Latest Offenders

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 A JUDGE described this man as a “significant risk” to young boys in the community as she jailed him for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old on a bus.

Matthew Gilbert, 39, of Water Street in Pembroke Dock, was jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

“You knew that this was clearly wrong,” said Judge Catherine Richards, sentencing Gilbert.

“You are a significant risk in the community to young boys.” 

 Prosecutor Craig Jones told Swansea Crown Court that Gilbert boarded a bus at Pembroke Dock on the morning of September 28 last year.

He headed to the back of the bus, where a 17-year-old was sat. The teenager put his feet up –indicating he wanted to be left alone – but Gilbert sat opposite him, before immediately starting to talk to him.

Gilbert asked the teenager how much money it would take for him to do a sexual act with a man, before then moving closer to him.

“The defendant covers the aisle position and hems him in,” Mr Jones said.

He asked the teenager his age, to which he said he was 15. Gilbert replied that was fine and offered him £40 to do a sexual act with him. He then upped this to £100, Mr Jones said.

Gilbert moved next to the teenager and put his hand on his thigh, before kissing him on the cheek. He then asked him to get off the bus at Johnston with him and “find a public toilet”, Mr Jones said. 

 When the bus stopped, Gilbert got off, but the teenager remained on the bus and the police were called.

The defendant was arrested that day whilst visiting his mum in hospital. He told officers: “Since mum has been in here I’ve been doing stupid things again.” 

 The court heard that he had a previous conviction from October 2023 for exposure, where he was seen masturbating behind a glazed front door in Pembroke Dock, whilst he was also convicted for malicious communications in June after making unwanted sexual comments in phone calls to the fire station.

Ryan Bowen, in mitigation, said: “He acknowledges his convictions are recent and for offences of a sexual nature.

“He has led the majority of his life without appearing before the court.

“Plainly this is someone with underlying issues.

“He’s deemed to possess a lower cognitive function.

“His sexual preoccupation appears to be exacerbated by boredom and a lack of routine.”

The defendant was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period. 

Description

A former professional footballer who admitted the serious sexual assault of a child and possession of thousands of indecent images of children has been jailed for four years.

Ian Heddle, 61, originally from Dunfermline, was charged after being caught with more than 270,000 indecent photos and videos.

A police investigation led to him being further charged with the sexual assault of a child, believed to be aged about eight, in Thailand.

Heddle was a midfielder for a number of Scottish clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including St Johnstone and Dunfermline Athletic.

The High Court in Glasgow previously heard he was arrested at Edinburgh Airport last year as he prepared to fly to his home in Thailand.

He had been linked to the viewing and uploading of child abuse material from the web at a property he used in Scotland when was not in the Far East.

Judge John McCormick noted that Heddle, who was staying in Dunfermline at the time of his arrest, was a first offender but said he was satisfied an extended sentence had to be imposed.

As well as the jail term, Heddle will be supervised for a further two years on his release and will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Heddle's KC, Brian McConnachie, had told the judge that his client had a "willingness to seek treatment".

The advocate added an organisation Heddle had been dealing with described him as "wrapped in guilt and shame" at what he had done.

Mr McConnachie said: "He acknowledges the significant adverse impact on the child involved."

After Heddle was sentenced, Det Insp Adrian Ure of Police Scotland's National Child Abuse Investigations Unit said: “Heddle’s behaviour was deplorable with no thought to the young child he sexually assaulted or the victims depicted in the images and videos he was viewing.

“His sentencing sends a clear message that anyone found guilty of these offences will be brought to justice.”

Description

A paedophile sexually abused a young girl and took intimate pictures of her, a court has heard. The abuse happened at a number of locations around Neath and Port Talbot including on one occasion in a vehicle on Aberavon seafront.

Swansea Crown Court heard the abuse came to light when the young victim made disclosures to a teacher, but defendant John Charles denied the allegations against him right until the first day of his trial, claiming they had all been made up. A judge said he had no doubt that if the youngster had not courageously spoken up in school, the sexual assaults would have continued for years.

Ashanti-Jade Walton, prosecuting, said the complainant in the case had a lesson in school about relationships, sexual consent, and puberty, and at the end of the class the teacher asked the pupils to write down any questions they may have on a piece of paper. The court heard the girl made disclosures to the teacher about being "touched", and as a result the head of personal care at the school spoke to her. Police were then notified and an investigation was launched.

The court heard it emerged Charles had sexually assaulted the girl on multiple occasions over a period of more than two years, often calling her "sexy" and beautiful" while doing it. The abuse happened at a number of locations in Neath and Port Talbot including, on one occasion, in the defendant's vehicle while it was parked at Aberavon seafront. Charles also took intimate pictures of the child. When the 65-year-old was arrested and questioned he denied all the allegations saying the youngster was making them up and acting out of spite.

In a statement read to the court, the young victim set out the impact Charles' offending has had on her. She described how she felt "lonely and lost" and found it difficult to concentrate at school and how her grades suffered as a result. She said she suffers with flashbacks she cannot control, and she feels she has "lost the life" she had before the abuse. She said she was worried that nobody would believe the allegations, and said she now wants to focus on the future and train in education and social care in order to "help girls who need help" just like teachers and social workers helped her.

John Victor Charles, of Villiers Street, Briton Ferry, had previously pleaded guilty on the first day of trial to multiple counts of sexual assault and to possession of indecent images of a child when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

David Singh, for Charles, said at the age of 65 the defendant had lost his good name. He said the defendant had been diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly after the allegations were first made, and said Charles was realistic about the outcome that awaited him and knew that a lengthy custodial sentence was inevitable.

Judge Geraint Walters said Charles' offending against the girl had been "persistent, repeated, and relentless". He said in the experience of the courts, offending of the type in the case often had life-long impacts on its victims and that was the "wickedness" of such behaviour. He said but for the school lesson and the "courageous" disclosures made to the teacher, he had no doubt that Charles would have continued abusing the young girl for many years more. With a 10 per cent discount for his guilty pleas, Charles was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He will serve two thirds of that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Charles will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to control his access to children.

Description

A sex offender who spent five years on the run after being charged with indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl has been found guilty of the offence.

Shahid Hussain, who fled the country in 2018, was arrested in Bulgaria in 2023 and extradited back to the UK to stand trial.

Jurors at Sheffield Crown Court found the 48-year-old guilty of indecent assault after hearing he had forced his victim to perform a sex act in 2003.

Hussain, formerly of Rotherham, has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on 16 August.

Hussain was investigated as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's (NCA) inquiry into non-familial child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

'Coward'

NCA Senior Investigating Officer, Stuart Cobb, said: “Hussain carried out a vile attack on a vulnerable young girl and when he knew he was going to be held to account, he took the coward’s route by going on the run.

“We have always been determined to put Hussain before the courts. Finally, 21 years after carrying out his crime, he has faced justice."

Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Hussain had "targeted a child and subjected her to a horrendous sexual assault" before trying to "evade the law" by leaving the country.

He added: “I hope this conviction sends a clear message: sex offenders who flee abroad will not escape justice. We will continue to work collaboratively with international partners to ensure perpetrators are returned to face the full force of the law."

Description

A man from Devizes has been jailed for 28 months in prison for child sex offences after he was identified as responsible for sending sexual messages to someone he believed to be a 12-year-old female child on a social media platform.

Alan Wiltshire, 65, was sentenced on Friday (26/07) at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

Wiltshire had previously admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and sentenced by Salisbury Magistrates on April 14 to 17 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and made subject to the Sex Offenders Register and Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 5 years.

His most recent offence placed him in breach of his suspended custodial sentence.

Wiltshire was sentenced to 14 months for inciting sexual activity, 7 months (to run concurrently) for sexual messages, 12 months (to run consecutively) for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and two months (to run consecutively) for breaching his Suspended Sentence Order.

He was also issued a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order lasting for 10 years.

Description

Harley King, aged 19 from Newcastle and and Ben Jennings, aged 20, from Cramlington, in Northumberland were just 17 and 18 respectively when they attacked the woman in 2022.

Following a trial in June, King was found guilty of three offences two charges of raping a woman aged 16 and over and one charge of voyeurism or recording a private act. Jennings was convicted of two charges of rape of a woman aged 16 and over, and one sexual assault charge of a female aged 16.

Description

A paedophile has been found guilty of 43 historic sex offences against children as young as three. Clinton Royle was arrested after a complaint was made in 2019.

Officers then seized children’s clothing, hard drives, and digital storage devices were from his home. Cheshire Police’s digital forensic unit discovered encrypted and password protected files containing thousands of child abuse images.

The files also contained recordings of Royle’s offending. His victim was aged between child eight and 12 years at the time. Further investigations were conducted, and officers were able to identify other child victims aged between three and 12 years.

Chester Crown Court heard Royle confirmed he was present in the videos and images with the children, he denied the offence claiming that his actions and the images were not of a sexual nature. Despite his denials, he was charged with the offences in April 2023.

Royle, 62, of Elm Drive, Crewe, was convicted following a 11-day trial. He was found guilty of 28 counts of assaulting a girl under 13, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children, three counts of making indecent photographs of child, and seven counts of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He has been remanded in custody until he is sentenced on September 27. 

Description

A serial sex offender who targeted two women – and raped one of them – faces a long prison sentence after being convicted by a jury of the "traumatic" offences.

David Beck tried to pretend that the victims were lying about what happened but his claims were condemned as "absolute and utter nonsense" and they were "not plausible" at all, Hull Crown Court heard.

Beck, 30, of Nornabell Street, off Holderness Road, east Hull, denied 10 sexual offences but he was convicted by a jury of six of them after more than eight hours of deliberations, spanning two days, following a nine-day trial.

They involved two offences of rape and two offences of assault by penetration against one woman and one offence of sexual assault and another of assault by penetration against the other woman.

The two rape convictions were both unanimous but three of the other convictions were either by majority verdicts of 10 to two or, in one case, by 11 to one. He was cleared of four offences, with three of them, including two of assault by penetration, involving the rape victim. The other involved a charge of sexual assault on the other woman.

Beck was convicted after a retrial. An earlier trial last year had to be abandoned after additional late evidence emerged.

Richard Butters, prosecuting, said that Beck sexually assaulted both women. "The defendant would say that these two women are liars from start to finish," said Mr Butters.

The rape victim had said: "It's so hard to talk about. It's so painful." Mr Butters asked the jury whether, if the woman was lying, she would allow herself to suffer the stress of the court process. "Would she put herself through the torture that she experienced in this trial?" he asked.

The ordeal had been "traumatic" for her. "This defendant has ruined her life and violated her and she is feeling it today," said Mr Butters.

The second woman had said: "I have got nothing to gain by lying. He did sexually assault me." Mr Butters said: "She felt violated." The woman had told the court that what Beck did was "not right".

It was claimed by the defence that the women and all the prosecution witnesses were lying to the court and were "part of a conspiracy", said Mr Butters. He said of the defence claims: "Everybody is a liar. Everybody is in this conspiracy together. It's not plausible."

Beck claimed that a man had "manipulated" the rape victim into lying. "That's absolute and utter nonsense," said Mr Butters. "His explanations are utterly ridiculous."

During Beck's defence evidence, his barrister, Michael Forrest, asked him whether the sexual allegations against him over the rape victim were true. Beck replied: "It didn't happen, no." He claimed of the two rape allegations: "That's not true."

When asked about how he felt when he was told about the other sexual allegations involving the rape victim, Beck replied: "It was just disgusting to hear. I felt physically ill. I still feel physically ill to this day. I was terrified and scared."

Beck claimed that he had been attacked as a result of the allegations. "I was physically beaten up on the doorstep," he claimed. "I remember being on the floor trying to protect myself. I had to run. I managed to get myself to my mum's property."

Beck claimed, when asked about the allegations involving the sexual assault victim: "That didn't happen. I wouldn't do something like that to a woman, especially without consent."

He repeatedly replied: "That didn't happen" when other allegations were put to him. After the first of the guilty verdicts were announced, Beck cried and wailed and put his head in his hands.

He had been on bail during the trial but, after the convictions, he was remanded in custody. Sentence was adjourned until September for an assessment by the probation service on the danger that he poses to others in the future. He faces a lengthy prison sentence.

Description

A former Taekwondo world champion and coach who had a sexual interest in boys has been jailed for six years and ten months.

Glen Edwards, 32, of Acrefair, Wrexham, denied 14 counts alleging sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child and causing a child to watch sexual acts. But he was found guilty of twelve charges on what the judge called “quite overwhelming evidence.”

Sentencing him on Monday, July 29, Judge Niclas Parry at Mold crown court said there were eight victims “in awe of your remarkable achievements” in sport. Judge Parry said Edwards showed “no remorse whatsoever” for what he’d done.

“Rather bizarrely you claim only to have been targeted for prosecution because of your gender,” the judge remarked. Edwards was an “accomplished athlete" but the judge said: “You are now professionally ruined." Edwards must register as a sex offender for life.

The paedophile had been bailed for a pre-sentence report. But he appeared on a video link from Berwyn jail at Wrexham today. His counsel Jemma Gordon explained that his convictions had meant his home address was no longer available to him.

A female juror was tearful at the end of his trial. The judge had told the jury :”You have had to listen to some harrowing evidence. It’s had an impact on some of you. I am extremely sorry for any distress that was understandably caused.”

During the case, prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers had said Edwards “groomed” young boys and that he didn’t have “any boundaries.” “No doubt the defendant was charming, no doubt he was charismatic, but sadly the truth was he had a sexual interest in them,” Mr Rogers declared.

Edwards accepted a sexual conversation with an underage boy but it had been a “joke”, he claimed in evidence. Judge Parry had told the jury in his summing up :”Someone has lied to you.”

He added: ”Mr Edwards is charged with sexual offences against numerous complainants. The defendant claims they have lied to you.”

However, Edwards had pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with an underage boy in a car. Boys said they were sent pictures of Edwards’s groin, and one received a video of the naked defendant in a shower. A boy claimed that the defendant had discussed sexual matters and sought pictures.

Another youngster said Edwards had asked him a lewd personal question. The defendant had said “hi sexy” in a message and put kisses. Edwards insisted he wasn’t communicating “sexually.”

But he was described as “suggestive” by another of his victims. The defendant had admitted child porn allegations.

Description

THIS is the face of a sex offender who sent a picture of his penis to who he thought was a 14-year-old boy and encouraged the ‘boy’ to masturbate.

Andrew Gold, 41, of no fixed abode, was described “devious and manipulative” as he was jailed by Judge Catherine Richards at Swansea Crown Court.

Gold had faced a trial over allegations of attempted sexual communications with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He was found guilty of both charges on July 2.

The defendant was sentenced to five years, made up of three years in custody and a further two years extended licence period.

“I’m sure there is a serious risk to young boys,” Judge Richards said as she sentenced Gold.

The court heard that Gold, previously of Tenby, contacted who he thought was a 14-year-old boy named Ryan – but was actually as decoy account – between June and September last year.

“Your conversation soon turned sexual,” Judge Richards said, summarising the evidence heard at trial.

The contact began on a dating app, before swiftly moving on to Snapchat. Gold sent ‘Ryan’ a picture of his penis and asked him to send pictures of himself. He also described sexual acts to ‘Ryan’ that he said he planned do with him, and encouraged ‘Ryan’ to masturbate.

Judge Richards described Gold’s behaviour as “devious and manipulative offending”, as he specifically chose to move the conversation on to Snapchat due to the disappearing messages feature, as well as the subsequent deletion of Gold’s Snapchat account.

“Your actions were determined and calculated,” Judge Richards said.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue told the court that Gold had relevant previous convictions.

“This was an online offence,” said Dyfed Thomas, in mitigation.

“I accept there was some discussion about meeting. It didn’t really develop.”

Referring to Gold’s offending, Mr Thomas admitted: “There is limited mitigation here”.

Mr Thomas said measures put in place through the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order and the defendant registering as a sex offender would reduce the danger Gold posed to the public, and that he would benefit from taking part in the Horizon programme.

Gold was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A dad unwittingly took a prolific paedophile on holiday with his family. The parent was left "physically shaking" after finding out the man he had invited along was in fact a "devious" serial sex offender.

Andrew Priday, 61, had secretly obtained a passport and used it to go on a trip to Europe with the family in question, who knew nothing of his past.

He had lied about his real identity to the woman he was marrying and her family. The details emerged during a hearing a Swansea Crown Court, with his crimes described as "determined and devious".

Priday, who has already served two lengthy prison terms for child sex offences, was sentenced to 32 months behind bars for his latest offence.

The Mirror reports Leuan Rees, prosecuting, said that in 2005 Priday was given an extended 11-year sentence at Swansea Crown Court and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life for a string of child sex offences, with part of the conditions for the order being he had to inform the police of any passports he has.

He was also told to tell police of any holiday plans at least a week before they leave. The court heard that in January 2021, Priday applied for and obtained a passport.

But during subsequent annual registration declarations he lied to police and said he did not have one. The court heard that in June this year a family with a child who knew him - but were unaware of his previous convictions - booked a holiday to Bulgaria.

As an afterthought they invited Priday to join them for the final week of their break. Priday flew from Cardiff Airport on June 17 and spent seven days at the family's holiday apartment.

Priday was also found to have a phone in his possession, a device he had not informed police about. The father of the holidaying family later told police he felt "sick" and was "physically shaking" when he learned of Priday's past convictions.

Priday had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and three counts of failing to abide by the requirements of the sex offenders registration scheme when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has 12 previous convictions for 71 offences between 1997 and 2005, including 12 convictions for sexual offences. In 1995 he was sentenced to seven years in prison at Cardiff Crown Court for indecent assault of a child and gross indecency with a child.

In 2005 he was given an 11-year extended sentence as a dangerous offender for indecent assault of a child, sexual activity with a child, making indecent images, and possessing indecent images.

He also has convictions from Kent in 2002 for breaching the terms of the sex offenders register, for gaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences - failing to declare his past convictions when applying for a job.

He also made false statements about his offending history to his then wife-to-be when applying for a marriage licence. Andrew Evans, speaking for Priday, said there was no suggestion of inappropriate behaviour during the holiday.

But he accepted his client had 'faltered' on his requirements. Judge Geraint Walters said Priday seemed to have "given up on any pretence" of complying with the requirements of the sex offenders register and Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

He said the reality was his breaches were "determined and devious". With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Priday was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.

He will serve up to half of that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder of his sentence in the community.

Description

Benjamin Hassell, 70, was found guilty of indecent assault during a trial after previously pleading guilty to seven charges of making indecent images of a child. The trial heard how in 1987, when the victim was just six years old, Hassell sexually assaulted her at an address in Southampton.

The victim came forward to speak to police to report what had happened to her in 2020, and an investigation was launched. Officers seized a number of electronic devices from Hassell, including a laptop, a digital storage device and an SD card. An examination of these devices revealed more than 2,000 indecent images of children.

Hassell, of Clarendon Road, Southampton, had previously pleaded not guilty to the indecent assault charge, however was found guilty of the offence by a jury. He was jailed for seven years and 10 months.

Description

Today, Friday 26 July, a man has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after being found guilty of historical child sexual abuse in Liverpool.

Raymond Andrews, 57 years, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after a jury found him guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15.

His heinous offences was committed in Liverpool between 2014 and 2016.

Andrews, who is from Liverpool but has been living in Oldham, was also issued a restraining order, Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offender Register for life.

Description

A paedophile who sexually abused four children has been jailed for 16 years. All of his victims were under the age of 13-years-old.

Gary Hayes, 61, of Taff's Well, was found guilty of indecent and sexual assault of his victims. The offences took place over a period of 14 years from 2002.

Hayes, of Garth Street, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, July 19. He was subjected to sex offender notification requirements for life, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and indefinite restraining orders.

Description

A man who admitted trying to have sexual conversations with children online has been given an extended sentence of more than eight years.

Stephen Poulter, aged 43, was using a chat site to have sexualised conversations with profiles he believed belonged to two 14-year-old girls.

In reality he was talking with a member of an online child abuse activist group, who went on to report him to Northamptonshire Police on February 18 this year.

Officers immediately attended and arrested Poulter, previously of Lindsay Avenue, Northampton, who was already under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed in 2021 following a previous conviction.

An investigation by the Force’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Unit (OCAIU) revealed how despite being told each ‘child’ was just 14, Poulter had sent them indecent images and videos of himself.

He went on to be swiftly charged with two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

Poulter had refused to give the police access to his mobile phone despite this being a requirement of his previous sentence, resulting in him also being charged with breach of the SHPO.

He was also charged with possession of the Class B drug cannabis, which was found in his home upon his arrest.

Having entered guilty pleas to all charges at Northampton Crown Court in March, on July 10 he returned there to be sentenced.

Poulter was given an extended sentence – used for criminals convicted of specific offences who are deemed to be dangerous – made up of 40 months’ imprisonment and a five-year extension period on licence.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228, with orders made for the forfeiture and destruction of his electronic devices and the seized cannabis.