Latest Offenders

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Police discovered over 2,000 disturbing images or videos of children on a man's mobile phone following a tip-off from the National Crime Agency.

The collection included 1,638 pictures and 404 videos totalling 2,042 with 653 of them falling into the most severe category, Hull Crown Court was informed.

Jay Fleming, 26, from Bridlington, pleaded guilty to three charges of creating indecent images of children between April 2021 and March of the previous year. Prosecutor Michael Masson revealed Fleming was apprehended in Bridlington due to information provided by the National Crime Agency.

It was suspected that indecent images of children had been shared via Snapchat. Images were located on a mobile phone, including 382 picture files and 271 videos in the gravest Category A, as well as 614 images and 99 videos in Category B, and 642 images and 34 videos in Category C.

However, Snapchat had not been installed on the phone. Fleming made complete and candid admissions during his police interview, reports Hull Live. Emily Hassell, defending, stated there was no evidence to suggest that Fleming had tried to contact or had contacted children directly. He had no prior convictions and was assessed as having a low risk of reoffending.

Judge Tahir Khan KC admonished Fleming in court, declaring: "You accessed from the internet indecent images of children. Found on your device were a large number of Category A images and also Category A videos. Category B and Category C images were also found on your device as well.

"If you had not pleaded guilty to these offences, I would have sent you to prison for 18 months but you had the good sense to admit what you did.

"That makes a difference to a sentence of custody that I can suspend and a sentence of custody that would require you to go down those steps. I have a duty to protect the public, and children in particular, given the nature of the offending."

Subsequently, Fleming was handed down a one-year suspended prison term, coupled with a rehabilitation requirement lasting 30 days. Additionally, he is subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be listed as a sex offender for a decade.

Description

A convicted rapist will be almost 90 years old before he can be considered for release from prison after a he was put behind bars for 27 years.

Skipton man Charles David Pratt, now 71, was convicted by a jury at Bradford Crown Court of a catalogue of serious sexual offences against three female complainants who must not be identified for legal reasons.

Judge Ahmed Nadim highlighted the courage shown by Pratt’s victims in reporting his historical sexual abuse of them. The judge told Pratt: “They are deserving of the gratitude of this court and society as a whole for the courage they showed in reporting you to the authorities and bringing you to justice and in the process reliving the most painful of memories."

The court heard that Pratt, of Keighley Road, Skipton, committed offences of rape against the two women and a girl often when he was under the influence of alcohol. Judge Nadim said Pratt had also used violence to overcome any resistance his victims may have offered to his sexual demands.

He said: “In short Charles Pratt you are a violent and callous man. In order to meet your perverted sexual needs you do not recognise or respect any societal or moral boundaries. As a result of your conduct three lives have been blighted. The damage you have inflicted upon each of your victims is immeasurable."

Pratt, who had no previous convictions, was found guilty by the jury of several rape offences and other sexual allegations. Judge Nadim explained that Pratt would have to serve at least two-thirds of his 27-year jail sentence behind bars before his case could be considered by the Parole Board.

He explained: “This means you will serve at least 18 years imprisonment before that reference to the Parole Board can take place."

Pratt was also classed as “an offender of particular concern” which means he had an extra 12-month licence period added onto his sentence. He will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

Description

A dangerous rapist has been handed an extended jail sentence following a raft of offences.

Connor Tabner, presently residing at HMP Berwyn but formerly of Prestatyn, appeared at Mold Crown Court on Friday for sentence.

The 23-year-old had been convicted previously of a number of offences - three of a sexual nature including rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

Myles Wilson, prosecuting, told the court that Tabner had a number of violent offences against women on his criminal record.

The court heard that when Tabner as found guilty by a Jury of the sexual offences, he subjected jurors to a tirade of foul abuse from the dock.

It took two prison officers to get him out of the courtroom.

Judge Simon Mills said it had been the worst outburst from a defendant in the dock he'd heard, short of actual violence.

Philip Clemo, defending, told the court: "He wishes to express remorse for those actions. What he did was highly inappropriate.

"He apologises profusely for the outburst at the end of the trial."

Mr Clemo said it was conceded his client would be facing a lengthy period of time behind bars for his crimes.

"The fact remains," he continued, "one day he will be out of prison and he ill still be - relatively speaking - a young man.

"What will neither help him nor others is for any hope for a productive life to be snuffed out.

"Prior to the events leading up to his arrest, he had everything set up so he could set up a business and run it.

"He does have realistic ambitions to be a decent member of society.

"The issue here is if Your Honour concludes he is a dangerous offender.

"I say he is perhaps more a 'damaged' young man than truly dangerous.

"But that doesn't mean punishment isn't richly deserved for that which the Jury found him guilty of.

"There's some measure of hope in his recognition that he needs to address his behaviour."

Judge Mills told the court he had concluded Tabner is indeed "a dangerous offender," and that a standard determinate sentence would not provide sufficient protection to the public.

As such, taking rape as the lead offence, the Judge handed down an extended sentence of 15 years - 12 of which are custodial in nature, with three years extended licence.

Tabner must serve at least two-thirds (eight years) of the custodial term before he can be considered for release on licence by the parole board.

But should the parole board disagree, he may have to serve the full 12 years behind bars.

Tabner's sentence also incorporated concurrent prison terms for a number of other offences, including: assault occasioning actual bodily harm, strangulation and controlling/coercive behaviour.

He will be subject to the notification provisions as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Description

A man who threatened to kill a member of the public and exposed his genitals has been jailed for two years and three months and put on the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

Angelo Fichele, 44, of Welland Road in Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, was reported to be topless brandishing what was thought to be a knife and frightening people, said police.

He also damaged four cars, indecently exposed himself to members of the public and threatened to kill a woman who was nearby.

He admitted making threats to kill, indecent exposure, five counts of criminal damage and assault causing grievous bodily harm in Cambridge Crown Court on 2 August.

'Erratic behaviour'

Police said officers received calls about Fichele's "erratic behaviour" on 19 January. He was then arrested and taken into custody, where police said he engaged in a dirty protest.

He was charged and remanded to appear in court the following day where he was granted bail.

On 17 March Fichele was arrested again after he attacked a man in Peveril Road, Dogsthorpe, with what was believed to be a " sharpened spoon", which caused slash wounds to the man’s face.

Det Con Jenny Hargreaves said: “These were really frightening incidents for members of the public who witnessed Fichele’s erratic behaviour.

“I would like to thank those who provided statements in support of our investigation, as a result of this evidence we have been able to put Fichele before the courts and he will now be spending time in prison.”

Description

A Plymouth dad ogled vile images of children - including some the same age as his own daughter, a court heard.

Twisted Leigh Bell, aged 35, downloaded more than 100 images of kids, including more than 40 being abused by adults.

He used the messaging app Kik to ask a 13-year-old girl for an explicit video - though he said that it may have been someone posing as a teenager. 

Bell confessed his secret in front of his mother and stepfather when police executed a warrant at his home, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

He was also caught with an extreme pornographic image, involving an adult and a dog.

A judge handed him a community order, saying effective treatment was the best way of tackling his problem and protecting children in the future.

The court heard that Bell had already spoken to counsellors on the phone.

Judge William Mousley said: "In the images, some of the children are as young as five. In your police interview you admitted viewing more than 1,000 images, some of them involving even younger children.

"You admitted sending images and you admitted receiving them."

But the judge added Bell had shown remorse and admitted more than the police had found evidence of on some of his 27 devices.

Judge Mousley said that the defendant was a "realistic prospect of rehabilitation" and so could be handed a community order rather than a prison term under sentencing guidelines.

He also said that his stepmother would suffer from a lack of care if Bell was in jail.

Bell, of Citadel Road in the city centre, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child aged under 16 between January and November 2019. 

He also admitted three counts of possession of indecent images of children in all three categories between the same dates. He had 109 pictures, including 43 in the most serious category showing children being abused.

Bell finally pleaded guilty to having an extreme pornographic image.

Sam Castlehouse, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said police received intelligence that an indecent image of a child had been accessed at an IP address linked to Bell's home.

He said police executed a warrant and seized 27 different devices, including tablets, phones and hard drives.

Mr Castlehouse said that Bell's mother had been at the address and he confessed to her that he had been looking at images of children.

The barrister said that he had also asked a 13-year-old girl to send him an explicit video of herself, though he told police that he doubted she was a real teenager.

Chris Cuddihee, for Bell, said his client had a daughter the same age as some of the children he had been viewing.

He added: "One of the first things he told me was that these could have been his daughter. He just never stopped to think about it."

The court heard that he was no longer with the mother of the child and was not allowed to see the teenage girl.

The barrister added that Bell had moved to Plymouth when he was 16 and had struggled to forge new relationships or friendships.

Mr Cuddihee said the defendant had not worked for two years.

He added that in the two years since his arrest he had contacted a charity which helps sex offenders six to eight times on the phone. 

Mr Cuddihee said that Bell had started using Kik for banter on football, music and women but had been drawn into pornography.

The barrister said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was sent the image of the dog as part of a mass download.

Judge Mousley handed Bell a three-year community order with a sex offender treatment programme and probation's Rehabilitation Activity Requirement supervision course.

Bell must be on the Sex Offender Register for five years and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a decade.

That will allow the police to monitor his use of the internet. 

Description

A perverted ex-soldier was found with sickening sexual images of vulnerable girls aged as young as four and six.

Matthew Harrison had distributed sexual images to others over the internet and the offending took place over a five-year period.

He had found life difficult after returning to civilian life when he left the Army and turned to drink and drugs, Hull Crown Court heard.

Harrison, 32, of Station Road, Howden, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children, three of distributing indecent images and one of possessing an image of extreme pornography.

The court heard that police searched Harrison's house on January 9 and his phone was seized.

It was examined and 64 accessible files were found, including eight images and three videos in the most serious Category A.

There were ten images and nine videos in Category B and 28 images and two videos in Category C.

The dates of the images spanned from 2016 to this year.

Recorder Richard Thyne told Harrison: "The most serious Category A images included girls aged four to six years old being forced to have sex with an adult male.

"You didn't only search for and access those images, you shared those images with others online.

"Evidence was found of the distribution of three Category A images, including two videos."

Harrison initially denied the matters but later made admissions.

"Some of the children were very young and aged as young as four to six," said Recorder Thyne.

"There was offending over a long period of time. There were a large number of different children involved.

"It's simply too serious to suspend the sentence. The offence of distribution is too serious and only an immediate sentence of imprisonment can be justified."

Harrison had convictions for criminal damage in 2009 and driving with drugs in his system this year.

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said the images were on only one device and Harrison had shown genuine shame and remorse and an insight into the fact that they were not victimless crimes.

The children shown in the images were young and vulnerable.

Harrison's drink and drug problem began five or six years ago when he left the Army.

"Having served Queen and country, it left him with a lot of uncertainty in his life," said Miss Baines.

"He lost the structure in his life. He found it very difficult to acclimatise to civilian life."

He had suffered problems in his marriage and had decided to stay away from his child so that he did not bring any issues into its life.

Harrison was jailed for two years and was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for ten years.

Description

A man has been jailed for four years and three months after being convicted of a sexual offence in Edinburgh.

Antonio Pollio, 24, pleaded guilty to the offence involving a young female at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, 21 August, 2023.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 28 September.

Detective Inspector Mhairi Cooper said: Antonio Pollio is a dangerous man who manipulated and coerced a young female. He will now face the consequences of his actions.

"We treat all reports of sexual crime seriously and I would urge anyone who has been a victim to come forward, no matter how much time has passed, and report it to police.

"Be assured, we will fully investigate and you will be supported by police and our partner agencies.

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Withers, 68 of Bowes Road, New Southgate appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, 27 July where, following a week-long trial he was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual offences against two children.

Withers was arrested in December 2020 after two victims bravely contacted Essex Police to report offences which took place between 2002 and 2020 in Harwich.

Following an investigation by our Child Abuse Investigation Team, Withers was charged with indecent assault of a girl under 13, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13 and assault of a girl under 13.

He pleaded not guilty and following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, was found guilty of all offences and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Description

Mark Lucas was jailed for 12 years after subjecting a young girl to years of sexual abuse.

The brave victim came forward after eight years of abuse. Mark Lucas was arrested a few days later the Bedfordshire Police Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team.

Lucas, 44, pled guilty to three counts of rape of a girl under 13 and one count of attempted rape of a girl under 13. He also pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual assault and two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He appeared at Luton Crown Court and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender register.

Description

A man who attempted to incite a teenager into a sexual act when she was a passenger in his taxi has been given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Dale Purchase, aged 29, of Townshend Avenue in Plymouth, appeared before Plymouth Magistrates Court on Monday 4 December after being found guilty of Harassment on Friday, November 3.

The offences took place on January 12, 2023, where, across two separate taxi journeys, Purchase repeatedly made inappropriate and sexualized comments towards the teenager by asking her to touch his genitals and making sexual advances toward her.

Purchase was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, and received a restraining order banning him on contacting the victim.

Sergeant Tom Ottley said: We take the fear of violence against women and girls very seriously and work tirelessly to ensure we are bringing people to justice while safeguarding victims.

Despite this case not being a typical incident of harassment, the importance of women and girls feeling safe in our society cannot, and should not, be understated.

I would like to commend the victim for her engagement with our officers, who have been tenacious in their pursuit of justice.

The Sexual Harm Protection Order comes with a number of stringent prohibitions, which are aimed to prevent further offending and protect vulnerable people from harm. This is further proof that Devon & Cornwall Police will use all available measures to safeguard our communities and protect the vulnerable.

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A paedophile admitted that he "got carried away on the internet" after being ensnared by an undercover police sting.

Aidan Cowman was also caught with a vile stash of pictures showing toddlers being raped when officers came knocking at his door. A judge today described him as being "in denial" over his offending, but allowed him to walk free from court.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that the 66-year-old first contacted an account which had been set up by covert police officers, who were posing as a 13-year-old boy, on "gay chatroom" Chat Avenue on January 11 last year. Cowman, of Penkett Road in Liscard, Wirral, said in his opening message: "Hi, want to phone daddy while we both w***?"

He then added: "I'm 64, married. Irish, but living near Liverpool."

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how Cowman was told that the teenager was at school at the time of the chat. However, he continued the perverted conversation by saying: "Are you playing with your c**k now?"

Then, on January 16, the pensioner added the supposed youngster on Snapchat. Officers asked him whether he was the "man from Chat Avenue", which Cowman confirmed before stating that he was "sat at home playing with his c**k".

He added that it was "quite an age difference", but said he "loved to swap pictures and video clips" and asked "are you interested in doing some?". A search warrant was later executed at the defendant's address on April 14.

When arrested, Cowman replied "I just got carried away on the internet". A small bag of cannabis and electronic devices were recovered from the property during the raid.

Under interview, he confessed to having been responsible for the messages and that he had indecent images stored on his phones. A total of 52 category A pictures, those depicting the most serious forms of abuse, were subsequently found on two seized mobiles.

Cowman was also found to have collected 12 photographs in category B and 101 category C images. Mr Hopkins said that some had shown children as young as two being subjected to sexual assaults.

Kyra Badman, defending, told the court that her client's relationship with his partner had been "strained" since his online activities had come to light, and that while they remain together they are currently living in separate homes. She added: "He is extremely grateful for her support.

"Upon hearing the facts of this case, anybody could reach the conclusion that only immediate custody would be appropriate in this case because of the nature of the offences. It may be that the court is able to draw back from an immediate sentence."

Cowman pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child, possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images and possession of cannabis. He was handed an 18-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Sentencing, Recorder Peter Wright KC said: "You brought a bag with you, appreciating that the likelihood was that you would lose your liberty. You are a realist in that regard.

"You are a man who has previous convictions, but they are from a long time ago. The offences for which you appear before this court are offences of the most serious gravity."

Recorder Wright said that the indecent images contained the "abuse and defilement of children", and added: "It is almost incomprehensible how anybody could commit any such act, but equally it is incomprehensible how anybody could gain any form of sexual gratification from viewing such material. But it is clear that you did.

"You knew precisely what you were up to. You pursued your own sexual fantasies with that boy.

"You went so far as seeking to solicit images of the boy. This is conduct of the most despicable type.

"You were seeking to corrupt him to your own perversions. You have, in your own words, struggled to understand your motivation for your offending - you are in denial.

"But you are now committed to gaining access to help. You do not want to reoffend or cause further harm."

Cowman was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years and complete a programme requirement, as well as a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 35 days.

Description

A predator who set up a bogus market research business for high street fashion companies to sexually assault seven female models has been jailed.

Connor Morris, 26, created the company with fake employees and even hired premises at great financial expense to carry out the elaborate and disgusting scam.

He lured his victims to the hired work space by advertising on Facebook and Snapchat for models aged 18-30.

He paid them £150 each to take part in 'data research' he said was to improve sizing for companies like Asos, Pretty Little Things, Boohoo, Oh Polly and Love Honey.

His victims could earn an extra £50 if they agreed to a 'muscle analysis' which required them to strip and let him measure their bodies.

It was an 'elaborate confidence trick' just so he could grope their breasts and touch their bottoms.

Morris, who worked as a leisure centre lifeguard, also set up hidden cameras in the Branksome Consulting Centre in Poole, Dorset, to film the women in a state of undress.

Two of the victims came out of the meeting and agreed the experience had been 'really weird' and decided to go to the police.

Devices were seized from Morris' home and 32 images of young women taken without their knowledge were found.

Police tracked down seven different victims who had been 'violated' by Morris.

He initially denied taking any sexual gratification out of the process and told police he had planned to contact the companies and see if they wanted to purchase the data he had obtained.

He eventually admitted nine charges of sexual assault and three counts of voyeurism between June and July 2020.

He was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Bournemouth Crown Court, a sentence described as 'absolutely disgusting' by one of his victims.

Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said Morris told the owners of the business centre that he needed space for legitimate purposes, namely lifeguard refresher training.

He said emails were sent to his potential victims from a fictitious Sophie Parnell representing Connor Morris Group Ltd.

Mr Gabb said: "The defendant used pseudonyms, creating a fake business with fake members of staff and said he was working in partnership with companies like Asos, Pretty Little Things, Boohoo, Oh Polly and Love Honey.

"It was a truly elaborate set up of deception. He said he was carrying out research and offering them money to have various body measurements taken.

"He also asked if they would agree to be paid extra for him to apply pressure to various body parts for muscle analysis.

"Emails were sent from a Sophie Parnell at Connor Morris Group Ltd - she was fiction, she never existed. It was all done to give the air of credibility.

"He touched the breasts and/or bottoms, often skin-to-skin and observed them topless.

"These companies have all been contacted and it is all rubbish, quite simply nothing like that ever existed, the whole thing was a complete scam."

Speaking of one victim, Mr Gabb said: "She said she felt he had dragged the process out to keep her topless for longer. She felt uncomfortable throughout but trusted the defendant and thought of him as a close friend."

Reading from victim impact statements, the young women described feeling sick and disgusted, suffering trust issues and even PTSD, with some undergoing counselling.

One said: "It mortifies me to think the level of thought he has gone through to carry out this assault on me."

The court heard Morris, who was 22 at the time the offending started, had no previous convictions.

Lauren Hebditch, defending, said Morris, of West Street in Wareham, led a 'fairly isolated life', only had a small circle of friends, had been bullied at school and had only ever had one relationship.

She said he has been diagnosed as autistic and had taken a number of steps independently to address his offending including sessions with a specialist sexual psychotherapist.

She said: "He wholeheartedly accepts his action, he expresses regret, remorse and shame for all his actions. He said he caused a ripple of harm that spread across many different individuals."

Judge Jonathan Fuller said: "The victims' personal statements all talk of violation, disgust and being exposed.

"They all speak of a betrayal of trust that has had a lasting impact on them.

"This was an elaborate and determined effort (from you) to seek gratification both through voyeurism and sexual assault, under the guise of a legitimate examination.

"The effect on any reasonable person was humiliation."

After the sentencing, one of the victims slammed the judges sentence which they said was 'too lenient'.

The victim said they would consider appealing the sentence so it could be made more severe.

She said: "Connor Morris groomed me and he betrayed my trust.

"He violated our bodies. He is vile.

"The sentence is absolutely disgusting and he will be out of jail in less than two years.

"What kind of message does that send about sexually assaulting multiple women?

"It almost says that it is ok to do it.

"To give such a light sentence with the number of victims shows that the justice system needs addressing.

"We (the victims) are going to appeal the sentence."

Description

A MAN purposely exposed his genitals to schoolgirls and secretly recorded a woman using the bathroom.

David Vickery admitted to revealing his penis in front of children because he thought they would not remember details to identify him.

The 47-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of exposure and two counts of voyeurism at his sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Prosecutor, Grace Coupland, told the court that at around 3.30pm on April 30, 2021, two girls aged 12 were walking home from school in Poole when they noticed a car with its door open.

They said a man’s leg was sticking out of the car door, with his shorts pulled down and penis fully exposed.

Similarly, on August 20, 2021, two girls aged 12 and 13 saw a parked Honda Civic at 2.50pm and found the defendant sat inside, undressed from the waist down.

Ms Coupland said one of the girls was so upset after the incident that she burst into tears as soon as she got home.

During the third incident, on September 10, 2021, two girls aged 13 visited a shop in Poole to buy sweets when they saw a parked car on their way home at 4.45pm.

The girls were forced to walk single file parked the car when they saw the defendant with his leg sticking out of the car.

He was seen wearing boxer shorts, with his penis displayed, as well as a baseball cap with his head down so the girls could not see his face.

A mother of one of the victims told the court in a statement that her daughter’s confidence has been “crushed” following the incident and is afraid to walk on her own.

After police seized and examined Vickery’s phone they found a video, around a minute and a half in length, recording a teenager in a bikini.

When interviewed, he said he saw the girl sunbathing and it caught his interest, so began recording.

He admitted that voyeurism was something he enjoyed because it “gives him a kick” rather than regular pornography.

The teenager said in a victim impact statement that she felt violated and cannot go outside without feeling watched.

Police also recovered a still image, believed to have been taken from a video, of another woman standing in a bathroom with her lower body fully exposed.

The defendant said he had concealed the recording device for 20 minutes in a bathroom basket.

Mitigating, Mary Aspinall-Miles, said Vickery is a man of previous good character, with no previous convictions, and has showed genuine remorse.

Judge Robert Pawson said the defendant’s behaviour was “absolutely disgraceful” and has no doubt that he targeted those schoolgirls.

Vickery, of Old Kiln Road, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He was also handed 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 150 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month electric curfew.

Vickery will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and be placed on the sex offenders register, both for 10 years.

Description

Update: On Monday 17 June, Ahmed was sentenced at London Inner Crown Court to 10 years in jail. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

A man has been found guilty of several serious sexual offences, following a joint British Transport Police (BTP) and Bedfordshire Police investigation.

Awsaf Ahmed, aged 30, of Rutland Avenue, High Wycombe was found guilty by a jury of rape of a female under 16, and causing / inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday 24 April 2024. Ahmed had already pleaded guilty to a charge of causing / inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at an earlier hearing. A sentencing date has been set for Friday 14 June 2024.

The court heard how, on Tuesday 10 October 2023, at around 10.30pm, the victim – a girl aged 14 – was on board a train heading towards London Marylebone station when Ahmed entered the carriage. Ahmed engaged the victim and her group of friends in conversation, asking their age and if they smoked weed.

Ahmed then pressured the victim to get her alone, coercing her to speak to him privately in the toilets and insinuating he had friends everywhere, making her fear for her friend’s safety. Upon entering the toilet, Ahmed locked them inside and despite her repeated pleas for him to stop, raped her. Following the attack, he added her on Snapchat to continue his contact with her. The victim reported the rape to British Transport Police the following day. Later that evening, Ahmed called the victim on Snapchat, asking her “When do you turn 16?” and “Did you enjoy yesterday?”.

Less than a week later, Bedfordshire Police received a report of an incident involving Ahmed. The court heard how on 16 October 2023, Ahmed attempted to engage a girl, aged 15, in sexual activity. Initially, he engaged her in conversation about her jewellery and heritage, before the conversation became more threatening, telling the victim everyone had it in them to kill and if he was disrespected, he could make someone disappear with just one text or call.

Following this he turned the conversation to relationships, asking the 15-year-old for relationship advice before asking her about her own relationship status and sexual experience. He then attempted to coerce her into engage in sexual activity with him. Thankfully, the victim was after able to leave the situation and reported Ahmed to Bedfordshire Police the following day.

On 27 October Ahmed was arrested and charged with offences committed on 10 and 11 October 2023. The investigations were linked, and Ahmed was further charged with offences committed 16 October 2023.

BTP Investigating officer Detective Constable Matthew Nolan said: “Ahmed is a callous predator who targeted young girls for his own sexual gratification. Despite the victim’s repeated pleas for him to stop, he trapped her and raped her, making her fear for not only herself but her friend’s safety. I hope the guilty verdict goes some way in bringing her some closure."

BTP Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Paul Attwell said: “These were extremely frightening experiences for Ahmed’s victims, and I praise them for reporting him so we could act. Ahmed’s coercive and threatening behaviour towards young, vulnerable girls will never be tolerated on the rail network, or anywhere else and I’m thankful to see today’s verdict.”

Detective Constable Rani Bailey, from Bedfordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team, said: “Ahmed’s behaviour was unacceptable and his actions were predatory. We are relentlessly pursing those who think this behaviour is acceptable, and we remain committed to bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice. Regardless of what happened, if someone has made you feel uncomfortable or disrespected your boundaries, it is never too late to come forward and report what has happened to you.”

Description

A Calderdale man has been jailed for 14 years for drugs and child sex offences after he plied his teenage victim with prescription medication.

Michael Murray, 39, of Prescott Street, Halifax, was found guilty of two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault after a trial which concluded at Bradford Crown Court last Thursday (June 20).

He had also admitted 32 drugs offences, which included possession with intent to supply Class A, B and C drugs.

The court heard that officers found a large supply of prescription drugs at his home after he was initially arrested in connection with the sex offences.

Further searches resulted in substantial quantities of cocaine and amphetamines, being found in quantities that were consistent with being involved in the supply of drugs. He was also found in possession of cannabis.

Appearing before the court for sentencing on Friday (June 21), Murray was jailed for a total of 14 years – this includes 11 years for the sexual offences and three years to run consecutively for the drug offences.

West Yorkshire Police’s Detective Constable Riah Nicholson of the Calderdale District Safeguarding Team said: “Firstly, I want to acknowledge and thank the victim for her bravery and courage in coming forward to report the abhorrent offences that she was subjected to and for then having to navigate the criminal justice process.

“I’m pleased that the court has been able to hand down a sentence that reflects the true severity of Murray’s crimes.

“Murray is a dangerous and calculated predator.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual offending or abuse whether it is recent or not to come forward and report it to police.

“You will be listened to and taken seriously, and we will do all we can to bring perpetrators to justice.”