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A MAN responsible for, a catalogue of depravity has received a 25-year extended prison sentence for the prolonged sexual abuse of two boys.

Darren John Wood subjected the victims to dreadful and awful ordeals to satisfy his lust, while heavily intoxicated.

Durham Crown Court heard the abuse left his victims traumatised, leading to at least one self-harming and suffering addiction problems, with the psychological effects persisting into adulthood for both.

The, now 48-year-old defendant, of Saxon Green, Escomb, near Bishop Auckland, was accused of a total of 14 serious sexual assaults, including oral and anal rapes of the boys.

He claimed the offences never took place and maintained those denials at his trial earlier this year.

But, on the sixth day of the hearing, following lengthy deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all 14 charges.

Wood was remanded in custody pending preparation of a background report on him by the Probation Service, as well as to enable victim statements to be gathered from the victims.

Those statements were read to the court, relating the psychological impact both victims have suffered since the offences were committed.

Andrew Finlay, in mitigation, told the court that his client, has not come to terms with the jurys verdicts, but added that he would comply with the extensive programme of rehabilitative work planned for him in custody.

Mr Finlay said: It may help him come to terms with the outcome of the case.

He added that the defendant has no previous convictions for, offences of this magnitude, nor of this nature.

Judge James Adkin told Wood he was convicted of what was, a catalogue of depravity, causing, significant impact to both victims.

The judge said although he has no past convictions of a sexual nature, the offences he previously committed showed, a capacity to commit violence and intimidation."

He said he was satisfied the defendant poses a significant risk of committing further specified serious offences.

Judge Adkin, therefore, made him subject to an extended determinate sentence of 25 years in custody, with a five-year licence period upon his release.

Wood must serve at last 16-and-a-half years behind bars before he can be considered for parole but may have to spend the full 25 years in custody.

He was also made subject of registration as a sex offender and the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, both for life.

Lifetime restraining orders were also put in place preventing future contact or approaches to his victims.

Description

Four men, including two from Bath and one from Radstock, have been convicted of child sex offences following a five-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

On Tuesday 19th April, the four men were sentenced over a total of 45 offences which took place between 1996 and 2003.

Their crimes were committed against two girls between the ages of seven and 15.

The convictions follow a police investigation which began in 2016 following a disclosure by one of the victims.

The subsequent enquiries led officers to conduct numerous enquiries throughout the UK and the review of significant amounts of historical records held by social care, education establishments, digital media, previous investigations and complaints to other forces.

Grant McGill, 41, of Radstock, was jailed for 16 years for 35 offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child. He was handed a further eight-week sentence after absconding during the trial.

Brian Parker, 48, of Wrexham, was convicted of eight offences of indecent assault, indecency with a child and possession of indecent images of children. He was handed a nine-year jail term with an extended licence period of three years.

Derek McBride, 62, of Lansdown, Bath, was jailed for two years and six months for four offences of indecency with a child and indecent assault. Having admitted the offences in interview, he received a reduction in sentence for his early guilty plea.

Tim Dale, 42, of Twerton, Bath, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, for two offences of indecent assault.

Lead investigating officer Detective Sergeant Neil Wood said: These men acted independently of each other but all identified and took advantage of two young girls who were extremely vulnerable because of their age and personal circumstances. Their offending was predatory and abhorrent.

The two victims have shown immense patience with what has been a long and complex investigation and demonstrated significant bravery both in disclosing what had happened and giving evidence in court.

These sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences they committed, but also the significant and long lasting impact that it has had on these survivors.

Victim Impact Statements from both women were read to the court.

One addressed the effect that it had had on her, saying: If I see men with children I feel certain those children are being hurt and I feel powerless to stop it. If I hear children crying from another house, my imagination goes through the roof.

She thanked the jury for hearing me and helping me begin this road to recovery.

The second woman told the men: What you have done will never be okay, it will never be fixed. This isnt something that sorry makes all better.

Our lives are forever impacted by your actions and your choices toward us. I can only be thankful that you cant hurt anyone now and I hope that this experience and outcome has taught you something valuable that your actions have consequences and you have no control over us. We are now stronger than we have ever been.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge Mark Horton commented that the men had all targeted young girls who they knew to be vulnerable and unlikely to report the abuse or get support from anyone who should have been there to protect them.

He said both women would be living with lifelong feelings of betrayal.

He found Parker to be a dangerous offender who was predatory, calculated and manipulative and had shown no remorse whatsoever.

Finding him to pose a significant risk of physical, sexual and emotional harm to young people, he directed that he should not be released from prison until assessed by a parole board as no longer being a risk.

HHJ Horton also commended DS Wood for his dedication and exceptional contribution to a complex investigation.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse or know someone who has, you can find out how to report it on the dedicated information page on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

If you would prefer not to speak to officers, the page also has details of support organisations that you can contact in confidence who will provide help and support.

Description

Four men, including two from Bath and one from Radstock, have been convicted of child sex offences following a five-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

On Tuesday 19th April, the four men were sentenced over a total of 45 offences which took place between 1996 and 2003.

Their crimes were committed against two girls between the ages of seven and 15.

The convictions follow a police investigation which began in 2016 following a disclosure by one of the victims.

The subsequent enquiries led officers to conduct numerous enquiries throughout the UK and the review of significant amounts of historical records held by social care, education establishments, digital media, previous investigations and complaints to other forces.

Grant McGill, 41, of Radstock, was jailed for 16 years for 35 offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child. He was handed a further eight-week sentence after absconding during the trial.

Brian Parker, 48, of Wrexham, was convicted of eight offences of indecent assault, indecency with a child and possession of indecent images of children. He was handed a nine-year jail term with an extended licence period of three years.

Derek McBride, 62, of Lansdown, Bath, was jailed for two years and six months for four offences of indecency with a child and indecent assault. Having admitted the offences in interview, he received a reduction in sentence for his early guilty plea.

Tim Dale, 42, of Twerton, Bath, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, for two offences of indecent assault.

Lead investigating officer Detective Sergeant Neil Wood said: These men acted independently of each other but all identified and took advantage of two young girls who were extremely vulnerable because of their age and personal circumstances. Their offending was predatory and abhorrent.

The two victims have shown immense patience with what has been a long and complex investigation and demonstrated significant bravery both in disclosing what had happened and giving evidence in court.

These sentences reflect the seriousness of the offences they committed, but also the significant and long lasting impact that it has had on these survivors.

Victim Impact Statements from both women were read to the court.

One addressed the effect that it had had on her, saying: If I see men with children I feel certain those children are being hurt and I feel powerless to stop it. If I hear children crying from another house, my imagination goes through the roof.

She thanked the jury for hearing me and helping me begin this road to recovery.

The second woman told the men: What you have done will never be okay, it will never be fixed. This isnt something that sorry makes all better.

Our lives are forever impacted by your actions and your choices toward us. I can only be thankful that you cant hurt anyone now and I hope that this experience and outcome has taught you something valuable that your actions have consequences and you have no control over us. We are now stronger than we have ever been.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge Mark Horton commented that the men had all targeted young girls who they knew to be vulnerable and unlikely to report the abuse or get support from anyone who should have been there to protect them.

He said both women would be living with lifelong feelings of betrayal.

He found Parker to be a dangerous offender who was predatory, calculated and manipulative and had shown no remorse whatsoever.

Finding him to pose a significant risk of physical, sexual and emotional harm to young people, he directed that he should not be released from prison until assessed by a parole board as no longer being a risk.

HHJ Horton also commended DS Wood for his dedication and exceptional contribution to a complex investigation.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse or know someone who has, you can find out how to report it on the dedicated information page on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

If you would prefer not to speak to officers, the page also has details of support organisations that you can contact in confidence who will provide help and support.

Description

A sex offender who left his victim in debt after conning her out of more than 2,000 is back behind bars.

Geoffrey Ball told a string of lies to the woman - who he struck up a relationship with when she was working at a petrol station - to get cash sums from her, which he claimed he would pay back.

His deceit included saying his sister was seriously ill with Covid and he needed 300 to visit her and he needed 100 to secure a puppy for the woman, which never materialised. He pleaded guilty to five charges of fraud when he appeared before Teesside Magistrates' Court via video link from Acklington Prison.

Ball, 50, who was placed on a sex offenders' register in 2010 for touching and grabbing a woman on a train, also pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions by not telling officers he had moved out of his Teesside home.

In December 2018 Ball, who at that time had 35 aliases, was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison. Teesside Crown Court heard he used one woman to fund his drinking and gambling, tricked another out of 3,410 by saying he had cancer and told a third woman he knew a solicitor who could stop her children being taken away.

Lynne Dalton, prosecuting at the magistrates' court, said Ball used the alias of Peter Marsh when he struck up a relationship with a woman who was working in a petrol station in Wales in May last year.

Over the next two months he asked her for several sums of money, including 600 to buy building materials so he could do some work on her house, 220 for a locksmith to repair her door, 300 to visit his sister in Cornwall who was ill on a ventilator with Covid, 300 to travel to Ireland to retrieve his stolen car and 100 to secure a puppy for her. He admitted all five of these fraud offences.

However, the victim claimed in total she gave him 2,460. Ms Dalton said Ball also told the woman his son was a solicitor and could help her with a neighbour dispute she was having, but then said his son had died and was in floods of tears.

Ms Dalton said in her statement the victim said Ball struck up a conversation with her in the petrol station where she worked and asked for her number, then began ringing her every day and started to stay at her home.

She said: "He had the gift of the gab, was a sweet-talker and really charming. She was flattered and enjoyed speaking to him. It was all very convincing. She said she was emotionally blackmailed into giving him money."

Ms Dalton said in her statement the woman said: "He told me he would pay the money back and that he was worth a fortune. He said he earned 120,000 a year."

Ball said he had lost his bank card and needed money to visit his sister, then the following week he needed money to go to Ireland to pick up his stolen car. He said he had sold the car and the money he was going to pay her back with was destroyed in a fire. After about two months the victim contacted the police.

Reading from the statement the prosecutor said: "Looking back it seems so far fetched, but at the time I believed him."

She said: "I don't trust anyone anymore. I am so devastated I could let this happen, I didn't think I could be deceived like this.

"I feel violated having fallen victim to fraud and feel people will think worse of me because of that. I have not told any of my friends or family about the incident, I feel ashamed and they will think I am stupid for letting this happen to me."

Nick Woodhouse, defending, said the breach of the conditions on the sex offenders register was because Ball felt he had no option but to leave his Teesside home because some people knew he had information about an incident in Stockton which he had tried to tell the police.

He said: "He didn't target (the victim), he got talking to her. He accepts the money hadn't been paid back."

Mr Woodhouse said Ball had admitted the offences at the earliest opportunity. He said he is also suffering from some health problems, including high blood pressure.

Ball was jailed for 36 weeks and ordered to pay 1,520 in compensation.

Description

Macaulay Brown has been sentenced to 11 years and 6 months behind bars after being found guilty of a number of sexual offences.

The 26-year-old, from Therfield near Royston, was arrested on October 18 2018, following an incident at an address in Hitchin.

The victim told officers she was awoken by Brown touching her and then raping her while he believed she was still asleep.

Another victim then came forward alleging that Brown had sexually assaulted her under similar circumstances at a house in Cambridge in December 2017.

The victim had spent the evening at her home address in Bassingbourn with a number of friends, one of them being Brown.

The victim went to bed and woke up to find Brown sexually assaulting her.

Brown denied both offences but was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, March 16.

He appeared for sentencing at Cambridge Crown Court this morning (April 25), where he was sentenced to 11 years and 6 months in prison.

Both Hertfordshire Constabulary and Cambridgeshire Constabulary have specially trained officers who, in the event of a sexual offence, will provide practical and emotional support throughout the investigation and court process.

Survivors of sexual violence can have confidence that the police and other partner agencies will support them throughout the investigation and criminal justice process.

DC Caroline Niwaz said: I hope Brown uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions, which have understandably had a lasting impact on his victims.

I would like to commend them for their bravery in coming forward and supporting a conviction.

I hope this prison sentence gives them some sense of closure and justice.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to police.

Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

Anyone in Hertfordshire who has experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence can contact the Herts Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) for practical and emotional support.

The centre can arrange face-to-face support, sexual health referrals, and provide forensic medical examinations for those who want them.

This service is open to everyone men, women and young people, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.

To contact Herts SARC, call the 24/7 helpline on 0808 178 4448, email, or visit Herts SARC.

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A FATHER with a compulsion to have sex with young girls has been jailed after being snared by a group of so-called paedophile hunters. Tony Jones, 55, of Southchurch Road, Southend was caught having sexualised conversations with an adult who was posing as a child. He was jailed at Basildon Crown Court yesterday. Prosecuting, Jose Olivares-Chandler, said: It started on January 10 this year, when a decoy was messaged by the defendant and it quickly descended into sexual communications. The girl identified herself as being 14 and he had also been speaking with a girl who identified herself as 12 in a sexualised manner online. On January 21 the police had a call from a decoy to say they had detained him at his home and police arrived and he was arrested after evidence was handed over to the officers. He had two previous convictions for abduction of a child aged 15 dating back to 2006. He gave her a mobile phone and arranged to remove her from foster care twice. Mitigating, David Baird, told the court Jones didnt know where his offending came from and suffers health issues. He said: He regrets what he did and is highly remorseful. Most of his chats online were with adults and not sexualised at all. There were no threats and no attempt to disguise his identity. There was no meeting and he did not travel to go and meet these people. The previous convictions are some time ago and hes lived with isolation, loneliness and even boredom in the pandemic lockdowns. He also lost his mother in November which would have impacted his behaviour. Sentencing Jones, Judge Samantha Cohen, said: This was aggressive, manipulative, deviant sexual behaviour and fortunately both of them were adults. You seek to minimise your actions in the presentence report by saying you are not sexually attracted to children, and this is self delusional and impossible to believe. Its clear to me you have a compulsion to have sex with young girls and you acted in a predatory manner. Jones admitted two counts of arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence and attempting to incite a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and five years on an extended licence.

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A SWINDON paedophile described as a monster for abusing friendships with women to sexually assault their young daughters and take indecent pictures of them has been jailed for 50 months. Prosecutor Anjal Gohil told Gloucester Crown Court Shaun Couling of The Green, Highworth, had become friendly wth a number of mothers in the Cotswolds town and that enabled him to get access to their daughters. The first victim was aged 11 and was the daughter of a woman friend and when he was in their home he got hold of the young girls breasts and bounced them up and down and warned her not to say anything to anybody, the prosecutor said. On the second occasion he put his hand down her pants and touched her private parts, but did not penetrate her. She knows that on that occasion Couling had been drinking and he accepted in his police interview that he had probably been inebriated at the time. The second victim was another girl who was photographed in the familys pool and had been wearing a white top that had become see-through. His photograph concentrated on the girls breasts and not her face. "On August 28 2021 Couling sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl who was another friends daughter. The girl expressed an unwillingness to spend time in his company, but eventually agreed. He plied her with gin while he stroked her legs in a sexual manner while they were sitting on a sofa together. This lasted for about half an hour and only stopped when the girls mother arrived home early. Couling basically abused the trust of his friends, the mothers of the young victims. He told both girls not to tell anybody about his sexual abuse with them. The court was told that following his arrest his digital devices were anaylised and Couling was found to be in possessing of large quantity of indecent images of children. There were 171 images of Category A (deemed the most severe), 237 category B and 1,070 images of category C. In a statement the mother of the 54-year-old's first victim said: My world has turned upside down. I didnt believe it at first. My emotions go from being angry to feeling utter gilt that I didnt protect my little girl. I hope to wake up from this nightmare soon. My home is not the sacred place it once was. Family times no longer happen as my daughter shuts herself in her room. I dont know what to say or do. I have felt so alone during this process. There appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. My daughter is brave, but she will not talk to me. I know deep down this situation is not my fault. Im scared she will go off the rails if she doesnt open up to somebody. The mother then spoke directly to her daughter and said: I am sorry I have let you down as a mother. I will always protect you. Im so sorry I let a monster come into our home. I will go to my grave blaming myself for what happened. The second victims mother said: I feel betrayed. This has caused me to question my own judgement in that as a mother I got it so wrong. "My daughter now has an obsession of locking all the doors and windows. She has also been suffering from nightmares. She still thinks that Couling placed cameras around the house. The third victims mother said she felt that she didnt protect her daughter enough in front of Couling and that her daughter has never worn the clothing that she wore in the pool after she was shown the photographs obtained from Coulings phone by the police. Joe Maloney defending said: You cant lock people up forever. Couling may have an interest in young girls, but he has admitted his guilt to these charges. He has listened to my legal advice that because of the strength of evidence he pleaded guilty, saving the young victims given evidence at his trial. He was acquitted by a jury in a trial of a similar nature a long time ago. This charge shouldnt be taken into account for this sentencing as he was found not guilty at this trial. Couling doesnt wish to minimise his offending and he accepts he will be receiving a custodial sentence today. He is embarrassed by what he has done. There are measures that can be imposed to stop this happening in the future. Judge Ian Lawrie QC interjected: Sometimes people are reluctant to concede their frailty. The court normally looks for somebody who recognises their wrong doing and is prepared to work with other bodies to make sure it never happens again. His pre-sentence report makes no acknowledgment of this. He has spent a lot of time minimising his involvement. The report is effectively an attempt at damage limitation. Couling pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault of a girl under 13 in the Cotswolds area, The sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl on August 28 2021. He also pleaded guilty to possessing 1478 indecent images of categories A, B and C. In sentencing Couling, Judge Lawrie pointed out that because he was acquitted of a very similar offence in Hampshire in the past that he must be considered of good character for this sentencing hearing. But he added that the alleged offence there was identical in every circumstance and therefore he considered the defendant as dangerous in the legal definition. Judge Lawrie told Couling: You have been before the courts before for a similar offending for which you were acquitted by a jury. As I have explained you are dangerous and your primary mitigation is that you pleaded guilty and that you didnt subject your victims in giving evidence at trial. "You need to be sentenced for a variety of sex offences. The pattern was the same in that you gained access to the girls because you were friends with their mothers. "One of the young victims gave an account of two sexual assaults while you were in the girls bedroom and touched her private parts. Even though she said no, you ignored her and carried on anyway. You also told her not to tell anybody about what had been going on. It is clear from the text on her phone that you wanted to take things further. Luckily that never happened as she told her father what you had done. I think you targeted both victims and exploited your arrangements with the girls parents. "You assaulted the second girl by plying her with gin in a bid to try and weaken her defences. It was clear what you were trying to do as you stroked the girls legs in a sexual manner for about half an hour. The girl felt pressured to take the gin and your activity only came to a halt because the girls mother arrived home early. Your explanation has little credit and you still fail to recognise what you did was wrong. Your actions showed signs of grooming. You still maintain you didnt take the picture of the semi-nude girl in the swimming pool on your phone. You didnt think it was inappropriate. I believe all your actions were because you have a fixation for young girls and were doing all this for your own sexual gratification. Despite your guilty pleas, you still have not confronted your offending. It is clear from the victim impact statement that both the victims are likely to suffer from long-term psychological impact. The judge sentenced Couling to a custodial term of four years and two months and extended his term on parole for an additional three years, which means he could be recalled to prison anytime until June 2029. Judge Lawrie concluded: I have extended the sentence because I believe you pose a risk to young children in the future. The judge placed Couling on the sex offenders register for life and made him subject to the terms of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. After the hearing, Detective Constable Ross Webb from the Gloucestershire Police Indecent Images Unit said: The sentencing of Shaun Couling is welcomed and shows how hard we work to bring justice for victims. It doesnt bring closure to his young but brave victims however it does allow them to close one door. Unfortunately they will never forget the horrible crimes that Couling subjected them to. I ask that that people respect the privacy and anonymity of Coulings victims and their families by not speculating about who they may be.

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Jack Bolton, of Dunston, is a former Boys' Brigade officer who has dozens of convictions for indecently assaulting young boys Serial paedophile Jack Bolton is back behind bars for ruining the life of another young boy by sexually abusing him. The depraved former Boys' Brigade officer has a sickening history of sex attacks on male children going back as far as the 1970s and was jailed for nine years in 2011 for 33 offences of indecent assault. Now the 79-year-old pervert, of Yetholm Road, Dunston, Gateshead, has admitted abusing a boy he groomed by offering to let him drive his car and sitting him on his knee around 30 years ago. The victim, now an adult, bravely came forward after keeping the abuse to himself and said it has had a devastating impact on his life. Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim recalled how Bolton used to sell eggs and would take him out in his car. Lee Fish, prosecuting, said: "He would ask the complainant if he wished to drive his car and would sit him on his knee to facilitate this. The prosecution say at this time he had a clear sexual interest in young boys. This was classic grooming behaviour. The defendant then sexually abused (him)." Bolton pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting the victim on the basis it happened no more than five times. He also admitted indecency with a child on the basis it happened no more than ten times. He was jailed for three years and four months. In a victim impact statement, he said: "Looking back I can see this has affected my entire life. The effect of telling people what happened to me has seeped into every aspect of my life. "I feel unclean and there's a stain that can't be washed off. Hopefully by letting him know how I feel I can start to get over this and leave him where he belongs, in the past, not affecting my future." Judge Tim Gittins said he was bound to follow the sentencing regime in place at the time of the offences, which is much lower than the modern day equivalent. He told Bolton: "(The victim) is now a survivor of your depraved behaviour. He has shown considerable courage coming forward in these circumstances when almost every aspect of his life has been subject to substantial damage because of what you did to him when he was a young boy." As well as the prison sentence, lifelong sex offender registration continues, as does a sexual offences prevention order. The court heard Bolton has 52 previous convictions, mainly for abusing young boys. In 1970 he was convicted of two counts of indecently assaulting boys. In 1992 he was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault and gross indecency. In 1995 he was sentenced for indecently assaulting a 12-year-old. In 1997 he was convicted of four indecent assaults on boys aged 12 and 14. In March 2011 he was jailed for nine years for 33 indecent assaults on boys. Annelise Haugstad, defending, said Bolton pleaded guilty and added that the offences happened over a short duration.

Description

Craig Richardson had already been jailed last year for targeting what he thought was a young girl online, but after his release he once again tried to meet young girls around Christmas.

Both the girls he thought he was meeting were actually paedophile hunters, groups set up online to snare paedophiles and report them to the police.

One of the groups confronted him at Castleford Bus Station as he attempted to meet a young girl who didn't exist.

Just before Christmas in 2021, he started a chat with a 'girl' going by the name of Nicky. She told him she was underage from the start of their conversation, prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told Leeds Crown Court.He asked for a photo of her, but then quickly began making sexual suggestions, including asking her for pictures of her on the toilet.

He arranged to meet her on January 3 but was confronted by members of Fighting Against the Evil, who livestreamed the sting before the police arrived.

Richardson, of School Street, Castleford, gave no comments during his police interview.

However, the 36-year-old had already been communicating with 13-year-old 'Lucy', a fake decoy profile posted by hunter group Hunted and Confronted UK.

Again he made sexual suggestions and asked her to send photographs. He was confronted by the group before being taken away by the police, but he also refused to comment during that interview.

The court was told Richardson has eight previous convictions for 12 offences. This included attempting to incite a child into sexual activity in 2017, and again in 2021 when he was jailed or 18 months and given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Held on remand at HMP Leeds, he appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link on Friday, where he admitted nine new charges relating to grooming youngsters over the internet, including counts of attempting to incite a child into sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual activity and breach of the sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Mitigating for Richardson, Jane Cooper said: "There's not a great deal for me to say. In terms of his personal mitigation, this is a defendant with learning difficulties. He is an isolated individual who became more isolated from his previous conviction."

Judge Tom Bayliss QC deemed that Richardson posed a serious risk of causing harm to children.

He said: "You went to Castleford Bus Station and I'm quite sure with the object of putting into practice what you were trying to arrange."

He gave him an eight-year sentence with an extended four-year licence period. He also gave him a SHPO of indeterminate length, limiting his internet use.

Description

A serial paedophile who lived in Watford has been handed a lengthy jail sentence for a string of historical sex offences. Colin McKissock, 70, had been found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault/indecency against a boy aged between 11 and 13 and two sexual assaults on a girl under 14. They were said to have happened at his Watford home in the 1990s. A disclosure was made to police by one of the victims in March 2018, after McKissock was jailed over separate child sexual offences committed against two females in Scotland during the 1980s. He denied the new allegations throughout but following a two-week trial was convicted in early February. McKissock, who now lives in Northampton, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday (April 11) to 16 years prison. He was also given two years additional licence, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Investigator Trevor Acors, who led the case, said: McKissock has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions and cruelly put his victims through a trial. Though nothing will ever make up for his despicable crimes, I am pleased with the sentence handed down. He also hailed the victims courage in coming forwards and having to relive their ordeals, as well as a previous victim for again providing evidence. Any sexual abuse victims have been urged to come forward, no matter how long ago the offences occurred. Officers can be contacted via 101 or on Herts Polices website.

Description

Repeat offender Michael Tyler, 37, was exposed by the paedophile hunter group after trying to lure his victim into sex whilst warning her not to tell anyone.

The Hayling Island predator sparked up a chat with the child online before the conversation quickly became sexual.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how the pervert sought to entice the child with compliments to achieve his own warped gratification during a two-week period in January.

Tyler sent the apparent girl an avalanche of crude pictures and videos of himself after the chats became increasingly sexualised as the conversation moved on to Whatsapp.

The court heard how Tyler told the girl she was beautiful and gorgeous before adding: This will be our secret.

Prosecutor Edward Hollingsworth said: The sexual communication carried on and he sent images of his penis and a video of himself (performing a sex act).

He said they should meet up and suggested visiting her or going to a hotel.

The court was told how Tyler attempted to gain the girls trust to achieve his ends. We dont have to have sex. I can touch and kiss you in places, he told the child.

Another video of himself performing a sex act was then sent before he added: You can touch if you want.

Tyler said he would be gentle and loving as he continued his bombardment to the child, who he encouraged to perform a sex act on herself.

He arranged to meet her on January 30 at Salisbury train station after the girl said she was house sitting nearby.

But when members of the paedophile hunters turned up Tyler was nowhere to be seen.

However, the paedophile was later doorstepped and confronted at his home in Westfield Avenue where he gave no comment responses.

Police were called before Tyler was arrested.

The court heard how Tyler was jailed in 2010 for like offending when he was snared by a decoy after trying to get a 14-year-old girl to perform a sex act on a webcam.

He went on to commit breaches to his sexual notification requirements in 2019, which he was given a suspended sentence for.

The court was told how Tyler had not gone to meet the girl.

Judge, Recorder Robin Sellers, said: Obviously you didnt go (to meet the girl) and had no plans to.

Highlighting the previous offending, the judge said: It is a recurrence of the same type of behaviour.

You put yourself out there not knowing who you were going to be talking to. You fell foul of the trap from the decoy.

Recorder Sellers highlighted Tylers history of non-compliance with court orders before adding: You are dangerous and present a significant risk to the public.

Tyler was then served a five-year jail term with a one-year extended sentence.

Tyler admitted four offences including attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to cause a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity.

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A Gloucester man who posed as a teenager to look for 'sexual fantasy' on social media was trapped by paedophile hunters, a court heard. Ian Guest, 45, of Painswick Road, Robinswood, has been handed a community order and placed on the sex offenders' register.

At Gloucester Crown Court on Friday (April 22), prosecutor Neil Treharne said that Guest's 'child victim' was in fact an adult posing as a teenager and was a volunteer with the Stand Together as One organisation, which sets up decoy accounts to snare paedophiles. The profile of 'Olivia' was accessed by Guest between February 6 and 11 last year and he was told at the outset that she was aged 14, the court was told. Guest told her he was 16.

"The first couple of messages were innocent enough, but it soon became clear to the 'girl' that he was not 16 and he was challenged about this and admitted that he was 42," said the prosecutor. "When he was asked why he lied about his age he said was just messing about.

"He then started to drop out of the conversations until he took on a new pseudonym as 'John', a 14-year-old, and claimed he was a friend of Guest. The 'girl' felt he was trying to manipulate the situation further."

Judge Ian Lawrie QC interjected: "This shows a degree of calculation in his actions." Mr Treharne said that the conversation as 'John' started going down the route of asking the girl for topless photographs of herself. "But the decoy called his bluff and the conversation soon tapered off," Mr Treharne added.

The organisation contacted Gloucestershire Police and Guest was arrested on February 26 last year. His phone was seized and analysed and was found to still have the text messages to the decoy on his device.

The court was told that in his police interview Guest admitted that he had lied to the decoy about his age and trying to get the girl to take pictures of her breasts. The court also heard that having been interviewed by police, Guest tried to open a similar Facebook account and because of this, he was going to be subjected to a sexual harm prevention order.

Barry White, defending, said: "Guest has been candid about what he has been doing and admitted his guilt. He has no previous convictions.

"He is a man who has limitations. However, he is in full-time employment and works in a warehouse, a job he has done for almost three decades and he operates within his difficulties. He has no issues with drink or drugs."

Judge Lawrie observed: "I question his maturity, despite him being aged 45. It is bizarre behaviour from this man and meeting up with a girl in this scenario is unlikely to become reality in this situation."

Mr White added: "This is not the standard type of case. He denies any sexual intent. He expects to be publicly humiliated over this which will prevent him from doing it again."

Guest pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl aged between 13 and 15 to engage in sexual activity, without penetration, between February 6 and 11, 2021. Judge Lawrie told Guest: "You are a man with a good character and I am impressed that you have held your job for a very long time. You have an understanding partner and mother.

"However, you indulged into another life, probably due to a lack of appreciation of the real world, where you exercised a degree of immaturity and indulged in an exercise of fantasy. Because of your issues, I believe you have learned a valuable lesson as you know this is wrong and you will not be repeating it."

The judge sentenced Guest to a 24-month community order which includes attending 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same time period. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 95.

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William Ormandy approached his victim as she went to get a taxi home from Liverpool Lime Street A vile man who raped an 18-year-old woman behind Liverpool Lime Street station was jailed after his "sickening" attack. William Ormandy, 31, approached and started talking to an 18-year-old woman just before 2am on Sunday, February 6 as she walked alone towards Liverpool Lime Street Station taxi rank. Ormandy said, youre gorgeous, and asked where she was going as he followed. A short while later he said, give me a kiss to which she told him no, he then grabbed her and tried to kiss her. Cheryl Mottram, prosecuting, at Liverpool Crown Court, said: "She told him she just wanted to get home, but he continued to follow her asking to go back to her house with her. She told him that she lived at home with her mum and told him she was only 18." The court heard how at just after 2am he pulled her into a service alleyway near the station and continued trying to kiss her as she pleaded for him to let her go. She decided to walk up to London Road to get to the next taxi rank, Ormandy then raped the victim and left the location. When she started to walk off he told her "come here" but she left the scene and he went in the opposite direction. Luckily three women came across the 18-year-old in a distressed state and she explained what happened. One of them refused to leave her and flagged down a taxi and took her home. A major investigation was then launched by BTP detectives to trace and arrest Ormandy. On Wednesday, February 16, Ormandy handed himself in at St Anne Police Station and was arrested on suspicion of rape. In interview, he stated he consensually kissed the victim three times and denied raping her. In a statement, the 18-year-old victim explained how she must take medication to sleep and described the impact of the rape. She said: "Since the incident l have not left the house unless I am accompanied by a family member. I dont like to be left alone. I need to know where my family are at all times, and I often sleep in same bed as my sisters. "There have been times that my mum has held me whilst I cry. I am awake at all times in the night having showers, washing myself. "The incident has had a devastating effect on my education. I had been aspiring to go to university, but I have failed all my university interviews. I had clear ambitions and dreams, now I dont know what the future holds for me." William John Ormandy, 31, of Derby Court, Church Road, Halewood, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video link on Friday, March 18 where he pleaded guilty to rape. This afternoon (April 25) Judge David Potter sentenced him to eight years and three months in prison and imposed an extended four year licence.. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. On handing down the sentence at Liverpool Crown Court, the judge said he was satisfied that Ormandy deliberately targeted a lone 18-year-old and isolated her, showing a significant degree of planning. The court heard Ormandy has 13 convictions for 29 previous offences including a history of violence against women. He was convicted last year of assaulting and harassing a former partner and was subject to a community order at the time of the rape. Sarah Holt, defending, said that Ormandy struggles to comprehend his behaviour and has no recollection. She added: He is ashamed of himself and says he is lost for words. Miss Holt said his family is devastated and does not condone his behaviour but will support him when he leaves jail. Judge Potter told Ormandy, his previous convictions reveal a worrying attitude that you have towards those you are involved within intimate relationships. You have a violent history against women. It was a persistent incident and force was used. The pre-sentence report demonstrates a lack of insight into your offending. Judge Potter said that he agreed with the probation officers view that Ormandy represents a high risk of harm specifically to women, known to him or strangers. Senior Investigating Officer in the case, Detective Inspector Granville Sellers, said: Despite claiming he didnt commit the offence in interview, Ormandy is undoubtedly an opportunist sexual predator that preyed on a vulnerable girl and subjected her to a sickening ordeal. He realised the net was closing in as my team worked round the clock to apprehend him and he subsequently handed himself in. "The physical and emotional impact his despicable crime has had on the victim cannot be underestimated. She showed incredible bravery to report his actions to us, and we continue to support her as Ormandy faces his adequately long stint behind bars. "While crimes like this are extremely rare on the railway, they will never be tolerated. I hope his quick journey between committing the abhorrent crime and being convicted serves as a stark warning to sexual predators we will catch you and promptly bring you to justice."

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A PAEDOPHILE who sexually abused a schoolgirl when she was aged between eight and 10 around 40 years ago has been jailed. Michael Patrick, 62, from Caerphilly, committed the offences when he was a young man twice his victims age. Cardiff Crown Court heard how the defendant had learning difficulties and was childlike and interacted with children as a result. Patrick, of Gwerna Crescent, Maesycwmmer, admitted one count of indecent assault and was convicted of another charge of indecent assault following a trial. The offences were committed between 1979 and 1982 in the Caerphilly county area. Ieuan Rees, representing Patrick, said this was a sad case in many ways. In mitigation he added how his client had led a very isolated life and had already served the equivalent of a seven-month prison sentence after being remanded in custody. Judge Catherine Richards told Patrick: I have to sentence you for two occasions when you sexually assaulted and abused a young girl aged eight to 10 years of age. The impact upon her is clear the impact of offending of this kind is lifelong. You were twice her age and even though she knew you were childlike in your ways, she also knew you were an adult and you were clearly making her do things that she had no way of understanding, processing or consenting to. She added: I have to take into account your own limitations as set out in the psychiatric and pre-sentence report as they affect your culpability with the result that this should be a lower starting point for you as compared to someone without your limitations. Your victim described you as a lot more childlike and you interacted with children as a result. The psychiatric assessment confirms in particular that you have an autism spectrum disorder and a prior diagnosis of learning disabilities as well as a schizoaffective personality disorder. The judge told the defendant he was not prepared for adult sexuality in a way that was necessary for those with your difficulties. Patrick was jailed for five years. He was told he will have to register as a sex offender for life and was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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A disgraceful child abuser preyed on a sleeping boy in a tent.

Michael Cullen, now 36, of Catherine Street, Widnes, faced justice on Monday at Liverpool Crown Court after jurors convicted him at trial on March 10 of one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child and one of incitement.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, said Cullen had displayed elements of planning and grooming behaviour before abusing the young teenager.

Judge David Swinnerton said that during the day before the offences, Cullen had indulged in behaviour of a type that were it to have happened between two people of the same age one might describe as flirtation.

This was namely spraying water at the boys groin, drawing a dog on his thigh, and stroking his leg with his foot.

He said Cullen had woken his victim while he was sleeping in a tent, touched him under clothes and coaxed the boy to do the same to him.

Cullens victim felt like he was having an anxiety attack and zipped his sleeping bag back up.

Mr Riding said the boy had provided two impact statements but did not want them to be read out in court.

Judge Swinnerton confirmed he had read them and the victim said the abuse had a significant impact on him, and the boy had struggled to sleep and his relationships had been affected.

Carmel Wilde, defending, said there had been no long-term grooming and no drink, drugs or luring, and although there was a disparity in age, she called it not a gross disparity - a claim later rejected by the judge.

She urged the judge to consider that Cullen had no previous convictions and showed willing to engage in the Horizon sex offender programme, adding he remained in denial.

Ms Wilde said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and said references had been submitted to the court describing positives in Cullens character, suggesting a suspended sentence with rehabilitation could serve the public interest.

She said there had been threats in connection with the case, including that Cullen would be killed if he was imprisoned.

Judge Swinnerton sentenced Cullen to three years in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register for life alongside a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order.

Branding the abuse disgraceful, he said: There was undoubtedly a significant disparity in your ages and there are elements of planning and grooming.

Cullen must also pay a statutory victim surcharge.