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A man who travelled to Chippenham with the intention of sexually abusing a child has been jailed.

Mark Pegram was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (Wednesday) after pleading guilty to the commission of a child sex offence and possessing indecent images of a child.

The 65-year-old engaged in a number of explicit conversations with an undercover officer online – who was posing as a woman with a nine-year-old daughter.

The defendant, of Chase Side Avenue in Enfield, London, was collared when he proceeded to arrange a meet and turned up believing he was going to be able to sexually abuse the youngster.

He denied he had any intention of carrying out any sexual acts on the child and went to trial, where he later changed his plea to guilty.

Pegram was sentenced to 48 months in prison and told the register as a sex offender indefinitely. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Wiltshire Police Detective Constable Kerry Foster said: “This was an extremely distressing case for the jury sitting on this trial.

“They had to view a large number of messages that contained graphic details about the sexual acts that he planned to carry out on the child when they met.

“The jury also had to listen to recordings that depicted the graphic detail of the sexual acts that he wanted to do with the child.

“Our Child Internet Exploitation Team works with other agencies such as children’s social care and health, to minimise the risk to children who may be vulnerable to harm.

“We would urge anyone who suspects a person of carrying out child sexual exploitation to get in touch with us straight away.”

Detective Inspector David Wells, from the Online Investigations Team at South West Regional Organised Crime Unit said: “This is vital work, identifying offenders who use the internet to groom children and, as in this case, attempt to arrange access to a child to abuse.

“It is our priority to protect and keep children safe in our communities and I encourage anyone worried about exploitation of a child online to report it to the police.”

Record details

A 23-year-old woman who took indecent photos of a child and sent them to her boyfriend has been jailed following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Toni Andrews, from Hull, was also found to be in possession of more than 800 illegal images and videos, including hundreds showing child sexual abuse.

She was identified after the conviction of her then-boyfriend, Thomas Edeson, 24, of Franklin Street, Hull, who was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in August 2021 for sexually assaulting a young girl and taking indecent images of her.

The NCA’s investigation into Edeson began in May 2021 with a referral from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which was notified by Google of his attempt to upload child sexual abuse images to the internet.

After examining his electronic devices, officers discovered sexual images of a child which appeared to have been taken by Andrews and sent to Edeson.

Andrews was arrested in connection in December 2021.

In interview she admitted to taking and sending one of the photos to Edeson, but denied knowing about his sexual interest in children.

Examination of Andrews’ electronic devices, which were seized from her home when she was arrested, revealed almost 100 indecent images of children in categories A-C, over 500 prohibited images of children and over 200 showing extreme pornography.

As part of the investigation into Andrews’ offending, Edeson was produced from prison and interviewed by NCA officers.

He told them that Andrews had supplied him with sexual images of a child as well as children’s underwear, which officers recovered from his home when he was arrested.

At Hull Crown Court today [22 November], a judge sentenced Andrews to 16 months in prison and ordered her to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

She had pleaded guilty to a total of seven charges at an earlier court hearing, including taking indecent photographs of a child, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

Record details

A woman sexually assaulted by a vile predator has urged other victims to report crimes.

The woman has spoken out after her abuser, George Grace, 78, of Royston in Barnsley, was found guilty of rape and two counts of indecent assault.

Grace was jailed for 14 years on November 10 at Leeds Crown Court. The offences took place between 1985 and 1992 in the Huddersfield area when the woman was a young child.

She said: My message to other women and men who have gone through this is to contact the police and get justice.

You are stronger than you think and I can promise the support is really there for you. Pre trial and post-trial, there is help in place and it is worth its weight in gold. "

The woman said she had been overwhelmed when the unanimous guilty verdicts were read out and added that she was still processing it.

DC Megan Boothroyd of the Kirklees District Child Safeguarding Team, said: George Grace committed dreadful offences against a then young child over a sustained period and we welcome the sentence imposed by the courts against him.

She has shown great courage in coming forwards and doing everything she possibly could to ensure Grace was put before the courts. We continue to urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence and has not reported it, for whatever reason, to contact the police.

All reports are thoroughly investigated by specialist officers who can also signpost victims to the help and support they may need.

Record details

A rapist held a gun to his victim's head and threatened to 'smoke' him if he dared to report his horrendous ordeal. Ashley Cleary abducted the man and repeatedly raped him in the street, before forcing him into his home where he raped him again.

Before fleeing, remorseless Cleary, 39, put a gun to the man's head and told him: "If you tell anyone, I'll smoke you." His DNA was found on the man's underwear and when police went to arrest him, Cleary was discovered hiding in a loft, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Now Cleary, a dad from Salford, has been jailed for 21 years after being found guilty of a catalogue of crimes, including rape and kidnap. Prosecutors told how the victim knew Cleary as he was a regular customer at his place of work.

In December last year Cleary arrived at his work in Salford and was behaving in an ‘intimidating and threatening manner’, prosecutor Daniel Calder said. At one point Cleary opened up his coat to ‘expose what appeared to be a handgun’, the prosecutor said.

The victim stayed at work with colleagues for a time after Cleary had left, to try and allow time for him to leave. But when he went outside, Cleary was still there.

At one point Cleary took hold of the man’s arm and told him: “You’re going to drive my car home.” He ‘felt compelled’ to go with Cleary, due to what had happened earlier but the ‘car’ was a ruse.

Cleary, who was also armed with a hammer, led the man down an alleyway and repeatedly raped him during several incidents. He launched a barrage of homophobic abuse as he committed the sickening crimes, labelling his victim a ‘f****** dirty little queer’.

At one point, Cleary told the terrified man: “Come on, we’re going to yours.” They made their way to the victim’s home, where Cleary placed the handgun on a side table.

Cleary then proceeded to rape the man in his own bed, as he continued to subject him to homophobic abuse. He then forced his victim to ‘reassure’ him ‘that he wasn’t gay’, Mr Calder said.

After committing another rape, Cleary got up and retrieved his gun, before putting the barrel to the man’s head. “If you tell anyone, I’ll smoke you,” he told him, before he left the property.

The victim left his home in his bare feet, wearing only a dressing gown, and visited a friend to tell them what had happened. The police were alerted and Cleary was arrested at his home on Christmas Eve, where he was found hiding in a loft.

Tests revealed the presence of Cleary’s DNA on his victim’s underwear. Cleary, of no fixed address, denied all wrongdoing, and at trial claimed he and the man had engaged in consensual sex.

But a jury rejected his lies and found him guilty of seven counts of rape, one count of kidnap, one count of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, and one count of threatening with an offensive weapon. Cleary said 'I'm innocent by the way' as he was sent down to begin his sentence.

In a statement read on his behalf, the victim said: "I felt like it was never going to end. He used and abused me for his own benefit, for reasons of his own that I will never understand."

The court heard how Cleary has racked up 34 previous criminal offences. He was once hauled before the courts following an incident where he turned up at a pub armed with an axe.

Defending, Rachel Shenton said Cleary still maintains his innocence. She said he had been due to work on the day of the incident as a labourer but that his shift was cancelled due to bad weather and he instead went on a ‘drinking binge’.

Ms Shenton said Cleary has suffered from a number of ‘long standing’ issues, including anxiety and depression and ‘intellectual difficulties’. She said Cleary, who has a female partner who stands by him, would find prison ‘particularly difficult’.

Judge Nick Clarke KC handed Cleary a 25 year extended sentence, after declaring him a 'dangerous' criminal. He will serve at least two-thirds of a 21 year prison sentence, before the Parole Board decide whether it is safe for him to be release.

He will then be monitored for a further four years on licence.

Record details

A man who avoided jail in 2019 after admitting to possessing thousands of indecent images of children has been sent to prison after he returned to his 'addiction'.

David Andrews, originally from Ivybridge but now from Paignton, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court where faced four charges. The first was that between January 2021 and February 20222 he distributed 28 indecent images of children of Category A, B and C - with A as being the most serious.

He also faced a count of breaching a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order - which was put in place following a hearing at court in 2019 - by being found in possession of a Nokia mobile phone and a USB memory stick which he was prohibited from having without first notifying police.

Andrews also faced one count of making five indecent photos of children of Category B and a further count of making 19 indecent photos of children of Category C. He pleaded guilty to all four charges.

In addition the 69-year-old admitted that he had breached a suspended sentence imposed on July 11, 2019 which the court heard was 24 months imprisonment suspended for 24 months.

Prosecutor Francesca Whebell told the court Andrews was caught after Devon and Cornwall Police were alerted by the National Crime Agency regarding the posting of images from an IP address linked to property in Ivybridge linked to Andrews. Another alert came from an email account which had posted Category A, B and C indecent images of children, linked to Andrews and a Nokia phone.

Police attended the property with a warrant in February 2022 and a number of devices were seized from Andrews. Ms Whebell said that during police interview Andrews said "It's my secret and I hate it".

In mitigation, Andrews advocate, Deni Matthews noted that during his statement Andrews had claimed "I'm not as strong as I thought". Mr Matthews said he wanted to draw an analogy with people who struggle with addiction adding that it was sadly the case that many people were brought before the court "because of a behaviour that they can't resist". He added that for many of those who were successful in "combating that devil within them it takes more than one attempt". He noted that Andrews felt "repulsion" at his own behaviour.

Mr Matthews noted Andrews had been a "hard working" man who had been "very successful" in a number of careers, including a period in the military as well as others which were "conducted in an exemplary fashion". He told the court that as a result of his previous conviction he lost his relationship with his wife and one of his sons. The court also heard that Andrews lost his job as a cleaner and now lived in "a sparsely furnished flat".

PlymouthLive previously reported how in 2019 Andrews was handed the suspended sentence after he was caught with more than 13,000 vile images of children including babies being raped. The former Royal Mail worker - and former Special Constable - had said at the time that he saw no harm in what he was doing.

At the time the sentencing judge told Andrews: "In interview you said you believed you were doing no harm to the children you were viewing. That is nonsense. If people like you did not view this abuse then it would not be perpetrated."

Turning to his latest offences, Judge Peter Johnson noted the previous offences for which he was given a suspended sentence. He said Andrews appeared to doing "quite well" but that he also had "an addiction" to these kinds of images. He also noted how Andrews had told police it was his "problem" and a "secret he had", later telling a probation officers that it was "your secret and [that] you hated it".

Judge Johnson said Andrews had hoped to go "on the straight and narrow" but had "unhappily succumbed to temptation as you candidly admit". He said it was clear Andrews had been deleting material on his devices.

The judge told Andrews these were "serious matters and of course you know that", but recognised that he had served his country and his community in various roles. He also noted how Andrews had lost his job, his relationship, his home, his partner and one of his sons due to his offending.

Judge Johnson said it was "very easy" in a sentencing exercise to concentrate on the offender, "but what you must also concentrate on are the victims of those images who were shown, in two cases, being raped - youngsters under the age of 10, going down to a relatively young age of five or so".

"It's very easy to think that because it's over the internet it doesn't involve real people", Judge Johnson told Andrews. "It does - it's as simple as that."

Taking into account the sentencing guidelines, the early guilty plea, the aggravating and mitigating factors of the case, Judge Johnson said he would pass a sentence of three and a half years of which he would serve half before being released on licence. In addition Andrews was told he would be made subject of another 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The telephone and memory stick would be confiscated and destroyed and Andrews would be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A child rapist from Devon has been jailed for the sexual abuse of three girls. Aaron Bennett, 33, was convicted of eleven serious sexual offences at a trial in October.

The paedophile returned to Exeter Crown Court on Tuesday (November 21) to be sentenced for his crimes. Judge Stephen Climie imposed a 28-year sentence with an extension of eight years due to the danger he poses.

The judge said the offending had a significant psychological effect on the victims. He told Bennett: "This for you is the end of a chapter in your life and the beginning of your time in custody.

"Observing the evidence of the three victims in this case was a matter which caused significant upset among jurors who had to try this case.

"It was compelling and obviously credible evidence given by three young people despicably and seriously abused. One can only hope in some shape this sentencing can draw some sort of line to allow them to move forward in their lives."

Bennett, of New Exeter Street, Chudleigh, was convicted of rape of a child under 13; attempted rape of a child under 13; sexual assault of a child under 13; and assaulting a child under 13 by penetration.

The court heard moving victim statements in which they described the trauma caused by Bennett. He used threats and violence to ensure their silence. He threatened to kill loved ones if they revealed what he had done.

Each of the victims suffered psychological distress trying to bottle up what had happened to them. One said she no longer feels safe around men.

Another added: "I've not given up on being happy. I've worked on my mental health. I want to move on with life and focus on the positives although I know it will not be an instant thing."

Mr Adrian Chaplin, defending, said Bennett was a man of previous good character and there had been substantial delays in getting the case to court.

Judge Climie said he was satisfied that Bennett should be subject to an extended sentence due to the danger he poses. He will serve two thirds of the 28 years in prison before being considered for release. What remains of the full 36 years will be served on licence.

He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the sex offender register. 

Afterwards Detective Constable Donna Tullock from the Local Safeguarding Investigation Team said: “I firstly must commend the incredible bravery of the victims who had the courage to come forward and support this investigation. Without their strength in character, we wouldn’t have been able to build such a strong case.

“Bennett is now where he belongs - behind bars where he will face the consequences of these abhorrent crimes. He is a dangerous predator and a threat to children.

“Nothing will ever take away the trauma that these individuals have been through, but I hope that there can be some reassurance in knowing that this man will be locked up for a considerable amount of time.

“We truly hope that this outcome gives other victims the strength to come forward and report incidents of rape and sexual assault to us. We have support mechanisms in place to help support victims throughout the process.”

Record details

A prolific paedophile had so many images of children being raped and abused he created a sophisticated filing system so that he could access what he wanted on any given day. Andrew Mullen, 68, was back in the dock eight years after being sentenced for near identical offences.

Mullen, of New Road, Liskeard, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photographs of children.

Prosecuting the case, Ryan Murray told the court how in April 2020 the National Crime Agency received a referral from their counterparts in New England alerting them to accounts being used on an encrypted cloud platform. The accounts were created using an email linked to Mullen.

Local police raided Mullen's address and when they arrived he said, "not again, I haven't done anything". During interview Mullen said that the accounts weren't his and suggested he may have been hacked.

Eventually police gained access and found that the account was being used for storage of child abuse images. They found a file system with the indecent images and videos categorised under different titles.

In total officers found 875 Category A images and videos, 483 Category B and 5,465 Category C. Some of the material showed children as young as two or three being raped and abused, many of whom were in severe pain or distress. There was also evidence that Mullen had been involved in chat with other paedophiles, asking if they "had anything for him".

Representing Mullen, Piers Norsworthy told the court that his client had been in the Navy for 32 years before leaving and working in charity and theatre. Mr Norsworthy went on to say that Mullen has a 38-year-old son who suffers from cerebral palsy and is in residential care. Mr Norsworthy added that Mullen has ongoing health problems which "will make prison extremely uncomfortable for him".

Sentencing Mullen, Judge Simon Carr noted Mullen's previous offending and said that the treatment he attended and engaged with "failed to stop his entrenched sexual interest in children".

Judge Carr said that the folders of child abuse material were created so that he could access what he wanted without having to scroll through his vast collection of filth. Judge Carr added: "You had 875 Category A images showing children as young as two or three being raped for your entertainment. When confronted your reaction was to lie and pretend it was nothing to do with you and you put forward the fanciful suggestion you'd been hacked."

Judge Carr noted Mullen mitigation, mainly his caring responsibilities and his health, but said nothing other than an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. Mullen was jailed for 15 months.

Record details

Ryan Ceri Whitefoot, aged 25 from Baglan, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a series of sexual offences against a child.

He has been placed on the sex offenders register for life and will have a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SOPO) placed on him for life.

Detective Inspector Sharon Gill-Lewis said:

"I welcome the significant custodial sentence handed to Ryan Whitefoot.

“His behaviour towards his young victim, who was only 13 years old when the abuse started, has been disgraceful. I would like to pay tribute to the victim, as they have shown incredible strength and courage throughout this case. We are robust in our stance against sexual offences, and this conviction sends a clear message that we will bring to justice those who sexually abuse and exploit children.

"South Wales Police remains committed to tackling all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls. We have specially trained officers who are assigned to each case, and we work alongside partner agencies to support those affected by this type of abuse.

“I would encourage anyone to report abuse in any form. All reports will be thoroughly investigated.”

Record details

A 76-year-old man who paid to watch children be sexually abused in the Philippines has been jailed.

Leslie Fletcher, of Brancepeth Close, Washington, requested indecent photographs and videos of babies and children online.

Northumbria Police Det Con Rob Smoult said offenders such as Fletcher were "not welcome in our communities".

Fletcher was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday to five years and nine months in prison.

Specialist officers from the force's Paedophile Online Investigation Team (Polit) became aware of Fletcher's crimes after Google and Microsoft flagged the sharing of indecent images.

When officers seized Fletcher's devices, they found receipts and records of calls with people abusing their children.

'No excuse'

Fletcher was charged and pleaded guilty to 14 charges.

These included three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of arranging the commission of child sex offences, four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and four counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity.

Seven of the offences related to Fletcher arranging the abuse of children abroad.

Along with his prison sentence, Fletcher was issued with a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

Det Con Smoult said the sentence "shows that offending like this will not be tolerated and that people like Fletcher are not welcome in our communities".

He said: "Fletcher knew he had no excuse and was left with no choice but to admit his guilt."

Record details

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.

Record details

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.”

Record details

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.

Record details

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. 

Record details

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.

Record details

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.