Latest Offenders

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A murderer who spent 17 years in prison for dousing an ex-girlfriend in petrol and setting fire to her is back behind bars after being caught with child sex abuse pictures.

Ian Anthony Harris downloaded the indecent pictures after visiting internet sex chatrooms.

However, officers from the South Wales Police On-line Investigation Team (Polit) were alerted to his activity and swooped on his Swansea house.

In 1988 Harris murdered his ex, Mandy Jackson, after she ended their relationship - he went to her flat in Uplands, poured petrol over her as she made a cup of tea and threw a match on her. Police later found her charred body by the kitchen table.

Harris was given a life sentence for murdering the 21-year-old.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that on February 10 this year officers from Polit received information about activity involving a computer linked to an address in the Ravenhill area of the city.

Harris was out, but officers went to his place of work and took him back home - in a bedroom at the property they found a desktop computer containing 18 indecent images including one of Category A, the most extreme kind. Officers also found evidence Harris had shared a Category B image.

The 52-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of distributing an indecent image of a child and three of possessing indecent images when he appeared in custody in the dock.

The court heard that during his police interviews Harris said he had downloaded the images after visiting internet chatrooms where the talk was invariably sexual, and in a variety of forms. He said he had uploaded an image - of Category B - after somebody in a chatroom asked to see it.

The prosecutor said Harris had convictions for some 22 offences including murder.

Harris was released from jail in 2006.

He was recalled to prison after his arrest on the indecent images charges.

Dan Griffiths, for Harris, said his client accepted that in due course he would have to convince the parole board he was no longer a danger.

The advocate said his client was a family man who had started a new relationship after his release in 2006, and had spent six years working as a greenskeeper at a Swansea golf course.

Recorder Ifan Wyn Lloyd told him possessing indecent child images was a serious matter.

He said: Behind every one of these images there is a child being abused - these are not just images, these are real children being abused so people like you can get some sort of perverted pleasure from viewing them.

Harris was sentenced to a total of eight months in prison, and will be on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years. He was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order controlling his access to the internet.

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A VICTIM who was targeted by a 'disgusting vile paedophile' over a 10-year period has spoken out after he was jailed for 14 years.

The 31 year old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was raped by mobile disco entertainer Graham Horrix - also known as DJ Elvis - between the ages of four and 14.

Horrix, 59, who maintains his innocence, first attacked the young girl in a toilet block near his seaside caravan before raping her on a mattress in the back of the vehicle.

Prosecutor Corinne Bramwell said: "When she was alone in the van Horrix used that opportunity to sexually abuse her and she describes wanting to scream, but being too frightened to do so."

On another occasion, he forced the victim to give him oral sex and raped her for the second time in his bathroom.

Speaking after Horrix was sentenced, the victim said: "I've finally got the news Ive waited so long to hear. The disgusting, vile paedophile Graham Horrix is now in prison.

"I have spent so much of my life feeling ashamed of what happened, made worse by it being constantly dismissed and being told to forget about it.

"He will no longer have any control over me."

During the trial the court heard that Horrix, of Priestwood Avenue, had a collection of porn and condoms in his touring van and has previous convictions for sexually abusing other young girls.

Jailing Horrix at Kingston Crown Court, recorder Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC told Horrix, said: "They are grave offences. You were an adult yet committed a range of sexual offences against a child, who was young and extremely vulnerable.

"She was a child who had her innocence stripped from her by your brutal actions and she has suffered severe psychological harm."

Horrix, who shook his head in defiance during the hearing, says his partner has split with him and destroyed all his property, leaving him with nothing.

Horrix was convicted of two counts of raping the girl and was also convicted of three counts of indecently assaulting the girl in Clapham.

Recorder Bennett-Jenkins ordered Horrix to remain on licence for an extra twelve months when he is finally released and made an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Restraining Order.

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A CHILD sex offender who moved to Swindon has been warned he is on his last chance after failing to do his unpaid work. Daniel Kerwood, 31, who is on a community order for failing to comply with his registration conditions, said a bad back made it too hard from him to get to the appointments. But a judge at Swindon Crown Court told him that the problem with the order was his attitude and said he was getting a 'last chance'. Andrew Stone, prosecuting, said Kerwood was first put on a six-month suspended sentence in 2014 for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16. Soon after it was increased to nine months because he failed to notify the authorities of where he lived, as is required under sex offender registration. Then last year Kerwood, of Alpine Close, Shaw, was back before a judge for again failing to comply with the requirements by having contact with a child. Mr Stone said the defendant, then living in the Andover area, was told as part of the order he must not have contact with a child for more than 12 hours at a time. "Mr Kerwood tells me he accepts misunderstanding, he thought it was being alone with a child," he said. After admitting the breach he was put on a 26-month community order with supervision from probation. But he first breached the order in September last year, then again shortly before Christmas when 60 hours of unpaid work was added to it. Mr Stone said he failed to turn up for the work on December 28, February 23 and 24 and the first three days in March. He said the defendant had told him that he lives an hour's walk from the unpaid work centre and he has sciatica. "He says the distance is beyond him with his back in that condition," adding that Kerwood couldn't afford public transport. "He tells me he has applied for universal credit. He applied in January but the checking is still going on." Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "You have breached this order yet again. "As I have said the underlying reason for you not doing what you were ordered to do was because your attitude towards it. "It is suggested in the pre-sentence report that your compliance with this order has been nothing but problematic. That is putting it mildly. "You are now on your last chance, do you understand that. I am going to add 40 hours of unpaid work. That makes a total, less any you have done, of 100 hours. "That is the position you find yourself in. You must do it. There are no more excuses. If you come back before the court, as I have said, you have run out of chances."

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Joe Shanks is an Irishman from Co. Westmeath, who moved to England. He is a member of the Mormon 

An Irish Mormon missionary who tried to have sex with three children he thought he had lured over the internet, was nabbed in a sting operation by UK police.

Pervert Joseph Shanks, originally from Co Westmeath, claimed he was doing “charity work” and would be rewarded by GOD.

But the twisted predator didn’t realise the children’s mother he met online in England was really an undercover officer and he was arrested before any abuse took place.

When the 63-year-old married father turned up to rape the ‘victims’ he thought were aged nine, six and three, he was arrested by officers.

Shanks, who lives in the Church of Latter Day Saints missionary home in Chorley, Lancashire, was jailed for seven years on Monday after admitting ten sex charges.

The former civil servant had turned up for the rendezvous carrying a USB stick with thousands of vile abuse images of children.

Canterbury Crown Court in England heard how a police officer posed as “Sarah”, a mother to three fictitious children, was contacted by Shanks - who used the name Andy Brown.

Prosecutor Daniel Stevenson said: “Following conversations between ‘Sarah’ and Shanks it was clear from their conversation that the meeting was to facilitate him engaging in sexual activity with all three children.”

Shanks claimed he was in the army and volunteered for the church.

He rang from a mobile number but when that didn’t work - he called from a landline registered to the Mormon Church’s missionary training centre in Preston.

In November last year, the missionary worker left his wife in Lancashire and drove in his Hyundai Tucson 260 miles to the M23 Pease Pottage services, Kent, when he was arrested.

Shanks told police he was a member of the Mormon faith living in a Mormon community since 2016 and claimed he was doing “charitable work of God who would reward him with blessings as he tried to bring light into the lives of the three children”.

But Judge Simon James told him all he was doing was to act out his twisted sexual fantasies.

He said: “She used the name Sarah and her children were said to be aged three, six and nine.

“The two youngest were girls and the nine year old a boy.

“During the course of online communications, ‘Sarah’ spoke with a man who used the name Andy Brown. Andy Brown was in fact the defendant.

“Following these conversations, Mr Shanks made arrangements to travel to meet her and on November 26 they were scheduled to meet at Pease Pottage Services on the M23.

“Upon arriving he was disappointed to be greeted by officers of Kent Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team, rather than the willing mother of three children.”

The prosecutor added that Sarah and Andy had been in contact from October 2016 after the undercover officer received contact from [email protected].

He said he had a sexual interest in children and stated he was 63 years old, he was called Joe and claimed to have come originally from Ireland but was now living in Preston.

He told her he wanted to meet her children and promised to bring KY jelly, some of which was later found in his car.

During sentencing on Monday, Judge Simon James told him: “It is clear that you are an individual who is sexually attracted to children.

“That’s abundantly clear by the large amount of images you had depicting sexual abuse which were found in your car, including images depicting the rape of children as young as two years old.

“It is clear that you made efforts to act out your fantasies, by arranging to meet a mother of three children with the intent of having sex with them.

“What is also clear is that you had no idea that the person you were talking with was an undercover officer.

“You intended to subject those children to a whole catalogue of abuse.”

Mr Stevenson, prosecuting, said that Shanks had contacted a covert investigator on line, who was posing as the mother of three fictitious children.

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Not on official sex offenders register. A hardworking McDonald's staff member lived a secret double life as a burglar breaking into houses to steal womens underwear. John Junior Sillah worked at the fast food restaurant in Mold during the day and was valued there. But once he had had a drink, he was unable to control his urges and twice broke into one womans house to steal her knickers in order to satisfy his fetish. In between two of the break-ins, he sent the terrified woman a Facebook friend request. He had first broken into one womans home in April last year, but went back again on Christmas Day and stole more. On the same day, he burgled other homes in Mold . One young woman had been out when he rifled through her knicker drawer. Along the same road, at around 2.20am on Christmas morning, a man was awoken by Sillah standing at the foot of his bed. Sillah fled with the mans coat. At Caernarfon crown court today, his defence barrister Oliver King described him as not a conventional burglar, and argued for a novel approach to sentencing him. He said: He seems to have led a double life working at McDonalds at Mold during the day and hes valued there, yet he has this fetish. When he has a drink, it disinhibits him. Psychiatric reports found Sillah had a mental disorder which could be controlled when he was sober. Judge David Hale, sentencing Sillah, said it seemed that he had this compulsion to steal underwear. Sillah pleaded guilty to four burglaries and one attempted burglary. A 2012 offence was also taken into consideration. Judge Hale told him: These offences are far too serious for me to look to any non-custodial option. He jailed Sillah, 20, of Mornington Crescent in Buckley, for two-and-a-half years.

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A 27-year-old former teacher who worked at a primary school in Potters Bar has been jailed for six years in relation to inciting children to send indecent images of themselves to him via social media.

Nicholas Taylor, of Barnet, was sentenced at a St Albans court today (Wednesday March 22) after earlier pleading guilty to a series of internet-related offences.

The sentence follows a long investigation by Hertfordshire Constabularys Joint Child Protection & Investigation Team into the offences committed by Taylor.

Between October 2014 and October 2015, while working as a teacher, he incited girls to engage in sexual activity and was involved in the making and distribution of indecent photographs of children.

Under the alias Jackson_Law2002, he had made contact with a number of children through a chat group on Instagram. After befriending them initially, he then bullied and manipulated them into sending him indecent images of themselves.

The children were aged between 10 and 15 at the time of the offences and attended the same school or were involved in a Girl Guiding group in London.

Officers identified all of the children involved and contacted each victim and their family directly to investigate Taylor and provide specialist support.

The investigation revealed no evidence of offences relating to direct physical contact with children.

Detective Inspector Chris Treadwell said: This was a long and complex investigation which involved the examination of more than 30 different phones, computers and other devices owned by Nicholas Taylor.

Taylor went online to contact children for his own sexual gratification. Using a false identity he bullied and manipulated them into sending him images with despicable threats and intimidation. He also deceived his colleagues and fellow volunteers.

I would like to thank the victims and their families for their support during this investigation.

Clearly it has been a harrowing experience for them, but I hope this sentence brings some sort of closure on this difficult chapter in their lives.

Taylor admitted six counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, and one count of distributing indecent photographs of a child. He was given a six year custodial sentence by a judge sitting at St Albans Magistrates Court today.

Advice for children and young people about going online safely is available on Hertfordshire Constabularys website here

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A pervert has been jailed after being caught with child abuse images during a visit to the Lake District.

Craig Johnson, from Manor Chare, Newcastle, was arrested by police while on an overnight stay in Keswick last summer.

Using a police warrant, officers raided the address where Johnson was staying on July 6 and found sick images of child abuse on his electronic devices.

The 29-year-old has now been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing child sex abuse images.

Johnson admitted possessing indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent images of children.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing an extreme pornographic image involving sexual activity by a person with a horse.

A judge at Carlisle Crown Court sentenced Johnson to two-and-a-half years in prison on Friday.

Johnson has also been placed on the sexual offenders’ register indefinitely and received a sexual harm prevention order.

Detective inspector Jenny Beattie, of Cumbria Police, said: “I am pleased that Johnson has been brought before the courts to answer for his actions.

“Every indecent image of child means that somewhere a child has been a victim of abuse.

“There is no excuse for accessing or sharing these type of images and we will continue to work hard to bring those that do so to justice in order to protect children.”

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A man who threatened, slapped and strangled a woman during a horrific sex attack has been jailed.

Nyasha Malvern Makunike, 26, of no fixed address, subjected his victim to the brutal attack in August 2016.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard his victim walked into a shop in Bury with her two young children in a distressed state.

She asked the shopkeeper to call police after she was violently raped by an attacker in the early hours of the previous day.

During a police interview the woman said she was strangled during the sickening attack.

Makunike also threatened the woman and slapped her.

He was found guilty of two counts of rape, actual bodily harm, sexual assault and nine other counts of assault and harassment.

Makunike will also be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Det Con Dave Looby, of GMP’s Bury borough, said: “Makunike subjected his victim to what can only be described as a brutal attack which left her terrified and fearing for her life.

“The courage that she has shown in coming forward and helping police take this dangerous man off the streets of Bury is nothing short of tremendous.

“I hope the sentence passed here today will bring her some comfort knowing that her attacker has been brought to justice.”

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A Carlisle dad-of-three has been jailed for three years after admitting having sex with a teenage girl.

Jack Stanley Mitchell, 27, was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today after pleading guilty to four counts of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Peter Davies heard Mitchell's criminal conduct occurred over a period of several months early last year.

But, while Mitchell had eventually admitted his wrongdoing when brought to court, he had "persistently failed" to admit the offences when questioned by police.

Sentencing him, Judge Davies told the married father-of-three: "There must be custody."

Mitchell, of Abbey Street, was ordered to sign the sex offender' register and will be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults - indefinitely in both cases.

Mitchell was also made subject to the strict terms of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

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A former dinner lady who was spared prison after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child has now been jailed after her original sentence was overturned. Terri Spragg, 35, of Bettesworth Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, was found guilty of seven counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 in December. She originally received a 15-month sentence, suspended for two years. The Court of Appeal has now jailed her for three years. Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP described the original sentence as "unduly lenient" and referred the case to the Court of Appeal. Messages on phone He said Spragg engaged in a series of sexual activities with the victim between 12 August and 1 November 2014, when he was 14. The mother-of-four was caught after the victim's sister discovered messages on his phone, he added. Speaking after the hearing on Thursday, the solicitor general said: "Gaining a child's trust and abusing it in this way is unacceptable. "The original sentence failed to take proper account of the seriousness of the offence and the impact it has had on the victim and his family. "I hope the court's decision to impose an immediate prison sentence sends a clear message to society that such offences will not be tolerated."

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A 64-YEAR-OLD man who drove a barely teenage girl to an isolated wooded area and defiled her has been jailed for 13 years.

Tariq Syed threatened his 13-year-old victim to ensure her silence before offering her mother 15,000 for the family to return to their native Romania.

Judge David Hatton QC said Syed had groomed and terrified his victim during the ordeal, which took place in September 2014.

Father-of-five Syed, of Pemberton Drive, Little Horton, Bradford, had denied charges of rape and perverting the course of justice, but a jury at Bradford Crown Court took less than two hours to find him guilty yesterday.

He was cleared of a charge of causing the girls mother actual bodily harm by attacking her with a knife at the Bradford takeaway where she worked.

During the trial, prosecutor Sharon Beattie said that Syed had befriended the girls family, giving her phones, clothes, and a computer tablet.

Her mother became suspicious but Syed told her he wanted to help as the family were not well off.

The woman confronted the child, telling her she knew the old man, as they called Syed, had collected her from school.

The police were informed when the girl revealed that Syed had forced her to have sex with him.

She was screaming but he said if she did not let him do it, he would kill her and bury her there, Miss Beattie said.

The jury heard that Syeds semen was found on the inside of the girls school trousers after the incident, and Dr Mark Dale said forensic results were in-keeping with the view he had engaged in some kind of sexual activity with her.

Syed told the police the girls mother would do anything for money and blamed her for putting her up to inventing the rape allegation.

He said his semen had already been on the trousers before he gave them to the girl, and asserted he had taken her for an abortion at a clinic in Leeds on the day the rape took place.

Ordering him to register as a sex offender for life, Judge Hatton told Syed: You took a girl barely into her thirteenth year to an isolated location. You defiled her.

You had targeted her for that specific purpose. This offence was a consequence of grooming.

You issued threats of what would become of her unless she kept her silence. You terrified her.

You intimidated her mother by threatening her and offering a significant sum of money to return to Romania to get her and your victim out of the way, anticipating you would thereby get away with it. Well, you have not got away with it.

West Yorkshire Police said the sentencing of Syed had marked a successful conclusion to a lengthy investigation which saw two detectives fly out to Romania in their pursuit of justice.

A spokesman said that when the rape was reported the subsequent investigation was immediately picked up by the Bradford District Safeguarding Unit.

Enquiries quickly established Syed as a suspect and he was arrested a short time later, but he denied the offence and was bailed pending further enquiries.

Syed was arrested again the following month after the victim's family claimed he had offered them money to return to Romania.

He was bailed with conditions not to approach the family and later charged with both offences.

But, just as the trial was due to get underway at court in August last year, the victim and her family returned to Romania unexpectedly.

Concerned that proceedings may not go ahead if the victim and her mother refused to attend court, Detective Constable Charlotte Grose and Detective Sergeant Amanda Middleton flew out to the country to make sure arrangements were in place for them to give evidence via a video link.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard, said: "This case shows the determination and the desire of our detectives to get justice for the victim and her family.

"Syed was an evil man who thought that by throwing money at the family he would get them to drop the case against him.

"We are delighted at the sentence he has received and hope it will give the victim and her family some closure.

"We also hope it will encourage others to report sexual offences to the Bradford District Safeguarding Unit, whose specially trained officers will investigate every report sensitively and thoroughly with the aim of bringing perpetrators to justice."

Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshires Police and Crime Commissioner, added: "I would like to commend the bravery shown by the victim and their family in coming forward to report Syed.

"His crimes were absolutely deplorable and his actions following arrest even more so.

"Tackling child sexual abuse is an absolute priority, as proven by the tireless and dedicated work of West Yorkshire Police in this case.

"I would urge anyone who feels they may have been a victim to come forward and report it to the police. You will be listened to and support will be provided."

Speaking after the sentence, a spokesman for the NSPCC said: Syeds sickening actions will have had a damaging effect on his young victim and her family.

These were calculated attacks involving a disturbing level of grooming on a vulnerable child, and Syeds lack of remorse, coupled with his attempts to evade justice, are deeply shocking.

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Michael Hudson, 55, dressed the youngsters up in sexy clothing and got them to pose for indecent photos at his home in Kirkham, a court heart.

One of the girls said she felt like Madonna when Hudson groomed her and took pictures of her posing and dancing for the camera.

The girls - now in their 30s and 40s - described Hudson as a fun guy who would take them out on day trips and treat them to sweets and pocket money.

But Preston Crown Court heard between 1985 and 1997, Hudson preyed on the little girls so he could sexually abuse them.

He plied them with booze and amyl nitrate, or poppers, to relax them and enable sexual activity.

They each also described being given a pill, which he told them was like Ecstasy and would relax them.

The father-of-two pleaded guilty to indecent assault, administering a drug to enable sexual intercourse, making indecent images and rape.

The court heard the predatory sex beast manipulated situations where he could indecently assault the girls, showing them pornography to normalise sexualise activity.

He even assaulted one of the girls in a lift on a trip to the crisp factory where he worked, while she was visiting with a group of children, the court heard.

Mr Justice Fraser, sentencing, said: Such a trip should have been something a child that age could look forward to and enjoy.

As it is you used it as a further opportunity to abuse her.

Their victim impact statements make harrowing reading. You have caused both these ladies significant harm.

Hudsons first victim - who was a teenager when she was abused by Hudson in the 1980s - said she had lost everything as a result of what had happened to her.

She said: It feels like my life has never begun and at the same time it feels like it is over.

His other victim - who was aged between eight and 11 years old when she was assaulted and raped by Hudson, said she has struggled to form adult relationships and is overprotective of her own children as a result of the abuse she endured.

Mr Justice Fraser said: You engineered situations where you could take advantage of them being in your company to abuse them.

You were a grown adult male when you committed these offences.

The judge gave Hudson, of Queens Crescent, Kirkham, credit for his guilty plea and put him on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

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A PEADOPHILE who met up with an underage girl at Machynlleth train station has been jailed for nine and a half years.

Mark Owen, 49, wept as he was told by a judge on Wednesday that he was a high risk to any girl aged under 16.

Owen met the girl at the towns railway station and kissed and cuddled her.

But Swansea Crown Court heard there was no doubt his plans involved having sexual intercourse with her and even making her pregnant.

Owen, from Caerphilly, was under licence from prison and the subject of a restraining order at the time for previous sexual offences against underage girls.

But, said Judge Peter Heywood, that did not stop him from making contact with the girl over the internet.

Her mother became annoyed to find she had exceeded her mobile telephone messages allowance for the second month running.

She examined the phone and was horrified and alarmed to discover messages her daughter and Owen had swapped.

She sent Owen a message of her own and telephoned him to tell him she would contact the police.

Judge Heywood said Owen had shared more than 1,400 messages or conversations with the girl, including 161 on 26 September 2015, the day he travelled to Machynlleth to meet her.

They included messages, from him to her, reading, I can imagine what it will be like on Saturday. Straight to the woods and well do it in the woods.

We would be at it all night. How many babies would you want, honey?

Sexual intercourse did not take place that day, added Judge Heywood, but it was clear that in the days following, Owen made more arrangements to meet up.

After his arrest he denied contacting the girl at all.

But CCTV cameras had filmed him in Machynlleth even though he had pulled up a hood and put on sunglasses.

Judge Heywood said that even while in jail on remand Owen wrote to the girl asking her to send him photographs of her.

When police spoke to him about that he again denied responsibility, but a handwriting expert could prove he had written the letter.

Owen admitted sexual activity with a girl aged under 16, breaching the terms of his licence from prison and a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard that in 2006 Owen had been made the subject of a community order for sexual activity with three girls aged under 13.

In 2009 he was jailed for five years for sexual activity with a girl aged under 16 and breaching the terms of the previous sentence, with an extended licence period of three years.

Judge Heywood said Owen was clearly a dangerous offender.

Because of the threats he had made against the Machynlleth girl she had become too afraid to leave her home even though she had been told he was in prison.

You are highly predatory and have a deviant interest in young girls, he added.

Owen was jailed for nine and a half years and told he could not even apply for parole until he had served six years and four months.

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A paedophile who got his schoolgirl victim pregnant has been jailed for eight years.

Police discovered the harrowing case while they were investigating Stephen John for child-abuse images offences.

The 29-year-old pervert first met his victim online when she was 12, and by the time she was 15 had persuaded her to meet him in Manchester .

He then abused her at his family home, causing her to become pregnant. Then, while she was pregnant, John boasted to her of having committed a sex crime against a very young child.

Sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Tony Cross QC said that in those conversations with the victim he had displayed his ‘true intent’.

The judge added of the victim: “That child suffered a miscarriage at a home, as a result of your unprotected sex.”

John, of Marshfield Street, Longsight , was jailed after admitting a string of sex crimes including distributing and making indecent images of children. He first came to the attention of police in August 2014, after sharing indecent videos of very young children with other perverts online.

Officers learnt that as well as posting the videos using Skype, John was discussing child abuse with other perpetrators. Questioned by police, John claimed he had left his laptop open at home and that others could have downloaded and distributed the images.

But, while he was on bail for those offences, John carried on downloading images of child abuse. In June last year, police found scores more images on another of his computers. And, while investigating those offences, police uncovered his offences against the schoolgirl.

Judge Cross told him: “The most serious images, some of which you distributed to other like-minded individuals, were of extremely young children, and in the estimation of the police some of these children were little more than babies.

“On June 19 you were arrested again, this time you were in possession of a different device, that demonstrates that you set out, deliberately set out, to accumulate images of the sort which were then found, at a time when were on trust, when you full well, despite your learning difficulties, that the possession of these images was considered to be a serious matter.

“Your offending does not end there, because police discovered by interrogating your computer that you had been in an unlawful liaison with a 15-year-old girl. You knew what her age was because the first tine you met her in a car park she was wearing her school uniform.”

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A pervert told who a horrified mother he "hated paedos but had become one" after confessing to molesting her daughter has been jailed for two years.

Calum Adams, 25, was caught after his nine-year-old victim told her mum he had been repeatedly assaulting her and texting her vile messages.

The girl bravely showed her mother sickening messages he had sent her.

Adams, of East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, first met the girl, who can't be named for legal reasons, when she was aged just four.

However, as time passed he subjected her to numerous sexual assaults.

The terrified victim kept quiet about Adams' twisted behaviour before bravely telling her mum who demanded an explanation.

He sent a text saying: "I hate paedos and now I have become one, I hate myself because of it."

He added "I never meant to do it ` I feel sick" and when he realised the police had been called he wrote "I shouldn't be alive, I am vile, I am a monster."

Adams admitted sexually assaulting the girl between August and October last year and has been jailed at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

He also confessed to intentionally sending his victim messages of a sexual nature.

Sheriff Thomas Millar ordered him to be kept on the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.

Depute fiscal Michael Macintosh said: "He began texting her to ask her to let him touch her saying that she would like it.

"She showed them to her mother who confronted the accused and he made admissions to both touching the complainer and sending the messages and the matter was reported to the police.

"The messages included phrases such as 'trust me you would love it'."

The court heard Adams contacted the girl's mother by text after she confronted him.

Mr Macintosh added: "He said 'I don't blame you for feeling this way and I will go to therapy'.

"The accused added, 'I don't blame you for hating me, I hate paedos and now I have become one, I hate myself because of it'.

Sandy Morrison, defending, said: "It is clear he co-operated fully and there are no matters outstanding and he has no record.

"As a result of these offences, an address will not be provided for him by his family given the nature of the offending.

"These matters are extremely serious and a period of custody will be justifiable although he has been remanded since being arrested in October.

"He is deemed a low risk of re-offending in the future."

Warped Adams has now been disowned by his family.

heriff Millar said: "It is clear from the report that you bitterly regret getting involved in this but you realise the effect these charges can have on those involved.

"You will start to get some assistance while in custody and it will be up to you to see if you still think that the help is necessary when you are released.

"You have recognised the serious nature of the offences and are aware of the consequences of what has to happen to you."