Latest Offenders london

Description

A "dangerous" paedophile has been jailed for sexually assaulting a teenage boy at knifepoint in woodland next to Basingstoke Canal more than 35 years ago.

The then 13-year-old was walking along the towpath at around mid-morning on April 26, 1982, when Ian David Harmer, now 63, asked if he had seen his dog.

Harmer then told the victim he had a knife and the boy immediately felt pressure in his lower back leading him to believe he was telling the truth.

The teenager was then directed into woodland next to the towpath where he was sexually assaulted.

Harmer made off after telling the boy to count to a certain number before getting up.

The teenager ran home and told his parents what had happened, and they reported it to police.

New forensic techniques

Although a thorough investigation was carried out at the time, Harmer was not identified.

However, the case was kept under regular review and in 2016, with the development of new forensic techniques, samples taken from the victim were compared to profiles held on the national DNA database and came up with a match for Harmer.

Officers tracked him down and he was arrested and charged with buggery - now defined as rape under legislation changed - in February 2017.

Harmer, of Aspen Lane, Northolt, Ealing, was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment, reduced to 11 years after he pleaded guilty, when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on February 19.

A 'dangerous predator'

Detective Inspector Paddy Mayers, who led the investigation, said: Harmer was a dangerous predator who took advantage of an innocent teenage boy in broad daylight.

"The victim was left severely traumatised by his ordeal and has had to endure more than 35 years of thinking his attacker would never be caught.

Fortunately, when the case was reviewed in 2016, the advances in forensic techniques meant that samples taken from the victim at the time could be compared to profiles held on the national DNA database and Harmer was identified as being responsible.

This has enabled us to finally bring him to justice for the heinous crime he committed that day and will hopefully allow the victim to begin to move on with his life.

Harmer thought he had got away with it, but this case demonstrates that no matter how long ago a crime took place, we will never give up in our pursuit to bring the person responsible to justice.

Description

An absconding registered sex offender who is "a risk" to young women and girls was last seen in east London.

Daniel Joslin, 40, is wanted after failing to comply with a registered sex offender notification and a breach of court bail, according to the Metropolitan Police.

The force said Joslin was last seen in east London and also has a previous connection with Kent, but he may have travelled anywhere in the country.

Joslin is described as a white male, 6ft 1ins tall and of slim build. Police say he is known to use a number of aliases.

A Met spokesperson said: "He has previously targeted young women and girls and is considered to be a risk to both.

"If Joslin is seen do not approach him but call 999 immediately."

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC. Please quote 3602/17FEB.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

Description

A homeless man, who kidnapped a schoolboy playing tennis and abused him in his Burgess Park woodland lair, was jailed for eleven years today.

Shane Upton, 24, sexually assaulted the eight-year-old in his makeshift tent as a frantic search led by the lad’s mum ensued in Burgess Park.

The youngster told his mother he was going to use the toilet a few yards away while happily taking a tennis lesson with his brother on June 17 this year.

When he came out of the cubicle Upton was standing in his path blocking the exit.

Upton told the terrified boy he needed help finding a house before leading him through the back exit of the toilets and into his den on the other side of the park.

He was arrested near the scene after tripping over during a police chase which involved a helicopter and officers on horseback.

Jurors convicted the paedophile of kidnap, sexual assault on a child under 13, and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Adrian Amer, prosecuting, said: ‘The boy said that the man locked in the entrance to the men’s toilets and then locked the cubicle door.

‘The complainant said that he tried to shout for help, but the man covered his mouth with his hands.

“He said that he felt scared and the man told him not to be scared.”

Upton then performed sex acts on him.

“He said this happened for a minute and then it stopped and he did it again,'” Mr Amer said.

Upton then took the boy out of the toilet’s emergency exit.

He walked the boy around Burgess Park and a nearby housing estate for nearly an hour, before taking him to his tent.

“The boy said that the man told him that he lived in a tent and took him to a tent somewhere in Burgess Park,”Mr Amer said.

“The boy said that when they got in the tent the man went inside the tent and told him to come in.

“The boy said that he did not want to run away because he was scared and he knew that the man would catch him.

“He then describes going into a wooden cave made out of twigs and leaves. The man told him to lie down on his back.

“The man then pulled his trousers and pants down.

“The boy said that he was scared when this was happening so he closed his eyes because he wanted it to stop.

“He said that the man stopped when he realised the police were outside the tent.

“The boy said that the man ran off when he realised that the police were there. He said police chased the man and he then ran to the police officers.

“The boy said that he was very scared so he pulled up his pants and trousers and ran out of the cave.

“He said that the incident lasted about three to four minutes and that when he was in the tent he could hear a helicopter.

Judge Nigel Seed QC said that the attack was “an opportunistic moment that quickly became carefully planned.”

The judge said: ‘On 17 June the eight-year-old complainant went, as he and his brother did every week, to tennis lessons in Burgess Park.

“It was something he enjoyed doing, but not anymore. In fact he has not played tennis since that day. This is a result of what the defendant did to him on that day.

“The complainant left the tennis court, where his mother was sitting waiting for the tennis lesson to finish, to use the lavatory.

“It was something he had done before and was capable of doing on his own.

“On this occasion as he emerged the defendant was there waiting. This might have been opportunistic moment but it quickly became carefully planned, because the defendant then locked the door to the lavatory, he removed the complainant’s clothing.

“The defendant then led the complainant out the back to avoid the attention of the cafe attendant but mercifully this was caught on CCTV.

“He led him around the park while the complainant’s mother and the tennis coaches went searching for him.

Description

A retired police inspector has been convicted of making indecent images of children following a National Crime Agency investigation.

David Mortimer, 58, was convicted on 5 September 2019 following a four day trial at Kingston Crown Court. He had been arrested by NCA officers at his home in Barnet, London, on 4 July 2018.

Officers seized his laptop which contained a 30-minute long Category A (the most serious) sexual abuse video of a south east Asian girl.

Analysis of the laptop showed file-sharing software had been used to download titles indicative of child abuse during February 20 and February 21 2018.

Movie file names recovered from the deleted areas of the computer were also indicative of child abuse.

His laptop and mobile telephone showed conversations between Mortimer and unidentified others about him seeking girls as young as 14.

Despite attempting to conceal his online offending, Mortimer argued he was trying to gather evidence of child abuse for the police.

Mortimer, who worked for the Metropolitan Police for 30 years, has no previous convictions.

He is due to be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on 3 October.

Brent Lyon, NCA operations manager, said:

“Mortimer and men like him are perpetuating the horrific abuse of children the world over. His sick sexual interest in children fuels other offenders to carry out more and more contact abuse.

“Behind every image is a child whose life has been utterly devastated by their abuse and men like Mortimer are directly responsible for it.

“As an ex-police officer his betrayal is all the worse.”

The NCA and UK police are arresting around 450 online child sex offenders a month and safeguarding about 680 children.

Child Protection Charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation runs the Stop It Now! helpline which offers confidential advice to anyone concerned about their own or someone else’s behaviour towards children.

Description

Diiriye Ali-Jamac bought a ticket to Ethiopia the same day he discovered police were looking for him in connection with the incident.

A 34-year-old man who tried to flee to Ethiopia after having sex with a 14-year-old girl has been jailed for six years.

Diiriye Ali-Jamac, from Feltham, was arrested on board a flight to the east African nation at Heathrow Airport on May 2, the day after he learned police were looking for him in connection with an allegation of sexual assault.

Four days earlier, on April 28, his victim had been reported missing by her mother, and was found by police officers the next day at Hounslow railway station. She was taken into police protection and later told officers she had arranged to meet Ali-Jamac, who had taken her to a hotel and had sex with her.

DC Sally Michail, of North Surrey's Child Exploitation and Missing Unit, said: "I would like to commend the victim for her bravery in speaking out against Ali-Jamac and having to relive the horrendous ordeal she had suffered at his hands all over again when she provided her statement.

"She was completely taken in by this man, who was 20 years her senior and someone she thought she could trust. As soon as he became aware that police were on his trail, he tried to leave the country but fortunately we intercepted him as he boarded his flight."

A search of Ali-Jamac's phone revealed a text message dated May 1 from the owner of the car he had used to drive his victim to the hotel, telling him police had seized the vehicle as part of their investigation.

There was also a text from Ali-Jamac's solicitor saying he had received a voicemail from him and tried to call him back, and asking if everything was all right. He had purchased his ticket for Ethiopia on the same day.

Ali-Jamac pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child on August 1 and was given a six-year prison sentence at Kingston Crown Court on Monday (August 19). He was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

DC Michail said: "I would like to thank the team who worked on this investigation for the sensitive and professional way they dealt with the victim to gain her trust so that she felt supported in giving her evidence, and for their relentless pursuit of Ali-Jamac, with officers working a 28-hour shift, including trawling through CCTV footage from the hotel, to ensure that he was identified as quickly as possible.

"I would continue to encourage anyone who has been the victim of similar offences to come forward and report it to us straight away. You will always be taken seriously and support and guidance will be provided to you by our team of specially trained officers."

A spokesman for the NSPCC added: "Diiriye Ali-Jamac thought he could get away with inflicting horrific sexual abuse upon a trusting child. Thankfully, Surrey Police have shown that swift action can bring abusers to justice and that victims of child sexual abuse will be listened to when they come forward.

"By getting the right helpa nd support at the earliest opportunity survivors can learn to overcome their ordeals and move forward with their lives."

Description

A dangerous sexual predator who stalked a woman from the Seven Sisters Road McDonalds and then attacked her was jailed at Blackfriars Crown Court yesterday.

Dean Burke, of Edmonton, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment and will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years, after he sexually assaulted a woman in December.

The survivor was on her way home after a night out when she stopped at McDonald's. She was listening to music on her headphones as she walked home.

As she got to her address, she removed her keys. She felt someone touch her right hip. It was at that point she became aware of Burke standing close to her.

He grabbed her with both hands, touching her upper body as she tried to push him away.

Burke then touched her through her clothes - the survivor pushed and kicked him trying to break free. She screamed for help. Burke ran away.

CPS prosecutor Nim Hennessy said: "This was a terrifying attack by a stranger who followed the victim home and assaulted her on the doorstep.

"This is clearly a dangerous sexual predator who will now spend time in prison for his crime.

"We hope that this conviction, which benefitted from a strong police investigation, provides some comfort for this victim."

CCTV showed Burke making a purchase at McDonald's shortly before the attack. Police got his receipt from McDonald's and through financial checks were able to identify his details and arrest him.

Description

An ex high school associate head teacher has been jailed after he admitted collecting more than 2,000 sexual abuse images of children and possessing class A drugs.

Paul Newbury, 50, from Wood Green, London was sentenced to two years and four months at Southwark Crown Court today (Thursday 23 May).

In October 2017, Newbury, was in an online video conferencing room where the live sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl was shown.

He was using the username ‘north London’ which National Crime Agency investigators linked to his home in Wood Green, London.

In February 2018, NCA officers arrested Newbury – who at the time was working at Acland Burghley School, Camden, London – and found drugs at his home which included 717 milligrams of cocaine.

In interview Newbury admitted possession of class A controlled drugs for personal use, which he used while in the video conferencing platform. He also admitted making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

A review of his digital devices identified more than 2,000 child sexual abuse images and videos ranging from category A (the most severe) to category C.

There is no evidence to suggest he was in sexual contact with any children and no evidence to link his offending to the school which sacked him on 7 March 2018.

Newbury admitted four counts of making indecent images of children, one of distributing indecent photographs of children, two counts of possessing class A drugs, possession of a prohibited image, showing an indecent photograph of a child, and possession of an extreme pornographic image at a hearing in March.

NCA operations manager Graham Ellis said: “Newbury and men like him who make and distribute horrific images of children are fuelling online child sexual abuse.

“The NCA knows that the scale and severity of this offending against children is worsening.“Newbury was present when the live abuse of a 10-year-old girl was committed.“Though his offending was not connected to his school, he is guilty of a tremendous betrayal of trust.“The NCA and our law enforcement partners will not stop pursuing these offenders and will do everything in our power to bring them to justice.”

Description

A RESPECTED solicitor who defended paedophiles in court has been jailed for more than eight years for sexual assaults on young girls and boys from a church youth group three decades ago.

Evil Mike Pulsford sexually assaulted three boys and three young girls, forcing them to kiss him, touching them inappropriately and even telling one victim it happened because the then 12-year-old boy was pretty.

As a solicitor, Pulsford spent decades representing a series of sex offenders in the Swindon courts, despite knowing he had abused children starting when he was just 23 years old.

The 67-year-old, formerly of Corsham but who gave the courts an address in Streatham, south London, admitted 16 counts of indecent assault which happened between 1974 and 1989.

Pulsford, who had worked for Chippenham law firm Jeary and Lewis before his victims came forward, was a youth club leader and volunteer with the Corsham-based church group Urban Saints for around 30 years.

He was working as a clerk to the justices when he was admitted as a solicitor in 1980, becoming a deputy clerk to the North Wiltshire Magistrates a year later.

The solicitor was one of the first in the country to receive rights of power to be heard in a crown court, despite not actually being a barrister.

He has since defended clients including a number of convicted sex offenders and, at the time, Britains youngest drink driver.

The solicitor also represented aristocrat the Earl of Cardigan when he was cleared of assaulting a man in a row over family paintings which were being sold.

One victim bravely stood and faced his abuse, questioning whether Pulsford joined the Crusaders just to get to children and telling him that describing him as a man or even an animal would be a travesty.

Another told the court Pulsford, who sat emotionless as his victims faced him, would even read a specific chapter from the bible, titled Love to her while they were alone together.

The solicitor carried out the sick sexual assaults on youngsters while volunteering for church group the Crusaders, now known as the Urban Saints.

Judge Peter Henry told Pulsford he had pretended to live by Christian values he was teaching people, but the whole time he took advantage of his position to abuse young children.

The judge said: You were a sexual predator. Whilst it might be said in the 1970s and 80s the public were less atuned to the serious impact of sexual abuse on children, you would be acutely aware as a solicitor.

Prosecutor Simon Wilshere told Southampton Crown Court, Hants, Pulsford had been a senior group leader with the Crusaders, where he met all his victims.

The court heard Pulsford forced his victims to kiss him and even showed one youngster a horror film so he was scared enough to join the solicitor in his bed at his home in Gastard, Wiltshire, where he then sexually assaulted him.

The court heard the attacks happened at Crusaders camps on the Isle of Wight, as well as some at his home in Gastard.

Reading a statement to the court, one male victim, now in his 50s, said: I wonder if he was only in the Crusaders to gain potentially unlimited access to children.

My childhood innocence was taken away by this evil individual. I was manipulated by an evil individual. Describing him as a person or even an animal would be a travesty.

The court also heard from one of his female victims, who he groomed over a number of years, starting by driving her to a layby in his car where they would chat and ending after they had sex when she turned 16.

However, when she came forward to report him in 2011 Pulsford denied it and continued his work as a solicitor, finally admitting to the offences last October.

As Judge Henry jailed Pulsford for eight and eight months, he told him he will be banned from working with children for the rest of his life.

Mitigating, Michael Phillips told the court Pulsford had accepted the title of paedophile but had now changed his ways.

The senior investigating officer for Hampshire Police, Detective Inspector Toby Elcock, gave his reaction to the sentence.

He said: Michael Pulsford was trusted as a youth group leader to protect the children in his charge, but instead abused this trust over and over again by indecently assaulting them.

This was a complex investigation carried out by the Operation Marmion team, and we are pleased that the victims have now finally found justice having suffered the effects of this terrible abuse for decades.

The bravery and courage they have shown during the course of this investigation is remarkable.

I want to appeal to anyone who has been affected by this type of abuse to come forward and talk to us, and be reassured that you dont have to suffer in silence.

Description

A pervert that groomed what he believed was a 13 year old girl has avoided a prison sentence.

Timothy Cadwallader, 68 of London appeared at court where he admitted there counts of an adult engaging a child into sexual activity

The court was told that Cadwallader had contacted the online profile of who he believed belonged to a 13 year old girl.

Referring to himself as naughty daddy, he repeatedly told the child that he wanted to engage her into various sexual acts.

Cadwallader did have one previous conviction which dated back to 2003, when he was arrested for domestic violence towards his partner, by threatening her with a dangerous weapon.

However, the child was actually an adult member of a paedophile hunting team.

Scorpion Hunters, who carried out the sting on behalf of Protecting All Little Souls (PALS) confronted Cadwallader at his home where they questioned him on his internet activity. The police were called and Cadwallader was arrested.

The judge handed him a four month prison sentence which was suspended for 24 months.

A supervision order was put in place and a five year sexual harm prevention order was also issued.

Cadwallader was told to register as a sex offender for a period of five years.

Description

A Chatham child rapist has been sentenced to nine and a half years in jail for historical sex offences against children.

Richard Riley, 66, of Kimberley Road in Stockwell, London, pleaded guilty to multiple child sex offences committed in the Chatham and London areas between 1982 and 1985.

He appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday (October 22) where he admitted four counts of rape of a child under 16 years of age and one count of indecent assault of a child under 16.

Riley was arrested on November 27 last year and was later charged.

He will be placed on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.

Investigating officer, DC Rebecca Taft said:"Riley has acted in an appalling manner over a number of years.

"His actions have caused awful suffering and it is only right that he is to serve a substantial prison sentence.

"I would like to commend the bravery of the victim who showed great courage in coming forward to report the abuse and help us bring this man to justice."

An NSPCC spokesman added: "Rileys victim has shown incredible courage in speaking out about the awful abuse suffered at the hands of this predator.

No matter how long ago the abuse took place, without the right help and support sexual abuse will ruin lives.

"In Kent the NSPCC runs its Letting the Future service, where survivors of child sexual abuse can receive support to help them recover from their ordeal.

Description

A dangerous and manipulative man, who had already been convicted of rape on other women, has been jailed for raping another woman four times in the late 1990s.

Richard Green, 48, of HMP Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, has been sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in prison.

In 2012, Greens victim reported how she has been abused by him at their home in Chingford between 1997 and 1999.

During those years, when the woman was just 19, she was raped four times and subject to false imprisonment and ABH. The victim also suffered a miscarriage.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how Green had already been convicted and imprisoned for rapes on two separate occasions against other women and was jailed for ten years in 2000 with a concurrent sentence of six years and three months in 2012 after being found guilty of rape again.

Green was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to four counts of rapes and multiple incidents of false imprisonment and ABH.

Detective Constable Chris Sains who led the investigation said: "This is an historic case stemming back 20 years, but despite the length of time since the incidents Green has been convicted of his crimes.

"The victim has shown a great degree of courage, persistence and determination in securing the conviction, having persevered with the allegation and supporting the police investigation.

"The victim has had to live with this trauma and the absolutely horrendous violence she endured for the years she was under the control of Green and will have to live with these memories of the abuse for the rest of her life.

"Green is a dangerous, controlling and manipulative individual who has been convicted twice previously for rape. He will continue to spend a substantial period his life in prison where an individual of his heinous character should be.

"Given Green's history of abusing women it cannot be discounted that there are other victims of his - I would urge anyone who has been a victim of Richard Green to contact police - specially trained officers are there to support you."

Description

A man from Wandsworth has been jailed for eight years for raping a 12-year-old girl four decades after the crime took place.

A jury at Croydon Crown Court unanimously found 64-year-old Colin Hudson of Geraldine Road guilty earlier this year. He received his sentence this Friday (27 July).

The court heard that in March 2015, the victim, who is now in her fifties, reported to Dorset Police that as a 12-year-old child she had been groomed and raped by Hudson when he lived in Croydon.

She described how he had ingratiated himself into her family and convinced her that he was her boyfriend in a secret relationship in 1978.

Before the day of the attack, Hudson pressured the victim to visit his home. Hudson then instructed his victim to get into his bed and undress, before he raped her.

She described feeling overwhelmed and in a state of shock following the attack and unable to tell anyone at the time what had happened. She felt unable to report the allegation to the authorities until after her father died in 2012 when she had greater confidence that her allegation would be believed by the authorities. Officers charged Hudson with rape on 22 June 2016.

During the trial, Hudson continued to deny any responsibility, however a jury found him guilty following a nine-day trial.

Detective Constable Gregg Nicol from the Mets Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit (CASO) said, This was a complex investigation into a 40-year historical allegation of rape in which Hudson probably thought he would escape justice after so many years. I praise the victim's bravery in reporting her allegation and her determination in seeking a conviction.

Detective Inspector Simon Dowling from the same team said, The victim has waited a long time to get the justice she deserves. I hope this result will mean other victims will have the confidence to come forward to report rape no matter when it happened in their lives.

The victim has had to live her life after suffering at the hands of Hudson 40 years ago and although this result will never give her back that time, I hope it will provide some closure and she can now put this behind her.

Description

Sentence increased by 4 years for child abuser, Usmaan Ahmad

A man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a young girl over a period of years has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred it for being too low.

Usmaan Rafiq Ahmad, now 35, repeatedly sexually assaulted his victim over a period of 8 years, while she was between the ages of 3 and 11. Ahmad was between the ages of 14 and 21 at the time. The effect of these crimes has been lasting and severe, causing ongoing psychological struggles.

Ahmad was originally sentenced to 4 years and 6 months imprisonment at Harrow Crown Court. Today, after the Solicitor Generals reference, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 8 years and 6 months in prison.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

"I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has agreed that Ahmads sentence should have been higher. He subjected a vulnerable child to consistent and repeated sexual abuse which has had a lasting impact. I hope this decision can bring some comfort to the victim."

Description

One boy was abused up to 100 times

A scout leader who preyed on young boys at various camps has been jailed for 11 years.

The sex offender abused the victims, as young as eight, at their homes and scout clubs across Essex.

Anthony Allen (Antony Allen), 27, of Plaistow, Newham, was sentenced for six offences of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, and six offences of sexual activity with a child under 15.

The charges relate to eight children from the 25th Newham East Scout Group, that Allen had volunteered at for ten years, until he was suspended last year pending the investigation.

The offences took place against victims, all boys aged between eight and 16, who were abused at varying times over a four-year period between January 2013 and September 2017. They occurred at different locations, including home addresses and scout camps in Essex, Kent and Wales.

During the period of abuse, Allen worked as a teaching assistant for a year and then a learning mentor at a primary school.

The investigation was first triggered when one of his victims, realising that his younger brother was due to move up from cubs to Allen's scout group and would also be at risk, told his mother he had to get him out of scouts in a bid to protect him.

His mother initially viewed this comment as a joke, but after her elder son repeated allegations to other relatives she got the police involved.

The first formal complaint led to other victims coming forward and contacting police.

The investigation

Allen also enlisted as a volunteer in the Army Reserves and was deployed in Estonia for training with his unit, 7 Rifles G Company, who are based in West Ham, when the allegations first surfaced.

When police identified Allen he was abroad with his army unit and he was flown back to England for questioning.

He was arrested at Heathrow Airport in mid-September 2017, interviewed and then released on bail.

He then temporarily disappeared after leaving 'suicide notes' at several of his victims' houses.

Allen's computer was seized from his home address and he was arrested over offences relating to making and possessing images and videos.

During the trial the prosecution outlined examples of Allen grooming different boys, firstly by initiating text message conversations which would begin as banter, which would then progress to inappropriate chat focusing on male physique, and progress again to explicitly sexual language.

One tactic the predator used was to ask victims to send him photos of them exercising their bodies as evidence for their progress towards a so-called 'fitness' badge.

He took advantage of the close physical proximity fostered by seasonal scout camping trips. He would surprise victims in the toilets or persuade them into his tent under the false shield of seeking support while the young boys were away from home, but they were then trapped by Allen into unwanted physical intimacy.

He abused his victims 'hundreds of times'

One boy, who was first assaulted by Allen at the age of 10, estimated sexual touching had occurred on 60 to 100 occasions.

Allen also used the technique where he would insinuate himself into the wider family by befriending parents and children to win their trust. Parents consistently told police how helpful and supportive he was, assisting with errands and taking the children out for day trips, leading officers to note they had been equally groomed.

One one occasion Allen assaulted a 13-year-old victim in his own bedroom while the boy's mother and younger sibling were downstairs in the garden.

Another victim came forward to police and said Allen was looked up to as a role model by members of the group and several, including himself, viewed him as a second father.

One victim called him 'dad' as he was taken out ad about by Allen just as a parent would.

Another boy was so embarrassed at the memory of the explicitly sexual suggestions that Allen had made to him that he was unable to say them out loud and had to write them on a note he handed to officers.

Victim's mother said: "Allen scarred him mentally for life"

A mother of one of the younger victims spoke after court, she said: "Im really hurt by what Antony has done as he has taken what can never be replaced. His actions have impacted on our day to day lives as he didnt just abuse him physically but has scarred him mentally for life.

"He has left us shocked to the core and we will never trust anyone again. He had a group of children that was full of life and working towards bettering themselves and their community but took this opportunity to gain trust then abuse it.

"My heart goes out to the families of all the victims that have been taken in and had their trust abused.

"I cant thank the police enough for all they have done to get this conviction - they have been amazing to me and to the child victims."

PC Bruce Upson, Met Officer who led the investigation, praised the bravery of the young boys who helped bring Allen to account.

Upson, from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: "These children have shown great courage throughout the investigation. Their actions in finding the strength to come forward and report the matter has prevented other potential offences occurring.

"Allen was a predatory offender who used his well-established position as a scout leader to gain access to children and commit sexual offences against them whilst along the way earning the respect and trust of families.

"If there is anyone else out there who believes they or someone they are close to may also have been a victim of Allen, I would urge them to contact us a soon as possible on our dedicated NSPCC hotline number of 0800 048 0278 quoting Operation Stanhope.

The Charges

Allen first appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court on October 4, 2017, where he was remanded to attended the Old Baily on November 1, 2017.

He appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, April 13 and sentenced for a total of 11 years for 12 sexual offences involving minors, as well as, making 30 Category C images of children he know, possession of three category A images, 28 Category B images and 611 Categeory C images. These also included one Category A video, and ten Category B videos.

Description

A teacher who had a "full-blown sexual relationship" with a 15-year-old boy has been jailed for 16 months.

Alice McBrearty, 23, admitted the four-month relationship with a pupil she taught at an east London school.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard McBrearty kissed the youngster in a classroom, and had sex with him at her parents' home in Wanstead Park, east London.

She pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.

'Besotted'

Prosecutors said the relationship began when the teacher sent the boy a friend request on Facebook.

Barrister Lisa Matthews said the teenager, who cannot be named, "felt special" and "appeared to be besotted" with McBrearty.

The court heard the pair met in several locations, including a hotel room McBrearty had booked, and had sexual contact.

Their relationship ended when the boy's father contacted police.

McBrearty put her head in her hands and sobbed when she was sentenced by Judge Sheelagh Canavan.

The judge described her as a "bright, intelligent and gifted young woman, who knew right from wrong," but who had committed the "grossest breach of trust".

'Fall from grace'

"You engaged in a full-blown sexual relationship with a 15-year-old child," she said.

"I accept he was consenting - what 15-year-old schoolboy would turn down such an attractive offer?

"I accept you truly believed this was a great romance, you were in love with him and vice versa, and that age didn't matter. But it did.

"You were supposed to keep him safe, to help him make the right decisions. Instead, you helped him make all the wrong ones."

Emma Shafton, defending, said her client, who is no longer a teacher, has had "a spectacular fall from grace".

"She has been utterly disgraced by this," she added.