Latest Offenders

Description

A rapist who also sexually abused a young girl has been locked up for 17 years after being convicted of a string of sex offences.

Keith Sterling’s degrading abuse took place several years ago while he was living in Darlington.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the sex offender had significantly damaged the lives of his victims and he still continues to deny his offences.

Rebecca Brown, prosecuting, said one of the rapes happened when the victim was sleeping.

In a victim personal statement, the woman said Sterling’s abuse had impacted on her mental health and would take the pain ‘to her grave’.

The child victim said Sterling’s abuse had left her struggling to come to terms what had happened to her and she still struggled to put into words the impact that his abuse had on her and remains mistrustful of male adults.

The 46-year-old, of Roker Place, Darlington, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault on a child following a trial at the same court.

Tony Davis, mitigating, said his client maintains his innocence and has made his stance clear in his pre-sentence report.

He added: “The reality of the contents of his pre-sentence report means that submissions on his behalf will be short.

“The defendant continues to deny, as he has done throughout the proceedings, any responsibility the offending.”

Recorder Aisha Wadoodi sentenced Sterling to a total of 17 years for all offences.

“The prosecution submitted that some of the offences were done in drink but there was a repeated pattern of sexual offending which was reflected by the jury’s verdicts,” she said.

Sterling was also made subject of life-long restraining orders, sexual harm prevention order and was told he would have to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Description

A NEW Forest man who shared images of children featuring the superimposed face of Harry Potter actress Emma Watson has been jailed for 30 months.

Paul Woodford (39), of Hillside Road in Pennington, admitted making and distributing indecent images of children, whose ages ranged between eight and 14.

Southampton Crown Court heard Woodford’s devices, including mobile phones and laptops, were seized by police on 25th May 2022, who had been tipped off over the images.

Investigators found Woodford had downloaded 38 category A images – the most severe – along with 25 category B and 353 category C.

He had distributed to others five category A, two category B and 19 category C pictures, the court heard. All were a mixture of stills and videos.

Prosecutor Keely Harvey told the court that in his initial interview, Woodford admitted to police that he had been part of online chat groups in which people had shared indecent images.

As an administrator of one group, Woodford would ask new users to submit three indecent images of children before they were allowed to join, Ms Harvey said.

He had asked one user for images of children aged between five and 14, she explained. Another he had asked for “upskirt” images of 11 and 12 year-olds.

The images of actress Emma Watson were superimposed onto bodies of young girls aged around 12 or 13, the court heard.

When Woodford was interviewed by police for a second time, he told them he had deleted the messaging app for a period, but added: “Old habits die hard”.

He also admitted forwarding some images to other people, but claimed the ones he had sent were not illegal as the youngsters were simply scantily-clad, rather than naked.

Ms Harvey said he had asked officers: “Would that be classed as indecent?”

He also admitted in interview that he had said “stupid stuff” in the online chats, and “people always wrote stuff they did not mean”.

Ms Harvey added: “He said he had been trying to impress people and that he felt important to be able to invite or disinvite people to the chat group as he did not have this type of authority in real life.”

She added: “Despite what he claims about them being dressed, it is quite clear the images show naked or undressed children.”

Defending, Joscelyn Lee said her client felt “a great deal of remorse”, adding: “He did not think about the harm caused [to the children] until after his arrest when his head was firmly pulled from the sand.

“He was so low, with such a hopeless sense of place in the world, that the risk was worth it. The [online] community was all he had.”

Woodford, who suffers with “significant” mental health problems, now had “a sense of relief” that the matters were now in the open and he could seek help, she added.

She also urged any sentence to be suspended.

Woodford pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and three of distributing indecent images of children between 15th May 2018 and 25th May 2022.

Handing him an immediate prison term, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England said: “There are other ways to feel important without asking people to send you indecent images of children.

“You facilitated the sharing of these images amongst the group and you asked people to post images, actively seeking them out over a period of four years.

“You don’t need me to tell you that any right-thinking person looking at indecent images of children would be shocked and disgusted and would want to report the people posting them – not solicit more.

“In order to create these images it is obvious a child is being abused and their innocence ripped away. Those who seek these types of images create a market for it.”

She added: “Only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate due to the seriousness of the offending. It is the least I can impose which reflects the justice of the case.”

Woodford will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, aimed at preventing re-offending, and must also sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Description

A paedophile who raped a child in her sleep has been handed a 21-year prison sentence.

George Bellwood raped the child at least 25 times over a three-year period, on one occasion assaulting her while she slept.  

He also regularly forced her to carry out other sex acts on him, often recording the abuse on his mobile phone.

The 32-year-old’s offending came to light when the child bravely told a trusted adult what had happened, who then informed Durham Constabulary.

An investigation was launched, and Bellwood was arrested.

During the investigation, his phone and laptop were seized and thoroughly analysed by specialist police officers from the force’s Digital Investigation Team, who found more than 2,800 images of child abuse.

More than 1,000 were classed as Category A images – the most severe.

Bellwood was charged with a multitude of offences, including eight counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and two of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, all of which he initially denied, but later changed his plea to guilty.

He also admitted further charges of making indecent images of children, distributing indecent images of children, and possession of extreme pornography involving animals.

Bellwood, of Darlington, was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing at Durham Crown Court today (November 22) where he was handed a 21-year prison sentence, with four years on extended licence.

He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

In a victim impact statement, one of the girl’s family members described the impact Bellwood’s offending had on her.

“He has made her go through something that not even an adult should have to deal with,” they said. 

“She has had her childhood taken away from her, which she will never get back and will never fully recover from.”

Description

On Monday 18 November 2024 at Minshull Street Crown Court, Thomas Noone 30/11/1990 of Stretford, was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault by penetration against a minor and one count of sexual assault against an adult.

A brave victim of a child sex offender has helped get her rapist sent to prison after disclosing non-recent sexual abuse offences which happened when she was just 4-5- years of age.   

An in-depth investigation commenced in 2020, when the victim’s grandfather contacted colleagues in Lancashire about non-recent sexual abuse which took place at an address in Greater Manchester in 2010.  

Noone was previously convicted of a similar offence in 2016 when he was found guilty of a sexual assault of a female under 13 and received a three-year prison sentence, and was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. 

During the course of the investigation, another victim bravely came forward to disclose that she had also been sexually assaulted by Noone back in 2014. 

One of the two victims in this case had the confidence to come forward to police after she saw a press release that had been issued about Noone. The victim disclosed that Noone had sexually assaulted her when she was a very young age at an address in Greater Manchester. 

When interviewed by detectives, Noone denied sexually assaulting both victims. During trial, Noone pleaded not guilty but was subsequently found guilty by a jury.

Description

A SEX offender who attacked a woman while wearing a balaclava has been jailed after investigators traced blood left on the victim's clothes back to him.

The victim was at the waterfront near London Road in Purfleet when she turned and saw a man, now known to be 31-year-old Marian Canuci, running towards her wearing a balaclava before grabbing her and assaulting her.

What he did not see was the victim calling emergency services on her phone before members of the public heard the incident and he fled the scene of the incident on August 24.

She, and multiple witnesses, provided police with accounts, including a detailed description of Canuci, and forensic investigators were able to trace blood left on the victim’s clothing back to him.

After six days of investigation Canuci, of Saladin Drive in Purfleet, was arrested and later charged with assault by penetration and sexual assault.

He admitted both charges on October 2, and returned to Basildon Crown Court last Wednesday where he was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for the assault by penetration.

He was also sentenced to two years and 10 months in prion for sexual assault, running concurrently.

Description

A convicted sex offender has been sentenced to prison after ignoring measures imposed by the courts to prevent him from reoffending.

Sean Royle, 38 and of Claremont Road, Maidstone, breached a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and secretly used a mobile phone in attempts to groom a 13-year-old girl, Kent Police said.

In July 2023, checks by police established Royle was in a relationship with a child.

Royle has used a snapchat account on a different phone to contact a 13-year-old girl.

This was a breach of a previous SHPO previously given to him.

He asked her to be his girlfriend and sent a picture to the child showing his face and naked upper torso which had a distinctive tattoo.

The victim told her father who contacted the police.

'Clear determination'

He was arrested on 29 November 2023, when officers were able to locate and seize the phone.

When the device was analysed it was found to contain almost 200 illegal videos and images, many of which showed unknown children being sexually abused.

He was charged with multiple offences, including engaging in sexual communication with a child, repeated breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and making indecent images of children.

Royle pleaded guilty and on 21 November, he was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court to three years and eight months in prison and made subject of a new ten-year SHPO.

Description

Reece Austick (03/09/1997) of Maple Close, Salford, pleaded guilty to rape and has been sentenced to seven years and two months at Manchester Crown Square Court yesterday (Wednesday 20 November 2024).

Additionally, he has been ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life.

The victim was aged 14 at the time of her abuse.

Austick added his victim on Facebook in November 2018 and was speaking to them online for two or three weeks prior to arranging to meet. Austick said he was aged 15, but when she was travelling on the train to meet him, he text his victim to say that he was actually 17. In actual fact, he was 21.

He knew his victim was 14 as she had told him and it displayed her age on her profile.

Over the course of two days at Austick’s address, he sexually abused his victim by forcing her to have sex with him.

Police later arrested Austick on suspicion of rape. The victim was safeguarded and supported by specialist officers.

Description

A pervert caught "upskirting" a schoolgirl at a Tyneside Metro station had indecent images on his phone.

Lukasz Gajowski brazenly targeted the unsuspecting girl as she waited at the Gateshead station wearing her school uniform. He crept up behind her and lunged forward to take a picture of the victim, who was estimated to have been around 14.

A quick-thinking member of the public noted the time and alerted police, who caught Gajowski after a CCTV still of the perpetrator was published on ChronicleLive.

Newcastle Crown Court heard it was on December 3 2020 that a woman was at Gateshead Interchange when she noticed what Gajowski was up to, although the girl, who was leaning against a wall, was unaware the pervert was behind her.

Amber Walker, prosecuting, told the court: "(The woman) noticed that Mr Gajowski was lunging with his hand and it was outstretched towards the lower part of a skirt of a teenage girl who at the time was wearing a school uniform.

"(The woman) made eye contact with the defendant and he then quickly moved away. The teenage girl had not noticed his presence.

"The woman made a note of the time and she contacted the police and CCTV was retrieved. That footage was the subject of publicity in the local media and Mr Gajowski was recognised by a work colleague who contacted the police."

Miss Walker added: "He was using his mobile phone to record what is colloquially referred to as upskirting."

Gajowski, 39, of Brinkburn Avenue, Bensham, Gateshead, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to voyeurism and three counts of making indecent images of children. He had 21 of the most serious, category A images, 13 category B images and 17 category C images.

They were not images he had taken himself and while most of them were of young teenagers, children as young as four were depicted.

Judge Julie Clemitson said the woman who alerted the police should be commended. And she told Gajowski his behaviour towards the girl was "brazen" with "apparently no regard for the risk someone would see what you were doing".

The judge added: "It appears you have little understanding of the harm your offending might cause. Clearly if that schoolgirl had realised what you were doing it would have had some effect on her. It's impossible to say how great that harm would be but any girl might have been significantly affected by that sort of behaviour."

Gajowski was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with 100 hours unpaid work. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The court heard he had worked until recently and is now in debt due to the cost of the criminal case and has faced "unconscionable delays" in the case being finalised.

Description

A teenager kept indecent images of toddlers in a folder on his phone marked ‘hot stuff’, a court has heard.

Blaine Towler, 19, was snared by police while sharing indecent videos of children with another paedophile using the social media application Kik.

Description

A Nottingham paedophile told a 13-year-old girl he would “train to be a science teacher so he could have sex with her at school”.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how Riece Joynes also sent the teen clips where he was touching himself sexually.

But 'Ellie' was, in fact, an undercover police officer and the 23-year-old was arrested at his Bulwell home. On being bailed, the defendant told officers he would not behave in that way again.

But months later he was caught by a second undercover officer, this time posing as a 14-year-old girl. Jailing him for two-and-a-half years, Recorder Simon King said: “It is clear to me that only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified.

“I seems to me that there is a real risk if you don’t sit up and pay real attention to how society views what you do with your time you will be considered as someone who poses a danger to children.” Daniel Wilshaw, prosecuting, said Joynes and 'Ellie' began talking to each other online in October, last year, and within a short space of time he turned their conversations into sexual ones.

He said the defendant sent videos of himself touching himself sexually and "asked her to take her clothes off” adding that “it would be cool if you were here, maybe we could have sex?” The prosecutor said: “She told him about her school and he replied that he ‘could train as a science teacher so they could have sex at the school’.

“Police went to his address and arrested him on December 28, 2023 and seized his mobile phone. On his devices they found 618 category A indecent images, 43 category B and 223 category C.

“There were various ages including a baby and a 1min 29sec video showed a girl aged six-to-eight being raped by an adult.” Mr Wilshaw said after being bailed on those offences, in May of this year, Joynes was caught again by a second undercover officer posing as an underage girl.

He said on that occasion their discussions included sex positions and that he was attracted to girls of her age - 14. The defendant, of Montague Street, pleaded guilty to charges of possession of indecent images of children, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He has no previous convictions. Steven Gosnell, mitigating, said his client is autistic, suffers low self-estem and was bullied at school.

He said: “He is desperate to rehabilitate himself and desperate for help.” As well as the jail term, the judge handed Joynes an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and placed him on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A sex offender who broke into a Huddersfield home and sexually assaulted a child has been jailed.

Saqib Khan (40) of Hanson Lane in Huddersfield was sentenced to ten years in prison at Leeds Crown Court today (Thursday November 21st ) for sexually assaulting a child aged under 10 in an incident on April 20th. 

The 40-year-old had been found guilty of sexual assault at a trial in October.

Leeds Crown Court heard that Khan had made his way into the family home during the evening of April 20th ,  entered the child’s bedroom and committed a sexual assault.

The victim’s relatives heard a disturbance but were unable to gain entry to the room.

Instead the child’s father rang 999, went outside and then summoned help from two police officers who were passing the address.

They forced entry into the room and restrained and arrested Khan.

He was swiftly charged with a sexual assault offence following the incident.

The 40-year-old will have to sign on the Sex Offenders register for life following his release from prison and was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

This order will make him subject to immediate arrest and prosecution if he breaches any of the terms set, on his release from prison.

Description

A man who sent a “live action” video of himself to someone he thought was a child has walked free from court.

Richard Still, 36, sent explicit images and videos of himself with a profile on Snapchat, that he thought belonged to a 12-year-old girl.

Description

A Hove man whose jobs gave him repeated access to children has been convicted of dozens of child sex offences.

Ian Silvester, 60, of Locks Hill in Portslade, worked as a Scout leader, childrens nurse, St Johns Ambulance worker, diving instructor, first aid trainer and babysitter over several decades.

He was also a registered nurse and registered childrens nurse, before being struck off by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in 2015.

Over a period of 25 years between 1986 and 2011 Silvester sexually assaulted 19 boys linked to several of his roles of trust, including the Scouts and his various businesses.

Many of the assaults took place under the guise of first aid training, during which Silvester would sexually touch his victims.

Following Silvesters arrest, digital devices were found containing more than two million media articles suggesting a sexual interest in young boys, including 68 indecent images of children.

He was subsequently charged and found guilty of 44 counts of indecent assault, 25 counts of non-penetrative sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of sexual activity with a child under 13 and two counts of making an indecent image of a child.

At Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (20 November), he was found guilty of all charges.

He has been remanded in custody to await sentencing at the same court on 7 February, 2025.

Description

A former head teacher molested a young girl and then told her not to tell anyone as "everything would go wrong".

In what was described as a "spectacular fall from grace", Anil Gaind also tried to blame the child and later refuted her claim as to how long the indecent touching had lasted.

But at the 61-year-old Bearsted resident's sentencing last week (November 13), a judge told him whatever the length of time was, she had "lost her innocence" that night at his hands.

Gaind, of Button Lane, subsequently pleaded guilty to sexual assault. The offence was not related to his teaching role.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the paedophile touched the girl inappropriately over clothing.

But on deciding he could be spared jail, Judge Julian Smith highlighted the "sinister and chilling" aspects of the abuse, which was reported in March last year.

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He told Gaind that his warped behaviour "brings to an end your good name and good character".

Describing his former career as "impressive and successful", the judge added: "It amounts to a spectacular fall from grace, and for your victim, a life-changing loss of confidence and certainty.

"I think you understand the consequence (of what you did) but I don't think you understand why and there is a good deal to be done by you and for you before you reach an understanding.

"There is always a concern that until you do understand what drove you to behave in this appalling way you remain a risk."

Of the offence itself, Judge Smith continued: "You gave her a massage. But it went on from that and became something far more sinister.

"You say it wasn't for as long as she estimated but that doesn't matter. Whether 20 minutes, five minutes or half-an-hour, that loss of innocence and loss of trust occurred that night.

"She froze and, in a frankly chilling phrase, she said she 'let you finish'. She told you it was wrong and she was going to tell her mum.

"You asked her not to because you said 'everything would go wrong.' You put the blame on her for what you did and the consequences that followed from what you did.

"It was never her fault. None of this could ever be her fault. It was yours."

The court heard that following his arrest Gaind denied having any sexual attraction to children.

His teaching career, which was said to be a long-held ambition and realised in his 40s, came to an end due to ill health.

Referring to the significant impact the abuse had had on his victim, Gaind was told by Judge Smith that it should be "a matter of the most profound shame" for him.

However, he explained that immediate custody was not needed, having taken his background and character into consideration, as well as the help that could be offered to him by the probation service as opposed to a short spell behind bars.

Imposing a 10-month jail term suspended for 18 months, with conditions of a sex offender treatment programme, 30 rehabilitation activity requirements and 180 hours of unpaid work, Judge Smith concluded: "I am sure we will not see you in this court again."

Gaind will be barred indefinitely from working with children and vulnerable adults and subject to a sexual harm prevention order as well as sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

Description

Women who were sexually assaulted in Medway and Swale by a man who falsely advertised as a professional masseur have seen the offender jailed.

Joseph Mooney stated he was qualified to give massages on his Facebook page but had created a fake certificate to support his predatory behaviour.

On 14 December 2020, Mooney contacted a victim who had liked his social media page and offered her a discounted treatment.

He arranged to visit her home address where she asked him to concentrate on her shoulders and back. Mooney’s massage became increasingly indecent, accompanied with lewd comments, and the victim told him to stop.

After he left, the incident was reported to the police and Mooney was subsequently arrested.

Bogus business

Investigators looked into his bogus business and further victims were identified. It became apparent Mooney had used his Facebook platform to target women and offered discounts under the guise of being a newly qualified masseur seeking to expand his business.

In each case, Mooney attended an address of their choice and, after starting the massage, went on to sexually assault the victims. Some of them were shown his false qualifications and a number of the women gained the impression he was sexually aroused during the treatment.

Following his arrest, Mooney showed his certificate to officers as proof of his professional qualifications, but this was quickly found to be falsified.

Charged

Mooney, of Woodgrange Gardens, Enfield, London, was later charged. At Maidstone Crown Court he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault and possessing an article for use in a fraud.

On Tuesday 12 November 2024, the 44-year-old was sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment. He will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.