Latest Offenders

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A 61-year-old man has been jailed for five years and four months after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting another man.

John Soul, of Ship Lane, Redcliffe, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.

The victim is believed to have been drugged by Soul after becoming separated from his friends on a night out in the city.

Police said Soul was a "predator" who sought out a "vulnerable" victim.

The court was told the victim, who was in his early 20s, had been on a night out on 19 November, 2021.

He could not recall anything else until the following day, when he woke up and realised he had been sexually assaulted.

The two men were not known to each other, and Mr Soul was identified through forensic evidence.

'Horribly traumatic'

In a personal statement read to the court, the victim said: "Telling my parents was really difficult. This is not the sort of thing you anticipate having to tell [them] and during this I cried, which was the first time I have cried in a long time.

"As a tall, young, heterosexual male, this has made me feel particularly vulnerable and, in fact, that itself was probably worse than the incident itself. It has really knocked my confidence and self-esteem," he continued.

"It has been a horribly traumatic incident, I myself feel quite mentally strong but even I have been traumatised by the whole incident.

"This is all due to the actions of another person who takes advantage of individuals when they are vulnerable."

'He is a predator'

Soul was charged in May 2022 and pleaded guilty in February.

Det Sgt Amy Hewitt from Avon and Somerset Police said: "The victim in this case has been extremely brave in coming forward to police.

"He put aside his own concerns and wanted to make sure no one else was hurt by Soul and to keep others safe.

"Soul is a predator who sought out an individual who was alone and vulnerable and took advantage of that."

Alongside his custodial sentence, Soul will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register once he is released from prison.

Description

A takeaway chef faces the prospect of time behind bars after being found guilty by a jury of chatting up young girls on social media before going on to touch them inappropriately. Rajon Ahmed, 40, also sent pictures of himself naked and suggested he meet one of the girls for sex.

Ahmed, from St Ives, has been on trial this week at Truro Crown Court and was after a short period of jury deliberation found guilty of sexual communications with a child, two sexual activity with a child charges and sexual assault. He was found not guilty of a second sexual assault charge.

Ahmed was bailed ahead of sentencing in February under the condition that he surrender his passport. Judge David Evans warned him that custody is the most likely outcome.

By convicting Ahmed the jury rubbished his account that he chatted to the girls thinking they were 18 and that no sexual activity took place. Judge Evans commented on how Ahmed took the matter to trial despite the overwhelming evidence again him.Prosecuting the case, Brian Fitzherbert said that Ahmed was well aware of the ages of the two girls, who were 16 and 13 at the time.

Mr Fitzherbert opened the case by outlining the now proven allegations made by the first victim. He said that at first conversation was friendly and normal before Ahmed asked the girl how old she was. She replied that she was 13, to which Ahmed replied "you don't look 13".

Ahmed followed her on Instagram and they began to message before the conversation moved to Snapchat. Mr Fitzherbert said: "He began to offer her cigarettes and cannabis and asked if she wanted to see his penis. She said no but he sent a picture anyway and did this three or four times. The images were of him naked saying he wished she was with him."

Ahmed asked to meet the girl and have sex with him. They met twice and on the second occasion Ahmed hugged her and as she pulled away he kissed her on the mouth and grabbed and squeezed her breast.

The second, older, victim says that Ahmed was "lovely and friendly" at first. He connected with her on Snapchat and began to comment on her Instagram posts saying "sexy" and "gorgeous". He offered her cigarettes and on one occasion, hugged her and as she moved away touched and squeezed her breast.

The jury heard how a third young girl says Ahmed also communicated with her, although no sexual offending took place.

Description

A horrified home owner was arrested in his own home in front of his wife for offences committed by a paedophile living in his annex. Police were actually after sex offender Peter Quinton, 31, who later suggested to police the homeowner may have had something to do with it.

Quinton, formerly of Bodmin but more recently of Gloucester, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Prosecuting the case, Ryan Murray said that on July 27, 2021, police executed a warrant at an address in Bodmin following intelligence from an online paedophile investigation team that linked the IP address to child pornography being accessed online. Mr Murray described how police initially arrested the property owner before realising Quinton was living in an annex.

Quinton provided devices and on a laptop found five Category A images, one Category B and two Category C. All were stills and depicted children aged between one and seven. Quinton was also found to have made searches relating to child abuse images and made file names relating to toddlers and babies. The homeowner said that had he realised Quinton was a sex offender he'd never have allowed him to live there.

Quinton largely remained quiet during interview but suggested the homeowner may have had something to do with the accessing of the sick material. The court heard how Quinton had been convicted of similar offences in 2015 and given a non-custodial sentence.

Representing Quinton, Nicholas Wragg said that he had been in a stable relationship and stable employment for many years. Mr Wragg added that Quinton suffered abuse as a child which had a "profound effect" on him and also witnessed domestic abuse. All of this is said to have "distorted his thinking later in life". He has also been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which causes impulsive behaviour.

Sentencing Quinton, Recorder John Trevaskis said it's sadly a fact of life that those who commit crimes involving abuse are often the victims of abuse themselves. He added that as a result Quinton developed an unhealthy interest in sexual activity with children, and although he hadn't actively abused any children himself, the interests of people such as Quinton result in children being raped and abused all over the world.

Recorder Trevaskis said that in Quinton's case there is considerable mitigation, despite his "deeply intrenched and inappropriate interest in indecent images of children". Recorder Trevaskis noted Quinton's family support and that of his wife, and deeming him "a realistic prospect of rehabilitation" sentenced him to a two-year community order, with 300 hours unpaid work and a rehabilitation requirement to address his offending. Quinton was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

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A serial rapist who targeted a woman as she slept tried to challenge his lengthy jail term.

Callen Chandler-Jones took advantage of the woman, who cannot be identified, leaving her "completely broken" and feeling as though she had been "treated like an object" in her own words.

Chandler-Jones, 31, was handed an extended sentence at Liverpool Crown Court in April, where a judge heard how he raped his "extremely vulnerable" victim while she was asleep on at least 11 occasions over the space of several years. Charlotte Kenny, prosecuting, described how the woman became suspicious and began leaving her phone under her pillow recording when she was sleeping.

When she later confronted Chandler-Jones, he apologised and said that he had been having "irresistible urges". He later made "partial admissions" to the attacks, which occurred at an address in Merseyside.

Chandler-Jones was jailed for 20 years, with an extended licence period of eight years, after admitting two counts of rape. The court heard the second count encompassed a number of different occasions.

That sentence means that Chandler-Jones must serve at least two thirds of his jail term before becoming eligible for parole, and will only be released early if a Parole Board are convinced he is safe to live in the community.

However the pervert launched an appeal against his sentence, claiming the judge had no right to impose such a long prison term.

A judgment handed down by the Court of Appeal after a hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice revealed that Chandler-Jones lodged two grounds of appeal. According to Lady Justice Whipple, Chandler-Jones argued "it was manifestly excessive given the facts of the case and the overall criminality involved".

He also argued imposing an extended sentence was unnecessary given the length of the custodial sentence. However Justice Whipple wrote: "The index offences are very severe. Their repeated nature makes it reasonable to go above the upper limit of that category by some margin.

"This sentence was for a series of rapes (at least 11) over a lengthy period, committed despite [the complainant] asking the applicant to stop and expressing her deep upset at what was occurring. These rapes were committed while she was asleep and unable to resist."

In regard to the extended sentence, she wrote: "The judge had good reason to impose an extended sentence in this case. The applicant plainly does present a real danger to the public."

Back in April. the victim bravely read out a statement to the court, in which she outlined the devastating impact of his assaults. She tearfully said: "I don't know how to put my feelings into words.

"This has completely broken me as a person. I am doing all I can to put the pieces back together. The hardest thing to get my head around was why he would want to cause me such distress time and time again. My confidence and my heart and soul was completely stripped from me.

"He treated me like an object to give pleasure. It broke my heart. I really struggle to understand how he could disregard me and my body. I want to ensure he never hurts anyone ever again.

"I refuse to be hurt by him anymore. I completely lost who I was."

Heroin and crack cocaine addict Chandler-Jones has a total of 19 previous convictions, including for assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Judge David Swinnerton, who passed the original sentence, said: "You raped her in circumstances where she was exceptionally vulnerable. You used her like an object.

"You ignored her humanity completely and completely disregarded her as a human being. You treated her as a sexual play thing to do with what you wanted."

Chandler-Jones was also given a restraining order, preventing him from contacting the complainant indefinitely. He must sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A former Army cadet instructor, who ruined the lives of five young boys by sexually abusing them, was jailed for almost 30 years on Friday.

A judge told 63-year-old Stephen Finnigan: You were a determined predator. You abused your position of trust and responsibility and power over each of these boys. Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said that as he denied all the allegations and was convicted after a trial, he 'forced each of the victims concerned to attend court and be branded liars'.

Jailing him for a total of 29 years six months with an extended one year licence, the judge said that Finnigan had groomed the boys with cigarettes and beer and caused them severe psychological damage.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Finnigan, of Longfield Road, Litherland, Liverpool, committed the offences over a 12 year period in the 1980s and early 1990s with some overlap but mainly in succession.

He was an army cadet instructor and colour sergeant and was based at both Grace Road in Walton Vale and Browns Lane, Netherton when the offences occurred. Four of the victims were cadets and the fifth was the son of a friend. They ranged in age from eight to 14, explained Trevor Parry-Jones, prosecuting.

Finnigan also took cadets to Altcar firing range and camping trips in Royden Park on the Wirral where he sexually assaulted one of the victims. The boy was so traumatised that he slept outside the tent all night and got hypothermia.

Mr Parry-Jones said that the Army Cadets were seen as a means of instilling interest and pride in boys and was a potential route into the regular army. Sadly that could not be said to have been in the mind of the defendant who by his convictions seemed to have used the Army Cadets as a means of providing him with a source of boys whom he could groom and thereafter abuse," he said.

Those boys did not gain the security that they should have enjoyed and as was revealed in their evidence they suffered considerably both as a direct result of the assaults but also in their emotional development.

He said that many of the victims came from poor families and the defendant was popular as he provided cigarettes and beer which he also took to a flat where boys gathered.

One victim went to the police after reading about the Jimmy Saville abuse and left a message but did not follow it up. He effectively buried it as did the second victim, who was aged about 12, when Finnigan began assaulting him culminating in buggery. His life effectively collapsed, he resorted to drugs, said Mr Parry-Jones.

The third victim who was assaulted at Royden Park eventually told police what had happened after seeing an article in the local media about Finnigan receiving a medal for 'exceptional service' to the Army Cadets.

The next cadet victim, who Finnigan attempted to have anal sex with, read his own graphic impact statement to the court on Friday, in which he told how his life had spiralled out of control and led to him committing various offences and being imprisoned. It was only when his solicitor encouraged him to tell her about his past, convinced there was something in his background, that the details emerged and the police were informed.

Merseyside Police then began to investigate and were able to trace the previous reports made and re-interview the victims, said Mr Parry-Jones.

The court heard that the fifth victims family had regarded the defendant almost as an uncle. His family life was poor and Finnigan gave him the attention he craved and groomed him. He told his dad about the abuse but he severely beat him and social services intervention failed to result in a police investigation.

Two other impact statements were read to the judge in which those victims also told how they had been left haunted by his attacks.

The court was told that Finnigan only has one previous offence but this was in 2012 for assaulting a cadet by setting fire to his hair as he believed it was too long and this led to the end of his Army Cadet involvement.

He had been convicted of 29 offences involving indecent assault, indecency with a child and an offence which would now be charged as rape. Finnigan, who appeared via video link, continues to maintain his innocence. He had claimed they had conspired together to get him into trouble.

He repeatedly shook his head during the proceedings and smiled when sentenced. He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A REGISTERED sex offender has been brought back before a court after he failed to notify police he had been using an online dating app.

William Kirkbride, 59, is required to notify police of any names or aliases he uses within three days under the terms of a 10-year sex offender notification requirement.

He was jailed for 21 months in June 2022 for facilitating a child sex offence and was released on licence on August 10 last year.

Kirkbride had used the gay dating site, Grindr, between August 28 and September 11 and had not notified police, Workington Magistrates’ Court heard.

Pamela Fee, prosecuting, said the defendant was spoken to by the police officer who had examined his mobile phone.

He admitted using Grindr and accepted he hadn’t told his offender manager the username.

Ms Fee said it was a deliberate failure to comply with the requirement.

Kirkbride, of Queen Street, Whitehaven, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders’ register.

John Cooper, defending, said: “On release, there is no restriction on him being allowed to use the app. He is allowed to use it but has to tell police all his details – his passwords and usernames.

“He has been in conversation with a probation officer and said he was using that app. There has been no attempt to hide it.

“There is monitoring software on his phone so it would have been discovered.”

The court heard a decision had been made not to recall Kirkbride to prison. He remains on licence until October 9 this year.

A probation officer said Kirkbride had been compliant and had engaged with several partnership agencies including a GP and mental health services. Citizens Advice were also involved to assist with the sale of Kirkbride’s property.

Magistrates imposed a nine-week curfew, to run daily from 6pm until 6am. Kirkbride was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

Description

A Chesterfield rapist who left a woman suffering nightmares and anxiety has been jailed.

Rys Turner’s vile actions were uncovered after the woman came forward and told officers of the rape after he assaulted her in March 2023.

In a statement read out at court, she explained the devastating impact that the crimes had on her. She said: ”I’ve been taking sleeping tablets because my thoughts keep me awake at night and I don’t want to fall to sleep and have anymore nightmares about everything.

“I don’t think my life will ever be the same after this.

“I just want to be left alone, I don’t want to see anyone and I don’t want to speak to anyone either.

“I’m so closed off from the outside world it’s affecting my anxiety even more.

“Sleeping is still a massive struggle, the nightmares put me right back in those traumatic moments, they feel so real I’m waking up in a panic.”

The 26-year-old, of Littlemoor, Newbold, appeared at Derby Crown Court on 15 December when he was jailed for six years after admitting rape.

He was also handed a restraining order preventing him from having any contact with the victim for 16 years and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

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A SHOCKED mother sat in a Carlisle court listening to a harrowing account of how her son had secretly viewed sickening child rape videos.

Former Broughton Moor man Ben Robinson-Brown viewed videos of children aged four, five and eight as they were raped and boasted to a contact of watching footage of a ten-year-old girl being gang-raped, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

As Judge Nicholas Barker passed sentence, he told the defendant his mother's face as she heard those distressing details showed her “disbelief and disgust”.

Robinson-Brown, formerly of Broughton Moor, Maryport, but now living at Wreay, near Carlisle, admitted five offences.

Three related to him downloading 29 indecent child images, 15 of them Category A, the most serious kind; one was possessing extreme pornography, and there was one count of distributing a Category C indecent child image.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke outlined the facts.

He said police acting on intelligence raided the defendant’s home and seized three devices, a laptop, an iPhone and an iPad. The illegal images included three videos, one just under a minute long and two just over a minute.

They showed men raping girls aged four, five and eight. All three victims were clearly distressed, said Mr Burke.

Another video showed sex between people and dogs. Mr Burke then outlined the evidence of how the defendant chatted online with a person, posing initially as a 14-year-old girl and then later discussing gang raping an 11-year-old.

The defendant also sent the contact a sexual image of a 10-year-old girl. The prosecutor said: “He tells [the contact] that he’s in the business of renting out eight to 15-year-old females and he is looking to trade in indecent images.

“He tries and fails to boast that he’s seen a 10-year-old female being gang raped – something he’d seen in a video.”

Marion Weir, defending, said Robinson-Brown had done much “soul searching” since his offending came to light.

The barrister said: “He’s an intelligent young man who in many ways is more mature than his 23 years. These offences were 18 months ago, and he says the person who committed these offences is very different to the person who appears in court.”

The defendant’s background included the pandemic and the death of his great grandmother, a person he regarded as his best friend.

“There’s nothing which can excuse the offending,” said the barrister. “He is disgusted by his behaviour and disappointed in himself; and distraught at the impact that this has had on those he loves.”

Robinson-Brown’s prosecution had led to the loss of friendships and a career opportunity with the RAF, she said. He felt genuine remorse, said Miss Weir.

Judge Nicholas Barker noted that the defendant, in his pre-sentence report interview, suggested he did nothing more than take part in perverted role play.

But the evidence – including the distressing videos of young children being raped - demonstrated a “significant sexual interest in very young children,” observed the judge.

Judge Barker remarked on how he had watched the face of a woman sitting in the court’s public gallery, whom he believed to be the defendant’s mother, as Mr Burke outlined the facts of the case.

The judge said: “[Her face] depicted, in my view, two strong emotions: one was disgust and the other was disbelief: disgust at what was being described and disbelief that you had done this – and that is an entirely understandable response because the material were involved with is simply disgusting and depraved.”

The judge noted the defendant had a background included substance abuse, debts and bereavement but he said an appropriate jail term would involve a four-and-a-half-month spell in custody but no meaningful rehabilitation.

Instead, he imposed a three-year community order, with 10 rehabilitation activity days, and a sexual offender treatment programme.

The defendant must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and he will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years.

The judge told the defendant: “You must address your sexual tendencies which you displayed by downloading these perverted images and communicating in that depraved way.”

Description

A man from Litherland has been sentenced to 29 years and six months for 29 counts of historical sexual offences against five children.

Stephen Finnigan, 63, of Longfield Road was sentenced today, Friday 5th January, for multiple counts of indecent assault, gross indecency and other sexual offences following a two-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

Detectives carried out the investigation after receiving a report in 2014 of sex offences against a child which spanned a several-year period. Further victims also came forward, which led to a charge in 2022.

The crimes were historic dating back to the last century, where the offender breached a position of trust, as an instructor in the army cadets.

Merseyside Police wish to make it clear that the army cadets have co-operated fully throughout this operation and their assistance was invaluable.

Detective Constable Claire McDonald said: “The predatory behaviour displayed by Finnigan is utterly appalling and he will now spend years in prison for his depraved actions.

“His victims have showed immense courage and bravery to report the deplorable offences that Finnigan committed.

“Finnigan continued to deny the offences, which meant his victims had to endure a trial when they had to relive the horrific experiences.

“As you can imagine for victims of such an appalling crime, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting. I hope this sentence provides some comfort in knowing they did the right thing by reporting Finnigan’s heinous crime to us.

“I want to stress that time is no barrier to reporting offences and Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm, regardless of when the offences occurred.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

A spokesperson for the army cadets said: “The Cadet organisation has cooperated fully with Merseyside Police throughout the investigation and has clear safeguarding measures and procedures in place to ensure the protection and support of all cadets and adult volunteers, through security screening, rigorous disclosure checks and regular safeguarding training.”

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SERVING police officer in Hampshire was caught distributing indecent images of children online by an undercover operation, a court heard.

Gary Prince, who resigned within days of his arrest, was jailed for three years yesterday after a court heard how thousands of images were discovered on his computer.

A court was told how a user on a file -sharing network, who had been sharing images of children, was traced back to the 49-year-old police constable.

Prince, who had been in the police for 21 years and was at the time an area car driver working in Fareham, had been unaware that he had been engaging with an undercover officer at the time, the court heard.

He was also a school governor and had been a trainer with a children’s motorcycle display team.

Tammy Mears, prosecuting, told Portsmouth Crown Court how the father’s computer contained more than 500 moving images and more than 2,000 photographs.

The court heard Prince had shared these images with at least 12 other people.

The offences stretched from 2008 to 2012.

Ms Mears said police discovered on Prince's laptop a screen shot of a girl, allegedly aged around ten, being sexually abused by a man who claimed to be her father and claimed to be in America.

The court heard that Prince had directed the activity between the man and the girl through a video link.

Prince, of Prinsted Walk, Fareham, confessed in interview his involvement and accepted that he had an interest in girls aged seven to 11, the court heard.

He also admitted having different profiles, including one where he claimed to be an 11-year-old girl.

Prince pleaded guilty to three charges of distributing indecent images of children, three charges of possessing indecent images of children, another of taking an indecent image of a child and one of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

James Bloomer, mitigating, said that the 49-year-old had no previous convictions, had addressed his behaviour through counselling, told friends and family, and reports showed he was not seeking to rationalise or excuse what he had done.

He said that Prince was described in one of numerous references from friends and family as “the world’s best father”.

Judge Iain Pearson said he had taken into account Prince’s early guilty plea, remorse and action to treat his addiction to indecent images of children.

Prince was put on the sex offenders’ register for life, disqualified from working with children indefinitely and the judge ordered that the computer and images be destroyed.

Detective Inspector Richard Wheeler, of the Paedophile and Online Investigation Team, said: “Clearly, while none of the offences are linked to Prince’s role as a police officer, he was trusted by his colleagues and by the public and has let them down.

“We must remember that every one of the thousands of images in Prince’s possession was an image of a child being subjected to abuse.”

Description

A 21-YEAR-OLD pervert has been jailed after watching a woman try on a bikini under her changing room door and groping a woman in the same day.

Sean Taylor, of Layton Close, Birchwood, was out on licence from Appleton Thorn Youth Offenders Institution on July 1, 2012 when he committed both incidents and pleaded guilty to voyeurism and sexual assault.

Warrington Crown Court heard a 22-year-old woman was shopping in Peacocks when she saw the man’s head peering underneath the door and reported it to staff.

Later Taylor grabbed a 35-year-old woman from behind and shouted offensive remarks until she screamed.

Ian Criddle, prosecuting, said: “The changing room victim said she was almost in tears and felt shocked and upset.”

Michael Scholes, defending, said Taylor was ashamed and mortified and had covered his ears during parts of the hearing.

Judge David Hale sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment.

Description

A shop worker has been jailed after finally admitting to owning more than 2000 indecent images of children as young as four on his computer.

Adam Clements, of Butts Road in Southwick, has been sentenced to a total of two years and five months imprisonment after pleading guilty to seven charges of distributing indecent images and videos of children and five offences of making indecent images of children.

The 26-year old also pleaded guilty at the same hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Monday to further offences of making and distributing indecent images of children committed while he was on police bail.

Clements will be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the rest of his life which will severely restrict his access to computers and will have to sign the sexual offences register on his release from jail.

Detective Sergeant Martin Harmer said: "Clements had denied his offending throughout, until Monday's hearing, and his eventual guilty pleas and conviction are testament to the extensive enquiries undertaken by our team.

He had over 2000 indecent images of children on his computer, and had distributed over 100 of them. The images depicted children aged as young as four and some were in the most serious category of images. "

Description

A primary school head teacher who used a spy pen to film pupils in the toilets at his school has been jailed for two years and eight months.

Ashley Yates, 45, of Filton, used the device to record images in the toilets of The Tynings Primary School in Staple Hill, South Gloucestershire.

He admitted six counts of voyeurism and three of making indecent images of children at Bristol Crown Court.

The offences relate to seven girls, two boys and six adults.

'Sexual monster

They came to light after a child found a pen inside a disabled toilet at the school and handed it in to a caretaker.

The court heard that in total the married father filmed 22 adults and nine children and had confessed to his wife that he was a "sexual monster".

The judge accepted that Yates' main sexual interest was in adults urinating, but said he must have realised that children were also going to be caught on his camera.

Judge Michael Longman described Yates' behaviour as "devious" and as a "significant" breach of trust.

During the investigation, additional adult victims were identified by police.

'Lasting impact'

Det Insp Louise Boyce, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "Yates totally abused his position of trust to feed his own personal desires.

"He set up the recording device in a toilet knowing that both children and adults would be using the facilities."

She added she had "no doubt" that Yates' crimes will have "a lasting impact on his victims and their parents".

A letter to parents on the school's website said: "These victims came to light after items were seized by police during the course of the investigation.

"If any further victims are identified during the course of the investigation they will be notified immediately."

Description

A paedophile has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in what the judge described as an ‘unforgivable’ crime.

Matthew Johnson’s actions left his young victim an ’emotional wreck’, Exeter Crown Court was told.
 
To cries of ‘scum’ from public gallery, Johnson, 30, of Market Street, Torquay, was led away from the dock to the cells.

Johnson had changed his plea after the prosecution served new forensic and medical evidence.

The court heard heart-breaking testimony about the impact of his crime from the victim’s mother.

In a statement she said: “Prior to my daughter being sexually assaulted she was a very happy, outgoing girl.

Now she is an emotional wreck. She now receives counselling and has turned into a girl who does not like going outside.

She is always frustrated and angry and lashes out both physically and verbally. “She had told me she does not want to be here anymore and has thoughts about killing herself.

I am devastated about seeing my little girl turned into an emotional wreck.”
Prosecutor, Rachel Drake, told the court that Johnson encouraged the girl to play a game with him before assaulting her.

When she told him to stop he refused.

The victim had to endure two police interviews and a medical examination, Ms Drake said. But Johnson’s guilty plea meant she did not have to give evidence at a trial.
When he was interviewed by police Johnson initially denied the offence.

When police searched his computer they found he had looked up subjects such as ‘what police would need to prove to prove he was a paedophile’, said the prosecutor.
 
“There was also evidence of internet searches by the defendant for underage boys and girls,” added Ms Drake.

The victim’s mother said in the statement: “I’ve never felt so low and emotionally drained. I feel I am constantly living on the edge. This has had a life-long effect on my daughter.”
 
Recorder Martin Meeke QC said he would give the defendant 25 per cent credit for his plea.

He said: “You are a man aged 30 and of previous good character. You took advantage of a time you were alone with the victim. It was an appalling thing to do to any child. It is unforgivable.

“Your conduct has had a significant effect on your victim in terms of the psychological damage, as illustrated in the victim personal statement.” Johnson pleaded guilty to assaulting a female under 13 by penetration.

The defendant will serve half of his sentence in custody and the rest on licence. Recorder Meeke added a further one year to the licence period on his release.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning his contact with children and will sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Description

A child sex offender found guilty of eight counts of child abuse and child abduction is still on the lose after being sentenced to eight years in prison.

Stephen James Powell has gone on the run after he was jailed for the offences.

The 36-year-old failed to turn up to court for his trial and sentencing hearing. Police are appealing to the public to help find the wanted man. He is currently wanted on a warrant issued by Bristol Crown Court.

Powell was found guilty and sentenced for six counts of sexual activity with a child aged 13 to 15 year old and two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was also tried for child abduction.

It is believed he is still in the Bristol area and has known links to Hartcliffe. He is describes as being white, 5ft 10ins tall, with a slim build, brown eyes and a shaved head.

A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said: "We're appealing for the public's help to find wanted man Stephen James Powell. The 36-year-old Bristol man is wanted on a warrant issued by Bristol Crown Court.

"Powell has been convicted of a number of sex offences but failed to appear at court for both his trial and sentencing during which he was jailed for eight years."

Anyone who spots him is asked to call 999 and give the reference 5215010304.