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A PREDATOR was caught messaging who he thought was a 12-year-old girl telling her to record herself doing a sex act and send it to him.

Paul Chesher, of Herbrandston, began messaging schoolgirl ‘Ellie’ on the social network site Kik on August 31, 2021. It was actually an undercover police officer.

When the decoy said they were at school, Chesher asked them to “sneak to the bathroom” and send him a picture, prosecutor Regan Walters said.

The defendant sent pictures which showed his face and told the decoy he was 56.

Mr Walters said Chesher would repeatedly refer to ‘Ellie’ as being “too young”, that he would “get in to trouble”, and that he “could go to jail”, as well as referencing that ‘Ellie’ “could be the police” and stating “this is so wrong”.

Despite this, he continued to ask the decoy for pictures, about her underwear and about her sexual experiences. He also told ‘Ellie’ to delete their conversations.

Chesher also directed the ‘girl’ to masturbate, and asked her to film herself doing it and send it to him.

Police were able to identify Chesher’s email and then his IP address. He was arrested at his home on October 22, 2021.

Stuart John, in mitigation, said there had been a “substantial delay” in the case coming to court.

“He has never been in any sort of trouble before,” he said.

“He feels a deep sense of shame being arrested for offences of this nature.”

Mr John said Chesher had suffered from medical issues which led to loneliness at the time of his offending.

Mr Walters said the delay was caused by a more than year-long hold-up in the devices being analysed, with a review of the material not completed until last August, and a delay in getting permission from Homeland Security in America to access information from Kik.

“You persisted in these activities for over a month. You knew full well what the consequences of this were to be,” said Judge Geraint Walters.

“This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgement, it was a persistent one.

“You still haven’t come to fully accept that the motivation had nothing to do with your mental or physical health, but your interest in children.”

Chesher was sentenced to 27 months in prison. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Detective Constable Paul Kelly, of Dyfed Powys Police, said: “This sentence and the investigation itself demonstrated excellent collaborative working between police agencies.

“It sends a clear message to perpetrators that crime against children is abhorrent, and that we as police will find the perpetrators and seek justice for the children involved.”

Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) case officer, Detective Constable Isaac Gott, said: “Our ROCU is dedicated to identifying individuals who have a sexual interest in children, and we will relentlessly pursue them.

“In addition to his sentence, Chesher now has a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.”

Description

A Wiltshire couple groomed a young woman before she was raped in their hot tub.

James Owen, 55 and his partner Ellen Rea, formerly Ellen Oades, 52, jointly preyed on an 18-year-old in Salisbury between January and February 2021.

Winchester Crown Court heard that Owen – a personal trainer – first sexually assaulted the teenager under the guise of training sessions.

A jury was told that over a number of weeks, the evil duo exchanged text messages outlining their intentions to abuse the woman.

On 6 February 2021, they invited their victim to their home for dinner – where they plied her with alcohol and persuaded her to join them in a hot tub.

It was there that the woman was raped by Owen and sexually assaulted by Rea.

At the conclusion of a nine-day trial today (Friday), Owen was convicted of rape, two counts of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.

Rea was found guilty of sexual assault and conspiracy to commit sexual assault.

Owen was sentenced to eight years in custody and Rea was sentenced to two years.

Detective Constable Martyn Powell said: “James Owen and Ellen Rea conspired to abuse the trust of a young woman.

“Their horrendous actions were fuelled by their own selfish desires, without for a moment considering the long-lasting consequences that this abuse would have on their victim.

“I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the young woman who worked with us to help bring these two offenders to justice and hope that she is able to find some solace in the lengthy custodial sentences that have been handed down today.”

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A Huddersfield man has been jailed for indecently assaulting a child in the 1980s.

Martin Glynn Whittle, aged 72, of Lucy Lane, Huddersfield, was found guilty following a four day trial of one charge of indecent assault on a child aged under 14 years.

He was sentenced this week at Leeds Crown Court to four and a half years imprisonment and will be subject to Sex Offender Register requirements.

Description

A Grantham man who was convicted of sexually assaulting an under-age girl was today (Friday August 16) jailed for 11 years.

Nicholas Manning, 50, of Edwards Street, was found guilty of three charges of assault by touching of a girl under 13 years old after an eight day trial at Lincoln Crown Court in July.

The jury also convicted Manning of a single charge of of assault by penetration of a girl under 13 years old - but cleared him of two other charges of rape and assault by touching.

All the offences occurred over one day in January this year.

In an impact statement which was read out in court the victim described how she now had difficulty sleeping and suffered both flashbacks and problems eating.

Emotionally, she described finding the incidents difficult to talk about and said she was now less sociable.

The girl's mother described how the court process had left her feeling numb and sick, and impacted her daughter's schooling.

"It broke my heart to see her go through it," she added.

Chris Jeyes, mitigating for Manning, argued the psychological impact on the victim was not in the most severe category.

Mr Jeyes also argued Manning had not deliberately used alcohol to facilitate the offences.

"This is a defendant with no similar previous convictions," Mr Jeyes added.

Passing sentence Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told Manning his victim was vulnerable and repeatedly assaulted while she drifted in and out of consciousness.

"There was clearly a great impact from your offending," Judge Sjolin Knight added.

Manning was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will have to register as a Sex Offender for life.

Description

A man who 'clearly poses a danger to children' has been locked up after he tried to abduct a 14-year-old boy in Stockport.

Sheraz Bhatti was sitting in his orange and black Mini car on Jacksons Lane in the Hazel Grove area on March 20 last year when he spotted the boy walking home. He shouted him over to get his attention, a court heard.

Bhatti, 43, then asked him if he wanted to get in the car. He offered to take him home and told him he had drinks to give him. Thankfully the boy continued walking and told his parents what had happened when he got home. They contacted the police.

Officers later found that Bhatti had searched on the internet for a school on the street where he had parked up and spoken to the boy. They tracked down the distinctive Mini as belonging to him and found it parked outside his home in Wythenshawe the following day.

They seized two phones and found almost 300 indecent images of children on them, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Some were category A, the worst kind, with others category B and C.

Bhatti was also found to have four bank accounts which he had not informed police about - which was in breach of the sex offender indefinite notification requirements he was made subject to following a conviction for sexual offences in 2008. He initially denied attempting to abduct the boy, but accepted he was on the scene.

In December last year, he then pleaded guilty to attempting to abduct a child. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, two counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child. and failing to comply with notification requirements.

Today (August 16), at Minshull Street Crown Court, Bhatti, of Longhope Road, Wythenshawe, was jailed for four years and three months. Richard Holliday, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "This incident encapsulates every parent's worst nightmare. Sheraz Bhatti clearly poses a danger to children.

"I would like to thank the boy for his quick thinking in raising the alarm which has helped us bring him to justice and protect other children from any other potential abuse. The Crown Prosecution Service takes offending of this nature extremely seriously and will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice."

Description

A PERVERT has been jailed for a total of 15 years after encouraging a nine-year-old girl to perform a sex act.

Jack Bradshaw, of Hartwell Grove, Winsford, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, August 8, for sentencing on eight sexual offence charges involving children.

The 29-year-old had previously denied all but one of the offences, but changed his plea to guilty at a court hearing on April 30 earlier this year.

At the latest hearing, Chester Crown Court heard Bradshaw had initiated a sexual chat with a nine-year-old girl in 2021 and 'intentionally incited' her to engage in sex acts.

Two years later in 2023, Bradshaw began communicating with another girl, aged 12, and again the chat was sexual, referencing genitalia.

He also tried to get the girl to look at an image of a person engaging in sexual activity, for his own gratification.

Following his arrest, Bradshaw was charged with five counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one charge of inciting a child under 13 to look at an image of sexual activity.

Judge Steven Everett handed Bradshaw an initial sentence of 11 years, four months before extending it by three years.

A further eight-month jail term, to be added consecutively, was imposed for the charge of inciting a child to look at a sexual activity image.

Judge Everett also made a forfeiture and destruction order in respect to seized items, such as several mobile phones and a sex toy.

Bradshaw was placed on the sex offender register indefinitely and made the subject of a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

This bans him from living in the same household as any child under 16, or entering and remaining in any household where a child under 16 is present, unless he has the express approval of Social Services.

He is also prohibited from having unsupervised contact or communication with any child under 16 unless, it is inadvertent and not reasonably avoidable in daily life, or he has consent of the child's parent or guardian, who has knowledge of his convictions.

As part of the order Bradshaw is not allowed to use any device capable of accessing the internet unless he notifies police, among other conditions.

Description

A Wakefield man has been jailed for 21 years after being convicted of multiple rape offences against two teenage girls.

Nadeem Hussain, aged 46, formerly of Regent Street, Wakefield; was found guilty following a four-week trial at Grimsby Crown Court of four counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

He was sentenced today at Grimsby Crown Court to 21 years imprisonment and was made the subject of a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which will put restrictions on him on his release from prison to further protect the public.  

The victims were aged 16 and 17 at the time of the offences.

Detective Sergeant Kirsty Senior, of Wakefield District’s Child Vulnerable to Exploitation Team (CVET), said: “Hussain has groomed his victims over a lengthy period of time, plying them with heroin and crack cocaine to enable his sexual offending.

“These were vulnerable teenage girls who he exploited. The sentence he has been given reflects the fact he is a dangerous offender who deserves to be behind bars.

“This court case has been the culmination of a two-year complex investigation by CVET. Hussain refused to accept his guilt resulting in a four-week trial and I am pleased that his victims have now got justice. That being said, no jail term can ever erase the lasting emotional, physical and psychological damage that Hussain has caused these two young girls.

“His victims have shown immense courage throughout this criminal justice process. They have been supported from the outset by specially trained safeguarding officers.

“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of child sexual exploitation or has concerns for a child to please report it so that we can safeguard the victim, protect others from harm and ensure perpetrators are made to face responsibility for their actions.”

Description

A man has been jailed over his sexual relationship with a teenage girl who was 10 years younger than him, a court has heard.

Daniel Outing, 32, was 24 when he became sexually involved with a 14-year-old girl.

Norwich Crown Court heard after becoming involved with the teenager - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - he encouraged her not to go to school.

Outing also warned the girl not to tell others about their sexual encounters - which happened in the Wroxham area - as they would both be in trouble.

Matthew Edwards, prosecuting, said police were informed after the victim disclosed to a family member she had been in sexual relationship with the defendant.

Outing was arrested and his devices seized.

They were found to contain more than  700 indecent images of children, including 102 Category A images - the most serious - featuring children aged between two and four.

Also found were 247 extreme pornographic images featuring a woman and animals.

Outing, of no fixed abode, appeared in court on Thursday to be sentenced after he admitted six counts of sexual activity with a child between April 2017 and July 2018.

He also admitted three counts of making indecent images of a child and possession of extreme pornographic images.

In addition, Outing admitted an offence of failing to comply with notification requirements, in that he did not inform police he became homeless.

Before he was sentenced, the court heard a statement from the victim who said she had "not realised at the time how serious and wrong this was".

She said Outing "encouraged" her to leave school early so they could be together and said she "couldn't tell anyone about it".

He said if she did they would both "get into trouble".

She said it had an impact on her mental health and led to anxiety and depression.

The victim said she could not move on with her life until after the court case.

Judge Andrew Shaw imposed an extended 10-year sentence on Outing - made up of six years in custody and four years on licence - insisting he was a dangerous offender who presented a "significant risk" of serious harm to other young girls.

Judge Shaw said he his victim had suffered "substantial psychological harm".

Andrew Thompson, for Outing, said the defendant pleaded guilty at as early a stage as he could when it reached the crown court.

He said Outing has no previous offences of this type and does not have a significant criminal history.

He said the relationship was inappropriate and "should not have happened".

Mr Thompson - who pointed out the case had been extremely delayed - said Outing, who has dyslexia, is "disgusted... with the benefit of hindsight" and has seen "the error of his ways".

Judge Shaw also imposed an indefinite restraining order on Outing meaning he cannot contact his victim.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life and made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Description

A convicted sex offender used a social media platform to send indecent images of himself to girl aged 14.

Jordan Saunders, 25, started sending messages to a 14-year-old girl on Instagram in February.

Southampton Crown Court heard how the conversion between Saunders and the girl – who was unknown to him – started very generally.

Four days after initiating conversation, Saunders sent two indecent images to the girl, accompanied by inappropriate messages.

Prosecuting, Keely Harvey said how the pictures were set to disappear after being opened.

But Saunders, previously convicted in 2017 of three counts of sexual activity with a child, did not expect the recipient to be the victim’s parents, who were checking the parental controls on her phone when the pictures were sent.

Ms Harvey said: “The victim’s parents are very vigilant about internet safety, and checking their daughter’s phone revealed the photos and inappropriate messages.

“They did some investigating, found the defendant’s name, and reported him to the police.

“The victim told her parents he had asked her for an inappropriate picture of herself, which she did not send.

“She felt his messages were weird and inappropriate, and often did not respond to him.

“The defendant initially denied knowing the victim when he was interviewed by police.”

The victim, now 15, thought Saunders was a friend from a club she had attended, until he revealed his age to her.

In an impact statement read out in court, she said his “creepy messages” and interaction made her feel embarrassed and uncomfortable.

She said: “I felt disgusting and didn’t want anyone else to do this to me.

“I cut all my hair off so no grown-up men would want to do what he did.”

Saunders, of Bramble Close, Eastleigh, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to comply with the requirements of a sex offenders register, and pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Mitigating, Eve Shelley said Saunders is seeking counselling in light of this incident.

She said: “He is looking for mental health support and further imprisonment will impact his mental health.”

Judge Nicholas Rowland deemed Saunders to be “dangerous” and posed a risk of harm to girls.

He was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.

As well as his prison sentence, Saunders will be on the sex offenders register for life and subject to a new sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Description

A man sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl on the street then after his arrest started following her on social media and watching videos she was posting, a court has heard.

The assault happened while farm labourer Andrew Chapman was on police bail after being arrested following concerns being raised about his behaviour.

Sending the 29-year-old to prison a judge told the defendant he had assaulted a vulnerable teenager who was "still trying to find out about the world". She said the rehabilitation and help he needed would have to await the end of his custodial sentence.

Swansea Crown Court heard that on September 21 last year Chapman parked his pickup truck on a street in Carmarthen and then began talking to a 16-year-old girl who was vaping nearby. Harry Dickens, prosecuting, said the defendant asked the girl if he could try her vape and she agreed, and they continued talking about her age and about social media but the child became "nervous of his intentions".

The court heard the defendant asked the girl for her phone number and asked for her a kiss - the girl refused, and at that point Chapman reached out of his vehicle and touched the front of her top around her breasts. The defendant then asked her to "go for a spin" in the vehicle but the girl walked off - who was described as being in "distressed state" - and reported the incident. The prosecutor said at the time of this incident the defendant was on police bail following his arrest for separate matters and was not allowed to have unsupervised contact with children.

The court heard Chapman's Mitsubishi was subsequently spotted by police on the A40 near Carmarthen and the vehicle was stopped and the driver arrested. In his subsequent interview the defendant - who worked as a labourer on a dairy farm - said he has been at work that morning and rather than going home to his wife he had decided to park up "for a rest". He accepted speaking to a girl and saying he found her attractive and had asked her to go to McDonald's but denied sexually assaulting her.

The court heard that on June 23 this year the victim of the incident happened to see the defendant driving a tractor in a village in Carmarthenshire, though she was not sure if he had seen her or whether he recognised her. The following day Chapman began following the girl's TikTok account and watching videos she was posting. Concerned at the online contact the girl contacted police and Chapman was arrested. This online contact was in breach of a previously imposed restraining order.

Andrew Chapman, of Peniel, Carmarthen, fell to be convicted for sexual assault and breach of a restraining order when he appeared in the dock. Hannah George, for Chapman, said the defendant had been brought up in a loving and supportive family. She said reports before the court identified the defendant's likely learning difficulties and she said his "intellectual age does not match his chronological age". The barrister said Chapman had always been a hard worker with a passion for farming, adding: "In his view, farming is his purpose in life".

Judge Catherine Richards told Chapman he had sexually assault a teenage girl who was "still trying to find out about the world", and then committed a very serious breach of a court order designed to protect his victim. Sending the defendant to prison she said the rehabilitation and help he needed would have to await the end of his custodial sentence. Chapman was sentenced to 20 months in prison comprising six months for the sexual assault and 14 months for breaching a restraining order to run consecutively. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the next seven years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Description

A man who raped a woman while she was having a seizure has been jailed for nine years.

Steven Catlow had offered to walk the woman home from a gathering at a house in Peterlee on Christmas Day in 2019.

On the way home, the woman suffered a seizure and fell on the ground behind a row of shops in Peterlee.

As she came round, she realised 32-year-old Catlow was raping her as she lay face down in a muddy patch of grass.

The woman called police later that evening and an investigation was launched by Durham Constabulary.

The case took several years to come to court as Catlow had initially lied about what happened. But when his DNA was found in the woman’s underwear, he changed his story to say that consensual sex had taken place.

However, a jury sitting at Durham Crown Court found Catlow guilty of rape and he was jailed for nine years on Monday (August 12).

In a victim impact statement, the woman said: “I have consistently had to keep re-living what happened - I tried so hard to forget about it all, but it was constant, having to experience flashbacks every time I spoke about it.

“Because of his actions, I now don’t go out with friends, I don’t feel comfortable being out and socialising. I am constantly looking over my shoulder thinking the worst is going to happen.

“My mental health has been up and down constantly since that day. I can never look at Christmas Day the same again – he has ruined this day for me for the rest of my life.

“I even look at myself differently – truthfully, I look at myself and just see myself as someone to be used. I lost all respect for myself. Because of what he did to me that Christmas Day, nearly five years ago, I will never be the same again.”

Detective Sergeant Erica Kilburn, who led the investigation, said: “Catlow’s actions on that day were abhorrent – he preyed on a woman who was physically not in a position to help herself.

“He is a dangerous predator who abused the woman’s trust and took advantage of her in the most horrific way.

“I’d like to commend the woman who has shown incredible resilience and strength of character throughout this protracted investigation and court case. She was not thrown by Catlow’s lack of remorse, and I hope this result goes some way to alleviate the pain she has suffered over these past few years.

“I am pleased that Catlow is now behind bars and unable to harm anyone else. This result sends a strong message that violence against women and girls will not be tolerated, and any reports will be rigorously pursued.”

Description

A police officer sexually assaulted four women on the night he was hailed a hero at the Scottish First Aid awards.

David Jones, 36, was at the event at Glasgow's Radisson Blu hotel in March 2023 for his role in facing-down a knife-wielding man in Edinburgh.

He was found guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court of groping a firefighter, a swimming instructor, her sister and a paramedic student.

He was given 150 hours of unpaid work. Police Scotland said Jones had been suspended and would face misconduct proceedings.

Jones, who had been an officer for six years, was recognised at the ceremony along with three colleagues for “heroic acts of bravery”.

The officers had faced a mentally-ill man with a knife while responding to reports of a gas leak. They provided first aid and managed to evacuate the area.

Jones, from Auchterarder in Perthshire, collected the event’s Chairperson’s Award with his colleagues.

Sheriff McIntyre told him: "It’s not lost on anyone that you were receiving an award that evening for your vital efforts and first aid.

"You made a considerable contribution to our community. None of that takes away from the obvious distress your conduct caused."

“Your victims were public servants celebrating their success that they were being commended for. You ruined that evening for them."

The trial heard how the award recipients had partied to an ABBA tribute act and DJ after the ceremony.

The 23-year-old paramedic student told the court how Jones made several attempts to dance with her.

She said he tried to grab her breast before putting his hand under her dress. The witness told the trial she had suffered from PTSD since the incident.

The 30-year-old firefighter said she felt a "distinctive bump on my back then a grab on my bum".

The swimming instructor, aged 23, told of an "uncomfortable interaction" with a stranger who groped her breast.

She said: "I told him to get away from me."

But the man remained near her group before he approached her sister.

She said she was "grabbed more vigorously" leaving her "uncomfortable and intimidated".

Jones was later thrown out by security for being drunk and encroaching on the personal space of the women.

He told the trial he "potentially" came into physical contact with them, but said he would have stopped dancing with them had they refused.

The father-of-two claimed he "did not know why" he had been kicked out of the awards.

He accepted he may have apologised to the one of the women, but that they were "mistaken by thinking it was something it was not".

His lawyer Christopher Shaw said his client maintains his innocence.

He added: “Mr Jones is a man with good character and knows his position is now untenable. His employment is now over.”

Ch Supt Helen Harrison, Police Scotland head of professional standards, said that damage is caused to public trust "by the actions of those who do not uphold the standards we expect in policing".

She added: "The officer remains suspended and will be the subject of misconduct proceedings."

Jones was found not guilty of a further three sexual assault allegations.

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre ordered him to do 150 hours of unpaid work, put him under supervision and on the sex offenders' register for one year.

Description

A private maths tutor who sexually abused a vulnerable teenage boy has been jailed.

Holly Rouse-Sweeney, aged 37, tutored the boy online before organising to meet him at her former Nottinghamshire home.

She then had sexual contact with him on several occasions – despite being aware he was under the age of consent.

Police were called in May 2023 when the boy’s mother found inappropriate WhatsApp messages on his phone.

After Rouse-Sweeney was arrested, officers found several incriminating diary entries on her laptop in which she detailed the abuse and even referenced the boy’s true age.

She later pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy, and four counts of causing a boy to engage in sexual activity.

Rouse-Sweeney, of Hebden Bridge, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (9 August) and was jailed for six years.

She was also added to the sex offenders’ register and made the subjection of a sexual harm prevention order which will tightly restrict her activities when she is released.

She was also handed a restraining order forbidding her from any future contact with her victim.

Rouse-Sweeney had claimed that her actions had been influenced by a long-standing mental health condition.

Description

A “depraved” sex offender who urged a young girl to sexually abuse her two-month-old relative in exchange for £1,000 has been jailed.

Ben Murphy, 31, also approached two girls while they were playing on the swings at a Sittingbourne park and made indecent suggestions to them which led them to run away.

Murphy, of Raite Green, Sonora Fields, Sittingbourne, also fled the scene in February last year but was arrested two days later after police spotted him on CCTV.

He was charged with inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and remanded in custody before a court appearance.

Murphy had already been due to attend court to be sentenced for several sex offences involving children between January 2020 and March 2021.

During this earlier period, he had contacted five separate children who did not know him, on social media platforms. Murphy asked his victims to send images of themselves, some in their underwear and others carrying out sexual acts.

In one conversation he incited a child to abuse their two-month old relative, and offered to pay her £1,000.

‘Murphy is a depraved individual who poses a considerable risk to young children...’

Murphy also sent indecent images and videos of himself to the victims and asked for private calls so he could further engage in sexual abuse. On another occasion in February 2021, he approached a further child in a Sittingbourne park and asked them to carry out a sexual act. The child refused and fled the scene.

Murphy had been arrested for these earlier offences and had pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court to six indictments of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and four of possessing indecent images of children. Some of the images were of the most serious category.

As he was awaiting sentencing and subject to strict court bail conditions, he went on to commit the most recent offence when he attended the park near Balas Drive and Sonora Way, Sttingbourne, in February.

He pleaded not guilty to this later offence but was convicted on Friday, following a trial, to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

On Tuesday (August 13) he was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he will have to serve two thirds before he is eligible for parole.

On his release he will have to serve a further two years on licence. Murphy will also have to sign the sex offenders’ register and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period.

Detective Constable Deniz Aslan said: “Murphy is a depraved individual who poses a considerable risk to young children in person or online. He made vile suggestions and sent indecent images to his vulnerable victims who were very distressed by his actions.”

PC Nadine Stanton, who investigated the most recent incident said: “Murphy showed himself incapable of following restrictions imposed by the court and a prison sentence was the only possible outcome.

“We would like to commend the young victims and their parents who have supported our investigation throughout and assisted us to bring this predator to justice. I hope the prison sentence imposed on Murphy will allow them to start to move on from their ordeal.”

Description

A paedophile had still not told his boss about his conviction for indecent images more than two months after admitting the offences in court.

Simon Lancaster, from Cardiff, was told by a judge that "anybody with any sense whatsoever" would come clean before police turn up at his workplace.

The 44-year-old pleaded guilty on June 11 to two charges of possessing indecent photographs. None of the images were in category A — the most serious type — but one was in category B and three were in category C. Lancaster, of Hillrise in Pentwyn, committed the offences between January 2019 and November 2022.

Wearing a smart suit, Lancaster appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court to be sentenced on Wednesday. District Judge Stephen Harmes asked when he planned to tell his employer about his offences, to which Lancaster said: "When it's necessary." The judge replied: "Okay. Well it will be necessary when police knock on the door to put software in your computer in work because there's a sexual harm prevention order. So anybody with any sense whatsoever would get ahead of that and tell their employer. You don't want police turning up to your workplace and saying you're a sex offender. They could have clients there."

The court heard that Lancaster has no previous convictions and works in Treforest. After reading the probation service's pre-sentence report Judge Harmes said: "I agree with the recommendation of the report. I'm not going to send you to prison. I think there are things in the report I'm concerned about, so I'm going to impose 25 days of rehabilitation activity and a 24-month community order."

The judge added that it would be "absolutely right" for Lancaster to do unpaid work, but he feared this would disrupt his rehabilitation activity and his work, so he instead imposed a fine of £1,000. Lancaster was also ordered to pay a £114 victim services surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs at a rate of £200 per month. "You will have to have your employer put some software on any computer in work," said Judge Harmes. "I can't leave that door ajar a little bit because the temptation will be there.

"It seems you have been let off too easily. What you have done is very serious and what you cannot do now is do it again. You will not have this sort of leniency and be able to rebuild your life and continue in work twice. If it happens again you will be going to prison. Do you understand?" Lancaster nodded and said he did.

Lancaster's devices which were seized by police will be destroyed. He will be subject to police notification requirements for five years.