Latest Offenders

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A Sheffield man who indecently assaulted a young girl over a number of years starting from when she was just four years old has been found guilty following a trial.

Norman Copeland, 53, of no fixed abode, subjected his victim to a series of sickening attacks over a period of six years.

Yesterday (20 January), Copeland was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, and two counts of gross indecency with a girl under 14, by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court.

T/Detective Sergeant Susannah Taylor, from Sheffield's Protecting Vulnerable People team, said: "Copeland's vile abuse began when this victim was just a little girl of four years old, and carried on for a six-year period between 1990 and 1996.

"I would like to praise the victim for her tremendous bravery in coming forward and telling us what happened to her all those years ago. Her courage has resulted in a sex offender finally facing the consequences of his despicable actions."

T/DS Taylor added: "While nothing can heal the mental scars caused by this ordeal, I do hope that today's result brings some closure and will allow the victim, who is now a grown woman, an opportunity to begin moving forward with the rest of her life.

"I also hope that this result demonstrates our determination to secure justice for victims of sexual offences, even many years later. If you have been suffering in silence following historic sexual abuse, please report it to us. We will listen and we will work incredibly hard to take action and seek the justice you deserve."

Copeland will be sentenced on 22 February 2022.

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A former engineer from Brixham has been jailed for the horrific sexual abuse of a child.

David McVicker, 60, subjected the girl to multiple assaults, Exeter Crown Court was told.

He denied six allegations against a child under 13, but was convicted by a jury on all counts earlier this month.

The paedophile returned to court on Friday [January 21] and was jailed for 10 years.

Judge Timothy Rose said: "You did it, you kept doing it and you abused the victim on repeated occasions."

The trial was told police became involved after the young victim told her mother what had happened.

In a victim statement, the mother said the child had been left with emotional trauma as a result.

Ms Heather Hope, mitigating, said McVicker had worked hard all his life and never expected to be going to prison at his age.

"It is his first time in custody and it has been difficult," she said about his time on remand.

Judge Rose ordered McVicker be put on the sex offenders register and be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

"You have committed serious offences of an extremely serious character," the judge told McVicker."The sentence has to reflect that."

McVicker must serve two thirds of his sentence before release.

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A rugby club treasurer has been jailed for sexually assaulting a woman after giving her a lift home from a party.

Accountant and Torrington Rugby Club treasurer Robert North, 45, molested the woman as she slept in the back of his car.

She woke to find him with his hands up her dress.

North stood trial at Exeter Crown Court in November and was convicted by a jury of assault by penetration. He returned to court on Friday (January 21) and was put away for four-and-a-half years.

Judge Anna Richardson said: "You took the opportunity to callously seek sexual gratification as she was lying on the back seat of the car."

After the sentence, police praised the bravery of the victim for coming forward and showing patience through the long court process.

The case dated back to 2020.

The trial heard North offered the woman a lift home and she fell asleep on the way.

The defendant, of Linden Close, said he was just trying to help the unresponsive woman from the back seat of the car.

Mr Richard Crabb, defending, says he still denies doing anything wrong.

He said North was a man of previous good character whose marriage had broken down shortly before the incident.

The offence had been 'opportunistic' rather than pre-planned, he added.

The victim said in a statement that she still suffers nightmares about the assault and ongoing trauma.

She said: "I am angry about what happened to me. I want him to know what he has done and I want to know why he did it."

Judge Richardson said: "Her trauma continues. She was particularly vulnerable as she was asleep."

After the case Detective Constable Cartwright of Barnstaple CID said: "Todays outcome could not have been possible without the bravery and courage of the victim for staying with us throughout the long court process.

"I hope that this may help other survivors of sexual assault by giving them the confidence to come forward and report such crimes to the police."

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Charles Goodwin was found guilty of raping two students and sexually assaulting another

A man was convicted today of raping two students and sexually assaulting another.

Charles Goodwin, a mixed martial arts fighter, was told by a judge to expect a lengthy period of imprisonment.

The 21-year-old business management student was found guilty of three charges of raping one student in Manchester, and of assaulting her by penetration. He was also found guilty of one charge of raping a student in Liverpool.

The jury also convicted him of two offences of sexually assaulting a third student in Liverpool but cleared him of a sexual assault on a fourth student, also in Liverpool.

The attack on the first victim involved him holding her down by the throat and he was found guilty of attempting to choke her and assaulting her.

The court heard he had told her she deserved to be treated like a princess and picked her and carried her - before going on to violently attack her in her own home.

He had faced three charges of rape against the second victim - to whom he had said he was a sex god when she complained he had hurt her - but was cleared of two of those charges.

Goodwin, of Hilbre Street, Liverpool city centre but formerly of Salford, showed no reaction when the jury returned their unanimous verdicts after just over six hours deliberations.

But his father and grandfather, who stood in the public gallery as the verdicts were returned, afterwards shouted Shame on this court, disgusting."

Goodwins granddad shouted, A young mans life has been totally scotched and ruined.

How can you believe someones lies to the court? It is really no way to deal with these offences.

During his 13 day trial Liverpool Crown Court heard how he had been on police bail after the first attack but went on to commit the other attacks.

Judge Garrett Byrne told Goodwin, I am going to order a pre-sentence report to be prepared by probation to include the extent to which you present a danger to women and the outcome of that may affect sentence.

Please prepare yourself for a lengthy period of imprisonment, he added. He further remanded him in custody to await sentence in March.

The offences of which he was convicted took place between January 15 and September 30, 2020.

Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, had told the jury, The prosecution say the defendant did not care whether the complainants consented or not. In short, he got what he wanted with no care for them or the immediate consequences of his actions.

Goodwin, who had a girlfriend at the time, admitted having sexual activity with all four women but maintained they had all consented and denied all 12 charges.

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A repeat sex offender from Northamptonshire has been handed a 'winning lottery ticket' after narrowly dodging prison for his second sexual offence.

Curtis Bull, now 29, of Oak Lane, Crick, was sentenced for sexually assaulting a female, to which he pleaded guilty.

During a hearing at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday (January 20), it was read that the assault took place in June 2019. Bull was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time.

This was not Bull's first offence. He had already served time for a near identical crime back in 2016 which had left bruises on another woman's neck. Bull pleaded guilty to that offence as well and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

His then-barrister Jonathan Dee said it was an isolated incident that was 'out of character' at the time.

During the hearing for his latest offence, Her Honour said: "There is no indication that you have any criminal tendencies whatsoever and it is very hard to see why, after you have served a custodial sentence, that you have done almost the exact same thing as you did in 2016."

Bull's defence suggested that there were 'much deeper underlying issues' that had driven his behaviour, including mental health concerns, as well as the heavy use of alcohol.

The judge agreed to this and suggested that 'the public will get better protection' if Bull was allowed to work with the probation service from outside a prison.

Bull was issued with a 36 month community order and 40 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days. He was also required to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for a further five years, join a specified sex offender intervention programme for men, and submit to a six month alcohol treatment programme.

In closing, Her Honour cautioned Bull, saying: "Make sure you attend every appointment with the probation service as if you were holding a winning lottery ticket.

"That's how seriously you should take this, or you will end up in prison."

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A 72-year-old man has been sentenced to five years after he was convicted of rape and sexual crimes at the High Court in Glasgow.

Gordon Gerrard, was convicted of rape and five other sexual offences, on 18 November, 2021. Today, he has been sentenced to five years for his crimes. This follows a two-year-long investigation by officers from Dundee's Child Protection Team. The offences were first reported to police in 2018.

Detective Constable Alan Shepherd said: I want to thank the three victims for their courage and resolve throughout this investigation and court case. Taking that first step of reporting abuse can be incredibly daunting and I want to commend them for their bravery in coming forward. They were subjected to abuse over a nine-year period, what they suffered is unimaginable and I hope that seeing Gerrard jailed brings them some sort of consolation now he is finally paying for his crimes.

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A HAMPSHIRE man has been put behind bars for non-recent child sex offences.

Mark Anderton, 28, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today for sentencing.

The Wickham resident had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child, and one count of sexual assault of a child, in December last year.

These offences took place over a three year period between 2012 and 2014.

He has been sentenced to a total of three years and two months in prison and will spend the rest of his life on the sex offenders' register.

Detective Constable Mark Harris, from Operation Amberstone, led the investigation.

He said: Andertons actions have caused unspeakable trauma to the victim, and I hope todays sentencing gives them some small measure of closure so they are able to start a new chapter in their life, knowing justice has been served.

I would also like to commend them for the incredible bravery they have shown throughout the case., from reporting, to investigation, to court hearings.

The victim in this case is a survivor, showing courage to stand up the man who hurt them and manipulated them repetitively for a number of years.

Sexual abuse destroys peoples lives, so we take every report incredibly seriously, and we know it takes great strength to report this kind of crime.

If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know someone who has, please contact us.

You can speak with one of our specialist officers in complete confidence, and we will support you throughout the process.

Survivors of sexual abuse are entitled to support, whether they report the crime or not.

Different types of support, depending on how they are feeling, and what they decide to do next, are available.

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A HAMPSHIRE man has been jailed for nine years after carrying out an "horrendous" assault that left a woman in a life-threatening condition.

Matthew Harris was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine when he targeted his victim, causing injuries that could have resulted in her bleeding to death, Southampton Crown Court was told.

Timothy Bradbury, prosecuting, said the offence was committed in 2020.

The defendant started kissing his victim, initially with her consent, after they found themselves alone together in a flat. On several occassions he became more forceful before sexually assaulting her, the court heard.

Mr Bradbury said the victim was taken to hospital, where she underwent surgery.

"She'd lost 20 per cent of her circulating blood. This is a life-threatening condition that without treatment can result in organ failure and ultimately death."

In a statement read to the court the victim said: "There is never a moment in my life when it doesn't affect me in some way.

"I have cried almost every day. I have hardly slept, I have hardly eaten. I can't control my emotions any more. I am a broken shell of my former self."

Harris, 25, of Merlin Court, Bishop's Waltham, had previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

Alejandraj Tascon, mitigating, acknowledged that the victim had suffered a horrific ordeal, resulting in severe physical and psychological harm.

She described the assault as "extremely out of character", saying Harris was regarded by those who knew him as kind, friendly and caring.

Miss Tascon added: "He is keen to make amends for what he has done and has asked me to apologise profusely [to the victim] for what he has done."

Judge Keith Cutler said Harris became vicious and aggressive, inflicting horrendous injuries.

The defendant was jailed for nine years and will be on the sexual offenders' register for life. He was also made the subject of a restraining order that will last indefinitely.

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An online sexual predator who tried to groom a fake 14-year-old girl and sent her a disgusting explicit video of himself was trapped by a paedophile hunters group.

Brazen and perverted Lee Mouland was "undeterred" when the decoy girl told him that she was aged just 14.

He told her that she was "hot" and he wanted to "kiss and cuddle" her even though they had not even met, Hull Crown Court heard.

He encouraged her to commit sex acts and told her: "You might enjoy it. You will grow to love it, trust me."

Mouland, 32, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child to watch a sex video and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, in Goole.

Amber Hobson, prosecuting, said that a paedophile hunter group set up a decoy account using the name of a teenage girl.

Mouland contacted the fake girl between November 26 and December 6, 2020 and contact progressed to WhatsApp at his request because he was speaking about pictures.

Telephone details were provided. The fake girl told Mouland that she was 14 but he was "undeterred" by this.

"The conversation very quickly progressed to this defendant saying that he would like to kiss and cuddle the child," said Miss Hobson.

Mouland told the decoy girl that she was "hot" and that he wanted to travel to Scotland to see her.

He sent a video to her of him committing a sex act and he encouraged her to do so too.

He told her: "You should try it. You might enjoy it. You will grow to love it, trust me.

"Try it tonight. You will be amazed how nice it feels."

Mouland was later arrested.

"This defendant, in messages, clearly displayed grooming behaviour," said Miss Hobson.

"There is a significant disparity in age here."

Richard Butters, mitigating, said that Mouland had previous convictions but nothing of this sort.

He cooperated with police from the moment that he was arrested.

"There is no suggestion that he had any intention to meet," said Mr Butters.

"It was words only. He has loathing of his own behaviour. He even said to police that he knew her age.

"He was trying to make her lower her guard so that she would carry on speaking to him. He has expressed his remorse.

"How he got himself into this beggars belief. It's entirely out of character."

Father-of-two Mouland was "completely isolated" at the time after the death of his father and he was in a very bad relationship which was making him extremely unhappy.

"Around this time, he was going through the most dreadful time in his personal life," said Mr Butters.

"He was smoking far too much cannabis. He was going through a bad patch generally."

Mouland had confessed: "I'm pretty disgusted with myself."

His present girlfriend was heavily pregnant and was due to give birth next week.

"He is scared to death of an immediate custodial sentence," added Mr Butters.

Judge John Thackray QC told Mouland: "There was no victim because the child didn't exist but you didn't know that.

"As far as you were concerned, you were communicating and sending a video of yourself to a 14-year-old girl.

"The offences are obviously very serious. You were obviously very much older, in your 30s.

"You admit you were using grooming techniques. The most serious offence is you sending the video.

"The offences are so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified."

Mouland, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was jailed for eight months.

He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A Mansfield lorry driver who admitted raping an underage girl has been jailed for more than six years.

An 'appalling' sex offender who raped an underage girl has been jailed.

Daniel Hempsall, 38, assaulted the girl in December 2020 and was arrested soon afterwards.

Hempsall, of Tudor Avenue, Forest Town, Mansfield, stayed silent during his police interview but later pleaded guilty to one count of rape.

He has been jailed for six years and two months after appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, January 21.

Police said they were pleased Hempsall received a significant sentence.

Detective Constable Alan Braisby, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: Rapes and other sexual assaults have a lasting impact on victims, and are among the most serious offences we are tasked with investigating.

When incidents like this are reported to us we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of justice as Hempsall has found out to his cost.

I am pleased he has now admitted to this appalling offence and is now beginning a significant jail sentence.

Hempsall has been added to the sex offenders register for life.

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A pervert who sexually abused a young girl over the course of a decade has been jailed for 21 years.

Graham Gill, now 68 years old, carried out the horrific abuse on his young victim during the 70s and 80s in the Leyland area.

He is now behind bars thanks to the bravery of the victim in coming forward to report the abuse and the tenacity of the Detective Constable who investigated the case.

Gill had denied the offences but was found guilty by a jury following a week-long trial at Preston Crown Court.

The jury unanimously found him guilty of 16 counts ten of indecent assault, four of rape and two other sexual offences. The victim was aged between six and 16 at the time.

Gill, of Sandringham Avenue, Leyland, was sentenced on January 14th to 21 years and will serve two thirds of that sentence before he is eligible to apply for parole.

Det Con Michelle Thompson, of Lancashire Constabularys Child Protection Unit, said: Gill is an abhorrent offender who subjected his young victim to systematic and violent sexual abuse over a lengthy period.

I would like to commend her for her courage in both coming forward to report this horrific abuse and in facing her abuser through the court process.

I hope that this conviction and sentence gives others who may have suffered similar abuse to come forward.

Lancashire Constabulary remains committed to investigating allegations of this nature, no matter how historic, and no matter what the role, position and status of the alleged offender, and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be treated sensitively and professionally.

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A Kent sex offender caught with indecent images of children and film has been jailed.

Christian Tuck-Brown, of High Street in Canterbury, was found to have 41 films and 15 indecent images of children.

The 39-year-old has previously been convicted of possessing indecent photos of children and voyeurism.

Tuck-Brown has been handed a sentence of three years and four months.

He was subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which meant he had to receive regular visits from police and declare if children would be present at his address.

However, Kent Police officers made an unannounced visit to Tuck-Brown's address on Saturday, March 13 2021 when police were led to believe that a child was at the address.

He was arrested on March 26 after the force confirmed their suspicions and for keeping an undeclared tablet.

It's here that they found a memory stick with a stash of 41 films and 15 stills showing indecent images of children.

Mr Tuck-Brown appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, January 18 2022 after admitting three offences of making indecent images, 10 breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and failing to notify police that a child had been staying at his address.

Dan Webley, an investigator for Kent Polices team that manages convicted people on the Violent and Sexual Offenders Register (ViSOR), said: "Christian Tuck-Brown has previously been convicted for offences which means he has to adhere to very specific rules, aimed at keeping the public safe from him.

"He was aware of what was required of him yet chose to breach those rules.

"Due to the vigilance of the ViSOR team, Tuck-Browns offending was found out and he is now in prison, unable to pose any further risk to the public".

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A Wolverhampton child rapist has been jailed for 24 years after subjecting two young girls to years of sexual abuse.

Joseph Smith, 37, used his position of trust to prey on the girls from for more than four years until he was arrested in June 2019.

West Midlands Police said Smith had been living in Wolverhampton when he began his abuse of the first girl by sexual touching, before raping her. The abuse continued for several years until the girl found the courage to report what was happening to her.

After detectives from the force's Public Protection Unit began an investigation into what happened, it emerged that Smith had also abused a second girl by sexually assaulting her.

Smith then denied the charges and forced both survivors to endure a two-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court which ended on November 24 when the jury found him guilty of nine counts of sexual assault and nine counts of rape.

On Thursday Smith, most recently of Wiltshire, was sentenced by a judge to 24 years in prison and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Kerry Bromhall, of the unit, said: Smith subjected the girls to years of physical abuse, not to mention the psychological torment that such abuse often leaves behind.

I commend these young girls for their bravery, firstly in coming forward to report what happened to them, but also in continually reliving their experience through a lengthy investigation, hampered by Covid, and giving evidence at trial.

I truly hope this sentence gives them the closure they need and the knowledge that Smith is no longer able to do this to anyone else.

The force added that anyone who has been subjected to sexual abuse, no matter how long ago will be listened to by specialist officers.

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A perverted former nursing assistant collapsed when confronted by paedophile hunters for trying to have sex chats with a 12-year-old on Facebook.

John Gibson befriended what he believed to be a real child online, not realising it was a decoy account set up by vigilantes.

Gibson, who spent 20 years working in psychiatric hospitals until he was sacked for sending sexual images to an adult, engaged in the illicit chats last February.

Newcastle Crown Court heard during conversations over Facebook Messenger, Gibson and the "girl" spoke about "pets and tattoos".

Then, despite being repeatedly told he was talking to a 12-year-old child, the 50-year-old started to talk about sex, said he could be her "first boyfriend", sent a graphic picture and videos and requested the same in return.

Christopher Rose, prosecuting, told the court: "On one occasion he suggested that they get a hotel room in Basingstoke so she could stay with him and he could be her first boyfriend."

The court heard the group behind the fake profile, which was based in the south of England, contacted a similar organisation in the North East and Gibson was lured to a date with an adult, where the police were called.

Mr Rose said: "The defendant collapsed on the floor, complaining of chest pains and he was taken by ambulance.

"During that ambulance journey he admitted messaging a 12-year-old girl on Facebook, saying she wanted to come and meet him and he said no."

Gibson, of Hastings Street, Sunderland, admitted attempting to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch a sexual act.

Judge Robert Adams sentenced him to three years and two months behind bars.

Gibson must sign the sex offenders register for life and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Judge Adams told him: "It is very clear you knew and understood she was 12 and you didn't seem to care.

"There is no doubt whatsoever what you were talking about while talking about the hotel."

The court heard Gibson's alcohol abuse was a contributing factor to his offending and he came across the profile by chance "while looking for friends to talk to".

Fiona Lamb, defending, said Gibson has never been in trouble before and has been candid when questioned.

Miss Lamb said: "He accepts, unusually, that the offending behaviour was motivated by sexual gratification."

Miss Lamb said Gibson is "at a loss" to explain why he was attracted to a child profile but is willing to address his behaviour.

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A TWENTY nine year old man who took video footage of himself viewing child pornography on his computer has had sentence deferred for a criminal justice report.

Nathan Bryant, of Lerwicks Burnside, admitted taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs of children at his home address between June 2014 and September 2020.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday that cyber crime analysis had uncovered several images and videos on two devices.

One seven-minute video had been taken using screen recording software and showed Bryant accessing a large number of indecent images of children being abused.

The video he made fell under category A images depicting penetrative sexual activity involving minors. One category B image, depicting non-penetrative sexual activity, and several category C images, depicting erotic posing, were also discovered.

Some of the children appeared to be only one or two years old, the fiscal added.

Mackenzie said it was clear from the video that Bryant was proactively seeking the material, contrary to a bizarre explanation that he had granted others access to view his computer remotely and initially maintained he had no interest in accessing material of such a nature.

When he was arrested, Bryant had also claimed to police that he had accessed the websites inadvertently and his computer had automatically downloaded some images.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client was aware of the consequences of the offence he had pleaded guilty to.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank granted a crown motion for forfeiture of the devices and continued Bryants bail while reports are prepared.

He also made Bryant subject to notification requirements under sexual offences legislation and deferred sentence until 7 March.