Latest Offenders

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A grandad who confessed he was attracted to children after asking a man posing online as a schoolgirl to strip naked for him has been locked up. Married man Kenneth Rock was duped into thinking he was sending 'highly sexualised' messages to a 13-year-old girl but he was actually talking to a man hunting for criminals.

The 71-year-old told her she was 'cute' before boasting about kissing another teenager at a social club. The convicted fraudster also had a 'long-standing habit' of scouring the internet for vile child sex abuse pictures and was caught with a secret stash in his Black Country home.

But the paedophile blamed his sick offending on his 'sexless' marriage after telling police he had been 'bored' at home. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how a man from an online child protection group was running a decoy account pretending to be a schoolgirl on social media platform Twoo. 

Rock made contact with the profile in December 2020, with the girl telling him she was 13 and the defendant replying "wow you look good". He asked if she had a boyfriend before telling her she looked 'cute' in her profile picture and requesting more photographs.

Prosecutor Jamie Scott said: "[Rock said] he doubted her mother would allow them to meet because he would be perceived, in his own words, as a pervert." The sex offender said he would teach the girl how to kiss and that it would be their 'secret' before asking about sex education and whether he could be her teacher.

He claimed he kissed other girls of a similar age, including a 14-year-old girl at his local social club. The defendant, of Hinchliffe Avenue Coseley, went on to say he wanted her to wear shorter skirts and continued to ask for photographs, including in her uniform.

Rock also made lewd comments and said he wanted to be the 'first guy'. The court heard how the convict told the girl he wanted to meet but Coronavirus restrictions at the time meant he could not travel.

Rock cancelled a meeting the pair had arranged as he was living in a Tier 3 area during the pandemic but continued with his sexualised comments.

He said he could not stop thinking about them being together and suggested picking the girl from her school. Rock - who has a 20-year-old conviction for benefit fraud - messaged the girl over a three-month period.

He was caught when the child protection group conducted 'impressive amateur detective work' and confronted Rock at his then-home in Parry Road, Wolverhampton, on November 11 last year. His wife answered the door before Rock admitted his offending, the court heard on September 29.

Mr Scott added: "He admitted he had been talking to the girl. He admitted that it was wrong for him to do and he admitted that he was attracted to children."

Police arrested the sex offender, who then claimed he only messaged the girl because he was 'bored' and denied having any intention to meet up with her. Officers searched his home and discovered a mobile with Twoo messages, along with a PC tower in a garage shed which contained 476 indecent images within a folder called "Ken's pics".

They later discovered he had been searching for child pornography - featuring children as young as two - for seven years from 2013 until just two months before his arrest, Mr Scott said. Simon Hans, defending, said Rock has been impotent since 2017.

His wife has kicked him out of the family home but the estranged couple is still in contact and could reconcile. Rock has lost most of his friends, while his children and grandchildren have 'walked away' from him.

Mr Hans added: "He appears to have turned towards this type of conduct as a result of the fact that his marriage became sexless. It first became sexless because his wife was no longer interested.

Rock admitted attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, attempting to cause or incite a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity and three counts of making indecent photographs of children.

Sentencing, Judge Barry Berlin said Rock's messages were 'highly sexualised' and jailed the defendant for 16 months for his 'awful offending'. 

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A Fife man caught with a stash of sick child abuse images and videos has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Scott Menzies, 30, previously admitted having the vile content on his phone and tablet devices.

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A paedophile who was on bail for trying to meet a 'schoolboy' for sex was later caught grooming another 'child', a court heard.

Andrew McClean, from Southport, sent messages to what he believed was a 13-year-old and arranged to have sex with him in a public toilet near Southport station. The 39-year-old was in fact communicating with an adult member of a local ‘paedophile hunters’ group who was using an online decoy.

On February 15 this year, McLean arrived at the station with the intention of meeting the boy. However he was instead met by members of the group who alerted police.

McLean told them: “I confess I was in the wrong and I accept the punishment.”

But three months later, after being released on bail, he once again began sending online messages of a sexual nature to what he believed was another 13-year-old boy, and arranged to meet him at Formby station on May 18, the ECHO reports.

Again, he was met with members of the paedophile hunters group, who had created the decoy profile as part of an “online child protection effort to apprehend child sex offenders”.

He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (October 4) after pleading guilty to arranging a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to meet a child following grooming.

Judge Louise Brandon said: "While these cases are attempts, they are only attempts because the child in question did not actually exist. Had Josh been a real child, the offences would have been committed."

The court heard that McClean was developmentally disabled, and did not understand the consequences of his actions.

However, experts agreed that his disability did not impact his ability to make decisions or understand right from wrong. 

Judge Brandon said: "You have been described as vulnerable and you have a limited understanding of intercourse, and in your offending you made no attempt to hide your identity. But you knew what you were doing, and you knew that what you were doing was wrong."

McClean was sentenced to three years in prison, and must serve half of this term before being released on licence. He was also subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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A paedophile from west Dorset has been jailed for 32 months after offending over a 17 year period.

Timothy Brian Lovegrove, whose address was given as Black Lane, in Evershot, appeared before Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, September 30 for sentencing.

Lovegrove, 68, had pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs and pseudo photographs of a child and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse with a live animal.

He had made 24 Category A, 17 Category B and 2,194 Category C moving and still indecent images of children at Evershot, over a 17-year period between April 10, 2004 and June 24, 2021.

He also admitted during the same 17-year period to possessing 27 extreme pornographic images depicting, in an explicit and realistic way, a person performing an act of intercourse with a live animal.

Lovegrove was issued with four concurrent jail sentences totalling 32 months in prison. He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Tom Lundgren also had extreme animal pornography and other indecent images, court hears.

A man who secretly filmed people in bathrooms on hidden cameras has been jailed.

Tom Lundgren, 24, was also found to have more than 7,500 indecent images and dozens of extreme pornographic pictures on his electronic devices.

He was jailed for 18 months at Leeds Crown Court on Friday after admitting a string of offences.

Police officers found the indecent images on his devices when they went to his home in Gomersal, West Yorks., in May 2020.

Among them were 1,855 pictures in the most serious category as well as images of victims he had recorded using devices hidden in bathrooms.

There were also 1,507 category B images and 4,461 category C images as well as 35 extreme pornography images, West Yorkshire Police said.

The force said said it had “worked hard” to track down the people Lundgren had recorded without consent.

He pleaded guilty to charges including making indecent pictures of a child, possessing an extreme pornographic image involving an animal, and eight charges of voyeurism.

He has been jailed for 18 months and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Speaking after sentencing, PC Simon Meakin of West Yorkshire Police, said: “On seizing his devices, we found over 1,800 of the most serious category A images as well as images of victims he had recorded for his own gratification using hidden recording devices.

“Any act of voyeurism represents the most appalling invasion of a person’s privacy, and we have worked hard to locate victims of these offences.”

Description

A manipulative sex offender, who targeted a ‘generous, smart and witty’ young girl in a ‘horrendous’ rape, has been sent to prison for 12 years. Adam Campbell, 35, left a "tragic legacy" on the girl, who was younger than 13 at the time of the attack, according to the judge.

An investigation into Campbell began in May 2021, following his arrest, after a young girl was raped in Braintree. Specialist officers from Essex Police supported the victim throughout the investigation.

Detective Constable Eden Quinn from Essex Police described Campbell, of no fixed abode, as a "coercive controller". He said: "I am so pleased with this result. The hard work of the investigation team and the ISVA as well as the strength of the victim has meant that a dangerous man is in jail. 

“Our number one priority throughout these investigations is the victim. As a force, we have invested a lot of time and training into better understanding how to safeguard victims as well as understand the behaviour of sexual offence perpetrators.

“Perpetrators are often coercive controllers, and they will groom and isolate their victims. This is exactly what Campbell did and his manipulating behaviour almost made the victim feel as if they were to blame for the horrendous crimes he committed.

“I hope that the victim finds some peace with this result and is able to move beyond this chapter. Her bravery and strength so far has been incredible, and I have every faith that she will grow into an incredible woman. I will never forget her.

“I also hope that this case may highlight to other survivors of sexual violence or abuse, that there is help available to them and that they are not alone. There is more to police investigations than people may first think and it’s never too late to get support.”

Toni Jones, from the Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service, worked as the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) for the investigation alongside DC Eden.

They said: "In this case, as with many, the survivor of sexual abuse was groomed into a false reality. The offender manipulates them into thinking that this is their world now and this is what they are worth.

"I hope that the victim in this case knows how proud Essex Police and I are of her, and the strength she has demonstrated has been nothing short of admirable. Since she was subjected to this horrendous abuse, this victim has had her childhood stripped away from her and she will never get back those years she had to carry this around with her.

"Spending time with her as reiterated just how the impact of trauma can be everlasting. My wish is for her to travel through life, being the person, she is inside, artistic, generous, smart and witty. This experience of sexual violence does not define her as a person. One day the weight of this will begin to lift and support will always be available to her."

Synergy Essex provides support and guidance for survivors of sexual and sexual abuse across Essex. The Essex Rape Crisis Partnership is formed of three organisations: Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (mid and north-Essex); Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service (south and west-Essex), SOS Rape Crisis (Southend, Castle Point and Rochford).

Survivors can self-refer and receive emotional support, specialist sexual violence and abuse counselling and or specialist advocacy services, no matter when the sexual violence or abuse occurred. In addition to this, they also offer support to survivor’s loved ones. 

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A “depraved” sexual predator from Chorley who abused two young children under the age of ten has been jailed.

Damon Townsend, 35, raped his first victim when she was under the age of 10.

That victim said she is now scared to be around boys and men.

Townsend sexually assaulted his second victim when she was also under the age of 10 and told her to keep what he had done a secret.

While those offences were being investigated information came to light that Townsend might have pornographic images on his phone.

Townsend’s phone was seized and an examination discovered the device contained a number of indecent images of children and other prohibited images.

He was subsequently charged with a number of sexual offences and remanded into custody.

Townsend, now of no fixed address but formerly of Cornflower Close, Chorley, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children, however denied any offences relating to the victims of his sexual abuse.

Following a trial at Preston Crown Court, Townsend was found guilty of raping a child under 13 and indecently assaulting a child under 13.

He was deemed to be a dangerous offender and given an immediate custodial sentence of 16 years with a further four years extended licence.

Townsend will have to go before the Parole Board who will assess whether he remains a risk to the public. It will only be after that assessment that Townsend could be released.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Louise Dutton, of South CID, said: “Townsend is a manipulative individual with an abhorrent and warped sexual interest in children.

“Not only did he target his victims because of their vulnerability, he also forced them to relive their harrowing ordeals by taking the case to trial.

She added: “I am glad this dangerous sexual predator has now been given a substantial custodial sentence. The associated court orders will also mean Townsend will be monitored by the authorities once he is eventually released from the custodial element of his sentence.

“I want to place on record my admiration at the bravery displayed by both victims during the criminal justice process and beyond.

“I know these offences have understandably had a significant and ongoing impact on them and I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that their abuser will be behind bars for some time.

“I hope the outcome of this case will encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward, knowing that they will be believed and we will do everything in our power to put the perpetrators before the courts.”

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Andrew Maund, of Hebburn, thought he was talking to two 14-year-olds but they were decoy profiles set up by paedophile hunters.

A pervert who engaged in sex chats with what he thought were two 14-year-old girls online has been spared prison.

Andrew Maund believed he was talking to genuine schoolgirls but he had been duped by vigilantes Guardians of the North. Newcastle Crown Court heard Maund, posing as "Steven", contacted both decoy profiles within three days in June 2020.

The first one, who was on the Meetme app purporting to be an 18-year-old called Lou, went on to say she was 14 but that didn't put him off. He said he would like to kiss her and asked what she was wearing, telling her she was sexy and asking for photographs in her bra, which she refused.

The second decoy profile, on dating app Badoo, also told Maund she was 14 and he said he wanted to kiss and cuddle her. When told she was home alone as her mum was at work, he said he would like to visit her.

He then outlined sexual acts he wanted to partake in with her, asked for pictures and sent a photograph of his genitals and made suggestive remarks about it.

Maund, 37, of St Rollox Street, Hebburn, South Tyneside, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, one of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing a small number of indecent images. He was sentenced to 21 months suspended for two years with rehabilitation and must do a sex offenders treatment programme. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for ten years.

Robin Turton, defending, said: "He is remorseful and feels shame. He says he had difficulties at home and a sense of loneliness. He has now lost his job at Amazon."

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A Southampton man has been jailed for 10 years and three months for committing child sex offences.

George Gibbs, 55, of Harefield Road, Southampton, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today (Tuesday 4 October), having previously been found guilty of two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

The offences related to two girls and took place in Southampton between July 2018 and when it was reported to us on 27 September, 2020.

Since that first report was made to police, specialist officers conducted a thorough investigation which led to Gibbs’ arrest and him being subsequently charged.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court for a sentencing hearing, George Gibbs was jailed for 10 years and three months.

T/DC Dawn Capper from the Child Abuse Investigation Team said: “Gibbs continually denied the offences, forcing his young victims to relive these traumatic experiences in the trial. To make matters worse, he refused to attend, with the verdict being reached in his absence.

“By doing so, Gibbs has shown complete distain for his victims and not a shred of remorse.

“In contrast to his cowardice, these two victims have demonstrated such bravery throughout the investigation and I would like to commend them for their actions, which have made Southampton a safer place by removing a dangerous predator from the streets.

“If you or a loved one has experienced a similar situation, then I hope reading this encourages you to report what has happened to us. We will take your report seriously, support you every step of the way and do our best to ensure you receive justice.”

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A man who sexually abused a four-year-old girl while working as a childminding assistant has been jailed for 10 years.

The girl used dolls to illustrate to the jury how Stephen Walker, from Walton Cardiff, near Tewkesbury, abused her when taking her to the toilet.

The 56-year-old was found unanimously guilty of assaulting a child aged under thirteen.

The nursery has ceased trading as a result of the allegations.

Judge Ian Lawrie KC praised the young victim for the way she gave her "compelling evidence" via video link to Gloucester Crown Court on Friday.

He said she had been "clear and precise" and had spoken without hesitation as she told the jury what Walker had done to her on "lots of days" last year.

In his police interview Walker denied the allegations and said he did not take girls to the toilet "to prevent allegations such as this", but said the victim would often seek cuddles from him.

Prosecutor Tabby Macfarlane said the child had "complained to her mother that her 'middle hurt' - middle being the four-year-old's term for her genitals".

She told both her mother and her grandmother that Walker had hurt her while taking her to the toilet.

Charlotte Surley, defending, suggested that Walker did not touch the girl in the way that was alleged. She said he believed that what she had told people was a "misunderstanding".

'Compelling evidence'

The young victim was interviewed by officers at a special child-friendly location with support workers in attendance.

Mr Lawrie told Walker he had been convicted on the "compelling evidence of a four-year-old girl".

Walker is also barred from having any contact with children under the age of 18 for an indefinite period and will have to sign the sex offender's register for life.

Det Con David Escolme from Gloucestershire Police praised the victim and their family for showing "amazing strength and courage" during the trial.

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A woman sobbed as a court was told how she had taken videos of herself performing sex acts next to a child and shared them in a group chat set up for sick perverts.

Sitting in the docks of Hull Crown Court, wearing a black trouser suit with restraints attached, Sonia Chivers, 29, began crying as the prosecuting barrister listed details of her 'perverted' child sexual abuse offences. In the public gallery a 'support network' of family members, including her mother, were in attendance.

Along with the videos, she also took an indecent image of the child and shared it online. While she claimed she received no sexual gratification from sharing the content, she said she 'liked the attention' she got from other users on a platform called Kik where child abuse was being discussed.

She pleaded guilty to making and distributing 1 Category B video, making another Category B video, making and distributing 1 Category C image and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. Richard Butters, prosecuting, told the court on January 16, 2020, an undercover police officer joined a Kik group chat where users discussed sexual abuse against children between the ages of zero and four. The officer engaged in a chat with the defendant.

She messaged that she was 'feeling horny' and said she might call the child into the room. She continued to describe sick things she wanted the child to do to her and claimed the child 'knew what to do as routine'.

She added she would film the acts next time. On December 5, 2020, Chivers was arrested, two videos and an image were recovered from her phone.

In one of the videos, Chivers was committing a sex act as a child's TV programme could be heard in the background, towards the end of the video, a child's head can be seen on video. In the other video, Chivers can be heard speaking to the child as she committed a sex act, Mr Butters told the court.

In the Category C image that was created and distributed, the child's head was cropped out but part of their genitalia was exposed. When Chivers was arrested, she admitted to the offences and said she felt disgusted by herself after she had taken the videos.

She has no previous convictions. Chiver's defence barrister, Richard Thompson, told the court it was impossible to mitigate why anyone who came from a loving family would go on to commit such criminal offences as Chivers did.

He said Chivers was experiencing loneliness and therefore engaged in attention-seeking behaviour. He added that she did face up to what she has done.

Mr Thompson reiterated that Chivers had no previous convictions, after the incident, she was released on bail and did not re-offend. She knew this day would come and tried her hardest to live her life.

She had a supportive family and found employment. He claimed she had a strong support network to help her, some of whom were with her in court.

Judge Sophie McKone told Chivers what she has done was gross, sickening and perverted. She said Chivers received sexual pleasure from knowing the child was watching and even encouraged the child to watch.

Judge McKone accepts Chivers, of Driffield, was emotionally isolated at the time of the offences, while it may explain it, it does not excuse it. She sentenced Chivers to 40 months in prison, she is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has been placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

After her prison sentence was read out, Chivers was taken away from the docks, but her loud weeping could continue to be heard in the courtroom from a distant room for minutes after she left.

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Pervert John Husband will never be able to return to work as an occupational therapist following his criminal conviction.

An occupational therapist who escaped jail despite being found in possession of 1.7m indecent images of children has been struck off.

John Husband, then 55, of Snow's Green Road, Shotley Bridge, County Durham, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, possession prohibited images of a child and possessing extreme pornography in November last year.

When he was arrested in June 2020 at his then-Newcastle address, police officers found horrifying images on 43 different devices - and of the 12 that were forensically examined, police found eight images of the most serious type, category A, 11 category B and 32,090 category C.

Now, the Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service has confirmed he has been struck off the medical register following a hearing of the HCPTS's Conduct and Competence Committee last week. Husband admitted the charges ahead of trial, and was given a 22-month jail sentence suspended for two years with a six month curfew and a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for 10 years.

The tribunal considered the seriousness of his offending and the length of sentence in its deliberations. Following the hearing held between September 26 and 29, Husband was struck off. He had previously worked in acute mental health services in the city.

In its findings, the tribunal stated: "[Husband's] submissions do not adequately reflect an acknowledgment of the actual or potential effect of his behaviour on others. [He] qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1993, and as part of his training and subsequent practice had undergone safeguarding training that would have alerted him to the consequences of this type of behaviour/ conduct. In addition, the Panel noted that the [he] had worked in acute mental health services."

The panel said they agreed with Judge Stephen Earl, who at Newcastle Crown Court last year said: " I am not certain that there is any more remorse than the fact that you have been captured."

Husband had not attended the hearing - he indicated via email in August that he would not be present nor would he require legal representation. The hearing was also due to consider whether Husband had a health condition impairing his fitness to practice - but did not do so after finding that his convictions in themselves were worthy of striking off.

The tribunal findings also highlighted how that, "by the nature of the work they do", occupational therapists came into contact with vulnerable individuals - and that Husband's behaviour "very serious particularly in view of the nature of the images involved, the number of the images involved and the fact that the behaviour continued for many years".

The tribunal also found: "There is a risk that the Registrant will repeat behaviour of the sort he indulged in. That risk would necessarily translate into a risk of harm to patients were the registrant to be able to return to practise as an Occupational Therapist."

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Update 2022-10-04

A man has been jailed after admitting a number of non-recent sexual offences on the Isle of Wight.

Graham Medway, aged 64 and formerly of the Freshwater area, appeared at Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on 30 August this year where he pleaded guilty to:

• Assault a girl under 13 by touching relating to an incident in Yarmouth, on 6 September 2014.
• Assault a girl under 13 by touching relating to an incident in Shanklin between 20 June 2013 and 22 June 2013.
• 2 counts of indecent exposure relating to incidents in Freshwater between 1 January 2017 and 24 September 2020.

This follows an investigation by the Operation Marmion team, who specialise in investigating non-recent child sex offences.

Appearing at Isle of Wight Crown Court today (4 October), Medway was given an 8 year extended sentence in prison. His Honour Judge Shepherd jailed him for 6 years but added a further two years on in acknowledgement of Medways dangerousness as an offender.

Detective Inspector Damian Glendenning said: We are grateful to all of the victims who have shown such bravery throughout this investigation. It is because of their courage that we have secured these convictions against Medway.

I want the public to be reassured that we take all sexual offence and child sex abuse allegations incredibly seriously. We encourage people to continue reporting information to the police about this type of offending so we can target perpetrators and safeguard vulnerable people.

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

2021/01/08

A "loitering" stranger raped a three-year-old girl in broad daylight in a wooded area at a country park after she had run ahead of her family on a day out.

Graham Medway approached and attacked the young girl on August 31, 2020, a bank holiday Monday, at Fort Victoria Country Park on the Isle of Wight.

She had run ahead from her family, which she often did when playing, as they walked down a path after visiting the beach. The family would have a system that the girl would respond to when she could not be seen, but she did not on this occasion sparking concern.

Isle of Wight Crown Court heard on Friday (January 8) that the girl's mother lost track of her daughter as they went down the undulating footpath, during which time Medway abducted and attacked the child by orally raping her after taking her into a "secluded" part of the woodland.

Over a period of about eight minutes, the anxious mother searched frantically for her daughter, only locating her after dog walkers directed her back to the fort area as they had seen a girl matching her description going towards there.

The dog walkers had also seen Medway with the little girl emerging from some bushes, with the attacker appearing to be bending down and telling her off.

The young girl was found by the fort, with prosecutor David Richards noting that the mother noticed her daughter had wet herself.

She then told her mother: "That man put his willy in my mouth."

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That statement was then repeated to other family members, and to police officers when they were called to the popular Yarmouth park that day.

Medway was located by Hampshire Constabulary later that night, and he was arrested and later charged.

The 62-year-old paedophile was jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of five years, at the court in Newport on Friday.

Mr Richards told the court that people who knew Medway saw him near the toilet block at the country park at around 1.40pm on the bank holiday Monday, which was a very sunny day.

The family of the young girl had been on a day out on that same day, initially going to the beach at Yarmouth before heading for a walk at the country park, where they had arrived at around 2.30pm.

In court, the child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was described as an "energetic" and "confident little girl" who would approach people to talk to.

The incident took place in woodland at Fort Victoria Country Park.

Medway abducted her and put his erect penis into her mouth - an act that in police interview he would repeatedly deny having committed, forcing officers to gather further evidence including forensic evidence and getting the child to give an interview and recall what had happened.

DNA matching that of the young girl was found on the inside of Medway's boxer waistband. Only when presented with that evidence did Medway admit to what he had done, entering a guilty plea in October.

While passing sentence, Judge Roger Hetherington said that Medway had been "hanging around in the area" after apparently deciding not to go fishing on his boat.

He added: "I have little doubt that you were loitering in the park area waiting for just this sort of opportunity."

During the hearing, Mr Richards read out two victim impact statements from the girl's mother, within which she mentioned the trauma and devastation the incident had caused on her daughter and the family.

She said in part that she "simply cannot describe the full impact this had had on each and every one of us".

The mother said how initially after the attack there was a "noticeable change" in how the child acted, with her becoming more aggressive towards her family and at pre-school. She would often bite and punch people.

Another, more recent statement said that this behaviour had settled down since and become more consistent, but the girl still had "ups and downs".

The mother said that herself and the child's father were concerned about how the incident would affect her in the future, once she gets older.

In one section, she said: "It absolutely breaks our hearts to think about the time we are going to have to tell our daughter about this horrendous thing that had happened to her."

She added that what the family had experienced should "never happen to another child ever again".

The mother described how taking their three-year-old daughter to a sexual health clinic to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases is "something no family should have to deal with."

Within her statements, the mother said that the incident had also had a lasting impact on herself and the girl's father, who were now anxious in their daily life.

Among other things, they have reinforced security at their home, become wary of lone men around their family, and struggeld to eat and sleep since the incident happened.

Also noted was how the ordeal had changed their perception of the island itself, which they had previously viewed as a safe place.

She also said: "As a result of this man's actions in the few seconds she was out of our sight, we have to carry overwhelming guilt that we failed to protect her. This will be with us for the rest of our lives."

Medway, from Freshwater, pleaded guilty to one count of raping a child under the age of 13 when he previously appeared in court on October 26.

During mitigation, defence counsel Elizabeth Bussey-Jones said that her client, a married man, had no previous convictions aside from a conditional discharge for theft when he was 15.

She added that he wanted to apologise to the victim and her family, but knew it would provide no comfort.

Ms Bussey-Jones said of the defendant: "He literally does not know how to put his appalling behaviour into words."

The defence barrister also said that Medway wanted to apologise to his own family and the "shame" that had been brought to them simply by being related to him.

He was handed an extended sentence of 14 years, nine of which will be custodial and the rest on licence. He will have to serve two thirds of his custodial sentence before he can be considered for parole. A sexual harm prevention order was also made.

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A hypnotherapist has been jailed for more than two years after forcing a woman to engage in sexual activity while she was ‘under his spell’.

Ian Roper, 58, ‘commanded’ his victim to remove her clothing while making her think she was sitting on a hot sun bed and rubbing sun cream on her body, Bradford Crown Court heard.

When the woman woke up, Roper attempted to ‘put her under again’ so she wouldn’t know what had happened to her.

He pleaded guilty at the trial despite initially claiming the allegations were false to the police and he was handed a 29 month sentence by the judge.

Officers also found five indecent images of children and one prohibited image of a child on Roper’s laptop.

He pleaded guilty to the possession of indecent images.

Recorder David Gordon told Roper his interests had been motivated by ‘selfish and sexual’ desires.

The judge also said Roper would have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years and enforced a restraining order against him.

Recorder Gordon further imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which includes a ban on Roper working as a hypnotherapist.

Addressing Roper, he told him his offending was a very clear breach of trust and said he had engaged in a sustained assault on a complainant who had been vulnerable.

He said: ‘It is clear from her victim impact statement that she has suffered no serious physical injury, but she has suffered severe psychological harm.’

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A registered sex offender who groped a horrified teenage girl on a train at night has been jailed.

Matthew Lewis, of Sittingbourne, attacked his victim after she and a friend boarded the service at Margate station.

The 55-year-old, who has 251 previous offences for 95 convictions, was locked up at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, where prosecutors laid out their case.

The court was told Lewis approached the girls in June last year and persistently made inappropriate comments towards both, asking to take them for a drink and suggesting they run away with him.

He continued despite both girls insisting that they were only 16.

“The girls removed themselves from their location towards other passengers and Mr Lewis sat next to them,” said Anoushka Twining, prosecuting."

She added Lewis then put her hand on the victim's leg and sexually assaulted her.

Noticing the girls looking uncomfortable, a man who was sat nearby challenged Lewis’ behaviour and a group of passengers invited the girls to sit with them further down the carriage.

The girls moved away and got off the train at Rainham, but Lewis followed.

The pair pointed him out to staff and police soon arrived and arrested him.

The court heard Lewis was in breach of a criminal behaviour order issued in 2019 at the time of the assault.

It meant Lewis would be committing a criminal offence if he was drunk on a train, or had an open alcohol container in public, outside of a licensed premises.

Lewis’ victim attended Thursday’s sentencing hearing, where she described the aftermath of his “repellent and frightening” actions, before seeing him jailed for three years.

The court heard Lewis has a “truly appalling” criminal record, with one past conviction for exposure.

Judge Mark Weekes also sentenced Lewis for various other behaviour order breaches and failing to comply with notification requirements.

The court heard Lewis was discovered intoxicated at Faversham station on July 1, and Margate station on August 7.

He was “asleep or unconscious lying next to a bottle of wine” on a train with vomit on his jumper, the prosecutor explained.

When a member of staff tried to escort him out of the station he threatened to punch them.

Lewis was released from HMP Elmley in April and gave the police an incorrect address, placing him in breach of notification requirements.

He was soon arrested and found to be in possession of amphetamines.

“Lewis is a dangerous individual who subjected a young girl to extremely unacceptable sexual behaviour, and I’m pleased to see him behind bars..."

The court heard Lewis pleaded guilty to sexual assault, breaching criminal behaviour orders, failing to comply with notification requirements and possession of a Class B drug at the lower court.

Judge Mark Weekes told Lewis, who appeared remotely from HMP Elmley: “You made it virtually your mission in life to disobey those terms [of the criminal behaviour orders].”

He branded the sexual assault a “frightening and repellent” act towards a brave girl, with his actions having a “profound effect” on her.

The judge called Lewis’s criminal record “truly appalling”, adding: “You were drunk and you were seen to be slurring your words.

“As a result of that, you approached two young girls, and one of them you sexually assaulted in a most unpleasant fashion. You were stroking her right leg in an upward direction.”

Lewis, of Deerton Street, suffers “particularly acute” difficulties with alcohol which causes “disorderly and chaotic” behaviour,” Phil Rowley said in mitigation.

He added Lewis wished to “apologise profusely” to his victim.

BTP Detective Constable Stephen Gadd, said: “Lewis is a dangerous individual who subjected a young girl to extremely unacceptable sexual behaviour, and I’m pleased to see him behind bars.

“His actions left the victim and her friend feeling hugely distressed, and I want to thank them for bravely reporting the incident and supporting our investigation. No one should experience such vile behaviour as they travel."

Lewis was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.