Latest Offenders

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A WEST YORKSHIRE man described as a dangerous sexual predator by police has been jailed for attempting to rape a child.

Kristian Annus, 29, from Lincoln Street, Wakefield, was jailed for 10 and a half years at Leeds Crown Court today (Wednesday), after pleading guilty to an attempted rape offence in the Kirklees area.

The 29-year-old was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will place restrictions on his activity following any release from prison and will remain on the Sex Offender Register for life.

Officers arrested Annus on February 19 of this year after receiving a report he had sexually offended against a child.

He was charged two days later and was remanded in custody by the courts.

PC Jay Laughton of the Kirklees District Child Safeguarding Team said: “Annus is without doubt a dangerous sexual predator and we welcome his conviction and sentencing.

“He took advantage of his young victim in the most appalling way and subjected him to what has clearly been a dreadful offence.

“I want to praise the bravery of the victim and his family in reporting what took place and then supporting the prosecution which has put this man behind bars.”

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An ex-Royal Marine commando who started having sexually-charged online conversations with a fake 13-year-old girl later claimed that their chats were no worse than what was taught in schools.

Retired lorry driver Frank Turner also pretended that he was gathering evidence before taking it to the police station and that he only asked the girl for explicit pictures so that he could be sure that she was definitely over the age of 18.

But it was clear "grooming" behaviour and he had previously been jailed for distributing sick images of children, Hull Crown Court heard.

Turner, 73, of Tennyson Street, Goole, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order between November 29 and January 16.

Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, said that undercover police set up an online profile of a non-existent 13-year-old girl and Turner began exchanging messages with her.

The fake girl told him that she was only 13 but he continued the messages and they became highly sexualised. He asked a series of intimate questions about sexual matters, made explicit suggestions and asked if she wanted sexual pictures of him.

He told her that he would only do so if she promised him that she would not save them on her phone. He asked for intimate pictures of her but he was not sent any. "It was clear grooming behaviour," said Mr Donnell.

In a later online conversation, Turner asked the decoy girl: "Have you been practising what I taught you?" He was arrested and material linking him to the conversations, including naked pictures of him, was found on his devices.

Turner later told police that he had no sexual interest in children. He claimed that he asked for photographs of the girl so that he could check that she was over 18 and, that if she was not, he would terminate the conversation.

He claimed that the conversations were no more than what would be taught in schools. "He said that he was doing this to gather evidence to take to the police station," said Mr Donnell. Turner suggested that he was involved in "fantasy".

He had convictions from 2017 for making and distributing hundreds of indecent images of children, including 132 in the most serious category, and possessing extreme pornography of bestiality. He had been jailed for 20 months and a sexual harm prevention order had been made.

During that hearing, the court was told that Turner, a former Royal Marine commando, claimed that he was lonely and was looking for a girlfriend. He shared images of children as young as two.

There was a risk of very serious sexual harm in the new offences, said Mr Donnell.

David Godfrey, mitigating, said that it was "quite troubling recent behaviour" but the conversations took place over a relatively short period of time. Turner had worked as a lorry driver for many years.

"He is somebody who has been quite isolated and that's come through in his online activities," said Mr Godfrey.

"He was living alone with his dog. He found some solace in the internet. There was not a victim but this was luck not judgement on his behalf."

Judge Kate Rayfield said that Turner was told at a very early stage by the fake girl that she was aged 13 but he was "undeterred" and told her not to mention her age in messages.

"You quickly engaged her in sexual conversation, asking her about her own sexual experiences and asking her questions about what she had and hadn't done," said Judge Rayfield.

A sexual harm prevention order had been made in 2017. "This is a deliberate breach," said Judge Rayfield. "There was a significant disparity in your respective ages. There was no harm, in fact, and this was attempted conduct. It was a deliberate breach of your order and there was certainly some risk."

Turner was jailed for four years and one month and he was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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Coventry-based Alexander Hindmarsh resigned from West Midlands Police after making dozens of films of other men without their consent.

A police officer who covertly recorded men using public toilets and showers for his own sexual gratification has been jailed for 19 months.

Alexander Hindmarsh, who resigned from West Midlands Police after carrying out the horrible offences over a period of almost two years, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing.

The 32-year-old, of Dulverton Avenue, Coventry, was also ordered to register as a sex offender at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, after being told his claims in police interviews of consensual voyeurism were absurd lies.

Prosecutor Robert Tolhurst told the hearing that Hindmarsh, described as being on a fast-track route to the rank of inspector, was chased and detained by members of the public and shop security guards in Coventry on November 13 last year.

The court heard the constable, who was on annual leave, had been apprehended after a victim spotted him using his phone to film over the wall of a toilet cubicle at Coventrys Cannon Park Shopping Centre.

Mr Tolhurst told the court that Hindmarsh was taken to a custody block at Perry Barr in Birmingham, while officers searched his home.

The defendant tried to say it was all a mess and a mistake, Mr Tollhurst said.

Although no recording of the incident that led to his arrest was found, the response officers phone was examined and footage of 39 other examples of suspected voyeurism were discovered.

A total of 28 videos of men using toilet cubicles and showers, including some thought to be from service stations in Staffordshire and Worcestershire, were identified and Hindmarsh later admitted charges of observing and recording persons doing private acts between December 2020 and November 2022.

The court was told the videos showed some of the victims naked, while it was clear none of them had any idea they were being filmed.

Passing sentence, Judge Dean Kershaw criticised Hindmarshs claims that he mistook one of the victims for his partner and that consensual voyeurism was a thing in the gay community.

It's my belief that you did know better but you thought when you were committing these offences that you simply wouldn't get caught. That's why you continued to do it for so long

- Judge Dean Kershaw

The judge told the former constable: These offences were done for your sexual gratification.

I have watched each and every one of the exhibits. It is absolutely obvious that these people are not consenting.

You are or were a police officer a police officer who no doubt would have gone on and eventually become an inspector.

For two years you were engaged in this kind of conduct your crime has consequences and you should have known better.

Its my belief that you did know better but you thought when you were committing these offences that you simply wouldnt get caught. Thats why you continued to do it for so long.

Attacking Hindmarshs account to police after his arrest, the judge added: You gave absurd statement littered with lie after lie.

The prosecution case was able to unpick his lies, leaving Hindmarsh with little choice but to admit his guilt

- Julia Powell, CPS

In a statement issued following the sentencing, the Crown Prosecution Service said the locations identified during the inquiry included service stations at Tamworth and Hopwood Park, near Bromsgrove.

Julia Powell, from the CPS, said: These men were oblivious to being filmed while they used public lavatories.

When initially arrested Hindmarsh told officers that he had believed it was his partner in the cubicle beside him on that occasion.

But during police interview Hindmarsh later said that the incident in which he had been caught out had simply been as a result of a misunderstanding having arranged to meet a man from the Grindr app for some fun.

The prosecution case was able to unpick his lies, leaving Hindmarsh with little choice but to admit his guilt.

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A Sefton man has been jailed to four years for child sex offences.

Callum Fairclough, 26 years, of Quigley Avenue in Netherton was sentenced to four years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Monday 21 August. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, possession of indecent photographs of children, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, attempted blackmail, attempted sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause/incite a child to watch a sexual act.

Following a long investigation, detectives charged Fairclough with a string of child sex offences which took place in June 2021.

Detective Inspector Victoria Tinsley said: “Following a long investigation Fairclough was charged with a string of offences which demonstrated him as a sexual predator, and now he is behind bars and can no longer cause harm to children.

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to stopping the possession and distribution of indecent images and, ultimately protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

“We hope that he will now reflect on the consequences of his utterly depraved actions while serving his jail time.”

Merseyside Police works with other UK forces, agencies and the Child Exploitation Online Protection centre as well as law enforcement agencies across the world who share our determination to protect children from dangerous offenders online. 
 
Det Insp Tinsley, added: “We have specialist officers within our Online Child Abuse Investigations team who are dedicated to investigating these crimes, bringing those responsible before the courts and ultimately protecting young people from unimaginable suffering. 

“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police. 

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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A man locked a girl into his bed and breakfast room when he thought she was about to leave, then raped the terrified teenager, a court heard.

Lee Metcalf, now 38, who met his victim through social media, groomed her online before persuading her to meet in person.

He invited her back to his room at a B&B where he was staying and the pair watched Netflix before she told him it was time for her to leave.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that Metcalf was unprepared to let her go and threw his 16-year-old victim’s shoes out the window.

Read more: Penshaw man Lee Metcalf raped girl, 16, in B&B room

He then made threats to her, before carrying out the rape attack.

It was only when he fell asleep that the teenager managed to escape and contact police.

Metcalf, of Tynedale Crescent, Penshaw, on Weasrside, was arrested and subsequently charged with one charge of rape and another count of false imprisonment.

He denied his guilt, claiming the sex was consensual, and the case went to trial at the court earlier this year when a jury found him guilty of both counts, on March 31

Metcalf was remanded in custody until sentencing today before Judge Amanda Rippon who imposed a nine-year sentence of imprisonment, to be followed by four years’ extended licence period.

He will have to serve two-thirds of the custodial element before being eligible for release on the extended licence.

Metcalf was also made subject of a restraining order, relating to his victim, and restrictions under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both, “until further order”.

He will also be subject to registration as a sex offender for life.

Read more: Crook sex offender found guilty of 18 offences in May trial

Speaking in the wake of the conviction and sentencing of Metcalf, Detective Constable Nick Moses of Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department, who led the investigation, said the defendant subjected his victim to a “terrifying ordeal”.

“Metcalf preyed on a teenager who was two decades his junior.

“I absolutely welcome this sentence and hope it provides his brave victim with some comfort in knowing he’s now behind bars.

“I want to praise the survivor for her bravery and composure during the investigation and trial.

“Because of her courage in coming forward, a dangerous man is locked up and will be unable to hurt anyone else.”

Det Con Moses added: “I hope this conviction serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view of consent that someone consenting to meet up with you or agreeing to go back to your room or home absolutely does not equate to sexual consent.

“No one should ever have to endure this type of assault and support is available from our officers and the many fantastic charities and partners we work closely with.

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A convicted murderer encouraged a 16-year-old girl into prostitution and took a cut of her payments after having a sexual relationship with her. He was caught after police attended a flat he had rented out for the girl to see clients and found him partially dressed.

Charles Frayne, 46, was jailed for life in 1998 for the murder of jeweller Gerry Hales who was stabbed to death during a robbery in Cowbridge. Following his release, the defendant appeared in the courts on a number of occasions, most recently for possession of a bladed article and criminal damage in 2017.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Tuesday heard Frayne was discovered at an address in Cardiff on April 15, 2021, with his victim after police were flagged down by a man concerned about prostitution taken place. Upon answering the door of the Colum Road flat, Frayne was partially dressed and his "facial expression" changed upon seeing police.

The victim then came to the door and gave a false name and false age, telling police she was 20-years-old, but she appeared "jittery" and was trembling. Further suspicions were raised when open packets of condoms, lingerie and a notebook containing notes about sexual acts were discovered in the flat.

Prosecutor Julia Cox said: "It was quite clear to police some element of sexual activity was ongoing." At some point, another woman arrived at the property and referred to the victim by another name to the one she had given to police.

When the victim was spoken to alone, she told police she had met Frayne on Snapchat and was actually 16-years-old. In an interview, she said the defendant assisted her in opening an account on a website linked to prostitution and gave her the money to do so.

She said she obtained clients and would pay Frayne a section of her earnings. He rented out the property in Colum Road through an Airbnb for four days, and he would be present when she was with clients in another room. He also paid for her food and taxi expenses.

Frayne, of no fixed abode, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to causing or inciting prostitution, but maintained he genuinely believed the victim to be 20-years-old.

Frayne gained the female’s trust by paying for food and taxi before forming a sexual relationship. Once he gained her trust, he then funded an advert on an escort website and caused her to become involved in prostitution..

“This has been a lengthy and complex investigation, His guilty plea reflects the strength of evidence against him because of the police investigation and the bravery of the victim. The impact on the victim has been devastating but she has been extremely resilient and patient since the start of this investigation."

He added: “His [Frayne's] guilty plea reflects the strength of evidence against him because of the police investigation and the bravery of the victim.

“The impact on the victim has been devastating but she has been extremely resilient and patient since the start of this investigation.”

Frayne has been sentenced to ten months in prison, and will spend a total of three years and one month in prison due to being on life licence for a previous offence when he was arrested.

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A sex offender raised his hands in a foul-fingered salute to the jury who convicted him of ‘grinding’ on a woman without her consent.

Callum Jarvis told jurors who had remained in court to see the 24-year-old sentenced for sexual assault: “F***ing look at me, at least.”

He made a gesture with his hands and, in a final riposte before storming from the dock, added: “Scumbags.”

Judge Maria Lamb waited until Jarvis had left court, before telling the jury: “Don’t take any notice of that, members of the jury.”

She added, with an eye to the now vacant dock in courtroom three: “You may not have had any appreciated comment from that direction, but you heard one from this direction.” Earlier, she had thanked the jury for their attention to the case.

It was Jarvis’ re-trial, a jury last November having failed to reach a verdict. Following that first trial, the defendant had got himself locked up for more than three-and-a-half-years after he was caught dealing drugs in Banbury. He had, in fact, stormed out of that sentencing hearing as well, after the judge told him it was ‘no good looking surly’.

He had always denied sexually assaulting the victim, who was known to him, by rubbing his stomach and crotch area against the woman’s bottom in what was described in court as a ‘grinding’ manoeuvre.

The woman was assaulted as she looked out of a window of a flat in Banbury, as her brother was outside.

Jarvis had described the allegation, which dated back to May 29, 2020, as ‘bull***t’.

A jury of 12 at Oxford Crown Court took less than two hours to return a unanimous guilty verdict.

In a victim personal statement read by prosecutor Matthew Hodgetts after the verdict, the woman said expressed a fear of what would happen if she bumped into Jarvis or his partner.

“[I] felt as if I was constantly watching my back,” she said. As a result of reporting the assault she had lost her friendship with the defendant’s girlfriend.

Sentencing, Judge Lamb said she had listened to what Jarvis’ barrister, Richard Davies, said about the fact a prison sentence would result in Jarvis being placed on the sex offender register.

But she added, simply: “You are a sexual offender. This was a sexual offence.”

The judge noted that Jarvis had made ‘unpleasant personal remarks’ about his victim before the assault.

She said: “[This was] all about you trying to humiliate this young woman, albeit it was an incident, fortunately, of relatively short duration.”

She sentenced Jarvis, formerly of Telford, Shropshire, to one month's imprisonment, which will be served after the prison term he is currently serving. He will be on the sex offender register for seven years.

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A notorious north-east paedophile has been locked up for nearly four years after he was caught messaging a schoolgirl for sex and downloading indecent images of infants.

David Scott, also known as Ritchie, was found to be buying alcohol and disposable vapes for the 14-year-old, who he met up with in secret over a six-month period.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Scott – who was made subject to the sex offenders register for 10 years in 2017 – sourced a mobile phone for the teenager so he could communicate with her secretly on Snapchat.

In one sickening message he asked her if she would carry out a sex act on him in exchange for £10.

A subsequent police raid on the 26-year-old’s home unearthed a secret mobile phone that he used to download almost 1,300 indecent images and videos of children – most of which were of the most serious category.

The illicit phone was found to contain footage of children who were only months old, the court heard.

Scott was previously jailed when he breached his Sex Offences Prevention Order by befriending a woman and posing for selfies with her 11-year-old daughter at a foodbank.

Accused passed on child images

Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told the court that in May last year police received information that Scott had been using a mobile telephone to communicate with children.

Officers raided Scott’s home on David Street, Inverbervie, on November 4 2022 where they found an iPhone in a black bag, which appeared to be hidden inside an envelope.

An examination of the phone found it contained 177 Category A images and 589 Category A videos.

A total of 208 Category B images and videos and 308 Category C images and videos were also found on the phone.

The children featured in the indecent material were between several months and 15 years of age.

Cybercrime officer determined the total runtime of the video content to be 52 hours, 26 minutes and 39 seconds.

It was also established that Scott had distributed the images and videos to other people.

Ms Simpson also told the court that in January 2022, Scott messaged a 14-year-old girl on Snapchat using the name “Maddie Smith”.

The teenager didn’t know who Maddie was but accepted the friend request.

Scott told the girl he knew someone who could source disposable vapes for her, which she agreed to.

The child was given the contact details of a different Snapchat account, which displayed the name “dave” and had a cartoon image of a male with ginger hair. The account was operated by Scott.

He then provided the teenager with a mobile phone so they could communicate and met up with her over the next six months and the teenager was given vapes and alcohol.

During the phone messages, Scott told the girl she was “cute, beautiful, adorable, sweet, kind and gorgeous”.

He also told the 14-year-old she didn’t “need any make-up because you are so adorable” and if she were to use make-up she would be “covering up her true beauty”.

Scott added that the girl she needed “to find someone who will show you you’re worth everything and will love you for you”.

Around this time, Scott sent the girl a message on Snapchat offering her £10 if she carried out a sex act on him, which she rejected.

Messaged second child on Instagram

A further analysis of Scott’s iPhone unearthed an Instagram conversation that he had on August 20 last year with someone who claimed to be just 11 years old.

During these conversations, Scott asked the child if they were “horny” or “a top or bottom”, alongside other explicit questions.

These charges constituted a breach of Scott’s Sexual Offences Prevention Order on three separate occasions.

Appearing in the dock, Scott, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching his order by possessing a mobile phone and a second charge of communicating with a child under the age of 16.

He also admitted third charge of knowingly deleting files and messages from a prohibited phone.

In a second indictment, Scott pleaded guilty to one charge of downloading indecent images of children and a second charge of distributing indecent images of children.

He also admitted sending a sexual communication to a child under the age of 16.

‘Determined to continue offending’

Scott’s defence solicitor Leonard Birkenshaw that his client had been subject to the sex offenders register for “some considerable time” and had “significantly struggled with that”.

“Mr Scott has to accept that he did do what is alleged he has done,” he said.

“What he was doing was buying vapes and alcohol – nothing was going on apart from that – but it is inappropriate.

“He has got himself in a position where he is on and out and in and out of jail.”

Sentencing Scott, Sheriff Graham Buchanan described his actions as “quite a catalogue of offending in circumstances where you have a poor record for matters of a sexual nature”.

“It’s clear that you’re just determined to continue offending,” he said.

Telling Scott that “only a substantial period of imprisonment was appropriate”, the sheriff sentenced him to 47 months in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register for life.

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An Aberdeen sex offender has been jailed after he was caught with indecent images of children for the second time.

Alasdair Rae, 22, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted having of scores of images and videos of children on his iPhone when police searched his home.

Some of the children featured in the indecent material were as young as six.

Rae, a registered sex offender, was handed a community payback order in 2021 after he was found with more than 30 hours of sick sexual videos featuring children between the ages of two and 15.

Alasdair Rae had indecent content on iPhone

Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told the court that on July 12 last year police were alerted by the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit that Rae was in possession of indecent images and videos.

A Snapchat account linked to him had uploaded content to the internet, she said.

On August 9, police attended Rae’s home with a warrant and a search of the property was carried out.

“A number of devices were found, which the accused confirmed all belonged to him,” Ms Simpson added.

“Cybercrime officers attended and carried out preview examinations on the devices found at the locus that indicated the accused had indecent images and videos of children on his iPhone.”

Officers found 12 Category A images and seven Category A videos, 30 Category B images and eight Category B videos and 57 Category C images and two Category C videos on his phone.

The images and videos featured both boys and girls aged between six and 14 years old.

The videos found had a total playtime of five hours and 23 minutes.

Rae pleaded guilty to one charge of downloading indecent images of children and a second charge of being in possession of indecent images.

‘Attitude’ has been poor

Defence solicitor David Sutherland told the court that his client has previous convictions for similar offences dating back to June 2021.

He added that he accepted that there were concerns highlighted about his client’s “lack of candour” regarding his offences within the social work report.

“The options today are that either Mr Rae goes to prison or he’s given a further chance to carry out community-based work,” Mr Sutherland said.

“It would be required to be a lengthy order but hopefully that would lead to a reduction in further offending.”

But Sheriff Graham Buchanan noted Rae’s previous record for offending and the fact that his “attitude” towards his existing order “has been poor”.

“I take the view that the only appropriate disposal is a period of imprisonment,” he added.

Sheriff Buchanan sentenced Rae, of Farquhar Road, Aberdeen, to eight months in prison.

He also placed Rae on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

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A child sex offender was found trying to find a secret phone that he had not told the police about - the third time he has been caught breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Paul Evans has been required to log any mobile he owns with police after being convicted of attempting to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex following online grooming. But an unannounced visit by police to the hotel where he was living uncovered a secret phone. Swansea Crown Court heard the 55-year-old has been assessed as posing an on-going risk of reoffending.

Brian Simpson, prosecuting, said in on July 28 this year police officers went to Evans' room in the Ambassador Hotel in Neath town centre after receiving information that the defendant may be in possession of a phone. The officers knocked on the door and the defendant answered "in a state of undress" having apparently just go out of bed. Evans asked for time to dress but officers became suspicious of the time he was taking and entered the room - they found him trying to hide a mobile phone under his pillow. The court heard the phone was being used to carry out a video call with a woman.

The prosecutor said the phone had not been notified to the police, and Evans was arrested on suspicion of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). The SHPO was imposed in 2018 after the defendant was convicted of sending hundreds of explicit messages to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl and leaving sexual voicemails on her phone before turning up to an arranged meeting. In fact Evans had been communicating with a "decoy" account being run be so-called paedophile hunters, and he was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison. However, just a matter of months after being released on licence from prison from that sentence he acquired a Motorola G7 smartphone which he kept hidden from the police. On that occasion his offending was spotted by eagle-eyed staff at a Job Centre who contacted detectives, and he was subsequently sentenced to eight months in prison for breaching the SHPO.

The court heard Evans breached the SHPO again in October 2021 when he once again contacted a social media profile that purported to be that of a 12-year-old girl but which was in reality a decoy account. The pair's conversation moved to the WhatsApp messaging service where, despite being repeatedly reminded of the girl's supposed age, Evans talked about sexually explicit matters, told the girl he loved her, asked her for sex, and invited her for "sleep-overs" at his house. The pair arranged to meet at the McDonald's restaurant in Baglan on the evening of November 13 and when the father-of-two turned up at the allotted time he was met by members of the paedophile hunter group who then called the police. Evans was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison with the judge noting it was "unfortunate" that the Crown Prosecution Service had made an error in charging Evans, an error that meant he could not consider imposing an extended sentence on Evans.

Paul Evans, formerly of Kennel Row, Briton Ferry, Neath, but now of The Parade, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a SHPO when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Giles Hayes, for Evans, said after being released from his last prison sentence in April this year the defendant had been housed in the Ambassador Hotel. He said Evans had formed a relationship with a woman and had been using the phone to contact her rather than for "sinister purposes".

Judge Catherine Richards told Evans he had committed a deliberate breach of the court order and, given his previous convictions and the assessment of probation staff, it was clear he posed a high risk of causing very serious harm and there was no alternative to immediate custody. The judge said that the appropriate sentence after trial on the guidelines was one of 30 months in prison - with a one-third discount for his guilty plea Evans was sentenced to 20 months. The defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

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A serial voyeur caught filming hundreds of men using public toilets has walked free from court after being given 'a last chance'.

Adrian Grace, from Salford, has a 'string' of previous convictions for the same offence and had been issued an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) 10 years ago following one of his voyeurism convictions.

However Manchester Crown Court heard the 54-year-old carried on regardless as he 'could not control himself'. He was caught with hundreds of videos on his phone he had recorded in public toilets.

Prosecuting, Tobias Collins described Grace as a 'known sex offender' who 'takes pictures and videos of men using the toilet without their consent'. His latest conviction follows an incident that unfolded last December 8 at Manchester Airport.

Mr Collins said Grace entered the toilets at Terminal 2 arrivals at around 11am that day with two mobile phones.

The court heard Grace positioned himself in a cubicle, waited for someone to arrive in one of the next cubicles, before placing his phone underneath the dividing wall to record his victims, the Manchester Evening News reports.

One of his victims noticed the phone and asked Grace 'are you taking pictures of me?', to which Grace replied 'no I'm not', Mr Collins said. The court heard Grace moved into a different cubicle while his victim 'searched the immediate surroundings' in a bid to find the offender.

After being unable to find Grace, the victim contacted the police, who arrested Grace at the scene and confiscated his phones. Mr Collins said officers examined the phones for evidence before finding 'hundreds of videos taken by the defendant in public places', dating between January 2019 and the day of his arrest.

Grace was arrested again at Manchester Airport on May 15 this year, at around 7.10am, for a further offence of voyeurism carried out while on bail. Mr Collins said the defendant admitted his offences to police. He said: "[Grace] explained he had gotten drunk on the evening of December 7 with a friend. He carried on drinking and was not sure how he got to the airport."

The court heard Grace told police he carried out the offences 'for his own sexual gratification' and that he 'knew what he was doing was wrong'. Mr Collins told the court Grace 'felt disgusted by himself' and that he 'could not control himself'. "This was for his own gratification and he watched the videos afterwards," he said. Mr Collins said that of the videos found on Grace's phone, 'hundreds' were shot at Manchester Airport, while a small number were filmed on trips to Romania and Belgium.

A statement from one of Grace's victims, read by Mr Collins, said: "I will now feel nervous and have to check the toilets every time I use them. I will be very wary from now on. I don't know who this person is." The victim added: "It's very disturbing that this person could have intimate photos of me which he has no right to have."

Grace admitted three offences of voyeurism at Manchester Magistrates Court on May 16, dating between January 23, 2019, and May 15 this year, before his case was moved to Manchester Crown Court. The court heard Grace had eight previous convictions following 14 offences. They included two voyeurism convictions in 2007, one in October 2013 when he was issued an ASBO related to his behaviour, and further convictions in November 2014 and May 2018. Mr Collins said 'all these cases' involved Grace entering public bathrooms and recording people.

Reflecting on Grace's criminal past, defence counsel Hannah Forsyth told His Honour Judge Field KC: "The defendant could have no complaint if your honour were minded to sentence him to custody." She explained how her client had sought counselling and psychotherapy since being released on bail at a previous court appearance, while he works two jobs and volunteers at a soup kitchen. She also handed Judge Field KC a handwritten letter from her client, which he read silently in court. The judge admitted Grace's latest offending followed 'a string of previous convictions for the same offence' and breached his ASBO.

He described Grace, of Fram Street, Salford, as a voyeur who 'does not appear to respect the privacy of fellow human beings' and someone who 'does not appear to understand the seriousness of court orders'. But the judge praised the 'positive steps' Grace had been taking since his previous court appearance, and suggested there was a 'reasonable prospect of rehabilitation' for him.

Grace, wearing a grey suit with red tie and his short hair spiked up, wept as he told the judge 'thank you' after being told he would not be going to prison today. Judge Field KC told the court there were '400 videos on the phone' and reflecting on Grace's previous convictions, he said: "There are far too many of them." "This must be regarded as your last chance," said Judge Field KC. "All of the offences that you committed were in some way using a mobile telephone to take pictures and videos of men using public toilets, all for your own gratification."

The judge added: "I have to have regard to the fact that since I released you on bail you have taken positive steps to address your offensive behaviour because, quite frankly Mr Grace, it has got to stop - and it has got to stop here." Grace replied: "I know, your honour." Judge Field KC continued: "I hope you do, because I repeat: this is your last chance." He issued Grace with a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Grace must also attend an accredited programme for sex offenders and 30 rehabilitation days. He will sign the sex offenders' register for seven years and was issued a new sexual harm prevention order banning him from airports, except for pre-arranged travel, and with restrictions on being able to use devices.

Grace was also ordered to pay costs of £510 and required to be monitored for alcohol abstinence for 60 days. As he told Grace he was free to leave, Judge Field KC said: "I sincerely hope that we never meet again, at least not in these circumstances."

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A “depraved” paedophile has been locked up after years of his child sex offending were uncovered.

Thomas Hawkwood, 69, was responsible for the rape and indecent assault of a child dating back to the 1990s.

He was arrested in November 2020 as part of an investigation by the Medway Vulnerability Investigation Team but denied any wrong doing.

Hawkwood, of Wrotham Road, Gravesend, was later charged with inciting a child into sexual activity, rape and indecent assault.

A trial took place at Woolwich Crown Court earlier this month where it was heard he had harassed his victim with threats of violence and abused them.

He was found guilty by a jury on eight charges.

On Monday he was sentenced to 14 years in prison and put on the sex offenders register.

‘He terrorised a vulnerable child with threats of violence...’

Luke Grimmett, who led the case against the sex offender, said: “Hawkwood is a depraved and intimidating individual who has shown no remorse for his appalling actions. He terrorised a vulnerable child with threats of violence and subjected them to the most abhorrent abuse.

“Offenders like Hawkwood wreak incalculable damage upon their victims and it is sometimes extremely hard for them to come forward and report what they have experienced to the police.

“In this case, the victim has thankfully found tremendous courage to provide evidence and ensure Hawkwood has now faced justice.

“I do hope this sentence reassures the public that we will do everything we can to put offenders behind bars and support survivors as much as we can.

“It is never too late to report any sexual offence, you will be supported by specially trained officers throughout the process, and we always treat any information with the utmost confidence and sensitivity.”

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A child rapist has been jailed for 15 years after he was convicted of sex assaults on children under the age of 13-years-old. He was also convicted of sexual assaults by penetration and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Daniel Atkins, 33, of Bridgend, committed the most recent of his offence in 2022 but investigations into those crimes revealed the abuse had been ongoing for six years.

A report was made to police and the defendant was arrested on May 7 last year. Atkins, of Clos Chwarel, Wildmill, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday and received a sentence of 15 years imprisonment and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Following the hearing, detective constable Leah Fox said: “I want to pay tribute to the extreme bravery of the victims during the investigation. Their courage in reporting this sickening abuse to the police resulted in the conviction and lengthy sentence for Atkins.

“We also encourage any other complainants to come forward and report offences that may have been committed against them.

“Violence against women and girls is one of South Wales Police’s main priorities and this investigation highlights our commitment to securing convictions for such offences.”

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A man has been jailed for four years and three months after being convicted of a sexual offence in Edinburgh.

Antonio Pollio, 24, pleaded guilty to the offence involving a young female at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, 21 August, 2023.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 28 September.

Detective Inspector Mhairi Cooper said: Antonio Pollio is a dangerous man who manipulated and coerced a young female. He will now face the consequences of his actions.

"We treat all reports of sexual crime seriously and I would urge anyone who has been a victim to come forward, no matter how much time has passed, and report it to police.

"Be assured, we will fully investigate and you will be supported by police and our partner agencies.

Description

A former school caretaker who targeted seven children in a 20-year campaign of sexual abuse has been jailed for life and warned he may never be set free again.

John Lyon, 50, sat hunched over on a videolink to the Old Bailey on Friday as he was sentenced for the rape and abuse of a girl which started when she was just 11-years-old.

It was the third time Lyon had been hauled before a court to be sentenced, and comes 10 years after he was first sent to prison.

Imposing a life sentence with a 15-year minimum term, Judge Brian Cummings KC said Lyon’s offending “amounts to a campaign on your behalf of extremely serious child sexual offending, committed over a period of nearly 20 years.

It involves seven young children”, he said, adding: “The question of whether you may be released is a question to be decided by the parole board, and there’s absolutely no guarantee you will ever be released from prison.”

Lyon previously worked as a caretaker for twelve years at St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School in Churchbury Lane, Enfield.

The Old Bailey heard Lyon was first jailed in 2013 over the sexual abuse of children aged six and seven, where he “used his position as a caretaker” to commit offences.

He was handed a 12-year prison sentence, and in 2021 he was back before the courts for the sexual abuse of four more children, including one aged just four-years-old.

He was then sentenced to an 11-year prison term, and his seventh victim then came forward to police to reveal abuse she suffered in the early 2000s.

Prosecutor Tim Starkey said the girl was 11-years-old when the abuse started, and by the time she was 13 Lyon had started raping her.

She said she lost count of the number of times she was raped”, he said.

Lyon first groped the girl during the pretext of a game of hide and seek, and she recalled to police how he had once taken her to a cabin in a forest for sex.

“She described being scared and said the defendant knew she was scared”, said Mr Starkey.

She described the cabin as “horrible, muddy, damp, and dirty”.

The victim sat in court for the sentencing hearing, and said in an impact statement: “He groomed me to be able to exploit me for his own selfish, repulsive urges.”

The court heard a report in 2021 found Lyon – after more than seven years in prison – continued to pose a risk of sexual offending.

“He can’t acknowledge any sexual attraction to female children and blamed substance misuse”, it said.

Lyon pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and seven counts of indecent assault.

Detective Constable Andri Andreou of the North Area Command Unit who led the investigation said: “There is no doubt John Lyon is a dangerous sexual predator who will always pose a significant risk to children. The safest option for all is that he spends years of his life in prison.

“The trauma he has caused this victim is so significant that some 20 years on she is still dealing with the aftermath of his actions and the damage he has caused.