Latest Offenders

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An online paedophile who exchanged sexual images with a vulnerable girl of twelve and two boys was jailed for eight years after Twitter alerted police about him. John Stuart Jones, 49, of Ruthin, had no previous convictions.

But Judge Nicola Saffman at Caernarfon crown court said police discovered he had sexual conversations with the girl of twelve.

Appallingly, you joined her in groups and shared her details, allowing her address to be identified and exposing her name, the judge said.

Jones had traded images of the victim with another web pervert. His behaviour had been relentless to an extent and there was grooming, Judge Saffman remarked.

The defendant must register as a sex offender indefinitely and a sexual harm prevention order was also made.

Jones had pleaded guilty to a catalogue of offences including distributing child porn in the worst category and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Rogers said that, in May 2020, North Wales Police had been alerted by Twitter about his illegal online behaviour. Then there was a further referral by Twitter and it was discovered that Jones had previously been messaging a girl, who was traced by police.

Mr Rogers said the girl had assumed Jones was the same age but she had been scared when he contacted her. Jones had placed her in group chats. There were numerous examples of the victim displaying her vulnerability within the messages, counsel said.

Mr Rogers added that the defendant had also exchanged lewd images with a US boy and one who said he was from the Philippines.

Defence barrister Simon Killeen said Jones started on a dark path eight years ago. He wanted help.

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A CONVICTED sex offender has been jailed for 22 months for grooming two vulnerable teenage boys in breach of a court order. Richard Daish, 49, of Trackside, Oakenshaw, Bradford, pleaded guilty to three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court today on a link to HMP Leeds where he was remanded in custody. Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said the police called at Daishs home to discover a 17-year-old boy was at the property. The court heard that the youth was vulnerable and at risk of exploitation. The police seized Daishs phone and found that he had been in contact with another boy aged 16. There was then a third breach of the order involving the first victim returning to the address, Miss Hoskins said. The court heard they were serious breaches over three months involving grooming behaviour. Lydia Pearce said in mitigation that Daish wanted an immediate prison sentence but she asked that it be kept to the minimum length possible. Recorder Tahir Khan QC said Daish knew full well what the terms of the order were. He was prohibited from contacting the boys or letting them into his address. His probation officer had assessed him as at a high risk of reoffending. Daish was jailed for 16 months for the first two breaches with six months to run consecutively for the third breach committed while on bail.

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He previously raped a female cyclist on her way home from work in Hull A notorious Hull rapist struck again and sexually assaulted a woman and beat her with a metal bar after he was released from prison. Evil Phillip Weaver was jailed for six years for raping a woman after he pounced on her as she cycled to work in east Hull in August 2015. Weaver targeted the woman on a cycle path running between Chamberlain Road and Leads Road. He followed her, before pulling her off her bike and raping her, Hull Crown Court heard. He was released from prison after serving his sentence, only to strike again. This time he sexually assaulted another woman and hit her with a metal bar, causing injuries to her face. Weaver, 32, of Cottingham Road, Hull, admitted to sexual assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and the breach of his sexual offender notification requirements, when he appeared at Hull Crown Court on Monday. In a victim impact statement read out to the court, the woman said: "If he had hit me in the wrong place, I could have died. It is hard to wrap my head around that." Nick Peacock, mitigating told the court the defendant initially pleaded not guilty, but ended up pleading guilty before the trial was meant to be held in June this year. Judge Mark Bury described Weaver as dangerous and aggressive and said he posed a "significant risk of harm" to women. He was jailed for five years and also handed an extended four-year licence which will start after his release. Detective Constable Annabel Devall, from Humberside Police, said: "The courage and bravery that this victim has shown throughout the entirety of this investigation has been incredible. This dangerous offender caused the victim great physical and mental harm. "I know nothing will take away the suffering that Weaver has caused the victim, but I hope the outcome at court will provide them with some closure in knowing that he is now behind bars and unable to attack anyone else. If you have been the victim of sexual violence, there are various ways you can report it to the police. You can speak to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, or you can report directly through our 101 number, or 999 in an emergency. You will be listened to. We will work with you and we will continue to take action against offenders.

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A vile former pub landlord who travelled to Manchester from London to carry out a string of sexual offences on young girls has been put behind bars. Predatory Carl Marland was jailed for 21 years after Manchester Crown Court heard how he groomed and then sexually assaulted four girls. He was jailed for a long list of more than 20 crimes including rape of a child under 13 and sexual activity with children. Following his sentencing on Tuesday (24 May) Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said Marland had stolen the childhoods of his victims and paid tribute to their bravery. What has Carl Marland been jailed for? Marland, 58, was found guilty at trial of the following offences: - Causing a child to watch a sexual act - Five cases of sexual assault of a child under 13 - Three counts of rape of a child under 13 - Assault of a child by penetration - Two counts of voyeurism - Two cases of making indecent images of a child - Three counts of sexual activity with a child - Engaging with sexual communication with a child - Two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity - Three counts of supplying class B drugs - Supplying class C drug. What happened in court? Manchester Crown Court heard how Marland would travel to Manchester from London, where he ran a pub, most weeks from June 2020 to December 2020 to visit the girls and their families to carry out his attacks. He would groom the girls, who were aged between eight and 16, giving them gifts of clothes and money as well as drugs and alcohol. Marland set up a bank account for one of the girls and transferred around 3,000 to her, and would drive the girls around in his car, where much of the abuse took place. He also secretly filmed one of the girls as she undressed. Police became aware of Marland when one of the girls mothers found inappropriate messages from him on her phone in November 2020. Detectives from GMP Rochdales child sexual exploitation team worked closely with officers from the Metropolitan Police to co-ordinate Marlands arrest on 27 January 2021.

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A SEX offender has finally run out of luck after he was jailed for failing to attend a probation appointment just eight days after he was given a last chance. Callum MacHardie was warned by Judge Jason Taylor QC that one more breach of his suspended sentence, issued in 2021 after he was convicted of possessing indecent images of children for the second time, would mean prison. That warning came in March after several missed appointments, but just eight days later, he failed to attend another probation appointment. That was followed, prosecutor Rebekah Batt said, by two missed i-Horizon appointments in April. She also outlined that none of the 150 hours of unpaid work has been completed so far and that just one of the 15 rehabilitation activity days have been completed. Ms Batt added that he had been in contact with probation on May 4, but he had engaged in abusive behaviour with his offender manager. Probation were now recommending that the suspended sentence was activated, she said. Defending, John Simmons acknowledged that the court might take the view that the order was falling apart, but said his mental health issues, including that he had been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder, means he finds it hard to comply with the order. He cited a psychiatric report which said that his coping capability in a custodial setting would be limited, and that he should be managed in the community. I respectfully suggest that if each of these requirements was an order to walk 100 yards and he was in a wheelchair, he would be unable to do it and we would see that, Mr Simmons said. Hes equally sick in a different way, hes unable to do it. We shouldnt be that surprised he hasnt engaged in the way everyone wants him to. But, Mr Simmons said, his client, of Arley Close in Haydon, had been seeking help from a psychologist and made contact with his GP on numerous occasions. He asked the judge to adjourn sentencing for four weeks, to allow the new supervisors time to work with him. But Judge Taylor, at pains to decide between giving him another chance and whether MacHardie had reached the end of the road, said that his risk must be managed. I cannot ignore this, they are saying when he doesnt attend his appointments, we are unable to manage his risks, he is simply not engaging with us, the judge concluded. Mr Simmons invites me to put it back four weeks. It might just make the difference. But Ive got to manage the risk in those four weeks. I am aware having been given the chance on the 21st [March], eight days later it was a different ball game. Addressing the 32-year-old, Judge Taylor said: Whilst I take absolutely no pleasure in doing this, you have been given chance after chance. That ends today. MacHardie must now serve the 18-month prison sentence. A previous hearing had been told the defendant had been downloading the illegal material since he was 12. In 2016, his barrister said his childhood was blighted by bullying and isolation. He was given a community order, and after breaching it by again downloading indecent images of children and using a computer network capable of hiding his web activity from the authorities, that was upgraded to a suspended sentence.

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A PERVERTED health professional who systematically subjected young men to sexual assaults as he examined them during occupational health checks for their employer has been jailed. But the sickening assaults carried out by 36-year-old Marc Manning on his nine unsuspecting victims were only part of the story, Carlisle Crown Court heard. A former police community support worker, Manning carried out the abuse while he was employed as an occupational health technician, working in Carlisle, Kendal and west Cumbria. But he also spent more than two years making perverted and intimate recordings of men using the gym where he was a member. Those victims also oblivious to what was happening - were secretly filmed as they urinated or changed clothes. Manning made at least 300 such secret recordings. The Cumbrian detective who investigated the case said she had never before seen a phone containing so much of voyeuristic material. She expressed concern not just at the quantity of images but also the efforts Manning had gone to ensure he could collect such material over more than two years. In court, Manning admitted nine sexual assaults and two voyeurism allegations, one relating to multiple offences committed between January, 2018, and last year. Harriet Lavin, prosecuting, said that the defendant was employed by a private health firm to carry out occupational health checks on workers, most of them employed by a regional employer. He joined the health firm in 2018. The health checks would ordinarily include height, weight, blood pressure and eyesight and they would include discussing any actual medical issues they may have and provide urine samples, said Ms Lavin. Concerns were raised in February of that year after it emerged that Manning was conducting so-called hernia checks on workers. Such checks were not part of any health technician's work. A health and safety advisor at the firm raised this with another occupational health technician. [He] told her that he and the other health technicians were not qualified to do such examinations and that hernia checks would absolutely not be part of a standard screening, said Ms Lavin. Due to the fact the victims werent entirely sure what their health checks should entail, they describe trusting the defendant and presumed what he was asking them to do was legitimate and required. Some of the men reported seeing Manning's mobile phone, propped up against a mug on his desk, prompting suspicion that he had filmed his sexual assaults, though no evidence of this was found. On one occasion, Manning told a worker his body below the waist could be contaminated by workplace chemicals a pretext for an intimate examination. Another man was asked to remove his top because the consulting room was warm. Yet other victims reported how Manning asked them about possible sexual health problems yet another strategy to justify an intimate examination, the court heard. Manning offered to give a second opinion on such issues. The defendant was arrested on February 28, 2021 and his devices including phones and laptops were seized by the police. Ms Lavin said police discovered scores of videos taken in a gym showing men urinating, or getting changed in changing rooms. Ultimately, the phones contain at least 300 videos and have been recorded in different locations. The men on the videos are oblivious to these recordings and it appears the defendant has used a background video recorder application which allows the defendant to record the videos covertly, preventing others to become aware they are being filmed. Some of the workers seen by Manning reported feeling uncomfortable during the checks and one described Manning as very weird. The court then heard impact statements from the victims. He has completely abused his power and position, said one man, pointing out that his confidence in health professionals had been shattered. Another said his trust in health professionals was at rock bottom as a result of what happened. At the beginning in this investigation," commented one worker, "I wasnt sure Id been assaulted. But knowing he has pleaded guilty I feel stupid and nave that I let myself by violated by someone I thought was a trustworthy and professional man." Yet another worker said: When I was told that Manning had pleaded guilty to sexual assault it made me think it was planned from the start; how rehearsed and scripted it was. It made me think: how many times has he done this before? Anthony Parkinson, defending, said Manning felt "genuine remorse" for his offences and had already taken steps to address his behaviour. This included signing up for therapy, said the barrister. But Judge Richard Archer said Manning had abused his position of trust in a way that undermined the willingness of men generally to seek medical help from professionals. Manning also felt shame and embarrassment, said Mr Parkinson. He also suffers from depression and due to difficulties in his younger years with his sexuality he has struggled with a lack of confidence. Judge Richard Archer told the defendant: "The extent to which your offending represents a gross breach of trust can not be overstated." The judge said Manning abused his trusted position in such a way that it undermined the willingness of men generally to seek medical help from professionals. There is no doubt that your behaviour was intentional and committed for your sexual gratification," said the judge. "I am told that you have struggled for some time with your own sexuality; you had a difficult time in childhood with family members who were unable or unwilling to accept your sexuality. You have never been in a loving relationship with another man. I dont doubt any of that but none of it remotely excuses or explains or justifies your offending. These were not the actions of a man experimenting with or exploring his sexuality. This was highly risky behaviour. The judge added that he had concluded Manning certainly had a desire to film the assaults he carried out, given the evidence about his phone and how it has been suspiciously deployed. Normally, the previous good character of a defendant is regarded as a mitigating factor. But in Mannings case, said the judge, it was an aggravating factor because this had allowed him to take a job which was a position of trust. The defendant, of Glenmore Crescent, Thornton-Cleveleys, near Blackpool, was jailed for four and a half years and put on the Sex Offender Register for life. When released, he will be subjected to a sexual harm prevention order. This will mean he is barred from owning any camera and any digital device he owns will have to be subjected to strict monitoring and control. During his emplolyment in 2018, Manning carried out health checks on 205 people. Detective Constable Charlotte Jones, who worked on the case, thanked the victims for their courage in supporting the investigation. Manning completely abused his position of trust subjecting his victims to sexual assaults for his own fulfilment," she said. * If you have been affected by rape or sexual assault, contact The Bridgeway Sexual Assault Support Services 24/7 free helpline on 0808 118 6432.

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A man had more than 4,000 images of "cartoon porn" which he claimed was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. But police were onto to Alwyn Williams and arrested him at his workplace.

Williams, 52, of Waunfawr, admitted possessing a prohibited image of a child and making an indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child in Category A (most serious), Category B and Category C. He was jailed for two years.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard he had already been prohibited from possessing certain images from previous offending.

But prosecutor Karl Scholtz said that officers acting on intelligence that the defendant had downloaded prohibited images went to his home on May 12 last year. They arrested him outside his workplace later that day.

His mobile phone, laptop and charger were seized. When asked about his activity, he told police in an interview that he had been typing "cartoon porn" into his laptop.

Mr Scholz said that Williams said some of the images were so realistic that "it was difficult to tell that they were simply, what he called, cartoons". The court heard Williams insisted he had "shredded" such images after use, but Mr Scholz said that wasn't true because police found 4,225 images on his laptop.

Williams told police he had been searching illicit sites for a year and he would get a "buzz" if they were subsequently shut down.

He had also accessed extreme pornography involving animals out of "curiosity". He said it was something similar to being addicted to alcohol or drugs.

Laura Knightly, defending, said it was "not a contact offence" and her client regrets what he did. He was even going to contact Internet Watch (a charity set up to minimise the availability of online sexual abuse content).

"He was fighting the good and bad sides within him," said Ms Knightly.

But the judge Her Honour Nicola Saffman told Williams that children are "tortured, raped and sexually abused" to provide indecent images, adding: "These are not victimless crimes."

She jailed the defendant for two years for making an indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child of Category A images, with one year and four month terms of imprisonment for doing so for Category B and C images respectively, with both terms to run concurrently.

For possessing the prohibited images, Williams got a 12-month jail term, which will also run concurrently. He also has a sexual harm prevention order, controlling his access to children among other measures, for ten years.

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A pensioner from Derbyshire has been jailed for five years for committing sexual offences against three young girls. The youngest of his victims was just 11 years old at the time. Patrick Costello, of Sun Street in Woodville, appeared in Derby Crown Court charged with 13 offences, of which he denied 10, forcing victims to give evidence and relive their ordeals.

The 68-year-old was found guilty by a jury of all ten charges which included several counts of gross indecency with a girl under 16, sexual activity with a child aged 13-17 and voyeurism. The court heard how Costello repeatedly committed acts of gross indecency over the bodies of two young victims whilst they were asleep.

He also filmed one of the girls showering and watched whilst she changed in her bedroom. Costello's voyeurism continued when another girl became an adult and he watched her in the shower. Costell had previously admitted to making indecent images of a child, one count of voyeurism and possessing extreme animal pornography.

The pensioner was sentenced at Derby Crown Court on 18 May and, in addition to the prison term, was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a notification requirement for when he has served the custodial sentence.

Detective Staff Investigator Lindsey Scribbins, who led on the case said: I am so proud of the courageous and dignified way in which the three (now) women affected by Costellos crimes have conducted themselves during this investigation and subsequent trial.

Costellos behaviour was truly abhorrent. His offending was predatory, pre-meditated, and repeated, against three young girls when they were at their most vulnerable. My message for anyone out there who has been affected by sexual abuse or violence of any kind whether now or in the past is please come and speak to the police about what happened to you.

The survivors, in this case, came forward in recent years, despite the onset of this offending happening in the 90s. This shows that even cases of non-recent sexual abuse can result in a conviction. If you feel able, please report what happened to you -- we will listen, we will support you, and we will not judge.

Costello's first offence dates back to 1992 with the most recent being in 2016.

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A rapist from Littlehampton has been jailed after attacking a woman in Lewes, police have revealed. Sussex Police said Glen Noone, 33, of Lammas Close, Littlehampton, was sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on Wednesday, May 11, having been found guilty of the rape of the woman at an address in Lewes. He was jailed for seven years and will be a registered sex offender for life, police said. Detective Constable Jo Barber said Noone forced himself on his victim 'in a vicious and opportunistic attack'. DC Barber added: "She has shown incredible bravery and patience in supporting our investigation throughout. Her evidence in court was key in securing this conviction and with her support we have been able to bring him to justice. When Noone is released he will be under strict conditions and will be monitored by police and the probation service. It is important that anyone who has been affected by this type of offence understands that we are here to support them and we will always seek justice wherever possible." The prosecution, authorised by the CPS, followed an investigation by detectives from the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit. At sentencing, his Honour Judge Rennie told Noone that he had been convicted on the 'clearest evidence of rape', adding: "Your brutish actions have had a profound effect. Your victim did absolutely nothing wrong and in no way was any of what you did her fault. You decided to have sex with her whether she consented or not and putting her through this trial was another cruel and cynical twist which compounded the harm already caused."

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A former Eton College master who had 4,500 indecent images of pupils on his computer has been banned from the classroom for life. Matthew Mowbray admitted his behaviour is an open and shut case and agreed he should never teach again. He was jailed for five years in December 2020 after a jury found him guilty of a string of sexual offences at the prestigious 48,501-per-year school in Berkshire. Reading Crown Court heard how the former geography teacher made nocturnal visits to students in their rooms on the pretext of helping with their work, before touching them for his own sexual gratification. Mowbray also ran a photography club where he took pictures of pupils and later superimposed their faces onto the naked bodies of unknown children. It was also found he covertly filmed a boy dressing in the privacy of his room. Now aged 50, Mowbray was today struck off for life by the teaching watchdog, who were concerned there was a considerable risk of the repetition of his behaviour. Given that I have been sent to prison, this is an open and shut case, he said. I should not teach again. The Teaching Regulation Agency panel heard Mowbray taught geography at Eton from 1993 to 2020, and was a housemaster from 2010 until his arrest in 2017. His sex offences involved four boys between 2012 and 2019. Ms Jo Palmer-Tweed, who chaired the hearing, said: The panel noted that the behaviour involved in committing the offences had significant effects on the pupils. They were described by the judge as lasting, including depression, anxiety, stress, nervousness, loss of confidence, embarrassment, physical and psychological and sadness. The panel considered that public confidence in the profession would be seriously weakened if conduct such as that found against Mowbray were not treated with the utmost seriousness when regulating the conduct of the profession. There was no evidence that Mowbray was acting under duress. His actions were deliberate. Having previously had a spotless record, Mowbray was convicted of eight counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of voyeurism. On top of his five-year sentence, he was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

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A convicted sex offender subject to a public protection order who walked into a social work office armed with two knives and a pair of scissors is facing jail.

Barry Buchanan, 47, was being supervised by staff at the Brockville social work office in Falkirk following an incident where he offered a group of schoolgirls 250 to give him oral sex and threatened to slit a child's throat.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that about 9.00am on March 1st this year, he was met at the door of the social work office by his supervisor, and she let him into the premises, where a number of other social workers were also present.

Prosecutor Kristina Kelly said: "His supervisor engaged in conversation with him, at which point he produced a knife from a carrier bag and said words similar to, 'I've got this to slash somebody if they come near me'."

He was told he should leave the knife at reception, which he did, after changing his story to say he had it "for cutting meat".

His supervisor then took him into an interview room.

During a comfort break, he was heard by other staff members to make reference to "slashing" and other similar phrases.

He then produced a pair of scissors from the same carrier bag, saying, "I've also got these."

A police officer then arrived to join the interview, as Buchanan was under a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) order which involved a Police Scotland input.

A female social worker went to reception to meet the officer.

Miss Kelly said: "At this point the accused again reached into his carrier bag and produced a Stanley knife."

Buchanan said that if the officer was "uniform" he would "kick off", and again used the word "slash".

When he was assured the officer was "not uniform" he put the Stanley knife in his jacket pocket, then handed it over to the officer.

Appearing by video link from Low Moss Prison, Buchanan, of Grangemouth, Stirlingshire - formerly of Larbert, also Stirlingshire - pleaded guilty to having the knives and scissors in a public place without reasonable excuse.

Solicitor Georgia Carey, defending, said Buchanan had alcohol-induced brain damage and "a tendency to exhibit erratic behaviour".

Miss Carey said: "He knows that taking these objects into the social work office was not a sensible thing to do."

Sheriff Simon Collins QC deferred sentence until June 24th for background reports, and continued Buchanan's remand.

He said custody was "the most likely route".

He said: "On the face of it, it's very serious - he's taken three bladed weapons into a social work office.

"But it's an odd situation because he plainly surrenders them without difficulty once he's challenged about it."

Last year (2021) Buchanan was placed under social work supervision for a year, on the sex offenders' register for five years, and compelled to wear an electronic tag after the incident with the schoolgirls - over which he admitted breach of the peace and indecent exposure.

He approached the girls, aged 13, 14, and 15, as they sat chatting on benches in Stenhousemuir, Stirlingshire in the early evening of June 25th 2021 and was seen to "rub white powder on his gums" before launching into a stream of sexualised remarks.

He told a terrified 15 year old in the group, "I'll slit your neck, you s***."

He then approached a second group of children, aged 12, 13, and 14, threatened to slit another girl's throat, and then pulled down his trousers.

He walked off when one of the children's parents arrived on the scene.

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A CALLOUS rapist has been jailed for ten years for raping a teenage girl after plying her with alcohol and drugs. Jamie Forbes, 52, attacked the girl in June 2020. The widower, of Manor Road, Benfleet, forced himself upon the girl having plied her with alcohol and cannabis, also allegedly offering her cocaine which she refused, the court heard. Yesterday, he was jailed for ten years at Basildon Crown Court. Peter Clark, prosecuting, said: He begun with him making remarks of a sexual nature, asking if she had slept with older men. She made it absolutely clear she was not consenting, but he persevered nonetheless, telling her she did want it. In police interviews Forbes denied the offence, claiming the victim had instead come onto him. Forbes, who was married for 30 years before his wife died in late 2018, continues to deny the offence, despite being found guilty by jury earlier this year. Forbes also vehemently denies there was any cocaine present, and a police search of his home following the incident found no evidence of the Class A drug. In his sentencing remarks, recorder Leslie Cuthbert described Forbes as a callous rapist, adding: You do pose a high risk of committing further offences, that is ones of a sexual nature, not only to the victim, but to other young women. You saw her as an easy target for your own sexual desires, recorder Cuthbert said. You boasted about the number of women you had allegedly had sex with before asking the victim about the number of boys they had been with and their ages. You decided to take what you wanted, to fulfil your own sexual urges, irrespective of her wishes and despite her continued protestations. He added: Even now, in the pre-sentence report, you refuse to accept what you have done and instead are now suggesting that youre being convicted is some kind of set-up. You have shown no remorse for your actions, but only for the impact it has had on yourself. Forbes was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and an extended license period of two years for rape of a woman 16 years of age or over at Basildon Crown Court on yesterday. Forbes will be required to serve two-thirds of the custodial period in prison before being eligible for parole.

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A MAN who raped a young girl over a five-year period has been jailed. Keith Alan Fairbrother assaulted the girl in the early 2000s, when he was in his 40s. The assaults took place over a five-year period when the girl was in her early teens. Fairbrother had come to know the victims family over time and used this friendship to exploit her. The 59-year-old was convicted of four offences of rape and three offences of sexual assault by penetration. At Chichester Crown Court, Fairbrother, of Glovers Lane, Bexhill, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after a two-week trial. Detective Constable Ella Bigsby, of the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: "He had come to know the victim's family and gained her confidence over a period of time, enabling him to exploit her for his own sexual gratification. "His victim showed great courage in contacting us, supporting the investigation and giving evidence in court, resulting in his conviction and the removal from the streets of an opportunist but predatory sex offender." In a statement, the victim said: "In coming forward to the police, I finally did what adults around me should have done all those years ago, and became the person I needed when younger. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the case, with a special thank you to DC Ella Bigsby for being my strength, barrister Jennifer Gray for being my voice, and the jury." Detective Constable Bigsby added: "This is another example of the way in which justice can be achieved for victims of sexual offences, no matter when the offending took place."

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Steven McLone, 31, was found with the explicit material on his computer after police were alerted to the illegal content that he was accessing via his IP address. A man who was caught with life-like animation of children being sexually abused, as well as a vile video recording of a woman abusing a dog, has been locked up. Steven McLone, aged 31 and who is autistic, was found with the explicit material on his computer after police were alerted to the illegal content that he was accessing via his IP address. McLone was already known to police, as he was subject to a a sexual harm prevention order, when they raided his address in Middlesbrough in October 2021, Teesside Live reports. Specialist police IT workers found: - 1 class B image of a child (aged 5-7) being sexually abused - 5 class C images of children (aged 9-11) being sexually abused - 47 prohibited images of children - A video of a woman sexually abusing a dog Teesside Crown Court was told by prosecutor, Christopher Bevan, that McLone bookmarked the animated child abuse as a favourite on his internet explorer, and that one of the files he had downloaded was entitled: "My baby girls" and another with an inappropriate description of a child, aged two. The court heard that when police arrested McLone, he told them: " I think I know what you're talking about. I was trying to download a film when I opened it. I saw it and felt sick and deleted it". McLone, of Parrington Place in Lazenby, pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of a child; the possession of prohibited images of a child, and the possession of an extreme pornographic image portraying sex with an animal. Appearing in court via videolink from HMP Durham, McLone kept his head bowed throughout the hearing on Monday. The court heard that he has a previous conviction for the sexual assault of a girl who was under the age of 13, and another sexual assault of an underage girl back in 2018. Shaun Dryden, defending, told the court that his client is autistic and "immature" for his age. Mr Dryden said that McLone hadn't been found with a large amount of illegal images, but that the probation service had found that he isn't eligible for a place on a sex offender treatment programme, because of his autism. Mr Dryden said that McLone had told his probation officer that he is sexually attracted to teenage girls because he views himself as a teenager. Jailing McLone for 10 months, Judge Howard Crowson told him: "I struggle with the idea that you were not sexually aroused by these images. Your previous convictions show you are aroused by young females." McLone was made subject to sex offender notifications for 10 years.

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A sex offender who abused two children has been jailed for 31 years, in a case a detective described as of the most disturbing he has ever dealt with. Michael France, aged 42, of Sandyfields View, Skellow, was jailed after being found guilty of 14 charges against two victims. He was accused of two charges of sexual assault of a child under 13 against the first victim, and one charge of indecent assault, five counts of rape of a child under 13 and six counts of rape against the second victim. The paedophile was ordered to serve a minimum of of 31 years in custody, with an extended five years on licence upon his release. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and has been made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. The paedophile was ordered to serve a minimum of of 31 years in custody, with an extended five years on licence upon his release. He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and has been made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. MORE: Concern over police taking four months to reveal known sex offender in Sheffield was missing The sex offender has been branded a predatory and depraved man by the police. The offences took place across both North and South Yorkshire and the Humberside area. A joint investigation by South Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Police was mounted in 2019 when the first victim came forward and reported the abuse they had been subjected to by France. As the investigation developed a second victim was discovered. Temporary Detective Sergeant Melissa Green, of South Yorkshire Police, praised the bravery of the victims for coming forward. She said: Throughout the trial Michael France maintained his innocence, denying the allegations and stating they had never happened. Ultimately, he was implying his victims were lying. The complainants in this case were children at the time of the offences, one of them now being an adult, who had come forward to police to report historical abuse against them by Michael France between the ages of five and 18 years of age. Their bravery in doing so has led to him now finally facing time behind bars. We commend these victims for coming forward, and helping bring him to justice before a court. We hope that this helps them find some closure, and we urge all victims to come to us with their cases so that we may be able to help them too. Speaking about the sentence handed to France, Detective Sergeant David Adams, of North Yorkshire Police, said: As the very lengthy prison sentence reflects Michael France is a predatory and depraved man. He has shown no remorse for his behaviour at any point through the process. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges, meaning his victims had to sit through a lengthy and painful trial where they had to give evidence against their abuser. I just hope that now he has been put behind bars for a very long time, the victims have the space to find closure on an awful period in their lives and move forward to more positive times. This case has been one of the most impactive and disturbing cases of sexual abuse that I have ever encountered.