Latest Offenders

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This is the predatory pimp who was 'at the heart' of the horrific toll of abuse against young girls in Huddersfield. Described by Judge Geoffrey Marson QC as 'one of the leaders' of the grooming gang, Amere Singh Dhaliwal was convicted of 54 offences against 11 girls. He sexually abused some of the girls countless times and sometimes he passed them on to other men in the grooming gang. Manipulative Dhaliwal would also video the other men abusing the girls and send it to others and on one occasion he took indecent photos of an infant. Labelling him a prolific sex offender who was at the 'very heart' of the grooming gang, prosecutor Richard Wright QC said: "He targeted vulnerable girls, he showered them with attention and plied them with drink and drugs. "Having manipulated and moulded them in that way, he used them for his own sexual pleasure and effectively pimped them out to other men at organised parties where sex with young girls was the order of the day." But he refused to ever admit he was involved in the grooming scandal, instead claiming the girls were liars and had targeted him all because he called one of them fat. How he controlled the girls His abuse may have begun in 2004 with a 13 or 14-year-old girl - who is referred to as Girl A. But she believes Dhaliwal, who at the time was in his early twenties and was better known by his nickname Pretos, was already abusing other underage girls before she came along. The mechanic, along with Zahid Hassan and another man, first approached her and her friends in Huddersfield bus station as they were on their way to school. She was 13 or 14 years old and the girls she was with were even younger than her. The men offered them cigarettes and told them to skip school to get drunk with them. They didn't truant, but they exchanged numbers. She said they kept phoning her and turning up outside her school. There was no getting away from them, she said. Within weeks, she was being forced to engage in sexual acts with the men. The first time Dhaliwal raped her orally was in the car park of the now-defunct Shaf's snooker club on Manchester Road and she was scared of him. He made her feel ashamed of herself, she said. And she said that after the first time he raped her vaginally, which happened in a house, he told everyone including a girl who claimed to be his girlfriend that she had raped him . She also said that after ejaculating inside her, he forced her to get the morning after pill and he got his girlfriend and her friends to beat her up, leaving her with black eyes and a broken nose. He went on to rape her countless times, including in the toilets of the snooker club and at Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, before starting to pass her around his friends. During 'games' of truth or dare, the child rapist dared Zahid Hassan and Mohammed Kammer to have sex with her. He would also dare her to perform oral sex on him and, during one such game, he put the end of a bottle in her vagina. On one occasion at the snooker club, he told Girl A to have sex with Nasarat Hussain, who at the time was a teenager a few years older than her. She was wearing her school uniform and Hussain took her down to the canal near the snooker club. He threatened that if she didnt have sex with him he would tell Dhaliwal on her and so, out of fear of reprisals, she complied. Girl A introduced him to Girl B, who was used mainly for oral sex. The pattern was similar he used her, then he passed her around. After getting Girl B to perform oral sex on him at the snooker club, Dhaliwal would drive her to places such as Scammonden Dam where another man was waiting and a takeaway in Normanton where Mohammed Rizwan Aslam was waiting. And through Girl A, at least five further girls were brought into the ring - girls B, D, H, I, M and O. Girls I and H in turn introduced Girl J to Dhaliwal and his friends. Meanwhile, Dhaliwal's friend and cannabis dealer, Irfan Ahmed, targeted Girl C, who in turn brought Girl G into the ring and the Hassan brothers brought in girls F and N. And Dhaliwal also set his sights on a girl who was living in a childrens home in Huddersfield Girl K. The denial and the trial He faced the highest amount of charges of all the group a whopping 57, of which he was convicted of all but three. He was found guilty of: 21 counts of rape, three of which were of a child under 13; 13 counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation; five counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; three counts of sexual assault; three counts of supplying a controlled drug of Class A; three counts of possessing an indecent image of a child; two counts of administering a substance with intent; one count of inciting child prostitution; one count of assault by penetration and; one count of racially aggravated assault. The now-married dad, who converted to Sikhism in 2013, denied every charge and even knowing some of his victims. He claimed that the only time he took Girl A up to the moors was to 'admire the scenery'. And he also claimed that she 'fabricated' the case because she used to mouth off at him when she saw him in the street and he used to call her fat in return so she had 'a grudge or whatever' against him ever since. During cross-examination, which took place after his 11 victims had bravely stood up in the witness box and gave detailed evidence about him, he continued to deny being sexually involved with them. As he stood in the witness box, Mr Wright said to him sarcastically: "The worst thing you've ever done is describe her as being fat and, over a decade later, she has organised over 10 girls to come forward and fabricate over 70 allegations of terrible sexual offending. . .to have her revenge because you called her fat 12 years ago?" After pointing out that his co-defendants would have to be in on the 'conspiracy' because they had admitted some details about his offending, Mr Wright asked: "Mr Dhaliwal, there is no conspiracy against you, is there? These girls have came here to tell the truth." He replied: "I would suggest they are lying." Mr Wright told him: There is one liar here and that is Amere Singh Dhaliwal. He interrupted: "No, that is not the truth." Mr Wright continued: "And you have not got the guts to face up to what you did to them years ago." But he maintained: "I have never sexually abused these girls." Locked up for life The probation service's report stated that he exerted 'power and control over young girls' and described him as 'manipulative' and 'predatory'. The judge heard how, even after the 100-day trial in which a jury convicted him, Dhaliwal was still refusing to take responsibility for his actions. Based on that and the amount of his offending, he was able to jail him for life with a minimum of 17 years and 312 days. Sentencing, the judge told him: "Your treatment of these girls was inhuman, you treated them as commodities to be passed around for your own sexual gratification and the gratification of others. "The extent and gravity of your offending far exceeds anything which I have previously encountered." The now-35-year-old, who initially gave a bail address of Holly Road, Thornton Lodge, but later gave the court an address of Everard Street, Crosland Moor, is serving his sentence in HMP Doncaster in South Yorkshire. He will not be eligible to apply for release from prison until April 14, 2036 when he will be 53 years old. Even if he is released then, he will remain on licence for the remainder of his life.

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A former senior teacher at a Dorset secondary school has been jailed for child sex offences.

Michael Herrity, 44, of Top Lane, Ringwood, Hampshire, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and three of indecency with a child.

The offences dated back to the early 2000s. He went on to become associate head teacher at Twynham School in Christchurch.

He was jailed for six years following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

In a statement, Twynham School said the offences took place before Herrity was employed by the school and he had not worked there since the allegations came to light in May 2016.

"All aspects of Mr Herrity's employment at Twynham School met full compliance with statutory safeguarding and recruitment processes," it said.

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A RAPIST who attacked a woman in a house has been jailed.

Preston Crown Court heard Adrian Love, 54, raped the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, at a property in Rossendale in June 2017.

Love had always denied any wrongdoing but was unanimously found guilty by a jury following a two week trial.

Judge James Medland QC sentenced Love, of Hightown, Whitewell Bottom, to six and a half years in prison.

Love was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and pay a £170 surcharge to fund victim services.

Judge Medland imposed an indefinite restraining order banning Love from contacting his victim directly or indirectly.

A police spokesman said: "We take investigations into rape and sexual assault very seriously.

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A PAEDOPHILE who fantasised about kidnapping Madeleine McCann has walked free after being caught with child abuse images.

Barry Shaw, 38, argued he would lose his spot at university if he was put behind bars.

It comes after Shaw was jailed in 2012 after investigators searching his laptop uncovered the largest collection of indecent images from the most extreme category ever.

The court heard he had fantasised about kidnapping toddler Madeleine McCann and downloaded thousands of horrific child sex abuse images, showing disturbing acts including between adults and children as well as bestiality and sadomasochism.

He has now moved to Southampton and was caught by officers again who discovered he downloaded an image of a teenage girl dressed in stockings and underwear before moving it to the recycle bin of his laptop.

Shaw was convicted at Southampton Crown Court after admitting one count of making an indecent photograph of a child.

Shaw has previously been jailed after fantasising about kidnapping missing toddler Madeleine McCann.

Eve Shelley, defending, said Shaw had "deep-rooted issues" with the images and was estranged from his family.

She said: "He was failing in his studies, that led him to have an increase in his low mood and an increase in his stress.

"The way he dealt with that was to access pornography."

Rose Burns, prosecuting, said Shaw was arrested after a search at his property in July last year. At the time he was already serving a 24-month community order for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Gary Burrell QC gave Shaw a 24-month community order and ordered him to carry out 15 days of rehabilitation requirements.

He said Shaw was "addicted to porn and has been for a while".

He added: "The worrying thing is it seems you have a sexual interest in children. That is worrying for the community and those who are close to you.

"Here you are again, with a picture of a little girl dressed up in a bikini or underwear that is of course illegal.

"If you continue to behave like that or access those images you are going to destroy yourself."

The University of Southampton, which is part of the Russell Group, refused to comment after the case and also refused to confirm what Shaw studies.

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A FORMER parish council chairman who raped a teenage girl and sexually assaulted boys has been jailed.

Mark McCormick, who was the chair of Bursledon Parish Council, previously pleaded guilty to 14 indecent assaults between 1997 and 2011 charged against him at Southampton Crown Court, on the second day of his trial.

These include the rape of a 16-year-old and inciting boys under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity.

Today, the 49-year-old was jailed for 17 years by Judge Nicholas Rowland.

Judge Rowland said: "Many of your victims were vulnerable, they came from a destructive home and you knew that and took advantage of them.

"You controlled them and manipulated your victims.

"They were excited about being associated to someone who was living a glamorous lifestyle"

McCormick became a prominent figure within Bursledon, but it is understood he stepped down from his public role in 2017, after he was re-elected chairman of the parish council in May 2016.

The parish council last year posted a vacancy for a councillor after McCormick resigned from the post.

In 2016, he was at the forefront of a bitter fight between the parish council and the Bursledon and District Community Association (BDCA) after the parish council were effectively evicted from their offices by the BDCA, which managed the building.

McCormick was also a freelance DJ.

He was sentence for one count of rape, three of indecent activity with a child, three counts of multiple incidents of indecent assault on a child, five of indecent assault on a male person, one of sexual assault and one count of taking indecent photographs of a child.

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A VIOLENT thug has been jailed for eight years after raping and threatening to kill a woman.

Preston Crown Court heard how Vincent Grieve raped the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, at a house in Blackburn.

Prosecuting Charles Brown said that following the sexual assault she managed to escape from the house, wearing just a pair of socks.

The woman had earlier tried to leave the house but 30-year-old Grieve, who had been drinking rum, hit her from behind as she tried to get to the front door.

The victim was made to lie down on the floor before she was strangled. Grieve then bombarded her with verbal abuse, punched her in the face and stamped on her torso.

The court was told Grieve, of Heaning Avenue, Blackburn, also threatened to kill her with a knife, cut off her head with an electric saw and hit her over the head with a bottle of Captain Morgan.

The woman was then whipped twice with Grieve’s belt and told she would spend a life in his servitude.

Grieve then raped her saying: “I have never touched a girl with head injuries before.”

The semi-naked victim ran out of the house and jumped into a neighbour’s garden before heading onto the street.

She had sustained serious injuries to her face and was missing a clump of hair.

Reading her victim personal statement in court, she said: “I find myself wondering what is the point of it all, carrying this pain almost every second of every day.

“The fact I still have my life where others do not should make me feel better but I’m using it as an excuse not to go to pieces.

“I dream it every night and it’s so vivid. I relive every punch, kick and blow. Living with this every day is suffocating.”

Grieve pleaded guilty to rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Bob Sastry, defending, described the incident as a grave and serious matter.

He said: “The defendant acknowledges that and wishes to express his remorse and apologise to the victim.”

Judge Simon Medland QC described the actions of Grieve as coercive and degrading.

He said: “You inflicted substantial damage and numerous injuries through beatings and slaps.“You treated her with utter contempt as if nothing more than a punch bag or possession of yours.”

Grieve was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and an indefinite restraining order was made.

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The victim of an Ackworth paedophile who has been jailed for child sex offences says she is uncertain if she will ever recover from her horrific ordeal.

Mark William Allen, 31, was given a 12-year sentence at Leeds Crown Court for sustained abuse of the girl dating back to the early 2000s.

Allen, who was living in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, at the time of his arrest, was found guilty after a trial in which his victim, who is now 25-year-old, was forced to give evidence.

Granted lifelong anonymity, she told the Express: “My life has been so badly affected that I’m not sure I can ever move on from this but at least I can rest better at night knowing he isn’t able to harm any other children.
“I struggle day to day with severe anxiety disorder, depression and PTSD-like symptoms.

“I have been heavily medicated for some years due to the significant trauma I’ve sustained.”

She said Allen was a family friend whom she met when she was just six and he began acting in a ‘overly friendly’ manner which escalated over time, showering her with gifts and complements.

By the time she was 11, she said he was coercing her into sexual abuse which lasted for the next three years. However, he would swear her to silence, telling her he was in love with her and that he would be in trouble if anyone found out.

His victim added: “As a child I found it difficult to keep secrets from my family, knowing it was wrong but also wanting to protect the man that had by then become my ‘boyfriend’.

“It sounds crazy now as an adult but it was such a difficult situation for a young girl to comprehend that I didn’t really realise the ramifications of his actions until I was much older.”

It was only when she was told in 2013 that Allen was jailed for other sexual offences that she was able to build up the courage to tell the police of her own experiences.

Speaking after Allen’s conviction, Det Insp Vanessa Rolfe of the Wakefield District Child Safeguarding Team, said: “Allen committed some horrendous abuse against a very young and vulnerable victim and we are pleased this has been reflected in the substantial sentence he has received at court.

“He clearly poses a real danger to children and I hope his victim will take some comfort that he has been brought to justice and is answering for his crimes against her.”

 

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A rapist who is transitioning to female has been locked up for life after sexually assaulting inmates in a women's prison .

Karen White, who was born a man but identifies as a woman, raped two women and stabbed her neighbour before sexually assaulting two inmates in HMP New Hall in Flockton, near Wakefield .

The 'predatory' and 'manipulative' 52-year-old was branded a 'significant risk of serious harm to children, women and the general public' at Leeds Crown Court today.

White, who was previously called Stephen Wood and David Thompson, had cross dressed in the past but only began gender reassignment when she was remanded into custody.

While on remand in the B wing of the female prison and wearing a wig, makeup and women's clothing, she sexually assaulted two inmates between September and October last year.

Christopher Dunn, prosecuting, described the defendant as 'allegedly' transgender.

He said: "The prosecution say allegedly because there's smatterings of evidence in this case that the defendant's approach to transitioning has been less than committed.

"The prosecution suggest the reason for the lack of commitment towards transitioning is so the defendant can use a transgender persona to put herself in contact with vulnerable persons she can then abuse."

White, of Elphin Court in Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, was first arrested after attacking a 66-year-old neighbour with a steak knife last year.

White threatened: "I'm going to kill you"

The victim was accused of trying to kiss White and 'slobbering all over' her before being stabbed with a knife.

White threatened: "I'm going to kill you. If I don't do it now, you won't know when or where but I am going to kill you."

Two women then came forward with rape allegations. One was raped while pregnant and another was raped repeatedly, causing internal injuries and her to fear she could not have children in the future. Both women had tried to take their own lives as a result of the rapes.

While on remand, White approached an inmate in the queue for prisoners to get medication.

Mr Dunn said: "The complainant, while waiting, felt something hard press against the small of her back. She turned around to see the defendant stood there. She could see the defendant's penis erect and sticking out of the top of her pants, covered by her tights."

Another inmate told how she was in the prison workshop with White when the defendant was making 'inappropriate comments about blow jobs'. White then grabbed her hand and put it on the defendant's left breast with the words: "Oh look, they're not real ones."

White later told a probation officer she 'could abuse a child and think nothing of it' and said she needed 'to be put in hospital or she would abduct a child and kill it'.

'You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children, to women and to the general public'

White was found guilty of one count of wounding following a trial at Bradford Crown Court and later pleaded guilty to three counts of rape against two women and two counts of sexual assault against inmates.

She had previous convictions for indecent exposure, indecent assault and gross indecency committed against a 12-year-old and a nine-year-old boy.

Now in men's prison HMP Leeds in Armley with shoulder-length blonde hair, she was locked up for life with a minimum of eight years and 116 days, of which she will serve half before being eligible for release on licence.

Judge Christopher Batty said: "You are a predator and highly manipulative and in my view you are a danger.

"You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children, to women and to the general public."

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A paedophile ordered to sign the sex offender register after touching a girl's bottom in a shopping centre breached an order designed to protect children.

Colin Leach was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order after approaching a child in a library, but breached it by going up to a family in Bute Park.

He asked the family if they would like to go into the dinosaur exhibition that was in the partk.

Sentencing him at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Neil Bidder QC said: "You have got to keep away from children."

Leach was given a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years, in April 2011 for sexually assaulting a child.

Peter Donnison, prosecuting, said the nine-year-old victim was browsing at Animal in Queens Arcade in Cardiff city centre when Leach approached her from behind.

The court heard he asked her how old she was, then put one hand on her shoulder and the other on her bottom.

Prosecutors said he was ordered to sign the sex offender register, but breached his notification requirements just two months later.

Mr Donnison said he went on to approach a girl in a public library in February 2016.

The court heard he was using the computer next to her and asked: "What time do you usually come to the library?"

Prosecutors said the girl was playing a horror game and the defendant said: "If you get scared, I'll give you a cuddle."

A librarian putting books away overheard and reported the matter to the police.

The court heard Leach was not charged, but the Chief Constable applied for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order as a precautionary measure.

Prosecutors said the breach happened around 1pm on August 14 behind Cardiff Castle in Bute Park.

A woman was in the park with her sister and their children, having just finished their picnic lunch near the dinosaur exhibition.

Mr Donnison said: "The defendant approached them and asked if they would like to see the dinosaurs."

The court heard the woman allowed her children to go in, but became "uneasy" as she realised he may not be part of the exhibition team.

She spoke to security and they advised her to call the police, who attended and spoke to the defendant.

Leach, 35, from Aberporth Road in Cardiff, admitted breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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An assistant school principal who filmed himself raping a blindfolded girl has been jailed for 11 years. Chemistry teacher Jonathan Rowe, 49, abused the girl when she was aged eight to 10. The former Eggbuckland Community College teacher admitted a series of sexual offences including three rapes. Sentencing him at Exeter Crown Court on Friday, Judge David Evans said Rowe had lived a "double life" and described his actions as "depraved". The court heard Rowe raped the girl while she was asleep and transferred footage of his attacks on to his school laptop. He was caught after the girl told her mother Rowe had blindfolded her while asking her to pose for pictures. Investigations revealed the mother of a six-year-old girl had previously warned Rowe about his behaviour after finding him playing with her half-naked daughter in a beach rock pool. Officers also found a video of a 13-year-old girl on a trampoline in which he had focused on her breasts. 'Appalling actions' Rowe, of Higher Dean, Buckfastleigh, also admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child, five of taking indecent images of his victims, and three of making indecent images by downloading them from the internet. Judge Evans said: "You clearly have a sexual interest in children. Sadly, you translated that sexual interest into the actual abuse of this girl." Rowe was given a one-year extended licence, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life and banned from going within 50m of any school or taking photographs or videos of children. Will Willden, defending, said Rowe regretted what he had done and appreciated the damage caused to others. A spokeswoman for the NSPCC said Rowe had "preyed knowingly on a vulnerable young girl to fulfil his depraved sexual fantasies". She added: "His appalling actions have betrayed the trust placed in him and it's vital his victim receives the right support to recover from what has happened."

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A DANGEROUS sex offender is back behind bars after she abused a youngster for the third time. Jacinta Brooks sent dozens of sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old girl, telling her to send indecent, nude images of herself for the 41-year-olds sexual gratification. Brooks, who was formerly called Duncan Smart but now lives as a woman, was described by the victims mother as a pathetic excuse who left her daughter haunted by her disturbing behaviour. It was the third time Brooks had attacked a child under the age of 16, after having unlawful sex with a girl and indecently assaulting another. Jailing Brooks for a minimum of 11-years, Judge Nicholas Rowland said Brooks was a danger to children. Southampton Crown Court heard Brooks was bought to justice after officers investigating a different sexual allegation seized devices from her home. Berenice Mulvanny, prosecuting, told the court Brooks had deleted messages, but captured screenshots of parts of the conversation. This led to Hampshire Constabulary unearthing further communications, as well as sexually explicit images of the victim. Miss Mulvanny said: Brooks knew the girl was underage but sent her sexual messages. The defendant originally pretended to be a 14-year-old boy but soon admitted [her] real age. When Brooks was interviewed by officers she gave answered no comment except saying she couldnt argue about being attracted to children. Further searches on her devices also found her to be in possession of hundreds of indecent images of children, ranging between the most and least serious categories. In a victim impact statement, the victims mother who cannot be identified for legal reasons said: The fact that I cannot protect my daughter from this pathetic excuse of a [person] will haunt me forever. She added that her daughter had been forced to leave her school and had suffered terrible trauma as a result of the incident. Brooks was released in 2016 after serving more than 10 years in prison and in an institution after she attacked a child in 2003. Mitigating, Robert Harding said that because technology had changed so much in the past 15-years, Brooks had struggled to understand social media and online networking. As part of her sentence, a sexual harm prevention order was made, with the requirement that should Brooks ever make an online social media account or email address all details and passwords must be handed to the police before they are created. PC Leon Simon, said: Brooks is a dangerous individual and we are pleased this case has now come to a conclusion. Brooks, of HMP Winchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of possessing indecent images. She was jailed for six years, extended by five years.

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A "DISTURBED" former dance teacher and independent-school trainee is behind bars after being convicted of a series of "predatory" child sexual offences against two young girls in Bordon and Frensham, the youngest aged just 11. Thomas Cox, 25, from Bordon, was jailed for seven years at Guildford Crown Court on September 17 after a jury found him guilty of preying on two girls aged between 11 and 16 between 2009 and 2015. Cox denied his guilt throughout the police investigation into his crimes, forcing his victims to give evidence in court and be questioned about what had happened to them in front of a jury. The offences occurred while Cox was working for a dance company run by his mother at an independent school near Farnham, neither of which can be named for legal reasons. Cox was initially charged with 15 sexual offences against three girls. Three of these charges were later dropped, however, and he was found guilty of 12 counts. These include nine counts of sexual activity with a child and three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. One of the victims was a student at his mother's dance school while the other was a pupil at the independent school where Cox was employed as a graduate teacher trainee. The father of one of Cox's victims, who also can't be named for legal reasons, told the Herald that Cox "abused his position" to take advantage of his child, accusing the school in question of being "very weak at safeguarding children". Speaking to the Herald, Cox's mother said the case had "killed" her and her family's lives, adding that she was forced to close down her successful dance school after more than 25 years in business. She told the Herald she has lost friends as a result of her son's crimes, some of whom she has known since she was five years old; has sold her house and intends to move away from the area, fearing the backlash against her family both in person and online. Investigating officer Detective Constable David Jones said: "Thomas Cox is clearly a disturbed individual who used affection to gain the girls' trust and then turned to emotional blackmail to try and ensure they didn't tell anyone what was going on. He also displayed predatory behaviour by becoming upset and withdrawn when he did not get what he wanted. "As soon as the victims in this case came forward, we took swift action to ensure that Cox didn't present any further ongoing risks, including seizing his phone. Our priority was to safeguard the victims and to identify anyone else who may have been targeted." Det Con Jones continued: "Mr Cox denied his guilt throughout the investigation which meant that the victims were made to stand in court and be questioned about what had happened to them in front of a jury and members of the public. "Young girls in the community are now safer as a direct result of the strength and determination they showed in bringing Cox to justice." In addition to his seven-year sentence, Cox was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for an indefinite period and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120. Det Con Jones saidd: "I want to pay tribute to all the young women whose bravery in coming forward and giving evidence has ensured that Cox is now in prison where he belongs. "We want to put more offenders like him behind bars - but we need people to come forward. We will always listen and take your allegations seriously.

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A man has been convicted of indecently assaulting children as young as five years old.

Martin Coulson, 70, was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault at Portsmouth Crown Court last week (September 26) for a series of offences which spanned three decades.

Coulson, of Highbury Road, Weston-super-Mare, was found not guilty of one other count.

The offences took place at Gosport, Hampshire, on a number of occasions during the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

The ages of the victims ranged from five to 13 years old.

Coulson had denied all the charges.

He will now serve three years in prison and an extended licence period of one year.

Coulson strong links to the Bath area, previously acting as chairman of the Combe Down Heritage Society and taking part in several public campaigns.

He has since vacated the chairmanship, a spokesman for the society confirmed.

The spokesman said: "We're looking for another chairman.

"Martin resigned on October 2, with no reason given.

"He was an extremely active and creative chairman.

"We'll struggle to replace him with someone with the same sort of drive."

Coulson participated in numerous activities as chairman including local lectures, historical projects and consultation schemes.

Coulson was also an OBE, having received the recognition in 1995 while serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army.

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A 23-year-old man who had a ‘step-by-step guide’ for paedophiles has been jailed for seven years.

Adam Rack, formerly of Heathfield Way, Mansfield, had a guide which gave information on how to engage in sexual relationships with children.

He pleaded guilty to 12 child sex offences when he first appeared at Nottingham Crown Court in May this year.

Rack was arrested after officers intercepted an attempted upload of indecent images and tracked the IP address to his house.

Rack’s laptops and phones were seized and an investigation was launched. Hundreds of indecent images and videos were recovered throughout the investigation and a 12-year-old boy was identified as a victim. Rack had abused him over two years when he was between the ages of eight and ten.

Detectives also recovered a 170-page ‘paedophile manual’ that described itself as a ‘step-by-step guide’ on how to engage in sexual relationships with children.

Rack will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life as well as being the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He was also given a life-long restraining order meaning he will never be allowed to contact the victim or the victim’s family. Police have praised Rack's victim for his bravery.

The 12-year-old victim has showed immense bravery in disclosing this to us, meaning that we were able to offer an overwhelming amount of evidence, leading to a guilty plea with no trial necessary. He is a credit to himself and his family and I hope the sentencing today can act as a positive step in his recovery.

- Detective Constable Andrew Taylor