Latest Offenders

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A transgender woman who failed to disclose her gender status to a male sexual partner has been found guilty of sexual assault today at Teesside Crown Court.

Ciara Watkin, 21, of Walton Street, Stockton-on-Tees, was found guilty of multiple charges relating to sexual acts that she performed on the 21-year old man over a number of days in June 2022. The sexual assault charges were brought after Watkin failed to disclose her transgender status to the man, which meant that he could not have given informed consent to the sexual activity between them.

The court heard how the pair had initially met over Snapchat, exchanging messages over a couple of weeks before meeting at a house in Thornaby. After drinking and chatting, the pair went to the bedroom of the property where Watkin told the defendant that she was on her period, preventing him from touching her below the waist as she performed sexual acts upon him. A few days later, Watkin attended the victim’s home where further sexual activity took place.

Following this, Watkin initially blocked all contact with the man but eventually got back in touch with him, before telling him during an exchange of text messages that she was transgender and that she had male genitalia.

Sarah Nelson, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS North East, said:

“It is clear from the evidence in this case that, prior to engaging in sexual activity with the victim, Watkin had made no attempt to inform him of her transgender status.

“The Crown Prosecution Service has shown that, by failing to disclose this to him, it would not have been possible for him to give informed consent to sexual activity.

“The victim has made clear in police interview that he would not have engaged in sexual activity had he known that Watkin was transgender and, consequently, these events have had a significant impact on his mental wellbeing.

“We hope that he can take some comfort from seeing Watkin convicted for these serious sexual offences today.”

Watkin will be sentenced on 10th October at Teesside Crown Court.

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A man has been jailed for six years for domestic-related offences in Southport.

Aiden Spillane, 44, of Cockleshell Square, Gosport, in Hampshire, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today (Thursday 21 August) after being found guilty of sexual assault and two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour.

Spillane lived in Southport during the time of his offences, which occurred between January 2016 and August 2023.

Detective Constable Rebecca Morgan-Richardson said:

“We are committed to tackling any form of abuse or violence against women or girls.

“I hope this sentence sends out a clear message that we will not tolerate any violence or abuse against women and will use our powers to bring people to justice.

“Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and we have specially trained officers who will listen to you and support you with sensitivity and compassion. I would also ask everyone to look out for your family members, friends or neighbours that may be suffering, by contacting us you could be helping someone who is too afraid to help themselves. Everything you tell us is taken extremely seriously and will be investigated thoroughly."

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A 29-year-old man from Christchurch, Dorset has been jailed for three years and nine months for the rape of a woman in Ringwood.

Joshua Blachford, of Everest Road, pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on Tuesday 12 August.

The incident, for which he has now been imprisoned, took place at an address in the town between Saturday 17 February and Sunday 18 February.

In an emotive Victim Personal Statement read out to the court, the victim recounted how she will never be able to get back the person she once was.

In her statement, she said: “Before I was raped, I was confident. Outgoing. Full of energy and ambition. That version of me feels like a stranger now – someone who was stolen in the space of a single, horrific event.

“My relationship with my own body has changed. I used to be body positive. I liked the way I looked. Now I hide in baggy clothes, desperate not to be seen, not to be noticed, especially by men. Being looked at feels threatening. I no longer feel like a woman – I feel like a target.

“This rape has changed the way I see everything. The world. Myself. My future. And although I’m trying, healing isn’t about “getting back to normal” for me because normal no longer exists.”

She ended her statement by saying, “I’ve had to accept that the person I was will never return. And that’s a grief I carry on top of everything else.”

As well as the time he will now spend behind bars, Blachford has been made subject of a notification of requirement to register with police upon his release from prison.

He must also abide by the conditions of a restraining order, which prevents him from having any contact with the victim.

Detective Constable Emma Kelly, of the Western Amberstone team, said:

“I am so pleased for the victim in this case that justice has now been served for her, and that Blachford has been placed behind bars, where he belongs.

“While I know this result won’t rid the victim of the memories of what Blachford did, I truly hope it allows her to move forward with her life, safe in the knowledge that he can no longer harm anyone else.

“I must place on record my thanks to the victim in this case for her support throughout our investigation. Without her bravery and determination, we would not have been able to achieve this outcome at court.”

On what this sentence might do for other victims, DC Kelly, said:

“I hope it will reassure other victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us, and that detectives on our dedicated Amberstone teams will work tirelessly to secure justice.

“At this point, I would like to encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take allegations of this nature extremely seriously.

“This sentencing should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always thoroughly investigate any report made to us, in our determined effort to bring you before the courts.”

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A child rapist has been jailed for historic sex crimes which took place more than 30 years ago.

Mark French, formerly of Newbourne Gardens in Felixstowe, was jailed for 19 years after previously being found guilty of two counts of rape of a child and 10 counts of indecent assault on children.

French will also spend two years on an extended licence.

The 61-year-old appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, August 14, where he was sentenced following a 13-day trial in May of this year.

The offences took place in the Felixstowe area over a 10-year period and involved two girls.

The allegations first came to light in December 2020, dating back more than 30 years, and French was charged in May 2023.

French was also given a restraining order against both victims and made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Mark French was jailed at Ipswich Crown Court (Image: Suffolk police)

DC Gemma Spink, who was the investigating officer for the case, said:

“No sentence will heal the trauma that French inflicted on his victims, who were children at the time of the offending and who have shown great bravery to come forward to report the crimes against them and see the case to its conclusion.

“I hope this outcome will encourage other victims of non-recent sexual abuse to feel confident about coming forward to police and assure them that they will be listened to by officers.”

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Two women have waived their right to anonymity and encouraged other victims and survivors of rape to seek support.

The man who raped them, 23-year-old Michael Brown was jailed for two counts of rape after he admitted the offences against two former partners.

Following the sentencing, both Chelsea McPherson and Rio Wager waived their right to lifelong anonymity.

Chelsea, aged 22, said:

"Michael, coming forward about what you did to me was the scariest thing I've ever done. I didn't do it for me. I did it to make sure that you would never hurt anyone again. I only wish I came forward earlier."

Rio, also aged 22, said:

"Knowing I was doing the right thing I still felt scared having to talk to the police, but I knew I had to speak out as I could not let him continue to affect me or anyone else and to get away with this. I needed to have some kind of justice."

Brown, of Foundry Rise, Dursley had been in a relationship with one of the women for around a month when he raped her. He took her to a location near his address, and encouraged her to smoke cannabis, which made her feel unwell. Brown ignored her when she told him no, withdrawing any consent, and he raped her.

She visited a Sexual Assault Referral Centre and later chose to support a prosecution. The woman then took part in a video interview with police.

In a separate occasion, Brown had been having consensual sex with another woman he was in a relationship with when she began to feel uncomfortable and repeatedly asked him to stop. He ignored her and then continued to rape her.

The woman reported the incident to a PCSO a couple of weeks later, and she did a video interview with police.

Brown was arrested and interviewed in relation to both offences of rape, which happened in 2021. In police interview he said there had been consensual sex with one of the women, and that he had no recollection of the second incident.

Following an investigation by the Constabulary's Criminal Investigation Department, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges.

Brown pleaded guilty the day before Chelsea was due to provide evidence to the court in a video-recorded cross examination hearing on 14 April this year.

On 14 May Judge Rupert Lowe sentenced Brown to four years in prison, and due to his guilty plea, this was reduced to three years and two months. Brown was told he must serve at least 19 months and he was given a 12-year-restraining order not to contact either Chelsea or Rio. 

Both women, along with the investigating officer and their support advocates, wrote to the Attorney General's Office to request the sentence be referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. However, this was not successful. 

After the sentencing, Rio said she wanted to waive her anonymity as she felt she should not have to hide due to someone else’s actions.

She said:

"For a week I sat there and thought what has just happened to me, who do I tell as this will make it even more real. I had to gain the courage to speak out and eventually I managed to talk to the woman that I was staying with at the time.

"Knowing I was doing the right thing I still felt scared having to talk to the police, but I knew I had to speak out as I could not let him continue to affect me or anyone else and to get away with this. I needed to have some kind of justice. 

"I find it difficult to describe my anxiety as this makes me feel low, vulnerable, and fearful. I’m unable to sleep at night due to the nightmares, flashbacks and triggers; leaving me with the trauma of reliving the events every day of my life.

"I would say to anyone who wants to report something to be mindful that the sentence might not turn out how you would hope, but that shouldn't stop you from reporting. If you report, you can also stop it from happening to someone else and that is one step closer to protecting others.

"I wanted to waive my anonymity as I did nothing wrong. I should not have to hide, and other victims and survivors should not have to hide either. Remember it is not your fault, nothing is your fault, and you do not have to hide away."

After the sentencing, Chelsea said she came forward and reported what Brown had done to her as she did not want him to hurt anyone else.

Chelsea said:

"Michael, coming forward about what you did to me was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t do it for me. I did it to make sure that you would never hurt anyone again. I only wish I came forward earlier. 

"I don’t care for your apologies, if you are even remorseful. The damage is done.

"Although I feel the outcome didn’t fit the crime, I’m still glad I came forward, as you are now in prison and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for life, preventing you from causing further harm.

"I would encourage anyone who has been subjected to sexual violence to please seek support, whether that's by reporting it to the police or an organisation who can provide you with support."

Chelsea also described the impact that Brown’s actions have had on her life.

She said:

"What has happened to me has destroyed my life, my family, my soul, my mental health.

"I began drinking heavily daily, staying out late, self-harming, trying to kill myself. I then thought I could go on with my life. I got a job, a car, starting attending college, socialising, hadn’t self-harmed or attempted suicide for just under a year, however after time the trauma of what you did to me caught up to me.

"What happened to me has affected my whole outlook on men. I walk up a street and I’m paranoid someone will rape me. If I’m left alone with a male I’m scared they will rape me and I’m looking for some way out. Four years later, I still get nightmares and flashbacks, have suicidal thoughts and engage in self-harm behaviours because of what you did to me. The fact you couldn’t even look at me in court speaks volumes."

Detective Sergeant Gareth Morgan said:

"Brown’s actions have had an immeasurable impact on the women in this case. I would like to thank them for supporting a prosecution which means Brown is now a Registered Sex Offender, and on his release from prison, he will be monitored by the police.

"Both of the women told Brown to stop and he ignored their pleas and then raped them - consent must be freely given, without coercion, manipulation, or pressure, and it can be withdrawn at any stage.

"In both of these cases reports were made to the police either in the weeks or months afterwards, and therefore this shows that no matter when someone has sexually assaulted you, police can and will still investigate these crimes and put rapists and other offenders before the courts."

In mitigation, Brown's defence barrister told the court that he was vulnerable, had a difficult background and that he was immature. 

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A WREXHAM sex offender who was caught with indecent images of children on his devices had 'reverted to his old ways,' a court heard.

Simon Beckett, of Queensway, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court on Thursday.

The 55-year-old had previously admitted one offence of breaching his SHPO and three of making indecent images of children (one each at categories A, B and C).

Karl Scholz, prosecuting, told the court that Beckett was made the subject of the SHPO in 2016, also for indecent image offences.

His breach of the order occurred due to his prohibited use of file sharing software and came to light when police received intelligence suggesting indecent images were being uploaded to the internet from Beckett's address. 

A warrant was executed at his home in September 2024 and he was arrested.
Four of his devices were seized and when analysed, three were found to contain indecent images while the fourth showed his use of the filesharing software.

In terms of the images, there were 19 at category A (the most serious), three at category B and 28 at category C.

Mr Scholz told the court more than 3,000 other files 'indicative of a sexual interest in children' were also found.

Beckett made no comment to all questions when interviewed.

Amy Edwards, defending, said: "His best mitigation is his early guilty plea and I invite the court to award full credit for that.

"This is the first breach of his SHPO.

"His is willing to take responsibility for these offences and accepted having purposefully searched for these images.

"He completed his suspended sentence passed in 2016 satisfactorily, attending all office appointments and completing a course.

"He is now in settled accommodation and is looking for work."

Ms Edwards asked Judge Rhys Rowlands to take into account the slight delay in bringing the matters to court.

The Judge told Beckett: "You told the probation officer it (the offending) was borne out of boredom.

"You said your intention had been to download adult pornography - but then 'out of curiosity' you searched for these images of young children as well.

"Your behaviour was calculated - you reverted to your old ways."

Beckett was jailed for a total of 14 months and was made the subject of a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.

He must register as a sex offender for the same length of time and will be placed on a barring list to prevent him from working with children or vulnerable adults in the future.

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A thug who gloried in violence and had sex with an under-age girl less than half his age has been given a 24-year extended prison sentence.

Kallan Hunt, 35, invited a friend to watch him give another man a lengthy beating that lasted  30 minutes and left the victim with a bleeding eye in a shattered socket, bleeding on the brain, a fractured nose and other injuries, said Andrew Petterson, prosecuting.

He beat up the victim both before and after his friend was present in an attack that the victim later told police lasted “an eternity”. Hunt also sent the teenage girl a blow by blow account of what he was doing, with pictures of the victim’s injuries.

He told the victim that if police arrived, he would kill him and left him so terrified the victim was initially reluctant to seek medical help and wouldn’t give officers a statement until he was sure Hunt would be remanded in custody, said the prosecution barrister.

Hunt was on bail at the time for being one of a gang of six masked men, some of whom were armed, who burst into a second victim’s Selby home in March 2022 to steal his drugs and money.

The second victim fought back and stabbed one of the gang to death, a Leeds Crown Court jury heard. Hunt was not one of the armed men.

Judge Tom Bayliss KC declared Hunt to be a dangerous offender.

“You humiliated him quite gratuitously,” he told Hunt about the attack on the first victim. “You were boasting of the violence you had inflicted on him, you were glorying in your violence.”

He gave Hunt a 24-year sentence of which he will serve up to 19 years in prison, plus five years extended parole on release, put him on the sex offenders’ register for life and made a restraining order to protect the first victim, also for life.

Hunt, formerly of Selby and of Dunhill Road, Goole, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the first victim. He denied a charge of aggravated burglary at the home of the second victim, but was convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court last month.

Hunt’s  barrister Andrew Stranex said he had always been “polite and respectful” with him and wanted to work with professionals to address his offending behaviour. He had expressed remorse and regret to a probation officer about the aggravated burglary following his trial.

The judge told Hunt: “In front of me you are polite and co-operative but there is a different side to you.”

Mr Petterson said the girl was high on drink and drugs when she and Hunt were together.  She asked him for cannabis and he gave her some before they had sex.

Hunt was at the first victim’s house in March 2025 when the host received a phone call telling him about the sexual encounter shortly before and that police were likely to come to his house.

Hunt overheard the discussion and threatened to stab the first man before police arrived. He took the householder’s mobile phone and every time the victim tried to leave hit him.

He punched him repeatedly to the face and elbowed and kneed him to the face.

The victim needed surgery to repair his eye. Hunt left the house before police arrived and was arrested later.

The judge commended seven of the police team that worked on the aggravated burglary case. 

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A woman from Rhondda Cynon Taff has been jailed after she was found guilty of multiple offences involving children.

37-year-old Leah Church, from Tonyrefail, was found guilty of multiple counts of cruelty to children and a sexual offence at Swansea Crown Court on August 15.

Church was sentenced to five years in prison. Upon release she will be required to register as a registered sex offender for ten years and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and restraining order.

Detective Constable Amanda Jenkins said:

“I commend the victims of these offences for coming forward and reporting to us.

“They have been supported by specialist officers throughout this investigation, and I'm pleased to see Church held accountable."

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A “hawk-like” Forfar man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two boys during the school summer holidays.

One of Lee Milne’s young victims told a court he was “so scary” after watching him approach in the evening.

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A former ordained Church of England priest has been found guilty of multiple counts of indecent assaults on nine women in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s.

Chris Brain, 68, has been found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault at Inner London Crown Court on 20 August 2025. He was cleared of a further 15 counts of the same offence. 

Brain became involved in a religious community in the 1980s of which he was considered a leader.

It was at this time that Brain used his position to assault females associated with the religious group.

Brain’s role evolved into leading religious services in a local church which was famously known as the Nine O Clock Service (NOS) due to the fact they were held at 9pm on Sundays.  These services were different from the usual Church of England services due to the musical and media visual aspect of the service which was particularly successful in attracting younger people to them.

International and national attention was drawn to these services to such an extent that Brain was fast tracked to become an ordained priest within the Church of England in 1991.

However, at the same time Brain was using his position and status to indecently assault other women who were recruited into NOS.

South Yorkshire Police first arrested the defendant in April 2021 after the force started to receive allegations about Brain in the previous year and was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service in January 2024. 

The police investigation gathered evidence from interviews from victims and statements from witnesses in relation to allegations of non-consensual sexual acts with the defendant.

Julie Moss, Senior Crown Prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“Chris Brain abused the trust and power he gained as a religious leader to sexually exploit and abuse young women. He instilled a culture of fear to subjugate and control NOS members into submission and to do his bidding.

“Brain discouraged members of the Nine O Clock service (NOS) from having any contact with family or friends outside of the NOS community to isolate members them and make them susceptible to his control.

“Brain set up a home base team in which he required female members of NOS to assist his household. This assistance included attending upon him in his bedroom before he went to sleep which is when many of the offences occurred. The victims were too scared of being excluded from the religious group to refuse. This became known as the ‘putting to bed ROTA’.

“Brain clearly engaged in controlling behaviour and is a narcissist who subjected his victims to awful and horrendous act of sexual violence. 

“We hope that these convictions help in some part to see justice delivered for the victims.

“We note that the jury could not reach a verdict on some counts, and we will carefully consider a retrial.”

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on four further counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. On 21 August 2025, the jury was discharged. 

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A man who committed 15 sexual offences against a child – including two counts of rape of a girl under 13 – has been jailed for 12 years and nine months.

Dennis Gartsen, of Hobhole Bank, New Leake, Boston, was sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday 18 August, for charges relating to his young victim.

The 42-year-old was also given an additional four-year period to be served on licence and is now the subject of a stringent sexual harm prevention order on his release.

Gartsen pleaded guilty to the following 15 charges:

• Two counts of rape of a girl under 13.
• Two counts of assault of a girl under 13 by penetration with a part of his body.
• Six counts of assault of a girl under 13 by touching.
• Possession of a prohibited image of a child.
• Three counts of making of an indecent photograph / pseudo-photograph of a child.
• Possession of extreme pornographic images / images portraying an act likely to result in serious injury to a person’s private parts.

A further two charges of rape of a girl under 13 were ordered to lie on file. 

An application for his deportation back to his native Netherlands has also been submitted – a process which is reviewed and undertaken by the Home Office. 

The court heard how Gartsen had handed himself in at Boston Police Station on 23 August 2023, advising officers that he had sexually assaulted a child. It was reported that he did so after being confronted by the adults to whom his victim had disclosed the acts, which are reported to have taken place on multiple occasions between December 2021 and August 2023.

A search of devices found at his home address revealed him to be in possession of multiple examples of disturbing pornographic material.

He pleaded guilty to 15 charges at a hearing held on 28 April, where he was remanded to prison to await sentencing.

Specialist officers worked sensitively and meticulously with Gartsen’s courageous young victim and family over the weeks, months, and years following the initial disclosure in August of 2023 to progress this case through the courts to secure today’s sentence. 

Detective Constable Sarah Oliver from the Protecting Vulnerable People unit in Boston, said:

Gartsen carried out deeply disturbing crimes on a particularly young victim. His actions are utterly inexcusable - the child he targeted for his own depraved gratification was so vulnerable.  The victim’s family have been completely devastated by his sickening actions, yet throughout this testing process, the child and her family have demonstrated remarkable courage and resilience.

We hope this ruling offers some measure of conclusion after what can only be described as a most horrific and unimaginable chapter of their lives. While nothing can erase the distress and unquestionable psychological impact, may this serve as a step toward healing.

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A serial burglar who plagued dozens of businesses has been jailed after breaching three suspended prison sentences with his latest spree.

Kevin Thoburn, 44, smashed windows and raided five "small independent" businesses in Monkseaton, North Tyneside, in June stealing hundreds of pounds including cash from a charity jar, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

At the time Thoburn, who had previously been jailed for eight years for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl, was subject to suspended sentences for similar break-ins in Gateshead and Jarrow.

Homeless Thoburn, who had more than 150 offences on his criminal record, was jailed for three years four months after admitting multiple burglaries.

In the early hours of 2 June, Thoburn broke into two delis, a fish and chip shop, barber business and bakery in Monkseaton, prosecutor Antonia Adie said.

In total he stole about £1,700 in cash, including £58 from a tip jar and £40 from a charity box, as well as causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage, the court heard.

All of the businesses suffered further losses as they had to be closed for repairs and clean ups after Thoburn's "messy" searches, Ms Adie said.

The barber shop owner said the break-in had had a "significant emotional and financial impact" on the "small family-owned business", while the fish and chip shop manager said he was "left feeling really annoyed and angry".

'Failed to register'

Thoburn was subject to three suspended prison sentence orders at the time made by two magistrates' courts and the crown court, the prosecutor said.

Those related to burglaries of a beauty salon, butcher shop, pottery studio and three barber shops in a one-night spree in Gateshead in November in which he stole cash and items worth £2,250, the court heard.

He has also used a hammer to smash his way into Greggs at the Viking Centre in Jarrow and a cafe in South Shields a week later.

Thoburn also admitted multiple breaches of sex offender requirements because, as a homeless convicted child abuser, he had failed to register at a police station every seven days.

That order was made to last indefinitely in 2016 after he was jailed for six counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, the court heard.

'Left misery in wake'

Judge Amanda Rippon said Thoburn had 70 burglaries on his record and a further 30 or so he had asked to take into consideration, which meant by her calculation he had been convicted of raiding at least 100 businesses.

She said he targeted "small independent" firms, many of whom operated on a "knife-edge" and needed "every penny" they earned.

"You left misery for the owners in your wake," the judge told Thoburn, adding the impact was "long-lasting and significant".

Judge Rippon said she accepted much of his offending stemmed from a drug addiction caused by "awful abuse" he was subjected to as a child.

However, she said he had to "come a point" when he acknowledged the damage caused in his past but made "a choice to no longer let that define who you are and what you do".

She said other judges and magistrates had tried to give him a chance with suspended sentences but he was not ready for the help they offered.

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A driver who targeted 10 teenage girls as they walked to school has been jailed. Adnan Khan had originally been accused of attempting to kidnap the schoolgirls as they headed back to classes following a Covid lockdown in 2021.

However those charges were dropped after he pleaded guilty to harassment and two charges of sexual communication with a child. Newcastle Crown Court heard he made sexual comments to some of the girls and left all of those he approached frightened.

Now Khan, 35, has been jailed for 15 months and was made subject to sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for the next 20 years.

Michael Bunch, prosecuting, told the court: "The offences themselves date back to March 2021 and occurred over the course of half an hour that morning as the defendant targeted female pupils making their way to school in Newcastle."

The first pupil approached by the defendant was 18 years old at the time. It was her first day back after Covid-related closures and she decided to walk to school rather than her usual pattern of catching the bus. As she waited to cross a road, the defendant stopped his car alongside her and repeatedly asked her for her name.

Mr Bunch said: "She responded by pointing out that she was still in school. She moved around the corner to get away from the defendant, who responded by reversing back alongside her and again asking her name. By now, she was worried by the defendant’s behaviour.

"Despite her lack of engagement, the defendant said he would take her to school. When she told him no, he then drove off, leaving her really shaken.

"She contacted her mother by phone to tell her what had happened and later commented that she had been put off from walking to school in the future by the defendant’s conduct."

The next incident happened about half a mile away, where two 16-year-old girls were walking to school together, along with a third female pupil. Khan pulled alongside and was heard to shout, “Girl in the middle, come here, come here”. The three girls ignored him and carried on their way to school, reporting the incident when they arrived there.

The third incident occurred shortly afterwards. Three girls, aged 13,15 and 16, were making their way to school when the defendant pulled alongside. Mr Bunch said: "He shouted across to the two to ‘get in the car’, repeating this a number of times in an aggressive manner.

"When they ignored him and hurried towards school, the defendant drove off. All three girls contacted a parent immediately after the defendant left. All three were left feeling scared and uncomfortable by the defendant’s behaviour."

Around a mile from that incident, Khan came across two girls aged 16 as they headed to school. He pulled alongside and, again, shouted to get their attention.

Mr Bunch said: "Thinking he was needing directions, (one of the girls) moved towards the car, but the defendant then asked her how long she had had braces. Realising that the defendant was not seeking assistance, the two girls walked off, but the defendant continued to follow them in his car, repeatedly shouting towards them. In an attempt to deter him, (one of the girls) produced her phone and said that she was calling police, telling the defendant this three times.

"He was not dissuaded by this threat and continued to behave in the same way for a period before driving off. Both girls spoke to a parent immediately after the incident."

The last incident involved two girls aged 14 and 13 who were walking to school with some male pupils. Khan pulled alongside them in his car and spoke to the girls, referring to them as ‘gorgeous’ and ‘beautiful’.

Mr Bunch said: "At one point, (one of the girls) noticed him leaning out of his window, as though trying to reach out to them. When one of the boys approached and asked him to leave, the defendant responded by saying he was going to ‘s**g’ the mothers of all the boys.

"He turned his attentions back to the two girls, initially referring to them in similar terms to his initial approach, before changing tack and saying that he was going to ‘s**g’ them and make the two girls perform (a sex act) on the boys."

One of the girls suggested she was going to contact the police and Khan left the street. The police were contacted, with the registration plate of the Khan's car also being passed on. It was noted that the vehicle was linked to an address in Cumbria.

An image of the Khan was also available from a video clip recorded during the course of the last incident. The result was that the defendant was arrested the same day.

When interviewed, the defendant said he had spoken to some girls, but only because they had thrown a drink over his car. He denied that he had approached them, that he had invited any of them to get into his car, or that there had been any sexual content to his conversation. He suggested that the complaints were racially motivated.

One of the girls, who is now an adult, read a victim impact statement in court saying she was left worried after the offending and "no longer felt safe or comfortable while visiting the area". She added: "This made me worried about what his intentions may have been to me and my friend.

"We were school friends in school uniform who were clearly walking to school. I was worried to think what might have happened if anyone had got in the car. I believe men who target schoolgirls are dangerous and should be in prison."

Another girl said: "I was taken aback by the man's actions. I was surprised a stranger had stopped their car and spoken to me. Later, at school, I learned the same man had been stopping other girls as well."

She added that she was left worried about what might have happened if she had been on her own and got lifts to and from school in the days that followed. She said the incident made her aware "there are men out there who pose a danger to me".

Another girl said: "When the incident occurred I felt absolutely terrified. I was 14 and wearing a school uniform and it must have been obvious we were two girls walking to school.

"The fact he was calling me gorgeous and beautiful and would not go away made me afraid he wanted to get sexual enjoyment out of kids. The face he had a car and leaned out of the car made me additionally fearful of what might happen.

"There were boys there as well who were older than me and this didn't seem to deter him from targeting us. I felt a nervousness that I had not felt before. I had always felt safe After the incident I no longer wanted to walk to school.

"I became afraid of the idea there might be more men out there who might have similar bad intentions and I would not know who they were." She added that she believes men who make such remarks to passing schoolgirls "should be put in prison and should not be allowed near children."

Khan, 35 now and 30 at the time, of Bridge Street, Appleby, Cumbria, has 30 previous convictions, including for supplying drugs in 2010, fraud in 2016 and drink driving and threatening behaviour in 2020.

Recorder Mark Giuliani said Khan didn't live in the North East and "had no business being here" during what was a Covid lockdown. He added that he had taken a circuitous route to come across the children, who were heading to school for the first time after the lockdown.

Recorder Giuliani said: "You went out of your way to target children who were on their way to school."

Sue Hirst, defending, said it had taken four-and-a-half years for the authorities to "get round to bothering to charge him", with the delay causing him stress. Miss Hirst said the case had then been "significantly over-charged", adding: "These offences were never attempted kidnap. The height of it was he was inviting them to get in his car. He never got out of the car, he never touched them.

"It was a man behaving foolishly and inappropriately in a public place with lots of people around. He struggles to explain his behaviour. He knows he should not have made the comments to the girls.

"They were stupid and inappropriate but absolutely nothing was going to come of the comments and no one was at risk. He was making ill-advised compliments, if that's what they can be called, and asking if they wanted to go in his car.

"He asks me to convey tot he court and the girls that he is very sorry." Miss Hirst said Khan has since got married and he now has a baby.

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An ‘abhorrent’ man who took advantage of a families trust in him and sexually abused two children has been sentenced to three years and three months behind bars, handed an indefinite restraining order and sexual harm prevention order, and will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life following his appearance at Hull Crown Court today (Tuesday,19 August).

Stacie John Farrar, 47-years-old of Oakland View in Scunthorpe was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 following a five-day trial concluding on Friday, 13 June at Grimsby Crown Court.

An investigation was launched after officers received reports that a child had disclosed Farrar had sexually abused them over a number of years. During initial lines of enquiry, another brave victim came forward to report similar offences they had been subjected to at the hands of Farrar.

Farrar was arrested and when interviewed, he denied all allegations put to him, insisting he was unsure why they would say that about him.

He was subsequently charged with five counts of sexual assault of a female child under 13, assault by penetration, and rape of a girl under 13.

Description

A mental health counsellor from Eltham who had a six-month online relationship with a 14-year-old girl has avoided prison.

Steve Hughes, 55, sent sexualised and grooming messages to the young girl after he sought her out on social media in November 2022.

In May 2023 he was confronted by paedophile hunters as he discovered he had spent the last six months messaging a decoy account.

On inspection of his phone it was then revealed that Hughes had also been messaging three other “girls” - all aged either 13 or 14 – who were also decoy accounts run by other paedophile hunter organisations.

Hughes, of Eltham Hill, claimed at trial that he knew all along that these were “scam” accounts and that he did not genuinely believe he was talking to teenage girls.

But a jury unanimously rejected his defence and convicted him of four charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

On Monday, August 18, Hughes was sentenced to 18 months in custody suspended for 18 months.

He will be the subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will allow police to monitor his online activity.

Prior to his arrest Hughes was an experienced adult counsellor and psychotherapist working in Welling and later Eltham.

His website stated he successfully worked on issues relating to “sex and shame”.

Judge David Miller said:

“Between October 2022 and May 2023 you sought out teenage girls to form digital relationships with.

“You found four girls, you engaged in chat with them on various social media sites and you soon turned the conversations sexual – there is an element of grooming , particularly regarding on girl who you were in communication with for six months.”

He told Hughes that if these were actual children, rather than decoys, he would have received a considerably higher sentence and one which would not have been suspended.

“Having read the pre-sentence report and the character references, I’m suspending the sentence because I consider there’s a realistic chance of rehabilitation. I think you will comply with the order and won’t reoffend,” Judge Miller said.

Hughes was ordered to pay £4,380 to cover the four-day Woolwich Crown Court trial he elected to have.