Latest Offenders

Description

A predatory sex offender who committed a catalogue of crimes against children and vulnerable adults spanning more than three decades has been jailed following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.  

Craig Meredith, aged 50, of Middleton Road, Morley, was convicted of 38 offences following at trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He was found guilty of offences including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching.  

The offences covered a period from 1987, when he was 14 years old, to 2019 when he raped a victim under the guise of a paranormal entity which had possessed her.  

He manipulated vulnerable young children and adults with learning disabilities and left them suffering significant trauma and long-term mental health issues.  

Today he was sentenced to 33 years – 30 years custody with a three-year extended licence. 

Detective Inspector Vikki Daniel-Thomas, of Leeds District Safeguarding, said: “The level of harm that Meredith has caused to such a large number of victims over a very long period of time is truly appalling.  

“He is clearly someone of a predatory nature who presents a very significant danger to children and vulnerable adults, and we hope it will give the victims some reassurance to know he has finally had to answer for his actions and has received a significant term of imprisonment.  

“This was a complex and challenging investigation where the diligent work of the officers in the case, Detective Constable Julie Arnott and Detective Constable Paul Ashton, has resulted in this positive outcome for the victims.  

“Serious sexual offending such as this will always attract the highest level of investigation by specialist safeguarding officers to ensure that offenders like Meredith are brought to justice.  

“We hope the successful conclusion of this case will help to give victims of other similar offences to confidence to come forward.” 

Description

A dangerous sex offender has been jailed after sending explicit messages and arranging to meet a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Naveed Sultan arranged to meet the ‘girl’ – actually an adult posing as a teenager – at Sutton Lawn park in Sutton-in-Ashfield after sending her a number of sexually explicit messages.

Sultan turned up at the location but the woman he had been speaking to never approached him and just watched from a distance.

Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation after the information was passed to officers via the company which employed 38-year-old Sultan.

Detectives were also made aware of sexually explicit voice messages, videos and screen shots which Sultan had sent the ‘girl’.

After a detailed investigation, officers discovered Sultan had also been communicating sexually with two other teenage girls and had attempted to work out where they lived.

He sent messages to one of the girls, aged 13, threatening to rape her and also sent messages encouraging her to meet him.

Detectives were able to charge Sultan with a number of offences and he eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to meet a child following grooming.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (16 November), he was given a total custodial sentence of eight years, which will include five years in jail and a further three years on licence.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will limit his online activities once he is released from jail.

Sultan, of Sophie Road, Nottingham, was also added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

Description

A registered sex offender who broke the terms of a court order and attempted to communicate sexually with what he thought was a child has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Iain Stavert, 60, was brought before a court following work by police after he communicated online with a law enforcement employee who he believed to be a child.

He admitted a range of charges, covering:

• Breaching and attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order.
• Failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.
• Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Stavert, of Low White Close, Barrow, appeared before Preston Crown Court for sentencing.

Detective Constable Ashlynne Elliott oversaw the case.

Speaking after the sentencing, she said: “We work hard to monitor and manage people who are subject to such orders.

“As in this case, we will find out if they breach the terms of these preventative orders and we will do all we can to ensure they are held accountable for their offending.”

Stavert was sentenced on Thursday.

Description

A predator who arranged to meet an underage teen for sex has now been sentenced – after a joint North East police investigation.

Joseph Lee, 46, is now behind bars after he travelled to Framwellgate Moor to meet a 15-year-old girl he arranged to have sex with online.

However, what he didn’t know was that officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Durham Constabulary would be waiting to arrest him instead.

NEROCU detectives worked alongside officers from Durham Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigator Team, to carry out their operation on April 26 last year, and thanks to their partnership working Lee is now no longer a danger to children.

When interviewed Lee, of Drum Lane, Chester-le-Street, offered no explanation of why he did what he did and offered no guilty plea.

However, due to the extensive evidence file compiled by officers, a Jury found Lee guilty of Arranging/Facilitating the Commission of a Child Sex Offence earlier this year on October 27 at Durham Crown Court.

Today (Monday), he appeared at the same court and was sentenced to four years imprisonment, a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

Description

A Scots teenager has been caught with a horror haul of sex abuse images involving children as young as two-years-old.

Patryk Sienkiewicz was found to possess more than 300 indecent images of children when police raided his home in the Royston Mains area of Edinburgh earlier this year. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the teen had also downloaded a disgusting video depicting an adult engaging in sexual activity with an animal.

Sienkiewicz, 19, appeared in court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to two sexual offences on January 23 this year. Fiscal depute Connor Muir told the court police received intelligence the images were downloaded at the teenager’s address and found him home alone when they arrived with a search warrant.

Mr Muir said a computer and a mobile phone were seized and when the devices were examined by cyber crime experts it was found he had collected a total of 337 images and 114 videos. The court was told the pictures showed female children aged between two and five-years-old being penetrated by adult men.

The images also depicted youngsters posing naked and one video found contained bestiality involving an adult and an animal. Mr Muir said 28 images and videos were rated as Category A, the worst kind, along with 125 at Category B and 298 at Category C.

The Crown motion for forfeiture of the devices was continued to the next hearing. Sheriff Kevin McCarron placed Sienkiewicz on the Sex Offenders Register and deferred sentence for social work reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be prepared to next month.

Description

A registered sex offender who breached the terms of a court order by having sexualised conversation online with two people he believed to be 14-year-old girls has been jailed.

Bradley Warner, 26, of Warwick Road, Kenilworth was jailed for 26 months following an investigation by the South Warwickshire Police Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU).

The conversations took place in September and were reported to police the following day and Warner was arrested.

After being convicted of online child sex offenses last year and given a community order, Warner was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that, amongst other things, prohibited him from using the internet to contact anyone known or believed to be under the age of 16.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ben Gadsdon from the SOMU said: “Despite being given an opportunity to rehabilitate in the community ordered by a judge previously, Warner has shown himself incapable of changing his extremely concerning behaviour, even though being managed by police and probation. As a result, he will now spend time in jail where he will no longer present a risk to vulnerable people online and in the community. While in prison he can seek the help that he needs.”

The South Warwickshire SOMU is responsible for monitoring the behaviours of registered sex offenders and checking those subject to a SHPO are adhering to the terms of the order.

The team’s work often goes unnoticed. They understandably like to keep a low profile given the sensitive nature of the work they do. However, they do vital work in keeping a check on some of the highest risk offenders in Warwickshire.

Detective Inspector Katie Reynolds from the RSOMU said: “It understandably makes local people feel uncomfortable that there are sex offenders living in our communities, but the reality is that if offenders do not get a jail sentence or when they are released from prison they need to live somewhere. Our job is to make sure this happens while minimising the risk of them reoffending. And if they do reoffend, we need to make sure we act promptly to arrest them.”

Many convicted of a sexual offence in Warwickshire will now be subject to a SHPO, the terms of which must be linked to the nature of the offence he or she is convicted of. So, for example, anyone convicted of accessing indecent images of children will have restrictions put on their use of electronic devices and someone convicted of contact sexual offences with a child will have restrictions put on their contact with children.

Description

A teacher who had sex with a 15-year-old pupil in the back of her car has been pictured after walking free from court.

Siobhan McLean, 33, met the boy in her role as head of pupil support at the secondary school in Lanarkshire. She had been helping an unnamed family member apply for university courses as well as taking study classes that the boy attended. McLean, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, then began contacting him on social media and they soon became engaged in dialogue.

The mother-of-one later arranged to meet the unnamed boy at a university union where they enjoyed a night out including drinking alcohol. But when they went back to a flat, McLean and the boy began kissing, which led to them having sex. Days later she arranged to see him again before they had sex in the back of her BMW in a secluded car park at Craignethan Castle near Blackwood, Lanarkshire.

The boy’s mother later became alarmed after hearing him saying “I love you” during a phone call. He claimed he was talking to a friend but his phone was confiscated and revealed intimate messages from McLean and police were called in. Following walking free from court she has now been pictured by the Daily Record at her plush home yesterday. Despite having just escaped jail, the former teacher seemed in high spirits and smiled as she answered the door. When she was asked to speak, McLean quickly slammed the door closed.

McLean appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted engaging in sexual activity with the boy in September last year. Sheriff Liam Murphy ordered her to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and put her under supervision for three years. McLean will be tagged for 12 months and is banned from having unsupervised contact with children other than her own. She was put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and added to the list of those unsuitable to work with children. The sheriff also banned her from contacting the victim or his family members for five years.

Gary McAteer, defending, said: "The accused has self-destructed her life by acting in the way that she did. She has lost her career, her reputation and her standing and faces the possibility of being separated from her child and husband. This was two events over a period of days and her reaction to it was to be physically sick and she recognised how damaging this period has been."

Meanwhile, Sheriff Liam Murphy said: "You pled guilty to a serious offence involving a significant breach of trust. In the criminal justice social work report you were able to recognise the impact of this on the victim and his family. Taking into account all of the circumstances, I'm satisfied that there is an appropriate way to deal with you by way of an alternative to a custodial sentence but this should not detract from the gravity of your conduct."

Description

A man has accepted his attraction to young girls after his child abuse stash was uncovered.

George Munro was found to have collected 3,506 still and moving indecent images over a period of seven years, Salisbury Crown Court heard on Friday (10 November).

The 37-year-old paedophile was arrested in relation to an unrelated matter in 2020 when the child exploitation team confirmed he was also a suspect in one of their investigations.

As a result, police seized his mobile phone and attended his home address in Grist Court, Bradford on Avon, to seize other digital devices within it – including another phone and a laptop.

Richard Wayman, prosecuting, said that examination of one of the phones – an iPhone – revealed thousands of child abuse material featuring children as young as three years old.

742 of the images and videos uncovered were classified as Category A, which includes rape and penetration. Munro also shared a small number of images with others on Kik, the messaging app.

Thomas Acworth, defending said his client has taken “steps to deal with his deep seated deviancy”.

He said that most sex offenders maintain they are not interested in children, adding that Murno is “not such a man” and that it “could not have been an easy admission to make”.

Mr Acworth said the pre-sentence report, compiled by the probation service, confirmed that the defendant admits having a sexual interest in young girls.

He said it was “encouraging that when he is challenged”, Munro will “accept what he is and that he needs help”.

Judge Angela Morris said his offending was “nothing short of shameful”.

She added: “You have remained out of trouble during those three years [since his arrest], which is perhaps as good as an indication the court can get.”

Munro was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must register has a sex offender for ten years and complete a sex offender programme.

He must also undertake 20 sessions of rehabilitation activity with the probation service and complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Morris said: “if you commit another offence during the next two years, it will put you in breach of the court I just made.

“I can tell you now you will come back in front of me and I will have no hesitation what so ever in activating the sentence I have imposed today.

“I am keeping an eye on you, Mr Munro. I’m giving you one chance Mr Munro, it’s down to you if you take that chance because there won’t be another one.

“If I see you again, you know what will happen.”

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A sex offender told a woman he would like to get her into bed before sexually assaulting her.

David Duncan made the comment before reaching out and grabbing the womans left breast.

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A survivor of sexual offences, who was subjected to many years of sexual abuse has directly addressed her perpetrator today, as he is jailed for 10 years and 6 months.

Terry Crabb, 71 of Star Lane, London appeared at Chelmsford Court Court on Friday, 25 August where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences against children.

An investigation into Crabb was launched in April 2020 after a survivor bravely reported the years of sexual abuse she had been subjected to in Loughton.

The investigation was managed by Essex Police’s Quest team, who are trained in investigating non-recent sexual offences where the victim was a child at the time.

Enquiries revealed that Crabb had started sexually abusing the victim when she was 13-years-old.

He was arrested in June 2020. In interview, Crabb denied all offences. Further enquiries revealed that Crabb was in possession of a number of indecent images of the victim.

He was later charged and pleaded guilty to 4 counts of sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15 and two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 25 August where he was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison.

'You are a coward'

Following the sentence, the survivor in this case said what she’d like to say to Terry Crabb now:

“I still remember the very first time you laid your hands on me and I remember how uncomfortable and frozen I was when it happened.

“At first, I wondered if it was a one off, but then I soon realised the flood gates had been opened and you would keep taking what you wanted.

“I wanted to say something, but I never thought I could.

“I remember talking about self- harm; you would tell me only cowards did that. The only coward I’ve ever known, was you.”

Detective Constable Emily Monk said:

“Crabb manipulated this victim into thinking that his offences were normal and that she’d have to accept them as part of her life.

“This sentence is a direct result of the bravery she has demonstrated in breaking out of years of abuse.

“I hope she is able to move forward with her life.”

Crabb will remain subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and lifelong notification requirements.

Essex Police’s Quest team investigates non-recent sexual offences cases where the victim was a child at the time of the abuse but is now an adult.

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.

For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.

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A 20 year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after three women reported that they were approached in Southsea and touched inappropriately over their clothing.

Shueb Chowdhury of Harold Road in Southsea admitted three offences of sexual assault at Portsmouth Crown Court on 21 August 2023..

The court heard that at around 6:30am on Monday 10 July a 51 year-old woman was assaulted in the Canoe Lake area when a man she did not know approached her from behind and touched the back of her shorts with both hands. He then ran off towards Eastney along Eastern Parade.

Shortly after 3pm on the same day a 41 year-old woman reported that a man she did not know approached her on Empshott Road and touched her chest over her clothing before running off towards Devonshire Avenue.

The following week at 5pm on Tuesday 18 July a 24 year-old woman was approached on Fawcett Road by a man she did not know who touched her chest over her clothing before running off

Today at Portsmouth Crown Court (Friday 13 October) Chowdhury was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison and he will also be subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and have to sign the Sex Offenders Register. Upon sentencing the judge described Chowdhury as: chilling and worrying.

Investigating officer DC James Adams said: These assaults all took place in daylight hours and were frightening experiences for Chowdhurys victims. We take all reports of sexual assault very seriously and Im pleased that we quickly managed to identify and arrest Chowdhury so that his offending did not escalate. Todays sentence sends a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in Portsmouth and we will relentlessly pursue offenders to secure justice for their victims.

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A Tayside paedophile has narrowly avoided prison after admitting having vile pornography featuring dogs and horses.

Rhys Falconer previously pled guilty to possessing indecent images of children and extreme porn.

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A 31 year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to 4 years in prison after a woman reported she was raped at her address in Waterlooville.

Jack Thomas Heasman of Byron Road in Buckland admitted to raping a 22 year-old woman at the victim’s home on Saturday 15 November 2020.

After pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 13 October, he was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

DS Harry Wilson said “I hope that this result reassures our community that we take these allegations very seriously, and that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

“We would like to commend the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation and to thank her for having the courage to report this to us.

We will relentlessly pursue offenders to secure justice for their victims and want to reassure anyone who reports incidents of serious sexual assault and rape to us that they will be believed”.

Description

Two disgusting paedophiles from Cornwall shared child abuse images and discussed their warped fantasies. David Podmore, 44, and Mitchell Franklin, 76, even discussed having sex with each other.

Podmore, of Austin Close in Liskeard, and Franklin, of Dobell Road in St Austell, both appeared for sentence at Truro Crown Court having each pleaded guilty to three making indecent images of children charges, distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography. Podmore also pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

Prosecuting the case, Hollie Gilbery, told the court how in December 2019 police received intelligence than Franklin had uploaded an indecent image of a child exposing their genitals to Facebook. Police went to his house and seized a number of devices which were found to contain indecent images of children.

A second warrant was executed in 2021 and police took away two USB devices found to contain more filth. Also on the devices were a number of chat logs between Franklin and other perverts including Podmore. Franklin was found to have sent sexual videos and images.

Chat logs revealed that Franklin and Podmore discussed their sexual interest in children and even the possibility of having sex with each other. Ms Gilbery described how Podmore was also found to have shared child abuse images.

The attempted sexual communications with a child charge relates to Podmore engaging in a chat with someone believed to be a young girl in which he sent pictures of his penis and suggested they meet for sex. In mitigation it was heard that both defendants were of good character and remorseful. Judge Simon Carr said that the case had "all the hallmarks of a serious epidemic of people consuming legal pornography and then moving into other areas".

He added: "The courts view these offences as extremely serious. What you did was abhorrent. This business exists because of people like you who view images of children being raped and abused. Around the world tens of thousands of children are being raped. They are raped because of people like you who feed the industry."

Judge Carr noted the mitigation of both defendants and said society is best served by them being treated and their perversions addressed. Both defendants were given 18-month sentences, suspended for two years. They must both complete a rehabilitation activity requirements and be subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

Two disgusting paedophiles from Cornwall shared child abuse images and discussed their warped fantasies. David Podmore, 44, and Mitchell Franklin, 76, even discussed having sex with each other.

Podmore, of Austin Close in Liskeard, and Franklin, of Dobell Road in St Austell, both appeared for sentence at Truro Crown Court having each pleaded guilty to three making indecent images of children charges, distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography. Podmore also pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

Prosecuting the case, Hollie Gilbery, told the court how in December 2019 police received intelligence than Franklin had uploaded an indecent image of a child exposing their genitals to Facebook. Police went to his house and seized a number of devices which were found to contain indecent images of children.

A second warrant was executed in 2021 and police took away two USB devices found to contain more filth. Also on the devices were a number of chat logs between Franklin and other perverts including Podmore. Franklin was found to have sent sexual videos and images.

Chat logs revealed that Franklin and Podmore discussed their sexual interest in children and even the possibility of having sex with each other. Ms Gilbery described how Podmore was also found to have shared child abuse images.

The attempted sexual communications with a child charge relates to Podmore engaging in a chat with someone believed to be a young girl in which he sent pictures of his penis and suggested they meet for sex. In mitigation it was heard that both defendants were of good character and remorseful. Judge Simon Carr said that the case had "all the hallmarks of a serious epidemic of people consuming legal pornography and then moving into other areas".

He added: "The courts view these offences as extremely serious. What you did was abhorrent. This business exists because of people like you who view images of children being raped and abused. Around the world tens of thousands of children are being raped. They are raped because of people like you who feed the industry."

Judge Carr noted the mitigation of both defendants and said society is best served by them being treated and their perversions addressed. Both defendants were given 18-month sentences, suspended for two years. They must both complete a rehabilitation activity requirements and be subject of a sexual harm prevention order.