Latest Offenders

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A paedophile who penned creepy handwritten letters to 'sexy' women claiming to be their secret admirer has been locked up. Convicted sex offender Danny Patrick secretly kept watch over his four unsuspecting victims before finding out where they lived and delivering anonymous letters to their doorsteps.

The 36-year-old even put his mobile number on the notes after asking the women to text him with their name and age to find out who he was and what he wanted. But his clumsy mistake meant police were able to easily trace him and pin him to the 'deeply sinister' crime.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how Patrick is a registered sex offender who is managed by an officer and subject to a sexual harm prevention order. His first victim received his handwritten letter through her front door on the morning of August 31 last year.

Patrick wrote "you are so sexy" before leaving his mobile number and telling the woman to "text him" so she could discover his true identity. The woman shrugged off Patrick's letter, believing it had either been incorrectly sent or it was a 'prank', prosecutor Ms Coton said.

But she received another letter two days later which said "I want to s*** you" and "look forward to hearing from you" before signing off the note with "your admirer". She checked her Ring doorbell footage and spotted an unknown man hand-delivering the letter and so reported it to the police.

Ms Coton said the woman was 'distressed', adding: "She keeps thinking that he will come back to her home where her and her family live. She was scared to go out in case he was watching her house."

A second woman returned home to find an envelope left in her hallway on November 17 last year. A handwritten letter inside it said Patrick - of Brantley Avenue, Finchfield, Wolverhampton - had 'had his eyes on her for a while' and described her as 'sexy'.

It then read: "Nobody has to know me and you touched." The letter also included the convict's number and was signed off "your admirer".

Ms Coton said: "She was left scared and panicked at the thought of someone watching her. She had no idea who it was. She did not recognise the number."

The woman, who said she was concerned about travelling to and from work, then notified police. In a statement, she said: "It has left me feeling scared, anxious, nervous and fearful of what may happen going forward."

A third woman received a handwritten letter in an envelope which had a stamp but no postage mark on it on November 28. Patrick's letter was similar to the previous ones he had sent, Ms Coton said.

He asked the woman, who was 18 at the time, to text her name and age to find out his identity. But her mum ripped up the note 'in disgust' after opening it on her daughter's behalf.

In a statement, the victim said: "Since receiving this letter, I feel very uncomfortable and anxious to be at home. I have also changed my travelling habits and my routine over concerns of who may be watching me."

The fourth woman came home at about 3pm to find a white envelope on her doorstep on December 2. It also had a stamp but no postage mark on it and was addressed 'to the female occupier', the prosecutor said.

It included the same content as previous letters, which left the woman feeling 'scared, paranoid and uncomfortable' as she feared she was being watched. Patrick was arrested at home and went on to deny he was responsible for sending the letters, claiming he 'stays at home and does not go out'.

But he 'bowed his head down' and remained silent when police played doorbell footage of him at one of his victim's homes. The sex offender admitted four counts of sending a letter/communication/article conveying indecent/offensive messages.

He has six convictions for eight offences including having indecent or pseudo photographs of children, attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming. Patrick has also previously appeared before the court for breaching his sex offender prevention order and notification requirements.

Thomas Duggan, defending, said the paedophile understands he could have caused the women 'stress'. Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Gosling said Patrick's previous convictions pointed towards an 'unnatural interest in children'.

He said the messages were 'deeply concerning', adding: "This was persistent. It clearly involved some planning.

"He left his own mobile [number] which the police had little difficulty in tracing. This was a deeply sinister and unpleasant crime.

"You must have followed these women. They were terrified they were being watched by a sexual predator and had no idea what to expect next.

Patrick was jailed for 20 months and handed a 10-year restraining order on July 4

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A teenage pervert has been ordered to stay away from under 16s after being caught with a sick haul of indecent images featuring children as young as three.

Jace Jojo, 19, was caught with more than 500 videos classed as category A, the most serious kind.

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18-year-old Dylan Paul Ansell appeared at York Crown Court today and was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institute for making and distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography and a prohibited image.

He was also handed a ten year sexual harm order, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a 5 year restraining order.

Ansell, now of Camping Close, Haddenham, Ely, formerly of Harrogate, answered no comment when first interviewed regarding the allegations and content found on devices seized from his address on Friday 20 August 2021.

However, during a trial at York Crown Court he later pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of children, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography and one count of possession of a prohibited image.

Ansell also pleaded guilty to stalking, using false social media accounts to repeatedly target a victim, which has had a lasting impact on their day-to-day activities.

Speaking today after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Sullivan of the North Yorkshire Police Online Child Abuse Team said,

“The devices seized from Ansell’s home were found to contain hundreds of illegal images and videos - including category A indecent images of children, prohibited images of children between the ages of 3 and 17 years, as well as extreme pornography.

“Ansell also manipulated photos of children that he knew and shared them with others online, without their knowledge, for sexualised purposes. He was also actively involved in an online network that created and shared indecent images of children.

“His actions have caused significant distress to his victims, including one of whom he repeatedly stalked using false social media accounts. In addition to this he has shown blatant disregard to the bail conditions that were put in place, by repeatedly attempting to contact the victim, causing additional stress and anxiety. He has shown absolutely no remorse for this.

“I’d like to commend the bravery of that victim and their family, who due to Ansell’s repeat offending had to endure a prolonged investigation. They have all shown strength and determination throughout our enquiries and the resulting court process.”

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A man who plied a 12-year-old with wine and raped her has been jailed.

Brian Hoad, 66, first attacked the girl in the 1980s and repeatedly raped her over further four years -including when other family members were in the house.

The woman reported the “abhorrent” and “detestable” abuse years later, Hoad was found guilty of four counts of raping a girl under 16 and two counts of sexual assault on a girl under 16.

The abuse was reported to Sussex Police in June, 2021, and Hoad was arrested the following day.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty at trial of all six counts.

Sussex Police have now praised his victim’s courage to come forward and report the crime.

Detective Constable Emily Turner said: “Brian Hoad abused his position of trust and responsibility in the most abhorrent ways, robbing his innocent victim of a normal childhood through his own depraved actions.

“His detestable crimes have had a long-lasting impact, but thanks to her bravery in coming forward he will now spend a significant part of the rest of his life in prison.

“The courage to confront her accuser, support the investigation to prosecution and help bring him to justice cannot be overstated. I would like to personally thank her.

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"No always means no" - That's the message from officers after a rapist was jailed for 15 years.

Martin Lee, 40, previously of Hexham, forced his victim to have sex with him despite her frequent pleas for him to stop. Last year, his brave victim came forward and reported the abuse to police. Lee was subsequently arrested and charged with rape.

He initially denied his guilt but on the day that his trial was due to begin at Newcastle Crown Court in April, he changed his plea to guilty and admitted three offences – including two counts of rape.

And on Friday, July 14, he was back at the same court where a judge sentenced him to 15 years behind bars, placed him on the sex offenders' register for life and handed him a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim.

Detective Constable Lynsey Oliver, from Northumbria Police's safeguarding unit, led the investigation. She said: "Lee's offending had started to follow a very dangerous pattern – more than once he was told unwaveringly no by his victim, who was clearly distressed and attempted to fight him off.

"He is a dangerous man and our area is most certainly safer with him behind bars. I want to praise the survivor for contacting police and for continuing to assist with the investigation, trial and all court proceedings. It is thanks to her that a predatory man is behind bars. I sincerely hope her bravery and this sentence will give other people the confidence to come forward and speak with police."

She added: "I hope this sentence serves as a stark warning to those with an unlawfully blurred view on consent that no always means no. If a person tells you no, attempts to push you away, freezes, or very clearly becomes distressed, it is clear that they have not given you consent to touch them.

"Someone consenting to go on a date with you, allowing you in their home or even being in a relationship with you absolutely does not equate to automatic sexual consent – no scenario or relationship does. No one should ever have to endure this type of assault and support is available from our officers and the many fantastic charities we work closely with.

"If you have ever been a victim of any type of sexual assault, we're here for you."

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Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

A former cathedral verger has been jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage boys.

Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years on Thursday after pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual abuse.

The first victim was assaulted between 1969 and 1970, when McCleester was a child welfare supervisor at a Hampshire boarding school.

The second victim was sexually abused when he was the head verger at Southwark Cathedral in the 1980s.

He abused the victim, who was a chorister, at his flat, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The victims came forward in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

'Lifelong trauma'

McCleester pleaded guilty to carrying out sexual abuse between 1968 and 1987 on 26 June at Inner London Crown Court.

Momata Matin, senior crown prosecutor from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit in London South, said: "McCleester flagrantly abused his position of authority and trust within the communities he served to commit vile offences against young boys, leaving lifelong trauma.

"The abuse has clearly had a profound impact on the victims.

"I would like to highlight the bravery of the victims and thank them, the witnesses, and the prosecution team, for helping bring McCleester to justice.

"The first victim sadly passed away after giving police his evidence, so was unable to hear the guilty verdict.

"I hope his family can have a sense of peace knowing that justice has been finally served."

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A Plymouth man has been jailed for sexually abusing a girl at Burrator reservoir 26 years ago. Stephen Hoskin, 52, of Saltburn Road, Plymouth, initially stood trial at the court on four charges relating to an incident which took place sometime between January and June in 1997.

Hoskin was accused of raping a girl under the age of 16 at the reservoir, two counts of indecently assaulting the girl and one count of committing an act of gross indecency with a child. Hoskin had denied all the charges.

At a trial held at Plymouth Crown Court in March this year, Hoskin was found guilty on two charges; one of indecent assault and one of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency, both of which were committed against the same victim. He was cleared of rape.

Read next: Stalker victim says he made her life hell and got her arrested and sacked

At the trial, the court heard that the victim was under 16 when subjected to the abuse in 1997, when Hoskin was in his mid to late-20s. Although the offences were originally reported to police in the summer of that year, no charges were brought against Hoskin but after the victim, now an adult, contacted Devon and Cornwall Police in 2020 to better understand why the case had been closed, changes and developments in investigative approach were available.

DC Craig Ferguson then reviewed the evidence and conducted a fresh investigation which had access to better technology and forensic techniques, and new information had come to light. Key witnesses were identified and interviewed, along with family members and retired professionals.

The victim was also re-interviewed with the help of specially trained officer, PC Helen Winterson, who remained engaged with the case and supported the victim throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Based on the new findings, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that Hoskin should be charged with a number of serious sexual offences.

His honour Judge Peter Johnson sentenced Hoskin to eight years in prison for indecent assault and two years for gross indecency, to be served concurrently. He told Hoskin that he would serve half of his sentence in prison and the other half on licence but warned him that if he breached the terms of the licence, he would go back to prison.

He will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. In sentencing him, HHJ Johnson said: “(The victim) has lived with your actions since 1997 and I do find having heard her impact statement that these offences which you committed have had a profound effect on her, both at the time that you committed them and throughout her life to date.

“You are a conceited and self-entitled man.” The court heard from the victim in her impact statement which was read out to the court by DC Ferguson on behalf of Mr Sean Brunton (KC) the prosecuting barrister in the case.

The victim explained that she had lived her life in the shadow of what Hoskin had done to her. She explained that she felt that while her body had grown, her mind and mental state had been stuck on pause - forever remaining that scared little girl.

She described that she hated Hoskin for what he had done, explaining that she could never outrun the trauma of what he had put her through and that she had lived a life sentence herself. After sentencing, DC Ferguson said: “On behalf of the victim and her family, I welcome today’s outcome and Stephen Hoskin’s imprisonment.

“Hoskin was a grown man when he targeted the victim in this case, a girl under 16. She was an inexperienced child who was terrified of him. I wish to pay tribute to the victim, who has not only shown tremendous resilience and courage in finding the strength to reconnect with Devon and Cornwall Police, but also in providing further evidence and attending court.

“The strength that she has shown in coming to court to face her abuser cannot be overstated. I hope that today’s sentence helps her find some peace and enables her to start healing with her family.

“Devon & Cornwall Police takes all reports of sexual abuse seriously, regardless of how long ago it may have happened and will gather any evidence as required to take appropriate action in line with the victim’s wishes.

“Victims will be listened to sympathetically and will be guided through the criminal justice process with the support of our partner agencies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). We are committed to improving outcomes and the journey for victims through what can often be a traumatic and difficult process, ensuring safeguarding and appropriate support.”

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A 'violent' Scunthorpe rapist has been jailed for 11 years.

Ceirion Jones, 24, of Valley View Drive, Scunthorpe, was convicted of six offences which happened between 2014 and 2017. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Jones was found guilty after an 11-day trial at Grimsby Crown Court of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration. Humberside Police praised the victims for their bravery and courage during the investigation.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Megan Sherwin said: Jones is a violent offender who continues to show no remorse for his crimes, putting his victims through the stress of a trial instead of admitting what he has done.

I am reassured that he is now off our streets and is facing considerable time behind bars. I hope he uses that time to reflect on the harm he has caused and the impact that his perverse attacks have had on the lives of others.

I want to take this opportunity to praise the victims, who have all shown great bravery in speaking out about their ordeal. It is because of their courage, throughout both the investigative and judicial proceedings, that Jones is now locked up and unable to prey on anybody else.

I hope that this sentence sends a clear message to any other victims of sexual abuse that we will listen and support you and we will investigate thoroughly, doing everything we can to bring offenders before the courts.

If you are a victim of crime, or have concerns that someone you know is, please call us on our non-emergency 101 line or 999 in an emergency.

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A non-binary sex attacker who molested a sleeping child during a campaign of abuse has been allowed to walk free from court. Oliver James Bond, who changed his identity after being convicted of a sex attack on a transgender victim in a previous case, dodged prison for a second time.

The 32-year-old, who was called Lucas Cole throughout the latest trial, started sexually assaulting the boy while he was 15 or 16 years old. A jury at Perth Sheriff Court found that Bond carried out further attacks on the same victim over a period of six years.

Bond was found guilty of indecently assaulting the boy at an address in Milnathort between July 1, 2010 - when the victim was 15 - and December 31, 2010. Bond carried out a serious sex attack on the boy while he was asleep and incapable of giving consent.

The fiend was found guilty of sexually assaulting the same victim in Kinross between September 5, 2013 and September 4, 2014 in an attack which started with Bond repeatedly grabbing the teenager's private parts. Bond struggled with him, and pulled down his trousers and underwear, before performing a sex act on him.

The jury also found Bond guilty of sexually assaulting the victim in Milnathort between September 5, 2014 and September 4, 2016 by touching his private parts while he was asleep and incapable of consenting. The Crown gave special notice to lead evidence of Bond sexually assaulting a transgender victim in Perth on 14 May 2018 whilst they were intoxicated and could not consent.

Bond denied indecently and sexually assaulting the male complainer in the latest trial and claimed they were consensual acts between "friends with benefits". The jury took an hour to find them guilty. Jurors heard the victim describe how he had been sleeping and had woken up to discover Bond carrying out a sex act upon him.

The accused confirmed they were Oliver James Bond to the court clerk, but was referred to throughout the trial and sentencing as Lucas Cole and mainly by the pronoun "they/them". Sheriff David Hall placed Bond on the Sex Offenders Register for five years and under social work supervision for 18 months.

They were placed on a curfew for six months and ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.

The sheriff said: "With some hesitation I am going to allow you to remain at liberty. You were convicted by the jury of all three charges. You just don't get the seriousness of this matter."

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, noted that the complainer had spent further time with the accused after the attacks and had given evidence in his defence in the transgender case. He said his client would be "particularly vulnerable" in prison.

But Sheriff Hall said: "That doesn't excuse his behaviour, which he doesn't appear to accept any responsibility for at all. The complainer came across as a pretty vulnerable individual."

In October 2019, Bond was convicted of sexually assaulting a transgender woman at a flat in Perth. She gave evidence in the latest trial to show the similarity of the attacks.

Fiscal depute Lora Apostalova said the incidents were "strikingly similar" as the victims had been asleep and incapable of giving or withholding consent in both cases. The transgender witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, she how she was sexually assaulted at Bond's Perth home in May 2018.

She told how they downed a bottle of Midori and watched The Big Bang Theory before she fell asleep. Later, she said she woke to find Cole touching her penis under her clothing.

Ms Apostalova said: "She was not able to give full consent to what was happening to her body. My trousers were definitely not unbuttoned when I lost consciousness. Oliver was touching me. He had his hand under my underwear."

Bond was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 21, 2019. Judge Lord Tyre said it would have been an "extremely distressing experience" for the woman.

He also ordered Bond to engage in offence-related work under social work supervision.

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A respected academic has been jailed for arranging to meet what he believed to be a 14-year-old boy for a sexual encounter weeks after taking up a post at Durham University.

Dushmanta Kara, who left behind a wife and child when he came to the UK to take up the position in Durham, made contact with a profile ‘TwinkFreeNow’ on the online gay dating site Grindr, on April 25, the day it was posted.

Durham Crown Court heard the profile, with a picture of a boy with short dark hair, was, in reality, a decoy generated by an undercover police officer.

The court was told that although purporting to be aged 18, the minimum age for Grindr users, the decoy soon revealed to Kara that he was 14, as there is no age verification required to use the site.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, told the court the defendant’s profile indicated he was just four kilometres away from the location of the police operative posing as the boy.

Kara sent a picture to the decoy of his naked upper body and they discussed sexual activity they would like to perform on each other.

The ‘boy’ told Kara that he was “new to it” but told him he was free that night and alone at home, so they arranged to meet.

Mr Newcombe said they exchanged photographs of each other and they were able to track each other's locations as they made their way to the rendezvous site, in Gilesgate, Durham.

But on arrival at the meeting point, Kara was arrested.

He told police he had been using Grindr since his arrival in the UK in February and accepted being involved in the exchange of messages in which he said they had discussed, “kissing, cuddling and oral sex”.

But Kara claimed he believed the boy to be aged 18, although he accepted the profile picture posted by the decoy looked younger than that.

By the time of his first crown court appearance, on May 26, however, the 31-year-old defendant, of Steavenson Street, Bowburn, admitted charges of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

He appeared at court for sentencing today (Thursday, July 13) assisted by a Hindi interpreter.

Mark Styles, in mitigation, told the court that having spoken to the defendant about his situation: “The reality is this has had the most enormous impact on him.”

Referring to character references presented to the court by fellow academics, Mr Styles said: “He’s clearly highly thought of by his peers.

“He has a dependent wife and young child and the impact on them is profound.

“He has lost his good name and lost his post at Durham University, having been dismissed in early June, which has left him on limited resources.

“He was very isolated, lonely and vulnerable in the UK, having arrived in February, knowing no one.

“He was naïve in the extreme to get involved in this criminal offending.

“The possibility of a 14-year-old with a household available for sexual activity seems barely credible, but he was drawn in by the decoy.

“He’s anxious to return to his home country and to start afresh.

“He’s been in regular contact with his wife.”

Judge James Adkin told the defendant that when told the ‘boy’ was 14, “that didn’t seem to be a problem" to him.

“Penetrative sex was contemplated by you when you arranged to meet the police decoy in Gilesgate, where you were arrested.”

Referring to the latest sentencing guidelines for the offences admitted by Kara, with a starting point of five years and a range from four to ten years, Judge Adkin said: “There has been a hardening of attitudes to this sort of offending.”

But he said there should only be a small deduction for the fact the boy did not actually exist, in circumstances such as this case.

He said mitigating features were the defendant’s previous good character, his prompt admissions at crown court and the respect he has in the academic community.

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A dangerous offender from Bradford has been locked up for 22 years after he was found guilty of 22 offences including rape and threats to kill.

Dale Osborne, 43, was convicted by a jury on February 13 of nine rapes, six actual bodily harm offences, one attempted rape, one sexual assault, three threats to kill and two false imprisonments. The offences related to three victims and took place between 2002 and 2014.

Appearing before Bradford Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday (July 13), Osborne, of Deanwood Court, was jailed for 22 years. He must serve a minimum of two thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release.

A further Dangerous Offender provision was also made which means he must remain on licence for a further seven years after the 22-year custodial period ends. Osborne was also issued with a lifetime restraining order preventing him from contacting his three victims directly or indirectly.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Detective Inspector Ian Cottrell of Bradford Safeguarding Team said: "Osborne is a danger to women and we welcome the significant sentence handed down to Osborne today.

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A drunk man filmed himself raping and sexually assaulting a woman while she was passed out through a combination of medication and alcohol. Derby Crown Court heard how the victim repeatedly said no to Janis Vizulins when he tried to have sex with her before she fell asleep but, after she did, he decided to abuse her anyway.

The 33-year-old's victim only realised days later what had happened to her when she saw he had recorded it on her mobile phone. The distraught woman called a friend in tears and was persuaded to contact the police.

Jailing the defendant, of Grosvenor Street, Allenton, for four-and-a-half years, Recorder Graham Huston said: “This was humiliation, she was not aware of what was going on, she was in a particularly vulnerable state because of the effects of the medication. I am not suggesting in any way you plied her with alcohol and medication.

“There was initial consent given for some form of sexual activity between you but there came a time when you continued to assault and rape her without her consent and knowledge and that behaviour goes somewhat beyond what is acceptable.

“By your guilty pleas you rightly have shown regret and remorse and the enormity of your behaviour became clear to you when you realised what you had truly done.”

Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, said the rape took place at an address in Derby in January of this year. He said both parties had been drinking and went to the property where some consensual sexual activity happened.

The prosecutor said: “There came a time when he wanted more and she repeatedly said ‘no’ and asked him to stop requesting but she fell asleep and when in drink he ignored her.

“Days later, when she viewed the video, she contacted her friend on the telephone, she was crying, asking her friend to come round. She said (on the night in question) she had taken some medication and did not consent to that act and so they both went to the police.”

Mr Singh said Vizulins was arrested and at first denied that he had raped her. But he later pleaded guilty to rape and assault by penetration.

He has three previous convictions but nothing relating to sexual activity. Steve Gisnell, mitigating, said his client had provided him with three character references which “spoke of a very different person” to the one who carried out the sexual offences. He said: “He has taken responsibility for what he has done, alcohol had been taken by both parties and he believes that impaired his decision.

“If he had been a sober man with his wits about him this would not have happened. He knows of the dangers of becoming inebriated to such a stage that he carried out this unlawful act. He knows it was an awful offence.”

As well as the jail term, Recorder Huston handed Vizulins a 10-year restraining order not to contact the victim and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

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A "predatory" kickboxing coach has been jailed for an extra four years for sexual offences against children.

David Prosser, 64, was already serving a 24-and-a-half year sentence following convictions in 1997, 2009 and 2019 for grooming and abusing his students.

He was jailed at Isleworth Crown Court in London on Thursday for abusing five boys under 16 between 1989 and 1996.

A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) praised the "strength and bravery" of the victims.

Prosser is from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, but committed the majority of his offences while living in London between 1980 and 2000.

Most of his victims were targeted after attending one of his makeshift clubs in pubs, community centres and schools.

He would then single out a would-be victim, praise their skills, and then offer them one-to-one tuition at his home.

Prosser would then groom them with alcohol, cash, cigarettes, drugs and gifts before abusing them.

The five victims from the fresh case were students at his club.

'A lot of courage'

Prosser was handed the extra jail term after pleading guilty to a count of indecent assault on a male person and indecency with a child.

He further admitted seven counts of indecent assault on a boy under 16 and four counts of gross indecency with a boy under 14.

Melissa Garner, senior crown prosecutor with the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit at the CPS North London, said: "This case demonstrates the CPS do not hesitate to prosecute perpetrators of sexual abuse where there is sufficient evidence regardless of how long ago the crimes were committed.

"It takes a lot of courage to come forward as an adult to report what happened to you as child."

She continued: "The victims have shown a great deal of strength and bravery in reporting these crimes and supporting the prosecution and I would like to thank them for their resilience.

"I sincerely hope that this sentence will now provide a sense that Prosser has been brought to justice for his crimes against them."

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A former assistant headteacher has been jailed for child sex offences in Cornwall.

75 year old Terence Burke - who now lives in Swindon -abused two teenagers in the early 2000s while he was the safeguarding lead at Falmouth School.

He's been sentenced to 18 years in prison this afternoon at Truro Crown Court and also placed on the sex offender's register.

The two women involved in the case have only been identified as Child A and Child B - 10 years of his sentence relate to offences committed against Child B, and the other 8 for offences against Child A.

In one of the victim's impact statements, she said 'No one should ever have to go through what he did to me.'

The judge noted in his summing up 'It is clear you abused your position... cont given your role as the safeguarding lead at the school, it is hard to think of a more serious breach of trust.'

Devon and Cornwall Police's investigative officer Detective Constable Isabelle Woodall said: “I am delighted by today’s outcome and sentence which I sincerely hope will bring a sense of justice to the victims.

“These were appalling offences committed against some of the vulnerable schoolgirls that Mr Burke, as assistant head teacher and safeguarding lead at Falmouth School, was tasked to protect, and constitutes a gross breach of trust.

“Today’s result is a testament to the bravery of the victims and witnesses who assisted with the investigation and attended court to give evidence.

“Whilst nothing will change the impact of this man’s offences on our victims, It is my hope that they will now be able to put these awful events behind them and move on with their lives.”

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Burke exploited his position of trust as an assistant head teacher to sexually abuse pupils who had been placed in his care. These crimes can have a devastating and long-term impact on the victims, and the women in this case have shown immense bravery in coming forward and reporting what happened.

“We hope that they are now getting all the support that they need, and they can find some comfort following Burke’s sentencing today. It is so important that anyone who has experienced sexual abuse knows who they can speak to and is confident they will be listened to.”

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A dangerous sex offender has been returned to jail after he breached a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Karl Townsend, 49, was released from prison in March and was living in Emscote Road, Warwick. He had served a 10-year extended sentence for sexual assault on an adult woman.

Upon his release he was made subject to a SOPO that, amongst other things, prohibited him from ‘loitering in any place’.

On 10 June, Townsend's monitoring tag showed him leaving his home and walking into Leamington where he spent time in Victoria Park and the Pump Room Gardens.

Within 35 minutes Townsend was arrested in Warwick New Road, Leamington.

On arrest it was clear he had put on a dark coloured hairpiece during this time, it is thought to disguise himself.

Appearing at Warwick Crown Court last week he was jailed for 28 months.

Detective Chief Inspector Karl Faulkner from Warwickshire Police said: “Townsend is an extremely dangerous man and as soon as he was released from prison in March, he was under close supervision to ensure he was unable to cause any harm.

“SOPOs are extremely powerful tools that allow us to control the behaviour of dangerous offenders, preventing them from committing further criminal acts. As soon as we became aware Townsend had breached, he was arrested, put before the courts, and jailed.”