Latest Offenders New

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A PERVERT jailed for shoving a courgette down the front of his leggings before simulating a sex act in front of shoppers and children is back behind bars.

“Persistent sex offender” Geoffrey Chambers, 68, from Newport has been locked up for breaching an order regulating his use of the internet.

That sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) was imposed in February 2021 after he’d “paraded himself” in Hereford while making eye contact with women.

Tabitha Walker, prosecuting, said Chambers was arrested in Cwmbran town centre last August after police received reports he was “following young women around and filming them”.

There was no evidence of him doing this but officers searched him and found two mobile phones that had wiping apps which were prohibited by the terms of his SHPO.

The defendant, formerly of Cwmbran, now Clarence Place, Newport, admitted the breach.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Chambers was jailed for 22 months in 2021 after being caught exposing himself on a crowded beach at Barry Island when it was packed with thousands of sunseekers.

He was spotted stroking himself near a group of teenage girls.

A judge told him on that occasion he was “addicted” to flashing.

Chambers has 33 previous convictions for sex offences – the majority for exposure – dating back to the early 1980s.

Ruth Smith, representing him, said: “He’s a defendant who has struggled with a compulsion to expose himself in the past.

“He’s someone who has indicated a willingness to engage in programmes and is making the most of the use of his time in custody.”

Judge Paul Hobson told Chambers: “You are a committed and persistent sex offender.

“You were warned about this software and it seems to me the breach was deliberate.”

Chambers was jailed for 12 months and told he would serve half of that time in custody before being released on licence.

He was ordered to pay a victim surcharge following his release from prison.

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A Newcastle pervert caught with more than 1,000 sex abuse images of children as young as two was an elected councillor.

David Besag was last week given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after admitting to child porn offences. The 50-year-old, of Glenthorn Road in Jesmond, had previously been a Liberal Democrat councillor in the city’s Walkergate ward from 2004 to 2010.

The party said that Besag, who stood as a Lib Dem candidate as recently as 2018, was no longer a member and “would never have been selected” to stand for office if his crimes had been known at the time. Besag, a self-confessed porn addict, avoided a stint in jail after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, one of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and one of possessing extreme porn.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that police uncovered 34 images and 23 videos of the most serious category A, 17 photos and 10 videos of category B, and 1,031 pictures and 39 videos of category C, after seizing Besag’s laptop, mobile phone, computer tower, and a hard drive. The collection involved children aged between two and 17.

There were also four prohibited images of a child and 200 extreme porn videos and five extreme porn pictures on Besag's devices, the latter involving animals and adult males. Besag downloaded the pictures and videos over an 18-year period from 2002 to 2020, which includes his six-year spell on the city council.

A Newcastle Lib Dem spokesperson said: "He was a hard-working elected member during his time as a councillor for Walkergate. It goes without saying that if we had the slightest inkling of the criminal behaviour that has now come to light then he would never have been selected as a candidate or stayed as a party member. Our thoughts are with the children and families affected. He is no longer a member of the party."

The ex-councillor was first elected in the Walkergate ward when the Lib Dems took control of the council in 2004 and was returned by voters for a second time in 2006. Besag, who has no previous convictions, claimed he had only been downloading the indecent material since 2012 and had no sexual interest in children, although he was addicted to adult porn.

The court heard he also suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and dyspraxia. As well as the suspended sentence, Besag was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years and must sign the Sex Offenders' Register for the same period.

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A SEX offender from Newport has been jailed after being caught with explicit images of children - just months after he had been spared jail for the same reason.

James Snowden, of Chepstow Road, was handed a suspended sentence and ordered to register as a sex offender in September 2022 after being convicted of “a number of offences” involving possessing indecent images of children.

On November 29, sex offender officers paid a visit to Snowden’s home and inspected his devices to check he was complying with the order.

Snowden’s Samsung Galaxy phone was checked, and the officers found he had logged into an image sharing site on November 4, 5, and 9 – and that its history showed “at least one video” had been shared, prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins said.

Ms Smith-Higgins told Newport Crown Court that Snowden had also created a server on the messaging service Discord, which he told officers he used to “create a chatroom with polyamorous couples”.

Further examinations of his devices revealed 38 computer-generated images which depicted penetrative and non-penetrative sex between adults and children.

Snowden was arrested on January 4 at Newport Police Station.

He told officers his failure to follow the sexual harm prevention order was “the result of misunderstanding” the order, Ms Smith-Higgins said, though he later pleaded guilty to all charges.

In mitigation, Alex Greenwood told the court that Snowden had been arrested before the courses he had been ordered to complete to help rehabilitate him had begun.

“The Horizon course was due to take place five days after the defendant was arrested,” he said.

Mr Greenwood added Snowden had attended “47 of the 55 appointments” required as part of his suspended sentence, and “had excuses for all bar one of the others”.

Snowden suffers with anxiety and depression, Mr Greenwood said, and referring to his offending, said: “He has an underlying issue clearly”.

Recorder John Philpotts sentenced 26-year-old Snowden to nine months in prison each for two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and possession of a prohibited image of a child – running concurrently.

He was also jailed for a further nine months – running consecutively – for breaching a suspended sentence.

Snowden was ordered to re-register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a new sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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A convicted sex offender left a woman he befriended online 'petrified' by threatening to go to her house and kill her after she found out about his disturbing past.

Jordan Rutherford was locked up for two years in October 2021 for engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, threatening to kill her and possessing knives. He was released from that sentence in January last year and failed to engage properly with the probation service and sabotaged their extensive efforts to get accommodation.

He told his probation officer he was experiencing an "urge to reoffend and push boundaries because of the thrill it gave him". Having struck up an online conversation with a woman from Ashington in March, he went on to tell her he had been in prison but gave an account which minimised his offending.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that despite him not revealing the truth about what he had done, the woman, who had planned to meet him, was nonetheless shocked and said she needed to get back to work and hung up.

Rutherford then texted her telling her to ignore what he was about to send her on WhatsApp - which was a message saying "I'm going to kill you, I'm going to come to your house and I will put your door through. I will come in and I really want to hurt you. I love you but I need to end you."

Liam O'Brien, prosecuting, said: "Notwithstanding the text message, this scared her. Her concern increased an hour later when she was contacted by his probation officer, who explained the true extent of his sexual offending and the fact he had a history of carrying knives."

The woman woke the following morning to find more threatening messages from Rutherford, threatening to go to her home and kill her. He the expressed frustration that she had blocked him and continued to send threatening messages.

Mr O'Brien said: "He said he would wait for her to finish work and follow her into her home, lock the door and kill her. He warned her 'you won't be able to escape and before you know it you will be dead'.

"It's clear he would have been aware he was scaring her and she wanted him to stop but he didn't. She was petrified and believed he was going to hurt her.

"He sent a screenshot of his location showing he was nearby. She knew he was not from Ashington and had no reason to be there. She was also aware he wanted to be locked up."

The woman was so afraid she got her stepdad to meet her from work and called the police. Mr O'Brien said: "She was not the only person he told he was going to murder her. He repeatedly contacted the emergency services and disclosed his intention."

He rang the police four times and eventually met officers and was arrested. When his phone was examined he had researched sentencing guidelines for making threats to kill and had researched "disturbing things to say about killing people", which Mr O'Brien said was "presumably to make the threats as chilling as they could be".

Despite being recalled to prison, he tried to contact the woman, getting another prisoner to ask her to email him.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "When I first met him online I thought he was a normal boy but it's clear he is not. Since I started receiving threats to my life I've been absolutely petrified to leave the house.

"I'm constantly looking over my shoulder and feel I can't go anywhere by myself. I'm terrified in case he is around the corner.

"I don't know why he is behaving like this but I want it to stop. It's affecting my work and social life and I just want to be left alone."

The court heard that in the previous offences against the 14-year-old, he had also threatened to go to her house and kill her.

Rutherford, 21, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to stalking involving fear of violence and was jailed for three years and given a restraining order. Pre-sentence reports said he poses a high risk of harm.

Vic Laffey, defending, said: "His motivation was to get himself arrested and recalled. His head was in a strange place at the time.

"He caused this young lady, who didn't deserve it, significant distress but he didn't know where she lived or worked. He deeply regrets betraying this young woman's trust and making her feel unsafe.

"He promises the restraining order will not be breached. He is disappointed at offending again on licence. He was overwhelmed and didn't cope with being released from prison. He acted selfishly in involving her but got to the point he thought it would be better in prison."

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Karl Davison claimed he "hadn't set out to find" the disturbing material but had been sent it after "finding himself" in a couple of groups online. A court heard that, despite the 33-year-old stating he'd deleted some of his collection, 44 sick photos and videos were still found on his phone.

Magistrates were told that Davison had 23 category A pictures and films, which are the most serious kind and involve penetrative sexual activity. He also had 22 category B and one category C.

Davison, of Chillingham Road, in Heaton, could now end up behind bars after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent image of a child. The case was adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report but the pervert was warned custody was still an option.

Rob Lawson, prosecuting at Newcastle Magistrates' Court, said: "The material in question was saved on the defendant's phone. With the early guilty plea, this case may fall within your sentencing powers. The aggravating factors are the ages of the children involved, between six and 14, and at least one of the videos shows distress suffered by a child."

Mark Humble, defending, said: "Mr Davison didn't set out to find these images. He found himself in a couple of groups online and that led to the images coming his way. He did delete some of them but, when his phone was examined, there were the images you have heard about still retained on the phone."

Magistrates adjourned the case for the preparation of a pre-sentence report. Davison was released on unconditional bail to next appear before the same court on February 22. In the meantime, he must sign the Sex Offenders' Register.

Description

A dangerous sex offender is back behind bars after committing further offences just two weeks after being released from prison.

Craig Gilbert was previously locked up for inciting and attempting to incite four different children and was released from a 66 month extended prison sentence on licence in July last year. However within two weeks he was found to have offended again.

Police officers monitoring him went to the hostel in Elswick, Newcastle, where he was living to check he was complying with his sex offender registration requirements and his sexual harm prevention order and asked to see his mobile phone. On it, they found a sexual exchange with a girl who appeared to have been 16 in which he asked if she was still at school and offered to be her "sugar daddy".

A further examination of his phone showed he had deleted his browsing history, which he was forbidden from doing under the terms of the sexual harm prevention order. And he had also downloaded 11 indecent images of children, which were saved in a folder on his phone - with one showing a girl aged between three and five being raped.

Now Gilbert, 32, of no fixed address, has been given given a two year prison sentence, extended by an extra three years on licence, by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court after he admitted possessing indecent images of children, breaching his sexual harm prevention order and attempting to breach it.

Locking him up, Judge Edward Legard said: "This is a worrying case because it appears your period of incarceration and probation work has taught you little, if anything. You are clearly a persistent sex offender with entrenched sexual interests.

"It's clear you demonstrate an implacable refusal to address your offending and you are deemed unmanageable in the community. You have shown no remorse and you deliberately and wilfully offend without any regard to court orders, without any thought for the children you seek out to harm and with no insight and no awareness.

"It's quite clear you pose a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public, especially children."

Referring to the indecent images, the judge added: "Sadly, having read the pre-sentence report I suspect this might fall on deaf ears but I will try my best. These crimes are not victimless, far from it.

"Those who appear in these images are often young, highly vulnerable children, sometimes recruited from impoverished backgrounds, often forced to perform degrading sexual acts or exploited and abused by others purely to feed the sexual gratification of people like you.

"It's you and many others like you who are ultimately responsible for creating a market for this highly offensive and damaging material."

As well as the prison sentence, Gilbert's indefinite sex offender registration and sexual harm prevention order continue.

Jonathan Walker, defending, said: "There's a level of acceptance of responsibility on his part."

Description

A secret stash of covertly recorded indecent images of children and footage of a woman taken without her knowledge were found by a pervert's horrified ex.

Paul Baird's sickening actions came to light when his now-ex wife noticed explicit material on an iPad a child was using, which was linked to a Google account on the phone Baird was using. A court heard there were a number of videos, many showing children.

Rachel Glover, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "The videos show filming of them, focusing on their bare legs, their bottoms in swimwear and up their skirts...He focuses the camera on their private parts and under their skirts.

Baird's disgusted ex was left distressed and found discovering what he had been doing "traumatic and overwhelming", the court heard.

There were also 35 videos of a woman, including filming or attempting to film under her clothing. After finding out, the woman was left "devastated" and has suffered mental health issues and struggles to go out in public because when she does and sees people on their phone she feels an impulse to check they are not filming her.

Baird, 38, of Garth 24, Killingworth, North Tyneside, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to five offences of taking indecent images of children and one of voyeurism. He was jailed for 20 months and must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Judge Edward Legard told him: "Filming young female children purely in order to feed your sexual gratification is simply unconscionable. The lives of these young children can and often are permanently scarred. You and others like you must bear responsibility for it.

"What your ex wife has had to endure can only be guessed at. For her to discover, in the way she did, that the man to whom she was married was taking indecent photographs of children must have been profoundly shocking and distressing."

Mark Harrison, defending, said: "The defendant acknowledges, as he rightly must, that this behaviour, over a relatively short period in 2021, was absolutely disgraceful and amounted to a gross invasion of privacy.

"He has written a letter saying how sorry he is for the pain and upset. He was at a low ebb, drinking and misusing drugs when his mental health was in a poor state."

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A man raped a girl four times over a protracted period starting with an attack when she was five years old. Gareth Reilly, of Newport, has shown no remorse for the crimes which began in the early 2000s.

The 46-year-old appeared at Newport Crown Court where he was sentenced for four offences of raping a child and one of indecent assault, all against the same victim. He denied the offences but was found guilty following a trial. Judge Richard Williams said Reilly had carried out an "entrenched pattern of serious sex offending against a particularly vulnerable child".

The judge told him: "You are 46 and have not otherwise been in trouble. You maintain your innocence and there is no remorse to be taken into consideration. The probation service has found you pose a low risk of further offending in general but a high risk of a further sexual offence against a child."

There is no suggestion that Reilly, of Fairoak Avenue in Maindee, has targeted any other children, his barrister Byron Broadstock told the court. "He's a man of, until these convictions, good character. He was in employment and had been for many years. The effect [of the case] on his children and his parents has been profound... He knows he is facing a very significant sentence but beyond what I have said – given that he has been found guilty by a jury – there is little I can say."

Judge Williams said Reilly poses a "significant" risk of causing serious harm to girls and has shown "little prospect" of rehabilitation. Classing Reilly as a dangerous offender the judge handed him an extended sentence of 20 years in prison followed by four years on licence. He must serve two-thirds of the prison term in custody before he can be considered for parole.

Reilly will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely. A hearing to decide a restraining order and sexual harm prevention order will take place on February 24.

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A former priest who abused young boys for almost 20 years has been handed a suspended sentence after he breached a court order.

Disgraced cleric Daniel Gerard Curran was handed a three-month jail term, suspended for three years, today (Thursday) after previously pleading guilty to breaching his lifelong sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).

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A paedophile who was found in possession of vile child abuse images was also sending sexual messages to what he believed was a 10-year-old girl.

Razvan Valeriu Nastase began messaging what he believed was a child on social media and said he "wasn't bothered" when he was told by the girl she was very young. But what the 34-year-old pervert didn't know, was that he was actually speaking to an "undercover operative" who was pretending to be a child.

When police went to Nastase's home to arrest him, his electronic devices were seized and examined and over 880 images and videos of child sexual abuse were discovered. This week, he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and three counts of making indecent images. He had pleaded guilty to the charges, which dated back to October and July 2020.

The court heard that an "undercover operative" called Ken, created a fake account on social media pretending to be a 10-year-old girl and that Nastase, using the name of 'Andre', soon sent the decoy a message. Rachael Glover, prosecuting, said: "The defendant's message read: 'Nice to meet you, you're very cute, I like you.' When the [decoy] said they were 10-years-old, the defendant said he was not bothered. The defendant continued the conversation and sent sexual messages to what he believed was a 10-year-old child."

During the chats, Nastase, of Simonside Terrace, Heaton, claimed to be 16-years-old, and sent three images of himself, two of which he was topless in. In another message he told the decoy they were "so beautiful, I can't get enough of you". He also said it would be "our little secret" as he continued to ask for pictures in return. The court was told that Nastase asked to see the decoy in a onesie and told her not to be shy.

Ms Glover said that when police identified Nastase, they went to his home and arrested him. His room was then searched and devices were seized and examined by experts. The court heard that 159 category A images, 130 of which were videos and depicted children as young as four, were found, alongside 162 category B images and 568 category C images. In interview Nastase, who had no previous convictions, gave no comment.

Sophie Allinson, defending, said: "He is a man who has no previous convictions but has lost his good character in the most shameful and appalling way. He was feeling down and lonely. The offences were committed in 2020 and no further offences of any nature have been committed since. He has and can live a law abiding lifestyle."

Sentencing Nastase, Judge Amanda Rippon said: "You engaged in chat with what you thought was a 10-year-old girl. If it had been a little girl and not a person masquerading as one, the potential offending is difficult to contemplate given your interest in sexual activity with children as young as four. It is depraved and disgusting."

Nastase was given a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years and must undertake 35 rehabilitation days and 150 hours unpaid work. A 10 year sexual harm prevention order was imposed and he will be on the sex offender's register for 10 years.

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Daniel Mould targeted three females, including one victim twice, during rush hour.

A warped law student who exposed his genitals and performed a sex act at random young women on the street has been spared jail.

Since Daniel Mould, 21, flashed at the three women, incuding one victim twice, he quit his university programme and started working at McDonald's. A court heard CCTV captured Mould target the young women as they walked through the Shieldfield area of Newcastle, during rush hour.

The defendant then looked behind after the women walk passed to see what their reaction was.

Mould's lewd behaviour was reported to police who arrested the young man, and he appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court last week.

He was given a three-year community order and must sign the Sex Offenders' Register after he pleaded guilty to four counts of exposure.

Sentencing Mould, District Judge Paul Currer said: "The way you behaved to them was truly appalling. What's also very concerning is that, once you have exposed yourself, you watch for a reaction. It's also concerning that you have no recollection."

The defendant was living in halls of residence at the time of the offences, Chronicle Live reports. The crimes happened near the university accommodation in November last year.

James Long, prosecuting, said: "CCTV footage shows the defendant walking towards the camera.

"He approaches the camera and a female and removes his penis from his tracksuit bottoms as the female approaches. She walks passed him as the exposure takes place. He's only about 2m away from her when he does this. After she's walked passed, he pulls his waistband back up and turns to look back to see if there's a reaction. She kept walking."

The court heard that, moments later, Mould targeted his second victim by exposing his genitals and performing a sex act as he walked towards her. Just seven days later, the pervert flashed at the same woman as she walked down a street.

Mr Long added: "The victim immediately recognised the defendant from the previous time. On the same day, the final victim was walking near the Heaton area and she sees a male walking alongside her. He lifts his shorts and reveals his genitals."

Mould, who now lives in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, has no past convictions, had no recollection of any of the incidents but claimed to have been suffering from acute anxiety at the time.

Neil Connell, defending, said Mould, who has been in relationship for three years, had suffered a serious head injury in the past but it wasn't a case of him experiencing "sexual urges he couldn't control". He has also sought help from a GP since being arrested.

As well as the community order, Mould must also pay £200 in compensation to each victim.

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Nathan Wing, aged 28, met the girl on-line using a false name and later initiated thousands of sexualised social media conversations.

Aware that his victim was only 12-years-old at the time, Wing enticed her to send him a series of sexually explicit images. He also arranged to meet her in person on multiple occasions.

Police traced the phone used by Wing and arrested him in January last year.

A forensic examination of the device uncovered a series of similar exchanges with two other teenage girls.

Officers also uncovered evidence of numerous sexually explicit internet searches relating to young girls.

Wing, formerly of Newark, refused to answer any questions posed to him by officers but later admitted to a total of 11 sexual offences, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 11 November, Wing was jailed for eight years and ordered to spend another four on licence because he is classed as a dangerous offender.

When he is eventually released Wing will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will place significant restrictions on his life.

Detective Constable Stacey Hardstaff, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Wing is a manipulative sex offender who poses a significant danger to young girls. He knew exactly what he was doing and had absolutely no care for the very significant harm he was causing.

“His depravity has had a profound impact on his victims and their families and I am pleased he has now been held accountable by the courts.

“This is a very significant jail sentence that should serve as a warning to anyone else thinking of behaving in a similar way.”

Description

A pervert had his baby with him when he set off hoping to meet a child he had been sending sex chats to online.

Shaun Watson had been communicating with a profile he thought was a 14-year-old called Paige but was in fact being run by paedophile hunters.

He first contacted her on the Skout app but was not deterred when a member of the Child Online Safety Team told him Paige was underage.

He made lewd comments about what he wanted to do, including asking if she wanted to watch him masturbate.

The Paige profile disappeared but when another, similar one appeared, Watson contacted it and sent pictures of his penis, despite being told she was 14. He also asked for photographs of her genitals.

The group also set up a profile on MeetMe using the same name and picture and Watson made contact with that too around six weeks later.

He was again told she was a child but his conversation quickly turned sexual and he sent pictures of his genitals and encouraged her to carry out a sex act on herself.

The court heard he then arranged to meet her.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch told the court: "It appears the defendant did initially travel to that meeting.

"He said he was with his one-year-old daughter but before the meeting happened he said he needed to return home because his daughter would not settle."

Members of the Child Online Safety Team confronted Watson at his place of work and home and police were contacted.

While waiting for the police, he said he was an "idiot"

Conviction mentioned here: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-paedophile-sex-crime-22204589

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Lee Wilson, of Slatyford, admitted a series of sex offences after police found damning evidence on a mobile phone hidden in a safe inside a wall cavity

A child sex predator who groomed young girls at a Tyneside swimming pool and went on to carry out sickening sex attacks was branded a "mean man" in a letter by one of his victims.

Lee Wilson, who would often sit on the edge of the pool watching but not swimming, wheedled his way into the lives of the victims and their families in order to carry out his twisted sexual desires towards children. After winning the trust of their families, he abused it in horrific fashion, leaving a trail of trauma.

The perverted beast had branded the victims liars until police found a secret phone which he had hidden in a safe in a wall cavity, which contained damning evidence, including images of him abusing one of the victims. Now Wilson, 40, of Pooley Road, Slatyford, Newcastle, has been jailed for 11 years at Newcastle Crown Court for seven child sex offences, including sexual assault, assault by penetration and making indecent images of children. 

One of the girls bravely wrote what she labelled "a sad letter" to Wilson, which was read out as he was sentenced. She wrote: "You made me feel angry and sad. I don't want to say your name but I know what you did was wrong. I liked you. I changed and I have to live with things.

"I never want to see you again. I want to ask you why did you do this? Why in the world did you do it? Why did you think it was a good idea? Mean man." She signed it off with a sad face.

The court heard it was in September last year the first victim and her family contacted police after she revealed what he had been doing to her. Dr Chris Wood, prosecuting, said: "Each time he would offer sweets as inducement, which the Crown say was grooming."

Wilson also told the girl to keep his sexual abuse "our little secret".

The second victim was also groomed at a swimming pool, with Wilson befriending her and her family. The dad of one of the girls had noticed how he was overfamiliar and would not swim, instead sitting on the edge of the pool and watching.

When he was arrested, he denied the offences and the children were forced to go through a pre-trial process of being cross-examined by his barrister. Dr Wood said: "They were told they were lying during cross-examination. He subjected them needlessly to the court process because he would not admit he was a sexual predator of children and sexually abused these girls."

He had given police a phone but they were suspicious as it had very little on it and formed the view it was a decoy. In September last year officers searched his home and found another phone concealed in a safe in a wall cavity.

On it were indecent images of children taken by him, some with a hidden "surveillance"-type camera. There were images of the first girl and another family

The mum of one of the girls read a victim impact statement in court, saying: "The impact will be felt for years to come." She said her daughter now "freaks out" when she sees a bald man in case it's him and is now very clingy, adding: "Clothes and toys had to be thrown away because they reminded her of Lee.

She told the court: "I'm not a hateful person but I do hate this man with every part of my being. It makes me feel physically sick. He has stolen her innocence. Strangers say to me 'smile it might never happen' but it already has."

The girls dad added: "I feel hatred towards him for what he is and what he has done."

The other girl's dad said: "It's had a devastating effect on our family and I've seen a significant change in (the girl). She was a happy, care-free child without a care in the world. Since this she has a sadness about her and has become more withdrawn.

"She has drawn pictures titled before and after. The before pictures are bright and in colour and the after pictures are dark, mainly black. She can't understand how someone she thought was a friend would do something so horrible to her.

"She was terrified she had to attend court. She was having nightmares and would shout out during the night.

"He has taken everything I held close to my heart away from me for his own perverted satisfaction. I will never forgive this man."

Wilson, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual assault, sexual activity with a child and making indecent images of a child. He was jailed for eleven years and must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and restraining order.

Recorder Toby Hedworth QC said Wilson "remains in apparent denial of your true motivation and dismissed matters as a series of bad decisions". He added: "You are an offender of particular concern."

John Crawford, defending, said he has a heart condition which lowers his life expectancy and added: "He has expressed his sincere apologies and regret, recognising that might be entirely meaningless."

Jonathan Hanratty of CPS North East said: “Lee Wilson acted in a predatory manner, often engineering the circumstances in which he was able to perpetrate the abuse of his two young victims.

“To hide what he had done, he tried to bribe both victims with sweets and told them that his actions against them were a secret that should not be disclosed.

“Despite this, his victims found the courage to tell their parents and Wilson was subsequently arrested. His phone was also seized by police, which was later found to contain an indecent image of a child.

“It is clear that Wilson had little concern for the harm that his offending would cause to either girl, seemingly caring only for his own sexual gratification.

“The impact of Wilson’s offending on his victims and their families has been significant, and we sincerely hope that today’s sentence provides some measure of comfort to them.”

Description

A pervert who groomed a schoolgirl online was caught when her dad found seedy messages and pictures while fixing her phone.

When Jamie Cobden first contacted the girl on Snapchat she was 14 and he lied that he was 18. By the second day of their communication he turned it sexual, describing what he wanted to do and asking about her school uniform.

After around four months he revealed his true age of 26 and convinced her "age was just a number" and said he wanted to be her boyfriend, which she said she didn't feel comfortable with. Cobden asked her for sexual pictures and when she refused he put pressure on her until she did. She sent video and audio of a sexual nature, later saying she felt scared to say no to him. He sent a picture of his penis to her.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he put pressure on her to meet, saying he would take her for dinner and to a hotel. She used the excuse that her parents wouldn't let her and never actually met him.

Cobden's illegal contact with the girl came to light after she dropped her phone in the bath and asked her dad to fix it. He then found the messages and images that had been exchanged when he looked at her phone out of parental curiosity.

Police were informed and she blocked Cobden although she later accepted a Facebook request from him. He said he missed her and she said she still had feelings for him but couldn't talk anymore.

When he was arrested police found 2,037 messages, some of them graphic, had passed between them. They also discovered two category C indecent images he had downloaded online showing girls aged 12-15 in a shower wearing T shirts.

In a victim impact statement, the teenager said: "I was only 14. To this day I'm very confused about how this affected me. I thought I was in love with him.

"I feel so guilty about everything and would tell myself how horrible a person I was. I was extremely lonely and he made me feel loved. Maybe he did love me or maybe he was just taking advantage of a young girl.

"A 14 or 15-year-old kid should not have those problems. I hate that I did those things at such a young age.

"My world shattered and I had to completely reinvent myself, which is not easy. I don't want another girl to go through what I did.

"I just hope Jamie has realised what he did was wrong. What happened will always be a part of me but I can move on now and help others."

Cobden, 30, of Bentinck Road, Newcastle, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two charges of inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child and possessing two indecent images. He was jailed for 16 months and told he must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The court heard there was a "significant amount of grooming". Recorder Mark McKone KC said: "This was persistent offending over a six month period and went into graphic detail."

Jane Foley, defending, said: "The defendant was a very lonely individual. He had moved from Brighton to the North East, following the mother of his child.

"He continues to berate himself for his outrageous behaviour. His relationship with his daughter has been severely impacted and he barely sees her as a consequence.

"He suffers from low mood and deeply regrets his actions and his offending. He feels guilty about his behaviour. This is something that will continue to effect him and weigh heavily on him for many years."

Following the sentencing, the officer in charge of the case, Detective Sergeant Richie Jobson, of Northumbria Police, said: While no sentence could ever erase the trauma victims of these type of offences go through, hopefully it goes to show that we will do everything we can in our power to protect children from predators like Cobden.

I would like to thank all the officers who took part in this investigation, including the digital forensic examiners who were able to uncover what Cobden had hidden on his devices.

Everyones efforts has ensured a comprehensive prosecution case was put before the courts, meaning a dangerous offender had little option but to admit his guilt. I hope this serves as a lesson to anyone who thinks they can get away with this type of criminality.

I want to praise the victim for coming forward with the information and commend the courage she has shown throughout the process. We are here to support any victims and are committed to making sure any offenders find themselves in a neighbouring cell to Cobden.