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A FORMER supermarket worker was arrested outside a Carlisle hotel as he attempted to meet a person he believed was a 14-year-old boy he had been having sexualised online conversations with.

Business graduate John Robert Reynolds, 43, suffered what a judge said was a 'spectacular fall from grace' after the encounter.

The defendant pleaded guilty to an allegation of attempting to communicate sexually with a child after an alternative charge, that he tried to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, was abandoned by the prosecution.

Brendan Burke, prosecuting at Carlisle Crown Court, said the defendant came to Carlisle on July 27 last year and was staying at the Halston Hotel in Warwick Road for reasons related to his then employment.

At the time, he had activated a Grindr profile for himself, through which he initiated contact with somebody who cleared identified himself as a 14-year-old boy. The defendants response to that was to state simply: Thats young.

The defendant sent [the boy] an intimate picture of himself early in the conversation, said Mr Burke. But Reynolds was unwittingly communicating with an undercover police officer.

The conversation had quickly become sexualised, said Mr Burke. The defendant said he was looking for fun with a guy.

"He went on to ask [the boy] to send pics; that request was made and remade again throughout their conversation.

The undercover officer told Reynolds he liked boys but had not actually done anything. The defendant asked the boy what he wanted to try. Encouraged by the defendant, they arranged to meet in Carlisle city centre.

When the boy asked the defendant what he wanted to do, he replied: Whatever you want; well see what happens. Reynolds also asked the boy if he wanted to go to the hotel where he was staying, saying it was nice.

They agreed to meet outside the Hallmark Hotel near Carlisle railway station, and that was where police arrested Reynolds at 8.40pm.

When challenged, the defendant said he believed the person he was communicating with was actually 18, given that this was the minimum age for anybody using Grindr.

Jacob Dyer, defending, said there was no actual child involved but Reynolds accepted he should not have engaged in such communication. This offence followed the breakdown of his marriage, said the barrister.

It was a period of upheaval for him, a very emotional time. He had left his job, he was struggling to cope, struggling to sleep. He was using alcohol and sleeping tablets in order to cope and he also started using dating apps.

He wasnt in a good place emotionally.

A man of good previous character, Reynolds was a business management graduate and had worked for many years at the Booths supermarket. Mr Dyer added: He is very much ashamed of his conduct.

Being arrested and spending six days remanded in custody had a profound impact on Reynolds, who as a consequence had a breakdown and spent four weeks in hospital. But he had now stopped drinking and was taking antidepressant medication.

Reynolds had clearly expressed remorse and would respond to rehabilitation.

Judge Guy Mathieson told Reynolds: You have no previous convictions, and a good work history. What a spectacular fall from grace to have you stood before this court today.

The judge accepted that Reynolds was suffering a significant emotional crisis and that a combination of factors led to his offending. But I reject entirely that you ever misunderstood the nature of these conversations with this person, said the judge.

You could not have missed the fact that this person was telling you that they were under age.

Yet there had been a persistent attempt to communicate sexually. Theres absolutely no doubt that you went out to meet what you thought would be an under age boy outside Carlisle railway station.

The judge described that behaviour as 'horrendous'. Accepting that the defendant learned a lesson from his brief time in custody, Judge Mathieson said Reynolds should understand how close he had come to custody.

He imposed 12 months jail, suspended for two years, ordering that the defendant must complete an accredited treatment programme.

Reynolds, of St Winifreds Park, Halton, Lancashire, will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and subject to a five year sexual harm prevention order.

He must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity days.

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A sex offender caught out trying to sexually groom a 13-year-old girl over the internet was slammed by a judge for reusing to admit he was attracted to children. Steven Ogilvie struck up a conversation with a young profile on the Chat Avenue site and talked about being naked in the shower as well as going to a nudist beach.

But in fact he was talking to an undercover police officer. The 55-year-old, from Chester Road North, Sutton Coldfield, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child but was spared a prison sentence, partly because it happened in 2018 and he had not repeated the behaviour since. At Birmingham Crown Court he was sentenced to a three-year community order.

Ogilvie had told probation officers he was not attracted to children and had not intended to speak to a child. But Judge Richard Bond told him: "I totally reject what you say, of course you are attracted to children what else were you doing?

"Adults mainly go onto such websites for one reason alone; to attain some form of sexual satisfaction talking to underage children. You probably can't even admit to yourself you are attracted to children but when you hear the circumstances of this case you clearly are."

Ogilvie had started talking to the decoy profile on January 9, 2018. Oliver Wellings, prosecuting, said of the Chat Avenue website: "It is a chat facility for teenagers looking for online conversations. It is not just the target audience but also predatory paedophiles who congregate on such sites."

Ogilvie began asking the 'girl' about her background before he switched the topic to dating and 'phone sex'. He made jokes about being old enough to be her father before suggesting they should shower naked together and go to a nudist beach.

Mr Wellings added: "It would appear at that point, by this stage it had been going on for some days, the defendant got cold feet and became concerned. He began asking her for photos trying to establish whether she was real."

He told the court Ogilvie had previously been caught out by so-called paedophile-hunters for almost identical behaviour before the offence was created in law. Ben Close, defending, emphasised the latest offence spanned three days and happened five years ago. He said: "It is encouraging to see in the pre-sentence report he has remained faithful to his plea.

"He describes a challenging time in his life involving a separation, loneliness, mental health difficulties. The picture painted is an all-too-familiar one of someone who spent too much time at home on their computer seeking an outlet and falling back into abusing the internet in the way he did."

Ogilvie must be assed for a sexual offenders' treatment programme, complete 60 days of rehabilitation activity and adhere to police notification requirements for five years. Judge Bond told him: "It is you who turns the conversation away from innocuous matters. It becomes highly sexualised at your instigation.

"When you say you are not attracted to children, why are you talking about being in the shower with a 13-year-old girl? That's because that's what you wanted in your dreams."

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A man who repeatedly breached the requirements of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Criminal Behaviour Order has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Rikki Bedford, 27, was convicted of sexual assault on 4 March 2020 at Kingston Crown Court and sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment, as well as being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), to run concurrently.

He failed to comply with the requirements of his SHPO on three previous occasions, in November 2020, May 2021 and November 2021.

On Friday 7 October 2022, Bedford was released from prison having been on remand for another matter in which he was found not guilty. The requirement of his release meant that he had to register at a police station within three days, which he failed to do.

On 14 October 2022 he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police and taken into custody, where he assaulted one officer and racially abused another.

PC Laura Pammer, who investigated the case, said: “Rikki Bedford has repeatedly breached the requirements of his order and has continued to offend after being released from prison. The severity of these breaches has resulted in him being sent back to prison for another year.

“I hope that this case reassures our local communities that we ensure that any requirements placed on offenders are strictly adhered to.”

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A sex pest who assaulted four teenagers as a female and struggled with police as a male, has been jailed.

Luke Spencer was a 20-year-old woman known as Krista when the offender seized and kissed a teenage girl at Glenrothes bus station, slapped anothers buttocks in Dunfermline and groped two more youngsters after drinking with them.

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A 'cruel' man who preyed upon a woman during a night out and raped her has been jailed. Rory Miles, 32, was convicted last month of sexually assaulting a woman at an address in Dunmow.

He had assaulted her following a night out in late 2018 before she was able to get away from him and call for help. She was supported by specialist officers from our Adult Sexual Abuse Investigation Team and an investigation into the attack was carried out.

It led to Miles, of Harris Green, Dunmow, being charged with rape. He was found guilty of one of the five charges he faced. Three others will remain on file as no verdict was reached.

At Chelmsford Crown Court today (Monday 27 March), he was sentenced to four years in prison and put on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jon Nottage said: "Firstly I would like to commend the woman involved in this case for her strength and dignity throughout this process and I hope that this verdict will bring some comfort.

"I would like to also extend my thanks to various agencies, witnesses, along with the womans family and friends who supported her from the moment it was reported. Rory Miles was today convicted for the rape of this woman and sentenced to four years in prison.

"Miles is a cruel man, on the night he preyed on a woman who believed she would be safe in his company. He did not admit his guilt at any point and maintained everything that happened on the night was consensual and instigated by the woman.

"The Jury expertly navigated through the evidence and found him guilty of rape, and today, he now faces his foreseeable future behind bars.

"To anyone out there who has experienced sexual violence of any form, I know that coming forward is a huge and difficult decision with many worries and concerns. I would urge you to come forward and speak to us, we can take things at your own pace and put you in touch with many great agencies that are out there that can offer you additional support."

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

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A child sex offender from West Yorkshire has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after he was caught out by a paedophile hunter group for the second time.

Back in 2017, Scott Jones was given a three-year community order and told to undertake a sex offender programme after he admitted online sex chats with two “decoy” girls aged 14 and 11.

At the same hearing at Leeds Crown Court Jones was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and a requirement to register as a sex offender with the police for the same period of time.

But Bradford Crown Court heard today (Tues) that within 24 hours of the protective orders expiring, Jones was again involved in sexualised online chat with another 13-year-old “decoy”.

Jones, 28, was told the girl’s age, but he asked if she would have sex with him.

Another member of the Secrets n Lies hunter group also posed as the 13-year-old’s younger sister and Jones encouraged the older girl to touch her 11-year-old sister.

Prosecutor Laura McBride said another group, Yorkshire Predator Hunters UK, became involved and they attended at Jones’ home.

The police were called after he admitted talking to two “girls” aged 13 and 11 online and he was arrested.

When officers analysed a Samsung tablet device found at his address they recovered five Category A indecent images of children and 19 Category C indecent images.

Jones, now of West View Terrace, Pellon, Halifax, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite or cause a child to engage in sexual activity and possession of indecent images of children.

Barrister Soheil Khan, for Jones, said his client had been “disowned” by members of his family following his conviction in 2017 and had found himself in a spiral of depression.

Recorder David Gordon noted that the latest offending had started the day after the previous five-year orders had expired.

“I’m bound to say I do not consider it to be a coincidence that you waited precisely for the expiry of the sexual harm prevention order and your obligation to register as a sex offender to commit the present offences,” he told Jones.

He said Jones’ previous conviction was a serious aggravating factor and he had failed to respond to warnings in the past.

“You participated previously in the Horizon programme for sex offenders and clearly that has, in spite of appearances, not been of any benefit to you,” said Recorder Gordon.

The judge made a new indefinite sexual harm prevention order, which restricts Jones’ internet use, and he will also have to register as a sex offender again for an indefinite period.

He told Jones he would serve two-thirds of his prison sentence before being released on licence.

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A 60-year-old man carried a BB gun and handcuffs with him when he went to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old schoolgirl - but insisted to cops he "only wanted a cuddle". 

The disgusting pervert told her their relationship was a secret, called himself her "daddy", and said he wanted to take a bath with her and wash her, Teesside Crown Court heard. 

He tried to argue that he carried the gun due to a vermin problem in his home, while the handcuffs were in case "there was trouble when he was out".

Groenewood, of Portman Street in central Middlesbrough, had no idea that the person he was talking to - who was called "Scarlett" on the website, was actually a decoy, set up by a pedophile-hunting group. 

He was then intercepted by police when he went to meet her at Middlesbrough train station, on January 13, 2022.

During police questioning, when he was asked if he was sexually attracted to children, Groenewood replied: "A little bit."

The court also heard he had messaged the same online vigilante group in another conversation, in which he thought he was talking to "Holly", whose age on her profile was 13.

He suggested they have sex, and asked the supposed 13-year-old what "they were going to do together under the covers".

Groenewood pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child and to attempting to meet a child following grooming. 

He has been jailed for 30 months, made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years, and must comply with sex offender police notifications for the same period of time.

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A convicted paedophile was caught with more than 8,000 indecent images of children as young as three.

Gary Bowden was found with pictures and videos on multiple devices when police raided his home.

The 32-year-old failed to tell officers about a new phone despite being subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) he was given for a previous offence.

Officers who searched his devices found a total of 8,465 indecent images including 1,926 category A images – the most serious type.

Prosecuting, Leigh Hart said the photos depicted children as young as three being abused.

Bowden of Mescott Meadows, Hedge End, gave no comment during his police interview.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children as well as breaching an SHPO for owning the phone.

The defendant, who has four previous convictions for 24 offences - including making or distributing indecent images - appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.

Mitigating, Keely Harvey said her client had been “very open and honest” and had “indicated his guilty plea very early on”.

“He always accepted that these images would be found.”

She said he was surprised by the number of images that were found adding that her client “needs some help”.

Judge Brian Forster KC, said: “It is a bad case because of the number of class A images.

“This case must be seen against the background of your previous offending.

“This was a deliberate breach. You were fully aware of the terms of your order.

“There is no doubt that the possession of these images falls within the most serious category."

Bowden, who was produced from custody, was given a total of 24 months in prison as well as an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

He must also abide by notification requirements for the next 10 years.

A further order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of his phone and devices.

Judge Forster added: “I hope he can get through this and make more of his life in future.”

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Victims of a sexual predator who posed as a photographer and set up hidden cameras in changing rooms to film hundreds of aspiring young models said they felt utterly violated as their abuser was jailed.

David Glover, 48, made secret recordings of his victims who came to him for portfolio shoots over at least four years and cataloged them on his computer, Peterborough Crown Court heard.

After admitting five counts of voyeurism concerning 35 women identified by police, Glover was jailed for 20 months.

One of his victims, who waived her right to anonymity, said it made her "skin crawl" to think she had trust the defendant, to take photographs of her baby.

Francesca Rowden told the court that she no longer worked in the modelling industry.

Another victim, breaking down in tears, said: "I thought about how this could affect my career now if they [the images] ever got leaked."

In a statement to court another woman said she felt "utterly violated" and another said "the guy is an absolute creep".

Glover, 48, of Tallington in Lincolnshire, admitted at an earlier hearing to five counts of voyeurism concerning 35 women identified by police, but prosecutors said a further "70 or so" women were in footage that police found on Glover's electronic devices.

Thomas Brown, prosecuting, said these women had not been identified and Glover was not being sentenced over images of these further women - but could face further proceedings if any of them came forward.

Glover, who also worked as a wedding photographer, was "well thought of" said prosecutors. He would shoot in his home and sometimes hired studio space.

"There was private space provided by the studio for people to change from their outdoor, everyday clothing into whatever they were wearing for the shoot," said the prosecutor.

"As a private space, it was used for exactly that purpose by people who were to be photographed."

His voyeurism was uncovered by a woman's partner who investigated the changing room to find "an alarm clock that looked remarkably out of context".

He investigated further and found it was a covert camera, and that the memory card in it had footage of his partner getting changed on it.

After a police investigation was triggered, more women came forward.

Judge Matthew Lowe said: "Following the breakdown of his marriage in 2011, this defendant sought to turn what had been a hobby into a business and began working as a professional photographer."

He said the offending took place over at least four years, was "clearly planned offending" and some of the women in the footage appeared "completely naked".

Glover was jailed for 20 months for his offending, and was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register, and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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A WEST Cumbrian man who was convicted of raping a schoolgirl when he was a 16-year-old has been jailed.

Josh Atkinson, who is now 22, had pleaded not guilty to the offence but he was convicted by a jury after a trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Prosecutor Tim Evans outlined how the defendant committed the offence in 2017.

The girl was of primary school age at the time. “She told him no and tried to push him away but he was older and stronger than she was,” said Mr Evans. The girl’s ordeal lasted for about 15 minutes in total.

It was at a later stage, when the girl was having a sex education lesson at school, that she became upset and realised the enormity of what had happened and disclosed it to her mother, said Mr Evans.

The barrister went on to outline the impact of the rape on both the girl and her mother, who said it had been hard watching her daughter “go into herself and struggle with her emotions”, becoming upset and angry.

Speaking of the victim, Mr Evans said: “Being raped made her feel more insecure about herself; it plays on her mind. She can’t trust boys and she is scared of all matters sexual.”

The girl had also isolated herself and did not leave her home for a long time.

She also self-harmed on a couple of occasions, said Mr Evans.

The barrister explained that because the defendant, of Cockfield Drive, Workington, was 16 when he committed the offence, just a few months away from his 17th birthday, he would have to be sentenced as though he were still a youth.

Peter Wilson, defending, said maturity issues which affected the defendant’s consequential thinking and impulsivity were factors in the offending.  There were also other issues which arose from his childhood.

“There was significant instability in his young life,” said Mr Wilson.

The defendant had suffered violence in his family home and this led to illicit substances being used there. “He describes his father as a career criminal who has his own drug dependency issues,” said Mr Wilson.

As a result of childhood trauma, Atkinson had suffered depressive symptoms from the age of 12 and had experienced suicidal thoughts throughout his life. But he was now taking medication and using his time in prison positively.

Judge Guy Mathieson said the defendant, who still denies his offence, was convicted by the jury on “compelling evidence.”

He jailed Atkinson for four years  - half the sentence he would have been given had he been an adult when he committed the offence.

The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register for life and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. A restraining order forbids any contact with his victim for the same period.  

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A Southampton man has been jailed for committing rape and a number of sexual assaults.

Bradley Herring, 30, of Bracklesham Close, Southampton, was sentenced to six years and two months in prison at Southampton Crown Court on Friday (24 March).

This comes after he pleaded guilty to offences including rape and two counts of sexual assault.

On 22 January, Herring raped a woman in her 20s at a different address in the east of the city.

The assaults happened on 1 January last year, when Herring carried out sexual acts in the presence of a teenage woman at an address in the east of the city.

Since the incidents were reported to us, both women have been supported by specialist officers.

A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed on Herring which means that when he is released, he will have to abide by strict conditions or face being sent back to prison. He was also made to sign the sex offenders register for life.

DC Marie Leather works in Operation Amberstone, the specialist team which deals with rape cases, and investigated the rape. DC Daisy Green from Southampton Investigations was the officer in the case for the sexual assaults.

They said: “Firstly we would like to praise both women for the bravery they have shown for coming forward and reporting these horrific crimes to us, and during the investigation and court process.

“Herring is a sexual predator and now he is locked up, he cannot harm another woman.

“Our teams work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice and I hope this result encourages other women or men who have been victims of sexual offences to speak to us, no matter when the incidents took place.

“You will be listened to, respected and supported by us.”

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A serial sex offender has been sentenced to 34 years in jail after being found guilty of multiple sexual offences.

Danny Owen, 47, of Maddover Crescent, Liskeard. was sentenced to 34 years by Judge Robert Linford for offences against women and girls over a 20-year period.

The sentence comes following a 17-day trial in February 2023 where the jury found Owen guilty of 24 offences against four victims. He was found not guilty of five offences against a further two victims.

Owen was sentenced to a custodial sentence of 28 years with an additional six years on licence.

The court heard accounts of how Owen would inappropriately touch some of the young victims and tell them it was normal. Owen’s behaviour escalated to rape in some of the cases after forcing himself on the victims, he told them not to tell anyone what had happened. The victims were aged between five and early teens when the offending occurred.

The controlling and abusive behaviour was sustained over months and even years in some cases.

Owen continually denied the allegations in interviews and told officers he didn’t know why the victims would make such claims against him.

Praising the victims for coming forward and telling their stories, Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Amy Wooldridge, and Former Detective Sgt Tim Wright, said: “We are delighted with the sentence passed by the court today following a four-year investigation into offences committed between 1990 and 2011.

“We hope this outcome will bring comfort and closure to the brave women who not only reported what happened to them but supported a long-running and complex investigation. I admire the strength of these women who stood up in court and faced him, in order to tell their stories.

“We would like to thank everyone who supported this investigation and allowed us to achieve the outcome that all those who suffered from his sexual attacks deserve.”

The officers continued: “I hope the outcome secured from this case serves as a reassurance to others who may have been sexually abused that we will investigate thoroughly and do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

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Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard the way James Thomson targeted young, vulnerable females was 'despicable, deplorable and disgusting'

The mother of an 11-year-old girl sexually assaulted by a Peebles publican is speaking of her relief after watching him being jailed.

James Thomson, who's 68, has today (Monday) been sentenced to 46 months behind bars and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely, after being found guilty of the attack on the youngster in 2017.

He's also been convicted of a separate sexual assault on a woman, who he also indecently assaulted when she was just 15; and making sexually humiliating comments to two other women in a series of charges dating back to 2003.

However, the details of the charges are too graphic to share.

"It's justice for his victims - every one of them," the woman told Radio Borders. "We know that there are victims who haven't been able to make it to court today because they're so traumatised. And they've all got justice, and he's got what he deserved.

"Would I have liked it to have been more? Quite possibly. But at least we know we can move on and he's not going to be walking the streets; we're safe while he's inside."

Thomson was convicted of a total of seven charges following a week-long trial and returned for sentence today with his bags packed.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard the first offender - who was hounded out his home following his conviction last month - had shown no remorse and was a "medium risk" of re-offending.

After reading the victims' impact statements, Sheriff Robert Fife said the way Thomson targeted young, vulnerable females was "despicable, deplorable and disgusting", adding the damage he had caused was "immeasurable".

He said there was no alternative to a custodial sentence - provoking tears, and a "thank you", from the public benches.

The mother of Thomson's youngest victim, who we're not naming to protect her identity, revealed her child now suffers from anxiety and PTSD as a result of the abuse.

She added: "She has suffered terribly, keeping friendships and relationships because of trust issues, so I'm just hoping this (sentence) will give some closure to all his victims."

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A wheelchair-bound pervert was told he had brought 'shame' on his wife after appearing at court for possessing extreme pornographic images. Bryan Flack was already on the Sex Offenders' Register before he was arrested by cops.

He was detained after downloading images of people having sex with a horse and a dog. Due to the 71-year-old suffering lung cancer, Parkinson's and kidney and heart failure, magistrates could only hand Flack a fine.

Flack, of Scotia Road in the Burslem area of Stoke, had previously been imprisoned for sexual assault, which was committed on a woman while he was a masseuse. He admitted to possession extreme pornographic images at North Staffordshire Justice Centre, reports StokeonTrentLive.

His wife wheeled Flack into court, where it was said he had brought 'shame' on her. Magistrates fined him a total of £465.

They told him: "Whatever punishment we impose, the main punishment is the shame you have imposed on your wife. The only option is a fine."

Prosecutor Zaine Riaz said: "The defendant is a registered sex offender and is on the register until 2027. He was visited by a manager of the sex offenders' probation service for a routine check. He provided his mobile phone. He appeared to be nervous.

"The officer saw videos of animals and humans engaging in sex acts with each other. He was arrested. Eighteen images were found. He admitted the content. He's not sure why he accessed the content."

The images were discovered in March, 2022. Andrew Turnock, mitigating, said: "A lot has happened in terms of his physical health and its deterioration since then. He's in terrible physical state. He is dependent on his wife for his care.

"Whatever was going on a year ago has changed dramatically. He has no access to any devices and he's not physically able to operate a device. He poses no risk of further offending and little risk of causing any harm."

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A MAN travelling on a bus from Carlisle city centre left fellow passengers shocked as they saw him expose his genitals and touch himself sexually.

Police identified the culprit after two women reported what they had seen and police examined the bus’s CCTV footage, which allowed them to identify the offender, 43-year-old Carlisle man Scott Barton.

At Carlisle Crown Court, he was sentenced after earlier pleading guilty to an allegation of outraging public decency.

The court heard that two young women boarded the bus in the city centre and, a few stops later, Barton arrived, taking the seat immediately behind them.

One of the women later reported that she noticed Barton touching himself in the groin area, at that stage on top of his clothing. She looked away, but when she glanced in his direction a short time later he was she realised he had removed his genitals from his shorts and appeared sexually aroused.

He was continuing to touch himself, the court heard.

Shocked by this, the two women immediately moved seats, doing their best to ignore him. As they left the bus a short time later, they alerted the bus driver to what they had seen before running home and calling the police.

Judith McCullough, for Barton, of McIlmoyle Way, Denton Holme, said he accepted that his behaviour that day was unacceptable but he denied that he was performing a sex act. His shame and regret for what happened were genuine.

The barrister said: “He has cut down his alcohol intake and no longer misuses drugs.”

At work, said Miss McCullough, Barton was a valued member of his team. The barrister added: “This offence was out of character, an isolated incident.”

Judge David Potter noted that Barton had been medicating his ADHD by regularly using alcohol but what he did on the bus had “clearly caused alarm and distress” to the two females who saw him.

He did what he did in broad daylight, on public transport. “Clearly, it outraged public decency; and it is therefore, in my judgement, serious enough to warrant a community penalty,” said the judge.

Judge Potter imposed a three-year community order, with 20 rehabilitation activity days, a 100-day tagged alcohol abstinence monitoring order, and a requirement to complete an accredited sex offender treatment programme.