Latest Offenders

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A Teesside sex offender has been jailed after he was caught using a dating site and aliases online.

Aaron Hughes, 27, was under a strict sex offender court order which limits his internet use when he was caught using the aliases "deathstorm" and "electro_darkness" on TikTok and Kik messenger. He had also set up accounts on the dating site Tinder, as well as Snapchat and Instagram.

Hughes appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday, after his sex offender manager turned up at his home to carry out a risk assessment, on July 28. His phone showed that he had downloaded the apps and deleted them.

Hughes, of King Street in South Bank in Redcar, admitted four breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and the breach of a suspended sentence. The order was imposed in November, last year, when he was convicted of making indecent images of children.

In 2021, he received a suspended prison sentence for making indecent images. Michele Turner, mitigating, said that her client has "mild learning disabilities" and that he had endured a difficult upbringing.

Judge Paul Watson jailed Hughes for 19-months.

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A Gillingham resident has been jailed for the sexual abuse of a child.

Milen Ivanov targeted the young victim between 1 June and 9 August 2022, after he made them believe they were in a relationship.

His offending came to light after the child told their parents what had been happening, and they then contacted Kent Police.

Ivanov, of Chaucer Road, was arrested on 28 August 2022. He was bailed with conditions, including not to contact the victim, while investigators built the case against him.

During this time, Ivanov committed further offences including sharing indecent images of the victim and making threats towards the child.

He was charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, intimidation of a witness, making indecent photographs of a child and disclosing a private sexual photograph.

The 34-year-old was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court on 26 October 2023, for six years and eight months. He will also be subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a five-year restraining order on his release.

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A pervert is starting his third prison sentence after he was caught with an illegal image of a baby girl on his mobile phone.

Matthew Laidler "appeared nervous and was tapping away on his mobile" when his offender manager made an unannounced visit to his Middlesbrough home, on October 8. Laidler had been released from a 29-month prison sentence five days earlier.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the 33-year-old claimed he was "texting his grandma" but police found that he had been sent an indecent image of a baby. He replied to the sender: "Hi bud. Beautiful. I've nothing to send back to you at the moment" before making an explicit sexual comment about the baby.

Laidler had downloaded the Wickr and Mega apps, where users can send end-to-end encrypted messages.

Laidler, who gives his address as HMP Durham but is from Linthorpe in Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to the possession of an indecent image and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. He was convicted of the sexual assault of a child in 2006; and he was jailed for the first time in 2015 for the possession of indecent images of children.

In April 2022, he was handed another the 29-month prison term after it emerged he'd been babysitting young girls, sleeping over and giving one of them baths. The terms of his licence prohibited from having any contact with children.

The court heard that after his latest offence, Laidler was recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his 2022 sentence, which finishes in December 2024. He listened on video link from HMP Durham as Judge Paul Watson told him that the apps he had downloaded were capable of "removing any trace of messages."

Laidler was handed a 26-month prison sentence.

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A MAN who committed "heinous" sexual abuse on a girl and then put his victim through the ordeal of a trial has been jailed.

Connor Paul Gavin, 21, of Blackbrook, St Helens was found guilty by a trial by jury at Liverpool Crown Court last month.

Today (Friday, November 17) he was sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison for nine counts of rape and sexual assault of a child under 13.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Lesley Prendergast said: “Throughout the whole process, the investigation and the trial, Gavin continued to deny all the allegations made against him. Thankfully the jury saw through his lies and found him guilty. 

“His denial and not accepting what he has done has been incredibly difficult for the victim. She has showed immense courage and bravery to report the utterly depraved actions he committed.

“As you can imagine for victims of such an appalling crime, the impact on them is significant and long-lasting. I hope this sentence provides some comfort in knowing they did the right thing to report Gavin’s heinous crime to us.”

Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan added: “Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children from sexual abuse and those who seek to do them harm, and we take all such reports extremely seriously.

“If you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police. 

“We have a dedicated team of specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion and will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

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A predatory sex offender who committed a catalogue of crimes against children and vulnerable adults spanning more than three decades has been jailed following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.  

Craig Meredith, aged 50, of Middleton Road, Morley, was convicted of 38 offences following at trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He was found guilty of offences including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching.  

The offences covered a period from 1987, when he was 14 years old, to 2019 when he raped a victim under the guise of a paranormal entity which had possessed her.  

He manipulated vulnerable young children and adults with learning disabilities and left them suffering significant trauma and long-term mental health issues.  

Today he was sentenced to 33 years – 30 years custody with a three-year extended licence. 

Detective Inspector Vikki Daniel-Thomas, of Leeds District Safeguarding, said: “The level of harm that Meredith has caused to such a large number of victims over a very long period of time is truly appalling.  

“He is clearly someone of a predatory nature who presents a very significant danger to children and vulnerable adults, and we hope it will give the victims some reassurance to know he has finally had to answer for his actions and has received a significant term of imprisonment.  

“This was a complex and challenging investigation where the diligent work of the officers in the case, Detective Constable Julie Arnott and Detective Constable Paul Ashton, has resulted in this positive outcome for the victims.  

“Serious sexual offending such as this will always attract the highest level of investigation by specialist safeguarding officers to ensure that offenders like Meredith are brought to justice.  

“We hope the successful conclusion of this case will help to give victims of other similar offences to confidence to come forward.” 

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A dangerous sex offender has been jailed after sending explicit messages and arranging to meet a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Naveed Sultan arranged to meet the ‘girl’ – actually an adult posing as a teenager – at Sutton Lawn park in Sutton-in-Ashfield after sending her a number of sexually explicit messages.

Sultan turned up at the location but the woman he had been speaking to never approached him and just watched from a distance.

Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation after the information was passed to officers via the company which employed 38-year-old Sultan.

Detectives were also made aware of sexually explicit voice messages, videos and screen shots which Sultan had sent the ‘girl’.

After a detailed investigation, officers discovered Sultan had also been communicating sexually with two other teenage girls and had attempted to work out where they lived.

He sent messages to one of the girls, aged 13, threatening to rape her and also sent messages encouraging her to meet him.

Detectives were able to charge Sultan with a number of offences and he eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of attempting to meet a child following grooming.

At Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday (16 November), he was given a total custodial sentence of eight years, which will include five years in jail and a further three years on licence.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order that will limit his online activities once he is released from jail.

Sultan, of Sophie Road, Nottingham, was also added to the sex offenders’ register for life.

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A Scots teenager has been caught with a horror haul of sex abuse images involving children as young as two-years-old.

Patryk Sienkiewicz was found to possess more than 300 indecent images of children when police raided his home in the Royston Mains area of Edinburgh earlier this year. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the teen had also downloaded a disgusting video depicting an adult engaging in sexual activity with an animal.

Sienkiewicz, 19, appeared in court on Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to two sexual offences on January 23 this year. Fiscal depute Connor Muir told the court police received intelligence the images were downloaded at the teenager’s address and found him home alone when they arrived with a search warrant.

Mr Muir said a computer and a mobile phone were seized and when the devices were examined by cyber crime experts it was found he had collected a total of 337 images and 114 videos. The court was told the pictures showed female children aged between two and five-years-old being penetrated by adult men.

The images also depicted youngsters posing naked and one video found contained bestiality involving an adult and an animal. Mr Muir said 28 images and videos were rated as Category A, the worst kind, along with 125 at Category B and 298 at Category C.

The Crown motion for forfeiture of the devices was continued to the next hearing. Sheriff Kevin McCarron placed Sienkiewicz on the Sex Offenders Register and deferred sentence for social work reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment to be prepared to next month.

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A registered sex offender who breached the terms of a court order by having sexualised conversation online with two people he believed to be 14-year-old girls has been jailed.

Bradley Warner, 26, of Warwick Road, Kenilworth was jailed for 26 months following an investigation by the South Warwickshire Police Sex Offender Management Unit (SOMU).

The conversations took place in September and were reported to police the following day and Warner was arrested.

After being convicted of online child sex offenses last year and given a community order, Warner was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that, amongst other things, prohibited him from using the internet to contact anyone known or believed to be under the age of 16.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Ben Gadsdon from the SOMU said: “Despite being given an opportunity to rehabilitate in the community ordered by a judge previously, Warner has shown himself incapable of changing his extremely concerning behaviour, even though being managed by police and probation. As a result, he will now spend time in jail where he will no longer present a risk to vulnerable people online and in the community. While in prison he can seek the help that he needs.”

The South Warwickshire SOMU is responsible for monitoring the behaviours of registered sex offenders and checking those subject to a SHPO are adhering to the terms of the order.

The team’s work often goes unnoticed. They understandably like to keep a low profile given the sensitive nature of the work they do. However, they do vital work in keeping a check on some of the highest risk offenders in Warwickshire.

Detective Inspector Katie Reynolds from the RSOMU said: “It understandably makes local people feel uncomfortable that there are sex offenders living in our communities, but the reality is that if offenders do not get a jail sentence or when they are released from prison they need to live somewhere. Our job is to make sure this happens while minimising the risk of them reoffending. And if they do reoffend, we need to make sure we act promptly to arrest them.”

Many convicted of a sexual offence in Warwickshire will now be subject to a SHPO, the terms of which must be linked to the nature of the offence he or she is convicted of. So, for example, anyone convicted of accessing indecent images of children will have restrictions put on their use of electronic devices and someone convicted of contact sexual offences with a child will have restrictions put on their contact with children.

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A man has accepted his attraction to young girls after his child abuse stash was uncovered.

George Munro was found to have collected 3,506 still and moving indecent images over a period of seven years, Salisbury Crown Court heard on Friday (10 November).

The 37-year-old paedophile was arrested in relation to an unrelated matter in 2020 when the child exploitation team confirmed he was also a suspect in one of their investigations.

As a result, police seized his mobile phone and attended his home address in Grist Court, Bradford on Avon, to seize other digital devices within it – including another phone and a laptop.

Richard Wayman, prosecuting, said that examination of one of the phones – an iPhone – revealed thousands of child abuse material featuring children as young as three years old.

742 of the images and videos uncovered were classified as Category A, which includes rape and penetration. Munro also shared a small number of images with others on Kik, the messaging app.

Thomas Acworth, defending said his client has taken “steps to deal with his deep seated deviancy”.

He said that most sex offenders maintain they are not interested in children, adding that Murno is “not such a man” and that it “could not have been an easy admission to make”.

Mr Acworth said the pre-sentence report, compiled by the probation service, confirmed that the defendant admits having a sexual interest in young girls.

He said it was “encouraging that when he is challenged”, Munro will “accept what he is and that he needs help”.

Judge Angela Morris said his offending was “nothing short of shameful”.

She added: “You have remained out of trouble during those three years [since his arrest], which is perhaps as good as an indication the court can get.”

Munro was given a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must register has a sex offender for ten years and complete a sex offender programme.

He must also undertake 20 sessions of rehabilitation activity with the probation service and complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Morris said: “if you commit another offence during the next two years, it will put you in breach of the court I just made.

“I can tell you now you will come back in front of me and I will have no hesitation what so ever in activating the sentence I have imposed today.

“I am keeping an eye on you, Mr Munro. I’m giving you one chance Mr Munro, it’s down to you if you take that chance because there won’t be another one.

“If I see you again, you know what will happen.”

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A sex offender told a woman he would like to get her into bed before sexually assaulting her.

David Duncan made the comment before reaching out and grabbing the womans left breast.

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A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed after he was convicted of a catalogue of sexual offences in east Wales.

Chris Hood, 36, admitted three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and one each of taking an indecent photograph of a child and possessing an extreme pornographic image involving an animal.

The defendant also pleaded guilty to two counts of observing a person doing a private act and one each of voyeurism by recording a private act and voyeurism by installing equipment or constructing/adapting a structure.

Hood’s offences were committed in Newport (Gwent) and Chepstow.

The defendant was jailed for 26 months at Cardiff Crown Court.

He will have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years and he was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

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A child sex offender has been jailed for two decades after being found guilty by a jury.

Carl Smith, 36, of no fixed abode, inflicted a campaign of physical and emotional abuse on the survivor. It happened in South Staffordshire.

He was arrested in July 2022 after offences were reported to us. He continued to deny the offences and was brought before a jury in September (2023).

Following a four-day trial, the jury found Smith guilty on a number of offences, including:

• Two counts of rape a girl
• Six counts of sexual assault a girl

He was jailed for a total of 20 years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (10 November). Smith was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a restraining order against the survivor.

Detective Sergeant Claire Mace, who dealt with the case, said: “The survivor in this case has shown immense bravery to come forward and report what happened. I can only hope the outcome of this investigation has given her some form of closure following the abuse she suffered at the hands of Smith. 

“We are committed to pursuing perpetrators of violence, abuse and intimidation against women and girls. Work is continuing around preventing offending and protecting those affected by it, changing behaviours and taking robust action against perpetrators.

“We want victims to know that they are our priority. Teams of specialist officers are here to speak to you in confidence, put a stop to those responsible and support you as much as possible.”

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A Linwood man has been caught with over 100 indecent images of children on his mobile phone.

Cops received information that creepy Stuart Fratson had the vile pictures on his phone and raided his home in Russell Place in June last year.

The 45-year-old admitted at Paisley Sheriff Court to being in possession of indecent photographs between April 26, 2022 and June 23, 2022.

Fratson also admitted between April and June last year, he did take, permit to be taken, or made indecent or pseudo-photographs of children.

Procurator fiscal depute, Matt Piskorz told the court police received a tip-off in September 2021, that a device in Fratson’s home address was connected to the internet which contained indecent images of children.

Mr Piskorz explained: “A search warrant was granted and on June 10, 2022, police officers attended at Fratson’s home address at 7.45am

“Fratson allowed police entry and they explained their reason for attendance.

“The property was searched and various electronic devices were recovered including a black Samsung Galaxy device.

“Fratson claimed ownership of this and provided the PIN.

“Around 9am, PC Wallace from the cybercrime unit attended the property to assist with the examination of the devices.

“A short time late, police officer Gilmour was informed by PC Wallace that indecent images of children had been found on the Samsung device.

“All other devices were examined and found to be negative after which they were then returned to their owners with the exception of a computer tower unit which was retained by cybercrime officers to conduct further analysis.

“The Samsung was examined and found to have a SIM card within.

“This device was noted as being the property of Fratson and was found to contain a number of account artefacts in his name including a photograph of a passport in the name of Fratson and a wage slip also in his name.

“A total of 126 still images were present on the device.”

Fratson’s defence lawyer asked for reports to be called for and reserved further mitigation.

Sheriff Thomas Ward stated: “This is a serious matter and I’ll have to get a social work report to find out how best to deal with this.”

Mr Piskorz explained a break-down of the images, detailing which category of seriousness they fall into would be provided to the court on the next occasion.

Sentence was deferred for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

Fratson, who is now living in homeless accommodation in Paisley’s Abercorn Street, was placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and will return to the town’s court on December 7 for sentencing. His bail was continued meantime.

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A teacher who had sex with a 15-year-old pupil in the back of her car has been pictured after walking free from court.

Siobhan McLean, 33, met the boy in her role as head of pupil support at the secondary school in Lanarkshire. She had been helping an unnamed family member apply for university courses as well as taking study classes that the boy attended. McLean, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, then began contacting him on social media and they soon became engaged in dialogue.

The mother-of-one later arranged to meet the unnamed boy at a university union where they enjoyed a night out including drinking alcohol. But when they went back to a flat, McLean and the boy began kissing, which led to them having sex. Days later she arranged to see him again before they had sex in the back of her BMW in a secluded car park at Craignethan Castle near Blackwood, Lanarkshire.

The boy’s mother later became alarmed after hearing him saying “I love you” during a phone call. He claimed he was talking to a friend but his phone was confiscated and revealed intimate messages from McLean and police were called in. Following walking free from court she has now been pictured by the Daily Record at her plush home yesterday. Despite having just escaped jail, the former teacher seemed in high spirits and smiled as she answered the door. When she was asked to speak, McLean quickly slammed the door closed.

McLean appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted engaging in sexual activity with the boy in September last year. Sheriff Liam Murphy ordered her to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and put her under supervision for three years. McLean will be tagged for 12 months and is banned from having unsupervised contact with children other than her own. She was put on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and added to the list of those unsuitable to work with children. The sheriff also banned her from contacting the victim or his family members for five years.

Gary McAteer, defending, said: "The accused has self-destructed her life by acting in the way that she did. She has lost her career, her reputation and her standing and faces the possibility of being separated from her child and husband. This was two events over a period of days and her reaction to it was to be physically sick and she recognised how damaging this period has been."

Meanwhile, Sheriff Liam Murphy said: "You pled guilty to a serious offence involving a significant breach of trust. In the criminal justice social work report you were able to recognise the impact of this on the victim and his family. Taking into account all of the circumstances, I'm satisfied that there is an appropriate way to deal with you by way of an alternative to a custodial sentence but this should not detract from the gravity of your conduct."

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A sex offender who repeatedly groped and touched young woman on trains and tubes across London has been jailed for 14 months. 

Hailu Getemariam, 24, of no fixed address, stalked carriages across the Transport for London network looking for lone women to sexually assault. 

On one occasion he sat next to a woman on an otherwise empty train carriage then stroked her leg, while another time he stood directly behind a woman on the London Underground and groped her. 

“Mr Getemariam, you are a pervert,” Judge Freya Newbery told him at a sentencing hearing on Wednesday (November 15). “You are seeking out young women on public transport to touch them sexually.” 

The first incident took place on March 25 when refugee Getemariam boarded a train at Denmark Hill. 

He sat next to a woman, despite the carriage being nearly empty, and began rubbing his fingers up and down her leg and thigh. 

As he did this he rested his leg on the seat in front, leaving the woman feeling trapped, the court heard. 

As the terrified woman got off the train at Beckenham Hill she turned and shouted at Getemariam. 

“You suggested that you had accidentally touched her when you reached for your mobile phone, but that was simply not true,” Judge Newbery said. 

Then on April 18 Getemariam was at a Northern Line station where he spotted another young woman who he then followed onto the Tube. 

“It was quite crowded but you stood right behind her and pressed your body into her. You touched her bottom with your hand and then you placed your hand in between the top of her thighs,” Judge Newbery said. 

He kept his hand on her thigh for around five minutes. 

“She was really scared. At a stop where some people got on and off she moved to the other side of the carriage, but you followed her and stood opposite her quite close and stared at her,” Judge Newbery said. 

The woman kept her gaze away from Getemariam then rang the police when she got off. 

A few weeks later, on May 10, Getemariam boarded another train where he stood close to another woman. 

He then tapped her genital area a few times over her clothes. 

“When she realised what was happening she moved away of course, but when she saw that you then touched another woman on the bottom she filmed you,” Judge Newbery said. 

Getemariam denied all the charges but a jury found him guilty of three sexual assaults. 

He has been in prison since his arrest in May. 

Defending Getemariam at his sentencing hearing, barrister Matthew Ness said: “This is his first period in custody, it has been a difficult period for him and he’s suffered anxiety and stress as a result of his situation.” 

The court heard that during Getemariam’s time in prison he was the subject of a number of assaults. 

The 14-month prison sentence Judge Newbery gave him means that he will be released within one month as he will have served half of that time. 

When he’s released he will be the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which states that if he travels on the TFL network he must use an Oyster card registered in his own name to pay. 

The SHPO also state: “You must not sit immediately next to, touch, or make any attempt to communicate with any unknown female while you’re travelling on the TFL network.”