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An Ipswich paedophile who downloaded indecent images and videos of children, including babies, and distributed them to other people has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Sentencing 47-year-old Edmund Hall Judge Emma Peters described some of the videos and images, especially some of babies being abused, as horrific and said: For some inexplicable reason you have an interest in the sexual abuse of babies.

She said when he was 17 Hall had joined the Catholic priesthood and had had to repress his sexuality.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that police officers seized an iPhone from Edmund Halls home in May 2021 and when it was analysed it was found to contain more than 200 indecent images and videos of children.

Nicola May, prosecuting, said that 58 of the indecent images of and 55 videos were in the most serious level A category, 60 of the still images and 16 videos were in category B and 15 still images were in the lowest level C category.

She said some of the children in the images and videos were under a year old.

In addition to the indecent images and videos of children a prohibited image of a child was also found.

Miss May said Hall had used search terms including babies, paedo, younger and rape to search for the material.

There was also evidence that Hall had been distributing indecent images and videos of children to like minded people and had given advice about how to hide what they were doing.

Hall, 47, of Dunlop Road, Ipswich admitted three offences of making indecent images and videos of children in May last year, one offence of possessing a prohibited image of children, five offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and four offences of distributing indecent images of children.

The court heard that Hall has previous convictions for making indecent images of children dating back to 2013.

He is currently the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which has been ordered to continue. He will also have to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Lynne Shirley for Hall said he was remorseful and had spent some time in custody.

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A Suffolk man who sexually abused a young girl has been jailed for 10 years.

Ross Smith, 33, of Banham Road, Beccles, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court for sentence on Monday having previously been convicted of three offences.

Smith had denied three counts of causing or inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity but was found guilty by a jury at trial.

The offending took place between 2018 and 2019.

The court heard that Smith had no previous similar convictions.

At the sentencing hearing, the victim's mother described Smith's offending as "despicable" and outlined the impact it had had on her daughter and their family in a statement read by prosecutor Andrew Thompson.

Judge Emma Peters jailed Smith for 10 years, with an extended licence period of five years.

Smith must serve at least two thirds of the 10-year sentence in custody before he will be eligible for parole.

The judge also ordered Smith to sign the sex offenders' register for life, and imposed a indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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A 'depraved' 34-year-old man from Felixstowe has been jailed for arranging to meet a 14-year-old for sex.

Aaron Morrison, of High Street, was jailed for 35 months at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday, January 24, after he pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

It centred on communication he had with a person purporting to be 14 years old in December 2020 via a mobile phone and saw Morrison make several attempts to meet them to have sex.

Morrison was first arrested in December 2020 following police investigations into his mobile phone.

It was established that he was sending sexual messages to a 14-year-old.

Morrison attended different locations in Essex to meet the victim to carry out the intended act, say police.

In June last year Morrison was subsequently charged with two offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. He later pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a sexual offence, which happened at the start of December 2020.

Detective Constable James Lait said: Although the victim and Morrison never met, the sentence handed down reflects the depraved nature of Morrison.

"I hope the outcome of this case reassures members of the public that we take such allegations of online predatory behaviour on the young and vulnerable extremely seriously and work to safeguard victims as quickly as possible.

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

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A pupil has described how he felt "totally disgusted" after being sexually assaulted by a former teacher at a Norfolk school.

Henry Golding, 32, was a teacher at Flegg High Academy in Martham, near Great Yarmouth.

Norwich Crown Court heard the teenage victim was in a class with Golding when, Richard Kelly, prosecuting, said, Golding began to touch the victim, "tickling the back of his left thigh".

Mr Kelly said that as the victim walked out of the classroom Golding "put his right hand onto his bottom and kept it there as they walked out".

As the teen left the classroom Golding said to him "don't avoid me".

Police were later informed about the incident.

Golding, of Woodland Place, Great Barton, Bury St Edmunds, later admitted sexual assault and appeared at court on Tuesday (November 16) for sentence.

He also admitted three counts of making indecent images of children relating to a total of 209 images, including four of Category A which are the most serious.

Before Golding was sentenced, the victim read out a statement in court describing how he felt shocked and embarrassed.

He said he has been betrayed by Golding whose actions have meant he lost a lot of trust in people as a result, adding: "I trusted him and now feel totally disgusted."

The mother of the victim, who also made a statement in court, said: "We as his parents feel very angry. We trusted his school teacher to keep him safe.

Jailing Golding for a total of 17 months, Judge Andrew Shaw said the offence represented "the most egregious breach of trust" against a vulnerable victim.

Hugh Vass, mitigating, said Golding, who was a man of previous good character, had made a fateful error in a "one-off" incident which had been wholly unwanted and wholly inappropriate.

He said Golding will never teach again or work with children and insisted to have a conviction like this was a badge of shame which hes got to carry for the rest of your life.

Golding was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years and must also sign on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Speaking after the case, a spokesman for Flegg High Academy said: "We are absolutely appalled by the actions of this individual, which are completely out of line with the high standards and values we uphold as an academy, and the robust processes we have in place which ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of all our students and staff.

As soon as we learned of the allegations, the individual was immediately suspended without prejudice, and following thorough investigation was dismissed."

They said they had been supporting those impacted and those who felt they needed support in the academy.

"We have also been supporting the police with their investigation throughout, which has led to todays sentencing.

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A convicted sex offender who travelled more than 150 miles to prey on a young girl in West Sussex has now been given a long sentence.

Gary Fenn, 50, of Saxon Road, Saxmundham, Suffolk, appeared in custody at Hove Crown Court on Friday 5 November and was given a nine-year extended sentence, comprising five years imprisonment and four extended period on prison release licence.

He had been convicted of sexual assaulting the girl, who was under 13, and of two breaches of Sex Offender Registration Notification requirements.

He will also continue to be a registered sex offender for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last indefinitely, severely restricting his access to children and digital communication devices.

Detective Constable Emily Turner of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said; "In June this year Fenn, already registered sex offender, previously been convicted of offences involving indecent images of children, used a dating website to get to know a woman and travelled to Southwick in Sussex to meet her.

"He used this opportunity to meet and sexually touch her young daughter. However the girl quickly escaped the situation and informed her mother who then contacted the police.

"We swiftly investigated and arrested Fenn who was then charged on the authority of the CPS. He has been in custody ever since his arrest."

In sentencing him, Judge Shani Barnes said: "We cannot underestimate the damage caused to the family by Fenn taking this opportunity to offend."

Emily Turner added: "The bravery of this young lady in standing up against what she knew to be wrong and by supporting this prosecution has undoubtedly kept other children safe from this predatory paedophile who has previous convictions for sexual offending."

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A Hadleigh paedophile who raped a young girl and took pictures of the abuse has been jailed for 15 years.

Martin Woods, 42, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court for sentence on Thursday after previously admitting seven offences relating to two victims.

On April 9 at his plea and trial preparation hearing, Woods pleaded guilty to raping a child under the age the age of 13, sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13, two counts of taking indecent images of a child, and three charges of making indecent images of children.

The abuse happened during 2020, the court heard.

Claire Matthews, prosecuting, told the court Woods was arrested last year following a disclosure from one of the girls.

As a result of his arrest, devices were seized from his home, Ms Matthews said.

Recovered from Woods' mobile phone were a number of indecent images which showed him abusing the two girls.

Police also found four downloaded indecent images of children of the most serious kind - category A - along with two category B images and two category C images on an iPad.

Officers also discovered numerous internet searches for indecent images of young prepubescent girls, Ms Matthews told the court.

Woods, of Guthrum Road, Hadleigh, was further arrested for the indecent images offences but gave no comment to officers' questions in interview.

Sentencing Woods, Judge Emma Peters said the impact on the victims has been "profound".

Judge Peters called Woods' offending "horrific" and that his internet search history showed he had a sexual interest in young girls.

At the previous hearing, Judge Peters ordered a dangerousness report from the Probation Service to assess if Woods posed a risk to the public.

She told the court she was satisfied that Woods did present a risk to the public.

Judge Peters sentenced Woods to 15 years in prison with an extended licence period of six years.

Woods will have to serve two thirds of his custodial sentence behind bars, meaning he will serve a minimum of 10 years before he is considered for parole.

Judge Peters also imposed a indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

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A couple who subjected two children to an "abhorrent campaign of abuse" have been jailed for 22 years.

Rachel Burrows, 30, and Kevin Prewitt, 37, were sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court for their "inhuman and sadistic" acts over more than a year involving the two children, both under the age of 10.

Police were called to Prewitt's Myrtle Road home in Lowestoft in April 2020 when a 10-second indecent film and messages on his phone were discovered.

The pair were in a relationship and prosecutor Joanne Eley told the court police attended both homes and seized mobile phones and tablets and other items used in the images and videos.

Officers also found a Skype conversation between the pair from January 2020 until the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown discussing their plans, while examination of the videos found the victims "sobbing and whimpering."

A psychological report found the victims were both likely to develop complex PTSD.

The duo had previously admitted serious charges of sexual abuse of a child, including rape, while Prewitt also admitted three offences of making indecent images of children, and two offences of inciting or causing child exploitation.

Burrows, of Harris Avenue, Lowestoft, also admitted multiple serious sex abuse of a child charges, three offences of taking indecent images of children and an offence of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Burrows, of Harris Avenue, Lowestoft, also admitted multiple serious sex abuse of a child charges, three offences of taking indecent images of children and an offence of inciting or causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Representing Prewitt, Laura Kenyon told the court he was engaging with services since being in custody, while Justin Rivett, for Burrows, said his client had a low IQ and she was "besotted" with Prewitt, but was "remorseful" for her actions.

Sentencing the pair to 22 years in custody, judge Rupert Overbury said: "What the pair of you did was beyond depraved and despicable. It was inhuman and sadistic.

"If your families have any sense they will disown you both because neither of you deserve a place in society until you have paid a high price for your actions."

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A Suffolk hotel manager who molested a schoolgirl has been jailed for nine months.

Adam Ali, former manager of the White Horse Hotel in Leiston, took the teenager to his room at the premises and sat on the bed and removed his shoes, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

He invited her to do the same and then put his leg over her while they were on the bed so he was three-quarters over her body, said Nicola May, prosecuting.

He told the 14-year-old: Dont worry, Im not going to kiss you, but she had panicked and didnt know what to do, said Miss May.

She thought if she shouted, she would make the situation worse, she said.

The court heard that, prior to that incident, Ali had kissed the girl on her neck, hugged her, massaged her shoulders and told her she was good-looking.

Miss May said Ali had received a caution in 2013 for indecently assaulting a 17-year old girl.

Ali, 36, of Parnell Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to five offences of sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in 2019.

In addition to being jailed, Ali was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Sentencing him, Judge Rupert Overbury accused him of molesting the victim of the offences after grooming her.

He said Ali had been put on notice that this sort of behaviour towards girls wasnt acceptable when he was given an earlier caution for indecent assaulting another teenager.

He said Ali had been testing the waters to see how far he could go when he sat on the bed in his room at the White Horse, removed his shoes and invited the girl to do the same.

Joanne Eley, for Ali, said her client had lost his job at the hotel as a result of the publicity the court proceedings had received.

She described Ali as a hard-working family man who had worked in the catering and hospitality industry for many years.

He had been the proprietor and licence holder of the White Horse and had invested 14,000 in stock and equipment.

He was no longer the licence holder and the new landlord didnt feel it appropriate to employ him because of adverse comments left on the hotels Facebook following publicity about the case.

Miss Eley said that friends of Ali and his family had also distanced themselves because of the court proceedings.

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A woman who sent naked pictures of a child to a man she met online after he promised her a job has been jailed for more than three years.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how Claire Kelly, 36, of Yew Drive, Brandon, was taken to hospital on August 21, 2019, following a suicide attempt.

She then disclosed to paramedics how she had sent indecent pictures of a child to a man she met via the internet.

Jamie Sawyer, prosecuting, said Kelly’s mobile phone was seized and conversations were discovered between her and a man known as ‘Craig Mwah’ via the Kik messenger application.

Kelly also communicated with another man called ‘Harry’, who she believed to be the son of ‘Craig’.

Police found that ten indecent images were sent and that Kelly also took three category B images, and 13 graded as category C, the court heard.

There was also evidence of discussions around involving a child in a sexual act, the court heard.

Kelly previously pleaded guilty before magistrates to distributing indecent photographs of a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and taking indecent photographs of a child.

The court heard that ‘Craig’ promised Kelly a £35,000-a-year job with his firm as a personal assistant.

It was when Kelly challenged ‘Craig’ about the job that he and ‘Harry’ ceased contact.

It had not been possible for police to trace either ‘Craig Mwah’ or ‘Harry’, the court heard.

Joanne Eley, defending, said Kelly, who had no previous convictions, was “financially destitute” and in a “huge amount of debt”.

She said: “She feels huge remorse for what she did. Her remorse in this case is entirely genuine.”

Miss Eley added that Kelly had been in a “downward spiral” since 2013 and had suffered mental health difficulties with depression following the break-up of her marriage.

“She is a lady who was clearly struggling in the lead-up to these offences,” she said.

On Wednesday, Judge Emma Peters sentenced Kelly to a total of three years and two months in prison.

Kelly was also made to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which was also indefinite.

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A former Ipswich man accused of sexually assaulting two schoolgirls two decades ago has been jailed for 11 years.

Sentencing Mark Waterer, Judge Rupert Overbury described his actions as “pre-meditated and calculated” and said he had treated one of his victims as “an object rather than a person.”

“They were young teenage girls and there were elements of grooming in both cases,” said the judge.

He said the verdicts in respect of one of the victims showed the jury believed she was under 16 at the time of the offences, and had rejected Waterer’s claim that she was over 16 and had consented to what took place.

He said Waterer had sexually assaulted her: “Your ultimate goal was to have full sexual intercourse with her.”

Judge Overbury said Waterer had sexually assaulted the other at a flat where he was living alone.

He said both victims had been “substantially” affected by the abuse they had suffered and the trial had opened up old wounds.

“These events will stay with them and their families for the rest of their lives,” said the judge.

Waterer, 57, of Church Lane, Little Stonham, near Stowmarket, denied ten offences of indecent assault and three offences of indecency with a child.

Following his arrest in April 2015, Waterer said he was “gobsmacked” when he heard the allegations – which date back to the 1990s – against him.

But a jury at Ipswich Crown Court found him guilty of ten offences of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child. He was cleared of the other two offences.

Waterer was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life and Judge Overbury gave the prosecution 56 days to consider applying for a sexual harm prevention order.

Waterer denied having any sexual contact with one of the schoolgirls while she was under 16 but admitted he had consensual sexual contact with her after her 16th birthday.

The court heard he denied having any sexual contact with the other girl, Ipswich Crown Court hear.

Jude Durr, for Waterer, said his client had a “continuing and loving” relationship with his partner who was in poor health and he had been her carer before being remanded in custody.

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A night-stalker rapist who targeted vulnerable women walking alone has been jailed for life.

Clive Howard, 57, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court after admitting seven counts of rape, three of kidnap, and one of attempted rape against six women. Described as a dangerous sexual predator for attacks in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, he must serve at least 10 years and three months before parole eligibility.

Judge Stephen Holt said:

"This was a campaign of sexual offences over many years. Two of the victims describe you spanking them - this is additional humiliation and degradation.

"There was clearly a significant degree of planning and targeting.

"All of the victims' statements show a similar pattern of how terrified they were and the ongoing effect this has had."

Howard sobbed uncontrollably as one victim read a statement describing her struggles with anxiety, self-harm, and an eating disorder since the attack.

Fifteen women contacted police after his first court appearance, fearing they were targeted; Det Sgt Chris Burgess of Norfolk Police confirmed at least one was attacked by Howard.

He said:

"He is a very dangerous man - he was a sexual predator. There is concern that there are further victims."

Howard was caught after raping a woman in her 20s in Norwich's St Helens Wharf car park on 30 May 2014. He offered her a lift but assaulted her instead. CCTV provided a partial Volvo number plate, leading to his arrest.

His DNA matched an unsolved 2013 Cambridgeshire case where a woman fought him off, trapping his DNA under her fingernail from a scratch. This linked him to other similar attacks, Burgess said.

Howard's offences include:

• Six counts of rape against a woman in Ely between November 1986 and March 1993.
• Attempted kidnap of a woman in Glisson Road, Cambridge, at 02:15 BST on 5 May 2013.
• Attempted rape of another woman at Christ's Pieces, Cambridge, at 02:45 BST on 5 May 2013.
• Attempted kidnaps of women in Cavendish Road (02:00 BST) and Clarendon Road (04:40 BST), Cambridge, on 15 February 2014.
• Rape in St Helens Wharf car park, Norwich, on 30 May 2014.

Father-of-six Howard, a mechanic and "loner" whose marriage ended 15 years ago, lived with his parents, used dating sites, and searched for street workers. At arrest, he had an 82-year-old girlfriend.

Mitigating, Jude Durr said Howard was ashamed, felt genuine remorse, and "recognises he should have asked for help a long time ago."

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A paediatrician who carried out examinations purely for his own sexual gratification and abused boys behind a curtain while their parents were in the room, has been jailed for 22 years.

Myles Bradbury, 41, from Herringswell, Suffolk, who worked as a haematologist at Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge, had pleaded guilty to 25 offences against boys aged 10 to 16, including sexual assault, voyeurism and possessing more than 16,000 indecent images.

Sentencing Bradbury, Judge Gareth Hawkesworth told Cambridge crown court on Monday that the prison tariff was less severe owing to the early guilty pleas, though some might observe the overwhelming evidence against him meant he had little choice but to admit the offences.

For a doctor to attack children in this way is one of the worst forms of sexual abuse imaginable, the judge said. These boys were all vulnerable and gravely ill. In all my years on the bench, I have never come across such a grotesque betrayal of your Hippocratic oath.

The court heard how Bradbury encouraged several young patients to see him alone through the trust he had acquired. It was in these circumstance under the guise of legitimate examinations he went entirely beyond the bounds, said John Farmer, prosecuting. He took the opportunity of fondling the boys genitals and encouraging them to masturbate in his presence and obtain erections for his own personal gratification. On some occasions, when he failed to exclude the parent, he simply carried on behind the curtain behind which the boy had gone to remove his clothes.,.

His 18 victims included children with haemophilia, leukaemia and other serious illnesses. The offences took place over four and a half years, beginning within six months of his appointment in 2008 and continuing to the day he was suspended when concerns were first raised. At some point, he began using a camera pen in an attempt to take pictures of the boys when partially clothed, Farmer said. Police found 170,425 images on this pen but none of these was classed as indecent.

Bradbury was first arrested in December 2013 after police were alerted by Canadian authorities that he had bought a DVD containing indecent images of children as part of Operation Spade, an extensive sting operation. At the time, Cambridgeshire police were investigating Bradbury as concerns were raised about his conduct after a boy spoke to his parents about what had happened. Bradbury was suspended by the NHS a month earlier.

Detective superintendent Gary Ridgway, from Cambridgeshire Police, said his team is working with police forces and several agencies from other parts of the country to see if his abuse dates back further.

He added that since Bradburys crimes were reported a small number of other possible victims had come forward and these files have recently been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Encouraging victims to contact police, Ridgway said: It would be naive to assume that we know the full scale of what he did.

Bradbury, who was also involved in church and Scout groups, was described as a man of great charm and persuasiveness whom everybody trusted. When one victim raised concerns with his mother, she responded: Hes a doctor, it must be necessary.

One victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said in a statement read to the court: I am now anxious to go to the doctor because I dont know who I should trust. I have haemophilia and a pain in my side so I know I should go but I feel disgusted and weird. I didnt think it would happen to me and I feel angry every time I think about it but also relieved it wasnt just me but we shouldnt have to go through it.

Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive of Cambridge University hospitals, said: Our thoughts today are with our patients and families who were victims of Bradburys shocking and cynical abuse. Todays sentencing of Bradbury cannot undo the damage he caused but he is finally behind bars and is no longer a risk to vulnerable children. The lengthy sentence shows Bradburys abhorrent betrayal and manipulation of his position as a doctor has been fully recognised.

Michelle Brown, head of the Crown Prosecution Service East of Englands rape and serious sexual offences unit, said: This paedophile doctor took advantage of his young patients battling serious illness by systematically sexually abusing them. Such cruelty is unimaginable to most of us. The extent of that abuse and the number of victims 18 was a gross breach of the trust placed in Myles Bradbury and one of the worst cases of this kind that we have prosecuted.