Latest Offenders

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A rapist destroyed the childhoods of his victims by subjecting them to years of emotional abuse and sexual attacks.

Jason Clarke repeatedly targeted the vulnerable youngsters, grooming, exploiting and abusing them. In one horrific case he raped a child who was on a bike ride through woodland.

On Monday, Liverpool Crown Court heard Clarke had spent years manipulating three victims. He made them perform sex acts, subjected them to abuse and, in some cases, raped them.

The sex attacks, which took place across different properties in Merseyside, were only stopped when one of his victims gathered the courage to speak out. Years later his crimes were reported to police and he was arrested and charged with two dozen offences, ultimately leading to his conviction.

Clarke was today branded a monster as powerful statements written by his victims were read out in court by Arthur Gibson, prosecuting.They spoke of the anger and humiliation his treatment - physically and psychologically - had caused them, leaving them feeling alone, broken and depressed.

In one harrowing statement, one of his victims said: There is no amount of time in prison that monster Jason Clarke can do that will ever feel like justice has been served because I will have to live with these demons for the rest of my life.

Each spoke of the pain they had suffered by Clarke denying wrongdoing and forcing them to endure a trial, though they said his convictions offered them some closure.

Following that trial, jurors found the 48-year-old guilty of 24 counts of sexual abuse, including multiple rapes.

Sarah Holt, defending, said she could offer no mitigation for her clients crimes. Referring to his personal circumstances, Ms Holt said: He was brought up in care from a young age. The reality is there was, perhaps, very little care that was given to him.

His education was interrupted, limited and did not address the learning difficulties he has. As a teenager he was sexually abused himself by others in what could be described as the most depraved way.

Passing sentence this morning, Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, said Clarkes dreadful crimes left a trail of devastation.

He added: These are offences for which you have shown - and continue to show - not a jot of remorse.

Judge Goldstone accepted Clarke may have had a deprived childhood but, referring to the claims he was a victim of abuse, concluded: In those circumstances no-one knew better than you the sort of impact that your offending could have.

He sentenced Clarke to 24 years in jail, of which he must serve at least 16 before being considered for release, and made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order. Clarke, most recently of Hollins Drive in Stafford, will also have to sign the sex offenders register for life.

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An elderly sex-offender who was caught wearing a mini-skirt with no pants has been jailed after he repeatedly breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 11 how Colin Norfolk, aged 67, of Richmond Road, Sheffield, had been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after he had accumulated repeated convictions for indecent exposure. James Baird, prosecuting, said the SHPO prohibited Norfolk from wearing clothing that facilitated the indecent exposure of his genitals in a public place. But Mr Baird added that between February and September, 2020, police had struggled to locate and monitor Norfolk at his flat and when he had been seen he was obstructive so a camera was installed outside his home to capture his movements. Mr Baird said: He was seen on the camera and he was arrested leaving the flat wearing a coat, a hat and a short, floral mini-skirt that came just above his knees and flip-flops. When he was taken into custody it was found he was not wearing underwear. The SHPO also prohibited Norfolk from possessing devices capable of securing images without authorisation and that such devices should be available for inspection and he should co-operate with police. Mr Baird said police had initially attended Norfolks home on October 18, 2020, and when he failed to answer the door the camera later showed him leaving the property which proved he had been present during the visit, according to Mr Baird. The court heard that on November 17, 2020, Norfolk was then captured on the camera wearing the clothing the mini-skirt which could have facilitated an indecent exposure. Officers subsequently searched Norfolks flat and six mobile phones were seized and only one of them had actually been registered with the police. Mr Baird said police also tried to execute a search warrant at Norfolks flat but he refused to answer the door and after they had started to force entry he told them he would have answered but he was getting changed. Norfolk, who has previous convictions including SHPO breaches, pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching his SHPO by failing to make himself available to police, by wearing clothing designed to facilitate indecent exposure, by possessing undeclared phones, and by failing to answer his door to police. Ian West, defending, said: He instructs me he had an epiphany in mid-December, 2020, and he decided he had to change his ways. This sort of behaviour. The dressing and being obstructive to the police was clearly not to his benefit and matters had got totally out of hand. Mr West added that Norfolk is no longer wearing dresses or other female clothes not even in his own home. Judge Rachael Harrison told Norfolk: Taking the four counts together you exhibited, in my view, a persistent breach. She added: You treat this as some sort of game. It is not. Your position is seriously aggravated by your previous convictions. Judge Harrison sentenced Norfolk to 24 months of custody and he was given a further eight weeks of custody relating to the activation of a previously imposed suspended prison sentence.

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Mark Smith, AKA Mark Bocker, used to lead a number of schools in Merseyside A headteacher who specialised in pupil behaviour and safeguarding is now a convicted paedophile. Mark Smith, better known as Mark Bocker, led a number of schools in Merseyside and the North West in career spanning almost 40 years. Yet his reputation was left in tatters after it emerged he downloaded dozens of images of children being abused. Smith was handed a suspended sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after 82 indecent images were found on his phone. He had changed his name shortly before appearing in court in an apparent attempt to shield his full identity. Yet the judge in his case confirmed his birth surname, identifying him as a former headteacher with years of experience. Smith was previously the headteacher at Oswaldtwistle School in Lancashire, an alternative provision school focused on pupils who have been excluded from other schools or for whom mainstream education isnt suitable. Before that, he was the head of a pupil referral unit (PRU) in Knowsley. PRUs are similarly targeted at pupils who have been excluded from other schools. His niche experience in the area of behaviour management meant he became well known within the profession and was featured numerous times on an education podcast focused on improving pupil behaviour and safeguarding. In an episode of the podcast, now removed from the internet, Smith said he first taught PE when he became a teacher. After moving from Glasgow to England, he continued to work in a range of roles before moving towards teaching in schools with pupils with difficult behaviour. A blurb accompanying the now removed podcast said Bocker believes schools should provide life-affirming experiences for children, and that their carers and we as professionals and skilled trainers should enable and empower them to realise their aspirations. It also said that his experience meant he held a range of other roles in education, such as being a chair of governors for a trust that runs a school in Formby, where he lives, and being a member of a number of education councils. Now aged 61, police arrested Smith after receiving a tip off about indecent images on a device that was later traced to him. He was eventually arrested last year, with police analysis identifying a range of child abuse images on a Samsung phone. Peter Hussey, prosecuting, said On just one of those devices, a Samsung, they were able to spot that there had been stored on that item some 82 indecent images of children ranging across Category A, B and C. Overall, 13 images fell into Category A, the most serious, while 23 were in Category B and 46 were in Category C. Lee Bonner, defending, said Smith was deeply remorseful for downloading the pictures and had already taken steps to try to address his behaviour and not offend again. Sentencing him to six months in jail, suspended for 18 months, Judge David Swinnerton said: It is a great pity that a man who has done a great deal for children in difficult circumstances finds himself before the court after looking at pictures of children being abused. It may seem remote to you because it is a picture - but each picture is a case of a child abuse that is taking place somewhere in the world. Those photos have been taken to feed a market and you are one of the customers for the worst type of content that the internet can provide.

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A paedophile asked the probation service whether he could look at pictures of 18 and 19-year-old boys instead of younger teens. Darren Ernest Clarence Roberts, 51, downloaded specialist deleting software to clear devices of any evidence of him searching for gay teen porn just two days before his devices were checked by officers. Burnley Crown Court was told that Roberts was placed on the sex offenders register in 1999, subjecting him to regular checks of his technology by police. On January 21, 2020, police visited Roberts where they found 72 indecent images of children, some as young as four. Many of the images were downloaded through cache files from Roberts visiting websites while two of the photos were downloaded and saved to the phone. Roberts, from Blackburn, told police that he had not downloaded the images and that they were on the phone when he bought it from Cash Generator in Accrington, however, Recorder Nicholas Clarke QC said that he did not believe that a person would sell their phone without factory resetting it first. Prosecuting, Neil Fryman said that Roberts, of Jays B and B, Bolton Road, failed to inform police that he had bought the new phone, breaking the requirements of his sexual harm prevention order with Roberts saying he did not think it was relevant. Mr Fryman said: Roberts said he spoke with his probation worker to ask whether he could download adult porn including teenage boys who said it would be okay. The probation service said that they recall Roberts asking but did not say it would be okay, trying to deter him from the searches. Defending, Alison Whalley said that Roberts had two psychiatric reports in October and November and did not think that he was yet a danger to the community as he had not been contacting young boys and only downloading images. She said: He has completed a Kaizen course. Something that he is particularly proud of and he said; If I could turn the clock back knowing what I know now I would not have committed the offences and I am remorseful. Roberts' request for a suspended sentence was swiftly denied, with Mr Recorder Clarke saying that only a custodial sentence would be appropriate in this situation. Roberts pleaded guilty to three charges of possession of an indecent photograph of a child and one charge of possession of an extreme pornographic image. He was sentenced to two years in prison and will require post-release supervision. Roberts was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years - however, he is already listed on the register for life. He said: You have an extensive criminal record specifically relating to offences involving children. Attempts have been made to rehabilitate you in the community to stop you offending in this way. Its clear that you have continued to search for gay teen porn against the advice you have been given. It is clear that you have viewed some of the images online but also downloaded some of the images online in a purposeful act.

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A perverted courier, who delivered important documents to crown courts in Kent has been branded as "dangerous". Michael Quenby was one of the delivery drivers used by the Crown Prosecution Service for legal items at Maidstone and Canterbury courts. But the 37-year-old, has now been convicted of raping a child and has been given a 19 year extended sentence Judge Philip St John-Stevens told him: "You are a highly manipulative man. It was harrowing watching your victim give evidence. "You robbed your victim of her innocence and childhood." Quenby, who worked for an external company which carried out work outsourced by the CPS, was given an immediate 15 year jail term and the judge added another four years which will be served on licence when he is released. He will serve 10 years before he can apply for parole. A jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard how he secretly preyed on a schoolgirl and kept a stash of illegal child images together with sex toys at his home. They were told four sex dolls and a blue folder containing indecent images of children were found at his home. Quenby, now of Church Lane, Ripple, Deal was convicted of 12 charges of rape and sex assaults. Prosecutor Dominic Connolly told the court how in 2018 the victim was seen by her mother to be upset and was asked the reason why. The young child explained to her what had happened. He said: "Her mother was shocked and horrified. She asked if what she said was true and explained the seriousness of the allegation she was making and the child said it was." Detectives had gone to his former home in East Street, Faversham, where they discovered three laptops, a MacBook and two iPads. In April 2018 he was further quizzed by police and told them they would find deleted indecent images of children on his computer. Mr Connolly added that Quenby said a decade earlier he was in a chat room, where the conversation was about sex. "Her mother was shocked and horrified..." He added: "He said that some of the participants were talking about having sex with children. "Without asking, he was sent indecent images." The prosecutor added that Quenby considered himself to be "asexual in that he wasnt sexually interested in male or female." "He has never had sex. He had never searched the internet for images of children but had searched for adult porn." As the verdicts were delivered, Quenby turned to the public gallery where a member of his family sat but didn't say anything.

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A brave young woman bit a teenager and kicked out at him in a bid to stop a "terrifying" sex attack along a secluded footpath after he followed her, a court has heard.

Leon Campbell, 19, followed the teenage victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and sexually assaulted her in a grassed area in Thetford.

Norwich Crown Court heard the victim had walked down a path past the Blaydon Bridge in Thetford and after a short distance became aware of "footsteps behind her".

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said the victim decided to run but "became somewhat breathless" and stopped near a grassed area off Canterbury Way when she turned and saw the defendant "right in front of her".

Mr Potts said Campbell "grabbed" the victim who described how he gave her a look to say he had "all this power" and could do "whatever he wanted to do".

The victim "tried so hard to scream but it was like nothing was happening".

Campbell tried to put his hand over the victim's mouth but she bit him and broke a fingernail with the defendant in the struggle.

He then threw the victim to the floor but was kicked out at by the teenager as she tried to stop him from attacking her.

But he was able to get his hands down her trousers and also touched her breasts.

After thinking he heard someone Campbell "got up and ran off".

The victim then ran home and broke down and said she had been "attacked and nearly raped".

Mr Potts said she was a vulnerable young woman walking home at night in a secluded area.

Campbell, of Toxteth, Liverpool, appeared at court on Friday (March 11) to be sentenced having previously admitted two sexual assaults at about 11.20pm on June 3 last year.

Before Campbell was sentenced, the victim read out a statement in which she described how her life "changed the day you did this to me".

She said: "I'm now unable to have sleep and have nightmares and have to have my dog or my boyfriend with me."

The victim, who now takes anti-depressants, said she has had to lock the windows in her bedroom as she was worried someone else would be able to get in.

She said she cannot go to sleep in silence and has to have the television on as all she can hear is her "telling you to stop" and the thud as she was thrown to the ground.

The victim said "I feel like I can't get myself out of this situation and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. "I feel what you have done to me will never go away".

Sentencing Campbell to an extended 10 year sentence made up of four years detention in a young offenders institute (YOI) and six years on licence, Judge Katharine Moore said he had subjected the victim to a "terrifying ordeal" and described it as a "predatory sex attack".

Judge Moore found Campbell to be a dangerous offender who posed a significant risk of serious harm by the commission of similar sort of offences.

The judge said the victim "struggled bravely" despite suffering "abject terror" and "fearing the very worst" adding that the consequences of the offence on her have been both "profound and enduring".

Adam Norris, mitigating, said the defendant was something of an "enigma".

He said Campbell was a young man, 19 now and 18 at the time, who is remarkably inarticulate and awkward.

Mr Norris said it was opportunistic in that they happened to be on the same path at the same time rather than it being targeted and insisted there was "no significant planning".

Campbell must also sign on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

A hearing to determine whether Campbell is to be made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was adjourned until a later date.

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Today Shannon Anderson age 24 from Seaham appeared at court for sentencing with regards to her guilty plea of sexual activity with a child where she received :

- 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years

- 10 years sex offenders register

- No un-supervised contact with any male under 16

Shannon has been given custody of her 1 year old child she already has and will keep the child she is pregnant with at the moment which is due in 7 weeks.

Shannon must inform her family members of her conviction if she wants to see them and they have male children under 16.

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A MAN who has been described as a "dangerous predator" has been jailed for more than two years for sexually assaulting a boy. Martyn Quinn, 65 and of Beechwood, Fordingbridge, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on March 10, having previously pleaded guilty to one count of assault of a boy under 13 years old by touching. The court heard how Quinn sexually assaulted the boy at premises in New Milton, on January 2. Quinn was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and will also be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. Detective Constable David Jackson, who led the investigation, said: Quinns actions have had a lasting impact on the boy and I would like to praise him for his bravery throughout the investigation which has led to this dangerous predator being put behind bars. I hope it reassures the public that we will do all in our power to bring sex offenders to justice and encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to speak with us. No matter how long ago it happened, or how old you are, we will take you seriously and support you throughout the process.

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Richard James was found guilty of four incidents of rape, as well as indecency with a child and indecent assault A 57-year-old man from Cornwall who raped a young girl when he was a teenager has been sent to jail. Richard James, of Radnor Road in Scorrier, was found guilty of indecency with a child, indecent assault and four incidents of rape between April 1979 and April 1981. He appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence today. A victim personal statement was read out in court, explaining how the assaults changed the victim's life. The court heard how the woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - became shy and started to have nightmares. "It felt like I had all this anger inside me that I needed to get out," her statement read. James' victim went on to explain that she has had sexual issues with her partners ever since and that, when she eventually came forward on Christmas Day 2019, she felt really embarrassed and ashamed of herself. "I believe this has really ripped my family apart," she added. Prosecuting the case, Mary McCarthy also added that James once threatened to kill his victim if she did not comply. Representing James, Piers Noseworthy said that the father-of-two has not offended since. "He's a very different person now," he said. "All offending occurred when he himself was a child." "He's had an exemplary conduct since." The court was told how James has been suffering with serious medical problems for the last 10 years and has mobility issues. Sentencing, Recorder Simon Levene said he took into account James' age and maturity at the time of the offence, evidence of good character since, as well as his health issues when considering what sentence would be appropriate. "Although your age between the first and last date of the indictment spans between 14 years and almost 18 years, I shouldn't treat you like someone with the maturity of an 18-year-old," he said. "But the younger you were, the younger your victim was. "I accept that there was a degree of immaturity on your part. "I certainly think you were old enough and mature enough to know that what you were doing was wrong. After all, your victim was suffering and you threatened to kill her if she told anybody - not every time, I accept. It shows you knew you would be in trouble if it ever came out. "To her credit, she has gone on to have a successful career. She has managed to function in society but it's quite clear from what she said in the victim impact statement that was read out today she has suffered lifelong from what you did to her. "If you had been an adult at the time that you committed these offences the sentence would have been one of eight years of imprisonment. I reduce that to five years because of the age that you were at the time that you committed these offences. I then consider the aggravating factors and I move the sentence up to one of six years of imprisonment. "Finally, I take into account the mitigation that I have. You have kept out of trouble for 40 years, but for me, the most important point, is that you are very poorly." Recorder Levene proceeded to sentence James to four-and-a-half years of imprisonment. James will have to continually update his personal details including his address with the police. A restraining order was also made. James cannot contact directly and indirectly three named individuals until further notice.

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James Roberts, of South Shields, thought he was talking to a schoolgirl but it was actually an undercover police officer A perverted pensioner who wanted a 14-year-old girl to go his home and offered to "train" her how to have sex has been jailed. James Roberts, 70, began chatting to what he believed was a schoolgirl online and told her he didn't mind her age if she didn't mind his, which he said was 65. The profile was actually an undercover police officer but Roberts thought he was talking to a child. Newcastle Crown Court heard Roberts initially communicated with the profile on a chat app and then it moved to WhatsApp. He told her he was at home all day drinking beer and she was welcome to join him and told her he lived near South Shields Metro station and could meet her there. The conversation progressed to him asking about her sexual experience and he said they could have sex if she wanted to. An arrangement was made to meet the following week and Roberts told her: "You won't tell anyone," adding a winking emoji. He went on to ask if he would need to wear a condom and said he would get some just in case. Andrew Finlay, prosecuting, said: "He said she was the youngest he had been with. "They discussed what she was going to wear. He said he wanted her to wear a skirt. "He asked if she was a virgin and she said she tried but it didn't really work and he said 'I will take it for you'. "He then asked if she wanted him to train her." Roberts also told what he thought to be a child that he watched pornography and how big his penis was, saying he would be gentle with her when they had sex. After being sent a picture purporting to be her, he said she was beautiful and that he was thinking of her naked. The conversation developed and he asked how big her breasts were and described things he wanted to do. When she expressed uncertainty about meeting, he encouraged her. On November 12 2020, he turned up to meet her at South Shields Metro and was arrested by police. Roberts, of Green Place, South Shields, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. Judge Robert Spragg jailed him for 30 months and told him he must sign the sex offenders register indefinitely and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. The court heard he has been married three times and has children he doesn't see and was "lonely and isolated" and was drinking at the time of the offences. Robin Turton, defending, said: "This was a regular chat site and she made the first move. "He was flattered and surprised she wanted to have a conversation with him given the age disparity." The court heard he has a number of health problems including arthritis and COPD. Roberts has 58 previous convictions but nothing for sex offences and his last conviction was in 1995 for drugs offending, for which he was jailed for 30 months.

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Kevin Askew admitted to sexually assaulting the 13-year-old girl A man who sexually assaulted a child has been jailed. Kevin Askew, who is also known as Sean, admitted to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, with police stating that all the offences took place in Lancaster. Askew, of Far Moss, Northside, Workington, has been jailed for six years, and has been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life. He has also been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which "significantly limits his interaction with girls under the age of 16". Askew initially denied any wrongdoing but pleaded guilty when presented with the weight of evidence compiled against him by detectives in West Child Protection Team. A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "We hope this case and its outcome will encourage other victims of sexual abuse no matter how historic to come forward. You can do so knowing you will be listened to, believed and that Lancashire Police will do everything in our power to keep you safe and bring the perpetrator to justice.

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A dark web Northampton paedophile who was caught with help from the FBI in the United States has been handed 30 years in jail.

Keith McFadden, aged 57, formerly of Talbot Road, Northampton, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court today (11 March) for historic child sex offences.

The convicted child predator was finally arrested by Northamptonshire Police detectives following an investigation of the dark web by the National Crime Agency.

Andrew Howarth, prosecuting, said McFadden had bragged about the offences and later read impact statements from McFadden's victims.

The statement said the victim had tried to take his own life and had been on "antidepressants for most of my life because of what he did to me."

Other victims described having their lives "turned upside down" by McFadden's actions.

Stephen Garbett, defending, said: "Mr McFadden is going to be in prison for a significant amount of time. By the time he is released from prison he will be extremely old.

"Mr McFadden is under no illusion that this will be the case."

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said in sentencing: "There is no way of knowing whether you will engage with programmes, especially given that you continue to maintain your innocence.

"You pose a threat to young boys, as opposed to the general public."

Keith McFadden was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with a minimum time to serve of 20 years.

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A paedophile who groomed a vulnerable teenage girl from Warrington over several months has been jailed for 12 years. Michael Smith was convicted of causing and inciting a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity following a five-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court. The 49-year-old, of Cheetham Fold Road, Hyde, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 28th February where the judge sentenced him to 12-years in prison after describing him as a danger to the public. During the hearing, the court heard how Smith had groomed the teenager over a number of months before arranging to collect her from an address in Warrington on Tuesday 2 February 2021. He then drove the girl back to his flat in Hyde where he sexually assaulted her. The victim was located at around 5.30am the following day after she contacted police. Following the sentencing Detective Constable Stephen Martin, who led the investigation, said: Smith knew the victim was underage and he knew that she was vulnerable. In spite of this, he purposefully chose to take advantage of her, grooming the girl over a number of months and convincing her that she was in love with him. After gaining her trust, he then collected her from her home in Warrington and took her to his flat Hyde where he sexually assaulted her. Thankfully, as a result of the evidence provided by the victim and the evidence gathered during our investigation, Smith is now facing a significant prison sentence and is no longer a danger to the general public. On top of his custodial sentence, Smith was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

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A 25-YEAR-OLD man from Ellesmere Port has been jailed after breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by possessing indecent images of children. Neil Webb, of Bruera Road, Ellesmere Port, was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, March 8. He had earlier pleaded guilty to two sexual harm breaches and breaching his suspended sentence. Webb was previously convicted of possessing and making indecent images of children at Cheshire Magistrates Court on February 12, 2021 and sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months. He was also subjected to the notification requirements of the Sex Offender Register and given a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. DS Keith Campbell said: As a registered sex offender Webb was required to adhere to a number of conditions to deter him from reoffending. An officer allocated to monitoring him visited his home address on June 25 to ensure he was keeping to his conditions. "Following a check of his mobile phone, she discovered it was on private browsing mode which masked his internet history - a breach of his prevention order. The officer then checked the device, and no indecent images of children were found. But on further scrutiny of the phone, the officer discovered there were in excess of 350 bookmarked URLs (or web addresses). These related to category C indecent images of children. On February 2, a warrant was executed at Webbs home address and a further phone, which was not registered with the police, was seized from him. This was found to contain 198 images indicative of indecent images of children. DS Keith Campbell said: This shows the effectiveness of monitoring offenders who are subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and highlights the consequences of not adhering to the conditions. I hope it reassures people that we do carefully monitor registered sex offenders in the community and take action when a breach is discovered.

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A Peterborough paedophile who carried out horrific abuse on a schoolgirl more than thirty years ago has finally been brought to justice. Bernard Taylors horrific abuse of the girl in Peterborough continued until she became an older teenager and he tried to rape her. The historic offences only came to light in 2018 when Taylors victim bravely confided in someone she knew. Taylor, now of Lisnamon Court, Londonderry, was interviewed but gave a prepared statement in which he denied any involvement in the abuse and claimed his victim was lying. He also claimed he had never been sexually attracted to children at any stage of his life. The 73-year-old stood trial at Norwich Crown Court in November, where jurors found him guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 and one count of attempting to rape a woman over the age of 16. He was handed an 18-year sentence at the same court on Wednesday (9 March), comprising a 17-year jail term and one year on licence. Taylor was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. DC Sian Thomas, who investigated, said: Taylors horrific sexual abuse of his victim went undetected for decades and I am pleased he has finally been brought to justice. Regardless of when it happened, we will always take reports of sexual offences, including child sex abuse, very seriously. Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we have specially trained officers who are there to support victims and bring offenders to justice. Taylors abuse has had a huge impact on his victim, who is now an adult, and I hope she can find some closure to this traumatic period of her life.