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A Sidmouth man who ran a paedophile internet chat group has been jailed after police were tipped off by the FBI in America.

Nicholas Craig, aged 37, of All Saints Road, used four online aliases to hide his identity and posed as a 15-year-old boy from Slovakia when he acted as administrator of a Kik chat group called teenpixunder18.

The group was infiltrated by an FBI agent who discovered that it was being used as a front to exchange child abuse images and movies and for adults to share child sex fantasies. Police arrested Craig in February last year as a result of information from the FBI about the Kik chatroom.

Craig was found with the middle section of an anatomically accurate child sex doll when police searched his home. They found more than 1,000 images and movies on his computer, phone and a memory stick.

Officers also discovered that he had been using Twitter, Telegram or Instagram to contact children as young as 10 and engaging them in sexual chat.

Craig admitted three counts of attempted sexual communication with a child, one of distributing and 15 of making or possessing indecent images of children.

He was jailed for three years by Judge David Evans at Exeter Crown Court. He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention order which will restrict his access to children and the internet for 10 years, and put on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time.

The judge told him: ”It is quite clear that you have a sexual interest in children and was acting on it. Still to this day, you underestimate and minimise the harm caused by your offences.

“The most significant aggravating feature is your role as administrator of a group which was sharing indecent images of children.”

Mr William Parkhill, defending, said Craig got involved in the chat groups while living on his own and isolated from normal human contact during the Covid lockdowns.

He said: “He entered the rabbit hole of the online indecent images community and has to accept that he travelled a fair way down that rabbit hole.”

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A 35 year-old man from Southsea has been sent to prison for 28 months after being found guilty of sexual activity with a child in Havant.

We received a report on Sunday 11 July 2021 that a 14 year-old girl was indecently touched by an adult at an address in Havant. Following an investigation involving specialist officers supporting the victim, Daniel Plumstead of Fawcett Road in Southsea was arrested and charged with sexual activity with a child.

On Thursday 15th of June 2023, Plumstead was found guilty at Portsmouth Crown Court and was sentenced at the same court on the same day. In addition to the 28 month custodial sentence Plumstead was sentenced to an additional month in prison for a bail act offence to be served consecutively. Plumstead will have to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for the same period.

DC Paul Osborne who investigated the case said: “This result sends a clear message that we investigate these kinds of reports thoroughly. I’m pleased that we’ve secured justice for the victim, who can move forward with her life safe in the knowledge that Plumstead is in prison.

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously, and we have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”

“I would like to commend the victim for her bravery in reporting this matter to the police and for providing evidence”.

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

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A 34-year-old Dolgellau man has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for rape.

Thomas John Cato, of Bristol House, Smithfield Street, Dolgellau, was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court yesterday, Wednesday, 14 June, after being convicted of a rape that occurred in Dolgellau on 9 November, 2022.

He received an 11-year custodial sentence, with an extended period of six years on license following his release.

Cato was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), must register as a sex offender for life, and was handed an indefinite restraining order against the victim.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Bethany Clarke said: “Cato is a dangerous individual with a history of violent behaviour.

“The length of his sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact it has had on not just the victim, but on the local community.

“My thoughts are with the victim who has shown remarkable bravery throughout the investigation, and I hope that she can find closure and comfort in knowing that justice has been served today.”

Detective Inspector Chris Hargrave of the North Wales Amethyst Team said: “We continue to be committed to bringing perpetrator of sexual crimes to justice and I would encourage anyone who wishes to report a sexual crime to come forward and speak to us.

“The Amethyst team is made up of specially trained officers to support victims through the investigation. We work closely with the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) to provide confidential medical, practical and emotional support from specialist doctors, nurses and support workers.”

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A taxi driver asked to use a customer's toilet in her house before forcing his way into her bedroom and raping her. He later denied the sexual attack but his DNA was found on a carpet.

Jakir Hussain, 39, picked up his victim in Cardiff city centre on November 19 last year and drove her back to her home as a paid fare. At the end of the journey, he got into the back of the taxi and locked the doors until she agreed to let him use the toilet in her home.

Despite her protestations, Hussain then made his way into her bedroom and pushed her over the bed before bending her double and pushing her face into the mattress so she struggled to breathe. He removed some of her clothing raped her without using protection.

A sentencing hearing at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the defendant's DNA was discovered that linked him to the scene. Hussain, a married father, was traced by CCTV and arrested but he denied any sexual activity took place. He later changed his story, and claimed everything which had taken place was consensual but he was found guilty of rape following a trial.

Reading out a statement to the court, the victim said she was no longer able to remain in her home, due to it being the scene of the rape and causing flashbacks. She said the trauma of being raped had led her to attempting to take her own life.

She said: "Since this incident I have tried to avoid sleep because I am taken back to the night of the incident. I see (the defendant's) face in my head and can remember what he did to me, including flashbacks to parts of the incident such as being trapped in a taxi....

"Immediately following the incident I could barely walk into my room or look at my bed as it triggered flashbacks. I had to see the cut carpet in my bedroom which further reminded me of events. I could only be in my room with the lights on due to the defendant coming into the room during the incident and turning the lights off, making me fear the darkness....

"Since the incident I have not felt able to get into a taxi, I have a complete distrust of all taxi drivers and even impacts me to the extent if female friends go on a night out I will offer to drive them home in the middle of the night. I no longer consider taxis to be safe. I put my trust in what I thought was a professional to take me safely home that night. This has impacted me in all aspects of my life and I'm more likely to distrust other professionals who may be trying to help me."

In mitigation, Hussain, of Watkiss Way, Grangetown, was said to be of previous good character and had lived in the UK for eight years. He is due to become a father for the third time, and financially support his family in the UK and overseas.

Sentencing, Recorder Eugene Egan said: "(The victim) was entitled, as a bare minimum, to be taken safely to the street where she lived by you and to be treated respectfully by you.... You were in a position of trust towards her, a position of trust you grossly abused...

"You asked her to use the toilet as a ruse to gain access to her house, you gained entry by guile. No taxi driver should ever be asking to use the toilet of a female fare passenger. You just wanted to get into her house."

Hussaun was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment, and will at least two thirds of the sentence before he is released. He was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender notification requirements for life. He was also made subject to a restraining order and barred from working as a taxi driver indefinitely.

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THE Crown Prosecution Service has commented after a Cheshire woman who posed as a man to become romantically involved with another woman was found guilty of a sexual assault.

Bilham was found guilty of sexual assault by kissing following a trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Wednesday, June 14. She was found not guilty of 16 other sex offences.

The CPS said Georgia Bilham, 21, of Bunbury Road, Alpraham, Cheshire, deliberately duped the other woman into thinking she was a man called George Parry from Birmingham.

A number of years ago, the two began talking on Snapchat. Bilham had the profile name ‘George_132’ and the picture attached to that profile was a cartoon image of a blonde man with sunglasses.

Georgia Bilham presented as 'George' both online and in person, for the whole time that she and the victim were in contact with each other.

When the two would meet up, Georgia kept her hood up, dressed and spoke like a boy and removed the victim’s glasses from her. The victim is very short-sighted and without her glasses is virtually blind. Georgia refused to let her victim touch parts of her body which would prove that she wasn’t a man.

The CPS said that the sexual activity that took place was based on a false pretence – and so did not involve true consent. Bilham deceived the victim into thinking she was in fact a young man. The motivation for the pretence is not clear.

On May 11, 2021, Bilham and the victim had been out driving together and the car came off the road. The car was stuck. Georgia panicked and told the victim to run – no doubt as there was a risk that her true identity would be established.

But the police arrived and spoke to Georgia in their car and the victim overheard them mention the name of Georgia Bilham which was on her driving licence. She confronted Bilham… “Are you a girl?’. Bilham replied ‘It’s a fake licence, cos I don’t have one – that’s why I told you to run….’

In the days that followed, Bilham worked hard to persuade her victim that she was a man. The deception finally came to light when Georgia met the victim’s mother who didn’t have the victim’s sight problems and became suspicious. She confronted her daughter with her doubts and the victim went online to find out more about Georgia Bilham.

On the night of August 19, 2021, the victim told Georgia: "Just admit you’ve been caught out I know more than enough now." The next morning, Georgia Bilham messaged the victim, apologising for what she had done, saying: “It just took over my life”.

The matter was reported to the police. Georgia Bilham was arrested and interviewed under police caution. To each question, she replied ‘no comment’.

Bilham will be sentenced on July 19 at Chester Crown Court.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Mairead Neeson, a specially trained prosecutor with CPS Mersey Cheshire’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit, said: “Sexual offences can be committed in different ways.

“The Crown Prosecution Service’s case here was based upon deceit, manipulation and the lack of genuine consent. We said that the victim didn't give her true consent to sexual activity with Georgia Bilham, that when the victim agreed to have sexual activity with 'George Parry' it was on the basis that George was male and not female and that she had been deceived.

“We said that Bilham’s actions in pretending to be male, deprived the victim of her freedom to choose whether or not to engage in sexual activity.

“This is because a person consents to sexual activity only if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice.

“The victim thought she was having sexual activity with a man. If she had known that the man she thought was George Parry was in fact a woman, she would not have agreed to the activity.

“This has devastated the victim and her family and the effects of it will remain with her for a long time. The victim thought she was in a loving relationship with a man but it was all lies and Bilham is now a convicted sex offender.”

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A man has been jailed for ten and a half years for sexual offences with one child in the 1970s and another child in the 1990s.

Phillip Rogers, aged 64, of Hornby Road, Liverpool, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 14 June) after being found guilty of two counts of attempted sexual assault and four counts of indecent assaults. 

Rogers, who is originally from Wirral, had earlier plead guilty to possessing indecent images of a child.

As well as his prison sentence, Rogers will also be placed on the sex offender register for life.

It follows a complex investigation by detectives from Merseyside’s Unity Team, who specialise in rape and serious sexual assault offences, who were able to charge Rogers with the various offences.

Detective Inspector Leanne Toole said: “This sentence follows a lengthy investigation to bring Rogers before the courts so that he pays for his crime.

“Thanks to the determination and bravery of his survivors, Rogers will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

“This sentencing shows that time is no barrier and we will always act on information about sexual assault, no matter when they occurred.

“I would like to praise the courage and dignity shown by his two survivors throughout the investigation.

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm.

“We hope that Rogers will now reflect on the consequences of his utterly depraved actions while serving his jail time.”

DI Toole added: “I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

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A SCHOOL crossing patrol man has been jailed after he was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex.

Stephen Cordy, 55, messaged a social media account set up by a member of a paedophile hunter group on April 11.

They began messaging, and the decoy account stated she was 15 years old.

Cordy said he worked in a school, and asked how he would know the account was not an undercover police officer or a decoy, prosecutor Sian Cutter said.

The decoy sent two pictures of an “age appropriate” girl, and Cordy replied that she was “pretty” and asked about the school she went to.

They arranged for him to come to her house in Drefach on Sunday, April 16.

He asked if he should bring anything, and when asked what, Cordy suggested she might want to tie him up.

“She said she wanted a cwtch, and [Cordy] said it may lead to other things,” Ms Cutter said.

He added he would bring a condom, and when the decoy expressed surprise, the defendant said she “would be fine as [she] had done it before”.

 A school crossing patrol man was caught attempting to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old girl for sex (Image: Stock Image)

On the agreed date, Cordy messaged the decoy saying he was at the address. The man behind the decoy account left his address and walked down the street to confront him – recording the meeting.

“He said he was only planning to meet her for a coffee and a chat,” said Ms Cutter.

Cordy tried to walk away, but the man threatened to post the video on social media if he did. Cordy admitted bringing condoms to the meeting, but said he always carried them.

Following the confrontation, Cordy drove off, and the man noted down his registration number.

The court heard the man did not contact the police – later saying he was busy moving house – but did post the video on social media.

Ms Cutter said several members of the public contacted the police concerned about the content of the video.

Cordy was arrested by police on April 28 while parked in a layby near Neath.

Ms Williams, defending, said: “I cannot offer the court any reasons for the offending.

“He expresses a willingness to work with the probation service, but because he won’t recognise his offending behaviour for what it is, they feel they are unable to manage the risk.  

“I’m afraid I’m in a difficult position to argue for anything other than an immediate prison sentence.”

Ms Williams said that Cordy, who had pleaded guilty to the offences, had no previous convictions.

The court heard Cordy remained silent when interviewed by police.

“You had nothing to say. You couldn’t have said anything. The game was up,” said Judge Huw Rees.

“This is a significant fall from grace for you in terms of your relationship with your wife, your accommodation, and your job prospects in the future.”

Judge Rees sentenced Cordy to 13 months in prison for meeting a child after sexual grooming, and six months – running concurrently – for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Cordy, of no fixed abode, must register as a sex offender for 10 years, and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

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A MAN has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of multiple sexual offences against a child.

Thomas Thorpe-Keen, 23, of Creasen Butt Close, Heybridge, came on to the radar of Essex Police’s child abuse investigation team in 2020 after concerns around his contact with underage girls.

He was issued with a sexual risk order and criminal behaviour order which had a number of conditions, including not allowing him to be in the unsupervised company of anyone under the age of 18, which he breached continuously.

In 2019, Thorpe-Keen targeted a 15-year-old victim.

He stalked, coerced and controlled the young girl, watching for when she was alone at home and raped her multiple times.

He was arrested in July 2022 after he had raped the victim, left the address and then broken back into the property through the living room window, before threatening to kill her.

After a three-week trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, Thorpe-Keen was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour, multiple rape, rape and breaches of court orders.

He appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, June 9, via video link and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

In an impact statement, his victim said: “I have suffered with anxiety since the rape and controlling behaviour.

“He was so controlling that I lost a lot of friendships.

“I still find it difficult to talk about my emotions and how I am feeling and I will often shut down.”

Investigating officer PC Thomas Olson said: “Thorpe-Keen is a manipulator.

"He is a dangerous individual and has seriously affected the life of the victim.”

“Despite being a long investigation, I am so proud of how the victim has conducted herself and the bravery she has demonstrated.”

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A FORMER Royal Mail employee has been jailed for 18 months for making explicit sexual suggestions to what he believed was a girl aged 13.

Ian Kelly was snared by an adult decoy working for the online action group Paedophile Hunters, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

The 60-year-old pleaded guilty to attempting to cause a female aged 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity.

Prosecutor Carmel Pearson said that Kelly, of Byron Street, Halifax, began communicating with the fictitious child in May, 2021.

The decoy said she was aged 13 and lived in Leeds.

Miss Pearson said Kelly asked her to keep the chat a secret and it soon became sexualised. He wanted to meet up with her to ‘kiss and cuddle her and be her first with everything.’ By September 7, he said he wanted to kiss every inch of her. He asked her to remove her clothes and lie naked on the bed.

He said her photograph looked beautiful and that he loved her. He wanted to show her images of himself, but he didn’t actually send any.

On October, 16, 2021, members of the group attended at Kelly’s home address and contacted the police. Officers seized his electronic devices and found the explicit sex chat.

The court heard that he had a conviction for indecent assault on a woman dating from 1988. A more recent offence of battery had lost him his job with the Royal Mail.

John Bottomley said in mitigation that it was an attempt and there was no real child.

Since his arrest, Kelly had woken every day with ‘the Sword of Damocles hanging over him.’ He was lonely after losing his employment and that and his drinking had contributed to his offending.

Recorder Christopher Rose said that by September, 2021, Kelly’s online chat had become extremely explicit.

“This was in your mind a genuine 13-year-old child that you were having conversations with,” he said.

The recorder accepted that Kelly was lonely and isolated after losing his job because of the battery conviction.

He told his probation officer he had no intention of following the sexual suggestions through. But they would have been enormously harmful and damaging to a real child.

Kelly was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and he must sign on the sex offender register, also for five years.

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A 63 year old man has been sent to prison for 24 years after being found guilty of eight non-recent child sex offences that took place in Shanklin.

We received a report in August 2021 that a girl under the age of 10 had been sexually abused between June 2005 and March 2006. Following a thorough investigation Keith Heselton of Mulberry Mead in Whitchurch was charged with nine offences.

On 3 April Heselton was found guilty at Newport Crown Court of eight offences following a trial:

• Two offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13.
• One offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.
• Two offences of raping a girl under 13.
• One offence of assaulting a girl under 13 by penetration.
• Two offences of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration.

On Monday 12 June Heselton was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court to 24 years in prison, with a minimum term of 16 years, an additional five year license order, and a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Police Staff Investigator Louisa Parkin said: “The victim in this case, now a grown woman, has lived with the memory of this awful abuse for decades, I’m pleased we can give her the outcome the case deserved and finally some closure. I’d like to commend her bravery for coming forward and sticking with the investigation.

“We take all allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously. We have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences we can make a commitment to you that you will be heard and listened to, and your report will be believed. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases”

If you have been affected by child sexual abuse you can contact police on 101 and speak to a police officer in confidence.

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A sick sex offender squirted semen and fake semen onto women in a series of horrifying assaults.

Willbert Mukori, from Birmingham, targeted lone “young-looking women” wearing athletic clothing to fulfil his "disturbing sexual perversion".

Police say he then sprayed fake seamen from a burger sauce bottle onto their buttocks in public and in broad daylight – in one case he used his own semen.

The force branded his crimes as “methodical and premeditated” as he gained a “sexual thrill from praying on strangers.

Some of the women were targeted by Mukori, of Elswick Grove, Kingstanding multiple times.

Judge Paul Farrer KC, branded him a "predatory sex offender" as he sentenced him to four and a half years in jail - and added him to the sex offenders register for life.

Mukori will also face a four-year licence extension and a sexual harm prevention order.

The court heard how lone victims - nine of whom were students - were singled out, followed and sprayed; leaving them embarrassed, scared and in one case, fearing rape, as reported by Birmingham Live.

Two of the student victims "felt compelled to move out of Birmingham" as they were so scared after their assaults, the court was told.

Mukori previously admitted 16 sexual assaults on women - 13 in Lancaster Circus, Birmingham, two in Selly Oak and one in Chesterfield seven years ago.

He was rumbled when police were able to trace his DNA back to his first crime in 2016, in Derbyshire - where he decanted and used his own sperm.

Years after the initial offence, between 2021 and 2022, he created a replica semen and began targeting women in Birmingham.

Dominic Wallis, prosecuting said one victim was "frightened she was going to be raped" as she realised she was being stalked.

When some of the women clocked him stalking them, Mukori would bend down and pretend to 'scratch his ankle' or 'tie his shoe', the court heard.

"This defendant has a very disturbing sexual perversion," Mr Wallis added.

Defending, Graham Henson told the court Mukori - a former carer - "obviously does need help".

He said: "He is a young man, he has - apart from a conviction for failing to pay a rail fare - an unblemished record. He pleaded guilty.

"His family and friends are present in court today. They are bewildered by his behaviour. It may well be that the defendant is bewildered to an extent by his behaviour, but he does need help."

Judge Paul Farrer KC said: "Many of your victims suffered significant and enduring harm,".

He told Mukori the crimes "enabled you to get an erection and thereafter you would masturbate." It was said to be the only way he could "achieve sexual gratification".

Sentencing, he told him: "You are a predatory sexual offender who targeted lone women...whatever your motivation, this is entrenched behaviour."

Judge Farrer praised West Midlands Police for their work on the complex investigation. Police strongly believe Mukori could have committed more offences. Appealing for further victims to come forward, the force launched a public portal to report crimes.

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A persistent sex offender who got away with his crimes against two young girls in Calderdale has finally been jailed after he went on to rape another child.

Daren Skillings, now 57, was interviewed by police almost a decade ago about his abuse of the first two complainants, but he denied any offending at the time and no further action was taken.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett told Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday that the case was only reopened after Skillings, now of Sticker Lane, Bradford, was accused of abusing and raping a third young girl several years later.

One of Skillings’ first victims faced him in court and finally saw him jailed for 11 years. He was handed an additional extended licence period of one year, to be served at the end of the sentence.

Mrs Beckett read moving victim impact statements from all three complainants, who must not be identified for legal reasons, in which they described the nightmares, flashbacks and trauma they had suffered as a result of Skillings’ offending.

One of his first victims said she was sad it had taken years for her to get justice. She said: “I never got my justice when I first reported it...I wasn’t believed." She said the subsequent rape offence could have been prevented and she now hoped Skillings would never hurt anyone again.

The third victim said she suffered nightmares and flashbacks on a regular basis and every part of her life was difficult.

Skillings, who will now have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, pleaded guilty to the rape and abuse charges involving his most recent victim and was found guilty of abusing the two other complainants by a jury following a trial.

Catherine Silverton, for Skillings, said he had always accepted responsibility for the rape and was deeply ashamed and remorseful. She said he had been a hard-working man who appeared to have been a “functioning alcoholic”.

Jailing Skillings, Judge Armstrong said the victim statements made very moving reading. He said the original case had not been pursued nearer the time and it was only following the more recent matters that it had been resurrected.

Skillings will now have to serve two-thirds of his 11-year prison sentence and he will have to comply with an indefinite sexual harm prevention order when he is finally released on licence.

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An ex-soldier sent a teenage girl a naked photo of himself – and asked for one of her in return.

40-year-old Dean Bird pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communication with a child and was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court today (Tuesday).

Edward Hetherington, prosecuting, said the defendant had liked and commented on the 14-year-old’s selfies on her Instagram account numerous times in late 2020.

 In January 2021, he sent the girl a flame emoji – which is accepted as meaning you find someone ‘hot’ (attractive). She alerted a family member to the message and he took over the conversation.

Bird, who lives in Swindon and works as a scaffolder, said he needed a shower after a hard day and spoke about his military service.

During the exchange, the girl’s family member confirmed her age to the man. He proceeded to ask for a photograph, saying that he would not tell anyone about it.

Bird was sent a photograph containing the girl’s face. In response, he sent her a photograph of his legs followed by one of his erect penis. He went on to ask her for a naked photograph.

The family member downloaded a photograph of a naked adult woman from the internet and sent it to the defendant – and he responded “wow” with a smiling face emoji with stars in its eyes.

The family member – who knew Bird through a friend – attended his address, banging on his door and making threats. Police were called to the scene, and were shown evidence of his online behaviour.

The court heard that the former soldier, who was shot in the leg by the Taliban in Afghanistan, has previous convictions for dangerous driving and violence.

Chris Smyth, defending, said his client’s “mind was all over the place” at the time of the offending.

Adding that Bird suffers from mental health issues as a result of his military service. On a mission together, his best friend was shot and killed by the Taliban. On another, he was shot in the leg. He was medically discharged from the army more than ten years ago.

Mr Smyth said the defendant works as a scaffolder for various firms and lives alone in a two-bed rented flat after the recent ending of a ten-year relationship.

He also played rugby for Cheltenham up until 2021, has an interest in fishing and played ice hockey for Swindon Rec Wildcats Ice Hockey Team – where he was, at one point, a captain.

Judge Jason Taylor said he was confident Bird would not re-offend, imposing a two-year community order with the requirement to complete 175 hours of unpaid work.

He must also complete the Horizon sex offenders’ programme and 30 rehabilitation activity days with the probation service.

Bird was made subject to a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order with eight terms – one of which prohibits him from communicating with under 18s unless there is a legitimate reason.

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A 20-year-old man was told that downloading images of child abuse was not "a victimless crime" as he avoided a sentence of detention.

Michael Fallows, of Friars Street, Inverness was appearing for sentence before Sheriff Gary Aitken after previously admitting possessing 142 images.

Inverness Sheriff Court had been told that 43 of them were of the most extreme kinds of abuse.

The images were found on a Samsung device after police received intelligence that they had been downloaded on March 5, 2021.

Police raided the property at Montrose Mansions, in Corpach, and seized his phone.

Sentencing Fallows to 150 hours of unpaid community work and two years of social work supervision, Sheriff Aitken said: "This is actual abuse of children watched second hand and is not some Hollywood movie.

"It is commercial exploitation of children for sexual gratification and is fuelled by people like you surfing the net. Offending of this kind is by no means victimless far from it."

Fallows was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for two years.

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A man from Jersey who was found working in a Newport convenience store before being arrested by local Police has been handed 5-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of 8 sexual offences on his home Island.

As exclusively reported by Island Echo, 57-year-old Vincent Charles Roberts was found guilty at trial back in February of 8 counts of committing a prohibited act with someone suffering from a mental disorder.

Roberts, who was working as a healthcare assistant at a psychiatric facility on the island of Jersey, had begun communicating with a female patient via text message in June 2020. He soon switched to Snapchat to talk to the woman, knowing that messages would disappear. Over time the communications became more inappropriate and things then became physical, with the 57-year-old kissing the mentally unwell patient on more than 1 occasion.

Later on, in 2020, Roberts began more communications with a 2nd female patient through TikTok, before again moving the conversation to Snapchat. Over the following weeks and months Roberts then engaged in sexual activity with this female.

The offences were initially disclosed to a member of staff, who raised a Safeguarding Adult Alert to the Adult Safeguarding Team. Roberts was then arrested in January 2021.

Throughout the investigation Roberts refused to engage with the process and left Jersey, fleeing to the Isle of Wight. He was located by Hampshire Constabulary in August 2022 before being arrested and handed over to States of Jersey Police officers in Southampton, who took him back to Jersey where he appeared in court the next day.

Roberts was working as the store manager at Central’s convenience store on Hunnyhill in Newport.

Detective Constable Carla Garnier said:

“This was a long and complex investigation into how Roberts abused his position of trust with vulnerable people for his own gratification. He tried to evade justice by leaving the Island, and I am thankful that he was apprehended, brought back to Jersey and was found guilty.”

“Roberts’ actions have had a hugely negative impact on both victims in this case. They have both been and continue to be supported by Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (IDSVAs) and Adult Mental Health.

“We are committed to investigating and prosecuting all sexual offenders and want to assure victims that there are a number of agencies who are in a position to offer support and guidance through all stages of the criminal justice process.”

In addition to the jail sentence, Roberts was placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years and handed a restraining order for an indeterminate amount of time.