Latest Offenders

Description

A predatory paedophile sexually abused young girls for his "own depraved sexual urges". He left his victims scared of potential violence and thinking they would not be believed if they were to report the assaults.

Gary Morgan, 59, of Newport, targeted his two victims during the 1980s and 1990s. The abuse involved him touching one victim's naked genitalia as well as her chest and her bottom.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the defendant stopped abusing the girl after she shouted: "No" as he attempted to touch her again. In his sentencing remarks. Recorder Dyfed Thomas said: "You pathetically apologised and said you thought she liked it. She was scared because nobody said no to you but she as a child was brave enough to do so."

Morgan sexually assaulted the second victim on two occasions, the first of which involved him pinning her arms against her side, forcing her legs open, and pressing his body up against her. This happened a second time on a later date when he pushed her down, pinned her, and pressed himself up against her.

Decades after the abuse the victims contacted the police and Morgan faced a trial. He denied the offences and claimed the victims were lying but he was found guilty of six offences of indecent assault. The defendant, of Jackson Court, has no relevant previous convictions.

In a victim personal statement read out to the court by prosecutor Nigel Fryer the first victim said: "As a child I was constantly scared and recall feeling physical pain. This was due to the trauma.... I was worried disclosing what had happened would lead to violence. I have had to live with this since I was a child and I continue to live with this. It became a learnt behaviour.

"I find it difficult to ask anybody for help. I became a destructive teenager and lost trust in authority and adults. The abuse impacted my education and I could have done so much better in school if I didn't have to deal with this.... I suffer with nightmares. I constantly feel guilty and responsible for the way other people feel. I feel guilty for not saying something sooner as I could have prevented other people being abused by this man."

The second victim said: "I struggle to get my head around everything that happened to me with this man. As a child I was scared – scared of what this man was capable of and what it would lead to. When I think about what this man has done to me I automatically get emotional – it has stayed with me throughout my life. I was afraid of him – he made me feel weak and helpless and when the incidents happened I was in shock and so vulnerable."

In mitigation defence barrister Thomas Stanway said his client was "living a chaotic lifestyle" at the time of the offences and had difficulties with alcohol but had "turned his life around" after beginning a relationship with his current partner of 23 years. He said the defendant had been in consistent employment in the construction industry and was a "family man" and "hardworking".

Sentencing, Recorder Thomas said: "You are a sexual offender who has been convicted of being a predatory paedophile whose offences were opportunistic in nature. You used children for your own depraved sexual urges."

Morgan was sentenced to a total of seven years imprisonment. He was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order indefinitely and a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

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A man was warned he faces a sentence of "many years" after admitting a string of child sex offences.

Andrew Bonner, 56, pleaded guilty to 15 sexual offences when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court on Thursday.

They included raping a child aged under 13 and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

All the offences were committed in the Lincoln area, against the same victim. Bonner, of Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, will be sentenced on 9 October.

Judge Catarina Sjolin Knight told him: "You have pleaded guilty to what I know you know are extremely serious matters.

"I will remand you into custody. It will be a sentence of many years."

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A VILE sex predator who continuously raped and abused an 11-year-old boy from Warrington has been jailed.

Daniel Sneddon began sexually assaulting his victim just days before his tenth birthday in 2021.

He would reward and groom his victim with presents, even purchasing him a bond touch bracelet to communicate with him when he was not there in person.

Sneddon, of Galston Road, Kilmarnock, appeared at Chester Crown court today, Monday, facing charges of four counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of rape of a child and two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child present.

Prosecuting, Anna Pope said the defendant pleaded guilty to nine counts to sexual offences of a child under 18.

She told the courts that Sneddon’s victim is under 12.

“The sexual abuse started shortly before the victim’s tenth birthday” Ms Pope said.

“Daniel started to test the waters with the victim to see what he could do to him.

“The defendant exposed his penis to him and asked him to perform a sexual act, after he bought him a present from Asda and a McDonalds.”

The abuse continued over a period of two years with one occasion where the defendant stayed in a Premier Inn with his victim and exposed himself to him again before asking him to perform sexual acts ‘in return for a gift’.

Sneddon raped his victim and isolated him. He would frequently communicate with him through a ‘bond touch bracelet’ he purchased for both of them.

The victim began not wearing the bracelet due to the amount of times Sneddon would try to contact him throughout the days.

“On one occasion, the defendant asked the victim to take part in sexual activities.

“The defendant told the victim that if he did it he would buy him more presents,” Ms Pope said.

“If the victim did not do what he was told by the defendant, the defendant would become angry and begin slapping him in the face and choking him.

“On one occasion he threatened to drown the victim in a river.”

As part of the extensive grooming that took place over the two years, Sneddon paid for his victim to attend a Lewid Capaldi concert.

He even shared a TikTok account with the child, where they would create videos. Unbeknown to him, his victim would edit the videos with the message ‘help’.

“It was a cry for help,” Ms Pope added.

Matters eventually came to light after the victim’s mother saw a screenshot on the victim’s phone of a message from the defendant, saying ‘I really liked it when you touched me in the living room’.

On March 6 this year Sneddon was arrested and gave a statement denying the allegations.

Police officers photographed a large tattoo on Sneddon’s arm of a name, this was in fact the victim’s name.

The victim provided a personal statement which was read out in court and detailed to what extent the sexual abuse he was subjected to by Sneddon has affected his life and mental health.

“Daniel groomed and sexually abused me. Whilst it was happening, I was confused and scared. I felt depressed and anxious.

“When my mum found the conversation on my phone, I was frightened I would get in trouble and that they would not believe me.

“When I told the police the truth, the weight on my shoulders started to lift.

“There was a time when I could not sleep for days. I struggled with the pressure of the ongoing investigation. I could not believe he had done that to me.

“All I wanted was for people to believe me and for Daniel to admit what he did was wrong.”

Another victim statement was provided by the victim’s mother which was also read out to the court.

“From the first moment I realised Daniel had abused my son I blamed myself. I asked myself what I could have done differently to protect him.”

Ms Pope explained how the mother is ‘plagued with constant fear’ about how the events have affected her son.

A Final statement was provided by Ellie Weaver a mental health worker who was contacted by the police in September 2023 to review the victim at Warrington Hospital.

Main concerns reported to Ms Weaver were of hallucinations and suicidal thoughts that the young boy had experienced since the sexual abuse.

Defending, Max Saffman said: “Prior to this offending he was a man of good character.

“Social services were involved with him and his family from the age of one.

“What is overwhelming from the psychological report, is that he suffers considerably from Autism.”

Concluding, Judge Thompson addressed Sneddon in reference to the sexual abuse he put his victim through.

“You used him affectively as your sexual plaything.

“What in fact you were doing is regularly and systematically abusing him.

“It has caused in my judgement, psychological harm to a child. It has understandably caused dreadful harm to his family and his mother.

“The only person who’s fault it was is you. Unfortunately, whether it is because of your autism spectrum disorder, you do not accept this.

“Taking into account everything I have read about you, in my judgement there is no way it can excuse the way you have behaved.

“You have an unhealthy interest in children and in this child.”

Judge Thompson determined the offender to be a risk to the safety of children.

Sneddon was handed an extended sentence of 17.5 years of which he will serve two thirds of before it is decided if it is safe for him to be released and serve the rest on licence.

A restraining order has also been put in place against the victim and his family as well as a sexual harm prevention order.

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The married woodcutter, of Skeete Road, Lyminge, near Folkestone, was in his late 50s when he subjected her to a variety of sexual acts in several locations, including his workshop, local woods and truck.

The victim later reported him to police, saying she wanted to protect other women and children, and bravely gave evidence at Jones's trial earlier this year.

He denied six offences of sexual activity with a child and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity but was unanimously convicted by a jury.

He has since returned to Canterbury Crown Court for sentencing – and heard the devastating impact his deviant behaviour had on her life.

Referring to her two victim impact statements, prosecutor Jose Olivares-Chandler told the court: "Because of Ivor Jones, she grew up into a nervous, anxious and vulnerable adult who never felt good enough for anyone.

"She said she saw herself as a woman with no self-worth and had an excruciating feeling of shame about her body.

"She felt that he took years of her life away from her and she needed to escape from reality, using unhealthy coping mechanisms as a result.

"But she wanted to protect other women and children which is why she came forward and put herself through a trial, which she found extremely emotional, difficult and stressful."

The victim also spoke of how Jones had gained her trust to take advantage.

"She felt the defendant manipulated her to get what he wanted, knowing her age, and she wished she had never met him," continued the prosecutor.

"She said the defendant took the best years of her life away....She felt she was the problem and wasn't good enough.

“You took the opportunity to groom - and that is the right word here - for her to accede to your sexual advances...”

"As she says 'These monsters are able to hide behind the friend mask. Who can we trust?'"

Jailing Jones for six years last month, Judge Douglas Marks Moore said although he could take the pensioner's previous good character and his 82-year-old, bed-bound wife's poor health into consideration, he had to be punished for what was "an extremely serious series of offences".

He told Jones: "Children are by definition vulnerable. They are members of our society that need protection.

“They are members of our society that often can be targeted because of their vulnerability.

"I have absolutely no doubt at all that you were able to see and were aware of her particular vulnerability. You knew her age.

"You took the opportunity to groom - and that is the right word here - for her to accede to your sexual advances.

"You had the opportunity to stop, you had the opportunity to reflect, but you carried on for your own sexual gratification."

On his release from prison, Jones will be subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite requirement to sign on the sex offender register.

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Clive Nightingale, 80, a former chairman of Little Tew’s parish council, was said to have looked at the sick material out of ‘curiosity’.

On Thursday (October 5), Oxford Crown Court heard that some of the children in the indecent images found on the West Oxfordshire man’s computer were estimated to be under one year old.

But the former schoolmaster was spared an immediate jail term by Judge Michael Gledhill KC, who cited Nightingale’s age and previous good character.

“My heart goes out to your wife in particular and, indeed, to the rest of your family. How thjey must have felt when the police arrived at your home and found these filthy images on your computer I can’t begin to imagine,” he said.

Judge Gledhill added: “What a way to end your career; in a dock of a crown court, having pleaded guilty to these appalling offences.

“I’m not going to lecture you anymore. I’m not going to send you immediately to prison, because of your age, you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, your good character [and] the reference I have read.

“The message has got to go out that those who indulge themselves in this so-called addiction will be punished severely.”

He imposed 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with Nightingale ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work and up to 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Earlier, prosecutor Julian Lynch said police officers visited the defendant’s home with a warrant and seized his laptop.

Although he answered no comment when he was interviewed by the officers, analysis of the computer showed he had been looking at indecent images of children from 2015 until 2022.

There was evidence of 176 images and two videos in the worst category, including one involving a child estimated to be less than 12 months old. He had 270 files in category B and more than 560 in category C, the court heard.

Nightingale, of Little Tew, near Chipping Norton, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to possession of indecent images of children. He had no previous convictions.

Mitigating, Richard Davies said his client felt a deep sense of shame and was remorseful for what he had done.

He realised that if it was not for ‘people like him’ the children would not be abused in order to create the images at which he was looking.

A former English teacher and head of department, Nightingale had volunteered for the National Trust and acted as chairman of Little Tew Parish Council.

“It’s shocking to see a man of that background in this particular position,” Mr Davies said.

Nightingale will be on the sex offender register for a decade and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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A predatory paedophile sexually abused a child he was supposed to be babysitting. Detectives described Kevin Griffiths' crimes as 'every parents' worst nightmare', as he was jailed.

Griffiths, 66, from Frodsham, Cheshire, repeatedly abused the child over a two-year period in the 1990s. He struck when he claimed to be taking the child to bed to read a story, Cheshire Police said.

Griffiths, of Ship Street, Frodsham, was found guilty following a trial at Chester Crown Court, and ordered to sign the sex offender's register for life. After the hearing, Detective Constable Beth Colbourne, who led the investigation, said: "What Griffiths did was every parents’ worst nightmare.

"He was trusted to look after the victim, but instead of caring for them he preyed on their vulnerability. He would take the victim to bed, under the pretext that he was going to read a story, but once they we’re in the bedroom he sexually abused them, causing untold harm and distress.

"It is a testament to the strength, bravery and determination of the victim in this case that we have been able bring Griffiths to justice, more than 30 years since the offences occurred. I hope that the conclusion of this case will provide them with some closure and help them with their recovery.

"Sexual assault of children causes terrible distress to all involved, not least the victim themselves, and I urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault – no matter how long ago the incident took place – to come forward and report it. We treat all reports of sexual offences extremely seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated."

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A sex offender jailed in 2019 for attacking and trying to rape a stranger in Aberdeen has found himself back in the dock after trying to sign up for a dating site.

Dangerous predator Andrew Conway found himself in trouble again after joining the dating site Fancy A Fling but failing to properly inform police – a breach of the notification requirement of the sex offenders register.

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A self-confessed "monster" who raped a woman at knifepoint only admitted his crimes once his victims had already given evidence in a sex abuse trial.

David Gillespie, 71, finally entered guilty pleas on the third day of his trial in September, and on Friday, was jailed for 14 years.

Gillespie, of Convent Walk, Sheffield, was arrested back in 2020 and maintained his denials until the prosecution were allowed to put evidence of his appalling previous convictions before the jury.

Bradford Crown Court heard on Friday that in the mid 1980s he hit a woman with a bottle before subjecting her to a knifepoint rape and Recorder Simon Kealey KC also referred to other assaults on Gillespie’s record which he committed against other women over the subsequent years.

Gillespie eventually pleaded guilty to charges of buggery, assault and three indecent assaults relating to his two victims, who must not be identified for legal reasons.

The court heard that the non-recent offending led to the victims having to leave the area in order to escape Gillespie’s abuse and violence.

In their victim impact statements, read by prosecutor David McGonigal, the women described how they suffered anxiety and nightmares as a result of the abuse and both said they spent years “looking over their shoulders” in case he was there.

One victim said: ”I’m angry he made me go through this (in court) only to plead guilty afterwards.”

Barrister Katy Rafter, for Gillespie, said her client had reflected on the victims’ evidence to the jury and the next morning he told her he accepted that he had been “a monster” when in drink as a younger man and couldn’t dispute what they had described. She said Gillespie had been in the grip of alcohol and gambling addictions at the time and he was now deeply ashamed of himself.

Ms Rafter said due to his age and ill-health it was highly likely that Gillespie would never be released from prison.

Passing sentence Recorder Kealey referred to the violence meted by Gillespie including punching and kicking and even putting a wire round one complainant’s neck. He said: “She was often left bruised, battered and humiliated by you."

The judge said the offending had caused panic attacks and anxiety for both complainants and added: ”What you have done to both of them has been long-lasting and severe. You accept that you were at that time a monster in drink and that at least presents to your victims, who are listening to this, a very small element of remorse.”

Gillespie will have to serve two-thirds of his 14-year sentence before being released and he will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

He must also comply with a restraining order which bans any contact with the two complainants.

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A postgraduate theology student carried out sexual assaults on fellow students at St Andrews University after claiming he was conducting radiation testing for the Ministry of Defence following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

John Beaumont subjected two male students and a female student to fake medical examinations and got one victim to sign the “Official Secrets Act” before inserting a needle into his genital area.

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A well-known Wiltshire auction house has issued an update on its future after a former director was jailed for sex crimes.

Richard Edmonds, who previously ran Richard Edmonds Auctions Limited and Chippenham Auctions, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he was found guilty of five counts of sexual activity with a female child, whose identity is protected by law.

Following sentencing, the 47-year-old’s family business updated on the future of the auction house at Showell Farm, and Edmonds’ wife Tora confirmed he had left the company.

In a statement on Facebook, she wrote: “Day-to-day management has been by my husband Richard Edmonds Jnr with responsibility for valuations, cataloguing and auctioneering.

“I have been responsible for the customer accounts, marketing, and involved with the preparation of the catalogues. Richard Jnr is no longer involved with the business nor a director.

“I now assume responsibility for the general management of the business in addition to my previous roles. Richard Snr, his wife Margaret and daughter Sarah will continue to be part of the business.”

She added: “We believe this will provide a continuing sound business structure.”

The firm changed its name on Companies House to Showell Business Park Ltd in September, after Edmonds resigned as a director, but has retained the name Richard Edmonds Auctions Limited on Facebook.

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Kyle Coupland-Short, of The Link, was sentenced to nine years in prison and was also placed on the sex offender’s register for life.

He earlier pleaded guilty in September to five counts of controlling and coercive behaviour towards four women over of six years between 2016 and 2022.

Coupland-Short also pleaded guilty to causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent at a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court in September.

Lead investigating officer, DC Katie Moore, has commended the bravery of the victims who came forward to report Coupland-Short’s behaviour and helped bring Coupland-Short to justice, saying it “takes immense courage and strength to stand up against someone”:

She said: “Being a victim of coercive and controlling behaviour has a huge impact on the victim, physically, mentally, and emotionally. We take all reports of this nature seriously.

“The sentence given to him highlights the seriousness of coercive and controlling behaviour, and this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in Lincolnshire.

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A man told two ‘young girls’ to tie their feet together during sex chats.

29-year-old David Holberry was arrested after a paedophile hunting group conducted a ‘sting’ in Salisbury back in 2021.

At Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (5 October), he pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Pauline Lambert, prosecuting, said that the defendant had been speaking to fake profiles set up by the paedophile hunters – who he believed were young girls, under the age of 16.

During the sexualised conversations, he told both ‘girls’ to bind their feet and put socks in their mouth.

Duty solicitor Liz Highams told the court that was was “concerned about Mr Holberry’s mental health”, but confirmed that understands proceedings and has capacity.

The defendant, of Whitworth Road, Swindon, was told to register as a sex offender at Gablecross Police Station within 72 hours.

Magistrates ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until 27 November. He was released on unconditional bail.

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POLICE have released the mugshot of the Winsford man jailed after approaching underage children.

Last week, Neil Owen was jailed for 89 weeks after pleading guilty to breaching an 18-year-old court order.

The sexual offences prevention order, which was handed down by Vale Royal Magistrates Court on January 28, 2005, banned the 53-year-old from communicating with children.

But on August 24 earlier this year, Owen, of Abbotts Way, breached the order by twice approaching and communicating with a 15-year-old child.

Judge Patrick Thompson sentenced him to 18 months.

He will also serve a further 11 weeks as a result of a suspended sentence handed to him last month.

At Crewe Magistrates' Court on August 10 Owen pleaded guilty to three offences following an incident at the Red Lion pub in Wharton in July.

He was charged with assault by beating, using threatening or abusive words and breaching a community protection order.

Owen was seen acting aggressively and swearing before he assaulted another man, in turn breaching a community protection order imposed on him in January.

This order had been issued after Owen acted towards ambulance staff at Winsford Lifestyle Centre.

Taking his guilty plea into account, magistrates sentenced him to 11 weeks in jail, but suspended the term for 12 months due to his ongoing rehabilitation work with the Probation Service. 

However, by committing this latest offence, Owen will have to serve the sentence.

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A SEX offender has been jailed for a second time after repeatedly ignoring court orders.

Graham Simister, of no fixed abode in Church Street, Northwich, was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order at Chester Crown Court on January 29, 2021.

On May 4 last year, the 56-year-old breached the conditions of this order, landing him back in front of a judge.

The case was eventually heard at Chester Magistrates Court on May 2 this year where Simister was jailed for a total of 16 weeks.

But just weeks after his release, on August 17, Simister again breached the sexual harm prevention order and failed to comply with requirements of the sex offenders' register.

Despite being banned from doing so, he used a mobile phone which prevented the search history from being stored; downloaded social media apps without informing police or the Probation Service; used user names which were not provided to police; and used a chat app which automatically deletes the content after a week.

Simister, formerly of City Road, Chester, was subsequently charged with both offences and pleaded guilty to them at court on August 19.

He returned to Chester Crown Court on Monday, September 25, where Circuit Judge Steven Everett jailed him again, this time for a total of 16 months.

An order was also made for Simister to pay a sucharge of £187 on his release.

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A sick sexual predator whose dangerous behaviour got worse over a decade is finally behind bars.

Rizwan Hussain, 44, has been handed an extended sentence made up of eight years in custody and an extended licence period of four years after he was found guilty of a catalogue of sick sexual offences.

Bradford Crown Court heard that in 2014, Hussain, of Daisy Fields in Bradford, was sentenced to supervision after he was caught exposing himself to children in a changing room at the Richard Dunn sports centre. He was also made the subject of a five-year sex offender registration order, but when that was due to lapse in 2019 the police used their civil powers to successfully obtain a new sexual harm prevention order from the magistrates because of various allegations that had been made against him.

Judge Jonathan Rose said that in 2013 there had been reports of Hussain masturbating near a primary school and in 2016 he had been seen speaking to a group of children aged between 10 and 16. In 2017 Hussain admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl who he said he thought was 16 and in 2019 he was alleged to have abducted a 13-year-old girl.

Judge Rose said: “Of course none of those matters has resulted in a conviction and I have not been told why." He said the allegations raised very real concerns and were the background to Hussain’s latest offences committed in February this year.

Following a trial before Judge Rose in July Hussain, a married father-of-four, was found guilty by the jury of engaging in sexual activity with a teenage boy who was vulnerable due to his age and the fact that he had been drinking alcohol. The court heard that Hussain gave the boy £10 and then got the youngster to perform a sex act on him.

A teenage girl saw what was happening and Hussain invited her to join in. The court heard that Hussain was a stranger to both of the children involved.

On Hussain was jailed for offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching his sexual harm prevention order. The judge told him: “I simply do not accept that you have or have shown any element of remorse whatsoever."

He said Hussain’s escalation in offending was the clearest indication of the dangers he posed and he described Hussain as “an opportunistic sexual predator” who indiscriminately targeted others for his sexual gratification.

The judge imposed a new sexual harm prevention order which will last for the rest of Hussain’s life and Hussain will also have to register as a sex offender with the police.