Latest Offenders

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Mohan Babu, 47, of Emsworth, was found guilty by jury of four counts of sexual assault in Portsmouth Crown Court today (January 31) following a three week trial. Court heard that the former GP at the Staunton Surgery in Civic Centre Road, Havant, ordered one of his patients to take her top off before groping her. The sexual assaults took place between September 2019 and July 2021.

The GP targeted the three women - the youngest of whom was 19 - at the surgery where he worked alongside his doctor wife, inappropriately touching them and making "creepy" comments. A receptionist he previously worked with said the doctor of 20 years had grabbed her and boasted that he was "a lion going to eat her", a court heard.

Babu was the most-complained about doctor at the surgery and had repeated warnings over his behaviour, jurors were told. Portsmouth Crown Court heard five other women including a receptionist at his former workplace complained about his 'over familiar' behaviour, however criminal proceedings were not brought about their complaints. All of the women he allegedly assaulted asked for a new GP. Prosecutor Miranda Moore KC told the court Babu targeted "vulnerable" women after he joined the surgery as a locum doctor in April 2018.

He was recommended by his wife, Dr Aroline Rodrigues, 43, who is a GP at the surgery. The first complaint about Babu's behaviour came in August 2019 - 16 months after he joined - and then another came "quite quickly". "The history of repeated an inappropriate behaviour and repeated warnings about his behaviour sets the scene for these offences", Ms Moore KC said. Between May and August in 2019 Babu held face-to-face consultations with a 57 year old woman who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in June 2019.

In three appointments, the now-deceased woman said Babu behaved inappropriately. Ms Moore KC said: "She made [the first] appointment about the cancer. Dr Babu greeted her by saying 'do you want a hug?' She was very fragile and very emotional. Dr Babu told her she had a 0.01 per cent chance of having cancer." At her next appointment in June, after she had been diagnosed, Babu asked if he could check her breasts and told her: "You have a lovely figure and lovely breasts." Ms Moore KC said the woman visited Babu for a third time as she had to cancel a holiday due to her illness and needed a doctor's note. She said he instructed her to lie on the couch to listen to her heart", Ms Moore KC said. "He locked the door and didn't offer her a chaperone. He asked her to lift her top and she asked why and he said so he can check for lumps. He lingered while examining her breasts and pulled her nipples. She felt he spent far too long there and didn't feel comfortable. She was shocked, she froze, and she looked at the ceiling.

"He proceeded to move his hands under her lower body clothing, under her skirt. She asked him to stop. He pulled her closer to him and she could feel he had an erection. She saw his zip was undone and she could see his erection. The court heard at this point Babu said to the uncomfortable woman "I'm helping you, you need to touch it so I can help you." It was heard the woman asked the surgery to change her GP but didn't report it to a female palliative care nurse until over a year later, in September 2020, as she didn't want to spend her final days chasing a prosecution.

An investigation commenced and it emerged many other women complained about Babu and asked for a new GP to replace him. One patient, a 19 year old girl, visited Babu in February 2020 as she was struggling with anxiety. "He paid her compliments like 'you are a beautiful girl', Ms Moore KC said. "He listened to her chest from behind and counted the freckles on her back - 'one, two, three, four' - while lightly touching her skin as he did so. As she got up to leave, he took hold of her hands and he kissed her on the cheek."

From April to July 2021, a married mother visited Babu three times after a neck injury. In the first two appointments, Babu asked for hugs and told her she was "cute". She thought the GP was just being "nice". At the third appointment, he asked her to take her top off to check for moles. Ms Moore KC said: "He smoothed her breasts up and down about 20 times, she recalls, telling her it was 'lovely and smooth'. He then made the wholly inappropriate comment 'ohh I'm not having a bad day'. He hugged her for about a minute and asked for a kiss. She noticed his breathing was heavy."

The woman's son later came to the surgery 'to have it out' with Babu but he was not there. Five other women - four patients at Staunton Surgery and the receptionist at his previous surgery - also made complaints, however they did not form part of the criminal charges. The receptionist said he regularly grabbed her waist and once told her "he was a lion and was going to eat her". A patient claimed he was 'creepy' as he asked her to "remove the mask so he could see her pretty face", another was quizzed about her sex life, and another was hugged.

Babu stopped working at Staunton Surgery in July 2021, at which point he was under police investigation. He denied all seven counts made against him. Babu was found not guilty of three offences of sexual assault against a further two women. He has been placed on conditional bail and will appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on April 12 for sentencing.

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A registered child sex offender has been put behind bars after breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Leslie Thornton, 30, formerly of the Balby area of Doncaster, was convicted of multiple child sexual offences and child abduction in 2015.

He was jailed for three years and made subject to a SHPO and notification requirements that ordered him to notify his personal details with the police every 12 months.

The terms of Thornton's SHPO prevented him from having contact with any children, but an investigation into his phone records found evidence of him making contact with a young girl - something he had failed to disclose to officers from Doncaster's Violent Sexual Offender Registrar (ViSOR) unit.

He later pleaded guilty to breaching his SHPO and two counts of failing to comply with notification requirements.

Over the course of 2022, Thornton failed to comply with the notification requirements given upon his previous sentences.

Last Wednesday (24 January), Thornton was jailed for three years and seven months at Sheffield Crown Court.

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A paedophile admitted that he "got carried away on the internet" after being ensnared by an undercover police sting.

Aidan Cowman was also caught with a vile stash of pictures showing toddlers being raped when officers came knocking at his door. A judge today described him as being "in denial" over his offending, but allowed him to walk free from court.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that the 66-year-old first contacted an account which had been set up by covert police officers, who were posing as a 13-year-old boy, on "gay chatroom" Chat Avenue on January 11 last year. Cowman, of Penkett Road in Liscard, Wirral, said in his opening message: "Hi, want to phone daddy while we both w***?"

He then added: "I'm 64, married. Irish, but living near Liverpool."

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how Cowman was told that the teenager was at school at the time of the chat. However, he continued the perverted conversation by saying: "Are you playing with your c**k now?"

Then, on January 16, the pensioner added the supposed youngster on Snapchat. Officers asked him whether he was the "man from Chat Avenue", which Cowman confirmed before stating that he was "sat at home playing with his c**k".

He added that it was "quite an age difference", but said he "loved to swap pictures and video clips" and asked "are you interested in doing some?". A search warrant was later executed at the defendant's address on April 14.

When arrested, Cowman replied "I just got carried away on the internet". A small bag of cannabis and electronic devices were recovered from the property during the raid.

Under interview, he confessed to having been responsible for the messages and that he had indecent images stored on his phones. A total of 52 category A pictures, those depicting the most serious forms of abuse, were subsequently found on two seized mobiles.

Cowman was also found to have collected 12 photographs in category B and 101 category C images. Mr Hopkins said that some had shown children as young as two being subjected to sexual assaults.

Kyra Badman, defending, told the court that her client's relationship with his partner had been "strained" since his online activities had come to light, and that while they remain together they are currently living in separate homes. She added: "He is extremely grateful for her support.

"Upon hearing the facts of this case, anybody could reach the conclusion that only immediate custody would be appropriate in this case because of the nature of the offences. It may be that the court is able to draw back from an immediate sentence."

Cowman pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communications with a child, possession of indecent images, three counts of making indecent images and possession of cannabis. He was handed an 18-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Sentencing, Recorder Peter Wright KC said: "You brought a bag with you, appreciating that the likelihood was that you would lose your liberty. You are a realist in that regard.

"You are a man who has previous convictions, but they are from a long time ago. The offences for which you appear before this court are offences of the most serious gravity."

Recorder Wright said that the indecent images contained the "abuse and defilement of children", and added: "It is almost incomprehensible how anybody could commit any such act, but equally it is incomprehensible how anybody could gain any form of sexual gratification from viewing such material. But it is clear that you did.

"You knew precisely what you were up to. You pursued your own sexual fantasies with that boy.

"You went so far as seeking to solicit images of the boy. This is conduct of the most despicable type.

"You were seeking to corrupt him to your own perversions. You have, in your own words, struggled to understand your motivation for your offending - you are in denial.

"But you are now committed to gaining access to help. You do not want to reoffend or cause further harm."

Cowman was also handed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years and complete a programme requirement, as well as a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 35 days.

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A man has been jailed for almost a decade after he outlined his depraved sexual fantasies online to an undercover police officer.

Dean Ward, 39, described how he was abusing his eight-year-old daughter, though the child did not actually exist.

He also talked about the abuse he "wanted to happen" to the child and to the undercover officer's six-year-old daughter, who also did not exist.

Norwich Crown Court heard there was "extremely graphic and deeply disturbing" conversations between the two of them, including the rape of both imaginary children.

Danielle O'Donovan, prosecuting, said Ward, whose previous convictions include sexual assault and making indecent images of children, discussed in detail the rape of the girl and other fantasies.

Ward, who has five previous convictions for more than 20 offences, appeared for sentencing on Tuesday via videolink from HMP Norwich after admitting arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence on June 5, 2023.

He also admitted three breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) between May and June 2023.

Recorder Matthew Happold said Ward, of Barrett Road, Norwich, had engaged in "extremely unpleasant discussion" about "damaging, abusive acts" and "including the rape of both children".

Imposing an extended 13-year-sentence, made up of nine-and-a-half-years imprisonment and three-and-a-half years on licence, Recorder Happold said it was a "very serious offence".

Andrew Thompson, mitigating, said there was "never a real child".

He said there was no meeting and there could not have been as the child was "fictional".

Mr Thompson said Ward, who "never had a child" and "does not have a daughter" had been engaged in conversations about a "sexual fantasy" with the undercover officer who had also been talking about a non-existent child.

He said Ward was an "isolated" and "socially awkward" individual who "operated behind a keyboard in his bedroom".

Ward was also made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

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A sex offender from Sidcup has been jailed after targeting a child for two years.

Danny Mackney subjected his young victim to countless instances of sexual abuse between 2018 and 2020.

Mackney, of Harman Drive, groomed his victim before bombarding them with sexually explicit messages and images, demanding they then send some in return.

He was arrested in November 2020 and pleaded not guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to two counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of making indecent images of a child.

Mackney was convicted following a trial and sentenced on Friday, January 26, 2024, to four years and six months’ imprisonment.

The 37-year-old will also be subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A man has been given a 10-year extended sentence after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13.

Michael Plunkett, 66, and from Little Billing, Northampton, will serve five years in custody and five years on extended licence.

Northamptonshire Police said Plunkett had two previous convictions for sexual offences against children. The force described the sentence as a "fantastic result".

On 18 May 2023, Northamptonshire Police received a report from the victim's mother that Plunkett, of Hanemill Court, had sexually assaulted her young child the previous evening. He was arrested and Northamptonshire Police's Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) began an investigation, which resulted in Plunkett being charged with sexually assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

He denied the charge when he appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court on 20 May 2023, but a jury found him guilty following his trial at Northampton Crown Court in November.

At his sentencing hearing at the same court, Plunkett, who has two previous convictions for sexual offences against children, was given an extended sentence by the judge.
He was placed on the sex offenders' register for life and is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which banned him from unsupervised contact with any female under the age of 16. He was also banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

CAIU Sgt Stephen Wells said: "This is a fantastic result against a significant and serious sexual predator. "Michael Plunkett did not care about the harm he caused to this young child, and I am very pleased to see him receive this significant sentence which reflects the seriousness of his offending.

"I would like to pay tribute to the survivor in this case, and also express my thanks to the investigating officer who worked hard to both support the victim and their family, and to ensure the evidence presented to the jury left them in no doubt of Plunkett's guilt."

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A former Fareham teacher has been jailed for non-recent sexual offences against a school child.

Nicholas Brooks, now aged 71 and of Park Gate, was a teacher at Meoncross School in Stubbington at the time of the offences, which took place between 2008 and 2011.

The allegations came to light after a woman approached police in 2020 to report abuse she suffered at the hands of Brooks when she was a pupil at the school.

The woman described feeling ‘trapped’ by Brooks, with offences taking place on the school premises, at Brooks’s home address and in his car.

Police launched an investigation, and Brooks was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child aged 13-17 – adult abusing a position of trust – and two counts of being an adult abusing their position of trust to cause/incite sexual activity with a girl aged 13-17, following a trial at Southampton Crown Court on 13 December 2023.

Appearing at the same court on Friday 26 January 2024, he was jailed for 3 years.

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A man who left a woman fearing she would die during a terrifying stranger attack in Derby has been jailed after being found guilty of rape.

Habib Khan lured the woman into a block of flats in Derby in the early hours of November 10, 2022. While in the stairwell of the flats, Khan grabbed her, raped her and throttled her – leaving her fearing he was going to kill her.

He then stole her bag which contained her bank card, house keys and around £15 before leaving the scene.

The woman reported the incident to police immediately which allowed officers to secure vital forensic evidence that led to his arrest. DNA samples taken from the woman matched Khan, helping to provide key evidence that he was the man who had raped her.

Khan was subsequently charged with rape, assault by penetration, intentional strangulation and theft.

In a victim impact statement the woman detailed the impact the rape has had on her: “What happened to me is difficult to put into words. I thought no one would believe this had happened to me and I never thought the person who did this would be found.

“Since that night I have struggled everyday. I get scared when someone is walking behind me in the street. Even going to the shops I will be looking behind me to see if someone’s there.

“I found going to court really hard and stressful. I am very thankful to the courts, the police and the officer supporting me through this. Without him I would never have gone through with this.

“The best experience of my life was when the police officer asked me to sit down and told me the jury believed me and he had been found guilty.

“No one deserves what he put me through and he should be stopped from ever doing this again.”

The 22-year-old, of Moyne Gardens, Derby, denied the offences and told the court the sex had been consensual but a jury saw through his lies and unanimously found him guilty on Friday 8 December after a trial at Derby Crown Court.

He appeared at the same court on 25 January when he was sentenced to 11 years in prison with a six year extension for dangerousness. He has also been ordered to sign the sex offender’s register and handed a restraining order preventing him from having any contact with the woman.

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A convicted sex offender who raped a woman walking home from a party was given a life sentence today (January 26).

Daniel Williams, 36, from Clark’s Row, Oxford, cycled up behind the victim, grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her on to a muddy area.

He said what he was going to do would be quick and told her not to call the police, Luton Crown Court was told today.

The attack happened in Broham Road in Bedford.

The victim, who is in her 30s, raised the alarm by knocking on a front door at around 7am on the morning of January 17, 2022.

Williams, was caught when a match was found on the DNA database.

He was convicted by a jury of rape.

He had been released from prison in 2019 where he had been serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection after being convicted of following a 23-year-old woman to her home and attempting to rape her.

Williams, who was living in Didcot at the time, had entered the home of the victim who the court heard was "a young, small-framed lady, a vulnerable lady" at night.

There was a struggle as Williams tried to carry the woman upstairs, but she managed to fight him off and scratched his neck.

He then fled from the house.

In 2002 he had been sentenced to four years for indecently assaulting and robbing a 64-year-old woman working in a charity shop.

Williams refused to leave the vulnerable prisoners’ wing at Bedford jail and was sentenced in his absence.

Prosecutor Alisdair Smith said: “The evidence supports the suggestion he followed the complainant for some time."

In a victim personal statement, the woman said the attack left her afraid to go out. She heard voices and felt insecure. She said she had been affected on a daily basis.

Judge Geoffrey Payne described Williams as a “thoroughly dangerous sexual predator.”

He passed a life sentence with a minimum term of six years before he can be considered for parole.

The judge said: “This was a predatory attack on a lone woman on her way home. He left her lying in the mud.

"He has a history of attacking complete strangers for his own gratification. He poses a very high level of danger indeed.”

Detective Constable Peta Simpson from Bedfordshire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) team, said: “Williams was an opportunist offender who preyed on a lone woman before carrying out this appalling sexual assault.

“Random attacks like these are extremely rare – but we will always relentlessly pursue the vile perpetrators of such abhorrent behaviour.

“The victim in this case has showed true courage to reach out for support from a member of the public and speak to officers, which helped to ensure Williams is facing a significant period behind bars.

“Women deserve to feel safe in public spaces - they should not have to worry and they shouldn’t have to look over their shoulders.

“We remain committed to ensuring predators like Williams are removed from our streets.”

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A pervert mum who was jailed in 2018 for flashing her breasts at a 15-year-old boy has been sent back to prison after making an ill-advised trip to a Nando's in Barnsley with a group of youngsters.

Karen Robb, 48, from Blackpool, who is a mum-of-one, was first exposed as a predator after grooming a 15-year-old boy on Facebook for over eight months between 2016 and 2017. During video chats with the "naive" teenager, Robb flashed her breasts and promised to do "naughty things" when they met in person.

When the boy's parents found out about his online relationship with the then 43-year-old woman by looking at his phone, they decided to deal with the problem themselves. But when Robb's partner at the time found out about her lewd online relationship, he called the police, reports LancsLive.

In 2018, Robb was sentenced to 16 months in prison and put on the sex offenders register for 10 years. She was also handed a sexual harm prevention order which prohibited her from spending time with under 16s without the prior consent of their parents and social services.

But in August 2023, Robb flouted the order and attended a family meal at Nando's in Barnsley with four children under the age of 16. Between August 15 and September 7, 2023, Robb also stayed at a house in Blackpool where a child lived.

She did not tell the police she was staying there and was banned from doing so under the terms of her notification requirements.

Judge Darren Preston said only an immediate prison sentence could be justified. He jailed Robb, of Barton Avenue, Blackpool, for 28 months.

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A 23-year-old man has been jailed after climbing through a bedroom window late at night and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl while she slept.

Bohuslav Horvath used a ladder to climb through the upstairs window of a house in Darnall, in Sheffield, and then crept into the next bedroom, where the young girl was sleeping.

When she woke up and found Horvath assaulting her, he fled to the other room and jumped out of the open window.

It was initially thought the 12-year-old had a bad nightmare, but his fingerprints were later discovered on the bedroom windowsill.

PC Fiona Busfield said: "This case is truly the stuff of nightmares and I would like to commend the young victim and her family for their bravery and dignity during this investigation.

"After Horvath fled, the girl went downstairs at around midnight to tell her mother, who was still up, what had happened. After searching the house and finding no sign of the offender, they concluded it must have been a terrible dream.

"However, when the young victim continued to show signs of distress the next day, a report was made to the police. On arrival, we found a ladder lying on the grass in the back garden and later confirmed this had been used to climb into the first floor of the house.

"Our SOCO (scenes of crime officer) carried out a number of enquiries and discovered two fingerprints, which we quickly matched to Horvath. He was promptly arrested. In interview, he admitted using the ladder to climb into the house but denied touching the young girl. We knew this was untrue and despite it being 'one word against another', the evidence on board ensured this dangerous predator had no choice but to plead guilty."

Horvath of Basford Street, Sheffield, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by touching and burglary in relation to the attack on 15 May last year.

He has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and has been subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a restraining order and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

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A retired court prosecutor who made arrangements to commit "utterly repellent" sexual offences against a young child has been jailed for 12 years after he was trapped in an online police "sting".

Clive Jones, 74, prosecuted cases at Hull and Bridlington magistrates' courts for the Crown Prosecution Service for many years. He became a district crown prosecutor and also oversaw the prosecution of more serious cases at crown courts.

He was arrested, after his retirement, when he replied to an online advertisement in which police pretended to be a woman called Karen, who supposedly had a seven-year-old child. He set off in his car to meet the non-existent woman and her child and he intended to have sexual activity.

He had condoms, ropes and Viagra in his car boot. The decoy woman had been created by the police in a bid to catch sexual predators – and Jones fell straight into the trap. He exchanged messages, apparently not suspecting that the woman and her child did not even exist, a court heard.

Jones, of Bempton, near Flamborough, denied seven offences of arranging to commit sexual offences against a child between January 31 and February 21 last year, but he was convicted by a jury at Durham Crown Court on December 18 after a six-day trial.

The case had been moved from Hull Crown Court out of the area because of his previous links to the justice system. Jones had been remanded in custody after being convicted of the offences and he appeared from HMP Durham via a video link for a sentencing hearing, also at Durham Crown Court.

'Intended to rape child'

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Judge James Adkin said that the sexual offences that Jones intended to commit by making the arrangements included raping a child, assault of a child by penetration, sexual assault, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The judge said that, because the jury found Jones guilty of all seven offences, it must have concluded that he intended to commit all of those arranged sexual offences at some stage, although this was "extremely speculative" because they never actually happened. "The evidence against you in the trial was abundant and compelling," said Judge Adkin.

The offences that Jones wanted to commit on a child were "utterly repellent", the judge added. He drove to meet what he thought was Karen and her child.

"It was, of course, a sting and you were arrested," said Judge Adkin. A pre-sentence report on Jones had said that he posed a significant risk to the public of sexual harm. "The circumstances of these offences are intensely concerning," said Judge Adkin.

Tom Storey, prosecuting, said: "No harm was actually caused. There was no child victim in existence. But for that, the defendant would have carried out the intended sexual activity."

Mr Storey, who is included on a recently published list of new KCs, said that Jones had no previous convictions, cautions, warnings or reprimands. He asked that a deprivation order be made for the items that were found in the car boot when Jones was arrested.

'May not live to see his release'

Helen Chapman, mitigating, said that Jones suffered from ill-health and a letter with updated details of his medical condition had been brought to court by his wife.

No real contact offence took place involving a child because the child involved did not actually exist, although messages suggested that this activity would have taken place. Miss Chapman opposed the making of a sexual harm prevention order. "I don't really see what useful purpose it could serve in circumstances where he may or may not live to see his release," she said.

If Jones did live long enough to leave prison, he would, in any event, be subject to strict licence and notification requirements. He was in poor physical health and he was at that time of life when the health conditions had "all come at once". Some of them were interlinked.

"He essentially lives in daily pain," said Miss Chapman. Managing that pain in a prison setting would be extremely difficult.

"Those who go into prison in poor health do not improve," said Miss Chapman. "All the evidence is that they deteriorate. Living day to day will be more difficult for him than for someone who enjoys good health. It will be harder for him than for anybody in a different position."

Throughout the court hearing, Jones could be heard repeatedly coughing and sighing. He sometimes put his head in his hands.

"He is fortunate to receive the support of his wife, who is present today and has been a pillar of support to him." The effect of a prison sentence would "reverberate" on to her. "She is somebody who will feel his loss very keenly," said Miss Chapman.

'Fought and lost'

Judge Adkin said that he had decided that Jones should not be treated as a "dangerous" offender. The length of the prison sentence and the release provisions meant that he would be "very elderly" when he was released.

Jones suffered from a heart condition and diabetes and the complications arising from it. "I accept that the sentence will be more difficult for you to endure," said Judge Adkin.

Because there was no real child, Jones was entitled to a "modest discount" in his sentence to reflect this. He could, however, be given no credit for guilty pleas because he had a trial. "You fought the case and lost," said Judge Adkin.

Jones was given a 20-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for life. A deprivation order was made for the items found in the car boot.

Jones was a regular prosecutor for many years at magistrates' courts, including Hull and Bridlington, and he was well known at the former, now closed, courts in East Yorkshire, including Driffield, Withernsea and Brough. As a lawyer, he regularly prosecuted people who had committed similar sexual offences as those that were committed by him after his retirement.

He became a district crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service and, in that job, he was a manager. He had worked as head of the crown court trials unit for Humberside.

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A pensioner who tried to meet an 11-year-old girl for sex has been jailed after he was trapped by a police sting operation.

Richard Courage thought that a woman who he met in an online chat room was a child abuser with access to an 11-year-old girl. In reality, he was messaging an undercover police officer.

He sent a stream of messages fantasising about having sex with the girl which culminated in him booking a room at a hotel in East Devon where he planned to take her virginity.

He called off the rendezvous at the last minute, claiming to have Covid, but carried on his online messaging with the undercover officer.

He was traced through the hotel booking and found with a small number of child images on his computer when he was arrested. Police also recovered a dismantled shotgun in his car.

Retired businessman Courage, aged 75, from Exeter, admitted arranging or commissioning a child sex offence, possession of indecent images of children and possession of a firearm without a certificate.

He was jailed for three years and four months by Judge Anna Richardson at Exeter Crown Court, put on the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order which restricts his future access to children and the internet.

She told him that the offence which he had tried to arrange was in effect a child rape but that he deserves credit for having no previous convictions and for deciding to abandon his planned meeting when he realised he was moving ‘from a digital conversation to reality’.

Mr Lewis Aldous, prosecuting, said an undercover officer started exchanging messages with Courage, who was using the screenname OlddevonMforFem on eh Chatiw site and posed as a woman with access to an 11-year-old girl.

Courage’s messages became sexual and he discussed having sex with the girl before he booked a room in a budget hotel on the outskirts of Exeter for the night on August 10, 2022.

He cancelled the meeting on the day before, claiming he had Covid, and although he stayed in touch with the decoy officer, he dd not try to arrange a new rendez-vous. His messages made it clear that he intended to have sex with the girl but wanted to minimise the discomfort she suffered.

Police found 14 child images of girls aged seven to 16 on his laptop but they were all at the lowest level, showing sexual posing rather than any sexual activity. A dismantled shotgun was found in his car which could have been reassembled and which needed a licence.

Mr Jason Beal, defending, said Courage had reached the age of 75 without ever being in any kind of trouble and had made a positive contribution to the community. He has important caring responsibilities for his wife, who is in poor health.

He said Courage did not have Covid when he cancelled the meeting but realised he had gone too far and used it as an excuse to back out.

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A man has been jailed for a string of sexual offences against two young girls.

Nottinghamshire Police said Anthony Evans assaulted his primary school-age victims multiple times, in the Worksop area, before he was arrested in February last year.

Evans told the girls to keep his crimes secret but was caught after one of them told her mother about his abuse.

He was jailed for 12 years at Nottingham Crown Court on 19 January.

The 63-year-old, from the Worksop area, initially denied the offences but later pleaded guilty to nine sexual assaults by penetration between January 2019 and February 2023.

He also admitted two charges of causing his victims to watch images of sexual activity, three charges of causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and two offences of assaulting a girl by touching.

'Catalogue of abuse'

Evans' 12-year custodial sentence will be extended by two years on licence when he is released.

He has also been placed on the sex offenders' register for life and made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order to restrict his access to children when he is released.

Det Con Emily Bucklow, of Nottinghamshire Police, praised the victims' bravery and determination.

She said: "Evans is a predatory sex offender who was responsible for an appalling catalogue of abuse against two young children he appeared to believe he could manipulate and control.

"As this very strong sentence demonstrates, he couldn't have been more wrong."

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A man who made plans to travel across the country in order to rape two children has been jailed.

Martin Allaway, aged 47, of Nobes Avenue in Gosport, also downloaded more than 2,000 child abuse images, 166 of which were Category A – the most serious.

Allaway appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 27 September 2023 where he admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard on Friday 19 January this year that between January and May 2021, Allaway had been speaking to a woman online and detailed how he intended to travel to Sheffield in order to rape two children.

Allaway researched train times and ticket costs, and planned the date and time in which he would travel. He did not proceed with his plans, however, and subsequently withdrew from further communication with the woman.

The person Allaway had been speaking with was in fact a covert investigator from the Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU), and the ‘children’ that were discussed during their conversations did not in fact exist.

Following further investigation by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, Allaway was charged in August last year, and at the sentencing hearing he was jailed for 32 months. He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.