Latest Offenders

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A CONVICTED child sex offender has been jailed again for a string of offences.

Michael Fletcher-Flint who was imprisoned for two years in 2018 after a court heard how he used dating app Grindr to send explicit pictures to a 12-year-old boy who was in fact a decoy was sentenced on Tuesday at Sheffield Crown Court for four offences.

The 52-year-old, of Bonet Lane, Brinsworth, admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child and one each of sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in a sexual activity.

The offences were all committed in the Barnsley area between 2007 and 2009.

Fletcher-Flint (pictured) was jailed for 15 months and will also have to sign on the sex offenders register for ten years.

In 2018, he pleaded guilty to counts of attempting to engage a child in sexual communications, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and possession of a bladed article.

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Former Isle of Wight man Robert Howart Duncan, who sexually abused 2 children, has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

Duncan, of Chapel Walk in Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex but previously of Gurnard, near Cowes, first appeared at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on 13th April last year facing a total of 4 historic charges; assault of a child under 13 by penetration, attempted rape of a child under 13 and 2 counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child.

The 61-year-old pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him and the case went to trial at the Isle of Wight Crown Court.

The court heard how Duncan, who previously worked for 2 local undertakers, had sexually abused the 2 underage girls with 1 of them suffering at the hands of the paedophile for a 6-year period. The youngest victim was just 8-years-old, with the offences taking place between 1999 and 2015.

On 21st March, a jury found him guilty on 3 counts but not guilty of the attempted rape. The case was sent to Portsmouth Crown Court for sentencing.

Appearing in the dock last Friday, Robert Duncan was sentenced to a total of 12 years behind bars and 1 year on licence. The judge also ordered him to sign on as a registered sex offender indefinitely and also made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order for an indefinite period.

It was decided that Duncan must serve a minimum of 8 years behind bars before he can apply for parole meaning he will be behind bars until at least 2030.

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24 year old Thomas Cooper of Tame Street, Denton, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment, as well as being subject to a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and his name on the sex offender register for life,

The court heard how in December 2021, Cooper had been communicating online with a girl that he had contacted after adding her on the social media platform SnapChat.

After grooming the victim online, he made arrangements to meet the girl and subsequently engaged in sexual activity with her on two separate occasions.

These incidents were later discovered by the victims family who alerted police.

On the 31st January this year, Cooper was arrested in the Ashton-Under-Lyne area and taken into police custody. In his interview, he blamed the victim for forcing him to engage in sexual activity against his will on both occasions.

During the investigation, detectives were able to obtain enough evidence which lead to Cooper eventually pleading guilty to the offences.

Detective Constable Mike Allen, of GMPs Tameside district complex safeguarding team, said: Cooper is clearly a predator prying on children for his own sexual pleasure.

Sexual offences often have a long lasting impact on victims and Greater Manchester Police is committed to preventing this harm. I would, therefore, like to use this opportunity to encourage any young person who is being contacted by an adult or whos aware of an adult inappropriately contacting a young person, to report it to an appropriate adult or agency so they can be safeguarded and supported and the suspect can be identified.

I hope this result today warns offenders that this behaviour will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and that authorities here are committed to ensuring they face justice.

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This is the face of paedophile Martyn Rodger, who tried to hide a new Chromebook from detectives just weeks after being given a court order requiring him to register digital devices with the police.

The 26-year-old was spared an immediate prison sentence last August for looking at indecent images of children.

But the judge imposed a sexual harm prevention order aimed at limiting his access to the internet and requiring him to register new digital devices with the police.

He breached the order within barely a month of its imposition. Rodger, whose financial affairs are managed by social services, asked for the money to buy a new laptop.

His social worker informed the police, who visited the mans Witney home on September 16 when the device still hadnt been logged with them.

Rodger initially lied, saying he had no new computer. When the device was found beneath his mattress he changed his story, claiming that he planned to register it the following day.

Jailing him for 18 months at Oxford Crown Court last week, Judge Maria Lamb told Rodger, of Eastfield Road, Witney: I am quite satisfied you knew perfectly well you should have notified [the police of] the existence of that Chromebook.

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Brandon Foskett, 24, was secretly working as a night porter at the hotel after being described by Northumbria Police as a potentially dangerous person.

A dangerous sex offender was secretly working as a night porter in a busy tourist hotel and wedding venue after fleeing nearly 200 miles from his home.

Brandon Foskett was being monitored under a Risk of Sexual Harm Order when he disappeared to take up a job at the Dunkeld House Hotel.

Foskett, who has a record for dishonesty, violence and sexual offending, was also on the Sex Offenders Register when he was hired by the hotel.

Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson told Perth Sheriff Court : "He is being managed in the community by Northumbria Police as a potentially dangerous person."

She said he failed to carry out his regular registration for three months before eventually turning up at the police station in Perth on 24 November to confess about his move to Scotland.

"He disclosed he was subject to the ROSHO. A systems check was carried out. The accused last notified police about his address in Newcastle on 9 August.

"The hotel manager confirmed he started employment as a night porter on 26 October and was residing in the staff accommodation."

Foskett told police: "I'll be honest with you - I was staying there for about a month. I didn't know who to contact."

Foskett, 24, a prisoner at Perth, admitted failing to notify the police about a change of address between 26 October and 24 November 2021.

Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, told the court that Foskett had been kept in custody since his arrest and had served the equivalent of an 11-month period on remand.

"He had gone three years without work. His friend found work with the hotel and phoned to tell him work was available. He was working night shift and was never in the company of guests."

Sheriff William Wood told Foskett: "It seems you have managed to accumulate quite a large and varied record for someone relatively young.

"It seems that this is your second breach of the order and a custodial sentence is most appropriate. It is concerning you were able to obtain employment in a local hotel as a night porter and would have access to various parts of the hotel."

He jailed Foskett for ten months, but backdated the sentence so it would be covered by the period on remand and he would be released immediately.

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A Hampshire teacher has been banned from the profession for life after he was convicted of a number of child sex offences. He was convicted at Salisbury Crown Court in January 2021.

Nicholas Maunders, 29, taught maths at Frogmore Community College in Yateley. He was employed at the school from September 2017 until his resignation in November 2019.

In Mach 2019, a pupil disclosed to the school that another student had been exchanging messages with a member of staff. The school informed Hampshire Constabulary and the Local Authority Designated Officer.

A day later Maunders was arrested in connection with the disclosure which had been made. He was suspended while the school and police carried out investigations.

On January 8, 2021, the former teacher was convicted at Salisbury Crown Court. Maunders was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

In a written response from Maunders, he said: "I admit that I have been found guilty by the court but I am still maintaining my innocence of all of the charges." A professional conduct panel of the Teaching Regulation Agency to determine his future in the profession was held on April 7.

It was found, following the "serious findings of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a child" that Maunders should be banned from the profession for life. Despite having a "good history" as a teacher, the panel found no evidence that his actions were not deliberate and the former teacher has not expressed any remorse for his actions.

Alan Meyrick, writing on behalf of the Secretary State, said in the report: "In my judgement, the lack of full insight or remorse means that there is some risk of the repetition of this behaviour and this puts at risk the future wellbeing of pupils [...] In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession."

Maunders is banned from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. The former teacher has a right to appeal to the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days of the order being issued.

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A twisted and perverted elderly man with a string of sex offences groomed and abused two young girls, leaving one victim suffering from nightmares and insomnia.

Raymond Paterson, 77, who had history for grooming young girls took advantage of his three victims and manipulated them after he had failed to change his ways following a mercifully low six-year prison sentence for raping another girl.

Creepy Paterson exploited the mother of two of his victims after the woman took pity on him after he told her that he had battled cancer, which she tried to help him with.

Paterson, from Hull, admitted two offences of sexual assault between March and November last year and four offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, between July and November.

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, said that Paterson twice tapped the younger of the two girls on her bottom and told her to be a good girl, making her feel uncomfortable and causing her to run away from where he was.

On earlier occasions, he kissed his fingers and touched her face every day for more than a month. The incidents had left the girl suffering nightmares and finding it difficult to sleep, according to Hull Live.

In separate incidents, Paterson sexually assaulted another girl after befriending her mother, who felt sorry for him and tried to help him after he told her that he had suffered cancer.

He grabbed and rubbed his hand on the girls chest area on three or four occasions and made sexualised remarks.

He also grabbed her face, rubbed her hand against his cheek and stroked her hair. She had been left suffering from anxiety.

Paterson allowed girls into his home in breach of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order made in July 2011 when he was jailed for six years for raping a girl under 13 and causing a girl to engage in sexual activity. He had convictions for 15 previous offences, nine of which were sexual offences.

David Godfrey, mitigating, said that a pre-sentence report on Paterson was grim reading and it seemed, from it, that he was in denial but he had made admissions. He is someone who accepts his offending, said Mr Godfrey.

Paterson had, apart from these offences, led a decent existence but his 2011 conviction was worrying. He hoped to move into sheltered accommodation when he was released from prison.

He is somebody who has distorted views, that is clear, said Mr Godfrey. He wanted to say sorry. He feels bad about what he has done and he regrets what he has done.

Judge John Thackray QC told Paterson: In 2011, you received a mercifully low sentence of six years imprisonment for very serious offences, including the rape of a child under 13.

Despite receiving that mercifully low sentence, you have gone on to commit further offences against children.

I have no doubt, and the probation service have no doubt, that you represent a very high risk of causing sexual harm to children. During an eight-month period of 2021, you set about targeting young children.

You set about befriending a woman who you knew had children. You were manipulative and dishonest in doing so.

Paterson was jailed for three years after being branded a dangerous offender. He will be on extended licence of five years after his release from prison.

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A man from Middleton, has been jailed for 8 years after an investigation into online child sexual offences after appearing at Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday, 3 May 2022.

Denis Atkinson, of Millbeck Road, pleading guilty to the following offences:

1x count of attempting to meet a child under the age of 16.

4x counts of attempting to sexually communicate with a child.

1x count of attempting to incite a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

1x count of possessing an image of extreme pornography.

1x count of possessing 5x prohibited images of children.

3x count of distributing category A,B and C indecent images of children.

3x count of making a total of 4,035 indecent images of children ranging from category A-C.

He is being placed on the sex offender register for life and being subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

On the 14th June 2019, police received intelligence from the USA based 'National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children' (NCMEC) who stated that in November 2018, a user on the 'Kik.com' messaging app using the name 'denismufc93' posted an indecent photograph of a child, which was intercepted by the NCMEC before being passed to the UK based National Crime Agency.

Further enquiries established that the mobile phone connected to the Kik account was registered in the name of Atkinson at his home address in Middleton.

Shortly after this discovery, Atkinson began to communicate online with the decoy profile of a 12 year old girl which was controlled by law enforcement. He messaged the profile using the name 'Warren' with a profile photo of a male in his late teens. Atkinson informed the child profile that he was 18-years-old and did not react to the child profile informing Atkinson that she was 12.

Conversation of a general nature took place before Atkinson eventually started to turn the conversation to be more sexualised, asking the child profile 'so are we dating' and asking if they could meet in Cardiff, suggesting that the profile bring along a friend that he could speak to beforehand to get to know them.

Over the following month, Atkinson became persistent in asking the child profile for pictures, again regularly asking if they were now dating and stating that he loved her and wanted to have sex when they met.

Atkinson's behaviour continued to escalate by asking the child profile sexualised questions asking about her sexual history and what sexual acts she would perform on him.

Atkinson was reminded on a number of occasions that the child profile was 12-years-old and in foster care.

In July 2020, Atkinson told the child profile that he would arrange to stay in a hotel with her with further sexual comments being made by Atkinson. On the 7th August 2020,

Atkinson sent a number of messages to the child profile, in which he confirmed that he was due to set off to the arranged location where they would meet, at which point the child profile explained that they were unable to meet him. Atkinson stated ' We will have to meet some other time'.

Numerous chat logs seized by police as evidence showed that Atkinson had a clear interest in underage girls and on Wednesday 2nd December 2020, officers from GMPs Online Child Abuse Investigation Team attended Atkinson's address and arrested him before he was subsequently charged with the offences.

A number of mobile phone devices were seized from Atkinson's home address and upon examination, thousands of indecent images of children were found including around 836 categorised as 'Class A', the most serious category of images. Atkinson also attempted to sexually communicate with a large number of underage children using several different messages apps, adopting numerous fake male and female personas.

In police interview Atkinson commented 'I can't remember' and 'It wasnt me I must have been hacked' to the questions presented to him, before then stating 'everything is true, you dont need to go through it anymore'.

Detective Inspector Suzanne Keenaghan, of GMPS Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: "Atkinson is very clearly a danger to children. His messages to who he thought was a 12-year-old girl, together with his clear intentions to meet a child and the images that he possessed, to satisfy his depraved sexual desires is utterly deplorable

"Child Sexual Exploitation takes place in many forms and in this case Atkinson engaged in online communications with what he believed were young children, not sparing any thought for the lasting damage his actions could have.

I am pleased with the sentence he has received, which has been as a result of a thorough investigation working with the National Crime Agency. Our team work tirelessly to bring these people to justice and we will continue to do so."

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Joshua Corless, who has been caged for 13 years, offered to take the 19-year-old woman home before carrying out a sickening attack.

A predator who took an unwell woman home after a night out went on to subject her to a horrendous sexual assault.

Joshua Corless met up with the group on a night out in 2020 and then raped the defenceless 19-year-old in her own home. The brute offered to take his victim back to her house after she had become extremely unwell.

Corless, offered to walk with the victim, going to her home address before carrying out his despicable attack. The victim reported the incident to police and Corless was arrested and charged with rape.

He initially denied the charge, only changing his plea after the woman went through the trauma of giving evidence in court, according to Lancashire Live.

Corless, from Widnes, has now been jailed for 13 years for the rape and other offences committed in Cheshire.

He has also been made subject of notification requirements - informally known as the sex offenders register - for life.

Det Sgt Diane Higham, of Lancashire Police, said: Joshua Corless is a sexual predator who targeted his victim, exploiting her vulnerable nature for his own depraved ends.

He pursued her, playing on the fact she was unwell to commit a horrendous sex attack.

I must thank the victim for her bravery in reporting the offences and facing her abuser through the court process.

I also wish to place on record my thanks to the investigating officer Det Con Kieran Helps, who fully supported the victim throughout.

This investigation highlights our commitment to preventing and detecting offences of rape and serious sexual assault.

We want victims to feel confident that they will be treated with compassion and that we will do everything possible to trace those responsible and take action against them.

Id like to offer reassurance that any reports of sexual offences, new or old, will be dealt with sensitively, thoroughly and professionally, with the interests of the victims and their families being our priority.

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A FORMER councillor has been placed on the sex offenders register after changing his plea on the day he was due to stand trial for child sex offences.

William Kirkbride, 57, of Queen Street, Whitehaven, faced charges of attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

In an agreed basis of plea with the prosecution, Kirkbride pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence on October 27 last year.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges at a pre-trial hearing held on February 8.

A trial was due to take place at Carlisle Crown today.

The case has now been adjourned until June 10, to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the Probation Service.

Kirkbride, who was described as "a man of previous good character" has been bailed until his next court appearance.

Recorder Mark Ainsworth, warned Kirkbride that "all options were open" when passing sentence.

He told the defendant: "The fact I'm giving you bail shouldn't give you an indication of your sentence on June 10. That will be a matter for the judge to decide on the day. All options remain open."

In the meantime, Kirkbride must not have any unsupervised contact with children, must not use any internet sites to have contact with anyone under 18 and must reside at a named address.

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A woman who twice had sex with a schoolboy has been jailed.

Laura Stephenson, 28, from Rotherham, exchanged "flirty" messages with the 15-year-old before they had sex at her home while her boyfriend was away.

Sheffield Crown Court was told the boy suffered mental health issues as a result of what happened in 2018.

Stephenson, who admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child, was jailed for 21 months and put on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

When interviewed, Stephenson admitted the pair had sex, but she argued it was consensual and although she felt guilty, attempted to blame her victim, South Yorkshire Police said.

Investigating officer Natalie Duffy said: "Stephenson claimed she knew her actions were wrong due to the boy's age, but this wasn't enough to stop her.

"Instead she presented a number of excuses for her perverse actions."

She added: "I would like to praise the victim for the tremendous courage he has shown throughout the investigation and court proceedings."

Stephenson, of Windmill Road, Rotherham, was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to pay victim costs of 140.

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A paedophile drove 400 miles to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex who he warned would "hurt the first time".

Christopher Marshall, 60, was found with a balaclava, knife and Viagra-style tablets in his car when he arrived in Derbyshire to meet a child who did not exist.

Marshall, who had also sent explicit photographs of his private parts a second 12-year-old girl, was caught in Chesterfield by a self-styled paedophile hunter group.

The dad-of-two from Dundee believed 'Leah' had run away from home but the teen turned out to be decoy and police were called to the arranged meeting place.

Jailing Marshall for three-and-a-half years, Recorder Michael Auty QC said: "There is a real and genuine concern to protect children from those who seek sexual intercourse with them. There is a world of difference between those who fantasise online and those who go through with it.

"It is where people stop and you didn't. It is clear to me from the items you had with you in the car there was an intention to carry out a penetrative sexual offence with this girl if the opportunity arose. That she was a decoy and not a real child is mitigation."

Jon Fountain, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court, sitting at Nottingham Crown Court, said a paedophile vigilante group called Demon Hunters set up a decoy Facebook profile for a 12-year-old called Tia in September last year.

He said Marshall sent her a friend request which was accepted and the two began exchanging messages. The prosecutor said the decoy told him she was unhappy at home and so he suggested she move in with him in Scotland, bringing her birth certificate with her.

Mr Fountain said: "He then made friends with one of her Facebook friends called Leah, who was also a decoy. He sent her photographs of his (private parts) and asked her if she would like to play with it.

"He asked her about her genitalia and this continued for about 10 days. She said she had run away from home and so he said he would come from Dundee to Derbyshire and meet her.

"But when he arrived in Chesterfield he was met by the hunter group. They called the police who arrested him, searched his car and found four Viagra-style tablets, a balaclava and a knife. He said he had the balaclava as it was issued at work and on checking, his workplace confirmed this."

Marshall, of no fixed address and who appeared over a video-link from HMP Nottingham, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, attempting to engage a child in sexual communication and possession of a bladed article. He has no previous convictions.

Fergus Malone, mitigating, argued that his client could be better managed in the community and not behind bars.

He said: "He lost his way. His mother died and his partner, the mother of his two children, also died in 2018. This has been his first time in prison and he is on a vulnerable person's wing."

As well as the jail term, Recorder Auty handed the defendant a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

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A Luton man has been jailed for eight years after he pleaded guilty to 28 offences against girls aged between 12-15 years.

Conor Godfrey, 28, of Barton Road, admitted to a number of charges, including engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, inciting children to engage in sexual activity and making and distribution of indecent images of children.

Following a two-year investigation by Bedfordshire Polices Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team (ICAIT), he was sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Thursday (28 April).

The investigation followed a report from a 13-year-old girl Godfrey had groomed online to perform sexualised acts on herself, using Snapchat. Investigations identified he was talking to over 2,250 children across the world online, including hundreds in the UK.

Seven victims provided accounts to police. Godfrey had met one 14-year-old girl on multiple occasions and performed sexual acts on her.

Godfrey, who was aged between 21 and 27 when the offences took place, posed as a 1618-year-old online to groom and gain vulnerable victims trust.

In May 2020, officers arrested Godfrey and subsequently seized several electronic devices.

On the devices were records of multiple sexual conversations with young girls where he recorded his interactions with them, which he would later use to threaten them.

Investigators also found he had accessed other indecent images of children on the internet, as well as having indecent material of the victims.

Godfrey was sentenced to a total of eight years in prison with a four-year extended sentence on licence. He was deemed a dangerous offender and will be subject to sexual harm prevention order for an indefinite period.

Investigation Officer Emma Shipton, who led the operation, said: He clearly poses a danger to young girls both online and offline and I hope this result sends a clear message that such activity is taken extremely seriously, and perpetrators will face the consequences for their disturbing and vile behaviour.

I would especially like to thank the victims and their families for their support in bringing this abhorrent man to justice.

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A MAN from Hampshire has been jailed for 10 years after he was convicted of rape of a girl aged u David Thomas, 77, from Aldershot Road, Fleet, was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on Friday 29 April following a week-long trial.

He was also found not guilty of another count of indecent assault.

The offences took place in Farnborough between 1984 and 1988. It was reported to police in 2020.

Detective Constable Michelle Carrig, from Operation Amberstone North, said: I hope this sentence has provided the victim with some element of closure, knowing that Thomas has been sentenced for a very long time.

Thomas committed harrowing crimes against the victim and I would like to praise her for showing courage by coming forward and contacting the police.

We take incidents like this extremely seriously and I would like to encourage any other victims, or anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, or if they know someone who has been impacted by sexual abuse, to contact police on 101. nder 16.

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A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for inflicting "monstrous" sexual abuse on three girls.

Tony Wickstead, 46, was found guilty after a trial at Norwich Crown Court of a string of offences against the children, who were all under the age of 13.

One of the children has suffered physical harm as a result of the offending and might yet still require medical treatment for injuries she suffered.

In total, Wickstead, of Scott Road, Norwich, was found guilty of nine counts of serious sexual abuse against the victims, between 2016 and 2018.

The court heard how he had conducted a "a campaign of rape" against one of his victims, and was convicted of six offences of rape against one child.

Wickstead was also convicted of causing or inciting the child to engage in sexual activity.

He was also found guilty of two other offences of rape against two other children who were both under 13 at the time.

The court heard one of the victims - none of whom can be identified for legal reasons - "thought she was going to die" during the abuse she suffered, which involved her being handcuffed and dragged by her hair.

He also put his hands around her throat and "strangled her until he was done".

In imposing a life sentence on Wickstead, Judge Maureen Bacon ordered him to serve a total of 19 years and 92 days until he was eligible for parole.

Judge Bacon said the cruelty Wickstead inflicted upon his victims was "monstrous" and "inhuman" not only in the acts themselves but also the violence that accompanied them.

She said: "It's plain you used these children's bodies as mere devices for you to obtain depraved sexual gratification that you sought out."

Wickstead, who also admitted possession of an offensive weapon, a stun gun, when his home was searched in 2018, was considered a dangerous offender who posed a high risk of serious harm to young children.

Marc Brown, prosecuting, said the offences were extremely serious with one of the victims suffering severe physical harm as well as degradation.

Jonathan Goodman, representing Wickstead, said the defendant still maintains his innocence and so could not put forward much mitigation.

Mr Goodman added that Wickstead had "difficulties" in his early life.

Wickstead was put on the sex offenders register for life.