Latest Offenders

Description

A Chorley man has been jailed for having sexualised online chat with a girl he believed to be 14 years old.

Anthony McFarlane, 34, (pictured) had inappropriate conversations via social media platform KIK and arranged to meet the girl at a hotel in Chorley.

However, the girl who McFarlane was talking to was in fact an adult acting as a decoy for a group who help to identify sexual predators.

McFarlane was detained by members of the group at the hotel on 11th April this year and arrested by our officers.

More than 200 messages had been exchanged between McFarlane and the decoy.

The messages showed that McFarlane clearly believed he was communicating with a teenager, and the messages were of a sexual nature.

One of the messages from McFarlane read: “Because think about it I’m meeting an under aged girl that’s staying at mine. That’s the nervous and scary part U get me. If we get caught I go to prison.”

McFarlane, formerly of Moor Road, Chorley, appeared at Preston Crown Court last Thursday (24th July) after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause/incite a girl age between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity.

He was jailed for three years, placed on the sex offenders’ register for life, and issued with a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Det Con Mark Edwards of our Internet Child Exploitation team said:

“McFarlane believed he was messaging a 14-year-old girl and was communicating with her for two months.

“The messages were of a sexual nature, and it was clearly his intention to meet the girl and engage her in sexual activity.

“Thankfully it was a decoy he was messaging, and no one came to any harm.

“This was abhorrent behaviour from McFarlane, and I welcome the prison sentence imposed on him.”

Description

A 33-year-old man who raped and sexually assaulted a woman has been jailed for five years.

Segun ‘Michael’ Ogundipe, of Tuffley Lane in Gloucester, denied the offences, but following a trial in May a jury found him guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault and assault by penetration.

The court heard that in 2022 Ogundipe met the woman at her place of work and during their first meeting he asked her to go out for a drink with him.

She agreed and arranged to meet him after work the next day; texting him beforehand to make it clear that she was just getting to know him.

The following evening, Ogundipe picked the woman up in his car and they went to a bar. Throughout the course of the night Ogundipe began to sexualise the conversation, which made her feel uncomfortable.

Ogundipe then suggested he drive them to a different location to continue their evening. On the way there, he stopped at his house, saying he needed to get something from inside.

The victim needed to use the toilet and after she left the bathroom, Ogundipe sexually assaulted her and raped her.

He then drove her to an address in Cheltenham.

Even as he was driving, Ogundipe continued to try and touch the victim, who repeatedly told him to stop.

Due to the nature of his driving, Ogundipe was stopped by Gloucestershire Police officers who were on routine patrol. When the vehicle was stationary at the roadside, the victim took the opportunity to leave his car; initially telling officers that she wanted to go to a nearby family address and did not want to deal with what had happened to her. She then walked away.

Noticing how distressed and upset she was, an officer caught up with the victim who then disclosed that Ogundipe had raped her. 

Ogundipe was arrested on suspicion of rape and taken into custody where he was subsequently charged with two counts of sexual assault, assault by penetration and rape. 

The court was told that Ogundipe denied raping the victim and instead he claimed that she had initiated sexual activity and she had fully consented to having sexual intercourse with him.

The jury did not agree with his version of events and found him guilty.

In mitigation, the court heard that Ogundipe was of previous good character. His Honour Judge Lowe also took his positive character references into account before sentencing him at Gloucester Crown Court on Monday 21 July.

As well as being jailed for five years, Nigerian-born Ogundipe, who came to the UK to study in 2021, will be subject to deportation as a result of committing a serious offence here.

In a statement read out in court, the victim described to Ogundipe how being raped by him has impacted her life.

She said:

"It is still crazy to me to think how your words and your actions have made me question my worth entirely. Some days what you did to me plays over and over in my head. What you did was vile and one of the worst things you could do to someone. 

"I spent so long believing that I must have deserved what you did to me but I know now that you had no right to the rights of my body. Every single part of my life paused. I had to leave my job, a job that I loved deeply because I couldn't cope.

"I became scared to meet new people, to even smile at someone out of fear that it would be taken the wrong way. I lost my spark and even now I'm still only starting to heal."

Following Ogundipe's sentencing the victim said:

"I would encourage anyone who has experienced something similar to what I did to report it to the police. It doesn't matter if you feel ashamed or if you feel you are somehow to blame. You will be believed and supported."

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jon Furse said:

"Ogundipe's actions that night have caused serious harm and will have a lasting impact for the victim. I would like to commend her for the courage she has shown throughout this investigation.

"We are dedicated to ensuring sexual offenders are held accountable for their horrific crimes and I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of rape or other sexual assaults to please come forward and speak to police."

Description

A Cardiff couple who committed numerous child sex offences have been jailed.

Tracy Turner from Roath, and Stuart Compton of Cathays, sent messages to each other discussing their sex lives and arranging to sexually abuse three named children.

As part of the investigation, detectives reviewed 96,000 messages between the defendants who were discussing what they wanted to do to the child victims.

Turner, 51, admitted six charges of arranging the commission of child sex offences, and two charges of making indecent images of a child.

Compton, 45, also pleaded guilty to six charges of arranging the commission of child sex offences.

The investigation began in June 2025, when information was received of concerning conversations, involving Compton, on a dating app. As a result, his phone was seized revealing thousands of messages between him and Turner.

Today (Monday, July 28) they were jailed at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

Turner was sentenced to 12-year custodial sentence with an extended two-year licence.

Compton was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of six years and 131 days before being considered for parole.

They are also subject to Restraining Orders and Sexual Harm Prevention Orders.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector David Butt from South Wales Police, said:

“Today’s sentencing concludes a 12-month investigation, during which time a small team of detectives reviewed approximately 96,000 messages which Tracy Turner and Stuart Compton sent to each other.

“The volume and nature of the content was disturbing – the worst of the worst – but the officers demonstrated resilience and determination to get justice.

“Thankfully, the victims had no knowledge of what was taking place. In statements provided to the court, some family members of the victims have described the devastating impact of the crimes, and we hope today’s sentencing brings them some comfort.

“Offenders like Turner and Compton believe they can hide behind phone screens, but this is clearly not the case.

“It is our absolute priority to protect children, and I am grateful to colleagues for their meticulous investigation into this appalling case, and the co-operation of the Crown Prosecution Service.

"The successful prosecution and conviction of these two dangerous sexual predators, will ensure that children are protected."

Description

A paedophile who was snared after seven years on the loose by DNA he handed over in a bid to become a Police Community Support Officer has been jailed for nine years.

Reinaldo Goncalo Bertoni Filho, 42, sexually assaulted girls aged 10 and 15 after approaching them in public in Surrey in 2017.

Both girls were able to escape from his grasp, but the identity of their attacker was initially a mystery.

However Filho, of Askew Road in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, essentially handed himself with a bid to join the police.

He was required to give DNA samples as part of the British Transport Police application process in 2024, and his records were then flagged as matching the two sex attacks seven years earlier.

At Guildford Crown Court on Friday, Filho was sentenced to nine years in prison for sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault of a child under 13. He must also serve an extra four years on licence after release.

The first attack was on a 15-year-old girl who was riding her bike in Hogsmill Open Space in Ewell in July 2017. The second incident involved a 10-year-old girl who was walking through Claygate Common in August 2017.

Rebecca Millardship from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Reinaldo Goncalo Bertoni Filho deliberately targeted children who were both in isolated spaces, where they should have been safe to enjoy themselves.

“What happened on those days has had a huge, long-lasting impact on every aspect of the lives of these two girls. They were left with memory flashbacks, terrified of men and fearful and anxious for years that they might see their attacker again, until Goncalo Bertoni Filho was arrested.

“One of the victims talked about how the attack had stolen her confidence, joy and safety. We hope that, with this sentence, both girls can now start to rebuild their lives, knowing their attacker has been brought to justice.”

The victim of the first attack managed to escape after biting Filho on the elbow and scratching his face, causing him to run off.

The ten-year-old victim said she was grabbed by a passing jogger, who pinned her against a tree.

She escaped by kicking him in the stomach, and ran away to tell a family friend what happened.

“His audacity at applying to join the British Transport Police as a PCSO defies belief, but it was this which ultimately led to being identified”, said Detective Sergeant Adele Robertson from the Surrey and Sussex Police Major Crime Team.

Description

A man from Swansea has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape and other offences involving four female victims.

28-year-old Jamil Ahmed, from Clydach, raped one of the victims after making threats of violence should she not have complied with his wishes.

Ahmed changed his plea for one count each of rape and controlling and coercive behaviour from not guilty to guilty in July.

He has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, with an extension period of eight years, to run concurrently.

Detective Constable Judith Williams said:

“Jamil Ahmed filled his victims with terror through his violent outbursts and threats which left them feeling like they had no option but to go along with his predatory demands.

“This was not something which happened on just one occasion. This was a prolonged pattern of behaviour, and that has played a huge part in achieving the extended sentence with which he has been served today.

“We applaud the victims for their bravery in coming forward, and hope they can begin to move on with their lives now that Jamil Ahmed will no longer be a part of them.

“To anyone else suffering, or who has been the victim of a sexual offence: please report it. Our team of specially-trained officers will be able to support you.”

Description

A Snapchat-using pervert caught with hundreds of child abuse files on his phone in Dundee has been placed on the sex offenders register.

Dylan Smith tried to claim he bought the iPhone on Gumtree days after the last of the disgusting files had been downloaded onto Snapchat.

Description

An offender who targeted a child whilst she was walking along a road in Medway has been jailed.

Abiola Adenmosun was driving through Rochester in 2012 and stopped his car alongside a girl he did not know. He befriended her and arranged to see her locally the next day.

The victim went to the meeting where Adenmosun gave her alcohol and a cigarette containing cannabis.

Sexually assaulted

The girl had not tried the drug before and became disorientated. He went on to sexually assault her in his car.

Over several months Adenmosun continued to meet the child and committed further sexual offences. During this period, he also damaged the victim’s phone and assaulted one of her relatives.

The victim tried to end any contact with Adenmosun, but he persisted to text and phone her. This led her to report his offending to the police in 2017.

Adenmosun, of King George Road, Chatham was interviewed and later charged with six counts of sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded not guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was convicted of all the indictments on 28 February 2025.

Jailed

On Friday 18 July, the 35 year old was sentenced to four years and three months’ imprisonment.

He was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offenders Register. He will also be subject to a restraining order for life.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Kayleigh Archer, said:

‘This man sought out a vulnerable girl who was walking by herself, gained her trust and then went on to commit multiple sexual offences.

‘The victim had immense courage in initially reporting her ordeal. She then had the resilience to support our investigation over a long period of time and then give evidence at court. This has ensured this appalling man is now in prison and he cannot pose a risk to other young victims.’

Description

A man has been banned from every McDonald's in Merseyside after spying on a 16-year-old girl in the bathroom of a Liverpool city centre restaurant.

Tyler Rogers, 24, said he was picking up a "Too Good to Go" bag when he wandered into the women's toilets at around 9.45pm on Thursday, July 24.

He appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court yesterday (July 26), where he pleaded guilty to voyeurism, the Liverpool Echo reported.

Prosecutor Adrian Evans told the court: "There was a female who had gone into the McDonald's toilets, a 16-year-old. When she was on the toilet itself, she has seen a male peering over into the cubicle in which she was seated.

"The male has then left. Police were called and the defendant was identified by officers. At the time, there was another female in the toilet, and the victim has been described as looking very shaken up as a result of the incident - the offences perpetrated by this defendant.

"Upon being arrested, he made a significant statement [along the lines of] 'I didn't do anything wrong'.

"The act he did admit doing, but he denied any sexual gratification from the same. Having pleaded guilty, he now must accept that sexual gratification was at least one of the reasons why he carried out the offence."

The court heard Rogers, of Stanley Road, Bootle, had appeared before the courts on voyeurism charges before. In June 2023, he was given a 16-month sentence after using a hidden camera to secretly film nude women in the changing rooms of Crosby Leisure Centre.

After Rogers was caught in the McDonald's toilets, a witness said she heard the victim shout: "I swear I just seen a man look at me and run out".

She said: "I was too scared to leave the cubicle so I just sat there for five minutes. I then opened the door, ran over to the McDonald's security staff and told them what had happened."

Mr Evans said: "The defendant is already a registered sex offender. Despite being a registered sex offender, he has once again gone out and committed a deliberate act of voyeurism against a young girl for his own sexual gratification, despite the fact that a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is in place already. That is designed to protect girls and others from the defendant's proclivities.

"Unfortunately he has chosen to deliberately commit a further offence, therefore these terms have not prevented him from going out to this public restaurant and committing this offence.

"He has shown a total disregard for the court order already in place, and he has demonstrated by these further acts that he is a threat and does pose a real danger to young girls in the community."

David Achilles, defending, said: "Rogers tells me he had gone in to collect some food. He had been drinking, he was under the influence of alcohol.

"He went into the wrong toilet and basically he has taken advantage of the situation he has found himself in. There is some planning, but it certainly isn't significant.

"He's in hostel accommodation at the moment. If he's given an immediate custodial sentence, he will lose that accommodation. That isn't going to do anybody any good, because he would come out homeless."

Urging the magistrates to pass a suspended sentence, he added: "I'm not trying to minimise what he has done. I think he accepts it's totally unacceptable. He needs to learn from it. Hopefully he will."

Bench chairman Mark Appleton said a pre-sentence report was required. He told Rogers: "There's a very realistic chance you could be remanded in custody for this offence, however we're going to give you a chance. These are serious matters, as you know."

Description

Glasgow, July 25, 2025 – A judge at the High Court in Glasgow has sentenced Gary Morris to 12 years in prison for a series of rapes and sexual assaults committed against two young women when they were teenagers.

Morris, convicted of multiple charges, was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and banned from contacting his victims under non-harassment orders.

Judge Pattison, delivering the sentence, described Morris’s actions as a “course of sexual abuse” marked by grooming, persistent rape, and assault. The court heard how Morris repeatedly abused one victim, starting when she was just 13 years old and continuing into her late teens. The abuse included vaginal and anal rapes, often orchestrated during camping trips where Morris isolated her. He also indecently assaulted a second victim, aged 17, during an overnight stay at his home, touching her inappropriately while she slept.

The judge highlighted the profound impact on the victims, now young women, who showed “bravery and dignity” in testifying. The first victim spoke of enduring “pain and shame,” nightmares, panic, and cycles of self-harm, yet has channeled her trauma into supporting others who have suffered similar abuse. The second victim described 16 years of anxiety, strained relationships, and tainted memories, including the loss of her friendship with the first victim.

“You maintain your innocence, as is your right, but the jury concluded that this was your fault,” Judge Pattison told Morris. “Your offending has had devastating lifelong consequences for these brave women. None of this was their fault.”

The court assessed Morris’s culpability as high, with significant and lifelong harm caused to his victims. Aggravating factors included Demonstrates the prolonged nature of the abuse, the young age of one victim, and a significant breach of trust. While a risk assessment deemed Morris a low risk for reoffending, the severity of his crimes warranted a substantial custodial sentence.

Judge Pattison imposed a single 12-year sentence for all charges, backdated to June 24, 2025, when Morris was remanded. He noted that individual sentences for the charges—ranging from 2 to 7 years—would have been disproportionate, hence the combined term. Morris was also barred from contacting his victims indefinitely and notified under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, requiring lifelong compliance with registration obligations.

The case underscores the judiciary’s role in delivering impartial justice based on evidence and law, as emphasized by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

Description

The man pictured is Joseph Chapman, he is 36 and he is a paedophile.

He groomed two 14-year-old girls he befriended on Snapchat and gave them vapes.

Chapman, who used the Snapchat handle PJ, went onto sexually assault both victims in his car. The offences took place in Burnley and Colne.

The mother of the first victim became aware of the offending in March 2023 after finding packaging for disposable vape devices in her daughter’s bedroom while cleaning. When she asked her daughter about it, she said she had been given them by an older man.

She went on to tell her sister that PJ had sexually assaulted her, but she didn’t want to tell her mum because she feared getting in trouble for vaping. The sexual assault happened in Chapman’s car the previous November.

The first victim managed to take down the registration number of Chapman’s car and saved it in the notes section of her iPhone.

Chapman had also contacted the first victim’s friend on Snapchat and he would ask her to meet him. He also asked her to send a photograph of herself in her school uniform, but she refused.

The offending against the second victim came to light in May 2023 when her mother found an entry in her diary for January 2023 which mentioned meeting ‘PJ the Pedo’ the following day. Concerned by this she continued to read the diary, noticing numerous entries mentioned PJ and that she received vapes from him.

The second victim went onto disclose that PJ had sexually assaulted her on two occasion in her car.

Chapman had also added the second victim’s friend on Snapchat, asked her age and offered to driver her to McDonalds.

Chapman was arrested in May 2023 and admitted what he had done in police interview.

However Chapman, of Lydgate, Burnley, pleaded not guilty but was eventually found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child following a trial at Preston Crown Court. He was back in the dock on Wednesday (23rd July) and was jailed for 11 years and three months.

In an impact statement to the court, the first victim said:

“When the assault happened, I told my closest friends but as they didn’t know how to help they distanced themselves, leaving me alone. I couldn’t leave my house out of fear of seeing him in public. I was going to the shop only a door away from home when I saw a car that looked like his. I froze and ran back home crying, and I was then unable to sleep that night.

“Because of what Chapman did to me, I don’t trust older men and automatically assume the worst which affects how much I trust doctors, counsellors, co-workers and even family friends. Unfortunately, I became hypersexual but also asexual, I crave the male validation and attention but when I get it, I hate it and feel dirty.

“When Chapman pleaded not guilty it felt hopeless, like he was going to win. This also occurred on a different day than we were told ‘for his protection’ this made me furious as I didn’t think he should have any protection. So instead of being distracted from just one GCSE I was distracted for all of them. The lengthy legal process made me feel like it was going to continue ruining my teenage years. I almost gave up altogether but I couldn’t let him win.

“I spent years trying to block out the memories so when I was told that I would need to re-watch my video evidence and the need to watch it ahead of the trial, all I did was cry and worry it would take all my progress away. When I watched my evidence I felt two emotions; sadness for my younger self and anger for me now it was so surreal watching myself talking about what happened. I did experience a flashback after this but that’s when I knew I wasn’t giving up now and he would be punished.

“Due to Chapman having issues with his legal team, court dates were one again pushed back, causing me further anxieties, and now I’m writing this statement for my long overdue justice and closure. Not only for me but all other survivors of Chapman's selfish actions.”

DC Lee Walker, of Burnley CID, said:

“Chapman is a dangerous and manipulative individual who groomed young girls online with the intent of going on to engage in sexual activity with them.

“He then forced them to re-live their ordeal by forcing them to give evidence during a trial – his final act of control.

“Chapman’s abhorrent behaviour has clearly had a significant impact on Chapman’s victims. Now the court process is over I hope they can now begin to rebuild their lives, knowing he will be in prison for a significant period of time.”

Description

A doctor who put his semen into a cup of coffee he made for a woman has been permanently struck off.

Former Taunton GP Nicholas Chapman, 57, was found guilty in June 2023 of attempting to engage in sexual activity without consent. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order.

Two years on, a medical tribunal panel has ruled he should be erased from the medical register.

In a judgement published online, the tribunal panel said "reasonable" members of the public would find Chapman's conviction "deplorable", adding they would be "appalled" if he were not struck off.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal document detailed how Chapman had targeted a second woman – referred to only as Ms A – over a number of years.

It said he had shown her photos of naked women without her consent and suggested she should look for him on an unnamed dating app.

The victim also said he had kissed her and, on a separate occasion, had pinched her bottom during a hug – allegations that Chapman denied.

The tribunal panel ruled that these actions were "unwanted", constituted sexual harassment and created "a degrading environment" for the victim.

During the 2023 trial at Gloucester Crown Court, the first woman, known to the tribunal as Ms B, described the coffee semen incident as "devious and cowardly".

She said she hoped to move on but would "have to accept that the mental and emotional trauma I have suffered throughout this will always remain with me in some way".

At the time, Chapman was made subject to a 10-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim and was placed on the sex offenders' list for five years.

'No evidence of apology'

The medical tribunal heard evidence from a doctor who worked at the same practice as Chapman.

The doctor said the impact of Chapman's actions on the reputation of the practice and trust in doctors was "still huge".

"There continue to be comments inside and outside of the practice on a regular basis like, 'Oh we don't talk about Dr Chapman'," they added.

"Some patients are put off coming to the practice and some have a mistrust of seeking help when they need it, or whether things would remain confidential," the doctor continued.

Handing down their judgement, the tribunal panel said Chapman had shown a "lack of insight" about the impact of his actions.

They highlighted that they had "received no evidence of apology, reflection, insight or remediation from Dr Chapman in respect of his conviction".

While Chapman told the tribunal panel he accepted his conviction, he continued to maintain his innocence.

"Dr Chapman had undermined and breached the trust and confidence of patients and the public in the medical profession," the tribunal report said, adding he had brought the profession into "disrepute".

Description

A 19-year-old who admitted charges including rape has been jailed today (25 July).

Leo Wilson, of School Drive, Flimby, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court after pleading guilty to rape and attempted penetrative sexual activity with a child at a hearing earlier this month.

The court heard how two girls had been in the company of Wilson at his home address in 2021, playing computer games, when they fell asleep.

One of the girls woke in the early hours of the morning to find Wilson on top of her, first sexually assaulting her and then raping her.

The girl and her friend then left.

Wilson was arrested but refused to answer questions put to him in his police interviews.

However, at court he entered a guilty plea to both offences and was sentenced to three years and two months in prison.

He was also made subject of a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and an indefinite period on the sex offenders register.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Simon Quinn of Cumbria Police said:

“Wilson sought to take advantage of a girl, younger than him, who had fallen asleep in his room.

“His actions were predatory and he was fully aware that he did not have the consent of the victim.

“I’d like to thank the victim in this case for her bravery and courage throughout the process – first in coming forward to report what had occurred and then in giving statements which ultimately resulted in a guilty plea and Wilson being held accountable for his actions in court.

“I would encourage anyone who has been victim to a sexual offence to contact police so that our officers can investigate, and you will be supported.

“Support is available, and the Constabulary works closely with trusted partner agencies to provide the appropriate support which is tailored to an individual’s circumstances."

Description

A Fife councillor has been found guilty of sexual offences against a teenage girl over a seven-month period.

David Graham, who was suspended from the Labour party two years ago, groomed and sexually abused the girl at a variety of locations in the Fife and Edinburgh areas in 2023.

The 43-year-old was convicted of offences involving sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15 following a trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

He is due to be sentenced on 19 August.

Speaking after Graham's conviction, Fife Council leader David Ross said details of the abuse revealed at the trial had been "truly shocking".

The Labour councillor added: "This is appalling behaviour by anyone, let alone an elected councillor - and the sentence will reflect the seriousness of this case.

"Our sympathies go out to the young person involved.

"It is impossible to express how badly David Graham has let down his colleagues and the people he was elected to represent."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "The party is taking immediate action to exclude David Graham from membership of the Labour Party following his conviction."

Police Scotland Det Insp Graham Watson described Graham as "a manipulative individual who groomed and sexually abused his teenage victim".

The officer added: "He was well-known and in a position of power when the offending took place.

"I would like to thank the female for her assistance in bringing him to justice."

Description

A child molester who triggered his young victim's trauma by messaging her about the abuse years later has been jailed for three and half years.

Jay Johnson was a teenager when he subjected the girl to sexual abuse, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

After being convicted of groping a second girl, Johnson, now 23, sent his first victim a message asking if she remembered what he had done to her, which prompted her to report it to police, the court heard.

Johnson, from Alnwick, Northumberland, denied five child sex offences but was found guilty by jurors.

He was given a community order in 2020 for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2018, Judge Robert Spragg said, with the court viewing it then as an "isolated incident".

But unbeknown to prosecutors, Johnson had also been molesting a younger girl, the judge said.

'Ridiculous excuses'

The second lot of offences came to light when Johnson sent the girl a message about his actions in 2023, which was also a breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) made in 2020, the court heard.

In the message, Johnson asked the girl if she could "remember what they were doing", the court heard.

The message was "highly traumatic" with the victim then reporting the abuse to police, the judge said, with the girl saying she had feared she would not have been believed before then.

Judge Spragg said it was "very worrying" Johnson felt it appropriate to contact the victim, with the sex offender then lying to jurors and "coming up with ridiculous excuses" for sending the message.

Johnson posed a "high risk" of sexual offending, the judge said.

He was jailed for three years for the sexual offences against a child and a further six months for breaching the SHPO.

Johnson was also made subject to another SHPO for 10 years and must sign the sex offender register indefinitely.

Description

McPhillips, of Bury Road, Gosport, was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to arranging or facilitating the sexual assault of a child.

He had sent indecent images of himself to an undercover police officer and arranged to meet who he believed was a child for sex.

He was arrested upon arrival at a KFC in Southampton. During arrest, he reportedly said, “I am not going home tonight, am I?”

His defence, Adam Furze, cited McPhillips’ PTSD linked to his military service in the Gulf War and personal trauma, including the sudden death of a friend and a failed marriage.

Judge Christopher Parker KC noted the graphic nature of McPhillips’ intentions and imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order along with notification requirements.