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A self-confessed "monster" who raped a woman at knifepoint only admitted his crimes once his victims had already given evidence in a sex abuse trial.

David Gillespie, 71, finally entered guilty pleas on the third day of his trial in September, and on Friday, was jailed for 14 years.

Gillespie, of Convent Walk, Sheffield, was arrested back in 2020 and maintained his denials until the prosecution were allowed to put evidence of his appalling previous convictions before the jury.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Friday that in the mid 1980s he hit a woman with a bottle before subjecting her to a knifepoint rape and Recorder Simon Kealey KC also referred to other assaults on Gillespie’s record which he committed against other women over the subsequent years.

Gillespie eventually pleaded guilty to charges of buggery, assault and three indecent assaults relating to his two victims, who must not be identified for legal reasons.

The court heard that the non-recent offending led to the victims having to leave the area in order to escape Gillespie’s abuse and violence.

In their victim impact statements, read by prosecutor David McGonigal, the women described how they suffered anxiety and nightmares as a result of the abuse and both said they spent years “looking over their shoulders” in case he was there.

One victim said: ”I’m angry he made me go through this (in court) only to plead guilty afterwards.”

Barrister Katy Rafter, for Gillespie, said her client had reflected on the victims’ evidence to the jury and the next morning he told her he accepted that he had been “a monster” when in drink as a younger man and couldn’t dispute what they had described. She said Gillespie had been in the grip of alcohol and gambling addictions at the time and he was now deeply ashamed of himself.

Ms Rafter said due to his age and ill-health it was highly likely that Gillespie would never be released from prison.

Passing sentence Recorder Kealey referred to the violence meted by Gillespie including punching and kicking and even putting a wire round one complainant’s neck. He said: “She was often left bruised, battered and humiliated by you."

The judge said the offending had caused panic attacks and anxiety for both complainants and added: ”What you have done to both of them has been long-lasting and severe. You accept that you were at that time a monster in drink and that at least presents to your victims, who are listening to this, a very small element of remorse.”

Gillespie will have to serve two-thirds of his 14-year sentence before being released and he will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

He must also comply with a restraining order which bans any contact with the two complainants.

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A postgraduate theology student carried out sexual assaults on fellow students at St Andrews University after claiming he was conducting radiation testing for the Ministry of Defence following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

John Beaumont subjected two male students and a female student to fake medical examinations and got one victim to sign the “Official Secrets Act” before inserting a needle into his genital area.

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A well-known Wiltshire auction house has issued an update on its future after a former director was jailed for sex crimes.

Richard Edmonds, who previously ran Richard Edmonds Auctions Limited and Chippenham Auctions, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of five counts of sexual activity with a female child, whose identity is protected by law.

Following sentencing, the 47-year-old’s family business updated on the future of the auction house at Showell Farm, and Edmonds’ wife Tora confirmed he had left the company.

In a statement on Facebook, she wrote: “Day-to-day management has been by my husband Richard Edmonds Jnr with responsibility for valuations, cataloguing and auctioneering.

“I have been responsible for the customer accounts, marketing, and involved with the preparation of the catalogues. Richard Jnr is no longer involved with the business nor a director.

“I now assume responsibility for the general management of the business in addition to my previous roles. Richard Snr, his wife Margaret and daughter Sarah will continue to be part of the business.”

She added: “We believe this will provide a continuing sound business structure.”

The firm changed its name on Companies House to Showell Business Park Ltd in September, after Edmonds resigned as a director, but has retained the name Richard Edmonds Auctions Limited on Facebook.

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Kyle Coupland-Short, of The Link, was sentenced to nine years in prison and was also placed on the sex offender’s register for life.

He earlier pleaded guilty in September to five counts of controlling and coercive behaviour towards four women over of six years between 2016 and 2022.

Coupland-Short also pleaded guilty to causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court in September.

Lead investigating officer, DC Katie Moore, has commended the bravery of the victims who came forward to report Coupland-Short’s behaviour and helped bring Coupland-Short to justice, saying it “takes immense courage and strength to stand up against someone”:

She said: “Being a victim of coercive and controlling behaviour has a huge impact on the victim, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We take all reports of this nature seriously.

“The sentence given to him highlights the seriousness of coercive and controlling behaviour, and this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in Lincolnshire.

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A man told two ‘young girls’ to tie their feet together during sex chats.

29-year-old David Holberry was arrested after a paedophile hunting group conducted a ‘sting’ in Salisbury back in 2021.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (5 October), he pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said that the defendant had been speaking to fake profiles set up by the paedophile hunters – who he believed were young girls, under the age of 16.

During the sexualised conversations, he told both ‘girls’ to bind their feet and put socks in their mouth.

Duty solicitor Liz Highams told the court that was was “concerned about Mr Holberry’s mental health”, but confirmed that understands proceedings and has capacity.

The defendant, of Whitworth Road, Swindon, was told to register as a sex offender at Gablecross Police Station within 72 hours.

Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until 27 November. He was released on unconditional bail.

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POLICE have released the mugshot of the Winsford man jailed after approaching underage children.

Last week, Neil Owen was jailed for 89 weeks after pleading guilty to breaching an 18-year-old court order.

The sexual offences prevention order, which was handed down by Vale Royal Magistrates Court on January 28, 2005, banned the 53-year-old from communicating with children.

But on August 24 earlier this year, Owen, of Abbotts Way, breached the order by twice approaching and communicating with a 15-year-old child.

Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced him to 18 months.

He will also serve a further 11 weeks as a result of a suspended sentence handed to him last month.

At Crewe Magistrates' Court on August 10 Owen pleaded guilty to three offences following an incident at the Red Lion pub in Wharton in July.

He was charged with assault by beating, using threatening or abusive words and breaching a community protection order.

Owen was seen acting aggressively and swearing before he assaulted another man, in turn breaching a community protection order imposed on him in January.

This order had been issued after Owen acted towards ambulance staff at Winsford Lifestyle Centre.

Taking his guilty plea into account, magistrates sentenced him to 11 weeks in jail, but suspended the term for 12 months due to his ongoing rehabilitation work with the Probation Service. 

However, by committing this latest offence, Owen will have to serve the sentence.

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A SEX offender has been jailed for a second time after repeatedly ignoring court orders.

Graham Simister, of no fixed abode in Church Street, Northwich, was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order at Chester Crown Court on January 29, 2021.

On May 4 last year, the 56-year-old breached the conditions of this order, landing him back in front of a judge.

The case was eventually heard at Chester Magistrates Court on May 2 this year where Simister was jailed for a total of 16 weeks.

But just weeks after his release, on August 17, Simister again breached the sexual harm prevention order and failed to comply with requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Despite being banned from doing so, he used a mobile phone which prevented the search history from being stored; downloaded social media apps without informing police or the Probation Service; used user names which were not provided to police; and used a chat app which automatically deletes the content after a week.

Simister, formerly of City Road, Chester, was subsequently charged with both offences and pleaded guilty to them at court on August 19.

He returned to Chester Crown Court on Monday, September 25, where Circuit Judge Steven Everett jailed him again, this time for a total of 16 months.

An order was also made for Simister to pay a sucharge of £187 on his release.

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A sick sexual predator whose dangerous behaviour got worse over a decade is finally behind bars.

Rizwan Hussain, 44, has been handed an extended sentence made up of eight years in custody and an extended licence period of four years after he was found guilty of a catalogue of sick sexual offences.

Bradford Crown Court heard that in 2014, Hussain, of Daisy Fields in Bradford, was sentenced to supervision after he was caught exposing himself to children in a changing room at the Richard Dunn sports centre. He was also made the subject of a five-year sex offender registration order, but when that was due to lapse in 2019 the police used their civil powers to successfully obtain a new sexual harm prevention order from the magistrates because of various allegations that had been made against him.

Judge Jonathan Rose said that in 2013 there had been reports of Hussain masturbating near a primary school and in 2016 he had been seen speaking to a group of children aged between 10 and 16. In 2017 Hussain admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl who he said he thought was 16 and in 2019 he was alleged to have abducted a 13-year-old girl.

Judge Rose said: “Of course none of those matters has resulted in a conviction and I have not been told why." He said the allegations raised very real concerns and were the background to Hussain’s latest offences committed in February this year.

Following a trial before Judge Rose in July Hussain, a married father-of-four, was found guilty by the jury of engaging in sexual activity with a teenage boy who was vulnerable due to his age and the fact that he had been drinking alcohol. The court heard that Hussain gave the boy £10 and then got the youngster to perform a sex act on him.

A teenage girl saw what was happening and Hussain invited her to join in. The court heard that Hussain was a stranger to both of the children involved.

On Hussain was jailed for offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching his sexual harm prevention order. The judge told him: “I simply do not accept that you have or have shown any element of remorse whatsoever."

He said Hussain’s escalation in offending was the clearest indication of the dangers he posed and he described Hussain as “an opportunistic sexual predator” who indiscriminately targeted others for his sexual gratification.

The judge imposed a new sexual harm prevention order which will last for the rest of Hussain’s life and Hussain will also have to register as a sex offender with the police.

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Alan Barry, 44, of Leamore in Walsall, has been jailed for three years and four months after being found to have breached his sexual harm prevention order.

Barry, of Providence Close, who had previously appeared at Northampton Crown Court in 2017 for making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children, as well as arranging and intended child sex offence, was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Friday.

At the time of his original conviction in 2017, Barry was placed on the sex offender register for life and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order(SHPO).

The sentence last Friday comes after officers visited Barry's Walsall home in January this year under the terms of his prevention order, where they found thumbnails of what appeared to be illegal sexual images on his mobile phone.

The device was seized for analysis by police, which revealed hundreds of still and moving images of children and extreme pornographic images as well as correspondence indicating that Barry was involved with receiving and sending these images.

In total, officers found 45 Category A images (deemed the most serious images), 13 Category B images, and 251 extreme pornographic images.

Detective Constable Claire Walker, from the public protection unit at West Midlands Police said: "Despite the horrendous nature of the material that Alan Barry possessed, he appeared to be quite ambivalent about the seriousness of his offences, denying when questioned that he had a sexual interest in children and instead attributing his behaviour to drug abuse and mental health issues.

"It is only right that he has received a custodial sentence and we welcome his conviction."

Barry was arrested in June this year and was convicted last week of possessing and distributing images of children, possession of extreme pornography and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

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A Derbyshire man who drove to Suffolk to sexually assault an 11-year-old boy he met online has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.

The National Crime Agency obtained intelligence leading to an investigation into David Alexander Murphy, 40, from Derby, which showed he sent money to his victim after meeting him in person.

He was found to have used an Irish passport in the name of ‘Alex McClean’ to open a PayPal account, and further enquiries showed he topped this up from another account.

NCA officers spoke to the boy who confirmed he had met a man called ‘Alex’ from Derby online in the spring of 2021. The conversations soon moved to WhatsApp, and Murphy sent intimate photos of himself and asked the boy to do the same.

On 1 June of that year, Murphy drove to Suffolk and met the boy in a village. He took him to a wooded area where he sexually assaulted him.

The boy gave a description of Murphy and recalled that he had driven in a car with a logo on the side. Officers were able to evidence this had been hired from a car club that Murphy belonged to in Derby.

NCA investigators arrested Murphy in March this year.

A specialist team searched his house and found two Irish passports behind a hanging picture, one in the name of Murphy and another in the name of McClean.

They also found a bank card in name of McClean, two sim cards hidden in an Oxo cube box, and an Amazon Fire Stick.

Possessing the passport and the bank card in a different name were breaches of his sex offenders register notification requirements.

Having unsupervised contact with the boy, and his failure to notify the police of the devices capable of storing data, also breached the sexual harm prevention orders he received for offences committed in 2012 and 2017.

Murphy appeared at Derby Crown Court today (6 October) where he was sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment, extended by six years for dangerousness. He was placed on the Sex Offender Register for life and given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He pleaded guilty during a hearing at the same court on 16 June to inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, meeting a boy under 16 following sexual grooming, four counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and three counts of failing to comply with sex offenders register notification requirements.

NCA Operations Manager Danielle Pownall said: “David Murphy took his time to groom a vulnerable child online and even offered money to meet him in person.

“The actions of Murphy, an unrepentant child sex offender, were premeditated and devious.

“I would like to thank the young boy abused by Murphy for his bravery in speaking to us and helping to put a dangerous criminal behind bars.

“The NCA will continue to protect the public, particularly children, from the harm caused by online child sexual abuse.”

In 2012 Murphy sexually assaulted a boy and given a 12-month suspended prison sentence. In 2017 he was jailed for two years after admitting distributing indecent photographs of children.

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Jade Berry, 27, was staggering through Rivacre Valley Country Park in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, at 9pm when she accosted the child as he sat on a woodland bench talking with a friend about his forthcoming 14th birthday.

Berry sat between the two boys and began stroking the 13-year-old's genitals over his clothing before offering him sex and saying she would 'ride you till morning'

As the shocked youngster and his friend got up to leave, she pulled down her trousers and exposed herself before passing out in a drunken stupor.

The two boys took videos of Berry before getting up to leave. She was identified after leaving her bank card and phone on the bench.

When interviewed by police, Berry exclaimed: 'Oh My God, I do not recall anything' - but was later picked out by the boy at an identity parade.

The 13-year-old, who has ADHD, said he was so traumatised by the encounter that he tried to take his own life.

At Chester Crown Court, Berry - who lives in the village of Little Sutton near Ellesmere Port - pleaded guilty to sexual assault and was sentenced to 12 months in jail suspended for 18 months. 

Berry was also ordered to wear an electronic 'sobriety' tag for 120 days as part of an alcohol abstinence monitoring programme and will have to complete 35 rehabilitation activity days. 

She was told to sign on the Sex Offenders' Register for ten years.

Berry had told the court she had mental health issues. 

The incident occurred on October 3 last year after Berry was making her way through the 300-acre nature reserve after a drinking session with friends. 

James Coutts, prosecuting, said: 'The victim was seated on a bench in woodland when the defendant approached him. 

'She was unknown to him and was clearly intoxicated. She sat between the two boys and began to touch and rub his genitals and the upper area of his thigh over his clothing whilst making highly inappropriate and sexualised comments. 

'She said she was going to "ride him till morning".

'They had in fact been talking previously about his upcoming 14th birthday - and it was quite clear to them she knew how old he was.

'The boys almost immediately left, leaving her on the bench. She removed her clothing and exposed her genitals and buttocks before passing out. They did take a video of the scene.

'The victim went home and told his mother who contacted the police. The officers attended the scene and found her bank card and her phone.

'By the time the officers arrived she had left the area. But she was arrested on October 5. Her response to being arrested was, "Oh My God, I do not recall anything".

'She was asked questions in an interview. She answered "No comment" to all questions. An identity parade was arranged in which the victim was involved. He successfully identified the defendant as the one involved in the incident.'

Mr Coutts described the impact of the incident on the teenage victim.  

'The victim described feeling low after the assault and described an occasion where he tried to take his own life. He had night terrors about the incident afterwards and nightmares. 

'He described taking medication and does not feel able to return to the park. He does not leave the house much. He is feeling scared, anxious, and generally feeling unsafe.

'He has received counselling from two separate sources to aid his recovery but he has lost the confidence that he had. Clearly there are aggravating factors to this offence. 

'There was the presence of alcohol and the inebriation of the defendant and the victim was particularly vulnerable due to his age and difficulties.'

Berry had one previous conviction for drink driving from 2021.

Her counsel John Wyn Williams said: 'She has sadly suffered from mental health problems since the age of 15 or 16 and Covid was a particularly difficult time for her. 

'She has a self-destructive nature and because of this nature she has turned to alcohol to deal with his issues but she now realises that is not the answer to her problems.

'The separation of her parents is another factor that has caused her mental anguish. Her memory of this unfortunate incident is fairly scant but she did not want that young boy to have to give evidence in a trial. 

'Her psychiatrist identifies anxiety disorder, panic attacks [and] borderline personality disorder, as mental health issues - and because of those problems she has been drinking too much.

'It seems that her alcohol intoxication may have led her into doing and committing this offence. There is genuine heartfelt remorse and she shows the victim empathy.

Sentencing, judge Eric Lamb said: 'As it was a chance meeting, you were not aware of the vulnerability of your victim but the consequence of what you did have been awful for the complainant and his family. 

'He has tried to take his own life, suffered night terrors, and required counselling in an effort to overcome the impact of that which you have done.

'You have no recollection of what you did as a result of the amount of alcohol that you had taken but the commission of an offence, when drinking, is an aggravating feature.

'The reasons for your taking alcohol are many and complex and although I must have regard to whether or not you present a risk of serious harm to members of the public by the commission of further specific offences, in your case the conclusion is that such a risk is low. I accept that there is genuine and heartfelt remorse.

'On the one hand, this is a sexual assault on a young person by someone who is 27 years of age and it is plainly a serious matter. 

'But on the other side there is strong personal mitigation as a result of genuine remorse, and the series of events that have led you to your mental health difficulties. You now realise that you must alter your ways.'

Record details

A 'predatory' police officer was jailed for over 16 years today for violently raping a friend and sexually assaulting a second woman.

PC Ravi Canhye, who served with Dorset Police, was convicted on two charges of rape, one count of attempted rate, and three charges of assault by penetration. He was also charged with sexual assault against a second woman.

Wincheser Crown Court heard that the 47-year-old, who is originally from Mauritius, slapped and mauled the first victim before pinning her down and raping her.

He verbally abused her and he did so and at one point forced a fist into her mouth to stop her pleas for him to stop. It was heard in court that Canyhe felt 'power and gratification' and 'revelled in seeing her disgust, discomfort and disappointment.'

The violent attack took place as the victim visited his home in Poole, Dorset, while he was off duty on the weekend between April 8 and 11, 2022.

Canyhe had met the victim in October 2021. He told her that they had feelings for each other on the first night and they had consensual sex.

Prosecutor Sarah Jones KC said that his behaviour changed the following morning and Canhye assaulted his victim in the kitchen before raping her. 

She said that he spun 'out of control' after drinking heavily which 'changed or disinhibited him'. He behaved like an 'animal', the court heard.

Canhye threatened to abuse his victim with his truncheon and a vodka bottle, the court heard. Canyhe, who denied the offences, claimed that the sex was consensual.

Prosecutor Jones said: 'He just did what he wanted. He was so wrapped up in his own needs and desires he saw both her and her friend as objects ready to use and abuse.

'It came to a point where, she says, every time he was being too rough, when he was hurting her, that was exciting him and that made him worse at what he did.'

She added: 'She considered he was behaving like an animal and that she considered him to be behaving like an animal seemed to drive him on more.'

The victim, who fought to control her emotions as she gave evidence, said she 'trusted him as he was a police officer'.

She said that she 'was scared and really frightened' and that he was 'aggressive and forceful.'

In a victim impact statement that was read out in court on her behalf, she said that she suffered from anxiety, nightmares, and flashbacks. 

She said she was 'battered and bruised' after the attack and said: 'The indignity of it was almost unbearable.'

She suffered such bad bruising as a result of his 'manhandling' that intimate parts of her body turned black.

The victim added that she isolated from friends following the attack and had felt suicidal.

Judge Jane Miller said that she had suffered 'a persistent, degrading and truly overwhelming episode of sexual and physical humiliation.'

She told Canhye: 'Your being a serving police officer is an aggravating feature, your status means your victims placed a level of trust in you.'

'The public should be able to expect higher standards from a police officer.'

Canhye has been placed on the sex offenders register and been made subject to a sexual harm prevention order requiring him to notify police of any future sexual relationships.

He has also had a restraining order issued against him.

The sexual assault against the second victim happened on the following day when the pair returned to the defendant's home out of concern for his wellbeing because of his heavy drinking.

He assaulted her as she sat on his sofa.

The second victim said she had been shocked that Canhye was a police officer.

'I couldn't believe someone who behaved like that could be one, he has abused his position of trust,' she said, adding that she felt 'frightened to leave her home.'

Dorset Police has confirmed that Canhye, who had been in public service for more than 20 years, was suspended after the allegations were made and faces misconduct proceedings.

Canhye moved from Mauritius to work in psychiatric health before he became a special police officer and then joined the Metropolitan Police in 2009. He later moved to Dorset Police.

He won a National Policing Award in 2009 as a special Constable in Ealing, West London, for his work identifying people with mental health issues.

James Newton-Price, defending, said that Canhye had resigned from the force and added: 'The outcome is devastating for Mr Canhye, not only in relation to his good name but his career.'

He added: 'He would not have behaved as he did other than for his heavy alcohol consumption.'

Dorset Police Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Farrell said: 'I would like to thank the victims for their courage to come forward to report these abhorrent crimes to us and supporting our investigation as well as the strength they have shown throughout the court process.

'I hope this sends a message to all victims of sexual abuse that we will do all we can to investigate offences and ensure offenders are brought to justice, while we will also make sure victims are supported.

'We have been able to bring this case before the court due to the thorough investigation conducted by our highly-trained detectives and I would like to recognise their work as well as the support our specialist officers provided to the victims.

'PC Canhye has behaved in a way that is clearly criminal and utterly unacceptable, especially when bearing in mind the trust the public should be able to have in him as a member of the police service.

'There is no place in Dorset Police for those who commit sexual offences.

'I understand that these crimes will cause concern for our community and the fact that they were committed by a police officer is even more abhorrent.

'We are determined to root out officers who commit such offences as well as domestic abuse or show discriminatory, abusive or misogynistic behaviours.

'I hope that responding robustly to allegations of any violence against women by police officers or staff sends a strong message to the public about our standards and values and builds confidence in how we respond to all allegations.

'Our unique powers and responsibilities mean we must hold ourselves to the highest standards.'

Record details

A dangerous sex offender from Wolverhampton has been jailed for 19 and a half years for the rape and assault of a woman.

Over a period of several years, Lamont Geddes, aged 24, controlled the life of a woman mentally and physically, sexually abusing her as well as coercively controlling her.

He made threats to kill the woman and threatened to put petrol through her letterbox.

On 11 August last year, the woman flagged down a passing police car after an episode of abuse and bravely told our officers of the horrific ordeals she had been subjected to over the years.

She said that Geddes took her life away. 

He was then charged with 11 offences and was found guilty by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court of all offences - six counts of rape, two counts of assault, controlling and coercive behaviour, grievous bodily harm and attempted wounding.  

Geddes, of Douglas Place, was sentenced on 27 September to 19 and a half years in prison. 

Detective Constable Beth Felton from our Adult Complex Investigation Team, said: "This case spanned over several years and the level of abuse escalated with Geddes making the woman’s life a living nightmare. 

“After one violent assault the woman managed to flag down a passing police vehicle and the true horror of the abuse came to light.

"She has shown incredible courage throughout this investigation which proved pivotal in securing a conviction.

“Geddes denied the charges in their entirety, forcing the woman to have the traumatic experience of giving evidence in court.

"The sentence is a clear recognition of the risk and seriousness of Geddes horrific offences.

“We hope the woman’s bravery encourages others subjected to abuse and sexual assault to come forward we are here to help and listen.”

West Midlands Police’s Public Protection officers are specially trained to deal sensitively with sexual abuse survivors, offer them support and guide them through the court process.

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David Dunn, 39, who is originally from Pontefract, was jailed at Leeds Crown Court today for non-recent sexual offences, including rape.

Dunn was found guilty of offences of rape of a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity in relation to one young male victim and attempt rape of a child and indecency with a child against another young male.

The offences were committed in the Wakefield District area between the years 2002 and 2009.

The offending came to police attention after both of the victims came forward separately to police in 2019 and reported what had taken place.

An investigation was launched by specialist child protection officers at Wakefield District.

Detective Constable Sophie Green, who investigated the case, said: “We are pleased to see Dunn sentenced today for what were some awful sexual offences committed against two young and vulnerable children.

“Their courage in reporting these dreadful offences and in supporting the prosecution against Dunn has meant that a dangerous sexual offender had been forced to answer for his crimes and been punished for them.”

She added: “This case is another reminder to victims that it is never too late to tell us if you have been the victim of offending such as this.

“We really do not underestimate how hard it is to come forward, but I want to make clear that we will do all we can to help you very rightly seek justice and access any support you may need.”

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A REGISTERED sex offender is back behind bars for sending text messages to a 15-year-old girl and unlawful possession of an iPad Mini.

Darrel Stephen Carter, 31, was issued with a sexual risk order (SRO) in 2020 at the request of police seeking to curb potential offending against young females.

The indefinite SRO bans Carter from contacting any girls aged under 18; and places tough restrictions on his access to electronic devices.

Carter had been identified by police as posing a potential risk to vulnerable females.

But being subject to the order has not kept him out of trouble.

For previous breaches he has been made subject to a suspended prison sentence and he was later jailed for again failing to stick by the SRO terms.

It was following his release from custody on licence, halfway through a 23-month sentence, that he broke the law once more during the course of several weeks, Carlisle Crown Court heard, by contacting the teen.

“He was in contact with her on a number of occasions using different social network applications and online platforms, such as Facebook and Facebook Messenger,” said Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting.

“Mr Carter, it is suggested, was fully aware of her age, being 15, and also that she was unaware of his past, namely as a registered sex offender and being subject to the order.”

One message sent by Carter — who befriended the girl after sending a Facebook friend request and instigated contact with her — read: “Come on, you are 15.

“There is nothing inappropriate or sexually suggestive within the messages,” Mr Rogerson told the court.

It was when Carter was recalled to prison that a phone was seized and the messages came to light.

Carter also committed a second breach through his possession of an iPad Mini device — capable of accessing the internet — which was not declared to police as it should have been. This had been used to access Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok.

“He admitted keeping the device hidden and using it,” said the prosecutor. “He commented ‘I don’t know why I’ve done it’.”

Carter, of Oakleigh Way, Carlisle, pleaded guilty to two breaches.

Defence lawyer Andrew Evans highlighted the fact that Carter had made full admissions when quizzed by police.

Mr Evans said in an address to Judge Nicholas Barker: “In a letter to Your Honour he has stated he is motivated to seek change.”

The judge noted that only an immediate prison sentence should be imposed in the case. Mr Evans asked that detailed background reports prepared by a probation officer and psychiatrist should accompany Carter to prison in the hope that professional help could be offered.

“That is the only route to breaking the cycle,” said Mr Evans. “What he needs is assistance, wherever he is.”

Judge Barker jailed Carter for 20 months. “You would have known, particularly having been released from a 23-month sentence that those who supervised you would have been concerned by your contact with such a young female,” said the judge, “that it was in breach of your order and that it would — had it been discovered — led to your arrest and potential imprisonment.

“Therefore there is, in my judgement, by you, an interest in taking what can be described as deliberate risk taking behaviour.”

Judge Barker accepted struggles in Carter’s early life and a comment by him in relation to SRO compliance that “I don’t think it is clicking in my head”.

But he told the defendant: “If you are intent, as you suggest, on addressing your offending behaviour you will need to expand on the reasons why you commit these offences. Without that you will carry on doing them.

“If that is the case you will spend longer and longer in prison.”