Latest Offenders

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A child rapist from Devon has been jailed for the sexual abuse of three girls. Aaron Bennett, 33, was convicted of eleven serious sexual offences at a trial in October.

The paedophile returned to Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday (November 21) to be sentenced for his crimes. Judge Stephen Climie imposed a 28-year sentence with an extension of eight years due to the danger he poses.

The judge said the offending had a significant psychological effect on the victims. He told Bennett: "This for you is the end of a chapter in your life and the beginning of your time in custody.

"Observing the evidence of the three victims in this case was a matter which caused significant upset among jurors who had to try this case.

"It was compelling and obviously credible evidence given by three young people despicably and seriously abused. One can only hope in some shape this sentencing can draw some sort of line to allow them to move forward in their lives."

Bennett, of New Exeter Street, Chudleigh, was convicted of rape of a child under 13; attempted rape of a child under 13; sexual assault of a child under 13; and assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.

The court heard moving victim statements in which they described the trauma caused by Bennett. He used threats and violence to ensure their silence. He threatened to kill loved ones if they revealed what he had done.

Each of the victims suffered psychological distress trying to bottle up what had happened to them. One said she no longer feels safe around men.

Another added: "I've not given up on being happy. I've worked on my mental health. I want to move on with life and focus on the positives although I know it will not be an instant thing."

Mr Adrian Chaplin, defending, said Bennett was a man of previous good character and there had been substantial delays in getting the case to court.

Judge Climie said he was satisfied that Bennett should be subject to an extended sentence due to the danger he poses. He will serve two thirds of the 28 years in prison before being considered for release. What remains of the full 36 years will be served on licence.

He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the sex offender register. 

Afterwards Detective Constable Donna Tullock from the Local Safeguarding Investigation Team said: “I firstly must commend the incredible bravery of the victims who had the courage to come forward and support this investigation. Without their strength in character, we wouldn’t have been able to build such a strong case.

“Bennett is now where he belongs - behind bars where he will face the consequences of these abhorrent crimes. He is a dangerous predator and a threat to children.

“Nothing will ever take away the trauma that these individuals have been through, but I hope that there can be some reassurance in knowing that this man will be locked up for a considerable amount of time.

“We truly hope that this outcome gives other victims the strength to come forward and report incidents of rape and sexual assault to us. We have support mechanisms in place to help support victims throughout the process.”

Description

A prolific paedophile had so many images of children being raped and abused he created a sophisticated filing system so that he could access what he wanted on any given day. Andrew Mullen, 68, was back in the dock eight years after being sentenced for near identical offences.

Mullen, of New Road, Liskeard, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photographs of children.

Prosecuting the case, Ryan Murray told the court how in April 2020 the National Crime Agency received a referral from their counterparts in New England alerting them to accounts being used on an encrypted cloud platform. The accounts were created using an email linked to Mullen.

Local police raided Mullen's address and when they arrived he said, "not again, I haven't done anything". During interview Mullen said that the accounts weren't his and suggested he may have been hacked.

Eventually police gained access and found that the account was being used for storage of child abuse images. They found a file system with the indecent images and videos categorised under different titles.

In total officers found 875 Category A images and videos, 483 Category B and 5,465 Category C. Some of the material showed children as young as two or three being raped and abused, many of whom were in severe pain or distress. There was also evidence that Mullen had been involved in chat with other paedophiles, asking if they "had anything for him".

Representing Mullen, Piers Norsworthy told the court that his client had been in the Navy for 32 years before leaving and working in charity and theatre. Mr Norsworthy went on to say that Mullen has a 38-year-old son who suffers from cerebral palsy and is in residential care. Mr Norsworthy added that Mullen has ongoing health problems which "will make prison extremely uncomfortable for him".

Sentencing Mullen, Judge Simon Carr noted Mullen's previous offending and said that the treatment he attended and engaged with "failed to stop his entrenched sexual interest in children".

Judge Carr said that the folders of child abuse material were created so that he could access what he wanted without having to scroll through his vast collection of filth. Judge Carr added: "You had 875 Category A images showing children as young as two or three being raped for your entertainment. When confronted your reaction was to lie and pretend it was nothing to do with you and you put forward the fanciful suggestion you'd been hacked."

Judge Carr noted Mullen mitigation, mainly his caring responsibilities and his health, but said nothing other than an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. Mullen was jailed for 15 months.

Description

A LYMINGTON paedophile who was found with more than 2,000 indecent pictures of children has avoided an immediate jail sentence after a judge ruled he did not intend to share them.

Martin Davidson (49), of Ditchbury, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images, which included some of the most serious, category A, and three counts of distributing them.

He also admitted possessing an extreme pornographic image.

However, Davidson claimed he was unaware an app he had downloaded to boost his internet speed would automatically share the images with others, which led to a Newton hearing at Southampton Magistrates Court to resolve factual differences.

Southampton Crown Court
Giving evidence, Davidson said he had used the app to download films and music before this led to viewing pornographic and indecent images.

He said the app was a complicated system and he had used an internet search to find how to improve his download speeds, changing the settings in the app based on what he copied from a forum.

Despite it being described by prosecutor Ellie Sheehan as a peer-to-peer sharing app, Davidson said never at any time had he considered the files he was downloading would be shared elsewhere and was unaware the sharing was automated.

Recorder James Watson KC ruled Davidson had not knowingly distributed the images, which the court heard showed children as young as two in distress.

Davidson was arrested at his home in September 2021, and his laptop and a mobile phone were seized.

On examination they were found to contain 772 category A images, 298 category B and 1,006 category C.

All categories contained stills and videos, the court heard, with most of the children shown estimated to be aged between five and 10 years.

Defending, Daniel Higgins said his client had been in a dark place when the offences were committed over a three-month period, but had been transparent and compliant after his arrest.

He had taken significant steps to address his offending, and engaged with therapy and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse.

A letter from Davidsons wife, which was not read out in court, spoke volumes about the impact of his offending on the family, he said, who would be punished if he was sent to jail.

He added: The stigma carried with this type of offending, which is known within the local community, is further punishment itself.

Sentencing him to a total of 16 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, recorder Watson said: Distribution is, within the guidelines, a much more serious offence than possession and in dealing with you that must be the lead matter.

However, I have concluded the prosecution cannot show you intentionally distributed the images with knowledge of what you were doing.

There was a degree of naivety, coupled with carelessness, through using the app.

Turning to the possession charges, he said aggravating factors included the volume of images and evidence of organised and encrypted storage archives.

He added: You and your wife have clearly worked hard on the difficulties revealed by your behaviour, and I accept overall the direction of travel gives one some optimism for future rehabilitation.

You have shown a degree of remorse and insight, and put the time from your arrest to good use.

Had I found the prosecution case proved, there would have been no escape from an immediate custodial sentence.

Davidson must also carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his internet activity for 10 years.

Description

Ryan Ceri Whitefoot, aged 25 from Baglan, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of sexual offences against a child.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register for life and will have a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SOPO) placed on him for life.

Detective Inspector Sharon Gill-Lewis said:

"I welcome the significant custodial sentence handed to Ryan Whitefoot.

“His behaviour towards his young victim, who was only 13 years old when the abuse started, has been disgraceful. I would like to pay tribute to the victim, as they have shown incredible strength and courage throughout this case. We are robust in our stance against sexual offences, and this conviction sends a clear message that we will bring to justice those who sexually abuse and exploit children.

"South Wales Police remains committed to tackling all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls. We have specially trained officers who are assigned to each case, and we work alongside partner agencies to support those affected by this type of abuse.

“I would encourage anyone to report abuse in any form. All reports will be thoroughly investigated.”

Description

A paedophile father and son groomed and sexually abused a vulnerable young girl. Pensioner Roy Lockett initially targeted the child and subjected her to a lengthy period of abuse before "handing her over as a prize" to his rugby coach son who continued the abuse.

The pair then denied the offending, forcing the youngster to go through the ordeal of giving evidence at a trial. Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse meted out by the dad and son has had a profound effect on the victim leaving her feeling "worthless". Sending the defendants to prison a judge told 73-year-old Lockett he had used the girl "as his sexual plaything" and then "handed her over as a prize" to his 42-year-old son who continued the abuse.

The court heard widower Lockett targeted and groomed the girl and sexually abused her for a period of more than a year with the abuse including the use of items from his large collection of sex toys. He also took indecent photographs of the child and plied her with alcohol. Lockett's son, rugby coach Austin, then took over the abuse.

In statements from the victim which were read to the court the girl said what the defendants did to her had left her feeling anxious, depressed, "used", and "worthless". She said the abuse had affected every aspect of her life including her schooling, sleeping, and eating. In the statements she said that going through the court process had been "scary" and it had been embarrassing to talk about what happened to her in front of strangers but she said when she heard of the guilty verdicts from jurors "it felt like I could breathe again".

Roy Lockett, of Pembrey Road, Llanelli, had previously been convicted of three counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, and making an indecent photograph of a child and had previously pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Peter Austin, of Pant Y Celyn, Llanelli, had previously been convicted at trial of five counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child when he appeared alongside his dad in the dock.

Kate Williams, for Lockett, said the defendant did now accept his wrongdoing and that he must be punished for it. She said her client had health issues which would only get worse with time and said given his medical conditions he would find a custodial sentence harder than would a younger and fitter man. Dyfed Thomas, for Austin, said the defendant maintained the position he held at trial that he was not guilty. He said there was no evidence of anything untoward having happened in relation to Austin's role as a rugby coach and he said the offending against the girl had been "isolated" in nature.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said having heard the evidence in the trial he had no doubt that the defendants had been fully aware of what the other was doing to the vulnerable young girl. He said Lockett had groomed the girl first and used her "like his sexual plaything" including using items from his "hoard of sex toys" on her before he had "handed her over as a prize" to his son who continued the grooming and sexual abuse. The judge told Austin he had put himself in the role of a rugby coach knowing he had a "predilection" for young girls but he said there was no criticism to be made of the rugby authorities, the offending was unconnected to the coaching position, and the defendant had presented himself as a "responsible member of society".

The judge said both men had known of the victim's vulnerabilities when they targeted her and said in Lockett's belated admission of wrongdoing there was at least "a glimmer of some remorse" unlike in the case of his son who was maintaining his stance "in an attempt to present himself to some people as a victim of a miscarriage of justice", which he was not. Lockett was sentenced to a total of eight and a half years in prison and Austin was jailed for seven and a half years. Both defendants will be registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives and were made the subject of indefinite sex harm prevention orders.

Description

A paedophile Fife joiner who secretly snapped a naked picture of a 15-year-old girl with a hidden camera has been told he deserved to be jailed.

Voyeur Blair Mackie was caught with a perverted picture on his tablet.

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Christopher Foulger, 34, of Fort Cumberland Road, was sentenced on November 24 at Winchester Crown Court to two years imprisonment.

The sentence is for causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The offence took place at an address on Albert Road in Southsea on August 28 of this year.

Description

A MAN told a woman she had to be quiet as he launched a nightmare sex attack on her.

Jaimie Reeves refused to let the woman leave and kept trying to rape her despite her obvious resistance.

The attack left the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, with crippling" mental health problems and changed her life forever.

Reeves, 27, had been with the woman at a house in Dorset when the incident occurred.

The pair were both sat in the lounge in the evening, when Reeves moved to the sofa she was sat on and began to grope her.

They then went into the garden for a cigarette, at which point the defendant told the woman he wanted to have sex with her.

Once back inside, he tried to pull her shorts and underwear down and told her: Youre going to let me have it.

The woman refused his advances, telling him no and making multiple attempts to leave.

Reeves then launched a despicable sex attack on the woman, becoming rough and telling her she had to be quiet.

Prosecuting Andrew Houston said the assault took place over some considerable time, lasting for perhaps more than an hour.

The woman was only able to escape during the early hours of the morning when the defendant went into the bathroom to be sick.

She went home and told her mum, before reporting it to police.

In a victim statement, she said: Each morning when I wake up, I have to remind myself that he wont be able to hurt me anymore like he did that day.

I do believe this is something that will change my life forever.

Reeves, of Oxford Road in Sandhurst, appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, October 24, in relation to the incident which occurred in July 2020.

He was found guilty by a jury on counts of attempted vaginal rape, attempted oral rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

Defending, Nick Robinson noted his client was of previous good character and had no previous convictions.

Mr Robinson added: In my submission it wasnt planned, it was spontaneous.

These offences were not sustained or prolonged.

He added that the defendant's family were suffering emotionally, and pleaded for the court to approach the case with some mercy and compassion.

Addressing Reeves, Recorder Richard Onslow said: What went on inside was nothing short of a nightmare for [the victim].

"She kept telling you no and that she wasnt interested. You kept trying to rape her, when there was obvious resistance.

She felt extremely vulnerable.

The effects upon her have clearly been severe crippling anxiety, terrified of walking in the street, panic attacks, and struggling with mental health.

Reeves was handed a nine-year prison sentence.

He was also handed a restraining order for an indefinite period, and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A man has been jailed for nine years after raping a woman who was on a night out with friends in Cornwall.

Frankie Mann, 27, of Bridge Road, St Austell, was riding his moped on 28 May when he spotted the mother looking for her lost house keys and mobile phone in the town.

Mann offered to help before he later pulled her to the ground and raped her.

He was sentenced to nine years in prison, with three years on licence, after admitting the offence at Truro Crown Court in September.

The court heard how Mann had offered to help the woman find her keys and put his jacket around her to keep her warm.

He then carried on riding up and down the road while staying close to where the victim was.

CCTV footage showed Mann waiting for the victim who was walking along Alexandra Road.

Prosecutor Heather Hope told the court he "pounced on her" and raped her as she lay "frozen with fear" with his hand over her mouth.

The court heard the next day Mann went up to a police cordon at the scene and told police he had heard a woman screaming - and gave details of an older man with grey hair to throw officers off the scent.

But Mann had been seen riding his bike earlier on the night of the rape on a pavement weaving around pedestrians - and a woman reported him to police and gave his registration plate.

'Dirty and humiliated'

A specialist police dog found his semen on the pavement where he raped the woman.

After his arrest, Mann changed his story, and said when he went to the police cordon he asked an officer what was going on and told her he had consensual sex with a woman there.

The victim told the court she felt "numb, repulsed, dirty and humiliated".

"That night killed me inside," she said.

Ms Hope said Mann posed as a "Good Samaritan" who gave the victim a false sense of security.

Judge Simon Carr said the effect on the victim had been "catastrophic".

"You targeted and stalked this individual," he said.

"You pretended to assist her."

Mann will be placed on the Sex Offender Register for life.

Description

A man already serving a long prison sentence for sexual violence, has received a further jail term of 11 years for multiple rapes on another woman.

Mark Newton received a 14-year and three-month sentence, with five years’ extended licence period, after being branded as, “posing a high risk of causing serious harm to women”, by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court, in March, 2021, for subjecting two victims to sexual and physical violence.

He was back before the crown court, this time at Durham, today (Friday November 24), to be sentenced after admitting four further counts of rape, one of attempted rape and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm weeks before a scheduled trial for the offences.

The court heard the now 32-year-old defendant, previously of South View Gardens, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, has an earliest possible release date for his previous offences in January 2030.

But he may have to serve until October 2034 before being eligible for release on parole, before now starting his sentence for the latest offences before the court.

His offending with the victim in this case happened during the period of him committing the offences for which he has already been convicted, but did not come to light until after he was taken into custody.

Dr Chris Wood said the rapes were accompanied in some cases by physical violence, in one case placing his hands tightly around his victim’s neck and telling her: “I hope you have said goodbye to the kids”.

It caused her to black out, but when she came around Newton dragged her to a bedroom and tried to rape her, but she struggled and attempted to climb out of a window to escape.

She repeatedly told him she did not want sex, but he told her: “You’ll do what I say. You’ll live by my rules.”

It was only after Newton was taken into custody for the other offences that the victim came forward and gave a detailed account of the abuse she suffered.

Dr Wood said she was left “mentally and physically traumatised” by her experiences and now does not go out or have a social life.

She described herself as, “always looking over my shoulder” and struggles to sleep, often suffering panic attacks, and is trying to work through her problems with therapy.

Dr Wood said when interviewed, Newton was, “effectively in denial”.

David Callan, in mitigation, said once medical reports confirmed the defendant was fit to plead, he made his admissions, several weeks before the scheduled trial.

He said Newton suffers with adhd, even as an adult, for which he receives medication.

Mr Callan said since his client was transferred from HMP Northumberland to Durham Prison he now has, “a positive attitude” to seeing out his sentence.

“He’s taking it on a day at a time basis and just wants to get his head down and await going before the Parole Board.”

Judge James Adkin said he has no doubt that the defendant fits the criteria of being, “a dangerous offender”, posing a highly significant risk of committing further serious offences, particularly with women.

He told Newton: “You have now shown yourself capable of serious sexual offences against three women.”

Imposing an 11-year prison sentence with three years’ extended licence period, the judge said it should run consecutively with the defendant’s existing sentence.

He will have to serve at least two-thirds of the 11-year sentence before being eligible for release by the Parole Board.

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A FORMER soldier who works in the movie industry has been jailed after a jury found him guilty of child sex offences with a girl he thought was just 14.

Paedophile Michael O’Mahoney, 38, was convicted following a trial of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

The offences were committed in Newport and London between November 22, 2022, and March 28 this year.

O’Mahoney had denied the charges against him.

His barrister Peter Donnison told Cardiff Crown Court: “He does have previous convictions but none for offences such as this nature and they are of a particular age and it is some length of time since them.

“The most serious offence was of a completely different context as well and it was committed whilst he was serving in the army.

“Having been released from that previous sentence he has worked for a number of companies in different areas and in particular has been working on movie sets for Movie Guard in terms of providing security in that industry.”

The judge, Recorder John Hardy KC, told O’Mahoney: “It's wholly unnecessary for me to lecture you about these offences.

“You know what it is you've been convicted of doing by the jury whose verdicts were returned, if I may say so, with some considerable degree of promptitude.”

He jailed the defendant, of High Street, Stratford, London, for 18 months and told him he would serve half of that sentence before being released on licence.

O’Mahoney will have to register as a sex offender and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

He will also have to pay a statutory victim surcharge following his release from custody.

The attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act offence happened in Newport and the attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child charge occurred in London.

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A MECHANIC has been jailed after cops caught him raping a schoolgirl in a seaside car park.

Niall O'Sullivan, 28, has now been locked up for 10 years after the horror sex attack in Brighton in May.

The monster - who was 15 years the girl's senior - was caught in the act after the youngster's pals frantically called 999.

East Sussex's Lewes Crown Court heard how O'Sullivan had groomed the 12-year-old after they met online.

The pair spoke on Snapchat and WhatsApp for months before the then-27-year-old drove from Birmingham to Brighton to meet her.

Tim Forster, prosecuting, told the court the girl was in her school uniform the first time they met.

He added: “She was clearly under 16 by a significant margin.”

The pair had met on three occasions until O'Sullivan raped her in his car.

On that horror day, the young girl had told her mum she was seeing her friends.

And while she did meet her pals, it was them who called the cops on O'Sullivan.

Police were scrambled to the car park in Brighton Marina at about 2pm on Sunday May 7.

Jailing O’Sullivan, Judge Christine Laing, said: “You drove all the way down from Birmingham just to have sex with this child.”

The victim told police O’Sullivan became angry with her when she tried to speak with or go out with other friends.

Kevin Light, defending, said: “He knows what he did was wrong.

"He has mentioned throughout that he did not know how young she was although he admits that he knew she was under-age.”

Judge Laing, the Honorary Recorder of Brighton and Hove, said: “Sexual abuse of young children often gives them a life sentence. None of us knows the impact that it will have on (the victim) as she grows up.

“The law is there to protect children … and that’s why the sentences are as severe as they are.

“You knew full well you shouldn’t have been doing what you were doing. You drove all the way down from Birmingham just to have sex with this child.

“It would have been very obvious that she was very young and somewhat naïve.

“You didn’t even bother forking out for a hotel for this child but just had sex with her in your car. You knew full well that if you took her into a hotel, you would very likely have been challenged.”

You drove all the way down from Birmingham just to have sex with this child.

The Judge locked O'Sullivan up for nine years and four months, and made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

The judge also recommended that the two friends who called the police should receive a £200 award from the High Sheriff of East Sussex.

Detective Constable Stewart Cameron, from Sussex Police, said: “This was a highly distressing case which has had a lasting impact on the vulnerable young victim.

“O’Sullivan knew what he was doing was wrong and had no choice but to plead guilty when confronted with the evidence.

“His behaviour was brazen, often taking the victim to public locations in daylight in order to commit the appalling offences.

“This case demonstrates our determination to catch offenders and to get justice for vulnerable victims. We are pleased that a dangerous sex offender is now off our streets.”

Description

A Dundee man has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after admitting sending a picture of his private parts to a person he believed was only 12.

Charles Tippet, 50, was snared by a decoy account operated online by Shatter The Silence vigilante paedophile hunters.

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Description

A man from North Yorkshire has been sentenced to 13 months in prison after National Crime Agency officers recovered indecent images of children from his computers.

John Tesseyman was identified as part of an NCA investigation targeting UK nationals making payments to a Filipino family who facilitated child abuse.

Tesseyman was detained on suspicion of child sexual abuse offences by officers from the National Bureau of Investigation in the Philippines while visiting the country.

He was later released and returned to the UK, but was arrested by the NCA several weeks later at his home in Ingleton, Carnforth. During their investigation, officers identified that Tesseyman had made 53 payments, totalling approximately £2,700, to payees in the Philippines between March and October 2017.

On his arrest, NCA officers seized Tesseyman’s computers, which were found to have over 70 indecent images of children in categories A-C (A being the most severe) stored on them, including those of a Filipino child.

His internet search history demonstrated a strong sexual preoccupation with young children and contained graphic descriptions of child sexual abuse.

Tesseyman was charged with four counts of making indecent photographs of children.

Yesterday [24 November 2023] at Preston Crown Court, he was sentenced to 13 months in prison. He was also prohibited from travelling to a list of countries, including the Philippines, for 5 years.

The couple who facilitated the abuse of the children in some of the photos were both charged with offences involving the sexual exploitation of children. One of them has since been convicted, and is serving a 15 year term in prison in Manila.

National Crime Agency senior investigating officer, Daniel Waywell, said:

“The Philippines remains a key focus of our work to prevent child sexual abuse by UK nationals, and we have cultivated a close working relationship with partners in the area to combat these crimes.

“The investigation into John Tesseyman was the result of a concerted effort from NCA officers and our colleagues overseas, demonstrating our resolve to pursue and bring to justice individuals who pose a sexual threat to children.”

Description

A paedophile arranged to pick up who he thought was a 13-year-old girl from her Liverpool school for sex. Paul Ellis, 64, thought he was speaking to a girl called Courtney, but it was actually a police decoy.

He cancelled the meeting with the "girl", but was later arrested. The defendant, of Market Street, Abergele, admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence in September 2021.

A judge at Mold Crown Court said he poses a risk of serious harm to children and jailed him for five and a half years. The judge - Mr Recorder Simon Mills - said: "The risk of serious harm to children is obvious."

The court heard Ellis had received a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for earlier offending. But he started to re-offend within three months of the end of his Probation Service supervision.

Prosecutor Simon Mintz told how in September 2021 Ellis started an online conversation with "Courtney", claiming he was a 45-year-old man called Dave. Ellis used WhatsApp to ask sexualised questions and whether she was in a school uniform.

He arranged to pick up "Courtney" from her school in Liverpool on September 24 and take her back to his flat in North Wales. He also offered to help get her on the pill.

Days before the meeting he cancelled it but asked "Courtney" to keep it a secret. Mr Mintz said Ellis was arrested and initially claimed he did not know "Courtney" was a child.

But he later admitted the arranging offence and also breaching a SHPO. One of two iPhones, which police seized and which "mirrored each other", had had a virtual private network on it, the court heard.

Sarah Badrawy, defending, said her client had admitted his offences and that there had been a lack of offending since these crimes in 2021. The judge told Ellis he had lied about his name and age and had had "sexualised" online conversations with the "girl".

He had then arranged to have sex with her. The judge said: "You pose an imminent risk of serious harm to children.

"I accept your offending revolving entirely around decoys (but) you believed you were talking to a child and arranging to meet them. The risk of serious harm to children is obvious.

"You are now and you will continue to pose for the foreseeable future a significant risk of serious harm to members of the public and small children." The judge said if Ellis offended again he could face life imprisonment.

Imposing the five and a half year prison term he said he would be supervised for an extended period of four years. He also gave Ellis a ten-month concurrent jail term for breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

The SHPO will continue for life, he added.