Latest Offenders

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An utterly depraved predator who installed a secret bathroom camera to spy on young girls in Shetland has been jailed for almost three years.

John Rankins voyeurism went undiscovered for close to a decade until he was caught with thousands of indecent images of children during a police raid last year.

After confiscating two desktop computers and a mobile phone from his house, officers found he had saved more than 12,600 still images and almost 1,700 videos.

All of the images featured boys and girls from toddler age up to 16 with creation dates between March 2011 and November 2019.

More than 900 of the images and videos were classed as category A the most serious while 856 were category B and 12,588 category C.

Rankin, 48, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday for sentencing, having previously admitted to creating and storing the photographs and videos.

The court heard that, while searching his devices, detectives found pictures showing him setting up a secret camera, and several clips where he had used the clandestine equipment to video girls as young as 12 using the toilet.

Additionally, officers discovered a recording of a woman getting dressed in a shop changing room in Lerwick.

Investigators said Rankins victims were clearly unsuspecting, and their families had been completely unaware of the secret recordings until they were asked to identify the people seen in the videos.

Rankins solicitor Thomas Allan said his client has been receiving support from family, friends and charity Stop It Now, and plans to make a fresh start somewhere other than Shetland in the future.

He added: He was dealing with a great deal of stress due to his employment and difficulties with his relationship.

Its his position there were periods where he would not access the images or look at them.

He realises these are not victimless crimes.

Hes tried to face up to what hes done already without any compulsion from the court.

Sheriff William Summers branded Rankins actions as utterly depraved.

He said: The charges to which youve pled guilty relate to a deplorable course of conduct, at times carrying on over a number of months or years.

These amount to a gross breach of trust and are likely to have far-reaching consequences for the woman and children.

Rankin, whose address was listed in court papers as Cogan Place, Barrhead, was jailed for 32 months and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A MAN from Andover has pleaded guilty to sexually grooming an underage girl, which was actually a decoy.

Alan Smith, of Collingwood Walk, admitted attempting to meet with a child with the intention of sexual activity.

The offence took place between July 3 and September 8, last year, but according to court records Smith was talking to a decoy.

He appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday November 13.

The 40-year-old will be sentenced at the same court on December 18.

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A man who raped an 11-year-old girl on Portland has today been jailed for seven years.

James Connell Loveman, 23, was sentenced today at Bournemouth Crown Court.

He attacked the girl in the Old Windmill near Easton on a night in August last year.

Loveman, of Portland, was convicted of charges of rape and assault by penetration today following a trial in September.

He had previously admitted an offence of sexual assault of a female aged under 13.

The victim, who was 11 at the time of the incident, was with her 14-year-old friend and they had spent the evening walking around Portland.

At around 1.30am on Saturday 31 August they were in the area of Easton Square when they met a man who was sitting on a bicycle.

They walked with him to an old windmill to the south of Park Road, where they chatted for a time before the victims friend went outside. Once he was alone with the victim, Loveman sexually assaulted her and then raped her before riding off on his bike in the direction of Weston.

Following an investigation led by detectives from the Forces Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), Lovemans DNA was found to be a match of a profile obtained from the victims clothing and he was arrested on Saturday 7 September 2019.

The victim said that the incident had terrified her and she came forward because she did not want Loveman to do the same thing to someone else and that she would not wish what happened to her on anybody.

She added that she had been hurt by comments made, including online, which implied that she or her family were in some way at fault for what happened or that she had lied.

Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour, of MCIT, said: This was a horrific sexual attack of a young victim and I would like to praise the girl involved for the courage she displayed in coming forward and supporting the investigation and trial process.

I want to thank her and all those involved in the investigation for their assistance in helping to bring James Loveman to justice for his horrific crimes.

I hope this case demonstrates that we will support victims who report sexual offences and do all we can to identify the culprits and hold them accountable for their actions.

Julia Woodward, CPS Wessex Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Senior Crown Prosecutor said: The victim in this case was incredibly brave throughout the investigation and prosecution. She was courageous in contacting the police immediately to report what had happened to her, which meant that Loveman could be identified and arrested quickly.

CPS Wessex worked closely with Dorset Polices Major Crime Investigation Team, using forensic evidence to help secure a guilty verdict.

We hope that todays sentence has delivered justice and provides some comfort to the victim."

If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault and want to report it directly to police, contact Dorset Police via 101 and ask to speak to a specially trained officer. In an emergency always dial 999.

Not everyone will want to report a matter directly to police. The Shores is the sexual assault referral centre for Dorset and its expert staff are independent of the police.

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A teenager was the subject of a paedophile hunter sting after sending photos of his genitals to a decoy he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.

Cameron Davidson, now 20, was also found in possession of indecent images of children after being arrested on August 21 last year in Barry .

Members of Alpha Predator Hunters created a profile for a 12-year-old girl, with a photo of a woman manipulated to look like a child with a Snapchat filter, on dating app Badoo.

When Davidson messaged the profile the decoy replied: "How old are you? I'm 12 and shouldn't be on here." He replied saying he was 19 years old.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the conversation between the defendant and the decoy moved to WhatsApp and Davidson began sending sexually explicit messages in which he asked the 12-year-old to engage in sexual activity.

During the conversations Davidson sent pictures of his penis on two occasions and asked the decoy to send a picture of her breasts.

An arrangement was made between the two to meet at Barry railway station on August 21 but when the day came the defendant cancelled saying he was too busy at work.

Having sent a picture of himself in his work uniform the decoy was able to track down the address of his place of work in Barry and members of the paedophile hunter group travelled there to confront him and saw him walking along the street.

Prosecutor Clare Wilks said Davidson was approached by two men who asked him his name and if he had arranged to meet a 12-year-old. He said he had but claimed he thought the girl was 18. He was detained until the police arrived and arrested.

A black Samsung mobile phone was seized and was discovered to contain two category A indecent images, four category B images, and seven category C images as well as nine extreme pornographic images.

In interview Davidson accepted the decoy had told him she was 12 years old but claimed he thought she was "messing around". He also claimed to have a "high sex drive", which he requested treatment for, but denied have a sexual interest in children.

The defendant, of Ship Alley, Farnborough, Hampshire, later pleaded guilty to attempting to communicate with a child, attempting to engage a child in sexual activity, and possession of indecent and extreme images.

Defence barrister Ruth Smith said her client was a young man who "needed help" and would benefit from intervention from the probation service.

Sentencing, Recorder Greg Bull QC said: "Sexual offences are always serious and the offences you have committed are likely to have a heavy impact on your life.

"Having sexual contact with a child is something that the courts abhor, as does society."

Davidson was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment suspended for two years and was ordered to carry out a 55-day rehabilitation activity requirement and do 200 hours unpaid work.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A high-risk sex offender who uploaded explicit footage to a social media site has been jailed for five years.

Gavin Cooper, 38, repeatedly raped a sleeping woman at a house in Dundee before going on to commit sex crimes against two other women.

Judge Norman McFadyen told Cooper at the High Court in Edinburgh the rape offence was the most serious but that his other crimes disclosed a troubling attitude towards women.

Mr McFadyen said: Your behaviour is plainly abusive of women and demonstrates in all their cases a callous disregard for their privacy, private space and their bodies.

I accept you have been acquitted of some of the most serious charges against you but you remain convicted of serious charges against three different women.

The judge added it was clear that a custodial sentence was required to deal with Cooper, who followed the sentencing proceedings via video link from Perth prison.

Judge McFadyen also ordered that Cooper be kept under supervision for a further three years and warned that if he failed to comply with conditions his licence could be revoked.

Cooper had originally faced a total of 23 charges and denied the offending during an earlier trial.

He was found guilty of raping one woman on various occasions between December 2010 and June 2015.

He was also convicted of sexually assaulting a second sleeping woman by touching her thigh, breasts and privates at a hotel in Edinburgh on August 5 in 2018.

And Cooper was further convicted of sending explicit images and video footage of a further woman to her and another woman in Dundee in January last year.

The jury also found him guilty of sending footage of the woman engaged in intercourse to her and another female and uploading it to the YouTube website with the intention to cause her fear, alarm or distress in January last year.

Defence counsel Jonathan Crowe said that Cooper continued to deny the offences, but respected the decision of the jury at his trial.

He said the self-employed electrician had worked both in this country and abroad and was set to go to Amsterdam for a contract when he was detained last year.

Mr Crowe said his previous offending did not have a sexual element and added: He has never previously received a custodial sentence.

Cooper was told that he would be placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A man has been jailed for non-recent child sex offences.

Edgar Collins, 80 from St Andrews Close in Shifnal, was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault, indecency with a child and indecent assault.

He was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday 23 November.

It follows an investigation by Telford CID.

Detective Constable Richard Cowley, said: “I would like to thank the victims and their families in this case for their courage, bravery and vigour during our investigation. I hope that other victims of sexual offences will take strength and encouragement from this verdict and come forward and report any offences to us, regardless of when they took place.”

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A man calling himself Jesus who broke into a womans home to try to rape her has been jailed for nine years.

George Wallace, 26, had been drinking heavily when he climbed into the 58-year-old grandmothers home as she slept.

He dragged the victim from her bed, but fled when the womans daughter came to investigate the commotion.

Police found a trail of muddy footprints left behind by Wallace, his fingerprints on the bathroom window, and his DNA on a vodka bottle at the scene.

At Woolwich crown court on Monday, Wallace was found guilty by a jury of carrying out the attack and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Prosecutor Amanda Hamilton told the court the attack happened just before 7am on November 10 last year, as the woman slept following a late-night in with her family.

She was suddenly awoken by someone flinging the bedroom door open," she said.

She saw the outline of a man, didnt recognise him, and started to scream, or at least she tried to start to scream.

Ms Hamilton said the womans attempts to call for help were stifled by medical equipment she wore at night, but she managed to push the man as he advanced on her.

Wallace then grabbed her wrists as he told her: My name is Jesus, I have come to f*** you.

He pulled her off the bed," said Ms Hamilton. She continued to scream and kick out at him she wasnt going to let him remove her clothing.

Wallace had pulled down his own trousers when the victims daughter came into the room.

Forensic tests pinned him to the scene, while the victim picked him out of an identity parade.

The fingerprint and DNA evidence in this investigation was vital in identifying Wallace," said Detective Constable Paul Harakis, from the Mets South Area Safeguarding team.

The victim has shown tremendous courage in giving evidence. This case shows how working across the organisation with teams such as forensic specialists, helps to secure a conviction.

Wallace had been caught on camera buying a bottle of vodka from a nearby petrol station prior to the attack, but insisted he was not the man responsible.

He told detectives he had been out at a club with his brother and was on his way to his girlfriends home when he came across a man asking for help.

Wallace claimed he had helped another man to climb through a bathroom window, believing he had been locked out of his own home.

Wallace, of Orpington, denied but was convicted of attempted rape and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Recorder Joel Bennathan QC sentenced him to nine years in prison with an extra five years on licence once released. Wallace must serve at least two thirds of the prison sentence, and will be a registered sex offender for life.

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The 68-year-old from Pendarves Street in Tuckingmill, Camborne, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Truro Crown Court on Friday, November 6.

It was after he was guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault and gross indecency with a child, in a number of historic offences.

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A former soldier who was part of the Queen's guard at Balmoral Castle has been jailed for nine years for sexual abuse against children.

John Paul Hoy repeatedly molested and raped two girls and indecently assaulted a third victim in his home in Edinburgh between 1986 and 1996.

Judge Lady Scott said the 46-year-old had "dominated and terrified" his victims.

Jailing him at High Court in Edinburgh, she said Hoy had blighted their lives.

Lady Scott said: "These offences constitute a very serious and persistent course of sexual abuse of children."

"You blighted their lives and caused significant and obvious damage, especially to the second victim who spoke of her childhood being taken from her."

"The damage to her was all too evident in her evidence, as indeed was her bravery."

The judge told Hoy, who was assessed as posing a high risk of sexual harm: "The scale of the abuse to the first and second victims is extraordinarily serious."

Lady Scott said that in sentencing Hoy she took into account he was also a child when a large part of the offending occurred.

She also noted that Hoy had lengthy Army service which had left him struggling with the effects of post traumatic stress disorder.

'Pomp and circumstance'

Hoy was 12 when he began committing sex crimes in 1986 against a nine-year-old girl with the abuse escalating into repeated rapes.

His second victim was aged seven when he began preying on her in 1988 and she too became the target for repeated rapes.

A third girl was indecently assaulted by him at a house in Edinburgh on two occasions when she was aged between nine and 13.

Hoy had denied the 11 charges of rape, indecent conduct and indecent assault. He was found guilty following a trial.

He was acquitted of a further rape charge against a girl aged 14 or 15 allegedly committed at another address in Edinburgh between 2004 and 2006.

At his trial he lodged a special defence of alibi which stated that for two periods in 2004 he was stationed with the Army in Aberdeenshire at Balmoral, the Queen's residence in Scotland.

He told the court: "We were part of the Queen's royal guard at Balmoral so it was pomp and circumstance, but also with guard duties."

His first victim told jurors at his trial that she was subjected to repeated abuse. She said: "I was a little girl. I was scared. I was living in terror some days."

His second victim told the court: "I didn't have a childhood. My childhood was taken away from."

'Abhorrent' crimes

Defence counsel Iain McSporran QC said Hoy continued to maintain his complete denial of guilt.

Hoy was placed on the sex offender's register indefinitely.

The children's charity, NSPCC Scotland, said Hoy subjected young girls to "terrifying ordeals", and the crimes he committed against them was "abhorrent".

A spokesman said: "They have shown immense bravery in speaking out.

"Cases such as these show that people who experience sexual abuse will be listened to and justice can be achieved. It is so important that these girls receive the support they need to recover."

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A PEADOPHILE was caught with images of young children as young as two being tied up and abused.

Andrew Burtt claimed he was not sexually aroused by children, a court heard.

The 51-year-old had a stash of 4,778 images involving children between the two and seven-years-old being abused.

Prosecution barrister, Lucie Taylor, said how Burtt sent images and forwarded them on to other users via a social media app called Kik.

However, police eventually arrested the master mariner at a property in Fern Road, Hythe on September 10, 2018.

They searched the address and seized his electronic devices including a Samsung phone and memory card he had been using to store the photos and films.

Miss Taylor told how in a police interview on January 24 this year Burtt accepted responsibility for downloading the images.

However, he said he was not sexually aroused by children.

Furthermore, he could not offer any excuses for his behaviour.

With no criminal record, Burtt of Marram Close, Lymington appeared before Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.

He had previously pleaded guilty to the offences which took place between January 2011and September 2018.

Defending, Chris Gaiger argued his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and had made admissions in a police interview.

Mr Gaiger said, Burtt will be dismissed from his position as master mariner operating ferries between Lymington and Yarmouth.

Despite his “addiction”, he has a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, Mr Gaiger added.

Judge Gary Burrell QC said: “How on earth you ended up in this situation I do not understand and I think a lot of people have failed to understand it as well.

He slammed his offences as abhorrent and perverted.

"It looks like your life is ruined all because you wanted gratification", Judge Burrell added.

During sentencing he said how Burtt had taken steps to address his problem and that there was a prospect of rehabilitation.

He have him a 30 month community order.

Burtt must register as a sex offender and complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay £450 in costs.

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A homeless sex attacker who lured a woman into woodland and twice raped her has been jailed for 12 years.

Danut Bulboana, 21, targeted the victim near Catford Bridge Railway Station in southeast London when she got lost going home after a night out.

The woman, who is in her late twenties, was lured into a nearby woods by Romanian national Bulboana, who was living rough in the area.

He forced an object into her mouth to quiet her cries during the prolonged sex attack in August last year.

The woman eventually managed to get away from Bulboana and call 999.

A response team arrived on the scene within minutes and the victim led officers to the crime location.

The woman also provided a detailed description of her attacker and Bulboana was later arrested.

He was charged on 25 October 2019, after forensic examinations linked him to the crime.

Bulboana denied raping his victim but was convicted after trial and jailed for 12 years at Woolwich Crown Court.

Detective Constable Dean Young, who led the investigation, said: 'This was a brutal and extremely sinister attack in which Bulboana preyed on the vulnerability of a lone woman at night.

'I would like to commend the sheer bravery displayed by the victim who quickly called police after being subjected to a truly horrific ordeal.

'Her actions resulted in a dangerous man being detained by officers within an hour of the attack, and subsequently being sentenced for his crimes.

'This case demonstrates our commitment to removing sexual predators from the streets of London and ensuring they are brought to justice. Rape and sexual offences often inflict lasting trauma on victims, but I hope that Bulboana's conviction will help the victim's recovery process somewhat.

'If you are a victim of a sexual crime, please tell us - you will be supported by specialist officers who are trained to help and guide victims throughout their recovery process.'

Bulboana of no fixed address, denied but was convicted of two counts of rape and one of attempting to choke.

Nijole O'Brien, from the CPS, said: 'This was a terrifying attack on a woman by a complete stranger.

'The victim demonstrated remarkable bravery in leading police officers in a search of the local area, during which they found Bulboana.

'The victim was able to identify him despite the fact he had changed out of his clothes to avoid being caught.

'Bulboana denied the rape, claiming that all he had done was comfort and assist the victim.

'The prosecution case included strong witness testimony from the victim, DNA evidence and CCTV footage.

'Bulboana will now have to face the consequences of his actions.

'I hope this conviction goes some way in providing closure to the victim.'

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A man who sexually abused four girls has been jailed for 16 years.

James Paffey was convicted of 26 crimes following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court.

The offences came to light in September 2019, after one of the victims bravely came forward to police.

And within three days, Paffey, of no fixed address in the Clacton area, was arrested and charged with three offences.

Essex Police continued their investigation and a three further girls came forward to report he had sexually assaulted them too.

In total, he was charged with eight counts of rape, nine counts of sexual assault, six counts of assault by penetration, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Paffey, 38, denied all the charges and stood trial on October 26.

He was convicted by a jury on Thursday (November 12) and was jailed yesterday for 16 years and given a four year extended licence. He will have to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence in jail before being eligible to request parole.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In a statement to the court, the guardian of one of the victims said: “My sadness for all the girls is around how they have lost their chance at a normal childhood because of what he has done.

“The innocence of childhood has been taken away from them by his actions and can never be recovered. They have not had the opportunity to grow up like regular children.”

Detective Inspector Lisa Norcott said: “Paffey is a dangerous offender who committed the most horrific of crimes against four young girls.

“They have shown immense bravery by having the courage to tell us what happened so we could make sure he was brought to justice, and seeing the case through to trial.

“Paffey could have pleaded guilty. Instead, he subjected them to not only the most horrendous crimes but also to recounting what happened to them in court.

“However his attempts to prolong justice failed.

“I would like to thank the victims’ families for the immense support they have given them and the bravery and respect that they showed in court.

“Lastly I would like to thank DC Rachel Evemy and investigating officer Lisa Berrett-West, who have worked tirelessly on this distressing case to ensure that Paffey faced the consequences of the heinous crimes that he committed.”

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A FORMER PUB chef and convicted sex offender has been jailed for not checking in with police for the third time.

Dan Whitlock failed to notify police of his whereabouts three times.

The 36-year-old had originally received a Community Order in November 2010 for two offences of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16.

When officers knocked on his door he refused to present himself on October 20, a court heard.

Whitlock whose last given address is The Vine Inn, Romsey appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday charged with failing to comply with the notifications of a sexual harm prevention order and breaching a suspended sentence - he previously pleaded guilty.

Defending, Berenice Mulvanny said did he not breach his order to commit further offences but stuck his head in the sand.

He was jailed for ten months.

Description

A convicted sex offender who performed a sex act on himself outside a block of student flats in Islington has been jailed.

William Sung was seen in the city centre performing the act on himself on two occasions while stood at the window of a takeaway.

The 45-year-old was on Gildart Street in August when he pulled down his trousers on the street corner, despite already being on the Sex Offenders Register.

He was seen again later the same day in the same place performing the act on himself.

Sung, of Nelson Street, in the Baltic Triangle area, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court after previously pleading guilty to two counts of exposure.

In a court hearing on September 25, Mark Teare, prosecuting, told the court Sung was found performing the sex act on himself in the same street "for a period of time".

Sung has previous convictions for harassment and exposure and in 2013 he was handed a nine-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting a female by touching.

David Achilles, defending, told the court that Sung admitted the offence and explained Sung suffers from learning difficulties.

Mr Achilles stated that Sung is more socially isolated than others as he has no family in this country.

He asked the magistrates to follow the guidance given in the report and requested that any sentence was suspended.

Chair Magistrate, Glenys McGill, sentencing, said: "We have taken time to discuss these matters and listened carefully to the facts in the case and also to what Mr Achilles said on your behalf.

"Having talked about it at length we believe these matters are so serious the custody threshold has been passed.

"Matters were aggravated because it was a prolonged incident. You were drunk at the time and you were subject to a notification requirement on the Sex Offenders Register."

Sung was handed four months in prison and must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

He was also ordered to pay £100 in compensation to his victim.

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Former town hall colleagues of the now sacked Matthew Bennett, who worked with some of the borough’s most vulnerable youngsters, today told of their shock at discovering his sordid secrets.

The 26-year-old, of Park Road, Wigan, is beginning a seven-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to a total of 11 sexual offence charges.

They included sending lewd pictures of himself to girls under 16, supposedly persuading a girl of 12 to send an indecent picture of herself to him and inciting the mother of a seven-year-old to perform a sex act on him and allow her to be sexually assaulted by him.

But the woman and girls with whom Bennett was communicating were in fact vice squad officers. Bennett further admitted to distributing indecent images of children which fall into the lowest, category C, of seriousness.

The offences took place place online between January and July this year.

A Bolton Crown Court hearing was told that Bennett didn’t back off from a first brush with the law.

He communicated with two undercover officers on the KIK messenger app thinking they were young girls and was arrested on March 3 then bailed.

But on July 20 he communicated with an undercover officer on XHamster.com whom he thought was the mother of a young girl and tried to talk her into agreeing to involve the child in illegal sexual activities.

He deleted information from his phone immediately prior to his arrests. But he used his own surname in his username and sent photographs that displayed his face.

One former workmate said: “My background is in counselling and am quite switched on about spotting character traits but I was caught completely by surprise about Bennett.

“He just seemed an ordinary guy who kept himself to himself.

“He was working for the council’s ‘targeted youth services’ which put him in contact at schools, groups and homes with some of the borough’s most vulnerable children, which is of course a worry, although we understand that the offences had nothing to do with his job.

“Ten months ago he went off on long-term sick and that was the first we knew of anything being wrong.”

Another said: “To say we were shocked and repulsed after seeing that he had pleaded guilty to those sex crimes is an understatement.”

A Wigan Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Matthew Bennett was dismissed from Wigan Council as soon as these allegations came to light.

“Neither the allegations or convictions relate to his employment at the Council.”

As well as his prison sentence, Bennett will then be on extended licence for five years, will be the subject of an indefinte Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will also sign on the Sex Offenders’ Register indefinitely.