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A sex offender from Lewisham has been convicted of engaging in sexual communication with a child and three sexual assaults, including on 14 and 16-year-old girls.

Mohammed Aminu, of Nightingale Grove in Hither Green, appeared in the dock at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday (October 20) where he pleaded guilty to four offences.

The 25-year-old admitted that on March 22 last year he sexually assaulted two teenage girls by touching.

He also admitted that the following day he engaged in communication with a 14-year-old girl about having sexual intercourse.

As well as this Aminu pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a third person on March 25.

These offences all took place just weeks after he was found guilty of stalking a woman at Lewisham Shopping Centre last year.

The court heard that between May and July last year he stalked the woman at the shopping centre.

In February 2023 he was found guilty of that offence and in May he was jailed for six weeks.

Judge Jonathan Mann KC ordered a pre-sentence report and told Aminu: Your offending in all of these occasions shows a worrying escalation from what youve done before.

Aminu will remain in custody until he is sentenced.

Record details

A sex offender who raped a teenage boy in Greenwich after hitting him with a baseball bat has been jailed for 18 years.

Kieran Johnson, 21, was at an address in the SE10 area of Greenwich with the 18-year-old victim on March 13 last year.

He hit the teen with a a baseball bat and demanded that he hand over his phone, keys and a vape pen.

After the robbery, Johnson raped and assaulted him multiple times.

Johnson, of no fixed address, was arrested the following day at a hotel in east London after quick forensic work at the scene.

He denied the offences but was found guilty of two counts of rape, one of sexual assault by penetration and one of robbery.

On October 13 he was sentenced to 18 years in prison by an Old Bailey judge.

Detective Constable Robert Shires of the Met’s South East BCU said: “I hope that this conviction and the lengthy prison sentence can bring some closure to the victim, and show that justice has been served. We will continue to support the victim and I hope that he recovers in his own time.

"I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to report the matter to police. Dedicated officers will support you and work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”

Record details

A man sent sexually explicit videos of himself to recipients he thought were children. Michael Denman, 34, sent a friend request and a video of himself engaged in a sex act to a Snapchat account on February 8.

The two began a conversation, with the victim stating she was 14 and Denman claiming he was an 18-year-old man called Sam. Denman, a registered sex offender from Cambridge, was not deterred by the victim's age and sent her 14 videos in two days, of which 13 were of him engaged in sex acts.

He repeatedly asked the victim, who was actually an adult, sexualised questions, requested sexually explicit content from her and requested a photo of her wearing her school uniform. Denman previously lived in Cambridge, but last year informed police of an additional address in Watling Street, Little Brickhill, near Milton Keynes.

This address was identified following investigations into the IP address linked to Denman's account. He was arrested on April 26 and his mobile phone seized.

When officers searched the property, it was clear Denman was living there. They were able to match the backdrops in some of the videos with the interior of the home, as well as discovering a bedspread pictured in some of the content.

While the casefile was being assessed by the Crown Prosecution Service, officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary received information about a similar investigation being conducted by another force. In February, Denman had used the same Snapchat account to contact two other adults, one posing as a 12-year-old boy and the other a girl of the same age.

Although they were clear about their age, he sent them multiple videos of himself engaged in sex acts. He also asked the 12-year-old girl sexually explicit questions and discussed travelling to meet her for sex.

Denman admitted inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, three counts of causing a girl under 13 to look at sexual imagery, three of sexual communication with a child, and breaching requirements under the Sex Offenders Register. He was jailed for five years and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order at Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (October 20).

DC Andrew McKeane said: "Denman genuinely believed these three accounts were being used by children. Once knowing they were children Denman was not perturbed and continued to prey on them and bombarded them with sexually explicit content.

"He is clearly a danger to children, and I'm pleased he has been brought to justice for his actions. I would urge parents to take an interest in their children's online interactions and speak openly and honestly with them about any concerns they or the child may have. The NSPCC provide a wealth of knowledge to enable parents to protect their children from such predators."

Record details

A 'dangerous offender' who plotted to sexually abuse a 12 week-old baby at a Manchester city centre hotel has been locked up.

Mark Whalley, 71, who was also found in possession of a sickening library of child abuse images, was brought to justice after a National Crime Agency investigation was launched following intelligence received from law enforcement agencies thousands of miles away in Norway.

The NCA said Whalley was arrested before he could even get into the lift in a foyer area of the hotel during an undercover operation. No baby was at the hotel.

He told officers who swooped on him that he was at the unnamed hotel because he was having an affair, but went on to plead guilty to a raft of charges. Whalley, of Wharf Close in Manchester city centre, has now been jailed for six years and eight months.

The NCA said after receiving intelligence from Norwegian law enforcement partners, agency investigators found Whalley had discussed his sexual interest in children under 12 years of age on an encrypted online platform.

He had shared indecent images of children with other users on the site, and described the extreme abuse he wanted to engage in, said the NCA in a statement.

It was discovered Whalley used the platform to message an individual who said they had access to a baby, and discussed a meeting, said the agency.

The NCA said in a statement: "Whalley was arrested by NCA officers on suspicion of child abuse offences before he could get in the lift at the hotel. At this point, he told officers they were mistaken and attempted to pass the meeting off as an affair.

"After initially pleading guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children, he later pleaded guilty to an additional count of arranging a child sex offence.

"Whalley had arranged to abuse the baby while subject to a separate investigation in which indecent images of children had been recovered from his devices in 2021."

Whalley pleaded guilty to arranging a child sex offence; two counts of making indecent images of children; possession of extreme pornographic images and three counts of distribution of an indecent image of children. He was sentenced for all of the offences at Manchester Crown Court on 23 October 2023.

Daniel Waywell, NCA Operations Manager, said Whalley was 'a dangerous offender who had clear intentions'. "As a result of close collaboration with colleagues here in the UK and overseas, we were able to intervene and arrest him, and he will now spend years behind bars for his crimes," he said.

"The NCA works tirelessly to ensure that children are protected from sexual abuse, identifying the offenders who pose the highest risk and ensuring that they are held accountable."

Record details

A Hartlepool man has been put behind bars after he sent explicit videos of him committing sexual acts to someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy.

Jasonn Harrison, 54 of Kesteven Road, Hartlepool, has been sentenced to two years and seven months in prison and been put on an indefinite Sex Offenders Notice after he sent sexually explicit videos of himself and graphic sexual messages.

Whilst Harrison believed he was speaking to a teenager, he was instead speaking to officers from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU) and Cleveland Police.

Following his arrest in January 2022, Harrison appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Monday (October 23) for his sentencing.

This follows from August 11, where he plead guilty to arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, possession of extreme pornography and cause/incite a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity. 

Detective Inspector Leonard from NEROCU, : “When sex offenders operate online, they think they can hide their crimes, but this case shows the lengths officers will go to protect victims and bring offenders before the courts.

“This has been a long and thorough investigation by our team, and this result has meant a predator is now behind bars and potential victims have been prevented.

“Online offending is sadly on the rise, but our investigative skills and evidence gathering are constantly evolving.

“We would always encourage anyone with information about this type of offending, or anyone who thinks they have been a victim to come forward and talk to police – you will be supported.”

“Under Operation Sentinel, our regional approach to tacking serious and organised crime, we will continue to investigate these online offences to safeguard children and protect the public. For those engaging in this type of behaviour, our message is simple- you will be caught, and you can expect a knock at the door from us.”

Record details

A man who raped a 15-year-old girl, leaving her with long term mental health issues, has been sentenced for his wicked crimes.

Andrew Orrell, 59, had pleaded not guilty to rape but was found guilty by a jury of the historic sex offence.

Preston Crown Court heard he raped the teenager in the summer of 2005, when he was then 41.

Orrell, who still maintains his innocence, raped the girl at his flat after he stopped his car to buy alcohol at a nearby shop, just weeks before her 16th birthday.

The victim said she was asleep in a bed when Orrell, who had said he would sleep on the sofa, got into bed with her and raped her.

After the incident, the victim moved from the area and never heard from Orrell again, until a year later when he sent her a message via Facebook which read, "You're hot".

Prosecutor Sharon Johnson told the court the victim did not report the rape until she went to therapy in 2020.

She said: "The victim felt it lasted forever, but it was only 15 minutes.

"She pretended to be asleep whilst he was on top of her, and when she woke up she had a shower, but still felt dirty and horrible."

An impact statement from the victim said: "Since this incident, I have felt my life has been frozen and stopped me from maturing.

"I have moved away from the North and I still struggle around older men and relationships.

"I have anxiety and depression. He took me at the most vulnerable time of my life and I struggle with showers even now."

Mitigating, Cathy McCluck told the court Orrell had no intention of contacting or visiting the victim ever again.

Orrell, who has refused to admit his crimes even after conviction, also claimed the victim accused him of rape in order to receive money.

Ms McCluck said: "This is an extremely difficult case for a defence to come into. The defendant still believes she consented."

Sentencing Orrell, of Bacup, Judge Heather Lloyd said: "During the trial you and your counsel were keen to emphasise your plea of innocence.

"You caused much distress. You claim you have mental health problems but I am yet to see evidence of it.

"You are not at risk of re-offending, but you have delayed justice with your not guilty plea."

Orrell received a nine year sentence for rape, and four months for breaking bail.

He will not be able to apply for bail until he has spent six years in prison.

Record details

An IT engineer from Somerset who arranged to meet young girls at an airport hotel so that he could sexually abuse them has been jailed for two years. Mark Hemus, 37, from Portishead, was arrested by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers in October last year after checking in to the hotel where he planned to abuse the two girls.

Prior to his arrest, he had been discussing his sexual interest in children with other paedophiles on a number of online chat platforms. Using a pseudonym, he messaged a user who said he had access to two girls, aged eight and 11.

He spoke intimately to his online contact about the children and what sexual acts could be carried out on them. They arranged to meet at the Premier Inn Hotel at Heathrow Terminal 4 on October 28 last year and Hemus booked a room.

Hemus was arrested by NCA officers in the foyer of the hotel after he had checked in. Officers recovered a rucksack from his hotel room, which contained Fruit Shoot drinks, sweets and toys that he planned on giving the girls.

Hemus has previous convictions for indecent images of children offences in 2005 and 2020, and is currently subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) banning him from using false IP addresses, names or aliases while using the internet.

When interviewed, Hemus said he had travelled to London for a medical appointment which was then cancelled. However, he later admitted hed come to Heathrow to carry out sexual abuse but claimed that he wouldnt have gone through with it as he was scared.

Hemus was charged with one count of arranging or facilitating the commission of sexual assault of a child, one count of breaching his SHPO and one count of possessing prohibited images of children. He pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on October 31 last year.

At a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court this month he was sentenced to four years - two in prison and two on licence. NCA Senior Manager, Adam Priestley, said: Hemuss online chats and the fact he travelled to the hotel showed a clear intention to sexually abuse young girls.

He is a persistent sexual offender who poses a real threat to children, so this investigation was vital in ensuring he is unable to carry out his intended crimes. Disrupting individuals like Hemus is a priority for the NCA and we will continue to do everything we can to protect children from harm.

Record details

A man has been jailed just two days after he exposed himself in front of a mother and her five year-old daughter on a train from Manchester to Birmingham.

Tabrez Ali, 39, and of Vere Road, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to exposure and trespass at Black Country Magistrates’ Court on 5 October.

The judge sentenced him to 18 weeks in prison, he was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge fee of £154 and to sign the sex offenders register for seven years.

The court was told that on Tuesday 3 October 2023, Ali sat opposite the victim and her child. He later removed his trousers, exposing himself. When the victim moved her child, Ali attempted to sit directly next to them.

A male passenger shouted at Ali to “leave them alone”, as the victim and her child moved to the back of the train.

Ali exited the service at Wolverhampton station where he ran across the train tracks to avoid station staff.

The court was told that on Tuesday 3 October 2023, Ali sat opposite the victim and her child. He later removed his trousers, exposing himself. When the victim moved her child, Ali attempted to sit directly next to them.

A male passenger shouted at Ali to “leave them alone”, as the victim and her child moved to the back of the train.

Ali exited the service at Wolverhampton station where he ran across the train tracks to avoid station staff.

Record details

A young girl molested by a devout churchgoer told police her abuser left her feeling “super sad and mad”.

Canterbury Crown Court heard Kenneth Marr befriended and groomed the child before taking advantage of her on two occasions.

Now, the agricultural worker is starting a six-and-a-half year jail term, having been found guilty of two offences of assault by penetration by majority verdicts of 10 to two.

Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson told the jury Marr, who met his victim in Ashford, claimed the girl had been "encouraged by others" to make up the allegations.

But the prosecutor said the 62-year-old had "an unhealthy sexual interest" in the youngster and "took the opportunity" to molest her. His DNA was also found in her underwear.

When spoken to by police, the child used a drawing to explain how she had been inappropriately touched and told officers Marr had "done something wrong", the court heard.

"She said that what he did to her made her feel super sad and mad," said Mr Stevenson.

When told that Marr had denied her accusations, she maintained he "was wrong", the jury was told.

"The Crown say that her response to the defendant's case was emphatic and clear, and that is because she is a truthful witness," added the prosecutor.

As well as denying the two offences of assault by penetration, Marr, of Weston Road, Congresbury, Bristol, also denied one of sexual assault and was acquitted by the same jury of that charge.

John Barker, defending, told the court that having spent many years working "in the fields" in Spain, Marr came back to the UK and was helped by the Church.

But on imposing an extended sentence of six-and-a-half years' imprisonment with a further one year added to any licence period, Judge Simon Taylor KC told him that he should have "taken the hand of Christian friendship offered and grown as a consequence".

He added: "It wasn't a one-off offence and something you had endeavoured to do through grooming, pretending to care and pretending to be a friend."

On his release from prison Marr will have to sign on the sex offender register indefinitely and will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Record details

A former teacher at Whitgift School was yesterday given a four-year prison sentence for abusing boys at the private school in the 1980s. The school could now face a class action legal case brought on behalf of three victims because of the abuse Dodd inflicted on them.

At a trial at Gloucester Crown Court in July, Paul Dodd, now 64, pleaded guilty to one offence of child cruelty and two of indecent assault during the time he was a history teacher and rugby coach at the school in South Croydon.

The boys abused were aged between 10 and 12.

Dodd moved to New Zealand in around 1988. His abuse at Whitgift came to light through a TV New Zealand documentary that was broadcast in 1995.

Two months ago, the Gloucester judge gave Dodd a suspended prison sentence of two years in addition to a rehabilitation programme, unpaid work and being placed on a sexual harm prevention order for seven years. The judge took into account that Dodd is sole carer for his wife, who has a chronic medical condition, and it was “for that reason alone” that his sentence was suspended.

But yesterday the Court of Appeal deemed that the sentence was too lenient, following an appeal through the Attorney General’s Office.

Lawyers acting for the victims of Dodds’ abuse had submitted that, “Survivors of abuse often face a life sentence in respect of the impact of their abuse, and it is only right that those that inflict these heinous acts should be punished appropriately, and this must include a prison term.”

Whitgift School is part of the Whitgift Foundation, together with Trinity School and Old Palace girls’ school, which in unrelated developments  it was revealed yesterday is facing closure in 2025.

Whitgift School is known for having peacocks strutting in its expansive grounds, very good sports teams and outstanding academic results. It all comes at a price, though. Fees for day boys at Whitgift are currently more than £22,000 per year. Full boarders are charged £43,629 per year.

Dino Nocivelli, for solicitors Leigh Day, acting on behalf of the victims, has confirmed that he will “continue with the civil cases against the school for the abuse inflicted by Dodd”.

Nocivelli has revealed, “It has come to our knowledge through a New Zealand documentary that Dodd was placed on a list prohibiting him from teaching after leaving Whitgift School, while apparently the Whitgift headmaster gave him a ‘glowing reference’ to take up a teaching role in New Zealand.”

Dodd joined the staff of Kings College, a prestigious boarding school in Auckland, in 1988. While there, Dodd admitted that he had been dismissed from Whitgift for hitting a child – for the second time – after having lost his temper.

The programme included an interview with a young man who alleged that he had been sexually propositioned by Dodd when he was a 16-year-old at the school, and it also found that because of his assault on the 10-year-old at Whitgift, Dodd was placed on “List 99” by the Department for Education in the UK, making him unsuitable for teaching children.

Yesterday, Appeal Court judges Lord Justice William Davis, Mr Justice Jacobs and Mr Justice Griffiths concluded Dodds’ sentencing judge in July should have imposed a total sentence of four years.

Victims had described their anxiety, nightmares and depression after the offending in personal statements, the AGO said.

Despite the restrictions placed on Dodd after his sentencing in July, he is at liberty, and following the Court of Appeal sentence, he was given until 4pm today to surrender himself to a police station.

Record details

Jack Harrison, 22, of Beeches Road, Chelmsford appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, 13 October after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences.

Harrison was arrested in June 2021 after Essex Police received a report from a survivor of sexual abuse that they had been sexually assaulted.

Following his arrest, Harrison refused to provide the PIN for his phone, delaying the process of officers gathering evidence. Despite this, evidence was obtained and Harrison was charged on 30 May 2022 with two counts of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault by touching.

During a pre-trial hearing on 26 July 2023, Harrison pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault by touching. He pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration.

He appeared in court on Friday (13 October) where he was sentenced to two years in prison. He was also made to sign onto the Sex Offenders Register and issued with a five-year restraining order.

Detective Constable Hughes, investigating officer in the case said “In the early stages of the investigation, Harrison refused to admit what he did and even attempted to prolong the investigation process by refusing to provide his PIN."

Record details

Sick John Butler was eventually arrested for a third time and kept on remand in HMP Leeds, eventually admitting nine counts of possessing indecent images.

Leeds Crown Court heard that police were informed that vile images were being downloaded at an address at Potternewton Crescent, Chapel Allerton, in July of 2021.

Officers went to the address that was being rented by his partner and arrested Butler, seizing a laptop, memory cards, USB sticks and a Raspberry Pi computer. Analysis found nearly 3,000 abuse images, including 219 category A – the worst kind. There was also 256 category B and 2,427 category C.

They included videos and images of children as young as one. Prosecutor Ella Embleton said there was a “determined and systematic search” for images, and he had attempted to cover his tracks by using a Tor browser.

The 58-year-old denied the devices were his and said he had no sexual interest in children. Having been bailed, the officers returned to his home in August of last year after another tip-off.

They seized more devices and found another 2,331 images – 223 category A, 131 category B and 1,977 category C. He had made similar searches but again denied the offending.

Officers had to terminate his police interview early because he became aggressive. Like previously, he was bailed but officers went to his home again in May of this year and seized a laptop on which they found 21 images – three in category A, seven in B and 11 in C. He was once again “volatile and aggressive” with police.

Butler, of Sackville Street, Sheepscar, has 22 previous convictions for 77 offences, including an indecent assault on a seven-year-old in 1984 for which he was jailed for three months.

Mitigating, Giles Grant said Butler was now “engaging with shame” having finally admitted his guilty pleas. He said: “It’s a hard step and a huge step and perhaps progress for this defendant.”

Judge Ray Singh jailed him for 25 months and said: “These children were extremely young and you continued unrelentingly.”

Butler was put on the sex offender register for life and given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to limit his internet use.

Record details

A sex offender has been jailed for 11 years for non-recent sex offences against a child.

Ben Quinton-Taylor was sentenced after admitting assault by penetration on 6 October 2023 at Canterbury Crown Court.

The charge was brought after a woman reported that between 2009 and 2011 he had sexually assaulted her as a child inside a property in Gillingham. The victim was of primary school age at the time.

Kent Police started the investigation in September 2019 after the allegations were made and he was arrested in February 2020 and following a thorough investigation he was charged in June 2022.

Quinton-Taylor, 47, of High Street, Canterbury, also admitted criminal damage and two counts of controlling and coercive behaviour. These charges were brought following allegations by two further victims relating to separate offences.

As well as being jailed he was handed restraining orders preventing him from contacting all three victims. He was also added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed, which seeks to prevent him from reoffending.

Record details

A child sex offender who travelled from London to Strood to abuse a teenage boy has been jailed.

Titoo Tahir of Chamberlayne Road, London, first spoke to the victim through social media where he made him believe he was between 15 and 17 years old.

On 11 September 2021 the 38-year-old met his victim at Strood Train Station before they both walked to a disused warehouse.

While inside the building Tahir sexually abused the boy and threatened to hurt his family if the teenager did not comply with his demands.

He also made him meet him the following day where he made the boy go back to the building where he committed further sexual offences against him. During the incidents Tahir also gave the boy cash and told him to keep quiet.

A few days later his victim was able to disclose what had happened to him and Kent Police was called on 16 September.

Officers commenced an investigation and linked Tahir to the offences. He was already in prison within The Metropolitan Police area having committed similar offences.

Following enquiries, including obtaining DNA, mobile phone and CCTV evidence, Tahir was charged with seven sexual offences including three counts of inciting a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

He admitted all seven charges and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday 18 October.

He was jailed for six and a half years and was ordered to remain on licence for an additional four years upon release.

He was previously jailed on 15 October for similar offences committed in Bromley where he was sentenced to four years and one month in jail. He will serve both sentences concurrently.

The judge also handed him an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Record details

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.'