Latest Offenders

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A convicted sex offender who posed as a single mum looking for an au pair online has been sent back to prison.

Peter Smith was jailed in 2012 after trying to trying to abduct two women three months apart while armed with a knife, and sexually assaulting one of them.

The creep was put on the sex offender register, meaning he had to notify police of his details so he could be monitored.

But when officers visited his home in Braybrooke Road, Desborough, to check on him on March 15 this year they uncovered more disturbing activity.

Smith, 43, had created an alias on website aupair.com pretending to be a single mother called Alex who was looking for an au pair, before moving chats onto WhatsApp where he continued to pose as a woman.

He had also created a Facebook profile under the alias of Liam Smith and didn’t notify the authorities of the username.

This month he admitted two charges of failing to comply with notification requirements and was jailed for 12 months by magistrates.

Smith was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £187.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said: “Registered sex offenders are very closely monitored by our management of sexual or violent offenders team (MOSOVO).

“This means regular unannounced visits to the offender’s home to ensure they are abiding by all of their conditions. If they are not, we do not give second chances and all offences will be dealt with robustly.

“Our team work really hard every day to ensure sex offenders are rigorously managed and if any breaches are identified we are very swift in dealing with them.

“I hope this case is a lesson to other sex offenders that our processes will always find you out. And that you will be sent to prison as a result.”

Convicted sex offenders must register with police when they are convicted or released from prison, for a period specified when they are sentenced.

They must register details including their name and aliases, address, bank details, passport and whether they are live with a child, as well as renewing details annually.

Failing to comply is punishable by up to five years in prison.

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A man who had unknowingly been speaking to police when he was arranging to meet a child to rape has been jailed.

Joseph Hopkinson, aged 39, travelled by train from Leicester to Cheltenham in August 2022 intending to rape a 10-year-old.

He had in fact been communicating with specialist police officers who arrested him as he arrived at Cheltenham railway station on 17 August.

Hopkinson has been sentenced to seven years and two months for the offence.

He has has remained behind bars since his arrest.

The 39-year-old was also found to have cannabis on him and in his home when it was searched by Leicestershire Police.

Switched to guilty plea

The 39-year-old, of St James Road in Leicester, denied the offences and was due to stand trial at Exeter Crown Court on 13 February.

However, he changed his pleas to guilty on what was meant to be the first day of his trial.

At Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday he was jailed for seven years and two months for arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, namely the rape of a child under 13.

He was also sentenced to nine months for two drugs offences, to run concurrently.

'Significant harm'

Detective Inspector Simon Goodenough, from the child sexual exploitation and indecent images of children teams said: "Hopkinson has a clear sexual interest in children and was intent on causing them significant harm.

"He spent months communicating with the police operative about abhorrent things he was wanting to do to young children, and it was evident that he was planning to carry out his vile thoughts and ideas."

He added that police teams work "tirelessly" to pursue sexual predators who are intent on causing harm.

Officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) worked with Gloucestershire Constabulary's Indecent Images and Child Sexual Exploitation teams on the investigation.

Detective Inspector David Wells, from SWROCU's online investigations team, said: "There is no doubt Hopkinson posed a serious threat to children and the sentence handed to him reflects that."

Hopkinson has also been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for life and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A Northumbria University student has been sentenced to two years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman.

Daniel Theobald appeared in Teesside Crown Court last month after attacking a 19-year-old student on October 16th last year.

Theobald, 23, grabbed the woman on a footbridge near Camden Street, Shieldfield, in the early hours, knocking her to the floor before groping her breasts and body, Chronicle Live reports.

The woman then ran to her accommodation and notified security, who contacted the police.

The court heard how Theobald was walking home to Heaton after a night out with friends in Newcastle. His victim was also walking back to her student accommodation with a friend, before they parted ways at John Dobson Street and she began walking alone. It was then that Theobald attacked the student, despite unintentionally following her out of town.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said: “The defendant continued to follow her and the complainant was on her phone. She saw the defendant was behind her and was concerned she was being followed. The defendant was closing the gap between them.

“The defendant then grabbed her and put his hand around her waist, causing her to slip to the ground.”

The attack on the woman left her with psychological issues. In her victim statement, she said the attack made her depression and anxiety worse and was left with memories that left her feeling “paranoid and sick”. She also said she contemplated dropping out of university.

Theobald, of Burlington Gardens, Heaton, has no prior convictions. Rachel Hedworth, defending, said that Theobald had shown “utter, genuine remorse”, despite this attack being “horrendous” and “every girl’s nightmare”.

She said: “He was brought up in an incredibly loving, stable environment with close parents and siblings. Prior to this act, he has behaved in an exemplary way. He started to feel anxious and depressed at around 15 or 16 years old.”

Despite these feelings of depression at school, Theobald achieved A and A* grades as well as gaining a first class degree in history from Bristol University, where he also volunteered in a museum and was captain of a rugby team. He was said to have an “extremely hard work ethic”.

The court heard that Theobold worked in a marketing agency before moving back to Newcastle. The breakdown of a relationship and the death of his grandmother led to him drinking alcohol frequently. Ms. Hedworth said Theobald, who has autistic spectrum disorder, had “no proper recollection for what he did. It completely sickens him what took place.”

Judge Howard Crownson called the attack “moderately violent” and of causing “severe psychological harm” to the victim. He sentenced Theobald to two years in prison and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

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A "predatory" paedophile is to be released after serving just half of a 15 year jail sentence. David Walker was just a teenager when he started to abuse young children and in 2015 was jailed for a string of historic attacks spanning two decades.

The mother of one of his victim's said today she was "disgusted" at the decision to release him. Walker entered the bedroom of his first victim, a boy, while he was asleep before restraining and raping him. The Manchester Evening News understands that Walker will be released within the next few months.

The mother said: "My child was so badly affected she moved away from Greater Manchester - in a way I kind of lost her and my grandchildren. Walker's crimes also badly hit my mental health. I think it is digusting that he is being allowed out after serving just half of his sentence. My daughter was traumatised when she got the letter from a victim liaison officer to say he was coming out.

"I attended Walker's sentencing and the judge commented he would have got more than 15 years but they took into account his ill health."

Walker's attacks were repeated over the course of several weeks and he also attacked another boy during this period. In another attack years later during the 1990s, Walker, of Foxfield Road, Manchester, indecently assaulted a young girl.

A hearing at Manchester Crown Court heard that he went on to abuse and rape a girl in her bed. One of the children was aged as young as three years old when the abuse happened.

During the hearing one of his traumatised victims described how what had happened to him at the hands of pervert Walker had torn his life apart, making him unable to trust people and driving him into a life of drink, drugs and gangs.

Walker was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of seven sexual offences - including rape and indecent assault. At the time of his sentencing police praised his victims for their courage in helping them put him behind bars.

Detective Constable Susan Hazell said: David Walker has left these poor victims with traumatising memories which will unfortunately last a lifetime. He is a predatory paedophile, attacking when the opportunity arose, when these poor children were unfortunate enough to have been in the same house as him as they slept.

One of the men has admitted that this abuse has dramatically changed his life for the worst, leaving him with mental health issues which have led him down a self-destructive path

DC Hazell said:That is the effect this type of abuse has on these victims, it can destroy lives and leaves a devastating legacy which many find hard to free themselves from.

This conviction only came about after they were brave enough to come forward to police and share their ordeals.I want the public to know that if they were victims of similar abuse in the past, no matter how long ago it was, that they can rely on the police to listen, understand and investigate to the fullest extent.

They will be believed, they will be supported and they can trust that we will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrators of this abuse to justice.

In a statement the Ministry of Justice said: Our Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act introduced tougher sentences for serious sexual offenders and ended their automatic halfway release.

As with all sex offenders, David Walker will be closely monitored by the police and Probation Service, face some of the strictest licence conditions and can be returned to prison for any breaches.

As Walker was sentenced before changes introduced in the new law he was eligible to be released after serving just half of his sentence.

The MOJ added in a further statement: "Sentencing decisions are made by the independent judiciary. Since 2010 average sentence lengths have risen almost every year and convictions increased by 17% between 2020 and 2021.

"The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (PCSC) 2022 introduced tougher sentences for the worst offenders and ended the automatic halfway release for serious crimes. The PCSC Act will also further strengthen the management of sex offenders and those who pose a risk to women and girls; including by enabling positive obligations to be imposed, for example, requiring an individual to engage in a behaviour change programme.

"All registered sex offenders are managed by MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) which ensures they are managed robustly by the Probation Service and the Police. MAPPA monitoring allows for greater information sharing between agencies and more robust monitoring of offenders.

"Sex offenders released from prison are managed on strict licences which can include conditions to protect the victims families from unwanted contact such as exclusion zones, to reside at an Approved Premises, to abide by a curfew and GPS tagging.

"They will also be subject to supervision which means attending meetings with a probation practitioner. They are also required to tell their probation officer if they change their name."

Description

A convicted sex offender has escaped prison despite carrying out yet another attack.

29-year-old Jason Collins was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Marlborough following a trial held at Swindon Magistrates’ Court in January.

At a sentencing hearing in March, prosecutor Keith Ballinger said that the defendant squeezed the victim’s bottom following a verbal altercation in September 2021.

The woman – who knew Collins through family – responded by shouting: “Don’t touch my f**king bum” and police were called to the scene.

In a victim personal statement, she said that she had left her hometown as a result of the incident and now suffers from depression and anxiety, which has put a strain on her relationship.

She spoke about the assault having an impact on her eating – stating that she doesn’t eat for days or weeks at a time due to feeling disgusted with her body.

The court heard how, in January 2021, he was convicted of sexual assault and received a suspended prison sentence. Already a registered sex offender at the time of that attack, he was also prosecuted for a breach of the sex offender notification requirements.

Mr Jones, defending, said that Collins “still maintains that he did not engage in this activity at all”.

He added that this allegation is very different from his previous offending, but accepted that Collins has “a significant history of sexual offences”.

Mr Jones added that his client – who suffered a “very traumatic childhood” – has made “significant progress” over recent years. He said he had stopped drinking, is learning to drive and looking for work.

Magistrates accepted that his behaviour has improved since the date of the incident and imposed a 36-month community order. He must pay £200 costs and a £95 surcharge.

Collins, of Avro Close, Upavon, must register as a sex offender for five years. This will run concurrently with any existing registration. A 12-month restraining order was also imposed.

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A MAN from Salisbury has been jailed after pleading guilty to multiple child sex offences. 

John Devine, 52, is a registered sex offender and was on prison licence and living in Salisbury at the time of the offences was sentenced this week after pleading guilty to multiple offences which included:

• Make indecent images of a child (category A)
• Make indecent images of a child (category B)
• Make indecent images of a child (category C)
• Distribute an indecent image of a child (category A)
• Distribute an indecent image of a child (category C)
• Attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child
• Attempt to cause a child to engage in penetrative sexual activity
• Attempt to cause a child to look at an image of sexual activity

Devine engaged online with a profile of a user who he believed to be a 12-year-old boy between September 2, 2021, and October 1, 2021.

The conversation was of a sexual nature and he encouraged the child to carry out a sexual act. 

The investigation into Devine was run in conjunction with the Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit in South Wales, and there was no real-life victim. 

No children had been abused. 

Following Devine's arrest, devices were seized from his property and more than 600 images along with videos of category A indecent images of children were located. 

The images were of the most serious abuse of children. 

In addition to the 12-year prison sentence, Devine must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Det Con Sadie McCoy, of the Wiltshire Police Child Internet Exploitation Team, said: “Despite being on licence at the time of these offences, Devine has continued to offend. He is a risk to society and I am pleased the serious nature of his offending has been recognised and he has been given a lengthy prison sentence.

“I hope this investigation demonstrates Wiltshire Police's commitment to rooting out serious offenders like Devine within our community and ensuring they are put before the courts. We would encourage anybody who wishes to report child sex abuse of any nature to come forward and contact us – you will be supported by a team of professionals whose role it is to protect children from harm.”

Det Insp Mathew Davies, of TARIAN ROCU, said: “It is our absolute priority to protect and keep children safe in our communities.  Law enforcement operates across the internet and we will relentlessly seek to bring to justice offenders who use the web to facilitate the abuse of children. We are committed to combating child sexual abuse, safeguarding children and bringing those offenders who seek to abuse children to justice.

"If anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, I urge you to report it to your local police force via 101. We will always follow up on allegations of abuse, no matter when they occurred. Victims can talk in confidence to experienced investigators and we can also help them get access to a range of other support services.

"If you have concerns about your use of the internet or inappropriate thoughts or behaviour about children or if you are worried about how someone you know behaves around children or are worried about their use of the internet then the Lucy Faithfull Foundation provide a free, anonymous and confidential Stop It Now! Helpline on 0808 1000 900 for advice, support and information.”

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A Cheshire vicar and a woman he was having an affair with have been jailed for sexually abusing a child. Stephen Clapham, 61, was vicar at All Saints Church in Crewe and later in Church Lawton when he abused the child with Sally Shaw, 52, of Crewe.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the pair began an affair in 2016 when Clapham, of Middlewich, was vicar at All Saints Church in Crewe, and the affair continued when he moved to All Saints in Church Lawton. Clapham and Shaw engaged in sexual activity in the presence of a child, then incited the child to become involved in their sexual activity.

Indecent photographs of the child were also taken by Shaw and distributed to Clapham. The abuse came to light when the child made disclosures to staff at school.

In 2021 both Clapham and Shaw were arrested. Clapham largely gave no comment interviews, aside from commenting on the indecent photographs, though Shaw made full admissions.

Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced yesterday (April 20) to four years in prison each. Clapham and Shaw will stay on the sex offenders’ register for life.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also ordered by the Court and will also be in place for life. Restraining orders against Shaw and Clapham were also imposed in order to protect the victim.

A statement from the Diocese of Chester reads: "Upon receiving information about these matters in October 2021, the Bishop of Chester suspended the Revd Steve Clapham from all ministerial positions, including as Vicar of All Saints’ Church, Church Lawton; Rural Dean of Congleton; and Diocesan Ecumenical Officer in the Diocese of Chester. Steve Clapham later resigned from these roles."

Senior Crown Prosecutor Sarah Egan said: “Clapham was a vicar and held a position of trust and authority in the local community. He has abused that trust.

"These two people have put their own warped sexual interests above that of the welfare of the victim. This behaviour is completely inexcusable, but they have now been brought to justice.

“Their guilty pleas have avoided a trial, which is a positive outcome for the victim, and both have demonstrated remorse for their actions. The victim has shown immense strength and courage in coming forward to report this sexual abuse.

"We hope the conclusion of this case allows the victim to move forward and look to the future. We would like to thank the victim, witnesses, and the police and prosecution team for all their assistance and support in this matter.

“We would like to remind the public that offences of this nature are taken extremely seriously, and will be prosecuted were the tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met. We would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime to come forward."

Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Mark Tanner, said: “My thoughts and prayers are with all who have been traumatised by these events, especially the victim of Steve Clapham’s actions. Their bravery and strength of character have helped to convict a perpetrator of child sexual abuse.

“I cannot begin to express my shame and anger for the betrayal and pain that this young person has endured. I am sincerely sorry for what they have experienced and continue to live through.

“I would like to express my gratitude to the police and all who have worked to bring justice in this case, including our own safeguarding team. It is essential that those suffering harm know that they can ask for help and that they will be taken seriously.

“Everyone has the right to expect the highest levels of integrity and character from clergy in the Diocese of Chester. The Diocese of Chester is committed to fostering a safeguarding culture where all forms of church-related abuse are identified, reported, and addressed promptly and decisively.”

Detective Constable Laura Bradshaw of Cheshire Police said: “Firstly, I would like to praise the courage that the victim has shown throughout this case. Clapham held a position of trust and he took advantage of his standing in the parish and abused the trust of his parishioners by committing these crimes.

“Thankfully, as a result of the bravery shown by the victim, Clapham has now been held accountable and both he and Shaw are now behind bars. I hope this conviction encourages others to come forward if they have been subjected to abuse no matter how long ago. We do listen and we will support you whether that’s in going to court or in finding the appropriate services to assist you.

“Whilst the victim will never be able to forget about what happened, I hope the fact that Clapham and Shaw are now in prison and facing the consequences of their actions will provide the victim with some closure and enable them to begin to move forward with their lives."

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A man who "preyed" on a 13-year-old girl's "vulnerability" before grooming and sexually abusing her has been jailed.

Scott Watson, of Town Square, Basildon, first met the victim outside a shop in Peterborough, on January 25 last year and they began talking.

The 27-year-old asked her age to which she told him she was 13. Cambridgeshire Police say he then began to compliment her body and the two exchanged phone numbers.

They met up again later that day and after this, Watson began communicating with her through Snapchat, WhatsApp and text messages and made numerous requests to meet him and perform sexual acts on each other.

The force says he also asked the victim to send him explicit photos.

In their messages, Watson made it clear he knew she was 13.

They once again met up on April 19 and visited several locations where Watson gave her alcohol and cannabis as well as another substance which made her unconscious.

Watson also asked her to have sex with him to which she refused.

On March 9, at Cambridge Crown Court, Watson was jailed for three years and four months, having admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual communication with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Watson was also given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offender’s Register.

DS Rebecca Welberry said: “Scott Watson shamefully preyed on the victim’s vulnerability to groom and abuse her.

“We will always support the strongest possible action for those who abuse children so I am pleased Watson is now behind bars.”

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A 28-year-old registered sex offender from Colchester who breached the terms of a suspended prison sentence order a few weeks after it was made has been jailed for 26 months.

Michael Vinson was given a two year jail term suspended for two years on June 16 last year after he had conversations over a period of a month with an undercover police officer who said he had two nieces aged seven and ten.

During their communication on the Kik messaging and chat app Vinson had said what he was interested in doing sexually and had asked for pictures and for the children’s underwear, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

However, the court heard there was no evidence Vinson had got on a train or bought a train ticket to meet the fictitious girls and he had also made an excuse to the undercover officer about why he couldn’t go to meet them.

Vinson, of Axial Close, Colchester, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court last year to attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence in 2021.

He also admitted possessing two extreme pornographic still images and four videos depicting a person performing sex acts with an animal.

He was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to 200 hours unpaid work.

He was also given a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to take part in a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

On Thursday (April 20) Vinson admitted breaching the suspended sentence order by breaching the sexual harm prevention order and the sex offenders’ registration requirements by staying with a couple and their five-year-old daughter in Yorkshire between July 20-23 last year without telling them he was a registered sex offender and failing to notify the police of a change in his address after he’d been there for more than 12 hours.

Richard Kelly for Vinson said his client had become a social pariah since details of his court appearance last year were published last year and his mental health had deteriorated.

He said the impact of a prison sentence on Vinson would be significant.

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A Plymouth man has been jailed for 11 and a half years after he admitted a slew of of charges including sexual assault of a child. Peter Turner, originally of St Michael Avenue, Keyham, but now from Ringwood in Dorset, admitted the sexual assault on a girl aged under 13 which happened during 2020.

He also pleaded guilty to taking Category A - the most serious - images of a child, namely filming the sexual assault. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism and a further sexual assault of a child under the age of 14.

Turner, 39, also pleaded guilty to taking indecent images of a child in March 2021, and three further counts of taking indecent images of a child in 2021. Having been remanded into custody following a hearing at Plymouth Crown Court last month where he pleaded guilty to nine charges, Turner was jailed by a judge at Plymouth Crown Court on Thursday.

At his sentencing, Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Mary McCarthy explained that Turner had filmed the digital penetration of the child - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - on his mobile phone. Interrogation of the phone by investigators also revealed he had made searches for specific types of imagery related to the sexual abuse of children.

The court was told that after the girl revealed the abuse she had suffered, she told police she was warned by Turner that if she said anything "she would be taken away". The girl's mother, in a victim impact statement, wrote how the girl was "terrified of police" when they came to her home "because she was afraid that they would take her away because of what [Turner] had told her".

Speaking of her daughter, she said Turner "stole her innocence" and they had to install extra locks on the windows and doors "to help her feel safe".

Ms McCarthy noted that Turner had no previous convictions and told police he was under the influence of cocaine at the time. In mitigation, his advocate said his client had been hard working, covering a range of jobs from building tennis courts, working as a DJ and working as a chef. Judge Robert Linford, after retiring to consider his sentencing, returned to remind Turner he pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial.

He told Turner: "These offences were absolutely abhorrent to all right thinking members of society", before reminding the 39-year-old that he initially denied them, resulting in the girl having to give evidence and be cross-examined in court. His late guilty plea did, at least, save others from giving evidence, Judge Linford noted.

Turner was told that he was an offender of particular concern due to the digital penetration of the girl and as such he would serve two thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole and would be subject to a one year licence.

He agreed Turner did deserve "minor credit" for his guilty plea, granting a five percent reduction in the total sentence. Taking into account the aggravating and mitigating factors he passed a total sentence of 11 and a half years with an additional one year licence period, minus time served. He also ordered Turner to be made subject of a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A County Durham dad has been put behind bars for carrying out the late night rape of a woman in Gateshead.

Jamie Plews carried out the serious offence against a woman and left her with confidence issues and battling night-terrors. Following the rape, a court heard Plews went on to attempt suicide after taking an overdose of tablets and was arrested after concerned members of the public saw him in the area of a viaduct.

Plews, of Crook, County Durham, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for rape. He had pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court heard that the victim was raped by Plews late at night. Prosecutor, Daniel Penman, said that the woman "pushed" Plews away and told him to stop, but he "ignored her request" and continued. Mr Penman said the terrified woman had a "panic attack" as Plews left the scene.

Days later, concerned members of the public contacted police after Plews was seen at a viaduct. When police arrived, he told them he was there to "chill" rather than commit suicide but admitted carrying out a rape. He was then arrested and placed in a van where he became ill and informed officers he'd taken an overdose of paracetamol.

In a victim statement, the woman said she had "lost all confidence" and frequently suffers from night-terrors and panic attacks following the rape.

Sue Hirst, defending, said Plews, 29, had no previous convictions and is "genuinely devastated by what he's done and the hurt he's caused". She said Plews is a "devoted father" who said his intention was to take his own life when he travelled to the viaduct after taking a "significant quantity of tablets".

Ms Hirst added Plews made a "terrible mistake that he deeply regrets" and was someone who was a "hard working individual" with a strong work ethic.

Sentencing Plews, Recorder David Gordon said he had "expressed genuine remorse" and jailed him for three years and nine months. He will be on the sex offender's register indefinitely and an indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

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A Kettering paedophile who subjected a young girl to sickening sexual assaults has been jailed for almost 10 years.

Raymond Wykes carried out what was described as a campaign of abuse against his victim until she courageously revealed what had happened.

Yesterday a judge said she would be scarred for life by the actions of 46-year-old Wykes, who had claimed he was not sexually attracted to children.

Northampton Crown Court heard the delivery driver, of Headlands, was arrested in May last year after the sexual assaults were reported to police and that he made partial admissions when interviewed.

Prosecutor James Keeley said: "He stated that he got no sexual gratification from it...and was not sexually attracted to children."

Wykes later admitted 12 child sex offences, with the most serious being assaulting a child under the age of 13 by penetration.

Mr Keeley said the incidents had caused the victim severe psychological harm and read an impact statement from her, where she described suffering from depression, stress and anxiety.

Mitigating, Laura Blackband said Wykes, who had no previous convictions, deserved credit for his guilty pleas and that he had expressed real remorse for his actions.

She said: "He is someone who is willing to engage with professional insight."

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo said Wykes had distorted attitudes and described some of his behaviour as chilling.

He said: "It has led to psychological harm that will scar her (the victim) for life."

Wykes was jailed for nine years and five months with an additional one year on licence.

He will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison before he will be eligible for parole. Wykes will also be on the sex offender register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

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A Nottinghamshire teacher who shared sick child porn with other paedophiles and pretended to be a 13-year-old while chatting with them on social media has been locked up.

When police seized Stuart Street's iphone on October 12, 2021, 'he suggested, rather weakly, that it might have been hacked,' said Mark Achurch, prosecuting.

Analysis revealed images and videos of girls, aged between eight and 12, along with prohibited drawings of girls engaged in sexual activity.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he took on the persona of a 13-year-old child in online chats and 'expressed the view - whether in character or not - that he would like to have sex with a child'.

On June 19 he sent category A movies and category C images to one user, and between March and October, 2021, he shared 14 items with seven different correspondents.

Matthew Smith, mitigating, said Street, of previous good character, initially denied the charges but changed his pleas in October last year and there was no need for a trial.

"Not only has he lost his good character he has lost his career," he said. "He has had to start again. To his credit he has got a job in the engineering field."

Mr Smith said Street has begun rehabilitation courses with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

"He recognises, albeit at a late stage, the trauma caused by these images," he said. "He has described it as a huge mistake."

Street, aged 26, of Mansfield Road, Edingley, near Southwell, admitted possessing and distributing category A and C images, and possessing prohibited and extreme pornography.

Recorder Stuart Sprawson told him: You engaged with others who had a mutual and similar interest in indecent images.

"You encouraged them to spread them among the community that engages in this type of criminal activity.

But for your arrest your offending may well have continued. Your career as a teacher should have brought into focus the seriousness of you offending.

The judge said that in a pre-sentence report Street denied deriving sexual gratification from the images, but he asked others for their experience and knowledge.

On Thursday, Street received a 17-month prison sentence. He was also made the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

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A man from Cheltenham has been sentenced to 16 year in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing two young boys.

Craig Sykes, a 46-year-old resident of Cromwell Road, Oakley, was accused of several serious crimes against children, including sexual assault of a child under 13, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, oral rape of a child, indecent assault of a 13-year-old child, and child cruelty by willfully assaulting a boy between 1995 and 2005.

Despite denying the allegations, he was convicted by a jury on six counts last month. Following a trial that lasted five days, two other charges were dropped.

Detective Constable James Coll said: “This has been an emotional case and this sentence shows that we will not stand for the despicable crimes against children that Sykes committed.

"I would like to commend the victims for the courage and strength they have shown throughout this case. Their bravery in coming forward and seeing this through has helped put Sykes behind bars for a long time.

"We would encourage anyone that has been subject to sexual violence and rape to come forward, no matter how long ago it had happened, as Gloucestershire Constabulary will continually work tirelessly to ensure that victims of sexual offences are heard.

"Under UK law, victims of rape and sexual assault are granted full anonymity. We ask that no comments are made which would identify the victims in this case."

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A double rapist repaid the kindness of a stranger who invited him back to her Derby home by carrying out what a judge called “a campaign of sexual violence” on her over the next few days. Derby Crown Court heard how, on one occasion, Nathan Cole’s terrified victim was too frightened to call out in pain as her teenage grandson was asleep at the property.

At the time he was on bail for raping a previous victim just two months earlier, after she had let him stay on her sofa. In heartbreaking victim impact statements read to the court, both women told how they have attempted to take their own lives as a result of the horrific ordeals the 32-year-old subjected them to. And Cole stormed out of the video-link room at HMP Nottingham before finding out his fate. Shockingly, he still denies his brutal inhuman crimes.

Handing him a 20-year prison sentence in his absence, Recorder Simon King said: “He abused (the first victim) in possibly the most fundamental way in that he raped her and continues to deny that he did so. But the jury had no difficulty in convicting him and in my view he was very well aware of what he had done.

“(The second victim) took pity on him, believing he was homeless, invited him back to her home where she lived alone and she now regrets that extremely because what happened was he carried out a campaign of sexual violence and rape. She had invited a stranger into her own home and he abused her kindness.”

Stephen Kemp, prosecuting, said the first rape took place at the victim’s flat in Spondon in January last year. He said she had invited the defendant to stay over on the sofa but he entered her room, got into her bad and raped her.

The prosecutor said: “She describes how afterwards he was saying ‘what have I done?’ before asking her not to tell anyone. She called the police and he was arrested. When he was arrested he was heard to say ‘I am disgusting, I deserve to die’.”

In a victim impact statement she said: “I was screaming and begging for (him) to stop but (he) carried on. I don’t feel like the same person anymore, every time I shower I scrub and scrub myself because I feel dirty.”

Mr Kemp said two months later, while on bail, Cole and the second victim started talking in the smoking area outside accident and emergency at the Royal Derby Hospital and he told her he was homeless. He said she felt sorry for him and so invited him to stay overnight at her home.

The prosecutor said that night he raped her in her bed and then raped her twice more over the next two days. Mr Kemp said: “She told the defendant ‘no’ but she did not want to scream or shout as she did not want to wake her grandson and for him to find out what was happening to her. One one occasion he also bit her breasts and neck.”

In her victim impact statement, that woman, a mother and grandmother from Derby, told how she has tried to take her own life as a result of what happened to her. She said: “I was just trying to help him but this is what he did to me. I now feel like I live in a black hole. I have started drinking more to take away the memory of what happened to me. I cannot cope any more.”

Cole, of Stenson Road, denied any of the sexual activity happened and took his case to trial meaning both victims had to relive their ordeals giving evidence. A jury found him guilty of a number of counts of rape.

Roger Wilson, mitigating, said his client had never been in trouble for sexual offences before and had partly grown up in care.

Cole’s 20-year sentence is made up of 15 years custody plus a five-year extended sentence for dangerousness. It means he will not be eligible to apply for parole until two-thirds of the way through the custodial element, a period of 10 years.

Recorder King also handed the defendant a restraining order not to contact the first victim until further order and placed him on the sex offender register for life.