Latest Offenders

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A paedophile repeatedly raped a girl after grooming her over WhatsApp.

Benjamin Goodrum, 22, used his vulnerable victim to satisfy his twisted desires then threatened her to stay quiet.

But the "horrendous" abuse of the child came to light when her parents found sick messages from him on her phone.

Ian Harris, prosecuting, said these messages included a request from Goodrum to see a picture of the child's bra.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim's mum later confronted Goodrum, who claimed he had twice touched her daughter inappropriately.

Police were contacted and arrested Goodrum, who also told an NHS worker that he had touched the girl "once or twice".

However, when police interviewed the victim, Mr Harris said she revealed Goodrum had groomed her by text for what was "a campaign of sexual abuse".

Goodrum, of Seacombe, text the girl asking her to exchange pictures, but when she said no, replied saying that if she didn't, he would "do stuff" to her.

The girl told police "it was as if he was blackmailing her" and she thought he wanted sex, having once previously touched her inappropriately.

Goodrum asked for naked pictures before sending the child a photo of his penis and a video of him performing a sex act on himself, which made her feel "sick".

She agreed to send him a photo of herself in her bra, but then tried to ignore his messages, only for Goodrum to continue to pester her, until he molested and raped her on multiple occasions.

At one stage Goodrum took the girl's phone and deleted his texts, but police still recovered many of the messages.

Mr Harris said he would arrange to meet her alone and his messages were "demanding in nature and persistent".

He said Goodrum "used her as a sexual toy" and warned that if she told anyone there would be consequences.

Mr Harris said the girl regularly told him to stop, but he continued even when told his abuse hurt, and called her a "slag".

Goodrum remained silent when interviewed by police, but later indicated on a court form that the abuse "didn't happen".

The pervert, who has no previous convictions, admitted three counts of rape, three counts of attempted rape, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of sexual assault of a child, four counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Mr Harris said a psychiatric report didn't find any evidence of him having an psychiatric illness or medical disorder, but some evidence of ADHD and a social disorder.

The girl's mum said her daughter had since changed and now suffered from flashbacks and nightmares.

Bernice Campbell, defending, said: "General mitigation is difficult because there's very little mitigation one can say in regard to these horrendous offences."

Ms Campbell said: "His parents split up when he was very young. He didn't have anything to do with his father for some time and there was domestic violence from his father towards his mother.

"His father was only intermittently present during his formative years."

Ms Campbell said Goodrum later moved in with his dad, who described him as "immature", which was also raised in the psychiatric report.

She said: "The defendant accepts what happened was very wrong and he is in my respectful submission remorseful."

The lawyer said Goodrum was described as "having no friends" and "an unhappy childhood", his longest relationship was online with a female in America, and he claimed he was only interested in girls of his own age.

Ms Campbell said: "He wishes he never did it and he's disgusted about it."

She said Goodrum felt depressed and suicidal but never told anyone, self-harmed and suffered with stress and anxiety, and between 14 and 16 had an "imaginary friend", which showed his "childlike" immaturity.

The report said Goodrum mentioned possible autism, but this hadn't been diagnosed.

Ms Campbell said he was referred to mental health services in 2005 and his mum said Goodrum soiled himself several times and was bullied at school and college.

She said when released from jail he wanted to move back to his mum's home in Margate, Kent, having now been "disowned" by his dad.

Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said Goodrum's request for indecent images and the photo and video he sent the girl "was very upsetting" for her.

He said Goodrum messaged her "time and time again", trying to persuade her to take part in his sexual abuse.

The judge said: "You used her to satisfy your need for sexual gratification."

Judge Menary said her mum's statement set out the "understandable impact that this outrageous behaviour has had on her".

He said: "It's likely that your corruption of this young girl will profoundly affect her for years to come, if not for the rest of her life."

The judge said the harm was "severe", there was significant planning and grooming, and Goodrum threatened her not to report him.

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Vile sex offender Gary Neal is beginning a 16-year prison sentence after raping girls and abusing five victims over a period of 18 years in Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

At Grimsby Crown Court, Judge Ahmed Nadim said Neal, 54, was a danger to the public and added a further four years to the sentence which will be served on licence.

He also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Neal will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

It followed a trial in which Neal denied 14 sex offences against girls.

Neal, married and living at Mill Lane, Kirton Lindsey, was found guilty of the offences against five girls.

Neal was convicted of four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, gross indecency with a child under the age of 14, two counts of rape of a female child under the age of 16, sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13, three counts of inciting a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13.

Judge Nadim said the trial had not spared the victims reliving "the most unpleasant experiences of their lives".

He added the 46 incidents of sex against young girls, some just four years old at the time, were committed while he was aged between 31 and 49 years old.

He said the victims, some who sat in court in tears, had been left "emotionally scarred and confidence damaged and unable to form trusting relationships".

"They have been unable to realise the full potential of their lives. They may never fully recover from the damage you have caused. No sentence can give them back their childhood," the judge said.

He accepted the defendant had a mild learning difficulty but said he had listened carefully to the evidence he gave at trial which he described as "calculated with mendacity".

The judge said Neal had a lack of appreciation for the damage caused to his victims. He said the parole board would only consider if he was fit for release on licence after serving two thirds of the sentence. A further four years will be served on licence.

Prosecuting, Michael Greenhalgh told of how one of the girls had confided in a school teacher. Police began an investigation in 2017 when Neal was arrested. At the same time, another victim came forward to give her account of how Neal raped her.

He read statements detailing the shocking impact the rape and sex assaults had taken on the girls.

One told of how it had ruined the relationships she had with men including those in her own family. Seeing men who look like Neal sets her into a panic, he recounted.

One said: "My life has been hell. I now want to take my life back. He ruined my life but I am not letting him ruin my life anymore."

For Neal, Rodney Ferm said his client had "limited mental function" and was "akin to a child" with a mental age of nine years old. He has an IQ of between 54 and 62, which placed him in the category of a learning disability.

His client had claimed he was sexually abused as a child himself.

Mr Ferm said: "Although he had adult drives, he had the function of a nine-year-old and those are the people he associated with. He has no adult acquaintances, except members of his family who deal with bills and the more complex matters of daily life."

He added : "He is a very isolated man and had more company in prison, on remand, than at any stage of his life for many years. His learning difficulties have been taken on board."

After sentencing Neal, Judge Nadim recognised the courage of the complainants.

He said: "It is the hope of this court that with the closure of these proceedings they will be better able to move on with their lives. They each leave with the gratitude of the court. They have made an important contribution to the court system. I thank each and every one of them."

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A former maths teacher at a Swadlincote high school has been jailed for more than two years after admitting sexually touching underage girls.

Steven Bould had been employed at The Pingle Academy for five months in 2018 and 2019, when he was suspended following concerns over his conduct.

Before this, he spent six years at Nether Stowe School, in Lichfield.

Now the 36-year old has been convicted of nine charges of intentionally sexually touching underage girls.

He was due to be sentenced for his crimes before for October, last year, but this was delayed due to the covid pandemic . Now he was finally jailed for 33 months following a hearing at Stafford Crown Court.

Viv Sharples, principal at The Pingle Academy, said after the case: "Following sentencing we wish to thank the professional bodies involved in this case for supporting the students and the academy."

A spokesperson for Nether Stowe School, also speaking after the court hearing, said: This is a very serious matter and the school worked closely with the authorities throughout their investigation to ensure that all appropriate action was taken.

The school takes its safeguarding responsibilities seriously and the safety, wellbeing and protection of students is of paramount importance to us.

Steve Bould was a maths teacher from 2010 to 2016.

Seven of the offences took place while he worked at Pingle Academy, two offences while he worked at Nether Stowe School, where Bould had worked before joining Pingle school.

Bould, of Heath Hayes, Cannock, had been convicted of intentionally touching a girl under the age of 13 when the touching was sexual.

In a second charge, he was convicted of on no less than three occasions he intentionally touched a girl under the age of 13 when the touching was sexual.

And a third charge saw him convicted of intentionally touched a girl aged under 16 when the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.

In the fourth charge he was guilty of on no less than three occasions intentionally touching a girl under 16 and that touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.

The fifth and sixth charges saw him plead guilty to intentionally touching a girl under 16 when the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.

In the seventh and eighth charges, both of which he pleaded guilty to, it was said that on no less than five occasions he intentionally touched a girl under 16 by touching her leg and that the touching was sexual when she did not consent and he did not reasonably believe that she was consenting.

In the ninth charge he admitted that on no less than three occasions he intentionally touched a girl under the age of 13 and the touching was sexual.

The offences of touching amounted to at least 20 times in total in relation to the nine charges.

Bould was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

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Police tracked down the ringleader of an online child abuse gang after arresting a known Northampton paedophile.

Simon Peach, 36, was jailed for seven years in June 2021 after detectives found a laptop with 128 recordings on his laptop of live streams of girls under 16 performing sexual acts.

But officers from Northamptonshire Police Paedophile On Line Investigation Team (POLIT) then discovered messages between Peach and Matthew Mather-Franks, who was later identified as playing a leading role in the group and arrested.

The gang said to include between six and ten men even kept a Google spreadsheet containing details of young girls, mainly from Russia, taking part in live sex streams.

Crown Court Judge, His Honour Judge David Herbert QC, jailed Mather-Franks, 37, for eight years at a hearing on Friday (February 11).

Both Peach and Mather Franks were already on the sex offenders register.

Peach, previously of Clarke Road, had more than 1,000 indecent images of children on his phone and laptop, breaching a sexual harm prevention order when he was arrested in early 2020.

Four out of five devices belonging to Mather-Franks seized were not registered with the police, breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He had been using the devices to commit online sexual offences relating to young girls, mainly aged between nine and 12, although some involved infants. Some of the children involved appeared drugged or intoxicated.

Judge Herbert told Mather-Franks: "The facts show that the work you did as part of that order failed."

Police also found evidence of images being shared on an encrypted Telegram group.

Mather-Franks, previously of Redding Road, Rushden, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one of paying for the sexual services of a child, one of distributing category A live streams of child abuse, one of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and one or encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence

Judge Herbert told him: "You have an entrenched sexual interest in very young girls and you represent a serious danger to them."

Mather-Franks will serve at least five years, four months behind bars before he can be considered for parole. Once released, he will serve the remainder of his sentence plus and extra four years on licence.

Following Friday's sentencing, DC Andy Shears from the Police POLIT team said: I am really pleased to see the lengthy sentences handed out to both of these men who preyed on young children for their own depraved satisfaction.

Both men used sophisticated methods to try and evade detection which makes their behaviour even more deplorable.

"However, there is nothing we cant and wont do to uncover child abuse and bring the offenders to justice.

The protection of children is something that is hugely important to me and to Northamptonshire Police and I hope this case shows that if you are a predator like Peach or Mather-Franks, that we will catch up with you and put you where you belong behind bars.

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A young girl was repeatedly raped after her family pressured her to drop earlier allegations against her abuser.

When the vulnerable child finally plucked up the courage to report that she had been abused by Craig Wight, it seemed her nightmare would be over.

But in an "appalling" development, members of her family persuaded her it would be best if she withdrew the complaint.

The youngster did as she was asked but months later Wight subjected her to a series of even more serious sex attacks, including multiple painful rapes.

Now the 43-year-old paedophile, who groomed the victim by telling her he loved her, has been jailed for 15 years at Newcastle Crown Court.

Sentencing Wight, Judge Stephen Earl said it was "appalling" that the victim had been pressured into dropping the earlier allegations, which were of a less serious type than what went on to happen.

The judge outlined a series of despicable acts which he labelled "abhorrent abuse".

Judge Earl said: "He repeatedly told her he loved her and he spoke about how the relationship could develop more when she got to 16.

"He took advantage of her vulnerability.

"This is not love, this is a form of control.

"You don't love someone when you are 40-odd and they are (a child) and you are ... raping them."

The judge paid tribute to the victim for reporting what had happened to her.

He said: "It's an amazing testament that she's got the courage to report these matters.

"She has been failed by the adults in her life.

"She has felt isolated, out of place, vulnerable, emotional, a child unable to cope.

"These are phrases that burn themselves into your consciousness when you read them."

Wight, of Hadrian Court, Killingworth, North Tyneside, admitted 18 sex offences including three of rape, although he raped her "at least four or five times", the court heard.

Judge Earl told Wight he would have to serve two-thirds of the 15 year sentence and will be on the sex offenders register for life and subject to a sexual harm prevention order

The judge told him: "You had a clear warning when she made and retracted, through pressure, her first complaint.

"I can only express horror for the way you have callously acted towards her."

Judge Earl said there was "very little mitigation" in Wight's favour.

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A sick badminton coach who abused more than a dozen teenage boys in unusually vile acts has been jailed for 20 years.

Timothy Mawer was a master of manipulation who groomed the teens with kindness and fancy cars before systematically abusing them.

The 52-year-old from Cleethorpes carried out more than 60 attacks on 13 separate boys, Lincoln Crown Court heard.

Mawer often met his victims through badminton coaching at schools and youth clubs, and mutual interests in trainspotting.

His attacks destroyed the lives of many of his victims, with some considering committing suicide, while others suffered mental health problems, and drink or drug addictions.

One man said in a victim impact statement: He befriended me and my family. He portrayed himself as a near perfect character.

The court heard how Mawer befriended his victims and invited them to his home. They were then persuaded to play cards with him, with sexual forfeits for the loser.

Sam Skinner, prosecuting, told the court: The defendants offending was systematic, persistent, planned and gradually increased in severity and degradation.

This was a campaign of offending that corrupted the lives of more than a dozen boys.

Some of the acts he carried out were unusually vile.

In total there are 62 incidents. The period of offending is approximately 18 years. It began in 1985-1986 and ended in April 2003.

Some were as young as 13. The rest were about 14 years old when this defendant offended against them.

This defendant was working as a self-employed sports coach teaching badminton. He taught adults and children. When he was working with children, he was in a position of trust. He was a successful coach who was well-known locally and abroad.

He coached in schools and youth clubs. He made friends with lots of boys aged between 12 and 16. He also visited Lincoln Railway Station where he befriended boys who were trainspotting.

He selected those whom he could influence and groom. This grooming took weeks and months depending on the boy. He gave these boys his time, his attention and his money. They were impressed by his fast cars and his clothes.

The police investigation began in January 2016 after one of the victims came forward, and other victims were later identified.

Mawer was originally due to be sentenced in 2019, but a further six victims came forward as a result of media reports around the trial.

He was scheduled to stand trial for the additional charges this week, but changed to his pleas to guilty.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, defending Mawer, said he was of previous good character and is remorseful and ashamed for what he did.

He said: This offending started when he was himself young. The most recent offending took place 18 years ago.

In that time Mr Mawer has been a badminton coach of some considerable repute and success. He has taught many thousands of pupils both here and abroad.

Mawer, formerly of Long Beach, Haventhorpe Park Holiday Centre in Cleethorpes, admitted a total of 27 charges of indecent assault on a male person between 1985 and 2003.

He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and banned for life from working with children and vulnerable people. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told him: You were a successful coach who was well-known. Over a period of 18 years, you misused that position and the ostentatious lifestyle you had to abuse 13 children between the ages of 13 and 15 in a sexual manner.

It is plain that in their different ways, all of the complainants have been profoundly affected by your abuse of them. You caused each and every one of them real and lasting damage.

You caused harm to each of them for no other reason than to gain sexual gratification for yourself. A striking aspect of what you did involved the humiliation of some of these boys.

You won them over through kindness, apparent generosity and flash cars. You persistently and systematically abused young boys over a period of almost two decades.

Detective Inspector David McKean from Lincolnshire Polices Protecting Vulnerable People unit, said after the sentencing: This man used and abhorrently abused the trust that young people, their parents and the community including schools and youth clubs placed in him as a badminton coach.

He coerced young boys into shockingly depraved sexual acts which they have had to live with. The victims have shown incredible bravery to come forward and support our investigation and I hope this sentence provides them with some closure.

We have officers who are specifically trained to help and support victims of sexual offences. We treat every report sensitively and respectfully, so please do contact us if you have been keeping something to yourself."

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An IT boffin at GCHQ in Cheltenham has been jailed for 18 months for a series of historical sex

Robert Orton, 65, of Longlevens, had denied eight sex offences but a jury at Gloucester Crown Court in December found him guilty of five of them.

Four of the convictions, all of which took place between 1997 and 2003, were for indecent assault against boys aged 12 and 13 with a fifth for the same charge against a male

He was acquitted of one charge on the judge's direction and the jury could not reach verdicts on two others.

The offences were uncovered after Orton was arrested for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old boy on a bus at the start of the 2016/7 academic year.

At the start of the nine-day trial, prosecutor Christopher Smyth told the jury Orton had a "sexual interest in grooming boys aged 12 upwards".

At the sentencing, Matthew Harbinson, defending, told the judge: "Orton has lived an isolated existence since the 1970s as a gay man who wasn't overly camp. The passage of time has seen society's attitudes change.

"Yes Orton is an unusual character, being socially awkward with a pronounced stutter. Since the verdict was returned by the jury, he has reflected on his inappropriate behaviour and has shown empathy towards his victims."

In sentencing Orton to a prison term of 18 months, Recorder Christopher Quinlan QC said only an immediate custodial sentence could be justified.

He said: "You continue to deny your offending to this day, therefore there is no possibility of rehabilitation which means I am unable to suspend any sentence.

"I have to protect the general public from your sexual prowess and limit your use of the internet and ban you from working with children by the imposition of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order."

After the sentencing, Det Con Gavin Davis of Gloucestershire Police said Orton's actions have had a significant and lasting effect on his victims.

He said: "He took advantage of young people, giving them gifts, a place to stay and taking interest in their likes to ingratiate him into their social circles with a view to sexually assaulting them.

"The victims of this man's offending have shown great strength and bravery in disclosing what has happened to them and I am grateful for their courage and that of the other witnesses who gave evidence in this case, a number of which showed maturity above their years."

He continued: "My hope, and the hope of the victims in this case, is that it empowers others to report incidents of this nature and have the confidence to seek justice even if it is years after the abuse.

"Gloucestershire police take allegations of this nature incredibly seriously and also work in conjunction with other organisations to offer support, if you are suffering or have suffered abuse, please contact Gloucestershire police."

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A Liverpool University archaeologist tried to arrange sex with a 13-year-old girl while her mum watched.

Jason Hall discussed how he wanted to molest the girl - and the 50-year-old even took a train to Chester to fulfil his twisted sexual fantasy.

But neither the woman nor her daughter were real and he was instead met by police waiting outside the station.

Officers searched his rucksack and found a pack of condoms and an Easter egg he bought for his intended victim.

And when they searched his home, they discovered a sick stash of more than 2,000 indecent images of children.

Hall, of Greenbank Road, Mossley Hill, was a senior archaeology technician at the university's School of Histories, Languages and Cultures for more than a decade.

Liverpool Crown Court heard undercover officers set up a decoy profile of a woman calling herself Poppy on an adult website.

Neil Bisarya, prosecuting, said she was contacted on the site by Hall, who said he noticed she was based in Chester and that he was in Liverpool and worked at the university, on March 26, 2018.

Poppy told Hall she was a mum-of-two with an eight-year-old son and a daughter aged 13, before two days later telling him she was interested in young teens.

Hall replied "lovely, about your girl's age?" and she agreed and told him her daughter was called Natalie, before Hall said he would like to have sex with her and Poppy said she would like to be present.

Their conversations continued on Skype and an encrypted chat service called qTox and on April 16 that year they discussed him coming to Chester.

Poppy sent Hall two photos, supposedly of her and Natalie, and he sent one of himself in return, before on April 26 they talked about arrangements.

She then set up chats between Hall and Natalie on Skype from May 1, when he called her a "cutie", then on May 8 discussed having sex with her.

Mr Bisarya said Hall sent her of a photo of his erect penis when he was in the bath and said he wanted to have sex with her while her mum watched.

On May 10 he asked for a photo of her bottom and after confirming the arrangement with mother and daughter and promising to bring some chocolate, on the morning of May 11 set off to Chester but was arrested at 11.48am.

Mr Bisarya said his mobile phone was seized along with his rucksack, containing "a packet of condoms with a receipt that had been recently purchased and a Twirl Easter egg".

Officers went to his home and seized 17 items - laptops, computers, hard drives and mobile phones - and found next to his bed a transcript describing sex with a 12-year-old.

Hall, who had no previous convictions, made no comment in a police interview, but later confessed after his devices were analysed.

They revealed 102 Category A images - the worst category showing child rape - plus 271 Category B and 1796 Category C images.

In total he had downloaded 2,169 child sex abuse images between September 2005 and May 2018, plus 13 animal porn files.

He admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child look at an image of sexual activity, three counts of downloading indecent images of children, and possessing extreme porn.

Rebecca Smith, defending, said Hall knew he would receive a "lengthy" jail sentence and made admissions to police in a second interview.

She said despite the contents of his rucksack, no sexual activity was ever going to take place because Natalie was a "fictional character".

Ms Smith said Hall was "co-operative" and "candid" and had shown a willingness to "explore and understand his criminal behaviour".

She said he completed work with child sex abuse prevention charity The Lucy Faithfull Foundation, plus other courses and counselling.

The lawyer said Hall had references from his parents and sister, who talked of his "introverted and isolated adulthood" and now he had received assistance and been "honest and truthful" with them, they hope to provide him with the support he needs when he leaves prison.

Ms Smith added her client had been "held in high regard" at the university faculty, won awards, and they had been "proud" of his achievements.

Judge Anil Murray noted the "high disparity of age" between Hall and his intended victim, along with his "grooming behaviour".

He said: "The absence of a real victim does not reduce culpability."

However, the judge said he had to make a downward adjustment to recognise the absence of actual harm, as the child didn't exist.

Judge Murray said the pre-sentence report concluded that Hall demonstrated "entrenched sexual interests in children" and assessed him as a "high risk of sexual recidivism and a high risk of causing serious harm to children".

He said: "I agree completely with those assessments."

The judge also noted that Hall's mum said he was "usually a caring son" and his sister said he had expressed remorse to her.

He jailed Hall for two years and eight months, of which he will serve half behind bars.

Judge Murray ordered him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register and to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

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A monstrous abuser took advantage of two teenage boys while he worked at a children's home in the 1970s.

Robert Murray 'breached the trust' of his victims while he was employed at the home, abusing the boys on a number of occasions.

The 76-year-old was found guilty of 12 counts of of indecent assault at Liverpool Crown Court after putting his victims through the ordeal of a trial.

Murray, of Harrismith Road in Fazakerley, was jailed for a total of 11 years for the sex offences against the boys.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Merseyside Police described Murray as "disgraceful and cowardly".

The force said: "Merseyside Police has today, Friday, 12 February, welcomed the sentencing of a Liverpool man to 11 years in prison for sexual offences against two teenage boys.

"76-year-old Robert Murray of Harrismith Road, Fazakerley, was jailed after being found guilty of 12 counts of of indecent assault following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

"The offences relate to two male victims, both teenagers at the time, and date back to the 1970s, when Murray worked at a Liverpool residential home for boys."

Speaking after the sentencing, a Merseyside Police spokesperson said: Murray is a disgraceful and cowardly individual who seriously breached the trust of the two victims, and its pleasing to see him jailed for a significant amount of time today.

He continued to deny his crimes right throughout the investigation, putting the victims through the stress of a trial, but was found guilty by unanimous verdict on all charges against him.

I want to commend the victims for the courage they have shown, not only in coming forward to report Murray, but throughout the investigation and court process too.

"Murrays actions have no doubt significantly affected their lives, but I hope today brings a sense of closure on the traumatic experiences they have both been through, and allows them to continue moving forward knowing Murray wont be released for a significant amount of time.

I would also like to take this opportunity to reach out to victims of sexual abuse, and to let them know that time should never be a barrier to obtaining justice.

"We have specially trained officers ready to listen to you and treat you with respect and compassion. If you are suffering in silence, there is help and support available, both from Merseyside Police, and from reliable and trusted support groups who will stand with you.

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A paramedic who was found guilty of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against three victims has been jailed for 21 years.

Andrew Wheeler, 46, of Mill Green, Warboys, was convicted of six sexual offences between 2009 and 2018 following a trial which began early in December.

Today at Peterborough Crown Court, Judge Matthew Lowe said that Wheeler had shown an "arrogance and a belief that he was untouchable and protected, as he saw it, by his paramedic's uniform"

Wheeler had shown "not a shred of remorse", he said, adding: "He's demonstrated that he's a manipulative sexual predator, willing to exploit for his own gratification the vulnerabilities of three separate (victims)."

Judge Lowe also praised a "painstaking" police investigation which brought Wheeler to court and commended DC Amie Meston.

He also praised the courage of the victims for coming forward.

The trial had heard Wheeler's offending came to light after he raped and sexually assaulted a woman in September 2018.

He had responded as a single-crew paramedic to an emergency call to help the woman and reassured two other paramedics, who arrived as a dual-crew, that he had things under control.

He then took the intoxicated woman from a friend's home back to her home before carrying out the attack. The woman told a friend, the incident was reported to police and Wheeler was arrested later that day.

For this rape he received a 13-year sentence and for the sexual assault he received 10 years, to run concurrently to each other but consecutive to the others.

Another victim then came forward who Wheeler had raped in 2009 and sexually assaulted in the back of an ambulance in April 2010.

For this rape he was sentenced to six years and for the sexual assault he was sentenced to 30 months, to run concurrently to each other but consecutive to the others.

Wheeler was also convicted of two counts of sexual assault on a girl under 13, not connected to his work, between December 2013 and May 2014.

He was sentenced to 15 months and two years for these offences, to run concurrently to each other but consecutive to the others.

DCI Sherrie Nash, from the force’s Protecting Vulnerable People department, said due to the length of time Wheeler had been offending it was possible further victims had not yet come forward.

Detective Chief Superintendent Martin Brunning said: "Andrew Wheeler is a predatory individual whose offending has spanned nearly a decade.

“We believe his decision to become a paramedic was influenced by the access it would give him to potentially vulnerable members of the public and this breach of trust makes his appalling offences all the more deplorable.

"He has caused a huge amount of suffering and trauma for his victims and I would like to pay tribute to their bravery in coming forwards and the patience and dignity they have shown throughout a lengthy legal process.

“I can't imagine what they have gone through but I hope today’s sentencing allows them to continue rebuilding their lives knowing that justice has been done.”

One example of his offending came from the trial when the court heard that the defendant was on duty as a single crew paramedic in a rapid response car when he was called to help a collapsed woman in Cambridgeshire in 2018.

When he arrived at the incident it became apparent that the woman, who was at her friend's house, was drunk, Peterborough Crown Court heard.

Wheeler sent away two other paramedics who arrived together in an ambulance, assuring them he had things under control, then drove the woman to her own house where he raped and sexually assaulted her.

Noel Casey, prosecuting, said the woman was "extremely intoxicated" and was "unable to properly respond or even resist what he did to her, and he did these things while she was alone in her own home, the defendant having taken her there".

"There was a gross breach of trust," he said.

The woman said, in a victim impact statement read to the court: "I have no faith in the NHS and I've avoided seeing a paramedic and attending the hospital just because of what happened."

She said she has flashbacks, adding: "I couldn't handle dealing with life. I became a recluse."

Jennifer Dempster QC, mitigating, said Wheeler had no previous convictions and was someone who has done a "great deal of positive work in his life".

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A "dangerous" and "obsessive" sex offender has been jailed after so-called paedophile hunters lured him into thinking he was grooming and meeting a 14-year-old girl.

Simon Landsberg, of High Street, Godstone, spoke to who he thought were three girls online and began grooming them before attempting to meet one of them at Ashburton Park, in Croydon.

The 68-year-old was confronted by the paedophile hunters on June 20 last year at the attempted rendezvous in the park, during which a court heard he had the "intent of committing sexual offences". The police were then called and he was arrested.

A video taken at the scene shows members of the public challenging Landsberg about the meeting, followed by officers leading him off in handcuffs. He first confirms his name is 'David' in reference to the name he used online before admitting to police later that he was called Simon.

He was charged with three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child; attempting to meet a child under the age of 16; and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He had previously been convicted of facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and was handed a three-year prison sentence in 2017. This, however, involved two real children.

A sentencing hearing at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday afternoon (February 11) heard how three people from various paedophile hunting groups posed as 14-year-old girls online.

Landsberg engaged in lengthy, predominantly sexual, conversations with these "entities", asking one of them about her body shape and telling her that he liked small breasts.

Judge Adam Hiddleston told the court: "You told her you loved her and wanted to kiss, cuddle and massage her."

He added: "You told her you had been in trouble before for falling in love with younger girls and you instructed her to delete all the communication between the two of you."

Disturbingly, Judge Hiddleston told the sentencing hearing that Landsberg had "told her that when you did [meet] you expected her to urinate in her pants".

He added: "When you turned up at the park you were confronted by members of the public who were part of a group who had communicated with you, pretending to be the victim."

The defendant engaged in similar discussions with the two other profiles, lying about his age, claiming he was 43, and discussing massaging and touching them.

All of his communications mainly focused on how the 14-year-old girls "might go about sexually stimulating themselves" before asking them to delete all of the messages.

After his arrest, police conducted a search of his person and discovered two mobile phones and a WiFi dongle. A property search uncovered a laptop, on which almost all of the conversations had been deleted.

The court heard that Landsberg is "dangerous in the way that he has conducted himself" and "has made efforts to hide his continuing sexual offending".

He committed these offences while he was on licence for his previous sexual offending and was in breach of a number of conditions of the SHPO imposed by Guildford Crown Court in 2017.

A pre-sentence report read aloud to the court said: "He exploited the apparent vulnerability of all three victims and his behaviour throughout was sexually motivated.

"He gave no thoughts as to the detrimental effects on them, and if not for his arrest, I believe his behaviour would have continued."

It added: "I would describe his behaviour as bordering on the obsessive."

Defence barrister David Stanton said Landsberg needs to seek help for his actions, as they transgress criminal law and could have affected many people, had the people he was speaking to not been decoys.

Mr Stanton said: "He very much regrets and is remorseful of his actions. He genuinely feels that what he has done is unforgivable."

Landsberg was handed a prison sentence of 44 months, with an extended licence period of 36 months. Judge Hiddleston made an order for a new SHPO, as well as the forfeiture and destruction of the items seized during police searches.

Description

A Northampton man who sexually assaulted a young girl has been locked up for 10 years.

Ryan Johnson, from Duston, denied all allegations against him during his trial - but last month, a jury convicted him on four counts of child sex offences.

The 31-year-old was found guilty of sexually assaulting the young girl two years ago.

At his sentencing at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (February 11), Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane told Johnson: "Victim impacts statements have shown how your victim now finds it hard to trust people.

"It has affected her friendships. her mother says it has destroyed her confidence."

The court heard how the young girl messaged a friend after the incident, who then alerted the girl's mother to what happened.

Johnson was jailed for 10 years and nine months. He will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Description

A man caught with so many indecent images of children that investigators 'gave up counting' has been spared jail time.

Pinky Caine, aged 31, had almost 4,000 illegal photos on his devices and 22,0000 more which were never classified.

He had a secret mobile phone and 'boasted' of hiding his internet history so police would not catch him, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Caine was also in breach of a suspended sentence for identical offences.

But he avoided immediate custody after a judge heard that it was more than two years since he had last offended and the steps he had taken to tackle his perversion.

His family sacrificed their savings to pay privately for treatment at The Priory, a London psychiatric hospital famous for its celebrity clients.

Handing him a fresh suspended sentence, Judge William Mousley told Caine: “You have been given a huge chance on this occasion. You have come as close as it is possible to get to going straight to prison.

“I am prepared to accept that you do not constitute an immediate risk of harm to the public. There are still hopes of your rehabilitation through work which is ongoing.”

The judge said that there were 22,000 images on his devices which were “questionable”, but as they were not classified they cannot be seen as indecent in law.Caine, of St Johns Terrace in Totnes, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of indecent images of children in 2018.

The vast majority of the 3,902 files found on his devices were in the lowest bracket, but 12 were in Category A - including videos and images depicting adults abusing children.

He also admitted breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by having an internet enabled mobile phone which was not declared to the police.

Ian Graham, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that he was handed that order after he was convicted of making indecent images of children in July 2017.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Mr Graham said that police found indecent images on his devices in both May and December 2018.

The barrister added Caine was heard saying that he was "still viewing" indecent images during a group counselling session in August 2018.

Mr Graham said: “He said that he was covering his tracks and he was not worried at that stage about the police finding anything wrong.”

Lee Bremridge, Caine's defence, said that he had pleaded guilty at an early stage and showed “genuine remorse”.

He added that the judge should take into account the long delay in the case – with the defendant not appearing in court until September last year.

Mr Bremridge said that Caine had used the time to tackle his problems, including heavy drinking, on his own initiative.

The barrister added that his family had used their savings to pay for his treatment at The Priory.

Judge Mousley handed Caine a fresh nine-month prison sentence but suspended it for two years.

He ordered that he have six-month alcohol treatment and 35 days of probation’s intensive Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

Caine was also fined £1,000 for breaching his original suspended sentence.

The judge also ordered that his phones and computers be forfeited.

Description

A FORMER teacher has been deemed to pose a significant risk to members of the public after he made arrangements to commit sexual acts on an ’11-year-old girl’.

Nigel Peter Grigg communicated on messaging platform Kik with a man called ‘John’ who had said he was willing to provide his ‘daughter’ for sexual activities.

‘John’ was in fact an officer from the police South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

Grigg arranged to meet ‘John’ and his ‘daughter’ with the intention of committing child sex offences.

The 69-year-old purchased presents for the ‘girl’, including items from Ann Summers.

Shortly after arriving at the agreed meeting point – McDonald’s in Totton – he was arrested by police.

Sentencing Judge Robert Pawson said: “The facts of this case make chilling reading for any parent, or any person in fact.”

Grigg was jailed for five years and issued with a two-year extended licence period at Bournemouth Crown Court after Judge Pawson deemed him to be a dangerous offender.

This was after he admitted a single charge of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence between March 4 and March 12 last year.

Prosecuting, Jane Rowley told the court Kik was being used by paedophiles and this activity was being investigated by the ROCU.

She said online communication took place between the defendant, using the display name Randy Peter, and the undercover police officer posing as adult male ‘John’.

Ms Rowley said there was subsequent telephone contact between the two and two meetings were arranged.

The prosecutor said the evidence “clearly shows his sexual interests in children and efforts to groom the child”.

Grigg posted on Kik he was “looking for anyone near Bournemouth and interested in taboo family fun”.

“Conversation from the outset was sexual,” said Ms Rowley.

Dorset Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT), a specialist team who work with partner agencies to identify offenders operating online and protect vulnerable children from sexual exploitation, assisted in the case, which culminated in Grigg being arrested and charged.

Mitigating, Kevin Hill said Grigg, of Croft Road, Poole, had no previous convictions and had shown “a lot of remorse”.

Mr Hill said his client had referred himself to get help for his sexual offending since his crime was committed.

Summarising the case, Judge Pawson said Grigg had “boasted” on Kik that he had “done a 13[-year-old] in Thailand”.

The defendant had time to reconsider his actions and time to realise the risk and the magnitude of what he was doing, said Judge Pawson.

Grigg was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A man who attacked a vulnerable woman after she confided in him about being sexually abused as a child has had his sentence increased.

Michael Smith, 26, from Bitton in South Gloucestershire, raped the victim following a party in August 2017.

Earlier in the evening she had told him she was very anxious about having sexual intercourse because of her experiences as a child, but he removed her clothing while she was asleep and attacked her.

When the victim threatened to report him, Smith made a false allegation to the police that she was harassing him, despite apologising for the incident in previous text messages to her.

Smith, who was employed by Bristol Ambulance Service, admitted to colleagues he had raped the woman and they also reported the incident to the police.

Police found four extreme pornographic images on his phone – one of which Smith had disseminated to his friends via WhatsApp.

Smith eventually pleaded guilty to one count of rape and four counts of possession of extreme pornography at Bristol

Sentencing judge Julian Lambert took into consideration Smith’s age, his good character and his pleas of guilty, as well as the current problems in the prison system caused by the pandemic.

But Attorney General Suella Braverman argued at the High Court that Smith had been treated too leniently considering the impact of the offence on the victim.

During the appeal the court heard the victim was left feeling worthless and dirty, and even three years on from the attack could not contemplate having a relationship with a man.

Ms Braverman said the starting point should have been eight years, before both mitigation and the mandatory reduction in sentence due to guilty pleas were taken into account.

She also argued his four-month sentence for the extreme images should not run concurrently to Smith’s sentence for rape, as the offences were unrelated to the attack.

Increasing Smith’s sentence for rape to five years and three months, Lady Justice Macur said: “This sentence should not have been reduced below the bottom of the range before the discount was applied.”

She added that the extreme images were a “separate category of offending” that call for consecutive sentencing, but reduced the sentence to three months to run concurrently on each count.

It brings Smith’s total sentence to one of five years and six months.

Smith appeared at the hearing via video link, but could be seen with his head in his hands at the end of the ruling.

The Attorney General said after the hearing: “Smith’s repulsive actions, and the extent to which he lied to cover up his guilt, were truly shocking and caused severe harm to the victim.

“I am pleased I was able to personally present this case and I welcome his sentence being increased.”