Latest Offenders

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A former police officer has been jailed for more than seven years for sexual offences against a vulnerable 13-year-old girl he met online.

Haider Siddique, 22, was arrested after a bus driver spotted him acting inappropriately in March last year.

He had joined West Midlands Police in 2021 as a student officer and the force called his offences "sickening".

The NSPCC said his "targeted grooming and sexual abuse of a vulnerable girl was a terrible breach of trust".

It added: "Having undertaken training to become a police officer, Siddique should have known the devastating impact child sexual abuse can have on the victims."

It also commended the bus driver for speaking up.

At Birmingham Crown Court in January, Siddique pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child, and resigned while in custody.

The force said an expedited misconduct hearing was held in private after his guilty plea and he would have been dismissed if he had not resigned.

It also said he had never been deployed in an operational role.

Deputy Chief Constable Scott Green said: "This was a sickening criminal act by a former student officer and I know his fellow officers will be repulsed by his behaviour."

As well as his prison sentence, Siddique will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

He is also subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning him from internet contact with anyone under 16 and barring any unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, unless their parents are aware of the offences.

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A man who installed a spy cam in a staff bedroom then claimed he hadn’t been ‘perving’ on female colleagues has been spared prison.

Steven Bradley’s lie that the hidden camera had not been working was unmasked when police found a series of clips, including one showing the 47-year-old installing the equipment.

The former care home worker admitted voyeurism but denied possession of a series of indecent images of children that were found on his wife’s iPad and another computer device.

He was convicted last month, with jurors rejecting his claims that he had no idea how the vile material got on his electronic equipment.

Summing up the case to the jury, Judge Michael Gledhill KC suggested there was no such thing as the ‘porn fairy’, a mystical creature claimed by teenage boys to leave filthy material in woods.

Bradley returned to Oxford Crown Court on Friday (August 11), when he was given a six month suspended prison sentence with 150 hours’ unpaid work.

Prosecuting, Brian Reece said Bradley had contacted a colleague in 2021 apologising for ‘betraying her trust’ and saying she would not see him again.

It transpired he had hidden a ‘spy camera’ in a staff bedroom at a supported living block. He claimed he had ‘seen nothing’ as it did not work, although that later proved to be a lie and the device was working.

The court heard Bradley told another of his female colleagues that he was ‘into her’, Mr Reece said. “[He] enquired if he had a chance with her. He didn’t.”

When his devices and an iPad belonging to his wife were analysed, they revealed he had more than 200 indecent images of children although only one apiece in the worst categories of A and B.

Mitigating, barrister James Hay said Bradley suffered from an ‘adjustment disorder’, a mental health condition affecting his ability to cope with stressful situations. His partner was standing by him.

Sentencing, Judge Gledhill told the defendant he should have accepted legal advice and pleaded guilty to the three counts of possession of indecent images.

“It was complete nonsense,” he said of the man’s defence. “Who else could have put them there but yourself?”

Bradley, of Haydon Road, Didcot, will remain on the sex offender register for seven years. He was given a sexual harm prevention order limiting his access to the internet.

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A man has been given a 16-year prison sentence for a string of sexual crimes and violent offences in Lincoln.

Jud Green was found guilty of several offences, including two rapes, sexual assault, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and false imprisonment after a trial at Lincoln Crown Court.

Green, 34, was also given an extended period of six years on licence under supervision upon his release.

Det Insp Lee Nixon described Green's crimes as "horrific".

Police said Green, of no fixed address, had been arrested after a woman came forward in December 2022 to say he had physically and sexually assaulted her and raped her.

While Green was on bail, a second woman reported Green had assaulted her and broken her jaw.

As a result, he was arrested again before being charged and remanded into custody.

'Never shown remorse'

Following his trial, Green was found guilty of two rapes, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, sexual assault, witness intimidation, false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He had denied those charges, but he admitted criminal damage and intentional strangulation.

After Green's sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, Det Insp Nixon, from Lincolnshire Police, said: "Jud Green has been brought to justice after carrying out these horrific crimes.

"He has never shown remorse for the harm he caused to the victims.

"I want to pay tribute to the bravery of the victims coming forward to report these crimes, and whose evidence was absolutely vital in securing this outcome."

Green's victims had "shown incredible courage", Det Insp Nixon added.

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A depraved nurse who ran a respiratory ward during the Covid crisis turned to online sex offences for 'comfort' - keeping a hoard of sick images and sharing obscene stories about children.

Rebecca Ruler, 32, kept a hoard of sadistic child abuse images and published sick sexual articles about children and babies for a group of paedophiles, a court heard.

Preston Crown Court heard that Ruler had been on the frontline of the Covid crisis, working as a ward manager at Royal Bolton Hospital. Kim Obrusik, defending, said: "It was the worst time in recent history that someone could be working on those wards."

But, prosecuting, Peter Barr said: "It was she who initiated the discussions by expressing her sexual interest in children. There was no evidence of coercion."

Ruler has now been handed a suspended prison sentence, reports LancsLive. Mr Barr told Preston Crown Court that between April 2021 and April 2022, Ruler downloaded 151 category A child abuse pictures, along with a further 101 at category B and 134 category C images.

She also created five obscene articles into an internet chat with five paedophiles. When questioned, she claimed the conversation was instigated by a man she was in an online relationship with and she was using the chat to impress him.

Ms Obrusik said Ruler had mild depression which was aggravated by her work, as she saw patients she had cared for dying alone, without their family or friends, on a daily basis. "As we come out of the pandemic it is easy to forget the horrors of what was occurring. The demands, both physically and emotionally, can not be quantified."

Ruler's relationship broke down, she began struggling with her body image and she found it difficult to confide in people close to her.

"She encouraged the contact from males in respect of these types of discussions as she realised this was a way to receive male attention", Ms Obrusik said. "She was feeling that she would never gain any sexual interest from males and this is how she got that interest."

Judge Richard Gioserano said: "Seeking comfort from strangers is one thing but she knew these were paedophiles."

A pre-sentence report stated Ruler, who now works in a supermarket, has "significant remorse for her actions". "Prior to this she was a woman of exemplary character, working in a job that is known to be very giving through what was and remains to be the most difficult period for the NHS in living memory", Ms Obrusik said.

Ruler, of Springfield Road, Coppull, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and five counts of publishing an obscene article.

Sentencing, Judge Gioserano said: "I have asked myself how it is that your thinking became not just distorted but so depraved that you committed these eight offences. I will start by stating the obvious: distorted thinking, no matter how depraved, does not in itself attract a criminal sanction.

"It may of course attract moral outrage but moral outrage is no basis for sentence. You are not being sentenced for distorted thinking or depraved thinking in itself. You are being sentenced for acting on that thinking by downloading indecent images and engaging in messaging about sadistic and sexual abuse of very young children.

"I have assessed the risk that your messages could have depraved and corrupted others that might have read it. It is possible that the recipients could have shared your messages with other paedophiles but that was not your intention. There was no intention that your messaging, as depraved as it was, should go beyond the five people in the chat.

"I am asked to consider whether your work as a nurse on a respiratory ward during Covid played a part. I do not wish to underestimate the emotional and physical impact upon you. It clearly did take its toll, not only on you but on your relationship with your partner. It might have been that that was what led you to seeking comfort from strangers but that is not necessarily uncommon. People in difficult emotional circumstances may take value from anonymous online contact with strangers.

"This is not a court of morals. I am not here to judge that. But you moved from that sort of contact to active criminal contact with paedophiles. Even if the distortion in your thinking could somehow be explained by the emotional toll of your work at the time, I can not see how that can mitigate for your offending."

He handed Ruler a 12 month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered her to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work. She must also complete 35 days of rehabilitation activities including a one-to-one sex offenders course, and has been made subject to a five year sexual harm prevention order and 10 years on the sex offenders' register.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council confirmed they are aware of the sentencing.

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A disgraced PE teacher who had sex with a former pupil has been jailed.

Steven Laverty was banned from teaching 10 years ago after his wrongdoing first came to light. But he has only now faced justice over his sickening sexual activity with the girl, whose life was said to have been "destroyed" by the abuse of trust.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court previously heard that the now 48-year-old had sex with the ex-student during the noughties after she had left the school where he taught, but while she was still under age of 16. Laverty falsely claimed that she had been aged 16 at the time.

Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, described how the teenager was left self-harming and feeling "isolated" as a result of his offending. She was also said to have been left under a "dark shadow which she feels has destroyed her life".

Laverty, of Stuart Road in Walton, was previously banned from the profession after he was found to have "showed a failure to observe proper boundaries in relation to his professional position" in a "clear abuse of trust". But he did not face prosecution at this time as he had instructed his victim to tell investigators that she was 16 when they had sex.

This was despite a panel having found that the dad-of-two had also "grabbed a 14-year-old boy in the groin" during a PE lesson. Laverty then took a temporary job as an arts teacher at a school in Greater Manchester, where "he pushed a 12-year-old pupil out of a classroom and pulled another across a floor".

He has no previous convictions. Charlotte Kenny, defending, told the court yesterday afternoon: "The court heard very clear evidence on the fact that the defendant was drinking heavily around this time and evidence about the very unfortunate circumstances of his mother's death and the impact that had on him.

"The defendant says, as a result of that, he internally went off the rails. This was a gross error of judgement at a time when the defendant was in a very dark place, coming to terms with the death of his mother in the most tragic circumstances.

"This offence happened a long time ago now. Mr Laverty has been an excellent father.

"He is still in employment and he had been invited back to work in all the circumstances. He can continue to provide."

Laverty was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child by a jury and cleared of a further nine counts. He was locked up for three years on Thursday and told to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Sentencing, Judge Louise Brandon said: "You knew she had been your pupil. The jury were sure you did not reasonably believe she was 16.

"The fact you find yourself in this situation after all these years is entirely of your own making. It is clear she has been deeply traumatised by what happened to her.

"I cannot conclude that you are genuinely fully remorseful. The only remorse you have is for the situation you find yourself in now."

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A serial sex attacker who stalked his victim as she made her way home from a night out before raping her in a graveyard has been jailed for 18 years. Convicted rapist Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu, 47, prowled Exeter city centre looking for a lone woman to attack in June last year.

The Romania national followed his victim as she walked home from a night out with friends and attacked her in the grounds of St Bartholomew’s Cemetery. She tried to fight him off, but he stripped her naked and raped her and only fled when she screamed, which alerted residents living nearby to her plight.

CCTV footage, which you can watch at the top of this article, captures Vasioiu in Exeter High Street prior to the attack trying to identify possible targets. Footage also clearly showed Vasioiu following his victim, who is a woman in her 30s, through the Iron Bridge area of Exeter. 

Exeter Crown Court heard Vasioiu had come to Britain after serving a prison sentence for a near-identical rape of an 18-year-old woman in Switzerland in 2014. He remained in the UK after Brexit but did not apply for EU settled status, which meant his previous convictions were not flagged to the authorities.

Vasioiu was living in a garden shed and doing gardening work when he carried out his latest sex attack. Afterwards he shaved off his beard and hair and got a friend to wash his clothes and shoes.

Felicity Payne, prosecuting, told the court the offence was planned and had been committed while Vasioiu was the subject of a community order for theft and assault.

“The prosecution say, and put their case in this way during the trial, that he was trawling the city centre seeking to identify targets for sexual assault,” she said. “He did just that when he identified the victim. At that point in time, she was significantly worse for wear due to intoxication.

“He was captured on CCTV following the victim and altering his course, crossing the road, and his pace is seen to quicken as he follows her. The victim made efforts to fight the defendant but was unable to resist. She ultimately began to scream for help and the defendant ran off.

“When she was located she was naked and her clothing strewn about the cemetery.”

The defendant, of Topsham Road, Exeter, had denied rape but was convicted by a jury following a trial after DNA evidence linked him to the victim. Pushpanjali Gohil, defending, said: “There is little mitigation I can advance given the offence was denied.”

Recorder Malcolm Galloway ruled Vasioiu posed a danger to women due to the risk of further offending and imposed an extended sentence. Vasioiu was jailed for 18 years with an extended period of five years on licence and will have to serve at least 12 years’ imprisonment before he can apply for parole.

“The CCTV from the city centre that the police were able to obtain after the rape is clear and chilling,” the judge said. “You were patrolling Exeter city centre looking for lone vulnerable women. The CCTV shows you stopping outside late-night drinking establishments and observing from doorways.

“I have no doubt you were waiting for an opportunity to present itself. It is plain from the available CCTV that anyone observing your victim as you did would immediately be aware that she was heavily under the influence of alcohol and vulnerable.

“The attack and its aftermath have had a profound and prolonged effect upon her, and she is still living with what happened to her that night.” The judge said Vasioiu did not regret the offence and saw himself as the victim.

“I agree with the comment of the probation service that your misogyny and sexual preoccupation and your distorted view of consent are all likely to lead to you reoffending,” he said. “I have no doubt that you continue and will continue for the foreseeable future to pose a significant risk of further sexual offences.”

Vasioiu was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. Speaking afterwards, Detective Sergeant Samantha Wenham, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “I welcome today’s sentence after Cosmin-Nicolae Vasioiu was found guilty of rape during a trial in May.

“He preyed on a lone female who he had never met and subjected her to a vicious attack without remorse.

“He then returned to where he was staying and proceeded to bag up his clothes which he gave to an unwitting friend to wash, before shaving off his long hair in an attempt to change his appearance and destroy evidence linking him to the attack.

“This was a calculated and planned act in which Vasioiu has shown absolutely no remorse throughout. The response from the public to our appeals was vital in us securing the CCTV footage that was key in us being able to identify and arrest Vasioiu.

“The investigative team went above and beyond to gain the evidence needed to prove beyond any doubt that Vasioiu was the attacker.

“This included numerous international enquiries which led to the team discovering that Vasioiu had a prior conviction in Switzerland that matched up with the attack that took place in Exeter; both in how they were carried out and Vasioiu’s actions post-attack.

“This allowed us to take the rare step of being able to share Vasioiu’s previous bad character and offending history with the jury during the trial, which was vital in securing the conviction.”

It is expected that Vasioiu will serve his sentence in the UK, before being deported back to Romania.

DS Wenham added: “My team and I want to take a moment to recognise the victim in this case. She has been through an horrific ordeal that no person should be subjected to and showed great courage and strength throughout the investigation and criminal justice process.

“She put her faith in us, and I hope today’s result will help her to move on and contribute to her recovery from this ordeal.”

Superintendent Antony Hart, policing commander for Exeter, said: “No one should feel unsafe on our streets, and each and every one of us has the right to be able to walk home without the fear of attack.

“Today’s sentencing reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact this incident has had on the victim. We will continue to do everything in our power to bring attackers to justice and to prevent further similar offences occurring, both through proactive policing and by working with a range of partner agencies in the city”.

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David Salisbury was today jailed for nine years at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of two counts penetrative sexual activity with a child following a trial. The 43-year-old contacted the girl in the mid 2000s and declared his feelings for her after swapping messages with her for months.

Jailing him, the judge, Recorder Tahir Khan KC said: “Over the best part of a year, you groomed this child and made her think this was a relationship when it clearly was not.

It’s clear to me shew only wanted to be loved, but was vulnerable and you took advantage of that vulnerability.

"There was a complete denial of any wrongdoing and not showed a hint of regret or responsibility.”

The court heard that Salisbury, now of Beckbridge Way, Normanton, had unprotected sex with the girl twice, despite her reluctance. He had a girlfriend at the time.

In an impact statement that the victim bravely read out to the court, she said: “For years I have held a secret because I was ashamed. I found myself in this situation that I realised was wrong.

"You groomed me, abused me and sexually assaulted me. For years you have controlled my life.

"You convinced me that it was real and you cared for me. You stood there and believed you did nothing wrong, but you ruined my childhood.”

Mitigating for Salisbury, James Littlehales said that his client, although having 35 convictions for 74 offences, has never been in trouble for or even investigated for sexual offences. He said that he has also become a “model prisoner” during his time spent on remand.”

DC Reece Hampshire, from the Wakefield Child Safeguarding Unit who led the investigation said afterwards: “These offences have troubled the victim for the past 17 years whilst they attempt to process the abuse they were subjected to. The lasting impact of what took place has cost them more than can be expressed in words.

“The level of courage it takes for the victim to come forwards after so many years and report the matter to the police cannot be understated. I have nothing but feelings of admiration for their bravery and determination in the pursuit of justice for what they have been through.

“I hope that this conviction can be the start of a new beginning for the victim and that they can begin to heal from the pain inflicted all those years ago and more recently during the court process.

“The victim would like to thank everyone involved in the investigation and court processes for their actions leading to this much welcomed conviction.

“I would also like to take this time to also encourage anyone who has suffered recent or historic abuse to come forward and report it. West Yorkshire Police are dedicated in working to secure justice for anyone who comes forward and reports sexual abuse.”

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A man who raped three young girls and sexually abused a boy has been found guilty of committing his depraved crimes by a jury.

Stephen Anderton, 53, has been on trial at Burnley Crown Court, and on Friday, August 4, was found guilty of five rapes and 15 other sexual offences committed against children.

Anderton’s abuse started in the 1980s and spanned four decades.

The youngest victims were aged just four when 53-year-old Anderton began abusing them.

The mother of one of the victims first contacted the police to report Anderton’s crime against a child in 2018.

 
Enquiries from detectives then led to further victims being identified.

Anderton, of Bank Street, Padiham, denied his disgraceful crimes but after trial a jury convicted him of the prolonged child abuse.

He was remanded into custody to be sentenced at the same court on September 22.

DS Alex Rawsthorn, of the Blackburn Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “Anderton was found guilty of the most depraved offences imaginable.

"I would like to express my thanks to the officer in case whose tenacity and dedication has been unwavering.

"Most importantly, I would like to place on record my sincere gratitude and admiration for the victims who have endured an agonising wait for justice.

"They have shown remarkable courage throughout this case.”

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A predator who raped a teenage girl after she had been assaulted has been jailed.

Sol Barrett took a girl, who had been assaulted in a separate incident, back to his own home and raped her.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she woke up at Barrett’s address the next morning and did not know who he was.

She sustained injuries from a separate assault the previous night on June 17, 2022, which were so serious that she had to attend hospital.

However, upon finding her, Barrett, 24, from Halley Close, Crawley, took her back to his address where he committed the rape.

Six months later, the mother of another girl, who also cannot be identified for legal reasons, reported concerns that her daughter was being groomed by Barrett on social messaging app Snapchat.

Barrett had lied about his age in messages exchanged on the platform, while the victim had informed him of her age.

Appearing in Lewes Crown Court on August 7, he pleaded guilty and has been jailed for seven years and two months for rape and six months for three counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child.

The sentences are consecutive and will be on licence for a total of 14 years.

Barrett will also be a registered sex offender for life and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

Speaking after the case, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Ellen Jones said: “The victims in this case showed tremendous courage to come forward and report what had happened. They received support from specifically trained officers.

“Barrett is a predator who targeted young teenage girls, but thanks to the strength of the victims and from our thorough investigation he had no choice other than to plead guilty in the face of the evidence against him.

“This case demonstrates our determination to get justice for victims and ensure that a dangerous offender is behind bars.”

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A mother sexually abused a 14-year-old boy after teenagers used her "doss house" to drink and smoke cannabis.

Deborah Taylor, then 33, had a relationship with one of the kids, who was 14 and cannot be named for legal reasons; an abuse that went on for eight years during the 1990s and early 2000s.

A court heard they split for undisclosed reasons when the victim was in his 20s and he initially kept quiet about the abuse until, in January 2020, nearly two decades after the fling started, he went to the police.

Taylor, now 62, was arrested and jailed for two years after admitting indecent assault. A victim impact statement, read at Bolton Crown Court, heard the man was "robbed of a childhood".

Judge Martin Walsh told Taylor: "You effectively groomed the complainant into a sexual relationship. He was extremely vulnerable by virtue of the neglect he endured as a child. Unquestionably, you took advantage of him at that time. Although I do not deem you to be a risk to the public I cannot ignore the harm that was done by the offending. It was not isolated but rather occurred across a long period of time."

The victim, now in his 40s, continued: "Everyone would hang out with Deb because we could do what we wanted at her home. At the time I felt comfortable and stable there, I felt like everything was going good for me.

"Now I can't understand why she would be interested in a relationship with an under-18-year-old. I have spent the last few years regretting everything that happened to me. I was robbed of a childhood.

"I feel depressed and question myself all the time now. I was just a boy, and she knew it was wrong. I was vulnerable and she took full advantage of this. This has taken such a long time to get to this point. Now I feel I can finally move past it and put a lid on this nasty box. I am walking away with my head held high."

During the hearing, it emerged one of Taylor's own children was the same age as the lad she "effectively groomed". Taylor, now a grandmother, had previous convictions for assault, shoplifting and supplying cannabis, the court was also told.

She was issued with an indefinite restraining order banning her from contacting the victim and was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for 10 years.

Nicholas Clarke, prosecuting told the hearing: "The boy lived with his father whose parenting left much to be desired as he was usually in the pub.

"School attendance was sporadic and basic amenities were almost as sparse as the presence of his father at home. The complainant often had no heating and food was a rarity in the house and this inevitably led him to develop a habit for drinking and smoking cannabis.

"He and other children of his age would also often attend Deborah Taylor's address. According to them it was 'doss house.' When the complainant was 14, he was persuaded to stay the night by the defendant. This inevitably meant sleeping with her in her bed. This led to the pair developing a relationship with each other, acting as partners and having regular sexual intercourse.

"At the start of their relationship the defendant would have been 33 years old. She had five children at the time, one of which was the same age as the complainant. At the time, social services were aware that he was living at the house, but they did not realise that the only place he could have been sleeping was her bed.

"He said there was always food and heating available at the defendant's house and he had a sense of stability there. However, by being in the relationship he was deprived of his childhood, of making friends and exploring the world.

"In January 2020 the complainant reported the defendant to the police. She went for interview with Greater Manchester Police in February of that year and admitted to being in a relationship with him. She described it as a perfectly normal relationship and that he would come round to play with her son who was the same age. She never admitted to having sexual intercourse with him before the age of 18."

Taylor, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, changed her plea to guilty in June of this year. Her lawyer, Jon Close, said she felt "deep shame, disgust and anger" at the offence.

In mitigation, Mr Close said: "The defendant feels deep shame, disgust and anger at herself. She had a difficult childhood herself, left school at a young age, unable to read and write. She then went to a factory and shortly after that became pregnant and had five children.

"She then entered an utterly damaging relationship, which involved violence, manipulation and sexual abuse. The scars were writ large, and she still suffers from panic attacks today. The only explanation she can proffer for why these offences were committed was that she was alone and frighten and this new relationship made her feel safe. She is not the person now that she was then.

"For the last nine years she has been in a stable relationship with a supportive partner. Although she has never properly worked, she has done voluntary work with hospices, homelessness charities and the church."

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Officers attended the address, in Mansfield Woodhouse, to arrest 29-year-old Kyhl Sykes after reports he had sexually assaulted a girl.

They knocked on the door and shouted through the letterbox but Sykes, who was alone inside, didn’t answer.

When officers broke in through the front door they smelt gas.

As they entered, Sykes struck a match which caused a backdraft.

The kitchen door exploded open in front of police who swiftly exited the property in fear for their safety.

Neighbouring properties were evacuated before Sykes was arrested and the house was made safe.

Sykes suffered burns to his face and hands during the incident which happened on February 16. Fortunately, no-one else was injured.

The day before, Sykes had engaged in sexual activity with a girl and his offending was reported to police.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday, August 10, prosecutor Steven Bailey said Sykes had groomed the girl and built up her trust before abusing her.

The court heard Sykes had also taken photographs of the girl, when she didn’t know what was happening, and had sent pictures and messages to her which caused her to feel worried and confused.

He also searched for pictures of young girls on the Internet and was found in possession of 20 indecent Category C images of a child.

Sykes, of Mansfield Woodhouse, pleaded guilty to charges of arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered, two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a girl and a further count of making indecent photographs of a child.

Victoria Rose, defending Sykes, told the court he had suffered with his mental health and a personality disorder and was extremely remorseful for his actions.

Jailing Sykes for a total of six-and-a-half years, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC, said: “You abused this girl and treated her as an object. You began to groom her and encouraged her to have feelings about you by telling her you had feelings for her, in a wholly improper way.”

In respect of the arson, Judge Rafferty told Sykes: “Fortunately for you, the police arrived before the house began to fill with gas.

"It’s perfectly obvious from their radio communications and shouting through the letterbox that you were in no doubt the police were coming into the house.

“You utterly selfishly struck the match. The backdraft could easily have been a fireball had time gone on. If the police had come about half-an-hour later you would have blown them, the house, yourself, and other people to kingdom come.”

Sykes received four-and-a-half years in prison for the sexual activity offences and two years, to be served consecutively, for the arson offence. He was handed a three-month concurrent sentence for the possession of indecent images.

He was also made subject of a 10-year restraining order and will be a notifying sex offender for life.

Detective Inspector Craig Hall, of Nottinghamshire Police, said “Sykes is a dangerous sexual offender, and I am pleased he is now behind bars where he can no longer pose a risk to children.

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A convicted paedophile failed to tell police about his new phone. Shane Upton from Cardiff was already under a suspended prison sentence after sharing indecent images and attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The 34-year-old, of Pen-Y-Lan Road in Roath, was put under a sexual harm prevention order last November which meant he had to inform police within three days if he purchased a mobile phone which had internet access. In June this year he bought one from CEX.

Prosecutor Emma Harris told Cardiff Crown Court: "On June 5 he got in contact with his probation officer and indicated he had a new phone and a new phone number. The probation officer was concerned he may have breached the sexual harm prevention order."

Ten days later a police officer visited Upton's home and examined the phone, finding it was connected to the internet. Upton later pleaded guilty to breaching the order, which had been made last November alongside a 17-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. That came after he had been convicted of three counts of distributing and three counts of possessing indecent images of children as well as the attempted incitement of sexual activity.

Ms Harris said that when Upton was arrested for the breach, he claimed he "did not think about disclosing ownership of the phone as he did not have contact details to pass the information on". His lawyer Adam Sharp told the court it would be "unjust" to activate the suspended sentence for such a breach.

The judge, Recorder Greg Bull KC, agreed. "He told his probation officer of the purchase," said the judge. "I'm happy to accept this was a stupid error on his part in not understanding the order."

Mr Sharp added that his client previously had a long-term drinking issue but has benefited from an alcohol abstinence order. Recorder Bull then told Upton he would be making a 12-month community order with 25 hours of unpaid work. Upton, who receives Universal Credit, must also pay prosecution costs of £420 at a rate of £20 a month.

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A man has been sentenced after being convicted of sexual offences against a girl in Leeds committed more than 20 years ago.

Daniel Richardson (previously known as Bedford) , 38, of Leeds Road, Lofthouse, was found guilty at trial at Leeds Crown Court of two charges of indecent assault.

He was sentenced today (Thursday, 10 August) to six years in prison

The offences were committed from 2003 onwards for a number of years against one victim.

Detective Sergeant Emma Maltas, of Leeds District Safeguarding Team, said: The victim has shown immense bravery in coming forward as an adult to report the horrific offences committed against her as a child. This mans actions have had a significant impact on her childhood and still do now, and I hope his conviction helps her as she continues to try and process this trauma.
Richardson has subjected the victim to years of sexual abuse. He is now rightly behind bars and will have conditions on him following his release.
I hope that this conviction helps demonstrate that if you have been a victim of sexual abuse then it is never too late to report it to the police. You will be listened to, you will be supported and we will try and get justice for you.

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A paedophile has been locked up again just months after he was released from prison. Justin Barrs, 25, was convicted of making indecent images of children five years ago and again in 2020.

But after being released back into the community on January 26, he has been jailed once again after he was found to have breached the conditions of his release. As part of the conditions, Barrs was made to present his mobile phone to Thorpe Wood Police Station, in Peterborough, the day after he moved to the county from Suffolk on April 4.

When officers examined his phone, they found Varrs had created three usernames for online chat sites and had deleted the social media site Snapchat from his phone. He admitted he had been part of an online group for 13 to 19-year-olds.

When he was discovered, he told the police: "I'm an idiot."

Barrs, of Essendyke, Bretton, was sent back to prison after being charged with three counts of failing to comply with notification requirements for the Sex Offenders Register and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). On August 3, at Peterborough Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three years and four months in jail.

DC Jon Edwards said: "Protecting children and vulnerable people from harm is one of our top priorities and I am very pleased Barrs' breaches of his release conditions were discovered so he could be brought back before the courts. I would urge parents and carers to talk to their children about the dangers of phones, social media and the importance of online safety."

Description

A photographer accused of sex offences involving 12 women has been found guilty of five of the charges at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

Simon ‘Sid’ Scott, 44, stood accused of a catalogue of sexual assault and indecent behaviour charges – involving women aged between 16 and 20 – the crimes taking place during photo shoots in Aberdeen and Glasgow.

A lengthy police investigation into Scott’s crimes involved officers sifting through thousands of his photographs – 150,000 of which were found to contain eroticism or nudity.

Scott’s lawyer previously claimed his client was the victim of a “witch-hunt”.

A jury of nine women and six men took just under six hours to find the professional photographer guilty by majority of five charges.

Not proven verdicts were returned to the remaining seven charges.

Scott, of Sunnyside Road, Aberdeen, sat motionless as the verdicts were read out.

Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar had urged jurors to convict Scott, describing him as a “manipulative”, “opportunistic” and “predatory” sex offender.

She added: “The Crown’s position is that there is an underlying theme of exploiting situations often in a wholly calculating way.”

His defence counsel advocate David Taylor had asked that bail should be continued and said: “This is clearly serious and a custodial disposal may still be at the forefront of the court’s mind”.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin made Scott subject to the sex offenders register and deferred sentence until September 1 in order for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be carried out.

The 44-year-old was released on bail.

Scott was found guilty of the following charges:

• Sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman during a Christmas Eve photo-shoot at City Dance Moves, Aberdeen, in 2015
• Sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman between 2015 to 2016, at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Aberdeen.
• Sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl during a photo-shoot in a bedroom at the CitizenM hotel, in Glasgow’s Renfrew Street, in December 2015
• Sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in her Aberdeen home in April 2016
• Sexually assaulting a 17-year-old schoolgirl at Glasgow’s CitizenM Hotel in February 2017.