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A man responsible for the non-recent sexual abuse of young people in Edinburgh has been jailed.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, 7 June, 2023, James Grover was sentenced to four years in prison for assaults on three people during the 1990s and 2000s.

The 41-year-old became subject of a Police Scotland public protection investigation in 2019 after the victims, who were aged between 12 and 15 years old at the time of the offences reported their abuse.

Grover was arrested and charged on 6 February 2020 before being found guilty of lewd and libidinous practices, indecent assault and assault on 2 May, 2023.

Detective Inspector Jonny Wright, who led the investigation, said: "Over a number of years, James Grover targeted his victims and subjected them to serious abuse that was both physical and sexual.

"These individuals showed incredible courage to come forward and make us aware of Grover's offending, allowing us to conduct a thorough investigation, which ultimately led to his conviction and prison sentence.

"I want to thank them for their bravery and support of our inquiries. I hope today's outcome brings them closure and peace of mind.

Description

An intoxicated man set fire to a wreath on a woman's door after he repeatedly kept knocking and she told him to move away. The occupants managed to put the fire out with a vase of water but if left the blaze could have spread to the rest of the house.

Jake Shead, 26, also sexually assaulted two women in Barry town centre in random attacks which left both victims feeling "anxious and scared". The defendant was described as a "dangerous man" with a "bad reputation".

A sentencing hearing at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday heard occurred at the Barry home of the victim at around 9.30pm on April 29 last year when she saw Shead leaning against a neighbour's door. She then heard a knock at her door and when she opened it she saw the defendant.

The victim asked "Did you knock my door?" to which Shead responded "F*** knows, I don't know." The victim closed the door but the knocking continued after five minutes. She felt scared and went up to her daughter's bedroom and opened the window to speak to Shead.

Having told Shead to "move", she closed the window but heard knocking again. The victim returned to the window and saw the front door had been set on fire. She panicked and called the fire brigade and her partner threw a vase of water onto a wreath on the door, which put the fire out.

Prosecutor Bethan Evan said Shead was at the scene and was shouting abuse at the fire brigade, telling them to "F*** off", but was arrested by the police. An examination concluded the fire could have spread to the rest of the house if it had not been put out.

In a victim personal statement, the woman said: "This has had a significant impact on me and my family. I was terrified for the safety of me and my daughter... I'm worried about repercussions and that he will come back. My front door is damaged and I have been unable to get it replaced so it serves as a constant reminder."

Shead was on bail at the time of these offences and was subsequently convicted of two offences of sexual assault which took place on August 28, 2021, in Holton Road, Barry. He was intoxicated through drink and grabbed a 16-year-old girl before attempting to hug her and kiss her.

When he was confronted by another woman about his behaviour, he grabbed her between the legs over her clothing. He denied the offences but the defendant, of Brunel Close, was found guilty following a trial. He pleaded guilty to arson with recklessness as to whether life was endangered.

In a statement read out to the court, the 16-year-old victim said: "This has made me feel a lot more scared when out in public and I have to have someone with me in case I see him again... I felt frightened and I know what he's capable of doing. He is scary and dangerous and I am afraid if I bump into him again something bad will happen."

The second victim said: "This incident has affected me a lot and made me feel a lot more anxious out in public.... He has a bad reputation for not caring about anyone, assaulting young women and boys and banned from most pubs. He does bad things. The incident shocked me and made me feel violated and I am more anxious of people around me."

The court heard Shead has 18 previous convictions for offences concerning drugs, driving matters, racially aggravated criminal damage, battery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and wounding. Defence barrister Kevin Seal said his client was drunk during both sets of offences and "didn't have a clue what he was doing".

Judge Geraint Walters sentenced Shead to three years imprisonment. The defendant was also made subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

Pervert Robert Taylor, 36, made contact with a Facebook account purporting to be a 12-year-old boy named ‘James’ in June last year. Over the course of about eight days, he groomed ‘James’ – sending him an explicit photographer, telling him he was “sexy” and that he wanted to be his boyfriend. He arranged to meet him at Batley Railway Station and check into a hotel, indicating he would carry out sexual offending of the most serious kind.
 
James was a decoy account set up by West Yorkshire Police and when Taylor arrived at Batley Station on June 30 last year, he was arrested.

He admitted what he had done and knew it was wrong, but told the officers he was “horny”. He then admitted he also looked at indecent images, so a computer and hard drives were seized from his address on Naseby View in Burmantofts.

Police found thousands of images and videos of child abuse, including 990 Category A – the most serious – as well as extreme pornographic photographs involving people performing sex acts on animals.

After a delay due to legislative changes, Taylor was brought before Leeds Crown Court in April. He admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, attempting to meet a child under 16 and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He also admitted three counts of possessing indecent, possessing prohibited images of children and extreme pornographic images.
 
His sentencing was adjourned to this week as Judge Rodney Jameson KC digested a lengthy medical report. In his report, Dr Harry Wood found Taylor had developed lifelong psychological difficulties due to his mother being unwell when he was born, which meant he had been an “isolated figure” throughout his life.

Dr Wood also said Taylor was likely to have Asperger’s Syndrome. The defendant has no previous convictions.

Judge Jameson said that while there was no real victim, there had been a “significant degree of planning” and “grooming behaviour”. He jailed Taylor for three years and six months. Taylor was also handed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Description

His Samsung mobile phone and tablet device were seized and examined and contained a total of 10 Category A, the most serious, pictures and videos as well as 23 category B images and 16 category C.

The court heard the members of the WhatsApp group where he shared the single, Category A video, had an "interest" in such illegal material, as well as sexual violence and bestiality and suggested "horrific" websites where it could be viewed.

Judge Julie Clemitson told the court: "He was an associate of those who had particularly gruesome interests."

Daglish, 37, of Collingwood Street, South Shields, South Tyneside, admitted one charge of distributing an indecent image, three of making indecent images and one of possessing a prohibited image, which was a cartoon.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and 240 hours unpaid work.

Daglish was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for the next ten years.

Judge Clemitson told him: "You came to the attention of the authorities in this country via the authorities in the US, who became aware of you sharing a category A video on WhatsApp.

"Clearly you were associating with a group of people who shared a common interest and within that group certain recommendations were made to you for suggested viewing which depicted the most horrific content of rape, sexual violence, child abuse, bestiality."

Judge Clemitson said there was no evidence Daglish viewed the "horrific" websites suggested by the group but told him the child abuse images he had on his devices depicted real victims being subjected to harm that could last them a lifetime.

The judge added: "You claim to have no sexual interest in children and that I cannot accept but hopefully it is something you will come to deal with in due course.

"You blame your actions on alcohol."

The court heard Daglish has no previous convictions and has sought to address his alcohol misuse.

Judge Clemitson said Daglish is capable of rehabilitation, is allowed "one opportunity" and told him: "The world will be a safer place for children if you do successfully address those issues."

Gavin Doig, defending, said: "This is a defendant who the probation service say they can work with and who they say can benefit from intervention.

"He is obviously extremely concerned about the outcome."

Description

David Wesling, 48, from Littlethorpe Lane, Littlethorpe (near Ripon) has been found guilty of attempting to engage a 13-year-old girl in sexualised communications for which he has been jailed for 32 months.

His behaviour was identified after Wesling engaged with a child profile on Snapchat.

The defendant has pleaded guilty to the following offences, which occurred between 27 April 2023 and 16 May 2023.

• Attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child
• Facilitating the offence of sexual activity in the presence of a child, causing them to watch a sexual act
• Breaching a sexual harm prevention order

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Kerri Jones, of North Yorkshire Police’s  Online Child Abuse Team, said:

“This case sends a message out to adults attempting to engage in online sexual activity with children, that this behaviour will not go unnoticed.

“This is not the first time that Wesling has attempted to have sexual communications with a child. He is already a convicted ‘Registered Sex Offender’, after being found guilty of similar offences in 2019 when he was jailed for 12 months and issued with a ‘Sexual Harm Prevention Order’.

“Wesling has shown blatant disregard for the law and his conditions by committing similar offences again. Despite his attempts to deny these offences when interviewed by police, the overwhelming evidence against him has resulted in him being remanded and pleading guilty at Court.”

Description

A SEX offender managed to get a job at a theme park because he lied to his bosses about his previous convictions, a court has heard. 

Kyle Ayres, of Longbridge Road, Bramley, was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in December 2020. 

But in March 2022 he got a job as a rides and attractions host at Chessington World of Adventures after he failed to inform bosses about his previous convictions.

Ayres only worked at the theme park on three occasions, March 5, 11 and 17, but during that time he was working on rides.

None of the offences took place during his employment at the park.

In May 2022 he was given a community order after he was found in possession of five devices capable of storing images. He did not make them available for police inspection on request – breaching the order.

The 20-year-old previously admitted to breaching the SHPO, making indecent images of children, failing to comply with notification requirements whilst being on the sex offenders register, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

At Winchester Crown Court on Friday, June 2, Ayres was jailed for six years, with an extended period of three years, and is subject to notification requirements for life.

The court heard that Ayres’s employment only came to light during a meeting with a probation worker.

Judge Angela Morris said: “During that conversation, you said you were working with an organisation with young adults and children.

“You said you put children in carts, close the door and push buttons. You admitted that you worked at a theme park but not which one.”

It was discovered that Ayres was working at Chessington and that on his application he said had no unspent convictions.

The court also heard that in March, this year, Ayres was talking to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl online, asking her for naked images and sex. However, he was talking to an undercover police officer.

The court heard that Ayres has Klinefelter syndrome - a common genetic condition where a male is born with an extra X chromosome – and autism.

Judge Morris said that she believed Ayres “presented a very high risk of committing further specified offences” and in doing so would bring harm to the public.

A spokesperson for Chessington World of Adventures said: “On being alerted by the police, our team acted swiftly and immediately suspended the trainee.

"As part of the standard training process, they would have been with a colleague and supervised. We have numerous security measures across the resort and safeguarding policies and procedures in place including DBS checks.

"The safety of our guests is our number one priority.

“For any roles that may have any unsupervised activity or ‘contact’ roles with children or vulnerable adults, additional background checks are conducted before employment can commence, subject to local laws.

"In the UK this means the requirement of a valid DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) certificate. Enhanced checks including a barred list check will be requested for certain roles. No employee is allowed to work alone with children without a valid DBS certificate.”

Description

A PERVERT who possessed more than 200,000 indecent images of children was relieved to walk free from Worcester Crown Court. 

Alan Ford, of Sunnyside Road, Worcester, had arrived at Worcester Crown Court knowing there was a risk he would go to prison. 

Ford had previously admitted three counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child; one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child and a further count of possession of an extreme pornographic image which portrayed a person performing a sexual act with a dog.

At his sentencing prosecutor Amrisha Parathalingam reminded the court of the 65-year-old's offending which took place between April 12, 2004, and April 8, 2021. 

Police found 792 still and 202 moving category A indecent images of children - the highest level identified within the sentencing guidelines.

Ford also downloaded 1,827 still and 123 moving category B images and 211,748 still and 1,592 moving category C images.

Ford's advocate, at an earlier hearing, had argued some of the images would have been duplicates so the actual number would be fewer, offering that as part of the basis of his guilty plea.

Sentencing him Recorder John Benson KC told Ford he would be jailed for a year but suspended it for two years. 

Ford was told he would have to complete 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days, which will be used to address his offending. 

Ford was also told to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. 

The judge warned Ford if he committed another crime in the next two years, or breached his suspended sentence conditions, the jail sentence would likely be activated. 

The defendant was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to prevent further offending. 

And Ford was also ordered to pay court costs of £455 and victim surcharge. 

Mark Thompson defended Ford during the hearing on Friday afternoon, (June 2).

Description

A former shopkeeper has been sent to prison for 12 years after being convicted of child sex offences which happened more than a quarter of a century ago.

Nazir Ahmed, 73, employed a teenaged girl as an assistant at his shop in Ely, Cardiff.

Ahmed has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Showing incredible bravery, over 25 years later, the female contacted South Wales Police to report that she had been subject to repeated sexual abuse.

Ahmed used his position of power as the store manager to prey on a young, vulnerable female for an extended period of time.

Following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court, Ahmed was found guilty of three counts rape of a child, and on the 1 June 2023, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison and a lifetime on the Sexual Offenders Register.

Lead investigator Detective Mike Lewis said “The victim has to be given a massive amount of credit for her courage and bravery in reporting the offences and pursuing the case through the Criminal Justice System, which is an incredibly difficult and emotional process for victims of such offences.

“We are proud to be able to bring a dangerous offender to justice many years after the crime had been committed. This case shows that those targeting the most vulnerable in society cannot get away with their crimes, and justice will always catch up with them.

“I encourage anyone who has been the victim of a similar crime to report it to us, regardless of how much time has passed, as the crime will be fully investigated, and they will get our full support.”

Description

A CHILDREN'S charity counsellor who featured in a BBC documentary about his polyamorous lifestyle has been found guilty of rape and indecent assault.

Morgan Prior was locked up after a jury found him guilty of raping one woman and carrying out a serious sex attack on another over a decade ago.

Prior - who spoke on TV about his unusual multiple-partner lifestyle - was remanded in custody and warned he faces a lengthy spell in prison.

The pony-tailed 33-year-old was found guilty by a majority of jurors at the High Court in Dundee but was cleared of four further sexual offences.

Temporary Judge Gallacher told Prior: "It is not remotely conceivable that a non-custodial sentence will follow. You have been convicted of two charges.

"One is serious and the other is very serious and the inevitable outcome I will address more comprehensively and completely at the next calling of the case.

"You have been convicted of offences which will inevitably result in a significant period of custody." He deferred sentence for reports to the High Court in Glasgow on 18 July.

One victim told the trial she had been attacked by Prior in December 2010, when he straddled her and used his legs to pin her to a bed, before raping her.

The other victim told the court that during October 2010 Prior indecently assaulted her at an address in Dundee. She described how he removed her clothing, seized her buttocks and legs and pinned her down, made sexual remarks and groped her.

He was cleared of other charges including an attempted rape in 2011 and an indecent assault on a 16-year-old girl in 2008.

Description

A man who was convicted of raping a woman on Boxing Day 2020 has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Craig Banks, 43, of Bower Street, Blackburn, had been drinking and taking drugs with a man and a woman at a Christmas party when the offence took place.

Preston Crown Court heard how late on Boxing Day, the man and woman went upstairs to bed together, heavily intoxicated from the drinking and drug-taking, and had consensual sex.

While they were still in bed, Banks made the decision to go upstairs and lay beside the victim in the bed before having intercourse with her.

The victim was in no fit state to decide whether or not to consent to the intercourse, which Banks now accepts, and woke to find him beside her with only fragments of recollection to help her understand what had taken place.

DNA samples taken confirmed that sexual intercourse had taken place, but the victim did not recall this because of the consumption of alcohol and drugs.

A victim personal statement summarised in court reflected on the effect this incident had on her mental health and how it led to family issues.

She said she now has a general lack of trust in people and is uncomfortable around new people, particularly men.

In mitigation, it was said Banks was “deeply, deeply remorseful” that he has been involved in this situation and he was “mortified” by what has happened.

Sentencing, Judge Richard Gioserano said: “I am prepared to accept that you would never have committed this offence if you were not so heavily intoxicated.

“Your capacity to judge whether she was consenting or not was very heavily impaired. But it will come as no consolation to her and does not lessen the harm you caused.

“There has been a shift in your thinking and you have now admitted that you accept she was so heavily under the influence she could not have been consenting of any sexual intercourse. I am prepared to accept that change in your thinking is genuine and your remorse is genuine.”

Judge Gioserano sentenced Banks to five years in prison.

He will be subject to sex offender notification requirements for an indefinite period.

Description

A Warrington paedophile who "doesn't get any attention from women" was caught by paedophile hunters.

Pervert Andrew Carter believed he was telling a '13-year-old girl' to practice kissing using fruit. The self-confessed loner also told her age is 'just a number'.

Carter was made to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life at Liverpool Crown Court. He was sentenced on Friday, June 2, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The court heard that Carter first initiated contact with a decoy account run by Saving Our Children Online on the app Wink in September last year. David Birrell, prosecuting, described how, when told that he was communicating with a girl aged 13, Carter responded by saying that "age was just a number".

He then continued to send a string of often daily sexualised messages over WhatsApp over the period of nearly a month. The defendant - of Poachers Lane in Latchford, Warrington - said in one exchange: "I might fall in love with you.

"I kind of secretly hope you will fall in love with me. We will keep it a secret until you're old enough to marry me."

Carter asked her "are you naked" and told her he wanted to meet up with her at Warrington Bank Quay Station, saying he would give her money and adding "I could teach you a few things". He also instructed her to perform vile sex acts on herself and requested pictures of her in her underwear and a video of her naked, as well as sending photographs of his penis.

The sex offender told her to practice kissing with apples and oranges before being traced by members of the group, who livestreamed a confrontation with him on social media on October 22 then called the police. Under interview, Carter described himself to detectives as a "loner who didn't get any attention from women".

He confessed that he "knew it was illegal" but denied having wanted to sexually abuse the child during his planned meetup. Simeon Evans, defending, told the court that his "remorseful" client suffers from depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder and added: "It seems the gravity of this has hit home and he understands how wrong it was.

"This is a man who has no previous convictions, despite a bad start in life. He leads perhaps a rather sad, lonely and pathetic life, but he has not committed any offences until now."

Carter admitted arranging a child sex offence, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting sexual communications with a child. He laughed before leaning forward and resting his head on the front of the dock after he was jailed for 33 months.

Sentencing, Judge Louise Brandon said: "Your intention was clear, and it involved you inciting serious sexual activity with you receiving sexual gratification by it. You knew that what you were doing was wrong.

"This court has concerns, given your reluctance to accept that you have a sexual interest in children. I cannot conclude that, presently, there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation."

Carter was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will be required to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A twisted predator posed as a taxi driver to sexually attack two women after giving them lifts home. Graham Head, 66, had ambushed one victim by dragging her into a bush, while another had awoken in the back of his car to find him attempting to rape her.

It was later discovered that he kept latex gloves, condoms, Viagra tablets and a balaclava in his car. Head has now been found guilty of kidnap, attempted rape and assault by penetration and is facing a jail sentence.

The first incident was reported by a woman in her late teens on August 19 after she was dragged into the bushes in Hove Park, Sussex, by a man during the early hours of the morning. Prior to the assault, she had received a lift from him from Brighton to Hove Park.

He attempted to rape her but fled the scene when the victim’s mobile began to ring. She later described her attacker as a 40 to 50-year-old short man wearing a face mask.

CCTV showed the victim approaching a silver Mercedes estate, which was then tracked through the city centre and doorbell footage showed him driving slowly along the road near Hove Park.

In another incident four months later on November 18, a woman in her 20s woke up in a vehicle that she believed to be a taxi with a man sexually assaulting her. She had earlier got into what she thought was a taxi taking her from Brighton to Hove.

She managed to escape and called the police at 3.10am and was able to remember three digits of the car’s registration plate. Officers were able to locate the vehicle within minutes and stopped it in Preston Circus following a short pursuit.

Head was discovered wearing a face mask, with the victim’s mobile phone found discarded by the roadside along the route Head had taken during the pursuit. He was arrested on suspicion of kidnap, attempted rape and failing to stop a vehicle when asked to do so.

Following this, he was later connected to the August attack and charged with kidnap, attempted rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault. Since being convicted, the man, of Coast Road in Pevensey, has been remanded into custody to await sentencing.

Detective Constable Elliott Lander from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team said: “Graham Head is a predatory offender who gained the trust of these victims by posing as a taxi driver, only to take advantage of vulnerable women in the most abhorrent ways.

“The items found in his car show the callous, pre-meditated nature of his crimes as he moved through Brighton and Hove looking for potential victims.

“Thanks to the quick-thinking and bravery of these two women, we were quickly able to connect Head to both incidents and bring him to justice. I would like to thank them both for their support during this investigation.

“Without them, this dangerous individual could still be at large. Instead, he has been brought to justice and the streets of Brighton and Hove are safer as a result.

“We believe Head may have further victims who have not yet come forward. If you believe you may have been a victim, or have any information which could help, please contact police online or via 101, quoting Operation Cooper. Always dial 999 in an emergency.”

Description

A man who sexually abused and raped two girls over a nine-year period has been jailed for 27 years. Andrew John Butler was found guilty of several charges of rape and sexual assault of two children under the age of 13 years old at a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court.

The offences occurred between 2010 and 2019 in the North Dorset area and involved two victims, who were subjected to repeated sexual abuse. Following information received and investigations by detectives, Butler was arrested on February 11, 2021.

Butler, aged 54 and of High Street in Farnham, was jailed for 27 years over seven offences of rape, two further charges of rape of a child under 13 and two counts of sexual activity assault of a child under 13 at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday (June 2).

Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Adam Taylor, of Dorset Police, said: I want to praise the victims in this case for the courage they have shown in coming forward and supporting our investigation as well as the strength they have shown throughout the court process. Andrew Butler subjected these girls to horrific sexual abuse and through their bravery in coming forward, he has now been held accountable for his actions and faces a significant period behind bars.

I hope this sends a message to all victims of sexual abuse that we will do all we can to investigate offences and ensure offenders are brought to justice, while we will also make sure victims are supported. I also want to thank our partners in the Crown Prosecution Service for their assistance in bringing this case.

Description

A man has been jailed following a rape in Reading. Catalin-Petrisor Luca has now been sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison following a hearing at Reading Crown Court on May 22.

Luca, of Chesterman Street, Reading, had pleaded guilty to one count of rape at the same court on February 3. The 33-year-old led a woman in her 20s down an alleyway off Garrard Street in October last year.

After leading her down the alley, Luca proceeded to rape the victim. He was subsequently arrested and charged on November 3 last year.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Amy Hennah, based at Reading police station, said: Luca took advantage of the victim while she was drunk and vulnerable. I am pleased that he will now serve a considerable amount of time in prison.

Thames Valley Police takes rape and sexual assault offences extremely seriously and will investigate robustly to bring offenders to justice.

Description

A MAN will have to wait even longer to hear his fate.

We reported earlier this year that Michael Sefton, previously of Pershore, admitted two offences of sexual assault and exposure.

The court previously heard Sefton intentionally touched a woman sexually without her consent and exposed his genitals - intending that someone would see them and be caused alarm or distress - at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on April 25 last year.

The 60-year-old appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Friday, (June 2), expecting to be sentenced.

But at the start of the hearing Michael Aspinall, prosecuting, explained Sefton, of Stanhope Way, Great Barr, Birmingham, had admitted a further offence of sexual assault of a similar nature at Worcester Magistrates Court last week, .

In that hearing magistrates chose to wait for the outcome of the crown court matters before sentencing and kept the matter at magistrates court.

The prosecutor asked for an adjournment so the matters could be tied together with Jason Aris, defending, supporting that application.

Recorder John Benson KC agreed to the adjournment so that magistrates could send the other matter up to the high court.

The judge told Sefton, who was given unconditional bail, to return to the crown court for his sentencing on July 14.