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A SWINDON paedophile described as a monster for abusing friendships with women to sexually assault their young daughters and take indecent pictures of them has been jailed for 50 months.

Prosecutor Anjal Gohil told Gloucester Crown Court Shaun Couling of The Green, Highworth, had become friendly wth a number of mothers in the Cotswolds town and that enabled him to get access to their daughters.

The first victim was aged 11 and was the daughter of a woman friend and when he was in their home he got hold of the young girls breasts and bounced them up and down and warned her not to say anything to anybody, the prosecutor said.

On the second occasion he put his hand down her pants and touched her private parts, but did not penetrate her. She knows that on that occasion Couling had been drinking and he accepted in his police interview that he had probably been inebriated at the time.

The second victim was another girl who was photographed in the familys pool and had been wearing a white top that had become see-through. His photograph concentrated on the girls breasts and not her face.

"On August 28 2021 Couling sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl who was another friends daughter. The girl expressed an unwillingness to spend time in his company, but eventually agreed.

He plied her with gin while he stroked her legs in a sexual manner while they were sitting on a sofa together. This lasted for about half an hour and only stopped when the girls mother arrived home early.

Couling basically abused the trust of his friends, the mothers of the young victims. He told both girls not to tell anybody about his sexual abuse with them.

The court was told that following his arrest his digital devices were anaylised and Couling was found to be in possessing of large quantity of indecent images of children. There were 171 images of Category A (deemed the most severe), 237 category B and 1,070 images of category C.

In a statement the mother of the 54-year-old's first victim said: My world has turned upside down. I didnt believe it at first.

My emotions go from being angry to feeling utter gilt that I didnt protect my little girl. I hope to wake up from this nightmare soon.

My home is not the sacred place it once was. Family times no longer happen as my daughter shuts herself in her room. I dont know what to say or do.

I have felt so alone during this process. There appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

My daughter is brave, but she will not talk to me. I know deep down this situation is not my fault. Im scared she will go off the rails if she doesnt open up to somebody.

The mother then spoke directly to her daughter and said: I am sorry I have let you down as a mother. I will always protect you. Im so sorry I let a monster come into our home. I will go to my grave blaming myself for what happened.

The second victims mother said: I feel betrayed. This has caused me to question my own judgement in that as a mother I got it so wrong.

"My daughter now has an obsession of locking all the doors and windows. She has also been suffering from nightmares. She still thinks that Couling placed cameras around the house.

The third victims mother said she felt that she didnt protect her daughter enough in front of Couling and that her daughter has never worn the clothing that she wore in the pool after she was shown the photographs obtained from Coulings phone by the police.

Joe Maloney defending said: You cant lock people up forever. Couling may have an interest in young girls, but he has admitted his guilt to these charges.

He has listened to my legal advice that because of the strength of evidence he pleaded guilty, saving the young victims given evidence at his trial.

He was acquitted by a jury in a trial of a similar nature a long time ago. This charge shouldnt be taken into account for this sentencing as he was found not guilty at this trial.

Couling doesnt wish to minimise his offending and he accepts he will be receiving a custodial sentence today. He is embarrassed by what he has done. There are measures that can be imposed to stop this happening in the future.

Judge Ian Lawrie QC interjected: Sometimes people are reluctant to concede their frailty. The court normally looks for somebody who recognises their wrong doing and is prepared to work with other bodies to make sure it never happens again.

His pre-sentence report makes no acknowledgment of this. He has spent a lot of time minimising his involvement. The report is effectively an attempt at damage limitation.

Couling pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault of a girl under 13 in the Cotswolds area, The sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl on August 28 2021. He also pleaded guilty to possessing 1478 indecent images of categories A, B and C.

In sentencing Couling, Judge Lawrie pointed out that because he was acquitted of a very similar offence in Hampshire in the past that he must be considered of good character for this sentencing hearing. But he added that the alleged offence there was identical in every circumstance and therefore he considered the defendant as dangerous in the legal definition.

Judge Lawrie told Couling: You have been before the courts before for a similar offending for which you were acquitted by a jury. As I have explained you are dangerous and your primary mitigation is that you pleaded guilty and that you didnt subject your victims in giving evidence at trial.

"You need to be sentenced for a variety of sex offences. The pattern was the same in that you gained access to the girls because you were friends with their mothers.

"One of the young victims gave an account of two sexual assaults while you were in the girls bedroom and touched her private parts. Even though she said no, you ignored her and carried on anyway.

You also told her not to tell anybody about what had been going on. It is clear from the text on her phone that you wanted to take things further. Luckily that never happened as she told her father what you had done.

I think you targeted both victims and exploited your arrangements with the girls parents.

"You assaulted the second girl by plying her with gin in a bid to try and weaken her defences. It was clear what you were trying to do as you stroked the girls legs in a sexual manner for about half an hour.

The girl felt pressured to take the gin and your activity only came to a halt because the girls mother arrived home early.

Your explanation has little credit and you still fail to recognise what you did was wrong. Your actions showed signs of grooming.

You still maintain you didnt take the picture of the semi-nude girl in the swimming pool on your phone. You didnt think it was inappropriate.

I believe all your actions were because you have a fixation for young girls and were doing all this for your own sexual gratification.

Despite your guilty pleas, you still have not confronted your offending. It is clear from the victim impact statement that both the victims are likely to suffer from long-term psychological impact.

The judge sentenced Couling to a custodial term of four years and two months and extended his term on parole for an additional three years, which means he could be recalled to prison anytime until June 2029.

Judge Lawrie concluded: I have extended the sentence because I believe you pose a risk to young children in the future.

The judge placed Couling on the sex offenders register for life and made him subject to the terms of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

After the hearing, Detective Constable Ross Webb from the Gloucestershire Police Indecent Images Unit said: The sentencing of Shaun Couling is welcomed and shows how hard we work to bring justice for victims.

It doesnt bring closure to his young but brave victims however it does allow them to close one door. Unfortunately they will never forget the horrible crimes that Couling subjected them to.

I ask that that people respect the privacy and anonymity of Coulings victims and their families by not speculating about who they may be.

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Jack Bolton, of Dunston, is a former Boys' Brigade officer who has dozens of convictions for indecently assaulting young boys

Serial paedophile Jack Bolton is back behind bars for ruining the life of another young boy by sexually abusing him.

The depraved former Boys' Brigade officer has a sickening history of sex attacks on male children going back as far as the 1970s and was jailed for nine years in 2011 for 33 offences of indecent assault. Now the 79-year-old pervert, of Yetholm Road, Dunston, Gateshead, has admitted abusing a boy he groomed by offering to let him drive his car and sitting him on his knee around 30 years ago.

The victim, now an adult, bravely came forward after keeping the abuse to himself and said it has had a devastating impact on his life. Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim recalled how Bolton used to sell eggs and would take him out in his car.

Lee Fish, prosecuting, said: "He would ask the complainant if he wished to drive his car and would sit him on his knee to facilitate this. The prosecution say at this time he had a clear sexual interest in young boys. This was classic grooming behaviour. The defendant then sexually abused (him)."

Bolton pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the victim on the basis it happened no more than five times. He also admitted indecency with a child on the basis it happened no more than ten times. He was jailed for three years and four months.

In a victim impact statement, he said: "Looking back I can see this has affected my entire life. The effect of telling people what happened to me has seeped into every aspect of my life.

"I feel unclean and there's a stain that can't be washed off. Hopefully by letting him know how I feel I can start to get over this and leave him where he belongs, in the past, not affecting my future."

Judge Tim Gittins said he was bound to follow the sentencing regime in place at the time of the offences, which is much lower than the modern day equivalent. He told Bolton: "(The victim) is now a survivor of your depraved behaviour. He has shown considerable courage coming forward in these circumstances when almost every aspect of his life has been subject to substantial damage because of what you did to him when he was a young boy."

As well as the prison sentence, lifelong sex offender registration continues, as does a sexual offences prevention order.

The court heard Bolton has 52 previous convictions, mainly for abusing young boys. In 1970 he was convicted of two counts of indecently assaulting boys.

In 1992 he was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault and gross indecency. In 1995 he was sentenced for indecently assaulting a 12-year-old. In 1997 he was convicted of four indecent assaults on boys aged 12 and 14. In March 2011 he was jailed for nine years for 33 indecent assaults on boys.

Annelise Haugstad, defending, said Bolton pleaded guilty and added that the offences happened over a short duration.

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Craig Richardson had already been jailed last year for targeting what he thought was a young girl online, but after his release he once again tried to meet young girls around Christmas.

Both the girls he thought he was meeting were actually paedophile hunters, groups set up online to snare paedophiles and report them to the police.

One of the groups confronted him at Castleford Bus Station as he attempted to meet a young girl who didn't exist.

Just before Christmas in 2021, he started a chat with a 'girl' going by the name of Nicky. She told him she was underage from the start of their conversation, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told Leeds Crown Court.He asked for a photo of her, but then quickly began making sexual suggestions, including asking her for pictures of her on the toilet.

He arranged to meet her on January 3 but was confronted by members of Fighting Against the Evil, who livestreamed the sting before the police arrived.

Richardson, of School Street, Castleford, gave no comments during his police interview.

However, the 36-year-old had already been communicating with 13-year-old 'Lucy', a fake decoy profile posted by hunter group Hunted and Confronted UK.

Again he made sexual suggestions and asked her to send photographs. He was confronted by the group before being taken away by the police, but he also refused to comment during that interview.

The court was told Richardson has eight previous convictions for 12 offences. This included attempting to incite a child into sexual activity in 2017, and again in 2021 when he was jailed or 18 months and given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Held on remand at HMP Leeds, he appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link on Friday, where he admitted nine new charges relating to grooming youngsters over the internet, including counts of attempting to incite a child into sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual activity and breach of the sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Mitigating for Richardson, Jane Cooper said: "There's not a great deal for me to say. In terms of his personal mitigation, this is a defendant with learning difficulties. He is an isolated individual who became more isolated from his previous conviction."

Judge Tom Bayliss QC deemed that Richardson posed a serious risk of causing harm to children.

He said: "You went to Castleford Bus Station and I'm quite sure with the object of putting into practice what you were trying to arrange."

He gave him an eight-year sentence with an extended four-year licence period. He also gave him a SHPO of indeterminate length, limiting his internet use.

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A serial paedophile who lived in Watford has been handed a lengthy jail sentence for a string of historical sex offences.

Colin McKissock, 70, had been found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault/indecency against a boy aged between 11 and 13 and two sexual assaults on a girl under 14.

They were said to have happened at his Watford home in the 1990s.

A disclosure was made to police by one of the victims in March 2018, after McKissock was jailed over separate child sexual offences committed against two females in Scotland during the 1980s.

He denied the new allegations throughout but following a two-week trial was convicted in early February.

McKissock, who now lives in Northampton, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday (April 11) to 16 years prison.

He was also given two years additional licence, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Investigator Trevor Acors, who led the case, said: McKissock has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions and cruelly put his victims through a trial.

Though nothing will ever make up for his despicable crimes, I am pleased with the sentence handed down.

He also hailed the victims courage in coming forwards and having to relive their ordeals, as well as a previous victim for again providing evidence.

Any sexual abuse victims have been urged to come forward, no matter how long ago the offences occurred.

Officers can be contacted via 101 or on Herts Polices website.

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Repeat offender Michael Tyler, 37, was exposed by the paedophile hunter group after trying to lure his victim into sex whilst warning her not to tell anyone.

The Hayling Island predator sparked up a chat with the child online before the conversation quickly became sexual.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how the pervert sought to entice the child with compliments to achieve his own warped gratification during a two-week period in January.

Tyler sent the apparent girl an avalanche of crude pictures and videos of himself after the chats became increasingly sexualised as the conversation moved on to Whatsapp.

The court heard how Tyler told the girl she was beautiful and gorgeous before adding: This will be our secret.

Prosecutor Edward Hollingsworth said: The sexual communication carried on and he sent images of his penis and a video of himself (performing a sex act).

He said they should meet up and suggested visiting her or going to a hotel.

The court was told how Tyler attempted to gain the girls trust to achieve his ends. We dont have to have sex. I can touch and kiss you in places, he told the child.

Another video of himself performing a sex act was then sent before he added: You can touch if you want.

Tyler said he would be gentle and loving as he continued his bombardment to the child, who he encouraged to perform a sex act on herself.

He arranged to meet her on January 30 at Salisbury train station after the girl said she was house sitting nearby.

But when members of the paedophile hunters turned up Tyler was nowhere to be seen.

However, the paedophile was later doorstepped and confronted at his home in Westfield Avenue where he gave no comment responses.

Police were called before Tyler was arrested.

The court heard how Tyler was jailed in 2010 for like offending when he was snared by a decoy after trying to get a 14-year-old girl to perform a sex act on a webcam.

He went on to commit breaches to his sexual notification requirements in 2019, which he was given a suspended sentence for.

The court was told how Tyler had not gone to meet the girl.

Judge, Recorder Robin Sellers, said: Obviously you didnt go (to meet the girl) and had no plans to.

Highlighting the previous offending, the judge said: It is a recurrence of the same type of behaviour.

You put yourself out there not knowing who you were going to be talking to. You fell foul of the trap from the decoy.

Recorder Sellers highlighted Tylers history of non-compliance with court orders before adding: You are dangerous and present a significant risk to the public.

Tyler was then served a five-year jail term with a one-year extended sentence.

Tyler admitted four offences including attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity.

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A Gloucester man who posed as a teenager to look for 'sexual fantasy' on social media was trapped by paedophile hunters, a court heard. Ian Guest, 45, of Painswick Road, Robinswood, has been handed a community order and placed on the sex offenders' register.

At Gloucester Crown Court on Friday (April 22), prosecutor Neil Treharne said that Guest's 'child victim' was in fact an adult posing as a teenager and was a volunteer with the Stand Together as One organisation, which sets up decoy accounts to snare paedophiles. The profile of 'Olivia' was accessed by Guest between February 6 and 11 last year and he was told at the outset that she was aged 14, the court was told. Guest told her he was 16.

"The first couple of messages were innocent enough, but it soon became clear to the 'girl' that he was not 16 and he was challenged about this and admitted that he was 42," said the prosecutor. "When he was asked why he lied about his age he said was just messing about.

"He then started to drop out of the conversations until he took on a new pseudonym as 'John', a 14-year-old, and claimed he was a friend of Guest. The 'girl' felt he was trying to manipulate the situation further."

Judge Ian Lawrie QC interjected: "This shows a degree of calculation in his actions." Mr Treharne said that the conversation as 'John' started going down the route of asking the girl for topless photographs of herself. "But the decoy called his bluff and the conversation soon tapered off," Mr Treharne added.

The organisation contacted Gloucestershire Police and Guest was arrested on February 26 last year. His phone was seized and analysed and was found to still have the text messages to the decoy on his device.

The court was told that in his police interview Guest admitted that he had lied to the decoy about his age and trying to get the girl to take pictures of her breasts. The court also heard that having been interviewed by police, Guest tried to open a similar Facebook account and because of this, he was going to be subjected to a sexual harm prevention order.

Barry White, defending, said: "Guest has been candid about what he has been doing and admitted his guilt. He has no previous convictions.

"He is a man who has limitations. However, he is in full-time employment and works in a warehouse, a job he has done for almost three decades and he operates within his difficulties. He has no issues with drink or drugs."

Judge Lawrie observed: "I question his maturity, despite him being aged 45. It is bizarre behaviour from this man and meeting up with a girl in this scenario is unlikely to become reality in this situation."

Mr White added: "This is not the standard type of case. He denies any sexual intent. He expects to be publicly humiliated over this which will prevent him from doing it again."

Guest pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, without penetration, between February 6 and 11, 2021. Judge Lawrie told Guest: "You are a man with a good character and I am impressed that you have held your job for a very long time. You have an understanding partner and mother.

"However, you indulged into another life, probably due to a lack of appreciation of the real world, where you exercised a degree of immaturity and indulged in an exercise of fantasy. Because of your issues, I believe you have learned a valuable lesson as you know this is wrong and you will not be repeating it."

The judge sentenced Guest to a 24-month community order which includes attending 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same time period. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 95.

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William Ormandy approached his victim as she went to get a taxi home from Liverpool Lime Street

A vile man who raped an 18-year-old woman behind Liverpool Lime Street station was jailed after his "sickening" attack.

William Ormandy, 31, approached and started talking to an 18-year-old woman just before 2am on Sunday, February 6 as she walked alone towards Liverpool Lime Street Station taxi rank. Ormandy said, youre gorgeous, and asked where she was going as he followed.

A short while later he said, give me a kiss to which she told him no, he then grabbed her and tried to kiss her. Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, at Liverpool Crown Court, said: "She told him she just wanted to get home, but he continued to follow her asking to go back to her house with her. She told him that she lived at home with her mum and told him she was only 18."

The court heard how at just after 2am he pulled her into a service alleyway near the station and continued trying to kiss her as she pleaded for him to let her go. She decided to walk up to London Road to get to the next taxi rank, Ormandy then raped the victim and left the location.

When she started to walk off he told her "come here" but she left the scene and he went in the opposite direction. Luckily three women came across the 18-year-old in a distressed state and she explained what happened. One of them refused to leave her and flagged down a taxi and took her home.

A major investigation was then launched by BTP detectives to trace and arrest Ormandy. On Wednesday, February 16, Ormandy handed himself in at St Anne Police Station and was arrested on suspicion of rape. In interview, he stated he consensually kissed the victim three times and denied raping her.

In a statement, the 18-year-old victim explained how she must take medication to sleep and described the impact of the rape. She said: "Since the incident l have not left the house unless I am accompanied by a family member. I dont like to be left alone. I need to know where my family are at all times, and I often sleep in same bed as my sisters.

"There have been times that my mum has held me whilst I cry. I am awake at all times in the night having showers, washing myself.

"The incident has had a devastating effect on my education. I had been aspiring to go to university, but I have failed all my university interviews. I had clear ambitions and dreams, now I dont know what the future holds for me."

William John Ormandy, 31, of Derby Court, Church Road, Halewood, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video link on Friday, March 18 where he pleaded guilty to rape. This afternoon (April 25) Judge David Potter sentenced him to eight years and three months in prison and imposed an extended four year licence.. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

On handing down the sentence at Liverpool Crown Court, the judge said he was satisfied that Ormandy deliberately targeted a lone 18-year-old and isolated her, showing a significant degree of planning. The court heard Ormandy has 13 convictions for 29 previous offences including a history of violence against women.

He was convicted last year of assaulting and harassing a former partner and was subject to a community order at the time of the rape. Sarah Holt, defending, said that Ormandy struggles to comprehend his behaviour and has no recollection.

She added: He is ashamed of himself and says he is lost for words. Miss Holt said his family is devastated and does not condone his behaviour but will support him when he leaves jail.

Judge Potter told Ormandy, his previous convictions reveal a worrying attitude that you have towards those you are involved within intimate relationships. You have a violent history against women.

It was a persistent incident and force was used. The pre-sentence report demonstrates a lack of insight into your offending.

Judge Potter said that he agreed with the probation officers view that Ormandy represents a high risk of harm specifically to women, known to him or strangers.

Senior Investigating Officer in the case, Detective Inspector Granville Sellers, said: Despite claiming he didnt commit the offence in interview, Ormandy is undoubtedly an opportunist sexual predator that preyed on a vulnerable girl and subjected her to a sickening ordeal. He realised the net was closing in as my team worked round the clock to apprehend him and he subsequently handed himself in.

"The physical and emotional impact his despicable crime has had on the victim cannot be underestimated. She showed incredible bravery to report his actions to us, and we continue to support her as Ormandy faces his adequately long stint behind bars.

"While crimes like this are extremely rare on the railway, they will never be tolerated. I hope his quick journey between committing the abhorrent crime and being convicted serves as a stark warning to sexual predators we will catch you and promptly bring you to justice."

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A PAEDOPHILE who sexually abused a schoolgirl when she was aged between eight and 10 around 40 years ago has been jailed.

Michael Patrick, 62, from Caerphilly, committed the offences when he was a young man twice his victims age.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the defendant had learning difficulties and was childlike and interacted with children as a result.

Patrick, of Gwerna Crescent, Maesycwmmer, admitted one count of indecent assault and was convicted of another charge of indecent assault following a trial.

The offences were committed between 1979 and 1982 in the Caerphilly county area.

Ieuan Rees, representing Patrick, said this was a sad case in many ways.

In mitigation he added how his client had led a very isolated life and had already served the equivalent of a seven-month prison sentence after being remanded in custody.

Judge Catherine Richards told Patrick: I have to sentence you for two occasions when you sexually assaulted and abused a young girl aged eight to 10 years of age.

The impact upon her is clear the impact of offending of this kind is lifelong.

You were twice her age and even though she knew you were childlike in your ways, she also knew you were an adult and you were clearly making her do things that she had no way of understanding, processing or consenting to.

She added: I have to take into account your own limitations as set out in the psychiatric and pre-sentence report as they affect your culpability with the result that this should be a lower starting point for you as compared to someone without your limitations.

Your victim described you as a lot more childlike and you interacted with children as a result.

The psychiatric assessment confirms in particular that you have an autism spectrum disorder and a prior diagnosis of learning disabilities as well as a schizoaffective personality disorder.

The judge told the defendant he was not prepared for adult sexuality in a way that was necessary for those with your difficulties.

Patrick was jailed for five years.

He was told he will have to register as a sex offender for life and was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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A disgraceful child abuser preyed on a sleeping boy in a tent.

Michael Cullen, now 36, of Catherine Street, Widnes, faced justice on Monday at Liverpool Crown Court after jurors convicted him at trial on March 10 of one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one of incitement.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, said Cullen had displayed elements of planning and grooming behaviour before abusing the young teenager.

Judge David Swinnerton said that during the day before the offences, Cullen had indulged in behaviour of a type that were it to have happened between two people of the same age one might describe as flirtation.

This was namely spraying water at the boys groin, drawing a dog on his thigh, and stroking his leg with his foot.

He said Cullen had woken his victim while he was sleeping in a tent, touched him under clothes and coaxed the boy to do the same to him.

Cullens victim felt like he was having an anxiety attack and zipped his sleeping bag back up.

Mr Riding said the boy had provided two impact statements but did not want them to be read out in court.

Judge Swinnerton confirmed he had read them and the victim said the abuse had a significant impact on him, and the boy had struggled to sleep and his relationships had been affected.

Carmel Wilde, defending, said there had been no long-term grooming and no drink, drugs or luring, and although there was a disparity in age, she called it not a gross disparity - a claim later rejected by the judge.

She urged the judge to consider that Cullen had no previous convictions and showed willing to engage in the Horizon sex offender programme, adding he remained in denial.

Ms Wilde said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and said references had been submitted to the court describing positives in Cullens character, suggesting a suspended sentence with rehabilitation could serve the public interest.

She said there had been threats in connection with the case, including that Cullen would be killed if he was imprisoned.

Judge Swinnerton sentenced Cullen to three years in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register for life alongside a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order.

Branding the abuse disgraceful, he said: There was undoubtedly a significant disparity in your ages and there are elements of planning and grooming.

Cullen must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.

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A perverted pensioner has been jailed for 17 years for his horrific sexual abuse of a young boy and girl more than 30 years ago.

Paedophile Peter Byrne violently raped both his victims on multiple occasions and Judge Andrew Hatton imposed an extended licence period on top of his jail sentence after concluding that the 76-year-old was a dangerous offender.

Former Calderdale man Byrne was first convicted of indecently assaulting girls under 14 back in 1970 when he was 25 and he also admitted further sexual abuse offences in the late 1980s.

In 2016 at the age of 69 Byrne, now of Townsgate Way, Irlam, Manchester, travelled 150 miles to have sex with an eight-year-old girl only to find out he had been talking to an undercover police officer.

Byrne was jailed for 30 months for that offence, but his court case prompted two more of his victims to contact the police and last month he was convicted of a series of serious sexual offences against them dating back to the 1980s and early 1990s.

Byrne was jailed today for offences of rape, buggery and indecent assault and his own barrister David Hall said the pensioner would be a frail old man when he becomes eligible for release after serving two-thirds of his 17-year jail term.

Judge Hatton said the victims impact statements made harrowing reading and by putting them through a trial Byrne had continued abusing them by requiring them to be cross-examined.

Both of them have been significantly impacted by your offending, he told Byrne via a video link to HMP Leeds.

Both of them clearly found the experience of giving evidence in their own ways very difficult.

The court heard that Byrne plied the young girl with alcohol and also recorded some of the abuse using a camera.

He said Byrne had used violence of a gross nature against both complainants, who must not be identified for legal reasons, and they had both suffered a severe psychological impact.

Byrne is already subject to a lifelong notification requirement as a sex offender as a result of his previous crimes.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Lindsay said: I would like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and reporting these matters.

Because of this, Byrne has got the sentence that he deserves. This case shows that, despite the passage of time, people like Peter Byrne can be brought to justice and I would urge anyone who has suffered in a similar way to come forward and to report the matter to us.

We have dedicated safeguarding officers here in Calderdale who are able to support you, will believe you and will take your reports seriously.

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A man has been jailed after kissing a teenage girl who suddenly turned up at his home in the "middle of the night".

Aurimas Turcinavicius took advantage of the 14-year-old girl and started "messing around" with her after she went to his home for shelter after a "blazing row" at her home. He ignored a police warning to stay away from her and pictures of the two of them, including one where they were in bed together, were later found on her phone, Hull Crown Court heard.

Turcinavicius, 36, of Milldane, Orchard Park estate, Hull, admitted two offences of sexual activity with a child between August 17 and 27 and between October 26 and 29. The case was originally listed for trial but he changed his pleas two weeks before it was due to start.

David Godfrey, prosecuting, said that Turcinavicius groomed the teenage girl by buying her things and, on two occasions, kissed her in a sexual way. He was interviewed by Humberside Police in August because of concerns about their relationship and was warned about his behaviour, but he went on to commit the second offence.

It happened when she turned up at his home. The girl took pictures of them that seemed to be sexualised and showed them kissing in different locations. "There is one of them in bed together," said Mr Godfrey.

The girl's sister had made a statement saying that the girl had become a lot more introverted since the incidents. The girl herself had not assisted the police and did not want to do so.

Nick Worsley, mitigating, said that Turcinavicius, who is Latvian, claimed that the most that ever happened was that he and the girl kissed a couple of times and that there was no sexual touching. "I kissed her once on her birthday," he claimed. He realised that he should not have done so and he bitterly regretted his behaviour.

Turcinavicius had split up from his long-term girlfriend, with whom he had a four-year-old daughter. He was on good terms with them and had not been able to see them because he had been remanded in custody since the end of October.

"He understands that it has come about through his own actions," said Mr Worsley. "This was some ill-advised kissing on a couple of occasions. It went no further than that."

The reason that the police became involved was because the girl left her home after a "blazing row" and went round to see Turcinavicius in the "middle of the night" for shelter.

The police came knocking there because the girl had gone missing. She had become "not obsessed with him", but was pursuing him.

"It was not deliberate and persistent flouting of a shot across his bows," said Mr Worsley. "This is the girl coming to him when there had been troubles at home."

The girl took photographs of them together. "She jumped on to the bed and took a selfie with him," said Mr Worsley. "It's not him that has taken the photograph. This is not contact that was taken further. It's messing around."

Turcinavicius was hard-working and had always worked, apart from a couple of weeks, and was a "model prisoner" in custody. He had a conviction for criminal damage.

Judge John Thackray QC said that Turcinavicius kissed the girl in a sexual way, using their tongues, in what "used to be called French kissing".

He told Turcinavicius: "You became very close to your 14-year-old victim and you kissed her in a sexual way on two occasions. There was a very significant disparity in age of over 20 years. You continued to have contact with your victim despite a previous warning.

"Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence. It must be an immediate custodial sentence. A clear message must go out in cases like this."

Turcinavicius was jailed for 16 months. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A North Shields paedophile was found in possession of sickening indecent images that depicted children in "pain and distress".

Russell Liddell had already received a community order in 2011 after being found in possession of child sexual abuse images. But the 53-year-old was hauled back to Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday after being found with more indecent material after police went to his home on April 8, 2020, seized electronic items and found category A, B, and C images.

The court heard that children as young as three-years-old were found on his devices. Liddell appeared at the court to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images of children. He had pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.

Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said an SD card, flash-drives and a hard-drive were seized when officers raided his home. A total of 17 category A, 10 category B, and 1,227 category C images were discovered, which depicted children between the ages of three and 16-years-old. Mr Pallister said some of the material included videos and showed children in "pain and distress".

The court heard that in 2011, Liddell, of Glendower Avenue, North Shields, was given a three year community order after being found in possession of indecent images. Mr Pallister said: "The defendant had left a mobile phone on a bus, which was found and examined. Indecent images were found and the phone was traced back to the defendant. His home was searched and 4,236 indecent images were recovered."

Adam Birkby, defending, said the "vast majority" of images that Liddell was found in possession of in 2020 were category C. He said: "This is a rather unusual case. He explained that some images had been downloaded as part of the last offending, not all of the images were new images." Mr Birkby said that the images had "triggered an addiction" and said he had a "complex mental health history". He added: "He leads a very isolated life and recognises he needs professional help."

The court was told that Liddell works from home for a call-centre and is a carer for his elderly father. Mr Birkby said that an immediate prison sentence would have an impact on him.

Sentencing Liddell, Recorder Ian Mullarkey said he had an "entrenched sexual interest in children" and handed him a 16 month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He ordered him to complete 55 rehabilitation activity days and made him subject of a four month electronic curfew. He must complete a sex offender programme and was made subject of a 15 year sexual harm prevention order. He will also be on the sex offender's register for 10 years.

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A waiter at a Chinese restaurant 'persuaded' a 15-year-old girl to have sex with him after taking her back to his flat.

Christopher Chan, 34, took a 15-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, back to his flat in Southport and had what the court was told was 'consensual sexual intercourse' with her. On two of the occasions Chan had given the 15-year-old alcohol, but a judge found that was to 'develop their relationship' rather than to facilitate the offences.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday, April 22, that Chan committed the offences while “on the bounce” after the end of a serious relationship. In an impact statement read to the court, the girl told how he persuaded her to have sex with him. 

She said his behaviour had affected her ability to concentrate at school and she went from having very good grades to poor ones which spoilt her chances of attending Cambridge University. She began self-harming and took an overdose, and has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and is on medication.

The girl said: "I now have trust issues with men, worrying they want to take advantage of me for their own needs."

Chan, who worked at Lings On Kings in King Street, Southport, had been found guilty of four offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child involving penetration.

Jailing him for three years Judge David Aubrey, QC, pointed out that the defendant had been twice her age and she had told him that she was under the age of consent.

He said: "You were not in a good place at the time because a long term relationship had broken down. However you knew it was against the law and wrong to engage in sexual activity with your victim

"There is no doubt whatsoever your victim has been impacted to a considerable extent by the relationship that she had with you."

Arthur Gibson, defending, pointed out that the offences took place with a two week period when the girl was three months short of her 16th birthday.

He said the offences happened after the break down of a very serious relationship. He suffers from agoraphobia and depression and it was his continual demands on her that led to her leaving him.

Judge Aubrey ordered Chan, of Manchester Road, Southport, to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A sex offender accused his three victims of being liars when he was arrested almost two decades after subjecting them to abuse.

Sirfraz Ahmed preyed on the girls in the early 2000s when they were aged between three and seven years old.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the abuse took place in different areas of the city.

Ahmed, 32, was aged in his early teens at the time of the offences.

The court heard how one of the victims was abused in front of other children.

Another victim was abused after Ahmed took the child into a garden shed.

Leeds Crown Court heard Ahmed was finally arrested in 2020 after his victim found the courage to report the offences to the police.

Ahmed, now of Albion Street, Dewsbury, initially denied any wrongdoing and accused the victims of making up false reports about him.

He later pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault.

One of the victims read a statement to the court describing how she found the strength to report Ahmed to the police after she saw him years later and he taunted her about the abuse.

She told the court: "This decision was not just to get justice for ourselves but to prevent there from being any more victims."

Ahmed has previous convictions for robbery, burglary, theft and driving offences.

In 2015 he was given a 78-month prison sentence for robbery.

Taryn Turner, mitigating, said Ahmed pleaded guilty to the offences at an early stage.

Ms Turner said the defendant was himself a child when he committed the offences.

The barrister added Ahmed had been assessed by the probation service as being a low risk of reoffending.

Ahmed was jailed for 28 months and told he must go on the sex offender for ten years.

Judge Timothy Clayson told Ahmed that he had caused psychological and emotional harm to all three of his victims.

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Steven Hobson, aged 29, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years in 2017 after being jailed for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Upon his release he had to agree to abide by strict rules, including notifying the police of any change of address.

Hobson is now wanted for breaching the Sex Offender Notification Requirements.

South Yorkshire Police said: As part of the terms of the Sex Offenders Register, Hobson is required to regularly update his address with police, however he has now failed to register an address with us since January 2022.

Extensive enquiries have been made to locate Hobson but despite speaking to him, he has failed to provide us with his current location.

Hobsons last known address was in Sheffield but he also has links to Rotherham, Lincolnshire and Lancashire.

Questions have been raised over why it took South Yorkshire Police so long to notify city residents that the sex offender was missing.

Jacqueline Howarth said: Why has it taken four months to release this information? I hope he is found quickly and taken off the streets again. We all have a duty of care and protection towards all children whether they are your own or not.

Addressing South Yorkshire Police, Dale Young said: So he's been missing since January, a DANGER to children and your letting the public know NOW. Wow do we not think the public should of been updated on day one of the offender missing?

Hennifer Rach added: Since January they've not known where he is and only just made the public aware.

Others are suggesting a change in the law, including sex offenders being tagged upon their release from prison.

Dawn Cartwright said: Shouldn't he have one of them things on his ankle, so they know where it is at all times?

In agreement, Julie Beales said: They should be on tag for 10 years and the register for life.

Anyone who spots Hobson should dial 999 immediately.