Latest Offenders

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A WEAVERHAM man who repeatedly sexually abused a nine-year-old girl in her own home has been jailed for 12 years. Philip Railton, 38, of Clitheroe Road, committed his crimes of oral rape and sexual touching in Northwich between November 2014 and August 2015. It was only two years after the offences took place that the victim described in court as vulnerable wrote a letter to a police officer, which was found in her rucksack. His Honour Judge Simon Berkson said: This led to the investigation into you being the child abuser you have been found to be. Throughout the trial you tried to cast her in a bad light. The jury saw through that and found that you lied. The victims letter said she did not feel safe around Railton, after he had touched her, kissed her, and forced her to perform sexual acts on him. Her mum found the letter while packing her school bag one morning, handing it over to a social worker before a police officer visited the home. The police contacted Railton that evening, but did not tell him whom the allegation concerned. Later that night, he called the victims mum from a withheld number something he put down to coincidence. She said he sounded nervous and confused, and that there was no further contact between them following the brief phone conversation. From there, an investigation was launched and the victim recounted the abuse in an interview with police officers. Railton denied the charges, but after a five-day trial a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all six counts. Judge Berkson said: This is a very sad case because of the way you were able to connect to the victim. On six separate occasions you abused your victim. The abuse took place in her own home where she should have felt safe. She was under the impression that something bad would happen to her if she told anyone. Railton will serve half of his 12-year custodial sentence before he is considered for release. He was also handed a years extended licence, and a restraining order against the family. He will be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. Cheshire Polices dedicated rape unit oversaw the investigation into Railton. DC Mo Deakin, from the unit, said: First and foremost I want to acknowledge the remarkable bravery and courage of the young victim in this case. "To be subjected to such a horrific experience at such a young age is bad enough, but to then have to re-live it in court is truly awful. This case has been challenging for all those involved, but especially for the victim and her family. "I have worked alongside them for the past two years and they have been an immense source of support for each other through a very difficult and trying time. Philip Railton committed horrendous offences against a young child. He maintained his innocence throughout but thankfully the jury has seen through his lies and convicted him of six sexual offences. I am pleased that there has been a successful conclusion to this case and a dangerous sexual offender is now behind bars, where he will remain for a very long time. I hope that this gives other victims in a similar situation the courage to come forward and report what has happened to them. Cheshires Dedicated Rape Unit has a team of specialist officers committed to dealing with this type of crime, and providing advice and support to victims. To report any sexual offence call Cheshire Constabulary on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

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Jason Peach abused his 15-year-old victim in a case of "classic grooming", a court heard.

The 36-year-old formerly of Kingston near Ringwood met his victim at a music gig when he was just 14-years-old.

He even befriended and went for beers with the boy's father.

The sexual abuse happened between July 9 and July 24 this year over several weekends.

While spending time together "delivering parcels" Peach would "repeatedly kiss" the "extremely vulnerable" boy.

Prosecution barrister, Matthew Lawson told how the predator claimed he "loved" his victim and talked about "setting up home together".

Peach would send naked photos of himself to the child but was caught when his wife found indecent images on his phone.

But still, the abuse went on.

After the breakdown of his marriage, Peach gave the boy his "wedding ring saying throw it away".

A "suicide-pact" was made and he suggested they "spend the night in a hotel room and then kill themselves".

However, police swooped to the victim's home "just as he was leaving" to meet his abuser - they found razor blades in his bag.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the boy said: "The abuse has affected me really badly and I find it really hard to sleep.

"I wanted to kill myself".

He is said to be reminded of the abuse every time he sees Royal Mail vans, post boxes and post offices.

Meanwhile, the victim's father said the postman "needs help and locking up".

Peach appeared at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday facing six charges including rape and making indecent images of a child.

He previously pleaded guilty.

Defending, Keely Harvey called for Peach's previous lack of convictions to be taken into account during sentencing.

Miss Harvey added that he had no intention of putting his victim through any more distress and that there was remorse expressed.

Judge Peter Henry jailed Peach for seven years. Subject to a sexual harm prevention order he will have to register as a sex offender for life.

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A paedophile who pretended to be a 15-year-old girl to coerce teenage boys to engage in online sexual activity has been jailed for four years. Jamie Hopes was tracked down by officers from South Wales Polices Online Investigation Team, who traced a graphic Tumblr video showing children engaging in sexual acts, to his IP address. Police executed a warrant at his Maesteg home, which he shared with his parents, on June 5 last year and were told by Hopes: Yes, I know what you are talking about, it will be on my mobile phone. Officers seized a number of devices, two of which were found to contain more than 50,000 indecent images and videos of children. The investigation found that 24-year-old Hopes, who was a training sergeant with the Army Cadet Force and regularly worked at family festivals as a registered door supervisor, has also shared a significant amount of the downloaded material with fellow online paedophiles. Further exacerbating his depraved offending, Hopes also kept a file entitled For Bating in which he kept photos and graphic videos of a teenage girl to deceive boys into thinking he was a young girl. Some 40 young victims are thought to have been targeted by his deception, the vast majority of whom were coerced in to carrying out sexual acts on film in the belief that they were sending them to a teenage girl. Hopes previously pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to 15 charges including causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, possession of indecent images of a child, distributing indecent images of child and possession of extreme pornography. On October 4, he was sent to prison for four years, made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will prevent him contacting anyone under the age of 18 and impose stringent supervision by police and partner agencies upon his release from prison. He will also remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. Detective Constable Carl Taylor, officer in the case, said: Hopes was prolific in his downloading and sharing of indecent images and videos of children, many of which were of the most extreme category. This in itself is not a victimless crime real children will have been exploited and will have suffered in order to make that material; abuse which will have a lasting, lifelong impact on them. Hopes, however, went a step further in order to satisfy his depraved interests. He targeted dozens of teenage boys on popular social networking sites, gaining their trust by pretending to be a girl their own age, and grooming and manipulating them in to engaging in sexual acts. Our team have not been able to identify all of those affected by Hopes offending, but of those weve managed to trace, all have suffered greatly and the abuse has had a profound effect on them. I welcome this sentencing, and I hope it provides those victims with some closure and allows them to begin rebuilding their lives.

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A "dangerous" paedophile has been jailed for 19 years after he was convicted of raping a "very young girl".

Louis Cooper, 22, of Churchill Road, in Shepton Mallet, was given a 22-year sentence at Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday (October 9), consisting of 19 years of imprisonment and an additional three years as an extended licence period.

Cooper, who was otherwise known as Kodie Cooper, was found guilty of one count of rape of a child under 13, as well as a number of other sexual offences, including:

• attempted sexual communications with a child
• attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity
• making indecent photographs of children

Police said the victim was "a very young girl".

A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said the imprisonment of Mr Cooper was necessary to protect others from harm.

DC Jon Hooper, the investigating officer, said: "Louis Cooper is without doubt an extremely dangerous offender who poses a significant risk to members of the public, especially children.

"The offences he committed are among the most horrific I've had to investigate and in court the judge said it was hard to convey the horror of what he'd done.

"We can only hope the very young victim will not suffer any long-term damage as a result of the abuse she suffered.

"If Cooper had not been stopped, he would inevitably have gone on to commit further offences."

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THIS if the face of a sadistic carer who was only caught for the vile abuse he subjected his victim to when police, investigating child porn offences, raided his home.

As well as two million images found on his computer, officers discovered a hard drive containing more than 500 videos which Stuart Barrett had created up to 10 years earlier, showing himself abusing a vulnerable disabled man.

Barrett was supposed to be supporting the man, who needed round-the-clock care but instead he was seen in the video taunting, humiliating and assaulting his victim both sexually and physically.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Judge Tina Landale described 35-year-old Barrett as “every family’s nightmare” as she sentenced him to 14 years in prison with a further four years on licence.

Barrett was employed by Bury Independent Living Development to help look after a 49-year-old man who has profound physical and mental disabilities, is registered blind and is unable to communicate.

But for three years from 2008 he repeatedly abused him, sexually and physically. Barrett, of Lark Hill, Farnworth, would slap, punch, kick and bite the man, sexually assaulted him and, on one occasion, attempted to orally rape him.

“You abused your position of trust to taunt, humiliate, physically and sexually abuse him, believing you could get away with it,” the judge told Barrett.

“So confident were you of this, you filmed yourself abusing him in 506 films. Your conduct can only be described as sadistic.”

Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, told how the victim’s ageing parents had placed him in Bury local authority care when they could no longer look after him themselves. The man was described as “extremely vulnerable”, needed round-the-clock support and was unable to raise the alarm about the abuse as he could not speak or communicate in any other way.

“These offences would have gone undetected were it not for the defendant’s folly in recording the crimes and retaining the footage — footage that was found by police in 2018,” said Mr Bassano.

The public gallery in court was cleared as the judge viewed several of the harrowing videos made by Barrett. The physical assaults were described as slapping, punching, prodding and flicking, mainly to the head or face, kicking him in the groin and biting him on the nose or ears, while the sexual abuse included kissing, Barrett exposing his genitals, touching the victim’s genitals and attempted oral rape.

“On several occasions sexual touchings were accompanied by physical violence,” said Mr Bassano.

“Some of the activity was evidently carried out for the defendant’s sexual gratification. Most was done out of a sense of sadistic, gratuitous cruelty. Because of the victim’s inability to communicate we will never know the true harm he suffered. But his distress is sometimes evident on the recorded footage. His brother is broken by the thought of what has happened.”

In a victim statement the man’s brother said: “I cannot put the level of anger I feel into words — to think that someone who could not protect themselves has been preyed upon by this man breaks my heart.”

The court heard that police visited Barrett’s home in February and June last year and found vast quantities of indecent images of children he had downloaded between August 2011 and May 2012. There were so many images and videos that police stopped reviewing them after the first 25,000. They also found 22 indecent images of children Barrett had covertly taken himself of girls aged between four and eight.

“The girls were out and about, sometimes climbing or sitting on a telecoms box, a fence or crouching on the pavement and thereby exposing their knickers,” said Mr Bassano.

Barrett, who sat with his head bowed in the dock, had pleaded guilty to committing the offences against the care victim and the indecent images of children charges. Rachel Cooper, defending Barrett said: “He cannot explain why he did what he did.”

She added that until his arrest, he was undiagnosed as being autistic, had no friends and lived alone.

“Being maladapted to exist in the world with no support and no help, unfortunately it has been expressed in the worst possible way,” she said.

“It’s perhaps a sad feature of this case that he is going to have a great deal more social interaction in prison than he has had for the last 10 years.”

Judge Landale told Barrett that he posed a high risk of harm to the public and so handed him an extended sentence. He will not be eligible to apply for parole until two thirds of the way through the prison term and was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

“It seems to me there is no realistic prospect of reducing the risk that you pose because you have no insight into why you were behaving in the way that you did and paid lip service to expressions of remorse,” she told him.

Speaking after the sentence hearing the victim’s brother said he was satisfied with the prison term. “I am happy with that. I can sleep tonight,” he said. “He was a menace to society, a threat to children and he is locked up for a long time.”

He stressed that the majority of carers are “fantastic”, but admits to initially being wary after his brother’s abuse first came to light. “But I know he is happy now,” he said.

Bury Independent Living Development chairman David Newns said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by these historic events and we welcome, very much, the sentencing of the perpetrator. Safeguarding of vulnerable adults and the vetting of all employees are of paramount importance to us at Bury ILD. This is evidenced through CQC and Bury Council inspections which are carried out regularly. We are working very closely with both these bodies to support the individual and the family concerned.”

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Survivors say questions remain as to how youth coach sexually abused 24 players over 25 years Victims of the football coach Bob Higgins, who is beginning a 24-year jail term for abusing schoolboy players, have said there are still many questions to be answered about why he was able to evade justice for three decades. Survivors called on high-profile players and managers who worked with Higgins at Southampton FC to explain what they knew of his offending and claimed that by remaining quiet they continued to protect him. They said Peterborough FC, where Higgins was also employed, and the Football Association also needed to come clean about why he had been able to coach and abuse youth players for seven years after concerns were raised about him. Higgins, 66, from Southampton, showed no emotion as Judge Peter Crabtree jailed him at Winchester crown court for the abuse of 24 schoolboys over a 25-year period from 1971 to 1996. The judge said Higgins was a cunning and manipulative predator who abused his position of trust as a respected coach and caused real, enduring harm to his victims. Higgins had not shown a jot of remorse, he said. 'Jon', pictured with Bob Higgins in the 1990s. Bob Higgins victim: 'I looked him in the eyes and took back the power' Many of his victims, now middle-aged men, sat in the public gallery as Higgins was sentenced. They had testified to suffering decades of mental health problems because of his crimes, and expressed anger, shame and guilt at what had happened to them. Some told the court they had tried to kill themselves, and many said they had struggled over the years with flashbacks, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, lack of trust and problems with personal relationships. A number went on to have good careers in football, but some said they had lost their chance of fulfilling their potential because of Higgins. After the sentencing, Hampshire police said more people had come forward to make allegations against Higgins since his conviction and that the possibility of further prosecutions had not been ruled out. On the steps of the court, survivors made it clear their fight for justice was not over. The former Southampton youth player Dean Radford described how he and other boys came forward in 1989 to reveal that Higgins had abused him but were not believed. "We hope those Southampton club directors, high-profile players and management who spent time with Higgins will stand up and tell the truth," he said. "We believe many people must have known what was going on. By not speaking out these people were and still are protecting a predatory paedophile." Radford paid tribute to the former Southampton junior star and Higgins victim Billy Seymour, who died in a car crash earlier this year. He said: "Billy will be looking down on us smiling knowing Bob Higgins cannot harm any other child ever again. He will never be forgotten. We did it Billy, just like you said we would. You can now rest in peace our dear friend." Police interview Bob Higgins, who has been found guilty of 45 charges of indecent assault against 23 teenage boys. 'The FA didn't stop him': The long road to justice for Bob Higgins' abuse victims Higgins worked with youngsters at Southampton between 1975 and 1990 and at Peterborough between 1994 and 1996. When the Guardian broke the story of abuse within football in 2016, Higgins was still working in the game, though not as a coach of junior players. Dion Raitt, who was abused by Higgins as a junior player at Peterborough, said Higgins used the boys' hunger to succeed to exploit them. He said: "Football was our lives, football was our dreams. We would have done anything to make it as a professional footballer. "There remain many questions that we deserve answers to. How was Bob Higgins able to slip through the net for so long? How was he ever put into a position of power at a professional football club like Peterborough United?" Raitt said it was "especially shocking" that in 1989 the Football League, then the game's governing body, had issued a warning to all clubs about Higgins. "Sadly because of potential failings we were subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of Higgins," he said. During the sentencing hearing, another victim, who cannot be named, criticised the FA and Southampton over their handling of Higgins. He asked the court: "Where were Southampton? Where were the FA? Where was their due diligence and safeguarding policies? They had a duty of care, a responsibility." Two other former Southampton youth players, Anthony Connolly and Lee Smith, waived their right to anonymity. Connolly had told the court he first met Higgins when he was 12 and said the coach groomed his parents as well as him. Addressing Higgins directly, he said: "You took away my childhood." He said the abuse created a "void inside of me" filled with "fear, anxiety and torment". He said he had turned to drink to try to drive the fear away and suffered mental health issues. "I hope Southampton FC and the English FA have learned from their mistakes," he said in court. "I hope the proper safeguarding is in place." Smith described Higgins as a monster who ruined the dreams of his victims for his own "sick perverted satisfaction" and said: "The football community is now a much safer place." Southampton and Peterborough have apologised to the victims. After Higgins's conviction the FA said it recognised their distress. "We continue to signpost victims and survivors to speak to Clive Sheldon QC whose team is conducting the independent inquiry into allegations of non-recent child sexual abuse in football," it said Both football clubs declined to comment on Wednesday on the former players' calls for more answers. An FA spokesperson said: "The FA has commissioned an independent QC to conduct a review into, what, if anything, the FA and clubs knew about the allegations of child sexual abuse at the relevant time, and what action was taken or should have taken place. "It is therefore inappropriate for the FA to comment on these questions whilst that review is ongoing."

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2019

A MAN has been sent to prison for 15 months after being found guilty of stalking a girl aged under 18 following a jury trial at Lerwick Sheriff Court. John Harding, whose address was given as Grampian Prison, was also given a seven-year non-harassment order after the jury reached their decision on Wednesday following a two-day trial. The 46-year-old was found guilty of engaging in a course of conduct on or between 22 April and 16 August at various locations in Shetland which caused the female fear or alarm. Harding was found guilty of repeatedly attempting to contact her, establishing her place of residence and attend there uninvited, repeatedly presenting her with unwanted gifts and repeatedly sending her social media messages. He also hugged her and repeatedly kissed her on the head, and repeatedly sent her letters. Hardings prison sentence was backdated to 3 May when he was first remanded in custody on the matter.

2004

John Harding, 30, drilled holes in the walls of the girls home to watch her undress and also while she showered. The High Court in Aberdeen heard Hardings obsession culminated in him luring the girl, now aged 17, from her work with the promise of a driving lesson. He took the terrified teenager to a remote caravan on Shetland where he told her he wanted to "set her free" and that it was his dream to "do things with her". The girl, who cannot be named, eventually escaped and found refuge in a nearby house. Harding had spied on her since she was nine. Yesterday he admitted a charge of breach of the peace between January 1996 and September 2003 and detaining the girl against her will also in September last year. Lord Abernethy deferred sentence on Harding, whose address was given as St Fitticks House, Crombie Road, Aberdeen, for background reports. Advocate-depute Mark Stewart, prosecuting, told the court that on the evening of September 21, Harding collected the girl from work for her lesson, taking her to an industrial estate because of her lack of confidence behind the wheel. He ignored her pleas to take her home, telling her they needed to go somewhere quiet. Mr Stewart said: "The complainer was becoming unsettled and scared, telling the accused that she wished to go. The accused ignored these wishes. "He started to tell the complainer that he had been thinking thoughts about her which he ought not to be thinking." The girl became frightened and got out of the car to run away, but Harding persuaded her to get back in with a lie that he would take her home. When he began the 30-mile drive out to a dilapidated caravan on an area of remote croft land, he threw her mobile phone out of the car when she used it to try and call for help. Mr Stewart said: "The complainer became so terrified by that, that she attempted to open the door of the moving car and get out. But she was seized by the accused who took hold of her arm and held on to her shouting at her that she should go to sleep." Despite the girl begging to be taken home, Harding, who formerly worked for a taxi company, took her inside the caravan where he began to cuddle and kiss her on the forehead. Mr Stewart told the court: "He continued by making statements to her such as he would set her free and that he would show her love. "He explained that it was his dream that he would do things with her." Mr Stewart said the girl became convinced Harding wished to have sex with her and that she experienced a feeling of "abject terror". When he unfastened his trousers, she ran from the caravan, making a desperate dash over the rough terrain. Mr Stewart said she reached a house where a resident described her as "shaking uncontrollably, obviously terrified and pleading for help". When Harding was later arrested, he admitted he had "developed an obsession" for her when she had lived in two houses in Lerwick and that he had "derived sexual gratification" from seeing her in the bathroom, Mr Stewart said. Harding, who was released on bail, is to be sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on July 27.

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A judge ruled that Stephen Midgley, 27, is a 'dangerous offender' and gave him an extended 10 year sentence A "dangerous" paedophile was caught with hundreds of child abuse images - some showing 'distressed' tots as young as two. A judge ruled that repeat offender Stephen Midgley, 27, poses a high risk of re-offending, with a "fixation on pre-pubescent girls", and gave him an extended 10 year prison sentence. Teesside Crown Court heard the collection of images showed sexual abuse of kids, some mere toddlers, with many of the horrific details too graphic to publish. Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said two mobile phones belonging to the defendant had been found to contain child abuse images, including two-and-a-half hours of video in the most serious category. It was also discovered he was using an email address to send "depraved" images to another pervert. Images on the second seized mobile phone included pictures of boys and girls being abused, ranging from ages two to 11. Midgley appeared to be sentenced for 12 offences in total - three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, one of failing to comply with a notification requirement, two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and three of possessing indecent photographs. He pleaded guilty to the offences. Midgley was previously locked up for three years and four months in 2015 after being caught downloading and sending pictures and videos of child abuse for the second time in 18 months. Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said a psychological report had found his client had an IQ of just 71, "had it been one less he would have been somebody who came within a category of learning disabled", he said. He said: "This defendant's main mitigation is his guilty plea in respect of each count." He added: "Having been caught he has assisted. "On each occasion he has told police there are images on the phone. "He hasn't sought to hide anything, beside hiding the initial phones." He asked the court not to class him as a dangerous offender and say this is the "last chance saloon". But pointing to the psychological report and Midgley's previous offences, judge Stephen Ashurst said he was a "dangerous offender" and would be getting an extended prison term. He said: "The images are of a particularly depraved nature. "They include the rape and abuse of very young children indeed by adult offenders." Midgley, of Leybourn Terrace, Stockton, was ordered to serve six years in custody, plus fours years on licence for distributing indecent images. He was also given a two year concurrent sentence for the other offences. A new SHPO was made indefinitely.

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A man has been jailed for 21 years after being convicted of historical sex attacks on children. Martin Clifford, 45, targeted four separate victims between 1988 and 1997 in Slough, Berkshire, and Horley in Surrey. Police said his victims had endured "sustained traumatic experiences". Clifford of Chatfield, Slough, was convicted of two counts of rape of a child under 16 and five counts of indecent assault on a male under 16. He was also found guilty at Reading Crown Court of two counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16, and five counts of indecency with a child under 14. Det Sgt Emma Skinner said: "The victims in this case had to endure sustained traumatic experiences at the hands of Clifford during their childhoods, which has had a profound impact on them throughout their lives. "The strength they have displayed during the investigation and the trial has been incredible and I commend them all."

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A retired teacher has been jailed for indecently assaulting a Hull schoolboy more than 25 years ago.

Kevin Shaw, 55, spanked the victim with a sand shoe on his bare buttocks in a locked store room at Bransholme High School which became Winifred Holtby secondary in the 1990s.

The perverted geography teacher claimed he was disciplining the teenager for bad behaviour.

But jailing Shaw for 15 months at Hull Crown Court on Friday, Judge John Thackray QC said the abuse "had nothing to do with discipline".

He told Shaw: "It was entirely sexually motivated. That was the clear conclusion of the jury who have heard the evidence, and that is the basis upon which you are to be sentenced.

"I say that, firstly so there is no mistake in the community as to what this case has involved, and secondly because of your comments to the author of a pre-sentence report that it was about discipline.

"The truth is you used the cloak of discipline to hide your sexual interest in the victim, to enable you to see his genitals, and to smack his bare bottom."

Shaw, of Perth Street West, west Hull, denied any wrongdoing but was convicted by a jury last month following a trial at the same court.

In a statement read by prosecutor Nigel Clive, the victim said coping with the emotional and psychological effect of the abuse had been "challenging".

But he thanked police and the Crown Prosecution Service, and spoke of his "gratitude" to the person who took his initial call at the NSPCC.

"They instilled in me a belief I could speak up and speak out," he said.

The man said he had suffered years of flashbacks and his education suffered as a result.

Reporting the abuse was difficult, he said, as he felt "ashamed and embarrassed for letting it happen".

He said: "That damage was not something I could repair. I was in an environment that was poisonous for me."

Shaw had given the boy three options after he was caught "misbehaving" - placing him on report, informing his parents, or striking him ten times on his clothed buttocks.

The boy chose the third option because he was scared of his parents finding out. He was taken into an adjoining store room and was made to "bend over at the waist". But after two strikes he began and cry and was hit so forcefully he fell over.

He then agreed to remove his clothing as he was told he would only be hit five times if he did so.

After another two strikes, the boy fell to the ground in pain, begged Shaw to stop and he did.

Judge Thackray said he had "deliberately" hit the boy hard the first time so he would remove his pants to receive fewer blows.

Other ex-pupils complained

The jury heard from two other former pupils of Shaw's, one of whom was allegedly similarly beaten on a school trip, and another who claimed to have been propositioned by the teacher.

The judge said no charges followed those allegations because one was outside the court's jurisdiction, and because another allegedly occurred before a change in the law would allow such a prosecution.

The married Shaw showed no emotion as he was handcuffed and led to the cells, but silently mouthed "love you" to a woman in the public gallery.

Humberside Police statement

Humberside Police Detective Constable Shaun Chambers said: Kevin Shaw abused his position of authority and trust when he committed this indecent assault.

I have a huge amount of admiration for the bravery of the victim in this case. He and the other two witnesses have had to relive their childhood experiences which must have been very difficult for them.

The victim now wants to confine to history these memories and move on with his life knowing the offender has been brought to book for the offence.

This type of investigation is always challenging as the time that has passed since the offence makes it more complex to gather evidence, but it also makes it very rewarding when we get a good result like this.

I want to extend an opportunity to anyone who has experienced this type of historical offence that they can have the confidence in us to come and report their cases to us and we will consider their report sensitively and support them throughout any investigation.

People can have complete confidence that their report will be taken seriously and acted upon.

Kevin Shaw will now have time to consider his actions and this should also serve as a reminder to all those who have committed similar offences in the past that time is now barrier to justice.

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Youth group volunteer Aaron Davies said he wanted to show the 13-year-old girl how babies are made A 19-year-old steward sent hundreds of explicit sexual messages and intimate photographs to what he thought was a young girl. Aaron Davies contacted what he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and after weeks of grooming her they arranged to meet. But when he got to the bus station expecting to meet his online contact he was challenged and detained by a group of so-called paedophile hunters. Swansea Crown Court heard a group called Justice 4 Kids established a profile purporting to be that of a 13-year-old girl, complete with an age-appropriate photograph, online. Claire Pickthall, prosecuting, said the profile lay dormant until in February this year when Davies sent a friend request. This was the start of almost two months of communications between the parties. The barrister said Davies' messages soon became sexual in nature with the defendant asking intimate questions of the decoy, encouraging her to perform sex acts, and asking her to send pictrues. Davies, from Swansea , also sent the decoy two pictures of his genitals. The court heard Davies told the "girl" she should watch pornography so she could learn what to do sexually, told her he loved her, and said he wanted to go to Disneyland Paris with her. He also said he wanted to kiss and touch her and show her how babies are made. The prosecutor said in many of the replies by the decoy it was made clear the profile was that of a 13-year-old. In total the defendant sent more than 200 messages. Miss Pickthall described Davies' conduct as "classic grooming behaviour". The court heard the pair made arrangements to go to the cinema in Swansea on April 18 and at that point Justice 4 Kids contacted local paedophile hunters and handed them the information. When the defendant arrived at the city's main bus station expecting to meet the girl he was met by activists who called the police and took him outside. In his subsequent interview he said he was used to being around children because he was a steward at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea and also volunteered with a youth group. He said his aim had been to "educate and guide" the girl about what was coming as she grew up. Davies, of Heol Eifion Wyn, Llansamlet , had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl after sexual communication and attempting to incite a girl to engage in sexual activity when he appeared in the dock for sentencing on Friday. He has no previous convictions. Stephen Thomas, for Davies, said his client was very sorry for what he had done. Giving Davies a one-third discount for his guilty pleas judge Keith Thomas sentenced the defendant to a total of 12 months detention in a young offenders institution. He will serve half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. Davies was also made the subject of a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to control his contact with children and his access to the internet and he will be a registered sex offender for the same length of time.

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A "manipulative" art teacher has been convicted of a string of indecent and sexual assaults against female pupils. A court heard James Skelton Smith, 57, would regularly drop his pencil in order to crawl under desks in class. After a three-day trial Smith, of Dundee, was found guilty of indecent assault, sexual assault, and breach of the peace. The offences took place against current and former pupils over an 11-year period between 2008 and 2019. Sheriff John Rafferty deferred sentence until next month for background reports. He told Smith: "I found the Crown witnesses to be credible and reliable, in the main exceedingly impressive witnesses, and in some instances courageous witnesses. "The case against you is compelling." Creepy Smith showed no emotion as the verdict was announced. The court heard he had been suspended from the school, where he had worked as a part-time teacher for expressive art, for nine months and would now lose his job. During the trial, three young schoolgirls said "creepy" Smith would repeatedly drop his pencil and crawl under their tables on his hands and knees, staring at their legs. One woman said she left school early in her sixth year in 2009 because she "started getting the feeling that he was nudging our relationship somewhere I didn't want to go". Another former female pupil said she had "played dead" after Smith, who taught at the school for 25 years, touched her inappropriately when she went back to his house after meeting him in Dundee. Smith denied all the charges and described the account of a 17-year-old pupil he kissed as "Alice Through The Looking Glass". But prosecutor Laura Bruce said: "He treated her in a way that made her feel grown up and feel special - and then he pounced."

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'Wholly unrepentant' abuser Brian Andrew Rhys has been handed a 30-year sentence A man with a lust for young boys raped two youngsters after grooming them and showering them with gifts. Brian Andrew Rhys was convicted by a jury of 11 counts of indecency with a child, five counts of indecent assault of a male, five counts of a serious sexual assault, 12 counts of rape of a child under 13, a count of a sexual assault of a child under 13, and one count of witness intimidation. The offending involved two young boys dating between 1982 and 2018. Swansea Crown Court heard how manipulative and arrogant Rhys, 53, had groomed them and showered them with gifts before raping them. One victim impact statement read: I have had to carry this deep dark secret since being abused during childhood for more than 30 years. It is a heavy burden to bear and has affected my life and my mental health. Despite all that I know when he is convicted it brings a new chapter in my life. I will now look forward instead of back. The secret is a secret no more. A statement from his other victim read: When I was told by my mother the defendant had been convicted I felt very happy and slept well that night. It was the best I had slept since I can remember. "What he did affected my confidence and my schooling and caused stress and anxiety. I feel absolutely terrible about the things he did to me. Sentencing Rhys, Judge Paul Thomas QC said: "Over a period of around 30 years you systematically and calculatedly sexually violated two young boys. "In each case you used the trust placed in you to look after them to allow you to your wicked ends using grooming behaviour and showering them with gifts. You took steps to get each of them on their own and raped them over a long period of time. "It is clear from watching you give evidence you are wholly unrepentant. You will maintain your innocence for the purposes of your family. You're manipulative and arrogant and believed in your ability to pull the wool over people's eyes. "Your sexual tastes are deep-rooted. You clearly have a lust for young boys." Rhys, of of Banwell Street in Morriston, Swansea, was given a 30-year extended sentence comprising 24 years in prison and further a six years on extended licence. A sexual harm prevention order was made and he must sign the sex offenders register. Following the sentencing detective constable Joanne Pudner, who was praised by the judge for her role in the investigation at the conclusion of the case, said: We would like to praise the bravery of the victims for coming forward. Investigating sexual violence is a priority for South Wales Police and we are committed to investigating all reports of sexual abuse, regardless of when they occurred, in order to ensure that those who exploit the most vulnerable members of society are brought to justice.

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A retired teacher who directed a production at a Horley theatre after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children has been jailed for committing further offences.

David Gallichan, 63, directed a production of 'Amadeus' at The Archway Theatre that ran between September 27 and October 8, 2016. At the time he was subject to a suspended sentence and Sexual Harm Prevention Order for making and possessing indecent images of children.

The play did not involve any children and a theatre spokesman said "control measures" were in place to protect any children using the theatre.

Gallichan, of Haywards Heath Road, Balcombe, has now been jailed for 18 months for committing further offences. He attempted to communicate with a young girl online, and failed to tell police he had a computer which he used without monitoring software.

The Archway Theatre spokesman said: "We take the safety and security of adults, children and vulnerable adults as the utmost priority and remain fully committed to continue to work with both internal and external partners and safeguarding authorities, to ensure that our policies and practices are up to date.

"At the time David Gallichan was given a suspended sentence, the Archway Theatre Council of Management worked closely with the police and Surrey safeguarding team to put control measures in place.

"He was not permitted to attend the theatre when any children's activities were taking place and was not allowed unsupervised access. David is no longer a member of the Archway Theatre."

Gallichan was jailed on September 10 at Hove Crown Court for attempting to make contact with the girl. He also discussed his fantasies with other adults online, and spoke to teenagers online using the secret laptop.

PC Louise Giles, from Sussex Police, said: "Gallichan still attempted to speak with teenagers online even after his previous conviction. He kept a laptop without telling us, which did not have the necessary monitoring software installed.

"He expressed his fantasies about nudist camps with teenage boys, setting up profiles and characters for several years to engage with adults and young people in sexual conversations online.

"He imagined being a daughter or stepdaughter and would pretend to be people to get them to talk with him sexually.

"When we found out about this, as a result of proactive police checks, we got a warrant and searched Gallichan's home. He then admitted that he had hidden a laptop in an outdoor shed."

PC Giles said there was no evidence to suggest Gallichan had engaged in sexual activity with others, directly or online, but said the former school teacher was a "menace" who sought to manipulate others.

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A paedophile who systematically abused and raped his young victim over a period of three years has been jailed for 19 years.

Muhammed Irfan, 35, from Sparkhill, in Birmingham, was convicted of raping a child under the age of 13 after a five-day trial.

He was found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on August 9 after his brave victim spoke to police.

Irfan had threatened the schoolgirl’s family and told them to make sure she didn’t speak about the abuse.

The jury was read a statement from the victim who talked about how the abuse had affected her childhood.

She said: “Throughout my childhood and in school, I was what I would describe as a naughty child.

“I would fight boys, be disruptive, answer teachers back and just not go to lessons. It is only now I am old enough to realise why I was like this.”

She added “I am so glad other people have believed what happened to me and the regular abuse I suffered. Although I am happy knowing he is going to prison, I still don’t know if I will ever be able to move on from what has happened to me.”

Detective Constable Tom Parkes, from the Public Protection Unit, said: “This young girl should have been enjoying her school years and preparing for adulthood. The abuse she suffered has clearly had a long-term traumatic effect and I hope this sentence helps to put her on the road to recovery.

“We work with specialist agencies who can offer support from the moment a crime is reported, through the investigation and trial process, and beyond. I commend her bravery in speaking out and wish her well for the future.”

Irfan was told he would serve 19 years with an extended licence period of one year when he was sentenced on September 18.

He will not be eligible to apply for parole for at least ten years and will remain on the Sex Offender Register for life.