Latest Offenders

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Last month, William Walker pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between February 10 and 15, 2022.

The 60-year-old, originally from Killyleagh but now with an address in Blackpool, denied a second similar offence.

On Thursday (May 11), Walker was back at Downpatrick Crown Court where he had the second charge – which he initially denied – put to him again.

Walker was then charged with attempting to sexually communicate with a child on dates between February 10 and 23, 2022.

After the charge was put to him, Walker replied ‘guilty’.

Judge Geoffrey Miller KC noted that as Walker had now entered guilty pleas to both charges, a date for the plea hearing could be set.

A probation report will be compiled in England ahead of sentencing, which Judge Miller said would take place on June 22.

The former politician is already on the Sex Offenders Register due to his plea last month and he was released on continuing bail until June 22.

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A sex offender has been jailed after being caught by plain clothes British Transport Police officers assaulting a teenage girl on the London Underground.

Abdulrizak Ali Hersi, 32, and of Invicita Close, Limehouse, was found guilty of sexual assault at Inner London Crown Court on 5 May.

The judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison and a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which prevents him from intentionally standing behind or next to any female he doesn’t know in a public place.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £187.

On 11 October shortly before 5pm, plain clothes officers on patrol on the Piccadilly Line observed Hersi board a train at Green Park and stand near the doors.

At the next stop a family got on the train and moments later Hersi sexually assaulted the 13-year-old daughter. Officers quickly intervened and took Hersi off the train at Leicester Square and arrested him.

Inspector Sharon Turner said: “Our plain clothes teams are specially trained in identifying dangerous sexual offenders like Hersi, who will do their level best to commit such crimes without notice.

“In this case, the victim and her family didn’t even realise what was happening until our officers quickly intervened.

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A North East man has been handed a life sentence after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault against three children.

Ian Tague, 41, from Gateshead, has been jailed for a minimum of 20 years after being sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday (May 12).

Tague had been charged with 25 counts of rape and sexual assault against three children.

He had been found guilty by a jury last May at the same court and remanded in custody.

He must serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars before being considered for parole, and was made to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and prevented from ever contacting his victims.

Sergeant Nicola Wade of Northumbria Police’s Child and Adult Protection Unit said: “Tague is a monster – there’s no other word for him. He is a danger to children and I am so thankful to the exceptionally brave victim  who spoke out against him.

“Thanks to their bravery, we were able to identify other victims, who then bravely spoke out themselves, and build a strong case against vile Tague.

“Tague has undoubtedly robbed them of their innocence but I hope they grow up knowing that what happened to them was never their fault, they did not deserve it and that they have shown incredible resilience.

"Thanks to them, Tague has been exposed for the predator he is, removed from society and will forever more be known as a vile paedophile.

“I truly hope this sentence gives the survivors and their families a sense of justice and comfort and they can begin to look to the future.

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Online predator Michael Hancock tried to meet a 12-year-old at the Metrocentre and told her to pose as his niece if they saw anyone they knew.

The paedophile, who has previously worked "with youths and in hospitals", thought he was talking to a real child when he sent images of his genitals and turned the conversation sexual but, fortunately, it was actually an undercover police officer.

Newcastle Crown Court the officer had set up a profile online purporting to be an 18-year-old from Tyne and Wear, with which Hancock began to communicate in October 2021. He was soon told the girl was in fact 12 and he said he was 57.

The conversation quickly moved to Snapchat and turned sexual. Hancock sent a photograph of his legs in the bath and then his groin area. The profile replied with a message written on a child's arm saying "show me" and Hancock sent images of his penis.

Ian Cook, prosecuting, said: "He said he would buy gifts for her and she should not let her family know about the conversation and he arranged to meet her at the Metrocentre. He said if they saw anyone they knew they should say they were uncle and niece.

"He said they should be careful because if he was caught he would be called a paedo." He then went on to ask further intimate questions and discussed his sexual habits.

Mr Cook said: "He said he wanted to kiss her all night and hold her close. He arranged to meet her at the Metrocentre but was intercepted by police and arrested."

Hancock, 59, of Edinburgh Road, Jarrow, pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and was sentenced to eight months suspended for two years with a four-month curfew. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign the sex offenders register for the next ten years.

Judge Julie Clemitson told him: "You believed that girl to be somewhat vulnerable and in the care system, yet rather than take actions any responsible adult would have done, which was immediately desist in talking to that child and even report the profile, you instead chose to continue to chat.

"You did so in a way which has the hallmarks of a predator, frankly. You slowly, over a period of time, gained that child's trust by talking in a non-sexual way, offering to take her out and buy her gifts, then slowly but surely you introduced a sexual element to the conversation.

"You spoke about meeting at the Metrocentre and agreed a cover story should anyone ask who you were. You engaged in chat about various sexual practices and sent images of your penis to that, what you believed to be, 12-year-old child.

"It's clear you have a sexual interest in young girls, however much you protest to the probation officer that you do not. Your behaviour was predatory.

"The seriousness of this kind of offending should not be underestimated. Just because there was not a real child doesn't mean this kind of offending doesn't lead to serious consequences. Children suffer day in and day out because of online paedophiles like yourself."

Sam Faulks, defending, said: "He has been a working man who has contributed to society by his taxes and toil. He has previous good character and he cares for his elderly uncle and if he is locked up he will not have that additional assistance from his nephew."

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Bernard Grace lived a solitary life.

The 72-year-old was bound to his wheelchair following a leg amputation, and so his only source of communication with the outside world was through his Apple MacBook Air.

His family, including his eight children, were estranged from him and live miles away in Scotland.

And so his sordid secret remained hidden.

Meanwhile, in October 2020, the National Crime Agency was investigating a series of suspicious payments made to various Filipino women, including one woman who was under investigation for sex trafficking offences.

Up to 600 payments had been made to the women, from a Halifax bank account, totalling nearly £21,000.

Their investigations led them to Grace’s door in Wythenshawe.

Executing a search warrant, they found his laptop and conducted a thorough examination. It revealed horrific and depraved abuse.

Officers poured through thousands of Skype messages within 23 chats. In each chat, Filipino women were directed and manipulated by Grace to live stream the sexual abuse of children.

Months later, in March 2021, the brazen paedophile was found sitting at his computer doing the same thing when his offender manager walked in.

Admitting numerous offences of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, as well as making indecent images, Grace has finally been jailed.

Vile messages uncovered

Manchester Crown Court heard that Grace spoke to the women, most of which he had met on Facebook, before moving the conversation over to Skype so they could video call.

"These women were endeavouring to make ends meet, to better themselves and the lives of their children in relation to education," prosecutor Rosalind Scott-Bell said.

In one chat, Grace told the woman, who had a five-year-old daughter, he would send money to her if she performed an indecent act. He sent an inappropriate picture to the woman and told her to show it to her child - and sent £15.

In another conversation, a woman asked if he would pay her rent. Grace said he wanted a picture of her nine-year-old daughter. He sent two payments totalling £35.

The court was told of another chat with over 1,000 messages between August and September 2019. He offered money to a woman in return for the woman's children to perform indecent acts.

Grace sent the cash via PayPal and an indecent image of himself. The court heard he 'encouraged' the woman to set up a live stream of the abuse of the woman's daughter - and offered money in return for 'live shows'.

He sent that woman £173. Grace, the court heard, 'persisted' when women initially refused to carry out his sick wishes. He bombarded one woman with up to 5,000 messages, asking her to send inappropriate images of her child.

A number of indecent images of children were also found on Grace's computer. NCA officials were granted access to his bank account as they built a case against him.

It later transpired that he was receiving disability benefits into that same account.

Arrest and interview

Grace was arrested and interviewed, telling officers he did not have access to children and stating that he had never been to the Philippines before.

He also said he worked as a coach driver for 20 years, but had to stop working after suffering kidney failure and a leg amputation. He accepted he had transported children as part of his job.

“The defendant told officers that he didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of the internet. He said he would spend four hours a day talking on Facebook,” Ms Scott-Bell said.

“He didn’t use any social media, and would focus on looking for relationships. He admitted exposing himself over webcam.”

When cops asked him about speaking to underage children, he said: “Not in that way, if somebody talks to me, I’ll talk to them.”

He also admitted touching his genitals over webcam and claimed he had received the ‘unsolicited’ images.

When officers asked why he made his demands, he said: "Just to push it, you know what they are like in the Philippines. You know sex over there doesn't mean nothing to them, they have sex when they're 11."

Between 2015 and 2021, Grace sent more than £20,800.

When his offender manager visited in 2021 - following his arrest - he was sat using a computer and appeared to be 'liaising' with women in the Philippines about the sexual abuse of children.

“These children were vulnerable due to poverty,” the prosecutor concluded.

His barrister, Simon Blakeborough, said Grace has a number of health problems including chronic renal failure. "There is a suggestion he will not survive after a period of incarceration," he added.

Sentencing an emotional Grace, Recorder Anthony Donohue said: "What you did involved the exploitation of vulnerable and impoverished individuals in the Philippines. It's staggering that over a period of time you sent £20,800 in payments for sexual services involving the exploitation and attempted exploitation of children."

Grace, of Stoneacre Road, Wythenshawe, was jailed for eight years. He pleaded guilty to 11 charges of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence; and two offences making indecent images of a child.

He was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his use of the internet. He will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

'Bernard Grace caused them immense suffering through sexual abuse, which can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on people’s lives'

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Despite being on the other side of the world from these children, Bernard Grace caused them immense suffering through sexual abuse, which can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on people’s lives. These offences were horrific and we hope the victims in this case are receiving all the support they need.

“It is of the utmost importance that tech firms are regulated to prevent these types of transactions happening. Online companies need to prioritise the safety of children and be aware how their platforms can be used to harm young people.

“The NSPCC is committed to doing all it can to ensure a strong and robust Online Safety Bill is passed through Parliament to force tech companies to do everything possible to protect children and prevent crimes such as this.”

Following Friday’s hearing (May 12) at Manchester Crown Court, NCA operations manager Graham Clare said: "Bernard Grace was an unrelenting offender, whose actions led to several children being abused in the most horrific and depraved manner for his own sexual gratification.

"He may have thought he'd avoid detection by arranging for abuse to take place against vulnerable children on the other side of the globe, but the NCA has the capabilities to investigate online and internationally.

"We work with overseas partners to tackle the abhorrent abuse of children, and actively target offenders who pay for it to be live streamed. There is no bigger priority for us than protecting children, wherever they may be.

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A 66-year-old Cullompton man has been jailed for raping a child more than 20 years ago. Keith Barons, a retired housing association manager, gave the girl alcohol before subjecting her to a terrifying ordeal.

He was aged in his early 40s at the time and the child 12 or 13 years old, Exeter Crown Court was told. She lived with the trauma of what he did to her for years before going to the police in 2019.

When questioned Barons denied doing anything wrong and claimed she was making up the story. But just before the case was due to go to trial he confessed and now says he is ashamed and sorry for what he did.

The judge said the actions of the former Sanctuary Housing manager had been "wicked" and that he had repeatedly lied when confronted with the truth. Recorder Don Tait also praised the courage of the victim who read a statement in court describing the psychological price she has had to pay.

"What you did to that young girl has had an awful effect on her life," he told the defendant. "She had the courage to read her own victim statement and what a huge amount of courage that must have taken for her. When she told you she would never forgive you she looked you in the eye."

Barons, of Court Drive admitted rape of a child and indecent assault and was jailed for 13 years.

Prosecutor Miss Heather Hope said the rape happened after he gave the girl vodka. She could remember feeling "groggy" and freezing in terror while Barons undressed and raped her. On another occasion Barons groped the child by touching her breast.

In her statement the victim said not a day had past since where thoughts of what happened resurfaced. When she did go to the police her "tortuous journey" was made worse by delays caused by his denials and the barristers strike.

Mr Simon Burns, defending, said Barons would regret his actions for the rest of his life. He read a letter in which he apologised. The defendant is hard-working family man with no previous convictions. The court was read positive references from friends.

Recorder Tait said Barons had denied and then tried to plea bargain his way out of responsibility. "You may express remorse now but for years you lied and lied. She was the one who had to suffer. She has had a long wait to see justice being done and I'm sorry the system let her down to that extent.

"No one listening to her personal statement could not be moved by it. In my experienced you are one of the bravest young women I've heard. You suffered for many many years for what this man did to you and finally had the courage to go to the police.

"Thank you for having the strength and courage to read your victim statement." 

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A trade union boss who was convicted of a series of sexual assaults on a woman dodged a jail sentence today. A court heard that Unison regional organiser Gerry Crawley was wearing a dress and French knickers when he performed a sex act in front of the shocked woman

He squeezed the same woman's bottom as they chatted with football fans in a packed bar ahead of the Scottish Cup final. Married Crawley, 60, whose union duties involve representing police and fire service workers, was found guilty of sexually assaulting the woman on various occasions between January 2016 and July 2018.

Sheriff Thomas Millar also convicted him of performing a sex act in front of the woman at her home in 2018. After studying background reports, the sheriff put him under social work supervision for 12 months.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for the same period. Crawley, a former Labour councillor, of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, had denied both charges.

Describing the incident at her home, the woman, now aged 37, said Crawley visited when she was alone. She told Hamilton Sheriff Court: "He asked to see my pants. I was wearing leggings and he said he would show me his pants instead.

"He had white French knickers on. They were laced and partially see through. "He asked if I would touch them and I said no. He asked again and I touched the side of them, hoping he would then go."

But, the woman said, Crawley didn't leave and instead carried out a sex act, leaving her "shocked, frightened and panicked". She told prosecutor John Coogan: "I was standing against the banister in the hall. I couldn't go anywhere.

"Then he went to the toilet before leaving quite quickly." Asked if she reported the incident at the time, the woman replied: "No. I thought it was something I could compartmentalise, put in a box and not think about."

The woman also told of an incident in a bar in Battlefield, Glasgow, on the day of the Celtic-Aberdeen Scottish Cup final in 2017. She said: "Gerry had tickets and we went for a drink before walking to Hampden.

"The bar was very busy with Aberdeen fans. Gerry put his hand down the back of my pants. "I was talking to an Aberdeen fan. I think I asked Gerry to stop but it must have gone on for five minutes or so.

"He was touching and squeezing my bottom. I was shocked because it was a public place." The woman also alleged during her evidence that Crawley acted inappropriately towards her on two other occasions, once in a house and once in a taxi.

The woman claimed Crawley touched her private parts while in a taxi with other passengers including her husband, and later texted her to ask if she had liked it. She told the court the incident had left her feeling “dirty and embarrassed”.

Questioned by defence advocate Patricia Bailey, the witness denied having a romantic relationship with Crawley in which she was the “dominant” partner. She rejected a defence suggestion that they had an arrangement where Crawley would visit her home regularly to clean while wearing women’s clothing.

The woman said: “It happened once. I thought it would be a useful outlet for him. Mostly he just wanted to talk about pants.” Ms Bailey also put it to the witness that she and Crawley would touch each other’s pants and private parts, and this was consensual behaviour.

She replied: “No. That’s absolutely wrong.” Giving evidence, Crawley insisted none of the assaults happened.

He said: "We had a relationship involving consensual touching etc etc. I would touch her underwear and her bottom."It was always after I had been round at her house cleaning. I would be dressed up in ladies' clothing. It happened on dozens of occasions."

Crawley claimed he had asked the woman's permission before putting his hand inside her jeans in the pub on the day of the cup final. But the court also heard from Crawley's daughter that he had confessed to having an "inappropriate" relationship with the woman.

Finding him guilty, Sheriff Millar said it appeared the woman had "accommodated your interests" to a certain extent. But the sheriff added: "She said she was not comfortable and I accept there were other incidents that went beyond what she was prepared to consent to."

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A pensioner from Derby with a history of child sex offences has pleaded guilty to another 17 of them. Lionel Winson admitted trying to contact underage girls over the internet and possessing vile child abuse images.

The 78-year-old also failed to tell the police he was using social media as he was required to do under the terms of an order placed on him for past offending. In 2009, the Normanton paedophile was jailed for trying to contact a 13-year-old girl who was really a police officer. Now he faces an anxious month-long wait to find out his fate for his more recent offending.

Handing him bail at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court on Monday, May 15, the chair of the bench said: “We are sending your case to crown court as the offences are so serious that our powers here at magistrates are insufficient. The crown court needs a recent pre-sentence report and you must report to St Mary’s Wharf police station within three days of today.

“You are aware of the conditions (of your bail) and if you breach any of them you can be brought back to court.” In 2014 Winson, of Douglas Street, was handed a sexual harm prevention order at Derby Crown Court for carrying out similar offences to the ones he this week pleaded guilty to.

Under the terms of the order, he must tell the police who are monitoring him of any social media accounts he has set up along with the relevant passwords. But he failed to do this on accounts including WhatsApp, Kik and Snapchat.

The defendant pleaded guilty to four charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child in relation to four victims. He also pleaded guilty to charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order, failing to comply with the requirements of the sex offender register and one count of making indecent images of children.

Winson was jailed for three years and three months in 2009 for a 2007 offence of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images. On that occasion, he groomed a girl he believed to be aged 13 but who turned out to be a police officer posing as a young teen and who met him at St Pancras railway station in London.

In 2011 he breached the lifetime order he was handed and he did the same in 2015 when he hid electronic devices he should have told the police about but didn’t at his then address in Sedgefield Green, Mickleover. The defendant will be sentenced at Derby Crown Court on June 19.

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A MAN from Deganwy has been jailed after he used social networking platforms to groom a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Eric Hughes, 40, of Tan-y-Fron, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment at Caernarfon Crown Court today (May 15).

He was also made subject to sex offenders register notification requirements, and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), both for 10 years.

Prosecuting, Elen Owen told the court that, on April 6 and 7, 2022, Hughes sent sexualised messages on both Facebook and WhatsApp to a member of a group called “Child Online Safety Team”.

The group member was posing as a 14-year-old girl, to whom Hughes sent a Facebook friend request, which was then accepted.

After initial conversations, the group member told Hughes she was a 14-year-old girl from Newcastle; Hughes, 39 at the time, said he was aged 30 in response.

He then sent a picture of himself to her, adding: “I bet you look amazing in uniform”, with her telling him she was a school pupil.

The girl reiterated she was 14, with the group member sending Hughes a picture of a young girl; after which, Hughes continued making explicit sexual comments to her.

When the girl asked him if she would “get into trouble”, Hughes replied: “not if you don’t tell”.

A further exchange of messages later involved Hughes suggested “phone sex”, the meaning of which he explained explicitly to the girl after she told him she did not know what that was.

She declined, and Hughes sent her an apology the next morning, before further sexual messages followed from him.

The group’s administrators, and later the police, were then contacted, and Hughes was arrested on April 8, 2022.

In two police interviews, in both April and June 2022, he denied any responsibility or wrongdoing.

Hughes had also breached a five-year SHPO issued to him in March 2019 through his actions – one of the prohibitions of this order stopped him from joining, using or subscribing to any social media site.

He had also received a conditional caution in 2020 relating to an earlier breach of the SHPO.

Defending, Sarah Yates stressed that there was “no child involved” in Hughes’ offending, and that “no harm was caused”.

She described him as having a “very strong work ethic”, having held a job for about two decades.

Sentencing, Recorder Wyn Lloyd-Jones said Hughes was “incredibly lucky” not to have been jailed for the offences which landed him a SHPO in March 2019.

He also accused of Hughes of telling “blatant lies” to police in not taking responsibility for his actions.

Recorder Lloyd-Jones told Hughes: “What you did, and what came to light, exposed your intentions and your thoughts.

“You did this, there is no doubt whatsoever, for your own selfish sexual gratification.

“I can’t close my eyes to the fact that you were given a conditional caution in 2020 for a breach of the SHPO.

“You have re-offended despite treatment. You were given a chance; you threw it away. You behaviour hasn’t changed despite the work done with you.

“Other people are suffering because of your selfishness.

“If you breach that SHPO, you know exactly what will happen. The sentence will not be as short next time.”

Hughes will also pay a statutory surcharge, within three months of his release from prison.

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A ‘disgusting’ Leigh Park paedophile has been jailed for 12 years for raping a girl and taking photos of his sordid attacks despite being on the radar of social services.

Alfred Weller carried out sex attacks on the helpless child under 13 over a period of years for his own warped sexual gratification, Portsmouth Crown Court heard. It was told the ‘canny’ 30-year-old took dozens of pictures of the humiliated victim during his depraved assaults. Weller, of Spinner Drive, was sentenced for the ‘sustained’ sexual assaults before a police investigation snared the predator resulting in his arrest in December 2022.

Judge Richard Shepherd told disgraced Weller: ‘You raped and abused a young girl. Not only did you rape her but you took photos of the abuse including the rape. It was over a prolonged period of time. The number of images of the young girl ran into the dozens.’

The court heard Weller had 44 Category A indecent images of his victim - the most extreme classification. He also had 51 Category B and 67 Category C of the child.

The police probe also revealed 215 Category A indecent images, 221 Category B and 324 Category C images of other children.

Prosecutor Barry McElduff said Weller was known to social services with his ‘background a concern’ that had been previously flagged. But the barrister said the defendant still ‘found a way to abuse’ the victim.

He was arrested in December over the sexual abuse, with the girl telling officers: ‘He’s been doing it for years.’

Police investigations led to recordings being discovered before they were able to piece together and ‘confidently conclude’ Weller was responsible for the abuse.

The judge branded Weller ‘canny’ and ‘disgusting’ for carrying out the ‘prolonged sexual abuse’ that took place where the child was supposed to be safe but ‘was anything but (safe)’.

Weller was convicted of rape, five counts of sexual assault, and six charges of having indecent images of a child.

Judge Shepherd took into account Weller’s own ‘difficulties and vulnerabilities’ with him ‘immature for his chronological age’ before jailing him for 12 years. He will serve two-thirds in jail before being released on licence.

Weller will have to comply with sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

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A man has been jailed for the non-recent sexual abuse of two girls including two counts of raping a girl under the age of 16 in Havant.

Robert Campbell, 62, abused the girls on a number of occasions between 2013 and 2015 when they were both under the age of 16.

The girls, both now adults, spoke out about what had happened to them in April 2021, at which point the police were called.

An investigation was launched and Campbell was arrested on April 30.

He was charged with two counts of raping a girl under the age of 16, two counts of assaulting a girl under the age of 16 by touching, and three counts of causing or inciting a girl under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.

He denied the offences, but was found guilty on all seven counts on January 23 this year, following a Portsmouth Crown Court trial which began on January 16.

Campbell, formerly of St Clares Avenue in Havant, appeared at the same court on Wednesday, May 10 where he was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and ordered to comply with Sexual Offender Register notification requirements indefinitely.

DC Leanne Boyd, who led the investigation, said: “These two brave women should be commended for their courage in disclosing the most awful events of their childhood, and supporting this investigation to ensure Campbell could not hurt anyone again.

“Justice has been served on Campbell. The abuse he inflicted on the two survivors when they were so young is absolutely horrific.

“He will now spend a lengthy period of time in jail, and I hope this case gives other survivors the confidence that if they have been abused, they will be heard and believed and we will do all we can to protect them and give them justice.”

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

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: "We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse."

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A REPEAT sex offender from Kendal downloaded dozens of sickening child abuse images, including ones featuring victims as young as three.

Kendal man Robert Lewthwaite, 29, who committed the offences despite having the benefit of professional help through the Probation Service, was jailed after a judge ruled that he poses a continuing risk to children.

He admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and downloading almost 300 indecent images of children, including 58 which were classified as Category A, the most serious kind of abuse images.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant: These are not victimless crimes: these images depict real children, as young as three or four and five or six, who were subjected to the most horrendous, gratuitous sexual abuse.

The demand for such images by people like Lewthwaite supported the activities of the abusers who created those images.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the background was that Lewthwaite was given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order in February 2019, which was designed to curb his internet use and prevent reoffending.

It was part of his sentence for similar offending, when he downloaded hundreds of child abuse images, the court heard. Lewthwaite was specifically warned not to use cloud storage facilities, said Mr Burke.

But on January 14 police visited the defendant and discovered that he had done this, accessing three cloud storage sites. There was evidence that he had deleted content from his internet history and devices.

Police eventually recovered the images he had been viewing: 58 of Category A, 96 of Category B, and 128 of Category C.

Jeff Smith, defending, said the defendant, of Low Kirkbarrow Lane, Kendal, suffered autism and consequently was isolated and struggled to make relationships. He is isolated from the vast majority of his family, other than his grandfather, said Mr Smith.

He clings desperately to those who are close to him. Lewthwaite needed professional support to turn his life around, said the lawyer. The defendant recognised his failings and did not want to minimise them.

The lawyer said that group therapy would help Lewthwaite, who did not want to sink yet again to the depths of depravity.

Jailing Lewthwaite for 18 months, Judge Barker concluded that the defendant had returned to his former offending behaviour, which probation staff had described as being a highly established pattern of offending.

While accepting that Lewthwaite suffered difficulties linked to his autism, the judge said there was a pattern of offending, and he was not satisfied that at present there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Lewthwaite will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and his sexual harm prevention order will last for the same period.

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Flasher who has been banned from all children’s play areas across Warrington following his release from prison.

Dana Mustapha cannot enter or loiter in such play areas, and he is also prohibited from contacting any female in an open public space in Warrington, except any public building or premises, retail premises, sports stadia or licenced premises.

This is through a criminal behaviour order imposed onto him by Warrington Magistrates’ Court, with the order also banning him from entering Victoria Park.

This will run for four years, to restrict his ability to commit further offences, with the 34-year-old also subject to sex offender registration and notification requirements for 10 years.

It comes after Mustapha was jailed on Thursday for a series of disturbing incidents in Latchford and the town centre, involving threats and public indecency.

The 34-year-old Iraqi national, who was assisted at Warrington Magistrates’ Court by a Kurdish interpreter, was charged with three counts of exposure.

He also faced counts of threatening behaviour, assault by beating and two of harassment, one of which put the victim in fear of violence.

He pleaded not guilty to each offence but was convicted after a trial during which victims had to relive their ordeal by giving evidence.

Angela Blackmore, prosecuting the case, told the court how in September last year, a man was walking his dog along Knutsford Road in Latchford.

He became aware that the defendant was walking towards him and shouting threats including: “I’m going to f**k you up.”

The victim ignored him but Mustapha followed and continued to shout, before walking away.

A similar incident occurred involving the same complainant on September 6 outside the Co-op store on Knutsford Road, with the defendant making threats while laughing.

Mustapha, despite a number of schoolchildren being in the area, then dropped his trousers and exposed his penis, again laughing.

A further two similar harassment incidents occurred days later, one of which saw him threaten to kick the victim’s dog and cut his throat, as well as use vile homophobic insults.

The final one saw the complainant call a friend who attended and confronted the defendant, who claimed not to understand English.

He detained Mustapha until the police arrived, suffering severe bruising from being kicked, punched and almost headbutted by him after he was told the police were coming.

In an impact statement, the victim said he no longer wants to walk his dog in the area in case the defendant approaches him with further unprovoked threats.

He added that he becomes anxious and ‘thinks of worst case scenarios’ when he sees him, and on one occasion he had a panic attack.

Mustapha also exposed himself to a woman whom he asked for a cigarette from on September 6 on New Road in Latchford.

As she approached, he removed his penis from his trousers and started to perform a sex act on himself.

The court heard how the woman ‘burst out laughing’ and told him that both her dogs had a bigger penis than him, causing him to ‘run away with hurt pride’.

She added that if she saw him again she would have ‘launched him’.

A further incident occurred on the sunny afternoon of September 7 at a children’s play area in Victoria Park.

The victim was at the park with his toddler stepson when he heard a weird noise and a man singing and talking in a foreign accent.

Aware that he had been spotted, Mustapha pulled his tracksuit pants down and crouched down into a squatting position as if he was ‘having a poo’.

The witness described a look of ‘evil excitement’ on the defendant’s face as he ‘reached around as if he was aiming to grab hold of what he had passed to throw it’.

The victim left and the defendant was identified through a social media appeal, with the police contacted.

Yet another exposure occurred when Mustapha loitered outside a business in the town centre over a period of months.

He would stare at the owner and customers through the window, and on one occasion he unbuttoned his jeans and exposed himself for ‘sexual thrill’.

He also urinated in the street, in full view of the business, on two occasions, with urine going on the window and brickwork.

The owner had to upgrade CCTV and lock the door so he could not get in, as well as reduce opening hours, causing a loss of income.

In a statement, she said: “I have thought about selling the business as I no longer feel comfortable. It was once my happy place, but the stress and anxiety he has caused means I no longer enjoy my work.

“I have put my heart and soul into the business and he has destroyed it for me.”

In defence of his client, Peter Green said: “Someone with poor mental health, as this defendant has, will struggle and will cope badly in a custodial setting.

“The easy option is to sentence him to immediate custody. It would dispense justice and keep him off the streets for a few months.

“But it does nothing to address any of the issues underlying his behaviour. I would ask you to impose a suspended prison sentence along with requirements.”

This plea was rejected however by chair magistrate Anthony Graham, who concluded: “This is a serious matter, and it has passed the custody threshold. We are going to send you to custody today.”

Mustapha, of New Road in Latchford, was sentenced to 46 weeks in prison.

He attempted to barter a lower sentence with magistrates on one of the charges and was heard saying: “What have I done to deserve 48 weeks?”

The defendant was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the man he assaulted and handed four-year restraining orders preventing him from contacting or approaching six named people, or entering a named Latchford street.

Description

A takeaway manager wept in court after he subjected a woman to a terrifying sex attack in a hotel.

Stefanita Mosescu had been on a night out in Nottingham city centre on November 3 last year, before following the victim back to a hotel. He grabbed her in the lift and once in the hall, moved along the second floor where his room was.

The 42-year-old pushed her against a wall and onto the floor. The incident was captured on CCTV, showing Mosescu trying to carry her to his room, as she was seen grabbing hold of the door. Afterwards, she went to the hotel's reception and asked for the police to be called.

Mosescu, of Mercer Drive, Liverpool, was arrested a short time later and initially tried to claim what happened was consensual. He also said he was drunk at the time and couldn’t remember what had happened. However, faced with overwhelming evidence against him, he later pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

At his sentence hearing on Friday, May 12, his victim bravely read her statement where she described the incident as one of the most extreme to happen in her life. "I was so overpowered by him", she said.

The woman described having a piece of her taken away, and said "I may never be the whole me again". Steven Gosnell, mitigating, said married Mosescu was of previous good character.

"He was very much in drink," he added. "That's no excuse. He has been a hard-working man and that has been taken away. He simply can't explain the man on that screen (meaning the CCTV) - but he accepts responsibility".

Judge Stuart Rafferty KC sentenced him to seven years and two months for offences of assault by penetration and sexual assault. Mosescu pleaded guilty to the charges, and is now on the sex offender register for life.

Judge Rafferty said: "Only you can truly know what was in your mind on the night that you violated that lady, and violated is the correct term to use. Because you did not abuse her simply once, you abused her repeatedly.

"It was an indication what her frame of mind was that she was holding her mobile phone in her hand all the time this was happening. She couldn't use it. She was fixed on it. In my judgement, she was fixed on it because she was trying to put from her mind what was happening.

"What you did to her has changed her life and it has changed yours. There is not much point standing here weeping now and feeling sorry for yourself - you did not feel any sorrow for her then, not a shred".

Description

A “Demon DJ” hosted regular discos for kids before being unmasked as a serial child sex offender. Logan Donald was employed by D3mon Discos in Falkirk, which saw him perform for thousands of children across central Scotland.

The teenager was only sacked after his crimes came to light in the Daily Record last month. We told how Donald, now 18, targeted three 13-year-olds over social media in 2020 and coerced them into sending him explicit images by threatening to kill himself if they didn’t.

One teenager told how she’d attempted suicide three times due to the impact his crimes had on her. Now it has emerged the sex fiend had access to thousands of children through his job as a kiddie disco DJ.

The mother of one young girl who attended a Christmas party said she was horrified at the revelations about Donald. She said: “The kids all loved this young DJ, who seemed perfect for the job. They all looked up to him and were in his spell and now I just feel sick that he was able to use this smokescreen to gain the trust of innocent children.

“He’s been convicted of crimes against three young girls but who knows what else he’s been up to. Demon DJ doesn’t even do him justice. He may be young but he’s a manipulative and controlling beast and he terrorised young girls who trusted him.”

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month, Donald admitted coercing victims to send him intimate photographs. He used jam to fake self-harm, spreading it over his arms to make it look like he had slashed himself.

Another victim was coerced into sending him photos in her underwear. After that, Donald demanded more or he’d post her photo on social media. His campaign of terror only stopped when that girl told her parents and police were contacted.

Police cybercrime experts examined Donald’s phone and recovered a haul of child abuse videos, including many at Category A – the worst level. After the court revelations, the boss of D3mon Discos, Stuart Hall, told the Record that he only became aware of Donald’s grim crimes after we published details three weeks ago.

He said: “I was told by one of his relatives that he’d been charged with sending text messages but I wasn’t told about the sexual threats or the pornography he was downloading. I’m furious I was left in the dark and his family member allowed him to keep turning up for disco work, knowing what he’d been up to. By the time I got to the end of the Record’s story, he was effectively sacked. I just wish I’d known earlier.”

Stuart put out a furious post on his Facebook page, announcing he’d sacked the young paedophile.

He posted on May 6: “Due to recent events coming to our attention regarding one of our former employees, I will confirm Logan has been released with immediate effect and will no longer be anywhere near my house, never mind any discos. We are horrified and disgusted what we have read and can confirm that all information regarding this was withheld.

“We are sickened as we both allowed him near our kids/grandkids and I can’t get over the fact I let him do kids’ parties for me. I physically feel sick. He has been in my house whilst my wife slept, whilst I was gigging somewhere.”

Hall, 51, set up D3mon Discos in Tullibody, near Alloa, in 2016. He said he employed Donald in 2019 as a 14-year-old after his gran asked if he could be given work experience.

He took Donald on as a formal trainee last year, claiming he did a background check on him. At the Edinburgh Sheriff Court hearing, Donald was told he may be jailed for his crimes.

Fiscal depute Joanna Walling said Donald communicated with the first victim in January 2020 over Snapchat, as well as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Ms Walling said the teen found Donald “nice to talk to” and entered into a 12-week online “relationship” which saw him profess his love for her daily.

Ms Walling said the victim was “concerned for his welfare” and sent one image of her naked chest. When the girl refused his demands for more, Donald threatened suicide, sending a video of himself near a bridge and leaving her convinced for a week he’d ended his life.

The prosecutor said the second victim began communicating with Donald on Snapchat in January 2020 and he later asked for pictures of her in a swimsuit. Ms Walling said the girl felt “guilty” and sent a photo of herself in her underwear.

Donald responded by sending explicit photos of himself, the court heard. She said the third victim was contacted over TikTok in May 2020 and Donald repeatedly asked for naked pictures.

When the schoolgirl relented, he demanded she send more or he’d post her photo on social media. The court heard the girl told her parents and police were contacted.

Police also recovered videos featuring Donald and girls under 18 and apparently shot with a mobile phone. Two more videos were recorded FaceTime calls in which girls under 18 exposed themselves and carried out sex acts while Donald watched and carried out a sex act.

A victim impact statement from the first victim was read out in court. She said she’d developed an eating disorder, suffered nightmares, feared leaving her home, and saw her school grades plummet. Donald admitted carrying out offences between January 2020 and October 2021 when he was aged between 14 and 16.

He pled guilty to charges including possessing indecent images of children and threatening to share images of his victims. The offences took place at Donald’s home, East Lothian, Midlothian, and Edinburgh. Donald was also placed on the sex offenders’ register and will be sentenced on May 24.