Latest Offenders

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A man who gave a young girl wine, asked her to take her clothes off and took pictures of her has been jailed.

Neil Schooley, 55, asked another girl, who was under ten, to undress and pose for photographs. On a different occasion he exposed himself to her. The incidents happened two days apart.

After an investigation was launched, it transpired that Schooley had also taken photos of another girl who he gave wine to.

The pictures were all taken between 2016 and 2018 when one of the girls was under ten and the other was between ten and 13 years old.

Sussex Police Detective Constable Joe Murray said: “Neil Schooley betrayed the trust of his young victims and their families for his own sexual gratification.

“The seriousness of these offences and the harm they have caused was recognised by this sentence, which was the maximum available for these crimes.

“I would like to thank both of these two brave girls for reporting the incidents, supporting our investigation and helping to bring Schooley to justice.”

Following the police investigation, Schooley was arrested and charged with three counts of taking indecent images of a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Schooley, of Woburn Place in Brighton, was found guilty by a jury at Hove Crown Court after denying the offences.

At a sentencing hearing on August 31 he was handed the maximum sentence of eight years in prison and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ register.

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A Derbyshire dad-of-two filmed himself raping a woman as she slept. A trial at Derby Crown Court heard how the victim only realised what David Buckle did when she was told at a later date by the police.

Her 35-year-old attacker denied what he recorded doing was rape meaning she had to relive her ordeal giving evidence at a four-day trial. And in a victim impact statement, the woman said she now feels “worthless and empty”.

Jailing the defendant for eight and a half years, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “Two things are patently obvious in this case, one of which is that whatever you did you did not have her consent because she was asleep. She was absolutely unconscious and one only had to watch the video to see that and that is why the jury was so quick coming back (with a guilty verdict).

“It was a completely emotionless piece of dreadful and humiliating criminal activity, there is no doubt about that, and she had absolutely no idea about it. She said to the jury (giving her evidence) ‘when the police told me he had filmed me I was humiliated’.

“It was abuse and degradation of another person, a complete piece of unemotional sexual behaviour on your part. It was almost methodical. This will be your first custodial sentence and you will get no credit because there was no guilty plea.”

The trial heard how the rape took place at an address in Derbyshire a number of years ago. The jury was told that the victim went to the police and told them she believed she had been raped by the defendant as she slept and an investigation was launched.

During it, footage of the sex attack was discovered and he was arrested and charged. He denied the charge of rape but pleaded guilty to a second charge of voyeurism.

In her victim impact statement, the woman said: “The whole experience has had a devastating impact on my life and I am in a cycle of mental torture. I was taken advantage of in a vulnerable situation and this will stay with me forever. I feel worthless and empty and I don’t feel he has any remorse about what he did. I do not think my life will ever be the same again.”

Will Bennett, mitigating, said: “He has two children who will not see him (while he is behind bars) and that will be extremely difficult for him. There is an obvious sense of shame. There are four members of the family in the public gallery and he will not be able to see them (either).”

Buckle, of Weaving Avenue, Castleton, In the Peak District, will serve two thirds of his custodial sentence behind bars before being released on licence. He will also be on the sex offender register for life.

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Alan Copeland, aged 59, began abusing the girl nearly a decade ago and told her to keep what happened a secret.

He was finally exposed when the girl was old enough to understand what had happened and confided in her family.

Nottinghamshire Police was informed, and Copeland was arrested and interviewed by specialist child abuse detectives.

Copeland angrily denied the allegations against him but was later charged with three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

During a two-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court, a jury heard compelling video testimony from the girl, and were also made aware of two similar convictions against Copeland dating back to the 1990s.

On Wednesday, September 5, he was found guilty of all three offences and jailed for six years.

Copeland, formerly of Third Avenue, Rainworth, was also added to the sex offenders’ register and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, which will tightly restrict his access to young people once he is released.

Detective Constable Gemma Sidebottom, who led the investigation, said: “Copeland is an unrepentant sex offender who thought he could abuse an innocent child with impunity, but he clearly hadn’t reckoned on the bravery and determination of his victim.

“As she grew older, she realised what had happened to her all those years ago was wrong and told someone about what had happened to her.

“That is a huge step for anyone to take – let alone for someone who is still a child – so I really am full of admiration for the dignity and resolve she has shown throughout this process.

“With no physical evidence to rely on, the success of this prosecution really came down to the meticulous details she provided in her evidence and her believability as a witness.

“Thanks to her, Copeland has been exposed as a danger to young girls and will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison.

“I hope this case provides encouragement to other young people who have been abused in similar ways in the past.

"We will listen to you, we will investigate and we will seek criminal charges where we can.”

Description

A teenager raped a woman in a bed after attacking her while he thought she was asleep. The victim said she is "not the same person" as she was before being raped.

Harvey Vincent had just turned 18-years-old when he assaulted the victim, who had previously told him no sexual activity between them would take place. Despite this, he forced himself upon the victim when he thought she was asleep.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard the victim, who has lifelong anonymity, was awake through the rape, but was frozen with fear. He first sexually assaulted her before forcibly having sex with her.

The victim hoped her lack of response would dissuade Vincent, but he carried on without regard for her welfare. The defendant was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time of the attack.

After a complaint was made to the police, Vincent, of North Road, Porth, denied the offences but he was found guilty by a jury of rape and sexual assault by penetration, following a trial. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement, the victim said: "Where do I start? Harvey raped me when I was just 18-years-old. I was just leaving school... For him to do this to me hurts more than the act itself. He raped my mind and my body and I will never be able to trust someone like that again. I have gained strength from this and understood myself a lot more but I have changed, I am not the same person I was.

"Everything I've gone through, he needs to understand the damage he's done, I never feel clean and my skin crawls. When I speak or think about this I need to shower. I don't like sex anymore... My body doesn't feel like my body." The victim said she suffered night terrors, where she would wake up screaming and shouting the defendant's name.

She added: "I used to be super active and sporty but I can't do contact sports anymore, I don't like being touched. Going through the trial was horrendous, the system does not work for victims, it re-victimises and punishes us.... I feel sorry for you (Vincent), I feel sorry for you friends and family.... This has changed my entire life.

"I realise there is life after rape, it's up to me to make it work. I will never feel responsible for this and will make a successful life for myself despite what he did to me. I will walk with my head held high, he will not dictate the rest of my life."

In mitigation, defence barrister Marian Lewis described the case as "tragic" and said "two young lives have been blighted". She said the defendant was just 18-years-old at the time of the offence and said his "life had been destroyed" as he has lost his good character and he will be serving an immediate custodial sentence. He now suffers from depression and is taking medication.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson found the victim suffered "severe psychological harm", having self harmed and expressed suicidal thoughts since the assault. Addressing the defendant he said: "Your actions, in ways big and small, have changed her life."

Vincent, now aged 20, was sentenced to five years detention in a young offenders' institute, of which he will serve two thirds before released to serve the remainder on licence. Judge Hobson reduced the starting point of seven-and-a-half years by a third, due to the defendant's "immaturity". Vincent was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was made subject to a restraining order for 10 years.

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A SNEAKY sex offender has been jailed after he acquired a secret phone and computer and hid them away in a padlocked toolbox.

Mark Jarrett has a history of spying on boys in public toilets or playgrounds and was subject of an order which meant he had to tell the police about any devices he owned.

He bought a phone and a Samsung tablet computer which he used to download child abuse images from the internet and USB storage sticks on which to store them.

He was caught when staff at a hostel where he was living in South Devon realised what he was doing and tipped off the police. They made three unannounced visits in the space of five months and found he had banned items and images.

They also seized a desk diary in which Jarrett had recorded his sinister online activity and visits to playgrounds. He refused to tell the police the PIN numbers for his devices, saying: ‘You don’t own me. Go to hell.’

A preliminary examination of the phone’s memory card showed 57 images of boys aged eight to 14, of which one movie and 27 stills depicted them suffering very serious abuse at the hands of adults.

Police also found a hoard of pornographic cartoons which showed boys taking part in various forms of sexual activity.

Jarrett, aged 55, formerly of Plymouth but now of Factory Row, Torquay, admitted five offences of downloading or possessing indecent or prohibited images of children and two of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was jailed for three years by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court, who told him his offences were made more serious by his previous convictions and the fact that he repeatedly defied attempts by the police to supervise him.

He said: ‘Your life has lacked much achievement. You have led a lonely and asocial life. You recognise how powerfully you are drawn to access indecent images of children. I hope you recognise the appalling harm cause by their creation.’

Mr Ryan Murray, prosecuting, said Jarrett was required by his SHPO to tell police about all his internet connected devices but only declared an old Nokia mobile.

Staff tipped off his offender manager on March 28 that he was using another phone or tablet and a search revealed one of each along with some USB sticks. He refused to give the PIN, saying ‘you don’t own me’.

A download of the memory card showed there were 56 images and one video and 66 indecent cartoons and one video of boys. Further searches on July 7 and August 11 uncovered more devices.

Jarrett responded to the final visit by lying on his bed and telling the police to ‘go to hell’ Officers became suspicious of a toolbox which had a combination padlock on it. Jarrett refused to tell them the number but the unscrewed the sides and found another hidden tablet device.

An A4 diary was found in which he wrote references to downloading images and watching children at  playparks. As he was led away he told officers that he should never have been released from prison.

Jarrett has convictions for 55 offences dating back to 2007 which include downloading images, voyeurism, and breaking previous SHPOs by going to children’s play areas.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, defending, said Jarrett suffered abuse as a child in care and now lived an isolated existence in which he spent most of his time watching television in his room at a hostel.

He is keen to address his problems and wants to be sent to a prison where he can undertake a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Description

A sex offender has been locked up for 10 years after his victim bravely came forward to reports his crimes.

John Weeden, previously known as John Hawthorn, 56, of Elswick, Newcastle, came to Northumbria Police’s attention in 2020 after a woman came forward to report that as a child he had sexually assaulted her on several occasions. An investigation was launched, and Weeden was subsequently charged with three sexual offences.

He denied any guilt but was found guilty by a jury of his peers in July. And on Monday, a judge heard a powerful statement written by the victim, in which she spoke of her lifelong trust issues and the continued devastation this has brought her.

She said: “The events have left a scar on me and changed me as a person.” But looking to the future, she added: “I have finally got the justice I have waited for so long and I hope this man never gets the opportunity to ruin another child’s life, like he did to mine.”

Following her impassioned statement, a judge sentenced Weeden to 10 years behind bars. Detective Constable Lisa Herron, of Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding department, said: “I really am in awe of the victim’s courage.

"As a child, she was terrified into silence, and it took a lot of bravery for her to report and share the details of her abuse. But thanks to her strength and resilience, she saw her attacker charged, convicted and now sentenced for his vile crimes. I truly hope this sentence gives the survivor a sense of justice and comfort.”

She added: “I also hope that this shows others who have suffered non-recent abuse that it’s never too late for justice. You will be listened to, supported and we will do everything we can to ensure your abuser is put before a court.

“You’re not alone and you don’t deserve to suffer in silence while your abuser gets to go about their day-to-day life answering to no-one. We are always here.”

For support or more information on how to disclose sexual assault or rape, visit Northumbria Police’s website: Rape and sexual assault : Northumbria Police. To report any other type of historic abuse, contact police on 101 or report online via the force’s website.

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Joseph Stewart has been convicted following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court

A paedophile who sexually abused children has been jailed for 21 years after his victims bravely came forward to inform police of their ordeal.

Joseph Stewart abused one of the youngsters in the early 2000s, with the other victim abused after 2010.

The victims, who were young children at the time, realised what had happened to them as they grew into adults and informed Northumbria Police.

Officers immediately began an investigation into Stewart and arrested him.

In interview, the 56-year-old denied carrying out the attacks but was charged with five counts of indecent assault, one count of indecency with a child, one count of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges but was found guilty following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in July and remanded in custody.

At the same court yesterday, Stewart, previously of Newcastle but most recently of Albion Gardens, Burnopfield, County Durham, was jailed for a total of 21 years.

Stewart was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, sex offender registration and a restraining order.

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An Aberdeen barman who hunted underage girls for sex on Snapchat has been jailed for two years.

Richard Preston, 33, used the social media app to contact his victims – aged just 14 and 15 –  before inviting them to his city centre flat for sex.

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A "depraved sex offender" from Swansea who targeted scores of young children online has been sent to prison.

Police discovered more than 2,000 indecent images and videos of children on devices belonging to 20-year-old Caleb Courtman, some of which he had sourced directly from child victims he had groomed.

Courtman had engaged in sexually explicit conversations with them after approaching them on social media platforms, and then bullied and blackmailed them into sending explicit images and into performing sex acts on camera.

Some of the children were as young as nine.

142 have been identified and safeguarded by South Wales Police but work is ongoing to identify all the children that Courtman contacted.

The court heard the police investigation showed that over the course of many months Courtman sent the children explicit photographs of himself and talked about them coming to his home in Swansea for sex.

He was given an extended 24-year sentence in a young offenders institution and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Dyfed Thomas, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court the offending came to light in December last year after police received information that indecent images had been uploaded to the internet via accounts linked to Courtman.

He was arrested and his phones and laptops were seized. He was released on bail.

The prosecutor said while on bail Courtman continued to offend, with his offending becoming "ever more insidious". He was arrested again in February this year.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said it was clear Courtman was a "deeply entrenched paedophile" who posed a "quite exceptionally high risk of serious harm" to young girls in the future.

Caleb Courtman, aged 20, of Davies Row, Treboeth, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to 35 offences of engaging in sexual communications with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of categories A, B, and C, distribution of an indecent image, voyeurism, and blackmail when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Another 98 offences were taken into consideration.
Jon Tarrant, for Courtman, said there was little mitigation he could put forward other than the age of the defendant and his guilty pleas, and he said he accepted an extended sentence was inevitable in the case.

Detective Constable Natalie Revers from South Wales Police said: "This has been a shocking and disturbing investigation and I would like to thank the families and children who have supported the police investigation and commend their bravery in speaking out.

"I would also like to thank others involved in the wider investigation for their hard work and assistance over the past seven months, and for their ongoing support.

“We urge anyone who believes they may have been victim of online sexual abuse to report it to police. They will be treated with dignity and compassion by our officers and the support services with whom we work closely.”

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A paedophile was captured after he lost his phone which was jam-packed full of horrific indecent images of children.

Anthony Crosbie left his mobile phone on a bus in 2020, and it was found by a member of the public. But when the person opened up the phone, they saw a graphic indecent image and immediately reported it to police.

When 34-year-old Crosbie was arrested, another mobile phone was seized by police, and that one was also found to contain vile indecent images. Newcastle Crown Court heard that the ages of the children in the images were aged as young as one-year-old.

Crosbie, of Eastfield House, Walker, Newcastle, appeared at the court on Tuesday to be sentenced for four counts of making indecent images of children. He had admitted the offences.

Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said: "The offences came to light in January 2020 when the defendant lost his mobile phone on a bus. A member of the public opened the device to identify the owner and was met with an indecent image of a child."

The court heard that police were able to track the mobile phone back to Crosbie and he was interviewed that year, but made no reply. Mr Bunch said that the lost mobile phone contained 169 category A images, as well as 74 category B and 214 category C. The majority of the children depicted were between the ages of two and four-years-old, the court heard.

When Crosbie was arrested, another mobile phone was seized which had over 900 indecent images on it, depicting children from the ages of one-year-old upwards. A third device that was later found and had over 1,900 indecent images on it.

Andrew Walker, defending, said Crosbie was "ashamed of his behaviour" and remorseful. He said Crosbie was at a "low ebb" at the time of the offending and was drinking heavily. He added: "Frankly, in a number of ways his life was disintegrating."

Sentencing Crosbie, Judge Stephen Earl said the images discovered were "appalling" and handed him a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must carry out 20 rehabilitation days, a six month alcohol treatment programme and will be on the sex offender's register for 10 years. A 10 year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed.

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A Deliveroo driver sex offender befriended a 15-year-old boy and drove him in his car despite being subject to a strict order forbidding him from being in the company of anyone under the age of 18. Derby Crown Court heard how Rory Mulcahy deleted messages from social media which he was also not allowed to do under the terms of an order for past offending.

Jailing the married 28-year-old for 20 months, Recorder Michelle Heeley said: “This was a deliberate and persistent breach in a number of ways but I accept you did not act in any untoward way towards this young man.”

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said Mulcahy, of Alfreton, was handed a sexual harm prevention order at Preston Court in October 2020 as part of his punishment for a sexual offence, the details of which were not outlined in court in Derby this week. He said under its terms, the defendant is not allowed to have any unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18 and is not allowed to delete his internet history.

But in August this year police received information he had been in the company of the 15-year-old boy so they went to his address and seized a number of electronic devices.

Mr Jones said: “It was discovered he had deleted history specifically from Instagram and Snapchat, sent the 15-year-old boy Facebook messages and had then had him in his car with him. He made full admissions in interviews.”

Mulcahy, of Leabrooks, pleaded guilty to breaching his sexual harm prevention order. Will Bennett, mitigating, said his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

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An "arrogant, narcissistic and self-obsessed" rapist who violently attacked two men he met through the dating app Grindr has been jailed.

Dr Mohammed Altaher, 38, attacked the two men at his home in Bedford in August and September 2019.

Altaher, of Cardington Road, was found guilty at an earlier hearing of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault by penetration.

He was jailed for 10 years at St Albans Crown Court.

Prosecutor Nigel Ogborne said both victims had withdrawn consent but Altaher "carried on regardless", raping them in an "aggressive manner".

One victim was given the drug MCAT before being subjected to sexual aggression, including rape.

He said the experience left him behaving "like a zombie."

The second victim was grabbed, kissed and pushed onto a bed by Altaher immediately after arriving at his home and was then raped.

In his victim statement he said the rape had a "significant impact" on his mental health and well-being.

"I was confident, healthy and outgoing and I now rely on medication," the court heard.

Andrew Cohen, defending, said Altaher had a "level of neuro-diversity that meant he did not understand or take signals from other people."

He said Altaher, who has a doctorate, was an expert in AI.

Recorder Andrew Johnson said the two men had gone to Altaher's home for consensual sex which would have occurred if the defendant had acted differently.

"But your approach to both of those encounters was to treat both of your victims as objects with whom you could do what you wished, when you wished, as you wished," he said.

The judge described Altaher as "arrogant", "narcissistic" and "very self-obsessed"

Altaher, who is appealing against his conviction, will be put on the sex offenders register for life and will also face extra probation monitoring for five years after he is released.

Det Con Kevin Cheese of Hertfordshire police said: "There is undoubtedly under-reporting in regards to male victims of sexual violence and I want to thank both survivors in this case for coming forward and getting a dangerous predator like Altaher off the streets."

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A paedophile has gone to jail for deleting his Snapchat history and sending a picture of his erect penis to someone he thought was an underage girl. Jason Denholm, 51, twice breached a sexual harm prevention order and asked inappropriate questions to the 'child' like whether she was a virgin.

Denholm, of Church Street, Helston, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Thursday (September 7) on one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

It was heard that on August 3, 2023, he breached the court-imposed order by not retaining the history of internet use by deleting apps RandoChat and Snapchat - which was something he was required to do following September 22, 2020, when the SHPO was made.

On the same day he used a cloud or storage device to store digital images and did not notify police within three days of their creation, another thing he was required to do by the order. Finally he, for the purposes of sexual gratification, intentionally attempted to communicate with profile NEVE on July 12, 2023.

It was heard he did not reasonably believe the 'underage girl' to be over 16 years of age. The communication was also sexual in nature with him asking questions about what the girl (actually a decoy account) was wearing and if she was a virgin.

He then asked if she wanted to see a photo of his penis and sent a photo of an erect penis to her. He pleaded guilty to all counts and was sentenced by Judge Robert Linford to three years imprisonment. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was also made for a period of ten years.

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A paedophile from Devon has been jailed for 20 years for raping a child. Paul Keith Buckland, 35, will spend 20 years behind bars after being found guilty of nine sexual offences, including two counts rape of a child and two counts of attempted rape of a child under the age of 13.

Buckland, of Prestonbury Close, in Plymouth, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court today (Friday, September 8). He refused to attend court to hear his sentence and this was considered an aggravating factor, increasing his sentence.

The offences were committed over 10 years ago while he was living in Tidworth, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. The offences were reported to Wiltshire Police in 2020, WiltshireLive reports.

Buckland was arrested and charged before being found guilty of:

• Two counts of rape of a child under 13;
• Two counts of attempted rape of a child under 13;
• Two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13;
• One count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child;
• Two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

As well as his 20-year prison term, he will also be required to sign on to the sex offenders’ register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order. Police have commended the victim who reported Buckland.

Investigating officer DC Louise Thomas, of the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Buckland is an abhorrent individual who committed unspeakable acts to, and in the presence of, a child. “Actions such as his have long-lasting and traumatic effects on their victims, which can manifest in myriad ways.

“I’d like to commend the victim in speaking to us about her experiences – I understand how difficult it must have been for her and I hope that this sentence can bring some sort of relief, knowing Buckland is behind bars. This case is a reminder that Wiltshire Police will always investigate reports of sexual assault and child abuse, no matter when the incident took place.

“This incident took place more than a decade ago but didn’t come to light until 2020 when it was bravely reported to us by the victim and her family.

“Please be reassured that the CAIT team here in Wiltshire Police is totally committed to targeting dangerous offenders like Buckland and protecting innocent victims.”

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A notorious sexual predator targeted a vulnerable 14-year-old Derby girl for sexual activity after going on the run just days after being released from prison. Derby Crown Court heard how Christopher Leask encouraged the teenager to escape from home after sexually abusing her behind a charity shop in the city.

The 38-year-old paedophile’s sentencing hearing was told how he stored the victim as "Babygirl" in his mobile phone, took her to a McDonald's and was finally found with her outside Asda in Sinfin.

Now the former Alvaston pervert has been put behind bars for years. Handing him an 11-and-a-half-year sentence, Recorder Michelle Heeley KC said: “She was vulnerable and that you called her ‘Babygirl’ demonstrates your attitude. You are a sexual predator and you present a risk of serious harm to more people. There is clear evidence you targeted and groomed this young girl.”

Jonathan Dunne, prosecuting, said Leask was released from a 16-week jail sentence for breaching the terms of being on the sex offender register in July 2022 and should have gone straight to a bail hostel but did not and did not tell his supervisors. He said by the end of that month he was in the Normanton area of Derby and had met the victim.

The prosecutor said: “She is 14 years old but is vulnerable and presents as younger than that. Her parents became concerned that she was meeting a new friend. Her father saw her with the defendant in the street and told her mother.

“On July 30, her mother saw her in the street with the defendant and told him that (her daughter) was 14 and that he shouldn’t be with her and called him a paedophile. By this time she had bruising on her neck consistent with a love bite and her parents were concerned about how she had come by it.

“She told them that he had given her it and that she had given him one back. They forbade her from seeing him. It was clear however that the defendant maintained contact – particularly by social media. The police recovered conversations between them and (the girl) was stored in his phone as ‘Babygirl’.”

Mr Dunne said in the early hours of August she escaped from her house via a window. The defendant was there and it was something that they had planned. He said her parents realised that she had gone at around 4am and contacted the police who conducted a search to try to find her.

The prosecutor said: “They found CCTV from a local McDonald's that showed the two of them together and that they were very close and kissing. As a result of a sighting just before 4pm, they located the defendant and the teenager near Asda at Sinfin.

“The defendant was originally seen on his own and made an attempt to escape from the police before being captured after resisting and (the girl) was found at the rear of the store. She was wearing the defendant’s coat.”

Mr Dunne said Leask was taken to St Mary’s Wharf police station and placed in a cell where he tried to get rid of his underwear by flushing it down the toilet. He said although it was recovered, it was not possible to get any DNA results from it but it was possible to get DNA results from the girl’s underwear which made it clear sexual activity had taken place between them.

The prosecutor said the girl was interviewed and told officers sexual activity had taken place between them behind a charity shop. Leask, now of Raleigh Street, Radford, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and failing to comply with notification requirements.

He has a number of previous convictions going back to 1997 including similar offences which saw him handed a six-year sentence with an extended five-year licence in 2011.

Roger Wilson, mitigating, said his client accepts that he is seen as dangerous in the eyes of the law. He said: “The most powerful mitigation is his early guilty pleas. He had a difficult upbringing, he was (sexually) abused himself.”

Leask’s sentence is made up of a seven-and-a-half-year custodial sentence plus a four-year extended licence. It means he will not be eligible to apply for parole until two thirds of the way through the custodial element - five years.