Latest Offenders

Description

A 51-year-old man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after being caught sending sexually explicit messages to a teenager.

Paul Singleton was arrested on 25 July this year, after officers working in our specialist Internet Sexual Offences Team (ISOT) received reports that he was sending messages of a sexual nature to a child on social media.

He started to speak to the teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, online and quickly, the messages became sexually explicit.

Detective Constable Michelle Jameson, who led the investigation into Singleton, said: “Despite establishing early on in his communication that his victim was 13-years-old, Singleton continued to engage in highly inappropriate and sexualised conversation, including sending explicit images to the victim.”

Singleton, formerly Bessacarr, Doncaster, was charged and pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual communication with a child and one count of attempting to cause/incite a girl to engage in sexual activity. On Thursday 24 August, at Sheffield Crown Court, he was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Inspector Lee Wilson, who leads the ISOT said: “Within a month, this dangerous and predatory offender was identified, arrested, charged and convicted, which I hope demonstrates to the public of South Yorkshire how robust our response to this crime is, and how seriously we take reports of this type of offending.

“We know that there are others out there engaging in similar horrific crimes, targeting vulnerable children and young people, and our work will not stop to identify those individuals and bring them before the courts.”

Description

A former Metropolitan Police officer who abused his position to prey on women and girls has been jailed for 16 years for a series of rapes spanning eight years.

Ex-Pc Adam Provan's predatory behaviour dated back to the 1990s and went unchecked until one of his victims came forward, Wood Green Crown Court heard.

Between 2003 and 2005, he also repeatedly raped a female police officer and terrorised her so she feared for her life, the court was told.

Prosecutors said Provan was obsessed with young women, had viewed teenage pornography and collected more than 700 female contacts on his mobile phone.

Another female officer complained in 2005 that Provan sent her "nuisance" messages but nothing was done and the issue was dealt with "informally", the court was told.

He also allegedly contacted a 16-year-old girl after she gave her details as a witness in 2003.

Two other women made allegations but a rape case was not proceeded with and a sexual assault case ended in acquittal.

In 2016, Lauren Taylor came forward to say Provan raped her on a blind date when she was 16 in 2010.

Ms Taylor, now 29, had agreed to go to the cinema with Provan after he lied about his age, saying he was 22, and said he was a police officer.

Instead, Provan, then 31, took her to woods, where he had sex with her even though she repeatedly told him no.

Speaking of her ordeal in an interview with the PA news agency after waiving her right to anonymity, she said: "Basically he raped me. I remember holding on to the tree. I was kind of hugging the tree like emotional support, pretended I was anywhere else in the world but back there. I remember it can't have been long, but it felt like a long time."

Afterwards, he acted as if nothing had happened and took Ms Taylor to a McDonald's for a milkshake before forcing her to engage in a sex act in a children's playground.

Ms Taylor said: "I remember in the far distance there was a crowd of people. I was just praying that maybe someone would see me, someone would see what was going on."

Provan even discussed what films he might claim they went to see before taking her home.

Sentencing him, Judge Noel Lucas KC said the particularly “troubling” aspect was that he was a police officer and “someone members of the public have an entitlement to feel was someone of the highest trustworthiness”.

He told Provan: “By your actions, you brought disgrace on the police force,” adding he had displayed a “cold-blooded entitlement to sex” then immediately behaved as if everything was “completely normal”.

The judge said he was troubled by the way the Met handled the female police officer’s initial complaints against Provan’s behaviour in 2005.

He said those who dealt with them at the Met “were more concerned with looking after one of their own than taking her seriously” and had an investigation been taken forward, the 16-year-old victim may have been spared.

The judge paid tribute to both victims, saying they had been “extremely courageous” in reading out their impact statements in court.

All the offences were committed while Provan was a serving officer in the Met's East Area Command Unit.

Police said they were working to identify if there may be further victims and “would encourage anyone with information to come forward.”

A spokesperson said: “We are also reviewing Provan’s full history in the Met, and before he joined, to identify any concerns and whether we could have taken action against him sooner.”

His first trial for double rape ended in a hung jury but he was convicted in 2018 and jailed for nine years. The next year, he was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police.

He served three years and three months in prison - only to be released on bail after the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial.

At the fresh trial, Ms Taylor gave evidence for a third time and six more charges of rape, relating to Provan's earlier attacks on the female officer, were added.

In June, Provan, now 44 and from Newmarket in Suffolk, was found guilty of a total of eight rapes against the two women.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Taylor said: "No amount of justice will make me forget the date from hell.

"Even though I tried my best to block it out I will never forget how scared I was when the assault took place and 13 years later reliving my worst nightmare."

She told of being "triggered" by discussion around the murder of Sarah Everard by a Met police officer, saying she already knew about "bad cops".

The second victim, who has not waived her lifelong right to anonymity, told the court Provan regarded himself as "untouchable" and bragged about being a "trained killer".

She told the court she feared he would kill her and accused the Met of failing to protect her and deal with him after she complained about stalking and harassment behaviour in 2005.

The court was told Provan was given words of warning but the victim did not wish to make a statement at the time and came forward to report the rapes in 2019.

Judge Lucas told her the treatment she received from the Met was "abysmal", adding: "I hope it never happens again. More than abysmal, it's shocking."

Provan was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday to 16 years in prison with a further eight years on extended licence.

In her interview, Ms Taylor told PA: "I don't feel like I've done anything amazing. I just feel like I've done what I needed to do for me."

On Provan, she said: "I'm angry at what he's done to me. I'm angry about who he was. He was a police officer, and we go to them to be protected, and I wasn't protected.

"And I'm angry for the lack of remorse that he's shown throughout this whole process.

"I've been to court three times. He's still fully denied what he's done and even after being in prison for a certain amount of years, he's not had time to reflect and he's not changed, he's still who he is.

"The reason why I did the last retrial was because I wanted to make sure that he didn't go out and harm anyone else."

On her advice to others, she said: "Never be ashamed of what happened to you, because what happened to you is not your fault.

"When you're ready, talk to someone. It doesn't have to be a police officer, it can be a family member, it can be a friend, it can be a helpline."

Ms Taylor added: "You can't do anything until you're ready to face it. You might never be ready to face it. That's OK too.

"For me, I couldn't rest until I'd come forward and spoken about it."

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “I am sure the public will be as shocked and revolted at Provan’s offences as we are here in the Met. He abused his position as a police officer to win the trust of both these women. His actions are utterly deplorable.

“Both women have been enormously strong and courageous in giving evidence to the court – incredibly three times for one of the women - and ensuring Provan is now behind bars. I am so sorry for the pain and suffering he has caused them.

“The court heard that Provan had many women’s names on his phone - detectives are working through this list to understand how they may be linked to Provan and whether there are more offences we are unaware of. We are keen to hear from anyone who can help with any information, no matter how small. Provan is a dangerous offender and we are pursuing all lines of enquiry.

“We are examining Provan’s criminal and conduct history in the Met so we can fully understand whether we could have acted sooner to bring him before the courts, or have stopped him joining the police.

"This work is ongoing but we can already see there were key moments where we let women down and did not do all we could to support them. We have told the Independent Office for Police Conduct we are carrying out a review and advised them that we will make appropriate referrals.

“We heard in evidence that when one victim, a serving Met officer, reported allegations against Provan in 2005 these were not taken seriously. She therefore did not have the confidence to report she had been raped by him.

“We are sincerely sorry this was her experience and that she was let down by a system she trusted and was serving.

“The Met is transforming and I hope I can say with confidence her concerns would not be dismissed today. While we do not underestimate the impact of cases like this on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn, we would encourage anyone in a similar situation to report allegations. In the last year we have grown our professional standards teams to ensure we are robust in investigating matters at the earliest opportunity to rid the Met of those who very clearly should not be a part of policing.”

Description

A man from Kingston has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young girl whilst she was under his mother's care at her child-minding business.

Jonathan Hayter, 32, of Cardinal Avenue was sentenced to four years and eight months after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a child under 13 at Kingston Crown Court on August 18.

Hayter was described in court as a "dangerous predator" who "sexually abused and terrorised” the young victim.

The abuse began in 2007 when Hayter was 16 and the girl was just five.

He committed at least eight offences occurring over a two-year period at his mother's childminding service.

The victim reported the abuse to the police in November 2020, leading to an investigation and Hayter's subsequent arrest and charges.

Officers have raised concerns that Hayter may have abused other children and are asking any further victims to approach their local police.

Detective Constable Hannah Saunders, the investigating officer, said: “Hayter is a dangerous predator who sexually abused and terrorised the young innocent victim while they were under his mother’s care.

“I would like to praise the victim for her bravery in helping us put Hayter before the courts and I hope this sentence will give her some measure of closure.

“It cannot be ruled out that Hayter abused other children and I would urge anyone who has suffered at his hands to come forward and contact your local police.

“We take all allegations of this type extremely seriously and we ensure that victims are supported throughout the whole process.”

Description

A pervert with a long history of looking at child abuse images claimed he failed to tell police about a secret iPad for six months due to "dyslexia and stress".

Michael Elder has been in court on numerous occasions for more than a decade for having indecent images and breaching orders designed to control his behaviour. In June last year that Elder was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order when he was jailed for his third conviction for indecent images offences.

One of the terms of the order stated that he had to notify the police within three days of getting an internet-enabled device. An officer went to his home in June this year to do a risk review and when he asked Elder to provide all of his devices, he presented a phone and an iPad. He told the officer the iPad was new but he had bought it six months previously and had not informed police.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Elder, 44, of Raby Gate, Byker, Newcastle, has 25 previous convictions. In 2010, for possessing indecent images of a child, he got supervision and a sexual offences prevention order. In 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offenders register and failing to comply with a community order, he got 13 weeks in prison.

In 2012 he was given a community order for possessing indecent images of a child and breaching the sexual offences prevention order. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order.

In 2019 he was convicted of having a phone he failed to declare to police and then last year he was jailed for eight months and was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order for making indecent images, relating to offences committed in 2017 and 2018..

Now he has been sentenced to eight months suspended for 18 months for breaching the sexual harm prevention order. He was also ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work and the sexual harm prevention order and sex offenders registration continue.

Judge Tim Gittins said Elder had blamed dyslexia and stress for failing to understand the importance of registering his devices and failing to do so. He told him: "I think from your record you were well aware of the need to register devices and what is odd is you have a previous offence in 2019 for failing to register a mobile device so you were well aware of the potential consequences here. This was a deliberate breach.

"The record you have for downloading and possessing indecent images and such orders goes back to 2009. You have received, in the past, community orders and sentences of imprisonment and that track record is why it's of such grave concern that you are able to possess a device that is capable of accessing the internet for months before it's shown to the police.

"But the odd feature is you did show it to the police, they didn't discover it, and when it was examined it was found to be clear of any such disgusting images that you have had previously."

The judge said he would suspend the sentence because locking him up would mean he would lose his home and job and may set his rehabilitation back. But he warned him: "You are standing on the edge of a cliff. If you take a step, make sure it's a step back, away from the edge."

John Crawford, defending, said: "In the past a lot of this has stemmed from a drinking problem and feelings of worthlessness and feels he has nothing to lose. He has moved on from having a dangerous relationship with alcohol.

"He is in a much better position in terms of his personal circumstances and willingness to engage and not fall back into the damaging cycle he has been in for a significant number of years. He is working zero hours, as and when."

Description

A Barnsley predator who caused "unimaginable suffering" to a woman and child has been jailed for 25 years

Michael Cavanagh, 69, of Doncaster Road, was charged with four counts of sexual offences including rape, indecent assault of a child and rape of a child. The offences dated back to the 1990s and both victims came forward and reported Cavanagh’s offending separately in 2019. An investigation was launched by Leeds Safeguarding Unit and he was arrested and questioned by detectives.

He was later charged with multiple offences and stood trial at Leeds Crown Court. He was later found guilty of four offences by a jury. Cavanagh appeared at Leeds Crown Court and was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday, August 17.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Constable Helen McDonnell of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “I am delighted with the result and the sentence imposed on Michael Cavanagh. For 30 years, his two victims have had to live with the horrific abuse inflicted upon them by this man.

“He caused them unimaginable suffering which changed their lives forever, and theirs is the worst case I have dealt with in 17 years of Policing. Their bravery in coming forward to report this man and give evidence in this case is extraordinary, and I am so pleased that they now have justice after such a long ordeal.

“We would always encourage any victim of unreported sexual offences whether recent or non-recent to come forward and contact police. We handle all reports with sensitivity and thoroughly investigate all enquiries to bring perpetrators of these awful crimes to justice.”

Description

Pervert Paul Kelly has admitted making two indecent pseudo images of a child. The 61-year-old has already served an eight-month prison sentence in 2018 after admitting three offences of making indecent images of children and possessing a prohibited image.

But he did not learn his lesson and an officer from Staffordshire Police's sex offender management unit found indecent images of a child on his phone when she carried out a routine visit at his home in Moorland Road, Burslem, in September 2022.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that Kelly handed the officer his iPhone 14. She checked it and found two images of a child under 16 with a picture of another girl's face superimposed on to the body.

Paige Morgan, mitigating, asked magistrates to adjourn the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Kelly. She said he has mental health issues and is on antidepressants and unfit for work.

Magistrates sent the case to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Kelly will appear there on a date to be fixed. His bail was extended.

Description

A sex offender with a "cancer-like" sexual interest in children covertly filmed youngsters on beaches and at parks as he walked his dog, a court was told.

Kenneth Anthony Bushell was subject to what was then termed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order after being jailed at Newcastle Crown Court over the possession of indecent images of children in 2014 and 2015.

But the now 68-year-old defendant, formerly from Newcastle, was back at court for sentence on Friday (August 25), as a result of the recovery of devices from him on a monitoring visit by a risk offender manager, at his home near Barnard Castle, on January 3 this year.

Despite telling police they may find “four or five” indecent photos of children on the various devices, “all done a long time ago”, examination of their contents revealed hundreds of offending images, a number taken by him in parks and other public places, including in Darlington and Barnard Castle.

They included footage of him zooming in on genital areas or any exposed underwear, while there were also children undressed on beaches and even a toddler naked, wearing only floaters, in a swimming pool, taken by Bushell while on holiday.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, told Durham Crown Court the defendant used his skills from his work as a graphic designer, using photo-editing software to adulterate the images, to make them appear more sexualised, super-imposing phallic images next to the children or merely adding lurid comments.

Mr Baker said as well as the footage taken by Bushell there were also 990 other indecent images of children, 115 in the most serious category, plus 13 computer-generated images, featuring children engaging in penetrative sexual activity.

Attempts had also been made to conceal the images, with the originals deleted.

When further questioned, Bushell admitted making the images for his own sexual gratification and then attempting to conceal them from his risk manager.

Bushell, of The Steadings, Whorlton, admitted a charge of voyeurism, three counts of making indecent images of children, one of making prohibited images of children, relating to the CGI pictures, all putting him in breach of the Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which has since been replaced by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Robert Mochrie, in mitigation, said it had to be pointed out that none of the children filmed by the defendant, or their parents, would have been aware of his activities.

Mr Mochrie said: “He openly accepts having a sexual interest in children which he describes as something of a cancer within him.”

But Mr Mochrie said the defendant has tried to rid himself of it, paying to undergo a programme to address his behaviour, of his own volition, even prior to being caught.

He said the convictions of 2014 and 2015 cost Bushell his marriage and his job, with his only companionship from his dog prior to his remand in custody.

“He’s led an extremely lonely life and finds himself on his computer, behaving in this way.

“But, at the very least he has an insight and recognises he has a problem.”

Mr Mochrie suggested that with probation intervention the defendant could get back “on the right track” without facing an immediate custodial sentence.

But, passing a prison sentence of three years and four months (40 months), Recorder Tom Moran told Bushell: “You’re 68 with a long-standing sexual interest in children that does not seem to have diminished with age.

“Investigation of your devices revealed your offending was far more serious and far more extensive than what you were previously dealt with for.”

Recorder Moran described Bushell’s “astonishingly depraved and deviant behaviour” as, “extremely troubling”.

He made Bushell subject of a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order to run indefinitely, while he must also register as a sex offender for life.

Description

A survivor of sexual offences, who was subjected to many years of sexual abuse has directly addressed her perpetrator today, as he is jailed for 10 years and 6 months.

Terry Crabb, 71 of Star Lane, London appeared at Chelmsford Court Court on Friday, 25 August where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences against children.

An investigation into Crabb was launched in April 2020 after a survivor bravely reported the years of sexual abuse she had been subjected to in Loughton.

The investigation was managed by Essex Police’s Quest team, who are trained in investigating non-recent sexual offences where the victim was a child at the time.

Enquiries revealed that Crabb had started sexually abusing the victim when she was 13-years-old.

He was arrested in June 2020. In interview, Crabb denied all offences. Further enquiries revealed that Crabb was in possession of a number of indecent images of the victim.

He was later charged and pleaded guilty to 4 counts of sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15 and two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday 25 August where he was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison.

'You are a coward'

Following the sentence, the survivor in this case said what she’d like to say to Terry Crabb now:

“I still remember the very first time you laid your hands on me and I remember how uncomfortable and frozen I was when it happened.

“At first, I wondered if it was a one off, but then I soon realised the flood gates had been opened and you would keep taking what you wanted.

“I wanted to say something, but I never thought I could.

“I remember talking about self- harm; you would tell me only cowards did that. The only coward I’ve ever known, was you.”

Detective Constable Emily Monk said:

“Crabb manipulated this victim into thinking that his offences were normal and that she’d have to accept them as part of her life.

“This sentence is a direct result of the bravery she has demonstrated in breaking out of years of abuse.

“I hope she is able to move forward with her life.”

Crabb will remain subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and lifelong notification requirements.

Essex Police’s Quest team investigates non-recent sexual offences cases where the victim was a child at the time of the abuse but is now an adult.

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis).

Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.

For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.

Description

A man has been found guilty of entering a ladies’ toilet block and engaging in a sex act in front of three girls.

Jurors took less than two hours to return unanimous verdicts against Ahmed Elbasry.

The defendant, 38, denied three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and went on trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Following the three-day trial, the jury of seven women and five men found Elbasry guilty of all counts on Thursday, August 17.

The offences related to an incident at the seafront toilets in Undercliff Drive near Boscombe Pier on the evening of May 8 last year.

Prosecutor Tom Wright told the jury the girls, who were aged between 11 and 13, had been at the beach with family when they went to the toilets before making the trip home.

He said they were the only people in the women’s bathroom when they saw the defendant in the corridor.

In evidence, they said he was looking at them and smiling. The complainants said he exposed himself with his “boxers” halfway down his thighs.

During the trial, the defence said they were green swimming trunks and he also had chino shorts.

The girls described how Elbasry was touching himself and how scared they felt.

The court heard that the complainants locked themselves in two of the cubicles before the defendant, who lived less than two minutes away, entered the only other one.

One of the 13-year-olds said Elbasry tried to put his head through the gap at the bottom of the partition wall, which separated the stalls, before he put his arm under and tried to grab at them.

By this point the girls were screaming until one of their parents, who they had called on the phone, arrived in the toilet block, the jury heard.

The court heard the defendant went out of the cubicle he was in and went into the men’s toilets where he put his shorts on.

Prosecutor Tom Wright said the offender was challenged by the parents and he was prevented from leaving the scene until police arrived.

Elbasry’s account of what happened differed from his police interview and when he was in the witness box in the trial.

In his interview, he denied going into a cubicle in the women’s toilet and touching himself.

At court, he said he was desperate to go to the toilet and took his penis out before going into the stall.

His barrister, Nick Cotter, suggested to the jury he had committed an honest mistake going into the women’s toilets rather than the men’s facilities.

Judge William Mousley KC remanded the defendant, of Marina Close, Bournemouth, on unconditional bail ahead of a sentencing hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday, October 2.

Description

A convicted paedophile breached a court order when he travelled to Senegal and married a woman he met on a dating website with a young daughter. He bought the daughter a phone and had her contact number in his phone.

Donald Davies, 65, of Barry, committed a number of sexual offences against children and was sentenced to a six year custodial sentence in 2010 for sexual activity with a child, when he sat on a girl while naked and performed a sex act. He was also found in possession of indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

Before that, he received a caution in 2006 for inciting a child under 13 of engaging in sexual activity, when he kissed the victim with tongues. He was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which he breached on multiple occasions.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Davies was visited by monitoring officers on June 28 who surprised to learn the defendant had travelled to Senegal and married a woman he had met on an African dating website. He told the officer the woman had a young daughter who lived in another country.

When the defendant's phone was looked, there was a contact number for the daughter and he told the officer's he had bought her the phone and once spoken to her to provide advice. On previous occasions, he had previously prevented officers from looking at his phone.

He told the officers he was planning on bringing his wife to live with him in Wales. Attempts were made to speak to the woman but she initially hung up on the first occasion and later dismissed the defendant's previous convictions when told about them.

Davies, of Colcot Road, later pleaded guilty to two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The court heard he had eight previous convictions for sexual offences, for which he was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant was employed as a HGV driver and sent £500 each week to his wife in Senegal. He also has two children, who he provides financial support for.

Sentencing, Judge Lucy Crowther said Davies had "shown an utter disregard for the rules". She added: "You knew perfectly well you should not have done what you did but you did it anyway."

Davies was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment. He will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.

Description

A girl who a Royal Wootton Bassett man ‘wanted to abuse’ was actually an undercover cop.

Pietro Rossi was communicating with a profile on the internet chat room CHATiw – who claimed to be a 13-year-old female – between 27 April and 1 June 2020.

Robin Shellard, prosecuting, told Salisbury Crown Court today (Friday) that the 60-year-old sent numerous pictures of his erect penis and pornography showing females engaged in oral sex.

He continued to conversation on the messaging app Kik, where he told the ‘girl’ he wanted to sexually abuse her and requested what he called “naughty pictures” of her bottom.

The defendant also said he wished she was playing with his penis and asked her sexualised questions, including about whether or not she had digitally penetrated herself before.

However, Rossi later discovered that he was actually talking to an undercover officer from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit – when police arrived at his door with a warrant on October 2021. His partner, stepchildren and grandchildren resided at the address with him.

The defendant, of Ruxley Close, Royal Wootton Bassett, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child back in June when the case first came to court.

“This is a man whose behaviour is very, very out of character with what appears to be his usual self”, defence barrister Christopher Pix said.

In pre-conference ahead of sentencing, Rossi said “I want to say sorry, I don’t know who to say it to, I am just very, very sorry”, according to Mr Pix.

He said his client has a “great deal of remorse” and was having a “breakdown” at the time of the offending due to the ending of an abusive marriage and his highly stressful job.

Judge Barnett imposed a 12-month prison sentence – but suspended it for 18 months so that Rossi can get the help he “badly needs”.

He said that his personal life issues were “no excuse” to commit this crime, stating the he was “trying to get images from a person you thought was a child” – adding that it was “plainly deliberate”.

The judge told Rossi to complete 45 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 80 hours of unpaid work in the community and imposed a decade-long sexual harm prevention order. He’ll also have to register has a sex offender for ten years.

Description

A man who committed a "terrible" early hours sexual assault on a young woman in a Suffolk town has been jailed. Constantin Tulba, aged 34, of Edgecomb Road, Stowmarket, carried out the attack at approximately 1.15am on Sunday, June 4 earlier this year.

The victim, a woman aged in her early 20s, had been walking away from Stowmarket town centre towards Combs Ford. She was on Ipswich Road, when she became aware of a man walking close behind her.

The man grabbed hold of her, before sexually assaulting her. The woman resisted and escaped to an approaching car and the suspect ran away.

The male who was driving the car that disturbed Tulba then drove the victim to a nearby police vehicle that was on patrol. Officers conducted enquiries and the following day Tulba was arrested and subsequently charged. Tulba appeared before Ipswich Crown Court on Monday (August 21), where he was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment.

He had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault at a previous hearing on 5 July. The incident took place at approximately 1.15am on Sunday, June 4.

The court heard how police enquiries at Tulba’s property found the clothing which matched the description that he was wearing on the evening of the assault, and forensics linked him to the assault. Detective Sergeant Naomi Harger said: "This would have been an extremely concerning and frightening assault for the victim and I praise her for the courage and strength she has shown.

"I am extremely pleased to see Tulba behind bars after being handed this sentence, and hope this reassures the local community. However, it will be of little comfort I am sure for the victim who showed immense courage in speaking to police about the terrible ordeal she experienced. No prison term will ever make up for the trauma she suffered.

"I’d also like to thank the members of public who came forward as witnesses and who provided CCTV or dash cam footage for the case. This evidence is always really valuable in securing convictions.

"Anyone who is a victim of any sexual offence can be reassured that they can and should come forward and contact us. All complaints are taken seriously and we continue to work with partner agencies to provide victims with appropriate support whilst conducting a robust and thorough investigation."

Description

A rapist taxi driver who preyed on two teenage passengers has been jailed.

Saifal Zaveri, 42, attacked a 17-year-old student after picking her up as a fare from outside her home in Dundee.

The married father-of-three, who has a previous conviction for stalking, also molested a 16-year-old passenger during a journey from Dundee to Monifieth.

Zaveri, of Mayfield Grove, Dundee, denied charges of rape and sexual assault but was found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in June.

Appearing for sentencing at Glasgow High Court, Zaveris actions were described as opportunistic and predatory.

Zaveri, who quit as director of Abertay Cabs in April 2021, continues to maintain his innocence, the court heard.

The former newsagent was handed an extended 11-year sentence and will serve eight years behind bars.

The former shopkeeper was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Description

Lancashire Police say they could not have predicted violent sex offender Anthony Stinson would go on to kill.

Stinson, 31, was jailed for life and must serve a minimum term of 24 years and two months before he can apply for parole, after killing Charlotte Wilcock on her doorstep in Blackburn.

No motive has been given for the attack on Charlotte, who was a complete stranger to Stinson. She suffered almost 100 separate injuries and was left to die behind her front door while her baby daughter was alone upstairs.

Det Ch Insp Mark Haworth-Oates, of Lancashire Police's Force Major Investigation Team, said: "The nature of the offence was so random. We saw him in a shop 20 minutes before the murder, acting reasonably normally. He was with his friends rapping on a video half an hour earlier, acting reasonably normally."

Although Stinson was unknown to Charlotte he was no stranger to the police. As a registered sex offender he was monitored in the community by the police and Probation Service. At his sentence hearing, the court heard he has 11 previous convictions for 25 offences including rape, ABH and criminal damage. Many of those crimes were against women.

In 2010, Stinson assaulted an ex partner at her home by pushing, grabbing and spitting at her, after entering her flat through a window.

In 2013, he raped a teenager at a house party in Clitheroe. He admitted abusing the girl while she slept and was jailed for five years. In April 2019 he was handed a suspended sentence for two attacks on his ex partner within days of each other. On both occasions he strangled the woman, and during the second attack, Stinson put a pillow over her face, saying: "I swear to God, I could happily bury you." The victim said she thought she was going to die.

Stinson admitted he had been drinking and taking drugs when he attacked his partner in 2019 and was ordered to take part in rehabilitation to address his offending. He remained under supervision until his arrest for Charlotte's murder in March 2023.

Det Ch Insp Haworth-Oates said: "He was managed like any registered sex offender because of his rape conviction. He had served his prison sentence (for rape) and like numerous other people, unfortunately, he was managed in the community.

"Clearly, that doesn't lend itself to us following someone round or being with them 24 hours a day, or being able to predict a change in mood or a change in circumstances on that night that caused him to go and do what he did.

"He made a decision on that night to take an awful lot of drugs, all day - drugs he knew and he admitted caused him issues mentally and caused him anger issues."

Stinson claimed he was suffering psychosis and had seen the devil when he attacked Charlotte, but psychiatrists concluded he was acting rationally at the time he claimed to be impaired. However Stinson also admitted he had been taking drugs and drinking and had argued with his dad, before taking a Stanley knife onto the street to 'rob a drug dealer'.

"It could have been anybody sat on that doorstep that night", DCI Haworth-Oates said. "It is so sad it was Charlotte this has happened to. One person is responsible for that and that is Anthony Stinson."

Description

A paedophile was caught red-handed by a dog on a 'routine' police visit to his home.

Andrew Contento, a serial sex ofender, thought he had been able to hide his phone from officers when they visited his house after he had previously been handed a sexual prevetion order. But Contento was rumbled once again following the introduction of a police dog specifically trained to find hidden devices.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, that the 54-year-old is subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order as a result of his previous convictions. Derek Jones, prosecuting, described how the terms of this SHPO require Contento to hand over any electronic devices he owns upon request by police officers, the Echo reports.

Merseyside Police made a routine visit to his home on Rock Lane East in Rock Ferry, Wirral, on the morning of July 24 this year as part of the order. He let the PCs into the address and handed over three such items.

Contento claimed he had no other devices to disclose, and was then told that a "specialist digital media search dog" would be brought into the property to ensure that he was complying with his SHPO. The pervert maintained his denials, but PD Monty entered and swiftly sniffed out a further mobile phone inside a rucksack situated beside his feet.

At this, he replied: "You're going to lock me up. I know what's on it."

Contento interrupted Mr Jones at this stage in proceedings by saying: "Liar. That's a lie."

The prosecutor continued addressing the court however, saying that the defendant confessed under interview that he had been collecting indecent images "for his sexual gratification". Contento then made a further outburst, saying: "No, I didn't."

When the extra phone was analysed, it was found to contain 24 indecent videos graded in category A - those showing the most serious forms of abuse. These included a 31-minute "compilation" showing a girl aged as young as 12 being raped and a five minute and 35 second clip of a four-year-old being forced to perform a sex act on a man.

The device also contained 15 category B indecent images, including 13 videos, and 34 category C pictures - five of which were movies. A further 29 "cartoon or CGI images" were discovered on the hard drive.

Contento was first handed a sexual offences prevention order in 2009, when he received a community order for making indecent images. This was amended to a SHPO in 2015 when he was again found with a vile stash of child abuse material.

John Weate, defending, told the court that his client "disputed a number of comments attributed to him" but added: "He accepts through me that it is inevitable that an immediate custodial sentence is going to be passed in his case. He does not come forward with any limp excuses for his behaviour.

"He is a man who, at this point in time, is behaving himself in custody. He understands there is a requirement for him to tackle the obvious problems he has.

"If he doesn't want to be back and to into custody, he has got to ensure that nothing like this happens again. I ask your honour to pass a sentence that does not crush the resolve he appears to have to challenge the issues he has in life, so that at some stage he can come out of custody and learn his lesson."

Contento admitted three counts of making indecent images, possession of prohibited images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for 20 months.

Sentencing, Judge Anil Murray said: "Clearly, your past amounts to an aggravating feature in this case. Unfortunately for you, police dog Monty is a specialist in finding electronic devices and did just that.

"You know this has to be an immediate custodial sentence. I am told you hope to have access to therapy and intend to try and change upon your release.

"I hope you do. Otherwise, you are going to serve more and more sentences of imprisonment."

Contento replied: "I understand. Thank you your honour."