Search the database
clearly and quickly

Description

A "highly dangerous paedophile" preyed on vulnerable young girls and subjected them to years of sickening sexual abuse, a court has heard.

Shaun Canavan assaulted his primary school-age victims on multiple occasions in a variety of locations including in a public swimming pool.

Cardiff Crown Court heard the 55-year-old's offending has had a devastating impact on his now victims, affecting all aspects of their lives. A judge told Canavan he had prioritised his own sexual urges over "any sense of humanity or decency". The defendant was handed an extended sentence as a dangerous offender which he will serve after the current extended sentence he is serving for the sexual abuse of another young girl.

Sarah Isles, prosecuting, said the offending before the court involved two young girls and was carried out over a period of five years. Canavan sexually assaulted his victims multiple times and in a variety of locations in Caerphilly County including in a public swimming pool, in the car park of a workingmen's club, in a shed, in his vehicle and at a building site during the construction of a housing estate.

In statements read to the court the victims described the devastating impact their childhood abuse has had on their lives. One said the defendant took away her innocence and her happiness and filled her life with "fear, shame and disgust". She said she has been left wondering what kind of woman she would be today if she had not encountered Canavan as a child and not been used by him for his own "monstrous sexual gratification". The second victim described how the abuse perpetrated by the defendant had "impacted every aspect of my life" and caused severe post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and led to alcohol and drug misuse and suicide attempts.

Shaun Canavan, formerly of Llandaff Road, Cardiff, had previously pleaded guilty to 34 counts of indecent assault of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. Two of the counts are what is known as "specimen counts" and represent some 24 separate assaults carried out on one of the victims over the course of a year. The defendant has 40 previous convictions for 121 offences including matters of violence and sexual offending against a child. In 2016 the former nightclub bouncer and digger driver was given an extended 20-year sentence as a dangerous offender after being convicted at trial of sexually abusing a girl under 13. On that occasion he was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order designed to control his access to children, and was put on the sex offenders register for life. The offences currently before the court pre-date the offences for which the defendant was sentenced to 2016 but were only reported to police after his conviction.

Joshua Scouller, for Canavan, said the defendant's main mitigation was his entered guilty pleas at the very earliest opportunity. He said his client had reflected on his behaviour and was remorseful.

Judge Paul Hobson told Canavan the psychological impact of his offending has been "nothing short of devastating" for his victims and had impacted every aspect of their lives, and he described the defendant as "a serial sexual abuser of children". He said it was clear Canavan had been harbouring and acting upon "warped thinking" about young girls for many years, and he told him: "In my judgement you are, you remain, a highly dangerous paedophile."

The judge said in coming to his sentence he had to be mindful of the maximum sentences which applied to the offences at the time of their commission, to the fact the defendant was already serving a lengthy prison sentence for similar offending, and to the principle of totality. Canavan was made the subject of a 10-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender comprising seven years in custody followed by a three-year licence period. The new sentence will run consecutively with the 20-year extended sentence Canavan is currently serving, a sentence comprised of 15 years in custody followed by a five year licence period.

Defendants on extended sentences can apply for release after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of their sentence but it is for the Parole Board to determine if they are safe to be release and if so, on what conditions. The combined effect of the new and existing sentences means Canavan is effectively serving a 30-year extended sentence comprising 22 years in custody followed by eight years on licence. The defendant will be able to apply for release in late 2030 or early 2031 but may be required to serve the full term meaning he could be kept inside until 2038.

After passing sentence judge Hobson said the bravery of the victims in coming forward and reporting the abuse should be mentioned, and he said he was aware of the great cost to their wellbeing in doing so. He said he hoped the sentencing exercise would at least provide a sense of a chapter in their lives closing and a new chapter opening.

The judge said he was also duty bound to make a number of observations about the conduct of the case and its progress through the court system. He said the delay in the case coming to court was "inexcusable" and said the presentation of the prosecution case had been "shambolic". He said the case had been committed to crown court for sentencing after the defendant pleaded guilty at magistrates court and he said he was concerned at the "false economy" in terms of the resources the Crown Prosecution Service had put into preparing the committal.

Description

An illegal immigrant who subjected a teenage girl to two episodes of sexual abuse and rape during the course of one night is now likely to be deported after serving time for his crimes, a Sheffield judge has said.

As she jailed Dilbirin Cheikhe for eight-and-a-half years, Recorder Taryn Turner told the 22-year-old that he must serve two-thirds of his sentence behind bars, and is likely to be deported upon his release.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Cheikhe, of Musgrave Road, Shirecliffe, Sheffield, attacked the girl shortly after meeting her for the first time, ignoring her pleas for him to stop.

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, told a hearing held on June 21, 2024 that the girl, who was under the age of 18 at the time of the offences, sobbed loudly during the first attack, and Cheikhe’s response was to ‘put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet’.  

In a statement read to the court, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had been deprived of some of her precious ‘teenage years’ because they had been ‘taken up’ by what Cheikhe had done to her. 

In addition to her feeling it necessary to leave education as a consequence of the abuse, the girl said she had felt ‘unable to leave the house,’ with her bedroom being the only place she felt ‘safe’.

She also described as suffering from anxiety, along with derealisation and depersonalisation, which is defined by the NHS as having ‘the feeling of being outside yourself and observing your actions, feelings or thoughts from a distance’.

The girl described derealisation and depersonalisation as the ‘worst feeling in the world’ because it prevents you from living your life. 

Following the unanimous guilty verdicts which led to Cheikhe’s conviction, the complainant said she was now looking forward to ‘moving on’ with her life. 

Cheikhe was convicted of two counts of rape and four accounts of sexual assault in March 2024, at the conclusion of a trial at the same court. 

Defending, Kevin Jones told the court: “He, at the time, was an inexperienced young man, both in life and relationships.”

Mr Jones said despite denying the offences and ‘being convicted after trial’ he ‘does appear to have shown some remorse for the way in which he behaved’. 

Mr Jones said he did not agree with the suggestion in the pre-sentence report which suggested that Cheikhe posed a high risk of committing further sexual offences. 

Given Cheikhe’s lack of previous convictions, such a conclusion can only have been reached through his conviction for these offences, claimed Mr Jones, suggesting the same could therefore be said for anyone in Cheikhe’s position. 

Sending Cheikhe to prison, Recorder Turner said she judged there to be a ‘degree of planning’ to the sexual abuse he subjected the girl to. 

“What happened that night will remain with her for a long time,” Recorder Turner said. 

She told the court that Cheikhe arrived in this country as an illegal immigrant in February 2020, and was learning English at the time of the offences. 

She said she was satisfied, however, that he knew enough English to understand the meaning of ‘no’ and ‘yes’. 

Recorder Turner told Cheikhe that he will be required to sign on to the sex offenders’ register for life, and granted a restraining order, which will remain in place until further order of the court and prohibits him from contacting the girl. 

Description

A former children's charity worker and imam has been jailed for grooming a boy online.

Umar Dawood, from Redditch in Worcestershire, taught children in the area and also volunteered at the children's charity, West Mercia Police said.

The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to three charges at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to three years in prison at Worcester Crown Court.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Dawood, of Evesham Road, was jailed on June 10 after admitting to causing a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also given a nine-month concurrent sentence for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child as an adult, and a one-month concurrent sentence for possessing extreme pornography.

Det Sgt Pete Wheeler, of West Mercia Police’s child sexual exploitation team, said: “Dawood previously held a position of trust and was a local imam teaching children within the local community. He also volunteered with a local children’s charity.

“The outcome of this investigation goes some way to ensuring that he is not able to work with children in the future, and we hope will provide some reassurance that this offending has attracted a custodial sentence.”

Description

A suspected drug-driver failed to register a new vehicle with police, putting him in breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Steven Shevlin was stopped by officers from the Specialist Enforcement Unit (SEU) carrying out proactive patrols near Arundel.

The unit aims to deny criminals the use of the road network.

It followed a request from the Violent Sex Offender Register Team (ViSOR) who police offenders subject to the Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and work with Sussex Police teams to ensure these orders are enforced.

Shevlin had a fraudulent registration mark on his vehicle, and was also found in possession of cannabis and offensive weapons in the form of a baton and a knuckle duster.

The 34-year-old appeared before Lewes Crown Court on May 16 for sentence.

It followed an investigation by officers from Crawley CID to ensure the conviction in court.

Shevlin, formerly of Stoney Lane, Shoreham, admitted breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which was imposed in 2020, requiring him to provide information to police in order to protect the public from the risk of sexual harm.

But he failed to declare the new vehicle he was driving.

He also admitted possession of cannabis, fraudulent use of a vehicle registration mark, failing to provide a specimen of blood for analysis when suspected of drug-driving, possession of offensive weapons, and driving without valid insurance.

Shevlin was sentenced to a total of 50 weeks in prison for the offences and was given a further three-year driving disqualification.

Drug-driving is one of the fatal five factors that lead to people being killed or seriously injured on our roads.

The court was told how the SEU carried out patrols in Arundel on November 23 last year.

Shevlin was stopped while driving a Ford Transit van, he provided a positive roadside DrugWipe test for cannabis, but refused to provide a sample of blood when he was taken to custody.

SEU Inspector Ollie Pullen said: “Through regular proactive patrols we disrupt criminals using our road network, while also catching intoxicated or disqualified drivers to help keep people safe on our roads.

“In this case, we found Shevlin in a vehicle which he was required to register with the police, but had failed to do so.

“I’m pleased that our officers caught an offender who has tried to evade police and evade his responsibilities under the Sexual Harm Prevention Order to inform the police.

Description

A man from Ipswich has been sentenced to 21 years imprisonment after being found guilty of a series of sexual offences.

David Miller, aged 44 and of Hervey Street in Ipswich, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court today, Thursday 20 June, following a nine-day trial after he pleaded not guilty to all offences. A jury found him guilty unanimously on all counts on Friday 14 May.

Miller had denied 16 offences – these were two of rape, two of indecent assault, four of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, seven of sexual activity with a child, and one of sexual activity with a child but was convicted by the jury. All offences relate to three children and took place between December 2002 and December 2019.

Miller was first arrested in October 2020 and following detailed and thorough investigations he was charged in October 2022.

He targeted vulnerable adult women with a view to abuse their children, all of whom were boys.

Description

Surajit Ghosh, aged 27, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing today (Thursday 20 June).

Police had received a report on the evening of Saturday, May 272023 of an unknown man touching an 8-year-old girl’s bottom in Tesco on Crasswell Street, before running off down another aisle. The man was then chased through the supermarket by a family member of the girl, before the man ran out of the store. Police attended and conducted an area search, before making enquiries with witnesses at the supermarket and reviewing CCTV.

Ghosh was quickly identified to be the man responsible, and officers turned up at his home address in Drummond Road that night to arrest him. He was found inside hiding behind a sofa, before he became aggressive – threatening to stab officers and resisting arrest. He also dug his fingernails into a police officer’s hand, drawing blood.

Following enquiries, Ghosh was charged with sexual assault of a girl under 13 by touching and assault of an emergency worker, both of which he pleaded guilty to at Portsmouth Crown Court on October 2 2023. On 15 April this year, he also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of perverting the course of justice. Ghosh had contacted the mother of the girl he sexually assaulted and asked her to drop the charges against him - he did this despite having already pleaded guilty to the sexual assault.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court today, he was jailed for 18 months. He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, handed a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and a 10 year Restraining Order.

DC Heather Milsom said: “This was a shocking series of offences which left a very young girl upset and her family horrified, and saw police officers subjected to violence and extreme threats. To add further insult, Ghosh used Facebook to contact the girl’s mother in an attempt to get proceedings against him dropped, despite having already admitted his awful crimes in court. I want to commend the girl for her bravery in speaking to police about what was undoubtedly a very worrying incident for her, and also want to thank her family. I hope the wider public can feel reassured that Ghosh was quickly identified by police and arrested for his actions, and is now behind bars.”

Description

A child sex offender has been jailed for eight years after he was found guilty of his crimes in court.

Andrew Lucas, aged 56, of Shareshill, south Staffordshire, abused the survivor a number of years ago before the survivor bravely came forward and told people what happened.

We brought Lucas in for questioning, where he denied all of the reports.

Specialist officers worked to support the survivor as much as possible whilst evidence to support the case was gathered, leading to a number of charges being secured against Lucas.

In an earlier hearing at Stafford Crown Court, a jury found Lucas guilty of ten non-recent child sexual offences, including:

• Six counts of indecent assault of a boy
• Four counts of gross indecency with a boy

At Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (14 June), Lucas was sentenced to eight years behind bars.

Description

A CONVICTED sex offender who was ‘unwilling to comply with court orders’ has been jailed for failing to disclose details of an unregistered bank account to police.

Neil Bamber, of Emmanuel Court in Barrow, was ordered by a court to alert police to any financial changes in his life within three days, Preston Crown Court was told.

The 67-year-old pensioner was made the subject of a 20-month suspended sentence order in February 2021 for attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child.

The court heard Bamber had also been placed on a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 10 years, as well as being required to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register as part of the sentence.

Prosecutor Keira Shaw said the defendant had only ever declared a Natwest bank account to police.

She said officers received information that the defendant had been using another bank card registered to a HSBC account.

As a result, Ms Shaw said officers attended the defendant’s address on April 11 this year to conduct a routine home compliance check.

She told the court the defendant was offered the opportunity to disclose the account before signing a document detailing that he understood the terms of his SHPO.

However, Bamber was then subsequently arrested for failing to notify police of a change in his circumstances, the court was told.

The court heard he told officers he did not want to disclose the information as he believed he would lose all of his pension and savings. He conceded that the account had been open for 40 years.

Ms Shaw said Bamber was sentenced to another 16-week suspended sentence order in June last year for ‘waving at a child’ whilst outside a school, which put him in breach of the original order.

Bamber was sentenced on June 12 after conceding he had failed to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register.

In mitigation, his barrister Tom Farr said: “He recognises this was a stupid decision not to declare his bank account. He was concerned for the security of his savings. He was paranoid about what might happen to his financial security and pension.

“He is the full time carer for his wife who suffers with dementia and Alzheimer’s. He receives payment from the government for this. There is no other care in place for his wife.

“It would be unjust to activate his suspended sentence in my respectful submission. He is at low risk of reconviction and does not commit persistent offences. I ask you to draw back from immediate custody today.”

However, Recorder Ayesha Siddiqi disagreed with the defence submissions and as a result jailed Bamber for 42 weeks.

Before passing sentence, Recorder Siddiqi said: “It was concerning behaviour.

“There was a long period of non-compliance here. You had been asked on four occasions to complete a form to disclose your bank details. You were then given the opportunity on the day you were arrested.

“There is no reason why declaring your account would have resulted in the loss of your savings.

“You were incapable or unwilling to comply with the requirements of the law.

“You have a history of poor compliance with court orders. Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Dan Chadwick of Cumbria Constabulary said: “Neil Bamber has been non-compliant since his initial conviction for attempting to incite a child into sexual activity.

"This discovery of an undeclared bank account shows his continued level of non-compliance.

“I am pleased with the result, and I hope it sends the message out to the public that Cumbria Police proactively manage sex offenders.”

Description

Met officers acted swiftly on information provided by the National Crime Agency to safeguard children and arrest a Hackney man who has been jailed at the Old Bailey.

Information was passed to the Met by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which led to the arrest of Adam Shine, 25 (7.5.99) at his home in Digby Road, Hackney on 6 February.

PC Lindsey Luscombe, of the Met’s Online Child Sex Abuse Investigation Team, policing Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: “The information provided by the NCA linked Shine to indecent images of children.

“While reviewing his phone, officers quickly identified that Shine had used the Omegle website for three separate video calls with two 11-year-old girls and an 8-year-old girl in April 2023. On each call, Shine masturbated on camera and encouraged the girls to expose or touch themselves sexually.

“Met officers used clues in the videos, which had been recorded and retained by Shine, to locate and safeguard an 11-year-old child in the UK.

“In addition to his custodial sentence, Shine also received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Along with the requirement for him to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely, this will help to protect other children after he has served his prison sentence.”

Despite extensive efforts, the two other children, believed to be in the United States, have not been identified, in part because of the limited information provided by Omegle which shut down in November 2023. Information has been passed to American authorities.

Anyone with information about similar offending, whether it happened recently or not, is encouraged to report to police by calling 101 or online. To remain anonymous, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers.

Shine, who worked at an adult store in central London, pleaded guilty on 3 March at the Old Bailey to engaging in sexual communications with the three children as well as causing them to engage in sexual activity, He also pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the (online) presence of the children. He did not meet any of the victims in person.

He was sentenced at the same court on Friday, 14 June, to four and a half years’ imprisonment.

Description

A bus pervert left three schoolgirls terrified and traumatised after targeting them on the top deck.

Barry Aldcroft zoned in on the 15-year-olds at Haymarket bus station, in Newcastle, talking to them before following them onto a bus and sitting near them. During the journey, they noticed he was looking at them while carrying out a sex act on himself.

When the disgusted teenagers decided to get off the bus early, he then touched one of them on the bottom as she went to retrieve her phone charger. Now the pervert, who was already subject to a court order for trying to communicate sexually with what he thought was a 14-year-old online, has been jailed.

Newcastle Crown Court the three 15-year-old girls had been shopping in Newcastle and one of their mother's decided to let them have a bit longer in town and get the bus home together. They were at the Haymarket bus station in the middle of the afternoon when they were approached by Aldcroft, who asked if they had a lighter and was told they didn't. His contact with the girls put him in breach of his sexual harm prevention order.

The girls got on a bus which was heading to Blyth and went upstairs and sat at the back. Aldcroft followed them and despite there being plenty of empty seats, sat just in front of them, on the opposite side.

As the bus headed towards Cramlington, one of the girls noticed Aldcroft kept looking at them and she swapped seats with her friend as she felt uncomfortable. Another of the girls noticed him pat the seat next to him as if inviting them to sit there and he beckoned them over with his hand.

Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said that Aldcroft spread his legs and was putting his hand down his pants and touching himself while looking in their direction.

Because of his behaviour, they decided to get off the bus and when one of them realised she'd left her phone charger behind and went to get it, Aldcroft poked her bottom. Mr Pallister said that the girl turned to look at him and Aldcroft smiled at her while he was exposing himself.

When the girls got downstairs on the bus they were in a "distressed state" and told the driver what had happened. They said he was still on the bus and the driver rang 999.

Aldcroft, 38, formerly of Cowpen Road, Blyth, tried to claim he had just been "adjusting himself". After getting off the bus, he punched a man in the face because he didn't like the way he was looking at him, having learned what he had been accused of doing.

In victim impact statements, the girls said it affected their education and independence. One them said she was left struggling to cope and had problems using buses as a result of what happened. Her friend added that she struggled to sleep for weeks afterwards and had nightmares about it in which she would see the pervert. She added that she still doesn't feel safe on buses.

The girl who was sexually assaulted said she was an "innocent child" when she fell victim to Aldcroft, adding that as a result of what happened: "I couldn't leave the house without someone with me. It took away my independence. I've had panic attacks and anxiety." She added in words directed at Aldcroft: "I hope you are never able to do this to another person."

Her mum added: "You took away a huge part of her life before it had even begun. She should have been safe on public transport."

Aldcroft was convicted by a jury of exposure, sexual assault, sexual activity in the presence of a child and breaching a sexual harm prevention order and he admitted assault by beating on the man. He was jailed for four years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and will be subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

Judge Penny Moreland told him: "What you have done has impacted the lives of those girls in a way they may never recover from."

The court heard Aldcroft has 11 previous convictions. In May 2021 he was given a community order for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child - a decoy profile purporting to be a 14-year-old girl to whom he sent a picture of his penis. He got another community order in 2022 for breaching that sexual harm prevention order by speaking to his neighbour's children.

Penny Hall, defending, said Aldcroft suffered a brain injury when he was younger and that makes him vulnerable.

Description

A Highland man has been warned to expect a lengthy jail sentence after being found guilty of molesting a child and raping two women.

Niyel Lennock, 28, had denied all the charges during a trial at the High Court in Inverness.

Description

A 67-year-old man who was once on the FBI’s most wanted list has been convicted of a child sex offence in Kettering.

James Hemphill, previously of Houghton Conquest, Bedford, was on the American law enforcement’s most wanted list for ten years after he pleaded guilty to a child sex offence in America in 1994 but fled to Scotland before he could be sentenced.

After evading the FBI for ten years, he was finally arrested in 2004, returned to America and jailed. But in April 2008, he was deported back to the United Kingdom where he has been living ever since.

At the end of 2022, he was living in Kettering and offended again, contacting a teenage girl and asking her if she wanted him to buy her some underwear.

He also asked her if she wanted adult toys and if she wanted them to share a bed.

The girl in question bravely confided in a family member and Hemphill’s offending was reported to Northamptonshire Police.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of causing/inciting a girl aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity and one count of failing to comply with the notification requirements of being on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Following a trial which ended at Northampton Crown Court on Monday, June 18, he was convicted on both counts.

He will return to the same court in September to be sentenced.

Description

A “dangerous offender” has been jailed for 16 years for a series of “depraved and sickening” sex offences and rapes against children as young as four-years-old.

Grant Venamore was sentenced after he raped and abused two victims in Tunbridge Wells and Paddock Wood in incidents which began in the 1990s, when one of the victims was only four.

Sentencing Venamore yesterday (June 18) at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Philip Statman branded him “a dangerous offender, who had been responsible for “persistent, violent sexual abuse”.

The 48-year-old was told he will have to serve at least two thirds of his prison sentence before he can be considered for parole.

Upon his eventual release from custody he will be the subject of an extended licence period of three years and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Venamore was arrested in August 2020, when reports of abuse were first made to Kent Police.

A subsequent investigation revealed he was responsible for a catalogue of offences spanning more than 15 years.

Venamore, of London Road, Croydon, denied any wrongdoing and the case went to trial at Maidstone Crown Court where he was found guilty, by a unanimous verdict, of 11 counts relating to the sexual abuse of children, including multiple rapes.

Detective Constable Tania Muller, of the West Kent Child Protection Team, said: “Venamore repeatedly subjected his young victims to depraved and sickening abuse, causing incalculable damage upon their young lives.

“His actions have not only had a destructive effect upon their childhoods but will have sadly left a damaging and lasting impact on their adult lives.

“It has taken enormous strength and courage for these victims to come forward and provide the evidence and testimony needed to ensure Venamore has now faced justice for these abhorrent crimes.

“his sentence will ensure Venamore serves a long time in prison and importantly no longer poses a threat to any other children.

“I would urge anyone who has been a victim of any sexual offence to remember that it is never too late to report this to the police.

“We have a team of specialist officers who work relentlessly to ensure that offenders like Venamore do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago. We will always treat any information with the upmost confidence and sensitivity.”

Description

A CONVICTED flasher flew to Portugal because he thought his sex offender order had expired.

He appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court last week charged with failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register, after misunderstanding when it was due to end.

Gregory Coleman, of Wilderspool Causeway in Warrington, was placed on the sex offenders register in November 2020 after he was caught walking down a street in Widnes while performing a sex act before boarding a train.

Part of the conditions of being placed on the register included informing police of the details of his passport and notifying them a week before intending to travel abroad.

Coleman, 53, broke both requirements after travelling to Portugal with his elderly mother at the beginning of the year.

On February 11, Coleman called police to ask when he was going to be taken off the register and was told that he still needed to comply with the requirements until January next year.

The prosecution for the case, Mrs McGowan, told the court that police were informed that Coleman had arrived at Manchester Airport on a flight from Lisbon on February 6, after having been there for a week.

Defending, Mr Schooler said that Coleman, who suffers with mental health issues, believed that the requirement to notify police had expired in January of this year.

Coleman travelled to Portugal with his mother, who lived abroad in a religious community for seven months last year, to see where she was going to stay and who with.

After flying out and staying there for a week before returning, Coleman believed he had not breached the order as he was not stopped leaving or re-entering the country.

But on February 16, police called the 53-year-old and asked him if he had been away, which he had confessed he had and was reminded that he needed to notify them of his foreign travel until January of next year.

Coleman, who has no previous breaches of the order, was not interviewed by police and pleaded guilty.

He was sentenced to 18 months community order with up to 30 rehabilitation days, as well as a six-month mental health treatment requirement and a £120 fine.

Description

Update: On Monday 17 June, Ahmed was sentenced at London Inner Crown Court to 10 years in jail. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life, and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

A man has been found guilty of several serious sexual offences, following a joint British Transport Police (BTP) and Bedfordshire Police investigation.

Awsaf Ahmed, aged 30, of Rutland Avenue, High Wycombe was found guilty by a jury of rape of a female under 16, and causing / inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday 24 April 2024. Ahmed had already pleaded guilty to a charge of causing / inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at an earlier hearing. A sentencing date has been set for Friday 14 June 2024.

The court heard how, on Tuesday 10 October 2023, at around 10.30pm, the victim – a girl aged 14 – was on board a train heading towards London Marylebone station when Ahmed entered the carriage. Ahmed engaged the victim and her group of friends in conversation, asking their age and if they smoked weed.

Ahmed then pressured the victim to get her alone, coercing her to speak to him privately in the toilets and insinuating he had friends everywhere, making her fear for her friend’s safety. Upon entering the toilet, Ahmed locked them inside and despite her repeated pleas for him to stop, raped her. Following the attack, he added her on Snapchat to continue his contact with her. The victim reported the rape to British Transport Police the following day. Later that evening, Ahmed called the victim on Snapchat, asking her “When do you turn 16?” and “Did you enjoy yesterday?”.

Less than a week later, Bedfordshire Police received a report of an incident involving Ahmed. The court heard how on 16 October 2023, Ahmed attempted to engage a girl, aged 15, in sexual activity. Initially, he engaged her in conversation about her jewellery and heritage, before the conversation became more threatening, telling the victim everyone had it in them to kill and if he was disrespected, he could make someone disappear with just one text or call.

Following this he turned the conversation to relationships, asking the 15-year-old for relationship advice before asking her about her own relationship status and sexual experience. He then attempted to coerce her into engage in sexual activity with him. Thankfully, the victim was after able to leave the situation and reported Ahmed to Bedfordshire Police the following day.

On 27 October Ahmed was arrested and charged with offences committed on 10 and 11 October 2023. The investigations were linked, and Ahmed was further charged with offences committed 16 October 2023.

BTP Investigating officer Detective Constable Matthew Nolan said: “Ahmed is a callous predator who targeted young girls for his own sexual gratification. Despite the victim’s repeated pleas for him to stop, he trapped her and raped her, making her fear for not only herself but her friend’s safety. I hope the guilty verdict goes some way in bringing her some closure."

BTP Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Paul Attwell said: “These were extremely frightening experiences for Ahmed’s victims, and I praise them for reporting him so we could act. Ahmed’s coercive and threatening behaviour towards young, vulnerable girls will never be tolerated on the rail network, or anywhere else and I’m thankful to see today’s verdict.”

Detective Constable Rani Bailey, from Bedfordshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People (PVP) team, said: “Ahmed’s behaviour was unacceptable and his actions were predatory. We are relentlessly pursing those who think this behaviour is acceptable, and we remain committed to bringing perpetrators of abuse to justice. Regardless of what happened, if someone has made you feel uncomfortable or disrespected your boundaries, it is never too late to come forward and report what has happened to you.”