Latest Offenders

Description

A man arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexualised online chat with an underage girl committed numerous similar offences when released under investigation.

In each case, however, defendant John Paul Williamson was unaware the “girl” with whom he believed he was exchanging messages, was, in reality, a police decoy.

Durham Crown Court heard that he swapped messages with what he thought to be a 12-year-old girl, on a profile going under the name ‘Holly’, on a chat app in late March, 2022.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said Williamson introduced himself as a 26-year-old man, his age at the time, and from the outset was told Holly was only 12.

Mr Newcombe said following a couple of introductory remarks in which he asked her to send him images of herself, the defendant soon moved the conversation on to sexual matters.

He sent sexualised pictures of himself and asked her if she liked older men.

Mr Newcombe said the defendant told her not to be shy and sent her explicit photos of himself asking if she liked them and would she like to see more.

Although Holly gave only innocent answers, Williamson persisted and sent her five further requests for pictures.

He was arrested and interviewed in April 2022, but gave no comment and was released, only to commit further similar offences.

Mr Newcombe said the defendant became involved in similar chat room exchanges involving three other “girls”, supposedly all aged 13, in which he suggested they should engage in sexual activity, repeatedly asking them to send him photos.

When he was re-arrested, in January 2023, he denied using the chat room app and blamed the offences on a named cousin, who, it emerged did not exist, so it was all an invention as a cover story for himself.

Mr Newcombe said police also discovered indecent images of children on devices in Williamson’s possession, including 71 in the most serious category, both stills and moving.

These featured children as young as five being abused by adults, while there were also two images classed as extreme pornography, showing scenes of bestiality.

Williamson, now 28, of Pine Avenue, Durham, admitted four counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, three of possessing indecent images of a child and two of possession of extreme pornography.

He also asked for 20 further charges of attempted sexual communication with a child to be taken into consideration.

Mr Newcombe said in each of those cases they were police officers posing as underage girls on chat apps.

He said the aggravating features of the case was the attempt to solicit images of the children he believed he was communicating with, his “persistence”, particularly post his first arrest.

“So, despite police having spoken to him about similar behaviour, he just carried on doing exactly the same.”

Robin Patton, for Williamson, said whatever sentence the defendant serves, his life, post-release, will no longer be the same due to the scrutiny he will be placed under, with his online behaviour monitored by the sex offenders’ management unit and the Probation Service.

“He’s now 28, of previous good character and with a job until he was remanded into custody, where he has spent the last six months.

“During all of this offending he never, actually, met a child.

“He’s a sad and inadequate figure according to the Probation Service.

“When released he will still be the same due to a deep-seated sense of inadequacy.

“But he will be monitored upon his release.”

Judge Geoffrey Marson told the defendant he committed, “a catalogue of persistent and serious offending", even though no real child was harmed by him.

“But, at the time, you believed these girls existed and were aged 12 or 13.

“It’s perfectly clear you have a sexual interest in children, which, at the moment, you are unable to control.

“You also have a propensity to possess extreme pornographic images and others of children.”

The judge said the attempts to sexually communicate with what he believed to be children were, “among the worst I have ever come across.”

He added: “To make matters worse, you were arrested in April 2022 and then offended again from November 2022, committing a further catalogue of similar offending.”

Imposing a total three-year prison sentence, Judge Marson told Williamson he will spend up to half in custody before being released on licence.

The judge also made the defendant subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration as a sex offender, both, “without limit of time.”

He also made a forfeiture and destruction order for the devices seized from the defendant during the investigation.

Description

A sex offender who groomed a young boy and sent him photos and videos of naked men has been jailed.

Martyn Fryatt groomed the child over the course of a year, sending him sexually explicit messages and images and videos of naked men and young boys. The 71-year-old repeatedly told the boy to delete the photos so that his parents wouldn’t find them.

Fryatt, a former Christian missionary, was arrested after the boy’s mum discovered the images and messages on her son’s phone and called the police. The phone was analysed by specialist officers who uncovered numerous sexually inappropriate WhatsApp messages that had been sent by Fryatt, along with images and videos of men and young boys exposing themselves.

Fryatt, of Burnopfield, was charged with several offences, including making indecent images of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child, and engaging in sexual communication with a child. He admitted the charges and appeared at Durham Crown Court on August 20 where he was jailed for a year and two months.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the sex offender register, both for ten years.

Description

A Lowestoft man has been jailed after a series of ‘traumatic and distressing’ sexual offences involving a child.

Timothy Neale, 55, of Montgomery Avenue, was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment at Norwich Crown Court on Wednesday.

In the lead up to his two-week trial in April, Neale pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape, two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act, plus one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and one count of sexual assault on a child.

Neale was originally charged with the above offences in May 2020.

For two counts of rape, Neale was jailed for 19 years each.

In addition, he was handed 12 years each for a further three counts of rape, 12 months and nine months, respectively, for the two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Neale was also jailed for 30 months for one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child plus three years for one count of sexual assault of a child.

The sentences will run concurrently.

DC Williams of the Internet Child Abuse Investigations Team at Suffolk Police, commended the victim for their bravery.

“It has been a long journey to reach this stage for the victim and their family to endure,” DC Williams said.

“They have also shown incredible bravery in terms of reporting it to police and also providing evidence during the investigation, court hearings and trial which again shows their courage in securing this conviction.”

DC Williams added: “This case demonstrates we are absolutely committed to pursuing perpetrators of non-recent incidents and supporting victims.

“We urge victims of any serious violent or sexual offence to come forward to the police, seek support from the agencies available and we remain committed to supporting all victims who report sexual offences.”

Description

A SEX worker was subjected to a terrifying four-hour ordeal in a Bradford flat where she “thought she was going to die”.

Two men have now been jailed over the incident, with Judge Ahmed Nadim telling the pair they had behaved in a “violent and callous way”.

He said they did not care about the damage they were doing to the victim, but their priority was to ‘satisfy their lust’.

El Fadaidill Ibrahim, a Sudanese asylum seeker who had been living in Queens Road, Halifax, had been granted temporary leave to remain in the UK in 2022 after his asylum applications in Italy and Germany had been rejected, a court heard.

Bradford Crown Court was told that the 29-year-old’s father and brothers had been killed in his native country after the government declared his tribe to be “terrorists” and Ibrahim himself had been jailed in the Sudan when he was just 14 on “fake” charges.

Solicitor advocate John Bottomley said his client fled Sudan in 2014 and in 2020 he had crossed the Channel in a small boat.

The court heard that in 2022 Ibrahim was granted leave to remain in this country for five years.

But in March 2023 Ibrahim and fellow countryman Mohammed Abou-Gardda, 30, persuaded a sex worker to visit them at Abou-Gardda’s flat in Pemberton Drive, off Great Horton Road, and subjected her to a four-hour ordeal.

Prosecutor Phillip Standfast described how the duo assured the complainant that she wouldn’t have to do anything and when she turned up she was given £10 to buy some crack cocaine.

The pair were both drinking brandy and one of them tried to get the complainant to drink some of the alcohol.

The men put their hands up her back under her clothing, but she told them to get off her.

As she tried to leave the flat both defendants grabbed her and Ibrahim put both his hands around her neck and started to strangle her.

Mr Standfast said the woman tried to get his hands off her neck, but he was too strong.

“She could not breathe and thought she was going to die,” he said.

“She thinks that Mr Abou-Gardda could see her face changing colour and her eyes rolling. He tried to get Ibrahim’s hands off her throat, but he was not able to do so either.

“Mr Abou-Gardda then punched or slapped Ibrahim and he let go.”

The complainant sat in a chair crying and shaking as Ibrahim walked around the flat carrying an empty brandy bottle and threatened to kill her.

Ibrahim left for a short time, but returned with a bottle of whisky and Abou-Gardda told the complainant to be “nice” and give Ibrahim a “kiss and a cuddle”.

The woman said she was scared and didn’t want to be alone with Ibrahim, but after Abou-Gardda fell asleep Ibrahim made the complainant perform oral sex on him.

The two men argued after Abou-Gardda woke up and he slapped the woman across the face.

The court heard that the complainant managed to make a 999 call, but Ibrahim went to rape her in the bedroom despite her saying no and crying.

“Mr Abou-Gardda came into the bedroom and said that he wanted to go next.”

But the complainant said she needed another “smoke” and used it as a pretext to get out of the flat where she told a man she had been raped.

When police arrived in the area the pair were both arrested.

Judge Ahmed Nadim jailed Ibrahim for 13 years after he had been convicted by a jury on charges of rape, false imprisonment, intentional strangulation and sexual assault.

Abou-Gardda was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after he admitted false imprisonment, sexual assault, and common assault part-way through a previous trial.

The judge said the victim, who must not be identified, had suffered an ordeal lasting about four hours and he told the two defendants: “Each of you must understand that in a civilised society everyone has the right to decide whether sexual conduct is engaged in or not.

“This is true no matter who they are and whether they have engaged in sexual conduct previously or not. You took away that right of (the complainant) and imposed yourselves upon her in a violent and callous way.

“On the evidence I conclude that by false pretences each of you persuaded her to visit the flat assuring her that sexual conduct was not your interest.

“In reality it was your joint intention to engage in sexual conduct with her whether she agreed to or not.”

The judge said the complainant had been subjected to violence, supplied with drugs and her freedom to leave had been restricted.

“In conducting yourselves as you did neither of you cared about the damage you were doing to your victim,” he added.

“Your priority was to satisfy your lust.”

Ibrahim will have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life and Abou-Gardda will be on the sex offender register for the next seven years.

Detective Inspector Richard Fox of Bradford Adult Safeguarding Team said: “We welcome the sentence handed down to both men today, they lured the victim to a house and took advantage by raping and sexually assaulting her.

“They are dangerous men who deserve to be behind bars for a very long time.

“I would like to acknowledge the victim’s bravery throughout the investigation and trial. I hope today’s sentence can bring her some closure and justice in what was a harrowing ordeal.

“I hope this sentence provides a reminder to victims that we take all reports of sexual assault seriously and in confidence.

“We have a specialist team of dedicated officers who will support you throughout the investigation. If anyone has been a victim of sexual assault, please report it.”

Description

A sex offender described as a “danger to young children” has been jailed for over 18 years for sexually attacking a young girl.

David Gray, 50, from Batley was was sentenced to 18 years and eight months at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday (August 29) after admitting two serious sexual assaults against a young girl.

They were reported to police in January of this year, prompting an investigation by dedicated Kirklees child safeguarding detectives. Gray was swiftly arrested following the report and then charged.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court in June and was remanded in custody for sentencing. Investigating officer Detective Constable Natalie Green, of the Kirklees District Child Safeguarding Unit, said: “Gray clearly poses a significant danger to young children, and we welcome the strong sentence handed down by the court.

“The appalling offences he committed against a young victim has affected her deeply, and starkly illustrates the dreadful impact these crimes have on victims. I would personally like to thank the victim and her family for their courage and strength during the investigation and for coming forward and speaking of the crimes committed by Gray.

“We continue to urge victims of sexual assault to come forward, no matter when the offending took place. All reports will be thoroughly investigated by our specially trained officers who will also provide you with support throughout.”

Description

A York churchgoer who confessed to touching children has been jailed for three years for sexually abusing three young girls.

Timothy Thrasher, 39, a devout Christian who worshipped at a bible-teaching chapel in York, sexually assaulted the youngsters in separate incidents over a period of years.

Thrasher, who was living in the Selby area at the time of his arrest last summer, also covertly recorded two other females doing private acts, York Crown Court heard.

Thrasher, formerly of Clay Lane, Breighton, was arrested in July 2023 after he told a church friend that he had sexually assaulted a young girl.

He ultimately admitted six counts of sexual assault, two counts of voyeurism and one count of attempting to operate equipment underneath the clothing of another person – an offence more commonly known as “upskirting”.

Prosecutor Katherine Robinson said that in July last year, one of Thrasher’s church friends contacted police to say that Thrasher had told him he had sexually assaulted a young girl.

As long ago as 2007, Thrasher told the same friend that he was struggling to rein in his addiction to adult pornography.

However, at some point last year, he told his friend that he was “having lustful thoughts about teenage girls”.

A week later, Thrasher - who worshipped at Calvary Chapel, a bible-teaching church in Barbican Road, York - phoned his friend to tell him that he had sexually assaulted a young girl.

“He described this as ‘like electricity going to his body’ but denied getting sexually aroused,” said Ms Robinson.

Thrasher, who was married, admitted that he had sexually assaulted the same teenage girl two years previously and three times in total.

“He said he felt a shock of excitement when he (sexually assaulted the girl) and a mixture of erotic excitement and shame and guilt,” added Ms Robinson.

“He said he felt shame and told God that he would not be happy again.”

Following his admissions to those offences, Thrasher told a probation officer about yet more sexual assaults on young girls and sent a “letter of confession” to the police and his church.

In that letter, he admitted sexually assaulting other young females including two other teenage girls by touching them on intimate areas.

In his email confession, Thrasher also admitted trying to covertly film two females doing private acts such as getting changed.

One of the victims, none of whom can be named for legal reasons, spoke of the “devastation” and “sheer mental toll” that Thrasher’s actions had had upon her which had left her an “emotional wreck”.

She said that Thrasher, who had moved to West Yorkshire since his arrest, had “taken my innocence, my ability to trust, my worth”.

The victim, now an adult, said she was “seriously traumatised” by the abuse. She had “regular” nightmares and panic attacks and was “living under constant distress”.

“I wanted to hide the fact I felt dirty and ashamed,” she added.

“Intrusive thoughts consumed me and left me terrified. I felt as if I had a lead weight in my chest which I couldn’t shift. The pain is still very much present. I feel like I’m paying for a crime I didn’t commit.”

She said that Thrasher, lately of Stile Common, Huddersfield, had left her with “years of pain”.

Thrasher’s solicitor advocate Kevin Blount said the disgraced church man had no previous convictions and, unusually in such cases, had been condemned by his own admissions.

He said that all the sexual assaults were “touching over clothes” and that the attempt at “upskirting” was unsuccessful.

Mr Blount said that none of the victims was aware at the time that Thrasher was doing anything sexual, and the offences only came to light because of his confessions, before any evidence had been adduced.

“He clearly struggles with the inappropriate sexual impulses that he has and that is unlikely to go away without professional intervention,” added Mr Blount.

He said that Thrasher, who had been working on a building site in North Yorkshire before his arrest, would lose his job if he were jailed.

Judge Sean Morris said Thrasher’s offences had had a “devastating” effect on at least one of the victims.

He added: “An unusual feature of this case – and it’s almost unique in my experience – is that none of this would be here (in court) if it wasn’t for your confession and that is a remarkable feature of it, but doing this sort of thing to little children…can have devastating consequences.”

Thrasher was jailed for three years but will only serve half of that behind bars before being released on prison licence. He was also made subject to a 10-year sexual-harm-prevention order to limit his contact with children and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.

Description

A 39-year-old man from Northwich has been jailed for 25 months after pleading guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Daniel Brinksman of no fixed address was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on 29 August after pleading guilty to the offences during his trial.

He was also given a restraining order not to contact the victim and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Brinksman had met his 15-year-old victim on Grindr in 2015 after the boy joined the site in a vulnerable state as he was struggling with his sexuality.

They struck up a conversation and Brinksman pressured him into meeting that same day at a park in Northwich.

Brinksman sexually assaulted the victim leaving him traumatised.

Description

A child sex offender from Staffordshire has been convicted on 25 counts following a trial in court.

Nicholas McCabe, 57, of Ipstones, Staffordshire, was found guilty by a jury following a nine-day trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today (Thursday 29 August).

He was convicted on:

• Eight counts of the rape of a girl under 16
• Four counts of the rape of a woman
• Eight counts of the indecent assault of a girl under 16
• Three counts of sexual assault on a female 13 and over
• Two counts of sexual assault on a female

The court heard how McCabe inflicted a campaign of abuse on the survivors between the 1990s and 2000s in Staffordshire.

When one of them bravely came forward and told us what happened in July 2020, we started work to compile all of the evidence possible to take McCabe to court. More survivors then came forward to support the investigation.

McCabe was questioned in custody and denied the offences.

Investigative Officer Janine Shropshire and Detective Constable Diane Sproston from our rape and serious sexual offences unit (RASSO) worked tirelessly to support the survivors and managed to secure 25 charges against McCabe in 2022.

Our evidence was substantial, leading to a jury finding McCabe guilty on all 25 counts in court.

He will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 11 October 2024.

Detective Constable Diane Sproston and Investigative Officer Janine Shropshire said: We would like to recognise the courage the survivors in this case have shown in coming forward and helping us gather the evidence needed to convict McCabe of the heinous crimes he committed.

Without their bravery and resilience, this result would not have been possible.

While this result does not repair the immeasurable trauma that has been caused to the survivors, we hope it gives them a sense of closure that McCabes lies did not work and he will now face justice for what he did.

Description

A man who sent sexually explicit messages to children online has been jailed.

Stephen Blackwell began messaging one girl on Tiktok when she was just 10. He initially told her he was a 17-year-old boy who lived in London before admitting he had lied about his age. He repeatedly sent her photos and videos and asked her to send him images in return.

The matter came to light after the girl’s mum found the messages on her phone and contacted police.

Blackwell was arrested in connection with the incident and released on bail while investigations continued.

While on bail, he also began messaging accounts he believed belonged to 14-year-old girls. However, these accounts were all actually decoy accounts run by an online child activist group.

Blackwell sent numerous videos showing him performing sex acts on himself, and also asked the girls to carry out acts on themselves.

The 46-year-old, of Matlock, was arrested and subsequently charged with engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, causing a child under 13 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity and attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity.

He denied the offences but was found guilty after a trial at Derby Crown Court.

He appeared at the same court for sentencing on 16 August when he was jailed for 11 years and three months with the judge handing him an extended sentence to recognise the danger he posed.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and was placed on the sex offenders register.

Description

A CREEP from Great Sankey who sexually assaulted a woman in her sleep claimed it was an accident has been jailed.

Lewis Williams, of Reaper Close, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexual assault and sending threatening messages.

Prosecuting, Dave Watson told the court that the victim, who cannot be named or identified by law, woke up to Williams sexually assaulting her.

The 25-year-old defendant was confronted by the complainant and ‘jumped up in shock’.

Williams accepted what had happened, the court heard, but after the offence, he began to send texts and voice notes to her.

One voice message saw him refer to the victim as a ‘little b***h’.

Despite previously admitting to the assault, the court heard that Williams went on to deny the offence by saying that he had been asleep and that she must have ‘pushed against him’.

The victim contacted Cheshire Police, and Williams was arrested.

In his police interview, the court heard that Williams continued to deny the offence and claim it had happened in his sleep.

An impact statement was read out to the court in which the victim told the court that the assault has had an impact on her mental health.

“He was making me out to be a liar and said it was an accident, when it was not,” she said.

Williams, who appeared in court late as he was in a Wetherspoon pub, was sentenced by judge Andrew Murray to 27 months immediate imprisonment.

A restraining order has been put in place for five years, and Williams was ordered to sign the sex offender register for ten years.

Description

A rapist who assaulted a woman in her sleep in Canterbury has been sent to prison for 12 years. Lloyd Sands was arrested in October 2019, hours after his victim contacted police and told them of the offences.

An investigation found he had raped his victim in her sleep and after she told him she did not consent. He also filmed the offences, footage of which was found on his phone as part of the investigation.

Sands was charged with rape, attempted rape and voyeurism and convicted following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court. The 30-year-old, formerly of Plymouth, Devon, appeared before the same court on Friday 23 August 2024 and was jailed for 12 years.

Detective Sergeant David Hinwood, Kent Police's investigating officer, said: 'Sands failed to accept responsibility for these terrible offences and thereby forced his victim to relive her ordeal in court. I would like to praise her for coming forward to report him and supporting the prosecution.

"I hope the resulting jail term gives her some sense of closure as she continues to rebuild her life. I urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual offences at the hands of someone they know to report it to us as soon as possible. We will support you and work to bring the offender to justice."

Description

A creep from Dundee must perform unpaid work after using Snapchat to send lewd photos and videos to a ‘child’ – only to find out he was speaking to an undercover police officer.

Michael Stirling, 52, is now on the sex offenders register for five years after he previously admitted trying to indecently communicate with a child.

Description

A vile predator from Leeds trawled the internet looking for like-minded parents who would let him abuse their children.

Connor Churchill latched onto what he thought were two guardians on the messenger services Kik and Snapchat, asking to either abuse their children or watch them abusing the youngsters.

There was even an agreement to meet one at a service station on the M62 where he could abuse their eight-year-old niece, although Churchill made excuses not to attend.

But the profiles were both being run by undercover police officers, posing as paedophiles, Leeds Crown Court heard. Churchill, 24, admitted two counts of arranging a child sex offence, and three counts of making indecent images of child abuse was found on his Samsung phone.

Prosecutor Ayman Khokhar said he first made contact online in July 2022 when he said he was looking for like-minded people with a kink. He said he preferred girls aged between six and 14 but was open to most.

After the officer offered up his fictitious eight-year-old niece, there was a meeting arranged at Hartshead Moor Services.

He was also communicating with with another officer on Kik after he told Churchill that he had a seven-year-old daughter. Churchill, now of Clog Mill Gardens, Selby, but who had been living in Micklefield, discussed having sex with the girl, but again he made excuses about meeting.

He was arrested on October 11, 2022 and told officers: I would never have gone through with it. I need help. His mobile phone contained five category A images - the most serious - one category B and six category C.

He continued to claim he had no sexual interest in children. Mitigating, Celine Kart told the court: He desisted from attending those meet-ups. He made several excuses. He backed out of them.

He is incredibly remorseful. Its clear he is ashamed. To be blunt, he hates what he did and hates himself. He is not afraid to address his offending behaviour. Its a complex journey he is embarking on.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC took into account his remorse, his lack of previous convictions, and that he backed out of the meetings. But he jailed him for five years, gave him a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and put him on the sex offender register for life.

Description

A MAN has been jailed after having sex with a young girl, having lied to her about his age.

Luke Gillard, of Cornist Lane in Flint, appeared for sentence at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old, who appeared via video from HMP Berwyn, had previously admitted two offences of penetrative sexual activity with a child and one of sexual activity with a child.

Anna Price, prosecuting, told the court Gillard's offending involved him having sex with, and sexually touching, a young girl - having known her age and lied about his own to make himself appear younger than he was.

When interviewed by the police, the defendant relied on a prepared statement in which he denied any sexual contact with the girl and stating he had autism and ADHD.

But he went on to admit the offences at his plea and trial preparation hearing.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said the offences had a big impact on her emotions and quality of life.

"Sometimes I'd blame myself for what happened," she said.

"It would keep me up at night."

Ryan Rothwell, defending, asked the court to give his client appropriate reductions in the sentence bearing in mind his relative youth.

He added: "Clearly, not only does he have psychiatric issues which are labelled, he lacks a significant amount of maturity.

"There are well-founded suspicions of autism and a diagnosis of ADHD."

He said there were concerns about his client's ability to cope in a custodial setting, adding: "It seems the pre-sentence report alludes to potential issues in that respect.

"He's already received abuse in the prison.

"There has been a delay in bringing this matter to court and he had no convictions prior to these offences.

"He has written a letter in which he tried to express an acknowledgement of how [the victim] must feel and elaborates how sorry he is."

Judge Niclas Parry told the defendant: "You understand you're to be sentenced for extremely serious matters.

"It's a significant disparity in age - and you lied about your age, which underlines the fact you knew exactly what you were doing."

Judge Parry told the court that based on expert psychiatric reports, he did not feel the defendant's psychiatric issues had influenced his understanding of the illegality of his behaviour, and would have had a limited bearing on his decision-making.

As such, the Judge handed down an overall sentence of 27 months to be served immediately, in a young offenders' institute.

A restraining order and sexual harm prevention order were imposed for 10 years.

And Gillard was made subject to the notification requirements as a sex offender for the same period of time.

Judge Parry turned to the public gallery at the end, where the victim and her family were present, and stated: "Thank you for the dignity you have shown."

Description

A 23-year-old man has been sent to prison for 18 months for breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after accessing the internet without permission and installing social media apps.

Between December 2022, and January 2023, Louis Davies engaged in an online conversation with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. This included exchanging explicit messages and sharing images of a sexual nature.

However, the “teenage girl” was in fact a decoy from an online activist group, and Davies was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to cause a child aged 13-15 to watch/look at an image of a sexual activity and attempt to cause/incite a girl 13-15 to engage in a sexual activity.

Davies, of The Crescent, Flore, was issued with his 10-year SHPO at Northampton Crown Court last year, along with a 16-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 24-months.

The SHPO was issued with certain conditions which he must abide by which included not using any computer or device capable of accessing the internet unless it has capacity to retain and display the browser history as well as notify police within three days of any online usernames.

During a routine visit on April 30 this year, officers from Northamptonshire Police’s MOSOVO team, which closely manage sexual and violent offenders, arrested Davies after he admitted breaching the conditions of his SHPO.

In his police interview, Davies admitted to installing, deleting, and then reinstalling various social media apps on his phone – including Snapchat, Tinder, and Instagram – on three or four occasions over a two-month period.

Davies was subsequently charged with seven counts of failing to comply with Sex Offenders’ Register notification requirements and one offence of breaching his SHPO.

On May 10, Davies appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court where his case was committed to Northampton Crown Court and on June 21, he pleaded guilty to all charges.

He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, which included 12-months for breaching his suspended sentence – and eight months for the new offences.

Lead investigator, PC Mark Edkins from the Force’s MOSOVO Team, said: “Louis Davies rightly, has very strict notification requirements he is expected to abide by, however, his actions clearly demonstrated a total disregard for the sanctions imposed by the court.

“We take an absolute zero-tolerance approach to situations like this, if a breach is identified, there are no second chances and I hope this case demonstrates how extremely serious we take the management of sex offenders.”