Latest Offenders Stoke-on-Trent

Description

Pervert Matthew Worthington was arrested in a park after he went there to meet a 13-year-old boy he had met online.

The serial sex offender was snared after police set up a fake Facebook profile claiming to be a teenage boy, who Worthington then befriended.

Their online chats quickly became sexual and 25-year-old Worthington arranged to meet the boy in Stafford but detectives were waiting for him.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Worthington was already known to authorities following his conviction for previous sex offences, and had disclosed disturbing sexual fantasies involving children to his probation officers.

Prosecutor Steven Bailey said: An undercover officer logged into Facebook and set up a profile purporting to be a 13-year-old boy Josh. The police initiated contact with the defendant.

Conversation ensued. It became sexual in nature at the instigation of the defendant. He said he was 15, when in fact he was 25.

He said he liked Joshs profile picture and said he was pleasuring himself while they chatted. He talked about meeting for sexual activity. He reassured Josh it would be OK despite him only being 13.

An arrangement was made for Worthington to meet Josh in Victoria Park, Stafford. Mr Bailey said: The defendant went to Stafford. Before he went to the park he went to a charity shop and bought himself a change of clothes. He was in different clothing when he went to the park. The Prosecution say the inference is that was to throw anyone who was following him off the scent.

As he was stopped and arrested he tried to throw his phone away.

The court heard Worthington was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order as a result of his previous convictions. He attempted to circumvent its conditions by installing masking software on his phone that would hide his internet searches and had also used Twitter, which he was banned from doing.

Worthington, of Marsh Street, Hanley, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following grooming, and three charges of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He also admitted a further charge of making an indecent image of a child.

Jason Holt, mitigating, said: Its quite clear Matthew Worthington is a troubled young man. He has had 20 years in the system the care system has morphed into the prison system.

These matters come before the courts because of disclosures he has made to probation officers. He must have known there would be an investigation.

He doesnt like what he has become and he hopes to make sure there is no repeat of this behaviour.

Judge David Fletcher sentenced Worthington to 22 months in prison. He said: You have undoubtedly lived an extremely troubled life.

You are a young man who, unless you change, is going to spend more and more time in prison. If nothing else can bring home to you the sheer illegality of what you have been doing, I hope that will persuade you that you have to change. You will only do that if you are willing to take on board the assistance offered to you.

Description

A stalker who hacked into a 14-year-old girl's social media accounts and shared explicit pictures of her has been jailed for five-and-a half years.

Craig Fletcher, 40, an IT expert from Meir, Staffordshire, became obsessed with the young girl's every move and even threatened extreme violence against any male friends of hers.

He was sentenced today after admitting two counts of stalking, four counts of sending private photographs without consent and for possessing extreme pornography.

On one occasion the 40-year-old went into a McDonald's restaurant and threatened to break a boy's legs if he went anywhere near the young girl.

On another occasion he pursued a boy in his car.

After the teenage girl entered a relationship, Fletcher would harass the young couple with sexually explicit messages, a court heard.

He would also hack into their accounts to send private photos of them to their friends.

The 40-year-old was arrested in 2017 and police found a large number of extreme pornographic images - featuring animals, sadism and mutilation - on his computer.

Judge Christopher Batty told the defendant: 'You have never provided an explanation as to why you did this.

'But I take the view that it was born out of obsession and nothing else - your campaign caused significant stress to two young people.

'You were able to stop this at any time but you did not. You are now ashamed of what you did but you only have yourself to blame.

'This was not a one-off matter, it was a long course of action over many months.'

The court heard that the 14-year-old girl and her boyfriend were both left feeling suicidal following their ordeal.

Matthew Harding, defending, read out a letter to the court from Fletcher in which he apologised.

He told how he was 'disgusted' with himself and revealed had 'lost everything'.

Description

Pervert Jason McCouaig has been jailed after he sent obscene messages to a paedophile.

The 40-year-old also sent pictures of two girls to sex offender Michael Bickerton after communicating with him online for a week last summer.

The pair engaged in 'highly sexualised conversations' and met in a North Staffordshire pub where the defendant gave him girls knickers and they indulged in their sexual fantasies.

Now McCouaig has been jailed for 10 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Paul Spratt told the court: The defendant told Bickerton he was sexually attracted to two schoolgirls. They spoke of what sexual activity they were planning to get up to.

He sent a pair of knickers to Bickerton who sent an image to the defendant of him wearing them. The defendant took pairs of knickers to a local pub where the pair engaged in conversation. They also committed a sexual act on each other, with the knickers as an aid.

The defendant asked Bickerton not to send any more images after the sex offender sent a picture of a naked child sat on his lap.

Mr Spratt added: By August 21 last year the defendant decided the conversation should cease because he knew Bickerton was planning to commit a sexual offence in Cambridgeshire. He told Bickerton to delete the conversation with him and he deleted it on his own phone.

But 49-year-old Bickerton did not delete the conversation and the defendant was arrested at work on October 11.

The court heard Bickerton, of Minshall Street, Fenton, was jailed for eight years in May after being convicted of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

McCouaig, who has since left North Staffordshire and now lives in Oxfordshire, pleaded guilty to publishing an obscene article between August 14 and 22 last year.

Andrew Turnock, mitigating, said the defendant has lost his good character and is embarrassed and ashamed.

He said: His most private and dark fantasies have been exposed for all to see. He has unwisely engaged in conversation with a far more sophisticated and dangerous offender. He got in deep very quickly.

He told Bickerton to desist from sending illegal, illicit images to him. He told him to delete the whole history. The images he sent of the schoolgirls were not illegal and were not indecent. This behaviour does not fall within the remit of any of Sexual Offences Act. He accepts by his plea that this conversation was obscene.

Mr Turnock added that McCouaig has attended counselling sessions and shown high levels of shame and remorse.

Judge Paul Glenn said the offending was so serious it had to be marked with an immediate jail sentence.

He said: You engaged in highly sexualised conversation and took knickers for use in sexual activity.

You knew full well the sort of individual you were in contact with. You met Bickerton and provided him with the underwear so you could indulge in your fantasies. The messages between you were disgusting.

You are an intelligent man, with good qualifications and a good job and your own home. Frankly, your actions beggar belief.

McCouaig was ordered to pay 1,250 costs.

Description

Sex offender Ashleigh Weller has been jailed for ignoring a court order - after asking children if he wanted to take a dog for a walk.

The 25-year-old, of Marsh Street, Hanley, was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order after he was convicted of sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded guilty at North Staffordshire Justice Centre to breaching the order on June 9.

Prosecutor Maggie Meakin said Weller was at a friend's house when he started up conversation with a neighbour's children as they played in a garden.

She said: Ashleigh instigated conversation with the boys. He invited them into the garden and asked if they wanted to come to take the dog for a walk.

Its deliberate failure to comply with the requirements of the order.

The offence put Weller in breach of a suspended sentence order. Zoe Leese, mitigating, said Weller had difficulty with grasping the prohibitions of his sexual harm prevention order.

She said: "He is exceptionally vulnerable and therefore I would suggest it would be unjust to activate his suspended sentence."

However magistrates disagreed, and activated three weeks of Weller's suspended sentence. They also sentenced him to three weeks in prison - to run concurrently - for the new offence, making a total sentence of three weeks.

Description

Pervert Paul Rhodes has been jailed for carrying out a serious sexual offence on a schoolboy four decades ago.

The 61-year-old was aged about 21 when he committed the crime against the child on three occasions.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he put his hand over the youngsters mouth and told him not to say anything because he would not be believed.

But the victim finally reported the matter to the police in February last year. Rhodes, of St John's Road, Biddulph, pleaded guilty to buggery on April 30, the day of his trial. He has now been jailed for 10 years.

Prosecutor Martin Liddiard said the defendant had been drinking before he told his victim to be quiet and committed the first sexual offence.

He told the court: The boy was too scared to tell anybody what had taken place.

About a week later, he told the victim, You cant tell anybody, no one will believe you, before he put his hand over the boys mouth and performed the act.

The court heard the victim told his wife what had happened the day before his police interview in February 2017.

Rhodes's plea was on the basis it happened on no less than three occasions.

Joanne Wallbanks, mitigating, said the defendant cannot remember committing the offences.

In the pre-sentence report, there seems to be the beginning of an understanding of how these offences affect victims," she said. "In the 40 years since, he has committed no further offences.

Judge Paul Glenn told Rhodes: Your past has finally caught up with you.

You committed the offences when you were drunk. He gives a vivid description of the physical pain you caused him and the fear that he felt.

You told him he could not tell others. You held him down, covered his mouth and you left him bleeding.

He blamed himself for what occurred, something many victims do. He told his wife the day before he went to the police. He said to her he did not feel like a man anymore and described blanking it out over the years. He has been significantly affected by what happened. He described his childhood was cut short. You took away his dignity and self-esteem. Your actions have affected his life for 40 years and doubtless will continue to do so.

You do not really express remorse for what you did.

Rhodes will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely and was barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.

Description

Pervert Mahmoud Morad was snared by a paedophile hunter as he tried to meet an 11-year-old girl after grooming her online.

The 30-year-old Egyptian met the schoolgirl called Chloe on the internet.

He sent her sexual photographs before he travelled from his Stoke-on-Trent home to Burton to meet up.

But when he arrived, he was confronted by a group of paedophile vigilantes and he was arrested following an ugly confrontation.

Now Morad has been jailed for two-and-a-half years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

The court heard the defendant accessed an adult website called Nearby in November and became aware of someone posting under the name Chloe Howarth. She indicated she was aged 11 and posted a photograph to support the claim.

Morad asked Chloe to send him intimate pictures of herself and he sent sexual photographs before arranging to meet.

The defendant, who has no previous offences, denied attempting to cause or incite sexual exploitation of a child; attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act; and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. But he was convicted of all three charges after a trial this week.

Michael Edmonds, defending, said the defendant has now lost his good character and the convictions will have ruinous consequences.

Mr Edmonds added: It may be he is unlikely to reside in this country going forward.

It is very hard for him and his wife. It is going to be a matter of considerable distress to her that he is incarcerated and, in all likelihood, will be deported.

Judge David Fletcher said: You travelled with the intention at some stage of involving yourself in penetrative sexual activity with a child. There is no evidence to say it would have happened on the first occasion you met.

There were sexual images exchanged. The picture sent to her was particularly graphic in terms of what it was showing, and it was intended for a child aged only 11.

This was very bad behaviour by you. It wasnt just foolish, this was criminal behaviour.

You entered into these discussions, these chat logs, with someone, and I have no doubt you believed she was 11 years of age, and you continued to do that over a period of days before arranging to meet her.

Description

Paedophile Ivan Keeling has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted of raping and sexually abusing a schoolgirl.

The pervert pensioner groomed his young victim before subjecting her to a 'campaign of abuse' over an eight-year period.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 71-year-old plied his victim with money, cigarettes, alcohol and chocolates before sexually assaulting and raping her. The victim has been left psychologically affected by the abuse.

Keeling, of Hammersley Hayes Road, Cheadle, denied sexual assault of a child under 13; rape of a child under 13; and two offences of sexual activity with a child. But he was found guilty of all the offences after a trial this week.

Elizabeth Power, mitigating, said: "It is difficult to find words to mitigate for such offences which he has now been convicted of. The jury accepted what the complainant said. On her evidence it was a sustained and prolonged number of offences over some time."

He told the defendant: "You have been convicted of a catalogue of the most serious sexual offences against a child.

"There is no doubt whatsoever, having heard the evidence, that you commenced a campaign of sexual abuse against her. You behaved in a way which was, quite frankly, appalling.

"You provided her with things she wanted, items of confectionery, cigarettes, alcohol and money. But all at a price that she satisfied your sexual predilections for many years.

"Throughout the trial you have completely denied any responsibility. It was perfectly clear to me and the jury that what was happening was a campaign of sexual behaviour towards a vulnerable child."

Description

Predatory paedophile Kaylem Lewis has been jailed after he groomed a 12-year-old girl while sending her constant messages.

The 21-year-old had exchanged numbers with the girl whose age he knew and started sending her innocuous texts.

But Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the content soon became sexual, and Lewis told the victim he loved her and they would make love soon.

The defendant, of Bellingham Grove, Hanley, was found out after the girl told a friend, who reported it at school.

Prosecutor Sati Ruck said: The exchange of numbers led to them contacting each other by text message. The defendant purchased 10 credit for her phone and he was constantly texting her.

On one occasion he saw he and tried to touch her bottom. On another occasion they went for a walk and he told her he wanted to be with her when she was older, that she was beautiful and he loved her.

He told her not to say anything to anyone because he would get into trouble because of her age. He also invited her to his house on one occasion, but she said no.

The court heard the messages were sent during a two-week period in January and February. The victim confided in her friend, who told a school welfare officer. The police were then called in and Lewis was arrested.

His mobile phone and the victims were examined and revealed the text messages between them.

Miss Ruck said: References were made to him splitting up with his girlfriend to be with her.

He said she was too young to be doing anything but he would not stop her if she wanted to. He also said they would make love soon.

He then asked her to delete the text messages to avoid being detected.

Lewis went on to plead guilty to causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard he had one previous conviction, for assault.

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said Lewis had struggled to explain his actions. Mr Muldoon said: He has failed to adequately explain his behaviour to himself. His relationship was going through a sour patch at the time.

He is ashamed, he is disgusted and he is remorseful for his offending behaviour.

Judge David Fletcher sentenced Lewis to 27 months in prison. He said: There is no doubt you knew what her age was, and from almost the outset you knew what you were doing was wrong. This was clear grooming behaviour.

A 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which restricts Lewiss future contact with children, was also imposed.

Description

Pervert Simon Hulme has been jailed after he was snared by a paedophile hunter months after he was released from prison for similar offences.

The 35-year-old was locked up for 30 months in January 2016 for three offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

But within months of his release he was again making contact with what he believed was a child online.

However, he was actually chatting with a woman who set up a fake profile on social media site Kick.

Using the name of Shelly she told the defendant she was aged 13. He told her he was aged 35 and sent her videos of him performing a sex act on himself.

He asked for pictures of her and for her to go live on the site so he could see what she looked like.

His requests became aggressive and the woman discontinued the chats and reported the defendant to a group called Protecting the Innocent.

The group confronted the defendant at Bucknall Park and he was arrested by police.

Now Hulme has been jailed for two years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Peter McCartney said the defendant initiated conversation with 'Shelly' on the Kick site in December.

He said: "He told her he was 35 and sent her videos of himself performing a sex act on himself. He asked her for pictures of her and requested she went live on the site so he could see what she looked like. He wanted to get her back to his house. The requests for sending a video became aggressive. He demanded she viewed videos of him.

"He said he wanted sex. She made it clear she was only 13. She discontinued the chats and contacted the Protecting the Innocent group.

"He was eventually confronted in Bucknall Park and was arrested by the police."

Hulme, of Rosedawn Close West, Hanley, pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order; attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child between December 1 and January 5.

Samina Rashid, mitigating, said the defendant accepts sending the messages.

She added: "On his release from the last sentence he was told he would start a programme very soon. That did not materialise until the first week in January and he had only had one session before he was arrested."

Judge David Fletcher told Hulme: "The behaviour you entered into very shortly after your release was very similar to the behaviour you had been sentenced for in 2016.

"The really worrying aspect is you knew very well the girl you were talking to was 13-years-old. Nevertheless, you continued to encourage her to do the sorts of things which she indicated she was not very keen on doing."

He added: "This is a very serious set of circumstances committed by a man who has extremely similar previous convictions who seems to have learnt little or nothing from his previous incarceration."

Hulme was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was made the subject of a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

Paedophile Mark Jones has been jailed after he asked a schoolgirl if she wanted to earn 10 - before carrying out a sickening sex attack on her.

The 53-year-old undressed the girl, touched her chest and then sexually assaulted her.

The matter came to the attention of the police and the defendant was arrested.

He told officers he had touched the girl's private area and said the incident lasted for between 10 and 20 minutes.

Now Jones has been jailed for 32 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Brian McKenna said: "He asked her if she wanted to earn a tenner. She said she did. He undressed her. He touched her private area and touched her breasts."

The defendant told police he did not know why he had done it and said he was very sorry.

Jones, of Broadfield Road, Goldenhill, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child.

Anis Ali, mitigating, said it was an 'unfortunate and inappropriate' incident which the defendant regrets.

Mr Ali said: "There is no evidence of any physical injury being occasioned.

"It is something he has to live with, the stigma which comes with such a conviction. He is embarrassed and ashamed."

Jailing Jones, Judge David Fletcher said it was a 'one-off incident'.

He said: "You offered your victim 10 to enable you to do what is accepted by you with her.

"She was a child. You were a man of over 50.

"You accept the incident went on for 10 to 20 minutes. The facts of this case are decidedly unattractive. The evidence clearly demonstrates by the offering of some money there was a degree of grooming involved.

"You clearly decided on this occasion to take a massive risk. Today is the day when you have to pay the price for that."

The judge placed Jones on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and made him the subject of an indefinite restraining order preventing him having any contact with his victim.

Description

Pervert Christopher Powell was caught with thousands of child abuse images and extreme pornography.

The 31-year-old, who is a carer for his mum and dad, was arrested after the photos and videos were found on a laptop when the police raided his home.

The defendant initially denied any wrongdoing but went on to plead guilty to possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography shortly before he was due to stand trial.

Now Powell, of King Street, Fenton, has been handed a suspended prison sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Nicholas Tatlow said: Police searched this defendants home address and took a laptop and two hard drives which were found to contain indecent images of children.

The police found both still and moving indecent images of children in categories A, B and C.

There is at least one image of a child suffering a considerable amount of pain and distress.

There are moving images, a high volume of images and large number of different victims.

In total, police found 383 images at category A, the most serious; 249 at category B; and 2,745 Category C. A total of 96 extreme porn pictures were also recovered.

Jason Holt, mitigating, said: It has taken time to accept what he has done but there is a degree to which he has changed his attitude which is shown in his guilty pleas.

He had a difficult upbringing from the age of six and the irony is he now cares for his mother who had had a stroke and for his father who has also had a stroke. He cares for them both but in particular his mother.

He accepts the issues that he has and has shown remorse and concern.

Powell was sentenced to a two-year community order with 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 40 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder John Butterfield told him: There was a high number of unique and accessible images, they were both still and moving.

There were images of children and of bestiality.

These were real children in the process of being sexually abused and possibly these children would not have suffered if it wasnt for people like you perusing an interest in them.

The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the laptop and two hard drives.

Description

A child rapist who used Facebook to groom young girls before luring them to his home for sex has been jailed for more than six years.

Thomas Mayers, 20, “pestered” a 12-year-old girl on the social networking site for naked photos and repeatedly begged her to come to his house.

A court heard the girl eventually sent him some images and went to his home after he “would not leave her alone”.

He also persuaded 13-year-old to meet him for sex in a barn and at his home.

Shockingly, Mayers, who was 19 at the time of the offences last year, preyed on the school girls after he received a police caution for having sex with a 15-year-old.

Mayers admitted one charge of statutory child rape, two charges of sexual activity with a child and three other sexual offences involving the two girls at Stafford Crown Court.

Caging him for six years and nine months, Judge Amjad Nawaz told him: “You knew how old these girls were.

“They could not have given the impression they were significantly older. You had effectively pestered them to send photos having gained their confidence.

“When the 12-year-old told you she was too young and you told her she would be fine as though you were doing her a favour, it’s singularly unattractive.

“The caution ought to have been a warning to you, but it failed to have the effect.”

On Tuesday the court heard Mayers, of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., forced the 12-year-old girl into sex despite her telling him she was a child.

Prosecutor Stephen Bailey said: “She told him she was too young, but the defendant just said ‘you’ll be fine’.”

“The girl did not know what to do, so said ‘okay’ and they had sex on his bed.”

The pervert also met another 13-year-old girl in a local park and asked her for photos – which she refused – although she later had sex with him at his home and in a barn.

When he was arrested he told officers he believed the girls were older than they looked.

Michael Grey, defending, said: “Why did he not heed the caution? His instruction was he was more concerned with his parents.

“He had to leave his mother’s house and had to live with his grandparents.

“As part of the caution, he was sat down with a police officer and had explained what his behaviour meant to the girl.”

Mayers was also made subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from living with girls under 16 and unsupervised contact with girls under 18.