Latest Offenders

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A LONDON man sexually assaulted a train passenger aged just 16 after she refused to give him her number.

William Roberts, of London Road, Thornton Heath, was locked up at Reading Crown Court last week after being convicted of sexual assault.

The 28-year-old will now have to sign the sex offenders register for ten years following his offending.

This comes after an incident in the evening of December 9, 2020, when the 16-year-old victim was travelling on a train from Oxford to Princes Risborough.

Roberts, who was in the same train as the woman, approached her and began repeatedly asking for her phone number.

When the girl refused to give Roberts her number, saying she was not interested and she was only 16-years-old, the London man sexually assaulted her.

He got up and walked down the carriage, but then he returned to her seat and put his arms out as if to block her from leaving.

Roberts then attempted to sexually assault the victim again before the girl pushed him away and escaped.

The 28-year-old was arrested at his home on January 6, 2020, when he told police officers he was only engaging in friendly conversation.

BTP Detective Constable James Egley said: Its clear from Roberts persistent actions that he is a danger to women and girls, and Im pleased to see him off the network and behind bars.

This was a truly distressing incident for the victim who has shown immense bravery coming forward and giving an account of what happened to her.

No one should be made to feel threatened whilst travelling on the network and we are actively taking serious action against sexual offenders.

I urge anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual harassment or a sexual offence on the railway to report it to BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40. We will always take you seriously.

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A MAN who recorded himself raping a sleeping woman has been sentenced to ten years in prison. Cameron Hassan changed his plea to guilty on the second day of his trial after the jury had watched the horrific footage. Hassan recorded his victims private parts before recording himself anally raping her, coupled with a running commentary of insults and foul language. The rape, which took place in Ammanford on August 21, 2021, had been recorded on his victims phone. The court heard that in police interview after his arrest Hassan claimed that the sex had been part of a role play and that his victim wasnt sleeping at the time. However, Hassan, 32, of no fixed abode, changed his plea before his victim had to take to the witness stand last May. His Honour Judge Geraint Walters heard that Hassan had a lengthy antecedent history and had appeared in court 39 times in relation to 92 criminal offences. Although none of these involved sexual offences some of the charges had involved violence and threats of violence towards women. In a victim impact statement read out to the court Hassans victim said that she had difficulty sleeping, waking up in the night sweating and having disturbing dreams. She was depressed and had been prescribed medication for this. The attack had caused massive trust issues and she had become distant from friends. She didnt want to see anybody and didnt trust people. She was worried about the effect of the attack on future relationships and had difficulty with intimacy, feeling uneasy if somebody tried to hug her. She added that the trial had caused her months of distress. I wish that he had pleaded guilty from the start, she said. I have had ten months of hell worried that I would have to talk about what happened in a court full of people. I have been physically unwell with worry. In mitigation the court heard that Hassan had expressed remorse for what he had done and was disgusted about his behaviour and the hurt that was caused. The court also heard that Hassan had indicated that he would engage with the support available in prison. At the moment at least you have no respect for women, said judge Walters. It is hard to imagine an act of greater degradation to a woman than that which I both saw and heard on that film. Hassan was sentenced to ten years in prison for the rape offence at Swansea Crown Court on, Thursday, June 23. The court heard that he will serve three quarters of his sentence. He was also sentenced to three months in prison, to run concurrently, for the offence of sending a threatening message. The court heard that he had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to this offence, which involved a different victim. Senior Investigating Officer DI Melanie Havard said the victim had shown great strength and determination throughout the investigation and trial. I must commend her tremendous courage in coming forward and the tenacity shown throughout the investigation, she said. We appreciate this is not easy for anyone to do but the victim has expressed her gratitude to the officer in the case for her support and empathy throughout this process. We hope this case demonstrates that Dyfed-Powys Police acts on serious allegations such as rape and sexual assault with officers working tirelessly to secure justice for victims. If you are suffering because of similar abuse, please contact the police, or if you would rather speak to someone in confidence, New Pathways are an independent charity that will support you through every step of the investigation.

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THE victim of a child rapist from Bridgwater said he has had his life stolen from him. He was speaking after Simon Wheaton, 37, was found guilty of multiple historic offences at the end of a trial at Taunton Crown Court. The jury yesterday (Thursday, June 23) returned guilty verdicts on the following five offences: - inciting a boy under fourteen years of age to commit an act of gross indecency; - indecent assault on boy under the age of 14 years; - indecently assaulting a boy, under 14, on at least two further occasions after that; - rape of a boy under 16 years; - rape of a boy under 16 years, on at least two further occasions. In the early 2000s, Wheaton sexually abused a nine-year-old boy, including committing multiple rapes against him. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, disclosed the abuse to girlfriends over the years before finally opening up to a counsellor, who agreed to report the matter to the police on his behalf. Officers worked with the victim to complete a thorough investigation, including speaking to the victims former partners and other witnesses. In a statement, the victim said: I was only a child when Wheaton did what he did to me. "He took advantage of me being young and trusting. "He took advantage of this, using it to get what he wanted from me, to abuse me. "He made me feel like it was my fault, that I would get into trouble, that I had no choice in what happened to me. "He calculatedly used thing after thing to keep me under his control, taking away from me my dignity, my trust and my life. "It destroyed my trust in people, my ability to emotionally connect with them, to be able to open up. "The last 18 years of my life were stolen from me, by what he did to me. "I wish I had spoken to someone sooner, but I spent too much of my life hating myself for what he did to realise that I was the innocent one. Wheaton will be sentenced at Taunton Crown Court in August. Investigating officer DS Charlie Pulling said: I would like to thank the victim for coming forward and showing incredible bravery by disclosing the awful abuse he suffered at the hands of this predatory paedophile. "Wheaton showed no remorse for his actions towards a child who trusted him. "I would like this result to give victims of similar crimes the confidence to come forward and speak to the police so we can help get them the justice they deserve. Officer in the case DC Charlotte Hodgkiss said: I hope this shows other survivors of serious sexual assault that it is never too late to come forward and speak out. "We recognise the courage it takes, and this is a prime example of justice being served.

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A man has been jailed for 17 years for historic sexual offences against a child. Alan Dreha, aged 70, of Kirkby was jailed for 17 years, plus two on licence for 14 counts of sexual assault. The court heard how Dreha subjected his young victim to sexual assault for a period of 11 years, between 1990 and 2001. Following a trial, Dreha was convicted on Monday 16 May and sentenced yesterday, Thursday 23 June, at Liverpool Crown Court. Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan said, Dreha denied his offending meaning his victim was forced to endure a trial. We welcome that he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars to consider the consequences of his actions. I would like to take this opportunity to praise Drehas victim for their courage in coming forward to report his crimes, and the dignity they have shown throughout the whole of this investigation. While no sentence will repair the damage that Drehas abuse has caused, I hope that by seeing Dreha sent to prison for a long time, this will give his victim some sort of closure and allow them to move on with their lives knowing he cannot harm anyone else. We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation. Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice. Time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them. Senior Crown Prosecutor Sarah Egan, a specialist lawyer with CPS Mersey Cheshires Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit (RASSO) said, Alan Dreha repeatedly sexually abused this victim over many years, from childhood through to early adulthood. He was controlling, and manipulated and groomed the victim in order to satisfy his own sexual needs. He maintained her silence with threats. This has been an appalling, gross abuse of trust. He has shown no remorse at all for what he has done to his victim. She has spoken of how difficult she found it to write her Victim Personal Statement. She said she felt controlled and manipulated throughout childhood. She still struggles to trust people, and it has severely affected her mental health, to the point where she has contemplated suicide. She said that it is such a lonely life you live when you are the victim of sexual abuse. Dreha has spent the last thirty-two years living a lie and maintaining an image of a respectable life, whilst the victim has had to endure, and deal with, the consequences of the sexual abuse she has suffered. There is absolutely no doubt that Drehas actions have caused this victim grave harm. The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the victim and family for the courage and strength they have shown throughout the proceedings, as well as the parties involved who have assisted in bringing a successful prosecution. We hope that the prosecution allows the victim to move forwards with her life. Anyone with information or wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If youve been affected by sexual violence of any kind, support is available through the Police and Crime Commissioners Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.

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A disgraced Leicestershire teacher who was jailed for grooming and abusing one of his students has been given a lifetime ban. Tony Fraine has been barred from the profession over future fears for students' safety.

Fraine, who taught at Hinckley Academy and John Cleveland Sixth Form Centre in Hinckley, was jailed in 2020 for the predatory behaviour which he committed against a 17-year-old pupil. The vile head of department had manipulated the teenager into the inappropriate relationship and coerced her into sending explicit images and messages.

He was jailed for two years. Now, the 39-year-old has been banned from ever teaching again in the UK after a disciplinary hearing by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) took place.

The hearing was told how Fraine had become a newly-appointed teacher at the school in 2005, later rising to head of the science department in 2010. It was in 2019 when the first allegations of his predatory behaviour were made.

From here, he was suspended from the school and put on trial at Leicester Crown Court. It was here where it was heard how Fraine had begun the abuse by sending his victim flattering messages which then became sexualised. He also gave her a gift of underwear, while she later sent naked images after going along with his repeated requests.

After pleading guilty to two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, he was jailed for two years. Fraine is also currently subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and is on the sex offenders register for the same period.

For the TRA panel, they felt letting Fraine return to the classroom would put children at risk and harm public confidence. There was a strong public interest consideration in respect of the protection of pupils and other children given the very serious findings relating to sexual activity with a pupil and conduct associated with grooming, they said.

The panel considered that Mr Fraines behaviour in committing the offence would be likely to affect public confidence in the teaching profession if Mr Fraine was allowed to continue teaching, given the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community.

Saying the need to issue the ban was in the public interest, the TRA said they had to treat the case with the utmost seriousness, believing that a lifetime ban was both proportionate and appropriate.

The seriousness of the offences including the grooming behaviour which took place over a substantial period of time was a significant factor, they said.

Concluding the report, Sarah Buxcey, from the TRA, believed Fraines actions meant he could not teach again.

The panel finds that the conduct of Mr Fraine fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession, she said. Mr Fraines offending behaviour was serious, concerning sexual activity with a pupil, which ultimately led to a sentence of imprisonment, which I agree with the panel is relevant to his ongoing suitability to teach.

I have concluded that a prohibition order is proportionate and in the public interest in order to achieve the intended aims of a prohibition order.

Fraine has 28 days to appeal the ban at the High Court.

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A PERVERTED pensioner subjected a young girl to appalling sexual abuse and took depraved photos as he did so. Raymond Hughes was handed a sentence of more than a decade behind bars for his shocking behaviour. The 74-year-old implored his victim not to tell anyone about the abuse as bad guys would hurt him, and he told police he hoped she would simply forget about what happened. Hughes was charged with four counts of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13 and one of taking indecent images of a child. He was also convicted of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch sexual activity, and he appeared to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday. Louise McCloskey, prosecuting, explained how the victim revealed to her family in January that she had been sexually abused. She told her shocked and horrified family that she had wanted to speak out for a long time but was worried about what would happen next. Police were informed and she was interviewed, explaining to officers that the defendant would make her sit on his knee while he showed her online pornography. As she was forced to watch, he would perform sex acts on her, including penetrative activity which she said hurt. He would also take photos of himself abusing her while she was naked and call her beautiful, telling her that she would be attractive when she grew up. Police found 20 indecent images of her in his possession, two of which were categorised as category A the worst grading while eight were category B and 10 category C. The victim also told officers that he would make her hold his penis while he urinated and performed sex acts on himself, as well as how he told her not to tell anyone about the abuse as bad guys would hurt him. Hughes was arrested by police and interviewed, where he made full and frank admissions to the offences. He said that he got aroused when she sat on his knee and when he touched her in a sexual way, while accepting that he performed penetrative activity with her, but never with his penis. The defendant added that he regretted his actions very, very much and that he had hoped she would have forgotten about it. An impact statement was read out in court in which the victim said she remembers in detail what happened to her. It upsets me looking back as I was told it was completely normal, and I feel sick I could have thought something like that was normal, she said. The abuse caused her to have problems sleeping, including nightmares about what he did, while she now has low self-esteem. Reporting what happened to the police was overwhelming and stressful for her as it was difficult going through it again. Representing his client, James Smith referenced his lack of any previous convictions and his ill-health due to chronic heart and lung conditions and long Covid. This defendant is deeply sorry and ashamed for his actions, he said. He knows he will have caused a lasting and serious impact, and he fully accepts the punishment which will be meted out by your honour today. He is someone who will embrace rehabilitation, and he has a high motivation to comply with all therapies proposed. Before sentencing, judge David Potter said: All along, you hoped she would keep your awful secret to herself. What you did to her had a massive impact on her life and mental health. She was a happy and outgoing child, but her childhood was taken from her by your actions. It is abundantly clear that the psychological impact of your offending is profound, and it is likely to be a life-long lasting impact. Your life has been shattered, but so has that of many people because of your appalling behaviour. These offences are so serious that only an immediate and significant period of imprisonment is appropriate. Hughes, of Thurston Close in Hood Manor, was sentenced to 11 years and four months of prison. Due to the nature of the offences, he is classed as an offender of particular concern and was therefore handed a determinate sentence. This means he will have to serve two thirds of the jail term in custody before the case goes before the parole board to determine if he can be released, and if so, he must spend an extra year on extended license. He must also sign the sex offender register, comply with the terms of a sexual harm prevention order and abide by a restraining order not to contact or approach his victim all for life. Following the sentencing, DC Lauren Pedley, who led the police investigation, said: Being subjected to sexual abuse affects people in the most profound way, and I would like to thank the victim for the courage she showed in disclosing what Hughes subjected her to during her childhood. While she will never be able to forget about what happened to her, I hope the fact that he is now behind bars facing the consequences of his actions provides the victim with some closure and enables her to begin to move forward with her life. DC Pedley added: I hope this case and the significant custodial sentence that Hughes has received encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report them to us. Cheshire Constabulary takes any allegation of sexual offences extremely seriously, no matter how long ago they relate to. Any allegation will be thoroughly investigated, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority. Victims should never feel ashamed to talk about what they have been subjected to. They will receive the help and support they need from our specialist officers, as well as from other support agencies we work alongside, and all victims of sexual offences have the right to anonymity for life.

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A SCHOOLTEACHER has admitted possessing a catalogue of indecent images of children, as well as having extreme pornography involving animals. Austin Betts, who taught at Woodlands School in Basildon, will be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court next week after pleading guilty to a host of offences. The 32-year-old, of Mendip Crescent, Westcliff, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children, two charges of distributing indecent images of children, and possession of extreme pornography involving animals at a magistrates court appearance in May. School bosses wrote to parents yesterday confirming that he had admitted the offences, as well as insisting that checks were carried out prior to his employment and they had co-operated with the police investigation. The headteacher added that Brett has not been on the school site since July 2021. It is believed he was suspended when the school was made aware of the allegations against him, although school leaders refused to provide any additional detail. In a letter to parents headteacher David Wright said: We can confirm that Austin Betts, a former teacher, has pleaded guilty to making and the distribution of indecent images. We want to assure the school community that we carried out all the required safeguarding checks before his employment and have cooperated fully with the police investigation. He has not been on the school site since July 2021. While the schools leadership team are very shocked by this news, there is absolutely no suggestion that any of the crimes relate to students or staff at the school. If any members of the school community are affected by these events we would, of course, facilitate any support needed. Brett will be sentenced on Monday at Basildon Crown Court after admitting the charges at Basildon Magistrates Court on May 24.

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Now Peter Cooke, aged 66, of Endon, has been jailed at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court Pervert pensioner Peter Cooke has been jailed after he downloaded scores of horrific images of children being abused. The 66-year-old registered sex offender was convicted in 2009 of attempting to facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and four charges of making indecent images of children. He was handed a nine-year extended sentence. And a year later he was jailed for a further 12 months with one year's licence for acting with intent to defraud the revenue. That meant he remained on licence until 2020. But within weeks of his licence period expiring the defendant downloaded the child sex abuse photos. Some featured children as young as three. Officers seized his laptop but returned to his home three months later and found another laptop which contained more indecent images. Now Cooke has been jailed for 10 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Antony Longworth said police attended the defendant's home on August 20, 2020 and he appeared to be anxious. His devices were examined and officers found 'ccleaner' - software which erases the use of the internet - and TOR browser, which contacts the dark web. The laptop was found to have 23 category A images - the most serious; 21 at category B and 126 at category C. Mr Longworth said: "The defendant admitted he had been accessing and viewing indecent images for the previous two months. All the images were inaccessible. They had been viewed but attempts were made to delete them." Police went to the defendant's home again on November 12, 2020 and seized another laptop. Mr Longworth said: "The officer was able to determine the TOR browser had been deleted from it. It was sent off to be examined and was found to contain 10 category C images." The defendant accepted he accessed the indecent images. He said he looked at the images when he felt stressed. He claimed he did not get sexual gratification from viewing the images but felt disappointed with himself for looking at them. He said he bought the second laptop after the first was seized by the police. Cooke, of Spinney Close, Endon, pleaded guilty to four charges of making indecent images of a child. Paul Kay, mitigating, said the defendant has medical problems including colon cancer, a tumour on his liver and he is also being investigated for bowel cancer. He said Cooke pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. Mr Kay added: "He is very ashamed of what he has done. He would co-operate with anything the probation service could do to assist him, anything that could keep him at liberty so he could have his cancer treatment." But Judge Sally Hancox said the sentence had to be immediate custody. She said: "He was but weeks away from the end of his licence period. After a device had been taken from his home images of children being sexually abused were found and he was in possession of applications which allowed him to access and hide images. When a further device was found by the authorities he continued to behave in the same way. He was told in 2009 what would be the consequences of any breach or if he acted in defiance of any regulation." The judge told Cooke: "It is clear you are sorry for what you have done. But you are still somebody who indicates you got no sexual gratification from looking at the images. Why have you gone to them? Why have you gone to them again?" Cooke was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for 10 years and remains on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A Nottinghamshire man who raped a fellow teenager has been jailed.

Kian Allsebrook, 20, carried out the assault on the young woman on 10 September 2020 when he was 18.

A jury found Allsebrook, of Selston, guilty of the rape of a person over the age of 16, following a four-day trial in April.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday Allsebrook was jailed for two years and three months and was made subject of a four-year restraining order.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.

Det Con Barry Haines said: "It is absolutely incomprehensible that anyone would ever force themselves on someone without their consent, in the manner that he did.

"I'd like to commend the victim for having the courage to share what happened to her with the police, so that we were able to help bring her some justice."

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A police dog handler who throttled and punched a woman while trying to rape her in her home has been jailed. Greater Manchester Police officer Ernesto Ceraldi attacked the woman after meeting her in a Rossendale pub in April, Preston Crown Court heard. She tried to escape but he chased her while naked and continued attacking her until a neighbour intervened. Admitting attempted rape and assault, the 44-year-old was sentenced to five years and four months in prison. The court heard Ceraldi, who has since resigned from the force, met the woman on 1 April and was invited back to her home, where they drank wine and he showed her photographs of his police dog. 'Who can I trust?' Prosecuting, David Traynor QC said the woman described how Ceraldi's attitude "changed all of a sudden" and he demanded she perform a sex act and grabbed her hair. He said Ceraldi, of no fixed address, pushed her against a wall, causing a picture to fall and smash, and put his hand around her throat, adding: "The pressure was horrific, she nearly stopped breathing." He said the naked officer repeatedly punched the woman and then pursued her as she tried to escape, but a neighbour heard her screaming and came to help her. Ceraldi then went back inside, where police found him sleeping naked on the sofa, with his leg through the arm of a jacket. In a statement, the woman said as Ceraldi had been a police officer, she "should have been able to trust him without a shadow of a doubt". "If I cannot trust a police officer with 21 years of service, who can I trust?" she said. She added that while her injuries had healed, she did not know "if the mental effects ever will". "I can no longer go out and return home after dark on my own," she said. "Someone must come into the house with me to put me at ease." 'Genuine fear' Julian King, defending, said Ceraldi, who had a wife and two adult children, had been commended for his work at the 2008 Uefa Cup final and in the Salford riots in 2011. He said the dog handler's "isolated" actions were "out of character" and had been aggravated by "the substantial consumption of alcohol". Sentencing Ceraldi, Judge Simon Medland QC said the former officer's actions had been "aggressive and coercive and violent" and he had used his job to "fill the victim with confidence". "It terrified the victim and she was in genuine fear for her life," he said. However, he added that he believed Ceraldi had shown genuine remorse and said a "very significant" feature of the case was that he pleaded guilty at a plea and trial preparation hearing, having previously denied the offences. Ceraldi was also told he would be subject to sexual offence notification requirements for the rest of his life and handed a restraining order.

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A SEX offender pensioner who once molested a horse has admitted sexually assaulting a teenager in a Perth McDonald's. Creep William Nicoll was placed on the sex offenders register in 2013 after he was caught with his hand up a horse's backside. The 75-year-old returned to Perth Sheriff Court last week and pled guilty to twice slapping a woman's bottom at McDonald's Dunkeld Road restaurant. He admitted sexually assaulting the teenager by slapping her buttocks and touching her shoulder on May 23 this year. As reported in The Courier, fiscal depute Andrew Harding told the court: "The accused went over to the complainer and said 'hello'. "He continued to speak to her, before tapping her twice on her left shoulder. "As the accused walked away, he slapped the complainer's bottom with an open palm. "Of course, this was reported to the police," Mr Harding said. Sheriff Euan Duthie deferred sentencing until July 13 for background reports. The court is also is considering a non-harassment order to stop Nicoll contacting his victim. Nicoll appeared in court nine years ago and admitted a sexually aggravated breach of the peace charge. The court heard he was spotted by children repeatedly inserting his hand into a horse's rear end in a field near Crieff. When confronted by foal's disgusted owner, he said: "I'm very lonely." Prosecutor Carol Whyte told the court the horse's owner was "physically sickened" by the incident. "He seemed so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn't see her and her children approach," she said. Nicoll will be sentenced for the sexual assault on July 13.

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A teaching assistant, who preyed on a child to satisfy a perverted curiosity, has avoided going to prison. Daniel Abraham admitted sexually assaulting the girl while working at a school in Sittingbourne. Maidstone Crown Court heard that the offences took place more than five years ago and had left the victim so traumatised she discarded all of her school photographs. It was only when the 35-year-old was dismissed for a separate incident she told her family. Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson said Abraham had undergone training aimed at safeguarding pupils - but was seen putting his arms around a child. He said Abraham was reported to the authorities after he was seen staring at children while they were changing and he was suspended and then sacked. The prosecutor said it was later that the victim spoke to her mother and disclosed what had happened to her. Abraham, of Lawrence Street, Gillingham, was arrested in November 2020 but initially denied the allegations or having a sexual interest in children, despite an interest in teenage pornography. The victim later told police in a statement: "After what he did I was scared of going to school, scared of him. I have thrown away every photograph of that time because I can't look at them. "I feel I have lost a part of my childhood. I want him to regret what he has done to me." Her mother told the judge in a written statement how hearing details of what he had done "was heartbreaking". Defence barrister Craig Evans said: "He looks back with disgust and sincere regret for his actions and the impact it had on his victim and her family. "After what he did I was scared of going to school, scared of him..." "He struggles to come to terms with what led to this offending. In satisfying his own curiosity he has caused unnecessary harm and distress to others." Abraham was given a 21 month jail sentence suspended for two years and ordered to undergo treatment to deal with his sex offending. He sat with his head bowed, as the judge ordered him to do 120 hours of unpaid work for the community. Abraham, who had admitted two sex offences, is now banned from ever working with children in the future and has to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years. Judge Julian Smith said he he been repeatedly warned about his behaviour around children but decided to carry out acts "that satisfied his sexual interest". As he left the dock, a supporter of the victim's family made a threat against him and was warned by a member of court staff.

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Later sexual abuse by notorious Rochdale grooming gang leader and paedophile Shabir Ahmed could have been prevented if earlier offending behaviour and the threat he posed to children had been properly addressed, a damning report has found.

Almost three years after being commissioned, a review into allegations of historic child sexual exploitation has found that children in Oldham were being exploited and let down by services which tried and failed to protect them.

The review, commissioned by Oldham Council in 2019 and written by experts Malcolm Newsam and Gary Ridgway, looked at the way authorities have dealt with child sexual exploitation in Oldham between 2011 and 2014, and one specific case dating back to 2005.

Among its damning findings, the review has uncovered that Shabir Ahmed worked as a welfare officer in Oldham unchecked for a year despite being accused of serious child sexual abuse.

Ahmeds links to Oldham and the council had been investigated as part of the review, which has uncovered serious failures in how authorities dealt with the predator.

The report has found that there was a significant allegation of child sexual abuse made to police in 2005 against Ahmed whilst he was working at Oldham Council.

This occurred three years before he was arrested in relation to the widespread grooming and gang rape in Rochdale, which also saw abused girls let down by police and social services.

Known as Daddy by his victims, he was found guilty of two rapes, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment.

In June 2012 he was found guilty of a further 30 rape charges and was jailed for an additional 22 years, adding three years to his overall prison term.

Ahmed, now 69, worked at Oldham Council between 1988 and 2006, and was employed as a welfare rights officer seconded to the Oldham Pakistani Community Centre.

This role would have meant he would potentially have had contact with a range of vulnerable adults and their children.

The review team state they believe there were serious failings in how both the council and Greater Manchester Police investigated concerns in respect of Ahmed while allegations of child sexual assault were being levelled at him during his employment as a welfare officer.

The full details of his case have not been made public due to concerns about jigsaw identification of his victims.

However a summary of the case included within the report finds that as early as 2005, GMP was notified of a serious allegation of child sexual abuse perpetrated by Ahmed.

The victim, now an adult, also alerted police that Ahmed had also potentially had contact with a young child who lived outside of Oldham.

A crime report was not submitted on the back of this information which GMP said was in line with its working practices at the time. However, the review team says the National Crime Recording Standard in place at the time required a crime to be recorded.

GMP also failed to inform the local authority responsible for the child, and also did not notify Oldham Council which was then Ahmeds employer.

As a result of the disclosure that he potentially presented a serious risk to children, Newsam and Ridgway say a full assessment should have been undertaken to assess the risks he posed to any other children he may have come into contact with.

But instead insufficient enquiries were made into whether his role gave him access to vulnerable adults and children.

If this had happened it may have potentially avoided the tragic abuse of other children, the report states.

In February 2008, Ahmed was arrested for sexual assault on a child, and that July was also arrested on suspicion of abducting two other children.

However the review states that neither of the two children made a complaint, and consequently no crime was recorded and no further action taken.

When queried by the review team, Oldham Council was unable to find any record of being notified of these allegations by Greater Manchester Police.

And there is no evidence that GMP had notified the council about the allegations, so that it could investigate the risks he may have posed to children he could have been involved with through his job.

Oldham Council were also not involved in subsequent strategy discussions between GMP and Rochdale Council about Ahmed, and both the 2008 and 2005 allegations.

Even after Ahmed was charged with sexual assault at the end of September 2008, no action was taken by Oldham council to undertake a safeguarding assessment, or liaise with the police force.

He would not be jailed for his prolific sexual offending until 2012.

In 2011 he was charged with the rape of the child in 2005, and remanded in custody.

Oldham Council was notified by the probation service, and given the profound child sexual abuse, this shouldve been a further opportunity to initiate a full assessment of [Ahmeds] circumstances but there is no evidence of this having occurred.

GMP requested copies of files about Ahmed and his family, which informed Oldham Council about the child that lived outside of the borough that could have potentially been put at risk.

This significant information should have prompted the authority to begin a multi-agency strategy discussion to assess the threats presented to any other children. However the review states that the council has never been able to locate any record to explain why this never occurred.

The following year another young woman bravely revealed she had also been abused by Ahmed, and GMP notified Oldham Council of the allegations.

The abuse occurred while he was employed as a welfare rights officer, but it is not known whether he had been involved with her family in a professional capacity.

However the report states that childrens social care inexplicably closed the case within a few days without undertaking any assessment.

The authority has been unable to locate anything further on this child and the review finds there is no evidence of an assessment of her allegations or her vulnerability.

The review team have been informed that the case was discontinued by Greater Manchester Police on the basis that there was no realistic prospect of conviction, the report states.

Neither Greater Manchester Police nor Oldham council was able to provide the review team with any assurance that the childs allegations and vulnerability were appropriately dealt with.

The review team conclude that there were serious multiple failures by both Greater Manchester Police and Oldham council to follow the procedures in place to investigate the threat [Ahmed] presented to children.

If these procedures had been followed, his offending behaviour could have been addressed at an earlier stage and potentially the abuse of his subsequent victims may have been prevented.

Further findings

The review also finds that a number of working Oldham taxi drivers had been accused of rape or sexual offences against children but kept their licences.

Two drivers who were alleged to have assaulted girls should have had their licences revoked by the council, and several known offenders had been granted or had their taxi licences renewed by councillors.

Following the Rotherham scandal, in 2014 Oldham council reviewed all the cases where licence holders had been accused of sexual offences.

There were originally five drivers identified who had serious criminal convictions, but only one of these was taken to the licensing panel and had his licence revoked.

One of the remaining four went on to commit a sexual assault on a young female passenger in 2015. He had been convicted of an indecent assault on a woman in a shopping centre, and received a conditional discharge.

He was convicted in 2017 of the later assault, and the judge in the case queried why a licence had been granted given his previous conviction, which triggered a formal complaint to the council.

Following this the councils chief executive Carolyn Wilkins ordered officers to undertake a review of all licensed drivers, which were around 1,300 people.

The report listed nine drivers, where one had been convicted of offences against children.

Of these nine, six licences were revoked or ended.

One driver had been questioned by police in relation to two separate alleged sexual assaults, three years apart, on two young female passengers.

There were also concerning details of the offence by another driver. It was alleged that a victim was a customer who had been sexually assaulted in his taxi and subsequently raped.

The Crown Prosecution Service had taken no further action, but this was the only detail that was supplied to the licensing panel.

He raised the matter formally with the-then chief constable of GMP, Ian Hopkins, in 2018 but did not get a response.

GMP has now confirmed it has commissioned a review of the content, application, and senior ownership of the forces policies on disclosure around taxi drivers.

Cover up?

Large portions of the report are dedicated to establishing whether authorities, the police, council and political leaders, covered up the activity of grooming gangs in the borough.

The review team conclude they find no evidence of a widespread cover up of sexual exploitation, and the review finds no evidence that senior managers or councillors sought to cover up the potential exploitation of children by local taxi services.

And the team were provided with no evidence, either through interviews or documentary review, to suggest that there was widespread exploitation of children in residential settings in Oldham.

An official statement released by GMP stated that they only had two pieces of intelligence about potential CSE, and neither of these were substantiated.

This was based on the response of a police sergeant who was asked to provide information in relation to the media enquiry.

The review team says that there was no doubt that during this same period there were legitimate concerns by the council and police that high-profile convictions of predominantly Pakistani offenders could be capitalised on by a far-right agenda and lead to the victimisation of the Pakistani community.

However it is clear from all the evidence we have seen that the council and its partners in no way avoided addressing this, and in fact saw successful disruption and prosecution as the route to winning the confidence of all communities in Oldham, they write.

There is significant evidence that the council did everything possible to publicise the threat of child sexual exploitation.

Reports went to council committees, bi-annual meetings were held with the leader, chief executive, cabinet members and the opposition leader to discuss safeguarding issues, and the council introduced a training module on CSE for councillors to attend.

This included the roll-out of performances of a play, Somebodys Sister, Somebodys Daughter, about sexual exploitation which was shown to more than 3,000 Oldham pupils across all the boroughs schools.

Then-council leader Jim McMahon wrote on his blog in 2014 that anyone who shies away from accepting that in Rotherham, Oxford, Rochdale, and here in Oldham and that this particular form of abuse is predominantly Pakistani men targeting white girls is not helping the victims and nor is it helping the Asian community at large.

He said that despite court cases being jumped on by far-right campaigners that was in fact more of a reason to act.

If we dont tackle wrongdoing, we give more oxygen to those who seek to gain politically by accusing those in authority of cover-ups and failures, he wrote.

The review team say they believe this clearly refutes suggestion that Mr McMahon was intending to protect perpetrators from the Pakistani community, but rather wanted to tackle it head on.

What the authorities say

In response to the report, Greater Manchester leaders have apologised for the failings by both police and child protection services.

Oldham council leader Amanda Chadderton said: We fully accept the findings of this independent report.

It highlights clear failings, where our services at the time were not good enough to protect vulnerable young people suffering the most awful abuse. For that I am deeply sorry.

I can never fully understand what those girls went through, and I also know that an apology now will never make up for what has happened in the past.

I do hope, however, to offer some reassurance that, as a council, we havent stood still since the time period the review refers to.

We have learned from reports carried out in other towns and cities across the country, and from changes in national guidance, and have changed the way we do things as a result.

The way we work has already moved on immeasurably.

That said, we are not complacent. We can and will improve further, wherever we need to.

Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Stephen Watson said: The safeguarding arrangements that were in place in GMP during the time period covered by the review were not good enough to protect children from sexual abuse.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to everyone affected by the events considered in the report. Our actions fell far short of the help that they had every right to expect and were unacceptable.

I am sorry for the hurt and on-going trauma they have suffered because of what happened to them.

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A 27-YEAR-OLD man from Cheshire West has been sent to prison for more than eight months after not telling police he was staying at a house with a child. Stephen Bonnett, of Mayfield Road, Northwich, appeared in Chester Magistrates Court on June 16 after pleading guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements. Between May 6 and 10, 2022, Bonnett failed to notify police within three days of staying in a household for at least 12 hours where a child lives. He was also charged with the same offence between May 11 and 14. Although magistrates took Bonnetts guilty plea into account, he was handed a custodial sentence because of his previous convictions of a similar nature. Bonnett was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison. He must pay court costs of 85 and a 156 surcharge.