Latest Offenders

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A child sex offender hid his past to go on a caravanning holiday with a friend and her young son, a court has heard.

Jonathan Harris was also a regular visitor to the family's home, including on occasions sleeping there overnight. However, the 27-year-old is banned from having unsupervised contact with boys under 16 unless the child's parents know about his past conviction for causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Swansea Crown Court that Harris' concealing of his past was the second beach of a sexual harm prevention order in less than two years - on the first occasion he had secretly installed WhatsApp on his phone and had been visiting online chat rooms with names such as "teen chat" and "squirt". 

Ieuan Rees, prosecuting, said Harris befriend a woman he met in Swansea Market, and though the relationship was initially sexual it later became platonic in nature. He said the defendant was a "regular" visitor to the house where the woman lived with her child, on occasions spending the night at the address. Then in September Harris went with the woman and her child to a caravan park for a three-night break.

The court heard it was only in October that Harris told the woman about his previous conviction for child sexual offences, and about the restrictions he was under as a result. The mum reported the matter to police and the defendant was arrested at his place of work in Swansea Docks. He subsequently made full admissions in interview.

Jonathan Harris, formerly of Sageston, Tenby, Pembrokeshire, but now of The Kingsway in Swansea city centre, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions of a sexual harm prevention order when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

In 2019 Harris was sentenced to 27 months in prison for causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and causing a child under 16 to watch a sexual act, and he was placed on the sex offenders register and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to control his access to young boys. Just days after getting out of prison on licence for those matters he breached the SHPO by joining dating websites including Match and Elite Singles, making online searches using terms such as "teen porn", visiting online chat rooms with names including "teen chat" and "squirt", and installing the WhatsApp messaging application. In October 2020 he was jailed for what the judge described as that "flagrant breach" the order.

David Rees, for Harris, said the defendant moved to Swansea to make a fresh start after "effectively being hounded out" of Sageston by vigilantes, securing his own accommodation in the city and then finding a job. He said his client retained the support of his family, and also acknowledged the omissions which had led him to being in dock.

Judge Paul Thomas KC told Harris he had committed a "persistent and blatant" breach of SHPO, not only by being a regular visitor to the woman's house but also going on holiday with her and her young son. The judge said he accepted the defendant had eventually told the woman about his past conviction but he said it was clear Harris had not learned his lesson following his jailing for the first breach. With a one third discount for his guilty plea, Harris was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

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A paedophile targeted teenagers in chatrooms and shared sexual fantasies and pictures with another pervert, a court heard. Mark Stevenson, 37, struck up conversations with what he thought were girls aged 12 and 13 and asked if they wanted to have sex with him.

He did not know the people he was chatting to online were undercover police officers looking to catch paedophiles. But even after his arrest he continued to offend, asking one decoy if she was a virgin and sending videos of himself masturbating.

Stevenson, of Pilton Causeway, Barnstaple, was described in court as a lonely man who led a solitary life. He said he was not motivated by a sexual interest in children but admitted multiple offences, including distributing indecent pictures of children and attempting to engage in sexual communication with children.

The judge said: "The offences represent a series of offences that demonstrate you have a clear sexual interest in young children and those in their early teens. It is quite clear you were seeking out various contacts with those in their early teens and were quickly made aware the children concerned, in each case decoys or similar, made their age known to you but you did not desist."

Stevenson was jailed for 21 months.

Prosecutor Ms Victoria Bastock said Stevenson was arrested after a visit by police to his home address in November 2020. They seized a number of devices and found messages dating back to November 2017.

They showed Stevenson in enthusiastic communication with another paedophile sharing fantasies about rape and sex with children. He also shared indecent images of children aged between five and 16.

Stevenson also joined a teen chatroom and started talking to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl. He followed this up with messages to other decoys on Kik Messenger, Skype and WhatsApp. In each case the conversation was sexual and Stevenson would make lewd suggestions and ask if they wanted boyfriends. He also asked for photos.

Stevenson was released under investigation but committed almost identical offences in July 2021. He joined the UK Teen Friends chatroom and direct messaged a 12-year-old decoy, sending her an indecent video of himself and saying he wanted to see the child naked.

Mr Jason Beal, defending, said Stevenson endured a difficult lockdown, family bereavement and was a good candidate for rehabilitation.

Judge Peter Johnson said Stevenson had minimised his crimes by suggesting he was sharing in the fantasies of others.

The defendant admitted distributing indecent photos of children; making indecent photos of children; four offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with children and two of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He must sign the sex offender register for 10 years and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period. 

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The founder of an Army veterans' charity who groped a woman's bottom to check if she was wearing underwear has been spared jail.

Timothy Evers, 54, sexually assaulted the woman when she posed for a picture with him at an awards night at a Westminster hotel.

The former Royal Engineer founded Sapper Support in 2014 and had won the prize for Best New Charity on October 5, 2017.

Evers, a father-of-two, now serving in South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, denied sexual assault and told Westminster Magistrates' Court it 'did not happen'.

But District Judge Neeta Minhas convicted Evers of sexual assault following a trial last month.

Judge Minhas referred to a Twitter exchange between Evers and the victim, where he blamed 'fizz and exuberance' and said: 'No malice, but also no excuse.'

The judge added: 'I interpret the tweet as him apologising for his actions.'

Wearing a grey suit, blue shirt and red striped tie, Evers was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work.

He must also attend a 15-day rehabilitation program and register as a sex offender for the next five years.

The woman had told the court how Evers approached her and asked for a photograph with her.

'His charity had won. I did recognize him as one of the winners,' the woman said.

Evers told her to 'come over this way' for the picture.

'I didn't like that. I thought that was weird,' she said.

She said they then went to another part of the building, where she saw a large group of men on the stairs.

'I thought they wanted a group picture. They were all giggling and watching him take a photo of me.

'One of them took the photo.

'He put his arm around me like that [indicating her waist], and then put his hand on my bum.

'He put his hand all the way around my bottom and squeezed it.'

'He said "I just wanted to check if you've got knickers on". He then pointed to his colleagues and said "sorry lover, they dared me to do that".

The victim said that she shouted at Evers as she tried not to cry, before running away.

She said she then went and told someone at the event what had happened.

'I was crying and saying "that bloke just touched my a*se".

The woman added: 'At an event like that at that time of night I assume everyone's a bit squiffy. He wasn't staggering.

'I went home and sat in my room. I was furious I was crying. I was really upset. It occurred to me to call the police. But I didn't.

'I felt very humiliated. I don't like to use the word triggered, but I was very triggered at being touched on an intimate part of myself.

'I felt very angry with myself because I kept thinking what I could have done to avoid that. I was cross with myself for walking with him and not staying where I was.'

The woman said she wrote a tweet to charity Sapper Support, which replied saying 'exuberance and fizz were to blame.'

'I assumed it was him. I felt it was very dismissive, and not connecting with the fact that I was hurt,' the woman said.

The victim reported the incident in 2020.

'It happened just before the #MeToo movement which was significant to me,' she explained.

Evers, who has been a firefighter for 26 years, said he founded the charity after hearing about the death of a fellow 'Sapper' from PTSD.

He told the court he had a single glass of champagne at the event that evening.

'This was a big deal for me. We were a very junior charity. I wanted to be able to remember it,' he said.

He said he asked the woman for a picture for his social media and she agreed.

'I put my arm around her waist. I had my trophy in my hand,' said Evers.

'The pictures were blurred, it was dark. I deleted them. I said I wasn't going to bother her again.'

His barrister asked: 'She says you lowered your hand and squeezed her buttocks.'

Evers replied: 'That did not happen.'

He said when he saw her tweet 'I felt sick to my stomach if I'm honest. I was astounded that she thought we did it. So I wrote a clumsy reply at four in the morning.'

In the tweet, Evers said 'too much alcohol and exuberance were probably to blame. No malice, but also no excuse.'

He told the court: 'It wasn't an admission of guilt. It was a badly worded, early morning tweet.

'I asked if any volunteers had had any interaction with her.'

Evers said he deleted the tweet because he got a 'torrent of abuse.'

'It was quite vile. I was called a paedophile,' he said.

Prosecutor Jennifer Gatland asked Evers and asked him why he used the words 'sincere apologies'.

'I wasn't apologizing for anything I've done. I didn't know who had done it... I thought one of my volunteers might have done it,' he replied.

Ms Gatland asked: 'Did you delete it because you realized you were admitting to touching her?'

'No, not at all,' said Evers.

Evers, of Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, denied the charge but was convicted of sexual assault.

The judge had said of the victim: 'I found her a compelling witness. The incident left a lasting impression on her.'

According to the Sapper Support website, Evers joined the Royal Engineers in 1992. 

After an operational tour he moved to 33 Engineer Regiment EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Wimbish, later serving in Bosnia. He became a fireman after leaving the military.

He founded the charity in 2014 after a close friend of his committed suicide after suffering from PTSD, a court heard.

Evers' colleague and close friend Mike Jenkins described him as 'the driving force behind a charity that quite literally saved lives.'

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A Glenrothes sex offender was told his “deviant” sexual interests are legal – so long as he does not act on them.

Richard Heatherill was jailed for a catalogue of offending against multiple teenage girls.

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 A convicted sex offender caught with an indecent image of a child he had downloaded on his laptop has been jailed after he breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Craig Neal Jenkins, aged 52, and from Burton, has been sentenced to two years and two months imprisonment after appearing at Stafford Crown Court on Wednesday, October 19.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order at the same court. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years and made the subject of a further Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was caught on August 2, when he was visited by officers from Staffordshire Police’s Sexual Offender Management Unit, who checked his devices as part of the Sexual Offences Prevention Order he was subject to. The order had been imposed in 2014 and was to last 10 years. A check of his mobile phone identified deleted WhatsApp messages, one of which was an indecent image of a child, said a Staffordshire police spokesman.

Jenkins denied having any other devices. However, a search of his home was conducted following his arrest. A camcorder and several camcorder tapes were recovered and seized by officers. He was found to be in possession of indecent images of children and to have breached his order by deleting his WhatsApp history, failing to hand over devices and using an incognito browser.

Jane Mulliner, from the Sexual Offender Management Unit, said after the court case: "We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously. Jenkins rightly, has very strict notification requirements he is expected to abide by and he has shown a complete disregard and lack of respect for them."

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A convicted sex offender has been jailed again after dressing up as a schoolgirl and asking female pupils: "Do you like my tie?"

Mark Nicholson, 55, sat outside Blessed Trinity school in Burnley, Lancashire, dressed in a white tie, blazer and skirt.

A court heard that he tried to engage in conversation with three girls, aged between 10 and 15, by asking if they liked his tie last November.

Preston Crown Court was also told that in May this year, he met two runaways teenage boys who had been reported missing from their care home.

He took them back to his house where they smoked cigarettes and he gave them a cup of cider.

Kathryn Johnson, prosecuting, told the court: “The police received a call from the safeguarding lead at Blessed Trinity to say that three female children from the school, aged between 10 and 15, had seen a male sat outside on Queen Victoria Road dressed in a school uniform that matched theirs.

“He was wearing a white shirt, a tie, blazer, and a skirt, and had tried to engage in conversation with the girls, saying ‘Do you like my tie?’.

“He was arrested the following day at his home address and the school uniform was recovered by officers from his bedroom.

“The defendant was interviewed the same day and told police he didn’t speak to the girls but accepted that he had been wearing the uniform, saying that he wears it for comfort.

"On May 15, the police were contacted by an engage worker who reported that two children were missing from a residential care home in Blackburn.

“When the children returned, they said they had boarded a hospital shuttle bus and had gone from Blackburn to Burnley. They had met the defendant and asked if they could go back to his home, and he took them.

“While there they smoked cigarettes, and the defendant gave them a cup of cider. They stayed around an hour and then left and returned to Blackburn.”

Defending Nicholson, Anna Chestnutt said his behaviour "had no place" and he would "not be repeating it".

In respect of the offences in May, Ms Chestnutt said her client encountered the boys on a bus and it was them who spoke to him first.

She said: “Nothing sexual took place in the hour they spent at his home address.”

Nicholson has 22 convictions for 60 offences and was previously jailed for 18 months for child sex offences in 2019.

He was jailed for 16 months for two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Stephen Unsworth KC said: “This is a worrying picture that’s presented to the court and is extremely worrying for the parents and carers of these children.

“If there’s any repeat of this behaviour you can expect lengthier periods in prison – you must stay away from young people and must stop this behaviour.”

The judge banned Nicholson from wearing items of clothing relating to a girl’s school uniform and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A brave teen who was raped by her father at just nine years old has decided to share her ordeal as she braces herself for the possibility that he could be released from jail next month.

Danielle Keenan, from Oldham, Greater Manchester, courageously waived her right to lifelong anonymity at the age of 18, so she can tell her story for the first time and warn others about child abuse.

Michael Keenan sickeningly started to abuse his daughter at the age of seven, which was just a year after they had moved to Germany where he had been stationed in the military.

“He said if I told anyone, I would have to shoot him and the Army would make me watch," Danielle told the Manchester Evening News.

"But I just knew he was my dad and I loved him because he was my dad.”

Danielle recalls feeling ill after catching a stomach bug and said she was sick into a bucket when her father sexually assaulted her for the first time around Christmas.

She said: "I had underwear on but he would grind up against the back of me. A couple of weeks later, he came back into my room and did it again.”

Danielle says the abuse worsened when her mother, who has asked to remain anonymous, went into labour with twins. She caught an infection and was in hospital for several weeks, meaning Danielle was left alone with him at home.

“He said he was lonely because mum wasn’t there and it started properly every night," Danielle added.

"Mum went into labour and got quite ill. Before he went to work, he would start doing it every morning and night. He would come into my room and ask me to get into bed with him.

“We lived in Germany and I was away from all my family and friends. We were constantly moving all the time, and that’s one of the things he was banking on. I didn’t have anyone else permanent other than my mum.”

Danielle's dad raped her when she was nine. The horrific attack happened in the basement when Danielle was asked to clean out the rabbit hutch.

She said: “He followed me downstairs. We had a pull-out sofa because it was a kids’ room. I didn’t know what it was, it just hurt. He said if I told anyone, no one would believe me and I would ruin the family.”

Danielle, who now studies health and social care at college, says she tried to tell others about the abuse but “couldn’t find the words” to describe what had happened to her.

It wasn’t until her mother, 38, noticed she had become withdrawn that Danielle was finally able to tell her everything – using teddy bears to show what her dad had done.

Danielle said: “One night, he was in my room and in bed with me as normal. My mum came upstairs to check on me and she looked at me and could see on my face that something wasn’t right.

“I had to use two teddies to show her. I told her everything after showing her. After that, I knew he was lying and they would believe me.

“He denied it. He kept saying it never happened and that I was lying. But when my mum looked at me, he turned and said: ‘She’s telling the truth’.”

Danielle‘s mother can recall the moment she found out what had been happening to her daughter – just by looking into her terrified eyes.

She said: “Leading up to this, I had already been concerned about Danielle. I had spoken to him about it and he said she was probably just adjusting to the move and missing her friends.

“I went upstairs to find him and Danielle’s door was cracked open. He was lay down with her and I didn’t see anything, but I saw Danielle’s face and she wasn't there. It wasn’t my little girl there. There was no life – nothing.”

Danielle‘s mother hesitated in the doorway for a second before the harrowing realisation set in.

She continued: “I swear to God, for two seconds, I don’t even know how long it was, I was arguing with myself in my head. I thought: ‘This can’t be it.’

“He started play-fighting with her because she sat up on her knees and pointed at me. She kept looking from me to him while he tried to play fight with her. It was so staged; I’m not stupid.

“He was waiting for me to leave first, and obviously I wasn’t going to. As he walked out of the room, I shut the door behind him.

“I looked at Danielle and said: ‘Has daddy done something?’ and she said: ‘Yes’. I asked her to tell me and she said she didn’t know how.

“I gave her two teddies and asked her to show me. She put them together and I knew. She touched my face and said: ‘Are you okay mum? Is daddy going to get shot?’“

Keenan, who was 34 at the time, was arrested that night after Danielle‘s mother alerted military police. Keenan walked out of their home, which sparked a police search, before he eventually handed himself into a barracks.

In court, he admitted 10 child sex offences and was sentenced to five years imprisonment in July 2015.

Then, on New Year's Eve of that year, Danielle messaged her grandmother on an iPad and told her she had been raped by her father. The police were immediately alerted.

Following a trial at the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester, Essex, Keenan was found guilty of rape of a child under 13.

In 2017, he was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison. But the dad-of-six, who served with the Royal Logistics Corps, could be released on parole next month.

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A man has been sentenced to more than 12 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to five counts of rape and one count of controlling and coercive behavior.

Initially the victim of the offences – an adult female - had been afraid to report the crimes but after confiding in close family and friends and seeking support, she gave permission for police to be called.

This led to officers arresting Tobias Lee, 32, of Macaulay Road, Rothley, and an investigation being launched.

Enquiries included accessing a phone recording which had been made by the victim which showed bullying and controlling behaviour by Lee as well as obtaining statements.

This included statements bravely provided by the victim regarding the rape offences which Lee had committed against her.

The investigation led to Lee being charged and at Leicester Crown Court last Tuesday (25 October), he was sentenced to 12 years and six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to the offences. He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Support continues to be provided to the victim.

Officer in the case, Police Investigating Officer Anita Vaughan said: “Thanks to the bravery of the victim in reporting these horrendous crimes, we were able to ensure she had the right support available while carrying out a full investigation.

“This led to Lee pleading guilty to the offences and being sentenced.

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A man who was snared by paedophile hunters held a knife to his chest during a doorstep confrontation broadcast live on Facebook.

In footage that has been viewed more than 20,000 times, Lossiemouth sex offender George Innes clutches a kitchen knife to his body and can be heard saying “my life is not worth living”.

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A student flying to Manchester Airport said she "just wanted to have a shower" after a vile sex attack on an easyJet flight.

A court heard how Andrew Reay told the 17-year-old Spanish student that he wanted to "f*** her" and touched her leg while onboard an easyJet flight from Lanzarote on September 2, 2020. Minshull Street Crown Court heard the 46-year-old left his victim feeling "awkward' and 'disgusting" on board the flight - but Judge Maurice Greene allowed him to walk free from court and return to the Canary Islands, insisting that Reay's employees would be 'affected' by a prison sentence for their boss.

Prosecuting, Virginia Hayton, told the court how Reay, who was sat to the right of the student, was "loud and messing around" with another passenger who appeared to be his friend. Reay bought alcohol from the cabin crew and, after consuming it, began to make the Spanish teenager feel "uncomfortable", MEN reports. 

Ms Hayton said: "She tried to move but he would get hold of her arm, telling her to stay." She told the court that after more than an hour, Reay's friend fell asleep, before the defendant 'turned all his attention' to her.

Ms Hayton explained that the teenager described Reay being 'super friendly' and encouraging her to have a drink. Despite making her feel "awkward", Reay "kept on at her" and eventually she "relented" and had a drink.

The court heard that Reay boasted about having taken drugs before the flight - claiming cannabis was "not hard enough" for him so he had "put white powder" in his joints "to make them good". Reay was "touchy" with members of cabin crew, Ms Hayton said, while he continued to grab the girl's arm.

Ms Hayton said Reay opened his legs wide enough to touch the teenager's, which made her feel "horrible". He then placed his left hand on her thigh and "ran it up and down over her trousers", leaving her feeling 'disgusting', the court heard.

"She said she just wanted to go home and have a shower," said Ms Hayton. The court heard how Reay made comments about having sex with the teenager and she pushed his hand away.

Ms Hayton said: "He said 'it's a shame' she was only 17 and 'he would like to f*** her'. She felt like crying. She felt scared. She thought he could get violent at any time."

The teenager called cabin crew, who moved Reay to another seat on the plane. Ms Hayton told the court that another passenger, whose son had autism and wore a head harness, then described Reay "shouting and swearing" at them.

In a statement, the flight's captain said he considered diverting the flight to Birmingham Airport because of Reay's behaviour. But Reay eventually fell asleep in his new seat, and he was arrested at Manchester Airport on arrival.

The court heard Reay, of Lawton Street, Crewe, now lives on the Canary Islands and runs a business there. He had pleaded not guilty to section 3 sexual assault on a female at Manchester Magistrates Court, but was convicted following a trial.

Defending, Eleanor Gleeson said her client "understands the seriousness of the offence" and now shows "remorse" for his actions. Reay had no convictions since the year 2000, and although His Honour Greene said the defendant had a number of difficulties in his youth, had since "made a life for himself in the Canary Islands".

The judge described the incident as "extremely unpleasant", but felt it was "not the behaviour that [Reay] exhibits on a regular basis" - instead suggesting he was affected by the influence of alcohol, drugs or both. His Honour Greene also commented how a prison sentence would have an "effect on his employees" and told court he was following guidelines before sentencing Reay to a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He added: "You targeted this 17-year-old Spanish student who was minding her own business and you were suggestive to her. You gave her little room, opened your legs out so your legs were against her legs, and then rubbed her leg up and down.

"You knew that was unpleasant for her. You said at one point, 'am I making you uncomfortable?'. You knew she was 17 because you said 'it's a shame you are 17 because I want to f*** you.

"This was a young lady of 17 who all she wanted to do was fly from one place to another, and she had to contend with your attentions in a place that she could not really escape, on a plane."

Reay must also pay costs of £400 and had signed the sex offenders register following his conviction.

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A registered sex offender has been jailed for more than two years after he breached a sexual harm prevention order.

Kevin Chaffey, 49, of Meryon Road in Alresford, was previously convicted in April 2022 for the improper importation of indecent or obscene articles, making and possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He was handed a 24-month suspended prison sentence and a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, which prohibited him from having mobile devices without registering them with the police first.

In September 2022 officers found an unregistered mobile phone at Chaffey's home address.

On Friday 21 October 2022 at Winchester Crown Court, Chaffey was sentenced after pleading guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

PC Gemma Southcott, from the Internet Child Abuse Team, said: "Chaffey is a danger to children and the wider public, and this is further evidenced by his complete disregard for the SHPO imposed by the courts.

"These types of order are imposed specifically for the purpose of restricting the activities of sex offenders and protecting our communities.

“There are of course individuals such as Chaffey who deliberately ignore what is required of them, and are rightly sent to prison for this.

“We take the management of sex offenders incredibly seriously, and invest significant resources into doing so in order to keep the public safe.

"I hope this case provides reassurance to people of our commitment to monitoring dangerous individuals in the community, and insuring they are dealt with robustly when they don't comply with what is required of them."

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A PREDATOR who engaged in disgusting sex chats with someone he believed was a young girl has been jailed.

Alan Brocklehurst believed he was flirting with a 14-year-old child in online chats and through WhatsApp on his phone.

When he was asking if she wanted ‘naughty fun’ however, he was in fact communicating with a volunteer online with the purpose of catching child sex offenders and protecting real children.

The 50-year-old was caught and charged with attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempted sexual communications with a child.

He appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, where he was told that the only possible sentence was one of immediate imprisonment.

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, explained how the defendant was using the internet on his mobile phone to access chat rooms and use WhatsApp to talk to someone who was purporting to be a child.

The person in question was a woman volunteering for a ‘child welfare support team’, who had set up a decoy profile claiming to be a 14-year-old girl named Gemma.

Brocklehurst communicated every day with the profile over seven days from December 7 last year, after initiating the conversation on fastflirting.com.

From the outset, the profile declared to the defendant that it was of a 14-year-old girl from Wallsend, with most messages from the defendant ending with kisses.

When informed by the ‘girl’ that she was 14, Brocklehurst said: “It has been ages since I had young p***y.”

He then asked her what she was looking for and gave her his mobile number, after which she asked him to add her on WhatsApp, which he did.

Conversations ranged from him asking to see her in her school uniform to requesting she performed sex acts on herself.

On one of the days, he asked her if she had told anyone about him, and when she said she had not told her mother, Brocklehurst said this was good as she would ‘get mad’.

On another he asked if she wanted ‘naughty fun, while there was also a discussion about her being naked after having a shower, to which the defendant said: “You are gorgeous because you are 14.”. 

 In addition, the defendant requested she perform sex acts on herself, to which the profile confirmed she had.

The following day, he said that one day he hoped she would show him her boobs and asked if she wanted to meet up with him.

Throughout the period, there were requests from Brocklehurst for the girl to send him ‘naughty pictures’ of herself.

Brocklehurst was identified and arrested on December 16 at his place of work, and police seized his mobile phone. He gave no comment to questions during his interview with officers.

In defence of his client, Jeremy Rawson referenced his guilty pleas, ‘remorse and regret’, and the fact that he is a carer for a dependant relative.

“It is sad to see a man of his age come before the court for offences of this type, when the only way to deal with him is an immediate custodial sentence,” he commented.

“He is sorry for what took place during a period of madness, when he indulged in quite shocking conversations, and he now realises the stupidity of what he has done.

“He recognises offences of this type are not victimless. The internet is a happy hunting ground for people who wish to prey on vulnerable victims,” which recorder Mark Ainsworth described as a ‘parent’s worst nightmare’.

Mr Rawson spoke of Brocklehurst’s lack of any previous convictions and asked that the prison sentence of the ‘otherwise decent and hard-working individual’ to be kept as short as possible.

Before sentencing, recorder Mark said: “You will understand now, if you did not before, the serious view courts take of this sort of conduct.

“There is no way you would not have known that Gemma did not exist, and as far you were concerned, you were communicating with a 14-year-old girl, having her perform sex acts on herself and talking in this sexual way.”

Brocklehurst, of Wilson Patten Street in the town centre, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

He must also abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration requirements, both for an indefinite period.

In addition, the court approved an order to deprive the defendant of his mobile phone. 

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A man who was dressed as a woman has been jailed for 12 weeks after trying to have sex with a dog in public. 

Peter Lerwill, 30, was caught in the act by a woman in his hometown in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex, and was initially arrested before being released on bail.

He appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday and plead guilty to attempted intercourse with an animal, resulting in a 12-week prison sentence.

Lerwill has been banned from owning or having control of a dog for five years and is also now a registered sex offender.

Following the incident, which took place in June, the dog was taken to the vet where they determined it had suffered no injuries. The dog was then returned to its proper owner. 

Lead investigator with Sussex Police Oliver Robinson said: “This was an extremely upsetting case where Lerwill preyed on a defenceless animal. This was also a challenging case which relied on witness accounts rather than the victim, as in most cases.

“Thanks to the prompt reporting by the informant we were able to arrest Lerwill and complete forensic examinations within a timely manner which helped secure the conviction.

“The dog was able to be returned to its owner who can be confident that their dog and others cannot be targeted by Lerwill going forward.”

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A "sugar daddy" who attempted to meet a 13-year-old girl was lured into a trap by paedophile hunters.

Paul Cammidge, a married grandfather from Yorkshire, was angling for a sexual encounter with the girl after sending her explicit pictures of himself. But she was actually a decoy, Hull Crown Court heard.

The 64-year-old businessman wanted the girl to watch pornography and suggested meeting up for sex, our sister site the Grimsby Telegraph reports. He admitted attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between November 29 and December 16, 2020.

When talking online, Cammidge boasted to the decoy girl that he was a "sugar daddy". Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said Cammidge went online saying on an adult site that he was a "silver fox" and a "wealthy older man" and a "sugar daddy".

He called the girl "delicious and beautiful" and sent her indecent pictures of himself. At the time he lived in the York area and offered to travel to the decoy's home, supposedly in Yorkshire. He assured that that he would be discreet.

Cammidge has since moved to Grimsby. "He asked her for a naked photo and video of herself, which she declined," said Mr Welch. "He told her not to tell her Mum about their conversation. During the chat, he also started to delete sexually explicit parts of his conversation between them."

Paedophile hunters went to his home and contacted the police. Cammidge was arrested on December 17, 2020. He told police: "Oh, right. I have done it. I shouldn't have done it. I am sorry for doing it. Can you just let me go? I should not have got sucked into this silly thing. What I have done is wrong."

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said: "He fully accepts what he did. He is thoroughly ashamed of himself. He acknowledges his offending. This offending is two years ago and there has been nothing since. This defendant was not, at the outset, seeking out children."

She added: "He retired and struggled to come to terms with his lifestyle and turned to excessive alcohol abuse. He has addressed his alcohol misuse and his addictions."

Cammidge had two adult children and grandchildren. "He has a long-suffering wife of 38 years and she continues to support him," said Miss Kioko-Gilligan. "This defendant's behaviour was outrageous. He knows that he has made their life a living hell."

Judge Mark Bury told Cammidge: "You were in trouble in the 70s when you were a bit of a tearaway but you have lived that down and developed a successful business and earned good money. You retired when you were in your 50s in comfortable surroundings.

"You were in the habit of contacting sex sites to chat with, and possibly meet, like-minded adults for sexual encounters. On one such site, you came across somebody masquerading first of all as a 19-year-old girl.

"You encountered her again but it was clear that she was only 13. In fact, this was a decoy. You were messaging her on WhatsApp. Some of the things that you were saying were totally repugnant. You sent her a naked picture and asked her if she wanted sexual intercourse.

"More seriously, you invited her to watch pornography, aware, as you were, that she was sexually inexperienced. All the time, you were fully aware that she was 13 and you told her not to tell her Mum. You made it clear that you could get into trouble and could go to prison if you were caught.

"It came to an end not because you voluntarily ended it but because paedophile hunters turned up mob-handed at your door and the police were called.

"There's simply too much of this going on. In a civilised society, you simply can't get away with being 64 and contacting a 13-year-old girl for sex. What you have done, I am afraid, is too serious to overlook. I have to look at the harm that you intended "

Cammidge was jailed for one year and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A paedophile who was discovered with a haul of baby rape videos has been sent to prison for 28 months.

The sickening haul was found when convicted sex offender David Robertson was discovered with child abuse material for the third time in a decade.

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