Latest Offenders

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A man has been found guilty of the historic sexual abuse of a child he met through an Aberdeen church.

Stewart Petrie, who is the son of Craigiebuckler Parish Church minister Kenneth Petrie, abused the girl at locations, including Craigiebuckler Manse, on a number of occasions two decades ago.

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A predator who stole a young girl’s childhood has been jailed for 22 years – thank to his victim’s bravery.

Martin Richards, who is HIV positive, subjected a schoolgirl to multiple rapes over a two-year period and was on Monday, brought to justice for his horrific actions.

The 50-year-old paedophile manipulated his victim into keeping quiet but was eventually caught out when she found the courage to confide in her mother, who immediately contacted police.

An investigation was launched by officers from Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding department and former prison officer Richards was arrested in March this year.

He was swiftly charged with a string of offences and remanded in custody, but, desperate to get the case dropped, sent a number of letters to the victim’s family.

Richards, of Windsor Terrace, Choppington, later appeared at Newcastle Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault on a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act and perverting the court of justice.

However, he denied rape, sexual assault and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity but was found guilty by a jury after standing trial.

On Monday, Richards appeared back at the same court where he was jailed for 22 years and must serve two thirds of his sentence behind bars.

He was also issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, Restraining Order and must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Description

A Northallerton man has been jailed after being found guilty of 16 child sex offences.

Raymond Douglas Mackley, 81, of The Green, Romanby, Northallerton, was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Teeside Crown Court on November 6. Mackley was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life. In September, the sex offender was found guilty by jury of eight counts of sexual activity with a child, six counts of sexual assault against a child under 13, and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mackley's sickening acts came to lights when one of his victims told a family member she had been abused by him as a child, but kept it a secret for years. Her disclosure also led to another victim coming forward who had also suffered similar abuse.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Gillian Gowling of Northallerton CID, said: "Mackley carried out a blatant and sickening series of offences against his victims over several years, yet maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, showing no remorse for what he had done. The victims have shown great bravery in coming forward and providing the evidence that led to his conviction.

"They have lived with the secrecy of the abuse for many years and were initially reluctant to report it to the police, believing that nothing could be done or they wouldn’t be believed. The abuse and the burden of secrecy they carried has had a lasting impact on their lives that continues to this day."

Gowling added: "I hope the outcome helps them to put the past behind them, knowing that they were believed, that justice has been done, and that the only person responsible for this abuse is now behind bars. If you are a victim of sexual abuse, please do not suffer in silence, please report what is happening to you, whether it’s happening now or if it happened in the past.

"We will investigate thoroughly. Your information may also help to protect other people from abuse."

Description

A CREEP came close to being determined a ‘dangerous offender’ after a predatory sexual assault on a vulnerable woman in her own home.

Kamen Smith, from Warrington, also launched a nasty attack on the woman’s boyfriend after he learnt of what had happened.

The 29-year-old was released under investigation by police, during which time he was caught peddling class A drugs in Warrington.

Having already been sentenced and jailed for the drug matters, he has now learnt his fate for his prior offending.

Smith appeared before Liverpool Crown Court, via video-link from HM Prison Liverpool, to be sentenced for charges of sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.

The case was opened by prosecutor David Polglase who explained how each of the offences occurred in the summer of 2021.

The defendant admitted the assault and criminal damage charges but denied the sexual assault, however he was convicted by a jury.

The evening prior to the offences, Smith had been drinking in St Helens, in the Black Bull pub in Eccleston and Bird I’th Hand pub on Prescot Road.

He then headed into the town's centre and ‘did not have much luck’ getting into other licenced venues, including Kandy Klub on Westfield Street.

By around 4am, having left the town centre, he was in the home of a woman and her boyfriend when events unfolded.

When the boyfriend was outside smoking, and while the woman was ‘tired and worse for wear with drink’, Smith sexually assaulted her.

The court heard how she was ‘seven out of 10 in terms of drunkenness’ and was taken advantage of by the defendant who ‘began to molest her’, despite her trying to dissuade him and stating she was not interested in his advances.

The boyfriend sensed something was not right, and he was later told what had happened by his girlfriend, leading to a confrontation.

Smith threw a punch and began to attack the male victim, having chased him outside, and he also damaged his car by kicking it, causing scuff marks and snapping the wingmirror.

As the victim fell to the floor, the attack continued with Smith repeatedly striking him to the face and head and kicking him to the back.

“The defendant said he would kill him and would not stop until he did,” Mr Polglase told the court, adding that the victim required a facial cut to be glued in hospital.

An impact statement prepared by the female victim was summarised, with the prosecutor stating how she still struggles to come to terms with what happened, with her mental health also impacted.

She struggles with sleep and suffers nightmares, and she does not feel safe in her home and when people walk past and knock on the door.

Mr Polglase revealed that Smith has previous convictions, including for assaulting an emergency worker and for public order offences.

While released under investigation for these offences, he also committed drug dealing offences in Warrington on April 6, 2022, and was convicted of possession with intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

He was subsequently jailed for 28 months by judge David Swinnerton at Liverpool Crown Court on May 24 this year.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing took place on June 19, where an application to withdraw proceedings by prosecutor Rebecca Smith was approved by recorder Michael Blakey.

Orders were approved for the forfeiture and destruction of drugs and a mobile phone confiscated from him on his arrest, as well as for the confiscation of £150 found in his possession, which was donated to the court’s nominated charity of the month, East Liverpool RDA.

In defence of the defendant, Jeremy Smith described the events as ‘unpleasant’

“He has mental health, alcohol and drug problems – a very giddy cocktail of issues with this defendant, and he needs to address them,” he said.

“One reassuring matter is that he is coping and thriving in prison. The regime seems to suit him.”

In his sentencing remarks, judge Denis Watson said: “She was vulnerable in her own home, and the effect on her has been significant.

“It is not necessary for an extended determinate sentence. I have come close to determining you are a dangerous offender, but that would be me stretching the circumstances to reach that conclusion.

Smith, of Molyneux Avenue in Bewsey, was sentenced to four years in prison, which will run consecutive to his drug dealing sentence, meaning it will start when his current sentence ends.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offender register for life and abide by a restraining order not to contact or approach the female victim for the next six years.

Description

A paedophile told what he thought was a 12-year-old girl that he would s*** her like a princess and travelled to Corby to try and meet her.

Callum Brown said he would book a hotel room before he left his home in Basingstoke and hopped on a train having spoken about sex online.

But when he arrived at Corby’s railway station he was confronted by paedophile hunters, who had been speaking to him all along after they set up a decoy profile.

On Friday (November 3) the 24-year-old, who spent time locked up on remand, was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Northampton Crown Court heard online child protection team Phoenix Guardians of the Innocent had set up a profile on Facebook, purporting to be a 12-year-old girl, when they were contacted by Brown on August 13 this year.

Prosecutor Phillip Plant said Brown, formerly of Ferndown Close, introduced himself and said he thought the ‘girl’ was cute, adding: “I hope you don't think I am weird."

He lied that he was 18 and his Facebook profile claimed that he worked as cabin crew for British Airways, the court heard.

Brown discussed meeting and asked the ‘girl’ if she had dated ‘older blokes’, telling her they could keep it as a secret if they were dating. He also said he was a needy boyfriend and told the ‘girl’ he loved her.

Mr Plant said Brown instigated chat about sex and offered to book a hotel room before moving the conversation to WhatsApp.

Mr Plant said: "Sex came up on more than one occasion."

The court heard Brown tried to assure the decoy that he wasn’t forcing her to have sex with him and booked a hotel before he seemed to get cold feet.

He told the ‘girl’ he was worried about meeting and worried she was a decoy, before continuing to talk about sex when he was reassured that she was genuine and would turn up.

Brown, who had no previous convictions, then said: "I will s*** you like a princess. I will ba** you like a princess."

The court heard he had discussed a 'cover story' where the girl would tell her mum that she was staying at a friend's house.

On August 22, just nine days after the conversation began, Brown travelled more than 100 miles to Corby to try and meet the ‘girl’ but was confronted at the town’s railway station by paedophile hunters. They detained him in an incident which was live streamed on Facebook and has been watched more than 85,000 times.

Brown was arrested and went on to plead guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, where he had been held since his first court appearance in August.

The court heard sentencing guidelines put a starting point for Brown’s offending at two years in prison with a sentencing range of between one year and four years behind bars.

Mitigating, Samantha Ball told the court that Brown is autistic and would have a placement at supported accommodation for adults with autism if he was released from prison.

Urging the case for a suspended sentence, she said Brown doesn't think about things he is doing until after it's happened and that he needs a support worker to visit three times a day to help with his day-to-day living.

She said: "This is the first time he has found himself in court or in prison.

"He is someone who has admitted to what he has done at the earliest opportunity."

Sentencing, Recorder David Allan said that, after aggravating and mitigating factors, the sentence after a trial would have been 18 months in custody.

He reduced it to 12 months because of Brown’s guilty plea – but said he was satisfied there was a prospect of rehabilitation and that he could suspend the sentence for 12 months.

Brown was told he must take part in 60 rehabilitation activity days and will have to stick to a four-month electronic curfew, where he is not allowed out between the hours of 9pm and 6am daily.

He will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years and will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Recorder Allan told him: "I hope you do not come before the courts again."

Description

Two abuse victims have bravely spoken of the heartbreaking toll their jailed attacker's deviant behaviour has had on their lives.

Standing in the witness box at Canterbury Crown Court, one described how they feared paedophile Adam North would "always haunt" them and that just hearing his name "sent a shiver" down their spine.

Another said they "struggled" every day and tragically wished they were no longer alive.

North, of The Street, in Willesborough, Ashford, was unanimously convicted by a jury in June of multiple offences in respect of his "sexual, violent and cruel" conduct dating back more than a decade.

The 41-year-old had maintained on his arrest and at trial that the accusations were "in their heads", and the court was told at his sentencing hearing this week that he continues to assert his innocence.

But on jailing the child molester for 18 years in front of "supportive" family and friends sitting in the public gallery, a judge said he had been found guilty on overwhelming evidence of "perpetuating evil".

He also praised the victims' courage and said "victory was theirs" as their "spirit and dignity" remained unbroken.

Visibly upset in the hushed courtroom and choking back tears, they read out their impact statements in which they detailed the devastating and disturbing consequences of North's offending.

This had involved being molested and performing sexual acts and watching child and extreme pornography, said prosecutor Daniel Stevenson.

They were also physically assaulted and threatened so they would not report their ordeals.

One said they now suffered from PTSD, hallucinations, anxiety and panic attacks, and even described being "disappointed" to wake from a suicide attempt and thinking there was "no escape."

"This will be the last time I force myself to talk about what happened because the mere mention of his name sends a shiver down my spine," the victim told the court.

"I feel I lost a part of myself I will never get back. I hope one day he will understand the pain and suffering he has caused me.

"I dread the day he is released. I hope his time in prison is punishment itself.

"He will always be haunting my nightmares and causing me pain."

The second victim spoke of also being diagnosed with PTSD and developing a "self-destructive" nature.

"I don't care what happens to me. Sometimes I wish I'm not alive anymore because every day is a struggle. When I think about the future, I don't think I have a future," they told the court.

"This will be the last time I force myself to talk about what happened because the mere mention of his name sends a shiver down my spine...”

"I don't think I will ever recover. I feel like [the abuse] will follow me forever."

North has no previous convictions and as many as 13 character references were provided by his partner, family and friends for the sentencing hearing.

"They support him, are at court today to support him, and will continue to support him, notwithstanding the sentence passed," said defence barrister Toby Cadman.

Telling North as he stood impassively in the dock that he would have to serve at least two-thirds of his jail term before parole would be considered, Judge Mark Weekes said he had "wrecked" childhoods.

"All sexual abuse scars forever. That is the sad, inevitable and notorious feature of such offending. No sentence I can impose can restore their confidence, or undo the harm you have caused," he said.

"You grossly violated both. Both suffered in silence. I have read with concern and sadness the victim impact statements.

"It has left one broken and it is quite clear this has had a devastating impact on their life. It is clear too that [the second victim] has suffered enormously.

"And yet, for all that, the final victory in this case is theirs. The courage in coming forward to report you and give evidence against you shows that your abuse did not in fact break their spirit.

"It is clear to me that you wrecked the childhood of both. You grossly violated both. Both suffered in silence...”

"You did not and could not remove the dignity of either of them. On the contrary, both can have the comfort of knowing their evidence has been accepted and has been believed.

"Both can know that they have forced you to confront your dark past. Both are to be applauded for their bravery and coming forward in that way. It would not have been an easy step.

"Each delivered their moving victim personal statements in person to me today and it is clear to me that they are both, in their own ways, remarkable."

In adding that he hoped the sentencing hearing would help their "healing process", he also told North: "I hope that a small part of you, at some point in the months and years that follow, begins to accept what you have done and you begin to understand quite what terrible harm you have caused, and perhaps to reflect, and ultimately, to regret it."

On his release, North will be subject, as an "offender of particular concern" to an additional year on any licence period, and indefinitely to sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

James Joiner, 67, of The Meadows, took advantage of his victim between February and May 2017.

He was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child following an earlier trial, and on Friday 27 October 2023 at Canterbury Crown Court was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

Police staff investigator Stewart Ross-Cumming of Kent Police said: ‘The offences committed by James Joiner caused his victim a great deal of emotional trauma and she was very brave in coming forward to report what had happened to her.

‘I hope she can now continue to rebuild her life and take comfort in the fact that her abuser will now spend a significant length of time behind bars.

‘Joiner has proven himself to pose a danger to children and I am pleased no others will be at risk whilst he serves his custodial sentence.’

Description

It was discovered in October last year that convicted sex offender Edwin Swallow had targeted the youngster, encouraging her to send sexually explicit photos of herself – and sending photos of his genitalia over a messaging app.

The 55-year-old pervert had been told he must inform the police of any mobile phone he was using, having previously been found guilty of an offence involving indecent images of children.

But he kept the use of his Samsung device a secret, so was breaking the rules of the court order.

Swallow, of Sullivan Grove in South Kirkby, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on November 3.

Prosecuting, Abigail Langford said: “The victim’s mother contacted the police, but there was an attempt to smash the phone and the pictures were deleted. The images do not exist and so the prosecution’s case is based on descriptions.

“When the defendant was arrested, a neighbour confirmed that the defendant did have a mobile phone.”

The court heard that Swallow has since expressed remorse and recognises his long history of offending.

Michael Collins, for the defence, said: “His personal circumstances are miserable and depressing. He has two children with whom he has no contact. He has no significant relationship. He lives alone and is in debt.

“If there’s any brightness, it’s because he had a job. Of course, he has now lost that as well. There are no positives in his life.”

Swallow has a history of mental health issues and self-harm, including suicide attempts.

Recorder Jason Pitter said the defendant poses a high risk of reoffending and causing serious harm to children.

He added: “You are someone who targets young girls. Your previous convictions set that out. Your determination to fulfil, as you see them, your sexual desires are illustrated in this case despite the barrier put in place to prevent this very activity.”

Swallow was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, extended by five years on licence.

Description

An online pervert who turned up to meet a schoolgirl for sex was greeted by police after being snared in an undercover operation.

Michael Cook made contact with a profile on social media purporting to be a 14-year-old girl, which was being run by a law enforcement officer. From the outset, he was told of the "girl's" young age and he began with some general conversation before turning the chat sexual.

After establishing she lived in a "bad area" he asked "so does that makes you a bad girl or are you a goody two shoes". The 48-year-old said she probably didn't know anything about sex and was told she was "not a baby".

Kevin Wardlaw, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court Cook asked if she had any sexual experience and when told that the "boys at school were annoying" he asked if she "liked older". He also asked if she liked masturbating and "being naughty".

Mr Wardlaw said: "He asked if she wore cheap leggings which clung to her legs as they showed everything. He also asked about thongs."

He also quizzed her about a previous boyfriend and was told she had not had sex with him. Mr Wardlaw said: "He said he liked her and would like to meet her and have fun.

"He said he was working in an office in Durham and was bored. He suggested they meet up and have fun."

He made a reference to her getting her hands on his gear stick. Mr Wardlaw said: "He was clearly sounding out the profile to see if she was interested in sexual activity."

Cook went on to ask if she wanted to lose her virginity. Mr Wardlaw said: "He varied topics between everyday activities and sexual chat before arranging to meet her at Kingston Park retail park."

He made other sex references and said he would bring condoms. On November 25 2021, police went to the arranged meeting place and arrested him in his car and he replied: "She said she was 16." A search of his car revealed condoms in he driver's door pocket.

Cook, of Arcadia, Ouston, County Durham, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to attempting to to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He was sentenced to 18 months suspended for two years with 200 hour unpaid work. He was also made subject to sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Recorder Richard Wright KC said: "What underlies this offence is a deviant sexual attitude held by you which, had this been a real child, you may well have seen through to a conclusion.

"You went online and befriended what you thought was a 14-year-old girl. You sexualised the communications between you. This was grooming behaviour and it was quite deliberate.

"You turned innocent conversations into sexual conversation and you arranged to meet what you thought was a child to have sex with her. As far as you were concerned, you were engaging in this conversation with a young and vulnerable female."

Andrew Walker, defending, said: "The messages speak for themselves, they are awful to read but if he was intent on meeting a child in a chatroom he was in the wrong place." He said that it was a mainstream chatroom where users were supposed to be over 16.

Mr Walker added: "He was under multiple life and work stresses at the time. It happened not long after he lost both parents and he had bereavement issues. There were stress-related work issues and he felt isolated during covid."

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Ian Beecroft from Northumbria Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: “Our work to protect the vulnerable from predators both online and in the community is a top priority for the Force and we make no apologies for our continued activity in this area.

“Our investigation caught Cook sending messages to what he believed was a 14-year-old girl, and he had no issues with that. He was even prepared to meet up with her knowing she was underage.

“We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of this type of abuse to come forward and speak to us. We take these types of reports incredibly seriously and you will be supported.”

Description

A dangerous paedophile who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl was slapped with an extended sentence by a judge after he threw a tantrum in court and stormed out of the dock.

During his sentencing at Snaresbrook Crown Court John Lomas, 42, repeatedly barracked Judge Alex Gordon refusing to accept the characterisation of him as dangerous.

Vile predator Lomas exited the unsecured dock before tussling with security and was absent when the court heard Judge Gordon’s reasons for an extended sentence of 10 years.

Those included a psychiatrist's belief Lomas "does not have any insight into the harm he has caused" and worrying fantasies in which he describes himself as a "Daddy Dom to little girls", MyLondon reports.

The probation service also wrote Lomas presents a "serious risk to children", which prompted Judge Gordon to conclude: "I'm satisfied you do present such a risk."

Lomas laughed and shook his head at the remark, then said: "I want to leave please. I do not want to listen to this." Judge Gordon replied: "Well you have to."

Lomas - who had already been told to restrain himself - shouted across the court: "I'm going to kill myself so just let me go."

He then left the unsecure dock and could be heard tussling with dock officers who set off the panic alarm.

Prosecutor Nicholas Wayne described how Lomas began speaking to his 14-year-old victim over Snapchat and WhatsApp, where they exchanged "particularly unpleasant" messages including videos of each other masturbating and Lomas penetrating himself in the anus.

Lomas became "obsessed" and arranged to meet the victim in a secluded woodland in Chingford, East London, on April 29 this year.

He drove down from his home in of Gwladys, Liverpool armed with a sex toy he intended on gifting the victim in exchange for a pair of her knickers, telling her to hide the toy from her parents.

Lomas also brought alcohol, which he plied the girl with until she was "paralytic" then bent her over a log and sexually assaulted her.

After the sexual assault she was discovered by members of the public who called an ambulance. "She was shouting things like 'Why wont the pain stop?' and 'I want to die'," Mr Wayne said.

While she was telling passers by what had happened, Lomas tried to pull her away but fled once he realised the police were on their way.

Lomas was arrested and admitted his crimes to police at the station, after which they discovered the sexual communications on his mobile phone and his plans to meet her.

Lomas was charged and pleaded guilty to assault by penetration, sexual communication, and meeting a child following grooming on June 8 at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Defending barrister Parveen Mansoor explained her client had a "difficult childhood" and underwent constant assessment by doctors due to his autism and developmental disorder.

But Ms Mansoor was briefly interrupted by Lomas as he objected to the charge of meeting a child following grooming, despite pleading guilty to it.

He claimed he was "told to plead guilty" by his previous counsel, against his belief he had not intended to commit a sexual offence.

Acting on her client's instructions, Ms Mansoor tried to make the point but it was rejected by Judge Gordon.

The judge said: "He travelled down from Liverpool having exchanged disgusting videos with her and you are telling me he did not intend to do anything.

"He has an appalling attitude in relation to this offence. He said there should be no law preventing sexual relations with anyone who has reached the age of puberty."

Lomas then shouted: "You're putting words in my mouth."

Judge Gordon asked him to "restrain yourself" and continued: "He claims to have no sexual interest in children, that's obviously not true. He has a self-confessed interest in Daddy Dom with little girls."

Ms Mansoor could only add that her client was sorry, and had promised to block any young girls if he found himself in a similar situation again.

Judge Gordon accepted the mitigation but added: "There's no evidence whatsoever of any motivation to change his behaviour."

Description

A pervert loitered in bushes outside a primary school carrying out a sex act while children played.

Alemshah Amin hung around outside Sacred Heart Primary School, in Fenham, Newcastle, for several hours on two days in June this year, briefly interacting with a child on one occasion. On both occasions, he stayed until caught by staff.

When arrested he claimed he had just being going to the toilet despite the fact he could have walked to his home in just one minute. Anne Richardson, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "One two occasions he loitered in the vicinity of the school for several hours, hiding in bushes around the site and masturbating while looking into the school yard when children were playing.

"On both occasions he remained there until caught in the act by staff." He was arrested on the second occasion and interviewed by police.

Miss Richardson said: "He said, despite his home address being less than a minute's walk away, he had been caught short, desperate to use the lavatory. He then shook his penis to clean it and it became sore and he said he relieved the soreness by shaking it more with his hand."

Amin, 27, of Lotus Place, Fenham, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to two offences of outraging public decency. Because of time served on remand, he was given an 18-month community order with rehabilitation. He will also be subject to sex offender registration for five years and a sexual harm prevention order for the same period which bans him from waiting outside any school or educational facility for under-18s.

Recorder Richard Wright KC told him: "You have pleaded guilty to serious offences of outraging public decency. These are offences that involved you masturbating in pubic outside the Sacred Heart Primary School in this city.

"They were plainly sexual offences and you chose to commit them in the vicinity of that school quite deliberately, of that I am sure." The judge said alcohol consumption contributed to the offending but added: "There is also a sexual element to your behaviour which requires the public to be protected from you because I'm concerned that otherwise you may offending in a similar way in the future.

"These are offences that are so serious that, ordinarily, I would impose a prison sentence. However you have been remanded in custody for several months and you have served on remand a prison sentence approaching the length of any sentence I might impose."

Tony Cornberg, defending, said he has a learning disability and despite denials of the offence in a pre-sentence report, admits his guilt. He added: "He is isolated and has limited social skills."

Description

A man was branded "sinister" for bringing a friend into the nightclub toilets where he had just carried out a sexual attack against a woman. Student Onyedika Oriaku also claimed the sex in the toilet cubicle had been consensual and that his victim had initiated contact. However, a jury saw through his lies and he was convicted at trial of rape.

Reporting from Swansea Crown Court, WalesOnline heard prosecutor Ian Wright tell the judge that the rape took place at the Fiction nightclub in Swansea city centre in March this year. Oriaku and a group of other sunglass-wearing males were in the so-called VIP area of the club, and during the evening the defendant and a woman had been kissing.

The woman, who was described as "heavily intoxicated", later went to the toilet and the defendant followed her. In the toilets, Oriaku raped the woman in one of the cubicles.

The court heard that after the assault the defendant returned to his friends in the VIP area and then he and one of the group went to the female toilets where they were told "in no uncertain terms" to leave by two women present. During the trial the defendant maintained he had returned to the toilets in order to check on the welfare of the women as she had been "exhausted" by having sex with him.

The rape was subsequently reported to the police. In an statement from the victim that was read to the court the woman described the significant impact the attack has had on her mental health and on her life generally, and she said she was now very distrusting of men.

Onyedika Benedict Oriaku, of Victoria Terrace in Brynmill, Swansea, had previously been convicted by a jury of one count of rape when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. James Hartson, defending Oriaku, said the defendant was a man of previously clean character who was a student in Swansea and had also been working in care sector.

Judge Geraint Walters told the defendant that, having watched CCTV footage from the club and having seen him giving evidence in the dock, he had come to conclusion that Oriaku "had a very high opinion of yourself, well beyond that which is deserved". He said while the woman may have been "disinhibited" by alcohol that did not give the defendant "the right to decide where it all ended", and he noted the student had then gone back to the friends and "gloated" about what he had done.

The judge described the defendant's account of why he returned to the toilets with another male as "fanciful beyond belief" and he described the return to the lavatories as "sinister". Judge Walters described that Oriaku did in the toilets as "truly shameful" and he noted he had shown no remorse for his actions.

Oriaku was sentenced to seven years in prison, and must serve two-thirds of that period before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Description

An evil pensioner from Hornsey who travelled to Morocco to sexually abuse toddlers has been jailed. 

John Thorogood, 75, abused boys as young as one - then shared stories of the abuse with a like-minded sex offenders. 

Thorogood, of Middle Lane, Hornsey, was arrested in December 2021 after images were seized from a man who was convicted in the Netherlands. 

It emerged that Thorogood was part of a Europe-wide network whose networks travelled the world to abuse children. 

In August he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child, one count of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and two counts of sexually assaulting a child. 

He also pleaded guilty to possessing more than 200,000 indecent images of children. 

Thorogood will be sentenced in mid-November. 

Christopher Behn, 68, from Colchester in Essex, was part of the same network of offenders. 

On Friday (November 3) at Chelmsford Crown Court he was sentenced to 11 years in prison and a further six years on licence for sexually assaulting young boys in Vietnam over a 10-year period.

Description

A sexual predator was caught after he arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex just metres away from a police station. 

Daniel Boyd, 31, sent grooming messages and photos of his penis to the ‘young girl’ before arranging to meet for sex. 

But when he arrived at Bromley South Station armed with condoms and lube, he found himself confronted by paedophile hunters who ran the decoy account he had been messaging. 

Boyd, of Dagonet Gardens in Bromley, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday (November 3) after he pleaded guilty to meeting a girl following grooming, engaging in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to look at an image of his penis. 

He was given a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years meaning he won’t see the inside of a prison cell unless he offends again. 

The facts of the case were told to the court. 

On July 7 he started a Facebook conversation with what appeared to be a young girl, saying “Hey”. 

The girl explained that she was 14 and Boyd told her he was 31. 

He sent three photos of his penis to her, asked her to send sexual photos of herself and arranged to meet at Bromley South Station on July 18. 

Boyd made it clear that the meeting was to have sex and told her to book a hotel room as he couldn’t afford it. 

When he was confronted by paedophile hunters, Boyd said “this was stupid of me” and pleaded “I don’t want to go to jail”. 

By 8.40pm he found himself in police handcuffs. 

Defending his client in court, Tihomir Mak said Boyd was genuinely remorseful and had never been in trouble with the law before. 

He added that Boyd’s difficult childhood in Jamaica and poor mental health had contributed to his offending. 

Sentencing Boyd, Recorder Joshua Swirsky said: “You’re a man in your 30s who was proposing to have sex with a child of 14. 

“This sort of behaviour is condemned by most people in society and in my judgement amounts to very serious criminal conduct.” 

Recorder Swirsky decided that the best way of protecting the public from Boyd was to force him to engage in services to prevent future offending and to suspend his prison sentence. 

“It’s quite clear that in order to protect society there needs to be some intervention to help you with your behaviour to ensure there’s no repetition of this conduct,” he said. 

Boyd was ordered to attend a 60 day intervention programme, 45 days of rehabilitation and carry out 150 hours on unpaid work. 

He will also have to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years. 

Description

Pervert Neil Ogden has been jailed after he had a discussion with a like-minded individual about engaging in sexual abuse of children. And the 46-year-old downloaded and distributed indecent images of children.

He also had prohibited images and extreme pornography on his phone when it was seized by police. Now Ogden has been jailed for two years and two months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Antony Longworth said police, acting on intelligence of internet activity involving indecent images of children, went to Ogden's Cobridge address on January 25. He was arrested and his phone was analysed.

The examination found 46 still indecent images at category A - the most serious; 31 images at category B and 33 at category C. There were also two prohibited images and two extreme pornographic images. And there were 32 moving images at category A; five at category B; five at category C; and two moving extreme pornographic images.

Mr Longworth said the children being abused were aged between three and 14. He said: "The defendant had shared seven category A images with another individual. He used search terms indicating he has a sexual interest in children. He created folders for the storage of the images. He also engaged in a discussion about the sexual abuse of children.

"Between May 13 and May 27, 2022 this defendant and another discussed the physical development of children. The messages went on to describe how they wanted to engage in sexual abuse of those children. They also discussed having joint sexual activity with all the children together. It is clear that they exchanged images."

Ogden, of Sneyd Street, Cobridge, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children; three charges of distributing indecent images of children; possessing prohibited images of children; possession of extreme pornographic images and publishing an obscene article.

Rob Holt, mitigating, said: "He acknowledges there is a problem. He has made some limited steps to try and address his behaviour. He has had some support from the liaison and diversion team and the mental health team."

He said the loss of Ogden's dad; the breakdown of his marriage and being on sick leave from work have impacted on his client. Mr Holt said: "He has had suicidal ideations."

He said Ogden may struggle to work as an HGV driver now he is on the sex offenders' register as the police would need to know his whereabouts. Mr Holt added: "He is unlikely to possess the skills to survive in the prison system. There is scope for work in the community, scope for a two year community order."

But Recorder Julian Taylor said offending was so serious it had to be marked with an immediate prison sentence. He said the discussion about sexual abuse with children was the most serious offence. Recorder Taylor said: "It was thoroughly disgusting. I do not accept you were manipulated."

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the phone. Ogden was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same period.