Latest Offenders

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A FORMER soldier has been found guilty of raping a woman who he met on an online swingers’ dating site.

Ezra Robinson went on to have a two-year relationship with the woman and they had a child together.

He went on to force himself on her while she slept after the relationship had turned sour.

He was able to use the Fabswingers website – where he met his victim – despite already having a conviction for a previous rape and being on the sex offenders’ register.

He is a body builder who was working on a building site and the victim was unable to stop him when he had sex with her against her will.

He threatened to kill her if she went to the police but she summoned up the courage to report him.

Former Royal Engineer Robinson, who served in mine and explosive clearing operations in Afghanistan, has been told to expect a jail term of at least seven years after a judge at Exeter Crown Court ordered the probation to assess whether he poses a danger to the public.

Judge Stephen Climie adjourned sentence until April and remanded him in custody.

He told him: “You have been found guilty of offences that warrant significant custodial terms.”

Robinson, aged 31, originally from Moretonhampstead but of Lamb Park, Drewsteignton, denied rape but was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court. He was also convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour. He will be sentenced in April.

The jury reached their verdicts without being told that he was a convicted rapist, although they were told that he had previously been jailed for a “serious sexual offence”.

Judge Climie explained that decision to the jury after they had returned their verdict.

He said: “You were told he had a conviction for a serious sexual offence. It was rape but there is an inevitable prejudice that attaches to that word.

“One of the factors we have to look at when someone is convicted of rape more than once is what is called dangerousness, which has a very specific legal definition. This is probably a case where there needs to be a report.”

The judge said a finding of dangerousness would lead to an extended period of licence which would be added on to any sentence he may serve. He also said a probation report would look at Robinson’s mental health issues.

During a ten-day trial, Miss Kelly Scrivener, prosecuting, said Robinson met the woman after contacting her through the Fabswingers website. The date went well and they went on to form a relationship.

She found him attractive at first and described him as being “the energy in the room”, but the relationship turned sour. On their final meeting he forced her to have sex. He told her he had a conviction for a sexual offence but tried to minimise it.

Robinson said all sexual contact with the woman was consensual and denied ever forcing her to have sex with him or using or threatening violence. He said he had been in the army for nearly five years and had previously been married.

He said he was working as a plant operator at a building site in Ivybridge at the time of his arrest.

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THE dad of a boy convicted of murdering Brianna Ghey in Culcheth has admitted charges that make him a sex offender.

Kyle Ratcliffe, of Leigh, was charged with two counts of exposure and one of taking an indecent photograph of a child.

He admitted all three charges before Manchester Crown Court this morning, Thursday and was subsequently jailed for 15 months.

They involved him performing a sex act on himself while driving his Maserati car after observing two teenage girls.

He also took a photo of a child getting changed at a water park in Delamere, near Northwich, last summer.

The particulars of the exposure charges stated that the 36-year-old twice intentionally exposed his genitals intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress.

They took place in Salford in November last year shortly before his sons murder trial was due to start.

He appeared before Manchester Magistrates Court on January 19 in relation to the three charges, where he confirmed his name and personal details.

No plea was entered, with the case sent to Manchester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing today, Thursday.

Kyle Ratcliffe is the father of Eddie Ratcliffe, who was jailed for life for the murder of Birchwood teen Brianna Ghey in Culcheth Linear Park.

He was remanded in custody until his plea hearing date, therefore missing his sons sentencing hearing.

Appearing in court today, the defendant entered guilty pleas to all three charges, with judge John Potter proceeding to sentence.

Reporting restrictions were in place preventing the link between him and his son from being published in the event that a trial would be needed.

They were removed following his guilty pleas, however, reporting restrictions remain ensuring the victims of the exposure and photo-taking charge remain anonymous.

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A PAEDOPHILE ex-football coach told a 12-year-old boy he was gorgeous and that he would love to have sex with him.

David Robb, 82, from Caerphilly sent his victim ‘Mario’ an indecent picture of another boy who had his buttocks exposed.

He was also having sexualised chats online with a 14-year-old called ‘Luca’.

The pensioner’s offending took place just weeks after he had been handed a suspended sentence after being caught with child rape videos.

A police officer supervising his sex offender order found Robb was using a tablet and mobile phone he had hidden from them when his home was visited.

Robb had also used software to “self-destruct” his browsing history within 24 hours of the search which also breached the terms of the order.

Nil Strobl, prosecuting, told Cardiff Crown Court: “The defendant was communicating with a boy called Mario.

“He told him, ‘My favourite age is 12 or 13.’

“The defendant said to him, ‘I think you are gorgeous – I’d love to have sex with you.’”

Robb, of Edward Street, Cwmcarn pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child, distributing an indecent image of a child, possession of an indecent image of a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

They took place between August and September last year.

He has a history of sex offences committed against children.

In 1976 he received a suspended prison sentence for sexually assaulting a girl.

The defendant was convicted of a sex offence in 1990 when he was the manager of a children’s football team.

Robb had persuaded a boy to sleep in the same bed as him before an attempted sex act took place.

He was sentenced to a community order in 2015 for possession of an indecent image of a child.

Laurence Jones representing Robb said his client knew he was going to receive a long prison sentence and understood he might now die behind bars.

The court heard the defendant’s wife had passed away while he was remanded in custody awaiting sentence.

“It seems to me, having discussed matters with him, that in the past these feelings (of being sexually attracted to young boys) had been repressed by fatherhood, work and caring for his wife,” Mr Jones added.

Robb was jailed for 45 months and made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender until 2034.

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A man who performed online sex acts in front of children has been jailed.

James Dyson was also found to have downloaded thousands of child sexual abuse images over a seven-and-a-half year period.

The 26-year-old, of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, was caught in January 2023 when evidence of his crimes was found on his work mobile phone.

He was jailed for five years and given a sexual harm prevention order at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.

During an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police, forensic analysis of several other electronic devices found thousands of indecent images of children - many of which Dyson had tried and failed to delete.

Nearly 6,000 of the images were found to be Category A - depicting the most serious sexual abuse that can be committed against children.

Dyson pleaded guilty at a hearing in December, to four charges of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.

He also admitted three charges of making indecent images of a child and three charges of distributing indecent photographs of a child.

Detectives also uncovered evidence of four occasions in which Dyson used a social media platform to engage children in online sexual activity, the force said.

Work is currently ongoing to identify the four children involved.

Det Con Tom Nuttall said: "The physical and emotional impact of that kind of abuse cannot be understated, and people like Dyson are contributing directly to that harm.

"It is very clear that he knew what he was doing was wrong and also that he went to great lengths to try and delete evidence of his crimes."

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Actor Daniel Frogson has been given a suspended prison sentence for viewing hundreds of indecent images of children.

The 21-year-old, who appeared in fantasy series His Dark Materials, viewed the images over a three-year period, starting when he was 17.

Some of the images were category A, the most severe category of abuse.

Frogson, from Nottinghamshire, pleaded guilty to four charges at Nottingham Crown Court.

These were:

• Making 165 category A indecent photographs of a child
• Making 88 category B indecent photographs of a child
• Making 592 category C indecent photographs of a child
• Possessing three prohibited images of a child

The offences were all committed between 1 December 2019 and 13 January 2023.

Frogson, who was nominated for a Children's Bafta for his starring role in CBBC series Joe All Alone in 2018, was given an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years, ordered to attend a sex offender rehabilitation programme, and 15 other rehabilitation sessions.

Nottinghamshire Live, which attended the sentencing hearing, reported that Frogson was living in Nuthall in Nottinghamshire when an IP address there was suspected of downloading child abuse images in early 2023.

Police then seized two devices and found the images when they were examined.

Frogson's most recent address was given to the court as Malthouse Close in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.

His other acting work includes a role in 2023's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which also starred Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton.

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Heavily-built paedophile Samuel Frost, who has a lengthy record from crimes against children, assaulted a 16-year-old and then a 13-year-old at the stops on Garforth’s Main Street, where he was living at the time.

When police later searched his home they also found a partially-working double-barrel shotgun.

Appearing at Leeds Crown Court via video link from from HMP Doncaster, he was handed a 12-year jail sentence, made up of eight years’ custody and a four-year extended licence period.

Judge Simon Batiste told him: “You have a considerable record for offences of a sexual nature. You pose a significant risk of harm at the moment. To provide suitable protection to society I’m satisfied that an extended prison sentence is suitable.”

At around 7.30am on February 15 last year, Frost approached the 16-year-old waiting at the bus stop outside the Coral bookmakers on Main Street and grabbed her bottom before walking away. The shocked girl, who says she had seen him before, turned to see him walk away, but he then looked back at her. She later picked him out at a police ID parade.

On the afternoon of May 27, he then approached a 13-year-old schoolgirl waiting at a bus stop and put his hand up her skirt, before quickly leaving the scene. He was stopped by police but “gave a bizarre account” and was not arrested, prosecutor David Hall told the court.

It was not until police went to his home on June 6 over concerns that he was self harming, did they finally arrest him. They found the 410 shotgun, on which one of the barrels was still fully functional.

He was taken to hospital by officer but was “troublesome”, kicking out at one and biting another.

The 37-year-old later admitted sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, possession of a firearm and two counts of assaulting emergency workers.

He also admitted two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and breaching the terms of the sex offenders register, having failed to notify police that he was regularly staying at a woman’s house in Leeds.

Frost was convicted of indecent assault of a child in 2001 and sexual activity with a child in 2006. He also sexually assaulted a child in 2014, riding a BMX through a Castleford park where he touched the 12-year-old girl before riding off. He was also convicted of sexual activity in the presence of children after he masturbated in front of a 12 and a 13-year-old girl at Wakefield Kirkgate Railway Station.

Mitigating for Frost in light of his latest offending, Charlotte Noddings said the “catalyst” was losing his job following the pandemic, and that he “thrived on stability”.

She said: “When it was taken away from him his life spiralled out of control he turned to taking drugs and offending. He knows what he did was wrong and is sorry. He accepts a lengthy period of prison is ahead of him."

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Peter Casey, a 55-year-old resident from Cleveland Gardens, Deane, Bolton, faced Bolton Magistrates Court after failing to comply with his annual sex offender registration for two consecutive years, citing memory issues as his defense. Despite a criminal history that includes a conviction for multiple counts of indecent assault in 2003 and possession of a bladed article, Casey was given a 12-month conditional discharge by the court, highlighting the necessity of adherence to registration obligations.

History of Non-Compliance and Legal Proceedings

In September 2022, Casey was due to renew his registration on the sex offenders register but failed to do so until October 4, thus breaching the mandatory requirement. The prosecution, led by James Gore, detailed how efforts to remind Casey of his obligations went unanswered, with Casey later admitting to forgetting the critical deadline. His defense, presented by Adam Whittaker, emphasized Casey's significant memory problems, even recounting an instance where Casey needed to be reminded of his court date multiple times within a short period.

Conditional Discharge and Court's Warning
Karen Martin, Chair of the bench, decided on a conditional discharge for Casey, stressing the importance of his future compliance with the sex offender registration process. This leniency comes despite Casey's previous conviction for possession of a bladed article, for which he received a suspended sentence in the prior year. The court's decision underscores the balancing act between addressing Casey's claimed health issues and the need to ensure public safety and adherence to legal requirements.

Implications for Future Compliance

The case raises questions about the challenges faced by individuals with health issues in complying with legal obligations and the measures that might be necessary to ensure compliance without compromising public safety. Martin's warning to Casey serves as a reminder of the consequences of future failures to comply with the registration requirements, indicating that leniency shown in this instance may not be extended in the future. This case thus not only addresses Casey's individual circumstances but also highlights broader issues related to the enforcement of sex offender registration requirements and the intersection of health issues with legal compliance.

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GWENT Police have released the custody picture of a paedophile caught defying sex offender register terms.

Dewi Mortimer broke the law by not telling his supervising officer of numerous nights he had spent away from home.

The defendant stayed at the Premier Inn hotel in Caerphilly with a girlfriend 20 times.

Mortimer also breached a sex offences prevention order by deleting the internet history on his mobile phone after searching for dating sites.

He admitted both charges.

The 27-year-old was locked up for 14 months at Cardiff Crown Court.

Mortimer, formerly of Blackwood, now of Bradford Street, Caerphilly was jailed in 2020 for grooming a 15-year-old schoolgirl and sending a lewd picture of himself to her on Snapchat.

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A MAN who made indecent images of a child has been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

Ryan Tinkler, 30, pleaded guilty to making 12 Category C indecent images of a child when he appeared before Workington Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Tinkler, of Valley View, Little Clifton, Workington, committed the offence between June 2022 and February 2023.

Magistrates ordered the defendant to complete a 30-day sexual offender programme and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed with a number of conditions which include making any device with access to the internet available to police upon request, not using any online service that conceals, falsifies, or disguises the IP address and not deleting any internet browsing history records.

Tinkler is required to register with the police as a sex offender for the next five years.

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A Huddersfield man has been jailed for seven years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a girl more than 20 years ago.

Anthony Sharp, 66, of Raynor Close, Oakes, was locked up at Bradford Crown Court on Thursday for the abuse which a judge said had had a catastrophic effect on his victim. Recorder Anthony Hawks also imposed an indefinite restraining order which bans Sharp from contacting the complainant in the future and the defendant must also register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

The victim, who must not be identified for legal reasons, provided the court with a victim impact statement which Recorder Hawks said painted a very unhappy picture. He said: “The effect on her has been catastrophic as it inevitably is in all these cases were children are abused."

The judge said the consequences could stretch on for years, but hopefully she could now have some closure. Sharp was found guilty by the jury on five charges of indecent assault. The judge told him: “You chose to have a trial. That was your choice. You don’t receive a larger sentence because you have had a trial, but I can’t give you any credit plainly for pleading guilty and exhibiting remorse.”

Barrister Ian Howard, for Sharp, said the offending took place many moons ago and there had been no further offending in the intervening period. Sharp will have to serve at least two-thirds of his seven-year jail term before being released on licence.

Following the sentencing, PC Kate Healey, of the Calderdale District Safeguarding Unit at West Yorkshire Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victim for her bravery in not only coming forward to report these offences, but in enduring a lengthy investigation process and a trial following Sharp’s not guilty plea. She has demonstrated courage and dignity throughout the entire process, which is undoubtedly a daunting experience.

“I think the sentence reflects the seriousness of Sharp’s offending. He committed his crimes against a vulnerable victim, which was the ultimate betrayal of the trust of the victim and her family. Hopefully this sentence goes some way towards providing the victim with some comfort and closure to what has been the most horrific time of her life.

“I would also like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of any form of abuse, whether recent or non-recent, to come forward and speak with our specially trained officers. We will thoroughly investigate all reports and do all that we can to secure justice.”

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A CONVICTED sex offender has avoided jail for a second time after being caught living with a 17-month-old baby despite a court order.

Aaron Kitney, 34, was first jailed in 2019 for having sex with a 15-year-old which he claimed was a ‘consensual’ relationship at the time.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child and was jailed for eight years and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He was released on licence in March 2022.

Kitney later moved in with a 21-year-old mum who had a 17-month-old boy. Kitney was obliged to tell the mum and the local childcare services about living with a child under 16 but failed to do so.

He was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday (February 22) for breaching the order.

Sentencing him to a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Michael Gledhill said: “No one thinks you have an inappropriate interest in young male children but it was covered in the SHPO.

“If you had just told the mother and the child support services about the SHPO the likelihood is they would have said, ‘He isn’t interested in a young 17-month-old boy, let’s gets in touch with your solicitor and vary the order’.

“But you brought this all on yourself.”

The court heard that Kitney, of Gaveston Road, Didcot, had told the mum-of-one about his previous convictions but had not informed her of the conditions of his SHPO.

After hearing about her new partner, the mum’s own parents became concerned and researched Kitney.

Upon finding out about his previous convictions, her parents called the police and he has been in custody for about six months.

Kitney did have other accommodation at the time, after living homeless in a tent for about four months, but upon arrest, most of his items including clothes were found at her home.

Defending Kitney, barrister Gordana Austen said that Kitney worked as a groundworker six days a week and as a cleaning five days a week in the evenings.

“So he did try to keep himself busy,” she said.

Concluding the case, Judge Gledhill said: “It’s your own stupid fault. Just keep yourself to yourself. Learn a lesson and don’t come back before this court again.”

Judge Gledhill didn’t order ‘trail monitoring’ as it thought it would be ‘over the top’ and there were no orders for unpaid work as the judge wants Kitney to focus on his own work.

He will, however, need to complete 55 rehabilitation activity days.

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A sex offender from Wolverhampton has been jailed after he raped two women.

Jonathon Baker was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court to 22 years in prison on Thursday (22 Feb).

The court heard how Baker, 46, started relationships with the women between 2013 and 2018.

During these relationships, he increasingly moved to more violent behaviour, having initially lured them by "making them feel like the most important woman in the world" the court heard.

Eventually, he administered a drug on one of the women before sexually assaulting her.

The two women bravely came forward and told police about what had happened to them, leading to Baker's arrest in October 2018.

In interview, Baker tried to claim everything had been consensual between him and them, then he changed his story and accused them of making up their accusations against him.

When the accusation of drugging the woman came up, Baker was seen to laugh at the suggestion.

Despite this, the officers investigating Baker were able to build a conclusive case against him.

Baker was found guilty of rape, sexual assault and administering a substance to enable sexual activity.

He will spend a minimum of 11 years, less the year he has already served, in prison before he is eligible for parole.

He was convicted in 2022 and has been in prison since.

If you have been subjected to sexual abuse or violence, you don’t have to deal with it on your own. 

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Phillip Grove, aged 70 from Sheffield who lived in Taunton at the time of the incidents, was jailed at Taunton Crown Court on Friday 23 February after being found guilty of 15 charges linked to non-recent sexual offences, including rape.

During a trial at the same court, which is currently residing at North Somerset Courthouse, a jury found Grove guilty of two counts of rape, 10 counts of indecency with a child and three counts of indecent assault.

They heard how, in the 1990s while in the volunteer position of Chief Petty Officer at a Sea Cadet group, he raped one of the victims, sexually assaulted another and was indecent in front of two other victims. The incidents happened over a span of six years.

In September 2020, one of the victims reported what had happened to her and the other children to police and an investigation into Grove was launched.

On Friday, he was jailed for 22 years, one year of which will be spent on extended licence. The judge also granted a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order and instructed Grove to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

He was also barred from working with children.

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A convicted sex offender obsessed with "panties and underwear" was caught offending online by police after he was targeted by paedophile hunters.

Morgan Green, 48, thought he had been communicating with teenage girls but had in fact been messaging with two adult decoys from paedophile hunter groups.

Norwich Crown Court heard he had been in conversation with an adult decoy who immediately stated she was 13.

John Morgans, prosecuting, said Green initially stated she was "too young" but he went on to manipulate the conversation around to a sexual context.

Mr Morgans said Green, who has an "obsession with underwear" had been asking her for pictures of her "in her panties".

In online conversations with another 13-year-old, also an adult decoy, Green again requested pictures before encouraging her to commit a sexual act upon herself.

Police were contacted and Green, who has a previous conviction for attempted sexual communication with a child, was arrested.

Green, from New Street, Cromer appeared for sentence on Monday after admitting two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He also admitted attempting to cause or incite a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity on November 19 last year.

Judge Andrew Shaw said Green was a "dangerous" offender who posed a "significant risk of serious harm" to children.

He imposed an extended sentence of 10 years and four months, made up of four years and four months custody and six years on licence.

Judge Shaw added: "People like you don't just happen upon these sites, you go looking for them".

Cathy McCulloch, mitigating, said the defendant, a father of three, was a man who had a "bit of a self-destruct button" but was "just so grateful they weren't real children".

She said he wanted her to say he was "very upset" and "very sorry" but accepted what he had done was wrong.

Green was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) as well as being put on the sex offenders register for life.

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A man has been jailed after secretly filming women and children for his own gratification.

Ryan Beaumont appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 23 February where he was sentenced to three years in prison for 21 offences, including upskirting, voyeurism, and taking and possessing indecent images of children. 

The 38-year-old, from Hartford, previously pleaded guilty to all charges, which involved nine child victims and 10 adult victims.

Cheshire Police were first contacted in June 2021 after Beaumont was reported for upskirting a woman while at an address working as a mobile mechanic.

He was subsequently arrested, and his electronic devices were seized and sent off for forensic examination.

During subsequent interviews, Beaumont made a full admission to his offending, even stating he would hide cameras in the bathroom and spare room at his home address to try and capture people getting changed and using the toilet.

Beaumont stated he got an adrenaline rush from obtaining footage without the victims’ knowledge. He told officers his offending had progressed to the point where he would keep his phone on record at all times and film whenever he saw an opportunity.

He was later charged with seven counts of taking category C images, one count of possessing category C images, one count of possessing category B images, eight counts of voyeurism, and four counts of upskirting.

On top of his custodial sentence, Beaumont is subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

He is also banned from working with children and banned from owning a mobile phone with a camera.