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A sex offender from Canterbury has been jailed for sending sexually explicit messages to a child he thought was just 14 years old.

Nigel Stewart targeted his victim over several weeks, during which he also sent graphic images and requests for the child to perform sex acts.

Stewart, of Gordon Road, commenced conversations with his victim on 13 September 2022, and was made aware of her age on numerous occasions. An investigation by Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team secured evidence demonstrating he had intentionally sent indecent messages to an underage girl.

Unbeknown to Stewart, he had been interacting with a fictitious profile and on 18 October, officers carried out a search at his home address. He was arrested and a mobile phone was seized from the scene.

Following a lengthy and complex investigation, the suspect was charged and appeared before Canterbury Crown Court on 8 August 2023, where he pleaded guilty to attempting sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Sentenced

Stewart, aged 55, was sentenced to two years and 11 months’ imprisonment at the same court on Tuesday 10 October. He is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the next 10 years.

Detective Inspector Robert Grieve said:

'Stewart aggressively pursued what he thought was a 14-year-old girl, bombarding them with indecent messages.

'Had Stewart successfully made contact with a real child, his actions would have had a long-lasting emotional and psychological impact on them.

'Custodial sentences like this are necessary to prevent people like him from potentially inflicting serious harm on children.'

Description

Jack Usher was arrested and charged after detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate investigated the incident on 13 May this year.

The 18-year-old admitted attempted rape at Canterbury Crown Court in July and was jailed for six years and nine months at the same court on Tuesday 17 October.

He will serve an extended six-year licence period after that term and has been placed on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely.

The victim was walking along a woodland path near Dunes Road, Greatstone, shortly after 5pm on 13 May when she encountered Usher, who was not known to her.

He ran up behind her and repeatedly hit her to the head, knocking her to the ground.

He told the woman he was going to rape her and attempted to drag her towards some bushes.

The victim managed to push him away and leave the area before contacting police.

An investigation was launched which saw an extensive review of all CCTV in the area, leading to Usher being identified as a suspect.

He was arrested at his home in Marsh Crescent, New Romney on 18 May and was charged the following day.

Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Ross Gurden said: ‘This attack would have been terrifying for the victim and I would like to praise her courage in supporting our investigation and this prosecution.

‘I hope the quick arrest and charge of this suspect, as well as the jail term now imposed, reassures the local community, who must have found the incident very concerning.

‘Tackling violence against women and girls is Kent Police’s top priority and an important part of that is tracking down and bringing to justice offenders like Jack Usher.’

Description

A “sly, manipulative” child abuser from Fife, who asked a schoolgirl to change into his Rangers top before grabbing her wrists and raping her, has been jailed.

Steven Banks went on to rape, sexually assault and attempt to rape another girl over a period of more than two years, beginning when he was 30 and she was only 10.

Description

A man who pleasured himself in public went on to urinate in a police van after he was arrested.

Artur Wieladek exposed and touched himself in a sexual way in Totton Precinct.

A court heard people, including children, were around at the time.

The 42-year-old had been drinking and was spotted by a member of the public facing the public toilets and leaning on railings.

Prosecuting, Anisa Alrubaie said he touched himself for around ten seconds before he got dressed again and walked over to a bench.

But after being arrested, he urinated "all over the floor" of the police van, Ms Alrubaie added.

The van had to be professionally cleaned before it could be used again.

Wieladek, of Osborne Road, Southampton later pleaded guilty to criminal damage and outraging public decency.

At a previous hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court, Wieladek argued he was urinating and had not been pleasuring himself.

But the magistrates found the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had proved its case.

The prosecutor added: “It was early on a Saturday morning and there were people around.

“Those people could have been badly affected by the incident including children.”

She said onlookers were “concerned that the defendant’s behaviour could escalate”.

Mitigating, Barry Keel said his client, a forklift driver in Lymington, is focussing on “being a constructive member of the community”.

“I know he has had some difficult conversations with his wife about being in court and the nature of the allegations.

“He is sorry for what happened and simply wants to put this behind him and get on with his life.”

Mr Keel said his client was “unable to put forward any real explanation as to why he acted the way he did” on the day of the incident in June last year.

Magistrate Gillian Norris said she would follow the recommendation by the probation service and give Wieladek, who has a previous conviction for a motoring offence in 2021, a 12-month community order.

He must complete 80 hours of unpaid work, 15 rehabilitation days and pay £85 court costs plus a £95 surcharge.

Description

A Fife paedophile found with dozens of child abuse images – including girls as young as four being raped – has been placed on curfew.

Michael Bowie previously admitted downloading indecent images of children over a 19 month period, as well as distributing or showing the images over 11 months.

Description

A pervert caught with sex abuse pictures on a mobile hidden under his pillow claimed he did not know the phone was there because he 'had not changed his bedsheets in a year'. Sex offender Kieran Slater has been locked up just weeks after walking free from court in another case.

The 26-year-old avoided jail when he was handed a suspended sentence in August after admitting child sex offences. He was made subject to a court order which he then breached, forcing him back before the same judge.

Now, he has been jailed for two-and-a-half years. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how Slater received a suspended sentence on August 30 after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children.

He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order at the time. But he breached the order by installing Snapchat and failing to give police his user name, StokeonTrentLive reports.

Police found a mobile phone containing indecent images of children under his pillow. In his interview with officers, the convict claimed he had not changed his bedsheets for 12 months and did not know the phone was there.

Anis Ali, defending, said the sexual harm prevention order was in its infancy. He said Slater had resigned himself to receiving a custodial sentence.

Slater is 'relatively immature', Mr Ali added. The defendant, of Hallfield Grove, Tunstall, admitted making indecent images of children, failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders register, and three charges of breaching his sexual harm prevention order.

He was also in breach of the earlier suspended sentence. Sentencing, Judge Graeme Smith said: "It is very disappointing to see you back in front of me a couple of months after I sentenced you.

"It is clear that the police had given you very clear instructions and you decided to go outside the instructions." Slater was told he remains on the sex offenders register and will be subject to the sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Description

A HORDLE man who sexually assaulted a woman on their first date was branded a “considerable risk” to women by a judge as he jailed him for more than three years.

Steven Christian (25), of The Pines, caused his victim “severe psychological harm” resulting in panic attacks and nightmares after the incident in Burley on 1st July.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Christian had been exchanging texts with the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, ahead of their first meeting at a picnic spot.

The victim, who suffers from anxiety, had told Christian she felt comfortable meeting at the spot as it was familiar and safe.

Prosecutor Simon Walter told the court Christian had been “sweet and understanding” about this, his victim later told police.

After walking for a while, the pair sat down and Christian repeatedly attempted to kiss the victim, the court heard.

She continually rejected his “persistent” actions, but eventually gave him a kiss in the hope he would leave her alone.

However, Mr Walter explained, Christian then proceeded to sexually assault the woman by placing his hands on her breasts.

He then repeatedly tried to put her hands on his genital area.

Despite the victim continually asking him to stop, Christian then pulled down his trousers and underwear, exposing himself.

The court heard he then began pleasuring himself.

Mr Walter added: “At this point the victim was literally shouting ‘no’ at him.

“He eventually stopped and abruptly left, acting as if nothing had happened.”

He later sent her a message in which he said he was “really sorry” and added: “I messed up, I’m sorry for letting you down.”

The victim contacted police and, after his arrest, Christian told officers any sexual contact had been consensual.

Reading an impact statement to the court, the victim said the incident had taken “a major toll” on her mental health.

She had been suffering with panic attacks and sleepless nights and was forced to take time off from work.

She said: “I was left feeling frightened and unsafe [and] I am fearful of being taken advantage of.

“I felt exploited, vulnerable and used. I am easily startled and on high alert. I am unable to go to the Forest, even in the company of my family.

“It will take me a long time to trust others again.”

The court heard Christian has one previous conviction for the rape of a woman, which happened in 2018.

He was then sentenced to five years in a young offenders institution and added to the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely.

He was on licence at the time of the sexual assaults, the court heard.

Defending, Laura Duff said her client expressed “the deepest remorse” for the incident and now understood that thinking he could persuade the victim to engage with him in sexual activity was wrong.

She said he was prepared to get help for this behaviour.

He had a strong support network, with his parents present in court, she said, and a job he could return to if he was given a community order instead of a custodial sentence.

Judge Peter Henry sentenced Christian to 38 months in custody with an extended five-year period, meaning he will be kept under supervision after his release.

He told him: “I have no doubt you pose a considerable risk to women.

“An extended prison sentence is required to adequately protect women from the danger you pose.

“You say you were overwhelmed with desire and that you couldn’t help yourself – I suspect that is a recurring theme with you.”

He added the victim had been deceived by his “insincere conduct” and added: “What happened was very far from sweet and understanding.

“Just imagine the fear and disgust and the sense of violation felt by the victim when you were doing the repugnant and self-centred act in front of her.

“This is undoubtably a case where there is severe psychological harm caused by you, which is aggravated by the fact you were still on licence for a previous conviction, and your targeting of a particularly vulnerable victim.”

Description

A 31 year-old man from Portsmouth has been sentenced to 4 years in prison after a woman reported she was raped at her address in Waterlooville.

Jack Thomas Heasman of Byron Road in Buckland admitted to raping a 22 year-old woman at the victim’s home on Saturday 15 November 2020.

After pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 13 October, he was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

DS Harry Wilson said “I hope that this result reassures our community that we take these allegations very seriously, and that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

“We would like to commend the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation and to thank her for having the courage to report this to us.

We will relentlessly pursue offenders to secure justice for their victims and want to reassure anyone who reports incidents of serious sexual assault and rape to us that they will be believed”.

Description

A man has pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in Rotherham in the early 2000s.

The CPS prosecuted Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 42, as part of Operation Stovewood, a major National Crime Agency investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013.

Akhtar appeared in Sheffield Crown Court today (17 October 2023) where he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault which he committed between August 2001 and July 2002. 

On multiple occasions during this period, Akhtar picked the victim up in his car and drove her to different locations before raping her.

The defendant groomed the young victim, providing her with alcohol and drugs each time they met.

At the time, the victim was led to believe she was in a relationship with Akhtar, who would threaten to drive her to unknown locations and leave her stranded if she did not comply with his demands for sex.

On one occasion, when she did refuse to engage in sexual activity, she recalled having to walk for hours after she was kicked out of the car by Akhtar in the early hours of the morning.

Akhtar is currently serving a 23-year prison sentence having been convicted in 2018 of sexual offences under a separate sub-operation investigated under Operation Stovewood.

Description

A Brixton market trader who molested a young girl has been jailed after his victim bravely stepped forward 18 years later. Jeff Cooper, a.k.a. Jeff the Chef, sexually assaulted the child, aged around 13, in the Brixton Hill area in early 1999, prompting her to 'jolt upright' and scream 'What are you doing?', Inner London Crown Court heard in January.

The 54-year-old, from Brixton, who runs Jeff the Chef Food Bar outside Brixton Railway station, was aged around 29 at the time of the sex attack. The victim - who told her mother but decided not to tell police at the time - battled mental health issues for nearly two decades, then finally broke her silence in 2016 after counselling sessions helped her confront the traumatic incident.

Describing the indecent assault at a sentencing hearing on January 19, prosecutor Bhavin Patel said: "He... moved close. She thought nothing of it. He put his hand on her then proceeded to insert his fingers into her vagina. She was not sure how long it was, it could have been a few minutes."

In an emotional impact statement, the victim said she had never blamed her depression on the incident but now recognised it was due to Cooper's actions. She also said she 'pretty much shut down', became 'closed off' and 'very guarded' after the attack, and still struggles to trust men.

"I go through periods where I do not eat, I go through some times where I just sit down crying," said the victim.

Defence counsel Fiona McCaddy argued Cooper had lived 24 years without an offence, apart from assaulting his wife in 2007 when he was cautioned by police. The barrister pleaded for a suspended sentence, citing advice from Cooper's GP who claimed prison would be dangerous for his skin condition.

"In short he fears a custodial sentence will legitimately and genuinely kill him," Ms McCaddy said.

Cooper denied the offence but was convicted by the jury after a trial at Inner London Crown Court in October 2023.

Jurors heard how the victim felt Cooper 'rooting through her underwear' then forced his finger insider her, which 'felt like a lifetime', the victim said in her evidence. The attack ended when she "jolted upright and said 'What are you doing?'," Judge Vanessa Baraitser recalled as she summarised the case.

Judge Baraitser said 18 years had passed before counselling helped the victim realise she need to report the attack for 'her own sanity'. "It's clear to me she has suffered genuine long term harm as a result of your offending," concludec the judge.

Judge Baraitser also explained the offence was equivalent to assault by penetration under current laws, but any sentence was limited to the maximum of 10 years under indecent assault laws at the time.

he concluded Cooper - who has served Jamaican food on his Jeff the Chef stall in Brixton for 19 years - had strong mitigation due to his health issues, but the prison estate was 'more than capable' of looking after him.

Judge Baraitser said Cooper 'took advantage' of his victim, with 'devastating consequences' as she jailed him for four years. Cooper is also entered on the sex offender's register indefinitely.

Description

A paedophile dad sent sexual messages and pictures of himself to what he thought were girls as young as 13 - and asked them to send stuff back. Stephen Burden, 61, later found out that four were undercover police officers - but two others were likely real children.

Postal worker Burden, of Bethan Drive in Wadebridge, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to 13 total counts including attempted sexual communications with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, making indecent photographs of children and possessing extreme pornographic images.

The court heard how police decoys were posing as underage girls throughout the duration of time when the offences were committed in 2020. Burden, who asked an officer he thought was 12 to perform sex acts on herself, cited the pandemic as having led him to the internet and extreme websites.

In his late 50s at the time, Burden, who has children of his own, was caught communicating with four police officers who he believed were girls as young as 13. It later transpired he had been talking to two others not part of the sting. Who they were is still unknown.

"The conversations were described as "highly sexualised", "graphic in nature" and Judge Simon Carr said had there been real children at the end of the conversations, it would have been "extraordinarily damaging" for them.

Burden also asked for explicit photos and sent indecent photographs of himself to the 'children'. He also had in his possession category A, B and C indecent images of children. They included extreme pornography.

The court heard in mitigation that Burden was previously a man of good character and Judge Carr accepted that the offences had a "devastating affect" on Burden's life and his personal relationships including with his own children.

"Your relationships have been irreparably damaged," he said. "I've seen the other side to you, a side of more than 50-odd years of good character."

The court also heard that Burden's mother is extremely ill and he is the sole responsible person for her care. "The courts take careful regard for the effects upon others," Judge Carr continued, but said the seriousness of the offences take the sentence outside of any suspended range.

Burden was sentenced to four years imprisonment. He is also subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for ten years and will be a member of the sex offenders register (SOR) for life.

Description

A 65-year-old Dundee man has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after he admitted molesting a woman at a Perth pub.

Alan Drysdale gave his victim an unwanted hug, grabbed her buttocks and stroked her thighs without her consent.

Description

A WREXHAM man said there could be 'no excuse' for his 'abhorrent behaviour' as he was jailed for committing a string of sexual offences against a teenager.

Andrew Bell, 60, whose registered addresses are both the Blue Bell Inn and Plas Issa in Penycae, appeared before Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, October 16, via videolink from HMP Berwyn.

He previously, when re-arraigned on the day a trial date was set, pleaded guilty to two out of nine counts of sexual assault on a male, having initially pleaded not guilty.

Simon Rogers, prosecuting, told the court that offences took place between 2013 and 2015, when Bell had befriended a then teenage boy.

Offences took place in both the UK and abroad, the court heard.

Bell and the complainant had been travelling in a van and had pulled over 'in the middle of nowhere' to sleep for the night.

Bell opened a bottle of wine which they both drank together.

Later on that night, the complainant fell asleep in his sleeping bag but was awoken when he 'felt a hand down his pants' and Bell carried out what was his first assault.

Mr Rogers said the complainant said he 'froze' during the incident and said he felt 'isolated' and 'scared'.

The court heard there were 'many incidents' carried out in this way by Bell in 'various vehicles and locations' during the course of two years of offending.

It happened 'almost every time they had a drink', Mr Rogers added, with the complainant adding that Bell was the 'nicest man in the world' otherwise when sober.

On another occasion, the complainant went to sleep on a sofa. Later that night, Bell went into the room and knelt down by the complainant, before 'touching' him under the covers.

Bell was arrested and gave a 'no comment' interview in June 2020.

The court heard that he had previously been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the sexual abuse of children, aged between 9 and 16 years old, in 2002.

The complainant was in court to read out a victim personal statement as Bell was sentenced.

He told the court that the incidents had left him feeling 'ashamed and embarrassed' and had 'hugely affected' his parents.

The statement added: "Someone I thought I could trust betrayed me in the worst possible way."

Bell was also given the opportunity to read out a letter via the videolink in court.

He said: "There can be no excuse for my abhorrent behaviour. "

Bell added that the complainant 'never encouraged' his behaviour and apologised for the 'damage', 'anguish' and 'emotional turmoil' he had caused.

Jane Greenhalgh defending said: "The other side to him is the kind man that is liked by many people."

Recorder Simon Mills said Bell was 'clearly capable of changing in a predatory way' when his 'inhibitions had been lowered by drink'.

Bell was sentenced to eight years in jail and was also made subject to an indefinite restraining order and Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Recorder Mills stated that, should Bell offend again in future, then a life sentence could be imposed.

Following sentencing, Detective Inspector Chris Hargrave of the North Wales Amethyst Team said: “The victim in this case has been incredibly brave in reporting these matters to us.

“His determination to ensure that the offender was correctly brought to justice was motivated by a desire to ensure others are not placed at further risk of abuse.

“No sentence can ever undo the harm caused, but I hope this sentence today brings some measure of justice and healing to the victim.

“We continue to be committed to bringing perpetrators of sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us”.

Description

An offender used a false identity to enter the UK after previously being jailed and deported for similar offences.

Ion Rudacan, also known as Ion Paun, was convicted as part of Operation Elba, an operation by Greater Manchester Police to the trafficking of women for sex work in the north west.

Despite being jailed and deported, the 36-year-old made repeated efforts to re-enter the UK.

He managed to enter the UK illegally under a false name, and documents showed he had hired a car in Brighton in July.

But he was arrested by officers from Sussex Police’s Tactical Firearms Unit who carried out a proactive check on his vehicle while on patrol in Marine Parade, Brighton, on September 4.

Rudacan was charged with multiple offences, and was remanded in custody.

At Lewes Crown Court on October 10, he admitted three counts of breaching a Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order, breaching a Deportation Order, three further attempted breaches of the Deportation Order, and seeking and obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK via deceptive means.

Rudacan, of no fixed address, was sentenced to six years in prison.

The court was told how Rudacan, a Romanian national, was convicted as part of Operation Elba for controlling prostitution for gain and for human trafficking offences in the Manchester area.

He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison in November 2021, along with a Deportation Order.

Rudacan was deported on January 27, 2022.

He was also made the subject of a Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order for ten years, which restricts his ability to own, lease or possess a vehicle in the UK without informing the police, and restricts his access to using devices such as a mobile phone.

It was revealed how he had attempted to enter the UK under a false EU Settlement application.

He was removed from the UK at Stansted Airport on October 5, 2022 and June 26 this year, and was removed from Liverpool John Lennon Airport on October 14, 2022.

Officers stopped him in a vehicle in Marine Parade, Brighton, in the early hours of September 4.

Inspector Oliver Fisher from the Tactical Firearms Unit said: “Our officers were out on patrol and conducted a check on the vehicle, which Rudacan had hired under a false identity.

“Thanks to the proactive stop, these offences by Rudacan were brought to light.

“It demonstrates that our highly-trained firearms officers s conduct a variety of duties above and beyond armed response, and regularly carry out patrols to assist with our colleagues across the force.

“We are determined to disrupt criminals who prey on vulnerable people with trafficking and modern slavery, to ensure the victims are properly safeguarded.”

Detective Inspector Tony Platten from Greater Manchester Police’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Lead said: “He has showed a blatant disregard once again to the orders imposed on him after serving a custodial sentence and when information was received that he had returned to UK soil, another co-ordinated approach across a number of force areas and actions were taken.

“The most recent result was where we have provided colleagues over in Sussex with the support they needed through gathering evidence as well as helping to locate, arrest and prosecute him further. These orders around trafficking and deportation are designed to reduce the risk of further harm being caused.

“Hopefully this continued approach reinforces the message to victims we will investigate all available lines of enquiry, whilst those who commit serious Modern Slavery offences will be pursued and dealt with robustly in order to protect some of the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Tony Hilton, Assistant Director for the Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation unit, said: “This is a highly deceptive individual who has repeatedly tried to breach our borders and exploit vulnerable people.

Description

A pervert who once used his neighbour’s WiFi signal to download vile images of child sexual abuse has now been caught trying to chat to Russian teenagers online.

Terence Standage, a registered sex offender from Maidstone, secretly accessed thousands of indecent images and videos using next door's web connection for more than six years.

Almost 12,000 illegal images and videos of children being abused were discovered, of which more than 300 were classed in the most serious category.

Police also identified him committing further “upskirting” offences involving a number of unknown women on a train and a bus.

Standage was subsequently charged with four counts of making indecent images of a child and three counts of outraging public decency and in May 2021, pleaded guilty to the charges.

He was recalled to prison having breached his licence terms imposed from previous sex offences, and was then jailed for two years and four months for the offences and made subject to the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

This banned Standage from having any unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 16 unless supervised by an adult.

However, on June 19 this year, officers went to the 64-year-old’s home in Maidstone to see if he was complying with the order and found he had been trying to chat to teenagers in Russia on the country’s most popular social media platform, VK.

Standage, of Tonbridge Road, had also set up two aliases online to talk to girls aged 14 and 15 not only on the VK site, but on TikTok too and had started asking the youngsters if they spoke English.

When police made the unannounced visit to his home they found him using apps on a mobile phone to communicate with the teens.

He admitted breaching his SHPO by talking to the youngsters and failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act, by creating the aliases police were unaware of, when he appeared before magistrates in Medway on October 4.

Debbie Jones prosecuting said: “Officers made an unannounced home visit and his phone was reviewed and it was discovered he’d been on the Russian social media site, VK.

“He had been talking to young females who were 14 and 15 years old. He had also been on TikTok and had two aliases and his mobile was seized.

“He made full admissions to both offences and told officers he had been stupid but admitted to them he had been sexually interested in young people and that he had failed to tell them he had the profiles online.”

The court also heard he had only asked the Russian youngsters if they spoke English before he had the visit from police.

Magistrates decided to send the cases to Maidstone Crown Court to be dealt with and Standage will be sentenced there on a date to be fixed.

The bench also ordered a pre-sentencing report to be carried out on him before then and he was granted bail until his next appearance.