Latest Offenders

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A sexual predator jailed for sexually abusing 19 children during his teaching career, including at a Swindon school, has been condemned by police. Creighton Muirhead was sent behind bars for 11 years on Wednesday after being convicted of 23 counts of indecent assault. They relate to his time teaching at The Weald school near Dorking, Surrey, and whilst he was headmaster of Ruskin Junior School between 1995 and 2008. During his career, he would call female pupils to his desk under the pretence of marking their books, and put his hand up their skirts. He made school a place of fear, dread and distrust, according to one of his victims. Now, after he was jailed at Guildford Crown Court, the police have reacted, paying tribute to the victims and pledging that victims of sexual abuse that come forward will be believed. Senior Investigating Officer in the case, brought Surrey Police, Detective Inspector Paddy Mayers, said: I must first of all pay tribute to the victims who gave their evidence in court which has helped ensure that Muirhead is now behind bars. Muirhead targeted numerous victims on many occasions over decades and committed these offences while working at different schools in different counties. They have put their trust in him as their teacher and he has abused this trust in the worst possible way. With the number of victims and offences involved, this was a long and complex investigation and I would like to thank the team, particularly the investigating officer Detective Constable Tom Gilbert, for their hard work and determination which has resulted in Muirhead being brought to justice for his heinous crimes. I would like to remind those who offend or consider offending against children that those children grow up and are likely to come forward and that we will pursue all allegations, no matter how long ago the offences took place. We will also ensure that anyone who does come forward will not only be taken seriously but will also be provided with specialist support. The court heard during the hearing that at least one of the victims had made a report to Wiltshire Police about the abuse, but no charges were brought. There was also involvement with childrens services and a report to the board of governors, but Muirhead was allowed to keep teaching. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Ross Linaker, also from Surrey Police, said: Creighton Muirhead was a sexual predator who used his position as a teacher to gain access to children and then sexually abuse them for his own gratification. The scale of his offending, which went unchallenged for years and occurred at two schools decades apart, cannot be underestimated. I hope that Muirheads conviction sends a clear message that we will always do everything we can to ensure allegations of sexual abuse are investigated thoroughly and that we will leave no stone unturned to get to the truth. Detective Constable Tom Gilbert, who investigated the case, added: I would like to thank all of the victims of these crimes for their courage in coming forwards and giving evidence. There is no hiding place for people who commit crimes of this nature. Muirhead was jailed for 11 years, will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely, and will not be allowed to work with children for the rest of his life.

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The dark past of a former primary school and college caretaker was exposed in court.

Robert Jones, now 70, was a caretaker at Sudley Junior School in Aigburth in the early 1970s. While working at the school the then 20-year-old exposed himself to two little girls in the toilets.

But he went on to get a job at Liverpool Polytechnic, which later became Liverpool John Moores University. During this period he subjected a little girl to depraved sexual abuse, which has only now come to light.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Jones even threatened the child that if she told her dad, her dad would "batter" him, and it would be her dad - not him - who went to prison. Prosecutors said the woman came forward to the police in 2018, after years of living with the effects of the abuse, in the 1970s and 1980s.

Jones, of Hardie Avenue, Moreton, Wirral, denied any wrongdoing, which forced his victim to give evidence in a harrowing trial. He was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child, in relation to the now adult victim.

Sarah Holt, prosecuting, told the jury Jones began abusing the girl when she was aged just six, by touching her genital area. The trial heard he performed a sex act in front of her on several occasions and once told her to do the same to him, which she did.

Ms Holt said he took her out in a car to a country lane close to Speke Airport, where she could watch the planes taking off. But while there, he exposed himself to her, told her to touch him and "said he would buy her things if she did".

The court heard the girl knew she didn't want to do it, but described how he made her perform a sex act, as he had done previously. Jones lowered his trousers and rubbed himself against the girl when she was clothed on another occasion, when she was aged nine or 10.

Ms Holt said when the girl was around that age, Jones asked if he could touch her breasts and told her "it would make them grow bigger". The victim described another time when she was around nine when he touched her genital area over clothing under the pretence of a game.

The court heard as the victim grew older she "knew it had to stop" and once said she would tell her dad. Ms Holt said Jones told the girl that if he found out, her dad would "batter" him, and then her dad would go to jail.

She said the child later "started to stand up" to Jones, told him "no" and refused his offers of gifts. Yet the court heard the victim "never got over her feelings of anger" towards Jones and his behaviour "had a profound effect upon her".

When interviewed by police, Jones denied ever sexually abusing the girl, accused her of lying, and denied having a sexual interest in children. He maintained this stance at trial, when he told the court he didn't have any previous convictions, except for an old driving offence.

This was supported by a police print out of his criminal record, which led to Judge Anil Murray telling the jury he was effectively of good character. However, ahead of sentencing Jones spoke to the Probation Service for a pre-sentence report and it emerged he in fact had a conviction from July 1972, which had been missed off the end of the print out.

That was for indecent exposure with intent to insult a female, under the Vagrancy Act. Further enquiries made by the prosecution revealed that at the time he had been working as a caretaker at Sudley Junior School in Aigburth Road, where it was said he had gone into a toilet while two six-year-old children were present and exposed himself.

David Watson, defending, said his client claimed he couldn't remember this offence, but accepted his criminal record was correct and wanted to be sentenced. He said Jones still denied sexually abusing his victim.

Judge Murray jailed Jones for five years. He told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

Jones was also accused by two other women of sexually abusing them when they were children in the 1970s and 1980s. But the jury couldn't reach verdicts in respect of those allegations, which prosecutors asked to be left to lie on the file at the conclusion of the trial.

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An alcoholic paedophile who targeted 'six children' on Facebook, ordering one to not tell her mum, has been jailed.

Steven Boorman, from the Sittingbourne area, believed he was badgering and sending indecent images of himself to underage teenagers.

But the 39-year-old was attempting to simultaneously groom paedophile hunters, telling one to be a big girl, and another mum does not need to know.

Canterbury Crown Court Judge Catherine Brown jailed Boorman, of no fixed abode, for 16 months.

Boorman badgered and pressurised the fake Facebook profiles over a series of weeks in autumn 2020, prosecutors said.

Representing himself from HMP Elmley, he said in mitigation: Ive never done this before, the drink overtook me. I would like to get back to normal, Ive lost all my family.

Boorman will be subject to a lifetime of notification requirements and 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

He pleaded guilty to nine non-contact sexual offences in August last year.

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Rapist Jamie Whiller has been caged for eight years. The 35-year-old former squaddie raped his teenage victim when she was aged 16.

His actions left the vulnerable girl unable to sleep and suffering with stress and anxiety. But she reported the abuse to her mum and the police were informed.

Now Whiller has been jailed for eight years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. Prosecutor Stefan Kolodynski said the defendant 'forced' himself upon his victim and had full unprotected sex with her.

The offending came to light when the victim told her mum what Whiller had done to her. The defendant admitted having sex with the girl when she was aged 16 but denied rape, saying it was consensual.

But Whiller, formerly of High Street, Tunstall, later pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and another serious sexual offence.

Caroline Harris, mitigating, said Whiller is very upset he has caused his victim distress. She said: "It has affected his employment. He has been called names in the street and publicly on nights out. It has resulted in the loss of his employment, the loss of his home and him moving to the south coast."

She said Whiller served in the Army from the age of 18 to 25 and has sought to live a decent hard working life. He has no previous convictions.

Miss Harris added: "He made an attempt on his life last year, such is the remorse and regret he feels."

Deputy Circuit Judge Paul Glenn made Whiller the subject of an indefinite restraining order which prevents him contacting his victim for the rest of his life. He said the defendant's suggestion in the pre-sentence report that, 'She came on to me', was 'distasteful'.

Deputy Circuit Judge Glenn added: "You knew that child was vulnerable. By your pleas you now accept she did not consent on two occasions. She submitted to your demands. You used her to satisfy your sexual appetite.

"She has been left with anxiety, depression and anger and speaks of the effect it has had on her relationship with boyfriends."

Whiller will serve two thirds of the sentence before he can be considered for release. He will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.

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A child rapist is back in jail after police discovered his collection of extreme pornography.

Michael Wright was found deleting content from his laptop when a police officer visited his home. The device was seized and more than 150 images of bestiality were discovered - along with Google searches for more depraved content.

Wright was jailed in 2016 after admitting a string of child sexual offences including three counts of rape. Then of Southport, the HGV driver was sentenced to seven years in jail.

He had been released on licence when a police officer attended his home in June 2021. The visit was a requirement of a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order he was subjected to. That order banned him from having electronic devices that police were not given access to, and from having any device that could access the internet unless it recorded his search history.

Daniel Bramhall, prosecuting, said the officer who attended Wrights home believed he was attempting to deter them from going in, arguing: Its a bit of a mess. Once inside, the officer found the flat clean and tidy and saw two laptops and a mobile phone on a coffee table. One of the laptops was in use.

Mr Bramhall said: When asked if police had the details of this device the defendant said the computer did not belong to him and he was wiping it for someone who lived downstairs. He then claimed it was his laptop but that he was clearing it so that he could sell it.

Wright was arrested on suspicion of breaching his SHPO and the laptops seized. The one that was having its memory cleared was found to hold 169 images of extreme pornography, typically involving animals. The images dated back to 2016 and Wright said: I was addicted to pornography at the time it was depraved. The 54-year-old admitted possession of extreme pornography and breaching his SHPO.

Gareth Roberts, defending Wright, told Liverpool Crown Court his client had sought to fight his demons over recent years but said that in 2016: He was in the grip of an insidious and rather horrible addiction to pornography.

Mr Roberts said this decimated his clients life but said the images found on his laptop had been downloaded a long time ago and since his conviction he had worked hard to turn his life around. He added: He wants to get on with the process of rehabilitating himself.

Judge Stuart Driver, QC, said Wright was caught in the very act of deleting his laptops history but accepted there was no evidence of recent unlawful activity.

He handed Wright, who has been in prison since his arrest last summer, a six month jail term.

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He was tricked and trapped by online vigilantes This Derby paedophile tried to meet an underage girl he groomed online but he had been lured into a trap by self-styled paedophile hunters and was arrested. Derby Crown Court heard how Jason Yeomans began messaging what he thought was under 16s just weeks after being released halfway through a 10-year jail sentence for previous child sex offences. In them he asked about what underwear they were wearing and if they'd had any sexual experiences. But the sick 34-year-old pervert was snared when one of the decoy girls reported him to Derbyshire police. Handing him a five-year sentence, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: "I have to assess if you pose a risk to the public and I have absolutely no doubt that you do. Your (probation service) offender manager report concludes that you pose a risk in relation to children under the age of 16 and there is no doubt you have a sexual interest in children. "Hopefully that will be addresses while you are in custody. You suffered significant trauma in 2007 as a result of your partner being killed and that sent you into a downward spiral including you resorting to looking at pornography. You sought solace in young people and that was completely and utterly inappropriate." Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said Yeomans was handed a long prison sentence in 2016 for child sex offences and was released from custody in September of last year. She said he was sent to live at a bail hostel in Bass Street, off Ashbourne Road, and within a matter of weeks was contacting young children online through one of his two mobile phones. Miss Slater said he was told by one girl she was aged nine and he replied saying he was aged 12. But the prosecutor said that girl was really an adult posing as a young girl. She said he began talking online to a second girl who said she was 14 and lived in Tamworth but this too was really an adult posing as a youngster. Miss Slater said: "When police seized his mobile phone there were hundreds of messages between them from October 19 to November 1. He said he lived in Derby and was aged 34 and they arranged to in Burton where he said they could kiss. But she made her excuses saying she'd had a massive row with her mum which he replied to with 'okay we will rearrange it' and he asked about coming to Tamworth to meet her." Yeomans, who is originally from Alfreton, pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He has previous convictions involving indecent images of children dating back as far as 2010. Digby Johnson, his barrister, said his client's partner died in a road crash on the A38 in 2007 and that he has never had grief counselling for that. He said that Yeomans used pornography to satisfy his late teen urges and "started to disappear into the world of the internet". Yeomans' five-year sentence is made up of two years in prison plus a three-year extended licence. It means he will be eligible to apply for parole two-thirds of the way through the custodial element of the sentence. However, he has been recalled on licence from a previous child sex offence and will not be released until 2026 at the earliest. The defendant was also handed a new, lifetime, sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the sex offender register for life.

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A MAN who sexually assaulted a young girl over several years is starting a nine-year prison sentence. James Doyle, 36, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Thursday, March 3, after being convicted of two counts of sexual activity with the girl, then aged under 13, at an address in East Grinstead between five and ten years ago. Doyle, of Bear Lane, Hare Hatch, Reading, will be a registered sex offender for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to run for ten years on his release, hugely restricting his access to girls under 16 and to digital communications devices. Detective Constable Rees Hopcraft, West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: "Doyle gained the confidence of his victim over a period of time and then chose situations in which she was alone and vulnerable to systematically exploit her for his own gratification. "As soon as this was reported to us we took action and Doyle is no longer in a position to act in this predatory way against other children." For information on how to report concerns about sexual exploitation of children and the support that is available, see the Sussex Police website.

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Brady Hickman, 33, staked out his victims home and watched through a window as she fell asleep before striking. A predatory sex offender who raped an elderly woman after breaking into her home in the middle of the night has been jailed. Brady Hickman, 33, staked out his victims address and watched through a window as she fell asleep before striking. He sneaked inside the pensioners home and stripped naked in the hallway before entering her bedroom. Gloucester Crown Court was told the disabled woman, in her 70s, awoke in the early hours of November 11 last year to see Hickman standing in her doorway. Brady Hickman, 32, has been jailed after raping an elderly woman in her home (Gloucestershire Police/PA) James Tucker, prosecuting, said: She went to bed at about 1.15am and took off her glasses. Little did she know she was being watched by Mr Hickman a predatory sex offender and burglar. He had been seen from the evening before lurking in the shadows. It is quite clear he knew how vulnerable she was. He waited until she was dozing and gained access through a window left open to let some air in. He crept in and quickly removed all his clothing. She was awoken by him opening the bedroom door and seeing a naked man in the bedroom doorway. She couldnt make out the details as she didnt have her glasses on and he told her, Dont make a noise. I believe I am suffering from PTSD and it is affecting me in many aspects of my life. I am having flashbacks. It will take me a long time to get over what happened Hickman's victim She said she wouldnt and asked him not to hurt her. Mr Tucker said Hickman then raped the woman and, during the attack, told her he had been in prison. That was an unnecessary, threatening thing to say in the circumstances, he said. She encouraged him to leave and stated he could go home now, and she lay on the bed waiting for him to go. The woman alerted police after she heard the front door close and, out of fear, locked herself in the bathroom until officers arrived. In a victim impact statement, the woman said she felt totally violated and stripped of her dignity and has moved home. You had been waiting around in the area and lurking in the shadows. In my judgement, you had an intention to rape Judge Michael Cullum I have been suffering from panic attacks since it all happened, causing me to have a constant headache and dizzy spells, she said. I believe I am suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and it is affecting me in many aspects of my life. I am having flashbacks. It will take me a long time to get over what happened. Hickman, of Philip Street, Gloucester, had previously pleaded guilty to rape and two charges of assault by penetration. The court was told he has previous convictions for burglary, assault and robbery and, when he was 18, he sexually assaulted a teenage girl. Sarah Jenkins, defending, said Hickman had demonstrated evidence of remorse. She added: He accepted to the probation officer that, from the start, he entered with the intention to rape and that he had a bad thought.' Judge Michael Cullum said Hickman is dangerous. On November 11, you changed the course of her life irretrievably. Life was already difficult for her, he said. You had been waiting around in the area and lurking in the shadows. In my judgement, you had an intention to rape and that is quite clear from your first act of stripping naked. She must have feared for her life. She was entitled to feel safe in her own home. I doubt she will ever again. The harm you caused to her is incalculable. Hickman will spend up to 10 years in prison. He can apply for parole after serving two-thirds of that sentence. The remainder of his 15-year sentence will be on licence. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and made subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim directly or indirectly. Detective Sergeant Faye Satchwell-Bennett, of Gloucestershire Police, said: The victim has shown amazing strength and courage, and has asked us to say thank you to our officers and the community for the support she has received and for helping her to feel safe again. Hickman committed a horrifying sexual attack on a vulnerable victim and is clearly a threat to women. I am pleased to see justice has been served at court today and that he will not have access to the general public for a very long time.

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One victim said she was "filled with pain and torture" and she had "given up on the thought of happiness" A Northampton man has been sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison for historic sex offences against children. Stephen Mitchell, aged 58, of Heron Way, was sentenced on Tuesday, March 22 at Northampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to a number of offences. The most severe of Mitchell's offences was the attempted rape of a child under the age of 14. Families of the victims wept in the public galleries as Mitchell's charges were read out and described in full. Mitchell was arrested on August 15 last year after the parents of one of his young victims reported the defendant to the police. Another victim subsequently came forward and then Mitchell informed officers he wanted to confess to crimes against a third victim. Sally Hobson, prosecuting, told the court that Mitchell's actions had a "significant impact" on his young victims. She described how one of his victims is now receiving counselling and self harms because it "helps him to forget for a short while". Ms Hobson said: "He feels there are permanent marks on his skin that he can't wash off." A second victim, who was present at court during Mitchell's sentencing, asked for her victim personal statement to be read out. It described how her innocence had been taken away from her and, as a result, she was "filled with pain and torture". She said she lost friends, partners, family members and even herself because she "gave up on the thought of happiness". She added that she turned to drink, had to leave a job she loved and she barely leaves the house. The statement said that - after finding out about Mitchell's other victims - she even put all the blame on herself for not going to the police as a child. Liam Muir, defending, said that an "extremely important mitigation" was Mitchell's engagement with the police, his guilty pleas and the fact that he made them aware of the third victim, who had not come forward at that time. His honour Judge Mayo sentenced Mitchell to 12 years and eight months in prison. He additionally slapped Mitchell with a restraining order that bars him from making any direct or indirect contact with his victims. A sexual harm prevention order was also made indefinitely, which prevents Mitchell from having any unsupervised contact with any children under the age of 16. This order additionally bars Mitchell from staying in any house with a child under the age of 16. Judge Mayo said: "It is considerable note that these people came forward with remarkable bravery with remarkable support from their families."

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A man has today been jailed for more than 20 years for the sadistic and vile rape of a vulnerable woman in her own home. Brian Brough, 35 of no fixed abode, sexually assaulted the 60 year-old woman in Little Hulton in March last year after knocking on her door, and asking to use her toilet, claiming to be a neighbours relative. Once in the house, Brough then asked his victim if she wanted to pay for sex with him and, when she said no, punched her in the face, dragged her into the bedroom and raped her. Detective Constable Leanne Jackson of GMP's Salford district, said: "This was a horrific and sustained physical and sexual assault on a vulnerable woman and no one should ever be made to feel unsafe or at risk in their own home. Police investigated and Brough was arrested two days later and was subsequently charged with multiple counts of rape. He did not accept responsibility but was brought to court and eventually found guilty of rape. On Wednesday he was sentenced to 22 years in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court. DC Jackson said: "Throughout interview and the trial Brough would not accept any responsibility for his sadistic and vile actions, forcing his victim to go through the horrendous ordeal in court. He did not even have the decency to attend his trial and face up to his actions and instead refused to come out of his prison cell with the trial having to be heard in his absence. His lack of remorse perfectly sums up who he is as a human being and thankfully we've now been able to remove him from the streets for 22 years and stop him causing any further harm to anymore women. DC Jackson paid tribute to the victims courage as well as the quick actions of her neighbours in getting her to hospital.

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A man has been found guilty of a string of sex attacks on women from around the Camden area.

Following a six-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court, jurors determined that Francis Mukendi, of Finsbury Park Road, had committed offences against six women across a period spanning just over two years.

The 27-year-old was convicted of four counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault and four counts of possession of a bladed article yesterday (March 22).

He will be sentenced at a date to be confirmed.

The court heard Mukendi's attacks - which took place from 21 September, 2017 until 16 December, 2019 - followed a similar pattern.

He followed each of his victims late at night when they were alone, and would strike when they reached their doorsteps or communal stairwells.

While distracted when getting their keys out, Mukendi would approach them from behind with a weapon on one occasion with a hammer and on others with a knife.

Once he had finished, or was interrupted, he would run away.

Following the first attack, detectives from Central North BCU launched an investigation - though a breakthrough was not reached until a CCTV image of the defendant was released in December 2020.

On seeing his own image, Mukendi handed himself into police the following day.

A search of his home address uncovered clothing which matched that seen being worn in the captured CCTV.

The predator's laptop - from which he unsuccessfully tried to delete video footage of the first attack - was also seized and examined by forensic experts.

A zombie knife and a lock knife believed to be used in the attacks were also recovered.

Det Con Stacey Smith, of Central North BCU said: Mukendi is an extremely dangerous offender who targeted these women as they walked home alone in the dark.

"He waited for the most opportune of moments before making his attacks. His actions have left these women traumatised by what has happened to them."

The officer urged any further victims to come forward; either by speaking directly with police - quoting reference CAD1639/21MAR22 - or by contacting the force through a third party support group.

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A perverted and "sexually motivated" woman who was "obsessed" with the private parts of young boys has finally been jailed after long delays of more than a year.

Calculating and manipulative Diane Wade targeted five different boys aged between seven and 17 while she "masqueraded" as someone who was interested in just horseplay. There were 14 different incidents of "masochistic" sexual abuse over an eight-year period, Hull Crown Court heard.

Wade, 45, of New Burlington Road, Bridlington, was convicted by a jury of three offences of sexual activity with a boy under 16, one of sexually assaulting a boy under 13 and three of sexually assaulting a male. She denied the offences, which took place between December 2010 and December 2018.

Wade had been convicted after a trial as long ago as March 2, last year but sentence had been repeatedly adjourned for more than a year after various problems arose.

Judge John Thackray QC told Wade: "Your offending followed a familiar pattern. You were obsessed with male genitalia. Your offending was sexually motivated, with a masochistic element."

Wade "masqueraded" over the years as someone who was merely getting involved in harmless horseplay. "It most certainly was not," said Judge Thackray.

There were five victims aged between seven and 17 and the sexual behaviour spanned a period of eight years. Some of the charges involved multiple incidents.

"There were 14 separate incidents of sexual abuse," said Judge Thackray. Some of the incidents involved "shades of an abuse of trust" or grooming and there was a "significant disparity in age" between the boys and Wade. One of the victims was allowed to drink alcohol as part of the behaviour leading up to the offending.

One of the boys was homeless and struggling with drug addiction at the time of the abuse. "Not only did you cause, on occasions, immense physical pain but you have left the victims with worries over their fertility and very significant trust issues," said Judge Thackray.

Wade had suffered a very difficult background that had "rightly been described as wretched".

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that Wade had no previous convictions and the fact that she was in custody at New Hall Prison, near Wakefield, during the pandemic had a "significant impact" on her. "She has been on remand throughout the entirety of the Covid-19 pandemic," said Miss Baines.

"She had a very difficult start in life and was subjected to physical violence at the hands of her father."

Wade became pregnant during her "formative teenage years" and had a "lamentable start in life" that had caused problems. "Intellectually, she is not the most sophisticated," said Miss Baines.

"She was assaulted very recently in prison. Others were made aware of who she was in custody, which makes her a particularly vulnerable prisoner. She has had a wretched life."

Wade was jailed for five years and was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. She will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Wade had been cleared by the jury of four offences and a not guilty verdict was entered on another charge on the direction of the judge.

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A pervert found with sick images of kids claimed he'd been cured of his sexual interest in children.

Police found the vile photos on Jack Newton's mobile phone when they seized a number of electronic goods from his Throckley home.

A court heard that the 22-year-old had been sent the seven pictures, some involving children a young as five, in 2019 by an associate on Snap Chat.

When he was questioned about the sordid material, he told officers he "previously had a sexual interest in kids but no longer did".

Now, Newton, of Isabella Walk, in Throckley, is facing a possible jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

Lillian Yanes Hellevik, prosecuting at Newcastle Magistrates' Court, said officers searched Newton's home on July 13 2020 and seized a number of devices.

She added: "The images found were on his mobile phone. There were seven category B and two category C.

"Samples of those images contained children between five and 11-years-old. The defendant accepted in interview to receiving the images.

"He accepted he may previously have had a sexual interest in children but stated he no longer does."

The court heard that Newton had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty on the basis he was sent the images without asking specifically for them.

Sophie Allinson, defending, said: "I submit these matters are suitable to be finalised here but I appreciate an all-options report will be needed.

"I will save my mitigation for the future sentencing hearing."

Newton was released on unconditional bail to next appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on April 11.

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