Latest Offenders Somerset

Description

Predatory paedophile Harley Palmer, 27, targeted the young boys and molested them when they were alone.

He would buy his terrified victims gifts in order to buy their silence.

He was described at Taunton Crown Court as a dangerous and 'manipulative' abuser with a sexual interest in young boys.

His victims, aged nine and 13, were initially too scared to tell anyone what had happened and feared they would not be believed.

When the offences did come to light earlier this year Palmer initially denied doing anything wrong and described himself as a 'cuddly person' who would just tickle the children. But police found naked images of a child on his phone and he pleaded guilty to four offences.

Palmer was jailed five years and three months with an extra extended licence period of four years imposed due to the danger he poses to children.

The parents of one of the victims said in a statement they were 'devastated' by what he had done and he had destroyed their son's childhood.

The teenage victim said he still had nightmares.

Mr Harry Ahuja, defending, said Palmer was immature for his age, anxious, confused about his sexuality and sorry.

Palmer, of Friarn Avenue, Bridgwater, pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual activity with a child under 13 and two charges relating to the indecent pictures.

He was put on the sex offender register for life

Recorder Philip Mott QC told the defendant: "What took place was classic grooming behaviour by you.

"You are described as a manipulative person and a high risk of causing serious harm to pre-pubescent boys."

Palmer must serve two-thirds of his five years and three months sentence in jail before he can be considered for release by the parole board.

Recorder Mott said: "It is quite clear from the victim personal statements that there has been a serious psychological effect on the children.

He added: "It is very important to say to the two victims you are not to blame for anything that happened. It was not your fault.

"To your parents this is perhaps your worst nightmare and what your children need now is calmness, and above all love. For you to be strong and not to allow fear and anger to turn into a prison for your children."

Description

A man from Glastonbury has been jailed for 12 years after he admitted posing as a teenage girl to manipulate schoolboys into sending him naked photos and videos of them abusing other children.

The National Crime Agency began investigating Oliver Derbidge, 25, in January 2021, after the Australian Federal Police shared details of a UK-based online account with links to an Australian offender, who had been sharing indecent images of children (IIOC).

NCA investigators identified Derbidge as the person behind the account and found that he had expressed a sexual interest in young boys across a number of child abuse forums.

He was arrested soon after and his electronic devices were seized. These were found to contain indecent images of multiple teenage boys, as well as records of online conversations in which Derbidge blackmailed a boy into sexually abusing another child.

The evidence gathered showed that his offending spanned a five-year period from 2016 until his arrest this year.

Derbidge admitted to posing as a teenage girl during that time, using the alias Emily Beecham to target schoolboys on Snapchat. He would send them friend requests and ask them to send naked photos of themselves, sometimes sending back naked images of a female he had found online.

In total 23 boys, aged between 11 and 16, were identified by NCA officers as victims of Derbidge. Each of them confirmed they had sent photos to Emily Beecham, as they believed they were speaking with another teenager.

Some explained that Derbidge had threatened to share their naked photos with friends and family if they did not send him additional images or footage of them abusing another child.

Derbidge pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a 15 year old child to engage in penetrative sexual activity, five counts of causing or inciting a child aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity (non-penetrative) and three counts of making IIOC (categories A-C).

Today (14 January) at Taunton Crown Court he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life and a given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Phil Eccles, said:

"Derbidge went to great lengths to satisfy his sexual attraction to young boys.

"Like many online offenders, he attempted to mask his real identity with a convincing persona to exploit teenagers into sending him sexual content.

"When they did not meet his demands, he even blackmailed some of them into abusing other children.

"His abuse has had a profound impact on these vulnerable young victims who have been extremely brave throughout the course of our investigation.

"Sadly, this can happen to anyone. I'd encourage parents to speak with their children about who they communicate with online and what they share.

Description

A high-risk Somerset sex offender who was being monitored 24 hours a day on a GPS tag has been jailed for trying to lure a 15-year-old girl into a field for sex.

Samuel Netley, 28, was branded as a danger to the public and a devious, manipulative sexual predator with an unhealthy interest in under age girls by the judge who jailed him.

He was on post-release supervision at a bail hostel in Bridgwater when he accosted the girl next to a skate park and offered her 20 to go with him to a nearby field.

He also showed her his car and offered to take her to Weston-super-Mare, Exeter Crown Court was told.

The girl escaped and alerted the police, who were able to trace his exact movements over the 15 minutes he had been with the girl from his GPS tracker.

The victim wrote an impact statement in which she said she is now wary of men, scared to go out alone and avoids the area near the skate park.

Netley was jailed in 2016 for grooming five girls on Facebook and trying to meet at least one of them. He was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which he has broken three times.

He had been released from an eight-month sentence for the third breach and moved into the hostel about two months before he approached the 15-year-old in Bridgwater in June last year.

At the time of his last sentence, he was assessed by probation as posing a high risk which could not be managed in the community.

Netley, aged 28, of Taunton Road, Bridgwater, denied inciting a child to sexual activity but was convicted by a jury at Taunton Crown Court in February 2021.

He was jailed for four years and three months with an eight year licence extension by Judge Peter Johnson, sitting at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: "You were almost twice her age and she says she was hysterical and unable to catch her breath. It is still affecting her markedly.

"I find you are a devious, manipulative sexual predator with an unhealthy sexual interest in under-aged girls. It is said this was not a contact offence, but it as close to one as you are going to get.

"There is a worrying pattern and I unhesitatingly find that you are a dangerous offender."

Mr Christopher Smyth, prosecuting, said the girl was walking home past the skate park in Friarn Avenue at 9pm on June 4, 2020, when Netley walked up from behind and grabbed her hand.

He asked her age and then offered her 20 to go to a field and masturbate him. She said no but he made her walk with him for 15 minutes during which he also offered to drive her to Weston.

At his trial, he claimed to have been remonstrating with the girl because she had scratched his car, but a police officer had noticed the damage several hours earlier.

Miss Emily Cook, defending, said Netley suffers from a form of autism which affects the way in which he interacts with other people.

He has never committed any sort of physical sexual assault.

She said this attempt was never going to have succeeded and a probation report rated his risk as medium rather than high.

Description

A Yeovil pensioner has been jailed for 17 years for a string of sexual assaults on young boys spanning nearly 40 years.

Barry Dunthorn, 74, of Hendford Grove, was found guilty of nine counts of sexual assault on four male victims aged between 12 and 16 at the time the offences were committed.

Following a two week trial at Taunton Crown Court, Dunthorn was convicted of three indecent assaults on a male under 14 and three counts of indecent assault on a male under 16.

He was also found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, and one count of paying for the services of a child under 18.

The offences took place in South and East Somerset between 1981 and 2018.

The court heard how Dunthorn groomed his victims by encouraging them to commit sexual acts with him in exchange for cash payments and gifts.

The most recent offences relate to the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old victim, who was paid large cash sums in exchange for sexual activity over a 12 month period.

Following sentencing, HHJ Townsend paid tribute to the victims for their courage in disclosing the offences and for having to relive the abuse during the court process.

Investigating officer Andy Bath said: I would like to praise the bravery of the victims who reported the offences to the police and instigated an investigation.

After an initial report was made, a further three victims had the courage to come forward, all suffering similar traumatic events at the hands of the defendant.

He created the opportunity to arrange meetings in secret and paid sums of cash to the victims to keep quiet about what was happening.

He has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions and throughout the lengthy investigation and court trial he has denied his illegal activities.

Nevertheless, the jury found him guilty of nine indictments.

I very much hope that the victims will get some comfort in the knowledge that the man who had made them suffer abuse when they were children will now receive a custodial sentence for what he did.

Description

A sex offender who initially avoided a jail term is in prison after judges said his first sentence was too low. Ionut Voicu, 36, admitted engaging in sexual communications with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, with the intention of having sex with her. He found he was messaging an undercover police officer when he sought to meet the girl for sex and was then arrested. Voicu, of Massington Park, Taunton, Somerset, has now been jailed for three years and four months. He had initially been made subject of a community order for three years on the condition he attended an offender treatment programme and did 40 hours of unpaid work.

'Appalled'

But his sentence was increased last Thursday after the Solicitor General, Lucy Frazer, intervened and referred it to the Court of Appeal. She said: "I was appalled by Voicu's intentions and it was only thanks to the vigilance of our police that his criminality did not extend further. "I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal to increase his sentence to properly reflect the severity of his actions." Voicu will also be subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years, which he was originally given as part of his sentence after admitting eight offences on 14 May at Taunton Crown Court. They included five counts of causing a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity, two counts of having sexual communication with a child and another of attempting to arrange or facilitate a child sex offence.

Description

A "monster" paedophile who molested girls as young as five years old is among the criminals jailed by the courts across the South West over the last month.

Despite the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic over the last 18 months, the courts are still striving to dispense justice and has remained committed to putting criminals behind bars.

Despite many courts operating remotely and the justice system only now starting to get back to functioning on an in-person basis, those committing the most serious crimes are still being dealt with and being sentenced to jail terms.

Crimes have continued to be punished across Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire over the last month, with some of the most significant including a paedophile from Bath who was convicted of molesting multiple girls between five and 14 years old.

Among the other most disturbing crimes for which people have been handed prison sentences include a former Army driver who hailed neo-Nazis as 'saints' and released a video of him strumming a guitar to footage of the Christchurch mosque shooting, and a healthcare assistant who was jailed after entering into a sexual relationship with a patient detained under the Mental Health Act.

Here are the criminals put behind bars by the courts across Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire in June.

Stewart Geen, 53, of Bath, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court after admitting seven counts of serious offences involving girls aged between five and 14.

They included multiple counts of rape, sexual assault and sexual activity.

As well as the 21-year jail term and five year licence extension, Geen was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

During sentencing, Judge Julian Lambert said: "There is no question but that you knew what you were doing was wrong and wicked in the extreme.

"You chose your own corrupt sexual pleasure and thought nothing of the ruination of young lives.

"You are truly a monster steeped in corruption."

Dean Morrice, of Pithay Court, Paulton, built a collection of chemicals used in homemade explosives as well as a cache of terrorism manuals and instructions for a 3D-printed gun.

The 34-year-old made a video of himself strumming his guitar to footage of the Christchurch mosque shooting, glorified figures from the Third Reich and hailed neo-Nazi terrorists as saints.

Morrice, who participated in far-right forums and set up two channels of his own, was found guilty on ten counts:

- Three counts of dissemination of terrorist publication

- One count of encouraging terrorism

- Four counts of possession of a document or record for terrorist purposes

- Two counts of having an explosive substance

He was sentenced to 23 years in prison, with the last five to be served on licence.

Description

A twisted pervert who tried to rape one elderly woman in her home and sexually targeted another has been jailed for 20 years.

Damian Lasota was described by a judge as the "stuff of nightmares" after preying on the two lone females in the Twerton area of Bath.

His campaign of terror was halted after police installed CCTV at the women's homes and he was caught in action and arrested.

Lasota, 27, of Parry Close in Southdown, Bath, pleaded guilty to attempted rape, two charges of trespass with intent to commit a sex offence and two charges of exposure.

He appeared in the dock at Bristol Crown Court with a grey jumper draped over his head.

Judge Julian Lambert handed him a 20-year sentence, comprising of a 13-and-a-half year jail term and six-and-a-half years extended licence.

Lasota will have to serve at least two-thirds of the custodial term before the parole board considers him eligible for release.

The judge told him: "You are a predatory sex offender who is the stuff of nightmares.

"You were a masked prowler, stalking women at dead of night.

"You are proved to have attacked an older lady who was highly vulnerable.

"You then continued looking for opportunities to offend further.

"Your intention was to subdue and then rape women in their own homes at night.

"To say you have a deeply disturbed sexual psychology is an understatement."

Lasota was barred from working with children and vulnerable adults and ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

James Haskell, prosecuting, told the court that last year police received some 40 reports of a man exposing himself to women in the Twerton area.

He said that, after Lasota's arrest, there have been no further reports.

Mr Haskell told the court in May last year Lasota entered the home of a vulnerable 73-year-old woman and followed her to her bedroom.

Having pulled down his trousers and pants, he said he was not going to hurt her before trying to engage her in a sex act - which she declined.

The intruder told her "I like older women" as he exposed himself to her before leaving, the court heard.

After the incident was reported the woman's home had a security upgrade complete with surveillance cameras.

Lasota was captured on camera as he returned to the woman's home around 1am on several occasions and prowled in the back garden.

The court heard Lasota targeted a second woman, aged 65, by visiting her home in the early hours and exposing himself - which was also captured on CCTV.

Mr Haskell said: "Plain clothed police officers were in the area, near the address.

"They saw a male who appeared to be acting suspiciously.

"The defendant appeared to be shining a light towards her property.

"The defendant realised he had been disturbed and ran off.

"He was pursued by police and he was arrested."

Description

A dangerous sexual predator has been jailed for raping five women - spiking the drinks of some of his victims before carrying out the attacks.

Hotel chef Tom Wade-Allison, 25, committed a campaign of sexual violence, stupefying women by adding an unknown substance to their drinks before assaulting them.

He was found guilty at Exeter Crown Court last month of 14 offences against five young woman aged between 17 and 20.

They recalled feeling they had lost control of their bodies during the assaults. They would drift in and out of consciousness, waking to the sight of Wade-Allison having sex with them, unable to fight him off.

Some recalled being in a daze, telling him to stop but he ignored their pleas.

One said she felt like she was "trapped in my own body".

He was described in court as a man with no apparent understanding of the seriousness of his crimes and an ongoing danger to women.

Judge Timothy Rose told Wade-Allison: "It was a campaign of rape and other offences enacted over a 20 month period of offending against victims in similar circumstances.

"These were circumstances you either developed yourself or manipulated to obtain the outcome in question or at least repeatedly take advantage of."

Wade-Allison, of Martock, was jailed for 24 years.

The assaults came to light after one of the victims told police he had raped her while she was unable to consent. Her memory of the incident was vague because Wade-Allison had spiked her drink, she thought. Her report caused other victims to come forward and reveal similar experiences.

Judge Rose said it was difficult to be sure how many of the victims had been drugged before being raped. He said he could be certain that two of them had been and a third almost certainly.

He said: "You plied their drinks with a substance, whatever it may have been, intending to affect their self-control as a way of facilitating your sexual acts upon them, utterly against their will and against their knowledge."

The defendant's crimes had features in common, said the judge, such as the victims having had a lot to drink and it being clear they did not consent, though not all of the victims were drugged.

Most of the crimes took place in Somerset but he also offended in Honiton.

Each of the victims provided a personal impact statement to the court outlining the devastating effect on their lives.

One said Wade-Allison was an 'absolute parasite in my life'.

"My life will never be the same again because of him. My life seems permanently dark and troubled," she said, coming to court to testify against him had forced her to dig up memories she had tried to bury.

Judge Rose said Wade-Allison appeared to believe he would not be caught.

"You were not deterred at any stage. You were emboldened by the apparent conclusion you were just getting away with it."

He added: "On any assessment of the evidence and circumstances I'm given to wonder whether you had some kind of deficiency of personal understanding of the nature and extent and seriousness of the crimes you were committing.

"You have expressed no remorse, acceptance, no insight into the offences you committed. On all the evidence I've heard, you remain a danger to women. There is a profound misogynistic element to your offending and predatory sexual attention.

"There is no thought or feeling towards the victims. No concern to the pain, physical and psychological of the offending. You present a significant risk of causing significant harm."

Wade-Allison denied nine charges of rape, four sexual assaults, and one attempted rape.

Mr Nigel Wraith, in mitigation, said he still did not accept his guilt. He was 20 and 21 at the time of the offending and has no previous convictions.

"He will no doubt find the lengthy sentence a very difficult experience," said Mr Wraith.

Wade-Allison will serve two-thirds of his 24-year sentence in jail. He will serve the remaining eight on license and subject to recall should he breach the conditions.

At the conclusion of the sentencing, Judge Rose paid tribute to the victims for coming forward.

He said: "I want to take a minute to commend all of the victims who came forward for their bravery, the way they were prepared to report the offences in question and enable this trial and result to be reached.

"It is commonly known a number of victims of sexual offences do not report for various and understandable reasons and it takes a great deal of bravery, commitment and suffering to do so.

"So I am very grateful to all who came forward to enable this to take place and I commended the police officer in the case."

Description

A man who raped a woman and had sexual activity with a child has been jailed.

Alan Barney abused the girl, aged 13, in a home near Bristol.

Bristol Crown Court heard it was a month after he forced himself on a woman at her home.

Barney, 29, of Roseberry Avenue in Yeovil, pleaded guilty to rape and sexual activity with a child.

The recorder Mr Malcolm Gibney jailed him for eight years and nine months.

He told Barney: "These two episodes were appalling and devastating both for (the woman) and, obviously, to the younger (girl)."

Barney was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, designed to stop him reoffending, and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Richard Posner, prosecuting, said the child froze when Barney was sexually intimate with her.

The distressed child told her mum: "I wanted to say no but no words came."

Barney told police "snitches would get stitches", the court heard.

He made a prepared statement denying wrongdoing before answering no comment to other questions.

Mr Posner said it transpired that, a month before the sexual activity with a child, Barney raped a woman in her home.

She made an impact statement in which she said the rape changed her life and, as well as physical pain, had left her suffering nightmares and flashbacks and receiving counselling.

Once again, Barney initially denied wrongdoing.

Mark Worsley, defending, said his client had a difficult childhood, with speech difficulties from an early age and borderline learning difficulties.

He described his client as immature and sometimes childlike, who liked watching wrestling and trying out moves on others.

Mr Worsley said: "His conduct is not excused by anything."

Detective Constable Russell Head, the police officer in charge of the case, said: "This is a welcomed sentence by the victims, bringing to a conclusion what has been a traumatic experience to them and allowing them to start to move on.

"This sentence reflects the risk that the offender possessed to vulnerable victims."

Description

A pervert who secretly filmed women's bottoms has been jailed.

Police arrested Jamie Fowler in June last year for an unrelated matter.

Bristol Crown Court heard no further action was taken, but a search of his mobile phone revealed a secret stash of 17 videos he made, focusing on the backsides of women walking or jogging.

Fowler, 26, of Grenville Avenue in Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Judge Julian Lambert jailed him for 16 months.

He told Fowler: "You persistently breached the order by filming women for a sexual purpose, often lone females walking in relatively isolated spots.

"They were in a vulnerable position.

"Largely they were unaware of your sexual motivation.

"What you did was to create a risk of significant harm.

"If they had known they would have been shaken to say the very least."

The judge confiscated Fowler's phone.

Robert Yates, prosecuting, told the court Fowler made 17 videos in which he followed women and focused on their behinds.

In one video, shown in court, he pursued a young woman walking a dog and was heard to tell her "Your a*** is literally unreal".

Unaware of his sordid shenanigans she replied "Oh my God, thanks" and went on her way.

The court heard Fowler had nine court appearances for 22 offences, including exposure, voyeurism and sexual assault.

He was handed an indefinite SHPO, intended to stop him reoffending, in October 2013.

Derek Perry, defending, said: "He is plainly a young man with a long-standing problem."

Mr Perry said Fowler, who has qualifications in mechanics, committed sexual offences from the age of 14 but desisted when he formed a relationship.

When that relationship ended, the court heard, he turned to alcohol and was introduced to cocaine and relapsed into behaviour he had previously engaged in.

Mr Perry told the court: "He recognises in some videos women might have realised what was going on and may have felt some distress or unease.

"He is very sorry for doing that."

Description

Grandfather jailed after vile child images and 'depraved' chats found

After separating from his wife, he strayed into the dark side of the internet and obtained and shared 'horrifying' images

A man who was found with "sickening" child abuse images including ones which involved the rape of a baby has been jailed.

Christopher Bate, 67, of St John's Road in Frome, pleaded guilty to distributing A Class images between September 2013 and November 2018.

He also admitted possessing Category A, B and C images as well as an extreme porn image.

In total, he had 2,976 images and 879 movies in the most serious Category A.

He appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday (Febuary 12) to be sentenced.

The court heard how Bate was once married with children and grandchildren, Bristol Live reports.

But the court was told after separating from his wife, he strayed into the dark side of the internet and obtained and shared images which a judge described as "horrifying".

He was brought to book when Avon and Somerset Police called on him due to intelligence they received.

Nicholas Fridd, prosecuting, said Bate accessed child abuse movies and police made an appointment to see him.

Mr Fridd said officers found child abuse images across the category range on his computer tower and a further image on his phone.

When police identified websites Bate visited, they found he had said he liked "fit men and boys" and indicated he would like to sexually abuse a five-year-old boy.

His collection of vile images included babies and young boys being raped, the court was told.

Edward Hetherington, defending, said after separating from his wife Bate turned to the internet for sexual gratification and "short-term relationships"

Mr Hetherington said: "He then developed an interest in the darker, illegal, harmful part of the Internet.

"He still maintains it was a way of attracting attention and it would open up interest of others who would not otherwise engage in sexual conversation with him."

The court heard wheelchair user Bate had a plethora of ailments which included ulcers on his legs and feet, which ran the risk of amputation.

Judge Paul Cook jailed him for 28 months.

He told Bate: "The images were sickening and horrifying and demonstrate a focus on the most extreme abuse of very young children.

"They involved the rape of a baby.

"You have been communicating with other paedophiles and sharing movies and images.

"The conversations you had can only be described as depraved."

Bate was told to register as a sex offender and was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both for ten years. His computer devices were forfeited.

Description

A "dangerous" paedophile has been jailed for 19 years after he was convicted of raping a "very young girl".

Louis Cooper, 22, of Churchill Road, in Shepton Mallet, was given a 22-year sentence at Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday (October 9), consisting of 19 years of imprisonment and an additional three years as an extended licence period.

Cooper, who was otherwise known as Kodie Cooper, was found guilty of one count of rape of a child under 13, as well as a number of other sexual offences, including:

• attempted sexual communications with a child
• attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity
• making indecent photographs of children

Police said the victim was "a very young girl".

A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said the imprisonment of Mr Cooper was necessary to protect others from harm.

DC Jon Hooper, the investigating officer, said: "Louis Cooper is without doubt an extremely dangerous offender who poses a significant risk to members of the public, especially children.

"The offences he committed are among the most horrific I've had to investigate and in court the judge said it was hard to convey the horror of what he'd done.

"We can only hope the very young victim will not suffer any long-term damage as a result of the abuse she suffered.

"If Cooper had not been stopped, he would inevitably have gone on to commit further offences."

Description

A paedophile failed to tell his new partner he was a sex offender despite spending three nights in the same house as her children.

Jamie Goodchild, 26, of Crewkerne, appeared via video link at Taunton Crown Court on Friday (July 26).

He previously pleaded guilty to four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order after he was in the same house as three children under the age of 16 for three nights.

This was in breach of the court order imposed by Chelmsford Crown Court in 2016.

Prosecuting, Mr Russell, explained to the court that "he is prevented from speaking to anyone under the age of 16 without prior agreement of police".

He added Goodchild has been a registered sex offender since 2014.

Goodchild met the woman on dating website Plenty of Fish in early 2019.

Mr Russell said: "They appear to have started a relationship with him in 2019.

"He started the relationship and didn't visit her home until June 8 and stayed until June 11. She has three children of varying ages.

"His status on the register came to light on social media and he was challenged by his partner. After this, he left the property.

"In an interview to the police, he gave a statement that he had been seeing her for five months but denied he had been at her home."

Goodchild was previously sentenced to 20 months in prison for meeting a child after sexual grooming and two breaches of a previous court order in 2017.

Defending, Harry Ahjua, noted Goodchild "accepts there is no excuse of his abuse (of the court order) on this occasion".

He said: "The background to this case is that the defendant met the mother of those children on that website.

"He is allowed to lead a law abiding life in accordance to court.

"When he came to release, the lady he was dating had children and he should have told her about his court order. But he didn't."

"He will from now on fully and wholly abide by court orders."

Mr Ahjua added Goodchild struggles with his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and "forgetfulness".

The court also heard how Goodchild moved to Somerset to "better himself" but noted how his family "disowned him" due to his crimes.

Sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst, listened to Mr Ahuja's request for a suspended prison sentence but was troubled by several "concerns" raised in a probation report, including Goodchild's interests in younger children.

He said: "You chose to deal with younger females and are known to expose yourself to young females for your own sexual needs.

"In 2016, you were in breach of the court order. In 2017, you breached the order. In 2018, you breached the order.

"In four conservative years, you have made a further breach of the order.

"There have been persistent breaches of the order and it is of serious aggravation by your frequent breaches of the order."

Goodchild was ordered to spend two years in prison, pay 140 in costs and his sexual harm prevention order was ordered to stand until 2026.

Judge Ticehurst continued: "If you behave yourself, you will serve half of that. If you carry on breaching the order, you will go to the prison for longer."

Description

A paedophile who incited an 11-year-old boy to commit a sex act by targeting him online has been jailed for six years.

Sexual predator Kieran Reece Brosius was convicted of 17 different counts of sexual offences involving children before he was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court on Thursday (July 18).

Brosius, 22, who formerly lived in Milborne Port, near Yeovil , was also found to be in possession of indecent images and videos of children and had been bombarding a child with messages online under the pretence that he was 14 years old.

In addition to his prison sentence, Brosius will serve an extended licence period of five years, ordered to sign the sex offenders register and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Brosius' offending came to the attention of the police in October 2017 after his inappropriate messages were uncovered.

Following the sentencing, the NSPCC called on whoever succeeds Theresa May as Prime Minister to push ahead with plans to increase the safety of children online.

An NSPCC spokesman for the South West of England said: This case is a painful reminder of how children are being preyed on unknowingly in their online worlds by adults often pretending to be somebody else.

The NSPCC called on the Government to introduce robust new laws to keep young people safe on the internet, through its Wild West Web campaign .

Its crucial the new prime minister ensures the announced plans for new online safety laws include grooming alerts and an independent regulator to hold social networks to account.

Description

A man from Wellington has been jailed for 10 years for child sexual offences.

Philip Hawkes, 55, was charged with 32 offences relating to online grooming of teenage girls and inciting them to commit sexual acts and send him indecent images.

He was also found in possession of numerous indecent images of children on his media devices.

Hawkes was handed the 10 year sentence at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday (July 2) after pleading guilty at the first hearing.

Hawkes will also be placed on the sexual offenders' register for life and be required to abide by Sexual Harm Prevention Order conditions.

Detective Sergeant Chris Jay said: We are committed to hunting down any person who uses the internet as a way to abuse children, or view or share indecent images of children.

This conviction and sentence demonstrates that the police and courts will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.