Latest Offenders

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A man who was jailed for sex offences has been returned to prison after giving sweets to children in County Durham.

Kenneth Pybus, aged 75, is banned from having unsupervised contact with children following a conviction in 2019 for carrying out child sexual offences.

Durham Crown Court heard how Pybus had been handed a five year sentence for the crimes by Norwich Crown Court in November 2019. He was later released from prison on licence in February 2022, when he moved to Sacriston and was monitored by police.

However, the court heard how Pybus had begun speaking to children in the area and giving them sweets and dog treats so as to "establish relationships."

When police became aware, he was arrested and recalled to prison.

Pybus pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and was handed a 14 month sentence.

In sentencing, Recorder Edward Legard described Pybus' behaviour as "classic grooming techniques".

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AN NHS surgeon who worked at University Hospital Southampton has been convicted of possessing "revolting and abhorrent" images of child sexual abuse.

Plastic surgeon Mansoor Khan was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) he was found to have 106 images - mostly of boys aged between five and seven - on his mobile phone and a hard drive.

Interviewed by NCA investigators the 54-year-old, who also worked at Salisbury District Hospital, admitted receiving the images from a contact on Snapchat.

But he claimed to have acted out of curiosity and had no intention of promoting, sharing or storing them.

The surgeon, who specialises in reconstructive surgery, breast surgery, body contouring and "facial rejuvenation", was charged with three offences of making and possessing indecent images of a child between December 10, 2020, and August 24, 2021.

They included 31 category A images - ranked the most serious.

He denied the offences but was convicted at Salisbury Crown Court following a five-day trial and is due to be sentenced on February 24 next year.

The court heard that Khan used encrypted sites to message others and repeatedly accessed child pornography using his mobile phone.

"By downloading these images he demonstrated a sexual interest in children and helped fuel the sickening demand for this kind of material.

"He denied ever taking screenshots of images on his phone, but our investigation showed this simply wasn’t true.

"The NCA continues to pursue offenders like Khan, to bring them to justice and protect victims of online child sexual abuse."

During the trial Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said Khan gave in to sexual temptation "many times over".

Referring to the category A images he added: "They are of the most revolting and abhorrent kind. They are just awful. You can rarely, if ever, expunge it from your memory."

Khan spent many years pretending to be a pillar of society but was nursing a "deep and sordid secret", the court heard.

Mr Gabb said: "In the privacy of those moments where he and his phone were together he thought he would never, ever be caught."

Khan, of Ridgeway Road, Salisbury, worked at University Hospital Southampton until October last year and has now been dismissed by Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

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A taxi driver who planned to collect a 13-year-old girl from school for sex has been jailed.

Naveed Ansari, 46, of Beckside Road, Bradford, exchanged sexual messages with a decoy profile set up by a group of paedophile hunters.

The cabbie sent the 'teenager' a picture of his genitals and arranged to meet her in Leeds.

He was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Bradford Crown Court on Friday after admitting three child sex offences.

Prosecutor Richard Walters told the court Ansari was repeatedly told the girl was only 13 during conversations on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

The married taxi driver, who initially claimed to be aged 20, said he would treat the girl "like a princess" and promised to buy her presents.

"He suggested he would buy her a dress and a bra and he showed her images of a teddy bear he had bought for her," Mr Walters said.

Ansari encouraged the 'girl' to perform sex acts on herself and told her she must keep their conversations secret or they would both get in trouble.

He suggested picking her up from school in his cab and said "no-one would be suspicious because people would think he was just a taxi driver," the prosecutor told the court.

Ansari arranged to meet the girl for the first time in Richmond Hill, Leeds, on 23 October last year.

When he arrived he was confronted by members of the Net Justice online predator hunting group, who detained him until police arrived to arrest him.

Police found Viagra tablets, condoms and a receipt for the playsuit, which he had bought the previous night, in his car. They also discovered indecent and extreme pornographic images on his mobile phone, the court heard.

Ansari pleaded guilty to attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, and attempted sexual communication with a child.

'Denial of responsibility'

Katherine Robinson, in mitigation, said Ansari had found it very hard to accept what he had done.

Ansari had lost his family, his reputation and his job as a result of his actions, the barrister added.

Recorder Tahir Khan KC told Ansari the only sentence that could be justified was immediate imprisonment.

The judge added: "I'm satisfied this wasn't just talk. You wanted to meet this 13-year-old child, as you believed her to be.

"You had come prepared. A black playsuit for a 13 to 14-year-old girl was found in the car."

The judge added Ansari, despite his guilty pleas, continued to "deny responsibility" for his crimes.

Ansari will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life and will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which prohibits contact with girls aged under 16.

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Michael James told the boy he had recorded the attack and 'if he ever told anyone then people would hate him and think he was dirty', the court heard

A paedophile filmed himself sexually abusing a 10-year-old then threatened to release the footage if the boy told anyone. Michael James from Merthyr Tydfil attacked three boys and raped two of them.

James, now 66, terrorised the children in the 1990s and 2000s. In one case he threatened to kill a 15-year-old boy if he revealed the abuse, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Andrew Davies said one of the victims was aged around 10 when he was attacked. The pervert asked to "play wrestling" before groping his thighs and then his private parts. He said "let me see" but the boy "knew something was wrong" and managed to flee, the court heard.

A few weeks later James trapped the boy and left him "shaking and scared" as he pulled him onto the floor and took down the child's trousers.

The boy was struggling and saying: "What are you doing?" James put his hand over the boy's mouth to stop him talking and positioned his knees atop the child before penetrating him. The boy was in pain and afterwards realised he was bleeding.

"The defendant sat him down and pointed to a camera on the mantelpiece," said Mr Davies. "He told him he had recorded what happened and if he ever told anyone then people would hate him and think he was dirty."

James attacked another boy after grooming him with alcohol and cigarettes. On one occasion, he put his tongue into the child's ear "in the guise of whispering", said the prosecutor.

On a later occasion James told the boy he was gay and "confused". Mr Davies told the court: "He started begging the child to kiss him. The child refused but the defendant began kissing him. The child again said no and asked what he was doing. The defendant then said, 'Come with me.'"

James grabbed the boy's wrist, led him into a bedroom and raped him. He was holding the boy's shoulder and at one point grabbed him by the throat. The boy was saying "no" and that he would tell people. It was only when the child said "you raped me" that James stopped.

The victim later told police: "I remember him putting his hand over my mouth and he grabbed hard. He said he was going to kill me if I told anybody. I think that's why I was scared."

He made a report to police years after the abuse. In his victim statement he said: "It hurts to even write his name on paper, never mind speak it. My mind flipped the day this happened. Did I do something wrong? Was I in the wrong place?

"I hid. I would not go out. I put up a wall so tall that I was lost as a person. I had a mixture of anger and hate towards my life that my mother could not work out. I failed all my GCSEs because of him."

The victim said he later put all his emotions into his work and got a degree, but added: "Really I was running away. No qualification or degree could take the pain away."

He told how the rape impacted his romantic relationships. "I couldn't love like a normal person. There's no trust, just nerves. I'm still unable to connect with another person on an intimate level."

One of the boys was targeted in the early '90s and the other in the late '00s. James, formerly of Galon Uchaf, was sentenced in court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to rape, buggery and indecent assault. He appeared via a video link from prison in the Isle of Wight, where he already is serving a 14-year jail term imposed in 2021 for sexual offences, including rape, against a third boy under the age of 16.

Andrew Taylor, mitigating, said his client is in "very, very poor health", adding that diabetes has affected his eyesight and he is also dealing with heart and hip problems. James has lost 10kg since May due to his medication and is in "constant pain", the barrister added.

Mr Taylor continued: "When released, given his age and myriad health problems, there would be no realistic prospect, even if he was inclined, of him coming into contact with children."

The barrister said that his client is remorseful and that HMP Albany has a "regrettable" lack of courses available for sex offenders. "He has been asking why he can't attend courses, why he can't deal with his offending... For 20 months he has had no visits. He is very much isolated on the Isle of Wight."

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull KC, recalled presiding over last year's trial over the sexual offences against the third victim. "One thing that struck me at the time was that you had no remorse at all," he told James on Wednesday. "You are a dangerous offender. Members of the public, especially young boys, would be at risk of harm should I not pass an extended sentence."

He imposed an extended sentence of six years in custody and four on licence, which will be added to the sentence already being served. "When it comes to the extra six years, you will have to serve at least two thirds of those six years in custody before you can apply for parole," the judge added. "I want to make it clear I would have passed a higher sentence were it not for the fact you are currently serving such a substantial sentence."

James will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A lewd paedophile took Lego Star Wars sets and a toilet brush to a sordid meetup at a Costa Coffee.

Mark Edwards, 50, brought the gifts and a sex toy, among other troubling items, to the coffee shop - where he had hoped to meet with the parents of a seven-year-old boy, whom he planned to rape. A court heard the convicted sex offender used the pseudonym Daddy4Young on an online fetish forum as he sought out young victims to abuse.

But the paedophile was subject to a sting set up by Merseyside Police. Officers created a profile on a sex fetish and sadomasochism website and posted in a group on the chatroom saying he was "curious about kinks".

Edwards, going under the username "Daddy4Young", contacted the decoy saying he was "interested in talking to a fellow paedophile" and was particularly interested in children aged between seven and 13.

And he was arrested at the coffee shop in Edge Hill, Liverpool, after travelling more than 80 miles from his home in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.

Online, Edwards went on to discuss having sex with the fictional child, saying he would bring him Lego and wanted to have "nake time" with the youngster, reports Liverpool Echo.

When he was detained on August 19, the bemused pervert asked "how did you know it was me?". Two Star Wars Lego sets, tealights, a sex toy, a bat, shoe laces, a box of Deep Heat and a toilet brush were found during a search of his car.

His mobile phone was seized and was found to have a browser which wipes the user's internet history installed. Edwards also had a stash of 59 indecent images of children stored on the device.

A separate operation by West Midlands Police had seen a second undercover profile set up on the same site, posing as the father of a 12-year-old boy. Edwards began chatting with the officer on August 8, confessing that he wanted a "young boy to be his willing sex slave and torture boy".

The twisted predator spoke about "whipping" his son and again discussed meeting up and having sex with the child. He has one previous set of convictions from 2016 for making and possessing indecent images of children.

On this occasion, Edwards was given a community order and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. This banned him from deleting his internet history or installing software which allowed him to conceal his online activities.

But after the latest offences, Edwards was jailed for eight years and handed an extended four-year licence period at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday.

He admitted two counts of arranging a child sex offence, encouraging sexual activity with a child, three charges of making indecent images, possession of indecent images and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Sentencing, Recorder David Knifton KC said: "It is apparent that you are sexually attracted to children, particularly children between the ages of five and 13 years. These offences were part of a well-established pattern of sexual offending, behaviour against children which has now escalated to the stage of attempted contact with a child.

"You show little insight into what is regarded as significantly distorted thinking and behaviour and the appalling consequences which it could have led to. You pose a high risk of serious harm to children.

"It is clear that you were intent on meeting with other like-minded paedophiles with a view to committing the most serious sex offences, including rape against young children, with little or no regard to the consequences for any potential victims. You are clearly a dangerous offender."

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A MANIPULATIVE sexual offender has been sent back to prison.

Adrian Thomas, 29, of Magdalene Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on December 21 where he was sent to prison for further breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Thomas had been made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in 2017 after he was convicted of meeting a 16-year-old girl after sexually grooming her online. He received a 16-month prison sentence for the offence.

He appeared before the court today after admitting four counts of breaching the order. Mr Jones, prosecuting, told the court how police went to Thomas house on October 24 and he answered the door but wouldnt let him in, stating he had tested positive for covid.

Mr Jones said: They asked to see the test and could see it was clearly negative. Thomas is said to have told officers he was confused and let them in.

They had a look at his mobile phone which he had been in possession of since April and police were aware of this and saw he had WhatsApp with messages only from the October.

When he was asked why there was no messages on WhatsApp between him and his mother prior to October, he told officers that they had fallen out which was contradicted by the call log on his phone and his mothers statement to police.

Officers also found that he had three social media accounts which were not under his name or a police approved name and that he had not made officers aware of his use of the social media accounts which was part of his conditions under the order.

He had accounts on TikTok and Discord with the username ADECFC92 and on Twitch under ADEYYTG.

He had also been found to have been in contact with a 16-year-old girl on the device and had told her he was 21 and asked if she had a boyfriend or girlfriend.

When interviewed, he said he was confused about the username part of the order and didnt think he had done anything wrong and then answered no comment.

Mr Griffiths, defending, told the court how his client had entered guilty pleas at the first opportunity at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court. He said how Thomas had asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed and that it was a damning read.

His Honour Judge P H Thomas KC who handed him a sentence previously for breaching the order - called Thomas a manipulative and undeterrable man and said that there was no chance of rehabilitation. He told him how he had lied to police and that he wasnt a very good liar.

Judge Thomas said: If you come before the court again, the next sentence will be higher. It is up to you if you want to spend the majority of the next two decades in prison or if you want to do something to sort this out.

Thomas who appeared via video link from Swansea Magistrates Court - was jailed for two years and the sexual harm prevention order remains in force until 2027.

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A man who murdered a pregnant woman and three children in Derbyshire will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was sentenced to a whole life prison term.

Damien Bendall pleaded guilty to murdering his then partner Terri Harris, her 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett, her 13-year-old son John Paul Bennett, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent.

He previously denied the murders but changed his pleas when he appeared at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, where he also admitted raping Lacey.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said the sexual offence was committed "in the grossest breach of trust" as the 11-year-old's life ebbed away.

He said "just punishment" required that Bendall be kept in prison for the rest of his life in relation to each count of murder, and he also imposed another whole life order for the rape.

Lacey and John Paul were Ms Harris's children from a previous relationship, and Connie had been at the house in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, for a sleepover.

Connie was only due to stay for one night, but managed to get permission from her mother, fatefully extending her stay by another night - coinciding with the attacks, the court heard.

Bendall, 32, is believed to have gone around the family home looking for his victims individually, and then attacking them in different rooms in order to kill them, the court was told.

He murdered the four victims at the house he shared with Ms Harris, 35, in what prosecutor Louis Mably KC told the court were "brutal, vicious and cruel attacks" on a "defenceless" woman and three children.

Mr Mably said Bendall attacked them with a claw hammer which he used to hit them over the head and on the upper body.

"Their skulls were smashed in" and "it was perfectly clear none of the victims stood a chance," Mr Mably added.

He continued: "One of the dreadful facts about this case is that during the attacks, the defendant raped 11-year-old Lacey."

Ms Harris and the three children were found dead in Chandos Crescent on 19 September last year.

After Bendall killed them, he took John Paul's games console, then went to Sheffield in a taxi, and there he exchanged the device for drugs, said Mr Mably.

Bendall would later tell police he had consumed "three to four bags of cocaine and then blacked out".

In an interview with officers at Ripley police station after he was arrested, Bendall told them: "I used the hammer."

He added: "Bet you don't usually get four murders in Killamarsh do you - well, five (murders), because my missus was having a baby."

Mr Mably said: "On the night of Saturday September 17, 2021, stretching into the early hours of September 19, the defendant brutally and viciously murdered his then partner, Terri Harris, who is aged 35 - and was in the early stages of pregnancy.

"He also murdered Terri's two children, by a previous partner, her 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter Lacey, and he murdered Connie Gent, also aged 11.

"She was a friend of Lacey's who just happened that evening to be staying at Lacey's house for a sleepover."

John and Lacey's father, Jason Bennett, said that the murder had "destroyed" him and that life now seemed "pointless".

In a victim impact statement, he said: "It's like my heart has been shattered into a billion pieces never to be repaired. I'm a shadow of my former self, I am nothing... I have lots of love around me but the love I crave off my beautiful kids, I can't have that, that's a hole that can never be filled."

Connie's father Charles Gent said no sentence would ever be sufficient justice for his daughter's death adding: "The man who carried out the crimes can only be described as truly evil and should never be free from incarceration, just like the families of the victims in this case will never be free from their life sentence as a result of the shocking and abhorrent crimes he committed on a defenceless woman and children."

After sentencing, Andrew Baxter from the CPS said: "It is hard to put into words the scale of Damien Bendall's barbaric and horrifying actions. He went through the house looking for the victims until he had killed them all, raping one of the children in the attack.

"What he did left two families utterly devastated by grief and a community in bewilderment and shock."

Earlier, Mr Mably told the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, that prosecutors were seeking a whole life term for Bendall, given the gravity of the offences.

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Man sentenced to 17 years for non-recent sexual abuse in Bolton

Donald Glen (1/8/1946) from Bolton was yesterday (Wednesday 21 December) sentenced to 17 years after being found guilty at trial to two counts of rape of a child under 13 and ten counts of sexual assault on a child under 13. 

Detective Constable Stacey Gardner, of Boltons CID, said Sexual abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on victims. This investigation demonstrates our ongoing and determined commitment to ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice.

We would like to commend and thank the victim for the courage, strength and dignity they have demonstrated in coming forward to the police and supporting this investigation. We hope the sentencing offers some closure knowing that he is finally facing the consequences of his actions.

We would like to take this opportunity to offer our assurances to anyone who has experienced sexual abuse and has not yet come forward, that GMP will do all we can to support you throughout the process.

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. We offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by telephoning 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call us on 0161 273 4500 or email us at [email protected]

Survivors Manchester provides specialist trauma informed support to boys and men in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

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Police have asked for help tracking down a convicted sex offender who wore a Greggs branded jumper in his mugshot.

Shaun Aver, 36, is wanted on recall to prison after repeatedly breaching his sex offender notification requirements after being convicted of sexual activity with a boy.

Aver, of Greater Manchester, has links to Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn and Fleetwood. He is of no fixed address and is required to register at the police station every seven days as part of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He failed to do so and a warrant has now been issued for his arrest. Police have now issued an appeal on Facebook, urging anyone who knows of his whereabouts to contact them.

'Police are appealing for the public's help to trace a wanted man from the Bury area,' a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said today.

'Shaun Aver is wanted on recall to prison. He is known to have links to the city centre, north Manchester, Preston and Cumbria areas.' 

Aver had previously been classed by police as a 'risk to women and children' when he went on the run earlier in the year.

He is described as being 5ft 6in tall, of medium build and having short, brown hair.

However, the force's appeal to find Aver has prompted mocking remarks from social media users who are seemingly amused by his mugshot - which shows him wearing a sweater littered with logos of the bakery giant Greggs.  

'The fashion police may have him. That jumper is a crime in itself,' wrote Vanessa Knight.

One said: 'Wanted for baking and entering and possession of an offensive jumper.' 

Tom Goulden joked: 'Wanted for baking and entering & possession of an offensive jumper.' 

'He's behind the counter at Bury Greggs! You'll catch him if you park up outside and wait. We'll call it a Steak Bake out,' Aaron Lee replied. 

'Just proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, some people will wear anything,' Lynne Rohmann added.

Emily Robinson joked: 'Imagine getting lifted wearing that jumper.'  

Maria Carty said: 'If he's not wearing the matching leggings I'll be disappointed.'

'Best publicity Greggs and Primark have had,' echoed Vanessa JS.

'He's never going to live that mugshot down. If he's not arrested for his crimes against fashion he'll want to be arrested to hide his humiliation.' 

Greater Manchester Police reposted the Facebook plea, adding: 'Other bakery chains are available.'

Greggs joined with Primark to release a collection of pastry-themed clothing, including jumpers, shoes and tracksuits.

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A postman who groomed a teenage girl and indecently assaulted her in the early 2000s has been jailed.

Colin White carried out the sexual offences on an underage girl around 20 years ago and left her battling depression and feelings of guilt. The 60-year-old would ply the child with alcohol and provide her with cigarettes before using her for sex, Durham Crown Court heard.

White, of Newton Aycliffe, appeared at the court on Wednesday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for two counts of indecent assault. He had been convicted of the offences following a trial at the court last week.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, told the court White carried out the offences on a teenage girl, saying: "He would ply her with alcohol before the behaviour took place." The court heard that White displayed kindness to the vulnerable girl whilst grooming her, and at one stage she made an attempt on her own life.

The court was told that the offences took place at times when the child would turn up to White's home while "truanting". In a victim statement, the now-adult victim said she felt she was in the wrong and that she was at fault in some way, saying: "He essentially groomed me for his own sexual gratification." She added she ended up on anti-depressants throughout her adult life.

Robert Mochrie, defending, said White had no relevant previous convictions, had "worked all his life" and is currently going through his "own difficulties" in supporting members of his family. He added: "The offences were 20 years ago and he has not harmed anyone since."

Sentencing White, Judge James Adkin said he was working as a postman at the time of the offences and used the child for sex. He added: "She was particularly vulnerable by age and isolation." White was jailed for seven years and will be on the sex offender's register for life. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

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A police officer who drunkenly groped two colleagues at a work Christmas party has avoided jail but has been ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register.  

Gareth Duggan, 38, grabbed the bottom of one officer and put his hand underneath the dress of another as they were celebrating the festive season at a nightclub in Chester last year.

Despite a reputation as a rumoured predator, the shocked victims were accused of making up the allegations to get a promotion when they reported the incident.   

Duggan was sentenced to a 32-week suspended sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitative activity after admitting two counts of sexual assault at Warrington Magistrates' Court. 

He will also sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years and pay each victim £1,000 compensation. 

Duggan is expected to resign from the police force before a disciplinary meeting in January, at which he expects to be fired. 

He had been a police officer with the North Wales force for 15 years when the incident happened in Revolution night club in Chester. 

Alex Morgan, prosecuting, said the Christmas party had brought police officers from a number of areas together. 

'During the time in the bar the defendant touched the bottom of one of the complainants and the touching was deemed to be sexual. Prior to that the defendant had put his arm around her waist which made her feel uncomfortable.

'A short while after the defendant stood between her and another female.

'The defendant's arm was placed around her waist prior to going around her bottom. It was deliberate. She could feel his fingers go into the crack of her bottom. She was able to feel the pressure of his fingers through her clothes and through her underwear.

'She was shocked as a result of the incident and kicked out at his ankle with her foot to get him to stop.

Mr Morgan also described a second attack on another colleague that happened during the party.  

'Her colleague also recalled a sexual assault from the same night out. He held onto her for what seemed like a long time and squeezed her waist making her feel very uncomfortable.

'She told him to stop on a number of occasions. She made it very clear she was not joking.

'As he had his hand around her waist he put his face up to her neck and made kissing noises. His hand then went between her legs and underneath her dress and touched her vagina over clothing,' the prosecutor said. 

'His hand brushed across the cheek of her bottom in the area of her vagina. She was not wearing any tights or leggings at the time but did have underwear on.

'It made her extremely upset and uncomfortable.'

His wife and the two victims were watching from the public gallery.

In a statement one of the women - a detective who deals with rape victims - said: 'When he put his arm around me I was shocked but when he touched me in that way I was disgusted. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell someone but I didn't want to ruin everyone's night.'

The detective said she always encouraged sex assault victims to make complaints but she now knew how 'draining' it was to do so.

She also claimed there were rumours amongst fellow officers that Duggan was a predator and had previously assaulted someone - but she never thought it would happen to her. 

Angered that Duggan had received a full year on a sergeant's pay following the attack, the victim said she wished there had been a trial so that she could have had her say.

'It seems unfair. Ultimately, I am glad that a sexual predator like Gareth Duggan is no longer in the police. It is an honour to serve in the police force.'

In mitigation for Duggan, defence lawyer Daniel Weed said the officer had been suffering from PTSD from harrowing events he had dealt with during 15 years of front-line policing.

'Front-line policing is not a pretty environment at all. That does impact on the individual. For anyone that would have had an impact on their mental health.

'There are concerns about his mental health to the extent that it could be PTSD and to the extent that he is receiving counselling in that regard.'

Mr Weed said Duggan had 'disgraced himself' and accepted that he would be sacked at the misconduct hearing in January.  

Mr Weed told the court that as well as well as losing his job, along with his £2,100 monthly income, Duggan's wife had also been impacted.

'He is a very lucky man to have someone willing to come to court with him and be his wife, she sees some good in him,' the solicitor said. 

'He is a disgraced man, a broken man. It would break him more by sending him to prison.'

Duggan was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitative activity with the probation service and he will sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

District Judge Jack McGarva told him: 'You are a police officer and the public and your colleagues are entitled to look at you as an example and someone they can trust. You completely failed them. Any punishment must reflect that police officers should be beyond reproach.

The judge emphasised the case of PC Wayne Couzens as an example of some of the 'pretty bad things' police officers have done over the past years. 

'It undermines the position of every other police officer. Every other police officer is devalued by what you do.

Judge McGarva highlighted the impact of the assault on the victims and said Duggan's drunkenness did not provide an excuse.  

'I have to bear in mind this conviction will have a big impact on you and your family. But let's not forget that other people were hurt by you. This was not a fleeting kind of touch. It was quite significant in both cases. It's more than brushing against someone in a sexual way.

'It was very significant contact which will probably live with them for the rest of their lives. They will never forget how horrible the horrible feeling was.'

'It is right that you have experienced some pretty awful things in life as a police officer but how many thousands of police officers in Wales have been through these sorts of things and have not behaved like this? It does not make you behave like this.

'Something very wrong has made you behave like this,' the judge concluded.

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A paedophile who began sexually assaulting four young victims 30 years ago has now been jailed for more than 21 years.

Dean Nicholson, 56, targeted his victims, who were all known to him, between 1992 and 2004 in Huntingdonshire.

He was 26 when he began the abuse against his victims, one of whom was just six years old at the time. Others were slightly older, but all were under 16.

Often he would make his victims perform sexual acts on him or he would perform sexual acts on them. The offences finally came to light when the victims confided in others close to them.

Nicholson, of Station Road, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, was arrested and later charged with 22 offences.

He stood trial at Cambridge Crown Court in November but, on the fourth day, he pleaded guilty to 15 offences.

These included five counts of gross indecency with a child and eight counts of indecent assault. He also admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) against a separate adult victim in 1991.

Nicholson was sentenced at the same court on Friday (16 December) where he was handed 21 years and seven months in prison. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to run indefinitely, which will monitor his future activity.

Sentencing, Judge Philip Grey said by the time Nicholson had pleaded guilty at his trial, two of his victims had already given evidence and the voices of all his victims were ‘heard loud and clear by the court’.

He told Nicholson that he had sexualised, abused and groomed his victims over many years and paid tribute to the victims for coming forward.

He described him as a ‘predatory paedophile’ who groomed his victims and, though he couldn’t bring himself to admit it, had done ‘horrific damage to many’ with his ‘perverted desire for sexual activity’.

Description

A Totterdown pensioner convicted of historical rapes of a child is likely to die in jail. Brian David, 78, of Wells Road, described allegations that he sexually abused a girl as "a load of bloody nonsense", Bristol Crown Court heard.

But a jury convicted the former RAF man of a plethora of sexual assaults on the girl when she was aged eight to 17. David was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault, three counts of rape and two counts of buggery.

The Recorder Mr James Bromige, sitting via video link, jailed him for 20 years. He told David: "You are not in good health, you have a diminished life expectancy and the prospect is you will die in prison."

David was told to register his whereabouts to police indefinitely. He was handed an indefinite restraining order banning him from both direct and indirect contact with the complainant.

Speaking behind a screen, the complainant said the abuse left her with anxiety and depression for which she has had counselling and therapy. She said she had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

She told the court: "I smell his cigarette smoke every day. I don't feel like getting up, I don't eat properly, I don't sleep properly.

"He knows he is guilty. I want him to remember every day what he did to me. He ruined my life."

Nikke Coombe, prosecuting, said David forced the child to commit sex acts on him and he forced himself on her on multiple occasions. The court heard she was a vulnerable youngster who felt unable, at the time, to report him to her loved ones.

Virginia Cornwall, defending, urged the judge to impose a determinate sentence. She told the court: "There is no issue of dangerousness. The risk of further offending is minimal.

"Aged 78 he's unlikely to be released from this sentence. I ask for as short a sentence as meets your honour's public duty in the circumstances."

Description

A "prolific offender" who sexually assaulted a woman at a pub in Northwich has been banned from entering any licenced premises in the town for five years.

Craig Howman, of Stones Manor Lane, Hartford, appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on December 15 after pleading guilty to sexual assault and resisting a police officer in the execution of duty. The sex attack relates to an incident at a public house on Witton Street on May 25 this year.

The 31-year-old was jailed for 16 weeks and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years. Howman was also handed a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, which bans him from entering any licensed pubs, restaurants, clubs, bars or café’s in the CW8 or CW9 postcode areas.

He is also banned from being drunk in any public place in CW8 or CW9, and banned from carrying any open containers of alcohol in any public place within the Northwich postcode areas.

The order also prevents Howman from causing harassment, alarm or distress to any members of the public. This includes swearing in public or to the public, including the emergency services. In addition, he is also ordered to engage in drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

During the hearing the court heard that Howman had been into contact with officers 15 times in the past year alone, with the majority of offences related to alcohol.

Chief Inspector Darren Griffith, head of Northwich Local Policing Unit, said: “Howman is a prolific offender and his behaviour over the past year has been totally unacceptable. He often becomes abusive and disruptive towards innocent members of the public, causing unnecessary alarm and distress.

"There comes a point when you have to say enough is enough and take additional action to protect the community and businesses in the area. I hope that this order provides reassurance to local residents and helps to deter Howman’s criminal behaviour once he is released from prison."

If Howman fails to comply with any of the conditions he could face a penalty of five years imprisonment. Anyone who encounters Howman breaching any of the above restrictions is urged to contact Cheshire Police on 101, or cheshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/, to report it.

Description

A convicted murderer and sex predator who was found with nearly 1,600 indecent images and videos of children has been returned to jail.

Michael McGrane, from Southport, was released and deported back to the UK in 2013 from Australia for sexual assault and murder. A court heard how the 60-year-old downloaded the vile content over a one-year period.

Prosecutor Kenneth Grant said the defendant had been linked to the offences after an investigation by the police's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team. They traced an IP address suspected of sharing indecent images of children, to his home address on Victoria Street.

Officers went to McGrane’s home where 15 desktop computers, two mobile phones, a laptop, and 250 hard drive disks were seized. Police found 1,585 category C images of children, including 208 prohibited images of children on the devices, the ECHO reports.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how 600 of those were videos, and one was one hour long. In his first interview on the day his electronics were seized, McGrane said to the best of his knowledge, there would be no indecent photos on the hard drives.

During his second interview on August 27, after all the electronics had been thoroughly examined by authorities, he claimed the devices were second hand.

Judge Brian Cummings KC said: “You, as a possessor of this material, form part of the market without which that material either wouldn’t exist in the first place or certainly would not exist on the industrial scale that we deal with in this court. It would not happen if it wasn’t for people like you, the consumer.”

Simon Christie, defending, told the court that McGrane has not committed any crimes since his arrest. Judge Cummings detailed that in December 2001 while living in Australia, McGrane was convicted of murder, and was given a life sentence.

In July 2003, he was also convicted of 13 offences, six of which involved the use of chloroform or some other stupefying drug to commit an indictable offence, and seven offences of indecent assault against adult females. Following his release in 2013, he was deported back to the UK, where a sexual offences notification order was imposed upon him.

This meant he had to check in quarterly with authorities and inform police of any change of address, places he regularly stays, or plans to travel abroad. On November 21, McGrane pleaded guilty to one count of making (downloading) indecent 1585 category C photographs of children, between June 10 2019 and 12 June 2020, and to possession of 208 prohibited images of children on June 11 2020.

He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for both counts, and a sexual harm prevention order was also implemented for ten years, alongside the requirement that he be on the sex offenders list. Items related to the offence were also ordered to be destroyed, and a deprivation order prohibiting him from using any device capable of accessing the internet unless he informs the police was also implemented.

Description

A convicted sex offender staged an £8,000 burglary in a bedsit while the victim was in hospital. Jordan Chalmers, of no fixed address, raided the home in Tyseley in September.

The 26-year-old, who was wanted for recall to prison, pocketed cash and "high-value items" after discovering it was empty. Forensic officers were called after the victim returned from hospital to discover someone had gained entry to his room.

Despite there being no witnesses, forensic officers lifted a fingerprint from a toolbox.

The print was matched to Chalmers, who also took a number of knives from the room. He was detained on October 20 after failing to stop for traffic officers.

Chalmers initially denied the charge. But he pleaded guilty following further evidence in court and was jailed for 20 months.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: "A man has been jailed for stealing around £8,000-worth of items from a property in Tyseley. Jordan Chalmers committed the burglary in September this year and was jailed for 20 months at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday December 16 2022."

Description

A man from Plumstead has been jailed after he piled a teenager with alcohol and then subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault onboard a train to Rochester.

Police described the incident as a a truly sickening attack against a lone teenage girl by a disgusting predator who sought to violate her for his own sexual gain.

At 7.45pm on March 26, a 15-year-old girl was sat waiting for a train at Dover Priory station when she was approached by Maxim Rowan-Moy, 32, and of Eglinton Hill in Plumstead.

He asked where she was travelling to before they boarded a train and sat next to one another.

On the train, Rowan-Moy offered her a bottle of vodka to drink before moving closer to her and sexually assaulting her.

The victim got up out of her seat and attempted to move away from him, but he pursued her down the carriage and sat next to her again.

He then continued to sexually assault her, violently attempting to pull her closer to him and persistently touching her inappropriately.

A while later, a group of passengers boarded the train and were concerned for her welfare.

Rowan-Moy then got up from where he was sat to look for his belongings.

A train guard entered the carriage and stayed with the girl to Rochester station, where staff alerted police.

When police arrested Rowan-Moy at the station, he pretended that he knew the victim.

Maxim Rowan-Moy appeared at Inner London Crown Court on November 28 where he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, one count of assault, and a public order offence for threatening behaviour.

On December 13 he was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order as well as being ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Terry Botten, investigating officer in the case, said: "This was a truly sickening attack against a lone teenage girl by a disgusting predator who sought to violate her for his own sexual gain.

"She has shown immense bravery in supporting this investigation and Im pleased to see this vile and evidently very dangerous offender behind bars as a result.

"I want to assure women and girls that we are absolutely dedicated to tackling sexual offenders on the railway network and bringing them to justice.

"If you experience or witness a sexual offence on the network, I urge you to report it to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always dial 999."

Description

The victims of a former councillor and teacher who sexually abused them as children worried they wouldn't be believed because of his influence. A judge told Anthony Hampton the character he portrayed throughout his life was "a façade."

The 75-year-old ex Vale of Glamorgan councillor was convicted of indecently assaulting two boys in the 1990s, following a trial at Newport Crown Court. He repeatedly rubbed his penis on one of the boy's shoulders before masturbating in his presence, forcing the boy to masturbate him and masturbating the victim.

The second victim was repeatedly touched on the leg near his groin by Hampton. The victims reported the abuse to the police when adults and the former teacher was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault. The defendant, of Watkiss Way, Cardiff Bay, continues to claim his innocence despite the guilty verdicts.

At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, victim personal statements were read out by prosecutor Roger Griffiths on behalf of the victims. The first victim said: "As a child growing up I believe his abuse made me a quiet kid, I was withdrawn. The impact of what I experienced made me question my sexuality due to the nature of the abuse he put me through...

"I struggled with the impact of that and struggled to understand why it was me it was happening to, why I was so different and why he abused me. When I came forward and the matter was reported to the police I was extremely fearful I would not be believed and bringing the matter to the attention of the police was upsetting.

"At the time of the abuse he was a serving teacher and serving as a councillor in the Barry area. I feared because of his position and being an influential person in the Vale of Glamorgan, I worried I wouldn't be believed.... It was the worst experience of my life and I was embarrassed and ashamed about what happened to me."

The second victim said he feared emotional attachment, had low self esteem, depression, body dysmorphia, a distrust of others and suffered from bed wetting as a result of the abuse. He said as a result of the body dysmorphia, he used hormones which damaged his heart and left his body disfigured.

The victim said he tried to take his own life with a drugs overdose and had been abusing drugs and alcohol but had been clean for 18 months. He said: "My mental suffered and I thought I wouldn't be believed...

"I've questioned why he did what he did to me and what right he had to do it. He didn't have any right, I was a child and he was an adult. Hampton said the accusations against him were abhorrent but what he did was abhorrent. I'm pleased the jury have seen him for what he is even though he doesn't have the guts to admit what he has done."

In mitigation, Christopher Rees said his client's reputation was ruined and he had lost his good character. he said the defendant was in ill health and his wife was reliant on him for care.

Sentencing, Judge Richard Williams said: "The character you portrayed to the outside world has been a facade. There is no remorse on your part."

Hampton was sentenced to a total of seven years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

A Summertown pensioner amassed a library of child sex abuse material over a decade – and shared one image with a ‘like-minded’ pervert online.

But the pervert to whom Nicholas Moth sent the category A indecent image was, in fact, an undercover police officer trawling the net for would-be sex offenders.

And last week, the 69-year-old broke down in tears in the dock as he was sent to prison for two years and eight months.

Sending him down, Judge Michael Gledhill KC told Moth: “It is a tragedy that a man of 69, of previous good character, with a good reputation and an impeccable work record should find himself in the dock of this crown court today.

“It is inconceivable to any right-minded person how somebody of your background and intelligence could have this perverted sexual view of children.”

He added: “[Your counsel] eloquently tells me you were living in a fantasy world.

“I don’t accept that you were at all. This is what you wanted to do.

“From August 2010 until May 2021, so over 10 years, you were accumulating a library of child sex images; each of the children depicted being abused sexually by others.

“You knew perfectly well that by being a customer of such photographs you were directly involved in those children being abused and others going to be abused.”

Julian Lynch, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court that Moth was arrested after his ‘fantasy’ conversations with others online came to light.

Following his arrest in 2021 Moth’s devices had been analysed. In total, he had almost 900 indecent images and films, including 192 in the worst category.

Moth, of Victoria Road, Oxford, pleaded guilty to making – or possession – of indecent images and extreme pornographic material and distribution of a category A image.

Mitigating, Lucy Tapper said her client had become more and more isolated, entering an ‘emotional spiral’ and had ‘barely left the house in seven years’.

Asking for the judge to suspend any custodial sentence, she said Moth married and his wife was dependent upon him.

The defendant was remorseful and ‘deeply ashamed’, she added. “He knows that what he’s done is fully deserving of punishment and he is at risk of going to prison.”

Since his arrest he had ‘totally ceased’ his former activities, sought support and limited his internet use.

Judge Gledhill said a prison sentence was ‘inevitable’. Although acknowledging the impact on Moth’s wife, he told the defendant: “Every day of your sentence, I hope when you ponder on what you have done you realise the one who say you love is the one who will pay the most penalty.”

Moth must abide by a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Description

A paedophile who sexually assaulted three people has been jailed for 14 years, more than 20 years after the offences were committed.

Steven Smith, 48, of Grantham, was found guilty of sexual assault offences on two women and a boy in the 1990s in both Arlesey, Bedfordshire and another part of the country. Smith received a 14-year custodial sentence at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday, December 13 and will be on the sex offender’s register for life.

Bedfordshire Police are encouraging victims of sexual assault to come forward, no matter when the incidents took place.

Detective Constable Hayley Carroll from Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Investigation Team said: "We are all incredibly pleased with this outcome. It serves as an empowering reminder to all members of our community – victims and non-victims – that it is never too late to report a crime.

"Our hope is that this result serves as encouragement to everyone, emphasising how powerful the process of reporting can be - for both recent and non-recent offences.

"Sexual assault is an abhorrent crime, and child victims are very often affected into their future, and it can impact their development and growth both mentally and physically.

"All three of the victims are extremely pleased and relieved that they can now move forward with some closure regarding this chapter of their lives."

Description

A paedophile who was found in possession of vile child abuse images was also sending sexual messages to what he believed was a 10-year-old girl.

Razvan Valeriu Nastase began messaging what he believed was a child on social media and said he "wasn't bothered" when he was told by the girl she was very young. But what the 34-year-old pervert didn't know, was that he was actually speaking to an "undercover operative" who was pretending to be a child.

When police went to Nastase's home to arrest him, his electronic devices were seized and examined and over 880 images and videos of child sexual abuse were discovered. This week, he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and three counts of making indecent images. He had pleaded guilty to the charges, which dated back to October and July 2020.

The court heard that an "undercover operative" called Ken, created a fake account on social media pretending to be a 10-year-old girl and that Nastase, using the name of 'Andre', soon sent the decoy a message. Rachael Glover, prosecuting, said: "The defendant's message read: 'Nice to meet you, you're very cute, I like you.' When the [decoy] said they were 10-years-old, the defendant said he was not bothered. The defendant continued the conversation and sent sexual messages to what he believed was a 10-year-old child."

During the chats, Nastase, of Simonside Terrace, Heaton, claimed to be 16-years-old, and sent three images of himself, two of which he was topless in. In another message he told the decoy they were "so beautiful, I can't get enough of you". He also said it would be "our little secret" as he continued to ask for pictures in return. The court was told that Nastase asked to see the decoy in a onesie and told her not to be shy.

Ms Glover said that when police identified Nastase, they went to his home and arrested him. His room was then searched and devices were seized and examined by experts. The court heard that 159 category A images, 130 of which were videos and depicted children as young as four, were found, alongside 162 category B images and 568 category C images. In interview Nastase, who had no previous convictions, gave no comment.

Sophie Allinson, defending, said: "He is a man who has no previous convictions but has lost his good character in the most shameful and appalling way. He was feeling down and lonely. The offences were committed in 2020 and no further offences of any nature have been committed since. He has and can live a law abiding lifestyle."

Sentencing Nastase, Judge Amanda Rippon said: "You engaged in chat with what you thought was a 10-year-old girl. If it had been a little girl and not a person masquerading as one, the potential offending is difficult to contemplate given your interest in sexual activity with children as young as four. It is depraved and disgusting."

Nastase was given a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years and must undertake 35 rehabilitation days and 150 hours unpaid work. A 10 year sexual harm prevention order was imposed and he will be on the sex offender's register for 10 years.

Description

Clifford Taylor, 40, of Penarth, also has a previous conviction for blackmailing a man he had sex with by threatening to send compromising images to his wife

A former yacht club manager sent a video of himself masturbating to a nine-year-old boy. He also asked the young boy for naked photographs.

Clifford Taylor, 40, was convicted of two counts of sexually communicating with a child, following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. He denied the offences and continues to maintain his innocence despite the verdicts.

A sentencing hearing on Monday heard the former RNLI volunteer and former general manager at Penarth Yacht Club had a previous conviction for blackmail, after he extorted €12,000 from a man he had sex with by threatening to send intimate photos and videos to his wife.

Sentencing, Recorder Greg Bull KC said: "I am wholly satisfied you knew full well from the moment you began communicating with him he was a child. The photographs that were exchanged to you from him made it perfectly plain, the body of a nine-year-old boy would have wholly different to an adult man.

"You still lied to the jury and yourself about the appreciation of what you've done. You have no empathy with the child.... You show signs of being a sexual predator. You used sex to entrap another man, an adult in a compromising situation you then used to blackmail him."

The court also heard Taylor told the boy not to tell his mother about their conversations in March 2020. The victim now requires counselling as a result of the offences.

In mitigation, the court was told the defendant, of Esplanade, Penarth, is originally from Ireland and was isolated during the Covid pandemic. He acknowledged his alcohol intake during this period was excessive.

Taylor was sentenced to a total of 30 months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Description

An extended sentence has been imposed on a man who carried out sexually-motivated offences in Folkestone and Hythe.

Connor Baker followed an 18-year-old woman along a path near the Royal Military Canal, Hythe on Sunday 11 July 2021, before putting his hands around her waist.

The victim managed to get free of his grip and ran to Rampart Road, where she was seen by a group of her friends as they drove past.

They then drove to join another group of friends at Hythe Green. Baker was seen by the group, who asked him to explain his actions.

He became aggressive and swung an asp-type weapon at the group before leaving the area. Police arrived and Baker was later identified as a suspect.

Further offences

Further to that incident, Baker knocked on the front door of a woman who was not known to him in Folkestone on Friday 12 November 2021.

He managed to get into the property and grabbed the woman, trying to kiss her. She got him out of her home but he climbed upon a conservatory and looked in an upstairs window, damaging the victim's property in the process.

The incident was reported to police and Baker was arrested at the scene, after jumping into a nearby garden. He was later charged with a number of offences.

Court

Following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court, Baker was found guilty of assault with intent to commit a sexual offence and possession of an offensive weapon in relation to the first incident; and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, and damaging property in relation to the second incident.

On Friday 9 December 2022, the 24-year-old, formerly of Appledore Crescent, Folkestone, was given a nine-year sentence and ordered to serve an extra four years on licence.

Description

Michael Dent and Jack Dent-Bradley left their victim "living a life of hell" and suffering depression as the pair were sentenced for their crimes at Durham Crown Court

A father and son have been jailed for carrying out horrendous sexual abuse of a vulnerable child.

Michael Dent, 37, and Jack Dent-Bradley, 19, have both been put behind bars following their trial at Durham Crown Court.

The relatives separately sexually abused the child and their crimes left the victim battling PTSD and depression in later life.

Sentencing the pair, Judge James Adkin handed Michael Dent an extended prison sentence of 14 years, 13 of which will be custodial.

An indefinite restraining order and indefinite sexual harm prevention order were also imposed and he will be on the sex offender's register indefinitely.

Sentencing Dent-Bradley, who carried out his offences when he was a child himself, Judge Adkin said his offences were "extremely cruel, persistent and damaging", and jailed him for 66 months.

He was also made subject of an indefinite restraining order and indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will be on the sex offender's register indefinitely.

Dent-Bradley carried out his offences when he was between the ages of 10 and 14-years-old, the court heard.

The court was told the father and son, both of Witton Gilbert, County Durham, carried out sexual offences against the same child, but separately.

Liam O'Brien, prosecuting, said: "Each defendant took advantage by abusing [the child] sexually, albeit separately from one another."

An impact statement was read out to the court by the now-adult victim, and explained how they had "suffered for so long" and will "never forgive you both".

The victim added: "You took advantage of me and made my life hell."

Tony Davis, defending Dent-Bradley, said he suffers from ADHD and was a child himself when he carried out the offences, saying he suffered "significant neglect" as a child himself and had a "lack of care in early development".

He added: "He is still an immature 19-year-old, which must be the result of early abuse he suffered...he has had an exceptional amount of trauma in his own existence."

Lewis Kerr, defending Michael Dent, said he has mental health issues, ADHD and a low IQ. He added: "He doesn't have anything in way of mitigation in the credible sense.

Description

A top chef shook his head and smirked as he was finally brought to justice for sexually abusing young girls.

Peter Wright, who has worked in some of the city's most highly-regarded restaurants and been hired to cater for private clients abroad, "poisoned" his two victims - leaving them "devastated". Despite this, he has shown an "utter disregard" for his vile crimes and "does not seem to care" for the impact on their lives.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court previously heard that the now 31-year-old, of Old Swan, repeatedly targeted them when they were aged as young as 12 during the noughties. Wright, who was also a juvenile at the time, also tried to rape one of the girls on one occasion.

Natalie Cornwall, prosecuting, on Friday read out statements to the court on behalf of the complainants describing the extent of the effect his actions had upon them. One said she had suffered nightmares and wet the bed as, adding: "I don't feel like I have a normal childhood.

"There is a huge void that can never be filled. It's hard to accept my life is never going to be normal because of what he did to me."

The other victim outlined she had self-harmed and attempted suicide due to Wright's abuse, saying: "I felt like I was overwhelmed with pressure and pain. I withdrew more and more and distanced myself from everybody.

"It feels like the poison he has caused is never ending. He has an utter disregard for the devastation he had caused - he does not seem to care."

Wright appeared to be shaking his head and smiling as the statements were aired and said "I don't think so" at one stage, which saw the dad reprimanded by the judge. Andrew Jebb stated in defence of his 6ft7 client: "He himself was a child at the time of the offences.

"He is a very talented chef. He has worked here in Liverpool for some very esteemed establishments.

"He has travelled on a private client basis to Ireland to provide private dining. There are very positive aspects to this defendant.

"Obviously what he did as a teenager was appalling behaviour and he is about to be punished for it. He is now a positive, hard-working member of society."

Wright was convicted of attempted rape and eight counts of sexual assault by a jury. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Sentencing, Judge Anil Murray said: "I have to bear in mind you were a child at the time and I take into account your immaturity at the time. In recent times there are positive aspects to your character.

"You have got a good work record and looked after your brother when he was ill. While you deny the offences, they were committed at a time when you were an adolescent, which is a period of rapid change.

"You fail to take responsibility for your actions and there is no remorse. You have been shaking your head during the sentencing process."

Wright was also told to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely. Judge Murray imposed a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victims for life.

Description

A bus driver repeatedly raped and sexually as well as physically abused five teenage girls - and left them feeling suicidal. The majority of the girls were underage when he preyed on them, a court heard.

Lee Williams, 32, of Cardiff, groomed his victims by buying them jewellery, cuddly toys and food while lying about his age. Once in a relationship with the victims, he raped them and subjected them to further degrading sexual acts which left them injured and crying.

Addressing a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday, prosecutor Roger Griffiths said: “We say the defendant sexually abused these children to satisfy his desire for sexual activity with children under the age of consent. He took advantage of their immaturity and in some cases vulnerability in order to carry out these offences.”

Williams began abusing the first victim when she was 15 years old after they had met when he was driving a bus. He told her he “liked younger girls” and raped her a number of times. After being raped, she was physically sick. In a victim personal statement, the first victim said she was bullied at school and suffering from depression, which Williams took advantage of.

She said: “He raped me, plied me with drugs and would make it seem like it was my fault. I wondered if I had done something wrong to make him treat me like this... He was also a feeder and plied me with takeaways. I put on four stone in eight months.” The victim said she tried to take her own life due to the abuse.

The second victim was over the age of consent when Williams raped her. She met him through the first victim and he started buying her gifts. He then raped and strangled her numerous times. On one occasion he strangled her until she lost consciousness while he was raping her. He also raped her while she was asleep and sexually assaulted her, which caused her injuries. Without her consent, he placed her on a dating website and tried to force her into having a threesome.

In her victim personal statement, she said Williams would drive to remote locations and would point a toy BB gun at her.

She added: “He saw I was vulnerable and took advantage of it. He took my bank card and transferred money to himself. He isolated me and I couldn’t do anything without him. That’s when the abuse started. I felt the only way out was to take my own life.”

The victim was frightened when he strangled her and “thought he was going to kill her”. The third victim came into contact with Williams when she was 14 years old. They had sex after her 15th birthday. He went on to rape her and turned his attention to his fourth victim. A court heard he abused the latter two victims in a van.

He told the third victim to delete pictures and to lie about their relationship. She said: “I was unhappy because of what Lee was doing to me.” The court was told that she now suffers flashbacks and nightmares.

The fourth victim was told by Williams to “keep quiet” or they would get into trouble. She later told police :“I don’t like my body because I know he has touched it... I don’t like being around men anymore.”

The fifth victim was 13 years old when the abuse began, after Williams contacted her on Snapchat and told her he was 18. He took her to McDonald’s and pressured her into having sex. They met further times and had sex and he offered her amphetamines and cannabis. The defendant later sexually assaulted her and raped her, despite her telling him to get off, before telling her: “You’ll get used to it in time.”

Williams also told the girl to wear school uniform and that he wanted to have sex with an 11-year-old. As well as being physically abusive - which included punching her in the stomach - he sent her messages saying “I just raped you.”

She said: “I would like to know why he did what he did to me. I will never know.”

Williams, of Brynheulog, Pentwyn, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to 12 counts of rape, 14 counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of assault by penetration. He had previously been convicted of benefit fraud and possession of class B drugs.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant acknowledged his behaviour and was willing to engage in rehabilitative work. Defence barrister Christopher Rees said his client’s best mitigation was his early guilty plea.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd said: “Your behaviour has caused significant trauma to them all, some of your victims have felt guilty but they have nothing to be guilty about. The guilt and the responsibility all lie with you.”

Williams was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of nine years and four months. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order in respect of all his victims indefinitely.

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A Newton Aycliffe vicar and an Alnwick priest have been jailed for their sickening historic abuse of young boys.

George Granville Gibson was the vicar of a Newton Aycliffe church in the late 1970s when he indecently assaulted a teenager. Durham Crown Court heard that Gibson a leader of a church group and committed the offences during rehearsals for a pantomime and then later at a house party following the show's run.

Judge James Adkin said Gibson would "seek out" a young man and indecently assault him "in the company of others" by rubbing against his body and "appeared to enjoy" their presence.

Gibson, who is now 86-year-old, was found guilty of two indecent assaults after being convicted by a jury and jailed for 21 months. He will be on the sex offender's register for 10 years.

Sentencing Gibson in November, Judge Adkin said: "You were the Parish priest, revered and completely trusted to promote Christian values in the community. Sex offenders in positions of authority must know they will be sent to prison if they abuse children in the community."

In December, Chronicle Live reported how another clergyman was locked up for carrying out sex attacks on a young boy.

Perverted priest David Taylor, from Alnwick, ruined the life of a young boy with sickening sex attacks in a church and on Holy Island. The court heard the abuse happened in a church vestry, at a retreat on Holy Island, in an old convent and also during a trip to a football tournament.

Prosecutor Vince Ward said: "These were religious venues where he would have expected to be safeguarded but wasn't."

The victim said the first time it happened was when he was put under Taylor's gown and made to do a sex act.

The victim kept his abuse a secret for four decades, fearing he would never be believed over the trusted churchman. Now he finally has justice after Taylor was convicted of ten offences, of indecency with a child and indecent assault.

The victim said: "I was angry and confused and started to blame myself for what happened. I felt disgusted I had allowed Father Taylor to abuse me in the way he had.

"The abuse has affected my work life and my personal relationships. My anger issues have caused many of my relationships to break down and I believe this is because of my childhood abuse. My mental health has suffered also."

Newcastle Crown Court heard Taylor had been convicted of five offences of indecent assault against boys in the 1980s in 2009 when he was jailed for 30 months. And in 2017 he got a suspended sentence for another count of indecent assault.

Judge Julie Clemitson sentenced Taylor, of Angel Lane, Alnwick, Northumberland, to 13 years in prison for his latest offences and he must sign the sex offenders register for life. The judge told Taylor he'd had a sexual interest in boys from an early stage in his career, having been ordained in 1977.

Judge Clemitson said: "There were so many occasions he can't recall them. It seems to him there were hundreds of them because it happened so often in various places. Throughout this long process you have protested your innocence, saying you had no recollection of him. That clearly can't be true.

"His victim impact statement describes the devastating impact your abuse has had for the last 40 years - that's almost the entirety of his life he has had to live under the shadow of what you did to him as a child.

"He was particularly vulnerable due to his age, where he was - in the vestry on his own and away from home at Holy Island, separated from others in your bedroom."

Lorraine Mustard, defending, said Taylor continues to protest his innocence.

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A twisted Snapchat predator from Lincolnshire has been jailed after grooming, abducting and having sex with a schoolgirl.

Daniel Potterton from Kirton, Boston, targeted the 14-year-old girl in June before luring her into a string of sexual acts which lasted a number of weeks.

The 20-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison at Newcastle Crown Court and told he must sign the sex offenders register. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life and subject to an indefinite restraining order.

Potterton randomly added the girl on Snapchat in June and began chatting with her. Her parents ended up confiscating her phone after becoming concerned about the contact and she reacted by causing damage to their home while shouting and swearing and they contacted police, reports Chronicle Live.

Potterton drove to South Tyneside and contacted the girl from near her home and she went out with him in his Vauxhall Corsa, turning off the GPS on her phone. The girl, who was a virgin, had sex with him in the car.

She was reported missing by her parents and when she returned home she had love bites and was described as "obsessed" with him and refused to cooperate with a medical examination, saying she believed she was in a relationship with him.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the girl also texted her parents asking if she could go away with him for 10 days but they refused. She also said she needed her passport to go to France and "didn't appear to think there was anything wrong with her having sex with him.

Glenn Gatland, prosecuting, said: "He said he was going to prison anyway so he might as well do it again." Police saw the defendant's car crossing Wearmouth Bridge on August 2 and the girl was in the car with him and he was arrested.

In a victim impact statement, the girl's mother said: "It has caused me to feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown, I feel weighed down and I feel like a zombie.

"Her behaviour has turned manic since I found out she was speaking to him. She doesn't care about the danger as long as she can be with him.

"We have taken her phone off her and she is always searching for it. She will do anything and everything to get what she wants.

"She has turned the whole family's world upside down. I feel broken and all our hearts are breaking. She thinks she can do what she wants and calls me an idiot when I try to educate her."

Her dad added: "We have had to put locks on every door except the bathroom. Every time we leave the house we have to lock every room and it feels like a prison. If we don't, she would search everywhere to get hold of bank cards or phones."

Potterton, of Dennis Estate, Boston, pleaded guilty to child abduction, two counts of sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming.

On a second occasion, Potterton drove back up to the North East and the girl went to meet him again. When her mother discovered she was not in her room in the early hours, police were contacted. She then came home at 5am.

Judge Christopher Prince said: "(The girl) bears a deep resentment (to her parents) notwithstanding their efforts to do everything they can to try to help. The effect on them has been profound and distressing. They are quite simply utterly at their wits end at their inability to do more to help her.

"You were fully aware of what you were doing and fully aware you were breaking the law yet you took the most cynical view that as you were going to prison anyway you would engage in sexual intercourse with her a second time."

Steven Reed, defending, said Potterton was of previous good character and said immaturity contributed to his offending.

After the case, Detective Sergeant Jodie Faulkner, of Northumbria Police, said: "This is a very upsetting case that saw Potterton target his underage victim on social media before sexually exploiting her over a number of weeks. His behaviour has had a shattering impact on both his victim and her family. I sincerely hope his conviction in court offers them some comfort.

"As soon as we were made aware of this case, we were determined to get hold of Potterton who we learnt had been travelling long distances from Lincolnshire over a number of weeks to sexually exploit his victim."

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A man described as a “danger to young women” sexually assaulted a woman on a train and returned to the scene to find her again, a court has heard.

The victim managed to record pervert Nathan Nash, 30, of Ribblesdale Close, Eastham, as he told her he was "horny" and rubbed her thigh on the Merseyrail Service. Nash appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday for sexually assaulting the woman on a train.

David Polglase, prosecuting, explained that she was waiting for her train to work on the morning of April 14 when Nash began talking to her. Mr Polglase, reading the 20-year-old victim’s statement, said: “He started to talk to himself, saying he had nowhere to go, nowhere left, saying hi nan whilst looking at the sky.

“He spoke to her about getting married saying he would rather be in jail.”

The victim said she believed he was talking to a dead relative, and she felt uneasy because he was continually staring at her, so she began to film him. Nash then followed her onto the train when it arrived, and sat opposite her.

He apologised for “being such a weirdo”, and despite the victim loudly asking what he wanted and why he was following her, nobody on the train intervened. Nash asked her if she “fancied” various men as they got off the train, and claimed he would sleep with the men referenced if he were homosexual.

Soon after, he moved to sit next to the woman, and asked to take a picture with her, which she refused. The conversation then became more sexual, he called her beautiful, and got “aggressive” when she received a text message from her boyfriend.

The victim then began filming and captured the assault on camera. Judge Neil Flewitt, KC, described the assault, he said: “You stroked her left leg and then the inside of her right thigh, quite high up and towards the area of her groin.”

Whilst assaulting her, Nash leaned his head on her right shoulder, and told her he was “horny”. The footage taken by the victim and shown in court clearly showed the assault, and she can be seen pushing his hand off her leg.

When she disembarked from the train, he continued to follow her, and tried to give her his jacket which she shrugged off. Nash followed her all the way to her place of work, at some points blocking her path, and upon arrival, asked for her phone number.

He also told her he would be waiting for her at the train station when she finished work at 5pm, which she also captured on film and was shown in court. The victim eventually managed to enter her workplace safely, alert her manager about what had happened, and call the police.

Nash was apprehended by police at the train station at 5.25pm that evening, as he laid in wait for the victim. In a victim impact statement read by the prosecution the court heard how the victim now wears a hoodie on her commute, and “feels awful every day, and tries to sit by the driver's door for safety”.

She also said she gets flashbacks of the assault, is “on edge all the time”, and is anxious towards the end of her work day about having to get the train home. Mr Polglase explained how the victim was screaming and crying after managing to escape Nash at her workplace, and it took over two hours for her to calm down.

Nash claimed in a police interview the day after the attack that he only touched the victim below the knee in a “friendly and not sexual fashion”, which was proven to be a lie by the video footage. Christopher Macmaster, defending said: “He utterly incorrectly somehow managed to take that he was in some way going to come back and meet with her to go on a date or something like that.”

Judge Flewitt replied: “Or have another go at assaulting her”. He added: “I don’t believe he went back there at 5pm in the legitimate expectation of some sort of consensual romantic liaison.

“You were clearly intent on striking up some sort of relationship with her, in circumstances where it must have been obvious to you that she was not the slightest bit interested in you”

Mr Macmaster said Nash knew the behaviour was “wholly wrong” but that he originally “struggled to come to terms” with his behaviour. Judge Flewitt described Nash’s “clear pattern of violent offending” and “of abusive behaviour in relationships”, including revenge porn and assaulting his sister.

He explained that most of Nash’s previous cases of violent offending were against women and that this assault was “another form of violence against women.” The judge concluded that Nash does pose “some danger to young women”.

Nash pleaded guilty to sexual assault on October 21. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, and a restraining order barring him from contacting the victim or visiting her place of work was imposed for five years.

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A MAN has been jailed for seven years after being found guilty of sexually abusing a young child.

His offending was described as predatory. 

Steven Abbott, 45, from Scholes, Cleckheaton, was sentenced to seven years in prison and made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order at Leeds Crown Court today (Friday, December 16).

He was convicted of six sexual offences, including sexual assault and sexual touching.

The 45-year-old was found guilty by a jury in July this year.

Following his release from prison, he will be required to sign on the sexual offences register.

DC Alexis Stansfield, who led the investigation, welcomed the sentencing of Abbott for his "predatory sexual offences". 

She said: “He has put the young victim and her family through a dreadful ordeal, compounded by then denying his guilt to the very end and making them go through the added experience of a trial.

“We hope seeing justice being done will bring some comfort to the victim and her family.

“All reports of sexual offences are thoroughly investigated by specialist detectives and we continue to encourage victims to come forwards to allow us and partner agencies to provide support and seek justice for them.”