Latest Offenders norfolk

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A predatory sex offender who attempted to seek out vulnerable teens online has been jailed.

Luke Winder, 27, interacted with four online profiles which he believed were operated by young girls, aged about 12 or 13.

Norwich Crown Court heard two of the profiles he contacted were actually undercover police officers.

John Morgans, prosecuting, said as part of the offences, which happened between 2016 and 2020, asked the profiles he was engaging with to send pictures of themselves.

He received a photo on at least one occasion.

Mr Morgans said some of the offending happened at the time when Winder was 21 and the girls he thought he was contacting were 12 or 13.

Winder, of Thorpe Road, Norwich, appeared at court for sentence on Thursday (April 21) having previously admitted attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity

He had also previously admitted three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

Jailing Winder for 36 months, Judge Katharine Moore described Winder's behaviour as "predatory" and "corrupting".

Judge Moore said he was "seeking out or attempting to seek out vulnerable young teens".

The judge said it was his "sexual interest in young girls" which resulted in these offences.

Rob Pollington, mitigating, said these were attempts, or "decoy offences", rather than actual offences.

He said the defendant, who admitted his offending, had a significant issue with his health having suffered a brain haemorrhage which had inhibited him to a great extent.

He said the defendant did not feel comfortable speaking to peers and sought companionship in an electronic world.

Mr Pollington said his client felt more attractive to those he interacted with online, which he acknowledged was wrong.

But he said he does suffer from "an entrenched problem" which he needed to get to grips with and be rehabilitated.

Winder must sign on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

The defendant might also be made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) but that has been adjourned until April 28.

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A paedophile who offered to rescue children from an orphanage in war torn Ukraine and posed as a medic in refugee camps in Poland has been banned by a judge from leaving the UK.

Ordering 34-year-old Adam Wyles to surrender his passport for 18 months Judge Martyn Levett said it was clear from his previous convictions that he had an entrenched sexual interest in young female children.

He said that between March 7 and 21 this year Wyles had travelled to Poland to deliver aid to refugees fleeing from Ukraine and had offered to rescue children from a Ukrainian orphanage.

He said information had been received from someone who travelled with Wyles to Poland that he had posed as a medical aid officer in a refugee camp and had an air ambulance medic uniform and a false medical identification badge.

Judge Levett was considering an application from the Chief Constable of Suffolk on Thursday ( March 31) to amend a sexual harm prevention order made by Norwich Crown Court in April 2020 by ordering Wyles to surrender his passport and banning him from leaving the UK.

Wyles, of Sycamore Avenue, Great Yarmouth, was given a community order and a five year sexual harm prevention order restricting his contact with children in 2015 after he was convicted of possession of indecent images of children.

In 2020 Norwich Crown Court heard that Wyles had breached the requirements of the sexual harm prevention order by tricking a charity that supports children with disabilities into letting him drive on a trip to Europe in 2019.

On that occasion Wyles admitted three further offences of making indecent images of children and failing to comply with the notification requirements of a sexual harm prevention order and was jailed for 27 months.

The court heard that Wyles had a number of previous convictions including posing as a police officer and possessing a police uniform.

After considering Wyles previous convictions, evidence about his trips to Poland and evidence from Wyles, who disputed some of the claims made about him, Judge Levett amended the earlier sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to surrender his passport and banned him from leaving the UK for 18 months.

I reach the conclusion it is necessary and proportionate to amend the order, said the judge.

Wyles' attempt to spin his trip to this paper

A convicted sex offender who travelled to Ukraine posing as a medic brazenly contacted this newspaper trying to spin a heroic story about his time there.

Adam Wyles, who was banned from leaving the country by a judge at Ipswich Crown Court, wrote to us saying he had just returned from Ukraine, where he said he had been providing medical evacuation and treatment services to those wounded and fleeing and wanted to speak to a journalist about his experiences.

A reporter spoke to him on the phone and he spoke at length about his experiences in Poland and Ukraine.

He said he worked to evacuate wounded soldiers and rescued Ukrainian families from Lviv and even Kyiv.

He even said that he felt compelled to return to the country to help and planned to do so as soon as possible.

After researching Wyles background and seeing his previous convictions, this newspaper declined to publish his story and launched an investigation into his trip.

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A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison with an additional four years extended licence following a number of fraud and sexual offences.

Jack Lister, of Landseer Drive in Downham Market appeared in Norwich Crown Court yesterday (March 3) after pleading guilty to fraud, making and possessing indecent images and blackmail, after he was found guilty by a jury of rape and sexual assault back in January.

The charges relate to a number of incidents between March 2020 and November 2020 when Lister created fake accounts on a number of online dating apps. During this period Lister contacted six different women, some of whom agreed to meet with him.

Lister would encourage the women to send him money on a number of separate occasions, making up scenarios as to why he needed it.

He would strike up a personal relationship with the women and get them to send intimate images or videos of them to him. He would then use these to threaten the victims into sending him money.

Officers received a report on 18 December 2020, claiming that Lister had raped a 20-year-old woman in Thetford Forest, after meeting her on an online dating app.

Following an extensive police investigation, officers traced a further victim aged 19, who disclosed that she too had been raped by Lister in an area of Thetford Forest in August 2020.

As part of the police investigation Listers mobile phone was searched and a number of indecent images and extreme pornography was discovered.

Lister was arrested on 4 August 2021 and was later charged with rape, fraud, sexual assault, making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

Yesterday (Thursday 3 March 2022) Lister was sentenced to a total of 16 years in prison with an additional four years on extended licence.

Investigating officer DC James Smith said: Listers actions will have a lasting impact on the victims, who have shown tremendous bravery in coming forward and giving evidence in court.

I would like to thank them for their courage and strength in supporting this prosecution and I hope todays sentence will offer some closure to all of those effected by his actions.

DI Richard Weller added: I hope this case demonstrates that Norfolk Police will do whatever we can to bring offenders who victimise women in this way to justice. I wish to pay tribute to the team of detectives who did an outstanding job in successfully building this case for the victims.

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Women came in through Manchester Airport to work in brothels A couple who trafficked vulnerable sex workers into the UK via Manchester Airport to work in a brothel have been jailed. Fabiani Alvez De Souza, 42, and her husband Gareth Derby, 53, were found guilty at trial of a number of offences following a large-scale police investigation into prostitution identified them. Officers working under North Yorkshire Police's 'Operation Oasis' began investigating the pair in 2017 and spoke to five sex workers on Bower Road in Harrogate. On the third visit in December 17, North Yorkshire Police said it 'became clear that a brothel was being operated' from the flat. Officers said that another woman was facilitating the travel of the workers to the UK and that 'she was involved in the management of their activities'. Yorkshire Live reports that De Souza rented the flat and then created, posted and even paid for adverts on an adult website under 'Escorts and Massages' alongside part of a Harrogate postcode. At the same time, she also paid for similar adverts in the South Wooton/PE30 area which related to another rented address on Nelson Street in Kings Lynn, Norfolk. Investigators also found that De Souza and Derby were paying for flights from Lisbon, Amsterdam and Brussels to the UK and train and road travel from airports across the country to the flat in Harrogate, and another rented flat in Kings Lynn. Police said that in September 2017, the pair travelled to Manchester Airport to collect a woman who had travelled from Amsterdam. They then drove her to the flat in Harrogate and the next day an advert was posted to an adult website and the couple returned to Kings Lynn. The investigation showed that De Souza was controlling her activities and that between October 25 and 30, two more cash deposits of 500 and 600 were made into her bank account in Harrogate. Financial records showed that De Souza then paid 70.98 for an EasyJet flight for the same woman who flew from London Stansted to Amsterdam on October 29. A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said: "Following this, three cash deposits were made in Harrogate to De Souza's bank account in varying amounts from 163 to over 1,000. "Neither De Souza or Derby were in Harrogate when these deposits were made." Officers from both North Yorkshire Police and Norfolk Constabulary visited the couple's home in Walpole St Andrew, Kings Lynn, and spoke to a woman they had previously seen at the flat in Harrogate. Another woman who was involved in prostitution was found at the address and De Souza was arrested. Derby was later arrested and a financial examination showed the couple had spent thousands of pounds setting up the business, but had received cash deposits of more than 40,000 during a six-month period. They were both found guilty at a trial at Leeds Crown Court of a number of offences including controlling prostitution for gain. A jury heard De Souza and Derby had exploited seven women between the ages of 26 and 60 from Brazil, Portugal and Spain and they were jailed for five years. They were also made the subject of slavery and trafficking orders that will last for 10 years after their release from prison. Detective Constable Leah Kitchen from North Yorkshire Police's Organised Crime Unit said: "De Souza claimed throughout the investigation that she was just helping friends of hers who were working as prostitutes, while Derby repeatedly told the police that he was unaware of what was going on. "The truth of the matter is that they, together, were operating an illegal business involving human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain. "This is an important case as it is a victimless prosecution for a human trafficking and controlling prostitution investigation, which is unusual and more difficult to progress to court. "I'm very proud that North Yorkshire Police, with assistance from Norfolk Constabulary, have rooted out this activity and brought the offenders to justice." De Souza was convicted under the Sexual Offences Act of eight offences of controlling prostitution for gain, along with seven offences under the Modern Slavery Act for arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation. Derby was found guilty of two charges in relation to controlling prostitution for gain and arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

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A predatory paedophile who preyed on young boys has been jailed for 25 years.

David Wilson, 36, from King's Lynn admitted 96 child sex crimes against 51 victims at a hearing in November.

They included intentionally causing or inciting boys to engage in sexual activity, blackmail, intentionally causing children to look at sexual images and intentionally facilitating the sexual exploitation of children by sending on images of those children.

Today he appeared to be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court.

David Wilson, 36, was prosecuted for 96 child sex abuse offences relating to 52 victims, but the National Crime Agency (NCA) said it has evidence that he approached more than 5,000 children globally. The agency said as many as 500 of them sent abuse material to Wilson, of Kirstead, King's Lynn, Norfolk.

Wilson pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Crown Court to all 96 counts. He was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday and will also serve a further eight years on extended licence when his prison term ends.

Judge Rupert Overbury, sentencing Wilson, described his crimes as among the worst he had seen over his 40-year career.

He told him: "You carried out a lengthy and premeditated campaign of sadistic and manipulative abuse of young boys using social media.

"Any decent human being will be astonished at the level of depravity involved. You demonstrated a complete and utter disregard for every child you manipulated irrespective of their age.

"There was a sadistic element to your offending including blackmail and a relentless targeting of vulnerable children who often pleaded for mercy."

He added: "You are in my judgement an extremely dangerous individual who has a perverted and sadistic sexual interest in young boys. On the facts presented to the court you can properly be described as a serial paedophile."

Former roofer Wilson set up a series of fake social media profiles, using unregistered phones, to send images of girls from the internet to young boys in exchange for the boys sending him videos and images of themselves, the NCA said.

Wilson then threatened to distribute these online unless they sent more extreme footage of themselves, in some cases of them abusing younger siblings or friends, the agency said.

The 52 victims in the case were all boys aged between four and 14 and the offending happened between May 2016 and April 2020.

The offences uncovered during a five year investigation included causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child.

Wilson also admitted making unwarranted demands for indecent images of a child with menace, threatening to post an indecent image on social media if they did not comply.

Wilson would not have been brought to justice without evidence from Facebook, according to the NCA.

Rob Jones, the agency's director of threat leadership, said the social media giant's proposed move to an end-to-end encryption privacy model "poses an existential threat to child protection" online.

A Facebook spokesman said: "Child exploitation and grooming have no place on our platforms."

NCA head of operations Tony Cook said: "David Wilson has absolutely devastated not only his victims but the families they belong to.

He has caused heart-breaking suffering and huge disruption to the lives of those he targeted from the problems his abuse caused.

Wilson preyed on their vulnerability. They genuinely believed they were talking to a teenage girl who was interested in them.

He groomed, bullied and blackmailed young boys into sending him indecent images and in some instances performing horrific abuse on themselves and others. Despite knowing their utter anguish and despair he ignored their pleas from him to stop.

He retained indecent material and threatened to share it among victims friends so he could maintain control of them.

Sadly there are many offenders out there like Wilson who use the internet to hide their real identities, using convincing personas to groom children.

I urge parents to speak with their children about who they communicate with online and what they share. People need to understand this can happen to anyone."

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A man from Great Yarmouth who was previously convicted for sex offences has now been banned from getting close to any women and girls on public transport across the country.

Liam Jonas was handed the five-year sexual harm prevention order as he was sentenced for stroking a 14-year-old girl and touching a 21-year-old woman on buses in Great Yarmouth.

Jonas, 30, of Wellington Road and who has learning difficulties, had admitted two counts of assault by beating, which related to the way he had touched his victims on the buses last June.

Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court heard Jonas had been placed on a sex offenders register until June 2020 and had carried out two sex assaults in 2013.

His recent behaviour on buses had then led to Norfolk police to ask for the national ban on him standing or sitting by females on public transport.

On June 12, Jonas sat behind a 14-year-old girl on a bus in Great Yarmouth and had stroked her.

Katherine Kibryra-Deane, prosecuting, said the girl thought Jonas was "creepy" and had been left disgusted by what had happened to her.

The 21-year-old woman was on a bus on June 13 when Jonas sat by her and reached out to touch her.

Miss Kibrya-Deane said: "She was shocked and worried about what he would immediately do next."

As a result of the incident the women did not get on a bus for three weeks as she felt unsafe.

The court heard Jonas had three convictions for six offences, including the two sex assaults from 2013.

Due to his behaviour he had already been banned from buses in Great Yarmouth.

Anne Marie Sheridan, mitigating, said Jonas had ADHD and autism, had not been in education since the age of 13 and had no involvement with agencies, such as social care.

Jonas felt socially awkward and thought the way to find a girlfriend was to meet them on buses and had been "clumsy" in his attempts to do so.

Miss Sheridan said: "He was just hoping he was going to meet someone."

The five-year public transport banning order had a clause that said Jonas could be near females if it was unavoidable due to congestion.

He was also handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, placed on a 24-month probation order and ordered to pay 250 compensation to each of his two victims.

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A man already serving a jail sentence for sexual offences against a girl has been convicted of abusing two other child victims years earlier.

Ian Bennett, 57, was jailed for 24 years in 2016 after being found guilty of a campaign of sexual abuse against a young girl between 2005 and 2015.

But Bennett, currently of HM Prison Bure, was back in court after admitting 11 sexual offences against another child, between 1987 and 1992 and two offences against another girl between 1999 and 2001.

Will Carter, prosecuting at Norwich Crown Court, said there was a period of 25 years when Bennett was "routinely abusing young girls"

The offences, which occurred in Norfolk as well as Lancashire, included two counts of gross indecency against one girl as well as two counts of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13.

Bennett also admitted six counts of sexual assault as well as well as indecency with a child and indecent assault.

In an impact statement one of the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said her confidence and self-worth were "shattered into pieces".

She said what happened was "terrifying" and "still haunts me today" adding she had "wanted to die".

Another woman, who was abused by Bennett between 1999 and 2001, said the defendant "ruined my life".

She said her "childhood was not a childhood" and that she had been a "scared little girl".

The woman felt "disgusted" at the thought of what Bennett had done to her and wished she could have a normal life.

Judge Katharine Moore said Bennett was already serving a sentence for "the most appalling sexual abuse" and was to be dealt with for "serious sexual abuse" against two other young girls in the preceding years.

Bennett was sentenced to an extended determinate sentence of 28 years made up of 20 years custody, and eight years extended licence.

The sentence, which is concurrent to the sentence he is currently serving, means he will not be eligible for parole until 2035.

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said Bennett stands by his guilty pleas.

He said Bennett's pleas have spared two women from having to give evidence about highly traumatic events.

Bennett, who must sign on the sex offenders register indefinitely, was also made the subject of a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting either victim directly or indirectly.

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A young woman has told how a terrifying sexual assault by a man who had been 'lurking' near to Norwich's nightclubs has left her 'scarred'.

Florenc Xhaferrllari, 28, attacked the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as she left Mantra nightclub on Prince of Wales Road in Norwich at about 4am.

Norwich Crown Court heard the victim, then 18, had been walking back to her car at Mountergate car park, near Rose Lane, when she was attacked.

Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, said after leaving to go home the victim "became aware that a man was following her".

He said: "As she turned around, having heard a man running behind her, she saw Florenc Xhaferrllari running up to her."

Mr O'Donnell said the victim "tried to ignore him".

After she refused a cigarette, Mr O'Donnell said Xhaferrllari "grabbed her roughly".

She told him not to touch her which "angered him" and he "grabbed her more roughly".

Mr O'Donnell said she began screaming and "tried to kick him in the genitals".

The defendant told the victim "just have sex with me" before grabbing her again and forcing her to the floor.

The court heard he put his hand over her mouth as the victim screamed "help me, someone help".

Mr O'Donnell said she screamed for help about 20 times but Xhaferrllari put his hand over her mouth and then sexually assaulted her.

The victim, who feared she was going to be raped, continued to scream out for help with those who heard her cries calling police.

She managed to bite his hand and he released his grip and as the victim continued to scream he "got up and ran off".

Before he was arrested at a taxi rank in the city, Xhaferrllari saw the victim who managed to get back to her car and he gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

After being arrested the defendant was to tell police "I feel good, but bad for what I did".

He said he was very drunk and would have to say to his wife "I did something wrong last night".

Xhaferrllari, from Kensington Place, off City Road, Norwich, appeared in court for sentence on Monday (December 20) having previously admitted assault by penetration on July 20, 2016.

Mr O'Donnell said after being initially being arrested Xhaferrllari "skipped police bail" and went to Albania, Italy, Germany and Hungary.

A European arrest warrant was issued in 2017 and he was arrested earlier this year before he admitted the offence.

Before Xhaferrllari was sentenced the victim read out an emotional impact statement which described the severe psychological harm she had suffered.

She said she has been left "scarred" because of what he did to her as her family have.

She said: "What he did will affect me for life."

The victim said it has changed the way she feels about men and how she was an object to be used and that is all she was.

The victim also described feeling let down when he fled and feared she would not get justice.

Sentencing Xhaferrllari to a total of five years in prison Judge Anthony Bate said Xhaferrllari had "targeted a lone young woman" as she walked home.

Judge Bate said it had been a "sustained and violent assault" by the defendant who had been "lurking" on Prince of Wales Road and who decided to commit a serious sexual assault on the victim.

Xhaferrllari was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order banning him from contacting the victim again.

Judge Bate said the defendant, who was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, faces deportation back to his native Albania.

Matthew McNiff, mitigating, said the defendant, who was 23 at the time of the offence, had no previous convictions adding his client was anxious to offer unqualified apologies to the victim.

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A convicted sex offender who repeatedly hid his computer during police checks has been jailed over indecent images of children.

Neil Marston, 51, admitted breaching a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed after he was convicted of possessing similar images of children in 2018.

Norwich Crown Court heard officers who visited his home on April 14 this year discovered him attempting to hide a Lynx tablet computer behind a wardrobe.

It was subsequently found to contain more than 100 indecent images of children and two videos of sexual content involving children.

In interviews Marston, of Quarry Lane in Lyng, admitted he had hidden the device on previous visits by officers carrying out inspections under the order.

He claimed the images were not illegal and were "just erotic".

Marston, a carpenter, appeared at court to be sentenced on Tuesday having previously pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of a child and two counts of making indecent photos of a child.

Lori Tucker, defending, said the offences had been committed without a "consideration of the consequences" but that Marston now accepted that indecent images of children caused "real world harm".

"These offences were committed 20 months ago and in the meantime there has been no suggestion of further reoffending," she added.

But the court heard that a pre-sentence report had concluded there was a "high risk" of Marston committing further offences involving indecent images of children and that he also posed a danger to children in person.

Jailing him for 15 months, including three months from the suspended prison term imposed in 2018, Judge Katharine Moore said he was a "dishonest man willing to deceive and lie to authority".

She said: "It's perfectly clear, despite everything that you have said, that you have a sexual attraction to children that is longstanding and enduring.

"When this is taken together with your deceitful ways it mitigates against community intervention.

"What is particularly concerning is that you are someone who, on the face of it, is likely to attend and engage but in reality you are practicing deceit and carrying on regardless and repeated prosecution has proved to be no deterrent to you."

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A former Norfolk traffic warden who sexually abused a 13-year-old boy three decades ago has been jailed for four and half years.

Shane Vertigan, 52, who also worked previously as a police community support officer (PCSO) in Fakenham, preyed upon Wesley Spinks, who was aged 13 at the time of the offences.

The abuser was jailed at Norwich Crown Court on Monday (December 13) after having previously admitted three counts of gross indecency with a child under 14 and two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14 dating back to 1992 and 1993.

Vertigan, who appeared via videolink from prison, is already serving a six-year sentence imposed two years ago for sexual assaults he committed against a teenage girl in the mid 2000s.

Mr Spinks, now aged 41, has waived his right to anonymity. He read out an emotional statement to the court about the impact the abuse has had on his life.

Addressing his abuser directly and with his voice breaking, the former Hellesdon High School pupil said: " Shane, I will never truly know the emotional and life changing effects that your abuse had on me."

He added: "Through the years your actions shut me down emotionally and physically, having to relive your disgusting actions daily , where I can both smell and remember what you made me do to you, all for your own self-gratification."

Prosecutor Lori Tucker said Mr Spinks had known and trusted Vertigan but that he had sexually abused the then teenage boy after coming into his bedroom wearing nothing but his underwear. On another occasion he abused him in a van before taking him to a Norwich City match.

Sentencing Vertigan, Judge Maureen Bacon said he had committed a "terrible abuse of an innocent child".

"I have heard from the very considerable impact your offending has had upon him over the years," she said.

"He describes how his emotions have been disabled and disturbed and how he had descended into alcohol dependency which mercifully he has fought his way back from.

"He stands in this court with sufficient magnanimity to forgive you."

Juliet Donovan, mitigating, said Vertigan has been married for 22 years and had been involved in church activities for many years.

"He has written an apology note," she said. "In essence it is a deep apology. He realises what he has done and the effect he has had."

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Police have praised the bravery of a King's Lynn teenager who was groomed and raped by a man who has been jailed for 25 years.

Investigators branded Florian Petrica Calin, 39, a "determined and calculated" abuser after he was sentenced for three charges of rape against the 14-year-old girl in 2019.

The Romanian man, who lived in Sir Lewis Street in King's Lynn, was found guilty following a trial in October.

Calin, who had denied all charges, was found not guilty of a further three charges of rape, plus one of making threats to kill.

Appearing at Norwich Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced, Calin, who spoke through a Romanian interpreter, was jailed for 25 years for rape.

Judge Maureen Bacon also sentenced him to 10 years to be served concurrently for two further charges of rape.

Calin was placed on the sex offender register for life and told he faces deportation back to Romania upon release from prison.

Norfolk police said his victim had shown courage throughout the lengthy investigation into the abuse she had suffered.

Investigating officer, DC Carl Richie, said: "Calin systematically groomed and abused this victim in a determined and calculated manner.

"He completely destroyed the trust of those around him after he continued to abuse a child for his own perverted needs.

"I would like to commend the victim, who has shown great strength and courage throughout this investigation and I hope this sentence provides them with some closure."

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A man has been jailed for his role in arranging the sexual exploitation of a teenager.

Trevor Webb, 38, met the victim online and she was then taken to hotels and other addresses in King's Lynn where she had sexual encounters with other men.

Norwich Crown Court heard the teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, received money in exchange for acts carried out by the victim.

Nicola May, prosecuting, said "some of those encounters had been very concerning" in that they had gone "beyond what had been agreed".

Webb, of Dobby Drive, King's Lynn, appeared at court on Tuesday (December 7) to be sentenced after previously admitting two counts of arranging to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child between February and April 2018.

He had also previously admitted making an indecent image of a child between January and June 2018.

Stephen Spence, mitigating, said his client should be given credit for his pleas.

He claimed his client was essentially a man of good character who had suffered a "significant and substantial" delay in the case.

He said: "He's had these proceedings hanging over him for some three years now" adding that he was now signed off work as a result of being unwell due to it.

Mr Spence added: "This is a man who has suffered, not insignificantly, by not knowing what his fate was."

Sentencing Webb to a total of 22 months in prison, Judge Maureen Bacon said he had taken advantage of the victim who had been troubled and vulnerable.

Judge Bacon said she accepted he had entered guilty pleas and that there had been delays in the case due to necessary research into the case and the pandemic, but insisted a custodial sentence was necessary.

Webb was also made the subject of a restraining order, meaning he cannot contact the victim directly, or indirectly until further order.

He must also sign on the sex offenders' register for the next 10 years.

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A former Norfolk hospital worker jailed for sex offences, including explicit online chats with girls he believed to be as young as 12, impersonated a police officer to try to get his NHS job back.

Jordan Ellis, 27, who was a care assistant at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and a St John Ambulance volunteer, was sentenced to a total of two years and eight months for a string of sexual offences.

Police who raided his then home in Lawson Road, Lowestoft, seized his laptop and phone.

Prosecutor Ian James told Norwich Crown Court specialist officers accessed an instant messaging service and retrieved deleted data from the chats with online profiles that stated they were children.

In one he asked what he believed to be a 15-year-old girl whether he could also see her 10-year-old sister, he said.

Ellis, who now lives in Benbow Close, Hethersett, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to incite three separate children aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sending images of his body parts and two counts of attempting sexual communication with two children he believed were 14 and 15.

He also admitted making and distributing indecent images of children.

Appearing at Norwich Crown Court on Friday, he also pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer when he sent fraudulent emails.

During the investigation, he had been suspended from his job as an NHS health care assistant and from his voluntary work for St John Ambulance.

However, he sent an email to both organisations in November 2019 attaching a letter purporting to be from DC Amy Nunn, an officer working on the investigation, to say no further action was to be taken against him.

DC Nunn said: "This has been a complicated job with Ellis taking many steps to try and hide his offending.

"The predatory nature of this individual has been exposed and the risk he poses to children can now be managed."

St John Ambulance confirmed Ellis had been suspended as a volunteer upon his arrest and then dismissed when he pleaded guilty to his crimes.

A spokesperson for the charity added: "We are appalled by Jordan Ellis's crimes and our thoughts go out to anyone who has been affected."

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Updated photo as previous was NOT correct. A Royal Navy sailor, who worked on HMS Prince of Wales, has been jailed for five years after raping a female colleague while she slept. Leading Seaman Sam Avery was convicted at Bulford Military Court, in Wiltshire. He has also been dismissed from Her Majesty's Services with disgrace. The female sailor woke to find Avery having sex with her, his hands on her waist and her pants pulled down to her knees. The woman, who cannot be named, had turned down two of his previous advances but agreed to let him stay the night in her bed before falling asleep. She said the attack "came out of nowhere" as there was not even a friendly hug or kiss between the two. The only sexual contact between them was the advances she had rejected earlier. Avery, who worked refuelling stealth fighters on aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, denied a single charge of rape and claimed to have no memory of having sex with her. He said, if anything did happen, it must have been consensual. Jailing him, Judge Robert Hill told Avery he had betrayed the trust of the woman who had agreed to let him sleep in her room. Judge Hill said: "You and your victim had been contacting for some time on a social network. You had not met until the night of this offence. You were both out in Portsmouth, and you went back to [her address] with her. "There came a time when both you and she went to bed. She took you on trust. There had been nothing sexual leading up to this. "She firmly rebuffed you twice - there was no doubt she was not up for sex. "She was drunk and asleep when you started to have sex with her. She trusted you and you knew you were being trusted." During the trial, the panel heard the woman had gone to a pub in Portsmouth with friends before making her way back to her address. Prosecutor William Peters said the pair knew of each other through social media but she did not know Averys name as he messaged her using a group account. During the course of her evening at the pub, she had been exchanging messages with Avery, of 207 Squadron RAF Marham, Norfolk, which is a joint RAF and Navy unit for the F35 Lightning stealth fighter. After bumping into him, she invited him back to her room for a drink and was happy to let him sleep in her bed. Mr Peters said: "He made two efforts to touch her intimately but she rebuffed his advances and pushed him away. "She then woke to find him on top of her with his penis inside her vagina, her pants had been pulled just below her knees, and his hand was around her waist." In a police interview shown to the court, the woman said she was shocked by the alleged attack, saying: "He [touched] me on my waist area and I grabbed his hand and went no and then he stopped. "And then about five minutes later he proceeded to do it again and I grabbed his hand and said no I told you not to and then he stopped again. "I drifted off to sleep [and] was awoken by him inside of me. I said what are you doing, have you realised what you have just done? "And he grunted. I remember trying to process what the hell had just happened - it was shock as well because there was no intention what so ever. Not even a friendly hug. There was no kissing. "There was no sexual gesture when we were in that room at all. I was in shock because it just came out of nowhere. "After I asked him what he was doing, I remember the bed shaking as he was masturbating." In the interview, the woman said Avery was making pleasure noises and grunting as the alleged rape took place. The court heard Averys DNA was found inside her. In the police interview, she said Avery messaged her the day after the incident asking about what had happened and if she was okay. She added: "I replied saying I am traumatised by me waking up to you inside of me'. "He said are you sure? I put yes I am sure. Then he said are you okay? I said no I am not okay after what you did to me, you did not have consent. "He read that message and never replied."

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A woman has described how part of her has been "destroyed" and she fears she will never recover following historic sexual abuse by a dangerous offender.

The woman was one of three young girls subjected to abuse by Kevin Pritchard, 65, between the 1970s and 90s.

Norwich Crown Court heard that during a 14-year period Pritchard, of Falkland Close, Hellesdon, repeatedly abused the three victims, who were under 12 at the time. He was given a 17 year sentence.

Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, said Pritchard had told each of his victims to keep it a secret.

Pritchard, who was between 20 and 30 when the offences were being committed, was arrested last year and admitted the offending stating he did not know why he had done it and had "probably been drinking".

He appeared at court on Monday (October 18) for sentence having previously admitted 15 offences, including gross indecency with a girl under 14 and indecent assault of a girl under 14.

Before Pritchard was sentenced, Mr O'Donnell read out a statement on behalf of one of the victims, describing how the abuse she had suffered left her wanting to take her own life.