Latest Offenders

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A 66-year-old man has been jailed for five years for historic sexual offences against children in Stirling.

Peter McCormick was sentenced today (Monday, 5 August, 2024) at Glasgow High Court for the sexual assault of four boys, who were each under the age of 13, in Stirling between 1978 and 1996.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

McCormick was previously found guilty of four charges of Lewd and Libidinous practices at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, 28 May, 2024.

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A CARLISLE sex offender previously described as “dangerous” is back behind bars after he set up secret online accounts.

Registered sex offender Joshua Watson, 26, has already served a jail term for failing to comply with a sexual harm prevention order that means he has to notify the police of his online accounts.

At Carlisle Crown Court, he admitted four new offences. The defendant, of Beaumont Road, Carlisle, pleaded guilty to:

• Breaching his sexual harm prevention order in July by possessing an internet enabled device with a WhatsApp application which featured an “auto delete” function for messages.
• And three counts of failing to comply with his obligation under the Sex Offender Register by failing to disclose to the police his usernames online accounts he had set up. All three breaches - one for each of the social media accounts involved - were committed on dates between June 30 and July 24.

His defence barrister said Watson’s primary mitigation was his prompt guilty pleas to the four offences.

In January last year, Watson was recalled to prison for illegally acquiring a mobile phone and setting up a Snapchat account without telling the police.

He committed that offence a year after he was sentenced for downloading dozens of indecent child images and at the time he was awaiting sentence for buying alcohol for teenage girls and making sexual suggestions to them.

Watson was put on the Sex Offender Register for a decade. This requires that he must inform the police of any online accounts he opens or uses, and reveal the relevant username.

He must also register with the police all his internet enabled devices with the police within three days of acquiring them.

All his devices must be fitted with police monitoring software and be capable of displaying internet history.

In the January offending last year, police found a mobile phone he had failed to register with them after visiting Watson at his home. He claimed a relative gave it to him the day before and he planned to inform the police the next day.

But when police examined the phone, it was immediately apparent that Watson acquired the phone much earlier than he said. Watson then claimed he had simply forgotten to tell police about the phone.

He then blamed his failure to tell the police about the phone on “stress” linked to his parents’ splitting up and the death of his dog.

The prosecutor in that case told the court:  “The police take the view that he’s a dangerous offender and obviously these are serious offences, committed very shortly after he was released."

Description

An intelligence officer at the National Crime Agency (NCA) who abused his access to the dark web to view hundreds of indecent images of children on his work computer has been jailed for 18 months. In June, Adam Taylor, of Waltham Abbey, Essex, admitted two counts of misconduct in a public office, three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Sentencing the 40-year-old former NCA officer at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, Judge Justin Cole condemned Taylor for the “gross abuse of trust” placed in him. The judge told Taylor “Because of people like you there’s a market for this”, saying interest in “vile” indecent images has led to the “rape and torture of innocent children”.

Taylor, who never moved out of his family home, was a grade five intelligence officer in the NCA, equivalent to a police constable. He had access to the dark web, although he was not required by his work to view such images because his focus was on offences involving drugs and firearms, the court heard.

Taylor was arrested by officers from the NCA’s anti-corruption unit after it was established that an IP address linked to his home was accessing illegal content. The defendant admitted to committing misconduct by making indecent images of children on a work device between March 2019 and April 2022.

He had 221 category A images – the highest category of seriousness – as well as 203 extreme images and hundreds of category B and C images on both work and home electronic devices between May 2012 and the time of his arrest. Prosecutor Amy Nicholson said Taylor “sought to use his employment to gain further access to child sexual abuse material” in “deliberate intentional acts” that caused a “high level” of harm.

She went on: “The defendant’s conduct will have undermined public trust and confidence in the NCA and its investigation of this sort of offending. Furthermore, the viewing and downloading of indecent photographs of children perpetuates the production of further indecent photographs, which requires the serious sexual abuse of young children.”

Eddison Flint, defending, said Taylor was at a low risk of reoffending and was “not a man who needs to add to the prison population”. Taylor has also been given a sexual harm prevention order and was made to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Catrin Attwell, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Adam Taylor intentionally used his employment to obtain information to facilitate the viewing and downloading of indecent images of children and used NCA official devices for this purpose. The indecent images of children on the devices contained some of the most horrific sexual abuse of children.

“His actions were a gross breach of the trust placed in him as an officer and severely undermined the integrity and standards expected from those in his position. After collaborative work from the CPS and the NCA, Taylor was left with no option but to plead guilty and face the consequences of his actions.”

NCA director general Rob Jones said: “The NCA is committed to protecting children from sexual abuse, wherever in the world it is happening. We are determined to ensure there is no safe haven for perpetrators, including and especially within law enforcement.

“NCA officers from our anti-corruption unit carried out a meticulous, covert investigation which identified Taylor’s offending and ultimately brought him to justice. The NCA will work tirelessly to tackle corruption and breaches of our standards of professional behaviour, without fear or favour, wherever they occur."

Description

The man who shared indecent images of children with ex-BBC presenter Huw Edwards was 25-year-old convicted paedophile Alex Williams, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said Williams pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing category A, B and C images as well as possessing prohibited images of children. He was sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on March 15.

Police said an investigation into Edwards began after a phone seized by officers as part of an unrelated probe revealed the broadcaster’s participation in a WhatsApp conversation.

Earlier today the former BBC presenter pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning (July 31). The veteran broadcaster admitted to having 41 of the images on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type.

The court was told how Edwards had seven category A images on his WhatsApp - the most severe. The estimated age of most of the children in these pictures was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine, the court was told.

He had 12 category B images and 22 category C. The final indecent image was sent to Edwards in August 2021, a category A film featuring a young boy.

The court heard how the presenter had been involved in online chat with an adult man on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021, who sent him 377 sexual images. 41 of these were the indecent images of children.

As the final category A film was sent, the man told Edwards that the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal. Edwards told him not to send any illegal images, the court heard.

No more were sent, and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022. Edwards appeared at court today wearing a dark suit, blue tie and sunglasses.

The 62-year-old spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address and his guilty pleas at the start of the hearing on Wednesday. After entering his pleas, Edwards sat staring into the distance, with his head tilted slightly upwards, and adjusted his tie as Ian Hope, prosecuting, laid out the case against him.

Speaking in Edwards’ defence, his barrister Philip Evans KC said: "There’s no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort. It is important also to remember for context that devices, Mr Edwards’ devices, have been seized, have been searched, and there’s nothing in those devices.

"It is only the images that are the subject of the charges that came via a WhatsApp chat. Mr Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else.”

Edwards was bailed. He will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 16.

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today. There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.

“The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023, nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year.

“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation. At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.

“Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court. If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.

“During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions. We want to reiterate our shock at Mr Edwards’ actions and our thoughts remain with all those affected.”

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Dangerous sex offender Callum Townsend has been jailed after he tried to meet up with a 15-year-old boy for sex. The 32-year-old - who has a history of committing sexual offences - pretended to be a 20-year-old woman named Amy in a bid to lure his victim into meeting him.

The offence happened shortly after he was released from jail on licence. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard he also asked a 15-year-old boy to send images of himself and used other alias names.

Now Townsend has been sentenced to a 10-year extended jail sentence to protect the public as he is deemed to be a dangerous offender.

portraying himself as a 12 or 13-year-old girl to another pervert on Kik was 'stoking the flames of his warped cravings and your own'

Prosecutor Hunter Gray said the defendant was jailed for 38 months in 2021 for three charges of causing a child to engage in sexual activity; sexual activity with a child; and failing to surrender to custody. He was placed on the sex offenders' register and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for life.

He was released on licence on November 18, 2022. But on March 12 last year police attended Townsend's home and he was asked to hand over his devices, an iPhone and an Acer laptop.

"The defendant had accessed a number of apps which were not showing on his phone - gaming apps, CryptoCurrency apps, a drop box cloud app and Telegram Messenger.

"An examination of his phone revealed he had been exchanging messages with a 15-year-old boy between February 9 and March 2, 2023. The messages had been deleted. The defendant posed as a 20-year-old woman called Amy. The boy told him he was 15 and still at school. The defendant asked for images of him.

"He sent a video of a couple having sex. He asked the boy if he had Telegram, a more secure application. They arranged to meet up for the purpose of meeting for sexual activity. The defendant sent the boy images of a woman. He pretended to be Amy."

Townsend asked the boy to send him a picture and the victim sent an image of his lower half. Townsend persisted and asked him to take his shorts off. Mr Gray added: "It was a breach of the SHPO to be in communication with someone under 16. He arranged to meet someone under 16 for the purpose of a sexual encounter."

The defendant also sent out messages asking to be added on Snapchat under an account name Nevexx200 and messaged someone under another alias, sending images of a blonde woman and encouraging the recipient to send images of himself.

Townsend, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching a SHPO; arranging the commission of a child sexual offence; and failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Robert Holt, mitigating, conceded Townsend has a 'substantial record of similar matters'. He said the defendant pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He was subject to licence and was recalled to prison after his arrest.

He said the offending period was 'relatively short'. Mr Holt said: "I have to accept the young person was 15, quite a disparity in age and the person was a child rather than a decoy and there were further concerns due to his autism and ADHD. He accepts there is an element of grooming and he used it to try and obtain images."

Mr Holt said Townsend had not had any access to any accredited programmes. He said: "He is happy to comply with the Horizon (sex offender) programme and has put his time in custody to good use, completing the first year of an Open University degree in business management."

Mr Holt added: "He accepts his behaviour is inappropriate and he accepts there needs to be some considerable change in his behaviour and his outlook. He seems to be in a revolving door. He is preparing for his release and hopefully will not return to court in the future."

Judge Graeme Smith told Townsend: "Upon your release on licence there was a rapid and worrying return to some of the activity. You were posing as a younger female and corresponding via the internet with a 15-year-old boy. You used another alias, Neve, to communicate with people.

"There was an attempt to obtain sexual images but you were also proposing to meet up with the boy for sexual activity. It would have been obvious you were not 20-year-old Amy but a 32-year-old man. You have a sexual interest in teenage boys. You also encouraged the boy to try and recruit others to what was going on.

"You are a dangerous offender. You are sexually preoccupied and sexually attracted to children. This happened within a matter of weeks after your release from prison."

The extended sentence is made up of five years custody and an extended licence period of five years. He must serve two thirds of the custodial element before he can be considered for release.

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A man who made covert explicit videos of teenage girls and women has been jailed for three years.

Luke Greenfield, 25, of Trinity Lane, Beverley, claimed the recordings were consensual, but was later charged with 18 counts of voyeurism.

He was also charged with three counts of having sex with a female under 16, two counts of making indecent images and two counts of taking indecent images.

Greenfield pleaded guilty to the charges shortly before his trial had been due to start.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and handed a five-year restraining order at Hull Crown Court on Thursday.

'Inexcusable crime'

Police launched an investigation last year after a woman reported that Greenfield had made an explicit video of them without her consent, and when she confronted him, "he’d threatened to publish it online".

Officers later found a camera and other electronic devices, along with more than 30 explicit videos of 27 girls and women on a mobile phone.

The victims had been filmed at Greenfield's home and place of work, Humberside Police said.

Officers identified two teenage girls and several of the women, who said they had no idea Greenfield had taken explicit videos of them.

Det Con Daniel Radford, who led the investigation, said: “It is without a doubt that Greenfield is a dangerous sexual offender who manipulated women and girls for his own predatory desires.

“Highly calculated, Greenfield lured the women and girls to his home and made false promises to them about future plans and endeavours, when really he had an ulterior motive.

“Whilst I am pleased he eventually admitted to his inexcusable crime, sparing the victims the upset of a trial, Greenfield showed no remorse for his unforgiveable actions throughout the entirety of the investigation."

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He has today (1st August 2024) been given a sentence at Preston Crown Court for 22 years.

He lured the women into his vehicle as they made their way home from nights out by leading them to believe he was a taxi driver. He then drove them to remote locations before subjecting them to serious sexual assaults.

The first incident happened on the 3rd of October 2021. The victim got into Asmal’s car in Preston city centre. He drove for about ten minutes, raped his victim in the car and then dropped her off back in the city centre. She flagged a member of the public down for help.

The second incident happened on 4th of March 2023. The victim had been on a night out in Darwen and ended up in Asmal’s car. He drove her to a secluded area on the outskirts of Darwen where he then raped her. Asmal managed to get the victims phone number and called her at the start of April. She did not answer the call on that occasion because it came up with ‘no caller ID’.

Asmal called her again on 8th of April 2023 and this time she did answer. The victim recognised the voice as the man who had raped her but did not know his identity. She ended the call after Asmal asked the terrified victim ‘If she wanted to do something?’

Asmal raped his third victim on the same evening he made that call. The victim got into Asmal’s car in Darwen town centre. Driving her towards Bolton, in the opposite direction of her home, Asmal said: “You don’t want to pay for this taxi, do you?”

He stopped in a secluded area and raped her. He then dropped her off at her home address.

We identified Asmal after his black Toyota Yaris was picked up on CCTV cameras.

Asmal, 35, now of no fixed address but formerly Balaclava Street, Blackburn, appeared at Preston Crown Court on in November and pleaded guilty to four counts of rape.

Judge Heather Lloyd deemed Asmal to be a dangerous offender and sentenced him to 17 years in custody with a further five years on extended licence. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A WIRRAL man who breached his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) has been jailed for 20 months.

Wayne Thomas, was sentenced yesterday (Thursday, August 1) at Liverpool Crown Court.

Thomas, 23 and from Birkenhead, is a Registered Sex Offender and required to adhere to conditions under the Sex Offender Register and his SHPO.

Bell was found to have breached his conditions when he had unsupervised contact with a young girl under the age of 18, without the consent of the child’s parent and the approval of Children's Social Services.

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A Gosport man who filmed himself raping a woman as she slept has been jailed for two decades.

Louis Charles Cann, 38, raped two women multiple times in a ten-month period in Portsmouth and Gosport, police said.

Salisbury Crown Court heard that the women were manipulated by Cann, threatened with violence and verbally abused, and one of the women was physically assaulted by Cann when she said no to having sex with him.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Adam Feest KC remarked on the humiliation, degradation, blackmail and manipulation used by Cann, in order to rape these women, with the judge noting that one of the women was treated like a rag doll.

He said: Neither I nor anyone listening to this case can properly understand the long-lasting trauma, distress, and fear that your actions have caused.

Cann, of Rampart Row, was charged with nine counts of rape following an investigation by Operation Amberstone Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabularys specialist rape and serious sexual offence investigation team.

He denied the charges - but was found guilty of all the offences on Wednesday, June 5 by a jury.

Detective Sergeant Samantha Brown, from the Operation Amberstone Team, said: The level of sexual violence and abuse that these women have suffered at the hands of this awful man is truly shocking.

These women were degraded, manipulated and assaulted in the most appalling way.

Nonetheless, they have shown incredible courage in standing up to this cowardly individual, and because of their strength and bravery Cann will now spend a lengthy period of time in jail.

She added: We want anyone who has been affected by rape or sexual abuse to have the confidence to report this. You will be believed, and we will do everything in our power to bring offenders to justice.

Cann was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with an additional extended five-year licence period.

He was also handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

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A victim has been praised by police after a "dangerous and predatory" paedophile was jailed. 

Detective Constable Dawn Capper paid tribute to the girl's courage after sex offender Jason Mcauley was jailed for 18 months at Southampton Crown Court. 

The court was told how the child reported the sexual nature of messages she was receiving from the 45-year-old to her friends and school. 

He was arrested and when officers examined his phone, they found three Category C indecent images of a toddler.

Mcauley, of Ventnor Court, pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and making indecent photographs of a child and was sentenced on Monday. 

Det Con Capper, of Southampton’s Child Abuse Investigation Team, led the investigation into the offending which took place in early 2023.

She said: “One of our jobs in the specialist Child Abuse Investigation Team is to target those who attempt to exploit and abuse children sexually.

“I would like to say thank you to the victim in this case for coming forward and reporting Mcauley’s crimes. It’s not an easy thing to do, but their courage has ensured that a dangerous and predatory man will now face the consequences of his actions in prison.

“We always take allegations of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“Anyone who has any concerns at all about child abuse can contact us at any time – we recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police, but there are support services available that can help you if you are a victim of abuse.”

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A CONVICTED paedophile was caught staying with a Barrow mum and her children, a court heard.

Aaron Pollard was jailed for 27 months at Swansea Crown Court in March 2019 for sexually assaulting an underage girl after plying her with alcohol and cannabis.

The 28-year-old admitted breaching the terms of his ten-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and for failing to comply with notification requirements.

Prosecutor Ellie McManus told Preston Crown Court Pollard had been in regular contact with the mother’s young daughter in Barrow this year.

She said the defendant shouted to the mother: ‘You do not know me, you have never seen me before babe’, as he was arrested.

The court heard Pollard had been in a sexual relationship with the mother after originally communicating via Snapchat.

Ms McManus told the court the defendant was homeless and that he would either sleep on the streets or in his car.

She said the defendant would stay at the woman’s address for a few hours but never overnight and that he had contact with her daughter regularly on a daily basis.

The court heard Pollard was also at a party where girls aged between seven and ten-years-old were present.

Ms McManus added he would drive her daughter to school on occasions while she was in the car and that he would make attempts to avoid the police in Barrow.  

She said Pollard had failed to inform the mother that he was a registered sex offender.

The prosecution said the victim was ‘shocked’ and ‘upset’ when discovering who the defendant was.

A police inquiry was launched after Pollard was arrested outside McDonald’s on Dalton Road on May 2 this year for being drunk and disorderly, the court heard.

Officers attended his registered mother’s address who revealed her son had not been at the address address since April 19 this year.

In mitigation, Emma Keogh said her client’s offending began after Christmas last year after the breakdown of a relationship where his son was taken into the care of social services.

Ms Keogh said: “He turned to alcohol as a clutch and his behaviour worsened.

“He began speaking with another woman online and their relationship progressed quickly. He found himself in Barrow with no money and unable to get back to Swansea because his car had broken down.

“He knows he should have gone to the police and told them about the situation, but he buried his head in the sand.

“He regrets his actions and has already had three months in custody to reflect on the ramifications.

“His mother is now very ill and requires the help and assistance from her son. He very much wants to be rehabilitated.

"I urge you to consider suspending the sentence of imprisonment today.

However, His Honour Judge Graham Knowles said he was left with no other option but to jail Pollard for 18 months.

Passing sentence, Judge Knowles said: “In cases similar to this, women sometimes know of a man’s history, but in this case you did not tell her the truth at all.

"You deceived the mother and her four children. You were present in her house more than you care to admit.”

“You are deemed to pose a high risk of reoffending and you are deemed to be of serious harm to the public.

"This was clearly a persistent breach. I cannot say there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, nor do you have particularly strong personal mitigation.

“The reality is, this is clearly a case where appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.”

Description

An online sex offender has been jailed after downloading and sharing hundreds of ‘horrific’ child sexual abuse images.

Paul Smith, aged 41, came to the attention of Nottinghamshire Police when his IP address was linked to illicit images and videos stored on an online file sharing site.

When he was arrested in February 2022, Smith admitted to using the site to access images of adults, but also made voluntary reference to ‘child porn’ – saying that he made a point of instantly deleting any such images.

Officers then began a more detailed search of his then home address in  Grimston Road, Radford, and seized electronic devices.

Forensic examination of his mobile phone confirmed his use of the file sharing site and uncovered multiple prohibited images.

It also contained a damning history from use of an online chat application in which he shared and viewed hundreds of links to images and videos featuring children and babies.

Most of the images were graded as Category A – depicting the most serious sexual abuse of children by adults.

Smith, of Radford, initially denied any wrongdoing but later pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent photographs of children.

He also admitted to possessing a prohibited image of a child, and possessing an extreme pornographic image of an animal.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday (29 July) he was given a seven year extended prison sentence and added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will tightly restrict his access to children and the internet once he is released.

Description

A convicted sex offender made a bomb threat to the police after he breached an order preventing him from having unmonitored access to the internet. He told a 999 operative: "If I light this I don't have to go to court and I don't have to go to prison."

Kynon Crisp, 18, of Cardiff, made a 999 call on June 16 and told the operator a friend had made a "canister bomb" which he was going to ignite. The defendant said: "My mate is good at explosives and he's made me a canister bomb and I am tempted to light this. He told me to put it under the gas line which will make the gas explode, kill me, and blow up the flat."

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard Crisp told the operator the bomb would "go bang" when heated and said: "If I light this I don't have to go to court and I don't have to go to prison."

Police attended the defendant's home in Tudor Street, Riverside, where they found a block of deodorant cans tied to each other and covered in wax. Crisp was arrested and taken into police custody.

Prosecutor Alice Sykes said the defendant was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years after he was convicted of sexual assault and voyeurism. Prior to the bomb hoax incident Crisp had attended Cardiff Bay police station as part of his conditions but was found to have downloaded a VPN on a new phone in order to mask his IP address and watch pornography.

Crisp later pleaded guilty to making a bomb hoax and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client was a "complex individual" with learning difficulties and had the understanding of a 12-year-old. She said the defendant had a difficult start in life and was placed into care at the age of nine years old.

Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Crisp to a total of six months imprisonment. The defendant will serve half the sentence in custody before he is released to serve the remainder on licence.

Description

A paedophile sent videos of himself performing a sex act to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl – but he was speaking to an undercover member of the police force. He also asked the decoy for naked images of herself.

Hywell Hardman, 31, of Bridgend, sent messages to the decoy on Snapchat between February 8 and 13 this year using an account with a false name. He claimed to be 17 years old and the decoy told him she was just 13.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Thursday heard the defendant asked the decoy for a picture and an image of a girl aged about 13 was sent back. He said he would like to see more photos of her while she was in school and asked her about the colour of her underwear.

Prosecutor Matthew Comer said Hardman asked the decoy for naked pictures and to send intimate images of herself. He sent photographs and videos of himself which included his penis and of him performing a sex act. The language used was sexual in nature.

Hardman, of Stormy Down, was arrested and later pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause/incite a child to watch an image of sexual activity. The court heard he was of previous good character.

In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client left school with no qualifications and had had difficulty in the past with bullying. He was in a relationship when he carried out the offences and is a father-of-two who now only has supervised contact with his children.

Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said the offences were "too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate custodial sentence". Hardman was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and was made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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A Hastings man who raped a vulnerable woman has been jailed for ten years.

Nathan Ackerley, 28, of School Road in Hastings, raped a woman as she slept after taking her back to his home in October, 2021.

She woke up during the attack, in which he had cut her clothing, managed to escape and came directly to a police station to report the crime.

While she was supported by specialist officers, Ackerley was located and arrested on suspicion of rape.

A search of his phone found he had taken pictures of the victim while she was asleep.

He was subsequently charged with rape, sexual assault by touching, sexual assault by penetration and voyeurism.

On Friday, 19 July, he was convicted of all charges and the following Monday – 22 July – he was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, with a minimum period of two thirds.

He was also given a restraining order against the victim and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.