Latest Offenders Somerset

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A former teacher and rugby coach at a Somerset school has been jailed for 10 years for child abuse.

Keith Ruby, 36, of Biddisham Lane, Axbridge, was convicted at Taunton Crown Court of 16 counts of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy.

During sentencing, Judge Graham Hume Jones, said: "You abused the trust of a young boy and the trust of his parents, and you brought shame on them."

The school has said all the necessary safeguarding checks were made on Ruby.

The judge said Ruby was regarded as an "ardent and enthusiastic" sports coach who encouraged the boy in his favourite sport.

He said: "But you did this to indulge your sexual interests with this boy. In his evidence, the boy used the phrase "hero worship" to describe his relationship with you.

"Having gained his trust you then gained the trust of his parents."

The court heard the boy's family was "duped" by Ruby who entrusted their son into his care outside school for rugby matches and an overseas trip.

'Completely distraught'

He said: "It is not hard to imagine how this boy's family feel after being duped by you.

"He worshipped and trusted you, and lied to the police to save your skin.

"Even then you met him again and abused him."

A spokesman from the school has said: "Our safeguarding procedures, both now and at the time of these incidents, are completely compliant and all necessary checks on the suitability of Keith Ruby to work with children were carried out by the school.

"However, unfortunately no vetting system can guarantee that every paedophile is identified."

Ruby will be placed on the sex offender's register for life and will never work with children again.

Det Ch Insp Richard Kelvey, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Keith Ruby is a manipulative man who insinuated himself into the lives of this victim and his family.

"He regularly sat at their dinner table and was welcomed into their lives as a trusted friend, teacher and coach to their son.

"His betrayal and abuse has left them completely distraught."

Mr Kelvey added that it took several years before the victim felt able to disclose the abuse he had suffered.

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Former Burnham-On-Sea Scouts leader David Burland was jailed on Friday for 15 years after being convicted of 33 sexual offences against children.

Mr Burland, 54, from Ramsay Way, appeared for sentencing at Taunton Crown Court on Friday morning (February 10th) after carrying out the abuse over a 23-year period.

Judge Graham Hume Jones ordered him to serve 15 years behind bars, of which he is likely to serve half, with an extended licence period to run until he reaches the age of 75.

The offences, which related to three boys and a girl, were committed between 1987 and November 2010 when he worked in the Scout movement in the Burnham and Highbridge area. The offences included 18 counts of indecent assault, nine counts of sexual activity with a child, three sexual assaults and one exposure.

Detective Constable Mark Fudge, from Avon and Somerset Police, said in a statement:

He hid behind his role as a Scout master and hoped people would not report him.

Someone did report his inappropriate behaviour and an investigation was quickly launched. This uncovered other victims and I applaud them all for the strength it must have taken to come forward. This demonstrates that we take all allegations of abuse seriously and will explore them thoroughly.

Prosecutor Ian Fenny told the jury of eight women and four men that Burland was a sexual predator who manipulated his victims. Of course there came the moment when he made one mistake that let the cat out of the bag, he said. It was perhaps careless, perhaps arrogant.

He abused a young girl in a way that worried and disturbed her. She confided in a lady it was on one occasion in the presence of this lady that the defendant actually touched his victim in a wholly inappropriate way. That allowed her to say to this woman, did you see what he did to me?, she said, yes. I did. It was after this that investigations began.

Mr Fenny told the court Burland had used beer and pornography to convince the boys to engage in sexual activity with him. He would pressure them, telling them not to be silly, that it was all normal and a bit of fun, and threatening them by saying he would tell people they were gay if they told anyone about his abuse.

Mr Burland took the witness stand during the trial and strongly denied the allegations, claiming that they were a complete invention. Family members also took to the stand to support his account of events. Defence solicitor Rebecca Bradbury also read several character references for Mr Burland from friends and others outside his family which highlighted Mr Burlands devoted time to the Scout movement.

A spokesman for The Scout Association added:

Burland was suspended from any form of contact with the movement as soon as police began their investigations and he has not been involved with the movement since his arrest. We can confirm that he will never again be allowed to work within the Scout movement. The Scout Association has co-operated fully with the statutory agencies during this case.

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A Taunton sex offender is back behind bars after being found with a 13-year-old boy - just three days after being released from prison. Police arrested 44-year-old Graham Brown (pictured) on January 28, after finding him with a boy in a pub in Taunton. When Brown was released from Exeter Prison on January 25, having served a five-year sentence for breaching a Sexual Offender Prevention Order, police placed a series of restrictions to stop him associating with children, and kept a close watch on him. A police spokesman said: Mr Brown has been the subject of detailed discussions under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements, with partner agencies including police, the probation service, local authorities and prison service involved. Brown's history was such that there were serious concerns among the MAPPA partners that he might present a considerable risk to the community. The Crown Prosecution Service told the County Gazette that Brown had an extensive list of previous convictions, including 14 sexual offences between 1981 and 2005, most of them involving indecent exposure or gross indecency. Chief Superintendent Daimon Tilley said: "We put into place a number of arrangements in time for Mr Brown's release, in order to minimise the risk to other people. "It was as a result of some excellent police and probation work that Mr Brown was arrested and put back before the courts." At Taunton Crown Court on Friday, Brown was jailed for 32 months for breaching his SOPO by being in contact with the child.

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A former business partner of England rugby player Rory Underwood has been jailed for possessing indecent pictures of children.

Martyn Helliwell, 49, was found guilty of 16 counts of making and distributing the images at an earlier hearing at Bristol Crown Court.

Helliwell, from Over Stratton in Somerset, was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday.

The former naval officer and magistrate was also placed on the sex offenders register and given a sexual offences prevention order.

'Other opportunists'

Helliwell founded the motivational company UPH in 1999 with another man called John Peters, and 1991 world cup winger Mr Underwood, who gave evidence against Helliwell in the trial.

The court heard that the business had "dissolved in light of the publicity surrounding the case".

Opening the trial, prosecutor Adam Vaitilingham said that just under 1,000 indecent images of children were found on Helliwell's computer when his home was searched in November 2007.

He added that Helliwell did not deny the presence of the images, but claimed "other opportunists" must have put them there.

He also denied perverting the course of justice by asking clients and acquaintances for alibis the prosecution said did not match up.

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A PAEDOPHILE from Taunton who had sex with two under-age girls while filming his disgusting acts on a hidden video camera has been jailed for seven years.

Former church volunteer Arthur Waite, of Eastleigh Road, was caught when he took photos of the girls, aged 13 and 15, to be developed and police were called.

He covered his head in shame while being led into Taunton Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday), having pleaded guilty to nine charges, including one of rape.

Prosecuting, Ian Dixey, said the offences took place between 2004 and 2005 when the children were left in Waite's care a number of times.

On August 26, 2005, after being alerted by staff in the photography shop, officers found three videotapes of the 65-year-old sexually ab-using the children.

They were in a carrier bag hidden in a hedge outside his home along with two sex aids.

The videos, which had been produced into a compilation, featured 34 scenes showing Waite having sexual intercourse with the girls.

Mr Dixey said it remained unclear why the films had been edited and copied. A static camera was found on top of a wardrobe in the master bedroom.

Waite had "groomed the girls over a period of time to accept the sexual activity that went on," spending mo-ney on them and buying them clothes, the court heard.

He also showed the younger girl pornographic videos and encouraged her to wear provocative clothing.

Defending, Lawrence Wilcox said Waite, a father of two and a grandfather, had served in the forces for six years and worked as a driver.

Of previous good character, he had also done charity work overseas with the church and the Royal British Legion.

He had attempted suicide on September 1 last year once proceedings against him began.

Sentencing Waite, Judge Stephen O'Malley said: "Your behaviour constituted a grave breach of trust.

"Instead of caring for these young people you involved them in grossly indecent sexual activity over a period of time, the conduct taking place years before it should have normally happened."