Search the database
clearly and quickly

Description

A 60-year-old man who sexually abused an underage girl has been jailed today, 19 September.

Paul Hemmings, from Newton Abbot, appeared at Exeter Crown Court where he was sentenced to nine years in prison. He will sign the Sex Offenders Register for Life and the court also granted a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Hemmings pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexual activity with a child on the first day of trial in July and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.

The court heard that the offences against the 15-year-old victim took place over a period of three months.

Hemmings initially denied the offences and told Detectives that it was ‘fictitious’ and ‘made up’ but he later changed his plea at trial.

On sentencing Hemmings, the Judge told him that he had tried to minimise his conduct in blaming the victim and only felt remorse for himself.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Tamsyn Dingley said: “Hemmings exploited a young girl, who he knew was under the age of consent, and he knew what he did was wrong. Hemmings groomed and manipulated the victim and justice has been served in his conviction.

“My praise and thoughts remain, as always, with the victim for speaking up and telling us what had happened. I hope that she can now focus on herself and find some closure.”

Description

A WEST Cumbria man who groomed and then repeatedly molested a teenage child has been handed a lengthy jail term by a judge who told him: “You are a paedophile.”

Carlisle Crown Court heard shocking details of Neil Stewart’s sexual abuse of the girl as he was punished on Friday.

Stewart, 41, had earlier admitted a charge of sexual activity with a child. But a prosecutor said there was evidence to suggest he had since demonstrated no remorse for his offending, instead trying to heap blame wrongly on the victim as part of “self-justification”.

In an impact statement, the victim told of her life being “torn apart” and of feeling suicidal in the aftermath.

She spoke of being initially anxious to report what Stewart had done. “I didn’t think there was anything I could do as I didn’t think anyone would believe me over him,” she had stated.

She also described feeling alone and not wanting to leave her house.

The teen’s mother had also penned a moving statement, describing the ordeal as “torturous” and of it taking a “massive toll”.

Isabella Denn-White, mitigating, insisted that Stewart, of Poole Road, Salterbeck, was remorseful. “He knows what happened was unacceptable, knows there is no way to justify it and knows it was completely wrong. He is extremely shameful for what went on. It is his fault,” said the barrister.

Ms Denn-White suggested the looming prison sentence could be suspended, for Stewart to instead carry out work with professionals in a bid to rehabilitate himself and protect the public in future. He had no previous convictions and was backed by several character references.

But Judge Michael Fanning concluded that only immediate imprisonment was appropriate, imposing a term of four years, six months.

Stewart, said the judge, had treated the girl as a “sexual object” in carrying out “deviant” criminal conduct.

“The damage to somebody who has been abused in this way, well, it’s irreparable. She won’t get over it,” Judge Fanning told Stewart.

The judge highlighted one character reference author who had expressed incredulity that Stewart’s name was now on the sex offenders’ register. Judge Fanning concluded: “You preyed on her. You are a paedophile and you are rightly on that (register).”

Stewart must comply with sex offender register notification requirements indefinitely. He is also likely to be banned from working with children and vulnerable people in the future, and will be the subject of a future application for a prevention order placing strict conditions on his liberty.

Description

A 53-year-old man has been jailed for nine years and six months after he was convicted of sexual offences against five victims.

Sean Richmond, of Hillyfields in Loughton, Essex, pleaded guilty to 14 offences included attempted rape.

He was first arrested in 2015 after reports he had sexually assaulted two victims between 1985 and 1991. Following his arrest, three more victims contacted Essex Police to report that they had been sexually abused by Richmond over 30 years ago.

Richmond was jailed on Wednesday at Chelmsford Crown Court and after the sentencing Det Con Matthew D Edson, said: "Richmond is no doubt a danger and he has spent decades thinking he could get away with abusing children."

The trial began at Chelmsford Crown Court on 28 May and Richmond entered a guilty plea to 14 offences on the second day of the trial.

He was convicted of 10 counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecency with a child and one count of attempted rape.

Alongside his sentence, he has made subject to an indefinite restraining order and will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

Description

Mark Regan took advantage of the victim's 'quite drunk' state in an 'appalling' incident that took away her 'joy, energy and sparkle' in life, Hull Crown Court heard

A woman's New Year's Eve celebrations turned into a "nightmare" when another reveller cynically spotted a good opportunity to assault her sexually because of the large amount of alcohol that she had drunk.

Crafty and brazen Mark Regan took advantage of the "quite drunk" state that she was in and he made the "appalling" decision to touch her intimately when she was later drifting in and out of sleep at a flat.

 The shocking incident had "shattered" the woman and it had taken away her "joy, energy and sparkle" in life so that she no longer even recognised herself in the mirror, Hull Crown Court heard.

Regan, 55, of Holderness Road, east Hull, admitted an offence of assault by penetration on December 31, 2022.

Hannah Turner, prosecuting, said that Regan and others were celebrating New Year's Eve with drinks at bars in Newland Avenue, west Hull. "They got there at approximately 7.30pm and went to a bar where they all consumed alcohol," said Miss Turner.

"At around 9 to 9.30pm, they went to Vox Box, another bar located on Newland Avenue."

A woman in her 30s, who was at the bar, described herself as being "merry" when she and others arrived at Vox Box but she said that she was not "drunk". The people there were having a "normal" night and were laughing, joking and drinking.

She later became nauseous after drinking shots of Tequila and she was sick in a toilet. "As a result of this, she was asked to leave the premises by security staff," said Miss Turner.

She got into a taxi outside the venue and the defendant got into the taxi with her." The woman later fell asleep after she arrived at a flat and lay on a bed.

She heard Regan tell her: "You're a silly girl. Do you need an ambulance?" He touched her chest and told her: "Oh, you're breathing but you're really shallow breathing. I can't leave you."

She felt Regan kiss her. He then intimately touched her for about 30 seconds. He took his hand away but began kissing her and intimately touching her again. She became more alert and he stopped what he was doing. "She describes feeling that she was present in the room but that she wasn't there and wasn't able to move or say anything to the defendant," said Miss Turner.

Regan left the flat and the woman contacted the police. About 45 seconds later, Regan let himself back in to the flat and he asked the woman if she was okay. "She asked him to leave her alone and he left the flat again," said Miss Turner.

Police attended and the woman was seen to be severely shaken up, distraught and crying a lot. She was taken to the home of friends, where she stayed the night.

Regan claimed during police interview that he and the woman started kissing when they arrived at the flat and one thing led to another. He confirmed that the woman was falling in and out of sleep.

"He stated that he realised that what he was doing was wrong so he didn't go any further and left," said Miss Turner. Regan had convictions for four previous unrelated offences between 1999 and 2022.

The woman later said in a statement that she had been celebrating an exciting new chapter in her life at the time and she had been hopeful for the future while at the New Year's Eve event.

"My life, so full of promise, is now a blur," she said. "It turned into a nightmare. It has shattered me and left me broken.

"I used to be a bubbly, outgoing person and I loved meeting people but now I do not recognise myself. My joy, energy and sparkle feels lost. My world has shrunk."

The woman said that the incident had caused an impact on her career. "I have lost the ability to trust people and suffer from anxiety and depression," she added.

"When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't recognise myself but see a stranger whose life has been turned upside down."

Michael Masson, mitigating, said that the offence happened nearly two years ago. "There has been no hint of this behaviour since or before," said Mr Masson.

"He has made appalling choices. He offers his sincere remorse for the impact on the complainant. It was a relatively short-lived incident."

Regan had not been to prison before and sending him there now would have an immediate impact on his elderly parents, for whom he cared. There was a positive pre-sentence report on him.

Judge John Thackray KC told Regan: "She was socialising and drinking alcohol and got quite drunk, as she is entitled to do. You saw that as an opportunity to sexually abuse her."

The incident lasted about 30 seconds. "It is the violation that is significant, not the length of time," said Judge Thackray." The woman had shown tremendous courage in contacting the police but she might never recover from the offence.

Regan, who had been on bail, was jailed for three years and nine months. He will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Description

A man has been jailed after he sexually assaulted a young woman.

Gary Wilkinson, 53, touched and licked the woman's neck, before trying to undress her and touching her breasts, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Wilkinson, of Mark Avenue, Horncastle, admitted a charge of sexual assault.

He was jailed for 17 months and must also register as a sex offender for ten years.

Neil Sands, prosecuting, told the court the sexual assault happened after Wilkinson had visited a beer festival.

Wilkinson pulled down the victim's vest top and also tried to pull down her shorts, he said.

The assault continued even when the woman began crying, Mr Sands added.

The court heard that Wilkinson had apologised to his victim and asked her not to say anything.

He gave a false account to police and maintained his innocence during an interview with the probation service, the court was told.

Mr Sands said the disparity in age between Wilkinson and his victim was an aggravating feature.

'No remorse'

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she had "felt terrible" since the incident, which had affected her mental health and left her distrustful.

Sam Jones, mitigating, told the court Wilkinson had suffered hate mail, a downturn in his plastering business and the tyres of his car had been slashed.

He was no longer in a relationship with his partner.

Passing sentence, Recorder Graham Huston said Wilkinson had shown no remorse or empathy for his victim.

He said the victim did everything she could to protest, but Wilkinson had continued his assault.

Wilkinson was made the subject of a five-year restraining order.

Description

A convicted paedophile who was found with more than 8,000 indecent photos and videos of children on his phone, including videos of babies being raped, has been jailed.

Peter Barber, 71, from Norburn in Bretton, Peterborough, was handed a 13-year sentence at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday (September 17).

Barber had already been convicted of indecent exposure, as well as making, distributing and possessing indecent images of children. Police officers attended his home after receiving information that an indecent image of a child had been uploaded to the internet.

They found a phone with what was described by Judge Grey while sentencing on Tuesday as an “extensive library of indecent images of children”. This included over 3,700 ‘category A’ images and videos, the worst category; nearly 1,900 files in category B and just under 2,700 in category C.

The footage had been categorised under names including “10yo and fat man” and “rape”. Barber also admitted to buying and accessing indecent images online on another phone, which he had thrown away.

Judge Grey described the most serious individual offence as arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under 13. He continued: “You communicated with a woman online who told you she had a 12-year-old daughter.

"You asked the woman to take indecent images and videos of her daughter. She sent you the material you had asked for.”

Barber also informed police that he had been having sexual conversations with three 12-year-old children via Telegram, and receiving indecent images and videos from all of them. He sent indecent images of children and of himself back to the 12-year-olds.

The paedophile also suggested to one of them that he might meet her in person, in what the judge described as “ghastly examples of an adult setting out to corrupt young children online for his own sexual gratification”.

Judge Grey summed up Barber’s character: “You make claims of a profound Christian faith, which normally works to prevent you from offending. But you say that, when a switch goes in your mind for some reason, lust takes over and you are, in effect, unable to control yourself.

“That is simplistic, self-serving nonsense. It might suffice as an excuse for a short-lived or isolated lapse, but what the court is dealing with here is many months during which your overwhelming focus was to obtain sexual gratification by watching young children being raped and otherwise abused in the most degrading and despicable ways.

“Your relationship with Jesus is, in my judgement, nothing but a show for others when you try to persuade them you will not offend again. You are, in my judgement, an irredeemable paedophilic sexual offender.”

Barber admitted three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child; two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; three counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child; and one count each of: possessing extreme pornographic images, possessing a prohibited image of a child and arranging the sexual exploitation of a child under 13.

His sentence also included a further six counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with Sex Offenders Register notification requirements. The sentence comprises a nine-year custodial period and four years on licence.

PC Emily Heriot, from the specialist management of sexual or violent offenders unit (MOSOVO), said: “Barber went to great efforts to conceal his continued sexual offending, with complete disregard for his sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements, which are in place to safeguard the public. These new convictions reflect the serious risk he poses to children.”

Description

A Chester sex offender has been jailed after trying to meet an underage girl for the purposes of sexual activity.

Ivan Jones, 35, of Osprey Court, previously pleaded guilty to all charges.

Appearing at Chester Crown Court on Monday, September 16, Jones was jailed for a total of four years.

The court heard that Jones, who already had a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed in January 2022 for previous offences, tried to get a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity in March this year.

Jones also tried to breach his SHPO by arranging to have unsupervised contact with an underage girl in Chester.

The defendant also attempted to send messages to an underage girl requesting images and videos of that girl's breasts, and sent an image of his private parts while trying to request images of another girl's breasts.

Judge Michael Leeming sentenced Jones to a total of four years and extended his SHPO so it was now indefinite.

Jones is now on the sex offenders register indefinitely and, as part of the SHPO, is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with any child under 16, and has restrictions imposed on his internet usage.

Description

A MAN from South Gloucestershire has been jailed after sexually abusing three girls.

Robert Ponter, of Longwell Green, pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court to three counts of rape of a girl aged under 16.

His victims were aged between 11 and 15 at the time of the offences.

He also admitted three indecent assault charges – two related to one 14-year-old girl and one to another girl of the same age.

The assaults took place in the Bristol area between 1998 and 2007.

In addition to his custodial sentence, Ponter was issued with an indefinite restraining order banning him from ever contacting his victims again.

He was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order and will be registered as a sex offender indefinitely.

Avon and Somerset Police received reports about Ponter in 2007 and 2008.

Investigations were carried out but at the time there was 'insufficient evidence' to charge him with any offences, police say. 

Detectives received a third report in 2021 and subsequently reapproached victims who’d previously reported Ponter’s abuse.

In July 2024, following the conclusion of this investigation, he was charged with sexually abusing all three victims.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Lucy Heaps said: “Robert Ponter took advantage of three girls over many years, exploiting their young age to carry out his vile crimes.

“All three of his victims have demonstrated great courage by reporting what happened to them and by providing evidence which resulted in Ponter pleading guilty to all the offences during his first appearance at court.

“They continue to have access to specialist support services and I hope the fact he has been jailed for 14 years gives them a sense of closure.”

She added: “No investigation is ever closed and if new information or supporting evidence comes to light, such as in this case when we received the most recent report, we will revisit inquiries and do everything we can to get justice for victims.

“If you have been affected by this inquiry please do contact us, we can provide access to support and look into any reports you want to make.”

Description

A man has been jailed for sending sexually explicit messages to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.

Kevin Rowland, from Sunderland, sent messages and images of himself to a police officer posing as a teenager.

He was arrested at his home on Eastmoor Road, Pallion, in May and later pleaded guilty to multiple offences.

Rowland, 44, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court.

Rowland had pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate child sex offences, sexual communication with a child, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, and breach of sex offender notification requirements.

Det Con Lee Robertson said Rowland's sentencing had been achieved following a "long and thorough investigation" by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unite (NEROCU).

"This result has meant a predator is now back behind bars and shows our commitment to pursuing anyone posing a threat to children," he said.

"We would always encourage anyone with information about this type of offending, or anyone who thinks they have been a victim to come forward and talk to police."

Description

A 'predatory' Birmingham school worker sexually abused a pupil in his office, upskirted girls and secretly recorded women.

Steven Hanna was the pastoral lead with responsibility for safeguarding children but committed the 'grossest breach of trust' over a four-year period until his arrest in 2023.

The 41-year-old groomed students with chocolates and filmed them under the table with his phone. He also covertly filmed one girl whose bra was visible after her shirt became wet.

After being arrested police recovered disturbing images on his phone which showed children as young as seven being abused. Hanna, of Glascote Grove, Shard End, admitted a string of offences and was sentenced to seven years at Birmingham Crown Court this morning, Wednesday, September 18.

A 'predatory' Birmingham school worker sexually abused a pupil in his office, upskirted girls and secretly recorded women. Steven Hanna was the pastoral lead with responsibility for safeguarding children but committed the 'grossest breach of trust' over a four-year period until his arrest in 2023.

The 41-year-old groomed students with chocolates and filmed them under the table with his phone. He also covertly filmed one girl whose bra was visible after her shirt became wet.

After being arrested police recovered disturbing images on his phone which showed children as young as seven being abused. Hanna, of Glascote Grove, Shard End, admitted a string of offences and was sentenced to seven years at Birmingham Crown Court this morning, Wednesday, September 18.

Appearing on a video link from HMP Birmingham he sat with his head in his hands as his punishment was delivered. After the case was opened earlier this week he told the court: "I just want to apologise. I'm very remorseful. I can't put into great words..."

In a statement the headteacher of the academy, which cannot be identified for legal reasons, said the whole school community would be reeling from the impact of Hanna's betrayal for a long time to come. The most serious incident occurred when Hanna invited a 12-year-old girl into his office on the pretext of signing her leavers shirt.

He pressed his penis up against her back causing the girl to demand he unlock the door otherwise she would scream. Hanna let her go but later told her not to tell anyone about the incident.

The victim reported the attack to the police and Hanna was suspended but a decision was taken that there was 'no reasonable prospect of conviction' at the time, and he was allowed to return to work. Meanwhile the girl was accused of being a liar and bullied by fellow pupils.

In a statement she said she felt 'scared, alone' and 'angry'. She added: "People liked Mr Hanna and didn't want to believe me. Before it happened I liked him.

"There was no result from reporting to the police. I felt they had all been proved right. It was easier for everyone to think I lied."

But the case was re-visited when a further accusation was made against Hanna in 2023. At that stage his phone was seized and found to contain upskirting videos as well as further indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Antonie Muller said: "It was children in school uniforms. He was filming them under the table in their skirt. The defendant was the pastoral manager.

"This meant having regular meetings with children. One part of his role, deeply ironically, was safeguarding those children."

Some of the upskirting victims recalled that Hanna offered them chocolates in his office. One victim said it was 'weird' that he would speak to her 'all day' while other teachers encouraged her to return to class.

She also described an incident where Hanna made a sexual remark about a McDonald's milkshake she was drinking. There were also three adult victims of his perverted actions.

One woman had shown him nude photos of herself on her phone, not realising Hanna was recording her at the time. Another woman, who had previously turned his advances down, was filmed under the table while a third female admitted exposing her breasts to Hanna but did not know he was recording on his phone.

She said: "I feel violated that he recorded me. It's an outrageous betrayal of trust. It has completely blown me away he has been so predatory and been convicted of such serious offences given how he presented and engaged with people."

The school headteacher stated the impact of Hanna's actions 'can't be overstated' and that the 'sense of betrayal in the school was palpable'. He revealed that it had a knock-on effect on pupil attendance and some struggled to gain qualifications while many required counselling.

The head also described how students became suspicious of other male staff and that numerous meetings and assemblies had to be held over the allegations surrounding Hanna. He stated the school's reputation had been 'severely damaged' and rebuilding it was an 'exhausting process'.

The headteacher added: "The ripples of betrayal and distrust have been far-reaching, influencing not only the school but families connected to it. The harm caused has reverberated through the lives of countless people leaving a lasting impact that will continue to be felt for years to come."

Hanna pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges relating to voyeurism, attempted voyeurism, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images and possession of extreme pornography.

Jas Mann, defending, said: "This case is extremely sad. He worked hard to achieve his status and led a thoroughly decent and positive life until he started to engage in this criminality. It is truly a fall from grace as far as he is concerned."

He stated Hanna's time in custody on remand had been 'painful'. Mr Mann continued: "He's genuinely remorseful. He is truthful (in the pre-sentence report) when he described the guilt and embarrassment of being in prison and feeling like a failure. He has been reflective and introspective."

The barrister concluded that Hanna was 'thoroughly ashamed', adding that his best mitigation was that he had the 'courage and good sense' to plead guilty. The defendant was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, restraining order and sex offender notification requirements.

Judge Heidi Kubik KC told him: "The particular factors that give rise for concern are of course the grossest breach of trust. There was evidence of some grooming and manipulation of some of the children. The sheer number of separate victims, both children and adults and the period over which your offending had clearly become an established pattern of behaviour."

Description

A ‘predator’ NHS doctor who pursued his ‘amorous intentions’ by sexually assaulting a cleaner in a hospital cupboard has avoided a prison sentence.

Chiemedo Ikpo has been described as a ‘predator’ who took advantage of a female cleaner at St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight after sexually assaulting her in a cupboard. The court heard how Ikpo squeezed his victim’s bottom for six seconds while she was in the cleaning cupboard and the incident has resulted in the victim being ‘an absolute mess at work’.

Ikpo, 50, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court where he was handed community service after being found guilty of sexual assault following the incident at the hospital. Portsmouth Crown Court heard the doctor was initially suspended but was then allowed to work under supervision - including in gynaecology - while waiting for his trial. He was dismissed by the hospital after his conviction in June this year, more than four years after the incident.

A statement from the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was read to the court by prosecutor Andrew Houston.

She said: “I can’t stop looking over my shoulder at work to make sure there’s no one behind me.

“I have been an absolute mess at work, crying all the time.

“It took me a while to feel safe in [the] cleaning cupboard.

“There’s been no support from the hospital. There’s been more support for Mr Ikpo than there has been for me.”

Hannah Hurley, defending, said that the incident was ‘out of character’ for Ikpo and that he denied that there was 'any sexual element' to the incident. She urged the judge not to send him to prison and she said that ‘this has impacted his mental health’.

His Honour Judge William Ashworth said that Ikpo's role as a doctor was 'a position in which a lot of respect and trust is placed' and that any sexual assault is a 'gross violation'.

He said there was an 'imbalance of power' where ‘the victim is left feeling she is “just a cleaner”’ because of the ‘wholly irresponsible’ way in which Ikpo decided to pursue his ‘own amorous intentions with her.’

He added: "No one is just a cleaner. We are all humans. We are all equal."

Ikpo, who is now based in Orpington, Greater London, was handed given a community order of 24 months, including 100 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He will also be required to pay £2500 in costs and he will be registered as a sex offender.

Description

A pervert who poses a high risk to children is behind bars after trying to target a 12-year-old online for a second time.

Ryan Pearson was spared prison last year for sending sexual pictures of himself to what he thought was a child but turned out to be an undercover police officer. Despite having a suspended sentence hanging over his head, he went on to commit very similar offences, chatting to another decoy profile set up by a police officer pretending to a 12-year-old girl.

Now the 31-year-old, formerly of Jarrow but now of no fixed address, has been locked up for four years at Newcastle Crown Court.

It was in April this year that Pearson began talking to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl on Kik. Despite being told the age of the "child", he continued the chat, asking about her school uniform and said he found school uniforms "cute".

He went on to say she was not allowed to have sex for more than three years and said he could get in trouble for talking sexually to her.

However he then asked if she would like to hear a "naughty thought" and went on to describe sexual activity he would like to have with her. He also asked if she'd watched pornography and suggested she did so.

He sent an image of himself in boxer shorts and said he wanted to see what she looked like in her pyjamas. On another day, he sent to images of his genitals and video of himself carrying out a sex act.

A different day, he sent a third image of his penis, which was the last interaction and he was arrested the following day.

The court heard he was given a ten month suspended prison sentence in January last year for similar offending. On that occasion he admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

He again thought he was communicating with a 12-year-old but it was an undercover officer. He sent a picture of his genitals and sent a video of him carrying out a sex act and suggested she show it to her little sister and her friend.

He admitted breaching that suspended sentence and the new offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Judge Robert Adams said he poses a significant risk of causing serious harm to children and jailed him for four years. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders register.

Robin Turton, defending, said Pearson had been a hard-working man before engaging in the "abhorrent behaviour".

Description

A serial sex offender is back behind bars after breaching a court order by deleting his call history – to hide his use of legal adult chat lines.

Matthew Taylor started using phone sex lines after growing tired of AI (artificial intelligence) apps to gain sexual gratification.

Description

Paedophile set up live link with mums in Philippines to 'virtually abuse' children.

A paedophile who virtually abused children on the other side of the world over webcam from his bedroom has been jailed.

Jonathan Kumar used child sexual abuse websites to communicate with mothers in the Philippines from his home in Bolton, engaging in warped exchanges which resulted in their daughters being abused. The 38-year-old simulated intercourse as his young victims were forced to take part, telling one mum, "why is she angry baby? I'm going to rape her".

His sick abuse came to light when detectives investigated the sites, finding an IP address linking back to Kumar. Police seized his devices, finding the harrowing recording of his rape threat where he then carried out a sex act. Other images showed a girl exposed where she was made to carry out sex acts.

Some 20 images and videos were discovered on his devices, half of which had been recorded by him. Kumar, the son of a GP, later told detectives when pressed, "yes I've been stupid", claiming he'd been "lonely" during the coronavirus lockdown. His victims were aged between eight and 13, Bolton Crown Court heard, but tragically efforts to identify them were unsuccessful.

Miss Tara Riley prosecuting said: "A number of devices were seized from his home including two Samsung phones and a Dell laptop and they were all examined after the defendant provided the PIN numbers. One phone showed indecent images and movies of children which were taken by the handset's owner.

"There were social media chats in which the handset's owner was in communication with the children and parents of the children."

The court heard detectives narrowed down the time of the abuse to September 2022 to August 2023. The child victims were "likely" subjected to "commercial exploitation", Miss Riley said, although defence for Kumar said no money was exchanged.

Kumar who had a previous conviction for drink driving from 2009 faced up to 10 years jail under sentencing guidelines. Rachel White, mitigating, said Kumar was a "much loved" family member who had lost his father in 2012. "He fully accepts the disgusting nature of thee offences which are shocking and extremely harmful," she said.

She added the pandemic "caused a complication" in his personal circumstances and that he "became increasingly lonely" and began to seek out women online "for sexual purposes". "That behaviour escalated as he candidly admits when he became somewhat removed or disassociated with what he was doing because these were people in a foreign land appearing via a screen. He now fully appreciates these were very real children and that his behaviour will have impacted significantly upon them when he made the unspeakable requests that he did."

Sentencing Kumar to six and a half years, Judge Abigail Hudson told him: "The reality is these are children being defiled for your own sexual gratification. Their care givers are likely to be desperate or abusive people who are unwilling or unable to protect those children. They are therefore extremely vulnerable and the damage you have caused them is immeasurable.

"You are from a relatively wealthy background and had all the opportunities you could have wished for in life including a devoted and supportive family. But you put yourself in the position you are in today because you did not seek help and engaged in this behaviour. You knew it was wrong but did not seek help.

"You are extremely fortunate that your family see the other side of you and they continue to love and support you." Kumar was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life and will have to abide by the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A FIREFIGHTER who sexually assaulted a teenager in her own bed has avoided jail.

Edward Snook (Ed Snook), a former Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighter, has been handed a suspended sentence after being found guilty of sexual assault.

His actions left the victim, who was 17 at the time, suffering sleepless nights and crying at work.

Reading a statement on her behalf, prosecutor Katie Johnson said: “As soon as the incident happened to me, I instantly went into fight or flight mode.

“Having to explain what happened to me made me feel numb.

“He abused my trust, my safety and me.”

The victim added that she has ‘lost trust and faith’ in the fire service.

She has also found herself screaming and jumping when approached by male colleagues at work, on occasion falling down to the floor in tears.

She said: “I was in constant fear, I had to ask for a lock on my door. I triple checked the doors were locked.

“I had to buy new bedding.

“I was scared I would bump into him in the street.”

Snook, who was 31 at the time, arrived at the victim’s address at 4am on April 29, 2023, asking her for a place to stay.

Having been provided with a blanket and a pillow for the couch, an inebriated Snook snuck into the victim’s room before climbing into her bed and touching her stomach, later performing a sex act on himself – at which point the teenager fled.

The victim previously told the court she had a panic attack in the living room, hyperventilating for around 20 minutes as she contemplated what to do next.

Snook, an engaged father-of-two, hung around for another two hours before eventually leaving the house at 6am.

The former company director of Knutsford-based Yellow Duck Removals Limited was found guilty on August 13, following a trial at Crewe Magistrates Court.

At the sentencing on Monday, September 16, Michelle Man, defending, said her client ‘still maintains his innocence’ and had been left ‘devastated’ by how things turned out.

“I do not anticipate this gentleman troubling the police or courts ever again,” she added.

Snook, now 33 and living on Pemberton Close in Knutsford, was sentenced to 26 weeks.

However, this was suspended for 18 months due to his ‘previous good character and no previous convictions’.

He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying costs and surcharges of £804.

The magistrates also handed Snook a three-year restraining order, banning him from having any contact with the victim.

Chair of the bench, Christina Basnett, said: “We hope this will give her peace of mind.”

Speaking previously, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer and chief executive Alex Waller welcomed the guilty verdict.

He said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the victim of this offence and her family.

“We suspended the individual on the day he was arrested by police and he resigned from his role in July 2023.

"A disciplinary hearing held in his absence in November determined that had he still been an employee, he would have been dismissed for gross misconduct.”