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THE Crown Prosecution Service has commented after a Cheshire woman who posed as a man to become romantically involved with another woman was found guilty of a sexual assault.

Bilham was found guilty of sexual assault by kissing following a trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Wednesday, June 14. She was found not guilty of 16 other sex offences.

The CPS said Georgia Bilham, 21, of Bunbury Road, Alpraham, Cheshire, deliberately duped the other woman into thinking she was a man called George Parry from Birmingham.

A number of years ago, the two began talking on Snapchat. Bilham had the profile name ‘George_132’ and the picture attached to that profile was a cartoon image of a blonde man with sunglasses.

Georgia Bilham presented as 'George' both online and in person, for the whole time that she and the victim were in contact with each other.

When the two would meet up, Georgia kept her hood up, dressed and spoke like a boy and removed the victim’s glasses from her. The victim is very short-sighted and without her glasses is virtually blind. Georgia refused to let her victim touch parts of her body which would prove that she wasn’t a man.

The CPS said that the sexual activity that took place was based on a false pretence – and so did not involve true consent. Bilham deceived the victim into thinking she was in fact a young man. The motivation for the pretence is not clear.

On May 11, 2021, Bilham and the victim had been out driving together and the car came off the road. The car was stuck. Georgia panicked and told the victim to run – no doubt as there was a risk that her true identity would be established.

But the police arrived and spoke to Georgia in their car and the victim overheard them mention the name of Georgia Bilham which was on her driving licence. She confronted Bilham… “Are you a girl?’. Bilham replied ‘It’s a fake licence, cos I don’t have one – that’s why I told you to run….’

In the days that followed, Bilham worked hard to persuade her victim that she was a man. The deception finally came to light when Georgia met the victim’s mother who didn’t have the victim’s sight problems and became suspicious. She confronted her daughter with her doubts and the victim went online to find out more about Georgia Bilham.

On the night of August 19, 2021, the victim told Georgia: "Just admit you’ve been caught out I know more than enough now." The next morning, Georgia Bilham messaged the victim, apologising for what she had done, saying: “It just took over my life”.

The matter was reported to the police. Georgia Bilham was arrested and interviewed under police caution. To each question, she replied ‘no comment’.

Bilham will be sentenced on July 19 at Chester Crown Court.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Mairead Neeson, a specially trained prosecutor with CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: “Sexual offences can be committed in different ways.

“The Crown Prosecution Service’s case here was based upon deceit, manipulation and the lack of genuine consent. We said that the victim didn't give her true consent to sexual activity with Georgia Bilham, that when the victim agreed to have sexual activity with 'George Parry' it was on the basis that George was male and not female and that she had been deceived.

“We said that Bilham’s actions in pretending to be male, deprived the victim of her freedom to choose whether or not to engage in sexual activity.

“This is because a person consents to sexual activity only if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

“The victim thought she was having sexual activity with a man. If she had known that the man she thought was George Parry was in fact a woman, she would not have agreed to the activity.

“This has devastated the victim and her family and the effects of it will remain with her for a long time. The victim thought she was in a loving relationship with a man but it was all lies and Bilham is now a convicted sex offender.”

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A man has been jailed for ten and a half years for sexual offences with one child in the 1970s and another child in the 1990s.

Phillip Rogers, aged 64, of Hornby Road, Liverpool, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 14 June) after being found guilty of two counts of attempted sexual assault and four counts of indecent assaults. 

Rogers, who is originally from Wirral, had earlier plead guilty to possessing indecent images of a child.

As well as his prison sentence, Rogers will also be placed on the sex offender register for life.

It follows a complex investigation by detectives from Merseyside’s Unity Team, who specialise in rape and serious sexual assault offences, who were able to charge Rogers with the various offences.

Detective Inspector Leanne Toole said: “This sentence follows a lengthy investigation to bring Rogers before the courts so that he pays for his crime.

“Thanks to the determination and bravery of his survivors, Rogers will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

“This sentencing shows that time is no barrier and we will always act on information about sexual assault, no matter when they occurred.

“I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by his two survivors throughout the investigation.

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

“We hope that Rogers will now reflect on the consequences of his utterly depraved actions while serving his jail time.”

DI Toole added: “I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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A SCHOOL crossing patrol man has been jailed after he was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex.

Stephen Cordy, 55, messaged a social media account set up by a member of a paedophile hunter group on April 11.

They began messaging, and the decoy account stated she was 15 years old.

Cordy said he worked in a school, and asked how he would know the account was not an undercover police officer or a decoy, prosecutor Sian Cutter said.

The decoy sent two pictures of an “age appropriate” girl, and Cordy replied that she was “pretty” and asked about the school she went to.

They arranged for him to come to her house in Drefach on Sunday, April 16.

He asked if he should bring anything, and when asked what, Cordy suggested she might want to tie him up.

“She said she wanted a cwtch, and [Cordy] said it may lead to other things,” Ms Cutter said.

He added he would bring a condom, and when the decoy expressed surprise, the defendant said she “would be fine as [she] had done it before”.

 A school crossing patrol man was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex (Image: Stock Image)

On the agreed date, Cordy messaged the decoy saying he was at the address. The man behind the decoy account left his address and walked down the street to confront him – recording the meeting.

“He said he was only planning to meet her for a coffee and a chat,” said Ms Cutter.

Cordy tried to walk away, but the man threatened to post the video on social media if he did. Cordy admitted bringing condoms to the meeting, but said he always carried them.

Following the confrontation, Cordy drove off, and the man noted down his registration number.

The court heard the man did not contact the police – later saying he was busy moving house – but did post the video on social media.

Ms Cutter said several members of the public contacted the police concerned about the content of the video.

Cordy was arrested by police on April 28 while parked in a layby near Neath.

Ms Williams, defending, said: “I cannot offer the court any reasons for the offending.

“He expresses a willingness to work with the probation service, but because he won’t recognise his offending behaviour for what it is, they feel they are unable to manage the risk.  

“I’m afraid I’m in a difficult position to argue for anything other than an immediate prison sentence.”

Ms Williams said that Cordy, who had pleaded guilty to the offences, had no previous convictions.

The court heard Cordy remained silent when interviewed by police.

“You had nothing to say. You couldn’t have said anything. The game was up,” said Judge Huw Rees.

“This is a significant fall from grace for you in terms of your relationship with your wife, your accommodation, and your job prospects in the future.”

Judge Rees sentenced Cordy to 13 months in prison for meeting a child after sexual grooming, and six months – running concurrently – for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Cordy, of no fixed abode, must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

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A MAN has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offences against a child.

Thomas Thorpe-Keen, 23, of Creasen Butt Close, Heybridge, came on to the radar of Essex Police’s child abuse investigation team in 2020 after concerns around his contact with underage girls.

He was issued with a sexual risk order and criminal behaviour order which had a number of conditions, including not allowing him to be in the unsupervised company of anyone under the age of 18, which he breached continuously.

In 2019, Thorpe-Keen targeted a 15-year-old victim.

He stalked, coerced and controlled the young girl, watching for when she was alone at home and raped her multiple times.

He was arrested in July 2022 after he had raped the victim, left the address and then broken back into the property through the living room window, before threatening to kill her.

After a three-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Thorpe-Keen was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour, multiple rape, rape and breaches of court orders.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, June 9, via video link and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In an impact statement, his victim said: “I have suffered with anxiety since the rape and controlling behaviour.

“He was so controlling that I lost a lot of friendships.

“I still find it difficult to talk about my emotions and how I am feeling and I will often shut down.”

Investigating officer PC Thomas Olson said: “Thorpe-Keen is a manipulator.

"He is a dangerous individual and has seriously affected the life of the victim.”

“Despite being a long investigation, I am so proud of how the victim has conducted herself and the bravery she has demonstrated.”

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A FORMER Royal Mail employee has been jailed for 18 months for making explicit sexual suggestions to what he believed was a girl aged 13.

Ian Kelly was snared by an adult decoy working for the online action group Paedophile Hunters, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The 60-year-old pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a female aged 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

Prosecutor Carmel Pearson said that Kelly, of Byron Street, Halifax, began communicating with the fictitious child in May, 2021.

The decoy said she was aged 13 and lived in Leeds.

Miss Pearson said Kelly asked her to keep the chat a secret and it soon became sexualised. He wanted to meet up with her to ‘kiss and cuddle her and be her first with everything.’ By September 7, he said he wanted to kiss every inch of her. He asked her to remove her clothes and lie naked on the bed.

He said her photograph looked beautiful and that he loved her. He wanted to show her images of himself, but he didn’t actually send any.

On October, 16, 2021, members of the group attended at Kelly’s home address and contacted the police. Officers seized his electronic devices and found the explicit sex chat.

The court heard that he had a conviction for indecent assault on a woman dating from 1988. A more recent offence of battery had lost him his job with the Royal Mail.

John Bottomley said in mitigation that it was an attempt and there was no real child.

Since his arrest, Kelly had woken every day with ‘the Sword of Damocles hanging over him.’ He was lonely after losing his employment and that and his drinking had contributed to his offending.

Recorder Christopher Rose said that by September, 2021, Kelly’s online chat had become extremely explicit.

“This was in your mind a genuine 13-year-old child that you were having conversations with,” he said.

The recorder accepted that Kelly was lonely and isolated after losing his job because of the battery conviction.

He told his probation officer he had no intention of following the sexual suggestions through. But they would have been enormously harmful and damaging to a real child.

Kelly was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and he must sign on the sex offender register, also for five years.

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A 63 year old man has been sent to prison for 24 years after being found guilty of eight non-recent child sex offences that took place in Shanklin.

We received a report in August 2021 that a girl under the age of 10 had been sexually abused between June 2005 and March 2006. Following a thorough investigation Keith Heselton of Mulberry Mead in Whitchurch was charged with nine offences.

On 3 April Heselton was found guilty at Newport Crown Court of eight offences following a trial:

• Two offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.
• One offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.
• Two offences of raping a girl under 13.
• One offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration.
• Two offences of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration.

On Monday 12 June Heselton was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 24 years in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years, an additional five year license order, and a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Police Staff Investigator Louisa Parkin said: “The victim in this case, now a grown woman, has lived with the memory of this awful abuse for decades, I’m pleased we can give her the outcome the case deserved and finally some closure. I’d like to commend her bravery for coming forward and sticking with the investigation.

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. We have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

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A sick sex offender squirted semen and fake semen onto women in a series of horrifying assaults.

Willbert Mukori, from Birmingham, targeted lone “young-looking women” wearing athletic clothing to fulfil his "disturbing sexual perversion".

Police say he then sprayed fake seamen from a burger sauce bottle onto their buttocks in public and in broad daylight – in one case he used his own semen.

The force branded his crimes as “methodical and premeditated” as he gained a “sexual thrill from praying on strangers.

Some of the women were targeted by Mukori, of Elswick Grove, Kingstanding multiple times.

Judge Paul Farrer KC, branded him a "predatory sex offender" as he sentenced him to four and a half years in jail - and added him to the sex offenders register for life.

Mukori will also face a four-year licence extension and a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard how lone victims - nine of whom were students - were singled out, followed and sprayed; leaving them embarrassed, scared and in one case, fearing rape, as reported by Birmingham Live.

Two of the student victims "felt compelled to move out of Birmingham" as they were so scared after their assaults, the court was told.

Mukori previously admitted 16 sexual assaults on women - 13 in Lancaster Circus, Birmingham, two in Selly Oak and one in Chesterfield seven years ago.

He was rumbled when police were able to trace his DNA back to his first crime in 2016, in Derbyshire - where he decanted and used his own sperm.

Years after the initial offence, between 2021 and 2022, he created a replica semen and began targeting women in Birmingham.

Dominic Wallis, prosecuting said one victim was "frightened she was going to be raped" as she realised she was being stalked.

When some of the women clocked him stalking them, Mukori would bend down and pretend to 'scratch his ankle' or 'tie his shoe', the court heard.

"This defendant has a very disturbing sexual perversion," Mr Wallis added.

Defending, Graham Henson told the court Mukori - a former carer - "obviously does need help".

He said: "He is a young man, he has - apart from a conviction for failing to pay a rail fare - an unblemished record. He pleaded guilty.

"His family and friends are present in court today. They are bewildered by his behaviour. It may well be that the defendant is bewildered to an extent by his behaviour, but he does need help."

Judge Paul Farrer KC said: "Many of your victims suffered significant and enduring harm,".

He told Mukori the crimes "enabled you to get an erection and thereafter you would masturbate." It was said to be the only way he could "achieve sexual gratification".

Sentencing, he told him: "You are a predatory sexual offender who targeted lone women...whatever your motivation, this is entrenched behaviour."

Judge Farrer praised West Midlands Police for their work on the complex investigation. Police strongly believe Mukori could have committed more offences. Appealing for further victims to come forward, the force launched a public portal to report crimes.

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A persistent sex offender who got away with his crimes against two young girls in Calderdale has finally been jailed after he went on to rape another child.

Daren Skillings, now 57, was interviewed by police almost a decade ago about his abuse of the first two complainants, but he denied any offending at the time and no further action was taken.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett told Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday that the case was only reopened after Skillings, now of Sticker Lane, Bradford, was accused of abusing and raping a third young girl several years later.

One of Skillings’ first victims faced him in court and finally saw him jailed for 11 years. He was handed an additional extended licence period of one year, to be served at the end of the sentence.

Mrs Beckett read moving victim impact statements from all three complainants, who must not be identified for legal reasons, in which they described the nightmares, flashbacks and trauma they had suffered as a result of Skillings’ offending.

One of his first victims said she was sad it had taken years for her to get justice. She said: “I never got my justice when I first reported it...I wasn’t believed." She said the subsequent rape offence could have been prevented and she now hoped Skillings would never hurt anyone again.

The third victim said she suffered nightmares and flashbacks on a regular basis and every part of her life was difficult.

Skillings, who will now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, pleaded guilty to the rape and abuse charges involving his most recent victim and was found guilty of abusing the two other complainants by a jury following a trial.

Catherine Silverton, for Skillings, said he had always accepted responsibility for the rape and was deeply ashamed and remorseful. She said he had been a hard-working man who appeared to have been a “functioning alcoholic”.

Jailing Skillings, Judge Armstrong said the victim statements made very moving reading. He said the original case had not been pursued nearer the time and it was only following the more recent matters that it had been resurrected.

Skillings will now have to serve two-thirds of his 11-year prison sentence and he will have to comply with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order when he is finally released on licence.

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An ex-soldier sent a teenage girl a naked photo of himself – and asked for one of her in return.

40-year-old Dean Bird pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (Tuesday).

Edward Hetherington, prosecuting, said the defendant had liked and commented on the 14-year-old’s selfies on her Instagram account numerous times in late 2020.

 In January 2021, he sent the girl a flame emoji – which is accepted as meaning you find someone ‘hot’ (attractive). She alerted a family member to the message and he took over the conversation.

Bird, who lives in Swindon and works as a scaffolder, said he needed a shower after a hard day and spoke about his military service.

During the exchange, the girl’s family member confirmed her age to the man. He proceeded to ask for a photograph, saying that he would not tell anyone about it.

Bird was sent a photograph containing the girl’s face. In response, he sent her a photograph of his legs followed by one of his erect penis. He went on to ask her for a naked photograph.

The family member downloaded a photograph of a naked adult woman from the internet and sent it to the defendant – and he responded “wow” with a smiling face emoji with stars in its eyes.

The family member – who knew Bird through a friend – attended his address, banging on his door and making threats. Police were called to the scene, and were shown evidence of his online behaviour.

The court heard that the former soldier, who was shot in the leg by the Taliban in Afghanistan, has previous convictions for dangerous driving and violence.

Chris Smyth, defending, said his client’s “mind was all over the place” at the time of the offending.

Adding that Bird suffers from mental health issues as a result of his military service. On a mission together, his best friend was shot and killed by the Taliban. On another, he was shot in the leg. He was medically discharged from the army more than ten years ago.

Mr Smyth said the defendant works as a scaffolder for various firms and lives alone in a two-bed rented flat after the recent ending of a ten-year relationship.

He also played rugby for Cheltenham up until 2021, has an interest in fishing and played ice hockey for Swindon Rec Wildcats Ice Hockey Team – where he was, at one point, a captain.

Judge Jason Taylor said he was confident Bird would not re-offend, imposing a two-year community order with the requirement to complete 175 hours of unpaid work.

He must also complete the Horizon sex offenders’ programme and 30 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.

Bird was made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order with eight terms – one of which prohibits him from communicating with under 18s unless there is a legitimate reason.

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A 20-year-old man was told that downloading images of child abuse was not "a victimless crime" as he avoided a sentence of detention.

Michael Fallows, of Friars Street, Inverness was appearing for sentence before Sheriff Gary Aitken after previously admitting possessing 142 images.

Inverness Sheriff Court had been told that 43 of them were of the most extreme kinds of abuse.

The images were found on a Samsung device after police received intelligence that they had been downloaded on March 5, 2021.

Police raided the property at Montrose Mansions, in Corpach, and seized his phone.

Sentencing Fallows to 150 hours of unpaid community work and two years of social work supervision, Sheriff Aitken said: "This is actual abuse of children watched second hand and is not some Hollywood movie.

"It is commercial exploitation of children for sexual gratification and is fuelled by people like you surfing the net. Offending of this kind is by no means victimless far from it."

Fallows was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for two years.

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A man from Jersey who was found working in a Newport convenience store before being arrested by local Police has been handed 5-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of 8 sexual offences on his home Island.

As exclusively reported by Island Echo, 57-year-old Vincent Charles Roberts was found guilty at trial back in February of 8 counts of committing a prohibited act with someone suffering from a mental disorder.

Roberts, who was working as a healthcare assistant at a psychiatric facility on the island of Jersey, had begun communicating with a female patient via text message in June 2020. He soon switched to Snapchat to talk to the woman, knowing that messages would disappear. Over time the communications became more inappropriate and things then became physical, with the 57-year-old kissing the mentally unwell patient on more than 1 occasion.

Later on, in 2020, Roberts began more communications with a 2nd female patient through TikTok, before again moving the conversation to Snapchat. Over the following weeks and months Roberts then engaged in sexual activity with this female.

The offences were initially disclosed to a member of staff, who raised a Safeguarding Adult Alert to the Adult Safeguarding Team. Roberts was then arrested in January 2021.

Throughout the investigation Roberts refused to engage with the process and left Jersey, fleeing to the Isle of Wight. He was located by Hampshire Constabulary in August 2022 before being arrested and handed over to States of Jersey Police officers in Southampton, who took him back to Jersey where he appeared in court the next day.

Roberts was working as the store manager at Central’s convenience store on Hunnyhill in Newport.

Detective Constable Carla Garnier said:

“This was a long and complex investigation into how Roberts abused his position of trust with vulnerable people for his own gratification. He tried to evade justice by leaving the Island, and I am thankful that he was apprehended, brought back to Jersey and was found guilty.”

“Roberts’ actions have had a hugely negative impact on both victims in this case. They have both been and continue to be supported by Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (IDSVAs) and Adult Mental Health.

“We are committed to investigating and prosecuting all sexual offenders and want to assure victims that there are a number of agencies who are in a position to offer support and guidance through all stages of the criminal justice process.”

In addition to the jail sentence, Roberts was placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years and handed a restraining order for an indeterminate amount of time.

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A husband and wife have been jailed for a combined total of 28 years for non-recent child sex offences against three victims.

Claire Moores (15/03/1977) was sentenced to 13 years and her husband, Craig Moores (25/07/1971) received 15 years imprisonment today, (Tuesday 13 June 2023) at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for a number of child sex offences against two girls between 2002 and 2008.  

The couple, from the Stockport area, were arrested and charged on August 2020 and found guilty at trial of 15 charges put before them.

Craig Moores was charged with four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 18, two counts of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 18 and one count of indecency with a child under 18 by penetration.

Claire Moores was charged with three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 18.

The couple were jointly charged with two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 18. Against a third victim they were charged with one count of cruelty to a person under the age of 16.

They were also charged with causing a boy under the age of 15 to engage in sexual activity and administering a substance with intent to stupefy to allow sexual activity but were found not guilty.

Police were informed in May 2019 of non-recent sexual offences concerning two girls in Stockport.

The court heard how two girls, who have not been named due to legal reasons, reported being given substances prior to being sexually abused by the husband and wife. The third victim was exposed to the presence and consumption of controlled drugs and sexual activity.

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James Hirst, 32, was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely in 2015 after he was jailed for six years for sexual assault, prosecutor Sian Cutter told Swansea Crown Court.

As part of this, he had to notify the police of any address he stayed at for seven days or more within a 12-month period, or where he stayed for at least 12 hours when an under-18 year old also lives or stays, and had to update police annually with his contact information and address.

James Hirst, 32, was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely in 2015 after he was jailed for six years for sexual assault, prosecutor Sian Cutter told Swansea Crown Court.

As part of this, he had to notify the police of any address he stayed at for seven days or more within a 12-month period, or where he stayed for at least 12 hours when an under-18 year old also lives or stays, and had to update police annually with his contact information and address.

Police attended the address on February 13, and Hirst was arrested.

The owner of the address said she and the defendant were just friends and that she was aware he was a sex offender. She said she had invited him to stay at the house – where her 13, nine and six year old children live – on February 11 and 12.

Ms Cutter said Hirst later told police he believed he was still within the three days allowed before having to notify the police.

He was arrested again on April 20, after he failed to attend an appointment with the police to update his contact information.

His mobile phone was seized, and officers used data from the phone to find Hirst had stayed at the address on Ffordd Aneurin from January 15 to 26, and on January 30.

Hirst, of High Street in Narberth, has eight convictions for 14 previous offences – including one breach of the sex offenders register notification requirements in 2019.

Mr Griffiths, defending, said: “It’s simply the case he believes these requirements are interfering with his ability to develop normal friendships and relationships.”

He said this offending was a case of Hirst “taking it upon himself” to see if the relationship with the woman would develop.

“These measures are in place as safeguarding measures to protect future partners,” said Mr Griffiths. “He needs to develop a change in attitude and a change in his behaviour.”

“Or to put it another way, he needs to grow up,” Judge Paul Thomas said.

“There’s a song from many years ago, Mr Griffiths, ‘I fought the law and the law won’. The law will win.”

Judge Thomas described the breaches as “blatant”, and added that Hirst’s partner was “lucky not to be facing a prison sentence” for attempting to pervert the course of public justice.

For the first two breaches, Hirst was jailed for 12 months, running concurrently. He received a three-month sentence – running concurrently – for not attending the appointment with police.

There was no separate penalty for breaching the community order, which the judge revoked, having sent Hirst to jail.

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A man has today (Monday 12 June) been jailed for attempting to rape a woman and assaulting another after a night out in Basingstoke.

Costache-Flaviuis Ruset, 30, has been sentenced to nine years in prison, with an extended licence period of six years, after pleading guilty to attempted rape, assault by penetration, attempted GBH and ABH at Winchester Crown Court at a previous hearing.

The court heard that at 4.31am on Saturday, 18 February, a CCTV operator, monitoring the town’s CCTV cameras, became aware of a suspicious incident involving a man and two women on Timberlake Road.

The CCTV operator immediately alerted police directly through the police radio link when he saw the man pull one of the women to the ground and start assaulting her.

The court was told that two women, both in their 20s, had been walking home from a night out in Basingstoke when one of the women went to look for an item they had dropped.

Whilst waiting for her friend on Timberlake Road, the other woman was approached by a man unknown to her. The man, Ruset, pushed the woman to the ground and then attempted to rape her.

The woman’s friend returned moments later which caused Ruset to get up.

Both women started to walk away when Ruset ran up behind them and kicked the friend on her back, causing her to fall to the ground. He then stamped on her head and punched her several times while she lay on the ground.

He then turned to the first woman and assaulted her, causing her to fall to the ground.

Upon hearing police sirens and seeing blue lights, Ruset ran off.

Police officers gave chase whilst the CCTV controller continued to follow Ruset on the CCTV cameras, giving the officers direct commentary as to Ruset’s locations and direction of travel.

The CCTV controller watched Ruset hide behind some commercial bins in Feathers Yard and informed officers.

Ruset was arrested at 4.36am and subsequently charged.

Ruset, of Marks Lane, Basingstoke admitted the charges when he appeared at Winchester Crown Court on 22 March.

Appearing at the same court today, he was jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of six years, taking the total sentence to 15 years.

Detective Inspector Mike Higgins from the Northern Investigation Team said “This was a terrifying incident that has had a significant impact on both the women involved.

“I would like to praise them for the strength they have shown during this fast paced investigation. I hope that now Ruset is in prison this will go some way to helping them move forward and begin to rebuild their lives.

“I would also like to commend the CCTV controller for his quick response to the incident and calling us when he noticed something wasn’t right.

“His actions allowed us to stop Ruset and prevent the women coming to further harm.

“By following Ruset’s movements on CCTV and guiding officers on the ground he allowed us to locate Ruset within minutes from the moment he fled the scene.

“As a consequence, Ruset had no option but to plead guilty and I am pleased we have been able to bring him to justice so swiftly and avoid these women having to relive the ordeal in court.

“Ruset is a dangerous, predatory man and he will now spend a long time in prison for what he did.

“No-one should have to feel in fear of their safety when walking the streets, no-matter what time of day or night it is. Everyone should feel safe and protected within our communities and violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

“I hope this case sends a clear message to those who predators and those who commit sexual and violent offences, you will be pursued, we will catch you and you will be dealt with robustly.

“I also hope this sentence demonstrates our commitment, and partnership work, in tackling violence against women and girls and keep everyone safe.”

Rape and serious sexual offences are one of the most devastating crimes a person can survive and that’s why we prioritise it.

We are fully committed to focussing on perpetrators because rape is often a serial offence where offenders continue to commit crimes until they’re stopped.

The Operation Amberstone team is made up of specially trained officers who work incredibly hard to target perpetrators of rape, and provide specialist support to survivors who have been affected.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse, you can report this to police by calling 101. You will be treated in the strictest of confidence and we will provide you with the help and support you need.

Description

A foster carer who subjected two little girls to repeated serious sexual assaults has been jailed for 10 years.

Rhoderick McGregor, 59, subjected the two children to sexual abuse ordeals in Kirkcaldy, between January 2006 and February 2014.