Latest Offenders

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A former Cambridge University medical student on the verge of completing his studies has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to child sex offences. Lorcan Elliott demanded that boys as young as 13 send him indecent images while he was still a student.

Judge Philip Grey described Elliott's offending as "utterly selfish, manipulative, and exploitative" at a hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday (September 4). He said Elliott played the role of a 'sugar daddy' during communications with victims.

Prosecutor Samantha Marsh said that Elliott had offered between £200 and £800 for some images and sent screenshots of his bank account to prove he had the money. There was no evidence that any payments had been made.

Summing up, Judge Grey described how Elliott used social media to find boys under the age of 15 who identified as gay or bisexual between January 2022 and May 2023, before speaking with them online and asking for explicit images. "All of the chats are highly sexualised; you are often very demanding and insistent that they provide you with what you want," he said.

"It was young boys that you wanted to find, that you wanted to induce into performing sexually on camera for your pleasure. The sexual pleasure and excitement that you derived from these chats is clear from the text of the chats themselves."

Elliott knew that his victims were children – at least one told him that they were 13 years old. He sent explicit pictures and videos of himself to some victims, as well as instructing them on the types of images and videos he wanted them to send him.

In all, Elliott possessed a total of at least 600 indecent images of children, 142 of which were category A – the most serious. "What you did is the sort of foul online behaviour that causes parents the world over to fear what their children are being exposed to online," the judge said during sentencing.

The 25-year-old from Orton Southgate, Peterborough, put his head in his hands and cried at times during the hearing. He was described by Judge Grey as 'academically gifted' and two of his professors had submitted letters in his support to the court.

The judge told Elliott, who was on the verge of qualifying as a doctor at the time of his arrest, that he could never be considered fit to practice. Elliott was arrested at his student accommodation in May 2023 after the IP address relating to his Snapchat account was traced to his parents' home.

Henry Oghoetuoma, defending, said his client was of previous good character and "fully understands the offences and that it is not a victimless crime". He said Elliott had lost his medical career, as well as friendships with peers.

Mr Oghoetuoma said: "When the police came knocking, he immediately owned up to it. He realises that what he did was wrong."

Elliott pleaded guilty to 22 charges at Peterborough Crown Court on August 2 this year. These included engaging in sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making or distributing indecent images of children, and distributing indecent photographs.

PC Alex Cochrane said: "The offences were committed over a sustained period with numerous victims here and abroad and it is clear Elliott knew they were children because some were wearing their school uniform. Although there was no physical contact between the defendant and the victims, this case highlights the potential dangers of online activity with unknown people.

"As a force we work tirelessly to detect and prosecute these types of crimes while protecting the vulnerable children involved."

He has been added to the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life and handed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order without a time limit. He will be barred from working with children and other vulnerable groups.

Description

A convicted sex offender was found with dozens of "disgusting" images of children after he continued his obsession with them and failed to learn his lesson from being jailed for previous similar offences.

His "despicable" behaviour helped to fuel the abuse of children that caused "lifelong harm" to them. He now understood the serious damage to children that was caused by the vile trade, Hull Crown Court heard.

Scott Lister, 53, of Ferndale Terrace, Bridlington, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children between July 7, 2021 and March 18, 2022 and another of breaching a sexual harm prevention order on March 17, 2022.

Amber Hobson, prosecuting, said that police were given information about indecent images of children being downloaded and seized a memory stick and a phone belonging to Lister.

There were 66 images and 71 videos on the memory stick. They included 10 images in the most serious Category A, nine in Category B and 47 in Category C. The videos included 28 in Category A, 21 in Category B and 22 in Category C.

On the phone, there were eight images in Category A, five in Category B and one in Category C. There were 17 videos, including six in Category A, six in Category B and five in Category C.

During police interview, Lister denied having a sexual interest in children. He claimed that he did not specifically seek out images of children but that he did look at areas of the internet where such material was. He claimed that he might have been intoxicated at the time.

Lister had convictions for 21 previous offences, including similar offences in 2016, when he had been given a sexual harm prevention order for life. He was in breach of that order by committing the latest offences.

Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Lister had taken a long time to come to terms with the fact that he had a sexual interest in children but he realised the "disgusting and despicable nature of the offending" and that it affected the most vulnerable people in society.

He was "under absolutely no illusion" about the prison sentence that he faced and the offences were a "form of self-medication for him" but he knew, with hindsight, that it was not acceptable. He had been jailed previously.

Lister had been working self-employed, building models for war games that he provided to the public and to museums. "After his release from custody, he did battle public perception of the offence," said Miss Thompson.

Lister had struggled with isolation and alcohol misuse. "His alcohol usage is now zero," said Miss Thompson. "He understands what the difficulties are in his head.

"He is understanding of the harm to children who are depicted in the pornography, which is something that he has struggled with previously. He is now aware of the impact on others."

Judge John Thackray KC told Lister: "This is not a victimless crime – far from it. It's people like you, viewing this disgusting material, your actions, which fuels the abuse of children, causing lifelong damage to them.

"You have proved that your risk cannot be managed in the community. You have gone on to commit serious offences. Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence."

Lister, who had been on bail, was jailed for 14 months.

Description

A sex offender who preyed on young girls and plied his victims with cigarettes, alcohol and money has been jailed.

Derek Lamond, 59, raped one victim and attempted to rape another during a campaign of abuse that spanned more than 20 years.

The former farmworker also offered the girls cash to expose themselves to him.

Lamond's crime spree began in 1995 and continued until 2017.

He has now been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Lamond targeted his victims at addresses in Fife as well as during car journeys elsewhere in Scotland.

A court heard how one of the girls was aged just four when the abuse began.

Lamond was said to have assaulted and raped her in a parked car when she was aged between seven and 10.

The second victim was preyed upon from the age of seven and suffered an attempted rape attack during an assault at a house.

Lamond denied any wrongdoing when interviewed by police, stating: "I think it has all been made up."

However, Lamond was last month convicted of 10 offences following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

His crimes included assault and rape, assault and attempted rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, and lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour.

Child victims affected 'well into adulthood'

Judge Lord Renucci stated: "The harm you have caused to the complainers has continued to affect them well into adulthood.

"This is your third conviction for sexual offences - with your continued denials I am satisfied that the risk you pose is significant.

"You continue to deny the offences. You continue to blame your victims and suggest that their actions were motivated by financial gain.

"There is no alternative to a custodial sentence and given the nature of the offences it must be a lengthy custodial sentence."

'Abhorrent campaign of abuse'

Lamond was handed a 15-year extended sentence - with 12 years in jail and three years on licence once released back into the community - on his return to the dock for sentencing on Wednesday.

He was also added to the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Katrina Parkes, Scotland's procurator fiscal for high court sexual offending, said: "Derek Lamond manipulated and exploited these young children in an abhorrent campaign of abuse.

"His victims have shown great courage and strength by coming forward and reporting him to the authorities."

Detective Constable Emma Moyes added: "Derek Lamond will now face the consequences of his appalling and predatory behaviour."

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A north-east man has been jailed after he admitted a “sustained” campaign of sexualised abuse against two women.

David Burnett, from Boddam, also shared intimate pictures in a misogynistic online chat, where members urged him to rape one of his victims, Peterhead Sheriff Court was told.

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A teacher who kissed a pupil in a school art cupboard before having sex with her in a hotel room has been locked up.

Sex offender Bradley Amphlett 'crossed a line' and kissed his student when she went to speak to him about her exam stress.

The 26-year-old soon started sending the girl 'explicit' messages and even asked her to call him 'daddy'. He would also 'fantasise' about their encounter within the art cupboard.

The pair later met up at a hotel room where they had sex. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Amphlett worked as an art and design teacher at Alvaston Moor, Derby.

He started 'flirting' with his victim when she was in her final years at the school, DerbyshireLive reports. Prosecutor Jonathon Dee said Amphlett's offending started during the last week of term.

The convict had given his phone number to the victim 'in case she needed emotional support'. Mr Dee added: "She said she had gone into his room to speak to him because she was stressed about exams.

"He got everyone out of the room and then went over to her. He hugged her and then turned her face up to his and kissed her.

"It is quite clear from what she said that he was shocked about this and knew he had crossed a line. The next day she had an exam but it was also the day that students were getting everyone to autograph a shirt.

"She asked him and he was initially distant but later, after the exam, she went back into his room and he kissed her again. Clearly by now any doubts he had were gone and in fact he told her to ask him to kiss her.

"She did and he took her into the art cupboard where no one could see them and kissed her again. She described this as more intense than the first kiss.

"By the Friday, she had left the school." The girl messaged Amphlett and then pair started 'communicating by text'.

Amphlett 'had clearly received a warning of some sort as safeguarding concerns had been raised about his relationship with her', the court heard. Mr Dee said: "The messages became more explicit.

"He was clearly encouraging her in this although she was responding in kind. He encouraged her to call him 'daddy' and engage in explicit 'sexting' and there are a whole series of very explicit messages where they are fantasising about sexual activity and what could have happened in the art cupboard.

"They arranged to meet up for the day in Nottingham with a hotel room booked so that they could have sex. They met up around 11am on the Saturday, they did not text again until 5.30pm the following day by which time they were both saying how fantastic the weekend had been."

Amphlett was arrested once police were informed. He gave a prepared statement to officers, denying the offence.

Dan Scothern, defending, handed the court a number of character references in support of the defendant. Amphlett, of Cordy Lane, Brinsley, Nottinghamshire, admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual communication.

He was jailed for three years and eight months. Sian Hampton, chief executive of Archway Learning Trust, said: "On behalf of Archway Learning Trust and everybody at Alvaston Moor Academy, we are pleased to hear that justice has been served today.

"Given the very serious nature of the crime, we appreciate that this will cause shockwaves in our community, and all our colleagues are on hand for any students who may need some support."

Description

A 23-year-old Powys man with a clear sexual interest in children is beginning a six-year prison sentence after being found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

Callum Walker, from Presteigne, was described as highly manipulative by Judge Paul Hobson at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, September 2, who said he used his three female victims like objects.

Walker, who admitted some of the 10 charges against him but denied most of them, was found guilty at trial earlier this year.

Walker was aged between 18 and 20 during the period the offences occurred, between December 2018 and September 2021. His victims were as young as 12.

Walker denied five counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with a child, but was found guilty of all five.

He admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; sexual communication with a child; possession of indecent photographs of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

He has been described by a probation officer as a high risk to young girls.

Prosecutors in the case said Walker began talking to two of his victims, who were friends, in the winter of 2018.

The defendant met one of the victims on Instagram when she was 12, said prosecutor Mr Jones.

The conversation moved to Snapchat and then video calling. It was sexual from the time they began talking and involved her displaying her breasts, vagina and backside. He groomed her into acting in this way.

There were gaps but continued communication in June 2021.

Mr Jones said two counts Walker faced related to a victim who had never been identified.

With another victim, Mr Jones said Walker lied about his age, telling her he was 17 when he was in fact 20.

It was sustained and persistent communication, said Mr Jones.

Two offences of sexual assault on a child, aged 13, in 2021, relate to the third victim.

Mr Jones said restraining orders were sought by all three victims, none of whom had wished to provide police with victim impact statements.

Ms Cox, representing Walker, spoke of the difficult upbringing her client had endured.

He has accepted there was communication over a period but not the degree of manipulation commented on, she said.

There was an element of roleplay and fantasy and there were mutual exchanges from both sides, with a degree of reciprocation from one victim, who appears to be perfectly content engaging with the defendant. There was a degree of a relationship between them."

Ms Cox said during the period of offending, Walker had to deal with his father being removed from the family home.

There were mental health struggles during the period of offending, she said.

Judge Hobson told Walker the messages he sent showed a manipulative side to him.

These offences involved three child victims," the judge said. "Yet you continue to minimise the seriousness of what you did, which was a particular concern of the probation officer.

You have experienced difficult matters in your life, but that does not begin to excuse the way you behaved towards your victims.

You put your own need for sexual gratification ahead of their welfare.

You have a clear sexual interest in children and you continue to deny or downplay it, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and the overwhelming verdicts of the jury.

You spoke of a hook-up culture but it wasnt this; it was child abuse.

Walker was jailed for six years in total. This includes three years for causing a child to engage in sexual activity; two years and three months for inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity; and nine months for sexual communication with a child with these terms to be served consecutively.

Furter periods of 18 months, 15 months and one month each for possession of child sex images and a pornographic image of a dog will be served concurrently.

The judge granted restraining orders for each victim, which will last 10 years. A sexual harm prevention order will last for the same period.

Walker will be subject to a notification period indefinitely meaning he will have to make police aware of any changes in accommodation, for example, forever. He was also ordered to hand over his mobile phone.

Description

A man with a paedophile manual who operated equipment beneath a womans clothes for his own pleasure has been dumped behind bars - where he belongs.

Tristan Clamp, 33, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court for four and a half years for shocking sex offences against women and girls.

The disgraced pervert was convicted of offences spanning more than 10 years, including taking and possessing indecent photographs / pseudo photographs of a child, voyeurism, operating equipment beneath the clothing of another without their consent, and possession of a paedophile manual. The offences occurred between January 2010 and August 2021.

Sentencing Clamp, the judge said: You are a deceitful and deviant offender. The paedophile manual is an abominable document. The indecent images are horrendous images of abuse.

I have great doubts as to whether your remorse is genuine and I agree with the victim, who states your deceit was ongoing for many years.

Responding to a letter Clamp had written for the court, the judge said: In my judgement, your letter to the court smacks of self-pity and regret and is entirely self-serving.

The judge went on to thank and praise the victim for reading her victim personal statement in court, describing her as courageous and having suffered severe psychological harm as a result of Clamps actions.

As well as the time he will now spend behind bars, Clamp, of Northfield Road, Ringwood, must also serve a total extended licence period of seven and a half years. He will also be subject to restraining orders and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Forfeiture orders are in place for all of his devices containing illegal material.

Description

A sex offender prisoner told his cellmate he 'wanted him to feel like his victims felt' before raping him. Rahmijah Hindes was locked up at HMP Risley, in Warrington, after sexually assaulting a teenage girl who was walking home from a chip shop.

The 24-year-old was only months away from ending his time behind bars. But after becoming disgruntled about sharing a room with another man, Hindes told his cellmate to pull his trousers down before raping him, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (September 2).

The court heard Hindes, of no fixed address, had 'taken an illicit substance' before he carried out the attack on his fellow prisoner. The complainant in his latest offence was serving time in relation to indecent images of children, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Simon Christie, prosecuting, described how both men had been transferred to HMP Risley and were sharing a cell overnight on a wing for vulnerable prisoners. Hindes told the inmate he 'wanted him to feel like his victims felt', pushed him onto the bottom bunk bed, told him to take his trousers down and raped him.

He then retired to his own bed and went to sleep. The victim reported the incident to members of prison staff the following morning. When arrested, Hindes denied that any sexual activity had taken place.

But his DNA was subsequently discovered on intimate swabs which had been taken from the other prisoner. This led to him being re-arrested, at which point he changed his account and said that they had engaged in consensual sex.

Hindes has a total of 15 previous convictions for 23 offences. HIs criminal record includes two years in a young offenders' institute for robbery and possession of a bladed article in a public place in 2016.

He was serving time after following a 17-year-old girl who was walking home from a Garston chippy. He pushed her to the ground and forced his hands down her shorts before he ran away when she screamed for help.

Phillip Tully, defending, told the court: "Both men had been ordered by the prison to share a cell overnight. This is not a case where Mr Hindes engineered a setting where he was alone with the complainant to be able to commit the offence.

"Mr Hindes was unhappy about having to share a cell, and then he says the offence was committed. He accepts, through me, that this would have been a very unpleasant and frightening incident for the complainant.

"To his credit, it is quite clear that he has shown remorse and insight into the impact that this would have had upon the complainant in this case. He is still a very young man who has experienced a very difficult childhood and upbringing.

"It appears that they had been moved prisons. He was expecting to be on his own and he found it a very stressful situation. He took a very foolish and stupid decision to commit this offence in relation to the person in the cell with him.

"Even though he had an extremely difficult childhood, he went to school and obtained qualifications and had a work record. He is also someone who has been diagnosed with ADHD, depression and anxiety - a young man who has had to cope with all of these things himself in his very short life."

Hindes admitted one count of rape. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for six years and three months - of which he must serve at least two thirds behind bars before becoming eligible for release - and handed an additional five years on licence.

Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "The emotional impact on him has been immense. He has been left feeling wary, anxious and frightened. He has suffered from nightmares. You focussed that evening more on your own satisfaction than caring at all for him. While you now show insight and remorse, you did not show any that night at all.

"Of particular significance in this case is the conviction you have in relation to the offences of assault and sexual assault. You took advantage of this man who was in a vulnerable position, locked in a cell with you. He felt intimidated by you.

"In my judgement, there is an escalation in this case in the seriousness of offending. You were focussed on satisfying your own needs and lacked self control. It is particularly concerning that, despite the fact that you have carried out sex offender treatment programmes, you still went on to offend in a sexual way that evening."

Hindes was also handed an indefinite restraining order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A vulnerable teenage girl was left suffering nightmares and flashbacks after a man sent her explicit pictures of himself that left her feeling shocked and "like a broken piece of glass".

The traumatised girl kept "replaying" what happened "over and over again" and she later said: "It's like a wrecking ball through my heart." She felt disgusted and ashamed at his "absolutely vile" behaviour and "cried for hours on end" because of her ordeal, Hull Crown Court heard.

David Hartley, 29, of Sandfield Close, Market Weighton, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child between June 14 and August 22, 2022.

Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that Hartley sent messages to a young girl, including intimate pictures of himself via Snapchat. The girl was "shocked and distressed" after she saw the X-rated pictures and she told her mother.

"The matter was ultimately reported to the police," said Mr Masson. The girl was interviewed and she revealed to police that Hartley told her: "This could be mine and your secret. This could live in your head rent-free."

There had been a number of incidents in which Hartley would make joking comments about the girl's body and he seemed to be inappropriately close to her. "They were constantly messaging each other," said Mr Masson.

During police interview, Hartley initially denied that he ever sent intimate pictures of himself to the girl but he later admitted that messages were sent as well as the pictures. He had no previous convictions.

The girl later said in a statement addressed directly to Hartley: "My life has changed since I reported you. I have been mentally struggling. I felt like a broken piece of glass. I shouted for it not to be real.

"I never realised the impact that it has caused. I cried for hours on end. I was not able to emotionally understand or process what was going on."

The girl was scared about seeing Hartley as she was walking to school and she suffered flashbacks. "I didn't go out much as I felt safe at home," she said. She was "replaying" what happened "over and over again" and she felt ashamed of herself.

"I would have nightmares of you being angry because you wanted it to be kept a secret," she said. The girl felt "disgusted and uncomfortable" with what Hartley did and she struggled when she was around men.

"These past two years have changed a lot for me," she said. "I struggle to make new friends again because I can't trust anyone. You broke that trust. It's like a wrecking ball through my heart.

"I was just a child. I will never be the same girl I used to be. I will try to fix myself but I will always ask what I did to deserve this."

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Hartley denied that he deliberately targeted the girl for the purposes of sending the messages. "She clearly is, or was at the time, a vulnerable young person," said Mr Hammersley.

"This was absolutely vile behaviour. He expresses deep regret and shame at what happened. It was clearly inappropriate and it's shameful on his part. He should have been the adult that was expected, rather than doing what he did.

"He did show a level of shame and disgust. Burying his head in the sand was illustrative of that shame and something that the court sees regularly in these type of cases. That rightful sense of shame and disgust is, in some cases, something of a protective factor."

Hartley had been in well-paid employment most of his adult life. He had been involved in the scouting movement, the court heard. His partner was expecting their first child in February next year. He was a low risk of reconviction.

Judge Tahir Khan KC said: "For a short period of time, he was in denial." The judge told Hartley: "She was a child and you knew that. You carried on being inappropriate to her.

"You would be inappropriate around her." Judge Khan said of the explicit pictures that Hartley sent to the girl: "That was wholly inappropriate. She was distraught and not expecting you to behave in that way.

"Her life has been turned upside down since she reported the matter to the police. She feared seeing you on the street. She had flashbacks. She isolated herself at home and had flashbacks.

"She was devastated by your behaviour towards her. Her mother did the decent thing, the right thing, and reported the matter to the police. It's clear that your behaviour towards this vulnerable young lady had a significant impact on her mental health."

Hartley was given a 14-month suspended prison sentence, 250 hours' unpaid work, 30 days' rehabilitation and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years and he was given a 10-year restraining order.

Description

A voyeur electrician who hid cameras in people’s homes and secretly filmed women in their bedrooms and bathrooms over a 10-year period has been jailed for two years and eight months.

James Denholm, 34, admitted a string of offences which were carried out in Aberdeen.

He recorded some women having sex and others using the toilet, showering or changing.

The offences only came to light after one woman found a device hidden under her bed. Police were called in, and the full scale of his crimes then emerged.

One shocked victim - who was secretly filmed having sex - told BBC Scotland News that what Denholm had done to her and others was "disgusting".

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Denholm admitted 15 offences involving 17 people at various addresses, many of which were under the Sexual Offences Scotland Act, between 2013 and 2023.

Two of the charges were said to have been committed in the course of his work as an electrician, while others related to people for whom he had previously carried out work.

He also took photos and videos from outside his victims’ homes, and filmed himself having sex with women without their knowledge.

The offending against one of the victims spanned a period of five years. This included taking a sex doll and lingerie into her home, dressing it in items of her clothing, and taking photos of it.

He also took or permitted to be taken or made indecent images or pseudo photos of children between 2007 and 2012.

Denholm was jailed for two years and eight months, then placed under supervision for a further two years and six months. His name was also added to the sex offenders register.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE had a heart attack when cops knocked on his door to confront him over the ‘phone sex chats he’d had with two girls aged 12 and 13’.

Timothy Farrington, 55, from Cwmbran was blasted by a judge for his “vile, graphic and shocking” exchanges with two ‘schoolgirls’ who turned out to be decoys.

The defendant fell for a trap set by undercover police officers who were posing online as two underage children called Jess and Carys.

Father-of-three Farrington asked one of them if they wanted to meet up with him, prosecutor Jeffrey Jones said.

“The undercover officers were investigating the online exploitation of children,” he revealed.

“Using the false name of James, he asked them for naked pictures of themselves.

“He asked ‘Carys’ from Cardiff if she was a virgin and if she wanted to ‘lose it’.

“The defendant asked her if she was looking for ‘older guys’ and if she wanted to meet up next week at Cardiff railway station.

“He tells her to delete their messages.”

Farrington, of Bagley Court, Thornhill admitted two counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child.  

His offences were committed between July 3, 2023 and August 15, 2023.

Harry Baker, mitigating, told Judge Lucy Crowther: “The defendant is not in very good shape, as you can see from a personal point of view.”

His client had suffered a heart attack when the police came to arrest Farrington last summer.

It was his third in recent years, Mr Baker added.

Farrington will now have to see the two children he has who are under the age of 18 via social services, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

Mr Baker also asked for the defendant to be given credit for his guilty pleas.

Judge Crowther told Farrington: “This sexual communication was graphic, vile and shocking.

“You asked one of the girls to strip for you.”

He was jailed for 26 months and will have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.

Description

A man from Swindon has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for offences of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Danny Gould, 27, of Whitehead Street, Swindon was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Friday for attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

They relate to social media conversations between April 2 and May 9, 2024, when Gould talked to an individual believed to be 14 years-old, which was sexual in nature.

Gould was already on the Sex Offender’s register and was charged with failing to comply with the registration requirements.

Gould was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Description

A CONVICTED child sex offender has been jailed again for viewing illegal images of youngsters being abused — and expressing depraved fantasies during online chat.

Kenneth Burgess, now 56, was dubbed a “danger to children” by a judge who heard disturbing details of perverted pictures which had been found in his possession.

The prosecution (Brendan Burke, prosecuting,) told Carlisle Crown Court: “The police, acting on intelligence, attended at his address first of all, on August 1, and seized a Samsung mobile phone.

“On that were found indecent images of children.”

Thirteen of these — showing the serious penetrative sexual abuse of youngsters — were classed in category A, the most serious. Three were category B photographs and 75 category C.

“There were also 894 extreme images involving bestiality between human adults, animals, and young children and animals,” said the prosecutor (Mr Burke).

“In addition to that, on Facebook Messenger, were obscene chats in which the defendant was describing fantasies involving children; of rape and torture.

“Within these messages was a further offence of having an indecent (category C) image of a child. That was distributed to another person, using the platform, with similar interests.”

Burgess, of Bannisdale Way, Carlisle, had admitted six offences during a previous magistrates’ court hearing: three of making indecent photographs of children; possessing extreme pornographic imagery; distributing an indecent photograph of a child; and publishing an obscene article.

The court heard his previous convictions included robbery, grievous bodily harm and, in 2011, he was jailed for sexually abusing a child. He was later brought back to court and punished again for failing to comply with strict court orders made by the judge who locked him up.

During a sentencing hearing for the latest crimes on Monday, defence lawyer Jeff Smith said Burgess accepted a prison sentence would be imposed.

A probation officer had concluded there was no stable pathway for Burgess in the community at present.

“It is quite clear from his appearance (remotely, over a video link from custody) that he is not a healthy man, with breathing and mobility issues,” said Mr Smith.

Jailing Burgess for 16 months, Judge Michael Fanning told him: “You are a contact sex offender. With that in mind, and reading the contents of the (background) report, you have an obsessive sexual fascination with young females.

“Given an opportunity to reoffend, I don’t doubt you would take that opportunity.”

Judge Fanning concluded: “You are a danger to children. I bear all that in mind when fixing sentence in this case.”

Burgess remains subject to sex offender notification requirements.

His case will be mentioned again later this month by a judge who is due to consider an application by the prosecution for further restrictions on his liberty to be imposed in the form of a sexual harm prevention order.

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A CARLISLE man convicted of a sexual assault and accused of stealing women’s underwear from a washing line has been banned from approaching “lone females.”

Damien Christopher Smith, 34, who blamed his sexual offence on the victim's choice of clothing and her makeup, was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

A district judge approved the order after hearing an application from Cumbria Constabulary, presented by lawyer Gemma Rogerson.

She outlined how Smith, of Shadygrove Road, Raffles, was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in June of last year by inappropriately touching her over her clothing while making sexual comments.

During a police interview about the offence, said Miss Rogerson, he sought to blame the victim because of what she was wearing and her red lipstick.

“What does she expect?” he asked the officer.

Police were also aware of a further incident on June 8, when Smith allegedly went into a person’s garden and stole female underwear from the washing line, said Miss Rogerson.

There was concern about Smith’s understanding of the severity of his offending.

Miss Rogerson asked the court to impose a five-year order which will prohibit him from approaching any lone female in a public place, or initiating conversation with lone females in a public place, unless he is obtaining goods or services.

This would only be acceptable if such an incident was “inadvertent”. District Judge John Temperley said he was satisfied the legal test for him to make the sexual harm prevention order was satisfied.

Not only was there a relevant conviction - the sexual assault conviction - said the judge, there were relevant alleged incidents demonstrating "similar behaviour" from 2021 and from early 2023, though they did not lead to convictions.

“I am satisfied that the order is necessary,” said the District Judge.

He told the defendant: “You are prohibited from physically approaching, or initiating conversation with, or seeking to physically approach, or seeking to initiate, conversation with any lone female."

Breaching the conditions of the order would be a criminal offence, punishable by a potential prison term of up to five years.

Smith will also continue to be on the Sex Offender Register for the full five years while the order is in place, said the judge. For the sexual assault last year, the defendant was given a one-year community order.

The sentence included 100 hours of unpaid work and an order to pay compensation of £200 to the victim.

Description

A child abuser who abused a young girl left money for her after performing utterly degrading acts upon her. The victim said the abuse had led her to make an attempt on her own life.

Michael Ellis, 57, carried out a campaign of sexual abuse against his victim, who was just seven-years-old when he began to indecently assault her. The assaults included touching her intimately underneath her clothing and attempting to perform indecent acts on her with his fingers.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard Ellis also attempted to rape the victim. The abuse she suffered was characterised as "repeated and incessant" and she described him "depriving her of a happy childhood".

The defendant of Pengam, Caerphilly, told the victim if she reported the abuse, she would be put into care and no one would believe her. The indecent assaults were compounded by Ellis leaving money after abusing the victim, which left feeling guilty about receiving gifts from people into adulthood.

Ellis, of Fair View, denied the offences after the abuse was reported to the police in 2019 but was found guilty of one count of attempted rape and 14 counts of indecent assault. The court heard he had a previous caution for an offence of criminal damage.

Reading her victim personal statement to the court, the victim said: "The abuse I suffered has had a huge impact on my mental health.... He deprived me of a happy childhood by abusing me. In my early to mid teens I started suffering from depression and I have taken medication throughout my life. In 2012 my depression got so bad I tried to take my own life by taking an overdose....

"I struggle to trust people and push people away. I don't have many friends and I am a bit of a loner. I struggle to accept gifts from people and I believe it was due to Michael leaving cash for me after abusing me... I suffer flashbacks of what Michael did to me. I didn't want to have children as I was fearful they would suffer abuse. As a child I missed a lot of school, I didn't want to go into lessons as I couldn't focus...

"I have thought about the abuse I suffered and the police investigation every day, this in itself along with going through the court process has been a stressful experience and it has been a difficult five years as a result. Completing this statement has been a form of closure."

In mitigation, the court heard Ellis had difficulty in terms of learning and education as a child. It was also said there had been decades since the offences had taken place and he had not reoffended.

Judge Matthew Porter-Bryant sentenced Ellis to a total of 11 years imprisonment, with an extended licence period of one year. He was made subject to a sex offender notification requirement indefinitely, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order for 30 years.