Latest Offenders

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A man raped a boy when he himself was still a child by making him take part in "rude games".

Elliot Troy, 24, sobbed when he appeared in court today to be sentenced over vile sexual offences in his past.

He had denied any wrongdoing, but was found guilty after a trial of three counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: "You have developed into a much more mature person, you have a good record and now have a girlfriend.

"But you have caused psychological scars to your victim that will remain with him for the rest of his life."

Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim "had the courage" in 2017 to tell his dad that he had been sexually abused by Troy as a child.

Troy, of Carr Lane East, Croxteth, but formerly of Crosby, was aged between 11 and 15 during the offences, while his victim was aged between nine and 12.

Judge Aubrey said: "However, the abuse had started many years before, when the victim estimated his age to be only three or four.

"You were then only six or seven, and thus of course below the age of criminal responsibility [10 in the UK]."

He emphasised Troy was not to be sentenced for "those activities", but said it was "against that background and the perception of normality instilled in your victim" that he sexually abused him and asked him to take part in "rude games".

The judge said while there may have been some "sexual experimentation" between the pair, there was "a significant age gap".

He said: "It escalated, that is the seriousness of the offences escalated, and there is no doubt your victim wanted none of it."

Judge Aubrey said at the age of 11, Troy rubbed his penis against the boy's bottom.

He said Troy later orally raped the boy, then afterwards "told him he had done really well".

The court heard Troy did this on at least three more occasions and there was evidence of grooming, including offering him "rewards" on an Xbox and showing him porn to encourage him.

Troy then raped the boy, when he was 15 and the victim was 12.

Phil Astbury, prosecuting, told the court the victim now "suffers chronic nightmares every night".

He said: "They feature both the abuse he suffered and images of his parents not believing him when he told them."

Mr Astbury added: "He has suicidal thoughts. He's attempted suicide on one occasion and self-harms."

The court heard the victim's education suffered, he was now on antidepressants and described feeling guilty and ashamed, even though he knew he shouldn't.

Mr Astbury said: "He feels frozen, stuck in the past, and unable to move on with his life."

He said the victim felt "closed off" emotionally and couldn't maintain a relationship as he felt unable to kiss and sexual contact was "out of the question".

Quoting the victim, he added: "He can't remember the last time he felt happy."

Judge Aubrey said the victim's account was "powerful" and "poignant".

He said it was "in many respects an unusual case, bearing in mind the extreme youth of both defendant and victim".

Arthur Gibson, defending, said his client, who is of previous good character, hadn't committed any offences since the age of 15.

Judge Aubrey said it was "as long ago" as September 2017 the victim was interviewed by police and Troy a month later.

But he said it wasn't until July 2020 that Troy first appeared before magistrates, which was "an unacceptable delay".

He said: "Lives have been put on hold and that must be reflected in the sentence that this court imposes."

Judge Aubrey said he had read a pre-sentence report, character references and a letter from Troy, who supported and cared for his mum, who was unwell.

He said: "You have been described as having remorse for past events, but that is not supported by your denials during the course of the trial, although I accept you did accept some activity had taken place."

Judge Aubrey accepted Troy was "saddened for the hurt" he caused and it had impacted on his mental health.

He said: "You yourself speak of the mistakes you made when you were younger and in your letter you state you're very apologetic and sorry for what you have done and the damage you have caused.

"It's unfortunate in my judgement that you did not have the courage to admit all that you had done prior to your trial. You had much time to reflect upon it."

The judge said he had to sentence Troy based on the age he was at the time and the first offences were when he was "just over the age of criminal responsibility".

However, he said: "I am satisfied there came a time when you must certainly have known what you were doing was wrong and that he did not want to do that which you wished."

The judge said had Troy carried out the attacks as an adult, he would have locked him up for "at least" 12 years.

Taking into account his age at the time, the delay in the case and prison conditions during the pandemic, he jailed him for four years and nine months.

Troy must comply with a restraining order and sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A sex offender who horrifically abused three young girls has been jailed for five years.

Douglas Brown, 60, was sentenced at Dumfries Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old attacker’s appalling crimes prompted Sheriff Scott Pattison to impose the highest possible sentence.

The sheriff praised the victims’ bravery in coming forward.

One of them, now aged 26 and from Dumfries, welcomed the prison term and said Brown being off the street would give her “five years of peace”.

She said: “I’m glad I don’t need to worry about bumping into him in the street or having him drive past me.

“On the other hand, he’s been sentenced to five years while I’ve been left with a life sentence of having to deal with what he did.”

Brown, of Palgowan Farm, Bargrennan, was found guilty at an earlier trial and his sentence had been deferred for background reports including a psychological evaluation.

Sheriff Pattison said: “The jury found you guilty of sexually abusing three children and physically assaulting one of them.

“They were aged between five and 11 years old at the time and that abuse was persistent and prolonged.

“The abuse lasted for years. You were to blame and you were responsible.

“But for the bravery of the three girls you could have avoided justice for serious crimes.”

He added: “I have considered all that has been said on your behalf and the assessments, but I am satisfied only a custodial sentence is appropriate to punish and deter you for the future.

“The sheer persistence leads me to sentence you to the limit of my powers and that is five years imprisonment from today.”

Brown was charged that on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and February 28, 2006 at an address in the region he used indecent practices towards a girl who was aged seven at the start of the abuse.

He removed her clothing, touched her private parts and made her commit a sex act on him.

Brown similarly abused a second girl, aged seven at the start of the offences, on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and May 25, 2008 at two addresses in the region.

In addition, he had sex with a woman in her presence and caused the girl to look at pornographic material.

A third girl, aged only five at the start of the abuse, was a victim between April 1, 2003 and April 26, 2010 at two addresses in the region.

He got into bed and sexually abused her. The court heard earlier he also had sex with a woman in her presence and caused the child to view pornography.

The fourth charge was that on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and July 3, 2011, at two addresses in the region he struck the same girl with his hand, seized her by the throat, pinned her against a wall and uttered threats of violence towards her.

The jury unanimously found him guilty on the first, third and fourth charges and found him guilty by a majority verdict on the second charge.

The victim told the Standard that Brown had never shown any remorse for the abuse.

She said: “He’s never apologised and in fact, seemed to think what he did had been blown out of proportion and wasn’t that bad.

“He thought he was above the law because he’s got plenty of money.

“Since the day he started abusing me, my life hasn’t progressed in any way.

“I haven’t been able to connect to anybody, I’m scared of absolutely everything including even going outside and especially speaking to older men.

“It was only when one of the other victims reported the abuse that I decided to speak out and I’m glad I did even though I had to force myself to.

“I’d urge anyone else in the same situation to find someone they trust and tell them what’s happening.

“It’s only now that I can finally fix my mental health and sort out my life.

“Sometimes I think about what happened when I don’t want to.

“I’ve always felt full of shame and that I wasn’t normal.

“Brown is disgusting and I’m glad he’s not going to be around anymore children for a while.”

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A “pathetic” paedophile whose abuse wrecked the lives of two victims has finally been brought to justice, but not before asking his victims' for forgiveness.

Adrian Ninnis, 56, destroyed the lives of his victims to the extent that one took themselves to a cliff and was about to jump before a chaplain turned up just in time.

Ninnis, of Polweath Road in Penzance, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to seven indecent assault charges, crimes which took place in west Cornwall in the 1980s and 1990s.

Prosecuting the case, Emily Cook described how the children abused were aged between 5 and 10 at the time.

Regarding the first victim, Ninnis rubbed his penis against his bottom and put his penis in his mouth before ejaculating into his hand.The second victim had her vagina digitally penetrated by Ninnis, as well as numerous other instances of sexual touching. He bought her cigarettes in an effort to groom her. Both victims had victim impact statements read to the court.

The first victim described never having confidence in life and always feeling isolated and useless, as well as suffering depression. He went on to add that only the light of the chaplain on the cliffs that day stopped him taking his own life.

However, since Ninnis entered guilty pleas he said he has stopped drinking (to mask the pain) and has become a better person.

The second victim said she was “permanently scared” and started using drink and drugs aged 12 to block the abuse. She regularly thought she was better off dead and suffered anxiety and depression as a result. She added that she “felt dirty and like damaged goods”.

Representing Ninnis, Piers Norsworthy said: “He wants to say sorry for the hurt he has caused over the years and apologise for being in a state of denial.

“He hopes one day the victims will be able to forgive him. He presents as a pathetic figure and is genuinely remorseful. He had a very disturbing early life and was sexually abused by one of his mother’s partners. This had an inevitable impact on his emotional and social development.”

Mr Norsworthy added that guilty pleas in such cases are exceedingly rare.

Sentencing Ninnis, Judge Robert Linford said: “The victim impact statements show how both complainants have been affected by the abuse and how it continues to affect their lives.

“When the abuse ended you got on with your life and seemingly forgot what you had done. The victims in this case have not been able to forget and get on with their lives and the shadow of this sexual abuse has continued to hang over them.”

Judge Linford then noted Ninnis’ mitigation and that the guilty pleas had prevented the victims having to relive the abuse in court.

Ninnis was jailed for 12 years, 10 custodial and two on extended licence. He was also made subject of a restraining order and sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A St Annes paedophile who repeatedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl while working as a private music tutor in the late 1990s has been jailed for his crimes.

Gary Fox, 62, of Clifton Drive North, was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault at Preston Crown Court in September.

Investigation officer Mick Cross, of Lancashire Police's public protection unit, said: “Gary Fox, a married man, made a deliberate decision to pursue a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He must have known known that this was wrong, especially as she was his student and he had a duty of care to her. It did not stop him. He effectively groomed and then sexually assaulted a child in order to satisfy his own sexual urges.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim for having the courage to effectively re-live her ordeal through these court proceedings. I hope that the conviction and sentence give her some sense that justice has been achieved after all this time and that it gives others who may have suffered such abuse the confidence to come forward and report it to us confident in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally, regardless of the time passed or who the alleged perpetrator.”

Fox met his young victim while giving private music lessons. He soon started making inappropriate comments towards her before escalating to physical abuse.
 
Howard Gough, head of the North West CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: ‘’Gary Fox was in a position of trust as a music teacher when he exploited a young girl for his own sexual gratification.

“I would like to commend this brave woman for finding the courage to stand up to the man who manipulated and abused her all those years ago, and for her ongoing support of the police investigation and subsequent successful prosecution of him.
“I wish her the best for her future, safe in the knowledge that a very dangerous man is now serving a prison sentence thanks to her strength and fortitude in standing up to him."

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Naveed Ishaq had downloaded a sickening amount of indecent images between March 2017 and August 2020, Bolton Crown Court heard on Monday.

The 48-year-old, from Bolton, had scoured the internet for vile images - as well as animal porn - and used chat rooms where he would ask: "Do you have any child porn about?"

He was eventually rumbled as part of a nationwide investigation - before telling police he was shocked at how easy it was to find the horrific material and insisting he was going to 'hand it to the police or a newspaper' as evidence.

The court heard that Ishaq was caught following an operation carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which was investigating the sharing of indecent images of children on a New Zealand-based file sharing website called Mega.NZ.

The NCA found six email addresses registered on Mega.NZ which were believed to have been used by Ishaq to receive indecent material from the website, and five of the accounts were traced back to Ishaq's address.

Mr Connick told the court that the NCA passed its evidence to Greater Manchester Police, which carried out a search at Ishaq's home on Langthorne Walk, Bolton.

He said: "When officers informed the defendant why they were there, he said that he had been wanting to contact the police for some time to talk about the fact that you could get such things on the internet.

"He said he was simply a concerned citizen who had been downloading such images to show how easy it was."

Ishaq was arrested by police, who seized an iPad, two iPhones, a desktop computer, another phone and a laptop.

The court heard he told officers that further devices could be found at his home inside a washbag, which was hidden in a sofabed.

Police carried out another raid on Ishaq's address and found the bag, which contained more devices including external hard drives and a memory card.

Officers analysed the devices and found a shocking amount of indecent images of children - both still images and video.

There were 31,307 category A images, 29,256 category B images, and 327,531 category C images - a total of 388,094.

Mr Connick said the images included children aged from just one-year-old to 17, adding: "Many of the victims appeared to be distressed and in severe pain."

Police found 47 images of extreme pornography involving animals - including a video which also featured a child - as well as a vile 120-page paedophile manual on 'how to practice child love'.

Officers also found evidence of web visits, bookmarks and downloads which indicated the various files Ishaq had accessed and the disgusting search terms he had used - including 'pre-teen hardcore' and 'rape' - as well as online chat logs to ask for more files.

Ishaq had used 'secretive internet browsers' in an attempt to cover his tracks, Mr Connick added.

Defending, John Harrison said his client was a man of previous good character who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and told the court his wife was 'entirely dependent on him'.

He said that Ishaq claims that the 'desperate' excuse he first gave to police - that he intended to hand over the material as a 'concerned citizen' - was one he made 'out of fear' following the raid at his home.

Mr Harrison added: "It's quite clear that the thought processes of [Ishaq] need to be tackled."

Judge Martin Walsh, honorary recorder of Bolton, handed Ishaq a two-year prison sentence but told him he would serve half of it before being released on licence.

Ishaq also must sign a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

"The amount of material here is grotesque," Judge Walsh said.

"This was a systematic and committed searching for prohibited material over an extended period of time.

"Having regard to the aggravating features here, only an immediate sentence of custody can be justified."

All items seized from Ishaq which contained the material will be destroyed.

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Adrian Scott, 58, of Tidworth Road, Boscombe, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to ten counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, six of inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity without penetration, three of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of paying for sexual services of a boy without penetration and one of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.

Scott was jailed on Wednesday (November 24) for three years and eight months for all offences as well as being given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was also added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Following a national investigation concerning child sexual abuse and exploitation relating to a website which has storage and file hosting service based in New Zealand, Scott was identified as having an account and having uploaded and shared a number of files, while he claimed to be 16.

In April 2020, officers from Wiltshire Police's Child Internet Exploitation Team attended his address at the time in Great Durnford, Salisbury, with a search warrant.

A number of items were seized from the property where the extent of his offending was revealed, with evidence of Scott posing as a 16-year-old boy online to talk to other people about indecent images and using online chat sites to encourage boys as young as 13 to perform sexual acts, with money being sent on more than one occasion by online transfer.

The charges relate to 1,459 images and videos being recovered.

Detective Constable Jason Walsh, of the Wiltshire Police Child Internet Exploitation Team, said: "Cases such as this are often shocking and disturbing, and our job is to safeguard the victims.

"We are pleased to have secured a custodial sentence for Scott and this is testament to some superb partnership work.

"We will continue to act on intelligence we receive on these abhorrent crimes and will ensure the internet is not a safe place for individuals like Scott to prey on the most vulnerable in our communities."

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A farm worker from Cottingham working at Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire has been convicted of sexually assaulting two students.

Keith Bailey, 56, of Dunswell Road, Cottingham, was jailed for 22 months at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, November 19.

Bailey worked at the on-site farm in a support role. However, he was suspended in 2018 when allegations first came to light and he has since been formally dismissed by the college.

Bishop Burton CEO and principal Bill Meredith said: "A court case against a previous staff member at Bishop Burton College concluded with a sentencing hearing at Grimsby Crown Court.

"The college would like to commend the bravery of those who came forward to enable this case to come to trial. The college offered to support the victims along with the police in this matter. The college deeply regrets the distress caused to the students involved.

"The staff member was suspended from the college in December 2018, when the incidents were first reported.

"The staff member never returned to work after this date.

"Normal rigorous employment checks were undertaken on the staff member when they were recruited.

"Subsequent training and updates on safeguarding were provided by the college.

"In spite of these measures, the incidents reported occurred and, as a result, the college has reviewed all aspects of the safeguarding systems and taken external advice.

"The college has co-operated with the police and local authority throughout and will continue to prioritise the welfare and safety for all who attend the college."

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Darren Elphick, 50, groomed an underage girl into having sex with him by buying her expensive gifts. A senior church bell ringer who groomed an underage girl into having sex with him by buying her expensive gifts has been jailed for six years. A court heard Darren Elphick ignored warnings from others about his 'disconcerting and weird' behaviour. The 50-year-old would abuse her at his home near Maidstone, as well as in his car and secluded, wooded areas. He told his victim to keep it a secret but eventually ended it, telling her he 'didn't want it becoming public'. But the abuse was eventually reported to police and Elphick was arrested in December 2018. He later pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child, three of taking indecent photos of a child, one of possessing an indecent image, and one of possessing extreme pornographic images. When arrested, he was the secretary and 'tower captain' at St Peter and St Paul Church in the village of Aylesford, but was immediately suspended by Rochester Diocese. None of the offences were committed on church property, however. Jailing Elphick on Tuesday (November 23) Judge Robert Lazarus told him he had caused long-standing psychological harm and left his victim blaming herself. "It ought not be necessary to say this but any adult who encounters a child has a duty to protect them from harm and you didn't. In fact, you went out of your way to harm her," the judge told Elphick. "It may be more palatable for you to see this in some way as a consensual relationship but the harm suffered by her has a very long reach indeed. "Horrifically, at times she has believed that this was all her fault."

'She feels sad for her younger self'

Prosecutor Kathryn Hirst told Maidstone Crown Court that having befriended the girl, Elphick started buying her presents. But he ignored the concerns of others and what then progressed to kissing and touching eventually led to sexual intercourse while she was still underage, added Ms Hirst. "The Crown submit there was 'evidence of grooming prior to the commencement of the sexual relationship," she said. "He was warned that she was under 16 and he shouldn't do anything inappropriate with her. He would acknowledge this and agree." Referring to the victim's impact statement made once Elphick had been reported to police, Ms Hirst told the court: "As she has matured, she realises what happened was abuse. "She feels sad for her younger self....and feels part of her childhood has been taken away." When arrested, police discovered the indecent images, which included one of the girl taken without her knowledge while they were having sex, and others of unidentified children aged 12 to 14. Elphick also had four extreme pornographic movies depicting a woman having sex with an animal which had been sent to him via WhatsApp.

'He was flattered by her attention'

Irshad Sheikh, defending, said Elphick, who has no previous convictions, was 'flattered' by the girl's attention but should have put an immediate stop to it. "He accepts it should never have begun and should never have continued in the way it did," he told the court. "She was a child, he was much older. He should never have let it progress the way it did. He is genuinely remorseful." On his release from prison, Elphick, from Aylesford, will be subject indefinitely to signing on the sex offender register and to a sexual harm prevention order. He will also be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. Detective Constable Hannah Crittenden, of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: "Elphick gained the trust of a child and exploited this trust in the worst possible way, by subjecting her to repeated abuse. "The victim was warned to keep the abuse secret and not to tell anyone, but thankfully in recent years has found the courage to come forward and help us ensure Elphick has now been brought to justice. "I would urge anyone who has been a victim of any sexual offence to remember that it is never too late to report this to police. "We have a team of specialist officers who work relentlessly to ensure that offenders like Elphick do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago. "We will always treat any information with the utmost confidence and sensitivity."

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A man who orchestrated a meeting with a 12-year-old girl through online chatrooms only to find he had been set up has been sentenced after admitting child sexual offences.

David Asser – 49 (18.10.72) of Hertford Road, Enfield pleaded guilty on Wednesday, 25 August at Wood Green Crown Court to one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl under the age of 16 and one count of attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 following grooming.

On the Tuesday, 23 November he was sentenced at the same court to 28 months' imprisonment and will be recorded on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Asser began communicating with the girl on an online chatroom in November 2020; despite the 'girl' stating she was aged 12, Asser continued engaging with her, including making sexually explicit suggestions.

However, unbeknown to Asser he was actually communicating with an adult who was pretending to be a young girl.

Over the next week, Asser continued to communicate, making arrangements for the pair to meet while continuing the sexually explicit conversations.

On 7 December, Asser went to meet the girl at a prearranged place in Mandeville Road, Enfield. However, when he arrived he was confronted and detained by an online civilian group. Police were called and Asser was arrested.

Items were seized from his address which laid bare his attempts to groom and sexually exploit the 12-year-old girl he thought he was communicating with.

DC Lee Jeffrey from the North Area Command Unit said:

"David Asser was fully aware of the age of the girl he believed he was communicating with yet despite this, he persisted in making sexually explicit suggestions to her and then made efforts to physically meet with her.

"His actions are deplorable and it is right he has been held to account for this."

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An Eastbourne man who sexually abused a young girl for five years has now been given a 14-year prison sentence after an investigation by safeguarding detectives from Sussex Police.

John Gibbs, 50, a cleaner, of Shanklin Close, Eastbourne, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday 11 November, having been found guilty of two counts the rape and three counts of sexual assault on the child who was under 13 at the time.

He will be a registered sex offender for life and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to last until further court decision, prohibiting him from any contact with his victim or her family, and from living in any household where there are children under 16.

Detective Constable Hugh Charles of Sussex Police said; "Gibbs came to know the girl and over a period of time he ingratiated himself with her and initially gained her confidence before systematically sexually abusing her, solely for his own pleasure.

"Only when she eventually felt able to disclose to family members what had happened was this reported to us, and action was taken immediately, resulting in Gibbs' arrest and three years later in his subsequent prosecution."

The victim's mother said, on hearing of the sentencing: "This result was all my daughter wanted, for him to know he'd done wrong. For the first time in three years, she's gone to the shops to buy sweets without having to look over her shoulder, and I hope sooner than later we will get to see a smile again.

"I also want to thank the police and the support services at Survivors Network for all their hard work and support they have given to me and my daughter"

Hugh Charles added: "I also want to thank my colleagues, Detective Constables Steve Wormley, Lisa Wells and Laura Powell for all their work in helping to bring Gibbs to justice. This was a team effort on behalf of the victim"

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Rameen Farooqy and Pankaj Bangarh laughed as they attacked their victim in the Winston Hotel.

Their victim was unconscious as she lay on the floor during the traumatic ordeal in August 2018.

Her attackers were each jailed on Wednesday for a total of eight years.

Furthermore, they must register as sex offenders for life.

They were both found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a trial at Southampton Crown Court earlier in the year.

Farooqy, 25, of Arundel Drive, Harrow, and Bangarh, 27, of Halsway, Hayes, London, have also been made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact their victim.

Hampshire Police are now urging victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward and report any incidents.

Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Constable Sue Hampton from Operation Amberstone said: "This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal for the woman and I cannot praise her enough for the courage and bravery she has shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to her and for the strength, she has shown throughout the trial and criminal justice process.

"We know it's incredibly difficult to report incidents of this nature to the police but with her help, we have been able to bring these two men to justice today.

"I really hope that this case shows people that no matter the circumstances, Hampshire Constabulary is committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court.

"In cases such as these, we work in partnership with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) Service, Yellow Door to ensure expert support is available to victims throughout investigations. I know from speaking with the victim that the ISVA assigned to her helped her immensely through the process and we are really proud and lucky to work with support agencies like Yellow Door who help and support survivors.

"We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourage victims to come forward and report their experiences to us so that we can identify offenders and do everything we can to stop them from doing it again to someone else."

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A pervert who sent explicit images of himself to a child has been locked up.

Christopher Brimstead, 31, from East Malling took the images and then sent them to the youngster, between November 2018 and January 2019

Brimstead, previously from Jasmine Close, used a computer to take the photos and sent explicit messages to her, asking her to engage in sexual activity.

The child reported the offences in April 2019 and officers arrested Brimstead.

He was later charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, which he admitted at Maidstone Crown Court last week where he was jailed for 12 months.

Upon Brimstead’s release from prison he will be the subject of a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

The order places restrictions on his access to the internet and prohibits contact with girls under the age of 16.

He will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

DC Victoria Baker said: "Brimstead abused trust shown to him in the worst possible way, trying to exploit a child for his own gratification.

I’m pleased he has been sentenced and I hope that this sentencing goes some way to helping the victim to find some closure and move forward with her life.

"Kent Police will always take sexual offences seriously and will investigate thoroughly to ensure that any people who commit criminal offences pay for their actions and that victims get the justice that they deserve."

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A RAPIST who grabbed a woman by her throat and sexually assaulted her has been jailed. Liam James Puncher, aged 23 and of Dorchester, was jailed for six-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of the offence at a previous trial at Bournemouth Crown Court. On the night of Friday, February 22, 2019, the defendant and the victim, a woman who was known to him, were at her home on Portland and watching a film together. Puncher began touching her in a sexual manner and the victim clearly told him to stop. At around 1.50am on Saturday, February 23 2019 the defendant made further advances and proceeded to grab her by the throat as he raped her. Following the incident, Puncher left the property and then texted his victim to apologise, before asking her not to tell anyone. Puncher reported himself to the police in the early hours of Sunday, February 24, 2019 stating he wanted to hand himself in in relation to an incident that had happened on Portland. The victim made a report later that morning and Puncher was arrested shortly afterwards. In police interview, Puncher claimed they had engaged in consensual sexual activity and denied he had raped his victim. Detective Sergeant Jo Blackmore, of Weymouth CID, said: The jury during Punchers trial clearly rejected his false claims that this was a consensual act and I want to praise the victim for having the courage to come forward and support our investigation. She showed immense bravery throughout the court process and helped secure a conviction and jail term for the man who raped her. I hope her actions will give other victims the strength to come forward in the knowledge that they will be supported and we will do all we can to bring sexual attackers to justice. If you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, and you want to report directly to the police, please call 101 and ask to be put in contact with a specially-trained police officer.

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"This was a particularly sinister case and the strong sentence reflects the severity of his offending," said Police Constable Kevin Sibley A 'depraved' Doncaster man performed sex acts in front of an undercover cop he believed was a 12-year-old girl. Mark Harrigan, 35, of Halifax Crescent, Doncaster pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child. He was jailed for four years on Friday, November 19. Sheffield Crown Court heard how he communicated online with someone he thought was a 12-year-old girl and performed sexual acts in front of her. Unbeknown to the offender, he was communicating with a police officer, as part of an investigation by South Yorkshire Police and the South Wales Regional Organised Crime Unit. South Yorkshire Police have confirmed there was never a real-life victim. Police Constable Kevin Sibley from the Sheffield Reactive CID team, said: This was a particularly sinister case and the strong sentence reflects the severity of his offending. "This was a successful operation between South Yorkshire Police and the South Wales Organised Crime Unit that ensured Harrigan was brought to justice. It also shows the lengths of depravity that he would go to. Detective Constable Russell Jones, from the South Wales Regional Organised Crime Unit, said: This forms part of our continued priority to protect children from sexual exploitation from those who seek to do them harm. "Law enforcement operates across the internet, and we will relentlessly seek to bring to justice individuals who use the web to facilitate the abuse of children. If anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, I would urge you to report it to your local police force via 101. We will always follow up allegations of abuse, no matter when they occurred. Victims can talk in confidence to experienced investigators and we can also help them get access to a range of other support services. If you have concerns about your use of the internet or inappropriate thoughts or behaviour about children, or if you are worried about how someone you know behaves around children or are worried about their use of the internet, then the Lucy Faithfull Foundation provide a free, anonymous and confidential Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900 for advice, support and information.

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An obsessed sexual predator was trapped after making highly explicit online suggestions to a fake 14-year-old girl and offering to be her "sugar daddy".

Father-of-five Kevin Denholm, 57, told the decoy girl that he liked younger girls but he later branded his behaviour "vile and disgusting".

He contacted the girl in the early hours and "very quickly" made "graphic" and extremely sexualised comments to her, Hull Crown Court heard.

Denholm, of Boulton Grove, Hull, admitted attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication and a sexual act between July 30 and August 3 last year.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said that the founder of a group aimed at stopping online contact with children posed as a 14-year-old girl.

Denholm contacted the fake girl in the early hours and said "Hi."

He told her that he worked on the railway and said: "I'm a lot older than you but I like younger girls. If you want a sugar daddy, I'm yours."

The non-existent girl replied: "I'm 14, though" but he said: "Do you want to play? Do you want to chat with me?"

They exchanged mobile phone numbers and, in WhatsApp messages, Denholm made highly sexualised suggestions.

"The defendant went into graphic detail," said Miss Stuart-Lofthouse.

"He was sexually graphic, describing numerous sexual activities. The sexual chat continued."

Denholm sent three intimate pictures of himself and a video of himself committing a sex act and others showing pictures and videos of women.

The two discussed the possibility of meeting up but nothing specific was arranged.

The online group founder confronted Denholm and the police were alerted.

Mark Savage, mitigating, said the offences happened over a relatively short period of time.

"This became sexualised very, very quickly," said Mr Savage.

"He offers no excuses for his behaviour. It was a huge error of judgement that cost him his job.

"Thankfully, he was stopped in his tracks. It is not something that he would ever commit again."

Denholm had said: "I can't imagine how any child would cope with what I have done.

"It's vile and disgusting what I have done. Whether it's a decoy or not, it's disgusting. I can never make amends."

Judge John Thackray QC told Denholm: "You thought you were engaging in sexual communication with a 14-year-old girl. Thankfully, it was a decoy.

"The actual harm was mercifully none. There was a very significant disparity in age."

Denholm had tried to conceal evidence by deleting messages.

"I accept there is some genuine remorse," said Judge Thackray.

"Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence."

Denholm was jailed for two years and was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for ten years.