September 2014

Man who downloaded indecent images of children for 10 years has been ordered to attend a stringent rehabilitation course

When police raided Stephen Cawley’s home they seized his computer and when analysed it was found to contain 31 pornographic films of youngsters, including five in the most serious category, plus one extreme pornographic image.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that when officers arrived Cawley readily admitted having such images.

The 53-year-old said he had used emails to download the images and had been doing so for a decade. He had deleted them and had deletion software, said Ben Jones, prosecuting.

Cawley, of Manchester Road, Leigh, pleaded guilty to possessing 31 indecent images and an extreme pornographic image.

A judge imposed a three-year community order with attendance on the stringent Northumbria sex offenders programme.

He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years and a Sex Offences Prevention Order restricting internet use for seven years.

Defending, Andrew McInnes said that since his arrest Cawley, who has never been in trouble before, had taken steps to address his issues.

He has been married for 15 years and his wife is standing by him.

ADMIN: Sentenced to eight years imprisonment

November 2009

OAP guilty of sex attacks on schoolgirls

A PENSIONER has been found guilty of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape two schoolgirls.

Terence Hockley, 74, had denied two offences of attempted rape, three of indecent assault and five offences of indecency with a child.

But following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court, a jury found him guilty on all 10 counts.

The jury heard how Hockley, of Knights Close, Old Newton, near Stowmarket, had indecently touched the girls and got them to touch him. The offences took place either at his home or in his work van.

September 2014

Man harassed schoolgirl for indecent photos on-line

A MAN repeatedly harassed a teenage girl in a “determined and persistent way” in a bid to get her to send indecent pictures of herself to him.

The “ugly, threatening, overbearing behaviour” left the girl terrified and upset by the “blackmailing” messages, a court heard.

James Jackling, 22, of Brooklands Avenue, Broughton, admitted two offences of inciting or causing a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity between 2012 and the start of 2014.

Megan Rhys, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Jackling contacted a girl through a messaging service, asked her how old she was and pretended that he was 16.

They chatted and he later told her he was 21. She told him to leave her alone.

He sent pictures of himself and asked her to send some naked pictures of herself.

“He said that if she didn’t, he would put naked pictures on Facebook,” said Miss Rhys.

The girl told another girl what was going on and the second girl sent him a message online asking him to leave the other girl alone. He then started sending messages to the second girl.

The first girl later told her mother and the police were alerted because of the “blackmailing nature” of the original messages.

Jackling had previous convictions, including for violence, theft, racially aggravated assault and affray. He was locked up in 2010 for four months for assault, causing actual bodily harm.

Jeremy Lindsay, mitigating, said Jackling realised an “improvement in his attitude” was needed. He was working and was in a settled relationship.

Judge David Tremberg told Jackling that he pestered and harassed the girls in a “determined and persistent way” to “inveigle his way in to their lives” so they would send indecent photographs of themselves to him.

He tried to “exert pressure” on the girls by “threatening to broadcast indecent images” on the internet.

“This was ugly, threatening, overbearing behaviour towards children and it has to stop,” said Judge Tremberg.

Jackling was given a three-year supervision order, including a sex offender treatment programme, and was given a five-year sexual offences prevention order.

September 2014

Ex-bus driver jailed for eight years for abusing two girls

A FORMER bus driver who owned up to historical abuse of one youngster, only to abuse a second, has been jailed for eight years.

Brian Davis conceded to his first victim that he had touched her improperly after she challenged him but she bottled it up for years, Bristol Crown Court heard.

But, after the confession, he repeated what he had done to a second girl and the matter came to light.

Davis, 70, of Sandy Glades Holiday Park in Burnham-on-Sea, pleaded guilty to five indecent assaults on a 17-year-old girl and one sexual assault by penetration on an 11-year-old girl.

Judge Mark Horton told him: “It is impossible for the court to guess at the long term damage that may have been caused.”

Davis was told to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

He was banned from working with children and vulnerable adults, indefinitely, and barred from contacting his victims indefinitely.

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, said it was in August last year when a schoolgirl disclosed to her friend she had been abused and police and social services were alerted.

The youngster reported how Davis groped her private parts and, during the police investigation, another complainant revealed Davis groped her previously.

The historical complainant said she was not physically hurt but the abuse caused her deep emotional upset, great shame, a depressive disorder and extreme stress.

The latest complainant had self-harmed as a consequence of her abuse, Mr Treharne said.

Nicholas Clough, defending, said his client persuaded his first victim not to say anything, before the second victim reported him.

Mr Clough said: “He gave up his bus driver job because that involved driving school buses.

“He didn’t want contact with children again.

“He lives, now, a very isolated and lonely life.

“Prison will impact on him harder than it impacts on some.

“The reasons being he is not used to it, the nature of his convictions and he is 70 years of age.”

September 2014

Swindon man who groomed and sexually assaulted a 13 year old girl avoids prison sentence

A MAN who groomed and sexually assaulted a vulnerable 13-year-old girl he had met on Facebook has avoided jail.

Michael King put his hand down the child’s trousers and indecently touched her after the pair met in person for the second time.

But after hearing the 24-year-old dad is immature for his age and was “stupid, rather than a pervert”, a judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Hannah Squire, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the victim, who was in care at the time, met King through mutual Facebook friends. She said they messaged each other via the social network, where he used the name Michael Smith, and agreed to meet up in person.

“Michael King told her he was 20 years old and looking for a relationship. She told him she was 13 and at school and in foster care,” she said.

“Her initial view of Michael King at the time was he was nice and didn’t try anything.”

They continued to correspond and agreed to meet for a second time on February 27 when he kissed the child and she said after she kissed him back he “got weird”.

Miss Squire said: “He did something to her that she didn’t want him to do and she didn’t give him consent. He put his hand in her jeans.”

September 2014: Sabin has served 12 months of his sentence and is now out on licence and staying in a bail hostel in Worcester but has many links to Hereford

It was later revealed that there had been previous accusations made by young boys and girls from the village where he had lived previously

September 2013

Teen sexually assaulted 10 year old girl

During 2012, Jordan William Sabin, 18 formerly of Peterchurch in Herefordshire moved to Southport to find work.

The Macdonald’s worker gained the trust of a family who were also new to the area. Over the next month Sabin groomed the youngest child of the family. The victim was a 10 year old girl.

After Sabin sexually assaulted the child, he told her that her family would not believe her, and that he would buy her books if she didn’t tell anyone. But the child did after several months open up to her mother and explained what had taken place

Jordan Sabin was charged on a single count of Sexual assault by digital penetration on a minor. 

He pleaded not guilty at Liverpool Crown Court, but was found guilty by trial.

He was sentenced to 2 years in a Young offenders institute and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years

September 2014

God forgives me for raping woman and shooting her disabled son, says UDA killer Hinton

A barbaric killer who shot dead a disabled 14-year-old boy after raping his mother at gunpoint says God has forgiven him for the “drunken escapade”.

Trevor ‘Hinty’ Hinton is now often seen in Belfast city centre singing hymns with a little gospel group.

Passers-by don’t realise that the occasional preacher was convicted of a depraved sectarian murder and rape — and that 20 years later he carried out a hatchet attack on a defenceless Catholic man.

He raped Catholic woman Sarah McClenaghan and ignored her pleas for mercy as he shot dead her son David after breaking into their Oldpark home in north Belfast with three other UDA hoods in the early hours of July 12, 1972.

Hinton, the ranking UDA man, told young David to go upstairs and fetch a prayer-book. In his innocence, the boy returned with his mother’s Catholic missal and her rosary beads as well. She was then stripped and raped twice in front of her son.

“I pleaded with them not to touch the boy, as he was retarded and looked so afraid,” she later testified. The UDA men were unmoved. Her son was shot dead. Sarah McClenaghan survived three gunshot wounds to live with her horrible memories.

The sectarian psycho was freed from jail in 1989 but three years later he was jailed for 16 years after he and an accomplice ambushed a drunk Catholic man and bludgeoned him with a hammer and a hatchet.

Now born-again Hinton claims God has forgiven him — and he even denies the rape and murder he confessed to in court.

When Sunday Life confronted Bible-bashing Hinton at his home in south Belfast, he brazenly said: “I pleaded guilty on the advice of a solicitor.”

Hinton said: “Did I rape Sarah McClenaghan? No. Did I shoot her son? No.”

However, he refused point blank to say who he believes raped and shot the widow and killed her son, David.

“I showed abject and true remorse when I was in prison and I apologised at the time and to Sarah’s brother Brendan,” he said.

“I have found forgiveness,” said |Hinton.

“It was a stupid drunken escapade that should never have happened. I tried to take my life because I couldn’t live with it.

“In 1973 a prison officer spoke to me about Jesus and gave me a Bible. I’ve been a Christian from that day to this.”

He refused to answer further questions at his home but later rang Sunday Life and said “only the Lord above knows” who committed the murder and rape.

He also complained that he should not have been charged with attempted murder for his 1992 hammer and |hatchet attack on a Catholic man.

Hinton said he hit the victim once with a hammer, adding: “It should only have been a charge of GBH.”

Hinton is often seen around the city centre with the Belfast Bible Believers group. Sunday Life secretly filmed the ex-loyalist prisoner clapping and singing along with the group as they praised the Lord at the corner of Cornmarket and Donegall Place.

Introducing himself as “Trevor”, he cheerfully told our undercover reporter: “I charge the gear (instruments) up for them at home.

“The Belfast Bible Believers, you call us. I do (sing), but I’ve been sick this last wee while.”

But Hinton was less friendly when a second reporter called at his home to ask him about his depraved crimes. After claiming God had forgiven him he firmly told the reporter to leave.

He later rang to say he prayed every night for the McClenaghan family and his second victim.

Sunday Life was tipped off about Hinton by a former jailbird who was in prison with the killer rapist.

Our source said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw him singing with the |Christians.”

Hinton was released from jail a second time in 2002 and settled in an area of south Belfast. His house is bedecked in loyalist flags and Christian signs.

Neighbours have no idea that the seemingly harmless pensioner, who often uses a mobility scooter, is a violent rapist and killer responsible for one of the most brutal crimes of the Troubles.

When Sunday Life spoke to him at his home, Hinton claimed that he is no longer a member of the Christian group, Belfast Bible Believers, saying that they had recently disbanded.

Vinny Boyle of the Belfast Bible Believers said: “Trevor was very forthright in letting me know about his past and he has shared openly with other members of the group.

“If we do get back together again, Trevor would still be more than |welcome to be a participant.

“Trevor acknowledges that what he did was totally wrong.

“There was no excuse for what he did, to my knowledge Trevor has never went down anything like that road again.

“If I didn’t think he had shown true remorse and honestly repented he would never have been with me.

“It’s the worst case for Trevor |because he still has to live with the memory of that, he still has to live with his conscience.”

Mr Boyle said Hinton was very active and sincere in his witnessing — giving public testimony. He had also donated generously to the group.

A source said of the sex killer clapping along to the gospel band in Belfast, added: “To look at him you wouldn’t have any idea that he was the maniac who raped a woman and then murdered her disabled son in front of her.”

September 2014

78-year-old admits indecently assaulting boys at former Iver Heath boarding school in 70s and 80s

A 78-YEAR-OLD former house parent at a boarding school for children with special needs has admitting indecently assaulting boys as young as six in the 70s and 80s.

Paedophile Gifford Hugh Jones pleaded guilty to nine counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 and five counts of gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14 years.

He assaulted four boys between 1978 and 1987 at Dromenagh School, in Seven Hills Road, Iver Heath.

They were aged between six and nine-years-old and were in his care at the time. Jones was a houseparent at the school, described as a community special school for boys aged up to 12.

It was closed down in 1996.

Detective Constable Jo Dolder, investigating officer from the Child Abuse Investigation Unit at Aylesbury police station, said: “The victims were young, vulnerable boys in the care of Jones when he committed these offences against them.

“It has taken great courage for them to come forward to bring him to justice after so much time has passed, however, his admission of guilt will I hope make it feel worthwhile for them, knowing their abuser will finally face the consequence of his actions.”

Jones entered his guilty plea at Aylesbury Crown Court on September 15.

He was remanded in custody to be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on October 30.

September 2014

Manchester man jailed for grooming 12 year old girl

A man who groomed a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced after police recovered pictures of him kissing her.

Patrick Tuite, (28/02/1989), from Withington, Manchester, admitted four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child and sexual grooming.

At Manchester Crown Court today, Thursday 25 September 2014, he was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

In March 2014, the girl’s parents contacted police, having viewed text messages between Tuite and their daughter.

Four days later officers attended his address and recovered a number of electrical items. Tuite told officers he was “disgusted to say” he knew why they were there.

Some pink children’s knickers were also seized from a locked safe in his room.

Examination of items seized showed how he had groomed the girl between 1 January 2014 and 10 March 2014, calling her ‘baby’ throughout. Four pictures of him kissing the girl in February and March 2013 were also recovered.

Detective Constable Chris Chadderton, said: “Over a period of several weeks Tuite groomed the young girl, showering her with attention and affection.

“Pictures we recover show that this progressed to kissing on at least four occasions.

“He has exhibited classic grooming behaviour and it is a credit to the girl’s parents that her change in demeanour was picked up early on and police called.

“It is really important that parents or guardians are mindful of grooming and exploitation and are able to spot the tell-tale signs because in many cases young victims will not recognise the relationship they are in or are forming is inappropriate and wrong or that they are being taken advantage of.

“Our recent week of action sought to raise awareness and further highlight the issue of child sexual exploitation and more information can be found atwww.itsnotokay.co.uk

“I would encourage anyone who has concerns about grooming or other forms of exploitation to contact the police safe in the knowledge your information will be treated seriously and in absolute confidence.”

September 2014

Child abuser guilty of duping nine-year-old into sex 30 years after sick crimes

A CHILD sex abuser must wait to hear his fate after being convicted of crimes committed over three decades ago.

Barry Rosamond, 50, of Great Tree Farm, in Looe, was aged 15 and 16 at the time he carried out the abuse when he was living at Beckenham in Kent.

Rosamond had pleaded not guilty to four counts of indecent assault, one of attempted buggery and one of indecency with a child but was convicted unanimously by the jury.

After the verdicts were returned at Croydon Crown Court the judge adjourned sentencing until 31 October and granted Rosamond bail until then.

The offences, were committed between 1978 and 1980, were against a boy who was just nine years old at the time they started.

The court was told that Rosamond, who denied what took place, encouraged the boy to visit him alone to play Scalextric and other games but then sexually abused him by using a Kama Sutra-style calendar as guidance for what is alleged to have taken place.

The alleged victim, now 44, told the court Rosamond had told him : “Come around on your own to play. Don’t bring the others.”

He said that Rosamond initially encouraged him to touch him intimately, promising to give him £5 on the first occasion, though afterwards he was said to have handed over only £3 in change.

“I went round there and and he abused me many times. I used to see him as a father-figure. Maybe that’s why I never said anything,” the witness told the court.

“I’ve managed to keep my head up, but it’s been difficult. He did this to me and I crumbled mentally and I do not want to carry it anymore.

“I’m sick and tired of it. It’s draining. He abused me many times.

“You bury this in alcohol, in drugs to block these images out of your head.”

He denied suggestions that he had invented the accusations to blame someone for difficulties in his own life, telling the jury : “That’s rubbish, absolute rubbish.”

He added that it was very difficult for him to come forward at the time and continued : “At that age you don’t know what is going on.

“You think you’re just mucking around, but later I felt dirty, so dirty and foolish.”

He said Rosamond would produce a wall calendar, which depicted silhouetted figures in various sexual poses, which he would then copy with him.

He said that five years ago he suddenly spotted Rosamond, who was visiting the area, as he walked to his mother’s home.

He continued : “He smiled at me and when I went into the house I was pacing up and down wondering what to do, but not wanting to do anything crazy.

“I put a note on his camper van windscreen, which said: ‘I don’t want to see you again.’”

September 2014

Worcester paedophile sentenced to 16 years

A PAEDOPHILE has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing two children for a period of four years from the 1990s.

Jason Cresswell, aged 43, of Turners Close, Blackpole, Worcester, was sentenced today at Hereford Crown Court. He had pleaded guilty in August 2014 to multiple offences .

The offences were committed against two boys under the age of 16 between 1998 and 2002 in the Worcester area.

Detective Inspector Andrew Price, the senior investigating officer for the case, said: “The victims, both adults now, reported the offences in February 2013 and we began a lengthy investigation, which took a huge amount of time and effort to get to the point where Cresswell has finally been brought to justice”

September 2014

Sex offender is ordered to undergo programme after being caught with more than 20,000 indecent images of children

A 24-YEAR-OLD Quedgeley man caught with more than 20,000 indecent images of children that he had been collecting since his teens has avoided jail.

On Thursday, September 18 Nicholas Mills, of Blackthorn Gardens, Quedgeley, was given a three-year community order with a condition that he attends a sex offender course and does 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made subject of an indefinite sexual offences prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders’ register for the next five years.

Mills, who appeared at Gloucester Crown Court, had two large bags with him in the dock, having been warned at a previous hearing to expect a jail term.

But Judge William Hart said he had decided, in line with a recent Court of Appeal decision in a similar case, to allow Mills to undergo a programme.

This, he said, might prevent him re-offending, which was preferable to a short jail term which would leave him as an ‘untreated sex offender’.

Mills had pleaded guilty to nine offences of making indecent photographs of children between May 7, 2007 and February 8, 2014. He also admitted a tenth charge of possessing 1,055 Category A images (the worst), 2,839 category B images and 16,117 Category C (the least serious) on February 7 this year.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said that from 2005 to 2010 police in Toronto, Canada, were investigating a firm selling DVDs including so-called ‘naturist’ films.

Details of Mills making two purchases from the firm were passed to Gloucestershire Police and his home was raided on February 7 this year.

An iMac computer, a laptop and an external hard drive were found to contain illegal still photos and videos of children, some being abused by adults.

In total he had 20,022 indecent images and videos.

Sarah Jenkins, defending, said that after his arrest Mills referred himself to the mental health services for counselling.

He had accepted what he did was wrong and wanted help to prevent him from re-offending, she said.

Judge Hart said there was a need to deter both Mills and other people from such offending by passing a custodial term – but at the time the court had to consider how best to rehabilitate him for the benefit of society.

“You were beginning to show an interest in this sort of material from the age of 17 or 18,” said Judge Hart.

“It carried on undetected.

“The problem for the court is seeking to send out the message that this behaviour cannot be tolerated, while also looking at the question of rehabilitation.”

September 2014

Pervert admits downloading more than 1,000 indecent images of children

A Northampton man who downloaded more than 1,000 indecent images and videos of children will be sentenced by a Crown Court judge in October.

Anthony Padmanathan, of Colonial Drive, Colingtree Park, pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent photographs of a child and one of possessing such indecent photographs at Northampton Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Police found a total of 1,177 images and videos on the 34-year-old’s computer he had downloaded between October 2010 and January 2013.

As 343 of those files were classed as category A images – the most extreme type – district judge John Temperley chose to send Padmanathan to Northampton Crown Court to be sentenced on Thursday October 28.

He told the defendant: “I take the view that this case is serious enough for the Crown Court to decide.

“There’s certainly a possibility that when the judge reads the reads these charges, he or she may take the view that your rehabilitation may be achieved in the community.”

However Judge Temperley said if Padmanathan were to breach any such community order, judges would likely consider imposing a custodial sentence.

Prosecuting, Nigel Chapman told the court that administrators of the ‘peer-to-peer’ online file sharing platform.
Padmanathan had been using to download the illegal images had initially alerted police to suspicious activity on his account.

A search warrant was carried out at his home and officers found images and videos on various hard drives and memory sticks.

Mr Chapman said the defendant also suffered from learning difficulties and required an ‘appropriate adult’ to assist him in police interviews following his arrest.

Defending, Maria Mullen said Padmanathan had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and has accepted full responsibility for what he has done.

“He has sought help for these issues and has been having counselling since his arrest,” she added.

September 2014

Pervert caught with 47,000 indecent images of children warned to expect “tough sentence”

A MAN caught in possession of more than 47,000 indecent images of children has been warned to expect a tough sentence.

Jean-David Marshall, pictured, had more than 2,000 Category A images, depicting the most extreme images of child abuse, when police discovered his offences in May 2012.

The French national was arrested on July 2.

The 31-year-old also had nearly 3,000 Category B images and a huge 42,299 Category C images.

Marshall, who now lives at Ladysmith Close in Christchurch, committed the offences at Curlew Road in Christchurch.

He indicated his guilt when he appeared before Bournemouth magistrates.

Looking dishevelled in a check shirt and scruffy jeans, he spoke only to confirm his personal details during the two-minute hearing.

He was remanded on unconditional bail, to appear at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentence on October 10.

Committing him for sentence, magistrates told him they did not believe their powers of punishment sufficient to deal with such a serious case.

Category A images portray penetrative sexual activity.

Residents in Ladysmith Close said they were shocked and concerned to hear of Marshall’s offences.

Andrew Channing, who has lived on the estate for the past eight years, said: “It is worrying, bearing in mind I have got three grandchildren who come to visit.

“You hear about it all the time but you don’t really think of it in your neighbourhood.”

Neighbours said Marshall only moved to the area a few months ago and tended to keep himself to himself.

Mother-of-three Jan Dance said: “It’s awful. It’s a family area. It is very surprising to hear.”

Mr Marshall declined the opportunity to comment.

September 2009

Man filmed attack on mobile phone

A MAN who used his mobile phone to video himself abusing a young girl has been jailed for life.

Philip Rees took photographs and recorded videos as he sexually assaulted the girl when she was under the age of 10.

The 43-year-old, of Graham Street, was given an indefinite prison term at Swindon Crown Court after a judge was told he would still pose a threat to children even when he was released.

Rees, who has a previous conviction for indecently assaulting a young girl and also had a huge collection of images of children being abused, will not be able to apply for parole until he has served four years and nine months behind bars.

Stacey Turner, prosecuting, told a sentencing hearing on Friday Rees’ victim revealed what had been going on but was vague about exactly what had taken place.

The child said Rees had taken photographs and when investigators looked at his mobile phone they found a series of indecent pictures of children stored on it.

As well as one picture and two movies featuring the victim they found another 23 indecent images of other children.

They also found a further 8,261 indecent pictures of children on his computer and other devices as well as some other pictures stored in a locked sports bag.

Miss Turner said Rees was convicted of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 14 in the North East of England in 1990.

On that occasion he was sentenced to a probation order but it was before the sex offender’s register was introduced so he was never placed on it.

Rees pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault and three counts of making indecent images of children.

He also admitted 13 counts of making indecent images of children and one of possession prior to March 15 and another of possession on Tuesday, March 31.

Sue Evans, defending, said Rees accepted he faced a lengthy prison term and the only mitigation was that he pleaded guilty, avoiding the need for the victim to give evidence.

Judge Douglas Field read from a pre-sentence report which said Rees had “a long standing sexual interest in pre-pubertal females which has now led to him sexually abusing two young children”.

It went on the say he posed a threat to children adding “this risk is likely to persist indefinitely”.

The judge said: “You took photographs of this on your phone which gave you, I have no doubt, added sexual gratification.

“The effect on this young girl will be long lasting and the effect on her family will be largely the same.”

As well as jailing Rees the judge disqualified him from ever working with children and ordered he register as a sex offender for life.

September 2014

Paedophile jailed for abusing three young girls

A paedophile has been jailed for 11 and a half years for sexually abusing three young girls whose families he befriended.

Peter York, (61), was sent to prison after he subjected the youngsters to abuse over a period of more than 10 years.

Prosecutor Mary Prior told Leicester Crown Court how York assaulted one girl between the ages of six and 11, another between the ages of 8 and 15 and another between the ages of 12 and 14.

Judge Simon Hammond told York: “It is quite clear you had an unhealthy sexual interest in young girls.

“There was planning and grooming and an abuse of trust involved.

“The legacy of abuse like this is devastating.” York, of Naseby Road, Northfields, Leicester, pleaded guilty to nine charges including indecent assault and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

Ms Prior told how York abused the girls between 1992 and 2005.

She said he became friends with the parents of his first victim after they felt sorry for him.

She said: “What this man did was to regularly and repeatedly sexually abuse this girl over a period of years.”

With his second victim York again befriended the family but this time he showed the girl pornographic films and abused her on a fishing trip the two of them took.

Ms Prior said that with his third victim he also showed her pornographic material and as she got older bought her alcohol.

She said: “Part of the grooming process was that he bought her gifts and alcohol and allowed her to do what she wanted at his house.”

York was arrested after his first victim was no longer able to keep the secret of how he had abused her.

When York was arrested in August 2012 the police found a photograph he had taken of one of his victims dressed in a ballet dress.

The judge said: “This was not pornographic but was totally inappropriate. It would appear he kept the photograph as some kind of souvenir.”

The court heard how victim impact statements detailed how the lives of the three victims had been blighted by the abuse.

One victim said she had had a nervous breakdown and had difficulty trusting men.

Steven Newcombe, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character who had lead an industrious life.

He said: “He fully accepts that his behaviour was gross breach of trust and had elements of grooming.”

York will be on the sex offenders register for life.  

September 2014

Cruel mum slashed baby son’s feet with razor blade

A cruel mum caused “horrific” injuries to her baby son’s feet by slashing them with a RAZOR blade.

Rachael Thompson, 40, is facing jail after she ran the blade against the four-month-old infant’s heels.

She then lied to hospital staff, telling them the little boy had somehow kicked or cut himself on a razor that fell into the bath.

But jurors at Plymouth Crown Court took just two and half hours to convict her of assault after hearing that the gruesome wounds could only have been caused deliberately.

Prosecutor Jo Martin said Thompson told medics she had been bathing the child when she left him with her partner.

She claimed she had come back to find the child’s feet bleeding and a razor blade lying in the tub.

But doctors grew suspicious and contacted police and social services.

A&E nurse Emma Congdon said she was suspicious because of Thompson waited two-days before bringing her son to hospital in September 2011.

She told the court the boy’s wounds were “horrific”, adding: “You would not leave a four month old baby on its own in the bath.”

The child was found to have two identical wounds on each heel.

Ms Martin said police consulted an expert who said a falling razor would be unlikely to slice into a baby’s feet. And even if it did, it would cut in a “criss-cross” fashion rather deliver a clean, identical wound to both heels, she said.

The little boy spent a night in hospital before being released

His mother was subsequently arrested and told police “she would not hurt her child”.

The court heard Thompson had a history of self-harm and suffered from a personality disorder caused by childhood abuse and bullying at school.

She has also suffered from the eating disorder bulimia for most of her adult life.

The child still lives in Plymouth, Devon, with Thompson and partner Trevor Parkins, who have another son together, aged 15 months.

She was convicted of assaulting the boy between September 14 and September 18, 2011. She was released on bail until sentencing on November 7

September 2014

Rochdale man Scott Gale jailed for rape of child

A man has been jailed for 10 years after being convicted of repeatedly raping a child when he was a teenager.

Scott Gale, 27, was found guilty of five charges of rape at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

He targeted his victim – who was under 16 – over a period of four years when he was aged between 15 and 18.

Gale, of Rochdale, is currently serving a prison sentence for a separate conviction of sexual activity with a child, and sexual assault.

After the sentencing, Det Con Phil Whitehead said: “These offences, and those he is currently serving a sentence for, prove he has a considerable and unpleasant penchant for children.

“The victim lived with the abuse for many years but once she spoke to police, told us how she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.”

September 2014

Pervert moved from Manchester to Tees-side to get closer to 13-year-old girl he groomed on-line

A sex offender moved to Tee-side to get closer to an under-age girl he was grooming on-line.

Ethan Jones, 23, was jailed for three years after he pursued a vulnerable young girl for sex.

He exchanged explicit messages and images with the girl, undeterred by warnings to keep away.

“You were grooming her for a sexual purpose,” Judge Howard Crowson told him atTeesside Crown Court today.

“You have clearly and deliberately tried to groom a 13-year-old girl.”

He said the girl was flattered by Jones’ attention and persuaded there was some affection behind it.

“I’m quite satisfied in your case there was none of that,” said the judge.

“Your interest was for a sexual motivation.

“You pursued her despite warnings from adults in her life concerned for her welfare.

“Contact included extremely suggestive text messages, asking her to carry out very intimate matters for your gratification. Sexual images were passed between you.

“You moved from Manchester to this area to ensure that you were close to her.

“She did spend at least one night with you.”

Prosecutor Katherine Dunn told how Jones and the girl exchanged messages via social media which quickly became highly sexual.

Videos and pictures were sent between them.

Jones wrote online that he had moved to a big house in Middlesbrough and was lonely.

Family members became concerned about the girl, made inquiries and saw the messages.

Jones was contacted, informed she was only 13 and told to stop. He said he would not talk to her anymore, but carried on.

He claimed he was engaged and that “she said yes”.

At one point he became abusive and said he would “come down and beat her up”.

On arrest, Jones claimed he had sex with the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and “I thought she was 16”.

He insulted her and said: “She was never forced at all. She got what was coming to her.”

He told police he met her and she stayed at his home, but denied having sex with her.

Ms Dunn told the court: “The Crown cannot say what took place during that evening.”

The girl’s mother later said in a statement that the crime had a serious effect on the family.

Jones, of Norcliffe Street, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming.

He had 12 previous offences including sexually assaulting a boy under 13 when he was a teenager.

Peter Makepeace, defending, said Jones was in a “semi-nomadic, detached, isolated state of mind”.

He added: “He was very much the product of an extremely unusual, bizarre background at a time when he was not mature enough and sufficiently well placed to resist any such influence.”

He said there were only two images and the messages contained “extremely immature bravado” and “talking dirty” which was “grossly unpleasant”.

He told how Jones struggled to come to terms with his offending and its causes, but would be helped in prison where he was responding well and taking courses.

Judge Crowson said there might have been some naivety and immaturity.

But he said: “You were, it seems to me, quite deliberately acting to try and gain some involvement in the life of a 13-year-old girl, someone who was 10 years junior to you.

“You were eventually successful.”

He jailed Jones for three years, his first prison sentence.

Jones was given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order banning him from unsupervised contact with girls under 16 and governing his use of the internet and internet-capable devices.

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

September 2014

Former supply teacher jailed for abusing children at Cumbrian caravan

A FORMER supply teacher who abused ‘vulnerable’ children at his caravan in Dent has been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in prison.

Anthony Paul Leake, 65, appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for a total of 26 historical child sex offences on children, mainly aged between 10 and 13.

The court heard that Leake worked as a supply teacher in Fleetwood, Lancashire, between 1972 and 1975, when he identified vulnerable children and invited them to stay with him in a caravan in the Dales village.

He groomed four victims and ‘incited them to engage in acts of gross indecency’ which he would record onto film.

He continued his offending in the 1980s while living in Cromer, Norfolk, where he made indecent images of children and sexually assaulted a young girl.

In the 1990s he incited a young boy to engage in an act of gross indecency.

When arrested Leake was found to be in possession of the indecent images and film footage he had made.

Most of his victims were aged between 10 and 13.

DC Damian West, who led the investigation, said: “All of the victims have shown tremendous courage in coming forward and speaking about what happened to them.

“Leake was a predator who identified children who were vulnerable, befriended them, and then manipulated them into doing what he wanted. He is now where he belongs – in prison.

“The sentence given should give his victims some sense of justice and hopefully some form of closure.

“This case highlights how dedicated Cumbria Police are in investigating child abuse, however long ago it happened, and we encourage anyone who has been a victim to come forward.”

Now police say any victim who would like to speak to a trained officer should contact Cumbria Police on 101.