Latest Offenders

Description

A convicted sex offender who repeatedly hid his computer during police checks has been jailed over indecent images of children.

Neil Marston, 51, admitted breaching a life-long sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed after he was convicted of possessing similar images of children in 2018.

Norwich Crown Court heard officers who visited his home on April 14 this year discovered him attempting to hide a Lynx tablet computer behind a wardrobe.

It was subsequently found to contain more than 100 indecent images of children and two videos of sexual content involving children.

In interviews Marston, of Quarry Lane in Lyng, admitted he had hidden the device on previous visits by officers carrying out inspections under the order.

He claimed the images were not illegal and were "just erotic".

Marston, a carpenter, appeared at court to be sentenced on Tuesday having previously pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of a child and two counts of making indecent photos of a child.

Lori Tucker, defending, said the offences had been committed without a "consideration of the consequences" but that Marston now accepted that indecent images of children caused "real world harm".

"These offences were committed 20 months ago and in the meantime there has been no suggestion of further reoffending," she added.

But the court heard that a pre-sentence report had concluded there was a "high risk" of Marston committing further offences involving indecent images of children and that he also posed a danger to children in person.

Jailing him for 15 months, including three months from the suspended prison term imposed in 2018, Judge Katharine Moore said he was a "dishonest man willing to deceive and lie to authority".

She said: "It's perfectly clear, despite everything that you have said, that you have a sexual attraction to children that is longstanding and enduring.

"When this is taken together with your deceitful ways it mitigates against community intervention.

"What is particularly concerning is that you are someone who, on the face of it, is likely to attend and engage but in reality you are practicing deceit and carrying on regardless and repeated prosecution has proved to be no deterrent to you."

Description

A former Norfolk traffic warden who sexually abused a 13-year-old boy three decades ago has been jailed for four and half years.

Shane Vertigan, 52, who also worked previously as a police community support officer (PCSO) in Fakenham, preyed upon Wesley Spinks, who was aged 13 at the time of the offences.

The abuser was jailed at Norwich Crown Court on Monday (December 13) after having previously admitted three counts of gross indecency with a child under 14 and two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14 dating back to 1992 and 1993.

Vertigan, who appeared via videolink from prison, is already serving a six-year sentence imposed two years ago for sexual assaults he committed against a teenage girl in the mid 2000s.

Mr Spinks, now aged 41, has waived his right to anonymity. He read out an emotional statement to the court about the impact the abuse has had on his life.

Addressing his abuser directly and with his voice breaking, the former Hellesdon High School pupil said: " Shane, I will never truly know the emotional and life changing effects that your abuse had on me."

He added: "Through the years your actions shut me down emotionally and physically, having to relive your disgusting actions daily , where I can both smell and remember what you made me do to you, all for your own self-gratification."

Prosecutor Lori Tucker said Mr Spinks had known and trusted Vertigan but that he had sexually abused the then teenage boy after coming into his bedroom wearing nothing but his underwear. On another occasion he abused him in a van before taking him to a Norwich City match.

Sentencing Vertigan, Judge Maureen Bacon said he had committed a "terrible abuse of an innocent child".

"I have heard from the very considerable impact your offending has had upon him over the years," she said.

"He describes how his emotions have been disabled and disturbed and how he had descended into alcohol dependency which mercifully he has fought his way back from.

"He stands in this court with sufficient magnanimity to forgive you."

Juliet Donovan, mitigating, said Vertigan has been married for 22 years and had been involved in church activities for many years.

"He has written an apology note," she said. "In essence it is a deep apology. He realises what he has done and the effect he has had."

Description

A FORMER Wakefield teacher has been jailed after being convicted of sexual activity with a child. Jonathan Adamson, 33, of Lockley Crescent, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was sentenced on Monday, December 6, to seven years imprisonment. He was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was convicted following a trial at Leeds Crown Court of four counts of sexual activity with a child and pleaded guilty at the start of the trial to one further count of sexual activity with a child. The offences occurred a number of years ago and were against one teenage girl. Adamson worked as a teacher at the time of the offences. DI Suzanne Gall, of Wakefield Child Safeguarding Unit, said: Adamson has groomed his victim and sexually assaulted her on a number of occasions. His actions were predatory and took advantage of a vulnerable victim. "I welcome the custodial sentence he has been given and hope it provides the victim with some closure after she was forced to relive the offences he committed against her at trial when he refused to accept his guilt. These offences were reported a couple of years after they occurred and I hope it demonstrates that the police and CPS can, and will, still investigate and prosecute such offences where possible.

Description

A convicted sex offender used Snapchat to pretend he was 15 in order to groom an underage girl before meeting up with her to have sex.

Joshua Murrell, from Crewe, who was in fact 19 years-old, has been jailed for five-and-a-half years after admitting a string of serious sexual offences.

His victim was aged 13 and 14 at the time of the offences.

Murrell, of Plane Tree Drive, was already the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) having been convicted of sexual offences in March 2020.

He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on December 9 having pleaded guilty to several offences, including sexual activity and sexual communication with a child as well as breaches of the SHPO.

Rob Edwards, prosecuting, said the SHPO prohibited Murrell from using the internet to contact a child under the age of 16.

However, on May 8 this year he contacted the victim on Snapchat and persisted with messaging her despite the fact she told him she was 13.

Murrell told her he was 15 and began asking for images of the victim.

Upon receiving them, he referred to her as "sexy" and told her he loved her. He also sent her an image of his erect penis, the court heard.

Mr Edwards said Murrell had told the victim that "if she did everything he wanted" he would get her "everything she wanted" up to a value of 500.

On June 1 they met at a park in Nantwich where they shared a kiss.

Then on the following two days, June 2 and 3, the defendant had sex with the victim near a lake in Nantwich, the court heard.

The victim told her support worker about what had happened and the police were informed.

Following his arrest, Murrell denied that he knew the victim. He was released under investigation.

On August 29, he made contact with the victim again, anonymously on Snapchat.

Mr Edwards said messages were then shared via WhatsApp with Murrell telling the victim he intended to marry her when she was 16.

He asked her not to tell anyone that he was in contact with her.

"She felt sorry for him", Mr Edwards told the court. "She didn't want to cooperate with the police."

On August 31 they met again in Crewe where they had sex.

They arranged to meet again but never did, and Murrell was re-arrested the following month.

Mr Edwards said the victim has suffered "panic attacks" as a result of Murrell's offending. She feels "sad and angry", he added.

Sarah Badrawy, defending, said her client, who has been diagnosed with autism, was aware that he faced "a sentence of some significant length".

She told the court: "He struggles to understand why he offends in this way. It's something he wants to explore and address.

"As a young man he doesn't want to spend his life committing offences of this nature.

"He wants to address the issues and risk he poses. He does not shy away from that.

"He wants to know why his mind works in this way, to identify the trigger factors and keep away from this type of behaviour."

She added that her client has a "supportive family" and there was an employment opportunity awaiting him upon his release.

Judge Simon Berkson said the offences committed by Murrell have had "a significant effect on the victim".

He told the defendant: "You're 19 and have pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences.

"You groomed your victim who was then aged 13. You were purporting to be 15.

"The grooming became sexual. You denied committing the offences and persisted with the lies until your first appearance at crown court."

Judge Berkson added that having autism had "affected" Murrell and told him it may be a reason why he struggled "making relationships with people your own age".

Murrell was sentenced to five and a half years in a youth detention centre, of which half will be served on licence.

He was also handed a 12-year SHPO and a restraining order covering the same length of time.

Description

A paedophile who filmed himself sexually assaulting a child and shared the recording with other sex offenders online has been jailed for eight years. Jay Hamilton, 38, also secretly filmed children getting undressed and shared them online. An investigation was launched on November 5, this year, after Lancashire Police were contacted by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. They raised concerns about indecent images being shared via a social media application. The IP address of the account being used to share those indecent images 21 in total was traced to a property in Accrington and Hamilton was arrested on the evening of November 5. During police interview Hamilton admitted being attracted to young girls and said he got a thrill out of sharing indecent material online. Hamilton, of no fixed address, was charged with sexual assault on a child, voyeurism and making indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty to all charges put to him when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates last month. On Friday (December 10) at Prestons Sessions House, Hamilton was sentenced to eight years in custody and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), limiting his interactions with children. DC Lee Forshaw, of East CID, said: Jay Hamilton is a despicable individual who clearly presents a danger to children. To satisfy his own sordid sexual interests, he took it upon it himself to make abhorrent child abuse material which he then shared with other sex offenders. Even though he stated in his police interview that he was fully aware his appalling behaviour was wrong, he continued to do it anyway. Without the quick actions of the police and our colleagues from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, I am convinced Hamilton would still be continuing to engage in his sordid criminal acts. I welcome the sentence handed down by the court. Once Hamilton is released he will be subjected to monitoring and the public will be afforded the further protections of the SHPO and notification requirement.

Description

A man has been jailed after he abused the trust placed in him to sexually assault a child.

William Powell, 66 (29.12.1954) of East Ham Manor Way, Beckton, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 13 December. He is also subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Protection Order.

He was found guilty at the same court on Thursday, 17 June of two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

The court heard that in May 2018, allegations of sexual abuse were made against Powell.

These allegations related to incidents that occurred between July 2016 and November 2016 at his home address when he was looking after the victim.

They disclosed the abuse to a youth practitioner on 15 May 2018. Following this, a report was made to the police who launched an investigation.

Powell, who often referred to himself as Bill, was identified by officers and interviewed - he was never arrested as he was already in prison for a separate offence.

On 14 July 2020, he was charged with sexual assault of a female, under 13 by touching.

Detective Sergeant Emma Stockman, the investigating officer from East Area's CID, said: "Powell abused the trust placed in him, and his offences are truly shocking. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the actions of a dangerous and predatory offender.

"I thank the victim for having the strength and courage to come forward. Without this, his abuse may well have continued and impacted on further victims. The trauma that victims suffer can last a lifetime. I hope that the verdict brings the victim some closure, so that they can begin to rebuild their life.

"Given the predatory nature of Powell's offending, there is a possibility that he abused other children. We urge any further victims to contact police right away – a specially trained team of detectives are ready to listen and support you."

Description

A convicted sex offender who was caught with hundreds of indecent pictures of children was jailed.

Christopher Watts, 50, was arrested when police raided his Widnes home in April after receiving intelligence that he was searching for vile content online.

When police searched a number of devices that belonged to Watts they found hundreds of indecent pictures of children.

Yesterday Watts appeared at Liverpool Crown Court and pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images, two counts of possessing indecent images and one count of possessing a prohibited image.

Simon Duncan, prosecuting, told the court that Watts had 109 Category A pictures of children of the most serious type and 143 Category B pictures. Watts' collection also included a small number of extreme images which included child rape and bestiality.

Mr Duncan explained that Watts denied having images of child sexual exploitation when interviewed by police in April after a raid at his home address on Hambleton Close.

However Watts was re-arrested in November which led to him being charged.

Judge Gary Woodall, who jailed Watts for two and a half years, said the Widnes man had been using the 'dark web'.

Judge Woodall said: "You were using peer to peer sites and clearly involved in the dark web. Many of the images found were thumbnail stills of videos which had been deleted."

The judge said that some of the images found on Watts' devices were extreme.

He said: "Some of these stills showed pictures of very young children being raped."

Judge Woodall said there was evidence that Watts had a "sexual interest in young children."

He told Watts, who appeared on video link from HMP Altcourse, that he would serve half his sentence in prison and the remainder on licence.

He also made Watts subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Jeremy Rawson, defending, told the court that Watts grew up in Guildford and moved to Runcorn when he was a child.

Mr Rawson said that Watts left school at 18, attended a YTS course and worked as a painter and decorator. Watts later completed a computer course and gained a full time job with BT.

He said that Watts had no history of substance abuse and had gained a job in the laundry at Altcourse prison.

Mr Duncan told the court that in 2015 Watts was convicted of four counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child.

Watts was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty following a trial at Guildford Crown Court.

The victim, whose identity was protected, told the court that Watts made her feel "disgusting and dirty."

She said that Watts told her that he would harm her family if she reported him to the authorities.

When he was 15 Watts was convicted after pleading guilty of indecent assault by simulating sexual intercourse with a two and a half year old girl.

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This is the hate filled face of a twisted teenager who raped a 13-year-old girl. "Highly dangerous" Shaun Bennett raped his vulnerable victim in woodland, just weeks after meeting her online. The 15-year-old later subjected her to a second sex attack, then threatened her on Instagram when she went to the police. Now aged 18, a judge branded him "utterly shameful and wicked" when locking him up for seven and a half years. Merseyside Police said they didn't have a mugshot of Bennett, because he voluntarily attended an interview. But we can now reveal the face of the sexual predator and his furious rant in a foul-mouthed Snapchat video. The ECHO understands Bennett filmed the clip in response to being accused of being a rapist by another teen. The expletive-laden clip shows him screaming and using a homophobic slur, which we have censored. He then yells: "Get Liverpool right now, I'm telling you lad, get f*****g Liverpool right now!" Bennett, formerly of Liscard, Wallasey, but now of Bishopgate Street, Wavertree, added to his victim's suffering by denying any wrongdoing for more than two years. Just a week before a trial - and four days before his 18th birthday in September - he finally pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration. However, a judge said the vile teen hadn't shown any remorse, had a "misogynistic approach to young women" and "finds it funny causing someone to be upset". Bennett already had a conviction for sexually abusing a young girl when he was aged just 14, for which he received a 12-month referral order in 2018. In 2019 he was caught with a knife. For possessing a bladed article, common assault and battery he was handed a Youth Rehabilitation Order. That summer, he befriended his 13-year-old victim online. Ben Jones, prosecuting, said the girl went out with friends one night, when she met up with Bennett and headed to parkland in Wirral. He took her into secluded woods, pushed her against a wall and tried to pull her pants down, despite her rejecting his sexual advances. Recorder Ian Unsworth, QC, said it was a "carefully planned" and "horrific" attack. The judge said the young victim "said no and meant no", but Bennett was "consumed by desire" and treated the victim with "utter contempt". Bennett called her a "d**** little c***" and despite her trying to push him off, he raped her. The court heard the victim was subjected to a further "vile and wholly self-centred" sexual assault just days later. Recorder Unsworth said: "She was, relatively speaking, significantly younger than you. "I have no doubt that at the time, she looked up to you. "You were grooming and targeting her and making her believe you had a significant romantic interest." The judge said Bennett had downed "large quantities of neat vodka" before carrying out his sick attack. He said the traumatised girl was "too scared to tell anyone" but later confided in a school counsellor and a report was made to police. Recorder Unsworth told the rapist: "Her bravery contrasts with your cowardice." The judge said Bennett knew what he did was "very wrong and very serious" and hoped by threatening the girl she wouldn't report him, but he "couldn't have been more wrong". In a victim statement, the girl said she is now scared of boys and she was made to feel "disgusting and vile", having changed her appearance as a result. Recorder Unsworth said: "She wrongly blamed herself for what happened and feels she has let her family down. She couldn't be more wrong." Andrew McInnes, defending, previously told the court Bennett had been physically and psychologically abused as a child. He said his client had limited contact with his dad, some contact with one set of grandparents, and no contact with his mum - none of whom were in court. Mr McInnes said Bennett - sitting in the dock with his long hair covering his face - had difficulty communicating and "complex vulnerabilities". He quoted a report from a member of Wirral Youth Offending Service, which said: "Shaun is a young man who has experienced significant childhood trauma. "He's grown up in a dysfunctional household with a lack of positive attachment, which has led to him existing in survival mode for much of his childhood. "He is a deeply troubled young man who requires significant professional intervention to move away from an egocentric, defensive position and progress into an insightful and responsible approach, allowing for meaningful change and recognition of the harm he's caused." Recorder Unsworth accepted Bennett had a "difficult upbringing" and "suffered significant childhood trauma". But he said aggravating features of the disturbing case heavily outweighed any mitigation at his disposal. He said: "You have shown no remorse for what you did. "It is only hoped as the years go by, you reflect on these utterly shameful and wicked things you did to her." The judge was required by law to sentence Bennett based on his age at the time of the attacks, which limited his sentencing powers. However, he said: "I'm abundantly satisfied there is significant risk you will commit further offences, and in doing so cause serious physical and psychological harm to someone or multiple people. "You are a highly dangerous young man." Recorder Unsworth locked Bennett up for seven and a half years, with an extended five years on licence. This type of sentence means Bennett must serve at least two thirds of the custodial term - five years - behind bars. He will only be released before the end of the sentence if the Parole Board no longer considers him to be a risk. Recorder Unsworth told Bennett to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A MAN who blackmailed young girls into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos saying “listen to me, or else” has been jailed for seven years.

Callum Sellers told one teenager he was a 17-year-old photographer from Yorkshire with an interest in railway engines before persuading her to send him topless images, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Then he pestered her for more, threatening to send the pictures he already had to her mother, prosecutor Nick Adlington said.

The girl, who was 15 and from a different part of the country, was blackmailed into sending Sellers videos of her performing sex acts on herself.

He messaged: “Tick-tock, hurry up,” and “how badly do you want the pics deleted?” leaving her crying, shaking and feeling utterly degraded.

She told a friend what had happened and then a teacher and her mother were alerted.

Sellers, 21, formerly of West Bowling, Bradford, now in HMP Leeds, had 1,624 indecent images of children on his phones when they were seized by the police in November last year.

He went on to plead guilty to a total of 24 offences of possession of indecent photo-graphs at Categories A, B and C; inciting or attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and making an unwarranted demand for sexual images and videos with menaces.

Mr Adlington said other threatening messages to Sellers’ victims included “let me see you or else” and “Do as I say or I’ll post it because I know your Facebook.”

Hundreds of indecent images of different girls from around the country were found on his phones. Some were traced but others couldn’t be found, the court was told.

One girl, who was 15 at the time, said in her victim impact statement: “I still feel rubbish.”

She had panic attacks and nightmares and stated: “I feel guilty like it’s my fault and I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

Sellers’ barrister, Victoria Smith-Swain, said he was of previous good character and had just turned 20 at the time he began offending.

He had worked as a picker/packer at a warehouse and his interests included photography and railway engines.

Sellers had traits associated with autism, including highly restricted interests. He felt lonely outside of work and began to engage with girls over Snapchat. His sexual interest in them became obsessional and helped to manage his depression, the court was told.

He had written a letter of apology to his victims expressing his remorse and conceding that his behaviour had been “degrading and debilitating” for them.

Sellers had been working in prison as a painter while on remand since March, Miss Smith-Swain said.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said Sellers groomed, pestered and intimidated the 15-year-old into sending the explicit videos of herself.

She had the presence of mind to take screenshots of his messages and hand them to the police.

In all, there were 92 images of young girls on Sellers’ phones. Several were identified by the police and contacted, Judge Mansell said.

Sellers sent threatening messages to some of the girls, including “ignoring me now?” before demanding more explicit images.

Two of the girls were just 13 at the time Sellers targeted them.

One girl pleaded: “OMG delete it. You said you’d leave me alone” while another told him: “Stop, please, you’re ruining my life completely.”

Judge Mansell said Sellers’ demands could have led girls to self-harm or even commit suicide because of the psychological damage he had done to them.

But he was just 20 at the time and very immature, with developmental difficulties from childhood. He became “obsessed if not addicted” to gaining sexual gratification from the images, Judge Mansell said.

He warned Sellers he was “right on the cusp of being deemed dangerous,” and receiving an extended sentence of imprisonment.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for an indefinite period and Sellers must sign on the sex offender register, also indefinitely.

Judge Mansell made a restraining order banning him from having any future contact with any of his victims.

He told Sellers to reflect long and hard on the damage he had caused to the girls.

Description

Kirsty Nicholls admitted working with Elahi to make indecent images of a child and also sexually assaulting a child Kirsty Nicholls, 35, of Northolt, west London, who admitted working with Elahi to make indecent images of a child, was jailed for six years and nine months. Nicholls met Elahi on a so-called sugar daddy website, targeting financially desperate women. "You committed these offences with Elahi - your offending was motivated entirely by financial gain," the judge told Nicholls. "The offences are so serious that only an immediate sentence of custody can follow."

Description

A sadistic online blackmailer has been jailed for 32 years after targeting nearly 2,000 people globally to commit some of the most sickening sexual offending the National Crime Agency has ever investigated.

Abdul Hasib Elahi, 26, masqueraded as a stockbroker or rich businessman on sugar daddy websites and promised payments of thousands of pounds for naked or partially clothed images.

He singled out victims who were in debt or too young to legitimately be on the sites and tricked them into sending him photographs.

He also targeted some victims on social media.

Elahi, of Sparkhill, Birmingham, sent fake screenshots of money leaving his account in similar transactions to convince victims.

As soon as possible, Elahi moved victims onto WhatsApp - which is protected by end-to-end encryption - and away from the websites he met them on.

When he received enough revealing images he threatened to expose the pictures to the victims' families and friends unless they sent more increasingly horrendous photographs and videos.

Elahi's horrific offences included forcing victims to abuse themselves in sickening ways including self-mutilation, blackmailing women to send him footage of them abusing young children and making girls abuse siblings.

Some of the victims were so terrified they felt they had no choice but to comply.

The National Crime Agency investigation showed there were at least 196 victims in the UK and that he had contacted at least 600 people online in the UK.

Elahi had also tried to contact 1,367 women in the United States and there were also victims in 20 other countries including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The Agency worked with international partners to safeguard those Elahi had contacted.

Elahi systematically categorised all the abuse within cloud storage sites.

He then sold the content as 'box sets' through the cloud and via the encrypted app Telegram making more than £25,000.

That resulted in further misery for the victims, with their family and friends becoming aware, and often with more offenders trying to blackmail them again.

Unemployed Elahi admitted 158 charges - all committed between 1 January 2017 and 7 August 2020 - in separate hearings at Birmingham Crown Court this year.

The charges include multiple counts of blackmail, disclosing private sexual films and photographs to cause distress, making and distributing indecent images of children, encouraging the sexual assault of children, sexually assaulting a boy, causing or inciting children to engage in sexual activity, fraud and possessing more than 65,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) – including babies being raped.

There were 72 victims on the indictment.

Their ages ranged from eight months to adults.

Where they could be identified, all have been safeguarded.

National Crime Agency officers arrested Elahi on 19 December 2018 following an allegation he was blackmailing a 15-year-old girl in America. His mobile phone and computers were seized and forensically examined.

The complex investigation involved work across multiple foreign jurisdictions. He was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service and remanded in August 2020.

As Elahi he was sentenced today at Birmingham Crown Court, a series of victim impact statements were read.

One victim – a schoolgirl at the time of the offences – said she tried to take a paracetamol overdose after learning Elahi had uploaded her images to Twitter.

It was 12 months after she had sent him images that she received messages on her phone one morning showing her images online.

She said: "I still think about these incidents often which makes me sad.

"I would say for two years this person has ruined my life, I was heartbroken. I remember my 16th birthday, I spent the night crying, I was severely depressed.

"I had to basically pick up the pieces of my life and glue them back together.

"I am trying to move on but I find it very hard, I feel that this will be with me for the rest of my life."

Another teenage victim said: "Knowing that this cancerous polyp of a human being has been caught gives me great relief. To know his vile reign of terror is over gives me relief.

"I am however shaken to my soul and completely horrified that I was part of this. I have a feeling of dread when I think about it that I can't even describe and it will never leave me."

Another victim said she considered taking her own life and is now on medication for anxiety and depression and is constantly worried that videos of her will emerge online again.

"I wish that this had never happened to me," she said.

"I hope I can put this behind me and get on with the rest of my life."

Tony Cook, NCA Head of CSA operations, said: "Abdul Elahi is a depraved sadist who got sexual gratification through power and control over his victims whom he often goaded to the point of wanting to kill themselves.

"He has wrecked lives and families.

"NCA investigators were horrified by what Elahi had done and stunned by the industrial scale of his worldwide offending.

"The effects on the victims in this case will continue throughout the rest of their lives.

"I commend them for their bravery and I urge anyone who is being abused online to report it. There is help available.

"There are very many offenders like Elahi who mask their real identities with convincing personas to exploit both children and adults.

"It's vital that parents speak with their children about who they communicate with online and what they share.

"These offences can happen to anyone.

"We thank our international partners especially the FBI for the support given to us on this case."

The NCA investigation sparked a series of other inquiries into Elahi's associates.

Several other men have been convicted.

Sophie Mortimer of the Revenge Porn Helpline said: "This is a long-awaited day for Elahi's very many victims.

"The Revenge Porn Helpline has been working for two and half years and has removed 135,000 individual images on behalf of those affected, equalling a 90% takedown rate.

"We hope that every person affected by this feels some small sense of closure today, we know that their priority is the removal of this content. We will continue to work in the weeks and months ahead to report this content and we would encourage anyone with any concerns about their own images to get in touch with us and we will do everything we can to offer advice and support."

A second defendant Kirsty Nicholls, 36, of Northolt, Middlesex, also admitted offences.

She knew Elahi from a sugar daddy website and together they admitted two sexual assaults against a child and both admitted making indecent images of the child.

She was sentenced to six years and nine months.

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Police have praised the bravery of a King's Lynn teenager who was groomed and raped by a man who has been jailed for 25 years.

Investigators branded Florian Petrica Calin, 39, a "determined and calculated" abuser after he was sentenced for three charges of rape against the 14-year-old girl in 2019.

The Romanian man, who lived in Sir Lewis Street in King's Lynn, was found guilty following a trial in October.

Calin, who had denied all charges, was found not guilty of a further three charges of rape, plus one of making threats to kill.

Appearing at Norwich Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced, Calin, who spoke through a Romanian interpreter, was jailed for 25 years for rape.

Judge Maureen Bacon also sentenced him to 10 years to be served concurrently for two further charges of rape.

Calin was placed on the sex offender register for life and told he faces deportation back to Romania upon release from prison.

Norfolk police said his victim had shown courage throughout the lengthy investigation into the abuse she had suffered.

Investigating officer, DC Carl Richie, said: "Calin systematically groomed and abused this victim in a determined and calculated manner.

"He completely destroyed the trust of those around him after he continued to abuse a child for his own perverted needs.

"I would like to commend the victim, who has shown great strength and courage throughout this investigation and I hope this sentence provides them with some closure."

Description

Boots shop assistant, Bethany Funnell repeatedly pleaded for Chinwem Nwachuku to leave her alone.

However, on multiple occasions, he turned up at her store in Above Bar Street making comments about her appearance and making her feel uncomfortable.

Prosecution barrister, Richard Martin, told how the defendant was asked several times to leave Boots despite being banned.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Nwachuku looked Miss Funnell up and down and told her "you know you're my type".

Mr Martin told how the incident left the victim scared to walk through Southampton on her own.

In her victim personal statement dated from October this year, Miss Funnell said: "When this man started stalking me, I said that I was 'concerned for my welfare as I do not know where his boundaries lie,' I can tell you today that I am no longer concerned for my welfare, I am terrified."

She added: "I should be able to go about my day-to-day life without having to call my mum in hysterics because I'm scared... without my dad telling me that I need to leave my place of employment, as I am no longer safe there... without my partner having to continuously listen to my worries."

During a separate occasion, involving another victim, the defendant went into a store in Westquay - where he was also banned - and approached an assistant.

After asking for her name and number, Nwachuku touched the woman's hair telling her "you're nice" and "you have a nice shape to you".

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, he was charged with sexual assault, and stalking without fear/alarm/distress.

He was found guilty of stalking but admitted to the charge of sexual assault.

The 40-year-old had been living with his brother in Southampton at the time of the offences during the summer of last year.

However, he now lives with his mother in Vale Road, Finsbury Park, London.

Defending, David Kemeny said a sentence would be best severed by his client learning how to talk to women and how to talk to other people in a respectful way.

Judge Nicholas Rowland jailed him for ten months, however, suspended the sentence for two years.

Nwachuku must complete 150 hours of unpaid work, 31, sessions on the Horizon programme and ten rehabilitation activity days.

He has also been made the subject of a restraining order not to contact his victims.

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A dangerous sex offender has been jailed for grooming a teenager he met online.

Christopher Johns, a 40-year-old farmer from Barnstaple, told the child he was 20, Exeter Crown Court heard.

He lavished her with gifts, including lingerie, sent her explicit photos and persuaded her to meet him.

During eight visits he groped, kissed and engaged in sexual activity with the 15-year-old girl. He was so convinced of his control over the child that he boasted to a friend online about seeing her.

Johns has a history of targeting young girls and was known to authorities as a dangerous offender.

Back in 2011 he was convicted of similar offences against a 14-year-old girl. He was jailed then for four years and has since received help and support from probation and a sex offender course.

Mr Herc Ashworth, defending, said Johns was a lonely, 'simple' man who led a secluded existence with only his elderly mother and dogs for company. His loneliness had increased during lockdown. The offending was limited to a five week period. He knew he had done wrong and was sorry.

The defendant, of Lyndhurst Avenue, admitted nine offences, including sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, communicating with a child to commit a sexual offence, and breaching the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He was jailed for five years and three months with a further extended licence period of five years.

Judge Peter Johnson said: "In 2011 you were convicted of offences of a very similar type. You were convicted of sexual activity with a female child involving penetration and for that, after a successful appeal at the Court of Appeal, were given an extended sentence of seven years - four custodial and three extended.

"You were also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and were subject to that when you committed these offences."

He said within two days of meeting the girl online he was bombarding her with sexually explicit messages, despite knowing she was just 15.

He sent her sexual images and she did the same.

"You also bombarded her with a substantial number of presents, including a mobile phone and lingerie and make-up," said the judge.

"This was all part of the grooming. 

"It was all towards one aim - so you could engage in sexual activity with her."

He said he had considered the question of whether Johns posed a danger to the public.

A risk assessment tool had assessed Johns as posing just a nine per cent risk of offending again in the next two years.

Judge Johnson said he could not agree with the low assessment and neither did probation. The court in 2011 had also found him dangerous. Judge Johnson said Johns had known the child was 15 but still met her in breach of his SHPO.

"I do find you to be dangerous still."

Johns must serve five years and three months in prison before being released. He will then be subject to the extended five year licence period in the community.

The defendant was made subject to a SHPO order banning his contact with girls under 16 and limiting his use of internet devices.

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Ryan Marshall abused a teen from the Southampton area.

His actions left her with diagnoses for anxiety, PTSD and depression.

Prosecution barrister, Rose Burns, told how on one occasion the defendant met his victim at Eastleigh Train Station.

The two then went to a field where they had sex.

However, Marshall threatened to send out intimate pictures of her.

He even pressured her into having sex with someone else.

When he was finally arrested, police seized a number of devices found to have a stash of indecent images of his victim.

Ms Burns read out the girl's victim personal statement which stated how the abuse had started when she was "only 12-years-old".

Furthermore, she said how Marshall made her do things she never wanted to do.

he expressed how she "was terrified and scared and could not tell anyone anything".

The girl said: "I feel like you have destroyed the person I was."

Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, Marshall, 24, was charged with four counts of sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also stood to be sentenced for grooming, attempting to incite sexual activity with a child, possession of indecent images of children and malicious communications.

He pleaded guilty to the offences which happened between 2018 and June 2019.

Defending, Alejandra Tascon, said that her client had lived an "isolated and secluded life" and didn't have any friends.

She told how Marshall spent the majority of his teenage years looking after his mother.

iss Tascon added: "He should have known better, and he should have stopped because she was a child."

However, Marshall "felt they were in a relationship. He cared for her, and he loved her".

Judge Nicholas Rowland jailed him for a total of three years and nine months.

Marshall, of Caymer Road, Scarborough, was handed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for life.