Latest Offenders

Description

A SPIRITUAL healer who had a “sincere belief” in his abilities has been jailed for more than two years after inappropriately touching women he claimed he was helping.

Derek Thurlbeck, of The Pastures, High Wycombe, went to the homes of four separate women and touched their genitals over their clothes while carrying out his practices.

Described by a ‘master manipulator’, he told one woman she was ‘cursed’ in a bid to convince her to get healed.

A court heard how Thurlbeck, 63, sexually assaulted the four women at their Slough homes over two years between 2017 and 2019.

The High Wycombe man offered spiritual healing to these women free of charge but when he carried out his practice he touched them in ways which were “inappropriate” and “unprofessional”, Her Honour Judge Real said.

He used the “rhetoric of spirituality” to justify his actions, the Judge added.

Thurlbeck “did not have an elaborate plan”, Judge Real continued, but did “take advantage” of the “vulnerable” women.

Reading Crown Court heard how Thurlbeck approached one woman on the basis that she had a curse, and that “something terrible” would happen to her if she did not receive his healing.

The woman, whose identity we are not revealing, had a statement read out in court by prosecutor Walton Hornsby.

She said: “The incident has affected me emotionally. It has left me with flashbacks.

“I feel he has invaded a space in my own home.

“Since the incident I have lost trust in anyone I don’t know, I have stopped going out and I want it all to end soon so I can get on with my life.

“If I see a small car like the one he used to drive I get scared he has returned.

“This went on for two whole years and I’m still living with the consequences of this.

“He is very dangerous; he is very clever and a master manipulator.”

Edward Butler, defending, said: “This is not a case where the defendant was entirely motivated by a sexual appetite.

“This was somebody who had a genuine and sincere belief in his ability and his calling to try to help people.

“It is something he has lived with his entire life. There were momentary lapses during his dealings in which he succumbed to temptation.

“For the most part, the defendant was sincerely motivated towards these defendants.

“All of this can not be explained away by some great charade.”

Mr Butler said since his arrest in March 2019, the defendant had undertaken “two-and-a-half years of abstinence” as he had not provided healings to anyone else.

Sentencing, Judge Real told Thurlbeck: “They [the women] would not have agreed to your sessions if they knew there was a sexual motivation behind it.

“All of this gives me cause for concern for your future risk.

“You don’t seem to have very much insight into the problematic nature of what you did.”

Judge Real sentenced Thurlbeck to two years and six months in prison after he was convicted of five counts of sexual assault by a jury following a week-long trial earlier this year.

He will serve half of this before being released on licence.

The 63-year-old was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Thurlbeck was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday, August 16.

Description

A SCOTS Scoutmaster who had a secret 10-month sexual relationship with a schoolgirl has avoided a jail sentence.

Paedophile Lewis Ala Findlay, who led a troop in the Scouts, was 23 years old at the time and his victim was just 15.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that the girl, who had known Findlay since she was 12, had initially thought his interest in her was "one of support".

But in November, 2018, at his home in Bo'ness, West Lothian, while his girlfriend was abroad and his mother was also away leaving them alone in the house together, the Scout leader made advances as they sat on his bed watching a film - telling her "just let it happen".

Prosecutor Alex Kirk said the girl was hesitant and uncomfortable, but agreed to sex "as she didn't want it to be awkward".

The following month he had full sex with her again, this time in his car parked in a layby, and the situation developed to the point where the girl thought they were "seeing each other".

The court heard they had sex "a couple of times a month" in Findlay's car parked in laybys on back roads in Stirlingshire and West Lothian.

In early 2019 the girl confided in another adult about what had been going on, and he encouraged her to report the matter.

After she refused, he reported the matter himself and Findlay was afterwards suspended by the Scouting Association.

However the girl denied everything when interviewed by police and social workers.

After a break of a couple of weeks the incidents resumed, but around the end of August Findlay started buying the girl lingerie and sending her pictures of it.

The court heard that on one occasion she dressed up in lingerie, which she had not wanted to do but when she said "no" Findlay asked her repeatedly and she eventually agreed.

Mrs Kirk said: "This incident made her realise how much older the accused was."

She ended the relationship and blocked Findlay on Snapchat, but he continued to contact her using texts and Facebook Messenger, which "alarmed" her.

One "lengthy" message concluded with "a list of 50 things he stated he loved about her".

Mrs Kirk said that by then the girl was "stressed and didn't know what to do".

In November 2019, scout leaders were "made aware" of the messaging and concluded that a sexual relationship was going on.

Police were again called in, and in February last year Findlay was charged.

Now 24, Amazon worker Findlay, of Bo'ness, pleaded guilty to stalking the girl and having unlawful sexual intercourse.

Advocate Niall McCluskey, defending, said Findlay had "craved" the girl.

He said: "He describes how he fell for the complainer, and he accepts he should not have acted on his attraction to her."

"He fully acknowledges that as the adult he ought to have know better, and regrets that he didn't act appropriately when he realised he was developing cravings for her."

He said Findlay was due to become a father in October, following "a longstanding relationship with his partner".

He produced a reference from a youth leader, stating that since 2015 Findlay "had begun volunteering on major national projects" and was "steadfast and true".

Mr McCluskey said: "I understand he was involved in a project called Heart and Soul, which involved the National Youth Assembly, linked to the Church of Scotland."

Sheriff Simon Collins QC sentenced Findlay to 300 hours of unpaid work, placed him under social work supervision and on the sex offenders' register for three years, ordered him to take part in the Scottish Government's "Moving Forward, Making Changes" programme for sex offenders if directed, and banned him from having any unsupervised contact with children under 16.

He said the offences had been "an abuse" of Findlay's "position of relative seniority" in the Scout Association.

Sheriff Collins said: "Although unlawful because of your respective ages it is not suggested the complainer did not consent to the sexual activity. I have seriously considered whether the public interest requires that you be given a prison sentence."

"With some hesitation, I am satisfied that it does not, and that there is a proper community-based alternative."

Findlay, who had arrived at court with a bag packed for jail, refused to comment to a reporter as he walked free from the building.

A spokesman for the Scouts said: "The Scout Association is aware of recent court proceedings involving Lewis Findlay

"The Scout Safeguarding Team worked in conjunction with statutory agencies to share relevant information and Findlay was suspended from his role with the Movement in December 2019 when concerns about his behaviour came to light.

"We can confirm that he will never volunteer with us again.

"The safety of all our members is our number one priority. It is at the heart of our decision-making.

"We carry out stringent vetting of all adults who work with young people and work together with statutory agencies and other parties to share relevant information to ensure the safeguarding of young people in Scouting.

"We require everyone at Scouts to work to a strict code outlined in the 'Young People First' Code of Practice."

Description

A PORT paedophile who inflicted horrific sexual abuse on a 12-year-old girl has been hammered with the maximum prison sentence open to a sheriff despite social workers wanting him kept in the community.

Edward Tily, 61, has been locked up for five years and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely by lawman Andrew McIntyre, who branded his repeated crimes against the vulnerable victim as 'abhorrent'.

Description

A doctor who was caught by so-called paedophile hunters posing as a 14-year-old boy has been erased from the medical register.

Joshua Peake discussed sexual matters with the fictitious boy after meeting him online, and sent photos and videos.

The group then tracked down the doctor, who worked for a hospital in Derby.

When police searched his house they found indecent images of children on his laptops, along with images of people performing sex acts on animals.

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) panel has now determined that his fitness to practise is impaired because of his convictions.

"The tribunal is mindful that doctors occupy a position of privilege and trust," the determination of impairment said.

"The tribunal considered that a finding of impairment is required in this case on grounds of public protection, to promote and maintain confidence in the medical profession and to promote and to maintain proper professional standards and conduct for members of the profession."

Peake, who is 32, qualified as a doctor in 2014 at the University of Nottingham and worked at the Royal Derby Hospital.

The General Medical Council (GMC) said he was on their specialist register for trauma and orthopaedics.

He was caught by an activist group called TFN UK, which located him, detained him on 15 September 2019 and then called police.

Peake was arrested and later admitted possessing indecent images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

He was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on 9 September 2020, where he was given a three-year community order including 80 hours of unpaid work. A five-year sexual harm prevention order was also made.

An MPTS hearing was then held on 11 August, in which the GMC submitted that his fitness to practise was impaired.

Peake was absent from the hearing.

David Birrell, on behalf of the GMC, submitted that his behaviour could not be regarded as an "isolated" incident because there were 13 indecent images of children and another 26 extreme pornographic images depicting sexual activity with animals.

He also reminded the tribunal that Peake's conversations with "Luke", the fictitious 14-year-old boy, went on for about a month.

Description

A sexual predator begged for forgiveness after his victim told him: "You are a danger to society and deserve to be in cells."

Paul Dutton, 61, sexually abused a teenage boy, leaving the vulnerable child "a broken person" with anxiety and depression.

He hung his head in shame when faced by the brave victim in court, sitting with his devastated mum in the area normally reserved for a jury.

After crying his way through the boy's heartbreaking victim statement, the pervert had the gall to say he was "sorry" as he was sent down.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Dutton, of Cotswold Grove, St Helens, befriended the boy by offering him advice and support.

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, said one day they talked about masturbation and Dutton told his victim it was normal, before the boy later asked if they could do it together, which Dutton agreed to, after initially saying no.

The court heard they also performed a sex act on each other and afterwards spoke of their regret and said it would never happen again, but it did, after which they again spoke of regretting it.

Mr Scholz said on another occasion Dutton showed the boy a sexual position and they both performed a sex act on each other. On a further occasion Dutton put his penis between the boys buttocks.

The abuse stopped after Dutton suggested they didn't see each other so they would stop thinking about each other.

It only came to light when the boy confided in a young friend about what had happened, who contacted the police.

Mr Scholz said the boy's mum believed Dutton had "destroyed" her son's childhood by "taking advantage of him".

Dutton, gave two no comment interviews to police, but later admitted three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Mr Scholz read out a victim personal statement written by the boy, who told his abuser: "It's such a serious crime what you have done to me."

The boy said his mental health deteriorated and said: "I'm just a broken person. Every day is darkness. I can't express to everyone in this room how I feel. You have destroyed my life."

He said Dutton hadn't had the "guts" to tell anyone what happened, adding: "You are just a coward."

The boy said: "All I can see is darkness. No matter how much therapy I have, it doesn't go away. I'm still in this state of mind."

The victim described how he would sit thinking about "dying" and suffered depression and anxiety.

Dutton cried in the dock as the statement concluded with the boy saying: "I want you to know every day has been grey and dark for me.

"There is not a day that goes by when I don't have messed up thoughts."

He added: "You are a danger to society and deserve to be in cells."

Paul Wood, defending, accepted the abuse amounted to a "course of conduct" but said it was over a "relatively modest period of time".

He said: "There appears to be a measure of it voluntarily stopping between the parties."

Mr Wood said letters and references showed Dutton was of previous "positive good character", with no criminal record, and described as "caring" and "nervous".

He said Dutton had an "isolated life", was "sexually inexperienced" and suffered abuse as a child himself, which had led to self-harm and depression.

Mr Wood said: "He is properly categorised as being a nervous individual who lacks confidence."

The lawyer added that Dutton had found the criminal proceedings so stressful that he had suffered a stroke.

The boy's mum started sobbing as Judge Mark Brown passed sentence.

The judge said there was a "very significant disparity" in age between Dutton and the "somewhat lonely and isolated" boy he befriended.

He said: "You took advantage of that friendship by sexually abusing him."

The judge said after the abuse, the teen spoke of how they both regretted what had happened.

But he told Dutton: "You were regretting what had taken place, but it didn't stop you."

Judge Brown said the victim described how Dutton destroyed his childhood and said: "You took advantage of him. You must have appreciated he was a lonely and somewhat vulnerable individual."

The judge jailed Dutton for three years and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely. He also imposed a 10-year restraining order to protect the victim.

Dutton said "see ya" to a woman sitting in the public gallery, who waved back at him as he was escorted away by a dock officer, then turned to the boy and his family.

He said: "I'm sorry. I know we will never talk... I'm sorry."

Description

Tommaso Rasetti sent sexual messages to a teenage girl using an online application called Kik.

The 42-year-old even told her how he had set up a group called Southampton Cross Dressing.

Rasetti, of Harwood Close, Totton, was actually speaking to a police officer rather than a real teen.

Prosecution barrister, Richard Cherrill, said that when the defendant was arrested and interviewed he initially denied “he had been chatting with a child”.

However, when officers examined his electronic devices they found a total of 51 indecent images.

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, Rasetti was charged with attempting to communicate with a child under the age of 16 for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, intentionally attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images of a child and distributing indecent images of a child.

He pleaded guilty to the offences which happened in the summer of 2019 at an earlier court hearing.

Defending, Ellie Fargin, stressed her client would benefit from intervention.

She said: “He of course accepts this was a child and it was wrong.”

Ms Fargin argued the offences were relatively short-lived and there was turbulence in Rasetti’s life at the time.

The court heard that he has since withdrawn from the Nursing and Midwifery Council and found a new job.

His barrister urged the judge to suspend any custodial sentence saying there was a prospect of rehabilitation.

Judge Peter Henry jailed him for six months, suspended for two years.

Rasetti must complete 31 sessions on an accredited sex offender programme, ten rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work.

He will have to register as a sex offender for seven years and will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A paedophile booked a hotel room in Derbyshire to meet a seven-year-old girl for sex.

Derby Crown Court heard how Dean O'Neil also bought make-up and clothes as gifts for the youngster after agreeing to pay her father 200 and a Burger King meal to abuse her.

But she was really an undercover police officer posing as her dad.

And when the officer went to the defendant's address to arrest him two days before the arranged meet, O'Neil tried to flee out of the back door.

But he was caught and the gifts he had bought were found at his home.

Jailing him for three years, Recorder Balraj Bhattia said: "What you did was with some enthusiasm.

"You discussed when, where and how much you would pay to sexually abuse what you thought would be a seven-year-old girl.

"You booked a Travelodge in Swanwick, you discussed exactly what could and could not be done (to her).

"You went on to explain that you were sexually aroused and how much you were looking forward to this particular encounter.

"You purchased a number of items that were gifts.

"This was grooming."

Mark Achurch, prosecuting, said the undercover officer posed as the seven-year-old's father and began communicating with O'Neil over the social media app Kik.

He said in a chat room the pair discussed a price and location where the defendant could sexually abuse the young girl.

Mr Achurch said it was 200 and a Burger King meal for the girl and so O'Neil booked the Travelodge in Swanwick for April 1, this year.

He said: "The defendant told the father he had bought make up, pyjamas and clothing for the daughter and admitted he looked at child porn.

"On March 30 the officer went to his address and the defendant tried to escape out of the back door but was caught.

"A search of the property discovered the items he had bought as gifts for the girl."

O'Neil, of Casson Street, Ironville, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl aged under 13 following sexual grooming.

He has 16 previous convictions for 33 offences but nothing of a similar nature.

His barrister, Gareth Gimson, asked the court if his client could address the court himself and read out an apology letter.

After Recorder Bhattia agreed to the request the defendant, on a link from HMP Nottingham, said: "Can I just say I feel deeply ashamed at myself for writing those disgusting messages.

"It is not like me to act this way, I was brought up better.

"I have brought shame on myself and my family and I will not commit a crime like this ever again."

Mr Gimson said his client, diagnosed as schizophrenic, suffered physically at the hands of his "violent bully" of a father growing up.

He said: "He presents, in some ways, rather childlike and he is mystified at how he ended up doing what he did.

"He said he was on that site and found himself getting deeper and deeper and deeper in that exchange.

"He bought the presents, he booked the hotel and he is mystified as to why he did it."

As well as the prison term, Recorder Bhattia handed O'Neil a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

He will also be on the sex offender register for the rest of his life.

Description

A paedophile who groomed and sent explicit images and texts to someone posing as an underage girl has been sentenced.

Mohammed Younis, from Derby, began messaging who he thought was a 14-year-old girl in March, but he was actually contacting a self-styled paedophile hunter who modified their own profile picture to appear much younger.

Younis was arrested by police after being reported by the social media vigilante, and police proved his identity after comparing his Facebook cover photo - a picture of his HMP Nottingham ID card - with his records.

His barrister said that he clearly needed help.

37-year-old Younis offered to “teach” and “train” the pretend teenager how to become “good at sex” while saying that “it would be OK if nobody knows” and encouraging her not to tell her mother, according to prosecutors.

He also groomed the young girl by offering to buy her jewellery and chocolates.

Mark Achurch, prosecuting, told Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, August 11, how Younis said to the ‘girl’ that he wanted to marry her, have a baby with her and create a pornographic film with her.

The court also heard how the defendant committed the offences while on licence after being released from prison following a previous conviction for unrelated offences.

He is also awaiting trial for exposing himself to a prison officer while in custody in Nottingham.

He was sentenced to four years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to three counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of attempting to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

Recorder Balraj Bhattia said: “You genuinely believed that you were liaising with a girl that you knew was 14 years of age.

“The nature of the conversations that you had with her were explicit and I have no doubt that you believed or intended to carry out these assertions made by you.

“You encouraged her, or incited her, to perform oral sex on you, to have sexual intercourse with you, telling her that although it may be painful to start off with she would get used to it.

“I take the view that this is a serious example of that type of offending.”

Steven Gosnell, defending Younis, admitted that “there is clearly grooming here” and that the defendant “says this part of his life was chaotic to say the least”.

“He does not excuse what he did in any way,” Mr Gosnell said.

“He is clearly someone that wants help, he is clearly someone who needs help.”

Description

A man who was caught on camera sexually assaulting a patient at a care facility in Cheshire has been jailed.

Benjamin Poole appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday 12 August where he was sentenced to six years in prison.

The 21-year-old, from Crewe, had earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault and two counts of wilfully neglecting an individual.

Poole was employed as a care worker at the specialist centre where he was responsible for looking after a number of patients.

In the summer of 2020 one of his patients, a woman in her 20s who suffered from severe seizures, started to notice that things were happening to her whilst she was having the seizures.

Worried about what was happening, in November 2020 the woman decided to purchase an alarm clock which had a built-in covert camera.

Within days of installing the camera the woman recorded footage of Poole sexually assaulting her while she was suffering a seizure.

The incident was immediately reported to staff at the facility who contacted police.

Poole was later arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of wilfully neglecting an individual.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable Amelia Stevens, said:

As a carer, Poole held a position of trust and he was there to provide the patients with the care and support they needed during their time of need.

Poole totally abused this position, and instead of caring for the patient he used it as an opportunity to fulfil his own sexual gratification.

He wrongly believed that the victim would have no recollection of what he had done, but thankfully as a result of her courage and bravery, he is now facing the consequences of his actions.

While the victim will never be able to forget what happened to her, I hope that the sentence handed to Poole will help to provide some closure.

I also hope that the bravery shown by the victim in this case gives other victims of sexual assault the courage to come forward and report what happened to them.

In addition to his prison sentence, Poole has also handed and indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A man has been jailed for over 20 years for sexually abusing children in Doncaster in the 1980s and 90s

Stephen John Head, aged 56, formerly of Baird Crescent, Leven, in Fife, Scotland, appeared before a judge at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday (August 11), to be sentenced after he admitted 26 charges of sexual offences involving children at an earlier hearing on Monday August 2.

Head was sentenced to 20 years and 12 weeks in prison. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Head assaulted the three children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in Doncaster in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Speaking after the sentencing, investigating officer Alexandra Storey, said: All three of the victims in this case were incredibly brave to come forward and report the horrific abuse they suffered at the hands of Stephen Head. I know that the original Investigating Officer Alison Shields is grateful to all of them for the support they have given during the lengthy investigation.

We hope that the significant custodial sentence handed down to Head yesterday will provide his victims with some comfort as they continue on their journey of recovery.

I also hope this result will give other victims of historic sexual abuse the confidence to talk to us.

Description

A GALASHIELS man who had sexual intercourse with a Shetland pony has been jailed for seven months at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

Jordan Turnbull, who is 28, and his 20-year-old friend Joshua Lee-Paterson each admitted having an unnatural connection with separate horses at Cothal Farm in Fintray.

Turnbulls offence was committed between October and December 2018, while Lee-Paterson committed bestiality between October and November the same year.

A third male, Mark Findlater, 34, admitted a charge of distributing obscene material of his co-accused engaging in sexual activities with horses and was jailed for 13 months and two weeks.

Fiscal depute Colin Neilson said the incident happened in a small wooden stable in a field and that all three men were known to each other.

At the time, the Shetland ponies named Jack and Ruby were owned by Findlater, who was in a relationship with Turnbull.

The court heard that between October 1 and December 31 2018, Turnbull carried out acts of bestiality on one of the horses.

The acts were filmed on a mobile phone.

Between October 1 and November 29 2018, Lee-Paterson also carried out acts of bestiality on one of the horses.

An air compression device was also used.

Again, the acts were filmed on a mobile phone.

Between January 17 and February 11 2020, Findlater sent a number of packages to people containing letters describing the acts of bestiality undertaken by the co-accused along with images depicting the acts.

Lee-Paterson was traced and arrested on February 5 2020 and, during the police interview, said he had been coerced into carrying out the acts on the horse by Findlater.

Lawyer Mathew Patrick, appearing for Turnbull, said his client had also been pressured into committing the offence.

He explained Turnbull suffered from psychological difficulties, added: It does seem to me hes easily open to suggestion and easily led and I wouldnt be surprised at all if that played some part in this.

Sheriff Philip Mann jailed Findlater, of Sidlaw Range, Kirriemuir, for 13 months and two weeks. The sheriff highlighted his record and said he should not have subjected people to the disgusting material.

Lee-Paterson, of Bell Place, Bagshot in England, was handed 18 months supervision and 225 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to custody. He was also made subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for 18 months.

Turnbull, of Meigle Street, Galashiels, was jailed for seven months and made subject to the notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

A paedophile tax officer kept a sickening collection of child sex abuse images for three years.

John Lee had a total of 4,781 indecent images of children, 134 of which were videos of children as young as two being raped.

The 43-year-old, who worked for HMRC for 20 years before being sacked yesterday, also shared 14 child sex abuse images on WhatsApp and Kik Messenger with a fellow paedophile.

He told him he wanted to have sex with an 11-year-old girl he knew, and even sent him a picture of her.

Peter Hussey, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court, said: "All charges arose from an investigation by Merseyside Police following the execution of a warrant at his address in May last year, when police had reason to believe he had been downloading indecent photographs of children from the internet."

Mr Hussey said the images were discovered after a laptop and a phone were seized.

Lee kept a total of 4,781 indecent images of children, of which 1,041 were images of child rape.

Among his vile collection were 1,006 Category B images and 2,734 Category C images.

The court heard 172 of the images were videos, which included 134 videos of child rape.

Lee distributed 14 images, of which seven were videos on WhatsApp and Kik Messenger.

Mr Hussey said he had shared images with a user called 'Incestloverboy' and in the discussion Lee sent a picture of an 11-year-old girl he knew, who was fully clothed, and said he wanted to have sex with her.

Lee, of Dalemeadow Road, Knotty Ash, admitted three counts of downloading, one count of possessing and one count of distributing indecent images of children between July 25, 2017 and May 21, 2020.

David Birrell, defending, asked the judge to consider letters from Lee's family and said a report from a psychosexual therapist states it "appears he had certain mental health issues" as a result of "work related stress" and depression.

Mr Birrell said Lee, who has no previous convictions, is "full of remorse and shame" as well as "self loathing".

He said Lee was "hardworking" and had been employed with the civil service for 20 years during which he "rose through the ranks" and had a "distinguished career which came to an end yesterday when he was dismissed from employment".

The court heard his wife of 19 years was "standing by him" and Mr Birrell added Lee has two sons.

Mr Birrell said: "They know about this and he continues to see them through supervised contact."

He said Lee's risk of offending according to a pre sentence report was low and said after the offences came to light he contacted a helpline, completed a 10-week programme with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and paid for therapy.

Mr Birrell said he had also sought medical help for mental health issues and is now taking anti-depressants.

He asked the judge to consider the impact of the pandemic on prisoners and said there has been a "traumatic effect" on Lee's sons.

The judge, Recorder Ian Unsworth, QC, said: "Whilst the images of children might have been something you fantasised about and collected in the early hours of the morning, each and every one is a real person.

"Each and every one is a victim, many of whom will have little consciousness of the horrors that have befallen them before they have even begun to walk or even begun to talk."

The judge said there was a number of "significant" aggravating features including the vulnerability of the children and the fact the images were distributed.

The judge also noted the "significant" mitigation including his lack of previous convictions and remorse.

Lee was jailed for 32 months and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He must also adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period of time.

Description

On 9 February 2019 the victim, who is from the Isle of Wight, was socialising with friends in Ventnor. Liam Morrow of Hartington Road in Southampton spoke to them and tagged along with the group who were considerably younger than he was.

During the course of the day Morrow drank coffee while the victim consumed alcohol. The victim was later separated from the group and raped by Morrow. She stated that she was not consenting and never would have consented to sexual intercourse.

Specialist officers provided support to the victim throughout the subsequent complex investigation which saw Morrow charged with rape and assault by penetration under section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act (SOA).

On Monday 9 August at Isle of Wight Crown Court, Morrow was sentenced to nine years in prison for rape and seven years in prison for assault by penetration. Both sentences will be served concurrently, meaning that Morrow was jailed for nine years in total.

Investigating officer DC Jessica Hughes said: “I hope this sentence provides some comfort to the victim that Morrow is now in prison for a considerable length of time, where he can’t pose a threat to vulnerable young women. I hope that this result helps the victim to move past this distressing sexual assault, so that she can live her life safe in the knowledge that justice has been delivered by the court. I’d like to commend her for her actions throughout the investigation that have helped us to secure this outcome.

“I’d also urge all victims of sexual assault to contact us. We work tirelessly on investigations such as this to ensure that victims are supported by ourselves and partner agencies as we seek to secure convictions for these types of offences. No-one should feel reluctant to report this kind of crime. Victims will be listened to, supported and encouraged by the police, CPS and other agencies”.

Description

A predatory taxi driver who sexually assaulted a passenger as she slept in the front seat of his car has been jailed.

Bozlul Hoque, 44, has been sentenced to eight years behind bars after he drove his 21-year-old victim to a secluded street and abused her in April 2019.

Newcastle Crown Court was told how the black cab driver had picked up the female student from outside a city centre bar in the early hours of the morning.

She got into the front seat and asked to be taken to her home address but she fell asleep during the journey.

The terrified victim awoke a short time later to find Hoque had parked in a secluded street and was sexually assaulting her.

She screamed at the driver who then transported her to her to a friend’ address where the victim reported what had happened to police.

The married father-of-three was arrested but denied sexually assaulting the woman and claimed she had been intoxicated and unable to provide him with her address.

But forensic examination found his DNA on the victim and he was charged with sexual assault and later pleaded guilty at court.

On Tuesday Hoque, of Croydon Road, Newcastle, was jailed for eight years at Newcastle Crown Court.

Following the case, the investigating officer at Northumbria Police praised the bravery the victim had shown throughout the investigation and subsequent court proceedings.

Detective Constable Joe Birkett said: “This should have been a five minute journey but we were able to use CCTV and mobile phone data to prove the victim was in the car for 30 minutes.

“Hoque tried to claim this was because of her intoxication but forensic analysis showed he had physical contact with her and the mountain of evidence against him resulted in a guilty plea.

“He was a licenced taxi driver who had undergone vulnerability training and was in a position of trust. His sole duty should have been getting his customer home safely.

“Instead he abused that position of trust and I welcome the significant custodial sentence handed to this sexual predator by the judge.

“This result would not have been possible if it were not for the bravery of the victim in this case and I want to take this opportunity to thank her for having the courage to come forward.

“We hope this sentencing can bring her some comfort and shows other victims of sexual assault that we will do everything in our power to put predators behind bars.”

In a victim impact statement read during the sentencing hearing, Hoque’s victim said her abuser took advantage of her ‘in the worst possible way’.

She said: “This assault on me occurred more than two years ago and yet I cannot shake the memory of this event from my mind.

“The nightmares are still happening, the night terrors still wake me up breathless and panicking, the anxiety of traveling in a taxi is still there.

“But for the last two years this man has denied what he did. He has lied continuously to the Police in his interviews and he has sought out every way to avoid being held responsible.

“I don't believe he has one ounce of remorse in his body. He is simply pleading guilty because the evidence against him is overwhelming and he has been backed into a comer.

“I can’t help wondering how many other single drunk females have climbed into his taxi like me and suffered similar things. I doubt I was the first but I hope I will be the last.”

Description

A sex-offender who sedated a 14-year-old girl with the zombie-drug spice before anally raping her has been put behind bars.

Liam Hodgson, aged 31, of Abbots Road, Lundwood, Barnsley, gave the vulnerable youngster a cigarette spiked with the cannabinoid drug spice in Barnsley town centre before taking her out of sight and anally raping her, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, told the hearing on August 5 that the 14-year-old was a vulnerable girl who had been wandering around the town centre around midnight on July 15 and 16 when she encountered the defendant on a bicycle with another man and she asked for a cigarette.

The complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she saw Hodgson put different coloured material in the cigarette, according to Mr Sharp, who claimed this was the synthetic cannabinoid drug spice which caused her to start hallucinating and wobbling.

Mr Sharp, who stated some of the incident was captured on CCTV, said: The defendant can then be seen cycling after her and catching up with her and its plain to see she is wobbling.

He added: He put his arm around her and they walk off. They walked off out of camera range. It is not possible to say precisely what happened then but The Crown say it is shortly after that he annally raped her.

Mr Sharp said: Its a case where he took advantage of her intoxification, and he had caused or contributed to it, and at a time when she was not in a position to consent.

The complainant woke up bruised near the Town Hall with her pants torn and her bag and phone missing. After she complained to police, evidence of semen was found as well as traces of the synthetic cannabinoid in her system.

She stated the rape left her very upset and frightened and she has not been able to go into the town centre on her own for a very long time.

Hodgson, who has 23 previous convictions including robbery but nothing of a sexual nature, pleaded guilty to anally raping the 14-year-old.

Richard Davies, defending, said: He knows he has got a lot of work to do with the authorities whilst in prison to re-set a lot of his attitudes and his entire mindset in respect of his behaviour.

Mr Davies added that Hodgson has had problems with drug addction and homelessness and he has expressed remorse.

Judge Peter Kelson QC told Hodgson: You encountered the victim when she was aged 14 and it was at night-time and she was on her own and she is described by the prosecutor as a troubled young lady.

He added: You knew you would take advantage of her and that is exactly what you did. You raped her anally and ejaculated inside her and you left her on the streets with her underwear down and her leggings down. You used her and threw her away as an irrelevance to you.

Judge Kelson sentenced Hodgson to eight years of custody and made him subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.