Latest Offenders

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A teaching assistant from Runcorn who sexually abused a vulnerable pupil from the school where he worked has been jailed.

Alexander Palin appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 15 December where he was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

The 30-year-old from Runcorn, had earlier been found guilty of five counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 17, being an adult abusing a position of trust.

Palin was employed as a teaching assistant at a school in Runcorn for a number of years.

The allegations against him came to light in November 2019 when the victim, a 16-year-old pupil, confided in her mum about what had taken place.

She revealed that she had met Palin outside school multiple times and that the pair had engaged in sexually activity on a number of occasions.

The offences occurred within Palin’s car, whilst parked in a secluded area of Wigg Island between the winter of 2018 and summer of 2019.

Palin was arrested in relation to the allegations in November 2019 and, despite denying any involvement, he was subsequently charged with five counts of sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 17 and one count of abusing a position of trust.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable Ed Flaherty, who has led the investigation, said: “I’d like to praise the victim in this case for the bravery and courage she has shown, both throughout this investigation and subsequent trial.

“Palin held a position of trust, and while the victim was not in any of his classes, he was well aware that she was a pupil and he knew that she was vulnerable.

“In spite of this, he purposefully chose to take advantage of her for his own sexual gratification.

“Despite all of the evidence gathered against him, Palin continued to deny all of the allegations made against him and has shown no remorse for the pain that he has caused, which will impact the victim for the rest of her life.

“Thankfully the jury were able to see through his lies and he is now facing the consequences of his actions.

“I hope the sentence handed to Palin provides reassurance for the victim and allows her to move forward with her life.”

On top of his custodial sentence Palin was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register (until further order) and added to the barring list.

He was also issued with a banning notice preventing him from working with children.

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A paedophile has been jailed for deliberately deleting the internet search history on his laptop.

Justin Sanders, 26, who is also known as Justin Washington, installed an app on the machine designed to clean it of evidence, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Sanders is a convicted sex offender who was subject to a court order banning him from deleting his internet search history.

But when police checked up on him last year they found child abuse images on his phone.

They also discovered he had installed CCleaner software on his laptop and used it to delete evidence of what he had been looking at during lockdown.

He told a judge that he had only deleted cookies, temporary files and caches to make his computer work better but the judge said the evidence pointed to him deleting indecent images of children.

Recorder Don Tait said: "He was deliberately and knowingly deleting incriminating and significant evidence from his laptop."

Sanders was jailed for two years.

The defendant, of Howell Road, Exeter, admitted two offences of having indecent images of children on his phone. He also admitted breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed in 2016.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, prosecuting, said police could not find evidence of exactly what images Sanders had deleted from this laptop. But they found a conversation Sanders had on Facebook with another sex offender in which they shared enthusiastic paedophilic opinions on a child anime character.

The defendant has previous convictions for possessing indecent images of children and for sexual offences against boys.

Ms Emily Pitts, defending, said Sanders knew he had breached the terms of his SHPO by deleting cookies with CCleaner but said his police offender manager had told him he had permission to do so.

He was someone who needed help for his behaviour and would not get that in prison, she said.

"Custody is a damaging environment for him," she added. "It is not going to address his longer term issues. Custody is not going to help him and not going to help the public or protect the public.

"What is needed is structure and tailored intervention."

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An Essex pensioner has been jailed after he secretly filmed himself giving sports massages to young girls and possessing indecent images of children.

Hugh Hunter's vile videos were found on USB sticks after police raided his home in Irvon Hill Road, Wickford, last year.

The 74-year-old's home came to police's attention after officers discovered an IP address had been used to access indecent images of children.

After raiding the home while Hunter and his partner were present, police seized numerous devices, on which dozens of images were found, plus the voyeuristic videos on the USB sticks.

The videos were made when Hunter was working as a sports massage therapist to at least two young girls over a five year period.

Hunter attempted to claim he did not have a sexual interest in children, and that he recorded the videos due to fears the girls would accuse him of inappropriately touching them.

But this was rejected by Judge Shane Collery at Hunter's sentencing at Southend Crown Court on Wednesday (December 8), saying Hunter did it for his own gratification.

The court heard that Hunter had 62 category A images of child abuse - the most serious kind - along with 36 category B and 365 category C.

Prosecuting, James Lofthouse said: "Various recordings were made by Mr Hunter himself and on USB sticks, made certainly without the girls or parents knowing they were being recorded. These occurred over a number of years.

"They were able to be identified in their house."

Mr Lofthouse said that one of the girls had been made to feel "uncomfortable" when Hunter asked her to remove items of clothing.

In a victim impact statement, one of Hunter's victims, now an adult, said she had been left "angry and upset" by his actions.

She said: "Finding out as a result of a police investigation has had an impact on me.

"I had to go to counselling as a result and the stress and anxiety had me off work.

"I kept playing the events over and over in my head. I feel guilty that I never spoke out about it."

Mitigating, Daniel Setter said that Hunter recognises that his actions were "unacceptable", but had admitted his guilt as early as possible, and that the offences cast "a long shadow" over him.

Mr Setter also cited Hunter's various health problems and old age.

Judge Shane Collery said: "He said it was done to protect himself from later accusations of wrongdoing.

"It was done because he had a sexual interest in children.

"The videos are recorded and he planned what was going to happen.

"No one knows what the motive was."

Judge Collery jailed Hunter for 33 months for two counts of voyeurism and three counts of possession of indecent images of children.

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Aiden Nicholson, of Gateshead, claimed he possessed the indecent images accidentally and denied having a sexual attraction to children

A computer specialist caught with indecent images of children as young as three has walked free from court.

Software engineer Aiden Nicholson had downloaded hundreds of indecent images, some depicting youngsters who were in pain and distress.

A court heard he claimed to have possessed them accidentally while downloading legal pornography but he pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images. He also admitted having an extreme pornography image depicting someone having sex with a dog.

Now Nicholson, 25, of Hamsterley Crescent, Wrekenton, Gateshead, whose partner and family are standing by him, has been given a suspended prison sentence at Newcastle Crown Court.

Police went to his home with a warrant in July last year and found the illegal material on a memory card.

There were 193 pictures and videos of the most serious type, category A, 93 category B and 801 category C.

When he was arrested he said he downloaded a large amount of adult pornography which he then found contained indecent images of children.

Nicholson, also known as Mynard, denied having a sexual attraction to children.

The children featured in the videos were aged between three and 17.

Penny Hall, prosecuting, said: "There was pain and distress suffered by children in some of the images."

Recorder Keir Monteith QC sentenced Nicholson to 16 months, suspended for two years, with 300 hours unpaid work, a 500 fine. He must also do a sex offenders treatment programme and sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Joe Culley, defending, said Nicholson had written a letter expressing remorse and demonstrating insight into the impact of his offending.

He added that he has taken steps to ensure there is no repeat.

Mr Culley said: "He has a good job which provides him with a reasonably good level of income, he works as an IT specialist.

"He's in a long term relationship and plans to move in with his long-term girlfriend. She knows of what he has pleaded guilty to.

"There are character references from people who say they find this type of offending to be out of his character. There are two sides to his character.

"He is a blood donor and gives blood as often as he can."

Mr Culley said Nicholson's employer was not aware of the nature of the proceedings but that he expected to be able to keep his job.

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A convicted sex offender who repeatedly hid his computer during police checks has been jailed over indecent images of children.

Neil Marston, 51, admitted breaching a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed after he was convicted of possessing similar images of children in 2018.

Norwich Crown Court heard officers who visited his home on April 14 this year discovered him attempting to hide a Lynx tablet computer behind a wardrobe.

It was subsequently found to contain more than 100 indecent images of children and two videos of sexual content involving children.

In interviews Marston, of Quarry Lane in Lyng, admitted he had hidden the device on previous visits by officers carrying out inspections under the order.

He claimed the images were not illegal and were “just erotic”.

Marston, a carpenter, appeared at court to be sentenced on Tuesday having previously pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of a child and two counts of making indecent photos of a child.

Lori Tucker, defending, said the offences had been committed without a “consideration of the consequences” but that Marston now accepted that indecent images of children caused “real world harm”.

“These offences were committed 20 months ago and in the meantime there has been no suggestion of further reoffending,” she added.

But the court heard that a pre-sentence report had concluded there was a “high risk” of Marston committing further offences involving indecent images of children and that he also posed a danger to children in person.

Jailing him for 15 months, including three months from the suspended prison term imposed in 2018, Judge Katharine Moore said he was a “dishonest man willing to deceive and lie to authority”.

She said: “It’s perfectly clear, despite everything that you have said, that you have a sexual attraction to children that is longstanding and enduring.

“When this is taken together with your deceitful ways it mitigates against community intervention.

“What is particularly concerning is that you are someone who, on the face of it, is likely to attend and engage but in reality you are practicing deceit and carrying on regardless and repeated prosecution has proved to be no deterrent to you.”

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A former Norfolk traffic warden who sexually abused a 13-year-old boy three decades ago has been jailed for four and half years.

Shane Vertigan, 52, who also worked previously as a police community support officer (PCSO) in Fakenham, preyed upon Wesley Spinks, who was aged 13 at the time of the offences.

The abuser was jailed at Norwich Crown Court on Monday (December 13) after having previously admitted three counts of gross indecency with a child under 14 and two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14 dating back to 1992 and 1993.

Vertigan, who appeared via videolink from prison, is already serving a six-year sentence imposed two years ago for sexual assaults he committed against a teenage girl in the mid 2000s.

Mr Spinks, now aged 41, has waived his right to anonymity. He read out an emotional statement to the court about the impact the abuse has had on his life.

Addressing his abuser directly and with his voice breaking, the former Hellesdon High School pupil said: “ Shane, I will never truly know the emotional and life changing effects that your abuse had on me.”

He added: "Through the years your actions shut me down emotionally and physically, having to relive your disgusting actions daily , where I can both smell and remember what you made me do to you, all for your own self-gratification.”

Prosecutor Lori Tucker said Mr Spinks had known and trusted Vertigan but that he had sexually abused the then teenage boy after coming into his bedroom wearing nothing but his underwear. On another occasion he abused him in a van before taking him to a Norwich City match.

Sentencing Vertigan, Judge Maureen Bacon said he had committed a “terrible abuse of an innocent child”.

“I have heard from the very considerable impact your offending has had upon him over the years,” she said.

“He describes how his emotions have been disabled and disturbed and how he had descended into alcohol dependency which mercifully he has fought his way back from.

“He stands in this court with sufficient magnanimity to forgive you.”

Juliet Donovan, mitigating, said Vertigan has been married for 22 years and had been involved in church activities for many years.

“He has written an apology note,” she said. “In essence it is a deep apology. He realises what he has done and the effect he has had.”

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A FORMER Wakefield teacher has been jailed after being convicted of sexual activity with a child.

Jonathan Adamson, 33, of Lockley Crescent, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was sentenced on Monday, December 6, to seven years imprisonment.

He was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was convicted following a trial at Leeds Crown Court of four counts of sexual activity with a child and pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to one further count of sexual activity with a child.

The offences occurred a number of years ago and were against one teenage girl.

Adamson worked as a teacher at the time of the offences.

DI Suzanne Gall, of Wakefield Child Safeguarding Unit, said: Adamson has groomed his victim and sexually assaulted her on a number of occasions.

His actions were predatory and took advantage of a vulnerable victim.

"I welcome the custodial sentence he has been given and hope it provides the victim with some closure after she was forced to relive the offences he committed against her at trial when he refused to accept his guilt.

These offences were reported a couple of years after they occurred and I hope it demonstrates that the police and CPS can, and will, still investigate and prosecute such offences where possible.

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A convicted sex offender used Snapchat to pretend he was 15 in order to groom an underage girl before meeting up with her to have sex.

Joshua Murrell, from Crewe, who was in fact 19 years-old, has been jailed for five-and-a-half years after admitting a string of serious sexual offences.

His victim was aged 13 and 14 at the time of the offences.

Murrell, of Plane Tree Drive, was already the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) having been convicted of sexual offences in March 2020.

He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on December 9 having pleaded guilty to several offences, including sexual activity and sexual communication with a child as well as breaches of the SHPO.

Rob Edwards, prosecuting, said the SHPO prohibited Murrell from using the internet to contact a child under the age of 16.

However, on May 8 this year he contacted the victim on Snapchat and persisted with messaging her despite the fact she told him she was 13.

Murrell told her he was 15 and began asking for images of the victim.

Upon receiving them, he referred to her as "sexy" and told her he loved her. He also sent her an image of his erect penis, the court heard.

Mr Edwards said Murrell had told the victim that "if she did everything he wanted" he would get her "everything she wanted" up to a value of 500.

On June 1 they met at a park in Nantwich where they shared a kiss.

Then on the following two days, June 2 and 3, the defendant had sex with the victim near a lake in Nantwich, the court heard.

The victim told her support worker about what had happened and the police were informed.

Following his arrest, Murrell denied that he knew the victim. He was released under investigation.

On August 29, he made contact with the victim again, anonymously on Snapchat.

Mr Edwards said messages were then shared via WhatsApp with Murrell telling the victim he intended to marry her when she was 16.

He asked her not to tell anyone that he was in contact with her.

"She felt sorry for him", Mr Edwards told the court. "She didn't want to cooperate with the police."

On August 31 they met again in Crewe where they had sex.

They arranged to meet again but never did, and Murrell was re-arrested the following month.

Mr Edwards said the victim has suffered "panic attacks" as a result of Murrell's offending. She feels "sad and angry", he added.

Sarah Badrawy, defending, said her client, who has been diagnosed with autism, was aware that he faced "a sentence of some significant length".

She told the court: "He struggles to understand why he offends in this way. It's something he wants to explore and address.

"As a young man he doesn't want to spend his life committing offences of this nature.

"He wants to address the issues and risk he poses. He does not shy away from that.

"He wants to know why his mind works in this way, to identify the trigger factors and keep away from this type of behaviour."

She added that her client has a "supportive family" and there was an employment opportunity awaiting him upon his release.

Judge Simon Berkson said the offences committed by Murrell have had "a significant effect on the victim".

He told the defendant: "You're 19 and have pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences.

"You groomed your victim who was then aged 13. You were purporting to be 15.

"The grooming became sexual. You denied committing the offences and persisted with the lies until your first appearance at crown court."

Judge Berkson added that having autism had "affected" Murrell and told him it may be a reason why he struggled "making relationships with people your own age".

Murrell was sentenced to five and a half years in a youth detention centre, of which half will be served on licence.

He was also handed a 12-year SHPO and a restraining order covering the same length of time.

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A paedophile who filmed himself sexually assaulting a child and shared the recording with other sex offenders online has been jailed for eight years.

Jay Hamilton, 38, also secretly filmed children getting undressed and shared them online.

An investigation was launched on November 5, this year, after Lancashire Police were contacted by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. They raised concerns about indecent images being shared via a social media application.

The IP address of the account being used to share those indecent images 21 in total was traced to a property in Accrington and Hamilton was arrested on the evening of November 5.

During police interview Hamilton admitted being attracted to young girls and said he got a thrill out of sharing indecent material online.

Hamilton, of no fixed address, was charged with sexual assault on a child, voyeurism and making indecent images of children.

He pleaded guilty to all charges put to him when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates last month.

On Friday (December 10) at Prestons Sessions House, Hamilton was sentenced to eight years in custody and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), limiting his interactions with children.

DC Lee Forshaw, of East CID, said: Jay Hamilton is a despicable individual who clearly presents a danger to children. To satisfy his own sordid sexual interests, he took it upon it himself to make abhorrent child abuse material which he then shared with other sex offenders.

Even though he stated in his police interview that he was fully aware his appalling behaviour was wrong, he continued to do it anyway. Without the quick actions of the police and our colleagues from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, I am convinced Hamilton would still be continuing to engage in his sordid criminal acts.

I welcome the sentence handed down by the court. Once Hamilton is released he will be subjected to monitoring and the public will be afforded the further protections of the SHPO and notification requirement.

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A man has been jailed after he abused the trust placed in him to sexually assault a child.

William Powell, 66 (29.12.1954) of East Ham Manor Way, Beckton, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 13 December. He is also subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Protection Order.

He was found guilty at the same court on Thursday, 17 June of two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

The court heard that in May 2018, allegations of sexual abuse were made against Powell.

These allegations related to incidents that occurred between July 2016 and November 2016 at his home address when he was looking after the victim.

They disclosed the abuse to a youth practitioner on 15 May 2018. Following this, a report was made to the police who launched an investigation.

Powell, who often referred to himself as Bill, was identified by officers and interviewed - he was never arrested as he was already in prison for a separate offence.

On 14 July 2020, he was charged with sexual assault of a female, under 13 by touching.

Detective Sergeant Emma Stockman, the investigating officer from East Area’s CID, said: “Powell abused the trust placed in him, and his offences are truly shocking. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the actions of a dangerous and predatory offender.

“I thank the victim for having the strength and courage to come forward. Without this, his abuse may well have continued and impacted on further victims. The trauma that victims suffer can last a lifetime. I hope that the verdict brings the victim some closure, so that they can begin to rebuild their life.

“Given the predatory nature of Powell's offending, there is a possibility that he abused other children. We urge any further victims to contact police right away – a specially trained team of detectives are ready to listen and support you.”

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A convicted sex offender who was caught with hundreds of indecent pictures of children was jailed.

Christopher Watts, 50, was arrested when police raided his Widnes home in April after receiving intelligence that he was searching for vile content online.

When police searched a number of devices that belonged to Watts they found hundreds of indecent pictures of children.

Yesterday Watts appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, two counts of possessing indecent images and one count of possessing a prohibited image.

Simon Duncan, prosecuting, told the court that Watts had 109 Category A pictures of children of the most serious type and 143 Category B pictures. Watts' collection also included a small number of extreme images which included child rape and bestiality.

Mr Duncan explained that Watts denied having images of child sexual exploitation when interviewed by police in April after a raid at his home address on Hambleton Close.

However Watts was re-arrested in November which led to him being charged.

Judge Gary Woodall, who jailed Watts for two and a half years, said the Widnes man had been using the 'dark web'.

Judge Woodall said: "You were using peer to peer sites and clearly involved in the dark web. Many of the images found were thumbnail stills of videos which had been deleted."

The judge said that some of the images found on Watts' devices were extreme.

He said: "Some of these stills showed pictures of very young children being raped."

Judge Woodall said there was evidence that Watts had a "sexual interest in young children."

He told Watts, who appeared on video link from HMP Altcourse, that he would serve half his sentence in prison and the remainder on licence.

He also made Watts subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Jeremy Rawson, defending, told the court that Watts grew up in Guildford and moved to Runcorn when he was a child.

Mr Rawson said that Watts left school at 18, attended a YTS course and worked as a painter and decorator. Watts later completed a computer course and gained a full time job with BT.

He said that Watts had no history of substance abuse and had gained a job in the laundry at Altcourse prison.

Mr Duncan told the court that in 2015 Watts was convicted of four counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child.

Watts was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court.

The victim, whose identity was protected, told the court that Watts made her feel "disgusting and dirty."

She said that Watts told her that he would harm her family if she reported him to the authorities.

When he was 15 Watts was convicted after pleading guilty of indecent assault by simulating sexual intercourse with a two and a half year old girl.

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This is the hate filled face of a twisted teenager who raped a 13-year-old girl.

"Highly dangerous" Shaun Bennett raped his vulnerable victim in woodland, just weeks after meeting her online.

The 15-year-old later subjected her to a second sex attack, then threatened her on Instagram when she went to the police.

Now aged 18, a judge branded him "utterly shameful and wicked" when locking him up for seven and a half years.

Merseyside Police said they didn't have a mugshot of Bennett, because he voluntarily attended an interview.

But we can now reveal the face of the sexual predator and his furious rant in a foul-mouthed Snapchat video.

The ECHO understands Bennett filmed the clip in response to being accused of being a rapist by another teen.

The expletive-laden clip shows him screaming and using a homophobic slur, which we have censored.

He then yells: "Get Liverpool right now, I'm telling you lad, get f*****g Liverpool right now!"

Bennett, formerly of Liscard, Wallasey, but now of Bishopgate Street, Wavertree, added to his victim's suffering by denying any wrongdoing for more than two years.

Just a week before a trial - and four days before his 18th birthday in September - he finally pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration.

However, a judge said the vile teen hadn't shown any remorse, had a "misogynistic approach to young women" and "finds it funny causing someone to be upset".

Bennett already had a conviction for sexually abusing a young girl when he was aged just 14, for which he received a 12-month referral order in 2018.

In 2019 he was caught with a knife. For possessing a bladed article, common assault and battery he was handed a Youth Rehabilitation Order.

That summer, he befriended his 13-year-old victim online.

Ben Jones, prosecuting, said the girl went out with friends one night, when she met up with Bennett and headed to parkland in Wirral.

He took her into secluded woods, pushed her against a wall and tried to pull her pants down, despite her rejecting his sexual advances.

Recorder Ian Unsworth, QC, said it was a "carefully planned" and "horrific" attack.

The judge said the young victim "said no and meant no", but Bennett was "consumed by desire" and treated the victim with "utter contempt".

Bennett called her a "d**** little c***" and despite her trying to push him off, he raped her.

The court heard the victim was subjected to a further "vile and wholly self-centred" sexual assault just days later.

Recorder Unsworth said: "She was, relatively speaking, significantly younger than you.

"I have no doubt that at the time, she looked up to you.

"You were grooming and targeting her and making her believe you had a significant romantic interest."

The judge said Bennett had downed "large quantities of neat vodka" before carrying out his sick attack.

He said the traumatised girl was "too scared to tell anyone" but later confided in a school counsellor and a report was made to police.

Recorder Unsworth told the rapist: "Her bravery contrasts with your cowardice."

The judge said Bennett knew what he did was "very wrong and very serious" and hoped by threatening the girl she wouldn't report him, but he "couldn't have been more wrong".

In a victim statement, the girl said she is now scared of boys and she was made to feel "disgusting and vile", having changed her appearance as a result.

Recorder Unsworth said: "She wrongly blamed herself for what happened and feels she has let her family down. She couldn't be more wrong."

Andrew McInnes, defending, previously told the court Bennett had been physically and psychologically abused as a child.

He said his client had limited contact with his dad, some contact with one set of grandparents, and no contact with his mum - none of whom were in court.

Mr McInnes said Bennett - sitting in the dock with his long hair covering his face - had difficulty communicating and "complex vulnerabilities".

He quoted a report from a member of Wirral Youth Offending Service, which said: "Shaun is a young man who has experienced significant childhood trauma.

"He's grown up in a dysfunctional household with a lack of positive attachment, which has led to him existing in survival mode for much of his childhood.

"He is a deeply troubled young man who requires significant professional intervention to move away from an egocentric, defensive position and progress into an insightful and responsible approach, allowing for meaningful change and recognition of the harm he's caused."

Recorder Unsworth accepted Bennett had a "difficult upbringing" and "suffered significant childhood trauma".

But he said aggravating features of the disturbing case heavily outweighed any mitigation at his disposal.

He said: "You have shown no remorse for what you did.

"It is only hoped as the years go by, you reflect on these utterly shameful and wicked things you did to her."

The judge was required by law to sentence Bennett based on his age at the time of the attacks, which limited his sentencing powers.

However, he said: "I'm abundantly satisfied there is significant risk you will commit further offences, and in doing so cause serious physical and psychological harm to someone or multiple people.

"You are a highly dangerous young man."

Recorder Unsworth locked Bennett up for seven and a half years, with an extended five years on licence.

This type of sentence means Bennett must serve at least two thirds of the custodial term - five years - behind bars.

He will only be released before the end of the sentence if the Parole Board no longer considers him to be a risk.

Recorder Unsworth told Bennett to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A MAN who blackmailed young girls into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos saying “listen to me, or else” has been jailed for seven years.

Callum Sellers told one teenager he was a 17-year-old photographer from Yorkshire with an interest in railway engines before persuading her to send him topless images, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Then he pestered her for more, threatening to send the pictures he already had to her mother, prosecutor Nick Adlington said.

The girl, who was 15 and from a different part of the country, was blackmailed into sending Sellers videos of her performing sex acts on herself.

He messaged: “Tick-tock, hurry up,” and “how badly do you want the pics deleted?” leaving her crying, shaking and feeling utterly degraded.

She told a friend what had happened and then a teacher and her mother were alerted.

Sellers, 21, formerly of West Bowling, Bradford, now in HMP Leeds, had 1,624 indecent images of children on his phones when they were seized by the police in November last year.

He went on to plead guilty to a total of 24 offences of possession of indecent photo-graphs at Categories A, B and C; inciting or attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and making an unwarranted demand for sexual images and videos with menaces.

Mr Adlington said other threatening messages to Sellers’ victims included “let me see you or else” and “Do as I say or I’ll post it because I know your Facebook.”

Hundreds of indecent images of different girls from around the country were found on his phones. Some were traced but others couldn’t be found, the court was told.

One girl, who was 15 at the time, said in her victim impact statement: “I still feel rubbish.”

She had panic attacks and nightmares and stated: “I feel guilty like it’s my fault and I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

Sellers’ barrister, Victoria Smith-Swain, said he was of previous good character and had just turned 20 at the time he began offending.

He had worked as a picker/packer at a warehouse and his interests included photography and railway engines.

Sellers had traits associated with autism, including highly restricted interests. He felt lonely outside of work and began to engage with girls over Snapchat. His sexual interest in them became obsessional and helped to manage his depression, the court was told.

He had written a letter of apology to his victims expressing his remorse and conceding that his behaviour had been “degrading and debilitating” for them.

Sellers had been working in prison as a painter while on remand since March, Miss Smith-Swain said.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said Sellers groomed, pestered and intimidated the 15-year-old into sending the explicit videos of herself.

She had the presence of mind to take screenshots of his messages and hand them to the police.

In all, there were 92 images of young girls on Sellers’ phones. Several were identified by the police and contacted, Judge Mansell said.

Sellers sent threatening messages to some of the girls, including “ignoring me now?” before demanding more explicit images.

Two of the girls were just 13 at the time Sellers targeted them.

One girl pleaded: “OMG delete it. You said you’d leave me alone” while another told him: “Stop, please, you’re ruining my life completely.”

Judge Mansell said Sellers’ demands could have led girls to self-harm or even commit suicide because of the psychological damage he had done to them.

But he was just 20 at the time and very immature, with developmental difficulties from childhood. He became “obsessed if not addicted” to gaining sexual gratification from the images, Judge Mansell said.

He warned Sellers he was “right on the cusp of being deemed dangerous,” and receiving an extended sentence of imprisonment.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for an indefinite period and Sellers must sign on the sex offender register, also indefinitely.

Judge Mansell made a restraining order banning him from having any future contact with any of his victims.

He told Sellers to reflect long and hard on the damage he had caused to the girls.

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Kirsty Nicholls admitted working with Elahi to make indecent images of a child and also sexually assaulting a child

Kirsty Nicholls, 35, of Northolt, west London, who admitted working with Elahi to make indecent images of a child, was jailed for six years and nine months.

Nicholls met Elahi on a so-called sugar daddy website, targeting financially desperate women.

"You committed these offences with Elahi - your offending was motivated entirely by financial gain," the judge told Nicholls.

"The offences are so serious that only an immediate sentence of custody can follow."

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A sadistic online blackmailer has been jailed for 32 years after targeting nearly 2,000 people globally to commit some of the most sickening sexual offending the National Crime Agency has ever investigated.

Abdul Hasib Elahi, 26, masqueraded as a stockbroker or rich businessman on sugar daddy websites and promised payments of thousands of pounds for naked or partially clothed images.

He singled out victims who were in debt or too young to legitimately be on the sites and tricked them into sending him photographs.

He also targeted some victims on social media.

Elahi, of Sparkhill, Birmingham, sent fake screenshots of money leaving his account in similar transactions to convince victims.

As soon as possible, Elahi moved victims onto WhatsApp - which is protected by end-to-end encryption - and away from the websites he met them on.

When he received enough revealing images he threatened to expose the pictures to the victims’ families and friends unless they sent more increasingly horrendous photographs and videos.

Elahi’s horrific offences included forcing victims to abuse themselves in sickening ways including self-mutilation, blackmailing women to send him footage of them abusing young children and making girls abuse siblings.

Some of the victims were so terrified they felt they had no choice but to comply.

The National Crime Agency investigation showed there were at least 196 victims in the UK and that he had contacted at least 600 people online in the UK.

Elahi had also tried to contact 1,367 women in the United States and there were also victims in 20 other countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The Agency worked with international partners to safeguard those Elahi had contacted.

Elahi systematically categorised all the abuse within cloud storage sites.

He then sold the content as ‘box sets’ through the cloud and via the encrypted app Telegram making more than £25,000.

That resulted in further misery for the victims, with their family and friends becoming aware, and often with more offenders trying to blackmail them again.

Unemployed Elahi admitted 158 charges - all committed between 1 January 2017 and 7 August 2020 - in separate hearings at Birmingham Crown Court this year.

The charges include multiple counts of blackmail, disclosing private sexual films and photographs to cause distress, making and distributing indecent images of children, encouraging the sexual assault of children, sexually assaulting a boy, causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity, fraud and possessing more than 65,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) – including babies being raped.

There were 72 victims on the indictment.

Their ages ranged from eight months to adults.

Where they could be identified, all have been safeguarded.

National Crime Agency officers arrested Elahi on 19 December 2018 following an allegation he was blackmailing a 15-year-old girl in America. His mobile phone and computers were seized and forensically examined.

The complex investigation involved work across multiple foreign jurisdictions. He was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service and remanded in August 2020.

As Elahi he was sentenced today at Birmingham Crown Court, a series of victim impact statements were read.

One victim – a schoolgirl at the time of the offences – said she tried to take a paracetamol overdose after learning Elahi had uploaded her images to Twitter.

It was 12 months after she had sent him images that she received messages on her phone one morning showing her images online.

She said: “I still think about these incidents often which makes me sad.

“I would say for two years this person has ruined my life, I was heartbroken. I remember my 16th birthday, I spent the night crying, I was severely depressed.

“I had to basically pick up the pieces of my life and glue them back together.

“I am trying to move on but I find it very hard, I feel that this will be with me for the rest of my life.”

Another teenage victim said: “Knowing that this cancerous polyp of a human being has been caught gives me great relief. To know his vile reign of terror is over gives me relief.

“I am however shaken to my soul and completely horrified that I was part of this. I have a feeling of dread when I think about it that I can’t even describe and it will never leave me.”

Another victim said she considered taking her own life and is now on medication for anxiety and depression and is constantly worried that videos of her will emerge online again.

“I wish that this had never happened to me,” she said.

“I hope I can put this behind me and get on with the rest of my life."

Tony Cook, NCA Head of CSA operations, said: “Abdul Elahi is a depraved sadist who got sexual gratification through power and control over his victims whom he often goaded to the point of wanting to kill themselves.

“He has wrecked lives and families.

“NCA investigators were horrified by what Elahi had done and stunned by the industrial scale of his worldwide offending.

“The effects on the victims in this case will continue throughout the rest of their lives.

“I commend them for their bravery and I urge anyone who is being abused online to report it. There is help available.

“There are very many offenders like Elahi who mask their real identities with convincing personas to exploit both children and adults.

“It’s vital that parents speak with their children about who they communicate with online and what they share.

“These offences can happen to anyone.

“We thank our international partners especially the FBI for the support given to us on this case.”

The NCA investigation sparked a series of other inquiries into Elahi’s associates.

Several other men have been convicted.

Sophie Mortimer of the Revenge Porn Helpline said: “This is a long-awaited day for Elahi’s very many victims.

“The Revenge Porn Helpline has been working for two and half years and has removed 135,000 individual images on behalf of those affected, equalling a 90% takedown rate.

“We hope that every person affected by this feels some small sense of closure today, we know that their priority is the removal of this content. We will continue to work in the weeks and months ahead to report this content and we would encourage anyone with any concerns about their own images to get in touch with us and we will do everything we can to offer advice and support.”

A second defendant Kirsty Nicholls, 36, of Northolt, Middlesex, also admitted offences.

She knew Elahi from a sugar daddy website and together they admitted two sexual assaults against a child and both admitted making indecent images of the child.

She was sentenced to six years and nine months.