June 2014

Child abuse images man walks free from court with a suspended sentence

Peter Maurice Keegan, of Barrow was found guilty of possessing indecent images of children.

The images included some at level five – the most extreme category of indecent image.

The offences are said to have taken place in Barrow between 2007 and 2012.

Keegan was sentenced to a suspended sentence with a term of community service and ordered to sign the sex offenders register

June 2014

Paedophile guilty of raping primary school girl in Glasgow 20 years ago

A man has been convicted of raping a primary school girl more than 20 years ago.

Joseph Hart, 54, of Glasgow, abused the girl between 1991 and 1994 when she was aged between four and seven.

He was also found guilty of sexually abusing another girl when she was aged between four and seven.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Hart’s rape victim told an adult but there was no corroboration. He was arrested when a second victim went to police.

Hart denied the charges and claimed his victims were lying.

Judge Bill Dunlop QC placed Hart on the sex offenders’ register and remanded him in custody.

He will be sentenced next month.

June 2014

Pervert appears in court after he hid iPhone in box to film girl in shower

A PERVERT spied on a teenage girl as she showered at her Weymouth home, a court has heard.

Timothy Yarnold, who turned up to his trial wearing a mask, placed his iPhone inside a box with a peephole cut out in order to watch the gril, but restored the phone’s factory settings before police officers arrived, wiping the data.

Yesterday (FRI) the 22-year-old was found guilty of two counts of voyeurism and two of possessing indecent images of a child following a week-long trial.

Bizarrely, he had arrived at Bournemouth Crown Court each day wearing a white mask over his face, which he was ordered to remove by security guards before going inside. He was also seen carrying a placard saying ‘Never question authority.’ During his summing up, Judge Peter Johnson said Yarnold, of Grantley Gardens, Plymouth, signed a confession in a police officer’s notepad on the night of his arrest, but later went on to deny the charges.

The victim found the camera concealed at her Weymouth home in December 2012.

Judge Johnson said: “It was after she took a shower that she noticed a large box of Pearl White toothpaste, she said.

“She thought to herself, ‘I didn’t buy that – maybe mum bought it for me’. She said there was a tiny hole in it, and as she looked closer, she saw a camera lens.”

Looking inside the box, the victim found an iPhone she identified as belonging to Yarnold propped up on tissue paper.

The judge said: “She saw it was flashing red and had a numeral five on it.”

When police arrived at the defendant’s address to arrest him, he allegedly said: “Can I just be honest?

“I did film her. I did record her and I did delete the recording from my phone. I just wanted to get rid of it. I felt sick. I didn’t know you guys were coming.”

Investigations made of his laptop revealed the defendant had searched for terms including ‘I hid a camera in a girl’s bedroom’, ‘hidden camera in box’, ‘hidden camera in box in shower’ and ‘teen voyeur’.

The court also heard that Yarnold had made a number of “prank” films, including one which appeared to show him performing a sex act upon himself in a car.

There were also images of women’s bottoms taken in shops.

The judge said: “He says he is entitled to take these photographs, as there are CCTV cameras in the store so they are being videoed anyway, and these actions are not illegal.”

Yarnold will return to the court on July 28 to be sentenced and was released on conditional bail.

June 2014

Ex-Dundee bus driver spent five years looking at child abuse images

A former Dundee National Express bus driver spent two hours a night looking at child abuse images online for five years, a court heard.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Gary Johnstone, 44, of Haldane Avenue, was also found with 82 indecent images of children saved to computers in his home and 91 videos.

The court heard two of these videos were labelled by police as level five — the highest category available.

The other videos and images ranged from level one to four.

Fiscal depute Sue Ruta told the court Johnstone admitted during a police interview to being “sexually aroused” by the images.

And she said he knew he had been “rumbled” when police arrived at his door.

The fiscal said: “Police became aware of a video containing imagery of child sex on a website and found it had been uploaded from the accused’s address.

“A search warrant was issued for his home and the accused was traced within.

“The content of the warrant was read to him and the accused said ‘I know what you mean. I know why you’re here’.”

Johnstone was arrested and taken to police HQ, and during the journey he told officers unprompted: “I’ll be honest I’m guilty anyway”.

A number of computer towers and hard drives were seized from his home which were found to contain the images — the majority of which were of children aged six to 12 — and software for sharing files.

An examination of internet history also found several thousand entries searching for child porn.

Solicitor Scott Norrie said: “As a consequence of these matters he has lost his employment and became a recluse, even more so than previously.”

Johnstone admitted that, between September 2, 2008, and July 15 last year, at his home address, he took or permitted to be taken or made, indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children.

And he admitted that, between January 3 2012, and March 27 last year, at the same address, he had indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children with a view to them being distributed or shown by him to others.

Johnstone was placed under three years’ supervision and on a rehabilitation programme, also for three years, banning him from having contact with children under 17 or using the internet without prior permission.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for that time and ordered to complete 300 hours of unpaid work.

June 2014

Serial Exeter sex offender in court for failing to tell police he was living in a tent

A sex offender failed to sign on the register because he was living rough in a tent in the Exe Valley.

Jeffery Church, aged 66, said he forgot he had to tell the police about the location of his tent but was happy to be locked up when he was arrested because he had backache and was fed up with being homeless.

Church has a long record of breaking the terms of the register which require him to notify police of any new address within three days.

He is a vagrant who moves around Exeter, Plymouth, South and Mid Devon constantly and has failed to notify his address with the police 13 times.

Church, whose last address was a hostel in Exeter, admitted breaking the terms of the Register and his case was adjourned for another two weeks to allow him time to get legal representation.

He appeared in custody at Exeter Crown Court where he was not represented because of a dispute between local law firms and the Government over legal aid cuts.

He told the Judge he had only missed his signing on by a day and had been arrested after going to the police station to give them details of where his tent was pitched.

He said:”I was camping rough in the Exe Valley but got a back injury which became too much for me. The Sergeant said he was going to let me off with a severe warning and I said ‘sod it’ as I left and he arrested me.

“I thought at least I could go back to prison to get treatment for my back but in hindsight I should just have walked away when I had the chance.

“I want to settle down and get help to find somewhere to live and I keep trying to apply to see the housing officer at prison but the place is bursting and I haven’t been able to see anyone.”

Judge Erik Salomonsen urged Church to keep trying after being told it may be possible to find him a place at the Oakfields Project in Howell Road, Exeter.

Church has a long record of 65 different convictions, including several for sex crimes, and has repeatedly defied the conditions of the Sex Offenders’ Register since being put on it in 2008.

He has previously been jailed in Devon, Cornwall and London for failing to tell police of his whereabouts.

Church, whose last address was Smythen Street, Exeter, was jailed for ten months for an identical offence in July last year.

On that occasion he failed to register after being released from Exeter Prison after serving a jail sentence for sexually assaulting a girl at a bus stop in Plymouth.

He was originally put on the register after being convicted of sexual touching at Truro Crown Court in March 2008.

June 2014

‘Prolific’ sex offender given nine-year sentence after attacking Wirral schoolgirl

A “prolific” sex offender who molested a Wirral schoolgirl on her way home has received a nine-year sentence

A judge sentenced Andrew Bradshaw to seven years imprisonment with an extended licence of two years.

“Your record shows you are a prolific and determined sexual offender, in particular against girls of school age,” said Judge Alan Conrad, QC.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that on November 14 last year 46-year-old Bradshaw parked up near a pathway in Bidston.

“You decided to take advantage of the fact it was the time of day that school girls would be on their way home.

“You parked up and lay in wait on a quiet residential road and there you saw your victim walking past.

“You got out of your car and followed her down the path and caught up with her and subjected her to a frightening and distressing sexual assault,” said Judge Conrad.

After she began screaming and pushed him away, Bradshaw, a painter and decorator, ran to his distinctive black Peugeot 106 and drove back to a house in Chester, where he was working to help establish his alibi.

Bradshaw, of Hoole Way, Chester, denied sexual assault and breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, but was convicted by a jury.

The court heard he has convictions in 2002 and last year for indecent exposure and had been jailed for seven years in 2004 for indecently assaulting six women and girls.

He has also been convicted of possessing extreme porn.

Simon Killeen, defending, said that Bradshaw, who was ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life, had dropped his daughter off and the offence had been opportunistic during a small window of opportunity.

Detective Constable Andy Cullen, said: “Bradshaw committed despicable offences against his young victim and thankfully she plucked up the courage to report her ordeal. Her bravery in coming forward means that Bradshaw has now been brought to justice.

“Bradshaw now has seven years in jail to reflect on the torment he put his victim through and the lasting impact it will have on her and her family for the rest of her their lives.

“Hopefully this sentencing will bring her and her family some closure now that justice has been done.

“This was a very thorough investigation by officers from the force. I would like to thank all of those involved in the investigative process who have worked so hard to bring this man to justice.”

March 2013

Three time convicted paedophile flasher who targeted young girls in Ellesmere Port jailed

A MAN has been jailed for exposing himself to two girls in Ellesmere Port.

Andrew Bradshaw, 44, of Hoole Way, Chester, was sentenced to 10 months at  Chester Crown Court on Friday.

He pleaded guilty to two counts  of intentionally exposing his genitals  during separate incidents in   Ellesmere Port on August 28 last year.

During the first incident, at 4.45pm, two 13-year-old girls were playing near their home when they noticed a small, light-coloured Ford Fiesta van parked close to where they were sitting, with both the driver and passenger windows down.

Both girls felt uncomfortable and decided to leave the location – but both saw inside the vehicle as they walked past and saw Bradshaw performing a sex act.

A second incident happened just short of an hour later, at 5.40pm, when two  girls, aged nine and 11, were playing in their garden and saw a small, light-coloured van parked  four to five feet away.

The van drove off when the mother of one of the girls turned up in a car, but returned to the same spot a short time later.

The girls could see into the vehicle and again spotted the defendant performing a sex act.

A police investigation identified Bradshaw as a suspect and a search warrant was executed at his home address. He was later picked out by two of the witnesses.

Rachel Shenton, defending, said Bradshaw should be given credit for his guilty plea.

Judge Elgan Edwards, Recorder of Chester, who imposed a five-month sentence for each offence, said: “You obviously have a problem and it’s a problem you are going to have to cope with. You cannot behave in this way. It’s not acceptable.”

Judge Edwards made a sexual offences prevention order and disqualified Bradshaw, who has a 15-year-old daughter,  from working with children.

He is already on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

In 2004, Bradshaw was jailed for seven years for indecently assaulting females in Chester and Wirral. His last conviction was on June 8, 2012, for possession of extreme pornography involving bestiality.

February 2013

Convicted paedophile exposed himself to young girls in Little Sutton

A CONVICTED sex offender who exposed himself to young girls as they played outside their homes is facing a jail term, a court heard.

At 4.45pm on August 28, Andrew Bradshaw, of Hoole Way, Chester, exposed himself while parked near two 13-year-old girls who were playing close to their homes in Little Sutton.

Just an hour later, Bradshaw parked feet away from a garden in Ellesmere Port where two girls were playing before exposing himself again. The girls were aged just nine and 11.

The 44-year-old, who is a convicted sex offender with a lengthy list of convictions against young girls, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent exposure at Chester Crown Court yesterday.

In 2004, Bradshaw was sentenced to seven years behind bars and placed on the sex offender’s register for life after targeting and attacking young girls as they walked to and from school.

Yesterday Bradshaw had been due to stand trial for four counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child but pleaded guilty to the alternative counts – carrying a lesser sentence – shortly after his trial started.

Addressing the courtroom, packed with family and friends of Bradshaw’s young victims, the Recorder of Chester Judge Elgan Edwards said the 44-year-old would not avoid a prison sentence for his crimes.

“[Bradshaw] has a very bad record for sex offences. I take an extremely dim view that it is only on the morning of this trial he has pleaded guilty and four young children have been made to wait to give evidence,” he said.

“I tell you and I tell him that a custodial sentence is quite inevitable and it will be one of some length.”

Bradshaw originally claimed the incidents had been a case of mistaken identity, saying he was not there and the children had identified the wrong man.

He remains in custody and is due back before Chester Crown Court on March 14 for sentencing.

June 2014

Family members run from courtroom as paedophile gets fully suspended sentence

A man who sexually abused a family member has avoided a jail sentence after his victim refused to meet him under the Restorative Justice Programme.

Earlier this month Judge Patrick McCartan asked the victim to consider meeting John Carvin (45) under programme before he passes sentence.

The man was convicted last April of sexually assaulting the then seven year old after climbing into her bed late at night.

The court that the man was sleeping in the room beside the girl on the night of the abuse. During the night he climbed into her bed and began kissing and rubbing her.

He left but returned shortly afterwards and made her masturbate him before telling her “to get on top.” She refused and the man fell asleep. He was later discovered in the bed by another family member who told him to get out.

He was acquitted of sexually assaulting her on two other occasions.

At the previous sentence hearing, the judge said he was suggesting the programme because “this is a close family that is badly fractured by what has occurred.

“If there is a prospect that this can be put right then this might well be an option that is worth exploring.”

The court heard from Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, that the victim does not want to meet with Carvin.

The victim also waived her right to anonymity so he can be publicly named.

Carvin initially refused to accept the jury’s verdict but his counsel said that he has changed his mind.

Judge McCartan said it was understand that the victim does not want to meet Carvin as it would involve her reliving the abuse “in very challenging circumstances.”

He said he had investigated the programme as a possibility “in the hope that some reparation of the family relationship might be achieved.”

The Restorative Justice Programme, which is run by the Probation Service, involves parties meeting in a supervised setting to discuss the effects a crime had on the victim.

Imposing sentence, the judge noted that Carvin forced the now 20-year-old victim to go through a trial process by refusing to admit his guilt.

He also observed that he “challenged very strongly” the victim’s version of events, effectively saying she was lying.

However he said that the abuse was at the lower end of the scale and Carvin has belatedly admitted his guilt. He imposed a three year sentence suspended in full for three years.

There were emotional scenes from the victim’s supporters and one of her family members ran out of the courtroom as the non-custodial sentence was handed down.

Carvin of Holywell Crescent, Swords pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three instances of sexual assault on the child in Dublin on dates between October 2000 and February 2001.

In a victim impact report the woman said that she suffered considerable stress and anxiety as the trial approached.

She said she had nightmares about the abuse and the trial, including dreaming that the judge would shout at her and tell her that she was lying.

Defence counsel Caroline Biggs SC said that her client married in 2010 and has the support of his wife. She said he has a good work record and may keep his job depending on whether the judge sends him to prison.

June 2014

Man had level 5 indecent photos of children – Suspended sentence

A Driffield man collected more than 1,800 indecent images of young girls and boys on his computer – and searched for photos of children as young as three, a court heard.

Shaun Dutton, 26, downloaded and distributed indecent images of children from the internet – including some within the most serious illegal category.

He also sent a stranger a message saying he had sex with young boys.

Dutton was caught by police when the internet provider AOL reported him for uploading an indecent image. They also suspended his email account.

Dutton, of Bracken Road, Driffield, appeared at Hull Crown Court on Monday 16 June for sentence after pleading guilty to four charges relating to his downloading and making of indecent images of children – including one of distributing images.

The judge imposed a 12-month suspended prison sentence and said that Dutton must attend the Northumbria Sex Offenders’ Treatment Programme and be supervised for two years.

Dutton must also sign on the National Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and has been given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Crown barrister Stephen Welch said police raided his home in Bracken Road on 21 August 2013.

AOL had reported that an indecent image had been uploaded using an email account.

Police seized an iPad, two laptops and a Samsung mobile phone.

The mobile had three indecent images, a Dell computer had 282 indecent images and Fujitsu laptop had 1,213 incent images.

On the Fujitsu, there were 364 images of the “worst” kind including a child being restrained by an adult.

Dutton had some images of children aged between three and six years old.

He had organized them under folders with name such as “boys” to assist in his later recovery and viewing.

In police interview, Dutton admitted becoming interested in images of children at the age of 15.

He admitted he had used the laptop and the email. He said he had put “child porn” into an internet search engine out of curiosity and began looking for more and more.

He said at the time of his police arrest he was looking at images of children once a week. He now claims to have given up.

Mr Welch said records showed at 2.30am on August 21 2013 Dutton had inputted the words “13-year-old girl breasts” in a search engine. Dutton has also used the Kik message application to communicate with like-minded people.

Barrister Paul Norton, mitigating, said: “His parents are in court. They are naturally very shocked and upset, but are very supportive. He has contacted the Lucy Faithful charity and his mother has paid for him to start a course.

“It is accepted that the offences cross the custody threshold, but the level of distribution was very limited. He sent an image from his phone to his own email account. That led to AOL shutting down his email account. He did plead guilty at the first opportunity and sentencing guidelines now say that there if there is a significant hope that rehabilitation may occur, it could be considered before custody.

“He has a significant hearing disability, which would make him a vulnerable prisoner.”

Sentencing Judge Michael Mettyear told Dutton: “The fact that you, and others like you like, view such images, makes it worthwhile that other abuse people these children. You are indirectly creating this abuse. That is why the courts consider a custodial sentence and the message must go out. Some of the images show the sexual indignity perpetrated on these young children is quite upsetting and disgusting. The view I have from the pre-sentence report, is you are an isolated and lonely young man who is still young. You have even been referred to as naïve.

“Before I read the report, I had come to the conclusion you would receive a prison sentence.” .

Before leaving court, Judge Mettyear warned him: “This morning I had been thinking of sending you to prison. You have been lucky.”

June 2014

Three years prison for pervert who abused six year old girl

A respected painter and decorator who indecently assaulted a six year old girl around 40 years ago has been sent to prison for three years by the Royal Court on Friday.

John Eric Baker (76) was found guilty at his trial in April of four counts of indecent assault and a further two charges of procuring an act of gross indecency with a minor.

The offences, which took place at a property in St Helier in roughly 1974 were all carried out against the same female victim, who was six years of age at the time.

Crown Advocate Julian Gollop reminded the court that Baker had denied all the allegations against him and that he was “a man who has shown no remorse for his actions” despite the lasting effect the offending had had on the victim’s well-being.

He also sought an order for Baker to pay for the prosecution’s costs.

The Crown had sought a total jail sentence of four and a half years – three years for the indecent assaults and an additional 18 months for the two remaining charges – but defence Advocate David Cadin argued the offences were at “the very lower end of the spectrum” and suggested that the court consider imposing a lengthy period of community service as a substitute to prison.

“These were not premeditated assaults, they were not the product of grooming and there were no inducement, threats or force,” said Advocate Cadin. Furthermore, they were “not only of short duration, but very limited repetition”, he added. 

Sentencing Baker, who was in his mid-30s when the offences were committed, Royal Court Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith described the offences as “serious” as they were committed against “a young vulnerable child in circumstances of an extreme breach of trust” and that he had put his victim through the ordeal of a trial and cross-examination. 

Baker was sentenced to three years in prison for each of four indecent assaults, and for a period of 18 months for the other two charges, with all sentences to run concurrently.

He was also made subject to the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders (Jersey) Law 2010 for a minimum of five years. The matter of costs was left over to another date.

June 2014

Bristol babysitter jailed for abusing three-year-old girl

Babysitter Brian Gibbins signed a special agreement not to abuse a three-year-old girl he was caring for, after committing previous sex offences.

But he sexually abused the girl and even took a photo of her sat on her potty, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The court heard the victim was left damaged and “insular”.

Gibbins, 67, of Clover Ground, Westbury-on-Trym, pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a girl aged under 13 and taking an indecent photograph of a child. Jailing him for three years and eight months, Judge Michael Longman told him: “You should never have allowed yourself to be in that position at all.

“When on your own with her you acted contrary to anyone’s natural instincts, but displayed your own unnatural instincts by touching her intimately and sexually and taking an indecent photograph.”

Gibbins was handed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), designed to keep him away from youngsters, and was also told to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said Gibbins and his wife looked after the youngster after signing a behaviour agreement that he not be left alone with the child.

When the girl’s mum cleaned her intimately the child clammed up, the court heard.

The youngster then said her private parts were sore, and that Gibbins touched her, and disclosed the same to police.

A female doctor noted the child’s refusal to be intimately examined was highly unusual and suggestive of something “significantly unpleasant” happening to her.

Gibbins initially denied wrongdoing, but told police that on his camera phone they would find a photo of the girl “running away from her potty”.

Mr Bell said: “He said he was trying his phone out and it would be among the first picture taken.

“It was not the first picture taken. It was a picture of her sat on her potty. Other pictures were not indecent.”

The court was told Gibbins was convicted of a sex offence on a girl in 1961, offences on males in 1972 and offences in 1980 when he ran a boys’ football team.

Catherine Spedding, defending, said: “He is horrified with himself for his behaviour.”

Afterwards the victim’s mother told the Bristol Post she thought the sentence was “too lenient”.

“I would get more if I went out and burgled a house,” she said.

“This has left my daughter upset. She can’t sleep at night.

“There was no remorse on his face at all.”

June 2014

Derby sex offender jailed for breaching order at New Year’s Eve party

A CONVICTED sex offender has been jailed for breaching an order that banned him from having contact with children.

Karl Manning, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a girl under 16 and was jailed for five years in 2011, has now been sent to prison for 10 months.

Derby Crown Court was told that, on two occasions in the last year, Manning, of Beaufort Street, Chaddesden, spent time in the same room as children whose parents were unaware of his previous conviction. This was in breach of the sexual offences prevention order imposed on him in 2011.

The court heard that there were two girls, aged eight and 11, at a New Year’s Eve party and a lunch gathering.

Manning’s lawyer, Laura Pitman, said: “These weren’t deliberate flagrant breaches by him.

“He found himself in a situation which he dealt with inappropriately – he should have walked out.

“There’s no suggestion he has ever done anything inappropriate or sought out the children’s company.”

Christopher Gabbitas, prosecuting, said that Manning had been invited to the party and the gathering through his new partner, who knew he had spent time in prison but was unaware of the type of offence.

Mr Gabbitas said: “At the party, he sat in the kitchen and at the address were two children under the age of 16 – eight and 11.

“He remained in the kitchen the whole time and the children came in and out to get food but, above and beyond that, there’s been no other contact with the children. He remained there for about an hour.”

Mr Gabbitas said the other occasion was a get-together for a Sunday lunch and, at some point during the afternoon, the same children had arrived at the address.

He said: “They were there for about two to three hours. The children had been going round asking the adults for money for their holiday and he gave them money for ice creams.”

Manning admitted two offences of breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

Miss Pitman said that Manning had gone to the party believing there would only be adults there and had not known the children would be at the gathering.

She said: “I have explained to him what he is required to do in the future. For example, if he walks into a party and there are children there, either he’s to leave immediately or he has to inform the parents about the nature of his offending.”

June 2014

Bransholme cousins filmed rape of male child

A MAN filmed his cousin raping a boy for his own sexual gratification after the victim sought his help to end the abuse, Hull Crown Court heard.

Michael Smith, 33, admitted ten child sex charges, including rape and breaching a previously imposed sexual offences prevention order.

Robert Halder, 47, admitted 28 counts of sex abuse, which also included rape, in relation to the same boy.

Prosecutor Philip Standfast told the court how the boy had approached Halder, hoping he would put a stop to the abuse.

Instead, Halder joined in – and even captured some of the abuse on camera.

Halder showed no emotion as Mr Standfast explained how this betrayal meant the boy was too scared to raise the alarm with another adult.

He said: “The boy felt like a present being passed around.

“He felt if he had told somebody else what Halder had done to him, that person would also do things to him.”

Smith, who was given an 11-month prison term in March 2011 for making indecent images of children, was visited by police on September 9 last year at his home in Stroud Crescent East, Bransholme.

Mr Standfast said Smith appeared “agitated” when he was asked by a detective if he had a computer.

He said: “Information led to an examination of computer equipment belonging to Smith.

“When a laptop was examined, it was found to have installed software to clear the internet history.”

However, when the laptop was further analysed it was found to contain 2,285 indecent images were discovered, including 12 at the most serious level.

Mr Standfast said: “The images included images of a young boy and an adult male.

“These were identified as being the victim and Halder.”

Smith admitted possessing the images, which put him in breach of a sexual offences prevention order imposed following his previous conviction.

The boy was tracked down and interviewed by specially trained officers on January 11 this year, the court heard.

Mr Standfast said: “He disclosed that he had been abused by Smith.”

The court was given a harrowing and graphic account of the sexual abuse committed by Smith.

Following the discovery of the images at Smith’s house, Halder was arrested on January 13, and the boy was interviewed a second time.

Mr Standfast said: “He (the boy) said he had been abused by Smith and had told Halder about this when he was about eight or nine years old.

“Within a few weeks or months of this disclosure, Halder began to abuse him.”

Smith abused the boy between the ages of about eight to nine years old. Halder abused him from about aged nine to 15.

Officers searched Halder’s home in Enstone Garth, Bransholme, and recovered a number of items.

Mr Standfast said: “A number of indecent images of children were recovered, including a video of himself with the boy.

“There was found to be 8,769 indecent images of children in 1,758 unique files, indicating a high level of duplication.”

Also recovered were 197 videos, of which 46 were classed as being in Category C – the most serious band of child sexual abuse.

Smith has pleaded guilty to five serious sex offences against a boy under 13 and five charges of possessing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

Halder has pleaded guilty to 26 serious sex offences against a child under 13 and two counts of making indecent images.

National sentencing guide- lines dictate both Smith and Halder face prison sentences of up to 19 years.

Both defence counsels conceded lengthy prison terms are inevitable.

Adjourning the case until July 7 and remanding the defendants in custody, Judge Michael Mettyear said he wished to consider, in more detail, options prior to sentencing two men.

June 2014

Grantham man jailed for 20 months after sharing indecent images of children

A Grantham man has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after being accused of 18 offences including sharing indecent images of children.

Graham Kirk, 57, of Hawthorn Court, Grantham, was sentenced on Friday by Judge Heath at Lincoln Crown Court.

He was charged with 18 offences relating to making, possessing and sharing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography and prohibited images.

DC Nicky Linn, of the Internet Child Abuse Team (ICAT), said, “We hope it sends a reassuring message to the County that this man will serve a significant sentence for making and possessing indecent images. It’s also a clear message to offenders that this will not be tolerated.”

June 2014

Pharmacist caught with indecent images of children avoids jail

A former pharmacist who was caught with nearly 400 indecent images of children as young as five has avoided prison.

David McKee, a 43-year old father-of-two from Edenderry village in Belfast, had stored a total of 378 indecent images of children on several electronic devices.

The paedophile was yesterday placed on three years probation and ordered to serve 100 hours community service.

McKee appeared in the dock of the city’s Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children.

The charges relate to a period spanning from January 2008 to September 2012.

McKee was struck off by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland after he failed to maintain his professional development following his arrest.

Crown prosecutor Philip Henry told the court that the images – a majority of which were in the lowest category and which featured children from ages five to 15 – were discovered on several items of electronic equipment including a pen drive, a laptop and a computer.

Mr Henry said that when he was arrested McKee made full admissions of guilt.

He also revealed he obtained the images from adult websites and chatrooms.

Defence barrister Ian Turkington described his client as “hitherto a man of good standing”, and said it was “difficult to imagine a steeper fall from grace”.

Mr Turkingson said that when arrested, McKee deliberately failed to maintain his professional development, which led to him being struck off as a pharmacist.

The barrister also told the court that after the breakdown of his marriage, McKee found himself “exploring the darker reaches of the internet” but has since expressed remorse and called himself “naive, stupid and foolish”.

Mr Turkington concluded that the former pharmacist is now “a recluse with deteriorating mental health”.

Placing McKee on three years probation and ordering him to carry out community service, Judge David McFarland also made McKee the subject of a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

June 2014

Pervert jailed after attacking five-year-old girl

A ‘VILE’ man who sexually assaulted a five-year-old girl in woods near a Dorset caravan park has been jailed.

Robert Anthony John Wade, 65, was sentenced to 31 months in prison after admitting four sexual offences at Dorchester Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 and two charges of sexual activity in the presence of a child. Wade was later sentenced to a further 12 weeks after admitting possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images that were found on his computer after his home in Surrey was searched following his arrest.

Heather Shimmen, prosecuting, told the court that the sexual assaults occurred at the Norden Farm caravan park near Corfe Castle on the weekend of July 19 last year.

She said the defendant was walking in woods with the girl when he exposed himself.

Miss Shimmen said that Wade had also touched the young girl over her clothing.

She said that later that weekend the defendant returned to the same spot with the girl and repeated a sexual act after he had ‘pulled her towards him by her waist’ and again touched her over her clothing.

When interviewed about the matters by police Wade admitted committing a sexual act in the woods but said he did not realise the girl was in the vicinity.

He denied he was sexually attracted to the girl.

Miss Shimmen said the girl’s parents had expressed relief at Wade’s admissions and the fact that their daughter would not have to give evidence in court.

Rufus Taylor, mitigating, said forklift truck driver Wade, of Rankine Close, Badshot Lea, Farnham, Surrey, had not been in trouble with the courts for some 30 years and that had been for wholly different matters.

He said: “The only mitigation in this case is that he finally came to his senses and pleaded guilty.

“It’s the only good point I can put forward on his behalf, that he has at least now stopped the victim from having to come to court.”

Judge Roger Jarvis described the offences as ‘deplorable’ and said Wade had ‘vilely abused’ his victim.

As well as sentencing Wade to a total of 31 months in prison, the judge also placed him on the sex offenders’ register for life and made the defendant subject to a sexual offences prevention order until further notice.

• AS HE sentenced Wade for the indecent images and extreme images charges, Judge Jarvis told the defendant: “These are very worrying offences indeed.

“In terms of the pictures, there aren’t as many that this court sometimes has to deal with, sometimes we have to contemplate hundreds of thousands, but no matter the number, what you need to remember is every time you look at such an image you are complicit with a sexual crime.

“The more people like you who get pleasure from these images the more children that get hurt as more pictures are taken to satisfy the demand. Their lives are plainly corrupted.

“As they go into childhood through to adulthood they will have to live with it.

“These are the sorts of things people like you need to keep in mind.”

The judge added: “These offences of extreme pornography, they are not victimless crimes because the women in these images are often trafficked and forced into their involvement.

“That’s another thing people like you need to keep in mind when you view these images.”

June 2014

Boys’ Brigade pervert jailed more than 50 years after abusing youngster in Leeds

A SEX abuse victim has seen the Boys’ Brigade captain who preyed on him as a child brought to justice after more than 50 years.

Malcolm Healey, 84, hid behind his position as a respected pillar of his community in Fulneck, near Pudsey, to prey on victim Hugh Norton.

Mr Norton, now 67, agreed to waive his anonymity to discuss the years of torment Healey’s abuse had caused him after finding the courage to make a complaint against his abuser.

He told the YEP: “For half a lifetime Healey has hidden his sordid secrets behind a carefully constructed veneer of respectability while posing as a pillar of the community while I have struggled beneath a burden of guilt and shame. I am grateful that the burden has at last been lifted and the empty shell of Healey’s life of lies has been exposed to public scrutiny.

“For many years he has been seen as a ‘Mr Nice Guy’. But the reality is that he is a snake in the grass who has finally been dragged out of the shadows.”

Healey was jailed two years yesterday after pleading guilty to 15 offences of indecent assault of a boy aged under 16. Healey was also a respected member of the Fulneck Moravian Church committee for many years. Leeds Crown Court heard Healey often abused his victim in the choir stalls during church services.

Mr Norton said: “I hate him because of the fact that I lost a lot of good years and friendships with my mum and dad because of what he did. It was a cynical betrayal of trust in the most callous of ways.

Healey began abusing Mr Norton when he was a ten-year-old member of the Life Boys, the junior section of the Boys’ Brigade.

The abuse continued until he was 15, when he joined the army as a boy soldier in order to escape the abuse.

He added: “When the offending commenced I was a bright pupil at my local school and, after winning a scholarship to Leeds Grammar School my aspirations and hopes of pursuing a high powered military career were encouraged by my teachers and parents.

“In the event my early adolescence was clouded by the shame, fear and associated doubts that this perverse relationship had bred.”

“The relief at escaping the clutches of this evil man was immense and immediate though I have been unable to escape the effects of his behaviour towards me throughout my life.

“It is only now in my late years and with the support of my present wife that I have felt able to confront this demon from the past.”

Healey was able to use his position of trust within the community to target his young victim and groom him before subjecting him to years of abuse.

Leeds Crown Court heard the first offence against Mr Norton took place during a camping trip in the Yorkshire Dales in 1957. Howard Shaw, prosecuting, said Healey would then abuse the boy after Boy Brigade meetings. Mr Shaw said Healey would ask him to stay behind when the other boys had left and then target him.

Healey then grew confident enough to prey on Mr Norton during Moravian Church meetings. The court heard the victim could remember incident from when he was around 12 years of age when Healey would target him as he was in the choir stalls.

On one occasion when he was 14, Healey went to the boy’s home when he was ill in bed and indecently assaulted him when his mother went out of the room to make tea. Nicholas Hammond, mitigating, said Healey was remorseful for what he had done. He said his client had a specific sexual interest in Mr Norton but not in boys generally.

The lawyer handed judge Penelope Belcher letters of reference describing the community work Healey had done over more than 50 years.

Judge Belcher said: “This was an abuse of trust. Those boys would have looked at you for leadership and guidance and would not have challenged what you did.”

Det Insp Lawrence Bone, of Leeds District Safeguarding Unit, said: “We are very pleased that Healey has now been brought to account for his crimes.

“No-one should underestimate the long-term damage that such offences have on victims.

“Many have their lives blighted for decades without being able to tell anyone what has happened to them.

“For some the point at which they are able to disclose what has happened to them is never reached, and for others they only get there after many years of doubt and sometimes significant trauma.

“I can assure any person that has suffered such abuse that no matter when this happened West Yorkshire Police has specialist safeguarding officers who will listen and investigate and do we all we can to see offenders like Healey brought to justice.”

June 2014

Hanworth man jailed for indecent child images and attempting to pervert course of justice

A 56-year-old man was jailed for three years for having indecent images of children and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Martin Hellawell, of Bucklebury, Hanworth, appeared in Reading Crown Court on Friday having admitted two counts of making indecent images and one of possessing the images with a view to distributing them.

The total number of images in his computer files was 36,799 of all levels of indecency including one of a child with an animal.

He also admitted perverting the course of justice by trying to break two memory sticks when police arrived at his home.

Judge Angela Morris described his attempt to destroy the evidence as “feeble” adding that some of the images were at the “most serious levels four and five”.

She said some of the images involved penetrative sex with children “of such a tender age” and none over the age of 12.

She said some were in a file intended for distribution to others.

Judge Morris went on: “People who possess and distribute this sort of material create the very abuse which courts must mark with serious and substantial sentences because the children who are the victims of this abuse must be protected.

“That you are a 56-year-old married man with children of your own and that you should want to have such images is incomprehensible.”

She said Hellawell was an otherwise honest and hardworking man but that he had a previous conviction for distributing indecent images.

She went on: “You knew only too well what you were doing.”

Judge Morris sentenced Hellawell to 26 months for each of the three charges involving indecent images, to run concurrently, and 10 months for attempting to pervert the course of justice, to run consecutively.

She made a sexual offences prevention order and ordered that Hellawell be put on the sexual offenders’ register for 10 years.

June 2014

Man jailed for 4 years for three counts of indecent assault against a young girl

John Edward Cusack, 52, of no fixed abode, but from Guernsey pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the island’s Royal Court.

On his release Cusack will be subject to a three year extended sentence, which includes conditions such as not contacting the victim.

Judge Russell Finch described the crimes as “disgusting and deplorable”.

The charges relate to assaults between 1991 and 1995.

Crown Advocate Fiona Russell, prosecuting, said the assaults had had a “significant impact” on the victim’s life including her relationship with her own children, who she is reluctant to take out in public due to her fears for their safety.

Defence Advocate David Domaille argued for a reduced sentence due to Cusack’s admission of guilt and his repeated written apologies in which he said he was “completely guilty and needed to be sentenced”.

Judge Finch said the sentence took into account Cusack’s danger to children and while in jail he would need to undergo treatment to address his behaviour.

June 2014

Musician jailed for having sex with under-age girls

AN aspiring musician has been jailed for having sex with under-age girls.

Adam Leddra “enjoyed the adoration” of his young followers and had sex with two 15-year-olds he separately invited back to his home.

Leddra, 20 at the time but now 21, was already on the sex offenders’ register after being caught with an indecent picture of a 13-year-old girl on his phone and given a caution.

At Newcastle Crown Court yesterday, he was jailed for 20 months.

Judge Robert Adams told him: “You were advised by those involved with the register to avoid contact with girls under 16, a piece of advice you blatantly ignored.

“It appears you met these girls as a result of a social circle centred around music, following a particular band.

“The families of both girls feel their young daughters were taken advantage of by you.”

Leddra, of Sulgrave Road, Washington, pleaded guilty to two charges of having sexual activity with a child.

The offences took place between November last year and January.

Gavin Doig, prosecuting, told the court Leddra was aware of the ages of his victims and had warned one to say nothing or he could be “put behind bars”.

The court heard that neither of the girls was sexually experienced previously.

Amanda Rippon, defending, said Leddra enjoyed the “kudos” of being in a band and lapped up the attention, despite having an older girlfriend.

Miss Rippon said: “These young ladies followed that band, who enjoyed the adoration of younger, teenage girls.

“These girls followed his band. Older girls followed his band, and he was in a relationship with an older woman at the time.

“He is a keen musician.”

Miss Rippon said that while the girls were too young to consent by law, they were not forced into doing anything by Leddra.

Leddra must also sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and abide by the terms of a sexual offences prevention order for five years.

June 2014

Burtonwood pensioner jailed for 13 years for sex offences

A PENSIONER has been jailed for 13 years for a catalogue of sex attacks on a seven-year-old girl.

Donald Cassidy, aged 70, was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault and one count of rape during a hearing at Chester Crown Court today, Monday. 

The court heard Cassidy preyed on his young victim when she was aged seven.

The majority of the incidents took place in the garage of his former home in Burtonwood. Another incident took place in Gorsey Lane, Burtonwood, when Cassidy had taken the young victim to see horses in a field.

The abuse started back in 1974 and spanned a period of seven years.

DCI Paul Beauchamp said: “Cassidy preyed on the vulnerability of his young victim for his own sexual gratification.

“He betrayed her trust and the trust of her family. What happened during that period will stay with the victim for the rest of her life.

“She has had to live with the memory of what he has done.

“She has been incredibly brave throughout the case and was forced to relive the incident during the trial.

“I would like to thank the victim for her willingness to stand up to her attacker and see him brought to justice.

“Today′s guilty verdict will hopefully help to bring about a degree of closure for her and her family.

“Cheshire Police takes all allegations of sexual offences extremely seriously − no matter how long ago they took place.

“Victims of non-recent sexual offences can have the confidence in coming forward − we want to reassure victims that we are committed to tackling this type of crime and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice

“The force has a dedicated rape unit that deals specifically with this type of crime − and has specialist officers who are able to provide support to victims and witnesses throughout an investigation.

“The victim in this case is receiving the appropriate support to help her come terms with what has happened.

“I hope this sentence – and the bravery and courage shown by the victim – gives others who may have suffered in silence the courage to come forward.”