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An abstract artist who molested a schoolgirl after inviting her to his studio to see his work and plying her with cider has been jailed. 

Ralph McGaul, then 36, admitted to sexually abusing the 14-year-old on four occasions over a three-month period in 2020.

The artist took advantage of the teenager, who said she 'sometimes doesn't recognise herself anymore' after the abuse, on a picnic and at his arts studio in Bollington, near Macclesfield.

The sex offender also spoke to her about them eloping to Cornwall where he said they would go surfing and then have 'hot steamy sex' in his tent.  

After McGaul got back together with his long-term partner, he declined to see the girl anymore and when she asked why, he messaged her: 'I'm sorry for what happened and the things I have done and how I treated you. I'm ashamed of myself.'

McGaul was eventually reported to police and was arrested in February 2022.

The girl, now 18, told police how she gets 'intrusive thoughts' about McGaul which leave her feeling 'upset and disgust'. 

In a statement to police, the victim said: 'I try really hard not to think about what happened and the man who did it to me, but I often get intrusive thoughts about him and when I do, I get an overriding feeling of upset and disgust.

'It is these same feelings that leave me unable to behave normally or carry on. I am left completely deflated, experiencing feelings of dread and I withdraw into myself, away from those that I love.

'I often don't seem to have the energy for anything else, I struggle to engage with others to maintain conversations with family, friends, I can't concentrate on work, or school. 

'Because of this, I have had to take time out from school and work, unable to dictate my own routine and schedule because of what happened.'

She added: 'These events have completely changed my ability to be around people.  

'I'm normally an outgoing, bubbly, conversational person, yet often I have found myself wanting to be alone, withdraw and push people away. I sometimes don't even recognise myself anymore

'There is an overwhelming sense of disassociation from myself as an individual and everything going on around me. 

'I feel as though I have been transformed into a new person, someone who I do not always recognise, sometimes a complete stranger from the girl I once was before this all happened.

'I used to be confident and independent when out alone in public, but now I find myself thinking twice about everything I do and how people behave around me.

'Even in broad daylight I am anxious and hypervigilant of everyone. I find myself attempting to anticipate what their intentions are, predicting the worst in some cases.

'I feel estranged from the idea of safety in some cases, a feeling I never had prior to all that happened. 

'I have had multiple nightmares about the event and what he did and what he might have done if I had never spoken up.'

At Chester Crown Court, McGaul now 40, who studied art in Brighton and Barcelona was locked up for five years and four months after he was convicted of sexual assault. 

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely and was banned from contacting the girl under the terms of a restraining order.

He admitted four charges of sexual activity with a child but denied having sexual intercourse with her. He was cleared of rape and a sexual grooming offence.

The pair became close after originally meeting in December 2018, by chance whilst cycling.

Prosecutor Mr Matthew Dunford said. 'She described an occasion when the two of them had been out for a picnic and were laying down outside.

'She described that he began to spoon her and she asked him what he was doing. He said he could not help it and tried to ignore him and she felt she could not just get up and leave as she was, as she put it, "in the middle of nowhere".

'She described other occasions where the defendant had spoken to her about moving with her to Cornwall. 

'He said that after surfing they could go into their tent and have hot steamy sex. The defendant went on to say to her that he saw her as more than just a friend.

'For her part, she told him that she saw him as a really good friend. She told him that she was 14.'

The prosecutor added: 'There was an occasion in June 2020 when she had gone to his shed where he was living at the time. During the day, he had shown her how to carry out screen printing and she ended up staying for tea.

'But he gave her some cider to drink and she described how it made her feel quite dizzy. Afterwards, she describes being sat on the bed when he started to touch her and she says she did not know how to tell him to stop.

'He began taking his clothes off and not knowing how to leave the situation, she went along with it. She describes feeling like she was frozen and described that she did not know how to say no.'

'Some time after this, she describes becoming aware that the defendant had got back with his partner and she says that that made her feel confused. She messaged the defendant setting out how she felt.

'She said to start with she had blamed herself for what happened, but as time had gone by, she realised it had not been her fault. 

'The defendant replied saying he was sorry for what had happened - for the things he had done and how he had treated her. He said he was ashamed of himself.'

Police arrested McGaul in February 2022 but he gave no comment in the police interview.

His counsel Mark Ford KC, said: 'In the months leading up to when the offences took place, his relationship with his partner had broken down and the defendant was effectively disconnected from the services that previously provided stability in his life.

'Their chance meeting had profound consequences for them both. As the evidence of messages on social media make clear, the complainant was keen to accompany the defendant and without having any preconceived notion as to where the meeting was likely to lead, he found himself falling in love with the victim.

'She was an intelligent and articulate young woman.

'She was interested in all the things that the defendant was interested in, the outdoor life, music and art. 

'The defendant became utterly smitten with her as is often the case when someone's emotions are caught up in the delirium of romantic love.

'Illogical or hopeless as it may seem, people in this situation may believe their feelings are reciprocated. Mr McGaul certainly did.'

At the sentencing, the judge Mr Recorder Eric Lamb told said: 'It has been put forward on your behalf that your actions were illogical and foolish and ultimately damaging but it was based on the self delusion that there was or could be a relationship between yourself and the victim.

'She was 14 and you were 36 and as you rightly acknowledge in your course of self analysis and demonstration of remorse you were the adult and you should have known better.'

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Following an investigation by the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) a 38-year-old man has been jailed for a sex offence and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Michael McGee, of King Street, Ramsgate, Kent was jailed for six years and eight months on at Reading Crown Court on Thursday (7/3).

He pleaded guilty to one count each of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Between November and December last year, McGee was communicating online with a girl who he believed was 12 years old. He sent sexually explicit messages and arranged to meet her in person.

He also breached the conditions of a SHPO by factory resetting one of his devices.

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Lisa Betchley, of SEROCU, said: SEROCU takes sexual offending extremely seriously.

McGee contacted and arranged to meet someone he believed to be underage. Thankfully no children were in danger, however McGees intentions were clear.

Further, due to the risk that he was deemed to pose because of previous offending, he was made subject to a SHPO meaning that he had to abide by certain conditions. He breached one of those conditions. Such breaches are not taken lightly, and he has been sentenced accordingly.

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A woman was subjected to a ‘humiliating’ sexual assault by a stranger in the Gay Village on New Year’s Eve. Abuzahra Rabea, 27, attacked the young woman without warning as she walked along the street with friends.

Rabea, a total stranger, approached her before he ‘shoved’ his hand up her skirt and forcefully groped her. After the ‘shocking’ attack, Rabea allegedly said he ‘could do what he wants’ and that he can ‘touch who he wants’.

Rabea, an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat from France, was on ‘immigration bail’ while his application remained outstanding. He has now been jailed for 18 months.

“Your victim was going about her lawful business, on a night out with friends,” Judge Hilary Manley told him during the sentencing hearing at Manchester Crown Court. “You deliberately approached her in the street, and with no preamble you forcibly shoved your hand up her dress and then groped her genital area with force.

“You were aggressive during and after the incident. This was frightening, humiliating, shocking and violating.

“Like many women and girls, your victim already had experienced sexual violence and assault in her life. What you did exacerbates those previous experiences.

“Women and girls must be able to go about their business, whether they are on their way to school or work or college, whether they are out walking in public or on a night out, without being targeted, assaulted and humiliated, and without fearing it might happen.”

Prosecuting, Phil Barnes told how the victim had been out celebrating the New Year when Rabea approached them, at about 2.20am in the early hours of January 1 last year. Rabea, who was said to be ‘extremely drunk’, was pushed away by the woman who shouted at him. He began to run away but her friends gave chase in a bid to stop him.

At one point they stopped him and Rabea was heard to say ‘sorry miss’ in ‘broken English’. A friend claimed they heard him say he ‘could do what he wants’ and ‘touch who he wants’.

He broke free but was detained a short distance away after the woman’s friends alerted police nearby. In an interview with officers, he denied sexually assaulting anyone and falsely claimed that the victim’s friends had tried to rob him at knifepoint.

“When you were apprehended, you added insult to injury by falsely claiming your victim had in some way committed a crime against you, that was a lie,” Judge Manley added.

“What you did has had a profound effect on many aspects of her life, and there is of course always the fear of something like this happening again. Having read the pre-sentence report I note you have shown little remorse or insight.”

The victim made a powerful statement in court in front of Rabea before he was sent down to begin his sentence. She said: “The night of January 1, 2023 was supposed to mark a new beginning for me. It was my New Year too. Another year where I dared to hope that the nightmares would fade.

“But instead it became another chapter in a story of pain and violation at the hands of another predator.” She said Rabea had seen her as a ‘mere object to satisfy your depraved desires’. She continued: “You didn’t see the years I spent wearing a mask, trying to cover my fear and pain from the world. You don’t see the courage it takes to step outside each day.

“It was my own perseverance that ultimately led to your arrest. The crime you committed against me is no small matter.

“You have added to the memories I struggle to suppress every waking moment. I doubt you care about the lasting impact your actions have had on my life.

“Until we can walk the streets without fear, until we can hold our heads high without the threat of sexual assault looming over us, none of us are truly safe.” The court heard that Rabea was first known to the authorities in the UK in 2017 when he entered the country in a ‘clandestine’ manner on a small boat from France.

He applied for asylum in the UK in 2022 and was on ‘immigration bail’ while his application remained undecided. He had no previous convictions on his record in this country.

Defending, Neil Ronan said that Rabea, who is originally from Egypt, had fled his native country after suffering a ‘vicious and violent attack’. He appealed to the judge to spare Rabea jail, noting that the probation service had deemed him to present a ‘low risk of reoffending’.

But Judge Manley said the offence was too serious for a suspended sentence. “Appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody in a case like this,” she added.

Rabea, of Cable Street, Manchester, pleaded guilty to sexual assault. He will serve half of the 18 month jail term in prison, and was ordered to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years.

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A dangerous paedophile who was caught by police when he travelled to Nottinghamshire to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl has been jailed.

Kevin Walsh had unknowingly been chatting to specialist law enforcement officers when he arranged to meet the father of the ‘girl’ in order to rape her.

Officers arrested Walsh when he arrived at a Nottinghamshire hotel on the meeting date of 11 November 2023.

Specialist search officers seized Walsh’s mobile phone and laptop, and analysis of the devices showed he had been offending over a prolonged period.

The 59-year-old, of HMP Nottingham, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday (8 March) and was jailed for a total of eight years and eight months.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to seven counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, six counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

Walsh also admitted one count of attempting to cause a child to watch an image of sexual activity, one count of arranging the commission of an offence of sexual activity with a child, one count of possessing an extreme image, one count of engaging in sexual communications with a child and one count of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Detectives discovered Walsh had been active on social media distributing indecent images of children and communicating with adults online about the sexual abuse of children.

During the investigation it became clear he had also been communicating with a suspect in Wales where he had arranged to drug and rape a young child.

He had also been talking to the mother of a 13-year-old girl in Surrey and looking to arrange to travel and meet the girl in order to sexually assault her.

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A serial sex offender and convicted killer was able to carry out a series of rapes after a sheriff ruled he was not a danger to the public.

Mohammed Akram, 64, was the first offender to get his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) lifted which meant he was no longer under constant police supervision.

But even as Sheriff Nigel Morrison freed him from the order, Akram had already began abusing his latest victim and continued to rape her for another five years after the controversial decision.

He is now facing a lengthy jail sentence after being convicted of the new attacks at the High Court in Glasgow last month.

But the case has raised questions over the controversial decision made by the Sheriff against advice from police and a pyschologist.

Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive, Rape Crisis Scotland: “The criminal justice system should work to protect survivors, and members of the community. Whenever decisions about sentences or restrictions for convicted perpetrators are made, a sense of justice for the survivor should never be lost.”

Conditions of Akram’s SOPO meant him being under constant supervision and he also had to inform a police handler of every contact he had with women who were not relatives, including new relationships.

He was handed the SOPO after being convicted of a serious sexual assault on a 16-year-old girl in 2003.

Police had applied for it in April 2014 after Akram was identified as a future risk to women.

During the 2017 hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, psychologist Dr Ewan Lundie said the risk of Akram reoffending was high - based on his past behaviour.

But Sheriff Morrison dismissed the concerns of Police Scotland in his judgement and even ordered the force to pay court costs.

Last month Akram was convicted of repeatedly raping one woman between December 2010 and March 1 2022.

The attacks happened at a flat in Newhaven, Edinburgh and Pollokshields, Glasgow.

Akram was also found guilty of raping the same woman in Edinburgh in March 2021 and of repeated assaults between 1995 and 2000 in Glasgow and Clackmannan.

Jurors heard she was not his only victim.

He also raped a vulnerable girl at a flat in Stirling in January 1997. The physical violence included him headbutting and spitting on her, hurling plates of food as well as brandishing a knife.

The court heard if Akram did not get what he wanted, he “would go mental”. Sexual contact was also “on his terms”.

Prosecutor Kath Harper said: “The Mohammed Akram described in this court is not one you recognise?”

He replied: “I thought I was fine.”

He also claimed the account given by the girl he raped in 1997 was “100 per cent” lies. She has since passed away. He claimed she had initiated sexual contact.

The prosecutor questioned why a “young upset and vulnerable girl” at the time would have done this.

Akram replied: “Why are you shocked? Is it because I am an older man now?”

He was also found guilty of five charges against a third female - three rapes, attempted murder and indecent assault - committed between June 1999 and October 2001 at addresses across Scotland including Aberdeen and Stirling.

Akram - who denied the accusations - did not appear from the cells to hear the verdicts at the High Court in Glasgow.

He is due to be sentenced later this month by trial judge Gillian Wade K.C.

Akram has a string of convictions for serious crimes stretching back 45 years.

He was locked up for five years in 1979 for the culpable homicide of a man behind a pub in Glenrothes, Fife.

In 2003, he was then handed an eight year sentence for the sexual assault of the teenage girl.

Akram was later released, but went on to be convicted in 2012 of abusing a four year-old girl.

But the conviction was overturned after the trial judge misdirected jurors.

Davy Thompson, Campaign Director for White Ribbon, which aims to end men’s violence against women, said: “Recent cases have once again raised the need for sexual offences at all levels to be taken seriously, for rigorous measures to be available to monitor offenders, and for infringements of court orders to be addressed.”

Scottish Conservative deputy justice spokesperson Sharon Dowey MSP said: “The relentless weakening of the justice system means dangerous criminals like this are all too often free to offend again.

“Our cash-strapped police force must be given the resources they need in order to ensure offenders like this can be robustly monitored and properly punished for their appalling crimes.”

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, which represents high court judges, said: “We do not comment on live or individual cases.”

Police Scotland declined to comment on Akram’s latest conviction and Sheriff Morrison, who has now retired, also declined to comment.

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A DISGRACED anaesthetist who downloaded more than 14,000 child abuse images from the dark web has been jailed after he was caught watching adult pornography during a hospital operation.

Dr Alexander Grice, was using his iPhone to watch a video of a topless woman undergoing surgery while he was supervising a real operation at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

A nurse reported him to the authorities and the police later found child rape videos on the phone.

He had downloaded so many images and movies that he had filled up its memory and transferred thousands to the hard drive of a computer.

The movies included some which showed very young children being abused while apparently in hospital but an exhaustive police inquiry showed he had downloaded rather than created them.

He used a Virtual Private Network to conceal his identity and used an Onion router to access chat rooms on the dark web where he accessed the material.

Grice was sacked by the hospital after an investigation and has since changed his surname to Knight and retrained to become an electrician. His wife has divorced him and he has been shunned by his family.

He was allowed to carry on working at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital despite being convicted of taking secret images at a shower block at a French camp site in 2017.

He was cleared by the General Medical Council after persuading them that he was suffering from a mental illness at the time which led to his actions and agreeing to receive treatment.

Former consultant Grice, aged 54, of East Street, Chulmleigh, admitted three counts of making, by downloading, indecent images of children, and possession of prohibited and extreme images.

He was jailed for a year and eight months by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court. He was put on the sex offenders register and made subject of an order which enables the police to monitor his use of the internet, both for 10 years.

The judge told him: There was deliberate searching for such imagery and evidence that you were an avid user of chat rooms. Some of the victims were unconscious or drugged.

Many of the children depicted being raped were very young and vulnerable and some showed discernible pain or distress.

You are undoubtedly a person with personal qualities and achievements. You have lost your job, your career, your family and your good name.

Miss Mary McCarthy, prosecuting, said a police investigation began on May 20, 2022 when a fellow health care professional looked over his shoulder during an operation in which he was the consultant anaesthetist and saw him watching a clip on his phone of a topless woman on an operating table.

Police found more than 14,000 images or movies on his phone or hard drive, of which 3,423, were in the worst category, effectively showing child rape. Another 2,822 showed non-penetrative abuse, and 8,890 showed naked or partially naked children.

Mr Nick Wragg, defending, said Grice was suffering from serious mental health issues when he committed the offences, which have led to his wife divorcing him and his children distancing themselves from him.

He said: It has been a catastrophic fall from grace. He had been a very successful man and the impact on him has been very great.

He attempted suicide after his arrest but has since privately funded 42 sessions with a psychotherapist.

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Joseph Head, 25, of Chase Road, Epsom, was sentenced to eight years in prison at Winchester Crown Court on February 27. Surrey Police reported on Facebook that Head has links to both Portsmouth and Hampshire.

He was found guilty of three counts of rape, and one count of sexual assault by penetration after a three-week trial - being placed on the sex offenders register for life. The victim told police the abuse took place over three months.

Head had gone to great lengths to trick the young woman into believing he had multiple personalities, and if she refused to have intercourse with him, either him or her would come to serious harm. Court heard that the 25-year-old told the victim that "J" one of his personalities, was very violent and that if she did not do exactly what he wanted, "J" would appear.

He once convinced the survivor that the different personalities had forced him to take an overdose, court heard. Jurors were told that toxicology evidence proved that this was categorically false. Head was found to be obsessed with the 2016 film Split, where the main character had dissociative identity disorder and committed violent crimes.

Officers found notes on his phone which outlined each of his personalities, their names and characteristics. Court heard that Head's psychiatric report concluded he didn't have dissociative identity disorder. Investigating officer Andy Price said; “Head is a dangerous predator who manipulated and frightened this young woman into having sex with him without her true consent.

The unique circumstances of this case posed a challenge to the team but with the unwavering support from the survivor, a thorough investigation and dedication by the team to bring Head to justice, a conviction was secured. I would like to acknowledge the bravery of the survivor was in coming forward to us, supporting the investigation and helping keep other women safe. Although the trauma of what happened cannot be erased, I hope this outcome can give at least some measure of closure.”

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Rapist Mustafa Musa has been jailed for eight years. The 23-year-old, of Lionel Grove, Hartshill, has been locked up after earlier being convicted of separate charges of rape and sexual assault.

It was one night when a woman woke up to find Musa sexually assaulting her. He then raped her - despite her shouting for him to stop.

Cheshire Police were called in following the Crewe attack.

Following the Chester Crown Court sentence, a police spokesman said: "I would like to commend the victim for the courage she has shown throughout this case. Musa lied his way through this investigation and subsequent trial, showing absolutely no remorse for the ordeal he put the victim through. But thanks to the victim’s bravery and the evidence we gathered, the jury was able to see through his lies and he is now finally being held accountable for his actions.”

Musa has also been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.

The police spokesman added: “If anything can be achieved from this case, I hope that it encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us. We treat all reports extremely seriously and any allegation will be thoroughly investigated with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority.”

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A man carried out a campaign of rapes and sexual abuse of girls and women spanning more than two decades, a court has heard. Nicholas Lloyd began his reign of sexual violence when he was a teenager and carried on into his 40s.

The defendant has been handed an extended 28-year sentence for public protection and will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. Sending him down a judge told him in was clear he had caused huge harm to his victims.

Swansea Crown Court heard statements from the three victims in which they set out the devastating impact of the abuse they suffered at Lloyd's hands not just on them but on their families. The women detailed how they had been left feeling worthless and suffering with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and trust issues and how they had been left living with trauma and fear for years or even decades. One described how Lloyd had "taken her childhood and innocence" while another said she had been left questioning everything and feeling like she did not deserve happiness. The women also described the stress and pain of going through the legal process and of having to relive the abuse in court.

Nicholas Lloyd, aged 51, of Sandpiper Way, Duffryn, Newport, had previously been convicted at trial of 20 counts including rape of a woman, rape of a girl under 13, rape of a girl under 16, indecent assault, gross indecency with a child, sexual assault, and engaging in sexual activity with a child when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

Judge Catherine Richards said it was clear the defendant had caused huge harm to his victims and she said she had no doubt an extended sentence was necessary to protect the public. Lloyd was made the subject of a 28-year extended sentence comprising 23 years in custody followed by a five-year licence period. The defendant can apply to be released after serving two-thirds of the custodial element but it will be for the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be let out. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

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A heavy-drinking pervert who was caught by online paedophile hunters on two separate occasions was suddenly confronted at Hull railway station after he arrived there to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Lee Whitelam, who had regularly been drinking two or three litres of cider a day, thought that the non-existent girl was travelling up from Gloucester to meet him for sex. But he got a nasty shock when he was detained by the online safety group and the encounter was live-streamed on Facebook.

He pleaded with the paedophile hunters not to alert the police, having already been duped with a fake 13-year-old girl during a previous incident, Hull Crown Court heard. Whitelam, 40, of Harley Street, off Beverley Road, Hull, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Eleanor Mitten, prosecuting, said that the earlier incident happened after an online child protection group set up the profile of a fake 13-year-old girl. She was contacted by Whitelam in May 2022 and the messages quickly became sexual.

The non-existent girl sent a clothed picture supposedly of herself and Whitelam replied: "Nice body you have – and assets." He asked her for more pictures and he told her: "Shame you're 13 because would love to get naughty with you."

Whitelam repeatedly suggested meeting and asked whether she was willing to have sex. "The defendant spoke about what he would do if she came round," said Miss Mitten. Whitelam continued to make references to sexual activity.

The second set of offences happened from January 27 this year when Whitelam sent a friend request to a decoy profile of a 14-year-old girl, which was also set up by an online vigilante group. She accepted and messages were exchanged.

She said that she was 14 and he at first sent non-sexual pictures, but he later sent an explicit picture of himself and asked her: "Can I join you and keep you warm, babe?" Whitelam joked about "naughty pics lol".

Arrangements were made for her to visit him in Hull from where she was supposedly living in Gloucester. "He told her that she could stay with him," said Miss Mitten. He said that he would buy beer or cider for her visit and he made references to them having sex. He told her: "A couple of ciders may help you, lol."

Arrangements for her to travel to Hull were made on February 3 and Whitelam told the fake girl: "Just don't say nothing because I don't want to go to jail, lol."

They were due to meet at Hull railway station at 1.45pm and Whitelam sent pictures of himself to the girl so that she would know what he looked like. The online protection team detained him at a Costa Coffee shop in the station and they walked him out of the area.

Whitelam claimed that he was just going to take the girl shopping. "The incident was live-streamed on Facebook," said Miss Mitten. Whitelam denied having any sexual interest in children and he pleaded with the four members of the online group not to telephone the police as he had a suspended prison sentence.

His backpack was removed and two bags of cannabis were found inside it. During police interview, he made no comment to all questions.

Whitelam was in breach of three suspended sentences, including one of 14 months suspended and another of four months suspended. They had been imposed in November 2021 for possessing a knife and threatening behaviour. He also breached a 10-month suspended sentence made in 2020 for arson.

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A sex offender who called himself "Brian Robocop" has been jailed for breaching restrictions imposed on his use of electronic devices.

Brian Heron was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration in 2011 after being convicted of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. Since then he has breached the orders on a number of occasions.

Now the 67-year-old, of Claremont South Avenue, Gateshead, has been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court after he did it again by installing internet history-wiping software, having unregistered devices and bank cards and failing to log the fact he was using the pseudonym "Brian Robocop" online.

In February last year police went to his home and found he had installed a cleaner on his phone which is capable of deleting internet history, which he is forbidden from doing. Officers deleted the software but then subsequently found he had reinstalled it.

When police examined the device then found a message from him saying "getting laptop up and running today". He had not registered any laptop with the police, as he was required to do.

Heron also provided police with a mobile phone from under a mattress. And while in custody he was found to have two bank cards which he had not told police about, as he was supposed to.

When the phone was examined, it showed he was going by the name "Brian Robocop" and he had not logged that pseudonym with officers. The cleaner software was also on that phone.

In August last year, police went to his home to carry out checks and asked to see his phone. He handed over a Nokia device which he said he'd registered with police but checks showed he had not done so.

Heron said he forgot to register the bank cards but said he thought the cleaner software didn't delete his internet history and "simply cleaned the device".

He has 17 previous convictions, including indecent assault on a male youth in 1994, for which he got a probation order and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child aged under 13 in 2011, for which he got a community order. He was given a sexual harm prevention order for that and ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

For the latest offences, he pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual harm prevention order for the fifth and sixth time and breaching the sex offender notification requirements for the second and third time. He was jailed for 27 months by Judge Amanda Rippon.

The court heard he is in poor health with diabetes and mobility problems and he has spent more than six months in custody on remand, the first time he has been to prison, which he has found "horrific" and does not want to have to go back. His barrister said he "apologises profusely and accepts responsibility for his actions".

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A sex offender from Gravesend who targeted a child has been jailed for more than five years.

Terry Knott, 32, was jailed at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday 5 March 2024 after he admitted three charges of sexual activity with a child.

Knott was arrested in December 2023, after Kent Police received an allegation he had committed the offences over the preceding two months.

As well as being jailed for five years and three months, Knott was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

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A child sex offender in Staffordshire has been locked up for more than two decades.

Robert Mold, aged 63, of Bridgtown, Cannock, was arrested in July 2020 after the survivors bravely came forward and told us what he had done.

The offences happened between 2016 and 2017.

Once the survivors came forward, we started work to gather evidence and take Mold to court. He was questioned by detectives in custody and charged with the offences despite originally denying what happened.

On 26 February, Mold was sentenced to 24-years behind bars after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a child, two counts of sexual activity with a child and six counts of sexual assault of a child.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Detective Sergeant Sophie Boden, from our Child Protection and Exploitation Team said: Id like to recognise the immense courage and bravery that the survivors have shown throughout this investigation.

Mold is a truly dangerous man who has inflicted an immeasurable deal of anguish on the victims.

Officers and staff from our Child Protection and Exploitation Team (CPET) have worked tirelessly to secure this conviction, support the victims and put a dangerous sex offender behind bars for a very long time.

I hope this serves as an example to any survivors of rape and sexual assault that they will be listened to, no matter how recent the offences may have been. We want to relentlessly pursue sex offenders, put them before the courts and deliver the toughest punishment possible.

Record details

A former Blackburn primary school teacher has been jailed for his role in a major probe into an international paedophile ring which spanned more than a decade.

Police swooped on the home of perverted William Chambers after they were notified by the National Crime Agency (NCA) about the arrest of a Belgian national, who was suspected of selling thousands of indecent images of children.

At Blackburn Magistrates Court in January, the court was told Chambers was tracked down after the arrested Belgian provided the NCA with the 60-year-olds phone number.

When police visited his home, in Weavers Court, Preston New Road, they found he had more than 1,500 indecent images of children on his devices.

Chambers, who was working as a teacher during the commission of the offences, pleaded guilty to possession of 166 of the most serious Category A images, 544 Category B images and 854 Category C images.

During his sentencing at Preston Crown Court on Thursday (March 7), it was heard Chambers had worked at Roe Lee Primary School in Blackburn between September 2020 and 2021, St James Primary School in Burnley between October 2021 and April 2022, and Lower Darwen Primary School between between 1999 and 2012.

The case involving the making of images and downloading of images onto a laptop which was then operated in such a way where images were moved to a hard drive and a TOR browser [software to enable anonymous communication] used.

On at least 15 occasions cleaning software was also deployed.

Prosecuting, Nicholas Flanagan told the court the NCA, in collaboration with Interpol, were investigating an international network of people suspected of abusing children worldwide.

The court heard the investigation started almost 20 years ago, with images taken of children being abused in a number of countries, including Vietnam, India, the Philippines, Morocco, Norway and Myanmar.

Suspects were identified in the UK, Netherlands, France, Canada and Norway, with six of the UK suspects now serving lengthy custodial sentences.

Some of the victims in the case are now adults, the court heard, with many of them coming forward to provide evidence to the NCA as part of the investigation.

Mr Flanagan said: Analysis of the Belgian national's devices found there were many people communicating regularly and sharing such images, which led to the identification of this defendant.

There is no evidence of this defendant sharing or distributing images though, he is only concerned with possession.

Mr Flanagan told the court Chambers had travelled extensively throughout his life, visiting India around 20 times, said to be part of his studies.

He had also visited the Balkan states on numerous occasions from the mid-1990s.

He was arrested on November 11, 2022, and his devices analysed where police found he had thousands of depraved and explicit images, both accessible and inaccessible to officers.

It was also discovered that he had purchased a virtual private network (VPN) in order to conceal his sordid activities, and had deployed software capable of wiping his history.

During his initial police interviews, Mr Flanagan said Chambers was evasive and selective with his answers even telling one officer, I must have had them [on my computer] otherwise you wouldnt have found them.

Some of the images he had in his possession included young south Asian boys as young as eight years old being abused by adult males.

Harriet Lavin, in mitigation for Chambers, said: He is 60-years-old now and recovering from colon cancer, is in remission and is incontinent.

He has missed several doctors appointments while hes been in custody, which is just over three weeks now.

He described his life as bleak. He has been isolated and suffered from depression and anxiety and being in custody is the first time hes been socialising with people except for online.

He is remorseful and is someone who wants to take advantage of the help that is on offer to him.

Chambers, who was of previous good character, was jailed for 20 months.

He had already been made subject to sex offender registration requirements at a previous hearing, with Judge Ian Unsworth KC imposing notification requirements on Chambers for a period of 10 years.

He was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was barred from working with children and young people.

When he is released he will be on license and post sentence supervision.

Forfeiture and destruction of all devices was also ordered.

Judge Unsworth said: In summary you have admitted possession of 1,564 images. This occurred over a period of 11 years but its since been ascertained that you were in possession of the hard drive for five years.

You are a paedophile with a perverted sexual interest in young boys.

You worked at primary schools across Lancashire and must have undertaken these offences while being employed as such.

You were entrusted to care for young children and had safeguarding responsibilities towards them.

The schools and parents trusted you to be a proper person to teach but the evidence in this case shows you are someone who is sexually attracted to young boys, and you went to great lengths to satisfy those paedophilic desires by using dedicated software.

Downloading images perpetuates the problem and encourages the making of further indecent images.

These children might be further harmed by the knowledge of the perverted gratification that adults like you gained from looking at them, which they only came to realise as they got older.

This was an extremely thorough investigation by the NCA, but for their hard work your activities would have gone without detection.

Investigators established that the images on Chambers' devices were supplied over the dark web by a Belgian national who was part of the same group as Christopher Behn, from Essex, and John Thorogood, from London.

Both these men travelled to Asia and Africa respectively over several years to abuse vulnerable young boys.

Behn, from Essex, was jailed for 17 years in November, while Thorogood, from north London, was sentenced to more than seven years imprisonment in December.

Phil Eccles, operations manager at the NCA, said: Men like William Chambers help fuel the worldwide demand for child sexual abuse material, which in this case was supplied by a group who travelled across the globe to offend.

By obtaining this material he contributed to the re-victimisation of the children abused in these images.

Record details

A Harrogate man has been jailed after sending explicit sexual images to someone he thought was a 12-year-old child.

Jason Carl Veal, 33, of Harewood Road, thought he was talking to a 12-year-old girl over a social media platform, but he was really talking to an undercover investigator.

In January 2023, Veal sent a friend request to the girl via SnapChat, and began sending explicit sexual videos of adults performing sex acts on themselves and encouraged her to do the same.

At one point he believed the girl was at school and encouraged her to use the toilets to carry out the sex acts.

He was arrested by officers a few weeks later and charged with the following offences to which he pleaded guilty:

• attempting to cause/incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity penetration
• attempt to cause a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity
• attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He appeared at York Crown Court on Friday 1 March where he was jailed for 30 months. The court also ordered him to register with the police for an indefinite period and issued him with 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Kirsty Sullivan, from our Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: Irrespective of who he was really talking to, he clearly believed he was communicating with a 12-year-old and that is of great concern to us. The language he used was disgusting and the images repulsive. The Online Child Abuse Investigation Team works proactively and sometimes covertly to identify those who pose a risk to children."