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AN Elgin mum who helped bring her sons rapist to justice says her trust in humanity has been broken.

John Jessiman Barclay (63), a former Keith shop owner and ex social care worker with Moray Council, was jailed for seven years and two months at the High Court in Edinburgh on April 29 after he pled guilty to sexual offence charges relating to three young men.

That included raping a man with a mental disorder.

The man, who was in his 20s at the time, was born with frontal lobe brain damage. He also has hearing loss , ADHD and learning difficulties which make living independently impossible.

His mum, speaking anonymously with The Northern Scot, says that Barclays actions have devastated her family and left her wondering if she can ever trust anyone again.

I feel like he groomed me as well because I trusted him, she said.

My head has just been all over the place. Its been devastating.

My son is so wary of speaking to other people now.

Hes not been sleeping. Hes had to get more medication to help him sleep. Its changed him.

Even though he is my first born and hes in his 30s now, hes always going to need mum.

Hes a grown man but in his head he isnt a grown man.

Barclay owned and managed the now-shut Aladdins Cave shop in Keith which stocked a variety of handmade gifts.

He was involved in various disability groups in the region and volunteered in the community.

He was also previously employed by Moray Council as a social care worker and a community care officer.

But a council spokesperson confirmed that Barclays employment with the local authority ended in 2010.

They said: Moray Council can confirm that the individual concerned has not been employed by the council since 2010."

It was his background, however, that led many to believe that he was a good Samaritan who could be trusted.

He was opening his shop in Keith and we met him through mutual friends, his victims heartbroken mum said.

He was involved in disability groups and so is my son and he asked if my son would like to help him out with the shop.

My son was keen and so was I because it would get him out and about and things like that.

Barclay, unknown to the vulnerable mans mum, began sending indecent messages between January 2019 and April 2021.

And, according to court documents, between January 2019 and March 2020, Barclay, while acting with another male, sexually assaulted the young man by telling him to remove his clothing, touching him, watching him with the other man before raping him orally to his injury.

The abuse may have continued if it wasnt for the mans mum.

He had been asked to help out at the shop again and I thought that was fine, she said.

Before he left there was this Tesco carrier bag and I said to him to give it to me because he didnt need it and he sort of flipped a little bit.

I asked whats going on? Whats in the bag?

There was a condom in the bag. I asked to see his phone at that point and I had a look through the phone and there were disgusting messages from that man to him.

He was asking him to go and have sex and to have sex with somebody in the shop, asking my son if he had washed himself.

It absolutely flipped our lives upside down.

I got in touch with the police but my son was terrified that he was going to go to prison. I had to keep telling him that it wasnt his fault.

If I hadnt found it that day, then it would have carried on because he would have gone away to the shop again that day.

The mans mum had to source three separate doctors reports to prove that he did not have the mental capacity to give consent.

And after years of waiting for justice, Barclay was sentenced to over seven years in prison, backdated from February 2024, last month.

We have waited for years for this, Barclays victims mum, who went to his trial in person, added.

I wouldnt wish this on any family. Ive had to keep the family calm and away so that the justice system can do its work so this is a relief.

He thought that person was his friend but they were doing the most horrific things to him. Thats what sickens me.

Im just glad that he is locked up but Ill never trust anybody again.

Description

A man who sexually assaulted multiple women in their own homes was caught by police trying to board a flight at Gatwick Airport. A masseur by trade, Yuliyan Dimov, 45, from Enfield was found guilty on Thursday, May 2, at Wood Green Crown Court of 20 different offences including sexual assault and voyeurism.

In November 2022, a woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted during a massage at her home address. Following this report, police visited other women who had appointments with him.

One woman who had reported him in 2021, but had withdrawn support for the investigation, got back in touch upon learning she was not his only victim. Dimov denied all of the allegations, but when his mobile was examined police found over 30 pictures of different women that had been taken without their knowledge when he provided the home-service.

After contacting all of Dimov’s female clients, more victims came forward. On June 15 last year Dimov was arrested at Gatwick Airport attempting to board a one-way flight back to Bulgaria - his nation of heritage.

Despite the evidence against him, he insisted the pictures were solely for professional purposes. Dimov was convicted of six counts of voyeurism, two counts of attempted voyeurism, nine counts of sexual assault, and three counts of sexual assault against a total of ten victims. He will be sentenced at Wood Green Court on Friday, June 28.

Detective Constable Abigail Butler, who was the lead investigator on the case, said: “Dimov preyed on women who trusted him and were in a vulnerable state when he assaulted them.

“The great work carried out by officers to build this case is only overshadowed by the bravery of the women who came forward. If anyone believes they have been assaulted at the hands of Dimov I urge them to get in touch - we want to help you.

“We are dedicated to protecting vulnerable women and girls in London and we will do all we can to make them feel safe.”

Description

A paedophile destroyed the life of a young girl he molested.

Robert Hird, 35, targeted the girl who was under 13 on two separate occasions in Crawley.

The first instance was when she was just seven years old, while the second happened in his van this year.

Judge Jeremy Gold KC said Hirds actions had left a catastrophic impact on the girl's life.

Hird cowered with his head down in the dock as details were read out of the "terrifying" ordeal he subjected her to.

A statement read out on behalf of the girls mother said she was constantly reminded of the incidents and her attendance had dropped at school.

Ryan Richter, prosecuting, said: There has been a significant change in her behaviour. I can only describe her as destroyed by it, she is barely sleeping anymore. She gets flashbacks of going past the place he took her.

Before the incident, she was very sociable, she was always going out with friends. She tried to go out with friends after the incident but thought she saw him and froze in fear, she does not go out anymore. She is constantly reminded of it.

Her brain is in complete turmoil, she has started having angry outbursts. It has changed everything about her life and personality. Her quality of life has been sucked out of her. She is so sad constantly.

The girl wrote in a victim impact statement read out in court that she has flashbacks and her main emotion now is anger and being moody.

Andrew Forsyth, defending, said Hird struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction.

Hird, of no fixed address, had nine convictions for 16 different offences which were mostly low-level violent crimes.

Judge Gold sentenced Hird to seven years in prison, although this was reduced to four years and eight months due to his early guilty plea. Hird will also serve six years on licence and will be a registered sex offender for life.

For the first offence, Hird was given a two-year sentence to run concurrently. He pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13.

Judge Gold said: I am prepared to accept that you are disgusted by your behaviour. I hope you have some understanding of the catastrophic impact it has had on this girl. It must have been an absolutely terrifying experience.

Hird was sentenced on Monday, April 29.

Description

A sports therapist from Hornsey was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment for sexually assaulting one of his clients whilst he treated her at her home.

Jerry Okoye, 39, attended his client's home in Surrey. As he was treating her, Okoye took down his shorts and underwear, sexually touched and then penetrated the victim with his fingers by putting his hands down her pants.

The attack was notified to the police later that day by the victim's partner. The whole attack was also captured on a camera in the victim’s home which she had installed to keep an eye on her new puppy while she was out.

Okoye was arrested three days later and was subsequently charged and remanded in custody. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by touching at an earlier hearing.

After Okoye pleaded guilty, the victim said she had initially felt that the assault was her fault. She said: “When the police got to my house, I still felt so dirty and hated the fact that I had to stay in the same clothing. The officers were lovely to me. I just couldn’t process what had happened and it felt like such a whirlwind.

“I knew I was not responsible for anything that he did to me, but I found it hard not to blame myself. I just felt totally numb. Every time I shut my eyes, he was there in front of me and so I didn’t sleep at all.”

“I never wanted to go back to my flat, so I had to start renting it out. It was my safe haven until he destroyed this. I don’t feel safe or comfortable knowing that there are people in the world like him and you just never know who they are.”

Detective Constable Wood, who investigated the incident, said: “The fact that Okoye violated and took advantage of the victim in her own home in his position as her sports therapist is simply untenable.

"While the victim will have to live with the long-term impact for the rest of her life, I hope the fact that Okoye has been brought to justice for the offences he committed will help her to be able to move on with her life."

Description

A paedophile attempted to rape a girl when she was just three years old. He then went on to rape her when she was older.

Erkan Karadogan, 52, of Cardiff, also sexually abused his victim before later sexually assaulting another young girl and an elderly lady. At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court the defendant was described by Judge Simon Mills as a "frightening sexual predator" and a "selfish abusive bully".

Karadogan, of Poplar Road, Fairwater, was found guilty of rape, four counts of attempted rape, two counts of indecency with a child, three counts of indecent assault, three counts of inciting sexual activity, and two counts of sexual assault. The court heard he was of previous good character except one minor conviction of a dissimilar nature.

n victim personal statements read to the court the first victim said: "I found it hard to figure out if certain parts of my personality is as a result of what happened to me. I don't know as I didn't know any difference when the abuse started to happen. Since the trial for the first time I felt anger and cannot focus. It's affected family and friendships. When people talk to me I zone out mid-conversations.

"I am so tired all the time and burn out, switch off, and struggle to sleep. I have been like this for a year and I am on medication to help me with this. In the lead up to the trial I had nightmares about [the defendant] – him chasing me, half-dressed, and I can't call out for someone. I recall struggling at school because I couldn't focus. I struggle to focus because of the trauma I was going through."

She added: "There was a time through my childhood I struggled with suicidal tendencies and looking at photographs of my self would make me cry. I have ongoing issues in terms of extreme stress. I had a number of bad romantic relationships where they have used me and I let it happen through being in so much trauma as a child. If I am honest I never trust anyone and wait for something to go wrong. In terms of [the defendant] I have changed from feeling fear to anger... I need this for closure and justice for what happened to me."

The second victim said: "I would say what happened to me massively affected me and my mental health... As I got older I remember feeling scared and nervous ... When the investigation was going on when receiving any form of update it would bring it all back up to me and stop me wanting to be intimate with my partner. I have anxiety and depression and can't go a day without taking some form of medication. Waiting for the trial was stressful and affected my mental health. I found speaking out about what happened difficult and this process brought it all back."

In mitigation Clare Wilks said her client is a Turkish man whose family live in Turkey so he would not have the same benefit of family visits as other inmates. He also has a partner who resides in Turkey.

Sentencing, Judge Mills told the defendant he "hasn't shown a single shred of remorse". He sentenced Karadogan to a total of 24 years imprisonment of which he will serve two-thirds in custody. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

Description

A teacher who repeatedly had sex with a pupil has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Ieuan Bartlett, 29, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, admitted 12 counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

Having originally denied the charges, he changed his pleas after a jury failed to reach a verdict, which would have left him facing a retrial.

Judge Lucy Crowther told Bartlett he had manipulated and “specifically targeted a particularly vulnerable child”.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Bartlett pressured the girl into sending him indecent pictures of herself when she did not want to.

The girl told the court that she “thought it would be love and we would be together”, but now “I realised how much he controlled and belittled me”.

The court heard how the girl originally turned to Bartlett for support, but that over several months he groomed her, gaining her trust and confidence.

During later meetings Bartlett talked to the girl about sex, pressuring her into sexual activity with him.

The judge said she “ended up performing sex acts on you, which was precisely what you had paved the way for”, adding “you’d be angry if she said no”.

Subsequently, Bartlett had sex with the girl without a condom. The court heard they had sex on a number of occasions, including one time at the girl’s home when her parents were away.

Bartlett used a side entrance to the house to avoid being seen by the doorbell camera.

He told her not to tell anyone about what was happening because he said she could be sent to prison. He also lied about aspects of his personal life in order to win her trust.

His actions were discovered when one of the girl's friends noticed his messages on her phone. She told her mother, resulting in the police being called.

In a personal impact statement the girl told the court that her confidence had been knocked and that she struggled because she “believed all men were like Ieuan”.

“I’ve always had issues with my mental health and now it’s worse. I struggle to trust people and believe what they say,” she said.

Bartlett was jailed for a total of 13 offences, including one count of possession of indecent images of a 16-year-old.

He was ordered to be on the sex offender register for life and given a restraining order to prevent him from contacting the girl.

Description

A man crept into a woman's house in the dead of night and sexually assaulted her as she slept in her bed next to her boyfriend, a court has heard. Suroj Bk at first denied being in the property at all but later claimed the allegation was some kind of fantasy on the part of the victim.

Sending the 27-year-old defendant to prison, a judge said he was aware there were people who knew Bk and who did not believe the incident had taken place - he said those people were "either totally blinkered or incredibly gullible". The victim of the sexual assault has life-long legal anonymity.

Swansea Crown Court heard the sexual assault took place at a property in Ceredigion last year when the defendant entered the woman's property at night, climbed into her bed, and touched her legs and genitals as she slept next to her boyfriend. In a statement read to the court by prosecution barrister Georgia Donohue, the victim said the sexual assault had "damaged her life in every conceivable way". She said she had been unable to return to work after the incident and left the area where it happened, and now experiences "graphic nightmares" about the assault. The woman said her parents had been left "heartbroken" about what happened to their daughter.

Suroj Bk, of Llangrannog, Ceredigion, had previously been convicted at trial of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence and of sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions. Dyfed Thomas, for Bk, said references before the court spoke of the good work the defendant had done in Nepal and India and during his time in Wales, and attested to his "exemplary character". He said Bk was married with two young children and "did something stupid when in drink which he simply would not have done otherwise", describing the conviction as a "spectacular fall from grace" for his client. The barrister said he had been told that a custodial sentence of four years would be "fatal" to the defendant's application to remain in the UK.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said on the evidence heard at trial it was clear that on the night in question the defendant had far too much to drink and entered the complainant's home with the intent to sexually assault her. He said Bk had then denied the offence claiming the victim had "in some way been fantasising about what happened", calling the defence the defendant put before the jury as "one of the most implausible I have heard in some time". The judge said the sexual assault had had a profound effect on the victim which could not be overestimated, and he said it was "of great concern" to him that her position has been made much worse by people in the local area who believed she had been making up the allegations - he said those people were "either totally blinkered or incredible gullible".

Judge Thomas said he had read letters and references submitted to the court on behalf of the defendant - including one from the guru at Skanda Vale temple - and accepted Bk was well thought of, though he added those people had likely only seen Bk's "positive, sober side". The defendant was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, and will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of a restraining order banning him from trying to contact his victim or posting anything about her on social media. The judge said whether Bk was allowed to remain in the UK after serving his sentence was a matter for others and not for the court.

Speaking after the sentencing Dyfed-Powys Police detective inspector Sam Gregory, the officer in charge of the case, praised the courage of the victim in coming forward. She said: "Incidents of this nature are thankfully very rare within Ceredigion, and I’d like to reassure the community that this was an isolated incident, and that the identification and arrest of the suspect was done quickly and efficiently. The victim in this case demonstrated tremendous courage in reporting to police, and while this investigation was not straightforward in its nature, it was through the expertise and tenacity of forensic officers, working together with the investigation team, and the victim, that led to this successful prosecution. I hope the sentence given to Suroj Bk sends a clear and strong message that Dyfed-Powys Police takes reports of sexual offences seriously. We will listen to you, and we will work tirelessly to get justice."

Description

A "scheming individual" with an "entrenched" sexual interest in children who he preyed upon has been jailed.

Thomas Bulmer, 31, was just a teenager himself when he started offending by inciting a boy under 13 - who cannot be named for legal reasons - to engage in sexual activity while in a field in Norfolk.

Following that offence in 2006 Bulmer went onto commit a total of 25 other offences - mostly against people living in the Thetford area - over the next 17 years.

Norwich Crown Court heard in 2016 police became aware of Bulmer posing online under false profiles, both of which had incited children to send indecent images of themselves.

Bulmer had also distributed indecent images of children and caused other children to watch indecent material comprising the defendant touching himself sexually.

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said the enquiry initially came to Norfolk Constabulary's Safeguarding Children Online Team (SCOLT) due to the volume of children reporting concerns.

Mr Spence said Bulmer had an "entrenched and continuing sexual interest in children".

He said it "manifested itself in the solicitation, making and distribution of indecent images of children, carrying out sexual acts in the presence of children, either physical presence or over the internet, attempts at online grooming and contact offences".

The court heard Bulmer committed two offences of inciting a child to commit sexual activity, in getting a six or seven year old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons to touch him sexually.

He also got another boy, who was 13 at the time, to send the defendant images of his genitals in exchange for pictures of teen girls Bulmer would send.

Bulmer, who also engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a boy, 10, who had been in bed, appeared for sentence earlier this month having admitted 25 sexual offences, including two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The defendant, from Harleston Road, Langmere, near Diss was handed a 17-year extended sentence - made up of 11 years custody and six years on licence - by Judge Andrew Shaw.

The court heard Bulmer, who was represented by Oliver Haswell, committed the first offence when he was only a child himself and had previously suffered abuse and a traumatic childhood.  

Mr Haswell said his guilty pleas had saved the victims from having to give evidence and he had shown some insight and remorse when assessed by the Probation Service.  

He said that since being remanded into custody, Bulmer had engaged positively and was now assisting other inmates with their literacy and mathematics and acting as a listener to those struggling within the Prison estate.

Speaking after the sentence, Sgt Naomi Harger from Suffolk Police said: "This was a horrific case regarding a manipulative and scheming individual. He preyed on children to satisfy his own perverse and deviant desires. 

"We are very satisfied with this sentence which I hope goes some way to reassure the public of the action we will take against those suspected of such offences."

She added: "We will do everything within our power to protect victims who are subjected to these potentially life changing acts of indecency purely for the gratification of others.”

The officer urged parents concerned about people their children might be in contact with to use Sarah's Law, or the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme (CSODS).

Description

25-year-old Rhyss Laws attempted to convince a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity before using force and exposing himself at an address in Ashington on November 19, 2024.

The victim escaped from Laws before reporting the attack to Northumbria Police the following day.

Laws, of Storey Crescent, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault and exposure at Newcastle Crown Court last month.

He also admitted offences committed in the Teesside area including dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, drink driving, driving without insurance and criminal damage.

Laws was jailed for 45 months and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

He had previously been jailed on charges of sexual assault and assault following a street attack on a woman in Ashington in October 2017.

Detective Inspector Andrew Doyle of Northumbria Police said: “Laws is a dangerous predator and our communities are undoubtedly a safer place as a result of this sentence.

“The victim was subjected to a terrifying ordeal, and I hope this process gives her the closure she needs to start to move on with her life.

“We hope this sentence sends a clear message to victims. You will be listened to, you will be supported, and we will do everything in our power to secure justice on your behalf.”

Description

An Andover man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy.

Matthew James Parker, 45, of Picket Twenty Way, had been found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child for offences that took place between May 2022 and April 2023.

Parker had also admitted 15 breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and his sexual offender notification requirements before the trial, which took place in March.

On Tuesday 30 April, at Winchester Crown Court, Parker was sentenced to a total of 14 years, with up to nine years in prison and five years on an extended licence.

A further three breaches of his order and notification requirements were taken into consideration at the sentence hearing.

The trial had heard that in 2019, Parker was convicted of attempting to arrange or facilitate a sexual offence against a child, for which he was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence and an indefinite SHPO.

He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

The court heard that on Friday 29 September, 2023, Parker completed a notification requirement at a police station, and it was noted that Parker had failed to disclose new bank accounts within a specified time period.

His Offender Managers searched Parker’s home address and he was arrested.

Evidence of further breaches were found at the address, including attempts to change his name, travel outside the UK, the creation of new bank accounts and possession of internet-enabled devices.

Officers also found evidence of contact with a teenage boy. The court heard that further enquiries established that Parker had sexually assaulted the boy on separate occasions in 2022 and 2023.

Description

A MAN who raped a woman and subjected her to a ‘horrific ordeal’ in her Knutsford home has been jailed.

Marcell Koekemoer, of HMP Bristol, but previously of Stretford, was sentenced on Tuesday, April 30.

He was previously found guilty of two counts of rape in relation to the incidents following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The case first came to the attention of Cheshire Police in August 2022 when the victim submitted an online report stating she had been raped by Koekemoer.

She told officers Koekemoer had asked to stay at her address in Knutsford two days previously, after being locked out of his own address.

She agreed he could stay, providing he slept on the sofa.

However, during the early hours of the morning, Koekemoer entered her bedroom and proceeded to rape her.

The following morning, he raped her again when she asked him to leave her address.

Koekemoer was arrested in August 2022 and interviewed in relation to the allegations, which he denied.

He was subsequently released on conditional bail while further enquiries were undertaken.

While on bail, Koekemoer went on to commit further offences in the Avon and Somerset area.

Following a joint investigation by both forces, Koekemoer was charged in October 2023.

On top of his custodial sentence, he is subject to an indefinite restraining order and must sign the sex offender register for life.

Description

A seedy online sexual predator sent "absolutely vile" explicit messages to what he thought was a 13-year-old schoolgirl – but who was really an undercover police officer.

Lewis Broughton got a nasty shock when he realised to his horror that he had been duped all along and that the girl did not even exist. He was now "disgusted with himself" and felt a "sense of shame" at what he had done, Hull Crown Court heard.

Broughton, 35, of Inglemire Lane, Hull, admitted attempting to communicate sexually with a child between June 3 and July 15, 2021 and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Claire Holmes, prosecuting, said that undercover police arranged to have a profile of a decoy 13-year-old girl on the social media app Kik and Broughton started to send messages to it.

The fake girl said that she lived in Cheltenham, was at school in Year Eight and was just about to go to netball training. Broughton pretended to be 18 and he sent her explicit messages, including complimenting her on her looks and asking what sort of underwear she had.

He asked her what her bra size was and he talked about different types of sexual activity. "He clarified that he meant sex," said Miss Holmes.

Broughton asked intimate questions. "There was then talking about sex and whether it would hurt and the defendant indicated that he would be gentle," said Miss Holmes.

Broughton said that he would be prepared to meet the decoy girl and he sent a series of messages asking for more revealing pictures. He gave her instructions on how to touch herself intimately.

He was arrested on September 24, 2021. Communications between him and the girl were still on his phone as well as search terms suggesting a sexual interest in children.

Broughton claimed to police that he had been drinking at the time of the chats. The offences were charged as attempts because there was no real actual girl. He had convictions for fraud in 2016 and 2018.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Broughton had no convictions for similar offending and he made frank admissions during police interview.

"He acknowledges responsibility for the offending and there is a level of insight demonstrated in the letter that he has written, emblematic of sincere remorse," said Mr Hammersley.

"He is disgusted in himself, quite rightly. The messages are absolutely vile. He would never dream of doing anything like this again. He says that he has completely changed his frame of mind."

Broughton had a "sense of shame" and difficulty coming to terms with what he had done. "He does fully accept responsibility for what he did," said Mr Hammersley.

"Waiting for two years to know his fate has been no easy thing." Broughton had been working as a delivery driver for takeaway food.

Recorder David Kelly told Broughton: "You were communicating online with what you believed was a 13-year-old girl but was, in fact, an undercover police officer. You pretended that you were 18.

"You were holding explicit sexual conversations with a person you believed to be a 13-year-old girl. These are attempted offences. You were attempting the impossible."

Broughton was jailed for three years and four months. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

A man who was arrested 24 hours after a rape offence has been jailed for life after he was found guilty of rape and of assault of a woman he only met recently before.

Michael Chand, 46, had met his victim less than a week earlier and struck up a friendship. He called the victim and told her to come to his address in Acacia Gardens, N22, On Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

At his place, the woman was asked if she found him attractive. After she did not provide the answer he wanted, he became verbally abusive and angry, telling her she was not allowed to leave the house.

He then began to hit her and threatened to be violent towards not just her but other people she knew. Chand continued to physically assault her before raping her on three separate occasions after she had repeatedly told him that she did not want to have sex.

Two days later, on Friday, August 18 2023, the woman called the police to report the rape. Following this, detectives immediately searched for Chand, who had left London. Chand returned later that day and was arrested and taken into custody before being charged.

Detective Constable Cameron Crighton, who led the investigation, said: “Chand is a sexual predator who subjected the victim in this case to horrendous sexual and physical abuse.

“The victim showed incredible bravery by coming forward to police, providing a full account of what had happened and then reliving this by giving evidence in court. She is central to this conviction and we do not underestimate the strength it has taken for her to do this.

“We take all reports of sexual assault extremely seriously and encourage anyone who has been subject to such offending to come forward and speak to us.”

Chand was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of ten years on Wednesday, April 24, after being found guilty of three counts of rape and one count of assault following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, February 16.

Description

A paedophile sent disgusting videos and messages to a 13-year-old girl and threatened to disclose naked images of her if she did not send him more. He was also speaking to an undercover police officer posing as a 12-year-old girl.

Matthew Cheshire, 35, of Bridgend, was arrested by police at his home on October 5 last year where a number of electronic devices were seized and examined. The defendant had been in contact with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl, but was in fact a decoy account run by a police officer.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard the exchanges between Cheshire and the decoy began with him trying to build a rapport with her, by asking about her school, if she had kissed anyone or gone further than kissing. He went on to say he could give the decoy tips about masturbating and offered to pick her up from school, as well as sending photos of himself smiling.

Following an examination of the defendant's phone, prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said it was discovered he had also been talking to a real 13-year-old girl. The conversation between Cheshire and the child was extremely sexualised and graphic on his part, with him talking about having sex with her.

He asked the teenager for videos and photos of herself, and she sent images exposing herself and a video of herself performing a sex act, which Cheshire had instructed her to do. He sent videos of himself masturbating.

The child was tracked down and she gave an interview to the police, during which she explained she had been speaking to the defendant for around a month on social media. She said the sexualised messages made her feel "weird and gross". She also said Cheshire had threatened to disclose naked images of her if she did not send him further images.

Cheshire, of Vale View, Sarn, later pleaded guilty to causing a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity, possession of indecent images, attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation, Ruth Smith said her client was unable to explain his offending, but had vowed he would never appear in front of a court again. She said the defendant had been in a relationship with his wife for 15 years and has a son, but the impact of his offending has been "devastating" on his family.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You engaged in the vilest of sexual communications with (your victim) which involved graphic descriptions about the two of you having sex."

Cheshire was sentenced to four years and three months imprisonment. He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years and a restraining order for 10 years.

Following the hearing, detective constable Laura Davies from South Wales Polices Online Investigation Team (POLIT) said: Matthew Cheshire demonstrated predatory and manipulative behaviour when grooming who he believed to be 12-year-old child.

POLIT and the Digital Forensic Unit carried out the investigation and further sexual communication with another child was revealed and she was safeguarded from further exploitative behaviour from Cheshire. The work carried out by South Wales Police helped to ensure that children are protected online from the risk Cheshire posed to them. Such was the strength of evidence gathered that Cheshire entered guilty pleas to the charges brought against him.

Tarian case officer DC Isaac Gott said: This man believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old child between August and October 2023. The communication turned sexual and it was clear that the defendant had a sexual interest in the child. He formed a close friendship and used this as a platform for grooming, talking about Disney films and told the child that she was pretty.

"Developing a friendship with a child before introducing sexual elements into the conversation is a classic tactic that is commonly observed by sex offenders. As a result of a proactive investigation by Tarian, the Regional Organised Crime Unit for southern Wales, the defendant was identified. I cannot over-emphasise the fantastic work conducted by South Wales Polices Online Investigation Team which conducted a thorough investigation into offences and subsequently identified a further victim of online child sexual abuse. The defendant incited this child to carry out penetrative sexual acts.

"In this case the defendant was completely unknown to law enforcement agencies and I am certain had the defendant not been identified by Tarian, he would have continued to commit offences against children and leave vulnerable children open to sexual exploitation. Anyone with any concerns over a childs safety or welfare should contact the police. Tarian ROCU will continue to work with partner agencies and relentlessly pursue those who have a sexual interest in children.

Description

A Swindon man has been jailed for having sex with teen girl he ’emotionally blackmailed’.

35-year-old Jason Iles pleaded guilty to eight offences – including three counts of sexual activity with a child and making twelve indecent images of a child.

Prosecutor David Scutt told Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday (1 May) that the defendant initially sent “inappropriate messages”, some complimenting the girl’s body.

But things developed when Iles met his victim in person, plying her with “lots” of alcohol in order to carry out his offending. On the very first occasion he groped her breasts before putting his hands into her trousers, digitally penetrating her.

Mr Scutt said the victim had “never done anything like this before, she was confused and did not know what to do”. The sexual activity “quickly progressed” to oral sex and later full sexual intercourse – in which she lost her virginity.

He added: “The defendant told her that he wanted to be her first. He showered her with compliments, told her he loved her all the time.”

During one incident, Iles spoke to the girl about rough sex and put his hands on her neck. She resisted, but the defendant held her arms down and carried on having sex with her until he ejaculated.

In a video-recorded interview, she said sexual intercourse happened on many occasions and in several locations around Swindon, and usually involved her being given alcohol.

Over the course of six months, when the offending took place, he told his victim that she couldn’t tell anyone – stating he would go to prison and lose his children if she did.

He also threatened to kill himself if she told anyone, telling her that it would be her word against his and that nobody would believe her.

In a bid to gather evidence against Iles, the victim “went to the trouble of inventing a fictitious friend called Lily Orchard”. He contacted her “enthusiastically” hoping to arrange a threesome.

The defendant also solicited indecent images of his victim. When police examined his mobile phone, they found nine photos of her stored within a password-protected app.

Iles was also found to have sent a video of his penis to the victim. An extreme pornographic video, depicting a person having intercourse with a dog, was also located.

Judge Jason Taylor KC said Iles had “variously cajoled, emotionally blackmailed and threatened her on the importance of keeping quiet”.

He continued: “She told the police that most of the time she was unwilling to have sex, but she was frightened of the consequences and emotionally torn.

“She can now see you twisted her, again, her words.

“But it’s clear from her comments…that she still placed blame on herself. There was absolutely no need for her to do that. That’s something she needs to hear and understand.

“You were the adult. You singularly and remorselessly prioritised your sexual gratification over her welfare.”

Judge Taylor handed down a 14-year prison sentence, for which he will serve two thirds behind bars before he is released on licence.

The takeaway delivery driver, of Kemerton Walk, Park South, was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, alongside a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also slapped with an indefinite restraining order prohibiting contact with the victim.

The defendant was sentenced following guilty pleas to three counts sexual activity with a child involving penetration, three counts of making indecent images of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image and sending a grossly offensive or of an indecent image by means of a public electronic communications network.