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Description

A Met Police special constable groped a “distraught” 14-year-old schoolgirl in the queue at Tesco.

Hassnain Shahzad, 27, of Ilford Lane in Ilford, then went on to sexually assaulted the schoolgirl a second time as she left the store with her mum.

Despite being convicted of two sexual assaults on the young girl, Shahzad left Inner London Crown Court a free man on Thursday (February 28) after he was given a suspended sentence.

Shahzad was a special constable in the Met's East Basic Command Unit, which covers Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge.

The incident took place at a Bishopsgate store at 10.48pm on August 25, 2023.

Shahzad was queuing up behind the girl and her mum when he passed the victim, touching her bottom.

As it was crowded the victim didn’t realise at first that his actions had been intentional, but she made a mental note of the fact he was carrying pineapple chunks.

When she left the store with her mum Shahzad was caught on CCTV approaching the young girl again on the pavement and touching her again.

The footage clearly showed he was able to avoid the victim but police said he “made a beeline for her”.

The girl bravely alerted her mum about what had happened in the street and in Tesco.

The girl’s mum said: “She was distraught and just wanted to go back home rather than the hotel. At this stage two young women approached us to see what had happened.

“They implored us to go back to the store and see how they could help us. I never got their names but I’m extremely grateful to them for taking the time to talk to us and suggesting we went back to Tesco and see the CCTV.”

She praised her daughter for mentioning the assault and not backing down during the difficult legal process.

She said: “At no point did she say ‘I don’t want to do this’, or withdraw from the prosecution.

“It was a stressful time for her as she had her exams which she completed and never asked for extra help. She doesn’t see it as brave, but I am in admiration of my child.

“Even now, months later, my daughter remains a beacon of kindness and understanding towards others, despite the fear that shadows her every step.

“It's heartbreaking to watch. I’ve seen the way her body tenses, the subtle shift in her expression when she sees men approaching or staring at her. There’s a fear in her eyes that no child should have to experience.”

The mum continued: “Despite this, she continues to show compassion to everyone around her, trying to push through the overwhelming anxiety that clutches at her heart.

“It’s a daily struggle that no one should have to endure, and yet she faces it with such quiet strength. But I can't help but feel the weight of what she's going through and how much more we need to do to protect her, to help her feel safe again.

“That day would mark the tragic end of her innocence, snatching away her right to view the world through the innocent eyes of a child.

“Before the assault, she was a carefree spirit, always bubbling with laughter and playful. She radiated a kind of unfettered happiness that was contagious, relishing the company of her family without a care in the world.

“We’ll never know now what her life would have been like without Shahzad’s actions. I find myself seeking her permission for even the simplest gestures of affection, like a hug. The days of spontaneous affection are gone, replaced by a painful necessity to ask, a stark reminder of the trust that was shattered.”

After being told by the victim that her attacker had bought pineapple chunks, Shahzad was identified by City of London Police on CCTV and via his bank details.

He was arrested at home a month later and a number of items were seized, including clothing identical to that shown on CCTV.

Officers also found video footage on his phone from two days after this sexual assault, showing him filming women on the street without their permission.

Despite the mounting evidence, Shahzad denied the charges and the case went to trial.

The girl’s mum said: “It was an act of cruelty that despite the clear CCTV footage and bank records confirming Shahzad had bought pineapple chunks he still pleaded not guilty. He has shown no moral compass or remorse.

“He’s only sorry he was caught. He was clearly aware of the age of his victim and putting her through the court process that most adults find hard to deal with. We had to listen to his defence suggest that it was a touch you might experience on a busy train. This was not a busy train, this was a wide pavement and he had followed us to continue his attack.”

Shahzad was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

He’s been ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and will be on the sex offenders register for seven years.

(Image: City of London Police) The girl’s mum hopes that by speaking out about the attack, victims of similar abuse might come forward.

She said: “My daughter and I hope that by going into detail about the pain and suffering this has caused us, it will empower more children and women to come forward and shout loudly about the abuse they have endured.

“Protecting children and women from harm is not an awareness day or week, it is an everyday challenge that all in society need to face up to. There needs to be more accountability for men who denigrate women and our schools need to be regularly talking about the dangers children and women face on the streets.

“We’re not speaking for ourselves, but for others who can’t speak out due to the trauma they have endured, or because they have disabilities. Anyone who has been a victim of a sexual assault deserves to be believed, support and given a voice.”

She also praised City of London Police’s Detective Constable Sarah Elsom for her support.

She said: “I reported the crime online the following morning and within 20 minutes someone from the City of London Police called me which I thought was very quick.

“At no stage did I doubt their intentions to support my daughter and fully investigate the case.

“I think it was divine intervention that Sarah was assigned to our case. The dedication of Sarah and her team to pursue Shahzad was remarkable. They did not stop until he was found, arrested and brought to justice.”

Description

A manipulative sex offender who groomed a young boy has been jailed for four years.

Caitlin Hutchinson groomed the boy over several months, sending him sexually explicit text messages and making him carry out sex acts on her. Her offending came to light when the boy bravely told his parents about what had happened, and Hutchinson was arrested.

She initially denied the offences in interview, telling officers the boy had forced himself on her.

However, the evidence proved otherwise, and she was charged with six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a boy, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child, and causing or inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity.

In a victim impact statement, the boy said: “The last 18 months have been hell for me, going through what she put me through and keeping it from my family because I felt ashamed.

“I’ve changed so much because of what I’ve been through. I don’t want to be around women alone because I don’t feel safe, even around women I know because I don’t want to be targeted and manipulated again.

“I struggle to get to sleep every night, sometimes not getting to sleep until the early hours of the morning due to the thoughts going through my head of what happened to me.

“I have no motivation in life anymore and struggle every day with emotions, anxiety and depression.

“I feel like I will never get over what she has done to me, that I am damaged, and that I will never be fully happy. I just want a normal life and I don’t feel that my life will ever be normal again.

“I hope I can move on with my life, although I feel I cannot forgive her for ruining my childhood.”

Hutchinson, of Roker Avenue, in Sunderland, admitted the offences and appeared at Durham Crown Court on February 27 for sentencing. The 21-year-old was jailed for four years and placed on the sex offender register indefinitely.

She was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) preventing her from having contact with children under 16, and prohibiting her from using social media websites without notifying the police first.

Description

A Wakefield man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexual offending against a teenager in Calderdale.  

The Calderdale District Online Investigation Team has welcomed the sentencing of Luke Townend, aged 25, from Wakefield.  

He was sentenced to three years in prison on 21 February following a three-day trial at Bradford Crown Court.  

The 25-year-old was sentenced for causing a male to engage in sexual activity without consent and breach of an existing sexual harm prevention order.  

The court heard that Townend had contacted his teenage victim online and then committed the offending against him in 2024.  

He was arrested on 19 August 2024 and charged two days later, before going on trial in February this year.

DS Darren Heald of the Calderdale Safeguarding Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “We are pleased to see Townend behind bars for the sexual offences he committed against a vulnerable victim, who he treated in the most predatory and exploitative fashion. 

“I want to commend the courage of the victim in coming forwards to report the offending against him and then supporting a prosecution.  

“His bravery has helped ensure this male has been made to answer for his criminal offending.”  

He added: “All reports of sexual offending made in Calderdale or anywhere else in West Yorkshire are investigated by specialist safeguarding detectives and we continue to urge victims to come forwards.  

“All reports will be thoroughly investigated with the needs of victims at the heart of our investigations.” 

Description

THIS Pontarddulais sex offender sent a picture of his penis to who he thought was a 13-year-old girl, having already repeatedly breached a court order.

Daniel Owens was described by a judge as “undeterrable”, as he returned to court to be sentenced for his latest offences.

The court heard that Owens had previously been sentenced three times for breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Paul Thomas KC said: “Despite all that assistance, despite all those chances, none of those constructive sentences have brought about any change.”

He sentenced Owens to a total of 18 months imprisonment, with an additional two-year extended licence period.

Swansea Crown Court heard that Owens contacted who he thought was a young girl on an online messaging application on October 6. The ‘girl’ was actually a decoy account.

Prosecutor Regan Walters said the defendant’s profile read: “Here to have some fun and spread my seed”, and included a topless picture of himself.

Owens asked the ‘girl’ to move the conversation on to WhatsApp or Snapchat, and the decoy said they were 13 years old. However, he continued to send her his number and asked her to message him on WhatsApp.

The defendant video called the decoy three times and phoned them in order to try and verify they were a real child, Mr Walters said.

Owens turned the conversion sexual, and messaged “Would you like to see it though” and sent a picture of his penis.

He also solicited sexual pictures, and told the ‘girl’ that he would show him ejaculating to them.

The defendant was reported to the police, and South Wales Police attended his address on November 1.

Owens was arrested, and officers seized his phone, laptop and PlayStation console. They also seized a telescopic baton.

He admitted he was the only person who had access to the messages on his phone, and added that he wasn’t aware that it was against the law to have a telescopic baton.

The court heard that Owens was a registered sex offender, and had been made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order in 2016 after being sentenced for sexual assault.

Owens, 29, of Fford Cambria in Pontarddulais, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child, sending a photograph of his genitals to cause alarm, distress or humiliation, breaching a sexual harm prevention order, and possessing an offensive weapon in private place.

“He’s undeterrable isn’t he?,” said Judge Thomas. “He continues to commit offences.”

Owens must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Description

A chef who subjected three women to sexual assaults and told one of them “I’m always going to sexually harass you” has been spared jail.

Andrew Kerr also held a knife to a woman’s side and told her: “I could kill you right now if I wanted to.”

Description

A woman was drugged by a convicted sex offender who shaved her pubic hair and raped her while she was unconscious. He also sexually assaulted her with a sex toy which left her in pain worse than childbirth.

Jake Pinhorn, 33, met his victim on an online dating site and went on to sexually abuse her at a hotel in Caerphilly after forcing her to drink a green liquid. She was knocked out as the defendant committed a number of sexual acts upon her designed to humiliate her.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant and the victim had initially met on an earlier occasion when they had consensual sex. When they met in Caerphilly Pinhorn produced a green liquid which he forced her to drink. She swilled some of it in her mouth before spitting the rest out.

The victim fell in and out of consciousness as a result of a drug in the drink and recalled hearing the sound of an electric razor and Pinhorn doing something to her. She noted a black pump and felt pressure near her vagina. The victim fell asleep and woke up in great pain. She went to the toilet and "felt her insides were going to fall out." That morning she and the defendant showered separately and he tipped the contents of the bin into a plastic bag. He then dropped her off at the train station and left.

Prosecutor Dan Jones said the victim returned home and had a bath when she realised her pubic hair had been shaved without her consent. She reported the matter to friends but it wasn't until three years later she contacted the police after watching a programme featuring a woman who had experienced similar trauma.

Pinhorn, of Percy Gardens, Worcester Park, London, was arrested and interviewed, telling police all sexual acts had been consensual. He was released on bail in the meantime. The defendant was later arrested again after an IP address linked to his home had been involved in the sharing of indecent images of children on peer-to-peer software. Electronic items were seized from his house and an ASUS laptop was examined. The device was found to contain 2,987 category A images, 3,214 category B images, and 8,095 category C images, a total of 14,296 indecent images.

During questioning Pinhorn initially claimed the laptop belonged to his then partner, who was subsequently arrested, but he later accepted responsibility for the images. The defendant pleaded guilty to rape, assault by penetration, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of indecent images. He was also in breach of a sexual harm prevention order issued when he was convicted of possessing indecent images in 2018.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by Mr Jones the victim said: "Since making the decision to report the rape my life has never been the same. I struggle to sleep and have constant nightmares. I have the sensation of someone constantly on top of me trying to rape me. I wake up and my bed linen is on the floor where I have been kicking during the night from feeling scared. I have cried so much, in shock and not understanding why I've changed so much.... I'm taking medication for anxiety and depression but I don't feel like it's helping. I think about what happened daily and waiting for the matter to come to court has made it worse.

"I struggle not knowing what happened when I was unconscious or if the defendant took pictures of me. I remember the pain in my vagina, I suffer flashbacks and feel scared. Before this incident I was very social and would go out every weekend but since this incident I struggle to trust anyone, I stay at home and don't go out."

In mitigation the court was told the defendant's actions were "against the grain" and an "isolated aberration." Since his remand in prison it was said Pinhorn had been on suicide watch.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You shaved her pubic hair to degrade her and prepare her for rape, penetrated her with a sex toy you brought to the hotel, causing enormous pain and suffering, it was pain she felt was worse than having a baby... You carefully planned to drug, rape and humiliate her."

Pinhorn was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he will be considered for parole.

Description

A former Olympic swimmer who represented Britain in the 2012 London Games has been jailed for 21 years for raping two teenage girls.

Antony James, of Crownhill was convicted by a jury last October at Plymouth Crown Court of eight charges, including three counts of rape, three of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He had previously pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of a child, although prosecutors at the court were at pains to explain these were effectively cases of production, as he had urged the two girls - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - to take indecent images of themselves which he then asked to be sent to him.

The jury could not reach a verdict on one count of sexual activity with a child, and five counts of rape and the Crown Prosecution Service did not continue with those charges. The trial judge directed not guilty verdicts for three counts of intentionally encouraging/assisting an offence.

During the opening of the case against James, now 35, prosecutor Lee Bremridge said the former Olympic swimmer met and effectively groomed each of the girls, revealing his "perverse sexual needs and desires".

The jury was told that following James' arrest in 2022 police found evidence of James using the Chaturbate sexual internet site and recovered messages from 2019, where he referenced the name of an underage girl who he later went on to rape.

One of his victims bravely read out a victim impact statement in court, saying that James has "stolen a portion of my life" and left her feeling "vulnerable, weak and trampled".

At his sentencing hearing today, Judge Robert Linford told James he was satisfied that one of his victims took indecent photos of herself at his request and sent them onto him.

He said James had an "entirely nonchalant" attitude towards the allegations when he was interviewed by police, claiming it was "entirely consensual".

He said James had "groomed" the girl and "ruthlessly exploited" their needs for his own ends. He said he left one of his victims feeling ashamed of her own body and that she would "never forgive you" for what he'd done to her, leaving her suffering debilitating panic attacks and turning to a clinical psychiatrist to manage her anxiety.

He accepted James had no previous convictions and his advocate's observations that he had represented the country at the Olympics and Commonwealth games, had done charity work and that the sentence he would serve in prison would be "alien to you".

He handed James an eight years jail sentence for the rape of the first girl and 13 years for the two offences of rape of the second girl. In both cases the girls were over 16 but still teens.

The sentences were to run consecutively, totalling 21 years. He was told he would serve two-thirds - 14 years - before being released on licence.

He was placed on the Sex Offender's Register for life and made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 25 years.

Description

A "dangerous offender" with a series of sexual offences sent two young girls sexual content on WhatsApp whilst asking them to do the same. Ethan Owen, 30, was at the time a registered sex offender for life and under a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Martha Smith-Higgins told Cardiff Crown Court Owen had been on a Fortnite game with two primary school-aged girls after they were added to the game. He subsequently added them both to a WhatsApp group named "bad" where he could see they were clearly children from their profile pictures.

On the group Owen sent horrible messages inciting sexual activities and one of the victims described the pictures and videos as being "disturbing" and featuring naked men and women. The court heard the girls initially thought he was a "normal person" but this quickly changed when he sent various pictures and videos which showed his genitals, him and a woman having sex and him performing sexual acts alone.

He asked one of the girls to send a picture of her genitals and told her to perform sexual activities. The court heard one of his messages said he was "going to come to her house and do something to her" and after he was blocked he tried contacting one of the girls through his girlfriend's phone.

Ms Smith-Higgins said Owen has "a number of relevant previous convictions" with seven convictions for 31 offences. His offending began in 2009 when he was 15 years old and he is currently serving a 50-month recalled prison sentence.

He has breached a sexual harm prevention order on several occasions and has also been charged with threatening behaviour and failing to comply with a community order. John Ryan, representing Owen, told the court his client is now receiving one-on-one psychological intervention which he is finding very helpful and stressed that although his client has a string of previous convictions none of them were hands-on offences.

When sentencing, Judge Francis was keen to point out that "none of this behaviour occurred in a vacuum." She continued: "During the time you were involved, and knowing what both girls looked like, you nonetheless indulged in sexual conversation with them. You sent them images, sexual images and asked one to send you intimate photos.

"This offending did not happen in a vacuum. You have a significant history of sexual offending. You have been appearing before the courts for it since you were a teenager. The fact of the matter is your offending has gone on for so long and been so similar."

The judge listed Owen's previous convictions and said he was classed as a dangerous offender in 2013 when he was given an extended sentence. She added: "You were a dangerous offender then and you are a dangerous offender now."

Owen had pleaded guilty to all six offences at a plea and trial preparation hearing. He was charged with causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch an explicit act and the breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

Owen, of Vale of Glamorgan, was sentenced to an extended sentence of five years, 40 months custodial and five years on licence with the lead offence of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He will continue to be under a sexual harm prevention order for life and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

Colin Milton, from Blackpool, repeatedly raped and physically assaulted a 16-year-old girl who he was in a relationship with.

The 58-year-old was aged 36 at the time of the offences which took place between 2003 and 2005 in the Middlesbrough area.

A court heard how Milton used to lock the girl in the house to prevent her from leaving.

In April 2021, the victim reported the offences to Cleveland Police and an investigation began with specialist detectives from the Historic Investigations Unit.

At the time of the offences, the court heard the girl was too afraid to disclose what Milton was doing as he made threats to harm her family.

During the investigation, detectives uncovered Milton had also sexually abused a 12-year-old girl while at a property in the Middlesbrough area.

When Milton attended an interview to be questioned on the offences, he gave a prepared statement denying the allegations and answered no comment.

Milton, who pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing, appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday 24 February to be sentenced for rape, false imprisonment and three counts of indecency with a child.

A judge told him he would serve 26 years. He was sentenced to serve 21 years in prison and a five year extended licence on release.

Description

A serial sex attacker who raped two women and attempted to rape a teenage girl has been jailed for 24 years.

The latest of Alex King’s attacks took place in September 2023 when a teenage girl was attacked by King after he offered to help after the car she was travelling in had broken down.

The now 27-year-old told his victim that he was going to take her back to her home – instead he subjected her to a terrifying series of rapes and threatened to kill her. 

He eventually let the teenager out of the car and she managed to flag down a member of the public who called police.

But in a bizarre set of circumstances King rang police a short time later – explaining that he had simply been a good Samaritan and a girl had attempted to blackmail him.

The two incidents were swiftly linked, and King was arrested at his home in Dudley Drive, Littleover.

With King in custody officers from the force’s specialist rape team found significant similarities between the case they were investigating and an incident that had occurred in Littleover the previous month.

In that incident a teenage girl had reported that a man in a dark coloured car had attempted to drag her into his car in Chain Lane, Littleover.

She had managed to fight him off and escape – and he had driven off.

Officers made enquiries about King’s movements on that night and found that his black BMW matched the description of the offenders car – and he had been caught on his doorbell CCTV camera leaving his home in the timeframe the offence took place.

With the two offences now linked detectives were concerned that King may have been the perpetrator in other offences. His home gave him easy access to the A38 and a trawl of offences with similar circumstances was conducted with surrounding forces.

It was through that trawl that officers linked King to a reported rape in Newark in September 2019 where a teenager reported to police that she had been raped by a man following a party.

Initially no charges had been brought, however, after the victim was contacted again she was able to confirm that King was the man who had attacked her.

King was eventually charged with four counts of rape for the September 2023 incident, one count of attempted rape for the August attack, and one count of rape for the 2018 incident.

He eventually pleaded guilty to all offences and today (24 February), at Derby Crown Court, he was jailed for 24 years with an extended licence period of six years. He will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Description

A SEX offender who accessed the internet just 10 days after being handed an order banning him from doing so has been locked up for two-and-a-half years.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Kieron Mead, now 34, was made subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in June 2023 after being convicted of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Prosecutor Aimilia Katsoulakis said that police officers found he had been using several social media platforms, sending messages and participating in chats, during a routine check in August 2023.

He had also been using a Harry Potter-themed app to communicate with others.

He was arrested on suspicion of breaching his SHPO and several devices were seized including an iPad, a Samsung mobile phone, and an Xbox console with hard drive attached.

The police also found a smartphone, which Mead had not presented and which violated prohibitions, putting him in breach of the SHPO.

The smartphone showed evidence of Facebook activity under an account called “Kieron Meadonator Mead” that had sent messages to a female just 10 days after the SHPO was imposed. He was prohibited from using Facebook.

A year later officers made a further visit to Mead’s home and asked him to hand over his devices. He presented a Nokia non-smartphone and a laptop.

The laptop contained numerous emails from a dating website and evidence that Mead had logged into his account.

He denied he had any other devices but when the officers heard a notification sound he retrieved a Samsung tablet from under his bedcover, which he claimed was his mother’s.

However she later confirmed he exclusively used it.

The tablet was found to have an active game running, with a chat function that was considered to be an unauthorised messaging platform. The tablet also contained Snapchat, which Mead was prohibited from using.

He was arrested for breaching his SHPO and the laptop and tablet were seized.

In May and June 2024 Mead used various social media platforms to chat under several aliases with females, which were not registered with police and therefore represented further violations of the order.

During three police interviews he gave “no comment” answers to all questions.

Mitigating, John Bottomley said Mead, of Canterbury Crescent, Halifax, had had issues in terms of his upbringing, including emotional development that led him to communicate better with children than with adults.

He described the offending of Mead, who had spent 242 days, or almost eight months, on remand as “snowballing”.

Mr Recorder Andrew Haslam KC said Mead, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, was guilty of persistent breaches of his SHPO.

He said: “You must have bought another device to access the messaging platforms and Snapchat after the police seized your smartphone in August of the previous year.”

He described Mead’s breaches as “persistent” and that his repeated offending over a 12-month period was aggravated by the first breach being committed “within a matter of days” of the SHPO being made.

Sentencing Mead to a total of two-and-a-half years imprisonment he said he would serve up to 40 per cent of that in custody minus time spent on remand.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE who was on bail after he downloaded indecent images of children went on to groom a vulnerable girl and meet her in a field.

Steven Pearson, 44, had contacted the girl on an app called Roblox and travelled from London to meet her in the Manningtree area last October.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard on Friday how the girl had gone missing from her address after saying she was going to meet her teenage boyfriend.

Callum Munday, prosecuting, said the girl’s grandfather spotted her about an hour later and saw she was being followed by Pearson.

Pearson told officers at the scene he was “just exploring the countryside and saw a girl that needed help” when he had in fact been touching her sexually.

Mr Munday said: “Officers found Pearson was on police bail for other child sex offences – he was prevented from having unsupervised contact with children under the age of 18.”

When police examined Pearson’s devices, they found he had sent messages to an account which read: “Love you princess, have you had a good day at school?”

The girl told police Pearson had contacted her on the Roblox app before the two then communicated on the messaging app Discord and arranged to meet.

The court heard Pearson had also been engaged in sexual communication with a decoy account and that he believed he was talking to a 13-year-old girl and asked her to take pictures of herself at school.

Pearson, of Somerfield Road, Islington, London, admitted two charges of engaging in sexual communication with a child, and one charge each of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, sexual assault of a girl under 13, causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

Jack Coyne, mitigating, said Pearson accepted he is sexually attracted to children and that he does not enjoy having become “a pariah”.

He said: “He’s got no friends, no family – nobody who wants to speak to him.

“A large part of that is due to his offending, no doubt. He is not seeking sympathy but those are the circumstances for him.”

Sentencing Pearson, Judge Mary Loram KC said the offending was aggravated by the fact he was on bail for previous sex offences.

She said: “There can be no doubt to how vulnerable she was to people like you, who would prey on her and manipulate those vulnerabilities to their own ends.

“You travelled some distance to meet with her – your intention was to have sex with her.”

Pearson was jailed for ten years, registered as a sex offender for life, and ordered to serve a 20-year sexual harm prevention order to stop him having contact with anyone under the age of 18.

Description

VICTIMS of a paedophile who "took advantage of their vulnerabilities for his own gain" have spoken out to safeguard the next generation after he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Sixty-seven-year-old Barry Farrant sexually abused his victims in south Essex in the 1990s and 2000s, before they both came forward and spoke to officers in 2020.

After years of investigation by Essex Police's child abuse investigation team, he was charged with seven charges of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14 and five charges of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14 in July 2023.

One woman said: “Barry Farrant entered my life while I was still trying to learn the world around me.

“Taking advantage of my vulnerabilities for his own gain, he created a life that no child should experience.

“When I spoke to Essex Police in 2020 I was no longer able to bury the mental and emotional pain I was suffering.

“The last four years have been difficult, upsetting and important not just for me but for any child who has experience abuse like the abuse Barry Farrant inflicted upon me.

“I gain no pleasure from speaking up, and struggle to think of strangers seeing this side of me, but what feels right is knowing that by doing this I can play a small part in safeguarding the next generation against the very real monsters threatening to take away another childhood.”

Farrant, of Front Street in Durham, had denied the offences but a jury found him guilty of all charges at Basildon Crown Court on December 5.

He was sentenced to 14 years in prison and a further two years on licence at the same court on Friday and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order preventing him from any contact with children and requiring him to inform the police of any future relationships.

Description

A 31-year-old registered sex offender has been sent back to prison after he breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

James Coombes, previously of Northampton, was convicted in 2016 of causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of children.

He was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register as a result and issued with a SHPO, meaning that he had to abide by some very strict conditions when he was released from prison.

He was also subject to unannounced visits from Northamptonshire Police’s MOSOVO Team. These visits could happen on any day and at any time.

So, on February 10, when the team visited his home address in Northampton and examined his devices, they discovered that he had used electronic cleaning software on his computer and removed 4.3gb of data which he said he had used to clear gaming files.

The use of this software, however, was prohibited, and Coombes was arrested and charged with breaching his SHPO.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Northampton Magistrates’ Court last week (February 11) and was sentenced to one year in prison.

Description

A convicted child sex offender is back behind bars after he deliberately deleted an app designed to monitor his online activities.

David Smith had only been out of prison for a few weeks when he carried out a factory reset on his mobile phone claiming he had inadvertently downloaded a virus while searching for a horror film.

The 60-year-old’s fanciful claim was categorically dismissed by a judge as he was locked up for more than two years for the order breach.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in 2021 and he had been caught by an undercover police officer trying to arrange to have sex with a mother and daughter.

Judge Richard Bennett said: “In full knowledge of the terms of your SHPO, you reset your mobile telephone and in the process you deleted all of your internet history and you also removed the risk management software installed on your device.

“You claimed to the police that you did so because you downloaded something onto your mobile that contained a virus – I make it clear that I reject that explanation entirely.

“I’m satisfied that there was no such virus and you deliberately deleted this phone to hide evidence. I’m satisfied you deleted this telephone because you knew there was material on it that you did not want the police to see.”

Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said Smith had only had the monitored mobile phone for a few days before he admitted deleting the monitoring app.

“He had only been released from prison on December 19 as a result of a conviction for failing to comply with his notification requirements and breaching his SHPO,” she said.

Smith, of Hartington Road, Stockton, who pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching his sexual harm prevention order following his arrest on January 21 this year, was jailed for 28 months.

Michele Turner, mitigating, said her client was the one who contacted the police to inform them that he had deleted the monitoring app off his phone but accepted that he often acted on impulse.

She added: “The pre-sentence report doesn’t make happy reading. The defendant is well aware of its conclusions and his almost inevitable custodial sentence.”