Latest Offenders

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Now of Lerwick Shetland, ZE1 A sex offender found with tens of thousands of indecent images of children is beginning a prison sentence of over four years. Stephen Bell, 58, of Sandside Road, Mossbank, previously admitted having pornographic photos of youngsters. He intended the images to be distributed or shown to others. Bell also confessed to taking, or permitting to be taken, indecent images of children. The offences happened between February 2011 and February last year. Lerwick Sheriff Court heard that Bell had been completely dedicated to pornography, and that he was incapable of recognising that every one of the children in the images in his possession was a victim. Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie told the court: I dont think I can sit down without commenting on the fairly worrying response made by him in the social enquiry report. Its been well understood now that every single image such has been viewed here of a child contains an image of a victim. He seems incapable of appreciating that very basic truth, and that has to be a significant concern. The fiscal described how he had felt compelled for the first time in Lerwick to seek a time bar extension to allow evidence to be examined after the offence had come to light. He said police had executed a search warrant at Bells address. But it became clear the set-up was extremely complex, and almost unique in its complexity. He said the task of carrying out a forensic examination was extremely challenging. Mr MacKenzie described how the search focused on six hard drives identified as containing most of the suspect material. A further 29 hard drives were also discovered. The fiscal said tens of thousands of indecent images of children were found more than 5,000 of which were classed as being the most serious, or category A, type. Over 7,400 images belonged in category B, while more than 100,000 were category C. He added children of all ages had been victimised by the crime. The images were predominantly of children aged between 10 and 16. A search at Bells home uncovered a place in complete disarray, with only two main areas seeming to be habitable. Mr MacKenzie described towers of hard drives, pornographic magazines and DVDs. This seems to be a man who is completely dedicated to pornography, and to child pornography in particular, Mr MacKenzie added. He works full time but it appears that when work was finished for the day his life, almost to the exclusion of everything else, was dedicated to these horrific images. Defence agent Tommy Allan agreed the nature of the images were abhorrent. He highlighted the social enquiry report which showed Bell as a something of a loner. He worked, but the rest of his life was taken over by this obsession with this kind of pornography, Mr Allan said. It would be fair to say he allowed that obsession to get out of control. The agent said there was a difference between the view Bell had about his offending and that which society would normally expect. He accepts that at some point this would come to an end and he would be discovered, and he would have to face the consequences. Mr Allan added that Bell had had the first opportunity to discuss his problems with social workers in the preparation of reports. But Bell knew he would be going to prison. He knows he comes to court facing the inevitability of a custodial sentence, he said. Sheriff Philip Mann sent Bell to prison for 52 months a total of four years and four months. But he will also have to serve a four month non-custodial extended sentence. The sheriff also handed Bell a sexual offences prevention order, which will limit or monitor his use of the internet, for an indefinite period. Bell was placed on the sex offenders register, also indefinitely. This is offending of the most serious kind, the sheriff told him. Following the sentencing the senior police officer on the case highlighted the difficult and specialist nature of the investigations. Detective Inspector Richard Baird said: This was an extremely complex investigation and Bells system has been described as one of the most intricate ever seen by the specialist computer forensic examiners who worked on the case. Possessing indecent images is not a victimless crime and every day children are subjected to dreadful abuse in order to create these materials which are distributed around the world.

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A deviant who groomed a young girl online then sexually assaulted her when they met has been locked up.

Swansea man Alexander Sebastian Wyn Davies was 19 at the time of the offences – and his victim just 12.

Davies, now aged 20, of Rosehill Terrace, Mount Pleasant, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting an underage girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of sexual assault when he appeared in the dock at Swansea Crown Court for sentencing.

The court heard Davies met the girl on Facebook, and after exchanging a series of messages arranged to meet her.

He then performed sex acts on her at a train station, and in a park in the Neath area.

Davies was sentenced to 14 months in a young offenders institution and placed on the sex offender’s register for 10 years.

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A naval cadet instructor who featured in this week's episode of 24 Hours In Police Custody has been jailed for four and a half years for child sex abuse. Alex Johnston, 30, of Ennerdale Close, Bletchley was sentenced at Luton Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday) after pleading guilty to five counts of engaging with sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15. Johnston started grooming two of his cadets in 2013. He sent them messages and built up a relationship with them before engaging in sexual activity with them. He paid one of his victims 50 a month to stop her from telling people about the abuse, however, the victim contacted police in 2015 after doing a child safeguarding course and realised that Johnston had been taking advantage of her and abusing his position of trust. Detective Inspector Richard Tilling, from the Bedfordshire Police Child and Vulnerable Adult Abuse unit, said: Johnston abused his position of trust to take advantage of two young girls, grooming them and engaging in sexual activity with them despite knowing they were under the age of consent. We will not tolerate child sexual abuse of any kind. I hope that this sentence gives Johnston chance to reflect on his actions while serving as a warning to people who think they can get away with this type of behaviour. Id like to praise the bravery of both the victims in speaking out and hope that this allows them to begin to move on with their lives. The case involving Johnston featured in the 24 Hours In Police Custody episode Their Time Will Come on Monday (12 June).

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A Plymouth rapist has failed to convince top judges that his convictions were unsafe and he should be set free.

Daniel Perkins, of North Road East, Mutley, was caged for eight years at Plymouth Crown Court on July 11 last year for for raping a fellow university student who was so drunk she was drifting in and out of consciousness.

As reported by The Herald, the court heard how 32-year-old Perkins walked the woman home and took advantage of her after she had collapsed on her bed.

Callous Perkins called her a “baby” when she complained of the pain and even asked her whether she enjoyed it after he had finished.

She was so traumatised she needed medication for anxiety and depression and felt she had to leave her course at Plymouth University.

Perkins' defence at trial was that she had fully consented and was a willing participant in all the sexual activity.

But it was Perkins who the jury disbelieved.

The case - which resulted in a jury convicting Perkins on all three counts of rape after a week-long trial - was examined again at London's Appeal Court yesterday.

Lawyers for Perkins, of previous good character, yesterday argued in court that the guilty verdicts were fatally flawed.

Key witness evidence undermined his defence and should never have gone before the jury, they argued.

But Lord Justice Hamblen said the Crown Court judge was 'entitled to conclude that the evidence was relevant to an important matter and was admissible'.

There was, in any event, 'substantial evidence on which the jury could be sure of his guilt', he concluded.

"For all these reasons, the renewed application for permission to appeal must be dismissed."

Perkins raped the woman three times after a night out at Club Envy, Plymouth Crown Court heard in July last year.

He had denied the offences, saying she was not badly drunk and had consented to sex on the night.

But a jury convicted him on all three counts after a week-long trial.

Sentencing him to eight years in prison, Judge Paul Darlow told Perkins: “She was clearly vulnerable, unable to resist. She was drunk and in and out of consciousness.

“When she could she made it clear to you that she did not consent to what was happening. The fact that you were under the influence of alcohol is another exacerbating factor.

“This happened in her own room, the very place where she is entitled to feel safest.”

Perkins shook as he was being sentenced. He mouthed words to supporters as he was taken away in handcuffs.

The woman had earlier told the court Perkins had walked her home and she had let him into her city flat to use the bathroom. She said she collapsed drunkenly on to her bed fully-clothed. But Perkins stripped her and had sex with her.

She said she was in pain while he had sex with her, but Perkins called her a “baby”. She added that he “talked dirty” to her, which made her feel “horrible”.

The woman said after he finished the defendant asked whether she had “liked it”.

Helen Hope, for the Crown Prosecution Service, read two statements from the victim – the second taken after the guilty verdicts.

She said the woman had suffered anxiety and depression and had to take medication which had affected her sleep and appetite.

The woman added she felt she had to leave Plymouth University and continue her studies in another part of the country. She had to start her degree all over again.

The victim said in the second statement: “I am not sure ultimately how I feel. Relieved or glad that it was not all for nothing? The investigation was traumatic.

Jason Beal, for Perkins, said the defendant had not “set up” the situation but taken advantage of the student’s drunkenness.

He added his university career was terminated as a result of the allegations.

Mr Beal said the defendant, who used to work at Pizza Hut, had no previous police cautions nor convictions.

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A predatory taxi driver who raped a passenger he picked up outside a Birmingham city centre nightclub has been jailed for nine years.

Jhamil Hussan dragged the victim into a park and attacked her after dropping her near her home.

The depraved 39-year-old had earlier collected her from outside the Nightingale Club, based in Kent Street, at 2.30am on April 17.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the pair made small talk during the journey but he groped her at one point.

He then parked his car a short distance from the victims home and she got out and began to walk away.

But Hussan walked up behind her, grabbed her, took her to a nearby park and raped her.

The victim told her parents of her ordeal when she returned home and the police were called.

Hussan was later spotted parked back outside the club.

He was later arrested but claimed he was innocent and alleged the victim had forced herself on him.

But he was convicted of two counts of rape at Birmingham Crown Court after his cover story was exposed as a pack of lies.

He was jailed on Friday, July 7.

The sentence was welcomed by James Gormley, senior crown prosecutor with the West Midlands CPSs rape and serious sexual offences unit.

He said: Jhamil Hussan is a dangerous sexual predator who targeted and raped a vulnerable woman.

When he was arrested, he claimed the victim had forced herself onto him and he had tried to stop her.

This was a blatant lie.

I would like to thank the victim for her courage and support in helping us to bring this man to justice.

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A pervert who was arrested after he was caught out in a sting by an anti-paedophile group has been jailed for four years.

The encounter outside Maidstone East station was live-streamed on Facebook on January 14 this year.

Members of vigilante group The Hunted One confronted 43-year-old Mark Stopher, from Sittingbourne, in Station Road.

He had been in contact with a person he believed to be a young girl and arranged to meet for sex.

The hour-long incident ended when police officers arrived. Stopher, now of Victoria Road, Chatham, was then arrested.

He admitted arranging and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday by Judge Adele Williams.

His name will appear on the sex offenders’ register and a sexual harm prevention order was made, both indefinitely.

He will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Previously police have warned people not to take the law into their own hands to try in such sting traps.

DI Robert Chitham, of the paedophile online investigation team at Kent Police, said: “I would discourage people from taking the law into their own hands to avoid them being put in any possible danger.

“Revealing the identity of suspected paedophiles, often on the basis of little information, could lead to suspects being threatened.

“This can divert significant police resources into protecting suspects, which would be better invested in investigating and, where there is evidence, prosecuting them.”

DI Chitham added: “I would like to reassure the public that we proactively target this type of offence and work hard to gather evidence in a lawful manner and that will stand up in court.

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A mosque teacher who sexually assaulted young girls as they read to him in Koran studies at a mosque in Cardiff has been jailed.

Mohammed Sadiq, who taught at the Madina Mosque for more than 30 years, denied 15 counts of indecent and sexual assault, but was found guilty of all but one count by a jury after trial.

Judge Stephen Hopkins QC said: You have not and you are still not showing any remorse at all for what you did.

You appear to have no understanding of the harm and humiliation you inflicted on four young children, as they were.

He was jailed for 13 years at Cardiff Crown Court and the judge imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Opening the case, prosecutor Suzanne Thomas said: It was while he was teaching at the mosque, the prosecution say, that the defendant took advantage of his position.

The court heard that 81-year-old Sadiq created a culture where physical punishment was normal.

Prosecutors said he was a member of the mosque, then on Woodville Road in Cathays, until it was destroyed by fire in 2006.

Ms Thomas said: In addition to attending for worship, he was involved in other aspects of running the mosque at one time as treasurer.

Then he was involved in teaching Koran studies to primary school age children, which took place at the mosque after school.

The court heard the boys and girls in the class would call Sadiq uncle as a sign of respect.

The allegations involved four alleged victims and related to the period between 1996 and 2006.

Sadiq, from Lake East Road in Cyncoed, was found guilty of six counts of indecent assault and eight counts of sexual assault.

Mike Jenkin, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: These women have shown remarkable courage in coming forward to speak about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Mohammed Haj Sadiq when they were young girls.

Sadiq was a respected figure in the community with considerable influence and power which makes the bravery of his victims all the more admirable.

The evidence given by these women meant the prosecution was able to present a compelling case to the jury, resulting in the guilty verdicts.

Detective Chief Inspector Rob Cronick of South Wales Police said: "Mohammed Sadiq abused his position of trust within the community he served.

Last months verdict shows the magnitude of Sadiqs offending and the devastating effect this has had on his victims.

These four young women have shown immense courage in coming forward and telling us about the abuse they suffered and enduring the further anguish of a crown court trial.

As a result of the verdict and todays sentence I believe there may be members of the community who may now feel confident enough to speak to the police or our support agencies.

Anyone with any information concerning this matter or who may have any other concerns should call a dedicated NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 where specially trained staff will talk to you and offer support.

Alternatively you can call South Wales Police on 101 quoting the reference: 1600442164.

Investigating sexual violence is a priority for South Wales Police and may I provide reassurance that all allegations of non-recent sexual abuse will be investigated.

There are also a number of support agencies available to anyone who wishes them to be their point of contact if they have any concerns. South Wales Police can sign post victims directly to them.

Our priority is to keep victims, and potential victims safe. We are committed to helping the vulnerable and have dedicated teams to help and support anyone who may have been affected by this investigation or any other circumstance.

An NSPCC spokesman said: This was an appalling breach of trust and Sadiq has rightly received a significant prison sentence for these heinous offences. He abused his authority and the faith placed in him to carry out a succession of sexual assaults against vulnerable children.

Clearly Sadiqs actions have had a huge impact on his victims, both at the time and since, but it is thanks to their bravery that he has been brought to justice.

It is absolutely right that people who suffered child sexual abuse know where to turn for support and feel confident that their voices will be heard, no matter how much time has passed since their ordeal.

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A paedophile has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in what the judge described as an ‘unforgivable’ crime.

Matthew Johnson’s actions left his young victim an ’emotional wreck’, Exeter Crown Court was told.
 
To cries of ‘scum’ from public gallery, Johnson, 30, of Market Street, Torquay, was led away from the dock to the cells.

Johnson had changed his plea after the prosecution served new forensic and medical evidence.

The court heard heart-breaking testimony about the impact of his crime from the victim’s mother.

In a statement she said: “Prior to my daughter being sexually assaulted she was a very happy, outgoing girl.

Now she is an emotional wreck. She now receives counselling and has turned into a girl who does not like going outside.

She is always frustrated and angry and lashes out both physically and verbally. “She had told me she does not want to be here anymore and has thoughts about killing herself.

I am devastated about seeing my little girl turned into an emotional wreck.”
Prosecutor, Rachel Drake, told the court that Johnson encouraged the girl to play a game with him before assaulting her.

When she told him to stop he refused.

The victim had to endure two police interviews and a medical examination, Ms Drake said. But Johnson’s guilty plea meant she did not have to give evidence at a trial.
When he was interviewed by police Johnson initially denied the offence.

When police searched his computer they found he had looked up subjects such as ‘what police would need to prove to prove he was a paedophile’, said the prosecutor.
 
“There was also evidence of internet searches by the defendant for underage boys and girls,” added Ms Drake.

The victim’s mother said in the statement: “I’ve never felt so low and emotionally drained. I feel I am constantly living on the edge. This has had a life-long effect on my daughter.”
 
Recorder Martin Meeke QC said he would give the defendant 25 per cent credit for his plea.

He said: “You are a man aged 30 and of previous good character. You took advantage of a time you were alone with the victim. It was an appalling thing to do to any child. It is unforgivable.

“Your conduct has had a significant effect on your victim in terms of the psychological damage, as illustrated in the victim personal statement.” Johnson pleaded guilty to assaulting a female under 13 by penetration.

The defendant will serve half of his sentence in custody and the rest on licence. Recorder Meeke added a further one year to the licence period on his release.

He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning his contact with children and will sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

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Ralph Sutton, 56, from Combe Martin, thought the girls were aged 12 and 13, but they were fake profiles set up by a self-appointed paedophile hunter.

He admitted five charges, including attempting to incite a child to sexual activity, and was jailed for 30 months.

Judge Phillip Wassall said he was "trawling for young girls on the internet".

Sutton was a town councillor in Combe Martin, Devon, where he moved to start a new life after a previous conviction in London in 2010.

'Fuelling fantasies'

The convictions were for downloading indecent images and trying to contact a 14-year-old girl online.

As a result he was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which banned any internet contact with children.

But he flouted the order by contacting the girls on WhatsApp and messaging service Link, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Sutton suggested meeting the 13-year-old to take her out on his motorcycle and take part in sexual acts.

He was caught by secret vigilante group The Midlands Hunters, who alerted the police.

Warren Robinson, defending, said the offences happened when Sutton was suffering from depression and ill health.

He was fantasising rather than actually trying to arrange face-to-face contact, Mr Robinson said.

Sutton admitted two counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to sexual activity, and two breaches of the SHPO.

Judge Wassall said: "It seems to have been more a question of fuelling your fantasies rather than deliberately intending to exploit the girls directly.

"Nonetheless, this was serious. You gave the clear impression of wanting to meet."

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A BRADFORD man who manipulated two vulnerable 15-year-old girls into engaging in sexual activity with him has been jailed for six years.

Xavier McManus, 22, even threatened to harm himself to persuade the girls to meet him, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Jailing him, Judge Jonathan Rose told McManus he was a danger to young girls. He ordered the defendant should be subject to an extended four-year licence period when he is released.

The judge told McManus, of Leeds Road, Bradford, who pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual activity with a child, his case was deeply troubling.

 
Judge Rose said: “I am quite satisfied that you have knowingly engaged in sexual relations with two young, vulnerable girls, each of them susceptible to the advances of an older man and each of them manipulated by your entreaties and your threats that you would harm yourself.”

He added: “Each girl was exceptionally vulnerable at the time and each has suffered substantially in the sense of psychological harm since these offences were committed against them.”

The court heard McManus met one of the girls last August, after messaging her through Facebook. He took her to a secluded spot and kissed her. When the girl told him she was only 15, McManus said he did not care.

He sexually assaulted her. She pushed him away and made it clear she did not want the activity to go any further, but he persisted. He started crying when he realised he could not get his own way.

Days later he sent messages wanting to see her again and threatening to kill himself.

The girl confided in her mother and McManus was arrested and bailed.

He also contacted the second girl by Facebook in April or May last year. They met up and there was a relationship which involved kissing. McManus manipulated the relationship until the girl visited his home in Bradford in November, while he was on bail for the first offence.

He removed their clothes and they had sexual intercourse. Later that month she told somebody at her school. Her parents and police were informed and McManus was again arrested.

Judge Rose said neither of the girls were to blame or responsible for what happened to them. He praised their courage.

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A YOUNG dad who was caught downloading sickening child porn featuring kids as young as three has been jailed.

Christopher Thomas Kelly was caught with the sordid stash at his home in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

The 30-year-old was arrested and charged over the horrendous cache of abuse files.

The material included a video of a three-year-old girl.

At a previous Paisley Sheriff Court hearing he admitted breaking Section 52(1)(a) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 by taking, or allowing indecent photographs of children to be taken, by downloading them, between February 16, 2014, and November 18, 2015.

The charge he admitted was amended to change the date he committed the offence changed from being between September 1, 2012, and June 29 last year.

When Kelly admitted his guilt, some of the images were described to the court by Procurator Fiscal Depute Keri Marshall.

In total, Kelly was found to have downloaded 1,733 indecent images - 1,725 pictures and eight films - 227 of which were rated by investigators as being in the most extreme category there is.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew called for background reports ahead of sentencing, and adjourned the case for that to be done.

And, when Kelly returned to the dock today to learn his fate, he was caged for the offence.

Sheriff Colin Pettigrew ruled there was no suitable sentence other than to jail Kelly for 12 months - and place him on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

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A MAN who had sex with a highly-vulnerable 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook has been jailed for 12 years.

Usman Hussain, 28, met the girl when he was 26, and over the course of several weeks provided her with alcohol and drugs in exchange for sex.

Hussain, from Carlisle Place, Manningham, had been charged with a count of rape of a child under 13, another of oral rape of a child under 13 and a charge of sexual assault. He appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday, where he admitted the three offences. The court heard that Hussain had sex with the girl on a mattress in his sister’s garage.

In late 2015, the 12-year-old got into an argument with a parent and left home. She was almost immediately identified as a child at risk of child sexual exploitation, and police were called. She returned home, but police received information from a relative that linked the girl with Hussain, who they arrested shortly after.

When they had met online, the girl had claimed she was 16. Hussain originally claimed he was 16, and the court heard that although he may not have known her real age when they first met, he became aware of it early into their relationship. He had asked her to send him naked photos.

Alistair Campbell, prosecuting, said: “They would use condoms from time to time, but not always, and on one occasion she required the morning after pill.”

He said the girl’s background meant she was “the perfect storm as far as vulnerability is concerned” and that she had been groomed. She had been sexually exploited by other men, the court heard.

Robin Frieze, defending, said there was no evidence that Hussain had been searching Facebook to start relationships with children, and he had not contacted any other young girls. He said Hussain had no knowledge of exploitation by other men.

Addressing Hussain, Judge Jonathan Rose said: “Your disgraceful, immoral and deplorable behaviour has caused a huge amount of damage. She was already extremely vulnerable, you may not have realised that she was being exploited by other men, but you should have realised she was not behaving like an ordinary 12-year-old girl. You knew shortly after you began an intimate relationship with her that she was just 12. You didn’t become disgusted with yourself after finding out. You didn’t mind. That is why you have to be classified as a paedophile. You groomed her. You were a grown man who caused a little girl to believe she was your girlfriend. Was this romance? When you look at the photos of the garage you used to carry out your depravity, it’s clear there was not an ounce of romance in this case.”

Detective Sergeant Dan Townend, of Bradford District Safeguarding Unit, said: "Hussain is a predator who has been convicted of serious child sexual offences and we hope the significant sentence he has received will provide some source of reassurance to the victim.

"We remain committed to protecting children from those who seek to exploit them and our specialist officers will continue to pursue offenders like Hussain to keep our communities safe.

"I would urge anyone who believes they have been a victim of child sexual offences to have the confidence to come forward and feel reassured we are here to help and will treat all investigations sensitively."

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A convicted sex offender and former RAF officer who was imprisoned in Winchester Prison died in the citys Royal Hampshire County Hospital an inquest has heard. Richard Adrian West aged 74, died just six months after being jailed for historic sex offences. Richard West, born on July 7 1942, and previously of Armstrong Rise, Charlton, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in June 2016 after being found guilty of six counts of historic indecent assault. West originally faced 11 charges of historic sexual offences during the 1970s concerning two young girls. Following a trial in November 2015 at Salisbury Crown Court, a majority guilty verdict was passed in relation to the charges concerning one victim but the jury failed to return a verdict relating to the second victim. The pathologist Dr Basil Purdue said that the cause of death was heart failure due to severe heart disease combined with diabetes. The court heard that Mr West who had been largely bed bound since June 2016, was frail at the time of his death but could stand with the aid of a Zimmer frame. The senior coroner Mr Grahame Short said that Richard West, who resided in Winchester Prison died on February 10 2016 due to natural causes.

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THE family of a dementia suffering great grandmother set up covert CCTV in her flat because they thought her carer was stealing from her. But when they saw the footage they were shocked to find Andy Newman was sexually abusing the 86-year-old widow. The old lady's granddaughter fitted a motion sensor camera in the hope of catching the 48-year-old taking her food and money. But when she got an alert on her iPhone she was stunned to see Newman carrying out a series of sex acts on her elderly gran. The mum said: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was wondering if I was seeing things. I wasn't expecting that. "I couldn't sleep for three days after that, I had to go to the doctors. I was mortified." And her uncle added: "We didn't really like the bloke but we didn't think anything like that was going on. We thought he was stealing, but not that. "No one has ever really liked him but my mum did and he was good at talking to her. She wouldn't hear a word against him. He was very charming to her." He said after Newman was arrested his mum was in tears after wondering when he was going to come back as the dementia meant her short term memory had gone. Philip Warren, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how the former neighbour became a carer for the victim after she was widowed in 2004. Well before he was caught in December 2015 he started visiting to help with domestic chores including washing her hair. Worried about missing money and food the family set up the covert camera in the house which caught him out. When he was arrested on suspicion of rape Newman told cops 'I have done nothing wrong', and 'I am her carer'. In a statement to police he said 'I believe these allegations to be false due to her dementia/mental condition', which Mr Warren said showed he knew about it. When his computer was searched it not only uncovered a vast amount of 'granny porn' but also some indecent images of children and one of bestiality. Newman, of Swindon Road, Stratton St Margaret, admitted sexual activity with a person with a mental impairment impeding choice, having indecent images of a child and extreme pornography. He claimed that about six years before the offending he had been in a sexual relationship with the woman, which her family say they do not believe. Gareth James, defending, said: "He is clearly a man who has some sort of predilection towards older women." He said his client, who had taken an overdose before an earlier hearing, accepted he was facing a lengthy jail term. Sentencing him to ten and a half years in prison Judge Tim Mousley QC said: You know what you did on December 21, 2015, was completely disgraceful. "She was unable to make an informed decision and that must have been as blindingly obvious to you as it was to everyone else. I accept it was not your intention that anyone else should see what was going on but the fact is her grandchildren, at least, saw what was going on by seeing it on the camera. The effect on them as well as the effect on the victim is profound and long lasting. That I regard as a particular feature of this which adds to your culpability. Newman must also register as a sex offender for life, will be barred from working with children or vulnerable people and must abide by a sexual harm prevention order restricting his liberty.

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A paedophile caught with a vile collection of 12,587 images of child abuse was jailed for 15 months.

Daniel Gunson, 45, of Hollybank, Moore, was locked up on Friday at Chester Crown Court having previously pleaded not guilty to six offences of possessing and making indecent images, possessing prohibited images and having extreme pornography involving animals.

‘Deviant’ Gunson was caught after police seized digital devices including a laptop, an external hard drive and a Samsung phone.

Officers trawling the files uncovered a hoard of imagery of sexual abuse of children from babies to older teens.

Sarah Badrawy, prosecuting, said the pictures and videos covered the range of seriousness from the worst in Category A through to Category C.

Judge Patrick Thompson detailed the imagery further, stressing that the public ‘should know the sort of material people are viewing’.

He went onto describe examples of photographs and videos, including clips of infants in visible pain and distress undergoing sexual abuse in ordeals lasting nearly two hours.

Police confirmed more than 12,500 child abuse images from 30,000 images discovered, with a further 138,524 files that were not examined.

There were 2,951 items in Category A, 3,244 in Category B and 6,392 in Category C.

In addition, his search history was littered with terms and recurrent themes relating to still and moving images of offences against children.

Gunson was arrested in 2015 but claimed innocence via a prepared statement after a series of no comment interviews.

The matter was due to go to trial this September but the defendant change his plea in April.

The court heard that a previous partner of Gunson had broken up with him in 1996 after discovering him looking at indecent images, but he claimed he had no idea how they ended up on his computer.

Gunson, in a grey suit, purple shirt and thick black-rimmed glasses, stood blank-faced for the duration of the hearing.

Elderly family members covered their mouths as His Honour Patrick Thompson listed the offences and told Gunson the only place he could go was prison.

Simon Parry, defending, said his client had no previous convictions and had received an indication he would be given a 20%-25% discount for his guilty please from another judge.

He petitioned Judge Thompson for a suspended sentence to enable Gunson so that he could undergo a sexual offenders treatment programme, which would not be available to him in prison.

He added that a probation report had assessed the defendant as being of ‘low risk’ of reconviction, a claim rubbished as ‘utterly astonishing’ by the judge.

Judge Thompson imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order on Gunson and ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders’ register, also for 10 years.

Sentencing him, he said: “You entered a defence statement claiming you knew nothing of this material that it somehow appeared on your computer.

“You said you had obtained your computer from someone else and it was their responsibility.

“That wasn’t the case at all.

“You were the person who had downloaded it and you were the person with a deviant interest in material of this kind, material of children being raped, from babies to teenage children.

“You seem to have an interest in all of that.”

He added: “If it wasn’t for people like you with this deviant interest, these children would not be getting raped so I’m afraid you bear responsibility.”