Latest Offenders

Description

A Halifax ice-cream man who sexually abused a teenage girl while he was working at The Piece Hall has been jailed for more than three years.

Arthur Malaj, aged 37, of Range Lane in Halifax, was found guilty in July of causing a child to engage in sexual activity in relation to incidents which happened more than a decade ago.

Recorder Simon Kealey KC said at the time Malaj, who was then in his mid-20s, had been working as an ice cream vendor at The Piece Hall.

The judge said Malaj had provided free ice cream to his victim and had also given back more change than he should have before he started to discuss sexual topics with her.

On at least three occasions, Malaj persuaded the girl to perform a sex act on him in the toilets at the tourist attraction.

Recorder Kealey said Malaj had also touched the complainant’s breasts and bottom and he had kissed her.

Malaj’s offending was not reported to the police until 2018 and when he was interviewed he denied knowing the victim.

Recorder Kealey said it was absolutely clear from her victim impact statement that the abuse had had a very significant effect on her.
Hide Ad

“In my judgement there was an element of grooming,” he told Malaj over a prison video link to HMP Leeds.

Married Malaj was due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in August but, after turning up at court on bail, he then “panicked” and was wanted by police on a warrant for almost a month.

A judge sitting at Bradford Crown Court heard today (Tuesday) that the subsequent delay meant his victim, who had attended the initial hearing, was no longer able to be at court to see him locked up.

Recorder Kealey jailed Malaj for three-and-a-half years for the two sexual offences and added a further four weeks in custody for breaching his bail by leaving the court in August.
Hide Ad

Malaj will now have a to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and will also be subject to an indefinite restraining order preventing him from having any contact with the victim.

Description

A trans woman who groomed and had sex with a 14-year-old girl, making her pregnant, has been jailed.

The defendant - named by police as "David Orton, also known as Danielle Rose Gemini" - was found guilty of penetrative sexual activity with a child following a trial.

Officers said the victim had been vulnerable and initially refused to believe she was being sexually abused.

However, she later changed her mind and told police what had happened.

The offender, whose name was recorded as Danielle-Rose Gemini by Leicester Crown Court, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years.

Leicestershire Police - who said the 25-year-old identified as a woman at the time of the offences - were not able to give a current gender identity.

The defendant was also charged with raping the girl, but was found not guilty of this following the trial.

Det Con Sarah Le Boutillier, the investigating officer, said: "Throughout our interviews, Orton refused to accept that there was any wrongdoing and [claimed] that they were in fact the victim," she said.

"The claims were unfounded."

The victim was 14 when her parents originally raised suspicions in October 2020.

Police said the offender was a family friend who often stayed over at the victim's house. The girl's parents became suspicious of a sexual relationship, police said, but the girl refuted those concerns.

"Orton used the victim's vulnerability for their own gain and not only groomed the victim, but also her parents who believed Orton was a genuine friend," said Det Con Le Boutillier.

"This was a complex and lengthy investigation; the initial report was made to the police more than two years ago. The victim's parents refused to accept her initial explanations and persevered with their concerns.

"We are pleased the victim found the courage to eventually talk about what she had been through and recognised that she was a victim and that Orton's actions were not that of a friend."

'Not easy to speak out'

The girl provided information to police in June 2021.

The defendant, of Willowbank Road in Hinckley, was interviewed and subsequently charged with four counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, and two counts of raping a girl aged 13 to 15.

A jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, but not guilty verdicts on the other counts.

Det Con Le Boutillier said: "We hope the verdict and sentence now helps the victim to come to terms with what happened and try and put that time behind her, and also reassures her parents that they did the right thing by coming forward.

"We would like to reassure anyone else who may be in a similar situation to report their concerns, as they will be heard and we will help them through the process.

"We know it's not always easy to speak out; we have specialist officers who can help you every step of the way and also put you in touch with agencies who can advise and support you moving forward."

Description

A well-respected teacher and pillar of his local community has been unmasked as a predatory paedophile whose abuse devastated the lives of two boys.

David Williams, now 83, used his position and standing to groom and sexually abuse the victims hundreds of times over the course of a decade.

Williams, of Widemouth Road in Bude, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to a catalogue of charges of indecent assault and gross indecency with a child which took place in the 1980s. Prosecuting the case, Lee Bremridge told the court how such was Williams’ trust and respect in the community, both of the victims would stay over at his house with their parents’ blessing, as Williams had befriended them.

Williams groomed the victims by creating a fun environment where they were able to talk openly, play games, play the piano and stay up later than they would be able to at home. Williams would cook them pancakes and they would go to the beach to collect pebbles.

However, when they went to bed Williams would sexually abuse the two young boys, before waking up in the morning and often going to church while they waited in his bed just a short walk away until they were picked up. One of the victims, or as Judge Simon Carr referred to them as survivors, was just six when Williams first sexually abused him.

The first complainant said that he was at first too young to realise what was happening and that the abuse was, to him, so regular it was "completely normal". The court then heard two incredibly moving victim impact statements. The first complainant spoke of how his life has been a cycle of vulnerability, anger and suicidal thoughts.

He said: “Nowhere is safe and there are triggers everywhere. I’m not even safe when I close my eyes and try to sleep and memories keep coming back and taunting me. The abuse had a huge effect on my relationships with friends and family and my ability to cope with work.”

The man said that he blames the establishment for Williams being a teacher in a position of trust. The abuse left him no longer wanting to go to school and the complainant described how he’d make himself sick or cover his face with talcum powder so he looked ill so he didn’t have to go and face Williams.

He went on to state how he lived a lonely life, with two failed marriages, as he pushed away anyone who tried to get close. He spoke of being physically sick when seeing Williams in a pub. He added: “There is nothing historic about historic sexual abuse.”

The second survivor addressed Williams directly in the dock. Speaking to Williams, he said: “David Williams, or as I used to call you Uncle David by the sea. At first I was too young to know what you were doing or why. I was too young to know you were grooming me. You were already a widely respected teacher at Budehaven School.

“I don’t know how many times you abused me. There were simply too many. It started while I was at primary school and ended 10 years later. The effects have been destructive and long-lasting. Years after the physical abuse finished the emotional abuse continues and lives with me to this day.

“When I stayed with you we’d play the piano and you’d tell me about your travels around the world. As a child it was fun, exciting, different. You knew that and created that environment deliberately. I trusted you completely and you were my friend, or at least that is what I thought. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

The man told the court how Williams told him that he had exposed himself to Williams, a lie to make the victim think he started what was the sexual behaviour.

He added: “After you’d finished you pat my bottom and say well done or thank you. You then went to St Michael’s Church and everyone else would see the other side of you. They didn’t know a child had just been sexually abused in your bed just a minute away. At church you were a friend and at home you were a paedophile.

“Outside this courtroom you are well-known, popular and with friends all over the world. You had the trust and friendship of everyone I knew. My parents didn’t know it but you were manipulating them too.”

The man went on to reveal how Williams continued to send his parents postcards and Christmas cards right up to the start of pandemic. One such postcard outlined how busy Williams was with various trips, saying that his life was never dull.

He said: “Your behaviour was predatory and prolific and you kept it hidden for decades. You convinced and fooled everyone but not anymore. Your past has finally caught up with you.”

Representing Williams, Ramsay Quaife said his best mitigation was his early pleas and his poor health. He went on to note Williams’ previous good character before being interrupted by Judge Carr who said Williams’ life was a fraud from the beginning.

Sentencing Williams, Judge Carr said: “You were a teacher at what was then Bude Grammar School. I have read a significant number of references that paint a picture of one side of your life. That side was that you were a well-respected and loved teacher who attended church and sang in the choir. You were the epitome of a pillar of the community.

“But at the same time you were singing in the choir you were abusing children as young as six. The abuse was possible because of your position in society. You encouraged children to come to your house. They described it as a fun place to go. Games were played, rules were relaxed and children were allowed to stay overnight. You did this entirely to groom them.

“We’ve heard two extremely moving victim impact statements. Both knew your standing and who would be believed if they spoke out. That’s why you were able to get away with the abuse for so long. The abuse was systematic and sustained and went on for over a decade with abuse taking place on at least hundreds of occasions.

“These were both young men – I will call them survivors – who have struggled with what you have done. You are a predatory paedophile who groomed young children over a prolonged period of time for your own sexual gratification.

“You still believe in some way the children were responsible. A graphic example is how you reacted to one of the most moving victim impact statements. You found room to laugh and shake your head and when he spoke of a period of time when he wrongly blamed himself you nodded your head vigorously indicating you felt the child was responsible for the abuse you carried out.

“This had a devastating effect on both victims and I suspect you are wholly indifferent.”

Judge Carr noted Williams’ age and his bad health but said his previous good character means nothing. Williams was jailed for 16 years of which he must serve two thirds. He gestured goodbye to his supporters as he left the dock.

Description

A paedophile who sent his victims Valentine's Day cards and chocolates has been jailed for 10 years.

Peter Horsfield, 82, of Meadow Rise, Barnby Dun, was found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court of seven counts of sexual assault against children under 13 between 2004 and 2021.

His offending came to light when one of his victims confided in her mother.

After sentencing on Friday, Det Sgt Lucy Garside praised the victims' "exceptional courage and strength".

Ms Garside said Horsfield had "sought opportunities" to get the children alone before "taking advantage of their innocence".

"He subjected his victims to awful sexual abuse, which has had a devastating impact on their lives and wellbeing," she added.

In addition to imprisonment, Horsfield was placed on the sex offenders' register for life and will be made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order on his release.

Description

A Havant man who sexually abused two girls has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday (24 November), 70-year-old Trevor McCurdy, of Almond Close, was sentenced having been found guilty by a jury of a number of child sex offences.

The charges relate to a number of incidents that took place across 2020 and 2021, as well as some dating back to the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The first report was made to police in March 2021, which resulted in the launch of an investigation by Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT). McCurdy was arrested and later charged with four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration, three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16.

McCurdy originally went on trial in May of this year, having pleaded guilty to two of the offences and not guilty to the rest of the charges against him. Two days into his trial he absconded from the court, and was found guilty by the jury in his absence a number of days later.

Officers began work to locate McCurdy, which included appeals to the public for information about his whereabouts, and he was located in Brighton in October, where he was arrested and remanded into custody.

He has now been sentenced to 13 years in prison and given a life time Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Following the sentence, Detective Constable Marie Todd, who led the investigation, said: “Trevor McCurdy abused the trust of his young victims in the worst possible way.

“The bravery and courage they have shown during the course of this investigation and trial is remarkable and without them McCurdy would not be behind bars today. While it will never take away the pain and trauma of what they have been through, I hope that this sentence goes some way towards helping them move forward with their lives. McCurdy showed no remorse for the pain and suffering that he caused to his young victims.

“I want to appeal to anyone who has been affected by this type of abuse to come forward and talk to us, and be reassured that you don’t have to suffer in silence.”

We would encourage anyone who has been a victim of child abuse, or has any information about this type of abuse, to contact police on 101.

Alternatively, contact Child Line on 0800 11 11, or if you are an adult who has been affected, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.

Description

Evicted from Sunnyside as of 1st of December.

An Angus delivery driver caught red-handed trying to delete his massive collection of bestiality and child abuse videos has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

James Brown was found hastily trying to erase his collection of nearly 20 hours of footage when police officers arrived to raid his home.

Brown had a huge haul of horse and dog bestiality videos and sickening child material featuring youngsters aged from four-years-old.

He was ordered to carry out 225 hours unpaid work in the community and attend a sex offender rehabilitation programme as a direct alternative to custody.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Gregor Murray also imposed strict conduct conditions banning Brown from having unsupervised contact with children and limiting his internet use.

Police raid

The court was told that when detectives carried out a raid on his home, he told them: “You will find stuff on the computer.

“I have been busy deleting it.”

The court was told Brown had stored vile material for more than a decade.

Brown, 31, of Sunnyside, Kirriemuir, admitted downloading indecent images of children at his home between June 25 2011 and January 21 2018.

He also admitted having a stash of extreme material at addresses in Kirriemuir and Livingston between June 23 2011 and January 29 2022.

Fiscal depute Lora Apostalova said he was raided at 8.20am on January 29 and told police: “You will find stuff on my computer. I’ve been busy deleting it.”

Mrs Apostalova said images and videos were found on a number of devices with the earliest downloads dating back more than ten years.

She said the child-related material showed predominantly male youngsters aged between four and 14 being abused.

She added the total run-time of the bestiality videos amounted to 19 hours and 18 minutes.

Description

A MAN from Chester has been locked up after being caught trying to film a girl using the women’s toilets at a busy shopping centre.

Dorniel Nica, who is already a registered sex offender, was spotted using his phone camera to look under the next cubical, with the girl believing he was performing a sex act on himself.

The 28-year-old tried to claim innocence, despite being identified by police using facial recognition technology.

But the courts saw through the creep’s lies, and he is now in jail for the disturbing offence.

Nica was sentenced at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 21, having been convicted after trial following his not guilty pleas.

These were to charges of voyeurism and attempt to observe a person doing a private act, while he conviction put him in breach of a suspended sentence order.

Vincent Yip, prosecuting, explained how on October 2, a teenage girl had been in a cubicle of the public toilets in Golden Square Shopping Centre after feeling sick.

While in a cubicle, she saw a hand holding a black iPhone coming from the underneath the cubicle next to her.

She believed the phone was recording and that there had been a man in the cubicle next to her as she could hear what she thought to be a man masturbating. 

 The girl’s friend had gone to get her a drink of water, and when she returned they both left the toilet area, but they did not see the man.

They then approached two police officers at Warrington Bus Station and told them what had happened. The officers went to the toilets and searched the area but found no trace of the man.

After making further enquiries, the officers checked CCTV at the shopping centre. It showed a man entering the female toilets at 5.12pm and leaving at 5.55pm.

The man was then seen wandering around the shopping centre before leaving.

Officers took an image of the man from the CCTV and submitted it through Retrospective Facial Recognition software.

The search returned a match for Nica, and officers set about making enquiries as to his whereabouts.

Nica was arrested the following morning at an address in Warrington on suspicion of voyeurism, with officers seizing a mobile phone in his possession.

According to the charges he was convicted of, the defendant’s offences were ‘for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification’.

His previous suspended sentence order was imposed on September 21 for intentionally exposing his genitals so that someone would see them in Chester, as well as for stealing £329.94 worth of men’s clothing from TK Maxx in Solihull. 

 Magistrates in Warrington said that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified.

This was due to the victim’s young age, his ‘similar previous offending’ and that fact that the offences took place in a public location.

Nica, of Cherry Road in Chester, was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison and ordered to comply with sex offender notification and registration requirements for 10 years.

He was also handed two restraining orders prohibiting him from contacting two girls for five years and ordered to pay a surcharge to fund victim services of £187.

Following the sentence, PC Wendy Whitehead said: “If it was not for the bravery of the victim for approaching the first police officers she had seen, we may not have been able to achieve the result we have done.

“Thanks to the new technology available to us, we were able to identify Nica quickly and effectively, allowing us to make further enquiries and ascertain his whereabouts.

“This led us to get justice for Nica’s victims and put a prolific offender behind bars and off the streets of Cheshire.

“This result reinforces our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls. We will prevent, deter and take action against anyone who preys on women and girls.

“I hope this result will provide reassurance to the public, and perhaps it will allow others to have the courage and report incidents such as this to us.” 

Description

A PERVERTED west Cumbrian man "lured" two 13-year-old girls to secret late-night meetings with gifts of alcohol and cigarettes because he wanted to sexually abuse them. 

The Carlisle Crown Court judge who sentenced 37-year-old Frizington man Graham Green branded him a “danger” to young girls.

The defendant had earlier pleaded guilty to an allegation of meeting the girls in August last year following online sexual grooming; and two counts of sexual activity with a child, with one charge for each victim.

Tim Evans, prosecuting, described how Green, who was 36 at the time he committed the offences, contacted the two girls over the social media platform Snapchat.

In June and July of last year, the court heard, Green exchanged numerous Snapchat messages with one of the girls, whose age he knew was 13. Despite this, Green made it clear he was sexually interested in her and her friend, also 13.

Mr Evans said Green had later suggested to Probation staff and a psychiatrist that he had no sexual interest in the two children.

But the messages he sent over a period of weeks painted the real picture, showing that Green was indeed sexually motivated in his communication with the girls and during their two meetings, said Mr Evans.

The Snapchat communication began on June 18 and Green’s messages included some that were “plainly sexual”, with Green spelling out in graphic detail what he wanted to do sexually with one of the girls.

“Other conversations were about whether he would provide them with drinks – cans of Fosters and Stella lager - and fags,” said Mr Evans, who described those items as Green’s “lure,” designed to buy him an opportunity to spend time with the girls for his sexual purposes.

He and the girls met after they sneaked out of their homes in the early hours on August 13, when he invited them to sit his van with him. He gave them roll-your-own cigarettes and cans of lager.

Messages that he sent suggested they went home just before 3am. Green then met the two girls the next night, he having sent messages that made it clear he would give them more booze and cigarettes.

The girls thought it was all a “bit of a joke,” said Mr Evans. “They were certainly not intending to swap sex for cigarettes or drink.”

Green then drove them to Hen Back, a remote area on the outskirts of Cleator Moor. It was during this late-night meeting, on August 14, said Mr Evans, that he sexually touched the girls over their clothing.

The girls rebuffed him but he reacted angrily, according to the account given by one of the girls. She had got out of the van, and he called her, asking why her friend was “not doing anything.”

Both girls were at one point out of the van and in tears, the court heard. Green sent another message, saying: “I guess it’s a no, then.” The girls asked Green to drive them home at this point.

Green accused them of “leading him on.”

Judith McCullough, mitigating, said Green, of High Stowbank, Frizington, committed the offences while under the influence of alcohol, but his offending was more complicated, given that he had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

This was borderline personality disorder but he also had a mild to moderate depressive disorder, with thoughts of suicide.

The barrister said Green would benefit from intensive support and treatment in the community to reduce his risk of future offending. “He was living a sad and somewhat isolated existence,” said Miss McCullough.

“He has difficulty forming and keeping adult relationships. The only constant in his life other than his pets are his parents; and his parents are literally worrying themselves sick about this defendant.

“These proceedings have been a salutary lesson for him and he wishes to deal with the demons of his past and to understand his own behaviour and move forward in a more positive way.”

The barrister said a long community order with appropriate treatment would in the long term be better for society.

But Judge Nicholas Barker said that, despite the defendant’s denials to probation and psychiatric staff, he was quite satisfied Green’s actions were motivated by a sexual attraction to the children.

“There can be no other explanation for it,” said the judge.

Green wanted sex with the girl he was most attracted to, said the judge. The girls were interested, as some teenagers are, in pushing boundaries to obtain the alcohol and cigarettes. “You exploited those desires to promote and advance your own sexual interests,” said Judge Barker.

Green deliberately took the girls to a remote area, hoping for sexual contact with them. “It’s a case which is a study, in my judgement, in grooming behaviour,” continued the judge.

After the girls rebuffed Green, became upset, and they told him he should not have acted as he did, Green tried to blame them. “That just demonstrates, Graham Green, your warped sense of them.

“You are 37; they were 13.”

Jailing Green for 21 months and refusing to suspend the prison term, Judge Barker added: “I am far from satisfied that you are a genuine prospect for rehabilitation.

“You are in denial about these offences.”…

“The sentence must be served. You are described as a high risk to children of this age so in my judgement there must be a custodial sentence.”

Green will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, designed to ensure he does not have opportunities to reoffend. He was caught after the girls told somebody about what happened, and it was reported to their parents, who contacted the police. 

Description

A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to nine years and two months after he was found guilty of sex offences against a child.

In 2012, Matthew Bell, previously of Daventry, then aged 22, met the 14-year-old girl at a youth centre.

On numerous occasions for a period of two years, he sexually assaulted her at a number of locations, including at his home address.

In 2020, the woman came forward to report what had happened to her and an investigation was launched.

Bell was arrested and subsequently charged with two counts of sexual activity by penetration with a girl aged 14/15. At Northampton Crown Court on October 15, 2022, he was found guilty of both offences by a jury and was sentenced at the same court today (November 28) to nine years and two months in prison.

Detective Sergeant Cory Wise, said: “The woman in this case has suffered with the memories of this abuse for many years and I am so pleased for her that she has seen justice done and Matthew Bell recognised for the sexual offender he is.

“At only 14-years-old, this girl was unable to consent to a sexual relationship and it is important to make this point very clear. Bell knew exactly how young she was and yet still pursued her, grooming and manipulating her.  

“Bell will now spend a significant period of time in prison and I hope this case demonstrates what happens to adults who think it is acceptable to form “relationships” with children. It is a crime, it will always be a crime, and every single ounce of the blame lies with the offender.

“This woman can be proud that her bravery has seen justice done and I hope she can now move forward with her life following the conclusion of this case.

“Northamptonshire Police takes cases like these extremely seriously – we will believe you and we will do everything we can to bring your offender to justice.”

Description

Matthew Bibb, 32, from Northfield, and Jake Johnson, 26, carried out attack in London.

Two Birmingham men have been jailed after launching a vile sex attack on a homeless woman in London. The pair lured the victim back to their hotel room with the promise of a hot drink - but carried out a 'prolonged and violent sexual assault'.

Matthew Bibb, 32, of Slingfield Road, Northfield, and Jake Johnson, 26 of no fixed address, spotted the vulnerable woman in the street as they bought booze near their hotel in Kings Street, Hammersmith, West London. They invited her to join them at the hotel to warm up and have a hot drink.

She gratefully accepted the offer given the weather was cold and wet. But Bibb and Johnson then subjected her to a prolonged and violent sexual assault before throwing her out.

The Met Police said the distressed woman fled and reported the incident to the hotel manager and her friends, who helped in detaining the suspects at the hotel. The pair were arrested and initially denied that the victim had been in the hotel room or that they had assaulted her.

A significant investigation by officers from the Mets Specialist Crime Command to build a case against the suspects followed. It focussed on CCTV and forensic evidence, along with witness testimonies.

The men were charged and later pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault by penetration. They were both jailed for 11 years at Isleworth Crown Court on November 23.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Carrina Turner said: Bibb and Johnson subjected the victim a clearly vulnerable woman - to horrific, humiliating and degrading sexual abuse. They are exactly those predatory and violent sexual offenders who we are committed to taking off our streets.

I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and composure throughout this lengthy investigation. I know that she is understandably still suffering from the long term effects of such a terrifying ordeal, but hope she can take some comfort in this result and the knowledge her actions have potentially prevented further offences.

We always treat any allegation of sexual assault seriously and work hard to support and seek justice for the victim. I would urge any victims to speak to us directly or to contact us through a third party support group such as The Havens or London Survivors Gateway. Both offer a 24/7 urgent advice number if you need to speak with someone for the first time. The most important thing is to not suffer in silence.

Description

Jamie Gillett was convicted in 2018 of sexual offences involving children and has been subject to strict conditions on his behaviour since his release from prison.

These include restrictions around his interaction with any children, possession of mobile phones or computers and use of the internet.

On 13 May 2022, Gillett failed to attend a police station to sign his annual sex offender notification.

Officers went to his home on 26 May and arrested him. A search of his property found a fully charged mobile phone hidden behind a wardrobe and a games console with internet access.

Possession of both devices without notifying the police were breaches of his SHPO and, when the games console was checked, the investigators found he had accessed the internet using three different aliases.

Gillett, of St John’s Road, Gillingham was later charged with four counts of fail to comply with notification requirements and four counts of completing actions prohibited by a SHPO.

He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and on Tuesday 22 November, the 25-year-old was sentenced to two years and two months’ imprisonment. This included sentencing for two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements in 2021.

Police Constable Marie Roostan, of the Medway Offender Management Unit, said: ‘We regularly visit registered sex offenders living in our communities to monitor their conduct and ensure they are complying with any conditions that are in place to prevent them re-offending.

‘In this way, we endeavour to protect the most vulnerable in our community and, where any breaches are discovered, they will be arrested and brought back before the court to answer for their actions.’

Description

A convicted sex offender who drove 100 miles to sexually assault a schoolgirl has been jailed for 15 years.

Aaron Scanlon, 30, drove from his home in Rochdale to the victim’s house in Darlington, arriving just after 8am.

He had previously groomed the victim during “lengthy phone calls” where he told her he loved her.

When the victim left her house Scanlon told her he would take her to school but instead drove her to a secluded layby and sexually assaulted her.

After dropping her off near her school, where the girl told staff what had happened, Scanlon drove back to Rochdale where he was arrested by officers.

He was subsequently charged with assault by penetration and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Scanlon, previously of Rochdale, but now of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland, pleaded guilty to the offences.

He was jailed for 15 years and one month at Teesside Crown Court last week.

Scanlon has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 in 2010.

Temporary Detective Sergeant Ian Banham, from Darlington Safeguarding Team, said: “Scanlon is a dangerous individual who targeted this girl after forming a relationship with her over the phone and groomed her for some time.

“Then, he travelled from his home in Rochdale to commit this horrendous act without any consideration for the life-changing and devastating impact it would have on the girl.

“I hope this sentence provides her with some closure and allows her to move on and rebuild her life.”

Description

A convicted sex offender who admitted breaching a court order limiting his access to the web was allowed to walk from court in part because he was still waiting for a place on a probation rehabilitation scheme.

Connor Russell, 20, was spared an immediate prison sentence last year, when a judge at Oxford Crown Court gave him a 16 month suspended jail sentence for accessing child sex abuse 'filth' online, which he had apparently been looking at since the aged of 11.

As part of that suspended sentence order he was required to complete an intensive sex offender rehabilitation programme, called Horizon.

But by the time police made an unannounced trip to his home this September almost a year after his sentence was imposed he was still on the waiting list for a place on the scheme.

He admitted seven breaches of the sexual harm prevention order imposed last year, including by failing to register a phone and other internet-enabled devices with Thames Valley Police.

On Wednesday, Judge Ian Pringle KC was told that Russell had a place on the Horizon programme starting next January.

And his barrister, Kellie Enever, claimed it would be unjust for the judge to activate the 16 month suspended sentence - given her client had not been given a chance to start the rehabilitative course that might prevent him offending in the future.

The young man, who was remanded into prison by the magistrates in September, also struggled with a number of mental health issues.

Setting out the circumstances surrounding the latest offending, Judge Pringle said: Anyone listening to those facts would think well, I simply send you to prison.

But your counsel has ably submitted to me you havent really had a chance to try to rectify the problems that you have.

What I am going to do is take an unusual course in your case.

"Your Horizon programme is due to start in January. Thats a demanding programme and it may, at your young age, put you off your urge to access this sort of material.

He said he would adjourn sentencing for six months, giving Russell a chance to start the course.

As conditions of the adjournment, Russell was required to comply with the probation service, do the Horizon course and try to tackle his mental health.

[If] I can see that youve made significant progress in engaging on the Horizon Programme and treating your mental health and of course that youve not committed any further offences or breached the sexual harm prevention order that you still have, then I may not send you to prison, he said.

Russell, of Fulwell Close, Banbury, was bailed to return to court on May 19 next year.

Description

John Forsyth from Heckmondwike was sentenced to 26 years at Leeds Crown Court today (Nov 24), for six sexual offences, including rape, committed against two young boys between 2005 and 2006.

The 53-year-old, who was already a registered sex offender, was jailed for two offences of raping a child under 13, two offences of sexual activity with a child under 13, attempted rape and sexual assault.

The offences were committed against two victims in West Yorkshire.

They came to light in early 2020 when both victims separately approached police over a two month period to advise of the abuse they had suffered.

A full investigation was launched by the Kirklees Child Safeguarding Unit, resulting in Forsyth later being arrested and charged.

Forsyth was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court on Monday, September 26, following a trial and will have to serve two thirds of his sentence before he can apply for parole.

DC Amy Green, of Kirklees Police, who led the investigation, said: “John Forsyth clearly poses a significant danger to young children and we welcome the strong sentence handed down by the court today.

“The appalling offences he committed against his then young victims has affected them both deeply throughout their lives and starkly illustrates the dreadful impact this awful offending has.

“Both myself and prosecution barrister Kitty Colley would personally like to thank them both for reporting this. It has taken a lot of courage to disclose such horrific abuse, and we recognise that men can find it very difficult to report being victims of offences of this nature.

“At times it was uncomfortable for them, particularly given a lengthy court process affected by Covid-19, and they both just wanted justice and closure. We have that now."

She added: “Forsyth’s conviction, and that of other sex offenders for non-recent crimes, again illustrates that the passage of time is no barrier to justice.

“We continue to urge all victims of unreported sexual assault to come forwards, no matter when the offending took place. We will always listen and do all we can to investigate, provide support, and seek justice for you.”

Description

Alexandra Muresan, 15, was walking to school in Leeds, West Yorkshire, when she was attacked by Nathan Rawson, who threatened her with a knife.

Now 19, Alexandra has spoken out about what happened publicly for the first time.

The kidnapper grabbed her by her waist, showed her a knife and forced her to walk with him into a woodland area.

‘When he came towards me, I saw the handle of his knife and I just grabbed it and started pulling,’ Alexandra said.

‘There was just so much adrenaline – my whole body was shaking. I don’t know why – it’s what came to mind straight away and I just did it.

‘I did rugby for two years, so I managed to get it off him eventually.’

The knife did cut her hand but she managed to quickly take photos of Rawson before he ran away.

She said she feared she would be ‘killed or raped’, and called an ambulance for her hand immediately afterwards.

The images of him standing in a field were published in an appeal by West Yorkshire Police, and Rawson was later arrested.

At Leeds Crown Court last May he admitted kidnapping, wounding, possession of an offensive weapon and two unrelated counts of burglary, and was jailed for 13 years and eight months.

He has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a woman after stalking her through the streets in a similar offence committed in February 2016.

Alexandra said although she was a ‘little bit scared’ to go out alone after what happened, it has now ‘boosted her confidence’.

‘I don’t even know how to describe how I felt after it happened,’ she said. ‘It’s not really something you experience every day.

‘My mum and dad were obviously really worried about me, but they did everything they could to help.

‘They wanted to take me to therapy, but I’m not the kind of person to talk a lot and go to therapy.

‘At first, I was a little bit scared to go out by myself, but at the same time, as I grew older, it kind of boosted my confidence.’

The police have now given Alexandra a bravery award for her actions.

‘It was a nice night – but it was nerve-wracking, because you had to go onstage and collect your award in front of everyone,’ she said.