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The 16-year-old who raped and murdered Alesha MacPhail has been sentenced to a minimum of 27 years behind bars after he finally admitted his crime. During his trial, Aaron Campbell had repeatedly denied he abducted, raped and killed the six-year-old on the Isle of Bute last July. But he admitted his offences to a psychologist preparing a report to the court ahead of his sentencing. Judge Lord Matthews imposed a life sentence for the "brutal" murder. He set the punishment part of the sentence, before Campbell can apply for parole, at 27 years. Lord Matthews said Campbell's crime had caused "revulsion and disbelief". He said Alesha had been violated and murdered and told Campbell he was a "cold, callous, calculating, remorseless and dangerous individual". The judge read out Campbell's "cold blooded and horrific" account of his actions that night and how he described seeing Alesha asleep in her room as "a moment of opportunity". Campbell's confession was contained in the criminal justice social report and the criminal psychologist's report, which were prepared ahead of his sentencing. The report by the forensic clinical psychologist Dr Gary Macpherson quoted Campbell as saying: "At any other time in life murder would not have been the conclusion. "If I was a year younger I don't think I would have done it. "All I thought about was killing her once I saw her." In his sentencing statement, the judge said the teenager had shown breathtaking arrogance during the trial and had failed to plead guilty despite overwhelming evidence against him. He said he had shown "a staggering lack of remorse". "Not once did I detect a flicker of emotion from you," the judge said. Lord Matthews said it would be for others to decide if Campbell would ever be released, indeed, he said his reintegration into society might be "impossible". During his nine-day trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month, Campbell claimed he had never met his victim and lodged a special defence naming the 18-year-old girlfriend of Alesha's father as the killer. The judge said this was a "cruel travesty of the truth" and said the woman he blamed, Toni McLachlan, was "completely innocent". The judge said he was "shocked" by the clear admissions of guilt in the background reports, especially after the "tissue of lies" Campbell had told in court. The psychologist said that on the night of Alesha's death Campbell had been drinking and wanted cannabis so he decided to go into her father's home to get some. Alesha's father had previously sold him the drug. In his sentencing statement, Lord Matthews said Campbell had carried Alesha to a secluded spot where he raped and murdered her "in the most brutal fashion". He told the teenager: "You said that Alesha was drowsy and became a bit more awake when you went out. "At one point she asked who you were and where you were going. "You said you were a friend of her father and that you were taking her home." 'Harmful behaviour' Campbell gave Alesha his coat because she was cold. The judge said that over the next few days Campbell was unconcerned about what had happened, and was "slightly amused" that the police had not caught him. The court heard that the teenager had said he was "quite satisfied by the murder". The judge said Campbell told Dr Macpherson that at points during the trial it took "everything to stop laughing" and he had to "zip his mouth". Lord Matthews said the reports concluded that Campbell was not suffering from a mental health disorder but showed a total lack of victim empathy. Alesha, from Airdrie in Lanarkshire, was just days into a holiday when she was abducted from her bed. She was reported missing from her grandparents' home on Ardbeg Road, near Rothesay, at 06:23 on 2 July last year. Dozens of islanders joined the search for the child but at 08:54 her naked body was discovered in a wooded area in the grounds of the former Kyles Hydropathic Hotel. A post-mortem examination later revealed she had suffered 117 injuries and died from significant pressure being applied to her face and neck. After the sentence was read out family members shouted "evil" and "beast" as Campbell was led down to the cells.

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A man who raped a woman on a footbridge could have his jail sentence increased. John Horne was sentenced to nine years in prison for raping the 22-year-old on the footbridge near Fareham Train Station in Hampshire, in March. The case has now been referred to the Attorney General's office under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme. It may then be referred to the Court of Appeal which has the power to increase sentences. Horne, who was 39 at the time of the attack, admitted charges of rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in what was described as a "prolonged" assault at Portsmouth Crown Court in May. Horne was told he was considered a dangerous offender so would serve at least two-thirds of his sentence behind bars. A statement from the victim, read to the court at the time, said she had been a "smiley" character before the attack, but now suffered with daily anxiety and feared she would "never be my normal self again". At his sentencing Judge Richard Shepherd told Horne he had "terrorised" his victim and robbed her of what should have been a "carefree and safe young adulthood". A spokesperson from the Attorney General's Office confirmed it had received a request for the sentence to be looked at under the ULS scheme, which deals with complaints about sentences considered to be unreasonably low. Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision, the spokesperson said.

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A man who was jailed for trying to meet schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood for sex in the days before she was raped and murdered will be freed after top judges reduce his sentence.

Bruce John Cordwell, of Raleigh Street in Nottingham, was locked up for 43 months at Chester Crown Court in February.

He admitted trying to arrange the commission of a child sexual act.

But his case reached London's Appeal Court today as he successfully challenged his sentence - which was cut to just 12 months.

Given automatic deductions, the court heard Cordwell has now "served his sentence" and is due for immediate release.

20-year-old Cordwell, sent 15-year-old Kayleigh a series of sexually explicit texts just days before she was raped and murdered by 29-year-old Stephen Beadman.

Her body was found dumped near a lake in Ibstock in Leicestershire.

The discovery came five days after Kayleigh, who was from Measham, was last seen getting off a bus near Ibstock Community College.

Beadman was last year handed a life sentence after he admitted the teenager's murder.

An accomplice, 28-year-old Luke Harlow who initially made contact with Kayleigh, was jailed for 12 years for grooming and falsely imprisoning her.

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Court hears he groomed girls with "truth or dare" games A convicted sex offender has been jailed for nine years after he abused two schoolgirls following a game of truth or dare in his home. Sentencing 50-year-old Carl Robert Whitehead at Leeds Crown Court Recorder Andrew Haslam said he had initially befriended the girls through their interest in his pet dog and then groomed them. You developed your association with both of these girls on social media such as Facebook and contacted them over their mobile telephones. He said Whitehead even paid for a top-up on one girls phone and they began visiting his home. One text message suggested he had offered them alcohol although he knew they were not old enough to drink, being 13 and 14. Recorder Haslam said a friend of Whitehead advised him to end the association and even contacted the police and they repeated that advice but he ignored them. I am satisfied you ignored that advice because you wanted to develop an association with both girls, although you knew they were under 16, for the specific reason of taking sexual advantage of them. You did that solely for the purpose of satisfying your own sexual desires. I am satisfied you groomed these girls for your own sexual purposes. He said it did not matter who suggested the game of truth or dare it developed as you wanted it to. There was kissing then he suggested they remove their clothes and finally his touching them sexually. Recorder Haslam said he believed Whitehead at least tried to go further, because he had subsequently bought them pregnancy testing kits and there was no other reason for that. He had also put the girls through a trial and accused them of fabricating their accounts which had added to their ordeal. His behaviour had clearly had a psychological impact on them. Whitehead, of St James Street, Heckmondwike, was found guilty by a jury on four charges of sexual activity with a child. Kirstie Watson prosecuting told the court had previous convictions for indecent exposure in 1988, 1989 and on April 15, 2011 as well as a conviction for gross indecency with a six year old child in 1990. Mathew Harding defending Whitehead said he still denied any offence against the girls. He had already found his experience in prison difficult being subjected to bullying.

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A sick dad begged an undercover police officer to send him depraved images of children and said: Im 100% paedo.

Graham Handlon believed he was chatting to a fellow pervert on a chat room. However, the 49-year-old was really chatting to a covert officer, only months after the deviant previously avoided jail for having a stash of sick images.

The father-of-two revealed he had bought an unregistered pay as you go phone for all my paedo. And he boasted: Theres no limits with me. Im just a dirty c***, Im just into everything. Everything and anything what goes. You know what I mean?

Handlon, was given a two-year community order in January 2020, after he was caught with child rape images. He was given a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

On November 30 that year he messaged the officer on web forum ChatIW stating Hi m 47 peD north west no limits and using the profile name Bipedlknforbiped. Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, said: Perhaps bi-sexual paedophile looking for another bi-sexual paedophile, if thats what bi-ped stands for.

Handlon sent him indecent photos and videos before claiming he did a girl when she was two, report Liverpool Echo. He sent more photos, boasting he had 100s, and asked the officer if he had any photos of his 11-year-old daughter - who the officer pretended to have sexually abused.

The officer said he was cautious who he shared images with, but Handlon replied: I understand that bud, Im 100% paedo bud. To prove his claims he sent more images and added: I have vids too.

Handlon revealed he had the burner phone for all my paedo and swapped numbers. When they spoke that day, the officer recorded the call.

Handlon asked about the imaginary daughter and said: Is she sexy as f***? He added: Older women dont really do much for me but little girls I like.

He then described himself as a dirty c***. The pair also exchanged contact details for messaging app Telegram and Handlon said hed share a 10-minute video of a mum and dad with a little girl.

Handlon, of Park Crescent, Southport, sent three child rape videos to the officer, plus a video of himself performing a sex act. Police tracked his phone and found CCTV footage of him buying a top up voucher at the Spar in Roe Lane, Southport on November 7, 2020.

Officers raided his home on January 25, 2021. He handed over a phone and laptop, but didnt produce his Alba mobile, which was discovered hidden inside a plastic bag in his letterbox.

Handlon denied it was his and gave a no comment interview to police. However, his DNA was on its battery, SIM card and storage card, and the number matched his call with the officer.

Police found 1,408 Category A - the most serious category showing child rape - plus 1,463 Category B and 797 Category C indecent images on the device. A further 80 extreme porn images involved animals were found.

He had used a cloud storage device more than 3,000 times. Officers discovered he shared 126 indecent files with other paedophiles on WhatsApp under the name Big Little and on Wickr as UKMember123 from November 2020 to January 2021.

When interviewed again, he admitted the phone was his and he had downloaded the files. He claimed he had been addicted to pornography since childhood; wanted to stop offending; and had sought help through courses and books.

Handlon accepted the chats with the officer and sharing the files. He said he just had a massive problem with it but denied ever sexually abusing a child.

He admitted three counts of downloading, three counts of distributing and one count of possessing indecent images of children, plus possessing extreme pornography and breaching his SHPO. Jim Smith, defending, said: This defendant has embarked on a personal crusade to ensure his continuing rehabilitation and enlightenment.

He said Handlon hoped to re-establish a relationship with his parents and his two children, who he was separated from. He hadnt seen them for more than a year.

Mr Smith said Handlon had completed 10 sessions of a Stop It Now! course, and further courses with the child sexual abuse prevention charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, costing him almost 1,000. He said Handlon had daily support from a mentor to prevent offending and attended Sex Addicts Anonymous sessions in Liverpool.

He said his clients was genuinely remorseful and a rehabilitation programme and unpaid work attached to his previous community order hadnt addressed his issues. The judge, Recorder Ian Harris, said: The report says he engaged with probation but didnt take his offence seriously at that time.

Mr Smith said: I think thats an interpretation which I dont think properly reflects the efforts, or the lack of specific targeting of the motivations for his offending, which subsequently he has voluntarily submitted to. He added if Handlon was jailed he would lose his job, his children would miss financial support and he would lose his home.

Recorder Harris told Handlon: Im telling you now there will be an immediate custodial sentence. The judge said in a sinister aspect of the case he bought a phone for your paedophile activities.

He said Mr Smith told Liverpool Crown Court Handlons comments about molesting a child were just bravado and he wasnt being sentenced for that. But he enjoyed and shared repulsive images.

He said a report noted Handlon didnt believe he had the support he needed when previously sentenced, but now felt sick. The judge said: You had every opportunity and carried on.

Recorder Harris said Handlon described himself as a paedophile. He said: These offences are vile and reflect the corruption and abuse of young children.

The judge jailed him for three years and 10 months. He made a new 15-year SHPO and told Handlon to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A SERIAL sex offender is back behind bars after trying to hide an internet-enabled mobile from police within weeks of his release from prison. Stewart Tivendale was sentenced to an extended period of five years and issued with an indefinite SHPO for his 'distorted proclivities' when he appeared in court in January 2020. And after he was released from custody on January 21 this year, officers from Cleveland Police visited his home on Westbourne Street, Stockton, to check whether he was complying with the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). The 26-year-old was initially jailed for three years in 2018 after he admitted collecting and sharing pictures and videos of abuse and incited boys and girls online to send photographs and carry out disgusting acts. Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said officers became suspicious of Tivendales behaviour after he took a long time to answer the door when they arrived to carry out an inspection of his home. Miss Atkinson said the defendant had tried to hide the mobile phone but officers spotted a box for a mobile phone charger and carried out a thorough search of his property they discovered the Samsung mobile phone and discovered that he had been accessing the internet. Tivendale, of Westbourne Street, Stockton, pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order after he was found in possession of a mobile phone capable of accessing the internet and saving images. Emma Williams, in mitigation, said her client accepted he had breached his SHPO court order and didnt expect to be able to get away with it. Judge James Brown sentenced the 26-year-old to 20 months in custody for his two latest breaches of the court order. This is a very serious breach of your sexual harm prevention order and it must be viewed in context of your previous offending, which I regard as significant, he said. Following your release, you were again found with an internet-enabled device, you clearly tried to hide it from the police and tried to access various social media sites which you had used in the past to offend. Its clear to me what you had in mind and that was to commit further offences of a similar nature.

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A grandfather sent sick messages to an online contact he thought was a 14-year-old girl but turned out to be a 'paedophile hunter'. Raymond Francis believed he was talking to a child when he fantasised about "fondling" her and "making love" in her mother's bed.

The 64-year-old from Newport started an online conversation last July with a profile for a fictional child, Tia Johnson. In reality he was messaging a member of Elite Solo Decoys a vigilante group which "identifies people who seek out children on the internet", Cardiff Crown Court heard on Monday.

Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said the conversation stretched across a 91-page chat thread in the space of a week as Francis became increasingly "persistent, determined and sexually explicit". The vigilante had from the beginning told Francis that she was 14, sending computer-generated images of an underage girl which prompted the defendant to compliment her "sexy figure".

"The defendant said he wished 'Tia' was 16 before going on to ask if she would like sex now," Mr Roberts added. "The subject turned to the issue of contraception in the form of the pill, and she said she had not yet had a boyfriend. He sent pictures of himself topless, which were taken a number of years ago when the defendant was a lot more youthful. He asked for pictures of her breasts in return. She did not send any. He told her he drooled over pictures of her with long hair. He then told Tia she should delete pictures of him from her computer in case her mother located them."

Francis talked of "fondling" Tia in the shower and sent her images of couples having sex. He told her to "hurry up and get on the pill soon" because he hated using condoms. He also told her: "Don't tell anyone at all Tia."

Mr Roberts said Francis sought to make arrangements for sex with Tia when her mother was away. The granddad-of-four discussed "making love in your mother's bed all night".

Francis was arrested at the Coldra Roundabout McDonald's restaurant after being duped into a meeting with a different decoy run by a separate paedophile-hunting group. While being recorded Francis told the vigilantes he had been "chatting, nothing more", before they passed evidence to police. No charges came from the McDonald's meeting because Francis had believed he was meeting an adult, according to his barrister Stuart John.

But the defendant, of Westfield Avenue, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child over the Tia Johnson messages. Mr John said his client was already an "isolated man" and the publicity around the case has made him reluctant to leave the house as well as impacting his relationship with his children and grandchildren.

"He has never committed an offence like this before," said Mr John. "The one conviction he has goes back a significant period. He accepts he has to address his issues head-on. That's the only way to prove himself to his family, and if he can't do that his later years will look extremely bleak."

The judge, Recorder Duncan Bould, accepted Francis would be "extremely vulnerable" in prison due to his age and health issues. He said the defendant's actions were "insidious" and "designed to manipulate", but he was "just" persuaded that Francis should be spared immediate custody. He imposed an eight-month prison term suspended for two years and ordered the defendant to complete 30 days of rehab activity and a sex offender programme. Francis, who will be under a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years barring him from unsupervised contact with under-16s, must pay 700 in prosecution costs and a 156 victim services surcharge at a rate of 20 per week.

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A MAN aged 63 has been jailed for two years after he was snared by online paedophile hunters for sending naked pictures of himself to what he believed was a girl aged 13. Gordon Hunter was confronted by members of the group and then arrested by the police, Bradford Crown Court heard today. Recorder Alex Menary, told Hunter, a retired supermarket security guard, he would be failing in his public duty not to jail him. Hunter, of Range Bank, Halifax, pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate with a child for sexual purposes by sending her pictures of his exposed penis. He also admitted inciting a child aged 13 to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent photographs of children and possession of extreme pornographic images of a person performing a sexual act with an animal. All the offences took place between April 13 and June 9, 2019. Hunter told interviewing officers he was aware that he was speaking to a young adult woman. It was just role playing. Ken Green said in mitigation that he was deeply ashamed. He had worked hard all his life as a supermarket security guard and had caused his wife and family great distress. Recorder Menary ordered Hunter to sign on the sex offender register for ten years.

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A woman out for a walk during the first Covid lockdown was subjected to a frightening street sex attack by Abdishakhur Ahmed A woman was subjected to a frightening sex attack while out for a walk in Birmingham during a Covid lockdown. Abdishakhur Ahmed grabbed the victim's breast and also rubbed himself against her before fleeing. Ahmed, 27, of Victor Tower, Nechells, who had previously been convicted of sexual assault following a trial, was sentenced to six months suspended for two years, ordered to pay 200 compensation and put on the Sex Offender's Register for seven years. Paul Fairley, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said: "Just before 8pm on April 9 2020 the victim was crossing Saltley Viaduct just into the first Covid lockdown and had been out for her daily exercise." She saw the defendant walking towards her and the court heard she thought he may have special education needs because he was mumbling something she could not understand. She then began to cross the road near Saltley Business Park and Ahmed followed her. The defendant then pulled the woman back by her hood, she began screaming, and he then put his hand down her top placing his hand there for about 30 seconds. He eventually let go but then thrust his pelvis against her bottom several times before running off. Mr Fairley said two people in a passing car stopped to assist the victim. They initially believed it had been a "boyfriend-girlfriend situation" but then chased after Ahmed, catching up with him and tripping him before waiting for the police to arrive. In passing sentence Judge Roderick Henderson said: "This was an impulsive offence but it was extremely frightening for this woman who was walking along the road safely as she was entitled to when you literally went out of your way to assault her sexually. "It would have been wrong to describe it as a sustained or repeated assault but for her it will have felt like a long time. A significant aggravating factor of this offence is that it was committed during the course of a Covid lockdown when most of us were understandably frightened of close contact with other people and that would have made a frightening event even more frightening." The judge said he had taken into account that Ahmed had stayed out of trouble since the offence and that he wanted to try and stop him repeating his behaviour. Cathlyn Orchard, defending, said Ahmed was of previous good character and that it had been opportunistic.

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A pervert who downloaded more than 9,000 images of children being abused was spared prison because he has Aspergers.

Kevin Cornes, 35, of Ascot Avenue, Runcorn, reportedly shook with anxiety in the dock for much of the hearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday as he appeared to learn his fate. Paedophile Cornes spoke to confirm he had pleaded guilty at magistrates court on May 6 to three counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing an indecent image of a child, the latter charge covering all 9,177 images.

According to Simon Mintz, prosecuting, the making part of the charge refers to the act of downloading. He said police executed a warrant at Corness home on March 30 last year and seized digital devices.

Three devices were significant, showing Cornes had downloaded 1,259 Category A images - the worst type, 1,234 in Category B, and 6,694 Category C, totalling 9,177 images. File names suggested the ages of the children ranged between three and 13 years old.

Mr Mintz said the vast majority were still images and 103 were videos. They were believed to have been downloaded between August 2019 and March 6 last year.

Cornes answered no comment when police interviewed him in January 2022. Mr Mintz said Cornes had a similar conviction from 2015 for making indecent images when he received a three-year community order, which expired in 2018, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to run until 2025.

He said the sentencing range for making Category A images was six months to three years.

Judge Steven Everett, Recorder of Chester, approved the revocation of the previous SHPO and replaced it with an updated order covering Corness use of the internet and police access to his devices.

Katy Laverty, defending, said Cornes was a young man who suffers autism and Aspergers, which she said explained part of the offending behaviour, which was of a repetitive nature.

She argued her client should be spared an immediate prison sentence.

Ms Laverty said: He doesnt seek to minimise his actions or place blame elsewhere.

Hes ashamed of what hes done and wants to change.

She said Cornes said he had been traumatised by personal experiences during his life and now felt he had opened up about these, and was fully motivated to comply with whatever probation asked of him because he understands this is a last opportunity.

Ms Laverty added Cornes had abstained from alcohol, had a number of difficulties including depression and anxiety and had attempted to take his own life.

He was also absolutely terrified of prison.

Recorder Everett said the court faced a difficult sentencing exercise.

He branded abuse images a terrible thing, but said a short prison sentence wouldnt mitigate any longer term risk posed to the public by Cornes.

With reference to a probation report and the guidelines for custodial and community sentences, he concluded there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

He said he accepted Cornes had a very troubling history both by you and against you, and that to an extent due to his Asperger's, Cornes did not have the same kind of control as people who dont suffer it.

The judge sentenced Cornes to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He also ordered the 35-year-old to complete up to 60 days of rehabilitation, the maximum available, including the Horizon sex offender programme, alongside a 10-year SHPO and 10 years on the sex offender register.

Recorder Everett said: The pre-sentence report shows a very troubling history, both by you and against you, but most particularly the fact that you suffer with Aspergers and Im well aware of what that means and Im well aware of the issues that causes.

Commenting on the charges, Recorder Everett said abuse victims in the images, if they lived, will have been scarred for life.

He said some perpetrators resort to killing their child victims to get rid of the evidence.

He said: These images are images of children who have been sexually abused, nothing more nothing less, God knows when or where, anywhere in the world, placed on the internet for people like you, sadly, to access them.

No-one can pretend that the people committed these terrible offences wont go on and commit them anyway because sadly people who do these things have distorted views of what a normal person should do.

But when people like you download (them), what you do is provide ready access for people to see this terrible abuse and unfortunately you give encouragement to people who do these things.

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A BT worker has been jailed for 22 months after pleading guilty to possessing more than 124,000 indecent images of children. Ashok Rana, 41, of Langley Green, Crawley, was handed the immediate custodial sentence at Hove Crown Court. The court heard that due to the large number of indecent images, police officers had to stop categorising them. Indecent images of children are classified as either Category A, Category B or Category C, with Category A the most serious. The court was told that Rana had 201 Category A images, with 76 moving images, 68 Category B images, 27 of them moving images, and in excess of 124,000 Category C images. He had pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing. The court was told that Rana cannot help himself and was unable to control himself when it came to possessing indecent images, with many of them of children as young as three years old. In jailing Rana, a manager with telecoms firm BT, the Recorder, Ms Sarah Elliott, said she had read the case with care. I have looked at this case [and] it is a tragic one, she said, telling Rana that this type of offence puts children at risk. She added: While these offences are reprehensible in all other respects you are a decent member of society with a supportive family, who ought to be making his mark in a positive way. Ranas sister sat in the public gallery throughout the hearing and broke down in tears when sentence was passed. Rana also admitted he was in breach of a four-month sentence, suspended for two years, previously imposed by Lewes Crown Court. He was also in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and the court was told that Rana used six devices without the required monitoring software. Ms Elliott jailed Rana for 12 months for possessing the Category A images, eight months for breaching the Sexual Harm Prevention Order and activated the suspended sentence for two months, with all sentences to run consecutively. She also jailed him for eight months for possessing the Category B images and four months for possessing the Category C images, to run concurrently. Rana was told he will spend half of the 22 months in custody, and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

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A Leeds man has been jailed for two years after he was caught grooming what he thought to be a 13-year-old girl - which was actually a decoy set up by Predator Exposure. Predator Exposure seeks to expose sex offenders who target children online. Group members set up 'decoy' social media profiles pretending to be of a child and then engage in online conversations. Bilal Ahmed, 25, contacted an account set up by a member of the group in March 2020, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday (June 7). "One of their group uploaded a profile of a child named Melanie aged 13 years", the prosecutor said. "The defendant contacted Melanie through her Facebook account on March 22. "There were a series of conversations. "Ultimately the defendant blocked Melanie because he wasn't getting answers." The chat that did take place was "sexually explicit on occasions", the prosecutor said. He added: "The defendant displayed grooming type behaviour wanting to meet Melanie. "He said: 'Would you let me hold your neck and kiss your lips slowly." Police officers seized Ahmed's mobile phone and the chat was uncovered. He was arrested in February 2021 and answered no comment to questions, before being released under investigation. In December 2021, Ahmed was also arrested after turning up at the place of work of a woman who he had previously been warned about harassing. On December 21, he turned up at her place of work. At the end of her shift, wary Ahmed was "lurking", the woman asked a colleague to accompany her to leave the building, Leeds Crown Court was told. Ahmed "wanted to speak" to the woman and "would not take no for an answer". The victim was worried for her safety as Ahmed attempted to grab her handbag, the court heard. CCTV footage showed Ahmed pushing the woman and punching the man, the court was told. This caused an injury to the male victim's face. Ahmed refused to leave the area until police arrived. Ahmed, of Norwood Terrace, Leeds, pleaded guilty to one count of affray, one count of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and offences of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. In mitigation, Khadim Al Hassan said Ahmed had long standing psychological issues and was bullied at school. He began to use cannabis and alcohol from the age of 11 or 12, the court was told. Ahmed has depression and anxiety and his "head was all over the place", the court heard. "This was a very difficult time for him", Mr Al Hassan said. "Custody has been very difficult for him. "He is somebody the probation service could help. "He has shown genuine remorse." Sentencing Ahmed, Judge Tom Bayliss QC told Ahmed he was "grooming" who he thought to be the girl. "The aim on your part was to meet her, but you were caught", the Judge continued. "There was a degree of planning on your part, grooming behaviour for some time. "There has to be an immediate custodial sentence." Ahmed was jailed for two years. He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for a period of 10 years and must sign a sex offender notification for 10 years. Ahmed was also given a restraining order against the female victim of the affray.

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A Scarborough sex offender and prolific criminal has been jailed yet again after CCTV cameras captured him sexually touching an under-age girl in the street and kissing her teenage friend. Nathan Collinson, 33, was stood outside a house on a named street in Scarborough when he shouted the two girls over as they passed by, York Crown Court heard. He touched one of them intimately and kissed both victims, said prosecutor Rob Stephenson. Collinson was arrested after being identified on CCTV and bailed, but the brazen criminal then burgled a guest room at the Grand Hotel in Scarborough while the occupiers were asleep. The sexual offences occurred at night in October 2020 when the two girls were shouted (over) by (Collinson) who was stood outside an address on (the named street), said Mr Stephenson. The (victims) both approached him and he kissed each of them, added the prosecutor. Collinson touched one of them on an intimate area over her clothing and kissed her again. He then kissed the other girl and walked with both victims to the corner of the street where there was more kissing and hugging and embracing. Everything was captured on CCTV, said Mr Stephenson. The girls eventually walked away but were followed by Collinson, who went inside a house briefly with the two victims, although nothing untoward occurred inside the property. The victims were interviewed by police following the gathering of CCTV evidence and Collinson was arrested about a month after the offences. He was identified by both victims but remained silent in police interview. Collinson was still on bail for the sexual offences when he sneaked inside the Grand Hotel on St Nicholas Cliff and was trying door handles at various guest rooms. He finally found an open door to a room where a couple were sleeping. (The male victim) woke to find the defendant inside his room, which was in darkness, said Mr Stephenson. The defendant had taken 40 from his wallet in his coat pocket. He then threw down the coat and made off. Police were called out to the hotel and viewed CCTV footage which showed Collinson trying the door handles of several rooms before entering (the victims room) twice in quick succession. Officers were told there was a man who had been at the hotel who was not a guest. Police found him hiding in an unoccupied room in the hotel and arrested him. He initially told police he couldnt remember if he committed the offence. Collinson, of no fixed address, ultimately admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child, burglary and a separate offence of possessing cannabis. He appeared for sentence on Tuesday June 7. The court heard he had a previous conviction from 2012 for sexually assaulting a woman, which resulted in a six-week prison sentence. He then breached his notification requirements over the next six years. He had 43 previous convictions for 83 offences dating back nearly 20 years. They included numerous thefts and burglaries. His solicitor advocate David Camidge said that Collinson, a father-of-one, had drug and alcohol problems stemming from a very difficult upbringing. He added that Collinson was otherwise a hard-working man. Judge Sean Morris told Collinson: Im afraid men of your age need to understand you dont start kissing and groping young girls. You were released on bail and went and burgled a hotel room where a couple were staying, and you disturbed them. "It must have been a frightening event and you were in that hotel trying the doors, trying to steal. "You are a prolific offender. Collinson was jailed for two years and made subject to a six-year sexual-harm prevention order. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

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A perverted grandad sent sex messages to a teen then blamed his victim afterwards for being a slut.

Twisted Ewen Murray, from Linwood, sent a series of explicit texts to the 14-year-old girl, including one while his wife was in the bathroom.

After being caught out, he offered various explanations for his vile behaviour, including mental illness and labelling the youngster a slut.

Murray, 59, finally faced justice at Paisley Sheriff Court, where he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

He was also banned from being in the company of children he isnt related to without adult supervision.

The case had dragged on since 2019, with Murray claiming he suffered mental illness as a result of a blow to his head some years ago causing multiple adjournments in the case.

His lawyer Anthony Boland stated Murrays illness was responsible for him not having control of what he was doing.

But Sheriff Eoin McGinty slammed the pervert for his inability to accept responsibility throughout the case.

He said: You have tried to manipulate proceedings from the offset.

I dont believe your so-called brain injury played any part in this.

You say in the report that you were highly intoxicated, then you went on to say that you sent one message when your wife went to the bathroom.

One of the messages was at 11.30am.

I simply dont believe you were so drunk at that time of the day.

You claim you were so drunk, but you were compos mentis enough to pick your moment.

Murray, of Clippens Road, admitted that between June 21, 2018 and June 25, 2018, he repeatedly sent a girl he knew to be 14-years-old, messages of a sexual and indecent nature.

Court papers show Murray sent the messages for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming the youngster.

Mr Boland told the court Murray now accepts responsibility for the messages.

However, he told how the social worker who wrote the criminal justice social work report considered Murray to deny any sexual nature to the messages.

Sheriff McGinty was worried Murray was supported by his wife in court. He stated: The fact that the report states you deny any sexual nature to these messages, and that your wife is here in court today supporting you, concerns me.

Mr Boland asked the court to deal with Murray without imposing a custodial sentence, adding: We have a man here for offences in 2018.

He has committed no further offences and he is a man who has been on bail for three years and never breached the order.

Sentencing, Sheriff McGinty imposed a direct alternative to custody, warning Murray that if the order is breached, he would be facing jail time.

He said: Ive read the deeply disturbing report, given your comments you have made.

I find your various explanations very disturbing in that you blame the 14-year-old girl, calling her a slut.

This offence does constitute a significant breach of trust and power given that this was a 14-year-old girl who confided in you.

Vile Murray was placed under supervision of the social work department for three years and ordered to carry out the Moving Forward Making Changes programme for sex offenders.

In addition, he was ordered to carry out 270 hours of unpaid work and given a number of conduct requirements that prevent him from deleting internet browsing history and from having any unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 18, that isnt related to him, without another adult being present.

A review hearing was set for July 29.