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Description

A LYMINGTON paedophile who was found with more than 2,000 indecent pictures of children has avoided an immediate jail sentence after a judge ruled he did not intend to share them.

Martin Davidson (49), of Ditchbury, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images, which included some of the most serious, category A, and three counts of distributing them.

He also admitted possessing an extreme pornographic image.

However, Davidson claimed he was unaware an app he had downloaded to boost his internet speed would automatically share the images with others, which led to a Newton hearing at Southampton Magistrates Court to resolve factual differences.

Southampton Crown Court
Giving evidence, Davidson said he had used the app to download films and music before this led to viewing pornographic and indecent images.

He said the app was a complicated system and he had used an internet search to find how to improve his download speeds, changing the settings in the app based on what he copied from a forum.

Despite it being described by prosecutor Ellie Sheehan as a peer-to-peer sharing app, Davidson said never at any time had he considered the files he was downloading would be shared elsewhere and was unaware the sharing was automated.

Recorder James Watson KC ruled Davidson had not knowingly distributed the images, which the court heard showed children as young as two in distress.

Davidson was arrested at his home in September 2021, and his laptop and a mobile phone were seized.

On examination they were found to contain 772 category A images, 298 category B and 1,006 category C.

All categories contained stills and videos, the court heard, with most of the children shown estimated to be aged between five and 10 years.

Defending, Daniel Higgins said his client had been in a dark place when the offences were committed over a three-month period, but had been transparent and compliant after his arrest.

He had taken significant steps to address his offending, and engaged with therapy and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse.

A letter from Davidsons wife, which was not read out in court, spoke volumes about the impact of his offending on the family, he said, who would be punished if he was sent to jail.

He added: The stigma carried with this type of offending, which is known within the local community, is further punishment itself.

Sentencing him to a total of 16 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, recorder Watson said: Distribution is, within the guidelines, a much more serious offence than possession and in dealing with you that must be the lead matter.

However, I have concluded the prosecution cannot show you intentionally distributed the images with knowledge of what you were doing.

There was a degree of naivety, coupled with carelessness, through using the app.

Turning to the possession charges, he said aggravating factors included the volume of images and evidence of organised and encrypted storage archives.

He added: You and your wife have clearly worked hard on the difficulties revealed by your behaviour, and I accept overall the direction of travel gives one some optimism for future rehabilitation.

You have shown a degree of remorse and insight, and put the time from your arrest to good use.

Had I found the prosecution case proved, there would have been no escape from an immediate custodial sentence.

Davidson must also carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which restricts his internet activity for 10 years.

Description

Lee Dennison aged 48 from Hartlepool was sentenced to 8 years in prison last week for possessing indecent images of children and for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Constable Carl Middleton from the Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU) said: “Cleveland Police welcomes the sentence handed to Lee Dennison. He was in possession of child abuse images containing the horrific abuse of young children and babies.

“Crimes of this nature are unforgiveable, and the children shown in the images Dennison was accessing were subject to the most horrifying ordeals.

“Lee Dennison showed no remorse for his actions. This was proven on a random visit to Dennison’s address by SOMU which resulted in an officer witnessing Dennison trying to hide devices in his home. These devices should have been declared to the Force and were immediately seized. A further device was located hidden under his mattress.

“The sentence given to Dennison should set a clear example to others that the Force will not tolerate this level of crime being committed and if you continue to access abusive and horrific content relating to children online, we will catch you and bring you to justice.”

Description

A NORTH Cumbrian man in his late thirties attempted to meet a 14-year-old boy so he could pay him £100 for sex, a court heard.

But Christopher Tennant, 38, who had spent two days communicating sexually with the person involved, was unaware that he was being taken in by a police sting operation designed to catch online sex predators.

At the city’s crown court, Tennant, of Gosling Drive, Carlisle, admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to sexually communicate with a child, and attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity.

Prosecutor Kim Whittlestone outlined the offending, committed in the city this year between October 17 and 19.

Tennant used social media to contact a person who clearly and repeatedly identified himself as being a 14-year-old boy.

During their online exchanges, conducted in part over the Grindr app, the 'boy' referred to having to wear his school uniform.

“It was repeatedly said during the conversations that the young man was 14,” said Miss Whittlestone. That continued to be Tennant’s belief up to the point when he travelled to a supermarket car park to meet the boy.

Miss Whittlestone went on to outline some of the conversations, though much of the detail is too offensive to repeat.

He sent the contact videos of two men having sex and told the 'boy' he was 21 before asking him for share pictures of himself.

In one message, he asked the boy: “What would you do for cash?”

There followed a series of messages about places they could possibly meet, including at a local Asda car park.

The “boy” at one point suggested meeting in a McDonald’s car park, while Tennant talked about possibly driving to the countryside. Tennant also suggested again that he could “pay you to try stuff.”

When he drove to the proposed meeting and realised he was being arrested, Tennant told the police officer: “I’m just so sorry. I know it was wrong. My head’s been messed up for years.”

The prosecutor added: “There was a significant degree of planning and a disparity in ages; he also brought with him £100 and there is clear evidence of grooming behaviour.”

Marion Weir, defending, said the defendant was a man of previous good character who had himself faced difficulties in his life. “He was trying to deal with it in an unhealthy way,” said the barriser.

Since his arrest, Tannant had worked with the Lucy Faithful Foundation to address his issues, though it would take years to work through the problems. “There is an expression of genuine remorse by Mr Tennant,” said Miss Weir.

There was nothing else incriminating found on his phone, she added.

Judge Michael Fanning said the defendant he had repeatedly engaged in “grooming” type behaviour, even offering to pay the “boy” £100 for sex.

“There is too much of this sort of offending and there are too many real victims,” said the judge.

He jailed Tennant for three years.

The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for a decade.

Description

A Barnsley man sexually assaulted a 10-year-old boy, before offering him ‘gaming tokens’ in a bid to bribe him into allowing him to continue with the abuse.

Describing the circumstances of Bryon Shepherd’s sexual offending, Judge Graham Reeds KC told the defendant: “You made him sit on your knee, put your hands down his trousers and touched his penis…you offered him money to allow it to carry on, well not real money but money for use on a game, but he refused.” 

Prosecutor Nicola Quinney told Sheffield Crown Court that Shepherd, aged 21, offered the boy ‘gaming tokens’. She said the sexual assault only came to an end when Shepherd was disturbed by an individual returning to the property where the assault took place.

During the course of a subsequent police interview, the boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said Shepherd ‘wouldn’t stop doing it,’ although she acknowledged the sexual assault took place over a ‘relatively short period of time’. 

A hearing held on November 16, 2023 was told that at the time of the offence, Shepherd was on bail for other alleged offences. 

Ms Quinney said one of the conditions of Shepherd’s bail was that he was prohibited from having ‘any contact with a child under 18’.

The nature of the other allegations was not disclosed in court, however. 

In a statement to the court, the mother of the boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons - said that after learning of Shepherd’s offending she felt as though she had ‘failed’ her son, and that she ‘wasn’t good enough’. 

She went on to say that she hopes her son will not be ‘haunted’ by what Shepherd did to him, and that he can now ‘move on with his life’. 

Ms Quinney said Shepherd has a number of previous convictions, dating back to 2013, for offences including possession of an offensive weapon, battery and criminal damage. 

Shepherd pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 at an earlier hearing. 

Defending, Thomas Penman said Shepherd has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which manifests through his ‘impulsivity’ and ‘thrill-seeking behaviour’.

He cited Shepherd ‘running across the M1’ as an example of such behaviour.

Mr Penman also suggested Shepherd’s condition means there is an ‘element of reduced culpability,’ when compared to individuals without ASD. 

But Judge Reeds told Shepherd he could not ‘see any clear link between your condition - as it has been described - and your offending’. 

Mr Penman said Shepherd has spent 145 days in custody on remand, and suggested that his client was likely to find a prison sentence ‘particularly difficult’ because of his condition. 

In response to this, Judge Reeds noted that an assessment carried out by a doctor suggested Shepherd had been coping relatively well in prison, owing to the ‘structure’ of a custodial setting, and the fact he had been able to obtain a job. 

Mr Penman said that while Shepherd still has not ‘accepted’ his offending to the author of his pre-sentence report (PSR), he stands by his guilty pleas. Mr Penman also suggested the the ‘risk of sexual offences against children’ Shepherd has been deemed to pose by the author of his PSR could be ‘reduced’ through the conditions of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order applied for by prosecutors. 

Judge Reeds told Shepherd, of Grange Road, Barnsley, that the only ‘appropriate punishment’ for the ‘harm you’ve caused to this young child and his family’ is one of immediate imprisonment, and jailed him for 18 months. 

He added: "You've not shown any remorse at all."

Shepherd was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the complainant or his family, as well as a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. 

He will also be required to sign on to the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time. 

Description

A registered sex offender who broke the terms of a court order and attempted to communicate sexually with what he thought was a child has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Iain Stavert, 60, was brought before a court following work by police after he communicated online with a law enforcement employee who he believed to be a child.

He admitted a range of charges, covering:

• Breaching and attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order.
• Failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.
• Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Stavert, of Low White Close, Barrow, appeared before Preston Crown Court for sentencing.

Detective Constable Ashlynne Elliott oversaw the case.

Speaking after the sentencing, she said: “We work hard to monitor and manage people who are subject to such orders.

“As in this case, we will find out if they breach the terms of these preventative orders and we will do all we can to ensure they are held accountable for their offending.”

Stavert was sentenced on Thursday.

Description

A predator who arranged to meet an underage teen for sex has now been sentenced – after a joint North East police investigation.

Joseph Lee, 46, is now behind bars after he travelled to Framwellgate Moor to meet a 15-year-old girl he arranged to have sex with online.

However, what he didn’t know was that officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Durham Constabulary would be waiting to arrest him instead.

NEROCU detectives worked alongside officers from Durham Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigator Team, to carry out their operation on April 26 last year, and thanks to their partnership working Lee is now no longer a danger to children.

When interviewed Lee, of Drum Lane, Chester-le-Street, offered no explanation of why he did what he did and offered no guilty plea.

However, due to the extensive evidence file compiled by officers, a Jury found Lee guilty of Arranging/Facilitating the Commission of a Child Sex Offence earlier this year on October 27 at Durham Crown Court.

Today (Monday), he appeared at the same court and was sentenced to four years imprisonment, a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

Description

A convicted sex offender who was sleeping rough failed to register with police every seven days as he was required to do.

Blackburn magistrates heard Kevin Melody had also failed to turn up for an appointment with the probation service and two court dates during a “chaotic” period in his life.

Melody, 51, of Laithe Street, Burnley, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching sex offender registration requirements.

He was sentenced to 10 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months.

District Judge Alexandra Preston said Melody had breached the order in May, June and October, had failed to turn up at court twice and missed appointments with the Probation Service.

“I am prepared to suspend the prison sentence because I have heard about the problems of being homeless that you have had this year,” said District Judge Preston.

Julia Draper, prosecuting, said because he was homeless Melody had report to the police every seven days.

“It is a way for the police to monitor that he is still in the area,” said Miss Draper.

“He claimed he went to Nelson police station to sign on but it was closed.

"He then went to Burnley police station but says he was dragged down an alley and beaten up and told to stay out of Burnley.”

Janet Sime, in mitigation, said her client had been struggling with accommodation problems and accepted he had missed signing on and appointments with the probation service.

“Within the last few days he has obtained an address with a friend and hopefully that will make things easier,” said Miss Sime.

“If he has an address he only has to sign on every 12 months.”

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in a hot tub is facing jail.

William Tierney, 52, seized hold of the 17-year-old in the garden of a property in Blantyre, Lanarkshire.

She repeatedly told him to let her go but he then subjected her to a sickening attack under the water. The terrified victim fled the scene and later confided to her mum what had happened.

This led to a confrontation with dad-of-four Tierney before police were called in. Tierney, of Blantyre, denied any wrongdoing and went on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

Jurors took less than an hour to convict him of the sexual assault in July last year. Giving tearful evidence to depute fiscal Scott O'Connor, the girl's mum told how her daughter, now 18, had been left traumatised by Tierney.

The 55-year-old said: "She was so scared and I asked her what was wrong.

"She was hysterical, crying uncontrollably and she was shaking and she told me Mr Tierney had assaulted her. What kind of a human being does that to a 17-year-old girl?

"I was numb and I was so upset and couldn't believe it had happened to her because she is my baby and I couldn't do anything to protect her."

Giving evidence, Tierney repeatedly denied assaulting the teenager and claimed they had been having a water fight in the hot tub.

He said: "I just lifted her up and was trying to find the bench bit of the hot tub where you sit to put my hand on.

"I thought she had left the hot tub because there was too much splashing, I had been a wee bit rough and was splashing the water constantly at her."

Sheriff Liam Murphy deferred sentence on the first offender until next month and continued bail. He added; "You have been found guilty of a serious sexual offence.

"You should be aware that all sentencing options will be open to the court including a custodial sentence given the nature of the offence."

Tierney was placed on the sex offenders' register.

Description

A paedophile sexually assaulted a schoolgirl in a Black Country graveyard after luring her away from her friends. Registered sex offender Robert Osbourne, approached a group of children at a graveyard in Stourbridge on Friday, October 22, 2021.

He sat on a bench with them and made conversation. He then persuaded a 14-year-old to move away from her friends by asking if she would show him where the water tap was in the graveyard at St Mary’s Church in Old Swinford.

He then touched her sexually. The girl reported the incident a dew days later and the 48-year-old, of Green Street, Stourbridge, was spotted in his home area and arrested.

West Midlands Police said it secured CCTV and Osbourne was identified by his sex offender manager. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a female over 13 and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Osbourne was jailed for 35 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday, November 10. He was also given a new SHPO with ‘strict conditions’.

Det Con Adrian Jackson, from the Sandwell and Dudley Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “We would like to praise the bravery of the girl in reporting Osbourne’s assault. Her courage gives confidence to others to come forward and report sexual abuse.

“You will be listened to, you will be believed, and you will be supported - from your initial contact all the way to court. I would also like to thank her family for their support throughout the case.”

Osbourne was previously convicted of taking pictures up women’s skirts on trains and buses across the West Midlands and jailed for four years in September 2016, with four years on licence. He also had to register on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

But the former tree surgeon’s sentence was reduced to three years and two months, with the extended licence period quashed at an appeal to the Court of Appeal in London in 2017. At the time Judge John Wait said: “The offences, while very disturbing and distressing for the victims, were not of themselves the most serious.”

West Midlands Police urged victims of sex attacks to come forward and said: “If you have been a victim of sexual assault, or think you know someone who has, there are a range of options available to you. Visit our website for more information about your options."

Description

Four women were randomly targeted by a serial sex offender while going about their daily lives in St Helens.

Govar Abdul-Rahman, 28, preyed on four women in the course of a single month. On June 26 2022, he sexually assaulted a woman at Queens Park leisure centre after following her around the swimming pool and into the sauna and steam room. On June 29, he sexually assaulted another woman at the same place, again preying on her after following her into the sauna.

At around 3am on July 17 2022, he followed an 18-year-old woman into an alleyway, where he attempted to kiss her before pushing her into a wall and groping her twice.

Finally, on July 24 2022, he scaled a fence and sneaked into an 18-year-old woman's supported living accommodation with the intention of sexually assaulting her. When the woman woke up and saw him standing over her bed, he panicked and fled through the window he had entered by. But he returned to the flat a week later in the early hours of July 31, and once again tried to get in through the window before being caught red-handed by the woman, who came to investigate the suspicious noise.

Abdul-Rahman, formerly of Silkstone Street, St Helens, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on November 16, to be sentenced for four counts of sexual assault, trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, attempted trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, and voyeurism.

Victim statements from the four women were read to the court. The first victim, who was attending the swimming pool with her daughter when Abdul-Rahman assaulted her on June 26, said: "I do think that since this incident my mental health has deteriorated and I worry a lot more about being around men. Because of my mental health, I used the gym as a lifeline, but I get nervous thinking about going now.

"Since this incident I have not been able to go swimming at the leisure centre. I used to go to various classes but since this incident I do not feel comfortable enough to go back to the pool and I don't feel confident in going. "

The second victim said: "Sport has been a big part of my life as I started when I was just four years old. It made me be the person I was. I was confident, outgoing, and never afraid of doing anything. After this incident happened, I didn't go to any gym for 11 months, and I have still not been to that swimming pool.

"It has affected my everyday life. I feel I don't trust people like I used to. I'm a much quieter person who chooses to stay in and be safe rather than go out and socialise with friends."

The third victim, who was on a night out with friends when she was attacked, said: "I don't feel that I can trust many people like I used to. I used to feel confident but now I have developed some insecurity and I'm finding it difficult to overcome what has happened. I have cried hysterically in front of friends and family when out in busy places. These emotions are now to me and I don't know how to control them. I have never experienced this before. I used to love being out with friends."

The fourth victim, who was sleeping soundly when Abdul-Raham crept through her window, said the traumatic incident had worsened her struggles with anxiety and depression.

She said: "I moved into my flat to try and make it a safe place to be. This incident has brought back trauma I have spent years trying to heal from. I no longer have the flat as a safe space, which has knocked me back even further.

"Since the incident I felt panicked and upset when I have to go back to the flat. When I had to return after the incident I burst into tears. I no longer feel the flat is safe space for me. I found it difficult to get to sleep and I had to stay at a family member's address just to get away from the flat. If I hear any noses in the night it wakes me up and puts me on edge. I no longer like going outside as I no longer have any trust in people."

Abdul-Rahman was sentenced a total of 20 months in prison for the four sexual assaults, and seven years with an extended five years on licence for trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, attempted trespass with intent to commit sexual assault, and voyeurism, to be served consecutively.

Description

A controlling domestic abuser who raped three women – including two on the same night – has today (Friday) been jailed for a minimum of six years and slapped with a life-long restriction order.

Aaron Carson Swan was found guilty of six charges dating back more than a decade, including the serious sexual assault of two victims as they slept at a property in the Scottish Borders.

While he has to spend a minimum of six years behind bars, the judge - Lord Weir - warned him there's no guarantee he will be released at that end of that period - saying he presents a "very high risk" of causing more harm.

The court heard Swan's "capacity for violent, manipulative, self-centred and, frankly, sinister behaviour" has had a "profound and lasting effect" on his victims.

Today's sentence means the 39-year-old, from Jedburgh, will be subject to restrictions for the rest of his life.

In addition, he has been banned from contacting his victims and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Passing sentence at the High Court in Inverness, Lord Weir said: "The nature and circumstances of the crimes you were found to have committed, coupled with your record, the many risk factors identified in the risk assessment report, and the lack of any significant protective factors, are such as to satisfy me that there is a likelihood that, if at liberty, you will seriously endanger the lives, or the physical or psychological well-being, of members of the public at large.

"This disposal constitutes a sentence of imprisonment for an indeterminate period. It means that you will only ever be released from prison into the community if the Parole Board can be satisfied that public safety will not be endangered were that to happen."

Swan was also convicted of one charge under Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 for abusing a partner including coercive and controlling behaviour.    

He repeatedly contacted the woman by telephone, harassed her, psychologically manipulated her, monitored her movements, asked relatives for information about her and uttered threats of violence all while threatening to harm himself.  

He was also found guilty of assaulting the victim by strangling her and pinning her against a car during an incident in July 2019 after initially calling her for help.

Swan was convicted of raping two women who were asleep and therefore unable to consent in April 2013. 

He also raped a third woman in February 2020 after she withdrew consent during sexual intercourse.  

Commenting on the case, Scotland’s Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, Katrina Parkes, said: “The victims of Aaron Carson Swan’s depravity have shown great courage and resolve in coming forward and reporting him to the authorities. 

“The ordeals they endured at the hands of this man have weighed heavily and will undoubtedly have a lasting impact.  

“Their evidence has ensured he has been held to account for his appalling criminal behaviour and their bravery has helped protect other women from this dangerous individual. 

“Swan has been brought to justice after a thorough investigation by the police and our expert prosecutors." 

The Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) is a unique sentence made up of a minimum period of time of imprisonment – called the punishment part – and lifelong risk management. It is designed to protect the public from the risk of serious harm.

Ms Parkes added: "I would urge anyone who has been victim of similar crime to come forward: report it and seek support. The Crown is committed to effectively prosecuting all sexual offenders.”

Swan committed the offences in the Borders between 2013 and 2022.

Detective Constable Jessica Laycock, from Police Scotland, said: “I hope this sentencing provides some measure of closure for the victims.

“Sexual abuse has no place in our society and any reports made to Police Scotland will be robustly investigated.

Description

A former Humberside Police officer who had sex with a troubled woman in a clear breach of trust has been jailed for two years and four months.

Ex-PC Simon Miller was supposed to be helping her as part of his duties but he "completely abused his position of trust" by having a sexual relationship with the "vulnerable" woman. He sent her a message that allegedly warned her that nobody would believe her if she told anyone about what had happened, Hull Crown Court heard.

Miller, 54, earlier admitted engaging in a sexual relationship with a victim, knowing that this was improper.

He had been immediately dismissed last year after a misconduct hearing was held into his "unforgivable" behaviour. He met the woman while he was on duty during an incident.

Defence barrister Alex Menary told an earlier hearing that messages were sent to the woman, some of them from Miller's phone and some from Snapchat, and there were pages of records about these and the woman's responses.

The woman had made screenshots of some of the messages. Mr Menary said that Miller went to check on the woman and took her back to a refuge. They had sex that day.

Miller, of Scunthorpre, arrived in a marked police car to pick her up. They went back to the refuge and she and Miller were there between 2 and 3pm.

"In that time, sexual intercourse took place," said Mr Menary. There was later a message to Miller from the woman to say "Thank you." He replied: "No worries."

The woman sent a message to him at 4.37pm saying: "Thanks." Miller sent her a message later that day. Mr Menary told the court that the woman was claiming that "he was saying that, if you tell anyone, they won't believe you because you are in a mental asylum."

She said: "I wasn't in the best place at the time. My mental health wasn't in the best scenario at the time."

Mr Menary said that it would be "quite a hurtful thing to hear" and the woman said that it was really upsetting. "I had just been through an extremely difficult time," she said. "To hear that was quite upsetting. I wasn't in the right frame of mind."

Mr Menary said that the woman later sent what seemed to be "very affectionate" messages to Miller but she replied: "The amount of medication I was on, I wasn't thinking straight. It's very difficult for me to recollect many of the messages."

She insisted that she was "really hurt" by the asylum message. Mr Menary asked whether she was pursuing a relationship with Miller and claimed that she had asked him: "Can't I have you?" but he had replied: "No, you can't."

Mr Menary claimed that the woman told Miller in a message: "So you f*** me once and that's it." Mr Menary asked the woman if she accepted that she was wanting more contact with Miller but she denied that. "I wasn't seeking a relationship," she claimed.

She admitted a prosecution claim that she was "kind" and "a little bit flirty" to Miller in later messages. "I believe so," she said.

A Humberside Police spokesman said previously: "Criminal and internal investigations were launched into the actions of former PC Simon Miller after a report was received of inappropriate conduct and behaviour. "Miller, based in Scunthorpe, engaged in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable victim after meeting her while on duty at an incident in 2021.

"After the internal investigation, an accelerated misconduct hearing took place in August last year, in private so as not to jeopardise the ongoing criminal investigation. The misconduct panel found that he had breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to discreditable conduct and he was immediately dismissed and placed on the College of Policing barred list."

Head of professional standards Superintendent Andy Maultby said at the time: "Miller has completely abused his position of trust and took advantage of someone when she was in need of support. His discreditable conduct and behaviour didn't just breach the standards of professionalism, it was utterly condemnable and unforgivable.

"I want to praise the lady for her courage in speaking out. It has enabled us to ensure he has been criminally prosecuted, removed from our police force and placed on the College of Policing barred list.

"We will not condone or accept any form of abuse of position within Humberside Police and we will always take action and hold those responsible to account.

"We are committed to rooting out those who should never have embarked on a police career and who cause the communities we serve to doubt our integrity and professionalism. Our communities deserve the highest quality service and should feel they can have confidence in policing and we will do all we can to deliver this."

Description

A Teesside sex offender has been jailed after he was caught using a dating site and aliases online.

Aaron Hughes, 27, was under a strict sex offender court order which limits his internet use when he was caught using the aliases "deathstorm" and "electro_darkness" on TikTok and Kik messenger. He had also set up accounts on the dating site Tinder, as well as Snapchat and Instagram.

Hughes appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, after his sex offender manager turned up at his home to carry out a risk assessment, on July 28. His phone showed that he had downloaded the apps and deleted them.

Hughes, of King Street in South Bank in Redcar, admitted four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and the breach of a suspended sentence. The order was imposed in November, last year, when he was convicted of making indecent images of children.

In 2021, he received a suspended prison sentence for making indecent images. Michele Turner, mitigating, said that her client has "mild learning disabilities" and that he had endured a difficult upbringing.

Judge Paul Watson jailed Hughes for 19-months.

Description

A Gillingham resident has been jailed for the sexual abuse of a child.

Milen Ivanov targeted the young victim between 1 June and 9 August 2022, after he made them believe they were in a relationship.

His offending came to light after the child told their parents what had been happening, and they then contacted Kent Police.

Ivanov, of Chaucer Road, was arrested on 28 August 2022. He was bailed with conditions, including not to contact the victim, while investigators built the case against him.

During this time, Ivanov committed further offences including sharing indecent images of the victim and making threats towards the child.

He was charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, intimidation of a witness, making indecent photographs of a child and disclosing a private sexual photograph.

The 34-year-old was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court on 26 October 2023, for six years and eight months. He will also be subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a five-year restraining order on his release.

Description

A pervert is starting his third prison sentence after he was caught with an illegal image of a baby girl on his mobile phone.

Matthew Laidler "appeared nervous and was tapping away on his mobile" when his offender manager made an unannounced visit to his Middlesbrough home, on October 8. Laidler had been released from a 29-month prison sentence five days earlier.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the 33-year-old claimed he was "texting his grandma" but police found that he had been sent an indecent image of a baby. He replied to the sender: "Hi bud. Beautiful. I've nothing to send back to you at the moment" before making an explicit sexual comment about the baby.

Laidler had downloaded the Wickr and Mega apps, where users can send end-to-end encrypted messages.

Laidler, who gives his address as HMP Durham but is from Linthorpe in Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to the possession of an indecent image and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. He was convicted of the sexual assault of a child in 2006; and he was jailed for the first time in 2015 for the possession of indecent images of children.

In April 2022, he was handed another the 29-month prison term after it emerged he'd been babysitting young girls, sleeping over and giving one of them baths. The terms of his licence prohibited from having any contact with children.

The court heard that after his latest offence, Laidler was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his 2022 sentence, which finishes in December 2024. He listened on video link from HMP Durham as Judge Paul Watson told him that the apps he had downloaded were capable of "removing any trace of messages."

Laidler was handed a 26-month prison sentence.