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Sunderland man jailed after undercover sting and discovery of serious child abuse images

Martin Thompson, 42, from Sunderland, has been jailed for three and a half years after being caught trying to meet a child for sex and possessing a large collection of indecent images of children.

Thompson was ensnared by an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old boy on Snapchat. He first made contact in April 2025 and, over the following weeks, sent increasingly sexually graphic messages. Police arrested him in June 2025.

Officers found 220 indecent images of children on his phone and tablet, 134 of them in the most serious category. Some images were of the “most foul and unspeakably depraved” nature, Judge Thomas Moran told Newcastle Crown Court, involving children as young as five months old and a video of a baby being raped.

Thompson had also been communicating with other offenders online. He sent five of the most serious images to others and received material in return. He told one contact he was “into 13 and under.”

Thompson was previously jailed in 2005 for indecently assaulting a girl and was subject to a sexual offences prevention order that banned unsupervised contact with anyone under 16. His attempt to meet someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy amounted to a “very serious breach” of that order, the court heard, as it appeared he intended to have sex with a child.

He admitted seven offences, including attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He was assessed as posing a “high risk of serious harm to children.” Thompson must sign the sex offender register and comply with a new sexual harm prevention order.

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A GP who sexually assaulted his clients during examinations has been jailed.

Muhammad Iqbal was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault following the incidents in Darlington and Sunderland in late 2023.

The two victims had attended physiotherapy appointments arranged by their insurance companies following road traffic collisions and were seen by Iqbal.

In the first incident, the 64-year-old grabbed the victim’s breast whilst in the second he pretended he needed to examine the victim’s breasts saying he was ‘checking for lumps’ despite that not being the reason the victim was to be examined.

Both women were left feeling violated by the examinations and reported them to the police.

Iqbal, of Julianstown, County Meath, Ireland, was arrested but denied the offences.

A trial was held last month and Iqbal was found guilty of both offences.

He was jailed for 18 months when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court today (August 14).

He was also placed on the Sex Offender Register for ten years.

Detective Constable Charlotte Naisby, of Durham Constabulary’s Complex Safeguarding Team, praised the women for coming forward and encouraged any others who think they might have been assaulted to do the same.

“Iqbal preyed on these women during a very vulnerable period in their lives and his behaviour was despicable," she said.

“The women should have felt safe being examined by a certified GP but instead Iqbal not only assaulted them but breached their trust in the most horrendous way and we are glad to see he is now behind bars.

“We hope these women can now begin to rebuild their lives and I’d like to praise their bravery and courage in reporting the offences and helping us to bring Iqbal to justice.”

Sergeant Kimberley Ball, of Northumbria Police, said: “As a force, we just simply won’t tolerate this type of offending and, alongside our partners, we’ll work tirelessly to bring offenders such as Iqbal to justice.

“Iqbal was in a position of trust over these two women, and to choose a time when they were seeking medical assistance to do what he has done to them is something which is truly deplorable.

“I hope both victim-survivors can now move forward with their lives, and I am grateful to their courage to come forward and make a report. I am confident they have made the North East safer now that this man’s crimes have been brought to light.”

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Sex Offender Conviction: Mohamed Harun Jailed for Rape

A rape victim in her 20s who bravely fled the scene of her attack and immediately alerted police has been praised for her courage.

Mohamed Harun, 32, of Roker Avenue, Sunderland, invited the woman to an address in Sunderland in 2024 before raping her. She escaped to safety, contacted officers, and Harun was arrested two days later.

He was charged with one count of rape and pleaded not guilty. Following an eight-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court in March, a jury found him guilty.

Today (Monday, June 1), Harun was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ imprisonment by Judge Carolyn Scott at the same court. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Detective Inspector Martin Cottle, from Northumbria Police’s rape investigation team, said:

“Firstly, I want to praise the victim/survivor in this case for her bravery.

“She was preyed on in a horrific way because her attacker thought she was vulnerable, but she has shown immense strength to come forward.

“Thanks to her courageous actions, we were able to provide enough evidence to secure a charge two days later, which has ultimately resulted in this dangerous perpetrator being brought to justice.

"We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of any form of sexual abuse, no matter when it took place, to come forward.”

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“I am scared to be alive not dead.”

These are the words of a brave woman who stood up to her abuser and has seen him jailed for 18 years.

Gavin Cowell, of Sunderland, subjected her to a catalogue of abuse, which included rape, sexual assault, and strangling her until she struggled to breathe.

He would also damage her personal belongings and repeatedly hit her.

A police investigation was launched, and the 37-year-old was subsequently changed.

He denied two counts of rape, five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of sexual assault, and one count each of non-fatal suffocation, controlling or coercive behaviour, making threats to kill and threatening with an offensive weapon but a jury found him guilty.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of damaging property and one count of destroying property.

At Teesside Crown Court last month, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was also made subject of a lifetime restraining order.

In her victim impact statement, which she read out in court, the woman said:

“I am in pain 24 hours a day. I am scared to be alive not dead. This has gone on for so long and has left me in a daze.

“I have been left in the unknown with what has been going on for a long period of time. The times I have been left awake over thinking every situation repeatedly.

“The struggles I have to sleep and eventually when I do I have constant flashbacks which take me back to the dark times I had.

“Certain noises take me back to situations involving him and leave me in shock. At night I sit in the dark without a focus. Every noise pierce through my brain.”

“I have lost my life, my home, my business and I am going to have to start from scratch again.

“Every part has been scary; the fact he used to brag about what he did to me has caused the suffering to be even worse.”

She added: “I would like to thank the police, charity Harbour and everyone who has supported me thorough this.”

Temporary Detective Constable Mike White, of Durham Constabulary, said:

“Nobody should ever have to suffer abuse of this nature.

“This woman has shown incredible courage, bravery, and dignity throughout this investigation and court process.

“Her strength has prevailed, and her attacker has been handed a lengthy prison sentence. I hope that this will allow her to begin the healing process.

“Cowell is an extremely dangerous individual who clearly poses a significant risk to women. I am pleased he is now behind bars and cannot hurt anyone else.”

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A “devious and manipulative” paedophile who told a 12-year-old girl with learning difficulties to advertise herself online for sex — complete with a recommended price list — has been jailed for nine years.

Stephen McLean, 25, from Sunderland, met the vulnerable North Tyneside girl online and messaged her for nearly a year. He demanded indecent images of her performing sex acts, suggested she abuse other children, and instructed her to offer “sexual services for payment” to other paedophiles, with the money paid into his bank account.

He even supplied a price list ranging from pictures of “whatever they want” to “no limit” encounters where they could “do whatever”, Newcastle Crown Court heard. McLean arranged several meetings with her for sex, but she cancelled each time.

He was also caught by a police decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl on the Chatib chatroom, where he quickly began asking for sexual images and sent her naked pictures of himself. His username meant “horny for younger girls”.

McLean admitted more than 20 offences, including sexual exploitation of a child and encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity. Police found he had sent images and videos to other abusers and possessed about 500 indecent images and videos of children aged three to 16, including 224 in the most serious category. He also breached an interim sexual risk order by failing to disclose his devices, usernames and bank accounts.

Judge Robert Spragg told the court that what McLean put the “very vulnerable little girl through” was “horrific”. He described it as “heartbreaking” to hear her mother’s victim impact statement.

The girl’s mother said her daughter was a “lovely, beautiful young girl” but “easily led”. She said McLean was “devious and manipulative” and had targeted her daughter online “where [she] could not possibly have protected her”.

The judge called McLean a predator who exploited girls for his “own personal gain” with “total disregard for their well-being”.

McLean will serve an extra five years on extended licence after his release.

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A Sunderland paedophile who sent voice notes of himself masturbating has been sentenced.

Darren Jarrett, 42, was talking online to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy who he sent multiple sexual images and voice notes to.

However, what he didn’t know, was he had actually been speaking with a police officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) as part of a wider investigation.

Jarrett, of Margate Street in Sunderland, sent countless sexually explicit messages discussing the long list of people he was allegedly talking to as well as voice notes of himself masturbating.

Communication began in March 2025 and in June the same year, Jarrett was arrested by officers and had several devices seized.

He was subsequently charged with engage in sexual communication with a child and cause/incite a child to engage in sexual activity and later pleaded guilty to all charges.  

Yesterday (Thursday), he appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months, a 10-year Sex Notification requirement and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

NEROCU Detective Constable Georgina Lewis, said:

“Jarrett sent extremely explicit messages and voice messages, even when he believed he was talking to a child. He is a dangerous predator and thankfully, this investigation has led to a successful outcome at court.

“As always I’d like to thank all the officers and staff involved in this investigation and anyone who has been a victim, or wants to talk to an officer and raise some concerns, to get in touch immediately – you will be heard and you will be supported.”

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A Sunderland paedophile who arranged to meet a child for sex has been sentenced.

James Graham, 24, planned to meet a 14-year-old boy who he believed he had been chatting with online.

However, what he didn’t know, was that he had actually been speaking with a police officer from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) as part of a wider investigation.

Graham sent countless sexually explicit messages stating his intentions with the 14-year-old schoolboy and even offered the child drugs.

When communication began in October 2024, officers from NEROCU quickly launched a specialist operation to target Graham and bring him into custody.

On January 15 last year, officers arrested Graham and subsequently charged him with arrange/facilitate the commission of child sex offence and attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child. Graham later pleaded guilty to all charges.  

Today (Thursday), he appeared before Newcastle Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended for 18 months, 10 years on the sex offender register and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order for his despicable actions.

NEROCU Detective Constable Lee Robertson, said:

“Cases like this show why our work in this area is so vital and we will continue to do all we can to help protect children from predators like Graham.

“I’d like to thank all the officers and staff involved for helping to bring Graham before the courts and as always, I’d encourage anyone who has been a victim, or wants to talk to an officer and raise some concerns, to get in touch immediately.”

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Adam Hall, previously of the Washington area, Tyne and Wear, was today (Thursday) brought to justice thanks to the bravery of the victim-survivors.

The 43-year-old has been found guilty of five counts of rape and seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent through the intentional transmission of the HIV virus.

He was further found guilty of supplying a controlled drug (GHB) and failing to comply with a police investigation after refusing to provide the password to his phone.

The offences relate to seven victim-survivors, between 2016 and 2023.

Hall had denied the offences.

During the trial at Newcastle Crown Court, the jury was told that if the HIV virus is undetectable in a person’s system it is untransmittable.

However, Hall knew at various points he had transmittable levels of the virus in his system and intentionally had unprotected sex – and in the majority of these cases raped the victim-survivors.

He becomes only the second person in the UK to be convicted of the intentional transmission of HIV.

Hall was remanded into custody and will be sentenced on April 23.

The Senior Investigating Officer Adam Hall’s case, Detective Chief Inspector Emma Smith, of Northumbria Police, said:

“Today, we have seen a callous and calculating sexual predator brought to justice.

“Adam Hall has been found guilty of multiple counts of rape and grievous bodily harm through the intentional transmission of HIV.

“He has shown absolutely no remorse for the extensive suffering and distress he has caused.

“We want to recognise the courage shown by the victim-survivors who came forward – it is due to their bravery that he has been brought to justice.

“Our priority remains helping ensure anyone impacted by Hall’s actions receives the support they need.

“Through our extensive investigations we believe that he has had sexual contact with men who have not yet been identified.

“There is also evidence he has travelled to different parts of the country, including County Durham, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester, and London.

“We would encourage anyone who may have health concerns to seek advice and support from your local sexual health services.

“There are safe places where you can access a broad range of services. We want people to know this is available confidentially and independently of the police.

“Anyone who believes they may be a victim of a criminal offence is also encouraged to come forward to ourselves.

“We have set-up a dedicated webpage for people to contact us, which can be accessed by visiting our website.

“We want our message to be a clear one – we are here for you, we will listen and we will help ensure you receive the support you need.”

Police are also reminding people that anyone who reports being a victim of any kind of sexual offence has anonymity and should not be identified.

Director of Public Health for Newcastle and Gateshead, Alice Wiseman, has spoken on behalf of public health bodies across the region to encourage those with concerns to access sexual health services.

She said:

“This is a devastating case for the victims involved who will have to deal with the consequences of Adam Hall’s actions for the rest of their lives.

“I know that there will be many victims of sexual offences who don’t report what has happened to them and may not seek support.

“We have sexual health services across the region all of which offer free, confidential advice and support. There is no judgement and your health and safety is our priority.

“Regardless of where you live, you can access any public sexual health service in any area. If you read about this case and want to seek advice, then we are here for you.

“We will continue to work closely with the police to ensure support is available to victims, and to anyone else who requires it. You are never alone.”

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A perverted 78-year-old pensioner, George Laidler, who offered money to view babies and children being abused overseas in depraved online chats, has been branded a danger and jailed. Laidler, previously imprisoned for child sex attacks, asked about costs for young children to be abused on camera in Africa.

In one conversation with what he believed was a 15-year-old Ghanaian schoolboy, he requested to see sexual activity involving a six-year-old. He also discussed a sex act on a "baby boy," but when told the child was nine, Laidler replied it was "too old."

The vile exchanges were uncovered when a bail hostel worker found a secret phone Laidler, a registered sex offender, should have declared. The device also contained a child abuse video and an extreme pornography image.

Laidler, of Warwick Terrace, Sunderland, admitted attempted sexual communication with a child, three charges of arranging a child sex offence, making an indecent child photograph, possessing extreme porn, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard he was jailed in 2018 for three indecent assaults on children and child abuse images offences. He has now been sentenced to six years and eight months.

Recorder Toby Hedworth told him: "The chat on the phone indicates you were communicating with what you deemed to be individuals in Africa, particularly Ghana and you were seeking from those opportunities to engage remotely in sexual offences with extremely young children.

"Any review of the words exchanged between you and those you were communicating with indicates the most depraved conduct on your behalf and the most depraved desires.

"You are, and remain in my view, a danger to members of the community if you were to have access to children. You are 78 years of age now and I have to have regard to that in terms of when and if you will be able to return to the community."

Defence barrister Shaun Routledge said the chats showed those on the other end were "more interested in getting money out of the defendant."

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A psychotic rapist who stabbed a seven-year-old child he believed was the devil has been sentenced to indefinite detention at a secure hospital.

Byron Stubbs, 25, of no fixed abode, attacked the child and two women with a kitchen knife at a house in Sunderland after a three-day alcohol and cocaine binge, Newcastle Crown Court heard. He also raped a woman several years earlier and only admitted it after fearing police would find the footage he had filmed on his phone.

Stubbs admitted attempted murder, intentional wounding and rape. He had a long history of severe mental illness, which he worsened through alcohol and drug use, prosecutor Jolyn Perks said.

After three days without sleep, he stabbed the child in the stomach, then attacked the two women who intervened. Police found Stubbs and the house covered in blood. The child suffered bone-deep wounds to the hand and arms; the stomach injury could have been fatal if any deeper. One woman was stabbed through the ear, the other in the arms and hands.

The child’s mother said the “horrific” attack had changed their family’s lives forever. The previously “happy little” child now “freaked out” if anyone stood behind them and was “petrified” of knives. She feared lifelong mental health issues.

The rape victim said she had once been “bubbly, outgoing, loud and adventurous” but was now “a completely different person” who was “anxious and jumpy in every situation”. Stubbs initially denied the rape but admitted it when he realised police had his phone and might discover the video.

Since the attacks, Stubbs – previously sectioned under the Mental Health Act – has been diagnosed with schizophrenia involving delusions and auditory hallucinations about God and the devil.

A psychiatrist told the court he would remain a high risk of serious harm even if successfully treated, if he continued to drink and take drugs. Other experts noted his “long history of delusional beliefs”, “high levels of violence and aggression” and domestic abuse of multiple partners.

Stubbs had a suspended sentence for blackmail in 2020 and a caution for battery in 2022.

Judge Robert Adams said Stubbs was a “dangerous offender” who posed a “significant risk of causing serious harm” and needed “intensive and enduring” treatment. The risks to the public were “very great” and would “remain so for a very long time”. A hospital order with ongoing psychiatric care would protect the public better than prison, where he would have received 15 years plus a four-year extended licence.

Stubbs must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A man has been jailed for more than 11 years for raping two teenage girls.

Taranvir Galsinh took a 14-year-old girl to a hotel where he raped her, sexually assaulted her, and paid her for having sex with him.

He sexually assaulted her in a car several times and on one occasion tried to strangle her.

Galsinh, of Sunderland, also raped a second girl who was 12 years old at the time and forced her to engage in sexual activity in his vehicle. He also paid her.

He appeared at Durham Crown Court in July where he pleaded guilty to rape of a girl aged 13 to 15, two counts of rape under 13, intentional strangulation, three counts of paying for sexual services of a girl, sexual assault of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and assault by penetration of a child.

The 45-year-old was last week jailed at Teesside Crown Court for 11 years and three months.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and lifetime restraining orders against both girls.

Detective Constable Hanna Liddle, of Durham Constabulary, said:

“This was an horrific ordeal for these girls and the consequences of Galsinh’s actions will be felt for the rest of her life.

“What he did is unforgiveable. He took advantage of the girls and has shown no remorse for his actions.

“The girls have been incredibly brave throughout what has been an extremely difficult process for them to deal with.

“I hope they can begin to move on with their lives knowing he has been brought to justice.”

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A judge has praised a passer-by for thwarting a potential rapist during a street assault in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland.

Ian Hudson, 42, of no fixed address, was sentenced to nine years in prison on November 13 at Newcastle Crown Court for eight offenses, including attempted rape, sexual assault, non-fatal strangulation, and assaulting officers, Northumbria Police reported. He will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The attack occurred on December 30 last year. Hamzah Albar, a 23-year-old Saudi Arabian student, was heading to shops when he saw Hudson assaulting the woman. After his phone battery died during a police call, Albar confronted Hudson, chased him away, grabbed and held him down despite being punched in the face, and flagged down motorists to alert authorities.

In June, Hudson was convicted of two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault, non-fatal strangulation, sexual assault, and attempted rape. He had pleaded guilty to exposure and assaulting a PC.

The victim's court statement read: "I didn't know there was evil out there like him but now I have seen evil, and it terrifies me." She added: "That night I honestly believe he would've killed me if the witness hadn't come along."

Judge Recorder David M Gordon commended Albar: "I wish to formally commend Mr Hamzah Albar for his extraordinary courage and public-spiritedness. Mr Albar intervened without hesitation to prevent the rape of the complainant who was in clear and immediate danger. In doing so, he not only placed himself at personal risk, but was in fact assaulted by the defendant as he restrained him until the police arrived."

In a police-shared video, Albar said: "He knew what he had done was despicable and he was trying to run away from the consequences as urgently as he could. Ultimately, I was not going to let that happen."

Albar later met the victim, who said she had resisted for minutes but was about to surrender when he intervened.

Detective Constable Hayley McIntosh stated: "The offences which Ian Hudson inflicted on his victim were truly horrific."

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A convicted pedophile who breached court orders to hide his criminal past from his new girlfriend has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Gary Chitticks, 41, failed to notify police of his move from Bournemouth to Wearside for the relationship and did not register a new mobile phone, as required by a 2021 order after his imprisonment for attempting to meet a decoy child for sex.

He admitted six breaches at Newcastle Crown Court.

In 2021, Chitticks was jailed for four years in Bournemouth after admitting attempting sexual communications with a child, having messaged a decoy profile and suggested meeting for sexual activity, prosecutor Ian Windridge said.

Lifelong orders mandated notifying police of his address via the sex offender register, registering internet-enabled devices, and retaining their search histories.

In July, Chitticks told Northumbria Police he was homeless and sleeping rough in Hetton-le-Hole, Sunderland.

Officers traced a linked mobile number to a woman in Houghton-le-Spring, who said they began dating in May, spent a week at a Bournemouth hotel, and he then moved in with her—changes he should have reported.

Upon his August arrest, police found an unregistered phone set to auto-delete history and a bank card under the alias Dave Chambers, Mr. Windridge said.

In mitigation, Claire Anderson said Chitticks had "allowed his heart to rule his head" to protect the budding relationship.

Judge Gavin Doig noted Chitticks had also been jailed for exposing himself since 2021, had "clearly sought to hide the truth" from the woman, and deemed the breaches "serious." He called the orders "simply non-negotiable," saying Chitticks posed "far too high a risk" to the public for leniency.

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A married couple and their friend who sexually abused a child in the 1990s have now been jailed. David Farrow, 60, his wife Susan Farrow, 52, and their friend Joseph Willis, 74, were brought to justice thanks to the bravery of the victim reporting what had happened to them more than 20 years later.

The extent of the offending came to light after the victim reported the abuse by the trio in Sunderland area. In October 2022, all three were charged in connection with the abuse.

Following two trials at Newcastle Crown Court in April 2024 and April 2025, David Farrow was found guilty of 11 offences, including seven counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault - being that the offences occurred before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003. Susan Farrow was found guilty of one count of indecent assault and Wills was found guilty of one count of rape.

Following the convictions, David Farrow was remanded into custody. On Thursday, September 11, all three returned to Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing.

David Farrow, of Gregory Terrace, Fencehouses, was jailed for 20 years. He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders' Register and was handed a lifelong restraining order to protect the victim.

Susan Farrow, of Gregory Terrace, Fencehouses, was jailed for 15 months. She will also spend 10 years on the Sex Offenders' Register and was handed a lifelong restraining order to protect the victim.

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A child molester who groped and abused a girl has been jailed for four years.

John Briggs, 60 and from Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, had a "devastating impact" on his young victim, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The girl said the abuse had led to her self-harming and being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adding she could never get back the time he had taken from her.

Briggs had denied all wrongdoing but was found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.

'Egregious actions'

In a statement read to the court, the victim said she had been "scared" by the abuse and it "changed" her.

She said she now found it impossible to trust men or be alone with them for fear of what they would to do her.

"I can never get the time back he has taken away from me," the girl said.

Judge Julie Scott said Briggs, a former cabinetmaker and machine technician, had had a "devastating impact" on his young victim and his actions had been "egregious".

"She will have to live with what you did to her for the rest of her life," the judge told Briggs, adding "no sentence of any length could change that for her".

Briggs was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offender register for life.