Latest Offenders

Description

A "sadistic" paedophile forced children to perform degrading sexual acts on camera and threatened to distribute the images if they did not send more. One of his victims was left crying in pain while begging the pervert to stop.

Alexander Tindal, 31, of Bridgend, sexually abused more than 30 children online over a period of two-and-a-half years, and continued to exploit girls after he was first arrested. The "isolated" defendant pretended to be a teenage boy and approached his victims on Snapchat before asking them for intimate photos of themselves.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard Tindal forced one girl to send a photo of her little sister's genitalia to him, after threatening to disclose sexual images of her to friends, family and her school. When he was arrested by police, he was found with more than 23,000 indecent images of children, aged between 10 and 15-years-old.

Having been detained by police at his home in 2022, three devices were seized from the defendant as well as a mobile, a hard drive, and a desktop computer. During the examination of the devices, a thousands of indecent images were discovered and Tindal was found to have communicated with children and coerced them into performing sexual acts.

He was further arrested in September 2022, having been found to breach his bail conditions, after setting up further Snapchat accounts which he used to speak to child victims. After victims had been identified, they were visited by police and asked to provide a statement about their interactions with Tindal, who was found to have access to 19 Snapchat accounts under various names.

The first victim was 14-years-old when she was forced to perform sex acts.. She had sent the defendant close to 400 images, 45 of which were category A. The victim was first contacted by Tindal who claimed he was a 17-year-old boy, and encouraged her to send sexual images of herself. He became increasingly aggressive and threatened to distribute a video of a girl who looked like her to her, and would tell people it was her. When asked by the victim why he was doing this, he told her it was to "teach her a lesson".

In one message, she could be seen naked and crying in pain. She messaged Tindal saying "You're making me feel sick to my stomach. I so want to stop this, please I can't do this anymore". The defendant told her to carry on and she responded: "It hurts so f****** bad, I can't do this, please stop, I am f****** begging you." The abuse only came to a stop after the defendant was arrested.

The second victim was 13-years-old at the time of the abuse. Tindal was found with 100 category A images of the victim. When he became aware the victim had a six-year-old sister, he demanded pictures of her genitalia and threatened to "ruin her" if she did not. She subsequently sent the images.

In messages sent by Tindal to the victim, he said: "I am going to add your mother's number, I swear to f****** God, last chance you piece of s**, lie back and f*** yourself properly."

A further 19 victims were identified, with more who were unable to be identified. He used the images he had obtained to demand more extreme ones, or he would distribute the pictures, in some cases sending them to friends of victims.

A mother of one of the victims described her daughter as becoming "aggressive and angry". Another mother walked in on her daughter while she was performing a sexual act, and confronted Tindal but he taunted her and said the police would be unable to catch him.

The youngest victim was just 10-year-old. Another victim lived in Germany and explained to Tindal she had health issues, but he did not relent.

Tindal, of Hazel Tree Way, Brackla, later pleaded guilty to 24 counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, nine counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, 10 counts of threatening to disclose a private sexual photograph of film with intent to cause distress, six counts of possessing indecent images, two counts of possessing prohibited image, and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images. The court heard he was of previous good character.

Defence barrister Adam Sharp said his client's best mitigation was his guilty plea, and was realistic the defendant would be receiving a "significant" term of imprisonment. He described Tindal as "socially isolated" and had been diagnosed with depression, and was previously hospitalised with a collapsed lung, which caused chest pain and shortness of breath. In 2021, he was hospitalised after taking an overdose of painkillers.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams described the nature and scale of the defendant's offending as "truly horrifying", and his treatment of his victims as "pitiless". He added: "The control you extorted over the girls thrilled you as much as the sexual gratification you obtained."

A probation report deemed Tindal to be a "very high" risk of harm to children. Judge Williams added: "You sadistically committed time to degrade so many girls and continued that abuse while on bail, unperturbed by your arrest , is the clearest demonstration of the risk you pose.

Tindal was sentenced to a total of 11 years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of four years. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he can be considered for parole. The defendant was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Following the hearing, detective constable Martin Charles of South Wales Police said: “This is one of the largest cases our team has worked on, and the strength of evidence gathered gave Tindal no other option but to plead guilty.

"I am thankful for the other police forces across the UK and abroad who supported the investigation as well as our Digital Forensic Unit in identifying victims ensuring we can safeguard them from further harm. Most of all, I am grateful for the bravery shown by Tindal’s victims across the UK for talking to the Police and helping to put him where he belongs beyond harm’s way.

“Alex Tindal’s crimes are of the most sinister and predatory offences seen as most of the victims’ families were completely unaware of the abuse being perpetrated. The online world is an integral part of a child’s life but is often hidden from close family and those who would intervene to help a child if they fell victim to this particular type of crime."

Description

A "dangerous predator" has been jailed for eight years for historic sexual assaults on two girls

Kevin Gleeson from Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, was convicted after the victims told police about abuse that happened two decades ago.

Gleeson, 67, denied all twelve charges but was found guilty after a trial at Northampton Crown Court.

Northamptonshire Police has praised the "courage" of the women who came forward

The court heard how the victims told the police in August 2020 that Gleeson had abused them when they were children.

The force's Protecting Vulnerable People department began an investigation which found Gleeson had assaulted one of the children several times and then attacked the other during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Gleeson, from Straws Close in Irthlingborough, was charged with 11 counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, and one count of gross indecency with a girl under 14.

He was found guilty on all charges last November and remanded in custody.

On 29 February 2024, he appeared before the same court and was told he would serve a total of eight years in prison.

'Abhorrent' abuse

Det Con Abigail Kennedy, who led the investigation, said: "Kevin Gleeson's repeated abuse of two young children was abhorrent, and I am very glad that he has received a significant prison sentence which reflects the severity of his offending.

"The passage of time may have left Gleeson feeling he had got away with what he did, but thanks to the courage of the two survivors who came forward to report him he has now been proven in court to be both a dangerous sexual predator and a liar."
Gleeson will also appear on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Description

A "cold and calculated" sex offender who pretended to be a teenage boy on social media to groom and abuse an 11-year-old girl has been jailed for more than a decade.

Abdullah Khalid Mhana, 26, lied about his age on the apps and encouraged youngsters to engage in sexual activity with him.

Mhana, of Hirst Lodge Court, Bradford, admitted 17 offences including rape, sexual assault and making indecent images of a child.

At Bradford Crown Court on Monday, he was jailed for 10-and-a-half years.

Mhana began grooming the 11 year old in 2020 and met up a year later at a Bradford park where he persuaded her to perform a sex act.

He recorded some of the acts on his mobile phone, the court heard.

That device was subsequently seized and examined by police in 2022 when they were investigating his involvement with another underage girl.

Despite being given a formal warning to stay away from the second child, Mhana continued to have sex with the first complainant after she turned 13.

'Deliberately sought out'

That device was subsequently seized and examined by police in 2022 when they were investigating his involvement with another underage girl.

Despite being given a formal warning to stay away from the second child, Mhana continued to have sex with the first complainant after she turned 13.

Jailing him, Recorder Andrew Dallas said Mhana had committed offences of great gravity.

This was in my judgement cold, calculating behaviour in which you deliberately sought out the sexual favours of someone who you knew to be 11 years of age."

He said when the girl tried to break off contact with the defendant he had wormed his way back into her affections.

The court heard that Mhana later persuaded the girl to go just for a drive in his car, but he then had sex with her in the vehicle.

The judge highlighted the fact that the formal warning Mhana received from the police in the summer of 2022 should have been a wake-up call for him, but he had been undeterred and continued his abuse of the child.

Recorder Dallas said he was not satisfied that Mhana had expressed genuine remorse for his offending or that he had proper empathy for the victims.

Mhana will now have to serve at least two-thirds of his prison sentence and he will then be subject to an extended licence period of two-and-a-half years.

He will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

Description

A paedophile has been jailed after raping a girl in her own bed. Garry Gibbons, 36, of Mile End, East London, was sentenced to six years and four months imprisonment for the rape of a girl aged under 18 at Snaresbroke Crown Court on Wednesday, March 13.

Gibbons had been sleeping in the living room of a home where his young victim was sleeping in a bedroom on 18 April 2023. He got up in the early hours of the morning, entered the room where she was sleeping and then got into the bed and raped her "despite her protests," police said.

His victim then fled the property to a friend's house where the police were called. Forensic samples were taken from the victims clothing that were later identified as being a match for Garry Gibbons.

Gibbons was arrested on August 31, 2023, on suspicion of rape which he denied, despite having left DNA on the victim. He was convicted on March 6, 2024.

Detective Inspector Chris Heathcote of the Mets Public Protection Unit in Tower Hamlets said: "Gibbons is a predatory offender who targeted a young girl, while she slept and despite her protests, raped her.

"He strongly denied the allegation, claiming that he hadnt gone into the room and that he had slept through the night. However, DNA testing of samples taken from the victims clothing proved otherwise."

He added: I am pleased that Garry Gibbons has been removed from the community to a place where he no longer poses a threat to women and girls.

"We understand the anxiety of reporting rape, particularly when the attacker is someone that you know. I urge anyone in that situation to get in touch, at the very least so that we can check you are okay. My thoughts are with the survivor/victim in this case. I hope she may now find a measure of closure.

Description

A convicted paedophile sexually assaulted a young boy despite being barred from having contact with children. Following his arrest, he told his supervising officer "Sorry, this is the only one".

Robert Evans, 58, of Cardiff, carried out horrendous sexual acts against his victim, which started when he was just eight years old. The victim described his memories of the abuse being "burned onto his mind".

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Evans was subject to a lifelong sex offender notification requirements, after he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in 1998. He was convicted of buggery of a boy under 16, gross indecency, rape of a boy under 16, and indecent assault of a boy under 16. These offences were carried out against six victims.

Despite being barred from having contact with children under 18 years old, Evans came into contact with his victim and sexually abused him on a number of occasions. The abuse came to light after the victim told his mother, and was interviewed by police.

The victim told police Evans had asked him to perform a sex act on him. He said he was scared and did as the defendant instructed. He said Evans touched him and tried to rape him. He also described being orally raped by the defendant. A few weeks after that, Evans showed the victim pornography and again sexually assaulted him.

At the time of the offences, the victim said he had not received sex education, and it was only later he realised what Evans did to him was wrong. Describing the impact the abuse had on him, the victim described it as being "burned on his mind". He added: "I do not like being touched and became violent when being touched by partners growing up. It has deprived me of getting to know people or have relationships. It has created a barrier, has ruined friendships and relationships. I want to put it to the back of my mind and bury it."

Evans was arrested and upon being taken to custody, he saw his sex offender supervising officer. He said to the officer: "Sorry, this is the only one." The defendant told the officer he thought he could "trust himself" and would "go guilty". He added: "I knew this was coming, I have been waiting for this day for a long time now."

The defendant went on to make further admissions in his police interview, and spoke about incidents which the victim had not previously mentioned but denied being a "violent person". He admitted performing oral sex upon the victim and "simulated sex" with him, but denied other offences. Evans admitted masturbating when he showed pornography to the victim and said there were also a number of incidents when he sexually assaulted the victim by touching. The defendant said: "I can't give you an exact figure, I can't remember."

Evans, of Mill Road, Ely, later pleaded guilty to rape of a child, three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, engaging in sexual activity in front of a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and breach of sex offenders' notification requirements.

In mitigation, Dan Jones said his client had not sought to minimise his offences, and has expressed cooperation to work with the probation service. He said the defendant had expressed remorse and apologised. Evans has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and high blood pressure, and Mr Jones argued the defendant could be dealt with by a determinate prison sentence, rather than an extended sentence on account of dangerousness.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson said: "You groomed this young boy. You were to admit you were coaxing (the victim) but that is the wrong word. What you were doing in fact was sexually abusing him and exploiting him. You were the adult and all he did or was prepared to do was due to your malign influence on him... Your sexual interest in male children is a long term interest and has continued well into your middle age. Although you admitted your (previous) offending, that did not stop you from returning to abusing a young child."

Evans was sentenced to 12 years and eight months imprisonment, with an extended licence period of eight years. He will serve two thirds of the sentence before he will be eligible for parole. The defendant was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Description

A man has been sent to prison for five and a half years after subjecting a girl to sexual abuse almost a decade ago in Filey.

Daniel Christopher Broadmore (pictured below), 36, of Somerdale Walk, Bramley, Leeds, was sentenced at York Crown Court today (Friday 5 April 2024).

He was found guilty of all four charges relating to the girl, who was aged under 13 years, after he stood trial in January this year.

These included inciting sexual activity; indecent exposure, sexual assault and engage in a sexual act in the presence of a child.

The victim reported the matter to North Yorkshire Police in April 2021 when she was aged in her late teens.

Description

A rapist pretended to help a woman home before pocketing her keys and returning the same night to attack her. The victim was in no condition to consent.

Gareth Druce, 33, of Blaenau Ffestiniog, observed and followed the victim, who had become ill after drinking. Another man was helping her to walk home, but was struggling to keep her on her feet.

A sentencing hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court on Monday heard the defendant offered to help but upon entering the victim's home, he took her keys. After initially leaving with the other man, he returned later that night and raped the victim in her home.

CCTV footage showed Druce returning to the victim's home alone, a key piece of evidence which led to his conviction. Footage also showed the defendant's behaviour in the hours leading up to the incident, when he had been observing and following lone women.

It was also discovered he had carried out a sexual assault on another woman two months before the rape. Druce, of Church Street, was found guilty of rape following a seven-day trial. He also pleaded guilty to the sexual assault charge.

Recorder I Jones sentenced the defendant to 12 years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of four years, after being found to be a dangerous offender. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and two restraining orders.

Following the hearing, Ceri Ellis-Jones of the CPS said: There could be no suggestion that the victim would have been in any position to give her consent to sexual activity. The defendant deliberately targeted the victim who was vulnerable and, under the pretence of helping her, was able to enter her property.

The police built a strong case against the defendant utilising the CCTV and digital enquiries. By working together, we were able to secure a conviction for the victim."

Description

Roger Timothy John Steele, 49, of Washington Street, Kidderminster, was jailed for eight years for assaulting a teenaged girl aged 14 or 15.

A man who lured a teenage girl into his car before sexually assaulting her has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Roger Steele, 49, came across the young woman while she was shopping in Rhyl.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Steele had offered the girl a lift and he forced himself on her until she kicked him and ran away.

Steele, who now lives on Washington Street, Kidderminster, denied assault by penetration of a female aged 13 or over between 2007 and 2008, but was found guilty by a jury last week. Prosecutor Paulinus Barnes said Steele carried out the assault at his house.

As Steele attempted to assault her, she kicked him but he told her that no-one would believe her and threatened to hurt her or her family if anyone else found out, reports North Wales Live.

The victim finally revealed what had happened after learning several years later in 2021 that Steele had been convicted of another offence. Her statement revealed that although not entirely due to this particular incident, she continues to be tortured by night terrors.

She now feels a sense of relief following Steele's prosecution, and no longer fears for her or her family's safety but is still uncomfortable and anxious around men.

Steele's defence counsel, Edmund Potts, said Steele could still be rehabilitated, noting his recent employment progression in the construction industry from ground worker to supervisor.

In sentencing Steele, Judge Nicola Saffman highlighted the premeditated nature of his actions in luring the girl to his home and using physical force and threats against her family. She issued an indefinite restraining order preventing Steele from contacting his victim and noted that he is also subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Description

55-year-old Marcelino Goncalves, from Acton, was arrested and convicted after being highlighted as a high-harm offender and prolific abuser. 

He was convicted on Friday 22 March for rape, assault by beating, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking and controlling coercive behaviour.

Goncalves came to police attention when a member of public saw him assault a woman known to him. The victim then disclosed her long history of abuse she faced – threatening her at her home, burning her with a cigarette because she did not want to have sex with him and punching her in the face.

Goncalves even continued to target her while on remand, making 15 calls from prison, but with enhanced management within the prison system, they were able to put a stop to the harassment when it was reported.

He will be sentenced on Friday 7 June.

Description

A Rugby man has been jailed for one year after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Marcus Hicks, 23, of Balcombe Road, Rugby was sentenced last week at Warwick Crown Court.

Hicks became a registered sex offender after being convicted of making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images involving animals. He was also made subject to a SHPO.

Hicks was found to have breached these conditions by:

• Having communication with someone online to obtain indecent photographs of children.
• Failing to notify the police about a bank card he possessed.

When officers from the Warwickshire Police Offender Management Unit paid an unannounced visit to Hicks in February 2023, they found bank cards he had not declared to police.

Description

A 34-year-old man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young woman on a train between Birmingham and Manchester

Kristaps Berzins, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to sexual assault at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court

The court heard that despite  the woman wearing headphones, he attempted to engage her in conversation making personal and inappropriate comments.

Berzins remarks became increasingly aggressive eventually escalating to him sexually assaulting the woman.

When Berzins went to the toilet the woman quickly moved to another seat and reported what had happened to a member of train staff who alerted British Transport Police.

He was jailed for seven months and issued with a five year Sexual Harm Prevention order which forbids him from sitting next to or across from, approaching, touching or communicating with any lone female on public transport.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for seven years and pay compensation of £300.

Description

A former successful businessman and charity worker has been jailed after he groomed and groped a teenager.

Grant Findley told the schoolgirl he could be her "sugar daddy" when she turned 16 and told her she wouldn't be allowed a boyfriend.

Findley, 42, of Stream Valley Farm, Burnhope, Durham, denied ten counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

However, he was found guilty by a jury and at Durham Crown Court today (Tuesday, April 9) Judge Jo Kidd sentenced him to three years in prison.

The judge told him: "You conducted yourself previously with great hard work, perseverance, and intelligence.

"You were on the face of it a generous and kind man.

"That reputation and that behaviour masked your pursuit of a child in order to satisfy your sexual interest in children.

"Your perception of women was clearly in my view warped and misogynistic."

The victim bravely read an impact statement in court and said: "Because of Grant did to me I now really struggle to trust people especially men.

"I now struggle to sleep, suffering repeated nightmares where I relive what Grant did and said to me.

"I have found the last few years incredibly draining. When Grant was doing it to me it made me feel dirty.

"My anxiety has got so bad I can't face answering the door.”

Findley must also sign the sex offender's register and be subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Description

A paedophile who groomed a teenage boy to take part in sexual acts with his own brother has been jailed.

Leon Richardson, of Mill Road, Cambridge, began speaking to the schoolboy through social media on 10 October.

The teenager replied to Richardson and the messages started off innocent, but after a few days became sexual.

Richardson, 22, sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself to the boy and asked him to do the same, to which the boy obliged.

He also persuaded the boy to take part in sexual acts with his own brother, who was younger than him. These acts were recorded and sent to Richardson.

Richardson went on to request to meet the teenager under the guise of teaching him to play the guitar.

The sexual messages continued for a few months, until 29 December, but were found after the boy’s parents checked his phone after he had become withdrawn and secretive with the device.

After realising the conversations had been discovered Richardson visited Parkside Police Station, in Cambridge, and admitted the offences.

In police interview Richardson again admitted the crimes and said he wanted help.

At Cambridge Crown Court on 29 January, Richardson admitted charges including:

• Engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity
• Causing or inciting a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Causing a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity 

He was sentenced at the same court today (4 April) where he was handed five years and four months in prison, with an extra three years on licence

Richardson was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), to monitor future offending, which was ordered to run indefinitely. He must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

Police have snared a rapist - after the sex beast confessed his crimes to a priest. Rapist Peter Rogerson wrote a partial confession in a note handed to Father Michael White at Sacred Heart Church, in Tamworth, and Staffordshire Police were called in.

A jury last year convicted the 58-year-old of 24 serious sexual offences involving three victims - including 10 rapes.

Now Rogerson has been handed a 34-year extended jail sentence - including at least 18 years in custody before he can be considered for parole. He refused to appear at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court for his sentencing hearing.

Prosecutor Ben Douglas-Jones KC said: "This was a truly sickening campaign of rapes and other very serious sexual offences."

The court heard moving statements read by the victims who spoke of the devastating impact the abuse has had on them.

One said: "I will never forget how much damage he caused." A second said she feels 'such a failure'.

Carl Templar-Vasey, mitigating, said Rogerson, of Halford Crescent Tamworth, has since admitted five of the offences.

Judge Sally Hancox has handed Rogerson an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and put him on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. He must serve two-thirds of his 28-year custodial sentence before he can even be considered for parole.

Judge Hancox said: "Your offending can only be described as dreadful. I find you do fulfil the criteria and are a dangerous offender."

The judge commended the officer in charge of the case - Detective Constable Alex Goldman - for her hard work and high level of diligence and said she will be put forward for a High Sheriff's Award.

Description

A warehouse worker has been jailed after being found guilty of rape.

Russell Beatty, 28, appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced following a trial by jury. The court heard the Middlesbrough man subjected the woman to "domination and violence" and left her feeling frightened to leave her home.

In a victim impact statement, the woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said the stress of the investigation has impacted her health. She said: "I feel nervous all the time. I feel trapped due to what he's put me through. The incident has had a dramatic impact on my life - I feel frightened and scared to leave my address.

"I have been suffering medical problems in relation to my heart and chest pains. I have been told that the issue I have had is due to stress and anxiety."

The court heard the defendant, who still denies the offences, is previously of good character and Beatty's barrister asked Judge Howard Crowson to take into account the defendant's youth. It was also claimed the defendant has not had any difficulties with his fellow inmates, has a mortgage and works in a warehouse.

Sentencing, Judge Howard Crowson said: "There was an act of sexual intercourse which you forced upon her. It was a selfish act committed for your pleasure alone."

Judge Crowson jailed the defendant, of Hills View Road, Eston, for eight years. He was also banned from contacting the victim.