Latest Offenders Totton

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A CHILD abuse victim stayed silent about her ordeal because she blamed herself after her attacker tried to kill himself following one incident.

Salisbury Crown Court heard how the woman, who was only 12 at the time, did not tell anyone what had happened until years later.

She eventually told police that when Paul Murphy (61), from Totton, attempted suicide after the last time he abused her, she “blamed herself for it”.

The woman only finally disclosed what had happened to a friend at university. She then underwent years of therapy before feeling she could report Murphy to police.

In a victim impact statement read to the court she said: “It has been a long journey for me to get here.” The woman revealed how she had had had to “carry the weight” of what Murphy had done to her “for many years”.

She said she still suffers “flashbacks, anxiety and depression” from the abuse, which had happened nearly 20 years ago, adding “the effects have been long lasting”.

Murphy had denied two charges of assault by penetration of a child and one of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity at a trial held at Salisbury Crown court but was found guilty by a jury. He appeared in court using a walking stick, with his arm in a sling and wearing burn dressings on his face.

The court heard that he was in ill health, having suffered prostate cancer and was still receiving treatment for burn injuries.

Defence barrister Ed Wilde said the defendant was “intensely sorry” for what he had done, adding that he had lost his “good character and his good name. He is sorry that his life has come to this”.

He added: “Prior to these matters he was in good standing in the local community, a supporter of the community, helping out where he could.”

Mr Wilde then read a character witness statement from a friend of the defendant which said: “I have known Paul as a friend for 30 years. Anything that has to be done Paul is there night and day. The elderly felt more secure when Paul was around for them.”

Judge Adam Feest KC said Murphy’s actions had a “long-lasting and significant effect” on his victim. He jailed Murphy for a total of nine years, with one to be served on licence. He was also given a sexual prevention order and will be on the sexual offenders register for life.

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Ian Malcolm Cookson invited a former friend out for social drinks.

The two then returned to the woman’s home in Eastleigh where Cookson attacked her, pinned her down and raped her.

The 55-year-old of Powell Crescent, Totton, even bit her leaving her bruised.

Prosecution barrister, Mary Aspinall-Miles read a summary of the woman’s victim personal statement which said: “She has felt totally broken. She has become depressed and attempted suicide three times.”

The statement went on to say how Cookson’s victim had been left feeling completely worthless and become frightened of living in her house.

Ms Aspinall-Miles said: “She had a previous problem with drink but since this incident, it has become out of control.”

She had “effectively self-medicated with alcohol”.

Furthermore: “Last year she ended up in hospital with an overdose.

“The aggravating features, in any event, are the place of the offence. It was in her own home and there was a high degree of force.

“This victim was essentially vulnerable, and he knew it,” Ms Aspinall-Miles added.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, Cookson stood to be sentenced for rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

He was found guilty of all three offences following a trial earlier in the year at the same court.

In mitigation, Gemma White, argued that Cookson was effectively of good character.

She said that he had led a family life, worked, and was a productive member of society.

Ms White added that his victim did not present as a vulnerable woman and that Cookson demonstrated vulnerabilities of his own.

She said that the passing of his mother had had a “significant impact on him but also his wider family who are going to have to deal with that loss without the support of Mr Cookson”.

Judge Gary Burrell QC deemed the offences which happened on August 1 in 2019, as serious and that they were aggravated by the fact that the defendant had been drinking alcohol.

He was jailed for a total of five-years.

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Tommaso Rasetti sent sexual messages to a teenage girl using an online application called Kik.

The 42-year-old even told her how he had set up a group called Southampton Cross Dressing.

Rasetti, of Harwood Close, Totton, was actually speaking to a police officer rather than a real teen.

Prosecution barrister, Richard Cherrill, said that when the defendant was arrested and interviewed he initially denied “he had been chatting with a child”.

However, when officers examined his electronic devices they found a total of 51 indecent images.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, Rasetti was charged with attempting to communicate with a child under the age of 16 for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, intentionally attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images of a child and distributing indecent images of a child.

He pleaded guilty to the offences which happened in the summer of 2019 at an earlier court hearing.

Defending, Ellie Fargin, stressed her client would benefit from intervention.

She said: “He of course accepts this was a child and it was wrong.”

Ms Fargin argued the offences were relatively short-lived and there was turbulence in Rasetti’s life at the time.

The court heard that he has since withdrawn from the Nursing and Midwifery Council and found a new job.

His barrister urged the judge to suspend any custodial sentence saying there was a prospect of rehabilitation.

Judge Peter Henry jailed him for six months, suspended for two years.

Rasetti must complete 31 sessions on an accredited sex offender programme, ten rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will have to register as a sex offender for seven years and will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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A MAN who indecently exposed himself in a public park while watching a yoga class was told to carry out a rehabilitation activity when he appeared before magistrates.

Howard Beck (55), of Rushington Avenue, Totton, pleaded guilty to committing a sexual act in a public place on 13th July.

The Southampton court heard Beck was sitting on a bench at a local park at 6pm, watching the yoga class taking place in a gym when he exposed himself and began masturbating.

A six-month alcohol treatment order was included in a 12-month community order the Southampton Bench handed to the defendant last Thursday. It also required him to serve 20 reasoning and rehabilitation days.

In addition to the order, Beck was fined 50 and told to pay 85 in court costs along with a 95 surcharge to fund victim support services.

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A SEX offender from Hampshire has had his jail term increased after he wrote a six-page guide for another prisoner on how to access child abuse images on the dark web.

John Blatchford was on a sex offenders' wing at Dartmoor Prison in Devon when he created the blueprint for a friend who was about to be released.

The handwritten document gave detailed instructions on how to access the worst child abuse images and movies without being detected by police.

It explained how to get on to the dark web and even included the names of illegal websites where images are exchanged.

The creation of the guide put him in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which included a ban on discussing child sexual abuse with anyone, either in person or online.

Blatchford was serving a six-year sentence for attempting to commit sexual offences against two girls aged seven and nine.

He sent child abuse images to a police officer who was posing as the father of the two fictional girls and pretending to be a fellow paedophile.

Blatchford, 41, of Blackwater Mews, Totton, admitted breaching the SHPO and was jailed for a further 22 months by Judge Paul Cook at Exeter Crown Court.

The judge told him: "This six-page document is a paedophile manual or blueprint of how to access images of children and there are references to the dark web and how to avoid detection.

"The length of time it would have taken to write demonstrates your determination to commit offences and to encourage others to do the same. That is shown by the technical detail in this deeply disturbing document."

Richard Crabb, prosecuting, said Blatchford created the guide in 2017 and gave it to a friend who was about to be released from Dartmoor.

It only came to light when the other man's offender manager became suspicious about his behaviour after his release and searched his home. Blatchford was identified as the author because his fingerprints were on the paper.

Mr Crabb said: "This was a flagrant and deliberate attempt to assist another in accessing child abuse material and avoid detection. It is aggravated by the fact it was committed while in prison."

William Parkhill, defending, said the guide dealt with accessing images rather than actually making contact with children and was written at a time when Blatchford was using illegally obtained drugs in Dartmoor.

He said his client had volunteered to take a sex offenders' treatment programme and had got off drugs.