Latest Offenders

Description

A paedophile given a "significant chance" with a suspended sentence after being caught with child abuse images went on to repeat the offending, a court has heard.

When Jonathan Meadows' offender manager visited him at home during a routine visit she saw he was using a social media application under a different name - and that led to an examination of his devices which uncovered almost 100 indecent images along with prohibited images and extreme pornography.

Swansea Crown Court heard the youngest children in the images were estimated by police to be aged between six months and 12 months. Sending the defendant to prison, a judge told him that the pictures he had downloaded were of real children somewhere in the world being horribly sexually abused so people like him could masturbate over them.

Sian Cutter, prosecuting, said in April this year Meadows' offender manager conducted a monitoring visit at his house, and when she checked his phone she saw he was logged into social media and messaging app Discord under the name Julie Shepherd. The court heard that under the terms of a previously imposed sexual harm prevention order Meadows is banned from having social media accounts in any name other than his own unless he registers them with police.

The prosecutor said the discovery of the unauthorised social media name led the policewoman to seize the defendant's electronic devices. On his phone and an SD memory card officers subsequently found a total of 95 child sexual abuse images - including 17 Category A pictures and videos showing the most extreme forms of abuse including rape - along with 56 prohibited images, and five images of extreme pornography. Miss Cutter said the estimated age of the youngest child in the photographs was between six months and one year.

Jonathan Adrian Meadows, 30, of Clyne Court, Sketty Park, Sketty, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making - that is possessing - indecent images, possession of prohibited images of children, possession of extreme pornography, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has one previous conviction for seven offences - in 2020 he was given a suspended prison sentence and made the subject of a SHPO for three counts of making indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent images, and possession of extreme pornography.

Dan Griffiths, for Meadows, said the defendant was at pains to point out to the court that there was "no sinister motive" for having the Discord account in a different name - he said his client intends to transition and Julie Shepherd is the name he wants to adopt. He said his client realised that he should have told police about the account in the name of Julie Shepherd, and he said it had to be accepted that Meadow's engagement with the 2020 court order had been "superficial".

Judge Paul Thomas KC told the defendant he had been given a "significant chance" with the imposition of the previous suspended sentence but it was clear he had learned nothing. The judge told the defendant that possession of indecent images was not a victimless crime and the photographs he downloaded showed real children somewhere in the world being horribly abused so people like him could masturbate over them.

With a discount for his guilty pleas Meadows was sentenced to 21 months in prison comprising 12 months for breaching the SHPO and nine months for the image offences charges to run consecutively. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years, and the existing SHPO was allowed to continue.

Description

A Wrexham rapist told his victim to kept quiet after attacking her against her will. "Arrogant" David Sam Jones had thought he was going to get away with his crimes but almost a decade later, he has now been brought to justice.

Jones, originally from the Wrexham area, was handed more jail time at Caernarfon Crown Court on Friday afternoon (June 2) having admitted to raping a woman in January 2015. Patrick Gartland, prosecuting, told the court Jones had forced himself on the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Jones, aged 22 at the time, ignored that the young woman had already rejected his sexual advances and "climbed on top of her" regardless, pinning her down by the wrists. The court heard how the woman "froze" with fear during the attack.

The defendant then coldly told her: "Just let me" when she begged him to stop. Jones told his victim not to tell anyone about what had happened that night. However, he later sent her a laughing-faced emoji, the court heard, and claimed he had "done nothing wrong" in messages exchanged after the attack

Jones' victim never reported the incident because she initially "feared she would not be believed". However, she later found the strength to face her abuser after he had been convicted of raping another woman that same year.

The court was told briefly how Jones was locked up after committing the horrific crime in October 2015 where he "forcibly and violently" attacked the woman in her car, said Mr Gartland. He also has a "historic sexual offence" on his record from when he was a youth, said the prosecutor.

In an emotional statement read out to the court, the woman spoke about how she lives "with a daily sense of fear", which has caused her to shut out friends and family members. The lasting impact of the crime has left the victim suffering nightmares, she said.

Oliver King, defending, said he could make no excuses for his client's actions. He asked that the judge considered giving him some credit for owning up - albeit at such a late stage in court proceedings - as it spared the woman from having to return to court for a trial which would "no doubt have been a distressing experience".

He added: "It is significant that he has been in custody continuously now since 2016, because that's allowed him to reflect on what he's done. He told probation that he had a sense of entitlement to these women - that's how he felt at the time - but he now recognises that's wrong."

Jones, who was initially set to remain locked up until at least 2026, had seven more years added onto his sentence by Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones. That jail term is set to be followed by four years on license. He told the defendant: "You thought you'd got away with it. In a totally arrogant fashion, and not long after, you committed a second rape and a host of other offences.

He branded Jones a "dangerous offender" and a "blatant liar", who first claimed to have an alibi when he attacked the woman. The judge added: "I haven't read anything that gives me any confidence you're sorry or remorseful for what you have done."

A lifelong restraining order was granted by the judge, who praised the woman's courage in coming forward. Jones was also added onto the sex offenders register permanently.

After the sentencing, Investigating officer DC Jennie Ribbons-Steen said: “Jones’ crimes have spanned over a number of years. He is a danger to society, and I have no doubt he would have gone on to continue to offend. I hope that today's sentence brings some measure of justice and healing to the victim, and highlights that time is never a barrier to investigating a crime and bringing someone to justice.”

Detective Inspector Chris Hargrave of the North Wales Amethyst Team added: “We continue to be committed to bringing sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us. The Amethyst team is made up of specially trained officers to support victims through the investigation.

"We work closely with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to provide confidential medical, practical and emotional support from specialist doctors, nurses and support workers". North Wales Police have further information on how to seek assistance as the victim of a rape, sexual assault and other sexual offence online.

Description

A convicted child rapist shared vile materials with a fellow sex offender who he met in prison.

Thomas Stanley struck up a friendship with the other inmate while they were behind bars together before sending him an indecent image over WhatsApp once released. In one sickening message, he even apologised that the child abuse picture was "not of the best quality".

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Thursday, that "information came to light" in December last year that the 33-year-old had been in communication with "known sex offender" Connor Jackson. The two are believed to have met while both men were serving time, the latter being described as "high risk".

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, told the court that Stanley - of Phoenix Brow in St Helens - was then handed a notice "not to have any contact" with this friend under his lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). Despite this, he went on to send Jackson an indecent image via WhatsApp on March 22 this year.

As a result, police attended the hostel where he was living and seized two USB sticks from him. These devices were found to contain nearly 200 indecent images of children, including 52 pictures and five videos graded as being in category A - those showing the most serious forms of abuse.

Also discovered were 30 stills and one film in category B and 102 pictures and three videos in category C, including the image sent to Jackson. This came around six months after his release from custody.

Stanley was previously imprisoned following convictions for sexual activity with a child in 2008 and rape in 2011. The "danger to children" committed these offences against two young boys.

He was also handed a jail term for breaching his SHPO in 2010. The pervert was described by his counsel as "living a lonely, isolated life" and having had an "extremely disturbing upbringing".

Stanley admitted distributing indecent images, possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was locked up for a further 32 months.

Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "You struck up a friendship with him and the police discovered that you were in contact with this person, who it appears was still in custody. You had in fact sent him an indecent image of a child with an accompanying text from you to him saying, in terms, that it was not of the best quality but you would obtain for him a USB drive tomorrow.

"The reality is, you are someone who has an unhealthy, worrying interest in children and you have not shown a desire to want to change. You undoubtedly represent a significant danger to children."

Description

A Derbyshire scout leader sexually abused two young boys for a number of years, plying one of them with alcohol before carrying out sex acts with him and which led to the victim becoming an alcoholic. A trial heard how paedophile Douglas Anthony Whitelam, a former Rolls-Royce worker, made the victims touch him sexually and he did the same to them on many occasions.

The now 70-year-old recently-divorced dad-of-two was arrested when one of the men came forward in 2016 to report what happened to him as a youngster and the second one reported his abuse two years later, but the defendant denied anything ever happened. That meant both had to relive their ordeals at a trial.

Jailing the defendant, of Hilton, for 13 years, Judge Martin Hurst said: “(The first victim) suffered significant psychological damage as a result of what you did to him. You deliberately isolated him, took him into your bedroom and you clearly groomed him.

“The psychological impact on (the second victim) has been severe, your behaviour took place over a sustained period of time and he was particularly vulnerable. It seems to me your latent homosexuality was the root cause of this and you felt unable to reveal it to either your ex-wife or your children.”

Robert Underwood, prosecuting, said Whitelam was a teenager himself when he targeted the first young victim when he was on a five-year apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in Derby. But by the time he abused the second boy in the 1990s he was involved in the scout movement in the city.

Mr Underwood read out two victim impact statements made by the boys Whitelam abused and whose identity is protected by law. In his, the first said: “The impact this has had on my life has been devastating.

“Plying me with alcohol was the start of my alcoholism which has stopped me from holding down a job and a number of sexual relationships. The memories of what he did to me will stay with me for the rest of my life. No sentence can be long enough.”

The second victim, in his impact statement, said: “He deserves everything he gets and I have no bad feelings about him going to prison. He totally ruined my life from a young age.

“His huge facade was him being a pillar of the community and a scout leader, he’s an absolute fraud. His sexual abuse of me took away my trust and caused profound mental issues,”

Whitelam was initially on trial in 2021 but a jury failed to reach verdicts and were discharged. Then, following a five-day retrial trial, in March of this year at Derby Crown Court, Whitelam was found guilty of a number of counts of indecent assault on a boy aged under 14 and indecency with a child.

In 2003, he was an Assistant District Commission and was involved with the Derby North movement when he was handed a Medal of Merit by the Scouts.

Gregor Purcell, mitigating, said: “He is a man who is now 70 and is approaching his 71st birthday. He has his own family who have stood by him, they are present here today, they remain supportive and will remain supportive on his eventual release.

“He was given a life-saving award when he rescued a child from a swimming pool and he is someone who has provided support and remained an active member of the community.

“He is someone who, despite the offences he’s been convicted of, who throughout his later life has been a positive influence in the community.”

In a statement released after sentencing, a spokesman for the Scouts said: “We are aware of the case involving former Scout volunteer Douglas Whitelam. In 2017 the police informed us that some historical abuse allegations had been made against a former scout volunteer that had taken place in the 1970s and 1980s (and) we supported the police in their investigations.

“Whitelam has not been a member of the Scouts since 2005. Following this conviction, he will never again be able to volunteer with the Scout movement. There is no place in the movement for anyone who behaves in this way.

“Everyone at Scouts works to a strict code of practice to put young people first.”

Sergeant Mark Sharma, who was one of the officers who brought Whitelam to justice, said: “The trauma of the abuse caused by Tony Whitelam has had a lasting effect on both victims. Their bravery in coming forward and strength through this court case cannot be understated.

“At no point did Whitelam show any remorse or accept responsibility for his actions forcing his victims to give evidence twice in court further adding to their stress and anxiety. His sentence will hopefully give the victims some form of closure and encourage other victims of such abuse to come forward.

“Anybody who has suffered abuse, no matter when it has taken place, should know that we will always take those reports seriously and complete a thorough investigation to help bring those responsible to justice.”

As well as the prison sentence, Judge Hurst placed Whitelam on the sex offender register for life and handed him a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A pervert previously caught with a catalogue of child and animal abuse images has appeared back in court.

Chloe Simpson, 26, is charged with failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to the offences at Teesside Magistrates' Court last Friday and the case was transferred to the crown court.

The charges state: "On July 5, 2022, at Saltburn, being a relevant offender within the terms of section 80 of the Sexual Offences act 2003, failed without reasonable excuse to comply with the notification requirements as provided by part 2 of that act in that you failed to register with police within three days of the creation of seven aliases.

"On July 5, 2022, at Saltburn, without reasonable excuse, did something, namely used a device capable of accessing the internet and failed to ensure the capacity to retain and display history of internet use remained active at all times, that you were prohibited from doing so by a sexual harm prevention order made by Teesside Magistrates' Court on May 10, 2021."

Simpson, of St Hilda's Terrace, Loftus, was given bail and told to next appear at Teesside Crown Court on June 23.

It is not the first time the offender has appeared at the higher court. In June 2021, Simpson was sentenced to 10 months in prison suspended for two years. The judge also banned Simpson from owning or keeping animals for 10 years.

Teesside Live previously reported that Simpson's iPhones and laptops revealed a sickening library of images and videos, totalling almost 10 minutes, of sex acts on two dogs and extreme pornographic material of dogs and horses.

The defendant was also found with five indecent images of children, under 10 years old, and a prohibited image of a child.

The court heard how images and videos of sex acts on a "small white dog" were recovered from an iPhone. At the time, Chris Baker, prosecuting, confirmed in total 308 images "relating to that subject matter" were recovered.

He added that 50 of those were videos - which ranged in length from four seconds to 37 seconds - had a combined total of nine minutes and four seconds of "moving footage".

Teesside Crown Court heard how the cruelty related to two different dogs and an examination was undertaken on a seven-year-old Shih Tzu.

The vet confirmed unnecessary suffering had been caused and the acts could have led to "infection and death", however, "the dog didn't show any symptoms".

Simpson had shared her interest in "child abuse and beastiality" on Kik Messenger with "other like-minded people".

She previously pleaded guilty to the string charges. They included three counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animals, two dogs, by carrying out a sex act; possessing a prohibited image of a child; possessing 66 extreme pornographic images involving live animals, namely horses and dogs; and making an indecent photograph of a child, namely five category A photographs.

In 2021, during mitigation, the court heard the Loftus woman was "coming to terms with her own sexuality" and was "transitioning genders". It was also said Simpson's mother "washed her hands of her" after her offending came to light.

Description

A husband and wife from Bedford are facing almost 30 years in prison for the “horrific abuse” of several children which spanned more than two decades.

Martin Bayes, 52, was handed a 22-year sentence, with an additional five years on licence, after he was convicted of 15 charges of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault, as well as attempting to pervert the course of justice when he threatened one victim if they told anyone.

His wife Dianne Bayes, 53, was jailed for five years after she was found to have been complicit in his offending. She was subsequently convicted of three charges relating to child cruelty, assault and encouraging children to engage in sexual activity.

Both Martin and Dianne Bayes of Luke Place, Bedford, were found guilty following a five-week trial at Luton Crown Court in March this year and were sentenced earlier this week (30 May).

Detective Sergeant Ben Searle from Bedfordshire Police, who led the investigation, said: “This was a particularly complex investigation, which has taken over two years to complete, and our team worked particularly diligently to support the victims and secure justice for them.

“I really hope that now these despicable offenders are behind bars, each of the victims who have all experienced such dreadful abuse can get some closure and move forward with their lives.

“Combatting violence against women and girls is a huge focus in policing at the moment and we want to encourage people to come forward and report anything that has happened to you, no matter how long ago it happened. It is never too late to come forward and tell us.”

Description

A 'dangerous' sex predator who pretended to be a taxi driver hunted for lone women outside Birmingham nightclubs - and only grew bolder after he was first arrested. Thasawar Iqbal is now staring down the barrel of the next 17 years in prison after he kidnapped and attacked two women.

The 41-year-old was arrested and bailed after sexually assaulting a vulnerable female in December 2021. But that did not deter him and his depraved behaviour escalated to a new level when he struck upon another lone victim in July 22, who he would go on to rape multiple times in a pub car park. The attacks were both preplanned and opportunistic, West Midlands Police said.

Today, the force welcomed the fact the 'predatory' sex beast was off the streets. Judge Francis Laird concluded Iqbal was a 'dangerous' offender who posed a risk of causing further harm to the public and handed him an extended five-year licence period on top of his jail term.

Sentencing him at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday, May 26, he said: "I am sure, firstly, on both occasions you were driving in the city centre of Birmingham looking for vulnerable women. Secondly, your intent was to pose as a taxi driver in order to trick them into your car. Thirdly, in relation to your kidnap of the first victim your intention was to carry out a serious sexual offence."

Iqbal had 'never previously committed a sex offence' and his own defence barrister Colin McCarraher accepted he did not know what triggered his depraved actions, which he denied at a trial. The seemingly 'normal' married man approached the first victim who was rowing with her boyfriend.

Iqbal drove her away under the ruse he was a private hire driver, and then consumed alcohol and cocaine during the journey. He kissed the woman and suggested they should have sex and film it. But she managed to escape when he stopped to buy more drugs.

While under investigation for that he struck a second time. He persuaded a lone woman walking along the A34 to let him give her a lift, which she accepted after initially refusing. But Iqbal proceeded to drive her to a pub car park where he raped her multiple times.

He only drove her home when she agreed to take his mobile phone number. Birmingham Crown Court heard both women suffered 'terrifying ordeals' and felt guilty for finding themselves in a position to be targeted.

Det Con Soniya Ram, from West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: "Iqbal is a predatory sexual offender. Although an opportunist his actions were persistent and pre-planned, posing as a taxi driver to pick up young vulnerable women, driving them to locations of his choice and sexually abusing them. He put both women through such fear and sexual violence, completely disregarding the fact he was already being investigated when he committed further offences in July last year.

“The women endured traumatic ordeals but bravely came forward to recount what happened to them to help us apprehend him. With the help of the Crown Prosecution Service we remanded him in custody from July 2022 to prevent others becoming victims. Iqbal’s conviction is testament to both women’s courageous actions and, thankfully, he is now off the streets and will be behind bars for a long time.”

Iqbal, of Birchdale Road, Erdington, was found guilty of two counts of kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and one offence of assault by penetration.

Description

A pervert who sent indecent pictures of himself to multiple teenage girls and asked one 14-year-old to meet him for sex has been branded a “menace to teenage women” and been handed more time behind bars.

Stewart Barclay, 22, has been told he “failed to understand how precarious his position was” when he didn’t carry out supervision and unpaid work for offences dating back to 2019.

Description

A nurse at one of Wales' biggest hospitals took pictures of his penis while at work and sent them to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, a court has heard.

Phillip Hill had spent the previous couple of days sending highly sexual and explicit messages to the contact, and had made repeated requests for intimate images of her. In reality, the 54-year-old had been chatting to a so-called paedophile hunter, and members of the vigilante group confronted him in the car park outside Morriston Hospital at the end of a shift.

A subsequent search of the anaesthetic technician's computer uncovered hundreds of images of people having sex with horses and dogs, and searches for terms including "incest", "dead" and "Down's" in pornographic websites. Sending the defendant to prison, a judge said that, while Hall had been living an outwardly respectable life with a responsible job - which included providing anaesthetic care during children's surgery - it was clear he had "extremely deviant" sexual interests.

Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that in January this year Hill engaged in highly sexual communications with a Facebook profile purporting to be that of a 13-year-old girl. She said the defendant initiated contact with the profile and "immediately" turned the conversation to sexual matters, asking the girl about masturbation, and sending her pictures of his penis. The barrister said the account the defendant was in contact with was actually being run by a vigilante paedophile hunter group.

The court heard the conversation moved to the GoogleChat app and there Hill made further repeated requests for topless and other intimate pictures of what he believed to be a young girl, and when she said she had never done anything like that he told her to "be brave" and said "just one photo then all done". He also talked about masturbation, and sent the girl videos of himself performing the act. During the conversations the defendant disclosed to the decoy that he was an anaesthetic technician in a hospital.

The court heard that on January 26 Hill sent the defendant further pictures of his penis - some of them taken while he wearing surgical scrubs and apparently in a changing room - and engaged in further sexual conversations. That evening, as he left work, the defendant was confronted in the car park of Morriston Hospital by members of a paedophile hunter group who then called the police. The court heard Hill had sent the decoy the last of the pictures of his penis just 20 minutes before he had left work.

Hill was arrested and gave a "no comment" interview before being released while police examined a number of electronic devices. On a Lenovo tablet device police found 288 images of extreme pornography showing adults having sex with horses and dogs - some with creation dates stretching back 10 years - and also uncovered his internet search history which included searches on pornographic sites for topics including "incest", "dead" and "Down's".

Phillip Hill, of Swansea Road, Pontlliw, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, and possession of extreme pornography when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

Andrew Evans, for Hill, said it was clear from the pre-sentence report that the defendant himself had been trying to answer the question that no doubt the court would be asking - why did a family man leading a seemingly normal life with an extremely responsible job and no previous convictions act in the way he did? The advocate said it may be that there were "no easy answers" to that question. Mr Evans invited the court to consider passing a sentence which would allow the probation service to work with the defendant in addressing and tackling his "perverse interests".

Judge Paul Thomas KC said the appropriate sentence after trial on the guidelines for the communications offences was one of three years in prison - with the required one-third discount for the guilty pleas that was reduced to two years. Hill was also sentenced to three months for the extreme pornography offence to run consecutively making an overall sentence of two years and three months in prison. The defendant will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Hill will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

Speaking after the sentencing, Swansea Bay University Health Board said it had been "shocked and horrified" to learn of Hill's offending, and said it wanted to assure people that there was no evidence that the offending had related to patients

A spokesman said: "We are shocked and horrified by the nature of these appalling offences. As soon as the health board was made aware of Mr Hill’s arrest our internal HR and safeguarding processes were activated. He was immediately removed from duty and has not worked for us since.

"No prior concerns had been raised about Mr Hill, and we can give assurances that no evidence has been found indicating that his offences related to any patients."

South Wales Police welcomed the sentencing of the defendant, with detective inspector Carl Price saying his behaviour had demonstrated a clear risk to children. He said: "I welcome Phillip Hill’s sentencing today. He showed clear sexual intent towards children. His behaviour clearly demonstrates a risk to children, and it is quite right that he has been given a custodial sentence for his actions. We will continue in our commitment to bring offenders like Phillip Hill to justice."

Meanwhile, the Crown Prosecution Service Cymru said that while no actual child was at risk in Hill's offending, the case was a stark reminder of the dangers children could face online.

Description

A serial sex offender claimed his young victims "laughed at him" when he exposed himself to them as they walked home from school.

Peter Steinitz spotted the girls near to a McDonald's then began to follow them around as he performed a sex act on himself. The pensioner has now amassed convictions for 20 separate sexual offences.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that the three friends were walking near to a south Liverpool McDonald's in January this year when they saw the defendant with his trousers down and exposing himself to them. Stuart Mills, prosecuting, described how they continued to a nearby park but were followed by Steinitz, who began masturbating.

The pervert carried on with his vile behaviour as he watched them in a play area. One of the youngsters then phoned her mum, who advised them to return to school.

Stenitz, of Dingle Lane, again tailed them there. While their school was closed by the time they had arrived back, the girls were able to report what had happened to a teacher who subsequently called the police.

They had managed to take a picture of the flasher as he followed them, which led to the 67-year-old being identified as the culprit. Under interview, Steinitz claimed he could not remember the incident - but later said his victims were "watching him and laughing at him".

The teacher described her pupils as being "upset and distressed" following the ordeal. Meanwhile, one of the schoolgirls told officers that she was "disgusted, sad and scared".

Steinitz has a total of 48 previous convictions for 114 offences, including 19 for sexual offences. Eight of these have been for exposure, with one for outraging public decency and two for gross indecency with a child.

A sexual offences protection order also bans him from "loitering in the vicinity" of public parks. Rachel Oakdene, defending, told the court: "Custody after custody after custody does not seem to abate his offending, and the facts very much speak for themselves.

"He does not have any formal diagnosis, but he believes he does have dementia. It may be coupled with his substance misuse. He is an isolated individual. At the time of the offences, he had recently had two family bereavements.

"Happily, it does not appear there has been any significant long-term impact on these young ladies. They have been able to put this unpleasant incident behind them."

Steinitz admitted outraging public decency and breaching a sexual offences prevention order. He was jailed for 32 months.

Sentencing, Judge David Hale said: "This is a very serious offence of outraging public decency. They have undoubtedly been affected by what happened."

Description

A man who was convicted of violent offences and serious sexual assaults has been jailed for 10 years.

James Christopher Armour, 57, was convicted following a trial at the High Court in Stirling on Thursday, 23 March 2023.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow today, Wednesday, 31 May, 2023.

The offences were committed in the Fife area between 1983 and 1989.

Description

A former firefighter raped a girl over a three year period

Kevin Jones, of Norman Road, Runcorn, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday, January 27 where he pleaded guilty to six sexual offences, including three counts of rape of a girl under 16. All of the abuse happened over a three year period when the schoolgirl was aged between 13 and 16 years old.

The court heard the 49-year-old committed the offences up until Monday, September 19 2022.

Jones returned to court on Wednesday, May 31, where he was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus five years on licence.

Detective Constable Michaela Flynn from Cheshire Police, who led the investigation, said: “Firstly, I would like to recognise the bravery and determination that the victim has shown throughout this investigation. What Jones put her through was truly horrifying, he systematically abused her over a three-year period in order to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

“The sentence handed to Jones reflects the severity of his crime and I hope that his conviction will encourage other victims to come forward. We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously and we will always do our best to ensure offenders are brought to justice.”

Description

A SOUTHAMPTON paedophile was caught twice with indecent images of children as young as six.

Liam Davey, 27, had more than 70 images after police seized his devices on two separate occasions, a court was told.

He was first arrested in January 2021 when police visiting his home in Meggeson Avenue found 31 category A images - the most severe kind - 15 category B and 10 category C.

But after being arrested, charged and appearing in court, he was found with more images when police visited him in May this year.

Prosecuting, Keeley Harvey said Davey took officers to another property where more images were found.

He was further charged with possession of 10 category A images, including four movies, three category B, and eight category C.

Of these, 10 or 12 had been saved with some depicting children as young as six or seven.

Ms Harvey added that Davey would not save the images of children that age, but that “those over the age of 12 were, in his view, okay because they were experimenting with their body”.

The court was also told how he had been “distributing and sharing” images which showed children in “pain and distress”.

Davey pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children which he said came from a website where others had shared them with him.

Mitigating, Bridget O’Hagen told Southampton Crown Court that Davey is a “young man who has never had police involvement at all”.

She added that his actions could have stemmed from a childhood incident, currently under investigation by police.

Ms O’Hagen said there are also plans to go to his GP due to suspicions he may have autism.

“He is unlikely to come back before the court in any way shape or form going forward.

“There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

Davey was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

He must attend 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days, carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and register as a sex offender.

Judge, Nicholas Rowland, said the second set of offences had been committed whilst “under investigation and potentially on court bail as well”.

He added that it is because of people like Davey that “those children around the world are repeatedly abused in this dreadful fashion.

“It is a very thinly balanced decision. Just and it is only just, am I able to suspend the sentence.”

Description

Police caught a convicted sex offender naked on his bed while he was busy exchanging sexual messages with an undercover police officer who was pretending to be a 12-year-old boy.

Ian McIntyre "couldn't help" himself and brazenly made contact with the decoy boy even though he was already under investigation for doing exactly the same thing very recently.

He failed to learn his lesson from his arrest and was already on the sex offenders' register after an earlier conviction in 2017, Hull Crown Court heard.

McIntyre, 56, formerly of Anlaby, admitted five offences involving attempting to cause a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. A jury had been sworn in for a trial but no evidence had been heard before he changed his pleas on the second day.

Paul Genney, prosecuting, said that McIntyre thought that he was talking online to two 12-year-old boys but they did not exist and really he was exchanging messages with decoys set up by undercover police.

McIntyre contacted the first fake boy on gay dating app Grindr and on Snapchat and told him that he was aged 36. He encouraged the fake boy to commit a sex act and sent him intimate pictures and video of himself.

McIntyre told the boy that he loved him and wanted to kiss him all over and to be sexually intimate with him. He incited him to sexual activity and suggested meeting up at swimming baths in Albert Avenue, Hull, where they would share the same cubicle, although no formal arrangement was made.

He was arrested in December 2019 but claimed that he had been "framed" by a man that he named.

McIntyre was released pending further investigations but did the same again between May and June 2020 with another decoy boy that he thought was 12. They met on Grindr and McIntyre again pretended that he was aged 36.

He encouraged the fake boy to engage in sexual activity and sent him pictures and videos. When police arrested McIntyre in August 2020, he was lying naked on a bed upstairs at his Anlaby home, using his phone to communicate with the non-existent boy, who was really an undercover police officer.

He denied everything and again claimed that he had been "set up and framed" by the same man. Police contacted the man, who had, in reality, not seen him for years

McIntyre had a previous conviction in March 2017 for making one indecent picture of a boy but he had been cleared at a trial of sexually assaulting another boy. He was on the sex offenders' register at the time of the latest offences.

Stephen Robinson, mitigating, said that McIntyre finally admitted the most recent offences when a further piece of evidence emerged after the trial started.

"No harm resulted," said Mr Robinson. "No harm was ever going to result because these were two undercover police officers. There was discussion about meeting but there were no concrete plans ever to do that.

"There was talk of the swimming baths and meeting there but no concrete suggestion of it and no specific time, date or place. The previous conviction aggravates the situation but it was a more minor offence in the spectrum of sexual offending."

McIntyre had worked since the age of 16, including for a long time as an HGV driver. He had previously been married for about 20 years and had two adult sons. He later had other relationships but "sought solace in contacting people on the internet" after that.

"He became obsessed with that," said Mr Robinson. The vast majority of it was with people of the correct age. He "behaved very badly" by contacting the fake 12-year-old boys.

Judge Mark Bury said of the first decoy boy: "He was an undercover police officer employed to catch out people such as you, who have a clear sexual interest in underage children." McIntyre was arrested after the first incident.

"You did exactly the same again," said Judge Bury. "You weren't to know that the person at the other end of the communication was a police officer.

"You were released under investigation and you couldn't help yourself and you did exactly what you had done before you were arrested."

McIntyre, who has recently had a care/of address at a lodges park in Brandesburton, near Beverley, was jailed for eight years. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Description

A registered sex offender has been sent back to jail after indecent images of children were found during a visit to his Barndey home.

Martin Fry, 58, of Manor Close in Bardney, has been sentenced to five years and 10 months for six counts of making indecent images of children and breaching prevention orders.

He had previously served a six-year prison sentence for abducting and sexually assaulting a young girl. He was also sentenced to for four years for possession and making indecent images of children.

During a routine visit to his home in July 2020, officers discovered he was breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and notification requirements as a sex offender.

His desktop computer and other digital devices were seized and examined. A forensic examination revealed 4,874 indecent images of children.

It was also found he had been deleting his Internet search history and using a web browser that masked his online activity.

Fry was arrested subsequently arrested for the breach of his prevention order as well as making indecent images of children.

He pled guilty to the offences in Lincoln Crown Court on Wednesday, April 26 and has now been sentenced.

He will remain on the sex offenders’ list for life, and will have a SOPO for life.

DC Nicola Paradowski, who led the investigation, said: "I am glad that the judge recognised the seriousness of Fry's offending and not only deemed him a dangerous offender, but also went outside the parameters of sentencing guidelines.

“The viewing, possessing, and distributing indecent images of children is not a victimless crime. Behind every video or photograph is a child who is or has been the victim of child sexual abuse.

“Police work tirelessly to actively monitor registered sex offenders and violent offenders in the county. This includes holding regular visits, examining digital devices, and seeking orders designed to protect the public from harm and to prevent further offending.

“I hope this case sends a clear message that we in the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) will thoroughly investigate and take action when we suspect these offences are being committed.”