Latest Offenders

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Brave victim's evidence means the 'predatory sex offender' will now serve a long sentence.

A serving police officer is facing a lengthy jail term after he was found guilty of raping a girl under the age of 13 and of wiping his phone to try to pervert the course of justice. James Ford, 31, of Hertfordshire Police, was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual abuse against the same child following less than a day of deliberation by jurors at Cambridge Crown Court.

The bearded defendant, formerly of Bishop’s Stortford, was found guilty of four counts of rape, four of sexual assault and two of causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity. He was also found guilty of carrying out an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, in that he “deliberately wiped his phone by factory resetting his Samsung Mobile phone”.

The offences, which had been denied by the defendant, who served as an intervention officer, happened between 2019 and 2021. Hertfordshire Police said Ford was suspended from duties in November last year.

The judge in the case, Mr Justice Simon Bryan, remanded Ford in custody ahead of sentencing on Friday. Releasing jurors, he told them that Ford was “obviously going to have a lengthy custodial sentence – the sentence will be determined by me on Friday”.

Hertfordshire Police said that when allegations emerged, the case was independently investigated by specialist officers based within the Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU) at Cambridgeshire Police. The matter was also referred to police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and the force’s Professional Standards Department.

Ford, a serving officer, joined the force in December 2019 and was originally based in East Hertfordshire as a uniformed response officer, Hertfordshire Police said. Detective Inspector Susie Hine, who heads the Child Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Unit (CAISU) at Cambridgeshire Police, paid tribute to the “courage and bravery” of the child.

“Through the victim’s powerful testimony, the jury were left in no doubt and now a predatory sex offender is behind bars,” she said. “Cases of this nature are both disturbing and upsetting and I want to reassure the public, there is no place for an offender to hide no matter who they are.In this case it was a serving police officer who now faces the custodial consequences of his appalling actions.”

Detective Constable Mark Williamson, the officer in the case, said: “Ford has shown no remorse for his actions and it’s a credit to the victim that the jury saw beyond his lies. I would encourage victims of child abuse to reach out to police or support agencies to get the help and support they need, no matter when the offence occurred.

“Ford faces a significant prison sentence for his crimes which I hope gives a sense of justice to the victim and their family.”

Hertfordshire Assistant Chief Constable Genna Telfer said: “James Ford took advantage of a vulnerable victim in the most appalling way and his behaviour will have devastated those involved. Thankfully, due to the bravery of the victim and the due diligence of the officers investigating, he will now serve time in prison which is where he belongs. I am disgusted by his actions and he will face a fast track hearing for dismissal.”

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Police investigation uncovered series of depraved Facebook chats between couple

A man sexually abused a child and filmed his wife having sex with their pet dog.

Kieran Parkinson groomed the boy with promises of paying him cash, then performed a sex act on himself as the youngster watched. Police also uncovered a series of depraved Facebook chats between him and his wife Mary, in which they discussed raping and assaulting children.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that an investigation into the couple, from Haydock, then revealed that the husband had messaged the victim on social media "asking him to play footsie". The complainant then told officers that Mr Parkinson, now of no fixed address, had offered him money in exchange for sex acts.

On another occasion, the 36-year-old stood rubbing his private parts in the boy's presence for several minutes. The paedophile denied this had been sexually-motivated, and claimed that he had actually been itching himself.

Steven Swift, prosecuting, described how a stash of videos of women having sex with animals were also found on Parkinson's phone. This included one "lengthy" homemade clip showing his partner engaged in sexual activity with the family dog.Simon Christie, defending Kieran Parkinson, told the court that his client had been "badly assaulted" during his seven months on remand in prison. He added: "Plainly, seven months in custody for a person who is inexperienced with that has had a significant effect."

Parkinson - who has no previous convictions and appeared via video link to HMP Liverpool - was found guilty of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch a sexual act after a trial and admitted three counts of possession of extreme pornographic images. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton described him as having shown a "lack of control over his deviant sexual interests". He added: "You seem to have been motivated by your own needs and desires.

"There is a background of drug abuse by yourself, and particularly by Mary Parkinson. Some of the messages you were exchanging are extremely concerning."

The judge also imposed a sexual harm prevention order and a notification requirement, both lasting 10 years. Parkinson will be required to pay a victim surcharge.Mrs Parkinson, also of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of extreme pornographic images. Her defence counsel Sarah Holt told the court that the 38-year-old will be homeless upon her release from HMP Styal.

She had "limited" previous convictions, including for fraud. Her sentencing was adjourned until later this week.

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A man woke to find another man performing a sex act on him after being offered somewhere to stay after a night out.

Bar manager David Madeley, 34, admitted sexually assaulting the man. Liverpool Crown Court was told Madeley, of Egerton Street, Chester, had gone out for drinks and later offered the victim a place to sleep.

Prosecutor Simon Mintz told the court Madeley offered to share his bed, with the victim sleeping at one end. Sleeping fully clothed, the victim then woke in the night to find that Madeley had pulled down his trousers and underwear and was performing a sex act, the court was told.

A scuffle broke out between the two which saw bottles broken as the victim tried to recover his clothes.

The victim fled the property and then flagged down a police car to explain what had happened. Madeley was said to have asked his housemates why the victim was trying to glass me during the altercation.

Madeley initially protested that the act was consensual, but Anna Price, defending, said he took full responsibility for the incident and felt sincere regret and remorse. It was noted that he complied fully with police, entering a guilty plea at the earliest stage - showing real signs of victim sympathy

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said Madeley accepted blame, but noted the man he performed the sexual act on was defenceless in the incident. He added: Its quite clear there is a real and enduring impact on the victim.

Madeley was sentenced to 12 months in prison, handed a restraining order for five years and placed on the sexual offenders register for seven years.

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A 49-year-old man has been handed a prison sentence after being found guilty of a number of sexual assaults.

49-year-old Michael Coburn has been handed a 23 year sentence after being found guilty of a number of sexual offences. 

Coburn was convicted of offences against two victims between 2018 and 2022 while he was living in Billingshurst.

In total the offender has been found guilty of 19 sexual offences against two girls.

Police opened an investigation on Michael after the two victims came forward to police and disclosed the assaults in January 2022.

The 49-year-old pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted by a unanimous jury.

Coburn was arrested and charged with 11 counts of sexual assault of a child under 13; four counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act; two counts of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration; and two counts of attempted rape of a child under 13.

At Lewes Crown Court on September 29, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison with a further five years on licence.

He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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David Llewellyn found himself back in court four years after he was jailed for possessing indecent images of children.

A chef banned from hiding his phone history was caught watching incest-themed pornography on incognito mode. Police visited David Llewellyn's home in Cardiff and found him using the setting which prevents internet history being recorded.

Llewellyn was convicted of possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography in 2018, which saw him receive a 16-month prison term and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) prohibiting him from using incognito mode. But the 36-year-old found himself in court again after police paid him an unannounced visit on March 22 to check he was complying with the order.

Prosecutor Joshua Scouller told Cardiff Crown Court on Monday: "Police attended his address in Connaught Road, Cathays, and Mr Llewellyn provided his mobile phone to police. DC Jones opened the phone's Google browser and immediately saw the last site he had viewed was a porn site. He had watched incest titles, but there was no suggestion these were indecent images of children.

"The officer noted the Google page had defaulted to incognito mode. He also checked the internet history and found no record of the site.

"Mr Llewellyn was interviewed under caution and fully accepted he was in incognito mode. He stated he did not intentionally put it in that mode but accepted it was when police offers arrived."

The defendant admitted breaching the SHPO. He had accepted a caution in 2021 for a previous breach, which Mr Scouller said had been a "shot across the bows" from police.

Paul Hewitt, mitigating, said: "Mr Llewellyn went to prison and when he came out his domestic arrangements were affected. He has little contact with his family and has had to, in effect, rebuild his life. It has affected his job because he's a trainee chef trying to do his best in that industry. He works in Cardiff for very long hours, though they have reduced recently to about 46 to 50 hours a week. They were much higher than that. He has debts and is trying to cope with all of that."

The barrister added that police had kept his client's phone for three months before returning it. "He has had to wait since March for this offence to be dealt with," said Mr Hewitt.

Passing sentence, the judge Recorder IWL Jones said: "You were cautioned in September 2021. That should have been a warning to you to be extremely careful. You told an officer you had been using pornography for sexual gratification once every couple of weeks. It's clear you are remorseful, and you have been suffering from depression. Behaving like this puts everything at risk."

The judge imposed a two-year community order including 100 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity. He must also pay £420 in prosecution costs and a statutory victim services surcharge within three months.

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 A “PREDATORY” online sex offender is back behind bars because he evaded police checks while on parole.

Adam Matthew William Lee, now 32, was jailed for two years in March 2021 after he used social media to try to persuade people he believed were schoolgirls aged 13 and 14 to perform sexual acts online. They were actually adults and told police about him.

As part of the sentence at York Crown Court, he was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that enables police to monitor his online activities.

Recorder Andrew Dallas told Lee after hearing details of his crimes: “It shows you were behaving in a way that was predatory.”

York Magistrates Court heard that following his release partway through the sentence, he bought an internet device which he concealed from supervising officers.

Lee, of Burnsall Drive, Holgate, pleaded guilty to breaching the SHPO between September 20 and October 7 this year.

He was jailed for 34 weeks. Magistrates told him his new offence was very serious because he had been on prison licence at the time and it was a breach of a court order.

In addition to the prison term, Lee was ordered to pay a £187 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs. He remains subject to the SHPO until March 2031. 

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A choirmaster who once performed in front of the Pope in Rome has been charged with a child sex offence.

Nigel McClintock, the subject of a three-part BBC 1 NI documentary in 2010, was at Belfast Magistrates Court this week charged with sexual communications with a child.

The 50-year-old acclaimed organist and conductor, from Albert Road, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, is accused of committing the offence in April this year.

McClintock, who studied at the Royal College of Music, was not required to appear in person but during a short hearing at Belfast Laganside Courthouse, a police officer told the court they could connect him to the charge.

The exact wording of the charge states that he “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, intentionally communicated with another person... and the communication was sexual or was intended to encourage (name removed) to make (whether to you or to another) a communication that was sexual, and (name removed) was under 16 and you did not reasonably believe that (name removed) was 16 or over contrary to section 22A of the Sexual Offences (NI) Order 2008”.

He is yet to enter a plea and the case was adjourned until later this year.

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A pervert who sexually abused and raped a young girl when he was just a teenager has finally been locked up as justice caught up with him.

Stuart Jackson carried out a number of sickening sexual assaults on the young girl when she was under ten-years-old.

The 43-year-old’s offending took place more than two decades ago when he aged around 17, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Jackson, of Richmond Place, Thornaby, was found guilty of a catalogue of offences, including rape and serious sexual assault, following a trial earlier this year.

The father-of-two appeared in court via a videolink from Durham Prison to be sentenced for his horrific abuse of the young girl.

Judge Chris Smith said: “You subjected your victim to sexual assault in a variety of different ways. The first episode involved multiple assaults and you second attack her was similarly multifaceted - both amounts to sustained sexual assaults.”

Dealing with the attacks, he added: “On that day she was subjected to a degrading and humiliating, sustained series of sexual assaults. The second incident is no less serious, this was of course a second attack on the same victim.”

The judge said Jackson used sex toys on the victim before raping her.

He added: “The physical pain you caused her left her struggling to walk. As a nine-year-old child she felt the need to destroy her bedsheets which were stained with her blood.

“Those physical injuries may have resolved in a relatively short time but the psychological harm cause to her has been long-lasting and profound.”

Jackson was locked up for a total of 16 years and six months and was issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect his victim and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Judge Smith said: “With great dignity and real clarity, this victim outlined to the court the effect your offending had on her. How psychologically she was affected immediately as a young girl; how as she grew older, she suffered flashbacks; and how medication and counselling had brought only limited relief from the depression and anxiety caused by your offending.”

Speaking after the sentence was passed, officer in the case Detective Constable Francesca Siebrits, of Cleveland Police, said: “Despite the passage of many years, justice has caught up with Jackson and he now faces a prison sentence.

"While this cannot compensate the victim for the trauma she suffered, I hope it will go some way to helping her begin to move forward with her life and I wish her the very best.”

And Safeguarding Chief Inspector Deb Fenny added: “Anyone who has suffered abuse of this kind - no matter how long ago it may have taken place - can rest assured that we will do all we can to bring offenders before the courts.

"Those who believe they can prey on vulnerable children should realise that they will be dealt with.”

People can report any form of abuse, whether recent or non-recent to Cleveland Police at any time of day, via the 101 number.

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A vile rapist who attacked a teenager in a remote location after riding away with her on the back of his motorbike has been locked up for almost 13 years.

Lee Mason let the teenager sit on his motorbike for some photographs following a night out in Middlesbrough before speeding away from her friends and safety.

The 27-year-old took the terrified teenager to a remote location where he carried out two sexual assaults before riding off to an even more remote location where he subjected his young victim to a traumatic rape.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the victims mother had been alerted to what happened and rushed to Middlesbrough in a desperate attempt to find her daughter.

Aisha Wadoodi, prosecuting, said the teenagers horrific physical ordeal only came to an end when Mason dropped her off near one of her friends homes and she managed to call the police.

The judge heard how the attack had a devastating impact on the teenager and she had been given a sexually transmitted infection from her attacker.

In a heart-breaking victim impact statement, the woman said the mere sound of a motorbike leaves her terrified and her life has been destroyed by the lasting psychological damage caused by her rape.

Ever since you raped me, I have never been able to feel the same again. I now have trouble closing my eyes because all that I see is your face and have been prescribed sleeping tablets.

I now have panic attacks when I hear noises in the night, I worry that it is you, she said.

What you did is constantly replayed over and over in my mind. Whenever I hear or see a motorbike, I think it is you and I panic.

The victims mother also made a personal impact statement to relay to the court the horrendous suffering her daughter had endured.

She said: I was sent a photograph of my daughter on the back of your motorbike that I was able to show the police, the photograph horrified me and to this day fills me with anger about what you have done.

Saddens me that she looked so happy in the picture not knowing what was to come. Its the last picture of my daughter before you, a grown man, a predator, destroyed our lives and put us through hell.

Miss Wadoodi said the quick thinking of the investigating officer resulted in vital CCTV and photographic evidence being seized, resulting in Masons speedy arrest.

Mason, of Hartington Road, Stockton, pleaded guilty to rape, assault by penetration, and sexual assault, following the attack on April 24 this year.

Victoria Lamballe, in mitigation, said her client now fully accepts being responsible for everything that his teenage victim told police.

She added: He recognises, as he must, that this was a truly terrifying attack on this young woman.

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced the father-of-two to a total of 12 years and nine months in prison.

The effect on her continues, it was dreadful at the time and it continues now. For periods she has been unable to eat or sleep properly or go to work, he said.

These offences represent a series of sexual assaults on a young woman by a stranger. It has left her with the all too common feeling of self-loathing, while she has no reason to feel anything bad about herself.

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 A York man who arranged to meet an underage girl for sex at a city hotel has been jailed after paedophile hunters confronted him at his home.

Andrew Carrington covered his ears in the dock as York Crown Court heard details of his Facebook messages.

Richard Herrmann, prosecuting, said the 56-year-old told the Facebook profile he believed to be a 13-year-old girl "I want to have sex with you" and asked what she would do if he raped her.

He suggested they met at a hotel in York for sex and said he would bring extra clothes in case he ripped hers. He went shopping for underwear in small sizes.

But the person behind the Facebook profile he thought was an underage girl was really part of a paedophile hunter group.

"He was confronted by members of this group, live streamed to their Facebook account," said Mr Herrmann. "The police were called and he was arrested".

Carrington had not actually gone to the hotel meeting he had arranged, having had a change of heart before it was due to happen, but not before the "girl" had booked rail tickets. 

 "It appears that he got cold feet," said Mr Herrmann.

Emily Hassell, for Carrington, said he was ashamed and extremely remorseful for his actions.

Because the anti-paedophile group had confronted him at his home and his local community had become aware of what he had done, he had moved out of York.

Carrington, now of Washbeck Close, Scarborough, pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child into sexual activity and attempting to get a child to watch a sexual act. He had no previous convictions.

He was jailed for two years and put on the sex offenders' register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, both for 10 years.

The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told him: "You thought you were in a conversation with a 13-year-old girl. Thank heaven you were not."

The messages Carrington had sent to the decoy profile had been "filthy" but it hadn't corrupted a young girl because there was no young girl at the other end.

Mr Herrmann said Carrington sent a request to the profile saying: "Hi, do I know you?"

He got a reply that the girl in the profile was 13 years old. He very quickly turned the conversation sexual.

He asked the person he believed was an underage girl not to tell anyone about their conversation.

Ms Hassell said since his arrest more than two years ago, Carrington had completely stopped using the internet and no longer had devices by which he could access it. 

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Andrew Hardy, 54, was jailed for grooming two girls and sexually assaulting them.

A paedophile who sexually assaulted two children and caused "ongoing terror" to one and made another look at indecent images has been caged.

Andrew Hardy groomed the two girls and sexually assaulted them. The 54-year-old made one child look at indecent images and terrified another by telling her the world was "filled with ginger-haired paedophiles".

Hardy, of Finchale Avenue, Brasside, Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced for the sexual offences after being found guilty following a trial.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said Hardy carried out "grooming behaviour" which involved a "significant degree of planning" and breach of trust. She said he "deliberately isolated" the victims in order to "facilitate the offences". She added: "One girl was made to watch indecent images of children." The court heard that Hardy also had a conviction for possession of 133,000 indecent images and had been given a prison sentence.

Paul Cross, defending, said Hardy suffers from incurable ulcerative colitis and said he would be serving his prison sentence in "a state of discomfort and pain". He added that Hardy's prison sentence would also have an impact upon his family.

Sentencing Hardy, Judge Jo Kidd, said: "You used the opportunity to gratify your own personal, sexual interest in children. You groomed a girl against the backdrop of terrifying her by talking about inappropriate subject matter. To make her dependant on you and scare her in a way to prevent her from disclosing what was happening, you caused her ongoing terror, saying that the world was filled with ginger-haired paedophiles. You were the paedophile."

Speaking of the second victim, Judge Kidd added: "You persistently groomed her, which involved showing her indecent images of children. You encouraged her to go on websites herself to look at images of that nature. It was a highly cynical decision on your part. She can now never forget seeing those images as a child."

Hardy was jailed for five years and was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was imposed and Hardy will be on the sex offender's register for an indefinite period. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

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A sex offender caught with a video of a boy molesting another during a ‘wrestling’ game told police it was ‘very normal’ for children to play naked in his native Brazil.

Just weeks earlier, Maxwel da Silva Miranda had been convicted of pawing a 16-year-old girl he had picked up in his car on Cowley Road.

And the Wood Farm, Oxford, man was soon to be charged for a series of sexual assaults on another pre-teen girl. He was found guilty in August of repeatedly groping the girl’s breasts and private parts, including on one occasion after they had been to church together in Swindon.

The victim of those assaults was said to have been left wanting to take her own life as a result of Miranda’s sick behaviour.

Summarising the impact on the victim, Gabrielle McAvock told Oxford Crown Court on Friday afternoon: “The defendant’s offending caused the victim to become suicidal, to self-harm, she tried to jump from the third floor of the flat where she lived. She suffered from flashbacks, had difficulty sleeping and [it] had an adverse effect on her school life.”

Judge Nigel Daly jailed Miranda for eight years, telling him: “It seems to me you are a man who’s quite prepared to exploit the vulnerability of young women to satisfy your sexual needs.” 

 Earlier, the court heard that a specialist officer made an unannounced visit to the flat Miranda shared with his wife on July 19 last year.

He looked at the sex offender’s iPhone and found in his WhatsApp images folder a video showing two naked boys aged around eight to 10. The children were wrestling although, later in the video, one of the boys could be seen sexually assaulting the other. The video was distributed to three other WhatsApp contacts.

Also on the phone were two extreme pornographic images showing a person having sex with an animal.

He was interviewed by the police and claimed to have been sent  the indecent video by friends from Brazil. Ms McAvock said: “The defendant said it was very normal for children to play naked in Brazil.” He denied distributing the video.

No other indecent images were found on his phone. Similarly, there was no evidence of him searching the internet for child sex abuse images.

Miranda, now of no fixed address, was sentenced for sexual assault on a girl under-13, distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornographic images.

Mitigating, Gordana Austin said her client continued to deny the assaults on the younger girl. He was married with two children and, having been sentenced to imprisonment, was likely to be deported to Brazil.

The defendant must comply with an indefinite restraining order banning him from contact with the younger victim, an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offender register for life. 

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A paedophile claimed he sent sexual messages to people he thought were a 13-year-old girl and a 12-year-old girl because he was "lonely". He asked the girls, who were in reality undercover police officers, if they wanted to meet him and have sex.

Richard Ayres, 58, of Cardiff, began speaking to the decoys, who he believed to be called Abby and Kirsty, on the Kik messenger app in March last year. Upon being told Abby was 13 years old he asked her for photographs and offered to meet her for "fun".

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard the defendant sent photographs of himself behind a desk and told Abby he wanted to kiss her. They also discussed French kissing, he asked her for "sexy selfies" ,and said he "could not wait to get his hands on her body". He also offered to rub sun lotion on her body and messaged: "Do you want me inside you? Do you want my c*** baby?". 

Prosecutor Eugene Egan said Ayres told Kirsty he would "pay her a visit for fun" and asked her to send photographs of herself. He also offered her the chance to "make out" in his car. The decoy made reference to the fact she was in school and the defendant said they could come "make out some arrangement". He also lied about his age by claiming he was 45 years old.

He also told Kirsty that her ex was "lucky to have sex with her" and sent her a message offering "fun" with a red lip emoji. He also exchanged further images of himself.

Ayres was arrested at his home on June 28 and told police he had an addiction to Kik and described his actions as "disgusting and wrong". The defendant, of Ravens Court Close, Penylan, later pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to communicate with a child and two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Defence barrister Andrew Kendal said his client had no intention to meet up with the decoys and the arrangements he made in the conversations for them to meet were "vague". He said there had been a strain in the defendant's marriage and loneliness led to him downloading Kik and communicating with the decoys.

He said Ayres lives with his mother and was concerned about how she would cope if he was sent to prison. The court also heard he worked in a Lidl supermarket and paid child maintenance to his ex-wife.

Sentencing, Recorder John Philpotts said: "You have lost your good character in the most disgraceful way. You had conversations with people you believed to be two girls aged 12 and 13."

Ayres was sentenced to a total of two years imprisonment. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements for seven years.

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Pervert exposed himself to 14-year-old and told her to perform a sex act upon him.

A paedophile sexually assaulted and exposed himself to a schoolgirl in an arcade then gave her his phone number.

William Lea told the teenager to perform a sex act upon him and was caught because he left his contact details with her. But after being released under investigation over the incident, he went on to attempt to groom an 11-year-old.

Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that the 65-year-old had been using a gaming machine in an amusements next to the Scarisbrick Hotel in Southport when two 14-year-old girls entered. Paul Becker, prosecuting, described how Lea began talking the youngster and made them "feel increasingly uncomfortable".

The pervert then groped one of their breasts. She told him to stop, but he instead asked her "whether she liked it".

Lea unzipped his trousers, pulled out his penis and "invited her" to perform a sex act on him. The victim was left "disgusted", but he "bizarrely" left his phone number with them before leaving - leading to him being easily identified by police.

Then, while under investigation by police over the assault, he was ensnared in a paeophile hunter sting. Lea, of no fixed address, began communicating online with a decoy whom he believed to be an 11-year-old girl.

He groomed her and arranged to meet up with her at Southport Station. Once there, he was confronted by members of the group.

Lea had been subject to a suspended sentence order for drink driving and possession of a bladed article in a public place at the time of the first set of offences. Fiona McNeill, defending, described how her client - who appeared via video link to HMP Altcourse - recently suffered from a stroke and now requires the use of a wheelchair.

He admitted sexual assault, exposure, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching a suspended sentence order. Lea was jailed for four years and 10 months, told to pay a victim surcharge, handed a lifelong notification requirement and given a 15-year sexual harm prevention order.

Sentencing, Judge David Potter said: "I accept you do feel a genuine sense of remorse for your involvement in these child sex offences. You, at the age of 65, have very few convictions and this will be your first custodial sentence."

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A Taunton man has been handed a life sentence for carrying out a series of rape and sexual assault offences.

Elias Arberry, of Moorland Road, was sentenced today (Friday 14 October) at Taunton Crown Court to a life sentence, with a minimum term of 15 and a half years, after he pleaded guilty to seven offences, including four counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of wounding with intent.

The court heard how 25-year-old Arberry had violently assaulted the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, inflicting serious injuries before raping her in May this year.

The victim managed to raise the alarm when Arberry had fallen asleep and she escaped.

Officers conducted a 26-hour search for the defendant, where he was found at a hotel in Weston-super-Mare.

Along with his conviction, he will be a registered sex offender for life. The victim has also been given a life-time restraining order against Arberry.

In an impact statement, the victim said: “At my age, most people are thinking about finding a partner to share their life with and settling down. However, I also feel that opportunity has been taken away from me.

“I am extremely angry about what he did to me. It has impacted literally every aspect of my life and takes up most of my thoughts throughout the day, every day and then at night as well – I cannot get away from it.

“I feel I have really only scratched the surface of how this has affected me and how it will affect me probably for the rest of my life.”

Speaking about the incident, the victim’s mother said: “Since that day at the start of May, I literally feel like I have been living a nightmare.

“You watch things on the news and you hear so much about the violence against women and girls, but you never think that sort of thing will happen to you or your family.

“I never use the word ‘hate’ because it is such a strong word and I have taught my children never to use that word. However, I hate Arberry for what he has done to my daughter and to our family.”

Detective Inspector Nadine Partridge said: “This defendant carried out a horrific series of offences against the victim, which are among some of the worst I’ve had to investigate during my policing career.

“The heinous crimes Arberry committed have caused the victim long-lasting mental and physical injuries.

“She has shown incredible bravery and strength in assisting the police in this investigation, so we’ve been able to put a very dangerous man behind bars, preventing him causing harm to anyone else.

“This is a welcome result for both the victim and her family and will hopefully give the victim the closure and justice she needs to move forward with her life.”

Gareth Giddings, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS South West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences unit, said: “The CPS worked closely alongside our partners in the police to support their investigation and build the strongest possible case.

“This work, supported by the victim’s own account of what happened to her, resulted in Arberry pleading guilty and ensured that he will be held responsible for his appalling crimes.

“I would like to commend and thank the victim in this case for coming forward to tell her story and support the prosecution.

“Rape and sexual assault have a devastating effect on victims and the CPS is committed to working with our partners in the criminal justice system to deliver justice and make the public safer.”