Latest Offenders

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A former church musical director has been jailed for having sex with an underage girl.

Daniel Smith was a respected member of a church in South Tyneside when he carried out serious historical sexual offences against a child. The 48-year-old carried out "elements of grooming" behaviour and went on to have sex with an underage girl on two occasions.

Smith, who was married at the time of the offences, plied his victim with alcohol and the offences left her battling PTSD, anxiety and depression, the court heard.

On Friday, Smith, of Sundridge Drive, Gateshead, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for three counts of sexual activity with a child. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

The court was told Smith carried out the historic sexual offences when he living in the South Tyneside area, while working as a musical director at a church.

Susannah Proctor, prosecuting, said at one point Smith drove the girl to an industrial estate and kissed her, before going on to send her "graphic messages". She said: "He invited her to stay at his home when his wife was at work where he supplied her with alcohol and more kissing.

"Their relationship developed and they had sexual intercourse on two occasions, the first time in his living room. After she went home he text her saying 'I'm glad we did that'."

Smith went on to have sex with the girl a second time and had further sexual activity with her on a third occasion. Smith's offences came to light after the girl disclosed what had happened to a counsellor and the matter was reported to police.

The court heard that around the same time as the offences, Smith was also cautioned for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. That caution related to another child, the court was told.

In a statement, the victim said Smith's actions left her battling PTSD and had also impacted a relationship she had later in life. She also suffers from ongoing depression and anxiety.

Sam Faulks, defending, said: "Outside of the indictment period, the defendant had not offended before and he's not offended since. There have been years between these offences happening and where we are today.

"He is truly appalled and had no idea just how damaged the complainant is. He is deeply ashamed about what happened and can only hope that through his guilty pleas that some form of healing can start to take place. He hopes that will take place."

Sentencing Smith, Recorder David Gordon said he was a church musical director at the time of the offences and caused the victim "severe psychological harm". Smith was jailed for five years and three months and will be on the sex offender's register indefinitely. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

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Matthew Mardell, 46, pleaded guilty to two indecent assaults on one of the same boys as Andrew Polkey but was given a suspended sentence.

Andrew Polkey's case: https://offenders.org.uk/offender?id=4461

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A 34 year old man from Aylesbury has been jailed after being found guilty of committing sexual offences against children.

Following a 16 day trial at St Albans Crown Court in May of this year, Mike Martin  was found guilty of nine counts of sexual activity with a child, which related to two vulnerable girls.

On Thursday 31 August, Martin appeared back at St Albans Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Both victims were young teenagers living in the Dacorum area of Hertfordshire when they first met and were groomed by Martin. The first offences date back to 2012, when Martin was 23 years old.

Commenting on the case DC Vicky Draper from the Child Sexual Exploitation Unit said: “This was a complex and protracted investigation, with both victims being supported by specialist officers from our HALO team and we commend them for their bravery in agreeing to take part in the investigation.

“Perpetrators like Mike Martin pray on vulnerable girls, be-friending them when they need help and support and then abusing the trust they have built up with them, to take advantage of them sexually.

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A Worcester man has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexual offences against children.

Michal Friga, aged 42, of Wylds Lane, committed the offences between March 2020 and March 2021 and was convicted in August by a jury at Worcester Crown Court.

Yesterday (Wednesday 30 August) he was sentenced to nine years.

His conviction follows a complex investigation run by acting Detective Sergeant Gemma Leighton from South Worcestershire’s Protecting Vulnerable People department.

Friga was jailed for one count of sexual assault by penetration for which he received seven years custody and two further counts of sexual assault by touching for which he received a further two years custody.

He will also be required to sign the sex offenders register for an indefinite period and has been made subject of a sexual harm prevention order, also in place for an indefinite period.

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A man from Leighton Buzzard has been jailed after he groomed a teenage girl online and arranged to meet her at a hotel for sex.

Ronjohn Bhowmick, 60, used Facebook to befriend someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, chatting to her about school and homework before moving the conversations to a more sexual nature via texts and WhatsApp.

He then arranged to meet the girl and booked a hotel with the intention of having sex with her.

When he was arrested at his home address, he claimed that “he was just being silly and sending messages.”

Bhowmick, of Miletree Court, Leighton Buzzard, was sentenced to three years in prison yesterday (Wednesday) at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 years of age following grooming.

He will also have to adhere to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order upon release.

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The brave victim of a dangerous paedophile who raped and sexually abused her over a period of five years when she was a child has said the justice system 'needs to change' when it comes to investigating serious sexual assaults.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons and who is now an adult, stood up in court and read a lengthy personal statement in which she detailed how she thinks the justice system is more geared to supporting perpetrators of sexual abuse and rape than it is to supporting victims.

Preston Crown Court heard how David Sallis committed the heinous crimes between 2004 and 2009, when the woman was between the ages of eight and 12 and he was aged around 27.

Sallis, of Whalley Banks, Blackburn, was sentenced for five counts of rape, and assault by penetration, all of which he pleaded guilty to an at earlier hearing.

Francis McEntee, prosecuting, told the court the abuse began when the child was just eight years old, and would take place at various locations including in Bury and Peterborough.

The abuse stopped when the child turned 12, but she was too afraid to report the crimes to the police until several years later.

Mr McEntee said: The Crown say this was a lengthy and sustained period of the worst kind of sexual abuse, and the pre-sentence report shows a complete failure to appreciate the magnitude of what he had done.

The defendant seeks to minimise his actions, but there was a real and severe psychological harm caused to the victim.

Mitigating for Sallis, Ayesha Smart said he had last committed a crime before this campaign of sick sexual abuse in 1998, and had worked every day in prison since being remanded in custody.

However, in a statement read to the court, Sallis victim detailed how she had been left anxious and traumatised by the abuse but refused to let it define her or her future.

She said: Its been a very long process and I can hand on heart say I can 100 per cent understand why victims of rape and sexual abuse dont come forward.

The system is flawed. Had I not had the support at home or the support from the officer in charge of my case I would not have been able to fight.

We have a system that supports paedophiles more than victims. The person who committed the vilest crimes has had the most support.

The only person who picked up the phone and explained things to me was the officer in charge of my case.

I am yet to receive any support from victim support and am yet to be assigned a support officer.

I didnt even know the date of this sentencing, I found out from the Crown Prosecution Service.

Do I not deserve an explanation, or do victims just need to be left in the dark? Things need to change.

I should not have to wait for a call from the officer so he can explain what the next steps are.

The NSPCC published a report into child sexual abuse statistics which showed one in 20 children in the UK had been sexually abused.

More recent statistics from Rape Crisis show that one in six children have been abused.

We are told about how many women and children are victims of these crimes, but never about how many men commit these crimes.

We are told about how many victims of harassment there are, but never about how many men are committing the harassments.

We are told statistics about teenage pregnancies, but never about the boys and men getting these women pregnant.

Men arent even part of it. A change needs to be made.

In sentencing, Recorder Michael Maher praised the victim for her bravery, and addressing Sallis he said: Your sexual deviancy robbed her of her formative years and damaged her adolescent and adult life.

I have listened in total to her victim personal statement and the profound impact it has had upon her.

While you have pleaded guilty I dont accept that you have any remorse.

I believe you are dangerous as defined by statute and you do pose a risk of significant harm.

Sallis, 47, was jailed for 14 years and three months and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

DC Phil Scott, of East CID, said: The victim has shown tremendous courage throughout this process. The way she dealt with such a heinous crime has been truly inspirational. Most people could not comprehend what she has lived through.

I welcome the sentence handed down Sallis, which reflects the seriousness of his crime.

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A man sexually assaulted a young woman after following her home and entering her flat. Adem Mohammed had encountered his victim on the street and began talking to her as if he knew her.

He then followed her back to the flats where she lived in Swansea and stopped her from shutting him outside by holding the external door open. The 20-year-old followed the woman to her room and there began kissing her against her will, hugging her, and grabbing her bottom. The attacker left when his victim suffered a panic attack.

Swansea Crown Court heard the young woman was shaken up by the incident and, concerned for the safety of others in the block, alerted her neighbours to what had happened via WhatsApp before contacting police. Carina Hughes, for the prosecution, said the woman did not want to make a victim impact statement for the court to consider.

Detectives launched an investigation into the incident and CCTV was recovered that showed Mohammed's interaction with the woman on the street. Other footage showed him subsequently leaving the area on his cycle. The defendant was identified and arrested, and in interview said he had been looking for girlfriend and had approached the young woman asking for her help. He claimed the woman had invited him back to her flat so he could use the internet, and said she began kissing him - kisses he said he rejected.

Adem Mohammed, of no fixed abode, had previously been convicted at trial of sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

Hilary Roberts, for Mohammed, said his client was disappointed at the conclusions of the pre-sentence report and said it may be that some of the meaning of what he had said had been in lost in translation as the interpreter present had spoken a different dialect to the defendant. He said his client had apologised for the upset he had caused and admitted he had "made a great mistake". The barrister claimed that cultural differences between the woman and the defendant - who he said was granted refugee status in the UK in 2021 - may have played its part. Mr Roberts invited the court to find there was little planning to the incident, and it was opportunistic in nature.

Judge Catherine Richards said Mohammed had engaged the woman in conversation and had attempted to persuade her that they knew each other before following her home. She said he had then entered her accommodation despite the woman telling him he was not welcome. Mohammed was sentenced to 21 months detention in a young offenders institution - he will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the next 10 years.

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A former Margate resident convicted of non-recent child sexual offences committed in the UK and abroad has been jailed.

In 2019, the Met Police launched an investigation alongside authorities from the United States of America (USA), France and Israel after two men came forward stating that they had been assaulted more than a decade ago.

Jair Klein, 55, of Majestic Court, Margate was found guilty at Harrow Crown Court on Wednesday, 19 July of five sexual offences committed against two victims.

The charges were:

• Three counts of sexual activity with a child that was aged 10 or 11.
• One count of sexual activity with a child that was aged 13 or 14.
• One count of sexual activity with a child that was aged 14 or 15.

He was found not guilty of a further two counts of sexual activity with a child.

At the Old Bailey on Thursday, 24 August he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, extended on licence to 16 in recognition of the danger he poses.

He will also be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indeterminate period.

The father of one of Klein’s victims, said: “This conviction could never have happened without the dedicated professionalism and determination of the Metropolitan Police and the CPS, who were there every step of the way to ensure justice, treating us with consideration and dignity. It has been a difficult journey, but well worth it, and we are delighted with the result.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, said: “Klein abused the trust that had been placed in him by two young children. Whilst the offending started in Barnet, he followed them abroad where he continued to offend.

“I would like to praise the bravery of these men in coming forward and telling officers about what happened. Having pleaded not guilty, Klein forced them to recount their experiences in court. But again, they found the strength to speak out – ultimately leading to this conviction.

“I would also like to thank the authorities in the USA, France and Israel for assisting us with our investigation regarding matters overseas.”

In December 2019, officers from the Met were contacted by two men who informed them that they had been sexually abused – by the same suspect – in the United Kingdom, USA and France between 2010 and 2014.

They detailed how Klein had given them gifts and taken them on days out, including to a swimming pool where he would watch them undress. Once alone, he would abuse them.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Philip Maunders launched a highly complex investigation, and on 27 September 2019, Klein was arrested. He provided a prepared statement in which he denied the allegations, making no further comment.

The investigation gathered further evidence and the witness accounts provided harrowing details. The investigation continued, and on 11 June 2022, he was charged.

During the course of the trial the courts heard that Klein had a previous conviction from Israel 2014 for a similar offence for which he received a three year custodial sentence for.

DC Maunders, said: “Klein was a master manipulator who groomed two children and their families to make them believe he could be trusted with their care.

“I would like to thank the families for their courage and tenacity throughout the investigation and the whole court process.

“I also encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, whether in the past or recently, to contact police, or any number of charities who can provide support. The Met remain determined to bring perpetrators before the courts.”

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A man who groomed and sexually assaulted a child in North Staffordshire has been jailed.  

Callum Dobing, 26, from Stone, groomed the victim through social media and arranged to meet with her in April this year.

He then sexually assaulted the victim, who later reported the incident to us.

Dobing was arrested shortly after and questioned in custody. He went on to admit the offences in court and was given a ten-year extended sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Wednesday 23 August.

As part of his sentencing, Dobing was handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements, meeting a girl under 16 following grooming and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

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An evil thug broke into a teenage student's flat as she slept and raped her at knifepoint with a blade he had taken from her kitchen. Courtney Adams, 32, climbed through the window of the property in Manchester city centre in November last year, swiped the knife and burst into her bedroom.

The depraved fiend forced the woman to hand over cash before ransacking the room and repeatedly raping his student victim after pressing the blade to her face, Manchester Evening News reports.

He then forced her to go outside with the knife at her throat and the pair headed to a nearby ATM, where he ordered her to take out as much money as she could, before marching her home and making her climb in the window.

Adams then fled the scene and the traumatised woman rang a pal and, together, they called the emergency services. Adams was arrested following a major police probe, which saw officers trawl through hours of CCTV, cell site analysis, and DNA evidence.

At Manchester Crown Court this week, Adams was branded "a dangerous man" by the judge, who jailed him for 20 years with an extended licence period of five years. The monster will serve two-thirds of the term in prison before being considered for release by the Parole Board.

In the early hours of November 29, 2022, Adams robbed a laptop, iPhone, cash and bank cards from a flat on Great Western Street, after using a crowbar to break in through the bedroom window, who quickly ran for help. After fleeing with the stolen goods, he made his way to Cavendish Place, on Wilmott Street, at around 5.30am, where he broke into the kitchen of a student flat.

The hooded and masked thug then entered the first bedroom, where he demanded cash and valuables from the teenage woman, who gave him £400. He attacked her then raped her, telling her she would have to "use her body if she did not prove she had any cash", Recorder Paul Reid KC told the court.

He forced the woman to take out a further £250 for him - the limit on her account - at a nearby cashpoint before marching her home and leaving through the fire exit with a large amount of her belongings. His victim was left with injuries to her genitals, face, and neck.

Adams, who has a lengthy criminal past, was found guilty of a string of offences, including rape, theft, fraud, and suffocation, following a trial. He has admitted full responsibility. Jailing Adams, Recorder Reid said: "You raped her in response to her perceived non-compliance and you used violence towards her to gain power over her. You are a dangerous man.

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When police confronted Adam Johnson in June last year, he told them: “I think I may have done something. There are indecent images. I downloaded them during lockdown. I was bored.”

Analysis of his laptop and phone revealed Johnson, them aged 18, downloaded a “paedophiles’ manual” which contained advice like “don’t be afraid to rape” and claimed “each child molester has an average of 35 victims and loves to hear their victims scream”.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he had 540 indecent images of children, including 65 movies, 101 of which were category A – the most serious category – as well nine prohibited images.

The images featured “extremely graphic images involving the torture and abuse of very young children in clear distress”, including babies being raped when they were tied up, blindfolded and screaming.

Johnson engaged in 20 different chats with other perverts in which he said: “I would like to f*** babies in front of people. I have no limits. I am into babies.”

Johnson, of Valley Road, Bilsthorpe, admitted three counts of distributing, and five counts of possessing indecent and prohibited images.

Stefan Fox, mitigating, said: “Without taking away from the absolutely abhorrent nature of these offences the court will have experiences of cases where thousands of images are involved.”

He said Johnson had “no intent to commit that sort of offence but to talk with others”.

Mr Fox said: “He accepts he is looking down the barrel end of a prison sentence. It would be the first time he has been away from his family.

“He was forced to leave the family home. His family had to rent him a flat to comply with his bail conditions. Experts say he might have an undiagnosed learning difficulty. He deserves credit for his guilty plea.”

Sentencing, Judge William Harbage KC told him: “These are sickening, disgustng and perverted offences. It’s bad enough to possess that sort of material for your own sexual gratification, but you have distributed 90 images and videos.”

Johnson was sentenced to 32 months in a young offender institution and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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Nottinghamshire detectives have explained how the bravery of victims and their persistence helped put the two predatory child sex offenders behind bars.

John Chambers, aged 73, and 57-year-old Andrew Polkey were jailed for a total of 26 years after officers uncovered a litany of sexual abuse against boys.

The men took it in turns to abuse one vulnerable boy over several years plying him with drugs and alcohol after inviting him to their homes.

Chambers, a former guitarist with Nottingham-based band Paper Lace, exploited his status as a minor celebrity when he befriended the boy more than 30 years ago.

He later introduced him to former band roadie Polkey as the pair took turns to exploit him for their own sexual gratification.

It was during the course of that investigation that two further victims were identified who had each been abused by Polkey.

Detectives initially started to looking onto the allegations in 2017 when the victim now an adult came forward to report what had happened to him.

The trail then ran cold after the victim decided not to continue his complaint with a formal statement.

When he re-engaged with detectives two years later they were able to move the case forward.

Detective Sergeant Lee Kirk, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: As is often the case with non-recent allegations this victim simply did not feel ready to speak in more detail about what happened to him, so there was little we could do to move forward the matter forward.

The victim decided to re-engage with us.

"His evidence was utterly compelling and forensic in detail in places, including details of Chambers home and of vehicles linked to his former band.

In it he painted a picture of a predatory and manipulative child abuser who very deliberately groomed and exploited a secondary school age boy.

When Polkey, a known associate of Chambers, was also identified as an abuser by the first victim our investigation really gathered pace.

"Polkey was then identified by another man and we prepared to make arrests.

Both men were arrested in 2020 and interviewed about the allegations.

Both denied the offences but later pleaded guilty to multiple sexual assaults.

Chambers, formerly of Crowley Close, Bilborough, pleaded guilty to eight assaults against one boy and Polkey, formerly of Glade Hill Road, Arnold, admitted to 17 against two boys.

At Nottingham Crown Court, Chambers and Polkey were jailed for ten-and-a-half years and 13 years respectively.

Both men were also made the subject of Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, which will closely restrict their behaviour once thy are released from prison.

A third man, 46-year-old Matthew Mardell, of Glade Hill Road, pleaded guilty to two indecent assaults on a boy and was given a 20-month sentence suspended for two years.

Superintendent Natasha Todd, head of public protection at Nottinghamshire Police, said:

These men thought they could commit these offences with impunity, but they simply hadnt reckoned on the bravery of their victims and the determination of police to hold them to account.

Two of them will now spend a very considerable amount of time behind bars and I hope this brings some comfort to their victims.

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A man who grabbed a woman’s breast as she smoked with a friend outside a Highland social club has been ordered to pay her £500 compensation.

Robert Bonner carried out the sexual assault after seeing the woman’s friend touching her chest in jest.

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A pervert who groped a woman on the dancefloor of a Liverpool city centre bar grinned as he walked free from court.

Abdullah Alqahtani's smug smirk mimicked one he gave his victim after brazenly sexually assaulting her in Baa Bar on Fleet Street having consumed a cocktail of booze and sleeping tablets. His victim said she has been "profoundly affected" by what she described as a "traumatic incident" and a "horrible experience".

Liverpool Magistrates' Court heard yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, that the complainant had been in the nightclub with friends in April this year and was stood on the dancefloor at around 3.30am when she "felt a finger touch her bum cheek and flick out, lifting her skirt". Andrew Page, prosecuting, described how she then turned around and saw Alqahtani walking away while "staring back and grinning".

She followed and confronted him, but he initially denied that he had assaulted her. When pressed, the 21-year-old replied: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Alqahtani, of Erskine Street, then began repeating: "I don't speak English. I'm sorry."

The woman subsequently walked back to her friends, who said they had in fact heard him speaking English. She threw her empty plastic cup at the defendant at this and informed security staff of the incident.

Police attended the scene and found that the incident had been caught on CCTV. Alqahtani told detectives under interview after being arrested that he was "drunk" and had taken two sleeping pills, "which led to him being disorientated".

He described the bar as being "crowded" and said he had "never seen the female before in his life". When shown the video footage, the sex offender "accepted that it looked like his arm and hand moved towards her bottom" but said it was "not a deliberate act" and was merely "an accident".

A statement read out to the court on the victim's behalf said: "My confidence has been profoundly affected by this traumatic incident. I had no idea of the horrible experience I would suffer that evening.

"I should have felt safe and secure while spending time with my friends and boyfriend, however I became the victim of a malicious act perpetrated by a man who showed a blatant disregard for my autonomy, consent and dignity. The emotional turmoil from this assault has had far reaching consequences.

"What happened has affected what I choose to wear when I'm in public. I now question my sense of safety and security when out socialising with friends, and I've been left with a sense of anxiety."

Alqahtani has no previous convictions. Benjamin Squirrell, defending, told the court that his client had finished a degree in his home country of Saudi Arabia before coming to the UK in order to "better his English" on a visa which has less than two weeks to run.

He now plans to return to the Middle East and work in a hospital laboratory. Mr Squirrell added: "The defendant, through me, does wish to tender a fulsome apology.

"It does appear he apologised when confronted in the club, and subsequently his reaction was immature. The complainant said in her evidence that he seemed to be laughing at her, and that seemed to be the spur for her taking matters further.

"It seems there is some lesson learned. It seems he doesn't go out in public very often, certainly not to nightclubs, and he has reduced his drinking to a low level.

"He was actually trying to go to sleep and took the sleeping pills, and then was asked to go out by friends. He wasn't intending to go out that night, and deeply wishes he hadn't.

"He has clearly realised he overstepped the mark and behaved in a despicable way. He is still a young man with a future."

Alqahtani, who was assisted by an interpreter in the dock, was found guilty of sexual assault after a trial before magistrates. He was handed an 18-week imprisonment suspended a year, told to pay £750 in compensation - to be paid before his visa expires on September 12 - and told to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years.

Sentencing, District Judge Timothy Boswell said: "You were in Baa Bar and you had had too much to drink. You put your hand up the skirt of a woman and touched her bottom.

"I can put it no better than she does. You showed a complete disregard for her autonomy, consent and dignity.

"You have offered an apology for the impact of your actions. But it is plain from the fact that you tried to pass it off as an inadvertent accident that you do not accept full responsibility for your actions."

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A high school teacher has been unmasked as a Snapchat paedophile "addicted" to indecent images of children.

Antony Phillips collected thousands of photographs of child abuse over the span of several years, even paying to download these vile materials. The 32-year-old, who also worked as a football coach, meanwhile made worrying searches for "changing room boys" online.

Liverpool Crown Court heard last week that he was linked via his IP address to the upload of a category B indecent image to Snapchat. Ben Berkson, prosecuting, described how police attended his home in December last year in order to arrest him, seizing two laptops and a mobile phone.

Both of the computers were subsequently found to contain indecent images of children. This included a stash of 784 pictures in category A, those showing the most serious forms of abuse.

A further 1,052 images in category B and 3,801 in category C were also discovered, as were 79 computer generated prohibited images. The "majority" of the more than 5,000 images were said to have shown "teenage boys of school age".

"Concerning search terms which indicated a predilection for young teenage boys" were found in Phillips' internet history, including one for "changing room boys". A teacher at Calday Grange Grammar School in West Kirby, Wirral, for more than seven years until January this year, he had been amassing his "large collection" since at least 2018 - including paying for images on websites and chat rooms.

The defendant, of Bridgenorth Road in Pensby, was also a football coach who took his team on residential trips. Phillips, who has no previous convictions, made "full and frank admissions" under interview, confessing to detectives that he was "addicted to accessing this material".

But he "denied having a sexual interest in the boys he taught and coached" as he was "able to draw a veil when it came to his professional career". The pervert did however "accept sexual arousal from accessing and viewing images of children".

Jim Smith, defending, told the court that his client "would always remain sorry for his actions and accepts he betrayed the faith and trust bestowed upon him by the school and students in not upholding the high moral standards and values of his position as a teacher". He was also said to have sought treatment from a psychotherapist and "made positive changes in his life".

Phillips admitted distributing indecent images, possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images and possession of prohibited images of children. He was handed a nine-month imprisonment suspended for two years by Judge Garrett Byrne, as well as being told to complete 60 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 15 days and the Horizon sex offender treatment programme.

Calday Grange head teacher Stephen Gray said in a statement to the ECHO: "I can confirm that Mr Phillips was an employee at the school between September 2015 and January 2023. Once we became aware of Mr Phillips' arrest, the school acted decisively and took all appropriate measures working alongside the police and the local authority designated officer.

"We were advised at every stage by our school solicitor and alongside the criminal process, the school also implemented its disciplinary policy and referred the matter to the Teaching Regulation Agency and Disclosure and Barring Service. The safeguarding of our students is of paramount importance to our school."

Phillips was also told to sign the sex offenders' register. Forfeiture of the seized devices was ordered.