Latest Offenders

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A male predator who dressed as a woman to sexually abuse a 20-year-old man in Bishop’s Stortford was jailed for 10 years on Tuesday (May 28).

Wayne Rogers, now 48, was wearing a wig and fake breasts when he picked up the victim, who was “absolutely hammered” having spent the evening in the town centre.

Rogers, a bald hairdresser, led him to his car and drove him a short distance before stopping to carry out the attack, part of which he videoed.

He appeared for sentence at St Albans Crown Court having been convicted by a jury last September of assault by penetration, two offences of sexual assault and two offences of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Judge Francis Sheridan told Rogers: “He was chosen by you because he was intoxicated and you could see he was intoxicated. You could see he was vulnerable.

“You sexually abused him for your own sexual excitement and satisfaction.”

In 2022, Rogers, of Plaw Hatch Close, Bishop’s Stortford, had appeared at the same court before a different judge for three separate trials in which he was accused of offences against other men.

While dressed as a woman he was said to have performed oral sex on a drunken worker who had been to his firm’s Christmas party in December 2019.

The man had left a pub and was guided into an alleyway by a person with long fingernails, who was wearing perfume. He was spun around before being attacked. Rogers, who said the activity was consensual, was found not guilty of sexual assault.

At the end of a second trial, Rogers was found not guilty of causing a second man, who thought he was a woman, to engage in sexual activity without consent. That was between May 2018 and April 2020.

Rogers said he met the man every couple of weeks on a Friday or Saturday in a field or a car park. The complainant believed he was having sexual activity with a woman.

A third jury cleared him of coercive control in an intimate or family relationship with another man between January and July 2016.

Three months after his third acquittal, Rogers preyed on the 20-year-old in the early hours of Sunday September 11, 2022.

At the trial which followed, prosecutor Mark Trafford KC said: “He goes out for all intents and purposes dressed as, and looking like, a woman, with a wig and with breast replacements.

“He finds his drunk young man and goes to an out-of-the-way place where he engages in abuse – sexual contact with the young man, away from prying eyes.

“He is a sexual predator that picks on drunken men and deceives them by being dressed as a woman.

“The complainant in this case was very drunk. He [Rogers] picked on him because he was absolutely hammered.”

Mr Trafford said the victim had drunkwine, gin, Prosecco and vodka over five hours. He had been to JD Wetherspoon’s Port Jackson pub before moving on to Bacchus nightclub.

He had escorted a woman friend to a car, where she was picked up and taken home. He had fallen over a couple of times in the town centre when Rogers, dressed as a woman, spotted him and led him to his car.

The prosecutor went on: “He got into the car, was driven a short distance away and was sexually assaulted. Through the fog of alcohol, he recalls being sexually assaulted in the car park and then somewhere else out of the way.

“It was without any consent whatsoever. It was degrading and he was left at 5am in the morning somewhere. He woke up on a patch of grass.”

He told his father, when they drove into the town the next day to look for his phone, he had been assaulted. He was taken to a sexual assault referral centre.

Mr Trafford said the man told the nurse that he remembered the person who assaulted him had a deep and distinctive voice.

In a personal statement, the victim said: “When I am not distracted and am alone with my thoughts, I feel sad or numb.”

Rogers was arrested on November 4, 2022. At his home, police found two blonde wigs and a pair of fake breasts under his bed.

A police dog alerted its handler to the headboard of Rogers’ bed. Inside there was a mobile phone.

When it was examined, officers found an image of the victim sitting motionless, wearing just white socks, while the defendant fondled him.

Internet search history on Rogers’ phone included search terms such as: “Drunk friend f…….”, “F…… drunk sleeping friend,” “Drunk guy getting f……” and “Sleeping drunk gay friend f…..”

Defending Alexander Wright, said: “He had a hairdresser shop and then [worked] as a mobile hairdresser.”

Mr Wright said that in his previous trials, Rogers had described himself as being “like a woman trapped in a man’s body”.

Judge Sheridan told Rogers: “This young man was a complete and utter innocent and a complete stranger.

“He was an easy prey for you. There was a degree of planning. You went out dressed with your fake breasts and wig.”

Rogers must register as a sex offender for life and must abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.

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A man has admitted to having more than 700 indecent images of children on his devices.

Rory Lord, 40, remained stony-faced in the dock as he pleaded guilty to three charges.

Southampton Magistrates’ Court heard how on April 8, 2022, police were alerted to an upload of indecent images.

Identifying Lord as a suspect, officers attended his address and searched his devices.

Prosecuting, Anthony McCafferty said: “A search was conducted and his devices seized and searched.

“A total of 746 images were found on his devices. 133 of these were Category A – the most serious – 273 Category B, and 340 Category C.

“All children in the images were under the age of 16."

He added: “A bank card with someone else’s name on it was also found at the property.

“The defendant accepted that he found the card and was going to keep it. It is not linked ot the indecent images.”

Lord, of Somers Way in Eastleigh, admitted three charges of possessnig indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and theft.

Magistrates sent the case to Southampton Crown Court, where Lord will be sentenced on June 17.

“You must keep your nose clean until then,” he told Lord.

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Magistrates have imposed a sexual risk order against a man accused of having ‘spied on girls’ in cubicles.

Zac Soliman, 23, appeared before Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Prosecutors say Soliman had ‘1.5million indecent images of children’ on his phone – despite him doing a factory reset on the device when police came knocking.

The court also heard alleged incidents of Soliman using his phone to record children in cubicles.

Prosecuting, Ned Sillett said: “On one occasion, the defendant put his hand – holding his phone – under a cubicle where a 10-year-old girl, and on another occasion, a 16-year-old girl, were present.

“They were both unknown to the defendant. This indicates that he has an active sexual interest in children

“His devices were also searched, and a vast quantity of indecent images were found – 1.5m in total."

Mr Sillett: “The defendant was arrested earlier this year and he took so long to answer the door, police forced entry.

“When they entered, they found the defendant had done a factory reset on his phone.

“Sex toys and lubricant were also found, and evidence suggests he carries them around with him in a bag in public places.

“There is a significant risk to the public, particularly children.”

Soliman, of Shaftesbury Road, Southsea, requested an adjournment so he could obtain legal aid.

Chair of the Magistrates’, Mr Dickinson said: “I will adjourn a decision for a full sexual risk order until June 10 to allow for legal aid for the defendant.

“This is a one-off opportunity but we feel there is a substantial risk that must be managed.

“We believe it is right and fair to impose an interim sexual risk order.”

Such an order is a civil court order that prevents a person from carrying out certain activities.

The full details of Soliman's order were not given in court.

Description

A Southampton man who exposed himself on a seafront bench admitted to police that he has a sexual interest in children.

Kevin Heslin was wearing a blue skirt at Weston Shore when he was spotted by a 16-year-old girl who had been jogging, Southampton Crown Court heard.

The girl said she saw the 49-year-old sitting down with his genitals visible to passers-by and alerted a nearby woman and her two young girls.

The police were called and Heslin got up and began walking towards the Pitch and Putt before he was stopped and arrested.

Officers found a bottle of Johnson’s baby oil tied to his body with a piece of string which Heslin said was to help with chafing. They also found pink women’s underwear.

In a statement read out in court, the 16-year-old victim said: “I really don’t know why someone would expose themselves in a public place like that.

“I am left feeling distressed and violated by the man’s actions. My heart was racing and I felt scared.

“I honestly never thought I would witness anything so horrible whilst out for a run.”

When interviewed, Heslin told officers he is a heterosexual male but admitted that he has a sexual interest in children.

He claimed he didn’t intentionally expose himself and didn’t know that part of his body was visible.

Heslin, of Glen Road, Southampton, said he is a nudist and likes to wear skirts.

He answered no comment to all other questions following a discussion with his lawyer.

Heslin admitted exposure following the incident on August 10, 2023.

He has one previous conviction for exposing himself in 2011 when he was spotted in a wooded area wearing only a balaclava.

His barrister Richard Onslow said Heslin has remorse and has engaged in a course of therapy to address his behaviour.

Mr Onslow said: “He fully understands that he must not dress in such a way that there is any risk of exposure.”

He argued that his client goes to nudist beaches and that any court order should not prohibit him from doing that legally.

But Judge Christopher Parker said Heslin had admitted to deliberately exposing himself by pleading guilty.

He added that “nudist or not” someone with “his history should not be allowed to expose himself at all".

Addressing Heslin, the judge said: “There have to be concerns about your exposed sexual interest in pre-pubescent girls.”

Heslin received a three-year community order with 120 hours of unpaid work, 30 sessions on an accredited programme and five rehabilitation days.

He was made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order prohibiting him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 and from exposing himself in any public place.

He is also subject to notification requirements for the same period.

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A MAN purposely exposed his genitals to schoolgirls and secretly recorded a woman using the bathroom.

David Vickery admitted to revealing his penis in front of children because he thought they would not remember details to identify him.

The 47-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of exposure and two counts of voyeurism at his sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Prosecutor, Grace Coupland, told the court that at around 3.30pm on April 30, 2021, two girls aged 12 were walking home from school in Poole when they noticed a car with its door open.

They said a man’s leg was sticking out of the car door, with his shorts pulled down and penis fully exposed.

Similarly, on August 20, 2021, two girls aged 12 and 13 saw a parked Honda Civic at 2.50pm and found the defendant sat inside, undressed from the waist down.

Ms Coupland said one of the girls was so upset after the incident that she burst into tears as soon as she got home.

During the third incident, on September 10, 2021, two girls aged 13 visited a shop in Poole to buy sweets when they saw a parked car on their way home at 4.45pm.

The girls were forced to walk single file parked the car when they saw the defendant with his leg sticking out of the car.

He was seen wearing boxer shorts, with his penis displayed, as well as a baseball cap with his head down so the girls could not see his face.

A mother of one of the victims told the court in a statement that her daughter’s confidence has been “crushed” following the incident and is afraid to walk on her own.

After police seized and examined Vickery’s phone they found a video, around a minute and a half in length, recording a teenager in a bikini.

When interviewed, he said he saw the girl sunbathing and it caught his interest, so began recording.

He admitted that voyeurism was something he enjoyed because it “gives him a kick” rather than regular pornography.

The teenager said in a victim impact statement that she felt violated and cannot go outside without feeling watched.

Police also recovered a still image, believed to have been taken from a video, of another woman standing in a bathroom with her lower body fully exposed.

The defendant said he had concealed the recording device for 20 minutes in a bathroom basket.

Mitigating, Mary Aspinall-Miles, said Vickery is a man of previous good character, with no previous convictions, and has showed genuine remorse.

Judge Robert Pawson said the defendant’s behaviour was “absolutely disgraceful” and has no doubt that he targeted those schoolgirls.

Vickery, of Old Kiln Road, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He was also handed 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 150 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month electric curfew.

Vickery will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order and be placed on the sex offenders register, both for 10 years.

Description

A man from Surrey Quays, who sexually assaulted a young girl, has been jailed for four years and six months.

Ahmed Deq Mohamed, 20, who has a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child under thirteen, violated another victim on June 16, 2023.

Police arrested and charged him just five days later, with forensic evidence and the victim’s “compelling video account” helping to convict him.

Detective Constable Oliver Colville, who led the investigation, said: “I would like to praise the victim for initially coming forward to police, and for reporting this repulsive behaviour from Mohamed. 

“The compelling video account provided by her assisted with the forensic evidence that we had, making it enough to convict Mohamed.”

Mohamed has been sentenced to four years and six months in jail with twelve months on license after he appeared at Inner London Crown Court on May 22. 

He was previously found guilty of sexually assaulting a child under thirteen by penetration, following a trial at the same court.

He will now also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A predatory sex offender has been jailed for abusing a teenager and downloading more than 100 child sex abuse images.

Christopher Grundy, posting as Boylover44, was caught by an undercover police officer posing as a pervert with similar sexual interests.

The 52-year-old asked the officer to move onto an encrypted messaging service before sharing sickening descriptions of his sexual proclivities with him.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Grundy went on to sexually abuse a vulnerable 17-year-old while he was already on bail for downloading the child abuse images.

Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said a further check of the defendant’s mobile phone recovered further child sex abuse images.

She said police officers also recovered extracts of conversations with other like-minded people where Grundy spoke off his sexual desires and asked for indecent images of children.

“During these chats he demonstrates a sexual interest in children,” she said.

In an impact statement made by the teenage victim, he spoke of how the assaults affected his mental health after Grundy informed other teenagers that he was lying about what had happened to him.

The defendant had claimed to police officers that he had been searching the internet for child abuse in an attempt to track down a person he alleged had sexually assaulted a relative.

Grundy, of Darlington, pleaded guilty to six charges of downloading child abuse images and one charge of downloading an extreme pornographic image involving an animal.

He was found guilty of three charges of sexual assault after he attacked on the teenager between October 28 and 31 last year following a trial.

The judge heard how the defendant had a previous conviction for sexual assault on a teenage boy dating back to the late 90s.

Dr Christopher Wood, representing Grundy, said the father-of-one was on lifelong medication to treat HIV and pointed out that his pre-sentence report had highlighted areas where work could be done with his client.

Judge Richard Bennett branded Grundy’s behaviour as ‘predatory’ as he jailed him for a total of five years for all offences.

“You were much older and he was encountering a number of difficulties in their life,” he said.

“You were aware of that and you were aware that he had a difficult relationship with his mother.

“It is clear that you were sexually attracted to him and used their vulnerability to your advantage.”

Grundy was issued with an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life as well as being made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Bennett added: “In a cynical attempt to get your defence in first, you spread lies about the victim among other teenagers, which resulted in him being threatened.

“I was able to observe the aggressive and angry side of your character when you were giving evidence – you have a short temper.”

Description

A convicted sex offender bought sweets for two eight-year-old girls and then offered them money to get in his car, a court has heard.

William Harrison, 63, approached the two girls at a branch of Asda in Shipley in September 2022.

Bradford Crown Court heard how, after paying for the sweets, Harrison walked the girls to his car where he showed them an explicit photo on his phone before offering them both £5 to get into the vehicle.

Harrison, of Armstrong Street, Bradford, was jailed on Thursday for four years after he admitted charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and child abduction.

'Troubling material'

During the hearing it was revealed he had previously been jailed nearly 20 years ago for sexual assault on a lone female at Morley railway station and further offences of exposure and outraging public decency involving teenage girls.

Passing sentence, Recorder Anthony Hawks said Harrison had “troubling” sexual material on his mobile phone and that he had used the pretext of the sweets to get the girls to accompany him to his car.

“You offered them money to get in your car," said Recorder Hawks.

"Very sensibly they refused."

After jailing Harrison, the judge also imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and told the defendant that he would have to comply with a restraining order for an unlimited time.

Harrison will also be on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Following the hearing, Det Insp Tom Swift of West Yorkshire Police praised the victim's "bravery", adding: “Incidents of this nature are very rare, but this was truly every parent's worst nightmare.

"Harrison is a danger to children.

“Fortunately, these girls weren’t hurt, but were clearly distressed about what happened."

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A former Rotherham taxi driver has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting two girls more than 20 years ago.

Adam Ali, 43, attacked the girls between 2001 and 2004.

Sheffield Crown Court heard he repeatedly assaulted one victim, threatening to leave her stranded if she did not do what he told her.

Formerly known as Razwan Razaq, Ali was found guilty of four counts of rape and three of sexual assault after a trial.

He is due to be sentenced on 28 July.

'Clear message'

Ali was prosecuted as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's investigation into non-familial child sexual abuse and exploitation that took place in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

Liz Fell, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), praised the victims in the case for coming forward.

She said: "It is because of their evidence that we were able to secure a conviction and bring their abuser to justice.

"I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement, will relentlessly pursue justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse takes place."

Ali was previously sentenced to 11 years imprisonment in 2010, after being convicted of committing offences of a similar nature.

Description

A convicted paedophile infiltrated a theatre group before developing an "obsession" with a child actor.

Charles Thompson made a collage of pictures of the teenage girl after downloading the images from her Facebook page and suggested that they play roles which would see them portraying a couple on stage, despite their 30-year age difference. He also suggested that he "join her" in bed and admitted that his "new year's resolution to give her up" would be doomed to failure as he could not stop "daydreaming" about her.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Wednesday, that the 46-year-old was previously handed a lifelong sexual offences prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years in 2014 after being convicted of causing a child to watch sexual activity. This also saw Thompson, of Neville Road in Waterloo, handed a 26-week imprisonment suspended for two years at Sussex Magistrates' Court.

Louise Santamera, prosecuting, described how the dad then became involved in Waterloo and Crosby Theatre Company after his daughter joined as a member. He subsequently gave lifts to other children to and from rehearsals and began exchanging messages with one such girl.

While she was "sick in bed", Thompson texted her stating that he "almost wished he could join her, but that sounded wrong". Just over a week later, he messaged her to say he was "sending hugs" and added: "You've been on my mind since I last saw you."

Around six months later, he referred to having a dream in which "she would be the prince and he would be the pretty princess". Thompson added: "Don't worry, I intend to give you up as my new year's resolution.

"I'll see if I can go a whole year without daydreaming of you then making some creepy, inappropriate remark about it. I don't reckon I would last a day."

Thompson was also said to have "prepared a collage" of pictures he had taken from the girl's Facebook page without her knowledge. The police were contacted the following month after concerns were raised to the group's chairman.

She then challenged the defendant, who "apologised and said it was wrong". Thompson added that it "started off as a joke but it had gone too far" and said he was "glad the staff knew about it as it stopped it from going any further".

Ms Santamera said that he had been "involved in a number of productions" and "would have come into contact with various children under the age of 16". The chair also recalled one occasion on which he had recommended the girl for a part which she was deemed "too young for", and said that he had put himself forward for the role of this character's boyfriend.

Thompson was also said to have had access to a private Facebook group of which 70 to 80 teenagers were members. He was arrested at his home address and gave a prepared statement under interview saying that he was "refusing to answer questions because of his perceived belief that there was no evidence".

Following his release on bail, Merseyside Police installed "risk management software" on his phone. But, on January 12 this year, this technology detected that Thompson had visited pornography websites using incognito mode then accessed the girl's Facebook page, as well as logging on to online dating sites.

His criminal record also shows an entry for three counts of gross indecency with a child in 2003, for which he received a two-year community order and a five-year notification requirement. Ms Santamera said he had "lied about his convictions" during application forms relating to his involvement with the theatre company and had shown an "unhealthy interest" in the girl.

Charles Lander, defending, told the court: "There was a lengthy period of compliance. In relation to the previous suspended sentence, he complied fully.

"Because of his criminality, he lost his employment. More significantly, he has lost his home.

"The biggest effect on him is being apart from his wife and two young children. Since January this year, he has been in custody.

"It has been a difficult four months for him. It is his first experience of custody.

"When his daughter first joined the theatre group, he never had ulterior motives. She enjoyed him being there, and he joined the theatre group."

Thompson, who was supported by his wife in the public gallery, admitted two counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for two years.

Sentencing, Judge Louise Brandon said: "It is quite clear that you had a completely inappropriate interest in her. You stalked her Facebook page in incognito mode while on bail in the hope that you would not be detected.

"You lied on your application form to prevent safeguarding from taking place, and you withheld what you were doing from your offender manager. You appear to be obsessed with her.

"I take into account your problems with your mental health and the impact on your family. I accept that you became involved in the theatre group because of your daughter's interest and not because you were actively looking to offend."

Thompson was also handed a 10-year restraining order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for the same period.

Description

A Met cop has spoken out about her role in the investigation into a “horrific” case of child exploitation by a repeated sex offender.

Tyler Charter, of Windsor House, Croydon, is due to be sentenced today at Croydon Crown Court for arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and possession of images of children. 

Detective Constable Nikki Jones led the investigation into Charter after intelligence from the National Crime Agency (NCA) identified the 35-year-old as a key suspect in grooming young children in June 2022.  

Charter had previously been sentenced to seven years in prison in July 2018, but had been released on parole in May 2022.

DC Jones said: “We were flagged intelligence about Charter, who was known to police as a registered sex offender, which showed him discussing sexual offences and sharing videos with like-minded individuals on his Telegram account.”

Telegram is a messaging app you can access from multiple devices.

DC Jones arrested Charter at his address in Croydon in September 2022. During the arrest he was seen trying to dispose of evidence on his devices before officers stepped in and seized them. 

DC Jones said: “He resisted arrest and was restrained.

“When he was interviewed he became violent and answered “no comment” to all the questions we put to him.”

Charter’s phone was sent for analysis which revealed conversations between him and other Telegram users, detailing a desire to commit horrific acts, including rape towards minors in South London.

DC Jones said: “On his account we found 4,233 images and videos of children – many of which included Category A videos of young boys and babies.”

Category A defines images or videos involving penetrative sexual activity.

Officers also uncovered conversations discussing the abuse of young children, some as young as three years old, as well as exchanges of Charter arranging assaults on underage victims.  

DC Jones said: “Charter is a very dangerous man. Our work is crucial in preventing high-risk predators like him from targeting, grooming and sexually abusing vulnerable children in our society.” 

Charter was found guilty at Croydon Magistrates Court on February 29, 2024. 

Detective Inspector Peter Harvey, from the Met’s online child exploitation and specialist crime team, works alongside 70 staff members on 400 investigations at one time.

He said: “We have a proactive system that reacts to intelligence and victim reports as well as officers who engage with schools to educate teachers, parents and families about the warning signs for child exploitation.

“Warning signs include children becoming suddenly withdrawn, personality changes or unexplained gifts.

“It is important to have open conversations with your child so they are comfortable sharing any concerns. After these conversations it is important that concerns are reported to the police.”

In Feburary, a report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) – reviewed investigations by the Met into child exploitation.

Of the 244 cases it examined, 121 were rated inadequate, 80 as needing improvement and 43 were graded as good.

The Inspectorate said the Met had to fix these failings before it can get out of special measures. The inspectorate placed the force in special measures in June 2022.

Since the report, the Met said it has put more resources into the area and is retraining officers to have a better understanding of child exploitation.

Description

A Perth paedophile, Darren Adams, avoided jail for breaching a court order, despite possessing 18,000 obscene photos and videos and a self-written paedophile manifesto.

Adams, also known as Derek Jones, argued that his "minority group" was being discriminated against, questioning why he should respect laws that don't respect him. He had been placed on the sex offenders register following a police raid at his Midlothian home during the 2020 lockdown. Last month, at Perth Sheriff Court, the 52-year-old admitted to violating his Sexual Offences Prevention Order when police found he was using an internet-capable Blu-Ray player at his home in Alyth.

Description

A paedophile sexually assaulted a girl twice and sent her inappropriate messages saying "I wish I was the one who captured your heart". The abuse came to light after the victim showed the messages to her mother.

Gareth Nye, 32, of, Bridgend, abused his victim on at least two occasions by touching her over her clothing. He did this on the pretense he was tickling the girl.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard the victim was "young and naïve" to the defendant's behaviour and didn't think much of it at the time. After the victim was given a phone for Christmas by her parents, Nye exchanged messages with her.

In those messages, he told his victim: "Don't tell your mummy and daddy what I talk about with you". This made her feel suspicious and she showed her mum the messages. Being able to appreciate the full meaning of the message, the victim's mother became "upset and angry".

The police were called and the victim was interviewed, but she did not disclose the sexual assaults at the time. Months later she told her mother what Nye had done to her, after experiencing a nightmare.

Nye, of Caeau Duon, Pencoed, was arrested and faced two trials before he was convicted of two counts of sexually assaulting a child. Despite the guilty verdicts, he continues to maintain his innocence, which was considered an aggravating factor by Recorder John Philpotts.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim's mother said: "I noticed a big difference in (my daughter), she became quite quiet and withdrawn.... When the disclosure took place I couldn't believe what it was she was telling me. It felt like a hole had opened up and we were sucked back into this dark place. She was in such a state and I was trying to reassure her it was ok and she told me there was more. She hadn't disclosed it earlier because of how upset I had been about the messages and was worried about causing more trouble. I was gutted she felt like this and I wasn't there for her when she needed it and trying to protect me...

"I was so angry and upset this man could do this to us... (My daughter) became quite erratic and this lasted for two years. She started to have outbursts of rage, not responding to our parenting, rebelling against anything we do. Screaming and shouting, punching her bed. She had a built up rage, she had never been like this before and we didn't know how to help her."

The victim's mother said she felt "sick to her stomach" while her daughter gave evidence in the trial, and described her bursting into tears after leaving the courtroom. She said they felt they could not move on with their lives, and added: "What (the defendant) has done to my daughter is incomprehensible. I will never forget him for taking away my daughter's innocence."

In mitigation, Hilary Roberts said Nye was of previous good character, and had been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum. He argued that custody could be avoided in his client's case, and he would struggle in a custodial setting having previously been bullied.

Sentencing, Recorder Philpotts sentenced Nye to eight months imprisonment. The defendant was also subjected to sex offender notification requirements, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order indefinitely.

Description

A sex offender who terrorised women and girls is facing a lengthy jail term after being convicted of his crimes. John McKechnie was found guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He was convicted of two charges by a jury, having earlier pleaded guilty to 14 other offences. The 32-year-old was convicted of rape, possessing indecent images of children, and domestic abuse offences.

The court heard he preyed on women and girls in West Lothian between 2015 and 2022. Detective Inspector Adrian Ure, of Police Scotland's National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, spoke out after his conviction.

He said: "John McKechnie's offending and behaviour was appalling. He showed complete and utter contempt for the abuse he inflicted upon his victims, and the horrific sexual abuse featuring in the images and videos he was viewing.

"There is no hiding place for these offenders, and as a result of our investigation, he will now rightly face the consequences of his actions. Any form of child sexual abuse is a serious criminal offence and is a priority for Police Scotland.

"We encourage anyone with concerns about a child at risk of abuse, or a potential victim, to contact police immediately." McKechnie is due to be sentenced for the offences next month

Description

A serial Scottish rapist who inflicted violent sexual abuse against three women has died behind bars.

Lee Thomson died at HMP Glenochil on May 20, the Scottish Prison Service confirmed. The 52-year-old violent offender was jailed for life in December 2020, following a campaign of abuse against his victims between 2003 and 2018.

His vile crime include six rapes, two sexual assaults, four assaults and two stalking offences that took place in Fife. A trial at the High Court in Edinburgh heard how Thomson stalked two of his victims - monitoring them using covert devices, reports the Daily Record.

He also made one of his victims undergo lie detector tests. Thomson, who was a dad-of-ten, continued to deny his crimes, which went undetected for years.

During sentencing, he was handed an Order for Lifelong Restriction and was placed on the sex offender's register.

Speaking at the time, Detective Sergeant Gordon Patullo of Police Scotland's Domestic Abuse Task Force said: “Lee Thomson’s offending took place over a number of years against three women which until now went largely unpunished. Thomson’s offending included sustained violence and sexual abuse of his victims.

"He is a dangerous, manipulative individual who went to extraordinary lengths to monitor and control these women. With this sentence of an order of lifelong restriction, Thomson will face the consequences of his actions for many years.

"His conviction sends out a clear message that domestic abuse crimes will be robustly investigated by Police Scotland."

He continued: "I would like to thank the victims in this case for the strength and dignity they have shown throughout this investigation and subsequent court case and I hope that today's sentencing provides them with some closure which will allow them to move on with their lives.

"We would take this opportunity to reach out to anyone who is experiencing or has experienced domestic abuse; it is never too late to report to the police or seek support and advice from one of our partner agencies such as Women's Aid."

Officers from Police Scotland said the death is not being treated as suspicious. A Fatal Accident Inquiry will take place in due course.

A spokesperson for the SPS said: "With each death in custody, Police Scotland are advised and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal. Fatal Accident Inquiries are held in due course."

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We received a report of the sudden death of a 52-year-old man at HMP Glenochil around 8.05am on Monday, 20 May, 2024. The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”