Latest Offenders

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Darren Elphick, 50, groomed an underage girl into having sex with him by buying her expensive gifts.

A senior church bell ringer who groomed an underage girl into having sex with him by buying her expensive gifts has been jailed for six years.

A court heard Darren Elphick ignored warnings from others about his 'disconcerting and weird' behaviour.

The 50-year-old would abuse her at his home near Maidstone, as well as in his car and secluded, wooded areas.

He told his victim to keep it a secret but eventually ended it, telling her he 'didn't want it becoming public'.

But the abuse was eventually reported to police and Elphick was arrested in December 2018.

He later pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child, three of taking indecent photos of a child, one of possessing an indecent image, and one of possessing extreme pornographic images.

When arrested, he was the secretary and 'tower captain' at St Peter and St Paul Church in the village of Aylesford, but was immediately suspended by Rochester Diocese.

None of the offences were committed on church property, however.

Jailing Elphick on Tuesday (November 23) Judge Robert Lazarus told him he had caused long-standing psychological harm and left his victim blaming herself.

"It ought not be necessary to say this but any adult who encounters a child has a duty to protect them from harm and you didn't. In fact, you went out of your way to harm her," the judge told Elphick.

"It may be more palatable for you to see this in some way as a consensual relationship but the harm suffered by her has a very long reach indeed.

"Horrifically, at times she has believed that this was all her fault."

'She feels sad for her younger self'

Prosecutor Kathryn Hirst told Maidstone Crown Court that having befriended the girl, Elphick started buying her presents.

But he ignored the concerns of others and what then progressed to kissing and touching eventually led to sexual intercourse while she was still underage, added Ms Hirst.

"The Crown submit there was 'evidence of grooming prior to the commencement of the sexual relationship," she said.

"He was warned that she was under 16 and he shouldn't do anything inappropriate with her. He would acknowledge this and agree."

Referring to the victim's impact statement made once Elphick had been reported to police, Ms Hirst told the court: "As she has matured, she realises what happened was abuse.

"She feels sad for her younger self....and feels part of her childhood has been taken away."

When arrested, police discovered the indecent images, which included one of the girl taken without her knowledge while they were having sex, and others of unidentified children aged 12 to 14.

Elphick also had four extreme pornographic movies depicting a woman having sex with an animal which had been sent to him via WhatsApp.

'He was flattered by her attention'

Irshad Sheikh, defending, said Elphick, who has no previous convictions, was 'flattered' by the girl's attention but should have put an immediate stop to it.

"He accepts it should never have begun and should never have continued in the way it did," he told the court.

"She was a child, he was much older. He should never have let it progress the way it did. He is genuinely remorseful."

On his release from prison, Elphick, from Aylesford, will be subject indefinitely to signing on the sex offender register and to a sexual harm prevention order.

He will also be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Detective Constable Hannah Crittenden, of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: "Elphick gained the trust of a child and exploited this trust in the worst possible way, by subjecting her to repeated abuse.

"The victim was warned to keep the abuse secret and not to tell anyone, but thankfully in recent years has found the courage to come forward and help us ensure Elphick has now been brought to justice.

"I would urge anyone who has been a victim of any sexual offence to remember that it is never too late to report this to police.

"We have a team of specialist officers who work relentlessly to ensure that offenders like Elphick do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago.

"We will always treat any information with the utmost confidence and sensitivity."

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A man who orchestrated a meeting with a 12-year-old girl through online chatrooms only to find he had been set up has been sentenced after admitting child sexual offences.

David Asser – 49 (18.10.72) of Hertford Road, Enfield pleaded guilty on Wednesday, 25 August at Wood Green Crown Court to one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl under the age of 16 and one count of attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 following grooming.

On the Tuesday, 23 November he was sentenced at the same court to 28 months’ imprisonment and will be recorded on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Asser began communicating with the girl on an online chatroom in November 2020; despite the ‘girl’ stating she was aged 12, Asser continued engaging with her, including making sexually explicit suggestions.

However, unbeknown to Asser he was actually communicating with an adult who was pretending to be a young girl.

Over the next week, Asser continued to communicate, making arrangements for the pair to meet while continuing the sexually explicit conversations.

On 7 December, Asser went to meet the girl at a prearranged place in Mandeville Road, Enfield. However, when he arrived he was confronted and detained by an online civilian group. Police were called and Asser was arrested.

Items were seized from his address which laid bare his attempts to groom and sexually exploit the 12-year-old girl he thought he was communicating with.

DC Lee Jeffrey from the North Area Command Unit said:

“David Asser was fully aware of the age of the girl he believed he was communicating with yet despite this, he persisted in making sexually explicit suggestions to her and then made efforts to physically meet with her.

“His actions are deplorable and it is right he has been held to account for this.”

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An Eastbourne man who sexually abused a young girl for five years has now been given a 14-year prison sentence after an investigation by safeguarding detectives from Sussex Police.

John Gibbs, 50, a cleaner, of Shanklin Close, Eastbourne, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday 11 November, having been found guilty of two counts the rape and three counts of sexual assault on the child who was under 13 at the time.

He will be a registered sex offender for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last until further court decision, prohibiting him from any contact with his victim or her family, and from living in any household where there are children under 16.

Detective Constable Hugh Charles of Sussex Police said; "Gibbs came to know the girl and over a period of time he ingratiated himself with her and initially gained her confidence before systematically sexually abusing her, solely for his own pleasure.

"Only when she eventually felt able to disclose to family members what had happened was this reported to us, and action was taken immediately, resulting in Gibbs' arrest and three years later in his subsequent prosecution."

The victim's mother said, on hearing of the sentencing: “This result was all my daughter wanted, for him to know he’d done wrong. For the first time in three years, she’s gone to the shops to buy sweets without having to look over her shoulder, and I hope sooner than later we will get to see a smile again.

“I also want to thank the police and the support services at Survivors Network for all their hard work and support they have given to me and my daughter”

Hugh Charles added: "I also want to thank my colleagues, Detective Constables Steve Wormley, Lisa Wells and Laura Powell for all their work in helping to bring Gibbs to justice. This was a team effort on behalf of the victim"

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Rameen Farooqy and Pankaj Bangarh laughed as they attacked their victim in the Winston Hotel.

Their victim was unconscious as she lay on the floor during the traumatic ordeal in August 2018.

Her attackers were each jailed on Wednesday for a total of eight years.

Furthermore, they must register as sex offenders for life.

They were both found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a trial at Southampton Crown Court earlier in the year.

Farooqy, 25, of Arundel Drive, Harrow, and Bangarh, 27, of Halsway, Hayes, London, have also been made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact their victim.

Hampshire Police are now urging victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward and report any incidents.

Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Constable Sue Hampton from Operation Amberstone said: “This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal for the woman and I cannot praise her enough for the courage and bravery she has shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to her and for the strength, she has shown throughout the trial and criminal justice process.

“We know it’s incredibly difficult to report incidents of this nature to the police but with her help, we have been able to bring these two men to justice today.

“I really hope that this case shows people that no matter the circumstances, Hampshire Constabulary is committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court.

“In cases such as these, we work in partnership with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) Service, Yellow Door to ensure expert support is available to victims throughout investigations. I know from speaking with the victim that the ISVA assigned to her helped her immensely through the process and we are really proud and lucky to work with support agencies like Yellow Door who help and support survivors.

“We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourage victims to come forward and report their experiences to us so that we can identify offenders and do everything we can to stop them from doing it again to someone else.”

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A pervert who sent explicit images of himself to a child has been locked up.

Christopher Brimstead, 31, from East Malling took the images and then sent them to the youngster, between November 2018 and January 2019

Brimstead, previously from Jasmine Close, used a computer to take the photos and sent explicit messages to her, asking her to engage in sexual activity.

The child reported the offences in April 2019 and officers arrested Brimstead.

He was later charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, which he admitted at Maidstone Crown Court last week where he was jailed for 12 months.

Upon Brimstead’s release from prison he will be the subject of a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

The order places restrictions on his access to the internet and prohibits contact with girls under the age of 16.

He will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

DC Victoria Baker said: "Brimstead abused trust shown to him in the worst possible way, trying to exploit a child for his own gratification.

I’m pleased he has been sentenced and I hope that this sentencing goes some way to helping the victim to find some closure and move forward with her life.

"Kent Police will always take sexual offences seriously and will investigate thoroughly to ensure that any people who commit criminal offences pay for their actions and that victims get the justice that they deserve."

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A RAPIST who grabbed a woman by her throat and sexually assaulted her has been jailed.

Liam James Puncher, aged 23 and of Dorchester, was jailed for six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of the offence at a previous trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

On the night of Friday, February 22, 2019, the defendant and the victim, a woman who was known to him, were at her home on Portland and watching a film together.

Puncher began touching her in a sexual manner and the victim clearly told him to stop.

At around 1.50am on Saturday, February 23 2019 the defendant made further advances and proceeded to grab her by the throat as he raped her.

Following the incident, Puncher left the property and then texted his victim to apologise, before asking her not to tell anyone.

Puncher reported himself to the police in the early hours of Sunday, February 24, 2019 stating he wanted to hand himself in in relation to an incident that had happened on Portland.

The victim made a report later that morning and Puncher was arrested shortly afterwards.

In police interview, Puncher claimed they had engaged in consensual sexual activity and denied he had raped his victim.

Detective Sergeant Jo Blackmore, of Weymouth CID, said: The jury during Punchers trial clearly rejected his false claims that this was a consensual act and I want to praise the victim for having the courage to come forward and support our investigation.

She showed immense bravery throughout the court process and helped secure a conviction and jail term for the man who raped her.

I hope her actions will give other victims the strength to come forward in the knowledge that they will be supported and we will do all we can to bring sexual attackers to justice.

If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, and you want to report directly to the police, please call 101 and ask to be put in contact with a specially-trained police officer.

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"This was a particularly sinister case and the strong sentence reflects the severity of his offending," said Police Constable Kevin Sibley

A 'depraved' Doncaster man performed sex acts in front of an undercover cop he believed was a 12-year-old girl.

Mark Harrigan, 35, of Halifax Crescent, Doncaster pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He was jailed for four years on Friday, November 19.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how he communicated online with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl and performed sexual acts in front of her.

Unbeknown to the offender, he was communicating with a police officer, as part of an investigation by South Yorkshire Police and the South Wales Regional Organised Crime Unit.

South Yorkshire Police have confirmed there was never a real-life victim.

Police Constable Kevin Sibley from the Sheffield Reactive CID team, said: This was a particularly sinister case and the strong sentence reflects the severity of his offending.

"This was a successful operation between South Yorkshire Police and the South Wales Organised Crime Unit that ensured Harrigan was brought to justice. It also shows the lengths of depravity that he would go to.

Detective Constable Russell Jones, from the South Wales Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: This forms part of our continued priority to protect children from sexual exploitation from those who seek to do them harm.

"Law enforcement operates across the internet, and we will relentlessly seek to bring to justice individuals who use the web to facilitate the abuse of children.

If anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, I would urge you to report it to your local police force via 101. We will always follow up allegations of abuse, no matter when they occurred. Victims can talk in confidence to experienced investigators and we can also help them get access to a range of other support services.

If you have concerns about your use of the internet or inappropriate thoughts or behaviour about children, or if you are worried about how someone you know behaves around children or are worried about their use of the internet, then the Lucy Faithfull Foundation provide a free, anonymous and confidential Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 for advice, support and information.

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An obsessed sexual predator was trapped after making highly explicit online suggestions to a fake 14-year-old girl and offering to be her "sugar daddy".

Father-of-five Kevin Denholm, 57, told the decoy girl that he liked younger girls but he later branded his behaviour "vile and disgusting".

He contacted the girl in the early hours and "very quickly" made "graphic" and extremely sexualised comments to her, Hull Crown Court heard.

Denholm, of Boulton Grove, Hull, admitted attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication and a sexual act between July 30 and August 3 last year.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said that the founder of a group aimed at stopping online contact with children posed as a 14-year-old girl.

Denholm contacted the fake girl in the early hours and said "Hi."

He told her that he worked on the railway and said: "I'm a lot older than you but I like younger girls. If you want a sugar daddy, I'm yours."

The non-existent girl replied: "I'm 14, though" but he said: "Do you want to play? Do you want to chat with me?"

They exchanged mobile phone numbers and, in WhatsApp messages, Denholm made highly sexualised suggestions.

"The defendant went into graphic detail," said Miss Stuart-Lofthouse.

"He was sexually graphic, describing numerous sexual activities. The sexual chat continued."

Denholm sent three intimate pictures of himself and a video of himself committing a sex act and others showing pictures and videos of women.

The two discussed the possibility of meeting up but nothing specific was arranged.

The online group founder confronted Denholm and the police were alerted.

Mark Savage, mitigating, said the offences happened over a relatively short period of time.

"This became sexualised very, very quickly," said Mr Savage.

"He offers no excuses for his behaviour. It was a huge error of judgement that cost him his job.

"Thankfully, he was stopped in his tracks. It is not something that he would ever commit again."

Denholm had said: "I can't imagine how any child would cope with what I have done.

"It's vile and disgusting what I have done. Whether it's a decoy or not, it's disgusting. I can never make amends."

Judge John Thackray QC told Denholm: "You thought you were engaging in sexual communication with a 14-year-old girl. Thankfully, it was a decoy.

"The actual harm was mercifully none. There was a very significant disparity in age."

Denholm had tried to conceal evidence by deleting messages.

"I accept there is some genuine remorse," said Judge Thackray.

"Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence."

Denholm was jailed for two years and was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for ten years.

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A disgraced police officer who sexually abused a young girl while he volunteered at a children's home during the 1970s is spared jail after two failed suicide attempts left him in a wheelchair.

Tim Lively, 62, from Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, was shown 'mercy' from a judge at Warwick Crown Court on Monday after they heard he is now in a wheelchair as a result of driving his car into a tree.

The former sergeant and detective constable was convicted of two charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency back in May 2019.

Lively committed the offences in the 1970s when he was a Warwickshire police cadet and volunteering at a children's home.

The police officer appeared at Warwick Crown Court in a wheelchair on Monday and was handed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Sentencing him, Judge Anthony Potter said he was sparing him from prison following his two failed suicide bids.

He said: 'Following his conviction Mr Lively made first an attempt to take an overdose, and then a couple of days later made a bid to end his life by driving his car at speed into a tree.

'That has left him confined to a wheelchair and has profoundly affected his short-term memory, and he is also assessed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

'I sentence you for offences you committed over 40 years ago and were convicted of over two years ago.

'Your personal circumstances were very different.

'You came from a loving home, and she was in care at the home where you volunteered. She was particularly vulnerable, something which you quickly identified.

'You befriended her and gained her trust and then sought to exploit that.

'It began when you were 16 or 17 and in the police cadets. She did it because she was scared and saw you as a figure of authority.

'You were not willing to admit what you had done, which caused a great deal of unpleasant memories to be dredged up, and it has had a continuing impact on her.

'I am just persuaded, as an act of mercy, that I can suspend the sentence.'

Judge Potter also slapped him with an 8pm-7am curfew for three months, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for ten years.

The court heard Lively became a wealthy businessman after leaving Warwickshire Police in 1986.

Following a 15-week he was found guilty of two charges of indecently assaulting a girl in the late 1970s and one of gross indecency with the same girl.

He was cleared of nine further charges relating to four boys. A further 14 charges were allowed to lie on file after Lively was deemed unfit for trial.

Prosecutor Rosina Cottage QC told the court Lively abused the girl, who was between 10 and 12, while he volunteered at a children's home.

Stephen Vullo QC, defending, said: 'He is in a wheelchair, and will be for life, and has a brain injury which he will have for life.

'He has to a large extent suffered very significant punishment already.'

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A convicted sex offender who went illegally off the radar for a month has been handed a lengthy jail term for his 12th breach of a court order.

Mark King, now 49, was made subject to sex offender registration requirements by a judge in 2012. That was part of his punishment for an offence of exposure. It means that upon his release from any prison sentence, until February 2022, King must declare a fixed address; or, if homeless, must notify police of that fact within a specified time.

But in recent years, homeless King has committed a host of breaches in different areas of the UK and received jail terms which have increased in length.

In 2018, King was jailed for a breach that came to light after he was found sleeping rough in a Penrith park. The following year he was handed a 28-month sentence in the Midlands. And at Carlisle Crown Court today he was imprisoned again for a breach that occurred after contact was lost with him during October.

He was released from police custody in relation to a seven-day remand for theft and breach of order, prosecutor Tim Evans told the court. He was given 50. He indicated he was going to travel to Birmingham. He didnt in fact get there. In effect, he simply slipped off the radar until the end of October when he was arrested.

King admitted flouting notification requirements and was sentenced by Judge Simon Medland QC, who noted it was his 12th such breach in less than a decade.

Judge Medland jailed King for 30 months, seeing no alternative to a lengthy prison term and telling the defendant: It just doesnt seem to get through to you that the courts must take this seriously.

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A paedophile sent explicit videos of himself to what he thought was a young girl, unaware she was really a grown woman hunting the internet for sex beasts.

Jon Duffy, 24, had no idea he was being duped by a vigilante group as he believed he was sending graphic messages to a 14-year-old girl.

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Alan Mennie, of Hebburn, has been jailed for more than four years for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity

Online predator Alan Mennie has been jailed after he was exposed by paedophile hunters engaging in sex chats with what he thought were two underage girls.

The loner believed he was communicating with youngsters aged 11 and 13 over the internet but had been duped by Secret Whispers, an organisation behind fake profiles that are set up to snare paedophiles.

Now Mennie, 42, has been jailed for four years and one month at Newcastle Crown Court after he admitted two charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Andrew Espley said: "This defendant engaged in sexual conversations with two separate people online, pretending to be children.

"Penetrative sexual activity was discussed and it emerged that those were fake profiles, set up by Secret Whispers."

The first conversation took place between October 2018 and April 2019.

Mr Espley said Mennie "made it clear he wasn't concerned she was 13" and asked if she had been with an older man.

Mennie invited the child to his home and engaged in graphic sexual conversation.

The second chat was between March and April 2019 and Mennie believed the girl was just 11.

Mr Espley said: "Full sexual intercourse was discussed."

The court heard Mennie tried to persuade both child profiles to perform sex acts on themselves.

As well as the prison sentence, Mennie, of Tharsis Road, Hebburn, South Tyneside, must abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register for life.

Judge Spragg said Mennie has never lived with a partner or lived apart from his mother, who is now in her 80s and is "socially isolated".

Nick Lane, defending, said: "He very much regrets the way he behaved and recognises the seriousness of his offending."

Mr Lane said Mennie became withdrawn after the sudden death of his father when he was younger.

The court heard Mennie was employed for a few years after leaving school but was then unable to work due to anxiety and depression, which he received counselling for.

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A man who carried out a series of horrific sexual attacks over several years has been jailed, following an investigation by the Met.

Kevin Smith, 55 (23.05.66), of Edwin Street, E16, was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November having earlier pleaded guilty at the same court to 18 counts of rape and assault by penetration.

Smith, who also used the name 'Ian Dormer', will serve six years on licence on release.

The offences began in January 2016 with the last in July 2021.

The victim, who is a vulnerable woman, disclosed what was happening to mental health services staff and they alerted police shortly afterward.

Smith was arrested on Saturday, 24 July. He was charged and remanded in custody the following day.

Officers from the North East Safeguarding Team conducted a fast-moving and meticulous investigation. Smith's phone was seized and interrogated, revealing a disturbing search history around rape and other sexual offences and the legality around them.

A thorough search of Smith's address was also conducted, during which officers discovered he had made plans to flee before police arrival. He had removed the sofa, bed and wardrobe in apparent attempt to give the impression he had not lived there, and had also packed what was left of his belongings into boxes.

On his phone officers found he had researched where he could go to disappear within the UK, and how he could get rid of his phone so that the police would never find it.

Detective Constable India Allen said: "This was a harrowing investigation involving a female victim who suffered terribly at the hands of Smith, who used a position of trust to abuse her.

"Her support during our investigation and the judicial process has been crucial. I would like to thank and praise her for the outstanding courage and bravery she has shown. I hope Smith's substantial sentence will give her some small measure of comfort as she looks to the next chapters of her life, safe in the knowledge that Smith is behind bars.

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A former science teacher has been jailed for being in a sexual relationship with a pupil.

Robert Hanna, 43 (11.01.78) of Southwark, London appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November where he was jailed for three years for six counts of sexual activity with a child whilst in a position of trust.

Detective Constable Erica Slater, from Central South Command, said: “This was a complex case where Hanna denied everything from the beginning and lied continuously throughout the case. However, the victim courageously remained steadfast in her evidence and following a thorough investigation his accounts were disproved.

“Today’s sentence highlights the severity of this case and I would encourage anyone who is a victim of or victim to sexual abuse in any context to contact police. We have specially trained officers to investigate as well as ensuring there is ongoing support provided to the victims.”

Hanna had previously been found guilty following a trial at the same court on Tuesday, 19 October, following a 12-day trial. During the trial the investigating detective travelled to the North East of England in order to obtain further evidence from the victim and additional evidence to secure the unanimous guilty verdict.

He has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), preventing him from having any unsupervised contact with people under 18 and he will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The court heard how Hanna was a teacher at a school in Southwark from 2015 until May 2019 when he was subsequently dismissed.

During this time he began having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old pupil whom he helped to achieve good grades in physics.

During a school prom he asked a group of pupils to meet up with him. Hanna then purchased alcohol and met with a few of the girls.

A sexual relationship began with the victim, over a four-month period. The victim told Hanna that she wanted the relationship to end but he persuaded her to meet with him one more time, he then broke up with her.

On Monday, 1 April 2019 the victim found the courage to inform a teacher of what had been happening and the school immediately suspended him. Police were alerted and an investigation began, led by specialist officers from Central South Child Abuse Investigation Team.

Officers interviewed him the following day and he denied being in a sexual relationship with the victim. A subsequent investigation found hotel check in and check out confirmation, banks statements and phone download evidence that corroborated the account given by the victim.

In May 2020 Hanna was charged as above.

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A man has been sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment following his conviction on a number of non-recent sexual offences against a girl.

48-year-old John Anthony Searle of Bay Road in Bracknell, was convicted by jury of one count of rape of a girl under 13, and two counts of sexual assault of a girl under 13.

Searle will have to sign the sex offenders register for life and made the subject of Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The offences were non-recent and he assaulted his victim over a two-year period.

Searle will have to sign the sex offenders register for life and made the subject of Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The offences were non-recent and he assaulted his victim over a two-year period.