Latest Offenders

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A NORTHWICH man collected hundreds of indecent images of children and shared one of the most serious with someone via WhatsApp.

Paul Birleson has avoided jail after pleading guilty to a string of seven offences relating to the possession and distribution of images of children and animals.

At Chester Crown Court on Monday (October 7) the 48-year-old was handed a 24-month sentence - reduced from 30 months on account of his early guilty plea - suspended for two years.

If you had a trial I could not have given the sentence I did today, that is how close you came to going to prison, said judge Simon Berkson.

Prosecutor Tom McLoughlin explained that police raided Birlesons home on July 28, 2022, following reports of suspicious behaviour on his Google account.

Police analysed his devices and found a total of 529 images, including 28 category A images and 115 category A videos, the most serious.

Birleson was also found to be in possession of 40 category B images and 89 category B videos, as well as 124 category C images and 106 videos.

Also found on the devices were 25 extreme pornographic images involving dogs and cats.

Mr McLoughlin continued to explain there was evidence Birleson had watched these images on a TV at his home.

He had also distributed one category A image by sending it to someone over WhatsApp.

David Morton, defending, said his client was utterly ashamed of what he had done.

He added Birleson has a complicated medical history, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Birleson, formerly of Emmett Street in Barnton, also has no previous convictions and was described by the Probation Service as having a low risk of reoffending.

Ordinarily he is a bright, articulate and capable individual, said Mr Morton.

He has made it clear he is willing to put his back into effective work to rehabilitate.

Mr Morton continued, saying his client had shown he is capable of change, highlighting his battle with alcoholism, with Birleson now the best part of 20 months sober.

Taking this all into account, Judge Berkson sentenced Birleson based on what he saw as the most serious of the seven charges distribution of a category A indecent photograph of a child.

He said: Not only do you like to watch child abuse on screens in front of you but you are prepared to distribute them to others with similar interest.

Medical conditions are not in themselves a get out of jail free but here we have a combination of factors.

Birleson, now of Carlingford Road in Chester-le-Street, was also ordered to complete 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 120-day alcohol monitoring requirement.

On top of this, Judge Berkson imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

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A former police officer has pleaded guilty to sex offences after he was confronted by paedophile hunters outside his home in a Norfolk town.

Christopher Sheldrick, 56, of Suffield Road in Gorleston, was arrested on September 29 after being approached by a member of The Ghosts Online Child Protection Team.

He was then charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, attempting to breach a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offender register.

He was remanded and appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court on Saturday, October 5 where he pleaded guilty to all three offences.

Sheldrick is now due to appear before Norwich Crown Court on November 4.

Norfolk police confirmed that Sheldrick had been a police officer but had not served with them.

When confronted by the paedophile hunter group, Sheldrick admitted to them that he is a former police officer who has been out of the force for some years.

Sheldrick admits to the group in the video that he was fired from the force for a breach of misconduct and later he also says he served in the military.

A member of the group then began reading transcripts of the conversation between Sheldrick and someone who he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

The person told him that they were 14 and Sheldrick asked her to "stick her tongue out" and made a suggestive comment.

Sheldrick confessed to sending the account a pornographic video telling her "she needs to learn" about sex.

He said in the video that he had been in prison for sex offences.

Additionally, when asked if he is sexually attracted to children he replies "Partly I suppose" before confessing to speaking to "three or four" other children who he says have sent him indecent images.

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A rapist has received a prison sentence of almost 10 years after being convicted after a trial.

Thomas Osbourne, who also goes by the name Solomon Osbourne, was found guilty by majority verdict of two counts of rape against a woman committed earlier this year.

A nine-and-a-half year prison sentence was handed down to the 33-year-old from St George at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 27 September.

Any victim of a sexual offence is entitled by law to be kept anonymous. The victim in this case prepared a statement, which was read in court, in which she said she now feels scared of all men.

She said: “In terms of how this has impacted me and how I live my life, I am struggling with how to put it into words and find this very difficult. I’m not the same person I used to be since.

“This has also caused me to completely isolate myself from my family and friends, because I don’t want to talk or even think about everything that happened.

“He has completely ruined my trust in anyone and in particular men.

“I now feel scared of all men. I always used to try to see the good in people and feel as though that has been taken from me.

“Now, I always worry about what someone’s intentions would be and if the same things are going to happen again.”

Osbourne will be added to the sex offender’s register indefinitely, and his criminal record shared with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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An NSPCC tip off has led to a Yorkshire child sex offender being jailed for crimes many years ago.

In 2022, the NSPCC received a referral stating two children had been sexually abused many years ago by Darren Hinson, 55.

The information was passed to specialist detectives from Cleveland Police’s CAVA team.

Detective Sergeant Natasha Vaughan, an officer in the case, worked to identify the two women and made contact with them.

Regardless of the amount of time that had passed, police were able to take action against Hinson and they were offered appropriate support.

The women confirmed that Hinson had sexually abused them as vulnerable children between the ages of 4 and 10 years old.

This “horrific offending” then continued over a period of years, a court heard.

In 2023 Hinson was charged with 16 non-recent sexual offences against two children; the offences included sexual touching and rape.

On August 16, 2024, a jury at Teesside Crown Court found Hinson guilty of all 16 counts and he was immediately remanded into custody until his sentencing at the same court.

The 55-year-old was eventually sentenced to 22 years in prison.

Hinson will be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and he'll be subject to stringent conditions and monitoring on his release from prison.

Det Sgt Vaughan said: “Because we received the information from a third party, the victim-survivors received contact from the police out of the blue, so I had to be very mindful of this and the impact it would have on them.

“Both women displayed great courage though, and they fully supported our investigations from the outset.

“I’m so grateful for this and I hope this result brings a degree of comfort as they continue to process everything they’ve been through.”

CAVA Chief Inspector Matt Murphy King added: “I’m extremely glad and grateful that someone took the time to report Hinson’s abuse to the NSPCC. He might have thought he’d never face justice for his abhorrent actions but he has now been held accountable for what he did.

“Anyone who has experienced abuse of any nature, whether recent or non-recent, can report via this organisation if they don’t feel able to contact police.

“If you do feel able to speak to police, I can promise you my specially trained officers will listen to you, they will believe you and they will support you.

“We can also put you in contact with our excellent specialist local organisations who can also give you bespoke advice and support during the police investigation and the entire court process.”

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A man from Luton described as a “monster” by a judge has been put behind bars for child sex offences – including raping a child.

Bharat Gohil, 59, and from Rodeheath in Luton, was found guilty of four counts of raping a child under the age of 13 and numerous counts of sexual assault by touching.

He was arrested in September 2021 after victims came forward following years of abuse in Dacorum, Hertfordshire at the hands of Gohil.

The 59-year-old was also charged with child cruelty after abusing another child between May 2004 and January 2017. Gohil was convicted of child cruelty and sexual abuse offences in December 2023.

He appeared in front of Judge Sheridan at Aylesbury Crown Court yesterday (October 7) where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Judge Sheridan described him as a ‘monster’ who ‘enjoyed the terror that he instilled’.

He was handed three restraining orders, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Sergeant Adam Haines was “pleased that Gohil has received this heavy sentence for such serious offences, and that justice has been served for his victims”

DS Haines said: “The impact of his offending was far reaching, and this sentence rightly reflects the harm caused by him.

“I hope this serves as an example that sexual offences and offences against the most vulnerable in society are treated with the appropriate care and attention across the criminal justice system.

"These victims were brave enough to come forward about what happened and because of this, a dangerous offender has been imprisoned.

He encouraged victims of crime to come forward “so that you can get the support you need from specialist officers and other partners”.

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A paedophile who abused children for many years starting when they were very young has been jailed for more than 15 years.

Martin Slater’s sexual crimes, which began when he himself was underage, had had “devastating” effects on the victims, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris told York Crown Court.

Christopher Bevan, prosecuting, said it took years for each of the victims to tell police what had happened to them. Both were at primary school when the abuse began. 

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Leah Gillon of Scarborough CID,  said: “Slater has caused immeasurable harm to the victims which has affected all of their lives and that of their families.

“They are to be commended for coming forward and reporting the abuse. As with many victims of abuse they have lived with the trauma caused by Slater for many, many years, before feeling able to report what had happened to them.

“I hope the guilty verdicts and the sentence handed out to Slater helps them to put a traumatic time in their lives behind them and provides a semblance of closure for them.

 “I also hope other victims of abuse feel they can report what happened to them to the police, no matter when it happened, in the knowledge that they will be listened to, we will carry out a thorough investigation and you will be offered professional specialist support.” 

Both victims had to give evidence against Slater after he denied any wrong doing with them.

Slater, 53, who lived on a houseboat, of no fixed address, pleaded not guilty to 16 charges of sexual offences against children but was convicted by a York jury earlier this year. The offences happened in and around Scarborough.

Today he is starting 15 and a half years in jail with a year’s extended licence after he is released because he is an “offender of particular concern”.   He will be on the sex offenders’ register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order, both for life and was made subject to a restraining order, banning him from contacting the victims, also for life.

For Slater, Derek Duffy said he had not offended for many years and that he himself had been a child when he committed the earliest offences. 

In his childhood he had been badly burnt and as a result had suffered visible scars on his face which had affected his life. In his later teens and early adult years he had moved from accommodation to accommodation.

“He has lived a quite isolated and lonely life,” said Mr Duffy.

Slater had a job, which he had now lost, and a houseboat.

Following his sentence, which would be his first spell behind bars, he would have to start his life again.

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The full extent of a paedophile’s sickening child and animal abuse interest emerged after he was jailed for offences including voyeurism, earlier this year, a court heard.

Cameron Greaves, now 21, received a total prison sentence of 18 months at Durham Crown Court, in May, after he admitted two counts of voyeurism plus possession of indecent imagers of children and extreme pornography.

The lead offences at that hearing were considered to be those of voyeurism, the covert filming of two boys doing private acts against their knowledge by Greaves, with the other offences relating to 16 indecent images of children and an unspecified number of extreme pornographic images.

Just a few months into his term of imprisonment, Greaves appeared again for sentence before the court, this time via video link from HMP Northumberland, where he is serving the jail term imposed in May.

Charlie Thompson, prosecuting, told the latest hearing that Greaves now falls to be sentenced after new charges were brought once the full contents of devices seized from him by police, in April, emerged.

The defendant, from Crook, admitted three new charges of making incident photographs of children and four of possessing extreme pornography when the case went before magistrates, in June.

It was sent to the crown court for sentence.

Mr Thompson said the new charges related to a far greater number of images, about 1,500 featuring indecent child material, 98 classed as extreme pornography and 54 prohibited images of children, in cartoon or CGI format, some stills but many of them videos.

Much of the offending material, particularly the images and videos featuring animals, were said to be of a sadistic nature featuring gross acts of cruelty and torture, while the child abuse images featured very young children, some in discernible distress.

Mr Thompson said Greaves had traded in the images, requesting, “the harder the better” from one like-minded individual with whom he communicated online.

Greaves had sought to buy some of the animal abuse material which originated from a now jailed British zoologist in Australia.

Cole Cockburn, for Greaves, said the images were gathered during the period covering the original conviction, offences dating back to a time when the defendant was aged 19, and of previous good character.

Mr Cockburn said the offending stemmed from the defendant’s addiction to pornography.

He said the harsh conditions his client has endured serving his prison sentence have exemplified the defendant’s, “on-going shame and deep regret.”

Mr Cockburn said: “He desires to leave prison as a man who can put this all behind him.

“He was well-liked before he went to prison and has made it clear when he does leave prison, he will do so with a deep-rooted desire not to return.”

Judge Nathan Adams told Greaves: “This is effectively the second part of a sentencing exercise started by Judge Kidd, in May.

“It appears for the previous two years you have been accumulating an extremely high-level of illegal material, including images featuring the abuse of children as young as one or two, just horrific conduct.”

He said the extreme images feature more than 70 videos of animals being, “tortured, mutilated and killed.”

Judge Adams said the officer overseeing the investigation described it as some of the most disturbing material he has had to view as part of his professional duties.

He said people like the defendant prepared to seek out and pay for material featuring such “horrific conduct” only encourage the making of more images of child abuse and sadism to animals.

Imposing a 28-month total sentence, it adds a further ten months onto the prison term passed on Greaves in May.

He also ordered deprivation of all the images and videos, plus the devices seized by police during their inquiry.

Greaves is already subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both for ten years, arising from his sentence in May.

But he was told the ten-year notification requirement period will now start afresh.

Detective Constable Liam Padget, of Durham Police’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said the force’s digital investigation unit launched an operation in June 2023 after it identified Greaves as having control of a Google account onto which indecent images of children were uploaded.

Greaves’ devices were seized immediately and upon examination, it was found he was in possession of a large quantity of extreme pornography, plus more than 1,500 images and videos featuring child abuse.

As a result, he was further arrested for these offences and brought into custody.

He was interviewed and later charged with possession of extreme pornographic images, possession of indecent images of a child, making indecent images of a child and voyeurism.

Det Con Padget said: "Following an in-depth investigation we can see Cameron Greaves has very deep-rooted sexual perversions, which included possessing disgusting child abuse images and images involving animals, even going to the lengths of recording others without their knowledge.”

He added: “Hopefully the sentence passed will deter others from sharing in children's misery".

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A probationary police officer has been jailed for 42 months for sexually assaulting a woman after a night out.

PC James Barrett-Barnett, 25, had already been dismissed by Bedfordshire Police following a misconduct hearing.

After a night out with friends, he had got into bed with a woman and sexually assaulted her.

He admitted his actions but claimed it had been consensual, however he was convicted in April at Huntingdon Crown Court.

Barrett-Barnett of Walsall Road in Walsall was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

Following his conviction, a hearing in July found he had committed gross misconduct and he was sacked.

In his misconduct ruling, the chief constable of Cambridgeshire Police, Nick Dean, wrote: "There is little doubt in the public’s eye that he has damaged the reputation of the police service and bought discredit to it."

Det Ch Supt Zara Brown, who drives the force’s response to violence against women and girls, said Barrett-Barnett was a probationary officer for a short time and had just completed his initial training when he committed the offences.

"There is no place in society for violence against women, and especially within policing, as it betrays the trust and confidence the public should have in us as a service.

"We will continue to take robust action against anyone who acts in this way.”

She "highly commended" the victim for showing "great bravery by reporting what happened to her, as well as giving evidence during the trial".

"We will never accept this sort of behaviour, consent is paramount and no will always mean no.

"It is never too late to report anything that has happened to you, and we have specialist teams who will work closely with you and will believe you," she added.

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A sick sex offender used a hidden camera to capture hundreds of indecent images, including images of a child.

Kevin Green was found to have almost 400 indecent images when police seized his electronic devices, a court heard.

Now the 60-year-old has been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court and must sign the sex offender register. His actions will also cost him his job, the court heard.

The court heard that Green's victim found the concealed camera which she believed must have been placed there at least six months prior.

The court heard that the camera had been capturing footage which could be accessed via an app on Green's iPad. And when police examined his devices they found one Category B video and 366 Category C images, including photos and videos of his victim.

He originally pleaded guilty to two counts of taking indecent images of children and denied two counts of voyeurism. However, he later changed his plea and pleaded guilty to all four counts.

The court was told that Green is "ashamed" and "disgusted" by his behaviour and "can't believe what he has done". He has worked in a high pressure job for many years, however, he will now lose the job due to his conviction, the court heard.

Judge Tim Gittins sentenced Green, of Prestdale Avenue, Blyth, to 13 months in prison. He must sign the sex offender register for 10 years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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A GP has been jailed for 22 years after he was found guilty of indecently assaulting seven women during routine examinations.

Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsetting

Stephen Cox, 65, was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault after a four-week retrial at Reading Crown Court. He was acquitted of a further four charges.

Cox denied all 16 charges of indecent assault while working at a surgery in Bracknell, Berkshire, during the 1980s and 1990s.

Thames Valley Police said that, over a number of years, Cox repeatedly indecently assaulted seven of his female patients on the pretext of carrying out routine medical examinations.

During his trial, the jury heard Cox got patients to undress unnecessarily, touched their breasts, pressed his body against them, and carried out internal examinations when they were not needed or without using gloves.

Cox, of Stockton Mill, Welshpool in Shropshire, claimed the women were mistaken in their allegations and that the examinations would have been medically justified.

He also said he did not remember any of the patients and that they were not telling the truth.

After the GP was convicted, Detective Constable Sara Di Giorgio said Cox was a "prolific and predatory sex offender hiding beneath the mask of being a trusted doctor", and he "completely betrayed" patients' trust.

She added that Cox carried out a series of indecent assaults "which his victims have had to live with for many decades".

"He has never displayed an ounce of remorse for what he had done, and has constantly denied any wrongdoing, this despite a number of women, none of whom know each other, coming forward to report what he had done to them," DC Di Giorgio said.

The offences had taken place before the use of computerised healthcare records, which meant the police investigation revolved around handwritten GP notes.

The indecent assaults were not reported at the time and victims came forward once a police investigation opened into Cox, the CPS said.

Lawyer Chris White, for the CPS, said Cox's behaviour was "clearly sexually motivated" and he "used his position to take advantage of his patients".

"With no witnesses to the assaults, it was the strength of all the victims' accounts, which showed a similar pattern in Cox's behaviour, that helped secure his conviction," he said.

"We would like to thank them for coming forward and we hope today's sentence gives them some sense of closure."

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A registered sex offender has been sent to prison for one year for breaching a court order three times.

Jake Wilson, 24, had been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention order in October 2023 after being convicted of sexual communication with a child.

He was told not to use a phone or online social media but he breached this order three times, in January, in February, and then on September 4 2024, each time by obtaining a mobile phone with access to the internet and setting up accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Dugdale said: "You did exactly what you were told not to do. This court has now run out of road, we have been lenient and taken your difficulties into consideration but the court has a duty to protect children and we tried to do this with the original SPHO and now we will do it by sending you to prison."

The court heard Mr Wilson has learning difficulties and has attended appointments with a learning difficulty team. 

Wilson, of Aylwards Way, Nether Wallop, will serve a 12 month sentence due to the persistent breaches and he must go on the Sex Offenders Register for the next ten years.

Wilson who appeared in a red t-shirt, nodded and listened as Judge Dugdale passed sentence.

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A convicted child sex offender has been locked up after he hid three mobile phones and other digital devices in his Newcastle home.

Roland Mitchell, who was jailed in the 1980s and 1990s for indecently assaulting youngsters, was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in 2016 after he was caught with indecent images of kids. Under the terms of the order, the 74-year-old must inform police of any devices he owned, which were capable of accessing the internet or storing digital photos or videos.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that, during a routine visit to his home, an officer noticed that his regular mobile phone had a very small internet history, which aroused her suspicions. A subsequent search of the property found three further phones, a laptop, a tablet, a USB and hard drive device and three camcorders.

Now, Mitchell, of Cambridge Street, in Elswick, Newcastle, has been jailed for 10 months after he pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and two of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

Rachael Glover, prosecuting, said an officer attended Mitchell's address on November 30 last year. She added: "During that visit, the defendant handed over a mobile phone, in which the officer identified there was very little internet history and, suspecting this may be down to him deleting the history, he was arrested."

A later search of the flat uncovered the hidden devices, as well as a Barclays bank card and a passport, which he must also tell police about under the terms of his order. During interview, Mitchell claimed he had forgotten about the digital devices but had no explanation for the three phones.

The court heard that Mitchell had 32 offences on his record, including gross indecency from 1964, indecent assault on a female under 14 in 1980 and similar offending in 1983. He was then jailed again in 1998 for indecent assault. Caroline McGurk, defending, said Mitchell now suffered with ill health and there was no evidence that he had used the devices in a "suspect" way.

Locking him up, Judge Penny Moreland said: "They were deliberate breaches and I'm satisfied it couldn't be anything other than deliberate to posses that number of devices."

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A Peterhead man who served in the armed forces for 20 years was caught with sick child abuse videos during a raid on his home.

Police officers descended on Mark Spiller’s property at Viking Way in August last year.

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Robert Mellish, 57, of Hillsley Road, Paulsgrove, was sentenced to 16 years in prison at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday, October 2. He was found guilty of a number of offences, including rape, involving a boy under the age of 13 with police commending the victims “bravery and steadfastness”.

DC Emily Sargent of the Eastern Child Investigation Team said, “Whilst I know this result cannot remove the memories of what Mellish has done for the young victim or their family, I am pleased that justice has been served for them and that Mellish is now behind bars where he belongs.

The support of the young victim and their family has been invaluable in this case and I’d like to commend them for bravery and steadfastness throughout.”

Mellish was found guilty of the following charges at Portsmouth Crown Court by a jury on Monday, June 24:

Two counts of rape of a boy under 13, on no less than three occasions

Four counts of causing a child under 13 to watch / look at an image of sexual activity

One count of assault a boy under 13 by touching

Three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13

DS Lucy Gransden of the Eastern Child Investigation Team said “I would also like to thank everyone who has been involved in this case for their hard work, which has helped secure this conviction.

I hope this sentence will reassure other victims that we take every report of this nature extremely seriously and we will listen to you if you come forward and speak to us.”

The police have also highlighted that anyone who has concerns about child abuse can also report it anonymously by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Anyone who has experienced abuse in childhood, or is concerned about a child, can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]. Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111.

The different types of support and services available to victims of sexual assault can be found on the Hampshire police website.

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A former football coach and teacher who sexually abused two boys has been jailed.

John Staveley, 55, met one of his victims while working as a coach. The other was abused on a school trip while Staveley was working as a primary teacher.

The abuse began in the late 1990s, but Staveley was only arrested after the first victim reported what had happened to the NSPCC in 2020.

Detectives went on to gather witness statements and screenshots of social media messages to help convict Staveley.

He was found guilty of nine counts of gross indecency with a boy under 14, two of indecent assault on a boy under 16 and one count of causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Staveley, of Hale Hill Lane, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years at Sheffield Crown Court and placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Det Con Mike Tilley, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "Staveley abused his position as a mentor and guide to young children in sports and educational settings.

"He should have been someone his victims were able to trust but instead he exploited them, took advantage of them and abused them for his own sexual gratification.

"I really want to commend his victims for coming forward and telling us about their harrowing and horrific experiences as children."