Latest Offenders

Description

A volunteer photographer for a childrens amateur dramatics group took pictures of them and then zoomed in on their groins and chests for his own sexual gratification. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Barrie White-Miller also posted entries on his own blog in which fantasised about watching young children on the beach.

The married 61-year-old, of Nottingham, was reported to the police by his own step-daughter who found vile abuse images on his computer. And when officers examined his electronic devices they found more than 3,500 similar such images.

Jailing him for 10 months, Judge Steven Coupland said: The police were called because you had been seen watching pornography on your computer by someone standing outside your house and the fact that you did that indicates to me that you saw nothing wrong with that or behaving in that way. I have no hesitation in describing you as someone that has got a sexual interest in children and it was not just the images that were found on your computer that leads me to conclude that.

There were search terms for young children but worse than that was what you wrote on your own blog indicating you had been watching children walk past your address and having sexual fantasies about them. You also wrote on your blog about being on holiday and watching children on the beach.

And worse than that was your role as a volunteer for a childrens group who you photographed. It is of a particular concern to me that you cropped certain images (you took) and concentrated on the crotch or chest area for your own sexual gratification.

Samuel Lowne, prosecuting, said White-Miller was arrested at his home address in Burnside Drive, Bramcote, on September 17, 2022, a week before his 60th birthday. He said officers had been alerted to attend the address by the defendants step-daughter who had discovered the abuse images on one of his electronic devices.

The prosecutor said a number of items were seized and examined and in total there were 186 of the most serious category A images, 407 category B, 2,905 category C and two prohibited images of children. Mr Lowne said: There were also search terms including nymphette and Lolita and the children in the images were aged as young as three or four.

He also volunteers as a photographer for a childrens amateur dramatics group and one file was headed 'summer school and had cropped images where he had zoomed in. There were also entries on his own blog where he talked of being on the beach looking at young girls and another about people passing by the house..

White-Miller pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing prohibited images of children. He has no previous convictions of any kind.

Kevin Waddingham, mitigating, said his client stopped looking at the images before his arrest and has taken steps since to address his offending, including completing 10 treatment modules with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which works at rehabilitation sex offenders.

He said: Mr White-Miller is a man approaching his 62nd birthday and finds himself before the court for the first time for behaviour he is thoroughly ashamed of and so he should be.

In terms of his arrest, his daughter-in-law and her family were living next door and that situation has now been resolved through their property being sold. He is currently not working but had been a delivery driver but that came to an end for something completely unrelated to that prosecution.

As well as the jail sentence, Judge Coupland also handed White-Miller a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the sex offender register, also for 10 years.

Description

A musician who told horrified strangers he was 'evil' and shared warped thoughts about buying a baby to abuse is facing jail.

Cameron Shaw, 28, contacted random people via social media using different accounts and struck up conversations. But he quickly moved the chat towards the twisted abuse of youngsters.

Shaw asked one man if he knew anyone who would have a baby for him and that he would even pay 'monthly' for the child.

The fiend added: "Can you help me get a baby or a desperate woman who will have one for me."

He then said he would do 'evil stuff' to the baby and wanted to make the child 'cry a bit' because he enjoyed 'seeing them in pain'. Shaw later told a woman on Telegram that he wanted to 'have a bairn for a couple of hours' and liked to see 'bairns in pain'.

Another man was sent a video by Shaw which showed an 8-month-old baby being sexually abused. The sickened people who were contacted by Shaw in June and July last year took screenshots of what he was sending and reported him to police.

He told officers he was 'disgusted and disturbed' by the allegations being made against him and that he would 'never hurt a child'. A raid of his former bedsit flat in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, found 53 images of child abuse along with 18 videos with many at the most depraved level on various devices.

Shaw, of Fauldhouse, West Lothian, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted sending sexual communications. He also pled guilty to possessing indecent images of children between March and July last year.

The court heard Shaw had previously taught youngsters piano as a private tutor and in a formal education setting.

Describing one chat Shaw had with a stranger, depute fiscal Carla McGuire said: "The complainer states that her husband said something like 'this f****rs trying to sell a bairn' then showed her a chat with JLad123 on Telegram. She states JLad123 messaged about how he could 'have a bairn for a couple of hours' and then JLad123 wrote about being 'evil' and that he liked to see 'bairns in pain'."

The prosecutor revealed that in a chat with another man, Shaw had said: "I'm looking for some c**t who can be as evil as I am. I want to use something, someone small, in a really evil way."

Neil Kilcoyne, defending, said: "He understands the serious nature of the charges and understands the gravity of what he has done."

Sheriff Louise Gallacher deferred sentence on first offender Shaw until August for reports and continued bail. But the sheriff warned: "Bail is continued but that is not an indication of what the sentence will be, these are very serious matters."

Shaw was placed on the sex offenders' register.

Description

A serial rapist is facing a possible life sentence after a terrifying attack on a vulnerable woman he lured to his hotel room just months after being freed from prison.

Peter Ramsey, 38, was locked up in 2012 for 12 years after viciously beating and raping a legal secretary he had met on an online dating website.

Set free from prison, Ramsey struck again on May 15 this year when he was staying at a Best Western hotel in Wembley.

The predator offered the vulnerable woman help when she was in distress in the street, and invited her to his hotel room.

There, he overpowered the woman and strangled her while forcing her into sex.

At Harrow crown court on Monday, Ramsey appeared via videolink from HMP Wormwood Scrubs to plead guilty to rape and intentional strangulation.

This is a rape where there is non-fatal strangulation embedded in it, said prosecutor Usha Shergill.

It facilitated Mr Ramseys actions, by him being able to overpower the complainant and temporarily strangle her.

Judge Noel Lucas KC ordered a dangerousness report for Ramsey ahead of sentencing in September, and told him: You are likely to receive a very significant sentence for this repeat offence of rape.

Ramsey was convicted in 2012 for raping a woman he met the previous August on dating website plentyoffish.com.

The former personal trainer, then 26, knocked the womans front teeth out when she refused to give him a goodnight kiss, and left her with shocking facial wounds among 21 separate injuries.

Giving evidence at his trial, the woman said they had enjoyed a good date in Brixton but Ramsey switched as they got to her doorstep.

I thought I was going to die, she told Inner London crown court.

Ramsey was snared by DNA evidence and his use of the womans stolen Oyster card.

He was found guilty of rape, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and theft, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

At Mondays hearing, Ramseys barrister David Smith requested the courts intervention to secure him extra protection in prison.

It has now become known he is in prison for rape, and he is very concerned about his safety, he said.

Things are starting to be said to him, and we hope the governor will take notice and reconsider his status on the general wing.

Judge Lucas asked for a message to be sent to the prison governor that Ramsey must have adequate safety while behind bars.

The court also heard of Ramseys partner who is planning to collect his car once it is released by police.

Ramsey has been remanded in custody until sentencing for the latest attack on September 4.

Description

A man has been found guilty of using his limousine company to groom and sexually abuse teenage girls in Rotherham, following an investigation by officers from the National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood.

76-year-old David Saynor, who lived in Rotherham at the time, carried out a string of offences against girls in the late 2000s and early 2010s, taking his victims out for rides in his vehicles, plying them with alcohol, encouraging them to undress or dance for him, and then in some cases raping or sexually assaulting them.

His victims were between the ages of 12 and 18 when the offences happened. They were sometimes collected from their school or care homes in his stretched Hummer, taken to or from teenage discos in Rotherham, or just for rides around the area.

Girls would be given money for cigarettes, food or occasionally drugs. Saynor actively encouraged them to call him if they needed picking up from somewhere, and often told them to bring friends.

On one occasion he picked up one of his victims, who was aged only 12 or 13 at the time, and took them back to the yard where he stored his limousines. He went on to rape her in an office building there.

One victim was abused repeatedly over a period of two years when she was 14 and 15 years old. She recalled being picked up in her school uniform with groups of other girls, given alcohol, cigarettes and money. On one occasion, when she was on her own, he raped her in the back of the limousine. Afterwards, he threatened to hurt her family if she told anyone.

Another victim, who was 16-years-old and in care at the time, was initially given a job by Saynor handing out leaflets for his company. On one occasion she was driven to an area of Sheffield she didn't know and told to perform a sexual act on him or be left there, miles from home and with no means of getting back.

Saynor was arrested by the NCA in 2020 after numerous victims identified him.

Following a five week trial at Sheffield Crown Court he was found guilty of 15 charges relating to eight victims. He will be sentenced on 15 August.

NCA Senior Investigating Officer Stuart Cobb said: "Saynor used his limousine company as a front for his grooming of teenage girls, gaining their trust and then abusing them.

"He was a manipulative predator who purposefully sought out those who were vulnerable or from troubled backgrounds, giving them gifts of money or alcohol to gain their trust.

"But this would often turn to intimidation and threats when girls went against his wishes.

"It took great courage from the victims in this case to come forward and tell their stories, and I pay tribute to them for doing so. I hope today's convictions demonstrate our determination to get justice for them, even after so many years."

The conviction of David Saynor means 34 people have now been convicted of offences following investigations by the NCA's Operation Stovewood, which is looking at allegations of abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

It remains the single largest investigation of its kind in the UK, with more than 1,150 potential victims identified. Another 50 investigations are ongoing as part of Stovewood.

The NCA's Stuart Cobb added: "I would like to recognise the assistance provided by partners including the CPS, South Yorkshire Police, RMBC, NHS Trauma Resilience and Independent Sexual Violence Adviser network throughout this investigation.

"Their continued support for the victims in this case has been instrumental in ensuring each individual involved has been able to continue with the judicial process, and this support will continue beyond this verdict." 

Sam Thompson, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: "The way David Saynor groomed, threatened and coerced young girls in the community for his own depraved sexual desires, was both cruel and manipulative.

"Child sexual abuse can cause lifelong physical and emotional trauma. We are thankful the victims in this case who came forward to tell the court what happened to them at the hands of Saynor. It is because of their evidence that we were able to build a strong case and help bring this sex offender to justice.

"I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement, will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse takes place.

"I would like encourage any victims of child sexual abuse or violence to report the crimes committed against them to the police, no matter how much time has passed."

Description

A pensioner tailed a woman as she walked in the street before sexually assaulting her.

Convicted sex offender Brian Halfhead, who has a record of perverted crimes spanning more than 40 years, brazenly assaulted the woman in daylight as she walked in Birkenhead.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Monday, that the victim was walking along New Chester Road in Birkenhead, close to Rock Retail Park, shortly after 3pm on May 31 this year when she noticed the 68-year-old behind her. Halfhead, of Cross Street, was said to have made her "feel uncomfortable and uneasy" and she stopped to let him pass her as a result.

Kevin Liston, prosecuting, described how the complainant then put her headphones on and was listening to music as she continued walking, but was then grabbed between her legs from behind. She turned around to find the defendant, who had his "jeans halfway down his legs", and shouted: "What the f***".

This was said to have "spooked" Halfhead, who ran away from the scene in the direction of the Queensway Tunnel. The woman called 999 and gave a description of her attacker, and he later arrested at the Fountain Project mental health support centre.

She was left "terrified" and "afraid to leave her own home" following the incident. The victim was even left waiting several days to visit the shop for supplies as she felt unable to do so without being accompanied by a friend.

Halfhead has a total of 17 previous convictions for 48 offences. These include indecent assault of and gross indecent with a child under 14 from 1977, indecent assault of a child under 16 in 1987 and sexual intercourse with a child under 16 in 1988.

Ken Heckle, defending, told the court: "It is alarming that he has revisited this, but there has been a long time of stability in his life. He accepts that this offence was sexually motivated.

"He has a lack of serious offending for the last 35 years. This is not somebody who is out of control."

Halfhead admitted sexual assault. He was jailed for 16 months and told to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor Jones said: "This is not the first time you have come before the courts for sexual offences. There are historic court appearances, even though the last of those was now some 35 years ago.

"It is quite clear that there is an undercurrent of sexual behaviour as far as you are concerned. You are described as representing a high risk of sexual reoffending and a high risk of causing serious harm to children and females, and with that assessment I must agree."

Description

A VIOLENT rapist who committed offences in Inverclyde and elsewhere and defrauded women out of more than £210,000 has been jailed. 

Christopher Harkins, 37 - branded 'contemptible' by police -  targeted single women on dating websites, quickly befriending them and gaining their trust.

He portrayed himself as a successful businessman before claiming to be experiencing issues with his bank account being frozen.  

He then asked some of his victims to lend him money for a short period of time.  

Several women borrowed significant sums in order to help him.  

Harkins, from Helensburgh, also persuaded a number of the women to transfer him money for holidays, sending them screenshots of alleged destinations.  

He persuaded them to pay for half the cost but never booked the trips away and failed to return the majority of the funds given to him.  

He pleaded guilty to the fraud charges at the High Court in Glasgow on January 16. 

Following a trial at the High Court in Paisley in May, Harkins was subsequently found guilty of raping one former partner. 

He was also convicted of filming two women in intimate situations without their consent before sending them the graphic content.  

Harkins’ offending took place between 2013 and 2019 in the Inverclyde, Airdrie, Cumbernauld, Dumbarton, East Kilbride, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paisley and Stirling areas. 

He is today beginning his lengthy prison term after being sentenced at the High Court in Kilmarnock.

Harkins' name has been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.  

Non-harassment orders, preventing him from contacting or attempting to contact 10 victims, have also been granted for an indefinite period. 

Description

A rapist who "preyed" on his victim after he claimed he was trying to take her to a safe place has been jailed.

Jagdeep Singh, of Gaul Street in Leicester, approached a 21-year-old woman who was feeling unwell as she waited for a taxi after a night out, in the early hours of 12 January.

Later that morning the woman was reported missing before she contacted her parents and told them she had been raped by a man in a flat, police said.

Singh, 35, initially denied raping her but on the second day of his trial, on 9 July, pleaded guilty to the charge and was later sentenced to eight years in prison.

He was also placed on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender has been in court for twice breaking the terms of a court order but cannot complete unpaid work as a punishment because of a health condition.

Raimundo Soares Pinto, 47, of Brewery Walk in Worcester admitted breaching a sexual offences prevention order at a previous hearing.

He appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on Friday (July 5) for breaching the order, made on February 2, 2022.

He admitted breaching the SOPO  in Worcester on October 24 last year, entering the guilty plea on March 14.

By entering a guilty plea, he accepted that 'without reasonable excuse' he downloaded a VPN called Fox Speed to his mobile phone which he was prohibited from doing by a sexual offences prevention order.

He also admitted, on the same date, that he without reasonable excuse, did something, namely downloaded a VPN called Opera Browser to his Lenovo laptop, which he was were prohibited from doing by a sexual offences prevention order made on February 14, 2022.

Pinto was handed a community order which will run until July 4, 2026. As part of the order he must complete rehabilitation activity for up to a maximum of 40 days.

He was deemed 'unsuitable for unpaid work' due to health issues.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted teenage girls has been jailed.

Christopher Florides, 62, of High Street, Yaddlethorpe, near Scunthorpe, pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual assault at Grimsby Crown Court in February.

In a later appearance, before the same court on 28 June, Florides was jailed for six years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A sex offender found in possession of 50,000 indecent images of children and who orchestrated the sexual abuse of children for custom videos has been jailed.

Richard Haswell, from Wolverhampton, was communicating with another sex offender in the Philippines and directed the abuse that should be carried out for the videos.

He claimed he was being pestered to send money to the abuser, West Midlands Police said.

The 62-year-old admitted several charges at Wolverhampton Crown Court where he was jailed for six years on Monday.

When officers arrived at Haswell's house in Cornwall Road in July last year, he admitted having devices with indecent images on.

The images included children as young as six months old - as well as extreme pornography.

He told officers during an interview that he was being pestered into sending money to the abuser in the Philippines, but could not explain why he did not block them, the force said.

Haswell pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images, possessing extreme pornography, six counts of making indecent images and two counts of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence.

He will serve three years on licence after his release and was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A child rapist has been jailed years after abusing a youngster.

Stewart Tuck, 24, carried out attacks on his victim when he was a child at secondary school himself. Tuck's victim reported him to the police years later, after finding out the abuser had committed another sex crime. Teesside Crown Court heard that Tuck was caught with an indecent image of a toddler by a person who had access to his phone, in 2022.

He was reported to the police and as Tuck faced court, his previous victim heard what was happening and came forward.

Tuck, of Wheatley Road in Stockton, pleaded guilty to nine historic sexual offences.

• Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child
• Two counts of rape of a child under 13
• Causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity

Tuck also admitted to his more recent offence of taking indecent photos of a child.

Judge Jonathan Carroll told him: "The discovery of your adult offending was the trigger for your first victim to come forward. You remain a significant risk of casing serious harm, by committing further offences."

The judge handed Tuck an extended sentence, totalling seven-years-nine-months. He was jailed for four-years-and-nine-months; and he will be under an extended licence for three-years, after he is released from prison. He must serve two-thirds of the prison term, before he is eligible for release. He was made the subject of a restraining order. As a registered sex offender, he must register his address with the police, for the rest of his life.

Description

A predator who abused a girl has been jailed for almost two decades.

Stephen Frame, 34, raped and sexually assaulted the girl numerous times.

The brave survivor came forward and reported the abuse to police in 2022, and the Force’s Safeguarding Department immediately launched an investigation.

Frame was swiftly arrested by police but denied the allegations against him.

In 2023, he was charged with a series of offences, including rape and sexual assault.

And in April, Frame, of South Eldon Street, South Shields, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court where a jury saw through his lies and convicted him of all counts of the sexual abuse.

On Tuesday (July 2), he appeared at the same court where he was sentenced to 17 years behind bars.

He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was given a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and restraining order to further monitor his behaviour when he is released from prison.

Description

A 60-year-old man from Cheshire has been jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of a string of sex offences.

Eric Mottershead, of no fixed address but from Congleton, was found guilty of 29 of the 35 offences following a three-week trial in March.

The offences included rape, indecent assault, assault of a child under 13 by penetration, assault by penetration and taking indecent photos of a child.

Mottershead appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, July 5, to be sentenced to 30 years in prison and two years on an extended licence.

He was also given a restraining order and made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The offences related to four children between 2001 and 2007 in the Congleton area.

On September 8, 2020, one of the victims came forward to Cheshire Police reporting that they had been abused when they were a child by Mottershead.

Mottershead was subsequently arrested on September 16, 2020, his house was searched and a number of devices were seized. 

These proved pivotal to the case. They were later examined by the Digital Investigation Unit and numerous indecent images of children were recovered.

Investigating officer DC Lee Ferris, now a Sergeant, went on to discover a further three victims over the course of the investigation.  Each victim was approached, and each provided video evidence to Cheshire Police.

Over the course of a 12-month period, Sergeant Ferris interviewed Mottershead on four separate occasion and each time he strongly denied the offences that were put to him.  He claimed each victim had made it all up and colluded with each other to bring him down.  Evidence including the indecent images on his phones and computer devices proved that this was not the case.

In January 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised the charges against Mottershead and he was released with bail conditions not to contact the victims. 

Due to the complexity of this case, a trial at Chester Crown Court did not take place until March 2024. 

During that time, Sergeant Ferris transferred from Cheshire Constabulary to Greater Manchester Police, but the officer refused to pass on the case to someone else and he remained in touch with each victim.  He worked closely with detectives from Macclesifeld LPU to get the case to Chester Crown Court.

Sergeant Ferris said: “I’d like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and speaking out about the abuse they suffered.

“Mottershead is now paying the price for preying on them when they were children and carrying out horrific and degrading acts on them.

“I’m hoping that getting justice will help them in some way and encourages others who have been subjected to such abuse to come forward, no matter how long ago the abuse was. You will be taken seriously. You will be supported. And we will do everything we possibly can to get justice for you.”

Description

A 38-year-old man has been jailed for 12 years for a series of sexual and violent offences in the Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire areas.

David Cooper was sentenced today, Friday, 5 July, 2024, at the High Court in Glasgow after previously being convicted on Friday, 10 May.

The offences were committed against four women over a 20-year period between 2002 and 2022.

He has also been sentenced to non-harassment orders against the four women.

Detective Inspector Cheryl Gebbie said: “David Cooper is a dangerous individual who has committed a variety of serious crimes against his victims, subjecting them to sexual abuse and violence.

“We acknowledge how difficult this have been for Cooper’s victims and their families. We hope that his conviction and sentencing will bring them some comfort and our thoughts remain with them.

“We would like to take this opportunity to reach out to any victims of sexual and physical violence to please report it to police. This type of behaviour will not be tolerated and we will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to support victims involved.”

Description

A sex offender has found himself in court once again - this time for failing to tell police about a change of address.

Barry Parker was given a lengthy prison sentence in the mid-1990s for a sexual offence and is on the sex offenders register. But the 66-year-old has committed breaches of his order on several occasions in the past and has once again been hauled back into court.

On Wednesday, Parker, of Byker Bridge House, Byker, appeared at Newcastle Magistrates' Court facing a charge of failing to comply with notification requirements. He pleaded guilty to the single offence, which dates back to March 22 this year.

The court heard that in January 1996, Parker had been jailed for seven years for sexual offending - the details of which were not given during proceedings. As well as his prison sentence, he was also put on the sex offenders register, meaning he must comply with certain conditions - one of which is notifying police of a change of address.

But Parker breached the order this year when he moved address and failed to notify police. Stephen Davies, prosecuting, said: "It became apparent with [police] that he was no longer living at his registered address. Police were notified that he was living at Byker Bridge House and failed to register the change of address. He was arrested and interviewed and explained he was evicted and failed to notify police of his new address."

The court was told that following his 1996 conviction, Parker had committed order breaches in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2016. His breaches had resulted in either prison time or financial penalties.

Michael Crowe, defending, told the court Parker is in "poor physical health" and has memory issues. He said: "The best part of 30 years ago [Parker] was convicted of something he's always maintained his innocence for. He has some breaches over a period of 29 years and it is right to say he has been required to report to police on hundreds of occasions. By and large, he has managed to comply with that."

Mr Crowe said Parker had been living in temporary accommodation but was attacked by another resident and he "defended himself". He was then evicted and moved to Byker Bridge House after spending a short time living on the streets. Mr Crowe added there was "nothing sinister" in not notifying the authorities of the address change, saying: "He says because of the circumstances in which he moved, he was in some state of distress and [notifying police] simply slipped his mind."

Magistrates fined Parker £120 and ordered him to pay a £48 surcharge and £85 costs.