Latest Offenders

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A sexual opportunist took advantage of a teenage woman’s drunken condition to rape her in her own home, a court heard.

Robert James Barnett, a “virtual stranger” to everyone at a house party at his victim’s home, had been drinking vodka in the kitchen until the other guests had either left or fallen asleep, before he struck.

He then dragged the woman up the stairs, stripped her naked in her bedroom and was in the act of raping her when she came around.

Durham Crown Court heard that although she protested and urged him to stop, he took hold of her firmly around her throat, squeezed her neck, then grabbed her breasts and continued with the rape.

When he did stop, the victim quickly dressed into her pyjamas, ran from the house and sought sanctuary at a relative’s home nearby.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the defendant followed her and tried to get into the house, with the victim so scared he may gain entry that she hid in a child’s bedroom.

Police were called and were soon in attendance, arresting Barnett, who struggled as he was being detained.

Mr Cleasby said Barnett claimed he had only taken the woman up to her bed to assist due to her condition but he made no comment when asked further questions.

The, now, 58-year-old defendant denied charges of rape and sexual assault, maintaining his “Good Samaritan” defence during his trial earlier this month.

But he was found guilty on both counts and was remanded in custody, pending his sentencing hearing on Friday (May 19).

The court was read parts of the impact statement of the victim who said she moved home in the wake of the attack as she could no longer bear to live there.

She also left her job in that area and moved to a different location.

The victim stated that she found the court process difficult as she inadvertently came face-to-face with the defendant during the trial.

Mr Cleasby said that should not have happened, but it had clearly upset the victim.

He told the court there must have been some planning by the defendant, as he remained at the victim’s home for five hours until others had either left or gone to sleep, before taking her upstairs.

Chris Morrison, in mitigation, said despite there being two charges, both arose as part of the same incident.

He disputed that there was any great degree of planning, claiming it was, “more opportunist than planned”.

Mr Morrison said: “He’s a 58-year-old man, with no history of this type of offending.

“He finds himself in prison, is in poor health and with a lengthy history of poor mental health.”

Mr Morrison said the defendant has struggled in the prison environment, where he is on medication for anxiety and depression, while he is also a type-two diabetic, all of which, “has taken a toll on him.”

Judge James Adkin told Barnett he attended the woman’s house “uninvited”, a man in his mid-50s, at the time, among a gathering of mostly teenagers.

He said the defendant’s claim during his trial that he merely fell on the woman was clearly not believed by the jury.

“You were a trespasser in her home, never invited to the party, and you choked her while you raped her.

“Despite her obvious upset, you continued to rape her.

“In my view there was significant planning.

“My judgement is that when the party died down, you thought you would take your chance and dragged her upstairs and raped her.”

Judge Adkin imposed a 12-year prison sentence, of which the defendant must serve two-thirds before being released on licence.

He made the defendant, of Gore Hill Estate, Thornley, County Durham, subject of registration as a sex offender for life.

Judge Adkin also put in place a lifetime restraining order, prohibiting Barnett from contacting or approaching the rape victim.

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A SEX attacker broke into a woman's home through an attic before tying her to a chair and trying to rape her at knifepoint.

Karan Pullock, 37, was described as "truly dangerous" individual after attacking the victim at her home in Hackney, London.

Pullock had entered the victim’s flat through an attic on June 30 last year, a court heard.

Once the victim returned home later that day, she noticed the blinds had been drawn and her dog was unusually quiet.

Pullock then emerged from a darkened room armed with a knife and grabbed the woman.

She bravely tried to fight him off, but he overpowered her before holding a knife to her throat.

The sick offender then threatened to kill her as she continued to scream in fear.

Pullock then took the frightened victim into her bedroom, where he tied her to a chair and demanded money.

He began to cut the victim’s clothes off before sexually assaulting her and attempting to rape her.

Shortly after, Pullock called the Met Police and confessed to the incident with cops rushing to the scene to arrest him shortly after.

Pullock, of Hackney, East London, has been jailed for 12 years and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

He pleaded guilty on January 18 to attempted robbery, attempted rape, sexual assault and threats to kill.

The victim said: “There are days where I struggle to get out of bed. Not recognising the person I once was. I wonder what the point is, where I no longer have the confidence to live like I used to.

"To live in a city like London and constantly be in fear feels hopeless.

“I’m a grown woman who is now scared of the dark. I feel embarrassed trying to make plans to see friends, or client meetings and having to work around this.

"In the winter months, it makes this basically impossible."

Detective Sergeant Matthew Cooksey said: “Pullock is a truly dangerous individual who planned a terrifying attack on the victim for no reason other than his own gratification.

"I am glad that he pleaded guilty and spared the victim from having to relive the experience at court.

"He will now spend a significant period behind bars. We are working hard to prevent violence against women and girls and we will continue to remove these dangerous offenders from the streets of London.”

Description

A convicted sex offender has been jailed after staying at the home of a young mother without telling her about his previous convictions.

David Spencer was made subject of sex offender registration for life when he was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for seven years for sexual offences with girls, in February 2013.

Following his release from custody, the 36-year-old was required to notify police where he was living, what social media accounts he was using, and register his banking details.

Teesside Crown Court heard how concerns were raised after he failed to return to his accommodation for several nights and he was eventually located stating at the 18-year-old’s home.

Annelise Haugstad, prosecuting, said: “In August 2022 he was living in supported housing and on a number of occasions he was reported as missing.

“The police were made aware he was missing for several nights and it was discovered that he was staying at the home address of an 18-year-old and her young son.

“He failed to register that address or that he had stayed there seven nights in a row. The woman had not been made aware of his previous offences.”

The court heard how Spencer also used his step-father’s name on a snapchat account, again without notifying the authorities.

Miss Haugstad said the defendant was also in possession of two unregistered mobile phones and a bank card.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was shocked to learn about his previous convictions after she was introduced to him by a friend from a mother and toddlers’ group.

She added: “I didn’t know anything about his past but if I had, I wouldn’t have had anything to do with him.”

Spencer, formerly of Fencehouses, near Houghton-le-Spring, but whose most recent address was given as care/of a charity-run men’s hostel, in Plawsworth, near Chester-le-Street, admitted eight charges of failing to comply with the terms of his notification requirements between July 18 and October 12 last year.

Victoria Lamballe, mitigating, said her client had made good use of his time on remand to take part in a number of courses.

Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, sentenced Spencer to 12 months in custody but told him he would be soon released as he had spent seven months on remand.

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A 72-year-old man has been jailed after being found guilty of repeatedly sexually abusing a child.

Michael Peter Wilson, from the Kirk Sandall area of Doncaster, attacked the girl on a number of occasions while she was under the age of 13.

She eventually reported the abuse to police.

Wilson was convicted of rape, sexual assault of a child, sexual activity with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced to 21 years in prison following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Det Con Rachael Ellis, South Yorkshire Police, praised the victim's "courage".

She said: "She has been so incredibly brave over the course of our investigation, sharing with us and the court the shocking and horrific details of Wilsons abuse.

"She recalled how he would groom her with treats in a bid to further his manipulation and control over her, a young child, as well as telling her how to behave in order to keep his sick crimes hidden from others.

"Wilson has shown absolutely no remorse for the harm he has caused, refusing to acknowledge his exploitative sexual offending. While I am pleased he has received a significant custodial sentence for his crimes and will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, it does not diminish the damage he caused to an innocent child.

Description

An ageing music teacher masturbated during online lessons he would provide for children, and then used advance computer software to superimpose pupils’ heads into sexual scenes.

Warped 70-year-old Paul Moxon taught freelance lessons from his home in the Wakefield area using the meeting platform, Zoom. But he was caught out when a horrified pupil noticed he had taken his trousers down during one of her lessons.

She then caught sight of him performing a sex act on himself. The youngster suspected he had done it before but had previously covered his genitals with the musical instrument he was teaching, prosecutor Gerald Hendron told Leeds Crown Court.

The girl told her parents and the police were called. Moxon was arrested and internet devices and hard drives seized. They found more 1,000 illegal indecent images made up of Category A – the most serious – and Category B. But even more disturbingly, they found recordings of online lessons with pupils, from which Moxon then superimposed still images of the youngsters into sexual scenes involving himself. He even put audio of the victims’ speaking during lessons into the vile scenes.

Mr Hendron suggested that pupils were coerced into saying certain words that could be construed as sexually suggestive, in order for him to place them into his sick videos and fuel his sexual gratification. It was eventually found that there were several other victims.

The court heard that he had masturbated in front of the victims on multiple occasions. He was not affiliated to teaching at any schools in the area.

Moxon, of Wakefield Road, Normanton, gave no comments during two police interviews. He later admitted eight counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and two of making indecent images.

He has no previous convictions, but his defence barrister Satpal Roth-Sharma said that he has accepted he had thrown away his long and distinguished career as a music tutor.

She said: “These are serious offences and he was a teacher in a position of trust which he wholly abused. He has had a shining career and one has to wonder what has triggered this. He has no previous convictions, he has never even had a speeding ticket in his life.

"Regrettably, his sexual behaviour has led to this, and he does not seek to avoid accepting that. He has become separated from his family and loneliness has played a part.”

The judge, Recorder David Gordon told Moxon: “This is extremely serious sexual offending, this was an abuse of trust. You were trusted by the parents of these children to help teach them music.”

He said of the superimposed images: “You are somebody with computer skills who manipulated those images for your own sexual gratification.”

He jailed him for three years and gave him a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) designed to monitor his internet use and ban him from contact with children. The order will last for life, while he will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Moxon is also barred from ever teaching young people again.

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A sex offender on a suspended sentence went back to his "old ways" and had indecent images on the Kik app. Sion Wyn Thomas, 43, messaged a man with supposedly similar interests but that man was an undercover Metropolitan Police officer.

Police also found small-sized women's clothes and underwear in his car. Caernarfon Crown Court heard Thomas, of Orme Road, Bangor, had been given a 12-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, for distributing indecent images of young children, and was also given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, in December 2021.

He completed the requirements but his attitude was "superficial", according to the probation service.

Earlier this year, a Metropolitan Police officer investigating the sexual abuse of young children online created various Messenger accounts, including one on the Kik app, said prosecutor Elen Owen.

She said people with shared interests could join a group, which could have up to 50 members or more.

Ms Owen said that on April 18 this year the police officer using a certain profile name was contacted by someone using the "John Smith" profile, who said he was a 39-year-old man. It was Sion Wyn Thomas.

Ms Owen said after exchanges between them and further enquiries North Wales Police decided to go to Thomas's home. They searched his property and his car and found "small-sized women's clothing and underwear" in the vehicle.

Police also seized his phone and tablet and found 15 images of naked girls, images of girls aged between eight and 12 and chats about the sexual abuse of young girls. It was however unclear whether Thomas himself had contributed to those conversations, said Ms Owen.

Thomas admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and breaching the terms of a suspended sentence.

Anna Price, defending, said Thomas can't explain his behaviour. It was towards the end of the suspension of his sentence from 2021.

He did comply with the rehabilitation activity and alcohol treatment treatment requirement programme from that sentence, she added.

But the court heard today the probation service deemed his attendance at meetings "superficial".

Indeed the judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands told Thomas today the terms of his SHPO prohibited him from using social media without strict controls but he went onto Kik.

He had shown "unnatural and extremely worrying behaviour".

The judge added: "It shows you have learned absolutely nothing from your time on the suspended sentence." His non-compliance with the SHPO showed he was "seeking to revert to (his) old ways".

He said there was no prospect of rehabilitation and jailed Thomas for ten months for breaching the SHPO and six months to run consecutively for breaching the terms of a suspended sentence.

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A CORNWALL man has been sentenced for a string of sex offences including attempted sexual communication with a child and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Lee Sharp, aged 39, formerly of Liskeard, has been jailed for a total of six sex offences after appearing at Truro Crown Court on Wednesday, May 10.

Sharp was sentenced on one count of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, one count of attempted sexual communication with a child, one count of incitement to view sexual material, and three counts of making indecent images of children.

The offences took place over the course of two years, between September 2020 and November 2022. 

Sharp pleaded guilty to all of the offences.

During his sentencing, Sharp was handed down a sentence of 52 months imprisonment and made to pay a victim surcharge.

According to the Sentencing Council, the maximum sentence for sexual communication with a child ranges is two years custody, with the maximum sentence for breaching a sexual harm prevention order being five years custody. 

The maximum sentence for the possession of indecent images of children is five years custody.

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A sex offender has been convicted after he failed to notify police of his travel plans.

As a condition of his sexual harm prevention order, Gary Ahearne, a registered sex offender, was required to tell police about his whereabouts.

But on May 17 last year Ahearne travelled from Luton Airport to Poland but failed to notify police of his intended travel.

The 43-year-old, of no fixed address, was subsequently charged with failure to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

He pleaded guilty to the offence and at Lewes Crown Court on May 14, he was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.

PC Mat Wyatt said: “These conditions are put in place for a reason. They are designed to protect the public from harm and to prevent those individuals subject to the conditions from further offending.

“This case should serve as a reminder that these are extremely serious offences which should not be taken lightly.”

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A dangerous Keighley sex offender has been been given a life sentence by a judge after it was discovered he was sexually abusing children.

Judge Andrew Hatton said Jonathon Warren, 33, would have to serve a minimum term of six years and eight months and would be on licence for the rest of his life after being given permission to be released by the Parole Board.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Friday that Warren was locked up for eight years when he was still a teenager in 2005 for previous sexual offending including the rape of a boy. In November last year Warren, who had been the subject of a life-long sexual offences prevention order, admitted a series of sexual abuse charges relating to two young girls who must not be identified for legal reasons.

He was arrested last October after police received information that he had been involved in the distribution of indecent images. Officers seized Warren's devices and discovered 2,086 indecent images of children. Among the images and videos were ones which showed him committing sexual acts on the two complainants, who were nine and 12-years-old at the time.

Warren admitted offences relating to his sexual abuse of the two girls and possession and distribution of indecent images and videos He also admitted assaulting an emergency worker. His barrister Abdul Shakoor said Warren himself had acknowledged that his offending was “heinous”.

Jailing him for life Judge Hatton said he was satisfied that Warren posed a significant risk of causing serious harm. He told Warren, who appeared in court via a video link from HMP Leeds: “I am also sure that that is a risk that is likely to carry on long into the future and I am satisfied that your offending is so serious that a sentence of life imprisonment is required and that’s the sentence that I impose."

The judge also made Warren subject to a new lifelong sexual harm prevention order. Detective Constable Adam Flaxington said: "I am particularly pleased that the judge has today recognised the abhorrent offending of Warren against two vulnerable girls. This sends a clear message to offenders committing these sorts of offences and I am delighted that his victims will now have justice.

"The lengths that Warren went to try and avoid detection and arrest signifies he knew he was looking at a significant sentence when caught. I would also like to thank the Digital Forensic Unit and all their work on the case. Our close work with them has again brought a positive result."

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A child rapist brought to justice for sexually abusing a young girl in the 1980s has been jailed for 15 years.

Joseph Fay, 66, subjected his young victim to repeated sexual assaults in the 1980s  - against a background of bullying violence.

Prosecuting, Charles Ward-Jackson told Oxford Crown Court that in her interviews with the police the victim described being beaten with a belt and had her head held underwater.

“There appeared to be a suggestion some of that was being done because she was not complying with his sexual demands,” said Mr Ward-Jackson, conceding that he had not been the prosecutor during the trial and was standing in for his absent colleague on Friday (May 19).

Judge Maria Lamb, who oversaw the trial, said she would treat the violence as an aggravating feature of the offending, as it was ‘very much part of the background’ to what Fay did.

Fay, of Blay Close, Blackbird Leys, was convicted by a jury in March of rape and indecent assault. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a count of indecency with a child.

Although he had previous convictions, they were for dissimilar offences of violence and theft – and were relatively old.

His barrister, Jane Carpenter, asked the judge to bear in mind that the defendant suffered from poor health. Since his remand into custody 10 weeks earlier, he had struggled to get important heart medication.

On one occasion he had been left without his medication for several days, while on another he was told to take aspirin as an alternative to his prescribed drugs.

Ms Carpenter said: “I urge you not to give such a long sentence that he would have no realistic prospect of seeing life outside prison in his lifetime.”

Judge Lamb imposed 15 years’ imprisonment. Fay will also be subject to an extended year on licence as a ‘sex offender of particular concern’, having been convicted of the sexual offences against the child.

Welcoming the sentence, Thames Valley Police investigator Karen Zoldan said: “The victim in this case has had to endure many months of waiting, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing a backlog of cases.

“But she wanted her voice to be heard and we were determined to bring Fay before the courts to be held accountable for his horrendous offending.

“The impact that this abuse has had on the victim has shaped her life and had a massive impact on her.”

She added: “I would like to pay tribute to her for her patience and for putting her trust in us to bring Fay to court.

“He will now serve a very lengthy prison sentence as a result of his actions, and I hope that this will help the victim to move on with her life.”

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A sex offender who poses a “significant” future risk, even at the age of 71, has been jailed for abusing both a child and a woman in her 30s on the same day.

The judge passing sentence on John Ridley told him he appears to have “no sexual boundaries” and seems to hold the belief he can do what he wants, “without facing any consequences”.

Ridley, of South View Terrace, Chilton Moor, near Houghton-le-Spring, admitted sexual assault of a female and of a girl, when he appeared before magistrates earlier this year.

He failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing at Durham Crown Court, last month, but later surrendered himself, blaming a car break down.

The sentencing hearing was rearranged for yesterday (Thursday May 18), when the court was told the defendant served a 15-year sentence, imposed at Newcastle Crown Court, for rape and indecent assault on children, in 2008.

Ian West, prosecuting, said, on his release, despite being on the sex offenders’ register for life, he did not inform those he lived among of his past conviction.

The court heard the latest offences were committed when he indecently assaulted a girl lying in her bed, while telling her to remain quiet, and later carried out a similar offence on a woman in her own home, despite, in both cases, being urged to “stop”.

Police were called and he was arrested the following day, admitting the assault on the woman, but, initially, not the offence involving the child.

Mr West said there were, “disturbing aspects” to the offences, as he had told acquaintances that he “fancied” the woman involved in the offence and that he wanted to get her partner, “off the scene”.

The woman was to tell police she knew nothing of the defendant’s past offending history.

In her victim statement she said she has since been diagnosed as suffering with anxiety and depression, having experienced flashbacks and nightmares following the offence, after which she cut herself off from friends and family.

She said she also now finds it unnerving being around men, even those she has known for a long time.

Katie Spence, in mitigation, urged the court not to punish her client again for his past offending, for which he served, “a significant” sentence.

She told the court that following his release from that past long sentence he has, “led a fairly lonely life”, and moved to a new area with limited friendships which she described as, entirely, “innocent”.

“But on (that day) he said he didn’t know what happened, but knows it was entirely his fault, and he knows the only way to prevent him offending is if he just stops.

“He fully accepts the need to address his behaviour.”

Miss Spence said the defendant hoped, through her, to seek a suspended prison sentence, despite the aggravating factor of his previous offending.

But Judge James Adkin told Miss Spence taking such a course would be, “unduly lenient”.

Passing sentence, he told Ridley: “You are 71 and have been sent here for sexual misconduct with two people.

“A feature of your offending is your sense of sexual entitlement.

“You don’t appear to have sexual boundaries and you appear to do what you want to do and not face any consequences.

“The probation report states that you do pose a significant risk to the public of serious harm, and I agree with that.”

Judge Adkin made Ridley subject of a total 36-month extended determinate sentence, of which he must serve at least two-thirds before becoming eligible for release by the Parole Board.

But at the end of the 36-month custodial period Ridley will remain subject to the scrutiny of licence conditions for a further two years.

The judge also made Ridley subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, registration as a sex offender, and restraining orders relating to his two latest victims, all for life.

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A former football coach from Dunfermline has been convicted of sexually assaulting young boys who he had befriended while running a soccer academy in the Highlands.

Mark McAuley, 33, of Pitdinnie Place, broke down in tears when he was found guilty after a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court and told he's facing a prison sentence. 

The former Celtic youth coach, who also worked with Alloa Athletic, was convicted of two charges of sexually assaulting a child, two charges of directing sexual verbal communications to children and of engaging in sexual activity with or towards a child.

The sexual offences were committed between June 2016 and April 2019 and took place in properties in Dunfermline, Tain in Easter Ross, Edinburgh and a car on the A9.

A jury took two hours and fifteen minutes to return majority verdicts on all five remaining charges.

McAuley broke down when he heard he had been found guilty. Family and friends in the public gallery also sobbed as his bail was continued by Sheriff Elidh Macdonald.

The sheriff told him: "The court will be considering a custodial sentence."

She ordered him to co-operate with a social background report and a sex offender's programme assessment. He will return to Inverness Sheriff Court on July 4 for sentence.

McAuley had worked for Celtic's international academy for around a year after setting up his own football coaching enterprise, the Do Soccer group, in Tain.

The court heard that he would prey on boys with vulnerabilities.

Two of the youngsters were from broken homes, he took them on trips and for meals and would then molest them outwith the presence of other adults. McAuley also shared a bed with his victims.

One boy told how the coach would take off some of his clothes, grab his penis after pushing up his shorts and massage his thighs while they shared his bed in a cottage near Tain.

Another boy said McAuley also massaged his thighs while in the same bed.

Two more of his players said the coach asked them about their sex lives and spoke graphically about sex acts.

Fiscal depute Susan Love told the jury: "He was in a position of trust and he abused that trust to sexually assault two of his students - his favourites - having installed himself in two families who were going through a hard time."

His defence counsel, Wendy Culross, asked the jury to believe her client that "nothing sinister went on".

She said there had been bad judgement and McAuley told the jury he would do things differently now.

He admitted sleeping in the same bed as the boys because "there was no alternative in my one bedroom cottage" and giving two of them massages "in the sporting context".

He denied there was sexual motivation but the jury didn't believe him. 

McAuley was placed on the sex offenders register and he is now facing a jail sentence.

Description

A SCHOOLGIRL raped by a ‘vile’ predator had her self-worth destroyed and is still picking up the pieces of her life, those close to her have said.

The young girl was assaulted in Totton by delivery driver Denis Kadena.

The attack left her afraid to go outside on her own and has ‘shrunk’ her confidence.

Kadena, 34, was yesterday jailed at Southampton Crown Court for 11 years with a four-year extended licence for his ‘predatory’ attack.

Kadena raped the victim in the back of his van after taking her to a ‘secluded area’, in what has been described as a ‘horrific ordeal.’

In a statement read out in court, the victim said she is ‘so scared’ she will be attacked again.

She said: “Some days I just want to crawl under a table and hide. He took something special from me.

“I am slowly starting to build myself back up. Now I am hoping I can put this behind me and try to get better.”

In a separate statement, a person close to the girl said: “She now has a long road ahead of her in order to build her confidence.

“I don’t know how to express my feelings for what she is going through for something she did not deserve.”

Another described her as ‘a frightened little girl.’

They said: “She relies very heavily on her phone to make her feel safe.

“She never manages to be out on her own for more than 10 minutes.”

Kadena’s ‘heinous actions’ were subject to a ‘robust’ investigation by Hampshire Constabulary.

Detective Constable Marie Leather said "vile" Kadena was caught by a details police investigation that brought him to justice for his "heinous actions".

She said: “It resulted in allowing us to bring this vile crime to the forefront of the criminal justice system via the courts.”

She said extensive lines of enquiry were carried out by the force’s investigations teams. Jurors were told that Kadena lied and lied throughout.

Officers collected witness statements, underwent house-to-house enquiries, and carried out extensive CCTV scoping.

This included gathering ‘vast quantities’ of Ring doorbell footage from residents and businesses.

DC Leather said: “A stranger rape is an unusual and uncommon occurrence across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight; however, we understand that rape and other sexual offences are one of the most devastating crimes a person can survive and that’s why we prioritise it.

“We take these reports very seriously – exploring all relevant lines of enquiry and ensuring that we gather sufficient evidence promptly in order to aid our investigations.

“On this occasion, there were challenges around sourcing all relevant CCTV footage, however, we persevered and obtained appropriate footage as part of our investigation.”

She added: “The victim is a young girl who has experienced a horrific ordeal at the hands of Kadena and she has been incredibly brave and shown great courage in supporting a prosecution which has led us to Kadena being imprisoned for a significant period of time.”

The victim has been commended for her bravery in reporting the incident to police.

Detective Inspector Claire Shawley said: “If it wasn’t for her bravery, then we would not have been in a position to achieve the result that we have.

“Kadena would still be out on the streets as a risk to others.

“She has been incredibly brave given the trauma she has experienced – especially at such a young age."

Sentencing at court on Thursday, Judge Christopher Parker KC told Kadena: “Your behaviour was opportunistic and there was a predatory element to what you did."

Kadena denied the charges but the court was told he now "takes full responsibility".

Description

A man has admitted abducting a primary school girl while dressed as a woman before sexually assaulting her at his home in the Scottish Borders.

Andrew Miller, who is also known as Amy George, offered to give the girl a lift home in February of this year.

The 53-year-old instead drove her to his own house, took her into a bedroom and refused to let her leave.

He then subjected her to a series of sexual assaults over the course of the next 27 hours.

The High Court in Edinburgh was told the girl was only able to escape from the bedroom after Miller fell asleep on the second night of her ordeal.

She found his landline, dialled 999 and the police arrived within minutes. Miller - a father of three who lived alone - was still sleeping when he was arrested.

Judge Lord Arthurson told Miller that he had admitted "abhorrent crimes" of the utmost "deviance and depravity" and which were "the realisation of every parent's worst nightmare".

The court was told that Miller identifies as transgender and is in the process of transitioning to female. He was not known to his victim before he abducted her.

At the time of his arrest, he was presenting as Amy George but confirmed he wished to be addressed as Andrew Miller using "he" pronouns for simplicity.

The girl later told police she had been unable to get a bus home and so started to walk when she was approached "by a lady in a car" who offered to give her a lift.

She said she had accepted the offer and got into the Jaguar car because she was cold and believed the "lady" to be non-threatening.

Miller instead took her to his own three-bedroom detached bungalow in a residential street in the village of Gattonside, near Melrose, where he placed his arm around her neck and carried her to the main bedroom, where he repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

Miller, who owned a butcher shop in Melrose which had been closed for several months before the abduction, also watched pornography and fetish videos on television, with the girl describing how she had seen "weird" things.

She repeatedly asked to be taken home but Miller refused, saying that he intended to keep her for a week and that she was his new family.

The court heard that it was only by "complete fortune" that the child was able to escape once Miller fell asleep on a bed next to her.

She deliberately knocked a glass off a table and then turned on a light to see if he would wake up.

The girl then managed to escape the bedroom and called 999 from his landline.

The court was told that the girl's "fear and distress was palpable" in the call and her relief at hearing the police arrive at the house was obvious.

Officers found Miller still sleeping and wearing a bra, silicone breasts, female pants and tights.

The girl was taken to a nearby hospital to be medically examined.

Miller told the police he had stopped to "help" the child as she "looked freezing", saying it was a "motherly thing" and that he was being a Good Samaritan and had "put her in bed with me to warm up".

He pleaded guilty to the charges against him at the High Court via videolink and did not appear in person. He was wearing a maroon Scottish Prison Service sweater and had a short crew cut style haircut.

The offences included abduction, sexual assault, possession of 242 indecent images of children and intentionally causing a child under the age of 13 to look at a sexual image.

He will be sentenced on 15 August. The court is considering the imposition of an order for lifelong restriction, which would see Miller held in prison for a set period and only released if the parole board felt it was safe to do so. He also would be monitored for the rest of his life.

Det Ch Insp Bryan Burns said the victim and her family had shown "incredible courage and strength throughout this ordeal".

He added: "This was a significant investigation and I would like to thank all those involved for their professionalism and commitment during what was an extremely challenging inquiry.

"Andrew Miller has pled guilty to serious offending and will now face the consequences of his actions".

Miller is being held in a male prison wing while awaiting sentence in line with new guidelines for trans prisoners who commit sexual offences that were introduced following an outcry over the Isla Bryson case.

Bryson was initially placed in a female prison after being convicted of raping two women while she was known as a man called Adam Graham.

Local anger after Miller's arrest

By Cameron Buttle, BBC Scotland

Even before he appeared in court, the windows of Andrew Miller's butcher shop in Melrose were boarded up. The feeling was it was only as matter of time before someone put a brick through the window, such was the strength of feeling in the town.

Police had raided his home the night before and word had spread quickly. He was a prominent figure in the area, increasingly seen more as Amy George, as he was also known.

His business tended to attract more of the tourists visiting the town, locals generally shopped elsewhere, he was known to be rude and short with customers.

Originally from Jedburgh, Miller lived across the river Tweed from Melrose in Gattonside.

He would sometimes be seen drinking in the bars in Melrose, again more recently as Amy, but mostly drinking alone.

When he appeared at Selkirk Sheriff Court there was a large crowd of locals and national media outside. When he was led away people shouted and jeered, chasing the prison van down the street.

His case was being heard at a time of heightened interest in how the judicial system was treating trans prisoners. But he appeared as Andrew Miller and was treated throughout as Andrew Miller.

People in Melrose want the boards from his shop taken down, the name above painted over. They just want to forget all about Andrew Miller and Amy George.

Description

A paedophile motivated by “sexual power and control”, and a “sexual attraction to children”, is starting a 28-year prison sentence.

Classed as, an offender, “of particular concern” and considered a danger to children, Trevor Cairns must serve at least two-thirds of that sentence, almost 19 years, behind bars before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

But Newcastle Crown Court heard he may have to serve longer and, due to his infirmity, at the age, now, of 66, he may never enjoy his liberty again.

Cairns was convicted of a litany of “horrific” sexual offences against three children, two girls and a boy, spanning a number of decades, beginning when he, himself, was a teenager.

The court heard his offending dates from the late 1960s onwards, but it was only in 2018, when one of his victims came forward after discovering Cairns had been issued with a caution over another allegation of sexual abuse, in 1987, that the full picture of his crimes began to emerge.

When he realised he had not been Cairns' only target, the victim decided to come forward to report the actions of the man who preyed on him when he was a young boy, subjecting him to sexual abuse and raping him in the 1980s.

Cairns, of Barmston, Washington, was brought in for police questioning and gave a statement denying the offences, before being charged with multiple sexual offences.

Detectives then traced two further victims, who had gone on to lead lives away from the North East.

Both gave accounts of the abuse they suffered in their younger lives, at Cairns’ hands, and assisted police in helping to put him behind bars.

Having made blanket denials about all the allegations, it was only several days into his trial, at the court in February, as he was due to try to give evidence in his defence, that he changed pleas and admitted 13 charges.

These included five of rape, four of indecency with a child, three of indecent assault and one of buggery.

Several of the charges related to multiple offences against each of the victims.

Addressing the sentencing hearing today (Thursday May 18) the two female victims tearfully read impact statements to the court.

They variously described Cairns as, “a monster” and “an inhuman creature”, and spoke of the effect his abuse has had on their lives.

The court was told despite his late guilty pleas in mid-trial, he went back on those admissions when was interviewed by the Probation Service, preparing a report for the judge prior to sentence.

But, Cairns’ counsel, Jamie Adams, said he does, now, accept committing those offences.

“What this demonstrates is when somebody commits offences as bad as these it’s almost impossible for them to come to terms with it.

“We often see the denial when someone is guilty and they can’t admit to it or own up to it.

“We hear from the victims that he’s some sort of monster.

“One of the things that prompted the guilty pleas as late in the day as it did was Mr Cairns saying how sorry he felt.

“The whole matter can now be put to an end completely.

“He knows he’s completely alienated everyone in this world from him.

“He accepts he is likely to spend the rest of his life custody.

“There might be something there, though, that is not necessarily evil.

“And, any future risk posed by him is lessened by his infirmity.”

Judge Robert Spragg told Cairns that the probation report author’s belief was that: “You are motivated by sexual power and control and a sexual attraction to children.

“You are now 66, with health issues and in a wheelchair.

“You should never be in a position to harm children again.”

Imposing the sentence of 28 years, with at least two-thirds behind bars, Judge Spragg said upon his release Cairns will be subject to a one-year extension on his licence conditions.

The judge also made him subject to the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, notification requirements as a sex offender and restraining orders relating to each of his three victims, all for life.

Speaking after Cairns’ belated guilty pleas, Detective Constable Colin Ramshaw said: "The bravery shown by all the victims is nothing short of astounding.

“They have waited years for justice. Some have waited decades, but their abuser is now remanded into custody awaiting sentence.

"This has been one of the worst cases of prolific sexual offending I have ever seen.

“I really cannot praise the survivors enough.

“I believe they have given hope to others who have also suffered abuse and are yet to come forward.