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A MANIPULATIVE sexual offender has been sent back to prison.

Adrian Thomas, 29, of Magdalene Street, Haverfordwest, appeared before Swansea Crown Court on December 21 where he was sent to prison for further breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Thomas had been made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order in 2017 after he was convicted of meeting a 16-year-old girl after sexually grooming her online. He received a 16-month prison sentence for the offence.

He appeared before the court today after admitting four counts of breaching the order. Mr Jones, prosecuting, told the court how police went to Thomas house on October 24 and he answered the door but wouldnt let him in, stating he had tested positive for covid.

Mr Jones said: They asked to see the test and could see it was clearly negative. Thomas is said to have told officers he was confused and let them in.

They had a look at his mobile phone which he had been in possession of since April and police were aware of this and saw he had WhatsApp with messages only from the October.

When he was asked why there was no messages on WhatsApp between him and his mother prior to October, he told officers that they had fallen out which was contradicted by the call log on his phone and his mothers statement to police.

Officers also found that he had three social media accounts which were not under his name or a police approved name and that he had not made officers aware of his use of the social media accounts which was part of his conditions under the order.

He had accounts on TikTok and Discord with the username ADECFC92 and on Twitch under ADEYYTG.

He had also been found to have been in contact with a 16-year-old girl on the device and had told her he was 21 and asked if she had a boyfriend or girlfriend.

When interviewed, he said he was confused about the username part of the order and didnt think he had done anything wrong and then answered no comment.

Mr Griffiths, defending, told the court how his client had entered guilty pleas at the first opportunity at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court. He said how Thomas had asked for a pre-sentence report to be completed and that it was a damning read.

His Honour Judge P H Thomas KC who handed him a sentence previously for breaching the order - called Thomas a manipulative and undeterrable man and said that there was no chance of rehabilitation. He told him how he had lied to police and that he wasnt a very good liar.

Judge Thomas said: If you come before the court again, the next sentence will be higher. It is up to you if you want to spend the majority of the next two decades in prison or if you want to do something to sort this out.

Thomas who appeared via video link from Swansea Magistrates Court - was jailed for two years and the sexual harm prevention order remains in force until 2027.

Record details

A man who murdered a pregnant woman and three children in Derbyshire will spend the rest of his life behind bars after he was sentenced to a whole life prison term.

Damien Bendall pleaded guilty to murdering his then partner Terri Harris, her 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett, her 13-year-old son John Paul Bennett, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent.

He previously denied the murders but changed his pleas when he appeared at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, where he also admitted raping Lacey.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, said the sexual offence was committed "in the grossest breach of trust" as the 11-year-old's life ebbed away.

He said "just punishment" required that Bendall be kept in prison for the rest of his life in relation to each count of murder, and he also imposed another whole life order for the rape.

Lacey and John Paul were Ms Harris's children from a previous relationship, and Connie had been at the house in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, for a sleepover.

Connie was only due to stay for one night, but managed to get permission from her mother, fatefully extending her stay by another night - coinciding with the attacks, the court heard.

Bendall, 32, is believed to have gone around the family home looking for his victims individually, and then attacking them in different rooms in order to kill them, the court was told.

He murdered the four victims at the house he shared with Ms Harris, 35, in what prosecutor Louis Mably KC told the court were "brutal, vicious and cruel attacks" on a "defenceless" woman and three children.

Mr Mably said Bendall attacked them with a claw hammer which he used to hit them over the head and on the upper body.

"Their skulls were smashed in" and "it was perfectly clear none of the victims stood a chance," Mr Mably added.

He continued: "One of the dreadful facts about this case is that during the attacks, the defendant raped 11-year-old Lacey."

Ms Harris and the three children were found dead in Chandos Crescent on 19 September last year.

After Bendall killed them, he took John Paul's games console, then went to Sheffield in a taxi, and there he exchanged the device for drugs, said Mr Mably.

Bendall would later tell police he had consumed "three to four bags of cocaine and then blacked out".

In an interview with officers at Ripley police station after he was arrested, Bendall told them: "I used the hammer."

He added: "Bet you don't usually get four murders in Killamarsh do you - well, five (murders), because my missus was having a baby."

Mr Mably said: "On the night of Saturday September 17, 2021, stretching into the early hours of September 19, the defendant brutally and viciously murdered his then partner, Terri Harris, who is aged 35 - and was in the early stages of pregnancy.

"He also murdered Terri's two children, by a previous partner, her 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter Lacey, and he murdered Connie Gent, also aged 11.

"She was a friend of Lacey's who just happened that evening to be staying at Lacey's house for a sleepover."

John and Lacey's father, Jason Bennett, said that the murder had "destroyed" him and that life now seemed "pointless".

In a victim impact statement, he said: "It's like my heart has been shattered into a billion pieces never to be repaired. I'm a shadow of my former self, I am nothing... I have lots of love around me but the love I crave off my beautiful kids, I can't have that, that's a hole that can never be filled."

Connie's father Charles Gent said no sentence would ever be sufficient justice for his daughter's death adding: "The man who carried out the crimes can only be described as truly evil and should never be free from incarceration, just like the families of the victims in this case will never be free from their life sentence as a result of the shocking and abhorrent crimes he committed on a defenceless woman and children."

After sentencing, Andrew Baxter from the CPS said: "It is hard to put into words the scale of Damien Bendall's barbaric and horrifying actions. He went through the house looking for the victims until he had killed them all, raping one of the children in the attack.

"What he did left two families utterly devastated by grief and a community in bewilderment and shock."

Earlier, Mr Mably told the judge, Mr Justice Sweeney, that prosecutors were seeking a whole life term for Bendall, given the gravity of the offences.

Record details

Man sentenced to 17 years for non-recent sexual abuse in Bolton

Donald Glen (1/8/1946) from Bolton was yesterday (Wednesday 21 December) sentenced to 17 years after being found guilty at trial to two counts of rape of a child under 13 and ten counts of sexual assault on a child under 13. 

Detective Constable Stacey Gardner, of Boltons CID, said Sexual abuse can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on victims. This investigation demonstrates our ongoing and determined commitment to ensuring that perpetrators are brought to justice.

We would like to commend and thank the victim for the courage, strength and dignity they have demonstrated in coming forward to the police and supporting this investigation. We hope the sentencing offers some closure knowing that he is finally facing the consequences of his actions.

We would like to take this opportunity to offer our assurances to anyone who has experienced sexual abuse and has not yet come forward, that GMP will do all we can to support you throughout the process.

If you or someone you know has been raped or sexually assaulted, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police, or a support agency so you can get the help and support available.

Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. We offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by telephoning 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call us on 0161 273 4500 or email us at [email protected]

Survivors Manchester provides specialist trauma informed support to boys and men in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

Record details

Police have asked for help tracking down a convicted sex offender who wore a Greggs branded jumper in his mugshot.

Shaun Aver, 36, is wanted on recall to prison after repeatedly breaching his sex offender notification requirements after being convicted of sexual activity with a boy.

Aver, of Greater Manchester, has links to Preston, Blackpool, Blackburn and Fleetwood. He is of no fixed address and is required to register at the police station every seven days as part of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He failed to do so and a warrant has now been issued for his arrest. Police have now issued an appeal on Facebook, urging anyone who knows of his whereabouts to contact them.

'Police are appealing for the public's help to trace a wanted man from the Bury area,' a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said today.

'Shaun Aver is wanted on recall to prison. He is known to have links to the city centre, north Manchester, Preston and Cumbria areas.' 

Aver had previously been classed by police as a 'risk to women and children' when he went on the run earlier in the year.

He is described as being 5ft 6in tall, of medium build and having short, brown hair.

However, the force's appeal to find Aver has prompted mocking remarks from social media users who are seemingly amused by his mugshot - which shows him wearing a sweater littered with logos of the bakery giant Greggs.  

'The fashion police may have him. That jumper is a crime in itself,' wrote Vanessa Knight.

One said: 'Wanted for baking and entering and possession of an offensive jumper.' 

Tom Goulden joked: 'Wanted for baking and entering & possession of an offensive jumper.' 

'He's behind the counter at Bury Greggs! You'll catch him if you park up outside and wait. We'll call it a Steak Bake out,' Aaron Lee replied. 

'Just proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, some people will wear anything,' Lynne Rohmann added.

Emily Robinson joked: 'Imagine getting lifted wearing that jumper.'  

Maria Carty said: 'If he's not wearing the matching leggings I'll be disappointed.'

'Best publicity Greggs and Primark have had,' echoed Vanessa JS.

'He's never going to live that mugshot down. If he's not arrested for his crimes against fashion he'll want to be arrested to hide his humiliation.' 

Greater Manchester Police reposted the Facebook plea, adding: 'Other bakery chains are available.'

Greggs joined with Primark to release a collection of pastry-themed clothing, including jumpers, shoes and tracksuits.

Record details

A postman who groomed a teenage girl and indecently assaulted her in the early 2000s has been jailed.

Colin White carried out the sexual offences on an underage girl around 20 years ago and left her battling depression and feelings of guilt. The 60-year-old would ply the child with alcohol and provide her with cigarettes before using her for sex, Durham Crown Court heard.

White, of Newton Aycliffe, appeared at the court on Wednesday via link from HMP Durham to be sentenced for two counts of indecent assault. He had been convicted of the offences following a trial at the court last week.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, told the court White carried out the offences on a teenage girl, saying: "He would ply her with alcohol before the behaviour took place." The court heard that White displayed kindness to the vulnerable girl whilst grooming her, and at one stage she made an attempt on her own life.

The court was told that the offences took place at times when the child would turn up to White's home while "truanting". In a victim statement, the now-adult victim said she felt she was in the wrong and that she was at fault in some way, saying: "He essentially groomed me for his own sexual gratification." She added she ended up on anti-depressants throughout her adult life.

Robert Mochrie, defending, said White had no relevant previous convictions, had "worked all his life" and is currently going through his "own difficulties" in supporting members of his family. He added: "The offences were 20 years ago and he has not harmed anyone since."

Sentencing White, Judge James Adkin said he was working as a postman at the time of the offences and used the child for sex. He added: "She was particularly vulnerable by age and isolation." White was jailed for seven years and will be on the sex offender's register for life. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

Record details

A police officer who drunkenly groped two colleagues at a work Christmas party has avoided jail but has been ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register.  

Gareth Duggan, 38, grabbed the bottom of one officer and put his hand underneath the dress of another as they were celebrating the festive season at a nightclub in Chester last year.

Despite a reputation as a rumoured predator, the shocked victims were accused of making up the allegations to get a promotion when they reported the incident.   

Duggan was sentenced to a 32-week suspended sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitative activity after admitting two counts of sexual assault at Warrington Magistrates' Court. 

He will also sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years and pay each victim £1,000 compensation. 

Duggan is expected to resign from the police force before a disciplinary meeting in January, at which he expects to be fired. 

He had been a police officer with the North Wales force for 15 years when the incident happened in Revolution night club in Chester. 

Alex Morgan, prosecuting, said the Christmas party had brought police officers from a number of areas together. 

'During the time in the bar the defendant touched the bottom of one of the complainants and the touching was deemed to be sexual. Prior to that the defendant had put his arm around her waist which made her feel uncomfortable.

'A short while after the defendant stood between her and another female.

'The defendant's arm was placed around her waist prior to going around her bottom. It was deliberate. She could feel his fingers go into the crack of her bottom. She was able to feel the pressure of his fingers through her clothes and through her underwear.

'She was shocked as a result of the incident and kicked out at his ankle with her foot to get him to stop.

Mr Morgan also described a second attack on another colleague that happened during the party.  

'Her colleague also recalled a sexual assault from the same night out. He held onto her for what seemed like a long time and squeezed her waist making her feel very uncomfortable.

'She told him to stop on a number of occasions. She made it very clear she was not joking.

'As he had his hand around her waist he put his face up to her neck and made kissing noises. His hand then went between her legs and underneath her dress and touched her vagina over clothing,' the prosecutor said. 

'His hand brushed across the cheek of her bottom in the area of her vagina. She was not wearing any tights or leggings at the time but did have underwear on.

'It made her extremely upset and uncomfortable.'

His wife and the two victims were watching from the public gallery.

In a statement one of the women - a detective who deals with rape victims - said: 'When he put his arm around me I was shocked but when he touched me in that way I was disgusted. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell someone but I didn't want to ruin everyone's night.'

The detective said she always encouraged sex assault victims to make complaints but she now knew how 'draining' it was to do so.

She also claimed there were rumours amongst fellow officers that Duggan was a predator and had previously assaulted someone - but she never thought it would happen to her. 

Angered that Duggan had received a full year on a sergeant's pay following the attack, the victim said she wished there had been a trial so that she could have had her say.

'It seems unfair. Ultimately, I am glad that a sexual predator like Gareth Duggan is no longer in the police. It is an honour to serve in the police force.'

In mitigation for Duggan, defence lawyer Daniel Weed said the officer had been suffering from PTSD from harrowing events he had dealt with during 15 years of front-line policing.

'Front-line policing is not a pretty environment at all. That does impact on the individual. For anyone that would have had an impact on their mental health.

'There are concerns about his mental health to the extent that it could be PTSD and to the extent that he is receiving counselling in that regard.'

Mr Weed said Duggan had 'disgraced himself' and accepted that he would be sacked at the misconduct hearing in January.  

Mr Weed told the court that as well as well as losing his job, along with his £2,100 monthly income, Duggan's wife had also been impacted.

'He is a very lucky man to have someone willing to come to court with him and be his wife, she sees some good in him,' the solicitor said. 

'He is a disgraced man, a broken man. It would break him more by sending him to prison.'

Duggan was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 35 days of rehabilitative activity with the probation service and he will sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

District Judge Jack McGarva told him: 'You are a police officer and the public and your colleagues are entitled to look at you as an example and someone they can trust. You completely failed them. Any punishment must reflect that police officers should be beyond reproach.

The judge emphasised the case of PC Wayne Couzens as an example of some of the 'pretty bad things' police officers have done over the past years. 

'It undermines the position of every other police officer. Every other police officer is devalued by what you do.

Judge McGarva highlighted the impact of the assault on the victims and said Duggan's drunkenness did not provide an excuse.  

'I have to bear in mind this conviction will have a big impact on you and your family. But let's not forget that other people were hurt by you. This was not a fleeting kind of touch. It was quite significant in both cases. It's more than brushing against someone in a sexual way.

'It was very significant contact which will probably live with them for the rest of their lives. They will never forget how horrible the horrible feeling was.'

'It is right that you have experienced some pretty awful things in life as a police officer but how many thousands of police officers in Wales have been through these sorts of things and have not behaved like this? It does not make you behave like this.

'Something very wrong has made you behave like this,' the judge concluded.

Record details

A paedophile who began sexually assaulting four young victims 30 years ago has now been jailed for more than 21 years.

Dean Nicholson, 56, targeted his victims, who were all known to him, between 1992 and 2004 in Huntingdonshire.

He was 26 when he began the abuse against his victims, one of whom was just six years old at the time. Others were slightly older, but all were under 16.

Often he would make his victims perform sexual acts on him or he would perform sexual acts on them. The offences finally came to light when the victims confided in others close to them.

Nicholson, of Station Road, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, was arrested and later charged with 22 offences.

He stood trial at Cambridge Crown Court in November but, on the fourth day, he pleaded guilty to 15 offences.

These included five counts of gross indecency with a child and eight counts of indecent assault. He also admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) against a separate adult victim in 1991.

Nicholson was sentenced at the same court on Friday (16 December) where he was handed 21 years and seven months in prison. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to run indefinitely, which will monitor his future activity.

Sentencing, Judge Philip Grey said by the time Nicholson had pleaded guilty at his trial, two of his victims had already given evidence and the voices of all his victims were ‘heard loud and clear by the court’.

He told Nicholson that he had sexualised, abused and groomed his victims over many years and paid tribute to the victims for coming forward.

He described him as a ‘predatory paedophile’ who groomed his victims and, though he couldn’t bring himself to admit it, had done ‘horrific damage to many’ with his ‘perverted desire for sexual activity’.

Record details

A Totterdown pensioner convicted of historical rapes of a child is likely to die in jail. Brian David, 78, of Wells Road, described allegations that he sexually abused a girl as "a load of bloody nonsense", Bristol Crown Court heard.

But a jury convicted the former RAF man of a plethora of sexual assaults on the girl when she was aged eight to 17. David was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault, three counts of rape and two counts of buggery.

The Recorder Mr James Bromige, sitting via video link, jailed him for 20 years. He told David: "You are not in good health, you have a diminished life expectancy and the prospect is you will die in prison."

David was told to register his whereabouts to police indefinitely. He was handed an indefinite restraining order banning him from both direct and indirect contact with the complainant.

Speaking behind a screen, the complainant said the abuse left her with anxiety and depression for which she has had counselling and therapy. She said she had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

She told the court: "I smell his cigarette smoke every day. I don't feel like getting up, I don't eat properly, I don't sleep properly.

"He knows he is guilty. I want him to remember every day what he did to me. He ruined my life."

Nikke Coombe, prosecuting, said David forced the child to commit sex acts on him and he forced himself on her on multiple occasions. The court heard she was a vulnerable youngster who felt unable, at the time, to report him to her loved ones.

Virginia Cornwall, defending, urged the judge to impose a determinate sentence. She told the court: "There is no issue of dangerousness. The risk of further offending is minimal.

"Aged 78 he's unlikely to be released from this sentence. I ask for as short a sentence as meets your honour's public duty in the circumstances."

Record details

A "prolific offender" who sexually assaulted a woman at a pub in Northwich has been banned from entering any licenced premises in the town for five years.

Craig Howman, of Stones Manor Lane, Hartford, appeared at Chester Magistrates’ Court on December 15 after pleading guilty to sexual assault and resisting a police officer in the execution of duty. The sex attack relates to an incident at a public house on Witton Street on May 25 this year.

The 31-year-old was jailed for 16 weeks and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for seven years. Howman was also handed a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, which bans him from entering any licensed pubs, restaurants, clubs, bars or café’s in the CW8 or CW9 postcode areas.

He is also banned from being drunk in any public place in CW8 or CW9, and banned from carrying any open containers of alcohol in any public place within the Northwich postcode areas.

The order also prevents Howman from causing harassment, alarm or distress to any members of the public. This includes swearing in public or to the public, including the emergency services. In addition, he is also ordered to engage in drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

During the hearing the court heard that Howman had been into contact with officers 15 times in the past year alone, with the majority of offences related to alcohol.

Chief Inspector Darren Griffith, head of Northwich Local Policing Unit, said: “Howman is a prolific offender and his behaviour over the past year has been totally unacceptable. He often becomes abusive and disruptive towards innocent members of the public, causing unnecessary alarm and distress.

"There comes a point when you have to say enough is enough and take additional action to protect the community and businesses in the area. I hope that this order provides reassurance to local residents and helps to deter Howman’s criminal behaviour once he is released from prison."

If Howman fails to comply with any of the conditions he could face a penalty of five years imprisonment. Anyone who encounters Howman breaching any of the above restrictions is urged to contact Cheshire Police on 101, or cheshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/, to report it.

Record details

A convicted murderer and sex predator who was found with nearly 1,600 indecent images and videos of children has been returned to jail.

Michael McGrane, from Southport, was released and deported back to the UK in 2013 from Australia for sexual assault and murder. A court heard how the 60-year-old downloaded the vile content over a one-year period.

Prosecutor Kenneth Grant said the defendant had been linked to the offences after an investigation by the police's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team. They traced an IP address suspected of sharing indecent images of children, to his home address on Victoria Street.

Officers went to McGrane’s home where 15 desktop computers, two mobile phones, a laptop, and 250 hard drive disks were seized. Police found 1,585 category C images of children, including 208 prohibited images of children on the devices, the ECHO reports.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how 600 of those were videos, and one was one hour long. In his first interview on the day his electronics were seized, McGrane said to the best of his knowledge, there would be no indecent photos on the hard drives.

During his second interview on August 27, after all the electronics had been thoroughly examined by authorities, he claimed the devices were second hand.

Judge Brian Cummings KC said: “You, as a possessor of this material, form part of the market without which that material either wouldn’t exist in the first place or certainly would not exist on the industrial scale that we deal with in this court. It would not happen if it wasn’t for people like you, the consumer.”

Simon Christie, defending, told the court that McGrane has not committed any crimes since his arrest. Judge Cummings detailed that in December 2001 while living in Australia, McGrane was convicted of murder, and was given a life sentence.

In July 2003, he was also convicted of 13 offences, six of which involved the use of chloroform or some other stupefying drug to commit an indictable offence, and seven offences of indecent assault against adult females. Following his release in 2013, he was deported back to the UK, where a sexual offences notification order was imposed upon him.

This meant he had to check in quarterly with authorities and inform police of any change of address, places he regularly stays, or plans to travel abroad. On November 21, McGrane pleaded guilty to one count of making (downloading) indecent 1585 category C photographs of children, between June 10 2019 and 12 June 2020, and to possession of 208 prohibited images of children on June 11 2020.

He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment for both counts, and a sexual harm prevention order was also implemented for ten years, alongside the requirement that he be on the sex offenders list. Items related to the offence were also ordered to be destroyed, and a deprivation order prohibiting him from using any device capable of accessing the internet unless he informs the police was also implemented.

Record details

A convicted sex offender staged an £8,000 burglary in a bedsit while the victim was in hospital. Jordan Chalmers, of no fixed address, raided the home in Tyseley in September.

The 26-year-old, who was wanted for recall to prison, pocketed cash and "high-value items" after discovering it was empty. Forensic officers were called after the victim returned from hospital to discover someone had gained entry to his room.

Despite there being no witnesses, forensic officers lifted a fingerprint from a toolbox.

The print was matched to Chalmers, who also took a number of knives from the room. He was detained on October 20 after failing to stop for traffic officers.

Chalmers initially denied the charge. But he pleaded guilty following further evidence in court and was jailed for 20 months.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: "A man has been jailed for stealing around £8,000-worth of items from a property in Tyseley. Jordan Chalmers committed the burglary in September this year and was jailed for 20 months at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday December 16 2022."

Record details

A man from Plumstead has been jailed after he piled a teenager with alcohol and then subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault onboard a train to Rochester.

Police described the incident as a a truly sickening attack against a lone teenage girl by a disgusting predator who sought to violate her for his own sexual gain.

At 7.45pm on March 26, a 15-year-old girl was sat waiting for a train at Dover Priory station when she was approached by Maxim Rowan-Moy, 32, and of Eglinton Hill in Plumstead.

He asked where she was travelling to before they boarded a train and sat next to one another.

On the train, Rowan-Moy offered her a bottle of vodka to drink before moving closer to her and sexually assaulting her.

The victim got up out of her seat and attempted to move away from him, but he pursued her down the carriage and sat next to her again.

He then continued to sexually assault her, violently attempting to pull her closer to him and persistently touching her inappropriately.

A while later, a group of passengers boarded the train and were concerned for her welfare.

Rowan-Moy then got up from where he was sat to look for his belongings.

A train guard entered the carriage and stayed with the girl to Rochester station, where staff alerted police.

When police arrested Rowan-Moy at the station, he pretended that he knew the victim.

Maxim Rowan-Moy appeared at Inner London Crown Court on November 28 where he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, one count of assault, and a public order offence for threatening behaviour.

On December 13 he was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order as well as being ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Detective Constable Terry Botten, investigating officer in the case, said: "This was a truly sickening attack against a lone teenage girl by a disgusting predator who sought to violate her for his own sexual gain.

"She has shown immense bravery in supporting this investigation and Im pleased to see this vile and evidently very dangerous offender behind bars as a result.

"I want to assure women and girls that we are absolutely dedicated to tackling sexual offenders on the railway network and bringing them to justice.

"If you experience or witness a sexual offence on the network, I urge you to report it to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always dial 999."

Record details

The victims of a former councillor and teacher who sexually abused them as children worried they wouldn't be believed because of his influence. A judge told Anthony Hampton the character he portrayed throughout his life was "a façade."

The 75-year-old ex Vale of Glamorgan councillor was convicted of indecently assaulting two boys in the 1990s, following a trial at Newport Crown Court. He repeatedly rubbed his penis on one of the boy's shoulders before masturbating in his presence, forcing the boy to masturbate him and masturbating the victim.

The second victim was repeatedly touched on the leg near his groin by Hampton. The victims reported the abuse to the police when adults and the former teacher was convicted of 12 counts of indecent assault. The defendant, of Watkiss Way, Cardiff Bay, continues to claim his innocence despite the guilty verdicts.

At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, victim personal statements were read out by prosecutor Roger Griffiths on behalf of the victims. The first victim said: "As a child growing up I believe his abuse made me a quiet kid, I was withdrawn. The impact of what I experienced made me question my sexuality due to the nature of the abuse he put me through...

"I struggled with the impact of that and struggled to understand why it was me it was happening to, why I was so different and why he abused me. When I came forward and the matter was reported to the police I was extremely fearful I would not be believed and bringing the matter to the attention of the police was upsetting.

"At the time of the abuse he was a serving teacher and serving as a councillor in the Barry area. I feared because of his position and being an influential person in the Vale of Glamorgan, I worried I wouldn't be believed.... It was the worst experience of my life and I was embarrassed and ashamed about what happened to me."

The second victim said he feared emotional attachment, had low self esteem, depression, body dysmorphia, a distrust of others and suffered from bed wetting as a result of the abuse. He said as a result of the body dysmorphia, he used hormones which damaged his heart and left his body disfigured.

The victim said he tried to take his own life with a drugs overdose and had been abusing drugs and alcohol but had been clean for 18 months. He said: "My mental suffered and I thought I wouldn't be believed...

"I've questioned why he did what he did to me and what right he had to do it. He didn't have any right, I was a child and he was an adult. Hampton said the accusations against him were abhorrent but what he did was abhorrent. I'm pleased the jury have seen him for what he is even though he doesn't have the guts to admit what he has done."

In mitigation, Christopher Rees said his client's reputation was ruined and he had lost his good character. he said the defendant was in ill health and his wife was reliant on him for care.

Sentencing, Judge Richard Williams said: "The character you portrayed to the outside world has been a facade. There is no remorse on your part."

Hampton was sentenced to a total of seven years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements indefinitely.

Record details

A Summertown pensioner amassed a library of child sex abuse material over a decade – and shared one image with a ‘like-minded’ pervert online.

But the pervert to whom Nicholas Moth sent the category A indecent image was, in fact, an undercover police officer trawling the net for would-be sex offenders.

And last week, the 69-year-old broke down in tears in the dock as he was sent to prison for two years and eight months.

Sending him down, Judge Michael Gledhill KC told Moth: “It is a tragedy that a man of 69, of previous good character, with a good reputation and an impeccable work record should find himself in the dock of this crown court today.

“It is inconceivable to any right-minded person how somebody of your background and intelligence could have this perverted sexual view of children.”

He added: “[Your counsel] eloquently tells me you were living in a fantasy world.

“I don’t accept that you were at all. This is what you wanted to do.

“From August 2010 until May 2021, so over 10 years, you were accumulating a library of child sex images; each of the children depicted being abused sexually by others.

“You knew perfectly well that by being a customer of such photographs you were directly involved in those children being abused and others going to be abused.”

Julian Lynch, prosecuting, told Oxford Crown Court that Moth was arrested after his ‘fantasy’ conversations with others online came to light.

Following his arrest in 2021 Moth’s devices had been analysed. In total, he had almost 900 indecent images and films, including 192 in the worst category.

Moth, of Victoria Road, Oxford, pleaded guilty to making – or possession – of indecent images and extreme pornographic material and distribution of a category A image.

Mitigating, Lucy Tapper said her client had become more and more isolated, entering an ‘emotional spiral’ and had ‘barely left the house in seven years’.

Asking for the judge to suspend any custodial sentence, she said Moth married and his wife was dependent upon him.

The defendant was remorseful and ‘deeply ashamed’, she added. “He knows that what he’s done is fully deserving of punishment and he is at risk of going to prison.”

Since his arrest he had ‘totally ceased’ his former activities, sought support and limited his internet use.

Judge Gledhill said a prison sentence was ‘inevitable’. Although acknowledging the impact on Moth’s wife, he told the defendant: “Every day of your sentence, I hope when you ponder on what you have done you realise the one who say you love is the one who will pay the most penalty.”

Moth must abide by a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Record details

A paedophile who sexually assaulted three people has been jailed for 14 years, more than 20 years after the offences were committed.

Steven Smith, 48, of Grantham, was found guilty of sexual assault offences on two women and a boy in the 1990s in both Arlesey, Bedfordshire and another part of the country. Smith received a 14-year custodial sentence at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday, December 13 and will be on the sex offender’s register for life.

Bedfordshire Police are encouraging victims of sexual assault to come forward, no matter when the incidents took place.

Detective Constable Hayley Carroll from Bedfordshire Police’s Internet Child Investigation Team said: "We are all incredibly pleased with this outcome. It serves as an empowering reminder to all members of our community – victims and non-victims – that it is never too late to report a crime.

"Our hope is that this result serves as encouragement to everyone, emphasising how powerful the process of reporting can be - for both recent and non-recent offences.

"Sexual assault is an abhorrent crime, and child victims are very often affected into their future, and it can impact their development and growth both mentally and physically.

"All three of the victims are extremely pleased and relieved that they can now move forward with some closure regarding this chapter of their lives."