Latest Offenders

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Three men who lured a 17-year-old into prostitution have been jailed for a combined total of 13 years.

Alistair Spagnoletti, Curtis Walker and Callum Ward were arrested in November 2014 after police attended a house in Rickmansworth and found a missing girl.

Describing it as the worst case of child exploitation ever seen, officers found the girl in a vulnerable state and said the house was littered with sexual paraphernalia including used condoms.

Harrow Crown Court this week heard the investigation uncovered evidence showing the men had been subjecting the victim to significant child sexual exploitation in various locations in Hertfordshire and London.

In March 2016, whilst on bail in relation to this case, Spagnoletti was stopped in a vehicle in Watford with a 15-year-old.

He was issued with a child abduction warning notice that stated if he had anything further to do with this teenager he could be arrested for child abduction.

On two occasions in the weeks following this notice being issued the girl was seen leaving Spagnolettis home address and he was arrested for child abduction.

Alistair Spagnoletti, who is 21 years old and from Williton Road in Luton, was today given six years and eight months in prison for controlling the child sexual exploitation of the first victim and abducting the second.

Curtis Walker, who is 23 years old and from Lord Street, Watford, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for controlling the child sexual exploitation of the first victim.

Callum Ward, who is 19 years old and from The Thrums, Watford, was sentenced to two years in prison for controlling the child sexual exploitation of the first victim.

Detective Sergeant Iain MacPherson from HALO said: This is one of the most damaging cases of child sexual exploitation we have encountered in Hertfordshire.

It has also been an extremely complex case. These men had groomed their 17-year-old victim into having sex with men for money which they took, she believed that by providing her with food, drink, drugs, they were looking after her and they were people she could trust.

"The power they wielded over her was so great that she felt she could not support police action against them.

"Sadly may never recover from what they have done to her.

Spagnoletti was also charged with the offence of abduction and I am in no doubt that he would have gone on to sexually exploit this victim had officers not intervened.

These acts are deplorable and I am in no doubt these men pose a risk to other children. It is right they are now serving time in prison.

He added: One of the elements of Child Sexual Exploitation sees the person being groomed to the point where they genuinely believe they are not a victim and therefore can become extremely difficult to bring offenders to justice.

"However, I hope this sends a clear message to those involved in these disgusting crimes that in Hertfordshire we will do everything in our power to protect young people and to bring offenders to justice. We do not need a complaint from a victim in order to prosecute.

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A Catholic priest and former children’s home worker has been jailed for 12 years after admitting the sexual abuse of 13 children dating back to the 1970s.

Philip Temple, 66, was sentenced at Woolwich crown court after pleading guilty to 20 charges of sexual assault in April and a further seven charges this week.

Temple twice stood trial in the late 1990s. In the first case the jury was unable to reach a verdict and Temple was acquitted in a retrial.

Before passing sentence on Wednesday, the judge, Christopher Hehir, apologised to one of Temple’s victims that “justice was not done when you came to court in 1998 and 1999”.

The court heard that the victim had become a self-harming recluse and had attempted suicide following the trials.

“I can only imagine the damage he has caused to other victims. We can never escape from what he did and we can never be free of it,” the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court. Temple was “an extremely skilled liar and manipulator with sociopathic qualities”, the victim added.

The judge said there had been another missed opportunity to bring Temple to justice when the youngest known victim, who was six or seven when abused by Temple when he worked for Wandsworth council in south London, began civil proceedings against the council in 1991.

According to Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, the civil case “appeared to be settled with no payment” and police did not investigate when the victim reported the alleged abuse four years later.

Temple sexually assaulted boys and one girl when working for Wandsworth and Lambeth councils in the 1970s. He became a priest in 1988 and abused two altar boys while serving at Christ the King monastery, Vita Et Pax in Cockfosters, north London, in the 1990s.

The judge said he viewed Temple’s move to become ordained as a Catholic priest as an “aggravating factor”.

Hehir said: “You of course exploited the opportunities your deceit as to your character had afforded you, not only by sexually abusing children but, as a priest, by lying on oath to deny the truthful accusations brought against you by one of your victims.

“Your actions as a priest demonstrated that in truth you were a wolf in shepherd’s clothing.”

Detectives from the Metropolitan police’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse (SOECA) command launched an investigation after receiving information that implicated Temple in multiple offences. He was arrested on 6 July last year.

Lambeth council said it was cooperating with the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA). “We hope the outcome provides some solace to the victims of these dreadful crimes,” said a spokesman.

In a statement, the diocese of Westminster said it was “aware of the sentencing of Philip Temple, a member of the Monte Oliveto Benedictine order. The diocese has fully cooperated with the statutory authorities throughout the investigation.”

The statement added: “The diocese of Westminster has robust safeguarding policies in place and rigorous selection procedures for candidates for the priesthood.”

Temple, of no fixed address, also admitted two counts of perjury relating to his earlier trials.

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A Birmingham rapist, who told two girls that his sick assaults were their secret so he could continue to sexually abuse them, has been jailed for 16 years.

Paedophile Dwayne Kesto, of Parkfield Avenue, Harborne, assaulted the girls over a number of years.

The 40-year-olds reign of terror continued until one of them confided in a teacher.

As soon as he had been exposed, Kesto went on the run for three years, but he was eventually snared by police in March.

Kesto was convicted of the non-recent offences at Wolverhampton Crown Court after an eight-day trial and was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to the lengthy prison term.

Det Sgt Jayne Killoch, of West Midlands Police Public Protection Unit, said: Kesto told the girls it was their secret, so that he could continue his predatory behaviour.

Kesto evaded arrest for three years, but we caught up with him in March and he was remanded into custody while a meticulous investigation was carried out.

He will be deported to Jamaica upon his release from prison.

Det Sgt Killoch added: Both girls gave evidence in court, acting with dignity and courage throughout the trial and I commend their bravery.

I hope that seeing their abuser brought to justice goes some way to help them overcome the nightmare they must surely have suffered.

I hope that their story helps other young girls find the courage to report abuse, even if it happened many years ago.

We have specially trained officers who can help survivors of sexual assault through every step of the process, from initial reporting to the court procedure.

We work with a raft of other agencies who also provide support and comfort.

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A man who sexually assaulted women while they slept has  been jailed.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Justin Lovell was sentenced to seven in prison for the rape of two victims and the sexual assault of another at various addresses across the Capital.

Officers from the city’s Public Protection Unit initially began their investigation into 25-year-old Lovell after a 19-year-old female reported that she woke to find herself being attacked following a party in the west of the city in January 2015.

Further offences were then uncovered after detectives spoke with more women who disclosed similar offences, all of which occurred while they slept, having attended parties.

Lovell was detained on 29th July and was convicted last month.

Detective Constable Richard Johnston from the PPU at Fettes Police Station said: “I would firstly like to thank the women who came forward to report his offences to police.

“Their bravery and continued assistance during our inquiries undoubtedly led to Lovell’s conviction and means he cannot carry out further crimes against women as he serves a custodial sentence.

“Justin Lovell has shown himself to be an opportunistic predator, who targeted woman while they were at their most vulnerable and left them deeply traumatised as a result of these attacks.

“He will now spend several years in prison for his crimes and we would like to assure all survivors of sexual offences that their reports will be handled with the utmost seriousness.

“Whenever such reports are made to us we will investigate thoroughly and work closely with our partners at the Crown Office to bring those responsible to justice and ensure they are removed from our communities.

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31 MAR 2020 Within months of his release the evil pervert tried to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex. Jon Womack was found guilty by a majority verdict of raping a woman at Reading Crown Court in July A 'serious sexual offender' from Southcote has been imprisoned for six years after being convicted of rape. Jon Womack raped a woman in her 30s in Southcote on Wednesday, June 25 in 2014. He was found guilty by a majority verdict of rape at Reading Crown Court on Friday, July 15, following a 10-day trial. The 37-year-old, of Coronation Square, was sentenced at the same court on Friday, August 5. Investigating officer detective Gary Tull said: "Since the incident in June 2014 the emotional impact on the victim has been substantial. "The victim has had to relive the fear and indignity of the assault when recounting her experience in court." He added: "This conviction will help her move on with her life and will protect the public from a serious sexual offender. At the same trial Mr Womack was acquitted of another count of rape and one count of assaulting a female 13 years of age or over by penetration.

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A vicious sex fiend who emotionally controlled three women before raping them has been jailed for 11 years. 

Ryan Kennedy, 29, controlled the women by emotional manipulation and eroded their self confidence before raping them over a seven-year period.

He made one of his victims apologise for 'ruining his fun' after she  'screamed and cried' as he raped her. 

Another traumatised partner was brutally raped her as 'punishment', with Kennedy threatening to hurt her more if she screamed.

A third woman said she submitted to his unwanted sexual advances after he threatened to leave her if she did not have sex with him. 

Kennedy, an office worker from Bristol, smiled as he was led from court after his sentencing at Gloucester Crown Court.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC said: 'The phrase coercive control was coined to describe a situation where one person in a relationship, over a period of time, overshadows and eventually takes over control of the other person.

'The premiere feature is that the victims are made to feel guilty if they don't do as they are told.'

He added: 'Coercive controllers are often highly narcissistic and inevitably selfish.

'If told by other that is how they are viewed, they are always abrupt.

'You are a controller, and like most controllers you pick on members of the opposite sex and those that are vulnerable.'

Kennedy faced 14 charges - including 11 rapes - but after a two-week trial was acquitted of three counts and eight were left to lie on file.

But the jury found him guilty of raping three women between 2008 and last year.

'These rapes took place within the context of what was described as controlling, abusive and manipulative relationships,' prosecutor Fiona Elder said.

She said Kennedy, from Bristol, attacked one woman after she said she did not want to have sex with him, despite her asking him to stop.

Ms Elder said: 'She described herself as screaming and crying during the intercourse.

'She said that it hurt. She asked him to stop.

'He criticised her for ruining his fun and made her apologise to him. She limped off to the bathroom.'

Another woman 'submitted' to his advances when she did not want to have sex after having had surgery.

'She gave the reasons why she did not want to have sex at that time but she said it was a case of submission,' Ms Elder said.

'He threatened to leave her if she did not submit to his sexual advances.'

Kennedy also raped another woman as a punishment, threatening that if she made too much noise he was 'really going to hurt her'.

The court heard the pair initially had a consensual sadomasochistic relationship, but as it progressed it became 'more and more one-sided'.

Ms Elder told the court: 'He used it as a punishment. She can't remember what she had done for him to get angry.

'He engaged in very aggressive intercourse which caused her to bleed.

'She tried not to make too much noise. She was told that if she screamed he was really going to hurt her.'

Defending Kennedy, Dominic Thomas claimed the accused 'misunderstood what was meant by consent'.

He added that his client's sister and grandmother had died while he was in custody, and that he was teaching other prisoners how to read.

Kennedy was sentenced to two terms of four years and one of three years to all run consecutively.

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A ROLLERCOASTER enthusiast who used an online theme parks forum to groom children was finally stopped in his tracks by a "paedo hunter". Andrew Sealey, 39, Milborne Port, Somerset, was today jailed for three years and four months after being caught in a sting. Sealey pleaded guilty at Southampton Crown Court to eight charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and one of attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming. He was arrested after he was caught by Shane Brannigan at Hampshire theme park Paultons Park, which incorporates Peppa Pig World, where he had arranged to meet a 15-year-old "girl" for sex in a toilet cubicle. The group behind the sting are known as 'Not Of Criminal Element', which is run by a man called Shane Brannigan, who confronted him in the car park on May 28 this year. As well as the prison sentence, Judge Peter Henry also made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order and ordered the destruction of his mobile phone and laptop. But he went on to say that relying on self-styled paedophile hunters for criminal prosecutions is "fraught with danger" as he jailed the married pervert who sent sordid sexual texts to three kids he thought were 14-year-olds. The judge said: "I have concerns about these types of stings. "On the one hand I can fully understand the obvious concerns of the public and people who may therefore have been abused. "On the other hand, to rely upon this activity of self-styled paedo hunters as a base for criminal prosecutions is fraught with dangers. "In particular, there is a thin line between someone being entrapped or evidence not being admissible for some reason and a legitimate inquiry." The court heard that Sealey's behaviour had raised concerns with an adult man, Gary Rogers Brennan, with whom he had been in contact with through the theme park forum. After Sealey began chatting about performing sex acts, Mr Rogers Brennan set up a fake profile of a 15-year-old boy he called James. Sealey began sexualised conversations with this fake profile and tried to arrange for the "boy" to meet him at Aldershot Football Club where the defendant worked as a steward but the meeting did not happen. I have concerns about these types of stings. Judge Peter Henry As Mr Rogers Brennan became increasingly concerned, he contacted self-styled "paedo hunter" Shane Brannigan, and created further profiles in the names of Alice and Jilly, who were aged about 14 or 15. During the chats through Facebook Messenger, Sealey would encourage the youngsters to perform sex acts and he sent them pictures of his penis. Simon Edwards, prosecuting, said: "The defendant ran an internet forum on theme parks and it was through that forum he had the ability to chat with people of both genders and all ages and that was the initial point of contact." During his chat with Jilly, the "girl" that he arranged to meet at Paultons Park, Sealey said to her: "I said it's OK you being a virgin and 15, I don't mind." There was never any risk to children at Paultons Park. Rob GriffithsDefence lawyer It was at the theme park entrance that Mr Brannigan confronted Sealey, who had attended with his wife, and he was arrested by police. Rob Griffiths, defending, said Sealey, who had no previous convictions, was "highly over-sexed" but added: "There was never any risk to children at Paultons Park. "There was never any risk to any child because no child turned up or could have turned up."

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A paedophile rapper who groomed schoolgirls on social media before filming himself having sex with them has been jailed for 16 years.

Daniel Rodriguez, also known as Grymey D, used Instagram, Facebook and Blackberry Messenger to contact girls who he invited to his home.

Videos found on devices in his bedroom at his parents' house showed Rodriguez engaging in sex with young girls.

The 28-year-old of Hackney, north London, wore a casual shirt and had his long hair in a plait during the sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday.

Sentencing him for 15 counts, Judge Joanna Greenberg QC said he deliberately targeted young girls in order to carry out "deviant sexual fantasties".

In one encounter, Rodriguez filmed himself having sex with a 14-year-old girl who had arrived at his house wearing her school uniform.

Judge Greenberg told him:

"Your modus operandi makes it clear to me that your desire for them was because they were young girls. Your expressions of remorse ring hollow. You cannot have failed to be aware just how seriously the sexual exploitation of children is dealt with. You do present a significant risk of causing serious psychological harm to young girls."

An spokesman for children's charity the NSPCC said:

"Daniel Rodriguez committed appalling offences towards vulnerable young people, and his deplorable activities have highlighted yet again the dangers young people face online from grooming by predators."

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POLICE have released the picture of an Andover man who was jailed for almost five years for covertly filming young children in an Andover supermarket.

John Fielding pleaded guilty to a number of sexual offences when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 22 July.

The 46-year-old, of Old Winton Road, was sentenced to four years and ten months in prison.

He pleaded guilty four counts of outraging public decency, six counts of making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child, two counts of possessing a prohibited image of a child, two counts of possessing extreme pornography, and three counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

The court heard that Fieldings offending came to light in Friday 27 May, when he was confronted by a customer at the Lidl store in Western Avenue.

The customer had become suspicious of Fieldings behaviour in the store and, with the help of other customers, detained him until police arrived.

A camera pen was found in Fieldings bag.

The court heard that during the subsequent investigation, officers from Hampshire Constabularys Northern Investigations team discovered videos Fielding had covertly filmed children and young people in public places across the South and South West of England using a camera pen or Go Pro camera.

Officers also found thousands of indecent images of children that Fielding had downloaded to his computer from the internet since Friday 29 January.

As well as being sentenced to four years and ten months imprisonment, Fielding received a sexual harm prevention order, until further order.

He was also placed on the sexual offenders register, again until further order.

PC Stephen Court, officer in the case, said: John Fielding is a devious man who used covert methods to film children in public places.

This offending came to light thanks to the actions and bravery of a vigilant member of public who had spotted Fielding acting suspiciously in the Andover Lidl store on May 27.

I would like to place on record my thanks to this customer, and to the other members of the public, who showed bravery and restraint in detaining Fielding in the store until officers arrived.

This investigation and subsequent sentence serves as a reminder that we take the kind of behaviour shown by Fielding very seriously, and strive to bring such offenders to justice.

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Pantomime star Barry Wall, 36, later pleaded guilty to six charges relating to possessing indecent images of children

Parents have questioned why a convicted pervert was allowed to spend time with children while he was under investigation for downloading indecent images of children.

Disgraced Anglesey pantomime star Barry Wall was arrested on suspicion of obtaining the sick images on March 14.

Wall, of Newry Street, then continued to host dance and acting classes in Holyhead.

The 36-year-old claimed the images were on his laptop when he bought it second hand.

However, he pleaded guilty to the charges at Magistrates’ Court in May.

Paul Garden, a foster parent from Holyhead, said he was outraged when he discovered Wall’s disgusting crimes.

He said: “We’re worried because my foster children and granddaughter have drama lessons with this guy.

“I think it’s very worrying, I’m really annoyed.

“We pay for the kids to go (to the lessons).

“They were due to put on a performance but he cancelled it saying they were not ready.

“Perhaps we know the real reason now.”

Another parent, who asked not to be named, said: “He was running a ‘Show on’ drama group in Holyhead for young children, right up until his conviction - even after his guilty plea.

“Disgraceful he was allowed to get away with that.

“I was contacted by him on June 20 to do a disco for the kids for their after show party.

“He only cancelled it last week.”

But Detective Inspector Sion Williams, who heads the paedophile and online investigation team, defended the force’s role while Wall was on bail.

The officer said: “After Mr Wall was charged, he was placed on stringent police bail conditions prior to his first appearance at Holyhead Magistrates’ Court.

“These bail conditions were clearly aimed at restricting any unsupervised access with children.

“North Wales Police did not have any information or intelligence that would have heightened concern that Mr Wall was continuing to interact with children, otherwise appropriate action would have been taken.

“Following his conviction, Mr Wall will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which, again is aimed at curtailing any unfettered access he could have with children in the future.”

Last week Wall told the Daily Post he was “pressured” into pleading guilty by his solicitor - an accusation they have strongly denied.

He also said he plans to move to Liverpool following his conviction.

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A sex monster who repeatedly raped an underage girl leaving her pregnant boasted he was copying his rapist dad, his ex-girlfriend has revealed.

Bethany Hazell was just 15 and 16 when she was sexually assaulted by James Hunt, whose father Neil Hunt was jailed for 12 years for raping a woman on the street.

The supermarket worker, who is currently serving eight years in prison for three attacks on Bethany, now 21,told her: "Dad did it so I have done it now."

Hunt, 21, was jailed in 2013 for the attacks - and raping another woman - after boasting of his crimes to a friend, who was a PCSO.

At the age of 12 he had watched TV reports of the 2007 trial of his dad at Winchester Crown Court , where the jury heard how he sprang from his car, threw the woman to the ground and violently raped her before driving home and slipping into bed beside wife Heather.

Bethany, of Cosham, Portsmouth, is now bringing up three-year-old daughter Teagan-Hope, who she had as a result of the second rape.

She said: "It looks like he is proud that he is like his dad. It's like he thinks it's a cool thing. It just makes me feel so sick. It is disgusting."

Bethany and Hunt met at a district Scouts camp in 2010 when they were both just 15 but things quickly took a sinister turn.

She recalled: "I felt like I was in love with him - that it was going to be forever - but it was only three or four months into the relationship that things got nasty.

"We were arguing about something - I can't remember what - and he went to punch me but at the last second he punched the wall directly beside my head.

"I was scared. Warning bells rang but I just really loved him. He apologised and he seemed genuine about it - it was only once and he didn't actually hit me."

Six months into the relationship Hunt committed the first rape when he demanded sex for the first time and she said she wasn't ready.

He ignored her protests and pinned her down and repeated the crime ten months later.

The third rape happened at her family home when Bethany was 20 weeks pregnant - while her parents were downstairs.

Bethany, who has waived her anonymity, said: "James isn't bothered by what he's done. He was like, 'Oh well, dad did it so I have done it now.'

"He is even using it to flirt with people, in a twisted way.

"I saw a conversation between him and a girl and he said, 'Oh no, you won't be interested in me because I've done a terrible thing.'

"At the time when it was happening he seemed genuinely remorseful but from his comments now, it looks like he is proud that he is like his dad."

Bethany said she lived in constant fear of Hunt's unpredictable mood swings and violent outbursts.

She said: "I was going to a Christmas party once so he hid the dress I was going to wear so I couldn't go. Other times he would hide my purse so I couldn't go out.

"He was quite aggressive some of the time but the rest of the time he could be really nice. He used to get me loads of little presents - things he knew I would like."

Asked why she did not leave Hunt or go to police, she said: "I felt trapped.

"It was scary at the time but at other times he was fine and everything was good so I tried to make it into less of an issue.

"I think I knew he was a bad person but I made the issue into a smaller thing. I was just very naive.

"I thought, 'He does love me. He just gets a bit angry sometimes. I probably wind him up.'"

Bethany said Hunt and his father, who had two other children and was separated from his mother, lost contact in October 2006 when he was arrested for a minor crime.

A DNA check linked him to an unsolved rape from 17 years previously and his mother Helen, now 49, later told him the truth about his father.

Hunt and his father have recently got back in touch and now Hunt's mother - who has forgiven her son - wants them to meet her little girl.

Heather was recently refused access to Bethany's daughter by a court.

Bethany claims Heather has been secretly passing Hunt photos of the little girl and Hunt has written to Bethany from prison cell, begging to see her.

Bethany, who is bringing up her daughter at her parents' home, said she has suffered from post-natal depression, anxiety and PTSD since her relationship with Hunt.

She said: "I find it difficult to trust people. If someone close to you can do something like this, what can someone who doesn't know you do?

"It has ruined my life in a way. I had to grow up so quickly."

Bethany eventually left Hunt in November 2012 when her daughter was a baby because she feared he might turn on the little girl.

He was arrested three months later after boasting of his crimes to a PCSO mate who told his superiors.

He was charged with four counts of rape - three against Bethany and one relating to a second girl.

He pleaded guilty and was jailed for eight years at Portsmouth Crown Court in October 2013.

His father had his sentence reduced on appeal to seven years.

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A 20-year-old rapist has been convicted of sexually abusing two girls, starting when he was just 10.

David Murphy was "aggressive and violent" when assaulting one of the victims.

He eventually raped her, a jury at Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Danny Moore said Murphy, of Le Temple Road, Paddock Wood, would take every opportunity to sexually assault the girls and rape one of them.

His actions demonstrated that he had issues concerning his sexual behaviour.

Murphy threatened one of the girls that if she told anybody about the abuse, the same would happen to one of her relatives.

"He was violent on occasion, unpredictable and seemingly a powerful influence on her," said Mr Moore.

"She was a child and didn't know what to do. She didnt know what to say or how to react" - Prosecutor Danny Moore

Murphy would force her to perform a sex act on him and was "really violent and aggressive".

He would pinch her, leaving marks.

"She was a child and didnt know what to do," said Mr Moore.

"She didnt know what to say or how to react."

After raping her, he made more threats about what would happen if she reported it.

He would strike her chest and bite her lips.

Feeling trapped and isolated, it led to the girl self-harming and even considering suicide.

The girl tried to stop Murphy raping her by saying she was too young for sex, but he still continued.

"She said she would never forget what happened because she was in so much pain and in such a dark place," said Mr Moore.

Murphy also touched the other girl inappropriately.

It was systematic and happened many times.

One of the girls revealed the abuse after a sex education class at school which covered rape.

"It resonated with her," said Mr Moore.

Murphy was convicted of four charges of rape, five of sexual assault and two of assault by penetration.

He was acquitted of one charge of rape and one of sexual assault. He denied all of those charges but admitted one charge of rape and one of sexual assault.

Murphy was granted bail until sentence on August 22.

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A HEREFORD man has been jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of sexual offences against children.

Keith Williams, 55, of Bath Street, was found guilty after trial at Hereford Crown Court of 10 counts of sexual offences against children which included rape and sexual assault.

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AN apprentice mechanic was jailed for three years at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday after being convicted of having under-age sex with two teenage girls. The court heard that 22-year-old Zai Vessey, from Shetland, already had a previous conviction for under-age sex and was on probation when he committed one of the offences. Following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen, Vessey was convicted of having unlawful sex with a 14-year-old girl at a house in Lerwick in 2010 and with a 15-year-old girl in Shetland in 2012. He was cleared of asking the 14-year-old for naked pictures of her and of sending her naked pictures of himself, and of raping the 15-year-old. Judge Johanna Johnston QC told Vessey: You have exploited these young women. One was 14 and the other girl was 15. You committed one of these offences when you had an analagous conviction and were on probation. Had this been a case where you were very much older than these girls I would have taken a very different view. Vessey, who had denied all the charges against him during his trial, was placed on the sex offenders register. The court heard that he had sex with the 14-year-old when he was 17, and with the second girl when he was 19. Solicitor advocate John Keenan said: My client has completed three years of a four year HGV mechanic apprenticeship. His former employer will allow him to complete his apprenticeship when he is released. He will have work available and will live with his family.

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A PAEDOPHILE who was found with nearly a quarter of a million indecent images on his laptop, some of which showed very young children being tortured, was said to be addicted to viewing them. Ross McNaughton was sent to prison for four years after pleading guilty at Winchester Crown Court to six counts relating to making, distributing and possessing the images, some of which showed children as young as one-years-old being abused. The 47-year-old, of Silvester Close, South View, was arrested by police in August last year, and tried to shut down a file sharing programme on his laptop when officers found him in his room. A forensic examiner found McNaughton had searched the internet for child abuse of young children and had made and distributed thousands of the images, some of which were the most serious category A. Prosecutor Sadie Rizzo said: The age of the children are extremely young and there are images showing distress to these children. She told the court that the images were of female children, and that McNaughton viewed them every day between June 2014 and August 2015. The court heard that McNaughton has a history of similar offences and had spent three months in prison for possessing indecent images in August 1997. He last appeared in court in July 2006 for making and possessing indecent images of children, and was given a community rehabilitation order for three years. Defending McNaughton, Adam Norris said: If he is not supervised thats when temptation creeps in. He added: One might say this is something of a compulsion or addiction. Its almost like an addiction to a drug and Mr McNaughton knows that he will never be cured, if cured is the right word. But he must learn to manage it as others do. Mr Norris described McNaughton as having an obsessive personality and said he was addicted to collecting, arranging, filing and storing the indecent images. He told the court: Mr McNaughton is a solitary figure who doesnt interact within the real world. He leads a life that is online. He urged the judge to give credit for the fact McNaughton had been candid about his crimes and suggested he would be vulnerable in prison, asking for a sentence that would allow him to come out of custody and build some sort of life in the community. Mr Norris told the court that McNaughtons 85-year-old mother was in remission from cancer, adding: It would be a tragedy if he served a sentence of such a length that his mother died whilst he was inside. Judge Michael Vere Hodge said he had taken this into consideration but concluded: It simply cant affect the way in which I have to sentence you. He described the number of images as staggeringly high showing child pornography of the worst kind. He added: To watch images of children in distress, being tortured in some, must put this in the worst possible category. The judge sentenced McNaughton to three years in prison for count one making 7,621 category A images; two years for count two possessing 17,944 category B images; one year for count three possessing 227,633 category C images; four years for count four distributing 28,011 category A, B and C images; two years for count five being in possession of 4,223 indecent images with a view to distributing them; and one year for count six being in possession of extreme pornographic images, to run concurrently. He was also issued with a sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.