Latest Offenders

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A 29-year-old man was jailed for three years and four months for having sex with a girl of 14.

The teenager thought Barry Masters was “a really nice man” and said he made her laugh by doing stupid things on the trampoline, Bradford Crown Court heard.

But Masters, of Lawkholme Lane, Keighley, abused the child’s trust by having sex with her at his flat after he had been drinking, prosecutor Andrew Kershaw said.

The court heard yesterday that the girl’s parents were deeply damaged by what Masters had done to their daughter.

Mr Kershaw said the teenager’s mother challenged Masters about the nature of their friendship after he was seen hugging her.

Masters said he was comforting the girl because she was in trouble at school.

The teenager visited him at his flat and when her mother called him “a paedophile” he admitted he had had sex with her on one occasion.

Sophie Drake, Masters’ barrister, said: “It was a one-off, much-regretted incident.”

He had lost contact with his two daughters because of what he had done and he hated himself, the court was told.

Masters had a drink problem and he had been seeking professional help to cut down his alcohol intake, it was said.

He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and had no previous convictions for sexual offences.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning Masters from contacting the girl or having any unsupervised contact with girls under 16 for an indefinite period.

He must sign on the sex offenders’ register, notifying the police about where he is living.

Judge Durham Hall said Masters had robbed the girl of her childhood and abused the trust she had placed in him.

Her parents had been caused very real suffering by his actions.

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HE posted vile pictures of young girls being abused on the Internet that were beamed around the world.

Richard Couzens thought his sickening behaviour would go undetected after uploading the images to a Russian website via his mobile phone.

Now the 30-year-old from Southampton has been brought to justice - with the help of eagle eyed police using clever technology on the other side of the world.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Australian police officers discovered the sordid images on a Russian website and set about finding out who was responsible for them.

Using the latest techniques to solve cyber crime they began tracking the images - leading them straight to the door of Couzens, from Chettle Road, Southampton.

The information was passed on to detectives from Hampshire police who arrested Couzens and took him in for questioning.

Prosecutor Christopher Wing told the city crown court how he confessed to police that he had taken pictures of a youngster who he also sexually abused. He posted them on the Internet along with others of children aged between three and eleven - blaming his actions on his addiction for images of young girls.

Couzens, 30, admitted 20 charges of taking and making indecent images, distributing them and assault by penetration.

He was jailed for 10 years with a five year extended licence. He was also placed on the sex offenders register and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, both for life.

Jailing him, Judge Derwin Hope told Couzens: “You committed a serious breach of trust.

“You took pictures of this girl and then distributed them over the web for other like minded people.

“This was particularly shocking and illustrates the deep seated nature of your perversion that has manifested for more than five years.”

The judge told Couzens he represented a significant risk to the public, especially to young girls, and extended his licence because he considered him dangerous.

In mitigation, Susan Ridge told the court how Couzens had struggled with his addiction and though he wanted help, he felt unable to do it.

“He is deeply remorseful and greatly distressed at what he has done. He is ashamed of what he has done and knows he will he will go away for a long time and the impact it will have on his family.”

Couzens, who she added was motivated to address his offending in prison, was of previous good character.

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Adam “Rocky” Beniston was prohibited from being near girls under 16 after he was jailed in 2012 for having relationships with two 14-year-olds. Released on licence after serving half of his sentence, the 30-year-old joined Starbox Gym in Stanton Hill, but, following a tip-off to police, was arrested last month for breaching the order.

Nottingham Crown Court yesterday heard how Beniston had not told anyone at the gym of his past and there were regularly children on the premises.

He did not attempt to speak with any young people, but the court was told his work-out sessions as a professional kickboxer often attracted a crowd, some of which were children.

He had even offered to take classes, although there was no indication he wanted to work with children.

Steven Taylor, prosecuting, said: “It was quite clear he was going to place himself in situations where he would come in to contact with young people. He wanted to play a significant role in the club.”

William Bennett, mitigating, said: “He accepts it’s a breach of the order, and it was his responsibility. He only has himself to blame, he accepts that.”

He said Beniston had been living with his grandfather and had joined the gym to “get rid of stress”.

Mr Bennett said Beniston also wanted to apologise to the owner because of the embarrassment he had caused.

Beniston, who previously lived in Mansfield and Mablethorpe, but gave his most recent address as Haddon Street in Sutton, had been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court in October 2012 after admitting relationships with two 14-year-old girls.

He befriended one in 2010, before making advances towards her. He went on to have sex with her on as many as 30 occasions.

He was arrested after tip-off but he initially claimed the allegations were ‘fantasy’.

Soon after he started a relationship with another girl, but she turned on him when she found out about the relationship with the first teenager.

The judge at Lincoln Crown Court said he had “wrecked lives” to “satisfy his lust”.

Along with a five-year sentence, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and given the sexual offences prevention order, which prevented him from working or engaging with any activity with girls under 16 unless they are accompanied by an adult who know of his criminal past.

He admitted breaching that order.

Sentencing him yesterday, Judge Michael Stokes QC, said: “You have convictions for very serious sexual offences and you were sent to jail for five years, which is an indication of how serious it is.

“When you were released on licence it was important you were transparent about the order. You were not transparent.” He jailed him for eight months to run concurrent with his existing jail sentence from 2012.

It is understood he will serve at least another six months, but it is possible he will be forced to serve the remainder of the five years, meaning he may not be released until October 2017.

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The victim of a rape which took place in Cambridge has spoken out about "how much is still to be done on educating the world on what consent actually is" after her rapist was handed a seven year prison sentence. Following the incident Nya Kuatois was arrested on August 23, 2020.

The victim told officers she was awoken by the 31-year-old Kuatois raping her while she slept. Kuatois, of Glenalmond Avenue, Cambridge, denied the offence but was found guilty of rape at Cambridge Crown Court on August 26 this year.

He was sentenced on Wednesday, September 28, at the same court and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. The survivor later issued a statement.

It read: "Going through this has highlighted to me how much is still to be done on educating the world on what consent actually is. I am not an object, I am a mum, a girlfriend, a young woman who was enjoying a night out with friends.

"I hope that one day there will be a silver lining to this, and he will think twice before acting again, not for fear of criminal proceedings, but out of respect for women and their bodies, their feelings, and their lives."

DC Sarah Lloyd said: "I hope Kuatois uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions, which have understandably had a lasting impact on his victim. I would like to commend her for her bravery in coming forward and supporting a conviction.

"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to police. Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

"Reporting a sexual assault or rape can be extremely difficult. We take all reports seriously and have trained staff who support victims through the process."

Cambridgeshire Constabularly have reassured survivors of sexual violence they can have confidence the police and other partner agencies will support them throughout the investigation and criminal justice process. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a serious sexual offence, there are support options available on the force's rape and sexual assault page.

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A pervert tried to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex in an Eltham graveyard only to meet a vigilante paedophile hunting group.

Paul Austin-Roberts, 43, from Wilks Road in Dartford, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on May 12 after being pleading guilty to grooming and attempting to cause a child watch sexual acts.

Austin-Roberts engaged in conversations with what he believed to be a 14-year-old boy, exchanging multiple sexual messages.

He arranged to meet the boy at Falconwood Cemetery, where the supposed teen’s grandparents were buried.

When he arrived there on July 24 last year he was met by members of the vigilante paedophile hunting group The Hunted One.

According to a member of The Hunted One, Austin-Roberts was “very aggressive and determined to get away from the scene.”

Austin-Roberts originally pleaded not guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, but changed it to a guilty plea at a later date.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and intending to pervert the course of justice.

The pervert avoided prison, as the court handed him a 22 jail month sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was also ordered to take 100 hours on the sex offender’s programme and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Police have warned against vigilantism after a sting operation by The Hunted One at Bluewater resulted in two passersby getting into a fight with the alleged paedophile.

The Hunted One has said that it will no longer stream sting operations and its website has been taken offline, but the group are still active and posting on social media.

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A PAEDOPHILE raped a vulnerable 12-year-old boy in Rugby after grooming him over a period of months.

Adam Craig Pike, 30, of Jersey Way, Barwell, Leicestershire, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Coventry Crown Court on Thursday (March 28), after being found guilty of raping a child under 13 and causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard how Pike befriended his victim in Rugby in 2015 when the boy was just 12.

Pike developed the relationship over a number of months before he started to abuse the boy, promising him gifts in return for performing sexual acts.

The offences occurred some time between 2015 and 2016.

Pike was arrested in July 2016 after the victim’s mother reported the offences to police in Coventry.

Det Con Scott Loughran from Rugby CID said: “Pike specifically targeted a vulnerable boy and exploited him for his own sexual gratification.

“He is clearly a danger to children having gained his victim’s trust, promising him gifts, in order to satisfy his disturbing impulses. This is a type of behaviour typically associate with people who exploit children.

“The victim and his family have shown immense courage in supporting this investigation and trial. I hope this sentencing gives them some form of closure as they attempt to move on with their lives.

“Warwickshire Police is committed to investigating all reports of sexual abuse against children and I hope this outcome gives others the confidence to come forward.”

Pike was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

He was found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

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John Quigley,of Maybrook Mews, has a total of 32 previous convictions and 30 of those are for sex offences.

The 60-years-old, who is a former senior employee of the N. Ireland Housing Executive, admitted two charges of indecently assaulting a male between December 1973 and April 1975.

Quigley was 16-years-old at the time of the offences and the victim was 14.

Derry Crown Court heard the injured party disclosed the abuse to a counselling and support service before making a statement to police in 2015.

The victim met Quigley at the local Boy Scouts of Ireland, who was older and a leader in the group at that time.

Some months after the victim had joined the scouts, Quigley invited him to his house to complete some badge work.

He took the boy into a garage, told him to open his trousers and touched him in a sexual manner.

Quigley told the boy this was a secret and warned him not to tell anyone.

A couple of weeks later , Quigley and the boy went for a walk along the River Foyle and he suggested they stop and lie down on some grass.

Quigley opened the victim’s trousers and touched him in a sexual manner for around half an hour.

He was ‘reassuring the complainant that everything would be alright’ and afterwards warned him again not to tell anyone and that it was a secret.

After this incident the victim did not have any further involvement with Quigley as he became a cub leader and their meetings were held on a different night.

Quigley was interviewed by police about the allegations in 2015 and he denied them.

The defendant denied taking any younger boys under his wing and claimed that he could not remember the complainant.

Defence counsel, Martin Rodgers, QC., said his client ‘acknowledges the hurt and harm he caused to the injured party.’

He said Quigley had served two previous sentences of imprisonment for offences which were committed at around the same time and he now wants to ‘put all this offending totally behind him and move on.’

Suspending a 12 months sentence for two years, Judge Philip Babington said Quigley’s behaviour was ‘completely wrong and unacceptable’ and he had ‘blighted many people’s lives by his offending.’

Quigley will also be subject to the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders’ Register for a period of 10 years.

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A detective who worked in a child abuse investigation unit has been jailed for abusing a young girl and making "gruesome" indecent images.

Det Con Chris Maitland, of Widey View, Plymouth, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually touching a child under the age of 13.

He also admitted 12 charges of taking and making indecent images of a child.

The 40-year-old was jailed for five years and four months at Southwark Crown Court.

He is employed in the Met's sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command.

Maitland was originally arrested on 22 November last year on suspicion of possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

He was re-arrested on 15 March on suspicion of sexual touching, and later charged.

Scotland Yard said he was off duty at the time of the offences and is currently suspended.

When he pleaded guilty, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith referred to the material on his computer as "pretty gruesome".

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A paedophile from Penzance confessed to police that he had been "at it again" after they seized his laptop and phone.

Jason Barnes, 29, of Nicholas Parc, was imprisoned for breaching a suspended sentence imposed in October 2016 for making indecent images of children. He committed similar offences less than a year later.

Prosecutor Philip Lee spoke at Truro Crown Court about how police attended Barnes' home in August 2017 and seized a laptop and phone. When the devices were seized, Barnes told police: "I've been silly, I've been at it again." The devices were found to have more than 500 indecent photographs of children on them: 27 photographs of the most serious category A, 19 of category B and 500 of category C. Another phone was seized in August 2018, and he was also found to have made 20 indecent images of children and to have distributed three.

His internet search history contained phrases such as: "teen 12-18" and "hot boy 14".

He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years in October 2016 for previous offences involving making indecent images of children. At the time, he was ordered to undertake a rehabilitation programme for internet sexual offenders.

It took the probation service until November 2017 to make his first appointment, by which time he had already reoffended.

His defence solicitor Brian Fitzherbert argued that this delay was reason enough for Barnes' sentence to be reduced.

He said: "The reason for imposing the internet sex offenders programme is this: For Mr Barnes it had become something of an addiction. He was a man badly in need of the very effective assistance that programme can provide.

"At that stage he had not had a single appointment. It's something that hadn't happened. The first letter for the programme went out in 2017."

He went on to say: "Mr Barnes is now doing much better. He tells me that the programme was extremely useful, that it's helped him to understand the reason why this insidious material became such a large part of his life."

Mr Fitzherbert also mentioned that Barnes had been accessing help from sex offender charity Circles, and asked for credit for his client's early guilty plea.

Sentencing him at Truro Crown Court today, judge Robert Linford said: "On the 21st of October 2016 you were made the subject of a suspended sentence in respect of the making of a number of indecent images of children.

"That order had coupled with it the requirement to attend a sexual internet offenders programme. It is not acceptable that you were not made an appointment for over a year.

"The judge expects his order to be swiftly complied with, not left for over a year. I expect a written explanation from the probation service.

"While you had the deterrent of a suspended sentence, you did not have access to that programme to help with what your defence has called an addiction.

"A few months after the sentence was made you were downloading images, distributing them. You did not need a court to tell you that what you were doing was wrong, seriously wrong.

"I have seen the descriptions of the videos that you distributed. They are all illegal for you to possess, for you to watch, for you to make, certainly for you to distribute."

Judge Linford went on to say: "You are now taking steps to address what your defence has called an addiction. You have pleaded guilty as early as you could. I propose to activate on some part the suspended sentence."

For three charges relating to the possession, distribution and making of indecent images of children, Barnes pleaded guilty, and judge Linford sentenced him to a total of eighteen months imprisonment, of which he must serve at least half.

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The married father who was so obsessed with male genitalia he secretly recorded dozens of men and boys using toilets was handed a sentence of probation.

Tinsley was ordered to complete a two-and-a-half-year probation program with a warning that any breach would see him back in the dock. Tinsley, from the Lurgan Road in Dromore, Co Down, had earlier entered guilty pleas to 18 sex offences.

His offending was discovered when a 14-year-old boy urinating in the toilets of CastleCourt shopping centre on January 26 2019 spotted him holding a mobile phone over the cubicle wall.

Cops uncovered 160 other secretly recorded videos including 20 of other young boys and all of them bar one taken in toilets.

One video was taken in one of the two guest bedrooms at the Coach House B&B he owns with his wife and while it only showed a guest setting a bag on to the bed, the fact he bought and installed the covert camera "demonstrates an intention on the defendant’s part". 

He agreed to complete a 30-month probation order and was imposed a “necessary and proportionate SOPO order. 

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A PAEDOPHILE who posed as a young girl online was found with 550 child abuse images.

Officers from the Essex Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) raided the address of Scott Chapman in Hume Close, Tilbury back on December 4, 2019.

The team, which investigates online child abuse, had received intelligence that the internet at the address had been used to view indecent images of children.

Following searches there and at another address, officers seized a mobile phone which could be attributed to Chapman on which they found more than 550 indecent images of children.

They also found several social media applications on which Chapman had posed as a young girl or sent indecent images to others.

The 24-year-old was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of distributing indecent images of children.

He admitted the offences and at Basildon Crown Court and was jailed for seven years.

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A MARLOES pensioner, until recently a volunteer instructor for junior sailing, has admitted making indecent photographs of children.

Derek Lister, 72, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday (Sept 30), and entered a guilty plea to creating 3 indecent category A images of a child, 14 indecent category B images of a child and 152 indecent category C images of a child.

Former teacher Lister had originally indicated that he would plead not guilty but changed his plea faced with the weight of the evidence against him.

He was given a 4-month jail sentence, suspended for two years and 150 hours community service.

The suspended sentence means that if he commits any offence within the next two years the suspended sentence will be activated, and he will be automatically sent to jail.

It is understood that he has now moved away from Pembrokeshire.

The sentencing had been delayed from a previous date as the video link system in court had been faulty.

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A paedophile groomed and sexually abused a teenage girl after giving her a burner phone to keep the relationship secret from her family.

Andrew Opie, now 31, was 28 when he had sex with the then 14-year-old girl.

Opie, of Pool but previously of Falmouth, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to two sexual activity with a child charges. Proceedings in the case had been significantly delayed after Opie repeatedly told the court he might have Covid, causing adjournments.

Prosecuting the case, Heather Hope described how in late 2018 the victim met Opie through a mutual friend. She believed they were in a relationship together and to ensure the relationship was not discovered Opie gave her a phone specifically for communication between them.

She had never had sex before but following a short period of grooming Opie had sex with her and did so again on another occasion.

Due to concerns over Opies involvement with young girls, police served a number of abduction notices, one of which was handed to the victims family after Opie and the victim were spotted in a park together.

They had also noticed her underwear hadnt been in for a wash and that she had received a Valentines Day card from Opie and it was then they spoke with her and she revealed what had happened.

Opie at first denied the relationship with the girl and then tried to blame someone else.

Representing Opie, Deni Matthews said: Although delayed he did enter a guilty plea and now accepts responsibility. The penny has finally dropped. He has a job in prison and wants to take the Horizons course to address his offending.

Sentencing Opie, Judge Simon Carr said: At aged 28 you formed a relationship with a 14-year-old girl. You met through friends and it is clear you groomed her saying she was special and you wanted a relationship.

You knew from the beginning what you were doing was wrong and provided her with a burner phone. The relationship became sexual relatively quickly.

Her family became concerned and what allowed her to break free was that her parents were told youd been served with an eighth abduction order, such was the concern about you and young girls.

Judge Carr said Opie presents a likely lifelong threat to children.

He was given an extended sentence of 10 years - six years custodial and four years extended licence. He was put on the sex offenders register for life and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

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A Coventry man has been jailed after he sexually assaulted a woman last year.

Saad Sheikh, 30, of The Spinney, Coventry, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assaulting a stranger. The incident took place on the evening of August 1, 2020, near Jephson Gardens, in Leamington.

The victim, a woman in her 40s, was sitting on a bench when Sheikh sat down next to her and sexually assaulted her by touching her over and under her clothing.

Sheikh was identified on CCTV and was arrested five days later.

He was sentenced to 30 months in prison at a hearing held at Warwick Crown Court yesterday (September 29). He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which stops him from engaging in paid or unpaid work with vulnerable people.

Detective Constable Nic Mort, from Leamington CID, said: This was a terrible ordeal for the victim, who is an extremely vulnerable woman. The judge was clear that Sheikh would have been aware of her vulnerabilities and targeted her because of this.

The ordeal left her distraught and traumatised.

I would like to recognise the bravery of the victim who has conducted herself with bravery and dignity throughout the investigation.

As well as receiving a custodial sentence, Sheikh will also have to sign the sex offender register and be subject to sexual harm prevention order which means he will be closely monitored when he is released from prison.

Incidents of this nature inevitably have an impact on the local community, so I hope the police response and this outcome will reassure the people of Leamington that we will work tirelessly to bring offenders like Sheikh to justice.

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A Kettering man who carried out a reign of sex abuse against teenage girls has been jailed for 16 years.

Christopher Lynch, 38, was convicted following a trial at Northampton Crown Court in September during which his victims were forced to give evidence.

A Kettering man who carried out a reign of sex abuse against teenage girls has been jailed for 16 years.

Christopher Lynch, 38, was convicted following a trial at Northampton Crown Court in September during which his victims were forced to give evidence.

Lynch, formerly of St Stephen's Road, was found guilty of one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual activity with a child.

He was also found guilty of two charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one of facilitating and commissioning a child sex offence.

Today Judge Rebecca Crane jailed him for 16 years, with a further eight-year extended licence.

She said he is a "dangerous and predatory male" and told him that he would have to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence behind bars.

Upon release from prison, Lynch will spend the remainder of his sentence on licence and will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, prohibiting him from having any unsupervised contact of any kind with any female under the age of 18, or undertaking or seeking to undertake any paid or voluntary position, role, appointment or office which would or is likely to cause him to have any unsupervised contact with any female person under the age of 18.

He will also be on the sex offenders’ register for life.