Latest Offenders Swindon

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A Swindon man recently given a suspended sentence for indecently exposing himself in front of his neighbours has been jailed following a further incident.

James Hortop, 40, of Dennis Street, Swindon, came to police attention three times within five weeks and was arrested twice in relation to exposure offences. He was originally sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, in a hearing on April 7.

He was arrested a third time on April 30 for a further incident of exposure after walking onto a garage forecourt wearing nothing but a dressing gown, with his genitals exposed. He proceeded to masturbate in view of two females.

Today at Swindon Magistrates’ Court he was sentenced to a total of fifteen months’ imprisonment.

Previous restraining orders and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order remain in place and Hortop is now subject to Sex Offender registration requirements for an extra seven years, making fourteen years in total.

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A children’s book author from Swindon collected child abuse images, a court heard.

Philip Brown, who also goes by the names Will Elmore and Wilbur Elmo on social media, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photos and videos of children.

On 4 April, Swindon Crown Court heard that the defendant, of Dixon Street, was using the web to seek out abhorrent images of young victims being abused.

Police attended his home and seized digital devices. Forensic examination work later revealed a stash of 46 images in Category A, showing penetration. He also had 59 Category B images, and 45 in Category C.

In 2020, Brown published a children’s book on Amazon under the name “Willo The Wisp”. It’s called “The Troll & The Fairy and Other Poems” and costs £2.22.

Judge Jason Taylor KC told the defendant that it was ‘hard to see genuine remorse’, but accepted that the offender was ashamed and regretful.

He sentenced Brown to a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

As part of the order, he must complete 20 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.

Brown must register has a sex offender for ten years, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was put in place for the same lengthy of time.

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A man from Swindon has admitted to making indecent images of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images of animals.

Adrian Parker, 53, of Cameron Close, Stratton St Margaret, appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Friday (11/04) and pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image/images portraying an act of intercourse/oral sex with a dead/alive animal.

These offences took place in August 2024.

Parker was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He is already serving a 33-month sentence for arranging to commit a child sex offence after pleading guilty at the end of last year.

He is also required to register with the police in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and will be the subject of a DEPO which will see Parker's phone and tablet that was seized destroyed.

Investigator Beccy Scott of the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET) said, "Parker is a dangerous man with a clear sexual preoccupation with prepubescent children, and I welcome this further custodial sentence.

"Online offending of this nature is not a victimless crime. Every single child in these images is a victim of sexual exploitation, and by offenders like Parker accessing these images, it generates a market for more child sexual abuse material to be created.

"Parker will continue to be monitored as a registered sex offender indefinitely with a restrictive Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in place to manage his behaviour when he is released back into the community. The Child Internet Exploitation Team remains committed to bringing those who seek to abuse children online to justice."

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Police in Swindon are praising a 14-year-old girl for her bravery after she was instrumental in bringing a sex offender to justice.

Kevin Wolton, 42, of Doulton Close, Redhouse, had previously denied sexually assaulting the teenager, who was willing to make a statement to officers and appear as a witness despite her ordeal.

Yesterday (20/01) at Swindon Crown Court, he was sentenced to 29-months imprisonment after changing his plea to guilty and admitting two breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which banned him from having unsupervised contact with girls under the age of eighteen, or lone women.

On September 3 last year, Wolton approached the girl in Brook Park, Redhouse, and made lewd and inappropriate comments to her, and then grabbed her and tried to kiss her.

The incident was reported to officers on patrol and Wolton was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault.

PC Dominic Tonge from the Swindon North, East and Rural Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “The victim showed great courage throughout this case and was determined that he should be punished for what he did to protect other girls in the future.

“Her calm resolution to continue to seek justice despite her young age was impressive.

“SHPOs are put in place by the court to protect the public from sexual harm, with conditions to assist us in manging them.

"We will continue to manage these orders robustly and ensure those who break them are brought before the courts."

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A Swindon man has pleaded guilty to attempting a sex chat with a young girl.

Jesse Cookson, 28, admitted striking up an inappropriate conversation with a female, who claimed to be 14 years old, between 23 July and 27 July 2024.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on 8 January, he was convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child by sending a video of his penis and a link to pornography.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to watch or look at an image of sexual activity.

The defendant, of The Crescent, Chiseldon, is due to return to Swindon Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on 31 January.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender at Gablecross Police Station within 72 hours.

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A ‘creepy’ Swindon sex offender has been convicted of breaching a court order.

Dr Prabhat Sakya was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a train – effectively trapping his victims by sitting next to them, and proceeding to touch their bodies.

The pervert, of Bude Road, Swindon, denied the charges but was convicted at trial in 2021. He avoided immediate custody and was slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

In 2023, Wiltshire 999s uncovered a Instagram page believed to be run by ‘creepy’ Sakya.

It featured photos of young women and girls, some with captions that raised concerns. Many of the photos posted on the social media profile were taken at the Swindon Designer Outlet.

Now, the 53-year-old has admitted breaching his SHPO – after officers found five iPhones, two computers and a tablet which had not been disclosed to his sex offender manager.

Another breach, involving the disposal of a laptop which was not disclosed to police, resulted in a ninth charge of breaching a SHPO. He admitted all offences at Swindon Magistrates’ Court.

Sakya was handed a 12-month community order with the requirement to complete 20 days of activity with the probation service. He was also fined £200.

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A man from Swindon has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child.

Damian Kinston, 27, of Park North, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (18/11) after being found guilty by trial for sexually assaulting a child under 13, multiple counts of rape of a child under 13, multiple counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and multiple assaults of a child under 13 by penetration.

Kinston has also been given a Sexual Harm and Prevention Order, placed on the Sex Offenders register and given an indefinite restraining order.

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A man from Swindon has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for non-recent sexual assaults on children.

Stephen Burrows (also known as Marc), 47, of Fitkin Court, Redhouse, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on October 24 after being found guilty by trial in August of indecent assault, two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, assault by penetration and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Between 1999 and 2012 Burrows took advantage of his victims when staying in their homes.

When Burrows was in his 20s he assaulted his first victim when she was between 8 and 10 years old when staying over at her house. When she got up for a drink in the early hours of the morning he assaulted her.

He assaulted his second victim on two occasions when she was aged between 10 and 12 years old, while having a relationship with her mother.

Burrows was sentenced to two years for indecent assault, six months for sexual assault, six years for another sexual assault, 13 years for assault by penetration and seven years for causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Once released he will have an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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Alexander Franczyk, 58, of Pritchard Close, Kingsdown was sentenced at the Old Bailey on October 22. He was found guilty by trial in August for multiple incidents of rape, one incident of attempted rape, multiple assaults by penetration and multiple sexual assaults.

Franczyk has already pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

He will also have an extended sentence of five years once released, added to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and barred from ever working with children.

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A man from Swindon has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for offences of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Danny Gould, 27, of Whitehead Street, Swindon was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday for attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

They relate to social media conversations between April 2 and May 9, 2024, when Gould talked to an individual believed to be 14 years-old, which was sexual in nature.

Gould was already on the Sex Offender’s register and was charged with failing to comply with the registration requirements.

Gould was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

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A sex offender who spent four years in prison has pleaded guilty to 'misleading police' one year after being let out.

Stephen Thorpe, of no fixed address, introduced himself to Swindon Magistrates' Court on July 23 as his new alias Herbert Hudson, as he pleaded guilty to not complying with sex offender notification requirements.

By law, sexual offenders who do not have a fixed address are required to update police with their whereabouts every seven days.

But while Thorpe had been telling Swindon police every seven days that he was homeless, he failed to mention that he was in fact staying with a vulnerable woman.

“This is a serious charge," said prosecutor Adam Cooper.

"Mr Thorpe/Hudson is a previous sex offender with five convictions and eight offences across a period of more time.

“Thorpe has been living with a very vulnerable individual since Christmas 2023.

"She, in her witness statement, said she has a schizoaffective disorder which leaves her with paranoia and stress, and unable to judge people properly.

“In that time the defendant has repeatedly told police he is of no fixed abode. They then found him at this property.

“This man does pose a danger and a risk of further offending. He has knowingly misled police as to where he lives."

Thorpe's most recent sexual offence in 2019 was deemed so serious he spent four years in prison and served the whole term before being released in 2023.

But his defence lawyer Mark Glendenning pointed out that despite secretly staying with a vulnerable female in Swindon: "His previous convictions are sexual offences against males, not females."

“He accepts that he has been at that address for the time period that he has known this lady.

"He hasn't told this lady about his previous history and he considers himself as of no fixed abode."

Chair of the bench Peter Searle told Thorpe that due to his previous convictions, this offence was too serious to be dealt with in by magistrates and must be sent to Swindon Crown Court.

Thorpe has now been released on conditional bail with the condition that he does not make any contact, whether in person or online, with the vulnerable woman he had been living with.

He will reappear at crown court on August 30, and a pre-sentence report will also be ordered.

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A 42-year-old man has been jailed for the rape and sexual abuse of a child more than 20 years ago. Karl Osborne committed multiple offences against the same victim in Tiverton in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Exeter Crown Court was told he groomed the child for abuse, offering cigarettes and cannabis, to satisfy his depraved sexual appetites.

The defendant, who now lives in Swindon, has been jailed for 11 years. The court heard a moving statement from the victim who spoke about the huge impact his behaviour had.

The statement said: "I tried to bury the memories of the abuse, the anxiety, shame and guilt. Year after year it ate away at me and has left me with massive trust issues. The psychological harm and distress overwhelmed me.

"I will never forget what he did to me. I hope one day I will not be burdened with the gravity and feelings of what he did to me."

Jenny Tellentire, defending, said Osborne had a 'challenging childhood' and struggled with ADHD. She said most of the offences happened when he was a teenager. "You can be an offender and still be vulnerable," she said. He is in a stable relationship and has committed no other similar offences.

Osborne was convicted after trial of nine offences, including rape, attempted rape and inciting a child to engage in sexual behaviour.

Judge Stephen Climie said the offending took place over a significant period of time. He told Osborne he would be put on the sex offender register and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A former teaching assistant from Swindon has been sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court today - 21 June - after being found guilty of the rape of a minor.

Sam Powers, 28, had earlier pleaded guilty to an additional 44 counts of sexual offences against children.

He was given a 20-year custodial sentence, four years of which will be served on licence.

In addition, Powers was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a minimum of 25 years.

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A flasher who told police he was 'living out a fantasy' by exposing himself at a block of flats in Swindon has been sentenced. 

Police were called to Hinton Street on April 26 after receiving an anonymous report that a male who lived at the flat had been seen outside the entrance to the property naked and showing his genitals.

After another call was made that evening, this time describing the same man standing near  where the bins of the Gorse Hill building were stored and exposing himself, officers found the suspect naked from the waist down before placing him under arrest. 

Enrico Rippa, a 60-year-old former Nationwide employee, appeared before Swindon Magistrates Court on June 17 for sentencing having previously pleaded guilty to one count of exposure.

Prosecuting Keith Ballinger said: "He was described as acting very oddly and was wearing a jacket/cardigan that he wore open on his chest.

"He undid his trousers and exposed himself, making a strange face and moving his hips and he did this for a number of minutes."

In his police interview, Rippa admitted to exposing himself but added it 'was not to anything specific'. 

He told officers that it was a fantasy of his to get caught and that he was heavily intoxicated at the time. 

The court heard that Rippa had previously been convicted of sex offences, with the last conviction in 1996 for which he was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. 

In his defence, Miss Hollier explained that he had lost his job at Nationwide as a result of the ongoing court case and was know working part-time doing IT support and bookkeeping. 

Magistrates told him: “Clearly you know this is a serious offence that would’ve had an impact on everyone, everyone who lives in those flats will know what had happened, and everyone will have been affected.

"If that was where I lived, I’d be frightened to go out the back and come across you."

He was given a 24-month community order to do everything the probation service asks, including  20 rehab activity sessions, 31 sessions of the Horizon programme, and 90 hours of unpaid work

"Use this to address your behaviour and learn how to prevent reoffending," magistrates added. 

He must also re-register as a sex offender at a nearby police station within three days of sentencing. 

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A Swindon man has been jailed for having sex with teen girl he ’emotionally blackmailed’.

35-year-old Jason Iles pleaded guilty to eight offences – including three counts of sexual activity with a child and making twelve indecent images of a child.

Prosecutor David Scutt told Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday (1 May) that the defendant initially sent “inappropriate messages”, some complimenting the girl’s body.

But things developed when Iles met his victim in person, plying her with “lots” of alcohol in order to carry out his offending. On the very first occasion he groped her breasts before putting his hands into her trousers, digitally penetrating her.

Mr Scutt said the victim had “never done anything like this before, she was confused and did not know what to do”. The sexual activity “quickly progressed” to oral sex and later full sexual intercourse – in which she lost her virginity.

He added: “The defendant told her that he wanted to be her first. He showered her with compliments, told her he loved her all the time.”

During one incident, Iles spoke to the girl about rough sex and put his hands on her neck. She resisted, but the defendant held her arms down and carried on having sex with her until he ejaculated.

In a video-recorded interview, she said sexual intercourse happened on many occasions and in several locations around Swindon, and usually involved her being given alcohol.

Over the course of six months, when the offending took place, he told his victim that she couldn’t tell anyone – stating he would go to prison and lose his children if she did.

He also threatened to kill himself if she told anyone, telling her that it would be her word against his and that nobody would believe her.

In a bid to gather evidence against Iles, the victim “went to the trouble of inventing a fictitious friend called Lily Orchard”. He contacted her “enthusiastically” hoping to arrange a threesome.

The defendant also solicited indecent images of his victim. When police examined his mobile phone, they found nine photos of her stored within a password-protected app.

Iles was also found to have sent a video of his penis to the victim. An extreme pornographic video, depicting a person having intercourse with a dog, was also located.

Judge Jason Taylor KC said Iles had “variously cajoled, emotionally blackmailed and threatened her on the importance of keeping quiet”.

He continued: “She told the police that most of the time she was unwilling to have sex, but she was frightened of the consequences and emotionally torn.

“She can now see you twisted her, again, her words.

“But it’s clear from her comments…that she still placed blame on herself. There was absolutely no need for her to do that. That’s something she needs to hear and understand.

“You were the adult. You singularly and remorselessly prioritised your sexual gratification over her welfare.”

Judge Taylor handed down a 14-year prison sentence, for which he will serve two thirds behind bars before he is released on licence.

The takeaway delivery driver, of Kemerton Walk, Park South, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, alongside a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also slapped with an indefinite restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.

The defendant was sentenced following guilty pleas to three counts sexual activity with a child involving penetration, three counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image and sending a grossly offensive or of an indecent image by means of a public electronic communications network.