Latest Offenders

Description

A sadistic thug viciously raped one woman in a horrific attack and tied up another woman with tape before threatening to kill her. He left one of his victims unconscious after he stamped on her head and neck.

John Harding, 30, of Newport, committed brutal attacks upon his two victims which left them fearing for their lives. The defendant has a long history of violence committed against women.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the first victim was attacked by Harding who threw her to the ground and stood on her head, which caused her to scream in pain. He then dragged her along the floor and kicked and punched her to the side of her head. The defendant then grabbed her throat and put his fist to her head.

Recounting the facts of the assault Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "In an act bordering on sadistic you bent down close to her face and told her she was not scared enough. She must have been scared out of her wits."

Harding later twice raped the victim and ignored the victim's shouts for him to stop. He also used his fingers to penetrate her, which caused her "extreme pain". He then performed a sex act in a "final act of degradation", the court heard.

The second victim was just a teenager when she was assaulted by Harding who was said to have treated her with "disdain and cruelty". During the first attack he threw her to the ground, kicked and stood on her head, and strangled her until she lost consciousness.

When she came round she saw the defendant on top of her and he was hitting her chest to get her to breathe again. He then threw her to the floor a second time and kicked her. Over the next few days the victim suffered increasing swelling and bruising to her head and discovered she had broken ribs.

During the second attack upon the victim Harding took tape from a rucksack and used it to tie her up. The more she struggled the tighter the tape became. Two men passed nearby and the defendant threatened to kill the victim and the men if she screamed out. He then produced a pair of scissors and held the blade to her throat in what was described by Judge Jenkins as a "terrifying incident".

Following his arrests Harding, of Corporation Road, denied the offences but was found guilty of two counts of rape, assault by penetration, two counts of intentional strangulation, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of false imprisonment, and making threats to kill. After the trial the defendant wrote a letter to the first victim from prison, which caused her great distress.

The court heard he has seven previous convictions including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, battery, and witness intimidation committed against women. One of these occasions he put his foot on the victim's neck and threatened to "smash her head in" with a weight.

Reading out her victim personal statement via videolink the first victim said: "Every day I have to battle demons in my head which tell me to stay in bed. I have to go back to PTSD attacks. I not only see events, I feel the same emotions of being in fear for my life and feeling completely helpless."

The victim said she was suffering from flashbacks and when she leaves the house she feels overwhelmed by anxiety. She added: "I feel as though I have the word 'victim' written on my face and when I leave the house or when someone looks at me I feel they know what has happened to me. It's dehumanising....

"If you could imagine going through the worst moment of your life and having no input in how it's dealt with. That's what I go through every day... I can't put into words how this has made me feel, I don't know myself. [It has] torn scars in my soul that will last forever and even God can't heal. I have to be the final girl. If me doing this can save someone's life I'll do it 10 times over."

In mitigation Kevin Seal said his client "needs help" in custody in order to change his attitude towards women and the way he manages his problems and his life in general. He said the defendant will "need to become a completely different person" if he wished to have contact with his child.

Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "These two brave young complainants have given evidence of a most frightening experience in which each suffered at your hands with a degree of violent and sexual degradation. This is deeply concerning the more so when one considers your antecedent history...

"This simply cannot be ignored. You are a danger to young women. I will go further and say with confidence that in your company no young lady is truly safe. You pose a significant risk of harm to members of the public."

Harding was sentenced to a total of 15 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years. He will serve at least two-thirds of the custodial sentence before he will be considered for parole. The defendant was also made subject to two restraining orders and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has been jailed for multiple sex offences against a child in Reading.

Vlazimr Rybak, aged 63, of Oxford Road, Reading, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of two counts of sexual assault by touch a child and a count each of sexual assault by penetration on a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity following a four-day trial at Reading Crown Court, which concluded on 18 January.

Returning to the same court for sentencing today (18/3), Rybak was jailed for 16 years with an additional year on licence.

The offending happened in the last ten years, the victim was sexually abuse by Rybak on numerous occasions.

The offences were reported to Thames Valley Police in November 2020 and following an investigation, Rybak was arrested on 29 May 2021.

He was charged with the offences on 28 July 2022.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Sophie Measham, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that Rybak was convicted by a unanimous jury of these offences.

“The victim in this case was a very young child and Rybak betrayed trust to commit these horrendous crimes.

“Today he has been sentenced to a significant prison sentence as a result of his offending, and I hope that this offers some closure for the victim.

“I commend the bravery and courage of such a young person to come forward and trust in the police and criminal justice system to bring Rybak to account for his crimes.

“I would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for working with us to secure this conviction.”

Description

A convicted sex offender who was banned from contacting any girl who was under the age of 16 brazenly ignored the court order by repeatedly trying to have sexualised chats with girls on Snapchat.

Nathan Mulvana told one 15-year-old girl that she had an "amazing figure" and asked another girl of the same age if she had ever sent nude photos online. But he was now in a "last chance saloon" and faced being jailed if he committed any more sexual offences, Hull Crown Court heard.

Mulvana, 23, of the Inglemire Lane area of Hull, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order on August 9, 2022.

Jazmine Lee, prosecuting, said that the original sexual harm prevention order was made at Beverley Magistrates' Court on December 6, 2018. It was designed to ban him from contacting any girl under the age of 16 but, through his actions, he was in breach of the order.

Mulvana was arrested and interviewed for separate, but similar, offences on September 7, 2022 and, as a result of that investigation, his phone was seized and examined. A Snapchat account was seen and, as part of his conversations on the social media network, it was discovered that some of the accounts that police identified involved children aged under 16.

The chats seemed to be short, but Mulvana tried to engage in sexual conversations with the girls. They did not, however, appear to have engaged with him for long. He asked one of the girls if she had been sexually active but he did not receive a response.

"He also stated that she had an amazing figure," said Miss Lee. "The account clearly stated in that conversation that she was 15 years old and he claims to be 16.

"Further, he asked another account if she had ever sent nudes and she replies that she has not. The conversation ends. She, too, clearly states in that conversation that she is 15."

There was another conversation with a girl said to be aged 14, but it ended before the chat turned sexual. During police interview, Mulvana claimed that he logged out of his Snapchat account in the May of 2022, so the conversations could not have been him.

He confirmed, however, that all the Snapchat accounts investigated by police belonged to him. He claimed that he did not recall the conversations.

Mulvana had convictions for four previous offences. They included sexual assault of a child and exposure. He had been sent to a young offenders' institution for two years and four months and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

He also had convictions for harassment and failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender. He was in breach of a one-year community order imposed for those offences.

Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said that Mulvana pleaded guilty and made admissions. He realised that he had issues that needed to be tackled with the help of the probation service. He was still young and needed to mature.

Mulvana was given a six-month suspended prison sentence, 30 days' rehabilitation and a 33-day sex offenders' treatment programme. He was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Bryan Cox KC said that Mulvana would be given help to try to steer him away from further sexual offences. "If you do commit any further sexual offences, there is a very high likelihood that you will be going to prison," said Recorder Cox. "This is a last chance saloon for you."

Description

A rapist who sent a text message to his victim after the crime to say he was sorry has been jailed for ten years.

Jordan Doughty, 33, texted, sorry about that mate, shortly after raping the woman at his then home in Woolpack Lane, Whittlesey, during the early hours of 26 January, 2020.

Doughty had taken the victim there after they left a bar in Peterborough at about 1.30am.

Shortly after arriving, the victim fell asleep on a sofa, but awoke to find Doughty lying next to her, forcefully groping her.

She immediately pushed his hand away and told him to stop, however, Doughty ignored her and continued to sexually assault her.

The victim, who was frozen with fear, was then raped by Doughty and when the ordeal stopped, he got off from the sofa and said, come on, sort yourself out.

The distraught victim collected her belongings and ran to her car, which had been parked nearby.

While sat inside, she called a friend to say what had happened, but as she was so upset, she couldnt talk for long.

The victim drove home and at about 5am, she received the apology text from Doughty.

She contacted a friend who immediately came to her aid and the police were called.

The victim told officers it was not the first time Doughty had raped her, with another offence three years previous. Officers arrested him at his home a few hours later.

Following a trial last year, Doughty, of Farm Road, Boston, was found guilty of two counts of rape and assault by penetration.

On Thursday (21 March), at Cambridge Crown Court, Doughty was sentenced to ten years in prison.

Description

A sexual predator has been convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two males and a female under the age of 18 more than 20 years ago. He was brought to justice after one of his victims reported the abuse to police in 2019.

John Webb, 70, was arrested at his home in Neath after an investigation was launched by the force. A further two victims were also identified and provided statements. All three victims were under the age of 18 at the time of the abuse, which took place in Cardiff in the 1990s.

The defendant faced trial at Cardiff Crown Court last year and was convicted of 21 charges including three counts of rape, five indecent assaults, and seven counts of indecent assault on a male. He was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment, at the same court, on March 8.

Following the hearing, detective constable Jenna Hargraves, of South Wales Police, said: "Webb’s actions have taken a massive emotional toll on all three victims. For one of them, their life headed towards criminality because they struggled to cope with what had happened. Another victim described Webb as a violent man. But thanks to their bravery and a thorough investigation, he has been brought to justice.

"South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual violence extremely seriously and it is never too late to report a crime. Help and support is available for all victims of sexual violence, and we would encourage any victims; no matter how long ago the offence happened, to please come forward. If anyone has any more information about this or similar matters, and they have not yet spoken to police, please come forward."

Description

An "abusive and possessive" sexual predator is a "significant danger" to women everywhere, a court ruled.

Martin Marko, 35, subjected the terrified woman to three hours of horrific abuse after imprisoning her in his Seaforth Road flat in the early hours of August 15 last year. He threatened to kill her, forced her to strip, sexually assaulted her, brandished a kitchen knife in her face and beat her with a shoe. He also choked her, punched her, and threw a bowl full of urine at her.

The prolonged attack was caught on CCTV, in which the woman could be seen cowering and falling to her knees with her hands in a praying position. On two occasions she attempted to escape by climbing out of the first-storey window before returning to the locked flat, where Marko continued to abuse her.

Afterwards, he sent a slew of texts to the woman both apologising and threatening her as he tried to convince her to take back her report. He urged police officers to check the CCTV footage - in which his horrific crimes could clearly be seen.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, March 18, where he pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault causing actual bodily harm, and making threats to kill.

Judge David Aubrey said: "Your victim was petrified and in fear to the extent she even contemplated escaping from your violence, from your threats, through a window of the flat, which I'm told was a first floor flat.

"In my judgement, you are an abusive and possessive person. You are demanding. You were treating your victim as a chattel, as an object. You were abusive to her. You degraded her.

"This case has been fully opened and if this sentence were ever to be reviewed elsewhere, then in my judgement it's absolutely essential that the footage is examined.

"You have a number of issues, but important in respect of these issues is how you treat women, and how you treated this particular victim. On this particular evening, over a protracted period of time, you were demeaning her, you were controlling her, you used violence. You had a knife in your hand on a number of occasions. You were brandishing that knife towards her face. You were threatening her with it. You were being abusive. You were gesturing towards her in a stabbing motion. On one occasion, you threatened to kill her.

"There she was in fear of you over a considerable period of time. She backed away. She was seen cowering in a corner. You threw a potty of urine over her. You hit her. You slapped her with a shoe. I have also had the opportunity of examining the injuries she received. And there came occasions when I have no doubt you were instructing her either to remove her top or her lower garments.

"In the aftermath you sent to her numerous texts, no less than 43, some of which were of a menacing nature, some of which may have been conciliatory. But your intention was to ensure that she didn't speak to the police. Fortunately, while you may be a coward, your victim is a courageous woman. She did make a statement to police. She didn't retract that statement, notwithstanding the pressure she was under from you.

"And then there was much victim blaming and much seeking to minimise that which you did. I return to that footage, which ironically came to this court because you had insisted on it being produced.

"The court accepts that you now show some remorse, but that remorse must be assessed against that which you said to the probation officer in seeking to blame your victim and minimise your culpability in what occurred under the influence of drink and/or drugs.

"There was much degradation. There was much humiliation. In my judgement, these offences occurred over a sustained period to time. There was violence. There were threats of violence. And your victim was particularly vulnerable.

"Your issues are deep rooted. Almost within your DNA is the domination and controlling of women. And so it's notwithstanding you're not highly convicted, and notwithstanding you have never come before the court for offences as serious as this. Everything I have seen from that footage, this court does find that you represent a significant risk of harm to the public, and in particular women."

He sentenced Marko, of Seaforth Road, Seaforth, to a 12-year extended sentence, ordering him to serve nine years in custody and an extended three years on licence. He also made a restraining order banning him from contacting the woman.

Description

The victim of a perverted serial sex offender has been damaged so badly by his "terrible ordeal" that it has "blighted his life in every way imaginable".

He still suffered nightmares and sometimes "shut himself away" from others, Hull Crown Court heard. He found it difficult to show his emotions and trust people and he believed that the problems he had endured had affected him for life.

Anthony Jones, 40, formerly of Bridlington, admitted raping a boy and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Andrew Petterson, prosecuting, said that the offences took place in Bridlington. The victim did not report them at the time but, when he became an adult, he felt strong enough to tell the police. Jones was arrested, but during police interview he denied that any sexual activity took place.

In a statement, the victim said that the offences made him feel "terrible". He felt that nobody would believe him. The offences had affected him for life.

"I find it really hard to trust anyone," he said. There had been a "devastating effect" because of the offences.

Jones previously served two jail sentences for sexual offences. He was jailed at York Crown Court for nine years in April 2014. In April 2015, he was jailed at Hull Crown Court for 11 years. He was known at the time as Anthony Vowles, but he later changed his name.

Helen Chapman, mitigating, said that offences of this type inevitably caused damage to those who suffered it. Jones had served two lengthy prison sentences, but he had been at liberty for about three years since then and he had committed no further offences. "He has served an enormous period of his life in custody," said Miss Chapman. "That period of his life is well and truly over."

Recorder David Kelly said of the victim: "Your actions have blighted his life in every way imaginable. Even now, he continues to have nightmares about what you did to him.

"He finds it difficult to trust others. He finds it difficult to show emotion and has periods of low mood when he shuts himself away. All this continues to blight his life after the terrible ordeal that you subjected him to. He is determined to see himself as a survivor and not a victim."

Jones, recently of Kings Road, Harrogate, was jailed for nine years. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order.

Description

Brett Sitch, aged 52, was convicted of 12 charges following a lengthy investigation led by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s specialist Operation Amberstone team.

The charges are as follows:

• 10 counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16
• 2 counts of inciting a boy under the age of 14 to commit an act of gross indecency

The Amberstone investigation began on 9 January 2020 when one of the victims – now an adult man – bravely contacted police to disclose that he had been abused by Sitch once or twice a week over a period of two years at an address in Gosport.

Through subsequent enquiries, police spoke with other men who were believed to have been abused by Sitch as children. Some reported that when they were children, Sitch had encouraged them to carry out sexual acts upon him, and to play ‘dares’ which involved them having to commit indecent acts on the other boys.

Sitch, of Hammond Road in Fareham, denied all of the abuse, and the case went to trial on Monday 20 November 2023 at Portsmouth Crown Court. Sitch was found guilty of 12 offences on Friday 7 December. Appearing at the same court for sentencing today (Friday 22 March), he was jailed for 30 years.

DC Sam Couchman, from Operation Amberstone, said: “What these children, now grown men, experienced at such a young age was appalling. The bravery shown by the victims in this case has been commendable. I want to praise them for the courage they have shown through the investigation, and for talking to Police about what had happened to them to help bring Sitch to justice. Sitch completely took advantage of these children, using the façade of dares to mask his abuse and normalise his disturbing sexual behaviour.

Description

A sex offender who committed 'abhorrent' crimes against a child has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Scott Grineau, aged 38, of Pegasus Close in Thatcham, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict of five counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity following a trial at Oxford Crown Court, which concluded on Friday (March 15).

He was acquitted of a further count of sexual activity with a child.

Grineau was jailed for a total of seven years with 12 years on licence.

He will also be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

The offending took place in Witney over one night in September 2021 and the offences were reported to the force on September 15 that year.

Grineau was arrested on September 16 2021 and was charged via a postal requisition on December 23 2022.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Samantha Hunter of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: Scott Grineau has now been held to account for some abhorrent offences against a child.

I would like to place on record my praise for the victim in this case for having the courage to support the investigation to ensure that Grineau is sent to prison where he belongs.

We will always investigate offences of this nature and seek to bring offenders to justice.

Description

Following an investigation by Thames Valley Police, a man has been jailed for two years and ten months after he was convicted of child sex offences in Burford.

Stephen Painter, aged 67, of Frethern Close, Burford, pleaded guilty to a count each of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming and attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order, following a hearing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 19 March.

Appearing at Oxford Crown Court on the same day, Painter was jailed.

Between 3 and 25 February this year, Painter communicated in a sexual manner with a person he believed was a 14-year-old girl and was making arrangements to meet with her.

He was, in fact, talking to an adult member of the public, who gathered evidence, confronted him at his home address, and contacted police.

Painter was arrested on 25 February and charged the following day.

Detective Sergeant Mark Personius of Cherwell & West Oxfordshire CID, said: “Painter was already a registered sex offender, having previously been convicted of a similar offence.

“I am happy that this matter has been resolved so quickly and that Painter has been sent to prison.

“He poses a significant risk to children, and I hope that the community feels safer now that Painter is behind bars where he belongs.”

Description

A former Lincolnshire scout leader was today (Friday) jailed for 14 years after he was found guilty of sex offences against a boy more than three decades ago.

John Pycock, 83, had denied sexually abusing the boy in the late 1980s and early 1990s while he was a scout leader in Billinghay and then Fiskerton.

But a jury at Lincoln Crown Court convicted him of indecency with a child, two counts of indecent assault and two other serious sexual offences.

Sentence was adjourned on Tuesday for an impact statement to be taken from the victim who is now an adult and can not be named to protect his anonymity.

Pycock was today jailed for 14 years by Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight who heard evidence from the victim during the seven day trial. His licence period was also extended by a year.

It will be the third prison term served by Pycock. He was previously jailed for six years in November 2020 after admitting three charges involving sex offences against a young girl.

Pycock, formerly of Winn Street, Lincoln, was also previously jailed for 51 months in June 2014 when he admitted five sex offences against young boys.

At the time, the court heard that he invited the boys to his house and abused them while his wife was working night shifts as a nurse.

However, he had been released from that sentence by the time the 2020 offences came to light.

Pycock, who hung his head but showed little reaction when the jury returned their guilty verdicts on Tuesday, will also have to register as a Sex Offender for the rest of his life.

Defence barrister Jon Dee argued Pycock's previous jail term in 2014 should be taken into consideration in deciding the length of his current sentence as it occurred on boys in the same period as his most recent conviction.

Mr Dee accepted the same circumstances did not apply to Pycock's 2020 conviction.

The court heard Pycock was in poor health and now faced the prospect of never leaving prison.

Description

A South London man who subjected a woman to a campaign of physical and emotional abuse has been convicted. Nam Nguyen took control of the woman's life over a 10-day period in September 2023 and held her captive inside a flat in Tulse Hill.

She managed to escape after jumping from a window. She ran to a nearby care home where she was found with extensive injuries to her face and body.

She had been raped and repeatedly attacked. Officers were called and the Met launched an investigation.

Nguyen was identified as the suspect and arrested nearby a short time later. The victim spoke at length to officers about the horrific abuse she had faced, including vicious attacks, one of which resulted in a fracture to her spine.

Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, local policing commander in Lambeth and Southwark, said: "It's hard to imagine the pain and suffering this woman went through and I am pleased the man responsible for these awful crimes has been brought to justice. This is some of the worst offending our detectives have ever seen and I do not underestimate the impact having to speak at length about this has had on the victim.

"We will continue to support her in any way we can. This has been an incredibly complex investigation and I hope this outcome demonstrates how the Met is committed to tackling violence against women and girls.

"We will continue to ensure dangerous and predatory men face the consequences of their actions." Nguyen will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Friday, May 24.

Nguyen, 26, of no fixed address, was found guilty of the following offences at Inner London Crown Court on Monday, March 18.

• False imprisonment
• Wounding with intent
• Threats to kill
• Grievous bodily harm with intent
• Rape
• Actual bodily harm
• Administering a noxious thing
• Sexual assault

Description

A former Ellesmere Port care worker has been convicted of rape and child sex offences.

Following a seven-day trial which began on March 11 at Chester Crown Court, 45-year-old Kevin Cooper-Shaw, of Kingsmead Road North, Oxton, was found guilty by a jury on 21 of the 23 charges. These were:

• Seven counts of sexual activity with a child
• One count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• One count of rape
• One count of attempted sexual activity with a child
• Seven counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust
• One count of sexual activity in the presence of a child by a person in a position of trust
• Two counts of making an indecent photograph / pseudo- photograph of a child
• One count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity by a person in a position of trust

The court heard that Cooper-Shaw worked at a care home in Ellesmere Port between April 2018 and October 2021, where he was tasked with safeguarding and caring for vulnerable children and young people.

But during this time, Cooper-Shaw groomed a teenage girl at the care home, committing multiple offences against her.

The matter came to police attention in November 2021 and an investigation was launched by the Western Protecting Vulnerable People Unit.

Cooper-Shaw was arrested soon after the report to police. When detectives reviewed his devices, they found him to be in possession of a number of indecent images of children.

Cooper-Shaw will be sentenced on May 31.

Following Cooper-Shaw’s conviction, investigating officer DC Katie Ashcroft said: “The level of offending in this case and the acts he subjected his victim to were truly horrific.

"Cooper-Shaw was meant to be in a position of trust, safeguarding and caring for young people. Despite knowing this, and how vulnerable the victim was, Cooper-Shaw violated and betrayed that trust, abusing and deeply traumatising the young victim at a time when she should have been made to feel safe.

“I’d like to thank the victim for their immense courage and strength they’ve shown throughout this investigation – first to come forward to report the crimes, and then also to give evidence and help convict this man for his predatory and warped behaviour.

“I hope this encourages others who have been subjected to such abuse to come forward. They will get the support and advice they need to help them come to terms with their ordeal, and if they so wish, put their abuser before the courts.”

Description

A paedophile carried out a series of sexual assaults on vulnerable young girls over several decades. Dennis Yarr subjected his victims to sickening attacks leaving them suicidal, depressed and unable to feel safe around men.

The offences committed by Yarr spanned several decades and included luring a young girl into his car, sexually touching another child and forcing another to sit on his lap and perform a sex act.

A hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, March 20 heard Yarr, who is Scottish and was working as a bus and taxi driver in the Vale of Glamorgan, accused his victims of lying before being found guilty of indecent assault and indeceny with a child at trial in February this year. Judge Timothy Petts said Yarr had shown "no remorse" for his actions and described him as "manipulative and predatory".

The court heard Yarr, 63, of Dunstan Avenue in Westage-on-Sea, Kent, carried out a series of disgusting attacks on a young girl in the 1990s. This included touching inside her underwear and on one occasion penetrating her. He then told his victim not to tell anyone in order to prevent her from reporting the ordeal.

A statement on behalf of the victim said Yarr's attacks had meant she "grew up feeling let down and disappointed" and had "affected her choices in life", adding that she still struggled with mental health issues and had been left traumatised by it taking 10 years for the offences to be brought to light. The victim said what happened had "ruined my childhood years", adding: "Every time I hear a Scottish accent, smell whiskey and see a man with a moustache it makes me think of my abuser." She said she had self-harmed as a result of Yarr's actions and had been admitted to hospital and had been "petrified" at the idea of giving evidence at his trial.

Yarr was also found to have indecently assaulted another girl in the 1990s by encouraging her to get into his car before asking her to sit on his lap while he drove, at which point he proceeded to touch her crotch area. A statement read on behalf of the victim said what happened had left her with trust issues as an adult, only being comfortable leaving her child with close family members, wary of men and feeling unsafe taking taxis unless she sat in the back seat. She said years later that she felt "anxious, overwhelmed and distressed" when the case came to court and suffered from PTSD, and that Yarr's conviction had "given [her] closure" to move on with her life.

The court also heard Yarr had carried out another offence on a girl when he was a teenager in the 1970s by getting her to sit on his lap and perform a sex act. He later pleaded guilty to indecent assault and was given a conditional discharge. A statement read on behalf of his victim said what had happened had been "difficult to deal with" and resulted in her trying to take her own life. She said it had affected her trust in men and made her struggle in relationships even into her adult life.

South Wales Police began investigating Yarr after one of his victims came forward. He was arrested in Margate, Kent, in December 2020 and two more victims later came forward. Yarr was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child following a week-long trial at Cardiff Crown Court last month.

David Pernell, defending, said his client had no submissions in relation to the offences and that there had been "no change" to the position he took during trial. He said Yarr was in poor health for a man in his 60s and suffered from COPD and diabetes, adding that he had "come to court to accept his fate carrying a cocktail of prescription medication" from his GP. He summarised a letter by Yarr's partner of 18 years who said he had been "very supportive of her mental health issues" and that she would "keenly miss that support" if he went to prison.

Judge Timothy Petts said Yarr had caused "severe psychological harm" to his victims and that there was "very little" to mitigate what he had done. He said it was noted that the defendant "showed no remorse" and was "manipulative and predatory" in how he carried out the attacks and tried to prevent his victims from reporting what had happened.

Yarr was sentenced to seven years in prison and an additional year on licence. He will become eligible for parole after two thirds of his prison term has passed and will be registered as a sex offender for life. He was also banned from working with children or vulnerable adults and a sexual harm prevention order was made.

After the sentencing, Investigate Assistant Steve Gunney from South Wales Police said: “Dennis Yarr’s actions have had a devastating effect on the three women.

“But thanks to their bravery and a thorough investigation, he has been brought to justice. He has shown no remorse and during cross examination, claimed that the three women were lying and had plotted together to make false allegations."

"South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual violence extremely seriously and it is never too late to report a crime. Help and support is available for all victims of sexual violence, and we would encourage any victims; no matter how long ago the offence happened, to please come forward.”

Description

A former teacher sent pictures of his penis to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl, a court has heard. In fact Rhodri Jones was engaging in sexual conversations online with an undercover police officer.

Swansea Crown Court heard Jones' teaching career came to an end following concerns raised by parents about his "inappropriate behaviour" with girls which included flirting with a 16-year-old student and offering her private tuition. Sending the defendant to prison a judge told him he clearly had an "entrenched sexual interest in young women and children".

Sian Cutter, prosecuting, said on June 14, 2022, the defendant initiated contact with a profile on the social media platform Chatiw which purported to belong to a 12-year-old girl - in reality the profile was a decoy account being operated by an undercover police officer. The prosecutor said Jones and the decoy exchanged messages on the site before he gave the decoy his Snapchat details and the conversation moved to that app. The court heard that during the conversation Jones boasted to the "girl" about the size of his penis, and also sent her a number of pictures of his penis.

The following month officers went to the defendant's house and arrested him. Officers seized a number of electronic devices and also took a picture of the blankets on his bed, bedding which matched that seen in the background of the pictures he had sent the decoy. He subsequently answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview.

Rhodri Jones, 44, of Phoebe Road, Copper Quarter, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has a previous conviction from 2016 for sending indecent images to an 18-year-old girl. The court heard a series of concerns had been raised about Jones' conduct and "inappropriate behaviour" during his teaching career between 2003 and 2011 which included him harassing a pupil, offering to give a girl a lift in his car, and flirting with a 16-year-old girl and offering her private tuition.

Alycia Carpanini, for Jones, said the defendant was a binge drinker, and the offending happened when he was drunk. She said her client was a carer for his mother who was in ill-health, and that he works online for a university book publisher in an administration role. Jones had completed the Horizon sex offenders programme following his previous conviction, the court heard. The barrister also pointed to the delay in the case with the offending taking place in June 2022 and the matter not coming before the courts until January 2024.

Judge Daniel Williams told the defendant it was clear he had an "entrenched sexual interest in young women and girls", and said a pre-sentence report had concluded he posed a high risk of serious harm. He said he did not think there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in Jones' case, and said the offending was far too serious for any sentence other than one of immediate custody. With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, Jones was sentenced to 12 months in prison - he will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.