Latest Offenders

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A pervert sexually touched two underage girls and chatted to several more on social media - despite being warned by his own mother.

Tom Fletcher, aged 21, has been jailed for seven years for having full sex with a 14-year-old and groping a 15-year-old.

He contacted and groomed the girls over Snapchat and Instagram, persuading them to swap explicit pictures with him.

The younger girl ran away from home in her pyjamas to spend the night with him, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

The two girls he met have since been struggling to sleep and one has sought counselling.

Fletcher also contacted a string of girls over social media, paying compliments and asking for pictures. The youngest was just 11.

He carried on contacting underage girls even after he was warned off by his mother and a friend, the court heard.

Judge Anna Richardson told Fletcher that he contacted his first victim, the 15-year-old, on average three times a day.

She said of the second complainant: "You threatened self-harm, which was an attempt to emotionally manipulate her.

"Both girls have suffered the same sort of consequences of your behaviour. They speak of fear and anxiety."

The judge ruled that Fletcher posed a "significant risk of serious harm to the public".

Fletcher, of Bayswater Road, Stonehouse, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a child, one of sexual communication with a child and one of inciting a child to watch a sexual act.

Peter Coombe, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Fletcher befriended the first girl in October last year through a group chat on Instagram.

He said the defendant paid her compliments, even though she told him she was 15.

Mr Coombe added that they also talked and messaged on their mobile phones.

The barrister said that she sent him explicit photographs at his request.

Mr Coombe added that she agreed to meet him and on the second occasion he touched her chest over her clothing in the street.

The court heard that the girl became upset when she realised that Fletcher was messaging even younger girls, aged 11 and 12, over Facebook. She told her mother and the police were called.

The barrister said that Fletcher's own mother and a friend separately saw the messages and warned him off sending more.

But Mr Coombe said that the defendant befriended a 14-year-old girl in January this year over Snapchat.

He added that Fletcher again asked her for explicit pictures and sent her three videos of himself performing an indecent act.

Mr Coombe said he persuaded her to run away from home wearing her pyjamas in February. He added she spent the night at his house and they had full sex.

The court heard that the girl switched off her mobile phone and her parents reported her missing.

He said that both the girls, whose anonymity is protected by law, had since had trouble sleeping.

Reading from statements, he said that one had sought counselling.

He said of the girl who spent the night with him: "She describes feeling fear and anxiety since it happened and has been worried that she would bump into him.

"She has had nightmares about what happened. The lack of sleep has affected her moods. She has felt a lot more uncomfortable if anyone touches her, with physical contact such as a cuddle."

Fletcher was branded a "dangerous prat" by a judge at the same court in October 2019.

Then aged 18, he admitted driving a moped dangerously past McDonald's and around the pedestrianised area of the city centre.

Fletcher was later handed a suspended prison sentence by driving despite the ban he was handed that day.

Ali Rafati, for Fletcher, said his client had been seen by both a psychologist and a psychiatrist.

He said that his mitigation was not to minimise the seriousness of the offences but to try and provide balance about the defendant.

Mr Rafati added: "He is someone who operates at a lower level and perhaps has a limited intellect. He is certainly immature.

"He is more aligned to the younger people he was contacting rather than those of his own age."

The barrister said that he had struggled to form relationships with women in his own age group.

Mr Rafati said: "Due for his want for a connection and a relationship, he found it easier to speak to younger girls."

He added that he had done will in prison since being remanded into custody in February.

Mr Rafati said: "He has been the subject of bullying and harassment while in prison. It is his intention to work with all agencies to try and prevent this sort of behaviour in the future."

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A MAN has been sentenced to two years in prison after he sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl while she was playing in a Southampton park.

Giovanni Sagaria, from Southampton, assaulted the girl in August while she was playing in the play park at Houndwell Park, Southampton.

The child was completely unknown to the 33-year-old and the brave victim was able to tell her family what had happened straight away.

He pleaded guilty to sexual assault in September 2021 and was sentenced to two years imprisonment on Friday.

Samantha Wright, CPS Wessex Senior Crown Prosecutor, said: "The child in this case was completely unknown to Sagaria. She told her family what had happened straightaway which meant that police were able to identify the perpetrator very quickly.

"The strength of the evidence meant that he had no choice but to plead guilty.

"The CPS, working in collaboration with Hampshire Constabulary, was able to deliver swift justice to ensure Sagaria received the appropriate punishment for his crime.

"We would like to thank the brave victim and her family for reporting this case to the police and for supporting the prosecution case."

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A barrister who was prepared to travel across the country to sexually abuse what he believed to be teenage girls he met online has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail.

Guy Sims, aged 53, had been founded guilty of three counts of arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence by unanimous jury following a trial at Oxford Crown Court.

During September 2017, Sims talked online to two people who he believed were 13-year-old schoolgirls using social media platforms Mylol and Kik.

During this investigation, the victims were not real.

Posing as an 18-year-old and calling himself 'markbatx' and 'markviva', he made arrangements to meet one of the girls and travelled to Portsmouth with the intention of engaging in sexual activity her.

When he arrived, he was arrested by officers who found he had cider and a condom on his person, along with camouflage leaf netting in his car.

He had also made arrangements to meet another of the girls either on his way home or on the way to Portsmouth on the same day for sexual activity.

While under investigation, he engaged in conversation of a sexual nature with the third person he believed to be a 13-year-old school girl in 2019.

Now calling himself 'Yo Sarami' and 'Danny.dan,' he made arrangements to meet her in Oxford for sexual activity to take place.

Sims, from Bedford, was charged in connection with the offences in 2019.

The court heard Sims will be barred from working as a barrister.

The sentencing follows an investigation by specialist officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) spanning four years.

Detective Chief Inspector Philip Attwood, of SEROCU, said: "This is the conclusion of a case in which Sims engaged in conversation of a sexual nature and arranged to meet up with those who he believed to be three teenage girls with the intention of carrying out child sexual abuse.

"Sims, worked as a civil barrister, and should have recognised the consequences of this offending.

"He demonstrated that he was prepared to go to great lengths and travel across the country to Portsmouth, to Guildford and to Oxford, to engage in depraved sexual activity with children. He repeatedly engaged with the profiles of those he believed to be teenage girls online, and the threat he posed would have continued had it not been for the continued and dedicated efforts of those working for SEROCU.

"Law enforcement operates across the internet and we are committed to ensuring those who use this means of communicating with those they believe to be children to arrange sexual abuse are brought before the courts to face justice."

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A paedophile from Welwyn has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to historic child sex offences.

David Suter, 74, of Glebe Road, appeared before St Albans Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child.

The court heard the abuse took place in the Welwyn area between 2004 and 2008, with Suter offering money to the victim in exchange for her carrying out sexual acts.

“The victim – who is now aged in her 30s – was vulnerable due to her difficult upbringing, and the abuse she suffered at Suter’s hands caused her mental wellbeing to suffer,” said Det Con Liz McGrath, from Hertfordshire Historic Child Abuse Investigation Unit.

“It wasn’t until 2019 that she felt able to disclose to police the details of what had happened to her. Suter was subsequently arrested and in January 2021, he was charged.

“The victim has shown incredible bravery and determination throughout the investigation and judicial process, which has been distressing for her. I hope she can find some peace and begin to move forward with her life now she has seen Suter have to answer to what he did.”

Suter must now abide by the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 20 years, and he will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

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A Perth railway worker who danced topless for a paedophile hunter posing as a schoolgirl has been banned from playparks.

A sheriff told disgraced James Kettles he cannot even download a phone app or buy a Smart TV, without first getting permission from a supervising officer.

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A disgraced East Yorkshire businessman with 'underlying perverted thoughts' who groped a young girl after giving her whisky her has been jailed.

Adam Plant, director of East Riding Horse Boxes Ltd and producer of upmarket motor homes, sent highly sexualised messages to the girl and groped her after giving her a glass of whisky.

He then later tried to cover his tracks, deleted screenshots of incriminating messages on her phone and tried to convince the girl's mother to drop the complaint.

Plant, 42, of Skirlaugh Road, Old Ellerby, denied the three charges of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16, engaging in sexual communication with a child and perverting the course of justice.

He was convicted by a jury of eight men and four women at Hull Crown Court after a trial in August this year.

During Plant's sentencing at Hull Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Richard Thompson read sections from the victim impact statement in which the girl said: “I probably won’t see boys and men in the same way I used to.

“When I am old enough and when I’m doing older stuff I think it just won’t be the same because of what he did.

“I still get scared whenever I go somewhere that I think I might see him.”

The young victim and her family were said to have faced significant difficulties and strains as a result of Plant’s predatory acts and she said: “Sometimes I just think it is all my fault.”

The court also heard a statement from the victim’s mother who, wracked by feelings of guilt, had attempted to commit suicide shortly after being informed of her daughter’s ordeal.

The statement said: “I took an overdose of pills, I was found on the Humber Bridge, I don’t know what I might have done.

“I couldn’t cope, I was heartbroken, I didn’t know how I was ever going to overcome this.

“I now live with the guilt every day that I nearly took my own life too. I had six months off work, I couldn’t even look after myself never mind other people.

“The hurt and anger is something that we are all still coming to terms with.”

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A sexual deviant who propositioned a 13-year-old boy online was caught out as the child was actually an under-cover officer.

Mathew Cowley already had a conviction for sexually abusing a school boy and was banned from communicating with under 16-year-olds but it did not deter him.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that while a five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was hanging over him Cowley got in touch via a chat room with someone he thought was a 13-year-old boy on August 5 this year.

He said he was 29 years old and then in conversation said he was 34 and asked if the boy thought he was too old for him and told him what he liked to do sexually.

Cowley told him, I dont mind first timers as long as its a secret, said Chris Hopkins, prosecuting.

The officer again told him that he was 13 and went to school and Cowley replied, So you are a virgin, thats better.

The next day Cowley again initiated an online conversation with him and told him he lived in Kensington and gave him his mobile number and the chat moved to WhatsApp.

He described the boy as fit as f**k and said he fancied him.

The officer asked if he could trust him with his secrets and he replied, No-one will ever know what we do and it is totally secret.

He was arrested three days later and made admissions in interview.

The court heard that the 37-year-old defendant was jailed for three years in September 2016 for penetrative sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy he met via Skype.

After grooming him they met at a train station and then went to a cemetery where sexual activity took place.

The Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was made but the court was told that it had now expired and the charge he had now admitted did not allow for a new one to be made by the judge.

Mr Hopkins said that the police would have to apply to the magistrates court for a new order to be made.

Jailing Cowley, of Shiel Road, Kensington, for two and a half years Judge David Aubrey, QC, said, In my judgement you are a sexual deviant and in my judgement you are a paedophile and attracted to under-age boys. And regretfully you have not learnt your lesson since the sentence of three years imprisonment imposed in September 2016.

He said that he did not lose sight of issues in his life, adding, It may well be that you are a sad and lonely man.

The judge ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and said, The police I have no doubt will be instigating an application for a Sexual Harm PreventionOrder in the lower court designed to protect others from you.

In my judgement they need such protection and hopefully it will seek to deter you albeit regretfully the order now expired did not achieve such ideals by deterring you.

Anthony ODonohoe, defending, said that Cowley had pleaded guilty to the offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and breaching a SHPO.

He suffers from anxiety and depression and I get the impression he is an isolated individual. He was living in rented accommodation with a rat infestation problem in Shiel Road and has no communication with is family or friends.

He feels he would be benefit from having a settled adult relationship which would perhaps put him more on the straight and narrow.

Mr ODonohoe said that a pre-sentence report says that Cowley presents a high risk of sexual offending but the defendant hopes to engage with any help and courses available to him in prison.

He is not an unintelligent man and understands if there is further offending of this nature or breaches of orders that he will bring upon his own shoulders ever lengthening custodial sentences.

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A former police officer from Kent has been sentenced after he admitted viewing child abuse material online.

Thomas Blant, 38, was arrested in January 2020 after NCA investigators identified that a website hosting child sexual abuse material had been accessed via TOR (The Onion Router) from his house in Wye, Ashford.

Following a search of his address officers seized a number of digital devices, including his phone and laptop, which were forensically analysed.

TOR, the tool which offers anonymous online browsing and access to the dark web, had been downloaded on the laptop, as well as a computer cleaning app, which can be used to remove traces of illegal activity.

17 indecent images of children (IIOC), made up of categories A and C, were recovered from Blant's laptop, despite his attempts to delete them.

A further four indecent images of children were also recovered from one of Blant's old mobile phones.

He was released on bail and further arrested in February 2020 following analysis of his devices.

Blant was working as a constable for Kent Police at the time of his offending. He was suspended from duty upon his initial arrest and has since been dismissed from the force.

On 22 July 2021 he pleaded guilty to two counts of making IIOC at Folkestone Magistrates Court.

Today [06/10/2021] at Maidstone Crown Court he was handed a 12 month jail term suspended for two years, a five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Martin Ludlow from the National Crime Agency said: "Blant's offending is an outrageous misuse of trust.

"His role as a police officer was to protect the public. Instead, he sought out images of child abuse for his own sexual gratification. Offenders who view such material online only encourage those willing to sexually abuse children in the real world.

"Combatting this threat remains one of the highest priorities for the NCA. We are committed to targeting the most dangerous offenders and those who, like Blant, go to great lengths to hide their activity, believing they can operate with impunity online.

"As this investigation shows, there is nowhere to hide. We will use all of the tools at our disposal to identify those who pose a sexual threat to children and ensure they are brought to justice."

Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Armory, Kent Police's Head of Professional Standards, said: "It is abhorrent that Blant has committed these offences, particularly while working as a police officer.

"His actions helped fuel the demand for children to be exploited which is a complete betrayal of his duty to protect the vulnerable.

"Blant was suspended from our force as soon as the allegations were first received and we fully supported our colleagues in the National Crime Agency with their criminal investigation. As soon as he admitted the offences in court, we progressed with special case proceedings which led to his dismissal on 17 August.

"The vast majority of our officers and staff do an outstanding job serving the public in line with the highest standards of professionalism and conduct, and we expect no less from them. Those who fall short will face scrutiny."

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An abuser who groomed and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old schoolgirl is now behind bars.

Kevin Johnson was seen molesting the teenager on a bench in a Leicester park by a concerned member of the public - who filmed the incident as evidence, confronted him and detained him until the police arrived.

The 47-year-old was said to have groomed the girl, by paying her compliments and giving her money and sweets, before instigating sexual activity.

Johnson, of Kate Street, Black Friars, Leicester was then arrested and the girl revealed that as well as the incident in the park she had also had sex with the defendant.

The teenager, who has since moved elsewhere, said in a victim impact statement she suffered nightmares as a result of Johnson's abuse and now has difficulty trusting people.

She stated: "I now have to remind myself what he did was wrong - how will I know how to love and what is right for me?

"I'm strong and capable and so much more than my past."

Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child last year and one of failing to attend court for sentencing on September 24 this year - which led to him being arrested on a warrant and being remanded into custody.

Philip Gibbs, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court: "This involved grooming and there was a large disparity in age."

He said of the witness who saw the defendant intimately touching the girl in a park: "He was so concerned he began to record what he could see.

"He then confronted the defendant and asked how old he was and how old the girl was."

The victim wrongly claimed she was 17 and became upset when the police arrived, claiming to love the defendant.

Paul Prior, mitigating, said the defendant had no record of similar offending and pleaded guilty, which spared the victim from giving evidence.

He said that by avoiding a trial it had allowed the girl to "move on" with her life without having to re-live her ordeal in the witness box.

Johnson was jailed for three years and five months. He was also put on a sex offender register for life, given a sexual harm prevention order and was made the subject of an indefinite restraining order, banning any future contact with the victim.

After the case Detective Sergeant Rob Buckley, who oversaw the investigation, said: "Johnson quite clearly exploited this young girl's age and vulnerabilities to encourage her to engage in sexual activity with him.

"I would like to the thank the member of the public for their keen eye and public spirit which led to officers quickly attending, arresting the suspect and safeguarding the child. Without their support, this predatory offender could have still been exploiting this victim and possibly other young girls.

"Their actions that day ultimately led to Johnson facing justice for his crimes and a considerable amount of time behind bars."

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A twisted paedophile lured one of his victims to a fake party at a high-rise flat and then raped her.

Peter Robinson targeted another girl after tricking her into his car and driving her to a secluded spot where he only broke off his attacks so he could have a cigarette.

He helped to cover up his horrific crimes by telling his vulnerable schoolgirl victims that, should they speak out, he would get social services to make their lives a misery.

Robinson appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced for one count of indecent assault, eight counts of rape and three counts of the rape of a child under the age of 13.

The 56-year-old, a dad himself, had been convicted of the offences following a trial that concluded earlier this week.

Today, prosecutor Charlotte Kenny outlined how Robinson exploited vulnerable young girls during a sustained period of offending.

As well as raping his victims he also played on their fears and insecurity, securing their silence with threats, humiliating them and preying on their anxiety with degrading comments.

He told one of the girls that "nobody liked her" in what Ms Kenny suggested was a bid to socially isolate her.

The barrister read out powerful impact statements on behalf of each of his victims, now adults, who described suffering flashbacks and nightmares as a result of his crimes.

On behalf of one of the women, Ms Kenny said: "Sometimes the flashbacks are so horrendous she is physically sick... Peter Robinson will never realise just how much what he did has impacted on my whole life. I feel lost and scared due to what he put me through."

Another explained: "In the end, Peter Robinson left me feeling like a piece of meat. I felt powerless and angry."

His other victim detailed in her statement: "The horrible memories will never leave me."

Anthony O'Donohoe, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and that his family is "devastated" by the convictions.

He added: "He is aware that the inevitable custodial sentence will be a long one."

Judge Denis Watson, QC, described how Robinson deceived his victims on multiple occasions and, of his claims he would involve social services in their lives should they speak out, he said: "This was a calculated, cruel and very effective threat."

Judge Watson added that the offences "leave me in no doubt there is severe psychological harm here... they all experienced long term psychological harm as a result of the offending".

Robinson, of Dunnerdale Road in Norris Green, was sentenced to a total of 23 years in jail. He will have to serve half of that sentence before he can apply for release.

His convictions for the rape of a child under the age of 13 mean that, legally, he is considered an offender of special concern.

As a result, when he is released from jail he will serve an extended period on licence made up of whatever remains of the 23 year sentence plus an extra 12 months.

Robinson was all made the subject of indefinite restraining orders against each of his victims and of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

After delivering his sentence Judge Watson thanked those in the public gallery for the dignity they had displayed during the hearing.

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Police have praised the brave victims who brought a sexual predator to justice.

Kieran Kindley has been convicted of preying on four girls aged between 13 and 17, after carrying out the attacks in the Ashington area last year.

The 20-year-old denied all the allegations put to him but on Friday (September 24) was found guilty of two counts of rape and six counts of sexual assault following a 10-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Speaking after the trial, Detective Constables Dan Anderson and Emma Hooker, who led the investigation, praised the bravery of the victims.

Det Cons Anderson said : "Kieran Kindley is a sexual predator and paedophile, who preyed on teenagers for his own sexual gratification.

"These brave victims came forward to police and I hope they feel a sense of justice.

"I would urge anyone who has been subjected to such attacks to always report it. We are here to help."

Kindley of Lynn Street, Blyth, has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court in December.

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A Northampton man who was found guilty of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl has been jailed for 17-and-a-half years.

Andrew Brian Nicholls, 46, was last month found guilty of 14 charges at Northampton Crown Court relating to the abuse he carried out between 2014 and 2017, which began when his victim was just 11.

The court heard Nicholls began abusing the girl when she walked in on him watching pornography.

This escalated into repeated rapes until she informed Northamptonshire Police of the abuse in 2017.

Nicholls, formerly of Camp Hill, Bugbrooke, was subsequently charged with offences including multiple rapes, sexual activity with a child, and taking indecent photos of a child.

On October 4, a jury at Northampton Crown Court returned guilty verdicts on all 14 charges against him.

Today, Tuesday, November 2, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo handed Nicholls 13 concurrent sentences ranging from three to 14-and-a-half years, plus one consecutive sentence of three years, making a total of 17-and-a-half years in prison.

Telling the defendant to look at him as he passed sentence, Judge Mayo said Nicholls had robbed his victim of a happy and innocent childhood and forced her to live in fear of him revealing videos he had made of his repeated attacks.

The judge added that even when his victim became withdrawn as a result of her ongoing ordeal, Nicholls knew he was the cause 'yet you continued to use her to satisfy your own paedophilic urges' and had also encouraged others to turn on her when she finally reported what had happened to police.

He concluded: “This was sustained abuse of a particularly vulnerable victim.”

Upon release from prison, Nicholls will spend the remainder of his sentence on licence.

He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, indefinitely barring him from living or staying with any female child under the age of 16 without the approval of social services and the child’s parent or guardian having knowledge of his convictions.

He will also be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A man has been jailed for 15 years for raping a 71-year-old woman more than 40 years ago. Kenneth Wells, 63, of Verona Road, Salisbury, broke into Violet Brown's house, raped her and locked her inside in November 1980. The case was solved after officers re-tested evidence using DNA technology. The judge told Wells, who was arrested and released at the time of the offence, he had subjected Ms Brown to "the most terrifying circumstances". Wells previously also admitted burglary and false imprisonment at Salisbury Crown Court on 1 September. Ms Brown lived alone in Collingbourne Ducis, in Wiltshire, and because Wells locked her in, had to wait until morning before she was able to alert her neighbours and the police. Wells was arrested shortly afterwards and remained the prime suspect, but there was never enough evidence to charge him until June this year. 'Utterly traumatised' Wells broke into the house with at least one other man while Ms Brown was sleeping. The men, wearing stocking masks, shone torches in her face and yelled abuse at her during the attack. Sentencing Wells at Winchester Crown Court, Judge Angela Morris told him: "It doesn't bear imagination how terrified she [Ms Brown] must have been. "This is a case of some of the most abject humiliation, threats and violation towards a vulnerable and helpless elderly lady who was left utterly traumatised and physically injured by this appalling experience at your hands. "Not only did you rob her of her possessions, you also robbed of her everything she held dear, including her independence." Wiltshire Police reopened the cold case last year and using the latest in DNA technology, were able to confirm a direct match between the hair and fibre samples recovered from the original scene and Wells. Accomplice still sought Det Ch Insp Darren Hannant said: "There is no doubt that this horrendous attack had a lasting impact on Ms Brown, who had to live with the memory of this traumatic incident for the rest of her life. "Wells committed a truly despicable crime and probably thought he had got away with it. "But no unsolved serious case is ever completely closed. I am proud that we have finally been able to convict Wells and see him pay the price for what he did." Detectives said the sentencing should come as a warning to Wells' accomplice who watched him rape Ms Brown, as they hope that DNA will eventually reveal his identity too. Rape victims have the right to anonymity for life, but because Ms Brown died in 1996, she has been named and her family have released a photograph of her. Wells was sentenced to 15 years in prison and an additional six years on licence for the rape. He was also sentenced to three years for burglary and three years for false imprisonment, to run concurrently.

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A top judge refused to give details of a serial sex offender's vile abuse of two young girls as it was 'clear' he would get 'sexual excitement' recounting his shocking crimes. A court heard how Lester Bell, 70 from Reading, would likely serve the rest of his life in jail after he was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years behind bars for the non-recent sexual abuse of the two survivors. One of the girls was just six years old when Bell's abuse started and his depraved actions included rape and sexual assault. He filmed his abuse of the two girls and a jury was shown these images during a summer trial, at the end of which he was found guilty of 17 offences. In his sentencing at Reading Crown Court, the prosecution revealed few details about the extent of Bell's abuse and His Honour Judge Paul Dugdale followed suit after defence counsel Nadia Shabat conceded her client would likely "serve the rest of his life in a custodial sentence." The judge said: "You are a man who has not been in trouble before. I take into account your age and you are not in good health. "I watched you carefully during the trial. I watched you give evidence. "At the start of the trial I took the view that I could deal with you because you would not be an ongoing risk but as I watched you during the trial my opinion changed completely. "You spent the trial going into great detail about specific aspects of your offending you simply did not need to give in order to put across your case. "You did not plead guilty and you made a jury see things no jury should have to see. "I thought about why you were going into all this detail and why you intended for these videos to be shown. "The reason is this: It is clear even now in the court room when you were being tried for these offences, you were getting sexual excitement from this evidence. "That is why I am not going into detail about these offences because I am not going to give you the pleasure of going into this again. "You are unable to accept the seriousness of these actions. To accept the devastation you have caused these two young girls. And even now you get sexual excitement from the memory of what you did. "You took away their childhoods. You left them irreparably scarred going into the rest of their lives. You gave them memories of things that will haunt them on a daily basis. "You did that for a pathetic moment of sexual excitement for yourself. "It is clear to me that whatever goes on in your mind that made you behave in that way is still very active." Labelling him as an "ongoing risk", Judge Dugdale handed Bell a 30-year prison sentence, of which he will serve a minimum of 16 years before he is eligible for release. The sentence was based on a conviction for five counts of assault of a child aged under 13 by penetration, two counts of rape of a child under 13, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of attempted rape, two counts of causing or inciting a child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making category A indecent images of children, one count of making category B indecent images of children, and one count of making category C indecent images of children. He will remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life and an order was made for his devices and the images he created to be destroyed. Bell appeared for his sentencing at Reading Crown Court on Friday, October 1 via video link from HMP Bullingdon. After he was sent down, Judge Dugdale addressed the girls who survived Bell's abuse in the public gallery. He told them: "It is a big thing to come and give evidence [at a trial]. What you did was extremely brave. "There is no reason he should stop you from living your life. That is the only way forward. You put it behind you."

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Convicted rapist William Rathbone has been jailed for six years and five months after he sexually assaulted a woman.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 22-year-old committed the offence eight months after being released from a prison sentence for rape.

The victim reported the incident to the police the following day. She was disgusted by Rathbone's actions and felt the assault turned her life upside down.

It happened in 2019, eight months after Rathbone was released from a 40-month sentence he received in 2017 for rape of a girl under 16 and assault by penetration.

Prosecutor Tim Harrington said: "This offence is seriously aggravated by his previous convictions and the fact he was on licence for sexual activity at the time and had not long been released from custody."

Rathbone, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration.

Saleema Mahmood, mitigating, said Rathbone's mental health has now stabilised and he has completed a sex offender programme in custody.

She said the offence was very different from his previous conviction.

Miss Mahmood said: "He now does not rely solely on his explanation that he was very heavily intoxicated and acknowledges what he did was very, very wrong."

She said the defendant has been in custody since his arrest.

Miss Mahmood added: "Without the use of a significant amount of alcohol Mr Rathbone would not even have conceived behaving in that way.

"He is keen to do anything he can to start a new life and make himself a better person."

Judge David Fletcher said: "You have indicated some remorse. Your age is of relevance, you were at the time of the offence 19. I do not find you pass the test for dangerousness and will not be making an extended sentence. Prison will detain you for a significant period of time before you are eligible for release."

Rathbone will be released on licence after serving half the term. He is on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.