Latest Offenders

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A CONVICTED rapist who failed to return to prison after day release was found in Kendal. Colin Hogben was serving his sentence at HMP Leyhill in South Gloucestershire, near Bristol. The 73-year-old was allowed out on day release on June 23 but did not return. It prompted Avon and Somerset police to launch a manhunt for the prisoner, telling the public not to approach him and to call 999 with any information. According to court records, Hogben was found in Kendal - more than 200 miles from the open prison. He was detained by police on June 25. Police said he had a bus pass and access to money. Warning people at the time of his disappearance, a police spokesperson said: "He was convicted of rape in 1994. "If you know where he is now, call 999 immediately and give the reference 5222149339. "Dont approach him. If you have any other information which could help to find him, ring 101 with the same reference." Picked up by police, Hogben was hauled before Barrow's magistrates' court. He admitted remaining unlawfully at large past the period of his temporary release. Hogben is due to be sentenced for the offence at Carlisle Crown Court on July 29.

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A paedophile who sexually abused three girls has been jailed for seven years. Derbyshire Police said one of Michael McCafferty's victims was less than five years old when the offending began in the 1990s. The 74-year-old, of Church Lane in Selston, Nottinghamshire, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault after a trial at Derby Crown Court. He was jailed for seven years on Tuesday. McCafferty was also found guilty of three counts of making indecent images of a child. Det Con Gavin Owen, from Derbyshire Police, praised the victims for coming forward and securing a conviction against McCafferty, who will also serve one year on extended licence after his release. "They showed great courage and remained steadfast throughout a lengthy investigation and trial," he said. "I know how much today's sentencing means to them, particularly after McCafferty put them all through the secondary ordeal of a trial after denying the abuse that he inflicted upon them."

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A vile paedophile who abused three child victims before leading police on a high speed chase has been put behind bars for over 10 years.

Kenneth Harrison's abuse came to light after one of the children who he assaulted bravely spoke out and filed a report.

Officers attended Harrison's Darlington home to arrest him but instead he was spotted speeding off in a car from police. This sparked an 18 minute chase which saw Harrison drive through red lights and reach speeds up to 90mph without any lights on.

Harrison appeared at Teesside Crown Court via video link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for offences of sexual assault of a child and one count of dangerous driving, he pleaded guilty to the charges in a previous hearing. Chronicle Live reports that the court heard Harrison's offending impacted three separate lives and he 'burst into tears' as the prison sentence was given.

At a hearing last week, prosecutor Robin Turton said Harrison carried out sexual offences against three children, and left one feeling 'targeted'. The court heard that Harrison also sexually assaulted a child while abroad and 'very drunk'.

Mr Turton said that after the crimes were reported to the police, they went to arrest him on March 11 this year. Harrison was seen driving a vehicle in Darlington, but 'drove away at speed' upon seeing the officers.

He said: "He drove at excess speed during the pursuit which lasted 18 minutes, he drove in excess of 90mph in a 40mph zone and went through red lights. He was eventually arrested when he alighted at his address and later denied any sexual offending."

Chris Baker, defending, said Harrison had 'expressed deep regret with what happened' and said there was 'remorse'. He added that he entered guilty pleas as he did not want the victims to be put through the trial process.

Mr Baker said: "It is his first custodial sentence and has described difficulties with mental health during his incarceration. He has depression and suicidal thoughts, he wants to undertake all the help that is provided by the prison.

"He knows he's done something utterly appalling."

Sentencing Harrison, Judge Chris Smith said: "Your actions have created three separate victims which will impact three separate lives. You have expressed remorse, which I'm satisfied means it's appropriate to give you full credit for your guilty pleas."

Harrison was given a prison sentence of 10 years and eight months and will be on the sex offender's register for life. Because of the time he will spend in custody, he was banned from driving for eight years and four months and must sit an extended re-test.

With his head in his hands, Harrison burst into tears after the lengthy sentence was passed.

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A Northumberland man who unwittingly had explicit online conversations about child sex abuse with an undercover cop has been jailed. Benjamin Parr thought he was having the sickening exchange with an internet user called Dan, but was actually the subject of a covert police sting. Prosecutor Rachael Glover told Newcastle Crown Court Parr had struck up a conversation with the officer over the website Kik, in a group police believed was linked to child abuse, and they began to exchange private messages. During four days of vile chat, Parr confessed he "loved things he shouldn't like," said he needed a child who was "trained" and boasted that his "eyes had only recently been opened" when he was sent an image of a girl aged seven or eight, and he liked it. Parr sent three videos and one picture of child abuse, featuring victims aged between five and 13, as well as a bestiality video to 'Dan' during the conversations in April last year. And when police raided his home, they seized a mobile phone containing a total of 21 indecent images, both still and moving, across all three categories of seriousness and featuring children aged between seven and 12. Parr, 27, of Woodlands Road in Ashington, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography. In sentencing him to 16 months behind bars, Judge Edward Binloss told him: "You and Dan started communicating over Kik, then on private messages. "There were four days of explicit conversations with this undercover police officer about child abuse and about your sexualised fantasies with children. Parr must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. John Crawford, mitigating, said Parr has split from his partner and lost his job. He had added his client would co-operate with the probation service, saying: "Work can be done with him, and he is willing to do it."

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A PEEPING Tom was back breaching a court order limiting his internet use just weeks after he was handed a lifeline by an Oxford judge. Night prowler Carl Ford, 29, was given the sexual harm prevention order in December last year at Chelmsford Crown Court for 17 charges, including going out at night and secretly filming women through their windows. In March, an Oxford judge gave the Didcot man just 14 days imprisonment for breaching that order by failing to register a PlayStation video console, a laptop and memory card with the police. On Wednesday, Ford was back before the same judge who had taken a lenient view in the spring. Prosecutor Alice Aubrey-Fletcher told the court Ford had deleted a dating app, called Badoo, in breach of his sexual harm prevention order and used his flatmates iPad to watch pornography. Judge Michael Gledhill QC heard that an investigator from Thames Valley Polices public protection department, which is responsible for monitoring sex offenders, visited Fords flat on May 25. The defendant was out, but was told about the police visit by his flatmate. Ms Aubrey-Fletcher said: During the visit, the defendants phone was inspected. On the phone was found a photograph of an adult woman in her underwear. The defendant told the investigator the photograph came from a dating app called Badoo. That app had been deleted from the phone, however, in breach of the order. Ford claimed he had deleted the dating app to hide it from his ex-partner as he didnt want it to upset her. He admitted using his flatmates tablet computer, initially claiming he used it to watch Netflix TV shows. However, when he was told the device, which had not been registered with the police, would be analysed by forensic specialists, he confessed to using it to watch pornography online. The pornography was similar in nature to the voyeuristic images that were behind his original offences, the prosecutor said. Mitigating, Derek Barry echoed what he said in his clients defence in March. Ford had a terrible childhood, being physically abused at the hands of his father who was described as a high-risk persistent sexual offender well-known to the police. Ford, of Buckthorn Crescent, Didcot, pleaded guilty to breaching his sexual harm prevention order. He had three previous convictions for breaching the order and was given what the prosecutor termed a lifeline 14 day sentence in March. On Wednesday, Judge Gledhill jailed him for 28 months.

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A MAN who ignored a womans pleas to stop, during a rape ordeal, later boasted: She wouldnt give us it, so I took it anyway, when challenged about the incident. The comment would come back to haunt Robert Jeavons, as it formed part of the evidence against him as the case of rape came to court. Appearing at a Durham Crown Court plea hearing in March, the 34-year-old defendant denied three counts of rape alleged against him. A trial was set, with a three-day time estimate, to be staged at the court, in September this year. But on the day the victim appeared for her pre-trial recording of her evidence, last month, Jeavons changed his plea to guilty, relating to one of the alleged incidents. The plea was accepted by the Crown and the other two alleged rape charges were left to lie on the file. Giving her impact statement at the sentencing hearing at court, the rape victim addressed Jeavons and said: Its not okay what you have done to us. You have destroyed my life. I will never forgive you for what you have done. She said she now struggles to sleep, but when she does, she suffers nightmares recalling the ordeal. But she pledged that despite the effects, mentally and physically, of the incident. she can and will attempt to get on with her life. Robin Turton, prosecuting, said the defendant, living at an address in Norfolk Street, Sunderland, recently, has a single unrelated caution on his record for sexual activity with a child under 16, dating from 2008. Ian West, in mitigation, said that previous incident was when Jeavons was aged only 21, at the time. He said by pleading to the current offence when he did, it was well in advance of the full scheduled trial and saved three days of the courts time. Judge James Adkin said it was still only on the day the victim was to give her evidence in the case but he agreed to give Jeavons 15 per cent discount on his sentence to mark the guilty plea. He said the defendant had intercourse with the woman despite her telling him to stop, but, later, effectively confessed. Imposing a total sentence of 61 months imprisonment, five years and one month, he also made Jeavons subject to a lifetime restraining order, prohibiting any attempt to contact or approach the victim. The defendant will also be subject to notification as a sex offender, also for life.

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A MAN has been jailed for more than three years for offences of sexual activity and voyeurism against two young girls. Christian Charles Turner, 30, of Little London Road, Horam, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court to a total of three years and four months, having previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity against a girl aged 13. He also pleaded guilty to six counts of voyeurism involving another girl, then aged 11 and 12. He also admitted making a series of nearly 4,000 indecent images of children, all taken from the internet and none believed to be of local children, found on his two mobile phones when officers arrested him last year. Turner will be a registered sex offender for life and the court also gave him a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which will severely restrict his access to children and digital devices. Detective Constable Sean Stapley of the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit, said: "Our investigation started when we were contacted by a family last autumn with concerns that their daughter had raised about Turner's behaviour. "It became clear that he had systematically ingratiated himself with the two families, gaining their confidence to a point at which he was able to commit the offences. "Thanks to their willingness to be ready to give evidence, justice has now been done and a predatory child sex offender has been exposed and punished and steps have been put in place to manage him on release."

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Former PE teacher Michael Quinlan, of zc, was handed a suspended 22-month sentence for three counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 and indecent assault on a male person.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The jury found the defendant not guilty of another count of indecent assault on a male.

Quinlan, now 73, has been put on the sex offenders register for life.

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Maxwells attorneys had pushed for leniency after 60-year-old was convicted in US in December of five of the six charges she faced Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison in her New York sex-trafficking case for procuring teen girls for Jeffrey Epstein for him to abuse. Maxwell, 60, has maintained her innocence. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and financier whose elite associates once included Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, was captured by federal authorities in July 2019, on sex-trafficking counts. He killed himself in a New York City federal jail just over one month after his arrest. Maxwells attorneys had pushed for leniency in sentencing, saying that she should receive well below the 20 years recommended by federal probation officials. Prosecutors pushed for a sentence of 30 to 55 years in prison. Maxwell, a former British socialite, was convicted on 29 December of five of the six charges she faced. The jury came to their decision after 40 hours of deliberations spanning six days. In addition to sex trafficking, Maxwell was convicted of conspiracy to entice individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport individuals under the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; transportation of an individual under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of individuals under the age of 18. Maxwell was escorted into the courtroom in ankle shackles and throughout the three-hour proceeding, had an unsettled demeanor. She repeatedly touched her hair, sometimes tucking it behind her ears, scratched her neck and sipped water throughout the proceeding. The former media heiress wore drab gray-blue jail scrubs, and a white undershirt. She turned to look at her three siblings who were seated behind her in court Isabel, Christine, and Kevin multiple times. But Maxwell did not offer much in the way of an apology for her actions. When Maxwell stood at a Plexiglass-enclosed lectern to speak, she said: I empathize deeply with all of the victims in this case. I also acknowledge that I have been convicted of helping Jeffrey Epstein commit these crimes, said Maxwell, whose statement marked the first time she has publicly addressed these allegations. And despite the many helpful and positive things I have done in my life and will continue to do I know that my association with Epstein and this case will forever and permanently stain me. Maxwell attempted to pin the blame on Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein should have been here before all of you, he should have stood before you all those years ago, he should have stood before you in 2005, again in 2009, and again in 2019, Maxwell continued, adding shortly thereafter, I am sorry for the pain that you experienced There were four accusers in the trial: Jane, Kate and Carolyn, who did not use their full names during proceedings, as well as Annie Farmer. Jane said that she was 14 in 1994 when Epstein began to sexually abuse her and that sometimes Maxwell was present when he did so. Sometimes, Maxwell participated in this abuse, Jane testified. There were hands everywhere, Jane said of an incident with Epstein and Maxwell. This abuse also took place when she was 15 and 16. Kate said that she first met Maxwell in Paris around 1994, at 17. Maxwell asked Kate to tea at her London townhouse shortly thereafter, and then introduced the teen to Epstein at a subsequent meeting. A few weeks later, Maxwell telephoned Kate, and told her: Jeffrey was meant to get a massage but the massage therapist had canceled. Could I do her a favor and come over because I had strong hands. Kate told jurors that Maxwell led her upstairs, where Epstein was in a robe. Maxwell shut the door, leaving Kate alone with Epstein. He initiated sexual contact with Kate. She saw him several times annually over the next few years. Carolyn testified that she fell into Maxwell and Epsteins abusive world around the early 2000s, when she was 14, at his Palm Beach mansion. Carolyn said she traveled to Epsteins house over 100 times between ages 14 and 18, and recalled a physical encounter with Maxwell while getting a massage table ready. I was getting fully nude, and she came in and felt my boobs and my hips and my buttocks and said that I had a great body for Mr Epstein and his friends. She just said that I had a good body type, Carolyn testified. Farmer testified that Maxwell gave her a nude massage when she was aged just 16 at Epsteins sprawling New Mexico estate. She met Epstein in late 1995, when she went to visit her sister, Maria, in New York City. Maria was an artistic painter for Epstein. Maxwells case was thrown into potential disarray shortly after the verdict. One of the jurors, Scotty David, gave interviews after the trial where he talked about experiencing sexual abuse as a child. David said that he told his fellow panelists about this so that they could see facts from a victims point of view. These statements spurred questions, as potential jurors were queried about any history of abuse during the selection process. The questionnaire for prospective jurors asked: Have you or a friend ever been the victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse or sexual assault? The prosecution and defense both asked Judge Alison Nathan to investigate; Maxwells lawyers asked for a new trial, claiming David should never have sat on the jury. Nathan called David to testify publicly on 8 March about this omission. David claimed that he was distracted while rushing through the questionnaire, calling his omission an honest mistake. Nathan rejected Maxwells request for a new trial based on Davids error, saying she thought his answer was truthful and would not have been stricken for cause even if he had answered each question on the questionnaire accurately.

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A SCHOOL caretaker said 'he should be hung' after he admitted to arranging sexual acts with a child.

David Wolfe, of Elm Drive, Winkfield, was locked up after also admitting to sending a picture of his genitalia to a 13-year-old girl.

The 63-year-old was arrested after he tried to meet up with the child - who was really an undercover police officer - having brought condoms with him to a park in Windsor in the summer of 2020.

He comes before the court today as a broken man. He says he has destroyed everything, defence barrister Mark Kinsey told Reading Crown Court.

He was living a fantasy world online and he said the best thing that happened was the police coming and taking away his devices.

In his view, he should be hung. He says he is disgusted with himself and he is extremely ashamed of what happened.

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A MAN travelled across the country to meet and abuse an 11-year-old child in Southampton. Daniel Castel-Nuovo of Harrogate Street, Netherfield arranged to meet and abuse the child after conversations they had online. The 48-year-old travelled from his home in Nottinghamshire to Southampton on May 17 to meet them. But instead he was met by officers from the South East regional Organised Crime Unit. It was later found that he had brought items including sweets, condoms, lubricant, wet wipes and baby oil with him. No real children were involved or harmed in the operation. Castel-Nuovo was charged with with arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence on the same day. Last Friday he pleaded guilty at a hearing at Southampton Crown Court and was sentenced that day to two-and-a-half years imprisonment. He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. Detective Inspector James Oxley, from SEROCU, said: Castel-Nuovos conviction following a proactive SEROCU investigation reflects our continued priority to protect children from sexual exploitation from those who seek to do them harm. "HH Judge Burrell commented on the awful nature of the offence and the impact it had on his family, who were present in court. He will now spend time in prison where he can reflect upon his actions. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of child sexual abuse, please report it to your local police force. We will always follow up allegations of abuse, no matter when they occurred. "Victims can talk in confidence to experienced Investigators and we can also help with access to a range of other support services.

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A sex offender from Hertfordshire assaulted his victim while she slept on a sofa.

The incident occurred in October 2017, when Richard Newman sexually assaulted his female victim after she had fallen asleep.

The victim later called 999 and Newman was arrested, but denied the allegations made against him.

The 51-year-old from High Street, Reed - near Royston - appeared at Luton Crown Court on Friday (June 24).

There he was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, after being found guilty of sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration.

Detective Sergeant Amy Farmer, from Hertfordshire Police's Sexual Offences Investigation Team (SOIT), said: "Newman despicably took advantage of the victim as she slept.

"She was so traumatised by what had happened, that she was initially unable to speak during her 999 call to police as she could not stop crying.

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Rapist who was allowed to stay in care home attacked dementia victim, court hears. A convicted rapist sexually assaulted a woman with dementia after he was allowed to live in a care home despite his shocking criminal history, a court heard yesterday. Care home manager Katie Daysley was told he was a registered sex offender who had served jail time and had a history of sex attacks, violence and drug taking. But instead of being moved out of the residential home in Hull specialising in the care of elderly people with dementia, Robert Carpenter was allowed to stay. No plan was put in place to protect other residents, Beverley magistrates court was told. After six months living in the home, and five days after it was visited by a police officer checking up on him, Carpenter was found committing a sex assault on an elderly woman resident with advanced dementia. He was later convicted for an offence of engaging in sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder. Yesterday Miss Daysley, 41, of Hull, went on trial after denying a charge under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 of failing to protect a service user from abuse and improper treatment resulting in avoidable harm. The homes owner the HICA Group pleaded guilty to a similar offence of failing to protect service users from abuse. Jemima Stephenson, prosecuting for the Care Quality Commission, said Carpenter, now 68, was accepted into the care home for short-term respite care in January 2018 after being found by council officials living in appalling conditions and suffering from burns as a result of self-electrocution. He told officials his criminal past was jail time for a drug-related stabbing. In April 2018, social worker Claire Stewart discovered he had in fact served three jail terms with convictions for criminal damage, assault, wounding, grievous bodily harm and sexual assaults. In March 1979, he had targeted a woman walking home from work, forcing a scarf into her mouth to stop her screaming before breaking her jaw, raping her and throwing her over a fence. He was arrested in 2009 following a cold case review of forensic evidence and later jailed for 18 months. Mrs Stewart said she immediately told Miss Daysley of his full criminal history, realising there was a strong public interest concern. A deputy manager was also given details of his criminal past, the court heard. The court was told that Miss Daysley failed to carry out a full risk assessment or implement adequate mitigating steps to deal with the very clear risk. She left her job in May 2018, a month before Carpenters serious sex assault. A Hull City Council safeguarding manager said her department, which referred Carpenter to the care home, found out about his rape conviction only after the sex assault. Had they known earlier they would probably have recommended he be moved out, the court heard. The case continues.

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Scott Light, 32, spent 19 minutes waiting inside the toilet of the bowling alley before shuffling towards his young victim and assaulting him physically A man sexually assaulted a boy in the toilets of a bowling alley. Scott Light already had a history of attacking children when he targeted the eight-year-old. Light, from Aberdare, went to the venue one evening last December and the way he looked at children near him caused one family to ask to be moved to another lane. They said the 32-year-old had "creeped the children out". He then went into the toilets and waited for 19 minutes at the urinals before an eight-year-old boy entered. Prosecutor Claire Pickthall told Cardiff Crown Court: "The child began using the urinal and described the defendant shuffling closer to him. The defendant said: 'Can I?'" Light then committed an offence of sexual touching for around five seconds. The boy described being in shock and running out as fast as he could. The adults who had taken him to the alley informed staff who entered the toilets and found one of the cubicles was locked with Light inside. The employee prevented anyone else entering the toilets and waited for police who attended soon afterwards and arrested Light. He gave a "no comment" interview. Ms Pickthall said the CCTV footage showed a "degree of planning" from Light in waiting 19 minutes for a child to enter. The defendant, of Mary Street, pleaded guilty to sexually touching a child aged under 13. While employed as a railway worker in 2017 he was jailed for 18 months after admitting attempted voyeurism and possessing more than 2,000 indecent images of children. He had gone into the toilets of St David's shopping centre in Cardiff before placing a mobile under a cubicle door to film a dad and his two-year-old son. Light is also awaiting sentence for offences dating back to 2006 in Northern Ireland when he attacked three children a boy and two girls. He has pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault and three of possessing indecent images. The victims came forward in 2018. Speaking about last year's bowling alley attack the victim's mum said it had changed him from a "happy and carefree" boy to one who struggles with fear of public toilets and lack of trust in social situations. "His right to innocence has been eroded by the events that night," she added. "He asks: 'Why did he do that to me?' How do you explain to a boy that he was sexually assaulted? No child or his family should ever have to go through this." John Ryan, mitigating, said the assault was "not prolonged" after his client had requested a "quick touch". He added: "In the past he has always had such thoughts and been able to manage but against the background of the Covid pandemic, loneliness, isolation, and boredom he went out to watch people to have some interaction. He drank significantly and this proved a disinhibiting factor which led to the offence." Mr Ryan said Light has not "victim-blamed" and has made "frank admissions". But Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke pointed out that Light had denied the Northern Ireland offences in his interview with the probation service despite having already pleaded guilty to them. The barrister replied that he was "not sure where that came from". The judge also questioned Light's statement in the presentence report that he was not sexually attracted to male children. Passing sentence Judge Lloyd-Clarke said the victim had been left "shocked and upset" by the attack. She added that only an immediate prison term would be appropriate given aggravating features such as Light being on bail for the Northern Ireland offences at the time as well as the comments he made in the presentence report. She imposed a three-year prison term and an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.