Latest Offenders West

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A PAEDOPHILE who kept childrens leotards in his home to indulge his sick fantasies was back in court for possessing horrific child sex abuse images.

Mark Grindon had nearly 47,000 indecent images of children and images of extreme pornography including bestiality at his home near Horsham.

He had been ordered not to keep computer devices without monitoring software after his earlier convictions.

Previously, The Argus revealed how the pervert had an interest in girls wearing ballet costumes.

He sought out social media profiles of young girls, aged between 11 and 15, from across the country.

His first conviction was in 2016, but a later search at his home found he had stashed items behind a false shelf in his bathroom, including camera phones, a GoPro camera, a girls leotard, a camcorder, and a child sex doll.

Now the unemployed 37-year-old was back in court where it was revealed he was using the alias Eddie Gardener on an online dating site to contact with women who have children.

He was sent back to prison for 13 months for admitting possession of 46,986 indecent images, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and breaching the notification requirements of being a registered sex offender.

Police said his latest sentencing followed a time-consuming forensic examination of Grindons digital devices, seized when he was arrested in 2019.

It resulted in the discovery of the indecent images and his further sentencing.

In November 2016 Grindon had first been convicted at Chichester Crown Court of making indecent images of children.

He was given a suspended prison sentence and as well as being a registered sex offender, he was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), severely restricting his contact with children and computers and requiring him to clear any such contact with supervising police officers.

Police said checks showed he had looked at more than 30 girls on Instagram, mainly wearing ballet or leotard outfits, but there was no evidence he had contacted the girls.

PC Louise Giles said: "This further sentencing shows that we will continue to seek out evidence, even though it may be a time-consuming process, to bring such offenders to justice in order to protect the community.

"Grindon has been known to use an alias Eddie Gardener in online dating profiles, to contact women with access to children.

If you have had contact with him, please contact us either online, or by calling 101, quoting reference 47190112747."

Grindon, of Swallowfield Close, Mannings Heath, near Horsham, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on May 17 to 13 months in prison.

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A former police sergeant has been jailed for a second time after admitting sexual activity with a boy and possessing indecent images.

Phillip Patterson, 34, was sentenced to six years in prison and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Sussex Police say Patterson's latest offending came to light during a routine visit in 2018 as part of his terms.

Judge David Rennie at Hove Crown Court said Patterson was "dangerous".

Patterson, of Alexandra Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, already served a prison sentence for possessing more than 50,000 indecent images of children.

He resigned from his position with the police force on the day of his arrest in 2010.

'Online grooming'

Det Con Vicky Jones said: "During a routine visit in 2018 to Patterson as part of their role to monitor registered sex offenders in the community, colleagues found on his mobile phone references to indecent material about children.

"The phone also contained evidence of his online grooming and sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy, a relationship which the boy confirmed when we traced him."

He had already been given an eight-week suspended sentence in October 2016 for a previous breach of his sex offender notification requirements, and in September 2018 was given a 17-week custodial sentence for the further breach of the registration requirement which came to light in the police visit earlier that year.

In sentencing Patterson, Judge David Rennie said: "Some people reach for the idiotic justification that 'they're only pictures'.

"In all of these pictures, a child is having their innocence destroyed. Secondly, the 13-year-old, you groomed him and led him into your dark world of paedophilic abuse. I have no hesitation in concluding that you are dangerous."

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A retired teacher who directed a production at a Horley theatre after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children has been jailed for committing further offences.

David Gallichan, 63, directed a production of 'Amadeus' at The Archway Theatre that ran between September 27 and October 8, 2016. At the time he was subject to a suspended sentence and Sexual Harm Prevention Order for making and possessing indecent images of children.

The play did not involve any children and a theatre spokesman said "control measures" were in place to protect any children using the theatre.

Gallichan, of Haywards Heath Road, Balcombe, has now been jailed for 18 months for committing further offences. He attempted to communicate with a young girl online, and failed to tell police he had a computer which he used without monitoring software.

The Archway Theatre spokesman said: "We take the safety and security of adults, children and vulnerable adults as the utmost priority and remain fully committed to continue to work with both internal and external partners and safeguarding authorities, to ensure that our policies and practices are up to date.

"At the time David Gallichan was given a suspended sentence, the Archway Theatre Council of Management worked closely with the police and Surrey safeguarding team to put control measures in place.

"He was not permitted to attend the theatre when any children's activities were taking place and was not allowed unsupervised access. David is no longer a member of the Archway Theatre."

Gallichan was jailed on September 10 at Hove Crown Court for attempting to make contact with the girl. He also discussed his fantasies with other adults online, and spoke to teenagers online using the secret laptop.

PC Louise Giles, from Sussex Police, said: "Gallichan still attempted to speak with teenagers online even after his previous conviction. He kept a laptop without telling us, which did not have the necessary monitoring software installed.

"He expressed his fantasies about nudist camps with teenage boys, setting up profiles and characters for several years to engage with adults and young people in sexual conversations online.

"He imagined being a daughter or stepdaughter and would pretend to be people to get them to talk with him sexually.

"When we found out about this, as a result of proactive police checks, we got a warrant and searched Gallichan's home. He then admitted that he had hidden a laptop in an outdoor shed."

PC Giles said there was no evidence to suggest Gallichan had engaged in sexual activity with others, directly or online, but said the former school teacher was a "menace" who sought to manipulate others.

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This is the face of the sick perverted man who pretended he was a specialist doctor to sexually assault a "vulnerable" pregnant woman in hospital and he has just lost an appeal to cut his jail sentence.

Gregory Boyle, from Mount Close, in Pound Hill, tricked his victim into believing he was a cardiologist while she was in a bed in hospital and he touched her intimately and inserted a "probe" into intimate parts of her body, before a nurse walked in and raised concerns about who he was.

Boyle, 59, was jailed for six years and four months at Croydon Crown Court in May, having previously pleaded guilty to to assault by penetration and sexual assault.

On Thursday (November 9) he appealed the length prison term, but three senior judges at the Court of Appeal in London ruled he deserved every day of his sentence for the "serious" crimes.

Boyle visited his pregnant victim when she was being treated at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH), in Farnborough, Kent.

Prior to the horrific sex attack, the victim's partner had undertaken building work at Boyle's Crawley home and confided in him that she was pregnant and had a heart condition.

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A sex predator that raped a woman multiple times has been sentenced to 12 years in prison

John William Chesher, 44 of Horsham, Sussex appeared at Hove Crown Court where he was found guilty of:

• Three counts of rape
• Sexual assault on a female by penetration

The court was told that Chesher had another conviction on his record dating back to September 1997 when he was found guilty for the indecent assault of a female child aged under 14

Chesher was sentenced to a total of 12 years imprisonment.

He was told that he must register as a sex offender for life.

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A PAEDOPHILE who made a fake social media account to groom a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for four years.

Phillip Jackson, pictured, made a Facebook profile pretending to be a band member from Bars and Melody, who rose to fame through television show Britain’s Got Talent.

The 38-year-old landscape gardener, from Wisborough Green, began messaging the girl in 2014 and sent her indecent images of himself, later persuading her to send nude pictures to him.

The girl’s mother found out and notified police immediately.

When officers arrested Jackson they seized his laptop, on which they uncovered more than 500 indecent images of children.

Jackson was found guilty of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images of children earlier this month, and was given four years in jail.

He will also be a registered sex offender for life.

He was also issued a sexual harm prevention order, severely restricting his access to children and computers.

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AN UNEMPLOYED man has been jailed after raping a teenage girl.

Reece Pettitt attacked his 17-year-old victim at a hostel in Horsham where they were both living at the time.

The 20-year-old invited himself into into her room where he began to make unwanted sexual approaches.

He ignored her repeated pleas to leave before carrying out the rape.

Detectives said Pettitt and victim barely knew each other.

Pettitt, of Charrington Way, Broadbridge Heath, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years imprisonment at Lewes Crown Court following the incident in October 2015.

He will also be registered sex offender for life.

He was found not guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice in Crawley in April last year in relation to this case.

Detective Constable Nicky Beard said: The victim in this case was vulnerable and showed real courage in reporting this matter and giving evidence at court.

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A MAN who sexually abused a child after grooming her via mobile phone has been jailed.

Robert Barnes sent the girl sexual images of himself via text messaging service Whats App and unsuccessfully tried to get her to do the same.

The 28-year-old, of Farhalls Crescent, Horsham, then abused her at his previous address in Nicolson Way, Sevenoaks.

He was arrested at this address on June 12, 2014 after concerns were reported to police.

Barnes refused to comment during police interview but officers seized his mobile phone which contained evidence of the messages he had sent his victim.

Following a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, he was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16, two counts of intent to entice a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of grooming.

Barnes, who met the victim through an acquaintance, was sentenced on August 20 to five years and six months in prison, and must sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Detective Constable David Turner, of Kent Police’s public protection unit, said: ‘Barnes has groomed his victim with the intention of committing sexual offences against her.

"He knew exactly what he was doing and has exploited a young and vulnerable person for his own gratification.

"He will now have plenty of time to reflect on his actions and I hope this sentence offers some comfort and reassurance to the victim and her family."

Sussex Police ask the public to help them detect the signs of child sexual exploitation, which involves the manipulation and/or coercion of young people under the age of 18 into sexual activity.

Young people may be expected to engage in sexual activity in exchange for things such as money, gifts, accommodation, affection, status, food, drugs or alcohol, police say.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "A significant difficulty for parents and agencies seeking to protect children is that this is a form of abuse which is often misunderstood by victims and outsiders as consensual.

"Victims can be tricked into believing they are in a loving relationship, but the law is clear - no child under the age of 18 can ever consent to being abused or exploited."

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A paedophile, branded "calculating and predatory", has been jailed for 15 years for a string of sex attacks on girls as young as six years old.

Andrew Hocking, 57, of West Sussex, sexually assaulted four girls, aged between six and 12, from 1976 to 1990 in Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

He was found guilty of one count of rape and six indecent assaults following a trial at Lewes Crown Court.

Sussex Police said Hocking showed "no genuine remorse" for his actions.

"Hocking stands out as cold, calculating, predatory and ruthless," said Det Con Chris Smith.

"Despite the strong evidence against him, he put the victims through the ordeal of having to recount their episodes of abuse."

Media appeal

Detectives discovered records of allegations of indecent assaults on a seven-year-old girl at his home in Alveston, Gloucestershire in 1976 and 1977, while they were investigated him over the making of indecent images of children.

Police were contacted by three woman claiming they had been attacked, when they were aged six, seven and 12, by Hocking at his address in Fareham, Hampshire, in the 1980s and 1990, following an appeal for information.

Following a trial, Hocking was convicted of one count of rape and six indecent assaults and cleared of one indecent assault.

The 57-year-old admitted making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography at an earlier hearing.

He was ordered to be put on the sex offenders register for life.

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A shop worker has been jailed after finally admitting to owning more than 2000 indecent images of children as young as four on his computer.

Adam Clements, of Butts Road in Southwick, has been sentenced to a total of two years and five months imprisonment after pleading guilty to seven charges of distributing indecent images and videos of children and five offences of making indecent images of children.

The 26-year old also pleaded guilty at the same hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Monday to further offences of making and distributing indecent images of children committed while he was on police bail.

Clements will be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the rest of his life which will severely restrict his access to computers and will have to sign the sexual offences register on his release from jail.

Detective Sergeant Martin Harmer said: "Clements had denied his offending throughout, until Monday's hearing, and his eventual guilty pleas and conviction are testament to the extensive enquiries undertaken by our team.

He had over 2000 indecent images of children on his computer, and had distributed over 100 of them. The images depicted children aged as young as four and some were in the most serious category of images. "

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 A LABOURER who raped a woman at her Chesham home as a child slept in the next door room has been jailed for five years.

Christopher Hines-Randall, 23, was today sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court for rape and actual bodily harm, which were committed in November 2008.

A jury found him guilty of the offences on August 23.

The judge said he has “a worrying history of violence” and the rape was aggravated by the fact a child was asleep in a next door room.

The court heard Hines-Randall, of Chalk Hill, Chesham, has no previous convictions, but has previously been cautioned by police.

His Honour Judge Moss sentenced him to five years in prison for rape, and nine months for ABH, to run concurrently.

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A PAEDOPHILE who systematically raped and sexually abused a schoolgirl over a long period has been jailed for 15 years.

Peter Chitticks, 51, of Hornby Close, Westcliff, subjected the young girl to a sickening catalogue of rape and sexual assault between 1997 and 2003, starting when the victim was only nine.

The abuse only came to light when the young victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, plucked up courage to report it to police last year. At Basildon Crown Court, Deputy Circuit Judge Gareth Davies told Chitticks he had treated the victim as his "sex toy" and said he would have to serve at least half his sentence before he could be considered for parole.

 Speaking after the sentencing, investigating officer Det Con Rob Smallcombe said: "This was a protracted inquiry and one which was very traumatic for the victim.

"She not only had to hear evidence in court, but had to recall the events from her childhood herself as part of the prosecution case.

"She shares our delight that Peter Chitticks will be behind bars for a very long time."

Chitticks, a warehouse worker, was found guilty last week of seven counts of indecency with a child, four of rape and two of indecent assault.

He had denied all the allegations.

Chitticks, who had no previous convictions, will also remain on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life.