaging her" before he touched her inappropriately and began to rape her repeatedly.

He said: "She first felt scared and threatened and didn't say anything."

The judge explained Rafferty had been tried and found not guilty of sexual offences when he was a child.

Judge Swinnerton said: "I mention it because as a result you knew it was very wrong to commit sexual offences."

In a statement his first victim said that she struggled with "feeling ashamed of myself for allowing it to happen and not fighting back".

She said: "I live with it every day. It continued to stay with me long after the abuse stopped.

"He has taken away my sense of self, my sense of security. I feel so violated."

The victim said she had since self harmed and suffered with an eating disorder .

Judge Swinnerton said: "A substantial part of the effect on her and the difficulties she has had was due to you.

"The impact on her life has been devastating."

The judge ruled that Rafferty's monstrous actions had caused "serious psychological harm" to all of his victims.

With his other two victims the court heard he used "grooming behaviour" and "would play games" which then became sexual abuse and rape.

Judge Swinnerton, referring to his second victim, said: "You started touching her and told her she couldn't tell anyone."

Sick Rafferty told the girl it was "all your fault" and would regularly abuse her.

She said: "Sometimes I asked him to stop at first but he wouldn't and there was no use."

As well as raping the child he would force her to perform sex acts on him sometimes three or four times a week and would take his phone out and "take pictures of her body" while she wore a top and no bottoms.

Judge Swinnerton said when his third victim was interviewed by police she was "unable to speak" but wrote down "Stephen forced me to have sex with him".

As Rafferty raped the third girl she bit his penis and he "punched her, telling her she was Satan's child" and told her to "never tell anybody else", claiming it was "natural".

The vile paedophile told the girl "the world would be better without me" and said she was to blame for his sick crimes.

As a child the girl was diagnosed with anxiety and depression and said: "I struggled to copy and used to self harm."

Rafferty's third victim, in a personal statement, also said she had tried to take her own life on two separate occasions and has been diagnosed with PTSD.

She said: "It felt like my world was crashing around me."

The victim said: "It is so scary to know people have the audacity to try and ruin people's lives for their own joy."

The judge said he accepted Rafferty, of Russell Road, Mossley Hill, has mental health difficulties including Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD and "possibly Asperger's" and had a "very tough time as a child".

Judge Swinnerton said: "You have accepted limited responsibility."

The judge explained that when asked in a probation interview if he was a risk to children Rafferty replied: "In an ideal world I would want to say no but I can't say that."

The court heard his grandparents described him as having "qualities of generosity" and having "shown a work ethic".

As he sentenced Rafferty, Judge Swinnerton said: "You have committed extremely serious offences which have had a devastating effect on three young women."

Martine Snowdon prosecuted the case on the behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Jenny Tallentire, defending, said there was "hope" Rafferty "could be rehabilitated" having "made some extremely frank admissions to the probation officer".

She explained he had experienced a "difficult upbringing", adding "it is not an excuse, there are many others who have had a difficult upbringing".

Rafferty admitted six counts sexual assault against a child and was convicted following a trial on January 11 of two counts of assault by penetration of a child, nine counts of rape of a child and two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child.

Judge Swinnerton said Rafferty was a "dangerous" offender and jailed him for 20 years, with an extended five years on licence.

This type of sentence means he will spend at least two thirds of the custodial term behind bars.

Rafferty will then only be released before the end of his sentence if a parole board considers he is no longer a risk.

He was also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life and must sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Description

A top maths teacher groomed and sexually exploited a vulnerable schoolgirl during a sickening campaign of manipulation.

Richard Chipchase once locked his victim in a storeroom when she refused to hug him and tried to win her over with cigarettes, McDonald's meals and car rides.

It was during one of those lifts that he sexually assaulted her.

Chipchase abused his position to target the girl while he was head of maths at Woodchurch High.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he initially singled the pupil out for preferential treatment, allowing her to get away with not doing homework and offering her access to his treat-filled storeroom.

Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, said: He let her listen to music in the classroom, caught her smoking but didnt report her and started to buy her cigarettes.

"He would compliment her on her looks, telling her that she was pretty and would hug her at any given opportunity."

After concerns were raised about his behaviour towards the girl he passed her his mobile number while she sat a mock exam - sparking text conversations that would take place every day.

From this point he started to buy alcohol and cigarettes for her and giving her lifts.

He left her terrified when he once refused to let her leave his store room without hugging him, with Miss Mottram telling the court: He was saying to her that he wouldnt let her out until she gave him a hug.

"The space was only small and she recalls feeling really scared. When he eventually did unlock the door another maths teacher was stood outside. The defendant told her that the girl was just calming down.

After this incident she reports that her view of her relationship with Mr Chipchase changed. She began to feel that it was wrong.

On another occasion he placed his hand up her skirt and assaulted her while giving her a lift. He simply laughed at her when she pushed it away.

Miss Mottram added: From then on that he became more tactile with her, hugging her more, stroking her arm and back, kissing the top of her head.

"These acts were always out of the view of the other students and teachers in his classroom or in the store cupboard... Throughout the time at the school the defendant would write her letters, give her books and DVDs.

"He once gave her a book which he had written inside the cover 'I hope you enjoy this, love R' with a kiss. He bought her bits of jewellery and other small trinkets.

In an impact statement the victim told how his behaviour had an impact on her mental health and affected her relationship with her parents.

It also affected her maths grades although she has since been able to catch up.

The court heard she felt no one understood her and that the grooming had an ongoing effect on her.

Chipchase's campaign came to end when concerns were raised about inappropriate behaviour by him towards another schoolgirl.

This sparked an investigation by the Independent Safeguarding Authority and Chipchase was dismissed from the school and his teaching licence revoked.

The police were told but the victim did not tell them about the abuse in his car and they left matters to the school to deal with, Miss Mottram said.

Last year the victim contacted Wirral Council and Chipchase, now 55 and of Welford Avenue in Prenton, was interviewed by police during which he denied behaving inappropriately.

He was today jailed for 27 months after he pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child.

Steven Swift, defending, said after his client's behaviour came to light he proffered his resignation but it was not accepted and he was instead dismissed and his teaching licence revoked.

Mr Swift said Chipchase has since rebuilt his life with a new career and has a partner and son and no other convictions.

The initial investigation into his actions led to the loss of his home and bankruptcy, he said, adding: It took him 18 months to really start his life afresh. He is held in high regard and has built his life anew. He has expressed remorse and regret, he said.

Judge Gary Woodhall told Chipchase: You abused and manipulated your position of trust in order to groom and then exploit this vulnerable young girl over a number of years for your own sexual gratification... You targeted her because you identified her as vulnerable.

He ordered Chipchase to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years.