Latest Offenders

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Serial sex offender, Irene Torrie, 42, has previous convictions for grinding up against a train conductor and carrying out a sex act in front of police, a court heard A randy woman groped a male taxi driver and exposed herself to him, before offering to pay for sex. Serial sex offender, Irene Torrie, clambered into the front of the cab before stripping off her shorts and exposing herself to the driver. She also forced the shocked driver to touch her breasts, thighs and buttocks, before telling him she had a condom with her and that she was a good f*** who would pay him if he came into her house. The 42-year-old, who has previous convictions for rubbing her body against a train conductor and carrying out a sex act in front of police, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Torrie had a sentence deferred at Dundee Sheriff Court, where Sheriff Paul Brown queried whether a woman could be placed on the Tay Project - a rehabilitation scheme for sex offenders. The Dundee resident admitted sexually assaulting the driver on various roads in the city on May 29, 2020 by touching his penis and exposing her vagina to him. She admitted making sexual comments and forcing him to touch her. She also admitted shouting, swearing and making racist remarks to a couple in Balmuir Road, Dundee, on June 1, 2020. Finally, she admitted communicating indecently with a neighbour by asking to have sex with him and commenting on his penis size on August 1, 2020. Prosecutor Lora Apostolova told the court: "She sat in the back seat and started asking questions. "She asked where he was born, if he was married, and if he would cheat on his wife. "She climbed over into the front seat. "The driver pulled over and told her she couldn't move seats while he was in motion. "She touched his penis over his clothing with both of her hands. "He removed her hands. "The accused removed her shorts and showed her vagina and said 'I would like you to lick it.' "He told her to put her shorts back on." Torrie was dropped at her ex-husbands home to try to persuade him to give her money and alcohol According to the driver Torrie's ex said: Be careful of her. Take her away. We dont want her here. The driver started recording on his mobile phone and Torrie said: Ill pay you if you come inside. Are you f****** or not? In a previous case, Torrie admitted causing uproar on a train after a Prosecco binge by rubbing her body against the conductor who tried to calm her down. The conductor asked the serial sex pest where she was going and she replied: You can take me anywhere. After grinding her body against the shocked conductor, Torrie was thrown off the Dundee-bound train in Perth and arrested by British Transport Police. A year earlier she had been placed on the Register after performing a sex act in front of police when they turned up to quiz her about a neighbour dispute.

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A Yorkshire sex offender who preyed on girls between six and seven years old died from heart failure while serving a sentence at HMP Hull a report has revealed.

David Raymond May, 57 at the time of his death, was jailed for the historic offences, carried out between 1996 and 1998, in November 2019. He was given five years behind bars for what was described as "a sickening sexual assault on a very young and vulnerable girl".

In January 2021, May was reported to be suffering from a persistent cough chest pain but tested negative for Covid-19. Further investigations at Hull Royal Infirmary found that he was suffering from widespread cancer.

May would eventually succumb to heart failure in September of that year with his condition being linked to a chemotherapy drug. He was also suffering from testicular cancer which contributed to, but did not cause, his death according to the report.

May had initially received a six-year prison sentence at Lincoln Crown Court in May 2005 for indecent assaults on a seven-year-old girl between 2003 and 2004. He would later be hauled back before the courts in 2019 for the historic offence committed between 1996 and 1998.

North Yorkshire Police said May's victim was aged about six or seven when the attack happened and the offence was first reported to them in 2018. May had denied the attack until the first day of his trial in November 2019 when he pleaded guilty.

May, formerly of St Phillip's Grove in York, groomed the girl by offering money. He isolated her in part of the house where he indecently assaulted her.

May was sentenced to five years behind bars and was sent to HMP Hull. At the time of his conviction Detective Constable Alastair Foy, of North Yorkshire Police, said: This was a sickening sexual assault on a very young and vulnerable girl which had a massive and lasting impact on every aspect of her life."

A report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman published in July this year has revealed that May died while serving his sentence for the attack. He first complained of chest pains and a persistent cough in January 2021.

Tests for Covid-19 proved negative but blood tests returned abnormal results and later investigations at Hull Royal Infirmary found May was suffering from widespread cancer. On April 25, he was transferred to St Jamess University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

May was treated with a combination of chemotherapy medication and on July 25, he was discharged from hospital and was taken back to Hull. On July 29 he fell ill in his cell once again with symptoms consistent with post-chemotherapy.

May was sent to hospital for assessment on another occasion during in August before a marked deterioration on August 25 when he once again complained of chest pains and was weak with shortness of breath. There was a four hour delay for a non-emergency ambulance call during which time his condition deteriorated further.

His call was upgraded to an emergency call and he eventually arrived in hospital at 2.35am the following morning. Mr May was taken to St Jamess University Hospital and he was treated for community acquired pneumonia.

On September 16, it was confirmed that Mr May had died in hospital. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said: "The pathologist gave Mr Mays cause of death as acute cor pulmonale (heart failure) caused by bleomycin toxicity (a recognised complication that can occur with the use of a chemotherapeutic drug, bleomycin). He also had disseminated germ cell tumour of testis (testicular cancer), which did not cause but contributed to his death."

Mr May was the 14th prisoner to die at HMP Hull since September 2019. Of the previous deaths, five were from natural causes, seven were self-inflicted and one was drug related.

The report concluded that there were no significant similarities between the findings in the investigation into Mr Mays death and findings from the investigations into the previous deaths. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman did not find any non-clinical issues of concern.

The report said: "The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr May received at Hull was of a reasonable standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community. She made a number of recommendations about the need for healthcare staff to accurately record clinical observations using the NEWS2 tool, ensuring that specialist services are updated when a prisoners health deteriorates and that staff complete appropriate assessments when a prisoner returns from hospital."

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The victim of a rape which took place in Cambridge has spoken out about "how much is still to be done on educating the world on what consent actually is" after her rapist was handed a seven year prison sentence. Following the incident Nya Kuatois was arrested on August 23, 2020.

The victim told officers she was awoken by the 31-year-old Kuatois raping her while she slept. Kuatois, of Glenalmond Avenue, Cambridge, denied the offence but was found guilty of rape at Cambridge Crown Court on August 26 this year.

He was sentenced on Wednesday, September 28, at the same court and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. The survivor later issued a statement.

It read: "Going through this has highlighted to me how much is still to be done on educating the world on what consent actually is. I am not an object, I am a mum, a girlfriend, a young woman who was enjoying a night out with friends.

"I hope that one day there will be a silver lining to this, and he will think twice before acting again, not for fear of criminal proceedings, but out of respect for women and their bodies, their feelings, and their lives."

DC Sarah Lloyd said: "I hope Kuatois uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions, which have understandably had a lasting impact on his victim. I would like to commend her for her bravery in coming forward and supporting a conviction.

"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to police. Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

"Reporting a sexual assault or rape can be extremely difficult. We take all reports seriously and have trained staff who support victims through the process."

Cambridgeshire Constabularly have reassured survivors of sexual violence they can have confidence the police and other partner agencies will support them throughout the investigation and criminal justice process. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a serious sexual offence, there are support options available on the force's rape and sexual assault page.

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A 41-year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to more than two years in prison after admitting to an indecent exposure in Southsea.

Terry Colin Cronin, of St Michaels Road, pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The charges relate to an incident that was reported to us in June of last year.

On  the morning of June 8 2021, a woman in her 60s was walking along Frensham Road when she saw a man indecently exposing himself and carrying out a sexual act at the window of a nearby property. He then knocked on the window in an attempt to get her attention.

Appearing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday (24 August), Cronin was sentenced to 26 months in prison and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Following the sentencing Detective Constable James Adams, who led the investigation, said: “In imposing this custodial sentence, the court has acknowledged the severity of this offence, the impact on the victim and the community as a whole. I would like to thank the woman involved in this case who felt able to tell us about what had happened and played a vital role in securing this conviction.

“Cronin’s actions placed the woman in a shocking and distressing situation. No-one should be made to feel this way and we hope that this sentence shows that we will investigate reports of this nature and do everything in our power to bring perpetrators to justice.

"We hope that people feel they can speak to us, or one of the many support services available, if they have been the victim of this type of crime.”

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A Portsmouth man has been jailed for 13 years after being convicted of raping a child.

Paul Deacon, 67, was found guilty following a trial of a string of non-recent sexual offences against a young girl between the ages of 8 and 15. Some of the offences dated back to more than 20 years ago.

Deacon denied one count of rape, five counts of indecent assault, one count of gross indecency and one count of inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

Following a trial this month at Portsmouth Crown Court, Deacon was convicted on all charges.

He was sentenced at the same court yesterday (25 August), when he was jailed for 13 years.

Speaking after the case Detective Constable Graham Skull, of Hampshire Constabulary’s specialist Operation Amberstone team, said: "Paul Deacon is a sexual predator who forced himself on an innocent young girl on multiple occasions.

"I would like to commend the victim for her bravery and courage in coming to us to report her ordeal and help secure the guilty verdict against this despicable man.

"I hope she finds some comfort in knowing the man who attacked her will now be behind bars for many years.

"This sentence shows our commitment to bringing sexual offenders like Deacon to justice. I hope results like this continue to encourage victims to come forward and report crimes to us."

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A Portsmouth man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for a string of online sexual abuse offences.

Travis Koffi Alden, 24, of St Faiths Road, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 25 August) having pleaded guilty to 39 counts of online sexual abuse offences involving ten victims across the country and internationally, all aged between 9 and 13 at the time the offences took place.

The court heard how police were first made aware of the case when a report was made in August 2019 to officers in Wales that an 11-year-old girl had been receiving sexually explicit messages. An investigation was launched and the mobile phone sending the messages was found to belong to Alden, who lived in Portsmouth. Officers from the Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT)  arrested him and seized his mobile phone and laptop for examination, which revealed a number of further victims.

Between these devices, officers discovered hundreds of indecent images, which included the most serious, category A images.

Alden was charged with inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, taking/making indecent images of children (category A, B and C), distributing indecent images of children (category A) and possessing extreme pornography.

He has now been sentenced to ten years in prison with a five year extended licence, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has had to forfeit his devices.

Detective Constable Stephen Hill of Hampshire Constabulary’s ICAT team, who led the investigation, said: “Behind every indecent image or message of or to a child is a vulnerable victim and these crimes are among the most appalling that we investigate.

“This was a long and complex investigation requiring a great deal of effort to identify numerous victims across the United Kingdom and beyond and seek justice for them.

“Alden preyed on young girls on various chat sites, encouraging them to engage in sexualised conversations or acts. The impact that such abuse has on these young victims is immeasurable and we are pleased that we have been able to support them and bring Alden to justice.

“Tacking online abuse of this nature and supporting children online is a priority for us and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone who has any concerns about child abuse should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101 or via our online reporting tool.

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A man who worked with children while secretly distributing illegal images of children has been jailed for two years.

Oliver Owen had about 6,000 still and moving images of children, including 1,081 of the most serious type, on his phone, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

The 25-year-old also advised others how to abuse children and described sick plans to open an orphanage to sell time with children to the highest bidder.

Owen, who worked as a child activity leader, admitted various offences.

When police went to his home in Carlisle in October 2020, Owen told them: "Yes, I think I have totally ruined my life and all I have worked for."

The images found on his mobile phone had been created during an 18-month period using three separate applications, prosecutor Tim Evans told the court.

Videos had been traded about which Owen had made a number of sick comments, Mr Evans said.

Mr Evans told the court Owen had also been engaged in group chat where child abuse was discussed and had "volunteered suggestions" about how this could be done; including a website targeting struggling mothers and "opening a orphanage where they could sell time with kids to the highest bidder".

Described as a man of previous good character, Owen admitted the distribution of illegal images, including category A, and making indecent photographs of children.

In mitigation, Judith McCullough said Owen, of Bowman Street, was "truly ashamed of himself and was "genuinely seeking to understand and deal with his issues".

She said: "The defendant says he didn't know how to escape and he was pleased, effectively, to be caught."

Judge Ian Unsworth QC said on Friday Owen's offending would be "truly shocking" to his family and friends.

He told Owen: "You descended into the very depths of depravity.

"This is a truly serious case of its type."

Owen must sign the sex offenders' register and comply with the strict terms of a prevention order for 10 years.

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When a 'predatory and manipulative' offender tried to arrange to sexually abuse a man's young daughter he was in for a surprise. The man was an undercover policeman.

Richard Campbell chatted to the officer online and tried to set up the abuse of the child. Bristol Crown Court heard Campbell sent the officer an indecent image of a four-year-old girl which he claimed to have abused in the past and described the effect it had on her.

Police who raided his home found he had a phone and iPad which he had not declared under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). And he was found with a small number of indecent images of children representing all three categories of concern

Campbell, 49, of Grace Drive in Kingswood, pleaded guilty to breaching a SHPO. He also admitted three charges of making an indecent image of a child and a single charge of distributing an indecent image of a child.

Judge Mark Horton jailed him for three years and four months, which included activation of a previously suspended sentence. The judge told Campbell: "As a result of your previous convictions and your offences now there can be no doubt that you are a predatory offender and one who has manipulated, lied and deceived."

Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, said after Campbell's online chats with an undercover policeman police made an unannounced visit to his home. Two undeclared devices were found under a duvet and indecent images of girls aged five to ten were found on them, as well as 117 'borderline' images including video.

Ieuan Callaghan, defending, said "loneliness and isolation" was the root cause of his client's offending. Mr Callaghan told the court: "He has began work in prison and there is evidence of insight."

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This Derby pervert groomed an autistic underage girl, telling her he would marry her and promising to buy her a ring, just so she would send him explicit photographs of herself. Derby Crown Court heard how Grant Woodcock kept the pictures she sent in a folder called 'Princess" while she called him 'Daddy" in the messages they exchanged.

The 26-year-old, of Alvaston, also sent the teenager a disgusting image of himself over the internet and told her "yum, I love it" when she messaged him a photograph of her naked breasts. And when she asked him "pants on or off?" before sending another image, he replied "off".

Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Judge Robert Egbuna highlighted some of the messages Woodcock and the teen exchanged. He said: "She asked you how old you were and you said 23. She told you she was 15 and asked you 'why do you like them young? and you replied 'I just do'.

"You called her 'Princess and she called you 'Daddy'. She told a friend at school she had a boyfriend who was 23 and sent you (explicit) images which you put in a file called 'Princess'. She asked you 'pants on or off' and you replied 'off'.

"She asked about you getting married and you replied that you would and she sent you photographs of engagement rings. You did not love or care for her you were in a settled relationship you had no intention of ending.

"She told you she was 'needy' and all of these messages are you toying with her emotions. In my view the messages are consistent with you grooming a child, the whole intention was was to entice her to send you explicit photos."

Sarah Slater, prosecuting, said the offences date back to May and June, 2019. She said the defendant and the victim befriended each other over a social media gaming site and began exchanging messages.

The prosecutor said these soon turned sexual and he asked her to send him sexual images of herself, which she did. Miss Slater said: "Derbyshire police were informed by Scottish police after statements were made by the girl's father and two friends that she (the victim) had disclosed she was talking to men online.

"She said pictures were exchanged, she sent pictures of her breasts and then he asked her to send him a picture of her touching herself. He spoke about them meeting up, he wanted her to come and meet him but she refused and said he could come up to see her and they could have sex in his car.

"He talked about them getting married and having children. He was arrested on August 23, 2019 and he said he had not been in conversation with the victim.

"His phone was seized and images were downloaded which showed seven that were confirmed to be of the victim. In one message she asks him to buy her an engagement ring and he says he will get her one.

"She tells him she is going for a shower and she sent him a photo of her feet. He told her he wants one of 'further up'."

Woodcock, of Coverdale Walk, pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He has no previous convictions.

Miss Slater read out part of a victim impact statement made by the girl. In it she said: "It is three years since the incidents, it was hard talking about it then and it is still hard talking about it now.

"I can't write all the ways this has affected me otherwise I would write a novel. I have horrific nightmares and wake in pain and crying most nights.

"Everyone in my (school) year found out and I was bullied and even seeing the name 'Grant' was upsetting. I don't think anyone really understood what I was going through."

Almas Ben-Aribia, mitigating, said her client has a partner and young son. She said: "He regrets his poor choices, he has worked as a doorman where he assisted the police and more recently he was working for JCB. He wants to set up his own business as a DJ performing at weddings and nightclubs.

"He is described in his references as 'loving, caring and supportive' and his best friend describes him as 'a soft loveable giant'. The stigma attached to this kind of offence cannot be understated."

As well as the jail sentence, Judge Egbuna handed Woodcock a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and made him sign on the sex offender register for life.

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A Glasgow pensioner who sexually abused three young girls is today behind bars after police swooped on his luxury Spanish villa and brought him back to Scotland to face justice.

John Mair, 74, had been living a champagne lifestyle at the opulent Hacidenda Riquelme golf resort in Sucina when he was detained on a European arrest warrant.

He spent three months in a Spanish prison before being extradited to face a catalogue of horrific historic sexual abuse charges.

One of his victims has spoken exclusively to the Glasgow Times and told how her life had been turned into a living nightmare by the monster, who tormented her for decades.

The 39-year-old, whose identity we are protecting, said: What he did to me will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Its changed my relationships and ability to trust men. What I went through has devastated my life in so many ways and I realise now he was grooming me for years.

When he touched me in a sexual way, he would say you are my favourite and I genuinely believed I was.

"He had such a hold over me and Im just glad he finally admitted his guilt.

Hes a creepy old man and it took a long time to find the courage to report him to the police. Hes never shown an ounce of remorse for what he did. Its taken a long time but justice has finally caught up with him."

The woman also revealed how she was determined to face Mair in court.

She added: "I went to see him being sentenced and I looked him straight in the eye as he was being handcuffed and led away. He has to spend 26 months in prison but I've been given a life sentence."

Another of Mairs victims revealed how he prayed on her and then moved to another young girl.

The woman, now 64, said: At the end of the day justice was done.

All of his victims have had their whole lives ruined by broken relationships and broken marriages.

It was good to see him in handcuffs but that doesnt make the pain go away.

The sex offender, originally from Barlarnark, pleaded guilty to three counts of abusing young girls at addresses in Glasgow and Livingston in West Lothian, between June 1981 and September 1995, when he appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court last month.

He was ordered to surrender his passport and stay in the UK while background reports were prepared by social workers.

In a sickening final insult to his victims, the wealthy pervert tried to use his cash to avoid a prison sentence, offering to pay them compensation in exchange for his liberty. Sheriff Jane Farquharson rejected his offer.

Jailing him for 26 months, she told him: You have enjoyed a very lucrative lifestyle living abroad in a golf resort, but you are a paedophile, and you were a danger to people.

Mairs offending remained a secret until 2013 when one of his victims told a relative what he had done.

Her cousin then confessed that he had sexually abused her as well and, after the #MeToo hashtag went global in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, another of his victims went to the police in 2013.

The 64-year-old woman, who also attended court to see her tormenter locked up, said she was just 10 years old when Mair first came into her bedroom wearing a short dressing gown and carrying a bottle of alcohol before making a string of lewd remarks.

He asked her whether she had a boyfriend or had kissed anybody. He then asked her if shed ever seen a boys private parts and whether shed like to see what they looked like.

Senior depute fiscal Alan Wickham told the court that on another occasion the girl was in the back of a car when she was inappropriately touched by Mair.

He said the same girl was aged 14 or 15 when Mair attended a Boxing Day gathering held by her family.

She took a guests coat upstairs and saw Mair sitting on a bed. He lured her over and again touched her inappropriately

She said: I froze, I knew what he was doing but didnt know what to do.

Her ordeal only ended when Mair heard someone coming upstairs, jumped off the bed and walked out of the room.

The court heard how his second victim was just 12 when she was targeted on a sofa by evil Mair in the living room of a mutual friend's house.

Mair, who was wearing only underpants, started kissing her on the neck and touching her.

He then put his hand up under her nightie and rubbed her back and buttocks while continuing to kiss her.

Mr Wickham said: He told her that he loved her and she could hear his heavy breathing.

"She struggled with what was happening. Shed never been kissed before and was thinking that this was not right.

She got up and went to the toilet, locked the door behind her, sat against it and stayed in there all night.

Iain Smith, defending, said Mair blamed his offending behaviour on too much alcohol and bitterly regretted what he had done.

In addition to the 26-month prison sentence, Mair will remain on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.

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A sex offender has landed himself back in court after he set-up a Facebook account in a fake name.

Joseph Tudor, also known as Albert, was put on the Sex Offenders' Register in 2017, which means he must abide by a number of rules. One of those rules is that the 42-year-old must tell police of he uses a different name, including online.

However, in March this year, while officers performed a routine review on Tudor, they found he'd set-up a Facebook account under the name Joe Virgo, a court was told. Nothing untoward was found on the account but it did land Tudor, of Bewicke Road, in Wallsend, back in the dock for failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

Paul Anderson, prosecuting, said officers conducted the review on March 25 this year. Mr Anderson continued: "He's set-up a Facebook account using a false name. He's subject to notification requirements and an annual review by police as a result of his past offending.

"As a result of one of those reviews, officers discovered the defendant hadn't told them that he had set-up a Facebook account in the name of Joe Virgo, which, of course, he ought to have done."

When interviewed, Tudor said he had been "absent-minded" when setting up the account and had forgotten to tell police. The court heard that Tudor created the account as he was getting death threats on an old one in his real name and had chosen to use his zodiac sign as his surname.

District Judge Kate Meek decided she needed a pre-sentence report before she finalised the case and adjourned it until September 6. Tudor was released on bail to appear back before the same court on that date.

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Alexander Thomson, 42, subjected his victims to a catalogue of barbaric abuse across a seven year period in West Lothian between 2012 and 2019. A serial Scots rapist who reigned terror on four women may never be freed from prison and will be monitored for the rest of his life. Alexander Thomson, 42, subjected his victims to a catalogue of barbaric abuse across a seven year period in West Lothian between 2012 and 2019. His crimes included rape, knocking the teeth from one of his victims and burning her body with cigarettes. Another awoke to find Thomson had placed a plastic bag over her head to restrict her breathing. Thomson stood before the High Court in Glasgow today, convicted of 17 charges involving the abuse of four former partners including charges of assault, abduction and 10 counts of rape. Two victims who suffered at the hands of Thomson sadly died before he faced trial. Their evidence was heard with statements read by one of the investigating officers in the case, which contributed to Thomson being found guilty. He was handed an Order of Lifelong Restriction and sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison before he is eligible for parole. He was further given a lifetime Non Harassment Order, preventing him approaching or contacting his victims. Scotlands head Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, Fraser Gibson, said: Alexander Thomsons offending brutalised and bullied women who trusted him. He betrayed their trust in the most despicable manner. It is extremely sad that two of his victims did not live to see Thomson brought to justice. "We are grateful for the evidence they provided in their determination that he be held to account and to the other two women who bravely spoke out. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is committed to the rigorous pursuit of justice. Our prosecutors will utilise all evidence available in this process. We would urge any victim or witness of similar offending to come forward, report it and seek help. Earlier, we told how the officer reading testimonies from the two victims who had sadly passed away said they had deserved to have their voices heard from beyond the grave. Detective Sergeant Aisling Corduff, who read their statements from the witness box, told the Record: " It is not something that happens very often but I believe it had a huge impact on the case. They couldnt speak but I had sat and listened to them and I knew their voices. I formed relationships with these women, spent hours with them. Bernie Laing, 30, died in July 2020, before Thomsons trial and her mum Margaret blames him for her death. DS Corduff said: I felt proud to be reading their words aloud for them because I knew how much it meant to them and to Bernies mother. I felt like they deserved to be heard. Thomson was arrested for his heinous crimes on December 12, 2019.

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A Bedfordshire man who downloaded indecent images of the most vile nature has been jailed for three years. Michael Johnson, 73, of Park Street, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children, and six counts of breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Johnson was previously registered as a sex offender and had been handed a suspended jail sentence of two years for offences linked to indecent images of children. He was also given a SHPO which prevented him from owning any devices without them being registered, and downloading file sharing software.

Deborah Simpson from Bedfordshire Polices offender management team was carrying out a routine visit in November 2021 when she became suspicious of software downloaded onto Johnsons computer. After noticing this, the computer was seized, and when searching the device, officers discovered indecent images of children, which were almost identical to those previously found in Johnsons possession.

n March 2022, further enforcement was carried out by Bedfordshire Polices cyber teams, where they were joined by a specialist digital media dog for the search. A further 12 unregistered devices were discovered and seized from Johnson, which resulted in a further charge of breaching his SHPO.

He was sentenced on Thursday (August 25) at Luton Crown Court to three years in prison, and his previous suspended sentence was activated. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigation Officer Deborah Simpson, who led the Bedfordshire Police investigation, said: "Johnson experienced sexual pleasure accessing images of the most vile nature involving very young children. He has shown no remorse for his actions, as he has continued to repeat his behaviour and ignore the prevention plan put in place.

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Police Scotland acknowledge the sentence of nine years in jail given to a man who pleaded guilty to non-recent assault and sexual offences in the Buchan area of Aberdeenshire.

John Sinclair, 72, last month admitted to offences which took place between 1974 and 1980.

He was remanded in custody and was sentenced today (Thursday, 25 August) at the High Court in Aberdeen.

Detectives from Police Scotland’s National Child Abuse Investigation Unit (North East) led the investigation into the case and Sinclair was arrested and charged on 3 October, 2019.

Detective Inspector Anna Johnston said:

"We welcome the sentencing of John Sinclair and I would like to thank the victims in this case who assisted us with our investigation.

“The passage of time does not make these incidents any easier to talk about and their bravery is to be commended.

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge anyone who has or is being subjected to any form of abuse or harm to get in touch with the police and report it.

“We treat all reports seriously, with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity, no matter when the offence took place.

“Cases like this show that Police Scotland is determined to bring the suspects of these crimes to justice.”