Latest Offenders

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Police have been given more power to monitor a sex offender's internet use.

Caernarfon Magistrates heard it was "imperative" to protect the public.

Geraint Rowlands, 61, of Cleveland Avenue, Tywyn, had already been convicted of possessing indecent images in 2017 and received a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

But today he pleaded guilty at Caernarfon Magistrates Court to breaching that order after showing an interest in six apps and websites. These were Chaturbate, Google Hangouts, MeWe, Trillian, Flickr and Discord between March 2, 2020 and June 18, 2021.

Police lawyer Gareth Preston then applied to the bench for the SHPO to be varied so police could add risk management monitoring software to his devices, if they wish.

It was "imperative" that they did so, he added.

Magistrates chairman Julie Eddows granted the application.

The prosecutor Nicola Williams told the court that last year the police had received information that an allegedly indecent image had been uploaded to the internet from a device. The device was linked to the defendant's address.

So on June 17 last year officers arrived at Rowlands' home to check his devices. Analysts later found a number of searches and keywords indicating a sexual interest in children on his mobile phone and laptop.

The searcher had used the persona "Carol" - something which Rowlands had done previously, the court heard.

The prosecutor told magistrates: "Despite previous rehabilitative efforts provided to the defendant the offending continued."

After his guilty pleas to breaches of the order, she applied for the case to be committed to Crown Court for sentencing.

Magistrates chairman Ms Eddows said the bench's sentencing powers were insufficient in this case and agreed to grant that application.

She adjourned the case for a sentencing hearing at Caernarfon Crown Court on April 1 and extended Rowlands' unconditional bail.

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A South Yorkshire sex offender who deliberately breached a court order designed to prevent him from committing more sexual offences has been put behind bars.

As she jailed defendant Daniel Bartlett for 26 months, Judge Rachael Harrison told him his offending amounted to a deliberate and concerted, planned decision to breach his court order.

Sheffield Crown Court heard during a March 9 hearing how Bartlett, 41, from Doncaster, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, in August 2020 for sexually communicating with a 12-year-old child.

Bartlett was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), the purpose of which is to protect the public from sexual harm.

As part of the order, Bartlett was required to adhere to a number of conditions including one which stipulated he must hand over any device he owns with access to the internet, when requested to do so by the police.

Prosecuting barrister, Stuart Bell, said Bartlett was visited by a police officer on May 11 last year, who asked him to provide her with his internet-enabled devices.

Bartlett said he only had one such device, a mobile telephone, which promptly turned itself off immediately after he gave it to the officer, the court heard.

He was visited by the police again on September 16 last year, handed over one mobile phone and said he did not have any others.

Bartlett was arrested just over two months later on November 17 on suspicion of breaching the SHPO, and was found to own five internet-enabled mobile phones.

Judge Harrison said Bartlett had been using the devices to connect with others for sexual activity, and continued by saying she found it particularly concerning that he had been communicating with two women with children, one of whom had a 15-month-old baby.

Bartlett, of Bainbridge Road in Balby, Doncaster pleaded guilty to charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with notification requirements at an earlier hearing.

In mitigation, Edward Moss said Bartletts life as he knew it has just basically come to an end as a result of his offending.

Judge Harrison reactivated four months of his suspended sentence from August 2020, and handed him another 22 months for his other offences, bringing his total sentence to 26 months.

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A man has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing two young girls in the 90s.

Alex Henney, from County Kenagh, Ireland, subjected two girls to multiple sexual assaults between 1995 and 1997.

Henny, who resided in Luton at the time of the incidents, was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Friday (4 March), after being found guilty of three counts of indecent assault of a child.

Bedfordshire Polices Protecting Vulnerable Persons (PVP) unit carried out an investigation after a disclosure was made to police in 2018.

Following extensive enquires, Henney was extradited from Ireland to the UK for trial.

PC Benjamin Robertson, from the PVP unit, who lead the investigation, said: There is a huge focus in policing to bring to justice anyone involved in violence and abuse against women and girls.

Henneys victims have shown true courage and strength of character throughout the investigation and I commend their bravery in speaking up.

This hasnt been easy for either of the victims and their families to deal with.

Child sexual abuse is a most horrendous experience; it not only ruins their young years, but stays with them through into adulthood. We will never tolerate this type of crime in our county and will do all we can to support victims and put these perpetrators behind bars.

If anything has happened to you, no matter how long ago, it is never too late to come forward and tell us. We will do everything we can to get justice for you, and we have a number of specially trained officers who are here to support you.

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A notorious sex offender caged nearly 15 years ago for the abduction and attempted rape of a 14-year-old north-east papergirl was today warned that he could be kept behind bars for the rest of his life.

James Murison, 59, was jailed in 2007 after forcing the papergirl into his house in Huntly, tying her wrists and ankles, and sexually assaulting her until police, alerted by neighbours who heard her screams, arrived to free her.

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A rapist who filmed himself attacking one of his victims as she wept has been jailed for six years and three months.

Peter Renton, 39, preyed on two women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, between April 2019 and June 2021.

The attacks took place at addresses in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Musselburgh, East Lothian.

At the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lady Scott described Renton as "intimidating, violent and controlling".

She told him: "Your conduct showed behaviour which was designed to intimidate your victims - it included the filming of the assaults.

"I am satisfied that you present a serious risk of harm to women and I am satisfied that in order to protect the public I must impose an extended sentence."

The judge ordered that Renton must be supervised by the authorities for four years following his release from custody.

Filmed on phone

Renton had pleaded guilty to assault and rape charges in January this year.

The court heard he met his first victim in mid-2018. He carried out five attacks on her at his home in Musselburgh and at an address in Aberdeen.

In May 2020, Renton punched one of his victims at the flat in Musselburgh then ordered her into the bedroom.

He grabbed her phone and used it to film himself raping the crying victim.

She went to police in June 2020, but Renton moved on to another victim he had met on Facebook.

This woman was then abused at her home in Broomhouse, Edinburgh.

Renton was finally held by police in July 2021.

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A 42-year-old pervert told police he was a paedophile hunter after he was caught with dozens of indecent images of children, a court heard.

Ian Manderfield told police he was sending out indecent images of children in order to "snare" paedophile hunters - but they were all his own images.

Manderfield even tried to escape from police after he was detained at his home.

He appeared at Stafford Crown Court, where he admitted eight charges relating to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

The court was told police went to his home, but he escaped and ran about 300m before being detained. His mobile was seized, but it later transpired it was not his personal phone, which had been hidden at home.

One message sent by Manderfield told someone he was getting sexual pleasure from looking at children.

He told police he was a paedophile hunter and was using the images to track paedophiles and was sending material to four other people via WhatsApp.

The court was told Manderfield "had not buried his head in the sand" and was taking steps to address his behaviour, for which he has apologised.

He is getting help through the Lucy Faithful Foundation, which works to prevent child sexual abuse, and his new partner is standing by him.

Jailing him for 46 months, Judge Jonathan Gosling told Manderfield: "You were sending messages to multiple users. You pretended this was to catch an online paedophiles which is a ridiculous lie which you have now abandoned.

"There were 37 images and videos Category A of children as young as two - and images and videos of torture and mutilation. I have dealt with many of these cases, but even I was surprised at the exceptional depravity.

"You know the danger you have caused. You did that by indulging your own perverted mind."

Manderfield will also sign the sex offenders register for life and was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Manderfield's charges in full

Manderfield, of North Street, Cannock, admitted distributing 22 Category C images of children and making 34 photographs and videos of children, which were also Category C.

He also admitted making 37 photographs and videos of children and distributing two images of children, which were all Category B.

A third charge he pleaded guilty to was making 37 photographs and videos of children and distributing 24 images of children, which were all Category A - the most serious category.

Manderfield admitted possession of six extreme pornographic images, which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character and portrayed in an explicit and realistic way a people performing acts of intercourse or oral sex with animals.

He pleaded guilty to another charge of possession of three extreme pornographic images which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character and portrayed in an explicit and realistic way acts which threatened people's lives.

His final charge was publishing a series of messages of an obscene sexual nature about, and including, photographs of children.

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A paedophile who abused a young girl in Wakefield has been convicted and jailed.

Ronald Clayton, of Barnsley Road in Flockton, abused a young girl between 2010 and 2012.

His victim bravely came forward and reported him to police in 2017 and an investigation by Kirklees District Safeguarding Unit was carried out.

Clayton denied the offences but was charged with assault by penetration three years later in August 2020.

Earlier this week, the 71-year-old was found guilty following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He has been jailed for seven years with a further year on licence and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Following his sentence, Det Cons Gilly Hodds, who led the investigation for West Yorkshire Police, said: "The victim has shown much strength and courage throughout the investigation and I would like to thank her for coming forward and reporting Clayton's offences to our officers.

"I hope the sentence he has received will give her some closure and allow her to move forwards with her life.

"I also hope it will encourage other victims to come forward and report offences to our safeguarding teams, who work closely with partners to provide support for victims and investigate all reports thoroughly."

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A CONVICTED paedophile has pleaded guilty to further sexual offences against a young girl.

Melvin Miller, 46 and originally from St Helens, was jailed in April 2020 for 17 years after pleading guilty to 35 sexual offences against two girls.

While he was in prison, one of the girls he abused told an adult about other rapes that she was subjected to by the defendant on a regular basis.

Police made further investigations and found a video on the hard drive of Millers computer that showed him raping her.

The evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service and authorisation was given for Miller to be charged with further offences

Today (March 8, 2022) at Liverpool Crown Court, Miller pleaded guilty to offences of rape, attempted rape and taking indecent images of a child.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

In a statement Senior Crown Prosecutor Mairead Neeson, a specialist lawyer with CPS Mersey Cheshires Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: The video evidence of the abuse of this very young girl found on the hard drive of Melvins Millers computer was harrowing and revealed the level of depravity he had inflicted upon her.

This young girl could not possibly have understood what she was being forced into she was just a means to an end for Miller.

"The feelings and emotions of this young child meant nothing to him. She now has to find a way forward in her life, having suffered such trauma.

She was unable to disclose the full extent of the abuse she had suffered when Miller was prosecuted in 2020, given her tender years and the inherent difficulty that exists for very young children to voice matters of such an intimate nature.

"This often happens. It is not unusual for children to deny the abuse they have suffered or be silent as to what has happened.

"It often takes years for victims of sexual abuse to vocalise what has happened to them. She has been exceptionally brave in coming forward despite still being a very young child.

The Crown Prosecution Service works hard to support the victims of child sexual abuse and their families and help them through the criminal justice system. Time is no barrier to a prosecution.

"We will listen to victims, no matter how long ago the offending took place.

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Austin Rickerby, of Blyth, admitted sexual communication with a child and indecent images offences

A married dad who paid a schoolgirl to meet him and asked for a photograph of her feet had vile child abuse images on his devices.

Austin Rickerby had joined a website using the moniker "mystical gentleman' looking to meet adults for sex but one person he communicated with turned out to be just 14.

Undeterred, he continued to communicate sexually with her and met her three times although no sexual activity is said to have taken place.

When police examined various devices seized from his home in Blyth, Northumberland, they found he had downloaded dozens of indecent images and appeared to have catalogued them according to the ages of those featured.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the offences came to light after police had welfare concerns for the 14-year-old.

She had joined the website and one of the men she had communicated with was the profile being run by Rickerby.

The girl had initially purported to be 18 but then went on to say she was 16 and then 14 at different stages.

Police went to Rickerby's home in August 2018 and indecent images of children aged between 6 and 17 were found on various devices.

He had also carried out Google searches for "pre teen cartoons" and "you tube paedo", the court heard.

A WhatsApp conversation with the victim was also recovered, in which he indicated "it made no difference to him if she was 14 or 15" and she said she was 14.

Nick Adlington, prosecuting, said: "He continued to communicate with her and received a number of pictures from her and had a sexual conversation.

"He asked if she would participate in a foot fetish. He asked for a picture of her feet.

"He met her three times."

Rickerby pleaded guilty to sexual communication with a child, three counts of making indecent images of a child, possessing extreme pornography and possessing prohibited images.

The court heard there were 70 of the most serious, category A images, 23 category B, 93 category C, 15 extreme pornography images and 23 prohibited images.

Rickerby claimed to police he had ordered adult DVDs from a newspaper and later realised some contained indecent images and said he intended to hand them in to police but they arrested him before he had chance.

He also claimed he was "interested in animation" and had looked at the cartoon material without realising they were illegal.

The court heard the illegal material was found on multiple devices, including his work laptop and his wife's computer.

The indecent images were in folders marked "5-6" and "8-12" and Mr Adlington said: "This was consistent with the estimated ages of the children, the clear inference is he has catalogued them and used a name corresponding with the age of the children being abused."

Rickerby, 43, of John Street, Blyth, was sentenced to 12 months suspended for 18 months with a three month curfew and 500 costs. He will be subject to sex offender registration for 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

Recorder Carl Gumsley told him: "You have a good job, a family, a child, no issues with money or substances and it would be difficult for many people to understand what on earth led you to get involved in these matters.

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Police seized his computers and found he had been searching the internet for depraved videos and images showing the sexual abuse of girls, some as young as three years old

Facebook helped police track down an Exmouth paedophile who downloaded images of child sex abuse.

The internet giant reported suspicious activity on the account of Neil Rhodes and Devon and Cornwall Police arrested him.

They seized his computers and found he had been searching the internet for depraved videos and images showing the sexual abuse of girls, some as young as three years old.

They also uncovered an online chat relationship he was having with a teenage girl in which he persuaded her to send him naked photos of herself.

Exeter Crown Court was told the girl broke off contact when she discovered he had been lying to her and was in a steady relationship with a woman his own age.

The 34-year-old, of Chamberlain Road, was spared jail and given a 12-month suspended sentence for two offences.

He admitted making indecent photos of children and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Prosecutor Mr Garth Richardson said a referral was made to police by Facebook about indecent images of children from the internet that could be traced to the defendant's IP address.

Police searched his home address on April 30, 2019 and seized several devices. Indecent images were found on a number of machines. They included the rape and abuse of children by adults in the most serious category.

The age range of the child victims was between three and 15.

Analysis of search terms used on the devices showed Rhodes had a sexual interest in children. One photo album on his phone had been disguised as a calculator app.

Messages showed Rhodes had been in communication with a girl since she was 14. They had never met but used Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facetime and texts to stay in touch until she was 19.

They shared sexual images of one another.

The girl said in a statement he would ask her for sexual images and videos in every conversation. She considered the pair to be in a relationship and said she had not been forced into anything.

But she had been vulnerable when he first contacted her. He had appeared caring but she realised by the end 'all he wanted was sexual photos and videos'.

Mr Warren Robinson, in mitigation, said the offences had happened some time ago and Rhodes had referred himself to organisations who could help him understand his behaviour.

Judge Timothy Rose said his actions had been 'profoundly disturbing' but he accepted Rhodes now understood that and was sorry.

"It took place over a three year period and over the same period of time you commenced some form of online relationship with a real person came to know," said the judge.

"You were twice her age and should never have been doing it in the first place."

Rhodes was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years. He must sign the sex offender register for 10 years and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his use of the internet for the same period.

He must do the Horizon sex offender programme for 40 days and 30 days rehabilitation with probation.

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A paedophile has been locked up after making plans to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old so he could carry out his sick schoolgirl fantasy.

Mark Ure, 42, had no idea he was speaking to an undercover police officer and even checked that she could skip school to see him for sex.

The Woodford man was also caught communicating with three other police decoys, who he believed to be 12 or 13, and searched for an Airbnb close to one of them.

On Tuesday (March 8) a judge ruled he posed a significant risk to teenage girls and handed him an extended sentence, with four years and 10 months in prison and an extra three years and two months on licence.

Northampton Crown Court heard Ure, of Long Row, was snared last year as part of a West Midlands Police operation called Project Atari, committing his offences between August and October.

Prosecuting, Micaila Williams said he thought he was speaking to girls named Olivia, Emma, Lily and Rhea, each aged 12 or 13, over Kik messenger or WhatsApp.

'Olivia' told him she was 13-years-old but the chats soon turned sexual. He spoke about holding her to keep her warm and said he wouldn't be able to trust himself.

He told her: "Every man has a schoolgirl fantasy."

Ure told the police decoy that she would make his "wildest dreams come true", spoke about explicit acts he wanted to do with her, sent lewd files of himself and incited her to perform a sex act.

He also said he would "teach her new things" and requested pictures of her.

Ms Williams said: "He said she was going to get him into trouble."

Ure, who was once jailed for producing cannabis, then spoke to her about meeting up and engaging in sexual activity and the pair had a phone call where it was confirmed they would be together in the next few days.

Ms Williams said that he checked she could get the Thursday off school to meet up.

She said: "There was no meeting, but the intention was to carry out what he described."

In chats with other girls he told one he would have asked her out if he wasn't older and early stage discussions were held about the logistics of meeting up. In one chat he used the username 'Rustynuts42'.

He talked about forcing people into sexual activity against their will and searched for an Airbnb stay close to a location he believed one girl was residing at.

When one girl said she was worried about pictures of her being leaked he told her: "You also forget how much trouble I can get into."

Mitigating, Liam Muir said Ure was not simply sorry he had been caught.

He said: "He has show genuine remorse and genuine disgust at what he has done."

Ure admitted eight child sex offences and Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking QC ruled he posed a significant risk of serious harm.

She said: "He has a deeply entrenched sexual interest in very, very young teenage girls."

Judge Lucking QC told Ure he must serve at least two-thirds of prison sentence of four years and 10 months behind bars before he can be considered for parole.

Once he is released he will serve the remainder on licence, plus an additional three years and two months, and faces being returned to prison if he breaches strict conditions.

Ure will also be on the register for sex offenders indefinitely and be made to follow an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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A SEXUAL predator who abused a young girl over a two-year period has been locked up.

Shane Clarke, 35, had assaulted his victim in Aveley on more than 15 occasions before the abuse was reported to police in April 2021.

Clarke, formerly of Hall Crescent, South Ockendon, was later arrested and charged with child sex offences.

He admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child during a court hearing and was jailed for eight and a half years during another hearing at Southend Crown Court last week.

Investigating officer, PC Karen Smale from the Adult Sexual Abuse Investigation Team (ASAIT) at Essex Police, said: Shane Clarke is a sexual predator who preyed upon the victim for his own sexual gratification.

He subjected to her to a horrendous ordeal and now faces a significant spell in prison.

I want to praise the courage of the victim throughout this investigation.

It is difficult to imagine what she has been through but in spite of what has happened she has shown great bravery and dignity.

I hope this sentencing will help her move forward.

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A DANGEROUS rapist has been jailed for 10 years after subjecting a Rugby woman to a horrendous ordeal in her own home.

George Cowley, 28, committed the rape at the victims house in 2019.

London man Cowley was part of a group that went back to the womans house following a night out in the town.

The woman went to sleep and was awoken by Cowley attacking her.

Cowley was arrested in London four days later after the victim reported him to police.

He was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court.

Investigating officer Det Cons Caroline Kelf from Rugby CID said: The victim in this case has shown immense bravery in supporting this investigation after suffering such a horrific attack at the hands of Cowley.

Providing her with support has been our top priority and specially trained officers have been on hand to help her throughout the process.

I am pleased we have secured justice for the victim. Cowley subjected her to a horrendous ordeal and he is clearly extremely dangerous to women.

I would encourage anyone affected by any kind of sexual offence to contact us. As you can see from this case, we will take action, we will support you, and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.

Prosecutor Sophie Murray said: George Cowley took advantage of his victims prone position, being asleep on her own sofa when he began his sexual attack. She was unable to fight him off.

His Honour Judge Cooke found him to be a dangerous offender who had a worrying attitude to women.

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A SERIAL sex offender is wanted by police after sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl.

Jason Reddy, 56, was arrested after police investigated a report that the girl had been assaulted at an address in Hillside Road, Hastings in June 2018.

After seizing his electronics, officers found videos Reddy had made showing further girls, under 18 years old, in the shower at the same house.

He was charged with the sexual assault of a girl under 13 and two counts of voyeurism.

Reddy, an engineer from Hastings, was then released under court bail but fled before the trial could take place.

He was convicted in his absence on January 31 and was sentenced last week to three years for the sexual assault offence, and 12 months for voyeurism to run consecutively.

Detective Sergeant Kelly Yates said: "This case shows that we will continue to pursue prosecutions against sexual offenders, even if they are at large.

We continue to search for Jason Reddy and when he's found, he will be made to serve his sentence.

"I'd like to commend the victim in this case, whose bravery in coming forward helped us secure this conviction and identify further offences committed by Reddy."

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'It is only through the courage of the three victims coming forward that you have been brought to justice today and I pay tribute to them'

A convicted sex offender has been sent back to jail for abusing three boys more than 30 years ago. David Byrne, 60, was convicted after a trial of six offences against victims in the mid 1980s.

Some of the offences were committed when the victims were under 13 but spanned several years. The defendant, of The Hill, Langport, has a history of similar offending and was jailed for six years for crimes against other children in 2018.

A judge at Taunton Crown Court sent him back to prison on Friday (March 4). Byrne was jailed for six years and four months.

The offences involved touching the children while they were naked. The victims said in statements read in court that they had suffered psychological issues as a result of the abuse and from trying to bury all memory of what Byrne did to them.

One said the experience of coming to court to give evidence had been 'horrendous' but he slept afterwards knowing he had done the right thing. Mr Patrick Mason, defending, said Byrne was an intelligent man who for many years had run a gardening business. He was now virtually bankrupt.

Judge James Townsend said: "I have to sentence you for an appalling series of acts on young boys in the 1980s.

"It is only through the courage of the three victims coming forward that you have been brought to justice today and I pay tribute to them. Not only did you cause them suffering at the time they had to live through years with the memories and speak publicly about embarrassing issues and they have done a public service."

He said a pre-sentence report prepared in 2018 assessed Byrne as a low risk of reoffending.

The defendant will serve half of his sentence in jail and the rest on licence. He is subject to the sex offenders register and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period.

has issued a further statement on the sentencing, saying that the force hoped the renewed sentencing had

Investigating officer DC Vicki Edwards said: David Byrne has committed abhorrent offences against six boys and it was important we did all we could to obtain justice for each of them, which is why he was brought back before the court to face further charges.

I hope these new convictions will help all the victims find some form of closure and I want to thank each of them for the fortitude and courage theyve shown in speaking to us about the abuse theyve suffered.