Latest Offenders

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Portsmouth Crown Court today heard the full extent of Jamie Wallers sexual interest in children as he was jailed for five years.

The 25-year-old married determined and manipulative paedophile was back in court after being handed a suspended term when he was caught by a vigilante in May last year.

But today it emerged police later re-examined his phones and found disturbing conversations with a 13-year-old girl dating to 2017, and 864 indecent images of children - all predating his first arrest.

Some images showed a girl as young as five being raped by men.

Bullying the teenage girl into sending images, Waller had said: If you post to me I wont put it out anywhere or show your mum - you should do whatever I say.

Waller called her a little slut and brought in a 50-year-old paedophile to their shared chat. The girl was told: I bet your parents dont know you have that thong.

Prosecutor Charles Digby revealed even while the former learning disability worker Waller was on a suspended sentence his offending did not stop.

In October last year, he told an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl that he loved her and wanted her to send naughty pictures.

When the officer said shed been warned about that kind of thing at school, Waller replied: Its normal for people in love.

Waller, of South Street, in Gosport, was arrested at work in Dunelm in Southampton on November 8 in 2019.

Mr Digby said Waller published explicit images on social media and shared them with other paedophiles, and forced the teenager to call him master as she begged the pervert to leave her alone. This related to the girl he spoke to in 2017.

Waller also had explicit images and discussions with an unidentified girl, the court heard.

Detailing the prosecution case, judge Roger Hetherington said: You are a determined and manipulative paedophile as demonstrated by your consistent behaviour since 2017, and you have used threats and blackmail to goad females you believed to be 13 or about that age into filming acts which were bound to cause feelings of fear, degradation and humiliation.

You also used social media to publish those photographs and you were to attract the attention of others from the wider paedophile community and involved them in chat sites with the victim.

He added: Your behaviour in blackmailing (the girl) with further pictures and claims to be her father is likely to cause her psychological harm.

Eleanor Fargin, for Waller, said when he was arrested he had only undergone a sex offender treatment programme for around three weeks. She said he was autistic and he struggled to empathise with the victims of child abuse.

Waller admitted three charges of making indecent images, two of distributing, two of causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and sexual communication with a child.

He also admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause or incite a girl to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to see a sexual image, and breaching his suspended sentence.

Waller was first arrested on July 21, 2018, at his home when a category A indecent image was found on his phone. No action was then taken, the court heard.

By April 6, 2019, he was snared by a paedophile hunter posing as a 13-year-old girl. Waller was arrested and handed a suspended sentence in May that year.

Waller, who poses a high risk of serious harm to children, must sign the sex offenders' register for life. The judge imposed a sexual harm prevention order for life. Waller did not attempt to meet any child.

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Nathan Stanley, aged 22, from Bromsgrove was sentenced to four years in prison at Worcester Crown Court earlier this week and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life. He had pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Stanley was also subjected to an eight-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. West Mercia Police has now released an image of the then 19-year-old following his arrest on May 12, 2017. The smirking, ruffled haired suspect was brought in for questioning after a victim came forward.

Investigating officers subsequently identified a number of other vulnerable children who had fallen prey to his devious acts. Today their bravery in coming forward and help to put Stanley behind bars was commended by Detective Lisa Duncan who expressed hope it may encourage other victims of similar crimes to speak out.

She said: "I would like to pay tribute to the excellent work by my officers in dealing with this case and tracing a number of the victims involved. Moreover, I want to pay tribute to the courage and bravery of every single victim in coming forward to provide evidence of Mr Stanley’s offending.

“I hope this case encourages other victims to speak out against those who have abused them in order to gain the justice they deserve and prevent further dangerous offending. We want victims to know that we will always treat their reports seriously, they will be listened to and we will do all we can to bring them the justice they are owed."

The officer also issued a warning to parents about the dangers of their children using the internet on the back of the case. Det Insp Duncan added: "Stanley is a predator who preyed on vulnerable members of our community and has rightly been brought to justice.

"He targeted children using false profiles on social media platforms and incited children to engage in sexual communications and activity which he knew was wrong both morally and legally."

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A dad who sent sexual messages and images to whom he thought were three children was in fact speaking to decoys, a court heard.

Aled Jones believed he was speaking to a 10-year-old girl when he said he wanted to have sex with her, sent an explicit image of himself, and warned her not to show it to her parents.

The 32-year-old, of Dewi Avenue, Holywell, also "pleaded" with whom he thought were two 14-year-old girls for sexual images of themselves, after telling them in explicit terms what he wanted to do with them.

However, Mold Crown Court heard Jones was talking to online undercover paedophile hunter group pretending to be young girls.

Judge Timothy Petts jailed him for 28 months after he admitted seven attempted child sex offences.

They included three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child aged 14 to look at an image of sexual activity, attempting to cause a child aged 14 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence, and attempting to cause a child aged 10 to watch a sexual act.

The Airbus worker was made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for the same period.

Judge Petts said: "The offences you committed sexually were against people you believed were children.

"Unbeknown to you, they were all adult decoys.

In each case, you knew the age they were purporting to be and that did not deter you in turning the discussions to sexual language, sexualised requests and grooming behaviour.

Prosecuting barrister Oliver King, said the messages were sent on KIK, and the most explicit was to the fictional 10-year-old who mhe suggested having sex with.

Asked whether she liked dirty talk, he followed the conversation up asking for a picture, and by asking whether she ever wore tight jeans or a thong.

Despite making it clear she was uncomfortable with the chat and changing the subject, Mr King said Jones groomed her and tried to build her trust by talking about pets.

When he seemed to have developed her trust, he then turned the conversation back round to whether she had ever been kissed, Mr King said.

At one point, the court heard how he began messaging the decoy from work.

He even went as far as saying he had previously had sexual encounters with other girls and that he had made them feel ok.

The defendant also asked the fictional 14-year-old girl whether she wanted a boyfriend, before turning the conversation to what clothes she wore.

He asked whether she wore tight jeans or leggings, before eventually moving on to what underwear she had on.

Encouraging her to send explicit images, he sent one of his torso and asked for one in return.

Jones told the girl she was hot and that he had become sexually aroused by her.

He explained to her what that meant when she told him she did not understand, and then sent her an explicit image.

The defendant then asked whether he would let him touch her in private places.

Contacting a second decoy around the same time, who he also thought was a 14-year-old girl, Jones followed the same pattern of discussion.

He told the girl he wanted to kiss her and join her in the shower, before pleading with her to send images of her bottom.

Mr King said Jones made no secret of where he lived, where he worked and that he had a young daughter.

The chat logs gathered by the decoys were passed on and a sting was carried out where members of the vigilante group turned up at the defendant's address and confronted him.

It was live streamed on Facebook, the court heard, before being passed on to the police.

Jones was arrested on December 21 and admitted the offences.

Asked why he had engaged in sexualised chat with children, he said he did not know.

Defending barrister Andrew Green said Jones had never been in trouble with the police before and that the defendant had told him how the experience had scared him for life.

Mr Green said: Its important to recognise the seriousness of these offences and that they represent a sexual interest in children."

He added the offences had broken his family. He said Jones had also lost his reputation and employment as a result.

Many people would feel that he deserves nothing less, Mr Green added.

He argued Jones best mitigation was his early guilty plea, that he had no previous convictions and had shown remorse.

Recognising there were three potential victims and that activity was incited, he stressed the activity was never going to occur because they were not real children.

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A MAN has been jailed after raping and assaulting a woman in the perimeter of West Quay shopping centre.

Krystian Kwarta, aged 20 of Keyhaven Road, Milford-on-Sea, has been jailed for eight years with an additional four years on licence following the assault on the 21-year-old victim as she walked to work in Southampton city centre on Saturday, February 15.

Police launched an investigation after a woman reported that a man unknown to her grabbed her from behind and raped her in the perimeter of West Quay shopping centre.

Officers from Southampton's Operation Amberstone team immediately analysed extensive CCTV that covered the area of West Quay retail park and identified a man in the area where the rape happened.

CCTV showed that shortly before 8am, the man, now known as Kwarta, started following the woman towards the shopping centre. Moments later she was violently attacked and raped by him.

Having identified the potential suspect, extensive CCTV analysis was carried out which led officers to a home in Milford-on-Sea. Kwarta was arrested and taken to Southampton Central police station for questioning and it was confirmed that his DNA matched the DNA left at the scene.

Officers charged Kwarta on 18 February with two counts of rape and one count of assault. He pleaded guilty to the charges at Southampton Crown Court on March 20 and today he was setenced to eight years in prison with an additional four years on licence.

Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Claire Ratcliffe said: "This was a premeditated, violent attack on a young woman who was on her way to work.

"It was clear that Kwarta had been waiting in the area before seeing his victim and following her to carry out his brutal attack. Following a fast paced investigation by Southampton's Operation Amberstone team, which shows our determination to find a dangerous offender in the community and ensure justice for the victim, Kwarta was arrested and charged within days of him carrying out his brutal crime.

"The forensic evidence along with the CCTV footage gave Kwarta little option but to enter guilty pleas and I am pleased that we have been able to bring him to justice and avoid this woman having to relive her ordeal in court.

"This has understandably been a traumatic time for the victim and I would like to commend her for her bravery and courage in coming forward and reporting what happened. I hope that today's sentence will give her some closure and help her to begin moving forward in her life.

"In cases such as these, we work in partnership with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service, Yellow Door to ensure adequate support is available victims throughout investigations. We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourage victims to come forward and report their experiences to us."

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Serial rapist Joseph McCann was free to attack his victims when he was mistakenly released from prison due to "major failings" by "unstable" and inexperienced probation staff, a review has found. Officials were warned McCann had the hallmarks of a sex offender as early as 2011, but probation officers missed eight chances to keep him behind bars, according to an independent case review. The 34-year-old dealt with 10 staff over the 11 years he was known to authorities and had three different probation officers in the months before he was wrongly released from prison in February 2019, the report added. He went on to rape, abduct and assault 11 women and children between the ages of 11 and 71 in a terrifying 15-day rampage two months later. A review of the case ordered by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland and carried out by Chief Inspector of Probation Justin Russell laid bare repeated errors in failing to recall McCann to prison despite him posing a major risk. Weeks before he carried out the attacks in Watford, London and the North West of England, he was automatically released from jail due to a probation service mistake, the review found. But had he been recalled to prison, he would have been kept behind bars until a parole board decided he was safe to release, it said.

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Brian Hemborough 'systematically' searched for the abuse images, claiming he used them as a perverted 'safety net' to stop himself abusing children.

Hemborough was already being monitored by police - following convictions in 1989, 2004, 2013 and 2016 - when his devices were seized and checked.

So many images and videos were uncovered that police just took a sample of 15,000 from the 55-year-old's devices.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard some children were in 'discernible pain' in the images, and were as young as two.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said the defendant twice lied to police claiming he had no internet-enabled devices, telling officers in December 2018 'he was hoping he would get something' like that for Christmas.

The socially-distanced public gallery containing two people erupted as judge Roger Hetherington jailed Hemborough with cries of 'he's ruined people's lives'.

One man shouted '12 months?' as judge Hethering jailed the defendant for 32 months.

Hemborough admitted eight charges of making indecent images, two breaches of a sexual offences prevention order and three charges of possession of indecent images.

He was secretly viewing the images between December 2015 and January this year.

Jailing him, the judge said: 'When the police attended your premises earlier this year it was found that you had a number of devices which on analysis were found to contain a very large quantity of indecent images at all levels and including moving images - on the basis of the sample taken, a little under 15,000.'

The judge said Hemborough had a 'very significant record of previous convictions including various contact offences' in 1989 when he was jailed for 10 years.

Detailing probation's findings, the judge added: 'You at times sought to justify what you did, to minimise the reality that you plainly harbour supportive beliefs in the area of child abuse and you have a high degree of preoccupation (in children) - all those are very troubling matters.'

He added: 'You told the police that you have used indecent images as what was termed by you as a safety net to prevent yourself committing contact offences.'

Hemborough must sign the sex offenders' register for life, and is subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Philip Allman, mitigating, said his client was 'willing to address his issues' and added: 'He has gone to great efforts to learn about his desires and how to combat them.'

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One of Scotlands most dangerous sex attackers has been granted a parole hearing just five years into a life sentence. Patrick Chinskie was described as a clear danger to women when he was sentenced in 2015 after being convicted of raping five women over 23 years. The sadistic serial attacker was made the subject of an Order For Lifelong Restriction with an initial punishment term of seven years. But now Chinskies victims have been contacted by the Scottish Prison Service to be told the rapist will be able to ask to be released on licence at a parole hearing later this summer. It is understood that time served on remand means the original seven-year term has been reduced to just over five. Yesterday, Chinskies first victim said the justice system had betrayed her and the other women he attacked.Now 58 and a grandmother, the woman, who was forced to leave the West Lothian village she had grown up in to get away from Chinskie, said: If he is freed, there is no justice in the world. Chinskie, 55, originally from Strathspey, attacked women in Paisley, Nairn, Inverness, Bathgate and Glasgow, He used makeshift weapons and knives to permanently disfigure some of his victims. His first victim was raped on various occasions between 1990 and 1993 in Glasgow and West Lothian. Chinskie once jumped on the bonnet of her car as she tried to escape him, smashing his way through her windscreen. He used a set of metal pliers on another victim and demanded she have an abortion, pulling her out of a car and raping her in a field. He later burnt her with cigarettes. His first victim said: When police knocked on my front door five years ago, I was forced to relive the horror of every single beating, punch and kick. I still have flashbacks today of the awful things he inflicted on me. It took all my strength to testify in court against him because I was determined to stop him destroying other women, and when he was sentenced to life I at least thought he would be kept in jail for a long time. When I received a letter from the parole board last Wednesday telling me that he is applying for early release, I was physically sick. How anyone could believe that it is safe to release Chinskie after just five years is beyond me. The victim added: If Id known that hed be able to apply for parole after so little time, I would have seriously questioned whether it was worth putting myself through the pain of giving evidence in court and reliving everything he did to me. This isnt justice for me, for any of us. Ive been unable to trust anyone since. Even now, a loud noise or anyone shouting takes me right back to being a victim so theres been no escape for me. Sandy Brindley of Rape Crisis Scotland said: There is something very wrong with a system which puts these women through the agony of having to confront the prospect of his release after only five years into a life sentence. Time and time again we hear from survivors about how the justice system is intimidating and re-traumatising. More broadly, Scotlands response to sexual crimes is just not acceptable. The Parole Board of Scotland said it did not comment on individual cases but added: Order for Lifelong Restriction prisoners are considered, at the end of the punishment part, set by the trial judge, of their sentence, for possible release on licence by the Board. Under the Victim Notification Scheme, the Scottish Prison Service will write to registered victims under the terms of the scheme nearer the time the prisoner is due to be considered by the Parole Board. The Board will not direct release until it is satisfied that the prisoner can be safely managed in the community.

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A sex pest who has "repeatedly proven he is a danger to women" has been jailed again.

Richard Enderby Hall-Trafford, 24, was jailed for 34 weeks last year after he admitted sexually assaulting two women, flashing at a jogger and performing a sex act in public in Corby.

He was deemed so dangerous magistrates banned him from approaching, touching or attempting to engage with any unknown female for five years through a sexual harm prevention order.

But on May 23, just months after he was released from prison, he sexually assaulted another woman in Spencer Street, Burton Latimer.

He admitted sexual assault and breaching the order by touching his victim and he has now been jailed for 18 weeks.

A further two weeks in prison was added to his sentence because he failed to meet supervision requirements after he was released earlier this year, meaning his risk was "unmanageable", making his total sentence 20 weeks behind bars.

A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: We are pleased to see Richard Hall-Trafford given time behind bars as he has repeatedly proven that he is a danger to women.

Everyone in this world deserves the right to go about their business without fear of being approached inappropriately and Hall-Trafford has continuously threatened that right.

Northamptonshire Police is committed to taking action against sex offenders and we hope that Hall Traffords conviction demonstrates that commitment.

As part of his sentence Hall-Trafford, of Dumble Close in Corby, will also be on the register for sex offenders for seven and must not contact his most recent victim because of a restraining order.

The pervert must also pay his victim 200 in compensation, court costs of 145 and a surcharge to fund victim services of 128.

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A man found unanimously guilty of violently beating and raping a woman in Charlton has today been sentenced to 16 years in prison. Detectives desrcibed it as "one of the most shocking cases we've ever dealt with" due to the violence used by Osman Suleyman, of no address. The 31-year-old has been found guilty of raping a 23-year-old female, who was known to the offender, after she returned with friends to a flat in Charlton after a night out on October 4, 2019. Suleyman demanded the victim perform sexual acts on him as payment for drugs and alcohol, then turned violent, repeatedly striking her face using a knuckle duster and the sheath of a knife. He then forced the victim to perform a sex act on him and raped her. Suleyman told the woman that if she told police, he would kill her. A friend called police shortly after the incident, and police forced entry into the flat, finding blood smeared on the walls and kitchen door and arrested Suleyman at the scene. On March 17, at Woolwich Crown Court, Suleyman had been unanimously found guilty of two counts of rape, assault (ABH), threats to kill and false imprisonment. Suleyman was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on 26 June to 16 years in prison and an extended five years on licence. As a result of the horrific ordeal, the victim suffered extensive injuries, including cuts and bruises to her face and body. Detective Constable Ben Harrington of the South East Command Unit said: "This was a horrible crime and the victim was subjected to a dreadful ordeal. "Thankfully she has been able to recover from her injuries, but the impact of such a crime goes beyond the physical injury. The Met recognises the traumatic nature of such crimes and that is why victims are supported by specialist officers. I hope that seeing the man responsible brought to justice will help her recovery. Suleyman is a violent man and the jury found him unanimously guilty on all charges. This is certainly one of the most shocking cases I have ever had to deal with. The violence used was appalling. Suleyman now faces a long term in prison for his crime; it is thoroughly deserved. During the court case, it was heard that on October 4, Suleyman and a number of others were out in Woolwich Town Cetre, including a 23-year-old woman known to him. The group returned in the early hours of Saturday, October 5, to a flat in Charlton which was the home of one of Suleyman's friends, and he was temporarily staying there. Police said that up until this point, the evening had been good-natured, but Suleyman's mood began to change and he demanded that the victim perform sexual acts on him as payment for drugs and alcohol he bought. When the woman refused, Suleyman became violent and repeatedly struck her in the face with several objects, including a knuckle duster, kicked her, then raped her. Almost immediately, after leaving the address, the victim saw a friend who could see she was in distress and the friend called the police. Police attended and spoke to the victim, who was taken to hospital. Officers located the address where the offence happened and forced entry, Suleyman was present at the location and arrested. At the scene there were clear signs of disturbance with blood smeared on the walls and on a kitchen door. There was also clothing and bedding items in a washing machine which appeared to be bloodstained. In interview Suleyman simply said he had not raped or assaulted anyone and answered no comment to all further questions put to him. HORRIBLE CRIME DREADFUL ORDEAL VIIOLENT MAN, UNANIOUSLY GUILTY, one of the most shocking cases ive ever had to deal wityh, the violence used was appalling. thoughtylu deserved

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A PAEDOPHILE who searched the internet for "pre-teen boys" and "very, very young porn" has been given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

Christopher Wagstaff appeared before Southampton Crown Court facing charges of creating indecent images of children.

He initially pleaded not guilty at Southampton Magistrate's Court however changed this to guilty at a Crown Court plea and trial preparation hearing.

The court heard how police raided the 50-year-old's home in Foldsgate Close, Lyndhurst based on "intelligence".

They seized a tower computer and a Toshiba laptop on October 17, 2017.

During his first police interview Wagstaff did not comment.

But when officers went on to scan his PC they found three Category B indecent images of children.

Meanwhile, his laptop had four category C images.

Further police investigations found how Wagstaff had searched the internet for terms including "pre-teen boys" and "very, very young porn".

He was interviewed again and did not comment.

Defence barrister, Jonathan Underhill told the court how no moving images were found on Wagstaff's computers. He argued there were a small amount images on the devices when compared to other cases.

And, that Wagstaff was the subject of some degree of abuse as a child.

The court heard that Wagstaff has mild learning difficulties.

Based on a doctors report, 99 per cent of people the same age as him have a higher IQ.

Judge Henry gave Wagstaff a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and a 30-month community order.

He will have to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, rehab of up to 15 days and a 90 day scheme for men convicted of sexual offences.

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A SOUTHAMPTON paedophile has been jailed for 13-months.

Adam Piggott appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Friday faced with charges of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to meet a child for sexual activity.

Using social media, the 31-year-old messaged a 13-year-old-girl called Molly between October 28 and November 7, 2019.

He started the conversation by sending her a message from a profile with the name of Martin – his middle name.

Piggot, of Mansfield Park Street, asked what she was "into" and what she looked like, the court heard.

Molly sent a photo – which he deemed "cute" – and then sent an image of himself back.

His messages eventually turned more explicit and more sexual.

Little did he know, Molly was not a real girl.

An online police unit tasked with catching paedophiles had created a fictional profile.

Prosecutor, Dawn Hyland told how Piggott asked if "Molly" had been with an older man.

He offered to meet her and they made arrangements for when his girlfriend was at work.

Piggott asked Molly not to tell anybody.

They agreed to meet at McDonald's in Shirley High Street on November 7.

Piggott drove in and out of the restaurant's car park searching for Molly in vain.

After pulling up in a cul-de-sac opposite he was snared by officers.

During a police interview, he admitted he knew she was 13-years-old and he wanted to meet for sex.

He said it had dawned on him she was not real and he could not give a specific reason why he sent messages.

Transcripts of their exchanges totalled 81 pages.

Defence barrister, Jamie Gammon said: "He [Piggott] is a man of good character and has no previous convictions."

And, that he had taken steps to address his offending behaviour – including hypnotherapy.

Gammon argued that Piggott is "clearly a man with mental health problems" and furthermore he had pleaded guilty.

For his "serious crimes", Judge Henry sentenced him to 13-months in prison and gave him a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A FORMER New Forest man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for the brutal rape of a woman as she walked through a park.

Luke West (29) was found guilty by a jury at Winchester Crown Court following an 11-day trial in which he was also convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on his victim, a cleaner in her 40s.

She had been walking through Lower Gardens in Bournemouth on her way to work early one morning last November when West from behind grabbed her around the neck and then raped her.

The attack was so violent the court was told she thought she was going to die. The victim was found a short time later, naked and badly injured.

She was treated in hospital for a fracture to her eye socket, and significant bruising to her face, neck, chest and arms.

A major investigation was launched by Dorset Police, which included an extensive trawl of CCTV footage, and a man seen running away from the area was identified as a suspect.

The following evening officers stopped a man matching the description of the suspect. He gave a false name but was arrested and confirmed to be West, who was living at an address in Durley Chine Road in the town. Detectives also obtained DNA evidence linking West to the offence.

West denied both allegations of rape and causing grievous bodily harm but the jury took just three hours to convict him on both counts.

In 2015 West, who was then living in Dinham Road, Ashley, had been jailed for four years for holding his girlfriend at knifepoint and threatening to kill her. He punched and bit her because he believed she had been sleeping with other men.

West, who had previously lived in Cadnam, had earlier convictions for assault and robbery.

After the verdict and sentencing at Winchester, Det. Insp. Wayne Seymour, of Dorset Polices major crime investigation team, said: This was a despicable offence, which saw Luke West subject his victim not only to a terrifying sexual attack but also a brutal physical assault.

While it can be of little consolation to the victim in this case, thankfully incidents of this nature are extremely rare in this area and I am grateful to all the officers and police staff who worked tirelessly on this investigation so that we were able to swiftly identify West as the suspect and apprehend him.

He added: Finally, I would like to praise the victim for the incredible bravery she has shown in supporting the investigation.

She has been through a truly horrific ordeal and for her to have shown the courage to give evidence at trial, and help bring this dangerous offender to justice, I hope will inspire others who have been subjected to such terrible offences and help give them the strength to come forward.

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A man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years over indecent images of children.

Graham Robert Mead, from Coulsdon, was yesterday (Thursday, June 18) sentenced to a total of 30 months at Guildford Crown Court for a number of offences, including making and taking indecent images of children.

Mead, 46, of Portnalls Road, had admitted arranging or commissioning a child sex offence, making an indecent photograph of a child, and three offences of taking indecent images of a child at earlier hearings.

A Surrey Police investigation was launched in February last year after a tip-off about Meads online activity.

Their investigation showed he had been using the messaging app Kik to look for individuals who had children or access to them. Detectives also identified a vulnerable teenage victim, who Mead had taken advantage of.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Steve Branch said: We welcome the sentence the court has imposed. It sends a clear message to anyone targeting or abusing children that you cannot hide online or behind a username.

"We will find you and investigate your activity thoroughly to bring you to justice.

Our inquiries showed Mead had 2,500 chat logs on his mobile device from Kik. He would seek others who had access to children in order to facilitate sexual abuse and sought indecent images. It became clear Mead was extremely manipulative and this sentence demonstrates just how seriously the courts took our concerns for the safety of those that he may have come into contact with."

The sentencing has led to officers reminding parents and carers to help children understand the dangers of using the internet.

They are urged to talk to their children and allow them to feel comfortable about raising any issues or concerns they have and ensure the youngsters are aware that people arent always who they say they are online.

Parents and teenagers are urged to know the signs of grooming, whether online or in person, and are encouraged to report any suspicions to police.

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A former Burton gym instructor has been jailed after raping a woman three times.

Braden Rae admitted three counts of rape in Burton when he appeared before Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday, June 11.

The court heard the 44-year-old, a former gym instructor in Burton now living in Derbyshire, raped his victim twice in 2014, then again 2015.

The woman later confided in a friend before making a report to police officers.

Rae, now of Lace Maker's Close, Borrowash, Derbyshire, has been jailed for eight years after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing at the court.

Detective Constable Amy Gathergood, of Staffordshire Police, said: "The bravery of the witness in coming forward to the police has led to Braden Rae's jail term.

"We will always do whatever it takes to bring offenders to justice, while ensuring victims and their families are offered the support they need."

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A dangerous sex offender has been sent back to prison after he was caught trying to chat up teenage girls within months of his release.

Mark Phillips was freed after serving six years of a ten year sentence for having sex with a 14-year-old girl who he threatened with a hunting knife.

Police applied for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after learning that he was contacting schoolgirls on chatrooms and social media.

He has been jailed after he was caught going shopping in Exeter with a 16-year-old girl, who he also plied with alcohol.

He was declared to be a dangerous offender when he was jailed at Truro Crown Court in 2013 for three offences of penetrative sexual activity with a child.

Those offences involved him starting a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl in his home town of Callington when he was 23.

He took her virginity on Valentines Day but became controlling, manipulative and abusive and ended up putting a knife to her throat.

He was released from Dartmoor Prison in April last year and was living in a post-release hostel in Exeter when the police discovered he was trying to contact under-aged girls again.

Officers obtained a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which banned any contact with anyone under 18 either in person or online.

He broke the order five weeks later by messaging the 16-year-old, taking her shopping in John Lewis in Exeter, and buying her a can of alcohol.

Phillips, now aged 30 and of Howell Road, Exeter, admitted two breaches of the SHPO and was jailed for two years by Judge Timothy Rose at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: You knew exactly what you were doing. You had just been told a few weeks earlier in court not to have any contact with anyone under 18.

You are a dangerous person who has breached this order within a month or so of it being imposed. Your contact with this girl was deliberate and quite manipulative.

Samuel Castlehouse, prosecuting, said the SHPO was imposed on December 5, 2019, because of concerns by Phillipss offender manager about his online activity.

He said: He was found to be accessing porn sites on a daily basis and had contacts on social media and in chatrooms with females whose profiles and messages suggested they were still at school.

He was accessing sites and contacting females on various platforms for the sole purpose of meeting his sexual needs.

His offender manager learned he had been in John Lewis in Exeter with a 16-year-old girl and another sex offender. He bought her a can of alcohol on the same day and exchanged Snapchat messages which he later deleted.

William Parkhill, defending, said Phillips had started a sex offenders treatment programme after his release but it had not had time to affect his attitudes or behaviour.

He said similar work will be needed before he is released again, which may not be until the expiry of his original sentence in 2023.