Latest Offenders Nottingham

Description

A sexual predator who abused a child on multiple occasions has been jailed. 

Alexander McClymont, aged 38, was exposed in 2022 when his victim revealed what had been happening to her. 

After a lengthy investigation he was charged with multiple sexual offences, all of which he denied. 

However, after a trial he was convicted by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court of nine offences. 

The convictions were for eight counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual assault. 

The court heard the abuse began around a decade ago. 

Appearing for sentence on Thursday (9 April), McClymont was jailed for nine years and two months. 

McClymont, now of Erewash Gardens, Top Valley, Nottingham, was also made the subject of a lifelong sexual harm prevention order that will tightly control his activities when he is released. 

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

Detective Constable Stacey Lebeter, of Nottinghamshire Police's Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: 

“Firstly, I’d like to pay tribute to the incredible courage and strength shown by the victim in coming forward and supporting this investigation through to court proceedings. 

“As the court heard, the emotional and psychological impact on her has been severe and her bravery has been vital in bringing this offender to justice. 

“McClymont is a devious and calculating sexual predator who committed truly appalling offences against a child. 

“That child has been through an extremely difficult and upsetting ordeal, made worse by McClymont’s complete lack of remorse and refusal to admit to his crimes. 

“I am pleased he is now behind bars where he belongs and relieved that he is now no longer a danger to children. 

“I hope this case also serves as a reminder to other victims of sexual assaults which may have happened some time ago. 

“If you tell us about what happened we will listen to you, we will investigate and we will do everything we can to get justice for you.” 

Description

A violent rapist who subjected a woman to an ordeal of controlling behaviour before attacking her has been jailed.

Brett Carnelley and the victim began a relationship in October 2022 after meeting online.

Text messages and emails from May 2023 showed him becoming increasingly controlling, jealous and possessive.

On 10 October 2023, the victim went to see Carnelley at his workshop in Sneinton, Nottingham, after he told her he was struggling with his mental health.

She found him in an intoxicated state and he went on to rape her in a violent and degrading attack.

Carnelley continued to bombard the woman with messages and subject her to abusive posts on social media following the assault and tried to control who she saw and where she went.

The victim disclosed what had happened when speaking to her neighbour in January 2025 and detectives began an investigation.

The victim was supported and bravely told her story to specialist officers.

Thirty-seven-year old Carnelley, of no fixed abode, was arrested and charged but denied the offences.

However, he was found guilty by a jury of rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and stalking.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Monday (23 March) he was given an extended jail sentence of 17 years and one month.

Carnelley will serve 12 years and one month in custody and a further five years on licence upon his release from prison. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order.

Detective Constable Mark Shirra, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Carnelley’s bullying and controlling behaviour culminated in him raping the victim when she went to support and comfort him.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the victim for her bravery in speaking out, initially to her neighbour and then to officers.

“Carnelley did not have the decency to admit what he had done, subjecting the victim to a crown court trial.

“Cases of this nature can take a huge emotional toll on victims and their families.

“The victim has shown great courage and resilience, and I wish her the very best as she continues to rebuild her life.

“I hope this case serves as a warning to other violent men who think they can subject women to this sort of abuse.

“We treat such reports with the utmost seriousness and will do whatever it takes to bring offenders to justice.

“My message to other victims who are suffering is that although the steps to come forward and report can appear difficult, you will be listened to, helped and kept safe.”

Description

A rapist has been jailed after forcibly trying to prevent his victim from calling the police.

Luke Frost followed the woman home after a chance encounter on 13 May last year.

Frost, who was known to the victim, was filmed on a doorbell camera as he sexually assaulted her outside.

He then forced his way into her living room where – despite her clear protests – he raped her.

Frost, who has a history of violence against women, repeatedly spat on and verbally abused his victim during the ordeal.

He then tried to take her mobile phone away as she attempted to call the police for help.

That didn’t work, and officers soon arrived at the scene.

Frost, aged 33, fled but was chased down and arrested the following day.

During a trial at Nottingham Crown Court in November, he claimed that any sexual activity had been consensual.

A jury disagreed and convicted him of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Appearing at the same court on Friday 13 March, Frost, of Bridge Street, Worksop, was given an extended 13-year sentence.

Detective Constable Ella Redfern, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Frost subjected his victim to a prolonged and vindictive sexual attack after meeting her in the street and following her home.

"Despite her very clear protests, he proceeded to sexually assault and rape her in her own home – the one place where she should feel absolutely safe.

"Aware of what he’d done, he then tried to prevent her from calling the police.
Thanks to the bravery of his victim and the compelling evidence she provided, justice has now caught up with Frost, who will spend a very considerable period of time behind bars.”

Description

A man who tried to groom a '14-year-old girl' for sex has been jailed.

Leighton Garner, aged 28, was in reality tricked by an online activist group into conversing with an adult volunteer in July and August last year.

Garner sent sexually explicit images to the person and requested pictures in exchange, despite her claiming to be a child.

At one point on their social media exchange, Garner received a picture of the ‘girl’ and clearly discussed her age.

Garner also discussed meeting the girl at a hotel for sex.

He also discussed meeting another woman at a Retford Supermarket on 2 August 2025, but was met instead by members of the group who then called the police.

Garner, of no fixed address, later pleaded guilty to guilty to attempting to cause a girl to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday 2 March he was jailed for 15 months and handed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order which will tightly restrict his internet usage and access to children.

Detective Constable Sarah Pitchford, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Garner’s behaviour was little short of predatory.

“He genuinely believed he was in conversation with a teenage girl who he then attempted to groom for a sexual relationship.

“That’s why I am pleased not only with his jail sentence, but also with the very strict sexual harm prevention order we secured to help minimise the risk of future offending

“Garner should be under no illusion that any breach of this order once he is release will likely result in his immediate return to prison.”

Description

A child sex offender tried and failed to arrange a house viewing at the home of a schoolboy he was stalking.

Shane York caused great distress to the boy and his family by targeting him in a series of increasingly concerning ways.

The 32-year-old’s campaign of stalking lasted several months and began with him repeatedly following the child home from school.

This became a regular occurrence, with York also taking photos of the boy – who he didn’t know – whenever he saw him, while keeping a log of the sightings on his phone. 

York’s behaviour would eventually escalate to an even more dangerous level when he discovered his victim’s family were planning to move house.

At that point, he made numerous attempts to book a viewing, before then writing two letters to the estate agents pretending to be from the family.

Both letters saw York instruct the realtors to cancel the sale, take the house off the market, and to not contact them – the ‘homeowners’ – again.

The strange behaviour was ultimately discovered when the real family queried what was going on and were shown the letters they’d supposedly sent.

York was identified as the perpetrator soon after, at which point it was discovered he’d also tried and failed to get a job at the boy’s school.

His campaign of stalking in Nottingham all happened between February and July last year, when he was arrested by police.

In the investigation that followed however, it was revealed that York’s stalking offences only scratched the surface of the paedophile’s depravity.

A series of indecent photos of children that York had taken himself were discovered inside his home. None of these images were of the child he'd been stalking.

This evidence enabled detectives to prove that the predator had sexually abused a young child on two separate occasions in 2023 and 2024.  

Searches of York’s home also led to the discovery of more than 1,700 indecent images and videos of children on his devices.

Further prohibited pictures of children and extreme pornographic images of animals were also found.

Faced with the mounting evidence detectives had gathered, York pleaded guilty to the ten separate charges he faced.

These included two counts of sexual assault on a child, one count of stalking involving serious alarm or distress, and two counts of taking indecent photographs of children.  

York, previously of Squires Avenue, Bulwell, appeared before Nottingham Crown Court to be sentenced on 2 March.

Having been labelled "dangerous" by the judge at the hearing, he was duly issued with an extended prison sentence of nine years.

York will serve six years in custody, before then spending the remaining three years of his sentence on licence after that.

He was also made the subject of restraining orders, banning him from contacting his victims until further order, while a sexual harm prevention order was also granted against him until further order. 

Detective Constable Stacey Lamb, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Shane York developed a dangerous infatuation with a child and spent several months stalking him in a range of deeply concerning ways.

"His stalking showed persistence and planning, while his behaviour was highly manipulative.

“York’s actions – not to mention his attempts to get a job at the boy’s school – caused understandable distress to his victims and prompted an investigation that uncovered the truth of his depravity.

“The seriousness of York’s crimes really can’t be emphasised enough, while the danger he poses to children is clear for everyone to see.

“We’re pleased to see his sentence reflect the serious nature of his offending.

"That might not have been possible without the young victim finding the courage to tell his parents what had happened, with his bravery ultimately helping stop York's offending before it escalated even further."

Description

A sex offender who crept into elderly people’s homes during a series of disturbing incidents was caught after a determined investigation and help from the public.

Tyler Reilly broke into one elderly woman’s home while she was in the shower and attempted to get through a bedroom window while another woman was getting changed.

The 32-year-old also sneaked into a flat at an OAP's complex and told the elderly occupant ‘not to scream’.

Detectives investigated the series of incidents, which all took place in the West Bridgford area, and analysed hours of CCTV footage.

An image of a suspect was released to the public and this helped identify Reilly as the offender.

He was arrested by neighbourhood officers who found him living in a tent in Wilford Road.

Reilly, of no fixed abode, went on to plead guilty to two counts of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence, burglary and failing to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (26 February) he was handed an extended jail sentence of 14 years.

Detective Sergeant Ben Skellern, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“The victims in this series of incidents were alarmed to come face-to-face with an intruder inside their homes or on their property.

“They must have felt horrified that their safe space had been violated in this way by Reilly.

“We believe our investigation, with the help of the public who identified him, may have prevented further and more serious offences being committed.

“During the investigation it became clear this series of incidents were linked and we were looking at one offender who needed to be identified quickly and arrested.

“We are very grateful to the members of the public who came forward to help our appeal.”

Inspector Tim Cuthbert, local area commander for Rushcliffe, said:

“These incidents caused concern in the West Bridgford community and we know a number of Reilly’s victims were vulnerable people who lived alone or in assisted accommodation.

“Neighbourhood teams carried out additional patrols in the areas affected as the investigation took place and I hope these provided some comfort.

“I also hope our robust investigation and the outcome in court reassures both the victims and the wider community about how seriously we treat offences of this nature.”

Description

A child sex offender was exposed when he travelled internationally to meet the victim he groomed online.

Gary Burrows, 34, initiated sexualised social media conversations with the girl.

Aware that his victim was only 15-years-old at the time, Burrows enticed her to send him a series of sexually explicit images – and sent them back too.

He also arranged to meet her in person and flew to Canada once she turned 16.

Ontario Provincial Police were made aware that Burrows was having sexual relations with the victim in September 2023 but took no further action as 16 is the age of consent in that country.

It was, however, reported to Nottinghamshire Police to investigate potential offences committed whist the victim was still 15 years old.

Burrows’ phone was examined, and he was arrested in October 2023.

Burrows, formerly of Lime Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, went on to plead guilty to making indecent photos of a child, causing a child aged 13 to 15 to look at an image of sexual activity, and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of causing a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 20 February, he was jailed for three years and placed on the sex offenders’ register.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that will tightly restrict his activities once he is released from prison.

Detective Constable Jason Jenkins, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Burrows is a calculating 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.

“As his victim was outside the country, he may have thought he could have gotten away with such depraved behaviour.

“This was, obviously, proven thoroughly wrong when he was placed before the courts.

“Those who choose to act this way can be warned – you will be held accountable.”

Description

A racist sex offender sent a threatening message to BBC Radio Nottingham presenter Arun Verma, vowing to "stab you 22 times in revenge for the Manchester Arena bombing" while using highly offensive racist language.

The message, seen by station staff and Verma, breached a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) from prior sex offense convictions when Michael James deleted it.

At Nottingham Crown Court, the 57-year-old's barrister, Clarkson Baptiste, said his client "can’t explain" his motivation, has no "particular views towards Mr Verma or the BBC," and wished to apologize. James has been in custody since his November arrest, with health issues including a tracheotomy, spinal tube, and an 18-month prognosis.

Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard detailed the November 20 incident: James, a persistent caller identifying as "Michael from Daybrook," messaged, "Notts get off the radio you dirty wannabee P*** terrorist b*****d. Allah, Allah, it will be when I stab you 22 times in revenge for the Manchester Arena bombing." The station alerted police; Verma read it but made no statement. It was "clearly racially motivated," and James violated his SHPO by deleting it without permission.

James, of Frobisher Gardens, Daybrook, pleaded guilty to breaching the order and sending a communication threatening serious harm. He has an "extensive criminal record."

Jailing him for 40 weeks, Judge Rupert Mayo said:

"Mr James, I accept your apology and I don’t think anybody but you can explain why you did what you did. You sent a highly offensive and racist comment during a broadcast by the BBC which would have come up in the studio and would have been seen by the presenter and those working that evening. We have freedom of speech but that does not mean we can say what we like when we like. At the time you were the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for past offences against people younger than you and one of its requirements was not to delete any messages, which is exactly what you then did."

Description

A rapist who attacked two women in the space of 15 months has been jailed.

Omran Ahmed, aged 37, raped his first victim at an address in Sneinton on 20 December 2023 – punching her repeatedly in the face during the attack.

During his first police interview Ahmed denied having any sexual contact with his victim.

When confronted several months later by damming DNA evidence he changed his story – claiming he had been asleep and had no memory of what happened.

Whilst on Crown Court bail and awaiting trial for his first offence, Ahmed raped another woman at an address in Forest Fields on 20 March 2025 after being introduced to her by a mutual friend.

He lied again during his third police interview – even when confronted by the evidence of this first offence.

Ahmed, who was immediately remanded into custody, continued to protest his innocence until September 2025, when he was convicted of raping both victims by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court.

He was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in relation to his first victim.

Appearing at the same venue on Friday, Ahmed, of Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, was given an extended 20 year sentence.

Detective Constable Alexander Terry, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Ahmed is an opportunist predator who poses a clear and obvious danger to women.

“During his first offence he forced himself on a woman who believed him to be a friend, before lying repeatedly to the police about what had happened.

“Seemingly untroubled by the police investigation into his first offence, Ahmed launched a second and highly opportunistic assault on a woman he’d only just met.

“As he begins a very long and richly deserved jail sentence, I would like to thank both the women in this case for their bravery and cooperation during what has been a very traumatic experience for both of them.”

Description

A rapist who carried a 15-year-old girl into a bedroom against her will and subjected her to a violent sexual assault has been on the run for nearly two years, with police unaware of his location.

Nottingham Crown Court held the hearing without Aland Ahmed, 22, after he fled the country and skipped bail. His victim read an emotional impact statement detailing the attack's lasting effects, as reported by Nottingham Live.

In 2022, Ahmed, then 19, made unwanted advances toward the teenager at a flat in Nottingham. She resisted, but he carried her into the bedroom and raped her for five to ten minutes without a condom. He stopped only when disturbed by someone entering the room, who saw the girl crying hysterically.

The victim developed complex PTSD, turned to drugs and alcohol to cope, and saw her family relationships break down, leading to supported accommodation. In her statement, she described being unable to sleep.

Ahmed, of Highbury Road, was convicted in absentia of one count of rape and sentenced to nine years. He has been missing for 21 months and was placed on the sex offender register for life. Upon arrest, he will serve two-thirds of the sentence.

Judge Steven Coupland said:

“He was 19 at the time and is still only 23 now and the delay in this case is entirely down to him because of his initial denials of the offence and then him absenting himself. He chose not to attend the court, breached his bail and hasn’t been seen for some 21 months. She had only turned 15 and it is plain she did not want to have sex with him as she physically resisted him.

“As a result of this he physically carried her into a bedroom where, despite her protestations he raped her for some five to ten minutes without using a condom. He only stopped when someone else in the flat disturbed them and she was noticed to be crying hysterically.

“She then had to relive what happened in a video interview and then at the trial when his denials had to be put to her, despite him not attending or being here for that trial.

“I have read her victim impact statement in which she says as a result of what happened she turned to drugs and drink which ruined her relationship with her family and led to her now living in supported accommodation. She now suffers from complex PTSD, has trouble trusting people and is unable to sleep. It is clear there is severe psychological harm in this case.”

Prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC said the teenager and Ahmed, of Highbury Vale, were in the flat where he “made advances on her” which she tried to fight off. He added:

“She resisted him but he carried her into a bedroom where she was forcefully raped and his DNA was found in her underwear.

“After being charged and appearing at the magistrates' court he then absented himself and is believed to be out of the country. As a result he did not attend his trial, there is no pre-sentence report and very little is known about him. In her victim impact statement she talks of abusing drugs and drink as a result of what happened and being ostracised by her family although she is improving over time.”

Description

A man who sent explicit messages to three people he wrongly believed to be underage girls has been jailed.

Phillip Smith, aged 52, asked for explicit pictures after messaging three ‘girls’ on Facebook.

Unbeknown to Smith, however, the ‘girls’ – who told him they were aged 13, 14 and 14 – were actually members of an online child safety group, which later shared its evidence with the police.

Smith, of Dennis Avenue, Beeston, was confronted by the group in Beeston (pictured above left) and asked why he was sending sexualised messages to young girls.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he was already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order having committed similar sexual offences in the past.

At his sentencing on Wednesday (7 January), Smith was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Sergeant Elizabeth Gray, of Nottinghamshire Police’s public protection team said:

“Smith committed serious sexual offences with people he believed to be only 13 or 14 years old. Thankfully this was not the case and no children were harmed by his actions.

“But he knew perfectly well that what he was doing was wrong and he has rightly been punished.

“Although online activist groups work at their own discretion, Nottinghamshire Police will continue to respond to information provided by members of the public and that will not change.”

Description

The courage of three young girls has been praised for helping jail the man who sexually abused them.

Child sex offender Paul Davis was responsible for sexually assaulting each of the girls on multiple occasions.

The predator abused each of his victims at different locations across Nottinghamshire, between 2017 and 2020.

Despite the harrowing nature of what Davis had done, each of the girls found the strength to tell someone what had happened.

Their brave decision to come forward and to then speak to the police, ensured Davis, now aged 78, was tracked down and arrested soon after.

He would go on to be charged with eight counts of sexual assault of a girl and two counts of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

Not content with what he’d already done, Davis decided to inflict more pain and distress on the victims and their families by denying all ten charges.

That meant they were forced to relive the details of his actions during a week-long trial at Nottingham Crown Court this October.

A jury would go on to see through Davis’ lies, however, and instead found him guilty of each of the offences he’d been tried on.

Davis, now of HMP Nottingham, was then sentenced to 14 years in prison when he reappeared before Nottingham Crown Court last Friday (12 December).

Detective Constable Lisa Torrance, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Before anything else, I firstly want to thank and pay tribute to the three young victims in this case.

“I can’t even comprehend how hard it must’ve been for them to share what had happened to them, but they showcased immense bravery in deciding to do so.

“In complete contrast to this, Paul Davis demonstrated the coward he is by denying everything, which ensured the people he’d hurt then had to sit through a week-long trial.

“Despite the further distress this would’ve no doubt caused, the girls and their families courageously managed to remain dignified throughout the entirety of the court proceedings.

“We were pleased to see the jury saw through Davis’ lies and that his disgusting and disgraceful behaviour has now resulted in a lengthy prison sentence.

“Our hope is this will provide the victims and their families with some small degree of comfort and closure going forward.”

Description

A sexual predator who assaulted two nine-year-old boys in a Nottingham park has left one victim making "excuses not to go out," according to his mother's victim impact statement read at Nottingham Crown Court.

The boys' mothers described the devastating effects on their sons. One said her "once bubbly and outgoing child" who "loved socialising with his friends, going out on his bike and having fun in Melbourne Park" now "makes excuses not to go out and has put a barrier up." She added: "This man had no right to do what he did to my son, the impact this has had has been devastating."

The other mother stated her son has "become withdrawn, asking why a grown man shows him dirty videos like this," and is "petrified the man will come after him and take him despite all of us reassuring him he will not do it."

After a week-long trial, a jury unanimously convicted Afghan national Dawajan Ahmadzai, 27, of no fixed address, of two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of causing a child to watch a sexual act, per Nottinghamshire Live. This included showing one boy a pornographic video on his phone.

Jailing him for three years, Judge Julie Warburton said: "The boys had gone to Melbourne Park to play with friends, where they should have been safe. You clearly sought out and pursued contact with these young boys with a view to touching them for your own sexual gratification. I have no doubt on the evidence I saw and heard this was your intention throughout. It was done with a predatory sexual motive for your own deviant sexual pleasure."

In evidence, one victim described being "grabbed and massaged" by Ahmadzai while playing on June 15 this year. The boy said: "He came up behind me and started grabbing my belly so I pinched him to get him off me. He moved his hands up and started to massage my shoulders, digging his fingers in my collar bone, so I elbowed him and launched myself off the go-kart (I was sitting on) and headed towards the basketball court, and I called the police."

The second boy was hugged and shown "a dirty video" of adults having sex. The first boy added that Ahmadzai showed his friend "a proper dirty video saying ‘get your two friends to come and see this’. I said ‘no, I am not watching dirty stuff’."

Prosecutor Stuart Lody noted Ahmadzai's phone revealed membership in a social media app broadcasting pornographic videos. Forensic examination found his DNA on one boy's shirt, contradicting his denial of contact.

Defense lawyer Fergus Malone said Ahmadzai has no prior convictions, is in the country legally, approached a group rather than isolating a child, and the video was "very short-lived, perhaps four seconds."

Ahmadzai was placed on the sex offender register for life, given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order, and a 10-year restraining order. The boys have lifetime anonymity.

Description

A former support worker has been branded a dangerous offender after sexually assaulting a man by rubbing him intimately and penetrating him from behind without consent.

The assault occurred around a decade ago at Lee O'Brien's former home in the Wrexham area. O'Brien, 52, is already serving a prison sentence in England for sex offences against another victim.

At Mold Crown Court today, he admitted assault by penetration and was sentenced to nine years, with five and a half years in custody.

Judge Rhys Rowlands heard the victim, who cannot be named, arrived expecting others but found only O'Brien. Prosecutor John Wyn Williams said they sat on a sofa, where O'Brien tried to kiss him; the victim pulled away, but O'Brien, "bigger and stronger," got on top.

O'Brien rubbed him intimately over clothes, removed his trousers, and penetrated him, causing a "burning sensation in his anus as if he needed to go to the lavatory." The victim couldn't see what it was—"it could have been a finger or it could have been an object," Mr. Wyn Williams said. O'Brien suddenly stopped, smiling. No consent was given.

Years later, work training "triggered a reaction," leading the victim to report O'Brien to police on June 22, 2023. O'Brien, interviewed September 7, 2023, claimed the behavior was "consensual" and "mutual" with no sex.

In a court statement, the victim said before the incident, "I was living my best life. The world was my oyster." Afterward, he became socially isolated, distrustful, suffered nightmares, and needed counseling. He prepared for trial but O'Brien's guilty plea denied him that: "You have taken away my voice by taking away 'my' trial." Overall: "You made me feel dirty and disgusting and I will never be able to get over this fact."

Defense barrister Matthew Dunford noted the guilty plea spared cross-examination, both had been drinking without O'Brien "plying" the victim as in other cases, and O'Brien is genuinely remorseful.

The judge cited the assault's "severe psychological effect" on the victim. As a dangerous offender at HMP Whatton, Nottinghamshire, O'Brien must serve two-thirds of the custodial term, followed by three and a half years on licence "to protect members of the public." 

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Description

A man who provided sweets to children at a summer camp which he had laced with sedatives has pleaded guilty to 17 offences.

Jon Ruben, 76, admitted offences including wilful ill treatment of eight children and possession of class C drugs following a police investigation which Senior Investigating Officer Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Neil Holden today (Friday) described as “horrific, complex and emotional”.

Ruben, of Wayte Court, Landmere Lane, Ruddington, Nottingham, also admitted sexual offences against two children and charges of possession of indecent images of children when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court today. None of the images concerned relate to children who were at the summer camp.

The charges Ruben admitted are:

• Eight counts of wilful ill treatment of a child in relation to eight separate victims
• One count of acquiring or possession of dutiable goods by fraudulent intent
• Three counts of possession of a class C drug
• Three counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
• One count of assault by penetration of a boy under 13
• One count of sexual assault of a boy under 13.

Ruben pleaded not guilty to a second charge of assault by penetration of a boy under 13.

The charges came following police attending Stathern Lodge, Canal Lane, Stathern, near Melton, on Monday 28 July this year following concerns raised that a number of children had become unwell while at the camp there which was being run by Ruben. A report was made that Ruben, who ran a charity providing short holiday breaks for children, may have been drugging children at the camp with a number of children reported to be unwell including feeling drowsy and sick.

East Midlands Ambulance Service also attended the scene with eight children, who were all boys aged between eight and 11, being taken to hospital as a precaution. An adult was also taken to hospital at the time. All were later discharged.

At the time of police attending, Ruben was found to be at a nearby pub with some of the children. He was arrested by officers at the pub and transported to custody.

Searches were carried out at Stathern Lodge with items including syringes and sedatives being found.

While initial investigative work led to Ruben being charged four days later on Friday 1 August with three counts of wilful ill treatment of a child, the force’s Major Crime team then continued more than three months of detailed and dedicated enquiries to uncover further evidence of Ruben’s crimes.

This included statements being taken from victims and witnesses, exhibits being sent off for examination and analysis of digital devices seized.

These enquiries led to it being found that on the evenings of Saturday 26 July and Sunday 27 July, Ruben had carried out a ‘sweet game’ with a number of children at the lodge which involved encouraging them to eat the sweets.

Following toxicology tests, a sedative was found to be present in children at the camp as well as within sweets which had been provided to the children. Inspection of the sweets found incision marks had been made.

Analysis of devices belonging to Ruben were found to contain more than 50 category A indecent videos of children. Category A images as well as Category B and C videos were also found. The categories indicate the seriousness of the content shown with category A being the highest.

The enquiries carried out also found evidence that Ruben had sexually assaulted two boys – both victims were under 13-years-old.

The evidence gathered by the investigating team led to Ruben being further arrested in October this year on suspicion of further offences and interviewed. Charges in relation to all alleged offences were then put to Ruben at court today.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Holden said:

“This has been a horrific, complex and emotional investigation involving multiple young, innocent, vulnerable victims and a man who committed the vilest crimes.

“Our focus today must of course remain on the young victims and with the support of partners and dedicated Family Liaison Officers, we have and continue to support their welfare and to ensure their safeguarding going forward.”