Latest Offenders

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George Johnson and Vincenzo Montessori have been jailed after they were caught on video sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman at a house party in December 2020

Two vile teenagers who took advantage of a drunk woman at a house party were captured on video "taking it in turns" to sexually assault her.

George Johnson and Vincenzo Montessori, who were both aged 17 at the time of the gruesome crime, sexually assaulted the 20-year-old victim while at a house party on December 27, 2020. The victim could not remember the evening but was told by a friend afterwards that she had been sexually assaulted, and she subsequently reported it to police.

On video footage captured on the phone of one of the partygoers, two people can be seen sexually assaulting the woman. Johnson, of Dunkirk Lane, Whitby, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire and Montessori, of Polden Close, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port in Cheshire were identified from the footage, Liverpool Echo reports.

Johnson and Montessori, both now aged 20, are seen to take it in turns to sexually assault the victim. The footage shows the victim in an intoxicated state and it was said in court that she was unable to consent or prevent what was happening to her. During the footage, Johnson attempted to rape her.

They were both arrested and later charged in relation to the incident. Johnson was found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a week-long trial at Chester Crown Court and was sentenced to 10 years in a young offender institution.

Montessori was sentenced to five years in a young offender institution after pleading guilty to sexual assault prior to a trial. In addition to their sentences, both will be subject to a restraining order and must sign the sex offender register.

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A paedophile who had a mobile phone containing 140 indecent images of children has begun a 16-month jail term.

Police said Lee Courtney, 33, of North Brink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, had thought he could "hide" the phone from them.

Courtney was jailed by a judge at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday after admitting a number of offences, a court official said.

He will remain on the sex offenders register until January 2031, police say.

Cambridgeshire Police said Courtney had been given a suspended prison sentence in January 2021, and placed on the sex offenders register, after being convicted of "making indecent images" of children.

They said officers suspected Courtney had not notified them of two email accounts and was in breach of sex offender register notification requirements.

Officers had travelled to arrest him in on 18 March - and found the mobile.

'Lesson'

Courtney had been sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on 20 June after admitting breaching a sexual harm prevention order, failing to comply with sex offender register notification requirements, and making indecent photographs of a child, the court officials said.

He would stay on the sex offenders register until January 2031 and be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order until January 2036, the official added.

“Despite having a suspended sentence and being aware of his sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements, Courtney reoffended and tried to lie about a mobile phone he thought he could hide from us," said PC Natasha Alwin.

“He clearly has not learnt his lesson."

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Khaliz Alshimery, 47, was jailed for 12 years imprisonment with a five year extended licence at Oxford Crown Court on Friday (June 21) for rape, assault by penetration and three counts of sexual assault after an incident on November 19 last year.

A student, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was walking home from a night out at about 2.30am when Alshimery dragged her into St Clement’s churchyard, off Marston Road, and sexually assaulted her.

Detective Inspector Krista Thompson, of Oxford CID, said:

“This was a shocking case where the victim was attacked by a complete stranger.

“Alshimery identified that the victim was alone, and took advantage of this for his own gratification.

“The victim had every right to feel safe in our city, and my belief is she was targeted because she was alone.

“I would like to recognised and pay tribute to the victim in this case. She has displayed tremendous dignity and bravery to support our investigation to bring a dangerous offender to justice.

“Alshimery will serve a considerable custodial sentence as a result of his actions that night, and removing him from the streets makes Oxford a safer place for women and girls.

“Thankfully, cases such as this are exceedingly rare."

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A judge who jailed a man for more than six years after he carried out a string of offences - including robbing vulnerable sex workers and asking teenage girls to have sex with him in return for £2,000 - said it was "by no means pure chance" that the majority of his victims were females.

Luke Smerdon, aged 35, from Exeter Road, Ivybridge appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to a slew of offences, including robbery, attempted robbery, six malicious communication charges and causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Sentencing Smerdon, Judge Robert Linford said he noted that Smerdon had a previous offence for robbery in Ivybridge where he threatened a female shop worker with a knife.

He handed Smerdon a series of sentences for each of the offences, totalling 77 months - six years and five months. He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Restraining orders were also put in place.

Prosecutor Bethany Rickerby outlined the offences, including sending malicious communications to several victims, including a hand-written letter posted through the letterbox of another Ivybridge man. The letter stated: “Stop giving cocaine to children - you don't see me very often but when you do I will rip you, your friend and your family to shreds" and was signed "your secret admirer". When confronted by this victim, Smerdon claimed he'd been paid £20 to put it through the man's letterbox.

A female victim received a Facebook message from a person calling themselves Shane Blackwell - a fake account which was set up by Smerdon - stating "If you ever slag me off in the Exchange [a pub] again I will ram a knife down your throat you silly little slag". When she asked who 'Shane' was, Smerdon replied: "I will wait for you one night after you finish your shift".

Another woman was sent a message on August 8 from 'Shane' saying "I'll give you £300 for a shag". The woman wrote back telling him not to contact her again, whereupon he replied, stating he would “pop round and see your c*** boyfriend later and smash your windows in”, adding “I'm going to get someone to f***ing rape you, you whore".

The woman was later told Smerdon had sent the messages and when she asked if he wanted to apologise, he said he was going to "wait a few weeks" and then send "wine and flowers", adding "I must've been super drunk. It was a joke".

At a later police interview he admitted creating the fake Facebook profile, claiming the messages were sent when he was drunk and he couldn't remember sending them. He said the tone of the messages to the women were due to his obsession with fantasies and murder mysteries.

He was released on conditional bail not to go into Ivybridge, but he then began drinking in Plymouth, which was where one of his victims lived, which the court heard left her fearful for herself and her family.

Ms Rickerby told the court that in 2023 Smerdon approached a sex worker in Plymouth paying her a pair of wireless headphones for oral sex. However, in early July 2023 he engaged her services again, this time offering her £40 for oral sex. They headed to an abandoned car where they completed their transaction.

However, the court heard this time he threatened to stab her if she did not return the £40. Fearful for her safety she handed back the money and fled. She later told police the tone of Smerdon's voice made her believe she would be hurt regardless of whether she gave the money back or not.

Two weeks later, Smerdon sought out another sex worker in Plymouth. He drunkenly offered her £50 for sex with a condom and they headed to a nearby industrial estate car park. On the way, they spotted the first sex worker who issued a warning to her fellow sex worker about Smerdon, saying he was "dangerous" and would try and take the money back, but this was ignored and put down to jealousy.

The woman refused to get into an abandoned vehicle, telling Smerdon she was afraid he would do something, like "try and knife" her, so they had sex beside a vehicle after she had put the money into her bra. However, as she walked away he grabbed her and attempted to put his hand over her mouth, grabbing at the money he'd given her. She fled and later found the first sex worker, whereupon they both contacted police. Officers later found Smerdon asleep in another vehicle in a car park.

During interview he made a series of claims, stating that with regards the second sex worker, they had agreed to have sex for £40 but while they were having sex she had "seen his Jack the Ripper tattoos which had caused her to panic and try and leave". He said that he took issue and try to get his money back and that he "may have held [her] by the throat".

He changed this story after he was shown CCTV footage of him grabbing at her beside the vehicle, claiming that she had asked him for sex and then changed her mind "midway through" and tried to leave, causing him to become angry and take the money back, resulting in a struggle. He insisted he could not have robbed her as "she was selling an illegal act anyway".

The court heard that in early July a woman in the Noah's Ark pub in Courtney Street had her bank card taken and later found it was used a number of times, totalling £656.46. When Smerdon was arrested on July 27, 2023 the card was found in his possession.

Ms Rickerby said the final offence took place on September 11, 2023 just outside of Plymouth Pavilions. At around 5.45pm a 15-year-old girl and two 16-year-old girls were standing on a grassy area and were approached by Smerdon - who appeared to be in drink - and asked them if they would have sex with him.

The 15-year-old pulled out her phone and recorded him as he first offered them £1,000 and then £2,000 for sex, as well as a pair of AirPods for oral sex. When he was told they were all 16 or under, he replied: "I'm not worried about that."

He began to ask each one individually for sex before one girl replied: "F***, no". After further refusals he finally walked away.

Ms Rickerby said Smerdon saw CCTV footage released by police and cut off his Electronic Monitoring Service (EMS) tag, fled his address before giving himself up to police a few hours later.

During interview he first claimed he was not the man in the CCTV footage video, claiming it had been dubbed over to sound like him, then claimed he had been set up by the girls who had been waiting for him on a street corner. He also denied he had been drunk. When he was shown the footage of him approaching the girls, he said he could not be sure it was him as he had blacked out.

However, when he was eventually shown the phone footage, he admitted to making up a "cock and bull story" and admitted asking them for sex. He said he was very drunk and thought the girls were 16 years old.

In mitigation, Smerdon's advocate said the incident involving the teenage girls was incitement but there was no contact and it was a relatively short incident. In addition, while in prison on remand he had addressed a number of his "difficulties".

Sentencing Smerdon, Judge Robert Linford said the malicious communications related to "frankly hideous threats of violence and more directed towards people to whom you seem to have borne a grudge".

He cited the violence, paying someone to carry out a rape, ripping a family to shreds, threatening to kill someone. He said these were "deeply disturbing, violent, frightening messages." Judge Linford said when arrested, Smerdon admitted them, claiming they were a joke that went too far, but "none of them were funny".

While on bail for those offences he then committed robberies, which Judge Linford said had a "theme - that theme was they were sex workers". He said Smerdon threatened to stab one and she had fled "terrified". He said the second female victim was warned by the first but "unwisely, but no doubt desperate for money" she carried out the transaction.

He said that he was again arrested and interviewed yet was "inexplicably admitted to bail, again".

The final incident, again while on bail, involved underage girls, but even after they told him their age "you did not care. You were like an animal, preying on young vulnerable girls for your own selfish sexual desires".

Lead investigator Det Con Adam Fitzpatrick said: "Luke Smerdon is a dangerous individual who has made multiple attempts to target women in Devon and Cornwall. The sentence he received today at court is the result of three cases and multiple officers hard work and dedication to bring him to justice."

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A Calderdale man has been jailed for 14 years for drugs and child sex offences after he plied his teenage victim with prescription medication.

Michael Murray, 39, of Prescott Street, Halifax, was found guilty of two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault after a trial which concluded at Bradford Crown Court last Thursday (June 20).

He had also admitted 32 drugs offences, which included possession with intent to supply Class A, B and C drugs.

The court heard that officers found a large supply of prescription drugs at his home after he was initially arrested in connection with the sex offences.

Further searches resulted in substantial quantities of cocaine and amphetamines, being found in quantities that were consistent with being involved in the supply of drugs. He was also found in possession of cannabis.

Appearing before the court for sentencing on Friday (June 21), Murray was jailed for a total of 14 years – this includes 11 years for the sexual offences and three years to run consecutively for the drug offences.

West Yorkshire Police’s Detective Constable Riah Nicholson of the Calderdale District Safeguarding Team said: “Firstly, I want to acknowledge and thank the victim for her bravery and courage in coming forward to report the abhorrent offences that she was subjected to and for then having to navigate the criminal justice process.

“I’m pleased that the court has been able to hand down a sentence that reflects the true severity of Murray’s crimes.

“Murray is a dangerous and calculated predator.

“We would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual offending or abuse whether it is recent or not to come forward and report it to police.

“You will be listened to and taken seriously, and we will do all we can to bring perpetrators to justice.”

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A convicted sex offender who had been evicted from his home turned up at his ex's parents house while she put her kids to bed.

Bairon Cross, 34, called the woman several times, but as she settled her children she noticed him in the garden of the house in Preston. He knocked on the door, and when the woman answered she told him to leave, Preston Crown Court heard.

However Cross called the woman a 'tramp' and snatched a laptop, belonging to her parents. He refused to give it back, Alison Mather, prosecuting, said.

Cross was arrested in Kent Street, Preston, on September 17. When approached by officers, he was resistant and aggressive but was overpowered and taken to the police station.

The court heard he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia but in February 2024 he was assessed as being fit to enter guilty pleas to theft and failure to comply with notification requirements. He has previous convictions for including theft and sexual activity with a child in 2010.

Sentencing, Judge Ian Unsworth, said due to Cross's medical condition he would make a hospital order for him to be detained at Guild Lodge until he was considered well enough to return to the community.

The judge said: "The author of your presentence report makes the conclusion that at Guild Lodge you have been making very good progress. You have been receptive to your treatment and co-operating with staff. Everything you are doing is of positive note. I would urge you to continue to make the progress you are."

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An evil paedophile threatened his young victim into remaining silent, saying she would be taken into care if she ever told anyone.

Andrew Meehan was jailed for 14 years at Leeds Crown Court this week after he was found guilty by a jury of multiple offences against an 11-year-old, and a further offence against a 15-year-old.

The court heard that Meehan initially “tested the water” with the girl and would show her sex toys and made her watch him masturbate.

He then began a campaign of abuse, sexually touching her and making her perform sex acts, telling her to “just do it”. The girl later said she cried herself to sleep.

But in a move that the judge described as being “mean, nasty and manipulative”, Meehan then targeted the girl over social media, pretending to be a 13-year-old boy and befriended her. He then then convinced her to send him explicit images, which he later shared to humiliate her.

The girl later tried to confide in others, but retracted her claims when Meehan said she would be taken into care and her family would disown her.

He later sexually assaulted the older victim by touching her bottom after making sexual comments.

Meehan, now of Orchard View Road, Chesterfield, was found guilty of assault of a girl under 13 by penetration, rape a girl under 13, cause or incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault and possessing an indecent image.

Little mitigation was offered due his denials of the offences, but it was heard he had never been in trouble before.

He was told he must serve the-thirds of his sentence, rather than the usual half, before being considered for parole, and was put on the sex offender register for life.

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A Perthshire paedophile shared photos of schoolchildren as he attempted to meet-up with a man online to sexually abuse his 10-year-old daughter, not knowing he was speaking to undercover police.

The 47-year-old sent a group member called Matt a series of graphic fantasies, explaining the depraved things he wanted to do to his child.

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A sex attacker is finally paying for a series of offences committed more than two decades ago, after his victim gained the courage to report his abuse.

Scott Sly raped and sexually assaulted the school-aged girl a number of times while living in the Sunderland area more than 20 years ago, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

Years after the crimes took place, the brave survivor came forward and reported the abuse to the police.

The now 32-year-old defendant denied the allegations when interviewed but was charged in January, last year.

Sly, of Dent Street, Hartlepool, maintained his denials when he appeared before the court for trial in March this year.

But he was found guilty by the jury of all ten offences, including rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault.

He was back before the court on Friday for sentence and received a ten-year term of imprisonment.

Sly will also be subject to notification as a sex offender for the rest of his life, while his victim will be protected by an indefinite restraining order, which prohibits the defendant from contacting or approaching her.

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Patryk Kantor drove 120 miles to meet the girl in a park close to her home and drove her to an Air BnB.

During his online conversations. he had pretended to be 17 years old but was in fact 25.

The alarm was raised by the girl’s mother, who became concerned about some comments that she made.

Kantor was arrested on March 28, 2024, two days after the initial call to police.

He was identified and arrested thanks to CCTV enquiries and automatic number-plate recognition checks on his vehicle.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child, causing and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and meeting a child after grooming.

On Friday, June 14, he was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to five years imprisonment. He is also subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign as a Registered Sex Offender for life.

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A serial rapist is facing a possible life sentence after a terrifying attack on a vulnerable woman he lured to his hotel room just months after being freed from prison.

Peter Ramsey, 38, was locked up in 2012 for 12 years after viciously beating and raping a legal secretary he had met on an online dating website.

Set free from prison, Ramsey struck again on May 15 this year when he was staying at a Best Western hotel in Wembley.

The predator offered the vulnerable woman help when she was in distress in the street, and invited her to his hotel room.

There, he overpowered the woman and strangled her while forcing her into sex.

At Harrow crown court on Monday, Ramsey appeared via videolink from HMP Wormwood Scrubs to plead guilty to rape and intentional strangulation.

This is a rape where there is non-fatal strangulation embedded in it, said prosecutor Usha Shergill.

It facilitated Mr Ramseys actions, by him being able to overpower the complainant and temporarily strangle her.

Judge Noel Lucas KC ordered a dangerousness report for Ramsey ahead of sentencing in September, and told him: You are likely to receive a very significant sentence for this repeat offence of rape.

Ramsey was convicted in 2012 for raping a woman he met the previous August on dating website plentyoffish.com.

The former personal trainer, then 26, knocked the womans front teeth out when she refused to give him a goodnight kiss, and left her with shocking facial wounds among 21 separate injuries.

Giving evidence at his trial, the woman said they had enjoyed a good date in Brixton but Ramsey switched as they got to her doorstep.

I thought I was going to die, she told Inner London crown court.

Ramsey was snared by DNA evidence and his use of the womans stolen Oyster card.

He was found guilty of rape, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and theft, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

At Mondays hearing, Ramseys barrister David Smith requested the courts intervention to secure him extra protection in prison.

It has now become known he is in prison for rape, and he is very concerned about his safety, he said.

Things are starting to be said to him, and we hope the governor will take notice and reconsider his status on the general wing.

Judge Lucas asked for a message to be sent to the prison governor that Ramsey must have adequate safety while behind bars.

The court also heard of Ramseys partner who is planning to collect his car once it is released by police.

Ramsey has been remanded in custody until sentencing for the latest attack on September 4.

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A pervert took advantage of a teenage girl and bribed her into carrying out degrading sexual acts in return for money and cigarettes.

Philip Greenhalgh, 61, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week having admitted a catalogue of offences against the girl dating back several years. He forced her to pose for sexual photographs and would regularly tell her she owed him for the cigarettes he gave her.

The girl, who was 15 at the time, wanted to raise money for a Mother’s Day gift and she came into contact with Greenhalgh who offered her money.

The judge, Recorder David Kelly, told him: “She wanted pocket money for a Mother’s Day present, together with the fact she had a smoking habit you encouraged by giving her cigarettes and asking for sexual favour in return.

“She was unable to tell her mother at the time because she would have had to tell her mother she was smoking cigarettes.”

Prosecutor Eleanor Fry said that he offered to buy cigarettes for her, and when he did, he asked her: “How are you going to pay me for them?”

He suggested she show him her breasts, so reluctantly, she did and Greenhalgh touched her. She went home and cried, Miss Fry said. But matters then began to escalate when he continue to touch her and ask her to masturbate him.

He would also ask her to take her clothes off and he would ask her to pose, telling her what positions to hold. He took the photos and filmed her on his phone. He would even ask he to smile while posing.

Eventually, he tried to persuade her to have sex with him but she refused. He said he was saving a condom for the time they would have sex. The girl then confessed to a friend who encouraged her to contact the police.

Greenhalgh, who was living in Leeds but now lives on Ingram Crescent in Knottingley, near Wakefield, was interviewed by police and told them he thought she was 14 at the time. His phone was checked and it was found he had performed a factory reset, but videos of the girl, along with photographs, were recovered. One video included Greenhalgh’s telling her how to pose.

On the day his trial was due to begin, he admitted 16 offences, including five counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two of taking indecent photographs and three of making indecent photographs.

The court heard that he had five previous convictions, including a rape dating back to 1992 for which he received a two-year sentence.

Mitigating, Richard Canning said Greenhalgh had been on bail “for a number of years” and there had been no issues or further offending. He conceded: “He knows he is going to receive a lengthy sentence. He is thoroughly ashamed of what he has done, he wishes it had never happened.

“His main wish is that the complainant will get past this when she gets older.”

Recorder Kelly gave Greenhalgh an eight-year jail sentence, for which he will have to serve two-thirds, rather than the usual half, before being eligible for parole. He was also put on the sex offender register and given a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

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A former teaching assistant from Swindon has been sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court today - 21 June - after being found guilty of the rape of a minor.

Sam Powers, 28, had earlier pleaded guilty to an additional 44 counts of sexual offences against children.

He was given a 20-year custodial sentence, four years of which will be served on licence.

In addition, Powers was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a minimum of 25 years.

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NI’s former chief fire officer steps down from church position after admitting sex offencesNorthern Ireland’s former chief fire officer has stepped down from his church position after pleading guilty to two sex offences.Gary Thompson, who led the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) from 2016 until he was suspended as a precaution in December 2018, initially denied a total of nine allegations of indecent assault on a female, said to have occurred on dates between July 1, 2006 and November 1 of the same year.

The 56-year-old, with an address at Rogan Wood in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, first appeared before Ballymena Magistrates Court at the end of 2019.

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A pervert exposed himself to schoolgirls on three occasions after he drove up next to them in his car while performing a sex act. He had previously been given a community order for the same offence.

Aled Roberts, 33, exposed himself to schoolgirls in Swansea over three days in February and March this year. On each occasion, the victims noticed a grey Renault car driving up alongside them as they walked home from school.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant wound down his window and said: "Hey girls". He was wearing a grey jumper and his trousers were pulled down. His penis was exposed and he was performing a sex act. He then closed the window and drove off.

On two further occasions, Roberts was caught doing the same thing, staring directly at the victims. Prosecutor Alycia Carpanini said he was identified after his car registration plate was caught on CCTV and police were able to track the defendant.

He was arrested on March 17 and responded to caution by saying: "Are you serious?". The defendant was interviewed and gave no comment answers, but he later pleaded guilty to three counts of exposure. The court heard Roberts, of Wellfield Square, Neath, has one previous conviction for exposure, for which he received a community order.

In mitigation, Hannah Friedman said her client has ADHD which makes him "stupidly impulsive" and he doesn't think things through or consider the consequences. Before his initial conviction, the defendant worked in mental health support but later worked at a bakery and a takeaway. The barrister said Roberts "hates himself" and thinks about what he has done a lot.

Sentencing, Record Greg Bull KC said the defendant has "no understanding" of the damage he had caused the young girls he exposed himself to, and without treatment he would become a "danger to young children". He sentenced Roberts to a total of 12 months imprisonment and made him subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 yeare.