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Paul Sild, aged 34, from Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to more than 20 offences of sexual assault, possession of indecent images and extreme pornography.

Sild was arrested and charged by Hartlepool CID officers in June, after a number of women came forward to report incidents which had taken place on residential streets in the town in May.

Officers found that Sild had approached women who were unknown to him in the street and used a syringe to squirt them with a substance, which was found to contain traces of his DNA. He had filmed these assaults on his mobile phone, which he carried in a hollowed-out book to conceal it.

Following his arrest, officers found evidence of further sexual assaults which had not been reported to police, along with indecent images of children and extreme pornography on his mobile phone.

Sild received four-and-a-half years in prison, with an 18-month extended licence.

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A 42-year sentence has been imposed on a man who raped and sexually assaulted a number of women and girls in the Dover and Canterbury areas.

Ian Hamilton was charged with numerous sexual offences after Kent Police's Cold Case Investigation Team reviewed a 1988 investigation into an attack on a girl in the village of Hersden.

That in turn linked him to a 1992 report concerning abuse he inflicted on a child in Dover in the mid-1980s.

Cold case investigation

Detectives began tracing and interviewing people who had come into contact with Hamilton around that time, leading to a number of women revealing they had also been the victims of violence and sexual abuse at his hands.

In total, officers identified a further nine women who had been victims of sexual offences between 1977 and 2000, and a man who had been seriously assaulted by him in 1991.

As a result, more than 50 previously unreported offences were investigated and Hamilton was arrested at his home in Snodland in March 2024.

Following his arrest, a computer in his possession was found to contain more than 1,500 indecent images.

The 63 year old stood trial at Inner London Crown Court and was convicted by a jury of all 59 charges including rape, indecent assault and causing grievous bodily harm, having admitted possession of indecent images at the start of the trial.

Jailed

On Friday 13 December 2024, he received a sentence of 42 years and one month. His Honour Judge Silas Reid described Hamilton as 'cunning and sadistic' and a 'monster of the night'.

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A man has been jailed for six years and three months, after being convicted of sex offences.

Dillon Robb, aged 29, of HMP Hewell was convicted of four counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15 and two counts of engaging in sexual communications with a child.

He was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court today (Friday 13 December). Robb was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and has been placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The offences took place in Telford between August and September 2023.

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A MAN who met an underage girl for sex after grooming her online has been locked up for six-and-a-half years.

Bradford Crown Court heard how Damien Hughes set up a fake Instagram account under the name “Simon” and sent a friend request to the teenager.

Over the next three months they exchanged messages, which became sexualised, and he sent a video of himself masturbating.

He also asked the teenager to send nude photographs of herself and encouraged her to agree to meet in a hotel for sex despite knowing she was under the age of consent.

During the school holidays they met up three times and on two occasions Hughes, now 41, had sex with the girl in his car.

The court heard that the girl tried to call a halt to the situation, but Hughes would tell her that he would miss her and was “really upset”.

The relationship was discovered when a relative of the girl spotted a message from Hughes on her phone and responded pretending to be her.

He then investigated her Instagram account and found sexually explicit photographs and videos as well as messages arranging to meet up.

The police were informed, and, on being arrested, Hughes gave “no comment” answers in an interview.

When his phone was examined it showed where he had travelled to meet the girl and CCTV footage was located that placed the pair at the scene.

A forensic examination of his car found evidence of sexual activity.

Hughes was picked out by the teenager in an identity parade but denied the offences and went to trial where he was found guilty by a jury.

In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecutor Laura McBride the teenager said her experiences with Hughes had left her feeling “very worried, anxious, and intimidated” as he had taken advantage of her vulnerabilities.

She revealed she had undergone therapy and suffered from trust issues that had impacted other relationships.

She said: “Each day I must live with the memories and flashbacks of what he did to me.”

Sentencing Hughes, of Westbourne Grove, Halifax, at Bradford Crown Court Mr Recorder Andrew Haslam KC said he had denied his crimes “despite overwhelming evidence”.

He jailed Hughes for a total of six-and-a-half years, imposed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, and said he must sign the sex offender’s register for life.

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An "opportunistic sexual predator" has been jailed for four years after sexually assaulting and attempting to rape a woman.

Mohammed Sanana denied approaching two women in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, before sexually assaulting and attempting to rape one of them on the steps near the library on Clarence Street.

The victim repeatedly told Sanana "no", told him to go away and pushed him, when the incident occurred on a night out in March at about 20:30 GMT.

Sanana, formerly of Ambrose Street in Cheltenham, was convicted by a jury following a week-long trial at Gloucester Crown Court.

During the trial, the 22-year-old claimed he knew the victim and said his actions were consensual.

However, the jury unanimously found him guilty on 11 November.

As well as the prison sentence, Sanana will be placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

He was sentenced on 6 December.

'Unforgivable attack'

In a statement provided by the woman, she said the court process was "very daunting", despite having support from a Sexual Violence Advisor.

"This entire court process did not need to happen and could have all been avoided if he had just admitted to what he had done instead of fabricating a whole story about meeting me before.

"I hope that he is able to learn from this process and will think twice about his actions in the future.

"I hope that him being convicted of this offence will help to prevent something like this from ever happening again to someone else in order to protect other people in the future," she said.

Det Ch Insp Dave Shore-Nye, of Gloucestershire Police, said:

"Sanana is an opportunistic sexual predator who is now rightly behind bars.

"He subjected a woman to a terrifying and unforgivable attack which has impacted her life significantly, and I hope his prosecution and conviction will bring her some sense of justice."

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A judge has jailed a ‘dangerous’ woman for violent physical and sexual abuse.

Angel Hill, 20, was handed an extended sentence for her crimes. Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Hill, who is transitioning from male to female, had demonstrated ‘violent, manipulative and controlling behaviour’.

She pleaded guilty to assault by penetration, sexual assault, strangulation and threatening with a bladed article in relation to the victim. “I conclude you have no insight regarding your behaviour at all,” Judge Jason MacAdam told the defendant.

“I see no evidence whatsoever that would lead me to conclude you are motivated to change your behaviour. Your approach being ‘it’s all about me’. The consequences of your actions don’t seem to register in your thought process, or if they do you ignore them. I find you to be dangerous, in the legal sense.”

Hill, of High Peak, Derbyshire, was sentenced to an extended sentence of 11 years, including seven years in prison and four years on extended licence.

Prosecuting, Stuart Neale said that the victim had struggled to breathe when Hill committed the strangulation offence. He said that Hill had said ‘I’m going to kill you’ earlier on the same occasion.

In a statement read to the court, the victim told how the incidents had affected their mental health. Defending, Julian Goode said that the defendant is still a young person and has not yet reached full maturity.

He said that she has experienced serious mental health issues, and argued that she was genuinely remorseful. Judge MacAdam said that he would reduce the sentence to take account of the defendant’s youth and mental health. He also reduced the sentence by 20 per cent because she pleaded guilty.

“The victim in this case was spared the ordeal of having to give evidence,” the judge said. He ordered Hill to sign the sex offender’s register. Hill was told she would have to serve at least two-thirds of the seven year custodial sentence before being considered for release.

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A teenager has told a court she attempted to take her own life after being repeatedly sexually assaulted by an older colleague at a McDonald’s in Perth.

The young woman was one of three female employees tormented by Joshua McKeown in 2022.

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A paedophile who walked into a Sawtry home and sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed.

Christopher Woods, 39, was captured on CCTV trying door handles in the early hours of 23 April last year.

Woods, who was carrying a pint glass, managed to get into the back garden of the victim’s home before entering the property.

The victim had awoken and decided to go downstairs where Wood spoke to her and then assaulted her.

Video doorbell footage captured him entering the garden and leaving roughly 40 minutes later.

The following day the girl told her mother and she contacted police.

When officers attended, they found the pint glass in the garden. Forensic tests revealed Woods’ fingerprints, and he was arrested.

Woods, of Garner Court, Huntingdon, denied assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and breaching an existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was found guilty of both counts following a trial at Peterborough Crown Court last month.

Yesterday (11 December) at the same court he was jailed for four years and six months.

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A ‘predatory’ priest who repeatedly molested a sleeping train passenger has been jailed for 16 months at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

Father Daniel Doherty, 61, from Falkirk, was the parish priest at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Falkirk.

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A sex offender who avoided police checks by sleeping rough has been jailed for a year.

Scott Notman, also a convicted football hooligan, lied to cops by saying he had been in hospital when they were looking for him. The 49-year-old was sentenced at Airdrie Sheriff Court when he admitted failing to disclose a change of address within three days.

Notman was put on the sex offenders' register for five years in July 2023 after being caught in a paedophile sting. A court heard he used an online dating site to contact a female he believed to be aged 14.

'Emma' turned out to be an adult member of a vigilante group posing as a teenager. Notman arranged to meet her but didn't turn up.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard police officers from the sex offenders' monitoring unit went to Notman's home in Airdrie for a routine check four times in October this year. There was no sign of him and housing officers who turned up with an eviction notice also got no reply.

Annette Ward, prosecuting, said: "Police officers traced him in a social work office in Bellshill on November 5. He claimed he had been in Monklands Hospital between October 18 and November 4.

"Enquiries at the hospital established he'd attended at the emergency unit on November 3 but was discharged after examination."

Defence lawyer Tony Linden said Notman's sex offender status had put him "at a low ebb", adding: "As remarkable as it seems, he chose to leave his house, preferring to sleep rough.

"Of course, the first thing he was required to do was tell the police, given the clear concerns that arose from them not knowing where he was."

Sheriff Joseph Hughes told Notman: "Your record shows breaches of non-harassment and community payback orders. This is another example of non-compliance and it's really serious.

"It can't be allowed to continue as you are on the sex offenders' register until 2028."

In 2021 Notman was jailed for 15 months for breaking a Hearts football fan's jaw in an unprovoked attack after a game against Motherwell.

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A man who raped a woman twice while her children were in the house has been jailed.

Abdul Hamed, 35, of no fixed address, assaulted a woman in a "horrendous ordeal" after climbing through her window in Swindon in the early hours of 18 June.

"Hamed entered her home through a window in the middle of the night, significantly breaching her sense of safety and privacy in the one place that she should have felt safest," said DC Ashleigh Moran of Swindon Police.

Hamed has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison at Swindon Crown Court.

'No remorse'

"This was a traumatic incident for the victim and I want to thank her and commend her for her incredible bravery that she's shown throughout this process," DC Moran continued.

The incident was reported to police the day after it happened, and Hamed was arrested.

He pleaded not guilty to the offences and was unanimously found guilty following a six-day jury trial.

"He has shown no remorse throughout this investigation and now faces several years behind bars for his actions," DC Moran added.

"I hope this sentencing will bring an element of closure for the victim and she can start to move forward with her life."

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A 30-year-old man has jailed for eight years at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, 11 December, 2024, after being convicted of serious sexual offences in Fife.

Darren Glass’ crimes included rape and sexual communications against a woman and a teenage girl between September, 2020 and June, 2022.

Detective Constable Steven Grant said: “Glass is a dangerous individual who now faces the consequences of his despicable actions.

"I would like to commend his victims for their strength in coming forward during the investigation. Their information was essential in helping us build the case against him and our thoughts remain with them. I hope this outcome provides them with some sense of closure.

“If anyone has been a victim of a sexual crime, please report it. We have detectives dedicated to investigating such offences. You can be assured that you will be fully supported by officers and our partner agencies."

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A man from Stowmarket has been jailed for more than two years for a rape he committed as a teenager.

Alex Welham appeared in the dock at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday.

He had pleaded guilty to a charge of rape of a girl under 13, and a charge of multiple incidents of sexual assault of a girl under 13, which the court heard took place on at least 10 occasions.

The offences were committed between 2014 and 2016. Welham was 13 when the abuse began, and 15 when it ended. The victim was several years younger than he was.

The abuse was reported to the police in 2023.

A statement was read to the court by Matthew McNiff, prosecuting, on behalf of the victim. In it, she described the profound impact Welhams abuse had had on her life.

Addressing Welham, now 24, who she described as the monster that ruined my childhood, she said: You killed the child in me, forcing me into a world I neither understood or was ready for.

She continued: You took my smile away. The abuse was, she said, disgusting and unforgivable.

The victim said that she felt pride that she had managed to come forward and report the abuse. She spoke of her determination to use my voice to help other victims of child abuse.

Joanne Eley, representing Welham, told the court that he had described being sexually curious having been exposed to pornography. He also described being bullied throughout high school, and has since been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, Miss Eley told the court.

Judge David Wilson said that these offences were committed when Welham was a child, which would need to be reflected in his sentence.

Cases of this nature provide notorious difficulties for sentencing court, he said.

He also acknowledged that the impact of Welhams abuse continues to be felt by the victim.

This was not simply experimentation as a teen boy this was targeted planned behaviour over a period of time, he said, adding that the abuse was accompanied by warnings that the victim should keep quiet.

For the rape, he sentenced Welham to two years and eight months in prison. For the sexual assaults, he sentenced Welham to nine months, which he will serve concurrently.

Both these sentences were reduced in light of Welhams age at the time of offending, and his guilty pleas.

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A 58-year-old man has appeared at Swansea Crown Court today (Wednesday December 11) charged with child sex offences including attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence, an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order

David Parton from Penarth was arrested in October after arranging to meet a child under 13 following conversations held on-line.  He has been sent to prison for six years.

He will then have to serve a further four years on license as he has been classed as a dangerous offender bringing the total sentence to 10 years. He also has a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be classed as a sex offender for life. 

The investigation, which was carried out by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales, identified Parton as targeting children in southern Wales and enticing a child to commit sexual acts. 

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A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting a girl and taking and sharing indecent images of her. Ryan Woolsey, 25 years, of Withensfield, Liscard was put behind bars for 13 years and eight months.

Woolsey was convicted of two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, possessing an indecent photograph of a child, distributing an indecent photograph of a child and taking an indecent photograph of a child.

During the course of the investigation into Woolsey’s offending, officers seized Woolsey’s devices and found he had taken and shared indecent images of the victim as well as assaulting her.

Detective Inspector Rob Pritchard said: “I know that people hearing the details of Woolsey’s crimes will feel complete revulsion at the way he exploited a young child. His crimes are quite simply despicable. Woolsey had no regard for the impact his behaviour would have on the victim, and thought only of his own sordid gratification.“Sex offending has a huge and devastating impact on victims and their families, and that harm can last a lifetime. I want to pay tribute to the victim in this case and her family, whose courage in coming forward and co-operating with the investigation has been humbling.“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the team who investigated Woolsey, whose actions have helped put him behind bars and spare this child and others from further harm and exploitation. I hope Woolsey spends the long time he has in prison considering the terrible impact of his actions.”Det Insp Pritchard added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and stopping those who seek to do them harm – including those who share images of that abuse. Our Unity team is dedicated to preventing sexual offences and protecting people from the trauma and hurt sexual abuse can inflict.