Latest Offenders

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"No always means no" - That's the message from officers after a rapist was jailed for 15 years.

Martin Lee, 40, previously of Hexham, forced his victim to have sex with him despite her frequent pleas for him to stop. Last year, his brave victim came forward and reported the abuse to police. Lee was subsequently arrested and charged with rape.

He initially denied his guilt but on the day that his trial was due to begin at Newcastle Crown Court in April, he changed his plea to guilty and admitted three offences – including two counts of rape.

And on Friday, July 14, he was back at the same court where a judge sentenced him to 15 years behind bars, placed him on the sex offenders' register for life and handed him a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim.

Detective Constable Lynsey Oliver, from Northumbria Police's safeguarding unit, led the investigation. She said: "Lee's offending had started to follow a very dangerous pattern – more than once he was told unwaveringly no by his victim, who was clearly distressed and attempted to fight him off.

"He is a dangerous man and our area is most certainly safer with him behind bars. I want to praise the survivor for contacting police and for continuing to assist with the investigation, trial and all court proceedings. It is thanks to her that a predatory man is behind bars. I sincerely hope her bravery and this sentence will give other people the confidence to come forward and speak with police."

She added: "I hope this sentence serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view on consent that no always means no. If a person tells you no, attempts to push you away, freezes, or very clearly becomes distressed, it is clear that they have not given you consent to touch them.

"Someone consenting to go on a date with you, allowing you in their home or even being in a relationship with you absolutely does not equate to automatic sexual consent – no scenario or relationship does. No one should ever have to endure this type of assault and support is available from our officers and the many fantastic charities we work closely with.

"If you have ever been a victim of any type of sexual assault, we're here for you."

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Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

A former cathedral verger has been jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage boys.

Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years on Thursday after pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual abuse.

The first victim was assaulted between 1969 and 1970, when McCleester was a child welfare supervisor at a Hampshire boarding school.

The second victim was sexually abused when he was the head verger at Southwark Cathedral in the 1980s.

He abused the victim, who was a chorister, at his flat, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The victims came forward in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

'Lifelong trauma'

McCleester pleaded guilty to carrying out sexual abuse between 1968 and 1987 on 26 June at Inner London Crown Court.

Momata Matin, senior crown prosecutor from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit in London South, said: "McCleester flagrantly abused his position of authority and trust within the communities he served to commit vile offences against young boys, leaving lifelong trauma.

"The abuse has clearly had a profound impact on the victims.

"I would like to highlight the bravery of the victims and thank them, the witnesses, and the prosecution team, for helping bring McCleester to justice.

"The first victim sadly passed away after giving police his evidence, so was unable to hear the guilty verdict.

"I hope his family can have a sense of peace knowing that justice has been finally served."

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A Plymouth man has been jailed for sexually abusing a girl at Burrator reservoir 26 years ago. Stephen Hoskin, 52, of Saltburn Road, Plymouth, initially stood trial at the court on four charges relating to an incident which took place sometime between January and June in 1997.

Hoskin was accused of raping a girl under the age of 16 at the reservoir, two counts of indecently assaulting the girl and one count of committing an act of gross indecency with a child. Hoskin had denied all the charges.

At a trial held at Plymouth Crown Court in March this year, Hoskin was found guilty on two charges; one of indecent assault and one of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency, both of which were committed against the same victim. He was cleared of rape.

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At the trial, the court heard that the victim was under 16 when subjected to the abuse in 1997, when Hoskin was in his mid to late-20s. Although the offences were originally reported to police in the summer of that year, no charges were brought against Hoskin but after the victim, now an adult, contacted Devon and Cornwall Police in 2020 to better understand why the case had been closed, changes and developments in investigative approach were available.

DC Craig Ferguson then reviewed the evidence and conducted a fresh investigation which had access to better technology and forensic techniques, and new information had come to light. Key witnesses were identified and interviewed, along with family members and retired professionals.

The victim was also re-interviewed with the help of specially trained officer, PC Helen Winterson, who remained engaged with the case and supported the victim throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Based on the new findings, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that Hoskin should be charged with a number of serious sexual offences.

His honour Judge Peter Johnson sentenced Hoskin to eight years in prison for indecent assault and two years for gross indecency, to be served concurrently. He told Hoskin that he would serve half of his sentence in prison and the other half on licence but warned him that if he breached the terms of the licence, he would go back to prison.

He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. In sentencing him, HHJ Johnson said: “(The victim) has lived with your actions since 1997 and I do find having heard her impact statement that these offences which you committed have had a profound effect on her, both at the time that you committed them and throughout her life to date.

“You are a conceited and self-entitled man.” The court heard from the victim in her impact statement which was read out to the court by DC Ferguson on behalf of Mr Sean Brunton (KC) the prosecuting barrister in the case.

The victim explained that she had lived her life in the shadow of what Hoskin had done to her. She explained that she felt that while her body had grown, her mind and mental state had been stuck on pause - forever remaining that scared little girl.

She described that she hated Hoskin for what he had done, explaining that she could never outrun the trauma of what he had put her through and that she had lived a life sentence herself. After sentencing, DC Ferguson said: “On behalf of the victim and her family, I welcome today’s outcome and Stephen Hoskin’s imprisonment.

“Hoskin was a grown man when he targeted the victim in this case, a girl under 16. She was an inexperienced child who was terrified of him. I wish to pay tribute to the victim, who has not only shown tremendous resilience and courage in finding the strength to reconnect with Devon and Cornwall Police, but also in providing further evidence and attending court.

“The strength that she has shown in coming to court to face her abuser cannot be overstated. I hope that today’s sentence helps her find some peace and enables her to start healing with her family.

“Devon & Cornwall Police takes all reports of sexual abuse seriously, regardless of how long ago it may have happened and will gather any evidence as required to take appropriate action in line with the victim’s wishes.

“Victims will be listened to sympathetically and will be guided through the criminal justice process with the support of our partner agencies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). We are committed to improving outcomes and the journey for victims through what can often be a traumatic and difficult process, ensuring safeguarding and appropriate support.”

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A 'violent' Scunthorpe rapist has been jailed for 11 years.

Ceirion Jones, 24, of Valley View Drive, Scunthorpe, was convicted of six offences which happened between 2014 and 2017. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Jones was found guilty after an 11-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration. Humberside Police praised the victims for their bravery and courage during the investigation.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Megan Sherwin said: Jones is a violent offender who continues to show no remorse for his crimes, putting his victims through the stress of a trial instead of admitting what he has done.

I am reassured that he is now off our streets and is facing considerable time behind bars. I hope he uses that time to reflect on the harm he has caused and the impact that his perverse attacks have had on the lives of others.

I want to take this opportunity to praise the victims, who have all shown great bravery in speaking out about their ordeal. It is because of their courage, throughout both the investigative and judicial proceedings, that Jones is now locked up and unable to prey on anybody else.

I hope that this sentence sends a clear message to any other victims of sexual abuse that we will listen and support you and we will investigate thoroughly, doing everything we can to bring offenders before the courts.

If you are a victim of crime, or have concerns that someone you know is, please call us on our non-emergency 101 line or 999 in an emergency.

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A non-binary sex attacker who molested a sleeping child during a campaign of abuse has been allowed to walk free from court. Oliver James Bond, who changed his identity after being convicted of a sex attack on a transgender victim in a previous case, dodged prison for a second time.

The 32-year-old, who was called Lucas Cole throughout the latest trial, started sexually assaulting the boy while he was 15 or 16 years old. A jury at Perth Sheriff Court found that Bond carried out further attacks on the same victim over a period of six years.

Bond was found guilty of indecently assaulting the boy at an address in Milnathort between July 1, 2010 - when the victim was 15 - and December 31, 2010. Bond carried out a serious sex attack on the boy while he was asleep and incapable of giving consent.

The fiend was found guilty of sexually assaulting the same victim in Kinross between September 5, 2013 and September 4, 2014 in an attack which started with Bond repeatedly grabbing the teenager's private parts. Bond struggled with him, and pulled down his trousers and underwear, before performing a sex act on him.

The jury also found Bond guilty of sexually assaulting the victim in Milnathort between September 5, 2014 and September 4, 2016 by touching his private parts while he was asleep and incapable of consenting. The Crown gave special notice to lead evidence of Bond sexually assaulting a transgender victim in Perth on 14 May 2018 whilst they were intoxicated and could not consent.

Bond denied indecently and sexually assaulting the male complainer in the latest trial and claimed they were consensual acts between "friends with benefits". The jury took an hour to find them guilty. Jurors heard the victim describe how he had been sleeping and had woken up to discover Bond carrying out a sex act upon him.

The accused confirmed they were Oliver James Bond to the court clerk, but was referred to throughout the trial and sentencing as Lucas Cole and mainly by the pronoun "they/them". Sheriff David Hall placed Bond on the Sex Offenders Register for five years and under social work supervision for 18 months.

They were placed on a curfew for six months and ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.

The sheriff said: "With some hesitation I am going to allow you to remain at liberty. You were convicted by the jury of all three charges. You just don't get the seriousness of this matter."

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, noted that the complainer had spent further time with the accused after the attacks and had given evidence in his defence in the transgender case. He said his client would be "particularly vulnerable" in prison.

But Sheriff Hall said: "That doesn't excuse his behaviour, which he doesn't appear to accept any responsibility for at all. The complainer came across as a pretty vulnerable individual."

In October 2019, Bond was convicted of sexually assaulting a transgender woman at a flat in Perth. She gave evidence in the latest trial to show the similarity of the attacks.

Fiscal depute Lora Apostalova said the incidents were "strikingly similar" as the victims had been asleep and incapable of giving or withholding consent in both cases. The transgender witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, she how she was sexually assaulted at Bond's Perth home in May 2018.

She told how they downed a bottle of Midori and watched The Big Bang Theory before she fell asleep. Later, she said she woke to find Cole touching her penis under her clothing.

Ms Apostalova said: "She was not able to give full consent to what was happening to her body. My trousers were definitely not unbuttoned when I lost consciousness. Oliver was touching me. He had his hand under my underwear."

Bond was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 21, 2019. Judge Lord Tyre said it would have been an "extremely distressing experience" for the woman.

He also ordered Bond to engage in offence-related work under social work supervision.

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A respected academic has been jailed for arranging to meet what he believed to be a 14-year-old boy for a sexual encounter weeks after taking up a post at Durham University.

Dushmanta Kara, who left behind a wife and child when he came to the UK to take up the position in Durham, made contact with a profile ‘TwinkFreeNow’ on the online gay dating site Grindr, on April 25, the day it was posted.

Durham Crown Court heard the profile, with a picture of a boy with short dark hair, was, in reality, a decoy generated by an undercover police officer.

The court was told that although purporting to be aged 18, the minimum age for Grindr users, the decoy soon revealed to Kara that he was 14, as there is no age verification required to use the site.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, told the court the defendant’s profile indicated he was just four kilometres away from the location of the police operative posing as the boy.

Kara sent a picture to the decoy of his naked upper body and they discussed sexual activity they would like to perform on each other.

The ‘boy’ told Kara that he was “new to it” but told him he was free that night and alone at home, so they arranged to meet.

Mr Newcombe said they exchanged photographs of each other and they were able to track each other's locations as they made their way to the rendezvous site, in Gilesgate, Durham.

But on arrival at the meeting point, Kara was arrested.

He told police he had been using Grindr since his arrival in the UK in February and accepted being involved in the exchange of messages in which he said they had discussed, “kissing, cuddling and oral sex”.

But Kara claimed he believed the boy to be aged 18, although he accepted the profile picture posted by the decoy looked younger than that.

By the time of his first crown court appearance, on May 26, however, the 31-year-old defendant, of Steavenson Street, Bowburn, admitted charges of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

He appeared at court for sentencing today (Thursday, July 13) assisted by a Hindi interpreter.

Mark Styles, in mitigation, told the court that having spoken to the defendant about his situation: “The reality is this has had the most enormous impact on him.”

Referring to character references presented to the court by fellow academics, Mr Styles said: “He’s clearly highly thought of by his peers.

“He has a dependent wife and young child and the impact on them is profound.

“He has lost his good name and lost his post at Durham University, having been dismissed in early June, which has left him on limited resources.

“He was very isolated, lonely and vulnerable in the UK, having arrived in February, knowing no one.

“He was naïve in the extreme to get involved in this criminal offending.

“The possibility of a 14-year-old with a household available for sexual activity seems barely credible, but he was drawn in by the decoy.

“He’s anxious to return to his home country and to start afresh.

“He’s been in regular contact with his wife.”

Judge James Adkin told the defendant that when told the ‘boy’ was 14, “that didn’t seem to be a problem" to him.

“Penetrative sex was contemplated by you when you arranged to meet the police decoy in Gilesgate, where you were arrested.”

Referring to the latest sentencing guidelines for the offences admitted by Kara, with a starting point of five years and a range from four to ten years, Judge Adkin said: “There has been a hardening of attitudes to this sort of offending.”

But he said there should only be a small deduction for the fact the boy did not actually exist, in circumstances such as this case.

He said mitigating features were the defendant’s previous good character, his prompt admissions at crown court and the respect he has in the academic community.

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A dangerous offender from Bradford has been locked up for 22 years after he was found guilty of 22 offences including rape and threats to kill.

Dale Osborne, 43, was convicted by a jury on February 13 of nine rapes, six actual bodily harm offences, one attempted rape, one sexual assault, three threats to kill and two false imprisonments. The offences related to three victims and took place between 2002 and 2014.

Appearing before Bradford Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (July 13), Osborne, of Deanwood Court, was jailed for 22 years. He must serve a minimum of two thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release.

A further Dangerous Offender provision was also made which means he must remain on licence for a further seven years after the 22-year custodial period ends. Osborne was also issued with a lifetime restraining order preventing him from contacting his three victims directly or indirectly.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Detective Inspector Ian Cottrell of Bradford Safeguarding Team said: "Osborne is a danger to women and we welcome the significant sentence handed down to Osborne today.

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A drunk man filmed himself raping and sexually assaulting a woman while she was passed out through a combination of medication and alcohol. Derby Crown Court heard how the victim repeatedly said no to Janis Vizulins when he tried to have sex with her before she fell asleep but, after she did, he decided to abuse her anyway.

The 33-year-old's victim only realised days later what had happened to her when she saw he had recorded it on her mobile phone. The distraught woman called a friend in tears and was persuaded to contact the police.

Jailing the defendant, of Grosvenor Street, Allenton, for four-and-a-half years, Recorder Graham Huston said: “This was humiliation, she was not aware of what was going on, she was in a particularly vulnerable state because of the effects of the medication. I am not suggesting in any way you plied her with alcohol and medication.

“There was initial consent given for some form of sexual activity between you but there came a time when you continued to assault and rape her without her consent and knowledge and that behaviour goes somewhat beyond what is acceptable.

“By your guilty pleas you rightly have shown regret and remorse and the enormity of your behaviour became clear to you when you realised what you had truly done.”

Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, said the rape took place at an address in Derby in January of this year. He said both parties had been drinking and went to the property where some consensual sexual activity happened.

The prosecutor said: “There came a time when he wanted more and she repeatedly said ‘no’ and asked him to stop requesting but she fell asleep and when in drink he ignored her.

“Days later, when she viewed the video, she contacted her friend on the telephone, she was crying, asking her friend to come round. She said (on the night in question) she had taken some medication and did not consent to that act and so they both went to the police.”

Mr Singh said Vizulins was arrested and at first denied that he had raped her. But he later pleaded guilty to rape and assault by penetration.

He has three previous convictions but nothing relating to sexual activity. Steve Gisnell, mitigating, said his client had provided him with three character references which “spoke of a very different person” to the one who carried out the sexual offences. He said: “He has taken responsibility for what he has done, alcohol had been taken by both parties and he believes that impaired his decision.

“If he had been a sober man with his wits about him this would not have happened. He knows of the dangers of becoming inebriated to such a stage that he carried out this unlawful act. He knows it was an awful offence.”

As well as the jail term, Recorder Huston handed Vizulins a 10-year restraining order not to contact the victim and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

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A former assistant headteacher has been jailed for child sex offences in Cornwall.

75 year old Terence Burke - who now lives in Swindon -abused two teenagers in the early 2000s while he was the safeguarding lead at Falmouth School.

He's been sentenced to 18 years in prison this afternoon at Truro Crown Court and also placed on the sex offender's register.

The two women involved in the case have only been identified as Child A and Child B - 10 years of his sentence relate to offences committed against Child B, and the other 8 for offences against Child A.

In one of the victim's impact statements, she said 'No one should ever have to go through what he did to me.'

The judge noted in his summing up 'It is clear you abused your position... cont given your role as the safeguarding lead at the school, it is hard to think of a more serious breach of trust.'

Devon and Cornwall Police's investigative officer Detective Constable Isabelle Woodall said: “I am delighted by today’s outcome and sentence which I sincerely hope will bring a sense of justice to the victims.

“These were appalling offences committed against some of the vulnerable schoolgirls that Mr Burke, as assistant head teacher and safeguarding lead at Falmouth School, was tasked to protect, and constitutes a gross breach of trust.

“Today’s result is a testament to the bravery of the victims and witnesses who assisted with the investigation and attended court to give evidence.

“Whilst nothing will change the impact of this man’s offences on our victims, It is my hope that they will now be able to put these awful events behind them and move on with their lives.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Burke exploited his position of trust as an assistant head teacher to sexually abuse pupils who had been placed in his care. These crimes can have a devastating and long-term impact on the victims, and the women in this case have shown immense bravery in coming forward and reporting what happened.

“We hope that they are now getting all the support that they need, and they can find some comfort following Burke’s sentencing today. It is so important that anyone who has experienced sexual abuse knows who they can speak to and is confident they will be listened to.”

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A dangerous sex offender has been returned to jail after he breached a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Karl Townsend, 49, was released from prison in March and was living in Emscote Road, Warwick. He had served a 10-year extended sentence for sexual assault on an adult woman.

Upon his release he was made subject to a SOPO that, amongst other things, prohibited him from ‘loitering in any place’.

On 10 June, Townsend's monitoring tag showed him leaving his home and walking into Leamington where he spent time in Victoria Park and the Pump Room Gardens.

Within 35 minutes Townsend was arrested in Warwick New Road, Leamington.

On arrest it was clear he had put on a dark coloured hairpiece during this time, it is thought to disguise himself.

Appearing at Warwick Crown Court last week he was jailed for 28 months.

Detective Chief Inspector Karl Faulkner from Warwickshire Police said: “Townsend is an extremely dangerous man and as soon as he was released from prison in March, he was under close supervision to ensure he was unable to cause any harm.

“SOPOs are extremely powerful tools that allow us to control the behaviour of dangerous offenders, preventing them from committing further criminal acts. As soon as we became aware Townsend had breached, he was arrested, put before the courts, and jailed.”

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A member of staff at a primary school was found in possession of indecent images of children including the most serious category. The man was said to have been "immediately removed from the school" after the offences came to light.

Steven Jones, 51, an employee of Ynyshir Primary School in Porth, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of indecent images of children. These included 109 category A images, 150 category B images and 75 category C images. It's not suggested any pupils from the school were depicted in the images.

The defendant, of The Philog, Whitchurch, Cardiff, was arrested on September 26 last year and later admitted the offences. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Wednesday to 12 months imprisonment and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Following the hearing, parents at Ynyshir Primary School were written to by headteacher Paula Phillips, who said: "It is with great regret that I wish to inform you that a member of teaching staff from our school has pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of children. Sentencing took place today at Newport Crown Court.

"Now that the criminal process has concluded, the school and its governing body, in partnership with key council services, will undertake internal disciplinary processes to consider suitability for employment and any necessary referrals to the relevant professional bodies, as deemed appropriate."

In a statement, a spokesman for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council on behalf of the school, said: "This incident has shocked and appalled our school and wider community. Whilst we are advised that these images did not include children from our school, these crimes have undoubtedly impacted on many, and we hope that the sentence imposed will help those affected. As soon as professionals were made aware of these serious allegations and police intervention, the staff member was immediately removed from the school.

“We would like to thank South Wales Police for their work in helping to keep our children and communities safe. As a school we will continue to work with our partners and families to ensure that our learners remain safe and protected, which is our absolute priority.”

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A 29-YEAR-old man is starting his third prison sentence after he was caught again with a secret collection of distressing child abuse images and videos.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Jamie Wardle’s latest offending was the third time he had been convicted of offences relating to his possession of indecent images of children and he had also breached the terms of his existing sexual harm prevention order.

Wardle, of Sycamore Drive, Brighouse, had previously been jailed for 16 months at Leeds Crown Court in 2016 and in 2021 he had been given a 14-month prison term at Bradford Crown Court.

Wardle, who was said to be on the autistic spectrum, was subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which restricted his use of internet-enabled devices, but when police officers carried out a routine monitoring visit in December last year they discovered he had been using a mobile phone which he hadn’t disclosed.

During a search of his home, the officers found a USB memory stick hidden in a pillowcase and the device was later found to contain more than 200 still and moving images of child abuse.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said the material had been sorted into named folders and the images had been obtained over an 18-month period between May 2021 and November last year.

He said the children involved were aged between two and 16 and many of the images showed children crying and visibly distressed.

Wardle pleaded guilty to three charges relating to his possession of the indecent images and also admitted breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard that Wardle had already been remanded in custody for about eight months and Judge Colin Burn was urged to consider a sentence which would involve more focused work with the defendant by the probation service.

Barrister Derek Duffy, for Wardle, said his client now accepted he had an obsession and he wanted to change.

Mr Duffy asked for an opportunity for Wardle to get his obsession under control and break the cycle, but Judge Burn said it was his third batch of similar offending and he couldn’t deal with him in any other way than an immediate custodial sentence.

The judge concluded that Wardle posed a significant risk of serious harm in the future and imposed an extended licence period of two years on top of his three-year jail sentence.

Wardle will still be subject to the indefinite sexual harm prevention order and he will have to register as a sex offender for life with the police.

Judge Burn said the offences were not “victimless crimes” adding: ”These crimes very much have real victims.

“It’s a case where the primary consideration of the court for the purposes of sentence has to be to reflect the need to try to prevent young victims being abused in that way.”

He said Wardle had gone to some lengths to obtain the images and hide them from the police and he had been providing a market, as he had in the past, for those people who caused so much misery to real children.

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A vile Paisley carer has been jailed for two years after he sexually abused a disabled man he was supposed to be looking after.

Alexander Elliott also targeted one of his girlfriend's relatives and a 15-year-old girl. The 34-year-old was sentenced for the crimes carried out between 2018 and 2021 at Paisley Sheriff Court.

He was also place on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years. Elliot denied any wrong doing, however, he was convicted by jury earlier this year following a trial, the Daily Record reports.

The court heard that the carer preyed upon his girlfriend's relative in 2019. He contacted the woman and sent her a message "of a lewd, sexual and indecent nature".

He then targeted a disabled man he cared for repeatedly in January 2018 and January 2021. The court heard the victim was in a wheelchair and needed help with various tasks at his home in the Renfrewshire town.

He struggled to wash himself so Elliott had to assist with showering him, while the man was sitting on a seat within the shower. The court heard that, on various occasions, he made "inappropriate and sexual comments towards" the man.

Claims that he had also directed water from the shower towards the man's privates, and made a sexual remark, were deleted from the charge by the jury when they convicted him. He then went on to sexually assault a 15-year-old girl between May and June 2021.

He removed bed covers, touched her body, and rubbed himself against her sexually and also sent her sexual messages. The jury ruled it was "for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification or of humiliating, distressing or alarming" her and that the messages were "of a lewd, sexual and indecent nature".

Defence solicitor Gemma Elder had asked for Elliott, who had been remanded in custody since being convicted, to be spared prison. She said the first offender suffered from sciatica and had been left unable to work, but could do unpaid work as an alternative to prison.

She asked for him to be dealt with by a "high-tariff" Community Payback Order which would have seen him given the maximum number of hours of unpaid work and maximum period of supervision.

And she said he could also have been placed on a Restriction of Liberty Order - which would have seen him fitted with an electronic tag and having to abide by a daily home curfew - "for a significant period of time".

Sentencing Sheriff Hugh McGinty said: "You were convicted of sending indecent and sexually suggestive messages to one of your girlfriend's relatives. You were a carer for your victim, who required a significant amount of assistance due to his disability and you directed sexual comments to him while you were washing him.

"You sexually abused a girl when she was 15 years old and thereafter communicated sexually with her. The common denominator is that all of your victims were highly vulnerable and you were, unfortunately for them, in a position of trust as far as you were concerned. I form the view that the only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment."

Sheriff McGinty ruled the offences were too serious and backdated his jail term to last month, when he was found guilty by the jury.

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A MAN who repeatedly sexually abused a girl in North Wales, and was involved in arranging for other people to also abuse her, has been handed a life sentence.

Michael Stewart, 41, of no fixed abode, was jailed at Mold Crown Court today (July 13), where he was ordered to serve a minimum term of 16 years.

Co-defendant Matthew Penny, 44, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment; he will be eligible for release on licence after 13 years, and will serve a further six years on licence afterwards.

Stewart admitted the charges of sexual abuse made against him, while Penny was found guilty after trial.

Prosecuting, Anna Pope told the court that the girl, who cannot be named, was systemically abused by Stewart from the age of about 10.

A number of particularly graphic and violent videos and photos of the abuse would be distributed onto others by Stewart.

As well as raping the girl herself, Stewart directed the sexual abuse of her by other men throughout North Wales, on the condition that the abuse be filmed and a copy be sent to him.

The majority of the other men involved have yet to be found, but Penny was identified and convicted from two meetings he had with girl in Conwy and Prestatyn.

At those meetings the girl was raped by both Stewart and Penny.

Police attended Stewarts home address on Anglesey last year to execute a search warrant after reports of two Kik accounts, linked to his IP address, which had uploaded footage of child sex abuse.

Stewart was arrested, and while on his way to custody, said he had been forced by another man known as Rich to send indecent images to others, and that if he didnt, he would be revealed as a paedophile.

Further examinations of material seized from his devices found videos of multiple rapes and sexual abuse of the girl, as well as covertly-filmed explicit footage, and evidence of him distributing the material to others.

When Penny was later identified, photos of the girl were recovered from his phone, while his number was found to have been saved in Stewarts contacts list as Rich.

Stewart was already a convicted sex offender, having made and distributed indecent images of another child, while Penny had no previous convictions.

The girl said she felt she had no choice but to comply and felt threatened, and did not previously report the abuse for fear of what would happen to her.

She believed she had been abused by four or five other men, as well as Stewart and Penny.

Stewart also posed as Rich on Instagram to contact her directly, sending her messages threatening to report her to police or tell her friends unless she sent sexual messages to him.

He also used another fake online profile, posing as an 18-year-old rugby player, in a bid to obtain more indecent images of her, and through which he also directed her to meet other men for sex.

Penny was identified after becoming involved in an online conversation, under the name Rhyl Jack, with an undercover officer.

He told the officer he had a sexual interest in children, and was currently sexually active with a girl.

The undercover officer and Penny made arrangements to meet, and after the IP address linked to the account was found to be under his wifes name at their Prestatyn address.

Penny was arrested in December 2022.

In a statement, the girl said she bottled up inside the abuse for so many years.

Things will never be the same again, she said, adding that she has felt unbearable guilt.

Defending Stewart, Simon Rogers said that this was his first contact offence, and that while he was assessed as being of high risk of harm to children, he was at low risk of further generic offending.

He urged the court to draw back from a life sentence, saying that this is not an exceptional case in which such a sentence should be passed.

Representing Penny, Simon Killeen asked for the sentence not to be extensive, and for the court to stop short of finding him a dangerous offender.

Sentencing, Judge Timothy Petts also imposed a lifetime restraining order, prohibiting both defendants from ever contacting the girl again.

They are also banned for life from working with children or vulnerable adults, and must adhere to sex offenders register notification requirements indefinitely.

An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was issued to Penny.

Judge Petts also paid tribute to those involved in the investigation which led to both defendants convictions.

He said: This is a case of virtually indescribable suffering.

To Stewart, who sat throughout the entirety of the sentencing with his head face-down on a desk in custody, Judge Petts told him he had treated the girl in an utterly horrific way.

Judge Petts added to him: You have not demonstrated, in my view, any remorse, beyond the fact of entering your guilty pleas.

You have accepted no responsibility for what you did. You have maintained your story, which I dont accept, that you were blackmailed.

This is one of those exceptional occasions where the last resort of a life sentence is thoroughly merited.

Judge Petts told Penny that, though he was involved to a much lesser extent than Stewart, he had caused the girl severe psychological harm nonetheless.

The fact that he had no previous convictions was, Judge Petts said, of little weight compared to the enormity of what you did.

He told him: She was already an incredibly damaged and traumatised child when you raped her.

You are yet to have demonstrated that you are a sex offender with a predilection for children.

Even after the rapes here, you were looking for potential new victims on the Internet, as evidenced by your conversations with the undercover officer.

Judge Petts also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all devices recovered containing the abuse, while both defendants will pay a statutory surcharge following their releases.

Description

A high-risk sex offender who attacked women and children for more than three decades - and blamed one child for "seducing" him - has been handed a life sentence.

Kevin Scott was convicted of 10 offences, including violent assaults, rape, indecent communication and sexual activity with an older child he met online, abduction, and domestic abuse.

The 54-year-old's catalogue of crimes occurred between 1985 and 2021 in the West Lothian, Clackmannanshire, and Dumfries and Galloway areas.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Lady Haldane said the crimes against his child victims were "particularly disturbing".

The court heard Scott continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Referring to one young victim, Lady Haldane said to Scott: "You, of course, did not consider what happened between you to be abuse, as you regarded yourself as in a relationship with [the victim], although she was only a child at the time, and vulnerable in a number of respects.

"Indeed, you blamed her for seducing you.

"You are unable to recognise your grooming and abusive behaviour for what it really was, and this pattern emerges in your attitude to your other offending."

The judge imposed an Order for Lifelong Restriction and ordered he must serve a six-and-a-half year prison sentence before being eligible to seek parole to be released on licence.

Scott has also been added to the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

A Criminal Justice Social Work report concluded that Scott was a "high risk" to intimate partners and children.

Lady Haldane said: "Your profile is one of psychopathy driven by a traumatic childhood and anxiety.

"You demonstrate no insight into your behaviours or their effect on others."