Latest Offenders

Description

An Aberdeen man sent sexual Snapchat messages to a schoolgirl asking the teenager for a kiss and checking if she would keep it a secret.

Greig Alexander Robertson even admitted to the 15-year-old girl in one of the messages that his unlawful behaviour was possibly wrong.

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Description

This social media predator targeted seven young girls in a series of sex offences.

David John Milligan was in his 40s but posed as a younger man when engaging in sexualised chats with children as young as 12 on Snapchat. A court heard he asked for and sometimes received indecent images from the youngsters and sent them pictures and videos of his genitals.

The pervert's disgraceful behaviour only came to light when police seized his devices as part of an investigation into him having indecent images of children. They then discovered he had also been in touch with girls aged between 12 and 15 online.

One victim, who was 14, said Milligan added her on Snapchat and appeared friendly and she thought he was about 17. He then started asking about her underwear and turned the chat sexual and told her what he wanted to do to her.

Milligan, living in Newcastle at the time but now of Townhead Road, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, Scotland pleaded guilty to a total of 18 offences, including sexual communication with a child, inciting a child to engage in a sexual act, causing a child to watch a sexual act and three attempted offences in relation to victims who did not provide statements. He also admitted possessing 424 category A indecent images, 524 category B, 5,653 category C. He also had 35 prohibited images and 55 extreme pornography images featuring animals.

Judge Sarah Mallett jailed him for six years and told he must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and a restraining order, all indefinitely.

Description

A man who raped and sexually abused children has been jailed for 15 years. Cameron Richards, of no fixed abode, but from Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to eight sexual offences which involved three children.

The offences included two counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, one count of oral rape and four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. None of the children can be identified for legal reasons.

Prosecutor Rachel Drake told the court 35-year-old Richards had pleaded guilty to offences which included him abusing the children in a number of different locations including at his place of work and on expeditions. All of his victims were under the age of ten when the offences began.

Some of the victims, along with their family and supporters, sat in the public gallery, evidently deeply distressed as Ms Drake read out the different charges in details.

Ms Drake also read out Victim Impact Statements from the mother of one of the victims as well as one of Richards' victims. The mother said the assaults on her child had caused huge damage and that their child had repeatedly stated they wanted to kill themselves. One of the victims said that they were left feeling like it was somehow their fault and that they feared that "no-one would believe me". They added that because of the abuse they had "lost out on my childhood" and was "worried about how I will develop relationships in the future".

Richards' advocate Michael Green admitted his mitigation was "limited", stating that nothing his client could say through him would provide any comfort to the victims, adding that his client pleaded guilty to "horrendous offences". He said Richards knew he would be jailed for a long time and had "recognised that he deserves such a sentence".

Sentencing Richards, Mr Recorder Richard Stead noted that he had no previous convictions, but that he began his offending as far back as 2007 and continued for many years. He said Richards had numerous opportunities to stop the abuse, but instead continued regardless of the "psychological and physical damage you caused" to the children which he said would be "deep and long lasting."

At this point in proceedings there was an outburst from several people in the public gallery, with angry and upset shouts of "I hope you f****** kill yourself", "I hope you f****** die you dirty f****** b***ard". A number had stepped forwards towards Richards who was swiftly removed from the dock and taken back down to the cells as court staff called for calm. A number of people were made to leave the courtroom and proceedings only restarted after assurances were drawn that there would be no further outbursts from the public gallery.

Mr Recorder Stead continued his sentencing, saying Richards had "no regard" for the children he abused, despite him knowing he was doing wrong, but carried on for his "own sexual gratification". He said the offences clearly showed Richards had planned the abuse, in terms of the timing and locations and that there was "evidence of grooming behaviour". He added: "All have lost their childhoods and will carry with them the psychological impact of what you did to them."

Mr Recorder Stead said he would consider the totality of his offending in sentencing and jailed the 35-year-old for 15 years. He said this had been reduced due to his early guilty plea which under the sentencing guidelines meant he was obliged to any sentence he gave by 25 percent. He said it would be "at least" ten years before Richards' release from prison could be referred to parole board and that he would remain on a conditional licence and supervision on release.

Mr Recorder Stead said would make Richards subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice and that he would remain on the Sex Offenders' Register for life, which included a necessity to alert police to where he was living as well as if he moved.

Det Con Natasha Elliott-Smith from the Plymouth Public Protection Unit, said: "I am pleased to hear that Cameron Richards has today been given a 15-year custodial sentence. Mr Richards groomed his vulnerable victims and created opportunities to sexually abuse them; these offences started when the victims were all under the age of 10.

"This case was instigated by one of the complainants being brave enough to talk to a friend which led to a safeguarding referral being made by her school. A police investigation was launched where two further victims were identified. Through the support of specialist trained officers from the Public Protection Unit, the complainants were all able to provide compelling victim testimonies and this no doubt influenced the defendant's guilty plea.

"This investigation highlights the importance of listening to the worries of children and acting on concerns raised by young people. I would like to thank the victims for their incredible bravery in coming forward and the victims families who have provided ongoing support to them throughout the investigation; I hope this sentencing can begin to offer some closure for you all.

"This case once again shows the Polices commitment to supporting victims of sexual abuse, to thoroughly investigate offending of this deplorable nature, to protect the vulnerable in our society and bring offenders to justice."

Description

A ROOFER who sexually attacked a woman in her own home when he visited her has been jailed.

Ryan Cameron, 26, pretended he had called for a taxi when the woman asked him to leave, said Andrew Espley, prosecuting.

But he was lying and he then sexually assaulted her, pulling her to her bedroom during it.

When she repeatedly protested, telling him "no" and to go home, he replied: "Ssh, you know you want it".

Afterwards, he accused the woman of lying until she attended a courthouse to give evidence in a courthouse against him, York Crown Court heard.

"This young woman trusted you to come into her home. That was an invitation but it was limited," Judge Simon Hickey told Cameron.

Cameron had attacked her in her own bedroom where "any woman must be entitled to feel safe".

"It can only be an immediate custodial sentence."

He jailed Cameron for 27 months and made him subject to a restraining order banning him from contacting the woman indefinitely.

Cameron will also have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

The woman told York Crown Court that Cameron had made life difficult for her since the sexual assault which she was still coming to terms with.

She believed he was punishing her for telling police about what he had done.

"He has turned my life upside down and made it complete chaos," she said in a victim impact statement.

She had been prescribed anti-depressants and was having counselling.

Cameron had initially denied sexually assaulting her and had made out she was a liar until she went to court to pre-record her evidence and be cross-examined by his barrister, said the woman's statement.

It is common now for complainants in sexual cases to pre-record their evidence and be cross-examined by the defendant's barrister on video. The video is then shown to the jury in the defendant's trial, which may be many months later.

Mr Espley said Cameron had not visited the woman for several months before the evening when he sexually assaulted her.

At the end of the evening, she asked him to leave so she could go to bed.

He claimed he had ordered a taxi and was waiting for it, but turned on a film and settled down on the settee.

He then began the sexual assault, during which he had used force on her.

Afterwards, he had rolled himself a cigarette and really called a taxi, which had arrived quickly.

Defence solicitor advocate Graham Parkin said Cameron apologised for his actions and their impact.

He had not been convicted of any offence before or afterwards. His parents were standing by him.

The judge said the offence was out of character but there was little chance that Cameron would be rehabilitated until he recognised what he had done.

Description

A school tutor was caught committing a sex act while wearing only a bra in a female toilet by a shocked mum and her young daughter.

Steven Ballantyne, a performing arts teacher, was in an unlocked toilet at a BP garage in Northumberland when he was seen by the woman and her five-year-old daughter. Another woman then also witnessed the disturbing scene.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Ballantyne was employed by Northumberland County Council and worked in numerous schools on a supply basis. That career is now in tatters after a jury convicted him of outraging public decency and the council terminated his employment. 

 The offence happened at the filling station in Alnwick around 6.30pm one evening in January. The mother who saw him said in a victim impact statement: "I wish to say this has disgusted me.

"I'm in shock. I think it's wrong what he has done. My five-year-old daughter has seen this man."

The other woman who witnessed it added: "I wish to say I'm shocked by what I've seen. I was frightened and can't believe this male has been doing this in a public toilet. I'm disgusted and his behaviour is clearly wrong."

Ballantyne, 41, of St Georges Crescent, Alnwick, was sentenced to five months suspended for two years with 200 hours unpaid work. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and was given a restraining order banning him from going to the BP garage in question or any female public toilet.

Judge Sarah Mallett said the most serious aspect of the case was the fact the act was witnessed by a young child. She added: "You remained for a lengthy period where you had been seen and remained for a time after you had been seen.

"You knew there was a risk a female or child or disabled person could see what you were doing. I conclude that was your aim. You did cause some distress and fear."

Peter Schofield, defending, said: "He still denies the allegation in terms of what took place. He very much regrets he is in this situation today.

"He has lost his good name. He has worked as a performing arts instructor for more than 20 years, leading up to the pandemic when he was furloughed.

"He speaks with some pride about his students. He was involved in 19 or 20 schools a week working on a supply basis, working for Northumberland County Council.

"He has had to close a bank of experience providing worthwhile tutoring for students. That's a real loss.

"It's horrific, with his background that he is appearing before the court in respect of something as humiliating as this. The fact he engaged in this conduct so close to home with the risk of people knowing him is bizarre in the extreme."

A Northumberland County Council spokesperson said: "It is the local authority's responsibility to ensure Northumberland's children and young people are safe in the environments they learn. For this reason, Mr Ballantyne was suspended from work on 2 February 2021 and following investigations into his behaviour by the relevant authorities we made the decision to terminate his employment in July 2021."

Description

 A sex offender who breached a court order when he masqueraded on Snapchat as 'Joker' will not spend any extra time behind bars. Paedophile Jake Bull was jailed in 2015 for sex offences and told he must sign the sex offender's register for life.

But the 28-year-old flouted rules which meant he had to tell police of any aliases he used, as well as when he moved house. The offences took place before Bull was locked up for robbery in May.

He has now been sentenced to 28 months in prison for breaching the court's requirements but it will run concurrently to his ongoing jail term. It means he will not spend any extra time behind bars despite breaking the law again.

 The convicted sex offender is now due for release from prison in June 2024, StokeonTrentLive reports. A judge heard how Bull has repeatedly broken court rules after being sentenced for sex offences.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told he failed to provide his bank card details to police, did not tell officers he was calling himself Joker on Snapchat and did not notify them when he moved house.

He moved from Newcastle Street, in Burslem, to Zamenhof Grove, in Smallthorne. Bull also offered cash to his former landlord so he could lie to police and say his tenant was still living at the address.

The defendant is already on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life. It follows an extended sentence of six years and three months handed down in 2015 for four offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

Now Bull - who was jailed for 50 months in May following a knifepoint robbery - has been sentenced to 28 months in prison which will run concurrently to his present sentence. Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said Bull is due to be released from his current sentence on June 13, 2024.

He said: "At the time he was living a very chaotic lifestyle. He was homeless and using monkey dust. His position is now very different. He is now a trusted prisoner. He is a mentor for new prisoners entering the prison establishment."

He said the defendant wants to be a counsellor to help people using drugs on his release. Mr Muldoon added: "He is a relatively young man. He has an opportunity to come out of prison and become a person that society would welcome, not a person that society would want incarcerated."

Judge Sally Hancox said: "You made a request of your landlord to provide the police with false information on your behalf indicating that you were still resident at an address when you were clearly not and you had left some time earlier.

"At the time you were living a chaotic lifestyle. You were homeless and using drugs, monkey dust in particular, the cause of so much difficulty for those who use it in North Staffordshire."

Bull, of no fixed address, admitted three counts of failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register and one count of doing an act intending to pervert the course of public justice.

Description

A man sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl on an Aberdeen bus and made a series of disgusting comments towards three underage girls during the journey.

Christopher Barron, 36, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted making repeated lewd remarks to the girls.

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Description

A former canoe instructor from North West Leicestershire has today (Friday) been found guilty of non-recent indecency offences on young boys.

Michael James Hudson worked as a canoe instructor in North West Leicestershire between from the 1970s into the 2010s.

In 2020 the force received a report from man reporting he had been indecently assaulted on a number of occasions by Hudson when he was a teenager.

That investigation then led officers to contact another victim, who did report the offences against him to a third party in 2017 however wasn’t able to support the investigation at the time.

Following contact from officers he too agreed to support the case and provide evidence against Hudson.

After a lengthy investigation Hudson was charged with 10 counts of indecent assault on boys under the age of 16.

Today 81-year-old Hudson of Sycamore Drive, Moira, admitted his involvement in all the offences and was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison. 

Detective Sergeant Anna Blockley from the force’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU), said: “We are pleased Hudson has now been found guilty of the offences.

“This was in no way easy for the victims and has been a deeply traumatic time for them.  I applaud their courage in coming forward.  I hope this outcome will now help them move on with their lives and reassure them that their concerns were taken seriously, no matter how long ago the offences occurred.

“Hudson was an instructor at various canoe clubs in North West Leicestershire between the 1970s and 2010s.  We strongly believe there may be other victims of Hudson out there who for whatever reason haven’t come forward and reported the offences. 

“If this is you then we encourage you to come forward.  Please be assured your report will be dealt with by specialist officers who will support and guide you throughout the process.”

The Child Abuse Investigation Unit historic crimes team deal with all non-recent reports where the offences have occurred against children.  A dedicated team of officers help and support victims, and also liaise with partner agencies to ensure that support continues even after the case has been dealt with.

Description

A dangerous sex offender who had indecent images of children on multiple electronic devices has been jailed for five years. In December officers from the East MOSOVO (Management of Sexual or Violent Offenders) Team carried out a compliance visit at the home of Martin Blake after concerns were raised that he was not complying with the requirements of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Blake, 58, who had previously been convicted for child prostitution and numerous fraud offences, was already required to adhere to the notification requirements and a court order restricting his access and usage of the internet. During the visit carious electronic devices were seized, including an iPhone, USB sticks and a PC. After an extensive investigation, a mixture of Category A, B ad C indecent images were found on the PC, iPhone and five USB sticks. It was also found that Blake had committed a significant number of other breaches, including using numerous unregistered names and bank accounts, as well as failing to provide further devices identified in the investigation. Blake, of Redwood Drive, Longridge, pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children, as well as breaching his Sex Offender Notification Requirements and his SHPO. At Preston Crown Court earlier this week he was given the custodial sentence, a revised 10-year SHPO and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A vile pervert has been caged after his victim bravely set up a camera to catch him in the act of abusing her.

Michael Halliday, of Chorley, started his sickening campaign of abuse before his victim had reached the age of 12. The 67-year-old groped and kissed her on numerous occasions, Preston Crown Court heard.

Despite living in fear of Halliday, the victim bravely set up a secret camera to catch him in the act of abusing her. She then informed school, who reported the matter to police.

An investigation was then launched an investigation into Halliday. He was subsequently convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16.

He has now been jailed for 30 months.

At Preston Crown Court earlier this month, Halliday, of Springwood Drive, Chorley, was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. He was also made subject of indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order conditions for when he is released from custody.

DS Samantha Bartley, of the South Exploitation Team, said: First and foremost I want to praise the victim for the incredible bravery she has shown throughout this process. I know Hallidays offending has had a profound impact on her and I hope the fact he has been convicted for what he did to her will be of some comfort.

Halliday is an opportunistic sexual predator who targeted his victim for his perverted sexual interests.

I hope this case clearly demonstrates that the Preston Child Exploitation Team takes all reports of sexual assaults, grooming and similar offences against children extremely seriously and will act upon any information we receive.

Description

A CHEF who was rumbled with a disgusting collection of indecent images of children has walked free from court.

Steven Finalls horrific stash included some of the worst categorised child sex images including toddlers being raped.

The 45-year-old was rumbled by police and subsequently charged with three counts of making indecent images of children (IIOC), one of possessing IIOC and one of possession of cocaine.

He was put before Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, however he was allowed to walk free due to his good prospect of rehabilitation.

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, explained how the collection came to light after police executed a search warrant on January 13 at his home, which the court heard was in Warrington.

This came after the authorities received intelligence relating to Finalls suspected activities on the social media platform Snapchat.

Officers seized a Samsung tablet computer and a mobile phone during the raid, as well as a quantity of cocaine, with a forensic examination revealing the presence of IIOC.

In total, there were 190 depraved images and videos on his devices, including 36 graded as category A the most severe category with one showing a two-year-old child being raped.

The examination also discovered 32 category B images and 122 rated as category C.

Most were in cache files, having been deleted from the devices.

In defence of his client, Simeon Evans referenced his strong work ethic during his time working as a chef at The Swan pub in Winwick.

He also spoke of his guilty pleas to the charges, his lack of previous convictions and his acceptance of possessing the images during his police interview.

Before sentencing, recorder Mark Ainsworth said: You must understand that the court takes a very dim view of this sort of conduct.

The point that needs to be emphasized, time and time again, is that behind each of those images is a child being sexually abused.

If there was no marketplace for those images, and people like you looking on the internet searching for them, the abuse would not take place.

The circumstances of this case are such that, while I am obliged to impose a sentence of imprisonment, it can be suspended due to there being a good prospect of rehabilitation.

Finall, whose address in court was given as The Swan pub on Golborne Road, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years.

He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

In addition, he is now subject to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years, as well as sex offender registration requirements for the same length of time.

An order for the forfeiture and destruction of the devices and cocaine seized.

In a statement following the hearing, The Swan pub said: "We were utterly shocked and appalled to read headlines about a former member of our kitchen team, as this was the first time we had been made aware of his court case and sentencing.

"We can confirm he no longer works at our pub, and if any allegations had been made to us previously, we would have dealt with them in a swift and appropriate manner through our usual HR processes.

"Any comments made in court about support from his employer must have been around general support he received during his time working here.

"Everyone at the pub is so deeply upset and distressed by this, and we please ask you to understand that we have found out about this news at the same time as everyone else."

Description

A paedophile who pretended to be a woman to lure children younger than 13 into sexual activity has been jailed for 18 years.

Jonathan Woodward, 22, from Ashford, Kent, used fake social media accounts pretending to be a woman to lure children from all over the world into sexual activity online which he then recorded.

The pervert used software to identify where his victims lived, then blackmailed and threatened the young victims using their addresses to get them to send him more graphic material.

Police investigated Woodward last year when he was reported to police after a suspected indecent image of a child was seen on his mobile phone.

The paedophile was arrested and multiple electronic devices were seized from him when police raised his home.

Many of his victims were very young children, whom he abused between 2015 and 2021.

He pleaded guilty to 39 child sex offences and was sentenced to 18 years behind bars at Guildford Crown Court yesterday.

Woodward must serve two thirds of his 18 year sentence with a further eight years as part of an extended license on his release.

Sentencing Woodward, Judge Rufus Taylor called him: 'The worst I've seen for some while.'

The sex offender was charged with two counts of rape of a child under 13, and 20 charges of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Woodward was further charged with 14 counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and with making indecent images of a child, including the most graphic of category A content, as well as category B and C.

He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life, banning him from unsupervised contact with children and having electronic devices he can store images on unless police can inspect it.

Detective Inspector Antony Preston, from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team, praised the brave young victims who came forward to put the horrific criminal behind bars.

He said today: 'Woodward's behaviour has impacted countless lives, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the bravery and courage of these young victims who have helped put this man behind bars for a long time.

'I would urge those using social media to speak out should they feel threatened or intimidated online, using online reporting functions or contacting Police to report such behaviour.

'This investigation and sentencing shows that there is no place for such vile behaviour. We will work tirelessly to ensure child sex abusers face the consequences of their actions.

'If there is anyone reading this who has been a victim of child sex abuse, I would encourage you to speak to us. We will do everything we can to support you.'

Description

A serial sex offender has been jailed for over three years for sexually assaulting an infant girl after “luring” her into an enclosed space.

Kenneth Stephen Fowler, 64, a drifter and heavily convicted paedophile from Knaresborough, assaulted and then performed a lewd act in front of the youngster, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Richard Herrmann said that Fowler had over 100 previous criminal convictions, of which 18 were child-sex offences.

Fowler’s last such conviction was almost 30 years ago, but on August 6 this year, when heavily drunk, he lured the young girl into a public enclosed space, put his arms around her and began touching her “excessively”.

He then tried to remove her clothing before taking off his own clothes to reveal an intimate part of his body. He then performed a lewd act in front of her.

Mr Herrmann said: “(The victim) said he didn’t say anything (and that) she felt scared and she froze.”

She then moved “very quickly” away from the enclosed area, after which an adult witness saw Fowler buckling up his trousers.

Fowler told the witness, in an “aggressive manner”, that he was “about to set fire to the place”.

Matters were ultimately reported to police who searched Fowler’s flat in Knaresborough and found among his clothes a pair of girl’s knickers.

Fowler, a homeless drifter, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure, sexual assault of a child under 13 and sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He initially denied the offences but ultimately admitted the latter two charges. The Crown ultimately quashed the exposure charge.

He appeared for sentence via video link today after being remanded in custody.

Mr Herrmann said Fowler’s wicked behaviour had caused “great distress” to the girl and her family.

The girl’s mother said her daughter had since had nightmares about Fowler and her horrifying experience: “She has been very quiet since it happened (and) doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Fowler, originally from Scotland, had 104 previous convictions for 223 offences dating back over 50 years. Eighteen of those were sexual offences, including many for indecently exposing himself in front of children.

In the 1980s, he was jailed on multiple occasions for indecent exposure with intent to sexually assault a female, and another offence of unlawful intercourse with an under-age girl. In one incident in 1988, he exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl and performed a lewd act in front of two young boys.

His last exposure offence was in 1994 but he continued to regularly appear before the courts for offences such as shoplifting and being drunk and disorderly.

In October 2019, he received a 16-month jail sentence at York Crown Court for arson and damaging property.

That offence, described as a “revenge” attack, occurred in August 2018 when he torched a charity clothes store for the homeless at the Wesley Centre in Harrogate run by Harrogate Homeless Project, which had helped him get back on his feet after years of living rough.

Fowler, who was again drunk and had some kind of “grudge” against the charity, also smashed a window with a hammer, causing nearly £1,500 damage.

The charity relied completely on donations such as clothes and the damage had resulted in severe disruption to the organisation.

Defence barrister Brian Russell said that after a 30-year gap in his sexual offending, Fowler had “for an inexplicable reason…suddenly reverted to entrenched behaviour which he had managed to avoid for almost (three decades)”.

Judge Simon Hickey told Fowler: 

“At the age of 64, you are still interfering with children…and were touching again an extremely young child.

“While heavily intoxicated, you were to lure this child into the public (enclosed space). She was scared; she froze.”

He said the child was clearly “in very great distress” and told Fowler: 

“I find you a worrying and dangerous individual.

“This has changed the little girl’s life and she even…stuffs toys under her bed (for fear of) someone like yourself being under (there).”

The judge said Fowler clearly had an “unhealthy interest in young girls”.

Fowler was jailed for three years and four months. He was told he must serve two-thirds of that sentence behind bars and would only be released when the Parole Board deemed it safe to do so.

Due to the judge’s finding of dangerousness, Fowler was told he would have to serve an extended three years on prison licence once he was released from jail, for the protection of young girls.

Description

A paedophile who was found with a hoard of sickening abuse images had shared some to other perverts online and videoed two children on his phone.

Jack Mellis, 22, was found in possession of 46 hours worth of category A indecent videos when police examined his mobile phone. Officers had seized his phone after they became aware he had been sharing child abuse images online. But worryingly, during analysis of his iPhone, an expert discovered two videos of young children which he had surreptitiously filmed himself.

Mellis, of Ushaw Moor, County Durham, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for making indecent images, distribution of indecent images, and voyeurism. He had pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.

Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, said on December 28, last year, police received information that Mellis had uploaded two category B indecent images - which depicted a 10-year-old girl - to Reddit. She said: "Police went to the defendant's home address on June 9 this year and spoke to the defendant, who said he may have inadvertently downloaded indecent images. His iPhone was seized and examined by an expert."

The court heard that following examination of his iPhone, a total of 113 category A images and nine videos were found, along with 128 category B images and three videos, and 457 category C images and nine videos. But as well as those indecent images, a concerning video was also discovered of a child that Mellis had secretly filmed himself by hiding his phone.

Ms Smithies said that analysis of his iPhone continued and on July 1, another video was discovered of a child that Mellis had secretly filmed - the court heard the video lasted 15 seconds. When Mellis was interviewed by police, he made "full admissions" and told officers he had "hundreds of images" and admitted he "obtained sexual gratification from viewing them". He said he would view images on a website and save some into a folder and "accepted sharing images with others".

Lewis Kerr, defending, said there was a "strong, realistic prospect of rehabilitation" and said since his arrest he had begun engaging with a foundation and had been in employment. He said that Mellis and members of his family had also spent over 100 days living in a Washington Travelodge since the offences. Mr Kerr added: "He is able to reflect on his offending and has shown victim awareness. He sincerely recognises the harm he has caused."

Sentencing Mellis, Judge Jo Kidd said he was found in possession of "46 hours worth of category A videos" and jailed him for 18 months and made him subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He will also be on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Description

A PERVERT has walked free from court, despite engaging in sex chats online with someone he believed was a young girl.

Terry Yates sent disgusting messages to the ‘girl’ – but this was in fact a member of a paedophile hunter group set up to catch child sex offenders.

The 39-year-old was subsequently charged with attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and appeared before Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.

But he was spared an immediate jail sentence to allow him to get the ‘help and treatment he needs’ outside of a custody setting.

Olivia Beesley, prosecuting, explained how Yates sent a Facebook friend request to the profile of a ’14-year-old girl’ operated by paedophile hunters on May 5 this year.

He then began to send messages to the ‘teenager’ on June 3, asking her to ‘look at my little willy’.

The defendant was made clear that the girl was only 14, but he continued to message the account, referring to her as ‘gorgeous’ and ‘his beautiful princess’.

As well as sending naked videos and photos of himself, married Yates asked the girl to send him a video of herself ‘giggling’ and photos of her in her school uniform.

He was confronted by paedophile hunter group members on July 2 at his home on Whitworth Close in Birchwood.

Cheshire Police officers were called to the scene and Yates was arrested.

The court also heard that the defendant lost his Amazon warehousing job as a result of his arrest, although he has since found further employment.

Ms Beesley added that Yates has one previous conviction for handling stolen goods back in 2004.

In defence of his client, Jeremy Rawson spoke of how the defendant has demonstrated a ‘clear acceptance of wrong, remorse and insight into the consequences of his offending’.

“He understands quite clearly, had this been a real individual, then he could not live with himself for what he has done,” he said.

 “The man in the dock, prior to this foolhardy, reckless and stupid activity, had a wife, a house, a job, a family and friends.

“He has managed to keep his house and obtain employment, but all those other ostentations passed him by, and he is effectively alone.”

Before sentencing, recorder Mark Ainsworth described the facts of the case as ‘frankly appalling’.

"This is what every parent fears. This is the sort of behaviour that causes outrage and disgust within society, and understandably so,” he said.

“It is clear that she made it known to you that she was 14 years of age, and yet you persevered.

"The impact on you will be significant. It means, effectively, that your marriage has come to an end.”

But he added: “I can ensure you receive the help and treatment you would clearly benefit from to ensure that this is not repeated in future. Whether you serve that sentence is a matter entirely for you.

“If for the next two years you remain out of trouble, then you can put this matter behind you and move on with your life.”

He sentenced Yates to eight months in prison suspended for two years.

The defendant must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

In addition, he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration requirements, both lasting 10 years.