July 2014

Man jailed for nine child sex offences

A BROUGHTON man has been jailed after being found guilty of nine child sex offences.

Bernard Grainger, 66, of George Street, was found guilty by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court of four counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming.

All of the offences were committed between November 15, 2009, and November 26, 2012.

Grainger was jailed for 21 months and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

July 2014

Ex Navy man jailed for raping girl

A FORMER submariner who raped a primary schoolgirl 15 years ago has been jailed for seven years.

Peter Dawson, 46, who was serving in the Royal Navy at the time, was convicted of raping the girl on one occasion between May 11, 1991 and September 30, 2000 at a house in Helensburgh.

He was also found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow of sexually abusing the girl and her sister.

Dawson showed his second victim a pornographic film and sexually abused her at a house in Helensburgh on various occasions between July 1, 1998 and September 30, 2000 when she was aged between four and five.

The offences were committed while Dawson was babysitting.

He continues to protest his innocence.

Jailing him judge Lady Wise said: “You abused these vulnerable young girls in their home which should have been their sanctuary.

“The abuse took place when the girls’ mother was at work. Both girls were too young at the time to realise the extent of your wrongdoing. You perpetuated sexual abuse on these two young girls without thought to the harm it would do to them.”

Lady Wise told Dawson that his offences were ‘cunningly planned and executed”.

Defence counsel Lorraine Glancy said: “When these matters first came to light, he appeared to have made a fairly serious attempt to take his own life, but was prevented from doing so by police and work colleagues.”

Miss Glancy told the court that after leaving the Royal Navy Dawson, a first offender, worked as an engineer.

July 2014

Kirkcaldy pensioner facing jail after horrific sex attacks carried out 30 years ago

A child rapist was warned he faced a lengthy jail sentence this week after he was convicted of appalling sex crimes committed more than 30 years ago.

Ronald Smith (71), sexually assaulted a boy and raped a girl three times in the 1970s in his hometown of Kirkcaldy.

A judge told the pensioner at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday that in view of the “appalling circumstances” of his crimes it was inevitable that he would impose “a substantial custodial penalty”.

Lord Pentland told jurors at Smith’s case that it had been “a harrowing and distressing trial”.

Smith, a first offender, of Dunearn Drive, Kirkcaldy, had denied charges of sexual assault, rape and assault with intent to rape but was found guilty of four offences.

One victim of the sex abuser told the court: “I have had to suppress this for 44 years.”

The 58-year-old described the abuse he suffered from Smith as “horrible” and “painful”.

The man, who estimated he was 13 or 14 when he was targeted by Smith, said he had awoken to find his attacker with his hand over his mouth.

“I didn’t understand what was happening to me,” he told the court.

He said as an older teenager he had confronted Smith.

“I just hated him for what he had done to me,” he said.

On a later occasion he was prosecuted for breach of the peace.

He said: “I went really wild.

“I was going to batter him that night.”

He was asked if he had given a statement to police after the incident and said: “No.”

He added: “He got to lie in a comfy bed and I was in the cells.”

Smith also raped a girl aged between seven and 11 on three occasions at a house in Kirkcaldy between 1975 and 1979.

On one occasion the victim was pushed onto the floor and pinned there as he brutalised her.

Advocate depute Bill McVicar told jurors that both victims had “endured decades of burning anger and upset.”

Smith was placed on the sex offenders’ register following his conviction.

He was remanded in custody for the preparation of a background report and is due to be sentenced for the offences in August.

July 2014

Former marine avoids jail despite having thousands of indecent images of kids on his computer

A SIXTY four year old Southport man, who was found to have more than 2,000 “vile” indecent images of children on his computer,has narrowly escaped going to jail.

David Oliver, who had shared some of the images, wiped away tears in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court as a judge said he believed there was a sufficient prospect of rehabilitation and suspended a 12 month jail sentence for two years.

The court heard that since his arrest he has voluntarily attended the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a child protection agency, and successfully completed courses to aimed at changing behaviour.

Recorder Richard Pratt, QC, told Oliver, a former Royal Marine, “I want to make it plain to you and others that this vile trade will ordinarily involve, even people of good character, going into custody.

”It is only because you have demonstrated some self-help initiative that I am able to take an alternative and thoroughly lenient course.“

Oliver, of Pine Grove, Southport, had pleaded guilty to a total of 13 charges, involving eight offences of downloading child porn images; possessing 2,183 such images between November 2006 and July 11 last year; three of distributing indecent images and one of possessing 10 extreme pornographic images.

The judge also placed him under supervision for two years with attendance on the stringent Northumbria Sex Offenders Programme. He imposed a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order restricting his internet use and ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

He told Oliver: ”The images I have seen, which were on your computer, were vile and disgusting. They do nothing more or less than advance child sex in this country and internationally. 

“It is by people like you owning and possessing items such as this that the exploitation of innocent children is furthered.”

David Watson, prosecuting, said that Merseyside police received information from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children about child porn images linked to Oliver’s IP address in March last year.

Officers executed a search warrant on July 10 and he immediately admitted he was responsible for the images. At Copy Lane police station he “admitted storing and distributing images and said he had engaged in the behaviour of storing indecent images for about five years.”

When his computer equipment was analysed it was found to contain a total of 2,183 indecent images, of which 492 where in the most serious category. On two occasions during Skype conversations, with two different people, he had sent them five indecent images, one of which was in the most serious group.

Andrew Otto, defending, said that Oliver, who has no previous convictions, had referred himself to the Lucy Faithfull Foundation the day after his arrest and completed the course last November in the West Midlands “at quite some expense.”

He and his wife have returned to their church where they have been receiving guidance and help, he added.

Oliver wept as Mr Otto told of problems he had suffered as a teenager before spending 20 exemplary years in the Royal Marines, mainly in catering. He also produced testimonials on his behalf.

July 2014

Raid uncovered child-abuse images

A pornography-obsessed man, found with indecent images of children on a computer at his Galashiels home, has been warned he could face custody.

Jason Thomson, 40, appeared on indictment at Selkirk Sheriff Court, on Tuesday and admitted possession of indecent images of children at his then home at Woodstock Avenue between September 11, 2012, and July 1, 2013.

Thomson, now of St Andrew Street, Galashiels, also pleaded guilty to taking or permitting indecent images of children to be taken.

Searches for Lolita, child porno and PTHC (pre-teen hard core) were found on his laptop, and further examination revealed 164 indecent images and 28 movie clips.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley told how Thomson had been living at Woodstock Avenue with his partner at the time of the offences, adding: “Police received intelligence that the internet had been used to access indecent images of children.”

Following enquiries, police turned up at the address with a search warrant. A laptop, iPad and external hardrive were recovered and examined. During police interview, Thomson confirmed he used the laptop, which he had purchased new some six years earlier.

“He gave a largely ‘no-comment’ interview,” continued Ms Bradley, “although said he was not attracted to children and did not use chatrooms. He couldn’t offer an explanation for the images.”

A further forensic examination revealed 101 images at level one, showing young girls naked or partially-clothed, posing erotically; six images at level two; 36 at level three; 20 at level four; and one image at level five – sadism or penetration.

There was one movie at level one; 10 at level three; and 17 at level four.

Solicitor Ross Dow said his client was at a loss to explain the offences, adding: “He describes an addiction to pornography. He says he was accessing regular pornography, and things progressed from there.”

Mr Dow said Thomson had been suspended from work and currently lived alone.

Sheriff Peter Paterson warned him: “These are extremely serious matters and uppermost in the court’s mind will be a custodial sentence.”

He deferred sentence until August 25 for reports and placed Thomson – who is on bail with conditions not to access the internet or have any unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 – on the Sex Offenders Register.

July 2014

Sex offender is jailed for seven and a half years after he abused four children over a 25 year period

A Gainsborough man who sexually abused four children has been jailed for seven and a half years.

Warren Smart, 43, admitted eight offences against the youngsters who were aged between seven-years-old and 13-years-old when he appeared at Lincoln Crown Court.

Smart, of Florence Street, Gainsborough, was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which will restrict his movements and activities once he is released from prison.

Lincoln Crown Court heard how Smart carried out the offences over a 25 year period between 1985 and 2011.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Heath told Smart: “This is a case which revealed a series of pernicious sexual offences.”

During the hearing, one of Smart’s victims read out his own victim impact statement in which he described how his life had been destroyed.

Another victim, in her impact statement, revealed how she had attempted suicide.

Judge Heath added: “It is plain from the victim impact statements I have read and the one that was read out in court that what you did has had a devastating and lasting effect.”

Smart, who previously lived in Lincoln, pleaded guilty to eight sexual offences including indecent assault on a male, indecency with a child, indecent assault on a female and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

His victims, who can not be named, included three girls and one boy.

The offences came to light when one of the girl’s made disclosures at school, the court was told.

Smart, who was cautioned for two sexual offences in 1993, carried out the first abuse when he was just 15-years-old himself.

On that occasion Smart made a young girl touch him after pulling down his own trousers, the court heard.

Smart went on to offend against one boy, who described how he was slapped across the face, and two other girls.

In mitigation the court was told Smart “punished himself in his head” for what he had done and was sorry for his actions.

March 2013: Released back into the community – Donachie had his sentence reduced by two years on appeal but was given an extra 6 years on licence

March 2009

Paedophile jailed for 10 years for raping a boy under 16 and a string of other sex charges

A Weymouth paedophile has been jailed for multiple charges of sexual acts including rape

John McMorrow Donachie, 69 from Weymouth in Dorset has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Bournemouth crown court.

The charges Donachie admitted to include: Six counts of indecency with a child. Five counts of indecent assault on a child. Two counts of sexual assault on a child. One count of sexual assault on a child aged under 13 years old and two counts of rape on  child aged under 16 years old.

All the above offences relate to a male child. The offences date back to 1998 and relate to the same boy

Donachie systematically abused the boy over a seven year period, beginning when the child was aged just seven years old, and not ending until the child reached 14 years old.

The offender is also required to sign the sex offenders register for life

July 2014

Child abuse images pervert exposed after he left his phone on a train

A DEPRAVED loner’s filthy hoard of child abuse images and bestiality was discovered after he left his phone on a train.

Gordon Marshall, 54, surfed the internet for revolting images of girls as young as four and one photo showed a baby being defiled.

Marshall, who jumped police bail and fled to Torquay for 15 months, was arrested after two women handed his phone in at Shipley police station.

Marshall, of no fixed address, was held in custody for three months after he was caught in the seaside town in April.

Today he pleaded guilty at Bradford Crown Court to 22 offences of possession of extreme pornography and making indecent photos of a child.

Prosecutor Duncan Ritchie said more than 3,200 illegal images were found on Marshall’s phone and two laptop computers.

Marshall, who has a long grey beard, leaned heavily on a wooden walking stick in the dock, as Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC said: “This is an extremely troubling case.”

The court heard that Marshall had two convictions for indecent exposure in the 1980s and was interested in sex acts performed in public.

Sites accessed by him included “Pre Teen Sex Videos” and “Dogging In Leeds”.

In mitigation, Tom Rushbrooke, solicitor advocate, said the probation service was prepared to assess Marshall for a place in a Bradford hostel.

He was a loner who suffered from a number of health problems.

Judge Durham Hall said there was “a gaping hole” in his sentencing powers.

If he jailed Marshall for the short sentence permitted under the law for “simple possession” of the images, he would soon be released back into the community on a limited licence period and having had no treatment.

Instead, he sentenced him to a three-year community order, with intensive supervision, including taking part in the Sex Offender Treatment Programme.

A ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order bars Marshall from any internet use unless it can be checked on by the police.

He must also sign on the sex offenders’ register for five years so the police can keep track of him.

July 2014

Brothers jailed after confessing to child sex attacks

TWO sex fiend brothers who went to a Worcester church to “confess their sins” have been jailed for sex offences against children.

Clive Milton, (pictured above) aged 46, of Wells Road, Worcester, was jailed for a total of 18 years for a series of offences against a boy under 13 and a girl under 16.

His older brother, Roy Milton, (pictured below) aged 50, of no fixed address, was jailed for 10 years for offences involving two young girls – one of them the same girl abused by his brother.

Clive Milton was not in court to hear the sentencing as he was taken ill on his way to prison on remand after being convicted the previous day.

He was detained in hospital and sentenced in his absence by Judge Michael Cullum.

The judge also lifted reporting restrictions on Roy Milton’s trial, which had taken place earlier but could not be reported until both cases had been concluded.

During Clive Milton’s trial, a jury at Worcester Crown Court heard that the brothers had joined the Consuming Fires Ministry, based in Worcester, in late 2011.

The judge said the brothers had gone to church to “confess their sins”.

They had counselling from pastor Geraint Hill and his wife Debra and both said they had committed terrible acts and went to police following encouragement from the Hills.

Investigations followed but the Miltons later denied their confessions.

In Roy Milton’s trial, the jury of three men and nine women were unanimous in their findings on seven charges of indecency with a child, eight of indecent assault and one of sexual activity with a child in the late 1990s.

Clive Milton was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child and one of rape against his girl victim and was given a total of eight years.

He was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and four rape offences and was given a total of 10 years consecutive, making a total of 18 years.

The offences took place against the girl between 1998 and 2000 when she was 13 and 14. He was unaware at the time she had also been abused by his brother, the court heard.

The boy was assaulted between 1986 and 1991 up to the age of 12. He was raped between three and 10 times over a three-year period from the age of 10.

Clive Milton was found guilty unanimously on all counts by the jury of seven men and five women.

Mark Heywood, prosecuting, told the jury the boy had been assaulted on visits to the bedsit Clive Milton lived in at the time in Worcester and at another address in the city.

He was given sweets if he went along with what was asked of him and corroborated his story by identifying a physical abnormality of his attacker’s genitals. The judge said the boy victim, now in his thirties, had described Clive Milton’s behaviour as like “rewarding a dog with treats”.

As part of his abuse of the girl, Clive Milton had played spin-the-bottle games when she was aged 13 or 14 and the dares had become sexual in nature, the jury heard.

He raped her when she was aged 14.

Both victims had finally found the courage to speak about what had happened to them and the abuse had had profound effects on their lives, the judge said.

Lynette McClement, defending Clive Milton, said he had been abused himself as a child and, though this was no excuse, it could be part of an explanation for his behaviour.

Clive Milton was said to be in poor health with angina, epilepsy and diabetes. He had an angina attack during the trial and had a fit on his way to prison, possibly as a result of his other ailments.

Six charges against him of sexual offences involving another girl were not proceeded with and ordered to lie on the file.

July 2014

 Pervert jailed after admitting sexually abusing 12-year-old girl

A man has been jailed for six years after admitting sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl behind a Plumstead garage.

Peter Kyle Nash, 26, met the victim and her 14-year-old friend on a Plumstead petrol station forecourt and lured them into his car where he got them drunk on May 25.

The 26-year-old, of Elgar Street, Surrey Docks, encouraged the younger girl to perform a sex act on him and left them intoxicated and vomiting by the roadside where a member of the public found them the following morning.

Nash was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on June 30 to six years in prison after admitting one count of rape against a girl under the age of 13.

The court heard Nash drove his car to a secluded area behind some garages in Ravine Grove, Plumstead, where he abused the girl.

Nash, who also goes under the false name Carlos, was caught after detectives launched an investigation and traced him using DNA evidence.

Detective Constable Anna Ambros, of the Met’s sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command, said: “Peter Kyle Nash exploited a vulnerable 12 year girl, who along with her family have been left greatly affected by what happened.

“Her determination to see him brought to justice must be commended and I hope Nash’s lengthy prison term will give other victims the courage to come forward and report their experiences to the police, so that it can be investigated by specially trained officers who will listen to victims and support them throughout the process.”

She added: “I cannot rule out the possibility that Nash may have offended before, we are aware he uses the false name of ‘Carlos’ and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who may have been assaulted him to contact the police.”

July 2014

Big Brother is watching you, judge warns internet paedophiles

A judge warned those accessing abusive images on the internet that ‘Big Brother is watching you’ as a Merseyside man was caught with indecent images of children.

Shaun Burrows, 40, was reported to the authorities by his own internet service provider and  was raided by police in March 2012.

When police went into his flat at the Brown Edge Hotel, St Helens, and took his computers  Burrows immediately admitted he had looked at child pornography.

He said he was attracted to boys in their late teens and had been sent images by people in chat rooms, most of which he had deleted.

But police were still able to recover 134 indecent images from his hard drives.

Robert Haygarth, defending, said that Burrows was a “broken man”, adding: “It has cost him  everything in his life. His relationship terminated with the charge.

“His job has now gone. He’s moved out of the area in order to be closer with his sister. In effect  he’s trying to start a new life.”

He added that Burrows was previously of good character.

But Judge Cement Goldstone, QC, said: “Mr Haygarth has described you as a broken man. That may very well be the case.

“But you are an intelligent broken man and you know you are largely responsible for having  become a broken man.

“What you need to know and others need to know is that Big Brother is watching you and what  you are accessing.

“They will be caught and anyone who thinks to the contrary is going to be proven wrong.”

He made Burrows the subject of a three year community order requiring supervision and that he attend an internet sexual offenders program.

He was also given a sexual offences prevention order banning him from having a computer  that could delete his internet history.

July 2014

‘Predatory’ sex offender jailed for abusing teenage boys

A man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexual offences which left “deep and long lasting effects” on his victims.

Terence Dyer, 49, from Monument Road, Weybridge, was described by Judge Noel Lucas as harbouring an “irresistible desire to molest teenage boys”.

During a two-week trial earlier this year at Guildford Crown Court, Dyer originally denied two counts of sexual activity with a male child, one of inciting that child to engage in sexual activity, attempted rape of the same child and four charges of sexual assault of male adults.

On June 3 he was found guilty of seven of these offences but cleared of one charge of sexual assault on a male adult. Dyer was sentenced on Thursday (July 3).

The court had been told one of the victims, now in his 20s, went to police after telling work colleagues he had been sexually assaulted since his early teens, starting in a hotel when he was 14.

Officers launched an investigation into the allegations and Dyer was arrested and interviewed under caution in April 2013.

As part of the enquiries, a further two victims were identified and Dyer was charged with the offences in October last year.

One victim, then 18, claimed he had fallen asleep and woke up to find Dyer pulling his trousers off, and a further victim said he tried to put his hands down the complainant’s trousers.

Judge Lucas said: “To all outward appearances you’re a really nice chap. All those who met you, liked you and felt absolutely comfortable in your presence.

“You exuded to the outside world a sense of trustworthiness. You were plainly liked and trusted by many.”

He added Dyer was a happily married man with two children who are “fond of you” and was much respected in his profession.

“But you harboured what appears to have been an irresistible desire to molest teenage boys,” he said.

Judge Lucas added the charge of attempted rape was the most serious, and sentenced him to 10 years for that count. 

He said that having read the victim impact statements, Dyer’s actions had caused one of the victims “severe psychological harm”.

The court heard he had also developed a gambling problem and had attempted to take his own life on two occasions.

“You must understand that your actions have had a deep and long lasting effect on the life if that young man,” he told Dyer.

Judge Lucas added the other two victims had also suffered, with one man’s studies being disrupted and another feeling that he had to move away.

“I found there was a strong degree of compulsion in your actions. You have been convicted of specific sexual offences and in my judgment you have a risk of serious harm of further specific sexual offences.”

Dyer was ordered to spend two-thirds of his 14-year sentence in prison, and once released will have an extra five years on licence.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Stuart Duguid said: “Dyer is a predatory offender who abused his position of trust to repeatedly sexually assault vulnerable teenagers over a number of years, and I welcome the lengthy custodial sentence imposed by the courts.

“He took advantage of the naivety and trust of his victims and would often find excuses to spend time alone with them, where he would encourage them to get drunk and then assault them.

“These appalling offences continued over a prolonged period of time and the victims were too afraid to tell anyone about what was going on.

“The ongoing impact of Dyer’s abuse on his victims has been profound and I hope the outcome at court will help them to move on from what was clearly a very distressing period in their lives.

“Throughout the trial Dyer failed to acknowledge his guilt and put his victims through the additional ordeal of giving evidence and I would like to applaud them for their courage and determination.”

July 2014

Rapist is spared jail

The mum of a Newton Stewart child who was raped by a 17-year old boy has hit out after he walked away with just 101 hours of unpaid work as punishment.

Conor Bull, the Stranraer teenager who pleaded guilty to raping the 12-year old girl, appeared in Glasgow’s High Court on Friday.

And now the girl’s mum said she would be pursuing any line of appeal she could against the sentence.

She told The Gazette after leaving court: “It’s disgusting that he can rape a child and walk off with this sentence. I couldn’t believe it, how can you do that to a wee girl then walk free? He should be locked up.”

Bull raped the schoolgirl in December last year and told of his crime to a friend, but the court heard he presented a low risk of re-offending.

The mum added that she was speechless about it all and she now plans to speak to her lawyer about what line they can take to appeal.

Judge Lord Burns and the court were told that the girl’s social networking sites claimed she was various different ages, ranging from 14 to 16, and that she’d told Bull she was 16 coming 17.

On 30 December, the pair went to Bull’s house and had sex. The offence only came to light after the girl went to hospital complaining of feeling sick and eventually told a medic that she’d recently had intercourse.

Bull’s lawyer said his client had been bullied at school and was immature, but now had a place on a catering course.

He will be placed under the supervision of a social worker for three years, be placed on the sex offender’s register for three years and will have to attend a course designed to make sexual offenders realise the impact of their actions.

July 2014

Man doctored child sex abuse images with pictures of the faces of children he knew

A MAN replaced the faces of the children being sexually abused with images of youngsters he knew in what a sheriff called a “reprehensible and abhorrent” crime.

Ian Gillies also wrote depraved comments on the images. Over a two-year period until he was caught in July 2013, the 57-year-old amassed 24,000 images of youngsters being sexually assaulted.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard that 136 of 168 movies on his computer fitted in the highest category of the scale used to rate images of child sex abuse. They showed sadistic sexual abuse of youngsters.

However, the vast majority of the still images he downloaded from the internet were at the lower end of the scale.

Police from the specialist E-crime unit went to the Gillies’ home in Pinewood Park, Livingston, West Lothian, last July. They took a search warrant based on intelligence that a computer there had been used to access indecent images of children.

Gillies invited officers into the house and immediately admitted he had viewed indecent images of children. He said he had downloaded photos but claimed he had deleted them straight away.

The court heard that on some of the original photographs the faces of young girls being abused had been replaced with images of children known to the accused.

The court ordered the computer and storage device to be destroyed because police found it impossible to completely erase the offensive images.

Hazel McGuinness, defending, said Gillies had no excuse for his behaviour and had since expressed remorse and admitted there was a problem.

Sheriff Peter Hammond imposed an extended sentence on Gillies with a punishment period of 27 months in prison followed by supervision under licence for a year following his release to protect the public.

He also ordered that Gillies should remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years.

He told Gillies: “You’ve pled guilty to a very serious charge of downloading and making indecent images of children for your own gratification over a period exceeding two years.

“In excess of 24,000 still images were found on your computer along with video images. This represents an act of abuse of children which is reprehensible and abhorrent.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

July 2014

Pensioner is jailed for sexually abusing girl

AN 82-year-old man has been jailed for 16 years for sexually abusing a young girl “hundreds of times”.

The child’s parents trusted John Robert Penistone, pictured, to babysit her while they were at work, York Crown Court heard.

But for a period of two years, starting when she was nine, he subjected her to a catalogue of sexual assaults, including rape, the court was told.

As he passed sentence, Recorder James Baird told Penistone: “The sexual abuse occurred on a very regular basis, hundreds of times. You used every opportunity to abuse her for your own sexual gratification and on at least one occasion, you used violence against her in order to get what you wanted, grabbing her hair and calling her stupid.

“I have to reflect in my sentence the seriousness of these offences, the period of time over which they occurred, the breach of trust and where these offences happened.”

Penistone, of Westfield Avenue, Eggborough, pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape and also denied five charges of indecent assault and indecency with a child, but was convicted by a jury. He had admitted four further charges of indecent assault. All the offences were committed several years ago. The judge said he had tried to minimise his crimes.

“The reality is your victim still had to come to court to give evidence and to be cross-examined. It was plain to see it was a particularly distressing thing for her,” said the judge.

Penistone was given ten years for the rape charge, plus six years for the other offences.

Before the judge announced his fate, the defendant asked to speak directly to the judge and said from the dock: “I have been convicted of something I haven’t committed.”

The judge was given details of health problems and mobility difficulties that Penistone has and said he accepted that he would find a prison sentence difficult.

Penistone will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

July 2014

Jail for faith healer who molested young boy

A self-professed spiritual healer said he was “laying on hands” when he was caught molesting a schoolboy.

Pensioner Paul Brook, 69, has now been jailed for 45 months after a court heard he used his position to abuse the youngster on 30 separate occasions.

Preston Crown Court heard the grandfather-of-two exploited his role as a healer to touch the boy, who was still in primary school.

Brook, of Meldon Road, Heysham, has now been ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life and been made the subject of a life long sexual offences prevention order.

The offences came to light when the boy’s mother walked into a room and saw Brook touching her son’s groin.

Shocked at what she had witnessed, she spoke to Brook’s wife, who denied her husband’s wrongdoing.

The woman later reported the matter to the police and Brook was arrested but made no comment in interview.

He pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child.

Recorder Nicholas Clarke QC, sentencing, said: “Under the pretext of laying hands on this young boy as some sort of pseudo healer you exploited your position firstly to touch him over his clothes and then to touch his genitals.

“He is a wholly innocent young boy who could not understand the abuse you perpetrated against him.

“I am told that you worked right up to the age of 52 years old and retired 17 years ago. You have been married for 48 years in what is an entirely stable relationship but this has been affected buy the amount of alcohol you had consumed in the past.

“At the moment, it is difficult to assess the impact of this abuse on the boy himself.

“The realisation in maturity of what you did to him will inevitably have a long-term impact on him.”

July 2014

Rolf Harris sentenced to five years and nine months in jail for string of indecent assaults

Rolf Harris from Bray in Berkshire has been sentenced to five years and nine months in prison in a court today for a string of indecent assaults.

Mr Justice Sweeny said the entertainer had shown no remorse as he sentenced the 84-year-old at Southwark Crown Court for 12 counts of indecent assault.

July 2014

A woman teacher has admitted sexual activity with a girl

Hayley Southwell, 27, must now sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and could face jail after pleading guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to sexual touching.

Southwell, of Birkby, near Maryport, admitted the offence, carried out between May 1 last year and January 17 this year, during an appearance today.

Judge Robert Brown said he would adjourn the case so a pre-sentence report could be prepared.

He told Southwell: “You will have to go to your local police station and sign the Sex Offenders’ Register.

“I have to say at this stage that all sentencing options are open.”

June 2014

Schoolgirl was ‘touched in a sexual way’ by female teacher court hears

A female teacher appeared in court today accused of having a sexual relationship with a schoolgirl.

Hayley Louise Southwell, 26, is accused of having intentionally touched the girl sexually when ‘in a position of trust’.

Magistrates in Carlisle, Cumbria heard the offence was committed between May 1, 2013 and January 17 of this year.

Prosecutor John Moran told district judge Gerald Chalk that Southwell, of Wigton, Cumbria, was a 26-year-old teacher.

It is alleged that she had been in a sexual relationship with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, which started when she was 15.

The court heard Southwell could face 18 months imprisonment if found guilty of the offence.

District Judge Chalk declined jurisdiction of the case, and Southwell, who spoke only to confirm her name and address, was committed to appear at Carlisle Crown Court on June 23.

She did not enter a plea to the charge which she faces.

July 2014

Violent sex attacker was on bail for having sex with a 13 yr old schoolgirl

A VIOLENT sex attacker who raped an innocent stranger on her way back from a party was on bail for sleeping with a 13-year-old girl

Stuart Burton grabbed the terrified reveller in a Southampton park before strangling and forcing her to the ground.

Now it has emerged that attack happened just months after he was released on bail after having sex with a schoolgirl he groomed over a number of months.

But after he was jailed for a total of 12 years for both offences prosecutors defended the decision not to remand him in custody pending trial for the first offence.

Burton, 23, of Rotterdam Towers, stared into the public gallery at Southampton Crown Court after being sentenced for the rape and sex with the 13-year-old girl.

He admitted the charges at an earlier hearing.

Burton was making his way home in the early hours of January 1 after being thrown out of a house party when he stumbled across the woman in a park in Northam near Union Road. He hit the 33-year-old before pushing her into mud and forcing himself onto her.

Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court: “His hands were around her neck and strangling her. She thought about screaming when she could breathe again but was too scared.”

Burton eventually fled and the terrified woman – who had been returning from another house party – flagged down two passers-by to help her.

She suffered two black eyes and cuts and bruising to her face and body.

The court also heard how Burton had been previously been arrested in September and charged in November for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

He had built up a secret relationship with her for a number of months after befriending her mother.

Prosecutor Simon Jones told the court: “His hands were around her neck and strangling her. She thought about screaming when she could breathe again but was too scared.”

Burton eventually fled and the terrified woman – who had been returning from another house party – flagged down two passers-by to help her.

She suffered two black eyes and cuts and bruising to her face and body.

The court also heard how Burton had been previously been arrested in September and charged in November for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

He had built up a secret relationship with her for a number of months after befriending her mother.

November 2010

Padiham paedophile is sent to prison

A PERVERT who fled to Holland after police found 10,500 child abuse pictures at his home has been jailed for two and a half years.

Dennis Bowskill, 44, skipped bail the day before he was due to appear at Burnley Crown Court in March to enter pleas to the allegations.

Instead of turning up, Bowskill, of Albert Street, Padiham, took a ferry to Calais before travelling to Holland.

Lancashire police, who had been told by Bowskill he was a Christian, had circulated his photograph to churches across Europe and child protection services.

He was also featured on Crimewatch and ended up on a website, The Missing List.

The defendant was said to have been begging in Amsterdam.

Police inquiries were to reveal he had been to Belgium and Germany as well.

He was arrested on June 16 after a police sting when he tried to rent accommodation in Amsterdam.

The landlord had seen him him as a wanted sex offender on the internet, alerted police and a Dutch officer posing as the landlord met Bowskill at Amsterdam Central Station.

He was kept in custody in Holland for two months and was then extradited to the UK and claimed he had amnesia.

The defendant was given six months in jail for failing to surrender.

The defendant had earlier admitted 22 charges of making an indecent photo of a child and five counts of possessing an indecent photo of a child.

He had also pleaded guilty to three charges of breaching the sex offenders register.

He is on the sex offenders register for life and Judge Andrew Woolman gave him a 10 year sex offences prevention order, under which he is banned from using the internet unless he has installed special software to prevent him from downloading child porn.

He is already subject to a lifetime order which prohibits him from associating or communicating with anybody under 16.