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Description

A man crept into women's houses in the dead of night and entered their bedrooms to watch them sleeping, a court has heard. On one occasion Evan Powell pleasured himself while staring at one of his dozing victims.

When arrested the defendant claimed he had been going into houses looking for someone who might have the mobile phone he had lost during a student night out on Swansea's Wind Street. He denied there was any sexual element to what he had done. A jury rejected that version of events and found him guilty of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Making the defendant the subject of an extended sentence the judge at Swansea Crown Court said on the night in question Powell had been "prowling the streets" looking for "opportunities for non-consensual activity" and he described Powell's behaviour as "extremely sinister".

The court has previously heard that on the night of October 30 last year Swansea University computer science student Powell attended a fancy dress Cocktail Society house party on Brynmill Crescent in the Brynmill area of Swansea before going on to the bars of Wind street in the city centre. He was dressed in a black suit and tie in the style of the lead characters in the film "Men in Black".

In the early hours of the following morning the defendant left the city centre and returned to the Brynmill area where he entered three houses, and tried to enter a fourth.

In one property the student first went into a child's bedroom and rummaged through a chest of drawers - the child woke to see the stranger in his room - before entering the mother's bedroom. The court heard the women woke suddenly to see the 21-year-old standing near her bed watching her. Powell fled down the stairs and left the house.

At a property nearby Powell again entered a woman's bedroom - this time he exposed his penis and masturbated while watching his sleeping victim. The woman woke and challenged the defendant who fled into the kitchen where an altercation took place during which the woman punched him and he pushed her. The defendant then left.

The court heard Powell also entered a third property, though on that occasion the sleeping occupant was woken by the sound of the bedroom door opening. The defendant ran off and went home to his shared student house..

The incidents were reported to police and Powell was identified and subsequently arrested. Enquiries conducted by the police established that the defendant had tried to enter a fourth Brynmill property on the night in question but had been unsuccessful.

Powell subsequently pleaded not guilty and the matter went to trial in April this year. Following his conviction, sentencing was adjourned for the preparation of a report to consider the issue of dangerousness.

At the trial prosecution barrister Dyfed Thomas had put it to Powell that he had been "looking for sexual satisfaction from watching women sleeping in bed" but the defendant rejected that. Powell accepted it was a "very odd, unusual situation" but insisted he had been trying to find the property where the earlier house party had been held in the hopes someone there might know where his lost phone was. He added: "I'm very, very bad with directions".

Evan Powell, now of Rogerstone, Newport, had previously been convicted at trial of three offence of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence and one count of attempting to trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

He has no previous convictions but the court heard that in October 2023 the defendant sexually assaulted a young woman in the Brynmill area in the early hours of the morning when he followed her along Bryn Road before grabbing her and putting his hands between her legs. The assault was reported to police but the defendant was not prosecuted and was dealt with by way of a "community resolution" which saw him admit the offence and write a letter of apology.

Judge Paul Thomas KC had previously expressed his concern at the 2023 offending being dealt with by a community resolution, and the prosecution barrister told the court he had made enquiries into the matter and it seemed the officer who investigated the incident had not referred it to an officer of detective inspector rank or above as he should have done before making the decision. The prosecutor said the officer had been spoken to.

Avirup Chaudhuri, for Powell, said the defendant came from loving and caring background. He said his client understands the gravity of the situation he was facing and asked the court to consider that it may be the "shame and embarrassment" Powell feels which prevents him from "confronting his offending in full". The barrister also asked the court to take into account the defendant's age and immaturity, and he said his client but been putting his "privileged education" to good use while on remand in prison by helping fellow inmates to improve their literacy skills.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said on the night in question Powell had been "prowling the streets of the student area looking for opportunities for non-consensual activity". He said the defendant's motivation in entering or trying to enter four properties in the space of around two hours had been sexual, and he described Powell's behaviour as "extremely sinister".

The judge said Powell had no insight into his problem and did not even acknowledge he had a problem, and he said until the defendant did come to terms with the reality of the situation he would continue to pose a high risk of sexual offending in the future.

Powell was given a nine-year extended sentence comprising five years in custody followed by a four-year licence period. He will become eligible for parole after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Judge Thomas added that it was a matter of "great regret" that the 2023 sexual offending had not been dealt with "properly" at the time as it should have been.

Speaking after the sentencing Carolina Mayorga-Williams, senior crown prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution service's rape and serious sexual offence team, said: "Waking up to find a stranger in your or your child’s bedroom must be a terrifying experience and violates a person’s right to feel safe in their own home. We take all allegations of sexual offending very seriously. The evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service resulted in the jury reaching their guilty verdicts and has brought Powell to justice."

Description

A sex offender has been jailed after he was caught staying at a home where three children lived.

Linton Mwingi had informed the mother of the youngsters of his sordid past and that he was on the Sex Offenders' Register but he hadn't informed the authorities that he sometimes stayed at her house.

The 28-year-old, who was given a suspended sentence in 2016 for sexual assault after he loitered near toilets in Eldon Square, exposed himself, made lewd comments and tried to drag a young man into a cubicle, also hadn't told the police of two bank cards he'd taken out or that he wasn't always living at his usual Lemington address, all of which were requirements of the register. A court heard that it was not the first time Mwingi hadn't adhered to the Sex Offenders' Register, having previously been convicted in 2021.

The former talented footballer, of Dene Avenue, in Lemington, has now been locked-up for eight months after he pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register. Glenda Beck, prosecuting at Newcatle Magistrates' Court, said Mwingi's risk management officer attended his Lemington home in September 2024 and spoke with a male, who confirmed that Mwingi was not living there.

Mrs Beck continued: "Financial checks were carried out and the defendant had two registered bank cards, with one having a home address in Sunderland." The court heard that officers again visited his Lemington home and were told by two males that he didn't live there.

They then attended the Sunderland address linked to the bank account and found a number of items belonging to Mwingi. The property was the home of a woman Mwingi claimed to be a friend and her three children.

Kash Khan, defending, said Mwingi had suffered a brain injury in the past. Mr Khan added: "He's suffered since with remembering things and getting his affairs in order."

Jailing him, District Judge Paul Currer said: "These are serious offences because you were not living where you ought to have been. Instead, you were present at an address where there were children without notifying the authorities and you had two bank accounts, which you also didn't register with the authorities."

Description

A pervert who covertly recorded young girls getting undressed at a holiday park has been jailed. Mark Hansen targeted two victims at the Northumberland holiday centre, lurking outside in the dark and filming one unsuspecting girl through a gap in the curtains.

A court heard recordings of a number of girls were found on his phone when police seized it for downloading indecent images of children. Now Hansen, 45, of Denton Avenue, North Shields, who admitted voyeurism and indecent images offences, has been locked up at Newcastle Crown Court.

Police attended his home in September 2022 as a result of information received and seized his phone. On it, they found dozens of indecent images downloaded from the internet over a seven-year period, with the victims aged between four and early teens.

They also found Hansen had made recordings of several unsuspecting young girls. One victim was filmed with a hidden camera as she got undressed.

Another unidentified victim was filmed by Hansen at the Haven holiday park in Berwick. Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said: "He used the iPhone to covertly record an unidentified female aged between 12 and 14 while she was undressing. The recording was made from outside a window, through a gap in partially closed curtains. It is apparent she had no knowledge she was being observed or filmed.

"His phone contained another unidentified female in underwear. This film had been taken without her knowledge through a window and the relevant time stamps indicate the time when the defendant was staying at Haven Holiday Park. It is not possible to estimate the age of the child."The court heard another recording was taken of a child sitting on a bench at Flamingo Land. The victim's underwear was visible during the 2 minute and 18 seconds of film, due to the position he held the phone and him moving closer to her.Mr Wardlaw said other images were found on the phone, including four that had been taken through a window, of an unknown girl aged between 13 and 16, without her knowledge, while was partially undressed.

Hansen, 44, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images, two of taking indecent images of three of voyeurism. He was jailed for 18 months and told he must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Judge Tim Gittins said: "These were images you took when you were roaming around Haven holiday park in Berwick, sneaking recordings in gaps in partly closed curtains and taking advantage of the darkness outside to take images of a girl while she was undressing."

Matthew Purves, defending, said: "This is a gentleman with no previous convictions or any interactions with the authorities. He acknowledges he has a difficulty with what he is attracted to and it's incredibly rare people will open up to that extent.

"The nature of these offences is inexcusable and he doesn't seek to excuse them in any way. He accepts that from viewing internet material his offending escalated.

"He acknowledges he has an undesirable attraction to children, recognising he has a sexual preoccupation and recognising he needs further support and assistance to avoid further offending."

Description

A grieving family have praised police after the man that raped their relative – who went on to take her own life – is jailed for a decade.

Ryan Callaghan, 33, raped the woman while she slept at an address in South Tyneside.

The victim awoke and immediately ran out of the address in a state of undress and informed a friend what had happened.

Whilst fleeing, she bumped into a kind-hearted member of the public who provided her with clothing and stayed with her whilst she rang police.

Minutes later, Callaghan was arrested.

However, tragically, the following month, the victim took her own life – making reference to the attack in the note she left behind for her family.

Following an extensive and complex investigation by the Force’s Safeguarding Department, led by Detective Constable Amy Burridge, a charge of rape against Callaghan was secured in May 2023 by working closely with the CPS.

This was achieved through the support of the victim’s family, and using the victim’s evidence she was able to provide in interview after the offences took place.

In March this year, following a six-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court, Callaghan of Mowbray Road, South Shields, was found unanimously guilty by a jury of rape.

Following the guilty verdict, he was remanded into custody.

And yesterday (June 17), he appeared at the same court, where was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Callaghan will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

The victim’s family have shared these words which were read in court to Callaghan: “Every parent can’t bear the thought of losing a child, just to imagine that loss is horrific.

“But now for us, we have to try and get through every day with the pain of knowing that our child was raped before she went on to take her own life.

“We’re sure everyone can understand that there are no words to describe what we are going through.

“Callaghan might have gone to prison, but we are serving a life sentence in the knowledge of what he did.

“He left her completely broken as a result of his actions.”

They added: “Callaghan showed no remorse for what he did and no sadness at all at the loss of her life.

“It’s a shame everyone involved with the case didn’t get to see the woman we all know and love. She was a kind, caring, funny and bright young woman. She was loved by all who knew her and had so many friends.

“We’d like to thank the barrister and the jury for seeing through Callaghan’s lies.

“However, it is cold comfort for us all, as she is gone, and can’t ever know that she got justice.”

Following the conclusion of the case, Detective Constable Amy Burridge, of Northumbria Police said: “This was an extremely distressing case due to the circumstances surrounding the report – and what tragically came after for the victim.

“After speaking with the family, it was imperative for me to be able to give the victim a voice and have her story heard in court, which it now has.

“I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the trial, and the sentence imposed today. This case truly sends a message that we are committed to doing everything in our power to bring offenders such as Callaghan to justice.”

Det Con Burridge added: “I’d also like to take a moment to recognise and praise the victim for her bravery following the offences taking place.

“She informed a friend, and reported to police immediately, meaning we were able to quickly establish her account of what had happened, and fully take advantage of any forensic opportunities early on in the investigation.

“Even though she is tragically no longer with us, I hope her family can take some sense of closure knowing the person who caused her so much distress is now in prison and will be monitored by police for the rest of his life.”

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."

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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.

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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.