Latest Offenders

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A convicted sex offender who assaulted a child in Gillingham has been handed a further prison sentence.

Ben Hanger, 34, of St Agnes Gardens, Sheerness, was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday 4 December to four years in jail after he admitted sexual assault against a girl under 13 and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity. He was also ordered to serve an additional five years on licence.

He abused the young girl at a property between 2016 and 2017 and the offences were reported to Kent Police in 2021.

He was arrested at HMP Elmley, where he is serving a 15-year extended sentence after he was convicted following a trial in December 2022. He was jailed after he attempted to kidnap a schoolgirl in January 2021.

This additional sentencing will be added to his total years to serve.

Description

A ‘dangerous’ child sex offender has been found guilty following a three-year-long investigation.

Dominic Scribbins, aged 39 from Plymouth, was found guilty by a jury of 16 offences following a seven-day trial at Bristol Crown Court on Friday 29 November. He was found guilty of the following:

• Eight counts of indecent assault
• Three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• And one count each of assault by penetration, sexual assault and engaging in sexual
• activity in the presence of a child.

The court heard how between 2003 and 2019, Scribbins had sexually and indecently assaulted several young girls in the Bristol and Dorset area, who were between the ages of four and 14 at the time of the incidents.

Officers first started investigating the case in 2021 when one of the victims came forward and reported non-recent sexual assaults by Scribbins. Following this, other victims came forward to make their own reports.

Following an extensive investigation, Scribbins was arrested on 11 November 2021 and later charged on 31 May last year.

Officer in the case Detective Sergeant Lucy Bryant said: “It has been three years since the victims in this case came forward to the police and I thank them for their bravery and resilience in supporting a prosecution.

“Because of their courage, a dangerous child sex offender has been taken off the streets and, following his sentencing in January 2025, will hopefully be in prison for many years to come.

“Sexual offences against such young and vulnerable members of our society are among the most despicable. Children should be able to trust adults and know they are safe in their company, but Scribbins brought about only pain and upset for his victims.

“No matter when the abuse happened, if something has happened to you then please report it to us, you will be believed and supported. We are committed to doing whatever is needed to achieve justice for the victims, while also providing and signposting them to safeguarding and support services.”

Scribbins was found not guilty of one count of sexual assault of a children under 13.

He was remanded into custody and will appear at Bristol Crown Court for sentencing on Monday 13 January next year.

Description

A “lonely” young man working in the North East, well away from home, sought companionship via a social media dating and friends site for adults, a court heard.

But when Jarrod Hofmann’s post on Wink was responded to by someone claiming to be a 14-year-old girl, he made the misguided error of continuing the conversation, soon moving on to sexual matters.

Durham Crown Court was told Hofmann was unaware, however, that the person purporting to be 14-year-old “Mollie” was, in fact, a decoy profile put up by the paedophile-hunting Child Online Safety Team (COST).

Elisha Marsay, prosecuting, told the court that Hoffman, aged 21 at the time, soon suggested switching the conversation onto WhatsApp.

Over the course of the following 18 days, in March last year, he repeatedly tried to persuade ‘Mollie’ to send him intimate images of herself and told her he would instruct her how to perform a sex act upon herself.

Miss Marsay said the defendant also discussed meeting ‘Mollie’, making travel arrangements so she could spend a night with him.

Members of COST confronted Hoffman at his home, at the time, in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, on March 26, 2023, and police were summoned to the address to arrest the defendant, who was found sitting on the stairs while the paedophile hunters waited at the door.

Following his arrest, Hofmann made no comment in police interviews in March and August last year.

But, by the time the case came before magistrates in Newton Aycliffe, on September 3 this year, the 23-year-old defendant, now living back with his family in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, pleaded guilty to all four charges put to him.

He admitted attempting to incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to possess an indecent image of a child, attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

The offences were all classed as “attempts” as no actual child was involved, unknown to Hofmann.

Stephen Ferns, in mitigation, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was, at the time of the offences, working for National Express based in the North East and felt, “lonely and isolated”.

Mr Ferns said Hofmann was not “actively seeking” a relationship with an underage girl, and accessed an adult site, "seeking a relationship with an adult".

He said the opportunity of it being a child then, “presented itself”.

“He fully accepts knowing the age and continuing the conversation on WhatsApp.

“He was isolated and lonely and had recently moved to a new area and had not had a relationship for four years.

“He had not set out looking for a relationship with a child, but he fully accepts he pursued it when it was presented to him.

“He told the Probation Service he has no sexual interest in children, but it was the case that he became interested in this female when the situation presented itself and he did then have a sexual interest in this child.

“What he told the probation report author was said out of fear, shame and confusion.”

Mr Ferns said the defendant now accepts he needs to address his unhealthy interest.

The lawyer said, following his arrest, Hofmann lost his employment with National Express and moved back to his family home in Gloucestershire.

He has since found new employment, working initially in the haulage industry as a driver.

Mr Ferns said if the defendant was given the opportunity of a non-custodial sentence, he could work with the Probation Service to continue his rehabilitation.

Judge Nathan Adams said, having, “carefully considered” the sentence he should pass, that he was just persuaded to step back from passing an immediate prison sentence.

The judge said, however, that imposing restrictions on the defendant to prevent a repeat of his behaviour were, “entirely necessary” in this case.

Imposing a three-year community order, as a direct alternative to prison, Judge Adams said the defendant must complete 150-hours’ unpaid work, and attend 40 rehabilitation activity days, plus 40 sessions of an accredited programme, both overseen by the Probation Service.

He was also made subject of both a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, including a prohibition on any unsupervised contact with children aged under 18, and the requirement to register as a sex offender, each to run for the next ten years.

Judge Adams told Hoffman he was “making it plain” he must comply with the orders in full and commit no further offences, or risk receiving a first term of imprisonment.

Description

A Fife pensioner upskirted six teenage girls in a Fife Tesco in a single day.

Bruce Clark, 77, of Limekilns, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to five voyeurism offences  – one involving two girls – which took place at the Winterthur Lane store in Dunfermline on November 5 this year.

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Description

A man who arranged to meet and rape two children in a Derbyshire town – sending explicit photos to who he thought was their mother – has been jailed.

Christopher Hackett had been speaking to the ‘mother’ of the two children online, arranging to meet up at a hotel in Alfreton so he could have sex with her 12-year-old ‘daughter’ and eight-year-old ‘son’. He sent explicit photos and described what he wanted to do to the children.

However, the person Hackett was actually speaking to was actually a police officer, and when he arrived at the hotel for the meeting, he was instead arrested.

The 37-year-old had taken a number of items to the hotel, including sweets, bottles of fizzy drinks and a bottle of lubrication.

Following his arrest, his mobile phone was seized and examined and found to contain thousands of indecent images and videos of children.

He was later charged with attempted sexual communication with a child, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and possession of indecent images.

Hackett, of Town Lane, Rotherham, admitted the offences and appeared at Derby Crown Court on November 12, where he was jailed for seven and a half years – with an extended four-year licence period for dangerousness. He was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A pervert sent horrific videos of animals being sexually abused to a "teenage girl" he was chatting to online.

Kevin Clark, 63, sent the videos of a woman having sex with a horse and a dog, after the online user said she "liked animals." Clark used the name "John Smyth" on a chat service, when he had the conversation with a girl - who he though was 15 - in April 2022.

He asked her if she wanted to see a video of underage siblings having sex, before telling her that adults posted pornographic pictures of animals on the site and "she was too young to see that and she should leave." Clark said that he was "excited" to see what would be posted.

He then asked the child if she wanted a photo of his private parts; and told her that he was "thinking about her with a dog." Teesside Crown Court has heard that the "child" has never been traced and may have been a teenage girl or an adult decoy, looking for sex offenders online.

Police arrested Clark on May 31, 2023, after receiving intelligence that he had illegal photos of children. They found videos and images of children being sexually abused, on his mobile phone. He had also downloaded 20 photos showing animals being sexually abused.

Clark later pleaded guilty to the distribution of indecent images; three counts of making indecent images; attempting sexual communications with a child; attempting to cause a child to watch a sex act; and to the possession of extreme pornography featuring animals.

In mitigation Nigel Soppitt told the court that Clark had been isolated and grieving the death of his mother, when he committed the offences. "His relationship ended and he had no one to turn to at all during his grieving. Not a single member of his family is alive.

"He resorted to chat rooms and the darker recesses of the internet. He says he engaged in some sort of odd fantasy."

Judge Paul Reid told Clark, "...at 63, most of us have suffered bereavements and traumas, and we do not resort to this utterly disgusting behaviour." He jailed Clark, of Wales Street in Darlington, for 32-months.

He must sign the sex offender' register for the next ten years.

Description

A "predatory" cheerleading coach repeatedly abused a 13-year-old girl. Rosanna Awan inappropriately touched the youngster and abused her position of trust with the child.

The offences by Awan, now 34, took place when she was in her 20s. Awan repeatedly inappropriately touched the girl. The abuse emerged when the victim reported it to Leicestershire Police in 2019.

Awan stood trial at Leicester Crown Court in October 2024, where she was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and a single charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. She returned to court yesterday (Wednesday, December 4) where she was handed a 10-year jail sentence.

Detective Constable Catherine Anderson, who led the investigation, said after sentencing: "This case involved a person in a position of trust taking advantage of a person in their care, and Awan's behaviour towards her young victim was predatory.

"I'm so pleased the victim came forward to report her behaviour, recognising it for what it was many years later. I'd urge anyone in the same position to come forward. We will take your reports seriously and investigate thoroughly."

Alongside the jail sentence, Awan was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. She will be a registered sex offender for life.

Description

Teacher sent naked Snapchat photos to 15-year-old said 'I bet all the boys fancy me'

A supply teacher who sent naked pictures and videos of herself to a 15-year-old boy on Snapchat has been jailed.

Natalie Arroyo, 33, groomed the teen by sending him the images and telling him she wanted to have sex with him. She also told him she would leave her husband, and sent him a clip of herself performing a sex act.

A court heard how the underage boy was in a “vulnerable” state when Arroyo began contact with him. She began sending the inappropriate texts when she was working as a progress coach and a supply teacher.

Arroyo's conversation with the boy on Snapchat was "innocent" at first but she introduced a sexual element to the conversation and became flirtatious, a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

She told the victim: "I bet all the boys fancy me. I don't blame them – I have really big boobs." Arroyo then sent pictures of her breasts in a bra and asked the victim to send a picture of his penis, which he did.

She later asked the boy to come and meet her for sex and said she would pick him up and could go back to her house. The defendant sent photos of her bottom half in underwear and told him "I touched myself while thinking about you."

The victim asked her to stop sending photos as he was out shopping with his mother and aunt and she responded: "It's so fun to tease you." Arroyo continued to send messages of a sexual nature, told the victim he could "do whatever he wanted to her", and said she "didn't have a gag reflex" and wanted to perform oral sex upon him, Wales Online reports.

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall said the defendant sent pictures of her bare breasts. She asked the boy if he "had any kinks" and said she "liked to be dominated". Arroyo also asked the victim when they were going to meet and said she would "leave her husband for him".

The teenager told Arroyo he didn't want to have sex with her but she tried to convince him otherwise. She sent the boy a picture of her genitals and asked him to come and see her as her husband was at work. He said he didn't want to and the defendant responded by sending a video of herself performing a sex act. A couple of days later Arroyo sent a message to the boy saying it was "best to forget about the messages".

The offences came to light after the victim disclosed the abuse to another adult and the defendant was arrested. She was interviewed and initially denied having contact with the boy but after a break she accepted she had sent the messages but claimed she thought the boy was 16.

Arroyo, of Shady Road, Gelli, Rhondda, later pleaded guilty to two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual communication with a child. The court heard she was of previous good character.

In a victim personal statement read to the court by Mr Kendall, the teenager said: "I have suffered with anxiety and suffered a breakdown. I stopped wanting to go out with friends and felt upset about the situation as I've become known as the boy this has happened to. Children have come up to me and asked about it and they think it's funny and something to laugh about. I felt I was at fault at first and had no-one to talk about it with. I trusted her... I feel betrayed and taken advantage of. I didn't know how to stop it."

In mitigation Ruth Smith said her client had faced huge adversity in her life having had difficulty in her childhood, abusive relationships, and experienced bullying at school. As an adult she suffered miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies and has PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She also has a young son with her husband who, in a reference to the court, described her offences as a "moment of madness".

Judge Eugene Egan said he disagreed with this description. He said: "You have blamed the boy in the past, you had an unimpressive interview with probation, and you are unable to grasp the enormity of what you did. You have a 'woe is me' attitude. You knew [the victim] was vulnerable and you exploited that... You deployed guile and cunning to manipulate that boy."

Arroyo was sentenced to a total of three years and four months' imprisonment. She was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order indefinitely.

Description

A MAN has been jailed for 27 years after being found guilty of sexually abusing children.

Marc Bear, aged 38, and from Launceston, was also given a year on extended licence, a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will sign the Sex Offenders Register for life.

He appeared at Truro Crown Court on Friday December 5, where HHJ Judge Carr told him that he would be a risk to children for the rest of his life.

Following a trial which concluded in November, the jury found Bear guilty of the following 16 offences against children: ten counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity

They also found Bear not guilty of two offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Following conviction, the judge granted Bear bail in order to prepare for a custodial sentence, however he absconded and was located the following day in Somerset. The judge told him it was clear he had planned to abscond, saying: “that told me everything I need to know about your character”.

Investigating Officer, Detective Constable Tim Barbery from the Public Protection Unit said: “This was a highly disturbing case where the offender has exploited the vulnerability of young people for his own sexual gratification, and I welcome the sentence handed down by the judge.

“This has been a protracted investigation due to the nature of the offences and the strength and bravery shown by the victims in support of the police case has been crucial.

“I hope the outcome given today provides them with a small element of closure so that they can begin to move forward.”

Description

A man pushed his way into a woman's caravan in the early hours of the morning and sexually assaulted her, a court has heard. James Birmingham pushed and threw the woman around the static home "like a rag doll" before carrying out a sex act on her.

Swansea Crown Court heard details of a statement from the woman in which she described the devastating emotional and psychological impact of the attack. She also described the "indignity'" of having to give evidence at her trial in front of strangers and of having her integrity challenged in court.

The court heard the assault happened in November last year at a caravan park on Gower. In the early hours of the morning the defendant knocked on the door of the victim's caravan and the woman, thinking there was some kind of problem on the site, got out of bed to see what was going on. The court heard the woman then tried to close the door on Birmingham, 47, but he pushed his way inside. During the course of the subsequent assault the defendant threw and pushed the woman around the caravan before sexually assaulting her.

In an impact statement read to the court the woman said he replays the attack over and over again in her head and said she cannot help but wonder whether it was somehow her fault. She said there is not a part of her which does not believe Birmingham was trying to rape her that night, and she said she now sees herself as a victim of a sexual assault and she feels she will never be the person she used to be. She said the Gower incident had "devastated" her life. The woman also described the "indignity" of having to go through a trial and relive the attack in front of strangers and of having her integrity challenged.

James Birmingham, of Pentregethin Road, Cwmbwrla, Swansea, had previously been convicted at trial of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and sexual assault when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has previous convictions for motoring matters.

Hilary Roberts, for Birmingham, said "thoughtful and constructive" references before the court showed the defendant was well-regarded by people who knew him and showed he was not somebody who usually behaved in the way he had done on the night in question. He said a sentence of immediate custody would be "catastrophic" for the defendant, for his teenage son, and for his employment and he invited the court to consider suspending the custodial sentence that was due.

Judge Geraint Walters said after gaining entry to the caravan Birmingham had used "pretty relentless violence" and had thrown the woman around the caravan "like a rag doll" before sexually assaulting her. He said he had no doubt alcohol had played its part in the "hugely unpleasant" offending. Birmingham was sentenced to three years in prison and will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Description

A MANIPULATIVE sex offender who abused a child has been jailed for 15 years as his victim thanked police for securing the justice she deserved.

Jan Vanderweiden, 60, appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced in connection with five counts of sexual activity with a child.

He was jailed for 15 years and sentenced to five years on extended licence. 

The sexual abuser, of no fixed address in the Castle Point district, had admitted his crimes, which were reported to Essex Police in 2022. 

His victim has thanked officers who “helped and assisted with the case” and “have been nothing but supportive over the past two years”.

She said: “I would like to say to anybody out there who sadly may be experiencing or experienced a similar thing to please trust our police and all the services they provide; I can hand on heart say they did everything to get me the justice I deserved. 

“I am finally able to put this part of my life behind me, though it will be with me forever I can now look forward and create an amazing life for me and the people I care about the most.”

For the first count of sexual activity with a child, Vanderweiden was sentenced to nine years in prison, with five years on extended licence. For the second, he was jailed for six years to run consecutively. For the other three, he was sentenced to five years on each, all to run concurrently with the other sentences.

He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and a deprivation order was made in respect of his mobile phone.

Following the complex two-year investigation Detective Constable Georgina Stroud said: “Vanderwieden is a manipulative sexual offender, and the sentence reflects this.

“The survivor has shown nothing but strength and resilience throughout this difficult process. As the judge correctly mentioned in her sentencing summary, the survivor is a remarkable woman. 

“I hope the survivor’s words encourage others to come forward. 

“We will listen to you and do what we can to ensure you receive the justice you deserve.” 

The survivor paid specific tribute to Det Con Stroud, adding: “I am forever grateful to you all at Essex Police, especially Georgina Stroud, you have been nothing but supportive for the last two years.”

Description

A man who served a previous prison sentence for sexual activity with a child began communicating with what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl earlier this year.

Richard Clark received a four-year prison sentence at Cambridge Crown Court in March 2016 for offences involving a 13-year-old girl he “met” online, in 2014.

His latest hearing, at Durham Crown Court, was given details of the 2014 offending in which the defendant arranged to meet the girl, went to her school and formed a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship during which he kept asking her for sex.

Although she refused those requests, he did give her a body massage but went no further.

Clark denied a charge of sexual activity with a child but was convicted after trial and, apart from receiving the four-year prison term, he was made subject to an eight-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) plus indefinite notification requirements as a sex offender, as part of the 2016 sentence.

County Durham man fell for vigilante group's online 'sting':

Tabitha Buck, prosecuting, told the Durham hearing that in May this year, just two months after the expiry of the SHPO, Clark used an alias, North East 33, which he had not registered with the police, to go online and contact the profile of someone purporting to be a 14-year-old female.

Unknown to Clark, it was a decoy profile posted by an online paedophile-hunting vigilante group, all members of which were aged above 18.

Miss Buck said Clark began the messages by talking about his work as a truck driver, and the correspondent made it clear she was at school and aged 14.

He said he didn’t mind her age and asked if she liked “older guys”.

Clark complimented her on her profile appearance and told her he liked, “naughty chat”, before going on to say he would like to kiss her and asked if she, “played with herself.”

He suggested they switch their conversation to WhatsApp, so she could see him, and gave her his mobile phone number.

Miss Buck said once on WhatsApp, which was in his name, he told her he liked her and wished he could see more of her.

The conversation continued before Clark blocked the profile.

Details of the exchanges were passed to police by the vigilante group and Clark was arrested before being interviewed at Durham station on May 21, when he denied committing any offences.

The, now, 39-year-old defendant of Chillerton Way, Wingate, denied a charge of attempted sexual communication with a child, when he appeared before magistrates, on May 22, and maintained that plea at his first crown court appearance, in June, when a trial date was set.

But ahead of the trial, Clark changed his plea to guilty at a hearing at the court on October 17.

The sentence was adjourned to allow for the preparation of a background report on him by the Probation Service.

Dr Chris Wood, representing the defendant, told the sentencing hearing the latest offending was over a short period and there had been no attempt to conceal the messaging.

“He accepts he initially failed to admit his offending, but he reconsidered his position and indicated to his solicitors he intended to change his plea.

“That, at least, demonstrates remorsefulness and contrition, as is reflected in the probation report.

“The offence post-dates the original SHPO, during which he complied throughout, with no breaches.”

Dr Wood said the differences between the previous offence, which Clark denied to trial, and the present proceedings, are that he has now admitted his offending and, in this case, there was no actual victim.

He said the defendant retains the support of his family, for which he is the main bread winner, but has been in custody since he changed his plea to guilty on October 17.

Judge Nathan Adams said the defendant’s offending history is, “particularly significant” in this case.

The judge said although Clark complied with the SHPO following the 2016 case, once it expired he was offending similarly within months, believing he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl, unaware it was a decoy.

“Fortunately, it was a decoy, and it was brought straight to police attention.”

The judge said had it been a real 14-year-old, “the risk of harm would have been significant”.

He said the timing of the offence was, “an aggravating feature of the case.”

Imposing a 12-month prison sentence, Judge Adams said he could not suspend it, given the defendant’s previous offence.

“I have every sympathy with your family, but you have caused harm to them.

“It’s so serious only an immediate prison sentence can be justified.”

The judge put in place a new ten-year SHPO, with Clark also made subject to registration as a sex offender, again for ten years.

Description

A ‘creepy’ Swindon sex offender has been convicted of breaching a court order.

Dr Prabhat Sakya was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a train – effectively trapping his victims by sitting next to them, and proceeding to touch their bodies.

The pervert, of Bude Road, Swindon, denied the charges but was convicted at trial in 2021. He avoided immediate custody and was slapped with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

In 2023, Wiltshire 999s uncovered a Instagram page believed to be run by ‘creepy’ Sakya.

It featured photos of young women and girls, some with captions that raised concerns. Many of the photos posted on the social media profile were taken at the Swindon Designer Outlet.

Now, the 53-year-old has admitted breaching his SHPO – after officers found five iPhones, two computers and a tablet which had not been disclosed to his sex offender manager.

Another breach, involving the disposal of a laptop which was not disclosed to police, resulted in a ninth charge of breaching a SHPO. He admitted all offences at Swindon Magistrates’ Court.

Sakya was handed a 12-month community order with the requirement to complete 20 days of activity with the probation service. He was also fined £200.

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Description

A man exposed himself and performed a sex act near a school, a court has heard. Jonathan Keegan has a dozen previous offences of exposing himself and outraging public decency on his record but an experienced probation officer has been unable to find the causes of his behaviour.

Sending 53-year-old Keegan to prison a judge told him there seemed to be no sign of him stopping his behaviour. He warned the defendant that if he continues to offend in the same way the courts would lock him up for longer and longer periods.

Swansea Crown Court heard the defendant's latest offending happened at around 3pm on October 3 this year in a park near a Neath school. The court heard Keegan was seen by a woman walking in the area with his penis exposed and pleasuring himself. The court heard though there were children in the area walking home from school the offending didn't happen in front of them. The incident was reported to police and the defendant was arrested.

Jonathan Patrick Keegan, of Meadow Road, Melin, Neath, had previously pleaded guilty to exposure and to breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. The court heard he has previous convictions for seven offences of indecent exposure, seven of breaching a SOPO, and five of outraging public decency. David Singh, for Keegan, said to call the defendant's history of offending "unenviable" would be an "understatement" and said even the experienced author of the pre-sentence report had been unable to gain any real insight into the defendant's behaviour

Judge Paul Thomas KC said while the defendant had clearly been under the influence of drink or drugs on the day not even an experienced probation officer had been able to get to the roots of Keegan's behaviour. He said there appeared to be no sign that the behaviour Keegan had exhibited over the years was going to change, and he told the defendant that if he continues to offend in the same way the courts would impose longer and longer sentences.

With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Keegan was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. He will serve up to half that sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the next seven years.

Description

A family GP who kept his job despite being on the Sex Offender Register for groping a receptionist has been struck off after leaving a female patient in tears over an 'inappropriate' medical examination.

Dr Sanjay Chatterjee, 60, had previously walked free from court and escaped with a nine-month suspension from work after he twice grabbed a receptionist by the bottom and later attempted to kiss her in three separate encounters.

But he was reported to police and the General Medical Council again after he inserted a medical implement inside a woman's vagina without her consent while examining her for suspected haemorrhoids. 

She was left in shock and burst into tears as she told her family about the consultation and  subsequently called police to claim she had been sexually assaulted.

Inquiries revealed married father-of-two Chatterjee had ignored police restrictions on his movements under the terms of the Sex Offender Register by repeatedly flying abroad using a new passport.

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, Chatterjee who lives in the village of Larkfield near Aylesford, Kent, was ordered to have his name erased from the doctor's register after he was found guilty of serious professional misconduct. 

A panel said his examination of the patient was 'inappropriate and not clinically indicated', but cleared him of sexually motivated conduct.

No criminal action was taken against him over the examination.

Chatterjee was initially reported to police in 2010 and charged with sexual assault after the receptionist at a clinic in Medway and a second woman made complaints about him.

The receptionist said she was working a Saturday shift at the out of hour's service clinic when Chatterjee put his hand on her right buttock while she was sitting in reception leaning forward toward her computer.

Initially the receptionist did not want to make a complaint, but later while looking for a diclofenac injection in a dispensary Chatterjee was said to have stood 'uncomfortably close behind her'.

When she turned to ask for help, she found him about 12 inches away from her face.

He started to talk about her jewellery, and grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to kiss her. 

She escaped by raising her arms in a 'trained conflict resolution move.'

At Maidstone Crown Court in 2011, Chatterjee was convicted of sexually assaulting the receptionist and was given 250 hours unpaid work, ordered to pay £1,000 costs and was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for five years. 

He was cleared of seven sex charges involving the second woman after he insisted they were having an affair.

At the time, Chatterjee's loyal wife Sumona, an NHS manager told their local newspaper said: 'He been made to look as if he's a perverse and perverted man but he isn't. He made one silly mistake and that's it.'

Chatterjee himself said: 'I betrayed my wife and family and I am quite ashamed about that - but what has been done cannot be undone. 

'When she heard I had cheated on her she became angry and it was hell. The whole house was in complete shock - it was darkness.'

Chatterjee was temporarily banned from treating patients in July 2014 despite the GMC calling for him to be struck off. 

By March 2015 he was allowed to work again under supervision and eventually returned to unrestricted practice.

But he was back in court again after he was caught flying to Kolkata in India and also Portugal in 2016 as he needed permission from the authorities if he wished to travel abroad and notify them of any changes to his passport.

Inquiries revealed the trips had been booked using a new passport and he was given 84 days in prison, suspended for a year, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £200 costs for failing to comply with notification requirements.

The latest incident occurred at the Aylesford Medical Centre in May 2021 when a female patient known as Ms A was admitted for ulcerative colitis and rectal bleeding. 

She said Dr Chatterjee asked her to get on the examination couch before he picked up a speculum and squeezed lubricant gel on it.

Recalling the examination Ms A said: 'He never went into detail about any of what he was going to do - he just kind of got on with it. I went a little bit tense as it was a little bit sore. 

'He put it in had a look around and said: 'I can't see anything in there, maybe they're further up.' 

I thought 'Oh that's it now' but in the next second he just put it straight into my vagina with no warning, no explanation, nothing.

'I was just so shocked I really didn't know how to react to it at all. He didn't explain it to me.'

A student nurse who witnessed the examination said: 'I remember Dr Chatterjee's communication was really poor. 

'He didn't have an introduction with her at the start of the appointment, he didn't say hello, ask how she was, invite her to take a seat or explain what was going to happen in the appointment. He just said: 'OK get undressed.'

An expert assigned to investigate the incident later said: 'I can see no reason why a vaginal examination was clinically indicated or appropriate, given the presenting symptoms were bowel related and seemed to have nothing to do with her vagina.'

And for the GMC, Ms Jade Bucklow said: 'Patient A was left confused and feeling violated. She contacted friends and family in a distressed state and subsequently had to give evidence to the police so that they could consider whether she had been sexually assaulted.

'All of this arose from Dr Chatterjee's failure to obtain informed consent for intimate examinations and the carrying out of a vaginal examination that was inappropriate and not clinically indicated.'

Chatterjee did not attend the hearing but in a statement said he had no intention of returning to medical practice. 

He added: 'I accept that I carried out the rectal examination of the patient. A chaperone was present. If there was any contact with the patient's vagina then this was unintentional.'

His counsel Martin Forde KC said: 'The doctor resumed his career with no complaints other than the single patient in this case. 

'There was no repetition of any sexually motivated behaviour [from] 2011 to 2024, a period of 13 years.

'The proven charges relate to one patient and one consultation. Clearly, the Panel have found communication could have been better, but such a failure is easily remediable.'

But MPTS chairman Mr Graham White said: ' Dr Chatterjee's failure to obtain Patient A's informed consent caused her emotional harm, leaving her in shock and distress and feeling as if she had been violated. 

Both Patient A's daughter and friend described her as being distressed and in tears when she discussed what had happened to her.

'The fact Dr Chatterjee's registration had previously been suspended in relation to a 2011 conviction for sexual assault against a colleague was a significant aggravating factor. 

'There was no evidence that Dr Chatterjee understood the nature or gravity of his misconduct and convictions and there was no evidence of any attempts by him to address or remediate them.

'There were no expressions of regret or apology.'