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Description

A Weston-super-Mare man who committed lewd acts as he stared at women on a train was arrested and released on police bail. And then Matthew Powell tried to arrange sex with a 'girl aged 13', a court heard.

Mercifully, though the women were left anxious about their experience, the girl was, in fact, a decoy operating with a paedophile hunter group. And, having been arrested a second time, Powell is now behind bars.

The 48-year-old, of Newton Road, pleaded guilty to outraging public decency in November last year. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between February and March this year.

On Friday (September 1) Judge James Patrick jailed him for 42 months. He told Powell: "You are a socially isolated man, married, in a stable relationship. It is very much to her credit that your wife has been standing by you."

Powell was told to notify on the Sex Offenders' Register for life. He was also handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, designed to stop offending.

Alec Small, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court Powell was at Liverpool Central train station when he followed a woman onto a train bound for Chester. Having sat diagonally opposite her he stared at her legs as he put his hand on his crotch, the court heard.

When she moved seats Powell went to another carriage occupied by a lone woman, the court heard. Mr Small said it seemed as if he was trying to take a photo of her on his camera phone and she became very nervous as he started to stroke his crotch on the one-hour journey.

Police called in arrested Powell at Chester, the court heard. He was interviewed and made no comment.

In impact statements one victim said it made her feel "very anxious" and she has not been on a train since. The second said she will no longer travel by train alone and avoids Chester train station.

The court heard that, on bail, Powell had sexualised Facebook chats with '13-year-old Amy' who turned out to be a decoy with a paedophile hunter group. After Powell suggested they have sex in a hotel, the group tracked him down to his home and called in police. Powell was arrested and made no comment in interview.

Catherine Flint, defending, said her client had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, affecting his ability to communicate and understand social cues. Miss Flint said non-driver Powell liked to travel the country by train, seeing attractions.

She told the court: "I ask for any sentence is kept to a minimum. He understands the only option today is one of immediate custody."

Description

A paedophile has been jailed after pleading guilty to raping two schoolchildren over a number of years.

Demetrios Patsalides, 73, of Carr House Road, Doncaster, warned one of his victims to not tell her friends about what he had done.

He has now been locked up for 12 years after admitting several sexual offences against two young girls.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of raping a girl under 13, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, and four counts of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Patsalides was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Sheffield Crown Court heard how Patsalides sexually assaulted his victims and performed sexual acts in front of them, before warning one of the girls to "not tell her friends at school" about the abuse she had suffered.

Patsalides was interviewed by officers on 13 March 2023, during which he admitted writing a note confessing to sexual activity with a child.

Asst Det Sgt Christopher Beaumont, who led the investigation, personally commended the two victims for their courage in coming forward.

He said: "It is difficult to put into the words the trauma and suffering they endured, and their bravery must be recognised in disclosing the sexual abuse that took place at such a young age.

"Patsalides is now behind bars and facing up to the consequences of his heinous actions, and I hope this is justice served for his two victims who can now move forward with their lives.

"I really hope this harrowing case shows that we will not stop to seek justice for all victims of sexual offences, regardless of when the abuse took"

Description

A teenager was "haunted for years" after being touched intimately by a man in his kitchen. The victim was only 14 or 15 when Robert Parry committed the offence.

It was only when the victim found out Parry had been prosecuted for other sexual offences that the victim came forward, Caernarfon Crown Court heard. Parry, of no fixed address, but formerly of Anglesey, was in his 50s when he committed the offence against the teenager in the early 2000s.

Now 76, Parry admitted engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a boy 13 to 15. A judge today jailed him for six months on top of the 13 year prison sentence imposed in 2016 for other sexual offences which he is currently serving.

Prosecutor Laura Knightly told how the victim was in his kitchen when Parry reached over with his right arm and "stroked" him intimately over his clothing for a few seconds.

The victim said he felt "panic and embarrassment" and never told anyone. In a statement he said he was "haunted for years. It has been eating me up inside."

He added: "I have never felt the fear I felt that day (again) in my life." He suffers flashbacks and has sought counselling but this court case is the final hurdle to allow him to close this chapter of his life, said Ms Knightly.

Anna Pope, defending, said the incident was "mercifully short-lived". Her client is locked up for 22 hours a day in prison due to staffing issues.

He has taken a creative writing course, and entered competitions, and hopes to do more courses.

The judge His Honour Timothy Petts said he hopes this court case is an important step in the victim's recovery. The victim was alone and vulnerable, there was a disparity in age and the defendant had predatory sexual intentions.

He said Parry will be in prison or on licence until he is about 82-years-old. Even then he will be subject to sexual harm prevention order and sex offender notification requirements.

Description

A man who raped a vulnerable young girl has been jailed following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.

Calum Stephenson, aged 20, targeted the victim, who was under 13, in June last year. 

Detectives from Leeds District Safeguarding Unit began an investigation after the girl’s mother contacted police to report the incidents. 

Stephenson was arrested and initially denied the offences but subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of rape of a girl under 13 and one count of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. 

Today, he was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court to eight years in prison with a one-year extended licence. 

He was also given a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life. 

Detective Inspector Carl Morrison, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “Stephenson preyed on this vulnerable young girl to sexually exploit her, and his depraved actions have understandably had a lasting traumatic impact on the victim. 

“This was a complex and challenging investigation where painstaking work by the officer in the case, DC Rall, was able to secure the vital DNA and CCTV evidence that ultimately led to Stephenson’s guilty pleas and conviction for these offences. 

“Despite her young age and the trauma she was put through, the victim has showed real bravery in coming forward initially and throughout the investigation. 

“We hope that seeing Stephenson brought to justice will provide some level of reassurance to her and her family as they continue to move on with their lives. 

“We also hope that the successful outcome of this case will give other victims of similar offences the confidence to come forward knowing they will be listened to and supported.” 

Description

A 25-year-old former primary school teaching assistant has been sentenced to over 18 years in prison for possession of indecent images of children and the sexual assault of a child under 13.

Tommy Lee Allington was arrested at his home in Penlan, Swansea, on April 28 and pleaded guilty to a total of 17 charges at his pretrial hearing in Swansea Crown Court.

Today (Friday, September 1) he was jailed for 18 years and eight months, with six years on licence, and ordered to be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Detective Constable Amanda Jenkins, who investigated, said:

“Offences of this kind will always be shocking and disturbing, particularly when that person is in a position of trust.

“This will undoubtedly be difficult news for the local community but please be assured that our teams and partners have safeguarded and supported all those involved in the investigation.

“The victim’s family has shown incredible strength and courage throughout this case.”

Detective Inspector Sharon Gill-Lewis added:

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to us.

Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect.”

Description

A 34-year-old Ipswich man who was arrested after he had online chats about sex with members of a paedophile hunter group posing as schoolgirls has been jailed for three years.

Skye Tanswell sent naked pictures of himself to members of the Chid Online Safety Team posing as two 14-year-old girls and asked them to send him pictures of their breasts, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Nicola May, prosecuting, said that during conversations with the decoys on WhatsApp Tanswell had suggested meeting up in Suffolk and had discussed what he would do in bed with one of them.

He had also told one of them to lie or cut off contact if her parents came into the room because he would get into trouble for being in contact with someone her age.

Tanswell, of Gippeswyk Road, Ipswich, admitted three offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one offence of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity. The offences took place last year.

In addition to being jailed, Tanswell was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for life and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.

Sentencing him, Judge Emma Peters said that despite being arrested for being in contact with the decoys Tanswell had resumed contact with one of them after he was released under investigation.

Joanne Eley, for Tanswell, said he had mental health issues and had learning and behavioural problems.

She said he had been in prison since March last year and was working on becoming an enhanced prisoner.

He had also been engaging with the mental health team while he had been in prison.

Miss Eley said Tanswell had committed the offences while he was bored and using cannabis.

Description

Yesterday, Friday 1 September 2023, Christopher McGourlay (02/07/1960), of Waithlands Road, Rochdale, was jailed for child sexual abuse of a young girl and boy, after being found guilty of 10 counts of indecent assault on a female under the age of 14, attempted rape of a girl under the age of 16 and the indecent assault of a male under the age of 14 years - in completely unrelated circumstances - by a jury at trial, on 19 July 2023.

The court heard how these abhorrent crimes, which took place in the early 1990s, had a huge impact on both victims and survivors. 

DC Elisabeth Stacey of the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Team based at Rochdale Police Station said: "McGourlay has now begun a 15-year jail sentence for these despicable crimes against these victims and survivors, when they were both young children who had no idea what was happening to them.

"I want to thank the victims and survivors for the strength and dignity they have shown throughout this case, and the bravery they have had to bring this prosecution to a conclusion.

"Although nothing will ever give them their childhoods' back, I hope that this lengthy sentence gives them the time and space to come to terms with what they have been through and begin to heal.

"As a Force, GMP are committed to investigating, locating and charging child sexual offenders, seeing prosecutions through the courts to sentencing, just like today's.

"If you, or someone you know, have been the subject of child sexual abuse, regardless of how long ago it was, then please get in touch with us. You will be listened to and you will be believed.

Description

A "dangerous" sex offender who abused a string of young victims over a period of 30 years, including a teenage boy from the Humber region, has been jailed for 24 years.

Phillip Johnson, 65, was convicted of 13 counts of sexual assault against children, including attempted buggery, and eight counts of making indecent images of children following a trial in July.

Humberside Police aided Essex Police and Kent Police in securing the charges against "dangerous offender" Johnson after a thorough investigation into his historic sexual offending.

During the course of the investigation, Johnson's devices were seized and around 2,000 indecent images of children were found, including a number of the most serious Category A images of serious child sexual abuse.

He started his campaign of abuse in the late 1980s when he sexually assaulted two young boys, aged between six and eight when the offences took place, at an address in Kent. The sick abuse continued for a period of two years.

The victims stated that the abuse stopped in the late 1980s when Johnson left their lives for a period of time, but resumed when they reached 15/16 years of age.

In 2008, Johnson moved to the Humber region, where he befriended and groomed a teenage boy before later sexually assaulting him.

Struggling with what had happened, the victim did not tell anyone about the abuse for a decade, before reporting the matter to the police.

Johnson then moved to the Colchester area of Essex where he groomed and sexually assaulted two males, one of whom kept the abuse secret for a year until a disclosure from the second boy encouraged him to come forward and speak to police.

Following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Johnson was convicted of all counts on Thursday, July 27. On Wednesday, August 30, he was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment.

The judge deemed him to be a dangerous offender and ordered him to serve a minimum of 15 years before he can be considered for parole.

He will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Speaking after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Lucy Percival, from Colchester CID, said: “I want to praise the courage shown by the victims in this case, who experienced a traumatic childhood due to Phillip Johnson’s actions towards them.

“The victims, now men, showed huge bravery and determination to see this process through to seek a degree of justice for what happened to them.

“Most importantly, each of their sentiments separately was to prevent this from happening to anyone else.

“There is no doubt, Johnson is a dangerous individual who showed a concerted effort to identify vulnerable children, groom them and then ultimately to sexually abuse them.

“His actions were horrific, but I am pleased he has now been held accountable for those actions which in turn will hopefully allow the victims to move forward.”

Description

A child abuser whose offending left a ‘scar on the soul of the community’ in Fareham has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Stephen Lovelock, aged 61, was charged with 15 offences relating to the abuse of a girl in Fareham, following an investigation by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Team (CAIT):

• Two counts of rape of a child under 13
• One count of attempted rape of a child under 13
• Two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Three counts of sexual activity with a child
• Four counts of assault by penetration of a child under 13
• Two counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• One count of taking indecent photographs of a child

He denied the charges, but was convicted of all of them on 14 July this year at a trial which took place at Portsmouth Crown Court.

The court heard that Lovelock, of no fixed abode, abused the child over a number of years between 2015 and 2022, beginning when the child was under the age of 13.

The girl bravely found the courage to report this to police in April 2022 and Lovelock was arrested two days later following enquiries.

At Portsmouth Crown Court today (Friday 1 September), His Honour Judge Ashworth told the court that what the jurors heard during the trial leaves “a scar on the soul of the community”, before jailing Lovelock for 26 years.

DC Vicky Osborne, from the CAIT team, said: “The abuse suffered by this poor girl was appalling, and I commend her for her incredible bravery in coming forward to the police while she was still a child.

“Lovelock is a horrendous and predatory individual who ensured that this young girl endured further suffering by denying his crimes.

“This investigation, led by DC Hannah Owen in the CAIT team, has led to a dangerous man being convicted, and this is testament to the unwavering bravery of the young girl involved.

“Her courage throughout this investigation and the subsequent trial process has now resulted in Lovelock being sentenced to a lengthy time in prison.

“I hope the outcome of this case reassures other survivors of abuse that you will be listened to and believed, and we will do everything we can to support you and bring those responsible to justice.”

Description

A 25-year-old man from Southampton has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found guilty of a number of child sex offences.

Dalton Wills, formally of Chettle Road, appeared at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 31 August), having been found guilty by a jury in July of four counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of rape and one count of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. 

He had previously pleaded guilty to two further counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of engaging in sexual communications with a child and two counts of possessing indecent images of a child (category A and C).

The court heard how Wills sexually assaulted the victim shortly after meeting her when she was 12 years old.  It also heard how he went on to rape her when she was 13 and continued to commit a number of other sexual offences against her.

A judge has now sentenced Wills to 13 years in prison as well as imposing an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He has also been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.

Description

A man has been sentenced to more than a year in prison after pleading guilty to sexual communication with a child.

Appearing at Southampton Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 31 August), Phillip Trevor Cornock, aged 34, previously of Denzil Avenue in Southampton, was sentenced for attempting to communicate with a child under 16 for sexual gratification.

The court heard that Cornock exchanged messages, often of a highly sexual nature, between August and October 2022 with a boy he believed to be 14-years-old. He had also made arrangements to meet with the child in Southampton – although in this instance the victim was not real.  

Cornock was charged and appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday 2 August where he pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to communicate with a child under 16 for sexual gratification.

Appearing at the same court yesterday, Cornock was sentenced to 14 months in prison, as well as being placed on the sex offenders’ register and being subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for a period of ten years.

Description

A 74-year-old man has been jailed for following a child into toilets and sexually assaulting him.

Michael Lamb, from Levens Drive in Carlisle, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on Thursday 31 August.

Following the incident he was arrested and admitted the charge of sexual activity with a child. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard that a 13-year-old boy had gone into the toilets in Market Hall, in Carlisle on 1 February 2023, where Michael Lamb followed him.

The boy went into a cubicle but Lamb followed him inside and put his hand over the childs mouth, telling him dont say anything or Ill hurt you. Michael Lamb put his foot against the cubicle door and sexually assaulted the boy.

At first he denied what had happened and claimed he was sexually assaulted by the child.

Lamb later admitted the offence at court.

Detective Constable Lee Clark said: This was a horrific attack on a young boy who was threatened and had no means of escaping the situation Lamb put him in.

Lamb initially refused to take any responsibility for his actions. However, the investigation showed unequivocally that Lamb had attacked the young boy, resulting in a guilty plea at court.

Support is available in Cumbria for victims of sexual offences. The constabulary works closely with trusted partner agencies to provide the appropriate support which is tailored to an individuals circumstances.

I would encourage anyone who has been victim to a sexual offence to contact police so that our officers can investigate. You will be supported throughout our investigation.

Description

A former secondary school teacher has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two pupils under his care.

Russell Tillson denied a string of allegations relating to abuse which began in the 1980s but was convicted after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

Allegations which related to Tillson’s employment at Tonbridge School were first made to Kent Police in 2018.

An investigation led to evidence he committed offences over a period spanning almost 20 years, in both the classroom and in a private residence he held at the school.

Exploited

Tillson occupied a senior role and any decisions he made could have a significant influence on pupils’ future educational aspirations. He exploited this influence to make advances on victims, including one incident when a boy was offered an enhanced university reference, that Tillson suggested could be achieved by ‘unconventional methods.’

Tillson was arrested in October 2020 and during police interviews denied all allegations put to him, dismissing them as ‘fiction’. He was charged with five counts of indecent assault but denied any wrongdoing and the case went to trial, where an additional count of the same offence was added.

Aged 73, of Ship Close, Dymchurch, Tillson was convicted on four counts. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on the other two charges.

On Friday 1 September 2023, he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to five years and eight months. He was also given a 15-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. 

Damage

DC Josh Gearing, of the West Kent Vulnerability Investigation Team, said: ‘Sex offenders like Tillson wreak incalculable damage on their victims, many who will suffer in silence for years, or throughout their whole lives.'Thankfully in this case the victims have shown tremendous courage to come forward. Today’s sentence will not take away the trauma they were made to endure as children, but it will hopefully bring some closure.‘I hope that this case is a reminder that all non-recent allegations of abuse will always be investigated fully by Kent Police, and we will do everything within our powers to ensure offenders are brought before the courts and punished.’

Description

A Doncaster paedophile who sexually abused multiple children, including a vulnerable boy with significant learning difficulties, has been jailed for over 14 years.

Nicholas Powers, 56, of Belmont Avenue, pleaded guilty to numerous offences spanning 20 years, including four counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of indecent assault.

Powers was arrested in December 2021 after he picked up a teenage boy in his car and drove him to his home where he sexually assaulted him.

He made his victim, who he had met online, perform a sexual act on him and touch him inappropriately before driving him back home. Before he got out of the car, he warned the boy to stay quiet and said that if he told anyone he would “get done”.

His victim says he was left disgusted, ashamed and terrified by what had happened, and admitted he had experienced suicidal thoughts. That same evening, he told his mum who reported the incident to police after she found his phone in a bin.

Powers also admitted sexually abusing a teenage girl in September 2001 after plying her with alcohol. He gave her home brew wine before kissing her and sexually assaulting her.

His victim recalled how she also felt disgusted and Powers told her to not tell anyone. She began to self-harm after struggling to come to terms with the abuse she had been subjected to.

Investigating Officer Alexandra Storey said: “Powers knew his victims were underage but completely ignored this and subjected them to unimaginable abuse which saw them contemplate suicide and resort to self-harming.

“In another act of cruelty and dominance over them, he then threatened them to keep quiet about what had happened.”

Powers also agreed to meet an online decoy posing as a 15-year-old boy after sending explicit messages on a mobile phone app.

As well as pleading guilty to three counts of indecent assault and four counts of sexual activity with a child, Powers also admitted two counts of making indecent photographs of a child as well as offences of attempting to communicate sexually with a child and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

Powers was sentenced to 14 years and five months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday 31 August. He has also been put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and issued with a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and a lifetime restraining order.

IO Storey said: “This has been a lengthy investigation involving two young victims who endured unthinkable abuse and were left with significant mental health problems.

“I want to commend their bravery in coming forward and helping us put Powers behind bars. He is now facing the consequences of his actions and justice has now been served.

“I hope this sentence brings his victims closure as they begin to move forward with their lives.

“We will not tolerate crimes of this nature and our teams are working hard to identify those taking advantage of young people online. We want people to know that we are here, and we are always ready to listen.

“If you want to report someone or have concerns that someone is being exploited for sexual gain online, then please contact us immediately.”

Please remember that victims of sexual offences are granted lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act. It is against the law to identify a victim of a sexual offence, or to post any information that could lead to the identification of a victim of a sexual offence.

Description

A registered sex offender who was found with child abuse images and a haul of illegal weapons has been jailed. Paul Page was being monitored by dedicated officers after he was previously convicted of child abuse in the USA.

The 49-year-old was arrested at his then home in Littleport on May 16 after intelligence suggested he was in possession of indecent images. Page admitted he had been downloading indecent images of children on to a USB stick.

Digital tests revealed a total of 254 images – 113 category C, 32 category B and 109 category A, which is the most severe. When Page was on bail, officers were alerted to a stash of rifles, pistols and crossbows.

The weapons were being kept in a shed at his former home in Littleport. Firearms officers seized 74 items, including 25 firearms.

Page, formerly of Littleport but now no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, six counts of possessing a weapon in a private place and two counts of possessing a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid/gas/electrical incapacitation at Peterborough Crown Court on Wednesday (August 30). He was handed a prison sentence of one year and eight months.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was put in place for 10 years to monitor any future offending. He remains on the Sex Offenders Register for life following his conviction in the USA.

DC Andrew McKeane, who manages sex offenders in the community, said: "Page is a dangerous sexual predator and I am pleased he has faced justice. Offenders are closely monitored to ensure they are complying with orders – to protect the public and help prevent further crime."

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: "Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to a child, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah's Law. Anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry. This can include parents, carers, guardians, extended family, friends and neighbours."