Latest Offenders Somerset

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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."