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A Harrogate man has been jailed for over three years after his debauched online chats with young girls led him into a trap set by police.

Benjamin Shutt, 30, cruised the internet in search of easy targets and found them on social-media apps he had installed on his phone, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor David Hewitt said police forensic officers downloaded no less than 816 pages of the depraved chats which began innocently and soon became sexualised.

Shutt, who told one girl she needed a sugar daddy, used the KIK messenger app to contact the first under-age child who told him she was 14 years old.

Mr Hewitt said there were about 220 messages sent between Shutt and the teenager between April 20 and May 16, 2020.

Shutt sent her a picture of his private parts, which he followed up with a request for her to send me more please, baby.

He asked for some photos of her body in the bath, added Mr Hewitt.

He told the girl he wanted to have sex with her so badly and then they talked about meeting up.

The girl agreed to meet, but Shutt told her they probably couldnt because he was twice her age.

There were further sexual conversations in which Shutt talked about the various things he would like to do to her.

After the girl sent him a very intimate picture of herself upon request, Shutt asked her if she had photos of herself when she was younger.

He then sent her a link via the KIK app to videos of him performing a sexual act on himself and urged her to watch them.

Shutt targeted another young girl on the Whisper app in December 2020 where he asked how old she was and when she initially told him she was 12, the messages continued regardless.

He asked her if she enjoyed the conversations and urged her to send him an intimate photo.

The girl later told him that her real age was 14, to which Shutt replied: Thats fine with me.

He said he wanted to have sex with her and advised her on how to perform a sexual act on herself.

He then sent the girl an image of himself performing a lewd act.

On Valentines Day 2021, Shutt ran out of luck when the 12-year-old girl with whom he thought he was chatting turned out to be an undercover cop posing as a teenager who posted a message on Whisper asking: Why are boys so rubbish?

The defendant replied and invited her to engage in private chat, said Mr Hewitt.

The salacious chats moved to another online platform and lasted about five weeks to the end of March 2021.

He told her that she needed a sugar daddy and explained what this was, said Mr Hewitt.

Shutt asked the girl if she had ever performed a sexual act on herself and offered her an instruction on how to do so.

He then urged her to carry out the act.

Police swooped on his home in Harrogate in April 2021 and found him in his bedroom where they seized his mobile phone.

Forensic analysis showed there were seven Category C indecent images of children on Shutts phone.

Mr Hewitt said there was also evidence to suggest that Shutt had been chatting with other children, although this didnt lead to further charges.

Shutt, of Grove Park View, was charged with two counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, one count of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and one count of possessing indecent images of children.

He admitted all the offences and appeared for sentence today.

Defence barrister Andrew Stranex said that Shutt had endured a traumatic childhood and had been chatting with the girls during the Coronavirus lockdown.

He added that Shutt was an isolated and marginalised figure with few friends and that his offending had had a massive impact on his family.

Judge Sean Morris told Shutt: You pleaded guilty to a whole series of offences which involved you cruising the internet looking for young girls to corrupt.

There were two real victims before you were caught by an undercover officer patrolling the internet.

"As far as you were aware, that was (an under-age) girl.

You were obviously sexually aroused by young teenage girls.

Shutt was jailed for three years and five months and placed on the sex-offenders register for life.

He was also slapped with an eight-year sexual-harm prevention order mainly to curb his internet activities.

Record details

A SICKENING child rapist told a girl as young as ten that if she didn’t perform sexual actions for him “Father Christmas wouldn’t come.”

Lee Brown, 21, was sentenced on May 3 for eight counts of sexual misconduct relating to his sexual abuse of a pair of girls aged ten and eight at the time of his offending.

Brown, of Freshwater Close, Great Sankey, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, with crying family in the dock watching as his horrifying actions were laid out.

Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, told the court how Brown, who was 15 at the time of his offending, committed “systematic, persistent, and regular abuse over the course of a year.”

In the case of both victims, Brown began his abuse by pulling down his pants, and asking them to touch his penis.

Over the course of a year he did this repeatedly, as well as encouraging them to put their mouth on his penis. He also taught them how to masturbate, and told them to do it in front him.

His abuse was singular, only abusing one of the girls at a time. He did, however, abuse both for almost a year.

The victim who was ten at the time of the offence at one point resisted his requests. When she did this, he informed her that if she didn’t do it “Father Christmas wouldn’t come.”

The victim who was eight at the time of the offence, repeatedly told Brown ‘no’ when he made requests of her, but was pressured by the 15 year old child rapist.

In a victim personal statement, both expressed a desire to see Brown face proper consequences for what he did to them.

One victim said: “I feel I have to live with this weight on my shoulders.”

Another said: “I trusted him. All I want is for people to believe me.”

The abuse was disclosed in October of 2021, with interviews taking place with the victims in November of 2021. Brown was interviewed the following month, where he admitted to the abuse which led to the eight counts to which he later pled guilty.

As well as this, he admitted to further crimes, including that this had started in reality when he was 11, and the girls were four and six.

Ms. Beesley told the court how the situation had caused ‘severe psychological harm’ to the victims.

Defending Brown, Simran Garcha told the court that he was ‘ashamed and contrite’ regarding his crimes.

In a discussion surrounding his actions and culpability, Ms. Garcha made the argument that Brown’s actions were impulsive and in part due to his ADHD diagnosis.

Judge Recorder Michael Maher, agreed in part with this argument, but did state: “There is some cunning and some guile in convincing the girl to do what he wanted them to do.”

He went on to comment specifically on the malicious nature of using the victim’s immaturity to pressure her to commit sexual acts with threat of ‘Father Christmas’ not coming.

Ms. Garcha went on to expand on the influence she believed Brown’s undiagnosed ADHD had on his offending, saying he was two years behind where he should be emotionally, and that: “At the time his actions felt almost normal.”

Judge Recorder Maher went on to summarise the case, telling Brown: “You exploited them, and you abused them.”

“You exploited the emotional connection you had with these girls. I note the way you manipulated your victim.”

He went on to further note the “unpleasant effect it has had on them.”

However, he expanded saying: “I have to consider your maturity, and your mental function.”

Judge Maher went on to say that, if Brown had been an adult at the time of his offence, and he had pled not guilty, he would have received 14 years in prison.

This was reduced greatly, however, due to his early guilty plea, and the fact he was a minor at the time of his offences.

The rapist was in total sentenced to four years and four months, 2/3 of which he must serve in prison.

All eight charges will be served concurrently, ranging from 18 to 52 months.

As well as this, he faces a sexual harm prevention order of ten years, as well as a restraining order of ten years from contacting the victims.

Record details

A CHILDREN'S holiday camp worker created a fantasy world to groom more than 70 teenage boys.

Cameron Osman from Southampton would pretend to be a 16-year-old girl 'Lizzielemon' to lure in young boys online.

The 44-year-old used this fake identity on Instagram, MyLol and Love Crush, before moving them on to Google Hangouts, Discord and Skype.

Osman would engage his victim in sexualised chats revolving around a fantasy online world.

He would tell his victims that ‘Lizzielemon’ was from Bristol or Birmingham, that he had a fetish for dominating boys in school uniform and sports kit, and for conducting teacher/student role plays.

He never identified himself, instead telling victims his camera was broken during 2020 and 2021.

The National Crime Agency tracked Osman down to a friend’s address in Crowborough, East Sussex, in September 2021 and arrested him.

He had resigned from his job at a holiday camp activity centre in Hailsham a few days earlier.

His laptop and mobile phone were seized, and Osman was found to have contacted 76 boys in the UK aged between 12 and 16 during the offending period.

Investigators in the United States also uncovered chat logs showing sexualised communication by Osman with underage boys in 27 countries.

He also searched online for underage boys in Columbia, where he was planning to visit.

He was released on bail but continued to offend, leading to his arrest on 27 March this year after a further victim was identified.

Osman pretended to be a younger man on this occasion and shared photos of himself.

Osman appeared at St Albans Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to 36 separate charges, including attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual communication with a child, and making two category C indecent images of children.

NCA operations manager Danielle Pownall said: “Cameron Osman callously preyed on vulnerable teenage boys, masquerading as a teenage girl for his own sexual gratification.

“I have no doubt, if we had not stopped Osman he would have gone on to commit more severe offending.

“We will continue to work with our partners across the world to combat the perpetrators of online child sexual abuse, and hold people like Osman accountable for their crimes.”

Osman is due to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 30 June.

Record details

A Cambridgeshire sex offender with "complete disregard for the law" superimposed the head of a child he knew onto an indecent image. Christopher Downes had been on the Sex Offenders Register for just two months when a photo editing software account linked to him was used to alter the image.

It was flagged to police by the National Crime Agency (NCA). Downes, 31, was arrested at his home on Oak Crescent, Dry Drayton on March 12 and his phone and tablet were seized.

These were analysed and found to contain 41 indecent images of children, including 12 category A – the most severe. Seven indecent videos of children were also found, three of which were category A.

When interviewed by police Downes answered no comment to all questions. On March 21 he pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court. He was sentenced to a year and six months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (March 28).

DC Andrew McKeane, who investigated, said: “Downes had only been on the Sex Offenders Register since January, and to offend so soon after shows his complete disregard for the law and entrenched views on the matter. A child is victimised when an indecent image is taken and every time it is viewed or shared.

"Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we have specially trained officers who are there to support victims and bring offenders to justice. I am grateful for the work of our partner agencies, who are imperative in safeguarding the most vulnerable in our society. We will not stop pursuing people who are willing to place children at risk of harm and will work tirelessly to put them before the courts."

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

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A former PSCO has been jailed for six years after child abuse images were found on his phone.

William Redwood, 24, of Boghall Drive, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to making, taking and distribution of indecent images of children and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on 28 April.

Surrey Police said he met all of his victims before becoming a PCSO in Runnymede in 2019.

The images were discovered when his phone was seized, after his supervisor raised concerns that Redwood had accessed confidential information without a legitimate purpose.

His victims were aged between 12 and 17, and were both male and female.

Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: "This case has had a devastating impact on the victims involved and I commend them for their bravery in providing us with statements which led to him pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

"I hope all those affected by his abhorrent criminal actions can take some comfort in the fact that he is now behind bars and that it gives them some closure.

"It is extremely regrettable that Redwood had the privilege of serving as a PCSO with Surrey Police."

Redwood faced 37 charges, 34 of which related to offences involving causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity.

The remaining three related to making indecent images of children.

A sexual harm prevention order was made against Redwood and he has also been barred from working with children.

Record details

A MAN has been sentenced to over a decade behind bars after being found guilty of non-recent sexual offences against young girls.

On Friday, Jason Cartledge, 42, of Charles Street, Wakefield, was sentenced to 14 years, which includes a 10-year custodial sentence and four years on extended licence.

The investigation began in 2019 when a woman came forward to report non-recent sexual abuse.

Officers from Wakefield District Safeguarding identified a substantial number of witnesses and during this time a second woman disclosed further non-recent sexual abuse.

Cartledge was arrested in June 2019 regarding the initial report and further arrested in December 2020 for the second disclosure. He was later charged with a number of sexual offences. 

He appeared at Leeds Crown Court and following a lengthy trial, he was found guilty of six offences, three counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of indecent assault of a child.

He will remain on the Sex Offender Register for life and has been given a Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Restraining Order preventing him from contacting the victims.

Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Constable Kerry Wiles, of West Yorkshire Police, said:

“I would like to praise the incredible courage and bravery of the victims in this case for coming forward to report the offences, but also for having to endure the criminal justice process where the trauma was relived due to Cartledge refusing to admit his guilt on all the charges.

“Cartledge preyed upon the vulnerability of these young victims, and I hope that these victims will find some comfort that justice has been served. I thank them for having the confidence in the police that what they said to officers would be listened to.

“The offending, in this case, went back over a decade, but despite the passage of time, we investigated his crimes and brought him justice.

“I would encourage anyone who has suffered any sort of abuse either recent or not to come forward and speak to police. You will be listened to and given the help and support you need.

"We have specially trained officers who will work tirelessly to bring any perpetrators to justice.”

Record details

Specialist detectives have praised the bravery of the victim of a dangerous sex offender after her attacker was jailed for ten years.

Ryan Jacobs, 25, was deemed a dangerous offender by the courts after repeatedly abusing a child across a six-month period in 2017.

After the victim reported the abuse in 2021, we launched an investigation and put immediate support in place.

We interviewed Jacobs, of Spinning Wheel Mead, Harlow, in June and December 2021, but he refused to answer any questions.

But under the weight of extensive evidence compiled across a thorough investigation, Jacobs had no choice but to admit to his offending.

In March 2023, he admitted charges of raping a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Jacobs appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday 24 April for sentence.

He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with a five-year extended licence period.

He will remain subject to indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention and restraining orders, and must sign the sex offender’s register for life.

An impact statement was read to the court on behalf of the victim, with her making reference to the anxiety she has suffered as a result of Jacobs’ actions.

"Dangerous sex offender"

Senior investigating officer Detective Constable Charles O’Mahony, of Harlow’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

“Jacobs is now safely behind bars for a significant period, removing a dangerous sex offender from our streets.

“He was interviewed twice and chose to make ‘no comment’ to all questions put to him, putting the brave victim through a protracted period of uncertainty whilst we worked tirelessly for months to gather the evidence needed to secure the charges against him.

“Working with partners was absolutely key in this case.

“Throughout the investigation and to this day, the victim is supported by a team of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs), dedicated support workers from local charities to assist her through the criminal justice process and be there when she needed them.

“At court, Jacobs pled guilty to all counts, but only after hearing the weight of evidence against him.

“He was correctly identified as a dangerous offender and the pre-sentence report made mention of him being manipulative and making excuses for his behaviour, I firmly believe there is no excuse possible for the depraved acts he has admitted responsibility for.

“I hope the victim in this case can take solace in the fact that one of the final things Jacobs heard in the court room was her victim impact statement being read out to him, in which she took her opportunity to tell him exactly what she thought of him and the impact his behaviour has had.”

Specially trained officers

Our Child Abuse Investigation Team is made up of dedicated officers who specifically investigate child sexual offences and support the victims.

The team are provided with specialist training enabling them to deal with the complexities of these investigations, equipping them with the skills required to manage reports of this nature.

As with all our sexual abuse investigation teams, their compassion, sensitivity, policing experience and knowledge ensure that this team are made up of the best people to ensure victims are safe and offenders are brought to justice.

DC O’Mahony added:

“I joined Essex Police in March 2020 on a specific programme to become a detective.

“I am glad that I am now fully qualified and on a department that deals with the most vulnerable victims in society, children.

“I hope that this sentence acts as a deterrent and a reminder that Harlow Child Abuse Investigation Team will investigate any allegations to the fullest extent and that time elapsed since offending does not necessarily mean offenders have gotten away with anything. “

Record details

A pervert pinned an underage girl to the ground as he attempted to rape her in a horrific sexual assault on a Teesside beach.

Oliver Goddard was 19-years-old when he sexually assaulted and tried to rape a teenager while hidden amongst the tall grass on Redcar beach. His "helpless" victim was only able to get away after Goddard was spooked by a phone call from her father during the terrifying attack.

In a heartbreaking victim impact statement, the girl spoke of how she was terrified to leave the house and couldn't go anywhere alone. She turned to self-harm and still has panic attacks almost three years on from the assault.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Goddard, who is now 21, had met the teen for a walk where they spoke about how the vulnerable girl was struggling with a stressful time. They arranged to meet the following day and they walked along the beach until they lay down in a section surrounded by tall grass.

As they spoke, Goddard kept moving her legs across his body and when she moved them he'd get angry with her and put them back. Summarising the case, Judge Paul Reid said: "You began kissing her neck and she kept trying to move away from you."

He put his hand behind her neck so she couldn't pull away. The sexual assault continued and he pushed her down, hands around her neck so she had her head on the ground.

"She was scared. There was nothing she could do," said Judge Reid. "You were much older than her and much bigger than she was.

"You were disturbed by her phone ringing - it was her father. You jumped up and this time she was able to get away and left."

Goddard, of Durham Road, Redcar, was found guilty by a jury of attempted rape, sexual assault and engaging in sexual communication with a child.

Flashbacks

In a victim impact statement, read out by prosecutor Robin Turton, the teenager said: "I couldn't sleep as well as I could before what happened - it was going over and over in my head. It went on for some time, I went to the doctors and was prescribed anti-depressants.

"I had a phobia of leaving the house and I needed to be with someone all the time." The court heard the teenager's education was affected as she struggled to return to school and when she did found it difficult to stay in lessons.

She began to self-harm and said: "It's been almost three years and I still have panic attacks." She also can't go to the beach as it causes flashbacks.

Goddard had claimed the sexual activity was consensual and said in evidence that he believed she was 16 - claiming he only told police he thought she was younger because he was "forced".

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said: "This is his first experience before the courts. He himself suffers psychological ailments and has been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder. It is something he has to live with and work with to move forward."

The court heard there was a "significant difference in age" and the author of a pre-sentence report commented that he was in denial and had "little victim empathy". After the attack, he text the teenager and apologised blaming an injection which gives him too much testosterone.

He also told her that if she told anybody he would kill himself but the girl bravely spoke up and disclosed what had happened. Goddard had also sent nude pictures of himself to the girl.

Judge Reid said he believed Goddard did pose a significant risk and handed the defendant an extended sentence "to protect the public in the future". Goddard was jailed for seven years and will serve an additional three years on licence. An indefinite restraining order and notification requirement - sex offenders' register - was made.

Goddard heard he must serve two thirds of his sentence before he will be considered for release. Investigating officer Catherine McKenzie said: Firstly Id like to praise the victim in this case for her courage in coming forward and throughout the judicial proceedings.

"Goddard preyed on a teenage girl who was sexually assaulted before he tried to rape her. He took advantage of the young girl and pleaded not guilty throughout the trial.

"He will now he will spend a significant time behind bars due to his actions. Any victims of sexual assault or sexual offences can contact the police with the confidence that they will be believed and supported and that a thorough investigation will be carried out.

Record details

A disgraced rapist police officer claimed to have been looking at indecent images of children – to help him with post-traumatic stress.

Former traffic cop Richard Hale, 41, was handed a seven year jail sentence in 2016 for raping a woman after overpowering her in his bedroom in Carterton in 2001 – two years before he joined Thames Valley Police.

He continues to maintain his innocence to the charge.

On Thursday (April 27), Oxford Crown Court heard that Hale was released from prison on licence in April 2020, within weeks of the first national lockdown being imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mitigating, Lyall Thompson told Judge Ian Pringle KC: “All found that [lockdown] very difficult to come to terms with.

"It must have been even harder for someone who had been in custody for approximately three-and-a-half years.”

His client had described it as like ‘going from one type of prison to another’, Mr Thompson said.

A former roads policing officer who had seen crashes on a ‘regular basis’, he suffered from ‘significant post-traumatic stress disorder’, the court was told.

He experienced nightmares, headaches and ‘intrusive thoughts’.

It was suggested that this was one of the reasons why he was looking at indecent images of children.

A small number of child sex abuse images in categories A to C were found on his digital devices together with prohibited images of children and extreme pornography.

Sentencing, Judge Pringle told Hale: “You say that you started to access images because it would deal with the pain you felt from some of the trauma you underwent when you were serving as a police officer.

“I frankly find that explanation difficult but I’ve read a report about you; a trauma therapy report. You went and got trauma therapy off your own back; at least that says something about you.”

He said: “Make no bones about it, by accessing these images you create a market and that market then takes young children and has them grotesquely abused for your pleasure.

“I hope that you remember that if you are ever tempted to look at such images again.”

Hale, of Peel Place, Carterton, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to possession of indecent and prohibited images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

The judge imposed 16 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years. Hale must do 120 hours of unpaid work and sex offender rehabilitation programmes.

When Hale was sentenced in 2016, then deputy chief constable - now chief constable - Jason Hogg said: "There is no place in the force for those who commit offences of this nature."

The force said it was unable to provide a photograph of Hale as it claimed it did not have one. 

Record details

A PREDATOR locked up last year for historical sex abuse against children while working at a Greenock Christian mission has been struck off the care register.

Andrew Ward's crimes were branded 'heinous' by a sheriff last July after he was convicted of preying on young boys over a period of eight years.

The 53-year-old sex offender was sentenced to 36 months behind bars for indecent assault and using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour towards his victims when they were aged between nine and 15.

He used his position and influence over the young boys to sexually abuse them whilst he was an adult volunteer at the Barnard's Court Mission in the east end of Greenock.

The Telegraph previously reported that Ward repeatedly molested and performed disgusting acts on the youngsters between 1986 and 1994.

His traumatised and emotional victims gave harrowing evidence during a four-day trial of how Ward targeted them in places including a common close and onboard a minibus.

A sentencing hearing at Greenock Sheriff Court was told how Ward's wife, who has a child with him, separated from him after he was charged by police.

A defence advocate asked Sheriff Michael Higgins to place 'some weight' on Ward's own age of between 17 and 25 when he committed the offences, adding: "He went on to live a productive life and contributed greatly to the local community."

This week, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) published a report confirming Ward - who also worked in a local care home - has been removed from the care register.

The SSSC found his fitness to practise is impaired because his actions 'represent conduct which is fundamentally incompatible with the principles of the social services profession and professional registration'.

The report on the decision on Ward states: "Your conduct is extremely serious and constitutes a gross breach of trust.

"There are ongoing public protection concerns as the behaviour is of an extreme nature.

"There is no evidence of any remediation from you.

"Conduct of this nature raises serious and fundamental questions about your values and there is a risk that this behaviour may be repeated in the future."

Greenock Sheriff Court was told last year that Ward had shown 'no insight' into his offending behaviour and that his attitude about what he had done was 'poor', having branded his victims 'evil liars'.

A jury took just 35 minutes to convict him and he was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The SSSC report adds: "Your actions exposed the children concerned to serious risk of physical, emotional and psychological harm.

"You were older than each of the children concerned and in more than one instance, were a legal adult.

"There was therefore a presumption of trust and your conduct represents a gross abuse of this.

"Your behaviour amounts to a pattern of conduct over a significant period of time."

The SSSC panel considered that no other sanctions were appropriate and imposed a removal order on Ward's registration, which came into effect on Thursday.

Record details

A Yorkshire teen rapist who filmed himself carrying out his sick attack has been jailed for five years.

Cameron Kyle Edwards, 19, raped a 14-year-old girl at a house in a North Yorkshire village in December 2020. He was arrested the same day after the victim was able to identify Edwards to officers.

Following the arrest, police discovered 6,200 indecent images on his phone, many of which were category A, which is considered the most serious. Edwards had also filmed himself sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl during a separate incident.

Edwards, of Selby Road, Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, pleaded guilty to eleven sex offences when he appeared at York Crown Court on November 7 in 2022. The offences include one count of rape, three counts of assault by penetration, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing extreme phonography.

On April 28, he was sentenced to 65 months detention in a Young Offenders Institute. He has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until and ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

North Yorkshire Police investigating officer Detective Constable Martin Willoughby, said: "First of all I would like to comment on the bravery of the two victims which helped secure the conviction of Edwards today. The pattern of behaviour shown by Edwards is extremely worrying and demonstrated how it quickly escalated into the serious offences which he will now spend time in prison for.

I know the sentence will never undo the anguish Edwards put his victims through but I hope it will go some way to reassure them, knowing he now off the streets of North Yorkshire for some time.

Record details

A sexual predator raped a woman at student accommodation while she was unconscious and later messaged her in order to "get closure". The victim chastised him for messaging her out of the blue and told him: "You are a rapist."

Nathan Thorburn, 25, raped the woman in Cardiff in 2019. She woke up during the attack in immense pain and discovered he was forcing himself upon her. He apologised the next day but did not refer to what had happened.

Years later he contacted the victim on Facebook and asked to discuss what had happened in order to "get closure". She responded with a lengthy reply in which she accused him of "massaging his ego" by turning to the woman he raped in order to absolve his guilt. She told him: "You and I both know what you did to me. You are a rapist."

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the victim and Thorburn had both been drinking alcohol and the victim had had a cannabis spliff during a night out. By the end of the night the victim was extremely intoxicated and returned to the accommodation block.

Thorburn offered to put her to bed but at this point the victim was passing in and out of consciousness and at times thought the defendant was her boyfriend. Prosecutor James Wilson said the victim fell asleep but was unaware Thorburn was on top of her.

The barrister said: "Her clearest memory was she was on her front with her face pushed into the pillow and she felt the defendant's penis in her anus. It took her brain a few seconds to realise what was happening and she woke up to feel the defendant's penis going in and out and it hurt. In a mirror she saw herself and the defendant. She was in pain and wanted to scream but could only manage a whimper and told him to stop. She remained confused about what was happening to her and thought she was dreaming."

The victim later told police she was unaware of the full extent of what Thorburn had done to her and did not know if he was wearing a condom. She described herself feeling "defiled, dirty, vile, and disgusting" about what the defendant had done and "felt like a corpse" while it was happening.

The next day Thorburn made a vague apology but did not say what he was sorry for. The victim told her sister about what had happened but had resolved to "take it to her grave".

Thorburn was sent to prison in 2019 for an unrelated matter and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO). Following his release from prison he contacted the victim in 2022 on Facebook Messenger. He wrote: "Hey. Can we talk? I wanted to talk about the situation about me and you before I went to prison. I think I knew what I did was wrong and I want some sort of closure I guess. I think it's good to talk about these things with that person to be sure about this. Things have been going on in my mind for a long time that I want to put to rest."

Upon receiving the message the victim was angry that Thorburn had contacted her and asked her to absolve him of guilt for raping her. Her response read: "I don't even know where to begin. I can give you closure in one simple sentence. You are a rapist.

"First, you even messaging me is incredibly selfish and self-serving. I reread the message you sent and can count how many times you say 'I'. You want closure because it's playing on your mind? You want to get closure for assaulting me when I was drunk, passed out, and vulnerable and put me to bed. I will never get closure. For me it will last a lifetime."

Thorburn responded to the message making admissions to raping the victim but she had blocked him. He compiled the messages in a document which he circulated to a sexual assault referral service as well as other agencies. The document was picked up by the defendant's offender manager who visited him on June 13 last year. The victim was later identified and formally interviewed.

The defendant, of Kingsway, Cardiff, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to rape and breach of a SHPO after he was found to have deleted his internet history. The court heard he had previous convictions for accessing indecent images of children having first been convicted in 2019 for accessing 14 Category A images, 19 Category B images, and 149 Category C images. He was later convicted on another count of accessing indecent photos of a child in January 2020 as well as a breach of a SHPO having viewed images of children being raped and admitting he "got a thrill" from doing so.

In a statement she read out to the court the victim said the rape had affected her "emotionally and socially". She said: "I feel Nathan has taken control of the situation for three years. I feel now I want to be in control. What has happened to me has a lifelong effect. If Nathan is sent to prison for this he won't suffer for a lifetime like I have to.

"Nathan choosing to rape me is a lifelong scab I will pick at forever and forever. I was a trusting and caring person; I was soft and gentle in my approach to people and life. Because of what he's done to me I have turned to someone who is hardened. I can't feel emotions towards people. It breaks my heart because this isn't me. I can't trust anyone anymore. It's exhausting and draining to feel like this – constantly having my guard up. I am a broken shell of the woman I once was and woman I was going to be." The victim said Thorburn messaging her had "felt like a punch to the gut" and he had only thought of himself by asking her to "absolve him of the harm he caused".

Hilary Roberts, for Thorburn, said while mitigation for his client was "scant" he had recognised that his behaviour was "wrong", which had troubled him and caused him anxiety. This anxiety had led him to contact his victim "seeking to put things right," which the barrister admitted was done "in a clumsy way" and had caused "obvious stress and aggravation".

Sentencing Thorburn Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke told him that his victim had been "extremely confused about what was going on" during the attack but his actions had had "a devastating impact on her and her life". Describing him as a "dangerous offender" she also said in her sentencing remarks that he "must have known [he] would cause significant distress" by contacting her years later.

She added: "You did a terrible thing to [your victim]. She will have to live with the consequences for the rest of her life. Nothing was her fault. The fault, responsibility, and blame is all yours."

Thorburn was handed a 13-year extended sentence comprising a custodial term of nine years with an extended licence period of four years. He will serve two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. If he is released he will serve the remaining period of the custodial sentence on licence before serving the extended licence period. He was also made subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim or entering any premises where she lives, works, or studies. He will now be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Record details

A FORMER teacher has been given a 12-year prison sentence for 11 sexual offences against four pupils at a boarding school.

Martin Haigh was a teacher at Ashdown House School, Forest Row in the 1970s and as well as being convicted of sexual offences he was also convicted for the possession of indecent images of children.

Haigh, 67, unemployed, of Lavender Street, Brighton, was sentenced at Brighton Crown Court today after a four day trial on charges of offences against two of the boys.

He was convicted of four offences, one of indecent assault and three of gross indecency, against two boys who were then pupils aged between seven and 12, at the school in the 1970s.

At a previous hearing before the trial, Haigh had also admitted seven other offences, three of gross indecency and four of indecent assault, against two other boys at the school during the same period.

He also admitted an offence of possessing indecent images of children, found on a computer at his address when officers searched it in 2015.

The images were taken from the Internet and there is no evidence that they were children known to him.

Haigh was sentenced to a total of 11 years for the sexual offences and an additional one year for the possession of indecent images.

He will be a registered sex offender for life and has been served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to children and computers.

The prosecution, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, followed an investigation by East Sussex child safeguarding detectives after allegations were referred to them for the first time in January 2014.

Police emphasise that there are no current or recent safeguarding issues at the school in relation to this case.

Detective constable Paul Deadman said: "This was a complex and protracted investigation, during which it became clear that Haigh had systematically taken advantage of the trust of young and vulnerable boys to abuse them for his own sexual gratification.

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A man has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of the rape of a teenage girl.

Warren Waldrom, now 30, attacked the girl at an address in Coalville, Leicestershire, in July 2017, when she was under 16.

He also denied a charge of sexual assault but was convicted of both at Leicester Crown Court in February.

Police praised the victim and her family for their bravery and patience in bringing the case to court.

Police said Waldrom, of Radiant Road, Leicester, took the girl to his former home address in Coalville and later sexually assaulted her.

'Extremely difficult time'

She told him to stop, which he did, but shortly after he returned and, despite her pleas, raped her.

The victim told friends and then family, which led to Waldrom being arrested.

He claimed he thought the girl was older and the sex was consensual but officers said "further extensive enquiries" led to him being charged in November 2019.

Det Con Katie Leadbetter, of Leicestershire Police, said: "This has been an extremely difficult time for the victim and her family as they have waited firstly for our extensive enquiries to be completed to enable charges to be made and then for the trial to be heard.

"Without the victim's bravery, patience and co-operation during this time, we would not have been able to see this conviction happen."

Record details

A former police officer has been branded a sexual deviant as he was given a 29-year sentence for his latest offences on children.

Philip Magson targeted two young children when he befriended their mother and abused them both at their home and on a trip to Kirkleatham Gardens.

The sick pervert also prowled the streets of Thornaby where he made a disgusting sexual remark to a child when she fell over while roller skating before returning to the same area eight months later and sexually assaulting another young girl.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Magson had been convicted in the early 80s for sexually assaulting young girls while he was an off-duty Cleveland Police officer.

The 61-year-old carried out his latest offending several years ago leaving some of his victims suffering high levels of anxiety, said Jonathan Walker, prosecuting.

In powerful victim impact statements, the parents of the victims outlined the pain and suffering that the defendant had inflicted on the children.

Magson, formerly from the Teesside area but now of no fixed abode, was found guilty of six sexual offences when he was on trial earlier this year.

Chris Baker, mitigating, said there was limited mitigation he could offer due to the guilty convictions from the jury.

He said: “He appreciates that he has had his trial and lost.”

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Magson to 21 years in prison with an extended eight years on licence when he is released.

“You are a man with a deviant sexual interest in children,” he said. “You are a dangerous offender, persistent and cunning.”

Magson was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Detective Constable Carl Middleton, from Cleveland Police’s Public Protection Unit, said: “The actions of Magson are unforgivable and the sentence handed to him today highlights the severity of the crimes he has committed.

“Magson targeted children and the damage he has caused to the victims and their families is inexcusable.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the victims and their families for their courage throughout the ordeal they have suffered and the court process. No child should have to provide evidence at court after becoming victim to such a cruel crime.

“Magson deserves to spend a significant time in prison as a result of what he has done.”