Latest Offenders

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A former Gogglebox star has been jailed for a sex attack on a teenage boy.

Andrew Bennett took selfies with his victim, then cornered him on a sofa, gave him a love bite and tried to lure him to a bedroom for sex, Newcastle Crown Court was told.

He has now admitted one charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two charges of sexual activity with a child.

The 47-year-old, of Gleneagles Road, Sunderland, was jailed for 29 months.

Judge Tim Gittins also ordered him to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Prosecutor Glenn Gatland said Bennett, who had been drinking, told the teenager he was gay and asked if his victim was, and he replied he was not.

Mr Gatland said: "The defendant started to put his hands down his pants again then told him to turn away from him and started kissing him on the back of his neck and gave him a love bite."

'Slimming drugs'

The teenager then reminded him he was a child and Bennett told him: "Stop, you are making me feel bad."

He continued to pursue him, before the teenager left the house "in tears".

The victim said in a statement that he had suffered "flashbacks".

He said: "I looked up to Andrew. I was interested in what he did. I am aware he was on Gogglebox a while ago.

"What happened in that few hours will be with me for a very long time. I felt frightened and very uncomfortable. I didn't know what to do."

Bennett initially denied all the charges, blaming his behaviour on "slimming drugs", but pleaded guilty after DNA linked him to the teenager.

'Unwanted attentions'

Gavin Doig, mitigating, said Bennett "could not be more remorseful" for what he had done and handed in "multiple" references from people who spoke highly of him.

He added that his client posed a low risk of re-offending and had "lost his good name forever", as well as his employment.

Judge Gittins told Bennet the love bite was a "clear injury and unwanted, painful reminder of your unwanted attentions that night".

He said: "I acknowledge this was an aberration in your behaviour, it was unplanned and only occurred because you were intoxicated."

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A sex offender who was jailed for grooming teenage girls has been back in court for breaking rules imposed on his release. Liam Proudman was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institution in 2018 for having sexual online chats with the three victims - and subsequently warning one girl to 'drop the charges' against him.

Having been released, he set up six social media accounts in false names and sent unwanted sexual videos and photos of his genitals to a male 'acquaintance' on Snapchat.

Proudman, now aged 23, also started a new relationship without telling police, which brought him into contact with a three-year-old girl. He is banned from doing either under the restrictions placed on him following his previous conviction.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Proudman sent sexual photos and videos after contacting an acquaintance on Facebook. Prosecutor Rosemary Proctor said: "The defendant contacted the male using an account in the name of Liam Smith. The two exchanged messages.

"The conversation moved to Snapchat. The defendant started to send masturbation videos and photos of his penis. It was reported to the police."

In October, police carried out a check at Proudman's home and found he had two mobile phones. Miss Proctor said: "He told police a Sony phone was his girlfriend's. It transpired he had been in a relationship for a week.

"He had attended a meal with her and her family at a pub restaurant and a three-year-old female relative had been present. The defendant had not notified the police that he had entered into a relationship."

Proudman, of Yarnbrook Grove, Norton, pleaded guilty to two breached of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said: "The defendant wants to comply with the orders and be clear of offending. They are causing issues where he lives. He has already served the equivalent of a 14-month sentence on remand."

Due to the length of time Proudman has been in custody on remand, Recorder Francesca Levett decided to sentence him to a community order. She said: "There was a clear and deceitful attempt to breach your notification requirements. The fact you had six Facebook accounts in false names is clearly an aggravating factor.

"You have served longer in prison than you would have done had you been sentenced in November. I'm sorry that matters could not be dealt with sooner.

"If I were to impose a suspended sentence on you today, the most I could impose would be 24 weeks. You have already served that, so there's no benefit in you having that hanging over your head.

"The most important thing is to give you some structure. It will make the community a safer place and hopefully you and your family can put this behind you."

Proudman was handed an 18-month community order with a six-month monitoring requirement and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

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A County Durham pervert has been jailed for having sexual activity with a child and sexually assaulting a woman.

Paul Bell denied the offences but was found guilty following a three-day trial at Durham Crown Court last week. The 41-year-old appeared back in front of a judge at the court on Thursday to be sentenced for sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard Bell, who appeared at the court via link from HMP Durham, carried out the offences while drunk.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, read from victim statements of both victims, who described what impact Bell's offending had had on them. One said it had affected her mental health and left her feeling nervous whenever around anyone who has been drinking. She added she did not think she would ever be able to forget her experience.

The younger victim said she had feared not being believed and had been left unable to sleep. She added her education had suffered as a result.

Ian West, defending, said Bell was of previous good character but added that he was "limited" with what he could say on his behalf due to him being found guilty after a trial.

Judge James Adkin told Bell, of Yewtree Avenue, Shildon, he had left his victims suffering with trauma and anxiety. He said: "One victim suffered significant trauma after what you did when you were drunk."

He added that Bell could "not control your attraction to a child" and sentenced him to 46 months in prison. Bell will also be on the sex offender's register for life and a restraining order was also imposed. A life time sexual harm prevention order was also made.

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This is the face of convicted sex offender Victor Balfour, who was jailed for 20 months yesterday for repeatedly logging onto library computers in breach of a court order.

The 68-year-old had been released on bail by Record of Oxford Judge Ian Pringle QC just days before he went to a public library in Weymouth, Dorset, and asked to use the computers.

That was despite a stern warning from Judge Pringle that Balfour, who was in Oxford Crown Court for using the Westgate library computers in breach of his sexual harm prevention order, was not allowed to use any computer unless the internet history was saved.

On Thursday, the court was told Balfour used the Weymouth library computers three times in December and January, while he was on a four-month deferred sentence.

Jailing him for 20 months, Judge Pringle said: I am quite satisfied you were fully aware of what you were doing.

Thames Valley Police has now released Balfours custody shot.

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Raymond Ellis, from Bristol, formerly of Sheffield, carried out a sophisticated and harrowing attack on a 17-year-old girl more than 30 years ago.

Today, he was sentenced to five years in prison at Bristol Crown Court having been found guilty of Indecent Assault.

Bristol Crown Court heard today (May 13) how, in the assault close to midnight on March 15, 1987, the survivor was approaching her home address after a night out with friends when she became aware of someone behind her.

She began running but one of her shoes came off. She saw her pursuer pick it up and was struck on the head, grabbed and dragged along a nearby passage towards Earl Marshall School Fields, at the rear of Skinnerthorpe Road in Sheffield.

The attacker removed an item of her clothing which he used to tie her feet together and forced her to perform a sexual act. He then made her lay face down and fled. The victim was then able to flee to a nearby telephone box where she called police.

Despite an extensive investigation involving many forensic submissions, her attacker was never traced.

But due to advancements in forensic science, further forensic submissions were made which resulted in a match to Ellis. A mixed DNA profile was obtained from the outer sleeve of the womans leather jacket she was wearing at the time.

Ellis was arrested in August 2019. In interview, the 60-year-old claimed he had memory loss due to a brain injury sustained in 1997 when he was attacked with pick axe handles by poachers on a salmon farm in Scotland.

He made no comment to any questions including where he was at that time

South Yorkshire Polices Dave Stopford, head of the Major Incident Review Team, said: This was a horrific attack on a 17-year-old girl as she made her way home from a night out.

The victim has had to live with this for the past 33 years not knowing who her attacker was.

We thank the victim for her patience and resilience during this difficult investigation in which she had to re-live a traumatic incident. She has shown immense courage, patience and trust in us to do so.

The attack has significantly impacted on her life ever since. This conviction today has provided some closure to the victim, but continues to have serious consequences for her.

"Ellis was obviously surprised when he was arrested for this offence, having thought that he had evaded being caught. The reinvestigation using scientific techniques that were not available in 1987 should send out a message that anyone who has committed such offences is never safe from prosecution.

The review team at South Yorkshire Police prioritise undetected historic sexual offences and are currently reviewing hundreds of cases. Investigating Officer Rachel Morton has been tenacious in achieving this detection, which due to its historic nature has been complex. I would also like to thank the scientists involved, whose work is invaluable in these historic cases, and without them this perpetrator may never have been brought to justice for this crime.

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A sex offender bombarded under age girls with over 300 messages and deleted 500 visits to sexual websites even though he was banned from doing so. But police retrieved the evidence and Callum Keith Roberts, 23, was caught out, Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

A judge said it was a serious case because the defendant breached the ban twice while on the sex offender's register for life. Roberts, of Ffordd Llandygai, Llandygai near Bangor, admitted two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and was jailed for 20 months, to run concurrently, for each offence.

Prosecutor Thomas McLaughlin said Roberts had been convicted at Swansea Crown Court in 2018 of offences including committing sexual activity with a child and causing a child to watch sexual activity. He was jailed for four years and placed on the register.

An order prevented him from contacting girls under 18, unless certain conditions were met, or deleting his internet use. However, the prosecutor said today that on June 9 last year Roberts bought an iPhone 7. The following month police officers went to his home, found the phone and reminded him of his obligations under the court order.

But days later they called again, studied the phone and discovered 310 WhatsApp messages to girls and phone calls, with one lasting 15 minutes. One girl was 13. Officers also found Roberts had made 557 internet visits to sites, with all but 18 of them having sexual content, and that he had deleted these searches.

Peter Donnison, defending, said while the offences are "incredibly serious" his client is still a young man of 23. The original offences were committed when he was 19. He lost his brother last year and hopes to be rehabilitated. Unfortunately, the Horizon rehabilitation programme had been unavailable when he was in custody, said Mr Donnison.

He added that Roberts "recognises the value of life and the importance of rehabilitation."

He has carpentry work lined up for when he is released.

The judge His Honour Timothy Petts told Roberts that his latest offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

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A woman who sexually assaulted and raped a child with two other men has been given a life sentence for sexual offences against children today (Friday 13th May) following an extensive joint investigation by Merseyside Police and St Helens Social Care.

During a previous court case in June 2021 a phone of a convicted paedophile showed indecent images and videos of children sent by a mobile number that was linked to Vicki Bevan.

Further messages and images alleged that Vicki was sexually abusing children with two other men.

The evidence led to a search being conducted of Vickis home address where numerous devices including laptops and a mobile phone were found with several indecent images of children that were shared with two men Tony Hutton and Paul Rafferty.

Bevan was arrested on Monday 25th October 2021 and was charged with 11 offences the following day. Further charges were then added to Bevans indictment at court and she was charged with a total of 34 offences.

After all pleading guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in January 2022 Vicki Bevan of Napier Street, St Helens was today given a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years for rape, five counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child and two counts of possessing extreme pornography.

Paul Rafferty, 62, of Fry Street, St Helens was jailed for 10 years with an extended four year license for the rape of a child under 13, assaulting a child under the age of 13 by penetration, sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of making an indecent photograph and two counts of making indecent photographs.

Tony Hutton, 42, of Liverpool Street, St Helens was jailed for four years for sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of taking indecent photographs.

Detective Chief Inspector Allison Woods said: These extremely disturbing crimes committed by Bevan, Rafferty and Hutton have caused great psychological and physical harm to their victims and destroyed lives.

They repeatedly subjected them to deplorable offences, and we welcome the lengthy sentences given out by the court today.

"Thanks to our extensive investigations with St Helens Social Services these three despicable offenders are all behind bars where they pose no further risk to other children.

I would like to thank the detectives and social workers on the investigation team who have worked tirelessly to support the victims of Bevan, Rafferty and Hutton and gather evidence to bring them to justice.

It proves that Merseyside Police are completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

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 have a specialist team committed to dealing with all forms of child abuse, who will treat any information from you extremely seriously, and will follow up every report and any information that comes in, so please report this to us.

I can assure anyone who reports such offences that you will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and fully supported through the entire process.

Description

A woman who sexually assaulted and raped a child with two other men has been given a life sentence for sexual offences against children today (Friday 13th May) following an extensive joint investigation by Merseyside Police and St Helens Social Care.

During a previous court case in June 2021 a phone of a convicted paedophile showed indecent images and videos of children sent by a mobile number that was linked to Vicki Bevan.

Further messages and images alleged that Vicki was sexually abusing children with two other men.

The evidence led to a search being conducted of Vickis home address where numerous devices including laptops and a mobile phone were found with several indecent images of children that were shared with two men Tony Hutton and Paul Rafferty.

Bevan was arrested on Monday 25th October 2021 and was charged with 11 offences the following day. Further charges were then added to Bevans indictment at court and she was charged with a total of 34 offences.

After all pleading guilty at Liverpool Crown Court in January 2022 Vicki Bevan of Napier Street, St Helens was today given a life sentence with a minimum term of 10 years for rape, five counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child and two counts of possessing extreme pornography.

Paul Rafferty, 62, of Fry Street, St Helens was jailed for 10 years with an extended four year license for the rape of a child under 13, assaulting a child under the age of 13 by penetration, sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of making an indecent photograph and two counts of making indecent photographs.

Tony Hutton, 42, of Liverpool Street, St Helens was jailed for four years for sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of taking indecent photographs.

Detective Chief Inspector Allison Woods said: These extremely disturbing crimes committed by Bevan, Rafferty and Hutton have caused great psychological and physical harm to their victims and destroyed lives.

They repeatedly subjected them to deplorable offences, and we welcome the lengthy sentences given out by the court today.

"Thanks to our extensive investigations with St Helens Social Services these three despicable offenders are all behind bars where they pose no further risk to other children.

I would like to thank the detectives and social workers on the investigation team who have worked tirelessly to support the victims of Bevan, Rafferty and Hutton and gather evidence to bring them to justice.

It proves that Merseyside Police are completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

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 have a specialist team committed to dealing with all forms of child abuse, who will treat any information from you extremely seriously, and will follow up every report and any information that comes in, so please report this to us.

I can assure anyone who reports such offences that you will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and fully supported through the entire process.

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A remorseless rapist who attacked an 83-year-old woman in her own home has been jailed.

Kyle McKenzie, 23, was sentenced to 11 years after admitting his crime but showing no contrition.

McKenzie attacked the woman after breaking into a property in Glenrothes, Fife, on June 25, 2020 and carried out what police described as a 'particularly brutal attack on a vulnerable woman' in her own home.

He pleaded guilty on November 16 and was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh today.

Senior investigating officer DI Darren Stewart said: 'Kyle McKenzie is clearly a very dangerous, opportunistic individual.

'He carried out particularly brutal attack on a vulnerable woman, submitting her to a harrowing ordeal in the one place in the world she should have been safest, her own home.

'He showed no contrition for his reprehensible behaviour when he was charged.

'However, he will now face the consequences of his actions having admitted his guilt.

'A large scale police investigation was carried out following this incident which ultimately identified McKenzie as being the individual responsible.

'I want to take the opportunity to thank the public and partner agencies for their assistance and information provided, particularly in providing support to the woman involved.

'Police Scotland treats all reports of sexual crime with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity in order to bring perpetrators of such crimes such as Kyle McKenzie to justice.'

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Louise Smith, 42, formally of Cheshire, was jailed for 11 years after pleading guilty to 12 counts of sexual activity in the presence of a child and causing a child to commit a sexual act.

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A paedophile from Runcorn who took pictures of himself raping a baby received a life sentence at Chester Crown Court yesterday for his "despicable" crimes. Gareth Andrew Davis, 43, of Ashridge Street, Runcorn, was caught after 512 child abuse images were discovered in a Google account in his name by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The judge handed down the sentence described it as the most serious case he had dealt with in 40 years. Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, told the court that NCA investigators suspected that Davis himself featured among the images, which lead to a warrant being executed at Davis' home. Following his arrest, it was established that some of the images showed Davis abusing a baby.

A photograph Davis had covertly taken of a naked child on a beach in North Wales was also found amongst the images. Some images had been shared with a male in the North East, and Davis had also discussed abuse in an online chat room.

Davis had also taken over 600 images of himself simulating sexual abuse with a child's baby doll, including some images of Davis with his hand round the neck simulating strangulation. These pictures were referred to as evidence of an additional "violent" risk posed by Davis.

In December, Davis pled guilty to to rape of a child under 13, sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13, and three counts of making indecent images: 36 of the most heinous type, Category A, 382 Category B and 94 Category C images. A further five counts were ordered to lie on file.

Judge Steven Everett, Recorder of Chester, compared the case with that of former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, who was convicted of abuse in 2014. Watkins was handed a 35-year sentence, 29 years in prison plus six on extended licence.

Davis had no previous convictions, but Judge Everett said this could not be used as mitigation as he had used his supposed good character as means to have access to commit abuse. He said that Daviss troubling images of himself simulating strangulation meant alarm bells are truly ringing.

He told the court: They cause me real concern, not just of a sexual nature, a sexual nature is bad enough, but real concern that hes a double danger in that regard.

He opted not to impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) because of the long time Davis would inevitably serve in prison and on life licence. The judge told the court that psychiatric and probation reports found Davis had no mental illness as medically defined.

Instead, Davis had sought to minimise his vile acts and claimed Covid-19 lockdown isolation left feeling lonely and keen to comply with requests from other sick individuals. Judge Everett dismissed that as arrant nonsense", reminding the court that the crimes began prior to the pandemic.

Paul Becker, appearing on behalf of the defence, said he did not want the public gallery to think Im in any way condoning what occurred which are disgraceful and wicked offences to a very young baby, and said it would be ludicrous to argue Davis should not be classed as dangerous following his horrendous crimes.

He argued mitigation for Davis's early guilty pleas, lack of previous convictions, work history and feelings of humiliation, worthlessness and some remorse.

Mr Becker said the risk posed to the public by David would reduce while he was in custody.

He said: The defendant in custody has gained some education, maths and English.

He holds a trusted position as a mentor, hes working as a wing cleaner, hes gone on a mental health course to address emotions and anxiety.

The judge said a life sentence was wholly inevitable.

Judge Everett passed a life sentence, comprising a 27-year prison term with life licence - which enables Davis' recall to prison if he breaches his release conditions.

Sentencing Davis, he said: What youve pleaded guilty to is the most serious case Ive had to deal with concerning serious sexual offences.

Its the most serious case Ive dealt with in 40 years or more as a solicitor, barrister and then judge.

Ive not come across a case as serious as this. Its of the extremist seriousness. Its depraved, disgusting, despicable. I could go on.

Its difficult in fact to describe just how bad this case is and what a terrible effect its had on so many people.

He added: You got caught fortunately because Ive no doubt had you not been caught you would have continued to be an extreme danger to children, (a victim) and others.

You should understand that some of the matters you put forward to the psychiatrist and probation officer, I utterly reject.

Commenting on Daviss potential for violence, Judge Everett said: You harboured those terrible views towards young children and Im satisfied you harbour not just views of a sexual nature but of an extremely violent nature including murder.

Im quite satisfied you harbour those views.

These views came out in an awful way.

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Former World Darts Champion Ted Hankey has been jailed for two years after he was caught on camera sexually assaulting a young woman.

Hankey, who acted with an "air of entitlement" was filmed carrying out the attack in Cheshire, and was immediately arrested after the victim reported the assault to police.

The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault, in September 2021, at Warrington Magistrates Court in April.

Jailing him, Judge Steven Everett, Recorder of Chester, said Hankey, of Berry Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, would have "denied it to the bitter end" if the attack had not been caught on film.

He was given an immediate two-year jail term and has been placed on the Sexual Offenders Register for the next 10 years.

After being arrested Hankey denied committing the offence, and - after being shown the video footage - answered 'no comment'.

His victim said she has been left scared and depressed since the assault last September.

Footage of the attack was played to the judge after the court had been cleared of the press and members of the public.

Passing sentence, Judge Everett told him: You genuinely believed nobody would believe her, until you were shown the damning evidence."

He added: "You treated her as an object for your own disgusting and deviant sexual desires.

"Your self-pity about the loss of status and ability to earn money Im sure you will never play darts again on television.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she now suffers continuing distress, panic attacks and heart palpitations.

She added: As a result of this crime I believe I have developed PTSD.

This crime has had a major impact on my mental health. Im very distrusting of males. I find it very difficult to have any physical contact with others.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable Laura Bradshaw, of the Cheshire Police Public Protection Directorate, who led the investigation said: "Firstly I would like to commend the victim for the courage and bravery that see has shown throughout the investigation.

"The evidence she provided proved vital in Hankeys prosecution and left him with no option but to plead guilty to the charge against him.

"While the victim will never be able to forget what Hankey subjected her to, I do hope that the conclusion of this case provides some closure and enables her to move forward with her life.

"I also hope that this case encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us."

District Crown Prosecutor Brian Forshaw, a specialist lawyer with CPS Mersey Cheshires Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: "The Crown Prosecution Service and Cheshire Police had damning evidence of this assault and Mr Hankey thankfully pleaded guilty at an early stage. He has now been sentenced.

"The evidence she secured of the assault was crucial to this case and no doubt led to Mr Hankeys guilty plea.

"Mr Hankey is now a convicted sex offender and this case may have prevented further offending.

"It can be hard to tell the authorities about abuse, but we would like to say to victims that we will help and support you to give your best evidence and bring your abuser to justice."

Edward 'Ted' Hankey is a British former professional darts player and two-time World Champion.

He recently withdrew from the 2022 World Seniors Darts Championships which took place in February.

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, or know of someone who has, call police on 101 or visit the website.

Information can also be reported anonymously, via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

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A sex offender who called himself 'Cheery Pete' has been hauled back in front of a judge for breaching his notification requirements.

Peter Adams advertised his services as a "freelance gardener and masseuse" over WhatsApp without declaring his alias to the police. The 65-year-old also failed to notify the force about two credit cards.

The Saltburn man, who has committed a "catalogue of offences of a sexual nature", was rumbled by officers after checks were completed on his mobile phone. However, he denied failing to register the name 'Cheery Pete' with Cleveland Police on January 22, but was later found guilty after trial.

Adams appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday to learn his fate following the preparation of a pre-sentence report. Adams, of Grosvenor Terrace, Carlin How, Saltburn, previously admitted breaching the terms of his sex offender notification requirements after failing to register a Tesco credit card on February 7 in Saltburn.

He also admitted failing to register a Post Office credit card in April 2016 in Leeds. Prosecutor Lynne Dalton outlined that Adams is a "registered sex offender" and has committed a "catalogue of offences of a sexual nature".

The Middlesbrough court heard how Adams was due for a review on January 22 and officers checked his mobile phone. Officers found Adams was "claiming work as a freelance gardener and masseuse" on WhatsApp. They found a profile under the name of 'Cheery Pete' which was not registered with the force.

Adams' financial status was also checked and officers found a Tesco credit card which also had not been declared. Ms Dalton added that it was an "active card at the time".

The court also heard how Adams had also not registered a Post Office credit card, which was also part of his notification requirements. However, this charge dates back to April 2016 which was a "long period of non-compliance" with the sex offenders register notification requirements.

Adams pleaded guilty to both of the credit card charges, however denied the WhatsApp alias. He was convicted in April.

Nick Ayres, mitigating, said there was "no evidence" that the card had been used "for a number of years". Addressing the WhatsApp crimes, he stated that Adams' name, telephone number and picture were displayed "for all to see".

He also added that Adams has been "offence free for 10 years" and became a "fully qualified landscape gardener" - earning up to 10,000 per year - "since his last custodial sentence".

The court heard how Adams is a "fully qualified masseuse". Mr Ayres outlined that Adams lives on a houseboat but also had a "renovation project" ongoing.

District Judge Stephen Hood stated that Adams breached the terms of his notification requirements on three separate occasions and there was a "risk of harm" from his WhatsApp alias.

Judge Hood also added that Adams has a "very bad record" and imposed custodial sentences for all breaches. Adams was sentenced to 32 weeks in custody, suspended for 18 months.

He must also complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, an accredited project with the probation service for 35 days and a "trail monitoring" requirement for four months. Judge Hood said: "This is so probation can keep tabs on your and know where you are."

Adams must also pay 620 in costs and 128 victim surcharge. Judge Hood warned Adams that if he breaches his suspended sentence he can "expect to serve" his jail term.

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Richard Young was 'actively involved in supervising children' when he shouldn't have been

A chef with a dark secret befriended families and supervised their children despite being a convicted sex offender. Richard Young even failed to tell his new partner about his perverted past and moved to Wrexham without informing the police.

The 42-year-old of Stoneley Road in Crewe appeared before Judge Rhys Rowlands at Mold Crown Court after being handed a suspended sentence in July 2018 for committing an act of voyeurism against a young girl. Prosecutor, Anna Price said he had filmed the youngster showering with the use of a small camera hidden in a toothpaste packet.

A 10-year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed with conditions to inform police if he changed his address. It was only last October when concerns about his safefy were reported to officers that it came to light he was no longer living in Cheshire as they believed.

Instead, he had set up a new home in Wrexham. The court heard how he had signed a tenancy agreement on a property back in March 2020 and had been living with a new partner and her young son.

Ms Price said that his partner wasn't aware of his past, believing he was on a court order for domestic violence. The judge said he was a man "who has people believe what he wants them to".

His new home was on an estate which was described as being a "very close-knit community." People would socialise together at birthdays and barbeques and the local children would play.

The court heard young girls would play at Young's house despite him being banned from having unsupervised contact with any girl under the age of 16. Young even had a pool set up in the garden during the summer months and was "actively involved in supervising the children", Ms Price said.

None of the parents on the estate knew about Young's past and said they wouldn't have let their children "anywhere near him" if they had. One of the mums she was "furious" he felt able to integrate himself into their lives and felt "physically sick" having allowed him to have contact with her young daughter.

When Young was arrested at his workplace on November 2 last year, the police found that he had two mobile phones and a laptop that he hadn't declared to them.

Defending Young, Henry Hills, said his client was "under no illusion" that his offences will land him in custody. He said that, in his desire to "live a different life", Young got "too deep" and felt unable to tell anyone the truth the longer his lies went on.

However, Mr Hills wanted the court to acknowledge that no direct harm was caused to any young child. He said that his client has "learned a valuable lesson" and "will not repeat this behaviour".

Jailing Young for 14 months, judge Rowlands said prison was the only option as Young showed he was "quite prepared" to ignore court orders. He added: "Neither your partner at the time, nor the parents knew anything of your past.

"Your behaviour overall was a calculated and deliberate attempt to evade the terms of the court orders that imposed restrictions you weren't prepared to accept."

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A MAN who sexually abused a young girl for almost a decade has been jailed for a total of 23 years.

Ian McGinty was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, 6 May.

He was also served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and made to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

The conviction followed an investigation by Wakefield District's Child Safeguarding Unit which began in September 2021, when the victim came forward to police and disclosed McGintys offences.

McGinty, 53 and from Pontefract, was promptly arrested the same day and questioned in connection with the offences, which dated back to 2012.

In the early stages of the investigation, it was established that McGinty had previously been convicted of sexual offences at Durham Crown Court in 2008 under the surname Hume.

Ian Hume, as he was known, was sentenced to 18 months, and placed on the Sex Offender Register until October 2018.

Following the investigation, McGinty was subsequently charged with several offences and appeared before magistrates on Tuesday, 14 September 2021.

He faced trial in March this year and was found guilty of rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity with a child.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Constable Kerry Wiles said: I would like to thank the victim who, throughout this investigation, showed absolute strength and courage in bringing this offender to justice, and helped to prevent him from continuing to commit these types of offences.

McGinty put his victim through a horrendous ordeal for nearly 10 years and preyed upon her vulnerability.

The scale of the offending was significant and sustained, and the prison sentence he has received should serve as a clear warning to others of the serious penalties they will face if they commit crimes of this nature.

Across the force, we have specialist teams of officers who work tirelessly to investigate crimes against children, and I would encourage anyone who has any information about sexual offending against children to contact police via 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."