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A paedophile tradesman sought out horrific child abuse images after becoming "desensitised" to adult pornography.

Callum Robins was caught with indecent images of children between the ages of four and 10 who were in "distress".

The 34-year-old father-of-three was caught in possession of five category A images, seven category B, and four category C. Robins had been using the Telegram app and WhatsApp to view the abuse material.

On Monday, Robins, of Percy Terrace, Houghton-le-Spring, appeared at Durham Crown Court to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

The court heard that on April 6, police went to Robins' address where he was arrested. His Huawei mobile phone was also seized and searched.

Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, said: "The phone was seized and images were recovered from the device. They had been deposited there using Telegram, WhatsApp and thumbnails." The court heard that images had been saved to the phone's gallery, with some depicting children between the ages of four and 10 in "some distress".

In police interview, Robins claimed he had been in an adult porn group chat which involved 150 people from around the world and recalled seeing indecent images. However, he couldn't account for the images being found in his phone's gallery. Ms Haugstad said that he also claimed to be out of the area when the images were downloaded, which was "not correct".

The Telegram app had also been installed by Robins. Deliberate search terms had also been used by him and some images had been deleted.

Tabitha Buck, defending, said Robins was of previous good character and pleaded guilty on the day of trial. She said the offences were committed during an addiction to alcohol and cocaine.

She said: "He owned his own business and was working as a roofer and in cladding. He had a partner and three children and was the sole provider for the family. He resorted to drinking alcohol and taking cocaine. He was quite addicted to adult pornography and was becoming desensitised to that and was seeking more extreme sources."

Judge Robinson sentenced Robins to 10 months prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to carry out 80 hours unpaid work. He must also complete 30 rehabilitation days. A five year sexual harm prevention order was imposed, and he will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

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A vile Sunderland rapist has been jailed for eight years after admitting shocking crimes against two women. James Wright, 25, of Hampstead Road was sentenced on Friday at Newcastle Crown Court.

Wright was called "clearly a dangerous man" by the Northumbria Police officer who led the investigation into him. Wright admitted sex offences including two charges of rape and two of assault in court in May.

He assaulted one of his victims by throwing a mobile phone at her, the police said. His eventual arrest came after two complex investigations which were triggered when both victims came forward to police.

In court on Friday, Wright was sentenced to eight years behind bars and four years on extended licence following his release. He will also be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and has been given restraining orders preventing him from contacting both victims.

Following his sentencing, Police Staff Investigator (PSI) Hayley Anderson, of Northumbria Police’s Rape Investigation Team said:

"James Wright is clearly a dangerous man who has shown with his consistent violent behaviour that he has no regard for the effects this type of abuse can have.

"No-one should ever have to experience what these women have been through, and their bravery in the decision to report these incidents to police means their abuser is now behind bars. I hope this sentence has given them both the closure they deserve, and also hope it urges others who may be suffering in silence to reach out and report abuse to us."

PSI Anderson said the convictions and sentencing should show other survivors of sexual offences that the force would support them and hold abusers to account. She added: "If you’ve been a victim of sexual abuse, please know that we can help you; report to us today."

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A voyeur who took a photograph of an unconscious and naked visitor to his home for "bragging rights" has been jailed.

The victim became stranded in South Shields without money and wearing shorts. Someone he suggested he go to Jonpaul Elessar's home to wait for a taxi, which he did. The court heard that when he got there, he asked Elessar to turn off cameras he had installed in his home because he didn't want to be recorded. Elessar gave the man a drink and said he took some drugs and ended up unconscious.

Sentencing Elessar at Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Sarah Mallet said: "He has no recollection of anything else until he was woken by his partner. While unconscious and naked, you took an image of him.

"You were amused by what you had done and said he was drunk and had taken G[GHB] and you had performed a sex act on him."

The court heard the victim felt violated when he was in a vulnerable position. Judge Mallet said: "He was concerned you had taken other images while he was vulnerable.

"He said it was humiliating, shocking and disgusting. You have caused him significant emotional harm.

"You took and sent an image out of malice or spite - bragging rights, as you call it in the pre-sentence report."

Prosecutor Christopher Rose it is unclear if the victim ended up "completely naked" before of after he fell unconscious. The victim said he didn't know how he ended up in a state of undress.

Mr Rose said: "While prone on the defendant's sofa, naked and unconscious, the defendant took an image of him which he sent to another man."

When Elessar's phone was examined in relation to that offence, two indecent images of children aged between 12 and 16 were discovered.

The 38-year-old, of Norfolk Drive, Washington, who has a previous conviction from 2013 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children, pleaded guilty to voyeurism and possessing indecent images of children. He was jailed for 20 months and must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. He was also given an indefinite restraining order.

Robin Turton, defending, said: "He shows good victim empathy and a good deal of remorse." He added: "His behaviour was unseemly and pretty grubby.

"It was a sly photograph taking, effectively, for bragging rights. It doesn't reflect well on him."

"There are good aspects to his character." Mr Turton said the two indecent images of children were in Elessar's trash bin on WhatsApp.

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A manipulative sex offender who groomed a young boy has been jailed for four years.

Caitlin Hutchinson groomed the boy over several months, sending him sexually explicit text messages and making him carry out sex acts on her. Her offending came to light when the boy bravely told his parents about what had happened, and Hutchinson was arrested.

She initially denied the offences in interview, telling officers the boy had forced himself on her.

However, the evidence proved otherwise, and she was charged with six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a boy, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and causing or inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity.

In a victim impact statement, the boy said: “The last 18 months have been hell for me, going through what she put me through and keeping it from my family because I felt ashamed.

“I’ve changed so much because of what I’ve been through. I don’t want to be around women alone because I don’t feel safe, even around women I know because I don’t want to be targeted and manipulated again.

“I struggle to get to sleep every night, sometimes not getting to sleep until the early hours of the morning due to the thoughts going through my head of what happened to me.

“I have no motivation in life anymore and struggle every day with emotions, anxiety and depression.

“I feel like I will never get over what she has done to me, that I am damaged, and that I will never be fully happy. I just want a normal life and I don’t feel that my life will ever be normal again.

“I hope I can move on with my life, although I feel I cannot forgive her for ruining my childhood.”

Hutchinson, of Roker Avenue, in Sunderland, admitted the offences and appeared at Durham Crown Court on February 27 for sentencing. The 21-year-old was jailed for four years and placed on the sex offender register indefinitely.

She was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) preventing her from having contact with children under 16, and prohibiting her from using social media websites without notifying the police first.

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A man has been jailed for sending sexually explicit messages to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.

Kevin Rowland, from Sunderland, sent messages and images of himself to a police officer posing as a teenager.

He was arrested at his home on Eastmoor Road, Pallion, in May and later pleaded guilty to multiple offences.

Rowland, 44, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court.

Rowland had pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate child sex offences, sexual communication with a child, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, and breach of sex offender notification requirements.

Det Con Lee Robertson said Rowland's sentencing had been achieved following a "long and thorough investigation" by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unite (NEROCU).

"This result has meant a predator is now back behind bars and shows our commitment to pursuing anyone posing a threat to children," he said.

"We would always encourage anyone with information about this type of offending, or anyone who thinks they have been a victim to come forward and talk to police."

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A sex offender arranged to babysit a young girl during sickening online chats with her mum.

Graham Burton, who was out on licence from a previous prison sentence for sex offences, discussed travelling to the mum's house by taxi to he could get access to the child. Newcastle Crown Court heard it remains unclear whether an actual mother was behind the vile exchange but Burton was sent pictures of a little girl, who appeared to be aged between five and seven, during the discussion.

Prosecutor Emma Dowling said the conversation took place on a social media app and told the court: "The person presented online as an adult female. The defendant entered into a sexual conversation with the profile.

"The sexual conversation with the adult also included the suggestion he would be interested in engaging in sexual activity with her daughter. He offered to babysit for the child. There was discussions about him getting a taxi over to the address."

The court heard Burton described the activities he planned to have with both the mum and daughter in graphic detail. Miss Dowling added: "He asked for sexual images of the child. The photographs sent were non sexual, showing a young girl aged between five and seven."

Judge Tim Gittins told him: "In chats with that person you planned to engage in sexual assaults upon that young child under the pretence of babysitting. The harm, had the act taken place, would have been substantial.

"I am quite certain you present as a substantial and serious, ongoing risk to young children of causing serious harm to them."

The court heard the details of the shocking arrangement were found when police visited his home in May to carry out a routine check due to his sex offender status. Burton, who has three previous convictions relating to attempted online child sex offences and having indecent images, handed over his Samsung mobile and officers found he had been involved in conversations using alias names, which he is banned from doing.

A further inspection of the phone showed he had been talking to a profile of a 12-year-old girl, had a brief conversation about meeting up and had been sent images by her which were sexual and non sexual. It is unclear whether it was an actual 12-year-old girl running the profile.

He had also had sexual conversation with a 16-year-old girl's profile, which was relatively short. And as well the arrangement to babysit, Miss Dowling said there was further "deeply unpleasant" conversations Burton had had with adults, about committing sex acts with children.

Burton, 60, of High Street East, Sunderland, admitted breach of a sexual harm prevention order, attempting to have sexual communication with a child, arranging the commission of a child sex offence and possessing five category C images of child abuse, which were also found on his phone. He was jailed for four years with a four-year extended licence and a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration

Lorraine Mustard, defending, said this is Burton's fourth conviction for similar offending and added: "He would like some help. In his own mind he would not harm a child."

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A social media predator who tried to engage in sex chats with seven children has been jailed.

Simon Mace, described as isolated and never having had an intimate relationship, engaged in a series of communications with what he believed were girls as young as 12. Police also found him to be in possession of indecent images of children and Newcastle Crown Court heard he is classed as posing a high risk of serious harm to youngsters.

The offences came to light when police received a report from the National Crime Agency that Mace had been engaging in sexual communication with users on Twitter, now known as X, who were purporting to be under-18. The users were never identified and prosecutors could not say if they were real children.

In the first offence, after being told the user was 13, he responded by saying she was the "perfect age to be abused" and he asked if she wanted to see his penis. In the second offence he was told the user was 12 and he expressed a sexual desire towards her and said he would "love to see pictures of you".

With the third user, he was told she was 14, made sexual comments and told her "be a good girl for daddy". He sent an image of his penis and was sent a picture of a female wearing underwear, which he asked her to remove and made vulgar remarks.

The fourth offence involved him being told the user was 14 and the conversation turned sexual almost immediately. He repeatedly asked for a picture and said he wanted to "see everything". He was sent an image of a female exposing her body and sent a picture of his penis.

In the fifth offence he was told the girl was 15 and he said "I like young s****". The sixth offence involved him being told the user was 14 and he made sexual comments. The seventh Twitter user told him she was 13 and he asked for pictures and was sent one of female genitals and a sexual video.

The court heard police recovered a conversation he had with someone purporting to have a seven-year-old daughter and Mace sent sexual messages about the girl. He did not face any charges in relation to that.

Officers also found 107 category C images of children on his iPad. The youngsters were aged between six and 13. He had also sent messages in a WhatsApp group asking if there were "any teen lovers", the court heard.

Home-working call centre representative Mace, 37, of Sefton Square, Springwell, Sunderland, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to seven charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one of making indecent images. He was jailed for 13 months and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for ten years.

Robin Patton, defending, said he is "socially isolated" and both his parents are dead. He added that he would be "ripe" for exploitation and bullying in custody and may end up forming a friendship with someone in for similar offences.

Mr Patton said: "The prison population is such that people like him can't get the help they need. If he goes to custody he will lose his job and accommodation."

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A child rapist who compared his vile abuse to Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion has been locked up.

Simon Hildrew left a young girl traumatised by raping and sexually abusing her and emotionally blackmailed her into not telling anyone. When his offending came to light, he was asked by police if he thought it was okay to have sex with a child and he replied: "Is it right for Hugh Hefner to have a Playboy mansion full of teenagers".

As the 39-year-old paedophile was locked up for 14 years, with an extended licence period of a further six years, at Newcastle Crown Court, the girl's mum outlined the devastating impact he has had on her and her daughter. She said she's noticed her daughter has gone from being happy and bubbly to being "ashamed, angry and withdrawn. I believe she will require long-term therapy".

Read more: South Shields stalker jailed for transatlantic campaign of harassment of two ex partners

She added: "He took her innocence. She's so traumatised she can't even speak about it. This will affect every relationship she will go on to have and will affect her future as a whole.

"My world has been shattered. My mental health has been massively affected."

Vince Ward, prosecuting, said of the victim: "She remembers being confused, wondering why he was making her do these things and being scared in case she got told off." He added: "He told her a few times that if she told anyone what he was doing to her he would kill himself."

Hildrew, 39, formerly of Washington but latterly of no fixed address, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child, attempted rape of a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault of a child, attempted sexual assault by penetration, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of sexual activity with a child - one of which was on a second victim and three counts of taking 58 indecent images of a child - most of which were of the most serious type, category A.

Jailing him and imposing indefinite sexual harm prevention and sex offender registration orders, Judge Tim Gittins said: "No sentence can go close to undoing the harm you have selfishly done with your depraved acts. It's a credit to the victims that they have come forward to ensure you are not in a position to abuse them or anyone like them for a substantial period of time and hopefully never again. I hope they can see themselves in due course as survivors of your abuse rather than victims of it."

The judge added: "You remain a danger to young females. You have described yourself as a paedophile. You are - and will remain for a substantial period of time without substantial work with professional - a significant risk of causing serious harm to young females."

When told by Judge Gittins he formed the view he had limited remorse, Hildrew replied: "What do you want me to do, get on my hands and knees and beg and cry? Is this how remorse is displayed? I'm an emotionally damaged person, I find it hard to portray emotion."

Tony Cornberg, defending, said: "He has a significant level of self-loathing. He is effectively a loner in hiding from the world.

"He feels his life is over and he has suicidal ideations. He says prison is 23 hours a day behind the door thinking about what he has done every minute of every day, worrying, depression and a pre-occupation with death and suicide."

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A paedophile was caught with a sickening collection of abuse images featuring children as young as three-months old.

Police found more than 2,500 illegal pictures and movies on six of Jamie McDougall's internet devices after they raided his home in November 2019 and May 2020.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he also had extreme pornography and shocking footage he had recorded of a young child using the toilet.

The court heard all of the illegal material had been stored when McDougall, now 23, was between the ages of 17 and 19.

Prosecutor Chris Baker told the court there were a "large number of victims" featured in the images and added: "The age range of the children was between three months to 16-years of age."

McDougall, of Mainsforth Terrace West, Sunderland, who has been in no trouble before or since, admitted three charges of making indecent photographs of children, one of possessing extreme pornography and one of voyeurism, committed between 2017 and 2019.

Fiona Lamb, defending, said McDougall, who has had no involvement in the criminal justice system before, has now come to terms with what he did and accepted he needs help.

Mr Recorder Jonathan Sandiford KC said the offences were "many years ago" and McDougall has a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

McDougall was sentenced to 18 months, suspended for two years, with programme and rehabilitation requirements.

He has to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

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A child killer who murdered a seven-year-old girl in 1992 has been jailed for at least 29 years.

David Boyd, 55, lured Nikki Allan to a derelict building in Sunderland where he beat her and stabbed her 37 times.

Judge Mrs Justice Lambert said Nikki must have endured "unimaginable fear" in the moments before her death.

Boyd, who was eventually snared by DNA advances in 2017, was sentenced to life after being convicted of murder earlier this month at Newcastle Crown Court.

Nikki "knew and trusted" Boyd but he "took advantage of her young age and naivety" when he "tricked" her into following him on the evening of 7 October 1992, the court heard.

She was last seen skipping to keep up with Boyd, who was a neighbour and her babysitter's boyfriend, as he walked towards the Old Exchange building.

Boyd had a "sinister purpose" when he lured Nikki to wasteland outside the abandoned building and her "fate was sealed" when she screamed and Boyd decided to "kill her to silence her".

He struck Nikki in the face "to shut her up" then pushed her into the "pitch black building" where she "must have been petrified".

"She must have quickly known she was trapped," Mrs Justice Lambert said.

Nikki was attacked and killed in another room suggesting she had tried to flee her attacker.

"Her fear, as she saw you lurching towards her in the dark, is unimaginable," Boyd was told.

"It must have been a truly terrifying experience for this seven-year-old girl."

Boyd hit Nikki on the head with a brick, fracturing her skull, and then repeatedly stabbed in her in the chest before dragging her down a flight of stairs and dumping her body in the basement.

The judge said Nikki's murder had "shocked and bewildered" the community of Hendon, in the east end of Sunderland, for 31 years and as time passed Boyd would have "thought with some relief" that he had "got away with it".

However, the science of DNA had also advanced in the decades since the murder, which allowed detectives to match samples from Nikki's clothes to her killer.

Mrs Justice Lambert said under current rules she would have jailed Boyd for a minimum of 37 years but she had to comply with the sentencing regulations in 1992 which suggested a lesser sentence, albeit one "well in excess of 20 years".

Speaking after sentencing, Nikki's mother Sharon Henderson, 57, said she was "absolutely devastated" by the sentence which she labelled a "disgrace", adding Boyd should have been jailed for life without the possibility of parole.

"This is what happens to families like mine over and over again - injustice," she added.

In an earlier statement read to the court, Ms Henderson recalled her daughter as a "bright and sparky child" who had a "beautiful smile and was loved".

She was 25 when Nikki was murdered and was "accused of being a bad mother" with "local people angry towards me and not towards the person responsible".

She said Boyd "destroyed" her family's lives but she had "fought tirelessly and endlessly" for justice.

Ms Henderson said she had suffered mentally and physically and "at times targeted those who I believed were covering for others" which led to her own arrest.

She said: "I felt so frustrated over the years, as I felt I had not been listened to."

Nikki's father, David Allan, said he was 28 when Nikki was murdered and "from that night my life changed".

In a statement, he said he felt "anger and hatred" towards the killer and would "never be able to forgive the man responsible".

Mr Allan said the "devastation" he felt was "indescribable" because Boyd had "lived his life for 30 years whilst Nikki did not get to live hers".

Northumbria Police initially charged another of Nikki's neighbours, George Heron, with her murder but a judge presiding over the then 24-year-old's trial in Leeds in 1993 said the detectives' questioning had been "oppressive" and he was cleared.

After the case, he said: "Finding out about the current investigation has been difficult - so many details and negative memories; bringing up mixed emotions about what happened back in 1992 and since.

"I feel sadness, disgust, anger, betrayal by people I expected to tell the truth (especially the original investigating officers)."

Following Boyd's conviction, the force apologised to Mr Heron and to Ms Henderson, although she rejected their words as "hollow".

She has called for a public inquiry into the force's "historic failures" in her daughter's case, and has been backed by the legal charity Centre for Women's Justice.

Prosecutor Richard Wright KC said the 1992 investigation was "utterly misconceived" and made multiple errors, but the team who re-opened "the troubled and challenging" case started from scratch with "no assumptions".

Police collected DNA samples from more than 800 men from around the country, took 1,200 statements and produced 2,500 documents.

The judge commended the "Herculean" effort and said the DNA evidence gathered had been "critical" in convicting Boyd.

The court had heard Boyd was a neighbour of Nikki's in the Wear Garth flats, he knew how to navigate the Old Exchange building and had sexual fantasies about young girls.

He also had 22 convictions for 45 offences including sexual crimes.

In 1986, he exposed himself to a woman. He later told a psychiatrist he had been doing it since the age of 16 and "couldn't control" the urge.

That same year he was convicted of breaching the peace in Sacriston, County Durham, when he grabbed a 10-year-old girl in a park and tried to kiss her.

In 1997, he admitted to police he exposed himself to three teenage girls but was not charged.

Two years later he groped a nine-year-old girl in a park in Stockton and confessed to a probation officer that he had "dirty thoughts" and "sexual fantasies" about young girls.

In mitigation, Jason Pitter KC, for the defence, said Boyd had a history of mental illness, learning difficulties and an IQ level "in the bottom 2% of the population".

However, the judge dismissed that as irrelevant because he used "sufficient guile" to lure Nikki away from her home and was quick to cover his tracks by conjuring a false alibi.

She said there was no guarantee Boyd would be released from prison and it would be up to the parole board to decide.

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A predator has been put behind bars for 13 years for raping a vulnerable teenage boy.

Paul Evennett took advantage of a "desperately vulnerable" teenage boy who was confused about his sexuality and went on to rape him after inviting him on a day trip to the seaside. The 55-year-old left the boy battling psychological issues and contemplating suicide.

Evennett, of Washington, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced for three counts of rape. He denied the offence but was found guilty following a trial.

The court heard that Evennett committed the offences in the Gateshead area in 2018 and had befriended the boy and his family. The boy was said to be "confused" about his sexuality and had suffered bullying in school and was "particularly vulnerable" due to his personal circumstances.

The court heard that on one day in 2018, Evennett invited the teen to the beach, and took him for a drive before buying him a McDonald's. Later, they went back to a home to watch films and it was there that Evennett raped him.

Following the incident, Evennett continued to send multiple messages to the victim, which put the teen under "intense pressure".

In a statement, the now-adult victim branded Evennett a "monster" and said at the time of the rape, he had been struggling with his life and sexuality but that Evennett had "pretended to be concerned for me and my welfare".

He said on the day of the rape offences, Evennett had been asking him "personal, uncomfortable questions". Following the rape, the victim struggled with school and dealt with flashbacks.

Speaking of the messages Evennett continued to send him, he said: "I was always being reminded by the monster who attacked me that he was still there." The statement added that when Evennett went to trial, it was the "darkest time" of the victim's life, and he even contemplated suicide.

Jane Waugh, defending, said Evennett was a father who was being supported by his family and was of previous good character. She said: "He is someone who has held down a good job as a manager at a local store. The offences happened on one day on one occasion, and he will live with this for the rest of his life." Ms Waugh added Evennett will make use of his time in prison.

Judge Amanda Rippon said Evennett "took advantage of a desperately vulnerable young man who was confused about his sexuality". She said the rape had a "devastating impact" on the victim.

Evennett was jailed for 13 years and will be on the sex offender's register for life. A lifetime sexual harm prevention order was also imposed.

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A pervert who wanted to meet a child 50 years younger than him was snared by paedophile hunters for the second time.

David Pick had already been caught by online vigilantes once when he started talking to a profile on social media who initially purported to be an 18-year-old called Charlotte but soon told him she was only 13.

Undeterred, the 63-year-old sex offender started sending sexual messages and the conversation moved to WhatsApp and he requested sexual images of her. Among the messages he sent were "I bet you would like to be having sex with me" and "let me see you in the shower with nothing on".

Newcastle Crown Court heard he also send two images of his penis and even discussed travelling from Sunderland to Preston, where he thought Charlotte lived.

In fact he was talking to a member of a paedophile hunting group called Secrets and Lies Confronted and he was confronted at his home by the vigilantes and another group and police were called.

Pick, of Derwent Street, Easington Lane, Sunderland, was also found to have breached a sexual harm prevention order imposed in 2018 by deleting most of the messages he had sent to Charlotte.

Pick has 47 previous convictions, including the almost identical offending in 2018 and breaching the sexual harm prevention order in 2019 by deleting his internet history. For the latest offending, he admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching the sexual harm prevention order and was jailed for 20 months. He was given a new, indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

Martin Scarborough, defending, said Pick suffers from physical and mental health issues which will make his time in prison harder.

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A pervert who wanted to meet a child to have sex with her was snared by paedophile hunters.

Michael Hawthorne made contact with a profile purporting to be a 14-year-old girl online and quickly turned the conversation sexual. He asked for images and said he wanted to meet to consume alcohol and engage in sexual activity.

In fact it was a decoy profile being run by a vigilante group called the Child Online Safety Team and he was detained when he arranged to meet the "child". After being released on bail, Hawthorne went on to assault and intimidate a vulnerable woman and he has now been jailed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was in September 2021 that Hawthorne was in communication with the decoy profile. He inquired about her knowledge of sex and asked for pictures.

Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, said: "He messaged her about meeting up and there's talk of sex taking place either in a public toilet or his shared accommodation after they had bought alcohol with her holiday money. He made repeated requests to have sex with her. He said if anyone makes inquiries about her age to tell them she was 19 and that she should wear make-up to help her look older."

After being arrested for that and released, he went on to form a short relationship with a vulnerable woman. Within two days of meeting her, he "took advantage of her kindness" and moved in. Miss Haugstad said: "He refused to leave her flat, he ate her food, made her pay for drugs and alcohol and stopped her meeting friends."

He ended up being removed and arrested and was bailed by police not to return but he then assaulted her and threatened if she didn't drop the charges he would torch her flat with her in it.

The 40-year-old, formerly of Blyth but now of High Street East, Sunderland, who has 55 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, assault and witness intimidation. He was jailed for a total of three years and eleven months and must sign the sex offender's register indefinitely. He was also made subject to indefinite sexual harm prevention and restraining orders.

David Callan, defending, said: "He has not had an easy life, he had a rough upbringing. He has an alcohol dependency. It's the first time he has committed a sexual offence." The court heard he has some learning difficulties and mental health issues.

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A terrified woman was forced to have sex with a violent and unstable thug to save the life of a man she was out on a first date with.

The victim was walking home from Sunderland city centre with her date and making plans to meet him again when they were targeted by Sean Robinson without warning.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Robinson kicked the man in the face and then subjected him to a 'severe' beating before leaving him unconscious and bleeding on the ground.

The woman, in her 20s, was then told by Robinson: 'If you come and have sex with me I will not kill him.'

Prosecutor Jane Waugh told the court in a desperate bid to save the man's life the courageous victim had endured the sickening ordeal.

Miss Waugh told the court: 'She had witnessed the horrific violence and knew what he was capable of. She decided, in order to save his life and protect herself from the defendant's unpredictable violence, she would have to agree to have sex with him so he would leave [the man] alone.'

The court heard Robinson, who was then 17, forced the victim to lie on an old coat he found near some bushes and raped her.

Miss Waugh added: 'She was crying through this whole attack. The defendant told her, "If you stop I will go and kill him you know".

'She continued to cry as he raped her. The defendant said, "Shut up and stop being a baby".'

Judge Stephen Earl said Robinson is 'dangerous' and sentenced him to five years behind bars with an extended three-year licence period, with sex offender registration and a restraining order to protect the victims for life.

The judge said it was an 'abominable' attack with 'catastrophic' consequences for the victims and told him: 'You told her, "Come and have sex with me and I will not kill him", knowing, of course, you had meted out a severe beating to [the man] at that point, she has seen and knew what you were capable of at that time.

'In order to protect herself and reasonably to protect the life of her new friend, she decided to go along with your suggestion that she have sex with you.

'It was not consensual sex, it was not penetration she gave willingly to.

'Throughout the attack you were telling her off for crying, saying if you had to stop because she was under enthusiastic about this awful assault you had the option to go back and mete out further punishment to the man.'

The court heard the attack started when the couple were walking home together after their first date in the summer of 2021, when they heard shouting behind them as they approached a bypass near the University metro station.

Miss Waugh said: 'Unprovoked and without warning the defendant launched himself at the man and punched him a number of times.

'He tried to get away, he didn't want to fight and made that very clear, he was saying, "Mate, I don't want to fight".'

Miss Waugh said as the man tried to get away, Robinson chased him, caught him, punched him to the ground then started kicking him.

Eventually, the violence was halted and the couple managed to run off across a metro bridge.

By this point, the man was 'exhausted and bleeding' and the woman was 'almost carrying him' in a desperate attempt to get away.

But Miss Waugh added: 'Next thing they were aware of was the defendant had caught up with them and began attacking the man again, kicking him in the head when he was down.'

The court heard it was a brutal kick to the face that knocked the man unconscious before the woman was raped.

After the attack, Robinson told the woman he would leave her alone if she agreed to come to his house.

Fortunately, she was able to make a call to her parents, who alerted the police and drove to the scene to save her.

Robinson was still in the area, where the victim had waited with the unconscious man after the attack, when her parents arrived.

The victim's father warned Robinson 'I'm going to f****** kill you' and there were punches thrown before the rapist ran off and was later caught by the police.

It was only when he got to the hospital that the man who was attacked during the date found out about the rape.

Both victims suffered psychological and physical injury.

In a victim statement, the woman said the time since the attack has been the 'worst of my life' and added that she has felt 'stuck reliving the traumatic experience over and over again, becoming a prisoner in my own head'.

The woman said her ordeal, which 'cannot be summarised by words alone' has been worsened by court delays and the fact Robinson initially denied raping her.

She said: 'On the day I was told he pleaded guilty to raping me I just wanted to cry and cry. For the first time in what seemed like forever there were tears of relief not sadness.'

The woman said she and her family will never be the same after the 'pain and grief' that has been caused but added: 'My only consolation is he will receive a lengthy custodial sentence, in which time we can rebuild our lives to resemble what we once knew'.

Robinson, 18, admitted assault and rape.

Lorraine Mustard, defending, said Robinson understands the trauma he caused that day, is remorseful for it and added: 'He accepts he's ruined their lives.'

Miss Mustard said Robinson had a difficult childhood and spent time in the care system but has 'hope' for a better future.

'I wish I could have helped her'
The man said in his victim statement the date of the attack should have been a memorable one as it was his first meeting with the woman and they had planned to see each other again.

But he added: 'This date is etched into my memory for all the wrong reasons.

'While walking home we were brutally attacked without reason.

'I tried to defend myself and [the woman] the best I could but the male overpowered me.

'The last memory I have of this is waking up dazed and seeing a male standing over me and a look of terror on her face.

'At the time I didn't know what had happened but have since found out she was raped.

'The feeling of guilt has persisted. I forever wish I could have helped her.'

Record details

A woman did not know she was sexually assaulted until she was told by police after passing out on a train, a court has heard.

The victim took prescription drugs that rendered her unconscious on a Metro train from Gateshead to South Shields on the evening of April 19 last year.

During the journey she was preyed upon by Leon Clarkson, 21, who told witnesses he was her boyfriend and has now been spared jail.

They saw him repeatedly putting his hand down her leggings while she was totally unconscious and unable to sit up.

A woman who saw what Clarkson, from Houghton, Sunderland, was doing felt uncomfortable and messaged her boyfriend who called police.

He told the witness that she was just a bit dizzy, but when he got her to her feet and led her off the train at Four Lane Ends the onlooker messaged her boyfriend who called police.

Another passenger saw him carrying her and asked what was happening, but Clarkson said the victim had had a joint and her mother was going to pick her up.

When police arrived she was very drowsy from taking three diazepam tablets so she was taken to hospital.

The victim told Newcastle Crown Court: ‘I had taken medication before I got on the Metro and I have no recollection of what happened to me.

‘The police investigating the crime told me what happened. This made me feel ill and very anxious.

‘I didn’t know who this man was. I didn’t even know what was happening to me. I was very vulnerable at that point and I think it’s terrible he could do that on a Metro in front of other people.

‘I’m very worried he will do this again to a vulnerable woman or girl. When I see a drunk girl or woman I now always tell them to get home safe and I worry about them.

‘I truly believe if he is capable of doing this in front of witnesses on a busy Metro train he could do something worse to someone else.’

Clarkson, who was previously convicted for committing a sex act on a bus, admitted sexual assault.

Recorder Tahir Khan KC told him: ‘The complainant was completely at your mercy and you took advantage of her by touching her when she clearly could not be consenting.’

He ordered him to take part in a sex offender programme and was put on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

Defending him, Jamie Adams said that he was a vulnerable man and had apologised for what happened.

He said: ‘The unfortunate complainant didn’t know just how vulnerable this young man is. He has mental health problems and he was taking lots of cannabis at the time.’