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A SOUTHAMPTON man has been jailed for 14 months for possessing more than 47,000 indecent images of children. William McDowall, 57, of Shirley Road, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images portraying sexual acts on an animal. As well as being jailed he was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years. On July 30 2021 police arrested McDowall at his home address and seized several items, including two laptops and a hard drive. Forensic examinations revealed he had 47,517 indecent images stored across the three devices from March 2012 to July 2021. More than 9,294 were Category A, the most serious, which depicted babies, toddlers and teenagers being abused. There were also a handful of images that depicted acts of bestiality. In his police interview, McDowall admitted he had been viewing indecent images online for 20 years and described himself as a lurker. PC Sarah Tickner from the Internet Child Abuse Team led the investigation. Speaking after McDowall was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court she said: McDowall had an extremely large collection of indecent images and some children depicted were as young as 12 months old. While he showed remorse for his actions, he clearly poses a risk to children and I am glad to see he is behind bars. He will also have very strict conditions imposed upon him when he is released from prison. Hopefully this investigation shows our commitment to keeping children safe in our community and that we will do all in our power to ensure offenders end up in court.

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A HAMPSHIRE man has been jailed for 14 years after being convicted of committing a spate of child sex offences across Eastleigh and Hedge End. Michael Littlefield, 39, of Camborne Close, Bishopstoke, had previously been found guilty following a five-day trial at Southampton Crown Court in April. He was convicted of eight counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, one count of assaulting a child under 13 by penetration and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity. He was found not guilty of one count of rape of a child under 13 and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity by the same jury. The court heard how Littlefield sexually abused three children on multiple occasions over a six-year period between 2014 and 2020 in the Eastleigh and Hedge End areas. Appearing at Winchester Crown Court he jailed for a total of 14 years in prison and will also have to spend four years on licence following his release. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Kimberly Duncan, of Hampshire Constabularys Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: I must place on record the incredible bravery of all three victims in coming forward and reporting the abuse committed by Littlefield. "Each child showed maturity beyond their years in articulating the crimes committed against them. They were very young children when Littlefield decided to take away their innocence the victims will now have to live with this ordeal for the rest of their lives but a very dangerous man is now behind bars. We hope the sentencing can provide the victims with a sense of closure and comfort that he can no longer harm them. We want to show you that no matter the circumstances, Hampshire Constabulary are committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court."

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He attacked at woman at Newport bus station, Isle of Wight, and dragged her towards Church Litten Park.

The woman fought back and managed to get away.

Following his release from prison, Willett had to stay at an approved premises in Waterlooville.

He is also required to inform police of any change of address within three days, including if he had no fixed abode, and to register any online usernames with Hampshire Constabulary.

This is part of Willetts sex offender notification requirements.

On June 5, he absconded from his approved premises, and police found he had created online usernames which he had not registered.

Police issued an appeal to the public for help in finding Willett on Wednesday.

The sex offenderwas arrested on the Isle of Wight on the same day.

Willett was charged yesterday with two counts of breaching his sex offender notification requirements.

The 23-year-old was also recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions, and will serve the remainder of his previous sentence.

He admitted the notification requirement breaches at Isle of Wight Magistrates Court.

Willett was handed an additional eight-month prison term, and had to pay 85 in costs, and a 128 victim surcharge

Acting Detective Inspector Mark Edis said Willett was arrested within hours of publishing the wanted appeal.

He added: We are very grateful to the local community who supported our efforts to locate Willett after he absconded.

Licence conditions and notification requirements are legally binding, and are put in place to protect the public by ensuring individuals do not re-offend.

There are of course those individuals, like Willett, who show absolute disregard for this.

We invest significant resources into the management of sex offenders and the protection of the public, and take this duty very seriously.

We hope that the swift action taken by police reassures the community of this, and that we will make every to put those who still choose to offend right back where they belong in prison.

Description

A Sandhurst man uploaded indecent images of a child onto the Internet and even engaged in sexual activity with a minor. Police became alerted to Christopher Seston's sordid act when email addresses he was connected to uploaded images.

Police officers in Wiltshire, where the 49-year-old used to live, became aware of the uploads last year. Seston was arrested and his devices seized.

It was then the true extent of his offending was uncovered. Evidence suggested Seston had not only uploaded indecent images of children online, but he had also abused a child.

Seston was arrested in February last year. He has now pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child and four counts of taking indecent images of a child.

Seston appeared before Salisbury Crown Court where he was jailed for four years. He has also been made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Detective Constable Jason Walsh, from Wiltshire Polices Child Internet Exploitation Team, said: This was a disturbing case where our initial enquiries into the uploading of indecent images of children led to us uncovering the fact that Seston had also been sexual abusing a child. I would like to pay tribute to the young victim in this case who has had the courage to bravely speak out about what happened to her and whose evidence has led to Seston being convicted and sentenced for his offending.

We would like to encourage anyone who has been the victim of sexual offences to feel that they can speak to someone. You will be believed and we can ensure the relevant support is put in place, particularly when children or young people are involved.

Description

A pervert who was jailed after he was captured on camera trying to outrun paedophile hunters is back behind bars after being caught in an undercover police sting. David Wilkinson posed as a GP to convince a 13-year-old girl to meet him after an online sex chat in 2019. But when he turned up to meet the child, who did not exist, he was confronted by Dark Justice, who filmed him as he tried to run away and fell over twice. Wilkinson, who did work for the health service but was not a doctor, was jailed for 16 months and given ten years on the sex offenders register, with a sexual harm prevention order. At Newcastle Crown Court the 43-year-old, who is now assessed as a "very high risk to children" was jailed again for having sex chat with an undercover police officer who he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Prosecutor Alec Burns told the court Wilkinson, who was also jailed twice in 2020 for similar offending, had been released from prison in May last year. In September, while still on licence, he started chatting to a teen online profile. Mr Burns told the court: "He was communicating with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl but was in fact an undercover officer. "He was told in the initial conversation she was 13." Mr Burns said the conversation had moved from the chat site to WhatsApp and Wilkinson said the girl was "sexy". When asked what he was looking for, Wilkinson boasted: "Haha, young girls like you." Mr Burns added: "He said he was a naughty man who likes young girls and very quickly suggested meeting up." Wilkinson said he would buy the teen pink gin, said he loved her and that they could have sex at his house. The court heard two meetings were arranged, but neither went ahead. He used a false name during the conversations and when his house was searched, police found a mobile phone which was internet enabled and should have been declared to the authorities to comply with his sexual harm prevention order. Wilkinson, of Jubilee Road, Blyth, admitted attempting to have sexual communication with a child, two charges of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, breach of a sexual harm prevention order and two charges of failure to comply with notification requirements. Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced him to three years and nine months behind bars, with an extended five-year licence period. The judge said Wilkinson was a "dangerous" offender who is a "very high risk to children." The court heard Wilkinson has an isolated lifestyle, with no partner or children. Nigel Hedley, mitigating, said Wilkinson had "more victim empathy than before".

Description

A "depraved" sex offender lured young boys to his home with the promise of sweets and fizzy before "taking away their innocence". Colin Eamens, 66, of Nelson Street in Shotton, Flintshire's carried out a campaign of abuse that spanned five decades. while posing a respectable member of the community.

Eamens, 66, admitted to 17 counts of sexual abusing six underage teenage boys from the late 1970s and into the 2010s. He was sentenced to 17 years at Mold Crown Court on Friday.

Prosecutor, Brian Treadwell said Eamens would have children "drop in" and he would often provide them with cigarettes and alcohol, as well as sweets and fizzy drinks. The prosecutor said Eamens would "seek out items" such as computer game consoles and a Sodastream machine to "attract" children to hang out at his home.

Eamens targeted the boys from when he was in his early 20s through his mid-fifties.

He befriended the victims and their parents and had been regarded as a "family friend". Some of the children he would go on to abuse would, on occasions, spend the night at his home.

One victim said Eamens performed a sexual act upon himself in front of the boy which became "something of a habit". This progressed on to the boy having sexual acts performed upon him "on at least 30 occasions", the court was told.

Eamens later raped him one Christmas Day in the 1980s when he was just 15 years old. The abuse carried on for a further two years.

Mr Treadwell said Eamens sexually abused a further five boys over 30 years. He performed sexual acts either in front of or upon the children and on some occasions offered them "cash for sexual favours", the court heard.

Duncan Bould, defending, said Eamens was "very open" when confessing to his actions and is aware that a "significant" prison term awaited him.

Judge Rhys Rowlands jailed Eamens for a total of 17 years for his "disturbing" offences. He praised their "courage" in coming forward.

He said: "It is plain that as a younger man you were prone to behaving in a thoroughly depraved fashion, targeting and subjecting young teenage boys to various forms of sexual abuse. There are six victims, each of whom were young when they were abused by you.

"They had to live with what you did to them while you moved on living your life as though nothing had happened, moving from one victim to another. As youngsters they shouldn't have had a care in the world, but instead you were taking away their innocence and in some respects their childhood."

Speaking after the sentencing, DI Iolo Edwards, said: This has been a protracted and extensive investigation of Eamens activities and we welcome todays sentence. We hope that this sentence brings some closure for the victims who have supported our investigation from its outset."

DI Edwards went on to say that any person affected by sexual violence can seek support anonymously from the North Wales Sexual Assault Referral Centre. They can be reached by calling 0808 1563658.

Description

A man who lived in Woking has been jailed for child sex offences after he was snared by paedophile hunters. Asad Ullah, 28, was sentenced to three years and nine months at Guildford Crown Court on Wednesday, June 15 after admitting his crimes.

Ullah, of no fixed address, had been speaking to who he thought were young girls online in a sexually explicit manner. He had planned to meet one of them on November 10 last year.

But Ullah had actually been speaking to adult members of the public who had posed as children in order to identify paedophiles online. It was the same members of the public who met Ullah at Woking Leisure Centre when he was arrested by officers.

Ullah was charged with the offences in January this year when he was remanded to prison to await sentencing. In addition to his prison sentence, he was also given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Investigating officer Dave Evans, who works in Surrey Police's paedophile online investigation team, said: Ullah displayed dangerous, predatory behaviour towards young girls. It is a relief that he is in prison where he can't continue to pose a threat to children.

"I know that this is an emotive subject for members of the public, and rightly so, but I would like to take this opportunity to urge people not to take matters into their own hands and to report any allegations straight to us so that we can carry out a full investigation." The force is also asking social media users to consider the impact on the judicial process before sharing anything online which could harm future court proceedings.

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Leonard Wheatcroft, 80, of Belmont Road, Hereford was sentenced on Wednesday, 15 June 2022 at Worcester Crown Court to ten years imprisonment having been found guilty at trial for non-recent sex offences.

Detective Constable Leah Lowe commented: This was a challenging and complex investigation which took several years of intensive investigation. I welcome this sentence which is reflective of the trauma and suffering Wheatcrofts actions brought his victims. I admire the bravery and strength the victims have shown throughout the investigation. This result demonstrates West Mercia Polices dedication to supporting victims of sexual violence and reassure our communities that we will pursue justice regardless of when the offence took place or the age of the offender.

Description

He hid away 97 images he persuaded the girl to send him A paedophile groomed a 14-year-old girl before getting her to send revealing photos of herself and perform sex acts whilst on the phone to him. Mark Quinn, 32, initially showered the victim with compliments before leaving her so scared she went along with what he said. Quinn, of no fixed abode, appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence having pleaded guilty to sexual communications with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of a child. All the offences took place in Liskeard in early 2020. Prosecuting the case, Brian Fitzherbert described how Quinn met the girl and even offered to help intervene with difficulties in her family. He gradually introduced a sexual element to the conversation, talking about kissing and describing her as beautiful, hot and sexy. The victim then spoke of how Quinn made the conversation dirty. The frequencies of calls and messages escalated to the point when Quinn was contacting her every five minutes. Quinn told her to delete messages on instruction and got her to pose for him in a bra, before storing the 97 pictures away in a hidden folder. Mr Fitzherbert said: She became increasingly scared and felt she had to do everything he said. Mr Fitzherbert went on to speak of how Quinn persuaded the girl to masturbate over the phone, as he did the same on the other end of the line. The offending was eventually detected when the girl had her phone confiscated for an unrelated misdemeanour. In mitigation, Barry Hilliard said: He doesnt know how and why he got into this but was not in a good place mentally and was drinking too much. Hes been dumb with anxiety waiting for his fate. He comes from a broken home his father was an alcoholic and left when Mr Quinn was 11. Sentencing Quinn, Judge Simon Carr said: You started an internet relationship with her and initially, and troublingly purported to put yourself forward as someone could assist with family matters. Having set-up this position you carefully groomed her and the conversations became sexual in nature. You knew she was 14 and particularly vulnerable. You got her to pose repeatedly and provocatively in her bra and 97 pictures were saved for you to continuously view for your own sexual gratification. Judge Carr referenced how Quinn got the girl to masturbate before jailing him for three years. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and relevant sex offender notification requirements. A statement from the victims family said: When Mark came along he was in a position of trust. We soon realised something wasn't right when our daughter started acting out of character, when we checked her phone we were in total shock. We feel betrayed, hurt and lost and picking up the pieces was a long and hard process. All I will say is I know we had our rocky patch but we come through it and our bonds are now as strong as ever. My daughter is a rock and current wife is an absolute angel who will do anything to protect this family. Hopefully justice has been served and we can all start a new chapter. The whole family would like to send our sincere gratitude to the officers and case workers who were involved. You have been absolutely fantastic and we will always remember the hard work you have put in gaining evidence. It will never go unnoticed and will never be forgotten. Police get a lot of flak but when it comes to our children they work very hard to see that some sort of justice is served. The ripple effect it had was immense and I'll never wish it on anyone. Please, please if your child acts out of character always follow your gut instinct. My daughter is thankful it's all over and we can now move on and close this very hard chapter that tested this family to the limits. Thankfully we got there before it got even more serious.

Description

A NEWTON Abbot man has been jailed for seven years for abusing a young child at his home.

Benjamin Goldsworthy assaulted the 11-year-old in ways which mirrored online pornography that he accessed just hours earlier.

The schoolgirl was visiting his home when he touched her breasts and private parts as she played on a computer game.

Both the nature of the sexual assaults and the description of the victim were almost identical to the girl in the material which he had been looking at online the night before.

His assaults have left the girl so scared of any physical contact that she no longer likes to hold her younger sisters hand.

Goldsworthy, aged 41, of Bugle Place, Newton Abbot, denied sexual assault of a child and two counts of assault by penetration but was found guilty by a jury at Exeter Crown Court.

He was jailed for seven years with a one-year extended licence by Judge David Evans, who declared him to be an offender of particular concern and put him on the sex offenders register for life.

He told him he would be banned from working with children by the Declaration and Barring Service.

He said Goldsworthy had caused untold psychological damage to the victim and that his offending and online activity suggested an interest in the sexual abuse of children.

During a trial last month, Mr Jason Beal, prosecuting, told the jury that the young victim told her mother about the abuse in February 2019 after her parents noticed she was upset about something.

A download of Goldsworthys phone after his arrest showed he accessed child sex stories in the days before the offences which mirrored what he went on to do.

Goldsworthy denied touching the girl at all and claimed she had invented the entire incident. He said the stories he downloaded were a coincidence.

Description

A prolific sex offender from North Yorkshire who targeted children on social media and threatened to share indecent images of them online has been jailed. Mark Anthony Wilson was sentenced to six years and eight months imprisonment, at Teesside Crown Court yesterday, for a catalogue of sexual offences involving children as young as seven. North Yorkshire Police said the 35-year-old, from Allen Grove in Stokesley, targeted children and teenagers across the country using social media. He asked for intimate, sexual photographs and video, threatening to expose them and their families if they did not give into his requests, between 2018 and 2020. The force said he posted a number of images online, leaving his victims frightened, humiliated and degraded. In one case, Wilson sent a mother a video of her naked teenage son. In another, he sent racially offensive, abusive and sexual messages to a 16-year-old girl, threatening to post videos on YouTube claiming her father had raped her. During their investigation, officers found Wilson had obtained images and a video of a seven-year-olds genitals after exchanging more than 200 messages and Facetime calls with the child. Wilson also had indecent images of an eight-year-old girl and had exchanged 1,149 messages with her. He was jailed after he pleaded guilty to 27 offences at York Magistrates Court over the course of three hearings, between August 2021 and February 2022. Detective Constable Karen Barugh said Wilson committed multiple malicious and sexual offences against children and caused them great distress. She added: They must have been terrified at the thought of him carrying out his threats. Despite being arrested, he continued to commit offences while on bail, his offending increasing in severity over time. He was prolific in his targeting of children and has shown no remorse for what he did. I'd like to thank those children and young people who were brave enough to come forward and give a statement to the police. I would urge anyone else to do the same if they are victim of any type of sexual offence.

Description

A sexual predator who plied his underage victim with alcohol before abusing her has been jailed after police uncovered how he groomed her over a long period of time.

Arron Gray, of Sycamore Place, Killingworth, meticulously-groomed his young victim into believing she was in a relationship with him.

He would invite her to his home and plie her with alcohol before sexually abusing her – fully aware she was under the legal age of consent.

In 2018, a concerned adult discovered sexualised messages Gray had sent to his underage victim and reported him to the police.

An investigation was launched by Northumbria Police's Safeguarding Department with specialist officers providing wrap-around care to support the victim and Gray was arrested.

The 21-year-old denied the allegations put to him but was later charged with six offences of sexual activity with a child and the case was sent to Newcastle Crown Court for trial.

In court, he was found guilty of all six offences.

He was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars.

Gray was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will have to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Detective Sergeant Amanda Harland led the investigation and has today praised the bravery of the victim and hopes it can help encourage others to speak out by saying: "know the law - there is no grey area when it comes to sexual activity with a child."

Description

A jury has dismissed a paedophiles claims that he didnt intend to have sex with a 14-year-old girl after driving 170 miles to meet her. Karl Wasley, 56, drove from his home in Cornwall to Bristol Temple Meads railway station to meet Scarlett - who he had been tricked into thinking was a young girl, following a period of grooming online.

Wasley arrived at Bristol to be confronted by paedophile hunters behind the fake profile. The 56-year-old from Threemilestone, near Truro, has been jailed after a trial at Truro Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child but not guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. The prosecution said he was intending to carry out a sexual offence when he met Scarlett and a jury agreed, finding Wasley guilty of the contested charge. Wasley was then sentenced on the spot to 20 months, of which he must serve half before being released on licence.

Opening the case earlier in the week, Emily Cook told the jury that it involved an adult decoy setting up a social media profile pretending to be a 14-year-old girl called Scarlett. She said: Mr Wasley contacted and groomed Scarlett and then arranged to meet her. The prosecution says he was intending to carry out a sexual offence when he met Scarlett.

Ms Cook said: The person behind the profile was an adult decoy and on this occasion they set up a profile on an app called Tagged. Tagged is meant to be for over 18s but the profile had a picture of a girl who clearly looked like a young child. The adult had used a face app to appear younger.

The decoy waited to see who would message the profile and on January 9, 2022 Karl Wasley messaged. The decoy said she was 14 but Mr Wasley said he didnt mind. He started paying her compliments and asked if she had a boyfriend. He said he wishes he was young enough to ask her out. The decoy made her age clear and referred to school.

Ms Cook explained how the profile was twice thrown off Tagged by moderators, but both times new ones appeared and Wasley would soon be in contact again. Wasley also lied about his age to the girl and gave a fake name, claiming he was 49 when he was 56.

The conversations moved to WhatsApp and ranged, according to Ms Cook, from general conversation to Wasley referring to her as his girl and saying he wanted to kiss and cuddle her and for her to wiggle on his lap. Wasley spoke about going for a drive and it probably being hot in the car so shed have to take off layers.

Wasley admitted he believed he was talking to a 14-year-old, doing so for his own sexual gratification and being a paedophile, but denied going to Bristol to commit a sexual offence. Wasley arranged to meet the girl at Bristol Temple Meads train station and drove there only to be confronted by a group of males from a paedophile hunter group. Wasley drove off in a panic and caused damage to a taxi, only to arrive home and find officers waiting for him.

Sentencing shortly after the verdict, which followed a short period of jury deliberation at Truro Crown Court, judge Anna Richardson heard how Wasley had two previous convictions for 25 offences relating to having indecent images of children, in 2006 and 2016 respectively. Despite completing a programme to address his sexual attraction to children in 2020, he offended once again earlier this year.

Judge Richardson said, concluding: "Notwithstanding the seriousness of the offences, I have to remind myself that these are attempts. And they are not attempts where there was a real child involved who would be therefore damaged. Rather there was no child in this case.

"Its to your disadvantage you pursued a hopeless defence in this trial to count one of the indictment." As well as his prison sentence Wasley will be signed on to the sex offenders register.

Description

A MAN from Shetland has been found guilty of sexual assault following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. The court heard that Ellis Birnie, 27, assaulted one woman during an outing. The victim, who is diabetic, said that at the time she was very, very deeply asleep, almost comatose as her blood sugars were high. She told the court: I was completely sparked out. I woke up at one point to find his hand inside my trousers. I had come to enough to realise stuff was going on, but I was not fully alert, she said in pre-recorded evidence played to a jury at Birnies trial. The woman said the incident occurred on October 2018 but told the court that Birnie had previously assaulted her at his home in Sandveien, Lerwick. She said in September that year Birnie had shown her round at the address, including going into a bedroom. The woman said she was pinned down and could not get up, and Birnie carried out sex acts. Birnie had denied a string of charges during his trial but was convicted of three offences on Wednesday on majority verdicts by the jury. He was found guilty of sexually assaulting his first victim on various occasions between 12 September and 3 December in 2018 at the address at Sandveien and other locations in Shetland. Birnie was also found guilty of sexually assaulting a second woman in Shetland between 1 February and 24 August 2020. Birnie was also convicted of engaging in abusive behaviour towards the second woman in 2020. The trial judge, Lord Richardson, deferred sentence on Birnie until next month for the preparation of a background report. Birnie was remanded in custody and placed on the sex offenders register. Responding to the news, detective sergeant Bruce Peebles said: The conviction of Birnie sends a clear message to anyone found guilty of sexual offences, you will be brought to justice. He befriended his vulnerable victims and I want to acknowledge their tremendous bravery, which has ultimately helped in this conviction. His actions will have had a long term effect on them and he must now face the consequences for his horrific behaviour. I hope todays outcome will give them some form of closure. We would take this opportunity to encourage anyone who has been a victim of such crimes that should they wish to report this to the police, they will be treated sensitively, listened to, and all such allegations will be investigated thoroughly.

Description

A sex offender who repeatedly raped a woman while she lay unconscious has been jailed for life.

Aurel Birlan put his victim through a near two-hour ordeal during an attack which only ended when he was confronted by a passer-by.

The offences were committed in Medway during the early hours one morning in December.

Yesterday, Maidstone Crown Court heard how Birlan, of Watts Street, Chatham, was interrupted by a man who had encountered him and the victim in a public place.

The passer-by noticed she was undressed, not moving and appeared to be injured.

He questioned the 44-year-old man about what had happened, before calling 999 and waiting with both the offender and victim until police arrived.

Birlan was arrested at the scene and an investigation was launched.

Police later recovered CCTV which showed the victim's repeat pleas for him to stop and that she was unconscious for more than an hour during the assaults.

Birlan was charged with two counts of rape, and three counts of sexual assault.

He pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The judge ordered him to serve a minimum of eight years and three months before he is eligible to be considered for parole.

He was also added to the sex offenders register for life and made subject of a restraining order, prohibiting him from contacting the victim.

Investigating officer, detective sergeant Kendal Moore said: "Birlan subjected his victim to a prolonged and truly harrowing ordeal, only stopping when a passer-by bravely intervened.

"Today's sentence will hopefully go some way to allowing the victim to live a normal life, knowing at least this dangerous man is now behind bars.

"She has shown tremendous dignity and bravery throughout the course of this investigation and I wish to commend her for that.

He added: "I would also like to thank the member of public who challenged Birlan. His courageous intervention was absolutely vital in ensuring Birlan was promptly arrested and that the victim was also protected from suffering any further harm."