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A former secondary school teacher who sent vile videos of himself to ex-pupils has been given a community sentence.

Gilles Brown, a former history and modern studies teacher, was earlier convicted after a trial of sending lewd videos to three young women.

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A SEX offender branded a "serious risk" to women and children has been jailed after repeatedly trying to drag one young victim into an alleyway to assault her.

Steven McMaster was locked up on an extended sentence after admitting sexual assaults on children under 16, as well as repeated sexual communications to other adult females.

The 42-year-old sexually assaulted one teen at an address in Cumnock, during car journeys at unknown locations and elsewhere, seizing the girl by the waist and pressing and rubbing his body and privates against her body.

McMaster also admitted placing his hand on her thigh on various occasions during the course of car journeys between April 2022 and July 2023.

He admitted sexually assaulting another teenager at a property in the town, as well as in an alleyway, by repeatedly seizing her by the body and dragging her on an occasion between April and July 2023.

He pleaded guilty to a third charge of intentionally sending sexual written communications to an adult female, causing them to look at a sexual image, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, or humiliating, distressing or alarming them.

He admitted sending messages to her and an image of himself naked on various occasions between May and June 2023.

McMaster admitted repeatedly sending sexual communications to another woman without her consent at an address in Cumnock on July 1, 2023.

A sentencing hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court was told last week that one of the young victims was left "crying and visibly distressed" after being sexually assaulted by McMaster.

The court heard that the creep tried to drag one complainer into an alleyway and she managed to get away, however, she was "scared and shaken" after the incident.

Describing further offences, the procurator fiscal depute said a woman received a message from McMaster on SnapChat stating she looked "sexy in her leggings".

On occasions, she saw the accused looking at her in her bedroom and he said she was "sexy" and that he "wanted to kiss and cuddle" her.

Other messages stated she "looked sexy and beautiful" and "loved that her top showed her boobs and nice bottom".

He sent further messages saying "nice bum" and telling her that he wanted "to come to her home and feel her bottom", stating that he was "looking at it when she bent over".

The fiscal depute said: "On a separate occasion, he also sent a nude image of himself.

"She contacted police and showed screenshots of messages from the accused."

McMaster sent another female victim several lewd messages about her privates.

The fiscal depute added: "She told police she did not know why he was sending messages and that this was not welcome.

"The accused was arrested and conveyed to Kilmarnock police station.

"Officers were made aware he was subject to investigation for the sexual assaults."

Defence solicitor Derek Pettigrew said: "He is now 42 years of age. No further matters have come to light.

"He is now distant from the community he lives in, exasperated by the commission of these offences.

"This is very serious offending and he appreciates the gravity."

Sheriff Scott Pattison said: "Your offending is very serious.

"You repeatedly tried to drag [one of the victims] into an alleyway, this is serious sexual offending. It's just fortunate she was able to disentangle herself.

"Given the seriousness of this offending, two charges against children and of a predatory nature, a custodial sentence is inevitable. You are not going to avoid that.

"I'm satisfied that the normal period of licensing would not be enough to protect the public. At the moment, you pose a serious risk of harm to women and children."

He was given a four-and-a-half-year extended sentence, with three years to be spent in custody.

He was also placed on a further 10-year sexual harm prevention order prohibiting contact with children and entering parks.

He was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely, with non-harassment orders made for all four complainers.

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A "misogynistic bully" who threatened to share intimate images of a woman he had raped has been jailed for 15 years.

Jordan Wagstaffe, 26, also beat his victim's dog with a baseball bat and threatened her children until she relented to his demands for sex, Teesside Crown Court heard.

The woman said Wagstaffe, of Richmond Street in Hartlepool, was a "dangerous" man, while Judge Jonathan Carroll said he posed a "high risk" to women.

Wagstaffe admitted threatening to publish sexual images of her and was found guilty of six other offences including multiple rapes.

Judge Carroll said Wagstaffe's actions were a "truly shocking example" of a "bullying male".

'Distorted' sexist

Wagtsaffe used "psychological torture", violence, which included striking her with the baseball bat, and deeply offensive insults to "grind down" her resistance to him, the judge said.

The rapist had shown a misogynistic sense of "absolute sexual entitlement" fuelled by his general attitudes towards women, Judge Carroll added.

In a statement read to the court, the woman said she was "devastated" by the impact Wagstaffe had had on her, adding he deserved imprisonment.

The judge said Wagstaffe was of low intelligence and, until he tackled his issues with alcohol and "distorted" and entrenched sexist beliefs, he would remain a "high risk" to the public and women in particular.

Having been deemed a dangerous offender, Wagstaffe will also have to serve a further three years on extended licence upon his eventual release from prison.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life and abide by a restraining order, which includes a ban from entering his victim's home town, until he dies.

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A teenager downloaded hundreds of photos and videos of child abuse. Most of the indecent images found on Alan Mohammed's computer were in category A – the most serious type.

The 18-year-old, of Maesglas Crescent in Newport, pleaded guilty to the possession of 251 images in Category A, 52 in B, and 16 in C as well as 41 prohibited non-photographic images of children. He also admitted he was hoarding six extreme images showing "a person performing an act of intercourse with a live or dead animal".

Mohammed's offending took place between December 2022 and March 2024. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court where Judge Celia Hughes sentenced him to 30 weeks in a young offender institution suspended for 12 months. She also imposed 100 hours of unpaid work, 26 rehabilitation activity sessions, £200 in prosecution costs, a £41 victim services surcharge, and five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Mohammed must register as a sex offender for the next seven years. The judge ordered that the desktop computer where he stored the illicit images be destroyed.

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A man has been sentenced to 16 years after he was found guilty of raping a woman in Ross-on-Wye.

Mustafa Ogur, of Brookend Street in Ross-on-Wye, was found guilty after a trial at Worcester Crown Court and was sentenced yesterday (Monday 7 April).

Following his sentence in prison, he will remain on extended licence for eight years and be subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

An investigation was launched after a woman was raped near to Three Crosses Road and Springfield Road in the early hours of Sunday 21 July in 2024.

CCTV showed the 24-year-old preying on potential victims before the attack and witnesses described how he used Google translate on his phone to tell them ‘I want to make love to you’.

Ogur was arrested and charged with rape and sexual assault on 25 July 2024 and when officers entered his home they discovered him in the shower, having shaved his hair in an attempt to change his appearance and evade being recognised as the suspect.

Herefordshire CID Detective Inspector, Ben Pearson, said:

“It takes such bravery to first report and then talk about such a horrific experience, and I commend the victim, who has shown incredible strength and courage throughout the investigation and trial. I understand that nothing will ever take away the pain and suffering from such an experience.

“I am pleased with the sentencing given to Ogur yesterday. I’m unsure if a person capable of such an evil crime would reflect on the harm he has caused an innocent person, but I do know Ogur is a dangerous individual who will thankfully no longer be amongst our community for some time.

"It is never too late to report a sexual offence and if you have been a victim or you know someone who has been a victim of this crime, please know that we are here to listen to you and support you through every step of the process."

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An NHS worker concocted a "ludicrous" explanation after sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl, claiming they were merely "play fighting."

Leam Lock, 42, of Chatteris Court in St Helens, squeezed the girl's bottom, kissed her with his tongue in her mouth, groped her breast, and told her he "wanted her so bad" and that she "shouldn't tell her mum what happened," Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Fiona McNeill said the victim reported the incident to her mother and a friend, prompting police involvement. Lock then claimed the girl had licked his face and her "tongue had accidentally gone in his mouth."

In a statement read to the court, the victim described feeling "sad and low" and "finding it difficult to trust any men." Lock has one prior conviction for theft.

Defense counsel Steven Swift noted Lock's "very positive work ethic," his 12-year role as a payroll operations manager, and no relevant prior convictions. References from his sister and mother highlighted the "high regard" his family holds for him. Swift added: "It was only after the case concluded that the defendant confided in his siblings. He has been trying to deal with this matter on his own for some time now."

A jury convicted Lock of one count of sexual assault of a child. He shook his head as Judge Ian Harris jailed him for two years, with a woman in the public gallery waving as he was led away.

The judge told Lock he had "behaved disgracefully to the child" and invented a "ludicrous explanation," adding: "At trial, you were to say, ludicrously, that [victim's name] licked your face and that her tongue accidentally went into your mouth.

"She says her trust in men has been ruined. She still feels pained by what she has been through.

"Your mother and sister set out how you have assisted your parent and how you have cared for others. You have no relevant or recent convictions.

"Although suspended from work, you held a reasonably responsible job in the payroll department with the National Health Service."

Lock was also handed a restraining order which will prevent him from contacting the complainant for 10 years. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for the next decade.

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A senior doctor at a major Welsh hospital abused his position and power in order to sexually assault female members of staff, a court has heard.

Naleen Thota attacked his victims when they were on duty after he ensured they were alone together and there was no one around who could see what he was doing.

Swansea Crown Court heard statements from the victims in which they detailed the doctor's offending and its impact on them, with one saying how he "wielded his position of power like a weapon to hurt me and silence me". The judge said the two complainants had shown "enormous courage and strength" in reporting the assaults and then in giving evidence against the defendant at trial.

The court heard 55-year-old Thota was a senior doctor in the intensive care unit at Swansea's Morriston Hospital when he cornered and sexually assaulted his two victims, the sex attacks taking place on different days. The court heard the assaults were not reported by the women at the time as they were concerned about his position of power in the hospital and were worried that they would not be believed. The offending was eventually reported but the defendant denied any wrong doing and the matter went to trial.

Naleen Thota, of Keepers Close, Penllergaer, Swansea, had previously been convicted at trial of two counts of sexual assault when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

In statements read to the court by prosecution barrister Craig Jones, the complainants set out the impact of the assaults on them. One woman described how Thota had "wielded his position of power like a weapon to hurt me and silence me". She said she was afraid she would not be believed if she reported the assault and felt isolated and scared.

She said the "violation" at the hands of Thota took her mental health "to a very dark place" but said the guilty verdicts of the jury had restored her belief that if you speak up, people will believe you. In her statement, the second victim described the defendant's behaviour as "predatory and calculating" and said he had sought out and groomed his victims. She said Thota presented a "friendly façade" to fellow doctors which hid his true nature, and she said she had sought counselling to try to deal with what he did to her.

Hywel Davies, for Thota, said the defendant trained as a doctor in his native India then moved to the UK some 22 years ago and had spent all but one month of that time in Swansea. He said a meeting to determine the defendant's employment locally was due to take place soon, and he said whether Thota would ever practise medicine again was unknown.

The barrister said that whatever the sentence imposed by court, the reality was the family would likely have to sell their house and downsize and, because of the shame the defendant had brought on the family, likely move to another area. He said the defendant was already doing work to address his views about the workplace, and he invited the court to find that the prison sentence that was due for the offending was not one that had to be served immediately.

Judge Catherine Richards said the two complainants had shown "enormous courage and strength" in reporting the assaults and then in giving evidence against the defendant at trial. She told Thota that like sexual offenders before him "these offences were born out of the exercise of power that was used against these women without regard to the impact on them". She noted the defendant's seniority in the hospital and his reputation among colleagues but said it was exactly those factors which made Thota think that he could get away with his behaviour, and she called it a "gross and calculated abuse of power and position". She told Thota he had brought shame and disgrace on his family.

The judge said the offending clearly crossed the custody threshold and the real question for the court was whether immediate custody was the only appropriate punishment. She said the defendant's continued denial of guilt meant there was little prospect of rehabilitation and she noted the doctor's career would, "rightly", be curtailed in the future which would reduce his risk of re-offending.. The judge said she also had in mind the impact of immediate prison on Thota's wife and daughters, and the current prison population.

Thota was sentenced to 21 months in prison suspended for two years and was ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work and to complete a rehabilitation course. He was also made the subject of 10-year restraining orders. Thota will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.

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A paedophile oil worker, caught after cybercrime investigators discovered he was using his home wifi at St Cyrus to share sickening content online, has been jailed.

Alan Moir, 43, was given a four-year term by judge Lady Haldane at the High Court in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

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A teenager from Crewe "took advantage" of a 14-year-old girl who was heavily intoxicated at a party to engage in sexual activity with her. Owen Zissler, then 19, had been invited to the gathering as he was old enough to purchase alcohol for the underage attendees.

However, when the girl went upstairs, Zissler followed her and committed the offence. At Mold Crown Court, the now 21-year-old defendant admitted to having sexual activity with a child and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Prosecutor Mark Connor revealed that the incident occurred in North West Wales in 2022. The victim, who cannot be named, had gone to a shop in Gwynedd with her friend and Zissler to buy booze, including vodka and a crate of beer.

After returning to the party, she went upstairs to her bedroom to fetch something.

Zissler followed her and began kissing and touching her. The girl said she was okay with that, but she did not want to have sex, yet Zissler forced himself on her, reports North Wales Live.

Mr Connor added: "The defendant purchased alcohol for all of the children and took advantage of the fact that (the girl) was very drunk."

When the girl's father came home and discovered what had happened, he rang the police.

Upon arrival, two officers found the girl looking "visibly upset". She said she couldn't recall what had happened because she was too drunk.

Samples were taken, and Zissler's semen was found on her underwear.

Previous phone text messages revealed that Zissler was aware of the girl's age, 14. When questioned by police, he gave no comment answers during multiple interviews.In a victim statement the girl said she had felt uncomfortable when the two paramedics who arrived were male.

She finds it difficult to trust people, is afraid of bumping into Zissler and felt she would be better off dead.

She went into a downward spiral, mixed with the wrong crowd and took drugs. But she is no longer friends with that group.

Simon Rogers, defending, said Zissler, of Haslington near Crewe, had been immature. He struggled with dyslexia at school and was moved to a school for pupils with additional learning needs, losing contact with his friends.

But he is remorseful and is in a relationship and has a five-month-old child. The judge His Honour Niclas Parry said: "You saw her going upstairs.

"You saw an opportunity and you followed her and began sexual activity immediately."

The effects made her contemplate taking her own life, he added.

But he accepts he is remorseful and it was out of character. Jailing him, he made him subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order both for ten years.

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A drama teacher who engaged in sexual activity with three teenage girls while working at a school in South Lanarkshire has been jailed.

Craig Smith, 43, preyed on the girls who were in fifth and sixth year at a secondary school between 2015 and 2016.

On Tuesday, he was jailed for two years and three months.

Smith took advantage of his “position of trust” by messaging them compliments on Facebook.

He sent two girls indecent images of himself.

The ex-principal teacher later became physically involved with both pupils while they were in the school’s drama department.

Smith was suspended after he was caught sending a third girl – aged 14 – a sexualised message, which sparked the investigation into his conduct.

The drama teacher had appeared on TV shows River City, Gary Tank Commander, and Soapstars and had performed at the Edinburgh Fringe.

The first-time offender pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to engaging in sexual activity with the three girls.

The court heard that one of the girls was prone to panic attacks and received a Facebook message “apparently concerned for her welfare”.

Normal topics were discussed at first, but things escalated with Smith sending more sexualised messages.

He said: “You looked really good today, you looked good in uniform.”

Smith sent a naked image of himself during the conversation.

Smith went on to be physical with the girl in the drama department.

Prosecutor Jenny Reid said: “Smith kissed the girl and touched her… this lasted five minutes.”

He also performed a sex act on the girl.

He committed two more acts on the girl in the department’s drama base and control room.

The girl blocked Smith on social media upon leaving school at 18 years old and did not hear from him again.

Meantime, Smith sent another pupil compliments on Facebook, telling her she looked “hot”.

He sent indecent pictures and videos of himself.

Smith kissed the girl in the drama department and touched her body before having her perform a sex act on him.

Smith’s messages to the girl stopped once she left school.

The third girl was 14 when Smith messaged her on Facebook in 2018.

He asked her inappropriate questions and requested a picture, which made the girl feel “uncomfortable”, and she told him “no”.

The matter was reported to the head teacher and the police were contacted. 

The father-of-two was suspended.

Chris Broadley, defending, told the court: “He tells me that this was a former life and something that happened some time ago and that in 2025 he views things differently.

“He appreciates the serious nature of his conduct.”

Smith was put on the sex offenders register.

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A man has been given a 24-year sentence for a series of sexual offences against children in Leeds.  

Karl Davison, 43, of Turnberry Gardens, Tingley, approached all of his victims on an electric scooter last summer, in some cases talking to them about the scooter or letting them ride it before assaulting them.  

Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court in February, Davison was convicted of three counts of sexual touching on a child aged under 13, one count of assault by penetration on a child under 13 and one count of sexual assault on a child under 16.  

The offences relate to five female victims aged as young as 10 and occurred in Thorpe, Middleton and Belle Isle on 6 and 7 August last year.  

Davison was caught after officers on patrol in Lofthouse stopped a man matching the description of the offender in the early hours of 8 August.  

Despite giving false details, Davison was quickly identified and arrested.  

Police then searched his home and found a mobile phone containing a large amount of explicit images. Davison pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing indecent images of children before his trial.  

Today (8th April), Davison was given a 24-year sentence consisting of 17 years in prison and a 7-year extended license period. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order which includes a ban on him entering parts of Wakefield and Leeds. He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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Police discovered Peter Jemmett had committed sexual assaults over nearly 20 years after his arrest in a paedophile hunter sting in March 2023.

Officers seized his phone and found 42 videos of him abusing a sleeping or deeply intoxicated man, recorded from February 2004 to just a day before his arrest.

The victim was unaware until informed by police and confirmed he "had not consented to any of the acts" and was "very shocked" upon learning of the abuse. Jemmett, 63, formerly of Marshalls Cross Road in St Helens, now claims he is "at a loss" as to why he did it.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the footage showed Jemmett kissing the victim, exposing and touching his penis, and performing oral sex. The assaults stemmed from messages with a decoy child account on a dating app and WhatsApp. He also shared explicit images of the victim with the group, falsely claiming they depicted himself.

In April 2024, Jemmett was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and lifelong sex offender registration for the messaging offenses.

Defending, Charlotte Kenny said: "It is difficult to know what to say in cases of this nature. It is a most unusual case. He has suffered a stroke. He is left handed. He is unable to use his left hand now and has general mobility problems.

"He was educated at a special school. He has speech difficulties.

"He has presented over the years as a somewhat isolated character. Mr Jemmett informs me that, at the time when these acts were taking place, he too was also under the influence of alcohol.

"He does not have a history of earlier offending so far as sexual deviancy is concerned. When I asked the defendant why he thinks he committed the offences, he says that he is very much at a loss."

Jemmett admitted four counts of sexual assault. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for an additional 40 months and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC said: "Not only did you sexually assault him, you did so when he was either asleep or passed out through alcohol. You set up your phone to record on video the acts that you carried out.

"These video clips ranged from a few seconds up towards minutes of activity, throughout which he was utterly unaware of what was going on.

"That this happened on so many occasions over such a prolonged period when he was unconscious and asleep are significant aggravating features.

"The further aggravating feature is that you actually chose to share some of these images to another, that other in fact being a paedophile hunter group who you were corresponding with."

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A Perth “pimp” who badgered a schoolgirl into creating OnlyFans-style content for his commercial gain has been blasted by a sheriff.

Sleazy Stuart McClure managed the teenager’s account, uploaded degrading photos and videos and pestered her when she was at school with customer requests.

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A 73-year-old Dunfermline charity shop volunteer quizzed a 14-year-old boy about his penis size and sexual history.

William Fraser began the sexual conversation with his victim at The Salvation Army in High Street on November 9 last year.

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A fleeing sex offender's attempts to escape justice have been branded "pathetic" by police after he failed to return to court to hear the jury's verdict.

Paul Ashworth, 71, was sentenced to nine years in prison and an additional year on licence at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

He had previously left the court when the jury retired to consider its verdicts on 7 February and failed to return in the afternoon when the verdicts were to be delivered.

Ashworth, of Wannock Close in Carlton Colville, was found guilty in his absence of three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 years old, relating to three separate victims aged between the ages of four and 11 which occurred between the early 1980s and early 2000s.

The court issued a warrant for his arrest and Suffolk Police traced him to Portsmouth after identifying his bank card was being used there.

Officers made inquiries with hotels in the area and found Ashworth had booked into one under an alias after getting a bus to Portsmouth city centre.

He was arrested at the hotel on 26 February and remanded in prison before his sentencing hearing on Monday.

Ashworth had pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children and to absconding from court while on bail.

Det Sgt Kate Bond from the East Public Protection Unit said: "Paul Ashworth's pathetic attempt to evade justice by leaving the court when the jury went out was a final act of utter contempt on his part towards the victims.

"The crimes he committed were unspeakably abhorrent and robbed the victims of their childhoods."