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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.”

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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.

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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."

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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.

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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.

Record details

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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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A MAN who committed "heinous" sexual abuse on a girl and then put his victim through the ordeal of a trial has been jailed.

Connor Paul Gavin, 21, of Blackbrook, St Helens was found guilty by a trial by jury at Liverpool Crown Court last month.

Today (Friday, November 17) he was sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison for nine counts of rape and sexual assault of a child under 13.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Lesley Prendergast said: “Throughout the whole process, the investigation and the trial, Gavin continued to deny all the allegations made against him. Thankfully the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty. 

“His denial and not accepting what he has done has been incredibly difficult for the victim. She has showed immense courage and bravery to report the utterly depraved actions he committed.

“As you can imagine for victims of such an appalling crime, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting. I hope this sentence provides some comfort in knowing they did the right thing to report Gavin’s heinous crime to us.”

Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm, and we take all such reports extremely seriously.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police. 

“We have a dedicated team of specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

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A predatory sex offender who committed a catalogue of crimes against children and vulnerable adults spanning more than three decades has been jailed following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.  

Craig Meredith, aged 50, of Middleton Road, Morley, was convicted of 38 offences following at trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He was found guilty of offences including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching.  

The offences covered a period from 1987, when he was 14 years old, to 2019 when he raped a victim under the guise of a paranormal entity which had possessed her.  

He manipulated vulnerable young children and adults with learning disabilities and left them suffering significant trauma and long-term mental health issues.  

Today he was sentenced to 33 years – 30 years custody with a three-year extended licence. 

Detective Inspector Vikki Daniel-Thomas, of Leeds District Safeguarding, said: “The level of harm that Meredith has caused to such a large number of victims over a very long period of time is truly appalling.  

“He is clearly someone of a predatory nature who presents a very significant danger to children and vulnerable adults, and we hope it will give the victims some reassurance to know he has finally had to answer for his actions and has received a significant term of imprisonment.  

“This was a complex and challenging investigation where the diligent work of the officers in the case, Detective Constable Julie Arnott and Detective Constable Paul Ashton, has resulted in this positive outcome for the victims.  

“Serious sexual offending such as this will always attract the highest level of investigation by specialist safeguarding officers to ensure that offenders like Meredith are brought to justice.  

“We hope the successful conclusion of this case will help to give victims of other similar offences to confidence to come forward.” 

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A dangerous sex offender has been jailed after sending explicit messages and arranging to meet a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Naveed Sultan arranged to meet the ‘girl’ – actually an adult posing as a teenager – at Sutton Lawn park in Sutton-in-Ashfield after sending her a number of sexually explicit messages.

Sultan turned up at the location but the woman he had been speaking to never approached him and just watched from a distance.

Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation after the information was passed to officers via the company which employed 38-year-old Sultan.

Detectives were also made aware of sexually explicit voice messages, videos and screen shots which Sultan had sent the ‘girl’.

After a detailed investigation, officers discovered Sultan had also been communicating sexually with two other teenage girls and had attempted to work out where they lived.

He sent messages to one of the girls, aged 13, threatening to rape her and also sent messages encouraging her to meet him.

Detectives were able to charge Sultan with a number of offences and he eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to meet a child following grooming.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (16 November), he was given a total custodial sentence of eight years, which will include five years in jail and a further three years on licence.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will limit his online activities once he is released from jail.

Sultan, of Sophie Road, Nottingham, was also added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A Scots teenager has been caught with a horror haul of sex abuse images involving children as young as two-years-old.

Patryk Sienkiewicz was found to possess more than 300 indecent images of children when police raided his home in the Royston Mains area of Edinburgh earlier this year. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the teen had also downloaded a disgusting video depicting an adult engaging in sexual activity with an animal.

Sienkiewicz, 19, appeared in court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to two sexual offences on January 23 this year. Fiscal depute Connor Muir told the court police received intelligence the images were downloaded at the teenager’s address and found him home alone when they arrived with a search warrant.

Mr Muir said a computer and a mobile phone were seized and when the devices were examined by cyber crime experts it was found he had collected a total of 337 images and 114 videos. The court was told the pictures showed female children aged between two and five-years-old being penetrated by adult men.

The images also depicted youngsters posing naked and one video found contained bestiality involving an adult and an animal. Mr Muir said 28 images and videos were rated as Category A, the worst kind, along with 125 at Category B and 298 at Category C.

The Crown motion for forfeiture of the devices was continued to the next hearing. Sheriff Kevin McCarron placed Sienkiewicz on the Sex Offenders Register and deferred sentence for social work reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be prepared to next month.

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A registered sex offender who breached the terms of a court order by having sexualised conversation online with two people he believed to be 14-year-old girls has been jailed.

Bradley Warner, 26, of Warwick Road, Kenilworth was jailed for 26 months following an investigation by the South Warwickshire Police Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU).

The conversations took place in September and were reported to police the following day and Warner was arrested.

After being convicted of online child sex offenses last year and given a community order, Warner was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that, amongst other things, prohibited him from using the internet to contact anyone known or believed to be under the age of 16.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ben Gadsdon from the SOMU said: “Despite being given an opportunity to rehabilitate in the community ordered by a judge previously, Warner has shown himself incapable of changing his extremely concerning behaviour, even though being managed by police and probation. As a result, he will now spend time in jail where he will no longer present a risk to vulnerable people online and in the community. While in prison he can seek the help that he needs.”

The South Warwickshire SOMU is responsible for monitoring the behaviours of registered sex offenders and checking those subject to a SHPO are adhering to the terms of the order.

The team’s work often goes unnoticed. They understandably like to keep a low profile given the sensitive nature of the work they do. However, they do vital work in keeping a check on some of the highest risk offenders in Warwickshire.

Detective Inspector Katie Reynolds from the RSOMU said: “It understandably makes local people feel uncomfortable that there are sex offenders living in our communities, but the reality is that if offenders do not get a jail sentence or when they are released from prison they need to live somewhere. Our job is to make sure this happens while minimising the risk of them reoffending. And if they do reoffend, we need to make sure we act promptly to arrest them.”

Many convicted of a sexual offence in Warwickshire will now be subject to a SHPO, the terms of which must be linked to the nature of the offence he or she is convicted of. So, for example, anyone convicted of accessing indecent images of children will have restrictions put on their use of electronic devices and someone convicted of contact sexual offences with a child will have restrictions put on their contact with children.

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A man has accepted his attraction to young girls after his child abuse stash was uncovered.

George Munro was found to have collected 3,506 still and moving indecent images over a period of seven years, Salisbury Crown Court heard on Friday (10 November).

The 37-year-old paedophile was arrested in relation to an unrelated matter in 2020 when the child exploitation team confirmed he was also a suspect in one of their investigations.

As a result, police seized his mobile phone and attended his home address in Grist Court, Bradford on Avon, to seize other digital devices within it – including another phone and a laptop.

Richard Wayman, prosecuting, said that examination of one of the phones – an iPhone – revealed thousands of child abuse material featuring children as young as three years old.

742 of the images and videos uncovered were classified as Category A, which includes rape and penetration. Munro also shared a small number of images with others on Kik, the messaging app.

Thomas Acworth, defending said his client has taken “steps to deal with his deep seated deviancy”.

He said that most sex offenders maintain they are not interested in children, adding that Murno is “not such a man” and that it “could not have been an easy admission to make”.

Mr Acworth said the pre-sentence report, compiled by the probation service, confirmed that the defendant admits having a sexual interest in young girls.

He said it was “encouraging that when he is challenged”, Munro will “accept what he is and that he needs help”.

Judge Angela Morris said his offending was “nothing short of shameful”.

She added: “You have remained out of trouble during those three years [since his arrest], which is perhaps as good as an indication the court can get.”

Munro was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must register has a sex offender for ten years and complete a sex offender programme.

He must also undertake 20 sessions of rehabilitation activity with the probation service and complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Morris said: “if you commit another offence during the next two years, it will put you in breach of the court I just made.

“I can tell you now you will come back in front of me and I will have no hesitation what so ever in activating the sentence I have imposed today.

“I am keeping an eye on you, Mr Munro. I’m giving you one chance Mr Munro, it’s down to you if you take that chance because there won’t be another one.

“If I see you again, you know what will happen.”