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Two men have been sentenced as part of a long-running investigation into the sexual abuse and trafficking of girls in West Yorkshire.

Ebrahim Pandor was jailed for six years for trafficking a girl when she was aged 13.

Another man, Amjad Hussain, was jailed for 10 years in his absence for raping the same girl when she was 18. West Yorkshire Police said efforts to locate Hussain were continuing.

The sentences meant 28 men in total had been jailed as part of Operation Tourway, police said.

The operation has been investigating the sexual abuse and trafficking of eight females in north Kirklees between 1999 and 2012.

Pandor, 44, of Highdale Road and Hussain, 45, of Lee Street, Ravensthorpe were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court earlier.

Police said as part of the operation, jail terms totalling almost 400 years had been given out to the 28 men.

The force said during trials, jurors had "heard repeated stories about how vulnerable victims were targeted and groomed by their abusers who treated them almost as commodities".

Speaking about Hussain, Det Ch Insp Oliver Coates said: “Clearly it is a matter of regret that Hussain was sentenced in his absence today and inquiries do continue to locate this convicted sex offender.

“Officers have been working with partner agencies to locate him and are keeping an open mind as to his whereabouts."

Record details

A teaching assistant from Plymouth has been jailed after he admitted sexual activity - and filming it - with an underage girl. During the hearing, held at Bristol Crown Court, it was revealed how Callum Leech, of Kingsland Garden Close in Plymouth, met the girl via the social media site Snapchat when he was 21 years old and she was 14, but he claimed he was a teenager too.

The Crown Prosecution Service told prosecutor how the now 24-year-old Leech pleaded guilty in March this year to four offences - three of sexual activity with a child and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

In addition, Leech admitted three offences of making indecent images of a child - the girl he had targeted - and three further offences of making indecent images of a separate child aged between 12 and 13 years old. The court heard that the images included still images and videos ranging from Category A - the most serious - through to Category C.

The prosecutor told Judge James Patrick the victim in the case was considered to have vulnerabilities and that her father became aware of the "relationship" in December 2020 where Leech claimed he was 16.

In January 2021, a multi-agency strategy meeting was held as his own employer - a primary school - became concerned about a potential "inappropriate sexual relationship" with the girl. At that point he denied the relationship was sexual.

Police and social workers met with the girl but she also denied any sexual element to their relationship.

Leech was arrested in February 2021 and during interview he denied it was a sexual relationship and that he met her through Snapchat when she was 14. His laptop and mobile phone was seized but he refused to offer passwords to access them.

He was made subject of a child abduction warning notice on release and on February 4, 2021 the investigating officer spoke with the girl at her school and she revealed that Leech had bought her a new mobile phone and there was a "significant" amount of contact recorded on it between them.

Police later discovered that over the next six months there were thousands of pages of messages between Leech and the girl, including her efforts to end their relationship but with him talking her out of it, making claims that he would harm himself.

In June 2021 he was arrested again and offered no comment to all questions about the messages as well as the images and videos of Leech and his victim engaging in sexual activity on a phone seized by police.

Investigators also learned he had engaged with other young girls on Snapchat using "overfamiliar language" and a what the prosecution said was a "real sexual interest in underaged girls". A search of his bedroom in June 2021 revealed photos of children in school uniform aged between nine years and 10 years old.

The court heard this was the same age group as the children he was in contact with as a Teaching Assistant. The prosecutor said police also found notes, which were effectively "love letters" between Leech and his victim, where there was frequent use of the word "Daddy".

In parallel, one of the victim's teachers confiscated the phone and saw lots of notifications from Leech around the time he was arrested and re-interviewed. She shared her concerns with fellow staff members.

The prosecutor noted how the girl herself had a number of real vulnerabilities and had been allocated a base worker to support her as there were concerns she was at risk of sexual exploitation. While the girl was not initially keen to engage at that time, when she turned 18 in early 2024 she came forward and revealed the extent of the abuse she had suffered.

She admitted that they had met frequently after she was 14 and that he would buy her chocolates and flowers and message her repeatedly. She told police she now realised she was "bombarded" by him and admitted that they would meet after school. She revealed he did not tell her the reason for his arrest and confirmed that they would have sexual activity "pretty much every time they met".

The court heard that a number of the images and videos seized from Leech were of him engaging in sex with his victim or of them engaging in sexual activity online.

The prosecutor noted that Leech had no previous convictions.

In mitigation, Leech's legal advocate explained that his client was a young man with his own vulnerabilities and that during the long wait for the case to come to court had self harmed.

Judge Patrick noted a pre-sentence report and a psychiatrist's report and guidelines on sentencing young persons. He noted Leech's "highly disadvantaged early development" and how he had developed an "attachment disorder" as a result.

He acknowledged the timeline of the incidents and how Leech had breached the trust of the girl despite being fully aware of the importance of protecting her, thanks to his role as a teaching assistant. He noted that Leech did not only film the sexual activity, but retained the footage. He also noted how Leech had lied to the authorities about the true nature of his relationship with the girl and that he did not stop continuing to contact her even when she told him her mental health was suffering and even went on to contact other girls who were under the age of 16.

He accepted Leech's advocate's point that this was not a "pseudo-rape" case, but that there was grooming and filming and Leech had tried to conceal evidence.

Judge Patrick said he believe Leech was "more susceptible to offending" due to his background and the attachment issues he had "suffered" made him "less able to control" himself and forge appropriate relationships, but the background to all this was "you knew that what you were doing was wrong", having "groomed her", as well as lied to her and his parents about his age.

Having noted the mitigating and aggravating factors, as well as the reports, the delay in the court case and sentencing guidelines, Judge Patrick passed a sentence of 44 months.

He said Leech would serve half before being released on licence and he would be placed on the Sex Offenders' register for life. In addition he would be barred from working with children and vulnerable young adults for life, and would be subject of a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice.

Record details

A woman cried "I love yous all" as she was locked up for sexually abusing a teenage girl. Lucy Wilding targeted her victim over the course of several months after grooming her on Snapchat.

This included sending her a "manipulative" video, in which she asked the youngster to "be her girlfriend" by spelling these words out in love hearts. The 20-year-old then engaged in sex acts with the teenager on dozens of occasions.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Monday, that Wilding was aged 18 when she initially met the complainant in Liverpool city centre in early 2023. The two thereafter began exchanging messages over Snapchat and began meeting up with one another in the spring.

Steven Ball, prosecuting, described how this progressed to the 14-year-old girl staying overnight at the then 19-year-old defendant's home, sleeping in the same bed together. This led to Wilding, of Southey Street in Bootle, touching the teen sexually on at least 20 occasions, with the victim reciprocating these acts on at least four occasions.

She was said to have known the victim's age "from the outset", but "would tell other people that she was 17 so they would not get into trouble". The sex offender also sent the girl a "quite manipulative" video on one occasion in a clip showing balloons and love hearts spelling out words on the floor "asking her to be her girlfriend".

The child's mum became aware of their relationship during the summer of 2023 and warned Wilding to cease her contact. But the mother informed the police around a month later when she continued to contact her daughter "using fake social media accounts".

Under interview, she claimed that she "thought she was 16". But messages recovered from her phone showed that Wilding, who has no previous convictions, had sent messages to the girl's mum "apologising for the stress and drama caused" and "acknowledging she knew it was wrong, but also reassuring her that she would wait until she was 16".

Stuart Nolan, defending, told the court: "These are very serious matters, and the court will be concerned with them. She is a woman of hitherto good character.

"She still works at a company in Merseyside, Makro. They are aware of the circumstances of this hearing. The indications are that she is well liked there, and she intends to work there as soon as she possibly can.

"She is clearly well thought of by her family and friends. She has previously required the assistance of medical practitioners for anxiety and depression. She understands the gravity of what went on. This is a young woman who is obviously terrified at the prospect of jail."

Wilding, who appeared to be in tears at times during the hearing, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and two charges of inciting sexual activity with a child. Wearing a navy blue suit and tie over a white shirt in the dock, she was jailed for 18 months.

Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "She was a child. While you yourself were relatively young, you were an adult. You should have stopped and you should not have carried on seeing her, but you did.

"She stayed over on many, many occasions at your address. During this period of time, you engaged in sexual activity with her. Unlike her, you were aware that it was wrong. You knew full well that she was underage.

"You have never been before the courts before. It is a great shame to find a woman such as you, who has a number of positive attributes, in the dock in a crown court facing serious sexual allegations.

"I take into account your lack of maturity, but this was not just a one off incident. This was a number of times with a number of offences over a number of months.

"The number of people supporting you today shows you are well viewed by those who care for you and love you and someone who, at the start of your adult life, does have a positive future ahead of you. You are someone who, in the past, has struggled with your mental health.

"The fact is that you, as an adult, should have controlled your behaviour and you failed to do so. Anybody involved in sexual activity with a child will be viewed gravely by these courts.

"The law is in place to protect minors, sometimes from their own actions. You, as an adult, knew it was wrong. In this case, you do present a risk to the public. In this case, in my judgement, appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence."

Wilding was also handed a sexual harm prevention order, a notification requirement and a restraining order - all lasting 10 years. She turned to the public gallery and said "I love yous all" to her sobbing supporters as she was led down to the cells.

Record details

 A JUDGE described this man as a “significant risk” to young boys in the community as she jailed him for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old on a bus.

Matthew Gilbert, 39, of Water Street in Pembroke Dock, was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

“You knew that this was clearly wrong,” said Judge Catherine Richards, sentencing Gilbert.

“You are a significant risk in the community to young boys.” 

 Prosecutor Craig Jones told Swansea Crown Court that Gilbert boarded a bus at Pembroke Dock on the morning of September 28 last year.

He headed to the back of the bus, where a 17-year-old was sat. The teenager put his feet up –indicating he wanted to be left alone – but Gilbert sat opposite him, before immediately starting to talk to him.

Gilbert asked the teenager how much money it would take for him to do a sexual act with a man, before then moving closer to him.

“The defendant covers the aisle position and hems him in,” Mr Jones said.

He asked the teenager his age, to which he said he was 15. Gilbert replied that was fine and offered him £40 to do a sexual act with him. He then upped this to £100, Mr Jones said.

Gilbert moved next to the teenager and put his hand on his thigh, before kissing him on the cheek. He then asked him to get off the bus at Johnston with him and “find a public toilet”, Mr Jones said. 

 When the bus stopped, Gilbert got off, but the teenager remained on the bus and the police were called.

The defendant was arrested that day whilst visiting his mum in hospital. He told officers: “Since mum has been in here I’ve been doing stupid things again.” 

 The court heard that he had a previous conviction from October 2023 for exposure, where he was seen masturbating behind a glazed front door in Pembroke Dock, whilst he was also convicted for malicious communications in June after making unwanted sexual comments in phone calls to the fire station.

Ryan Bowen, in mitigation, said: “He acknowledges his convictions are recent and for offences of a sexual nature.

“He has led the majority of his life without appearing before the court.

“Plainly this is someone with underlying issues.

“He’s deemed to possess a lower cognitive function.

“His sexual preoccupation appears to be exacerbated by boredom and a lack of routine.”

The defendant was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period. 

Record details

A former professional footballer who admitted the serious sexual assault of a child and possession of thousands of indecent images of children has been jailed for four years.

Ian Heddle, 61, originally from Dunfermline, was charged after being caught with more than 270,000 indecent photos and videos.

A police investigation led to him being further charged with the sexual assault of a child, believed to be aged about eight, in Thailand.

Heddle was a midfielder for a number of Scottish clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including St Johnstone and Dunfermline Athletic.

The High Court in Glasgow previously heard he was arrested at Edinburgh Airport last year as he prepared to fly to his home in Thailand.

He had been linked to the viewing and uploading of child abuse material from the web at a property he used in Scotland when was not in the Far East.

Judge John McCormick noted that Heddle, who was staying in Dunfermline at the time of his arrest, was a first offender but said he was satisfied an extended sentence had to be imposed.

As well as the jail term, Heddle will be supervised for a further two years on his release and will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Heddle's KC, Brian McConnachie, had told the judge that his client had a "willingness to seek treatment".

The advocate added an organisation Heddle had been dealing with described him as "wrapped in guilt and shame" at what he had done.

Mr McConnachie said: "He acknowledges the significant adverse impact on the child involved."

After Heddle was sentenced, Det Insp Adrian Ure of Police Scotland's National Child Abuse Investigations Unit said: “Heddle’s behaviour was deplorable with no thought to the young child he sexually assaulted or the victims depicted in the images and videos he was viewing.

“His sentencing sends a clear message that anyone found guilty of these offences will be brought to justice.”

Record details

A paedophile sexually abused a young girl and took intimate pictures of her, a court has heard. The abuse happened at a number of locations around Neath and Port Talbot including on one occasion in a vehicle on Aberavon seafront.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse came to light when the young victim made disclosures to a teacher, but defendant John Charles denied the allegations against him right until the first day of his trial, claiming they had all been made up. A judge said he had no doubt that if the youngster had not courageously spoken up in school, the sexual assaults would have continued for years.

Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, said the complainant in the case had a lesson in school about relationships, sexual consent, and puberty, and at the end of the class the teacher asked the pupils to write down any questions they may have on a piece of paper. The court heard the girl made disclosures to the teacher about being "touched", and as a result the head of personal care at the school spoke to her. Police were then notified and an investigation was launched.

The court heard it emerged Charles had sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions over a period of more than two years, often calling her "sexy" and beautiful" while doing it. The abuse happened at a number of locations in Neath and Port Talbot including, on one occasion, in the defendant's vehicle while it was parked at Aberavon seafront. Charles also took intimate pictures of the child. When the 65-year-old was arrested and questioned he denied all the allegations saying the youngster was making them up and acting out of spite.

In a statement read to the court, the young victim set out the impact Charles' offending has had on her. She described how she felt "lonely and lost" and found it difficult to concentrate at school and how her grades suffered as a result. She said she suffers with flashbacks she cannot control, and she feels she has "lost the life" she had before the abuse. She said she was worried that nobody would believe the allegations, and said she now wants to focus on the future and train in education and social care in order to "help girls who need help" just like teachers and social workers helped her.

John Victor Charles, of Villiers Street, Briton Ferry, had previously pleaded guilty on the first day of trial to multiple counts of sexual assault and to possession of indecent images of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

David Singh, for Charles, said at the age of 65 the defendant had lost his good name. He said the defendant had been diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after the allegations were first made, and said Charles was realistic about the outcome that awaited him and knew that a lengthy custodial sentence was inevitable.

Judge Geraint Walters said Charles' offending against the girl had been "persistent, repeated, and relentless". He said in the experience of the courts, offending of the type in the case often had life-long impacts on its victims and that was the "wickedness" of such behaviour. He said but for the school lesson and the "courageous" disclosures made to the teacher, he had no doubt that Charles would have continued abusing the young girl for many years more. With a 10 per cent discount for his guilty pleas, Charles was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will serve two thirds of that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Charles will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children.

Record details

A sex offender who spent five years on the run after being charged with indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl has been found guilty of the offence.

Shahid Hussain, who fled the country in 2018, was arrested in Bulgaria in 2023 and extradited back to the UK to stand trial.

Jurors at Sheffield Crown Court found the 48-year-old guilty of indecent assault after hearing he had forced his victim to perform a sex act in 2003.

Hussain, formerly of Rotherham, has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 16 August.

Hussain was investigated as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's (NCA) inquiry into non-familial child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

'Coward'

NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Stuart Cobb, said: “Hussain carried out a vile attack on a vulnerable young girl and when he knew he was going to be held to account, he took the coward’s route by going on the run.

“We have always been determined to put Hussain before the courts. Finally, 21 years after carrying out his crime, he has faced justice."

Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Hussain had "targeted a child and subjected her to a horrendous sexual assault" before trying to "evade the law" by leaving the country.

He added: “I hope this conviction sends a clear message: sex offenders who flee abroad will not escape justice. We will continue to work collaboratively with international partners to ensure perpetrators are returned to face the full force of the law."

Record details

A man from Devizes has been jailed for 28 months in prison for child sex offences after he was identified as responsible for sending sexual messages to someone he believed to be a 12-year-old female child on a social media platform.

Alan Wiltshire, 65, was sentenced on Friday (26/07) at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Wiltshire had previously admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and sentenced by Salisbury Magistrates on April 14 to 17 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and made subject to the Sex Offenders Register and Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 5 years.

His most recent offence placed him in breach of his suspended custodial sentence.

Wiltshire was sentenced to 14 months for inciting sexual activity, 7 months (to run concurrently) for sexual messages, 12 months (to run consecutively) for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and two months (to run consecutively) for breaching his Suspended Sentence Order.

He was also issued a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting for 10 years.

Record details

Harley King, aged 19 from Newcastle and and Ben Jennings, aged 20, from Cramlington, in Northumberland were just 17 and 18 respectively when they attacked the woman in 2022.

Following a trial in June, King was found guilty of three offences two charges of raping a woman aged 16 and over and one charge of voyeurism or recording a private act. Jennings was convicted of two charges of rape of a woman aged 16 and over, and one sexual assault charge of a female aged 16.

Record details

A paedophile has been found guilty of 43 historic sex offences against children as young as three. Clinton Royle was arrested after a complaint was made in 2019.

Officers then seized children’s clothing, hard drives, and digital storage devices were from his home. Cheshire Police’s digital forensic unit discovered encrypted and password protected files containing thousands of child abuse images.

The files also contained recordings of Royle’s offending. His victim was aged between child eight and 12 years at the time. Further investigations were conducted, and officers were able to identify other child victims aged between three and 12 years.

Chester Crown Court heard Royle confirmed he was present in the videos and images with the children, he denied the offence claiming that his actions and the images were not of a sexual nature. Despite his denials, he was charged with the offences in April 2023.

Royle, 62, of Elm Drive, Crewe, was convicted following a 11-day trial. He was found guilty of 28 counts of assaulting a girl under 13, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children, three counts of making indecent photographs of child, and seven counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He has been remanded in custody until he is sentenced on September 27. 

Record details

A serial sex offender who targeted two women – and raped one of them – faces a long prison sentence after being convicted by a jury of the "traumatic" offences.

David Beck tried to pretend that the victims were lying about what happened but his claims were condemned as "absolute and utter nonsense" and they were "not plausible" at all, Hull Crown Court heard.

Beck, 30, of Nornabell Street, off Holderness Road, east Hull, denied 10 sexual offences but he was convicted by a jury of six of them after more than eight hours of deliberations, spanning two days, following a nine-day trial.

They involved two offences of rape and two offences of assault by penetration against one woman and one offence of sexual assault and another of assault by penetration against the other woman.

The two rape convictions were both unanimous but three of the other convictions were either by majority verdicts of 10 to two or, in one case, by 11 to one. He was cleared of four offences, with three of them, including two of assault by penetration, involving the rape victim. The other involved a charge of sexual assault on the other woman.

Beck was convicted after a retrial. An earlier trial last year had to be abandoned after additional late evidence emerged.

Richard Butters, prosecuting, said that Beck sexually assaulted both women. "The defendant would say that these two women are liars from start to finish," said Mr Butters.

The rape victim had said: "It's so hard to talk about. It's so painful." Mr Butters asked the jury whether, if the woman was lying, she would allow herself to suffer the stress of the court process. "Would she put herself through the torture that she experienced in this trial?" he asked.

The ordeal had been "traumatic" for her. "This defendant has ruined her life and violated her and she is feeling it today," said Mr Butters.

The second woman had said: "I have got nothing to gain by lying. He did sexually assault me." Mr Butters said: "She felt violated." The woman had told the court that what Beck did was "not right".

It was claimed by the defence that the women and all the prosecution witnesses were lying to the court and were "part of a conspiracy", said Mr Butters. He said of the defence claims: "Everybody is a liar. Everybody is in this conspiracy together. It's not plausible."

Beck claimed that a man had "manipulated" the rape victim into lying. "That's absolute and utter nonsense," said Mr Butters. "His explanations are utterly ridiculous."

During Beck's defence evidence, his barrister, Michael Forrest, asked him whether the sexual allegations against him over the rape victim were true. Beck replied: "It didn't happen, no." He claimed of the two rape allegations: "That's not true."

When asked about how he felt when he was told about the other sexual allegations involving the rape victim, Beck replied: "It was just disgusting to hear. I felt physically ill. I still feel physically ill to this day. I was terrified and scared."

Beck claimed that he had been attacked as a result of the allegations. "I was physically beaten up on the doorstep," he claimed. "I remember being on the floor trying to protect myself. I had to run. I managed to get myself to my mum's property."

Beck claimed, when asked about the allegations involving the sexual assault victim: "That didn't happen. I wouldn't do something like that to a woman, especially without consent."

He repeatedly replied: "That didn't happen" when other allegations were put to him. After the first of the guilty verdicts were announced, Beck cried and wailed and put his head in his hands.

He had been on bail during the trial but, after the convictions, he was remanded in custody. Sentence was adjourned until September for an assessment by the probation service on the danger that he poses to others in the future. He faces a lengthy prison sentence.

Record details

A former Taekwondo world champion and coach who had a sexual interest in boys has been jailed for six years and ten months.

Glen Edwards, 32, of Acrefair, Wrexham, denied 14 counts alleging sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child and causing a child to watch sexual acts. But he was found guilty of twelve charges on what the judge called “quite overwhelming evidence.”

Sentencing him on Monday, July 29, Judge Niclas Parry at Mold crown court said there were eight victims “in awe of your remarkable achievements” in sport. Judge Parry said Edwards showed “no remorse whatsoever” for what he’d done.

“Rather bizarrely you claim only to have been targeted for prosecution because of your gender,” the judge remarked. Edwards was an “accomplished athlete" but the judge said: “You are now professionally ruined." Edwards must register as a sex offender for life.

The paedophile had been bailed for a pre-sentence report. But he appeared on a video link from Berwyn jail at Wrexham today. His counsel Jemma Gordon explained that his convictions had meant his home address was no longer available to him.

A female juror was tearful at the end of his trial. The judge had told the jury :”You have had to listen to some harrowing evidence. It’s had an impact on some of you. I am extremely sorry for any distress that was understandably caused.”

During the case, prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers had said Edwards “groomed” young boys and that he didn’t have “any boundaries.” “No doubt the defendant was charming, no doubt he was charismatic, but sadly the truth was he had a sexual interest in them,” Mr Rogers declared.

Edwards accepted a sexual conversation with an underage boy but it had been a “joke”, he claimed in evidence. Judge Parry had told the jury in his summing up :”Someone has lied to you.”

He added: ”Mr Edwards is charged with sexual offences against numerous complainants. The defendant claims they have lied to you.”

However, Edwards had pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with an underage boy in a car. Boys said they were sent pictures of Edwards’s groin, and one received a video of the naked defendant in a shower. A boy claimed that the defendant had discussed sexual matters and sought pictures.

Another youngster said Edwards had asked him a lewd personal question. The defendant had said “hi sexy” in a message and put kisses. Edwards insisted he wasn’t communicating “sexually.”

But he was described as “suggestive” by another of his victims. The defendant had admitted child porn allegations.

Record details

THIS is the face of a sex offender who sent a picture of his penis to who he thought was a 14-year-old boy and encouraged the ‘boy’ to masturbate.

Andrew Gold, 41, of no fixed abode, was described “devious and manipulative” as he was jailed by Judge Catherine Richards at Swansea Crown Court.

Gold had faced a trial over allegations of attempted sexual communications with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He was found guilty of both charges on July 2.

The defendant was sentenced to five years, made up of three years in custody and a further two years extended licence period.

“I’m sure there is a serious risk to young boys,” Judge Richards said as she sentenced Gold.

The court heard that Gold, previously of Tenby, contacted who he thought was a 14-year-old boy named Ryan – but was actually as decoy account – between June and September last year.

“Your conversation soon turned sexual,” Judge Richards said, summarising the evidence heard at trial.

The contact began on a dating app, before swiftly moving on to Snapchat. Gold sent ‘Ryan’ a picture of his penis and asked him to send pictures of himself. He also described sexual acts to ‘Ryan’ that he said he planned do with him, and encouraged ‘Ryan’ to masturbate.

Judge Richards described Gold’s behaviour as “devious and manipulative offending”, as he specifically chose to move the conversation on to Snapchat due to the disappearing messages feature, as well as the subsequent deletion of Gold’s Snapchat account.

“Your actions were determined and calculated,” Judge Richards said.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue told the court that Gold had relevant previous convictions.

“This was an online offence,” said Dyfed Thomas, in mitigation.

“I accept there was some discussion about meeting. It didn’t really develop.”

Referring to Gold’s offending, Mr Thomas admitted: “There is limited mitigation here”.

Mr Thomas said measures put in place through the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order and the defendant registering as a sex offender would reduce the danger Gold posed to the public, and that he would benefit from taking part in the Horizon programme.

Gold was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Record details

A dad unwittingly took a prolific paedophile on holiday with his family. The parent was left "physically shaking" after finding out the man he had invited along was in fact a "devious" serial sex offender.

Andrew Priday, 61, had secretly obtained a passport and used it to go on a trip to Europe with the family in question, who knew nothing of his past.

He had lied about his real identity to the woman he was marrying and her family. The details emerged during a hearing a Swansea Crown Court, with his crimes described as "determined and devious".

Priday, who has already served two lengthy prison terms for child sex offences, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars for his latest offence.

The Mirror reports Leuan Rees, prosecuting, said that in 2005 Priday was given an extended 11-year sentence at Swansea Crown Court and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life for a string of child sex offences, with part of the conditions for the order being he had to inform the police of any passports he has.

He was also told to tell police of any holiday plans at least a week before they leave. The court heard that in January 2021, Priday applied for and obtained a passport.

But during subsequent annual registration declarations he lied to police and said he did not have one. The court heard that in June this year a family with a child who knew him - but were unaware of his previous convictions - booked a holiday to Bulgaria.

As an afterthought they invited Priday to join them for the final week of their break. Priday flew from Cardiff Airport on June 17 and spent seven days at the family's holiday apartment.

Priday was also found to have a phone in his possession, a device he had not informed police about. The father of the holidaying family later told police he felt "sick" and was "physically shaking" when he learned of Priday's past convictions.

Priday had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and three counts of failing to abide by the requirements of the sex offenders registration scheme when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has 12 previous convictions for 71 offences between 1997 and 2005, including 12 convictions for sexual offences. In 1995 he was sentenced to seven years in prison at Cardiff Crown Court for indecent assault of a child and gross indecency with a child.

In 2005 he was given an 11-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender for indecent assault of a child, sexual activity with a child, making indecent images, and possessing indecent images.

He also has convictions from Kent in 2002 for breaching the terms of the sex offenders register, for gaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences - failing to declare his past convictions when applying for a job.

He also made false statements about his offending history to his then wife-to-be when applying for a marriage licence. Andrew Evans, speaking for Priday, said there was no suggestion of inappropriate behaviour during the holiday.

But he accepted his client had 'faltered' on his requirements. Judge Geraint Walters said Priday seemed to have "given up on any pretence" of complying with the requirements of the sex offenders register and Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He said the reality was his breaches were "determined and devious". With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Priday was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

He will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder of his sentence in the community.

Record details

A man who attempted to murder a child who had intervened to stop him raping and sexually assaulting another child has today (26/7) been sentenced after he was convicted of a number of offences including attempted murder and rape.

Anthony Stocks, aged 54, formerly of Icieni Close, Goring-on-Thames, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and one count each of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, rape and attempted murder in a trial at Oxford Crown Court, which concluded on 6 June 2024.

Returning to the same court for sentencing, Stocks was sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 19 and half years.

A joint investigation between Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police found that Stocks had calculated a plan to kill a young boy who had tried to stop him from his offending against a young girl.

Stocks had previously taken the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire with a plan to push him off the edge, but he changed his mind.

However, on 24 September 2022, Stocks took the child to a set of cliffs at Ovingdean, near Brighton, where he carried out his plan, pushing the boy from the cliff edge.

He sustained extensive serious injuries, but miraculously, survived.

Initially, the boy’s fall was thought to be accidental, but following the launch of an investigation, a much darker reason for the fall became apparent.

Stocks was arrested on 23 November 2023 on suspicion of attempted murder, rape, and other sexual offences and was charged on the same day.

Over a period of three years between 2019 and 2022, Stocks was staying at an address in east Oxfordshire.

During his time there, he subjected a girl to rape and multiple sexual assaults.

The boy, who became aware of Stocks’ offending, attempted to intervene to stop Stocks continuing his abuse, and it was then that Stocks hatched his sordid plan to kill the boy.

The girl had told the boy about the offending and the boy put himself in the way of Stocks to try and stop the incidents from occurring.

Stocks made concerted efforts to stop this, and took the boy to a quarry nearby in east Oxfordshire with a thought of pushing him from the cliff edge.

Although he did not do this at that time, later in the same year, Stocks took the boy to see Chelsea Football Club before heading to Brighton and the cliff side at Ovingdean, where he carried out his plan.

He had told his female victim he was planning to push him from the cliff.

The boy was pushed from the cliff, falling 100 feet to the ground, where he sustained multiple severe injuries. He still suffers from ongoing issues as a result of the fall, but has otherwise made a miraculous recovery.

Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson of Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that today, Stocks has been handed a very significant sentence for his horrific and evil offences against two young children.

 “Stocks is an extremely dangerous individual, who had no thought about anybody but himself, to protect himself from prosecution by removing the boy from the equation.

“He has never shown any remorse throughout the course of this investigation.

“I would like to praise both victims for their unbelievable courage and resolve that helped us to bring Stocks to justice.

“They showed immense maturity and clarity, both in their interviews with police and at court, about what had happened to them.

“It’s because of this truly inspirational courage that Stocks has now been brought to justice and will now be in prison for long time, where he deserves to be.

“In my years investigating child abuse, this is one of the worst cases I have dealt with, and the impact that this has had on both victims, as well as all of the officers and staff who investigated this, is not to be underestimated.

“Both victims have continued to show courage and resolve, and are moving on with their lives magnificently, with support networks in place for them both.

“Both victims have continued to show courage and resolve, and are moving on with their lives magnificently, with support networks in place for them both.

Detective Inspector Matt Stevens, of Sussex Police, said: “Anthony Stocks’ calculated offending betrayed the trust of two young people.

“Both victims must now live with the impact of Stocks’ crimes for the rest of their lives, but it is testament to both of them how they have supported our investigation and are moving on with their lives.

“They have shown remarkable courage, bravery and determination to support this investigation through to its conclusion. I would like to thank them both for helping us bring Stocks to justice.

“The events of 24 September, 2022, was also extremely alarming for residents of Ovingdean and the wider community.

“It was a miracle it did not end in more tragic circumstances, and I would also like to thank all of those who came forward with information and messages of support.

“Finally, I commend my colleagues and detectives in both Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police for their outstanding work on this joint and very complex investigation.