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Record details

A 48-year-old man has been jailed after being found guilty of rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration and controlling and coercive behaviour.

Richard Hutchinson, from Bury St Edmunds, appeared at Huntingdon Crown Court yesterday, Thursday 12 March, where he was sentenced to a total of eight years’ imprisonment. He was also issued with a 10-year restraining order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.

The offences were committed against one woman.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, she said: “[He] took everything I used to be away from me… I felt that I didn’t even recognise myself in the mirror. I didn’t feel like I had a way out, every time I ended it, I felt trapped by all of it because he wouldn’t let me leave…He is Jekyll and Hyde on the surface but he comes across as a caring, funny guy but then changes to someone who is unpredictable and incredibly scary.”

PC Sarah Jamieson who was the officer in charge of the case said:

“Hutchinson is a dangerous individual, whose misogynistic attitude towards women was clear from the evidence given in court.

“He forced his victim to relive the trauma of her experiences by refusing to admit his guilt. I am thankful to the jury for seeing through his lies, and welcome the sentence given.

“I would also like to praise the victim for her strength in coming forward to report the crimes against her and for supporting the criminal justice process. I hope she is able to move forward and heal now that he has been convicted for his crimes.

“I would like to ask for anyone else suffering from similar to come forward. We have specially trained officers who will listen to you and support you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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A man from Felixstowe has been jailed after committing a string of sex offences.

James Hawker, 45, of Cornwall Road, was sentenced to 28 years in jail, and a further six years on extended licence, at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 12 December after being found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault, four counts of rape, four counts of assault by penetration and one offence of attempted rape.

Hawker, at an earlier hearing, pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of voyeurism.

The offences all took place between August 2008 and December 2020. The three-week trial heard he made more than 210,000 indecent images of children.

The offences first came to light in February 2021 when the first victim reported it to police. Following his initial arrest on 1 February he was arrested again on 7 October 2021 and was subsequently charged in October 2023.

Detective Sergeant Jennifer Botting, the investigating officer, said:

“This was a horrific series of crimes committed by Hawker over a 13-year period, so to see him convicted for his reprehensible deeds is extremely satisfying. This was a highly complex and lengthy investigation bearing in mind the duration the offences took place and the number of victims that Hawker abused. I would like to pay tribute to the four victims and their parents for their bravery in reporting and giving evidence at trial. This by no means was easy for them to do and they will no doubt be carrying this appalling experience with them for the rest of their lives.

“I only hope that this conviction will bring some measure of justice and reassurance – not only to the victims in this case but to others who may be suffering in silence.

“Suffolk Constabulary remains committed to fully investigating any allegation of sexual abuse and providing the highest level of support and care to any victim while a thorough investigation is carried out. I hope this result will also encourage those victims who may be currently suffering in the same way to come forward report the crime to us.”

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A man from Bury St Edmunds has been jailed after committing a series of sexual offences against children.

Martin Hogg, aged 73 and of Worcester Close in Bury St Edmunds was sentenced on Monday 17 November at Cambridge Crown Court to nine years imprisonment.

It follows his guilty plea at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to three offences relating to child sex offences that took place between 31 August 2024 and 15 February 2025. These were sexual communications with a child, cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and cause or incite a child to watch a sexual activity. These all took place against a single victim.

On Thursday 22 May at Cambridge Crown court, Hogg pleaded guilty to a further 18 offences that took place between the same dates and included multiple offences of meeting a child following sexual grooming, cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child and sexual communication with a child against seven further victims who were all children. Following on from this, another child victim was identified and a further three sexual offences were taken into consideration after an acceptance of guilt from the defendant.

Hogg (pictured below) was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Nick Parkinson-Hill, the investigating officer on the case, said:

“The crimes committed by Hogg against the nine young victims in relation to grooming offences and sexual activity children were truly awful. The impact this has had on the victims and their families has been hard to accept and the Impact the offences continue to have on them is truly upsetting. I hope the sentencing of Hogg has started the journey to recovery for all involved.”

“I hope the outcome of this case reassures members of the public that we take such allegations of predatory behaviour extremely seriously and we work to safeguard victims as quickly as possible. We are committed to fully investigating any allegation of sexual assault, recent or historic and will provide the highest level of support and care to any victim whilst a thorough investigation is carried out, so if you believe you have been the victim as well, we would ask that you come forward and tell us.”

“We want to encourage victims of any sexual assault to continue to speak to us and feel confident in accessing the specialist support they need. Any allegation will be fully investigated and we have dedicated specially trained officers who work with the victims of rape and sexual assault. The diligent response to this case by the safeguarding unit, indecent images team and proactive teams has stopped any chance of this dangerous male re-offending”

“I want to commend all of the victims in this case for their bravery in coming forward and working with us throughout the investigative process. I hope that their bravery in coming forward gives others the confidence to do the same and Hogg’s guilty pleas has saved the victims from having to give evidence in court which is a blessing.

“However, whilst this sentence will provide the victim with some closure, understandably, what Hogg did to them will have impacted them significantly. If you have been directly affected by this case please quote Op Steadham25 in any reports to us.”

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A 32-year-old man has been jailed for 20 years after being convicted of the rape of a child.

Mantas Gineitis, from Leiston, had initially denied the charges against him, before pleading guilty to five charges of rape of a girl and making threats to kill at an earlier hearing.

He appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday 21 October where he was sentenced to 20 years in jail. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The crimes relate to one victim and took place over a period of approximately 18 months.

In her Victim Personal Statement, read out in court, the girl said:

“The harm that has been inflicted on me cannot be undone but I hope that by sharing my experience full justice will be served. I deserve to move forward with a sense of closure and reassurance that steps will be taken to prevent this from happening to someone else.”

Temporary Detective Sergeant Jessie Langham-Fitt, who was the supervising officer of the case, said:

“This was an appalling and deeply distressing case. The profound impact it has had on the young victim cannot and should not be understated.

“She has shown immense courage in supporting the investigation to ensure Gineitis faces justice for his despicable offences.

“I hope today’s sentence brings some measure of closure to her and reassurance to others that we will do everything we can to bring sexual offenders to justice. We are committed to protecting all victims of abuse.

“I would also like to thank OIC DC Mark Ryczanowski and the rest of my team for their hard work in safeguarding the victim, collating evidence and securing charges against Gineitis, in what was a highly emotive investigation."

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Police believe a former Catholic priest who sexually abused children over decades may have additional victims yet to come forward.

Dennis Finbow, 77, who served in Peterborough and St Neots, Cambridgeshire, was jailed for 11 years on Friday for 15 indecent assaults on five victims, most under 16 at the time.

Finbow, formerly of Martlesham near Ipswich, was already serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence for abusing a young girl in the 1980s.

"I believe people are out there who perhaps have been offended against, who have not come forward because they may be following this case intently, perhaps seeking some closure," said Det Con Annette Renwick.

"Some are going to be parents, grandparents now. We're talking decades ago that this happened for some people. I think they've no intention of unlocking that box and that trauma that comes with it… and that's OK."

Renwick, who led the investigations, noted one accuser died before justice was served.

Finbow was a prominent community figure in the 1980s and 1990s, known for work in schools, hospitals, charities, and children's social clubs.

"So, a very well-known and respected figure. But there was a darker side as well," she added.

"As we found out… with that role of respect and trust, unfortunately, there was a side where he was able to exploit that trust with children that he came into contact with."

Finbow left active ministry in 2001. He initially denied the allegations, calling the investigation a "witch hunt," claiming grudges, insisting he was a "good priest," and alleging a conspiracy, per Renwick.

After a January 2023 trial at Huntingdon Crown Court, he was placed on the sex offenders register for life.

In December 2024, Pope Francis removed his clerical status following the convictions.

The Diocese of East Anglia stated it fully cooperated with police and safeguarding authorities.

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A man from Bury St Edmunds has been given an extended sentence totalling 19 years for rape offences and controlling or coercive behaviour.

Stephen Brazier, aged 53 and of Harland Court in Bury St Edmunds, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict of two counts of rape and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour, following a six-day trial.

The offences relate to one victim.

The court heard Brazier would message the victim persistently. He was suspicious of her friendships with other men, her interactions on social media and would aggressively challenge her actions and behaviour.

Following his initial arrest for rape, Brazier breached his bail conditions by contacting the victim to intimidate her and persuade her to withdraw her evidence. During that period, he raped her again.

He denied the offences, claiming the sexual activity was consensual and blamed the victim for his arrest.

Brazier appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday 26 September where he was handed an extended sentence totalling 19 years, made up of 16 years’ imprisonment and a further three years on licence.

Extended sentences are handed to those who are convicted of serious violent or sexual offences, where an additional period of post-release supervision is required to protect the public.

Brazier was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Ellie Evans-Eastman, the officer in charge of the case said:

“Brazier is a manipulative man who expected his victim to comply to his demands to dominate and belittle her.

“He attempted to influence her to withdraw her allegation, refused to take responsibility for his actions and behaviours, and made aspersions against character to isolate her from friends and family.

“We know cases like this can have a profound impact on victims and I would like to commend her bravery and resilience in coming forward and seeing the case to its conclusion.

“Suffolk Constabulary is committed to bringing perpetrators of abuse and sexual violence to justice, and we work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to build the strongest possible case to secure these convictions, with specialist officers available to support victims.”

Record details

A child rapist has been jailed for historic sex crimes which took place more than 30 years ago.

Mark French, formerly of Newbourne Gardens in Felixstowe, was jailed for 19 years after previously being found guilty of two counts of rape of a child and 10 counts of indecent assault on children.

French will also spend two years on an extended licence.

The 61-year-old appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, August 14, where he was sentenced following a 13-day trial in May of this year.

The offences took place in the Felixstowe area over a 10-year period and involved two girls.

The allegations first came to light in December 2020, dating back more than 30 years, and French was charged in May 2023.

French was also given a restraining order against both victims and made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Mark French was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Suffolk police)

DC Gemma Spink, who was the investigating officer for the case, said:

“No sentence will heal the trauma that French inflicted on his victims, who were children at the time of the offending and who have shown great bravery to come forward to report the crimes against them and see the case to its conclusion.

“I hope this outcome will encourage other victims of non-recent sexual abuse to feel confident about coming forward to police and assure them that they will be listened to by officers.”

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A sex offender with a ‘blatant disregard’ for the law has been jailed for more than three years after breaching his court order.

Simon Smith, 35, of Crown Street West, Lowestoft, was sentenced to 40 months in prison at Ipswich Crown Court today after pleading guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and failing to comply with notification requirements on two occasions.

Smith was issued the SHPO in March 2022 for three offences of making indecent images of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He was arrested in April this year after failing to attend a police station as required under the order.

In addition to breaching the SHPO, Smith also pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children, possession of amphetamines and failing to attend court as soon as practicable.

Ali Barham, public protection manager, said: “Smith has been evading capture by police since May 2025.

“It is clear from our investigations and his actions that he was extremely difficult to manage in the community as he was not complying with his requirements and committing further offences, with the risk to the public escalating. Smith is also a known drug user and this added further cause for concern.

“A search of his property in Crown Street West located a laptop and a Samsung phone not known to police.

“This is a very positive sentence which will come as welcome news to local residents and the wider community.

“A clear and blatant disregard has been demonstrated by Smith with regards to his sexual harm prevention order as this order was put in place by the judicial system to protect the public from predators like him.”

Record details

A 48-year-old man from Felixstowe has been jailed for 18 years after being convicted of rape and assault offences.

Andrew Grinham, of Waveney Road in Felixstowe, had been found guilty of two counts of rape and three counts of assault causing actual bodily harm (ABH) by a jury on 29 May 2025 after an eight-day trial.

He appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday 22 July where he was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment, with an extended licence period of five years, for the charges of rape. He was given a three-year concurrent sentence for causing ABH.

Grinham was also made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and indefinite Restraining Order, and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The offences related to one victim, a woman, and took place over several years.

Detective Constable Jennifer Botting, the officer in charge of the case, said:

“Grinham carried out horrific abuse to his victim, causing long-lasting effects that have impacted her life and those around her.

“I want to commend her for the extraordinary courage she has shown in coming forward and seeing this case through to the end. We hope today’s outcome brings some measure of justice and reassurance – not only to the victim in this case, but to others who may be suffering in silence.

“I would also like to thank DC James Lait, who was the initial officer in charge of the case before I took on the investigation. His team progressed enquiries over a prolonged period to ensure we were able to reach the right outcome of the victim.

“Suffolk Constabulary remains committed to supporting survivors and bringing perpetrators to justice, no matter how long it takes.”

Record details

A convicted sex offender who had online chats about sex with volunteers from four paedophile hunter groups posing as schoolgirls has been jailed for three years.

Sentencing Daniel Gibbs, Recorder Emma Nash described him as a danger to children and said if the decoy children had been real they would have been caused significant trauma.

She said that in the chats Gibbs had told the decoy girls to delete the messages he had sent them because he knew what he was doing was wrong and that he could go to prison.

“You don’t consider yourself a danger to children. I disagree with you,” said the judge.

 Gibbs,  33, of Crown Street, Stowmarket admitted three offences of attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and sending naked pictures of himself.

In addition to jailing Gibbs, Recorder Nash made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 20 years and ordered him to sign the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

Marc Brown, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court , said Gibbs  was arrested after he had online chats about sex with volunteers from paedophile hunter groups “Angels of Innocence” and “Justice Reborn” who were posing as schoolgirls.

In the chats Gibbs had claimed to be a swimming coach and after telling one of the girls he believed to be 13 that she was cute he had sent her a naked picture of himself and asked her about her school uniform and her underwear.

Gibbs had told another decoy child who told him she was ten that he wanted to see her vagina, knickers and school uniform.

When the girl said she was in the bath he had persistently tried to video call her and then accused her of wasting his time.

In chats with a decoy posing as another 13-year-old girl he had sent a picture of his erect penis and had encouraged to touch herself in a sexual way.

The court heard that in 2007 when he was 15 Gibbs had sexually assaulted a girl under 13 and later that year he had raped a boy under 13.

The court was told  Gibbs was genuinely remorseful and had been lonely and bored at the time of the recent offence which were committed after he had kept out of trouble for 17 years.

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A fleeing sex offender's attempts to escape justice have been branded "pathetic" by police after he failed to return to court to hear the jury's verdict.

Paul Ashworth, 71, was sentenced to nine years in prison and an additional year on licence at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

He had previously left the court when the jury retired to consider its verdicts on 7 February and failed to return in the afternoon when the verdicts were to be delivered.

Ashworth, of Wannock Close in Carlton Colville, was found guilty in his absence of three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 years old, relating to three separate victims aged between the ages of four and 11 which occurred between the early 1980s and early 2000s.

The court issued a warrant for his arrest and Suffolk Police traced him to Portsmouth after identifying his bank card was being used there.

Officers made inquiries with hotels in the area and found Ashworth had booked into one under an alias after getting a bus to Portsmouth city centre.

He was arrested at the hotel on 26 February and remanded in prison before his sentencing hearing on Monday.

Ashworth had pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children and to absconding from court while on bail.

Det Sgt Kate Bond from the East Public Protection Unit said: "Paul Ashworth's pathetic attempt to evade justice by leaving the court when the jury went out was a final act of utter contempt on his part towards the victims.

"The crimes he committed were unspeakably abhorrent and robbed the victims of their childhoods."

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A "dangerous" paedophile who befriended young families to sexually abuse children has been jailed for 22 years.

Martin Woods, formerly of Hadleigh in Suffolk, was sentenced to the prison term and and given an extended licence period of six years that would follow his release.

The 46-year-old had abused an underage girl more than 10 years ago and has been found guilty of six offences.

Woods will serve his sentence at the same time as he serves an existing sentence he was handed in 2021 after he admitted sexually assaulting a different child.

He will remain on the sex offenders for life and is also the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Det Con Kate Hutson, from Suffolk Police, said: "Woods is a dangerous offender who has shown a pattern of behaviour in befriending young families in order to sexually abuse children."

Before his trial in December, Woods had been charged with

• three counts of attempted assault on a girl under 13 by penetration
• two counts of rape of a girl under 13
• one count of assault of a girl under 13 by touching

He was told he would not be eligible to be considered for release by the parole board until he had served 14 years and six months in prison.

'Great courage'

Det Con Hutson praised the "bravery" and "resilience" of Woods' victim.

"In a statement to the court, she described how difficult it was to talk about what had happened to her saying that the words were pushed in so far that she didn't know how to get them out," she added.

"She has shown great courage to report the crimes against her and in supporting the investigation throughout, culminating in her giving evidence at the trial.

"I hope that knowing Woods will serve at least 14 years and eight months before being eligible for parole will bring her some measure of closure."

Before his recent conviction, Woods was jailed in 2021 for rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 and five counts of taking or making indecent images of children.

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A man from Stowmarket has been jailed for more than two years for a rape he committed as a teenager.

Alex Welham appeared in the dock at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

He had pleaded guilty to a charge of rape of a girl under 13, and a charge of multiple incidents of sexual assault of a girl under 13, which the court heard took place on at least 10 occasions.

The offences were committed between 2014 and 2016. Welham was 13 when the abuse began, and 15 when it ended. The victim was several years younger than he was.

The abuse was reported to the police in 2023.

A statement was read to the court by Matthew McNiff, prosecuting, on behalf of the victim. In it, she described the profound impact Welhams abuse had had on her life.

Addressing Welham, now 24, who she described as the monster that ruined my childhood, she said: You killed the child in me, forcing me into a world I neither understood or was ready for.

She continued: You took my smile away. The abuse was, she said, disgusting and unforgivable.

The victim said that she felt pride that she had managed to come forward and report the abuse. She spoke of her determination to use my voice to help other victims of child abuse.

Joanne Eley, representing Welham, told the court that he had described being sexually curious having been exposed to pornography. He also described being bullied throughout high school, and has since been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, Miss Eley told the court.

Judge David Wilson said that these offences were committed when Welham was a child, which would need to be reflected in his sentence.

Cases of this nature provide notorious difficulties for sentencing court, he said.

He also acknowledged that the impact of Welhams abuse continues to be felt by the victim.

This was not simply experimentation as a teen boy this was targeted planned behaviour over a period of time, he said, adding that the abuse was accompanied by warnings that the victim should keep quiet.

For the rape, he sentenced Welham to two years and eight months in prison. For the sexual assaults, he sentenced Welham to nine months, which he will serve concurrently.

Both these sentences were reduced in light of Welhams age at the time of offending, and his guilty pleas.

Record details

A sex offender from Felixstowe who was in a relationship with a teenage girl has been sent to prison.

Matthew Redstall, 50, of High Road, was jailed for two years at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday

He pleaded guilty to seven counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of possession of an indecent image of a child.

In 2019, Redstall entered into a relationship with a 17-year-old girl which eventually became sexual.

Redstall was first arrested in 2021 and charged in 2023.

In addition to two years in prison, the judge ordered Redstall to sign the sex offenders’ register and handed him a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Det Con Laura Frelford, from Suffolk Police’s Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said: “I hope the outcome of this case reassures members of the public that we take such allegations of predatory behaviour extremely seriously and we work to safeguard victims as quickly as possible.

“We will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Record details

A man from Icklingham has been jailed for 20 years for a series of sexual crimes against children.

56 year old Richard Taylor (above) of West Street in Icklingham was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 20 September.

He was sentenced to 20 years in jail and two years on extended licence after he was found guilty during a trial.

He was charged with a total of 17 offences of sexual activity against children and was found guilty of one count of rape, six offences of indecent assault of a male, and nine counts of gross indecency with a child. The offences all took place between 1999 and 2003.

Investigating officer DC Jen Botting said: “I’d like to pay tribute to the immense bravery and courage of both victims and their families. This was a highly complex and difficult case to investigate and without their evidence, it would have been extremely hard to secure this conviction and sentence against Taylor.

“As a consequence of Taylor’s not guilty plea, the victims had to endure revisiting their horrific and distressing experiences as part of the evidence heard during the nine day trial.  I hope the sentence passed provides some level of closure and allows them to move forward with their lives.

“I also hope this case demonstrates just how Suffolk police is committed to fully investigating any allegation of sexual assault, be it recent or non-recent as was the case here and will provide the highest level of support and care to any victim whilst a thorough investigation is carried out.”

Child abuse is often a hidden crime, and we work to ensure that the voice of the child is heard and concerns of abuse or neglect are reported and investigated. The Suffolk Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), which involves police, county council, education and health, among others works to address issues of risk of harm, abuse and neglect.