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Description

A man in his 70s has been sentenced to  a total of nine and a half years for multiple sexual offences hidden in ‘plain sight’ against an underage girl after years of grooming her.

Charles Buxton, 71, of North Sydmonton, Newbury, Berkshire, was sentenced after appearing at Norwich Crown Court yesterday (13 September 2023). He was sentenced to four years and two months for sexual activity with a child, two years for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity to be served concurrently and five years and four months to be served consecutively. He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offender Register. 

Buxton previously pleaded guilty to the offences which happened between 2009 and 2011. 

On Monday 25 November 2019 the victim reported to the police she had been sexually abused historically and groomed into a sexual relationship by Buxton who was in his late 50s at the time he met the victim and her family in Cromer.

The court heard that Buxton had started by buying the victim gifts in the early 2000s, such as sweets, money and cigarettes. Buxton gained her ‘trust’ through buying her things and making her think she was in love with him before carrying out sexual activity with her.

In her statement, which the victim read out in court, she describes the impact: “Years have passed, chapters of my life written, my face and body have changed, my family has grown. The wounds of my childhood still open and weep, impacting my life in so many ways. I have suffered with my mental health since the abuse started and still now, it is a constant battle. You took away my voice, you blurred the lines of love, stole my innocence and did it all hidden in plain sight from the world.”

Description

A paedophile litter picker who claimed in sexually explicit online chats with young girls to have been a youth worker has been jailed.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that Mark Clover, from Folkestone, communicated with a 12-year-old girl via WhatsApp over a four-and-a-half month period and tried to get her to send him an image of her naked breasts.

Their conversations between March and July 2019 began innocently, with Clover telling her he was a "good and loyal person" and she was "beautiful".

However, they were soon filled with references to puberty, male genitals and a sex toy.

When that chat came to an end after his perverted request for the topless photo was refused, Clover moved onto Kik messenger where he told his 14-year-old victim he was looking for "role play and maybe love".

But he claimed during his trial he was not responsible for any of the deviant conversations, despite admitting to police after his arrest that his phone was with him "24/7, nines times out of 10".

A former flatmate also described Clover as being "very possessive" over the device.

The 36-year-old, however, told the court he would lend his phone to others to use, and spoke of his email account being hacked.

Clover, who was a volunteer litter picker in Folkestone between November 2018 and July 2019, also dismissed his "brief" use of a TeenChat app as being for role play and finding people of his age to date. He claimed that an online search for child pornography related to his coursework for an NVQ in childcare.

The Trinity Gardens resident denied inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, and attempted sexual communication with a child.

But he was unanimously convicted on all charges after jury deliberations lasting just one hour.

At the start of his trial, prosecutor James Lofthouse said it was "absurd" to suggest anyone other than Clover was responsible.

Not only were the explicit chats discovered on his phone but they also contained unusual spellings and words such as "Hay" instead of "Hey", "Hugz" for "Hugs" and the regular use of "He he" - all of which were found in his more innocent, day-to-day messages.

Police also found sexually explicit internet search terms in respect of underage girls including "virgin rape" and "10-year-old porn videos", the court heard.

After asking his younger victim to send him a topless photo he apologised and said: "I was truly not trying to be a paedo."

The jury heard he then told the girl, who had expressed a concern about her breasts: "I'm a trained nurse but I have been a youth worker as well."

Although Clover's 12-year-old victim was traced by investigating officers, the identity of the older girl was never discovered, said Mr Lofthouse.

During cross-examination, Clover maintained he was "100% positive" he had not engaged in explicit chats with young girls and said he found the allegation he made numerous searches for child pornography as "quite upsetting".

Asked by Mr Lofthouse why, as a man in his 30s, he went on TeenChat, he told the jury he believed it was a role-playing app and he was looking for dating matches.

At this point, the prosecutor said: "What sort of matches were you looking for on TeenChat?"

Clover replied: "I was looking for people between the ages of 29 and 30. I didn't realise it was that kind of chat."

But Mr Lofthouse retorted: "Teen. Isn't the clue in the word?"

Passing sentence on Wednesday, Judge Simon Taylor KC told Clover his warped actions were neither "a one-off nor a one-victim offence" as he jailed him two years and seven months.

Philip Romans, defending, told the court Clover was dyslexic, had been diagnosed with an emotional personality disorder, and was on benefits.

It is not known if Clover, who has no previous convictions, ever officially worked as a youth worker.

On his release, he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and will have to sign on the sex offender register indefinitely.

Description

A paedophile who was imprisoned after being caught with child abuse images described prison life as a “shock”. 

Mohammad Khan, a 46-year-old dad of two, has been in custody since March when he was arrested after he was caught with child sexual abuse images for a third time. 

A man who lived a relatively normal life working in the financial sector until his first conviction in 2016, Khan has said prison has been a “significant shock” which he was struggled to adjust to. 

Khan, of Lucerne Road in Thornton Heath, appeared at the Old Bailey on Thursday (August 28) for sentencing. Prosecutor Obi Mgbokwere described the facts of the case. 

“On January 23, 2023, police became aware of a user of a Google Drive,” Mr Mgbokwere said. 

“That user had uploaded 387 indecent images of children. Enquiries revealed that the account belonged to this defendant. 

“The defendant was a registered sex offender who was prohibited by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order from using such equipment and facilities.” 

Khan was arrested near his ex-partner's address in Wandsworth. Officers found a laptop and an iPhone at that address as well as a laptop hidden under his pillow at his mum’s house, Mr Mgbokwere said. 

“The items recovered from the defendant were interogatted, on a Dell laptop police found the images,” he said. 

Khan admitted 11 breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and to possessing over 1,000 indecent images of children. 

He was first convicted of similar offences in 2016, for which he was given a community order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

Then in 2017 he was given a suspended sentence for new but identical offences. 

Despite his previous offending, this was the first time he had been in prison and his barrister said he was not enjoying it. 

His representative added that Khan felt deep shame at being in court again for these offences. 

Sentencing Khan, Judge Simon Farrell KC said: “These are such shocking images. They are truly horrific. 

“Taking all matters into account, a custodial sentence is the only possible outcome.” 

Khan was given a 19-month prison sentence, and a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order to last 10 years. 

Description

A former DJ who sexually abused and exploited young boys has been jailed for six years.

David Moran, 51, targeted his three victims in Fife between 1988 and 1991.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard one victim was shown pornographic magazines and videos. Moran was said to have performed sex acts in front of the boy before abusing him.

A second child was also shown sex films and subjected to abuse. The court heard Moran had a photograph of his victim performing a sex act, which he threatened to disclose if he revealed what was taking place.

A third boy was also exposed to pornography by Moran and sexually abused.

One victim told the court that he was aged around 14 when he watched pornography in Moran's bedroom, while another said he was 13 or 14 when Moran offered him money to make a video of him performing a solo sex act.

The court heard one victim suffered nightmares and flashbacks after being subjected to serious sexual abuse by the older teenage Moran.

During his sentencing on Thursday, judge Norman McFadyen said he was satisfied that Moran had groomed the victims as he was an older male who had money, a car and what seemed like a "glamorous lifestyle" as an events and hospital radio DJ.

The judge said: "Clearly your behaviour has had a significant impact on them through into their adult lives.

"I am satisfied no sentence other than imprisonment is appropriate."

Moran was arrested and charged in November 2020 after a Police Scotland investigation.

He denied a series of offences during an earlier trial but was found guilty of three counts of indecent conduct towards children.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson pointed out Moran's age at the time of the attacks and said he had no other history of offending.

As well as the six-year jail term, Moran was placed on the sex offenders' register for an indeterminate period.

The judge also imposed non-harassment orders, prohibiting Moran from contacting his victims for eight years.

Detective Constable Kenneth Watt, from Fife's Public Protection Unit, said: "Moran showed utter disregard for the impact his crimes would have on his victims.

"I want to commend them for reporting these offences to us and for having the strength to stand up in court. Moran is now being held to account for his actions.

"Nothing can change the past, but I hope that Moran being behind bars will offer the victims some comfort as they continue to move forward with their lives."

Description

A GMP detective convicted of 20 offences including rape and child sexual offences has today (Wednesday 13 September 2023) been jailed for 26 years.

Detective Constable Stephen Hardy (08/07/77) had been posted within GMP’s Stockport district and had been on remand following his conviction in July.

He was found guilty of committing several serious sexual offences whilst off duty at Liverpool Crown Court following a brave victim disclosure and meticulous investigation by DS Abigail Thomas and Tameside CID.

The 26 years includes an additional six years on extended licence. As Hardy has been classed as a dangerous offender, he will not be automatically released after two-thirds of his sentence. He has also been issued with a restraining order and will be on the sex offender’s register for life.

Now criminal proceedings have concluded, gross misconduct proceedings will take place.

Description

Ben Cooper, 33, was sentenced to eight years at Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday) after he was convicted of the offences, which occurred against a young girl at an address in Castleford in April 2022.

The sentencing was the conclusion to an investigation by Wakefield District Safeguarding Unit, which began after the team received a disclosure from a family member in October last year.

Cooper, of Ken Churchill Drive in Horbury, was arrested following the disclosure and later charged with two counts of penetration and one count of sexual touching.

He denied all charges when he appeared before magistrates at Leeds in October and the case went to trial In June this year, where he was found guilty of all three charges and remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.

Detective Sergeant Will Denton of Wakefield District Safeguarding Unit, who led the investigation, said: We welcome the sentencing handed to Cooper, who showed no remorse throughout a difficult and emotional trial for all concerned.

There can be no doubt he is a risk to children and deserves to be behind bars. I hope this result will encourage any other victims of sexual abuse to engage with our specially trained officers who treat all reports seriously and sensitively and work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.

Description

An Edinburgh man has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after he was caught with thousands of horrific child abuse images.

Thomas Carroll, 58, downloaded more than 2800 still pictures of children being sexually abused by adults including images of rape over a near four year period. He was also found to have accessed 634 videos of abuse with more than half being rated as Category A - the most vile end of the spectrum.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told on Tuesday that Police Scotland received intelligence in November last year that the images were being accessed at Carroll’s home at the Wester Hailes area of the capital. Officers attended at the property with a search warrant at around 8.15am on December 20 last year and found the offender home alone.

Fiscal depute Jennifer McLaren told the court two mobile phones, two USB devices and a laptop were seized from the home. A subsequent cyber crime investigation showed three of the devices held thousands of indecent images of children. The fiscal said a total of 2,823 images and 634 videos of children being sexually abused had been stored on the devices.

Solicitor Kevin Connor, defending, said there were “clearly a lot of images” discovered and he acknowledged his client was facing “a very serious matter”.

Sheriff Ian Anderson placed Carroll on the Sex Offenders Register for a term still to be determined and deferred sentence for the preparation of social work reports to next month.

Carroll, who is a first offender, was granted bail and wore a face mask in an attempt to hide his identity when he left the city centre court building this afternoon. He had pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children at his home between January 9, 2019 and December 20 last year.

Description

Andrew Phimister, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for assault and breach of notification requirements at Blackpool Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The offence relates to incidents at two cafs on Morecambe promenade where he was verbally abusive and threatening to staff and members of the public.

Description

“It’s not an overstatement to say you’ve ruined the childhood of each of these vulnerable young people,” a Sheffield judge told a ‘depraved’ sexual predator who abused three 12-year-old girls over a period of more than 30 years. 

The judge, Recorder Richard Wright KC, made the comments to paedophile, David Hodson, after being read the ‘moving’ personal statements of girls he subjected to sickening sexual abuse, and then tried to silence. 

Sheffield Crown Court was told how Hodson, after abusing the young girls, warned them not to tell anyone, claiming to one of the complainants that it ‘wouldn’t matter’ if she came forward because ‘no-one would believe her’.

But after the courageous complainants found the strength to report his offending, Hodson, aged 72, was charged with, and subsequently pleaded guilty to, multiple sex offences. 

As he sat in the dock during a hearing held on September 11, 2023, Hodson was also forced to hear, through their statements, the details of the prolonged and devastating trauma his victims are still forced to live with, after subjecting them to what Recorder Wright described as ‘depraved sexual attentions’. 

After finally being given a voice, one of the complainants described how in the years following Hodson’s abuse, it continued to have a pervasive impact on her life, manifesting in the form of suicide attempts, self-harm, anxiety and nightmares, self-medicating; and had also resulted in her not sitting her GCSEs, after her doctor signed her off from school.  

“I’m determined to not let what he did ruin any more of my life,” she said. 

Another of the complainants described how she is working hard to move on with her life, and knows she needs counselling, but said she ‘still finds it so hard to talk about what happened’. 

A third complainant described the damage caused by Hodson as being ‘irreparable,’ and said many of the issues stemming from his abuse have permeated into her adult life, leaving her with post-traumatic stress disorder and body issues. 

Hodson, care of Rotherham General Hospital, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to offences of indecency with a child; three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and attempting to cause/ incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity.

Hodson had tried to claim through his barrister, Helen Chapman, that he felt ‘genuine remorse for the way he conducted himself with these three victims’ and had demonstrated that through his guilty pleas.

But after reading Hodson’s pre-sentence report, in which he had the audacity to 'victim-blame' by describing one of the young girls he abused as ‘promiscuous,’ Recorder Wright said it was clear the only ‘real remorse’ he feels is ‘towards himself’.

Recorder Wright told Hodson: “I reject that your guilty pleas have anything to do with any real remorse felt by you.”

He added: “It’s not an overstatement to say you’ve ruined the childhood of each of these vulnerable young people.”

Ms Chapman continued by saying Hodson would say he is ‘deeply sorry’ and not just for himself, but to the children he abused, as well as for the ongoing consequences of his actions. 

She said Hodson had made an attempt on his life in the months since proceedings against him were launched; and also had a list of ‘physical health conditions,’ the nature of which was not disclosed in open court, to contend with. 

“He knows that to order to really rehabilitate he will have to engage in proper, constructive work in a custodial setting,” Ms Chapman told the court. 

Recorder Wright jailed Hodson for seven years, six months and made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, and sex offender notification requirements, which will be in place for the remainder of the pensioner’s life. 

Hodson was told he must serve at least two-thirds of his custodial sentence, before he can be considered for release from prison.

Description

A man who gave a young girl wine, asked her to take her clothes off and took pictures of her has been jailed.

Neil Schooley, 55, asked another girl, who was under ten, to undress and pose for photographs. On a different occasion he exposed himself to her. The incidents happened two days apart.

After an investigation was launched, it transpired that Schooley had also taken photos of another girl who he gave wine to.

The pictures were all taken between 2016 and 2018 when one of the girls was under ten and the other was between ten and 13 years old.

Sussex Police Detective Constable Joe Murray said: “Neil Schooley betrayed the trust of his young victims and their families for his own sexual gratification.

“The seriousness of these offences and the harm they have caused was recognised by this sentence, which was the maximum available for these crimes.

“I would like to thank both of these two brave girls for reporting the incidents, supporting our investigation and helping to bring Schooley to justice.”

Following the police investigation, Schooley was arrested and charged with three counts of taking indecent images of a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Schooley, of Woburn Place in Brighton, was found guilty by a jury at Hove Crown Court after denying the offences.

At a sentencing hearing on August 31 he was handed the maximum sentence of eight years in prison and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ register.

Description

A Derbyshire dad-of-two filmed himself raping a woman as she slept. A trial at Derby Crown Court heard how the victim only realised what David Buckle did when she was told at a later date by the police.

Her 35-year-old attacker denied what he recorded doing was rape meaning she had to relive her ordeal giving evidence at a four-day trial. And in a victim impact statement, the woman said she now feels “worthless and empty”.

Jailing the defendant for eight and a half years, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “Two things are patently obvious in this case, one of which is that whatever you did you did not have her consent because she was asleep. She was absolutely unconscious and one only had to watch the video to see that and that is why the jury was so quick coming back (with a guilty verdict).

“It was a completely emotionless piece of dreadful and humiliating criminal activity, there is no doubt about that, and she had absolutely no idea about it. She said to the jury (giving her evidence) ‘when the police told me he had filmed me I was humiliated’.

“It was abuse and degradation of another person, a complete piece of unemotional sexual behaviour on your part. It was almost methodical. This will be your first custodial sentence and you will get no credit because there was no guilty plea.”

The trial heard how the rape took place at an address in Derbyshire a number of years ago. The jury was told that the victim went to the police and told them she believed she had been raped by the defendant as she slept and an investigation was launched.

During it, footage of the sex attack was discovered and he was arrested and charged. He denied the charge of rape but pleaded guilty to a second charge of voyeurism.

In her victim impact statement, the woman said: “The whole experience has had a devastating impact on my life and I am in a cycle of mental torture. I was taken advantage of in a vulnerable situation and this will stay with me forever. I feel worthless and empty and I don’t feel he has any remorse about what he did. I do not think my life will ever be the same again.”

Will Bennett, mitigating, said: “He has two children who will not see him (while he is behind bars) and that will be extremely difficult for him. There is an obvious sense of shame. There are four members of the family in the public gallery and he will not be able to see them (either).”

Buckle, of Weaving Avenue, Castleton, In the Peak District, will serve two thirds of his custodial sentence behind bars before being released on licence. He will also be on the sex offender register for life.

Description

Alan Copeland, aged 59, began abusing the girl nearly a decade ago and told her to keep what happened a secret.

He was finally exposed when the girl was old enough to understand what had happened and confided in her family.

Nottinghamshire Police was informed, and Copeland was arrested and interviewed by specialist child abuse detectives.

Copeland angrily denied the allegations against him but was later charged with three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

During a two-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court, a jury heard compelling video testimony from the girl, and were also made aware of two similar convictions against Copeland dating back to the 1990s.

On Wednesday, September 5, he was found guilty of all three offences and jailed for six years.

Copeland, formerly of Third Avenue, Rainworth, was also added to the sex offenders’ register and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, which will tightly restrict his access to young people once he is released.

Detective Constable Gemma Sidebottom, who led the investigation, said: “Copeland is an unrepentant sex offender who thought he could abuse an innocent child with impunity, but he clearly hadn’t reckoned on the bravery and determination of his victim.

“As she grew older, she realised what had happened to her all those years ago was wrong and told someone about what had happened to her.

“That is a huge step for anyone to take – let alone for someone who is still a child – so I really am full of admiration for the dignity and resolve she has shown throughout this process.

“With no physical evidence to rely on, the success of this prosecution really came down to the meticulous details she provided in her evidence and her believability as a witness.

“Thanks to her, Copeland has been exposed as a danger to young girls and will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison.

“I hope this case provides encouragement to other young people who have been abused in similar ways in the past.

"We will listen to you, we will investigate and we will seek criminal charges where we can.”

Description

A teenager raped a woman in a bed after attacking her while he thought she was asleep. The victim said she is "not the same person" as she was before being raped.

Harvey Vincent had just turned 18-years-old when he assaulted the victim, who had previously told him no sexual activity between them would take place. Despite this, he forced himself upon the victim when he thought she was asleep.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard the victim, who has lifelong anonymity, was awake through the rape, but was frozen with fear. He first sexually assaulted her before forcibly having sex with her.

The victim hoped her lack of response would dissuade Vincent, but he carried on without regard for her welfare. The defendant was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time of the attack.

After a complaint was made to the police, Vincent, of North Road, Porth, denied the offences but he was found guilty by a jury of rape and sexual assault by penetration, following a trial. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement, the victim said: "Where do I start? Harvey raped me when I was just 18-years-old. I was just leaving school... For him to do this to me hurts more than the act itself. He raped my mind and my body and I will never be able to trust someone like that again. I have gained strength from this and understood myself a lot more but I have changed, I am not the same person I was.

"Everything I've gone through, he needs to understand the damage he's done, I never feel clean and my skin crawls. When I speak or think about this I need to shower. I don't like sex anymore... My body doesn't feel like my body." The victim said she suffered night terrors, where she would wake up screaming and shouting the defendant's name.

She added: "I used to be super active and sporty but I can't do contact sports anymore, I don't like being touched. Going through the trial was horrendous, the system does not work for victims, it re-victimises and punishes us.... I feel sorry for you (Vincent), I feel sorry for you friends and family.... This has changed my entire life.

"I realise there is life after rape, it's up to me to make it work. I will never feel responsible for this and will make a successful life for myself despite what he did to me. I will walk with my head held high, he will not dictate the rest of my life."

In mitigation, defence barrister Marian Lewis described the case as "tragic" and said "two young lives have been blighted". She said the defendant was just 18-years-old at the time of the offence and said his "life had been destroyed" as he has lost his good character and he will be serving an immediate custodial sentence. He now suffers from depression and is taking medication.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Hobson found the victim suffered "severe psychological harm", having self harmed and expressed suicidal thoughts since the assault. Addressing the defendant he said: "Your actions, in ways big and small, have changed her life."

Vincent, now aged 20, was sentenced to five years detention in a young offenders' institute, of which he will serve two thirds before released to serve the remainder on licence. Judge Hobson reduced the starting point of seven-and-a-half years by a third, due to the defendant's "immaturity". Vincent was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was made subject to a restraining order for 10 years.

Description

A SNEAKY sex offender has been jailed after he acquired a secret phone and computer and hid them away in a padlocked toolbox.

Mark Jarrett has a history of spying on boys in public toilets or playgrounds and was subject of an order which meant he had to tell the police about any devices he owned.

He bought a phone and a Samsung tablet computer which he used to download child abuse images from the internet and USB storage sticks on which to store them.

He was caught when staff at a hostel where he was living in South Devon realised what he was doing and tipped off the police. They made three unannounced visits in the space of five months and found he had banned items and images.

They also seized a desk diary in which Jarrett had recorded his sinister online activity and visits to playgrounds. He refused to tell the police the PIN numbers for his devices, saying: ‘You don’t own me. Go to hell.’

A preliminary examination of the phone’s memory card showed 57 images of boys aged eight to 14, of which one movie and 27 stills depicted them suffering very serious abuse at the hands of adults.

Police also found a hoard of pornographic cartoons which showed boys taking part in various forms of sexual activity.

Jarrett, aged 55, formerly of Plymouth but now of Factory Row, Torquay, admitted five offences of downloading or possessing indecent or prohibited images of children and two of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was jailed for three years by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court, who told him his offences were made more serious by his previous convictions and the fact that he repeatedly defied attempts by the police to supervise him.

He said: ‘Your life has lacked much achievement. You have led a lonely and asocial life. You recognise how powerfully you are drawn to access indecent images of children. I hope you recognise the appalling harm cause by their creation.’

Mr Ryan Murray, prosecuting, said Jarrett was required by his SHPO to tell police about all his internet connected devices but only declared an old Nokia mobile.

Staff tipped off his offender manager on March 28 that he was using another phone or tablet and a search revealed one of each along with some USB sticks. He refused to give the PIN, saying ‘you don’t own me’.

A download of the memory card showed there were 56 images and one video and 66 indecent cartoons and one video of boys. Further searches on July 7 and August 11 uncovered more devices.

Jarrett responded to the final visit by lying on his bed and telling the police to ‘go to hell’ Officers became suspicious of a toolbox which had a combination padlock on it. Jarrett refused to tell them the number but the unscrewed the sides and found another hidden tablet device.

An A4 diary was found in which he wrote references to downloading images and watching children at  playparks. As he was led away he told officers that he should never have been released from prison.

Jarrett has convictions for 55 offences dating back to 2007 which include downloading images, voyeurism, and breaking previous SHPOs by going to children’s play areas.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, defending, said Jarrett suffered abuse as a child in care and now lived an isolated existence in which he spent most of his time watching television in his room at a hostel.

He is keen to address his problems and wants to be sent to a prison where he can undertake a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Description

A sex offender has been locked up for 10 years after his victim bravely came forward to reports his crimes.

John Weeden, previously known as John Hawthorn, 56, of Elswick, Newcastle, came to Northumbria Police’s attention in 2020 after a woman came forward to report that as a child he had sexually assaulted her on several occasions. An investigation was launched, and Weeden was subsequently charged with three sexual offences.

He denied any guilt but was found guilty by a jury of his peers in July. And on Monday, a judge heard a powerful statement written by the victim, in which she spoke of her lifelong trust issues and the continued devastation this has brought her.

She said: “The events have left a scar on me and changed me as a person.” But looking to the future, she added: “I have finally got the justice I have waited for so long and I hope this man never gets the opportunity to ruin another child’s life, like he did to mine.”

Following her impassioned statement, a judge sentenced Weeden to 10 years behind bars. Detective Constable Lisa Herron, of Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding department, said: “I really am in awe of the victim’s courage.

"As a child, she was terrified into silence, and it took a lot of bravery for her to report and share the details of her abuse. But thanks to her strength and resilience, she saw her attacker charged, convicted and now sentenced for his vile crimes. I truly hope this sentence gives the survivor a sense of justice and comfort.”

She added: “I also hope that this shows others who have suffered non-recent abuse that it’s never too late for justice. You will be listened to, supported and we will do everything we can to ensure your abuser is put before a court.

“You’re not alone and you don’t deserve to suffer in silence while your abuser gets to go about their day-to-day life answering to no-one. We are always here.”

For support or more information on how to disclose sexual assault or rape, visit Northumbria Police’s website: Rape and sexual assault : Northumbria Police. To report any other type of historic abuse, contact police on 101 or report online via the force’s website.