Latest Offenders

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A tattooed sex attacker has been jailed for subjecting a young woman to a violent and extremely frightening ordeal.

Elias Kajue, of Kilburn, pleaded guilty to an assault on a 23-year-old woman at Cricklewood railway station on August 31 last year.

The victim was waiting for a train at about 6am, when she was approached by Kajue in the ticket hall.

He tried to engage her in conversation, but she had asked him to leave her alone because she was tired and did not want to talk, she told police.

Kajue, 22, left but returned a few minutes later and began harassing her again.

He then pulled her to her feet and dragged her to the station subway where he forced her to the ground and sexually assaulted her before being disturbed by rail passengers coming off an arriving train.

Kajue left the scene on his bike, but was clearly captured by station CCTV.

Detective Sergeant Mark Barton, investigating officer from British Transport Police, said: Kajue brazenly targeted a young woman who was waiting alone for an early morning train.

Seemingly oblivious to the fact that his crime was being recorded on station CCTV, he subjected her to a violent and extremely frightening ordeal.

Detectives began an investigation and analysed the camera footage, before issuing appeals for information. They received details from the Metropolitan Police that Kajue was a possible suspect and raided his Kilburn home where they found a red mountain bike.

As well as the bike, the victim also recalled a distinctive scripted tattoo on the inside of Kajues forearm. Police records showed he had two distinctive tattoos of Loyalty and Family on his arms, and he was subsequently positively identified by his victim in a video identification parade.

DS Barton said: The victim showed great bravery throughout our investigation and provided detailed descriptions of her attacker, including his tattoo, which we were able to cross-check with video footage and the police national computer database.

In interviews Kajue initially denied all knowledge of the attack and said he had a bad memory of the date of the offence, claiming the person on CCTV was not him.

DS Barton added: All of the evidence his tattoos and red bike in particular pointed to Kajue as being the person responsible for this assault.

It gradually became clear to him that he had little option other than to plead guilty.

He was jailed on Friday at Southwark Crown Court for sexual assault and false imprisonment. He will have to serve a minimum of three years in prison before being considered for release.

Martin Grier, head of security for First Capital Connect, explained that CCTV was a vital tool in deterring and catching criminals.

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A SENIOR Midland councillor who kissed a girl of 16 as they danced at a birthday party has been forced to sign the sex offenders’ register.

The sexual assault, in a “moment of utter madness” by former Solihull Council deputy leader Ian Hillas, had ruined his life and reputation, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Hillas, who represents Castle Bromwich ward, was given a 12-month conditional discharge by Judge Michael Challinor following the assault in Cradley Heath. The Judge told Hillas, who had been suspended from the Conservative group after his arrest, that he had been “branded as a sex offender”.

Sarah Buckingham, defending, said: “He has suffered public humiliation and he has been socially and professionally excluded.”

She told the court that politics had been Hillas’s life and he had been devoted to serving the needs of the community.

She said: “There was no planning or sinister intent behind the offence.

“In a moment of utter madness he kissed her on the cheek and on the neck.

“Almost immediately he was embarrassed and appalled by what he had done and he pulled away.”

Hillas, 43, of Oakwood Croft, Solihull, admitted sexual assault.

He was also ordered to pay the girl £500 with £2,151 costs and told to register as a sex offender for a year.

The Judge said Hillas was not a public danger and did not ban him from working with children.

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PREP TEACHER TRIAL: DEPRAVED teacher Peter Hamilton-Leggett lured young schoolboys into his bedroom before carrying out brutal sex attacks on them, a court heard.

The retired biology and chemistry teacher, of Old Station Lane, Yelverton, Devon, admitted 54 charges of abuse on boys as young as eight.

On Tuesday, some of the 58-year-old's victims attended Swindon Crown Court and watched as he was sentenced to eight years in prison for the catalogue of sex offences.

It took more than an hour to read the charges, and, dressed in a suit, Hamilton-Leggett spoke only to confirm his name. His wife, Pauline, kept her eyes closed as the court heard details of each of his depraved acts. Thirteen former pupils of the Old Ride Preparatory School, Bradford on Avon, and six former pupils of Lambrook School in Bracknell, Berkshire, made complaints, dating back to a 15-year period between 1970 and 1985.

The paedophile investigation, headed by Det Sgt David Martin, is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the county.

It was the third investigation into the teacher's sick behaviour the other two failed because of a lack of evidence.

Don Tait, prosecuting, said Hamilton-Leggett's reign of terror began shortly after he started teaching at the Old Ride School, aged 26.

Preying on vulnerable, lonely pupils, he singled out his 'favourites' and would invite them back to his room offering them treats or telling them they could play on his computer. Once he had earned their trust he began systematically abusing them, playing what was described as a 'bravery test game', running his fingers down boys' bodies until they told him to stop.

Mr Tait said: "His fingers passed below the boy's throat and moved down his body, inviting the boy to say stop when his courage ran out."

Unless a pupil resisted, Hamilton-Leggett's behaviour would escalate, performing crude sex acts himself or he asked boys to gratify him.

Some victims were also pinned on the bed while the teacher seriously sexually assaulted them.

Mr Tait described one attack during a boy's last day at Old Ride School. "The experience was incredibly painful, he kept thinking he was going to die," he said. "Although he was crying the defendant carried on until he had his way.

"He then took him to meet his mother, wished him all the best for the future and nothing was said thereafter."

Mr Tait said other victims described how Hamilton-Leggett had made them feel special until they asked him to stop, and how the teacher was respected and trusted by pupils, parents and staff.

He asked his victims to keep quiet about their agonising abuse.

Sentencing Hamilton-Leggett Judge Thomas Longbotham spoke of the lives he had ruined and how he had denied the abuse during two earlier investigations.

He said: "It is not an attractive form of behaviour an aggravating feature in this case particularly because you picked on vulnerable boys in boarding school.

"You also abused a position of trust."

One victim, in a statement read to the court, told how he had turned to drink and even attempted suicide while trying to come to terms with his ordeal.

Others told police how the attacks had stopped them having normal relationships and how their experiences would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Hamilton-Leggett was sentenced to eight years on each of seven counts of buggery and attempted buggery or assault and gross indecency.

All the sentences will run concurrently and he will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

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A Huntington man who downloaded indecent images of children for five years told police he had "titillating and entertaining" pictures on his computer, York Crown Court heard.

But he denied being sexually interested in youngsters.

He tried to blame other people by claiming he was not the only one using his computer.

Patrick Palmer, prosecuting, said after police found more than 100 illegal images on his computer, Roy Dean admitted he was the only one who had access to the desktop.

Dean, 63, of Broome Close, Huntington, pleaded guilty to three charges of having indecent images of children.

“Until people like you stop looking at such images the market in them continues to thrive,” Judge Simon Hickey told him.

He gave him an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years on condition Dean does 40 days' rehabilitation activities. He will also be on the sex offenders register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order restricting his use of the internet for 10 years.

Graham Parkin, for Dean, said he had been working on addressing his sexual behaviour since his arrest.

Mr Palmer said police raided Dean's home on May 7, after being told that sexual images of children had been downloaded at his address on March 14.

He told them he had only been looking at adult pornography and that he had "titillating and entertaining" images on his computer.

"An aggravating feature which I don't like in this case if you suggested others had access to your material or your desktop, something you now resile from," said Judge Hickey.

Mr Palmer said police confiscated Dean's desktop computer and several USB sticks and found illegal images on four of the sticks and on the desktop.

They found 36 images of the worst kind of sexual abuse, 19 of the next category and 87 of the lowest category, all downloaded between 2015 and 2020.

They also found evidence he had been actively searching for sexual images of children.

Interviewed again, Dean admitted that he and he alone was responsible for the images.

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A 21-YEAR-OLD man was caught with indecent images of children and animals just two months after being sentenced for sex offences.

Tomasz Willmington was found with the disturbing images by police who were monitoring his laptop.

The defendant was convicted in July 2022, and sentenced the following month, for five counts of similar offences relating to pornographic images of children.

Willmington was handed a three-year community order and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years, allowing police to monitor his devices.

Prosecuting, Althea Brook, told Bournemouth Crown Court that officers were notified in October 2022 that the 21-year-old was accessing indecent material at his home on Northport Drive in Wareham.

When interviewed by police, the defendant admitted to the offences and later pleaded guilty.

Willingham appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on February 2 to be sentenced for making indecent photos of a child and possessing a prohibited image of a child.

He was also charged with possessing an extreme pornographic image involving animals, specifically dogs.

Mitigating, Kevin Hill, said that Willmington is living at home with his mother and has since started working which is helping.

“He takes this very seriously and is very sorry that he committed this offence again.”

Judge Susan Evans KC noted that the defendant reoffended so soon after his first sentencing that he had not begun his rehabilitation programme.

However, since completing it, he has been making progress.

Judge Evans added that maintaining a job and working with others will improve his social isolation, which is relevant to his current offending.

“You are relatively young and are maturing,” said Judge Evans.

“There is no suggestion you have offended any further.”

Willmington was handed a sentence of 14 weeks, suspended for 15 months.

He must do 100 hours of unpaid work and will be given both a sexual harm prevention order and a sex offender notification order for seven years.

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A senior detective yesterday demanded changes in the law to make it mandatory for social workers to notify police when sex offenders are released from custody after a student was given life for raping and murdering an 11-year-old boy.

Dominic McKilligan, 19, who had a history of sexually abusing children, was not on the official sex offenders register because a supervision order imposed from previous offences expired the day before the register was introduced.

He dodged social workers after he was released in August 1997 and 10 months later killed Wesley Neailey when the boy resisted his sexual advances.

Detective Superintendent Trevor Fordy, the officer who led the investigation, said the case showed there were shortfalls in the legislation.

He added: "If police are not informed about the release of paedophiles then it's impossible for us to exercise any form of risk management against them hurting other children. Society cannot afford to have anyone with a history of paedophilia at liberty in the community without an in-depth assessment of the risk they might pose to children or other vulnerable people. We have got to look at what is in place at the moment and see how we can make it better in the future."

McKilligan struck Wesley over the head with a wrench and dumped the body by a quiet road near the village of Healey, Northumberland.

He then led the police to the site three weeks later after telling detectives Wesley's death had been an accident.

Following the verdict at Newcastle crown court, Christopher Knox, for the prosecution, told Mr Justice Bennett that McKilligan was convicted in August 1994 of gross indecency against four boys aged between seven and 11 in Bournemouth.

After inviting children to play games, he tortured them, in one case beating a boy with an iron bar.

Rumours in the playgrounds of local schools led to one of the most wide-ranging child sex abuse investigations in the history of the Dorset constabulary.

McKilligan served a three-year supervision order, but due to the timing of the previous conviction he missed being added to the sex offenders register by 24-hours.

McKilligan managed to dupe social workers when he moved from the south coast to a secure unit in the north-east, side-stepping the authorities in Bournemouth, Durham and Newcastle as his release date came closer.

When he was discharged from the unit for young sex offenders in Durham in November 1997, social workers lost track of him.

McKilligan befriended Wesley in the weeks before the murder. A shy and trusting boy who was thought to be mildly epileptic, Wesley visited McKilligan at his home in the west end of Newcastle, the court heard.

On June 5, Wesley waved goodbye to his mother and rode to see McKilligan.

He was caught when a former care worker rang to tell detectives about his past, and a cheque made out to Wesley was found in his flat.

Mr Fordy emphasised that Wesley might still be alive if his supervision order had ended on September 1 1997 - the day the register was established. His whereabouts would have been known to police and officers would have been free to check on him when they chose.

The NSPCC called for a national network of services to help stop children from becoming paedophiles.

Its director of child protection, Neil Hunt, said: "Dominic McKilligan was already a seriously disturbed boy by 14.

"He was in local authority care and assessed as a very grave risk to children. A full investigation should take place into whether this tragic death could have been averted. Too many young abusers are slipping through the net. Their behaviour and problems are not recognised early enough, they are left untreated and their victims are left unprotected."

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Jake Mills, 21, sexually assaulted and tried to rape his first victim - a young woman in her 20s - then exposed himself to two female pensioners while under investigation.

All three attacks happened on Chesterfield streets.

Judge Nirmal Shant QC said Mills targeted the two elderly women because they were more vulnerable and he posed a significant risk to lone females.

The court heard a psychological report found Mills had a very low IQ however Judge Shant added that provided no explanation for what he had done.

During the first incident in November 2020, Mills followed a young woman into an alleyway at around 5.40am, began kissing her and tried to force her to perform oral sex.

However the court heard while Mills was released on bail under investigation, he exposed himself to two elderly women on the same day.

And the same morning he had followed a young woman in his car while she was jogging in Tapton.

Judge Shant, speaking about the November 2020 attack, said: This was an attack on a lone female in the street in the early hours of the morning.

Suffice to say its had a profound impact as statements describe her misery - she suffers panic attacks, loss of confidence, anxiety and depression which has required medication.

She has had nightmares and flashbacks - it will take her years to get back to normality.

She had to move home as the incident occurred not far from her home.

Speaking about the second incident - committed 10 months later while Mills was on bail - the judge said: It would have been evident to you that one of (the victims) was in her late 70s and the other was in her 80s.

I take the view that you decided to approach them because they were more vulnerable than the younger lady.

You sat in your car and invited them to participate in sexual activity while you were masturbating and I have no doubt you took some pleasure in doing so.

They were hugely traumatised by what happened - its completely changed their lives.

Laura Pitman, prosecuting, told Derby Crown Court how during the first incident in November, 2020, Mills followed his young victim into an alleyway at around 5.40am.

The scared girl had just set off walking to work from her Chesterfield home when she came across Mills - who was stood in the street.

After asking her the time Mills offered the female a spliff and then a cigarette, engaging her in conversation, walking alongside her as they approached the alley - which was still dark.

However Miss Pitman said: As they entered his behaviour changed - he positioned himself in front of her and put his arms around her.

As he stood in front of her he kissed her on the lips - she had done absolutely nothing to suggest that was what she wanted.

Mills kissed the woman several times despite her repeated attempts to push him away, forcing her hand down to his privates - which were now exposed.

The court heard after sexual predator Mills tried to force his victims head down to his groin she was able to force him away.

Miss Pitmans said: He then said add me on Snapchat, kissed her, then walked away.

However the court heard while Mills was released under investigation he exposed himself to two elderly women on the same day - in September, 2021.

He targeted both pensioners - in their 70s and 80s - as they walked along the street in Chesterfield around 8am, following them in his car and uttering vile sexual comments.

One of the victims, aged 82, was walking along a road when she heard the defendant shouting from his car.

As she approached Mills black vehicle he asked her the time before asking her to jump in the car and asking her to have sex with him, saying it will do you the world of good.

As Mills exposed himself and the woman walked off he reversed along the road following her while touching himself before eventually driving away.

Miss Pitman said Mills later came across the second victim, aged 77, as she walked to a shop to buy a newspaper.

After repeatedly asking her the time, Mills followed the OAP in his car as he tried to make her way home.

The prosecutor said: As she neared her home address she began to get scared - she didnt want him to know her home address.

He then opened the car door and she noticed his trousers around his ankles and his penis was in his hands.

As vile pervert Mills tried to persuade the elderly lady to have sex with him a passing driver, seeing the woman in a distressed state, pulled up to check she was Ok. Mills then fled in his car.

The court heard the very same morning a young woman had called police to report a black car - later identified as belonging to Mills - had followed her as she jogged in Tapton.

Mills was linked with the September 2021 incidents after victims described a missing panel from his car interior and police viewed CCTV footage of him returning to his parents home afterwards.

He was snared for the November 2020 attempted rape when his DNA was found on his victims glasses.

Mills, of Boythorpe Road, Boythorpe, admitted sexual assault and two counts of exposure. He was found guilty of attempted rape during a trial.

He was ordered to serve at least two-thirds of an eight year jail term in custody and was given an extended licence period of four years to be served after his release.

The Boythorpe man was also made subject of an 18-year sexual harm prevention order.

Under its terms he is banned from approaching lone females he does not know or driving any vehicle without registering its details with the police.

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A man who cloned a bodybuilder's Facebook profile so he could target and sexually abuse a boy has been jailed.

Brandon Cooper, 24, cloned the account of a well-known local bodybuilder and sent messages of a sexual nature to the boy, who was under the age of 13.

The victim's father became aware of the messages and alerted police in August.

Cooper, of Brook House Avenue, Eccles, pleaded guilty to inciting a child to commit a sexual act and was jailed for 16 months at Manchester Crown Court.

Cooper used a fake name and Facebook profile "to gain the trust of the young victim", Greater Manchester Police said.

'Veil his identity'

The victim's father became concerned about messages of a sexual nature, which his son had received on social media.

The court heard how the man Cooper had impersonated was initially arrested but was quickly eliminated by detectives.

Det Con Tina Jackson said the "resilience" of the boy was "remarkable" but "Cooper's actions could easily have robbed a young person of his childhood".

"In impersonating an innocent man in an attempt to veil his identity and sadistically lure the young victim in, Cooper spared no thought for the consequences of his actions and the damage he could have done to another, innocent person's life.

Cooper was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

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A York paedophile has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing a young girl whose life had been completely ripped apart by his predatory behaviour.

John Patrick Steenson, 60, from Jewbury, subjected his victim to acts which had a devastating and lifelong effect on her, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Jeremy Hill-Baker said that Steenson had repeatedly abused the youngster by forcing her to perform sex acts on him at a property in York.

When the victim first made allegations about Steenson in 2003, it was not followed up because it was thought she was “too young to give any evidence”.

It took the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, another 17 years to come forward to police again, but when Steenson was brought in for questioning, he vehemently denied the allegations.

He was charged with two counts of gross indecency with a child but pleaded not guilty, which meant the victim had to endure the ordeal of a trial.

A jury found Steenson guilty on both counts and he appeared for sentence yesterday (Thursday, 14 March) knowing his fate was sealed.

Mr Hill-Baker said that one of the charges related to indecency with a child on multiple occasions and the other was one incident. The offences occurred between late 2003 and early 2004.

The victim said the abuse became “routine” over a five-month period.

In her early childhood, she didn’t realise why she was so angry because she was so young to understand what had happened to her.

By her teens, she was suffering with anxiety and depression. Later in life, she started to come to terms with what had happened to her and came forward to police.

Unhealthy interest

Steenson’s sexual predilection for children was evidenced even before his conviction for abusing the girl when he was convicted in 2022 of making and distributing indecent images of minors, for which he received a suspended prison sentence, a rehabilitation programme and a sexual-harm prevention order.

However, his online behaviour had been more long-lasting, as evidenced by the caution he received in 2006 for making indecent images of children.

The victim said the devastating effects on her had seeped into adulthood and had led to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Her schooling and mental health had been profoundly affected and she had since suffered problems forming relationships.

Defence barrister Nicholas Hammond said that Steenson had held down a job for most of his adult life and was now in poor health.

Judge Simon Hickey told Steenson: “You clearly have an unhealthy interest in young children.”

He described the impact on the victim as “severe”, adding: “She’s still suffering with mental-health issues…and she’s having to fight these issues for the rest of her life.”

Steenson was jailed for seven years but will only serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.

He was ordered to sign on the sex-offenders’ register for life and made subject to a sexual-harm prevention order to curb his online activities and contact with children.

Description

A MAN from Cheshire has been jailed after he admitted sexually abusing young boys online.

Nicholas Hatton appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, April 16, where he was sentenced to 18-years in prison.

The 34-year-old, of West Street, Crewe, had earlier pleaded guilty to –

Six counts of causing/inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity 

Two counts of causing/inciting the sexual exploitation of a child aged 13-17

One count of possession of indecent images of children

Three counts of making indecent images of children (A, B, and C)

Three counts of taking indecent images of children (A, B, C)

One count of possession of prohibited images of children

In addition to his prison sentence Hatton was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

The investigation into Hatton initially began in 2021 when officers from Cheshire Police received intelligence from a social media company in relation to his online activity.

A warrant was conducted at Hatton’s home in Crewe where a number electronic devices were seized and sent for analysis.

During examination of the devices officers recovered over 12,000 indecent images of children, more than 750 indecent videos and 1,050 prohibited images.

Following the discovery, Hatton was rearrested in June 2022. During questioning he denied all knowledge of who the children in the images were. He was subsequently released on conditional bail.

Thanks to the help of the Cheshire Police Victim Identification Officer, detectives were able to identify two of the four victims in the case – both of whom were teenage boys in America.

The victims confirmed that they had been in contact with Hatton for several years and that he had enticed them into engaging in online sexual activity.

One of the victims was 12 when the offences began. He told officers that he had been groomed by Hatton throughout his childhood, stating that he had been coerced into sexually abusing a two-year-old family member on camera.

As a result of his admissions, the teenager has since been convicted of rape and sexual assault in America and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Hatton was subsequently charged in connection with the offences and later pleaded guilty to all of the charges.

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A physiotherapist who carried out a sex attack on an elderly client at his clinic has been jailed. Richard Hughes, 54, assaulted his pensioner patient three times as she lay face down on a treatment table in Willaston.

Chester Crown Court the victim - who had made an appointment for help with her back problems - got up from the table and challenged Hughes before fleeing the scene. She then called 999 and reported Hughes to police.

Officers attended the clinic later that day last year and arrested Hughes on suspicion of sexual assault. Now the defendant, of Crewe Road, Willaston, has been jailed for 12 months. He had already pleased guilty to three charges of sexual assault.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Rob Bushell, of Crewe CID, said: “The victim was seeking treatment for her back problems and put her trust in Hughes to help but instead, she was subject to a terrifying ordeal.

“Hughes held no regard for how his actions would impact the victim and took advantage of her while she was in a vulnerable position, all for his own perverse sexual gratification.

“I hope that the sentence handed to Hughes provides some closure to the victim, who has shown an incredible amount of bravery throughout this investigation. I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage anyone who may have also been a victim of sexual assault to please get in touch.

“We continue to do all we can to tackle any incident of violence against women and take all reports of such crimes extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”

In addition to his 12-month prison sentence, Hughes was also handed a lifetime restraining order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years.

Description

A “dangerous” man who subjected a woman to a degrading and humiliating sexual assault has been jailed for 15 years.

Leon Walmsley carried out the attack within just a few months of his release from prison in August 2022, with a judge telling the 25-year-old he was “disturbed” by the escalation in his offending.

His victim suffered multiple bruises to her head and body, as well as severe psychological harm, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Walmsley, of Hertford Place, Ramsgate, admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm but denied assault by penetration, only to be convicted by a jury.

The court heard that having struck his victim repeatedly with an item, causing it to break, he then used it to sexually assault her.

At his sentencing hearing on April 5, a victim impact statement described how the woman had been left "terrified and paranoid" by her ordeal.

Jailing Walmsley, Recorder David Elvin KC told him he was considered a "dangerous" offender in law and would have to serve at least two-thirds of his prison term before being considered for release.

Once freed, he will then have a further three years added to any licence period.

Recorder Elvin said Walmsley, who had been offending since he was 18 and twice recalled to prison while on licence for a previous conviction, had not only shown an "inability and unwillingness to learn from his past" but also demonstrated "a failure to realise he has serious issues".

Recorder Elvin's observations of how Walmsley had presented himself at trial and to the author of his pre-sentence report were just as scathing.

Describing him as "deceitful" and a significant risk to the public, he said: "At the end of the interview you asked the author whether you had 'said the right things', suggesting your account may not have reflected your true feelings but what you believed would create a good impression.

"You gave evidence in a very calm, very controlled and very polite manner, seeking to gain favour with the jury."

On his release from prison, Walmsley will be subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements.

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A lone pervert who attempted to make a “porn movie” using a neighbour’s Ring doorbell camera has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Depraved Neil Beattie was spotted with his trousers round this ankles, performing a solo sex act while staring directly at the woman’s front door.

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The detective who led a harrowing rape investigation in Whitby has praised a teenage girl whose courage ensured her attacker has been jailed for 12 years.

Dwayne Anthony Rhoden (pictured below), 34, from Union Street, Middlesbrough, was sentenced at York Crown Court today (Wednesday 17 April 2024).

Following a trial in January, Rhoden was found guilty of nine offences including:

• Five counts of rape
• Two counts of sexual assault by penetration
• Sexual assault
• False imprisonment

He pleaded guilty to a 10th offence of failing to comply with change of address notifications as a Registered Sex Offender.

As well as the prison sentence which includes an extended three years on licence, Rhoden was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Background to the investigation

The incident happened at an address in Whitby from around 11pm on Sunday 13 August 2023 to just after midnight on Monday 14 August 2023.

At 12.53am, a 999 call was made to North Yorkshire Police by a friend of the victim.

The girl was then put on the phone and she gave the first account of her terrifying ordeal to the Force Control Room.

An investigation was launched led by Detective Constable Matthew Edwards from the Scarborough and Ryedale Safeguarding Investigation Team.

He was able to establish that Rhoden had lured the teenager to a bedsit he was staying in after meeting her in town around 30 minutes before.

The teenager was eventually able to leave the address after about an hour. She contacted friends who helped her to alert the police.

Rhoden was arrested at the bedsit at 2.42am and was taken into custody for questioning.

He was subsequently charged with the 10 offences.

Description

A MAN who raped and sexually abused three young girls was yesterday jailed for 15 years.

Mark Patrick Henderson, 49, gave the girls alcohol and used an element of coercion while carrying out the offences.

But Durham Crown Court heard that after the allegations came to light, in December 2009, Henderson continually refused to accept his guilt and only began to make admissions on the day of his scheduled trial, last month.

Julie Clemitson, prosecuting, said each of his victims had to brace themselves to come to court to give evidence, while one witness was even flown from the US for the trial.

But over the course of two days, Henderson finally came clean and admitted a total of 11 charges, including three of rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault.

He was remanded in custody pending preparation of reports by the Probation Service.

Henderson, of Bishopton Lane, Stockton, who was previously from north-west Durham, was brought back to court for sentence, yesterday.

Aspects of the victim impact statements were outlined to the hearing, reflecting the long-lasting effect his abuse has had on his victims.

Robert Mochrie, for Henderson, who is of previous good character, told the court: “He’s a man of few words and often struggles to get his message across.

“There’s very little a person in his position can do to say how sorry they are. Perhaps the most they can do is to admit the offences and he did that, albeit at the foot of the door.

“He made blanket denials to police in interview and he’s been at pains to find courage to admit to his wife what he did.

“As long as he could, perhaps rather foolishly, he deluded his partner into what he maintained was the truth.”

Imposing the sentence, Judge Christopher Prince said it would have been 17 years if Henderson had not made his eventual admissions.

Henderson will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.