Latest Offenders

Description

An Ellesmere Port paedophile who continued to download indecent images of children while on police bail has been jailed.

Mark Donaghey, 58, of Elaine Close, Great Sutton, pleaded guilty to two sets of downloading and possessing indecent images, which Chester Crown Court heard included children as young as 18 months.

Appearing at the court, sitting at Chester Magistrates Court, for sentencing on Tuesday, March 13, Donaghey received an extended prison sentence as Judge Patrick Thompson said he posed a "very high risk" to members of the public, particularly children.

Prosecuting, Nadeem Nemat said Donaghey had originally been arrested in February 2023 on suspicion of downloading indecent images, putting him in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He gave a 'no comment' police interview and was bailed.

While on bail, Donaghey continued to acquire indecent images and was rearrested and charged.

The court heard it was accepted there was some time overlap between the two sets of indecent images cases, and they had been obtained between March 2018 and October 2023.

Computers and laptops were seized, and among them were several hard drives.

Analysis of the devices after the first arrest showed 944 indecent images of children assessed as the most serious category, category A, plus six category A videos. There were also 840 category B images and 4,907 category C images, as well as 142 prohibited images of a child. One category B image was of an 18-month-old child.

There was also evidence Donaghey had used internet search terms to seek the indecent images online.

Analysis of a second set of devices after Donaghey was rearrested showed 583 indecent images and 22 videos assessed as category A, 459 images assessed as category B, plus 914 images and two videos assessed as category C. There were also eight prohibited images of children.

Donaghey had previously been jailed for 18 months in 2002 for attempted gross indecency with a child. In 2005, he was handed an extended sentence of five years plus five years for engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child aged 13 or under, as well as outraging public decency.

A report from probation said Donaghey was a "very high risk" of serious sexual harm.

Defending, Peter Barnett said the best mitigation that could be put forward for Donaghey were his prompt guilty pleas, for which he was entitled to full credit from his sentence.

The defendant showed "self-inflicted destruction" with his behaviour.

Judge Thompson told the defendant: "It is clear to me you have a very unhealthy sexual interest in children."

Donaghey was sentenced to three years in prison for which he must serve at least two-thirds before being eligible for parole plus two years extended licence.

He was handed a new life-long SHPO and he was deprived of all the seized devices.

Description

A pair of Derbyshire brothers, who carried out a “sustained and determined” campaign of sexual abuse against young girls, have been jailed for more than two decades. Bryan and Ian Wren gave the victims cash and sweets to buy their silence as they touched them sexually multiple times, Derby Crown Court heard.

The siblings, now both in their 70s, then carried on with their normal lives leaving the now women “utterly destroyed”. At one stage, after being arrested, Bryan Wren called his brother and told him “I have been a naughty boy”. And one of the victims this week broke down as she bravely read out her impact statement saying “you may see this as historical, but it’s not historical to me”.

Jailing Bryan Wren, who less than seven years ago was sent to prison for sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl, for a total of 13 years and four months, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “Some people who know you have high regard for you. They were not subjected to the abuse you subjected your victims to.

“You destroyed (one of your) victim’s lives, completely and utterly destroyed it. You could obviously live with what you did because it did not stop you abusing another girl who was even younger in 2015 and for which you were sent to prison in 2017 and rightly so.

“You took many opportunities to abuse her in ways which satisfied your sexual desires and while you lived your life, she has had a life of complete misery. What you did to her has turned her into a wreck, mentally.”

Jailing Ian Wren for seven years for abusing a different underage victim, the judge said: “You might have put it behind you but it has stayed with her forever and will continue to do so even after your release. She stayed silent for 45 years and buried what happened to her so deep but then she gets the double whammy of finding out your brother had been doing things to the other victims at the same time.”

Richardo Childs, prosecuting, said the sexual abuse of the victims began more than four decades ago when they were under the age of 13. He said it included multiple occasions where the brothers touched the girls sexually and then gave one of them 50p and another one of them sweets.

He said it took them decades to pluck up the courage to report their ordeals to the police and an investigation began and led to multiple charges against both men.

One of them read her own victim impact statement to the court. In it she said: “I have been filled with hurt and shame for so many years and for over 45 years I have been silent and I hope they finally understand that their behaviour is unacceptable? You may see this as historical, but it’s not historical to me.”

A second victim’s statement was read by the prosecutor. In hers, she said: “The abuse I suffered left me traumatised and not feeling worthy of life. I moved out of Derby to get a clean slate.”

Bryan Wren, 76, formerly of Mundy Street, Derby and now of Wilton Street, Ilkeston, pleaded guilty to a number charges including indecency with a child and sexual abuse of a girl under the age of 13.

Lesley Pidcock, mitigating, said: “He has a similar conviction from the 1980s and went through two years of electric shock treatment at the former Pastures Hospital (in Derby). It may be felt to be trite but he offers his apologies, his regret, remorse and shame.”

Ian Wren, 73, of Pinfold Lane, Bradley, Ashbourne, also pleaded guilty to similar charges against his single victim. James Varley, his barrister, said: “He worked his life on market stalls and was both a popular and well-liked man making hanging baskets for people. He came prepared and brought a bag knowing he is going into custody.”

Both men were handed lifetime sexual harm prevention orders and were placed on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A sexual predator has been jailed for 15 years for coercive controlling behaviour and raping a woman in Gosport.

Connor Richard Barnes, of no fixed address on the Isle of Wight, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday, January 18, where a jury found him guilty of two charges of rape and coercive controlling behaviour.

The offences took place between January 2020 and March 2022.

Following the verdict, the 28-year-old was remanded in custody until appearing again at the court on Tuesday, March 12, where he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

An "unrepentant sexual predator" who failed to change his ways was jailed after being snared by paedophile hunters. Roy Moseley sent sickening images and messages to a decoy, who he believed to be a 13-year-old schoolgirl

The 66-year-old set up a profile on Chat-Avenue using his middle name, which a judge said was 'no doubt an attempt to conceal his true identity and avoid detection'. Over three-and-a-half months, Moseley had "persistently tried to persuade" the 'girl' to engage in sexual activity, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

He lied to the 'girl' about his age, telling her he was 45 and, despite being told her young age "right from the very start", he made reference to his penis and finding her sexually desirable. The court was told Moseley had "persisted in forcefully asking her to send pictures" and asked her to watch as he carried out vile acts.

Moseley had sent explicit photographs and videos to the 'girl' on "multiple occasions" and made suggestions as to how she could avoid detection by her family when sending him the pictures he had asked for. He also attempted to make video calls and made "continual sexualised suggestions" as to what he would like to do to her during the conversations, which spanned between August 29 and December 10 last year.

As she sentenced Moseley on Thursday, March 14, Her Honour Judge Amy Jacobs told him: "There is a wealth of evidence obtained over the last few years about the lasting harm that is caused to children through sexual abuse such as this. And it's lucky in your case no children were harmed, because the child with whom you thought you were communicating with was a decoy, she doesn't exist."

She continued: "You have been convicted of similar offending before. In 2012, you were convicted for making and possessing indecent images of children, and that led to a community order, with a requirement to participate in a sex offender treatment programme. Although I'm told you did complete that programme, clearly, you didn't change your ways as a result of it because in 2019, you were convicted of similar offences to these and you were sent to prison.

"To put it bluntly, you are an unrepentant sexual predator, who repeatedly seeks sexual gratification with children and you have not been willing or able to resist your sexual desire for children, despite, what must have been significant input from the probation service."

Moseley, who lived in Worcester Court, Wolverhampton, was jailed for 44 months after pleading guilty to two charges. For attempting to to cause/incite a child to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - he received 44 months, and for attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, he was given 20 months, to be served concurrently. He was told he would serve up to half of the sentence in custody before being released on licence. He was told time spent on remand in custody would count towards the sentence.

The judge also made Moseley the subject of a 15-year sexual harm prevention order and told him it was "necessary to try to prevent you from causing similar harm in the future". She continued: "You've clearly not learned your lesson from the offences of which you've previously been convicted and which span a large number of years. I very much hope that on this occasion, you are able to access some help whilst you are in custody so that when you are released we do not have to deal with you once again for this kind of offending."

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender from Abergele who used multiple aliases to speak to children has been jailed.

Arfon Griffiths, 44, of Ger y Mor, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Caernarfon Crown Court today (March 15).

He had previously admitted numerous counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order, two offences of failing to comply with sex offenders register notification requirements, and one charge of attempted sexual communication with a child.

Prosecuting, David Mainstone told the court that Griffiths became a convicted sex offender in 2013, when he was jailed for inciting children to engage in sexual activity.

It was because of this conviction that he became subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

But on February 17, 2023, using the name “Liam Williams”, he sent a series of messages on social media to a girl, placing him in breach of the order.

When police attended Griffiths’ home on March 9, 2023, a mobile phone found under a mattress was seized by officers.

Analysis of the phone found that Griffiths had been communicating with four other girls, whom he told he was a 17-year-old, on the internet.

In the case of three of the four girls, the communication was not sexual in nature, brief and garnered little response, though Griffiths did compliment them on their looks.

But communication was sexual with the fourth girl, who was described as being “extremely vulnerable”.

Griffiths complimented her on her cleavage, told her she would be “amazing in bed”, and asked her to send him a “sexy pic”.

In communicating with four of these girls, Griffiths used another name; “Lee Jones” – he had failed to disclose either aliases with police.

One of Griffiths’ victims said his actions have made her feel “unsafe” and “anxious”, adding that she worries about seeing him and suffers nightmares about him.

She said: “I used to enjoy going out with my friends when we were off school. However, now, I second-guess whether to go.

“I never thought it could happen to me.”

Defending Griffiths, who had one previous conviction for two offences, Elen Owen said he has made “full and frank admissions” about his offending behaviour.

Griffiths has, “in his own words”, Ms Owen said, “let himself down”, and “beats himself up about what he’s done”.

“He hasn’t, at any stage, sought to make excuses,” she added.

Sentencing, Judge Nicola Saffman criticised the decision to initially bail Griffiths, rather than remand him in custody, as he was at a later date.

Griffiths “should never, ever” have been bailed, Judge Saffman said.

She added: “The impact that’s been caused to her (the victim who gave the aforementioned statement) is as a result of an error made by those who took the decision to bail him.”

An indefinite restraining order was issued, while Judge Saffman ordered all devices seized from Griffiths to be forfeited and destroyed.

Description

A depraved paedophile has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he was found guilty by a jury of multiple sex offences against a child.

Scott Daniels abused the youngster, who bravely told her mother of her ordeal.

The victims mother informed Northumbria Police, and officers immediately launched an investigation into Daniels.

He was arrested and in interview denied that any of the offences against the victim had taken place.

Daniels, 37, was charged with three or more counts of rape of a child, three or more counts of sexual penetration and two or more counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, all relating to the same victim.

He denied all of the offences but was convicted by a jury following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August, after which he was remanded in custody.

Last Friday, December 1, Daniels, of St Johns Green, North Shields, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and a five-year licence period.

Daniels was also handed a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim and given a sexual harm prevention order. He will also remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Natasha Wilson, of Northumbria Police, said: First and foremost, I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this case who, along with their family, has shown tremendous bravery.

No child should ever have to experience any type of abuse, and I hope this sentence shows we will absolutely not tolerate offenders like Daniels by bringing them to justice.

Det Con Wilson added: Daniels is a dangerous individual and it is only right that he is removed from the community and put behind bars for a considerable period of time where he cannot cause harm or suffering to anyone else.

As a Force, we will continue to protect our communities by pursing predators such as him, preventing these vile offences from being carried out and offering any necessary support to anyone who comes forward.

Description

A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexual offences and assaults in the Dundee area over a 13 year period.

James Henderson was sentenced on Friday, 12 January, 2024 at the High Court in Edinburgh for offences, including assault and rape, committed against four women between 2008 and 2021.

He had previously been found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in November, 2023.

Henderson was sentenced to 14 years, followed by four years extended sentence supervision.

Description

A dangerous paedophile who was caught by police when he travelled to Nottinghamshire to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl has been jailed.

Kevin Walsh had unknowingly been chatting to specialist law enforcement officers when he arranged to meet the father of the ‘girl’ in order to rape her.

Officers arrested Walsh when he arrived at a Nottinghamshire hotel on the meeting date of 11 November 2023.

Specialist search officers seized Walsh’s mobile phone and laptop, and analysis of the devices showed he had been offending over a prolonged period.

The 59-year-old, of HMP Nottingham, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (8 March) and was jailed for a total of eight years and eight months.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to seven counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, six counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

Walsh also admitted one count of attempting to cause a child to watch an image of sexual activity, one count of arranging the commission of an offence of sexual activity with a child, one count of possessing an extreme image, one count of engaging in sexual communications with a child and one count of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Detectives discovered Walsh had been active on social media distributing indecent images of children and communicating with adults online about the sexual abuse of children.

During the investigation it became clear he had also been communicating with a suspect in Wales where he had arranged to drug and rape a young child.

He had also been talking to the mother of a 13-year-old girl in Surrey and looking to arrange to travel and meet the girl in order to sexually assault her.

Description

Following an investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) a 38-year-old man has been jailed for a sex offence and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Michael McGee, of King Street, Ramsgate, Kent was jailed for six years and eight months on at Reading Crown Court on Thursday (7/3).

He pleaded guilty to one count each of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Between November and December last year, McGee was communicating online with a girl who he believed was 12 years old. He sent sexually explicit messages and arranged to meet her in person.

He also breached the conditions of a SHPO by factory resetting one of his devices.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Lisa Betchley, of SEROCU, said: SEROCU takes sexual offending extremely seriously.

McGee contacted and arranged to meet someone he believed to be underage. Thankfully no children were in danger, however McGees intentions were clear.

Further, due to the risk that he was deemed to pose because of previous offending, he was made subject to a SHPO meaning that he had to abide by certain conditions. He breached one of those conditions. Such breaches are not taken lightly, and he has been sentenced accordingly.

Description

Malachi Smith, of Humbrills Close, in Huntingdon, was found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl at an address in the city in late 2009. Smith was in his late teens at the time of the offence.

After pleading not guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court on Tuesday 29 August 2023, Smith appeared again at the court on Wednesday 6 March, where a jury found him unanimously guilty. He was then sentenced immediately to six and a half years imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The judge stated that whilst he took into account Smith’s age at the time of the offence when considering the sentencing, it also reflected the “severe psychological harm” he had inflicted on the victim, which had affected her “for 14 years, formal diagnosis, medicated everyday numbing her feelings, flashbacks and nightmares”.

DS Samantha Brown said: “The victim in this case, now a grown woman, has lived with the memory of this awful assault for over a decade. I’m pleased we can give her the outcome the case deserved and finally some closure. I’d like to commend her bravery for coming forward and I hope this case encourages others to speak out and seek support.

Description

A SEX offender told an undercover police officer, posing on a dating app, that he was a ‘genuine paedophile’.

Leonard Vandervail confessed his sexual interest in children on a dating app and bragged that the youngest he had abused was four years old.

The 43-year-old thought he was messaging a woman, aged 22, with three children on the app but was speaking to an undercover police officer.

Prosecutor Rod Blain told Bournemouth Crown Court on March 7 that Vandervail told the woman he was looking for a little girl.

After saying she had three children, the undercover police officer asked the defendant if he wanted to meet them, and he said yes.

They began messaging on another messaging platform where the defendant ‘wasted no time’ in asking how old the children were.

She told Vandervail that her two ‘daughters’ and ‘son’ were aged 10, two and seven.

The defendant then admitted his sexual interest in their ages, saying the youngest he had abused was four years old.

He said that this happened regularly and ‘assured’ her that he was a ‘genuine paedophile’.

When asked if anything was off limits, he said he would do anything.

After confessing further details of ‘activities’, Vandervail and the woman arranged to meet her ‘children’.

The defendant said he was from Bournemouth and sent a picture of himself, which police were able to use to identify him.

Dorset Police then confirmed that Vandervail was already a known sex offender and had previously been given a sexual harm prevention order.

Mitigating, Nick Robinson said that the harm made was to a fictitious child and that according to the defendant, the comments made were fantasy whilst under the influence of drink and cannabis.

Mr Robinson said that Vandervail completed the sex offender programme eight months ago and ‘did very well’, but has regressed to previous behaviour.

He added that the defendant is sorry and is keen to engage with probation to reduce the risk of this happening again.

Vandervail, of Wootton Mount in Bournemouth, was charged with three counts of making indecent photograph/ pseudo-photograph of a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

His Honour Judge Robert Pawson said the defendant has a ‘very troubling’ history that is rooted in sexual attraction to children which goes back over 10 years.

Vandervail was sentenced to three years in prison, given a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely and put on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A 58-year-old who indecently exposed himself in front of children playing in woods has been jailed.

On Saturday (March 9), Alan Mercer asked girls to stand guard while he went to urinate.

Having then told the victims he had finished, they turned around to find Mercer with his trousers around his ankles in the area close to Lockeyer Park in Burnley.

Following CCTV enquiries, police arrested Mercer a day later.

He was charged with exposure on Monday this week and appeared at Blackburn Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Mercer, formerly of Astley Street, Dukinfield, was jailed for 26 weeks and was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: “We do not tolerate behaviour of this nature and we will do everything in our power to identify the offender and put them before the courts.”

Description

A sex offender from Whitstable has been jailed after admitting to a series of online offences.

Detectives from Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) led an investigation in which charges were brought against James Clark, of Victoria Street, who carried out his crimes between December 2020 and January 2024.

Multiple crimes

Clark was charged with multiple offences, including nine counts of attempting sexual communication with a child; three counts of attempting to make a child watch a sexual act; three counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity; three counts of publishing an obscene article and making and distributing indecent images of children.

Sentenced

After pleading guilty, Clark, 26, was sentenced to five and a half years’ imprisonment at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday 8 March.

He was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A registered sex offender who had hundreds of illegal images of children has been sentenced. 

Ian Crockford, 52, of Stone Lane in Salvington, was the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after being jailed for child sex offences in 2019. The SHPO severely restricted his access to digital devices and vulnerable people.

On 7 March 2023, new information was received about Crockford being in possession of further indecent images of children.

He was arrested and analysis of his mobile phone and computers showed hundreds of indecent images of children.

He also had shared illegal images of children and instructed another person on how to abuse a child.

He was subsequently charged with six counts of making or distributing indecent images of a child, one count of publishing an obscene article and breaching his SHPO.

He pleaded guilty to all charges at Worthing Magistrates Court on 12 December 2023 and was released on court bail awaiting sentence.

While on court bail, officers identified that Crockford had breached his bail conditions and committed further criminal offences by obtaining a new mobile phone and attempting to sexually communicate with children.  More indecent images of children were also found on his device.

Crockford was again arrested and charged with four further counts of making or distributing indecent images of children, publishing an obscene article and another breach of his SHPO.

He pleaded guilty to all charges again and, at Lewes Crown Court on 29 February 2024, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for all matters.

Description

A paedophile from west Dorset has been jailed for 32 months after offending over a 17 year period.

Timothy Brian Lovegrove, whose address was given as Black Lane, in Evershot, appeared before Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, September 30 for sentencing.

Lovegrove, 68, had pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs and pseudo photographs of a child and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse with a live animal.

He had made 24 Category A, 17 Category B and 2,194 Category C moving and still indecent images of children at Evershot, over a 17-year period between April 10, 2004 and June 24, 2021.

He also admitted during the same 17-year period to possessing 27 extreme pornographic images depicting, in an explicit and realistic way, a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal.

Lovegrove was issued with four concurrent jail sentences totalling 32 months in prison. He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.