Latest Offenders

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A depraved paedophile who used online blackmail to target a string of vulnerable victims, including a girl who was ordered to eat dog food, is due to be sentenced on Monday. Cambridge graduate Matthew Falder has admitted 137 offences relating to 46 complainants after being caught by an international inquiry led by the National Crime Agency. The 29-year-old was arrested in June last year after three traumatised victims, who were tricked into sending him humiliating images, attempted to end their own lives. A previous hearing at Birmingham Crown Court was told Falder coerced male and female victims into producing increasingly severe self-generated indecent images of themselves, the focus of these images being to humiliate and degrade. Opening the facts of the case against Falder, prosecutor Ruona Iguyovwe told the earlier hearing many of the images were then distributed on so-called hurtcore websites showing material depicting sexual and physical abuse. Falder, who treated victims both as sex objects and as objects of derision, posted on one forum 100 things we want to see at least once. In remarks in that post, he suggested a young girl being used as a dartboard, production of a video depicting a childs bones being slowly and deliberately broken, and the abuse of a paralysed child. It also emerged during the earlier hearing Falder initially duped victims into providing images by posing as a female artist who wanted to turn them into life drawings. The operation to catch Falder, who used specialist software to hide his online accounts, was aided by GCHQ, the United States Homeland Security department and law enforcement bodies in Israel, Slovenia, Australia and New Zealand. Falder, of Harborne Park Road, Birmingham, has been told he may face a life sentence for the offences, committed over an eight-year period. The former post-doctoral researcher in geophysics at the University of Birmingham is due to be sentenced by Judge Philip Parker QC at the citys Crown Court.

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A retired IT worker who had more than 7,000 indecent images of children and 3,000 images of bestiality has been sentenced to 8 months in jail suspended for 2 years and hit with a 3,000 fine after a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation. John Stoddart, 65, of Madeira Road in Ventnor, appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on 13th July where admitted 10 charges mainly relating to making and possessing indecent images of children. As part of his sentencing at the Isle of Wight Crown Court by Judge R Hetherington today (Friday) he was also put on the sex offenders register for 10 years, given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order limiting his use of the internet, ordered to attend a 35-day rehabilitation programme and told his electronic devices will be destroyed. Stoddart made in excess of 500 indecent images of children; 149 fell into the most severe category (A) for child abuse. NCA officers arrested him in June 2018 after proving he had made child sex abuse files available on an online sharing platform. Files containing the words Pedoland, Preteen and Lolita were located and attributed to Stoddarts IP address and user profile. Forensic analysis of his digital devices found 7,256 indecent images and 754 videos from as early as 2004. An additional 3,000 images related to bestiality. During interview he initially denied all allegations and said he was not sexually attracted to children. He said he sometimes clicked on online files to give them a go, and that hed once inadvertently seen a video of a baby being abused by clicking into a pop-up on his screen. Within the downloaded material, officers found Stoddart was a fan of online games and visual stories featuring erotic encounters with adults, children and animals. He admitted to having a fascination with incest because it was taboo and said he had been collecting extreme pornography since living in Germany in the 1970s. Martin Matthews, NCA operations manager, said: Over decades Stoddart had made and amassed a vast collection of imagery that was both obscene and involved the sexual exploitation of children. He took pleasure in experiencing a virtual world online that involved violence and sexual abuse. Stopping this before it ever became a reality was paramount to our officers. Protecting children remains a top priority for the NCA and we wont stop in our pursuit of those individuals who pose a threat. An NSPCC spokesperson has said: The scale of Stoddarts horrific collection is extremely disturbing. These kind of images capture abuse which could stay with the victims for the rest of their lives and Stoddart has helped provide a demand for them. The NSPCC continues to call on the Government and tech giants to crack down on this disgusting trade and ensure no child is forced to endure abuse for the gratification of sexual predators.

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A FORMER teacher accused of kidnapping a child has left the Hampshire covers band he played guitar in. It is also understood Nicholas Haines, 30, of Lovage Road, Whiteley, is no longer working at The Romsey School, where he was an IT teacher since September 2007. He has admitted a charge of having unlawful sexual activity with a teenage girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but denies a separate charge of abduction. Haines used to play guitar in Romsey-based four-piece band Moonshot Drive-by, but left last October. He is currently on bail until a further court hearing next month.

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The black-cab driver John Worboys has lost his appeal against the two additional life sentences he received in 2019 when more victims of the serial rapist came forward.

The 63-year-old was jailed indefinitely in 2009 for public protection with a minimum term of eight years after being found guilty of 19 offences involving attacks on 12 women, the earliest in 2000.

A 2018 decision to release Worboys was reversed by the Parole Board after a widespread public outcry and prompted other victims to report attacks. He was subsequently sentenced to two additional life sentences for attacks on four more women, with a minimum six-year term.

At a hearing in London on Wednesday before the lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, and two other judges, Joanne Cecil, representing Worboys, argued the six-year minimum term was excessive.

She also argued that the judge who sentenced him in 2019 was wrong to impose a life sentence because he was already serving a sentence of imprisonment for public protection, meaning he cannot be released until the Parole Board concludes he no longer poses a danger.

Burnett, however, said there had been no error in Mrs Justice McGowans approach to sentencing Worboys in 2019 and that the minimum term was not excessive.

Giving the courts decision, he said the sentencing judge had been confronted with a total of four offences over a protracted period, in the context of much wider offending dealt with by the crown court in 2009, and in circumstances bristling with aggravating factors..

Worboys, from Enfield in north London, who has changed his name to John Derek Radford, appeared in court over a video link from prison, wearing a blue jumper and glasses.

Police believe Warboys committed 105 sexual offences against women, using his cab to pick up victims before drugging them with alcohol laced with sedatives. In 2019, the court heard he had confessed to a psychologist that he plied 90 women with alcohol, drugging a quarter of them, after being inspired by pornography. He admitted fantasising about his crimes since 1986, motivated by a hostility towards women.

One of the victims of the offences for which Worboys was sentenced in 2019 was picked up by the cab driver in 2000 or early 2001 after an evening out at a wine bar in Soho. Worboys claimed he was celebrating a win on the horses before pulling into a side road off the A40 and giving her red wine. The court heard that was her last memory before waking naked in bed the next day at her home address with her clothes laid out in a trail.

Another victim, a university student in north London, was picked up with a friend by Worboys after a night out clubbing in central London in 2003. Reaching their home, the woman agreed to have a drink with Worboys but her friend left. After giving her something fizzy, Worboys drove to Paddington Basin where she recalled he appeared in her face, possibly after kissing her. She later remembered being back outside her house, lying on the floor of the cab.

The Parole Board decision to release Worboys was overturned by the high court in March 2018 after two of his victims challenged the decision. In November of the same year, the Parole Board overturned its own decision, deciding he should remain in prison after noting his risk and sense of sexual entitlement. The Parole Boards then chair, Nick Hardwick, lost his job over the affair.

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A purely evil and dangerous sexual predator who repeatedly raped a young girl has been jailed. Darren Shillito, of Victoria Park in Dover, was convicted of three counts of rape after a trial at Canterbury Crown Court. The 40-year-old was today jailed for 18 years and wont be eligible for early release until the parole board deem him safe. The victims mum told how she has lost her happy smiling little girl, who has since suffered suicidal thoughts. She said: The whole situation has devastated our family - there are no words to explain. My little girl, my miracle baby who had to endure the relentless horrors, I have lost my happy smiling little girl. This man is a dangerous sexual predator capable of pure evil. 'These allegations were before the jury and they were sure, as am I, that she gave a reliable account of what happened.' Shillito could be seen with his head in his hands as the statement was read, then called out inaudibly as his sentence was discussed. Cutting him short, Judge Catherine Brown said: If you continue to mutter and call out you will be taken to the cells and this hearing will continue without you. You maintained and still maintain this abuse did not occur. These allegations were before the jury and they were sure, as am I, that she gave a reliable account of what happened. She added Shillito was remorseless for his actions and, after deeming him dangerous, ruled he will be prohibited from being alone with children after his release. The defendant had no previous convictions at the time of the jurys verdict - he had a good work record... Simon Taylor QC explained Shillito still contested the guilty verdict, adding: The mitigation Im able to advance will focus on the principle of totality. The defendant had no previous convictions at the time of the jurys verdict - he had a good work record. Supported by his family in court, Shillito shouted Im not guilty mum as he was led to the cells. Shillito was convicted in July of three counts of raping a girl under 13 and sexual assault, with the jury undecided on a further count of sexual assault. He will serve a year on licence following his release, be subjected to notification requirements and a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order. "Shillito appears unrepentant about these serious crimes and his repeated denials have further worsened the ordeal his victim has been through..." After sentencing Det Sgt Daniel Hall, of the Kent Police's vulnerability investigation team, said: "This was a very troubling case and I would like to praise the courage of the young victim and her family who have supported the investigation. "Shillito appears unrepentant about these serious crimes and his repeated denials have further worsened the ordeal his victim has been through. "I am pleased our investigation led to these guilty verdicts and the resulting sentence will see this dangerous man jailed for a considerable amount of time. "I urge anyone who is being sexually abused or suspects someone they know is being mistreated to contact police as soon as possible. We will safeguard anyone at risk and work to bring abusers before the courts."

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Asked whether he raped his 15-year-old victim, footballer replies, 'No, I wish I f***ing wish I did' Former England footballer Adam Johnson has been filmed laughing in prison and joking about his conviction for sexual activity with a 15-year-old fan. Johnson was found guilty last year of sexual activity with a child after meeting with the girl in his Range Rover in County Durham in January 2015. In footage obtained by The Sun, the 29-year-old is seen sitting in what appears to be a laundry room at Moorland Prison in South Yorkshire. Another inmate asks him: Its not like you f***ing raped her or owt like that? No, I wish I f***cking did for six years, he replies, laughing. The former Sunderland and Manchester City winger can also be heard saying in the video that he believes he was brought to court and handed a long sentence because he was in the public eye. At the start of his trial at Bradford Crown Court, Johnson admitted one charge of sexual activity with a child, relating to kissing her. He also admitted a charge of meeting a child with intent following grooming her. Johnson lost a challenge for permission to appeal against his conviction last month and Court of Appeal judges also rejected his bid for a reduction in his six-year jail sentence. In 2016, the footballer was also arrested for possessing images of bestiality on his laptop. The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the footage captured at Moorland Prison.

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A double rapist who murdered a teenager has failed in another bid to be freed from prison. Anthony Entwistle was jailed for life in March 1988 for the murder of Michelle Calvy, a Witton Park High School pupil. He abducted the 16-year-old Blackburn schoolgirl while she was walking along a canal before raping and strangling her and then dumping her body at a Tockholes beauty spot, in a crime that shocked the town. Entwistle, then in his late 30s, carried out the attack within a few weeks of being released after serving a 10-year sentence for rape. He had earlier been sentenced to seven years for two similar offences. The Parole Board considered his case last month after the killer, now in his 70s, indicated through his legal representative that he wished to be released or, failing that, transferred to an open prison. A document detailing the Parole Boards decision said: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Entwistle was suitable for release. "Nor was a recommendation made to the Secretary of State that Mr Entwistle should be transferred to open prison. At the time of his offending, Entwistle acted in a predatory manner, had a preference for sex involving violence and poor emotional control as well as lacking empathy for his victims, according to the parole papers. While his behaviour behind bars presented no problems, no-one could recommend he be released because there was insufficient evidence of reduction in risks and not enough understanding by Mr Entwistle of his key risk factors. The document added: The panel considered that there had essentially been no progress since Mr Entwistles last parole review in 2018. As Mr Entwistle had not sufficiently reduced his risks to the public, he was appropriately located in custody. "Any benefits of a move to open conditions at this time were considered to be outweighed by the remaining risks that Mr Entwistle represents. Initially he was handed a whole-life tariff, which at that time could be set by the then-home secretary, meaning he would die behind bars. But in March 2009 Entwistles whole life term was overturned by a High Court judge who instead imposed a minimum 25-year tariff for him to serve before being eligible to apply for parole. This was his fifth review since he became eligible for parole in 2012. He is due for another review in about two years time.

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A drug-fuelled rapist who tricked his way into a vulnerable 63-year-old womans home and subjected her to a degrading attack has been jailed for five years and four months. Thomas Ullah, 22, sat hunched in the dock at Bradford Crown Court with his head in his hands as his barrister described the assault as awful, degrading and distressing. Ullah, of Fairhaven Green, Idle, Bradford, pleaded guilty to raping the woman on August 8, a fortnight after his release from a 15-month prison sentence for supplying class A drugs. Prosecutor Richard Smith said Ullahs victim, who was not known to him, was preyed on by local youths who used her Bradford home to smoke cannabis. They ate her food, took money and dossed down uninvited. Mr Smith said Ullah was not among that group but he had friends who were. The woman lived alone and suffered from depression, the court was told yesterday. She had fallen asleep after watching TV when Ullah knocked on the door at 1.15am. He had earlier exposed himself in front of CCTV cameras while out in Bradford, Mr Smith said. Ullah told his victim he was called Joe and tricked his way in by claiming that a man she knew was on his way over. He told her he had taken cocaine and M-cat and had just come out of prison. Mr Smith said Ullah dragged the woman into the hall, kicked open her bedroom door and threw her into the room. He stripped her naked and raped her on the bed, threatening: Scream bitch and youre dead. Afterwards, the woman was shaking with fear. She told the police she felt like a piece of scum. The woman had bruised arms and legs and Ullah was linked to her by DNA evidence. His barrister, Jayne Beckett, said he had taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. He was sickened to the core by what he had done and struggling to come to terms with it. Judge David Hatton QC said Ullahs victim was devastated and her life would never be the same. After the case, Detective Inspector Ian Lawrance, of Operation Topaz, West Yorkshire Polices rape investigation unit, said: Ullah took advantage of a vulnerable member of the community in the worst possible way. He reached the depth of depravity in his actions and I am extremely pleased to see he will now spend some considerable time behind bars. Ullahs victim, who was in court, said she was upset and devastated that the sentence was not longer.

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A rapist freed early from prison murdered his disabled fiance after she taunted him about his criminal past.

Over a week later, with her body locked in an upstairs bedroom, David Tiley raped and killed her carer.

Tiley, 47, carried out a sickening sexual assault on his fiance Susan Hale before stabbing her in the head and chest.

Despite him being under police supervision, the murder went undetected as he continued to live as normal.

He then raped and stabbed carer Sarah Merritt, a married mother of two, when she arrived for a routine visit.

Tiley served a six-year sentence for rape in 1995 and was subsequently jailed three times for failing to tell police of his whereabouts as a sex offender.

He killed Mrs Hale and Mrs Merritt two months after being released early from his latest ten-month sentence.

Hampshire Police yesterday announced that an independent review of their procedures us under way after Tiley admitted both murders and was jailed for life.

Mr Justice Irwin told him he would never be released, adding: "The brutality and evil of what you did defies adequate description."

Tiley met Mrs Hale, who suffered from cerebellar ataxia - a rare degenerative brain disorder which caused her difficulties in walking - at an amusement arcade in Southampton last year.

He moved in with the 49-year- old mother-of-five, but was jailed last August for failing to tell police of his change of address. After his early release in January, the couple became engaged.

But on the evening of March 7, Tiley bludgeoned her in the head with a hammer after she taunted him about "something in his past", Winchester Crown Court was told.

Nick Hawkins, prosecuting, said Tiley then bound Mrs Hale's ankles and wrists with dressing gown cords before committing a serious sexual assault.

He then stabbed her four times, twice in the head and twice in the chest, before watching her die. Pathologists said she would have died "rapidly, but not immediately".

After covering her body with a duvet, Tiley turned on a fan to keep the bedroom cool and sprayed deodorant under the door to mask the smell of decomposition.

He then carried on his life as normal, visiting the amusement arcade and local shops. He also used Mrs Hale's mobile phone to send text messages to her friends.

Eight days later, 39-year-old Mrs Merritt made a routine visit to bathe Mrs Hale. Tiley brandished a knife, bound her wrists with material and told her Mrs Hale was dead.

He then took her bank card, demanded her PIN and left her gagged and bound while he went out to withdraw 150 from her account.

On his return, he removed the gag and "had a conversation" with the terrified woman while he smoked two cigarettes.

When she began to cry, he became angry, tore off her clothes and raped her before stabbing her twice in the neck with the same six-inch kitchen knife he had used to kill Mrs Hale.

Tiley was arrested two days later in Swanage, Dorset, where he was sleeping rough.

Mrs Merritt's 41-year-old husband Peter told the court he drove to Mrs Hale's flat when his wife failed to return home. Police were later called and made the grim discovery of the two bodies.

Shaking with emotion, Mr Merritt described how his family had been devastated by his wife's murder.

Tattooed Tiley sat impassively as Mr Merritt said: "Sarah didn't do anything to deserve such an end to her life. I now know what it means to be truly heartbroken.

"I cannot get the thought out of my mind of how scared and so very afraid she must have been that day and that I could do nothing to help her in her hour of need."

Mrs Hale's son David Chopra said his mother had been robbed of a natural, peaceful ending to her life.

Hampshire Police said Tiley had been considered a low or medium risk, but "short of 24-hour surveillance" there could be no guarantees that such a man could be prevented from reoffending.

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One of Scotlands most dangerous sex attackers has been granted a parole hearing just five years into a life sentence. Patrick Chinskie was described as a clear danger to women when he was sentenced in 2015 after being convicted of raping five women over 23 years. The sadistic serial attacker was made the subject of an Order For Lifelong Restriction with an initial punishment term of seven years. But now Chinskies victims have been contacted by the Scottish Prison Service to be told the rapist will be able to ask to be released on licence at a parole hearing later this summer. It is understood that time served on remand means the original seven-year term has been reduced to just over five. Yesterday, Chinskies first victim said the justice system had betrayed her and the other women he attacked.Now 58 and a grandmother, the woman, who was forced to leave the West Lothian village she had grown up in to get away from Chinskie, said: If he is freed, there is no justice in the world. Chinskie, 55, originally from Strathspey, attacked women in Paisley, Nairn, Inverness, Bathgate and Glasgow, He used makeshift weapons and knives to permanently disfigure some of his victims. His first victim was raped on various occasions between 1990 and 1993 in Glasgow and West Lothian. Chinskie once jumped on the bonnet of her car as she tried to escape him, smashing his way through her windscreen. He used a set of metal pliers on another victim and demanded she have an abortion, pulling her out of a car and raping her in a field. He later burnt her with cigarettes. His first victim said: When police knocked on my front door five years ago, I was forced to relive the horror of every single beating, punch and kick. I still have flashbacks today of the awful things he inflicted on me. It took all my strength to testify in court against him because I was determined to stop him destroying other women, and when he was sentenced to life I at least thought he would be kept in jail for a long time. When I received a letter from the parole board last Wednesday telling me that he is applying for early release, I was physically sick. How anyone could believe that it is safe to release Chinskie after just five years is beyond me. The victim added: If Id known that hed be able to apply for parole after so little time, I would have seriously questioned whether it was worth putting myself through the pain of giving evidence in court and reliving everything he did to me. This isnt justice for me, for any of us. Ive been unable to trust anyone since. Even now, a loud noise or anyone shouting takes me right back to being a victim so theres been no escape for me. Sandy Brindley of Rape Crisis Scotland said: There is something very wrong with a system which puts these women through the agony of having to confront the prospect of his release after only five years into a life sentence. Time and time again we hear from survivors about how the justice system is intimidating and re-traumatising. More broadly, Scotlands response to sexual crimes is just not acceptable. The Parole Board of Scotland said it did not comment on individual cases but added: Order for Lifelong Restriction prisoners are considered, at the end of the punishment part, set by the trial judge, of their sentence, for possible release on licence by the Board. Under the Victim Notification Scheme, the Scottish Prison Service will write to registered victims under the terms of the scheme nearer the time the prisoner is due to be considered by the Parole Board. The Board will not direct release until it is satisfied that the prisoner can be safely managed in the community.

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Jared Graham Bassett's vile actions had a 'severe emotional effect' on the victims. A man who committed historic rape offences against two young girls has been locked up for 20 years. A judge branded Jared Graham Bassett's actions as a "campaign" and stated they had scarred his victims who had been aged under 16. Bassett, who had been aged between 18 and 25 at the time, denied the offences but was convicted after a trial. The 38-year-old appeared at Mold Crown Court in Wales on November 5 to be sentenced for a total of 24 sex offences. North Wales Live reports the court heard Bassett began his campaign of offending while living at a North Wales holiday camp. He then continued to carry out his crimes at a variety of addresses across North Wales and abroad until 2007. His actions came to light when one distressed girl alerted a shopkeeper. In a victim impact statement read out by prosecutor Robert Edwards, the older girl - now a woman - told how she was badly affected. She said in giving the statement she "felt like I was a (child) all over again". She has difficulty with relationships and "If someone unexpectedly touches me I have a reflex reaction which is out of proportion." She said no sentence can "give her back her childhood". In her statement, the younger victim, also now grown up, said she had self-harmed by cutting her wrists and drinking but eventually reported the abuse. She had been "relieved to be believed". However, she still has "massive trust issues" with men and women. She added: "Sex feels more like a chore. He (Bassett) has taken that enjoyment and special moment from me." Mark Kelly, defending, said Bassett maintains his innocence. The inevitable prison sentence would have a negative emotional and financial effect on his own young family. The judge, Her Honour Judge Nicola Saffman, noted that one victim who went to the shopkeepers had reported the abuse. But the Crown Prosecution Service had wrongly believed that proceedings would be unsuccessful on the basis of her word alone and so discontinued the case. However, Bassett was eventually arrested and prosecuted for his offences. The judge said it had been a "campaign" of abuse. "You have blighted their childhood and in doing so blighted their adult lives." The serious psychological effects had led his older victim to be "hysterical and distressed" and the younger victim to be "closed off and blunt". She jailed Bassett, now of Station Road, Cogenhoe, Northampton, for 20 years for multiple rapes of the older girl and two rapes of the younger girl. He also received jail terms of between five and 17 years for other sexual offences which will all run concurrently to the longest sentence. Detective Inspector Iolo Edwards of the North Wales Police Amethyst Team said: The investigation team has worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team to present a compelling case at trial and we therefore welcome the sentencing outcome today. Our thoughts remain with the victims in this case and we acknowledge their determination to support the investigation to its conclusion.

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A MAN has been jailed for 13 years for savagely raping an 11-year-old girl who leapt in terror out of a first-floor window to escape him. Haji Kaloga forced his way into the childs bedroom, seized her by the throat and pushed her to the floor while she cried and begged him to stop. Kaloga, 31, took off her trousers while she struggled, bit his hand and kicked him, Bradford Crown Court heard on Friday. He pulled her hair and banged her on the ground before raping her in a prolonged sexual attack at a house in Bradford. He made her promise not to tell anyone and if she did, he would kill her, prosecutor Christine Egerton said. The girl jumped out of a first-floor window after the attack and called the police. She was at first too afraid to get into the patrol vehicle but when she arrived at the police station, she told officers what Kaloga had done to her. She had been injured in the violent assault and Kalogas DNA linked him to the rape. He was arrested and interviewed and denied it. On the day of his trial, he pleaded guilty to rape of a child under 13 and assault by penetration on March 11. The girl read out her victim personal statement in court. Addressing Kaloga, who sat in the dock with his head in his hands, she said: I want you to know that what you have done to me, or ever said to me, is something I wont ever forget until the day I die. I want you to know this because you sexually abused me. Even though I wont ever forget what you did, I wont let it change my future, or change who or what I want to be. Sooner or later, one day, you will hear that I have become something that you can never imagine. I hope that I never ever meet a man like you again. Kalogas barrister, Kitty Colley, said the girls statement had been read to him and he fully accepted the effect of his offending on her and he expressed his deep sorrow and remorse. He was a hard-working man with no previous convictions and he was likely to be deported to his native Gambia after serving his sentence. Recorder Andrew Haslam QC said the girl was frightened and alone when she rang the police from a Bradford street. Kaloga had put his hands round her neck and said: Whos the man? before dragging her into a room and raping her. He had subjected her to a prolonged sexual violation, threatening to kill her if she told anyone. One is struck by her strength of character after her terrible ordeal. She is a truly remarkable young girl, Recorder Haslam said. He told Kaloga: This was a quite horrifying sexual assault. As an offender of particular concern, he would not be released until the Parole Board deemed it safe to do so. After the case, an NSPCC spokesperson said: It can take years to recover from the trauma inflicted by child sexual abuse, so it is vital that Kalogas victim receives all the support she needs to help her come to terms with what has happened. Survivors of abuse should know that they will be listened to if they speak out, no matter how long ago it may have happened.

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A VIOLENT rapist who launched a terrifying attack on a young student before beating a brave stranger who came to her rescue is today behind bars thanks to a selfie. Shumel Ahmed hid in bushes ready to pounce on the 19-year-old who he subjected to a severe beating before raping her and threatening to kill her as she screamed desperately for help. It was only thanks to the bravery of another student walking past who rushed to her rescue having heard her blood-curdling screams that she was able to get away. But little did 21-year-old Ahmed know that a selfie he had taken on his own phone would be the key to getting him jailed. Southampton Crown Court heard how the Southampton University student was walking home from a night out with friends in Southampton when she was grabbed round the neck and dragged backwards into some bushes on Portswood Road, at around 1am, on February 26. Just yards from his own home, Ahmed punched her in the head repeatedly as she screamed for help and then threatened to kill her if she didnt stop. Prosecutor Rachel Robertson said: She knew if she struggled it would get worse. She lay there praying for help. She said I wont tell anyone, just dont kill me. She added: Her prayers to some degree were answered when she heard someone saying whats going on. That was another student from the university who was also on his way home after a night out. As he came to her aid, Ahmed started beating him, giving the teenager a chance to make her escape. Ahmed, of Portswood Road, demanded money and a mobile phone from his male victim, who managed to get up, hit his attacker and fled. She suffered several injuries including a hairline fracture to her jaw and the male suffered a chipped tooth, concussion and a black eye. Officers were quickly on the scene, having been alerted to residents who had heard her scream and set up a cordon. But within just 90 minutes of the attack Ahmed had been arrested after he was spotted returning to the scene by the officer guarding the cordon. When officers searched through his phone they found a selfie of Ahmed wearing the same baseball cap found at the scene, giving officers enough evidence before forensic came back to charge him and keep him off the streets. The court heard how forensic tests later found both Ahmeds and the rape victims DNA on the hat (see below) and her DNA in his underpants. Ms Robertson also told how shortly before the attack, a couple driving on Portswood Road had seen a man, matching Ahmeds description chasing another woman, who was running. They felt so concerned they stopped to offer her a lift home. Ms Robertson added: We can say the running lady was extremely fortunate. Defending Ahmed, Christopher Bauer said the defendant, who had no previous convictions for sexual assault, did show remorse and had pleaded guilty early on. Sentencing Ahmed to 14 years in prison -10 years for rape and four years to run consecutively for assault with intent to rob, Judge Gary Burrell said it was frightening attack which has had a physical and psychological effect on both victims. Speaking about the student who intervened, he added: Goodness knows what would have happened if he hadnt because you were beating that girl up very badly and she sustained some very bad injuries. Stating the importance of the selfie after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Paul Harrison, said: This was a pivotal piece of evidence that allowed us to charge him before forensic evidence became available, making the streets of Southampton a safer place to be within 24 hours. I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of our female victim, who was subject to the worst possible ordeal but still found the strength and courage to keep shouting and screaming which alerted witnesses to what was happening. We are also very grateful to our male victim who didnt think twice before stepping in and confronting Ahmed during the horrifying attack. The work of all involved in this investigation has resulted in this dangerous man being taken off our streets.

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A BULGARIAN man who dragged a young woman down an alleyway and raped her in a late-night sex attack in Bridport has been jailed. Mustafa Mustafa, 24, was labelled wicked and disgraceful by Judge Roger Jarvis as he sentenced him to 56 months in prison at Dorchester Crown Court. Prosecutor Megan Topliss told the court that Mustafas victim, who was in her early 20s and suffered from a mild form of Aspergers, had gone out for a walk at around 11pm on August 13 when she walked past the defendant, who was sitting outside Bridport Kebab House in East Street. Miss Topliss said the young woman had seen Mustafa before but did not know him and when she walked past he said hi. She then became aware of him following her as she walked towards Symondsbury. He came alongside her as they walked out past the Bridport Medical Centre before she told him she wanted to go home and started heading back towards town. Miss Topliss said: They started to walk back until they reached an alleyway. The defendant stood quite close to her and went to kiss her, she pulled back and tried to walk past him but he grabbed her arm. Miss Topliss said Mustafa was gesturing towards himself and then her and said sex but she repeatedly replied no. She said he then dragged her down the alleyway and pulled down both their trousers before raping her. After around a minute she was able to push him away. Miss Topliss said Mustafa then tried to force her to perform a sexual act upon him but she resisted and he also put his hands down her trousers before forcing her to touch him. She added: She said he was pretty aggressive throughout the incident. After the attack Miss Topliss said the defendant went back to town while his victim went home and contacted the police the next day. Mustafa was arrested on August 15. Tim Shorter, mitigating, said Mustafa, of East Road, Bridport, had only entered the country around two months before the rape as he sought to work to earn money for his family back in Bulgaria. He said his client had entered a guilty plea to the offence at the earliest opportunity at court and had shown genuine remorse since the incident. Mr Shorter said: He has not sought in any way to deny his guilt. As he passed sentence Judge Jarvis told the defendant: You behaved in a wicked and disgraceful way. Court told of impact on life of young girl THE COURT was told of the devastating impact of the sex attack upon Mustafas victim. Miss Topliss said in a victim impact statement the young woman described how she no longer felt safe at night and suffered from anxiety and panic attacks to the extent that she has to take medication. She added that the woman, who had never had sex before the rape, had been having trouble sleeping and experienced flash backs on a daily basis, while the ordeal had impacted on her education as she was studying in the hope of going to university but now found it difficult to concentrate. Judge Jarvis said to Mustafa: There has been a profound impact upon your victim, the full extent of which we can only imagine. There will be a lifelong impact upon her from what it is that you have done. And Bridport police Inspector Mike Darby said: I am very pleased with the sentence of Mustafa for this offence which was serious and incredibly impactive on the victim. Mustafa took advantage of a person who was vulnerable and the judge has imposed a significant sentence in light of this. He added that offences of this nature are rare in West Dorset.

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A wicked rapist whose 13-year-old victim became pregnant in the 1970s has been jailed decades after the crime, following a successful prosecution pursued by his victims daughter. Carvel Bennett, now 74, admitted having sex with the youngster more than 40 years ago, but claimed at his trial that she had seduced him and consented, telling him she was 16. He was convicted by a Birmingham Crown Court jury in less than two hours, and jailed for 11 years on Tuesday. Giving evidence at his trial, unapologetic Bennett was asked if he owed anything to his victim, and replied: I dont feel I have to apologise to her. I dont feel I have done anything to her. "Carvel Bennett, you have caused total carnage. Your act of violence decimated any potential relationship between my birth mother and I because you chose to rape a child" Bennett's daughter in her witness statement in court Judge Martin Hurst, sentencing, told Bennett, who had no previous convictions, he had engaged in victim-blaming at the trial, adding: You hold her responsible for your wicked act. He said the jury had seen through the rapists ridiculous claim that the victim had instigated sex, having concocted evidence for the trial. The judge said: Your behaviour that day has ruined at least two lives and I hope you spend time in prison considering it. Bennett, of Hansons Bridge Road, Birmingham, did not react as he was sentenced. The victim had turned 14 by the time she gave birth to a baby girl, who was fostered and later put up for adoption. DNA results proved Bennett was the father, though he had denied paternity at the time of the offence and during the new police investigation in 2019. The fresh inquiry only took place after the victims now adult daughter campaigned for the case to be investigated. In court she was praised by the judge who said she had pursued justice in this case for herself and her mother, doggedly and with determination. The judge said the authorities, including police and social services, had been told of the offence in the 1970s, but felt brushing it under the carpet was the way to handle the accusation. He said a harrowing note from social services at the time showed the victims mother immediately disowned her after discovering she was pregnant. The child was placed into adoption with a family of a different ethnic background, the judge added. Judge Hurst said the victims daughter, who only discovered the truth when her files were released to her on her 18th birthday, met many closed doors, and essentially she had to persuade her mother to relive the trauma to get a successful prosecution. Pursuit of justice must be commended and I do commend her for taking those steps, and I can only encourage others to do the same, the judge said. A powerful victim impact statement on behalf of Bennetts victim was read in court, in which she remembered being told to say nothing, adding: I knew no-one would care or believe me. She was told to go back to school as normal immediately after the birth. I had no support and was scared I was left to deal with it alone, she said. To be raped, pregnant and give birth was traumatic and horrendous for me. People told me how disgusting I was, being pregnant as a child. I was carrying his shame, although for me, the shame was also mine. Bennetts daughter read her own impact statement in court, telling him as he sat yards away in the dock: Carvel Bennett, you have caused total carnage. Your act of violence decimated any potential relationship between my birth mother and I because you chose to rape a child. At times emotional, she charted the years of upset after his crime. Addressing Bennett, wearing glasses and a mask, and leaning forward with his left hand to his ear, she told him he had evaded justice for years. You have got to have a family life, she said. You had the opportunity to get married, have children, live with those children and watch them grow up. She spoke of the devastation her mother must have felt at being separated from her daughter in hospital, and how another bond and attachment was broken a few months later when she herself was moved from foster care to adoption. The victims daughter also spoke of times spent wondering who I looked like, why I wasnt with my birth mother, why hadnt I been wanted with no one to share those feelings with. She said: Because you chose to rape a child I have had my birth identity stolen from me on my maternal and paternal sides. What has been passed down to me is intergenerational trauma a family heirloom Id rather not have. She spoke of making the horrifying discovery about her background, at the age of 18, and to know that I am, for some, the embodiment of one of the worst things that could happen to someone. But she added: I am more than evidence, I am more than a witness, I am more than a product of rape. I am not your shame and I will not carry the shame and horror of what you chose to do. Speaking afterwards, the victims daughter, who cannot be identified to protect her mothers identity, said she was pleased and relieved, adding it should not have taken more than 40 years for a child rapist to be away from children in Birmingham.