Latest Offenders Surrey

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An ex-BBC employee has been jailed after he being caught with over 58,000 indecent images of children.

David Mundy, 85, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers on April, 13 2022 after attempting to download illegal content.

The NCA investigation discovered Mundy to have not only searched for indecent images of children, but stored thousands of them on floppy discs, CDs, USBs and hard drives. His offending covered two decades.

Officers seized a total of 47 digital storage device during a search of Mundy’s home address and 31 were found to contain indecent images of children, and many had been labelled to indicate their contents, reports the Mirror.

This included Micro SDs marked “Misc = boy undone”; “Franze, Czech etc. lots” and “several vid+pix”, as well as a bag of discs, 124 of which contained illegal material. Mundy had accessed illegal content online that involved children as young as six years old, though the majority of the images involved boys between eight and fifteen.

He used a peer to peer sharing system to obtain this material, though he stated that he didn’t communicate with other members of the groups he used. At his address, NCA officers also found non-digital evidence of Mundy’s offending – including a 15-page double sided booklet called “sensitive content movies” sorted by keywords, and several how-to guides on accessing the dark web and ensuring anonymity online. He claimed he had yet to use them.

Mundy was charged the following year with three offences relating to indecent images of children. When interviewed, Mundy admitted to first looking at sexual images of children shortly before retiring from the BBC in 1998.

Stating that he was unsure what the definition of abuse was, he argued that his interest was only “in pleasure”. Almost 2,500 images found on his devices were category A, the most extreme. Mundy pleaded guilty to all three offences. Today, 29 April 2024, he was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to 10 months imprisonment. Adam Priestley, NCA Senior Manager, said: “Despite clear evidence showing the scale of his offending, and the horrific nature of the content he repeatedly accessed, Mundy told officers that the images he had saved simply showed kids enjoying themselves.

“This could not be further from the truth. Behind each image is a vulnerable child who has been violated and abused for the benefit of offenders like Mundy. “We at the NCA are committed to protecting children and ensuring that individuals who collect this material, creating a demand for abuse content, are held to account.”

Mundy has been added to the sexual offender's register for 10 years.

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Joseph Head, 25, of Chase Road, Epsom, was sentenced to eight years in prison at Winchester Crown Court on February 27. Surrey Police reported on Facebook that Head has links to both Portsmouth and Hampshire.

He was found guilty of three counts of rape, and one count of sexual assault by penetration after a three-week trial - being placed on the sex offenders register for life. The victim told police the abuse took place over three months.

Head had gone to great lengths to trick the young woman into believing he had multiple personalities, and if she refused to have intercourse with him, either him or her would come to serious harm. Court heard that the 25-year-old told the victim that "J" one of his personalities, was very violent and that if she did not do exactly what he wanted, "J" would appear.

He once convinced the survivor that the different personalities had forced him to take an overdose, court heard. Jurors were told that toxicology evidence proved that this was categorically false. Head was found to be obsessed with the 2016 film Split, where the main character had dissociative identity disorder and committed violent crimes.

Officers found notes on his phone which outlined each of his personalities, their names and characteristics. Court heard that Head's psychiatric report concluded he didn't have dissociative identity disorder. Investigating officer Andy Price said; “Head is a dangerous predator who manipulated and frightened this young woman into having sex with him without her true consent.

The unique circumstances of this case posed a challenge to the team but with the unwavering support from the survivor, a thorough investigation and dedication by the team to bring Head to justice, a conviction was secured. I would like to acknowledge the bravery of the survivor was in coming forward to us, supporting the investigation and helping keep other women safe. Although the trauma of what happened cannot be erased, I hope this outcome can give at least some measure of closure.”

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Following an investigation by Surrey Police’s Sexual Offences Investigation Team, a man from Woking has been jailed for four years and nine months for multiple non-recent sexual offences against two girls aged 14 and 15 at the time.

Thomas Pattison, 32, (DOB 23.09.91) from Woking committed the offences between 2013 and 2014. Evidence of his offending was uncovered when one of his victims reported to the police that she had been in a sexual relationship with Pattison. Soon after this a second victim came forward. Pattison’s phone was seized by officers and messages were found which corroborated one of the accounts and witness enquiries confirmed the other.

The sentencing at Guildford Crown Court was part heard on Tuesday, 6 February with the victims present but was adjourned until the judge was able to confirm the sentence later that week. On Friday, 9 February, Pattison was sentenced for seven counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, having pleaded guilty at a pre-trial hearing previously.

He will serve his time in prison and will then be released on license. He will also be subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A paedophile who was imprisoned after being caught with child abuse images described prison life as a “shock”. 

Mohammad Khan, a 46-year-old dad of two, has been in custody since March when he was arrested after he was caught with child sexual abuse images for a third time. 

A man who lived a relatively normal life working in the financial sector until his first conviction in 2016, Khan has said prison has been a “significant shock” which he was struggled to adjust to. 

Khan, of Lucerne Road in Thornton Heath, appeared at the Old Bailey on Thursday (August 28) for sentencing. Prosecutor Obi Mgbokwere described the facts of the case. 

“On January 23, 2023, police became aware of a user of a Google Drive,” Mr Mgbokwere said. 

“That user had uploaded 387 indecent images of children. Enquiries revealed that the account belonged to this defendant. 

“The defendant was a registered sex offender who was prohibited by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order from using such equipment and facilities.” 

Khan was arrested near his ex-partner's address in Wandsworth. Officers found a laptop and an iPhone at that address as well as a laptop hidden under his pillow at his mum’s house, Mr Mgbokwere said. 

“The items recovered from the defendant were interogatted, on a Dell laptop police found the images,” he said. 

Khan admitted 11 breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and to possessing over 1,000 indecent images of children. 

He was first convicted of similar offences in 2016, for which he was given a community order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

Then in 2017 he was given a suspended sentence for new but identical offences. 

Despite his previous offending, this was the first time he had been in prison and his barrister said he was not enjoying it. 

His representative added that Khan felt deep shame at being in court again for these offences. 

Sentencing Khan, Judge Simon Farrell KC said: “These are such shocking images. They are truly horrific. 

“Taking all matters into account, a custodial sentence is the only possible outcome.” 

Khan was given a 19-month prison sentence, and a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order to last 10 years. 

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A man from Kingston has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young girl whilst she was under his mother's care at her child-minding business.

Jonathan Hayter, 32, of Cardinal Avenue was sentenced to four years and eight months after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a child under 13 at Kingston Crown Court on August 18.

Hayter was described in court as a "dangerous predator" who "sexually abused and terrorised” the young victim.

The abuse began in 2007 when Hayter was 16 and the girl was just five.

He committed at least eight offences occurring over a two-year period at his mother's childminding service.

The victim reported the abuse to the police in November 2020, leading to an investigation and Hayter's subsequent arrest and charges.

Officers have raised concerns that Hayter may have abused other children and are asking any further victims to approach their local police.

Detective Constable Hannah Saunders, the investigating officer, said: “Hayter is a dangerous predator who sexually abused and terrorised the young innocent victim while they were under his mother’s care.

“I would like to praise the victim for her bravery in helping us put Hayter before the courts and I hope this sentence will give her some measure of closure.

“It cannot be ruled out that Hayter abused other children and I would urge anyone who has suffered at his hands to come forward and contact your local police.

“We take all allegations of this type extremely seriously and we ensure that victims are supported throughout the whole process.”

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A dangerous predator has been sentenced after pleading guilty to seven counts of child sex offences at Guildford Crown Court on Monday (14 August).

Stephen Powell, 42 (DOB 15/04/81), of no fixed address, was sentenced to three years in prison after he was reported to police for grooming a teenage girl online. As well as the prison sentence, he was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), with prohibitions. 

Powell was arrested the same day the report was received in April 2020. A search of his electronic devices showed that he was sending sexualised messages via Facebook Messenger to a teenage girl who lived in Surrey. In the messages Powell encouraged the girl to send sexualised images of herself.

He later pleaded guilty to seven counts of child sex offences including two counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, two counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Detective Ed Davies, who investigated the case, said: “I hope that this case shows that sex offenders who target children online can expect a knock on the door from officers at any time, and that they will be held to account for their abhorrent behaviour.

“We are relentless in our pursuit for offenders and work around the clock to safeguard children from predators like Powell.

“If there is anyone reading this who has been a victim of online child sex abuse, I would encourage you to speak to us. We will do everything we can to support you.”

Powell was also sentenced to a further two months in prison for two counts of burglary and two counts of fraud.

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Abdulahi Mohamed Mohamud, 38, of Surrey, was today sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment and two years' extended licence at Kingston Crown Court for the kidnap and rape of a vulnerable young woman.

In the early hours on 25 January 2022 Mohamud was driving around Soho when he spotted a young, intoxicated woman who had become separated from her friends and was lost in central London, semi-conscious and slumped in a doorway. Mohamud stopped his car, kidnapped the semi-conscious woman and put her in his car.  He then violently raped her before dropping her off on the street miles away from where he had taken her.

A delivery driver noticed that she was scared and in distress and assisted her to call home and arranged for a taxi to take her home.

The police used the automatic number plate recognition to identify the offender and he was arrested on 28 January 2023. He denied the offence claiming that the victim had made up the allegation because he refused to drive her home and claimed “any interaction” was initiated by the victim and it was all consensual.

At trial on 26 October 2022 the jury saw through his perverse lies and unanimously convicted him of rape and kidnap.

Lola Adesiyan, Senior Crown Prosecutor from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit in London South said: “Mohamud is clearly a very devious and dangerous individual. This lengthy sentence means that other women are now protected from danger at the hands of this sexual predator.

“The ordeal he put the victim through was terrible. He took advantage of her incapacitation not to assist her but to rape her. From CCTV it is obvious that he saw her in a vulnerable condition and used this vulnerability to get her into his car where he carried out a violent attack.

“It’s thanks to the courage of the victim that we were able to put this dangerous man before a jury who found him guilty. We were determined to achieve justice for her, and I hope that this sentence will give her some closure following her terrible ordeal.

“The Crown Prosecution Service will not hesitate to prosecute rape and serious sexual offences where there is the evidence to do so and bring offenders to justice.”

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A FORMER Labour MP who downloaded and distributed child abuse images has been jailed for more than two years.

Paul Clark, who represented Gillingham in Kent for 13 years from 1997, told police when arrested at his home: "I know why you're here."

He was caught with more than 1,000 stills and movie clips on five electronic devices - showing some of the most serious acts of abuse.

The 66-year-old also joined sexually-explicit chats online, Maidstone crown court heard.

After being arrested at his home by the National Crime Agency in May 2021, Clark told officers: "I know why you're here. I kept telling myself to stop.

During his time as a Labour MP, he was a parliamentary private secretary for high-profile Cabinet members including deputy prime minister John Prescott and education secretary Ed Balls.

Clark, who at a previous hearing gave an address in Wallington in Surrey, pleaded guilty last December to three offences of making indecent photos of children between April 2013 and May 2021.

The father-of-two also admitted six charges of distribution between October 2020 and May 2021.

Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson told the court none of Clark's offences took place while he was an MP.

But Mr Stevenson said there were two "distinct periods of offending" - with 20 images downloaded in 2013 and the majority seven years later during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

A total of 298 category A images, 415 category B and 733 category C were found on two iPhones, an HP laptop, a hard drive and Acer computer tower.

The age range of the children being abused ranged from three to 16, Mr Stevenson told the court.

The iPhones contained what Mr Stevenson called "two significant chatlogs" in which Clark discussed the sexual abuse of children in WhatsApp and Kik conversations with two other users identified as "Toni" and "PR".

The court was also told of the sexual terms used in Clark's internet searches.

Ronnie Manek, defending Clark, told the court the ex-MP's life took a "downward spiral" during lockdown and led to his further offending.

Mr Manek said: "Covid hit and played a huge factor. It was a time when the country was in lockdown, and I appreciate it's no justification, but it can affect the mindset of individuals."

Jailing Clark for 28 months, Judge Philip Statman told him the case represented "a tragic fall for someone who had put the community first" - but the offences were so serious, jail was inevitable.

The judge added: "Each of these children is a victim. From the images it is clear they are disturbed by that which is being done to them.

"This is a catalogue of criminal offending, committed for your own sexual gratification.

"It is not just a case of browsing on the internet. This is almost a level of addictive conduct which you pursued and you have a very long way to go in understanding what led you to commit these criminal offences.

"Much has been rightly said about the public service you have performed in the past.

"You put the community first and indeed you have tried your best to continue with issues of a community nature, not just here but in Africa since you lost your seat in 2010.

"It is right too that I emphasise there is no suggestion that any of your offending took place during the time when you were a sitting MP.

"But there is punishment that comes your way on a very different level - the ignominy and public humiliation that your appearance in the dock in the crown court causes you."

The judge said he accepted that the pandemic and his failing marriage may have contributed to his mild depression.

He told Clark: "Possibly because of the job you had, the control you had, the excitement you had in those years both as an MP and after, travelling as you did - that being at home and stuck with difficulties within your marriage may have contributed to the level of depression that you felt.

"I have no doubt as you sit there engaged in this offending, it doesn't go through your mind that you will be caught and be presented before a crown court today."

But Mr Statman insisted he could not spare Clark jail, as his barrister had urged.

The judge said: "These offences clearly pass the custody threshhold and well and truly pass the level which would permit me to impose a suspended sentence order, bearing in mind the aggravating factors I have mentioned."

Clark will have to serve half his sentence and will be subject to signing on the sex offender register for 10 years on release.

He will also be subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and barred from working with vulnerable adults and children.

Clark was supported in court by two relatives, said to be his cousins.

The Labour stalwart was said to have played a key part in the 2005 general election, hosting then-prime minister Tony Blair and chancellor Gordon Brown on a visit to Kent.

Clark was later appointed transport minister in 2008.

After losing his seat two years later, Clarke stood for re-election in 2015 but was again defeated by Conservative Rehman Chisti.

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A paedophile who planned to travel to America and pay $700 to sexually abuse a child has been jailed for more than seven years.

Mark Lumley, a former Gravesend resident, committed multiple online sexual offences after contacting children aged between 14 and 16.

The crimes took place between July 2020 and October 2021.

Police were notified of Lumley’s offending and a search warrant was executed at his home address.

Officers seized a mobile phone containing photos and videos, as well as chat logs from social media sites.

Lumley had been having obscene conversations with several teenagers who he believed were aged between 14 and 16.

He had also liaised with another person and discussed plans to travel to the United States where he would pay $700 to sexually assault a child.

Lumley was arrested and taken into custody and was later charged with offences including sexual exploitation of a child, making indecent photographs of children and causing a female over 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The 56-year-old, now of Manor Road North, Hinchley Wood, Surrey, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to 20 child sex offences.

He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years with a four-year extended licence, which he will complete upon his release.

A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed and Lumley was added to the sex offenders' register for life.

DC Michelle James said: "Lumley specifically targeted vulnerable young girls online and instigated obscene conversations for his own sexual gratification.

"His behaviour will leave a lasting psychological impact on the victims and he belongs in jail.

"Our investigators will continue to track down those who seek to abuse young victims while remaining anonymous online.

"This sentence proves they have no hiding place and will undoubtedly be brought to justice."

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A man who repeatedly breached the requirements of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Criminal Behaviour Order has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Rikki Bedford, 27, was convicted of sexual assault on 4 March 2020 at Kingston Crown Court and sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, as well as being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), to run concurrently.

He failed to comply with the requirements of his SHPO on three previous occasions, in November 2020, May 2021 and November 2021.

On Friday 7 October 2022, Bedford was released from prison having been on remand for another matter in which he was found not guilty. The requirement of his release meant that he had to register at a police station within three days, which he failed to do.

On 14 October 2022 he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police and taken into custody, where he assaulted one officer and racially abused another.

PC Laura Pammer, who investigated the case, said: “Rikki Bedford has repeatedly breached the requirements of his order and has continued to offend after being released from prison. The severity of these breaches has resulted in him being sent back to prison for another year.

“I hope that this case reassures our local communities that we ensure that any requirements placed on offenders are strictly adhered to.”

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A Sexual Harm Prevention Order banned Jake Pinhorn from having devices that were not declared to police officers

A Walton paedophile has been jailed after breaching a court order barring him from having undeclared smartphones. Jake Pinhorn was handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2018 when he was convicted of making and distributing indecent images of children.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register. But police say the 31-year-old's risk management officer believed he was accessing the internet again on an undeclared smartphone.

This suspicion was confirmed when a warrant was conducted at Pinhorn's home. There, police say, a smartphone was discovered that was attributed to him.

Police say he was also found to have breached the terms of the sex offenders' register by staying at an address he had failed to disclose to the police.

He has now been jailed for a year after appearing before Guildford Crown Court. Pinhorn admitted breaching the terms of his register and his SHPO when he appeared in the dock.

PC John Rose, from Surrey Police’s High Harm Perpetrator Unit, said: “This result shows that we will work tirelessly and robustly to bring convicted sex offenders who breach the conditions placed upon them to justice. Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are ultimately put in place to protect the community and manage risk around further offending, which is why any breach is taken incredibly seriously and we will never hesitate to take action.”

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Robert Ive, 42, arranged to greet what he believed to be a 14-year-old at Farnborough Railway Station on May 31.

The girls profile was actually being controlled by a police officer.

Ive, of Camberley, Surrey, started talking with the suspected girl online on May 18.

The responder immediately said she was 14.

Unperturbed by this, Ive asked her about the sexual acts she has performed, and asked her to do them.

He groomed the child into travelling 100 miles from Leicestershire to Hampshire, so she could stay with him and have sex.

Ive told her how to travel without people becoming suspicious.

He pretended to be the girls friends dad in a phone call to her mum, who was another undercover officer.

Ive arrived at the station with cans of Strongbow cider, but was greeted by a police officer, who stepped off the train and arrested him.

At Winchester Crown Court, on August 11, Ive pleaded guilty.

The predator was imprisoned fir four years and eight months arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

PC Kirsti Innes, of the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: Robert Ive is a manipulative sexual offender who has various other convictions for child sex offences and attempted to meet who he thought was a 14 year old child for his own sexual gratification.

Our specially trained officers are experienced in tracking these types of offenders and bringing them to justice.

Had it not been for the work of dedicated officers this man could have gone on to groom a real child instead of being behind bars.

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A man from Surrey who raped two women he met after targeting them on the dating site Tinder has been jailed for 12 years.

Prince Darkwa, 26, of Yeomans Lane, Blackwater, Camberley, was found guilty of two counts of rape against two different women at Guildford Crown Court on 17 May following an eight-day trial. He was found not guilty of a third charge of rape against a third woman.

The court heard how Darkwa met both women on online dating apps in October 2021.

He was arrested on 6 October 2021 when one of the victims came forward to report that Darkwa had raped her at her home after they had met on Tinder. Within minutes of meeting up with Darkwa, the victim expressed concerns about his behaviour in a number of text messages to one of her friends.

Darkwa was interviewed and released from custody the next day.

On 5 November 2021 police received another report of rape in which the second victim alleged that she'd been out for dinner with Darkwa on 18 October 2021. The court heard he insisted on accompanying her home where they both began drinking.

The victim said that the next thing she remembered was waking up with Darkwa smiling at her and stroking her face. She was bleeding and was in a lot of pain.

The victim said she had initially been reluctant to come forward because she had been unconscious when Darkwa forced himself on her and so had doubted her own belief of what had happened.

Detective Constable Alastair Bagshaw from the Sexual Offences Investigation Team (SOIT), who investigated the offences, said: Darkwa is a sexual predator who deliberately targeted women on dating sites with the sole purpose of meeting up with them for sex.

"Whether or not they consented to this was irrelevant to him.

"The prison sentence he has received today will ensure that he will be behind bars and will not be able to do this to anyone else. I hope that this will also give him time to reflect on his attitude towards women and his perceived entitlement when it comes to sexual activity.

Both women expressed reservations about coming forward and reporting this to police but they must be commended for having the courage and strength to speak out and ensure that Darkwa was brought to justice for his vile and predatory behaviour.

I would also like to thank the team of officers who worked on this case it was a fast-moving and intensive investigation but our determination has paid off by the fact that Darkwa has now been brought to justice for his offending.

"I would encourage anyone who has been subjected to a sexual offence to report it to the police it will be taken seriously, it will be investigated thoroughly and every possible effort will be made to bring the offender to justice where possible.

Detective Inspector Mark Butterworth from the SOIT, who oversaw the investigation, said: I would like to pay tribute to both victims and the witnesses involved in this case who were brave enough to come forward and give evidence, which meant re-living the ordeal they had endured as a result of the Darkwas actions.

Darkwa used the internet to meet his victims before he raped them. They were alone and when they first reported the incidents to us, the defendants identity was not known to them. The team worked quickly to identify the suspect and link the cases together. We then worked in conjunction with the CPS to ensure that he was remanded in custody to protect the public from further offences while the investigation was progressed.

I would also like to thank all those involved in the investigation for their hard work and dedication. Bringing together such a complex case within six months is a huge achievement, and without this co-ordinated teamwork, this would not have been possible.

I hope that Darkwas conviction sends a clear message that we will always do everything we can to ensure allegations of rape are investigated thoroughly and that we will leave no stone unturned to get to the truth and bring offenders to justice, as well as demonstrating to potential offenders that the internet does not provide you with an opportunity to evade detection and ultimately imprisonment.

Sally Lakin from the Crown Prosecution Service said: This is a truly appalling case, where the defendant demonstrated a horrifying pattern of entitlement. Darkwa is a sexual predator, who manipulated the situation to intimidate and control his victims in order to rape them.

"It wasnt that Darkwa didnt know his victims werent consenting, to the contrary, he was left in no doubt that the sex was not consensual, even asking one of his victims if he would get a visit from the police. He simply did not care.

I commend the bravery of the victims in reporting and supporting the prosecutions case which meant Darkwa was found guilty and sentenced today for his abhorrent crimes. I hope they can take some comfort from todays sentencing.

I want to encourage victims to please report these crimes; you will be taken seriously and where our legal test is met, we wont hesitate to prosecute.

Darkwa was sentenced to six years imprisonment (to run concurrently) for the offence committed on 5th October 2021. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment with an extended license period of four years under the Dangerous Offender Provisions for the offence committed on 18th October 2021.

It means he will have to satisfy a parole board before being eligible for release.

Darkwa was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Restraining Order against both victims for an indefinite period and will have to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A Surrey sex attacker has been jailed for targeting children over a nine-year period. Stuart Menzies was found guilty of sexually abusing three children in Woking. The 58-year-old was charged with eight counts of non-recent sexual abuse against the children following an investigation from Surrey Police.

The probe into his behaviour began after the offending came to light in 2018. During a trial at Guildford Crown Court, Menzies' victims talked about the impact his crimes had on their lives. One victim said: Its been a long battle to overcome this and for the longest time I couldnt envision any future for myself, because I didnt think I would live past my twenties.

Its only within the last few years where my mental health has gotten better that Ive decided to do something with my life. If I hadnt experienced any of the things hed put me through I believe my life would have been much different.

Another victim added: "I am unable to build relationships, I treat new introductions with great caution, giving the impression I am closed and distant, so it appears I dont care, when really I feel lonely and without real friendship or support. My past has prevented me from gaining the contact with others. I have been conditioned to keep my emotions and thoughts to myself.

Even though there may be a small ray of light on the horizon to some future point, its still hard and difficult to see through the dark clouds of my childhood.

Menzies, of Walton Road in Woking, has now been brought to justice. He will serve 23 years behind bars.

Detective Constable Sharron Goodchild, of Surrey Police, said: Todays result is testament to the courage of the three victims who have shown formidable strength throughout this investigation.

Menzies selfish and abhorrent actions have had devastating consequences, but I hope that his imprisonment is a message to all perpetrators of child sexual abuse that we will do everything we can to hold you to account.

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An investigation into a registered sex offender who repeatedly approached young girls online via social media has resulted in a man being put behind bars for four years and eight months.

Albert Jones, 55, of High Road in Byfleet, was found guilty of attempt to cause or incite a female under 16 to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday (30 June).

During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that, using a fake profile posing as a 17-year-old, Jones would contact 13-year-old girls via social media sites encouraging them to chat in a sexual nature. After a brief engagement, he would then close the account and then re-engage with the child using a different profile username.

Jones was arrested at his home address on 7 April. Most of the offences took place between August 2021 and January this year.

Investigating Officer Estelle Sharp, who led on the investigation, said: This was a complex case that involved both us and officers from the Metropolitan Police.

I hope that this case demonstrates that we will catch prolific sex offenders who target children online and will do everything we can to investigate reports, support victims and pursue perpetrators.

If you are thinking of reporting sexual abuse, please be reassured that your report will be taken incredibly seriously, and that we have specialist support in place to help you.