Latest Offenders

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A MIDDLE-AGED father has been jailed for having sex with a 15-year-old schoolgirl in a lay-by after picking her up from her school during her lunch break.

Gary Sparkes befriended the teenager after persuading her parents to let her come with him to show him the way around country roads near Cullompton while on a business trip in the area.

He won her trust by exchanging a stream of text messages before having sex with her in his car in the layby and at his home in Exmouth, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Father-of-two Sparkes, 49, of Tennyson Way, Exmouth, admitted four offences of sexual activity with a child and was jailed for two years by Judge Francis Gilbert, QC.

The judge told him: ”You had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old schoolgirl, who was the daughter of a family who were friends of yours. She was young enough to be your daughter.

“You had sex with her at your house and in addition you drove to Cullompton to have sex with her in the back of your car during a school lunch break.”

Sean Brunton, prosecuting, said the offences came to light when the victim’s older sister found suspicious messages on her Facebook page and her parents went to the police.

The girl was interviewed and said she and Sparkes had sex four times during a three month relationship, including once in the back of his car in a layby.

Mr Brunton said: ”She said the relationship started on Facebook and they arranged to meet to have sex. At one time she thought she might be pregnant but this was not the case.

“Her father recalled getting a text message from Sparkes asking to take his daughter out in his car as navigator as he was working in Mid Devon.”

Sparkes sent the girl 95 text messages and she sent him 125 and the Facebook conversations covered 500 pages.

Rupert Taylor, defending, said Sparkes is lucky in that his wife and two grown up children are standing behind him. He said he deserves credit for accepting he had done wrong and sparing the victim the need to go to court.

He said: ”At the time this happened he was depressed and on medication and was very grateful for the company. They became close friends and she told him she was attracted to him. He knows as an adult he should not have done this.”

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AN evil rapist and paedophile who abused victims as young as eight has been jailed for 18 years - after admitting a 15-year reign of terror.

Glen Turton, 59, groomed, raped and assaulted his innocent victims.

As well as being put behind bars, he was also placed on the sex offenders' register and banned from working with children for life.

The former fairground worker and roadie pleaded guilty to a catalogue of offences.

He admitted 16 counts of rape and indecent/sexual assault over a 15-year period.

His abused victims ranged in age from as young as eight to 20.

Turton, of Burrows Grove, Wombwell, a three times divorcee, pleaded guilty to all 16 counts when he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court last month.

A friend of one of his victims spoke of fears that Turton may have subjected other victims to horrific abuse and appealed to them to still come forward.

He said: "We have good reason to believe there are other victims out there and that he has been committing offences of this type for even longer than 15 years.

"I would appeal to any victims to come forward.

"It's not likely to make much difference to his jail sentence, but it will allow those victims whose lives he has ruined to at last start to move on.

"The man was a monster, totally lacking in human compassion. He was evil personified.

"Everyone involved now want to try to rebuild their shattered lives. We all hope he rots in jail and is never ever allowed out."

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Peter Gibson, from Middlesbrough, was jailed in November 2013 for 13 years and six months after pleading guilty to 15 sexual offences against the girls.

The offences included four counts of rape of a young girl in the 1990s and took place in Gibsons former home in Bowburn.

At the time of Gibsons sentencing, aged 66, Durham Crown Court heard he had a record of sexual offences dating back to 1967.

In 1998 he was sentenced to six years for the rape of a child. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Jailing Gibson, of The Crescent, Middlesbrough, in 2013, Judge Christopher Prince told him: You have a long-standing sexual predilection for young children.

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HE posted vile pictures of young girls being abused on the Internet that were beamed around the world.

Richard Couzens thought his sickening behaviour would go undetected after uploading the images to a Russian website via his mobile phone.

Now the 30-year-old from Southampton has been brought to justice - with the help of eagle eyed police using clever technology on the other side of the world.

Southampton Crown Court heard how Australian police officers discovered the sordid images on a Russian website and set about finding out who was responsible for them.

Using the latest techniques to solve cyber crime they began tracking the images - leading them straight to the door of Couzens, from Chettle Road, Southampton.

The information was passed on to detectives from Hampshire police who arrested Couzens and took him in for questioning.

Prosecutor Christopher Wing told the city crown court how he confessed to police that he had taken pictures of a youngster who he also sexually abused. He posted them on the Internet along with others of children aged between three and eleven - blaming his actions on his addiction for images of young girls.

Couzens, 30, admitted 20 charges of taking and making indecent images, distributing them and assault by penetration.

He was jailed for 10 years with a five year extended licence. He was also placed on the sex offenders register and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, both for life.

Jailing him, Judge Derwin Hope told Couzens: “You committed a serious breach of trust.

“You took pictures of this girl and then distributed them over the web for other like minded people.

“This was particularly shocking and illustrates the deep seated nature of your perversion that has manifested for more than five years.”

The judge told Couzens he represented a significant risk to the public, especially to young girls, and extended his licence because he considered him dangerous.

In mitigation, Susan Ridge told the court how Couzens had struggled with his addiction and though he wanted help, he felt unable to do it.

“He is deeply remorseful and greatly distressed at what he has done. He is ashamed of what he has done and knows he will he will go away for a long time and the impact it will have on his family.”

Couzens, who she added was motivated to address his offending in prison, was of previous good character.

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Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has been sentenced to 35 years for a string of child sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby.

Watkins, 36, from Pontypridd, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court last month to 13 child sex offences.

His two co-defendants, who are the mothers of children he abused, were jailed for 14 and 17 years.

Sentencing the three, Mr Justice Royce said the case broke "new ground" and "plunged into new depths of depravity".

Watkins was sentenced to 29 years in prison with a further six years on licence, but he will be eligible for parole after serving two thirds of the prison term.

He was sentenced alongside the two mothers known as Woman A and Woman B who also pleaded guilty to child abuse charges.

Woman A was jailed for 14 years and Woman B was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Watkins admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape.

He also admitted conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven involving taking, making or possessing indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a sex act on an animal.

During sentencing, Mr Justice Royce said: "Those who have appeared in these courts over many years, see here, a large number of horrific cases," he said.

"This case breaks new ground. Any decent person... will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity."

He added it was a "classic case that the evidence was so overwhelming" there should not be credit given.

The judge said Watkins had a "corrupting influence", and had shown a "complete lack of remorse". He also said Watkins posed a significant risk to the public in particular to women with young children.

He told Woman A: "What you were both doing is both sickening and incomprehensible" and said to Woman B that she did not regard her child as a human being.

Earlier on Wednesday, defending barrister Sally O'Neill QC said how Watkins "belatedly realised the gravity of what happened" and was "deeply, deeply sorry".

She told the court how he had developed an "obsession" with filming himself having sex and had become addicted to drugs at the age of 30.

She said Watkins had no memory of the crime involving Woman A and her son, where he admitted to the attempted rape of a baby.

"Because he had no memory he could not believe he had done that," she said, adding he had now "confronted reality" over what he had done.

Watkins was on 15-minute suicide watch while on remand, the court heard.

Jonathan Fuller QC, defending for Woman A, said she felt genuine remorse and was devastated by what she had done.

Christine Laing QC, defending Woman B, said she was clearly remorseful for her behaviour and the loss of her child was her punishment.

Meanwhile, South Wales Police are investigating whether Watkins also committed offences in Germany and America and the IPCC has confirmed it was investigating three police forces over the case.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Doyle, senior investigating officer, said the sentences reflected the gravity of the crimes and the investigation uncovered "the most disturbing child abuse evidence" he had seen in his 28 years as an officer.

"Today's sentence does not mark the end of our investigations and we will work tirelessly to identify any other victims or witnesses and seek the justice they deserve.

"In the last few weeks we have received further information that will now be looked at by the investigation team."

Earlier he said the investigation was large scale because the amount of data involved - 27 terabytes - was "four or five times" the size of the databases held by South Wales Police.

And he said how he was sure there were other child victims.

Suzanne Thomas, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS Wales, said Watkins was the ringleader and the defendants conspired to commit "appalling crimes of abuse against young and defenceless victims".

She added: "He is a highly dangerous and manipulative individual who preyed on his victims in a calculated manner.

"The other two defendants were active participants in the most shocking abuse of their own children. They too have received sentences that reflect their admissions of guilt for these offences.

"It is incomprehensible that adults would commit such appalling acts against children and young people and our thoughts remain with the victims and those close to them."

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A burglar returned to his victims home to rape her, four years after he was jailed for the crime. Ashley Mills broke into the womans house with an iron bar as she slept alone. Once she woke up, the 28-year-old grabbed a knife, headbutted her and said chillingly: Ive come to rape you. Police have now praised the womans quick thinking after she hid evidence that saw him sentenced to 18 years in prison. But the victim, known only as Linda, said the attack has left her frightened to stay in her own home. She added: Sometimes when victims are killed, I think they are the lucky ones. They dont keep reliving the horror of it all any more. The survivors have to live with this for the rest of their lives. Im grateful to be alive but now have all of the life-changing problems Im facing. The 59-year-old, from Hampshire, had originally taken pity on Mills as he didnt have a place to stay. She met him in 2009, when she let him pitch his tent in the fields behind her rural home. He later broke into the property and was jailed in 2010. In June this year, he smashed through the front door of her home again and asked for a glass of water. He warned that he would stab her if she tried to run away. She added: I just had to submit and he did what he wanted. His attack on me was long. He was in no hurry to get it over with. Spotting Mills had dropped the knife and iron bar, she kicked the blade under the cooker and dropped the bar behind her sofa. Hes a dangerous person. Hes got no respect, she said. I wanted him to have a big sentence so he cant come out and do it again. At Portsmouth crown court, Mills pleaded guilty to three counts of rape. Det Sgt Glenn Robinson said: The victim has shown great courage in coming forward.

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A man from Ashton has been found guilty of 43 sexual offences against seven young boys.

Paul Boardman, 55, was sentenced to 22 years in jail following rape, attempted rape, buggery, indecency with a child, indecent assault and sexual activity with a child dating back more than 20 years.

Boardman, formerly of Bray Street, will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Lancashire Police have described the crimes as horrendous after the sentencing at Manchester Crown Court.

42 of the offences took place between 1990 and 2001 when Boardman lived in the Tanterton area of Preston.

One more offence took place in March this year at an address in Ashton.

Detective Chief Inspector Sue Cawley, of Lancashire Police, said: I am pleased with todays sentence which reflects the gravity of Boardmans horrendous crimes.

This is a dangerous and prolific offender who has repeatedly targeted young boys and subjected them to horrendous abuse, showing no regard for their age or vulnerabilities.

His crimes have left his victims scarred for life in terms of both the emotional and psychological effects he has caused and I would like to pay tribute to them for their bravery in coming forward and in giving evidence to this trial.

I would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service and Prosecuting Counsel for bringing the case and for securing the convictions.

We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously and we would encourage people with any information about sexual abuse or who has been a victim of sexual abuse to come forward and report their concerns confident in the knowledge it will be investigated appropriately and with sensitivity.

Boardman pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice. Another man Ryan Shenton, 24, of Hoghton Lane, Hoghton was convicted of the same offence following the trial. Two others, Marie Blythe, 31 and Natasha Hart, 21, both of Tennyson Mill Court, Preston admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice at an earlier hearing. This related to attempts to influence the case.

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Reportedly in Perth AN ANGUS teenager yesterday admitted underage sex with a 13-year-old girl in his bedroom. Lee Clark, 19, of Kirriemuir, was caught when the girl confided in a friend and the police were informed. Clark also carried out a sex act on himself over a webcam while playing a game of Truth or Dare with a 14-year-old girl online. The 19-year-old admitted the offences when he appeared at the High Court in Aberdeen yesterday. Advocate depute Ashley Edwards said Clark and the 14-year-old girl got in contact with one another through Facebook. The pair then started chatting online through the MSN chat site and their conversations became flirty through playing Truth or Dare. Clark ended up completely naked when they played the game online again the following night. And he carried out a sex act on himself on his bed with the webcam on. The schoolgirl dared him to repeat the act when they chatted on MSN on another occasion and he carried it out with his shorts on. The schoolgirls teachers were later informed about the incident, which happened between February 1 and March 10 2011, and police were called in. The court heard that Clark admitted to officers that he knew that the girl was either 13 or 14 years old. Clark had sex with another schoolgirl a few weeks later. He arranged to meet the 13-year-old girl at his house through a series of texts on June 12 2011. The girl later revealed that she felt that Clark was being really persistent and repeatedly asked her for sex. Ms Edwards told the court: She felt it was going to happen and nothing was going to stop it so she gave up. Shortly after she went home, Clark received a text message from the girl stating: I wont get pregnant will I? He replied: No. Clark was later detained and cautioned and admitted that he knew the girl was under the age of 16. He was initially charged with rape, but his guilty plea to a lesser charge of having intercourse with an older child was accepted yesterday. Defence lawyer Matt Jackson said the Crown had recognised that the accused had honestly believed that there had been consent. Sentence was deferred on Clark until January 8 when the case will be heard at the High Court in Glasgow.

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A BRUTAL sex attacker who terrorised six young women has been jailed for 10 years. Painter Marc McKillop, 27, raped one woman and attempted to murder another, seizing her by the hair and dragging her down stairs. He attacked one victim while she was breastfeeding a baby, and put a belt round a womans neck and choked her until she thought she was going to die. Judge Lady Scott told him he had subjected his victims to a storm of violence. McKillop, of Rothes, Moray, claimed all his victims were liars. But he was found guilty of 21 offences including attempted murder, rape, indecent assault, assault to permanent disfigurement and assault to the danger of life. He was cleared of a further rape charge on a not proven verdict. McKillop attacked his victims over seven years at addresses in Moray and Aberdeen, often grabbing the women by the neck. He also thrust his fingers into one victims eyes, put a pillow over a womans head and scarred a victim by striking her in the chest with a car key. The High Court in Edinburgh heard that victims had been left profoundly depressed and in some cases suicidal. McKillop will be supervised for three years after release and was placed on the sex offenders register indeifinitely. His lawyer said in mitigation that he had a good work ethic.

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SOME of them had waited years for justice so it was no surprise that there were tears of relief from victims and their family and friends as serial rapist Paul Kent was jailed for 19 years. Kent, who is now 39, raped four different women in Basingstoke over a period of eight years, forcing them into depraved sexual acts, some during the course of relationships. Two other victims were subjected to crimes including sexual assault, blackmail and intimidation. Kent was found guilty of 20 crimes, including sexual activity with a child, and acquitted of 10 others, following a trial in the summer. Last Friday, some of the victims and their friends and family wept in the public gallery as Kent was jailed for nearly 20 years by Judge Guy Boney. Sex beast Kent showed little emotion in the dock throughout the sentencing hearing, although he was seen to smirk as he was led away to the cells. Meting out the punishment, Judge Boney told Kent: You have no moral compass at all its an instrument that does not appear on your dashboard. Not once did you express a smidgen of remorse, sorrow, sympathy or compassion about the appalling acts you put these women through. He said there were two reasons for Kents lack of remorse a dislike of women and an aura of armour-plated sexual arrogance that led him, at one point in the trial, to portray himself as the victim. Judge Boney told Kent: Its all utter nonsense. You have a turbo-charged sex drive, and you are utterly ruthless in the ways you go about it. Kents address during the trial was given as Maybrook, Chineham, but the sentencing hearing was told it was now listed as Belle Vue Road, Old Basing. During the trial, he had either denied having sex with the women or said that the sexual acts some of which Judge Boney said were amongst the most depraved the court had ever heard about were consensual. During the sentencing hearing, Stephen Parish, prosecuting, read out the victim impact statements from the seven women who had made allegations against Kent. The court heard that most of them suffered from recurring nightmares that Kent was going to come back and harm them, and many of them described how difficult it was to be questioned about the allegations in court. One woman told how she turned to self-harming after making her allegations. Another said: Paul has left me feeling I cannot trust anyone, and I feel that I have lost confidence in myself. Mr Parish said that while the allegations made by the seventh woman did not result in convictions, her bravery in coming forward to the police gave confidence to some of the others to tell their stories. Iain Lawrie, defending, said Kents mitigation was meagre but added that his client hoped to be moved to a prison on the Isle of Wight to take part in a sexual rehabilitation course. Judge Boney ruled that Kent poses such a risk to the public that a parole board will only be able to decide whether he is fit for release after he has served two-thirds of his sentence. If he is paroled, he will serve any remainder of his sentence on licence, and that licence period will be extended by four years, the judge said. Kent was also ordered to remain on the sexual offenders register for life. After the hearing, Detective Constable Louise Trigg, who was praised for her work by the judge, welcomed the sentence, which she said marked the end of a long and complex investigation. She said: Paul Kent is a dangerous man who spent many years manipulating, controlling, and abusing women in the Basingstoke area. His behaviour towards women and girls was vile and degrading and has had lasting effects on all of their lives. The victims in the case may never be able to forget what happened to them at the hands of this man.

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A 29-year-old man was jailed for three years and four months for having sex with a girl of 14.

The teenager thought Barry Masters was “a really nice man” and said he made her laugh by doing stupid things on the trampoline, Bradford Crown Court heard.

But Masters, of Lawkholme Lane, Keighley, abused the child’s trust by having sex with her at his flat after he had been drinking, prosecutor Andrew Kershaw said.

The court heard yesterday that the girl’s parents were deeply damaged by what Masters had done to their daughter.

Mr Kershaw said the teenager’s mother challenged Masters about the nature of their friendship after he was seen hugging her.

Masters said he was comforting the girl because she was in trouble at school.

The teenager visited him at his flat and when her mother called him “a paedophile” he admitted he had had sex with her on one occasion.

Sophie Drake, Masters’ barrister, said: “It was a one-off, much-regretted incident.”

He had lost contact with his two daughters because of what he had done and he hated himself, the court was told.

Masters had a drink problem and he had been seeking professional help to cut down his alcohol intake, it was said.

He pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and had no previous convictions for sexual offences.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning Masters from contacting the girl or having any unsupervised contact with girls under 16 for an indefinite period.

He must sign on the sex offenders’ register, notifying the police about where he is living.

Judge Durham Hall said Masters had robbed the girl of her childhood and abused the trust she had placed in him.

Her parents had been caused very real suffering by his actions.

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A PAEDOPHILE army officer with a distinguished military career has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after being caught filming naked children on a beach just three months after being spared a prison sentence for similar offences.

Lieutenant Colonel Mark Smyth, pictured, who was based at Tidworth, was caught filming girls as young as 18 months old, on a beach in Pembrokeshire while on holiday with his wife and two sons in August.

The 43-year-old, who was in charge of a battalion of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was already subject to a community order for secretly filming children aged between five and 16 years old at swimming pools and supermarkets near his barracks between January 2011 and November 2012.

He put a micro camera in shopping baskets to take shots up childrens skirts and took pictures over the top of changing room cubicles, then uploaded the content onto film-sharing websites.

After admitting six charges of distributing, six charges of taking and four charges of making indecent images he was given a community order when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court in May. He had downloaded more than 5,000 images, with 205 images and four videos in the most serious level four and five categories.

Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC considered his distinguished military career and glowing references when sentencing him. But three months later Smyth, who now lives in Nailsea, Bristol, was spotted filming a six-year-old girl changing on the beach.

Police found two cameras hidden in his car that he had used to film naked children over a four-day period while on holiday with his family.

James Hartson, defending, said Smyth had served his country with distinction and would be dismissed from the army immediately, losing a pension pot valued at 1.1m.

Judge Paul Thomas said Smyth had serious psychological and sexual problems and was a devious and calculating individual who will not be stopped except by the deprivation of your liberty.

You have lost a great deal; your marriage, your high flying career and your social status, he added.

Smyth, who changed his name to Mark Radway during the first police investigation, admitted 16 counts of making indecent images of children when he appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Monday.

He was jailed for 16 months for the Tidworth offences, ten months for the fresh offences and four months for breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

He was ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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A roller skating star who performed in front of millions at the London Olympics opening ceremony has been jailed after having sex with a 14-year-old fan in a car park.

Nathan Wright, described by a judge as a 'role model for young people', was first contacted by the schoolgirl through YouTube after she had seen one of his skating clips.

The pair then began to message each other regularly, with the teenage victim 'flattered' by Wright's interest in her.

Edna Leonard, prosecuting, said it was clear from the start of their contact that the girl was only 14.

Derby Crown Court was told Wright, 26, of Tooting, London, went on to persuade the teenager to carry out a sex act on a webcam before he filmed himself performing a sex act and sent a recording to her.

Miss Leonard told the hearing they went on to meet at a rolling skating event, where Wright was approached by a number of fans wanting to be photographed with him.

She said the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was among them and the pair slipped away to perform sex acts on each other.

The court heard they met again at an event at Rollerworld in Derby on October 21 last year. Wright had told the teenager to wear clothes that could easily be removed.

Wright persuaded the schoolgirl to slip away from a group of adults and they had sex in a car park.

Recorder Paul Mann QC, sentencing, told Wright, who also took part in the Paralympic Games opening ceremony: 'You are known as an accomplished roller-skater and have your profile on the internet.

'You have, through your skating, the opportunity to become a role model for young people.

'There must be young people who have followed you who feel let down by the offences you have committed.'

Wright, who admitted sexual grooming and two counts of sexual activity with a child, was jailed for five years.

He was also told he could not use the internet to contact anyone under 16 and was put on the sex offenders' register.

The court heard that he had previously been jailed for four-and-a-half years for a rape he committed when he was 18.

Jonathan Straw, defending, said the girl was a willing partner in their meetings and had sexual experience before meeting him.

He added: 'Before the text friendship developed, however inappropriately, there was genuine feeling on both sides. This is not a case where she was pressured.

'Unfortunately, the very rapid, almost explosive use of social networking among young people can give rise to this sort of difficulties.'

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LERWICK man John Millarkie had his prison term extended by six months on Thursday when he appeared before the towns sheriff court to be sentenced on a charge of possessing images of nude children. Fifty-five-year-old Millarkie is currently serving a three-years-and-eight-months jail sentence for a failed robbery attempt on the Lerwick bookies on 17 February. Millarkie, a convicted sex offender, had pled guilty to the charge of possessing indecent images in March this year but sentence had been deferred until now to await the outcome of the high court case. On Thursday, sheriff Philip Mann said although the images found on Millarkies computer were not the most serious, a further custodial sentence was nevertheless called for. He gave Millarkie an extended prison sentence of two years, of which he will have to serve six months in custody and a further 18 months on licence. This latest jail term will be added to the time he is already serving behind bars. He was also put on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

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Now living in North Cornwall, with ties to Bath and Ramsgate, Dover (Kent) A man who made indecent film clips of a child in Farmborough has been sentenced. Matthew Ian O Dare, 38, of Canford Lane, Bristol, admitted making seven movie clips when he appeared before Bath Magistrates Court last week. These ranged from the more severe category four images to category one images. He also admitted being in possession of 19 movie clips and 78 indecent images of children. O Dare was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the next seven years and must undergo a 42-day rehabilitation order.