Latest Offenders

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A perverted pensioner masqueraded as a teenager online while trying to communicate with children. Gary Chivers from Dawlish used chat platforms to strike up conversations with what he thought were girls aged as young as 10.

The 71-year-old told the 'girls' he was 15 and tried to persuade them to send him sexual pictures. It turned out he was actually speaking to a paedophile hunter group who arrived at his address and called police.

Chivers has a history of committing similar offences and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the time. A judge at Exeter Crown Court branded him a danger to children and sent him back to jail for five and a half years with an extended licence period of 18 months.

Chivers made contact with five different profiles of young girls while using the OK Live platform. In each case he quickly turned the chat sexual, sending graphic photos of his penis and making suggestions about masturbation.

He pestered them for videos, tried to call the 'girls'' and told them he was a teenager or in his twenties. He was caught when he replied to a request from one of the profiles for his photo and address.

He was arrested on August 18 and police discovered evidence of his behaviour on a number of devices. The defendant admitted multiple offences of attempted sexual communication with children and attempting to incite sexual activity with a child.

Chivers was jailed in Reading back in 2015 for offences of inciting children to sexual activity and distributing indecent images of children. He given a SHPO to monitor his activity.

Mr Dan Pawson-Pounds, defending, said Chivers was leading an isolated life at the time of his latest offences.

Judge David Evans said the parole board will assess when he is suitable for release. He said Chivers, of Plantation Terrace, had displayed a clear pattern of behaviour and an extended sentence with licence conditions was needed.

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A ‘selfish’ skate park rapist has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Jay Spinks’ decision to carry on despite his then 15-year-old victim making clear she did not want to have sex with the 20-year-old in September 2020 was labelled a ‘selfish act’ by the judge who jailed him on Wednesday.

Judge Maria Lamb told Spinks, now 22: “It was all about self-gratification and although [your victim] was prepared to accept a certain amount of intimacy between you, she made it quite clear that she was not consenting to sexual intercourse with you.”

The Bicester man was found guilty at Oxford Crown Court last year of raping the girl in a skate park in his hometown on September 4, 2020.

The pair had been intimate on the evening of the sexual assault, the jury heard.

However, she had made it clear she did not want to have sex with him.

Spinks was said to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time.

In a victim impact statement summarised to the court by prosecutor Ian Hope, the woman said she had suffered flashbacks to the incident.

Her GCSE exam results had suffered and she had ‘pushed away male contact’, she said.

Mr Hope said the girl had sought help for post-traumatic stress disorder and feelings of anxiety.

Jailing him for four-and-a-half years, Judge Lamb said: “Whatever the situation back in 2020, when you were I think rather out of control drinking, taking drugs, getting yourself into criminal offending albeit not of a like nature, you have now moved on and I hope put that time behind you.

“Of course, for your victim the effects are still having an impact and are likely to be so for time without limit in the future.”

Mitigating, James Hay described 2020 as a ‘dark period’ in his client’s life ‘with a downward spiral of poor decision making due to associating with a negative peer group and increasing substance misuse’.

With the help of addiction charity Turning Point he had addressed the drug addiction that followed his substance misuse, the barrister said.

“He knows he will inevitably receive an immediate custodial sentence of some length,” Mr Hay told the judge.

Spinks’ thoughts were not for himself but his parents, he added.

Character references were said to paint a picture of the rapist as a ‘grounded and pleasant young man’.

Spinks, of Woodfield, Bicester, will serve two-thirds of his jail sentence in custody before his automatic release.

He remains on the sex offender register for life.

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A Fife paedophile groomed a nine-year-old girl from North Yorkshire after meeting her on TikTok.

Pervert Dale Henderson – already on the Sex Offenders Register following four previous, similar offences – was caught when the girl’s mother inspected her phone.

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A perverted medical science graduate who raped a very young boy when he was a teenager himself is starting a 12-year prison sentence.

Daniyal Hussain, now aged 22, denied what he had done and tried to claim the allegations were made up.

But a Teesside Crown Court jury found him unanimously guilty of five counts of the rape of a child and three counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, in November, of last year. On Thursday the pervert appeared at the same court for sentencing - where he was placed on the Sex Offender's Register for Life.

The hearing was told that Hussain gave the little boy an iPad to watch as he attacked him, promised him a mobile phone, and told him the abuse was "our little secret". He also slapped his victim across the face a number of times.

During the trial, prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi confronted Hussain about the notes he had made on his mobile phone - which the Crown said admitted his guilt. He had sent texts to his mother claiming he had "demons" and that he would get help.

"I'm so sorry. I've failed everyone", one message read. Another note on his phone, read: "There is nothing that I can say ever that will make everything better. Not in a million years. I have failed my family."

Victim's 'family ruined'

On Thursday, Teesside Crown Court heard that Hussain had just graduated with a medical science degree and that he is an "intelligent young man who comes from a decent hardworking family". But the court was told that the little boy has been left deeply affected by the abuse.

A packed public gallery sat in silence as a statement by the youngster's mother was read out: "My son has suffered a horrible and devastating ordeal. I feel that the bond between us has been damaged. My son does not like to be touched and I cannot kiss him on the cheek.

"He frequently breaks down in tears. My family has been ruined. My son's childhood has been stolen."

The mother went onto say that her son has a number of "triggers" that remind him of the abuse including smells.

'Peculiar character'

Timothy Jacobs, defending Hussain, said his client is a "peculiar character with features of naivety and also features of maturity. He still has a degree of growing up to do.

He said: "He attended college and managed to graduate with a medical science degree whilst the investigation and court proceedings were hanging over him. He is a young man who can do well and has potential in the future."

Mr Jacobs said that Hussain acted as an interpreter for his grandfather at hospital appointments, and that it is likely that he will not see his grandfather again, given the man's ill health.

Hussain turned away from the public gallery as he stood to hear his sentence from Judge Anthony Hawks. The judge told him: "Tragically, you are an intelligent young man who comes from a decent, hard-working family. The offences were accompanied by violence; threats not to disclose and grooming.

"When you were confronted, you admitted what you had done. At your trial, you denied everything. The whole trial must have been very distressing for the boy, his mother and his family.

"Not surprisingly, the boy has been severely affected. He recoils from physical contact. He is emotionally detached from his mother.

"He exhibits mental health issues including angry outbursts. What the long term effect will be, nobody knows."

Hussain, of Thackeray Grove in Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, was handed a 12-year prison term. He will serve 11-years in custody and the final year out in the community, on licence.

He will be eligible to apply for parole after he has served eight years. An indefinite restraining order was made, prohibiting Hussain from contacting his victim or the youngster's parents.

'Brazen performance'

After the sentencing, Cleveland Police said that specialist officers from their Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adult Unit (CAVA) had supported the child and his family throughout the investigation and the court process.

Detective Constable Rebecca Lisle said: “This was a very distressing case with a child victim and their family who, in giving their evidence, had to relive the trauma they had already endured. I hope this result will go some way to help them as they try to come to terms with what they have gone through.”

Chief Inspector Deb Fenny added: “Despite knowing full well what he had done, Hussain persisted in lying and twisting evidence to make it seem as if he was innocent.

“I am pleased that the jury saw through his brazen performance in court, and I hope that today’s sentence will go some way to helping the victim and his family come to terms with their ordeal.

“Finally I would urge anyone who has experienced such abuse - or who wants to report on behalf of somebody else - to get in touch with Cleveland Police. We will listen to you, we will believe you and we will support you while working with our partner agencies to bring perpetrators to justice.”

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Phillip Bargh served 14 years of his life sentence despite committing a string of sex offences.

A sexual predator released from jail 14 years into a life sentence for kidnapping a girl has been locked up again - for sexually assaulting a child.

Phillip Bargh attacked the 13-year-old girl in "broad daylight" in a skate park after prowling around looking for a "suitable victim" just three years after his release from prison.

When he was sentenced for life, Bargh, now 45, was branded a "very serious threat to the public, particularly young girls" by a judge.

The kidnap with intent to commit a sexual offence, which occurred in 2005, saw Bargh tell the nine-year-old to remove her clothing at knifepoint. He eventually let her go.

For the latest offence in the skate park in Goole, Humberside, Bargh has been jailed for one year. However, because he has been returned to prison after breaching his life licence, it will be for the Parole Board to decide when he can be released. The public were "already protected" by this life licence, said Judge McKone. Bargh must register as a sex offender for 10 years, reports Hull Live.

Sentencing Bargh, Judge McKone said: "It was no coincidence that you were in that park on that warm summer evening, having driven there in your car. You were hanging around that park, knowing that there was a good chance that children would be there."

The sexual assault of the girl was "momentary" but it was against a child and he knew that she was a child. "You have been for many years and, in my view, you remain, a sexual predator who has a sexual interest in children and, in particular, sexual offending in public," said Judge McKone.

"Your behaviour has had an effect on her. She was very scared at the time, so scared that she went to somebody she didn't know and made a complaint so that you could be stopped.

"Three years after coming out of prison, you were beginning your journey to way more serious offending. You were committing offences that you thought you could get away with in broad daylight by touching the girl.

"I am satisfied that you planned what you were doing. You drove to the park. You waited for a suitable victim to come past and, when you saw that suitable victim, you assaulted her."

The defendant denied sexually assaulting the teenage girl on July 11 last year, but he was convicted by a jury after a trial.

Hull Crown Court was told the girl and a female friend were walking through the skate park at about 5.30pm when Bargh went up to the 13-year-old and sexually assaulted her.

David Godfrey, prosecuting, said the girl and her friend were both "perplexed" and started to panic. They were seen by an 18-year-old woman, who asked them what was going on. They were upset and told her what had happened. The 18-year-old told her father, who confronted Bargh and asked him: "What were you doing?"

Bargh ran off to his car, but the police were called and the father followed Bargh's car in his van. Bargh's driving became erratic and he drove down a one-way street. The father parked his van to block Bargh in.

Bargh abandoned the car and ran off, but he was arrested that evening. He made no comment to all questions during interview. "He didn't provide any account as to what had gone on," said Mr Godfrey.

The incident was filmed on CCTV and it was "compelling evidence" against him. Bargh told police that he admitted it was him in the footage, but claimed that he did not touch the girl or, if he did, it was accidental.

"It's clear that this was much more than an accident, much more than a misunderstanding," said Mr Godfrey.

"The touching was sexual."

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A paedophile who repeatedly raped a young boy over a number of years has been given a life sentence following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.

Mark Hutchinson-Schofield, aged 55, of Lovell Park Hill, Leeds, was found guilty following a trial at Leeds Crown Court this week.

The offences came to light in July last year when the victim told a teacher who alerted the police.

Hutchinson-Schofield was arrested but denied the offences in his police interview and called the victim a liar.

Officers from Leeds District Safeguarding Unit liaised with Crown Prosecution Service and were able to have him charged and remanded in custody immediately on the basis of the initial evidence, prior to the victim be able to give a full account.

He was also charged with offences related to breaching sex offender conditions, which he pleaded guilty to at the start of the trial.

Today at Leeds Crown Court, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years.

Detective Inspector Mark Tester, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Hutchinson-Schofield was responsible for an appalling and sustained catalogue of abuse against this vulnerable child that has had a devastating traumatic effect on the victim’s young life.

“He systematically sexually exploited the victim for his own gratification in circumstances that were a complete betrayal of trust.

“This was a challenging investigation where the officer in the case, Detective Constable Nicki Vincent, supported the victim at every stage to comprehensively capture all the evidence that has helped to secure these convictions against Hutchinson-Schofield.

“The victim was able to give his evidence to the court under special measures that allowed his account to be video recorded in advance of the trial to reduce the impact of the court process on him.

“We hope the significant sentence that Hutchinson-Schofield has now received will provide some reassurance to the victim and his family as well as to the wider community.

“Our specialist safeguarding officers will continue to do everything they can to secure convictions against predatory offenders like this to get justice for victims and protect others from harm.”

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A Wellingborough man has been imprisoned on the Falkland Islands after he admitted sexually abusing children there. Officials obtained an extradition order to return Ryan Martin Elstow to the island to face justice.

However, the former RAF serviceman voluntarily travelled the 8,000 miles to the British overseas territory and pleaded guilty to a number of offences against children. His lawyer said his actions displayed "rank indifference" to his victims' suffering.

Elstow, 35, is believed to have returned to Northamptonshire in recent years to start a new life. However, following an investigation by the Royal Falkland Islands Police, he was charged last year with eight counts of 'sexual activity with a child', contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

In April last year, officials formerly requested the UK extradite Elstow so he could stand trial. But he voluntarily returned to the Falklands and appeared in the islands' only magistrate's court where he pleaded guilty to seven of the offences, denying the eighth related charge.

Senior Magistrate Malcolm Simmons found him guilty of that offence in November. Elstow was sentenced in the same court last Wednesday, January 11, to a total of seven years imprisonment

Speaking at the sentencing, Elstow's lawyer, James Ross, admitted his client's behaviour displayed "rank indifference to the suffering of others", according to Penguin News. However, in mitigation, Mr Ross said said Elstow had pleaded guilty to seven of the counts, had volunteered to appear in court and had "experienced real trauma" while serving with the RAF in Afghanistan.

A spokesperson from the Falkland Islands Prosecution Service told NorthantsLive: "The defendant will serve his sentence in His Majestys Prison Stanley and is likely to be deported to the United Kingdom at the conclusion of the sentence." The islands' prison population is in single figures.

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A MAN who was previously found with hundreds of indecent images of children has been jailed after breaching a court order by signing up to a messaging app which deletes its history.

Jordan Williamson, of Mount Pleasant Road in Davenham, was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order in June of last year, after he was found with a total of 718 indecent images of children.

The 30-year-old also had in his possession 457 extreme pornographic images portraying various sex acts with animals.

Appearing in Chester Magistrates’ Court on December 1, Williamson pleaded guilty to subscribing to Wickr Me, an instant messaging app which deletes its history after six hours, something he was prohibited from doing by the sexual harm prevention order.

By signing up to Wickr – under the username ‘chavlad’ – Williamson did not comply with requirements of the sex offender register, which states he should have notified police before subscribing to the application.

On January 5, 2023, Williamson appeared at Chester Crown Court to be sentenced for these offences.

Judge Simon Berkson jailed Williamson for 21 months and ordered for him to be deprived of his mobile phone.

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A paedophile who sexually groomed and manipulated an underage teenage girl has been jailed.

Huw Davies, 32, of Pontypridd, Wales, manipulated his victim until she became "infatuated" with him as well as filming them having sex.

The 32-year-old's calculated methods of grooming the girl began with complimenting her on her appearance and encouraging her to talk to him about issues she faced, WalesOnline reported.

He would even go as far as to pick her up in his car as he constructed a relationship where the victim saw him as a "big brother figure".

However, things took a dark turn after he forced the victim to have sex with him at his parents' home when she was a young teenager, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard.

The victim said they had slept together several times when she was underage as she began to develop romantic feelings for Davies.

She said: "I was in love with the person who was abusing me." He told her to keep the relationship a secret because of her age.

The relationship between Davies and the victim ended when she was 17 and in 2021, she watched a documentary about paedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein and subsequently confronted Davies, who made excuses for his behaviour.

She later contacted the police as the defendant attended a voluntary interview where he denied any sexual contact with the victim but was arrested after videos of the pair having sex were discovered.

Davies later pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child but was found not guilty of two counts of rape.

She added: "When he wanted sex with me I felt confused by it all and scared. I didn't understand what was going on and I remember feeling really confused about the dynamic changing in our relationship.

"Things got too much for me and would make me feel guilty for wanted to end things... I started to feel like a sex object.

"I felt that's all he ever wanted. I got older and more wiser to what was happening. I started to see he was manipulating me and groomed me for one purpose."

In mitigation David Leathley said his client Davies was regarded as an "honourable man" but those who knew him and described him as "intelligent and hard working".

He said the defendant has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes bones and his joints to dislocate easily, adding that Davies' dad reckons he "wouldn't last a year" in prison.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: "You saw [the victim] as someone you could groom and sexually abuse. You made her think you were indispensable. She was as she described brainwashed by you."

On top of a sentence of six years and nine months imprisonment, Davies was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, sex offender notification requirements, and a restraining order.

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A woman has been praised for having the bravery to come forward and not let her abuser get away with his crimes. Rapist Thomas Ebbs, of Castle Street in Caergwrle, was locked up for 10 years by a judge when he returned to the dock of Mold Crown Court after being convicted on two counts of rape following a trial.

During the hearing, prosecutor Elen Owen read a statement taken from Ebbs' victim - who cannot be identified for legal reasons. She told how the attack had "changed" her and left her feeling like "damaged goods".

She added: "My barriers are completely up. I have become withdrawn from society and shut people out of my life, fearing that I'll give them the opportunity to hurt and destroy me.

"I do have a sense of relief that the defendant is in custody for now as that means no other woman will have to endure the suffering and life-lasting damage that I have.

"I am glad women are currently safe from who I deem a sexual predator. I still pray that the defendant takes accountability, accepts this is wrong and gets help so this never happens again."

The woman also detailed how she is getting help through counseling to slowly recover from the trauma that Ebbs inflicted upon her.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge David Hale said that Ebbs will be and listed for the rest of his life as a sex offender on the national register. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order, banning him from having contact with the victim ever again.

After the sentencing, Investigating Officer DS Helen Evans said: “I welcome today’s sentence and I hope this shows to other victims of such serious and life changing offences that we take all incidents of Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) very seriously, and that these offences are a high priority for the force.

“This was an incredibly difficult investigation for the victim, who has shown immense courage throughout.

"I applaud her for taking the difficult step in reporting the matter to us at the outset and I hope she can now focus on trying to re-build her life. We will continue to place offenders before the court to face justice for heinous crimes such as these.”

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A Dundee creep who sexually assaulted a woman and flashed a teenager on the same night will be on the sex offenders register for a decade.

Jason ONeil has a history of sexual crimes, including sharing a private video of a woman performing a sex act on him.

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An ice skating enthusiast took advantage of a trusting 15-year-old girl after their budding friendship turned into a completely unsuitable relationship.

Rhys Burton showered her with compliments and they gradually became closer before he moved in on her and kissed her, making her feel uncomfortable. The law was there to protect vulnerable young girls from getting into difficult sexual situations that they could not control or "extricate" themselves from, Hull Crown Court heard.

Burton, 24, of Kingsley Drive, Willerby, admitted two offences of sexual activity with a child in 2018. He originally denied the matter but changed his pleas on the day of a scheduled trial.

Michael Greenhalgh, prosecuting, said that Burton got to know the teenage girl through an interest in ice skating in Hull and he complimented her during conversations with her and social gatherings in May 2018. "He was friendly to her," said Mr Greenhalgh.

Burton hugged her and later kissed the girl. He knew that she was only 15. The girl was "upset" after sexual contact from Burton, Mr Greenhalgh said.

Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Burton had no previous convictions and the sexual activity took place nearly five years ago. "He fully accepts his behaviours and he hasn't tried to hide from his behaviour at all," said Miss Scott.

Burton did the wrong thing but did later end the relationship because he knew it was not right, the court heard. "He realises just how stupid his behaviour was and how much harm that he has caused," said Miss Scott. "He thought he was in love with her.

"He thought his feelings were genuine. He accepts that it was a relationship that he should never have entered into in the first place."

The girl was willingly involved with Burton and it was not a case of him grooming her. Burton started taking cocaine at the age of 16 to cope with his emotions. He had been working full-time.

Judge Kate Rayfield told Burton: "The law is there to protect young people from engaging in sexual activity. Even though she went along with the sexual activity, she felt uncomfortable.

"Young people get into situations that they don't know how to handle or control or how to extricate themselves from and that was exactly what happened to her. These instances have stayed with her and had an impact on her.

"Ultimately, you did the right thing and called off the relationship. She did not feel in control of what was happening to her and that was because of the differences in your ages."

Burton was given a 22-month suspended prison sentence, 20 days' rehabilitation and a sex offender treatment programme. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A SOUTHAMPTON man left a woman feeling “nervous and anxious” after sexually assaulting her at a shop.

Sean McCarthy went into the store in Southampton but then put his hand between the woman's legs and pressed hard.

Prosecuting, James Kellam said that 57-year-old McCarthy then moved his hand up and over her breast before she told him to leave.

In a statement read out in court, the woman said: “For the last six months I have suffered with the mental, physical, and financial effects.

“I feel nervous, anxious and worried. I have been unable to do my job.

“I feel extremely unsafe on my own.”

She added that she used to be a sociable person but now she is unable to do those things, making her depressed.

McCarthy of Norfolk Road, Southampton, who previously pleaded guilty to sexual assault, appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Monday for sentencing.

He was said to be “remorseful and apologetic” when interviewed by police.

Defending, Christopher Gaiger said that the offence was out of character.

He said that his client "is not a man likely to come back in future before the courts".

The court heard how McCarthy was last week diagnosed with skin cancer.

Judge Brian Forster KC described the attack as a “serious offence”.

“You must understand that people who work in shops are vulnerable”, he added.

“Your actions were totally unnecessary. [There is] clearly a problem in his approach to people of the opposite sex.”

But he said there is a “possibility of rehabilitation”.

McCarthy was handed a 14-month prison sentence - suspended for 18 months.

He must also attend 31 days on an accredited programme, 30 rehabilitation activity days and was given a five-year restraining order.

He must register as a sex offender for ten years.

Judge Forster added: “Don’t put yourself in this position again.”

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Da Vinci rapist Robert Greens was attacked in his ex-wife’s home by a family member who discovered him hiding in a cupboard.

The 44-year-old sex offender is said to have grown close to former wife Angela Gibson since his release from prison last year. But enraged relatives were fuming when they found him in her Penicuik home on Friday night and a fight broke out.

It’s the second time in a week Greens has been assaulted after he was punched by a member of the public at Hogmanay after a night of drinking in the Midlothian town

A family source said: “This family member was furious when they found out Greens was in Angie’s house. Greens and Angie have been seen around town together and her family are not happy. She’s been away from him since he was convicted and nobody can believe she is putting herself at risk being with him again.”

In the earlier incident, it's understood Greens was assaulted outside a pub as he was making his way home after celebrating the New Year Prior to the attack he was in a local sports bar and angered other customers when he refused to leave. Greens was said to have been with Angela.

Sources said Greens was being “loud and cheeky” in the Crescent sports bar before being asked to leave the premises. When he refused he became involved in an altercation with another man before angrily leaving and claiming he would return with relatives. He was then punched in the town’s John Street.

The source said: “He was hit outside the pub. Folk couldn’t believe the brass neck of him being in the club acting like any normal person instead of a notorious sex offender who’s just done 17 years in prison. We don’t know what the hell he’s playing at. He should be keeping a low profile, not sitting celebrating New Year in a club and annoying other customers. He needs to get out of Penicuik. People are still angry at what he did and nobody has forgotten or forgiven.”

Greens sparked angry protests in October when residents in Danderhall, Midlothian, discovered he was living among them. It’s understood he is no longer living in the flat in Neatoune Court. The beast was dubbed the Da Vinci rapist for his horrific attack in 2005 on a student near Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, a key ­location in the book The Da Vinci Code. The 19-year-old suffered horrific injuries, which were initially thought to have come from a car smash.

Greens was freed from prison in 2012, having served two-thirds of his sentence. The following year, he was returned to jail after he broke one of the conditions of his release by visiting the home town of his former wife. He was again released in 2017 but hauled back to prison after another breach.

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A sex offender shared indecent images of children with other paedophiles using Play Station devices in breach of his registration requirements.

Durham Crown Court was told police executed a search warrant at David Roberts’ home in Peterlee, in October, having received information he may have been involved in sexual communication with a child.

Christopher Bevan, prosecuting, said although police have since confirmed they are not pursuing the alleged sexual communication matters, officers located several devices, including a number of Play Stations, plus bank cards, in a search of Roberts’ home.

Mr Bevan said one of the bank cards was in the name of an alias not registered with the police, putting Roberts in breach of his sex offenders’ registration requirements.

Roberts also used aliases on the Play Stations, none of which he registered with the police.

Analysis of the contents of the Play Stations revealed 281 indecent images of children, 70 in the most serious category, plus 39 others classed as prohibited images.

Mr Bevan said it emerged Roberts had used the alias 'Sandy Sorebottom' to communicate in, “a sexually unpleasant way” with one user and discussing children with another, conversations initiated by him between July 11 and October 14, last year.

Some of the indecent and prohibited images were sent to that profile.

When interviewed, Roberts largely gave “no comment” replies to police, but he did concede the use of the alias to acquire the bank card constituted an offence.

The 50-year-old defendant, of Stafford Place, Peterlee, admitted three charges of possessing indecent images of children, one of possessing prohibited images of children, two counts of failing to comply with registration requirements as a sex offender and one of distribution of an indecent photo of a child.

Mr Bevan said the defendant has five convictions for 16 previous offences, five of them of a sexual nature.

The last of those was in 2005 for which he received jail sentences totalling 84 months for offences of sexual activity with a child and taking indecent photographs of a child.

He was also made subject of indefinite notification requirements as a sex offender when sentenced.

Shada Mellor, in mitigation, said it had to be acknowledged his past conviction aggravated the sentence Roberts would receive.

Miss Mellor said the bank card which breached the notification requirements was in the name of Roberts’ now late mother, over whom he had power of attorney, and which he had failed to register with the police.

“He understands he should have registered that but his intention in having it was merely to go to the shops to buy groceries for himself and his mother, who died very recently.

“He understands, given his previous convictions, as well as the offences he falls to be sentenced for, that a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case.

“The previous offence was in 2005, and this is his first offence in 17 years.

“After the 2005 sentence he did make attempts to rehabilitate himself, passing his driving test and being involved in a relationship with an adult female from 2012 to 2016.

“But six or seven years ago he became full-time carer for his mother, who had dementia and who, unfortunately, passed away on December 28.”

Miss Mellor said the emotional distress, isolation and strain all contributed to him committing the latest offences.

She added that he hopes, in due course, to be able to address his behaviour.

Judge Jo Kidd said she has seen descriptions of the images shared by the defendant, including the rape of children as young as three, while the use of the Play Station platform to communicate with like-minded individuals, “significantly aggravated” his position.

She said despite his past conviction, the defendant appeared to have maintained his sexual interest in children.

Imposing a 32-month prison sentence, she said the existing indefinite requirement to register as a sex offender would remain in place.

She also adjourned for inquiries as to the further prohibitions she could put in place under the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.