Latest Offenders

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Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 3 how Jake Proverbs, aged 21, of Wainwright Crescent, near Richmond, Sheffield, claimed he had consensual sex with the girl in a park and that he had believed she was aged 17.

Nicola Quinney, prosecuting, said the offence came to light after the youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had made a separate complaint against another person of a sexual offence but a forensically-analysed swab produced a DNA match to Proverbs.

Ms Quinney said Proverbs told police the sexual contact had been consensual after he had met the youngster in a park and he had believed she was 17 years old but the court heard consent concerning such offences against youngsters is not an issue.

Recorder Andrew Smith MBE told Proverbs: She appeared to you to be tipsy, not drunk. You had smoked cannabis yourself and you had sex with her.

He added: Whatever your difficulties - and you do have difficulties - you are culpable and blameworthy. You should have known she was a 12-year-old girl.

Proverbs, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to rape of a child aged under 13 after the incident on May 19, 2019.

He also admitted dangerous driving from April 1, 2021, after he sparked a police pursuit while riding a motorcycle in the Manor area of Sheffield.

Ms Quinney said officers in a police helicopter had become concerned about Proverbs driving and alerted colleagues on the ground.

Proverbs drove the wrong way down a one-way system into traffic, drove down City Road at speed, and drove on a footpath in a park before discarding the bike in a garden.

Recorder Smith told Proverbs: It involved a police pursuit and you knew you should have stopped and you immediately admitted to police how stupid you had been.

Rukshanda Japeen Hussain, defending, said regarding the rape the issue of consent does not come into play because the youngster was 12-years-old and she added that he thought she was 17-years-old.

Ms Hussain said at the time of this offence Proverbs was an immature 18-year-old with mental health issues.

She added Proverbs does not appear to be predatory and he had been in an isolated sexual incident where he genuinely believed the youngster was 17 years old and no evidence other than the forensic match was provided.

The court heard Proverbs also suffers with post-traumatic stress disorder after he had been stabbed in an unrelated incident.

Proverbs was also found to be in breach of a suspended prison sentence which had previously been imposed for possessing class A drugs with intent to supply.

Recorder Smith acknowledged there had been an unacceptable delay in bring the rape matter due to problems with the forensic analysis.

He sentenced Proverbs to five years of imprisonment including four years of custody with a one-year custodial extension on licence due to the nature of the offending.

The defendant was placed indefinitely on the Sex Offenders Register and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.

Proverbs was also banned from driving for 30 months.

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A PAEDOPHILE drama teacher sent sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old pupil he met during rehearsals for a school play.

Jason Ryan, from Grappenhall, was handed a 10-year notification requirement at Warrington Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 1, following his conviction in the Republic of Ireland last year.

The dad was spared prison in December after admitting sexual exploitation of a child.

Sligo Circuit Court heard that his offending occurred over the period of a month during 2014, during which he bombarded the girl with dozens of Facebook messages many of which were of a sexual nature.

Ryan, of Kildonan Road, used the pseudonym John Marks and first contacted his victim a month after the musical was staged.

On one day alone he sent her 40 messages, including one with pictures from her account alongside the caption mmmm.

The now 43-year-old who ran his own production company sent her a photograph of herself in a bikini beside a pool during a family holiday, leaving her feel uncomfortable.

On the advice of friends, she reported Ryans behaviour to a teacher and the schools principal subsequently contacted police.

His then home in Kilkenny was then raided by officers in July 2014 when his wife and three children were present.

The defendant was arrested at the scene with a laptop, mobile phone and tablet seized by the Garda and a lengthy investigation followed.

Ryan, who ran his own production company, was also found to have complimented the girl on her eyes, smile and body stating in one message: You look so hot and your body is so mmm.

He claimed to have been aroused by a picture of her, about which he said: You have to admit you look hot in that pic.

She was also asked if she had a boyfriend and whether she was sexually active, but after reminding him that she was 14 the teacher replied he knew some girls who start at 12.

The complainant then told him to leave her alone, to which he responded that he thought the conversation might turn you on a little.

Ryan then apologised and admitted that he was attracted to her before agreeing to cease his messaging.

Under interview, he confessed to using the Facebook account and claimed that he thought the girl was aged 15 or 16.

A statement read out to the court on her behalf described how she was left anxious and frightened for years afterwards and became less interested in music and drama as a result.

Ryan, whose partner died in November 2020, was described by his defence counsel as a good person who did a very stupid thing.

He was working at an NHS vaccination centre as of late last year.

Judge Francis Comerford imposed a 23-month imprisonment suspended for 23 months.

Ryan who has one previous conviction for a minor motoring offence was this week ordered to sign the offenders register at Warrington Police Station within three days by magistrates panel chairman Lynn Colter-Howard.

Representing himself in court, he replied by saying: I fully understand, thank you very much.

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A paedophile lorry driver has had his time behind bars increased by eight years after a second victim came forward. Nicholas Dalby, 50, formerly of the Selby area and more recently of Thirsk, was already serving a prison sentence for abusing one child several years ago. He was prosecuted for the second time after a woman contacted police in 2020 and revealed what Dalby had done to her more than 15 years ago. He had raped and indecently assaulted in different places including in his lorry. In her victim personal statement to the court, the woman who came forward recently told Dalby: "You shaped me as a child and teenager, but you will not shape me as an adult. "This is where my strength has come from: I will not allow you to harm another child and by me speaking up and telling the truth, this is the only way to protect other girls from harm. After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Sarah Jobe, of Northallerton CID, said: The victim in this case showed immense courage in coming forward, having had to endure these dreadful crimes at a young age. Dalby denied the offences throughout the investigation putting her through further trauma but her strength has ensured justice has now been done. I hope this conviction shows other victims that it is never too late to seek support for what has happened. By speaking to the police, or other organisations, you can access help and advice for yourself, and allow us to protect other people like you. Dalby denied abusing the woman when police arrested him and denied all charges when he first appeared before York Crown Court. But on the day he was due to stand trial at the same court, he changed his plea and admitted three charges of rape, four of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child. He was jailed for eight years to be served consecutively to his current sentence, with an extra year's prison licence when he is finally released. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A judge said it was one of the most serious cases he has dealt with A lonely 24-year-old pervert downloaded thousands of indecent images and videos of girls as young as six - many of which featured children being raped. Police raided the home of Joseph Tinkler on three separate occasions, each time finding dozens and then thousands of vile images and videos of children being sexually assaulted or raped by adults. In court, prosecutor Jamie Scott had to go into grave detail about examples of images Tinkler had been downloading which led the judge in the case to say: "I sadly deal with these cases every week but I don't often come by a really serious case as this. "This is some of the most grotesque abuse of children, some of who have been violently raped." Tinkler appeared at Stafford Crown Court from HMP Dovegate in Marchington on Thursday, February 24, and pleaded guilty to 11 charges of downloading indecent images of children - totalling thousands, and possession of images of the sexual abuse of an animal. Tinkler, of Wolverhampton Road, Wedges Mills, Cannock, had ignored police warnings on the first and second occasions he was caught. Each time he was bailed by the courts, the hearing was told. Police searched his home on September 15, 2020, and seized an iPhone, a computer tower and an iPad. On the phone and iPad, Mr Scott said police found 234 Category A images which are the most serious kind; 307 Category B and 556 Category C. He said: "The child victims were between six and 14 years old, and girls aged between 7 and 10 being raped. He said in the computer tower, police found 507 videos and 364 images which were Category A; 228 videos and 327 images of Category B; and 157 videos and 2,135 images of Category C. They also found 67 videos of the sexual abuse of animals and nine images. Mr Scott continued: "After his first arrest he issued no comment during interview and was bailed. "Following further intelligence, a police warrant was executed on April 28, 2021. On a mobile 25 computer generated images of children were found, aged between 10 and 12 years being raped." The court heard that the final warrant was executed on November 4, 2021 and yet more images and videos were found. Police also found phone messages between Tinkler and a paedophile about the violent rape of children. His defence solicitor Stephen Rudge told the court: "He is well aware of the seriousness of the case after, since his arrest, pushing the boundaries further and further. "He is a young man who is still immature and despite his education and employment, he found sexual solace in these images on the internet and foolishly not taking the police warning and continuing to satisfy his sexual desire. "I hope he will take on board the help offered to him in prison. He is willing to apply himself because he recognises it is an an addiction and a sickness. "He has been frank with the author of the pre-sentence report. He is a lonely young man without a girlfriend. "Sadly he moved on from adult porn. He is someone who can change, who is willing to change and given the right guidance in prison will change." Tinkler was jailed for four-and-a-half years and will be made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely which prevents him from accessing internet enabled devices, and will register as a sex offender.

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A MAN with a relatively low IQ failed to appreciate the seriousness of kissing an underage girl and sending her suggestive messages, a court was told. Questioned by police, after the girls mother raised concerns at his actions, having seen her daughters phone, Robert Joseph Lee claimed the kissing, even on the lips, was, not sexual. Durham Crown Court heard he admitted the follow-up messages, among which he told her he was looking forward to kisses and cuddles and he wished she could fill the empty space in his bed, may have seemed inappropriate, but again stated that there was no sexual intent. Lee told police it was, a silly little thing between him and the girl but claimed he would not have taken it any further, knowing her age. The 42-year-old defendant denied two counts of sexual assault and one of engaging in sexual communication with a child, but on the day his trial began changed pleas to guilty, at the court last October. Richard Herrmann, prosecuting, said by then the girl had given a pre-recorded interview, and her mother was at court expecting to have to give evidence In an impact statement read to the court, the girls mother stated she felt, disappointment, anger and sickness, at his exploitative activity, which she said had left her daughter, anxious and scared. She also stated that she was angry it went all the way to trial before Lee made his admissions, causing a great deal of distress. Following Lees late admissions, at trial, sentence was adjourned by Judge James Adkin for preparation of psychiatric and Probation Service reports on the defendant. Chris Knox, in mitigation, told the sentencing hearing what was clear from the reports was that the defendant, was functioning at a very low level. There was an apparent lack of appreciation how serious this was, and an apparent lack of him taking it seriously. We werent getting an entirely sensible response. Mr Knox said, the penny only really dropped with his client when the case came to trial. He added that the defendant, who has no previous convictions, had a good work record and, presents as affable. Mr Knox urged Judge Adkin to pass a suspended sentence, adding: Hes classically someone the Probation Service ought to work with. But Judge Adkin said: Its a dreadful case. Mr Knox agreed, but said: Its not clear what the defendants intention was. Judge Adkin replied: Thats only because the mother found the text messages. Imposing a 19-month prison sentence, he told Lee, of Thorntree Court, Forest Hall, Newcastle, the The clear inference was that you groomed her with a view to a sexual relationship. He added: I consider this to be sinister and very worrying offending. Lee was also made subject of a Sexual Harm prevention Order, registration as a sex offender and a restraining order, relating to the girl, all for ten years.

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A Snapchat groomer has been jailed for befriending girls online and then bombarding them with threatening messages to send him naked pictures.

Paedophile Christopher Ware, 32, set up multiple accounts on social media, lied about his age, his name and sometimes pretended to be a girl in order to gain the trust of seven victims aged between nine and 15.

He would initially be friendly to the girls before demanding they send pictures of themselves.

When they refused he resorted to blackmail, telling some of the children he knew which school they went to and where they lived. He also said he would shame them by posting pictures and details online.

The supermarket worker was tracked down after one victim and the mum of another found clues to help track him down.

A judge at Exeter Crown Court praised the efforts of parents and children who informed police and brought Ware to justice.

Judge Timothy Rose told Ware: "You wrought a campaign of intrusion and influence in children's lives. You bombarded them with sexualised comments, requests and demands and threats of blackmail."

Ware, of St Peter's Street Tiverton, was jailed for four years and nine months. The defendant, who has previous links to Dunster in Somerset, pleaded guilty to 15 offences of engaging in sexual communication with children under 16; attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He appeared via video link from custody and held his head in his hands while listening to the sentencing hearing.

Ms Heather Hope, prosecuting said the first set of offences happened between January and July, 2018.

Ware contacted a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat using the false name of Ashley Page. The girl did not recognise the name but thought it might be somebody she knew so accepted his request.

"He sent her messages demanding she should send him nude pictures," said Ms Hope.

The girl blocked him but Ware managed to contact her again and continued to pester her using different names. He lied about his age, saying he was 23, then 18 and finally 15.

He continued to bombard her with messages, even when she was at school, asking if she wore a thong and sending her naked images of women.

The girl became so scared of his threats that she eventually sent naked pictures of herself.

Ware continued to message other girls, using the same threats and making the same kinds of demands.

He used a false name to pester a 13-year-old on Snapchat, saying he was aged 14. When she blocked him he would message through other accounts, asking if she was bisexual.

The girl turned detective using clues he left on the messages and Ware was tracked down, arrested and taken into custody at Bridgwater.

When police checked his computer they found he had been using it to search for indecent videos of teenage girls.

They also discovered he had been messaging other girls, again using false identities.

They included a 14-year-old who Ware inundated with requests for naked photos. He sent her a picture of himself on the toilet with trousers down and penis exposed.

When the girl blocked him he pretended to be a schoolgirl. The victim realised it was the same person due to distinctive orange-coloured walls in the messages sent to her. When she blocked him Ware again resorted to threats saying he knew where she lived.

She told her mum and police were called in for a second time. 

Ware was bailed but carried on offending.

In August 2020 he pretended to be a 16-year-old boy and messaged a 14-year-old on Snapchat.

He asked for naked pictures and even offered to pay money for them, sending a picture of his bank card with a name on.

"He then threatened her that if she didn't send nude images of herself he would 'shout her out for nudes' meaning he would make it known to others on Snapchat she had sent images of herself.

Some of the victims said Ware had sent images of his penis. One described it as 'proper small'.

When the mother of one 15-year-old schoolgirl found out what he was demanding she took control of the phone and pretended to be the daughter to get information about who he was.

She then took the information to police.

Ware's youngest victim was aged just nine when he started asking her about her bra size and saying 'show me pants'.

He continued to frighten and put pressure on the girl even when she refused.

He was arrested again on November 16, 2021. Police had to force entry after Ware barricaded himself in his bedroom.

The court was read victim impacts statements from some of the girls and parents.

One 'angry and confused' parent said he daughter had retreated into her bedroom and now suffered severe anxiety.

A father said his daughter had also become distrustful of people, especially men.

Other victims said they too suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of Ware's behaviour. 

"I did not want to send images to him but was so scared he knew where I lived and would hurt us I felt so out of control and felt I could not tell anybody," said one.

She said she was thankful her family had taken her phone and stopped her ordeal.

Another said she did not know who was messaging her but it turned out to be a 'nasty person with horrible intentions'. She had attempted suicide as a result of what he had done and suffered terrifying nightmares.

Mr Will Rose, defending, said Ware was a man of previous good character. The defendant denied having a sexual interest in children.

He said Ware deserved credit for pleading guilty and saving the girls from giving evidence at a trial. He was very sorry for what he had done.

He said Ware came from a broken home and his relationship with his father 'soured' after he discovered he was sleeping with his partner.

He 'hit rock bottom' and self-medicated by drinking alcohol, said Mr Rose. It was then he became 'entangled in a cycle of offending'.

Judge Rose said: "The worst part of this, apart from the terrible harm you've done, is the fact you were arrested and interviewed and kept on doing it and kept on going back to the type of comprehensive and damaging behaviour."

He said Ware had caused 'persistent and terrible harm' to girls he knew the ages of.

"On a number of occasions you resorted to the use of threats amounting to a form of blackmail in order to get what you wanted in terms of sexual images and sexualised responses."

Judge Rose said the sentencing guidelines restricted the length of sentence he could impose for the crimes. The sexual communication offences carry a maximum of two years and Ware was entitled to a reduction of one third for his guilty pleas.

"I commend all the children involved and the parents for the way brought matters to the attention of police.

"It takes a certain kind of fortitude and resolution to do that and the court expresses gratitude to all the families and individuals who came forward."

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A paedophile carried out sickening sex attacks on schoolgirls after opening up his home as a place where they could truant and be given drink and drugs. Colin Wright, who was already a convicted sex offender, gave teenagers alcohol and amphetamine as he groomed them so he could pounce. Newcastle Crown Court heard he even offered money for illegal sexual services he wanted from youths who would visit his home in Sunderland and knew him by the nickname "Cosh". Wright, now 61, denied 11 offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual activity with a child, sexual assault, attempted rape, supplying a class B drug and attempting to pay for sexual services of a child. The offences were in relation to three schoolgirls. He was convicted by a jury after a trial and has now been jailed for 16 years with an extended licence period of four years. He must register as sex offender and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for life. The court heard in 2020 Wright was jailed for offences dating back to the 1970s. Judge Amanda Rippon today said Wright has an "enduring sexual attraction to children and a willingness to offend against them if circumstances allow" andposes a "significant risk". The judge said in the more recent offences Wright's home was a "place to truant from school, smoke, be given amphetamine and alcohol". Judge Rippon said the impact on the victims "was and remains quite profound". The court heard Wright offered one teen 50 to strip before he sexually assaulted her. She was later given 20 in an envelope. He offered another teen 100 to have full sexual intercourse with him but his offer was refused. One of the victims said in an impact statement: "I have night terrors and see his face in my dreams." Another said she became an "angry young girl" after what Wright did to her and "began to disconnect with the world". Lorraine Mustard, defending Wright, now of Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle, said: "He concedes he has committed some of the offences. "He does not have a clear recollection of what exactly took place but he does take responsibility for his behaviour. "He is thoroughly ashamed of himself and apologetic for it."

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Adam Webb, of Newcastle, who has a history of sex attacks on young girls, made disturbing searches on a phone he wasn't meant to have A predatory paedophile had made a series of disturbing searches on a secret phone - including looking for "children's homes in Newcastle". Adam Webb was already subject to restrictions after committing serious sex offences, including against two girls aged six and eight in 2014. Having breached a sexual harm prevention order previously, he has now been back in court for doing it again. He had acquired one mobile phone without telling police, as he was required to do, then failed to provide the pass code for another phone. A search of the first phone uncovered a number of disturbing searches had been made. These included "teen porn", "schoolgirls", "British schoolgirl rape porn", "under skirt little girl" "children's homes in Newcastle", "famous paedophiles" and "how to clean your phone". Now Webb, 26, of Ozanam House Newcastle, who is classed as a danger to children, has been sent back to prison for three years at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting two breaches of the sexual harm prevention order. Recorder Geraldine Kelly told him: "How you behaved in relation to those phones, keeping possession of one from the officers and refusing to hand over the pass code, making those searches followed by a search of how to clean your phone, is entirely in keeping with how the probation officer finds you to be during your recent supervision by them. "They have noted how deceitful you are in order to avoid the consequences of that order. "The purpose is to keep children safe from your sexual offending and you seem to be determined in trying to avoid that order. "You are a high risk to children." The court heard he has 12 previous convictions, all for sex offences or breaches of orders aimed at stopping his offending and was on licence at the time of the latest offences. In the 2014 offences, he was convicted of sexual assault, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual activity in the presence of a child. He approached the little girls, who were unknown to him, committed a sex act in front of them and asked them to touch him intimately, which they did not. He then sexually assaulted one of them. Mark Harrison, defending, said: "He says he was not the owner of the phone throughout the period and it was given to him by a friend to sell on."

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A man jailed by a Sheffield judge after raping a woman on her way home after a night out has had his prison sentence increased. Selfo Myrtaj, aged 28, of Scot Lane, Doncaster, attacked the woman on August 8 last year as she made her way home after an evening out in the town with her boyfriend. Mrytaj passed his 22-year-old victim on foot, before returning to his car which was parked nearby and driving around the town centre at speed looking for her. Once he located her at the Frenchgate Centre, Mrytaj left his vehicle to catch up with the victim, then dragged her back to his car before driving to a secluded location and raping her. Following a police investigation, Myrtaj was identified as the man responsible and he was arrested the following day. Investigating officer PC Rob Zarchi said: This was clearly a pre-meditated attack and that is reflected in the sentence that was handed to Mrytaj. This incident has had a profound effect on the victim and I would like to praise her for the tremendous courage and dignity she has shown throughout the investigation and court proceedings. I hope this sentencing allows the victim to attempt to move forward with her life. South Yorkshire Police takes all reports of rape extremely seriously and will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice. Mrytaj appeared before Sheffield Crown Court on December 17, 2021, where he pleaded guilty to rape. He was initially sentenced to four years in prison but the sentence was escalated to the Court of Appeal, which found the original sentence unduly lenient and it was increased to six years.

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A 56-year-old Bradford man has been jailed for almost four years for sexually abusing a girl. Locking up Martin Briggs for 46 months, Judge Andrew Hatton told him: Her whole life has been turned upside down by your depravity. Briggs, of Madison Avenue, Holme Wood, pleaded guilty to two offences of sexually assaulting the girl, one of which reflected multiple occasions on which he abused her. Prosecutor Abigail Langford told Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday that the victim confided in a family member and a youth worker what Briggs was doing to her. He was grabbing her breasts and making sexualised comments, she disclosed. Briggs made no comment when questioned by the police and went on to deny any wrongdoing. He pleaded guilty on the day of his trial after the girl had been cross-examined ahead of the hearing as is the usual legal practice nowadays. Timothy Jacobs, Briggs barrister, said he was effectively a man of good character and had no similar offending on his record, just a few motoring convictions many years ago. Its a matter of great sadness to him that he has let himself go in this way, Mr Jacobs said. Briggs was beset with financial worries at the time of the offending. He was in debt, stressed and viewing adult mainstream pornography. He had many serious health and mobility problems and lived an isolated existence. Judge Hatton said he was dealing with him for two offences of sexually abusing the child, one that reflected multiple occasions. He had denied the allegations until the day a jury was to be sworn in to try him. Briggs had touched the girl indecently and made sexualised comments to her. He had told her not to tell anyone else. She was frightened of him and had since self-harmed and suffered with depression, Judge Hatton said. Briggs must sign on the sex offender register for life and the judge made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order without limit of time.

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A man has been put behind bars for a string of masturbating incidents across South Londons railways, following an investigation by the British Transport Police (BTP). James Gathercole, 36, from Beckenham, repeatedly masturbated in front of women and teenage girls on trains around South-East London before eventually being caught by the police. He was found guilty of ten indecent exposure offences between December 2020 and November 2021. Six of which occurred in one single day. Gathercole was sentenced at London Crown Court in February to sixteen months in prison and will be placed on the sex offenders register for the next ten years. Its clear from Gathercoles persistent and sickening actions that he is a danger to women and girls, and Im pleased to see that after a rigorous investigation this serial offender is no longer free, said BTP detective constable Sonja Lucas. These incidents will have had a serious impact on the victims lives, and no one should have to experience such vile behaviour, she added. The Beckenham man, , was first detained in November last year when a teenage girl approached an off-duty police officer in distress, saying that Gathercole had exposed his genitals and touched himself inappropriately in front of her on a train at New Cross Station. Officers from the BTP shortly arrived at the scene to arrest him and he was remanded in custody. This sparked a months-long dedicated investigation by the BTP into a series of reports about masturbating incidents on trains in South-East London, which were soon linked to Gathercole. The court heard how on 7 August 2021 Gathercole committed six separate offences throughout the afternoon and evening, exposing himself to young women and teenage girls on services between New Cross Gate, Lewisham, and Sydenham stations. BTP detective constable Lucas said: We are absolutely committed to stamping out this behaviour, and we will continue to target patrols to crime hotspots to catch and deter sexual offenders. I would also urge anyone who witnesses or experiences a sexual offence or sexual harassment on the railway to report it to us by texting 61016. We will always take you seriously, she added.

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Two rape victims whose ordeal was filmed after their drinks were spiked had to wait more than five years to see their attacker brought to justice. Delays in the legal system mean Bradley Carman has only now been jailed for the 2016 attack, in which he humiliated and degraded two unconscious women. He had spiked their drinks before a friend filmed the attack, with the footage later being circulated. Judge Mark Weekes jailed the 22-year-old for seven-and-a-half years at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday. He told Carman he slipped chemicals or made drinks as strong as possible to render them unconscious. They were given drinks that made them very unwell, he continued. There was evidence from both (during your trial) that it was recorded by your friend, and while you might not be responsible for that, you were a willing and enthusiastic participant. You chose to fight this trial on what I deemed to be the clearest and compelling evidence. Carman argued during his trial in December that sexual contact with both women was consensual. His lawyers argued the women falsely accused Carman after becoming shameful once a video of the ordeal began circulating. Carmans barrister Kieran Brand told jurors the victims evidence was inconsistent and the pair behaved in a reckless, impulsive manner. But jurors unanimously convicted Carman, who was 17 at the time of the attacks, of three counts of rape. One victim told jurors she dipped in and out of consciousness while being attacked, as Carmans friend filmed and laughed. We had one-and-a-half drinks and after that I dont remember what happened, she continued. I remember coming to and Bradley was on top of me, I dont remember what (happened) in between. I was really, really out of it. I wasnt in the right position, I didnt say no, I didnt say yes either. I couldnt do anything to stop it, I wasnt in the right position to say no. Someone was filming it, I remember someone filming it, it was dark and he had his flash on, laughing. Carmans second victim told how she was then attacked after falling unwell once shed finished her drink. "I couldnt do anything to stop it, I wasnt in the right position to say no..." (It started) getting really weird, we started to feel not necessarily paralytic, but it wasnt right, she said. The court heard both girls reported the attacks months afterwards, claiming they may have been spiked. But it would take more than five years before they would see justice owing to delays in the justice system, the court heard. At the sentencing hearing, one of the victims told how she attempted to take her own life in her battle with the aftermath, often experiencing feelings of being alone and helpless. I thought death was my only way out, she said. Sometimes I get flashbacks and night terrors and wake up crying. The other victim told how the attack stripped away her confidence, replacing it instead with anxiety and trust issues. Carman, of Ince Road, was sentenced as a juvenile given his age at the time of the attacks. He will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely. No charges have been brought against his friend.

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A BAR manager attempted to persuade a 13-year-old girl to model for him and offered to pay her for sex. But convicted paedophile Link Robinson did not realise the teenager he had targeted in a chat room was an undercover police officer. Robinson was already subject to a sexual harm prevention order after being convicted of possessing and distributing indecent images of children. And when police arrested him again at his flat in Bradshawgate, Bolton, they discovered that he had devices capable of accessing the internet which he was banned from having unless his offender manager was informed. At Bolton Crown Court Robinson, a father-of-one, was jailed for three years after admitting attempting to communicate with a child in order to obtain sexual gratification, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and four breaches of his sexual harm prevention order. Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, told how, on September 23 last year 34-year-old Robinson, using the name Model Scout, logged into an online chat room and began a conversation with "Izzy". Her profile made clear that she was a schoolgirl. "The defendant messaged her asking her why she wasn't in school and asked if she wanted to earn some cash by modelling for him at his apartment in Bolton," said Mr Whelan. During the subsequent chat Izzy, who was an undercover police officer, told Robinson, she was aged 13 and a virgin. The conversation quickly became sexualised with Robinson, sending her pictures of male private parts, encouraging her to commit a sexual act and offering to pay her 150 if she would model for him and they had sex. "I was thinking if you wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend we could be and that would lead to sex stuff. I'd pay extra if needed," he told her. Robinson also messaged Izzy using Kik Messenger using the name AdiBoy87 and encouraged her to send him pictures of herself. But he became angry when he traced to pictures she used to a Russian Instagram account. "He accused her of being fake, stating 'I am trying to date and have sex with you. I want you to be real'," said Mr Whelan. Police tracked Robinson's IP address to his home and he was arrested on January 14. He initially denied being in contact with Izzy although he admitted having used a number of chat rooms. "He stated the reason he couldn't specifically remember September time was due to it being Freshers Week which was a busy time of year for the bar that he is manager of," said Mr Whelan. Robinson, who also uses the aliases Carl Robinson and Cark Robinson, admitted that he had changed his name by deed poll following his previous conviction. Michael Goldwater, defending stressed that the contact with Izzy had been on a single occasion and was "relatively short" in duration. "The defendant is very distressed at his own behaviour and is very remorseful," he added. "Although he recognises these are very serious offences, he is confident that, having served his sentence, he will not trouble the courts again." Jailing Robinson, Recorder Andrew Long told him: "It is clearly indicated that you have a sexual interest in children." Robinson was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

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A convicted sex offender who set up fake profiles on chat sites was snared by paedophile hunters posing as underage girls.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that Phillip Browne even pretended to be his own sister to try to persuade one 14-year-old to become his boyfriend.

He sent her a photo of his penis and provided an address in Fenton.

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire headlines

But 41-year-old Browne was rumbled when the vigilantes turned up at his bail hostel in Newcastle.

Nick Tatlow, prosecuting, said they were trying to stage a confrontation. Police were called and his accommodation was searched.

Now the defendant, of Albert Street, Newcastle, has been jailed for 36 months.

He admitted three counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), four counts of attempting to breach the order, and two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements.

The court was told Browne had been sentenced to two years in prison in March last year for similar breaches. He was released on licence on October 29.

A risk assessor visited him to talk through the requirements of the SHPO, which had been imposed for an indefinite period. He provided details of his mobile phone, SIM card and an Xbox console, said Mr Tatlow.

The assessor made several further visits. One of them was prompted by Browne saying he want to chat to females. The SHPO was explained to him again.

But by January, he had secretly bought a smartphone and was using it to set up the fake profiles online. The profile names he used included Phil Bro and Sarah.

The first person he contacted on the chat site was Scarlet, a decoy profile set up by vigilantes. She purported to be aged 14.

Mr Tatlow said: The conversations with Scarlet were not overtly sexual. He said he liked her and wanted her to be his girlfriend.

The conversation moved to WhatsApp. Browne claimed to have a 14-year-old sister who passed as a 20-year-old. He then posed as Sarah, who was supposedly his sister, to contact the girl.

Other females targeted included Amber and Lexi-Mae, who both claimed to be aged 13. He asked one of the girls: What do you think of me as a BF (boyfriend) type of thing?

He then switched between two fake profiles - Phil Bro and Sarah to strike up a conversation with a girl who claimed to be 14. It was this person who received a photograph of Brownes private parts.

During the police search of Brownes address, a smartphone was recovered.

The WhatsApp chat log on that Huawei phone showed a deleted conversation with Scarlet, added Mr Tatlow.

In interview, Browne said he committed the offences so he could go back to prison.

Brian Williams, mitigating, described him as disarmingly honest and said the defendant was desperate to get onto a course to address his behaviour.

He wants some help, his barrister added.

Sentencing him, Record Anthony Warner said the offences were part of a pattern of behaviour.

He told Browne: "Youve been identified as someone of high risk of serious harm against exactly the sort of people identified in this case, namely young girls to whom you are attracted.