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Royston Gonsalves/Filbert Antao – Swindon

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September 2014

Swindon sex offenders jailed for offences against schoolgirls

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Today at Swindon Crown Court, Royston Gonsalves, 25 (pictured on right) , of Ponting Street, Swindon, and Filbert Antao, 22, (pictured on left) of Axbridge Close, Swindon, have been sentenced for a number of sexual offences against children.

Both Gonsalves and Antao were charged with four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

The victims were three females aged 13, 14 and 14 at the time of the offences.

They both pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing.

They have both been jailed for 7 years each.

Following today’s sentencing, Superintendent Andrew Carr said: “Gonsalves and Antao preyed on these vulnerable children and exploited them for their own sexual gratification.

“Both sexually abused the children on several occasions during a prolonged cycle of manipulation and abuse.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to these young victims who have shown courage and bravery by coming forward and reporting the horrific abuse they were being subjected to.

“This case is a good example of us working with partner agencies and charities to bring the most dangerous sexual offenders to justice whilst supporting and rehabilitating the young victims.

“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of any sexual assault to contact Wiltshire Police immediately – we have dedicated officers who are specially trained to help those who have been abused.”

Anyone wishing to report a crime should contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.


Unnamed Chard abuser

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September 2014

Father jailed for 16 years for abusing four members of his family

A father has been jailed for 16 years for abusing four members of his family after a Judge branded his behaviour as a betrayal.

The 45-year-old man molested his daughter, step daughter and two nieces over almost 20 years when they were aged seven to 15.

He abused them when he was putting them to bed and bathing them at his home in Chard, Somerset between the late 1990s and his arrest last year.

The father denied sexually assaulting any of the girls but was found guilty of 17 counts of indecent or sexual assaults and sexual activity with a child by a jury at Taunton Crown Court.

He was jailed for a total of 16 years by Judge Geoffrey Mercer, QC, sitting at Exeter Crown Court. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life and made subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which will restrict his access to children when he is released.

The Judge told him: ”I do not add to your sentence because you contested this case but the result of you doing so was that the four victims were required to re-live what you had subjected them to.

“The four victims were your natural daughter, your stepdaughter and two nieces. They were in your home under your care at the times when you did what you did to them.

“To describe that as a breach of trust would be a gross and wholly inadequate understatement. It was a complete betrayal of your position as father, stepfather and uncle.

“You have done untold damage to all four of them in offences which span from 1997 to 2013, when you were aged 28 to 44 and they were aged as young as seven.”

The judge outlined how the abuse started when the father married a woman with a seven-year-old daughter who he abused while putting her to bed and continued to assault for eight years.

His attentions turned to his own daughter, who was abused when she was seven, and the nieces who were abused while visiting his house.

Mr Lee Bremridge, prosecuting, said the offences have caused severe psychological damage and three have made victim impact statements.

He said: ”They describe having problems with confidence, stress and sleeping. One of the nieces says she has had problems at work, where she becomes upset. She is waiting for counselling.

“The other niece describes having problems at school and all three describe how they have been left feeling terribly upset by what has happened to them. The stepdaughter has described the effect the abuse had on her childhood.”

Mrs Emma Martin, defending, said the father was a hard working man who had never been in trouble before and who still enjoys the support of other members of his family.

She presented character references, including one from another daughter and said: ”They indicate he is a man who can deal appropriately with female members of his family.”

Peter Kennedy – Dundee

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September 2014

Dundee man admits having stash of child abuse images and videos

Child abuse videos that would take five days to watch and thousands of indecent images of children were downloaded by a Dundee man.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Peter Kennedy, 48, had 5,461 child sexual abuse images and 1,540 videos including many at the extreme end of the scale.

The court heard police went to Kennedy’s home address on October 4 last year and forced entry. He was later traced at his workplace and was informed of the inquiry.

Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie said: “The accused was cautioned and he told officers that they would find indecent images on his old laptop at his home address.

“Officers recovered 17 photographs, which clearly had indecent images of children, in the house.”

Mrs Gillespie said in light of this Kennedy was detained and taken to police headquarters.

She continued: “Whilst within the charge bar waiting area without prompting the accused stated police would find indecent images on two 32GB memory sticks.”

He told police that they were stored on the computer unit shelf in his living room.

“A full search was made during which the said items were recovered.”

The court heard a laptop, the two memory sticks and 17 photographs were taken for police analysis.

In total there were 911 images and 718 videos of serious sexual abuse and a further 176 images and 55 videos involving sadism and bestiality.

Mrs Gillespie said: “The videos would have taken five days to watch if watched consecutively.

“During interview the accused fully admitted downloading the images and printing some of the images.”

Kennedy, of Kerrsview Drive, Dundee, pleaded guilty to two charges of possession and taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children between July 28 2013 and September 22 2013.

The court ordered forfeiture of all items containing the child abuse images and Kennedy was added to the sex offenders register.

Sentence was deferred until October 13 for reports.

Derek Thomas – Huddersfield

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September 2014

Sex offender Derek Thomas from Huddersfield found dead in cell at Durham jail

A sex offender from Hade Edge has been found dead in his prison cell.

Derek Thomas, 49, formerly of Bayfield Close, was jailed in July for a sex attack in the North East dating back to the 1990s.

Thomas sexually assaulted a schoolgirl during a visit to Boldon, South Tyneside.

He denied two charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency with a child and went on trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

A jury convicted him of all three charges and Judge John Milford QC jailed him for 21 months.

The Prison Service confirmed that Thomas died at Durham Prison last Thursday and an inquiry has been launched.

Thomas’s not guilty pleas meant his victim had to give evidence in court.

The judge told Thomas: “You did not admit the offence, you denied it at trial, with the result she had to give evidence, which clearly she found a distressing experience.

“She was overcome with emotion when she finally left the witness box.”

The judge said only a prison sentence was justified.

The court heard that at the time the sex attack was carried out, Thomas had regularly been in trouble with the police.

He had been jailed for 10 years for arson and had a total of 46 previous convictions, mostly for dishonesty.

After that Thomas, a father and grandfather, had turned his life around and had no convictions since 1998.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “HMP Durham prisoner Derek Thomas was found unresponsive in his cell around 2.40pm on Thursday August 28 and was pronounced dead a short time after.

“As with all deaths in custody, the Independent Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will conduct an investigation.”

Rhys Seymour – Walmersley

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September 2014

JAILED: Pervert who tried to lure young children into ‘playing games in woods’

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A PERVERT who tried to lure children into woods with money has been jailed.

Rhys Seymour, aged 19, of Wolstenholme Avenue, Walmersley, was seen offering two children money in Clarence Park to “play games in the woods”.

The youngsters, aged 7 and 8, refused and ran away, and were not physically harmed during the incidents, which happened on May 3 and May 8.

Police investigated and arrested Seymour, who had several child abuse images on his mobile phone.

Seymour was today jailed for three years and eight months after pleading guilty to two counts of child abduction, one count of attempted child abduction and 24 counts of possession of indecent imagery.

He was also given a lifetime sexual offences prevention order and will be listed on the sex offenders register for life.

Det Con Dave Looby said: “Seymour was predatory in his actions, waiting for an opportunity to lure his victims into wooded areas away from the gaze of their family members.

“Luckily the children were clever enough to run away before Seymour was able to cause them any harm, but that should not take anything away from the seriousness of these offences.

“We are also taking steps to try and make children in the area safer.

“Officers from our neighbourhood policing teams are working with schools in the area to reiterate the importance of children understanding ‘stranger danger’ and ensuring there is an avenue to report similar behaviour to the police.”

Curtis Warren – Spennymoor

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January 2011

Paedophile sent to jail for rape

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A DELIVERY driver who raped a girl of 12 in his car during his nightly rounds was yesterday jailed for four years.

Curtis Warren still denies having sex with the girl, despite being convicted after aTeesside Crown Court trial last month.

The court heard how a condom he used was found in the car park of an isolated pub in Bishop Auckland.

Police were taken to the spot by the girl after her mother heard what had happened last February and reported her concerns.

The youngster, said to have been besotted by 22-year-old Warren and a willing participant, did not complain about being raped.

Warren worked for a pizza shop in Bishop Auckland and carried out weekend deliveries throughout Wear Valley.

He had sex with the girl in his Vauxhall Corsa between February 12 and 15, last year, the court heard.

Paul Newcombe, prosecuting, said the condom found in the car park of the Toronto Lodge Inn had his DNA inside.

Warren concocted a series of stories to explain the evidence, and said the girl was telling lies because he spurned her advances.

He was found guilty by a jury of one charge of rape, and was acquitted of three further rape charges and one of attempted rape.

He was also cleared of assault by penetration and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity – charges relating to the same girl.

Ian West, in mitigation, said: “She developed a crush on him and his offence is born out of his immature inability to resist the temptation put in front of him.”

Warren, of St Paul’s Close, Spennymoor, County Durham, was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely by Judge Tony Briggs.

He ruled against imposing a Sexual Offences Prevention Order after he heard submissions from Mr West that he was not a danger.

Mr West said: “Given he is now going to serve his first prison sentence, and it is likely to be an unpleasant one given the nature of the conviction and he is not going to be the most popular man on his block – that may well be sufficient to teach him the error of his ways.”

Jamie Talbot – Coventry

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September 2014

Pervert jailed after 14-year-old schoolgirl asked him to prom

A pervert has been jailed for having sex with a schoolgirl – after she asked him to her prom.

Teachers raised the alarm when the 14-year-old pupil asked to take the man in his 20s to the school prom

They referred the matter to a social worker and it emerged that 23-year-old Jamie Talbot had had sex with her.

Talbot, now 24, of Lime Tree Avenue, Tile Hill, Coventry , was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to three charges of sexual activity with a child.

Prosecutor Tony Warner said there had been concern about the girl at her school after she had been heard speaking of a relationship with an older man.

The crown court at Leamington was told she had spoken about him and made a request for Talbot to attend the school prom with her.

The matter was referred to a social worker, and when she was subsequently spoken to by a member of staff at the school in March she revealed that she had had intercourse with him.

The police were informed, but the girl made it clear she was not willing to take part in a video-recorded interview – which would have been used as her evidence if there was to be a trial.

Following Talbot’s arrest it emerged they had had intercourse on three occasions, and messages found on their mobile phones included her fear of becoming pregnant.

Rebecca Wade, defending, said Talbot had not intended that they should have sex when he first got to know the girl, and had expressed remorse for the offences.

Jailing Talbot and ordering him to register as a sex offender for ten years, Recorder Mark Wall QC told him: “There was a nine-year age gap between you. You were an adult while she was still a child.

“It was your responsibility to ensure it did not become an inappropriate relationship. But I have read the text messages between you, and it’s obvious you were encouraging her to think of you in a sexual way.

“You are not somebody who once had sex with a young girl and then regretted it and put a distance between you; you persisted with it to the point of intercourse on three occasions.

“The law is there to protect her and her family from people who act in the way you did.

“I do take the view that the age difference between you and her was a significant age difference, but I am satisfied you did not act in a predatory way towards her.”

Carl Todner – Seaham

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September 2014

Pervert gets four years for sex-attack spree 

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A PERVERT who targeted victims in South Tyneside as part of a terrifying one-day spree of attacks on lone women and girls has been jailed for four years.

Carl Todner appeared to be a happy, working dad who had a long term partner and bright future.

But, Newcastle Crown Court heard, when his relationship broke down, he secretly stalked the streets in his silver car, preying on women and girls for sexual gratification.

When the 27-year-old was caught by detectives, his mobile phone records showed he had also been posing as an underage girl on the internet to con teens into engaging in illegal sex chat and had a stash of indecent images of youngsters.

He said he had turned to viewing pornography on the internet, after smoking cannabis when he split from his girlfriend.

The court heard last November Todner had received just a caution from police after being caught performing a sex act while sitting in his car in a busy shopping area in Newcastle.

Within months of the ticking off, he embarked on the terrifying sex crime spree in March, attacking women and girls as they walked the streets of Jarrow and Sunderland on their own.

The youngest victim he targeted was just 11.

Judge Deborah Sherwin said Todner must sign the sex offenders’ register and abide by the terms of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the rest of his life.

The judge said: “Some of the assaults took place late at night or the very early hours of the morning, at a time when the victims were truly on their own.

“You got in your car and drove around, looking for females.

“It would appear there were no clues you could act like this.

“Things fell apart following separation from your partner, and went downhill.

“It is impossible to say how all these acts can be blamed on the smoking of cannabis.

“These are worrying offences you have admitted.”

The court heard a total of five women and girls were physically attacked, the rest were approached and propositioned while Todner exposed himself to them.

Julian Smith, prosecuting, told the court the first victim was targeted on March 9 as she walked home after a night out in Jarrow, and was walking over a footbridge from the Scotch Estate to Low Simonside.

The woman was grabbed from behind and sexually assaulted after being pinned to the ground.

The court heard on March 23 Todner preyed on a total of eight women, including a teenage dog- walker, who was attacked as she made her way to a park.

On March 25, Todner attacked a 14-year-old girl in Jarrow.

Again, she was grabbed from behind and thrown to the floor.

Todner was arrested after police used CCTV from a bus passing an area where he had made one of his approaches – this enabled them to identify his car.

He pleaded guilty to sexual assault, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, indecent exposure as well as making, distributing and possessing indecent photographs of children.

Tom Moran, defending, said: “The court sees these cases only rarely, happily, where complete strangers are approached.

“One of the troubling features of the case is that there was not the slightest clue he was someone capable of this sort of thing.

“Until this point, he was in his mid-20s, had a partner and child, had a well-paid job and everything seemed set for a relatively normal life.”

The court heard Todner, of Elgin Avenue, Seaham, County Durham, has now embarked on addressing his problems.


Michael Hudson-Thomas – King’s Lynn

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September 2014

“You present a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm” – King’s Lynn man sentenced for sex offences

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A man who admitted arranging for a child to be present while a man carried out a sexual act on a web cam, has been jailed.

Michael Hudson-Thomas, 24, appeared at Norwich Crown Court today to be sentenced after previously admitting arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence.

Hudson-Thomas, of Goodwins Road, King’s Lynn, also admitted further offences of distributing indecent images of children, possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme indecent images.

The court heard the defendant arranged for a child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to be present in a room where a web cam was set up while a man, who he suspected to be a paedophile, carried out a sexual act.

Sentencing Hudson-Thomas to a total of four years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years for the offences, which happened between June and December last year, Judge Katharine Moore said the incident “marked a step up in the seriousness of your offending” from viewing material to using a vulnerable child victim.

She added: “You present a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm.”

Mark McDonald, mitigating, said there was no evidence “a child was ever approached, groomed or ever knew about therefore was not affected by what was going to take place”.

While Mr McDonald accepted the chat the defendant had on the internet was “explicit” and involved “dark discussion” he said it was “all the fantasy of a young man in his own bedroom and there’s no evidence at all that any other individual has been groomed, approached or indeed used in any way”.

In terms of the images, Mr McDonald said the defendant did not have a “library stock of indecent images” insisting the “amount is quite small all be it quite extreme”.

He added Hudson-Thomas had twice been sexually abused as a child, including one time when he was in local authority care by an older person who was also in care.

Hudson-Thomas was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) made up of a range of conditions including prohibited from having any device capable of storing images unless making it available inspection by police officer.

The SOPO remains in force until further order and will also remain on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period.

Speaking after the case DC Mark Stratford, King’s Lynn CID, who led the investigation, said: “This is one of the worst cases I have ever seen with Hudson-Thomas using technology to distribute extremely pornographic images, some of which were at the highest end of the offence scale. This disturbing case is all the more serious when seen in the context of Michaels wider internet usage which saw the offender playing out his unacceptable fantasies online.”

He added: “We hope this case sends out a strong message to those intent on possessing and distributing such images. We should remember that behind every image there is a victim of abuse.”

Martin Seaborn – Dunstable

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September 2014

Dunstable paedophile jailed for 10 years for sexually assaulting two girls

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A paedophile from Dunstable who sexually assaulted two young girls and was caught with thousands of child abuse images on his laptops, has been jailed for 10 years.

Martin Seaborn, 55, carried out attacks on one girl when she was aged 7 and 8 for around a year until his arrest in August 2013.

He also admitting assaulting another girl on one occasion when she was aged 11 in 1996.

Prosecutor Simon Ash told Luton crown court that when police examined his computer they found indecent images of children that he had obtained from a “peer to peer file sharing site.” 

He had used the search term: PTHC which stood for “Pre Teen Hard Core.”

Some of the children pictured engaging in sex acts with adults were aged as young as 3. 

Many of the images were at the most serious levels.

After his arrest Seaborn, who worked as a cable installer, was bailed and his computers were seized. 

He went out and bought another laptop and downloaded more child sex images, said the prosecutor.

Seaborn, of The Maltings, Bele Street, Dunstable, pleaded guilty to 15 counts: 5 counts were for assault by penetration, 4 were for sexual assault, 1 for indecent assault and 5 for possessing indecent images. 

He had previous convictions for theft and driving offences.

Defence barrister James McCrindle said: “He is struggling to come to terms with what he had done. 

“He is ashamed and remorseful about his conduct.” 

He said the two victims had been spared the trauma of reliving the events.

Judge David Farrell QC told him he had carried out a “catalogue” of abuse on the youngest girl. 

He said he had collected thousands of child abuse images for his “perverted sexual gratification.”

He passed an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which included a ban on Seaborn contacting the youngest victim and having any unsupervised contact with children. 

Seaborn must also register as a Sex Offender for life.

Ronald Coggins – Woodingdean

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September 2014

Sex offender who lured in girls with horse rides jailed 30 years on

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A man who lured two teenage girls into sexual relationships with him after letting them ride his horses has been jailed almost 30 years later.

Ronald Coggins allowed the two girls to ride his horses at Waterhall and at local Brighton stables as the beginning of grooming that led to full sexual relationships in the late 1980s.

In sentencing him to six and a half years in prison, Judge Richard Hayward said that the 72 year-old from Downs Way in Woodingdean had committed “an appalling breach of trust” on the girls who were 14 and 15 at the time.

Following a trial lasting just over two weeks, Coggins was found guilty of seven counts of indecent assault on two females between August 1986 and June 1988.

On Monday, he was jailed and placed on the sex offenders’ register and made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

Detective Constable Tracey Dixon said: “I would like to thank the victims for their help and bravery in bringing these terrible offences to justice, having lived with them for nearly 30 years.

“After all this time, it is a great weight off their shoulders.

“They are very pleased with the result and now feel that they can move on with their lives.”

Victims of sexual abuse can email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 at any time.

Alan Kay – Musselburgh

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September 2014

Musselburgh pensioner jailed for downloading child sex images

A Musselburgh pensioner who was caught downloading child sex abuse images has been jailed for ten months.

Alan Kay watched the images at his home including a quantity that were classified as ‘Level 5’.

Kay (67) was said to be in possession of hundreds of images – most at the lowest end of the scale – but he had also viewed images considered to be the most disgusting.

The retired maintenance engineer had pleaded guilty to two offences when he appeared at Haddington Sheriff Court on July 28 and returned to the court for sentencing last Wednesday.

Solicitor Andrew Mellor said his retired client had committed the offences on the back of “drinking in the evening” and there was “no suggestion of any distribution” to other online paedophiles.

Alan Blacklock – Workington/Great Clifton

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September 2003

Child rapist returns to Cumbria

CONCERNED residents have spoken of their fears after a convicted child rapist returned to West Cumbria, having been released from jail for raping a schoolgirl.

Alan Blacklock, 67, was sentenced to a total of seven years in prison in April 1999 after admitting raping a girl in the back of his car.

He also pleaded guilty to a further five sex offences with another girl, dating back to March 1997.

Blacklock, formerly of Cusack Crescent, Workington, was released on Monday after serving more than four years behind bars. He is believed to have moved to be near family in nearby Great Clifton.

The judge ordered him to be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for the rest of his life.

Villagers from Great Clifton, who are too frightened to have their names printed for fear of reprisals, have been sharing their concerns since the beginning of the week.

One said: “There are kids around in Great Clifton and this man is a rapist. We are not happy about it.”

Today Cumbria police moved to allay any fears in the village.

A spokesman said: “While we will not comment on any individual case, where someone has been sentenced for a serious sexual offence they will be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register, and through this we have got rigorous procedures in place working with other agencies to assess and monitor the behaviour of the individual, which ensures public protection is paramount.”

Alan Blacklock had five grown up children. One, Joseph, was also convicted of rape and later died in Durham prison in September 1999 while on the same wing as his father.

Lawrence Henderson – Lurgan

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September 2014

Man pleads guilty to possessing 3,354 indecent photographs of children

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A Lurgan man will be sentenced next month at Craigavon Crown Court after pleading guilty to making and possessing indecent photographs of children.

Lawrence Henderson (32), Kilwilke Road, Lurgan, pleaded guilty today (Thursday) to 26 charges of making an indecent photograph of a child between February 28, 2010, and September 21, 2012.

He also admitted having in his possession on September 19, 2012, 3,354 indecent photographs of children.

The case was adjourned so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

Henderson was remanded on continuing bail to appear for sentence at Craigavon Crown Court on Friday, October 3.

He is also required to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

Luke Maslen – Pensilva/Callington

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September 2014

Teacher at Callington Community College found guilty of having sex with pupils

Luke Maslen leaving Truro Crown Court.

A teacher wept in the dock as he was told he would go to prison to reflect the public’s revulsion at his actions after he had sex with two pupils.

PE teacher Luke Maslen struck up friendships with the two girls – one of whom was aged under 16 – on social media before telling him loved them, Truro Crown Court heard during his trial.

The 24-year-old, who worked at Callington Community College, denied seven counts of sexual activity with the two girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, but was found guilty on all counts by a jury on Thursday.

Maslen, of Lower Glen Park, Pensilva, was told that he would be facing a substantial jail term.

Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, said: “It will be my sad duty to pass a sentence reflecting the public revulsion at a teacher having undertaken sexual misbehaviour with a pupil and that sentence inevitably will involve imprisonment.”

The court previously heard that Maslen started speaking to the two girls separately on social media in 2012, a year after joining the staff at the school they attended.

The older girl, who was aged over 16, said their contact began as banter on Twitter, before progressing to exchanging up to 200 text messages each day.

She described occasions when Maslen took her for a drive in his black Volkswagen including one when they parked up by Colliford Lake.

In a video-recorded interview with police she said: “He started putting his hands down my trousers.

“He was being really persistent. He moved me onto his lap …we just had sex in his car.”

The court heard the younger girl had sex with Maslen at his home and in her bedroom and that he would buy her cuddly toys and take her to McDonald’s.

Both girls said Maslen told her he loved them and the younger one said he had asked her to marry him but told her to keep it a secret.

Maslen, who was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a young person or a child by a person in a position of trust and four of sexual activity with a young person or a child who was under the age of consent at the time of the allegations, was granted conditional bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

He was ordered to surrender his passport by 1pm on Friday, not to apply for further travel documents and to live at his parents’ address in Pensilva.

He is due to appear before the court for sentence next month.

Judge Harvey Clark, who described the case as troubling, said to Maslen: “I can well understand the trauma you are now experiencing.

“The jury have convicted you on powerful evidence, strong evidence, on these counts and as a consequence I shall be sending you to prison.”

He added that if Maslen left the country in the next 24 hours he would become the subject of an arrest warrant and would sooner or later be brought back to face the music.

“You can’t run away from this,” he said.


Carl Arden – Grantham

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September 2014

Castle Bytham man avoids jail for child abuse images charges

A man found with a stash of child abuse images after police raided his home avoided a jail sentence at Lincoln Crown Court.

Officers found a CD with the title ‘Boys’ in a box inside the bedroom of Carl Arden during the search carried out two years ago at his then home in Larch Close, Grantham.

Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said the CD contained more than 300 illegal images of children. A separate DVD that was found contained a child abuse movie.

Arden initially denied any responsibility for the items but changed his plea on the day he was due to stand 
trial. Arden, 52, now of Station Road, Castle Bytham, admitted two charges of possession of a total of 381 indecent images of children on March 6. On Monday, he was given a three-year community order to include supervision and attendance at a sex offenders’ rehabilitation course. Arden was also given a 10 year sexual offences prevention order.

Roy James, defending, said Arden came into possession of the images a long time ago. Judge John Pini QC told him he was able to avoid passing an immediate jail sentence because of the relatively small number of images involved and because of the length of time taken to bring the case to court.

Stanley Craig – Belfast/Portrush

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September 2014

Probation for pensioner over child images

A 68-year-old man was placed on three years’ probation on Thursday at Belfast Crown Court for the possession of over 2000 indecent images of children.

Stanley Craig originally from Foyle Court in Belfast, had his crimes uncovered after he dropped his mobile phone in for repairs at a shop.

Staff working at the shop noticed the images of children on the phone and immediately alerted the PSNI.

Prosecutor Amanda Brady revealed that police called to Craig’s home in Belfast on 24 August, 2012 under warrant “looking for items connected with the possession of indecent images of children.”

A number of items were seized including a laptop and memory card and after they were analysed, it emerged that Craig had over 2,000 images of children.

The Crown Court heard the images included stills and videos, and that a total of 335 were in the serious ‘Level Four’ category.

On his arrest Craig – who has since moved to Abercorn Court in Portrush – admitted viewing indecent images of children “on an almost daily basis” via his mobile and laptop.

Defence barrister Gavin Cairns said his client had lived a “lonely and isolated existence” in adulthood due to “difficulties in his childhood”, but said he had displayed a good work ethic.

Telling Judge David McFarland that Craig admitted his guilt almost immediately and had co-operated fully with probation, Mr Cairns said that due to his client’s “own conduct”, Craig “had to uproot himself from the locale where he lived for most of his life and now lives 60 to 70 miles away”.

This, the barrister said, added to his “gross isolation.”

Judge McFarland told Craig that while he acknowledged he was not involved in making or creating the images, it was “not a victimless crime” as the children involved “lived an appalling existence”.

The pensioner subsequently pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possession of a prohibited image of a child, on dates between 1 August, 2011 and 25 August, 2012.

John Cowell – Braintree/Thaxted

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September 2014

Thaxted man admits possession of child abuse images

A THAXTED man who admitted possessing indecent images of children must wait to hear his fate.

John Michael Cowell, 60, of Watling Lane, was remanded for pre-sentence reports by Colchester Magistrates Court and ordered to appear at Colchester on September 24 on unconditional bail.

He indicated guilty pleas to four charges involving making 228 indecent images on January 22 at Braintree, two moving images, one moving image and another moving image.

Scot Umphray – Stapleford

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September 2014

Jobless man hid 14-year-old-girl in his airing cupboard

A JOBLESS man has been jailed for letting a schoolgirl hide in an airing cupboard at his home – five weeks after being ordered to stay away from her.

Nottingham’s most senior judge said it was a case of a 14-year-old girl needing protecting from herself after becoming “infatuated” with a man more than twice her age.

Scot Umphray, 31, was put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years and jailed for a year after admitting abduction and sexual activity with a child.

Nottingham Crown Court heard that Umphray groomed the girl on Facebook and that they shared a kiss – although they did not have sex.

Sentencing Umphray, of Derby Road, Stapleford, Judge Michael Stokes QC told him: “With an age gap of this proportion, it has to be made clear with this sort of involvement with children – and she is a child – that custody will follow.

“This is a very real problem where young girls are perhaps physically sexually mature much earlier than 30 or 40 years ago. But they are not intellectually or psychologically any more mature. You were substantially older than her – double her age.”

Umphray first met the girl in a library in Nottingham city centre before sending her a Facebook message. They became friends and he initially claimed to be 22, although she soon discovered his real age, later telling police: “I don’t care. I really like him.”

The girl asked Umphray to become her boyfriend. She insisted they had not had sex but told officers they shared “a kiss on the lips”.

Dawn Pritchard, prosecuting, said: “There has been an element of grooming here. He told her he would wait until he was ready to do other things.”

After the girl’s family raised concerns, police visited Umphray at his flat.

On April 5, he was issued with a Child Abduction Warning Notice, barring him from making any contact with the girl.

But on May 9, she left her Nottingham home and stayed out all night.

Police called at the flat the next morning and found the girl.

In mitigation, Simon Eckersley said she had willingly visited Umphray’s flat.

“There was no imprisonment, no sexual offences were committed, they hugged.

She was easily found,” he told the court.

“When police arrived, it was the girl’s idea to hide in the airing cupboard.”

The court was told the offence was committed while Umphray was on a suspended sentence for assaulting a former partner.

Michael Mayhead – Bristol

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September 2014

Pensioner jailed for sexual abuse of schoolgirl

A PENSIONER sexually abused a schoolgirl who had already been molested by another man, a court heard.

Michael Mayhead provided the girl with a sex toy before kissing her on her lips and chest, Bristol Crown Court was told yesterday.

Mayhead, 70, of Staveley Crescent, Southmead, pleaded guilty to two charges of engaging in sexual activity with the child.

Jailing him for two years, the Recorder of Bristol His Honour Judge Neil Ford QC told him: “You must appreciate that children, especially those who have experienced earlier sexual abuse, must be protected from their own urges.”

Mayhead was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and was barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said that, in all, Mayhead touched his victim improperly some 15 times.

He said that when Mayhead was challenged about the abuse he said he gave the girl the sex toy to make her feel better and they touched each other’s chests.

Mayhead went to police and told them he and the youngster had been playing about and tickling each other when her “boobs got in the way”.

The youngster told police she asked Mayhead for the sex toy and “play fights” between the two began.

Mr Bell said the girl told police that the contact reminded her of previous abuse she had suffered and it made her happy but upset at the same time.

She added that Mayhead had also showed her playing cards with pornographic pictures on them.

Timothy Rose, defending, said: “He was a mature man.

“She is, sadly, emotionally damaged.

“Sometimes (during the abuse) she seems to imply she actually enjoys it; on other occasions it is a nightmare and she hates it.”

The court heard a probation report on Mayhead concluded his risk of further offending was low and he was not regarded as dangerous.

After the case Detective Constable Phil Osborne, the police officer in charge of the investigation into Mayhead’s crimes, said: “This gross breach of trust has been distressing for the girl and her family, and I hope they can now move on with their lives.”

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