Latest Offenders Warrington

Description

A paedophile was caught after a camera he had hidden in toilets at an Air Training Corps (ATC) centre was found.

The police investigation that followed saw Andrew Thompson, 32, from Great Sankey, Warrington, admit to sexually abusing several boys.

He also amassed thousands of images of children, some taken at a school he worked in as a teaching assistant.

Thompson was jailed for eight years at Chester Crown Court on Monday, after pleading guilty to 33 offences.

In July 2022 a member of staff at the ATC centre at which Thompson volunteered discovered the hidden camera.

'Sexual predator'

Police forensics experts found thousands of images of children on it, as well as footage of the man installing the device.

The man was identified as Thompson, of Rossall Road in Great Sankey, Warrington.

He was arrested on 23 December 2022, and police found other electronic devices that contained a number of images of children. These included images taken by Thompson at the ATC centre and the school.

Officers spoke to a number of children known to Thompson, some of whom revealed he had sexually assaulted them. Thompson was re-arrested and charged in September, 2023.

In court he pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, 19 counts of voyeurism, two counts of making (downloading) indecent images of children, two counts of creating indecent images, and one count of possessing indecent images.

On top of his prison sentence, Thompson was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life, is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and was handed restraining orders prohibiting him from contacting his victims.

Cheshire Police Det Insp Simon Mills, from Cheshire Police, described Thompson as a "sexual predator".

He said: "He abused his position and it's clear that he had no regards for his victims, his only concern was to fulfil his own sexual gratification."

Description

A DISGUSTING sex offender has been jailed after exchanging sexual messages with a girl he believed to be 12.

Louis Smith, 37, was caught out by a group of online paedophile hunters exchanging messages of a sexual nature with a ’12-year-old-girl’ he met online.

Smith appeared at Liverpool Crown Court to be sentenced for one count of ‘intentionally causing a child to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity’ and another of ‘attempting to engage in sexual communicate with a child by sending indecent images of himself’.

Prosecuting, Henry Riding told the court how the 37-year-old had begun talking to ‘Grace’ in late 2022 and said the conversation had initially not been sexual. In this initial chat, he was told the girl he was talking to was 12.

The man had been serving a suspended sentence when he first contacted the fake account,

Smith, of Goldcliff Close, Callands, began talking to ‘Grace’ again eight months later in August 2023 – talking to the hunters’ decoy account for just over a week.

In this week, he sent various sexually explicit messages to her, including pictures of himself, and made further sexual requests of ‘Grace’, asking her to send him photos or videos.  

He was then confronted and apprehended by the paedophile hunting group, and later arrested.

Defending Smith, Emily Calman told the court how the Goldcliff Close resident had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Ms Calman also went on to stress, ‘He has never done anything like this before’ but admitted ‘this was a nasty offence’.

She also added that, whilst he did not deny the offence, he had been drinking and taking ‘substances’ heavily following a death in the family. This has, according to Ms Calman, been resolved.

Judge Trevor Jones, presiding over the case, said that while Smith had pleaded guilty, he was ‘still minimising his culpability’ according to a pre-sentence report.

He went on to state that the report had assigned a medium risk of reoffending to the 37-year-old man.

Judge Jones gave out a sentence of two years for the most serious offence, reduced to 14 months due to the guilty plea and the fact it was ‘only an attempt’. Smith also received 10 months for the second offence, to be served concurrently.

He will serve an immediate custodial sentence and will be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE previously jailed for grooming a vulnerable boy has been hauled back to court for breaching the terms of his sex offender register requirements.

The conditions were imposed on Terence Grant-Hanlon after her sexually assaulted the child in the 1990s.

The 48-year-old, now of Warrington, appeared before Warrington Magistrates’ Court charged with failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements and obstructing a police officer.

The court heard from Joseph Kindley, prosecuting the case, how this breach occurred in Warrington on November 2.

Grant-Hanlon failed without reasonable excuse to comply with his notification requirements in that he failed to notify Cheshire Police of his current home address.

Then on November 7, he Obstructed a Cheshire Police officer constable in the execution of his duty.

The defendant was ordered to sign the sex offender register for life when he was jailed for 11 years at Liverpool Crown Court in May 2015.

The paedophile was found guilty of molesting the child when he was aged between 11 and 14 in the 1990s.

Grant-Hanlon, who was found guilty of 12 counts of sexual offences including indecent assault, exploited the child by giving him ‘lots of attention, sweets and presents’.

The defendant, of Suez Street in Warrington town centre, pleaded guilty to the two counts he faced before magistrates in Warrington.

As a result, he was sentenced to a 12-month community order, including 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also fined £50 and ordered to pay both costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £120 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £114.

Description

A CREEP came close to being determined a ‘dangerous offender’ after a predatory sexual assault on a vulnerable woman in her own home.

Kamen Smith, from Warrington, also launched a nasty attack on the woman’s boyfriend after he learnt of what had happened.

The 29-year-old was released under investigation by police, during which time he was caught peddling class A drugs in Warrington.

Having already been sentenced and jailed for the drug matters, he has now learnt his fate for his prior offending.

Smith appeared before Liverpool Crown Court, via video-link from HM Prison Liverpool, to be sentenced for charges of sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

The case was opened by prosecutor David Polglase who explained how each of the offences occurred in the summer of 2021.

The defendant admitted the assault and criminal damage charges but denied the sexual assault, however he was convicted by a jury.

The evening prior to the offences, Smith had been drinking in St Helens, in the Black Bull pub in Eccleston and Bird I’th Hand pub on Prescot Road.

He then headed into the town's centre and ‘did not have much luck’ getting into other licenced venues, including Kandy Klub on Westfield Street.

By around 4am, having left the town centre, he was in the home of a woman and her boyfriend when events unfolded.

When the boyfriend was outside smoking, and while the woman was ‘tired and worse for wear with drink’, Smith sexually assaulted her.

The court heard how she was ‘seven out of 10 in terms of drunkenness’ and was taken advantage of by the defendant who ‘began to molest her’, despite her trying to dissuade him and stating she was not interested in his advances.

The boyfriend sensed something was not right, and he was later told what had happened by his girlfriend, leading to a confrontation.

Smith threw a punch and began to attack the male victim, having chased him outside, and he also damaged his car by kicking it, causing scuff marks and snapping the wingmirror.

As the victim fell to the floor, the attack continued with Smith repeatedly striking him to the face and head and kicking him to the back.

“The defendant said he would kill him and would not stop until he did,” Mr Polglase told the court, adding that the victim required a facial cut to be glued in hospital.

An impact statement prepared by the female victim was summarised, with the prosecutor stating how she still struggles to come to terms with what happened, with her mental health also impacted.

She struggles with sleep and suffers nightmares, and she does not feel safe in her home and when people walk past and knock on the door.

Mr Polglase revealed that Smith has previous convictions, including for assaulting an emergency worker and for public order offences.

While released under investigation for these offences, he also committed drug dealing offences in Warrington on April 6, 2022, and was convicted of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

He was subsequently jailed for 28 months by judge David Swinnerton at Liverpool Crown Court on May 24 this year.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing took place on June 19, where an application to withdraw proceedings by prosecutor Rebecca Smith was approved by recorder Michael Blakey.

Orders were approved for the forfeiture and destruction of drugs and a mobile phone confiscated from him on his arrest, as well as for the confiscation of £150 found in his possession, which was donated to the court’s nominated charity of the month, East Liverpool RDA.

In defence of the defendant, Jeremy Smith described the events as ‘unpleasant’

“He has mental health, alcohol and drug problems – a very giddy cocktail of issues with this defendant, and he needs to address them,” he said.

“One reassuring matter is that he is coping and thriving in prison. The regime seems to suit him.”

In his sentencing remarks, judge Denis Watson said: “She was vulnerable in her own home, and the effect on her has been significant.

“It is not necessary for an extended determinate sentence. I have come close to determining you are a dangerous offender, but that would be me stretching the circumstances to reach that conclusion.

Smith, of Molyneux Avenue in Bewsey, was sentenced to four years in prison, which will run consecutive to his drug dealing sentence, meaning it will start when his current sentence ends.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offender register for life and abide by a restraining order not to contact or approach the female victim for the next six years.

Description

A PENSIONER is now banned from travelling alone on buses at certain times of the day after inappropriately touching a girl.

Malcolm Leather was the subject of a police CCTV appeal for information earlier this year following the disturbing incident.

The 69-year-old was identified and brought to justice after being sentenced at Warrington Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor Yvonne Dobson informed the court how the defendant was charged with assault of a girl under 13 by touching.

At sometime between 3pm and 3.30pm on Friday, February 17, a 12-year-old girl was travelling on the number three bus between Warrington Bus Station and the Manchester Road bus stop next to Beresford Street.

During the journey, an unknown man inappropriately touched her leg with his hand.

As stated in the charge to which he indicated a guilty plea, Leather intentionally touched the girl, with the touching being sexual.

Cheshire Police officers investigating the incident subsequently issued CCTV images of a suspect they wanted to speak to.

They said at the time that the incident was believed to be isolated and that they had been conducting a number of enquiries to trace the person responsible.

PC John Riley said: “I want to be clear that we are doing all we can to locate the person responsible and do believe this to be an isolated incident.

“We have a number of enquiries ongoing and as part of these we are now appealing for assistance to identify the man in the CCTV as we believe he may have vital information to assist us with our investigation.

“I would also appeal to the man himself to please come forward.”

After pleading guilty, Leather, of Samuel Street in Sankey Bridges, was sentenced by deputy district judge Angharad Davies to an 18-month community order.

This includes 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, while he must also pay a fine of £120, costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £120 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £114.

In addition, he must sign the sex offender register for the next five years and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

One prohibition in the latter bans him from travelling alone on public transport, namely buses and trains, between the hours of 7.30am and 9.30am, and from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

The order states that travelling within these times, Leather must be accompanied at all times by a support worker or other adult expressly approved by social services.

Description

A PERVERT has been put behind bars for his vile chats with someone he believed to be a young teenager.

Daniel Kelly engaged in sexual discussions with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl and encouraged her to send raunchy photos.

But the 36-year-old was in fact talking to an adult member of a paedophile hunter group, with members confronting him in public.

The defendant was later charged with attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and two counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

He appeared before Liverpool Crown Court to be sentenced, with the court hearing how the discussions took place in June last year.

Kelly, as an adult, intentionally attempted to communicate with someone he did not reasonably believe to be 16 or over for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.

He thought he was speaking with a 13-year-old girl, but it was actually an adult member of a paedophile hunter group seeking to root out offenders using the internet to satisfy their sexual interest in children.

During the online chats, he requested nude photographs from the child, referred to her as being sexy and sent her a photograph of himself in his underwear.

The defendant was confronted by members of the Saving Our Children Online paedophile hunter group at Patten Arms Hotel.

They discussed his online activity with him before Cheshire Police arrived and officers put him into the back of a police car.

Kelly, of Wrexham Close in Callands, was sentenced by recorder David Knifton to 30 months immediate imprisonment.

He was also issued with a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offender register both for a period of 10 years.

Description

A paedophile who amassed an enormous collection of child sex abuse pictures and videos sobbed as he appeared in Liverpool Crown Court yesterday.

Callum Latimer, 23, was caught with 165 indecent images and videos - including 58 of the most serious category A - on his phone following a police tip-off on November 30 last year. He also had 1,578 prohibited images of children.

Chat logs on his Samsung device also showed Latimer requesting indecent images of Japanese manga-style underage girls.

At Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, August 16, prosecutor Christopher Hopkins said images found on Latimer's phone showed young girls aged between three and 10-years-old.

Latimer, of Keswick Crescent in Warrington, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, possessing indecent images of children, and possessing prohibited images.

Anthony O'Donohoe, defending, said his client was of previously good character with no previous convictions. The court also heard the 23-year-old had "a number of significant neurodiverse conditions".

Judge Andrew Menary, sentencing, said: "It's plain that for a time you were active online soliciting or talking to others about these images and you acquired these images. They involve the serious abuse of very young children and it's for that reason people who possess these images and look for them in this way are encouraging this evil trade."

However, he decided not to impose an immediate prison sentence, saying: "A more constructive option would be to give you support within the community from the probation service."

Latimer cried as he was sentenced to a total of six months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete the Horizon programme for sex offenders, and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work. He was placed on the sex offenders register and given a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE has been locked up by the courts for his depraved online sex chats with someone he believed to be a child.

Simon Bright believed he was communicating in a sexual manner with a 12-year-old girl.

The 50-year-old engaged in disgusting communications with her, telling the girl how he wanted to be her boyfriend and take a shower with her.

But he was actually talking to an adult operating a decoy profile in a bid to root out online offenders with a sexual interest in children.

After being caught, Bright was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The case of the prosecution was outlined by Max Saffman, who explained to Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, July 25, how the offences occurred over a four-day period between August 25 and 28 last year.

The defendant admitted, through his guilty plea to the charge, intentionally attempting to communicate with a 12-year-old girl for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.

He asked the ‘girl’ if she had a boyfriend and if she would like him to be her boyfriend, as well as telling her he wished he could join her in the shower.

Bright also asked her for photographs, asked her if she fancied him and asked her to talk sexually with him.

In addition, the defendant encouraged the ‘child’ to perform a sex act on herself and photograph herself doing so to send to him.

Bright, of Poplars Avenue in Orford, pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced by judge Simon Berkson to 28 months in prison.

He was also made the subject of sex offender registration and notification requirements for 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

In addition, the court approved an order for the forfeiture and destruction of his mobile phone seized by police.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE cried in the dock as the court heard how he encouraged a ‘teen’ to perform a sex act on herself and asked for pictures of her boobs.

Daniel Razak believed he was talking with a 13-year-old girl when he ‘quickly’ turned the conversation sexual.

But it was actually an undercover police officer from the child sex abuse unit whose role is to identify offenders with sexual interests in children.

Razak, of Mendip Avenue, Orford, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and possession of cannabis.

Prosecuting, Alaric Walmsley said that last year, Cheshire Police received information that between September 5 and September 8, the defendant had engaged in sexual conversation with who he believed with a 13-year-old girl on Kik Messenger.

Mr Walmsley told the court how the defendant quickly sexualised the conversation with ‘Poppy’ – who was actually an undercover police officer that had selected a ‘teen chat mode’.

The 33-year-old sent Poppy, who he told he was 19, pornographic images and encouraged her to perform a sex act on herself.

He also added her on Snapchat.

After four days, the pair stopped communicating and Razak was arrested at a later date.

His Samsung phone was seized, and although no pictures of videos of child sex abuse were found, Razak’s search history showed terms such as ‘jail bait girl’ and ‘jail bait girl Twitter’.

The pornographic images he had sent to Poppy were also found on his phone, and cannabis was found on his living room table.

During a police interview, Razak, who is a dad, told officers he did not ‘fully understand’ why he had behaved in this way and that he did not believe he was attracted to children.

Mr Walmsley said that Razak has no previous convictions.

Defending, Simon Christie said how his client ‘had the sense’ to stop communicating with Poppy.

He said: “Those conversations started on September 5 and stopped on September 8, long before he could have known of any police interest.”

The court heard how Razak is ‘deeply remorseful’ for his behaviour and feels shame.

Mr Christie also said how is client is a man of previous good character who works full time and supports his family.

Concluding, judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: “You initiated the contact with her and quickly sexualised the conversation.

“These are serious matters.

“I do accept you are exhibiting a significant degree of remorse.”

Razak was handed a 20-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

He must also complete up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 160 hours of unpaid work.

The court also ordered Razak to sign the sex offender register for 10 years and he is also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Description

A COURT has heard how a woman felt violated after waking up to find she was being sexually assaulted while asleep.

Louis Griffiths was found preying on the victim after they met just hours earlier on a night out in the town centre.

The 21-year-old was repeatedly told that there was no romantic inclination between them as she turned down his advances.

But he failed to take note and was later charged with sexual assault, to which he pleaded guilty on the day of his trial.

The case was outlined at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, July 19, by prosecutor Kenneth Grant who informed the court how the complainant was in the town centre with friends on a night out.

They left a bar at around 3am ‘having had a good time and a few drinks’, it was said, before heading to a pizza takeaway nearby.

Here, they met the defendant, where after a chat it was decided they would head back to a pub in which Griffiths lived on Wilderspool Causeway.

The group agreed and they had more drinks and played pool when they got there.

During the hours that followed, the court heard that the defendant tried to flirt with the women, tried to kiss them and invited the victim upstairs alone with him.

He was turned down however, and it was said that that none of the women were interested in him romantically, which they made clear to him.

At around 6am, they all went upstairs to sleep in a spare room, with the victim falling asleep fully clothed and partially covered by a blanket.

She woke however feeling a wet sensation to her genital area, and when she looked down she saw the defendant with his head between her legs and her underwear removed.

She shouted ‘what are you doing’ to him, which woke up the others. Griffiths then became aggressive and smashed a mirror in the room, causing a cut to his own hand.

Before everyone left, the defendant began to cry and apologise to the victim, who reported what had happened to the police.

Griffiths was arrested on June 14 and interviewed, where he tried to cover his actions with a made-up account, which has since been abandoned after he accepted the true facts of the case.

In an impact statement, the victim said she did not want to leave home or talk to anyone after what had happened and felt ‘uncomfortable in her own skin’ and ashamed.

Thinking about it made her feel ‘upset, isolated and violated’, and she said: “I refused to go out and put myself in a situation where I got tipsy where a predator could attack me.”

“I am shocked that this man thought he had the right to assault me. I cannot imagine what could have happened had I not woken up.”

Mitigating on behalf of his client, Stephen McNally spoke of how Griffiths had a ‘lack of maturity for his age’ at the time and how his actions were ‘out of character’ for someone with no previous convictions.

It was added that he is ‘genuinely remorseful’, wishes to apologise the victim, does not drink as much as he used to, is now in a long-term relationship and has not reoffended since.

Mr McNally called for a suspended sentence, but this was rejected by recorder Richard Pratt who said: “She was asleep and extremely vulnerable when you assaulted her.

“I accept that you were 19 at the time and immature, but in my view you are, and were, old enough to understand the seriousness of your actions.”

He concluded: “It would send out completely the wrong message to the victim and the public if I imposed anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.”

Griffiths was sentenced to 12 months in prison and must abide by sex offender registration and notification requirements for the next 10 years.

Description

Image: https://uk-database.org/2023/07/11/kieran-keyworth-warrington/

A PAEDOPHILE who admitted committing more than 20 child sex offences charges has been allowed to walk free from court.

Kieran Keyworth was communicating with eight ‘young girls’ online, with vile discussions including graphic details about how he would engage in sexual activity with them.

The 20-year-old was also found with a sickening stash of indecent images of children (IIOC), with toddlers as young as three being sexually abused.

But because it is a ‘difficult world for someone with his conditions’, he was spared a custodial sentence by the courts.

The defendant was charged with more than 20 child sex offences, including communications, incitement to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images and distributing them.

Liverpool Crown Court heard from prosecutor Simon Mintz on Friday, July 7, how 159 IIOC were found across two of his mobile phones examined by police – images he had been collecting since the age of 13.

Officers also found ‘thousands of pages of texts and chats’ showing he had been having sexualised conversations with eight girls between the ages of 15 and 15.

Four of these were real children, while police were unable to verify if the other four child profiles were being operated by real children or if they were decoys, run by paedophile hunter groups for example.

Keyworth was first approached by police in February 2021, with officers seizing his Google Pixel phone for forensic analysis.

This revealed sickening images showing girls as young as three and aged up to 14 being sexually abused.

In total, 39 of the images were graded in category A – the most severe category involving child rape – while 25 were put in category B and 72 in category C.

The defendant was released under investigation, and after this he obtained a Samsung phone, which later analysis also revealed contained 23 category C IIOC.

Moreover, in August 2020, he was found to have distributed a category B video and six category C images to other paedophiles online.

Mr Mintz spoke of how the phones had a ‘sophisticated set-up’ including the use of VPN software to mask his location, demonstrating that Keyworth had a ‘high level of knowledge’.

He was using Snapchat and WhatsApp to chat with girls under the age of 16, while his search history had ‘terms indicative of this type of offending’.

Keyworth also used Omegle, which randomly pairs people to chat, Discord, Swiper and whatshalfway.com, with the latter finding a point halfway between two locations when discussing meeting up with children for sexual activity.

To one girl, he told her what sexual activity he would like her to do to him, requested a video of her and said: “Are you down to do stuff like sex?”

To another, he made repeated and persistent requests for her to send topless photos and perform sex acts on her self and described ‘in graphic detail’ how he would like to have sex with her.

To a 14-year-old girl, he said he would ‘do her senseless’, while to a 15-year-old he requested a ‘proper ass pic’ and sent her a photo of his penis.

When discussing sexual activity between them, Keyworth said: “You’re 15, I’d get slaughtered.”

In mitigation, Jim Smith told the court: “This is a unique case with a unique defendant, calling for a unique sentence.”

He highlighted how his client, who has no previous convictions, has autistic spectrum condition coupled with severe learning difficulties and/or disabilities, as well as an IQ of 68 compared to the average of 100.

Mr Smith said that Keyworth would struggle in a custodial setting and that reports prepared in advance of the hearing stated that his conditions had a ‘direct causative effect to the offences’ he committed.

He added that the defendant suffered isolation during the Covid pandemic and that this was a ‘difficult world for someone with his conditions’, but referenced that he has not reoffended in the two and a half years since.

Before sentencing, recorder Ian Harris said that the ‘choice I have to make is stark’, but chose against a custodial sentence so that the defendant could get ‘support’.

“At the time you committed these offences, your learning disability impaired your ability to exercise appropriate judgement, impaired your ability to make choices and impaired your ability to understand the effects and consequences of your actions.”

Keyworth, of Parker Street in the town centre, was sentenced to a two-year community order including 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 43-day programme requirement.

He was also handed a sexual harm prevention order to restrict his ability to reoffend and must comply with sex offender registration and notification requirements with the police – both for the next five years.

Description

A Warrington paedophile who "doesn't get any attention from women" was caught by paedophile hunters.

Pervert Andrew Carter believed he was telling a '13-year-old girl' to practice kissing using fruit. The self-confessed loner also told her age is 'just a number'.

Carter was made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life at Liverpool Crown Court. He was sentenced on Friday, June 2, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The court heard that Carter first initiated contact with a decoy account run by Saving Our Children Online on the app Wink in September last year. David Birrell, prosecuting, described how, when told that he was communicating with a girl aged 13, Carter responded by saying that "age was just a number".

He then continued to send a string of often daily sexualised messages over WhatsApp over the period of nearly a month. The defendant - of Poachers Lane in Latchford, Warrington - said in one exchange: "I might fall in love with you.

"I kind of secretly hope you will fall in love with me. We will keep it a secret until you're old enough to marry me."

Carter asked her "are you naked" and told her he wanted to meet up with her at Warrington Bank Quay Station, saying he would give her money and adding "I could teach you a few things". He also instructed her to perform vile sex acts on herself and requested pictures of her in her underwear and a video of her naked, as well as sending photographs of his penis.

The sex offender told her to practice kissing with apples and oranges before being traced by members of the group, who livestreamed a confrontation with him on social media on October 22 then called the police. Under interview, Carter described himself to detectives as a "loner who didn't get any attention from women".

He confessed that he "knew it was illegal" but denied having wanted to sexually abuse the child during his planned meetup. Simeon Evans, defending, told the court that his "remorseful" client suffers from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and added: "It seems the gravity of this has hit home and he understands how wrong it was.

"This is a man who has no previous convictions, despite a bad start in life. He leads perhaps a rather sad, lonely and pathetic life, but he has not committed any offences until now."

Carter admitted arranging a child sex offence, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting sexual communications with a child. He laughed before leaning forward and resting his head on the front of the dock after he was jailed for 33 months.

Sentencing, Judge Louise Brandon said: "Your intention was clear, and it involved you inciting serious sexual activity with you receiving sexual gratification by it. You knew that what you were doing was wrong.

"This court has concerns, given your reluctance to accept that you have a sexual interest in children. I cannot conclude that, presently, there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation."

Carter was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE was snared by waiting police officers after arranging to meet a child for sex at a McDonald’s.

Nikolas Buchholz engaged in disgusting and depraved sexual chats online with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

The 37-year-old father was in fact however talking with an undercover police officer trained to expose child-sex offenders.

He was subsequently charged with attempted sexual communications with a child and attempting to meet a child after grooming.

He was also convicted of counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity.

Lee Bonner, prosecuting the case at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, May 18, explained how on the first day of his trial, the defendant changed his pleas to guilty on all five charges.

The defendant was snared in an operation run by an undercover police officer posing under the guise of an account purporting to be Grace, as 13-year-old girl.

The officer was deployed online, on the social media app Kik Messenger, with the task of detecting offenders with a sexual interest in children.

The court heard how the officer registered with the username ‘lilgrace07’, and it was clear in the ‘bio’ of the profile that it was being run by a 13-year-old girl.

On April 19, 2021, the profile was messaged by the defendant, assisted in court by a Romanian interpreter, under the username ‘buddyf**k4fun’, who said he was a 34-year-old man from Warrington.

The officer told him they were a 13-year-old girl from Manchester, but despite knowing this, Buchholz began to sexualise the conversation, asking about her previous sexual activity and offering to ‘teach her’.

This continued over several days, during which time he sent her a photo of his face and the steering wheel of his BMW, and asked her to send him photos of herself.

As talk progressed over three weeks, he sent the officer photos and videos of his erect penis, asking if she liked it and encouraging her to perform sex acts on herself, calling it ‘their secret game’.

The ‘girl’ said that she was scared and that she was worried she would get into trouble if her mum found out, but the defendant said she could be his ‘secret pleasure’.

Discussion soon turned to meeting up for sex, and despite Buchholz stating he was worried about it being a trap and him going to prison, he still continued with the chats.

They arranged to meet at a McDonald’s in the Fallowfield area, and when he arrived in his silver BMW, he was met by plain clothed police officers and arrested.

The defendant’s Samsung mobile phone was seized, showing the chat history, and during an interview he said that he thought he was communicating with an adult, and that talk of a 13-year-old girl was a ‘joke’.

Defending his client, Matt Lawson said that Buchholz has no previous convictions and has not committed any further offences since.

He also spoke of the defendant’s ‘genuine expression of remorse and regret’, and while he is not living with his family at present, his wife, who was present in court, ‘remains fully supportive of him and bringing the family unit back together’.

The court was told that he works full time for Amazon, as well as an additional job on top, to provide for his family and send money home to his elderly parents, who are in poor health back in his native Romania.

Before sentencing, judge David Aubrey commented that Buchholz believed he was ‘grooming the ‘girl’’ and that sexual activity was ‘clearly intended’.

He added that this would have taken place had he not in fact been chatting with an undercover police officer.

“The fact she was 13, or so you believed, did not deter you. It encouraged you, such was your perversion,” The judge concluded.

Buchholz, of Ripley Street in Whitecross, was sentenced to 43 months in prison.

He was also made the subject of sex offender registration and notification requirements indefinitely and a sexual harm prevention order for the next 10 years.

Description

Flasher who has been banned from all children’s play areas across Warrington following his release from prison.

Dana Mustapha cannot enter or loiter in such play areas, and he is also prohibited from contacting any female in an open public space in Warrington, except any public building or premises, retail premises, sports stadia or licenced premises.

This is through a criminal behaviour order imposed onto him by Warrington Magistrates’ Court, with the order also banning him from entering Victoria Park.

This will run for four years, to restrict his ability to commit further offences, with the 34-year-old also subject to sex offender registration and notification requirements for 10 years.

It comes after Mustapha was jailed on Thursday for a series of disturbing incidents in Latchford and the town centre, involving threats and public indecency.

The 34-year-old Iraqi national, who was assisted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court by a Kurdish interpreter, was charged with three counts of exposure.

He also faced counts of threatening behaviour, assault by beating and two of harassment, one of which put the victim in fear of violence.

He pleaded not guilty to each offence but was convicted after a trial during which victims had to relive their ordeal by giving evidence.

Angela Blackmore, prosecuting the case, told the court how in September last year, a man was walking his dog along Knutsford Road in Latchford.

He became aware that the defendant was walking towards him and shouting threats including: “I’m going to f**k you up.”

The victim ignored him but Mustapha followed and continued to shout, before walking away.

A similar incident occurred involving the same complainant on September 6 outside the Co-op store on Knutsford Road, with the defendant making threats while laughing.

Mustapha, despite a number of schoolchildren being in the area, then dropped his trousers and exposed his penis, again laughing.

A further two similar harassment incidents occurred days later, one of which saw him threaten to kick the victim’s dog and cut his throat, as well as use vile homophobic insults.

The final one saw the complainant call a friend who attended and confronted the defendant, who claimed not to understand English.

He detained Mustapha until the police arrived, suffering severe bruising from being kicked, punched and almost headbutted by him after he was told the police were coming.

In an impact statement, the victim said he no longer wants to walk his dog in the area in case the defendant approaches him with further unprovoked threats.

He added that he becomes anxious and ‘thinks of worst case scenarios’ when he sees him, and on one occasion he had a panic attack.

Mustapha also exposed himself to a woman whom he asked for a cigarette from on September 6 on New Road in Latchford.

As she approached, he removed his penis from his trousers and started to perform a sex act on himself.

The court heard how the woman ‘burst out laughing’ and told him that both her dogs had a bigger penis than him, causing him to ‘run away with hurt pride’.

She added that if she saw him again she would have ‘launched him’.

A further incident occurred on the sunny afternoon of September 7 at a children’s play area in Victoria Park.

The victim was at the park with his toddler stepson when he heard a weird noise and a man singing and talking in a foreign accent.

Aware that he had been spotted, Mustapha pulled his tracksuit pants down and crouched down into a squatting position as if he was ‘having a poo’.

The witness described a look of ‘evil excitement’ on the defendant’s face as he ‘reached around as if he was aiming to grab hold of what he had passed to throw it’.

The victim left and the defendant was identified through a social media appeal, with the police contacted.

Yet another exposure occurred when Mustapha loitered outside a business in the town centre over a period of months.

He would stare at the owner and customers through the window, and on one occasion he unbuttoned his jeans and exposed himself for ‘sexual thrill’.

He also urinated in the street, in full view of the business, on two occasions, with urine going on the window and brickwork.

The owner had to upgrade CCTV and lock the door so he could not get in, as well as reduce opening hours, causing a loss of income.

In a statement, she said: “I have thought about selling the business as I no longer feel comfortable. It was once my happy place, but the stress and anxiety he has caused means I no longer enjoy my work.

“I have put my heart and soul into the business and he has destroyed it for me.”

In defence of his client, Peter Green said: “Someone with poor mental health, as this defendant has, will struggle and will cope badly in a custodial setting.

“The easy option is to sentence him to immediate custody. It would dispense justice and keep him off the streets for a few months.

“But it does nothing to address any of the issues underlying his behaviour. I would ask you to impose a suspended prison sentence along with requirements.”

This plea was rejected however by chair magistrate Anthony Graham, who concluded: “This is a serious matter, and it has passed the custody threshold. We are going to send you to custody today.”

Mustapha, of New Road in Latchford, was sentenced to 46 weeks in prison.

He attempted to barter a lower sentence with magistrates on one of the charges and was heard saying: “What have I done to deserve 48 weeks?”

The defendant was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the man he assaulted and handed four-year restraining orders preventing him from contacting or approaching six named people, or entering a named Latchford street.

Description

A teenage girl kicked a paedophile in the groin when he tried to sexually assault her.

David Jervis pinned his 15-year-old victim down on his bed and attempted to force his hands down her trousers before she bravely fought back. The 63-year-old has now been convicted of subjecting a teenager to such an attack for the second time.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that the pervert invited the schoolgirl to the stables where he kept his horses on several occasions as he sought to "systematically groom" her. Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, described how Jervis later offered to give her cash during a visit to his house, but she declined the money.

He then grabbed the teen by the thighs, lifted her up, carried her to a bedroom, threw her onto the bed and pinned her down. The convicted sex offender tried to put his hand down her trousers but she "bravely fought back", managing to escape after kicking him between the legs.

Afterwards, Jervis - of Birchall Street in Croft, Warrington - "carried on as if nothing had happened". He gave her a birthday card and designer clothing at one point and sought to convince her to return to his address before she reported him to the police, at which point he denied having committed the attack and said she had never been to his home.

The complainant tearfully read out a statement to the court highlighting the devastating impact his actions had upon her, saying he had "exploited her for his sexual fantasy". She added: "This has left a permanent psychological scar on my mind.

"It is something I'm coming to terms with. I believe this is something I will have to live with and work through for a long time.

"I was a 15-year-old child and could not have comprehended that anyone could be as manipulative as Jervis has been. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

"I was worried if he was not found guilty he would be able to do the same to somebody else. Hopefully this will mean he can't hurt anyone else."

Jervis has a total of 15 previous convictions for 47 offences, including being jailed for three years in 1998 for three counts of sexual assault against a teenage girl. Simeon Evans, defending, told the court that his client suffers from dementia - having claimed during his trial to have no member of the incident due to his condition - and "continues to assert his innocence".

He was found guilty of sexual assault by a jury. Jervis was jailed for five years and handed an additional three-year licence period.

Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "You compelled her to have to come to court and give evidence, to relive the ordeal and be branded a liar. I am quite satisfied you were grooming her.

"It is difficult to know where you would have gone had she not resisted. You seem entirely undeterred by what you have done.

"She has clearly been severely affected and traumatised by the experience. That latent deviancy is still in you even now, as illustrated by this offence.

"I consider you are a manipulative person who sought to exploit his condition. I do conclude that you present as a dangerous offender."

Jervis was also handed a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely. He was given a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim for eight years.