Latest Offenders

Description

A 74-year-old man has been jailed for following a child into toilets and sexually assaulting him.

Michael Lamb, from Levens Drive in Carlisle, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on Thursday 31 August.

Following the incident he was arrested and admitted the charge of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that a 13-year-old boy had gone into the toilets in Market Hall, in Carlisle on 1 February 2023, where Michael Lamb followed him.

The boy went into a cubicle but Lamb followed him inside and put his hand over the childs mouth, telling him dont say anything or Ill hurt you. Michael Lamb put his foot against the cubicle door and sexually assaulted the boy.

At first he denied what had happened and claimed he was sexually assaulted by the child.

Lamb later admitted the offence at court.

Detective Constable Lee Clark said: This was a horrific attack on a young boy who was threatened and had no means of escaping the situation Lamb put him in.

Lamb initially refused to take any responsibility for his actions. However, the investigation showed unequivocally that Lamb had attacked the young boy, resulting in a guilty plea at court.

Support is available in Cumbria for victims of sexual offences. The constabulary works closely with trusted partner agencies to provide the appropriate support which is tailored to an individuals circumstances.

I would encourage anyone who has been victim to a sexual offence to contact police so that our officers can investigate. You will be supported throughout our investigation.

Description

A former secondary school teacher has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two pupils under his care.

Russell Tillson denied a string of allegations relating to abuse which began in the 1980s but was convicted after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Allegations which related to Tillson’s employment at Tonbridge School were first made to Kent Police in 2018.

An investigation led to evidence he committed offences over a period spanning almost 20 years, in both the classroom and in a private residence he held at the school.

Exploited

Tillson occupied a senior role and any decisions he made could have a significant influence on pupils’ future educational aspirations. He exploited this influence to make advances on victims, including one incident when a boy was offered an enhanced university reference, that Tillson suggested could be achieved by ‘unconventional methods.’

Tillson was arrested in October 2020 and during police interviews denied all allegations put to him, dismissing them as ‘fiction’. He was charged with five counts of indecent assault but denied any wrongdoing and the case went to trial, where an additional count of the same offence was added.

Aged 73, of Ship Close, Dymchurch, Tillson was convicted on four counts. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on the other two charges.

On Friday 1 September 2023, he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to five years and eight months. He was also given a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

Damage

DC Josh Gearing, of the West Kent Vulnerability Investigation Team, said: ‘Sex offenders like Tillson wreak incalculable damage on their victims, many who will suffer in silence for years, or throughout their whole lives.'Thankfully in this case the victims have shown tremendous courage to come forward. Today’s sentence will not take away the trauma they were made to endure as children, but it will hopefully bring some closure.‘I hope that this case is a reminder that all non-recent allegations of abuse will always be investigated fully by Kent Police, and we will do everything within our powers to ensure offenders are brought before the courts and punished.’

Description

A Doncaster paedophile who sexually abused multiple children, including a vulnerable boy with significant learning difficulties, has been jailed for over 14 years.

Nicholas Powers, 56, of Belmont Avenue, pleaded guilty to numerous offences spanning 20 years, including four counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of indecent assault.

Powers was arrested in December 2021 after he picked up a teenage boy in his car and drove him to his home where he sexually assaulted him.

He made his victim, who he had met online, perform a sexual act on him and touch him inappropriately before driving him back home. Before he got out of the car, he warned the boy to stay quiet and said that if he told anyone he would “get done”.

His victim says he was left disgusted, ashamed and terrified by what had happened, and admitted he had experienced suicidal thoughts. That same evening, he told his mum who reported the incident to police after she found his phone in a bin.

Powers also admitted sexually abusing a teenage girl in September 2001 after plying her with alcohol. He gave her home brew wine before kissing her and sexually assaulting her.

His victim recalled how she also felt disgusted and Powers told her to not tell anyone. She began to self-harm after struggling to come to terms with the abuse she had been subjected to.

Investigating Officer Alexandra Storey said: “Powers knew his victims were underage but completely ignored this and subjected them to unimaginable abuse which saw them contemplate suicide and resort to self-harming.

“In another act of cruelty and dominance over them, he then threatened them to keep quiet about what had happened.”

Powers also agreed to meet an online decoy posing as a 15-year-old boy after sending explicit messages on a mobile phone app.

As well as pleading guilty to three counts of indecent assault and four counts of sexual activity with a child, Powers also admitted two counts of making indecent photographs of a child as well as offences of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

Powers was sentenced to 14 years and five months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday 31 August. He has also been put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and issued with a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and a lifetime restraining order.

IO Storey said: “This has been a lengthy investigation involving two young victims who endured unthinkable abuse and were left with significant mental health problems.

“I want to commend their bravery in coming forward and helping us put Powers behind bars. He is now facing the consequences of his actions and justice has now been served.

“I hope this sentence brings his victims closure as they begin to move forward with their lives.

“We will not tolerate crimes of this nature and our teams are working hard to identify those taking advantage of young people online. We want people to know that we are here, and we are always ready to listen.

“If you want to report someone or have concerns that someone is being exploited for sexual gain online, then please contact us immediately.”

Please remember that victims of sexual offences are granted lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act. It is against the law to identify a victim of a sexual offence, or to post any information that could lead to the identification of a victim of a sexual offence.

Description

A registered sex offender who was found with child abuse images and a haul of illegal weapons has been jailed. Paul Page was being monitored by dedicated officers after he was previously convicted of child abuse in the USA.

The 49-year-old was arrested at his then home in Littleport on May 16 after intelligence suggested he was in possession of indecent images. Page admitted he had been downloading indecent images of children on to a USB stick.

Digital tests revealed a total of 254 images – 113 category C, 32 category B and 109 category A, which is the most severe. When Page was on bail, officers were alerted to a stash of rifles, pistols and crossbows.

The weapons were being kept in a shed at his former home in Littleport. Firearms officers seized 74 items, including 25 firearms.

Page, formerly of Littleport but now no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, six counts of possessing a weapon in a private place and two counts of possessing a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid/gas/electrical incapacitation at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday (August 30). He was handed a prison sentence of one year and eight months.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was put in place for 10 years to monitor any future offending. He remains on the Sex Offenders Register for life following his conviction in the USA.

DC Andrew McKeane, who manages sex offenders in the community, said: "Page is a dangerous sexual predator and I am pleased he has faced justice. Offenders are closely monitored to ensure they are complying with orders – to protect the public and help prevent further crime."

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: "Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to a child, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah's Law. Anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry. This can include parents, carers, guardians, extended family, friends and neighbours."

Description

A man who sexually assaulted and took over 100 indecent images of a child is starting a five-year prison sentence.

William Reid, 35, of Dorset Road, Bexhill, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday, 2 August after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault by touching and digital penetration, and six counts of making indecent images of a child in 2021.

His victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was a girl under the age of 18 who was known to him.

Reid will be a registered sex offender for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which restricts his access to females under the age of 18 and limits his use and accessibility to digital devices and systems, for life.

Investigating officer Sergeant Ollie Bali said: “I would like to praise the young victim for the incredible bravery she has shown throughout this investigation. Reid’s conviction and Sexual Harm Prevention Order should ensure he is unable to cause any further harm to her, or any other child or young person in the community.

Description

A SILLOTH man has been jailed after he admitted sexually assaulting a child.

Peter Wood, 53, of Green Row, Silloth, who declared himself "disgusted" with his own behaviour towards the child, was handed a two-year jail term at Carlisle Crown Court after he admitted his guilt.

He committed the offence in June, with Wood's defence barrister saying the underlying issue for him was alcohol.

Judge Richard Archer also put the defendant on the Sex Offender Register for a decade; and imposed a sexual harm prevention order for the same period. Temporary Detective Constable Georgia Skelton, Carlisle & Wigton CID, said: “We are pleased that we have been able to secure a conviction in this case.

“Peter Wood held no regard for the impact his actions would have on the victim in this case when he committed this offence.

“I would like to thank the victim for their bravery in reporting what happened to them and assisting our investigation.

“We are committed to bringing offenders to justice and will do all we can to ensure they are held to account.

“If you have been victim to a sexual offence, please do not suffer in silence. We work with trusted partner agencies who can provide appropriate support.”

Description

A pervert dropped his pants and performed a sex act in front of a horrified schoolgirl. Martin Lawless, 67, committed the vile crime in front of the nine-year-old child as she stood outside her home with a friend.

He then rode off on his bike but was detained by members of the public days later. Serial sex offender Lawless, from Crumpsall, has been locked up for two years after admitting outraging public decency.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Lawless was on his bike on a Sunday afternoon before pulling over and approaching the children. He then exposed himself 'for a number of minutes' and started performing a sex act, at about 4.30pm on February 19.

Lawless then rode off on his bike, as the children told their parents about what they'd been subjected to. "A nine-year-old facing and witnessing what she did would certainly suffer distress," judge Elizabeth Nicholls said during Lawless's sentencing hearing.

A few weeks later, on March 12, the father of one of the children saw Lawless and members of the public detained him before the police were called to arrest him. When questioned by officers he admitted what he'd done, and claimed he'd confessed because he 'didn't wish for the children to be caused any further distress'.

Lawless has 34 previous convictions from 84 offences, 24 of which related to sexual offences, prosecutor Alison Whalley said. His latest conviction meant he was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order, which banned him from contacting or being in company with children under 16.

Defending, Eleanor Gleeson said Lawless had been on medication at the time, and had mixed tramadol with alcohol. "That clearly had an impact upon him which lowered his inhibitions, which he says caused him to do what he did that day," she said.

Jailing Lawless, the judge added: "The public need protection and the only way that protection can be manifest is by a prison sentence." Lawless, formerly of Station Road, Crumpsall, admitted outraging public decency and being in breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A former church musical director has been jailed for having sex with an underage girl.

Daniel Smith was a respected member of a church in South Tyneside when he carried out serious historical sexual offences against a child. The 48-year-old carried out "elements of grooming" behaviour and went on to have sex with an underage girl on two occasions.

Smith, who was married at the time of the offences, plied his victim with alcohol and the offences left her battling PTSD, anxiety and depression, the court heard.

On Friday, Smith, of Sundridge Drive, Gateshead, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for three counts of sexual activity with a child. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

The court was told Smith carried out the historic sexual offences when he living in the South Tyneside area, while working as a musical director at a church.

Susannah Proctor, prosecuting, said at one point Smith drove the girl to an industrial estate and kissed her, before going on to send her "graphic messages". She said: "He invited her to stay at his home when his wife was at work where he supplied her with alcohol and more kissing.

"Their relationship developed and they had sexual intercourse on two occasions, the first time in his living room. After she went home he text her saying 'I'm glad we did that'."

Smith went on to have sex with the girl a second time and had further sexual activity with her on a third occasion. Smith's offences came to light after the girl disclosed what had happened to a counsellor and the matter was reported to police.

The court heard that around the same time as the offences, Smith was also cautioned for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. That caution related to another child, the court was told.

In a statement, the victim said Smith's actions left her battling PTSD and had also impacted a relationship she had later in life. She also suffers from ongoing depression and anxiety.

Sam Faulks, defending, said: "Outside of the indictment period, the defendant had not offended before and he's not offended since. There have been years between these offences happening and where we are today.

"He is truly appalled and had no idea just how damaged the complainant is. He is deeply ashamed about what happened and can only hope that through his guilty pleas that some form of healing can start to take place. He hopes that will take place."

Sentencing Smith, Recorder David Gordon said he was a church musical director at the time of the offences and caused the victim "severe psychological harm". Smith was jailed for five years and three months and will be on the sex offender's register indefinitely. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

Description

Matthew Mardell, 46, pleaded guilty to two indecent assaults on one of the same boys as Andrew Polkey but was given a suspended sentence.

Andrew Polkey's case: https://offenders.org.uk/offender?id=4461

Description

A 34 year old man from Aylesbury has been jailed after being found guilty of committing sexual offences against children.

Following a 16 day trial at St Albans Crown Court in May of this year, Mike Martin  was found guilty of nine counts of sexual activity with a child, which related to two vulnerable girls.

On Thursday 31 August, Martin appeared back at St Albans Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Both victims were young teenagers living in the Dacorum area of Hertfordshire when they first met and were groomed by Martin. The first offences date back to 2012, when Martin was 23 years old.

Commenting on the case DC Vicky Draper from the Child Sexual Exploitation Unit said: “This was a complex and protracted investigation, with both victims being supported by specialist officers from our HALO team and we commend them for their bravery in agreeing to take part in the investigation.

“Perpetrators like Mike Martin pray on vulnerable girls, be-friending them when they need help and support and then abusing the trust they have built up with them, to take advantage of them sexually.

Description

A Worcester man has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexual offences against children.

Michal Friga, aged 42, of Wylds Lane, committed the offences between March 2020 and March 2021 and was convicted in August by a jury at Worcester Crown Court.

Yesterday (Wednesday 30 August) he was sentenced to nine years.

His conviction follows a complex investigation run by acting Detective Sergeant Gemma Leighton from South Worcestershire’s Protecting Vulnerable People department.

Friga was jailed for one count of sexual assault by penetration for which he received seven years custody and two further counts of sexual assault by touching for which he received a further two years custody.

He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for an indefinite period and has been made subject of a sexual harm prevention order, also in place for an indefinite period.

Description

A man from Leighton Buzzard has been jailed after he groomed a teenage girl online and arranged to meet her at a hotel for sex.

Ronjohn Bhowmick, 60, used Facebook to befriend someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, chatting to her about school and homework before moving the conversations to a more sexual nature via texts and WhatsApp.

He then arranged to meet the girl and booked a hotel with the intention of having sex with her.

When he was arrested at his home address, he claimed that “he was just being silly and sending messages.”

Bhowmick, of Miletree Court, Leighton Buzzard, was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday (Wednesday) at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

He will also have to adhere to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order upon release.

Description

The brave victim of a dangerous paedophile who raped and sexually abused her over a period of five years when she was a child has said the justice system 'needs to change' when it comes to investigating serious sexual assaults.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons and who is now an adult, stood up in court and read a lengthy personal statement in which she detailed how she thinks the justice system is more geared to supporting perpetrators of sexual abuse and rape than it is to supporting victims.

Preston Crown Court heard how David Sallis committed the heinous crimes between 2004 and 2009, when the woman was between the ages of eight and 12 and he was aged around 27.

Sallis, of Whalley Banks, Blackburn, was sentenced for five counts of rape, and assault by penetration, all of which he pleaded guilty to an at earlier hearing.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, told the court the abuse began when the child was just eight years old, and would take place at various locations including in Bury and Peterborough.

The abuse stopped when the child turned 12, but she was too afraid to report the crimes to the police until several years later.

Mr McEntee said: The Crown say this was a lengthy and sustained period of the worst kind of sexual abuse, and the pre-sentence report shows a complete failure to appreciate the magnitude of what he had done.

The defendant seeks to minimise his actions, but there was a real and severe psychological harm caused to the victim.

Mitigating for Sallis, Ayesha Smart said he had last committed a crime before this campaign of sick sexual abuse in 1998, and had worked every day in prison since being remanded in custody.

However, in a statement read to the court, Sallis victim detailed how she had been left anxious and traumatised by the abuse but refused to let it define her or her future.

She said: Its been a very long process and I can hand on heart say I can 100 per cent understand why victims of rape and sexual abuse dont come forward.

The system is flawed. Had I not had the support at home or the support from the officer in charge of my case I would not have been able to fight.

We have a system that supports paedophiles more than victims. The person who committed the vilest crimes has had the most support.

The only person who picked up the phone and explained things to me was the officer in charge of my case.

I am yet to receive any support from victim support and am yet to be assigned a support officer.

I didnt even know the date of this sentencing, I found out from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Do I not deserve an explanation, or do victims just need to be left in the dark? Things need to change.

I should not have to wait for a call from the officer so he can explain what the next steps are.

The NSPCC published a report into child sexual abuse statistics which showed one in 20 children in the UK had been sexually abused.

More recent statistics from Rape Crisis show that one in six children have been abused.

We are told about how many women and children are victims of these crimes, but never about how many men commit these crimes.

We are told about how many victims of harassment there are, but never about how many men are committing the harassments.

We are told statistics about teenage pregnancies, but never about the boys and men getting these women pregnant.

Men arent even part of it. A change needs to be made.

In sentencing, Recorder Michael Maher praised the victim for her bravery, and addressing Sallis he said: Your sexual deviancy robbed her of her formative years and damaged her adolescent and adult life.

I have listened in total to her victim personal statement and the profound impact it has had upon her.

While you have pleaded guilty I dont accept that you have any remorse.

I believe you are dangerous as defined by statute and you do pose a risk of significant harm.

Sallis, 47, was jailed for 14 years and three months and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

DC Phil Scott, of East CID, said: The victim has shown tremendous courage throughout this process. The way she dealt with such a heinous crime has been truly inspirational. Most people could not comprehend what she has lived through.

I welcome the sentence handed down Sallis, which reflects the seriousness of his crime.

Description

A man sexually assaulted a young woman after following her home and entering her flat. Adem Mohammed had encountered his victim on the street and began talking to her as if he knew her.

He then followed her back to the flats where she lived in Swansea and stopped her from shutting him outside by holding the external door open. The 20-year-old followed the woman to her room and there began kissing her against her will, hugging her, and grabbing her bottom. The attacker left when his victim suffered a panic attack.

Swansea Crown Court heard the young woman was shaken up by the incident and, concerned for the safety of others in the block, alerted her neighbours to what had happened via WhatsApp before contacting police. Carina Hughes, for the prosecution, said the woman did not want to make a victim impact statement for the court to consider.

Detectives launched an investigation into the incident and CCTV was recovered that showed Mohammed's interaction with the woman on the street. Other footage showed him subsequently leaving the area on his cycle. The defendant was identified and arrested, and in interview said he had been looking for girlfriend and had approached the young woman asking for her help. He claimed the woman had invited him back to her flat so he could use the internet, and said she began kissing him - kisses he said he rejected.

Adem Mohammed, of no fixed abode, had previously been convicted at trial of sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

Hilary Roberts, for Mohammed, said his client was disappointed at the conclusions of the pre-sentence report and said it may be that some of the meaning of what he had said had been in lost in translation as the interpreter present had spoken a different dialect to the defendant. He said his client had apologised for the upset he had caused and admitted he had "made a great mistake". The barrister claimed that cultural differences between the woman and the defendant - who he said was granted refugee status in the UK in 2021 - may have played its part. Mr Roberts invited the court to find there was little planning to the incident, and it was opportunistic in nature.

Judge Catherine Richards said Mohammed had engaged the woman in conversation and had attempted to persuade her that they knew each other before following her home. She said he had then entered her accommodation despite the woman telling him he was not welcome. Mohammed was sentenced to 21 months detention in a young offenders institution - he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.

Description

A former Margate resident convicted of non-recent child sexual offences committed in the UK and abroad has been jailed.

In 2019, the Met Police launched an investigation alongside authorities from the United States of America (USA), France and Israel after two men came forward stating that they had been assaulted more than a decade ago.

Jair Klein, 55, of Majestic Court, Margate was found guilty at Harrow Crown Court on Wednesday, 19 July of five sexual offences committed against two victims.

The charges were:

• Three counts of sexual activity with a child that was aged 10 or 11.
• One count of sexual activity with a child that was aged 13 or 14.
• One count of sexual activity with a child that was aged 14 or 15.

He was found not guilty of a further two counts of sexual activity with a child.

At the Old Bailey on Thursday, 24 August he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, extended on licence to 16 in recognition of the danger he poses.

He will also be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indeterminate period.

The father of one of Klein’s victims, said: “This conviction could never have happened without the dedicated professionalism and determination of the Metropolitan Police and the CPS, who were there every step of the way to ensure justice, treating us with consideration and dignity. It has been a difficult journey, but well worth it, and we are delighted with the result.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, said: “Klein abused the trust that had been placed in him by two young children. Whilst the offending started in Barnet, he followed them abroad where he continued to offend.

“I would like to praise the bravery of these men in coming forward and telling officers about what happened. Having pleaded not guilty, Klein forced them to recount their experiences in court. But again, they found the strength to speak out – ultimately leading to this conviction.

“I would also like to thank the authorities in the USA, France and Israel for assisting us with our investigation regarding matters overseas.”

In December 2019, officers from the Met were contacted by two men who informed them that they had been sexually abused – by the same suspect – in the United Kingdom, USA and France between 2010 and 2014.

They detailed how Klein had given them gifts and taken them on days out, including to a swimming pool where he would watch them undress. Once alone, he would abuse them.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Philip Maunders launched a highly complex investigation, and on 27 September 2019, Klein was arrested. He provided a prepared statement in which he denied the allegations, making no further comment.

The investigation gathered further evidence and the witness accounts provided harrowing details. The investigation continued, and on 11 June 2022, he was charged.

During the course of the trial the courts heard that Klein had a previous conviction from Israel 2014 for a similar offence for which he received a three year custodial sentence for.

DC Maunders, said: “Klein was a master manipulator who groomed two children and their families to make them believe he could be trusted with their care.

“I would like to thank the families for their courage and tenacity throughout the investigation and the whole court process.

“I also encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, whether in the past or recently, to contact police, or any number of charities who can provide support. The Met remain determined to bring perpetrators before the courts.”