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A SERVING Avon and Somerset Police officer has pleaded guilty to a number of child sex offences.

Thomas Kettleborough, 35, an Inspector at Avon and Somerset Police, pleaded guilty to offences under the Sexual Offences and Protection of Children Acts following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Kettleborough, who was based at the police headquarters in Portishead, appeared at Exeter Crown Court today (February 7). He pleaded guilty to the following offences:

Arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence

Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child

Attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity

One count of engaging in sexual communication with a child

Four counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child

Kettleborough was arrested in July 2023 on suspicion of arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence and has been on conditional bail since.

Following his arrest, he was suspended by Avon and Somerset Police. He is due to be sentenced at Exeter Crown Court on Thursday 13 March.

Kettleborough was originally arrested after communicating online, with who he thought was a child, over several days in 2023.

He later travelled to meet that child, but instead was met by officers from our unit and arrested.

Police then examined his computer, uncovering further offences which showed he had previously engaged in sexual communication with a child in May 2023. He also had indecent images dating from April 2019 to July 2023.

Detective Inspector David Wells from the Online Investigations Team at SWROCU said: All of the offenders we deal with who are attempting to engage children in sexual activity online and, as in this case, attempt to meet to abuse them, are exploiting young people in the most horrendous way.

When the offender in question is in such a position of trust like Thomas Kettleborough was, in a role that is about protecting people from harm, the horror of the risk he posed and crimes he committed is intensified.

Joanne Hall, Assistant Chief Constable for Avon and Somerset Police, said the force will ensure that Kettleborough will never be able to work for the police or in law enforcement again.

This officer has been convicted of extremely serious and appalling offences, she said.

The gravity of his crimes cannot be underestimated. As soon as these offences came to light he was suspended and we worked with our partner agencies to ensure all necessary safeguarding measures were put in place.

Robust action has been taken throughout the time and a misconduct investigation has been running in parallel to the criminal investigation.

Weve been unable to finalise these proceedings until the criminal case has concluded, as securing justice in a court of law has to take precedence. Now a conviction has been secured, well be moving swiftly to ensure this officer is never able to work in policing or other law enforcement agencies again.

Its important to note the vast majority of our officers and staff dedicate themselves to public service and keeping people safe. This officers colleagues have been equally horrified to learn of his abhorrent criminal behaviour and were making sure anyone who needs support has access to it.

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A detective who sexually assaulted a police officer and staff member has been brought to justice for his abhorrent behaviour towards his colleagues after they bravely came forward and supported prosecutions.

Detective Sergeant Richard Mills, aged 42, of Rochdale was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Liverpool Crown Court today (Friday 7th February 2025). Mills has also been placed on the sex offender registry for ten years.

This comes after he was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault in December last year by a jury verdict and released on bail pending today’s hearing.

The convictions involved two incidents of forceful sexual touching in 2016 and 2020 while Mills was based in GMP’s Oldham district and in our Crime Coordination Unit at Nexus House.

Now criminal proceedings have concluded, gross misconduct proceedings will take place.

Detective Superintendent David Jones, within our Professional Standards Directorate, said: “DS Mill gravely abused his position of trust and authority within the force when he assaulted his female colleagues for his own perverse gratification.

“It was through their brave disclosure that we built a strong prosecution case.

“Cowardly, Mills denied any wrongdoing. Notwithstanding he has been held accountable for the harm he caused after the victims endured a two-week trial and testified in front of a jury.

“Their tenacity and strength shown throughout our investigation and legal proceedings is commendable and should be recognised as the driving force behind reaching today's outcome, whereby Mills is starting a jail term as a convicted sex offender.

“He is unfit to serve the public and has been barred from policing. We will now be writing to the Deputy Mayor of GM to appeal for Mills to lose his right to a police pension.

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Fife’s notorious “urban hunter” subjected children to sickening rape ordeals over a four-year period.

Brandon Robb, 28, preyed on two little girls and a young boy at locations in Leslie between May 2011 and May 2015.

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Two men have today, Thursday 6 February, been jailed for raping a woman in Liverpool city centre.

The charges relate to an incident in the early hours of 20 April 2024 in which a woman was raped inside a property.

The woman reported the matter and within a matter of hours officers were able to identify the offence location and arrest both men.

Whilst on bail, the mobile phones of the suspects were downloaded and intimate videos of the woman were found on the devices of both men, which appear to have been made without her knowledge.

Both men denied the allegations but following a trial in January, Shuaib Iboko-Akoh, 24, formerly of Harrington Street, Liverpool and Evaristus Ozumizi Akerele, 25, from Luton, were both found guilty of rape and voyeurism.

Today at Liverpool Crown Court they were both jailed for a total of seven years. They were also both ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

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A paedophile who made more than 1,700 indecent images of children has been jailed for 10 years.

Robert Norman, 41, was arrested by officers at his home in Drybread Road, Whittlesey, in January last year after police received information he had downloaded indecent images of children.

The officers seized two Samsung mobile phones and a hard drive, which were found to contain 1,716 indecent images.

The phones contained evidence Norman had been speaking sexually to whom he thought was a ten-year-old girl and passing her details to other potential sex offenders.

Norman had also breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order - handed to him in 2015 following a conviction for indecent images of children - numerous times.

He had not informed officers about one of the Samsung mobile phones capable of accessing the internet, which was hidden under a pillowcase, and handed the other phone over. 

Norman also used the internet to speak with the girl and deleted the web history from all devices which was also a further breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In addition, he failed to inform officers of new online usernames - a breach of his Sex Offender Register Notification Requirements.

On Friday (January 31), at Cambridge Crown Court, Norman was jailed, having pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, one count each of breaching notification requirements and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

DC Claire Cummings said: “Noman is a very dangerous prolific offender; he is a complete danger to children as well as the wider community and he has complete disregard for the law by continuously breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

“I am pleased with the sentence which Norman received, this sends out a clear message that we will look to protect children and the vulnerable from harm.” 

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Colin Gregory aka Anthony Luckwill

A notorious paedophile from Nottingham offered to pay a young teen in California thousands of dollars to "recruit" young boys to pose naked for his sexual gratification. 

Nottingham Crown Court heard how Nottinghamshire Police called in the FBI to help investigate "manipulative and deceitful” Anthony Luckwill, who has been previously jailed in Wales, Ireland and Scotland over the past 20 years but is now living in Sherwood under the new name of Colin Gregory.

Examination of his electronic devices found sick abuse videos, some of which he shared with like-minded perverts and one called “14-year-old and 12-year-old by the pool”.

Handing him a 10-year jail sentence, Judge Michael Auty KC said: “You offered to pay a 15-year-old who lives with his mother in California, the princely sum of $1,000 to appear in a video with you for up to three hours to satisfy your insatiable appetite for teenage boys. This is all set among a backdrop of your truly horrific previous convictions. You pose a high risk to teenage boys and I fear it is virtually certain you will continue to offend in this way.

“There is no doubt you present a serious ongoing danger. You will forever remain an immense danger to those you lust (after). You are a manipulative and deceitful individual when the need arises.”

At the start of the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Stephen Kemp outlined some of the 16 convictions for 60 offences Gregory has on his criminal record. He said they included prison sentences and suspended sentences since 2004 in South Wales, Dublin, Scotland, Guernsey and Nottingham.

The prosecutor said the defendant's address in Pelham Road was visited by the police on September 21, 2023, and his devices were seized and analysed. Mr Kemp said it revealed that, among other deviant behaviour, he was communicating with the teenager in Los Angeles.

He said: “They entered an agreement whereby the defendant would pay him to recruit a number of boys for a photo shoot with him agreeing to pay for footage of up to 100 boys posing either naked or in their underwear. He then incited the boy to have a video chat with him for up to three hours with sexual activity and offered to pay him $1,000 just for that. The FBI became involved who offered information that the boy was 15 years old and lived with his mother in California.”

Gregory pleaded guilty to charges including possession of indecent images of children, breaching a sexual harm prevention order. conspiracy to produce indecent images and inciting a child to engage in sexual communication.

Kevin Waddingham, mitigating, said his client has “largely led an isolated life” and has “very little in the way of a family network”. He said: “He would ask the court to be as lenient as possible. He has a positive outlook about his future and he would ask not to have that crushed.”

The whole sentence is 18 years, made up of 10 years of custody and an eight-year extended licence. It means Gregory will not be eligible to apply for parole until halfway through the custodial element.

He will also remain on the sex offender register for life and has a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

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A man has been jailed for the rape and attempted rape of two women in Warrington.

Mariyan Grudev, formerly of Thelwall Lane, Latchford, Warrington, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 6 February after previously pleading guilty to one count of attempted rape.

The 39-year-old was also found guilty of one count of rape after a trial in July 2024.

On Saturday 29 July 2023, at around 3.10am, a woman was walking along Winwick Road when a man, who was unknown to the woman, began following her.

He then grabbed her from behind and attempted to drag her into bushes. Thankfully, the woman escaped unharmed and sought help from a passing taxi driver.

A media appeal was subsequently issued by Cheshire Police using a CCTV image of the suspect. He was later confirmed to be Grudev, who was arrested on Sunday 30 July 2023 and later charged with attempted rape on Tuesday 1 August 2023.

Following these charges, he was investigated as a suspect in a previous similar incident in Warrington. This occurred on Sunday 22 December 2019, when a woman who had been on a night out in Warrington town centre was walking back to her address at around 2.20am, and described being approached by a man.

The victim was not able to recall the exact events following this interaction but she was in pain and believed she had been raped.

Forensic swabs taken from the victim did not come back with any results or DNA matches at the time. In 2023, following Grudev’s arrest, his DNA was tested against DNA from the 2019 incident, which provided a match. He was subsequently charged with rape in November 2023.

On top of his custodial sentence, Grudev will also need to sign the Sex Offender Register.

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A Kirklees sex offender who sexually abused a child more than three decades ago has been jailed for 20 years. 

Yusuf Kayat (54) of Dewsbury was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today ( Wednesday February 5th) for serious sexual offending against a child in the Dewsbury and Mirfield areas between 1989 and 1992.    

Jurors today found the 54-year-old guilty of 17 offences including unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and indecent assault on a girl under 14, at a trial which began at Leeds Crown Court in late January.  

He was also found guilty of aiding and abetting indecent assault on a girl under 16.   

Leeds Crown Court heard the victim was just 10 years old when the offences started in locations such as cars and derelict buildings.   

Investigations into Kayat’s offending began in 2021 when the victim was identified and spoken with.   

DCI Oliver Coates of Kirklees District Police, said:

“We welcome the sentencing of Yusuf Kayat for multiple serious sexual offences against a victim who was only 10 years old when he began to abuse her.   
“Kayat groomed and then committed some extremely serious sexual offences against the victim for a number of years.    
“ I want to praise her courage for supporting the police investigation into this man’s appalling offences against her, and then working with us and our partners in the CPS to bring him before a jury.   
“Thanks to her bravery, this man has now been made to pay for what he did to her and will be in prison for a number of years to come.”  
He added: “This case again demonstrates that the passage of time need not be a barrier to justice for victims and for the police and CPS to bring those responsible of such offending before the courts.   
“We continue to urge any victims of sexual abuse in Kirklees who may not have made reports to the police, for whatever reason, to contact us.   
“Specially trained officers will listen, investigate, and do what they can with partners to support you.”
 

Julia McSorley, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS’s Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said:

“Yusuf Kayat used a young vulnerable child for his own sexual gratification and passed her around to others to do the same.
“Not only has he burdened the victim with the traumatic and lasting effects of his offending but by denying what he did to her, he has also forced the victim to relive the awful events she experienced during the trial. The prosecution team, in collaboration with West Yorkshire Police, was able to build a strong case to present to the jury, who found Kayat guilty.  
“My thoughts are with the victim of these appalling crimes. The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank her for the incredible courage she showed in giving evidence, which was instrumental in bringing the offender to justice. 
“The CPS remains dedicated to pursuing justice for victims of child sexual abuse and will continue to work tirelessly with law enforcement partners to hold sex offenders accountable - no matter how much time has passed since they committed their crimes.

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A Watford man has been put behind bars after failing to comply with the requirements of being on the sex offenders' register.

Francis Keeley, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 56 days' prison after he appeared at Hatfield Magistrates' Court on Monday (February 3).

Court papers state that the 51-year-old showed a "flagrant disregard for court orders", meaning that "only a custodial sentence" could be justified.

On January 21, Keeley left his address and failed to register a new address or no fixed abode status within three days, therefore breaching his requirement to register with police under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Keeley's guilty plea was taken into account when sentenced.

The force had appealed for help to trace him last week, describing him as being on recall to prison.

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Software used by the police to monitor convicted sex offenders led to the discovery that a man living near Snodland was accessing thousands of illegal images of children.

Richard Faulkner was the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), which prohibited him using any device capable of accessing the internet unless it had been installed with a web monitoring program.

The SHPO had been made by the courts in January 2024, following previous convictions related to Faulkner and the access of indecent images.

Several months later, on 26 August, an alert was raised in connection to a computer Faulkner had registered with Kent Police. This showed he had again been accessing illegal material.

He was arrested days later, and searches were carried out at his home near High Street, Wouldham.

The computer was seized, along with several other devices not previously made available to police for inspection and which was another SHPO requirement.

Lies exposed

During an initial police interview Faulkner denied any wrongdoing, claiming he no longer had any sexual interest in children. He insisted he had no knowledge of how illegal images would be on his computer.

His lies were exposed when the device was later forensically examined, along with another hard drive.

Hundreds of thousands of illegal images were detected. These included more than 160 photos and videos in the most serious category, showing children suffering appalling abuse. 

Faulkner, 70, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to multiple counts relating to making indecent images of children, and for breaching the SHPO.

He also admitted failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements, having not registered a number of bank and credit cards with police.

On Tuesday 4 February 2025, Faulkner was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. This included the activation of a previous suspended sentence.

Manipulate

Sergeant Steph Kirkin said:

‘Faulkner had been the subject of strict measures designed to reduce the risk of him reoffending.'He attempted to manipulate the monitoring software placed on his computer, in attempts to disguise the fact he was frequently seeking access to disturbing and harmful images, many of which include the horrific abuse of children.‘Sexual harm prevention orders are passed by the courts to help protect children and as this case shows, we will do everything we can to ensure those who ignore them face the consequences of their actions.’

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A man was found with sick images of children and videos of upskirting. Mark Harrison of Sheil Road, Kensington, was jailed for making, taking and possessing indecent photographs of children.

Harrison was arrested after officers, in response to intelligence, executed a warrant at his home in March 2022 and seized a number of digital devices for forensic examination.

The 63-year-old pleaded guilty to six charges relating to the images, which were of category A, B and C seriousness, a further five charges of recording images under clothing without consent (upskirting) and one charge of possessing extreme pornographic images.

He was jailed for two years when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, February 3. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Atkinson said: “We have a duty to protect our communities from harm and to deter individuals from committing these types of horrific offences and we will continue to seek to identify and convict those who engage in this behaviour.

“I hope this sentencing encourages anyone who has been a victim of any sexual offence to please contact us. We have a specialist team ready to treat you with respect, care and compassion and make sure that reports are properly and thoroughly investigated.

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A man who spoke sexually online with a teenage girl that was actually an undercover police officer has been sent to prison for more than two years. Craig Butcher, 43, showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down on him at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday (31 January).

Prosecutor Matthew Paul said Butcher used an online chatroom to talk to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl called Brooke but was actually an undercover cop. Judge Chris Morgan told Butcher he was satisfied that the offending “only came to an end because of your arrest”.

Butcher, who has no previous convictions and was supported in court by his fiancee, was said to have told ‘Brooke’ that his name was Simon and he was “there looking for actual sex rather than sexual chat”.

The court was told Butcher had messaged ‘Brooke’ daily between January 1 and March 12. It was also said that ‘Brooke’ had told Butcher they were a 14-year-old girl multiple times and that some conversations discussed oral sex, masturbation and sexual images.

On one occasion Butcher, of Moor Park Gardens in Leigh-on-Sea, sent a photograph of his erect penis concealed within a pair of shorts. He later told police that it was a sock when questioned about it.

The pair’s conversations paused before resuming with a suggestion that they would meet together in April. This brief plan was stopped by Butcher’s arrest by police officers.

It was said that Butcher had received a promotion at his former job and subsequently became stressed under the increased work hours and responsibilities. Butcher’s barrister, Cyrus Shroff, said the engaged offender “would be home alone, struggling mentally and crying on his way to work”. Mr Shroff added: “In those moments he began to reach out online to talk [to others] as an escape from life”.

The defence barrister told Judge Morgan there is “a realistic prospect of rehabilitation” for Butcher and suggested that a suspended sentence could be considered. But the Judge decided the public needed to be protected and sentenced him to 27 months of imprisonment for attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and ten months for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child. The sentences would run concurrently, resulting in a 27-month prison sentence alongside a ten-year Sexual Health Prevention Order and a ten-year notification status.

“I realise that this will have an effect on others who are entirely innocent and on you as it’s your first custodial sentence,” the Judge said. “But I have to balance that against the need to protect the public.”

“Whatever was going on, you simply desired to make contact with a child under the age of 16 in order to discuss and understand the prospect of having sex with them,” they added. “You know that what you were doing was against the law. You were making arrangements and asking if the child would meet you.

“You agreed to meet although no formal arrangements were in place. Had you not been arrested it’s plain to me that these arrangements would have been put in place.”

Butcher will serve half of his sentence in custody and the remainder on licence.

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A CREEP caught sharing hundreds of child abuse images claiming he 'loved lil teens' has been allowed back into the community after a sheriff spared him a prison term.

Mark Webster was placed on a further sexual harm prevention order - restricting his use of social media sites - when he returned to the dock last week.

The 32-year-old admitted to taking, permitting to be taken or making indecent images between April 20 and July 15, 2023.

The sex offender also admitted to a second charge of distributing or showing indecent images from April 20 to July 20, 2023 from his home in Merrick Drive, Dalmellington.

Webster claimed he was "going to sue" our Ayrshire Weekly Press reporter claiming we had "no right to be in" his hearing when he pleaded guilty on December 4 at Ayr Sheriff Court.

Not guilty pleas to further allegations, including that he had possession of extreme pornography depicting females with dogs, were accepted by prosecutors.

A procurator fiscal depute told a previous hearing: "The accused was found in possession of 759 indecent still and moving images from category A to C.

"There was also evidence on his mobile phone of file sharing, suggesting he was involved in distributing child sexual exploitation and abuse material.

"On May 22, 2023 information was received by Police Scotland giving reasonable cause to believe that the accused had possession of indecent material of children. A search warrant was granted and officers from Police Scotland attended his home address on July 20."

Police seized a Samsung mobile phone from Webster's bedroom and informed him that it would be examined.

The fiscal depute added: "An interim examination was carried out on July 21 which confirmed indecent material. On the same date, he returned to his home address and was arrested and conveyed to Kilmarnock police office.

"He made no comment during interview and replied 'nope' to caution and charge. He was released on an undertaking to appear in court."

The court heard that 340 inaccessible category A still images were discovered on Webster's device - the worst level of abuse.

Various chat threads were recovered on one application, Telegram, containing messages from the user requesting details from others to trade in indecent content.

Various acronyms were found that associated him with child sexual exploitation and abuse material.

The fiscal depute said: "Further chats on Snapchat were found and several associated the accused with child abuse material and sending media files. The content of some files is unknown having expired.

"The accused stated he liked young girls and at one point said he 'loved lil teens'."

When he returned to court with his face covered by his jacket for sentencing on January 28, defence solicitor Derek Pettigrew said: "In terms of the report, I can't stress enough his anxiety that he may be going into prison."

Addressing the dock, Sheriff Mhairi MacTaggart said: "Can you take that down from your face please?"

Mr Pettigrew continued: "Clearly some intervention is required moving forward.

"I can see no benefit to a period of incarceration but there is benefit in my lady placing him on an order. He appreciates he will need to be monitored in the community.

"Because of this offence remaining in the Dalmellington area will not be an option for him, so he will have to be somewhere else and monitoring will be necessary."

Sheriff MacTaggart said: "Mr Webster, it's a stark choice for me whether to send you to custody or the community. I have to say on balance I have to consider public protection, and consider getting you assistance to address offending in this way in the hope to prevent offending further.

"The reality is that's not something likely to be achieved by sending you to prison for the amount of time I could send you to prison. You should be in no doubt my primary concern is protecting the community, so there will be very stringent monitoring of you and I'm sentencing you to the maximum period."

He was placed on a community payback order under supervision for three years - and ordered to take part in the Moving Forward Making Changes programme which aims to address sex offenders' behaviour.

He will remain on the sex offenders register for three years.

He was also placed on a strict sexual harm prevention order restricting his internet and social media use for five years.

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A Fife paedophile is back behind bars after he flouted a 99-year internet ban by trying to arrange the sexual abuse of a pre-pubescent child.

Dangerous predator Jon Walker exchanged horrific messages with a depraved mother online, despite being banned from using social media until the 22nd century.

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Five different young women and an underage girl were pestered over a four-year period by a Nairn sex offender.

Codey Masson, who had a previous conviction for a similar type of sex offence that he committed during the same time period of August 2015 to August 2019, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court.