Latest Offenders

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A WHITEHAVEN man serving a community sentence for possessing child abuse images committed a similar offence within a year.

But for unexplained reasons it took police two years to charge 34-year-old Liam Rothery, who this week entered a guilty plea the downloading 23 indecent child images of Category C.

These are considered the least serious category of child abuse imagery. At Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson outlined the facts.

He said the Rothery, of Ceda Park, Whitehaven, was sentenced for his previous offending in August 2020, with his three-year community order including rehabilitation and a sex offender treatment programme.

But in April 2021, police made an unannounced visit to his home because of suspicions over the delivery of 'equipment' to his address.

Though there was no issue with that equipment, police did ask Rothery to hand over his Apple iPhone while they were at his home so they could check it.

On the device they found a bookmark that linked to a website which was being used by people wishing to share illegal child images.

“It appeared to be Eastern European or Russian in origin,” said Mr Rogerson.

A forensic examination of the phone revealed that the defendant had downloaded 23 child abuse images. When interviewed, Rothery gave no comment replies to the questions put to him by the police.

Mr Rogerson added that the police found evidence on the phone that Rothery had made 'deliberate or systematic searches' for images of young children and that he had saved some of those illegal images.

Judge Nicholas Barker said that if the case had been dealt with in a timely manner the sentencing judge may have concluded that Rothery was not minded to change his ways and dealt with him accordingly.

“For a reason I am struggling to understand the police did not charge you for this offence until two years later,” the judge told the defendant.

But in the last two years, said the judge, the sex offender treatment programme that Rother had now completed and his work with the Probation Service had rehabilitated him.

His pre-sentence report was positive and there had been no repeat offending, observed the judge. In view of this, Judge Barker imposed an 18-month community order, with 20 rehabilitation activity days and an eight week 6pm to 6am curfew.

Rothery will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years.

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Disgust as Ayrshire sex beast first aider worked at charity event while on bail

Scott Faulkner appeared at a string of events after being released on bail in 2021 including the Ayrshire Hospice Go Purple Walk.

A caged sex beast continued to work as a first aider despite facing trial for rape and abduction of a teenage boy.

Creep Scott Faulkner continued to carry out his job providing emergency care at major events.

The Ayrshire Post can reveal the shameless first aider from Cumnock attended a string of events between July 2021 and September 2021, despite being charged for offences in February of that year. 

The 34-year-old was jailed at Glasgow High Court last month for 12 years after he was previously convicted after a trail in Edinburgh of six charges.

But despite facing those charges in 2021, Faulkner popped up at UK music festivals as far away as London and Peterborough.

Scott Faulkner continued to work with now defunct Burnside Event First Aid (Image: Burnside Event First Aid) 

The then suspected rapist also appeared at events back home, including the Ayrshire Hospice Go Purple Event.

Another chilling image shows Faulkner smiling behind a mask as he raises his hands up in the air in celebration.

This week the Ayrshire Hospice have stressed they were unaware of charges Faulkner was facing and that he broke their trust by appearing at their event.

Burnside Event First Aid boss at the time, Jonathan Peffers, has claimed he wasn’t aware of Faulkner’s attendance at such events until this newspaper alerted him to Faulkner’s appearances.

 Scott Faulkner was sentenced at Glasgow High Court last month 

Following his arrest Faulkner was removed as director of Burnside Event First Aid with Jonathan Peffers appointment in March 2021, as listed on Companies House.

Mr Peffers who now owns his own first aid firm Skylark Event Medical Services claims he was “out of the country” when Faulkner ghosted in to work three events, including the Go Purple Walk.

A spokesperson for Skylark Events Medical Services: “Both Jonathan Peffers and Skylark Event Medical Services Ltd deplore the behaviour and actions of Scott Faulkner that were the subject of his conviction.

“Mr Peffers was not aware of Scott Faulkner’s behaviour and actions. After he was charged and released on bail, Scott Faulkner strenuously denied to Mr Peffers that he had committed the acts of which he was ultimately convicted.

“Following Scott Faulkner’s release on bail, Mr Peffers did not give authority for Mr Faulkner to attend any events. Mr Peffers was unaware until yesterday, (6 June 2023), that Mr Faulkner had attended an event at Ayrshire Hospice in September 2021.

“Mr Peffers was unaware until today (June 7, 2023) that Mr Faulkner had attended events in Peterborough and London in July 2021.

“Mr Peffers did not authorise Scott Faulkner’s attendance at these events, all of which occurred when Mr Peffers was out of the country. Neither Mr Peffers or Skylark Event Medical Services Ltd have a continuing relationship with Scott Faulkner.

“Skylark Event Medical Services Ltd prides itself on providing excellent medical and rescue support services for its customers’ events and the priority now is to continue working with those customers to ensure all their future events are adequately supported.”

Faulkner was put on the sex offenders list indefinitely

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Police have paid tribute to the "brave" victims of a notorious sex offender who subjected them to "completely abhorrent" abuse.

John Murden, 66, "preyed on the vulnerabilities" of two children to satisfy his own sexual deviancies, officers said.

Murden, of Hedon Road, Hull, was already serving a 14-year sentence received in 2016, after he pleaded guilty to sexual offences against another two children. On that occasion, a Hull judge described him as a depraved man who "sought to sexually corrupt" young girls.

Now, Murden has been jailed for a further 12 years after pleading guilty to two counts of rape of a child, two counts of indecency with a child and eleven counts of sexual offences against a child. Doncaster Crown Court heard he would also have to spend eight years on licence when released from prison.

Detective Inspector Adamson, of Humberside Police's Protecting Vulnerable People unit said: “Murden took advantage and preyed on two children’s vulnerabilities to satisfy his own sexual deviancies, without them realising at the time that what he was subjecting them to was completely abhorrent.

“I know how difficult it can be to take that first step to come forward, and I would like to commend those affected, and their families, for their bravery. Whilst the outcome at court doesn’t take away the pain they have suffered, I hope that a sense of justice is being felt to know Murden has been locked up for the rest of his life.

“We take all reports of sexual offences seriously and want to reassure anyone who may have experienced anything like this – at any point in their lives – that when you’re ready to come forward and talk, you will be listened to and supported.”

Murden's latest sentence will be served concurrently with his jail term imposed in 2016. Seven years ago, he pleaded guilty to four indecent assaults, two counts of sexual assault on a child under 13, sexual activity with a child, and three other sex offences against a child. His offending dated back several decades.

One victim had been left so traumatised that she attempted suicide, Hull Crown Court heard in March 2016. When Murden was arrested and interviewed by police, he told officers: “Alcohol makes you do daft things doesn’t it, when you’re drunk.”

Sentencing him on that occasion, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC (now KC) told him: “John Murden, you are a depraved man and your culpability for the crimes you have committed is very high. You sought to sexually corrupt each of these women when they were young girls.”

Humberside Police say anyone who has been the victim of rape, sexual assault, or any sexual offence, or who knows someone who has, can report offences directly through the non-emergency number 101, or by calling 999 if in immediate danger.

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A vile Peterhead man has been found guilty of repeatedly raping his unconscious wife while she was on strong medication to help her sleep.

John Lindsay raped the mother of his children on various occasions at their Portlethen home while she was in a deep sleep and would not wake up.

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Gary Lewis was found guilty of 7 counts of child sexual abuse following an 5-day re-trial at Chester Crown Court.

The 57-year-old returned to Chester Crown Court on Friday 16 June 2023 where he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In addition to his prison sentence, he has also been added to the Sex Offender Register for life.

During the trial the court heard how Lewis began abusing his victim when she was just three years old.

He held a position of trust and was supposed to be caring for her, instead he used his position to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

Over the next four years he subjected her to repeated sexual offences, including indecent exposure and rape. He would force her to watch pornography and encouraged other people to sexually abuse her.

The girl attempted to seek help at the time of the abuse, but Lewis denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the victim was lying.

The abuse finally came to an end in 2003 when all contact between the pair was stopped.

In April 2019 the victim contacted Cheshire Police to report the offences and Lewis was subsequently charged with multiple offences.

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A Sidmouth man who ran a paedophile internet chat group has been jailed after police were tipped off by the FBI in America.

Nicholas Craig, aged 37, of All Saints Road, used four online aliases to hide his identity and posed as a 15-year-old boy from Slovakia when he acted as administrator of a Kik chat group called teenpixunder18.

The group was infiltrated by an FBI agent who discovered that it was being used as a front to exchange child abuse images and movies and for adults to share child sex fantasies. Police arrested Craig in February last year as a result of information from the FBI about the Kik chatroom.

Craig was found with the middle section of an anatomically accurate child sex doll when police searched his home. They found more than 1,000 images and movies on his computer, phone and a memory stick.

Officers also discovered that he had been using Twitter, Telegram or Instagram to contact children as young as 10 and engaging them in sexual chat.

Craig admitted three counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, one of distributing and 15 of making or possessing indecent images of children.

He was jailed for three years by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention order which will restrict his access to children and the internet for 10 years, and put on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.

The judge told him: ”It is quite clear that you have a sexual interest in children and was acting on it. Still to this day, you underestimate and minimise the harm caused by your offences.

“The most significant aggravating feature is your role as administrator of a group which was sharing indecent images of children.”

Mr William Parkhill, defending, said Craig got involved in the chat groups while living on his own and isolated from normal human contact during the Covid lockdowns.

He said: “He entered the rabbit hole of the online indecent images community and has to accept that he travelled a fair way down that rabbit hole.”

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A 35 year-old man from Southsea has been sent to prison for 28 months after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child in Havant.

We received a report on Sunday 11 July 2021 that a 14 year-old girl was indecently touched by an adult at an address in Havant. Following an investigation involving specialist officers supporting the victim, Daniel Plumstead of Fawcett Road in Southsea was arrested and charged with sexual activity with a child.

On Thursday 15th of June 2023, Plumstead was found guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court and was sentenced at the same court on the same day. In addition to the 28 month custodial sentence Plumstead was sentenced to an additional month in prison for a bail act offence to be served consecutively. Plumstead will have to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same period.

DC Paul Osborne who investigated the case said: “This result sends a clear message that we investigate these kinds of reports thoroughly. I’m pleased that we’ve secured justice for the victim, who can move forward with her life safe in the knowledge that Plumstead is in prison.

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously, and we have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”

“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery in reporting this matter to the police and for providing evidence”.

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

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A 34-year-old Dolgellau man has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for rape.

Thomas John Cato, of Bristol House, Smithfield Street, Dolgellau, was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, 14 June, after being convicted of a rape that occurred in Dolgellau on 9 November, 2022.

He received an 11-year custodial sentence, with an extended period of six years on license following his release.

Cato was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), must register as a sex offender for life, and was handed an indefinite restraining order against the victim.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Bethany Clarke said: “Cato is a dangerous individual with a history of violent behaviour.

“The length of his sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact it has had on not just the victim, but on the local community.

“My thoughts are with the victim who has shown remarkable bravery throughout the investigation, and I hope that she can find closure and comfort in knowing that justice has been served today.”

Detective Inspector Chris Hargrave of the North Wales Amethyst Team said: “We continue to be committed to bringing perpetrator of sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us.

“The Amethyst team is made up of specially trained officers to support victims through the investigation. We work closely with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to provide confidential medical, practical and emotional support from specialist doctors, nurses and support workers.”

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A taxi driver asked to use a customer's toilet in her house before forcing his way into her bedroom and raping her. He later denied the sexual attack but his DNA was found on a carpet.

Jakir Hussain, 39, picked up his victim in Cardiff city centre on November 19 last year and drove her back to her home as a paid fare. At the end of the journey, he got into the back of the taxi and locked the doors until she agreed to let him use the toilet in her home.

Despite her protestations, Hussain then made his way into her bedroom and pushed her over the bed before bending her double and pushing her face into the mattress so she struggled to breathe. He removed some of her clothing raped her without using protection.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the defendant's DNA was discovered that linked him to the scene. Hussain, a married father, was traced by CCTV and arrested but he denied any sexual activity took place. He later changed his story, and claimed everything which had taken place was consensual but he was found guilty of rape following a trial.

Reading out a statement to the court, the victim said she was no longer able to remain in her home, due to it being the scene of the rape and causing flashbacks. She said the trauma of being raped had led her to attempting to take her own life.

She said: "Since this incident I have tried to avoid sleep because I am taken back to the night of the incident. I see (the defendant's) face in my head and can remember what he did to me, including flashbacks to parts of the incident such as being trapped in a taxi....

"Immediately following the incident I could barely walk into my room or look at my bed as it triggered flashbacks. I had to see the cut carpet in my bedroom which further reminded me of events. I could only be in my room with the lights on due to the defendant coming into the room during the incident and turning the lights off, making me fear the darkness....

"Since the incident I have not felt able to get into a taxi, I have a complete distrust of all taxi drivers and even impacts me to the extent if female friends go on a night out I will offer to drive them home in the middle of the night. I no longer consider taxis to be safe. I put my trust in what I thought was a professional to take me safely home that night. This has impacted me in all aspects of my life and I'm more likely to distrust other professionals who may be trying to help me."

In mitigation, Hussain, of Watkiss Way, Grangetown, was said to be of previous good character and had lived in the UK for eight years. He is due to become a father for the third time, and financially support his family in the UK and overseas.

Sentencing, Recorder Eugene Egan said: "(The victim) was entitled, as a bare minimum, to be taken safely to the street where she lived by you and to be treated respectfully by you.... You were in a position of trust towards her, a position of trust you grossly abused...

"You asked her to use the toilet as a ruse to gain access to her house, you gained entry by guile. No taxi driver should ever be asking to use the toilet of a female fare passenger. You just wanted to get into her house."

Hussaun was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment, and will at least two thirds of the sentence before he is released. He was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements for life. He was also made subject to a restraining order and barred from working as a taxi driver indefinitely.

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THE Crown Prosecution Service has commented after a Cheshire woman who posed as a man to become romantically involved with another woman was found guilty of a sexual assault.

Bilham was found guilty of sexual assault by kissing following a trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Wednesday, June 14. She was found not guilty of 16 other sex offences.

The CPS said Georgia Bilham, 21, of Bunbury Road, Alpraham, Cheshire, deliberately duped the other woman into thinking she was a man called George Parry from Birmingham.

A number of years ago, the two began talking on Snapchat. Bilham had the profile name ‘George_132’ and the picture attached to that profile was a cartoon image of a blonde man with sunglasses.

Georgia Bilham presented as 'George' both online and in person, for the whole time that she and the victim were in contact with each other.

When the two would meet up, Georgia kept her hood up, dressed and spoke like a boy and removed the victim’s glasses from her. The victim is very short-sighted and without her glasses is virtually blind. Georgia refused to let her victim touch parts of her body which would prove that she wasn’t a man.

The CPS said that the sexual activity that took place was based on a false pretence – and so did not involve true consent. Bilham deceived the victim into thinking she was in fact a young man. The motivation for the pretence is not clear.

On May 11, 2021, Bilham and the victim had been out driving together and the car came off the road. The car was stuck. Georgia panicked and told the victim to run – no doubt as there was a risk that her true identity would be established.

But the police arrived and spoke to Georgia in their car and the victim overheard them mention the name of Georgia Bilham which was on her driving licence. She confronted Bilham… “Are you a girl?’. Bilham replied ‘It’s a fake licence, cos I don’t have one – that’s why I told you to run….’

In the days that followed, Bilham worked hard to persuade her victim that she was a man. The deception finally came to light when Georgia met the victim’s mother who didn’t have the victim’s sight problems and became suspicious. She confronted her daughter with her doubts and the victim went online to find out more about Georgia Bilham.

On the night of August 19, 2021, the victim told Georgia: "Just admit you’ve been caught out I know more than enough now." The next morning, Georgia Bilham messaged the victim, apologising for what she had done, saying: “It just took over my life”.

The matter was reported to the police. Georgia Bilham was arrested and interviewed under police caution. To each question, she replied ‘no comment’.

Bilham will be sentenced on July 19 at Chester Crown Court.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Mairead Neeson, a specially trained prosecutor with CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: “Sexual offences can be committed in different ways.

“The Crown Prosecution Service’s case here was based upon deceit, manipulation and the lack of genuine consent. We said that the victim didn't give her true consent to sexual activity with Georgia Bilham, that when the victim agreed to have sexual activity with 'George Parry' it was on the basis that George was male and not female and that she had been deceived.

“We said that Bilham’s actions in pretending to be male, deprived the victim of her freedom to choose whether or not to engage in sexual activity.

“This is because a person consents to sexual activity only if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

“The victim thought she was having sexual activity with a man. If she had known that the man she thought was George Parry was in fact a woman, she would not have agreed to the activity.

“This has devastated the victim and her family and the effects of it will remain with her for a long time. The victim thought she was in a loving relationship with a man but it was all lies and Bilham is now a convicted sex offender.”

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A man has been jailed for ten and a half years for sexual offences with one child in the 1970s and another child in the 1990s.

Phillip Rogers, aged 64, of Hornby Road, Liverpool, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 14 June) after being found guilty of two counts of attempted sexual assault and four counts of indecent assaults. 

Rogers, who is originally from Wirral, had earlier plead guilty to possessing indecent images of a child.

As well as his prison sentence, Rogers will also be placed on the sex offender register for life.

It follows a complex investigation by detectives from Merseyside’s Unity Team, who specialise in rape and serious sexual assault offences, who were able to charge Rogers with the various offences.

Detective Inspector Leanne Toole said: “This sentence follows a lengthy investigation to bring Rogers before the courts so that he pays for his crime.

“Thanks to the determination and bravery of his survivors, Rogers will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

“This sentencing shows that time is no barrier and we will always act on information about sexual assault, no matter when they occurred.

“I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by his two survivors throughout the investigation.

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

“We hope that Rogers will now reflect on the consequences of his utterly depraved actions while serving his jail time.”

DI Toole added: “I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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A SCHOOL crossing patrol man has been jailed after he was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex.

Stephen Cordy, 55, messaged a social media account set up by a member of a paedophile hunter group on April 11.

They began messaging, and the decoy account stated she was 15 years old.

Cordy said he worked in a school, and asked how he would know the account was not an undercover police officer or a decoy, prosecutor Sian Cutter said.

The decoy sent two pictures of an “age appropriate” girl, and Cordy replied that she was “pretty” and asked about the school she went to.

They arranged for him to come to her house in Drefach on Sunday, April 16.

He asked if he should bring anything, and when asked what, Cordy suggested she might want to tie him up.

“She said she wanted a cwtch, and [Cordy] said it may lead to other things,” Ms Cutter said.

He added he would bring a condom, and when the decoy expressed surprise, the defendant said she “would be fine as [she] had done it before”.

 A school crossing patrol man was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex (Image: Stock Image)

On the agreed date, Cordy messaged the decoy saying he was at the address. The man behind the decoy account left his address and walked down the street to confront him – recording the meeting.

“He said he was only planning to meet her for a coffee and a chat,” said Ms Cutter.

Cordy tried to walk away, but the man threatened to post the video on social media if he did. Cordy admitted bringing condoms to the meeting, but said he always carried them.

Following the confrontation, Cordy drove off, and the man noted down his registration number.

The court heard the man did not contact the police – later saying he was busy moving house – but did post the video on social media.

Ms Cutter said several members of the public contacted the police concerned about the content of the video.

Cordy was arrested by police on April 28 while parked in a layby near Neath.

Ms Williams, defending, said: “I cannot offer the court any reasons for the offending.

“He expresses a willingness to work with the probation service, but because he won’t recognise his offending behaviour for what it is, they feel they are unable to manage the risk.  

“I’m afraid I’m in a difficult position to argue for anything other than an immediate prison sentence.”

Ms Williams said that Cordy, who had pleaded guilty to the offences, had no previous convictions.

The court heard Cordy remained silent when interviewed by police.

“You had nothing to say. You couldn’t have said anything. The game was up,” said Judge Huw Rees.

“This is a significant fall from grace for you in terms of your relationship with your wife, your accommodation, and your job prospects in the future.”

Judge Rees sentenced Cordy to 13 months in prison for meeting a child after sexual grooming, and six months – running concurrently – for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Cordy, of no fixed abode, must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

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A MAN has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offences against a child.

Thomas Thorpe-Keen, 23, of Creasen Butt Close, Heybridge, came on to the radar of Essex Police’s child abuse investigation team in 2020 after concerns around his contact with underage girls.

He was issued with a sexual risk order and criminal behaviour order which had a number of conditions, including not allowing him to be in the unsupervised company of anyone under the age of 18, which he breached continuously.

In 2019, Thorpe-Keen targeted a 15-year-old victim.

He stalked, coerced and controlled the young girl, watching for when she was alone at home and raped her multiple times.

He was arrested in July 2022 after he had raped the victim, left the address and then broken back into the property through the living room window, before threatening to kill her.

After a three-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Thorpe-Keen was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour, multiple rape, rape and breaches of court orders.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, June 9, via video link and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In an impact statement, his victim said: “I have suffered with anxiety since the rape and controlling behaviour.

“He was so controlling that I lost a lot of friendships.

“I still find it difficult to talk about my emotions and how I am feeling and I will often shut down.”

Investigating officer PC Thomas Olson said: “Thorpe-Keen is a manipulator.

"He is a dangerous individual and has seriously affected the life of the victim.”

“Despite being a long investigation, I am so proud of how the victim has conducted herself and the bravery she has demonstrated.”

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A FORMER Royal Mail employee has been jailed for 18 months for making explicit sexual suggestions to what he believed was a girl aged 13.

Ian Kelly was snared by an adult decoy working for the online action group Paedophile Hunters, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The 60-year-old pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a female aged 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

Prosecutor Carmel Pearson said that Kelly, of Byron Street, Halifax, began communicating with the fictitious child in May, 2021.

The decoy said she was aged 13 and lived in Leeds.

Miss Pearson said Kelly asked her to keep the chat a secret and it soon became sexualised. He wanted to meet up with her to ‘kiss and cuddle her and be her first with everything.’ By September 7, he said he wanted to kiss every inch of her. He asked her to remove her clothes and lie naked on the bed.

He said her photograph looked beautiful and that he loved her. He wanted to show her images of himself, but he didn’t actually send any.

On October, 16, 2021, members of the group attended at Kelly’s home address and contacted the police. Officers seized his electronic devices and found the explicit sex chat.

The court heard that he had a conviction for indecent assault on a woman dating from 1988. A more recent offence of battery had lost him his job with the Royal Mail.

John Bottomley said in mitigation that it was an attempt and there was no real child.

Since his arrest, Kelly had woken every day with ‘the Sword of Damocles hanging over him.’ He was lonely after losing his employment and that and his drinking had contributed to his offending.

Recorder Christopher Rose said that by September, 2021, Kelly’s online chat had become extremely explicit.

“This was in your mind a genuine 13-year-old child that you were having conversations with,” he said.

The recorder accepted that Kelly was lonely and isolated after losing his job because of the battery conviction.

He told his probation officer he had no intention of following the sexual suggestions through. But they would have been enormously harmful and damaging to a real child.

Kelly was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and he must sign on the sex offender register, also for five years.

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A 63 year old man has been sent to prison for 24 years after being found guilty of eight non-recent child sex offences that took place in Shanklin.

We received a report in August 2021 that a girl under the age of 10 had been sexually abused between June 2005 and March 2006. Following a thorough investigation Keith Heselton of Mulberry Mead in Whitchurch was charged with nine offences.

On 3 April Heselton was found guilty at Newport Crown Court of eight offences following a trial:

• Two offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.
• One offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.
• Two offences of raping a girl under 13.
• One offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration.
• Two offences of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration.

On Monday 12 June Heselton was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 24 years in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years, an additional five year license order, and a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Police Staff Investigator Louisa Parkin said: “The victim in this case, now a grown woman, has lived with the memory of this awful abuse for decades, I’m pleased we can give her the outcome the case deserved and finally some closure. I’d like to commend her bravery for coming forward and sticking with the investigation.

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. We have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.