Latest Offenders

Description

A man who worked with children while secretly distributing illegal images of children has been jailed for two years.

Oliver Owen had about 6,000 still and moving images of children, including 1,081 of the most serious type, on his phone, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The 25-year-old also advised others how to abuse children and described sick plans to open an orphanage to sell time with children to the highest bidder.

Owen, who worked as a child activity leader, admitted various offences.

When police went to his home in Carlisle in October 2020, Owen told them: "Yes, I think I have totally ruined my life and all I have worked for."

The images found on his mobile phone had been created during an 18-month period using three separate applications, prosecutor Tim Evans told the court.

Videos had been traded about which Owen had made a number of sick comments, Mr Evans said.

Mr Evans told the court Owen had also been engaged in group chat where child abuse was discussed and had "volunteered suggestions" about how this could be done; including a website targeting struggling mothers and "opening a orphanage where they could sell time with kids to the highest bidder".

Described as a man of previous good character, Owen admitted the distribution of illegal images, including category A, and making indecent photographs of children.

In mitigation, Judith McCullough said Owen, of Bowman Street, was "truly ashamed of himself and was "genuinely seeking to understand and deal with his issues".

She said: "The defendant says he didn't know how to escape and he was pleased, effectively, to be caught."

Judge Ian Unsworth QC said on Friday Owen's offending would be "truly shocking" to his family and friends.

He told Owen: "You descended into the very depths of depravity.

"This is a truly serious case of its type."

Owen must sign the sex offenders' register and comply with the strict terms of a prevention order for 10 years.

Description

When a 'predatory and manipulative' offender tried to arrange to sexually abuse a man's young daughter he was in for a surprise. The man was an undercover policeman.

Richard Campbell chatted to the officer online and tried to set up the abuse of the child. Bristol Crown Court heard Campbell sent the officer an indecent image of a four-year-old girl which he claimed to have abused in the past and described the effect it had on her.

Police who raided his home found he had a phone and iPad which he had not declared under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). And he was found with a small number of indecent images of children representing all three categories of concern

Campbell, 49, of Grace Drive in Kingswood, pleaded guilty to breaching a SHPO. He also admitted three charges of making an indecent image of a child and a single charge of distributing an indecent image of a child.

Judge Mark Horton jailed him for three years and four months, which included activation of a previously suspended sentence. The judge told Campbell: "As a result of your previous convictions and your offences now there can be no doubt that you are a predatory offender and one who has manipulated, lied and deceived."

Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, said after Campbell's online chats with an undercover policeman police made an unannounced visit to his home. Two undeclared devices were found under a duvet and indecent images of girls aged five to ten were found on them, as well as 117 'borderline' images including video.

Ieuan Callaghan, defending, said "loneliness and isolation" was the root cause of his client's offending. Mr Callaghan told the court: "He has began work in prison and there is evidence of insight."

Description

This Derby pervert groomed an autistic underage girl, telling her he would marry her and promising to buy her a ring, just so she would send him explicit photographs of herself. Derby Crown Court heard how Grant Woodcock kept the pictures she sent in a folder called 'Princess" while she called him 'Daddy" in the messages they exchanged.

The 26-year-old, of Alvaston, also sent the teenager a disgusting image of himself over the internet and told her "yum, I love it" when she messaged him a photograph of her naked breasts. And when she asked him "pants on or off?" before sending another image, he replied "off".

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Judge Robert Egbuna highlighted some of the messages Woodcock and the teen exchanged. He said: "She asked you how old you were and you said 23. She told you she was 15 and asked you 'why do you like them young? and you replied 'I just do'.

"You called her 'Princess and she called you 'Daddy'. She told a friend at school she had a boyfriend who was 23 and sent you (explicit) images which you put in a file called 'Princess'. She asked you 'pants on or off' and you replied 'off'.

"She asked about you getting married and you replied that you would and she sent you photographs of engagement rings. You did not love or care for her you were in a settled relationship you had no intention of ending.

"She told you she was 'needy' and all of these messages are you toying with her emotions. In my view the messages are consistent with you grooming a child, the whole intention was was to entice her to send you explicit photos."

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said the offences date back to May and June, 2019. She said the defendant and the victim befriended each other over a social media gaming site and began exchanging messages.

The prosecutor said these soon turned sexual and he asked her to send him sexual images of herself, which she did. Miss Slater said: "Derbyshire police were informed by Scottish police after statements were made by the girl's father and two friends that she (the victim) had disclosed she was talking to men online.

"She said pictures were exchanged, she sent pictures of her breasts and then he asked her to send him a picture of her touching herself. He spoke about them meeting up, he wanted her to come and meet him but she refused and said he could come up to see her and they could have sex in his car.

"He talked about them getting married and having children. He was arrested on August 23, 2019 and he said he had not been in conversation with the victim.

"His phone was seized and images were downloaded which showed seven that were confirmed to be of the victim. In one message she asks him to buy her an engagement ring and he says he will get her one.

"She tells him she is going for a shower and she sent him a photo of her feet. He told her he wants one of 'further up'."

Woodcock, of Coverdale Walk, pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He has no previous convictions.

Miss Slater read out part of a victim impact statement made by the girl. In it she said: "It is three years since the incidents, it was hard talking about it then and it is still hard talking about it now.

"I can't write all the ways this has affected me otherwise I would write a novel. I have horrific nightmares and wake in pain and crying most nights.

"Everyone in my (school) year found out and I was bullied and even seeing the name 'Grant' was upsetting. I don't think anyone really understood what I was going through."

Almas Ben-Aribia, mitigating, said her client has a partner and young son. She said: "He regrets his poor choices, he has worked as a doorman where he assisted the police and more recently he was working for JCB. He wants to set up his own business as a DJ performing at weddings and nightclubs.

"He is described in his references as 'loving, caring and supportive' and his best friend describes him as 'a soft loveable giant'. The stigma attached to this kind of offence cannot be understated."

As well as the jail sentence, Judge Egbuna handed Woodcock a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and made him sign on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A Glasgow pensioner who sexually abused three young girls is today behind bars after police swooped on his luxury Spanish villa and brought him back to Scotland to face justice.

John Mair, 74, had been living a champagne lifestyle at the opulent Hacidenda Riquelme golf resort in Sucina when he was detained on a European arrest warrant.

He spent three months in a Spanish prison before being extradited to face a catalogue of horrific historic sexual abuse charges.

One of his victims has spoken exclusively to the Glasgow Times and told how her life had been turned into a living nightmare by the monster, who tormented her for decades.

The 39-year-old, whose identity we are protecting, said: What he did to me will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Its changed my relationships and ability to trust men. What I went through has devastated my life in so many ways and I realise now he was grooming me for years.

When he touched me in a sexual way, he would say you are my favourite and I genuinely believed I was.

"He had such a hold over me and Im just glad he finally admitted his guilt.

Hes a creepy old man and it took a long time to find the courage to report him to the police. Hes never shown an ounce of remorse for what he did. Its taken a long time but justice has finally caught up with him."

The woman also revealed how she was determined to face Mair in court.

She added: "I went to see him being sentenced and I looked him straight in the eye as he was being handcuffed and led away. He has to spend 26 months in prison but I've been given a life sentence."

Another of Mairs victims revealed how he prayed on her and then moved to another young girl.

The woman, now 64, said: At the end of the day justice was done.

All of his victims have had their whole lives ruined by broken relationships and broken marriages.

It was good to see him in handcuffs but that doesnt make the pain go away.

The sex offender, originally from Barlarnark, pleaded guilty to three counts of abusing young girls at addresses in Glasgow and Livingston in West Lothian, between June 1981 and September 1995, when he appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court last month.

He was ordered to surrender his passport and stay in the UK while background reports were prepared by social workers.

In a sickening final insult to his victims, the wealthy pervert tried to use his cash to avoid a prison sentence, offering to pay them compensation in exchange for his liberty. Sheriff Jane Farquharson rejected his offer.

Jailing him for 26 months, she told him: You have enjoyed a very lucrative lifestyle living abroad in a golf resort, but you are a paedophile, and you were a danger to people.

Mairs offending remained a secret until 2013 when one of his victims told a relative what he had done.

Her cousin then confessed that he had sexually abused her as well and, after the #MeToo hashtag went global in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, another of his victims went to the police in 2013.

The 64-year-old woman, who also attended court to see her tormenter locked up, said she was just 10 years old when Mair first came into her bedroom wearing a short dressing gown and carrying a bottle of alcohol before making a string of lewd remarks.

He asked her whether she had a boyfriend or had kissed anybody. He then asked her if shed ever seen a boys private parts and whether shed like to see what they looked like.

Senior depute fiscal Alan Wickham told the court that on another occasion the girl was in the back of a car when she was inappropriately touched by Mair.

He said the same girl was aged 14 or 15 when Mair attended a Boxing Day gathering held by her family.

She took a guests coat upstairs and saw Mair sitting on a bed. He lured her over and again touched her inappropriately

She said: I froze, I knew what he was doing but didnt know what to do.

Her ordeal only ended when Mair heard someone coming upstairs, jumped off the bed and walked out of the room.

The court heard how his second victim was just 12 when she was targeted on a sofa by evil Mair in the living room of a mutual friend's house.

Mair, who was wearing only underpants, started kissing her on the neck and touching her.

He then put his hand up under her nightie and rubbed her back and buttocks while continuing to kiss her.

Mr Wickham said: He told her that he loved her and she could hear his heavy breathing.

"She struggled with what was happening. Shed never been kissed before and was thinking that this was not right.

She got up and went to the toilet, locked the door behind her, sat against it and stayed in there all night.

Iain Smith, defending, said Mair blamed his offending behaviour on too much alcohol and bitterly regretted what he had done.

In addition to the 26-month prison sentence, Mair will remain on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.

Description

A sex offender has landed himself back in court after he set-up a Facebook account in a fake name.

Joseph Tudor, also known as Albert, was put on the Sex Offenders' Register in 2017, which means he must abide by a number of rules. One of those rules is that the 42-year-old must tell police of he uses a different name, including online.

However, in March this year, while officers performed a routine review on Tudor, they found he'd set-up a Facebook account under the name Joe Virgo, a court was told. Nothing untoward was found on the account but it did land Tudor, of Bewicke Road, in Wallsend, back in the dock for failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

Paul Anderson, prosecuting, said officers conducted the review on March 25 this year. Mr Anderson continued: "He's set-up a Facebook account using a false name. He's subject to notification requirements and an annual review by police as a result of his past offending.

"As a result of one of those reviews, officers discovered the defendant hadn't told them that he had set-up a Facebook account in the name of Joe Virgo, which, of course, he ought to have done."

When interviewed, Tudor said he had been "absent-minded" when setting up the account and had forgotten to tell police. The court heard that Tudor created the account as he was getting death threats on an old one in his real name and had chosen to use his zodiac sign as his surname.

District Judge Kate Meek decided she needed a pre-sentence report before she finalised the case and adjourned it until September 6. Tudor was released on bail to appear back before the same court on that date.

Description

A high risk sex offender from Fife has been returned to jail after he admitted having contact with two young girls.

James Kidd, nicknamed Moonpig because he ran a greetings card business behind bars, breached a strict court order after his release from prison.

Read More

Description

Alexander Thomson, 42, subjected his victims to a catalogue of barbaric abuse across a seven year period in West Lothian between 2012 and 2019.

A serial Scots rapist who reigned terror on four women may never be freed from prison and will be monitored for the rest of his life.

Alexander Thomson, 42, subjected his victims to a catalogue of barbaric abuse across a seven year period in West Lothian between 2012 and 2019.

His crimes included rape, knocking the teeth from one of his victims and burning her body with cigarettes. Another awoke to find Thomson had placed a plastic bag over her head to restrict her breathing.

Thomson stood before the High Court in Glasgow today, convicted of 17 charges involving the abuse of four former partners including charges of assault, abduction and 10 counts of rape. Two victims who suffered at the hands of Thomson sadly died before he faced trial.

Their evidence was heard with statements read by one of the investigating officers in the case, which contributed to Thomson being found guilty. He was handed an Order of Lifelong Restriction and sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

He was further given a lifetime Non Harassment Order, preventing him approaching or contacting his victims.

Scotlands head Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, Fraser Gibson, said: Alexander Thomsons offending brutalised and bullied women who trusted him. He betrayed their trust in the most despicable manner. It is extremely sad that two of his victims did not live to see Thomson brought to justice.

"We are grateful for the evidence they provided in their determination that he be held to account and to the other two women who bravely spoke out. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is committed to the rigorous pursuit of justice. Our prosecutors will utilise all evidence available in this process.

We would urge any victim or witness of similar offending to come forward, report it and seek help.

Earlier, we told how the officer reading testimonies from the two victims who had sadly passed away said they had deserved to have their voices heard from beyond the grave.

Detective Sergeant Aisling Corduff, who read their statements from the witness box, told the Record: " It is not something that happens very often but I believe it had a huge impact on the case. They couldnt speak but I had sat and listened to them and I knew their voices. I formed relationships with these women, spent hours with them.

Bernie Laing, 30, died in July 2020, before Thomsons trial and her mum Margaret blames him for her death.

DS Corduff said: I felt proud to be reading their words aloud for them because I knew how much it meant to them and to Bernies mother. I felt like they deserved to be heard.

Thomson was arrested for his heinous crimes on December 12, 2019.

Description

A Bedfordshire man who downloaded indecent images of the most vile nature has been jailed for three years. Michael Johnson, 73, of Park Street, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, and six counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Johnson was previously registered as a sex offender and had been handed a suspended jail sentence of two years for offences linked to indecent images of children. He was also given a SHPO which prevented him from owning any devices without them being registered, and downloading file sharing software.

Deborah Simpson from Bedfordshire Polices offender management team was carrying out a routine visit in November 2021 when she became suspicious of software downloaded onto Johnsons computer. After noticing this, the computer was seized, and when searching the device, officers discovered indecent images of children, which were almost identical to those previously found in Johnsons possession.

n March 2022, further enforcement was carried out by Bedfordshire Polices cyber teams, where they were joined by a specialist digital media dog for the search. A further 12 unregistered devices were discovered and seized from Johnson, which resulted in a further charge of breaching his SHPO.

He was sentenced on Thursday (August 25) at Luton Crown Court to three years in prison, and his previous suspended sentence was activated. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigation Officer Deborah Simpson, who led the Bedfordshire Police investigation, said: "Johnson experienced sexual pleasure accessing images of the most vile nature involving very young children. He has shown no remorse for his actions, as he has continued to repeat his behaviour and ignore the prevention plan put in place.

Description

Two vile and depraved brothers from Bedford and Kempston who raped and sexually abused children have been jailed for almost 15 years between them.

Connor, 24, and Kiyle Lappin, 22, were both found guilty of raping a child under 13.

Connor was also found guilty of sexual assault of a child under 13, while Kiyle was found to have indecent images of children on his phone.

Connor, of Clover Way, Kempston, was sentenced to nine years for rape and three years and eight months for the sexual assault, to be served concurrently.

Kiyle, of High Street, Bedford, was found guilty of rape and pleaded guilty to seven separate offences linked to indecent images of children.

He was sentenced to three years and four months for the rape and a total of 22 months for the images offences.

This will be served consecutively, taking his total sentence to five years and two months.

DC Samantha Ostley, who led the investigation, said: Connor and Kiyle Lappin clearly pose a risk to children in our community.

Their actions are vile and depraved, plain and simple. I am glad they will now be going to prison for a very long time.

We will always be on the side of victims of sexual abuse, regardless of their age, gender and background, or the circumstances of the offence.

It is never too late to come forward and get justice. We will do everything in our power to support you at every stage of the process.

The pair were also made subject to sexual harm prevention orders for life at Luton Crown Court on Friday (19 August).

Description

A man confessed to his illegal activities when his "depraved" collection of child pornography was discovered last summer. Kale Jordan Hughes, originally of Maes Gwyn in Flint, appeared before a judge at Mold Crown Court to be sentenced today.

He admitted downloading just over 670 indecent photos of children as well as distributing four indecent videos at a previous court hearing. He was also found to be in possession of an extreme pornographic video portraying a sexual act involving a dog.

Prosecuting, Thomas Mcloughlin told the court how the National Crime Agency passed along information from Instagram officials to the specialist team at North Wales Police on June 18 last year that a user on the social network had shared out an indecent video of a child. That person was tracked down by their IP address and found to be Hughes.

The 29-year-old handed over a mobile phone - as well as SIM cards and memory cards - after he was arrested at his Flintshire home following a raid, the court heard. When officers asked during an interview with the defendant what their investigation of his phone would reveal, Hughes told them that there would be "everything" on the device, including the saved media alongside web searches.

An array of sexually explicit content featuring mostly girls had been downloaded and stored in "easily accessible places" on the devices, said Mr Mcloughlin. The prosecutor added that the analysts estimated the children featured in the library of indecent images range in age from aged 15 to being "as young as four".

The court heard how Hughes made a confession that, before he was arrested, he had been watching this type of material for "at least five years". He told the police he would seek the content out online, accepting that it was "wrong" and knew it was illegal.

The court heard that Hughes had downloaded the Telegram app just weeks before his arrest in July 2021. It was said that he looked around for groups that specifically shared this kind of content on the app, adding that some had "roughly 10-15" participants.

Defending, Alun Williams, was keen to stress to the court that his client was a "man of good character" before his stash was discovered. Since his arrest, he cooperated with the police "even before they could prove" what he had done and has since "made enquires" about what help is available for people who have this kind of sexual interest.

Judge Rhys Rowlands told Hughes that prison was his only suitable punishment option. Overall, he was sentenced to one year and six months, banned from ever working with children and told to sign up as a sex offender for the next decade.

He said: "These are serious and disturbing offences that are very far from being victimless. Each image is of a child, somewhere in the world, that is being subjected to exploitation to satisfy the depraved interests of people like you."

"You have shown some remorse and insight into your behaviour," the judge accepted. However, he continued by saying that: "the scale of your offending, coupled with the willingness you showed to share such vile images yourself, means that custody cannot be suspended."

Description

Sex offender Scott Simpson is back behind bars after he met a woman with two children on two occasions. The 30-year-old was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in 2014 after he engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

But he breached the order by meeting up with a woman and her two young daughters, aged six and three, on two occasions. And he hid his internet enabled mobile phone and failed to present it to police for inspection.

Now Simpson has been jailed for 23 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Antony Longworth said the defendant and his partner became friends with a woman who had two daughters, aged six and three.

They met up on February 12 and the woman and her children went back to Simpson's home. Mr Longworth said: "They had a pleasant time."

The defendant left his bag in her car and she arranged to return it to his home on February 19. Mr Longworth said: "He was engaging and played with the children. She was not made aware of his sexual offences or the existence of the SHPO or she would not have had anything to do with the defendant."

Police visited the defendant's home on March 31. Mr Longworth said: "He told them he did not have a mobile phone but used his partner's phone. An officer called the number and it went to the voicemail of Scott Simpson. He was asked where the phone was. He disclosed that the phone was in the bin area. The police found the phone in the bin area."

Simpson, of Hartshill Road, Hartshill, pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching a SHPO.

Martin Bloor, mitigating, said the defendant was not forthcoming with the police about the phone or with the woman about his past. But he said Simpson did not offend between 2014 and 2019 and has proved he can remain offence free and make progress.

Mr Bloor added: "He accepts he has underlying issues. A short prison sentence would not deal with those issues. They may be better managed and dealt with in the community."

But Judge Graeme Smith jailed Simpson telling him: "You are a high risk of re-offending, a high risk of causing serious harm and you have responded poorly to previous supervision."

Description

A man has been jailed for seven years for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

Hanveer Sunner, 22, of Springfield Crescent, West Bromwich, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 23 August).

He will also be included on the sex offenders' register for life.

In 2020, Sunner made contact with a girl on Snapchat.

On 9 June he offered to give her a lift to Birmingham City Centre and arranged to meet her in Telford.

But instead he drove her to his friend’s flat in Handsworth, Birmingham.

He gave her bottles of alcohol and balloon-gas canisters so she became heavily intoxicated before he sexually assaulted her.

She was reported missing and, with the help of the girl’s family and West Midlands Police, found at the flat locked in a bathroom.

Sunner was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with assaulting a female over 13 by digital penetration.

He denied the charge but was found guilty in a unanimous verdict at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday 12 July.

Detective Constable Ben Hocking said: “This was a very distressing incident for the victim that has understandably had a huge impact on her and we commend her bravery and perseverance.

“We would encourage anyone who has concerns about a sexual crime, either recently or in the past, to get in touch. You will always be offered our full support.”

Description

A pervert who tried to rape one child and sexually assaulted another has been jailed.

Craig Robertson left the schoolgirls traumatised in separate attacks. His offending came to light when one of the children told a friend, who reported it to an adult.

Now the 31-year-old, of Woodhorn Drive, Stakeford, Northumberland, has been locked up for eight years, with an extended licence period of a further year at Newcastle Crown Court, after admitting the offences.

In a victim impact statement, one of the victims said: "It hurt me and made me feel fragile and I spent a big part of my life thinking I was in the wrong." Addressing Robertson directly in the statement, she added: "You used and abused me. You made me grow up too quickly. Justice finally being served makes me feel I can build a happier life."

The other girl said: "It's affected me in many different ways. It's made me scared around men because of it."

Jailing Robertson and ordering him to sign the sex offenders register for life, Recorder Tony Hawks told him: "The sexual abuse of young children is one of the most pernicious offences that can be committed because it causes untold harm, catastrophic harm to to those two little girls. It can affect a whole lifetime of a person who's subjected to it, which is why it's regarded as extremely serious."

Brian Mark, defending, said Robertson has Asperger's Syndrome and mental health problems and added: "He is remorseful and he is very clear about the harm he done, he has caused those children, these victims. He doesn't hold anything against the children."

Description

A Fife sex offender who once travelled 150 miles to meet a 15-year-old girl he groomed online has been jailed again for following teenagers around Glenrothes.

Liam Russell appeared by video link at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday and admitted breaching the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

Read More

Description

A Musselburgh man has had his name added to the sex offenders' register after he was caught with child abuse images.

Graham Brown, 61, was found to have downloaded 14 vile videos of children engaged in sexual activity with adults and other children.

Brown was said to have possessed the material over a 10-month period before he was caught.

Fiscal depute Callum Thomson told Edinburgh Sheriff Court police officers received intelligence that indecent images of children were being downloaded at Browns home on the towns Old Course Gate.

Officers executed a search warrant for the address at about 6.40pm on August 30 last year.

The court was told during Fridays hearing that Brown was at home alone and during the search a laptop was discovered on his couch that contained the videos.

A full analysis by cyber crime officers showed Brown had downloaded 11 category A movies - the worst end of the scale - and three rated as category B.

All the images were in an accessible state and the analysis showed Brown had last viewed the videos on January 6 last year.

Sheriff Chris Dickson placed Brown on the sex offenders' register and deferred sentence to next month for background reports to be prepared.

Brown pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children between October 22, 2020 and August 30 last year.