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Description

A trans-identified pedophile has avoided prison for a second time because of his “identity,” despite breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that was in place due to his previous child sex offenses.

Peter Selby, 71, first appeared in court in June of 2022 and was found guilty on three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The sex offender had a stash of 125,000 disturbing child sexual abuse images and videos on his computer, some of which featured children as young as three-years-old, and at least one featuring an adult engaging in bestaility. He had previously been sent to prison for four months in 1992, after being convicted on two counts of indecent assault.

Despite the fact that the judge at the time could have sentenced him to a maximum of 10 years in prison for his crimes, he instead received a slap on the wrist sentence of just 14 months, to be suspended for two years. The judge claimed that if Selby, who identified as transgender, was put in prison, the “impact of custody would be significant” for him, thus she determined he was safer living in the community, where he was determined by a pre-sentencing report to be “manageable.”

Along with his suspended sentence, Selby was placed on the sex offenders register and made to sign a SHPO, stopping him from using any in-private browsing on his computer, or downloading VPN software that could hide his crimes, for the next 10 years. The lenient sentence prompted outrage at the time, prompting Conservative peer Baroness Nicholson to call for a review. She condemned the decision as representative of a “disregard” for child safety and speculated whether the judge had “overlooked” matters of child protection. Despite the uproar, Selby’s sentence remained suspended.

But less than a year later, in March of 2023, police visited Selby’s home to conduct a risk review, and discovered that Selby had downloaded VPN software intended to conceal his internet activity. Selby pled guilty to a breach of his SHPO, and appeared in front of Judge Robert Adams, wearing lipstick and with visible fake breasts, at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday.

Selby claimed that he had health difficulties, including problems with his memory, and told the court that he had no memory of downloading the VPN software to his laptop. No new child sexual abuse images were discovered on his laptop.

“A VPN had been downloaded, which was active and could be used to mask internet identity or IP address when accessing sites on the internet,” Judge Adams said. “For obvious reasons, bearing in mind your previous convictions, that was a requirement of the SHPO, to make it difficult, if you were tempted, to re-offend in the way you had before.”

Even though Adams found he breached the SHPO, Selby’s transgender status enabled him to stay out of custody again.

“You have been wearing women’s clothing for the last 30 years,” Adams said. “Your family has distanced themselves from you as a result. You have no history of drug use and no drinking since 2013,” he continued. Because Selby had not offended again in the last two years, and that he would “undoubtedly be at risk of physical or sexual assault in custody because of [his] presentation in a male prison,” he got off with a 10 month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with a £100 fine and rehabilitation program requirements.

This is not the first time a trans-identified male pedophile has been allowed to walk free in the United Kingdom.

As previously reported by Reduxx, a trans-identified male who was convicted of possessing horrific child abuse material, some of which was in the most severe classification, was spared jail time after the court stated he was “cooperative” during proceedings. Tanya Howes, 66, was allowed to walk free despite living adjacent to a children’s park.

Howes pleaded guilty in May of 2023 to three counts of “possessing indecent photographs of a child” and a separate charge for possessing 100 “extreme” and “grossly offensive” pornographic images and videos. Of the images in Howes’ possession, 29 were classified as Category C, 17 as Category B, and 39 as Category A, which is the most serious type of child sexual abuse media. Images and video in this category can depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality, and/or sexual sadism.

The Eastern Daily Press, which referred to Howes by “she/her” pronouns, reported that the Norwich Magistrates Court acknowledged that some of the children in the photos possessed by Howes were being subjected to “horrific acts.”

Despite the severity of the crime, the magistrates decided to allow Howes to remain free in the community as they handed him a 12 month suspended jail term. 

Description

A sexual predator who thought he was messaging a child has been snared by a paedophile hunting group.

David Bloomfield, 56, believed he was engaging in a chat with a 14-year-old girl but it was in fact a decoy account set up by Yorkshire Predator Hunters. Newcastle Crown Court heard the account, named Olivia, received a request from the defendant and they began to chat.

The court was told 'Olivia' made it clear she was 14 years old and the pair would speak most days. The conversation became more sexual with the defendant stating she could kiss him.

The defendant, of Craster Gardens, Wallsend, also stated they would have sex when they met up and sent her Ann Summers pictures of underwear and bikinis he wanted her to wear. He stated he would 'peel it off her', the court heard.

He also sent images of his penis and told her not tell her parents about the relationship. He then asked Olivia to meet up with him and arranged for a date in October 2022.

The court heard on that day, the defendant was detained outside his address by members of Yorkshire Predator Hunters and police were called.

On sentencing, Recorder Peter Makepeace said: "I accept in this case, there is a feature that is not uncommon in these cases, you are generally isolated with limited skills to develop and maintain relationships. You present as an isolated, lonely, and rather naïve, certainly unsophisticated individual.

"You were arrested for these offences a considerable time ago which has increased your isolation and you have been largely isolated from your family and lost your accommodation."

Bloomfield pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Description

Two Newcastle perverts caught distributing and making indecent images and videos of children believed it was a "joke", a court heard.

Abdullah Hamood, 28, and Essa Oghul, 45, were caught with a number of indecent images and videos after police seized their mobile phones.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Northumbria Police had received intelligence that a Facebook account linked to Oghul sent an indecent category A video to Hamood in January 2021. In December 2022 Oghul was arrested for an unrelated matter and his phone was seized.

Hamood's property was then searched in January 2023 and his mobile phone was seized, the court was told, with both phones forensically examined.

The court heard on Oghul's phone four Category C indecent images of children were found, alongside one image and four videos of extreme pornography. One of the children was aged between two and four years, the court heard.

Seven Category A videos of children, three Category B indecent images and two Category C indecent images were found on Hamood's phone. The ages of the children were between seven and 15 years old.

It was also found Hamood had distributed six Category A images and videos of children via Whatsapp, while Oghul had distributed one Category C image of a child.

Hamood, of Walkerdene House, Walker, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. On sentencing Hamood, Recorder Makepeace said the defendant had no previous convictions.

Recorder Makepeace said he had read a presentence report and "rejected entirely" any suggestion that the defendant believed what he was doing was "culturally acceptable". He added: "I reject entirely any suggestion by you that you thought the distribution was a joke.

"Just think for one second how you would explain to a right thinking person it would be a joke. I'm satisfied that what you were doing was for sexual gratification. You don't believe a victim would be harmed in any way, they are real children."

Hamood was given a 20 months prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation days and 250 hours unpaid work.

Oghul, of Todds Nook, Newcastle, pleaded guilty one count of distributing a photograph, one count of making an indecent photograph and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. On sentencing Oghul, Recorder Makepeace said: "Again, there are similar, very worrying explanations. I do not accept that you shared these images as a joke.

"How any right thinking person would think it is a joke. You did it, I have no doubt, for your own sexual gratification."

Description

A PAEDOPHILE asked a “14-year-old schoolgirl” to send him naked pictures of herself in the bath after contacting her online.

Serial sex offender Robert Mellon thought he was speaking to an underage child called Ella.

But he was in fact chatting to paedophile hunters Dank Dragon carrying out a sting operation.

The 57-year-old from Newport has been in and out of prison for more than two decades after committing a string of crimes.

His latest offending happened this year between March and April, prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Cardiff Crown Court.

The teenager he thought he was contacting on social media was a decoy who had a fake profile picture of an underage girl.

His first message to her was: “Hi sexy!”

Miss Jackson said: “The defendant thought she was a 14-year-old girl from Cardiff.

“He asked her if she had a sexual boyfriend and the conversations carried on for a number of weeks.

“The defendant asked Ella if she shaved her genitalia and he told her she was beautiful and sexy.”

She added: “He talked to her in detail about having sex and asked for some pictures of her naked when she was in the bath.

“The defendant thought he was speaking to an actual 14-year-old girl.”

Mellon, of Church Road, Newport admitted attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He has 14 previous convictions for 27 offences.

In 2011 he was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 for which he was eventually jailed for breaching the community order imposed in that case.

Seven years later in 2018, he was sent to prison for 12 months for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

In May 2021, Mellon was locked up for 15 months for breaching an SHPO and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child by arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl.

That was another paedophile hunter operation.

A year later in May 2022 he was jailed for 12 months for breaching an SHPO and again for 16 months in February 2023 for the same offence.

“This latest offending was a serious and persistent attempt to breach the order,” Miss Jackson told the court.

“It is aggravated by his prevention convictions.”

Harry Baker for Mellon asked that his client be given full credit for his early guilty pleas.

Judge Paul Hobson told the defendant: “It is very plain to me that you are a paedophile whose sexual interest in children shows no sign of abating.”

Mellon was jailed for 32 months and told he would serve half of that time in custody before being released.

He will have to register as a sex offender and made the subject of an SHPO indefinitely.

Description

A serial city centre sex attacker who targeted a drunk student in a disturbing attack has been branded a danger and jailed.

Hosien Nedjad has repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted women on nights out in Newcastle in offences spanning almost a decade. Despite already being on the sex offenders register, he subjected a young woman who had become separated from her friends to a disgusting attack inside a bar.

Now, having evaded justice by fleeing to Germany for more than three years, the failed asylum seeker has finally been jailed and was told he is likely to be deported.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim was on a night out in Newcastle in 2019 when she ended up in Soho Room, on Mosley Street. By the early hours of the morning, she was drunk and had become separated from her friends.

Nedjad was in the same bar and sexually assaulted the student. Philip Morley, prosecuting, said: "He took the opportunity to put his hand, initially, down the front of her jeans and started to grab at her.

"She asked him not to and tried to push his hands away. However at this point he grabbed her arms and pushed her forward onto the bar and pulled her jeans further down."

After finishing his attack, Nedjad left the victim crying and distressed and she pulled her jeans back up. Forensic tests revealed Nedjad's DNA on her clothing.

In a victim impact statement, she said she finds it difficult to put her ordeal into words and she thinks about it every day. She has been left struggling with anxiety and has needed therapy and medication and struggles to sleep.

She added: "I relive the night so often but it still paralyses me." She added that she has been left questioning whether she is safe and has been "plagued by flashbacks so severe they have been mistaken for seizures".

She added: "The outside world is terrifying and exhausting. I can't feel safe or trust anyone ever again."

The court heard Nedjad was convicted of common assault against four women in 2011 at Beyond bar. He pulled one victim to the floor and punched her and when three of her friends intervened, he punched them too.

In 2013, he assaulted two women at the Magic Flame takeaway, in Newcastle, punching both of them in the face. Then in 2014, he sexually assaulted a woman in Newcastle city centre, pushing her against railings, molesting her and trying to pull her pants down despite her telling him to stop. He was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years after that offence.

While he was being investigated for the attack in Soho Rooms, he sexually assaulted a woman in Popworld, in Newcastle, lifting up her dress while he had his trousers unbuttoned.

For the Soho Rooms offence, Nedjad, of Brighton Grove, Newcastle, was found guilty of sexual assault after a trial in his absence and pleaded guilty to a Bail Act offence after going to Germany for three-and-a-half years, evading justice. He was found last year and sent back here.

Sentencing the 42-year-old to four years in prison with an extended licence period of a further four years and ordering to sign the sex offenders register for life, Judge Edward Bindloss said he poses a significant risk and is a dangerous offender.

He told him: "You took advantage of the fact she was on her own and in drink. She described the last five years as being in the prison of her own mind. This has had a significant and profound effect upon her."

He added: "You have relevant previous convictions. In all of them, you targeted females at night. You touched them either physically or sexually, even though they said no."

The court heard Nedjad came to this country in 2007 and had worked as a chef and Amazon driver. Judge Bindloss said he is a failed asylum seeker and is likely to be deported having been given a sentence of more than 12 months.

Andrew Walker, defending, said Nedjad is embarrassed and remorseful and has not consumed alcohol for three-and-a-half years. He added that he is a "capable and resourceful individual" with a good work ethic.

Description

A teenager downloaded hundreds of photos and videos of child abuse. Most of the indecent images found on Alan Mohammed's computer were in category A – the most serious type.

The 18-year-old, of Maesglas Crescent in Newport, pleaded guilty to the possession of 251 images in Category A, 52 in B, and 16 in C as well as 41 prohibited non-photographic images of children. He also admitted he was hoarding six extreme images showing "a person performing an act of intercourse with a live or dead animal".

Mohammed's offending took place between December 2022 and March 2024. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court where Judge Celia Hughes sentenced him to 30 weeks in a young offender institution suspended for 12 months. She also imposed 100 hours of unpaid work, 26 rehabilitation activity sessions, £200 in prosecution costs, a £41 victim services surcharge, and five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Mohammed must register as a sex offender for the next seven years. The judge ordered that the desktop computer where he stored the illicit images be destroyed.

Description

A 58-year-old man from Newport has been jailed for four years after he admitted sexually assaulting a child on the Isle of Wight.

Adrian Stone appeared at Isle of Wight Crown Court on Monday 13 January where he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a female and one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was sentenced to a total of four years in prison with an additional extended license period of four years at the same court on Thursday 3 April. He is also subject to a Restraining Order and a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Stone had made contact with a girl he knew under the age of 16 on 3 September 2024, messaging her out of the blue to suggest they go fishing together.

On 17 September, Stone picked up the girl in his car and took her for a drive unsupervised and without her parents’ consent.

At this time, Stone was subject to a SHPO – handed to him following a previous sexual offence conviction – which prohibited him from having unsupervised contact of any kind with any girl under the age of 16, without the consent of the child’s parent and on the proviso that the parent had knowledge of his previous conviction.

The girl was driven to a secluded location near the River Medina where Stone sexually assaulted her. He then drove her home, but refused to let her out of the car until she hugged him. The girl agreed, at which point Stone gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Stone continued to message the girl after the incident, but the girl subsequently disclosed the messages and the assaults to friends and family.

He was later arrested by police and initially denied everything in interview, before admitting to police that he had lied to officers about the messages to the victim.

However, he continued to deny the sexual assaults, but soon admitted these when he appeared in court.

Stone, of Horsebridge Hill in Newport, also pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communications with a child when he appeared before Magistrates on 11 November 2024.

Description

Thomas Dodds, 56, attacked his victim as she rested in bed after feeling unwell and vomiting earlier in the evening.

Specialist officers from the Force’s Safeguarding Department immediately launched an investigation after a friend of the victim swiftly reported the offence.

Dodds, of Thames Road, Hebburn, was arrested the same evening and denied the offence.

He was charged with rape and following a four-week long trial at Newcastle Crown Court in December, Dodds of Thames Road, Hebburn, was found guilty by a jury.

He appeared at the same court on Wednesday, where he was sentenced to eight years and six months behind bars.

Dodds has also been made subject to a 12-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender’s register.

Leading on the investigation was Detective Constable Amy Burridge, of Northumbria’s Rape Investigation Team.

Description

A sex offender from Newcastle has been jailed after a series of assaults on a victim in the 1990s.

Steve Hinchan's victim has been living with the impact of his crimes, but after she bravely reported the abuse to police, an investigation was launched in 2021, by the Northumbria Police Safeguarding Department.

Hinchan, 56, attended a police station to be interviewed, denying the allegations put towards him. Later in the year, he was charged with five counts of indecent assault, as the offences took place before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003.

He continued to deny the allegations during a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, and in November, a jury found him guilty of all offences. Last Friday, Hinchan, of Grosvenor Court, Newcastle, was handed a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, and he will also remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the sentencing, the victim said: "The term ‘historical’ does not accurately describe the abuse I endured, and I do not identify with the label ‘survivor.’ Both terms suggest that the abuse is confined to my past, but for me, the fear and anxiety remain an everyday reality.

"I feel perpetually trapped in states of fight, flight, and freeze, unable to fully escape the shadow of what happened. Since the day the abuse began, I have felt as though I’ve been infected with an incurable disease, as I lived in shame and secrecy, unable to share the full extent of the abuse with anyone.

"His words, that no-one would believe me, imprisoned me in a pit of silence for almost 30 years. I have now had to accept that no amount of therapy, medication or time will erase what he did to me.

"What was taken from me has altered the course of my life irreversibly. No sentence can undo this damage, but I hope this process will provide some finality, allowing me to begin a new chapter."

The officer leading the investigation, Detective Sergeant Barbara Callaghan, added: "I hope this case shows other people out there who may be hesitant to come forward that it’s never too late to seek justice.

"The victim battled with the consequences of Hinchan’s horrific crimes for most of her life, but bravely disclosed what happened to police, allowing us to take action. Her voice has now been heard loud and clear, and because of her that a dangerous man is in prison.

"No-one should have to go through anything like this, and I'd urge anyone who has been a victim of any form of sexual offending to reach out, whether it happened yesterday, or decades ago. There is no time limit on support, we’re here for you."

Description

A rapist has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of offences committed more than a decade ago.

Christopher Sams, 34, targeted his young victim for six years.

The victim reported the abuse in 2021, which saw officers in Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department launch an investigation.

During the investigation, Sams, of Kenton Road, North Shields, was arrested and denied all offences.

Christopher Sams (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE) He was later charged with eight counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

A week-long trial took place at Newcastle Crown Court in November, where Sams was found guilty by a jury on all counts.

He appeared at the same court on Friday (January 17) where he was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

He’s also been made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and has been placed on the sex offender’s register.

Leading on the investigation for Northumbria Police was Detective Constable Lucy Joyce.

Speaking after Sams sentencing, she said: “The courage and bravery shown by the survivor in this case is incredible, and I hope the lengthy prison sentence ahead of Sams allows them to find some degree of closure.

Description

A paedophile has been jailed for historical sexual offences he committed 30 years ago, thanks to the actions of his brave survivors. 

John Corby has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he targeted three young victims in the Newcastle area, subjecting them to appalling abuse.

The case came to light in November 2021, when one of Corby’s victims came forward to Northumbria Police.

This led officers from the Safeguarding Department to launch a comprehensive investigation.

In January 2022, Corby was interviewed and subsequently charged with two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault, and one count of gross indecency. He denied all the charges.

After an eight-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in September, the jury found Corby guilty on all counts.

On Monday, November 18, Corby, 66, of Hallow Drive, Throckley, Newcastle, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

He was also placed under a sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Description

A predator who raped a 14-year-old girl after grooming her online has been jailed for eight years.

Rhys Walker, 24, spent weeks messaging the teenager before he forced her to engage in sexual acts with him, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

He had denied rape and sexual assault but was found guilty of both offences by jurors.

Judge Tim Gittins said Walker, from West Boldon in South Tyneside, knew about and "preyed upon" the "particularly vulnerable" girl's age and her difficult home life.

'I can move on'

Walker was 21 when he befriended the girl on social media and quickly started sending her sexualised images, the court heard.

After three or four weeks he offered to let the girl stay at his home, jurors were told.

Judge Gittins said it appeared on the face of it to be an offer of sanctuary, but Walker was actually "seeking to get her alone" where he would be prepared to use force to have sexual activity with her.

In a statement read to the court, the girl said the attack had severely damaged her mental health and led to her self-harming, while she also suffered flashbacks and an inability to sleep.

"I am relieved people have believed me and I can get closure knowing he can't do this to anyone else," the girl said, adding: "I can finally start to move on with my life."

Walker, of Hall Gardens, must also sign the sex offender register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order limiting his use of internet-enabled devices for an indefinite period.

Description

A paedophile gave a young girl a wand he used for mixing paint to decorate Warhammer figures and told her you will figure it out, dont tell anyone. Nottingham Crown Court heard how police found a staggering 43,000 sick child abuse images and videos on Christopher Jollys mobile phone after they launched an investigation into his behaviour.

The 38-year-old former electrical engineer told officers he had been getting sexual pleasure from viewing the worst of the worst photos and films saying he had been visiting the dark web to download them for a number of years. Now he has been spared an immediate prison sentence for his perverted crimes.

Handing him an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, Recorder Helen Malcolm KC said: Clearly what makes this serious is her age and there were upwards of 43,000 indecent images. But set against that you were the first person to go to the police and say to them you had done something wrong and made admissions in interview.

David Allan, prosecuting, said the offences all happened earlier this year. He said: One of Mr Jollys hobbies was decorating Warhammer figurines and he had a wand which he used to mix the paint. He gave this to the victim and she asked him what it was for to which he replied you will figure it out, dont tell anyone knowing what he meant sexually".

The prosecutor said the girl told her father, who found and confronted the defendant, who denied giving her the item. Mr Allan said: He was arrested in May of this year and made extensive admissions. He was bailed and arrested again in late July and asked where his phone was. It was rung and found under his duvet and again in interview made extensive admissions.

He told them he had been accessing the dark web for a number of years to look at the images. He said he looked at the worst of the worst and they found a vast amount of indecent images of children.

There were 81 unique category A, 111 unique category B and 1,264 unique category B as well as 101 prohibited images of children which show cartoons or childrens faces imposed on to adult females. The police said there were over 43,000 images which were found but not categorised."

Jolly, of De Lacy Court, Ollerton, near Newark, pleaded guilty to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of possession of indecent images of children and possession of prohibited images of children. He has a previous three-year jail sentence for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on an ex-girlfriends new partner, Mr Allan said.

Victoria Rose, mitigating, said her client has been remorseful throughout and was full and frank with the police. She said: He just told her to have fun with it (the wand he used to mix paint for Warhammer models), she did not know what the object was for, and she did not use it and he did not give her any instructions.

He had the realisation he needed to tell them (the police) everything now because there was the opportunity to seek help.

As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered Jolly to attend a 31-day sex offender treatment program and to attend 30 rehabilitation sessions. She also placed him on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A homeless South Tyneside sex offender who breaches a court order to be returned to prison has been spared fresh jail time after allegedly changing his ways.

Stanley Riches, 51, convicted of rape in 2003 and currently sleeping rough in a tent, has taken steps to turn his life around, his latest court appearance heard.

Before borough magistrates, he pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

He did so by failing to inform police of his whereabouts on one weekly occasion earlier in November, as required.

His apparent lifestyle progress led to borough magistrates jailing him for 26 weeks but agreeing to suspend the sentence for a year.

She revealed previous non-compliance saw him jailed for 26 weeks in July, 15 weeks in April and 26 weeks last November.

He was also put behind bars for 24 weeks in December 2021 – and has seven other same breaches.

Riches was returned to court after being arrested on Tuesday, November 12, for failing to keep his weekly date with police.

Ms Burgess added: “The circumstances are straight forward. He must register every seven days if homeless.

“He last did so on November 4, thereby seven days was midnight on November 11. He should have gone back to register.

“The defendant was arrested and in interview he made admissions. He has 40 previous convictions from 91 offences.

“There are a number of like convictions where he has not adhered to the notification requirements.

John Williams, defending, said he had seen a marked improvement in Riches’ attitude to life.

He said: “He accepts he should have signed on but didn’t. He’s homeless and living in a tent. He fully complied between September 12 and November 11.

“He says that on the day in question he had gone to his doctors for medication and his head was all over the place and he forgot.

“He signed yesterday and thought that would be the end of it. There’s been a significant change in his attitude.”

The Probation Service also said Riches’ attitude towards his work with them had seen “vast improvement”.

Riches must pay a £154 victim surcharge.

Description

A NEW Forest man who shared images of children featuring the superimposed face of Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has been jailed for 30 months.

Paul Woodford (39), of Hillside Road in Pennington, admitted making and distributing indecent images of children, whose ages ranged between eight and 14.

Southampton Crown Court heard Woodford’s devices, including mobile phones and laptops, were seized by police on 25th May 2022, who had been tipped off over the images.

Investigators found Woodford had downloaded 38 category A images – the most severe – along with 25 category B and 353 category C.

He had distributed to others five category A, two category B and 19 category C pictures, the court heard. All were a mixture of stills and videos.

Prosecutor Keely Harvey told the court that in his initial interview, Woodford admitted to police that he had been part of online chat groups in which people had shared indecent images.

As an administrator of one group, Woodford would ask new users to submit three indecent images of children before they were allowed to join, Ms Harvey said.

He had asked one user for images of children aged between five and 14, she explained. Another he had asked for “upskirt” images of 11 and 12 year-olds.

The images of actress Emma Watson were superimposed onto bodies of young girls aged around 12 or 13, the court heard.

When Woodford was interviewed by police for a second time, he told them he had deleted the messaging app for a period, but added: “Old habits die hard”.

He also admitted forwarding some images to other people, but claimed the ones he had sent were not illegal as the youngsters were simply scantily-clad, rather than naked.

Ms Harvey said he had asked officers: “Would that be classed as indecent?”

He also admitted in interview that he had said “stupid stuff” in the online chats, and “people always wrote stuff they did not mean”.

Ms Harvey added: “He said he had been trying to impress people and that he felt important to be able to invite or disinvite people to the chat group as he did not have this type of authority in real life.”

She added: “Despite what he claims about them being dressed, it is quite clear the images show naked or undressed children.”

Defending, Joscelyn Lee said her client felt “a great deal of remorse”, adding: “He did not think about the harm caused [to the children] until after his arrest when his head was firmly pulled from the sand.

“He was so low, with such a hopeless sense of place in the world, that the risk was worth it. The [online] community was all he had.”

Woodford, who suffers with “significant” mental health problems, now had “a sense of relief” that the matters were now in the open and he could seek help, she added.

She also urged any sentence to be suspended.

Woodford pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and three of distributing indecent images of children between 15th May 2018 and 25th May 2022.

Handing him an immediate prison term, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England said: “There are other ways to feel important without asking people to send you indecent images of children.

“You facilitated the sharing of these images amongst the group and you asked people to post images, actively seeking them out over a period of four years.

“You don’t need me to tell you that any right-thinking person looking at indecent images of children would be shocked and disgusted and would want to report the people posting them – not solicit more.

“In order to create these images it is obvious a child is being abused and their innocence ripped away. Those who seek these types of images create a market for it.”

She added: “Only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate due to the seriousness of the offending. It is the least I can impose which reflects the justice of the case.”

Woodford will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, aimed at preventing re-offending, and must also sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.