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Description

A paedophile was caught after a camera he had hidden in toilets at an Air Training Corps (ATC) centre was found.

The police investigation that followed saw Andrew Thompson, 32, from Great Sankey, Warrington, admit to sexually abusing several boys.

He also amassed thousands of images of children, some taken at a school he worked in as a teaching assistant.

Thompson was jailed for eight years at Chester Crown Court on Monday, after pleading guilty to 33 offences.

In July 2022 a member of staff at the ATC centre at which Thompson volunteered discovered the hidden camera.

'Sexual predator'

Police forensics experts found thousands of images of children on it, as well as footage of the man installing the device.

The man was identified as Thompson, of Rossall Road in Great Sankey, Warrington.

He was arrested on 23 December 2022, and police found other electronic devices that contained a number of images of children. These included images taken by Thompson at the ATC centre and the school.

Officers spoke to a number of children known to Thompson, some of whom revealed he had sexually assaulted them. Thompson was re-arrested and charged in September, 2023.

In court he pleaded guilty to nine counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13, 19 counts of voyeurism, two counts of making (downloading) indecent images of children, two counts of creating indecent images, and one count of possessing indecent images.

On top of his prison sentence, Thompson was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life, is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), and was handed restraining orders prohibiting him from contacting his victims.

Cheshire Police Det Insp Simon Mills, from Cheshire Police, described Thompson as a "sexual predator".

He said: "He abused his position and it's clear that he had no regards for his victims, his only concern was to fulfil his own sexual gratification."

Description

A 35-year-old man from Eastleigh has been jailed for seven years for historic child sex offences.

Nathan Anthony Savory, of Chamberlayne Road, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court last Friday (16 February), having been found guilty on four counts on Friday 8 December 2023.

As well as the time he will now spend behind bars seven years for one count and 54 months concurrent for the other three - Savory will also be subject to a restraining order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The offences, for which he has now been imprisoned, took place in Eastleigh between Wednesday 16 March 2011 and Saturday 16 March 2013.

At the time of the first incident, the victim was just 13 years of age.

Savorys crimes came to light when the victim, then 23, reported the incidents to police in 2021.

She had wanted to report the offences many years earlier, but Savory had made threats towards her.

Description

A predatory sex offender who raped two women after tricking them to gain their confidence has been jailed.

Ansaf Saeedy was described by a judge as an ‘opportunist’ who preyed upon the two victims and did not care if they consented to his advances or not.

The 21-year-old then refused to admit his offending or show any remorse – forcing his victims to go through the further ordeal of a crown court trial.

Saeedy, of Alfreton Road, Nottingham, was jailed for nine years after being convicted of two counts of rape at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (16 February).

The first victim was targeted by Saeedy in the early hours of 26 May 2021 when he approached her in Nottingham city centre.

Saeedy, who was riding a scooter, started talking to the woman and invited her to party.

He bought the victim alcohol from a shop before they went to a flat. There were no other people inside the property but Saeedy plied the woman with more alcohol.

He raped her after suggesting that she lied down on his bed.

Saeedy claimed repeatedly that he had not had sex with his victim, and continued to lie about what happened even when damning forensic evidence proved he was not telling the truth.

On 27 August 2022, the second victim had agreed to meet with Saeedy and go for some food.

He tricked his way into her flat before raping her.

Detectives carried out a meticulous investigation into both incidents while supporting the victims and their families.

Description

A Southampton man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in connection with sexual offences against three young victims in the city.

Simon Parker, 36, of Parry Road, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Friday (16 February) after a jury found him guilty of seven offences – two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of assault of a child and one count of sexual communications with a child.

The court heard how Parker committed the offences against three girls who were aged between 11 and 14.

He was arrested when the girls involved told police what had happened and was subsequently charged with a number of child sex offences, which he denied. The case went to trial and a jury found him guilty of seven offences on Monday 12 February.

He has now been sentenced to 16 years in prison, and has been ordered to register as a sex offender, as well as receiving a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both of which will be in place for the rest of his life.

Description

A man from Sussex who was the assistant moderator of a site dedicated to child sexual abuse on the dark web has been jailed for five years and four months.

Martin Yates, 48, from Eastbourne, was a staff member of a site called The Annex. He was identified by the National Crime Agency as part of an investigation targeting those who ran it.

The Annex, which is no longer active, had around 90,000 global members who used it to share and discuss some of the most extreme kinds of abuse material, involving hurtcore and the sexual abuse of babies and toddlers.

Yates held the rank of assistant moderator between January and September 2020, sitting just below head moderator Nathan Bake who was jailed for 16 years last week.

The Annex was run by an American man, who was sentenced to life in prison in the US in January. Kabir Garg, a psychiatrist from London, was further down the chain and sentenced to six years in prison last summer.

Like Bake, Yates played a key role in ensuring the site continued to run smoothly. He was responsible for enforcing the rules by promoting or dropping other users, provided access to private and exclusive sections of the site and advised on security measures. He also passed on training to others about the role that he himself had received.

However, Yates was less careful around his own personal security. His username on the site was yates704 and in chat logs recovered by the NCA, he also told other users first name, his age and that he lived in Eastbourne.

yates704 was also found on HACKFORUMS.NET, a clear website forum dedicated to discussion relating to hacker culture and cyber security.

Investigators found 6,000 private messages between yates704 and other users of The Annex. The conversations varied from fantasy roleplay involving the sexual abuse of children, as well as more official conversations around the moderation of the site, advice on how to post indecent images of children and techniques to evade law enforcement.

NCA officers identified Yates using these details and the email addresses associated to him and he was arrested at his home in Eastbourne in July 2022.

When interviewed, Yates made full admissions to being the controller of his moderator account, that he was a staff member on The Annex and that he had shared child abuse material as part of his role.

He was charged and pleaded guilty to six counts at Hastings Magistrates Court in November last year, including one of arranging or facilitating the sexual abuse of children, four of making and distributing indecent images of children, and one of possession of prohibited images of children.

Yates was sentenced today at Lewes Crown Court to five years and four months imprisonment, placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and give a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Jen Cruickshank, Senior Investigating Officer from the National Crime Agency, said: The Annex simply wouldnt have been able to run without people like Martin Yates. He played a pivotal role in maintaining its upkeep and ensuring users from across the globe could continue accessing its horrific content, without coming to the attention of law enforcement.

Sites such as these directly and openly encourage users to commit sexual offences against children, and those who run or access them assume they are protected by anonymity.

However, the NCA has the determination and technical capability to target those who pose a sexual risk to children and use the dark web to try and hide themselves.

We continue to work closely with international partners to ensure offenders like Yates are identified and brought to justice.

The NCA worked with a number of international partners to target this group of moderators.

Description

A man has been jailed for 19 years after pleading guilty to a series of child sexual offences.

Richard Griffiths, 33, from Stafford, admitted four counts of raping a girl under 13, two counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.

He also pleaded guilty to sexual penetration by a person with a living animal.

Four other charges will lie on file, the court said.

Griffiths was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Staffordshire Police said his crimes were reported to the force in November.

Det Sgt Sophie Boden, from the force’s child protection and exploitation team, described Griffiths as "truly a dangerous man" adding that the sentence would protect the community from him.

Description

A man who raped a teenage girl in a Hove park has been jailed for 11 years.

David Berbers, 21, of Byatt Walk in Richmond upon Thames, attacked his victim – a girl under the age of 16 – in St Ann’s Well Gardens on the evening of Sunday, 25 July, 2021.

He had arranged to meet her after the pair had been communicating on social media.

After suggesting they walk through the park, he raped her before fleeing the scene, leaving her to seek help from members of the public nearby.

She was supported by medical professionals and specialist police officers, while an urgent investigation was launched.

Berbers was identified through his Instagram account and the phone number he used to contact the victim, as well as a detailed description she provided.

Urgent enquiries were carried out and he was arrested in London three days later on 28 July, 2021.

He was subsequently charged with the rape of a girl under 16 in relation to the Hove incident.

Berbers was also charged with two counts of rape and attempted rape as part of separate Metropolitan Police investigations, and possession of extreme pornography.

At Kingston Crown Court on Monday, 4 December, a jury found him guilty of three counts of rape and one count of attempted rape. He pleaded guilty to possession of extreme pornography.

At the same court on Friday (16 February), Berbers was jailed for 11 years and given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A PREDATOR has been hauled back to court for offences relating to his obligation to sign the sex offender register.

Harjit Singh was ordered to abide by sex offender registration and notification requirements after being jailed for more than six years back in October 2016.

The attempted rapist who also sexually assaulted other victims, now aged 53 and of Runcorn, appeared before Warrington Magistrates’ Court recently to be sentenced.

This came after he admitted at an earlier hearing to failing to comply with his notification requirements.

Details of the failure to comply were outlined to the court by Michael O’Kane, representing the prosecution, who said that the offence was committed in Runcorn in August last year.

The defendant failed without reasonable excuse to complete his annual registration.

This was mandatory after he was convicted in September 2016 of a sole count of attempted rape and two charges each of sexual assault and failure to surrender to bail.

In July 2016, Singh followed a woman with Down’s Syndrome to her home in Hounslow, London, before attempting to rape her.

After a day out, she boarded a bus in Hounslow, on which the defendant was also a passenger.

When the victim got off the bus, Singh followed her into a block of flats, and while she took the lift, he took the stairs and ambushed her as she opened her front door.

Singh forcefully pushed her inside, forced her into a bedroom and attempted to rape her.

Unable to carry out the attack, he fell asleep, which gave the victim a chance to escape and alert her neighbours to what had happened.

The police were called and Singh was arrested at the scene and charged two days later.

In October 2016, he was sentenced to six years behind bars, on top of a three-month prison sentence in relation to two counts of sexual assault on two women following an incident in April 2015 at Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London.

Singh had previously pleaded guilty to these offences but failed to appear for sentencing.

For his sex offender register offence, magistrates referenced that this is a serious offence that can only appropriately receive a custodial sentence.

They highlighted that he demonstrated a ‘wilful neglect’.

However, they took his guilty plea into account and concluded that because he was deemed to be a ‘real prospect for rehabilitation’, they could suspend the sentence.

Singh, of Allen Road in Runcorn, was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £120 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £154, with his sex offender register requirements continuing.

Speaking after he was jailed for the attempted rape, DC David Fall, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “I am pleased with the sentence that has been handed down, and even more satisfied that Singh will no longer be on the streets of London, where he clearly poses a risk to the public.

“Singh is a predator who targeted a lone and vulnerable woman in broad daylight, and he displayed a sense of arrogance as he carried out his attack without fear of being caught.

“The victim has been supported throughout the investigation by specialist officers and she has shown an immense level of bravery.

“I would like to place on record the courage she has shown throughout the investigation.”

Description

She had been at home when he persuaded her to leave in the night and join him in his Jaguar car.

Jonathan Ward, aged 22, had denied the allegation against him throughout an investigation by South Yorkshire Police.

He went on trial for the offence at Sheffield Crown Court, but on the second day of the hearing changed his plea and admitted that he was guilty of sexual activity with a child.

Ward, of no fixed abode, was convicted of sexual activity with a child under 16 (penetration) and was locked up by a judge.

South Yorkshire Police said he had known his victim for over a year. After he took the opportunity to exploit the her, he left her petrified. She then retunred home.

Details of the offence emerged because the victim was brave enough to confide in a member of her family, whyich resulted in the start of a police investigation.

As part of the investigation DNA was recovered from the victim’s clothes and was matched to Ward.

He was sentenced on Tuesday, February 6, when he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, ordered to pay a £228 victim surcharge and placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. He was also given a restraining order, meaning he is not allowed contact with the victim for ten years.

Victims of sexual offences are granted anonymity for life.

Description

Former Coronation Street actress Imogen Boorman has been placed on the sex offenders register after admitting to a series of offences including public indecency and theft of alcohol.

The 52 year old mum-of-three, who played Vanessa Morgan in the popular ITV soap during the 1990s, was arrested last May following a drunken incident at the Picture House pub in Montrose, Scotland, where she resides.

Boorman, who also starred in Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Casualty and Lovejoy, pleaded guilty to seven charges in total and is set to be sentenced in April.

The court heard that Boorman entered the pub around 10pm and stripped naked after simply smiling when asked for her order. She then climbed onto the bar, lay down and began drinking directly from the beer taps.

It was reported that while lying on the bar, she took a man's hands and placed them on her bare chest, sexually assaulting him before spraying his face with a draught juice gun. Boorman then moved to the dining area of the pub where she attempted to pull down the same man's trousers in a sexual manner.

Four police officers were sent to a pub where a drunken woman was causing trouble. Two female officers tried to help her get dressed again. The court heard that when she got to the police station in Dundee, she hurt one of the officers by grabbing her arm, which caused scratches and redness.

Boorman had drunk or spilled alcohol worth 321.86. She admitted stealing alcohol from the bar, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and public indecency. She also pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting and sexually assaulting the customer and resisting police and assaulting a PC, reports The Mirror.

Boorman's lawyer said she felt very embarrassed and sorry for what she had done. But he said she was now doing better and was being treated for a condition called complex PTSD.

The judge said he would decide what to do about Boorman on April 2. He told Boorman: "I can see you hung your head as that narrative was being read out. No doubt it tortures you to have to appear and listen to what was your behaviour back then. I'm very delighted to hear from your solicitor that you have made significant progress in addressing the alcohol issue that was no doubt behind these extraordinary, bizarre events."

Description

Christian Krishna Martoglio, aged 25, of Keppel Terrace, Plymouth, has been jailed for nine years and nine months at York Crown Court today (Friday 16 February 2024) for separate rape offences.

Following two investigations by North Yorkshire Police, Martoglio pleaded guilty to the rape of a woman, as well as pleading guilty to two counts of rape, five counts of sexual assault and one of actual bodily harm against a girl under the age of 16.

The rape of the woman happened at the victims North Yorkshire home in 2022 following a social occasion.

At the end of the evening guests were allocated separate rooms, but the victim awoke in the early hours of the morning to find Martoglio raping her.

Following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police, during which Martoglio twice denied the allegations against him, forensic tests proved otherwise.

These resulted him pleading guilty when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court.

Detective Constable Mark Nursey, of Hambleton and Richmond CID, who led this investigation, said: This was a traumatic experience for the victim who was very brave and strong throughout the investigation.

The suspect was interviewed twice and denied the offence on both occasions, but the forensic evidence left him with no option but to plead guilty.

This has at least spared the victim the trauma of re-living her ordeal by having to give evidence in court.

I hope she can now put this very difficult time in her life behind her, knowing that Martoglio is now behind bars.

The additional investigation uncovered that Martoglio took advantage of a vulnerable 15-year-old girl by subjecting her to series of sexual offences, rapes and an assault between January and August 2021, to which he pleaded guilty at York Crown Court in January 2024.

This has had a lasting impact on the victim who continues to have flashbacks relating to the terrible offences committed against her, and for which she has needed counselling to help recover from the trauma.

Detective Constable Abigail Garford, from the Safeguarding Investigation Team at Harrogate, said:

I have immense respect for the victim and for her bravery throughout the investigation.

Her strength and resilience have resulted in Martoglio being convicted of the horrendous crimes he committed against her.

She will also help prevent others becoming victims to him in the future.

Description

A man who manipulated, blackmail and traumatised a 12-year-old for his own twisted pleasure has been jailed for multiple child sex abuse crimes.

James Michael David Webber, 39, of Hollygarth Lane, Beal, near Selby, was sentenced to 13 years in prison at York Crown Court today (Friday).

He had previously been found guilty of seven offences including blackmail; two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; three counts of possession of indecent images of children; and possession of extreme pornography.

The court heard how, in May 2020, Webber manipulated and blackmailed a 12-year-old child to send explicit images of herself to him via SnapChat.

He threatened to harm her family as he claimed he could see where she lived as her location was visible through the app.

When the victim refused to send him further images, Webber callously distributed these images to others.

This caused significant harm to the victims mental health and wellbeing, the impact of which she will likely have to deal with for years.

Police praised the childs incredible courage to come forward and contact them.

No remorse

Webber was located from his IP address.

Devices seized from Webber also located 97 Category A pictures the worst kind of indecent images and videos of children; 149 Category B and 144 Category C indecent images of children; and four extreme pornography images and videos.

The court heard how Webber was continuing to create SnapChat accounts just days before his arrest.

He deleted the SnapChat app from his phone as police arrived less than a minute before he was taken into custody for questioning.

DC Jenna Hallewell, the officer in charge of the investigation, said a key component of his conviction was the evidence extracted from Webbers devices by North Yorkshire Polices Digital Forensic Team.

Webber denied the offences, showing no remorse for the twisted and vindictive behaviour against his victim that still impacts on her to this day, she said.

Id like to pay tribute to the victim and her bravery in coming forward which has been incredible. Her courage means that Webber is no longer free to target and victimise children for his own pleasure.

It is important that victims of such crimes come forward to assist police in locating perpetrators to put a stop to online abuse against children.

Description

A registered Luton sex offender who downloaded indecent images of children and blamed his ‘dead friend’ for committing the crimes has been sent to prison for three and a half years.

Raj Brett, 39, was found guilty of breaching a sexual harm prevention order after he was found to have unauthorised electronic devices and indecent images of children.

Brett had been subject to the order which banned him from owning devices used to access the internet without permission from the police. But he had become increasingly uncooperative and aggressive towards staff from Bedfordshire Police’s Offender Management Unit (OMU) and investigators became concerned he would soon reoffend.

Over six months investigators tried to engage with Brett who had become “completely unresponsive to attempts to contact him”. Police located Brett in Suffolk and he was arrested for an additional breach of his notification order.

During a routine visit in November 2020, Brett, of High Town, Luton, refused them entry, raising suspicions among OMU staff. After obtaining a warrant, officers forced entry into the property and found a laptop and phone. Neither had been declared by Brett.
A forensic examination of the laptop revealed two indecent images of children and evidence that Brett had tried to cover his tracks by using multiple hard drives and software to clear his internet history.

During police questioning, Brett laughed when confronted about the images found and claimed one of the hard drives was left at his home two days ago by a friend. When questioned further about his friend, Brett claimed he had since died.

Brett, who refused to attend the hearing, was jailed for three and a half years at Luton Crown Court yesterday (February 15). He will also remain on the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order when released.

Investigating officer Deborah Simpson said: “It is clear that Brett has absolutely no regard for the police, nor the court and the measures put in place to prevent his vile reoffending.

“He is a persistent sex offender who consistently sought to operate in the shadows. Brett no doubt would have continued to access indecent content for his own disturbing sexual gratification.

“I would like to thank the court for imposing a custodial sentence, which I hope sends a strong message to those that refuse to adhere to strict orders that aim to keep our community safe.”

Description

A 66-year-old man from Winchester has been jailed for 15 years for child sex offences.

Following a ten-day trial, Terence Peter Price, of Romsey Road was convicted of 13 counts at Southampton Crown Court on Friday 26 January.

He was sentenced yesterday (Thursday 15 February) and will serve at least ten years behind bars.

Price will also be subject to a restraining order and must serve an extended year on licence upon his eventual release from prison

The 13 offences, for which he has been imprisoned, took place in Hedge End between April 2016 and April 2021.

At the time of the first incident, the victim was just ten years of age.

Price’s crimes came to light when they were first reported to police in June 2021.

Detective Constable Mark Gallagher, of the Criminal Investigation Department said: “It took a lot of courage and bravery for the victim to come forward and make these disclosures to us.

“I have nothing but the greatest admiration for her. She fully supported our investigation and with the strength of the evidence against him Price’s account was rejected by the jury.

“I am so pleased for her that justice has now been served in this case.

“Price abused her for his own sexual gratification, without a moment’s thought for the child and the long-lasting effects his crimes would have on her.

“While I know this result won’t rid her of the memories of what he did to her, I truly hope it allows her to move forward with her life, safe in the knowledge that because of her coming forward he can no longer harm any other children.

“I also hope this sentence will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us.

“We encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“This should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always work tirelessly to ensure you are brought to justice.

“I would also like to thank everyone who assisted in getting this conviction, including the jury who ensured a dangerous offender is no longer free to harm anyone else.”

Description

A predatory offender who targeted a sleeping woman on the London underground has been jailed. The defendant led the victim-survivor off a tube before sexually assaulting her on a street in West Ham.

The sentence comes as the Met reaffirms its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls in the capital and bringing predatory offenders to justice.

Salman Yousaf, 43 (10.03.80), of Woodgrange Road, E7, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years, after a week-long trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court found he was guilty of sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault.

On 29 April 2023 the woman was alone in the early hours on the London Underground after a night out with friends. Yousaf found her asleep in an empty carriage and sexually assaulted her in nearby Durban Road, E15.

The victim-survivor of this ordeal has pleaded for people to speak to police if they have suffered sexual assault. She said: “If anything like this happens to you do not be afraid to come forward, you will start your healing process once you see justice has been served. I am happy to know that he will be off the streets for a long time and unable to hurt anyone else.”

Dedicated Met officers found Yousaf by tracking him by CCTV from the night of the attack and pieced together his previous movements. Police found out Yousaf frequently used Forest Gate Railway Station. Using an image of Yousaf from the CCTV officers went to the station and spoke with staff and identified him leading to his arrest.