Latest Offenders

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A WHITEHAVEN sex offender who has been banned from accessing any social media website secretly used a computer at the towns library to bypass the restriction.

At Carlisle Crown Court, a judge jailed 59-year-old Keith Skillen after hearing about how he persistently and deliberately breached a sexual harm prevention order imposed in 2018 for serious sexual offending.

The defendant, of Broom Bank, Whitehaven, admitted six separate breaches of the order.

Kim Whittlestone, prosecuting, said that Skillen was given the sexual harm prevention order in 2018 for offences of distributing indecent images of children. His previous 19 criminal convictions also included an offence in 2015 of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

The 2018 order included a prohibition on Skillen owning or having access to any device capable of accessing the internet. Nor is he allowed to ever access social media.

But in March last year police were notified that Skillen had been doing that. When interviewed about this in April, he made no comment. Police at that point again explained the terms of his order.

On September 16 last year, when police made an unannounced visit to Skillens home, the officers discovered that he had acquired two Amazon Fire Tablets constituting two further breaches of his order. The defendant again refused to comment in interview, though he was given police bail.

Miss Whittlestone said: It was on November 4 of this same year that the police received information from Whitehaven Library that they were concerned that this defendant had been accessing social media sites.

The resulting investigation confirmed Skillen had been using a library computer to look at Facebook and Instagram.

Sean Harkin, defending, said the breaches of the sexual harm prevention order represented a relatively low risk and all that an Amazon Fire Tablet allowed a person to do was watch TV.

There's no suggestion that he did anything untoward on social media," said Mr Harkin.

His phone was checked in April and again there was some interrogation of that and there was no suggestion of anything untoward there. The lawyer said Skillen had suffered neurological damage form a stroke.

This left him isolated and unable to have meaningful relationships and thus more likely to use the internet to find company.

Judge Nicholas Barker told Skillen that he rejected his claim to have not properly understood the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order. You could not have been under any misapprehension following your arrest on April 15, said the judge.

Skillen accessed social media sites between February 8 and April 14 and from that point on, after he was visited by the police, he must have been well aware that he was banned from such sites. Yet he went on to use a computer at Whitehaven library to continue accessing such sites, doing so on September 8, October 6 and October 29.

Judge Nicholas Barker accepted that Skillen was himself vulnerable and faced challenges after he suffered a stroke in 2006, but it was clear that the two-year jail term he was given in 2018 had not deterred him from continuing to commit offences.

Jailing Skillen for 16 months, the judge said: There is not what I consider to be a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Given the defendants previous offending record, and his claim to not understand the terms of his sexual harm prevention which suggested an unwillingness to work closely with his sexual offender supervisor, only an immediate jail term was appropriate, said the judge.

Skillen is already on the Sex Offender Register as a result of his previous offending, the court heard.

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A TEACHER who sexually abused pupils at his school has been jailed for 10 years. Mark Christopher Blackies offending drove one girl to take an overdose and self harm, York Crown Court heard. He had taken her alone into an area within the school and committed a serious sexual offence on her as well as attempting to rape her and other abuse, a York jury heard. In her personal statement, she said: When I close my eyes, I see him, hear him and smell him. I just want to get in the bath and scrub it away. My skin crawls. She was one of five girls that Blackie - who had ambitions to be head of a department - used for his sexual gratification at the school. The Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told Blackie: Nobody knew that inside that good teacher there lurked a darker side, a physical liking for young adolescent girls and you indulged yourself. He said Blackie, who comes from Skipton, had used emotional blackmail to try and stop the first girl revealing what he had done to her and had completely abandoned all decorum when he had abused the first girl. Two of the girls were vulnerable because of their emotional state when he had abused them. Some of the girls Blackie abused were in court to hear the judge describe all five as intelligent, bright young girls who were brave and had given compelling evidence against him. They knew right from wrong, the judge told Blackie. Unlike you. Blackie showed no reaction as he was jailed for 10 years, barred from teaching or working with children again, put on the sex offenders' register for life and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. He broke down in the dock last week as the jury convicted him of attempted rape, a serious sexual assault, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and seven charges of sexual assault at the end of an 11-day trial. The 32-year-old, from Park Lane, East Lutton, near Malton, had denied all charges. The Press was unable to report the trial at the time because the jury was unaware of further sexual allegations made against him by another girl many years earlier. After his conviction, the prosecution asked for those charges to lie on file which means they will be on his criminal record but not as convictions. Robin Frieze, for Blackie, said there was little he could say in mitigation. It is obviously completely his own fault he has thrown away the career that he had, he said The judge commended Det Con Beverley Garbutt, of North Yorkshire Police, for her excellent police work in building the case against Blackie.

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The families of two young girls who were sexually assaulted by an Aberdeen predator say their daughters have been left traumatised by his sick actions.

Alan Bremner abused both girls when they were aged between 12 and 14 over the course of two years.

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Reece Wigglesworth, 16, also robbed a woman of her car at knifepoint Out-of-control teenager Reece Wigglesworth sexually assaulted a 79-year-old Newcastle woman in her home. The 16-year-old, who received a caution as an 11-year-old for sexually assaulting a child, was wearing a hoodie when he tried doors to of homes. His victim thought it was her son so unlocked the chain and the defendant barged in her home and asked if she had any money. She said she did not and she could see him playing with his private parts. He pushed her against a worktop and sexually assaulted her. The pensioner felt sore and screamed. He hit her across the head and told her to, 'shut the f*** up', before running off. The defendant was arrested three days later after an appeal on StokeonTrent Live and in The Sentinel. The incident happened seven months after Wigglesworth and an accomplice robbed a disabled woman of her car at knifepoint outside her Basford home. She was so distressed she moved house. Now Wigglesworth has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years detention at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. StokeonTrentLive and The Sentinel successfully applied for reporting restrictions to be lifted with Judge Paul Glenn saying it was appropriate and in the interests of justice for the case to be reported. Prosecutor Neil Ahuja said the first offence involved the defendant and another committing a car-jacking at 12.50am on February 18. The 48-year-old victim pulled up outside her home in Clare Street, Basford, at 12.50am when the defendant and another approached her Vauxhall Corsa and demanded the keys. Mr Ahuja said: "The second man produced a knife. "The defendant took 50 pence from her purse. "She felt petrified by the knife. The demand to give her keys was very aggressive the second time and she did hand them over. She felt the knife catch her hand. "One got in the driver's seat and one in the passenger seat. It was driven off. "The car was spotted by police in Trentham. Both men were chased and detained. The knife was in the defendant's pocket." The victim has been left frightened and anxious by her ordeal. She is scared to go out at night. She is not eating or sleeping properly and has flashbacks. She has moved house because she did not feel safe. The defendant was released under investigation. He entered the pensioner's home in Newcastle at 7.30pm on October 9. Mr Ahuja said: "He had tried to gain entry to the front door and went to the rear door. "Mistakenly thinking it was her son she opened the door. He pushed his way in. He had his hood pulled tight around his face. He asked, 'Have you got money'? She replied, 'No, do I look like I have got any'? "He pushed her against a kitchen worktop and grabbed her hard. He stopped because of a loud scream. He hit her over the head and shouted, 'Shut the f*** up', before running away." In a victim statement the pensioner said she has suffered flashbacks and no longer feels safe in her own home. She has had extra security fitted. She added she will never forget what happened and it will always stay with her. The defendant was identified by forensic evidence with his DNA found on the victim's clothes and the door handle at a neighbouring property. Wigglesworth, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to robbery, possession of a knife in public, burglary and sexual assault. Paul Cliff, mitigating, said the defendant wanted to offer his apologies to both victims. He said: "Any right minded person would be disgusted by his behaviour." Mr Cliff said the defendant was aged 15 at the time of the robbery and his co-accused was five years older than him. He added Wigglesworth is not driven by deviant sexual fantasies and asked for the judge to give credit for the guilty pleas and to take into account the teenager's age and totality. Judge Glenn said the robbery victim described feeling petrified. He said: "You accept taking money, a small amount, from her purse. The police located the car, the two of you absconded and you were caught nearby. You were the one with the knife at that stage. "It had a significant psychological effect. She was scared to go out at night and she had to move because she did not feel safe any more." The judge described the sexual assault as 'an appalling case'. He said: "You burgled the home of a 79-year-old. You had been released under investigation in relation to the robbery. "I am not sure that you realised it was an old person's home or I would treat that as an aggravating feature. "She thought it was her son and unlocked the door. You pushed your way in. Your face was concealed by the hooded top you were wearing. "She was terrified and thought she was going to be raped. "You meet the criteria for a dangerous offender. The sexual assault and the robbery are so serious only significant custodial sentences are appropriate. "You are a danger when at large in the community. Your offending is escalating in terms of gravity and frequency. You carry knives. You abuse alcohol and drugs. The circumstances of the present offences alone indicate you are out of control." Wigglesworth was placed on the sex offenders' register indefinitely and was barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.

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A woman was left horrified after learning her new partner was a convicted paedophile only when the police came to her house to look for him.

The mum from Blackpool said she felt like her dreams had come true when she met Lee Martin and started a relationship with him.

But unknown to her, Martin, 32, was a convicted child sex offender who had served a five year prison sentence for a serious sexual assault on a child 10 years ago.

Following his release from prison he was subject to strict conditions he must not have any unsupervised contact with children under 16 unless it was approved by social services and the parents were aware of his convictions.

In November last year, officers from Lancashire Police went to Martins home in Claremont Court, Blackpool, to check on him. Martin was not at the address and a neighbour informed them he was living with a woman at another location in Blackpool.

When the police attended that address, they found Martin in a parked car outside the premises, claiming he was sleeping rough.

He later confessed he had been living with the woman and her children for a few weeks.

The woman told police she had been in a relationship with Martin and he sometimes stayed at her home. When his flat was badly damaged in a fire she allowed him to move in - but she had no idea of his sordid past, she said.

The day I met him I had no idea he was a sex offender. He came across as very loving and caring. He asked me personal questions about my children and their fathers," she told the court.

He asked me if I had family in Blackpool and had a problem with male friends including my childs dad. I pushed people away because of him.

The woman said the relationship moved quickly, with Martin asking her to marry him and have a baby. He also asked to take on a parental role to her children and would take them to school or to the shops to allow her time for herself.

I felt like my dreams had come true as they needed a father figure in their life," she said.

Rachel Woods, prosecuting, said there was no suggestion any physical harm had come to the children while they were in Martins care.

However he breached the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) by spending time with the young family.

The woman said: I feel Lee saw me as an easy target. I was a single mum with no family around. I feel like he took advantage of me. I feel like I was brainwashed and always think what he could have done to them if I had allowed him more access.

Martin pleaded guilty to breach of the SHPO and two breaches of the notification requirements which oblige him to inform the police of any change of address.

He appeared via videolink at Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

Recorder Jones, sentencing, said: You duped this woman in every way. You gave her the impression of being a caring and decent individual who would look after her and her children.

I stress that no harm of a physical nature came to them. Had that been the case you would be here for more serious matters but the degree of the breach of trust is best summarised by the fact you wished to become their stepfather.

Their trust has been completely destroyed by your lies and manipulation. Your intentions may have been genuine but you did not give them the truth they deserved.

Holly Nelson, defending, said Martin had cut contact with the woman and was back in a relationship with his ex, who does not have children.

Recorder Jones jailed Martin for 30 months for breaching the SHPO and 20 months to run concurrently for failing to notify the police of a change of address.

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A Swindon sex offender has uploaded dozens of photographs featuring girls and women to social media following his conviction for sexually assaulting women on a train. The images are believed to have been captured by Dr Prabhat Sakya, 50, who was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence for touching women he trapped by sitting next to them. Before and after his conviction, he has kept his personal Instagram account up to date with buildings, art and females many, very obviously, aged under 18. Whilst it is legal to photograph or video record anybody in a public place, including children, his photographs have caused some concern in the community. The images posted rarely include males unless they are accompanied by a female. Others feature young girls wearing school uniforms, or teenage girls walking alone in the street. One set of photographs posted on 11 October last year featured two schoolgirls wearing uniforms walking down the street. One photograph was captioned Schoolgirls, whilst another said Fair maiden. Weeks prior to his court hearing, he also added an image of a womans lower body, which appears to have been taken while the photographer was sitting next to the female. The caption said: Morning flirt. Despite his conviction at Swindon Magistrates Court in October last year, photos of young females are still being posted on the Instagram account. On New Years Day 2022, he uploaded a photograph of an adult woman wearing black knee-high boots and added the description Kinky boots. Several days later, he added an image of two young girls estimated to be in their early teens sitting on a bench at Swindon Railway Station. A woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, alerted Wiltshire 999s to the social media account some months ago and, despite it appearing to be legal, it was reported to the police. Its really quite concerning that a man can be convicted of sexual offences and then walk around the streets photographing young girls, she said. Adding: Something must be done to stop him, its creepy. It should be allowed when he is a registered sex offender. The police should be looking into it but I know they wont as they say hes doing nothing wrong. At Swindon Magistrates Court on Thursday (28 October 2021), he was sentenced to 52 weeks imprisonment suspended for 24 months and told to register a sex offender for ten years. Sakya, of Bude Road, targeted women on a train between London and Swindon, and had a bulge in his crotch area, which he was touching with his hand during one of the attacks.

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A predatory paedophile who preyed on young boys has been jailed for 25 years.

David Wilson, 36, from King's Lynn admitted 96 child sex crimes against 51 victims at a hearing in November.

They included intentionally causing or inciting boys to engage in sexual activity, blackmail, intentionally causing children to look at sexual images and intentionally facilitating the sexual exploitation of children by sending on images of those children.

Today he appeared to be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court.

David Wilson, 36, was prosecuted for 96 child sex abuse offences relating to 52 victims, but the National Crime Agency (NCA) said it has evidence that he approached more than 5,000 children globally. The agency said as many as 500 of them sent abuse material to Wilson, of Kirstead, King's Lynn, Norfolk.

Wilson pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Crown Court to all 96 counts. He was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday and will also serve a further eight years on extended licence when his prison term ends.

Judge Rupert Overbury, sentencing Wilson, described his crimes as among the worst he had seen over his 40-year career.

He told him: "You carried out a lengthy and premeditated campaign of sadistic and manipulative abuse of young boys using social media.

"Any decent human being will be astonished at the level of depravity involved. You demonstrated a complete and utter disregard for every child you manipulated irrespective of their age.

"There was a sadistic element to your offending including blackmail and a relentless targeting of vulnerable children who often pleaded for mercy."

He added: "You are in my judgement an extremely dangerous individual who has a perverted and sadistic sexual interest in young boys. On the facts presented to the court you can properly be described as a serial paedophile."

Former roofer Wilson set up a series of fake social media profiles, using unregistered phones, to send images of girls from the internet to young boys in exchange for the boys sending him videos and images of themselves, the NCA said.

Wilson then threatened to distribute these online unless they sent more extreme footage of themselves, in some cases of them abusing younger siblings or friends, the agency said.

The 52 victims in the case were all boys aged between four and 14 and the offending happened between May 2016 and April 2020.

The offences uncovered during a five year investigation included causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual act, and arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child.

Wilson also admitted making unwarranted demands for indecent images of a child with menace, threatening to post an indecent image on social media if they did not comply.

Wilson would not have been brought to justice without evidence from Facebook, according to the NCA.

Rob Jones, the agency's director of threat leadership, said the social media giant's proposed move to an end-to-end encryption privacy model "poses an existential threat to child protection" online.

A Facebook spokesman said: "Child exploitation and grooming have no place on our platforms."

NCA head of operations Tony Cook said: "David Wilson has absolutely devastated not only his victims but the families they belong to.

He has caused heart-breaking suffering and huge disruption to the lives of those he targeted from the problems his abuse caused.

Wilson preyed on their vulnerability. They genuinely believed they were talking to a teenage girl who was interested in them.

He groomed, bullied and blackmailed young boys into sending him indecent images and in some instances performing horrific abuse on themselves and others. Despite knowing their utter anguish and despair he ignored their pleas from him to stop.

He retained indecent material and threatened to share it among victims friends so he could maintain control of them.

Sadly there are many offenders out there like Wilson who use the internet to hide their real identities, using convincing personas to groom children.

I urge parents to speak with their children about who they communicate with online and what they share. People need to understand this can happen to anyone."

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Jordan Parton, 22, created a fake persona when chatting to his victims on social media before forcing them to take indecent photos. Parton - a professional entertainer who dreamed of becoming the "next Penn and Teller" - then used the images to threaten the teens. A court heard one victim pleaded with him not to post images of her on the internet, but Parton replied: "OK, I wont post them as long as you do what I say." Another girl said: "He said he was 15 and he appeared to be funny." Parton was the youngest member of the Cardiff Magic Society when he was just 14 and regularly did tricks for people in the street. He was also a juggler and balloon entertainer known as Crazy Clown Balloons. But prosecutor John Ryan said the children's entertainer had a hidden secret - he hoarded up to 1,000 indecent images of the young girls in sexual poses. Mr Ryan said: "He was grooming his victims over Snapchat. "The defendant was coercing and threatening them to provide him with indecent images of themselves." Cardiff Crown Court heard Parton's house was raided by police over an unrelated matter in February 2020. His electronic devices revealed he had filmed the youngsters performing sex acts while threatening to send the images to their parents. Mr Ryan said: "He told one victim he would publish the images all over the internet and would show them to her parents. "She felt pressurised and blackmailed." Parton, of Newport, Gwent, admitted causing or inciting girls to engage in sexual activity and sexual communication with girls. He also pleaded guilty to making category A, category B and category C indecent images of children between September 2019 and January 2020. Stuart John, defending, said: "His parents have been shocked that their son has committed such serious offences. "Hes immature, even for a 22-year-old man. The defendant was bullied as an adolescent. "He does realise the wide-ranging impact on his victims and their families."

SICK TRICKS

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: "You were recording the sexual abuse as it was taking place. "You were coercing and threatening young girls to provide you with images. "Some of your victims were prepared to cooperate with police and provide evidential interviews. "Others were too upset or embarrassed to do so." Patron was jailed for 11 years for his twisted tricks and must register as a sex offender for life.

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A DISGUSTING pervert who exposed himself to a female jogger at a popular beauty spot is facing jail for his grubby antics after a successful campaign to hunt him down. Sexual deviant Leslie Croucher, 53, exposed himself to the shocked woman at Southsea Rock Gardens on April 4 sparking a frantic search to locate the seedy criminal. Croucher, of Baythorn Close, Buckland, was subsequently located a day after the police appeal later in the month but denied any wrongdoing with a trial date listed. However, at the start of his trial at Portsmouth Crown Court today Croucher admitted a charge of exposure representing a triumph for the police and the female who was subjected to the ordeal. The court heard how Croucher had rubbed his hand up and down during the exposure that left the jogger shocked on a sunny Sunday morning. No contact was made with the woman, who was not injured during the incident, police previously said. The incident sparked the woman to post on Facebook about her ordeal in order to warn others, sparking concern in the community. Hugh French, defending, said: It happened in an open area where families often go and walk. It was aimed at (the victim). Crouchers failure to admit the offence meant the woman had to attend court as a witness before she was no longer needed after the guilty plea was entered. Judge, Recorder Adam Feest QC, thanked the victim for her help to bring Croucher, who has a previous flashing conviction to his name, before the court. Croucher will now be placed on the sex offenders register ahead of his sentence on March 10 to allow probation to complete a pre-sentence report on him. Recorder Feest told Croucher: I will look at all options (including jail) and make no promises with the sentence. My priority concern is to protect the public. Because of your plea you have to sign the sex offenders register. If you fail to do so it is a separate offence. How long you are on the register depends on the sentence. The victim, speaking after Crouchers court appearance, said: I just want to put it behind me now. Police, in their appeal to find Croucher, said last April: At 10am, a man indecently exposed himself to a woman jogging past Southsea Rock Gardens. No contact was made with the woman and she wasnt hurt. Officers have followed a number of lines of enquiry and are now turning to the public for help. Croucher will now be sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court next month. He was granted unconditional bail.

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A man has been caught having sexually explicit chats with a child - who did not exist- for the second time in two years.

In 2019 Michael Tedstone received a suspended jail term for attempted child sexual activity.

Bristol Crown Court heard he had been caught by an adult in a paedophile sting - and last year he was caught again.

Tedstone, 25, of Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to attempting to incite child sexual activity, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and attempted sexual communication with a child in October last year.

The recorder Mr Malcolm Gibney jailed him for two years and eight months.

He told Tedstone: "It would appear you have not learned your lesson from your appearance in this court."

Emma Martin, prosecuting, said when Tedstone engaged with "Olivia, aged 13" online in reality he was chatting to an undercover police officer.

The court heard he was recognised from his previous offending as he used the platforms Kick and Snapchat to chat with the 'child', the court heard.

Contact progressed from Tedstone sending Olivia photos of his face and chest and asking her to send him photos.

Mrs Martin said chats became increasingly sexualised, and he was sent a photo of a young female wearing underwear before he reciprocated with a photo of his naked private parts.

The court heard he went on to make sexualised suggestions to the 'youngster' - and he was removed from the platforms.

Tedstone was frank with police when they came to call, telling them: "I pretty much screwed up again, haven't I?"

His phone was analysed and though no indecent photos of children were found, it contained "predatory search terms", the court heard.

Matthew Jackson, defending, said: "It is one one of the more open and honest accounts given by an offender for offences of this nature.

"He is realistic.

"This is his first time in custody.

"He knows he will remain there for a significant period of time.

"I ask that the sentence is tempered by a degree of mercy."

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A paedophile who downloaded child rape videos behind his mum's back today walked free from court.

Nathan Critchlow amassed a "foul, obscene and revolting" collection of 1,529 child sex abuse images.

The 25-year-old - who said he was snorting cocaine and drinking heavily at the time - now says he's "cured" of his paedophilia.

But a judge said he didn't accept this claim and the pervert needed to complete a sex offender treatment programme to reduce the risk he poses to children.

Liverpool Crown Court heard police raided Critchlow's home, where he lives with his mum in Wolverton Street, Anfield, on September 4, 2020.

Officers seized his laptop and iPhone, before they interviewed Critchlow, who denied that they would find any indecent images on the devices.

But when they were examined, said indecent images were found on both, which he had downloaded between February 2018 and September 2020.

Derek Jones, prosecuting, said Critchlow had searched online for "boy a***", "boy a***" and "nonce Liverpool" and downloaded illegal files with names such as "toddler rape" and "10-year-old boys" from cloud storage platforms Mega and Dropbox.

He had 431 Category A files - the most serious category showing child rape - including five videos, one showing a boy as young as eight being raped.

Critchlow had also collected 328 Category B and 754 Category C files.

Mr Jones said there were a further 12 extreme porn files showing bestiality.

Critchlow was interviewed again on April 27 last year, when he was confronted with the evidence, but gave a no comment interview.

He later admitted three counts of downloading and one count of possessing indecent images of children, plus possessing extreme porn.

The court heard he had no previous convictions but as a youth received a conditional caution for battery.

Recorder Ian Harris said he had read a letter from Critchlow's mum, sitting at the back of court, who was greatly concerned by his behaviour.

Peter White, defending, said Ms Critchlow was unable to work due to health conditions and his client was "now essentially her carer" on a day to day basis.

Mr White said: "At the time he was using heavily alcohol and cocaine and he suffers from ADHD."

The lawyer said: "It is conceded every image and every video represents an innocent victim and without people downloading such images, there could arguably not be demand for that abuse to be recorded and distributed."

He added: "Mr Critchlow has his difficulties, but he can grasp that concept your honour."

Mr White said his client was "adamant" that since the raid there had been no repeat offending and he had been "frank" with the author of a pre-sentence report and his mum about his "motivation" for the crimes.

He said his client had "particular difficulties", adding: "He's clearly been the victim himself of quite unpleasant behaviour directed towards him, be it in the workplace or during his school years."

Mr White urged the judge to spare him jail so he could undergo a sex offender treatment programme for adults with learning difficulties, "which seems to be all the boxes that Mr Critchlow unfortunately ticks".

Recorder Ian Harris told Critchlow he collected the files over more than two years, adding: "This isn't a one off, this is a lot of images downloaded over a period behind your mother's back.

"Obviously she wouldn't have stood for this had you spoken to her about it and you did it, as your pre-sentence report says, for your own sexual gratification.

"You say you're cured of this now - I'm afraid I don't accept that. This is a deep rooted concern but the orders I'm about to make I hope will punish you and assist in the long run."

The judge said: "These images are foul, obscene and revolting, collected as I've said over a two-year period.

"The degradation and the suffering the victims went through to provide people like you with some sort of pleasure must have been horrendous and the effects on them and their wellbeing are incalculable.

"People who act as you did perpetuate this market and lead to the further corruption of young children, all as I've said for your pleasure.

"By using these images you perpetuate and fuel an evil market."

However, the judge said he believed there was a "realistic prospect of rehabilitation" and that if he jailed Critchlow, he would then come out of prison without receiving the type of treatment that could reduce his risk to children.

He said: "I'm giving you the opportunity to benefit from that work - if it fails you will go to prison."

Recorder Harris gave Critchlow 15 months in jail, suspended for two years, with a sex offender treatment programme, 25-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 160 hours of unpaid work.

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A man and woman who brought 'unimaginable pain' to two children have been jailed.

David Aspden, 50, kicked a girl while wearing a steel toe-capped boot and poisoned her dog with antifreeze.

He also pointed a gun at a stray cat and told the youngster it would be her fault if he pulled the trigger, Preston Crown Court heard.

Judge Graham Knowles QC, sentencing, said Mr Aspden treated the girl and a boy with "cruelty that was almost casual".

When the girl, who can not be named for legal reasons, told Aspden's wife Sharon about his violence towards her, Mrs Aspden supported her husband. Mr Aspden went on to sexually abuse her, the court heard.

David Aspden, of Darwen, has now been jailed for 13 years for the sexual abuse and cruelty he directed towards the girl and boy. His wife, also of Darwen, has been jailed for two and a half years for cruelty.

Shirlie Duckworth, prosecuting, said while the abuse was happening, Sharon Aspden, a hairdresser, was frequently drunk to the point she would wet herself. David Aspden smoked cannabis on a daily basis.

On one occasion Mrs Aspden gave the girl a black eye when she attacked her in a drunken rage, Ms Duckworth said.

The couple were often violent towards each other, with Mr Aspden pushing his wife down the stairs.

During a trial at Preston Crown Court, it was heard that David Aspden showed the boy and girl pornographic. He also molested the girl, the court heard.

He abused her in front of the boy and on one occasion gave her a cannabis joint before ordering her to take her top off.

"I had no idea what planet I was on", the girl said.

But when the girl formed a friendship with a younger boy, David Aspden called her a paedophile.

"You are, amongst many other things, a hypocrite", Judge Knowles told him.

Following his conviction for cruelty and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, David Aspden told a probation officer the girl was "an attention seeker who thrived off the drama" and said the boy had been put up to giving evidence against him in court. Sharon Aspden claimed the two youngsters were lying.

Judge Knowles QC said there was "no realistic prospect of rehabilitation" for the couple and said they must be punished immediately and severely for what they had done.

In a victim impact statement, the girl said she had suffered mental health problems and self harmed as a result of the abuse, but felt proud to have brought the Aspdens to justice.

Looking directly at the pair in the dock, she said: "I would like to say I am not scared of either of you now and I have seen straight through both of you for what you are. I know full well you wouldn't have dared to do something like this to someone your own size.

"It has been a long journey but right now I am not doing too bad. I know now you will suffer as a result of your actions and I think I can find peace with that."

The boy said he was scared and upset by the way Mr and Mrs Aspden treated him.

Sending both defendants to prison, Judge Knowles QC said: "You two, between you, brought about unimaginable harm and pain to these two children."

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A SOUTHAMPTON paedophile was caught with indecent screenshots of a young girl taken from Snapchat, a court heard. Philip Coley searched the internet for terms including topless 12-year-old. Prosecution barrister, Lucy Conroy told how the 39-year-old of Bitterne Road East, had images of children being raped and abused. When police raided his home in Bitterne Road East, they seized a Samsung mobile telephone. The device was subject to interrogation and contained a mix of images and videos showing youngsters being abused. Ms Conroy told how Coley had screenshots from a Snapchat conversation involving imagery of a young girl involved in sexual activity. Furthermore, he had three prohibited, overt and lewd cartoon images of children aged between eight and 12-years-old. Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, he was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children. Some 53 files ranged from category A, the most serious, to category C. He was also charged with possessing prohibited images of children. Coley admitted the offences spanning August and September of 2020. Mitigating, Paul Walker said his client had no previous convictions and urged the judge to suspend any custodial sentence. But Judge Christopher Parker QC jailed him for a total of 16 months. Coley will also be subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. Commenting on the case, Detective Constable Andy Sims warned that children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation online with increased use of social media apps. He said: Throughout our investigation Coley refused to identify his victim, meaning that somewhere out there is a child who has been abused by this man and needs support. We will continue to give him every opportunity to provide us with her details or give us any information which allows us to identify her. Online predators use various social media apps but in this case, it was Snapchat. Although Snapchat uses self-delete technology where images are deleted after a short period of time, the recipient can still take a screenshot so they can keep a permanent copy of the image. "Lots of information and advice for parents and young people is available, especially at this time, which is Online Safety Week.

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A man from Great Yarmouth who was previously convicted for sex offences has now been banned from getting close to any women and girls on public transport across the country.

Liam Jonas was handed the five-year sexual harm prevention order as he was sentenced for stroking a 14-year-old girl and touching a 21-year-old woman on buses in Great Yarmouth.

Jonas, 30, of Wellington Road and who has learning difficulties, had admitted two counts of assault by beating, which related to the way he had touched his victims on the buses last June.

Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court heard Jonas had been placed on a sex offenders register until June 2020 and had carried out two sex assaults in 2013.

His recent behaviour on buses had then led to Norfolk police to ask for the national ban on him standing or sitting by females on public transport.

On June 12, Jonas sat behind a 14-year-old girl on a bus in Great Yarmouth and had stroked her.

Katherine Kibryra-Deane, prosecuting, said the girl thought Jonas was "creepy" and had been left disgusted by what had happened to her.

The 21-year-old woman was on a bus on June 13 when Jonas sat by her and reached out to touch her.

Miss Kibrya-Deane said: "She was shocked and worried about what he would immediately do next."

As a result of the incident the women did not get on a bus for three weeks as she felt unsafe.

The court heard Jonas had three convictions for six offences, including the two sex assaults from 2013.

Due to his behaviour he had already been banned from buses in Great Yarmouth.

Anne Marie Sheridan, mitigating, said Jonas had ADHD and autism, had not been in education since the age of 13 and had no involvement with agencies, such as social care.

Jonas felt socially awkward and thought the way to find a girlfriend was to meet them on buses and had been "clumsy" in his attempts to do so.

Miss Sheridan said: "He was just hoping he was going to meet someone."

The five-year public transport banning order had a clause that said Jonas could be near females if it was unavoidable due to congestion.

He was also handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, placed on a 24-month probation order and ordered to pay 250 compensation to each of his two victims.

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Gordon Henzell, of Jesmond, sexually assaulted two schoolgirls a decade ago but they only reported it after reading he had been trying to communicate sexually with a girl online Two girls who were sexually assaulted by a pervert a decade ago finally plucked up the courage to report him after reading that he had been caught by paedophile hunters. For years, Gordon Henzell's sex attacks on girls aged 13 and 14 had remained a secret. But after they each read a Facebook post about him being caught in a sting operation, they decided to report what he had done to them. Now Henzell, who tried to get his ex wife to cover for him after his arrest, has been jailed for two sexual assaults and perverting the course of justice. Newcastle Crown Court heard Henzell had grabbed the 13-year-old round the waist, kissed her neck and tried to kiss her lips and told her she was gorgeous. The "horrified" victim managed to get away from him. In a separate attack, he grabbed a 14-year-old's face and tried to kiss her on the lips. After being arrested and quizzed over the offences, Henzell sent a message to his ex wife within half an hour trying to get her to help him cover his back. She was suspicious and reported it to police. Henzell, 54, of Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle, who has the previous conviction from 2020 for attempted sexual communication with a child, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 15 months. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, both for ten years. Peter Byrne, defending, said his risk of re-offending is low, there is a "good chance of rehabilitation", he pleaded guilty and that he will lose his accommodation due to being imprisoned.