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Description

"Depraved” child predator Bradley Anderson, 28, appeared at Southampton Crown Court where he was jailed for five years and told to serve an extra four years on licence for his warped crimes.

The court heard how Anderson, of Clarendon Road, Southampton, was arrested in August 2022 as part of a police investigation into the creation and possession of indecent images of children. Analysis of a laptop and two phones connected to Anderson revealed 22 Category A images, which are the most serious, 10 Category B images and 40 Category C images. Two prohibited images were also found, as well as 253 images classed as extreme.

Messages were also found on one of Anderson’s phones, which he had attempted to hide from officers behind a toilet in his house, which suggested that he was attempting to arrange the sexual abuse of young children.

Anderson was charged with arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence, three counts of making indecent images of children, possession of prohibited images of a child and possession of extreme pornography.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges against him at a hearing in March. As well as his five year sentence and four year extended license period, he has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to last indefinitely.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges against him at a hearing in March. As well as his five year sentence and four year extended license period, he has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to last indefinitely.

Description

A man has been sent to prison for five and a half years after subjecting a girl to sexual abuse almost a decade ago in Filey.

Daniel Christopher Broadmore (pictured below), 36, of Somerdale Walk, Bramley, Leeds, was sentenced at York Crown Court today (Friday 5 April 2024).

He was found guilty of all four charges relating to the girl, who was aged under 13 years, after he stood trial in January this year.

These included inciting sexual activity; indecent exposure, sexual assault and engage in a sexual act in the presence of a child.

The victim reported the matter to North Yorkshire Police in April 2021 when she was aged in her late teens.

Description

A man who raped a woman in the grips of a medical episode then told her 'you jumped on me' in an attempt to gaslight her, has been jailed. Mark Anderson forced himself on the woman, who came round to hear him say 'be a good girl' and 'stay still', then pretended she consented to sex, Wood Green Crown Court was told.

The 42-year-old of Shafton Road, in Hackney, wore a grey Nike tracksuit with an orange tick as he was jailed for eight years on Friday (April 5), thanking the judge as he left the dock. After reacting badly to the jury's guilty verdict, after his trial in February, Anderson apologised to the court, through his barrister, at the outset of his mitigation.

After inviting the victim to his house in the summer of 2023, Anderson raped her as she slept. "She woke up to find that she had been completely undressed, and you were on top of her having vaginal sex with her. And she remembers you saying 'be a good girl' and 'stay still'," Judge Daniel Fugallo told Anderson.

"It was clear to her she was not only coming around from being asleep, but from [a medical episode]. The physical exhaustion, and the feeling like she had been hit by a bus, it was clear to her what you were doing could not be normal consensual sex."

According to Judge Fugallo, Anderson told her afterwards she had wanted to have sex and 'you jumped on me'. After 'assembling her memories', the victim concluded Anderson had raped her and bravely reported him to the police. Anderson was arrested and taken to Stoke Newington Police Station, where a small bag of cocaine was discovered during a search. He was subsequently charged with rape, common assault, and cocaine possession, but only admitted the latter.

On Friday, prosecutor Daniel Bishop said the rape should be aggravated by a common assault on the victim as he called for the highest level of culpability. Explaining the impact of Anderson's crime, the barrister said the victim still loses sleep, suffers nightmares about the rape, and has felt suicidal. He also claimed she had received threats from third-parties after reporting her rapist to the police.

"I used to be so confident and full of life," she said in an impact statement. "Now I am an empty shell. I do not have a soul. My relationships with other people have suffered. He has stolen my soul and the happy person I once was."

Calling for medium culpability, defence counsel Emma Hayfield argued the common assault was 'relatively low level' and reminded Judge Fugallo not to double count it as an aggravating feature. Ms Hayfield also said there was no evidence of any link between Anderson and those making alleged threats against the victim.

She explained Anderson, who has no previous convictions, was assessed as having 'several' Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms and a low IQ, which, she claimed, impact on his ability to empathise and recognise the emotions of others. "I say that is relevant to the assault and rape," argued Ms Hayfield.

Judge Fugallo gave him a 10-year restraining order, and handed down the eight-year sentence for rape and three months concurrent for the assault, with no separate penalty for cocaine possession.

Summarising the offence, Judge Fugallo told Anderson: "[The victim] was not conscious when you raped her, due to her being asleep and having a [medical episode]."

Anderson said 'Thank you' as he left the dock. He is entered onto the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A 'despicable' paedophile who groomed a child on Minecraft was twice released under investigation before he was brought to justice. Vinnie Pinkham was sentenced to seven years in prison and given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday (March 28), after a multi-force investigation, led by the Met Police, spanning three years.

The 19-year-old, then of Catalina House in Eltham, first caught the attention of the Met in 2021 when the force seized his computer and put him on curfew during an indecent images investigation, which was later dropped. Shortly after the gamer got his computer back, he contacted an eight-year-old on his PlayStation while playing Minecraft, the court heard at an earlier hearing.

Pinkham, now of Restons Crescent, Greenwich, added the child on Instagram and asked them to send indecent photos in exchange for 30 worth of V-Bucks, a currency used in the game Fortnight. When horrified parents saw the images on the child's phone, they showed police, including chat logs where the child asked 'What does show butt mean?' and 'How do I get a picture of my own butt?'.

Pinkham was arrested at his Eltham address at 6.30am on November 11 2021, where police seized his Xbox and phone. Pinkham was questioned, but he lied and accused the child of 'talking inappropriately' and calling him a 'perv'. The victim later told police they were asked to take a photo of their 'rude part'. Pinkham maintained he could not remember the child's username.

Pinkham was released under investigation for the second time, but just over a year later, on December 14 2022, he struck again, posing as a seven-year-old boy to groom a six-year-old child over Snapchat. He threatened to hurt the child's parents, in return for indecent images, and sent obscene photos of himself.

When the child's family member realised what was going on, they messaged Pinkham's account, asking why he had contacted them. Instead of coming clean, Pinkham carried on his lies and told the victim's parents the messages were from an imaginary eight-year-old brother who was behaving strangely after the loss of his dad.

When Pinkham was arrested on April 13, 2023, police seized his devices and a top-up card linked to the number that had been messaging the child. When they searched his phone, they discovered hundreds of indecent images and searches for bestiality images.

MyLondon reported Pinkham's first sentencing hearing on Friday, January 12, which was adjourned because his true age, and some of his mitigation, still needed verification. At the hearing, prosecutor Allister Walker read emotional victim impact statements, including from one parent who described their feeling of guilt, and the emotional and mental effect on their household.

"It is truly hard to say how much this had an emotional and mental affect on not just [my child] but whole house and family. This horrific crime will leave emotional scars on [my child] that will not heal," they said. "I never thought anything like this would happen to one of my children. The guilt will stay with me forever for not being able to protect my [child] from this despicable predator."

Another victim's family member said: "I always thought I would be able to protect my child. Now I have not I will always blame myself... I'm always telling [them] it's not [their] fault but [they] always blame [themselves].

"[Pinkham] was old enough to get someone his own age. Why did he not get someone his own age? He's ruined so many lives for his own bitter pleasure."

On Friday (April 5), the Met Police told how it took three years, working together with Greater Manchester Police and North Wales Police, to reveal the full extent of Pinkham's crimes. The investigation required hours of interviews with Pinkham and his vulnerable victims, viewing and grading of horrific material by officers, and support for the victims and their families.

In the end, Pinkham was convicted of:

• Two counts of sexual communication with a child
• Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images
• Possession of a prohibited image

Detective Constable Amy Burnell who led the investigation said: I would like to highlight the incredible work of the Mets investigation team; they viewed images of horrific material seized from the suspect and had to grade the severity of the indecency of the images for viewing in court. They did this efficiently and were able to still work professionally and with true commitment to the case.

The teams diligence and professionalism has ensured this perpetrator has been taken off the streets of London and will no longer be able to hide behind a computer screen and take advantage of vulnerable children enjoying online games and chat rooms with their friends.

Pinkham exploited childrens youthful ignorance for his personal gratification. We are committed to finding individuals who wish to cause harm to young people across London. Well do everything in our power to protect children, bringing to justice those predators who threaten their safety.

Description

A 28-year-old man convicted of multiple rapes and sexual assaults in the Borders has today (Thursday) been jailed for ten years.

Luke Thomson, who gave an address in Galashiels, committed the offences at various locations in the region going back several years.

In addition to the prison sentence, he has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and banned from contacting any of his five victims.

One was aged just 14 when she met him ten years ago. The woman - who we're not naming - has described Thomson as a "monster".

Reacting to the sentence at the High Court in Glasgow, she told Greatest Hits Radio: "Not long enough as far as I’m concerned, but I’m relieved it’s all over.

"There are no words to say how much I have suffered over the years since it happened. From dealing with the immediate aftermath of it and leaving school when I was 15, to the excrutiating mental toll that haunts me daily.

"This paedophile took the life I should have had away from me. And he did the same to others too. He is dangerous, he is vile and he shows absolutely no remorse for the destruction he has caused."

The terrified youngster revealed she was too afraid to report Thomson and that he was only stopped after police contacted her when other victims came forward to raise the alarm.

"It unfortunately didn't come as a shock to find out that there were more victims," she said. "I knew if somebody was capable of doing what he did to me, to someone as young as I was back then, then he would absolutely do it again.

"I would say to anybody going through this right now, even though it's the hardest thing I've ever done, every single person involved - the police, the court, the staff at the court, and so many more people - they all care, and they're unbelievably supportive.”

And, she added: "I hope, from here on, I can say it gets better."

Description

A SUPERMARKET worker downloaded hundreds of sick images including videos of child sex abuse, a court has heard.

James Baines appeared in court for sentencing on Thursday after admitting five counts of possessing indecent images.

Police raided Baines’s address in King Stephen Road last year and seized a Samsung mobile phone which was found to have 255 category A images, 138 category B images, and 63 category C images.

Further searches found a Google Drive folder on Baines’s laptop contained three category A videos and two category C images.

Category A images are classified as being the most serious as they depict penetration of a child whilst they are in pain or distress.

Baines first appeared at the magistrates' court where he admitted three charges of making an indecent photograph of a child and two charges of possessing an indecent photograph of a child.

The case was then transferred to the crown court so a greater sentenced could be passed.

Lucy Sweetland, prosecuting, told Ipswich Crown Court that Baines said to officers he was “not shocked” when they had turned up at his address to execute a search warrant.

Baines had said the images were initially sent to him by other internet users in an online chat group but he “willingly accepted the images and continued to access the chatroom”, Miss Sweetland said.

The court heard how most of the images were of children around the age of six, with one image depicting a child as young as four months.

Miss Sweetland continued: “Another image shows a child distressed and crying during the abuse.”

Frank O’Toole, mitigating, said Baines, 24, had no previous convictions and was working full-time in a supermarket.

He added: “He is not trying to blame anyone else and he is not saying he was bamboozled or taken advantage of because of his age – he doesn’t know why he did it.

“The difficulty he has had from early adulthood was that he lost his hair and became very, very self-conscious because of that – he had decided to go to university but abandoned that idea because he felt his peer group wouldn’t relate to him.

“He self-imposed a personality that removed him from the normal exchanges he would have had with that group - to an extent, he was isolated."

Judge David Pugh sentenced Baines to an eight-month prison term suspended for two years, ordered him to complete 30 days of rehab activity requirements, and imposed a £340 payment for costs.

Baines has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for ten years.

Description

A paedophile who groomed a teenage boy to take part in sexual acts with his own brother has been jailed.

Leon Richardson, of Mill Road, Cambridge, began speaking to the schoolboy through social media on 10 October.

The teenager replied to Richardson and the messages started off innocent, but after a few days became sexual.

Richardson, 22, sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself to the boy and asked him to do the same, to which the boy obliged.

He also persuaded the boy to take part in sexual acts with his own brother, who was younger than him. These acts were recorded and sent to Richardson.

Richardson went on to request to meet the teenager under the guise of teaching him to play the guitar.

The sexual messages continued for a few months, until 29 December, but were found after the boy’s parents checked his phone after he had become withdrawn and secretive with the device.

After realising the conversations had been discovered Richardson visited Parkside Police Station, in Cambridge, and admitted the offences.

In police interview Richardson again admitted the crimes and said he wanted help.

At Cambridge Crown Court on 29 January, Richardson admitted charges including:

• Engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity
• Causing or inciting a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Causing a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity 

He was sentenced at the same court today (4 April) where he was handed five years and four months in prison, with an extra three years on licence

Richardson was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), to monitor future offending, which was ordered to run indefinitely. He must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A twisted West Drayton paedophile who gained the trust of families before he sexually assaulted their children has been jailed for 17 years and 9 months.

Benjamine Webb, 30, of Drayton Gardens, West Drayton, was found to have abused children, aged between one and nine years old, in the nearby area. Webb knew all the children and their families and had spent years gaining the trust of the victims' families.

He took photographs and films of the children naked and him sexually assaulting them before distributing the materials online. The police were able to identify Webb, by his distinctive tattoos which matched with those in one of the videos of a child being abused.

The police investigation started when officers from the Met’s Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Intelligence Unit received a referral in January 2023, telling them an indecent photograph of a child had been uploaded to the social media platform, Kik.

On March 14, 2023, Webb was identified and arrested for possession of indecent images of children and possession of cannabis. Police seized seven electronic devices and examined them, finding hundreds of images and videos of child sex abuse, many of which related to three particular young children.

Police were able to identify some of the children in the video and put them into safeguarding. Whilst Webb was in prison, four children from separate families were identified and safeguarded as well, however, one baby has not been able to be identified.

Detective Constable Samantha Thompson who co-ordinated the evidence said:“This was a truly horrific set of crimes. This man preyed on young children and exploited them.

“What he did was wicked, building up relationships with their parents and ruthlessly manipulating them to think that he was a person who could be trusted. The custodial sentence imposed is fully justified and richly deserved.

“Our role has been to give a voice to these innocent children. Having to break the news of what happened to their parents, was one of the most difficult jobs that any police officer will face in their work. I am grateful for them for their bravery and working with us to gather evidence against Webb, so we can now be sure that he can’t do this to any other children."

On March 15, 2023, Webb was charged with nine offences relating to making and distributing indecent images, engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13 and sexual assault of a girl under 13. He pleaded guilty to these offences on 12 July 2023. He was sentenced on Thursday 4 April 2024 at Isleworth Crown Court to 17 years and 9 months.

Description

A convicted sex offender in Cornwall is back in jail after being sentenced to a further two and a half years in prison for breaching a court order made previously to try and stop him offending.

Kevin Davis, aged 60, was sentenced at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday (April 2) after entering a guilty plea to a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) last year. 

His guilty plea came as he was about to start a two-day trial over the offence. 

Davis was residing at a bail hostel in Camborne after being released from HMP Channings Wood on August 17, 2023, where he had been serving a previous sentence.

After his release, monitoring software was installed on Davis’ laptop and on October 3, 2023 police were notified that the laptop linked to Davis had been operated in a concerning manner.

Police examination of the laptop found that Davis had viewed a small number of Category C indecent images of children.

Davis, contrary to the terms of his previously issued SHPO, had also deleted search history from the device.

At the sentencing hearing Davis was reminded of the terms of his SHPO - designed to limit his access to children and stringently monitor his internet usage - and sentenced to a new term of imprisonment, for two and a half years.

He must also sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely and his laptop will be destroyed. 

PC Mark Kutler-Pearce from the Public Protection Unit based in Bodmin said: “Davis has a long history of offending behaviour and upon his release in August 2023 was being stringently monitored by the police Public Protection Unit.

“The further sentence given to Davis at court on April 2 has kept a dangerous individual from committing further offences towards members of the public and we feel the sentencing is just for the crime.”

Description

A man from Old Swan has been sentenced to three years in prison for child sex offences.

Brian Connor, 61, of Elms House Road, in Old Swan, was sentenced today, Thursday 4 April, at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, making indecent photographs of a child and inciting a child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was also given a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order will be on the Sexual Offender Register for life.

Connor was arrested after he was found to be interacting online with an undercover officer, who he thought was a child, and engaged in sexual communications.

Detective Constable Julia Jennings said: “The behaviour displayed by Connor is utterly appalling and he deserves to be behind bars.

“Following an investigation, we were able to gather evidence that showed Connor had interacted with someone online who he thought was a child and this communication was sexual in nature.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

Description

A flasher who swung his 'large' penis at women from his South London balcony claimed it was 'impossible' for a witness to hear it slapping his belly, a court heard. Joseph Mafe, 53, of Empire Square South, Bermondsey, was jailed for 10 months at Inner London Crown Court on Wednesday, March 6, after admitting two counts of exposure and breaching a suspended sentence, with the judge delivering a scathing rebuke over his repeated offending.

The drug addict was spared jail at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2022 for multiple flashing incidents, but found himself in breach of the 23-week suspended term last autumn when he relapsed and went on a two-day 'chemsex' bender, combining alcohol with crystal meth and GBL - substances commonly used at drug-fuelled orgies.

The court heard Mafe paraded his member from his balcony on September 16, shouting 'Oi' and 'Hello' at any woman who walked by until they had the misfortune of looking up. "When they looked up he would put his hands behind his head and thrust forward until his penis touched his stomach. She described a large penis," said prosecutor Mark Gadsden.

With Mafe shouting 'yeah yeah yeah' and thrusting his organ at women and children, a witness threatened to call 999. When she later found naked Mafe still waving his penis she called the police. Mafe was arrested, charged, and pleaded guilty in the magistrates' court, then was committed to Inner London Crown Court for sentence on February 11 this year.

But on the day of the hearing, Mafe was arrested again for exactly the same behaviour. A witness heard someone saying 'Hey hey' and saw him dancing around on his balcony in a dressing gown shouting 'Yeah baby, it feels so good'. He then pulled off his gown to reveal his penis, with another cry of 'Yeah yeah it feels so good'.

"I could see his penis. I could hear his penis slapping against the rest of his body," the witness told police. When Mr Gadsden read this part of her statement to the court, Mafe shouted 'That's impossible, that's absolutely impossible'. His protests were rejected by Judge Darren Reed who allowed Mr Gadsden to continue.

After witnessing the initial naked dance, Mafe then exposed himself five more times, the court heard. "I found it quite distressing and it says more about what this incident may lead to. A lot of young girls may walk past this address. I worry they may see it," the witness added.

Defence counsel Danielle Buckett said her client's paranoid schizophrenia and drug use, combined with a lack of support by the probation service, had left him suicidal, as she called for another suspended sentence. "He said it was a cry for help and he was struggling at the time... He had been left unsupported for some months," Ms Buckett said.

Mafe addressed Judge Reed directly, telling him about alleged blackmail attempts on him, devices planted in his home, and death threats over the phone. He also claimed he had only been seen four times by South London and Maudsley NHS mental health team in 15 months, and claimed he had not seen his drug support worker for eight months.

But Judge Reed took little pity on Mafe's claims, and told him the offences were 'not caused by your previous mental health condition, but by recklessly taking drugs'.

"You told probation you had no recollection of what you had done because you had been binging on crystal meth, GBL, and alcohol for two days," Judge Reed snapped. "You detail how others have let you down but take absolutely no responsibility for your own offending. You are not a young man - you are 53 years old, with a history of these offences... It's clear to me you simply don't care about the effect your behaviour has on others, or appreciate it, and are taking no steps to stop it."

Mafe's suspended sentence was activated to run for 14 weeks consecutive to a 26-week sentence for the other two offences. It means he will serve a total sentence of 40 weeks. Mafe is also entered onto the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Description

A convicted sex offender who used to be a chef cooked up a whole load of trouble for himself when he failed to tell police where he was living as part of his annual registration requirements.

Mark Sheffield was five days over the strict time limit for registering his details every year but he cheerily claimed in court that everything was now "all good" with the police and that it had all been sorted out. He had even already put an all-important reminder note on his calendar for next time to make sure there were no more blunders, Hull Crown Court heard.

Sheffield, 29, who lives off Beverley Road, Hull, admitted failing to register his details as a sex offender under his obligations to do so after a previous sexual offences conviction in 2015.

Hannah Turner, prosecuting, said that, because of his previous conviction, Sheffield had to register his details under the sex offenders' register every 12 months. He was required to attend Clough Road police station, Hull, on August 3 last year but he failed to do so.

Sheffield was telephoned and was reminded about what he should have done. He apologised and went there the same day to complete his annual notification. He was five days outside the time limit for complying.

He admitted during police interview that he was aware of the requirements but he claimed that it simply slipped his mind.

Sheffield had convictions for 14 previous offences, including two offences of sexual activity with a girl under 15 in November 2015 and breaching a sexual harm prevention order in October 2016.

Sheffield told the court: "I completely forgot. Now I have put it on my calendar when I have to register. I have a good relationship with the police.

"I speak to my officer every week, which is a good thing for me. I have no problem with him. I have had a decent person ever since I moved to Hull.

"He has no problems with me. It's all good with the police officer that I have got. I have no problems with him at all."

Sheffield said that he had previously been homeless and he had worked in the past as a chef and doing agency work. He was now working in a kitchen but he hoped to become a chef again. "I used to be a chef," he said.

Judge Alexander Menary said: "After five days, you were outside the time limit of notifying the police of your whereabouts but, when you were told about it, you came in the same day and notified the police."

It was an oversight rather than a deliberate attempt to evade the police but Sheffield was warned that he could he jailed if he breached the order again. "It could be immediate custody," said Judge Menary.

Sheffield was given 20 days' rehabilitation and he was ordered to pay £100 costs.

Description

A South Tyneside paedophile offered a young boy ice cream before committing a sexual offence against him.

Andrew Snook asked a young boy to come to his home and remove his clothes. The 56-year-old was caught later when the young boy told his mother what had happened. Snook, who has a history of sexual offending against boys, has now been caged for the offence.

On Wednesday, Snook, of Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He had pleaded guilty the offence.

David Povall, prosecuting, said Snook had previous convictions for sexual offending.

Snook was caught for this offence after the child told his mum he had been to Snook's flat where he was asked to remove clothing. Mr Povall said: "There had been a discussion as to whether he would get an ice cream."

The court was told that Snook has a "predilection for sexual activity with young boys" and had committed offences in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1996, he committed common assault against a young boy by putting his hand over his mouth and dragging him into a house before the boy escaped.

Geoff Knowles, defending, said Snook had been to prison twice before but had lived a "law abiding life" since then. He said: "He is a lonely man and suffered abuse when he was much younger.

"Clearly, some issues in his past contributed to this state of affairs. He knows now he will face a custodial sentence for these matters. He is sorry, and sorry for the upset he has caused."

Judge Stephen Earl jailed Snook for four years and 11 months. He was also put on the sex offender register for life and made subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order. He was also made subject to a restraining order.

Description

A man from Swindon has been given an 18 years custodial sentence raping a woman after pretending to be a taxi driver.

Fareed Tariq, 43, of Barnum Court, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (03/04) after being found guilty by trial in February.

On Friday April 14, 2023 the victim was out in Swindon town centre with friends. She called a taxi company at around 3.15am on Saturday morning. A vehicle was sent but she was not picked up. She then got into Tariq’s vehicle, who drove her to a quiet area in Pinehurst and assaulted her.

Tariq was sentenced to 13 years in custody, of which he will serve a minimum of nine years. His sentence was extended by another five years on licence, has been put on the sex offenders register for life and has been given a restraining order from the victim for life.

James Purcell, Major Crime Team Investigator said: "This was a horrendous incident, where Tariq pretended to be a taxi driver and picked up a vulnerable woman after a night out. He took her to a quiet area and raped her before picking up her son from her friend's house.

"I'd like to thank the victim for her incredible bravery through reporting the incident and through what must have been a really difficult trial, reliving a traumatic experience. Without her continued assistance, the outcome would not have been possible.

Description

A social worker has been jailed for eight years after he was convicted for a series of rapes and sexual assaults.

Thomas Proctor was found guilty of attacking three women in Glasgow, Fife and Lanarkshire between January 2002 and August 2019.

The High Court in Glasgow heard he used his job to prey on the women, as well as threatening to have the children of two of them removed from their care.

The 43-year-old raped one woman while she was recovering in hospital.

He also took advantage of a victim after she drank water with a mystery substance in it.

Proctor, from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, had denied the accusations but jurors found him guilty of a total of 11 charges.

'Simply disgraceful'

The charges against him included the repeated rape and indecent assault of the first woman at different locations in Lanarkshire.

Proctor was found guilty of sexually assaulting the second woman at a flat in Glasgow's Maryhill.

He was also convicted of raping and making threats to a third woman in Fife and Lanarkshire.

Judge William Gallacher imposed an 11-year extended sentence on Proctor, meaning he will be in prison for eight years and under supervision upon his release for three years.

The judge told Proctor his actions were "simply disgraceful."

He added: "It is difficult to figure out the appropriate sentence due to the level of abuse carried out over a period of time.

"I will impose a significant penalty. You will have grasped that because of the gravity of this case, there is only one thing I can do."

After the sentencing, one of Proctor's victims said: "I am really pleased with the judge's reflections of the offences.

"I understand the appropriate length of the sentence however my fear is that it doesn't reflect the number of potential other victims."

An indefinite non-harassment order against Proctor's victims was granted. He was also put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period.

In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Alan Parfery told how Proctor was "calculated in a predatory fashion" towards his victims.

The first woman was raped while she was recuperating in hospital from a medical procedure.

Proctor attacked the woman again at a house in Lanarkshire after he came into the room and pulled down her pyjamas.

The second victim recalled waking up to finding Proctor molesting her.

The final woman got to know Proctor having met him online.

The court heard she ended up in his company after she returned from a night out with friends at the Edinburgh Festival.

She said Proctor gave her a glass of water and they kissed, but her next memory was waking up in some pain.

Prosecutors said he had caused the woman to "ingest an unknown substance in water" to overpower her for sexual activity.

Jurors heard a similar sort of incident happened on two other occasions.

He gave her water, told her to "drink up" before she later awoke and had "flashbacks" to what had happened.

In his closing speech, Mr Parfery said Proctor spoke of his position as a social worker to make sure threats to two of the women "packed a punch".

Referring to one of the victim, the prosecutor put to him: "You told her that you held such a job and how the system worked.

"That she should be intimate with you if she wanted to keep her child. The cruellest of cruel threats."

Proctor denied the accusation adding that he never mentioned his work to "threaten" anyone.

He had latterly been a social worker in the Alloa area in Clackmannanshire before being suspended.

After the case Clackmannanshire Council confirmed Proctor was no longer employed by the local authority.