Search the database
clearly and quickly

Record details

A former Merseyside Lord Mayor who has been an elected councillor for more than three decades has been kicked out of the Labour Party after he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.

Councillor Paul Tweed, who represents the Litherland ward on Sefton Council, appeared at Wirral Magistrates' Court last week having been arrested and charged on three counts of making indecent images of children.

Tweed, of York Close in Netherton, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children at his home between 9 September 2020 and 13 May 2024.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of children.
Merseyside Police on Wednesday 2 October confirmed that Tweed, 61, was arrested on 24 September, as part of an ongoing investigation into sexual offences. He appeared in court the following day. He will be sentenced next month.

Tweed was first elected to Sefton Council in 1992 and has held a number of high ranking positions on the local authority, including holding the cabinet portfolio for corporate services and performance between 2012 and 2015.

He became Sefton's Lord Mayor for the year 2008/09, attending numerous events as the borough's first citizen.
The Sefton Labour group said it took "immediate action" to remove Tweed as a member after it became aware of the offences, but despite Sefton Council asking him to resign following his guilty pleas last week, he currently remains an elected member of the council, sitting as an independent.

A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: We were extremely shocked to hear of these charges and subsequent guilty plea and we have written to Councillor Paul Tweed asking him to resign with immediate effect.
As a council this is completely at odds with our values and high standards the public expect and deserve. We will assist the police investigation in any way we can.

A statement from Sefton Labour Group said: "We are deeply troubled to hear of these disturbing charges. Immediate action has been taken in response and we can confirm that Councillor Tweed is no longer a member of Sefton Labour Group or the Labour Party."
Tweed will appear for sentencing at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on 6 November to allow time for a for pre-sentence report to be obtained.

Record details

A pervert head teacher who secretly filmed boys getting changed in PE is facing jail again after being found with sickening child abuse images.

Timothy Moule, 53, who was also the safeguarding lead at his school, was jailed for 52 months back in 2018 for voyeurism and making indecent images of children.

He covertly recorded videos using secret cameras and more than 3,500 vile images were found on his devices. A concerned parent had contacted police after finding social media messages from Moule to her son.

This week, he was back in court after being found to have a fresh collection of 1,100 indecent images of children which he accumulated over four years.

As part of his original sentence, Moule was made subject of a sexual harm prevention order to try and prevent him from carrying out further sex offences. The court heard officers would check his electronic devices to make sure he was not searching for or collecting indecent material.

But it was discovered he accumulated more child sex abuse pictures between June 2020 and September this year. Police officers seized two tablet devices and four laptops, and discovered a stash of images which included 142 category A - depicting the most serious and depraved examples of child sex abuse.

Moule, who worked at schools in Wolverhampton and Shropshire, also had 149 category B pictures, 789 category C and 21 of an unspecified category. He pleaded guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates Court to four counts of making indecent images of children and one of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Magistrates committed the case to Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentencing on November 1 and granted Moule, of Telford, Shrops., bail. In the meantime, he must sign onto the sex offender's register at his local police station and live and sleep at his bail address.

Speaking previously, Superintendent Tom Harding, of West Mercia Police, said: "We're committed to bringing sex offenders to justice and put a stop to any form of child sexual abuse and our efforts to tackle this will continue.

"I'm keen to stress offending can take place across all sections of society and whenever we receive a report of a sex offence it will be thoroughly investigated regardless of those involved or their background."

Record details

A sex offender left a fellow inmate with a broken cheekbone and in need of surgery after attacking him behind bars. John Reynolds subjected his victim to a series of "sucker punches" without warning while the two men were serving time at Walton prison.

The serial flasher was then freed from jail, but began drinking two bottles of vodka a day "with a side of cocaine". A judge today compared him to a "runaway mine train".

Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Tuesday, that Reynolds was handed an eight-week sentence for a public order offence in March this year and sent to HMP Liverpool. CCTV footage then captured the moment he approached fellow prisoner James Butterworth from behind at around 5.30pm on April and punched him three to four times to the right hand side of the head in an "unprovoked attack".

Rachel Oakdene, prosecuting, described how the 38-year-old, of no fixed address, was then "dragged away" following the "very short lived" assault. The complainant attended Aintree Hospital in the aftermath and was found to have suffered multiple fractures to his cheekbone which required surgery.

Reynolds was subsequently released from prison shortly after the incident and began residing in a hostel. However, he was then evicted from these premises on August 22.

His criminal record shows previous entries for wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault, harassment and breaching court orders. Reynolds was also locked up for 16 months for sexual assault and exposure in 2011, handed a four-month imprisonment suspended for two years for exposure in 2013 and sentenced to a further six months in December 2022, 17 weeks in November 2023 and 12 weeks in December 2023 - with all three of these convictions being for exposure.

This means that he remains subject to notification requirements obliging him to keep the police informed of his current address. But the "high risk sex offender" failed to disclose the fact that he had been made homeless to the force, placing him in breach of the terms of the register.

Emily Land, defending, told the court: "It appears that he is genuinely remorseful. He knows what the outcome is. Your honour has seen the explanation provided by the defendant.

"It is not a reasonable explanation, regardless of what had happened. It was a short lived attack. There were multiple blows, but in a very short period of time. He is immediately dragged away.

"He has been plagued by alcohol addiction, drinking two bottles of vodka a day with a side of cocaine. That was only made worse by the fact that his mother passed away in 2021.

"It was close to her birthday, which has caused a significant spiral at the point where he had been evicted from his accommodation. He found himself homeless and consuming alcohol, to the point where he failed to remember his requirement to go to the police station to let them know.

"As a consequence, he has now found himself back in prison when he had stable accommodation. He knows he has squandered that opportunity.

"He can use this opportunity now he is back in custody to get himself off the current track that his life appears to be on. He knows that he is the only one who can make that change in his life. If he does not do that, he is going to continue to be in front of these courts."

Reynolds admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and failing to comply with notification requirements. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for two years.

Sentencing, Recorder Mark Shepherd said: "It is quite clear that there were issues between you and the other prisoner. Whatever those issues were, and they might have been things which were causing you distress, what you could not do without consequence was resort to violence to try to deal with the situation.

"You are somebody not unknown to the court by any means. You knew what you were doing that day and you did deliver a sucker punch, more than one.

"Offences in custody are more serious because they undermine the fundamental need for control and order to maintain the safety of prisoners and staff that work in that environment. You put all of that at risk by your actions."

Recorder Shepherd added of Reynolds' notification requirements: "These requirements have been in place for a long time. You will have been aware of your responsibilities.

"While it is extremely unfortunate, you are somebody who, at times of adversity, will self destruct and end up drinking vast quantities of alcohol on a daily basis and consuming drugs. You ended up losing your accommodation as a result of that. That placed the public at risk because when you are drinking to excess, when you are on drugs and when you are homeless, you are like a runaway mine train."

Record details

A Kettering man has been sentenced to a total of 36 months in prison for three sexual assaults in Rushden and Kettering.

Binu Paul, 47, was convicted of the sexual assault of a woman at an address in Rushden which occurred on March 5, 2019.

He was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault against different women which happened in Kettering on October 13, 2021.

It was thanks to members of the public who stepped in to help one victim in Kettering that saw him captured.

The first assault happened in Silver Street when CCTV captured Paul strike a woman on the bottom before walking away when she challenged him.

He then entered Horse Market where he sexually assaulted another woman before being restrained by members of the public until police arrived.

Paul, of Bellway Close, Kettering, first appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on October 15, 2021, charged with sexual assault, as well as one count of harassment and a further charge of assault relating to incidents in Rushden, and failure to provide a specimen of breath as a driver, all also on October 13.

That court hearing saw him dealt with for the failure to provide the breath test, resulting in him being disqualified from driving for 36 months and ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 costs and £35 victim surcharge.

The sexual assault charges were sent to Northampton Crown Court, and on July 24, 2024, Paul was sentenced to a total of 36 months’ imprisonment for the three offences.

He was also given a five-year restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim in the Rushden case by any means, and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.

Record details

A former organ teacher and choirmaster at a Surrey church has been jailed for three years for historic sexual abuse of a child.

Sean McNally, 71, pleaded guilty to five sexual offences between 1973 and 1976 against the same victim, who was 10-13 years old.

He played on his victim's faith by making him swear to God he wouldn't tell anyone about the abuse, according to Surrey Police.

The Diocese of Guildford has offered its "unreserved apology to all survivors and those affected by this news".

McNally pleaded guilty to two counts of indecency with a child and three counts of indecent assault on a male person at an earlier hearing in July 2024.

He was sentenced on Monday at Kingston Crown Court.

Police said two charges involved more than 40 occasions of touching and indecent assault against the victim when McNally worked at St Peter’s Church in Hersham.

The NSPCC said McNally had used his position within the church to groom and repeatedly sexually abuse a child.

A charity spokesperson said: “That he has finally been brought to justice is thanks to the courage of the victim in speaking out about what happened to him around 50 years ago.”

In a statement, the Diocese of Guildford said it was committed to making the church a safer place and that it had taken safeguarding steps.

"But we can never be complacent," a diocese spokesperson said. "Abuse is a terrible crime and a grievous breach of trust, which has lifelong effects."

Mc Nally subjected the victim, who police say had years of therapy as an adult, to frequent abuse over the three-year period.

Using his position of trust as an organ teacher, he groomed the victim into believing he was special, that he was being taken on special trips and educated about “secret societies”, said Surrey Police.

'Listened to'

Investigating officer Emily Nurcombe, from the North Surrey Child Abuse Department, praised the victim's "courage and confidence" to report the abuse he had suffered during his childhood.

She said she hoped the victim could come to terms with what happened and start rebuilding his life now McNally was behind bars.

"We will always investigate allegations of non-recent sexual abuse, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred," Ms Nurcombe added.

"You will be listened to, you will be believed and you will be supported."

The NSPCC spokesperson said: “We hope this case will give confidence to others who have suffered non-recent sexual abuse that - no matter who the offender is and how many years have passed - if they speak out they will be listened to.”

Record details

A 31-year-old man has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault by touching and indecent exposure.

We received reports of a man exposing himself to women in the Skirbeck Road area of Boston on Wednesday, 28 February.

Officers quickly attended and Ali Hasan Ali of Skirbeck Road was arrested and later charged with nine offences.

He was charged with four counts of sexual assault by touching, four counts of indecent exposure and one count of common assault.

Ali was brought before officials at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 1, where he was remanded into custody.

He will now appear at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday, 28 March.

Record details

A convicted sex offender “learnt nothing” from his previous suspended prison sentences, a judge said.

Nickson Storie, 39, appeared at Burnley Crown Court on Friday, September 27, having breached a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) and twice breached his sexual offender notification requirements.

Amy Weir, prosecuting, said the defendant was subject to a SOPO following a conviction of causing a child under 16 to watch a sexual act at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court in 2013.

As a result of this, he was prohibited from using any device capable of accessing the internet unless the search history could be accessed.

Storie was regularly visited by police to conduct checks and on one visit in February, they found there had been no internet activity for around six months.

Storie admitted he had been using the device to watch pornography, but had been using Incognito mode on the browser to hide the activity as he didn’t want other people to see it.

In a separate incident, Storie twice failed to provide officers with the login details to a Snapchat account, breaching his notification requirements.

Ms Weir said Storie’s “deleting” of the search history was deliberate and that his offences were aggravated by his “history of disobedience for court orders.”

The court heard Storie had 14 previous convictions from 32 offences, including nine sex offences, which included public indecency in 2003, failure to comply with notification requirements in 2007, sending grossly offensive or obscene messages in 2011, and exposure in 2013.

Storie also twice breached a SOPO and failed to comply with notification requirements three times in 2018. He also breached a sexual harm prevention order in 2019.

Richard English, mitigating for Storie, argued his client could be released from custody, having spent four months on remand, subject to strict conditions.

He said he had been told by Storie the effects of his time in custody had been “sobering.”

Judge Daniel Prowse, sentencing, said: “One of the terms of the sexual offences prevention order prohibited you from accessing the internet, save for when use of the internet was recorded.

“That was to ensure police and the courts could monitor what you were doing on the internet.

“The risk you pose to others cannot be monitored properly.

“You have demonstrated by committing this offence again that you have learnt nothing from the previous suspended sentence orders.”

Judge Prowse jailed Storie, of Whitehall Street, Nelson, for 15 months.

Record details

Dean Martin Blackwell was jailed for 21 years for a series of rapes and sexual assaults on the then young girl at York Crown Court on Friday, September 27.

The 54-year-old, now of Stokesley, was also handed an extended licence period of one year, placed on the Register of Sex Offenders for life and made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Following a trial in July, Blackwell was found guilty of two counts of raping a child and four counts of sexual assault.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is now an adult. She reported the sexual abuse she had suffered as a child to the police in 2022.

This set-in motion an intensive investigation, during which she has received ongoing support from specialist officers and partner agencies.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Beverley Garbutt, from Scarborough and Ryedale CID, said: “The level of trauma and pain the victim has endured throughout her young life is difficult to comprehend.

“She has shown immense bravery in seeking and securing justice. I hope the outcome at court provides additional strength to rebuild her life.”

DS Garbutt added: “As for Blackwell, the sickening child abuse he committed all those years ago has finally caught up with him with this significant prison sentence.

“He has also been made subject to robust safeguarding measures to manage his behaviour for the rest of his days.”

Record details

A sozzled sex pest dropped his trousers and flashed at two skateboarding secondary school pupils in an Angus park.

Drunk Dariusz Niklewicz flashed the boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at Archie’s Park in Forfar.

Record details

Judge Sean Morris jailed Ryan Purvis, 29, for six months today (Oct 1) but said the Hawsker man would have served double that amount of time had the case not taken an “unacceptable” three-and-a-half years to reach court.

Mr Morris, the Recorder of York, said he apportioned no blame whatsoever to police for the inordinate delay but demanded that cases of this type - which included images of children being raped - reached court much sooner so that proper justice could be served.

“There will come a time when, unless the police are given proper resources to bring these cases to court in a reasonable time, then the court will find it impossible to impose an immediate prison sentence,” warned the judge.

He spoke out after jailing Purvis for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Some of the images were rated Category A - the worst kind of such material involving the sexual abuse of children.

Purvis, who worked as a cabler for an energy company, was arrested in April 2021 when police swooped on his home after receiving intelligence that he was uploading indecent images on the internet.

Prosecutor Christopher Bevan said officers seized two mobile phones on which they found 102 indecent photos and videos of children, some as young as five years of age.

Of these, 58 were Category A videos and five were Category A photos.

Forensic officers also found 16 “extreme pornography” images.

He was charged with three counts of making indecent images, two counts of distributing illicit material, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child and possession of “extreme pornography”.

He admitted all the offences and appeared for sentence today.

Defence barrister Rhianydd Clement said that Purvis had now “lost his good character” due to the offences which had led to the breakdown of a long-term relationship.

Judge Mr Morris condemned Purvis for “the distribution of foul videos of children”.

He added: “I’m afraid for distribution, an immediate prison sentence has to follow, but this (case) is three-and-a-half years old, which is unacceptable, so I’m going to reduce the sentence.”

Purvis received a six-month jail sentence, roughly half of what he would have received if the case had reached court in a timely fashion, and which was reduced further for the current overcrowding in British prisons.

He will only serve half of that time behind bars before being released on prison licence.

After jailing Purvis, Mr Morris warned that the strain on police resources meant that it was becoming more difficult to ensure that such cases, which required forensic analysis of devices, reached court in good time.

He added: “Because of the delay in this case, (the defendant’s) sentence has been cut in half.

"To take three-and-a-half years to get a case before the courts – a case that is a guilty plea – means that it is unjust.

“It is not the fault of the police…but something is going to have to be done to get these cases analysed quicker, otherwise for distributing indecent images like this case, the sentences are literally going to be slashed.

“Three-and-a-half years from arrest to court is not acceptable.”

Record details

A grim predator hid a spy camera in his shower to film guests. When confronted by one of his victims, Simon Garnett said it was 'just a cheap thrill, it’s just a bit of voyeurism'.

But the alarming extent of this unravelled when the guest, who had noticed two LED lights in a clock radio while he was showering, saw the footage. The victim had fled Garnett's house in St Fremund Way but the 52-year-old persuaded him to come back so they could ‘destroy the memory card together'.

Later that evening, the victim watched the footage and saw themselves – and several other victims showering on different occasions. He raised the alarm with police and detectives launched an investigation.

As a result, three other victims were identified and contacted. In police interview, Garnett answered ‘no comment’ to almost all questions.

'Appalling'

But he was charged with eight counts of voyeurism and at Warwick Crown Court on Monday, September 30, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. The case has been described as 'appalling' by Detective Constable Claire Scott, who praised his victims who helped ensure he ended up behind bars.

"Garnett tried to play his predatory behaviour down by branding it a ‘cheap thrill’," DC Scott said. "This was an appalling string of offences that saw Garnett abuse the trust of friends – and I am glad the courts have imposed a custodial sentence.

"I would like to thank the four victims, whose help has ensured that Garnett is held accountable for his actions."

Record details

A former firefighter who paid children to send him explicit images online has been jailed.

Robert Stevenson would trawl social media sites and message women online, offering them money to send naked pictures. However, many of the victims were young girls.

He even sent a photo of himself in uniform to one of his victims, claiming to be 19.

The matters came to light when one of Stevenson’s victims, a 15-year-old girl, told police that he had threatened to post an explicit picture of her online.

He had spoken to the girl via direct messages on Instagram asking her if she wanted to make £100. The conversation later moved to Snapchat with Stevenson telling her he was 17 after she told him she was 17.

Stevenson was arrested and his devices were seized. Checks on them found he had been messaging a number of girls, and had paid several of them to send him photos and videos of themselves. Analysis of his bank account found numerous payments he had made to several girls.

The 31-year-old, previously of Long Eaton, was later charged with a number of offences including cause/incite the sexual exploitation of a child aged 13 to 17; cause/incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and making an indecent photo/pseudo photograph of a child.

He denied the charges but was found guilty after a trial at Derby Crown Court. He appeared at the same court for sentencing on 27 September when he was jailed for seven years. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offenders register.

Record details

A Beckenham predator robbed a woman’s phone then used it to lure her into a secluded area where he raped her. 

Hussein Roble, 26, targeted a lone woman who was visibly drunk as she left the Earl of Chatham pub in Woolwich on November 18 last year. 

Over the course of just over an hour he sexually assaulted, robbed, strangled and raped the woman. 

First he led her to an underground car park where he partially undressed and sexually assaulted her, prosecutor Michael Hillman said.

When she walked off he caught up with her, grabbed her by the throat and snatched her phone. 

The victim chased him and pleaded for her phone back, at which point Roble scaled a fence and opened the door to the communal stairwell of a block of flats. 

Mr Hillman said: “He then told the victim she couldn’t have her phone back or leave unless she did what he wanted.” 

After he raped her Roble returned the woman’s phone at which point she ran home and phoned the police. 

Roble has a long history of violence including convictions for class A drug dealing and domestic violence. 

In 2015 he was charged with but cleared of the murder of Ahmed Ahmed in Plumstead. 

Officers were therefore able to match hand prints he left in the stairwell to Roble and he was arrested in April. 

Roble initially denied any wrongdoing but later pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault and robbery. 

At Woolwich Crown Court on Monday (September 30) George Wills, defending Roble, said he is “genuinely remorseful” and has an awareness of his need to change. 

While a report by an experienced probation officer said Roble has gang affiliations, Mr Wills said his client is categorically not a gang member.

Sentencing Roble, Judge David Miller said: “It was a sustained incident in which you saw and, in my judgement, targeted an obviously vulnerable lone woman. 

“She was clearly intoxicated and she was on her own in the semi-deserted streets of Woolwich in the early hours of the morning."

Judge Miller said Roble is “undoubtedly” a dangerous offender who poses a risk to women. 

He therefore passed an extended sentence, meaning he must serve at least two-thirds of his term in custody, rather than half. 

The sentence will be made up of a nine-year prison sentence and an extended seven-year licence period. 

Roble, of Beckenham Road in Beckenham, will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for life. 

Record details

A man has been jailed for seven years after he was convicted of attempted rape, strangulation and assault following an incident in Aldershot.

Darren Hendry, 35, of Denmark Street, Aldershot, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Friday 27 September and was sentenced to seven years in prison, with a further five years on licence once released.

He will also be subject to ten-year restraining order and will remain a registered sex offender for life.

The court heard that Hendry had attempted to rape a woman in her 30s at an address in Aldershot in December 2023.

The woman tried to leave the property but was assaulted and struggled to breathe when Hendry picked her up by the ribs. She managed to fight him off and left the address at 5am before going to Frimley Park Hospital.

Hendry was arrested and charged with a number offences. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and harassment but denied two counts of rape, two counts of strangulation, attempted rape and three counts of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.

He was found not guilty of two counts of rape, one count of strangulation and two counts of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm. These incidents were alleged to have taken place in Brighton and Fleet.

Hendry was found guilty of one count of attempted rape, strangulation and assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.

Record details

A “prolific” and “historic” child abuser from London has been jailed.

“Shocking” sexual abuse by Christopher George Pearce began in Hammersmith back in 1984.

His two victims were aged five and seven at the time.

Pearce’s crimes continued until 1988 when he sexually abused another two children in Chelsea who were ages six and seven.

Police began investigating Pearce in March 2020 after he was caught trying to groom who he believed was a child online.

Once his arrest was posted online, two of his victims came forward and evidence was found dating back as far as 1988.

Pearce, of Cale Street, Chelsea, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, September 27.

Detective Superintendent Tony Larkin for the Metropolitan Police, who led the investigation said: “I want to thank the victims for coming forward, speaking to and working with officers through a long and complex investigation.

I hope the bravery and willingness of the victims serves as an inspiration to those who may otherwise fear reporting this kind of abhorrent abuse.

“I am in no doubt that since 1984 Pearce has been an incredibly dangerous child sex offender and is now no longer free to commit offences against children.

“The officers in this case showed true determination in securing justice for all the victims - they are a credit to the Met.

“I would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse – no matter how long ago – to please come forward to police. We assure you that you will be listened to and we will help you get support you so rightly deserve.”

Crimes of this nature can be reported online or on the telephone or in person to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.