Latest Offenders

Description

Convicted Exeter sex attacker Luke Prato - who drag a terrified woman into a park while telling her he intended to have sex with her - has been found dead in his prison cell.

The 25-year-old, who had a history of random acts of violence against strangers, was jailed for four years in March 2020, with a two year extended licence and was classified as a dangerous offender.

Mr Prato, of Grendon Road, had been transferred from Exeter Prison to HMP Isle of Wight, where he died on November 27.

It is believed he was awaiting a transfer to Broadmoor Secure Hospital due to his mental health. An inquest will be held into his death at a later date.

A prison service spokesperson said: "HMP Isle of Wight prisoner Luke Prato died on November 27. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has been informed."

Mr Prato was described as 'every young woman's worst nightmare' at Exeter Crown Court last year. He was convicted of sexual assault on the woman and causing actual bodily harm to her male friend at a trial in January 2020.

He had tried to 'chat up' the 21-year-old victim on the dance floor of Exeter's Angel pub earlier in the evening but she told him to leave her alone.

He saw her walking home with a friend a couple of hours later and shadowed them through the streets of the city before attacking them both at the entrance to Belmont Park at 3am.

He set on the man first and once he had backed off he launched a sexual attack. He told the terrified victim, 'I want you right now', and said he was going to have sex with her in the park as he thrust his hand up her skirt and groped her.

He grabbed her around the throat and tried to drag her into the park and fought off her friend when he tried to stop him, knocking him to the ground so violently he suffered a gash to his head.

The woman managed to escape and run across the road to try to seek refuge in a house but in the time it took for her to wake the owner, Prato followed her and attacked her again.

He was trying to drag her back towards the park with his hands around her throat when the householder opened her door and rushed out to rescue her.

He fled the scene before police arrived but they tracked him down to his bedsit nearby. Forensic evidence and CCTV from the Angel showed he was the attacker. More footage showed him shadowing the victim from Sidwell Street to the park.

Mr Prato told police initially he was not the attacker but changed his story in court and said he was attacked by the two victims.

The court heard Mr Prato refused all psychiatric help despite being diagnosed with an anti-social personality disorder.

Joss Ticehurst, defending, said Mr Prato had been cleared of the more serious counts of attempted rape and assault with intent to commit a sexual offence.

He added Mr Prato had issues with his mental health arising from a traumatic childhood that included finding his mother hanging inside the family home when she committed suicide. He described him as highly intelligent but unbalanced.

Description

A judge has fired a warning to paedophiles whose crimes have gone undetected for years saying they should never not be worried about a knock on the door.

Judge Robert Linford delivered the no-nonsense statement when sentencing perverted Frederick Williams, 84, for offences committed four decades ago.

Williams, of St Clement near Truro, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having been convicted of 15 indecent assaults, indecency with a child and attempted rape.

Williams’ abuse was carried out on two victims and consisted of sexual touching and penetration, oral sex, forced touching of his penis, putting his penis in one of their mouths and on one occasion, attempted rape.

During the sentencing hearing prosecution barrister Nigel Wraith victim impact statements from both victims.

The first victim described how she is still haunted by the abuse and that it has a profound effect on her life. She, at one point, drove to a cliff to end her life and can’t look at herself in the mirror.

The second victim spoke of how the abuse “broke her” and that she went off the rails, leading to problems for her and her children. She did however say she was pleased to finally be believed, and see Williams get his comeuppance.

Representing Williams, Hollie Gilbery highlighted Williams’ age, health and lack of previous convictions.

Sentencing Williams, Judge Linford described the abuse as “repeated and systematic” and “a series of truly awful sexual offending that had an utterly devastating effect on the victims”.

He added: “People you behave in the way you did all those years ago are never safe from prosecution.

“People who sexually abuse young people should have sleepless nights wondering when the knock on the door will come.”

Williams was jailed for 13.5 years with a further year to be served on licence. He must also sign the sex offenders’ register.

Description

A convicted sex offender forced himself on two hotel guests after he was booked into a room under a Government scheme following his release from jail.

Jamie Smart, from Stoke-on-Trent, grabbed one of the women by her breasts and put his hand up the other's victim skirt after he was rehomed at a Mercure under a programme to help the homeless during Covid.

Both victims were unaware drifter Smart was on the Sex Offender Register due to a 15-year history of sexual offending.

One is now too scared to be cuddled by her own boyfriend and has gone teetotal for fear she might be taken advantage of.

Former warehouseman Smart, 31, had been booked into the three star Wigan Oak Hotel in Greater Manchester after completing a 10-month stretch for failing to comply with the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Bolton Crown Court heard he attacked the first victim in July as they were queuing up for a buffet dinner at the hotel.

Mark Kellet, prosecuting, said: ''He was stood behind her when he slapped and groped her bottom saying: 'you've got a peachy bum!' She said: ''If you do that again, I'll slap you in the mush' but he replied: ''Do it - I might like it.'

''He then continued to touch her bottom on several occasions. Mostly she would tell him to stop but on other occasions she said nothing simply so she could avoid a confrontation.

''One night she was intoxicated when the defendant moved to kiss her. She moved away but he kissed her anyway. He also said he had sex with her and that caused her some distress.

''Three to four days later she was in the garden of the hotel when the defendant approached her from behind wrapped his arms around her and grabbed her left breast.

''She didn't say anything because she felt defenceless as they were alone together. Thereafter he acted as if he had not done anything wrong. The incident exacerbated her anxiety.''

Smart also made inappropriate sexual comments to another guest at the hotel asking her to sit on his knee and bragging he would 'show her a real man.'

She dismissed the comments as banter but when she played a pool at a nearby pub, Smart came up behind her and twice put his hand between her legs and touched her genital area.

Mr Kellet added: ''She made it clear she did not want him to do that but back at the hotel he continued to make sexual comments towards her. She said she felt horrible about how Smart touched her and felt worse when she found out he was on the Sex Offender Register.

''This defendant showed a complete disregard for the views of each victim. Both women were particularly vulnerable.''

Police later attended at the hotel and found Smart had been flouting the terms of his Sex Offender notification requirements by not registering a bank card with police.

He had 23 offences in his record starting in 2006 for sexual activity with a child for which he was given a six month detention and training order.

In 2008 he was convicted again of sexual activity with a child and was given 12 months jail suspended for two years.

In 2011 he was given 54 months in jail for two charges of sexual activity with a child and in 2015 was convicted of failing to comply with court orders for which he was locked away for two months.

In 2018 he failed to comply with the restrictions again and was given a conditional discharge for two years.

In July 2020 he admitted failing to comply and was jailed for another 10 months. He was released early but recalled back to prison for flouting the restrictions before being freed again in May to take up residence at the Mercure

In a statement the first victim said: ''I still feel physically sick about what Jamie did to me. I think about what he did most days and it has made my depression and anxiety worse.

''I am also worried he has sexually assaulted other women. I hope I can move on but I will be speaking to psychologist soon to talk about what happened.''

The second woman said: ''I am now suffering on many ways. I never been so low in terms of confidence and I am constantly scared of being around men in case they do anything to me.

''Most of my friends are male but since the incident with Jamie I've not been able to spend time with them.

''I do not drink alcohol now - not even socially- as I am so scared I will be sexually assaulted or raped. I am terrified of consuming alcohol in case I get taken advantage of. These incidents with Jamie have been on my mind on a daily basis.

'I struggle to switch off or sleep as I keep thinking about them. I also have problems with my boyfriend as I no longer want to be affectionate and I don't like being cuddled. In fact I struggle to feel relaxed around anyone,. The way Jamie took advantage of me has had a major impact on me in many ways, I'll never be able to forget what he did. I never want to see Jamie ever again.''

Smart, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, was jailed for nine months after he was convicted of two charges of sexual assault and failing to comply with the Sex Offender Register following a trial. He denied the charges.

He will have to abide by a new five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which bans him from being in the company of any lone woman except when it becomes unavoidable during ''normal daily life.''

He began a relationship with his cellmate's sister whilst being held on remand.

Sentencing the judge Miss Recorder Sarah Johnston told Smart: ''One of the women felt terribly conflicted between hating what you were doing to her and not wanting any confrontation. She told you many times not to do it.

''You made disgusting and leering comments towards the second victim in a place where she was entitled to feel safe. You were impervious to her wishes and thought it was funny.

''You have invaded these women's privacy their sense of security and their sense of self. No individual should be assaulted in the way you did out of a wholly misplaced senses of entitlement. Your behaviour erodes confidence and makes women feel unsafe.

''You have no insight at all into your behaviour, the risk you pose or the boundaries within which you must operate generally as far as women are concerned. You are currently unsafe to be managed in the community.''

Smart was also banned from contacting the two victims for five years under the terms of a restraining order and will remain on the Sex Offender Register for another 10 years.

The hotel a popular wedding venue first welcomed the homeless in May last year and accommodated 50 people under the scheme run by Wigan Council and a charity. Rough sleepers were given rooms with ensuite bathroom, flatscreen TV, and complimentary tea and coffee making facilities.

Description

A man who posed as a taxi driver before kidnapping a woman in central London has been jailed following an investigation by the Met.

Isaac Mabwa, 33 (13.06.88), of Melville Avenue, Ealing, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment at Wood Green Crown Court on Monday, 29 November. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

He was previously found guilty of kidnap, false imprisonment and committing an offence with intent to comment a sexual offence at Harrow Crown Court on Tuesday, 24 August.

In the early hours of 8 May 2017, Mabwa was driving a hire car through central London when he came across a woman who was walking on Euston Road. He stopped his car and offered the woman a lift home.

Believing he was driving a taxi or minicab, the 25-year-old victim got into the car, however she quickly realised something was wrong when Mabwa began driving in the opposite direction away from her home.

During the journey the victim tried to get out of the vehicle several times, but Mabwa stopped her from doing so. She was able to message her boyfriend and a friend and also sent them her location.

After approximately 90 minutes, Mabwa stopped at an unlit car park and the victim began to scream. These screams were heard by a member of the public and the victim was able to escape from the car.

Mabwa left the car park and was detained by officers a short time later. Following a complex and lengthy investigation, he was charged in April 2020.

Detective Constable Natalie Witt, who worked on the investigation, said: "This was a terrifying experience for the young woman involved who was targeted while walking home from a night out.

"Her bravery and support for the investigation means Isaac Mabwa is no longer a risk to other women, and while today is not a day to celebrate, I hope the sentence allows her some closure.

"I recognise that details of this awful crime will cause fear among the community, particularly women, and I would like to reassure you that the Met is doing everything it can to make the streets of London safer for everyone."

Description

A perverted ex-soldier was found with sickening sexual images of vulnerable girls aged as young as four and six.

Matthew Harrison had distributed sexual images to others over the internet and the offending took place over a five-year period.

He had found life difficult after returning to civilian life when he left the Army and turned to drink and drugs, Hull Crown Court heard.

Harrison, 32, of Station Road, Howden, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children, three of distributing indecent images and one of possessing an image of extreme pornography.

The court heard that police searched Harrison's house on January 9 and his phone was seized.

It was examined and 64 accessible files were found, including eight images and three videos in the most serious Category A.

There were ten images and nine videos in Category B and 28 images and two videos in Category C.

The dates of the images spanned from 2016 to this year.

Recorder Richard Thyne told Harrison: "The most serious Category A images included girls aged four to six years old being forced to have sex with an adult male.

"You didn't only search for and access those images, you shared those images with others online.

"Evidence was found of the distribution of three Category A images, including two videos."

Harrison initially denied the matters but later made admissions.

"Some of the children were very young and aged as young as four to six," said Recorder Thyne.

"There was offending over a long period of time. There were a large number of different children involved.

"It's simply too serious to suspend the sentence. The offence of distribution is too serious and only an immediate sentence of imprisonment can be justified."

Harrison had convictions for criminal damage in 2009 and driving with drugs in his system this year.

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said the images were on only one device and Harrison had shown genuine shame and remorse and an insight into the fact that they were not victimless crimes.

The children shown in the images were young and vulnerable.

Harrison's drink and drug problem began five or six years ago when he left the Army.

"Having served Queen and country, it left him with a lot of uncertainty in his life," said Miss Baines.

"He lost the structure in his life. He found it very difficult to acclimatise to civilian life."

He had suffered problems in his marriage and had decided to stay away from his child so that he did not bring any issues into its life.

Harrison was jailed for two years and was given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for ten years.

Description

A man raped a boy when he himself was still a child by making him take part in "rude games".

Elliot Troy, 24, sobbed when he appeared in court today to be sentenced over vile sexual offences in his past.

He had denied any wrongdoing, but was found guilty after a trial of three counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: "You have developed into a much more mature person, you have a good record and now have a girlfriend.

"But you have caused psychological scars to your victim that will remain with him for the rest of his life."

Liverpool Crown Court heard the victim "had the courage" in 2017 to tell his dad that he had been sexually abused by Troy as a child.

Troy, of Carr Lane East, Croxteth, but formerly of Crosby, was aged between 11 and 15 during the offences, while his victim was aged between nine and 12.

Judge Aubrey said: "However, the abuse had started many years before, when the victim estimated his age to be only three or four.

"You were then only six or seven, and thus of course below the age of criminal responsibility [10 in the UK]."

He emphasised Troy was not to be sentenced for "those activities", but said it was "against that background and the perception of normality instilled in your victim" that he sexually abused him and asked him to take part in "rude games".

The judge said while there may have been some "sexual experimentation" between the pair, there was "a significant age gap".

He said: "It escalated, that is the seriousness of the offences escalated, and there is no doubt your victim wanted none of it."

Judge Aubrey said at the age of 11, Troy rubbed his penis against the boy's bottom.

He said Troy later orally raped the boy, then afterwards "told him he had done really well".

The court heard Troy did this on at least three more occasions and there was evidence of grooming, including offering him "rewards" on an Xbox and showing him porn to encourage him.

Troy then raped the boy, when he was 15 and the victim was 12.

Phil Astbury, prosecuting, told the court the victim now "suffers chronic nightmares every night".

He said: "They feature both the abuse he suffered and images of his parents not believing him when he told them."

Mr Astbury added: "He has suicidal thoughts. He's attempted suicide on one occasion and self-harms."

The court heard the victim's education suffered, he was now on antidepressants and described feeling guilty and ashamed, even though he knew he shouldn't.

Mr Astbury said: "He feels frozen, stuck in the past, and unable to move on with his life."

He said the victim felt "closed off" emotionally and couldn't maintain a relationship as he felt unable to kiss and sexual contact was "out of the question".

Quoting the victim, he added: "He can't remember the last time he felt happy."

Judge Aubrey said the victim's account was "powerful" and "poignant".

He said it was "in many respects an unusual case, bearing in mind the extreme youth of both defendant and victim".

Arthur Gibson, defending, said his client, who is of previous good character, hadn't committed any offences since the age of 15.

Judge Aubrey said it was "as long ago" as September 2017 the victim was interviewed by police and Troy a month later.

But he said it wasn't until July 2020 that Troy first appeared before magistrates, which was "an unacceptable delay".

He said: "Lives have been put on hold and that must be reflected in the sentence that this court imposes."

Judge Aubrey said he had read a pre-sentence report, character references and a letter from Troy, who supported and cared for his mum, who was unwell.

He said: "You have been described as having remorse for past events, but that is not supported by your denials during the course of the trial, although I accept you did accept some activity had taken place."

Judge Aubrey accepted Troy was "saddened for the hurt" he caused and it had impacted on his mental health.

He said: "You yourself speak of the mistakes you made when you were younger and in your letter you state you're very apologetic and sorry for what you have done and the damage you have caused.

"It's unfortunate in my judgement that you did not have the courage to admit all that you had done prior to your trial. You had much time to reflect upon it."

The judge said he had to sentence Troy based on the age he was at the time and the first offences were when he was "just over the age of criminal responsibility".

However, he said: "I am satisfied there came a time when you must certainly have known what you were doing was wrong and that he did not want to do that which you wished."

The judge said had Troy carried out the attacks as an adult, he would have locked him up for "at least" 12 years.

Taking into account his age at the time, the delay in the case and prison conditions during the pandemic, he jailed him for four years and nine months.

Troy must comply with a restraining order and sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A MAN who had secretly filmed a sex act between him and his partner sent it to another "woman" who he was involved with on an internet chat site.

Blackburn magistrates heard the sexually explicit betrayal backfired on Alistair Watson when the other person in the chat room blackmailed him by threatening to reveal his treachery to his partner.

He confessed all to his girlfriend and she involved the police.

Watson, 24, of Kelvin Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to voyeurism by recording another person doing a private act with the intention that he and a third person would, for the purpose of sexual gratification, look at the image knowing the other person did not consent to the recording with that intention.

He was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison suspended for 24 months and made subject to a community order with 35 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 60 hours unpaid work.

He was made subject to a restraining order for 12 months which prohibits any contact with the victim and ordered to pay £85 costs and £128 victim surcharge. He was made subject to the Sex Offender Registration requirements for seven years.

Peter Kelly, prosecuting, said Watson had confessed to his partner that he had been chatting to a girl in Portsmouth via the Kik messaging app.

He had sent the girl, known as Amy, a video of him masturbating and she had asked for other images.

He had sent nude pictures of his partner and then the video of them having sex on the couch which he had secretly recorded without her consent.

"She didn't give any permission for these images to be disclosed to a third party and she was unaware of the recording," said Mr Kelly.

Peter King, defending, said his client was aware of the distress he had caused and was desperate to ensure he was taking full responsibility for what had happened.

"He embarked on a series of communications with this person which appears to have been an entrapment from the start," said Mr King.

"He never thought it would develop into a situation where he had no control and he was being exploited by this other person. When it became obvious he had lost control he put a stop to it and fronted up."

He said Watson thought he was dealing with a person who could be traced but that was not the case.

Description

A sex offender who horrifically abused three young girls has been jailed for five years.

Douglas Brown, 60, was sentenced at Dumfries Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old attacker’s appalling crimes prompted Sheriff Scott Pattison to impose the highest possible sentence.

The sheriff praised the victims’ bravery in coming forward.

One of them, now aged 26 and from Dumfries, welcomed the prison term and said Brown being off the street would give her “five years of peace”.

She said: “I’m glad I don’t need to worry about bumping into him in the street or having him drive past me.

“On the other hand, he’s been sentenced to five years while I’ve been left with a life sentence of having to deal with what he did.”

Brown, of Palgowan Farm, Bargrennan, was found guilty at an earlier trial and his sentence had been deferred for background reports including a psychological evaluation.

Sheriff Pattison said: “The jury found you guilty of sexually abusing three children and physically assaulting one of them.

“They were aged between five and 11 years old at the time and that abuse was persistent and prolonged.

“The abuse lasted for years. You were to blame and you were responsible.

“But for the bravery of the three girls you could have avoided justice for serious crimes.”

He added: “I have considered all that has been said on your behalf and the assessments, but I am satisfied only a custodial sentence is appropriate to punish and deter you for the future.

“The sheer persistence leads me to sentence you to the limit of my powers and that is five years imprisonment from today.”

Brown was charged that on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and February 28, 2006 at an address in the region he used indecent practices towards a girl who was aged seven at the start of the abuse.

He removed her clothing, touched her private parts and made her commit a sex act on him.

Brown similarly abused a second girl, aged seven at the start of the offences, on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and May 25, 2008 at two addresses in the region.

In addition, he had sex with a woman in her presence and caused the girl to look at pornographic material.

A third girl, aged only five at the start of the abuse, was a victim between April 1, 2003 and April 26, 2010 at two addresses in the region.

He got into bed and sexually abused her. The court heard earlier he also had sex with a woman in her presence and caused the child to view pornography.

The fourth charge was that on various occasions between April 1, 2003 and July 3, 2011, at two addresses in the region he struck the same girl with his hand, seized her by the throat, pinned her against a wall and uttered threats of violence towards her.

The jury unanimously found him guilty on the first, third and fourth charges and found him guilty by a majority verdict on the second charge.

The victim told the Standard that Brown had never shown any remorse for the abuse.

She said: “He’s never apologised and in fact, seemed to think what he did had been blown out of proportion and wasn’t that bad.

“He thought he was above the law because he’s got plenty of money.

“Since the day he started abusing me, my life hasn’t progressed in any way.

“I haven’t been able to connect to anybody, I’m scared of absolutely everything including even going outside and especially speaking to older men.

“It was only when one of the other victims reported the abuse that I decided to speak out and I’m glad I did even though I had to force myself to.

“I’d urge anyone else in the same situation to find someone they trust and tell them what’s happening.

“It’s only now that I can finally fix my mental health and sort out my life.

“Sometimes I think about what happened when I don’t want to.

“I’ve always felt full of shame and that I wasn’t normal.

“Brown is disgusting and I’m glad he’s not going to be around anymore children for a while.”

Description

A “pathetic” paedophile whose abuse wrecked the lives of two victims has finally been brought to justice, but not before asking his victims' for forgiveness.

Adrian Ninnis, 56, destroyed the lives of his victims to the extent that one took themselves to a cliff and was about to jump before a chaplain turned up just in time.

Ninnis, of Polweath Road in Penzance, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to seven indecent assault charges, crimes which took place in west Cornwall in the 1980s and 1990s.

Prosecuting the case, Emily Cook described how the children abused were aged between 5 and 10 at the time.

Regarding the first victim, Ninnis rubbed his penis against his bottom and put his penis in his mouth before ejaculating into his hand.The second victim had her vagina digitally penetrated by Ninnis, as well as numerous other instances of sexual touching. He bought her cigarettes in an effort to groom her. Both victims had victim impact statements read to the court.

The first victim described never having confidence in life and always feeling isolated and useless, as well as suffering depression. He went on to add that only the light of the chaplain on the cliffs that day stopped him taking his own life.

However, since Ninnis entered guilty pleas he said he has stopped drinking (to mask the pain) and has become a better person.

The second victim said she was “permanently scared” and started using drink and drugs aged 12 to block the abuse. She regularly thought she was better off dead and suffered anxiety and depression as a result. She added that she “felt dirty and like damaged goods”.

Representing Ninnis, Piers Norsworthy said: “He wants to say sorry for the hurt he has caused over the years and apologise for being in a state of denial.

“He hopes one day the victims will be able to forgive him. He presents as a pathetic figure and is genuinely remorseful. He had a very disturbing early life and was sexually abused by one of his mother’s partners. This had an inevitable impact on his emotional and social development.”

Mr Norsworthy added that guilty pleas in such cases are exceedingly rare.

Sentencing Ninnis, Judge Robert Linford said: “The victim impact statements show how both complainants have been affected by the abuse and how it continues to affect their lives.

“When the abuse ended you got on with your life and seemingly forgot what you had done. The victims in this case have not been able to forget and get on with their lives and the shadow of this sexual abuse has continued to hang over them.”

Judge Linford then noted Ninnis’ mitigation and that the guilty pleas had prevented the victims having to relive the abuse in court.

Ninnis was jailed for 12 years, 10 custodial and two on extended licence. He was also made subject of a restraining order and sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Description

A St Annes paedophile who repeatedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl while working as a private music tutor in the late 1990s has been jailed for his crimes.

Gary Fox, 62, of Clifton Drive North, was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault at Preston Crown Court in September.

Investigation officer Mick Cross, of Lancashire Police's public protection unit, said: “Gary Fox, a married man, made a deliberate decision to pursue a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He must have known known that this was wrong, especially as she was his student and he had a duty of care to her. It did not stop him. He effectively groomed and then sexually assaulted a child in order to satisfy his own sexual urges.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the victim for having the courage to effectively re-live her ordeal through these court proceedings. I hope that the conviction and sentence give her some sense that justice has been achieved after all this time and that it gives others who may have suffered such abuse the confidence to come forward and report it to us confident in the knowledge that we will investigate sensitively and professionally, regardless of the time passed or who the alleged perpetrator.”

Fox met his young victim while giving private music lessons. He soon started making inappropriate comments towards her before escalating to physical abuse.
 
Howard Gough, head of the North West CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: ‘’Gary Fox was in a position of trust as a music teacher when he exploited a young girl for his own sexual gratification.

“I would like to commend this brave woman for finding the courage to stand up to the man who manipulated and abused her all those years ago, and for her ongoing support of the police investigation and subsequent successful prosecution of him.
“I wish her the best for her future, safe in the knowledge that a very dangerous man is now serving a prison sentence thanks to her strength and fortitude in standing up to him."

Description

Naveed Ishaq had downloaded a sickening amount of indecent images between March 2017 and August 2020, Bolton Crown Court heard on Monday.

The 48-year-old, from Bolton, had scoured the internet for vile images - as well as animal porn - and used chat rooms where he would ask: "Do you have any child porn about?"

He was eventually rumbled as part of a nationwide investigation - before telling police he was shocked at how easy it was to find the horrific material and insisting he was going to 'hand it to the police or a newspaper' as evidence.

The court heard that Ishaq was caught following an operation carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA), which was investigating the sharing of indecent images of children on a New Zealand-based file sharing website called Mega.NZ.

The NCA found six email addresses registered on Mega.NZ which were believed to have been used by Ishaq to receive indecent material from the website, and five of the accounts were traced back to Ishaq's address.

Mr Connick told the court that the NCA passed its evidence to Greater Manchester Police, which carried out a search at Ishaq's home on Langthorne Walk, Bolton.

He said: "When officers informed the defendant why they were there, he said that he had been wanting to contact the police for some time to talk about the fact that you could get such things on the internet.

"He said he was simply a concerned citizen who had been downloading such images to show how easy it was."

Ishaq was arrested by police, who seized an iPad, two iPhones, a desktop computer, another phone and a laptop.

The court heard he told officers that further devices could be found at his home inside a washbag, which was hidden in a sofabed.

Police carried out another raid on Ishaq's address and found the bag, which contained more devices including external hard drives and a memory card.

Officers analysed the devices and found a shocking amount of indecent images of children - both still images and video.

There were 31,307 category A images, 29,256 category B images, and 327,531 category C images - a total of 388,094.

Mr Connick said the images included children aged from just one-year-old to 17, adding: "Many of the victims appeared to be distressed and in severe pain."

Police found 47 images of extreme pornography involving animals - including a video which also featured a child - as well as a vile 120-page paedophile manual on 'how to practice child love'.

Officers also found evidence of web visits, bookmarks and downloads which indicated the various files Ishaq had accessed and the disgusting search terms he had used - including 'pre-teen hardcore' and 'rape' - as well as online chat logs to ask for more files.

Ishaq had used 'secretive internet browsers' in an attempt to cover his tracks, Mr Connick added.

Defending, John Harrison said his client was a man of previous good character who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and told the court his wife was 'entirely dependent on him'.

He said that Ishaq claims that the 'desperate' excuse he first gave to police - that he intended to hand over the material as a 'concerned citizen' - was one he made 'out of fear' following the raid at his home.

Mr Harrison added: "It's quite clear that the thought processes of [Ishaq] need to be tackled."

Judge Martin Walsh, honorary recorder of Bolton, handed Ishaq a two-year prison sentence but told him he would serve half of it before being released on licence.

Ishaq also must sign a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

"The amount of material here is grotesque," Judge Walsh said.

"This was a systematic and committed searching for prohibited material over an extended period of time.

"Having regard to the aggravating features here, only an immediate sentence of custody can be justified."

All items seized from Ishaq which contained the material will be destroyed.

Description

Adrian Scott, 58, of Tidworth Road, Boscombe, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to ten counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, six of inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity without penetration, three of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of paying for sexual services of a boy without penetration and one of distributing an indecent photograph of a child.

Scott was jailed on Wednesday (November 24) for three years and eight months for all offences as well as being given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was also added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Following a national investigation concerning child sexual abuse and exploitation relating to a website which has storage and file hosting service based in New Zealand, Scott was identified as having an account and having uploaded and shared a number of files, while he claimed to be 16.

In April 2020, officers from Wiltshire Police's Child Internet Exploitation Team attended his address at the time in Great Durnford, Salisbury, with a search warrant.

A number of items were seized from the property where the extent of his offending was revealed, with evidence of Scott posing as a 16-year-old boy online to talk to other people about indecent images and using online chat sites to encourage boys as young as 13 to perform sexual acts, with money being sent on more than one occasion by online transfer.

The charges relate to 1,459 images and videos being recovered.

Detective Constable Jason Walsh, of the Wiltshire Police Child Internet Exploitation Team, said: "Cases such as this are often shocking and disturbing, and our job is to safeguard the victims.

"We are pleased to have secured a custodial sentence for Scott and this is testament to some superb partnership work.

"We will continue to act on intelligence we receive on these abhorrent crimes and will ensure the internet is not a safe place for individuals like Scott to prey on the most vulnerable in our communities."

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A farm worker from Cottingham working at Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire has been convicted of sexually assaulting two students.

Keith Bailey, 56, of Dunswell Road, Cottingham, was jailed for 22 months at Grimsby Crown Court on Friday, November 19.

Bailey worked at the on-site farm in a support role. However, he was suspended in 2018 when allegations first came to light and he has since been formally dismissed by the college.

Bishop Burton CEO and principal Bill Meredith said: "A court case against a previous staff member at Bishop Burton College concluded with a sentencing hearing at Grimsby Crown Court.

"The college would like to commend the bravery of those who came forward to enable this case to come to trial. The college offered to support the victims along with the police in this matter. The college deeply regrets the distress caused to the students involved.

"The staff member was suspended from the college in December 2018, when the incidents were first reported.

"The staff member never returned to work after this date.

"Normal rigorous employment checks were undertaken on the staff member when they were recruited.

"Subsequent training and updates on safeguarding were provided by the college.

"In spite of these measures, the incidents reported occurred and, as a result, the college has reviewed all aspects of the safeguarding systems and taken external advice.

"The college has co-operated with the police and local authority throughout and will continue to prioritise the welfare and safety for all who attend the college."

Description

Darren Elphick, 50, groomed an underage girl into having sex with him by buying her expensive gifts. A senior church bell ringer who groomed an underage girl into having sex with him by buying her expensive gifts has been jailed for six years. A court heard Darren Elphick ignored warnings from others about his 'disconcerting and weird' behaviour. The 50-year-old would abuse her at his home near Maidstone, as well as in his car and secluded, wooded areas. He told his victim to keep it a secret but eventually ended it, telling her he 'didn't want it becoming public'. But the abuse was eventually reported to police and Elphick was arrested in December 2018. He later pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child, three of taking indecent photos of a child, one of possessing an indecent image, and one of possessing extreme pornographic images. When arrested, he was the secretary and 'tower captain' at St Peter and St Paul Church in the village of Aylesford, but was immediately suspended by Rochester Diocese. None of the offences were committed on church property, however. Jailing Elphick on Tuesday (November 23) Judge Robert Lazarus told him he had caused long-standing psychological harm and left his victim blaming herself. "It ought not be necessary to say this but any adult who encounters a child has a duty to protect them from harm and you didn't. In fact, you went out of your way to harm her," the judge told Elphick. "It may be more palatable for you to see this in some way as a consensual relationship but the harm suffered by her has a very long reach indeed. "Horrifically, at times she has believed that this was all her fault."

'She feels sad for her younger self'

Prosecutor Kathryn Hirst told Maidstone Crown Court that having befriended the girl, Elphick started buying her presents. But he ignored the concerns of others and what then progressed to kissing and touching eventually led to sexual intercourse while she was still underage, added Ms Hirst. "The Crown submit there was 'evidence of grooming prior to the commencement of the sexual relationship," she said. "He was warned that she was under 16 and he shouldn't do anything inappropriate with her. He would acknowledge this and agree." Referring to the victim's impact statement made once Elphick had been reported to police, Ms Hirst told the court: "As she has matured, she realises what happened was abuse. "She feels sad for her younger self....and feels part of her childhood has been taken away." When arrested, police discovered the indecent images, which included one of the girl taken without her knowledge while they were having sex, and others of unidentified children aged 12 to 14. Elphick also had four extreme pornographic movies depicting a woman having sex with an animal which had been sent to him via WhatsApp.

'He was flattered by her attention'

Irshad Sheikh, defending, said Elphick, who has no previous convictions, was 'flattered' by the girl's attention but should have put an immediate stop to it. "He accepts it should never have begun and should never have continued in the way it did," he told the court. "She was a child, he was much older. He should never have let it progress the way it did. He is genuinely remorseful." On his release from prison, Elphick, from Aylesford, will be subject indefinitely to signing on the sex offender register and to a sexual harm prevention order. He will also be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. Detective Constable Hannah Crittenden, of the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, said: "Elphick gained the trust of a child and exploited this trust in the worst possible way, by subjecting her to repeated abuse. "The victim was warned to keep the abuse secret and not to tell anyone, but thankfully in recent years has found the courage to come forward and help us ensure Elphick has now been brought to justice. "I would urge anyone who has been a victim of any sexual offence to remember that it is never too late to report this to police. "We have a team of specialist officers who work relentlessly to ensure that offenders like Elphick do not evade justice, just because a crime may have happened a long time ago. "We will always treat any information with the utmost confidence and sensitivity."

Description

A man who orchestrated a meeting with a 12-year-old girl through online chatrooms only to find he had been set up has been sentenced after admitting child sexual offences.

David Asser – 49 (18.10.72) of Hertford Road, Enfield pleaded guilty on Wednesday, 25 August at Wood Green Crown Court to one count of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl under the age of 16 and one count of attempting to meet a girl under the age of 16 following grooming.

On the Tuesday, 23 November he was sentenced at the same court to 28 months' imprisonment and will be recorded on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

Asser began communicating with the girl on an online chatroom in November 2020; despite the 'girl' stating she was aged 12, Asser continued engaging with her, including making sexually explicit suggestions.

However, unbeknown to Asser he was actually communicating with an adult who was pretending to be a young girl.

Over the next week, Asser continued to communicate, making arrangements for the pair to meet while continuing the sexually explicit conversations.

On 7 December, Asser went to meet the girl at a prearranged place in Mandeville Road, Enfield. However, when he arrived he was confronted and detained by an online civilian group. Police were called and Asser was arrested.

Items were seized from his address which laid bare his attempts to groom and sexually exploit the 12-year-old girl he thought he was communicating with.

DC Lee Jeffrey from the North Area Command Unit said:

"David Asser was fully aware of the age of the girl he believed he was communicating with yet despite this, he persisted in making sexually explicit suggestions to her and then made efforts to physically meet with her.

"His actions are deplorable and it is right he has been held to account for this."