Latest Offenders Northampton

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A Northampton man who was found guilty of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl has been jailed for 17-and-a-half years.

Andrew Brian Nicholls, 46, was last month found guilty of 14 charges at Northampton Crown Court relating to the abuse he carried out between 2014 and 2017, which began when his victim was just 11.

The court heard Nicholls began abusing the girl when she walked in on him watching pornography.

This escalated into repeated rapes until she informed Northamptonshire Police of the abuse in 2017.

Nicholls, formerly of Camp Hill, Bugbrooke, was subsequently charged with offences including multiple rapes, sexual activity with a child, and taking indecent photos of a child.

On October 4, a jury at Northampton Crown Court returned guilty verdicts on all 14 charges against him.

Today, Tuesday, November 2, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo handed Nicholls 13 concurrent sentences ranging from three to 14-and-a-half years, plus one consecutive sentence of three years, making a total of 17-and-a-half years in prison.

Telling the defendant to look at him as he passed sentence, Judge Mayo said Nicholls had robbed his victim of a happy and innocent childhood and forced her to live in fear of him revealing videos he had made of his repeated attacks.

The judge added that even when his victim became withdrawn as a result of her ongoing ordeal, Nicholls knew he was the cause 'yet you continued to use her to satisfy your own paedophilic urges' and had also encouraged others to turn on her when she finally reported what had happened to police.

He concluded: “This was sustained abuse of a particularly vulnerable victim.”

Upon release from prison, Nicholls will spend the remainder of his sentence on licence.

He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, indefinitely barring him from living or staying with any female child under the age of 16 without the approval of social services and the child’s parent or guardian having knowledge of his convictions.

He will also be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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Police tracked down the ringleader of an online child abuse gang after arresting a known Northampton paedophile.

Simon Peach, 36, was jailed for seven years in June 2021 after detectives found a laptop with 128 recordings on his laptop of live streams of girls under 16 performing sexual acts.

But officers from Northamptonshire Police Paedophile On Line Investigation Team (POLIT) then discovered messages between Peach and Matthew Mather-Franks, who was later identified as playing a leading role in the group and arrested.

The gang said to include between six and ten men even kept a Google spreadsheet containing details of young girls, mainly from Russia, taking part in live sex streams.

Crown Court Judge, His Honour Judge David Herbert QC, jailed Mather-Franks, 37, for eight years at a hearing on Friday (February 11).

Both Peach and Mather Franks were already on the sex offenders register.

Peach, previously of Clarke Road, had more than 1,000 indecent images of children on his phone and laptop, breaching a sexual harm prevention order when he was arrested in early 2020.

Four out of five devices belonging to Mather-Franks seized were not registered with the police, breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He had been using the devices to commit online sexual offences relating to young girls, mainly aged between nine and 12, although some involved infants. Some of the children involved appeared drugged or intoxicated.

Judge Herbert told Mather-Franks: "The facts show that the work you did as part of that order failed."

Police also found evidence of images being shared on an encrypted Telegram group.

Mather-Franks, previously of Redding Road, Rushden, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one of paying for the sexual services of a child, one of distributing category A live streams of child abuse, one of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and one or encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence

Judge Herbert told him: "You have an entrenched sexual interest in very young girls and you represent a serious danger to them."

Mather-Franks will serve at least five years, four months behind bars before he can be considered for parole. Once released, he will serve the remainder of his sentence plus and extra four years on licence.

Following Friday's sentencing, DC Andy Shears from the Police POLIT team said: I am really pleased to see the lengthy sentences handed out to both of these men who preyed on young children for their own depraved satisfaction.

Both men used sophisticated methods to try and evade detection which makes their behaviour even more deplorable.

"However, there is nothing we cant and wont do to uncover child abuse and bring the offenders to justice.

The protection of children is something that is hugely important to me and to Northamptonshire Police and I hope this case shows that if you are a predator like Peach or Mather-Franks, that we will catch up with you and put you where you belong behind bars.

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A Northampton man who sexually assaulted a young girl has been locked up for 10 years.

Ryan Johnson, from Duston, denied all allegations against him during his trial - but last month, a jury convicted him on four counts of child sex offences.

The 31-year-old was found guilty of sexually assaulting the young girl two years ago.

At his sentencing at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (February 11), Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane told Johnson: "Victim impacts statements have shown how your victim now finds it hard to trust people.

"It has affected her friendships. her mother says it has destroyed her confidence."

The court heard how the young girl messaged a friend after the incident, who then alerted the girl's mother to what happened.

Johnson was jailed for 10 years and nine months. He will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

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A paedophile from Rushden has been sentenced to prison at Northampton Crown Court today (Wednesday, September 16).

Philip Jackson, 32, formerly of Rushden, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for sexually assaulting a young girl in April 2019.

He showed no remorse and forced the case to go to trial, making the child take the stand and give evidence.

Jackson was unanimously found guilty at Northampton Crown Court in August.

Lead Investigator, Detective Constable Paul Lilley, from Northamptonshire Polices Child Protection Team, said: I hope Jacksons punishment brings some closure for this young girl and her family and I am pleased this individual will now serve time behind bars for his actions.

Northamptonshire Police takes reports of sexual assault very seriously and will always treat reports of this nature with the confidentiality and sensitivity they deserve.

At the time of the guilty verdict, DC Lilley described Jackson as a remorseless liar who had repeatedly tried to discredit the account of the young girl.

DC Lilley said: Im very pleased that the jury saw through his lies and as a result, a dangerous paedophile who no doubt poses a risk to children going forward, has been convicted.

What is most incredible about this case is the bravery of the young girl who stood up in court and gave evidence.

I hope Jacksons conviction brings some closure to this young girl and her family who throughout the investigation and trial have shown great courage and dignity.

Jackson was also handed a 10-month Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

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A sex pest who has "repeatedly proven he is a danger to women" has been jailed again.

Richard Enderby Hall-Trafford, 24, was jailed for 34 weeks last year after he admitted sexually assaulting two women, flashing at a jogger and performing a sex act in public in Corby.

He was deemed so dangerous magistrates banned him from approaching, touching or attempting to engage with any unknown female for five years through a sexual harm prevention order.

But on May 23, just months after he was released from prison, he sexually assaulted another woman in Spencer Street, Burton Latimer.

He admitted sexual assault and breaching the order by touching his victim and he has now been jailed for 18 weeks.

A further two weeks in prison was added to his sentence because he failed to meet supervision requirements after he was released earlier this year, meaning his risk was "unmanageable", making his total sentence 20 weeks behind bars.

A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: We are pleased to see Richard Hall-Trafford given time behind bars as he has repeatedly proven that he is a danger to women.

Everyone in this world deserves the right to go about their business without fear of being approached inappropriately and Hall-Trafford has continuously threatened that right.

Northamptonshire Police is committed to taking action against sex offenders and we hope that Hall Traffords conviction demonstrates that commitment.

As part of his sentence Hall-Trafford, of Dumble Close in Corby, will also be on the register for sex offenders for seven and must not contact his most recent victim because of a restraining order.

The pervert must also pay his victim 200 in compensation, court costs of 145 and a surcharge to fund victim services of 128.

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Gordan Newman, from High Barns Close, used the social media website Tumblr to chat to other paedophiles and post indecent images.

But the sentence he was handed in Northampton Crown Court yesterday (January 30) is the third time he has appeared in court for handling indecent images of children since 2010.

He was given a suspended sentence in 2010 and even earned time in jail for it in March 2017.

But when police visited his home for a spot check as part of his sexual harm prevention order in November 2018, they found his phone was logged into Tumblr and had been sharing images with other online paedophiles in private sessions.

He posted under the online handle 'Boundaryless' with the profile description 'not bad but badder'.

The court heard how Newman chatted with other paedophiles online and made such comments as 'cute' on pictures depicting child abuse.

Newman later pleaded guilty to distributing and making indecent images of children.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge Roger Tregilgas-Davey said: "You were talking and chatting to other paedophiles about the pictorial abuse of young children.

"Clearly this matter is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be imposed.

"If you commit this offence again the sentence will only increase and the sentence will get longer and longer."

Newman was handed a prison sentence of two years and three months. A sexual harm prevention order preventing him from working with children or vulnerable adults was put in place for 10 years.

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Mark Kirby, from Thirlestane Crescent, Far Cotton, was sentenced to a total of three years and four months, after pleading guilty to one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted three counts of causing or inciting a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity and two of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Sentencing Kirby, Judge Adrienne Lucking QC told Northampton Crown Court: "This is a clear example of the dangers people like you bring to the internet.

"You were persistent and determined in your efforts to establish a sexual relationship with children online."

Judge Lucking also made him the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

PC Chris Barker-Bowles, who led the investigation leading to Kirbys conviction, said: Kirby preyed on children in the most sickening way and for his own sexual gratification.

"Im happy with todays court result which follows a long and complex investigation.

If people choose to engage in this appalling way they can expect our specialist police officers to be detecting and tracking their activity.

"We will bring to justice anybody who exploits children in this way.

Kirby will serve 20 months of his sentence before being freed on licence.

An NSPCC spokeswoman said: Kirby went to great lengths to commit horrifying abuse against children and his actions are a stark reminder of the risks associated with the internet.

Its far too easy for predators to contact young people online often with devastating effects - and its important that parents discuss the dangers with their children.

The government has a crucial part to play and its recent commitment to legislate to protect children online is a huge step forward and a victory for the NSPCCs Wild West Web campaign.

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The victim of a predatory Northampton taxi driver has described how the jailed sex attacker showed no remorse for his 'heinous' crimes by denying his guilt for three years. Abdul Shohid, of Overstone Road, The Mounts, was arrested in 2015 after two women reported him to the police. The taxi driver, who ran a private firm in Northampton, was then linked to an unsolved rape case after police matched his DNA. Last month, judge Robert Brown handed the 47-year-old a 12-year sentence for the rape and a further six months for the two sexual assaults. But one of his victims has described how the cab driver dragged his victims through a three-year ordeal by maintaining his not guilty plea. It is clear Shohid is a sexual predator who has been preying on vulnerable women for some time," said the victim in an impact statement. "Operating a taxi firm, he abused his position of responsibility and took advantage of three women that are known of. "I feel I got away lightly, and if I were in an intoxicated state it may have been a considerably more horrific outcome. "My sympathies go to the poor young woman he raped. "I personally no longer take taxis unless absolutely necessary and never, under any circumstances, at night or on my own. "It is a sad reflection on the strain and lack of funding on the judicial system that it took eight sets of trial dates and deferments and over three years to bring this individual to justice. "And the fact Shohid pleaded 'not guilty' shows he had no remorse or accountability for his heinous actions by putting the victims through the additional ordeal of a crown court trial.

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Philip Allen, who has since been fired from his job at Shenley Brook End School, is a prominent figure in religious education nationally and has written frequently for the Times Educational Supplement.

48-year-old married man from Potterspury, appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court to plead guilty to six charges of making indecent images of children and a charge of possessing prohibited images.

He admitted possessing 172 ‘category A’ indecent images of children, the most extreme kind. He also admitted having 46 category B images and 37 of category C.

Prosecuting, Jerena Tomaszewska said Allen’s crimes were uncovered after police seized his electronic devices in June during a raid on his house.

She said: “Images were found on a laptop and individual images found on an external hard drive.

“The report shows that some of the images were also backed up from the defendant’s iPad.”

Allen had been a member of the TES teacher panel and a national TES advisor for key stage 4 religious studies.

He was bailed under a condition he could not come into unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18.

Presiding magistrate Diana Whittaker told Allen: “Our powers of sentencing are insufficient for you, these charges are too serious.”

She referred Allen to Crown Court and he faces up to a year in prison.

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A former policeman who committed a string of sex offences against children, including one in Warwickshire, has been jailed for life after a judge described him as "every parent's worst nightmare".

A former policeman who committed a string of sex offences against children, including one in Warwickshire, has been jailed for life after a judge described him as "every parent's worst nightmare".

Daniel Lishman used jobs as a mobile dog-groomer and a TV licensing officer to help him carry out at least eight offences and also posed as a policeman to indecently assault two young girls, Coventry Crown Court heard.

The serial paedophile was arrested in April last year after attacking a 12-year-old girl while pretending to check on a boiler at an address in Southam, Warwickshire.

Judge Peter Carr ordered the 37-year-old, of Raunds, Northamptonshire, to serve at least 11 years before he can be considered for parole.

Lishman was convicted at previous hearings of a total of 26 counts and asked for four others to be considered.

The charges, including one of rape and 12 of sexual assault, related to a total of 13 victims, including three with disabilities or learning difficulties, as well as hundreds of indecent images of children.

Judge Carr was told that Lishman, who served with Northamptonshire Police between 1995 and 2002, was linked to a string of offences in Northamptonshire, separate from the Warwickshire case, after detectives who arrested him found a camera memory card hidden in one of his socks.