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A MAN who raped a 15-year-old girl in the sea off Bournemouth Beach in a ‘brazen’ act in broad daylight has been jailed for six and a half years.

Gabriel Marinoaica, of Darlastan, Walsall, West Midlands, was found guilty of three charges of sexual assault and another charge of rape in March and was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court today, April 19.

Marinoaica, now 20, ‘took what he wanted and used his victim in the process’, Richard Tutts, prosecuting, said.

This was a ‘brazen act committed in broad daylight with many people around’ on someone who was ‘entitled to believe she would have been safe in such a circumstance’.

Marinoaica was 18 at the time and dragged his victim out to sea off the beach on July 18, 2021.

She was visiting the beach with two friends and were playing with a ball in the shallows, which floated towards him.

Initially, he refused to give it back, and then after returning it to her and exchanging names, he pulled her arm deeper into the water where she could not touch the bottom.

The victim told him ‘repeatedly no’ and that she was feeling uncomfortable, something Judge Evans said was ‘plainly frightening’ to her and ‘made her vulnerable’.

He then asked the victim if she wanted to ‘smash’, meaning to have sex, to which the victim said no, before Marinoaica touched her ‘everywhere’.

Judge Evans said: “I know what you were asking and she made it clear she wasn’t comfortable with that.”

He then raped her for about a minute, placing his hand over her mouth meaning she could not scream for help.

“That was a very significant thing to do,” Judge Evans said.

“It is quite apparent from that action that you knew full well that she was not consenting.”

He then ‘pursued’ the victim to get her Snapchat details.

“It may have been on your mind to try and make it look consensual, but you knew full well it wasn’t,” Judge Evans said.

Marinoaica was arrested 11 months later after semen found in the girl’s bikini matched his DNA.

In a victim impact statement read out by Mr Tutts, the victim said she suffers panic attacks and nightmares.

“During the day, my mind wanders and I think through the attack,” she said.

“I’m left with the image of him in my mind.”

The statement said she feels ‘mentally drained’ and that she has been ‘left feeling wary of male motivation towards me’.

“I used to have a huge love for the beach and the sea but I have lost it and I am left feeling uneasy,” she said.

“I feel so unsafe in the water now, going into the water makes me feel sick, I do not think I will ever be able to go in without someone with me as I am full of fear it will happen again.”

She added: “Even on my better days it is forever a part of me that will never be undone.”

Mitigating, Sophie Murray said that Marinoaica was immature and had a ‘lack of consequential thinking’ because of his age at the time, being 18.

He was on holiday with his family and had not been expected to have any interactions with ladies, and so was ‘overexuberant’ in response to her attentions.

He was ‘unable to see the consequences of his actions’ and ‘unable to control his sexual attractions’.

Ms Murray said he will have to ‘bear the brunt’ of the impact this has had on his family, and that he ‘feels the shame’ of that.

Judge Evans said the incident would ‘undermine the public confidence’ of being safe on a busy beach.

“Young people should be safe on a busy beach on a sunny afternoon. Sadly, that was not the case,” she said.

The judge also told the court how Marinoaica had been questioned by police in June 2021 about an unconnected allegation of rape but no further action was taken as the sex was found to have been consensual.

She said: “The police were involved and that interaction with the police doesn’t appear to have acted as a sufficient warning to you on how you should conduct yourself in sexual matters in the future.”

She sentenced Marinoaica to six and a half years in a young offenders’ institute, and will serve two thirds of the sentence in custody, before being released on licence.

Marinoaica was placed on the sexual offenders register for life and was given a sexual harm prevention order for 20 years.

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In November 2021 he sexually assaulted a young woman at a house in Blackburn.

The victim woke up to find 40-year-old Rashid was in the same bed as her. He then engaged in sexual activity with her without her consent.

The victim was so traumatised that she ran from the scene.

Rashid, formerly of Cheetham Street, Blackburn, and now of no fixed address, was arrested later the same day and charged with rape.

He pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration when he appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court on Monday (15th April) .

Rashid, who has previous convictions for sexual offences and is a Registered Sex Offender, was remanded into custody to be sentenced on 3rd June.

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A man described by a judge as “every parent’s worst nightmare” has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for committing multiple online sexual offences against children.

Christopher Laing, 38, was convicted at Teesside Crown Court of possession of 67 category C images of children, eight counts of making indecent images of children, seven counts of causing or inciting girls aged 13-15 into sexual activity, eight counts of sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child after grooming.

He had been initially bailed by Police Scotland after being found in possession of indecent images of two 14-year-old girls from the Cleveland Police area.

Then in June 2023 he was arrested by Cleveland Police officers when he travelled from his home in Renfrewshire Scotland, to the Cleveland area in an attempt to meet up with a 15-year-old girl, after communicating with her sexually online.

He sent photographs of himself travelling on a train to Teesside in an attempt to meet with the child and had booked a hotel in the area.

After the girl informed her parents that he was travelling to the area, they alerted the police who arrested Laing at the station as his train came in.

Laing’s mobile phone was seized by police as part of the investigation and during forensic examination of the device it was discovered that Laing had been in contact with multiple teenage girls across the country.

The court heard he attempted to goad the girls into sending indecent images of themselves to him for money and gifts.

When the children refused, he made threats to rape them. Officers found evidence on his laptop, that Laing had researched the addresses of his victims and knew where each of them lived.

Victim impact statements read out to the court heard that one teenage victim no longer felt safe and worried every day that she would receive a message on her phone from Laing. Her mental health had declined as she was taunted by the memory of Laing’s messages.

Another victim described how her confidence had been shattered, and was afraid to go to school, fearing that people knew about the messages that Laing had sent to her.

During sentencing, Judge Carroll expressed concern regarding Laing’s use of the threat of rape against children to fulfil his sexual desires, describing Laing as “every parent’s worst nightmare”. He also praised the bravery of the victims in coming forward.

Laing was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he has served five of these.

He was further sentenced to another one year and eight months for possession of illicit images and sexual communication offences, which will run concurrently with the main sentence.

Laing was also made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which limits his use of internet-enabled devices and means that any devices he purchases may be subject to an examination by a police officer at any time. He must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for life on his release from prison.

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Key CCTV footage has led to a convicted sex offender being jailed for more than seven years.

Cameras tracked Emil Emilov’s movements through Leicester city centre moments after he sexually assaulted a woman on the morning of Sunday 28 May last year.

The incident happened shortly after 5am as the victim – a 19-year-old woman – made her way home from working in a bar. Twenty-five-year-old Emilov approached her in New Walk and dragged her into a bush, where he gagged and sexually assaulted her.

He ran from the scene when a group of people walked past. The victim reported the incident to police and an investigation, led by the force’s Signal team, began.

CCTV of the area was examined that showed Emilov running from the scene, eventually making his way back to his home in Rosebery Street in North Evington. Footage also showed him discard the cloth he had used to gag the victim.

Further enquiries revealed that Emilov – a Bulgarian national – had left the UK. He returned on 6 November and was immediately arrested on his arrival at Luton Airport. A DNA sample taken from him matched those found on the cloth and the victim’s tights.

In December last year, he pleaded guilty to one count of assault by penetration.

Yesterday (Thursday 18 April), he was sentenced to 88 months’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court and was also placed on the sex offender register for life.

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Crawley man William Mousdell has been jailed for almost three years after being found with thousands of indecent images of children.

Mousdell, 49, of Beeches Crescent in Crawley, was arrested at his home on 14 December, 2022, after police linked his address to the uploading of indecent images of children to the internet.

Several devices were seized and found to contain thousands of indecent images of children, including hundreds of the most serious, Category A, moving and still images.

Some of the images were non-sexual pictures of children known to him, which had been edited to appear to show sexual and violent acts.

Mousdell was subsequently charged with, and convicted of, three counts of making or possessing indecent images of children.

At Lewes Crown Court on 28 March, 2024, Mousdell was jailed for 31 months, given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and given multiple Restraining Orders.

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A man has been jailed for child sex offences after police were presented with an audio recording of his offending.

Matthew North, 28, from the Eastlands area of Rugby had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court and was sentenced on Monday (15 April) to five years and four months in prison.

North pleaded guilty to nine counts of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13-15. The offences occurred in the early 2020s at a house in the Rugby area.

A key witness had suspicions that North was in a sexual relationship with the girl and hid an iPad to record the offending. She contacted police and North was arrested.

North originally denied the offences in interview but later admitted to them after being presented with the recording along with the account from the victim.

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A sex offender from Swindon has been jailed for eight years for rape and four other offences against a teenage girl.

Aaron Lee Alan Ferris Roberts, 33, of no fixed abode, Swindon, committed the offences in Cornwall between May and September 2020.

He was found guilty by a jury after a two-day trial in December 2023.

During the trial the court heard that in May 2021 the victim disclosed to family what Roberts had done to her and it was reported to police.

Detectives began their investigation, and they heard that Roberts had sent the victim inappropriate images of himself via social media.

He had also forced her to commit sexual acts on him and forced himself on her before raping her.

Officers recovered messages sent by Roberts to the victim where he said: ‘have to do it again one day’, which was said to relate to the sexual acts. He also suggested they should delete the messages.

When he was arrested and interviewed by officers in November 2021, Roberts repeatedly denied all of the allegations saying: “I’m telling you now, I wouldn’t do any of that.”

Roberts pleaded not guilty to the offences but after a short deliberation, the jury found him unanimously guilty of rape, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child, attempted rape and sexual communication with a child.

Roberts appeared in the dock at Truro Crown Court on April 18 where HHJ Judge Robert Linford sentenced him to eight years in prison. He will also sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Investigating officer, DC Distin said: “I would like to take this opportunity to commend the victim for her bravery and immense courage in coming forward to police to report this crime.

“Nothing will take away the trauma that she has been through, but we hope that some reassurance can be offered in knowing that supporting a prosecution has brought this man to justice.

“We truly hope that this outcome gives other victims the strength to come forward and report incidents of rape and sexual assault to police and reassures them that we have mechanisms in place to help support victims throughout the process”.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Andy Shortern said: “We welcome today’s sentence, I would like to thank the victim for reporting to us and supporting the investigation. This result would not have been possible without the victim’s courage.”

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A man who followed a woman through York city centre as she walked home at night before sexually assaulting her on her doorstep has been jailed.

Samtex Wangchuck, 21, did not know the victim, said Martin Butterworth, prosecuting at York Magistrates' Court.

She was on the phone to her partner when Wangchuck grabbed her between the legs from behind.

The cleaner had decided “it would be a good opportunity to commit an offence” when he spotted her on her own in the city centre at about 3.30am and thought she had been drinking, said Mr Butterworth.

She didn't realise Wangchuck was following her on his bike through the city centre, past the City Walls and towards the suburbs as she walked home after completing her late-night shift at a hospitality venue.

She had phoned her partner when she started her journey home and was talking to him as she walked.

Wangchuck gradually got closer to her and when she was nearly home, she saw him. By then he was off his bike and about 15 to 20 feet away.

She put her key in her front door and Wangchuck sexually assaulted her. She was still on the phone to her partner.

In a personal statement, she said she now ensures that she always has company on the way home.

“I have lived in York my entire life and never been afraid of walking home alone at night until now,” she said. “I am extremely worried now that he may have done this before.”

Mr Butterworth said Wangchuck told police he had sexually assaulted the woman for his own sexual gratification.

Wangchuck, of Park Crescent, The Groves, pleaded guilty to sexual assault committed in February. He had no previous convictions.

A probation report before the court said that Wangchuck was a “risk to women” and that he didn’t appear to understand the effect of his crime on the victim.

York magistrates jailed him for 12 weeks.

“You targeted a lone vulnerable woman at night, believing her to be in drink. You followed her home,” they told him.

They also made him subject to a lifetime restraining order banning him from contacting the victim in any way or going to her home and banned him from following any woman on her own under a five-year sexual harm prevention order. Wangchuck will be on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

For him, Colin Byrne said it was a very “odd” incident for which Wangchuck was remorseful. He handed in references from Wangchuck’s family about his remorse and his efforts to reform himself since the offence.

The public would be better protected if Wangchuck could be given a suspended sentence under which he could work with probation officers to tackle the cause of his offending, said Mr Byrne.

He had already had a taste of custody as he had been remanded in custody following his arrest and then released on bail without conditions after pleading guilty.

He worked nights as a cleaner and had finished work early that night.

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This paedophile admitted to police he had downloaded sick abuse images of children as young as three as he had a sexual interest in juveniles.

Simon Cutts made the admission after being stopped in his car when he failed to answer the door to his home when officers went knocking.

At first, the 26-year-old denied he even had a mobile phone on which the vile video and photos were later discovered. But detectives found it in his car and analysed it.

On the device were both moving and still pornographic images of little boys and little girls. Handing him a three-year community order, Judge Julie Warburton said: “People like you create a market for children to be abused. It is not a victimless crime because further images cause further children to be abused.

“I have read the pre-sentence report and your letter to me and the background involving the stress you were dealing with at the time. But that doesn't even begin to excuse your behaviour.

“You admitted these matters and were candid with the police as to why you did this.” Rawaid Javed, prosecuting at Nottingham Crown Court, said police received information that an account linked to Cutts had been downloading the images and videos through the Kik messaging and chat app.

He said on November 3, 2022, they went to his home in Cox's Lane, Mansfield Woodhouse, but there was no answer. The prosecutor said: “They then saw the defendant leave his address, get in a car and so they stopped him.

“He refused to get out of the car and denied having a mobile phone but it was searched and one was found.

“That was examined and was found to contain seven (of the most serious) category A images of both boys and girls aged three to 12; 11 category B images of videos of girls and boys aged three to 14 and seven images and videos of category C which were boys aged seven to 10. They had been downloaded between July and October 2022.

“The defendant was arrested and interviewed and made full admissions.” Cutts pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children and has no previous convictions of any kind.

Lauren Manuel, mitigating, said he denied having a mobile phone when he was in his car as he “panicked” having seen the officers. She said: “He fully admitted not only having the images but also, and this is very rare in these cases, that he admitted to having a sexual motivation towards children.”

As part of the community order, the judge ordered the defendant to attend a 43-day programme designed to steer child sex offenders away from that type of offending. She also ordered him to attend 30 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service.

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Mohammed Ali tried to meet the girl outside Leeds Town Hall after telling he wanted to have sex with her and another underage girl at the same time.

He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week after being stung by an online paedophile hunter group. But his barrister, Mohammed Rafiq, told the court: “He was not aware of the age of consent. Things are different from the part of the world he comes from. The ways things operate over there is that there’s a judge who decides whether two parties are mature enough to get married.

“He was 16 when he got married and his wife was 14. He accepts what he has done is wrong.”

The court heard that 23-year-old Ali had illegally come to the UK in the autumn of 2021 seeking asylum. Just weeks later he latched onto the profile of a young girl on Facebook Messenger which was a decoy run by Predator Exposure - the online hunter group looking to snare paedophiles trawling the internet for children.

After making contact, he told her he was 18 and from Syria but was in Leeds staying at an Ibis hotel. Throughout November of 2021 he communicated with the girl, sending her photos of himself in his hotel room.

He asked her several times to meet, and turned the conversation sexual, saying he had another girl with him and that he wanted sex with both of them. He told her not to tell anyone about their communication.

They arranged to meet near Leeds Town Hall, near to the Ferris wheel on Briggate on November 20, 2021, but Ali was met by members of Predator Exposure who livestreamed the confrontation.

A large protest was being held in Leeds that day, so police were already on hand and arrested Ali. He later admitted attempting to meet a child following grooming, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He has no previous convictions.

Mr Raffiq told the court: “He is extremely ashamed and deeply frightened about his appearance before the court. He accepts what he has done is wrong.

“I say he was a very foolish and immature young man when he committed these offences. When he was arrested he did not try to run away. To his credit, he put his hands up and pleaded guilty. He was brought up in a difficult environment with a war raging in Syria.”

He said that Ali wanted to show he was “not a menace to society but an idiot”.

Judge Richard Mansell KC questioned Ali’s claim about not knowing the age of consent, pointing to his lies about his own age and telling the girl not to tell anyone.

He told him: “These offences are too serious to be dealt with by any other way than a sentence of immediate custody. You fully intended to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.”

He jailed him for 12 months, gave him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use, and put him on the sex offender register.

But he told Ali he was “liable for deportation” once he is released.

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A Southampton paedophile who spends his benefits money on gaming was caught with more than 800 indecent images of children on his phones.

Thomas Mills, 39, was caught when police visited his home address and seized two mobile phones, Southampton Crown Court heard.

On the devices, an iPhone and a black mobile phone, officers found 195 Category A indecent images – the most severe kind – as well as 266 of Category B and 345 of Category C.

Ten of these were videos and depicted children as young as four being abused.

The court heard how Mills, who committed the offences in Southampton, is not able to work and is on benefits, which he spends on gaming.

Judge Nicholas Rowland said these are “serious offences” and told Mills that children are abused “for the gratification of people like you looking at images on the screen”.

The judge said Mills lives a “restricted life, spending [his] time in front of the screen".

“I am not sure that is a good thing for you to be doing Thomas Mills," he added.

Mills, who is currently living in West Bridgford, Nottingham, was arrested but answered no comment to all questions when interviewed.

Prosecutor, Helen Easterbrook said the offences relate to the downloading of images which he had in his possession for over a year on one device and six and a half months on the other.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography.

But in the pre-sentence report prepared by the probation service, it says he “denies any sexual interest in children”.

Mitigating, Grace McConnell said her client has “mental health difficulties” and suffers from agoraphobia and germaphobia and is “on benefits as he is not able to work”.

She added: “With hindsight, he can see the inevitable harm that has been caused to those children.

“He is an individual of previous good character. He has never been seen before the court before.”

Mills, who wore a facemask throughout his sentencing hearing, claims he was abused as a child.

But Ms Easterbrook said: “There are no records within Hampshire Police in that he reported the abuse that he relied on," but accepted that this could have been reported elsewhere.

She also told the court that no medical evidence had been provided to demonstrate his mental health difficulties.

Mills was sentenced to nine months in prison but suspended for 18 months.

He must complete up to 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay a £1,000 fine, with 28 days imprisonment in default if he fails to pay.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years and notification requirements for ten years.

The judge ordered the deprivation of the two seized devices.

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A “dangerous” man who subjected a woman to a degrading and humiliating sexual assault has been jailed for 15 years.

Leon Walmsley carried out the attack within just a few months of his release from prison in August 2022, with a judge telling the 25-year-old he was “disturbed” by the escalation in his offending.

His victim suffered multiple bruises to her head and body, as well as severe psychological harm, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Walmsley, of Hertford Place, Ramsgate, admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm but denied assault by penetration, only to be convicted by a jury.

The court heard that having struck his victim repeatedly with an item, causing it to break, he then used it to sexually assault her.

At his sentencing hearing on April 5, a victim impact statement described how the woman had been left "terrified and paranoid" by her ordeal.

Jailing Walmsley, Recorder David Elvin KC told him he was considered a "dangerous" offender in law and would have to serve at least two-thirds of his prison term before being considered for release.

Once freed, he will then have a further three years added to any licence period.

Recorder Elvin said Walmsley, who had been offending since he was 18 and twice recalled to prison while on licence for a previous conviction, had not only shown an "inability and unwillingness to learn from his past" but also demonstrated "a failure to realise he has serious issues".

Recorder Elvin's observations of how Walmsley had presented himself at trial and to the author of his pre-sentence report were just as scathing.

Describing him as "deceitful" and a significant risk to the public, he said: "At the end of the interview you asked the author whether you had 'said the right things', suggesting your account may not have reflected your true feelings but what you believed would create a good impression.

"You gave evidence in a very calm, very controlled and very polite manner, seeking to gain favour with the jury."

On his release from prison, Walmsley will be subject to indefinite sex offender notification requirements.

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A lone pervert who attempted to make a “porn movie” using a neighbour’s Ring doorbell camera has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Depraved Neil Beattie was spotted with his trousers round this ankles, performing a solo sex act while staring directly at the woman’s front door.

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The detective who led a harrowing rape investigation in Whitby has praised a teenage girl whose courage ensured her attacker has been jailed for 12 years.

Dwayne Anthony Rhoden (pictured below), 34, from Union Street, Middlesbrough, was sentenced at York Crown Court today (Wednesday 17 April 2024).

Following a trial in January, Rhoden was found guilty of nine offences including:

• Five counts of rape
• Two counts of sexual assault by penetration
• Sexual assault
• False imprisonment

He pleaded guilty to a 10th offence of failing to comply with change of address notifications as a Registered Sex Offender.

As well as the prison sentence which includes an extended three years on licence, Rhoden was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Background to the investigation

The incident happened at an address in Whitby from around 11pm on Sunday 13 August 2023 to just after midnight on Monday 14 August 2023.

At 12.53am, a 999 call was made to North Yorkshire Police by a friend of the victim.

The girl was then put on the phone and she gave the first account of her terrifying ordeal to the Force Control Room.

An investigation was launched led by Detective Constable Matthew Edwards from the Scarborough and Ryedale Safeguarding Investigation Team.

He was able to establish that Rhoden had lured the teenager to a bedsit he was staying in after meeting her in town around 30 minutes before.

The teenager was eventually able to leave the address after about an hour. She contacted friends who helped her to alert the police.

Rhoden was arrested at the bedsit at 2.42am and was taken into custody for questioning.

He was subsequently charged with the 10 offences.

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A police officer who exposed his erect penis to a Tinder date stalked another woman he met online whilst working in a Met Police safeguarding unit. Thomas Hartill, a former detective constable attached to the North West Command Unit, pleaded guilty to one count of stalking at Highbury Magistrates' Court on Thursday, March 14, two months after he was found guilty of sexual misconduct at a Met Police tribunal.

The 37-year-old, of Station Road, Harpenden, previously worked as an actor and director, starring in West End productions, including As You Like It, Jekyll and Hyde, and The Intruder. After joining the Met Police, the thespian worked directly with female victims of stalking and abuse in a safeguarding unit.

On Thursday, prosecutor Martin Edwards told the court how Hartill met a female teacher on a dating app in July last year, while he was still a serving officer. After dating the woman - nine years his junior - for some weeks, she dumped him.

But rather than accept the relationship was over, Hartill repeatedly messaged her and even swapped phones after she blocked his number, the court heard. Hartill then stalked her, appearing at a bus stop on her way home from work on July 30 last year, and then again on September 7, Mr Edwards said.

"I'm incredibly anxious and nervous about him. Especially as there was a six week break away," the victim wrote in her impact statement. "His behaviour is making me feel nervous. The persistent messaging is distracting and concerning... I am on edge and nervous all the time. It makes me feel incredibly unsafe."

Defence counsel James O'Donnell said Hartill had expressed remorse as he called for an all options report from the probation service. Chair Amanda Gibbons gave Hartill bail on the condition he makes no contact with his victim. Hartill stammered 'I have no reason to' as Ms Gibbons warned him any breach of the condition could land him in prison.

Hartill's criminal conviction comes after he resigned from the Met Police in January 2024, ahead of a misconduct hearing the same month. The tribunal heard how his victim appeared upset and told a friend 'I think I was sexually assaulted last night' after her date with Hartill.

Like with Hartill's stalking victim, the pair met on a dating app, in this case Tinder, then agreed to meet up. The victim said they kissed on a bench, but she refused to engage in sexual activity when Hartill placed her hand on his penis. Despite her objections, he did it again. Later when they went for a drive in her car, she said Hartill exposed his erect penis and said 'Go on' without her consent.

She also told the panel 'Hartill kept bringing the conversation around to the sexual side of a relationship while she wanted a long-term relationship'. In his defence, Hartill accused the victim of sending bikini photos and a nude. However, the panel said Hartill 'probably' accessed the bikini photos from Facebook, and he could not prove the identity of the naked woman as her face was cropped.

The panel was satisfied with the victim's evidence that Hartill placed her hand on his penis twice, without consent, and exposed himself in the car. They also heard evidence of the impact on the victim, who said she would now 'freeze' if she heard a police siren and had started therapy to help her cope with Hartill's behaviour.

In its ruling, the panel concluded Hartill's behaviour was repeated, deliberate, and he was seeking sexual gratification. Had Hartill not already resigned, the panel found he was guilty of gross misconduct and would have been sacked anyway.

On Friday, March 15, a Met Police spokesperson confirmed 'former DC Hartill did work in a safeguarding unit, therefore would have come into contact with victims of stalking offences'.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach, leading the Met’s North West Policing Command, said: "There is no excuse for the actions of this officer. In his former role as a police officer he would have been aware of the devastating consequences of stalking, therefore this makes his offending all the more disappointing.

"PC Hartill has been dismissed from the Met and he has been added to a barred list, held by the College of Policing, which means he cannot be employed by a police force again." After his conviction on Thursday, Hartill will be sentenced at the same court in April.