Latest Offenders

Description

A pervert who was found in possession of images of a man having sex with a corpse told a 13-year-old boy to send him sexual videos. He was also found to have distributed indecent images.

Paul Meechan, 56, of Cardiff, was arrested by police after he was found to have been speaking to a teenager and incited him to engage in sexual activity. His electronic devices were seized and when examined revealed a number of disgusting images depicting child abuse and necrophilia.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard the defendant possessed an image of a person having sex with a corpse and children as young as seven-months-old being abused. Meechan, of Llanfair Road, Pontcanna, later pleaded guilty to possession of category A, B, and C images, possession of extreme and prohibited images, distribution of category A and B images, sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

In mitigation, the court heard the defendant entered guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity and had referred himself to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child sex abuse. He was using drugs at the time of the offences but had sought to abstain from those substances.

Sentencing, Judge Wayne Beard said: "These images can only produce revulsion in right thinking people... Part of what went on here was your involvement in drugs. you sought to minimise the offences by saying you received no sexual gratification from the images but were interested in them because they were illegal."

Meechan was sentenced to a total of two years and eight months imprisonment. He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A prolific sexual predator who committed a catalogue of depraved offences against children and young women has received a 30-year prison sentence.

Jay Stephen Perren, formerly known as Stephen Jardine, a self-confessed “evil monster” with a sexual interest in children, has left a series of victims traumatised by his devious and sustained offending.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Perren filmed many of his crimes and logged the offending footage and images into computer memory card folders compiled under the names of the victims and their home locations, as far away as South Wales.

In some cases, the victims were unaware of the offending until police called to reveal what had taken place to them, while it is thought they were sleeping or heavily intoxicated by the defendant.

The 34-year-old former pub DJ, previously of Stockton, but living most recently on bail in Nottingham, admitted 25 offences.

They included five counts of rape, including on a child under 12-months-old, sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography, three counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, three counts of making indecent images of a child, six counts of taking indecent images of a child and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

These offences were committed over a number of years and documented in 33,000 images and videos which were stored in 140 folders on an SD card.

Paul Reid, prosecuting, said Perren has served three past prison sentences for sexual offences, one after inquiries into the latest convictions were already under way.

He read a succession of statements from Perren’s victims, with one choosing to address the court herself, and all spoke of the ongoing trauma and psychological damage caused by the defendant.

Several stated they could no longer trust men or were fearful in the presence of men.

Victoria Lamballe, in mitigation, said her client made relatively early admissions, sparing his victims from the prospect of having to appear at trial and give evidence at court.

She said much of the offending was committed when the defendant was in his early 20s and she added that he now has far more insight into the harm he has caused.

Judge Paul Watson KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, described Perren’s offending as, “depraved and deplorable” and said many of his victim’s lives have been “profoundly affected” by his activities.

In passing an extended determinate sentence of 30 years, it means Perren must serve at least two-thirds, 20 years, behind bars before being eligible for release on licence by the Parole Board, but he may have to spend all three decades behind bars.

Upon his release and at the end of the 30 years he will still besubject to five years’ extended licence period.

He will be subject to lifetime restrictions under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification as a sex offender until he dies.

Indefinite restraining orders were also imposed, relating to all of his victims.

Speaking after the case, the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Dave Medd, of Cleveland Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), said: “Perren is a serial offender and a real danger to women and children.

“He committed unforgivable crimes against his victims and subjected them to horrendous ordeals.

“Perren was devious and manipulative, not only in hiding his crimes, but grooming vulnerable victims, recording his abuse of them and then storing these images on a memory card for his own depraved pleasure.

“This has been an extremely complex investigation.

“Myself, DC Nikki Meakin, DC Steve Rookes and Senior Digital Forensic Investigator Connor Spence have worked on this investigation for two-and-a-half-years alongside our supervisor, Detective Sergeant Ian Boyes.

“When Perren was arrested in November 2020, he initially handed over a, ‘clean phone’, but we noticed he was charging another phone under his pillow. “This phone contained an SD card, which in turn contained the history of his offending.

“This led us to discover that Perren was digitally documenting the crimes he had committed against his victims in folders which were stored under the victim’s name or the location of where they lived (towns and cities across the UK).

“This assisted us in the identification of the victims, and we could start building a case against him.

“One particularly disturbing image hid Perren’s face but we proved it was him based on the cuff of a distinctive jacket he was wearing.

“We found an exact replica of the jacket on eBay, the only one being sold in the UK at that time, and following this, we managed to match it to a photograph of him wearing it on a trip he took seven days after the offence.

“This was one of the many ways we proved that Perren was guilty of his crimes.

“However, it is the victims that have been central to the success of this investigation.

“They have co-operated at great emotional cost and carried themselves with courage and dignity throughout the whole process.

“Due to their age at the time, many of the victims didn’t realise they had been subjected to a crime until we visited them, and this has been incredibly distressing for them to come to terms with.

“On behalf of the team, we would like to thank all of our victims and witnesses in this case.

“Without their strength and determination, we would have been unable to achieve such a positive outcome.”

Det Con Medd said credit should also be given to Claire Brinton, from the Crown Prosecution Service, who went, “above and beyond” to help the investigation team during the charging process.

“She was always available on the phone to offer advice and to listen to our concerns over specific charges.

“Her professionalism and willing approach to the case really helped at the charging stage.

“Hopefully now Perren has been sentenced, the victims will finally be given some form of closure, and they can now attempt to move on with their lives.”

Ms Brinton, a Specialist Prosecutor with Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS’s) North East Rape and Serious Sexual Assault (RASSO) Unit, said: “The success of this case against Jay Stephen Perren is testament to the close working relationship between the CPS and Cleveland Police from the very beginning of this investigation.

“I would like to highlight the exemplary work of the police digital forensic team, who scoured through huge volumes of distressing material to identify Perren’s victims, and to directly link him to the hours of offending recorded within.

Description

Paedophile who pretended to be a 17-year-old boy to groom and a rape a teenage girl has been released by police. 

Robin Cook, 52, pretended to be a teenage boy named Robbie to groom a 13-year-old online, encouraging her to send intimate photographs.

After two years of online grooming, he revealed his identity before raping the girl several times across numerous years in Theale.

Cook, of Malwood Place, Havant, was sentenced to 10 years in jail at Reading Crown Court on Thursday (June 22) by Judge Edward Burgess.

The court that Cook found the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on the live-streaming service, Twitch, in 2016 when he was about 46-years-old.

He started talking to her on various social media sites using the alias of ‘Robbie’, leading the girl to believe he was her ‘online best friend’.

The pair did not video call for the first few years with Cook claiming he was ‘insecure’. However, he persuaded the girl to send him intimate photos as she considered them to be in a relationship.

On one occasion, when the girl was 14, she asked to meet Cook at a beach in Portsmouth where her family was going on holiday.

She looked for him at the time but to no avail. Her friend then messaged to tell her ‘Robbie’ had taken photographs of her at the beach.

When asked why ‘Robbie’ did not stay and meet her, Cook claimed he ‘had to go’.

Eventually, Cook revealed his true identity to the girl via a video call. The girl described to police the ‘deep, emotional reaction’ she had to seeing an adult male instead of a 17-year-old ‘Robbie’.

Cook immediately drove to the victim’s house before proceeding to rape her. The girl told police she was still in ‘a great deal of confusion’ at the time.

The defendant proceeded to rape the victim over several years, driving her to hotels, his own home and ‘unknown locations’ – all while she was under the age of 16. He also bought her sex toys and clothing.

In a victim impact statement read out in the court, the girl said: “What took place affected my life significantly. It’s caused me to be suspicious of older males and very distrusting of people in general.

“My self confidence was severely damaged. At times I should have been at school, having fun with my friends, I was being driven around and abused.

“Mr Cook took everything from me. I was merely a child at the time. It forced me to grow up quickly to deal with what was happening.

“I feel embarrassed about being taken advantage of.”

In a message to Cook, the victim said: “What you did to me was so abhorrent and terrible, I would not wish it on my worst enemy.”

Defending Cook, his barrister Felicia Dawy said Cook was struggling to find a ‘meaningful attachment’ at the time.

She said: “He was somebody who had been single and described himself as being depressed.

“He was separated from his wife but was still living with her. He found it difficult to form any meaningful attachments.

“He accepts, in the guise of Robbie, he formed an attachment [with the girl]. Whilst he completely accepts he is in the position because of his own wrongdoing, he had dealt with care and love his [own family].”

Sentencing, Judge Burgess said: “You created an online persona, Robbie, complete with photographs of an attractive young teenage boy.

“There can be no doubt this was a planned and calculated serious of acts by you whose purpose was to ensnare a teenage girl and it reveals your predatory sexual nature.

“You successfully manipulated [the victim] into a situation which she felt powerless to escape. You imposed yourself on her sexually on multiple occasions.

“This was a cynical, selfish, systematic abuse of a vulnerable teenage girl.”

Cook will serve two thirds of his sentence before being released on licence. He will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A 'serial sex offender' who sexually assaulted children and women across West London has been jailed.

Edgar Junior made 'sexual suggestions' to a 14-year-old girl aboard a bus in Uxbridge, and told one woman on another bus that he wanted to have sex with her.

The 47-year-old, of Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon, also harassed and made sexual advances to a woman at her workplace before trying to kiss her teenage relative.

Junior, who spat in the face of a police officer when he was arrested, was jailed for two years and one month at Isleworth Crown Court last Wednesday (June 17).

The court heard that Junior committed an 'escalating pattern of behaviour' against two women and two teenage girls over a number of months in 2019.

On February 11 last year at around 4.30pm, a 14-year-old girl was aboard the top deck of a route 427 bus from Uxbridge when she was approached by Junior, who sat down in front of her and immediately began to make sexual suggestions.

The teenager attempted to ignore him but he continued in his advances and when he attempted to touch her she threatened to call police. The verbal suggestions continued until she became frightened and left the bus.

On April 28 later that year a 26-year-old woman was travelling alone aboard a route 427 from Uxbridge when Junior boarded the bus and walked toward her while touching himself.

He sat in the seat in front of her and began to shout loudly that he wanted to have sex with her. When the bus stopped, the victim got off.

Between June 12 and July 22 Junior harassed a 26-year-old woman at her place of work and made repeated, graphic, sexual suggestions and advances towards her and her teenage relative, who would visit her at work.

Around July 10, Junior approached the teenage girl as she was loading a car and tried to kiss her.

On July 22 the sexual suggestions and intimidating behaviour turned to threats of violence against the 26-year-old woman and teenage girl so, in fear for their safety, they called police.

Junior was arrested on the same day and during arrest he spat in the face of a police officer. When interviewed he denied all allegations and was remanded in custody.

He was eventually charged with a number of sexual, public order and assault offences. In the months that followed he appeared at a variety of hearings making a number of applications to change pleas, until, on June 17 he appeared at Isleworth Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to all offences.

Junior was jailed for a total of two years and one month. He was also served with a restraining order in relation to the 26-year-old woman and her relative.

Detective Sergeant Ian Beattie, who led the investigation, said after the sentencing: "Junior displayed an escalating pattern of behaviour against two women and two children over a period of months.

"Id like to praise the victims for their courage in contacting the police and for supporting our investigation throughout. Their actions have helped to put a serial offender behind bars where he is unable to cause harm to anyone else.

"I hope that their bravery inspires other victims of violence and sexual abuse to come forward. Contacting the police can be an extremely daunting thing to do, but please be assured, you will be met with specialist support and compassion."

What did Junior plead guilty to?

Junior pleaded guilty to the following offences at Isleworth Crown Court last Wednesday (June 17):

• Sexual communications with a child
• Sexual communications with a child
• Attempted sexual assault
• Section 4 public order
• Common assault
• Assault on an emergency worker

Description

A pervert former soldier was caught after offering to share child abuse videos involving babies with an undercover police officer. Jonathan Mathias also threatened to post pictures of what appeared to be 14-year-girl on Facebook unless she performed a sexual act.

The 41-year-old, of Honeywood, Newcastle-under-Lyme, was arrested at his parents' house in Porthcawl on September 29 last year while his wife was present. When he was out of earshot from his family, he admitted to officers he knew why they were there but claimed he was 'just messing about'.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday heard the undercover officer created a profile on the Kik messaging app and began speaking to the defendant who asked him to 'trade pictures'. He sent pictures of a young girl being abused and a picture of children's underwear and claimed he had abused a young girl, WalesOnline reports.

The police obtained a warrant as a result of this and arrested Mathias who initially made no reply. A Samsung phone was seized and when examined was found to contain 39 indecent images of children and seven extreme pornographic images as well as 66 videos of child abuse and nine videos of extreme pornography.

Prosecutor Clare Wilks told the court there were a number of 'small children' depicted in the videos – the youngest of which was just a baby. Among the chats on Mathias' phone was a conversation with someone claiming to be a 14-year-old girl in which he threatened to post photos of her on Facebook unless she performed oral sex upon her brother. The defendant had also visited websites related to bestiality.

Dad Mathias pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of indecent images and possession of extreme images. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation Tim Petrides said his client had been a member of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and had served tours of Iraq and Northern Ireland as well as being a member of the prison service. He said the defendant had been diagnosed with PTSD and felt "shame, remorse, and acceptance of harm" as a result of his offending.

Judge Wayne Beard sentenced Mathias to two years and four months imprisonment. He also made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A man from Norfolk who travelled to Dartford, Kent, in an attempt to sexually abuse a young boy has been jailed.

Anthony Finnis believed he was talking to a 12-year-old boy and described his sexual desires in great detail during online conversations.

When he travelled to Kent he brought with him a Thor fancy dress costume as he believed this was the boy’s favourite Marvel superhero.

Finnis was intercepted by Kent Police officers on Friday 30 September 2022, where they greeted him at the coffee shop he had planned to meet the child in.

He was arrested and later charged with several offences.

The 36-year-old from Briton Way, Wymondham, appeared in court on Monday 3 October 2022 where he pleaded guilty to arranging the commission of a child sex offence and the possession and distribution of category A and B child abuse images.

He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 23 June and handed an eight-year prison sentence with a further four years on licence once he is released.

Investigating officer, DC Michelle James, from Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: "Finnis had arranged this meeting online with the intention of abusing a young child. He had even brought with him a Thor fancy dress costume as he believed this was the boy’s favourite Marvel superhero.

"Finnis described his sexual desires in great detail during online conversations and had every intention of fulfilling them. His motives were clear, and we stopped him in his tracks.

"Our team will continue to do everything we can to proactively target those people who seek to commit sexual offences against children and ensure they are brought to justice."

Description

A rapist who forced himself on a woman who he met on a dating app has been jailed.

Three months following the attack, Ryan Mulhern, of Hornsey Lane in Highgate, was sentenced to eight years’ and nine months imprisonment for rape and attempted rape.

Police were called to Hornsey Lane on March 21 at 9.50pm after a member of the public found the victim, 25, crying and saying she had just been raped.

She explained she met Mulhern on a dating app and went to his house to meet up.

Whilst there, he raped the victim and she repeatedly told him to stop, but he continued.

Officers searched multiple addresses and were initially unable to find Mulhern – but he was eventually arrested in Islington the day after on March 22.

The victim’s impact statement was read out in court, where she wrote: “I reported you because it was the right thing to do.

“Even now, I do not feel hatred towards you and am saddened that we are in such a situation.

“However, I hate that your actions have made me feel unsafe, empty, and unworthy of others' respect. I have to deal with the impact of your violence for the foreseeable future.

“This rape is a tragedy that could have and should have been avoided. Even if you struggle to feel remorse towards me, I hope you can understand the hurt you have caused to the ones closest to you and yourself.”

Mulhern appeared on Friday (June 23) at Snaresbrook Crown Court after pleading guilty to both offences on April 21.

Detective Sergeant Sam Lockstone, who led the investigation, said: "I hope the significant sentence handed down encourages other victims of rape to come forward, and brings the rape survivor in this case a sense of closure and justice.

“I am incredibly proud of my team for supporting the victim throughout this investigation with such professionalism.

"Arresting, charging and seeing Mulhern jailed within just three months of the incident shows the dedication and commitment our teams have in pursuing justice for these horrific offences."

Description

A junior doctor has been jailed for six years for his role in a dark web chat site dedicated to sharing images of child sexual abuse.

Kabir Garg, 33, from Lewisham, south-east London, pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to facilitating the exploitation of children.

Until he was arrested in November, he had been working as a psychiatrist for South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

Garg had acted as a "moderator" of the site, the court had heard.

This involved overseeing the running of the site, which included giving advice in private messages on how to share images.

When he was arrested, the National Crime Agency (NCA) found thousands of indecent images on a laptop and SD card at his flat which had 522 category A images, which is the most serious category.

Examinations of his devices also uncovered numerous medical journals and articles that discussed the psychological impact of child sexual abuse on a child, which the NCA said showed he understood the "devastating impact such actions have on children".

'No choice'

Bethany Raine, specialist prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service's Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said his crimes were "especially shocking given his role as a NHS psychiatrist, treating vulnerable members of the public, and his understanding of the psychological impact of sexual abuse on children."

She added: "When faced with the evidence of his crimes, Garg had no choice but to plead guilty."

She said the case illustrated the determination of investigators and the CPS to pursue child sexual offenders, including those who have moved their "vile activity onto the dark web".

"These sites are horrific and have no place in society," she added.

At a hearing on 9 January 2023, Garg pleaded guilty to one count of facilitating the exploitation of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possession of a prohibited image of children.

After Garg was jailed on Friday, the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said it hoped it the sentence brought a "sense of justice and closure to all those impacted by his deplorable actions".

The General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed that Garg is interim suspended "pending the conclusion of a full GMC investigation".

Upon the completion of the investigation, the GMC can refer the case to a full tribunal hearing where it will be decided if Garg will be struck off.

Description

Michael Knight breached a court order by lying about a mobile phone he claimed not to have, a jury at Preston Crown Court heard.

The 51-year-old also used a fake name while communicating online.

Knight had failed to notify police he was using the alias Jack Keller, which was also a breach of his notification requirements.

The breaches came to light after Knight was spotted with the phone which he had failed to notify police about.

When officers went to investigate the breach, Knight said: “I knew this would happen. It’s not a phone, it’s a battery.”

Knight had already disposed of the phone before officers arrived.

Knight, now of no fixed address but formerly from Blackburn, denied one count of breaching his notification requirements and two counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

He was found guilty of all counts following a trial earlier this week.

Knight was given a sentence totalling three years.

DC Tom Dawson, of our East MOSOVO Team, said: “Despite Knight using another name to hide his true identity and disposing of a mobile smartphone he had used, such was the evidence that he was found guilty by jury of all three charges.

“I hope this sends a clear message to any registered sex offender that shows disregard for their notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order that Lancashire Police will do everything in their power to ensure they are adhered to.”

Description

A dangerous paedophile who identifies as a woman and has shown the utmost contempt for the legal system, his lawyers and probation, by refusing to leave his cell to attend his sentence hearing, has been jailed again.

Stuart Bulling, who was convicted in 2019 of up-skirting and making indecent images of children, refused to appear in court on Friday for his most recent hearing, in which he was to be sentenced for five counts of making indecent images of children and nine breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, which he pleaded guilty to in March.

Bob Elias, defending at Preston Crown Court, said 54-year-old Bulling, “expressed his contempt for the court, his lawyers, and me”, to which Recorder Michelle Brown said by absenting himself from court she was satisfied it was, “an attempt to disrupt proceedings”.

Paul Brookwell, prosecuting, said police visited Bulling’s home address in May last year and asked to see his devices.

Mr Brookwell said: “He was spoken to by officers and said he didn’t have any other devices other than a mobile phone.

“But police then found three SD cards, which Bulling said held ‘a lot of bad stuff’, and eventually various other devices linked to the internet which had not been registered or presented to the police when asked.

“They were examined, and VPNs and cleaning software were found on them, which had been used to access the dark web, which indicates an effort to hide his activity from others.

“Officers also found 125 category A indecent images of children (category A being the worst), 93 category B images, 42,587 category C images, seven extreme pornographic images and one prohibited image.

“Some of the children in the images were as young as three.

“There were just over 34,000 files that weren’t examined by the police due to the sheer volume that had been uncovered already.”

Mr Brookwell said police also found various videos recorded by Bulling himself, of him walking round Blackburn town centre, filming children, and while not illegal, were disturbing.

Bulling was interviewed and provided no comment, but later pleaded guilty to all the offences.

Defending, Mr Elias said: “He says he hates probation and blames his past offending on social services and probation.

“He identifies as a woman in his normal life and there were images taken by him in Blackburn Market of children.

“He says he collects these images like cigarette cards or football cards and will swap them with people.

“This is a worrying and disturbing case.”

Bulling, formerly of Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, has 11 convictions for 57 offences, all of a similar nature, including some for indecent assault and another for sexual assault on a child under the age of 13.

Michelle Brown, sentencing, said: “You were released from your 2019 sentence in September 2021 and only one month later did police receive information that you were communicating with another sex offender.

“When they arrived at your home in May last year they found three SD cards which you said contained some ‘really bad stuff’, putting you in breach of your order.

“What the police found was vile and disturbing. The fear, pain and distress these children went through is unimaginable.

“People like you create, and add to this evil market for your own pleasure and sexual gratification.

“It’s a worry, in filming children like you did, without their knowledge, that you were setting up your next victims.

“I have considered your mitigation of which there is very little, and not just because you refused to attend today but because there is little that can be said on your behalf.

“It’s clear that you are significantly high risk and I am satisfied that you present a high risk of re-offending.”

Bulling was handed an extended sentence made up of three years eight months in prison and three years on extended license, totalling six years eight months.

He was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offender’s register for life.

Description

A man from East Sussex who travelled to Nepal and the Philippines to sexually abuse children, and coached others online how to groom victims, has been jailed for 21 years imprisonment and seven years extended licence period.

A National Crime Agency investigation was launched in 2019 into a prolific user of a dark web child abuse site called ‘Boyvids4’, after it was identified they were likely based in the UK.

Using the pseudonym ‘Globetrotter’, the individual shared his own experiences of abusing children, and gave extremely detailed advice to a large number of users on where best to travel to find victims, as well as how to approach them.

He also gave technical guidance on encrypting devices and how to avoid detection by law enforcement.

Investigators were able to attribute the online pseudonym to David Mould, 68, who was living in Seaford and he was arrested in April 2020.

On the same day, NCA officers searched his house and workplace, seizing a large number of electronic and digital storage devices.

Mould had saved some of his chat logs from the site on a hard drive. These highlighted the standing which other paedophiles placed him in, with many thanking him for his advice.

One said: “you have been a great deal of help to me, you should write a paedo guide to help rookies like me not to make stupid mistakes and take advantage of opportunities.”

Another stated: “Well you have done just about everything except buy me a plane ticket, bring the boy to my room and unzip him… This gave me the information to come up with a real plan of attack.”

Mould had arranged to meet with that same user in Nepal and introduce him to some young boys who he had abused in the past. In later chats, the user confirms he travelled to the country, and describes how he took one of the boys back to his hotel room and engaged in sexual activity with him.

The user was identified by the NCA as an American man named Michael Taylor and this information was shared with US partners. As a result, Taylor was arrested in Nepal in March 2021 and is currently serving 14 years in prison there for child sex offences.

Investigators matched Mould’s travel history to the frequent trips to the Philippines and Nepal he discussed with other users, during which he abused children. He also had a collection of indecent images and videos of his victims.

They were also able to prove that Mould had made several payments to individuals in both countries. This included money sent to an adult in the Philippines who introduced him to children as young as 13 to abuse.

Mould travelled to Nepal four times between 2016-2019. Officers analysing his phone recovered chats with young Nepalese boys, in which he makes arrangements to meet them at his hotel when they finish school.

The NCA shared evidence from the investigation with international law enforcement. Three children have since been safeguarded in the Philippines.

In total, over 100,000 indecent images of children in categories A-C, together with four interactive paedophile manuals detailing techniques on how to abuse children and avoid detection, were recovered from one of Mould’s hard drives.

Mould pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including four counts of engaging in sexual activity with children as young as 13, and 10 relating to encouraging or inciting the exploitation of children.

He was sentenced today [23/06/2023] at Lewes Crown Court to 21 years imprisonment and seven years extended licence period. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life, placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, a forfeiture order for the destruction of devices where indecent image of children were found and a restraining order against victims.

Hazel Stewart from the National Crime Agency said:

“David Mould is a prolific sexual predator, who dedicated his time and money to abusing children and encouraging others to do the same.

“It was clear that he was respected and admired by other like-minded individuals online, where he provided offenders with a safe environment in which their sexual inclinations were validated.

“Mould took gratification from knowing that the advice he gave led directly to others carrying out abuse.

“Offenders like him think that by travelling to remote parts of the world to conduct their abuse, and by using anonymisation techniques online, they won’t get caught.

“However, the NCA has the capabilities to identify and disrupt the most dangerous offenders. Borders are not a barrier; we work closely with international partners to ensure that Britons committing offences abroad are prosecuted in the UK and vulnerable children are safeguarded, wherever they are in the world.”

The judge commended NCA officers and law enforcement in the Philippines and Nepal.

Description

A MAN has been jailed for 20 months for a drunken sexual assault on a woman.

Sergejs Litvins claimed he ‘misread the situation’ after downing alcohol, Bradford Crown Court heard.

His victim suffered flashbacks after the attack and had lost her confidence.

Litvins, 27, of Thackeray Road, Idle, Bradford, pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

The court heard he had touched the woman indecently.

In his basis of plea, Litvins said that with hindsight he should have realised how the woman felt and he was truly sorry.

Barrister Abdul Shakoor, for Litvins, said: "He is bitterly remorseful for his conduct.

“He can’t understand why he behaved in the way that he did. It’s a complete aberration in his life.”

Litvins broke down in tears as Recorder Tahir Khan KC told him that an immediate custodial sentence had to be passed for such serious offending.

The judge accepted that Litvins was remorseful and that the offending was out of character but he said a consequence of the attack had been that the woman no longer felt safe.

“Given the serious impact of your offending on the complainant, I can only impose a sentence of immediate custody,” he told a distressed Litvins.

Litvins will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the next ten years.

Description

Caewen Ash tried to blackmail police into dropping the charges after he was caught

A former MasterChef contestant who downloaded sickening sex abuse photos of children has been jailed. Caerwyn Ash, who was a quarter finalist in the 2016 series of the popular BBC culinary series, claimed he was innocent and that a "whole list of other people” had access to his equipment, adding that “they had access to everything in the house”.

His trial heard that after the indecent images were found, he tried to blackmail the police into dropping the charges - bizarrely threatening to reveal sexually explicit material involving South Wales Police officers to the world’s media unless proceedings against him were stopped.

He was later convicted by a jury of having 20 indecent photographs of a child and five indecent videos of a child - the latter of which were all in the highest category.

On Thursday, a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard that Ash, of Kilvey Terrace, St Thomas, Swansea, was also convicted of possessing 35 videos of extreme pornography, including acts of bestiality, and 50 still photographs in the same category. The images and videos were discovered and Ash was arrested in April 2019 following a report that had been made by his former partner, which resulted in a search of Ash's then home and the seizure of various pieces of computer equipment belonging to him.

He was interviewed by police in September 2022 and denied any knowledge of the images. The court heard he was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice - a charge which related to his attempt to blackmail police.

Prosecutor James Wilson said the aggravating features of Ash's offending included the age and vulnerability of the child depicted and the fact the collection included moving images. He said while there were no sentencing guidelines for the perverting the course of justice offence, it was "obviously a serious offence", though he noted that "nothing further happened" after the defendant presented to the police documents making the threats therein.

In mitigation, former university academic Ash, who was representing himself, first apologised to the court for his lack of preparation. He claimed that all his documents were "destroyed" the previous day and he "had no time to prepare this morning". He said he had found the experience of being prosecuted "overwhelming and traumatic" and maintained, as he had done from the start, his innocence and denied any knowledge of the images. "The defendant has always stated that if he had ever seen such an image, he would have been compelled to inform the police," he told the court.

He added that he had no previous convictions and that his and others' lives had been "destroyed" following his arrest in 2019. He also said he had done work for charity - such as for mental health and homelessness - had endured two decades in a "controlling" relationship and had been diagnosed with PTSD in prison.

Sentencing the defendant, his honour judge Wayne Beard said he did not accept Ash's statement that his threats to police was "simply an attempt to get things noticed in terms of any investigation" but that he had "no doubt that your intent was to try to bring the charges that you faced to and end." The judge said the blackmail "strikes at the heart of justice", describing it as "manipulative and cynical", though acknowledged it was "unlikely to ever succeed in any way, shape or form".

As for the images, the judge said noted Ash had continued to deny any knowledge of the images and did not accept the jury's verdict, adding: "In my judgement therefore there is no prospect at this stage of any rehabilitation taking place by means of the probation service and the types of courses they involve sex offenders in."

He noted that Ash was previously of good character and took into account his charitable works and that he had had "some level of diagnosis in prison of PTSD". He sentenced the defendant to three years in prison in total. Ash was also subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, meaning, among other requirements, that he cannot live in the same household as any child under the age of 16 unless with the permission of social services, and he will also be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

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A man from Bradford who had more than 1700 indecent images of children on his computer has been sentenced to more than three years in jail.

Julian Barnes 50, of Haycliffe Terrace pleaded guilty to seven charges all relating to indecent images of children. 

Bradford District’s Police Online Investigation Team launched an investigation when 17 indecent images were uploaded to a google account in March 2022. 

The IP address came back to Barnes home address and he was subsequently arrested, charged and remanded on 25 January 2023. 

Today (22nd June) he was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court to 45 months in jail. 

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he must sign on the sex offender register for life.  

Officer in the case PC Kate Davis of Bradford District’s Police Online Investigation team said: 

“Barnes was in possession of the most disturbing child abuse material at the time of his arrest. 

“His collection included more than 1700 images of the most serious category. Behind every picture there is a victim of child abuse. 

“We welcome the lengthy sentence today which reflects the seriousness of his offending. 

“We are committed to protecting victims of child sexual abuse. We will find those people responsible and bring them before the courts.”

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A paedophile who abused a girl after grooming her with sweets has failed in a bid to have his prison spell reduced.

Shop worker Shibin Vimala Santhakumar, of Pipers Hill Road in Kettering, had sex with the schoolgirl and took an indecent picture of her after gradually building her trust.

In November at Northampton Crown Court he was jailed for 11 years with a further two years on licence, a sentence which he appealed against.

But on Tuesday (June 20) judges dismissed the bid and said 46-year-old Santhakumar had exploited his victim.

London’s Royal Courts of Justice heard the girl was taken advantage of when she was vulnerable.

Santhakumar gave his victim extra change and free treats before engaging in sexual activity with her. The court heard he told her he had ‘done it with a teenager before’.

Paul Webb, representing Santhakumar, said he had contributed in ‘many positive ways’ to the local community and that the circumstances which led to his offending were unlikely to happen again.

He said: "There is not a significant risk of the commission of further offences, simply because of the rarity of these circumstances that led him to make the advances he did to this poor young girl.”

The court heard that a pre-sentence assessment said Santhakumar had a low risk of reoffending but that the report’s author said she did not agree with it. Mr Webb said she should not have dismissed the assessment.

He also said that the decision to impose an extended sentence and find Santhakumar to be a ‘dangerous’ offender was inappropriate, adding that the starting point taken by the sentencing judge, using sentencing guidelines, was too high.

Mr Webb said: “These offences were isolated and opportunistic.”

When the victim reported the offences to Northamptonshire Police Santhakumar initially denied the allegations. He was later charged with sexual activity with a child, inciting sexual activity with a child and possession of indecent images of children, pleading guilty to some offences before his trial and being convicted of all remaining charges by a jury.

Appeal judges Lord Justice Males, Mr Justice Wall and Her Honour Judge Rosa Dean said they agreed with the sentencing judge’s assessment.

Lord Justice Males said: "In our judgement the sentence was not arguably manifestly excessive and the application is refused.”

Speaking after last year’s sentencing hearing lead investigator Detective Constable Chris Waterfall, from Northamptonshire Police’s child protection team, commended the victim for her courage and said her support was vital to their investigation.

He said: “This case shows that sexual offences against children do not often start with an immediate offence. Santhakumar gradually built trust with this girl through offering her free items and money off her purchases. It then escalated into this abuse.

“I welcome the sentence handed out to him as it means there is one less sexual predator on our streets and one less person able to harm children. I hope this result shows the seriousness with which Northamptonshire Police takes these offences and I want to reassure the public that we will continue to work hard to bring people like Santhakumar to justice.”