Latest Offenders

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A convicted double murderer who engaged in a sex chat with someone he thought was an underage girl has been sentenced to a further 22 months.

Eoin O'Toole was caught by a paedophile-hunting group when he used a smuggled mobile phone to send photographs of his genitals from North Sea Camp, an open prison near Boston.

Lincoln Crown Court heard the 58-year-old, who was serving a life sentence, bought a mobile phone from an Asda supermarket in January while on temporary licence release.

He then used it the following month to engage in sexual conversations with a Facebook user he thought was 14, the court was told.

'Pose a danger'

Tom Heath, prosecuting, said O'Toole had initially given the false name Danny Cardiff, but later confessed to his real identity and that he was in jail for murder.

Mr Heath said O'Toole engaged in increasingly sexualised conversations with the user, who was actually a decoy for the paedophile-hunting group.

During the conversations, he asked for photographs, lied about his age and spoke about having "angry sex" with his ex-girlfriend.

Prison authorities were alerted by the group on 15 February, after O'Toole sent two photographs of himself naked from the waist down.

The mobile phone was found during a search of his cell.

O'Toole was jailed for life at Sheffield Crown Court in December 1991 for the murder of his grandmother Mary Goodrich, 92, and her sister Jessie Thomas, 89, by setting fire to their home.

Originally named Ian Kentzer, O'Toole carried out the murders to cover up the theft of more than £30,000, which he stole to fund his cocaine addiction and to keep his failing video business afloat, the court heard.

It was told he had nine previous convictions for more than 20 offences, including gross indecency and sex with an underage girl in 1990.

'Worrying sign'

O'Toole, who has now been returned to closed conditions at a higher security prison, admitted two charges of conveying a listed item into prison and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

In addition to his custodial sentence, he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Passing sentence, Judge Philip Head said he had no doubt O'Toole revealed his background as a murderer to impress the other party.

The resurgence of sexual conduct was also "a very worrying sign", he said.

"You do pose a danger to, particularly young females," the judge added.

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A man from Swindon has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child.

Damian Kinston, 27, of Park North, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (18/11) after being found guilty by trial for sexually assaulting a child under 13, multiple counts of rape of a child under 13, multiple counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and multiple assaults of a child under 13 by penetration.

Kinston has also been given a Sexual Harm and Prevention Order, placed on the Sex Offenders register and given an indefinite restraining order.

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A sex offender from Sussex who subjected his Kent victim to a campaign of fear and misery while controlling her life has been jailed, following a Kent Police investigation.

Andrew Wilson, formerly of Brompton Close in Brighton, met his victim – who was living in Ashford at the time – in 2023.

Controlling behaviour

As time went on, Wilson’s behaviour turned aggressive and unpredictable, causing the woman to become frightened and isolated.

Wilson, 29, became increasingly controlling and violent - insisting his victim delete social media contacts, dress in different clothes and give in to his sexual demands.

He dictated where she could go and whom she could speak with, subjecting her to sexual assault and suffocation.

The woman told Wilson she wanted no further contact with him, but he persisted in harassing her and making repeated threats.

Arrested

A report was made to Kent Police and Wilson was arrested in Brighton on 19 January 2024, with the support of officers from Sussex Police, before being charged the following day.

Jailed

Following a trial at Lewes Crown Court, Wilson was found guilty of sexual assault, suffocation and coercive and controlling behaviour and, on 12 November, was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Wilson will spend a further two years on licence after that term, and was also given an indefinite restraining order, forbidding him from any further contact with the victim.

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The man behind the viral Willy Wonka Experience has been exposed as a sex pest who left a woman traumatised and is now on the sex offenders register.

William Coull, 36, hounded his victim at a property in Glasgow’s Darnley between March 26 and July 2 2024.

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A sex offender has been jailed for more than a decade for multiple sexual offences against a child

Corey Furey (27) from Huddersfield was sentenced to 12 years at Leeds Crown Court today ( Monday November 18) after being convicted of serious sexual offending.  

The 27-year-old was found guilty in a trial in October of seven sexual assault offences against a female child aged under 10 and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Offending took place between 2021 and 2022 and was reported to police in August 2022.

The report resulted in an investigation being launched by the Kirklees District Child Safeguarding Unit with Furey being arrested shortly afterwards.

As well as his sentence, Furey was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will make him subject to immediate arrest and prosecution if he breaches any of the terms set, on his release from prison.

He will also have to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.  

DC Amy Green of the Kirklees District Child Safeguarding Unit, said: “Furey committed some very serious sexual offences against his young victim and we welcome his sentencing today.

“He undoubtedly poses a risk to young children and this has been reinforced by safeguards such as the Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed upon him for when he is eventually released from prison.”

She added: “I want to commend the bravery of the victim and her family in this case.   Reporting such offences is not easy, and they have shown great courage in coming forward and supporting the prosecution to put this dangerous man behind bars.

“All reports of such offending are investigated by specialist detectives, and we can also signpost victims to the help and support they may need.”

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A registered sex offender has been jailed for a second time after looking at indecent images of children.

Steven Smith, from Sittingbourne, was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court in January 2022 for sexual communication with a child, causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and making indecent photographs of children.

He received a prison sentence of two years and seven months.

Upon his release, he was subject to strict sex offender notification requirements (SONR) along with a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

This included conditions that allowed police to have access to any device capable of storing images and to install monitoring software on his mobile phone and computer.

Smith was arrested again on May 13, after investigators identified he had accessed seven illegal images of children on his phone.

His home was searched and several bank cards he had failed to log with the police were found.

This, along with his failure to register his use of several social media usernames with officers, were breaches of his court orders.

Smith, of Peregrine Drive, Sittingbourne, was charged and pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to making indecent images of a child and six breaches of his SONR.

Last Tuesday (November 12), the 44-year-old was sentenced to a year in prison.

On his release, he will be subject to a further SHPO indefinitely.

Police investigator Thomas Briant said: “Smith was given the opportunity by the court to show he could reform and be trusted not to reoffend whilst living in the community.

“Once we identified he was blatantly accessing indecent images of children on a phone we were actively monitoring, he was immediately arrested.

“This led to the identification that Smith had breached his court orders multiple times.

“He is now serving another prison sentence and will be subject to ongoing checks when he is released.”

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A man has been jailed for more than three years after he was convicted of sexually assaulting seven different women.

Jason Larry Colbourne, 56, of High Street, Stockbridge, was found guilty in September of this year of eight counts of sexual assault by touching.

This relates to offences between March 2023 and October 2023 which happened in the Winchester and Andover areas.

Colbourne appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (15/11/24), where he was handed a three and a half year prison sentence.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and all seven victims were given restraining orders against him.

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A man has been jailed for more than three years after he was convicted of sexually assaulting seven different women.

Jason Larry Colbourne, 56, of High Street, Stockbridge, was found guilty in September of this year of eight counts of sexual assault by touching.

This relates to offences between March 2023 and October 2023 which happened in the Winchester and Andover areas.

Colbourne appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (15/11/24), where he was handed a three and a half year prison sentence.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and all seven victims were given restraining orders against him.

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A Leicester DPD delivery driver sexually assaulted multiple women in a village in just two days. The actions of Ionut Torodoc, who also took a photo of one of his victims, was labelled "disturbing" by the recorder who jailed him today (Thursday, November 14).

Torodoc, of Stuart Street in Leicester's Westcotes, engaged in a series of disturbing actions including touching, kissing, and grabbing five different victims. The incidents happened over a two-day period in the Nottinghamshire village of East Leake, reports Nottinghamshire Live.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how the assaults began on Tuesday, May 21 when Torodoc parked his van in front of a woman's car to deliver a parcel. Prosecutor Thomas Welshman said: "She had her nine-year-old son in the car but got out as she recognised the defendant and opened her house so she could take the parcel in. He told her she was a 'beautiful girl' and tried to kiss her but she turned away.

"She was shocked and returned to her car and he got in and sat in the front passenger seat and said 'let's go' before turning to her son in the back seat and telling him 'your mum is very beautiful'. He then got out of the car and said 'you must order more parcels'."

The second incident happened just 20 minutes later when Torodoc delivered another parcel in the village. When the female resident answered the door, he placed it on the floor and as she picked it up, he put his hand on her thigh, telling her she had a "nice tattoo".

Mr Welshman said Torodoc then pushed "his hand further up her thigh and started to grab her shorts". He said: "[Torodoc] told her 'I need to get a photo' and took a photo from above and when she saw it, it was not of the parcel but just her body. He said 'I had to get your legs in'."

The third victim was at her workplace when Torodoc arrived with a delivery, claiming to be unwell. He was given a glass of water and something to eat. While there, he kissed one of the female workers on the cheeks before "grabbing her face and kissing her on the mouth".

Mr Welshman stated: "She felt him trying to put his tongue in her mouth and clenched her teeth together to prevent this from happening."

The fourth victim was at East Leake Leisure Centre when she was approached by Torodoc a few hours later. He had just made a delivery when he "grabbed" the woman and tried to pull her close to him.

The following day (Wednesday, May 22), Torodoc targeted his fifth victim - a 17-year-old girl who was walking to work. Court heard how he pulled up alongside the teenager and asked her for a light before grabbing her hand.

Mr Welshman said: "She walked off and he followed her in the van wound down his window and said 'where do you work, I will take you, get in'. She said 'get away from me' and when she got to work she suffered a panic attack and had to be sent home."

Court was also told that prior to the East Leake offences, Torodoc had picked up a boy who was at a self-service checkout at a Leicester Tesco Express with his mother. Prosecutors said the boy's mum demanded he put him down, telling Torodoc he should not do that and he walked away.

Emma Coverley, mitigating, said Torodoc had a wife and son in Romania, and at the time of the offences, his wife had informed him she wanted to end their relationship. She explained: "He has been in custody for six months now and has not had a family visit. He was given indefinite leave to be in the UK in 2020 and was working and quite properly sending money home to his family in Romania."

Torodoc, who required a Romanian interpreter at this week's hearing, pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault and also to common assault. He was jailed for 17 months.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin said: "This case paints a very disturbing and troubling picture. You displayed a bizarre attitude towards others you came into contact with when working as a delivery driver. It is an extremely worrying set of offences and in your pre-sentence report you don't seem to recognise the seriousness of these offences."

As well as the prison sentence, Torodoc was also placed the sex offender register for 10 years.

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The devastated father of a 10-year-old girl groomed on Snapchat and WhatsApp by a paedophile posing as a teenage boy told a court he feels he has failed as a parent.

In a moving statement read out at the sentencing hearing of Chartham resident Jacob Bean, the dad described the damaging impact on his daughter of having been "exposed to one of the world's greatest evils".

He wrote: "As a father you never want anything bad to happen to your children. You do what you can to protect them and right now I feel like I have failed.

"My 10-year-old daughter has been exposed to one of the world's greatest evils. We have lost our daughter, the way we knew her to be.

"What can a parent possibly do to make this better? She has been stripped of her innocence. She is angry and has tried to stab herself.

"I cannot explain how hard that is to see and not be able to take her pain away.

"She has so much of her childhood left but it has now been tarnished by this person who thought it was OK to talk to her like this and send her such obscene things."

But he added that although the conclusion of legal proceedings would not bring the family's suffering to an end, he vowed to "do my best to be there for my daughter and help her however I can".

Canterbury Crown Court heard that Bean's twisted behaviour with the girl included sending her child abuse videos and photos of his penis, as well as encouraging her to perform sex acts on herself.

The 23-year-old also talked about rape, saying he would carry on even if told 'No' or to stop, and asked her to try to recruit her friends into watching him having sex and masturbating.

She later told police she had deleted some of their messages because she thought she would be in trouble.

At the time, Bean was already under investigation for the grooming of three other underage girls - one said to be living in Germany - on Snapchat, as well as making indecent images.

Prosecutor Paul Valder said Bean also asked a victim - one of whom was later identified by police through her school uniform - to call him "a pervert" and told another aged 13 that he wanted to make her pregnant.

Following his initial arrest in August last year, the sex offender, of Highland Road, had claimed that his accounts had been hacked and accessed by others.

He also said a friend had regular use of his phone and denied any knowledge of the 24 child abuse images found, one depicting a victim as young as 12 months old.

However, after the abuse of the 10-year-old came to light in July this year, he later pleaded guilty to four offences of sexual communication with a child, four of making indecent images, two of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

Shanda McAteer, defending, told the court Bean did not offer any excuse for his offending and had shown genuine remorse.

But telling the court the defendant "struggles" to explain why he did what he did, Ms McAteer added: "He was suffering from very low mood and social isolation, was having difficulty opening up to his family and how he was feeling, and turned to the internet to communicate with others and then these offences have occurred.

"He doesn't attempt to excuse what he did in any way at all, and has now heard the impact of his actions."

Bean, who has no previous convictions, was jailed for a total of five-and-a-half years.

Passing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Simon James told the convicted paedophile he had used the internet to "actively pursue" his sexual interest in children.

But although he accepted Bean was suffering from poor mental health at the time which may have contributed to making poor and reckless choices, he said he "struggled to comprehend" how it could be argued that there was a direct causative link between his depression and seeking to incite children to engage in sexual activity.

Speaking of the "obvious, wholly understandable, and profound" impact on the 10-year-old victim and her family, Judge James added: "Children, and indeed parents, are entitled to look to the courts for protection from adults seeking to sexually exploit, abuse and corrupt children over the internet."

He also remarked that the disparity in age between Bean and his victims, together with his pretence of being a child in order to gain their trust and response, were both significant aggravating features.

On release, Bean will be subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order.

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A child sex offender from Burton-on-Trent has been jailed for nine years after the survivor bravery came forward.

Liam Stephen Wood, 19, of Burton, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing/inciting a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child at an earlier court hearing.

On Thursday (7 November) at Stafford Crown Court, he was jailed for nine years, with a five-year extended license period, put on the Sex Offenders Register for life, issued with a restraining order against the victim for the next decade and subject to a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was arrested in May 2024 after the survivor, a girl, bravely came forward and told someone about what Wood had done.

Officers from our child protection team (CPT) launched an investigation and managed to secure the charges against Wood, despite him denying his crimes on interview.

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A man from Dartford has been jailed after a jury unanimously found him guilty of sexually assaulting two children over more than three decades.

Steven Franklin, of Montgomery Road, was convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of 10 sexual offences, including five counts of rape.

The court heard how Kent Police launched an investigation into allegations Franklin had subjected a child to a sustained campaign of sexual abuse.

The complex investigation found there was a second victim, who had been targeted by Franklin in the 1970s.

Investigations later revealed the child had suffered at the hands of Franklin for more than a decade.

In August 2023, Franklin was charged with multiple sexual offences and ordered to appear before Woolwich Crown Court, where he pleaded not guilty to all counts.

He was found guilty following a trial.

The 71-year-old was sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment before the same court on November 14.

He must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before he can apply for parole.

Detective Constable James McClelland said: “Franklin persistently and repeatedly assaulted his victims in the most vile manner for his own selfish gratification.

“He took advantage of two vulnerable young children, subjecting them to years abuse, with absolutely no regard for their physical, mental, emotional, or psychological well-being.

“He has subsequently demonstrated zero remorse and refused to confess his wrongdoing, instead choosing to make them suffer a lengthy legal process, during which they’ve had to relive horrific incidents.

“I would like to commend the bravery of both victims in reporting Franklin’s abhorrent behaviour and hope that his lengthy jail term offers some comfort.

“Kent Police takes all reports of this nature seriously and encourages any victims of such crimes to have confidence that we will seek to serve justice against perpetrators, no matter when the offence occurred.”

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A PAEDOPHILE has avoided jail after he admitted making thousands of indecent images of children.

Laurence Machin from Bewdley pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, which included category A, B and C images.

The charges state that Machin made 330 Category A images, 301 Category B images, and 9720 Category C images.

The 25-year-old, of Severnside South, Bewdley, was handed an 18-month suspended sentence when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday, November 14.

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An Angus paedophile collected sick child abuse images “like they were stickers for a Panini football album.”

A sheriff compared Grant Ross to a sticker or stamp collector for the way he downloaded and stored images of infants as young as two being sexually abused.

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An Ipswich man who was in possession of more than 1,000 "vile” indecent images and videos of children has been jailed for 20 months.

Sentencing 39-year-old Michael Banham at Ipswich Crown Court, Judge Emma Peters said it was the second time he had appeared before a court for possessing indecent images and videos of children which she described as “a real evil in society”.

“The only way such images and videos can be made is by children being subjected to actual abuse,” said the judge.

She said the “vile” images featured young children and some involved dogs and cats.

“The possession of images and videos like this fuel the trade in the abuse which literally destroys children’s lives, both physically and mentally,” said the judge.

Banham, of Kenyon Street, Ipswich, admitted three offences of possessing indecent images and videos of children and one offence of possessing extreme pornographic images.

The court was told that, in addition to the images of children, there were 18 extreme pornographic images and one video.

In addition to being jailed, Banham was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.

The court heard that in 2018 Banham was jailed for 16 months for downloading indecent images of children.

Charles Judge, prosecuting, said that in 2022 Banham was arrested for an unrelated matter and his mobile phone was seized.

When it was analysed indecent images and videos were found on it and when Banham was questioned about them he said : “I don’t know how they got there. I’m just going to say it was me and I did it."

The court heard that Banham led an isolated and lonely life and spent most of his time alone in his flat.