Latest Offenders

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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.

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Adam Harrison had previously been jailed for abusing another 12-year-old girl in 2012 A convicted sex offender has been jailed for sexually abusing a vulnerable 12-year-old girl he met online. Adam Harrison, 29, took advantage of the child's chaotic and lonely life for his own sexual gratification, Taunton Crown Court was told. She arranged to run away from her care address in Somerset and Harrison, who she knew by another name, was there to pick her up in his car. He took her to an alleyway and got her to perform oral sex on him. At the time of the offence Harrison was subject to the sex offender register and should have been living in Plymouth. Police arrested him at a different address in Taunton. An investigation revealed he had known the girl for five months and had engaged in similar behaviour with her on a previous occasion. The pair exchanged Snapchat messages and she had been desperate for someone to care for her. The defendant, of Stuart Road, Plymouth, was jailed for eight years and eleven months with a further four years on extended licence to protect the public when he is released. The judge sentencing him at Taunton Crown Court said he was a dangerous offender and a high risk to young girls. It was not the first time he had targeted a child for sex. Harrison was jailed in 2012 for sexual activity with another 12-year-old girl. Prosecutor Miss Sarah Regan said in February of this year the girl had been placed in emergency foster care. When she bolted from the house her carer followed and saw a car flashing its lights for her to get in. He took a photo of the registration and called police. The car drove away with the girl at speed, ignoring a red light. The girl was found later at Plymouth Railway Station. She told officers the pair had met previously and he had taken her to Dartmoor. They kept in touch on Snapchat and she knew him by another name. He was aware of her extremely vulnerable state and she had given him sexual favours to make him happy. She said he had 'freaked out' when the carer took a photo of the car driving away. The court was told the girl was a high-achiever but her life extremely troubled. She is vulnerable to grooming and has been in contact with lots of men via the chat app. "I was very lonely," she said. "I would have done anything to keep someone. I wanted someone to care about me." Harrison was tracked down to an address in Taunton. Under the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order he was prevented from contacting anyone under 16. Mr Patrick Mason, defending, said Harrison had been making progress in his life since being released from prison. The victim had remained in contact with him after their first encounter and he did not know how old she was. He said Harrison was somebody who feels sorry for himself and will not be able to apply for his release until his mid-30s. Harrison pleaded guilty to two offences of raping a 12-year-old girl; breaching the terms of his SOPO and two offences of failing to comply with the sex offender register. Judge Paul Cook said: "The victim was extremely vulnerable. Through her short life she has been in and out of care. Her life had instability, chaos and sorrow and she has been the victim of various unkind interests in her life and the last thing she needed steeping into her life was you and what you did to her. "You were required to register at an address in Plymouth but were, in fact, in Taunton. You have a total lack of awareness of the consequences of your actions and are a high risk of committing further contact offences. You show a reluctance to take responsibility and lack victim empathy." He said Harrison posed a serious harm to female children. The defendant will serve two thirds of his eight year eleven months sentence in jail before he can be considered safe for release. He will remain subject to licence conditions for the full 12 years and eleven months.

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A SEX offender who now devotes his time to caring for animals had two secret iPhones in breach of a court order designed to curb his internet use. Carlisle Crown Court heard that Allan Smith, 34, told police officers that the two phones they found at his home when they visited him on June 3 last year belonged to his brother. But the brother said the phones were not his. Smith, of Stonegarth, Morton, pleaded guilty to three allegations of breaching a sexual harm prevention order that he was given July 2017. Two related to the phones he had and the third to his attempts to hinder the police investigation. The order part of his sentence for inciting a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity was designed to ensure that the defendants use of the internet is controlled and monitored. Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said the two phones were found in the defendant's living room when police officers visited him at his home as part of their monitoring work. Both phones were protected with a numerical code. The officer asked him for the codes and he refused the request and said the phones were not his but belonged to his brother, said the prosecutor. The brother denied owning the phones. There was also evidence that the phones had been used to access Facebook, something else that was prohibited under the terms of Smiths court order. The court heard that a Probation Service background report had described the defendant as deceitful and manipulative. Yet a 37-page psychological report concluded that a jail sentence would have a devastating effect on Smith. Kim Whittlestone, defending, said: Over the last three years, hes been able to establish secure accommodation. After being released from custody, Smith had lived in a bail hostel and then in bed and breakfast accommodation. For the first time, since losing his grandfather, with whom he had previously lived, he now had stable accommodation. A former worker at a Penrith poultry factory, Smith now ran an allotment and spends most of his time there and he focused on caring for animals. They included 25 pigeons and ducklings. Classed as vulnerable, and suffering from ADHD, he lives an isolated life, added the barrister. Recorder Andrew Nuttall noted that there was no suggestion that the phones were used for any illegal purpose, such as looking for young girls. Jailing him would also cause significant harm to the animals he cared for, noted the judge. Any risk he posed was minor, said the judge, concluding that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. The just said: A community order is the right sentence for you and society would benefit from you having 30 days of rehabilitation activity in the community. Recorder Nuttall imposed 200 hours of unpaid work as punishment as part of the 12-month order.

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A woman who molested another woman on a train has escaped having to register as a sex offender.

26-year-old human resources professional Jodie Tucker will not have to go to a police station and sign the sex offenders register after receiving an unusual sentence term.

District Judge Joanna Dickens imposed an eleven-month community order despite the probation service asking for the order to be for a period of twelve months or longer.

Most community orders are 12, 18 or 24 months in length but by reducing the term by one month, Tucker escaped gaining the title of registered sex offender, despite being a sex offender.

Swindon Magistrates Court this morning (23 May) heard how she touched the womans knee, before moving up her thigh and to her vagina over the victims clothing.

Shocked and upset about Tuckers behaviour, she told her to stop. But she continued regardless placing her hand in the victims lap and touching her inner thighs for a second time.

As a result, the victim who goes to university says she has started suffering from a number of mental health issues, including stress-induced hair loss, mood swings, struggles to concentrate and nightmares where Tucker is standing over her and she feels like shes trapped and cant move.

Defence solicitor Mr Davis said his client, of Hathaway Road, Upper Stratton, Swindon, accepted she was on the train and had consumed a lot of alcohol describing her as very, very, very drunk.

He said Tucker doesnt have any recollection of her crime, but she has never disputed the incident and accepts the victim who was helping her get home was only trying to do the decent thing.

Tucker isnt the first sex offender to get away with having to register as one. An accomplished solicitor who sexually assaulted two women at a Wiltshire pub didnt have to either.

Thomas Cadman brazenly approached his victims and groped them last year, but magistrates imposed a nine-month community order despite the probation service asking for a 12-month order.

This meant that instead of registering as a sex offender for five years, he avoided it altogether.

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A TEENAGER left a 14-year-old girl feeling "dirty" after taking advantage of her and having sex with her, a court heard.

Southampton Crown Court heard Curtis Goodwin had sex with the girl in Southampton last summer when he was 17.

Prosecution barrister Tom Wright told how the victim was trying to get cannabis when she spoke with Goodwin - but he then preyed on the vulnerable girl.

The court heard the girl was vulnerable due to her age and although Goodwin knew her age, he continued.

Goodwin, now 18, pleaded guilty to three charges of engaging in sexual activity with the girl, and one of inciting her to engage in sexual activity.

In a statement read out in court, the girl said she has lived with the effects of the crime since it happened, and the impact has been catastrophic.

She said: "I wonder how I will learn to live with what happened. I have become depressed and Im 15 years old.

It ruins what I am doing whether that be schoolwork... I feel dirty and I cant wash it off.

Mr Wright called for the judge to impose a restraining order for five years barring Goodwin from contacting his victim.

Defending, Gemma White asked the judge to consider Goodwins age and lack of maturity.

She added: Everything that I say on behalf of Mr Goodwin does not wish to detract away from the impact on the victim.

"This is an extremely serious sexual offence against a young girl.

She said the offence had been opportunistic and Goodwin had not sought out the sexual activity.

Goodwin, now of Springcroft, Gosport, was previously subject to a child abduction warning notice in 2020.

Judge Christopher Parker QC said Goodwin took advantage of the victim.

The judge handed Goodwin two years in youth detention but suspended this for two years.

A restraining order was also granted with Goodwin also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

He must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and must sign on as a registered sex offender.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Parker added: If you get involved with young girls again you will receive a very long sentence indeed.

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A REGISTERED sex offender sidestepped a strict court order by having a host of electronic devices he had not declared to police, a court heard. When interviewed by police, Steven Singleton, 63, spoke of being a hoarder who built computers and held the misguided belief that legal transparency would see his life destroyed. Singleton had first been sentenced by magistrates in 2014 for 11 offences which related to indecent images of children and extreme pornography, Carlisle Crown Court heard. His punishment included the imposition of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) aimed at curbing online crimes. That placed a legal obligation on him to declare internet-capable devices, and make them available to police for installation of motoring software. But Singleton was found to have flouted the order after police paid a routine visit to his Levens home on May 10 last year. A host of devices including laptops, an iPhone, iPad, tablet and fire sticks were seized. He denied having them, but did have them, said prosecutor Brendan Burke. Singleton, of The Green, admitted breaching the SOPO and was sentenced at the crown court by Judge David Swinnerton. Richard Bennett, defending, said one device was fitted with the monitoring software but conceded the others did not. I think the main point is there are no illegal or prohibited images on any of the devices which, of course, have been thoroughly examined by police, said Mr Bennett. The fact there are no images is a clear indication that following the original conviction, the sanctions meted out to him in 2014 have been successful, in part." Unemployed Singleton had since completed a sex offender treatment course and in 2017 was assessed by the probation service as posing low risk of reoffending. He told police in interview he is a hoarder particularly with computer equipment which he likes to build, said Mr Bennett. His misguided thought was that police would take the devices from him and in effect destroy his hobby and, to use his words, his life. All of the devices had been in his possession for a number of years. This is another lesson he must learn by way of a court sanction. Judge Swinnerton suspended an eight-month jail term for two years and ordered Singleton to undergo further probation service rehabilitation. He will be deprived of the seized devices. You must comply to the letter with the terms of the SOPO, Judge Swinnerton reminded Singleton.

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A paedophile who tried to groom a young girl on Instagram was caught after a mum became concerned about changes in her daughter's behaviour, a court has heard.

The mother asked to look at the schoolgirl's mobile and saw she had sent a friend a screen shot of a conversation she had had with a man on the social media site during which the unknown male had asked her for a photo, and discussed meeting. The mum subsequently contacted a so-called paedophile hunter group which took over the youngster's accounts.

Over the following weeks Jose Pardinez-Olea sent a series of sick sexual messages and requests to what he still believed was the 12-year-old girl he had originally been chatting to, including videos of himself masturbating and urinating. Sending the 41-year-old to prison, a judge told him he had no doubt he had intended harm to the girl.

Swansea Crown Court hard that in early 2020 the mother of a girl living in the county of Rhondda Cynon Taf became concerned about changes in the youngster's behaviour, including in the way she was eating and way she used her phone.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said the mum asked to see her daughter's mobile, and on the device found an Instagram screenshot the girl had sent a friend which showed a conversation she had been having with an unknown male calling himself Josh. During the course of the conversation Josh had asked the girl to send him a photograph of herself, and had mentioned meeting at his house in Port Talbot.

The prosecutor said the original conversation had been deleted but the mum was so concerned she synced her phone to her daughter's so she could monitor her social media activity. The man calling himself Josh continued to message the Instagram account, and the mother began to reply as her daughter until Josh sent a photo of his penis - at that point the woman contacted the police and a paedophile hunter group.

The court heard a member of the group took over the running of girl's accounts, and over the following weeks Josh - later revealed as Pardinez-Olea - sent a series of highly sexual messages as well as naked pictures of himself via WhatsApp. The court heard the defendant also sent photographs of scenes from pornographic films he was watching, videos of himself masturbating and urinating, and tried to get the youngster to perform sexual acts on herself.

The paedophile hunter group running the accounts then contacted a similar group in Wales who confronted Pardinez-Olea at his then-home address at Ynys Street in Port Talbot. Police were called and the defendant was arrested. Officers seized his phone, and also recovered a small amount of cannabis from the property.

The court heard police sent the evidence in the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision in early 2021 but the file was returned as it was incomplete. It took another six months for the file to be resubmitted, and the CPS authorised charging in August though it was not until February 2022 that the defendant was charged via postal requisition. The prosecutor said the delay was "clearly not acceptable".

Jose Pardinez-Olea, now of Elias Street, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a girl under 13, attempting to cause a girl under 13 to watch images of sexual activity, and possession of cannabis when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has one previous conviction for one offence, that of driving with excess alcohol.

Giles Hayes, for Pardinez-Olea, said the defendant's arrest had been a "wake up call" for him, and he had stopped drinking and taking drugs, and had returned to work. He said his client was keen to stress that his behaviour at the time of the offending had been effected by isolation, loneliness, and substance misuse.

Recorder David Harris noted that the author of the pre-sentence report concluded that with appropriate treatment there were good prospects of rehabilitation, but he told the defendant he had no doubt that he had intended to cause harm to the child he believed he was communicating with.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Pardinez-Olea was sentenced to a total of four years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder to the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life, and was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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Prosecutor Neil Treharne told the court on Friday (May 20) that on December 8, 2021 police executed a warrant at Denny Lakenvelders home in Wordsworth Avenue, Cheltenham. It followed officers receiving information from the National Crime Agency that a device at the property had downloaded illegal images.

The Agency stated that on that numerous occasions during October last year Lakenvelder had downloaded indecent images of children from the Kik social media site," said Mr Treharne. When police arrived at the address they seized a mobile phone and sent this off for analysis.

"The results revealed that it contained 56 images of the most serious kind, known as category A, featuring children as young as one year old up to pre-pubescent boys and girls. There were 107 additional indecent images in categories B and C.

In his police interview Lakenvelder admitted he had downloaded images of very young children. He said he did not download any moving images.

Nicholas Clough, defending, said: Lakenvelder has already sought professional help for his sexual offending since his arrest. The images are at the lower end of the scale and he is only charged with possession.

"He did not distribute the images. I believe that as he made a full admission of his guilt on more than one occasion I feel that any custodial sentence could be suspended."

Lakenvelder admitted three offences of making indecent images of children - 56 category A images, 67 category B images and 40 category C images.

Judge Advocate Alastair McGrigor told Lakenvelder: You have indulged in possessing indecent images of children. This offence crosses the custody threshold.

However, I accept you admitted your guilt to the police and you have since shown regret for your behaviour. This demonstrates to me that there is possibility for rehabilitation, for which I can suspend the sentence.

The judge sentenced Lakenvelder to a prison term of six months, suspended for two years and ordered him to attend 20 programme sessions and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and undertake 180 hours of unpaid work. The judge also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order on Lakenvelder to limit his use of the internet and placed Lakenvelder on the sex offenders register for seven years.