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A pervert caught "upskirting" a schoolgirl at a Tyneside Metro station had indecent images on his phone.

Lukasz Gajowski brazenly targeted the unsuspecting girl as she waited at the Gateshead station wearing her school uniform. He crept up behind her and lunged forward to take a picture of the victim, who was estimated to have been around 14.

A quick-thinking member of the public noted the time and alerted police, who caught Gajowski after a CCTV still of the perpetrator was published on ChronicleLive.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was on December 3 2020 that a woman was at Gateshead Interchange when she noticed what Gajowski was up to, although the girl, who was leaning against a wall, was unaware the pervert was behind her.

Amber Walker, prosecuting, told the court: "(The woman) noticed that Mr Gajowski was lunging with his hand and it was outstretched towards the lower part of a skirt of a teenage girl who at the time was wearing a school uniform.

"(The woman) made eye contact with the defendant and he then quickly moved away. The teenage girl had not noticed his presence.

"The woman made a note of the time and she contacted the police and CCTV was retrieved. That footage was the subject of publicity in the local media and Mr Gajowski was recognised by a work colleague who contacted the police."

Miss Walker added: "He was using his mobile phone to record what is colloquially referred to as upskirting."

Gajowski, 39, of Brinkburn Avenue, Bensham, Gateshead, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to voyeurism and three counts of making indecent images of children. He had 21 of the most serious, category A images, 13 category B images and 17 category C images.

They were not images he had taken himself and while most of them were of young teenagers, children as young as four were depicted.

Judge Julie Clemitson said the woman who alerted the police should be commended. And she told Gajowski his behaviour towards the girl was "brazen" with "apparently no regard for the risk someone would see what you were doing".

The judge added: "It appears you have little understanding of the harm your offending might cause. Clearly if that schoolgirl had realised what you were doing it would have had some effect on her. It's impossible to say how great that harm would be but any girl might have been significantly affected by that sort of behaviour."

Gajowski was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with 100 hours unpaid work. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The court heard he had worked until recently and is now in debt due to the cost of the criminal case and has faced "unconscionable delays" in the case being finalised.

Record details

A teenager kept indecent images of toddlers in a folder on his phone marked ‘hot stuff’, a court has heard.

Blaine Towler, 19, was snared by police while sharing indecent videos of children with another paedophile using the social media application Kik.

Record details

A Nottingham paedophile told a 13-year-old girl he would “train to be a science teacher so he could have sex with her at school”.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how Riece Joynes also sent the teen clips where he was touching himself sexually.

But 'Ellie' was, in fact, an undercover police officer and the 23-year-old was arrested at his Bulwell home. On being bailed, the defendant told officers he would not behave in that way again.

But months later he was caught by a second undercover officer, this time posing as a 14-year-old girl. Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Recorder Simon King said: “It is clear to me that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.

“I seems to me that there is a real risk if you don’t sit up and pay real attention to how society views what you do with your time you will be considered as someone who poses a danger to children.” Daniel Wilshaw, prosecuting, said Joynes and 'Ellie' began talking to each other online in October, last year, and within a short space of time he turned their conversations into sexual ones.

He said the defendant sent videos of himself touching himself sexually and "asked her to take her clothes off” adding that “it would be cool if you were here, maybe we could have sex?” The prosecutor said: “She told him about her school and he replied that he ‘could train as a science teacher so they could have sex at the school’.

“Police went to his address and arrested him on December 28, 2023 and seized his mobile phone. On his devices they found 618 category A indecent images, 43 category B and 223 category C.

“There were various ages including a baby and a 1min 29sec video showed a girl aged six-to-eight being raped by an adult.” Mr Wilshaw said after being bailed on those offences, in May of this year, Joynes was caught again by a second undercover officer posing as an underage girl.

He said on that occasion their discussions included sex positions and that he was attracted to girls of her age - 14. The defendant, of Montague Street, pleaded guilty to charges of possession of indecent images of children, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He has no previous convictions. Steven Gosnell, mitigating, said his client is autistic, suffers low self-estem and was bullied at school.

He said: “He is desperate to rehabilitate himself and desperate for help.” As well as the jail term, the judge handed Joynes an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

Record details

A sex offender who broke into a Huddersfield home and sexually assaulted a child has been jailed.

Saqib Khan (40) of Hanson Lane in Huddersfield was sentenced to ten years in prison at Leeds Crown Court today (Thursday November 21st ) for sexually assaulting a child aged under 10 in an incident on April 20th. 

The 40-year-old had been found guilty of sexual assault at a trial in October.

Leeds Crown Court heard that Khan had made his way into the family home during the evening of April 20th ,  entered the child’s bedroom and committed a sexual assault.

The victim’s relatives heard a disturbance but were unable to gain entry to the room.

Instead the child’s father rang 999, went outside and then summoned help from two police officers who were passing the address.

They forced entry into the room and restrained and arrested Khan.

He was swiftly charged with a sexual assault offence following the incident.

The 40-year-old will have to sign on the Sex Offenders register for life following his release from prison and was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

This order will make him subject to immediate arrest and prosecution if he breaches any of the terms set, on his release from prison.

Record details

A man who sent a “live action” video of himself to someone he thought was a child has walked free from court.

Richard Still, 36, sent explicit images and videos of himself with a profile on Snapchat, that he thought belonged to a 12-year-old girl.

Record details

A Hove man whose jobs gave him repeated access to children has been convicted of dozens of child sex offences.

Ian Silvester, 60, of Locks Hill in Portslade, worked as a Scout leader, childrens nurse, St Johns Ambulance worker, diving instructor, first aid trainer and babysitter over several decades.

He was also a registered nurse and registered childrens nurse, before being struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2015.

Over a period of 25 years between 1986 and 2011 Silvester sexually assaulted 19 boys linked to several of his roles of trust, including the Scouts and his various businesses.

Many of the assaults took place under the guise of first aid training, during which Silvester would sexually touch his victims.

Following Silvesters arrest, digital devices were found containing more than two million media articles suggesting a sexual interest in young boys, including 68 indecent images of children.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty of 44 counts of indecent assault, 25 counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 13 and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (20 November), he was found guilty of all charges.

He has been remanded in custody to await sentencing at the same court on 7 February, 2025.

Record details

A former head teacher molested a young girl and then told her not to tell anyone as "everything would go wrong".

In what was described as a "spectacular fall from grace", Anil Gaind also tried to blame the child and later refuted her claim as to how long the indecent touching had lasted.

But at the 61-year-old Bearsted resident's sentencing last week (November 13), a judge told him whatever the length of time was, she had "lost her innocence" that night at his hands.

Gaind, of Button Lane, subsequently pleaded guilty to sexual assault. The offence was not related to his teaching role.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the paedophile touched the girl inappropriately over clothing.

But on deciding he could be spared jail, Judge Julian Smith highlighted the "sinister and chilling" aspects of the abuse, which was reported in March last year.

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He told Gaind that his warped behaviour "brings to an end your good name and good character".

Describing his former career as "impressive and successful", the judge added: "It amounts to a spectacular fall from grace, and for your victim, a life-changing loss of confidence and certainty.

"I think you understand the consequence (of what you did) but I don't think you understand why and there is a good deal to be done by you and for you before you reach an understanding.

"There is always a concern that until you do understand what drove you to behave in this appalling way you remain a risk."

Of the offence itself, Judge Smith continued: "You gave her a massage. But it went on from that and became something far more sinister.

"You say it wasn't for as long as she estimated but that doesn't matter. Whether 20 minutes, five minutes or half-an-hour, that loss of innocence and loss of trust occurred that night.

"She froze and, in a frankly chilling phrase, she said she 'let you finish'. She told you it was wrong and she was going to tell her mum.

"You asked her not to because you said 'everything would go wrong.' You put the blame on her for what you did and the consequences that followed from what you did.

"It was never her fault. None of this could ever be her fault. It was yours."

The court heard that following his arrest Gaind denied having any sexual attraction to children.

His teaching career, which was said to be a long-held ambition and realised in his 40s, came to an end due to ill health.

Referring to the significant impact the abuse had had on his victim, Gaind was told by Judge Smith that it should be "a matter of the most profound shame" for him.

However, he explained that immediate custody was not needed, having taken his background and character into consideration, as well as the help that could be offered to him by the probation service as opposed to a short spell behind bars.

Imposing a 10-month jail term suspended for 18 months, with conditions of a sex offender treatment programme, 30 rehabilitation activity requirements and 180 hours of unpaid work, Judge Smith concluded: "I am sure we will not see you in this court again."

Gaind will be barred indefinitely from working with children and vulnerable adults and subject to a sexual harm prevention order as well as sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Record details

Women who were sexually assaulted in Medway and Swale by a man who falsely advertised as a professional masseur have seen the offender jailed.

Joseph Mooney stated he was qualified to give massages on his Facebook page but had created a fake certificate to support his predatory behaviour.

On 14 December 2020, Mooney contacted a victim who had liked his social media page and offered her a discounted treatment.

He arranged to visit her home address where she asked him to concentrate on her shoulders and back. Mooney’s massage became increasingly indecent, accompanied with lewd comments, and the victim told him to stop.

After he left, the incident was reported to the police and Mooney was subsequently arrested.

Bogus business

Investigators looked into his bogus business and further victims were identified. It became apparent Mooney had used his Facebook platform to target women and offered discounts under the guise of being a newly qualified masseur seeking to expand his business.

In each case, Mooney attended an address of their choice and, after starting the massage, went on to sexually assault the victims. Some of them were shown his false qualifications and a number of the women gained the impression he was sexually aroused during the treatment.

Following his arrest, Mooney showed his certificate to officers as proof of his professional qualifications, but this was quickly found to be falsified.

Charged

Mooney, of Woodgrange Gardens, Enfield, London, was later charged. At Maidstone Crown Court he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and possessing an article for use in a fraud.

On Tuesday 12 November 2024, the 44-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

Record details

A 20-year-old paedophile has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple child sexual abuse image offences.

Joshua Morris, 20, dob 22/05/2004, of Hogsmill Way in West Ewell, was sentenced on Wednesday 20 November at Guildford Crown Court for:

• Three offences of distributing an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
• Three offences of making an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
• One offence of taking an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child
• Possession of an extreme pornographic image involving an animal
• Breaching a sexual risk order

The investigation into Morris first began in 2021 after it was flagged by colleagues in the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command at the National Crime Agency that he had been linked to the online sharing and possession of child sexual abuse images.

Upon searching Morris’s electronic devices, indecent images of all categories were discovered. Baby and child clothing were also found in his bedroom.

In the three interviews conducted by officers with Morris, he either remained silent or answered no comment to all questions.

Whilst the investigation was ongoing, Morris was put under a sexual risk order (SRO), which he breached by continuing to look at child sexual abuse images online – he was further arrested and charged with these additional offences.

At sentencing, the Judge also handed Morris a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

Investigating Officer, DC Connor Leney from our paedophile online investigation team (POLIT) said; “Joshua Morris is a predator who poses a serious risk to children through his online activities. We are pleased that he will now spend seven years in prison where he won’t be able to cause harm.

Record details

A pervert with a "distorted attitude" has been described as a "danger to children". Philip Matthews ended up in court after Devon and Cornwall Police were alerted that he was downloading illegal content.

A search of his electronic devices revealed he had downloaded videos and images of children as young as six being raped. At a sentencing hearing at Truro Crown Court today (Wednesday, November 20), it was heard he had downloaded 74 Category A images, alongside 17 Category B images and 13 Category C images. Matthews was jailed for two years.

The most recent discovery happened while Matthews was already under police investigation for similar offences.

The court heard that Matthews, who has several convictions for 11 offences of making indecent images of children, received a two-year prison sentence in December 2016 when he offended again having received a suspended sentence the previous year.

In mitigation, Ryan Murray said Matthews, who pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children at a previous hearing, had become desensitised to paedophilia, having been exposed to unhealthy material from a young age, which led him to "have a distorted attitude towards such material".

Mr Murray said Matthews' addiction to indecent images of children found online had been fed by a sense of isolation. He told the court: "When he moved to Bodmin, he didn't know anyone. When the nature of his past became known it led to isolation. This is a man who struggles to fit in and operates on the margins of society. Isolation then feeds his addiction. He has also recently lost his mother who had been a source of support for him."

His Honour Judge Robert Linford said Matthews is a man with a "disturbing list of previous convictions" adding that on this occasion he was found with indecent images of children when he was already under police investigation for a similar offence. Judge Linford said Matthews had breached a suspended sentence and had been put on a sex offender treatment programme in the past designed to address the root cause of his offending.

He added: "The course you went on has been found to be unsustainable and increased your offending. However, whether you access images of children being abused is up to you. No one is making you do it. One would have thought that having had a scare a few years ago, you would have been careful not to do it again, but you did do it again.

"There is no prospect of rehabilitation for you. You are a danger to children. These images are images of real children as young as six being raped for the entertainment of people like you. If people like you didn't watch, others would not film it."

Matthews was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve 40 per cent before being eligible for release on licence. A sexual harm prevention order for 10 years was also imposed. He will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Record details

A man has been jailed for three years and nine months for sexual offences relating to a child.

Anthony Henderson, 62, of Francis Avenue, Withernsea, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court on 15 November.

Henderson previously pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in a sexual act, meeting a child following grooming, causing a child to watch a sexual act and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He has also been given a sexual harm prevention order and will be added to the sex offenders register for life.

In October, police received evidence of Henderson sending sexual messages to a fake profile of someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.

He sent the profile sexually explicit content of himself and others and arranged to meet who he believed to be a young girl in a public place.

Det Sgt Frances Robinson said: “Henderson is a sexual predator and I’m pleased he is now behind bars and unable to continue with his attempts to target vulnerable people."

Record details

THIS is the face of a man from the Cirencester area who sexually assaulted a young girl.

Gloucestershire police has released a photo of Lewis Davey, aged 51, who was jailed for sexual assault and voyeurism on Friday, October 25.

Davey, of Bowly Crescent, Siddington, was sentenced for sexually abusing a girl who was under the age of 13 in May last year.

He was also sentenced for an offence of voyeurism by observing a person engaging in a private act on the same day.

At Gloucester Crown Court, he was jailed for eight years, with an extended licence period of one year.

According to court documents, a special custodial sentence of imprisonment was imposed as Davey was deemed to be an 'offender of particular concern'.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting for 15 years from conviction was also imposed.

This bans Davey from unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 apart from his own children.

Exceptions include inadvertent contact and when contact is not reasonably avoidable in the course of daily life.

The other exception is if Davey has consent from a child’s parent or guardian, who has knowledge of his convictions and has received written consent from social services.

He was also added to the sex offenders register.

Davey faced two charges - sexually assaulting a girl aged under 13 and observing a person engaging in a private act.

He pleaded not guilty to both offences but was found guilty of both charges after a four-day trial at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, September 19.

Record details

A violent rapist hit a woman while they were having sex. He refused to stop despite his victim begging and crying, and dragged her back to the bed when she tried to run away.

Curtis Green, 28, asked his victim for sex and after "nagging her" she initially gave consent, but while they were having sex he began to assault her. He became violent and struck the victim to the face with a closed fist.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the violence continued as the victim begged Green to stop. She began to cry and the defendant told her to "shut up" and "Rhondda and Valley girls like sex like that".

The victim asked him to stop and he responded by laughing at her. He prevented her from trying to escape from the bedroom and dragged her back to the bed by her wrists. Green then hit her multiple times to the face, which the court heard made him "aroused".

Sentencing, Judge Eugene Egan said: "You were sexually turned on by the use of violence. You were powerfully built, fit and athletic... You brutalised the victim."

At one point the victim screamed and shouted at the top of her voice, which "spooked" Green who left the property, leaving in his underwear and his socks. She took photos of her injuries which were subsequently shown to the jury at the defendant's trial.

Green, of Rhiwgarn Road, Trebanog, Porth, denied one count of rape, claiming the sex had been consensual throughout and the victim had received no injuries. He was later found guilty by a jury.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Andrew Davies, the victim said: "I cannot begin to explain the devastation and all encompassing effect this abuse has had on my life. The abuse lasted less than an hour but the trauma will last me the rest of my life. I stand before you today a completely different person to the one had I never met Curtis Green. I have become lost and emotionally numb, this person took away my basic human rights.

"I feel like a prisoner in my own home... I have always been a happy and outgoing person but now I feel pressured, scared, unsafe, bedraggled and humiliated. I felt like my dignity disappeared all due to the fact of what Curtis Green did to me. I am constantly living on my nerves and have installed cameras... Since I have heard he's been remanded in custody I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have been fearful of repercussions from reporting this matter and vulnerable. I have never been a confident person in terms of how I look, I would even say I had body dysmorphia. When I was running naked I felt even more degraded and vulnerable...

"I have been struggling with my mental health, I've struggled to work and life has been turned upside down... Since the guilty verdict there has been no real change in how I feel. I will never forget how I was made to feel, whatever sentence is passed on Curtis Green, it will never erase my memories and emotions about what happened. I have issues with intimacy and refuse to trust people. I have struggled with this for years and thought about ending my life... I hated myself for feeling cowardly and it scared me to death, bringing back old feelings and memories. I was scared no-one would believe me. You couldn't admit what you did."

The court heard Green now has a partner and a son who is three years old, and that his own father walked out on his family at the same age, a fact which is "particularly galling" for him. It was said the defendant had a difficult childhood and a relative of his was murdered, which caused pain to the family.

Green was sentenced to a total of eight years imprisonment, of which he will serve two thirds before he is released on licence. He was also made subject to a restraining order and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Record details

A man has been jailed after attempting to kidnap two women in Walsall earlier this year.

On 28 February, a woman in her 20’s, was walking on Scarborough Road in the early hours of the morning when she was grabbed from behind by a man.

The man tried to get the woman into his car but she resisted his force.

During the struggle she was punched in the face and received swelling and bruising. She managed to break free and ran to the nearest home for help.

Four days later, on 2 March, a 17-year-old girl was walking along Hawes Road shortly before 11pm when she was approached by a man in a vehicle who attempted to coax her into it.

When she refused he got out of the vehicle then punched and kicked her and sexually assaulted her. She managed to escape and run to a nearby home for help. The girl alerted police by activating her emergency call feature on her mobile phone.

Both victims sustained facial and head injuries.

Officers obtained CCTV footage from both incidents which showed a black Audi pulling up beside both women.

We then linked this vehicle to Rambo Baeram, aged 25 and he was subsequently arrested.

During interview, he claimed he didn’t own the vehicle at the time of the offences and said he was at home sleeping.

However, both victims took part in an ID parade and identified Baeram as their attacker.

Baeram of Forrester Street, Walsall was then charged with two counts of attempt kidnap, two counts of assault and one count of sexual assault.

He was found guilty by a jury at an earlier trial and was sentenced to five years in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 15 November.

He will also be placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Sergeant Carrie Stimpson from our Public Protection Unit said: “Baeram had no relationship to either of the victims - they were strangers, attacked on the streets when they should feel safe.

“These incidents were deeply concerning and we worked extremely hard to bring Baeram to justice.

“The women have been very brave throughout the whole process and were even forced to sit through a trial.

“I commend them for their courage.”

Record details

A REPEAT sex offender who sent pictures of his privates to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl is awaiting sentence.

Gordon Brown, 69, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent behaviour towards a child aged between 13 and 16, who was in fact an adult, when he appeared from custody at Ayr Sheriff Court.

He admitted to causing an older child to look at a sexual image, as well as communicating indecently with an older child between August 11 and August 13 this year in Cumnock Road, Mauchline, with court papers stating that the conduct was carried out for sexual gratification, humiliating, distressing or alarming the victim.

Brown admitted sending sexual messages and attempting to meet a child in his car.

We previously reported his arrest in the Mauchline area - after he was stung by so-called 'paedophile hunters' online having made contact with a decoy profile posing as a child.

Procurator fiscal depute Craig Wainwright told the court Brown was committed for further examination and remanded in custody after bail was refused when he returned to court last week (November 11).

He said: "The witness is from Protect our Kids Online, the aim of the group is to keep children safe on social media.

"Prior to the dates of offending, he set up a profile on a dating app claiming to be 20 and called 'Rubie'. It used a picture of a female child, who was considerably younger.

"It lay dormant awaiting others to make contact.

"At 8.42pm on August 11 it was contacted by the accused using a profile named Gordon, the profile was of the accused standing topless. It said he was 68 and from Kilmarnock.

"He repeatedly told 'Rubie' 'she' was 'gorgeous'.

"He stated he was going for a shower and he was 'stripped naked' and 'getting cold'.

"During the exchange 'she' said 'she' was really 14-years-old. He stated 'If you weren't so young I could show you'."

The prosecutor added: "'She' said 'she' would not be able to see and didn't want to get in trouble.

"He said 'she' was gorgeous and offered to send a picture in his boxer shorts.

"The conversation moved to WhatsApp. During the exchange, he said he took images of himself after getting out the shower and asked if sending a pic 'would cheer her up'."

Brown replied saying 'it was up to you'. He told the profile 'I will let you see it', then sent an image of his erect penis.

Brown then sent an image of his lower half boxer shorts exposed and sent a further image.

Messages continued, with repeated references to him being naked and in the showers.

The fiscal depute added: "He sent other images of himself with his face visible and [privates] exposed.

"At no point did Rubie invite contact."

Brown was later reported to police and confessed to communicating with 'Rubie' during an interview with officers.

Representing Brown during the hearing, solicitor John Gallagher reserved any plea in mitigation given the nature of the offences ahead of criminal justice social work reports and a risk assessment being completed.

Sheriff Shirley Foran said: "You will be remanded in custody in the meantime.

"Regarding the nature of the offence you will be subject to the registration requirements of the sex offences legislation.

"The extent will be made known to you at final disposal."

He was returned to custody and is due to return to Ayr Sheriff Court at a later date.