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Reece Senior, of Gateshead, left the student and child petrified and has been branded dangerous as he was jailed

A predator stalked a student through city centre streets and tried to drag her down a dark alley to carry out a sex attack then violently molested a schoolgirl.

Dangerous Reece Senior left the woman petrified after striking in Newcastle after following her in an "ominous" way. A court heard he took hold of her and tried to manhandle her down an alley at 4am as she screamed for him to stop.

She was pushed violently to the ground and even her desperately calling her boyfriend to say she was about to be raped didn't put him off, although she eventually got away. Having been bailed for that, he then subjected an 11-year-old girl to an equally shocking attack on her way to school. He pushed her against a wall before sexually assaulting her.

Now the 28-year-old pervert, of Wallace Gardens, Springwell, Gateshead has been jailed after he was convicted of false imprisonment, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and sexual assault, at Newcastle Crown Court. Locking him up for seven years, Judge Edward Bindloss said: "(The student) was a lone female at 4am walking the streets of this city and she was followed by you. You acted in a predatory, ominous way."

Senior took a "strong, aggressive grip" on the woman and demanded she go down an alleyway. The judge said: "She told the jury she was on the phone to her boyfriend saying 'hurry up, he is trying trying to rape me'.

"Even that didn't put you off. You repeated an angry demand that she should get in the alley with you. She struggled against your physical attempts to take her there. I'm satisfied you intended to commit rape or assault by penetration and that's how the case was put before the jury. She gave evidence she was certain you intended to rape her."

A woman was woken by the screams of the victim and heard her shouting "please" and "don't" over and over again. She suffered bruising and soreness to her hand, arm, back and buttock and was still in pain eight months later.

The court heard the psychological effects on the victim have been more long-lasting than the physical ones. She was left feeling unable to leave her house, had to move and now fears men.

It's also affected her university studies, her job, her relationship with her family, her sleeping, her appetite and she has had panic attacks, including once when she saw someone in a beany hat in Newcastle who she thought was Senior.

She said: "It was terrifying. I was followed by him for some time before he approached me. I was aware he was behind me, which made me feel uncomfortable." Prosecutor Dan Cordey added: "She was petrified about what might happen as she was followed on the streets of Newcastle."

He was released on bail and went on to commit arson when he set fire to a bin. Senior then went on to commit sex attack on the 11-year-old, who was on her way to meet a friend to go to school. Judge Bindloss said: "Given her age, she was vulnerable.

"CCTV shows you changing course, going down an alley near her and she said you whistled to attract her attention. You were in the alley alone and she was cornered.

"She was an 11-year-old schoolgirl. You used violence against her, pushed her against a wall, put your hand on her arm and squeezed her breast very hard then touched her vagina over her school clothing.

"You tried to drag her by her sleeve but lost grip and she ran off." The girl later told police she was "shocked and scared".

The court heard Senior has previous convictions, including a sexual assault against a child in 2011. Pre-sentence reports said he poses a high risk of harm to children and adults

Judge Bindloss said he had demonstrated "predatory sexual behaviour in relation to both offences" and had shown no remorse or understanding for his victims. He must serve two-thirds of the seven year sentence and will be on licence for an additional five years. He must also register as a sex offender for life and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

The court heard he maintains his innocence and says he had no sexual motive. Chris Knox, defending, said: "He clearly doesn't accept that for which he is convicted." He has ADHD and learning difficulties and was using heroin at the time.

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Police have praised the victims of prolific sexual abuser Krishna Singh after he was found guilty at the High Court.

Singh, 72, of Airdrie, abused his position as a GP to prey on his victims over 35 years of practice.

His targets included a rape victim, teenagers, and pregnant women.

They were subjected to kissing, groping, inappropriate examinations, and sleazy comments during appointments with him.

Prosecutors described how the predator was hiding in plain sight for over almost four decades.

One of his victims bravely reported him to police in 2018, sparking a massive probe into his offending. He was subsequently arrested and charged in the same year.

Singh denied the crimes during a two-month trial at the High Court in Glasgow.

He was convicted of 54 charges, spanning between 1983 and 2018, against his victims with the crimes which mainly consisted of multiple sexual and indecent assaults.

The offences mainly occurred at medical practices in North Lanarkshire, but also at a hospital accident and emergency department, a police station and during visits to patients' homes.

Detective Inspector Stephen Morris, of the Specialist Crime Division said the victims had shown 'great courage' in helping with the investigation.

Speaking after the verdict, Detective Morris added: "Krishna Singh was a doctor, and in a position of trust, at the time he carried out this sexual abuse.

"The victims have shown great courage in coming forward with vital information, making sure he was held accountable for his actions, and ultimately convicted.

"His predatory behaviour was appalling for a man in his position.

"I hope this conviction provides a sense of closure for the victims and sends a clear message that all reports of sexual abuse, regardless of the passage of time, will be thoroughly investigated by Police Scotland and victims will be supported throughout.

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George Preston, 21, of Windsor Place, Fleetwood, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child under 13 and one count of rape of an 18-year-old woman at Preston Crown Court on Monday.

One of Preston's victims, who cannot be named, was just 12-years-old when she was raped by him in an 'abandoned gas shelter which was dirty with no windows'. She said: "George didnt just rape me, take my innocence away and my relations, but he also killed that person I ought to have been and that person I once was. No sentence long enough could ever begin for me to bring the real me back because one day he will be walking down the road just like nothing had happened."

She told the court: "I am terrified of men, groups of people, loud noise, and people touching me. I get consistent flashbacks and every day I will have a panic attack or a breakdown... It is a constant reminder of everything George did.

countless time, to which most people are unaware of except my closest friends. I am permanently scarred by what George did to me and there is no escape of that. I will forever have to carry this along with me. I will have to grow up knowing that each day I will still have been that victim, that child who got raped.

"Theres a question I have always wanted to know the answer of and that is why.

"George has ruined my life, my views, and my mental and physical state and I do not see myself getting past this. When I look into the future all I see is a black hole. George took my life away from the first time he abused me, and I will never get my life back. I lay there at night thinking of if I had killed myself how people would move on and carry on being happy. George has taken my life away he killed the person inside that I once was, and I do not see a sentence long enough to let the lives of his victims ever build back up to how they were."

Preston was sentenced to nine years in prison, and received a 10 year restraining order preventing him from contacting either of his victims. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

His victim, who is now 17, said: "I was once a happy child excited to see what their future held and what they would experience. Yet instead, Im a lost teenager with no future in their eyes and no hope or aspiration for the future. I see a dark hole that I cannot reach out of. I am trapped and I will never be set free. George will always have that hold over me.

"I would have loved to see what my life held for me if I had not met George; I would have loved to know what I would have achieved and what I could have built for myself rather than it being taken away from me.

"I know there are a lot of things I could say, but to this day I am still terrified of what he may do. I might be stronger minded and stronger physically now than I was when I was 11, but I could still not face him and say what I think. That man will forever terrify me, the things that resemble him and the places where he made me go will forever be a constant reminder of what he did... I will never forgive him of what he has done."

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A Dundee man with profound learning difficulties is unlikely to face jail for raping a 13-year-old girl.

Robbie Thompson had non-consensual sex with the youngster at a gathering in the city’s Whitfield area in August 2020.

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Mohammed Iqbal spent almost a month bullying, attacking and humiliating the man in his own Wakefield flat after he built up drug debts.

Iqbal, 19, was handed a 12-year sentence at Leeds Crown Court for the vile treatment of the man between April and May of last year.

He had denied the offences but was found guilty after a trial in February.

The court heard that Iqbal took advantage of the man, who was diagnosed with severe mental problems, after selling him drugs.

Recorder Hill-Baker said: "You assaulted him repeatedly with a number of weapons, causing him multiple bruising and burnt him with a lit cigarette.

"You further humiliated him by sexually abusing him. He lived in fear of the assaults."

The court heard that Iqbal forced the man to perform a sex act on two occasions and sexually assaulted him with a vacuum cleaner.

He also threatened to give crack cocaine to the man's son if he reported the abuse to the police.

Iqbal was found guilty of sexual assault, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, holding a person in slavery or servitude, two counts of actual bodily harm and attempted assault by penetration.

It was not a single offence, it was a course of conduct, and I have come to the conclusion you are a dangerous offender."

He handed him a 12-year sentence, made up of 10 years in prison with an extended licence period of two years.

Iqbal was also made the subject of a restraining order of indeterminate length to keep him away from the victim and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

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A MAN has been jailed for 19 years after being found guilty of historic child sex offences.

David Neil Cook, 62, was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. 

 The offences were committed between April 1991 and April 1993 and involved one female child victim.

The victim first disclosed the offences to police in 2019 and Cook was subsequently arrested and charged.

Cook, of Glebe Way, West Knighton, pleaded not guilty in an appearance at Bournemouth Crown Court last year and his case was sent to trial at Winchester Crown Court where he was found guilty of the four charges by a jury last October.

He appeared again at Winchester Crown Court for sentencing this month year where a judge sentenced him to a total of 19 years' imprisonment.

The victim, who has been described as showing 'immense courage', told the Echo that she made the report to police following 'years of anxiety'.

She said: "I was too young to realise what was going on, what he was making me do."

Despite what has been a very difficult time, the victim said she was glad that the case was over and was happy with the sentence given to Cook.

She said she doesn't want other victims of abuse to feel ashamed about what happened to them or to hide behind their abuse for years.

She said: "People shouldn't keep secrets, they should not be ashamed, and they will be believed."

Detective Constable Mandy Lawrence, of Dorset Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “The victim showed immense courage in coming forward to report what happened to them to police.

“I am pleased that following our investigation, David Cook is now behind bars for his unacceptable behaviour.

“We will relentlessly tackle child sexual abuse by supporting victims, encouraging reporting and ensuring those who inflict abuse are brought to justice.

“I hope this case encourages others to find the strength to come forward to report any sexual abuse in the knowledge that they will be supported and a thorough investigation will be carried out.” 

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A MAN from Cheshire who sexually assaulted a sleeping child and shared indecent images he had taken online has been jailed for four years and four months.

Craig Crowther, 31, was identified by National Crime Agency investigators as username craggy2014 who, on numerous occasions, discussed his sexual interest in children with who he believed were other paedophiles online.

In May 2020, Crowther, of Tilstone Close, Northwich, told an undercover police officer posing as another user that he likes to get involved with children, and had access to a child who he had sexually abused.

Frances Willmott, prosecuting in Chester Crown Court today, April 14, said he even shared indecent images of the child in order to get accepted into an online paedophile group.

The court heard how on July 15, 2020, he had conversations with an undercover FBI officer and shared 10 images of children, even encouraging the officer, who he believed was another user, to take pictures of a child and send them to him.

Crowther bragged he had taken a sexually explicit photo of a sleeping child who he had sexually assaulted and also admitted to videoing the child but then deleting it immediately, knowing it was wrong.

Crowther was arrested in July 2021 where 56 indecent images of children were found on his phone between categories A and C, including some of him sexually assaulting a child.

When NCA officers arrested Crowther, he made a number of comments including, my life is over, nobody knows, Ive been expecting you, I know what Ive done and what Ive been on and I got no sexual gratification from it.

He was charged with three counts of assault of a child under 13 by touching, three counts of making indecent images of a child (ranging from category A-C), two counts of taking indecent images (category B and C) and two counts of distributing category C indecent images.

Crowther pleaded guilty to all the charges on February 11 this year at Chester Magistrates Court.

Defending, Brian Treadwell, told the court his client did express remorse for his actions and accepted full responsibility.

Crowther was sentenced to four years and four months in prison at Chester Crown Court today, April 14.

Once released, he will remain on licence for four years, as well as being subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Sentencing, Judge Patrick Thompson said: You made it clear in conversations that you have an unhealthy interest in young children.

He added that his explanations for his behaviour in his pre-sentence report were full of denial, one of those being that he only shared images online to catch out other paedophiles - a claim which the judge dismissed.

It seems to me that you are not prepared to accept the reality that you are a paedophile, Judge Thompson told him.

I am afraid children must be protected from men like you.

NCA investigations manager Hazel Stewart said: Craig Crowthers crimes were despicable, and our intervention helped safeguard children.

He was prepared to share explicit images of his victim to like-minded individuals online, bragging about his abuse to gain their respect.

His actions were callous beyond belief and by his own admission, he knew exactly what he was doing.

The NCA works to protect those affected by child sexual abuse and disrupt offenders who pose a sexual threat to children, ensuring they face justice.

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A pervert music teacher gave two underage girls drugs and sexually assaulted them in a tent at a Derbyshire music festival. Richard Barlow was also found to have indecent images of children after assaulting the girls at the Rock and Blues Festival at the Coney Grey Showground in Pentrich near Belper.

Nottinghamshire Live reported that one of his victims was left suicidal, depressed and anxious and another constantly relives the experience, Nottingham Crown Court heard. Barlow, 39, ran Instru-Tech Ltd in Mansfield prior to his arrest.

Sentencing him, Recorder Michael Auty QC said: "It seems that they did not take much of the cocaine. It had an immediate impact, particularly on one girl, who was unfamiliar with the drug and how to take it.

It certainly stupefied them for moments. You undressed them both and penetrated the vagina of each of them. I regard what you did as having elements of real wickedness to it."

The judge added that Barlow giving the girls the drug "is indicative of a process you must have given appreciative thought". He also said that the girls were vulnerable by way of their age".

Turning to the two victims, Recorder Auty said: "I hope you are able to make something of the life that lies ahead of you. You are two remarkable young women with bright futures and I wish you all the very best."

The date of the offence was not disclosed but Barlow, formerly of Mansfield but now of no fixed abode, was sentenced to a total of 15 years behind bars for eight offences relating to sexual activity with children and possession of indecent images.

Sarah Phelan, mitigating, said [Barlow] knows he is going to custody for a very long time".

The Rock and Blues festival at which the assaults occurred runs for one weekend a year and is held at the Coney Grey Showground in Pentrich, between Belper and Alfreton. The festival organisers have been approached for comment.

Richard Howe, Detective Constable at Nottinghamshire Police, said: Barlow exploited girls who were less than half his age. As we revealed during our investigation, he knew full well that what he was doing was wrong but carried on with his offending regardless.

His victims, who have shown enormous courage and dignity during this process, must live every day with the memory not only of what Barlow did to them, but also of the crown court trial he forced them to sit through as he attempted to defend the indefensible.

I am pleased that he has finally been exposed for what he is and hope this case also serves as a reminder to other men who think they can get away with abusing children. All it takes is one call to the police for them to be exposed and shamed for what they are.

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The dad of a vulnerable young woman with Down's Syndrome and the mental age of a six-year-old walked in on a perverted care worker exposing himself to her on a video call.

Wavertree man Peter Edge, 62, was the then director of a company offering respite care to adults with disabilities - giving parents and carers a much-needed break. The family of *Jane (not her real name), told the ECHO they had total trust in him.

Today, Preston Crown Court heard Edge, of Goswell Street, betrayed them in the most devastating way imaginable, raping and sexually assaulting her at the West Lancashire respite centre at a time when he knew it was empty. The abuse only came to light when her dad, to his horror, saw Edge had exposed his penis over the webcam while Jane was in the family home.

An investigation was launched and Lancashire Police discovered that Edge had sexually abused Jane on the very first day she was allowed out from her home after shielding from coronavirus as a vulnerable person.

The pervert was supposed to be taking her to a park to maintain social distancing boundaries, but knew the fact other staff and service users at the respite centre were there meant it would be empty. Her parents said Jane had to point out what happened to her to specially trained officers, a process which caused her stress and embarrassment.

Judge Heather Lloyd, passing sentence today, described Edge as a remorseless and manipulative offender who posed a significant danger to the public. She said: "It is a blessing that [Jane's dad] saw what you were doing. Had he not, who knows how long you would have gotten away with this criminal behaviour towards his daughter.

"She may have enjoyed the attention you were showing her... but she did not understand the gravity of what you had done to her."

During the hearing, Jane's mum bravely began to read a victim personal statement about the impact of Edge's crimes on the family - but became so emotional she asked prosecutor Richard Haworth to finish reading it out.

She said: "[Her dad] was absolutely devastated when he saw Edge expose his genitals to Jane and in that moment everything changed for Jane and us. She could no longer go to [the respite centre] for overnight stays or meet with her friends, she lost her entire care network and social life, and this was totally devastating and hard for us to explain to her."

The court heard initially the parents had no idea of the full extent of Edge's offending against their "beautiful and amazing" daughter until a detective came round to explain Jane had reported being sexually assaulted. Her mum said: "I felt physically sick. [Her dad] cried and that really upset me because as he never cries, he very rarely shows his emotions. I found it hard to process what Jane had been through and didn't know how to deal with it."

The family have since struggled to find new respite care for Jane, and lost her grandad before he could see justice. Her mum told the court: "I find it hard to digest that the person I trusted with Jane violated her in the sickest way. It's hard to believe anyone could take advantage of Jane, let alone when the perpetrator is someone I'd also thought of as a friend, someone I allowed into my home and more importantly into Jane's life to care for her and protect her whilst she wasn't with me."

Edge accepted two lesser charges, but denied raping Jane and her family were forced to endure a trial - a process which Jane's mum described as a "horrendous ordeal".

Edge claimed he felt "disgusted" with himself after acting inappropriately with her, but denied he had raped her. A jury saw through his lies and convicted him of rape, sexual assault and other offences.

Jane's mum told the court: "On the day Edge gave evidence [Jane's dad] couldn't even be in court as he was too angry and upset and he couldn't listen to what that man had to say. I did sit through his evidence. There are no words to explain how it made me feel.

"I was in complete disbelief and disgusted to hear that he had sexual urges towards my beautiful daughter. It was utterly disgusting to sit a few feet away from him and having to listen. It didn't feel like it was my Jane that was being talked about. I felt like I was watching someone else's trial except, every time Jane's name was mentioned, it hit me hard it was my daughter who was being talked about and it made it real again."

Lloyd Morgan, defending Edge, told the court that a the legal definition of dangerousness, a significant risk of future harm, was not met. He highlighted that the Probation Service classed Edge as a low risk of reoffending, and said the inevitable long prison sentence and restrictions imposed after his release would be enough to protect the public.

Mr Morgan also said the Probation Service believed Edge had displayed remorse and a desire to understand why he committed the offences. However Judge Lloyd said she could not understand how he could show remorse when he still maintained his innocence of the most serious charges.

However Judge Lloyd said she disagreed, meaning Edge would find himself spending a considerably longer time behind bars. She handed down an extended sentence of 15 years in prison, with an additional two years on licence.

The sentence means instead of being automatically released on licence at the half-way stage, Edge must serve a minimum of two thirds - 10 years - behind bars before a Parole Board can consider him for early release.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Kerry Briggs said: "Peter Edge is an offender who abused his position of trust as a carer to subject his vulnerable victim to abhorrent abuse whilst he should have been providing care.

"I would first and foremost like to commend her for her courage in speaking out and facing her abuser through the court process, and both her and her family for conducting themselves with such dignity throughout this process in the face of repeated lies and attempts by Edge to use this ladys vulnerability to try and conceal what he had done.

"The victim is a happy go-lucky individual and its heart-breaking to think that someone who she trusted took advantage of her in this way. We have worked tirelessly to secure this conviction in very difficult circumstances and I hope that this significant sentence keeps the public safe from his disgusting sick behaviour along with giving others the courage who may have suffered similar abuse to come forward."

Solicitor Kevin Donoghue, who is representing Jane and her family in a civil case against the care company, added: "My clients parents were totally taken in by Peter Edge and his company. They were convinced he had their daughters best interests at heart.

"Edge used the cover of helping her professionally to commit repeated acts of the most serious sexual abuse. He then fought the criminal charges, resulting in a Crown Court trial which compounded my clients distress. Understandably, the victim and her parents are utterly devastated."

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A man has been jailed after he was found guilty of a serious sexual offence against a child under five years old

At his trial on 31st January 2022, David Shaw formerly of Winsford but more recently Crewe was found guilty of committing a serious sexual offence against a young person known to him.

At Chester Crown Court he was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment

A sexual harm prevention order was put in place to prevent him from engaging in a particular activity which includes:

- Having any unsupervised access to any child aged under 16

- Must not live in the same household as a child aged under 16 without written approval from childrens social services

- Conditions not to have any contact with the victim

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A double amputee pensioner spared prison for sex chats with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for having a secret phone.

As we reported in 2019, Raymond Straughan invited the "child", who turned out to be a decoy Facebook profile set up by vigilantes, to his home to meet his cats and said he wanted her to move in so they could have sex every night. He was given a suspended sentence for that and a sexual harm prevention order which meant he had to declare any internet enabled devices to police.

On March 11 last year, risk management officers attended 70-year-old Straughan's home and he was asked to provide all devices capable of being used to go online. Matthew Hopkins, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court : "The defendant gave officers a Samsung mobile phone and he confirmed it was his only internet enabled device. Officers became suspicious because the phone appeared to be in factory default state.

"He was asked if he was sure that was his only internet enabled device and he again confirmed it was." Police went back a few days later and noticed a different mobile phone on a coffee table near Straughan. He initially lied that it was his wife's phone and she backed him up at first but then admitted it was his.

While there was no illegal material found on the phone he had failed to declare, in breach of the sexual harm prevention order, there was some "sexualised conversation" with adults. Mr Hopkins said: "He said he couldn't offer an explanation for what he had done."

Straughan, of Barford Court, Harlow Green, Gateshead, pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual harm prevention order and breaching the suspended sentence. Jailing him for eight months, Judge Christopher Prince said: "You were trying to conceal your online behaviour and the pre-sentence report says this clearly raises concerns about your motivations."

The judge said it was "concerning" he had lied about the second phone and added: "This was a quite deliberate breach of the sexual harm prevention order."

Kelly Sharif, defending, said: "He has seen the error of his ways with regard to not notifying the police about the phone. He tells me he is sorry for this. He has since had police out three times to check his devices and there have been no issues."

It was in late 2018 and early 2019 that Straughan made contact with a girl called Lucy on social media and, despite her apparently tender age, quickly turned the conversation sexual. In the first contact, he asked if she was a virgin and if she wished to explore her body before telling her he wanted to make love to her and that it was allowed because she was classed as an adult from the age of 12.

Fortunately, Lucy was a fake profile set up by an online paedophile hunting group called Stop, rather than a real child. When Straughan was told she wanted to be a vet, he suggested she visit his home to see his pets, before saying he would take her swimming and that they could go to a hotel.

He arranged to meet up with her but pulled out two days beforehand. However, vigilantes turned up at his address and he was driven out, with damage being caused to his home and neighbours being told he was a paedophile.

He was sentenced to nine months suspended for two years and told he must sign the sex offenders register for ten years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

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A MET Police detective has been found guilty of trying to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex when he was "on duty working from home".

DC Francois Olwage, 52, travelled 75 miles to meet "Caitlin", who was actually an undercover officer after grooming the person online.

Police found two condoms, a bottle of lubricant and a packet of Tadalafil erectile dysfunction tablets in his bag when they arrested him in a McDonalds in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

A box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates was also found, thought to be a present for the "girl", and he was about to buy a McFlurry for her.

Paedo Olwage had been on-duty and working from home when he made the journey from his home in Stevenage, Herts, in October.

The Met Police counter-terrorism officer went to meet the "girl" after revealing sex acts he wanted to perform on her during two weeks of explicit messaging.

The undercover officer called the girl Smile Bear on online chat forum Lycos, before they moved onto Whatsapp and called her Caitlin.

Olwage, a serving police officer of 19 years, had booked a hotel room for the meeting.

Winchester crown court found him guilty of three child sex offences.

Met Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith said last year his arrest followed a comprehensive investigation by Hertfordshire Police.

Olwage told the jury he never believed Smile Bear was a 13-year-old girl and that he thought it was an adult playing out a fantasy.

The sex offender also denied any sexual interest in children.

He was today found guilty of attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 following grooming.

He admitted improperly exercising his police powers and privileges to receive the "benefit of sexual gratification" when the trial started.

Judge Jane Miller QC ordered the jury to find him not guilty of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

He will be remanded in custody and sentenced this month.

The Sun approached the Met Police for comment.

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Darren Harkins was in fact speaking to an undercover police officer

A man didn't realise who he was really speaking to when trying to arrange "genuine family fun" on a sexual fetish forum. He said age was "just a number" to him when arranging to have sex with a child.

Darren Harkins, of High Street in Glyn Ceiriog, appeared in the dock at Mold Crown Court on Thursday. He was charged with attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

The 48-year-old Denbighshire man thought he was speaking to a depraved mother offering up her own nine-year-old daughter for that abuse. In However, the messages were coming from someone completely different.

Prosecutor Simon Rogers said that, in reality, there was no child being put at risk as Harkins had in fact been spotted online by an undercover police officer. She made initial contact with him on the website that catered for those with an interest in BDSM - which the court heard stands for bondage, dominance, submission and sadomasochism.

Officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit were tasked online in order to identify those that expressed a sexual interest in children, Mr Rogers said. It wasn't long before they were onto Harkins.

The court heard that Harkins had set up his own discussion board online. He said he was "looking for the impossible" and seeking out "genuine family fun".

In July 2020, an officer posed as a mum replying to Harkins' post online. He responded and had their chat move onto another social media site because he worried about having the discussion openly online.

In the conversations that followed, Harkins took little issue with the woman offering up her primary school-aged daughter for sex. He told the "mum" that age is "just a number" to him.

Harkins - who said that he was "turned on by incest" - also sent videos of himself having sex to the woman. He would then ask that these were shown to the child to demonstrate "what he'd do to her".

Harkins sent over a dozen videos in the weeks that followed to the undercover officer. They consisted of the 49-year-old performing sex acts upon himself and making reference to the child "wanting to play" with his genitals.

In further text messages, Mr Rogers told the court, the pair had started to make arrangements to meet at a hotel one afternoon in Gloucester. He made suggestions that, should the child enjoy the encounter, they could "do this every month or so".

Harkins told the officer that he'd "never done anything like this before". He continued to show signs of worry that he'd fallen into "some sort of trap" saying he was "scared" that upon meeting them there would in fact be "big cops there to take [him] down" instead.

North Wales Police carried out a warrant in October 2020 at Harkins' Denbighshire home. Here, they found the phone he had been using to chat with the undercover officer hidden behind a desk drawer in his study.

Mark Connor, defending, said that Harkins was "deeply ashamed" but "well aware" of the seriousness of the offence. He knew that jail was the judge's "only realistic option" for punishment, said Mr Connor.

He added that his client was not driven by a "desire to abuse children" but was a man with a general sex addiction. He said this caused him to "push the boundaries" when seeking "more extreme forms" of sexual activity with consenting adults.

Judge Niclas Parry said that, after hearing everything, he was unconvinced that Harkins was not a danger to children. He expressed that "mercifully" no actual child was put in harm's way in this case.

Jailing Harkins for three years and four months, Judge Parry said: "You indicated by your depraved conduct that you were prepared to use a child aged only nine for sexual gratification. What makes this a particularly serious matter is that you were prepared to use the child's equally depraved mother to assist."

The court ordered that Harkins' online activity be monitored for life. He was banned from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 without relevant parents and social services being aware of his convictions.

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Lewis Fisher, 28, who is from Hartlepool, initially denied the offence to police after they were quickly alerted.

But forensic tests on swabs taken from the girl eventually provided DNA evidence to prosecute him, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, read a victim impact statement on her behalf in which she said: I cant trust anyone, I dont feel safe. I feel traumatised and it will be for ever.

She also felt as though her claims were initially disbelieved and that she was being punished for something that was not my fault.

Michele Turner, defending, told the court: He does now have an understanding of the impact of what he has done

There are understandably features which quite rightly left the court concerned about.

He accepts that his family have to serve any sentence with him.

Judge Chris Smith said Fishers victim had a degree of vulnerability because of previous problems and was taken advantage of by him.

Passing sentence, Judge Smith told him: When you were arrested you denied doing the offence but the scientific evidence supported her and you had the good sense to plead guilty.

The impact upon her has been very substantial partly because she went through a period of being disbelieved.

Fisher, who is a carer and is from Kesteven Road, was jailed for five years.

He will also be monitored for life by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and be a registered sex offender for life after he pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child.

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Ryan Davies tried to hide his secret phone's identity so police thought it was a gaming console

A "devious" man went to great lengths to hide dating apps and social media he wasn't supposed to have without police approval. His blatant lies were exposed after a police tip off.

Ryan Davies, of Victoria Road in Wrexham, found himself back before a judge at Mold Crown Court on Thursday afternoon. He had admitted before the Magistrates Court to breaching one of the terms in his sexual harm prevention order.

The 22-year-old was made subject to the order after being convicted in October 2019, having sent videos of himself masturbating to a teenage girl. As part of his punishment, along with a spell of custody, he was banned from having social media accounts without notifying the police.

The court heard from prosecutor Andrew Green that the former teaching assistant was visited by the police on January 17 last year at his home address. There, he denied having any form of social media when quizzed about the subject - which later turned out to be a lie.

In fact, the court heard Davies had secret Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Police were given a tip off about these accounts the following month.

The police went back to Davies' home in Wrexham, armed with this information. He denied any knowledge of the two accounts but was a swiftly arrested after an iPhone was found in the passenger footwell of his car.

The smartphone was forensically analysed and officers found the accounts - one of which had been used since October 2020. The court heard that the phone was set up in a way that, were officers to look for devices connected to the internet, it would display as a PlayStation 4.

The police also found Davies had a TikTok account along with profiles on dating apps Bumble and Grindr. Sexual content was also discovered in the device's gallery of pictures and videos.

His web history also proved "unsettling", the court heard. The prosecutor said searches were conducted for "barely legal gay teen porn" amongst others.

Elen Owen, defending, said that Davies was "clearly a socially isolated young man". He took a "huge risk" by hiding this device from the authorities at at time when he was otherwise "turning his life around".

She said: "He tells me today that he knew what he was doing was wrong. What he's done is access various apps and, when one is 22, that is the way they live their lives these days - online."

Ms Owen also told the court that Davies did eventually tell the police about the phone before his arrest. She added that, had he not opened up about it then, the police may never have found its hiding spot.

Judge Niclas Parry said that the court faced a "stark choice" when dealing with him. However, he felt convinced to narrowly suspend the jail sentence.

He said: "You're a slippery, devious and dishonest man. That all makes it very difficult to work with you on an order that's been made because you are a high risk of harm to young children.

"However, you had the good sense to plead guilty. The device was not used commit a further crime and this is the first breach of that order."

The judge granted an order for Davies' secret phone to be destroyed after his year-long custodial sentence was suspended for 18 months. During that time, he must finish 120 hours of unpaid work as well as completing a 20-day rehabilitation activity.