Latest Offenders

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A young man who dreamed of becoming a police officer has been jailed for child sex offences - including a sickening attempt to "blackmail" a 12-year-old schoolgirl into sending him indecent images of herself.

Cameron Longstaff, 20, went online to target the two schoolgirls, telling one he would circulate an intimate image of her that he had acquired if she did not send him more explicit pictures.

The youngsters said the experience left her feeling vulnerable, scared, and angry.

The other girl was so afraid she stayed indoors with the curtains closed, and asked her parents to always lock the doors.

As he imposed a year-long jail term on the defendant, of Hurley Road, Little Corby, Judge James Adkin told him that despite positive character references, the "overwhelming" evidence of his guilt from the trial revealed a darker side Longstaff's character, including his interest in child pornography.

"There is a predatory aspect to this," said the judge. "You felt it necessary to humiliate a young girl because she would not comply with your demands."

Longstaff denied two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; three of downloading indecent child images; one of possessing such images; and two counts of distributing it.

A jury convicted him of all the offences.

The court heard how Longstaff had amassed a large collection of sickening child pornography images, both still images and videos.

Of these, 33 were classed as the most serious kind. The trial was told how Longstaff - 16 when he committed most of the offences - used a social media site under a false name, targeting the two 12-year-olds, urging them to share indecent images of themselves.

When one refused he threatened to distribute an intimate image of her that he had acquired, later sending it to a Russian website used by child porn perverts.

Victim impact statements revealed how the girls were affected. The first girl was left suffering from sleep problems, and her school-work suffered.

The second girl - in court with her mother for the hearing - said: "I was hiding in the house with all the curtains drawn because the [the defendant] said he would come to my house."

Her mother said: "My daughter was only 12 years old and she was very scared by what happened. ..We had been an open house until then, but after the incident, my daughter insisted on locking all the doors all the time.

"She still feels uncomfortable now being at home alone."

Kim Whittlestone, for Longstaff, said her mitigation was limited because the defendant continued to protest his innocence. Character references showed he was a hard-working young man, supported by his family.

"He worked at the family cafe but had aspirations to join the police force," said the barrister.

"He was undertaking a college course which would have enabled him to enter the police force once that was passed."

Miss Whittlestone said most of Longstaff's offending happened when he was 16 and that there was a suggestion he had not acted alone.

At the time, she said, he was struggling to fit in with his peer group. Longstaff wept as he was led away to start his sentence.

His name will be on the Sex Offender's Register for a decade, and he will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A BISHOPS Itchington man has been jailed for raping three women.

Nicholas James Holland, age 34, pleaded guilty to three counts of non-recent rape offences at Birmingham Crown Court on February 6.

He was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The first victim came to police in 2016 and reported that Holland had raped her. She named the two other victims who were contacted by police.

The other two women were reluctant to speak to police but after being reassured they also disclosed offences committed by Holland.

Det Sgt Gareth Unett, said: Holland preyed on young women and the impact on their lives has been devastating. They bravely came forward to report the crimes to police despite the time that had passed. They should be commended for their actions which have helped protect the wider public.

This case highlights that no matter what length of time has passed, the public should feel reassured that Warwickshire Police will thoroughly investigate non-recent offences, supporting victims throughout.

While two of the victims were initially reluctant to talk to police, specially trained officers worked closely with them to provide reassurances and the bravery of all the women ensured Holland faced justice.

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A "predator" who forced a 16-year-old to the ground and attacked her while she was walking home has been jailed.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been in a bar in Rayleigh on the night of January 5 when she got in to a conversation with 20 year-old Bradley Boyd.

During the evening Boyd had made advances towards the victim which she rebuffed.

She left the bar at around 3am with her friends, before leaving them and walking with Boyd along Eastwood Road at the junction of High Street where the victim told Boyd she would make the rest of the journey home on her own.

Shortly after they parted, she began walking down an alleyway near to M&S when a man approached her from behind, forced her to the ground, and assaulted her.

He ran off when her phone rang.

The victim identified her attacker as wearing the same distinctive black Adidas jacket that Boyd was wearing and had the same build.

Boyd, of Woodside Avenue, Benfleet, was arrested at 7.25am on Saturday, January 6, and charged with assault be penetration.

Following a six day trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, he was found not guilty of assault by penetration but guilty of actual bodily harm on Monday, July 9.

He has been sentenced to 40 months in prison.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Leon Pezzuolo said: “Bradley Boyd assault on the victim was sexually motivated and his advances had been rebuffed by her several times during the evening.

“He had been told to leave her alone several times but refused to, attacking her as she went home.

“His actions were totally unacceptable and he acted in a predatory fashion.

“This was a very serious case which was emphasised by the fact the judge went beyond the guidelines when considering Boyd’s sentence.”

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A teenager from Blackpool, who sexually abused a number of young girls, has been jailed for over 12 years.

Ryan Garside, 18, of Orme Street, groomed his young victims on social media, before meeting up with them to carry out the horrific assaults.

He was sentenced at Preston Crown Court for 20 offences relating to four child victims between 2016 and 2017.

His abuse included the rape of a 13 year old girl in which he covered her face and used a school tie as a ligature.

He was between 16 and 17 when he committed the offences.

At an earlier hearing Garside pleaded guilty to one count of rape, ten counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of possession of indecent images, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and five breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order – issued in May 2017.

Garside was given two sentences - nine years and seven months and an additional 32 months for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order on numerous occasions.

He has also been placed on the Dangerous Offenders Register.

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A 32-year-old man will face trial after denying a string of offences including imprisoning, beating and sexually assaulting a woman.

Nicholas Phillip Scott Harford, of Polmear Hill, Par, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday (November 27) for a plea hearing.

He denied five charges against him.

The offences relate to an alleged incident in St Austell on November 7.

The first charge alleges that Harford assaulted and unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and detained her against her will.

Two further charges relate to assault by beating and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The fourth charge alleges that Harford sexually assaulted the same woman.

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Yuval Keren, 56, of Lyndhurst Gardens in Pinner, was previously a rabbi at Southgate Progressive Synagogue. 

In July 2022 police were alerted that a user was uploading suspicious images to online storage provider Dropbox. 

Keren was arrested at his home and several devices were seized. 

Officers found a total of 1,694 indecent images of children – including 189 category A images, which show the most extreme abuse. The images dated back to 2010 and indicated that Keren had been viewing vile images repeatedly for 13 years.

On October 11 this year Keren pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing extreme pornographic images and one count of possessing prohibited images of children. 

On Wednesday (December 13) Keren appeared at Amersham Crown Court where he was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. 

He will be required to complete 40 hours of rehabilitation activity and 180 hours of unpaid work. 

He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order. 

Keren was suspended from his post as rabbi immediately after his arrest and no longer holds a position. 

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A teenager will spend Christmas in custody after being locked up for groping two girls on separate occasions.

William Dowsett had denied two offences of sexual assault but was convicted by a jury.

Judge Jeremy Carey told the 19-year-old that if he had been sentencing him purely in his interests he would have let him walk free.

“I have no doubt you are now leading a law-abiding and responsible life,” he said.

“You are having a relationship with someone who trusts you.

“You have good prospects work-wise and a supporting family.”

But the judge said it was only one side of the picture.

The other side was he had to be punished to reinforce the message that those who committed sexual offences would go to prison.

Prosecutor Allister Walker said Dowsett picked up one of the girls from Strood station after she and her friend had problems catching a train.

They went to Rochester High Street, where there was a festival, and he grabbed her bottom.

Later, he told her he needed “a sex marathon”.

Judge Carey said branded the offences “predatory sexual behaviour” against the will of both victims.

Sentencing Dowsett, of Hinde Close, Sittingbourne, to 18 months’ youth custody, he added: “This was serious sexual offences and you must now take the consequences.”

Dowsett’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

He will be barred from working with children under 16 or vulnerable adults.

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A sex offender who horrifically abused three young girls has been jailed for five years.

Douglas Brown, 60, was sentenced at Dumfries Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old attacker’s appalling crimes prompted Sheriff Scott Pattison to impose the highest possible sentence.

The sheriff praised the victims’ bravery in coming forward.

One of them, now aged 26 and from Dumfries, welcomed the prison term and said Brown being off the street would give her “five years of peace”.

She said: “I’m glad I don’t need to worry about bumping into him in the street or having him drive past me.

“On the other hand, he’s been sentenced to five years while I’ve been left with a life sentence of having to deal with what he did.”

Brown, of Palgowan Farm, Bargrennan, was found guilty at an earlier trial and his sentence had been deferred for background reports including a psychological evaluation.

Sheriff Pattison said: “The jury found you guilty of sexually abusing three children and physically assaulting one of them.

“They were aged between five and 11 years old at the time and that abuse was persistent and prolonged.

“The abuse lasted for years. You were to blame and you were responsible.

“But for the bravery of the three girls you could have avoided justice for serious crimes.”

He added: “I have considered all that has been said on your behalf and the assessments, but I am satisfied only a custodial sentence is appropriate to punish and deter you for the future.

“The sheer persistence leads me to sentence you to the limit of my powers and that is five years imprisonment from today.”

Brown was charged that on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and February 28, 2006 at an address in the region he used indecent practices towards a girl who was aged seven at the start of the abuse.

He removed her clothing, touched her private parts and made her commit a sex act on him.

Brown similarly abused a second girl, aged seven at the start of the offences, on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and May 25, 2008 at two addresses in the region.

In addition, he had sex with a woman in her presence and caused the girl to look at pornographic material.

A third girl, aged only five at the start of the abuse, was a victim between April 1, 2003 and April 26, 2010 at two addresses in the region.

He got into bed and sexually abused her. The court heard earlier he also had sex with a woman in her presence and caused the child to view pornography.

The fourth charge was that on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and July 3, 2011, at two addresses in the region he struck the same girl with his hand, seized her by the throat, pinned her against a wall and uttered threats of violence towards her.

The jury unanimously found him guilty on the first, third and fourth charges and found him guilty by a majority verdict on the second charge.

The victim told the Standard that Brown had never shown any remorse for the abuse.

She said: “He’s never apologised and in fact, seemed to think what he did had been blown out of proportion and wasn’t that bad.

“He thought he was above the law because he’s got plenty of money.

“Since the day he started abusing me, my life hasn’t progressed in any way.

“I haven’t been able to connect to anybody, I’m scared of absolutely everything including even going outside and especially speaking to older men.

“It was only when one of the other victims reported the abuse that I decided to speak out and I’m glad I did even though I had to force myself to.

“I’d urge anyone else in the same situation to find someone they trust and tell them what’s happening.

“It’s only now that I can finally fix my mental health and sort out my life.

“Sometimes I think about what happened when I don’t want to.

“I’ve always felt full of shame and that I wasn’t normal.

“Brown is disgusting and I’m glad he’s not going to be around anymore children for a while.”

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A sex offender has been locked up after attacking a woman on Teesside.

Richard Marsden carried out two sexual assaults on the female in the Middlesbrough area.

The 27-year-old, of Locksley Close, North Shields, North Tyneside, committed the crimes in July last year.

He made a first appearance at Teesside Magistrates' Court in Middlesbrough in August this year.

Due to the severity of the charges, the magistrates' transferred his case to Teesside Crown Court.

He was given unconditional bail until the crown court hearing on September 24.

When he returned to court, Marsden pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by penetration.

He was sentenced by Judge Tim Stead at the court in Middlesbrough on December 6.

Marsden was jailed for three years and ordered to sign the sex offender register for an indefinite period.

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An amateur photographer has been jailed for paying a 14-year-old girl to pose naked for him and then posting one of the images online.

Retired Met police officer Andrew Vernon’s actions left the girl with serious psychological issues including thoughts of suicide and it took her three years before she was able to confide in a school counsellor.

Police found a hoard of other images of teenaged girls on his laptop after his arrest which he had downloaded from the internet.

Officers also recovered images from an ammunition safe at his former home in East Devon of an adult woman in a shower which he had filmed secretly.

The two victims wrote powerful impact statements. The girl said she is being treated for severe depression and has psychological scars which she will take to the grave.

She said: “It has broken me in so many ways, I have a sense of feeling shattered.” The adult victim said she felt betrayed.

Former Metropolitan Police officer Vernon, aged 59, now of Maple Road, Exeter, admitted taking and distributing indecent images of the 14-year-old, two counts of making (by downloading), indecent images of children and one of voyeurism.

He was jailed for 18 months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register. The judge adjourned an application for a sexual harm prevention order.

He told him: “You admitted these offences after trying to minimise your sexual interest in teenaged girls. You got a 14-year-old girl into posing for you and manoeuvred her into doing that. The problems that you caused have been set out in her personal statement.

“That offence is very significantly aggravated by the distribution of an image online. The constellation of offences makes the case too serious for this sentence to be suspended.”

Mr Greg Richardson, prosecuting, said the teenaged girl made disclosures at school last year about having posed for the naked pictures three years earlier when she was 14.

She revealed that Vernon paid her £75 for a 30 minute photo shoot in which he got her to pose topless and then fully naked, and pose with her arms above her head and her hands running through her hair.

He showed her a blank SD card shortly afterwards and told her he had deleted everything but he downloaded them onto his laptop and sent one to an amateur photographic website.

Police recovered a total of 441 images from his laptop and USB and SD cards hidden in an ammunition safe. There was only one showing an adult having sex with a child.

Mr Matthew Graham, defending, said Vernon wants to apologise for the hurt he has caused. He has signed up for an online course run by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to address his behaviour and is receiving counselling.

He said Vernon is very keen to attend courses run by the probation service which could only be offered if he was still at liberty. He has no previous convictions and has been volunteering at a charity in Exeter.

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In the first incident Gallagher continued to rape the victim even after she repeatedly told him to stop, while on the second occasion she woke up to find Gallagher raping her.

Immediately after the second incident the victim called a friend to stay in her home as Gallagher refused to leave.

A victim impact statement read out in court said the victim had suffered significant trauma as a result of the incidents, which continues to this day.

At Luton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday), Gallagher was sentenced to three years in prison for the first offence and six years for the second. The sentences will be served at the same time.

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A paedophile from Cambridgeshire has been sentenced after he messaged girls under the age of 16 until he was caught by a decoy when four 'children' turned out to be adults. The 45-year-old had previously been convicted for making indecent images of children and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Neil Higgins, of no fixed address from Peterborough, was caught by police through a decoy after the paedophile believed he had been messaging four young girls on messaging apps between September 17 and October 13 2020. In his messages to the 'young girls' Higgins had requested photos of them in their underwear, asked to meet up with them and asked them to perform sexual acts on themselves.

Higgins was previously convicted in 2014 for making indecent images of children and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. He came off the register in September 2019 but offended again just a year later.

On October 13, Higgins was linked to the decoy messages after those he had spoken to called the police. Further investigations revealed Higgins had messaged approximately 200 other people, 11 of these indicating they were under the age of 16.

Of the 15 'children' Higgins messaged, the 11 above plus the four decoys, officers established that he caused or incited two of them to engage in sexual activity. He asked 12 profiles for pictures, and told 13 of the profiles that they were ‘sexy’.

At the time of the offences, a search was carried out at his home in Peterborough where numerous items were seized, including a small amount of cannabis. In a police interview, Higgins admitted to sending the messages but stated he never intended to do any of the things he talked about in them – such as meeting the ‘girls’ in person or having sex with them.

Higgins claimed people who wanted to do that were ‘sick in the head’ and said he was not like that. He also told officers he was in a ‘dark place mentally’ which had driven him to offend again.

He was subsequently charged with possessing cannabis, four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to cause or incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. On May 4 at Cambridge Crown Court admitted to the offences.

On Tuesday, July 19 Higgins was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court. Judge Sean Enright told him he had shown a ‘determined and sustained effort to meet young girls for sex’ and had also shown no remorse for his crimes.

He was handed four years and six months in prison, with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to run indefinitely and monitor any future offending. Mark Escott, from the force’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), said: “We will do all we can to bring those to justice who use the internet in this way - to groom and try to meet children under 16. Higgins’ behaviour was shocking and inappropriate.

“Phones and social media mean children can be vulnerable to those who prey on their innocence and exploit their trust. I would urge parents to speak to their children about online safety and consider exactly who they are communicating with.

“Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.”

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A DEPRAVED Isle of Wight man who served in the RAF and as a firefighter and special police constable, has been put behind bars after he set up hidden cameras and filmed females in states of undress.

Andrew Taylor, of Woodside Close, Northwood, appeared before an Isle of Wight Crown Court judge today (Tuesday) to learn his fate, having already admitted six counts of voyeurism and one count of taking indecent images of a child.

The charges relate to incidents between December 31, 2018, and January 23 last year.

Taylor was arrested, after an operation he set up came to light, in which he covertly installed cameras in places to film females in various states of undress, said James Kellen, prosecuting.

The 59-year-old, learning police had been informed, retrieved all his electronic filming devices prior to his arrest.

In interview, Taylor was candid about his activities exceeding what was known to detectives.

He secretly filmed females, who included a teenager, and said he viewed the footage for his own sexual gratification.

A great bulk of the 75 Category C moving images, of three victims, and a still image, were stored on one memory card, Mr Kellen said.

"He never showed the images to anyone. He said that would be weird," Mr Kellen added.

One of the female victims, a teenager, described how the thought of being filmed over a protracted time period had made her paranoid, isolated and prone to panic attacks, for which she has sought therapy.

"I want him locked up. I want his reputation demolished," she said in her victim statement.

In another victim statement, a woman described Taylor's actions as depraved, diabolical and despicable, and branded him a paedophile and a monster.

She said knowing what Taylor did left her broken and in a dark place.

She suffered a nervous breakdown and had wanted to take her own life eventually moving off the Island.

The victim concluded her statement with a plea to the judge: "Please don't let him harm anyone else."

Taylor, with no previous convictions, had served 12 years in the RAF, together with service as a firefighter and special police constable.

For Taylor, Berenice Mulvanny said her client showed remorse and said his shame and guilt "would live with him forever".

Miss Mulvanny said Taylor could not understand the cause of his offending behaviour, but added being caught was a relief to him.

Taylor was imprisoned for 40 months and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the rest of his life.

When sentencing Taylor, the judge, Recorder Malcolm Gibney, told him: "Your conduct was nothing short of despicable. It was calculated and deliberate.

"The nature of the offending is so grave, and the impact so severe, it will live with the victims for years."

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A man has been jailed for raping a woman.

Darren House, of Whiteacres Close in Gosport, was sentenced yesterday at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The 46-year-old was charged with one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration, relating to an incident which happened in Gosport on 3 May 2023.

The woman, aged in her 40s, provided a statement to be read to the court on her behalf: “I literally think about this incident most days. It makes me feel sick when I think about it.

“When I think about it, I get upset, I cry and shake. Even now. I feel humiliated and degraded by him. I have to live with this for the rest of my life.”

House was sentenced yesterday to 13 years in prison.

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Elvis Williams, 63, of Mosaic Close in Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court (Tuesday 2 January), where he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his offences against a woman in her 60s.

Williams had previously pleaded guilty to two assaults on the victim, denying the charges of coercive and controlling behaviour, rape and intentional strangulation. A jury found him guilty of all offences at Southampton Crown Court on Friday 28 July following a five day trial. The court heard how on Saturday 4 March the victim ran from her home and asked for assistance from a nearby dog walker having been assaulted by Williams. Police were called and the victim told them that Williams had punched her a number of times and forced her to have sex with him.

She also reported how he had previously strangled her until she couldn’t breathe.

Officers arrested Williams and he was subsequently charged with rape, intentional strangulation, engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour and two counts of assault.