Latest Offenders Worcestershire

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A MAN has been jailed for 28 years for being found guilty of 57 counts of historic child sexual abuse - including in Herefordshire.

Gary Bennett, 61, of Shenstone Close, Bromsgrove will serve a minimum of 18 years after being sentenced at Worcester Crown Court.

His abuse took place over a nine-year period from 1995 and 2004 across many different areas including Leominster, Bridgnorth, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Habberley and London.

There were seven victims in total six male and one female all of whom were children or teenagers when the abuse took place. The offences he committed included rape, attempted rape, buggery and indecency with a child.

The abuse was first reported to police in May 2018 and an investigation was launched immediately.

Inspector Julie Taylor, who led the investigation, said: This has been a long and complex case and Im pleased that Bennetts victims have finally been able to see him face justice.

The abuse he put them through is absolutely sickening and is something which will affect them for the rest of their lives.

I dont underestimate the immense courage it took for the victims to come forward, and Id like to commend them on their conduct throughout. Despite many delays in court proceedings, they have remained patient, dignified and determined.

Id encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, whether as an adult or child, and whether recent or not, to get in touch with us. You will be taken seriously and you will be listened to.

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Roger Timothy John Steele, 49, of Washington Street, Kidderminster, was jailed for eight years for assaulting a teenaged girl aged 14 or 15.

A man who lured a teenage girl into his car before sexually assaulting her has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Roger Steele, 49, came across the young woman while she was shopping in Rhyl.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Steele had offered the girl a lift and he forced himself on her until she kicked him and ran away.

Steele, who now lives on Washington Street, Kidderminster, denied assault by penetration of a female aged 13 or over between 2007 and 2008, but was found guilty by a jury last week. Prosecutor Paulinus Barnes said Steele carried out the assault at his house.

As Steele attempted to assault her, she kicked him but he told her that no-one would believe her and threatened to hurt her or her family if anyone else found out, reports North Wales Live.

The victim finally revealed what had happened after learning several years later in 2021 that Steele had been convicted of another offence. Her statement revealed that although not entirely due to this particular incident, she continues to be tortured by night terrors.

She now feels a sense of relief following Steele's prosecution, and no longer fears for her or her family's safety but is still uncomfortable and anxious around men.

Steele's defence counsel, Edmund Potts, said Steele could still be rehabilitated, noting his recent employment progression in the construction industry from ground worker to supervisor.

In sentencing Steele, Judge Nicola Saffman highlighted the premeditated nature of his actions in luring the girl to his home and using physical force and threats against her family. She issued an indefinite restraining order preventing Steele from contacting his victim and noted that he is also subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Simon Neale, 54, recently admitted sexually assaulting the girl while she slept and recording the act.

A court heard the child had no idea what happened until police investigated Neale’s electronic devices and found the images indecent, leading to assault charges sexual.

Neale, formerly of Telford but recently of Catshill in Worcestershire, had his door knocked on by police in July 2022 while living in Telford.

They had traced potentially illegal activities to him using a Dropbox account and his Internet Protocol (IP) address, prosecutor Mr Robert Edwards told Shrewsbury Crown Court this week.

Mr Edwards said that when officers knocked on Neale’s door and asked him to come in, he asked them “is that Dropbox?”

His home was searched and officers seized his devices. Police found hundreds of indecent images of children, still and moving, on a Sony laptop and an 8GB SD card, including 119 category A images, the most serious in the eyes of the law, depicting the worst abuses.

In interviews with police, Neale said he was “addicted to pornography” and had “unintentionally” downloaded images of children, the court heard.

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THE editor of the Worcester Observer newspaper faces a potential jail sentence for making indecent photographs of children. 

Rob George of Rowan Close, Bromsgrove, admitted three charges of making indecent photograph/pseudo photography of a child when he appeared in Courtroom 2 of Worcester Magistrates Court. 

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to making one category A image - the worst level identified within the sentencing guidelines. 

He also admitted making two category B images and 36 category C images during the court hearing on Thursday, (February 15). 

Magistrates heard the images were made between March 7, 2014, and October 14, 2021, in Bromsgrove. 

Lauren Millichip, prosecuting, said: "The offence is aggravated by the age and vulnerability of the children, between one and eight-years-old."

The prosecutor added there were also moving images found in a video file.

James McAulay, defending, asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed before George is sentenced. 

Roger Phillips, chairman of the magistrates bench, said the bench declined jurisdiction in the case, given the seriousness of it. 

George, who was given unconditional bail, was told to attend his sentence which was scheduled to take place on Friday, March 15 at Worcester Crown Court.

The chairman told George magistrates were granting the report which he said would consider "all options" including custody.

George was also told he would immediately have to register on the sex offenders register, telling him to do this at Worcester Police Station. 

George is listed as being the editor of Worcester Observer, Malvern Observer and Evesham Observer on their websites.

He has also worked as a reporter at the Bromsgrove Standard.

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A dangerous sex offender from Droitwich has been sentenced to more than 20 years.

Adam Essex, aged 41 years from Droitwich, was handed the 26-year sentence at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday (28 November). He had previously been found guilty of eight serious sexual offences including two counts of rape, sexual assault by penetration, controlling and coercive behaviour with the threat of violence and witness intimidation. 

The offences took place between August 2021 and April 2022 and the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all eight charges.

The victim initially reported the crimes in March 2022 and the early investigation, led by DC Rachael Lynch from Worcester station, involved teams from patrol and CID, resulting in Essex being arrested on three separate occasions as further offences came to light. 

He was charged and remanded with controlling and coercive behaviour on 11 April 2022. Following this charge, an extensive action plan was put in place to move the case forward to court. 

DC Mark Wilson was asked to assist DC Lynch, finally leading to the Crown Prosecution Service authorising charging Essex with eight serious sexual offences.

Detective Inspector Sharon Wallace-Rathmell said: “This was an extremely challenging investigation and I’d like to congratulate DCs Lynch and Wilson, and the wider teams, for the dedication and commitment they have shown throughout, culminating in a long sentence for a dangerous sex offender.

"Officers who work in the field of Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) can find themselves working on complex and multi layered cases which require resilience and perseverance. They are skilled and professional officers working with compassion and dedication to support victims and prosecute offenders and I thank them for their work.”

Essex will remain on the sex offenders register for life and will remain on licence for four years upon release from prison.

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A sex attacker raped a child at a country park - just two weeks after he was released from prison. Wayne Scarratt took the young victim's mobile phone, bank card and bus pass following the ordeal, leaving her stranded.

The girl was left with a fractured right cheek and collarbone and also suffered bruising to her right eye, face and foot. She managed to flag down a passing cyclist, who then reported the incident to police.

Officers found Scarratt, 28, hiding in a hedgerow in Malvern following the sick attack in Chasewater Country Park, near Burntwood, last August. He was arrested and later convicted of rape and other sexual offences after being found guilty by a unanimous jury on May 25 this year.

Scarratt, of Malvern, Worcestershire, was sentenced to 19 years behind bars at Stafford Crown Court for rape, assault by penetration, assault, theft and breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order during a hearing on Monday, September 4. He will serve a minimum term of 12-and-a-half years behind bars.

Detective Constable Dan Hopkins, from Staffordshire Police, said: “I’d like to commend the survivor for her immense bravery throughout this entire investigation. I hope this sentence provides some sort of comfort for her and her family and it serves as an example to anyone who is a survivor that we are committed to securing justice.”

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The victim of vile sexual and physical cruelty as a child described the abuse she suffered as a ‘tattoo for all to see’.

The woman was in court on Monday (August 14) to see now 80-year-old Lionel Wood finally face justice for his years of abuse, committed when she was a child some four decades ago in Banbury.

In June, jurors at Oxford Crown Court heard how he repeatedly molested the girl, including subjecting her to what now would have been charged as oral rape of a child.

He was found guilty in less than an hour and a quarter of four counts of indecent assault.

In an impact statement read to the court by prosecutor Brian Reece, the victim said her earliest memories were of being physically and sexually abused by a man she ‘should have been able to trust’. 

She described the abuse as making her feel like ‘damaged goods’, comparing it to a tattoo ‘for all to see’. “It’s something you can’t hide from,” she said.

The woman detailed how she had struggled with physical ill-health, difficulties with self-destructive substance misuse, depression, suicidal thoughts and a series of abusive relationships.

“[The defendant] made me feel intense fear, humiliation, like a possession to be controlled and used at will,” she said.

The girl was molested while she was alone with the defendant. The abuse developed, with the girl subjected to what would now have been charged as oral rape of a child but at the time was an offence called indecent assault.

In her impact statement, the victim detailed an awful catalogue of physical abuse at Wood’s hands, although he faced no criminal charges for physically assaulting the girl.

Recorder Samantha Presland jailed him for 14 years, telling the defendant: “What should have been happy childhood memories have been completely and utterly distorted.”

He will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before being eligible for release.

In mitigation, Catherine Ravenscroft said her client continued to deny wrongdoing and, since being remanded in prison after his trial, had made an attempt on his life.

He was particularly concerned for his elderly partner, who was in her 90s and for whom he was providing a significant amount of support before he was remanded in custody.

The judge imposed an indefinite restraining order, preventing Wood, of Broadway, Worcestershire, from contacting his victim for the rest of his life.

Having been jailed for 14 years, he will also remain on the sex offender register indefinitely.

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A brave woman has told how her life was ruined by 'selfish' Sam Rudge after he took her virginity at a New Year's Eve party. The underage girl had been given alcohol before the incident, a court heard.

The victim suffered ill health and said what the then-teenage defendant, who is now 29, did to her “did not feel right”. The woman, who is from Derby, went to the police to report what happened to her at Rudge's hands.

Rudge, from Bewdley, denied the charges and only pleading guilty to sexual activity with a child on the second day of the trial. This meant she spent months worrying about having to face her abuser and give evidence. Her father read her hugely powerful victim impact statement to the court, DerbyshireLive reports.

In it she said: “Sam Rudge, you took away my innocence and you took advantage of my naivety. I was a child and I was physically and emotionally abused by you.

“Before I met you I was a happy person with a large group of friends and now I only have a small group of friends and only truly feel safe around my family. My life is constant flashbacks and I suffer panic attacks, anxiety and depression on a daily basis and have been diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

“I now have multiple locks on my front door and need sleeping tablets to help me get through each 24-hour period. Although my physical health is poor, my mental health is much worse.

“My parents constantly have to go out of their way to help me and by not admitting your guilt to the police I went through three torturous years (waiting for the trial). My life has been ruined by your selfish abuse.

“My life has been in limbo up until this point and I hope I will see justice. Sam Rudge, you thought you had taken my power away from me but you did not. I am much stronger now and I will make sure you never do this to another woman again."

Sarah Phelan, prosecuting at Nottingham Crown Court, said Rudge abused the girl when she was a very young teen. She said: "At a New Year’s Eve party she was given alcohol and they were alone in a room. She was a virgin and described how the room was spinning and that he had sex with her.

"There was no foreplay, she experienced pain and said ‘it hurt, it did not feel special, it did not feel right’. The prosecutor said years later, when she was an adult, the victim reported what happened to her to the police and Rudge, of Severn Way, Bewdley, was arrested.

She said he answered "no comment" to the questions he was asked in the interview but later pleaded guilty to charges of sexual activity with a child. He has no previous convictions of any kind.

Stephen Tettey, mitigating, successfully argued that his client, who has been diagnosed with autism, could be managed in the community rather than being sent to immediate custody.

He said: "In his letter he says he is very sorry for the damage he has caused to the complainant. His pre-sentence report concludes that he presents a low risk (of reoffending)."

Judge Jonathan Bennett handed Rudge a two-year prison term, suspended for two years. Under its terms he must carry out 175 hours of unpaid work, attend 55 rehabilitation sessions and a 43-day sex offender treatment programme.

He also handed him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register, also for 10 years.

The judge said: "It has been suggested to me that you have shown some remorse but I’m not actually convinced by that. Mr Tettey has given me your letter in which you are a little self-absorbed telling me about your difficulties.

"The complainant has to be commended, she has come forward and told the police of the terrible thing that happened to her when she was young."

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A man has been jailed after he raped a six-year-old girl in the 1990s. Craig Watson, now 39, was 14 or 15 at the time of the incidents, police said.

He was found guilty on March 30 this year of the rape and sexual assault of a girl in crimes carried out in 1998 and 1999. Watson, of Walter Nash Road West, Kidderminster, was jailed for two-and-a-half years on May 18.

Following the sentencing, Watson's victim was praised for her courage in coming forward. Det Con Matthew Harris, who led the investigation for West Mercia Police, said: "I'd like to commend the victim on her immense courage in coming forward to report what Watson.

"I'm pleased that justice has been done and that Watson will now rightly spend time in prison for his crimes. I hope this helps to show that we take all reports of rape and sexual assault seriously and will thoroughly investigate them regardless of how long ago they took place."

A spokesperson for the force added: "A man from Kidderminster has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for the rape and sexual assault of girl over 20 years ago. He will also be added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

"Craig Watson, 39, of Walter Nash Road West in Kidderminster, was sentenced on May 18, 2023 at Worcester Crown Court. He was found guilty on March 30 2023 following a four-day trial at Worcester Crown Court.

"Watson carried out the crimes during 1998 and 1999 when the girl was just six-years-old and he was 14 to 15-years-old."

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A MAN will have to wait even longer to hear his fate.

We reported earlier this year that Michael Sefton, previously of Pershore, admitted two offences of sexual assault and exposure.

The court previously heard Sefton intentionally touched a woman sexually without her consent and exposed his genitals - intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress - at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on April 25 last year.

The 60-year-old appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, (June 2), expecting to be sentenced.

But at the start of the hearing Michael Aspinall, prosecuting, explained Sefton, of Stanhope Way, Great Barr, Birmingham, had admitted a further offence of sexual assault of a similar nature at Worcester Magistrates Court last week, .

In that hearing magistrates chose to wait for the outcome of the crown court matters before sentencing and kept the matter at magistrates court.

The prosecutor asked for an adjournment so the matters could be tied together with Jason Aris, defending, supporting that application.

Recorder John Benson KC agreed to the adjournment so that magistrates could send the other matter up to the high court.

The judge told Sefton, who was given unconditional bail, to return to the crown court for his sentencing on July 14.

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A paedophile from Kidderminster has been jailed over a string of sex offences. Lee Greenhill, aged 46, of St Cecilia Close, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to six separate offences.

They included attempting to engage in sexual communication with children, possessing indecent images of children and possession of images portraying sexual acts with an animal. Greenhill was arrested on January 17 of this year after West Mercia Police received information he had engaged with two girls on the internet, both under 16.

During the conversations, Greenhill used photos of other young men and pretended that he was a rich businessman, West Mercia Police said. He showed the children photos of luxury yachts and cars telling the children that he would take them on them.

The conversations included that Greenhill intended to have sexual intercourse with the children and included the sending of explicit pictures and videos to them. Following his arrest, examinations were carried out on all his devices, which provided further evidence.

Greenhill was charged on January 18, despite denying the offences during his police interview. He later pleaded guilty to:

• Three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
• Possession of indecent images of children
• Attempting to cause a child to look at images of sexual activity
• Distributing an indecent photograph of a child
• Possession of images portraying sexual acts with an animal
• Breaching a sexual harm prevention order

Alongside his prison sentence, Greenhill has also been added to the sex offenders’ register for life. He was shamed as he posed in his mugshot wearing a Wolverhampton Wanderers football shirt.

Detective Sergeant Dave Meyer, from the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team at West Mercia Police, said: "I’m pleased that Greenhill will now face the consequences for his actions, and will rightly be identified as a sex offender for life. There is no doubt that he poses a threat to young people and without our intervention may have gone on to groom others online, escalating his behaviour towards contact offending, something we work day-in and day-out to prevent.

"This case is testament to the fact that our close relationships with partners in regional organised crime units, children’s services and the charitable sector are paying dividends in our fight to protect children online."

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A CONVICTED rapist has been found guilty of an attack on a second woman and now faces even longer behind bars.

David Gilks of Sayers Avenue, Malvern was convicted of a second rape by a jury just before Christmas and falls to be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, February 17.

The 30-year-old sex offender carried out the rape against an adult woman in September 2019.

Gilks denied the offence but was convicted by the jury on December 23 last year. The case was then adjourned for sentence. He remains in custody until he is sentenced later this month. Time spent on remand is deducted from any custodial sentence imposed by the court.

He also has a previous conviction for rape from September 2014 which is taken as an aggravating feature by the courts. This attack was also against an adult woman. 

West Mercia Police has applied for a sexual harm prevention order which, for the first time, contains a positive requirement other than prohibitions.

Officers and civilian staff with an intimate knowledge of the case stressed that it would be for a judge sitting in the crown court to decide whether the draft order they had requested would be granted.

The positive requirement would require Gilks to inform West Mercia Police of information which they believe would better help them monitor his behaviour in the community upon release.

Although a sexual harm prevention order is a civil order, breaching it is a criminal offence and can bring sex offenders back before a court where they may face more draconian measures to monitor and control their behaviour or, potentially, a further custodial sentence.

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We are committed to protecting women and girls from sexual violence and harm using every tool at our disposal, especially civil orders."

She said West Mercia Police was committed to using new legislation to protect the public in South Worcestershire.

We have previously reported how police and crime commissioner John Campion has highlighted the impact of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) on society with a focus on educating, encouraging a societal change, engaging with the community and empowering women and girls.

VAWG has featured heavily in the headlines in the last year following the tragic death of Sarah Everard with the second anniversary of her murder next month.

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A PERVERT who secretly filmed teenagers having sex and took naked photos of young girls made the mum of one victim 'physically sick'.

Daniel Barrett, also known as 'Bill', even climbed onto a flat roof to film a teenage couple having sex and also performed a sex act in front of a young girl in a tent.

The 42-year-old of Bewdley Street, Evesham, showed no emotion as he was jailed for 33 months at Worcester Crown Court on Monday. One victim described 'suicidal thoughts' while the mother of a victim threw up when she learned the defendant had filmed her daughter having sex.

He had previously admitted four counts of voyeurism which had three separate victims in total and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child which he only accepted on what have been the first day of his trial. This 'plea at the door of the court', though entered late, did spare one victim having to give evidence.

Jonathan Veasey-Pugh, prosecuting, said one of the children he filmed would have been either nine, 10, 11 or 12 at the the time of the offence and the other would have been 14, 15 or 16. The voyeurism offences took place between February 23, 2006 and February 22, 2009 and again between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017.

An iPhone and a computer were seized during the course of the investigation.

Mr Veasey-Pugh described how one victim saw a light and found a camera hidden in a pile of clothes. The video on the camera even showed the defendant placing it there.

Barrett also performed a sex act upon himself in a tent in front of a child. "He made eye contact with her. She made eye contact with him" said Mr Veasey-Pugh.

The whole incident lasted five minutes. Photos of a girl naked from the top down were found on the defendant's computer as was a video of a girl having sex with her boyfriend when she was an adult. The defendant's brother ultimately brought the matters to the attention of the authorities in 2020.

Barrett had filmed a teenage couple having sex by placing the phone on a window ledge, admitting that he had done this for his own gratification. In interview he accepted he was 'fascinated generally with teenage girls'.

In a victim impact statement one of the complainants 'talks of anxiety, stress and suicidal thoughts', said the prosecutor. After discovering a video had been made of her daughter having sex, the mum of one victim said: "I was violently sick."

"The defendant's mother also has some rather robust things to say about the defendant" said the prosecutor, although he did not disclose her words in open court.

Judge Nicholas Cole spoke of the impact upon the victims and upon the mother who learned what had happened. "One can only imagine the horror and disgust that her mother experienced observing this video and to know that you had made it and stored it on your computer for your own sexual gratification."

He made a restraining order to prohibit any contact with the victims until further order. A sexual harm prevention order will restrict his contact with children and his use of the internet and electronic devices for an indefinite period. Barrett must sign the sex offender register and is subject to notification requirements, again indefinitely.

The forfeiture and destruction of the computer was ordered. Barrett was told he could expect to serve half his sentence in custody and half in the community on licence.

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A Worcestershire man has been jailed for rape.

Daniel Jones, 28, of Hancocks Lane, Welland, was sentenced to 17 years in prison at Worcester Crown Court today (Friday 12 November).

In April 2020 Jones contacted a woman on the social media app Whisper. He travelled to meet her in Norfolk, raped her and stole her wedding and engagement rings.

Then in January 2021, following further interaction on social media, he drove to meet a women in Somerset, took her back to his home address and raped her.

Very bravely, the victims came forward to officers who were able to identify Jones and arrest him.

Following investigations, he was subsequently charged with two counts of rape and found guilty at a trial in October 2021.

Detective Constable Carl Shenton said: I would like to thank the victims for coming forward and giving their evidence, as well as the bravery they have shown in doing so.

Hopefully this sentence will offer them some sort of closure and allow them to move forward with their lives.

We urge anyone with any concerns about an incident either recently or in the past to get in touch.

We investigate all reports we receive and anyone making a report is offered full and comprehensive support from specialist staff.

You can contact the West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre on 03456 461188.

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A paedophile has been jailed for 18 years for what detectives described as 'horrific offences that destroyed a young life'.

Richard Tate, 34, pleaded guilty to seven counts of rape at Worcester Crown Court yesterday(Thursday October 28). 

The offences took place between last year and this year.

Tate pleaded guilty in September to the charges but was sentenced yesterday.

In February, West Mercia Police launched a public appeal to help locate Tate, who went missing from Redditch and had been last seen on February 19.

Detective Sergeant Paul Willetts said: “Tate committed these horrific offences against a child over a period of time to gain sexual gratification and destroyed a young life.

“I would like to pay tribute and commend the victim in this harrowing case for alerting the police to Tate’s crimes, which has allowed us to bring him to justice. We hope the conviction and this substantial prison sentence will bring some measure of comfort.”