Latest Offenders

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A MAN who raped and sexually abused three young girls was yesterday jailed for 15 years.

Mark Patrick Henderson, 49, gave the girls alcohol and used an element of coercion while carrying out the offences.

But Durham Crown Court heard that after the allegations came to light, in December 2009, Henderson continually refused to accept his guilt and only began to make admissions on the day of his scheduled trial, last month.

Julie Clemitson, prosecuting, said each of his victims had to brace themselves to come to court to give evidence, while one witness was even flown from the US for the trial.

But over the course of two days, Henderson finally came clean and admitted a total of 11 charges, including three of rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault.

He was remanded in custody pending preparation of reports by the Probation Service.

Henderson, of Bishopton Lane, Stockton, who was previously from north-west Durham, was brought back to court for sentence, yesterday.

Aspects of the victim impact statements were outlined to the hearing, reflecting the long-lasting effect his abuse has had on his victims.

Robert Mochrie, for Henderson, who is of previous good character, told the court: “He’s a man of few words and often struggles to get his message across.

“There’s very little a person in his position can do to say how sorry they are. Perhaps the most they can do is to admit the offences and he did that, albeit at the foot of the door.

“He made blanket denials to police in interview and he’s been at pains to find courage to admit to his wife what he did.

“As long as he could, perhaps rather foolishly, he deluded his partner into what he maintained was the truth.”

Imposing the sentence, Judge Christopher Prince said it would have been 17 years if Henderson had not made his eventual admissions.

Henderson will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A former policeman who committed a string of sex offences against children, including one in Warwickshire, has been jailed for life after a judge described him as "every parent's worst nightmare".

A former policeman who committed a string of sex offences against children, including one in Warwickshire, has been jailed for life after a judge described him as "every parent's worst nightmare".

Daniel Lishman used jobs as a mobile dog-groomer and a TV licensing officer to help him carry out at least eight offences and also posed as a policeman to indecently assault two young girls, Coventry Crown Court heard.

The serial paedophile was arrested in April last year after attacking a 12-year-old girl while pretending to check on a boiler at an address in Southam, Warwickshire.

Judge Peter Carr ordered the 37-year-old, of Raunds, Northamptonshire, to serve at least 11 years before he can be considered for parole.

Lishman was convicted at previous hearings of a total of 26 counts and asked for four others to be considered.

The charges, including one of rape and 12 of sexual assault, related to a total of 13 victims, including three with disabilities or learning difficulties, as well as hundreds of indecent images of children.

Judge Carr was told that Lishman, who served with Northamptonshire Police between 1995 and 2002, was linked to a string of offences in Northamptonshire, separate from the Warwickshire case, after detectives who arrested him found a camera memory card hidden in one of his socks.

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A joke shop owner who filmed himself sexually abusing children has been jailed indefinitely. Police discovered the vile images after seizing David Slaters computers when they received a tip-off that he had been downloading indecent pictures of children from the internet. The court was told one of his victims called him Santa Claus. Slater, 60, former owner of the Loony Bin, Armley, Leeds, abused a boy and a girl in his shop as well as at his home nearby. After his arrest was reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post, a third victim came forward saying Slater had abused her several years earlier. Slater, of Edinburgh Place, Armley, was yesterday jailed indefinitely after a judge heard he posed a significant risk to children in the future. A psychiatric report said Slater was likely to prey on children again if he is ever released from prison. After the hearing, Det Con Pam Gillings, of West Yorkshire Polices abusive images unit, said: David Slater is a dangerous committed paedophile who has used his position in the community to gain access to vulnerable children in order to abuse them for his own sexual gratification. Richard Clews, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court police received intelligence in March last year that Slater had been downloading child porn. Computers at his business and home were seized which contained around 10,000 images. Some included pictures and films of Slater with a boy and a girl, both under the age of 13. Officers then traced the youngsters. The boy had been given money by Slater and on one occasion was given cider to drink which made him tipsy. Mr Clews said: The prosecution submit that the giving of money and the giving of drink was the defendant grooming the boy for sexual activity, After his arrest Slater told officers he didnt think his behaviour had been inappropriate and that he thought it was just fun. The third victim later came forward and told officers how Slater abused her on at least three occasions. Mr Clews added: At that stage he had a white beard and she called him Santa Claus. Of course, he was very far indeed from the reality of Santa Claus. Slater pleaded guilty to 18 counts relating to possession of child porn and seven relating to sex assaults on children under the age of 13. Stephen Smithson, mitigating, said both psychiatric and pre sentence reports had recommended Slater be jailed indefinitely after judging him to pose a significant risk to the public in the future. Mr Smithson asked that Slater be given credit for pleading guilty to the offences at the earliest opportunity. Judge Roger Ibbotson told Slater he must serve a minimum of five years in prison before he is eligible to apply to the parole board for release. He said: You show no remorse whatsoever or any indication that you begin to understand the effect of your conduct on these children. If you ever leave prison you will leave with absolutely nothing, having lost you assets and other possessions as a result of these proceedings. It is clear that a very long period of imprisonment is necessary.

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A teacher who was caught with dozens of indecent images of children on his computer has escaped jail.

Philip Scott of Blackhorse Drove, near Littleport, admitted 10 counts of making and possessing indecent images of children, as well as two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images involving adult women.

At Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday Judge Gareth Hawkesworth stopped short of sending Scott to jail and instead handed him an eight-month suspended sentence and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years

Police raided the 44-year-old's home in January after receiving a tip-off from police in Lincolnshire who had been monitoring activity on a website, the court was told.

When police arrived, Scott fainted with shock and had to be aided by officers while a computer and CDs were seized.

Police later discovered dozens of images of children on the computer ranging from more than 60 images at level one right through to two images at level four on the Copine scale, a measure used to grade the severity of the images. Level five images are judged the worst kind.

Until his arrest, Scott had been a history teacher at Springwood High School in King's Lynn but he was suspended from his post after charges were brought by police and sacked last August, after he entered a guilty plea.

Summing up, Judge Hawkesworth, said: 'The gravity of these offences is such that by providing a market for such images you are directly contributing to the effect upon children who are forced into such activity. You are also contributing to grossly violent behaviour so far as mature women are concerned.

'It is a real tragedy that you have squandered your own career by behaving in this way and in a way which you knew was wrong.'

Shortly after being arrested in January, Scott attempted to take his own life by overdosing on pills and drink and confessed what he had done in a letter written to his mother.

Dylan Moses, in mitigation, said: 'He is a man of previous good character and a very good teacher and part of the shame in this is that he will not be able to resume his job as a teacher.'

As part of his sentence, it was also ruled that Scott would be forbidden from working with children under the age of 16 and must complete an internet sex offenders course.

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Living in Cardiff area since release.

A serial rapist who used his minimum experience as a soldier to seduce women has been jailed indefinitely.

Tyrone Clarke, of Hengoed, Caerphilly county, was convicted of 10 charges including rape, false imprisonment, causing actual bodily harm and kidnap.

The court heard he had dropped out of the Royal Marines after nine weeks.

The 36-year-old was given an indefinite sentence at Cardiff Crown Court but must serve at least seven years behind bars before being assessed for parole.

The Recorder of Cardiff, Nicholas Cooke QC, told Clarke: "I find you to be an extremely callous and devious threat to women.

"You will continue to present a risk of grave sexual, physical and psychological harm to women for a very long period."

The former nightclub doorman chatted up women with stories about his supposed 12 years in the Marines and going on missions with the SAS.

He attacked four women after warning he could kill them with his bare hands from his military training.

Prosecutor Greg Taylor QC said: "The fact is he was obsessed with the Marines but had never seen active service.

"He did some Marines basic training in Plymouth but requested to leave before the demanding training began.

"He told one woman he used to be 6ft tall but lost four inches in height after jumping out of a plane.

"He said he had weapons and knew how to hurt people and make them disappear.

"He held one woman by the throat, telling her: 'I've spent 12 years in the Marines and I'm trained - I could squeeze you and you would be dead'."

Weapons hidden

One 18-year-old woman reported Clarke to police and then other victims came forward.

One rape victim said he told her there were weapons hidden in the garden.

"I thought it would be guns and military things. I did believe it - I never looked," she said.

She said she had a "whirlwind" romance with Clarke but he would later interrogate her about sleeping with other men.

Mr Taylor said: "Clarke impressed women by appearing caring and understanding, before intimidating and controlling them.

"Rape is not always committed by a hooded man jumping out of the bushes - Clarke is a serial rapist."

Greg Bull, defending, said: "Being in prison away from women is not his problem. His problem will be when he comes back into society."

After the hearing CPS Gwent sexual offences specialist, Kath Coleman, said: "Tyrone Clarke subjected his victims to degrading attacks which left devastating emotional scars as well as physical ones.

"He used intimidation and bullying to get his own way and was ruthless in the way he his exploited his victims.

"We want to send out a clear message that CPS Gwent and Gwent police will do everything in our power to bring violent sexual offenders to justice."

The jury failed to reach verdicts in respect of five further charges against Clarke, and CPS Gwent confirmed that it would not be seeking a retrial.

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 A LABOURER who raped a woman at her Chesham home as a child slept in the next door room has been jailed for five years.

Christopher Hines-Randall, 23, was today sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court for rape and actual bodily harm, which were committed in November 2008.

A jury found him guilty of the offences on August 23.

The judge said he has “a worrying history of violence” and the rape was aggravated by the fact a child was asleep in a next door room.

The court heard Hines-Randall, of Chalk Hill, Chesham, has no previous convictions, but has previously been cautioned by police.

His Honour Judge Moss sentenced him to five years in prison for rape, and nine months for ABH, to run concurrently.

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A married deputy head teacher was today jailed for seven years for encouraging and watching the rape of a three-year-old girl.

Respected Patrick Lennon had taught for decades at the all girl Greenbank High School in Southport, Merseyside, where he was a regarded as a 'pillar of society'.

But he had secretly struck up a friendship with two other paedophiles, Joseph John Hawley, 38, and Phillip Skitt, 54.

On November 16 2008, the disgraced teacher and Skitt, Wigan, watched on webcams as Hawley raped the little girl and broadcast it over the internet.

The duo encouraged Hawley, of Boundary Street, Bolton, by sending him chat room messages.

A transcript of the trio's conversation during the abuse was read to Liverpool Crown Court.

Hawley can be heard saying it was a 'pity' the others were not there 'to help me play'.

At the end of the abuse the disgraced teacher and father of two described the attack as 'awesome'.

When he was interviewed on September 2 last year, Lennon refused to answer detectives' questions.

Forensics experts found more than 500 indecent images on his computer.

During interviews on March 23 this year, he admitted pretending to be a 14-year-old girl, Paula Jones, when online, and using the webname Stargazer in his chats with Hawley and Skitt, who knew his real identity.

When asked about the chat logs from the little girl's rape, he pretended it was all fantasy.

Police were alerted to the paedophile by investigators in Canada.

In December 2006 the authorities arrested a man who had traded sick images of children across the Atlantic with Lennon.

They tracked an email account, [email protected], to him.

Merseyside Police detectives raided the teacher's home in Crosby, Merseyside, in September last year and he was arrested.

A trawl of his computer revealed his horrific encounters with Skitt and Hawley.

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A sex offender has been fined after he admitted failing to tell police where he was living.

Edwin Eddie Toop, 52, is required to visit his nearest police station at least once a year to tell police of his whereabouts, Aldershot magistrates heard on Thursday, September 9.

But this year Toop failed to inform police where he was living in Farnborough putting him in breach of the terms of his notification requirements on the sex offenders register.

Toop was jailed for five years in 2006 after he was convicted of two counts of causing a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity, after a trial at Reading Crown Court.

He had forced his victim to perform sex acts on him on at least two occasions.

Toop had worked as a bus driver in Reading and was on sick leave when the offences happened after he was attacked when a gang threw acid into his eyes.

However his employer, Reading Buses, was criticised for allowing him to continue driving buses for a year after the allegations were made against him.

David Renwick, prosecuting, told magistrates Toop had last told police where he was living, his current address in Curly Bridge Close, Farnborough, on August 17, last year.

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A Taunton sex offender is back behind bars after being found with a 13-year-old boy - just three days after being released from prison. Police arrested 44-year-old Graham Brown (pictured) on January 28, after finding him with a boy in a pub in Taunton. When Brown was released from Exeter Prison on January 25, having served a five-year sentence for breaching a Sexual Offender Prevention Order, police placed a series of restrictions to stop him associating with children, and kept a close watch on him. A police spokesman said: Mr Brown has been the subject of detailed discussions under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements, with partner agencies including police, the probation service, local authorities and prison service involved. Brown's history was such that there were serious concerns among the MAPPA partners that he might present a considerable risk to the community. The Crown Prosecution Service told the County Gazette that Brown had an extensive list of previous convictions, including 14 sexual offences between 1981 and 2005, most of them involving indecent exposure or gross indecency. Chief Superintendent Daimon Tilley said: "We put into place a number of arrangements in time for Mr Brown's release, in order to minimise the risk to other people. "It was as a result of some excellent police and probation work that Mr Brown was arrested and put back before the courts." At Taunton Crown Court on Friday, Brown was jailed for 32 months for breaching his SOPO by being in contact with the child.

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A SEXUAL predator who abused his position as a youth leader to groom teenage boys has been jailed for four years.

Former firefighter and cadet leader David Ross Gittins, 25, of Windmill, in Pentre Halkyn, Holywell, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Thursday (September 16).

His victims were primarily male teenage fire cadets aged between 15 and 16 from Cheshire, whom he befriended during fire cadet meetings.

He bombarded them with requests for explicit images through social networking, instant messaging and webcam sessions.

Ironically, as part of his cadet leader training, Gittins had attended a child protection course to safeguard the youngsters against sexual grooming.

He had taken part in this training during the summer of 2009, just prior to taking a role as a full-time firefighter.

Gittins first target was a female cadet, who he begged to have sex with him, despite her reminders that she was only 14.

Again, he repeatedly asked her to send him explicit photographs of herself but also confessed to her that he thought he was a closet homosexual.

After that, he struck up friendships with a number of boys aged between 15 and 16, though he later claimed that he thought the boys were all 16.

On a number of occasions, he invited the boys to his house, where he would ply them with alcohol, tell them he loved them and encourage them to engage in sexual activity, which was then photographed using a mobile phone.

These photographs were then shown to the boys peers in a bid to normalise the behaviour and recruit more victims.

Police later found 155 indecent images on his computer.

These mostly involved the male cadets, but included pictures where he had superimposed the face of a 16-year-old who he knew only from Facebook onto an explicit image.

Police also found copies of conversations with a 16-year-old boy who was not a fire cadet, but to whom he had sent images.

Prosecuting, Owen Edwards said: He is a sexual predator and these boys have been left stressed and confused as a result of his behaviour.

The pictures were used to show the next in line to encourage them to do the same.

He has abused a position of trust as their instructor for his own sexual purposes.

Mary McKeone, defending, said: It is wholly inappropriate and unacceptable as well as criminal, but his behaviour was misguided as opposed to predatory.

There was no intimidation or coertion involved, and the period of offending was short-lived.

It was inevitable that he would be discovered because of the lack of sophistication involved. It was only a matter a time before it was detected.

Judge Elgan Edwards said that Gittins conduct has been quite disgraceful.

Sentencing Gittins to four years imprisonment, he added: Your behaviour is a gross breach of trust. You were, in my view, a sexual predator, using your position in an honourable profession to further your own sexual, lustful excitement.

People like you must know that if you behave in this way towards young and vulnerable people, you must accept that an immediate custodial sentence is inevitable.

This has had a devastating effect on them and their families.

This is a sentence that you richly deserve.

As well as a custodial sentence, Gittins will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

He is banned from using a computer or accessing the internet except for during the course of his work; using file sharing or peer to peer software; using social networking and instant messaging; inviting anyone under the age of 18 into his home without a parent or guardian present; having contact with any of the complainants.

The order also imposes a lifetime ban on working with children.

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A PAEDOPHILE who has been on the run for six years has been arrested by officers in Salisbury.

James Andrew, 66, who is from Downton and was previously known as Keith Vincent, had been wanted by police for failing to comply with his requirements on the Sex Offenders Register.

He was arrested by officers at Salisbury Police Station on Tuesday morning.

Later the same day he was charged with five counts of making indecent photographs, one count of possessing indecent images and three counts of failing to comply with notification requirements while on the Sex Offenders Register.

He appeared at Salisbury Magistrates Court yesterday and was remanded in custody to appear back at Salisbury Magistrates Court on September 2.

James Andrew was placed on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre’s Most Wanted website in March.

DS Kevin Rowles from the Wiltshire Police public protection department said: “Appropriate management on sex offenders is vital for the on-going protection of society.

“In Wiltshire 97 per cent of all registered sex offenders comply with their conditions and do not abscond but on rare occasions, such as this, a sex offender does abscond and Wiltshire Police, working closely with CEOP and other partner agencies, does everything possible in order to apprehend them even when they are believed to have travelled abroad.”

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A PAEDOPHILE caught with an enormous haul of child porn told police he felt SORRY for the young victims in them.

Hugh Caldwells stash of almost 65,000 pictures and videos included more than 130 rated as the most sickening type.

The 31-year-old was caught when cops acting off a tip off raided his parents home in Perth.

Fiscal depute Alan Kempton told Perth Sheriff Court: The police told him the visit was in relation to indecent images and he replied: Yes, that will be me.

He admitted images of children would be found on his computer. The bulk were at level one, but 131 images and one video were at level five.

Caldwell told police: I wish none of this had ever happened. I am very sorry for the people in the photos and for the people I have let down.

He admitted downloading the sickening images regularly over six years until last October.

Sheriff Robert McCreadie placed Caldwell, who has no previous convictions, on the sex offenders register and deferred sentence for reports. He was bailed.

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A FORMER village bobby has been found guilty of sexually abusing two teenage boys while working for Hamp-shire police.

Gordon Hunter showed no emotion as jurors convicted him on all 14 charges he faced, which included gross indecency with a child and attempted buggery.

As the guilty verdicts were read out, one woman in the public gallery, believed to be a member of one of the victims’ families, said: “Yes.”

The court heard that Hunter and his wife, Gill, had tried to commit suicide just days ago.

Winchester Crown Court was told that the couple, who had been married for 40 years, made the attempt at their home in Dene Way, Ashurst, on Thursday. It is understood paramedics took the couple to hospital with undisclosed injuries.

Hunter was absent from court on Friday and Monday but was in court yesterday to hear the unanimous guilty verdicts read out after the jury had deliberated for six-and-a-half hours.

Judge Andrew Barnett lifted a court order banning publication of the joint suicide bid following the verdict.

Hunter’s son, brother-in-law and friends were in the public gallery to hear the verdicts read out. Mrs Hunter, who had been present during the trial, was absent for the sentencing but has since been released from hospital.

Judge Andrew Barnett remanded Hunter in custody for his own safety until he is sentenced next month.

He told him: “You have been convicted by the jury of 14 extremely serious offences against young teenage boys.

“Be under no illusion that the inevitable sentence is one of imprisonment and you must prepare yourself for that.

“Bearing in mind your safety after you and your wife were involved in a suicide attempt I have to consider your well-being and I have to remand you in custody.”

During the five-day trial the court heard how Hunter had abused the boys in separate areas of the county between 1987 and 1998.

It was while working as a village policeman that Hunter abused the first boy, inviting him into his home to take part in a variety of sex acts.

The offences began with a boy, who was 11 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, when Hunter was the village policeman in Whitchurch in the north of the county between 1983 and 1992.

The court heard how many of the offences took place at Hunter’s family home, some in his marital bed.

Jurors were told that Hunter then moved to Ashurst in the New Forest in 1992 and in 1995 began to target another boy, who also cannot be named for legal reasons.

Hunter retired from Hampshire police as a police constable in 2002 but continued in a variety of support staff roles including a detention officer in Eastleigh.

He retired from a support staff role at Lyndhurst at the beginning of October 2009 before being arrested later that month. The investigation has been led by officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s professional standards department.

Hunter, who had denied all the charges, was put on the sex offender’s register.

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SENTENCE on a 40 year old man who exposed his penis and masturbated in a Shetland swimming pool was deferred for reports when he appeared before Lerwick Sheriff Court, on Wednesday.

Mohamed Nurul Haque, of 23 Crane House, Verwood, Dorset, pled guilty to a charge of public indecency at the Clickimin Leisure Complex on 27 April 2010.

The court heard that Haque had been alone in the steam room when he started masturbating himself.

He was seen through a glass door by two receptionists who alerted a male member of staff who asked him to leave.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that Haque had told the police he had been attempting to alleviate pain for a sensitive condition.

Clearly the intention was to gratify himself, he said, adding that there had been a significant sexual aspect to this.

Sheriff Philipp Mann deferred sentence until 25 August for social enquiry, community service reports as well as a restriction of liberty assessment.

A decision on whether Haque has to be put on the sex offenders register will be made on the day of sentencing.

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A former business partner of England rugby player Rory Underwood has been jailed for possessing indecent pictures of children.

Martyn Helliwell, 49, was found guilty of 16 counts of making and distributing the images at an earlier hearing at Bristol Crown Court.

Helliwell, from Over Stratton in Somerset, was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday.

The former naval officer and magistrate was also placed on the sex offenders register and given a sexual offences prevention order.

'Other opportunists'

Helliwell founded the motivational company UPH in 1999 with another man called John Peters, and 1991 world cup winger Mr Underwood, who gave evidence against Helliwell in the trial.

The court heard that the business had "dissolved in light of the publicity surrounding the case".

Opening the trial, prosecutor Adam Vaitilingham said that just under 1,000 indecent images of children were found on Helliwell's computer when his home was searched in November 2007.

He added that Helliwell did not deny the presence of the images, but claimed "other opportunists" must have put them there.

He also denied perverting the course of justice by asking clients and acquaintances for alibis the prosecution said did not match up.