Latest Offenders

Description

A man who carried out a series of online sexual offences against children across the UK has been sent to prison.

Matthew Reilly, from Halesowen, was sentenced to nine years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday (27 June) after pleading guilty to a total of 34 sex offences in February.

We began an investigation into Reilly – a registered sex offender – in January last year after we discovered an indecent image of a child had been uploaded to online messaging platform Snapchat. The image was traced to an account linked to Reilly. We executed a search warrant at his Halesowen home, arresting the 39-year-old and seizing his electronic devices for analysis.

When interviewed, Reilly admitted to messaging girls on Snapchat and that some of the conversations he had with them had turned sexual. He was conditionally bailed while we continued our enquires, during which time his devices were forensically examined.

We found indecent images of children on his phone along with details of a Snapchat account Reilly had been using to pose as a 15-year-old boy. Further analysis revealed that the account had been sexually communicating with girls aged 11 to 15 years old over a four-month period between October 2021 and January 2022.

Data we extracted also revealed that Reilly would meet some of these victims on an online dating site where he would confirm their age, pay them sexual compliments and tell them that he could get them onto the subscription platform OnlyFans where they could earn money from sexual content.

Reilly additionally sent explicit images to some of the girls and coaxed one of them into performing a sexual act. In total, we identified 40 victims who lived in 27 different force areas within England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We contacted the relevant police forces and they assisted with safeguarding the children and gathering evidence to support our investigation.

Reilly was further arrested on 29 September 2023 in light of the evidence we uncovered. He was subsequently charged with 52 offences and remanded in custody at a later date.

Reilly pleaded guilty at a hearing in February this year and a previous earlier hearing to 18 counts of sexual communication with a child under 16, one count of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and five counts of causing a child under 16 to watch a sexual act.

He also pleaded guilty to eight counts of making an indecent image of a child. These were made up of one count of Category A – the most serious, one for Category B and six counts for Category C.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing indecent images of a child (Category C).

Description

A sex offender found himself back in court after being evicted from his home.

Andrew McGowan is subject to notification requirements as he is on the sex offenders register. The 58-year-old must inform the police when he moves to a new address, even if he is homeless.

Newcastle Magistrates' Court heard how McGowan was left homeless, after being evicted from his home in May this year, but failed to notify Northumbria Police that he was now classed as no fixed abode.

The court in Newcastle heard how he had been sleeping under the archway near Forth Banks Police Station before being given accommodation. However he also failed to inform the force about his new address.

Brian Payne, prosecuting, told the court: "This gentleman is subject to the notification requirements on the sexual offences act. He was last in trouble in 2018, six years ago, for failing to comply with a sexual harm prevention order in place at the time.

"He's monitored on a regular basis by offender managers and it became clear to the police that his last address, he'd left. Police made enquiries and he had in fact been evicted.

"He was supposed to, even if homeless, notify the police that he was not at his home address but he failed to do so. He was tracked down and it became clear that he had obtained accommodation. He was supposed to, having obtained accommodation, notify the police within three days and he failed do so."

Mr Payne said he was arrested and interviewed and admitted the offences from the offset.

McGowan, of Virginia House, Elswick, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements as part of the sex offenders register.

Adrian Ions, defending, told the court: "He had some financial difficulties, he is evicted by his landlord, that's not via a court order. He comes home one night and the locks had been changed. He's reported that matter to the police. You can't evict anybody without a court order.

"He is homeless, he has firstly explained that to the police because he's reported this as an offence but not the correct police officers, with the correct form."

Mr Ions said that McGowan feared for his safety as he had to sleep on the streets for a few nights and chose to sleep under the archway near Forth Banks police station. He said: "The police know where he is, but not the right officer."

His solicitor said that, following contact with housing and homelessness charity Shelter, McGowan was able to get temporary accommodation. Three days later, he was offered a permanent room. He said: "The housing association knows where he is at all times."

Mr Ions added that McGowan had "significant" mental health issues.

Chair of the Bench, Nick Hooker, told McGowan that he would be fined £80 and must pay £85 costs and a £32 surcharge - a total of £197.

Description

A police worker sent an explicit photo of himself to a 'teenage girl' he met online.

Matthew Bowers made explicit sexual comments and encouraged the girl to perform a sex act, during a conversation on Snapchat. Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, told Teesside Crown Court that the girl was actually a decoy.

Bowers, who works for North Yorkshire Police, gave sexual instructions to 'Jazz' who let him know she was 13. The 30-year-old gave himself a false name during the chat, and pretended to be younger than he is, the Middlesbrough court heard. The two met on Rambo Chat, but quickly moved the conversation to Snapchat.

Bowers, of Amberley Grove in Darlington, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child. Chris Baker, mitigating, told the court that his client had been in the navy for eight years, before he started working in IT for the force. Mr Baker added that Bowers' family are standing by him.

Judge Howard Crowson told Bowers: "You thought you were talking to a 13 year-old girl, who had been expressing ignorance about sexual matters. The person you were speaking to was an adult - he was a decoy."

The judge jailed Bowers for 28-months. He was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16.

The order also imposes restrictions on Bowers' online use - he is banned from using virtual private networks; private browsing and cleaning software. He must declare use of remote storage or clouds to the police within three days. Bowers was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements, for the next 10 years.

Description

A serial sex offender who targeted girls as young as eight was forced to hear of the devastating impact of his heinous crimes as he was sent to begin an extensive prison sentence. 

Defendant Patrick Clogg did not say a word as he was made to listen to the statements made by the girls he abused, and then silenced, during a Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on June 26, 2024. 

Clogg, aged 50, formerly of Rotherham but latterly of Valley Drive, Branton, Doncaster, was convicted of 24 sex offences, including multiple counts of rape, at the conclusion of a trial.

One of the young girls abused by Clogg said he had ‘taken away’ her childhood, leaving her with severe psychological harm and feeling too afraid to be in the company of others; while the others he assaulted and raped described how they had turned to alcohol and self-harm and had been unable to sit crucial exams as a consequence of his offending. 

Sending Clogg to prison, Judge Rachael Harrison branded him ‘manipulative’ and said he had used a combination of ‘coercion’ and ‘threats’ to facilitate his sexual offences, and to force those he targeted to keep it a secret. 

The court heard how Clogg told the girls they ‘would not be believed’ if they reported him, and also threatened to both harm himself and to ‘chop’ one of the girl’s ‘fingers off’ in a bid to conceal his crimes.  

Judge Harrison noted that Clogg has refused to take responsibility for his crimes, demonstrated through the contents of his pre-sentence report, even after jurors returned guilty verdicts in all 24 charges he faced.

In addition to the nine counts of rape Clogg was found guilty of, jurors also convicted him of offences including multiple counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, sexual assault and causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. 

Defending, James Baird prefaced his mitigation on Clogg’s behalf by telling the court that nothing he says is intended to ‘detract in any way from the effect those offences have had upon the complainants’. 

“There’s nothing that I could say that would,” continued Mr Baird. 

Mr Baird drew Judge Harrison’s attention to the fact that these 24 sex offences are the first crimes Clogg has been convicted of; but acknowledged that in ‘cases of this kind’ - where offending has been concealed over a period of years - it is not always to a defendant’s credit, but asked Judge Harrison to ‘bear it in mind’. 

He also said Clogg had not caused any ‘problems whatsoever’ since being remanded into the ‘prison environment’. 

Judge Harrison handed down a sentence of 28-and-a-half years - consisting of 26-and-a-half years custody and an additional two years on licence. 

She said she had considered passing a life sentence.

Judge Harrison said Clogg does meet the legal criteria for a dangerous offender, and has been assessed as posing a high risk to children - both male and female - when he is at liberty in the community. 

She concluded that the length of Clogg’s sentence, and the fact he will have to serve at least two-thirds of the custodial element behind bars, meant that she did not deem it necessary to pass an extended sentence, however. 

Judge Harrison also made Clogg the subject of restraining and sexual harm prevention orders, and told him he will also be required to register as a sex offender. 

Description

A 48-year-old man who committed sexual abuse offences against a child has been jailed for more than eight years.

Sean Begley, of Monsdale Road in Bristol, admitted ten offences, including sexual assault of a child and making indecent images of children, and was sentenced to eight years and eight months at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday (June 25).

He will also have to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life and is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The victim of the offences first disclosed the abuse in April 2024 and this was then reported to the police.

In a victim impact statement, a family member on behalf of the victim said the trauma would be with her “for the rest of her life” and they “can never forgive him for that”.

Description

A paedophile who raped and sexually assaulted two young girls has been jailed.

John Armsby, 47, repeatedly abused the girls, who were under the age of 13, between 2017 and 2022.

The offences were reported to Sussex Police on January 24, 2022, and Armsby was arrested two days later.

Armsby of Ninfield Road in Bexhill, had his home searched and digital devices were found containing indecent images of children.

He was charged with five counts of rape of a child under 13, five counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, assaulting a child under 13 by penetration, three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

A jury found him guilty of all charges at Lewes Crown Court this March 26.

At the same court on June 6, Armsby was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with another four to be spent on extended licence.

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, indefinite Restraining Orders against both victims and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Description

Norman Williams (08/05/1965) from Atherton, was jailed for his offending against three victims.

Williams was found guilty by a jury at Bolton Crown Court in March 2024 of 10 counts of indecent assault, 6 counts of rape, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Today (Tuesday 25 June) he was sentenced to 25 years in jail. 

Two of the victims were groomed by Williams when they were approximately 12 years old and he gave them items including cigarettes, alcohol and money.

During a four-year period which began in 1998, Williams went on to sexually abuse them at two addresses where he lived in Atherton.

A third victim was also sexually abused by Williams at his home.

Detective Constable Chris Waddicar of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Firstly, I want to thank the victims in this case for coming forward and being courageous enough to allow us to conduct a thorough investigation.

“Williams’ offending was depraved – he picked on vulnerable young children who were unable to defend themselves. 

“As an investigation team, we hope today’s sentencing can give them some reassurance that justice has been served and their perpetrator is locked up behind bars where he can no longer harm vulnerable members of our community.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE who thought his poor health allowed him not to comply with a court order has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Colin Boon, of Ashmore Close in Whiteparish, failed to register as a sex offender last year without reasonable excuse.

The 65-year-old was stung by online paedophile hunters at his previous home in Salisbury in 2018.

During his sentencing at Swindon Crown Court in 2021, it transpired that Boon had collected hundreds of child sex abuse images since 2006 and stored them on 26 devices.

The vile collection featured children estimated to be as young as 12 months.

As part of Boon's sentence, he was ordered to register as a sex offender and comply with a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

But Boon did not comply with this order and failed to complete his annual registration.

Boon pleaded not guilty to the offence but the court said he had tried to avoid the requirements and "suggested his health allowed him not to comply with a court order".

The blind paedophile sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, at Salisbury Crown Court on Thursday, June 20.

Boon must also pay £350 court costs and a £154 surcharge.

Description

A paedophile teacher jailed last week for years of sexual abuse was still running art classes for a local charity when police began investigating his perverted crimes.

Stephen Beck, 73, of Anerley Road, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court to 12 years in prison after being convicted of 15 historic sexual offences against former male student.

“That was my biggest concern,” said the mother of the former student he abused. “He was still holding art lessons.”

By the time Beck was arrested in 2019, he had been running art classes at Anerley Town Hall for 20 years.

In 2009, the News Shopper reported that he had received a Jack Petchey Leader Award for his art classes for Bromley children. At that time, they had already been running for 11 years.

The Crystal Palace Community Trust (CPCT), which now runs the Town Hall, said in a statement: “We can confirm that Mr Beck was suspended with immediate effect as soon as the matter came to light, at which time we understood the matter was now a police investigation.

“The trust cooperated fully with the authorities and provided them with all relevant information during their investigation.”

The charity's development manager Elaine Harrison said in an interview that the trust did not even come into existence until 2001.

Mr Beck was already running his classes by then and had begun abusing his victim – a teenage boy -  in 2000.

Judge Deborah Charles said in court last week that Beck had been working as a caretaker at the Town Hall at that time. One of the attacks even occurred inside the Town Hall.

Bromley Council did not comment on these claims.

Mrs Harrison said that by the time CPCT took over the building on a 40-year lease in 2017, Beck’s classes had already been running for years for Bromley Council.

“All of us, when we heard the news of Mr Beck’s suspension, were very shocked and distressed. It’s an awful, awful thing,” she said.

“We suspended him immediately but we were actually told not to conduct our own investigation because it can hinder or influence the police investigation.”

“The room in which we held the art class is right in the front of the building,” she said. “A large room with several doors. The doors were never closed.

“All our staff who work with children have a DBS check. Staff are never left alone with children. We just don’t do that.”

Beck would have passed any DBS check as his offending was not uncovered until his victim, then in his 30s, finally came forward in 2018.

Mrs Harrison said she was unaware, until she was informed by the News Shopper, that one of his offences had happened inside the Town Hall.

We asked Bromley Council whether it had conducted any investigation of its own into Beck’s time working at Anerley Town Hall.

It said the building had not been council-run for more than 20 years.

It was converted into offices in 2003 and became known as the Anerley Town Hall and Business Centre.

Bromley did admit that it had employed Beck at Bromley Adult Education College, which it runs.

“We were obviously saddened to learn about these historic offences and are pleased that justice has now been served,” a spokesperson said.

“Whilst the investigation did not involve the council, it is a matter of public record that the offender was employed by Bromley Adult Community College, teaching only adults, for a period of time over a decade ago, including on a sessional basis.

“We remain fully supportive of any police investigation and are sure that the police would make contact if they needed to do so.”

Beck, who claimed at trial to have been a friend of David Bowie, had his own failed pop career, having released a single called For The Love Of You in 1975, under the name Steve Beck.

He was well-known in Anerley for painting shop signs and restaurant menus.

The court heard he began “grooming” his victim at age six or seven but did not start abusing him until he was a teenager.

He abused the boy every two or three weeks for years.

He will serve up to eight years in prison and the rest of his sentence on licence. He will be required to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Description

A MAN has been jailed after sexually assaulting two young women at a train station.

Lutfullah Elham, 42, carried out the attacks at Pontypool Railway Station after "preying on his victims".

He sexually assaulted a 19-year-old after asking her for directions. 

She tried to get away from him and Elham panicked and he left when a passing vehicle slowed down.

Just days later at around 10am in the morning a woman in her twenties was walking away from the station when Elham approached her on his bike.

He grabbed her and attempted to kiss her before she managed to get away, Newport Magistrates’ Court heard.

The offences took place on Thursday June 9, 2022 and Wednesday, June 15, 2022.

Investigating officer DC Chris Bolton said: “These two incidents show an alarming pattern of behaviour from Elham, preying on lone young women going about their business.

 “Elham will have the chance to consider his actions while serving time in prison.

 “We take all reports of sexual assault seriously and with the full support of victims in these cases we can rest assured that Elham will not be able to harm anyone else.”

Elham, of Llandegfredd Way, New Inn, Pontypool was jailed for 12 months.

He will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

George Johnson and Vincenzo Montessori have been jailed after they were caught on video sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a house party in December 2020

Two vile teenagers who took advantage of a drunk woman at a house party were captured on video "taking it in turns" to sexually assault her.

George Johnson and Vincenzo Montessori, who were both aged 17 at the time of the gruesome crime, sexually assaulted the 20-year-old victim while at a house party on December 27, 2020. The victim could not remember the evening but was told by a friend afterwards that she had been sexually assaulted, and she subsequently reported it to police.

On video footage captured on the phone of one of the partygoers, two people can be seen sexually assaulting the woman. Johnson, of Dunkirk Lane, Whitby, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and Montessori, of Polden Close, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire were identified from the footage, Liverpool Echo reports.

Johnson and Montessori, both now aged 20, are seen to take it in turns to sexually assault the victim. The footage shows the victim in an intoxicated state and it was said in court that she was unable to consent or prevent what was happening to her. During the footage, Johnson attempted to rape her.

They were both arrested and later charged in relation to the incident. Johnson was found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a week-long trial at Chester Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 years in a young offender institution.

Montessori was sentenced to five years in a young offender institution after pleading guilty to sexual assault prior to a trial. In addition to their sentences, both will be subject to a restraining order and must sign the sex offender register.

Description

A paedophile who had a mobile phone containing 140 indecent images of children has begun a 16-month jail term.

Police said Lee Courtney, 33, of North Brink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, had thought he could "hide" the phone from them.

Courtney was jailed by a judge at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday after admitting a number of offences, a court official said.

He will remain on the sex offenders register until January 2031, police say.

Cambridgeshire Police said Courtney had been given a suspended prison sentence in January 2021, and placed on the sex offenders register, after being convicted of "making indecent images" of children.

They said officers suspected Courtney had not notified them of two email accounts and was in breach of sex offender register notification requirements.

Officers had travelled to arrest him in on 18 March - and found the mobile.

'Lesson'

Courtney had been sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on 20 June after admitting breaching a sexual harm prevention order, failing to comply with sex offender register notification requirements, and making indecent photographs of a child, the court officials said.

He would stay on the sex offenders register until January 2031 and be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order until January 2036, the official added.

“Despite having a suspended sentence and being aware of his sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements, Courtney reoffended and tried to lie about a mobile phone he thought he could hide from us," said PC Natasha Alwin.

“He clearly has not learnt his lesson."

Description

An evil paedophile threatened his young victim into remaining silent, saying she would be taken into care if she ever told anyone.

Andrew Meehan was jailed for 14 years at Leeds Crown Court this week after he was found guilty by a jury of multiple offences against an 11-year-old, and a further offence against a 15-year-old.

The court heard that Meehan initially “tested the water” with the girl and would show her sex toys and made her watch him masturbate.

He then began a campaign of abuse, sexually touching her and making her perform sex acts, telling her to “just do it”. The girl later said she cried herself to sleep.

But in a move that the judge described as being “mean, nasty and manipulative”, Meehan then targeted the girl over social media, pretending to be a 13-year-old boy and befriended her. He then then convinced her to send him explicit images, which he later shared to humiliate her.

The girl later tried to confide in others, but retracted her claims when Meehan said she would be taken into care and her family would disown her.

He later sexually assaulted the older victim by touching her bottom after making sexual comments.

Meehan, now of Orchard View Road, Chesterfield, was found guilty of assault of a girl under 13 by penetration, rape a girl under 13, cause or incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and possessing an indecent image.

Little mitigation was offered due his denials of the offences, but it was heard he had never been in trouble before.

He was told he must serve the-thirds of his sentence, rather than the usual half, before being considered for parole, and was put on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A sex offender who tried to claim a ‘child sex doll‘ was for an art project has been jailed.

Donald Styles, 61, said he purchased the 3ft doll, which had realistic sex organs, for a university application after it was intercepted at customs.

Police raided his home in Newton Abbot, Devon, and found 149 films and images of child abuse including rape, the BBC reports.

A judge said his story was “ridiculous” and jailed him for 18 months.

Exeter Crown Court heard Styles, a former Plymouth University art student, had told police he wanted the doll for a project he needed to submit as part of an application for a masters degree course at the university.

Judge David Evans told Styles: “If you needed a doll, there were plenty you could have bought legally. There was no reason whatsoever it had to be a child sex doll.

“Your explanation is utterly ridiculous and I reject it completely. This offence is so serious that only immediate imprisonment is justified.”

Jason Beal, prosecuting, said an investigation was launched by the National Crime Agency when Styles tried to import the doll from China in 2016.

His home was raided in February 2018 and the images were found on CD ROMs which were made in the early 2000s.

In reality 149 films and images were recovered of which 72 fell in the worst category, depicting child rape.

There was also a video he had made of a naked five-year-old child.

Inquiries with Plymouth University also showed he had not made any recent application for any courses.

Paul Dentith, defending, said the offences had taken place a long time ago and there was no evidence of any direct physical offending against children.

Styles, of Oak Place, Newton Abbot, admitted one count of producing and three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

He was jailed for 18 months, put on the sex offenders register for 10 years, restricted from contacting children and will have his internet activity monitored.

Description

A pervert took advantage of a teenage girl and bribed her into carrying out degrading sexual acts in return for money and cigarettes.

Philip Greenhalgh, 61, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week having admitted a catalogue of offences against the girl dating back several years. He forced her to pose for sexual photographs and would regularly tell her she owed him for the cigarettes he gave her.

The girl, who was 15 at the time, wanted to raise money for a Mother’s Day gift and she came into contact with Greenhalgh who offered her money.

The judge, Recorder David Kelly, told him: “She wanted pocket money for a Mother’s Day present, together with the fact she had a smoking habit you encouraged by giving her cigarettes and asking for sexual favour in return.

“She was unable to tell her mother at the time because she would have had to tell her mother she was smoking cigarettes.”

Prosecutor Eleanor Fry said that he offered to buy cigarettes for her, and when he did, he asked her: “How are you going to pay me for them?”

He suggested she show him her breasts, so reluctantly, she did and Greenhalgh touched her. She went home and cried, Miss Fry said. But matters then began to escalate when he continue to touch her and ask her to masturbate him.

He would also ask her to take her clothes off and he would ask her to pose, telling her what positions to hold. He took the photos and filmed her on his phone. He would even ask he to smile while posing.

Eventually, he tried to persuade her to have sex with him but she refused. He said he was saving a condom for the time they would have sex. The girl then confessed to a friend who encouraged her to contact the police.

Greenhalgh, who was living in Leeds but now lives on Ingram Crescent in Knottingley, near Wakefield, was interviewed by police and told them he thought she was 14 at the time. His phone was checked and it was found he had performed a factory reset, but videos of the girl, along with photographs, were recovered. One video included Greenhalgh’s telling her how to pose.

On the day his trial was due to begin, he admitted 16 offences, including five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two of taking indecent photographs and three of making indecent photographs.

The court heard that he had five previous convictions, including a rape dating back to 1992 for which he received a two-year sentence.

Mitigating, Richard Canning said Greenhalgh had been on bail “for a number of years” and there had been no issues or further offending. He conceded: “He knows he is going to receive a lengthy sentence. He is thoroughly ashamed of what he has done, he wishes it had never happened.

“His main wish is that the complainant will get past this when she gets older.”

Recorder Kelly gave Greenhalgh an eight-year jail sentence, for which he will have to serve two-thirds, rather than the usual half, before being eligible for parole. He was also put on the sex offender register and given a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).