Latest Offenders

Description

Donat Cantrell was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court of a string of offences against the youngster who was 10 or 11 at the time. The 57-year-old is already serving a lengthy jail sentence following an armed stand-off with police Horsforth in March last year.

But he was handed a new nine-year extended sentence this week, which will only begin when his existing 10-years-and-eight-months sentence expires.

The court heard that Cantrell had groomed the youngster and bought her gifts, including a bikini. On one occasion, he invited the youngster into his motorhome on her own and closed the curtains before undressing himself.

He told her he needed to wash himself and asked her to help, before asking she remove her clothes. He then washed her touching her body, including her vagina. He masturbated himself and made her touch his genitals before performing a sex act on her. He later told her not to tell her mother and that he was “like a grandad”.

On another occasion, he invited the girl into a bathroom and made her masturbate him with the promise of £20. He then took her to a B&M store the next day and gave her the cash, telling her she “earned it”. He also showed her a pornographic video.

Cantrell, formerly of St Helena’s Caravan Park in Horsforth, was found guilty after his trial of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual assault of a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, assault of a child by penetration, sexual assault of a child and causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Mitigating, Rebecca Young said Cantrell has problems with drink and drugs which she said did not excuse his behaviour but “went some way to explain it”.

This was shot down by Judge Tom Bayliss KC, who said he could not understand the correlation. He told Cantrell: “You were in a position of trust with that child. You tried to corrupt the child with gifts and then with money. It’s difficult to think of a more cynical and calculated attempt to sexually abuse a child.”

Description

A man stole a handbag, a bank card from a house and items from a supermarket in a crime spree in Newport. Cardiff Crown Court heard how Robert Devney, who refused to appear before the court, has been required to register as a sex offender indefinitely since 2004. On October 18 last year, he attended a police station to register as having no fixed abode, meaning he should have notified officers of his whereabouts a week later, but he did not.

On December 31 last year Devney entered a house in the early hours of the morning and stole a Natwest bank card, which he was caught on CCTV using at a service station in Newport at 2.48am, spending £33.76. On February 8 of this year, he stole £76.50 worth of goods from Sainsbury's in Newport. He returned to the same store the following day stealing items worth over £62, but this time he was detained and the items were recovered.

On April 7 of this year, he again failed to comply with his registration requirements, and on April 20 he failed to surrender at Newport Magistrates' Court. On June 25, he entered a different Sainsbury's store in Newport and stole items worth £14.75. From there Devney went into an office to the rear of the store, and unsuccessfully tried a safe, but did steal a handbag belonging to a staff member.

Devney, 50, of Chepstow Road, Newport, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court in his absence having been convicted of two counts of failure to comply with notification requirements, fraud by false representation, three counts of theft from a shop, failure to appear before Newport Magistrates' Court, and a non-dwelling burglary.

No mitigation was offered on behalf of Devney as his barrister was not given any instructions. Her honour judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke sentenced Devney to three years and four months in prison.

Description

This Derby voyeur secretly filmed a female carrying out sex acts so he could watch them for his own gratification. Derby Crown Court heard how Lucas Smith’s victim had no idea he had caught her on camera and viewed what she was doing.

But his offending came to light and he was charged with multiple counts of voyeurism. Now, the want-to-be university student is on the sex offender register for the next five years.

Handing him a nine-month community order, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “You summed this offending up best yourself when you said what you did was stupid. It was really, really, stupid.

“You recorded it and she did not know but importantly you weren’t going to do anything with it such as share it or put it on the internet. You did it for your own gratification and you can’t do things like that.

"It was stupid, it was also criminal and I am going to sentence you for being stupid but at least you spared her from having to come to court and give evidence.”

Dawn Smith said the offending took place when Smith, formerly of Lismore Court, Sinfin, and who gave the court a new address of William Street, in the city centre, was a teenager.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism. Anna Soubry, mitigating, said her client lives with his father and grandparents and hopes to go to university this autumn.

Judge Smith told him: “When you go to university you will have to go to the local police station there and tell them where you will be living and you will need to tell the probation service where you are living.” The victim’s identity is protected by law.

Description

Fernando Camutari, 41, lured his 21-year-old victim back to his home in Sheffield after a night out in the early hours of June 8, 2019.

She was able to call 999 on the rapist’s phone and she could be heard on the call pleading with Camutari to stop.

Police raced to the home on Mordaunt Road and arrested him as he and the victim were leaving the property.

Camutari denied the allegations throughout. At first he insisted the woman hadn’t been inside the house, despite CCTV showing them going in together.

He then denied any sexual activity had taken place – but forensic evidence proved otherwise.

Camutari was charged in 2020 with one count of rape and two of sexual assault.

Description

A Welshman filmed himself performing a sex act on a bus in sight of a young girl sitting nearby. The offending only came to light after former steelworker Christopher Howells lost his phone outside a rugby club and it was found by a passer-by.

When the Good Samaritan looked at the phone to see if he could find the owner's details he saw photographs which troubled him, and he immediately took the device to the police. Sending the 58-year-old to prison a judge told the defendant it was clear he had gained sexual gratification from his behaviour on the bus.

The judge said he had no doubt relived the experience while watching the footage over again. He also noted that Howells had been assessed as posing a high risk of harm to children.

Craig Jones, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on June 17 this year a man walking near Pyle rugby club noticed a mobile phone on the ground and stopped to pick it up. He said the man took the device home with the intention of seeing if he could identify its owner and return it.

But when he looked at the phone he saw pictures of a young girl on a bus - photographs which were taken from behind and which appeared to have been taken without the child's knowledge. The man immediately took the phone to Bridgend police station, and there officers carried out a full examination of the device.

On the phone police found a three-minute video clip showing a man performing the sex act on himself on a bus while sat across from a young girl. The court heard the child, who could see what was happening, has never been identified.

The prosecutor said police also found a photograph of the defendant's driving licence on the phone, and that led them to Howells' front door. The defendant was arrested and subsequently answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview.

Christopher Howells, of Ffordd y Goedwig, Pyle, Bridgend , had previously pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He had also originally been charged with outraging public decency - an offence contrary to common law - but the prosecution did not pursue that charge.

The defendant has previous convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and for failing to provide a specimen for analysis.. John Allchurch, for Howells, said the references before the court painted a picture of a decent and hard-working man.

He said his client had cared for his mother for many years and under the burden of those responsibilities had turned to drink. The advocate said at the time of the offending Howells had lost his job at the steelworks and was drinking a bottle of vodka a day.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said it was clear that Howells had derived sexual enjoyment from the what was happening on the bus. He said that enjoyment was no doubt repeated when the defendant subsequently watched back the footage he had shot.

The judge noted that the author of the pre-sentence report on the defendant had concluded that due to factors including the nature of the offending, Howells' attitude, and his mistrust of professionals, he posed a high risk of harm to children. Judge Thomas jailed Howells for 15 months.

The defendant will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Howells will be a registered sex offender for the next ten years, and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period of time.

Description

Daniel Hudson aged 35, was sentenced on Thursday at Leeds Crown Court for the offences, which occurred at an address in Leeds against a 14-year-old girl.

Hudson, from the Lupset area, was found guilty of five sexual offences against the victim.

The trial heard how Hudson had befriended the victim, buying gifts and food for her to make her think she was in a romantic relationship with him. It also heard how the sexual abuse had started once he had secured her trust. 

Detectives in Wakefield opened an investigation in June 2020 after reports were received of Hudson’s offending. 

Detective Constable Ashleigh Gath-Clark, said:

“This has been a complex investigation spanning over three years.

“Daniel Hudson was responsible for a catalogue of appalling sexual abuse against this vulnerable child.

“These were awful offences that he committed, and I would like to commend the victim for their courage and bravery in coming forward and reporting the offences to the police at a young age. 

“This was a challenging investigation and I welcome the sentence that has been passed. I hope that it provides reassurance to the victim and their family, as well as the wider community.”

Description

A former police officer has been jailed for more than seven years for sexual offences against a vulnerable 13-year-old girl he met online.

Haider Siddique, 22, was arrested after a bus driver spotted him acting inappropriately in March last year.

He had joined West Midlands Police in 2021 as a student officer and the force called his offences "sickening".

The NSPCC said his "targeted grooming and sexual abuse of a vulnerable girl was a terrible breach of trust".

It added: "Having undertaken training to become a police officer, Siddique should have known the devastating impact child sexual abuse can have on the victims."

It also commended the bus driver for speaking up.

At Birmingham Crown Court in January, Siddique pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child, and resigned while in custody.

The force said an expedited misconduct hearing was held in private after his guilty plea and he would have been dismissed if he had not resigned.

It also said he had never been deployed in an operational role.

Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green said: "This was a sickening criminal act by a former student officer and I know his fellow officers will be repulsed by his behaviour."

As well as his prison sentence, Siddique will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

He is also subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning him from internet contact with anyone under 16 and barring any unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, unless their parents are aware of the offences.

Description

A man who installed a spy cam in a staff bedroom then claimed he hadn’t been ‘perving’ on female colleagues has been spared prison.

Steven Bradley’s lie that the hidden camera had not been working was unmasked when police found a series of clips, including one showing the 47-year-old installing the equipment.

The former care home worker admitted voyeurism but denied possession of a series of indecent images of children that were found on his wife’s iPad and another computer device.

He was convicted last month, with jurors rejecting his claims that he had no idea how the vile material got on his electronic equipment.

Summing up the case to the jury, Judge Michael Gledhill KC suggested there was no such thing as the ‘porn fairy’, a mystical creature claimed by teenage boys to leave filthy material in woods.

Bradley returned to Oxford Crown Court on Friday (August 11), when he was given a six month suspended prison sentence with 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Prosecuting, Brian Reece said Bradley had contacted a colleague in 2021 apologising for ‘betraying her trust’ and saying she would not see him again.

It transpired he had hidden a ‘spy camera’ in a staff bedroom at a supported living block. He claimed he had ‘seen nothing’ as it did not work, although that later proved to be a lie and the device was working.

The court heard Bradley told another of his female colleagues that he was ‘into her’, Mr Reece said. “[He] enquired if he had a chance with her. He didn’t.”

When his devices and an iPad belonging to his wife were analysed, they revealed he had more than 200 indecent images of children although only one apiece in the worst categories of A and B.

Mitigating, barrister James Hay said Bradley suffered from an ‘adjustment disorder’, a mental health condition affecting his ability to cope with stressful situations. His partner was standing by him.

Sentencing, Judge Gledhill told the defendant he should have accepted legal advice and pleaded guilty to the three counts of possession of indecent images.

“It was complete nonsense,” he said of the man’s defence. “Who else could have put them there but yourself?”

Bradley, of Haydon Road, Didcot, will remain on the sex offender register for seven years. He was given a sexual harm prevention order limiting his access to the internet.

Description

A man has been given a 16-year prison sentence for a string of sexual crimes and violent offences in Lincoln.

Jud Green was found guilty of several offences, including two rapes, sexual assault, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and false imprisonment after a trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

Green, 34, was also given an extended period of six years on licence under supervision upon his release.

Det Insp Lee Nixon described Green's crimes as "horrific".

Police said Green, of no fixed address, had been arrested after a woman came forward in December 2022 to say he had physically and sexually assaulted her and raped her.

While Green was on bail, a second woman reported Green had assaulted her and broken her jaw.

As a result, he was arrested again before being charged and remanded into custody.

'Never shown remorse'

Following his trial, Green was found guilty of two rapes, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, sexual assault, witness intimidation, false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He had denied those charges, but he admitted criminal damage and intentional strangulation.

After Green's sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, Det Insp Nixon, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "Jud Green has been brought to justice after carrying out these horrific crimes.

"He has never shown remorse for the harm he caused to the victims.

"I want to pay tribute to the bravery of the victims coming forward to report these crimes, and whose evidence was absolutely vital in securing this outcome."

Green's victims had "shown incredible courage", Det Insp Nixon added.

Description

A depraved nurse who ran a respiratory ward during the Covid crisis turned to online sex offences for 'comfort' - keeping a hoard of sick images and sharing obscene stories about children.

Rebecca Ruler, 32, kept a hoard of sadistic child abuse images and published sick sexual articles about children and babies for a group of paedophiles, a court heard.

Preston Crown Court heard that Ruler had been on the frontline of the Covid crisis, working as a ward manager at Royal Bolton Hospital. Kim Obrusik, defending, said: "It was the worst time in recent history that someone could be working on those wards."

But, prosecuting, Peter Barr said: "It was she who initiated the discussions by expressing her sexual interest in children. There was no evidence of coercion."

Ruler has now been handed a suspended prison sentence, reports LancsLive. Mr Barr told Preston Crown Court that between April 2021 and April 2022, Ruler downloaded 151 category A child abuse pictures, along with a further 101 at category B and 134 category C images.

She also created five obscene articles into an internet chat with five paedophiles. When questioned, she claimed the conversation was instigated by a man she was in an online relationship with and she was using the chat to impress him.

Ms Obrusik said Ruler had mild depression which was aggravated by her work, as she saw patients she had cared for dying alone, without their family or friends, on a daily basis. "As we come out of the pandemic it is easy to forget the horrors of what was occurring. The demands, both physically and emotionally, can not be quantified."

Ruler's relationship broke down, she began struggling with her body image and she found it difficult to confide in people close to her.

"She encouraged the contact from males in respect of these types of discussions as she realised this was a way to receive male attention", Ms Obrusik said. "She was feeling that she would never gain any sexual interest from males and this is how she got that interest."

Judge Richard Gioserano said: "Seeking comfort from strangers is one thing but she knew these were paedophiles."

A pre-sentence report stated Ruler, who now works in a supermarket, has "significant remorse for her actions". "Prior to this she was a woman of exemplary character, working in a job that is known to be very giving through what was and remains to be the most difficult period for the NHS in living memory", Ms Obrusik said.

Ruler, of Springfield Road, Coppull, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and five counts of publishing an obscene article.

Sentencing, Judge Gioserano said: "I have asked myself how it is that your thinking became not just distorted but so depraved that you committed these eight offences. I will start by stating the obvious: distorted thinking, no matter how depraved, does not in itself attract a criminal sanction.

"It may of course attract moral outrage but moral outrage is no basis for sentence. You are not being sentenced for distorted thinking or depraved thinking in itself. You are being sentenced for acting on that thinking by downloading indecent images and engaging in messaging about sadistic and sexual abuse of very young children.

"I have assessed the risk that your messages could have depraved and corrupted others that might have read it. It is possible that the recipients could have shared your messages with other paedophiles but that was not your intention. There was no intention that your messaging, as depraved as it was, should go beyond the five people in the chat.

"I am asked to consider whether your work as a nurse on a respiratory ward during Covid played a part. I do not wish to underestimate the emotional and physical impact upon you. It clearly did take its toll, not only on you but on your relationship with your partner. It might have been that that was what led you to seeking comfort from strangers but that is not necessarily uncommon. People in difficult emotional circumstances may take value from anonymous online contact with strangers.

"This is not a court of morals. I am not here to judge that. But you moved from that sort of contact to active criminal contact with paedophiles. Even if the distortion in your thinking could somehow be explained by the emotional toll of your work at the time, I can not see how that can mitigate for your offending."

He handed Ruler a 12 month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered her to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. She must also complete 35 days of rehabilitation activities including a one-to-one sex offenders course, and has been made subject to a five year sexual harm prevention order and 10 years on the sex offenders' register.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council confirmed they are aware of the sentencing.

Description

A disgraced PE teacher who had sex with a former pupil has been jailed.

Steven Laverty was banned from teaching 10 years ago after his wrongdoing first came to light. But he has only now faced justice over his sickening sexual activity with the girl, whose life was said to have been "destroyed" by the abuse of trust.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court previously heard that the now 48-year-old had sex with the ex-student during the noughties after she had left the school where he taught, but while she was still under age of 16. Laverty falsely claimed that she had been aged 16 at the time.

Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, described how the teenager was left self-harming and feeling "isolated" as a result of his offending. She was also said to have been left under a "dark shadow which she feels has destroyed her life".

Laverty, of Stuart Road in Walton, was previously banned from the profession after he was found to have "showed a failure to observe proper boundaries in relation to his professional position" in a "clear abuse of trust". But he did not face prosecution at this time as he had instructed his victim to tell investigators that she was 16 when they had sex.

This was despite a panel having found that the dad-of-two had also "grabbed a 14-year-old boy in the groin" during a PE lesson. Laverty then took a temporary job as an arts teacher at a school in Greater Manchester, where "he pushed a 12-year-old pupil out of a classroom and pulled another across a floor".

He has no previous convictions. Charlotte Kenny, defending, told the court yesterday afternoon: "The court heard very clear evidence on the fact that the defendant was drinking heavily around this time and evidence about the very unfortunate circumstances of his mother's death and the impact that had on him.

"The defendant says, as a result of that, he internally went off the rails. This was a gross error of judgement at a time when the defendant was in a very dark place, coming to terms with the death of his mother in the most tragic circumstances.

"This offence happened a long time ago now. Mr Laverty has been an excellent father.

"He is still in employment and he had been invited back to work in all the circumstances. He can continue to provide."

Laverty was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child by a jury and cleared of a further nine counts. He was locked up for three years on Thursday and told to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Sentencing, Judge Louise Brandon said: "You knew she had been your pupil. The jury were sure you did not reasonably believe she was 16.

"The fact you find yourself in this situation after all these years is entirely of your own making. It is clear she has been deeply traumatised by what happened to her.

"I cannot conclude that you are genuinely fully remorseful. The only remorse you have is for the situation you find yourself in now."

Description

A serial sex attacker who stalked his victim as she made her way home from a night out before raping her in a graveyard has been jailed for 18 years. Convicted rapist Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu, 47, prowled Exeter city centre looking for a lone woman to attack in June last year.

The Romania national followed his victim as she walked home from a night out with friends and attacked her in the grounds of St Bartholomew’s Cemetery. She tried to fight him off, but he stripped her naked and raped her and only fled when she screamed, which alerted residents living nearby to her plight.

CCTV footage, which you can watch at the top of this article, captures Vasioiu in Exeter High Street prior to the attack trying to identify possible targets. Footage also clearly showed Vasioiu following his victim, who is a woman in her 30s, through the Iron Bridge area of Exeter. 

Exeter Crown Court heard Vasioiu had come to Britain after serving a prison sentence for a near-identical rape of an 18-year-old woman in Switzerland in 2014. He remained in the UK after Brexit but did not apply for EU settled status, which meant his previous convictions were not flagged to the authorities.

Vasioiu was living in a garden shed and doing gardening work when he carried out his latest sex attack. Afterwards he shaved off his beard and hair and got a friend to wash his clothes and shoes.

Felicity Payne, prosecuting, told the court the offence was planned and had been committed while Vasioiu was the subject of a community order for theft and assault.

“The prosecution say, and put their case in this way during the trial, that he was trawling the city centre seeking to identify targets for sexual assault,” she said. “He did just that when he identified the victim. At that point in time, she was significantly worse for wear due to intoxication.

“He was captured on CCTV following the victim and altering his course, crossing the road, and his pace is seen to quicken as he follows her. The victim made efforts to fight the defendant but was unable to resist. She ultimately began to scream for help and the defendant ran off.

“When she was located she was naked and her clothing strewn about the cemetery.”

The defendant, of Topsham Road, Exeter, had denied rape but was convicted by a jury following a trial after DNA evidence linked him to the victim. Pushpanjali Gohil, defending, said: “There is little mitigation I can advance given the offence was denied.”

Recorder Malcolm Galloway ruled Vasioiu posed a danger to women due to the risk of further offending and imposed an extended sentence. Vasioiu was jailed for 18 years with an extended period of five years on licence and will have to serve at least 12 years’ imprisonment before he can apply for parole.

“The CCTV from the city centre that the police were able to obtain after the rape is clear and chilling,” the judge said. “You were patrolling Exeter city centre looking for lone vulnerable women. The CCTV shows you stopping outside late-night drinking establishments and observing from doorways.

“I have no doubt you were waiting for an opportunity to present itself. It is plain from the available CCTV that anyone observing your victim as you did would immediately be aware that she was heavily under the influence of alcohol and vulnerable.

“The attack and its aftermath have had a profound and prolonged effect upon her, and she is still living with what happened to her that night.” The judge said Vasioiu did not regret the offence and saw himself as the victim.

“I agree with the comment of the probation service that your misogyny and sexual preoccupation and your distorted view of consent are all likely to lead to you reoffending,” he said. “I have no doubt that you continue and will continue for the foreseeable future to pose a significant risk of further sexual offences.”

Vasioiu was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. Speaking afterwards, Detective Sergeant Samantha Wenham, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “I welcome today’s sentence after Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu was found guilty of rape during a trial in May.

“He preyed on a lone female who he had never met and subjected her to a vicious attack without remorse.

“He then returned to where he was staying and proceeded to bag up his clothes which he gave to an unwitting friend to wash, before shaving off his long hair in an attempt to change his appearance and destroy evidence linking him to the attack.

“This was a calculated and planned act in which Vasioiu has shown absolutely no remorse throughout. The response from the public to our appeals was vital in us securing the CCTV footage that was key in us being able to identify and arrest Vasioiu.

“The investigative team went above and beyond to gain the evidence needed to prove beyond any doubt that Vasioiu was the attacker.

“This included numerous international enquiries which led to the team discovering that Vasioiu had a prior conviction in Switzerland that matched up with the attack that took place in Exeter; both in how they were carried out and Vasioiu’s actions post-attack.

“This allowed us to take the rare step of being able to share Vasioiu’s previous bad character and offending history with the jury during the trial, which was vital in securing the conviction.”

It is expected that Vasioiu will serve his sentence in the UK, before being deported back to Romania.

DS Wenham added: “My team and I want to take a moment to recognise the victim in this case. She has been through an horrific ordeal that no person should be subjected to and showed great courage and strength throughout the investigation and criminal justice process.

“She put her faith in us, and I hope today’s result will help her to move on and contribute to her recovery from this ordeal.”

Superintendent Antony Hart, policing commander for Exeter, said: “No one should feel unsafe on our streets, and each and every one of us has the right to be able to walk home without the fear of attack.

“Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact this incident has had on the victim. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring attackers to justice and to prevent further similar offences occurring, both through proactive policing and by working with a range of partner agencies in the city”.

Description

David Salisbury was today jailed for nine years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of two counts penetrative sexual activity with a child following a trial. The 43-year-old contacted the girl in the mid 2000s and declared his feelings for her after swapping messages with her for months.

Jailing him, the judge, Recorder Tahir Khan KC said: “Over the best part of a year, you groomed this child and made her think this was a relationship when it clearly was not.

It’s clear to me shew only wanted to be loved, but was vulnerable and you took advantage of that vulnerability.

"There was a complete denial of any wrongdoing and not showed a hint of regret or responsibility.”

The court heard that Salisbury, now of Beckbridge Way, Normanton, had unprotected sex with the girl twice, despite her reluctance. He had a girlfriend at the time.

In an impact statement that the victim bravely read out to the court, she said: “For years I have held a secret because I was ashamed. I found myself in this situation that I realised was wrong.

"You groomed me, abused me and sexually assaulted me. For years you have controlled my life.

"You convinced me that it was real and you cared for me. You stood there and believed you did nothing wrong, but you ruined my childhood.”

Mitigating for Salisbury, James Littlehales said that his client, although having 35 convictions for 74 offences, has never been in trouble for or even investigated for sexual offences. He said that he has also become a “model prisoner” during his time spent on remand.”

DC Reece Hampshire, from the Wakefield Child Safeguarding Unit who led the investigation said afterwards: “These offences have troubled the victim for the past 17 years whilst they attempt to process the abuse they were subjected to. The lasting impact of what took place has cost them more than can be expressed in words.

“The level of courage it takes for the victim to come forwards after so many years and report the matter to the police cannot be understated. I have nothing but feelings of admiration for their bravery and determination in the pursuit of justice for what they have been through.

“I hope that this conviction can be the start of a new beginning for the victim and that they can begin to heal from the pain inflicted all those years ago and more recently during the court process.

“The victim would like to thank everyone involved in the investigation and court processes for their actions leading to this much welcomed conviction.

“I would also like to take this time to also encourage anyone who has suffered recent or historic abuse to come forward and report it. West Yorkshire Police are dedicated in working to secure justice for anyone who comes forward and reports sexual abuse.”

Description

A man who raped three young girls and sexually abused a boy has been found guilty of committing his depraved crimes by a jury.

Stephen Anderton, 53, has been on trial at Burnley Crown Court, and on Friday, August 4, was found guilty of five rapes and 15 other sexual offences committed against children.

Anderton’s abuse started in the 1980s and spanned four decades.

The youngest victims were aged just four when 53-year-old Anderton began abusing them.

The mother of one of the victims first contacted the police to report Anderton’s crime against a child in 2018.

 
Enquiries from detectives then led to further victims being identified.

Anderton, of Bank Street, Padiham, denied his disgraceful crimes but after trial a jury convicted him of the prolonged child abuse.

He was remanded into custody to be sentenced at the same court on September 22.

DS Alex Rawsthorn, of the Blackburn Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “Anderton was found guilty of the most depraved offences imaginable.

"I would like to express my thanks to the officer in case whose tenacity and dedication has been unwavering.

"Most importantly, I would like to place on record my sincere gratitude and admiration for the victims who have endured an agonising wait for justice.

"They have shown remarkable courage throughout this case.”

Description

A predator who raped a teenage girl after she had been assaulted has been jailed.

Sol Barrett took a girl, who had been assaulted in a separate incident, back to his own home and raped her.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she woke up at Barrett’s address the next morning and did not know who he was.

She sustained injuries from a separate assault the previous night on June 17, 2022, which were so serious that she had to attend hospital.

However, upon finding her, Barrett, 24, from Halley Close, Crawley, took her back to his address where he committed the rape.

Six months later, the mother of another girl, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported concerns that her daughter was being groomed by Barrett on social messaging app Snapchat.

Barrett had lied about his age in messages exchanged on the platform, while the victim had informed him of her age.

Appearing in Lewes Crown Court on August 7, he pleaded guilty and has been jailed for seven years and two months for rape and six months for three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child.

The sentences are consecutive and will be on licence for a total of 14 years.

Barrett will also be a registered sex offender for life and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

Speaking after the case, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ellen Jones said: “The victims in this case showed tremendous courage to come forward and report what had happened. They received support from specifically trained officers.

“Barrett is a predator who targeted young teenage girls, but thanks to the strength of the victims and from our thorough investigation he had no choice other than to plead guilty in the face of the evidence against him.

“This case demonstrates our determination to get justice for victims and ensure that a dangerous offender is behind bars.”