Latest Offenders

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A SEX offender who has persistently flouted notification requirements whenever released from prison is back behind bars for his latest breaches.

Jack Whitfield-Gash, then aged 20, was jailed for 16 months at Durham Crown Court in August 2017, after being convicted of sexual activity with a child under 16, an offence committed when he was said to be an 18-year-old.

He was also made subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and required to register as a sex offender for ten years, but committed his first breach shortly after his release, receiving an initial ten-day sentence.

Whitfield-Gash was back before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe, in early March, and committed back to the crown court for sentence, having admitted two offences of failing to comply with notification requirements and three of failing to comply with a SHPO.

The court was told he failed to inform police he was living at the home of a woman who has a young daughter, days after being released from Durham Prison, on January 18 this year.

Durham Crown Court heard that he also chatted with two underage teenage girls at a bus stop, at which he told them he was stoned, and exchanged phone numbers with one, later receiving a message from her asking if he was, still stoned?

Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, said his phone was seized after he left an address on February 28 and examination revealed contact with the girls, at a bus stop in Durham.

The parents of the girl who sent the message to Whitfield-Gash were unaware their daughter had been in communication with him.

When interviewed about the various breaches, Whitfield-Gash described the situation as, one big game, adding that it was, stupid little things that police keep getting him on.

Miss Buck told the court the defendant became agitated with the interviewing officer and threatened to spit at her.

Whitfield-Gash, 24, of no fixed address, but who has been in custody in Durham Prison since his latest arrest, in late February, was said to have 30 convictions for 50 offences, including 13 sex-related, 11 of them being previous failures to comply with notification requirements.

Whitfield-Gash, 24, of no fixed address, but who has been in custody in Durham Prison since his latest arrest, in late February, was said to have 30 convictions for 50 offences, including 13 sex-related, 11 of them being previous failures to comply with notification requirements.

Miss Buck told the court that the defendant, has links all over the North East, and she said the latest batch of offences suggested it was, a deliberate attempt to avoid detection, as he is fully aware of the requirements of the orders, given his recent offending history.

Jane Waugh, in mitigation, said all the offences are committed as he is homeless, as those with whom he can make contact all live more than two hours by bus from any police station at which he must register his address.

She said there was no intention to evade police and, with the brief meeting with the girls at the bus stop, there was, no sexual intention or motivation.

Judge Ray Singh said he rejected Whitfield-Gashs assertion to police that these were just, trivial matters.

You, more than anyone else, know the serious nature of the orders against you

Because you know about this, you have appeared before the courts for 11 previous breaches.

This is not an isolated offence. These are deliberate, persistent, prolonged breaches over a number of years, not stating to police where you are living, making it hard to monitor your movements.

Im afraid the lessons are not sinking in over these matters.

Imposing a two-year prison sentence Judge Singh said it would be for the police to apply, through other channels to extend the SHPO, which expires in August.

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A paedophile collected nearly 2,000 "horrific" child rape and abuse images.

James Mercer was hit with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2013 after he was caught with a sick stash of indecent images of children. The decade-long order prevented him from accessing the internet unless he retained the browsing history and made it available for inspection by police.

But when officers performed a routine check on his computer equipment as part of the SOPO, they discovered another library of "appalling" photos. The 41-year-old, of Ashburn Avenue, Tower Hill, Kirkby, later admitted possessing 1,997 indecent images of children.

According to the charge, he downloaded the files over a near three-year period between May 16, 2018 and March 17, 2021. Mercer admitted downloading 368 Category A images - the most serious category involving child rape - plus 323 Category B and 1,306 Category C files.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he also pleaded guilty to possessing seven prohibited [cartoon or animated] images of a child. Prosecutors said Mercer was not in fact in breach of the SOPO, as the sex offender had not deleted or attempted to manipulate his search history.

The judge, Recorder Michael Taylor, said his previous convictions were an aggravating feature of the case. He decided the offences were so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

Recorder Taylor jailed Mercer for 12 months and made him subject to a new indefinite SOPO. The judge told Mercer he must sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Speaking after the case, an NSPCC spokesperson said: "Every child featured in these indecent images is a victim of horrific abuse. The demand created for this appalling material by offenders like James Mercer means he shares responsibility for their terrible experiences.

"The NSPCC is determined to ensure the Government's upcoming Online Safety Bill is strengthened to prevent offenders like Mercer from using the online world as a gateway to abuse children."

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The former manager of a children's home jailed for historical child sexual abuse "ruined the lives of many young men", the chief constable has said.

Joseph Marshall, 85, was sentenced to six years on Friday for abusing boys at Knottfield in Douglas between 1974 and 1982.

Gary Roberts said it was "hard to overstate" the damage the "very dangerous sex offender" had caused.

Marshall's victims "might now see some closure", he added.

The serial abuser was convicted of three indecent assaults and two counts of gross indecency against two boys aged under 16 following a trial at Douglas Courthouse in December.

He had previously been jailed in 1992 for 13 offences of indecent assault against other boys at the home.

Mr Roberts said he had "no doubt at all" that more children had been abused by Marshall, and that it was "never too late" for them to come forward.

'Being believed'

In a statement issued through the charity Victim Support Isle of Man, one of those who fell prey to Marshall said: "A guilty verdict is not just for the crimes he committed against me, but a guilty verdict is for the crimes he committed against every single victim he made.

"I felt believed as soon as I had given my interview to the police and being believed was the biggest part for me."

Responding to criticism by Deemster Bernard Richmond QC about evidence he gave to a Tynwald inquiry into Knottfield prior to the criminal proceedings, Mr Roberts said "to all intents and purposes the book had closed on Marshall" at that time.

"What's also important to note is that inquiry by Tynwald brought out more victims,"he added.

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Richard Taylor, aged 55, assaulted multiple boys and girls in Nottingham over a 20 year period mostly by putting his hands under their clothing.

Taylor, of Exchange Road, West Bridgford, was found out when a former victim came forward to share her experiences with police.

A major police investigation followed, with detectives interviewing multiple witnesses and victims many of whom are now adults.

Taylor was first arrested in December 2017 and denied all the allegations against him.

During his initial police interview he provided a brief statement but declined to answer any of the questions posed to him.

He remained silent during further interviews as multiple other victims came forward to share their stories of abuse.

Taylor was eventually found guilty in February by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court of 11 offences two of indecent assault and nine of sexual assault.

He was found not guilty of two further counts of sexual assault.

Appearing at the same venue on Friday, April 29, he was jailed for 13 years.

He was added to the sexual offenders' register for life and was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will tightly restrict his activities when he is released.

Detective Constable Paul Crofts, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: Taylor committed these offences over a very long period of time and seemed to believe that he would never be held to account for what he was doing.

Thanks to the bravery of his victims his offending was exposed. I am delighted for them that they have finally got justice for what happened to them and hope this provides them with at least some degree of closure.

Offences of this nature are never easy to investigate particularly when they happened many years ago. But we always will investigate such allegations to the best of our ability.

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In the first incident Gallagher continued to rape the victim even after she repeatedly told him to stop, while on the second occasion she woke up to find Gallagher raping her.

Immediately after the second incident the victim called a friend to stay in her home as Gallagher refused to leave.

A victim impact statement read out in court said the victim had suffered significant trauma as a result of the incidents, which continues to this day.

At Luton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday), Gallagher was sentenced to three years in prison for the first offence and six years for the second. The sentences will be served at the same time.

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A Harrogate paedophile is facing a long prison sentence for the systematic sexual abuse of a young girl.

Neil Michael Stubbs, 26, was convicted of 13 separate offences this week following a four-day trial at York Crown Court.

The jury heard that Stubbs, of Kingsley Park Road, Starbeck, groomed and sexually abused the youngster over a prolonged period.

They found him guilty of all 13 charges, including one count of attempted rape of a child under 13 years of age, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual assault, possessing indecent images and several counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe said that some of the offences including engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, sexual assault and causing a child to engage in sexual activity were specimen counts, meaning they happened on multiple occasions.

He said that Stubbs would perform lewd acts on himself in front of the girl and got her to perform sexual acts on him on at least six occasions.

Stubbs also pestered her to send him naked photos of herself, added Mr Newcombe.

Following his arrest, police seized Stubbss phone on which they found indecent images of children, including some naked photos of the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Some of the other images were rated Category A the worst kind of such material.

Mr Newcombe said it showed that Stubbs had an unhealthy obsession with children.

The jury returned their verdicts yesterday (Thursday, April 28). Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, adjourned sentence to August 15.

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A KENDAL man has been put on the Sex Offender Register after he admitted three sex offences involving a child.

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Stephen Wetton, 62, of Garden Street, Kendal, entered guilty pleas to three allegations when he appeared before a judge at Carlisle Crown Court. Those offences were outlined in court as follows:

- That he attempted to cause or incite a child a girl aged 13 - to engage in sexual activity on April 27, 2020.

- That he attempted to cause or incite a child the same 13-year-old to engage in sexual activity on May 5, 2020.

- And that he attempted to sexually communicate with a 13-year-old between April 15, 2020 and May 20 of that year, doing so for his own sexual gratification and knowing or believing that the person was aged 13.

The defendants defence barrister told the court that Wetton was a man of previous good character and requested a pre-sentence report. The defendant is aware that the Sex Offender Register will bite as of today, said the barrister.

Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant that the period for which the defendant will remain on the Sex Offender Register will be determined by the length and nature of sentence that he ultimately receives.

The judge set the sentencing date as May 26, granting the defendant bail until that day. In the meantime, a background report will be prepared.

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A former children's entertainer and clown who was caught with thousands of indecent images on his phone failed to tell police he had moved to a new town, a court has heard.

When officers found Kingsley Perera at his new address - following information received from the Department for Work and Pensions - they found what appeared to be a child's bedroom in the property, complete with "racing car" bed.

Swansea Crown Court heard the 59-year-old has "memory issues", and the fact he is required to tell police if he moves "fell off the radar".

Perera was jailed for 10 months in December 2020 after being caught almost 4,000 images of children being sexual abused and raped on his mobile phones, including more than 600 so-called Category A photos which show the most extreme kind of abuse. He denied he was responsible for downloading the images and at trial sought to blame others - including his own sister - who he said had acted out of spite, or for their own sexual purposes. As part of his sentence he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and was placed on the sex offenders register for the same length of time - under the notification requirements he must tell police about any new address within three days.

Stephen Rees, prosecuting, told the court that on March 17 this year police officers went to a house on Pen-y-Cae Road in Port Talbot following information received from the Department for Work and Pensions. In the driveway of the property was a vehicle which was insured in the defendant's name. Officers spent around 10 minutes knocking on the front door until the defendant looked out from the bathroom window.

The officers were let into the house, and the court heard they were concerned that one of the bedrooms appeared to be a child's room complete with a "racing car" bed.

Kingsley Perera, now of Pier Street in Swansea Maritime Quarter, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching sexual registration notification requirements when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Vince Williams, for Perera, said the defendant had been evicted from his previous property on Hanover Street in Swansea, and had then been put in touch with a landlord who provided accommodation to former inmates. He said in the stress of being homeless and trying to find somewhere to live, notifying the police of the change of address had "fallen off the radar". He added that while not an excuse, there was evidence that Perera had "memory issues".

Judge Wayne Beard said he had read a pre-sentence on the defendant, and it was of concern that the he still seemed to maintain his position that he was not guilty of the possession of images charges. However he said it was significant that the author of the report concluded Perera posed a greater risk if he were sent back to custody than if he were to undergo a rehabilitation course in the community.

The judge said the offence of failing to abide by notification requirements was a serious one but he said "it seems the public would be better protected in these circumstances if I were to impose a suspended sentence".

With a one-third discount for his guilty plea Perera was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete a rehabilitation requirement with a Maps for Change sex offenders course.

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A man from Wigan who sent sexually-motivated messages over a sustained period to a girl nearly four decades younger than him has been jailed for 14 years after key evidence from his survivor.

The victim - now aged 16-years-old - has been praised by investigators after helping to bravely report to us Michael Dennett (54) and then support our probe into his year of offending against her between 2017 and 2018 when she was aged just 12-13.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Dennett, of Poolstock Lane, started messaging the girl after the breakdown of his relationship and began to embark on a persistent campaign of sexually-motivated offending; sending her indecent images and asking her to send them in return.

Dennett's offending was also physical as the victim spoke of wanting him to 'leave her alone' when he would try to hug and kiss her, but she helplessly 'felt like she couldnt say no' as he also would inappropriately touch her.

It was reported to police initially after her mum had found sexualised messages on her phone from Dennett before subsequent disclosures came from the victim around sexual assaults.

Dennett was initially arrested for the communication in November 2018 and then subsequently interviewed in February and November 2019 as enquiries continued and forensic evidence was collated.

When we first interviewed Dennett in November 2018, he refused to provide comment when asked about some of the messages we had seen he'd been sending to the victim.

As enquiries by our Wigan Child Sexual Exploitation team continued, the victim reported a new allegation prompting us to arrest Dennett for a second time where he didnt admit any offences and suggested that the victim had been 'put up to this'.

Due to the detail of evidence the victim was able to provide us, we were able to charge Dennett with nine offences - including three counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual communication with a child.

He was found guilty after a trial in February 2020 of the communication offence, before being convicted of the remainder of the offences in a re-trial earlier this month.

Yesterday (Thursday 28 April) Dennett was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

The survivor of Dennett's abuse has received ongoing specialist support throughout the case and we have praised her for the evidence she was able to provide to us and the courts to help bring her offender to justice.

Police Constable Vicki Flemming, from our Wigan Child Sexual Exploitation team, said: "I want to firstly pay tribute to the survivor of this campaign of sexual abuse for their bravery in not only helping to report this incident to us, but for also having the courage to give evidence in court that was key to the success of this case.

"Michael Dennett's offending was predatory and repulsive and it's clear that he was a clear danger to this child and deserves his place behind bars for a number of years to come.

"We are committed to bringing to justice any sex offenders - especially those who target children as a way of gratifying their own depraved and perverted desires - and I want any victim of such abuse to know that we are here to listen to your concerns and to take thorough and robust action to bring offenders to justice."

Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email [email protected]

Survivors Manchester provides specialist trauma informed support to boys and men in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

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A man subjected three young girls to a campaign of systematic sexual abuse spanning more than a decade. Christopher James repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted the children after moving to Wales from Worcestershire.

The 60-year-old was convicted at trial in Swansea Crown Court of 22 counts of indecent assault, indecency with a child, rape, attempted rape, sexual assault of a child under 13, rape of a child under 13, and attempted rape of a child under 13. Sending him to prison for a total of 21 year, a judge told the defendant that in the experience of the courts offending of the kind committed by James had life-long impacts on victims.

Barrister Nicola Powell, for James, said while the defendant respects the processes of the court, the maintains he is innocent of all the charges. She asked the judge to bear in mind her client has a good side to his character, a submission supported by references from friends and family members.

Christopher James, of Brynheulwen, Blaenannerch, Ceredigion, had previously been convicted at trial when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Geraint Walters told the defendant he had been convicted of "systematically abusing" three girls over a period of more than 10 years. Following the sentencing guidelines the judge sentenced James, who is originally from Stourport-on-Severn, to a total of 21 years in prison. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Speaking after the hearing Dyfed-Powys Police senior investigating officer detective inspector Llyr Williams said: "James committed unthinkable crimes against young children so we welcome this sentence and hope it serves as a warning to anyone else who may be considering similar abuse. If you commit crimes such as these against vulnerable children we will make sure you are brought to justice.

"I would like to commend the victims in this case who have shown strength and bravery in coming forward and throughout the investigation and trial that James put them through. We hope that todays sentence will give them some comfort and allow them to take steps to move on with their lives.

"This has been an extensive and exhaustive investigation that has taken more than two years to bring to court. I would like to thank the officers and support staff who have worked so hard, dealing with distressing matters, to bring James to justice.

"If you have been abused, please dont suffer in silence. We will listen to you and support you through the investigation."

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A Norfolk runner who admitted indecent images offences took close-up pictures of girls wearing tight shorts at running and gymnastics events.

David Murrell, 46, a former member of a Norwich-based running club was found to have downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children.

Norwich Crown Court heard as well as downloading images from the internet Murrell also took pictures of children himself at running and gymnastics events.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said pictures taken by the defendant of real girls at running events in June and August 2019, included girls wearing "skin tight running shorts and sports bra".

Murrell also took pictures of girls at gymnastics events in December 2019 with the images showing "close ups of genital areas".

The court heard pictures of the children were found in a "concealed" folder on his phone that were in part of a secret app which needed a PIN number to get into it.

Mr Youell said Murrell was caught by police after a category B indecent image of a child uploaded by the defendant led to officers executing a search warrant at his home in July 2020.

Devices, including a mobile phone and hard drive were recovered and searched, and found to contain indecent images of children.

He was found to have downloaded and taken indecent images of children over a three-year period between 2017 and 2020.

Some of the images were category A, the most serious, but there were also category B and C images found.

These included 501 category C images, 424 of which were downloaded from the internet and 77 of them taken by the defendant, of which some were duplicates.

Also recovered by police were chats the defendant had with others online, including one where he talked about "sexually abusing children".

Mr Youell said: "There clearly was in the background of his life something where he was fantasising about young children and young girls.

"He was talking about it on the internet and taking pictures and downloading images."

Murrell, of Camperdown in Great Yarmouth, appeared at court on Thursday (April 28) after having admitted three counts of making indecent images of a child and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child.

He also previously pleaded guilty to six counts of taking indecent photos of a child.

The mother of one of the children who had pictures taken of her read out a victim impact statement in which she described the knock at the door from police.

She said it was something she would "never forget" and felt "as if her world had stopped".

The woman said: "It's something I don't think I will truly ever get over."

She also described to the court the "confusion", and "sheer terror" as well as "disbelief and disgust" she had felt.

The woman added she lies awake at night "worrying about what might have happened if he hadn't been caught".

The father of another victim in the case described the "dismay" about what had happened and he felt and hoped Murrell would get the help he needed.

Damien Moore, mitigating, said nothing he could say could "repair the damage Mr Murrell has caused".

Mr Moore said Murrell wanted to apologise to the parents of the children involved and the children themselves.

He said the defendant was "a completely broken man" who has "lost everything" and was going to have to live the rest of his life with the "shame and embarrassment" of the offences he had committed.

Mr Moore said Murrell was "at rock bottom" after having taken a "self-destructive path" and was in need of help and rehabilitation.

He said the defendant "knows he has to be punished and is ready to be punished" but urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence.

Judge Katharine Moore adjourned sentencing until Wednesday, May 4 but warned Murrell "the custody threshold had been crossed by a country mile".

Judge Moore remanded him in custody until next week due to concerns about his welfare.

It's understood Murrell was a member of the Norfolk Gazelles running club but that he was no longer permitted to be a member when the allegations emerged.

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A crossdresser exposed himself to a teenager before targeting other young ladies outside a college near from his home in Swindon, a court heard.

Andrew Keen, 41, was sentenced at Swindon Magistrates Court yesterday (27 April), after admitting an indecent exposure offence and two charges of causing harassment, alarm or distress.

Prosecutor Kate Prince said the defendant, of Clanfield Road, Park North, approached a lone 17-year-old girl just 250 metres from his address and asked her for the time on 26 September last year.

But things turned odd when Keen who was wearing womens clothing asked if he could have her top and bottoms for a charity. She declined, and he went on to ask if she could sign his skirt.

After bending down to sign his skirt with a lipstick he provided, he lifted his top and showed her his genitals which were poking out of his skirts waistband.

Shocked, confused and scared, she agreed to his second request for her to have a photograph with him, which she took on her own mobile phone. He asked if he could put this arm around her, but she said no.

The next day, Keen ventured out again this time targeting a 16-year-old girl outside New College.

He asked her: Will you take your clothes off so I can have them?, claiming it was for charity, before asking her for her phone number. The victim called the police to report the encounter.

On 28 September, he accosted a 17-year-old girl as she got off the bus on Queens Drive, near New College. He asked her for the time before asking if he could borrow her clothes for charity. He went on to request that she takes her clothing off.

Worried about his behaviour, she ran into the college and reported the incident. In a statement to police, she said she is now scared and anxious about going to college.

Mr Prince said the defendant was identified by the photograph the initial victim was asked to take on her own mobile phone.

Defending, Sam Arif described her client as a loner, who was struggling with his sexuality. She said older generations of his family could not accept it.

She added that Keen saw the approaches as opportunities to talk to young women who he believed would be more open to his sexuality.

Ms Arif said he stopped offending as soon as she was spoken to by the police, who were investigating the spate of concerning incidents.

She said Keen has a myriad of issues and learned about things via the internet, rather than via the appropriate channels. She added that he has found it difficult to deal with his family situation and with who he wants to be.

Ms Arif said his crimes could have been worse claiming they were very short encounters.

Chief magistrate Martin Clarke told the defendant that the bench was considering sending him to prison for his crimes.

Weve been thinking long and hard about what to do with you.

Whats worrying here is that you deliberately target certain young females, these are young girls, young ladies, very young.

One of them has actually said she was shocked and confused, she didnt have a clue what you were talking about. Thats worrying Mr Keen.

Our range is from a community penalty to sending you to prison today, thats how serious this is serious.

Mr Clarke imposed a 24-month community order and banned Keen from going near both New College sites for 12 months which will be monitored by a GPS tag.

He must also complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 200 hours of unpaid work and register as a sex offender for five years.

Talking about the order as a whole, Mr Clarke added: If you break that and end up in that area, you could be going out that back door instead of the front door.

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A Mansfield paedophile who sexually abused an underage girl and ruined her childhood, left her paralysed by fear and haunted by hallucinations afterwards, a court has heard.

Sarel Van Der Merwe, aged 41, of Carter Lane, Mansfield, pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, and two charges of causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Van Der Merwe told police the abuse happened on three occasions, prosecutor Ian West said, shortly after his victim told her teacher she had been abused.

Nottingham Crown Court was told on Wednesday how he kissed and sucked her breasts, touched her vagina and got her to masturbate him to ejaculation.

In a statement, the victim's mother said unexpected things can trigger flashbacks and described her daughter seeing him as a black figure in crowded places.

On one occasion the girl cried out: It's there, it's there it's coming for me.

She said her daughters fear was so strong she was paralysed. And because she kept seeing black figures in the mirror, we have had to take down all the mirrors in the house.

The court heard Van Der Merwes victim has since tried to harm herself and once locked herself in the bathroom with a knife.

She mainly stresses about being gotten by him, the girls mother said. She is physically exhausted by the whole experience. This has ruined her childhood.

Gregor Purcell, mitigating, said Van Der Merwe, of previous good character, made admissions from the start.

He knows he should never have behaved in the way he did. There is nothing he can do to put right what he has done wrong here."

Mr Purcell said Van Der Merwe has sought assistance for his offending with 'offence-focused work' which will hopefully reduce the risk he will present.

Judge Gregory Dickinson QC, the Recorder of Nottingham, told him: "This is serious sexual abuse. You used her as a sexual plaything.

"It has ruined her childhood. In some ways this will stay with her to the end of her life."

He jailed Van de Merwe for four years and eight months and imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Detective Constable Kate Waters, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: Van Der Merwe has now been jailed for his crimes and I hope it brings some closure both for the victim, who showed a huge amount of courage in coming forward to report what had been happening to her, and for her family, who have also been impacted by his offending.

I hope this case serves as a reminder to other victims of sexual assault that even if incidents happened some time ago, if you speak to us and report it, we will listen to you and carry out a full investigation to do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.

We would urge anyone with any concerns to speak to an officer, or call 101, to have a chat and report any incidents of sexual abuse.

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Carol Ann White's twisted sexual abuse was revealed after police discovered she had been texting a boy in lockdown.

A teacher who molested two schoolboys in a campaign of twisted sexual abuse is facing jail.

Carol Ann White, 39, abused both youngsters while employed in two different Lanarkshire primary schools.

A police investigation was launched when it was discovered she had been texting a 12-year-old boy during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Phones belonging to the pair were analysed and a total of 1,185 messages had been exchanged over a three-week period.

White asked him to touch himself intimately on FaceTime, sent revealing photos of herself and sent one photo captioned 'Cockblock of the year goes to Covid-19'.

In later interviews with police, the boy revealed he had been kissed 50 times by her on the lips during a school trip to an outdoor activity centre near Oban, Argyll.

He also said White had groped him while watching the film Titanic and had also forced his hand down the front of her trousers.

The probe led police to an 11-year-old boy who said White had kissed him on the lips in a school store cupboard.

In a series of interviews with officers, the boy revealed White had held his head against her groin and rubbed him with her breasts.

White, of Uddingston, Lanarkshire, had denied two charges of engaging in sexual activity with the boys spanning between August 2018 and May 2020.

But jurors took just over an hour to find her guilty following a seven-day trial at Airdrie Sheriff Court.

After the verdict, it was revealed first offender White had earlier pled guilty to possessing eight indecent images of the 12-year-old boy.

A text sent by White to the boy after one image was sent read: "You clearly don't need me to help, someone else has must have made you horny."

In a video shown to jurors, the 12-year-old boy said: "Miss White said if you touch me I will touch you and then grabbed my hand and put it down her trousers. It happened once."

The 11-year-old boy told how he had been targeted after a discussion about White and her love for Celtic FC.

He said: "She was manipulative. I thought she was a good person who would do nothing wrong but you can't judge a book by its cover.

"We were talking about football because she is a big Celtic fan and the kiss just happened.

"For the last year I've felt like I had to protect her because I thought she was this nice person but she really wasn't.

"If you were Miss White's teacher's pet then she would favour you. It felt quite good. Looking back I feel disgusted."

In evidence, White broke down as she repeatedly denied the allegations against her.

She said: "My reaction is that they are absolutely not true, not any of it.

"I was a very hard working, nurturing, caring teacher for all children. I don't know why they would say this about me."

Prosecutors had urged jurors to convict White.

Depute fiscal Kevin Jarvis said: "By day she was a respectable teacher, by night she was discussing sexual innuendos with a 12-year-old pupil before reverting back to a respectable adult again.

"She was the master of deceit."

After the verdict, Graham Robertson, defence advocate, said: "She has been convicted of the most serious of matters."

Sheriff Morag Shankland deferred sentence on White, who no longer works in education, until June for reports and continued bail.

White, who sobbed uncontrollably after the verdict, was also placed on the sex offenders' register.

The sheriff told jurors the case had been 'difficult' and 'distressing' and excused them from jury service for the next five years.

Description

A paedophile plied his victim with Apple Sourz and and filmed himself raping her on a number of occasions. The abuse left the victim feeling like she "wanted to die".

Michael Tustin, 33, from Cardiff, began abusing his victim before she was a teenager and forced her to drink alcohol until she was intoxicated. The first time it happened she fell asleep and woke up in a confused state before being sexually touched and then raped.

Prosecutor Clare Wilks told Cardiff Crown Court that the victim, who has lifelong anonymity, blamed herself for the abuse, and Tustin would frequently apologise and say he would stop - but days later he would tell the victim he "missed her" and the abuse would continue. Over time, the victim drink more and more alcohol so she would not remember being raped and she shut herself off from her family.

The abuse came to light after the victim told her mother what had been going on and the police were called. Tustin was arrested and interviewed - but claimed it was the child who had initiated sexual contact before he denied having sexual intercourse with her.

However, examination of his phone resulted in videos and images of the victim being discovered - with some depicting Tustin raping the girl. Indecent images of other children were also found. The defendant, of Ninian Road, Roath, later pleaded guilty to rape. He also pleaded guilty to sexual touching of a girl under 13 and possession of indecent images.

In a victim personal statement, the victim's mother said her daughter was a "complete mess" as a result of the abuse and was struggling to sleep. She had previously been a high achieving school pupil with good attendance but this has been massively affected.

Her mum added: "I am worried about her education and future. She feels she doesn't want to live anymore and says she doesn't see the point in life. She feels (the defendant) is there watching her and feels he is breathing on her. She locks herself in her bedroom and has anxiety attacks and feels like she wants to die."

In mitigation, Ieuan Rees said his client was of previous good character and had a responsible job but has ruined his life as a result of his actions. He said the defendant was aware of the harm he had caused and had "voluntarily" reached out to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to seek help for his issues.

Judge David Wynn Morgan admonished Tustin after he became emotional in the dock, saying "Sit up, the court does not feel sorry for you." The judge then added: "You have created and caused severe psychological harm to the complainant.... You subjected her to this course of conduct and her remarks in interview to the effect she feels guilty about it because she thinks she might have been able to stop it which she probably wasn't..... She's not responsible for any of that, you are."

Tustin was given an extended sentence of 18 years imprisonment, made up of a custodial element of 12 years and a further six years on licence. He will serve two thirds of the custodial sentence before he is considered for parole.