Latest Offenders

Description

A COURT has heard how a woman felt violated after waking up to find she was being sexually assaulted while asleep.

Louis Griffiths was found preying on the victim after they met just hours earlier on a night out in the town centre.

The 21-year-old was repeatedly told that there was no romantic inclination between them as she turned down his advances.

But he failed to take note and was later charged with sexual assault, to which he pleaded guilty on the day of his trial.

The case was outlined at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, July 19, by prosecutor Kenneth Grant who informed the court how the complainant was in the town centre with friends on a night out.

They left a bar at around 3am ‘having had a good time and a few drinks’, it was said, before heading to a pizza takeaway nearby.

Here, they met the defendant, where after a chat it was decided they would head back to a pub in which Griffiths lived on Wilderspool Causeway.

The group agreed and they had more drinks and played pool when they got there.

During the hours that followed, the court heard that the defendant tried to flirt with the women, tried to kiss them and invited the victim upstairs alone with him.

He was turned down however, and it was said that that none of the women were interested in him romantically, which they made clear to him.

At around 6am, they all went upstairs to sleep in a spare room, with the victim falling asleep fully clothed and partially covered by a blanket.

She woke however feeling a wet sensation to her genital area, and when she looked down she saw the defendant with his head between her legs and her underwear removed.

She shouted ‘what are you doing’ to him, which woke up the others. Griffiths then became aggressive and smashed a mirror in the room, causing a cut to his own hand.

Before everyone left, the defendant began to cry and apologise to the victim, who reported what had happened to the police.

Griffiths was arrested on June 14 and interviewed, where he tried to cover his actions with a made-up account, which has since been abandoned after he accepted the true facts of the case.

In an impact statement, the victim said she did not want to leave home or talk to anyone after what had happened and felt ‘uncomfortable in her own skin’ and ashamed.

Thinking about it made her feel ‘upset, isolated and violated’, and she said: “I refused to go out and put myself in a situation where I got tipsy where a predator could attack me.”

“I am shocked that this man thought he had the right to assault me. I cannot imagine what could have happened had I not woken up.”

Mitigating on behalf of his client, Stephen McNally spoke of how Griffiths had a ‘lack of maturity for his age’ at the time and how his actions were ‘out of character’ for someone with no previous convictions.

It was added that he is ‘genuinely remorseful’, wishes to apologise the victim, does not drink as much as he used to, is now in a long-term relationship and has not reoffended since.

Mr McNally called for a suspended sentence, but this was rejected by recorder Richard Pratt who said: “She was asleep and extremely vulnerable when you assaulted her.

“I accept that you were 19 at the time and immature, but in my view you are, and were, old enough to understand the seriousness of your actions.”

He concluded: “It would send out completely the wrong message to the victim and the public if I imposed anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.”

Griffiths was sentenced to 12 months in prison and must abide by sex offender registration and notification requirements for the next 10 years.

Description

A sick pervert was found with a horrific stash of more than 10,000 of the most serious indecent images of children - where some of the victims were just babies.

First-time sex offender George Jeffries has been locked up for 15 months after he was found with more than 35,000 indecent images of children and five videos - which showed a sex act being performed with a dog.

Teesside Crown Court heard how some of the videos were an hour long and include vulnerable children and even babies.

Jeffries, 50, was found by police at his Stockton home after his IP address was flagged as having downloaded indecent images of children. When officers arrived, Jeffries had been asleep on the sofa, with his laptop open and downloading files with titles which suggested child abuse.

Uzma Khan, prosecuting, said: "The officer stopped the download and shut down the laptop. There was no one else in the address. The defendant appeared to live alone."

The images and videos downloaded dated back to 2019 when officers attended his home in November 2021. "There were a number of videos that were over an hour in length," Ms Khan added.

Recorder Jamie Hill said the images were described as "the worse possible type in category A". Jeffries has 13 previous convictions for 36 offences dating back to 1987 but he's been out of trouble with the court for 23 years.

Dr Chris Wood, mitigating, said: "Clearly the report suggests he is a man who thinks well in terms of currency and finances. He doesn't have a lifestyle with issues with drugs and alcohol that can cause an inability to comply."

"It's unusual for a man who is 50 not to have anything [on his record] of this nature before... to go from nothing to this is a considerable leap."

The court heard how Jeffries had been in prison since May when he failed to attended the crown court. "He has had a taste of what prison life is like," added Dr Wood.

Jeffries admitted three counts of making indecent images of children after he was found with:

• 20,220 category C images,
• 5,303 category B images,
• 10,308 category A images - the most serious.

He also admitted possessing an extreme pornographic image - namely five videos which portrayed a sex act on a dog "which was grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene".

"People who indulge in the sort of behaviour you did over the period of two years are providing a market there for those who commit child abuse physically and seek to profit from it," said Recorder Hill.

He outlined that some of the children in the images were very young, including babies.

Jeffries, of Skinner Street, Stockton, was jailed for 15 months. He has also been made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be on the Sex Offender's Register for a decade.

Description

A man who breached a sexual harm prevention order by assisting families with young children at a fairground ride has been jailed for nine months.

Richard Mason, 35, pleaded guilty to the breach and to obstructing a police officer at a hearing on May 9.

Mason, of Church Terrace, Darwen, was not to have any contact with children under the age of 18 per the terms of his order, which was amended to include that restriction in 2019.

This was the sixth time Mason had breached the order, originally imposed following a conviction for sexual offences in 2005.

Prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, Beth Pilling said: “Police received an anonymous phone call on April 8 this year informing them the defendant was working at Witton Park in Blackburn.

“They attended at around 4.15pm and observed him working on one of the rides for around 13 minutes, seating families and locking the overhead equipment into place.

“On speaking to him, he informed the police he was going home. He collected his items from by the ticket stall and walked off.”

The police decided to take Mason to one side to speak to him, but he pushed an officer’s arm away and ran off. He was located an hour later on a nearby street.

He informed officers he was only there to go on the rides and that he had not been working there, just assisting a friend who was working.

Mitigating, Holly Nelson said Mason maintains he was not paid to be there and he attended the fairground to meet a friend working there who had asked for help.

“He should not have been doing it and he accepts that,” Ms Nelson added.

Sentencing, Recorder David Temkin said: “On April 8 this year police were anonymously called to say you were working at a funfair in Witton Park.

“You were observed for a little under a quarter of an hour assisting your friend. You certainly assisted and operated machinery.

“What you did brought you into contact with families, including children, in direct contradiction to your Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and you knew it.

“Police officers viewed some families had young children appearing to be under 13. One police officer saw you lifting a seven-year-old child into a carriage.

“You told the police officers you were only there to go on some rides. That was patently untrue.”

Passing sentence, Recorder Temkin said Mason presented a risk and a danger to the public and an appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.

Mason was sentenced to nine months in prison, with no separate penalty for the obstruction of an officer.

Description

Former teacher Richard Cosburn has been sentenced to a minimum of 12 years for multiple sexual offences against children at Norwich Crown Court today (19 July 2023).

Cosburn, 56, from Mill Road in Great Yarmouth, admitted a total of 23 sex offences against four child victims including multiple rapes against children with the offences dating back to the early 2000s against victims aged 16 and under.

A statement from one of his victim’s, read in court by a police officer, said: “Sometimes I find myself closing my eyes to pretend this is all just a bad dream but the feelings of anxiety never go away …my willingness to try and forgive and forget has gone. I will never be able to forgive what he has done.”

Cosburn is believed to have previously worked at schools in Bromley, Bradwell, Gorleston and Great Yarmouth areas. His offending was not linked to his work.

Cosburn, who pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing, was originally arrested by the Metropolitan police in Bromley in October 2020. This followed reports he had groomed and abused a young girl in the Great Yarmouth.

Following further investigation, he was re-arrested and charged on 13 December 2022.

Cosburn’s home was searched and various electronic devices, mobile phones, USB, camera, camcorder, laptop, and memory disks were seized.

Norfolk Police took over the investigation and when digital examination of his devices was completed, police found a considerable number of indecent images and videos relating to Cosburn’s offending both in the UK and overseas. 

DI Andy Hill said: “Cosburn is a prolific sexual predator who has abused the trust of children. His actions have caused untold damage in a crime that often resonates throughout a person’s life and can impact on a vast array of areas from relationships to mental health. I would like to commend the victims of Cosburn who have been exceptionally brave in providing evidence leading to this outcome.”

Description

A man arranged to meet a "13-year-old girl" at the shops for sex who was in reality an undercover police officer. Martin Woodward, of Conwy, fixed up the meeting but never went through with it.

But he contacted the girl called Leah - who was really an undercover police officer - later and was traced through the internet. Officers called at his home in the rural village of Llanfairtalhaiarn one morning and he was arrested.

The defendant pleaded guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence - sexual assault on a child. A judge at Caernarfon Crown Court jailed him for five years and four months.

Prosecutor John Philpotts said the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit had discovered a user calling themselves Woody84 on the platform Chat 1B on June 20. He said they found that the defendant - Woodward - was communicating with a "13-year-old" child called Leah.

He said he was 38 which was true, and originally from Salford but now from North Wales, which was also true. But "13-year-old Leah" was really an undercover police officer, the court heard.

Mr Philpotts said their conversation moved to Google hangouts and became sexual. Woodward asked Leah "Are you a thong or a panties girl?" and made a reference to "Frenchies" or French knickers.

He said he would remove her knickers and and incited her to play truant from school to meet him for sexual activity. He sent her a photo of an "athletic" male - which was not of him.

And "Leah" sent her a photo of a young female - which was not Leah. The court heard that the following day, June 21, Woodward arranged to meet Leah at Chester Greyhound Retail Park at noon that day to have sex even though Woodward knew Leah was 13 and a virgin.

But Mr Philpotts said Woodward didn't go. The next day he messaged Leah to apologise. He then sent Leah a photo of a female in sexually-provocative clothes and asked her if she would wear the same clothes.

However police had identified Woodward using his Internet Protocol (IP) address which had his date of birth and address in it.

Officers went to his house in Cae Glas, Llanfairtalhaiarn near Abergele just before 7am on June 27 and he was arrested. He admitted several offences.

Ember Wong, defending, said her client had not gone to the Chester meeting and the image he sent was of a fully-clothed female. But she accepted it had been a "worrying development in his offending pattern." He was managing his depressive symptoms "entirely inappropriately".

He had pleaded guilty and wants to become a law abiding citizen. The judge Her Honour Nicola Saffman jailed Woodward for five years and four months for the arranging offence.

She also gave him a two-month, concurrent sentence for attempting to cause a female under 16 to engage in sexual communication between June 19 and June 27 this year.

She said the terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order from a previous offence will remain in place and Woodward must keep to notification requirements for a sex offender indefinitely.

Description

A perverted biology teacher who used to work at a north Bristol school kissed and groped young female pupils in secret lunchtime meetings, a court heard. And decades on at the age of 86, he has been jailed.

Offences were alleged against Graham Digby-Rogers in February last year, Bristol Crown Court heard. Instead of a trial Digby-Rogers, of Stokefield Close in Thornbury, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting three girls aged 13 or under.

Judge Euan Ambrose jailed him for six years and four months. He told the pensioner: "Your offences will have had a significant impact on each of them. It is said a prison sentence will be harder for you than for a younger man and I accept that."

Digby-Rogers was told to notify himself on the sex offender's register indefinitely. He should be released half way through the prison term.

James Tucker, prosecuting, said Digby-Rogers sat one youngster on a desk, stroked her hand and kissed her on her mouth. Mr Tucker told the court: "Her friend would join her and the defendant in the office at lunchtime."

The court heard Digby-Rogers touched one of the girl's genitals, which she found "disgusting", and rubbed his private parts against hers.

Digby-Rogers also sexually abused a third girl, Mr Tucker said, rubbing himself against her and committing a sex act on her thigh. The abuse left the youngster frightened, the court heard.

Robert Morgan-Jones, defending, said: "He's actively coming to terms with the offending during the pre-sentence report. They will have had a significant effect on the lives of the three victims and I do not suggest anything else."

Description

A 35-year-old groomed who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, sending her a message which read: “Would you like to get naked and snuggle?” Derby Crown Court heard how Csaba Tokes also asked the "teenager" what her sexual fantasy was after he began chatting to her online following a split from his long-term partner.

But unbeknown to the Ilkeston man “Ava” was really an undercover police officer posing as the teen. Handing him a two-year community order, Judge Robert Egbuna said: “What is clear is that the decoy made it clear they were aged 14 (and) from the communication you had between yourself and the decoy it’s apparent there’s an element of sophistication in respect of the grooming behaviour which took place.

“You even ask ‘would you like to get naked and snuggle?’ and it’s apparent there’s some quite clever grooming. (But) it is also clear there’s an element of reticence from you when the decoy, on a number of occasions, messages you and you do not reply.

“I do not accept that a break-up from an adult leads to someone having an interest in children (but) the pre-sentence report concludes that you are at a high risk of communicating with young children.”

Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said the officer set up Ava as a decoy, who Tokes started messaging firstly on the app Kik in November last year and then their conversations moved to WhatsApp. She said Ava told him she was aged 14 and from Nottingham and he told her he was 35 and lived in Ilkeston.

The prosecutor said the early messages were not of a sexual nature and included talk about what video games they both liked to play. Miss Allen said: “On November 28 she sent him a message saying ‘I thought you liked me?’ as there had been no communication for three days and he replied ‘I do like you but you are very young’ and he asked her if she’d had any boyfriends to which she replied she’d had two.

“He then asked her what she had done sexually and asked if she was a virgin. They then spoke in person and they spoke about meeting up and maybe going to see a film, going for a walk or going for a McDonald's.”

The prosecutor said Tokes was arrested at his place of work in January of this year. He pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child between November 7 and December 3, 2022.

The defendant has no previous convictions. Benn Robinson, mitigating, said his client was born in Romania but had moved to Hungary when he was aged three and has no family here in the UK. He said: “He had a four-year relationship but unfortunately that broke down which led to some isolation and loneliness and he reached out online.”

As part of the community order, Judge Egbuna ordered that Tokes attend a 43-day sex offender treatment programme and 55 rehabilitation sessions. He also ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, placed him on the sex offender register for five years and handed him a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Description

A 34-year-old man has been jailed for life after assaulting and raping two women in ‘horrific’ attacks.

Nathan Giles, of Wrington, was found guilty in December last year of nine offences against two victims. The offences included four counts of rape, one of attempted rape and two of controlling/coercive behaviour.

He was also found guilty of one count of assault and one of sexual assault.

He was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 14 July to life imprisonment, serving a minimum of 17 years and four months before he can be considered for parole.

He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

In a personal statement, one victim said: “Nathan Giles has ruined my life… I feel that a part of me has been destroyed and I will never get that back.

“No sentence that Nathan Giles receives will ever justify what he has done to me. I am doing this for every woman out there, so that no one else has to endure the pain, the sleepless nights and constant fear.

“I have done this because I feel that this is my ending to my new beginning.”

The second victim said she felt ‘terrified, lost and ashamed’ following the incident and would hide in shops to get away from people who looked like Giles.

The incidents have meant the victim avoids certain places, especially those that bring back ‘horrible memories’.

Investigating officer DS Darren Weston said: “The bravery of the victims to come forward to the police is a testament to their character and unwavering trust in the criminal justice system.

“These two victims were subjected to horrific crimes at the hands of a dangerous man who has not accepted his actions.

“What they have done has without a doubt protected others in the community from Giles’ predatory and abhorrent behaviour.

“I hope that this gives other victims of these types of crimes the confidence to come forward and report to the police, knowing we will do everything in our power to get justice for victims.”

Description

A sex offender from Sheerness has been jailed for five years.

Jake Crawley, of Granville Road, committed multiple online sex offences after contacting a 15-year-old child on social media.

Between November and December 2022, Crawley sent the child obscene messages and as well as inappropriate gifts, including money and a bottle of alcohol, despite knowing the recipient was underage.

Kent Police was notified of the offences on 28 December 2022 and, following initial enquiries, investigating officers executed a search warrant at Crawley’s home address on 4 January 2023.

Detectives seized a mobile phone containing photos and videos of the victim, as well as chat logs from social media apps. Investigators also recovered packaging and order forms for the gifts he had sent.

Charged
Crawley was arrested and taken into custody where he was later charged with sexual offences, including two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, paying for the sexual services of a child, and sexual communications with a child.

The 26-year-old was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 14 July 2023, after pleading guilty to all charges.

Sentenced
Crawley was jailed for five years and is subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He was also added to the sex offender’s register for life.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Mel Ling said:

‘Crawley instigated obscene conversations with the victim for his own sexual gratification, all the while knowing that they were underage. He took complete advantage of the child, demonstrating a total lack of care for their emotional, mental, psychological, and physical wellbeing.

‘His behaviour will leave a lasting impact on the victim, and I hope that his imprisonment will bring the child and their family some comfort.‘

Kent Police will continue to track down those who seek to abuse young victims and bring them to justice for their heinous crimes.’

Description

A West Lothian high school teacher who had a six month sexual relationship with a teenage schoolboy has been jailed for 14 months.

Jacqueline Millar, 36, met the pupil at the school she taught at before meeting up with him for sex in her car at a secluded wooded area and at her home in Livingston. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was also told the boy claimed he and the disgraced teacher - who previously taught religious studies - had sex in the school after she had covered up the windows of a classroom.

The illicit relationship was only discovered when Millar was forced to call 999 following an altercation between her and the teenager at her home in March last year. The boy was taken into police custody following the incident and during an interview told an officer that he and the teacher had been in a sexual relationship for several months.

Millar returned to the dock for sentencing at the capital court yesterday (WED) after previously pleading guilty where Sheriff Derek OCarroll described her behaviour as an abuse of your position. Sheriff OCarroll said there had been a considerable degree of planning on Millars behalf and added the case was a very tragic one, particularly for you.

The sheriff said: I very much regret to say in my view regarding the gravity of the offence and your culpability, despite all that has been said in mitigation, there is in my view no alternative to a custodial sentence.

Millar was jailed for 14 months and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. The sheriff said Millars name will also be forwarded to Scottish Ministers to be included on the list of people banned from working with children and vulnerable adults in the future.

Advocate Sarah Livingstone, defending, said her client knew she had committed a very serious offence but that she is not a sexual predator. Ms Livingstone said: She is not someone who set out to sexually abuse the complainer.

She accepts what she did was wrong and accepts full responsibility for it.

Millar pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity with a person under 18 while she was in a capacity as a teacher. She pled guilty to kissing him, cuddling him, uttering sexual remarks towards him, sending social media messages and texts of a sexual nature, and repeatedly having sexual intercourse with him at various locations between August 1, 2021 and February 8 last year.

Previously the court was told Millar started at the Lothians high school, which cannot be identified for legal reasons, as a teacher in philosophical, religious and moral studies July 2017. She was then promoted to a separate department and was described in court as a high-flyer and a competent, knowledgable and dedicated professional.

Prosecutor Susan Dickson said Millar first met the pupil at the school in 2020 and concerns were raised by teaching colleagues who believed the relationship was putting her in a difficult position. The court was told Millar and the pupil first kissed in her car after she had picked him up from a football training session in August 2021.

The boy said it was the teacher who initiated the kiss but Millar later claimed it was the lad who had kissed her first. Two weeks later Millar and the pupil drove to a wooded area in East Lothian where she was said to have removed her clothes and sexual intercourse occurred in her car while he was under the legal age of consent.

The court was also told the pair then entered into a relationship and they met up for sex sessions at her home on a regular basis. Ms Dickson said Millar and the boy also had sex within a classroom at the school where she had put paper over the windows to avoid being seen.

Description

A teacher working at a secondary school in Cornwall has been barred from the classroom for life after sexting with young pupils and admitting unacceptable professional conduct. Terry Parsloe, a supply teacher at Poltair School in St Austell, admitted to sharing the sexual texts with kids he knew were aged under 16.

He will never be allowed to teach again in England after he engaged in sexually motivated communications online with at least one pupil under the age of 16 and "showing neither insight or remorse about his action". The 47-year-old was barred from teaching by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) following a hearing on July 10, which heard he admitted to "unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute".

The panel heard that, while employed by supply agency Teaching Personnel between November 27, 2020, and January 18, 2021, he engaged in inappropriate communication online with pupils who informed him that they were under the age of 16 and his conduct was sexually motivated.

The panel's report revealed that on January 19, 2021, the police searched at Mr Parsloe’s home and he attended a voluntary police interview. A second voluntary police interview took place on October 4, 2021. However on July 15 last year, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that no further action would be taken against Mr Parsloe. That means no criminal charges were brought against him.

The panel found that after Mr Parsloe's phone and other electronic devices were searched by police it became clear that he had known full well that the people he had contacted were under the age of 16 but he continued to have a sexual conversation with them. In one of the message he referred to "looking down a female's top".

David Oatley, from the TRA, who compiled the report into Mr Parsloe's actions and barred him from the teaching profession for life, said: "The panel examined the nature of Mr Parsloe’s communications and the very nature of them was sexual. The panel has seen the report to the Crown Prosecutor which summarises comments made by Mr Parsloe when the police attended his house. Given Mr Parsloe’s admission and the explicit content of the messages, the panel considered that it was more likely than not that Mr Parsloe’s conduct was in pursuit of sexual gratification."

Mr Oatley said the panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Parsloe involved breaches of the Teachers’ Standards and that his conduct "fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher" and amounted to "serious misconduct".

The report adds: "The panel took into account the way the teaching profession is viewed by others, the responsibilities and duties of teachers in relation to the safeguarding and welfare of pupils and considered the influence that teachers may have on pupils, parents and others in the community. The panel also took account of the uniquely influential role that teachers can hold in pupils’ lives and the fact that pupils must be able to view teachers as role models in the way that they behave."

It added: "Members of the teaching profession must maintain an exemplary level of integrity and ethical standards at all times. The panel considered that Mr Parsloe’s online behaviour seriously contravened his safeguarding obligations."

Compounding its findings, the panel found that Mr Parsloe's action were "calculated and motivated". It added: "Mr Parsloe has not provided any statements attesting to his character or ability as a teacher. Mr Parsloe has referred to the situation having caused him stress and anxiety but has expressed no remorse, nor any insight as to the consequences for a child who received messages of the nature Mr Parsloe sent."

As a result of his action, the TRA found that all of the allegations were proven and found that those proven facts amount to "unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute".

The TRA made a recommendation to the secretary of state for education that Mr Parsloe should be the subject of a prohibition order, with no provision for a review period. It means he is now barred from teaching indefinitely and cannot teach in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children’s home in England. In addition, he will never be allowed to apply to see his eligibility to teach restored.

Mr Parsloe has a right of appeal to the King’s Bench Division of the High Court within 28 days from the date he is given notice of the order.

Description

A CHILD rapist who forced a girl to engage in a sexual act as their little secret has been jailed for more than 13 years.

Mark Smith, 30, has been sentenced to 13 years and 6 months after admitting rape and assault by penetration.

He must serve an extended licence period of one year.

The man had forced a girl to engage in a sexual act at an address on Canvey on June 4, 2016.

The victim reported to Essex Police that he had threatened her to make her go through with it and told her that it was their little secret.

She said she felt to embarrassed and scared to tell anyone what happened and was left feeling it was her fault.

As a result of the assault, the victim experienced significant struggles with her mental health to the point that she needed professional help.

It was at that point, in August 2019, that the offences were disclosed to Essex Police.

Smith, of Florian Avenue, Sutton, was arrested following month and when initially interviewed denied remembering the incident stating he couldnt recall if he was at the address on that day.

He was later charged with rape and assault by penetration and admitted the offences at Basildon Crown Court on March 30, 2022.

He was also sentenced for a separate count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity without consent.

This offence was committed by Smith while on court bail, in January 2022.

Det Con, Victoria Leese, the investigating officer from the child abuse investigating team, said: I want to praise the courage shown by the victim in this case, who went through an awful ordeal which has had a long-lasting impact.

No-one should experience what she has, and she has shown incredibly bravery in telling us what happened.

Mark Smith threatened her and forced her to take part in a sexual act. His actions are despicable, and I am please he has now been held accountable for them.

I hope this result will help the victim move forward.

I would also pay tribute to the family of the victims, whose bravery and trust in the police and throughout this process has been steadfast.

For more information about how to get support, visit synergyessex.org.uk

Description

A remorseless rapist attacked a pensioner and sexually assaulted a child while ‘trawling the streets at night time looking for vulnerable individuals', a court heard. Issa Brayzi-Pour, 22, has been jailed for public protection after committing the attacks on two complete strangers in Farnworth.

The child said she feels that 'she’s had her freedom taken away' while the woman said she no longer feels safe since being raped, and has undergone counselling. Prosecutors claimed Brayzi-Pour had been 'out trawling the streets at night time looking for vulnerable individuals'.

He had been in the country for about 10 months after arriving in the UK as an asylum seeker from Iran. The 70-year-old woman had been to the pub with members of her family where a boxing match was being shown, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

At one point she left the pub and Brayzi-Pour 'stalked' and 'followed' her, prosecutor Henry Blackshaw claimed. They engaged in conversation, and she feared that Brayzi-Pour was going to rob her.

Ms Blackshaw said that Brayzi-Pour had taken hold of her, and was 'effectively steering her around corners'. But as they reached a side road Brayzi-Pour raped her, during the summer last year.

An extensive police investigation was launched, and Brayzi-Pour, who at the time was wearing 'distinctive' clothing including a 'dark hooded coat and slider sandals', was picked out on CCTV. He was arrested three days later. A DNA swab taken from Brayzi-Pour then proved to be a match to intimate swabs taken from the victim.

The court heard how the woman has suffered 'significant and severe' psychological issues, and 'life changing problems'. It was then discovered that Brayzi-Pour had sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl 12 days earlier, also in Farnworth.

She recognised Brayzi-Pour as someone who had given her and her friends cigarettes a few days beforehand.

When she asked him for another cigarette, Brayzi-Pour asked her to perform oral sex on him and tried to kiss her, after she followed him onto some 'waste ground'. "There was clearly discussion about tobacco and she was lured to an isolated spot nearby, with the promise of it there," Mr Blackshaw said.

Defending, Bunty Batra said Brayzi-Pour has no criminal record in the UK or his home country. He said people who know him reacted with 'shock' to his crimes, and that he was described as being 'respectful and polite'.

Mr Batra denied there was any element of 'grooming' towards the child, claiming their interaction was 'extremely brief'. He also denied that Brayzi-Pour had 'targeted' the pensioner or that he'd been 'trawling the streets'.

Brayzi-Pour, of Longcauseway, Farnworth, Bolton, was unanimously found guilty of two counts of rape and of offences of sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The judge, Recorder Andrew McLoughlin, said Brayzi-Pour still maintains his victims consented to his behaviour.

But he said Brayzi-Pour’s version of events 'bears no relationship whatsoever' to the evidence. "There is no remorse shown by you, because you believe somehow that all these matters took place with the victims' consent, they clearly did not do so," the judge said.

Brayzi-Pour was sentenced to 13 years in prison. He will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence before the Parole Board decides whether it is safe to release him.

After being declared a ‘dangerous’ offender, he was ordered to serve an additional five years on licence.

Following sentencing, DC Peter Hardy of Bolton CID said: “Firstly, I want to thank the bravery of both of the victims and the strength they have shown to take this prosecution to sentencing. We are happy with today’s result and are pleased that the trauma that Brayzi-Pour put his victims through has been recognised.

"Although no amount of time behind bars can make up for what the victims have been through, I hope that it will allow them to start to rebuild their lives and move on from what must have been a living nightmare. A dangerous individual is now off the streets and cannot pose a risk to any other females.

"As a force, GMP are committed to identifying and locating sex offenders to ensure that they face the full force of the law. If you, or anyone you know has been subjected to a sexual assault, we would urge you to come forward and speak to GMP.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE branded as “sick and twisted” has been jailed for 15 years after he groomed three young children.

Brandon Seymour, 27, from Ebbw Vale, sexually abused two boys and a girl between 2019 and 2021, Cardiff Crown Court was told.

He was told by the mothers of his victims that he has devastated their lives.

Seymour, currently of Dyffryn Court, Abercarn, Caerphilly pleaded guilty to a catalogue of sexual offences.

The defendant admitted five counts of the sexual assault of a child under the age of 13, two of causing or inciting child a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and one of possession of indecent images of children.

The child abuse images were found on his mobile phone following his arrest.

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe read out victim personal statements written by the children’s mothers.

One of them said: “Our lives have been devastated. I feel sick to my stomach.

“I could feel the anger boiling inside me.

“This was an exceptionally painful time in all our lives.”

Another mum told the court: “He’s a sick and twisted individual.

“He has ripped my soul apart. I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone.”

The court was told the defendant was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

Jeffrey Jones representing Seymour said: “He knows what he’s done is clearly wrong and he regrets what he has done.”

He asked that his client be given full credit for his guilty pleas.

The judge, Recorder Duncan Bould, told the defendant: “You have an unhealthy interest in prepubescent children.

“You groomed your victims.”

He told Seymour he was a “dangerous offender” and posed a high risk to children.

The defendant was jailed for 10 years in custody plus an extended licence period of five years.

He will have to serve two-thirds of the 10-year term before he is eligible for parole.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for life and pay a £228 victim surcharge upon his release from custody.

Description

A County Durham paedophile who produced and distributed child sexual abuse images over Facebook has been caged.

Andrew Longthorne began chatting to strangers on social media - one of whom was a convicted sex offender - and sent them horrific child abuse images and videos between 2016 and 2018. The 34-year-old discussed sexual fantasies with those he chatted to online and sent over category A, B and C material - some of which he had created himself.

On Monday, Longthorne, of Spennymoor, appeared at Durham Crown Court via video link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for charges relating to the production of indecent images and distribution of indecent images. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.

Anne Richardson, prosecuting, said Durham Police received a number of referrals relating to the uploading of indecent images to Facebook in 2018. An IP address was recovered which linked Longthorne to the distribution and inquiries were made.

The court was told that Longthorne used social media profiles in other names to send photographs to strangers, including to one who was a convicted sex offender. On one occasion he masqueraded as a young girl to enter into chats.

As well as indecent images, Ms Richardson said Longthorne sent pictures of himself during the chats and was finally arrested in 2018. He initially denied the offences and claimed not to have a sexual interest in children but later pleaded guilty on his first appearance at the crown court.

Victoria Lamballe, defending, said Longthorne's best mitigation were his guilty pleas and that he had not re-offended since 2018. She said: "He has shown disgust and shame at his own actions and there is obvious remorse. He is willing to comply with any orders and is determined to reduce the risk he's thought to pose in the future."

Sentencing Longthorne, Judge Ata Dallas jailed him for 31 months and made him subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will also be on the sex offender's register for life.