Latest Offenders Southampton

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Survivors say questions remain as to how youth coach sexually abused 24 players over 25 years

Victims of the football coach Bob Higgins, who is beginning a 24-year jail term for abusing schoolboy players, have said there are still many questions to be answered about why he was able to evade justice for three decades.

Survivors called on high-profile players and managers who worked with Higgins at Southampton FC to explain what they knew of his offending and claimed that by remaining quiet they continued to protect him.

They said Peterborough FC, where Higgins was also employed, and the Football Association also needed to come clean about why he had been able to coach and abuse youth players for seven years after concerns were raised about him.

Higgins, 66, from Southampton, showed no emotion as Judge Peter Crabtree jailed him at Winchester crown court for the abuse of 24 schoolboys over a 25-year period from 1971 to 1996.

The judge said Higgins was a cunning and manipulative predator who abused his position of trust as a respected coach and caused real, enduring harm to his victims. Higgins had not shown a jot of remorse, he said.

‘Jon’, pictured with Bob Higgins in the 1990s.

Bob Higgins victim: 'I looked him in the eyes and took back the power'

Many of his victims, now middle-aged men, sat in the public gallery as Higgins was sentenced. They had testified to suffering decades of mental health problems because of his crimes, and expressed anger, shame and guilt at what had happened to them.

Some told the court they had tried to kill themselves, and many said they had struggled over the years with flashbacks, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, lack of trust and problems with personal relationships. A number went on to have good careers in football, but some said they had lost their chance of fulfilling their potential because of Higgins.

After the sentencing, Hampshire police said more people had come forward to make allegations against Higgins since his conviction and that the possibility of further prosecutions had not been ruled out.

On the steps of the court, survivors made it clear their fight for justice was not over. The former Southampton youth player Dean Radford described how he and other boys came forward in 1989 to reveal that Higgins had abused him but were not believed.

“We hope those Southampton club directors, high-profile players and management who spent time with Higgins will stand up and tell the truth,” he said. “We believe many people must have known what was going on. By not speaking out these people were and still are protecting a predatory paedophile.”

Radford paid tribute to the former Southampton junior star and Higgins victim Billy Seymour, who died in a car crash earlier this year. He said: “Billy will be looking down on us smiling knowing Bob Higgins cannot harm any other child ever again. He will never be forgotten. We did it Billy, just like you said we would. You can now rest in peace our dear friend.”

Police interview Bob Higgins, who has been found guilty of 45 charges of indecent assault against 23 teenage boys.

'The FA didn't stop him': The long road to justice for Bob Higgins' abuse victims

Higgins worked with youngsters at Southampton between 1975 and 1990 and at Peterborough between 1994 and 1996. When the Guardian broke the story of abuse within football in 2016, Higgins was still working in the game, though not as a coach of junior players.

Dion Raitt, who was abused by Higgins as a junior player at Peterborough, said Higgins used the boys’ hunger to succeed to exploit them. He said: “Football was our lives, football was our dreams. We would have done anything to make it as a professional footballer.

“There remain many questions that we deserve answers to. How was Bob Higgins able to slip through the net for so long? How was he ever put into a position of power at a professional football club like Peterborough United?”

Raitt said it was “especially shocking” that in 1989 the Football League, then the game’s governing body, had issued a warning to all clubs about Higgins. “Sadly because of potential failings we were subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of Higgins,” he said.

During the sentencing hearing, another victim, who cannot be named, criticised the FA and Southampton over their handling of Higgins. He asked the court: “Where were Southampton? Where were the FA? Where was their due diligence and safeguarding policies? They had a duty of care, a responsibility.”

Two other former Southampton youth players, Anthony Connolly and Lee Smith, waived their right to anonymity. Connolly had told the court he first met Higgins when he was 12 and said the coach groomed his parents as well as him. Addressing Higgins directly, he said: “You took away my childhood.”

He said the abuse created a “void inside of me” filled with “fear, anxiety and torment”. He said he had turned to drink to try to drive the fear away and suffered mental health issues. “I hope Southampton FC and the English FA have learned from their mistakes,” he said in court. “I hope the proper safeguarding is in place.”

Smith described Higgins as a monster who ruined the dreams of his victims for his own “sick perverted satisfaction” and said: “The football community is now a much safer place.”

Southampton and Peterborough have apologised to the victims. After Higgins’s conviction the FA said it recognised their distress. “We continue to signpost victims and survivors to speak to Clive Sheldon QC whose team is conducting the independent inquiry into allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse in football,” it said

Both football clubs declined to comment on Wednesday on the former players’ calls for more answers.

An FA spokesperson said: “The FA has commissioned an independent QC to conduct a review into, what, if anything, the FA and clubs knew about the allegations of child sexual abuse at the relevant time, and what action was taken or should have taken place.

“It is therefore inappropriate for the FA to comment on these questions whilst that review is ongoing.”

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A lodger who raped and murdered a 13-year-old girl to stop her exposing him as an abuser has been jailed for life.

Stephen Nicholson, 25, stabbed Lucy McHugh 27 times at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre last July.

He was found guilty of murder and three charges of raping Lucy after a trial at Winchester Crown Court and was ordered to spend at least 33 years in jail.

Judge Mrs Justice May said Lucy had "unknown promise, cruelly obliterated" and described Nicholson as "depraved".

The judge told Nicholson: "This was a pitiless attack on a child following months of sexual exploitation.

"The prosecution has described it as an execution and I am satisfied this is correct.

"The combination of [Nicholson's] cold narcissism and hot anger dictated that she had to be put out of the way and he saw to it that this was done."

The trial heard Nicholson first raped Lucy, then aged 12, in May 2017 while living at her home, and on two further occasions over the following week.

Mrs Justice May said Lucy had been "vulnerable, easy prey to someone satisfying his own appetites".

She said Nicholson "encouraged and cynically exploited" Lucy's "crush" on him after he had moved into the family house, and called him "utterly selfish and depraved".

Nicholson had later decided Lucy had "become a serious object to his comfortable life and there was a real threat of her outing him as a paedophile".

The judge said teachers had "done the right thing" in raising concerns to social services but no action was taken.

She added: "The [social services] team had investigated and had found nothing to concern them. The obvious question is, 'how could social services have arrived at that conclusion, not once but twice?'".

Southampton City Council declined to comment due to an ongoing serious case review into the reports made to its social services department. The review is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Nicholson was also found guilty of sexual activity with another girl, aged 14, in 2012.

Children's home hostage

Victim impact statements from Lucy's mother and father were submitted to the court.

The court heard Nicholson had previously been detained in 2009 for taking staff and residents of a Southampton children's home hostage, when he was aged 14.

Prosecutor William Mousley QC told the court that while he was a resident of the home - under the influence of amphetamines - Nicholson threatened staff with a knife.

He then locked them and other children in a room, before stealing £1,000 in cash and making off in a staff member's car.

He was also later convicted of affray and damaging property after he barricaded himself in a room and threatened staff at a young offenders centre.

Nicholson recorded a music video in 2012 as part of a music rehabilitation project after being released from prison that year, in which he rapped about turning his life around, having previously not cared about who he hurt.

Defence barrister James Newton-Price QC said Nicholson had a "difficult" upbringing, having been placed in a children's home from the age of 13.

Jurors heard Nicholson moved into the family home after being invited by long-time friend Richard Elmes, the partner of Lucy's mother Stacey White.

The trial heard Lucy would later describe Nicholson to friends as her "boyfriend".

Nicholson told police Lucy sent him a message the night before her murder, saying she was pregnant.

After luring her to woodland nearby, he stabbed her 27 times, including 11 in the neck, in what prosecutors described as an "'execution-style" murder. It was later found Lucy was not pregnant.

Nicholson was linked to the murder via DNA evidence found on clothing discarded in woodland about a mile from the murder scene.

He was also convicted of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in 2012, who he had taken to the same woodland where Lucy was found dead years later.

Nicholson was cleared of one count of sexual activity with a child which related to Lucy after she had turned 13.

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Update 2022-07-08

A SOUTHAMPTON sex offender is back behind bars after breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Jordan Larcombe, of Summit Way, was handed the SHPO on April 5 2017 after he was convicted of sexually abusing two teenage girls on the Isle of Wight.

Under the conditions of the SHPO, 26-year-old Larcombe is prohibited from using any phone or device capable of accessing the internet unless it can retain the internet history.

He must also make the device available for inspection on request by police, and he must not delete any internet history or mobile phone use.

During a home visit on June 14 this year, officers examined his phone and saw he had been messaging a woman over WhatsApp.

He had also configured the disappearing messages facility, meaning any new messages in the chat would disappear after 24 hours a breach of his SHPO.

In one message, he told the woman that she could begin flirting with him now because he had just put disappearing messages on.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court he was jailed for two years for breaching the order.

PC Rob Thomas, from the Western Offender Management team, said: We take the management of sex offenders incredibly seriously, and invest significant resources into doing so in order to keep the public safe.

Officers will often make unannounced visits to offenders where they may be subject to an intrusive investigative interview process. This helps us understand an offenders routine, interests and behaviours so we can closely monitor them.

On this occasion, we visited Larcombes home and quickly established that he had deliberately and knowingly breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

These orders are put in place to protect the public, and ensure that individuals do not re-offend. Where they choose to disregard them, they are rightly punished and I am pleased that Larcombe is now back behind bars.

2019-07-05

A SEX offender convicted of sexual activity with a child was given additional prison time after breaching the terms of an order by posting pictures of himself online.

Jordan Larcombe, 23, of Chale Green, was caught out when police officers found an Instagram account he had started, including communications with a young female, and references to a Snapchat account, Rose Burns, prosecuting, told the IW Crown Court.

A court order prohibits Larcombe from having an internet enabled device without notifying police, which he did not do.

Ms Burns told the court that Larcombe had breached his sexual harm prevention order on a previous occasion and had been sent back to prison.

He then breached the order again, having acquired a mobile phone and posted on social media.

He was released in April and went to live with his mother. It wasn't until May 29 that police found the account.

Larcombe admitted the breach and said that he had felt lonely in prison and his friends had ditched him.

Ms Burns said: "He is a persistent breacher of this order. It presents a serious risk.

"He is messaging young girls with the intention of meeting up with them."

For Larcombe, Oscar Vincent said his client had been living an isolated existence since his release from prison, with no prospect of employment and no social interaction.

Mr Vincent said that Larcombe's communications from the phone were mostly one-way, with only one person responding, who was a 20-year-old ex-girlfriend of his.

Mr Vincent said the breach did not represent sophisticated activity and was very easily detected, with no attempt made to hide his identity.

"Mr Larcombe is 23 years of age, but does have have a low IQ. He has learning difficulties and if he were school age, he would be classed as special needs," Mr Vincent said.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Mousley said: "This was a deliberate breach and constituted a very high risk of causing harm.

"This is not the first time you have breached the order and you have a history of failing to comply with other court orders."

Larcombe was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

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A PAEDOPHILE pensioner who sexually abused a six-year-old girl has been told he is likely to die in prison.

Thomas Cattermole also attempted to sexually assault another vulnerable child while in his 80s.

The 84-year-old was jailed for seven years by Judge Christopher Parker QC, who described his behaviour as monstrous.

In sentencing, Judge Parker said Cattermole, who has a number of illnesses and conditions, was likely to spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

Southampton Crown Court was told how Cattermole had targeted two girls, one in the 1960s and another in 2017.

The court heard how Cattermoles first campaign of abuse began in the early 1960s, when his victim was six.

Prosecutor Rose Burns said Cattermole had forced the girl into performing various sex acts on him.

He also sexually touched her, when she was 15.

His victim said the abuse had left her with urges to take her own life.

She said: I wanted to escape the abuse that haunted me.

Childhood should hold the happiest memories, but that isnt the case for me.

The victim said she did disclose the abuse as she was scared of Cattermole.

His crimes finally came to light in 2017, when he attempted to abuse another child, aged six.

The court was told he invited the girl, described as especially vulnerable, to sexually touch him on a number of occasions.

Cattermole was caught when the girl disclosed the abuse. His other victim then came forward.

The former delivery driver denied the allegations.

A jury found him guilty of three counts of indecency with a child, one count of indecent assault and another of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mitigating, Sarah Jones said Cattermole suffered from a number of illnesses and conditions, including hypertension and diabetes, and was likely to die in prison.

She said: For him, it is a bitter end to a life which other than this has been lived working and getting on with things in a relatively unobtrusive and unremarkable way.

His offending has caused desperate pain, not only to his victims, but to his wife.

Judge Parker said Cattermole legally had to be sentenced for his historic offences in line with legislation at the time when they carried significantly lower sentences.

He later described Cattermoles behaviour as outrageous.

Judge Parker said: Your victim grew up bearing the scars of your abuse and kept it from others for years. She was wrongly, but understandably, feeling ashamed.

She had nothing to be ashamed about, you had much to be ashamed about.

(Your second victim) you must have understood she was especially vulnerable.

Judge Parker said Cattermole, of Victoria Road, Netley Abbey, would serve three and a half years of his seven year sentence behind bars.

Cattermole was also made subject of an added one year extended licence period.

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A SHOP worker attempted to groom ‘girls’ as young as 13 on a controversial teen dating website, once dubbed a “playground for paedophiles”.

Simon Barker used MyLOL.com, said to be the number one teen dating site in the UK, to send explicit messages and pictures to what he thought were underage girls.

The 18-year-old was actually speaking to police officers, who had set up fake profiles in order to snare lurking sex offenders.

Barker was eventually arrested by police after engaging in sexual conversations with three fake profiles, all of which depicted 13-year-old girls.

But Barker continued his sordid actions once released under investigation by officers.

Last week, Baker was sentenced to 20 months in a young offenders institute, following an appearance at Southampton Crown Court.

The court heard how police came across Barker on MyLOL.com, a dating website aimed at youngsters between 13 and 18.

The website is is said to be visited by more than 300,000 users a month.

It has faced criticism in the past, including by children’s charity the NSPCC, which has previously dubbed it a “playground for paedophiles”.

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland said police used their fake profiles to connect with Barker.

In each of the conversations, he turned the conversation to sex, sent one profile an explicit image of himself and attempted to make arrangements to meet all three.

Speaking about one of the conversations, Ms Hyland said: “He asked her to come round to his flat.

“He said that when she came to pretend that she was his cousin to his flat mates, because he said it was ‘illegal and weird’.”

Police later arrested Barker and searched his computer, but found no indecent images.

After he was released under investigation, Barker began messaging a real 15-year-old, who he first contacted through Facebook.

Barker later began bombarding the girl with a mixture of friendly and explicit messages.

The pair then met at Barker’s flat after he agreed to lend her £20.

Ms Hyland said at the end of the hour-long exchange, Barker unexpectedly lunged at her and kissed her.

In mitigation, John Dyer said Barker had trouble communicating with people in a social situation and had been assessed by doctors as likely to have an autistic spectrum condition.

He said Barker, a former Eastleigh College student who previously worked in a retail job at Westquay, had trouble empathising with people.

Mr Dyer said: “His use of vulgar language in the messages at times was child-like.

He added: “He didn’t understand the seriousness of what he was doing.

“He wants to apologise to his victim for what he did.”

Barker, of Millbrook Road West, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to engage in sexual conversation with a child, one of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of meeting a child after grooming.

Sentencing Barker to 20 months in a young offenders institute, Judge Peter Henry said: "I hope while you are in custody you take advantage of the courses there and you come out understanding the affect these sort of offences can have.”

Barker was also made the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

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A “FOOLISH” Southampton sex offender lied to police about his real address, because he was afraid of losing his home and job.

Andrew Portelli was given a suspended sentence just last month after attempting to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl at a supermarket car-park in Southampton.

The 49-year-old was told to register his address with police, as part of the requirements of his sexual harm prevention order.

But he gave police the wrong address, because he was living and working as a night porter at The Elizabeth House Hotel, on The Avenue, in Southampton.

Portelli believed he would lose both if his job and accommodation if his employers found out.

But police later informed them of Portelli’s sentencing, which was reported in the Daily Echo, and he was sacked.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, Portelli was given a six week prison sentence by Judge Gary Burrell QC, who described his actions as “astonishingly stupid”.

The court heard how Portelli had breached the order just days after his sentencing, on February 8 this year.

During that sentencing, it was revealed how Portelli had sent inappropriate messages to a member of a paedophile hunter group, posing online as a 14-year-old girl.

He sent messages inviting the girl to shower with him before arranging a meeting at an Aldi car park in Portswood, where he was confronted by the paedophile hunters.

He was given a six-month suspended sentence after admitting to engaging in sexual communications with a child.

Just days later, he was found to have lied about his address.

In mitigation, Gemma White said Portelli had been “foolish”.

She said: “He was concerned for his employment at the hotel if he made them aware of these matters and he would lose that accommodation, which was source of stability for him.”

Judge Gary Burrell QC also described Portelli’s actions as “astonishingly stupid”.

He said: “You must have realised that not giving police the right information would have caused a breach of your order.”

Portelli, who had been in custody for a month since his arrest, was jailed for six weeks as punishment, meaning he was eligible for immediate release.

He was also ordered to complete an extra 50 hours of unpaid work, which will be added to his previous punishment of 100 hours.

His six month suspended sentence remains in place.

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Cleaning company manager Micheal Harris from Bitterne Park in Southampton has escaped an immediate prison sentence after sexually communication with a child.

The court heard that the communications took place between the 16th June 2018 until the 4th August 2018

At the hearing at Southampton Crown Court.

Harris was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment suspended for a period of 24 months.

He must also comply with the following requirements to register under S.92 Sexual Offences Act 2003 for a period of 7 years.

Must participate in the HORIZON programme.

He will also have to undertake all rehabilitation activity requirements as described by an authorised provided of probation for 10 days.

Harris was also placed on the Sex offenders register for a period of seven years.

The court ordered Harris to pay a surcharge of 115 to fund the victim services along with 500 prosecution costs .

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A taxi driver who raped a female passenger who he believed had fallen asleep has been jailed.

Ferham Khan, aged 29, from Derby Road, Southampton was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Southampton Crown Court after being found guilty of raping a woman in September 2017.

Khans victim had been enjoying a night out with her friends and at the end of the evening called for a taxi so she could get home.

The court heard how Khan had picked up the woman from Broadway in Winchester at around 1am on Saturday, September 30 2017.

On the journey home, Khan preyed on the woman, believing she had fallen asleep he pulled over in an unknown location and proceeded to sexually assault her and orally rape her.

The woman was so scared that she froze, and when Khan thought she had passed out through having too much to drink, he had the audacity to call the police and complain that he had an unconscious woman in his car and that he wanted her removed.

As soon as police and paramedics turned up, the woman was able to disclose her ordeal. Khan was immediately arrested and his taxi seized for forensic examination.

When questioned by officers, Khan said it was an accident, saying that the woman had fallen on him whilst he had his trousers unbuttoned.

Later he admitted that was a lie, saying he was concerned his wife would find out he had had a sexual encounter with another woman.

He went on to say the whole situation was consensual, claiming the victim had started touching him first and even suggesting that she did it for a cheaper fayre.

The jury found Khan guilty by unanimous verdict.

The judge sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment.

In a quote, the victim explained the impact the events of that night has had on her life: On that night, I did as any young woman would.

I went out with friends and I took a taxi home. What happened in the taxi destroyed me.

That man shattered my world into tiny pieces. The pain and suffering I have endured because of what he did to me has left me broken.

I dont know who I am anymore. This man had stripped me of my identity.

At the moment I am simply surviving, I take each day as it comes and pray that one day I will feel like me again and be able to start living.

Police Staff Investigator Joanne Parr-Daniels said: The bravery and strength we have seen in this woman is commendable.

Khan turned her life upside down that night 17 months ago. We are so impressed with her courage.

No matter how traumatic this has been for her and continues to be, she has supported this protracted and a complex investigation of rape.

Without her would not have been able to get Khan to face justice for what he did.

I hope now this sentence means she will be able to move forward with her life.

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A MAN groomed a vulnerable teenage boy after first making contact through social media.

Lewis Westbrook used his Instagram page ‘Littlebooboo15’ to make contact with his 15-year-old victim.

The 20-year-old later talked his victim into sending an indecent picture of himself, after promising him a threesome with an older woman.

He was caught after carers inspected the boy’s phone and found the messages.

At Southampton Crown Court Westbrook admitted one count of sexual communication with a child and another count of inciting a child into sexual activity. He was given a two-year detention in young offenders institute.

He was also given an extended two-year licence period by a judge, who deemed him a danger to children.

Southampton Crown Court heard how initial contact was made through Westbrook’s Instagram page, which had around 1,000 followers.

The pair began messaging about parties, vaping and drugs, before Westbrook turned the conversation to sex.

Prosecutor Dan Sawyer said Westbrook then requested an indecent picture of the victim, before sending one back, as well as a video showing adult pornography.

Westbrook continued to groom his victim during the day-long conversation, which included an offer of a threesome with an older woman.

Mitigating, Mary Aspinall-Miles described the conversation as “fantasy” on behalf of Westbrook.

She said: “This is clearly fantasy.

“For example, he he says to the young man at one point ‘be right back, I’ve got to go to the shop to get some petrol and munch’.

“He hasn’t even got a car.”

Ms Aspinall-Miles described her client as having a number of learning conditions, which caused him to be “immature”.

She said that Westbrook was homeless at the time of the offence, in September last year, and was living a “chaotic existence” by sleeping rough in a multi-storey car park in Southampton.

Judge Robert Pawson sentenced Westbrook, listed by the courts as of Lionheart Way, Bursledon, to two years’ detention in a young offenders institute.

He also handed down an extended two year sentence, which he will serve on licence.

Judge Pawson said: “I have to decide if you pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to child.

“It is in my view that an extended sentence is necessary in this case to protect the public and protect children.”

Two further counts, one of possession of an indecent image and another of inciting a child to view pornography, will lie on Westbrook’s file.

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A HAMPSHIRE police worker was snared by paedophile-hunters after sending "abhorrent" images to people he thought were 13-year-old girls.

Police resources co-ordinator Andrew Grimsted was cornered outside his Southampton flat by members of Justice for the Innocent after posting footage of himself performing a sexual act.

He appeared at Southampton Crown Court yesterday and was handed a three-year community order.

Last night Justice for the Innocent described the sentence as "diabolical", saying Grimsted was in a position of trust and should have been jailed.

A spokesman said: "The sentence fails to reflect the seriousness of his crimes and what could have happened had there been no intervention by a decoy."

Christopher Wing, prosecuting, told the court: "The offences came to light after Grimsted went on the internet and thought he was communicating with young girls aged 13 or so.

"In fact he was communicating with members of a vigilante paedophile-hunters.

"They attended his address and detained him in the car park outside his home. Police were called and he was arrested on suspicion of grooming a child."

Justice for the Innocent filmed their confrontation with the defendant and posted the footage online.

Grimsted, 50, of Millbrook Road East, Southampton, admitted three offences of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and three of attempting to have sexual communication with a child.

Richard Onslow, mitigating, said: "These offences were committed by a man of previous good character with a sensible job who ought to have known better.

"Fortunately there was no actual child, so the harm is lower than it would have been had the full offence been carried out."

Judge Gary Burrell QC described Grimsted's actions as "abhorrent" and told him: "Sending moving images to people you believed to be young girls indicated something seriously wrong with your thinking."

But he added: "You're of previous good character and I'm required by law to take into account."

Grimsted was handed a 36-month community order, which includes a requirement to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The defendant was a civilian employee based at Southampton Central Police Station.

Speaking after the case a Hampshire police spokesman said: "His role involved planning resources and did not involve any interaction with the general public.

"He remains suspended from the role and subject to ongoing gross misconduct procedures."

Detective Superintendent Nigel Lecointe, from Hampshire Constabulary's Professional Standards Department, added: "The investigation into Andrew Grimsted uncovered his attempts to exploit what he believed to be vulnerable children whilst he was off-duty.

"Hampshire Constabulary expects the highest standards from its officers and staff and will take action against those who commit criminal offences or breach the standards of professional behaviour.”

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A MAN who attempted to hide hundreds of images of children in a secret folder on his mobile phone has been jailed.

Christopher Roberts set up a password-protected area of his mobile in a bid to hide the images from police.

The 32-year-old told police he had forgotten the password when officers visited his home as part of a routine check made due to his previous sexual offences.

When the folder was unlocked, police found more than 500 images of children being sexually abused – with some believed to be as young as six.

On Friday, Roberts was jailed for more than two years at Southampton Crown Court.

Prosecutor Dan Sawyer told the court how Roberts was subject of a sexual harm prevention order after previously being caught in possession of indecent images of children.

Roberts was also convicted of attempting to contact a young teenage girl via social media in 2013.

Police visited Roberts at his home in March last year and asked him to submit his phone.

When officers could not access the password-protected folder, Roberts was arrested for not giving full access to his phone.

When officers inspected the device, they found five category A still images, four category B still images and 544 category category C images.

In an interview with probation, Roberts questioned the harm caused by him viewing the images, and claimed the victims were “often smiling”.

Mitigating, Jamie Gammon, said Roberts had been open with probation about his interests.

He said: “There doesn’t appear to be any attempt by him to hide his interests.

“He has had a rather frank conversation with probation officers and told them exactly how he feels.”

In sentencing, Judge Robert Pawson was critical of Roberts and his views.

He said: “You say that they are not real victims and they are often smiling and it’s not like they have been forced into it.

“That shows a complete lack of empathy on your part.

“Every time you download one of these images of a child being sexually abused you contribute to that person’s misery.”

Roberts, who is currently serving a sentence at HMP Dartmoor for the original breach of his order, pleaded guilty three counts of making indecent images of children.

He was jailed for two years and eight months.

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A hunt has been launched to find a missing sex offender who previously raped a teenage girl.

Christopher Clarke is wanted by police for breaching his sex offender’s notification requirements.

The 38-year-old is on the sex offender’s register after the rape and sexual assault of a girl, aged under 16, in 1997.

Officers have been carrying out a number of enquiries in Southampton to locate him and are now asking the public for help in finding him.

He is described as white, 5 ft 9 in, brown hair and may have facial hair.

Detective Inspector Howard Broadribb said: “We believe that Clarke is most likely to be in the Southampton area.

“We have not been able to locate him since he failed to report at a police station as part of his requirements as a registered sex offender.

“We have been carrying out a number of enquiries to locate him and are now asking the public for assistance in finding him.

“If you have seen him or know where he is, please call us immediately.”

Clarke has previously been hunted by police for a similar offence.

In June 2018, he appeared among a Hampshire’s Most Wanted list, put together by charity Crimestoppers.

An appeal was also launched for Clarke in December 2004 after an alleged assault earlier that year.

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A DISGUSTED judge said a paedophile possessed the worst indecent image he had heard of in 30 years of sitting in court.

Judge Nicholas Rowland told family man Kelvin Brookes the child abuse image was “abhorrent and horrifying” and sentenced him to 18 months behind bars during the 40-year-old’s hearing at Southampton Crown Court.

Weeping, Brookes was told it was the actions of abusers like him that led to youngsters across the world being tortured for paedophile’s pleasures.

The court was told that Brookes had been caught distributing 84 category A images to six online users.

Edward Phillips, prosecuting, said Brookes, who admitted the charges, was also found in possession of more than 150 different category A, B and C moving images.

One of the images was described by Mr Phillips as “horrifying” and Brookes had received 200 requests for the image.

In mitigation, Mark Ashley said although Brookes had downloaded the images he was unaware he had shared them.

“He has lost his family, his job and his home,” Mr Ashley said.

“He was abused when he was younger and he was in a dark place when he viewed this material.”

In sentencing Brookes, Judge Rowland said: “The image was abhorrent. It means that as we sit here children around the world are being abused for the gratification of people like you.

“In all my 30 years of sitting in court, I have never heard of such a horrifying image.

“It amounts to the torture of a young child.

“It’s bad enough having to read about the image let alone think about the abuse this child suffered.

“It’s said on your behalf you were in a dark place but no doubt this child was in an even darker one.

“A custodial sentence is exactly what a civilised society demands in this case.”

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Eugene Tyrrell, 43, formerly of Hedge End, had been on the run for five years after being arrested for inciting sexual activity with a child.

Southampton Crown Court heard how, after a birthday party, Tyrrell, 43, met his 13-year-old victim and began talking to her online between December 2011 and 2012.

Prosecutor Fern Russell said: “It is clear the defendant was interested in sexual activity with teenage girls.”

She told the court Tyrrell, 36 at the time, and his victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had begun talking about school, before he admitted he had feelings for her.

The court heard Tyrrell had also been in contact with a younger relative of the victim, although there are no charges relating to this.

Tyrrell admitted knowing the victim’s age, but told police he only “asked her for sex to see her reaction” and didn’t intend to meet her.

The court also heard a statement from the victim, who said she had self-harmed following the incident. It read: “I was young and vulnerable and Eugene Tyrrell preyed on this.

“It led me to become depressed... I have been taking medication for depression ever since.

“All these years he has been free to live in South Africa.”

Ms Russell added that the cost of bringing Tyrrell to justice would have been nearly £10,000.

Mitigating, John Dyer said this was an isolated incident, adding that Tyrell, a funeral director, had been “very lonely at the time – intimate relationships were infrequent”.

Mr Dyer said: “He went back to South Africa and clearly from the reference of his employer in South Africa he is a good worker and highly respected.”

Sentencing Tyrrell to 21 months in prison for three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of failing to appear in court, Judge Rowland said: “This offending has contributed to quite a significant condition [the victim] has been suffering with from an early age.”

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A SOUTHAMPTON dad has been jailed for making and sending “highly disturbing” images of children.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Graham Andrew Davis used different aliases to chat to people online - and posed as a teenager himself.

Defending, Andrew Houston also told the court how Davis had watched porn since the age of 13.

He added that he had been encouraged by others to expose himself online at the age of 13 - but that he hadn’t done so because he didn’t have a webcam.

The court heard how Davis had posed as a 15-year-old while chatting to others on the internet.

On one occasion he had sent images of a child which he pretended were of himself, Judge Peter Henry was told

Davis, of Golden Grove, pleaded guilty to making 17 still images and one moving image, making still images.

The 28-year-old was described as of “good character” and had no previous convictions.

The court heard that he has “accepted that he needs help,” and that he knew his behaviour was “disgusting and hurtful”.

But the court also heard that he “doesn’t understand how children are abused in the making of these images” - or that they are being “sexually abused in or for the market”.

He was sentenced to 20 months in jail for making category A images and distributing category B images.

Davis cried as he was handed the sentence and led from the dock.

Addressing Davis, Judge Henry said: “Quite clearly you were sending images of very young children pretending that you were at a very young age and the chats are entirely sexual - what you would like to have done to you as a child and what this man would like to do to a child.”