Latest Offenders

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A MAN has been jailed after being convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls. John Andow, 78, knew exactly what he was doing when his physical contact with his two child victims turned sexual, Chelmsford Crown Court heard. The sex offender had denied seven counts of sexual activity with a child, but was convicted of two counts following a trial last month. Andow, of Normandie Way, Bures, was acquitted of five counts - and he was cleared of a further count of causing a child to watch a sexual act. At a sentencing hearing, statements were read which detailed the trauma felt by Andows two victims. One victim said the offence had affected her ability to communicate and her relationships with people. Its affected everything, she said. The girl said she suffered from insomnia, adding that since the assault she cant bear to be touched. The second victim said: In my head it was chaos. I felt completely on my own, noone understood how I felt or what Id been through. Judge Timothy Walker said each of the offences involved touching two girls under their clothing. He said: You would start massaging and progressively move up. The massages lasted between ten and 20 minutes. Turning to one victim, he said: You told her not to do anything that she didnt want to and if she was uncomfortable then she should use a stop word chocolate. You knew exactly what you were doing. He added: In evidence you accepted that you had massaged both girls and you went as far as accepting the area of their sternums although you denied massaging their breasts. Unsurprisingly, you were not believed. Roderick Johnson QC, mitigating, described the offences as short-lived temptation. He added: The temptation arose which led Mr Andow to momentarily lose his moral compass which had otherwise been his guide all his life. Mr Johnson said the victim impact statements should be tempered, with the jury having rejected most of the allegations made. But Judge Walker said Andow had carried out two sexual assaults on vulnerable girls. He sentenced to 30 months in prison and made him subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order prohibiting unsupervised contact with children.

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David Blackburn raped one girl and molested another then threatened them to stay quiet This is the paedophile who laughed in the face of his victims when they begged him to stop abusing them. David Blackburn targeted two girls from when they were aged just nine and seven-years-old - threatening them not to speak out about the abuse. He was a teenage boy when he started molesting the victims. But he continued as an adult, even after he got married and had children of his own. One of the girls was raped by Blackburn, of Quarry Green, Northwood, Kirkby, more than three decades ago. She burst into tears and clenched her fists when he was jailed for 19 years on Monday, as supporters celebrated and hugged her in the public gallery. Merseyside Police said it did not take a mugshot of Blackburn because he attended a voluntary interview, meaning the ECHO did not have a photo of him. But we can now show you the face of the man who "grotesquely abused" situations to use the girls as his "sexual playthings". Blackburn was found guilty after a harrowing trial at Liverpool Crown Court. He denied any wrongdoing, but was convicted of five counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child in relation to his first victim, when she was aged between nine and 13. The now adult victim said Blackburn touched her sexually, performed a sex act on her, exposed himself and asked her to touch him, and showed her sexual pictures in a book. Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said: "She would ask him to stop when he touched her but he would just laugh." Blackburn was convicted of 15 counts of indecent assault, two counts of indecency with a child, and one count of rape, in respect of his second victim. The prosecutor said Blackburn abused that girl from when she was aged seven by touching her sexually, including performing sex acts on her. Blackburn made her perform a sex act on him when she was 12, and once lay on top of her, only to be disturbed and flee, before he raped her when she was 14. Ms Snowdon said the girl reported that rape in 1990, but later retracted her complaint when put under pressure. In a victim statement, the second woman said she takes antidepressant medication and medication for anxiety. The prosecutor said she outlined how "the abuse is on her mind all the time" and led to suicidal thoughts. The woman has continuing nightmares and only now, after the trial ended, has been able to take up the offer of counselling. The judge, Recorder Ian Harris, said he had read a pre-sentence report provided by the Probation Service. He said: "It's as one would expect given the denials in the trial. He doesn't express any remorse and maintains his innocence, and the author of the report assesses him as being a high risk of further sexual contact offences." Lee Bonner, defending, said Blackburn suffered from depression "in part caused by his divorce", was on antidepressants and had been referred to a "memory clinic". He said his client had no previous convictions and at his age, prison may "have a far greater impact upon him than may otherwise have been the case". Mr Bonner said Blackburn previously made a serious attempt on his life, which left him in a coma, and his memory issues were linked to cognitive impairment. He said he was "perhaps not a sophisticated man", who didn't complete his education, had difficulties reading and writing, and was "unable to sustain long term employment". Mr Bonner said the last offences were 30 years ago. He added: "The defendant that the court will sentence today is, it would appear, a very different defendant to that young man of so many years ago." Recorder Harris said Blackburn initially satisfied his "predatory lust" with the first girl, then abused the second child. The judge said: "This paedophile offending continued after you were married and had your own children. "Both victims said how you threatened them and that the abuse had hurt them. The second girl said she would beg you to stop what you were doing." Referring to the second girl, Recorder Harris said: "She would say she didn't want to engage in sexual activity with you, but you would tell her not to tell anyone or you would hurt her." The judge said that girl was "forced" to retract the complaint she made about the rape in 1990. Recorder Harris told Blackburn: "Both of your victims have suffered and continue to suffer to this day. You simply ruined the innocence of these two children." The judge said he was sure Blackburn had known that what he was doing was "wrong". Recorder Harris said Blackburn was an "offender of particular concern" and jailed him for 19 years in total, with an extended year on licence. The effect of a combination of different types of sentences in this case means Blackburn must serve around 11 and a half years in jail before he can apply for parole. Blackburn must also sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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An "obsessed" paedophile who forced his victims to eat raw meat from pigs' heads has been released from prison. Colin Cooper was jailed for 18 years in July 2011 but is free after serving just over ten years. Today the father of one of his victims said: "When I had the phone call from the Probation Board I wanted to scream. My daughter is safe, but there are other children out there who are not. In my opinion he should never be released."

Cooper, who is now 72, - formerly known, as Alan Makinson - would force his victims to eat raw meat from pigs' heads when they tried to avoid his clutches. Manchester Crown Court heard his homes in Hattersley and Wythenshawe were a "magnet for children' - who is was 'utterly obsessed' with molesting in bizarre ways.

Youngsters with learning difficulties were lured into playing in his garden and plied with treats before being forced perform sex acts on with each other and him. He tried to buy their silence with trinkets and small amounts of cash. When they attempted to escape he would lock them in rooms, block their way with his pet Alsatians, and make them eat the meat he fed them as punishment.

Cooper, of Sylvester Close, Hattersley, was jailed for 18 years at Manchester Crown Court in 2011 after being found guilty of abusing eight youngsters between 1984 and 2002, at addresses in Wythenshawe and Tameside, at an earlier trial. He had been jailed for just three years in 1986 after admitting a string of child sex crimes, including rape. He changed his name, moved address, and continued to prey on vulnerable youngsters.

The father of the victim, who was one of the eight youngsters he abused between 1984 and 2002, said: "In a way she has suffered far more than him over the last ten years. She has had four years of therapy, and has had mental health issues which has led to dropping out of school, self harming, trying to take her own life and becoming homeless for a while. She had to give evidence at the trial by video."

"I did ask the Probation Board for Cooper's new name and address but they would not give it me. There words were 'he has rights and we have to protect him'. I am not the kind of person who would be a vigilante, I just want to protect my daughter. Her first words when she knew he was out were 'he will do it again'.

"My daughter is surviving, but it is a slow process. She is scared to go out at the moment, now that he has been released. He is a serial offender and should not be out."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed today that Cooper had been released under licence.

At court in 2011, Alaric Bassano, prosecuting, told the sentencing hearing how his victims 'were plagued by flashbacks, had battled feelings of depression and guilt, struggled to trust others, and had their chances spoilt by disrupted education. One told police, 'my life has been miserable., while another said, he has wrecked my life.

Cooper was arrested in March 2009 after a man, in his thirties, told police how he had abused 25 years earlier, and the police investigation unearthed the other victims, who had been suffering in silence. After his sentencing Detective Constable Grace Hulse, of the South Manchester Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: "It is only down to the bravery of his victims that we are able to put this man where he belongs behind bars. I believe today's sentence demonstrates that we take allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously and will investigate thoroughly, no matter how long ago the offences occurred."

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A County Durham paedophile plied children with cannabis and infected a 10-year-old with a sexually transmitted disease following an assault.

Dale Edwards forced children to consume cannabis on a regular basis before going on to infect one with an STI. The 29-year-old made threats to the children so that they would not tell anyone about what he was doing, but he was finally caught when a parent became aware.

Edwards, of Wheatley Hill, County Durham, denied sexually assaulting the child but eventually pleaded guilty to the charge two days into his trial at Durham Crown Court. He appeared back at the court on Friday, via link from HMP Durham, to be sentenced for sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 and three counts of child cruelty.

Paul Cleasby, prosecuting, said the offences were committed during the first covid lockdown in 2020. He told the court that the offences involving the cannabis came to light when a child "disclosed" to a parent that Edwards had made them "eat and drink" the drug in a park, and warned them not to tell anyone.

The police then became involved and the children were spoken to by officers, where they explained what had happened. But days later, one of the children, a 10-year-old, told their parent that Edwards had also sexually assaulted them. Specialist police officers then interviewed the child. Mr Cleasby told the court that tests on the child also revealed they had been infected with chlamydia and Edwards was arrested.

The court heard Edwards had 16 previous convictions for 35 offences, including theft, criminal damage, robbery, and attempted burglary. He had no previous convictions for sexual offending.

Chris Baker, defending, said: "Since 2011, other than two relatively minor matters, he has avoided acting in a criminal way. This will be his first substantial custodial sentence. He does have some issues with mental health and he believes he has bi-polar issues. He is, to some extent, vulnerable and self-harms. His arms are heavily marked as a result of this." Mr Baker added: "He wishes to ensure that nothing like this happens again and apologises to the complainants."

Sentencing Edwards, Recorder Thomas Moran, said: "You engaged in extraordinary behaviour by making children consume cannabis, either by smoking, eating it, or blowing it in their face. It happened over a period of a few weeks." Speaking of the child Edwards sexually assaulted, the recorder added: "The child was medically examined and it was found they had the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, which added to the distress."

Edwards was jailed for 10 years and six months, with an extended licence period of 12 months. He will be on the sex offender's register for life and was made subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. An indefinite restraining order was also imposed.

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A PAEDOPHILE illegally using his fathers Facebook profile to contact women was caught when one of them saw a report about him in the Argus. Convicted child rapist Louis Beagen was barred from going on social media under a false name under the terms of a sexual harm prevention order. The 28-year-old from Newport was getting in touch with women via Facebook Messenger by using the profile of his dad Gareth Beagen. Beagan told one woman, a stranger, he had gone to Hartridge High School before sending her a photograph of himself lying bare-chested on a bed. She recognised his picture from a court report shed read of about him in the Argus and contacted the police. Beagen was jailed for more than six years in 2014 for sexual offences, including rape, committed against underage teenage girls. Four years later he was locked up again after being snared by paedophile hunters when using his father's mobile phone and iPad to contact what he thought were three girls, one aged just aged 13. Beagans latest offence took place last Christmas and he appeared before Cardiff Crown Court for sentence. The defendant, of Ennerdale Court, Old Barn Estate, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order. These orders are made by courts for the purpose of protecting the public from further offending by defendants convicted of sexual crimes. Judge Richard Williams told Beagen: You used a Facebook profile in the name of Gareth Beagen. Gareth Beagen is your father. Your basis of plea is that you did not create this account but made use of it and the prosecution does not seek to disprove that assertion. However, under the terms of your order you had to notify the police about it and you did not. You used that profile to contact women through Facebook Messenger. These were all adult women. One whom you contacted became suspicious and discovered that you had also tried to contact a friend of hers using a pseudonym and she also recognised from a newspaper report in the South Wales Argus that you were a convicted sex offender. This amounts to a series breach of the order and it caused some alarm. Julia Cox, mitigating, said: The defendant was not communicating with any individual under the age of 18. It wasnt an account he had created for deceptive purposes but there is no excuse for the offending. She added: Mr Beagen has now been predominantly in custody since the age of 19 and hes now 28. There is a risk, in my submission, of him becoming institutionalised. Beagen was jailed for 20 months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge after his release from prison.

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Sex offender Kevin Eardley, who also goes by the name Kevin Jones, told police he had 'forgotten' about the requirement to notify the authorities if he was going to stay in a house where a child lived A paedophile repeatedly failed to notify police that he was staying overnight in the homes of families with children, a court has heard. As a registered sex offender Kevin Eardley who has been going by the name Kevin Jones since his release from prison was required to tell the authorities if he was going to be spending more than 12 hours at an address where youngsters lived. But on three separate occasions he went to stay with people who he knew had children without telling the police about his activities meaning the authorities were not able to inform the families involved. When police tracked the 55-year-old down to the tent where he was living the defendant said he had "forgotten" about the requirement to notify them. The defendant refused to leave his cell for his sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court but sending him to prison a judge described his actions as a "disturbing example of deliberate and repeated non-compliance" with the sex offender notification regime and he said he though Eardley had been "playing cat and mouse with the authorities". The court heard that Eardley was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court in 2012 after being convicted of 13 sexual offences involving young girls. He was also put on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life. As part of the registration requirements he not only has to tell police where he is living but also of any stays at address where children live. Megan Jones, prosecuting, said the first breach happened in December 2020 when Eardley, who was living in Holyhead under the name Kevin Jones at the time, went to stay with a friend he had made through their shared interest in fishing. The fishing pal, who knew nothing about the defendant's past, had three young children. It was only later that the friend found out about the defendant's conviction after visiting his house one day and seeing a letter addressed to a Kevin Eardley. When he searched the internet he discovered the truth. After his true identity was revealed Eardley left Anglesey and settled in Aberystwyth. The court heard that the second breach happened November 2021 when Eardley again went to the home of somebody with a child without notifying the police on this occasion travelling all the way to Northamptonshire and turning up uninvited at the door of a woman he had met on Instagram. He stayed for two nights with the woman and her four-year-old daughter before being asked to leave. The third breach happened just weeks later when the 55-year-old went to stay with a woman he had met through an online fishing community. The court heard the person he stayed with had a hobby of printing pictures items such as cups and he asked her to put a photo of what he claimed was his child on a mug and a clock in fact it was a photograph of the daughter of the woman he had recently stayed with in Northamptonshire. The police were alerted to his behaviour and went looking for him. They found him living in a tent in Aberystwyth. When questioned he said he had forgotten "forgotten" about the requirement to notify the police if he was going to stay in a house where a person under 18 lived. Read about how a Welsh paedophile who went on the run to the Costa del Sol was tracked down to a Spanish prison and been given an extended sentence as a dangerous sex offender after being extradited back to the UK. Kevin Eardley, also known as Kevin Jones, of Bow Street near Aberystwyth, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to comply with notification requirements when the case came to be sentenced. The defendant declined to appear in the dock and instead chose to stay in his cell in the court building. Dean Pulling, for Eardley, said the defendant had been released from custody in 2016 and had properly registered his address with the police and that the offences before the court represented his first non-compliance. He said the non-compliance had not been in the defendant not telling the people he was staying with about his conviction but in his not telling the police about his visits though the barrister said it was accepted that had Eardley told the police they may have notified the people he was staying with. Mr Pulling said his client maintained that the photo he asked to be printed on the mug had been given to him by the Northamptonshire girl's mother a claim the woman denies and the mug had been intended as a gift which he was going to give back to the mum. Judge Geraint Walters described Eardley's behaviour as a "disturbing example of deliberate and repeated non-compliance" with the requirements of sexual notification regime and he said he though the defendant had been "playing cat and mouse with the authorities". With a one-third discount for his guilty pleas Eardley was sentenced to two years in prison. He will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The judge said the lack of the imposition of a sexual harm prevention order or its predecessor a sexual offences prevention order had been a "sentencing oversight" by the north Wales court in 2012 and, though he did not have the power to impose such an order, he asked the prosecutor to raise with the police the possibility of them seeking an order through the civil courts which would have a similar scope and effect.

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A child rapist handed himself in to police just days after being released from prison as he does not feel safe on the streets of Derby. Derby Crown Court heard how Christopher Sweeney repeatedly does this so he can be sent back to prison where he has spent most of the past two decades.

The 41-year-old dad-of-five's sentencing hearing was told how he "feels forgotten about by society" but a judge told him he needs to seek help that is available from the authorities himself. When he told police to arrest him in the city earlier this year it was his 16th breach of the terms of being on the sex offender register.

Jailing him for 18 months, Recorder Justin Wigoder said: "A long time ago now, back in 2003, you were convicted of a serious offence, were sent to prison and was placed on the sex offender register for life. It was thought you posed a risk and so it was important the authorities should know where you lived.

"Effectively since then, and particularly in recent times, you have quite deliberately flouted that requirement and every time you do it, you get sent back to prison and the sentences, unsurprisingly, tend to get longer and longer. You got released from that last sentence and you quite deliberately did not tell anyone an address and equally quite deliberately, went to the police station and told them to arrest you.

"There are people that will help you but you have to want to seek help, otherwise you will keep going back to prison for longer and longer because you deliberately flout a court order. It is up to you, you can try to seek help, move away from the area, somewhere you are not concerned about showing your face. Otherwise your future is going to look very bleak."

In 2003, Sweeney was jailed for raping a boy under the age of 16. As part of being on the sex offender register he must tell the police where he is living within three days of being released from any prison term.

Caroline Sellars, prosecuting this week, said the defendant was let out of jail on January 24 of this year. She said five days later he turned up at St Mary's Wharf police station, in Chester Green, throwing stones at the windows and kicking shutters, asking to be arrested. Miss Sellars said officers went outside and did precisely that.

Sweeney, formerly of Burton Road, Derby and currently of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to his 16th breach of the notification requirements of the order. Samuel Lowne, mitigating, said his client has five sons who he has "little contact with" and that the defendant turned to alcohol in his teenage years after witnessing his grandfather die from a heart attack.

He said: "He tells me he does not feel safe outside prison and that ultimately he feels forgotten about by society. He gets released, finds himself homeless and feels like he des not get any help.

"He says his face is plastered across the newspapers and he does not feel safe, particularly in Derby. He wants to move away from the area and get on with the rest of his life."

Recorder Wigoder said: "There is assistance for him to find accommodation on release. The facilities are there, he just does not take advantage of them."

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A successful childrens author who appeared before Wexford District Court three years ago for allegedly breaching a sex offenders order has been remanded in custody in the UK.

Patrick Dorian Cowland, also known as Patrick Joseph Cormack, 72, was wanted in the UK for alleged historic sexual assaults on two boys in Cheltenham, Gloucester.

Cowland appeared before Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday ten months after an international warrant was issued for his arrest.

He was remanded to HMP Hewell in Redditch, Worcester

Cowland, whose last known address was Ballagh, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland, is a published author of childrens books and other literary works and has also worked as an accountant.

The court was told at an earlier hearing that he had working as a photographer when he met and befriended one of his two alleged victims in Oxford in the 1970s.

The eight charges against Cowland allege indecent assault and gross indecency offences against two boys - one between 1973 and 1975 in Cheltenham and the other between 1979 and 1982 and other locations in England and Wales.

At his hearing this week Cowland told the judge, Recorder Neil Millard, that when he was arrested he had no relevant documentation with him and no money.

He stated that his previous lawyer in Gloucestershire was unable to undertake legal aid work and therefore he was now legally unrepresented as he could not pay privately.

Recorder Millard told Cowland: You need to be legally represented because of the charges you face. I understand that your lawyer, who you previous paid for from your own funds, is unable to take on legal aid work.

Ill adjourn the case for seven days for you to find legal representation. I understand that the prosecutor today, Mr David Maunder, has offered to contact a local lawyer on your behalf.

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A transgender father of two awaiting gender reassignment surgery has been jailed in a male prison for three years after being exposed as a paedophile.

Britnee Aitken, 47, will have her treatment delayed after two girls said she molested them ten years ago when she identified as a truck recovery driver called Marcus.

One of the victims, then six, said she targeted them under the guise of offering to play board games.

They said she poked her genitals through a letter box when they knocked at the front door.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Aitken appeared in the dock wearing a low cut woman's blouse and sporting makeup and long red hair.

She was referred to as 'she' and 'her' during the hearing that saw her convicted of three charges of sexual assault and one of exposure.

She was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life. She denied any wrongdoing. The Ministry of Justice told MailOnline she will go to a men's prison.

The sexual offences occurred after Aitken, from Rochdale, went public about a bizarre legal battle over a 30 fine imposed by police in 2008 for playing her Riverdance CD too loudly inside her car.

Identifying at the time as Marcus she had refused to pay the fine, and in the months after she was pestered by demand letters and received six visits from bailiffs to her home and the debt eventually rose to 270 because of administration costs.

She said the bailiffs demanded entry at 7.30am and shouted threats through the letterbox while she was inside with her then girlfriend and their two sons.

In 2008 a judge quashed the fine on appeal. The court heard the offences against the girls occurred between July and September 2012 when they visited his home.

Mr Ben Berkson prosecuting said: 'The defendant was then known as Marcus Aitken and the girls were five or six years old at the time.'

In a statement one of the victims said: 'I suffer flashbacks due to the abuse and I get angry when I contemplate and think about what this person did to me.

'What happened has affected my ability to form and maintain relationships with friends and family and the abuse has caused me to struggle with anxiety and anger management. I am concerned about these things will impact my life going forward.'

itken who was charged in 2020 had no previous convictions but had accepted a caution in 2012 for having an illicit 'upskirt' video of another little girl aged seven.

In mitigation defence counsel Adam Roxborough said: 'These offences occurred over a short period ten years ago and there is no suggestion of any repeat offending since.

'During that time Miss Aitken has maintained a good work ethic as a recovery truck driver and led a decent life.

'She has fragile mental health and given her sexuality, she has suffered abuse on a regular basis. It is for her a daily issue.

'That, she hopes, would come to an end to an extent when she is able to have gender reassignment surgery and her plans for that were moving ahead for this year. Of course any custodial sentence would put that progress back considerably.

'She has to be punished but the question is whether that punishment should effectively cause such damage to her notwithstanding the damage she has caused to others.

'She still does not recognised her guilt but a sentence of imprisonment could be suspended. It must be a difficult life for her to lead at the moment..'

Sentencing Judge John Edwards told Aitken: 'I bear in mind the difficulties you may encounter in a custodial environment but this offending was sustained, predatory and very distressing for these girls.

'It has had a significant emotional impact on one of them, she being vulnerable and impressionable courtesy of her age.

'You presented as an almost avuncular figure, happy on the surface to indulge those children with games, when your true motives were more sinister.

'You crossed a very clear boundary in order to indulge your attractions. Your caution plainly displays an interest in young children.'

Aitken was also ordered to abide by a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will bar her from 'loitering' near schools or children's play areas.

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Matthew Connelly preyed on his victims in Lanark and Carluke between 2018 and 2020. A man who raped two teenagers in Lanarkshire has been jailed for six-and-a-half years. Matthew Connelly, 22, preyed on the victims in Lanark and Carluke between February 2018 and March 2020. He first pounced on a 16-year-old on various occasions at Lanark Loch and a property in Carluke. Connelly threatened to commit suicide if she did not meet to have sex with him, before raping her. He then raped another woman in July 2018. Connelly removed her clothes and straddled her body while she was asleep. After the victim woke up, he removed her lower clothing, seized her arms and restrained her. Connelly then went on to rape her. He also sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl on various occasions between 2017 and 2018. Connelly also had underage sex with a 14-year-old girl in 2018. He assaulted another woman in a car by removing her seatbelt and attempting to push her from the vehicle. Judge William Gallacher said: "You were convicted of a serious of very serious criminal offences for your own sexual gratification. "You subjected young victims to manipulation, abuse, psychologic influence and control as well as physical sexual behaviour. "All victims were between the ages of 14 and 18 when you engaged in controlling and violent behaviour for your own sexual gratification. "You took advantage of one of the girl's being a youth and when she refused your advances, you seized and raped her. "You found another girl on a school bus and engaged in sexual assaults with her, manipulated and raped her. "Every sexual offence would have merited a lengthy prison sentence." Connelly was also put under supervision for three years upon his release from prison put on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period. Tony Graham, defending, told the sentencing that Connelly comes from a family with a good work ethic and that he now understands his place in society. His crimes were described as "despicable" by a Lanarkshire detective who calls on more people to report sexual abuse to ensure more perpetrators are brought to justice. Detective Inspector David Lamont of Wishaw Police Station said: Connelly subjected his victims to sustained sexual abuse over a number of months and he is now facing the consequences of his despicable actions. "This sentencing sends a clear message that anyone found guilty of offences of this nature will be brought to justice. His victims were incredibly brave to come forward and report him then give evidence in court. "Our thoughts remain with them and I hope that his sentencing will give them some comfort and help them move forward. We remain committed to supporting victims of sexual crimes and investigating those responsible by bringing them to justice, no matter how much time has passed. "I would urge people to contact police and report it. They can be assured of being fully supported by officers and partner agencies. Connelly was initially found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this month.

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A man who sexually abused a boy, and filmed himself doing so, had another dark secret. It transpired when William Chamberlain was a teenager he raped a little girl.

Chamberlain, 24, of Frampton Cotterell, pleaded guilty to three rapes of a child aged under-13. He also admitted sexual assault of a boy aged under-13 and making an indecent video of a child

Judge William Hart jailed him for seven-and-a-half years. The judge told Chamberlain: "You pleaded guilty to all matters. The damage to your victims is likely to be long-lived and permanent. That is something for which you are responsible."

Chamberlain was handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to stop him from reoffending. He was also ordered to notify his whereabouts to police indefinitely, given a restraining order to have no contact with the two complainants and was barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. His phone with the indecent footage on was destroyed.

Nikki Coombe, prosecuting, told Bristol Crown Court Chamberlain was aged in his mid-teens when he repeatedly raped a girl half his age, telling her: "You haven't told anyone, have you, its our secret". The child told her family and, ultimately, the matter was reported to police.

Chamberlain was arrested, told officers "I messed up" and declined to comment in interview. Police also established that, years later, Chamberlain sexually abused a ten-year-old boy after officers found a video of the abuse on Chamberlain's phone. Once again Chamberlain declined to comment when interviewed.

The court heard the Sentencing Guidelines Council starting point for Chamberlain sexually abusing the boy was lower then it was for Chamberlain filming the abuse. Barry White, defending, said: "The most important thing I can say to (the victims) is he is truly sorry. The pre-sentence report makes it plain he does take full responsibility for his disgusting behaviours."

Mr White said that, as a teenager, his client was limited in intelligent functioning. He said references from his family described Chamberlain as a "gentle, kind and helpful young man".

Detective Inspector Louise Catlin said: Chamberlain subjected his victims to sickening levels of abuse and was left with very little option but to plead guilty given the volume of evidence against him. He fully merited the prison sentence he received today and it has come about thanks to the dedication and hard work of officers, including DS Mike Banks and DC Francesca Hepburn.

The victims in the case have shown incredible fortitude throughout this legal process and we are grateful for the support of them and their families. No sentence the judge could hand out would make up for what they have been through, but hopefully the knowledge Chamberlain has been jailed for the monstrous crimes he committed provides them with some comfort.

It cannot be underestimated how emotionally difficult it is for sexual abuse victims to come forward and to report what has happened to them. To open up and trust anyone with details about the most distressing and horrific moment or moments of your life is a very significant psychological step to take. We fully understand that and we hope cases such as this one give confidence to victims that they will be believed, their case will be taken seriously and we will leave no stone unturned as we seek to get justice for them.

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A paedophile who offered to rescue children from an orphanage in war torn Ukraine and posed as a medic in refugee camps in Poland has been banned by a judge from leaving the UK.

Ordering 34-year-old Adam Wyles to surrender his passport for 18 months Judge Martyn Levett said it was clear from his previous convictions that he had an entrenched sexual interest in young female children.

He said that between March 7 and 21 this year Wyles had travelled to Poland to deliver aid to refugees fleeing from Ukraine and had offered to rescue children from a Ukrainian orphanage.

He said information had been received from someone who travelled with Wyles to Poland that he had posed as a medical aid officer in a refugee camp and had an air ambulance medic uniform and a false medical identification badge.

Judge Levett was considering an application from the Chief Constable of Suffolk on Thursday ( March 31) to amend a sexual harm prevention order made by Norwich Crown Court in April 2020 by ordering Wyles to surrender his passport and banning him from leaving the UK.

Wyles, of Sycamore Avenue, Great Yarmouth, was given a community order and a five year sexual harm prevention order restricting his contact with children in 2015 after he was convicted of possession of indecent images of children.

In 2020 Norwich Crown Court heard that Wyles had breached the requirements of the sexual harm prevention order by tricking a charity that supports children with disabilities into letting him drive on a trip to Europe in 2019.

On that occasion Wyles admitted three further offences of making indecent images of children and failing to comply with the notification requirements of a sexual harm prevention order and was jailed for 27 months.

The court heard that Wyles had a number of previous convictions including posing as a police officer and possessing a police uniform.

After considering Wyles previous convictions, evidence about his trips to Poland and evidence from Wyles, who disputed some of the claims made about him, Judge Levett amended the earlier sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to surrender his passport and banned him from leaving the UK for 18 months.

I reach the conclusion it is necessary and proportionate to amend the order, said the judge.

Wyles' attempt to spin his trip to this paper

A convicted sex offender who travelled to Ukraine posing as a medic brazenly contacted this newspaper trying to spin a heroic story about his time there.

Adam Wyles, who was banned from leaving the country by a judge at Ipswich Crown Court, wrote to us saying he had just returned from Ukraine, where he said he had been providing medical evacuation and treatment services to those wounded and fleeing and wanted to speak to a journalist about his experiences.

A reporter spoke to him on the phone and he spoke at length about his experiences in Poland and Ukraine.

He said he worked to evacuate wounded soldiers and rescued Ukrainian families from Lviv and even Kyiv.

He even said that he felt compelled to return to the country to help and planned to do so as soon as possible.

After researching Wyles background and seeing his previous convictions, this newspaper declined to publish his story and launched an investigation into his trip.

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A roofer refused to begin his jail sentence - until he had kissed goodbye to his lover.

Convicted sex offender Stefan Crocker had just been given a 30-month prison term for attacking a woman he met on a Tinder date.

But instead of going straight to the cells at Maidstone Crown Court - he embraced his girlfriend, who had watched proceedings from the public gallery.

As the security guard pulled him away, the lovelorn Crocker shouted: "I am sorry but I can't kiss my girlfriend for (another) 30 months".

The incident was also witnessed by his victim, sitting with a police officer just a few feet away. She was later escorted away from the courtroom through a side entrance.

A jury had convicted Crocker, now of Maybourne Place, Staplehurst of sex assault by penetration after an incident in September 30, 2017.

Prosecutor Richard Hearnden had told how the victim had met Crocker after the two began talking on a dating website and agreed to meet up in a pub in Tonbridge.

The jury heard how she drank a lot of alcohol and vomited twice on the return to her home and it was there she was sexually assaulted by Crocker.

The judge, Recorder Alistair Webster QC, told him his claim that his victim had planted his DNA on her had been "ludicrous" and branded him a "glib liar" who had still not accepted that he had carried out the attack.

The victim, in her impact statement which was read to the court, told how she had "blocked out the incident from her mind to protect myself".

But she told the judge: "I feel foolish and weak to have let it happen to me. It does make me feel dirty.. I keep asking myself 'why me?'

"I refuse to let this incident define me. I am still me. I didn't deserve this to happen to me. It shouldn't have happened to anyone. I feel like I have been taken advantage of and violated... I want to get on with my life."

In a second statement she added that Crocker's lies had forced her to re-live the nightmare ordeal which had left her too frightened to sleep.

"He made it look so easy to lie. I have to live with what he's done and the lies he has told."

After the hearing the judge apologised to the victim for the delays in the trial which were "excessive."

The judge said that in a probation report Crocker, formerly of Tanyard Estate, Sandhurst, near Cranbrook, took responsibility for what had occurred but had shown no remorse.

He told Crocker who was cleared of a second charge of rape "I saw you give evidence and I found you a ready and glib and, on the face of it, a persuasive liar."