September 2014

72-year-old jailed for 10 years over sexual assaults of girls

A PENSIONER has been jailed for ten years for the historic sexual abuse of two women.

Publicity of such cases empowered a woman to say Leslie Maber subjected her to a catalogue of indecent assaults, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The court heard that, in an investigation that ensued, a second woman confirmed Maber similarly abused her.

Leslie Maber, 71 years old of Mancroft Avenue, Lawrence Weston, was jailed at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (September 5) after being convicted following a short trial.

A jury found him guilty of four counts of indecent assault against one of the victims in the 1950s and five counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child against the second victim in the 1970s.

A jury of seven men and five women convicted him of all charges, except the attempted rape.

Judge Martin Picton told Maber: “Publicity prompted (the first complainant) to contact the police and she finally believed that perhaps she, herself, would be believed.

“The victims are to be commended for having the courage to come forward.

“They gave hugely impressive evidence and it can only be hoped the conclusion provides them with some comfort.”

Maber was told to register as a sex offender for life, and was barred from working with vulnerable adults and children for life.

In a DVD-recorded interview the first complainant outlined to police what Maber did to her.

She said that when she was a child Maber stripped off and showed her his naked body, instructing her about a man’s body parts.

She recalled how Maber made her touch him intimately and force her to perform sex acts on him.

The complainant told police: “He kissed me with his tongue in my mouth. That was horrible. He smoked roll-ups and I was sick at that.”

On one occasion it seemed Maber was going to rape her but didn’t, the woman said.

She told police: “It was really horrible to do that. I just thought it was a really cruel way to be. He didn’t rape me. I just got away with it.”

The jury heard that, years later, Maber told the woman if she told anyone about what happened he would “jump off the bridge”.

Sean Brunton, prosecuting, said: “He’s a total coward and he never did that.

“That is why he’s sitting in the dock at Bristol Crown Court.”

After the woman came forward with her allegation police encountered a second woman who said Maber abused her, the court heard.

She said Maber “groped” her and involved her in sex acts, but she felt she would have no support if she reported him and kept quiet until the other woman had the courage to speak out.

Maber said he abused neither woman.

September 2014

Pervert, 72, walks free after 20 years of downloading indecent pictures of children

A 72-YEAR-OLD pervert who coached youngsters in table tennis has walked free from court despite downloading thousands of indecent images of children over a 20-year period.

After pleading guilty to 11 charges of making indecent images and movies of children, Michael John Smith, of Coventry Crescent, Poole, was spared jail.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard most of the sickening images were rated as category A – the most serious rating given to material of this type. Some were of children believed to be as young as five.

Carolyn Branford-Wood, prosecuting, said the pictures and videos were discovered on Smith’s computer after a warrant was executed at his home in November last year.

Smith told police he been downloading indecent images of children for around 20 years.

Mark Ruffell, mitigating, said Smith, who used to be a coach at Bournemouth Sports Table Tennis Club, resigned from the club when his crimes were uncovered.

The court was told Smith’s wife, who supported her husband in the public gallery, had suffered from bipolar disorder for around 30 years.

He had been her “emotional and physical punchbag”, Mr Ruffell said.

“He does not seek to excuse his behaviour by her illness but it cannot be discounted,” he added.

The court heard as his wife’s condition worsened Smith began viewing more and more pornographic material online.

“Over time they got younger and younger. He got fixated. He admits he has got a problem,” Mr Ruffell said.

Sentencing Smith, who had no previous convictions, Judge Peter Johnson said: “You downloaded these images over a period of time and some of those images showed distress on the children when sexual acts were done to them.

“It seems to me that just under three decades you have grappled with and coped with your wife’s serious disorder.

“This was the turning point in your life, which led you to turn to pornography which became more and more extreme and turned to young children.”

Smith was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete a sex offenders rehabilitation programme.

He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order to prevent unsupervised contact with children.

Judge Johnson said: “It seems to me, while it is a matter of fine judgement, that if anyone deserves a chance it’s you.”

September 2014

Hexham pervert who filmed children in hospital toilet has sentence slashed

A voyeur who set up a hidden camera inside a hospital toilet has had his jail term cut.

John Adams filmed more than 50 people – including children – using the toilet at Hexham General Hospital and was only caught out when staff at a shop where he sold his music player discovered the footage.

Adams, 54, of St Wilfrid’s Road in Hexham, Northumberland, was jailed for 28 months at Newcastle Crown Court in May after admitting six counts of voyeurism and three of making indecent photographs of children.

But his sentence has been cut to 18 months by judges sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, who said the original term was “too long”.

The court heard that, in April last year, Adams sold an MP3 player to a branch of Cash Converters in Newcastle, and, after discovering there was digital footage from a public toilet stored on it, staff contacted police.

An investigation revealed the footage was taken from a camera that had been installed in a single-cubicle, unisex toilet in Hexham General Hospital.

The court heard the toilet was used by outpatients who may have been ill or vulnerable, and more than 50 people had been filmed, including children aged between ten and 14.

Officers recovered a digital camera from Adams’ house, along with a number of memory cards and USB devices on which footage had been stored, although the majority of it had been deleted and was recovered by technical experts.

The footage had all been filmed between 2009 and 2012.

Adams, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, admitted he had set out to capture image of adult women for his own sexual gratification.

The court heard he had suffered depression following his wife’s death in 2011, and that his medical condition would make custody harder for him to cope with.

His lawyers argued his jail term was over the top, saying the Crown court judge had imposed the highest available sentence for such offences.

Allowing his appeal, Mrs Justice Simler said that, while the offending was serious, the overall term imposed was “excessive”.

Sitting with Lord Justice Treacy and Mr Justice Sweeney, she added: “Taking account of all the aggravating features, and making allowance for the available mitigation, we conclude that 18 months would have been appropriate.”

September 2014

Prolific paedophile admits making films of children AGAIN

A PROLIFIC paedophile has admitted making indecent images of children.

John Stanley-Osborne, 45, of Holmes Road, Halstead, was convicted in June 2012 but continued to download pictures and films involving children almost immediately..

Stanley-Osborne, who cares for his quadrapelgic wife, admitted three counts of making images, including some at the most extreme level, between May 2012 and May 2013 when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

Sentencing was delayed for reports and a psychological assessment.

Stanley-Osborne was bailed but warned all options, including prison, remain open.

He will be sentenced on October 27.

September 2014

Paedophile facing third jail term

A pervert could be jailed for a third time after he admitted downloading indecent images of children.

Alexander Fullerton, 47, of Elianore Road, Colchester, was first jailed for child pornography in 2002 and then again in 2012.

He admitted downloading indecent pictures and videos, breaching a sex offence order and possessing devices with internet access, which he was banned from having, when he appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

The court heard police discovered a memory card containing indecent images on September 9 .

Judge Charles Gratwicke warned Fullerton, who was bailed, a custodial sentence is almost inevitable when he is sentenced on September 15.

Sentencing was delayed to clarify whether these were newly acquired images on a memory card or whether they were missed during previous raids by police.

September 2014

Norfolk sex offender found with 30,000 indecent images of children

A convicted sex offender, was found to have breached his court order by downloading almost 30,000 indecent images of children on two laptops, which he tried to hide from police, when they made checks on him, a court heard.

Paul Frior, 30, had already been convicted of downloading indecent images of children in 2009, and as part of his punishment he was made subject to a sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his use of the internet, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said as a registered sex offender Frior was subject to regular checks and when police searched his Mattishall home, in February, this year, they found two laptops which Frior had tried to hide, which contained thousands of indecent images of children.

One laptop had more than 14,000 images and the other computer had more than 13,000 images. He also had a number of videos and 298 indecent cartoon images of children.

Mr Youell said that despite knowing he was in breach of his order, on two further occasions police seized more computer equipment.

In interview, Frior admitted that the child images had become an obsession and Mr Youell added: “He said he needs help.”

Frior, of Burgh Lane, Mattishall, admitted being in breach of his court order and making indecent images of children between January 2012 and February 2, 2014 and was jailed for three and half years.

John Morgans, for Frior, said that the images were “almost a compulsion” for him.

“He finds it very difficult not to access the images.”

He added: “He is absolutely genuine that he wants to get help.”

September 2014

Child rapist jailed for 18 years

A MAN who repeatedly raped a vulnerable young girl, when she was just eight years old, has been jailed for 18 years.

Stephen West used threats and intimidation to force the child to submit, saying he would kill her dogs if she told.

And the 56-year-old took every opportunity to meet the child as she walked her pets near her home in Lyneham.

West, who denied guilt, was convicted of rape and other sex offences on Friday at Swindon Crown Court.

The jury of eight men and four women were told how the family friend committed the offences between June 1997 and June 2005.

Giving evidence, the victim, now in her 20s, told how when she was about eight she would walk her dogs in fields near her home.

She said the first time he raped her she bumped into him in a dry summer field. He was smoking and she told him it was irresponsible.

He grabbed her, put his hands around her throat, pulled down her trousers and forced himself on her.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told the court “She said if she screamed he tightened his grip round her neck.

“He told her if she told anybody about what was happening he would kill her family and he would kill her dogs.”

West had a number of convictions for violence which the victim was aware of, the court was told, which added to her fear that he would go through with his threats.

The jury heard how on one occasion, the girl fled through a window when the defendant visited the family home.

West, now of Old Brewery Lane, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, was convicted of six counts of rape, three of indecent assault and one of gross indecency with a child.

Many of the charges were multi-incident counts, meaning they were repeated acts.

He was cleared of one charge of rape and one of indecent assault.

Peter Corrigan, defending, said his client still maintained his denials over the offences taking place.

He said that he suffered from a number of medical conditions including having operations to remove cancerous tumours and heart problems.

Jailing him, Recorder Ian Lawrie QC, said: “You have been convicted after a trial on, in my judgement, the most compelling evidence, which was given by the victim.

“You took advantage of her because she was vulnerable on a number of levels. She was an unhappy child.

“It is clear your depraved behaviour over the seven-and-a-half years made things worse. You habitually raped her and committed indecent assaults.

“She has no doubt suffered a significant and long lasting effect from the trauma.

“She is a broken woman emotionally and psychologically: the real blame for that must lie with you and your behaviour. If she ever manages to surmount the trauma it will be surprising.”

As well as jailing him he said he would have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

September 2014

Doctor who abused girl at Airedale Hospital faces lengthy jail term, judge warns

A RETIRED doctor has been warned he faces a “custodial sentence of some length” after being found guilty of six charges of indecent assault on a girl.

Ahmed Masood, 71, was convicted of sexually abusing a young girl 30 years ago, when she was aged between seven and ten.

The jury at Bradford Crown Court took three hours to reach its verdicts yesterday.

Judge Christopher Batty adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be completed but he warned Masood: “It will be a custodial sentence of some length.”

Masood, of Lampards Close, Allerton, was also immediately placed on the sex offenders’ register by the judge who granted him bail until the sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court on October 9.

During the trial, the jury heard the abuse took place at Masood’s home and also in staff quarters at Airedale Hospital between 1982 and 1985.

His victim, now in her late 30s, said Masood, who has a son, first sexually assaulted her when she went to his house to feed the cats while his wife, who also worked as a doctor, was away in India.

After stopping off at a supermarket in Girlington, Bradford, for pet food, Masood stopped by at another shop where he bought his girl victim sweets and rented a pornographic video.

She said he molested her on the sofa while they watched the video and then sexually abused her on a bed upstairs, after he had washed her with a jug of water.

Years later, Masood’s victim realised he had also indecently assaulted her at the hospital after visiting the site with her mother and recalling the corridors, the jury had previously heard.

Masood, described as a “charming and charismatic” doctor, had come to the UK in 1973 after qualifying as a doctor in his native India.

His medical career saw him work for the Leeds Health Authority and then at Bradford Royal Infirmary. He also worked at Middleton Hospital, near Ilkley, between 1978 and 1983. That hospital has since been demolished.

He later set up a GP practice at Bertram Road, Manningham and at Whetley Hill Medical Centre, Saplin Street, Bradford.

He had no previous medical convictions and the General Medical Council said it had previously never received any complaint against him of a sexually inappropriate nature.

Masood, who was arrested in July last year, is said to have told the terrified child at the time that her parents would drop dead if she did not keep quiet about the abuse against her, the jury was told.

September 2014

‘Monstrous child sexual predator’ jailed

An ex-Sunday school teacher who raped and sexually abused young girls under his care has been jailed for 14 years.

John Laister was convicted at Bradford Crown Court of three counts of rape, four counts of indecent assault and four counts of indecency with a child.

Some of the offences were committed more than 40 years ago when he worked at a children’s care home in Bramhope, Leeds, and at a church in Bradford.

Judge Benson said Laister was “a sexual predator of monstrous proportions”.

Laister, 72, of Sunningwell, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, previously admitted four counts of indecent assault and will be added to the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

He was a former “house parent” at the now-closed Hilton Grange home when he raped a vulnerable girl under his care.

After being moved on following allegations against him, he continued to abuse young girls while acting as a Sunday school teacher at the Thorpe Edge Evangelical Church.

The court heard one of the victims, who was raped and abused at the home, had suffered an epileptic fit after giving evidence via a videolink.

The judge said “the main object of his loathsome activities” was a victim who found the courage to come forward in 2012.

Det Con Naomi Brown, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Laister took advantage of his victims’ young ages and vulnerabilities to carry out these attacks over a period of time.

“We would like to thank them for reporting these offences to the police, and we hope that the lengthy sentence passed down today will help to give them some closure.”

September 2014

34 year old Churchgoer ‘groomed’ 12 year old girl (undercover police officer) online

A married church-goer who encouraged a 12-year-old girl he met on an internet chat room to participate in sexual activity was chatting to an undercover police officer.

Preston Crown Court heard James Duncan, 34, of Threefields, Ingol, was caught out by investigators asking the fictitious child: “Are you a swimsuit or a bikini girl?”

Duncan, wearing a navy blue polo shirt and tracksuit bottoms, previously admitted two counts of inciting a 12-year-old to engage in sexual activity concerning two online conversations via the ‘child’s’ Skype account in July and was sentenced to 16 months by Judge Stuart Baker last week.

Prosecuting, Emma Kehoe said: “This case involved an undercover operation by the police. The child in the case was fictitious, hence the offences are attempts. It’s over a five-week period he has engaged in private chats with these girls, whom he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. He was made aware continually throughout the chats that he was talking to a 12-year-old girl. These chats have included sexual conversations. He has asked what she was wearing on various occasions, asking if she was a swimsuit girl or a bikini girl.

“The discussions are referred to as rude adults talk. He actively encourages her to conceal these conversations from her family. He talks a lot about meeting up with her but is very cagey when he asks to meet her, saying things like ‘maybe we shouldn’t’.

“He has to be careful and that he certainly would meet her if he “was her age” – a clear inference he knows what he is doing is wrong.”

She added: “The last conversation took place on July 22. He suggested maybe a swimming baths and asked had she ever been thinking of him in a “dirty way”. It was after this conversation that a warrant was obtained.”

Duncan was arrested on July 24. The court heard in interview he accepted he had chatted to girls who were young and accepted he had answered questions they had asked of him. He told police the girls were “inquisitive.”

Defending, Darren Lee Smith said his family were supportive and he recognised the shame he had brought on the congregation at the evangelist church he attended.

Judge Baker said: “Its a very sad occasion when a man of your age with a wife and children and who has no previous conviction finds himself facing a sentence of imprisonment which carries with it the stigma which will be attached from a SOPO, and being on the sex offender’s register.

“All this stems from you allowing yourself to be tempted to enter into a chat room and start having internet chat with someone who, as far as you were aware, was a child.”

September 2014

Northampton dad downloads 21,000 child abuse images – but avoids jail term

A Northampton man has been spared jail despite police finding more than 20,000 indecent images of children on the dad-of-two’s computer.

Jamie Bailey’s home on St David’s Road in Northampton was raided on May 16 last year, with officers seizing laptops, external hard-drives and memory cards.

Officers found just over 21,000 images of children – 3,000 of which involved children engaging in sex acts – and 418 indecent videos.

Prosecuting, Matthew Lane, said some of the images included people as young as ‘toddler’ age.

But Bailey, who had already pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children, escaped with a one-year suspended sentence at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday, on the basis the 31-year-old undertakes a two-year sex offenders rehabilitation program.

Sentencing him recorder Ian Dove, said: “You have pleaded guilty to having on your computer an enormous number of revolting, shocking and disgraceful images.

“You should be ashamed of yourself in particular as a father.”

But he went on to say: “In my view you need to be punished, but you also need to be helped.”

Bailey was also made to carry out 400 hours unpaid work in the community and sign the sex offender register.

Prosecuting Mr Lane said the images were first accessed in 2008 and been downloaded onto hard drives – rather than simply viewed over the internet.

However there was no suggestion Bailey had been involved in the production or distribution of the images.

But defending for him, Steven Evans said Bailey was willing to seek help for his compulsion.

“He knows that he has looked at these images, received gratification from them and knew that it was wrong,” he said. “He wants somebody to help him so he never does it again.”

September 2014

Child abuse pervert’s ‘only friend’ was his computer, court told

A pervert who downloaded indecent images of children had only his computer as a friend, a court has heard.

Steven King, 50, was found with more than 800 images on his laptop, computer and disks.

Some of the children in those images were as young as three.

Over three years, the King had searched for terms including “little boy in the bath” and “boy nude scenes”.

He was arrested as part of an operation involving Canadian police. They found him logging on to sites based there and handed his details to British police.

King, from Cae Garn in Bridgend, admitted three counts of possessing indecent images.

The first charge was that he had 179 category A images – the most serious category.

The second was that he had 120 category B images and the third, more ban 500 category C images. Category C is the lowest classification on a scale used by police.

Huw Evans, for King, asked the judge to impose a sentence which would allow his client to receive counselling and help.

“This is a 50-year-old man who has never been in trouble for anything in his life. He was subject to an abusive upbringing, seeing his mother assaulted. He has attached himself to his mother. He cares for her on a daily basis in an completely isolated environment.

“His mother has serious health problems and is housebound and he is housebound with her.

“He’s a man who has struggled with his sexuality. There he is, in the house, day after day, with no-one as a friend but a computer.”

He said the greatest punishment which his client had was telling his mother about the offence, saying he was “devoted” to her.

Recorder Peter Griffiths QC said when he first read he details of the case he thought he would be sending King to prison but that he accepted that what had been said about him meant he could step back from a custodial sentence.

The judge said testimonials sent to him showed King was “basically a decent and caring person”.

But he said he had to bear in mind the victims of the offences were the abused children pictured in the images.

Recorder Griffiths made him subject to a three year community order, as part of that he would take part in a sex offender programme.

“This order, I hope, will help you and help society.”

September 2014

47-year old Perth pervert posed as teenager in on-line chats

A Perth man who was caught with a huge hoard of child abuse images posed as a 16-year-old to chat to young girls on-line, a court has heard.

Police swooped on Donald Kerr’s home which overlooks a Perth primary school and found more than 1,300 obscene pictures of children – including a collection of naked selfies – on his computer.

The lane running between North Muirton Primary School and Kerr’s home

The 47-year-old also had more than 10 hours of illicit videos, many of which were at the highest end of the indecency scale.

Kerr will be sentenced next month and was released on bail to his Crammond Place property — which overlooks North Muirton Primary School.

Kerr appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday and admitted possession of the files at his home in Crammond Place.

He also pleaded guilty to contacting a 14-year-old girl and urging her to send him explicit pictures and film of herself.

Sentence was deferred until October 29.

September 2014

Paedophile jailed for four years for Knutsford sexual assault on a child under the age of 13 by penetration

A 54-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for four years for assaulting a young child by penetration in Knutsford.

Stephen Fowler, of Fern Close, Liverpool, was handed a four year jail term and placed on the sex offender for ten years after being found guilty of assault on a child under the age of 13 by penetration.

The incident involving an eight-year-old girl took place in 2005 in a flat Fowler was living in with his family in Knutsford at the time.

The girl reported the assault to the police in 2013, which prompted an investigation.

Fowler was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Monday September 8.

DC Tim Humpage said: “Fowler deeply affected his victim who struggled to come to terms with what had happened. Fowler abused his trust and took advantage of his situation.

“This investigation was started when his victim had the courage to tell somebody about the abuse and support was given to her to help her through the process.

“As a result of this Fowler is now where he deserves to be, in prison. I hope this conviction will in some way help to give her some form of closure.

“I would like to thank her for helping to bring this man to justice. We would encourage victims of sexual abuse to come forward so that they can get the help they need and we can bring offenders to justice.”

September 2014

Men found guilty in Chesham child sex exploitation case

Two men have been found guilty of luring a 15-year-old girl into prostitution and one of the men has been found guilty of sexual activity with the same girl.

Lee Wakelin, 32, of Upper George Street, Chesham, and Arslan Khan, 21, of Severalls Avenue, Chesham, pressured the girl into prostitution.

Wakelin was guilty of sexual activity with the girl.

Wakelin and Khan, known as ‘Sarnie’, faced a jury at Aylesbury Crown Court on Monday (08/09).

Khan claimed the two 15-year-old girls, now both 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, contacted Khan for a lift on the night of December 28, 2012.

Wakelin was driving Khan through Chesham and the pair picked up the girls, who wanted to go ‘cruising’ in the car, according to Khan.

Khan claimed he wanted to go for food but instead Wakelin and Khan drove the girls to Cassiobury Park car park in Watford.

The girls asked to be returned but were refused.

Wakelin claimed he chose the car park because he wanted to ‘stretch his legs’.

He then left the car and one of the girls was told by Khan to follow him. Wakelin then kissed and touched the girl outside the car.

Judge Karen Holt summarised Wakelin’s cross examination to the jury. She said Wakelin claimed he stopped the kissing because he found her ‘alcoholic breath was upsetting’.

During the drive back, Khan, a former student of The Misbourne School, in Great Missenden, pressured the girl to join a brothel he was planning to set up.

He told her she could earn £65,000 a year and ‘walk around with designer bags’, according to a statement from one of the girls.

Khan offered the girl £50 to have sex with a man on December 31.

The jury was shown a video police interview from January 2013, in which she described feeling scared of Khan and did not want to let him down so agreed.

On meeting, the man and girl recognised each other and the man, knowing her age, did not have sex with her.

One of the girls then told her mother who contacted the police.

The defendants will be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on October 3.

September 2014

47 year old Derbyshire man who groomed boy of 15 for sex is jailed

A 47-YEAR-OLD has been jailed for sexual grooming of a 15-year-old boy whom he met on the internet.

Paul McDonald admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and possessing indecent images of children of the lowest category.

Jailing McDonald to three years and nine months at Derby Crown Court, Recorder Nirmal Shant QC said: “You befriended through a website a 15-year-old boy. There followed a period of grooming, it followed that this young lad, who was vulnerable, came to see you as a friend and trusted you and you abused that trust.”

Derby Crown Court heard they had met on about 20 occasions over a two-month period but there had only been sexual activity on one occasion.

Karen Davenport-Coles, prosecuting, said McDonald had taken the boy out for meals and had given him cigarettes.

The situation came to light after McDonald stayed in a hotel in September last year with the victim and another boy, who suspected something was going on and reported it.

The court heard that McDonald had no previous convictions.

James Horne, in mitigation, said: “He (McDonald) has found the whole process incredibly difficult and incredibly embarrassing and shows remorse for the victim, to whom he offers an apology and to his parents.”

He said McDonald had been extremely honest with the police when he was arrested. Mr Horne said: “He was a man who had relatively recently come to terms with the fact he was homosexual and was using websites for over-18s but during the course of that met the victim.”

McDonald, of Gateway Court, Matlock, must sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, when he is released from prison and obey a sexual offences prevention order.

September 2014

MAN already banned from using the internet after looking at child abuse images has been jailed

Martin Fritsche was given the order in January 2011, after pleading guilty to charges of making and possessing indecent images of a child.

But when police searched his home in April this year, they discovered a phone and a Nintendo DS showing a pornographic image. At Portsmouth Crown Court, he was sentenced to six months in prison, and another six months due to the activation of a suspended sentence.

The 30-year-old, of Suffolk Drive, Whiteley, pleaded guilty to both breaches.

His lawyer, Anthony Bailey, said he suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, a disorder characterised by difficulties in social interaction.

He said: ‘The Asperger’s clearly may have some effect on him interacting as he does with the internet and downloading porn.

‘This man is clearly ill. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2010.

‘This has impacted on his judgment and reasoning skills.’

In handing down the sentence, Judge Ian Pearson acknowledged Fritsche’s condition, but said: ‘In spite of these problems you know the difference between right and wrong and you persistently lied.

‘These are breaches of a sexual offences prevention order which were imposed to prevent persons like yourself from reoffending.’

The order, which was made with some conditions, was supposed to last until 2021.

Fritsche, who is from Germany, was studying for a science degree specialising in geography at the University of Southampton.

The court heard that on March 11 this year a police constable visited him and asked if he had any devices, but he denied having any.

Officers went back to his house on April 30 and he again denied owning any devices, but after searching the house they found a Samsung camera phone and he was arrested.

The officers then found the Nintendo DS under his pillow.

The court heard that police had become aware Fritsche had breached the order after they logged into his Facebook profile.

September 2014

Steyning man sentenced for sexual offences with a child

A man has been sentenced to 10 years for two sexual offences on a child.

John David Manvell, 67, formally from Mill Road in Steyning appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Friday, September 5, and was sentenced to six years for one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and seven years for one of sexual touching.

These will be served concurrently with three years extended licence. He was also given a Sexual Offences Prevention order.

Both counts were on a girl who was known to him and happened at his home between December 2013 and March this year.

Detective Constable Dani Flude said: “The victim was extremely brave in speaking out and we have been supporting her throughout. We would like to thank her and her family for their courage. The judge also commended everyone involved in bringing this case to light and said that the parents of the victim had acted with great dignity.

“I am pleased that this case has been resolved with Manvell being given a significant sentence. We take reports of sexual offences very seriously and will make sure we do all we can to get justice for a victim. If anyone has any concerns about this kind of offence please speak to us.”

September 2014

Child rapist caught after GP questions facing a long stretch in prison – Guilty

A CHILD rapist has been told he is facing a substantial jail term after he was found guilty by a jury.

Terrence Tucker, aged 48, went on trial at Truro Crown Court accused of raping the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on dates between 2007 and 2012.

Tucker, from Liskeard, who denied three counts of sexual activity with a child and four of rape, was found guilty on all counts by a jury last Wednesday.

Following the verdicts, Judge Simon Carr thanked the jury for carefully considering the case which he said had been challenging and upsetting.

He said: “I will remand in custody. He faces a very, very substantial prison sentence. It is a question of length.”

The court previously heard that the girl reported Tucker to the police after she was asked questions by her doctor.

In her closing speech, Mary McCarthy, for the prosecution, urged the jury not to have any fixed assumptions about how people would or would not behave if they had been raped.

She said: “If you are dealing with a young person, their perceptions of what is happening, particularly at the start, can be very confused.”

Ms McCarthy said the girl described “quite vividly” to police one occasion when Tucker had tried to rape her and was on top of her, kneeling on her knees, with his hands on her breasts.

The girl told officers that Tucker was disturbed during the incident when someone had called out to her but described other times when he did rape her.

Robert Linford, for the defence, described the victims’ evidence as unreliable, pointing to differences in the accounts she had given. initially gave to police and what she said in court.

He said: “[Her evidence was] shot through with inconsistencies, with improbabilities and a biological impossibility.”

After the jury convicted Tucker, of Golitha Rise, Mr Linford asked for the case to be adjourned for the preparation of medical reports and said that his client suffered from two conditions, one of which was likely to affect his lifespan.

Judge Carr agreed and Tucker is due to appear before Exeter Crown Court for sentence on October 17.

September 2014

‘Someone has just tried to kidnap me': Schoolboy’s chilling cry after man tried to drag him into his car

Frampton Road in Gorseinon, along which the incident happened