July 2014

HMA v RYAN SKELDING

On 8 July 2014 at the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Matthews imposed on Ryan Skelding a probation order of three years after he pled guilty to two charges of lewd and libidinous practices towards a boy.

On sentencing, Lord Matthews made the following statement in court: 

“Ryan Skelding, you pleaded guilty at an early stage to two episodes of lewd and libidinous practices towards an 11-year-old boy, the young brother of a girl you were then seeing.

Your victim, who was a vulnerable child, has undoubtedly been affected greatly by what you did, although it is fair to say, as has been pointed out, that it is impossible to distinguish the effects of your conduct from those caused by pre-existing conditions from which he suffered.

Had you been an adult when these offences were committed an immediate custodial sentence would have been imposed. 

However, they were committed over four years ago when you were a child yourself and a child with significant problems.

In all the circumstances brought out in the reports which I have read and in what was said on your behalf, including the fact that you have been out of trouble since these offences, which were themselves your first, I have decided that an immediate custodial sentence is not the only option open to me.

I may impose one at a later stage but that depends on you. 

I am going, if you indicate your consent, to impose on you a probation order of three years duration.

During that time you will require to behave yourself, to keep in touch with your supervising officer and let him or her know of any change of address, any change in your employment situation and generally any change in your circumstances which might affect your ability to comply with the order.

You will require to undergo such counselling related to sexual offending as your supervising officer instructs and in addition you will have to undertake unpaid work for a period of 160 hours, being 2/3 of the maximum allowed at the material time, to take account of the timing of your plea. Indeed that plea is another factor I have taken into account in deciding against an immediate custodial sentence. 

If circumstances change while the order is in force either you or your supervising officer may apply to the court for it to be varied. 

I should say also, and note this well, that if you breach the order in any way or commit another offence while it is in force you are liable to be brought back before me and all sentencing options, including custody, will be open to me. 

Lastly I have already certified that you will be subject to the notification provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and I can now tell you that that will be for a period co-extensive with the probation order, namely three years. 

I shall make an order in the terms I have indicated.”

July 2014

Businessman jailed a second time for child sex offences

A BUSINESSMAN who led a double life is now serving his second prison sentence for sex offences involving children.

Graeme Gaston, prosecuting, told York Crown Court, that police were handed a child’s memory stick containing recordings of James Edward Milner performing a sex act while discussing how to sexually abuse a different child with a second man over the internet.

The child was not connected to Milner, who had already served a six-month prison sentence imposed in 2008 for five offences of possessing sexual images of children.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, told him: “It might have been thought your arrest, your conviction, your imprisonment and public shame in 2008 would have deterred you from any repetition, but sadly, it did not do so.”

Milner, 51, of Scrayingham, Malton, pleaded guilty to six offences of possessing indecent images of children and two of distributing sexual images of children. The charges involved both the pictures he told North Yorkshire Police about and the recordings on the memory stick.

He was jailed for 21 months, put on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order banning him from using the internet without police-monitored controls in place.

Judge Ashurst told him: “You are an intelligent man with a supportive family and with a degree of success in business. You have many of the advantages not open to many of the defendants who appear before these courts, but to an extent it appears you have lived something of a double life.”

For Milner, Taryn Turner said he had a problem or personality difficulty that needed addressing. His wife was standing by him and other family would run the business while he was in jail.

July 2014

Former Old Colwyn man with 23,000 child abuse pictures spared jail

A 55-year-old man accused of having 23,200 child abuse images and 477 indecent videos was spared jail. 

Caernarfon crown court heard that police during a search of his former Old Colwyn home found more than 420,000 other images which weren’t categorised when they examined Harold Mosely’s computer equipment.

“There was such a volume they stopped counting,” prosecutor Richard Edwards said. 

Mosley, of Outram Street, Sutton in Ashfield, Notts, received a three-year community order. Judge Peter Heywood told him: “It’s not a light sentence, it’s demanding.” 

Judge Heywood ordered him to attend an internet sex offenders’ treatment programme and banned him for three years from unsupervised contact with children without approval from his supervising probation officer, unless it was inadvertent. 

Mosely also has to register as a sex offender for five years, a sex offenders’ prevention order was made for the same period, and he has to pay £80 costs. 

The judge said he was following the recommendation of a pre-sentence report. “If I were to pass the appropriate sentence I suspect I would be passing a sentence in the region of 18 to 21 months at most,” he told Mosely. “That would mean you spent less than twelve months in custody and there would be no provision to address your offending behaviour.” 

Mosely admitted 16 counts of making and possessing child abuse images and having extreme porn after police searched his then home at Old Colwyn in January last year. 

He told officers: “If you are going to arrest me do it now before my wife wakes up.” 

The prosecutor said: “When the defendant was interviewed he made full admissions. 

“He said he had been downloading the images for six to twelve months. He didn’t know why but he had been stupid.” 

Mosely claimed he looked mainly at children aged 12 to 14.

July 2014

Predatory paedophile jailed for life after ruining the lives of eight young boys he abused

A predatory paedophile who preyed on young boys in search of a father figure was jailed for life.

Sick George Gibbs, 65, claimed to have connections with Liverpool’s music and football scenes and projected an outward appearance of being friendly and free with his cash.

But that was a front for his real personality: that of a dangerous, manipulative sex offender who wormed his way into the lives of teenaged boys and abused them in the most degrading circumstances.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Gibbs raped two boys, one of them repeatedly, and seduced others after offering them a cocktail of drugs and booze.

One lad who refused his advances was forced to strip at gun point before Gibbs forced the terrified boy to perform disgusting sex acts. He then moved to Thailand where he had easy access to young boys.

Gibbs, who was convicted of gross indecency in the 1970s, was found guilty of 26 offences including indecent assault and buggery, which would have been charged as rape today, at a trial which lasted five weeks.

Throughout the hearing Gibbs, of Kremlin Drive, Tuebrook, insisted he had been set up a conspiracy between the police and his victims and forced them each to relive their childhood nightmares as they gave evidence.

But in a probation service interview he finally admitted he had committed virtually all the crimes he had been accused of.

The court heard moving statements from his victims, all of whom come from the Bournemouth area where Gibbs was living at the time.

All spoke of their lifelong guilt and shame while one said he still suffered night terrors in which Gibbs featured.

One of the men, said: “You preached trust, loyalty and respect but your real interest was in sordid, selfish, self gratification.”

Many of his victims said they had not been able to bring themselves to tell even their wives or parents about what happened to them in the 1980s and 1990s and had buried their experiences deep down.

Judge Denis Watson, QC, jailed Gibbs for life, telling him he must serve eleven and a half years less time spent on remand before he could even be considered for parole.

He said: “Outwardly you could be charming, generous and sociable, yet beneath this facade there was and still is a much darker, sinister selfish and dangerous side to you. That is that you were and still are a manipulative, predatory paedophile. This was prolonged, repeated, predatory sexual conduct where you groomed and corrupted a number of young men by drink, drugs and force. These were wicked offences which have resulted in life scarring experiences for all concerned.

“Further I have read in the pre-sentence report that you now admit that you are guilty of most of the offences which you denied at trial. The only conclusion I can reach is that you regarded the trial as a game which you chose to play by the same grotesque selfish rules you have chosen for ever other aspect of your life. You give no thought to others about the consequences of what you decide to do. Your decision to allege conspiracy between victims and the police to lie and fit you up was wickedly cynical.

“You have shown no remorse at all and I am entirely satisfied that you took selfish pleasure in witnesses retelling the sexual humiliation they suffered at your hands. There is it seems no limit to your wish to manipulate and control and to your selfishness.”

July 2014

Cowardly sex attacker refused to hand himself in after being confronted by victim

A COWARDLY sex attacker offered to hand himself in to police – then refused to – when he was confronted by his victim.

Stephen Morgan, 56, initially asked the brave youngster if she would like him to go to a station to confess to his past crimes.

After being told to give himself up, the panicking pervert replied: “I can’t go through with it – I’m too frightened to go to prison.”

The schoolgirl went to the police herself and told officers of the years of abuse she had suffered at the hands of cruel Morgan.

Morgan, formerly from Whinneybanks, Middlesbrough, and now from Thornaby, Stockton, admitted three child sex charges.

At Teesside Crown Court today (Thursday), he was jailed for six years and was put on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

Judge John Walford told him that he had left his victim traumatised and wrongly feeling she was to blame for the abuse.

Rachel Ryson said Morgan, of Firbeck Walk, Thornaby, who refused to answer police questions, deserved credit for admitting his crimes.

The judge told him: “Your guilty pleas at the first opportunity spared your victim the ordeal of reliving her experiences in court.

“It is to be hoped that with the outcome of the case today, she will be able to move on and, as best she can, recover from the effects of your behaviour on her.”

July 2011

Primrose Hill pervert who lured young girls via the internet jailed for four years

A MAN persuaded teenage girls into sex poses on the internet.

And Darren Roberts then went on to have sex with one of the youngsters – aged just 13.

Now the Primrose Hill man who persuaded the two teenage girls to pose indecently for him using internet webcams has been jailed for four years.

The 24-year-old was yesterday described by a judge as ‘’devious and deviant’’ with an attraction for girls much younger than himself.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC emphasised that it was not a case of love and genuine affection leading naturally to intimacy, but one of grooming.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the man became attracted to one of the girls when she was just 13.

“Following internet, MSN and webcam contact, you really set you sights on her,’’ the judge said.

“That young girl was only 14 and she indicates in her victim impact letter the extent of your activities …. you making her feel loved and wanted and your endearments.

“The persuasion to show herself on the webcam and her beginning to think it was completely normal to take her clothes off in your mechanical presence.

“She clearly fell for you hook, line and sinker and now realises what you have done.”

The court heard how the defendant, of Lawton Street, and the girl performed sex acts and also had sexual intercourse during their prolonged relationship.

Following the man’s arrest he talked about it being a loving and consensual relationship.

But when his computer was analysed police found a number of indecent images of other teenagers.

The defendant pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual activity with a child and two of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted six specimen allegations relating to the making of indecent images of children.

Judge Durham Hall told the man that he would be subject to an indefinite sexual offences’ prevention order and would also have to register as a sex offender with the police following his release from prison.

He was also banned from seeking any sort of employment which could involve contact with youngsters.

July 2014

Paedophile jailed for six years for rape of child aged 12

A paedophile has been jailed for more than six years for raping and sexually assaulting a child.

Anthony Gooden, aged 50, preyed on his victim when she was as young as 12 over a three-year period.

But his sickening attacks only came to light when his victim walked into Wolverhampton Central Police station and told officers of his crimes.

It emerged in the hearing that the victim, who is now an adult, had not reported Gooden to the authorities because no-one believed her.

But eventually her relatives confronted him and he confessed his crimes, leading his victim to pluck up the courage to speak to police.

Gooden, of Hardie Court, Lanesfield, Wolverhampton, was interviewed and charged with a number of sexual offences.

Yesterday Wolverhampton Crown Court was told the disturbing details of his offences.

Mr Simon Philips, prosecuting, said: “It was a matter that came to light on June 18, 2013 when she went to the police station. She told officers that she had been abused by Gooden but hadn’t said anything because friends and family didn’t believe her.”

Miss Kate Thomas, defending, described him as a regular church-going man, who had been made redundant from his specialised computer programming job in 2008.

But he was rumbled when the victim persisted with the allegations she was raped by him and he was confronted by her family. Gooden broke down and admitted to two attacks.

Miss Thomas said: “The defendant has struggled to contemplate the significance of the offending on his victim.

“It is tragedy within itself that at the age of 50 and with no previous conviction he now faces a lengthy prison sentence.”

Gooden pleaded guilty to penetration of a child under 13-years-old, rape of a child and two sexual assaults.

He was jailed for six years and eight months and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Gooden is also banned from working with children or vulnerable adults.

As he was sentenced he twiddled his thumbs and hung his head as he was led to the cells by the dock officer.

Judge Robin Onions said as he sentenced Gooden: “I want to make it clear that the victim bares no responsibility whatsoever for the offences in this case.

“It is a tragedy that no-one believed her for so long.”

July 2014

Ex-Royal Marine jailed for historic sex attacks on girl when she was aged between about seven and 12.

AN EX-ROYAL Marine deployed on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s honeymoon has been jailed for a string of historic sex attacks on a young girl.

Former family friend Stephen Salmon, 66, subjected victim Natalie to numerous attacks in the 1970s when she was aged between about seven and 12.

Salmon, who was in the Royal Marines Band and was on the Royal Yacht Britannia for the newlywed Prince and Princess of Wales’ honeymoon, is behind bars.

Natalie, 43, who has bravely waived her right to anonymity now the married dad has been brought to justice, said of Salmon: ‘I just want him away from children.’

Natalie was abused by the former petty officer after he and her family became friends while he was serving in Portsmouth.

Her late father was in the Royal Navy at the time and the two families lived next door to each other in Eastney, Portsmouth.

But it was not until decades later that Natalie found the courage to tell her family what had happened to her and call the police.

By then Salmon had moved to Spain with his wife, however he was arrested on his return to the UK in 2012.

A jury convicted Salmon, who is said to have an ‘exemplary’ service record, of four counts of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court.

He was sentenced to four years in prison and must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Salmon, whose most recent address was given by the court as being on the Isle of Wight, is banned from working with children.

Victim Natalie had to give evidence during the trial. She said of her ordeal: ‘Facing him [Salmon] in court brought it all back. It was horrible.

‘I fell apart at the beginning.

‘I looked at him – he had a really smug look on his face.’

Speaking of his conviction and sentence, she said: ‘I’m over the moon. I cried, all sorts of emotions.

‘I was really, really happy that someone believed me after all this time.

‘It’s not enough for what he’s put me through.

‘I can’t undo it. I always think about it. I’m insecure, I don’t trust men.

‘I’ve been in physically abusive relationships, mentally abusive relationships. I’ve never had children, probably because I think it’s going to happen to them.’

Natalie is encouraging other victims not to bottle up their experiences and suffer in silence.

Her abuser Stephen Salmon, 66, is now serving a four-year jail term for four counts of indecently assaulting her and two counts of indecency with a child dating back to the 1970s.

The former Royal Marine, who was in the Royal Marines Band, was arrested and charged after Natalie contacted the police in 2012 and followed up a previous report she had made about him but hadn’t felt able to pursue at the time.

Married father Salmon lived in the Eastney area of Portsmouth when he abused Natalie, and was at that time a friend of her family.

By the time of his arrest he is understood to have moved to Spain with his wife.

However he was arrested on his return to the UK and later charged with abusing Natalie.

He was found guilty of all six counts he was charged with – which he had denied – following a trial at Portsmouth Crown Court during which Natalie, now aged 43, had to give evidence.

Natalie was between about seven and 12 when the abuse took place.

Speaking after Salmon’s sentencing, Natalie said: ‘Have the courage to come forward.

‘Don’t block it out. Don’t do what I did and block it for all those years. You need to tell someone, whether it’s parents or teachers.

‘You can’t suffer like this, it’s not right.’

Natalie’s family has also backed her calls for victims of sexual abuse to come forward.

Hampshire police can be contacted on 101 or 999 in an emergency, or visithampshire.police.uk.

Call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555111 where information can be given anonymously.

The Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Cosham, Portsmouth, known as Treetops, can be contacted on (023) 9221 0352 seven days a week from 8am to 6pm.

The centre is a partnership between police, local NHS health trust and Rape Crisis.

Its services are available to anyone, male or female, over the age of 13 who has been a victim of rape or serious sexual assault in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Its staff help victims deal with the trauma of rape or serious sexual assault, including a choice about whether to report incidents to the police.

The judge branded paedophile Stephen Salmon’s catalogue of historic sexual abuse of a young girl ‘disgusting’.

Sentencing the 66-year-old ex-marine to four years in jail Judge Richard Price said his actions involved ‘the most dreadful breach of trust.’

A jury convicted Salmon of four counts of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child.

Judge Price said: ‘She [Natalie] has been badly affected in adulthood and one has little doubt that what you did will remain with her for the rest of her life.’

July 2014

Two men jailed for 18 years for raping 12-year-old girl

July 2014

Pervert jailed for abduction and sexual assault of schoolgirl aged under 13 yrs old

A pervert has been jailed for abducting a schoolgirl at a County Durham park and sexually assaulting her.

Colin Luke led the girl away from her friends at a public park in Bowburn, County Durham, on Wednesday March 12.

He asked the youngster if she liked walks and told the youngster they would “go somewhere quiet and play”.

The 60-year-old, of Lawson Road, Bowburn, took the girl into nearby woods where he began stroking her hair and calling her “my baby”.

The court heard the girl quickly became frightened and started to cry and scream.

It was at this point that the girl’s mother called her mobile phone to check where she was. Durham Crown Court heard the girl was upset and told her distraught mum that she was lost.

Anne Richardson, prosecuting, said the mother ran to the park and called police before calling her daughter back.

Meanwhile, the girl tried to run but Luke would not let go of her hand. She later managed to free herself and ran back toward the park.

Ms Richardson said: “Her mother asked her daughter on the phone where she was.

“She could hear a male voice in the background saying [the girl] was in the park. She could hear her daughter screaming and crying and was frantic because clearly her daughter was not.”

The girl made her way back to the park and was described as “hysterical” and she ran into her mother’s arms.

Luke was in the background but was not spotted at first.

An investigation was launched, Luke was arrested and denied he had been in the park, but his victim and another girl who had been in the park picked the paedophile out of an identity parade.

Luke admitted abduction of a child but it was not until a later hearing that he also admitted sexual assault of a girl under 13.

A victim impact statement by the girl’s mother said: “This has been the worst experience of my life. It is something I will never forget and it will haunt me forever.”

Jailing Luke to four-and-a-half years, Judge Christopher Prince said Luke had been “infatuated” and had been waiting for an opportunity to arise to target the girl.

He added Luke told police a “pack of lies” to avoid detection and that Luke was a dangerous offender at high risk of targeting other youngsters.

Once released, Luke will serve another five years on licence. He was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and is also subject to a sexual offences prevention order.

July 2014

Jail for library guard sent 12 yr old schoolgirl explicit texts

A LIBRARY security guard who sent a schoolgirl sexually explicit text messages and photographs is behind bars tonight.

Andrew Lloyd sent the 12-year-old girl a total of 111 texts over three months, some inciting her to sexual activity and one containing a naked photo of his penis, Durham Crown Court heard.

The girl, who was being bullied at school, fell in love with him and believed they were in an adult relationship, but Lloyd was doing it simply for the thrill and his own titillation, the court was told.

The 38-year-old was today (Friday, July 11) jailed for 32 months.

Lloyd, a security guard at Durham County Council’s flagship Clayport Library in Durham city centre, met the girl when she was 11 as she would regularly go to the library to do her homework, prosecutor Paul Newcombe said.

He would have known she was school age as she wore her school uniform, he added.

However, he befriended her, offered her his mobile phone number and said she could text him anytime.

The sexually explicit messages were sent in late December 2012 and early January 2013.

Lloyd called the girl “hun” and “sweetheart” and said they would be together soon.

In one message, he said he hoped the girl’s mother would not see her phone.

But it was indeed the girl’s mother who brought the wrongdoing to light, during a search of her daughter’s Blackberry.

In police interview, Lloyd, of Katherine Street, Darlington, fully admitted the offences, saying he had been drinking, knew what he had done was wrong and was sorry for everything.

The girl was left “changed”, frightened and devastated at how she had been taken advantage of, the court heard.

Lloyd admitted three charges of inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Tom Moran, mitigating, pointed out no sexual activity had actually taken place and said Lloyd had never intended it to, but that his actions were purely for “titillation”.

Judge Deborah Sherwin said Lloyd’s job placed him in a position of trust and parents were entitled to expect anyone working at a library would have their children’s best interests at heart.

Lloyd was made subject to a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

July 2014

Labour election candidate who filmed up schoolgirl’s skirt ordered to undergo treatment

Craig Warmer, (pic) when he was a Labour candidate for Dereham South in the Norfolk County Council elections

A man who filmed up a teenage girl’s skirt escaped jail yesterday, but he must take part in a three-year sexual treatment programme.

Norwich Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of Craig Warmer, 22, stooping down to lift up a girl’s skirt and then filming it at Boots in Castle Mall, Norwich.

The court heard that Warmer had lifted another girl’s skirt outside City College Norwich, and had sexually assaulted a woman he followed in Dereham.

Warmer, of Hyde Road, Dereham, appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of outraging public decency and one count of sexual assault.

He was handed a community order with three years’ supervision and the requirement to attend the Thames Valley sex offender group work treatment programme. A sexual offences prevention order was also made for three years, and he was placed on the sexual offenders’ register for the same amount of time.

Prosecutor, Christopher Morgan said the first offence took place in Dereham on November 27 last year. “Warmer started walking behind a young woman before grabbing her buttock hard in Sandy Lane,” he said. She took a photograph of his back, and DNA from her coat matched Warmer’s.

The next two offences took place while he was on bail. A girl was walking to City College from Castle Meadow on January 30.

As she got to the college gate she was aware that her skirt was being lifted up, so she tried to put it down. The man lifted it up again and he kept hold of it.

The last incident took place in Boots on February 2. Mr Morgan said: “The defendant was seen on CCTV to lift up a girl’s skirt in the aisle, and then film it on his iPhone.” The girl was aged 14 or 15.

Jonathan Morgans, for Warmer, said he had strong family support. He said his “bizarre deviancies” showed he had no control of his desires, but added he wanted to make sure it did not happen again.

July 2014

Watford man avoids jail after being found with 200 child abuse images

A north Watford man caught with indecent images on his laptop received a 12 month community order

Paul Collins, 66, admitted his wrong doing when he answered the door to home in The Ridgeway to police at seven o’clock in the morning.

Prosecutor David Chrimes told St Albans crown court that the officers asked him if he had been viewing material that he should not have been.

“The defendant accepted he had and his laptop was seized. He was arrested, interviewed and made full and frank admissions.

“He said that following the death of his mother some years previously he had viewed adult pornography and came across images of young children. He accepted he started viewing it,”said Mr Chrimes.

He said he viewed girls aged 12 to 13, but some were aged 10 to 12. One image involved a baby. To access the material on one occasion he had used the search term: “Pre teens.”

The lap top was analysed and found to contain 209 images. 179 were in Category A, the least serious level, 21 were in Category B, and 9 in Category A, the most serious level.

Collins pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing indecent images of children.

Richard Storey, defending, said on the day of his arrest Collins sought help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and paid £800 to attend a course. He said Collins was of previous good character and had made an early guilty plea.

Following the death of his mother in 2004 he had a period of depression made worse after his partner was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sentencing him, Judge Marie Catterson said: “Not for the first time the court has heard that the viewing of adult pornography had led to the viewing of pornography of another kind.  You should not have viewed images of this kind.”

She passed a 12 month Community Order with 12 months’ supervision. Collins must pay £500 prosecution costs. His laptop is to be forfeited and destroyed.

Collins must also register as a sex offender for 7 years and abide by the terms of a 7 years Sexual Prevention Order which means his internet browsing history must be recorded and not deleted.

July 2014

CUMBRIA man handed indefinite sex offences prevention order after being arrested following a police child sex sting

John Wilson, 60, of Bollam Terrace, Kirkby Stephen, was sentenced to a three year community order, a three year supervision order, and an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) at Carlisle Crown Court today.

On April 4 last year Wilson was arrested by officers from Cumbria Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit after he arranged to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl in Whitehaven.

The 13-year-old girl he was interacting with via an internet chat room was in fact a police officer.

Wilson’s arrest was as a result of a proactive policing operation.

He began to use the chat room site Lycos and then instant messaging to engage with who he thought was a 13-year-old girl. He would highly sexualise the conversations and instigate sexual scenarios.

He was charged with an offence of attempting to incite a child under 16 years to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Speaking after the sentence, Detective Inspector Roy Ledingham of Cumbria Constabulary, said: “Wilson’s arrest followed a proactive investigation by the police. These operations are conducted to ensure that young children who use social media remain safe.

“His arrest and sentence should send a strong message out to others that we are watching them, and we will target them with a view to putting them in front of the courts with the assistance of other partner agencies. The Crown Prosecution Service have played an integral role in ensuring a successful conviction.

“Wilson will be subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. My message is simple – we will target others if they engage in similar activity to Wilson.

“I want to reassure parents that Cumbria Constabulary is fully committed to ensuring children in the county remain safe, and the use of an undercover police officer demonstrates that we have a number of tactics available to us. I want to reiterate previous messages to ensure that our children are safe when on online. Our internet safety campaigns highlight some of the ways in which parents can help to ensure their child’s safety, and also the work we are doing to tackle child sexual exploitation.”

July 2014

Drug user sentenced to life for shaking daughter to death after months of abuse

A father who killed his daughter by ‘vigorously shaking’ her after smoking cannabis was jailed for life yesterday.

The court heard that Ross Conlin, 29, of Farnborough caused four-month-old Kiera Conlin to suffer a heart attack and bleeding to the brain while she was in his care in May of last year.

He was found guilty of murder and three counts of GBH with intent and was told he will serve at least 17 years.

It was revealed to the jury that Kiera had suffered months of abuse leading up to the fatal attack, with doctors treating her for skull fractures and broken ribs.

There was also a “triad of injuries” associated with babies who had been shaken.

The jury at Winchester crown court acquitted Kiera’s mother, 26-year-old Kelly Rayner, of causing or allowing the death of a child.

Mr Conlin was a known cannabis and cocaine user, and was suffering financial difficulties due to getting in trouble at his work as a debt collector.

The jury were told that he called 999 after Kiera stopped breathing and told the operator that she had been sick.

Ms Rayner’s father and Kiera’s grandfather Paul Rayner told the BBC he felt ‘physically sick’ when presented with the evidence against Mr Conlin.

Senior investigating officer in the case Det Ch Insp Scott Clarke said Kiera ‘was abused and horrendously let down by this man – her father’.

He added: ‘Without the abhorrent behaviour of her father, Kiera would still be alive today.’

July 2014

‘School principal terrorised and groped us at every opportunity’ 

OLD school friends wept and embraced in court after their 80-year-old former school principal Patrick Barry was found guilty of indecent assaults against them over a 21-year period. 

The jury, after deliberating for five hours and 35 minutes, unanimously found Barry, of Well Road, Kilkee, Co Clare, guilty on 59 counts of indecent assault against 11 primary school girls between 1964 and 1985 at the two-teacher Moyasta school in west Clare.

One victim told the trial: “He took advantage of us, he used to grope us at every opportunity. I couldn’t credit the man with anything. He terrorised all of us – I can’t remember any happy moment at the school.”

Judge Gerald Keyes, at Ennis Circuit Court, had directed the jury to find Barry not guilty on eight outstanding counts for legal reasons.

Counsel for the State, Anthony Sammon SC, said: “It is the express wish of the complainants that Mr Barry be named.”

The judge ordered that Barry be identified and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

Barry taught third, fourth, fifth and sixth classes at the school. He served as school principal at Moyasta between 1964 and 1989.

One of the victims told the trial what Barry did at the country school while she was a pupil in the 1970s was “horrible”.

The woman said: “We were country children and we were subjected to this behaviour. We didn’t know what sex was, we certainly didn’t know what he was doing, other than it was horrible and we knew that it wasn’t right.”

She said: “It is still horrible, it was wrong and it is still wrong.”

She added: “We were country children in a country school abused by a man who had all of the power and who rammed his way into our families’ lives.

“He would visit our parents. As a result, there was no win, it was the word of a child against him.”

The victim told the jury that Barry “was a very violent, vicious teacher who had no respect for the children in his care”.

Another victim told the court that Barry “molested me more than times than I care to remember” at the school.

She said that Barry inappropriately touched herself “and practically every other girl in the classroom” in 1976 and 1977.

The woman – who travelled back from the US to give evidence in the case – said that the inappropriate touching occurred “practically every day” when she was aged 11 and 12 while a pupil in Barry’s fifth and sixth class.

She said: “We were all terrified going into his classroom because we had all heard bad stories from other girls.”

The witness said that Barry would sit on his high stool at the top of the class “and bring you up to the top of the class, where he would pull you in with his legs and force your hands down on his private area”.

The woman said: “He was a really terrible person to have to go to school with”.

She added: “I hated him.”

Judge Keyes remanded Barry on continuing bail to reappear before the court in October 28 to fix a date for sentence.

The victims continued to embrace each other outside the court, wiping the tears away from their eyes.

July 2014: Now living in Clydebank

April 2004

TV host’s twin put on sex offenders’ register

THE pervert twin brother of Scots TV host Paul Coia was today ordered to attend a sex offenders’ programme after pleading guilty to charges of downloading child porn.

Gerard Coia, godfather to Paul’s daughter Annalie, downloaded 77 images of naked children on to his home computer and at the Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, where he ran a cafe.

He stored 75 of the pornographic pictures on discs and printed out others, hiding them from his girlfriend at his Stirling home.

Stirling Sheriff Court was told that a social inquiry report revealed there was a high risk that Coia, 48, could commit offences again.

The city’s sheriff court heard there was a high risk Coia, 48, could offend again. He was put on probation for three years and the sex offenders’ register for five years and ordered to attend a rehabilitation programme. 

July 2014

South Tyneside man jailed for child sex abuse

A MAN from South Tyneside has been jailed for more than five years for sexually abusing children almost two decades ago.

Mark Urwin appeared at Newcastle Crown Court yesterday after admitting carrying out the sexual offences during the 1990s.

The 49-year-old, formerly of Jarrow, pleaded guilty to three historic offences of indecent assault.

Catherine Dunn, prosecuting, said:

“One of the victims reported him to police in 2011 and the defendant was eventually arrested.”

The court was told Urwin, had been previously convicted of indecent assault in July 1997. He was handed a two-year probation order and was ordered to complete a sexual offences programme.

He was also jailed for nine months in March 2001 after taking pot-shots at two youths with an air rifle after their friends called him a “nonce”.

David Lamb, defending, said: “These are older offences, approaching 20 years now. There have been no more offences of a similar nature.

“Since that time he has completed a Sexual Offences treatment programme. It was effective in preventing any further sexual offences.

“These offences occurred following the tragic death of his six-year-old son.

“It was following this that he began to offend in the way he did.”

Judge James Goss QC told Urwin: “You are 49 years of age and you are being sentenced for three offences of indecent assault committed a long time ago, almost 20 years ago.

“You committed another offence of sexual assault against another person which you were sentenced at the time with a non-custodial sentence.

“I accept a significant period has past since these offences but for the victims these must have been traumatic offences to say the least.

“You were effected by drink by reason of personal circumstance which effected you.”

Judge Goss sentenced Urwin, of Elswick Road, Newcastle, to five years and six months in prison.

He was also handed an indefinite sexual prevention order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register indefinitely.

July 2014

Holywell man jailed for having sex with under-age girl

A 23-YEAR-OLD man said to have an unhealthy interest in young girls has been jailed for 18 months.

Darren Foster, who had been living at the Llys Emlyn Williams hostel in Holywell had sex with a girl of 15.

Mold Crown Court heard how he kept a naked photo of her and another of her performing a sex act with him. When that relationship ended he contacted two other girls via Facebook and sent sexually explicit messages.

Foster, now living in Scarborough, admitted possessing indecent images of a child and sexual activity with a child. He was placed on the sex offender register for 10 years and a 10-year sexual offences prevention order was also made.

Judge Niclas Parry told him: “You clearly have an unhealthy interest in sexual activity with under-aged girls.”

The evidence clearly indicated that he found girls on social media websites and, to an extent, groomed them. The judge said that the first victim was 15. She had made it quite clear that she wished to have sexual encounters with him, that she instigated them and she made no complaint. But it led to intercourse.

“You need to understand and the public needs to understand that one reason for the legislation is to protect young girls from themselves,” the judge told Foster.

Foster had kept images of the girl topless and performing a sex act on him, the court heard.

It aggravated the matter that when that ended he made contact with another girl of 15 and asked her to send photographs of herself naked.

There was no meeting between them and it appeared that she had exchanged such images with others before meeting Foster on Facebook.

His contact with another girl confirmed his attraction to under-age girls.

The reality was that there were no threats and no duress and that Foster was an immature young man, the judge said.

But a sentence was required which made it clear that young girls would be protected from people like him.

Mr Parry said that but for the fact Foster had stored indecent images, the sentencing starting point would have been much lower.

Andrew Green, prosecuting, said Foster first came to the police’s attention in March of last year when they saw him out in the company of a girl aged 15 in the early hours.

He said that they were just friends and had met on Facebook five weeks earlier, but the police officers were concerned and took the girl home.

Later phone messages of a sexual nature were found to have been sent by Foster.

There had been previous concern about him in 2009 and 2012 that he appeared to be in the company of young girls, although no charges were brought.

But last year a complaint was made that Foster had sent a young girl indecent pictures of himself and had received similar photographs from her.

She had accepted him as a Facebook friend, he was initially friendly but the conversations from him became “dirtier”.

Another girl confirmed that they had sex, that he had said he would wait until she was 16, but she had initiated intercourse.

Myles Wilson, defending, said that the defendant had sex with a girl of 15 but it had been her idea and he had put no pressure on her.

Some messages were sexual and some were affectionate.

But for the images he would have asked for a community order because he was a prime candidate for a sex offender programme to reduce the risk of such a thing happening again.

He had no similar previous convictions and was a vulnerable individual himself.

He suffered from depression since the age of 14, had self harmed, and he would clearly find prison difficult.

“He presents and behaves as a teenager rather than the 23-year-old that he is,” Mr Wilson added.

July 2014

Six year sentence for Newport man who groomed and targeted schoolgirl

A “manipulative, scheming man,” convicted of six counts of sexual activity with a girl under 16, has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Following trial, Abdul Islam, of Alma Street, Newport, was convicted of six counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, between November 2010 and April 2011.

The 32-year-old taxi driver appeared before Newport Crown court via video link from Parc prison.

Judge Daniel Williams said: “I am satisfied that you have a deep sexual interest in young girls.”

The court had heard how Islam befriended young girls through his work in a takeaway and then as a taxi driver. Islam was said to have “besieged” the victim with text messages, phone calls, gifts and a mobile phone. He lied to her about his age and his home life.

Despite Islam portraying himself as a “family man”, Judge Williams said the jury “saw through” him, adding: “[They] saw you as the manipulative, scheming man that you are.”

He said: “You only have contempt for her and contempt for women in general. This was abuse over a long time. It involved planning and grooming of a girl you targeted because of her vulnerability.”

Islam was sentenced to six years for each count, to be served concurrently and was told he would serve at least half of his sentence in custody. He was also served a sexual prevention order.

Defending, Matthew Roberts, said there was no evidence of “intimidating or bullying behaviour” and that his client “did care for her”, adding: “He is now paying the price he deserves to pay.”

Officer in the Case DC Emma Coopey said: “This man preyed on a vulnerable young child, grooming her then using her for sex. He was fully aware of her age, yet still pursued her for his own selfish needs.

“He is a controlling individual who gave no thought the consequences his actions would have on such a young victim.

“The victim however has shown great strength and bravery in giving evidence, and our hope is the verdict will help her recovery and allow her to get on with her life.

“Those involved in this kind of exploitation can expect a visit from the police sooner rather than later and I would urge anyone with any information about sexual exploitation to contact the police or a trusted person.”