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A serial sex offender who breached a strict court order for the third time has escaped a jail sentence.

Gordon Sanderson was placed on a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) eight years ago and has since breached the order on several occasions including serving jail terms for sexual offences against children.

The 65-year-old pervert was hounded out of his home in North Berwick, East Lothian, following public protests about his presence and is currently living in accommodation in Musselburgh.

He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to breaching the SOPO by engaging in a relationship with a woman without prior approval from his management unit officer.

The SOPO conditions state offenders must follow certain guidelines including needing permission to form romantic relationships with women following their conviction.

Sanderson, a former East Lothian Council employee, admitted to failing to provide the details of a woman he was in a relationship with between June 1, 2021 and January 14 last year.

Solicitor Gillian Law, defending, told the court the details of social work report were unsatisfactory as it did not deal with the latest breach offence.

Ms Law asked Sheriff Kenneth Campbell KC for leniency in this case due to “the complainer being well aware of his background” as was the person who introduced the pair to each other.

Sheriff Campbell KC said: “I have read the social work report this morning and there are some unfortunate issues. You have been subject to the SOPO conditions for some time and I feel you are aware of what that involves.

“I am satisfied there was a breach but that it was not wilful or reckless on your part. I am satisfied a custodial sentence is not appropriate on this occasion.”

Sanderson was placed on a restriction of liberty order where he will be electronically tagged and will have to stay within his home address between 7pm and 7am for the next six months.

Sanderson was jailed for 16 months after he was caught breaching the SOPO by befriending unsuspecting women and children at a church he had joined in Musselburgh, East Lothian four years ago.

He was also handed a six month custodial sentence later the same year after he admitted communicating with two young schoolgirls during a church trip to Edinburgh Castle.

The court heard Sanderson volunteered to drive the church minibus on a family excursion to the capital tourist destination but had lured an 11-year-old girl away from the group during the visit.

The worried girl’s father conducted a search of the area and found his child alone with Sanderson at the castle’s Regimental Museum.

The convicted sex offender was also found to be alone in the company of a second girl at his church and was said to have been holding and dancing with her despite no music being played.

Description

A man tried to drag a woman into a bush during a terrifying ordeal in a park. The woman was grabbed by Dale Edey who was pretending to look for a lost dog.

The 38-year-old targeted the woman as she walked through Bute Park in Cardiff at around 6.30am on August 31 last year. A court heard Edey wrapped his arms around her and forcibly kissed her, before attempting to drag her towards an isolated area of the park.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday, July 11, heard the victim had gone through a morning stroll and spoken to her mother on the phone. As she reached an area of the park with outside gym equipment, she noticed him, WalesOnline reports.

Prosecutor Roger Griffiths said Edey asked her if she had seen a dog, the victim said she had not but would keep an eye out. Mr Griffiths added: "He approached her and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and began kissing her neck. She struggled against him and began screaming."

The victim went to the floor and Edey pinned her to the ground before attempting to drag her to a hedge and bushes nearby. As he did so, the victim banged her head on gym equipment.

She continued screaming as the defendant grabbed at her clothes and jogging bottoms and tried to pull them down. Mr Griffiths said: "[The victim] in her words, screamed her lungs off for help and he responded 'shut up or I'll kill you'.

"Screaming turned to pleading, she didn't give up struggling and eventually the defendant got up and left her." The victim made her way to the Blackweir entrance of the park when a man stopped to help her and the police were called.

The park was closed for investigations to be carried out and the victim's clothes were analysed for forensic evidence. DNA evidence was found on the waist band of her jogging bottoms which matched with Edey's DNA profile.

Edey, of Pennsylvania Avenue, Pentwyn, was arrested on September 19 but denied the offences and answered no comment to questions put to him. He later pleaded guilty to sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and committing an offence with the intention of committing a relevant sexual offence.

The court heard he had 31 previous convictions, including assault by beating. In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said: "Since this incident I have suffered from anxiety which affects me and my ability to function on a day to day basis.

"Shortly after the attack I would break down and cry anywhere or any time. I was extremely distressed after going to the incident. It affects my sleep and I often dream about what happened and even now to this day I have regular nightmares.

"I was initially injured and had bruises and torn muscles which made it hard to sleep for a while because I was sore. I felt beaten and it takes time to recover from that."

She continued: "The incident happened in the day time so I am generally uneasy during the day, I am uneasy about where I am and who is around me which is especially true when I am on my own.

"I cannot speak to strangers any more, this is really sad as I used to be friendly and happy to help but I will never interact with strangers because I am scared of them."

In mitigation, Heath Edwards said the incident was "isolated" and was the first sexual offence his client had been convicted of. He said the defendant would be able to undergo relevant programmes while in custody, where he has been working as a wing cleaner.

Sentencing, the Recorder of Cardiff Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said Edey had refused to leave his cell and attend the sentencing hearing for the second day in a row, so would be sentenced in his absence. She added: "You caused severe psychological harm and used violence against your victim."

Edey was sentenced to four years and 11 months imprisonment with an extended three years on licence. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence before he is considered for parole. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements.

Description

A man has been jailed after he raped a six-year-old girl in the 1990s. Craig Watson, now 39, was 14 or 15 at the time of the incidents, police said.

He was found guilty on March 30 this year of the rape and sexual assault of a girl in crimes carried out in 1998 and 1999. Watson, of Walter Nash Road West, Kidderminster, was jailed for two-and-a-half years on May 18.

Following the sentencing, Watson's victim was praised for her courage in coming forward. Det Con Matthew Harris, who led the investigation for West Mercia Police, said: "I'd like to commend the victim on her immense courage in coming forward to report what Watson.

"I'm pleased that justice has been done and that Watson will now rightly spend time in prison for his crimes. I hope this helps to show that we take all reports of rape and sexual assault seriously and will thoroughly investigate them regardless of how long ago they took place."

A spokesperson for the force added: "A man from Kidderminster has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for the rape and sexual assault of girl over 20 years ago. He will also be added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

"Craig Watson, 39, of Walter Nash Road West in Kidderminster, was sentenced on May 18, 2023 at Worcester Crown Court. He was found guilty on March 30 2023 following a four-day trial at Worcester Crown Court.

"Watson carried out the crimes during 1998 and 1999 when the girl was just six-years-old and he was 14 to 15-years-old."

Description

A retired teacher has been jailed for sexually assaulting boys at the prestigious Salisbury Cathedral School and another boarding school. Piers Le Cheminant was convicted of 10 indecent assaults against nine boys over a 21-year period.

The 77-year-old targeted boys at Oakwood boarding school in Chichester, West Sussex, until one of the pupils made a complaint against him, Winchester Crown Court was told. He was then able to take up a position at the Wiltshire school, where his offending continued.

Le Cheminant, of Newton Abbot, Devon, would call boys to the front of the class and grope their buttocks while their classmates watched, the court was told. He would also watch the boys shower after they had played sport and took some of his victims somewhere private, where he would grope them and smack their buttocks.

Judge Timothy Mousley KC said the defendant had shown a “lack of remorse” for his crimes, which happened between 1965 and 1986.

He said: “One of the children was only eight years old when you started to abuse him. Each of these boys was particularly vulnerable and you took advantage of that.

“The harm was severe in some cases and you breached the trust which others expected of you. You have left them with appalling memories of their time at school.”

As well as being jailed for nine years, Le Cheminant was given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register.

Salisbury Cathedral School dates back more than 900 years and is located beneath the spire of the famous cathedral. Founded in 1091 by St Osmund, bishop of Salisbury and nephew of William the Conqueror, it is one of the world’s oldest educational establishments.

Description

This is the first picture of a sick teenager who pestered a schoolgirl into sending him graphic pictures of her at home. Sex offender TJ Till-Smith met his nine-year-old victim on Instagram.

He asked the child to 'send him nudes' despite knowing how old she was. When the youngster refused to keep up with the paedophile's demands, he threatened to post the sordid clips online.

She was left so tearful and distressed, she eventually revealed all to her parents. Till-Smith - who was just 16 at the time - avoided jail time for his vile offending.

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The young girl was in a 'very emotional state' when her mum came home after a morning shift in January 2021. She was 'hysterical' and took an hour to speak about what had happened, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

She told her mum someone had told her to 'send rude pictures', prosecutor Glyn Samuel said. The girl's dad checked her phone but the conversations had been automatically deleted.

Her mobile phone was then reset to factory settings, with parental controls added. Police received information that indecent images of children had been uploaded to Till-Smith's Instagram account about 18 months later.

Officers woke him up to arrest him at his home at 7.45am on July 14 last year. At first, Till-Smith blamed a friend for using his social media account before later confirming he was responsible for accessing indecent images from Google.

Till-Smith - now aged 18 - then said he was unaware he had broken the law and asked officers if they 'could just delete them'. He asked if he was going to be jailed and if he would be sent to a young offenders institute or an adult prison, Mr Samuel said.

Police discovered the sex offender, of Daisy Walk, Wolverhampton, made 60 separate searches for sick content online. He had more than 200 indecent images of children aged between nine and 16.

They also realised that he had been speaking with his young victim after adding her as a friend on Instagram in January 2021. He repeatedly asked for pictures and videos and continued to demand explicit videos even though she had told him her age.

He went on to say he wanted details of a friend of the victim before asking her to 'send nudes'. She told Till-Smith 'no' but he threatened to post her content online, leaving her tearful.

The pair spoke over two days, with their initial conversation trailing into the early hours of the morning, police found. Alison Scott-Jones, defending, said Till-Smith 'lacks maturity' and has been diagnosed with ADHD which means he has issues with his 'understanding'.

He told police he was about 15 when he started searching online for indecent images because others at school said they were receiving them. Till-Smith said he was 'exploring his sexuality' and was only interested in people his age.

The defendant went on to say he thought his victim was older and 'justified' his actions by claiming 'everyone does it'. Sentencing, Judge Rebecca Crane said it was important Till-Smith 'received support' and decided against detaining him.

Till-Smith was given a 24-month community order, with a 55-day sex offenders treatment programme and a 55-day rehabilitation activity requirement. He must remain on the sex offenders registers for five years and was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order on Thursday, June 29.

He admitted causing a child to engage in sexual activity, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of taking indecent photographs of children and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Description

A PAEDOPHILE has been locked up for his vile activities online in which he tried to arrange meeting up with ‘children’ for sexual activity.

David Dutton used the internet in Warrington to commit sexual offences against people he believed were children.

They were in fact decoy accounts, with the 67-year-old caught out in a sting by those looking to root out online offenders.

Dutton was subsequently charged with three counts of attempted sexual communications with a child and three of arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

He appeared to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday, June 23, with Sarah Badrawy, representing the prosecution, explained the facts of the case to the court.

All of the offences – against three separate victims – were committed in August last year.

One ‘child’ with whom the defendant communicated with in a sexual manner was asked for a photograph of herself.

Dutton also told her she was ‘gorgeous’ and how he wished he was younger so he could ‘take her out’, while he also told her that he was ‘falling for her’.

Another was told by the defendant that she was gorgeous, and she too was requested to send a photograph of herself.

The third was also told by Dutton that she was gorgeous and was the subject of photo requests, with the pervert also discussing having sexual intercourse with her.

In all of the cases, defined by the charges he admitted, Dutton’s sexual communications were intentional and for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification.

In each of them, he also did not reasonably believe that the person with whom he was communicating was aged 16 or over.

With each of the ‘children’, there was also an attempt by Dutton to arrange a meet-up in order to engage in sexual activity.

The defendant, now of York Avenue in Blackpool, pleaded guilty to all six charges and was sentenced by judge Simon Berkson to three years in prison.

He must also abide by sex offender registration and notification requirements with the police indefinitely, as well as the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for the next 10 years.

Description

An Afghan migrant caught trying to sneak back into Britain received taxpayer-funded legal help to try and overturn his conviction after being jailed for raping a 12-year-old girl.

Emal Kochai, 29, was deported from Britain in 2019 after serving half of a nine-year prison sentence for raping his victim at a house in Reading, Berks in 2014.

But he made his way back to the Channel in March 2022 where he was found by a reporter in a tent at the Grande Synthe camp, near Dunkirk, claiming he had 'changed his ways'.

The convicted paedophile admitted tying to board a boat to Britain, but his crossing failed after police arrived and punctured the vessel with a knife.

Now new Freedom of Information figures show the child sex offender received taxpayers' cash to pay for a solicitor to challenge his conviction prior to being booted out of Britain in 2019.

The asylum seeker turned rapist received a total of £19,395.02 in legal aid cash to pay for his defence at trial plus a further £1,752.31 for a solicitor to work on a Criminal Cases Review Commission application.

The CCRC investigates potential miscarriages of justice.

Kochai has previously claimed his rape conviction was, 'all a misunderstanding'.

His victim, told police that Kochai had raped her at a house where there were six or seven other men.

She said that Kochai, known to her as AK, had pushed her on to a bed, pulled off her clothing and raped her.

The other men had knocked on the door and Kochai had opened it, then locked it again and resumed his assault, his trial heard.

Kochai, who was 20 at the time of the offence, denied rape but told police he had been told the girl was 17 and that he would not have touched her if he had known her real age.

David Spencer of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: 'This case is yet another example of taxpayer money being put straight into the pockets of lawyers tasked with trying to defend the indefensible and mounting frivolous cases to try and keep immigrants in the UK.

'It is wholly wrong that taxpayer money should be used in this way and this case adds yet more grist to the mill that legal aid is long overdue widespread reform to prevent this sort of abuse of the system.'

The CCRC told us that 'no application had been received' from Kochai despite preliminary legal work on a case being undertaken.

The Ministry of Justice, added: 'Legal aid is not paid directly to defendants. Legal aid is paid to legal representatives to ensure a fair trial.'

Description

A man who was found guilty of sex offences involving a woman and a teenage girl has been placed on the sex offenders register.

Kris Neish was found guilty during a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of two sexual assaults over the course of more than four years.

Description

A sick Metropolitan Police officer has been spared jail after he paid for videos of babies being sexually abused.

PC Darren Hourigan, 51, claimed he may have been hacked after he was caught accessing a portal which included 3,490 videos and 295 still images of children.

The portal included videos of babies as young as one being sexually abused.

PC Hourigan, of Coteford Street in Tooting, was a serving officer in the South Area Command Unit, which covers Bromley, Croydon and Sutton, when he was caught with the images.

In March 2020 the Mets Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse team found that two email addresses attributed to PC Hourigan had accessed the portal.

When he was arrested at his home in March 2020 he told colleagues he had no idea about the images.

The portal included four folders with child abuse images, including one titled baby and another titled 1 to 5.

In a second interview, PC Hourigan said he had used the file sharing platform to view cycling and athletics videos.

He continued to deny ever viewing indecent images of children but said I may have been hacked.

PC Hourigan eventually admitted his offending on April 26 when he pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent images of children.

On Friday (July 7) he appeared at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court where Judge Barklem gave him a 10 month prison sentence suspended for one year.

This means he will not see a prison cell unless he offends again during that period.

He was suspended from duties before he was charged on September 21 last year. He later resigned from the police force.

Chief Superintendent Andy Brittain, in charge of policing in South Area, said: We have made it clear that the Met will take action against any of its staff who are not fit to remain within the organisation, and we will now prepare for a misconduct hearing.

We are committed to providing Londoners with a Met that they deserve; one that upholds the law on the streets of the capital and amongst its own ranks.

The vast majority of the thousands of police officers and staff are striving to take this forward those who wont are not worthy to remain.

Description

A REGISTERED sex offender failed to turn up to court to be sentenced for attempting to engage in a sexual activity with a child. 

Phillip Allen, from Ross-on-Wye, was due to be sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on June after being convicted at Hereford Magistrates Court on April 12. 

A bench warrant has been issued, which is not backed for bail.

Allen has connections with Cumbria, and police believe he has been in the Carlisle area within the last few days. 

Anyone who sees Allen or knows of his whereabouts is asked to call 999 immediately.

Description

A despicable rapist who attacked a woman while she waited for a bus in Edinburgh has been jailed.

Christopher Pringle has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping the woman in August 2020. The 43-year-old, who was convicted at the High Court in May, was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely when he returned for sentencing on Friday, July 7.

Detective Chief Inspector George Calder said: Pringles behaviour was despicable, and he will now face the consequences of his actions. It is my sincere hope the courage shown in this case will reassure all victims of sexual violence that they can come forward, no matter how much time has passed, and report it to police. Be assured, we will fully investigate, and you will be supported by officers and our partner agencies.

This case was brought to a conclusion by the divisional rape investigation unit, a specialist unit dedicated to robustly and sensitively investigate cases of this nature, bringing perpetrators to justice and supporting victims and their families."

STV News reports the woman was waiting for a bus when she was attacked by Pringle in Crown Street, off Leith Walk, on August 20, 2020.

Description

The prison sentence of a taxi driver who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl will not be increased.

A request was made to a government legal advisor to consider appealing the sentence Mahdi Ferhane received at Bournemouth Crown Court last month.

Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson was said to be “shocked and appalled” by the case.

However, the MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole decided against making a referral to the Court of Appeal through the unduly lenient sentence scheme.

Ferhane, a father of two, was jailed for 28 months by Judge William Mousley KC after he was found unanimously guilty of sexual assault.

The 38-year-old offender was found not guilty of attempted rape following a crown court trial in April and May.

A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said: “The Solicitor General was shocked and appalled by this case.

“After careful consideration, the Solicitor General has concluded that this case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal.

“A referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to the Court of Appeal can only be made if a sentence is not just lenient but unduly so, such that the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence.

“The threshold is a high one, and the test was not met in this case.”

As reported, Ferhane “took advantage” of the “vulnerable” girl, who he had picked up alone in Bournemouth town centre.

He came into contact with the complainant when he pulled up alongside her when she was sat on a bench in Old Christchurch Road in the early hours of May 29 last year.

After a short conversation, the teenager got into the front seat of his car and asked to be driven to her home, but the defendant went to a clifftop car park and insisted that she drive his vehicle.

The defendant then took the complainant to an address he owned in St Peter’s Road.

Inside the flat he removed her dress, massaged her shoulder, pushed her face down onto a mattress and touched her with his penis.

Ferhane drove the teen home and charged her £12 for the trip as a taxi passenger.

It came to light after the trial that Ferhane previously had a licence revoked by Bournemouth Borough Council.

The local authority removed his driver's licence in late 2017.

He then applied for a licence with New Forest District Council in December 2021 and was granted permission to operate as a private hire driver carrying out pre-booked trips only.

A spokesperson for NFDC said Ferhane did not disclose that he previously held a licence in Bournemouth or that it had been revoked.

Description

A serial rapist from Derby has been handed a jail sentence lasting more than three decades. Robert Parkin denied he had sexually attacked three different women meaning the victims all had to give evidence and relive their harrowing ordeals at a trial.

Following the trial, which lasted three weeks at Derby Crown Court, sitting in Chesterfield, and after deliberating for a number of days, the jury returned with guilty verdicts on three counts of rape as well as charges of stalking and assault.

Reading her own victim impact statement at Derby Crown Court at his sentencing hearing on Friday, July 7, one of the women said: "When I go to sleep I have constant nightmares of him being released from prison coming to my house and trying to get in or that he is sitting in the bushes watching me."

Recorder Adrian Reynolds handed Parkin, of Uttoxeter Road, a 32-year sentence. He said this was made up of 24 years plus an eight-year extension for dangerousness. He also placed the 35-year-old on the sex offender register for life and handed him a restraining order.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Adam Redfern said: It is abundantly clear the devastating impact Parkins behaviour has had on these three women. I hope that the outcome of the case will offer some form of closure as they continue to rebuild their lives and leave the dark cloud Parkins actions has placed over them for too long.

I cannot praise the bravery of these three women enough, for initially reporting these traumatic incidents, and then subsequently being forced to relive that very trauma, at court. They have been resolute throughout the trial and should be proud of the strength they have found.

DC Redfern added: I hope this case highlights how seriously we take allegations and how thoroughly we will investigate them. Violence and sexual violence does not have a place in our society and we will do all we can to ensure we bring perpetrators to justice.

Description

A pensioner found guilty of child sexual offences has been put behind bars.

Henry Devine was initially arrested in February 2021 on suspicion of sexual touching of a child. While enquiries were carried out into the allegations, Cleveland Police seized a number of electronic devices belonging to the 72-year-old and discovered over 1,600 indecent images of children.

Hundreds of the images were identified in the 'most serious category' of child abuse. The Norton paedophile appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Friday where he was sentenced after being found guilty of sexual assault and possessing indecent images of children.

A three-day trial had taken place in mid-May at Teesside Magistrates' Court where Devine faced six charges, three of sexual assault and another three of possessing indecent images of children and was found guilty. He was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment when he appeared at Teesside Magistrates' Court.

Officer in the case CAVA (Child Abuse and Vulnerable Adult) Detective Constable Gemma Allan said: “The young victim was understandably left extremely distressed by Devine’s actions and we ensured safeguarding was put in place as soon as we received the report. The victim was very brave though and was able to give officers an account which meant we could get our enquiries underway quickly and effectively.

“I hope today’s result will bring reassurance that Devine will now be in prison and subject to strictly monitored restrictions on his release.” Safeguarding CAVA Detective Chief Inspector Matt Murphy-King added: “Devine’s actions were deplorable and our priority, as with all our investigations, was the wellbeing and safeguarding of the victim while we worked with the CPS to bring this defendant before the courts.

“CAVA’s experienced and specially trained officers will always carry out a thorough, professional and sensitive investigation against anyone who would harm and abuse vulnerable people. Abuse of any nature, recent or non-recent, can be reported at any time of day or night to Cleveland Police online on the website or via the 101 number.”

Description

A teacher groomed a child and started a sexual relationship with her, a court has heard. Edward Curtis, was charged with sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, and appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, July 3, 2023.

He was charged with seven counts of the offence, all of which he pleaded not guilty to. He was convicted by a jury on June 12, 2023 of three counts upon one victim. He was found not guilty in regards to four counts relating to another girl. Both children have the right to lifelong anonymity.

Regarding the counts he was convicted on, the court heard how 30-year-old Curtis built a "one to one" relationship with the victim before committing the offences. A statement from the victim detailed the stress and worry caused to her by his actions and the court case, and her "overriding concern that if he could do that to me, he could do that to someone else."

His defence barrister Nicola Powell disputed the degree to which the offences were planned and constituted "grooming," and in mitigation said: "This is a man who has not only lost his job, he has lost his whole career and his reputation," noting that he "has to accept this."

Miss Powell continued, saying he was "needed at home" to care for his mother after his father died in an accident, and quoted his mother who said he was a "thoughtful," and her "rock."

Curtis, of Darwin Road, Port Talbot, had no previous convictions. Judge Catherine Richards sentenced Curtis to one year in prison. He will also be put on the sex offender register for 10 years and will have to obey a restraining order in relation to the victim for three years.