Latest Offenders

Description

An online sex offender was caught with a smartphone and software designed to hide his internet history, a court has heard.

Craig Lloyd was handed a suspended prison sentence in 2019 for attempting to incite what he thought was a 12-year-old to engage in sexual activity. As part of his sentence he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order to control his access to the internet including a requirement he must declare any phones he owed to the police.

Hannah George, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that in May this year police officers monitoring the defendant in the community made an unannounced visit to his home. The officers quizzed him about any electronic devices he had and he admitted he had a Samsung phone which he had bought the previous year and which he had not notified them about. Police carried out a search and also recovered a USB memory stick.

Lloyd was arrested and cautioned and told officers "there might be some stuff" on the phone as he had been involved in online chats. An examination of the Samsung found it had software which deleted the internet search history and it also had pictures of children albeit images of fully clothed youngsters and not indecent images.

In his interview the 37-year-old admitted buying the phone from eBay the previous October and not declaring it and said he used it look at pornography.

Craig Anthony Lloyd, of Neath Road, Hafod, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) when he appeared in the dock via videolink from prison for sentencing. In 2019 he was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 24 months for attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. This case involved decoy social media accounts rather than real girls.

Matt Murphy, for Lloyd, said the offence was one "born out of temptation" but that Lloyd hadn't been using the phone "to engage in communications with people he should not". The advocate said the defendant had been working with probation while on the suspended sentence but "further intervention" was required.

Judge Geraint Walters told Lloyd he had been fortunate to avoid immediate prison in 2019 and had he been sentenced under the current Court of Appeal authority he would not have received a suspended sentence, which he said was the defendant's "lucky break".

However having been given a chance the judge said the defendant went on to commit a "wilful and flagrant" breach of the sexual harm prevention order, which showed "a measure of deviousness" on Lloyd's part. He said it was clear the defendant had learned nothing.

Giving Lloyd the required one-third discount for his guilty plea the judge sentenced him to 12 months in prison for the breach and he activated eight months of the previously-imposed suspended sentence to run consecutively making an overall sentence of 20 months in prison. Lloyd will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence.

The sexual harm prevention order remains in place.

Description

Kamil Lesiak was part of a monstrous gang who kidnapped, tortured and raped another man.

He was the last of the group to be jailed after forcing the victim to commit depraved sex acts in a 10-hour attack.

The 27-year-old man was kidnapped in Bootle in November 2015 and kept against his will at a house in Simons Croft, Netherton.

Lesiak and Daniel Misiolek, who was jailed for life with a minimum of nine years in 2016, subjected him to a series of physical and sexual assaults.

Around 90 minutes of his horrifying ordeal were filmed by Misiolek's girlfriend, Awna Baszak, before he finally escaped when the gang left the house.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was initially attacked at a home in Bootle - days after another one of the gang, Dagmara Szary "appeared to have taken offence" to mobile phone photos she claimed to have seen.

Lesiak, 25, of no fixed address, was found guilty of false imprisonment, assault causing actual bodily harm, rape and causing a man to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

He was jailed for 18 years.

Description

A man was imprisoned for eight-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to historic sex abuse against a 14-year-old boy after appearing at Guildford Crown Court on April 8.

Christopher Coleman, 59, of Milford, pleaded guilty to six charges against the same victim, including three counts of gross indecency, two counts of indecent assault and one count of buggery.

The victim came forward in February 2019 after reading an article in a newspaper about Coleman being convicted for similar offences in 2013, following which he received two life sentences, with a minimum of 15 years. This was later reduced on appeal to 12 years.

The victim rang to thank Surrey Police for ensuring Coleman was put behind bars and said he had also been abused by him. An investigation was subsequently launched and Coleman was arrested in June 2019 on suspicion of a number of sexual offences.

Description

Jamie Woodland had horrific images on his mobile.

A Derbyshire man was caught with horrific images of young children being abused on his mobile phone.

Dozens of indecent images were found on the device by police in March this year after they took possession of a phone belonging to Jamie Woodland.

These included some of the very worst type of child abuse images, including ones showing children thought to be between the ages of three and five being raped.

Derby Crown Court was told on Thursday, May 20, that by possessing the mobile phone and by deleting images on a device, the 29-year-old was in breach of an existing Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

That order was given to him at Sheffield Crown Court in 2018, when he was jailed after spending months of sending sexualised messages to an undercover police officer who he thought was a teenager.

Sarah Allen, prosecuting, told the court, that the father-of-two had not told police he had bought a new phone in December last year.

"That was handed to the police by his girlfriend after his arrest," she said.

She said police had found 70 Category A images on the device - the worst type of abuse images.

These included images of girls aged between three and five years old being raped and abused.

The phone also had 17 Category B images showing children between the ages of six and 12, and 83 Category C images.

"He denied he had seen any of the images on the mobile phone, he said he had purchased it and forgotten he had had it," Ms Allen said.

"In August 2018 he was sentenced for two counts of attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

"The police report confirms that he had deleted images from one of the mobile phones on March 10."

Woodland, of Shuttlewood Road, Bolsover, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child, and two breaches of a SHPO.

Katrina Wilson, mitigating, said her client has two children with his ex-girlfriend, with another on the way, and he is keen to maintain contact.

"This is a situation where denials were made at interview - the [guilty] plea was entered at the first chance before your honour," she said.

 "He is still a relatively young man. He has committed these offences, he accepts he has a sentence to serve as a result of that.

"His father is currently in hospital having been put in a coma and being in critical care. Mr Woodland has only just come into that information.

"Prior to his remand he had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. The best that can be said for is that he is trying to make the best of his time in custody."

Judge Shaun Smith said while Woodland had shown remorse, the images found on the phone had been "particularly disgusting" with some involving very young children.

Jailing Woodland for 13 months, he said: "You know there are very real victims in relation to these images. It's a deliberate breach by you."

Description

A man has been jailed for more than two decades for a series of rapes and sexual assaults.

Russell Yeomans committed the vile offences in South Normanton, in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk over the course of four decades.

The predator's horrific criminal past was only brought to light after he sent an explicit image of himself to a schoolgirl in 2019, which was subsequently found on her phone.

After being encouraged to speak to support staff at her school, she revealed several incidents of abuse that happened at an address in Nottinghamshire.

When detectives opened an investigation, they received more complaints from another two victims who had heard about the police's inquiries.

One victim revealed the 58-year-old had begun to abuse her when she was just seven years old and that it culminated with Yeoman's raping her three times when she was a teenager.

Yeomans, of Monksway, Wilford, Nottingham, refused to comment in his first interview with police and denied all the allegations that had been made against him.

He eventually admitted sending the explicit image to the girl and pleaded guilty to one count of causing a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

After Derbyshire police and Nottinghamshire Police worked together to bring the cases to the Crown Prosecution Service, he Yeomans was charged over the other historical offences.

He continued to deny these, but after a two week trial at Nottingham Crown Court he was found guilty of 14 charges.

These were two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, eight indecent assaults on a child under 14, three rapes and one act of gross indecency with a child under 14.

He was sentenced to 22 years in prison and a further five years on licence at the same court on Friday, May 14. He will have to serve at least 14 years before he is considered for parole.

Detective Chief Inspector Darren De'ath, of Derbyshire police's Public Protect Unit, said: "The victims in these cases, one of whom is still a child, should be praised for their strength and bravery in coming forward.

"Yeomans is clearly a very dangerous man and by speaking to officers, they have potentially safeguarded other children."

Detective Constable Paula Wilson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said the "manipulative sexual predator" was caught out after decades of abuse by sending a picture of himself to one of his victims.

"By doing this he unwittingly set in place a chain of events that have quite rightly culminated in a very lengthy custodial sentence," she said.

"The picture he sent to the victim proved to be catalyst for three separate victims to come forward independently with very detailed allegations of abuse – much of which happened a very long time ago.

"Their bravery and determination was absolutely crucial to the success of this prosecution and I am delighted that they have now received justice.

"I would also like to pay tribute to the professionalism and good practice displayed by staff at the latest victim's school, who followed safeguarding procedures to the letter and allowed us to gather very compelling evidence at an early stage.

"Taking into account Yeoman's pattern of behaviour over a very long period of time, I have no doubt that his campaign of abuse would have continued had he not been exposed and convicted for his appalling crimes.

"To any other victims of historic sexual assault I would like to say this – it is never too later to come forward.

"Regardless of how long ago things happened we will listen to you, we will investigate and we will do our very best to get justice for you."

Description

A York man who hid images of children being sexually abused on his mobile phone has been hauled before a judge at York Crown Court again. David Stansfield, of Stirrup Close in Foxwood, served a prison sentence in 2016 for possessing indecent images of children- some involving a child who was just one year old. Police officers turned up at Stansfields home unannounced on 6 February, and found he had breached the rules of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order he has to comply with on his release from prison. The 45-year-old had failed to declare an iPhone found in his car and an iPad he had recently bought. Stansfield told police he had bought the iPad for gaming and insisted the police knew about his iPhone. Judge Sean Morris said: I dont see any point in locking him up for four weeks. There was nothing found on his devices. Hes got a job. Hes re-established himself in the community. He told Stansfield, who now works as a delivery driver, this will be the only time you will walk out of the public entrance of court for a breach of an order. Its not rocket science. Get it in your head. You must obey the order. Youll go to prison next time. Stansfield was handed an 18 month Community Order with a 10 day rehabilitation requirement. His undeclared devices will be destroyed.

Description

James Jeffrey tried to outwit police with PIN protected phones but was caught out. A "predatory" and "manipulative" paedophile has been sent to prison for five years for targeting a 14-year-old girl. James Jeffrey, 45, of Cherry Orchard Road, West Molesey was sentenced to five years in jail yesterday (Tuesday, May 11) at Kingston Crown Court, following an investigation by Surrey Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team. Jeffrey had tried to outwit officers by refusing to cooperate when police tried to access PIN protected phones. But Surrey Police said he was "naive" if he thought he could evade justice for his "appalling" crimes. How did police catch James Jeffrey? In 2018, Surrey Police received intelligence that an email address was being used to post indecent videos of children to an online chat group. The email address was traced to Jeffrey and he was arrested at his work while a search of his home was undertaken. Three mobile phones were seized. Accessing the PIN-protected phones took some time because Jeffrey was uncooperative and refused to provide police with the correct codes. Surrey Police investigators were, however, able to gain access to the phones with the assistance of a forensics lab. They then uncovered a series of explicit WhatsApp and Facebook messenger chats on one of the devices between Jeffrey and a female - who was found to be just 14-years-old. After a trial at Kingston Crown Court in March 2021, Jeffrey was found guilty of sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act and two charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image. Jeffrey has also been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order by the court. Such orders can require offenders to have their internet access monitored, or their movement restricted in public places, such as children's parks. The victim has shown incredible bravery Investigating officer Detective Sergeant James Tibbs from the force's Paedophile Online Investigation Team said: "The victim has shown incredible bravery and determination in helping us with our investigation. "I sincerely hope she and her family can move on from this and that Jeffrey being behind bars for what he has done helps them do that. "Jeffrey is clearly a predatory and manipulative paedophile and it has taken time to get to this point so it's extremely satisfying to see him sentenced." DS Tibbs added: "Surrey Police is committed to fully investigating all offences of this nature and will always follow every line of enquiry to ensure that suspects are identified, located and brought to justice. "Providing a fake PIN like Jeffrey did may delay our investigative work briefly but he was naïve if he thought this was enough to stop us investigating such an appalling crime."

Description

A 'sweating' and 'fully naked' pervert ogled a group of teens from his balcony as he performed a sex act on himself.

A horrified onlooker witnessed Trevor Smith performing the sex act while looking at a group of around nine teenagers on March 18 this year.

She said she "felt physically sick" and called police, who discovered the 50-year-old sweating profusely and "out of breath" as pornography played from his mobile phone.

Chris Hopkins, prosecuting at Liverpool Crown Court, explained the disgusted onlooker lived in an adjacent apartment block and "at about 9.50pm was alerted to a noise in the street".

Mr Hopkins said: "She looked out her window and saw a group of about nine teens, male and female, were walking along in the street.

"She then noticed this defendant hanging out of his window."

Mr Hopkins said he was "well known" by neighbours and the woman recognised him.

Smith had his hand on the window ledge and was "leaning over the window ledge looking towards the ground".

The woman saw when Smith stepped back from the balcony that he was "fully naked" with his "boxer shorts pulled down to his knees".

Mr Hopkins said Smith appeared to be performing a sex act on himself.

He said: "She was horrified and felt physically sick, especially because the group of kids walking passed and he was looking out towards them."

She said it was "disgusting" and near a busy road, adding "anybody could have seen what he was doing".

The horrified woman called police, who arrived to find Smith "wearing a towel", "out of breath" and "sweating".

They searched his bedroom and discovered a bag of cannabis and noted that on his mobile phone "pornography was visibly on display".

On June 19, 2012 Smith was handed a 12-month conditional discharge for outraging public decency.

He was handed a community order for three years in June 2016 for a similar offence which he later breached by failing to comply and for drug and drink driving, for which he was locked up for three months.

On October 24, 2019 he was handed a 26 week sentence suspended for two years after he was found "intoxicated in a lift at a train station thrusting his hips towards a cleaner's cone" which was witnessed by members of the public.

He breached this suspended sentence by committing the offence on March 18 and was remanded into custody. He will also have to serve part of the 2019 sentence that was suspended.

Mark Philips, defending, emphasised it was unlikely the group of teenagers would have seen Smith as he lived on one of the higher floors and it was late at the time of the offence.

He said: "He tells me he has looked at himself whilst in prison and realises his whole offending has been related to drug abuse."

Mr Philips said Smith has started a drug awareness course and he now wants to "start his life".

He explained Smith had completed his suspended sentence in part and carried out Rehabilitation Activity Requirements.

Smith, of Hall Street, St Helens, admitted possession of cannabis, exposure and breaching his suspended sentence order.

Judge Stuart Driver, sentencing, said the offences were aggravated because "you were focused on the group of teenagers when you committed this offence" and because of his criminal record.

The judge jailed him for 10 months.

Smith must also sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Description

A convicted sex offender was taken ill after being jailed for a string of offences.

Alan Ludar-Smith, 46, had to be helped in the dock after he was handed down a three year, four-month sentence, at Norwich Crown Court.

Ludar-Smith, who admitted a number of sex offences, asked a young girl online to send him an indecent photo of her younger sister, said to be aged four.

Ludar-Smith was also found to have indecent images of children and to have distributed indecent images to one other person.

Edward Renvoize, prosecuting, said Ludar-Smith was already a convicted sex offender and said the latest offences came to light after a police protection unit found indecent images on his phone.

A further examination of his phone and laptop found other images including more than 100 in the most serious category.

Mr Renvoize said they also discovered he had been having sexualised chats with two girls under 16, asking one of them to send him pictures of her younger sister, he thought was about four years old.

Mr Revoize said Ludar-Smith also asked to meet one of the girls and offered to pay her fare.

Ludar-Smith, of no fixed address, admitted attempting to engage another to cause a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. attempting to engage a child in sexual activity, downloading indecent images and distribution of indecent images possession of extreme porn and prohibited images.

Jailing him and placing him on the sex offenders register for life, Judge Maureen Bacon said he had an unhealthy sexual interest in young girls.

She said it was not known if the girls he had chatted with were real or not but he had asked one of them to send a picture of her younger sister who was meant to be four.

"You were attempting to cause a child to engage in a sex act and that is a serious offence."

Philip Farr, for Ludar-Smith, said that he was an isolated person and unaware of the gravity of what he was doing.

He said the offences were an attempt rather than any direct contact.

Description

A former Surrey head teacher has been jailed after justice was finally served more than 30 years after he sexually abused a girl on multiple occasions. Over a period of three years during the 1980s, Colin Brooks, now 77, took advantage of the girl's vulnerability to exploit her sexually, forcing her to perform sex acts on him at "every opportunity" according to the judge who sentenced him. He has been sentenced to 28 months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to seven counts of indecent assault on the female victim, having initially accused her of making up the abuse. The defendant, who had since moved to Brixham, in Devon, previously worked as a teacher and headmaster at various educational establishments across the South East of England. He became the head teacher at The Grove School in Hindhead during the 1980s. The school is now known as The Royal School. A sentencing hearing on Monday (May 17) at Guildford Crown Court heard the sexual abuse began in the 1980s when the victim was a teenager, with the first offence taking place during a car journey. Prosecutor Adrian Fleming said: "[Brooks] put his hand on hers to keep it on his leg. He then moved her hand up to near his groin. She became aware that he had an erection." He added that Brooks "pulled the car over, stopped, unzipped his flies" and placed her hand on his privates, before driving on. He only removed it near the end of the journey, "and for the first time of many, he told her 'this is our secret, don't tell anyone'." The court heard how Brooks made "more serious threats" to enforce her silence, including that if she told her mother, she would be sent away or placed into the care system. The abuse continued over a three-year period, during which he kissed her and felt her breasts and she was forced to perform oral sex and other acts on him. Mr Fleming said Brooks visited the victim's house and went into her bedroom "under the pretence of saying goodnight". He said he "showed her how to give him the most pleasure". The victim, who appeared at Guildford Crown Court for the sentencing hearing, read aloud an emotional impact statement to the court, detailing her "most painful memories". She said: "The evening when things began not only shook me to the core, but effectively ended my childhood. I was fairly grown up for my age, but this was on an altogether different scale. "It meant I grew up far more quickly than I should have done and I also learned to be an efficient liar." After the abuse ended, the victim said she "learned to live with the after-effects of what happened" and hoped to put the past behind her. However, she was forced to disclose the sexual abuse to police years later when one of her former partners made allegations which implicated the wrong man. She completed a video interview on November 14, 2018, and Brooks was arrested and interviewed on January 4, 2019, the court heard. In that interview, he denied all the offences, claiming they were "fabrications of the worst kind". He was interviewed a second time on November 28, 2019 and "persisted in those denials". He was later charged and pleaded guilty to all seven counts of indecent assault. Defending Brooks, John Price QC told the court: "He regrets it [his initial denial]. He regrets that he did not take the stance at the police station that he chose to take for the court." In his closing remarks, Judge Jonathan Black said the victim had a difficult childhood and was "vulnerable" at the time the offences were committed. He said Brooks "took full advantage of that vulnerability by exploiting the situation for [his] own gratification" and took "every opportunity" to sexually abuse her.

Severe psychological harm

He said: "She has suffered anxiety, depression, palpitations and loss of sleep. She has described herself as almost broken and is considering early retirement from her employment. She reports symptoms of dissociative disorder. My view is she has suffered severe psychological harm." Detective Constable Rachel Moss, who investigated the case for Surrey Police, said: "Brooks committed the offences while he was in a position of trust and his behaviour is simply reprehensible. "I hope that this case demonstrates to people who have been sexually abused, no matter how long ago the abuse took place, that your allegation will always be taken seriously, we will always conduct a full and thorough investigation and that you will be given the appropriate support." Reacting to the conviction, an NSPCC spokesperson said: "Given his experience in education Brooks would have been well aware of the impact his actions would cause and it's now crucial that his victim receives ongoing support. "It's really important that survivors of child sexual abuse have the confidence to speak out – no matter how long ago the offences took place and no matter who the abuser is."

Description

A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for child sex offences in Telford.

Timothy Schofield, aged 27, of Ken Jones Close, Telford, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday 17 May after he was found guilty following a trial.

The sentence relates to five counts of child sexual offences including grooming and inciting a child of under 13 to send indecent images or have sexual intercourse.  

Detective Sergeant Laura Breeze said: “I am extremely pleased to see this dangerous man taken off the streets and serve several years in prison.

“The sentence reflects how serious his offences are in the way he groomed his victim over a significant amount of time.

“I hope this outcome will give the family closure and serve as a clear warning to anyone who attempts to sexually exploit children that we will work tirelessly to bring them before the courts.

“Tackling child sexual exploitation is a force priority and we will continue to target those committing these offences.”

Description

A WINDSOR man will serve 21 years behind bars after being found guilty of sexually abusing two children between 15 and 30 years ago.

Trevor Smith, formerly of Dedworth Road, Windsor, was convicted of indecently assaulting a girl and raping a boy following a trial in March.

The 56-year-old, who appeared in the dock at Reading Crown Court this morning, was labelled as dangerous by Judge Edward Burgess.

The court heard how Smiths sexual abuse began when he was asked to babysit the girl when she was aged around four-years-old.

She was indecently assaulted by him on this occasion and at least three other occasions up until she was around eight-years-old, the court heard.

He told her that if she were to say anything about the abuse, he would put disgusting photos of her in newspapers.

A statement from the woman who was sexually abused by Smith read: He abused me at such a young age, which has affected me in so many ways.

I had so much potential but I lost confidence because I was consumed by what he did to me.

I feel very angry that he took my childhood away from me.

As a teenager I felt excluded and disregarded. I believe this all stemmed from what he did to me at such a young age.

The second survivor, a man who was raped and sexually assaulted by Smith from around the ages of 8 and 12, said he has suffered from effects including bed-wetting, insomnia, night terrors and stomach disorders in the years since the abuse.

Reading Crown Court heard how the boy was groomed with sweets and snacks and shown porn by Smith.

The mans statement read: What he did to me has affected parts of my life from my school years to my present adult life.

I felt trapped, I was not able to deal with what he did to me. I was made to feel unworthy and felt depressed and suicidal.

I continue to have flashbacks and memory problems. I can still smell him.

I feel like I will always have this darkness over me.

Defending, Rachel Darby said Smith was not in good health following a stroke which left him unable to use his left arm two months ago.

She said: This will not be an easy prison sentence for him to serve.

Sentencing, Judge Edward Burgess slammed Smith for pleading not guilty and forcing a trial, saying he had caused his survivors additional trauma by forcing them to tell of their experiences again.

He scolded Smith for the grave ways he systematically abused the boy, which included rape and sexual assault.

Your abuse of him tragically became part of his formative life, Judge Burgess said.

The effects have been profound and life changing.

There is no doubt you have caused him severe psychological harm.

Addressing Smith about his abuse of the girl, Judge Burgess said his offending had caused her severe distress.

He sentenced Smith to 21 years in prison after he was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault, three counts of indecent assault of a male, two counts of rape, sexual assault of a child under 13 and rape of a child under 13.

Smith, who appeared at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, May 19, will serve half this sentence before being eligible for parole.

Description

He sent the girl a 55 second video clip of him touching himself and said, Do you want daddy, baby? A retired Cammell Lairds worker engaged in filthy online conversations with a 13-year-old girl hoping they could meet up. Colin Robinson, 75, encouraged the child to bunk off school, sent her an indecent video of himself and said he wanted to seduce her. When told she lived in Manchester, he replied: "You are now in big trouble, its just down the M57." But unknown to the Wirral grandad he was actually communicating with an undercover officer going by the name of Lucy, posing as the school girl. Liverpool Crown Court heard that he has no previous sexual convictions and is now remorseful and ashamed, but Judge Gary Woodhall told bald Robinson: "Only a custodial sentence can be justified." Robinson, of Borough Road, Seacombe, had pleaded guilty to five offences involving attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, attempting to incite a child to engage in a sexual act and attempted sexual communication. He had initially pleaded not guilty and had been due to stand trial in August but changed his pleas. Paulus Barnes, prosecuting, told how the offences took place between September 12 and 18, 2019. The undercover officer set up a decoy profile on Kik Messenger using the handle Lulu Girly Girl and also set up Gmail and Skype accounts. On September 12 that year she logged onto a free to use site called Chat To You. Mr Barnes said: "She received a private message from Aged Mariner, 66 years from Merseyside. She told him she was only 13 and he said 'Mmm that is so hot xxxYou are lovely'." She accepted a friend request from him which also displayed the name Colin Robbo and he began sexualised conversations with her. Mr Barnes said: "He wanted to seduce her. "The officer told him she was still at school but off school. He asked her to touch herself and began instructing her to masturbate herself." He made various other highly sexualised remarks and asked if he could call her. He said he had spent the weekend fishing and playing golf but had been thinking about her which had aroused him. Robinson made similar comments in other conversations and told her what he wanted to do to her and asked her to miss school but when she said she could not travel to him he became aggressive and dominating. The next day he apologised but continued telling her what he wanted to do sexually with her, said Mr Barnes. He sent her a 55-second video clip of him touching himself and said: "Do you want daddy, baby?" Robinson was identified and traced and interviewed on October 21 and confirmed he used the Chat To You site under the name Aged Mariner, but said he thought the site was for adults only. Mr Barnes said: "He said if he had been chatting to someone 13 he would have told them to find someone of their own age." He maintained he did not recall speaking to anyone aged 13 and when told he had been speaking to an undercover officer he said he had been entrapped. The court heard that he has six previous convictions for 13 offences involving dishonesty, with the last one in 1978. Judge Woodhall told Robinson: "You have expressed disgust at your behaviour and said you are ashamed. When interviewed you continued to deny sexual gratification. That is utter nonsense." He said he accepted he has health problems, has no similar convictions and that the delay in the case reaching sentence was not entirely Robinson's fault. But Judge Woodhall ruled that it was so serious there had to be an immediate jail sentence. The judge said the chat conversations "from the outset were highly sexualised". He said the grandad had encouraged her "to bunk off school" and "made reference to the fact she lived a short distance away down the motorway no doubt implying you could meet". Zahra Baqri, defending, had told the court: "My client is utterly disgusted with his actions over those few day in 2019. He accepts he is at real risk of being sentenced to immediate imprisonment but I invite you to suspend the term." She said: "He accessed dating applications on the computer in order to speak to adult women so his original use was legitimate. "He accepts he did think and knew he was talking to a 13-year-old child and continued with these communications. He accepts that." Ms Baqri pointed out that there was no real victim and no sexual activity took place between them. She said: In his probation report he speaks about feeling confusion and shame. "He had started employment at the age of 15 and worked for Cammell Lairds for 50 years. He has a strong close family including siblings, children and their offspring." She added: "He unreservedly apologises for the humiliation and upset he has caused his family. He apologies for his vile and scandalous behaviour." Robinson was jailed for two years. He was also ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same length of time.

Description

A paedophile used library computers to search for 'Harry Potter erotica' and 'fetish sites' which focused on children in their underwear.

Melissa Wilson, whose name was given in court listings as "Paul Wilson, also known as Melissa Wilson", managed to bypass security systems at Liverpool Central Library and Toxteth Library, later confessing to the crimes in a letter from her alter ego, Dan Thompson.

After creating library accounts the 34-year-old would attend "almost every other day" and used a Russian search engine "associated with accessing illegal files".

Liverpool Crown Court heard as well as looking up "Harry Potter erotica with a focus on Hermione Granger", Wilson searched "children porn" and "young girls modelling underwear".

In a letter from her alter ego she claimed she wanted to go back to prison because she felt 'accepted for who she is and who she wants to be'.

Nick Cockrell, prosecuting, explained Wilson's probation officer received the letter from Wilson's alter ego, Dan Thompson, detailing how she had bypassed library security systems.

Mr Cockrell said: "Merseyside Police received information Miss Wilson had been using computers at Liverpool City Libraries and Toxteth Libraries."

Mr Cockrell explained Wilson accessed the computers between July 10 and October 23 in 2019 on 86 days, "multiple times a week".

Wilson went on a chat forum which doesn't require the user to register and on which "illegal images of children are shared".

He explained the investigating officer went on the website during his investigation and a child sex abuse image "remained visible for 10 minutes before a moderator removed it".

Wilson also used a Russian search engine which had been "associated with accessing illegal files".

Mr Cockrell said there were times when Wilson would use the library computers to search for jobs but said there seemed to be a "lot more activity centring around the chat site".

Judge David Swinnerton explained one site which was accessed was a "sort of children's underwear fetish site" on which children between the ages of three and five were pictured in underwear.

The judge said they "can't say the defendant viewed that particular image" but she did click on the link.

Mr Cockrell said on the search there was reference to a username "c**face" and 13 photographs of two young girls aged between three and five who were either in their pyjamas or topless.

On July 10 Wilson searched for "Harry Potter erotica with a focus on Hermione Granger", "Lolicon", which refers to an attraction to prepubescent girls, Mr Cockrell explained.

Mr Cockrell explained she had also used Facebook Messenger, an American chat site and a UK chat forum as well as a chat room designed specifically for teens.

The court heard Wilson was charged for breaching her Sexual Harm Prevention Order in February 2021, which she later admitted in court.

Her first offence was in April 2008 for indecent images of children and was given a community order which she then breached twice in the same year and was jailed again having more indecent images of children.

Wilson then consistently breached court orders in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

In August 2015 she was jailed four years with an extended four years on licence for threats to kill, possession of prohibited images and breaching notification requirements.

In total Wilson had six previous convictions for 39 offences.

Mike O'Brien, defending, said there was "no excuse for her behaviour" and said she accepted the "persistent" breaches.

He said at the time of the offences she "wasn't welcome or accepted in her local community" and she "felt a sense of hopelessness".

He explained Wilson had applied for training courses and voluntary work but would "hit a brick wall" at the interviews which Mr O'Brien said was most likely due to her previous convictions.

He said: "A letter from Dan Thompson, her alter ego, explains initially she committed these offences in order to be returned to prison."

Mr O'Brien added: "She feels safer and happier in that environment."

He said she has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and "identifies as a female even though she was born as a male".

He said she felt accepted in prison by the guards, doesn't feel isolated and is able to get help when she needs it.

Mr O'Brien said: "Even the inmates accept her for who she is and who she wants to be."

He added Wilson, who is serving her sentence at HMP Altcourse, suffers from asperger's and multiple personality disorder.

Judge Swinnerton, sentencing, said: "You have a lengthy and growing criminal record which revolves around your interest in indecent images of children and your repeated breaches of the orders which try to prevent you from accessing such images of children."

The judge said: "Some of the search terms you were using revolved around what I would describe as fetish sites of children in their underwear."

The judge added she "quite deliberately" accessed chatrooms despite a clause in the Sexual Harm Prevention Order which specified she could not.

The judge said he also took account of the delay which was "no fault of yours" and "will impact upon the earliest time on which you can apply for parole".

Judge Swinnerton said: "I understand for various reasons life on the outside must be difficult for you.

"I understand that it would be difficult for you to get a job."

The judge added that "a lot of that is down to you" for persistently breaching court orders and that if it didn't change "you're not going to find a constructive role".

Judge Swinnerton added that she would "waste a lot of your life behind bars" if she didn't stop offending.

Wilson was jailed for 32 months, although she will continue to serve a sentence after being recalled until June 23 2022.

She must sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and was ordered to adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

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A predatory paedophile who subjected three children to sexual abuse has been jailed.

Paul Berry's crimes date back to the 1980s when he indecently assaulted a young girl.

Then, in the mid 2000s, Berry, from Gateshead, began abusing two young boys when he would make sexual advances towards them and sexually assault them.

The victims all bravely came forward in 2019 to report the abuse and an investigation was launched by Northumbria Police's Safeguarding unit.

Berry , 60, was arrested and denied all the allegations but a jury found him guilty of 12 counts of sexual assault at Newcastle Crown Court in March.

On Friday, May 14, at the same court, he was sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

Detective Constable Stefan Noakes, leading the investigation, welcomed the sentence and praised the bravery of the victims throughout this case.

Det Con Noakes said: "This has been such a long process for these victims but now thankfully they are getting the justice they deserve.

"Berry thought he was able to get away with his crimes by lying his way throughout this investigation but the jury saw through his deceit and he now faces the consequences of his actions.

"He made the victims endure further trauma by taking the case to trial but their strength and determination has been incredible and I hope now they can close off this awful chapter of their lives and move forward knowing Berry is behind bars where he belongs."

Berry, of Pattinson Gardens, Felling, has also been handed an indefinite Serious Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which places restrictions on him when he is released from prison and he will have to sign the sex offenders register for life.