Latest Offenders Southampton

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A SEX offender breached rules banning him from using Facebook when he logged onto the social media site and searched for his previous victim.

Josh De-Banks was banned from using the social media platform without the prior knowledge of police as part of a sexual harm prevention order.

The order was made after De-Banks admitted sending sexually explicit pictures to a young boy in 2019.

But the 21-year-old was later jailed for breaching the order after making contact with the same boy.

He was later released in Southampton.

But Southampton Crown Court heard that soon after his release, De-Banks was caught in possession of a mobile phone.

When police checked the phone they found De-Banks had been using Facebook.

On further inspection, officers found searches for the profiles of eight people, including the victim who was sent the explicit messages and members of his family.

Mitigating, Richard Tutt said De-Banks, who had been recalled back to prison on licence for his previous breach, had gained enhanced prisoner status while in custody and was studying a course in law.

He said De-Banks had a difficult upbringing, having been in care from the age of four, and at the time of his original offence was "coming to terms" with his background.

De-Banks, whose address was listed as Vanguard Road in Southampton, where he was at the time of his breach, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

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A PAEDOPHILE caught sexually messaging an 11-year-old girl was released by police only to be caught offending again when he was snared trying to meet what he thought was a underage teen. Martyn Dunn, 27, was arrested when the 11-year-old's mother discover the sexually explicit messages on the girl's phone. But after collecting the messages as evidence, and having conducted a police interview, officers released Dunn under investigation for more than a year. In the meantime, Dunn arranged to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old schoolgirl after graphic conversation about sex. But the online profile was actually operated by a paedophile hunter group, who handed him into the police. While sentencing Dunn to a 10 month prison sentence, a judge hit out at Hampshire Police's decision to release him after he was caught the first time. Judge Peter Henry said: "You committed the second offence while being investigated by the police and released. "I question why you were not charged when interviewed in Summer 2018. I have absolutely no idea why when police had all the evidence they subsequently used. "You should have been charged then, whether that would have prevented the second offence I cannot say. But you must have been well aware that it was against the law to contact child, but you went ahead and did it." Police have since defended the decision, claiming an early charge was "not appropriate" in Dunn's case. A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said: "In order to ensure a fair and thorough prosecution, investigating officers must collect all available material - whether it points towards a suspect or away. This also allows for fair disclosure the defence. "It is only once all reasonable lines of enquiry have been completed that a case can be presented. This can then be done so in the knowledge there is no material which would otherwise undermine the case. "Whether any such material exists is not always known at the point of interview and the bar for considering an early charge, with enquiries left to complete, is rightly set high." Southampton Crown Court heard how Dunn was arrested in April 2018 after exchanging sexual messages with an 11-year-old girl which were later found by the child's mother. The court heard he was later caught messaging what he thought was a 14-year-old in January 2019. But it was actually a fake profile, named Emily, which was being run by paedophile hunter group TRAP. Prosecutor Simon Foster told the court that after weeks of messaging, Dunn agreed to travel more than 60 miles from Southampton to Weymouth in order to meet the girl in June last year. He was later arrested and charged with both offences. In mitigation, John Dyer said Dunn suffered from autism and his messages with the girls were "naive". He said: "When talking to Emily they talk about Weymouth and his reply is that there are nice buses there. "He also sent a message in which he said he needed to go for a pee now and asked if she liked trains." Mr Dyer added that Dunn was facing eviction from his supported living accommodation, provided by Autism Hampshire, in Chessel Avenue, Southampton. Dunn, who pleaded guilty to one count of sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to meet an underage girl after grooming. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, given a 10 year sexual harm prevention order, barred from working with children and made the subject of notification requirements for 10 years.

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Jozef Janczura, aged 34 of Laburnum Road, Southampton has been given a 20 year extended sentence today (31 January) for raping and assaulting an 18-year-old woman in Riverside Park in Southampton on December 2, 2018.

More than a year after this terrible crime happened to a young woman, a Jury at Southampton Crown Court delivered a unanimous verdict of guilty on both counts on December 11, 2019.

Appearing at court today to be sentenced, the judge handed Janczura a 20 year extended prison sentence for the brutal attack.

The sentence comes after the woman reported that whilst she was walking along Woodmill Lane in December 2018, a man unknown to her grabbed her neck and raped her in a wooded area in Riverside Park between the skate park and tennis courts.

Officers investigating the case immediately launched an appeal for witnesses including residential CCTV and dash cam footage.

The woman was supported by specialist officers and forensic evidence obtained was sent off for fast track analysis. On Dec 7, officers found out that the DNA found did not match any other DNA on the national police database. Following this news, an extensive CCTV strategy was planned alongside consultation with the National Crime Agency in a bid to identify the man responsible.

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A SOUTHAMPTON teenager was caught with "sickening" images of young girls and asked others to share them.

Ryan Maidment was caught with dozens of indecent images of some young girls – the youngest thought to be aged between four to six years old.

Now aged 20 Maidment, who was aged between 17 and 18 at the time of his offending, also "traded" images with other paedophiles via an online chat site and used a mobile application aimed at hiding private photographs or videos.

At Southampton Crown Court, he was given a suspended sentence.

The court heard how Maidment was arrested in May 2018 after police received information that an internet connection linked to his flat in International Way, was being used to share indecent images.

Police found more than 60 indecent images on his Samsung mobile phone, the majority of which were category C – the least serious category.

Officers also found moving images and that Maidment had shared images in group messaging chats.

This meant he had committed an offence of distributing indecent images – a more serious offence than possession.

Maidment admitted three counts of possession of indecent images, ranging from category A to C, and three counts of distributing indecent images, again ranging from category A to C.

In mitigation, Gemma White said Maidment was an "isolated" teenager at the time of the offences and had spent much of his time gaming.

She said Maidment had since managed to get a job, though did not disclose where, and had formed relationships and had began to socialise with his work colleagues.

She urged Judge Peter Henry to follow a pre-sentence report by the probation service recommending he suspended the sentence and allow Maidment to take on a programme aimed at helping paedophiles ¬– which he would not be able to access in prison.

In sentencing, Judge Peter Henry described the images as "sickening".

He said: "Any right minded person will think someone like you deserves severe punishment.

"But on the other hand you are young, you have no previous convictions and you were, as I find, isolated in some sort of fantasy world.

"It's clear the most serious offences took place when you were 17."

He added: "I have to find the balance between the punishment best for the public interest against the best way to protect society."

Judge Henry imposed an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He also put an "onerous" order of 160 hours of unpaid work, ordered Maidment to complete the Horizon programme and 20 days or rehabilitation activity requirement.

Maidment was also made the subject of notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to pay costs of £670.

Description

A SEX offender once found guilty of offences relating to an international paedophile ring linked to Hampshire has been hauled back before the courts.

Jasmine Melissa Hope, previously known as Melissa Noon, pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order by deleting the internet history on her mobile phone.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, the 38-year-old, of Howard Road, Southampton, was sentenced to a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

The order was imposed on Hope by Portsmouth Crown Court in 2011 after she was found guilty for her part in an international paedophile ring based in Hampshire.

As previously reported in the Echo, the group committed "horrific" crimes against two young children in the UK and one in Australia.

Hope was found guilty of 11 charges including causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Following a six week trial, ringleader Robert Hathaway, 37, then of Tyseley Road, Portsmouth, was given an indeterminate sentence of 12 years.

That was later quashed and replaced with a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years.

Hope, who was Hathaway's partner, received four years.

This was later doubled to eight years on appeal through the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Three other defendants became involved by meeting the couple over the internet to carry out the abuse and were jailed for a total of 15 years.

As previously Hampshire police launched their investigation into the ring after being tipped off by the authorities in Australia, who had uncovered a "mirror image'' ring in Brisbane and Sydney which also abused at least one young child.

Hathaway had been in contact with this ring and shared images with them and one of the charges faced by Noon was for encouraging the Australian child to engage in sexual activity.

A total of 2,000 pages of chat logs were uncovered by police, as well as 14,000 indecent images of children and 300 videos of children being abused.

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A GARDENER claimed his trouser zip was broken or he had been stung by an insect before exposing himself to women he was carrying out work for in Dorset.

Darren Salmon, of Salisbury Green, Southampton, was admitted eight counts of indecent exposure and was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, November 11.

The 41-year-old, formerly of Bridport, was sentenced to a three-year community order, with a requirement to attend a 35-day accredited programme and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Salmon was also placed on the sex offenders register for five years.

The defendant was working as a gardener in the Bridport area when he exposed himself to a number of people he was carrying out work for at various addresses.

The offences occurred between Wednesday, August 1, and Thursday, September 6, 2018, and his victims were women aged between 19 and 92.

After claiming his trouser zip was broken or an insect had stung him, Salmon asked for assistance and at this point the victims realised he was exposing himself.

The incidents were reported to police and Salmon was arrested on Sunday 9 September 2018.

PCKerry Cordier, of Dorset Police's Volume Crime Team, said: "These incidents were distressing for the victims involved and I would like to thank all of them who came forward and assisted our investigation.

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A SOUTHAMPTON couple have been given jail sentences totalling 30 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing young boys.

Richard Townsend (pictured right) even filmed his partner Mark Metcalfe performing a sex act on one of their victims, believed to be in his mid-teens.

The pair also repeatedly abused two boys, under the age of 16, between 1998 and 2005.

A court heard one of their victims took his own life earlier this year – with the stress of the investigation being put forward as a possible factor in his suicide.

Both Townsend and Metcalfe denied any sexual activity with children.

But Townsend, 57, who works as an accountant, was found guilty of 14 counts relating to child sex offences following a trial at Southampton Crown Court.

In the same trial, Metcalfe, 56, was found guilty of three charges, including two counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.

Yesterday, Townsend was jailed for 18 years, with an extended five-year sentence.

Following the pair's sentencing, the family of the victim who died earlier this year said they were "relieved" that Townsend and Metcalfe had been jailed and that "justice had been done".

The family said: "This is the best thing that could have happened because nothing is going to bring him back.

"After he told us about what had happened he was positive, he wanted to move forward.

"He wanted to go into schools and tell children that if it has happened to you then you need to tell someone because they will believe you."

Earlier this week, Townsend and Metcalfe, both of Copsewood Road, Southampton, were found guilty following a three week trial at Southampton Crown Court.

Townsend was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault of a child, five multiple incident counts of indecent assault of a child, one count of indecency with a child, one multiple incident count of assault by penetration of a child, one count of rape of a child and two counts of sexual assault of a child.

Metcalfe was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a child and one count of sexual assault.

The investigations were carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

NCA operations manager Graham Ellis said: "This is a deeply harrowing case.

"It takes immense courage to come forward, and the victims in this case have been incredibly brave in doing so.

"The NCA and our law enforcement partners are relentless in our pursuit of child sex offenders whose actions wreck so many lives.

"We have no greater priority than protecting children from sexual abuse."

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A WOULD-BE rapist who 'strangled' a woman during a violent sex attack after a night out has been jailed.

Sex offender Khaled Meridja, of Brampton Road, Oxford, had denied one count of attempted rape, one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two of sexual assault.

At the end of his trial at Oxford Crown Court in August jurors took four hours and 31 minutes of deliberations to find him unanimously guilty of all counts.

At his sentencing hearing at the same court today his defence barrister revealed that the 29-year-old still 'stands by his instructions' despite his conviction.

During the case, prosecutor Sally Hobson told jurors the attack on the woman – who cannot be named for legal reasons – began with a night out.

The victim was out in Oxford with a friend on the night of October 21 last year before going to Euro Bar and then on to JT’s Cocktail Bar & Club.

It was not long after that in the early hours of the following morning they met Meridja, neither having met him before and neither knowing him.

While at Meridja’s home the assaults on the teenage victim and attempted rape all took place.

Detailing her ordeal the victim said it made her feel like she was 'going to die.'

She said: “[Meridja] was grabbing hold of my breasts and I [said] ‘what the hell are you doing get off me’ and then he pushed me up against the wall.

“Then he was strangling me so much I could not breathe.

"He was just strangling me and I didn’t know what to do.”

She said that she tried to fight him off and during the incident he sexually touched her and tried to pull down her trousers.

Describing how she felt she said: “I just thought I was going to die.”

The court heard at yesterday's sentencing how the attack had 'forever changed' the woman who said she also now suffers sleep difficulties as a result of her ordeal.

In mitigation defence barrister Graeme Logan said his client 'stands by his instructions' given during his trial.

He added, however, that Meridja 'understands he has to be sentenced'.

It was also revealed that Meridja had first come to the UK illegally in a lorry after fleeing Algeria before travelling through France.

Sentencing, Judge Maria Lamb called the offence a 'determined attempt' to rape the teenager.

She added: "This incident only ended because she got away from you and not because you desisted.

"She fled and fell down the stairs during the course of it [...] and was helped by a bus driver who took her to St Aldate's .

"I commend the public spiritedness and responsible [action] taken by the lady bus driver who helped a young woman clearly in distress."

He was jailed for a total of seven and a half years and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

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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.

Description

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.

Description

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.

Description

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 .