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A man who was raped in a classroom by a history teacher as a schoolboy said the abuse he suffered "broke him". He said he attempted to kill himself by smoking 20 cigarettes a day and "craved for cancer".

Gareth Rogers 77, was a teacher at Caerleon Comprehensive School in Newport during the 1970s, and in his 20s, when he performed oral sex on one of the boys in his classroom before raping him behind a cupboard door. He also touched another boy's penis and masturbated him, while tutoring the victim in his bedroom.

The first victim came forward and notified the police in 2018 after disclosing the abuse to his mother and his sister. The second victim came forward in 2019 after he was told Rogers had been arrested. The defendant denied five counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery, and claimed the allegations have been "made up" by the complainants. But he was found guilty of all six counts by a jury, following a trial a Newport Crown Court.

The defendant has a number of previous convictions involving the sexual abuse of children. In 1997, he was convicted of indecently assaulting two girls under 14 years old. In February 2014, Rogers was convicted of indecently assaulting two boys in the 1980s and in March 2014, he was convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

During a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, Rogers' first victim said: "At the time (of the abuse), I fully trusted people in a position of trust and responsibility. I knew nothing of paedophelia or of it even existing, it was the 1970s and we were not aware. I was a happy child who became an unhappy adult, the effect on me emotionally was devastating and I no longer trusted anyone. I thought this must be what adults do and I was terrified of adult males for years until I was old and strong enough to repel occurrences.

"I was untrusting of males and males in authority. My initial thought is not to trust people and keep a low profile... That level of distrust stayed with me all my life post attack and I had feelings of self disgust, low self esteem, low self confidence and ashamed of what happened...

"After being 20, I decided I could not cope with the shame, I resolved to kill myself by the time I was 50. I planned to do this naturally and craved for cancer. I smoked 20 Marlboro a day as a documentary said this would lead to an early death.... I am not the person I was meant to be and I don't like the person I have become. When I got to 50 and I wasn't dead, I couldn't cope with life anymore. I was on medication every day and went to see the doctor and opened up to him. I was stressed, anxious and depressed and have been on prescribed antidepressants....

"I struggled to see a future, all I can see is the past and the devastating effect it's had on my life. It's too late for therapy as the damage has already been done.... I would have loved to have been happily married and have kids but for reasons mentioned this hasn't happened. It's a major source of regret and I blame the attack for any inadequacies in this area, and made relationships feel sordid to me. He broke me."

Rogers' second victim also wrote a statement, read out to the court by prosecutor Ieuan Bennett. He said: "As this was a historic crime I have suffered differing amounts of emotional problems over the years. I packed the memory deep inside my mind but of course it would come back in varying degrees of time. It affected my personal life and trust of people and affected relationships with people close to me.

"I couldn't be totally honest with them, keeping what happened to me a secret. I believe it was a significant cause of me becoming alcoholic, drinking to deal with emotions and memory of abuse I suffered. My addiction slowly affected the way I lived and worked and as a result I was sent to rehab. I have been sober for seven years. Along with the guilty verdict, it allowed me to lay to rest many demons. It affected the way I trust and interact with people over the years and led to many breakdowns."

In mitigation, Ruth Smith said her client had served a number of sentences in relation to his previous convictions, but these were the most serious and the first committed in time. She said the defendant's risk has diminished because of the courses he had carried out while incarcerated, and due to his age he is no longer in positions where he is able to exploit his access to children.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: "It's clear from your convictions you have a long standing sexual interest in children over the years. You have severely damaged the lives of a number of people. The two victims in this case, you left their lives severely damaged. Your actions and consequences for them have destroyed the lives they could have led had you not done what you did."

The judge said the defendant was at "significant risk" of committing further sexual offences against children. She said she was "satisfied" he still has an sexual interest in children, and is at risk of causing "severe physical and psychological harm".

Rogers, of Commercial Street, Newport, was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment, and an extended licence period of three years. He must serve two thirds of the custodial term before he is considered eligible for release, and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

Record details

A stalker had a mould of his penis delivered to his victim, a court has heard. The unsavoury delivery was part of campaign of behaviour by Bobby Williams which saw him repeatedly turning up at the woman's house and even harassing her on a beach - all in breach of a restraining order.

The 39-year-old's barrister told Swansea Crown Court the father-of-three was ashamed of his behaviour. A judge said it was clear the defendant had a "fixation" with his victim and told him if he continued to offend in a similar way he would be facing ever increasing prison sentences.

Caitlin Brazel, prosecuting, said in July last year Williams was made the subject of a 24-month community order and a 12-month restraining order after being convicted of stalking a woman. However, within weeks of the restraining order being imposed he began breaching it. The court heard the defendant started messaging the woman on Snapchat, and then began turning up at her house. The prosecutor said on one occasion the defendant had a "gift" delivered to the woman's home which contained "a mould of his erect penis" and on another occasion he shouted verbal abuse at the woman and followed her after encountering her on a beach. He also approached a neighbour of the woman and talked about seeing her abroad as the restraining order would not apply outside the UK.

The defendant was arrested on January 3 this year and taken to Haverfordwest police station. The court heard he answered "no comment" to most questions asked in interview but when questioned about the "gift" of the penis he "simply smiled and said 'it is hers'". In a statement from the victim that was read to the court by the prosecutor the woman said the defendant's "relentless behaviour" had been "exhausting and draining" and left her feeling like a prisoner in her own home.

Bobby Williams, of Parrog Road, Newport, Pembrokeshire, had previously pleaded guilty to stalking and to five counts of breaching a restraining order when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has nine previous convictions for 22 offences between 2002 and 2023. Freddie Lewendon, for Williams, said the defendant was ashamed of his actions and wished to apologise to his victim. He said the defendant had struggled with alcohol since his teenage years and the "drinking culture" associated with his work in the scaffolding trade had been to his detriment. He added that bereavement in his teens had left the father-of-three with "abandonment issues" for which he was now receiving counselling.

Judge Huw Rees said it was clear the defendant had a "fixation" in regard to the woman and said it seemed he had little hesitancy in breaching court orders. He told the defendant if he continued to offend in a similar way he would find himself being sent to prison for incrementally longer periods of time. With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Williams was sentenced to 16 months in prison comprising 16 months for breaching the restraining order offences and 10 months for the stalking offence to run concurrently. The community order imposed in 2023 was revoked and the defendant was resentenced to 12 months in prison for that matter to run concurrently with the new sentence. Williams will serve up to half the 16-month sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Record details

A "dangerous sexual predator" spent two decades raping and manipulating girls and young women, a court has heard. Kevin Offland subjected six different females to sexual violence and abuse in a prolonged campaign of horrific offending.

A judge at Swansea Crown Court said she had no doubt Offland presented a danger to women and said an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public. The 45-year-old defendant refused to attend his sentencing hearing – something the judge said did not surprise her as he was "both a bully and a coward".

Speaking after the sentence police praised the courage of the victims in coming forward and giving evidence and said the case should serve as reminder to everyone that "justice can still be served years after any abuse was committed". Prosecutor Andrew Davies told the court it was the prosecution position that Offland was a "dangerous sexual predator" who had preyed on females for two decades. The court heard a series of statements from the defendant's victims in which they set out the devastating impact his offending has had on their lives.

One woman described how the defendant had exploited and manipulated her and subjected her to "the most heinous abuse" and described him as a "masochistic entity". Another said Offland had "completely ruined my childhood and ruined me as a person" and had left her with complex post-traumatic stress disorder while another described how she suffered with severe depression and was now unable to trust anyone.

Kevin Offland, formerly of Black Bridge, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, and now of Nichols Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, had previously been convicted at trial of 18 offences of rape, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and sexual activity with a child when the case returned to court for sentencing. The offending took place between 1998 and 2021 at locations in Pembrokeshire and Shropshire. Nicola Powell, for Offland, said the defendant put his account to the jury at trial and maintains his innocence.

Judge Catherine Richards said she was not surprised Offland had refused to attend the sentencing hearing as he was "both a bully and a coward". She told the defendant he had dominated, abused, and raped woman and girls who "had the misfortune to come across you" and she said she had no doubt he posed a danger to woman and was a "manipulative predator". The judge paid tribute to the courage of the woman who came forward and gave evidence at trial and acknowledged no sentence a court could pass could measure the misery Offland had inflicted on them.

The defendant was given a 30-year extended sentence comprising 26 years in custody followed by a four-year licence period. Offland must serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before he can apply to be let out but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released.

Speaking after the sentencing Dyfed-Powys Police detective constable Claire Duggan, the officer who investigated the case, said: "This has been a complex case involving a number of victims and witnesses from two different force areas. Their courage and strength to firstly report the abuse, which was extremely sensitive, and also the way they have remained strong throughout the investigation and trial is to be commended. I would like to thank the jury on the guilty verdicts given and Judge Richards for the sentencing.

"This successful court result is an important reminder to everyone that justice can still be served years after any abuse was committed. I hope now that the victims and their families, who have been affected by the actions of Kevin Offland, can now try and move on with their lives."

Police investigator Ian Rutherford from West Mercia Police - the force that covers Shropshire - described it as a "harrowing and shocking" case and said the trauma Offland caused his victims would likely to be life-long. He paid tribute to the "unwavering determination and bravery" of the victims and their families, and said while he welcomed the sentence handed down by the court in Swansea no sentence could ever provide justice for the survivors.

Record details

A depraved elderly paedophile raped and sexually assaulted a young girl while filming the abuse. The ordeal left the girl contemplating suicide as she felt she "didn't deserve to live anymore".

Roger Stapleton, 75, of Llantrisant, carried out a campaign of horrific sexual crimes against the victim who was of primary school age when the abuse began. He raped the girl on multiple occasions and sexually assaulted her while she was holding a baby.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard the defendant possessed videos of himself raping and sexually assaulting the victim.

When he first abused the victim, by touching her intimately with his fingers, he told her: "It's okay, this is normal". The assault caused her extreme pain and she screamed. Stapleton told her not to tell anyone what he was doing to her and groomed her by giving her money and alcohol..

The offences came to light after a family member of the victim was made aware of a page on Facebook that the defendant had followed which contained images of half dressed teenagers. This led to the victim reporting the matter to the police in 2023.

Outlining the facts of the abuse prosecutor James Wilson said when Stapleton first raped the victim she was in pain but could not scream out as the defendant placed his hands over her mouth. The rape lasted for 10 minutes, and left the victim bleeding, but Stapleton walked off "as if nothing happened". Stapleton went on to rape the victim on four other occasions

On occasions he sexually assaulted her by touching her chest, performing oral sex upon her, rubbing himself on her, and touching her while she was holding a baby. Upon being told this Judge Paul Hopkins KC said: "I just have to reflect on the enormity of the depravity in this case. It's an appalling case."

A number of cameras were subsequently seized by police including multiple camera and memory cards on which was stored videos of Stapleton raping and sexually assaulting the victim. In total there were 13 Category A images, 29 Category B images, and 26 Category C images. The defendant had also made search terms including "teen porn". The defendant was also found to have made internet searches for a phone message tracker app and had a diary in which he made reference to having sex with the victim.

Stapleton, of Llantrisant Business Park, was arrested and pleaded guilty to five counts of rape, one count of assaulting a child by penetration, six counts of sexual assault, and three counts of making indecent images. Judge Hopkins said: "He had no choice but to plead guilty. Even though the evidence was overwhelming I am still required to give him full credit although he had no alternative."

In a victim personal statement read to the court the victim said: "My mental health got so bad I started to self-harm and cut my arms or legs every day and started thinking about ending my life. I began to plan ending my life but never went through with it. It made me feel I didn't deserve to live anymore and didn't feel like I was good enough. I felt that was the reason I was alive – so he could do things to me and that was all I was good for. I constantly blamed myself for what he did although none of this was my fault and I realise that now. I felt isolated, lonely, angry, and ill-equipped to handle these feelings or do anything about them...

"He ruined my life and because of it I didn't get to enjoy my childhood and teenage years as much as I should have. I should have been out with my friends all the time actually enjoying my but I spent my time crying and self-harming in my room wondering what I had done to deserve this... He ruined my childhood but I won't let him ruin my future."

Record details

A sadistic thug viciously raped one woman in a horrific attack and tied up another woman with tape before threatening to kill her. He left one of his victims unconscious after he stamped on her head and neck.

John Harding, 30, of Newport, committed brutal attacks upon his two victims which left them fearing for their lives. The defendant has a long history of violence committed against women.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the first victim was attacked by Harding who threw her to the ground and stood on her head, which caused her to scream in pain. He then dragged her along the floor and kicked and punched her to the side of her head. The defendant then grabbed her throat and put his fist to her head.

Recounting the facts of the assault Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "In an act bordering on sadistic you bent down close to her face and told her she was not scared enough. She must have been scared out of her wits."

Harding later twice raped the victim and ignored the victim's shouts for him to stop. He also used his fingers to penetrate her, which caused her "extreme pain". He then performed a sex act in a "final act of degradation", the court heard.

The second victim was just a teenager when she was assaulted by Harding who was said to have treated her with "disdain and cruelty". During the first attack he threw her to the ground, kicked and stood on her head, and strangled her until she lost consciousness.

When she came round she saw the defendant on top of her and he was hitting her chest to get her to breathe again. He then threw her to the floor a second time and kicked her. Over the next few days the victim suffered increasing swelling and bruising to her head and discovered she had broken ribs.

During the second attack upon the victim Harding took tape from a rucksack and used it to tie her up. The more she struggled the tighter the tape became. Two men passed nearby and the defendant threatened to kill the victim and the men if she screamed out. He then produced a pair of scissors and held the blade to her throat in what was described by Judge Jenkins as a "terrifying incident".

Following his arrests Harding, of Corporation Road, denied the offences but was found guilty of two counts of rape, assault by penetration, two counts of intentional strangulation, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of false imprisonment, and making threats to kill. After the trial the defendant wrote a letter to the first victim from prison, which caused her great distress.

The court heard he has seven previous convictions including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, battery, and witness intimidation committed against women. One of these occasions he put his foot on the victim's neck and threatened to "smash her head in" with a weight.

Reading out her victim personal statement via videolink the first victim said: "Every day I have to battle demons in my head which tell me to stay in bed. I have to go back to PTSD attacks. I not only see events, I feel the same emotions of being in fear for my life and feeling completely helpless."

The victim said she was suffering from flashbacks and when she leaves the house she feels overwhelmed by anxiety. She added: "I feel as though I have the word 'victim' written on my face and when I leave the house or when someone looks at me I feel they know what has happened to me. It's dehumanising....

"If you could imagine going through the worst moment of your life and having no input in how it's dealt with. That's what I go through every day... I can't put into words how this has made me feel, I don't know myself. [It has] torn scars in my soul that will last forever and even God can't heal. I have to be the final girl. If me doing this can save someone's life I'll do it 10 times over."

In mitigation Kevin Seal said his client "needs help" in custody in order to change his attitude towards women and the way he manages his problems and his life in general. He said the defendant will "need to become a completely different person" if he wished to have contact with his child.

Sentencing, Judge Jeremy Jenkins said: "These two brave young complainants have given evidence of a most frightening experience in which each suffered at your hands with a degree of violent and sexual degradation. This is deeply concerning the more so when one considers your antecedent history...

"This simply cannot be ignored. You are a danger to young women. I will go further and say with confidence that in your company no young lady is truly safe. You pose a significant risk of harm to members of the public."

Harding was sentenced to a total of 15 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years. He will serve at least two-thirds of the custodial sentence before he will be considered for parole. The defendant was also made subject to two restraining orders and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Record details

A man has been jailed after being caught with almost 400 illegal images of children on a mobile phone.

Carl Webb, formerly of Gloucester Road in Cheltenham, admitted making 240 Category C indecent images of children, 144 prohibited images, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He also admitted failing to report to a police station and being in breach of a suspended prison sentence.

The 37-year-old was jailed for three years and three months on 14 March.

Webb, who has a history of child sex offences dating back more than two decades, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court.

He was convicted of indecently assaulting a child in 2002 and was jailed for sexual activity with a child in 2009.

Prosecutor Alec Small said that on 28 September 2022 police visited Webb at his home to check he was complying with his sexual harm prevention order.

He volunteered that he had a borrowed phone that he had not previously declared.

The phone was seized by officers and was found to contain indecent images of children.

Mr Small added that Webb had failed to attend a police station to sign the sex offender register on 1 March 2023.

Webb is currently serving a three-year jail term imposed on him in October 2023 after he breached a community order he had received at an earlier hearing.

Defending, Catherine Spedding, said Webb is "keen to look at the root cause of his offending" by taking part in a sex offender programme.

She added: "Once he is sentenced, he hopes to be moved to a prison where he can undertake that positive and useful course. "He is looking forward to that because he wants to cease this sort of offending." Webb was also given a new sexual harm prevention order.

Record details

A 69-YEAR-OLD man received a two-year prison term, suspended for two years, for possessing hundreds of indecent images and videos of children.

Peter Minchim was arrested at his home in Beeches Park, Hampton Fields, near Minchinhampton, after Gloucestershire Police received information from the National Crime Agency that indecent images from his address had been detected.

Prosecutor Ehsanul Oarith told Gloucester Crown Court on Friday, March 15, that his computer was seized and 369 indecent images and two videos of children in the most serious Category A were found.  

There were also 286 Category B images and 687 Category C images and one video.

Additionally, a prohibited image and 12 images of extreme pornography were found. 

The prosecutor explained that the youngest child portrayed was six months old. 

Catherine Spedding, defending, said: “A full pre-sentence report has been carried out and Minchim has submitted two references to the court.

"He is supported in court by Alison Huntley, an NHS support worker for the criminal justice system, who has been involved since his arrest."

Ms Huntley told the court: “Minchim has shown significant remorse for this offence and has contacted the specialist organisation ‘Stop It Now’ to get help and support. 

“Because of this offence, his marriage is now over.

"A sentence in the community would be far more beneficial instead of a prison term to allow Minchim to get the help he needs."

Minchim admitted three counts of possessing a total of 1,345 indecent images and videos of children in categories A, B and C, one prohibited image and 12 extreme pornography images between January 31 and August 31 last year.

As well as the suspended sentence, Minchim was ordered to pay £425 in costs, must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and attend 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. 

Minchim has also been subjected to the terms of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for the same time period. 

Judge Recorder Tom Brown said: “These images are disturbing from their descriptions and involve children as young as six months. 

“I accept that you took steps to address your offending, which demonstrates there is a prospect of rehabilitation.

"I am satisfied that you are ashamed by your actions."

Record details

A young pervert from Angus caught with child abuse videos categorised as the most graphic kind has been handed an alternative to custody.

Carnoustie paedophile Ruari Patterson was told his behaviour was “harmful” when he was placed under supervision at a sentencing hearing this week.

Record details

A sex offender has appeared in court again and admitted sharing indecent images of children on social media.

Police raided John Daly’s home in Thanet after the disturbing clips were retweeted from an account on X – formerly known as Twitter – connected to his address.

When officers searched the 58-year-old’s home they found category B and C images on his phone, as well as a prohibited image of children.

Daly, of Manston Road, Ramsgate, was later charged with two counts of distributing indecent photographs, two counts of downloading indecent images and one count of being in possession of a prohibited image of a child.

He admitted all of the offences when he appeared before magistrates in Folkestone on March 12.

The court heard when police searched Daly’s home they found he had shared a category B image online on May 16 last year, and had also shared 24 category C images between May 7 and May 22.

A total of 125 indecent images – five category B and 126 category C – had also been downloaded on May 30, and Daly was also found to be in possession of the prohibited image.

Rajni Prashar prosecuting said: “He’s a registered sex offender and has previous convictions for indecent images.

“The indecent images were on Twitter (now X) and were in a direct message but had been retweeted as videos by this account, and the address connected to it matched him.

“The images were found on his mobile phone and he also had a prohibited image of children which showed children in bikinis and swimsuits, and he had used a public Twitter account.

“He was convicted of having indecent images in 2010 and 2014 and he also failed to comply with notification requirements [as a sex offender] in 2022.”

Magistrates decided the offences were so serious they sent Daly’s case to Canterbury Crown Court for sentencing.

He was granted bail until the hearing – a date for which has yet to be set.

Record details

A York paedophile has been jailed for seven years for sexually abusing a young girl whose life had been completely ripped apart by his predatory behaviour.

John Patrick Steenson, 60, from Jewbury, subjected his victim to acts which had a devastating and lifelong effect on her, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Jeremy Hill-Baker said that Steenson had repeatedly abused the youngster by forcing her to perform sex acts on him at a property in York.

When the victim first made allegations about Steenson in 2003, it was not followed up because it was thought she was “too young to give any evidence”.

It took the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, another 17 years to come forward to police again, but when Steenson was brought in for questioning, he vehemently denied the allegations.

He was charged with two counts of gross indecency with a child but pleaded not guilty, which meant the victim had to endure the ordeal of a trial.

A jury found Steenson guilty on both counts and he appeared for sentence yesterday (Thursday, 14 March) knowing his fate was sealed.

Mr Hill-Baker said that one of the charges related to indecency with a child on multiple occasions and the other was one incident. The offences occurred between late 2003 and early 2004.

The victim said the abuse became “routine” over a five-month period.

In her early childhood, she didn’t realise why she was so angry because she was so young to understand what had happened to her.

By her teens, she was suffering with anxiety and depression. Later in life, she started to come to terms with what had happened to her and came forward to police.

Unhealthy interest

Steenson’s sexual predilection for children was evidenced even before his conviction for abusing the girl when he was convicted in 2022 of making and distributing indecent images of minors, for which he received a suspended prison sentence, a rehabilitation programme and a sexual-harm prevention order.

However, his online behaviour had been more long-lasting, as evidenced by the caution he received in 2006 for making indecent images of children.

The victim said the devastating effects on her had seeped into adulthood and had led to depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Her schooling and mental health had been profoundly affected and she had since suffered problems forming relationships.

Defence barrister Nicholas Hammond said that Steenson had held down a job for most of his adult life and was now in poor health.

Judge Simon Hickey told Steenson: “You clearly have an unhealthy interest in young children.”

He described the impact on the victim as “severe”, adding: “She’s still suffering with mental-health issues…and she’s having to fight these issues for the rest of her life.”

Steenson was jailed for seven years but will only serve half of that sentence behind bars before being released on prison licence.

He was ordered to sign on the sex-offenders’ register for life and made subject to a sexual-harm prevention order to curb his online activities and contact with children.

Record details

A paedophile has been jailed after raping a girl in her own bed. Garry Gibbons, 36, of Mile End, East London, was sentenced to six years and four months imprisonment for the rape of a girl aged under 18 at Snaresbroke Crown Court on Wednesday, March 13.

Gibbons had been sleeping in the living room of a home where his young victim was sleeping in a bedroom on 18 April 2023. He got up in the early hours of the morning, entered the room where she was sleeping and then got into the bed and raped her "despite her protests," police said.

His victim then fled the property to a friend's house where the police were called. Forensic samples were taken from the victims clothing that were later identified as being a match for Garry Gibbons.

Gibbons was arrested on August 31, 2023, on suspicion of rape which he denied, despite having left DNA on the victim. He was convicted on March 6, 2024.

Detective Inspector Chris Heathcote of the Mets Public Protection Unit in Tower Hamlets said: "Gibbons is a predatory offender who targeted a young girl, while she slept and despite her protests, raped her.

"He strongly denied the allegation, claiming that he hadnt gone into the room and that he had slept through the night. However, DNA testing of samples taken from the victims clothing proved otherwise."

He added: I am pleased that Garry Gibbons has been removed from the community to a place where he no longer poses a threat to women and girls.

"We understand the anxiety of reporting rape, particularly when the attacker is someone that you know. I urge anyone in that situation to get in touch, at the very least so that we can check you are okay. My thoughts are with the survivor/victim in this case. I hope she may now find a measure of closure.

Record details

A charity shop worker has been jailed for two years for possessing extreme child abuse images, after being cleared of exposing herself to two 11-year-old girls.

Samantha Norris was acquitted by a jury at Southampton Crown Court of the two charges of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child which were alleged to have taken place on July 27, 2023. The prosecution had claimed that Norris, who is in the process of gender transitioning, had exposed her penis deliberately to the two youngsters through the window of her flat.

The 56-year-old was also cleared earlier in the trial of two further charges of engaging in sexual activity and two of indecent exposure. Norris told the court that she was a naturist who was habitually naked in her own home and the children could only have seen her naked if they had been spying on her.

Norris, who worked at a Sue Ryder charity shop in her home town of Ringwood, Hampshire, said she had been the victim of abuse from youngsters in the town and she felt these girls had been taunting her. During the trial Charles Gabb, prosecuting, told the jury that Norris was naked by the window when she was seen by the two girls on two days in a row.

He said: The defendant, Miss Norris, now transitioning, she has a penis, was standing there fully naked, on the first day almost glorifying in that nudity over quite a period of time knowing the girls were there and drawing attention to herself. And the next day when she saw them again and she was naked, glorying in her nudity, almost posturing, definitely manipulating her penis with these two young girls being able to see all this. The Crown would suggest there was no attempt to cover up, no attempts of any modesty or propriety.

He said that one of the girls described the defendant throwing her penis around and added both children could see her playing with her penis and knowing the children were watching. It certainly caused alarm for these two children and an element of distress as well.

Norris told the court she thought the children had only seen her head and shoulders and, when asked why she did not put clothes on, replied: Because I am a naturist and I didnt see it was necessary in my own home. She added: For people like me, we can provide an object of curiosity, so we attract unwanted attention and various behaviours related to it. I have seen it quite a lot. I think they got themselves wound up and were taunting me for a while.

After the jury returned its not guilty verdicts, Norris, entered guilty pleas to three charges of making indecent images of children of categories A, B and C, one count of possessing prohibited images of children and a charge of possessing an extreme image depicting a person engaging in sexual activity with an animal.

As well as the prison sentence, Judge Nicholas Rowland made Norris subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. The court the defendant had 16,000 images of children including about 2,000 still and 121 moving images of category A seriousness. The images included children aged as young as three with others showing youngsters aged about six in distress and pain, the court heard.

Sentencing Norris, Judge Rowland said that Norris had also in her possession written notes describing sexual fantasies involving a four-and-a-half year old child and a New Years resolution to have sex with a girl under 10.

He told the defendant: Its all about you Samantha Norris and not the victims. You do not accept they are victims, you have distorted views and you do not feel your offending should be treated as serious how would a right-minded person think about that? Your views are alarming and complex you present a high risk of harm to children.

He added: Its pretty blatant to me that you decided not to enter guilty pleas (earlier) as these pleas would have gone in front of the jury of the other matters.

Record details

A sex offender has been jailed after targeting teenagers in Tenterden in November 2023.

On Friday 3 November and Monday 6 November 2023, Joseph Kemp, 33, approached teenage girls in the Ashford Road area of the town and made inappropriate comments to them.

Investigation

The girls reported the incidents and, following an investigation by the East Kent Vulnerability Investigation Team, Kemp was charged on Thursday 9 November.

Kemp, of Tenterden Road, Cranbrook, pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Jailed

He was sentenced to three years and seven months’ imprisonment at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday 14 March 2024.

Record details

A delivery driver arranged to meet a schoolboy and go back to his house while he was in the course of making drop-offs in the company van, a court has heard. When father-of-two Tyrone Felton arrived at the rendezvous he was was met not by a child but by plain clothes police officers, and an examination of the van revealed its internal CCTV cameras had been covered up.

Sending the 54-year-old to prison a judge at Swansea Crown Court told him the sooner he came to terms with the fact he had "paedophile tendencies" the better it would be for him and for society. He said he sincerely hoped the defendant would take advantage of sex offender education programmes that were available behind bars.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said in February this year a decoy profile purporting to belong to a 14-year-old boy was deployed on social media as part of an operation by Tarian, the southern Wales organised crime unit, to identify potential online sex offenders. He said Felton - who was going by the online name Dave1 - made contact with the profile and they began chatting. The court heard the decoy talked about school and made it clear he was aged 14, and Felton said that was fine. During the conversation Felton asked the boy about his underwear and asked if he could "accommodate" if they were to meet.

The court heard Felton told the decoy he was a delivery driver and was currently in Cowbridge heading west to Haverfordwest, and plans were made to meet "at a public place" in Carmarthen so the defendant could pick up the boy and go to the teen's house. At lunchtime Felton arrived at the rendezvous in his van to be met by undercover police officers who had been sent to the location. The court heard that when the defendant's van was searched officers found the internal CCTV cameras in the vehicle had been obscured by a fleece jacket and caps. The defendant was taken to Dafen police station and subsequently answered "no comment" to all questions asked in interview. Mr Pulling said as the Tarian operation was ongoing the name being used by the decoy profile, the social media platforms it was operating on, and the location of the meeting point in Carmarthen would no be revealed in open court.

Tyrone Felton, of Heol Heddwch, Seven Sisters, Dulais Valley, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, attempted sexual communications with a child, and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has a conviction from 1991 for gross indecency with a child and attempted kidnapping of a child, an incident which saw him exposing his penis to young children and inciting them to touch it.

Harry Dickens, for Felton, said the defendant had gone online to meet and talk to men but his use of the apps "spiralled", and he said the father-of-two could not explain what had precipitated offending that was before the court. He said the defendant "wished he had never done it" and was "deeply sorry".

Judge Paul Thomas KC said the defendant's antecedent record showed that he had had "paedophile tendencies" for a considerable period of time and it may be that sometimes they were "latent" and others "active". He said it was clear from the contents of the pre-sentence report that Felton was in denial, and he told the defendant that the sooner he came to terms with that fact he had a problem the better it would be for him and for society. He noted Felton was not particularly remorseful for his actions but was remorseful for the impact on his family.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Felton was sentenced to two years in prison - he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years, and will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time. Judge Thomas told Felton he sincerely hoped he would take advantage of sex offender education programmes that were available in custody.

Record details

A sexual predator has been jailed for 15 years for coercive controlling behaviour and raping a woman in Gosport.

Connor Richard Barnes, of no fixed address on the Isle of Wight, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday, January 18, where a jury found him guilty of two charges of rape and coercive controlling behaviour.

The offences took place between January 2020 and March 2022.

Following the verdict, the 28-year-old was remanded in custody until appearing again at the court on Tuesday, March 12, where he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.