January 2015

Paedo pro-boxer had sex with 14- year-old girl hours before proposing to girlfriend

A PROFESSIONAL boxer was a ‘predatory’ paedophile who had sex with a 14-year-old girl on the very same day he proposed to his girlfriend.

Rising star Atif Mushtaq, who fought as a light welterweight, was described by police as a “dangerous” and “manipulative” offender.

The 27-year-old groomed his victim on Facebook and bought her gifts and promised to take her away to a hotel for her 15th birthday.

He later lured the youngster into his BMW before starting a “relationship” with her.

Police said he had even made the girl perform sex acts on him on the day he proposed to his girlfriend.

Mushtaq was imprisoned at Burnley crown court for four years and eight months yesterday after earlier admitting admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Detective Sergeant Mark Whelan, of Lancashire Constabulary’s public protection unit, said afterwards: “He was clearly of a predatory nature because he approached the victim at the side of the street.

“He was manipulative because he groomed her into sexual activity.

“Mushtaq is a dangerous individual.”

The grooming started when Mushtaq, who was engaged and has a young child, pulled over in Nelson, Lancashire, and started chatting with the teenager.

He told her she looked “pretty” and asked for her telephone number.

For months, the pair communicated through Facebook and other internet forums.

Det Sgt Whelan said: “It started nicely, with chatty messages. But Mushtaq became more demanding.

“It was a classic grooming situation.

“He told her he was going to buy her some boots and take her to a hotel for her 15th birthday.

“To this day, she does not think that she has been groomed because she was not passed about to other men.

“We are now working with the girl to get her to feel better about herself.”

Mustaq was caught when his car was pulled over by police for a spot check on September 11 last year and the youngster was found with him in the vehicle.

He had instructed her to tell officers that she was 18, police said.

Officers found a cosh and was charged with possession of an offensive weapon, which he admitted at the same time as the sex offences.

Det Sgt Whelan said of the victim: “This girl has been very brave coming forward. The information she was able to give us has taken this predatory paedophile out of circulation.

“We are very happy with the sentence as it puts out a message that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in Lancashire.” The officer encouraged anybody concerned about child sexual exploitation to speak to officers and get help.

He added: “Vulnerable children should feel happy to speak to officers and others working in the partnership at the engage team.”

Mushtaq, of Nelson, had his professional boxing debut at the former Reebok Stadium in nearby Bolton in July 2013 and drew with experienced fighter Kristian Laight.

He overcame the same opponent in Blackburn, Lancashire, in a rematch held in September in Blackburn, Lancashire, in front of a crowd of 1,600 – which proved to be the last of his five pro bouts.

January 2015

Bury St Edmunds window cleaner spared jail after being found with nearly 79,000 child abuse images

By Colin Adwent Crime Correspondent

A Suffolk window cleaner has been spared prison after being caught in possession of nearly 79,000 indecent images of children.

Michael Ransom, of Vinefields, Bury St Edmunds, claimed most of the images were already on computer memory sticks he had been given in a pub by a man called Steve five years before his arrest.

The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to nine charges when he appeared before Ipswich Crown Court.

Four of the charges related to possessing indecent photos of children on March 14 last year and one involved making indecent photos of children on the same date.

Two further accusations related to possessing prohibited images of children on or before March 14, while the remaining two involved possessing extreme pornography with a person performing an act with an animal.

Prosecutor Sheilagh Davies told the court in 2011 it emerged that a legitimate UK website had been compromised and webpages had been uploaded selling dvds featuring child abuse.

The site was blocked and inquiries to discover who had accessed the pages linked Ransom to the site in June 2011.

Miss Davies said in March last year police executed a search warrant at his then home in Red Lodge, near Mildenhall.

Ransom was arrested, and his computer and USB keys were seized.

A total of nearly 79,000 images were found on them, the court heard.

Miss Davies said: “Those images are largely at the lower end of the categories. There are just a couple at Level A.”

Child pornography images are graded Level A, B and C with Level A being the most serious.

Ransom told police while viewing adult porn he may have clicked on a weblink thinking it would open up adult images. However, when “dodgy” images came up he left the pages straight away.

The court heard Ransom said he had owned the computer for around a year and had been given the USB sticks by a man called Steve five years earlier.

However, Miss Davies said some of the images found on the memory sticks were put there within the five years before Ransom’s arrest.

Jacqueline Hamilton, representing Ransom, said: “Since his arrest it is fair to say his life has been turned upside down.”

Judge John Devaux sentenced Ransom to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was made subject to a supervision requirement and must undertake an internet sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Ransom was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years, given a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, and told to pay £150 costs.

January 2015

Pensioner is jailed for 18 years for rapes of girls in Plymouth

A TWISTED pensioner has been jailed for 18 years after being convicted of repeatedly raping two girls.

Evil George Paskins was found guilty by a jury on his 81st birthday of sexually abusing three girls.

One of the girls was regularly raped from the ages of three and four until the age of ten or eleven.

Another was repeatedly raped between the ages of eight and 11, the court heard. The third girl was indecently assaulted.

Recorder Paul Dunkels said Paskins was a “bully” who used violence and threats to make sure the girls never complained. His 16-year campaign of abuse started almost 50 years ago in 1965, but the victims only came forward to the police in 2013.

The judge said: “Undoubtedly the two girls who were raped suffered serious psychological trauma. One of the girls was extremely young when you began to rape her.”

All three victims, two via videolink from Australia, bravely spoke of the casual and perverse brutality they suffered at the hands of Paskins up until 1981.

One described during one assault that Paskins stopped to make a cup of tea before coming back to continue the abuse.

Another complainant said Paskins covered her face with a comic while he abused her.

Former carpenter and joiner Paskins was found guilty on all seven counts he faced after a week-long trial.

Neither he nor his wife at the back of the court showed much reaction when the foreman announced the verdicts.

Paskins, who used to live in St Budeaux and Ernesettle, had sworn on the “Holy Bible” that he never touched the girls.

He claimed that the women should be punished by the courts for making false claims.

Recorder Dunkels jailed him for 18 years on each of the rapes, to be served concurrently.

He was given another two years concurrent for indecent assault of the third girl and 12 months for indecency with her.

Paskins can expect to serve nine years behind bars, taking him to his 90th birthday.

Paskins, now living in Hill Park Terrace, Paignton, had pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape of one girl between 1965 and 1977. He also denied raping the second girl three times between 1970 and 1975.

Paskins finally pleaded not guilty to the indecent assault of the third girl and indecency with that child between 1972 and 1981.

January 2015

Cheltenham dad jailed after being found guilty of child sex offence

A Cheltenham dad of two who abused a couple’s hospitality by getting their eight-year-old daughter to touch him sexually during a visit to their home was jailed for 28 months today.

Russell Peacock, 41, of Princess Elizabeth Way, Cheltenham, received the sentence after a jury found him guilty by a majority of 10-2 of inciting the child to engage in sexual activity with him on Nov 22nd 2013.

Several members of the jury of nine women and three men were visibly distressed when they returned their verdict this evening after a retirement of three and a half hours. None stayed to see Peacock being sentenced

Judge Euan Ambrose told the jurors: “I have received your note indicating that some of you are distressed by this case. It is tough, I understand that.

“We judges and lawyers see these cases day in day out but you don’t and I do not under-estimate the effect it has had on you.”

He told them their duty was over and they did not have to stay any longer if they did not wish to.

The court had heard that Peacock met the girl’s family in a pub where he had been drinking most of the day on Nov 22nd 2013.

They invited him back to their home and he sat on a sofa where the girl sat down beside him and pulled a blanket over them both.

Prosecutor Robert Duvall said that Peacock got out his penis under the blanket, took the girl’s hand and got her to touch it. He also rubbed it against her leg, over her pyjamas.

Immediately afterwards the girl told her mother what had happened. She confronted Peacock and when he denied it she fetched the girl and asked her to repeat the allegation in front of him, which she did,

Peacock was said to have got down on his knees denying the offence and pleading with the family not to call the police.

In evidence, Peacock told the jury that “never in a million years” would have he touched the girl in a sexual way.

He said he had played with and cuddled with the girl like he would do with his own daughter.

“Her mother came in and put the accusations to me that I tried to touch her daughter,” he said. “My head just melted.

“I could not remember what exactly was said.”

Defending Anna Knott asked: “Was there any truth in the allegation?”

Peacock replied: “Not in a million years.

“I was denying it. I can’t remember how many times – I denied it so many times.”

Peacock said he left the house when he realised the police were being called.

“I thought I am not running off. I walked off and walked around 50 yards and sat on the pavement.

“I was not going to run away I had done nothing wrong.”

Peacock admitted that he had a lot of previous convictions, but said they were mainly for fighting and violence.

After the conviction Ms Knott told the court Peacock had already suffered punishment in that he had not been able to see his own 7 year old daughter and 12 year old son except for one hour sessions each week supervised by a social worker.

Judge Ambrose told Peacock said that although the girl did not at this stage seemed to have suffered significantly from the offence the likelihood was that she would be more profoundly affected in the future.

There had been an element of breach of trust in the offence, he added.

He jailed Peacock for 2 years four months and ordered him to sign the sex offender register for the next ten years.

January 2015

Chef from Derby who admits sexual activity with Tetbury boy, 13, collapses in the dock

A CHEF from Derby who admitted the online grooming of a 13-year-old Tetbury boy and then meeting him for sexual activity collapsed in the dock of Gloucester Crown Court with a seizure today, Friday.

An ambulance was called for Brendan Conway, aged 28, of Border Crescent, Derby, after his barrister said he would be pleading guilty to charges of meeting a child for sexual grooming and having sexual activity with the child.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC said Conway was clearly too ill to enter his pleas today but the indictment would be put to him at the next hearing when he is sentenced on February 12 after a pre-sentence report has been prepared.

Conway made two appearances in the dock during the course of the morning and seemed fine on the first occasion.

He was sent back to his cell for his lawyer to speak to him about his pleas to the charges.

When he returned to the dock just before lunchtime he was doubled up, holding his stomach and his face contorted in agony.

His barrister Emma Scott said: “He suffers from some form of seizures and he is obviously in a great deal of pain.”

She said he would be pleading guilty to the two offences, committed on November 22 last year.

As the hearing came to a close custody officers in the dock started to help Conway back towards the steps leading down to the cells but he then collapsed to the floor, shaking uncontrollably, and lay there for 1-2 minutes.

When he had recovered enough to be taken to the cells he was helped down the stairs by two custody officers and a short time later ambulance paramedic arrived to examine him.

During the hearing prosecutor Janine Wood said his two guilty pleas would be acceptable and she would not proceed with a third charge of attempting to meet the boy following grooming.

Conway made contact with the boy via the gay social network site distinc.tt. He pretended to be aged 17, got chatting to the boy, and arranged to drive to Tetbury to meet him.

Conway, who wore a grey tracksuit top, dark blue Umbro jogging bottoms and orange trainers, was remanded in custody pending sentence on Feb 12.

January 2015

Animal porn & child abuse images pervert caught with vile photos 

A pervert who had a vile stash of videos showing sex with a chicken, a pig, a donkey and a fish was caught after he tried to film a man urinating in public toilet.

Oscar Dominguez pleaded guilty to possessing extreme pornography after police discovered his sickening horde of animal porn when he was caught using his mobile phone to video a man having a wee in a public toilet.

At sentencing, the Old Bailey heard how the 36-year-old from Wood Green in London went to the public toilets at Liverpool Street train station in September last year.

Once there he went into a toilet cubicle, but suddenly leaned over and filmed the person next door – as they were urinating.

Dominquez was arrested and police then searched his Blackberry phone memory card and laptop.

It was at this point officers discovered extreme animal pornography and voyeurism footage.

He had pleaded guilty to four charges of bestiality, two charges of voyeurism and one charge of attempted voyeurism, at a hearing on Monday, 17 November at City of London Magistrates Court.

Yesterday at the Old Bailey he was given a six-month sentence for possessing extreme pornography, and four months concurrent on charges of voyeurism, suspended for 12 months

Dominguez was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and a 12-month supervision order

PC John Coker, British Transport Police, said: “This was an extremely disturbing case of bestiality and voyeurism.

“I am pleased we have bought this man to justice, and this should send a clear message to people who possess such images or footage they will face punishment for having this type of material.”

January 2015

A man has been convicted of indecently assaulting a girl under ten in the Aylesbury area in 1990

Matthew Lowe, 41, of Medhurst Gardens, Gravesend in Kent, was convicted of three counts of indecent assault by a jury at Amersham Crown Court on Friday.

He was found not guilty of two counts of gross indecency with a girl under the age of 14.

Investigating officer Det Con Paula Benson from Aylesbury CID said: “These offences took place in 1990 when the victim was a young child.

“Lowe’s actions have stayed with the victim into her adult life.

“I want to thank her for having the courage to report the offences to us and give evidence at court.

“If you have been a victim of a sexual offence or know anyone who has, please let us know and we will do everything to help.”

Lowe will be sentenced at Amersham Crown Court on February 13.

January 2015

Married man who groomed and repeatedly had sex with a schoolgirl has had his too soft jail term almost doubled by top judges

David John Burns (34), showered his victim with £1,000-worth of gifts, before bedding her several times in Sheffield hotels.

Burns, of Rother Road, Rotherham was caged for 30 months at Sheffield Crown Court, last October, after he admitted seven counts of sexual activity with a child.

But three senior judges at London’s Appeal Court upheld a bid by Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC to increase Burns’ jail term.

Lady Justice Hallett said the punishment was “undoubtedly unduly lenient”  and upped it by 80 per cent to four-and-a-half years.

The judge said Burns befriended his victim before her 15th birthday and spent a four-figure sum on gifts for her.

He later took her to hotels where they kissed, cuddled and eventually had sex.

During one visit to Sheffield, Burns attempted to check into a double hotel room with the girl.

But they left after staff became suspicious and asked for proof that the youngster’s parents had consented to her stay.

Burns then took her immediately to another hotel and they had sex once again.

But police telephoned the pair’s mobile phones after staff at the first hotel contacted them and gave Burns’ name, which he’d used in the booking.  

Police arrested Burns shortly afterwards but he declined to comment in interviews.

He later said he’d “fallen in love” with the victim and his emotions had “got the better of him”.

The girl’s mother said in a statement that Burns’ crimes had caused “immeasurable pain and distress to her daughter and the rest of her family”.

Applying to have the sentenced increased, Jacob Hallam, for the Solicitor General, argued that 30 months was nowhere near tough enough.

The barrister argued that the sentence failed to properly take into account sentencing guidelines.

Burns’ lawyers pointed to his previous good character and his prompt guilty pleas, as well as the fact his marriage and his career had been wrecked by the conviction.

But Lady Justice Hallett, sitting with Mr Justice Jeremy Baker and Mrs Justice Andrews, said: “The sentence imposed was undoubtedly unduly lenient.

“Giving full allowance for the mitigating factors and the pleas of guilty, the shortest sentence that should have been imposed on the offender was one of four-and-a-half years.”

January 2015

Sutton Coldfield school cleaner spied on teenage girl in toilets

A teenage girl using toilets at a Sutton Coldfield school was shocked to see a cleaner spying on her from underneath a cubicle.

Alexandro Zavao, 40, of Wake Green Road, Moseley, pleaded guilty to observing another person doing a private act for the purpose of sexual gratification.

City magistrates adjourned sentence until February 12 for reports to be prepared and Zavao was given conditional bail.

Jim Mason, prosecuting, said two girls had gone into the toilets, which were reserved for years nine and 10 and situated off the main corridor, at about 3pm.

They had gone into separate cubicles and one of them put her phone on the floor.

“That lit up. She looked down at the phone and could see an eye staring at her from under the right side of the cubicle, “ said Mr Mason.

“She screamed and she and her friend later told the deputy head mistress what had happened.”

In a statement the teenager said: “I thought, at first, it must have been another pupil messing around. I was really angry and shocked by what had happened.”

Police later viewed CCTV and were easily able to identify the defendant.

Mr Mason said as a result of the incident both the girls suffered from anxiety if they had to use a public toilet.

Abid Hussain, defending, said Zavao, who had been employed by an agency and spoke little English, was of previous good character.

It had been his first day at work and the whole incident only lasted for about three minutes.

He said it was not accepted that it had been a pre meditated or deliberate act.

Mr Hussain said Zavao who had arrived at the school shortly before, had indicated to a supervisor that he wanted to use a toilet by making a washing motion and he had been pointed in the direction of the toilets.

His wife had recently given birth and he had been unemployed since.

January 2015

Paedophile caught with nearly 6,000 indecent images of children was spared jail because he has Asperger’s syndrome

Allan Clarke, 28, admitted possessing 5,243 photographs and 458 movies depicting children being abused.

But Judge Stephen Everett handed him a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after hearing that he suffers from autism.

Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court police received intelligence Clarke had more than 250 indecent images on his computer in 2013.

Officers searched child abuse image websites and based on information they discovered, raided his home on October 31 that year.

Mr Blasbery said: “The defendant was present. When asked if he had any such material he replied ‘yes, I download it onto my netbook and then transfer it onto my laptop’.”

He said Clarke of Page Moss Lane, Page Moss, made “full and frank” admissions to police and pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity.

Mr Blasbery said 1,606 of the images were classified in the most serious category, Category A, and 2,012 in the second most serious category, Category B.

There were a further 2,083 in Category C. In total he had 5,701 indecent images.

Clarke, wearing glasses, a white shirt and dark tie in the dock, had no previous convictions.

Stephen Polson, defending, said his client, who works as a night cleaner, was diagnosed with “a mild form of Asperger’s”.

He said: “He is a man full of remorse and shame. He has brought shame upon himself and his family.”

Judge Everett said if it had not been for Clarke’s autism: “I would have had no hesitation whatsoever in imposing an immediate custodial sentence”.

He said: “Every image you observed for your own sexual gratification was an image of a child who was being sexually abused and exploited.

“You told the police you had images on your computer that you should not have done.

“Furthermore, the court accepts there are issues surrounding yourself, in particular, in respect of consideration that you have Asperger’s syndrome.

“To your credit you have held down a job now for some considerable time and also this is the first time you have been before these courts.”

Judge Everett said he would pass a sentence that would help Clarke and protect children from him.

He gave him a two-year supervision order, an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

January 2015

Cleethorpes binman sentenced for having indecent images of children

POLICE found stashes of indecent photographs and videos of children when they searched a man’s computer equipment, a court heard.

Antony Akid, 29, of Woodsley Avenue, Cleethorpes, admitted eight offences of possessing indecent photographs of children and another of possessing video files with a view to distributing them.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that police received a tip-off on January 2 last year that computer equipment had been used to access indecent photographs of children.

A warrant was executed at the premises involved, in Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes, and Akid was there. A computer tower, computer disks and a portable storage drive were seized.

Police found 195 live, accessible images and 413 moving images. Of those, 276 were available for distribution.

Of the 195 still images, nine were at the most serious level, with 19 at the middle level and 167 at the lowest level.

Of the 413 videos, 165 were at the most serious level, with 106 at the middle level and 142 at the least serious.

Analysis of his internet history revealed that he had repeatedly searched for such material.

Akid had been cautioned for possessing a small amount of indecent images downloaded on to a foster carer’s computer in January 2005 and he had been fined in June 2006 for breaching his sex offender’s registration details.

Ian Durant, mitigating, said Akid made admissions and realised he had a problem. He added that he was keen to receive help.

Akid, who has worked as a bin man, was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and a two-year supervision order, with a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

He was given a ten-year sexual offences prevention order and must register as a sex offender for ten year

January 2015

Paedophile escaped prosecution for almost 10 years before second victim alerted police in 2012

A paedophile who molested two young girls a decade ago has been jailed for nine and-a-half years.

Anthony Hartness, of Griggs Road, Leyton, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday after a jury last month found him guilty of five counts of indecent assault and two counts of assault by penetration. 

The 53-year-old started abusing the two girls when they were nine and 11 at his home in Woodford Green. 

The court heard he assaulted them while playing “rough and tumble” games, but escaped justice for 10 years as only one girl was prepared to testify at the time. 

The eldest of the two made a complaint and Hartness was interviewed by police in 2005.

One of the victims told the court she could not remember the first time Hartness attacked her because it had happened “so many times”.

Hartness was only properly investigated in 2012 when the younger girl, now aged 19, made a police complaint. 

He was cleared of one count of attempted rape and indecent assault during the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in December. 

Jailing Hartness for nine years and six months, Judge William Kennedy, said: “Your behaviour caused enormous collateral damage. You have torn the families of [the victims] apart.

“It has been relayed by both the complainants in this case that you loved to spend time with them and play with them – that position changed when your assured familiarity with them became the taking of sexual liberties.

“You regularly put your hands down one of the girl’s trousers, according to the victim that happened nearly every time she visited.

“Even a language as rich as ours struggles to express the disgust right thinking people have towards those who interfere with little children – they were two very different children and their distress whilst giving evidence was eloquent.” 

January 2015

Eastbourne man jailed for sex offences against schoolgirl

An Eastbourne man has gone to prison for sexual offences against a young girl.

Darren Keith Brady, 32, unemployed, of Seaside, Eastbourne, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on last Thursday and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.

He was also given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) severely restricting his access to children, and will be a registered sex offender for life.

Brady had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to five offences of sexual activity with the girl then aged 14 in Eastbourne over a prolonged period during 2012.

Detective Constable Charlie Ward said, “Brady gradually ingratiated himself with the girl, who he had met through friends, and became more and more controlling, forcing her to submit to him.

“Eventually she summoned up the resolve to come forward when she knew he was by then serving a prison sentence for a very similar offence. We are glad that Brady has now been brought to justice and that the victim, who did not have to give evidence in court, has achieved some closure.”

January 2015

Paedophile made indecent images of children and attempted to arrange sexual activity with a schoolboy

A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Yate has been sentenced to 10 years in prison at York Crown Court today (20/01).

Jason Paske had previously pleaded guilty to 26 charges for offences ranging from distribution of indecent images of children, making indecent images of children, attempting to arrange sexual activity with a schoolboy, and perverting the course of justice. 

The investigation was conducted by Avon and Somerset police and North Yorkshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit, during which a local victim in Scarborough was identified.

The forces have worked closely throughout the enquiry to secure the conviction of Paske who was arrested in May 2014.

Further suspected offenders have been uncovered in other countries including Germany and the Czech Republic. Investigations are being progressed in those countries with assistance from Interpol.

DC Sarah King, from the Internet Child Abuse Team at Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said: “Paske is a prolific offender who poses a real threat to children.

“He has exploited children in the worst possible way and has used the internet and social media to try and access more abhorrent material for his own sexual gratification.

“I hope this case serves to highlight that we will work with our partner forces and agencies to bring offenders like Paske to justice.”

Detective Constable Nigel Pepper, of North Yorkshire Police’s Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit in Scarborough, said: “Jason Paske is a truly horrendous and perverted man who is a menace to society.

“It is individuals like him that the public – in this country and worldwide -need protecting from, particularly in this age of the internet and social media.

“It is very satisfying for everyone involved in the investigation that Paske is now behind bars for a long time.” 

January 2015

Pensioner admits abusing boys

A pensioner has admitted indecently assaulting two boys.

Brendan O’Donnell, of Ardglen Park, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting one of the boys between September 1962 and September 1965.

The complainant was aged between nine and 11 years old at the time.

The second injured party was indecently assaulted by O’Donnell between September 1973 and February 1975, when he was aged between 11 and 12.

The guilty pleas were entered by the 78-year-old the day after a jury was sworn at Derry Crown Court to try the case.

Sentencing was adjourned for a probation pre-sentence report and victim impact reports to be compiled.

Defence barrister Brian McCartney QC told the court they would also be providing a psychiatric report and a GP’s report about the defendant’s ill health The case will be mentioned again on February 20 and O’Donnell has been released on continuing bail.

January 2015

Cumbrian man pleads guilty to eight charges of molesting a 13 year old schoolgirl

Toby Fursdon, 39, admitted the offences at Carlisle Crown Court on the day that he was due to face a trial on 10 abuse allegations.

He admitted eight counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child, starting when the girl was just 13.

Few details of the offences were outlined in court but all happened in a rural community south of Wigton.

Prosecuting barrister Tim Evans told the court that it would not be in the public interest to have a trial about the two most recent and similar allegations against Fursdon, who is now living at an address in Thorney, Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Those two allegations denied by the defendant are to be allowed to lie on file.

Adjourning sentence until February 24 so that background reports can be prepared, Judge Peter Davies told the defendant: “I am going to grant you bail but you must not conclude from that you are going to receive a non-custodial sentence.

“You doubtless understand the serious position you are now in and almost inevitably the sentence will be a form of custody.”

The judge said that Fursdon must have no contact whatsoever with the victim in the case nor any of the prosecution witnesses.

Nor must he have any unsupervised contact with any girl aged under 16.

In the meantime, Fursdon must sign the Sex Offenders’s Register.

The period of time his name will remain on the Register will be determined by his sentence.

He will be sentenced by Judge Davies at Bolton Crown Court.

At that time, the court will hear read aloud a statement from the victim, explaining the impact of the abuse on her since it happened.

January 2015

Man given three-year community order after being caught with more than 150 indecent images of children

Written by Colin Adwent

An Ipswich man caught with more than 150 indecent images of children on his computer has been given a three-year community order.

Victor Goddard, of Atherton Road, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to making indecent images of a child.

The 59-year-old was arrested after police went to his home in June last year while acting on information they had received.

A trawl of his computer equipment recovered a total of 153 images.

Although were 107 of the images were categorised at Level C, the least serious grading of such images, there were 19 at Level A, the most serious.

The remaining 27 images were categorised as Level B.

Goddard had pleaded guilty in December at a hearing before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court in Ipswich.

The case was then committed to crown court for sentencing.

As a condition of his community order Goddard was told he would be under a supervision requirement for three years.

He must also undertake an internet sex offender programme.

Goddard was made subject to the restrictions under the Sex Offences Act for five years which includes signing the sex offenders’ register.

In addition he was given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for 10 years.

January 2015

Cornish Bard jailed for 13 years for ‘depraved’ child sex offences

A Cornish bard with a “sinister and depraved” side to his personality has been jailed for 13 years for sexually assaulting five young girls over a 20-year period.

Redruth author and poet Leslie Merton, was convicted by a jury of 20 counts of indecent assault and indecency with a child on Friday at Truro Crown Court.

The 70-year-old, who was made a bard in 2004, by the Cornish Cornish Gorsedh, for his contribution to Cornish literature, sexually assaulted the girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when they were aged five to 15.

A number of the girls were forced to watch pornography, drink alcohol and received special favours in return for carrying out sexual acts between 1983 and 2004, the court heard.

Sentencing Merton on Wednesday, Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, said he did so with “considerable sadness”.

“You are a Cornishman and you are proud of it,” he said.

“You have produced and edited books and journals of Cornish poetry; you were a bardic member of Gorsedh Kernow, a distinguished group of Cornish people who keep alive Cornish language, literature and culture.”

Joanna Martin, for the defence said Merton, of Penryn Street, Redruth, was a respected member of the local community.

She said because of his concerns about media coverage of the case he had sought to resign his bardship.

“He had never wanted that particular organisation to be brought into any sort of disrepute because of his association with it,” she said.

The court previously heard that Merton would play games with the girls, which led to sexual assaults and showed a number of them a pornographic version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

He had a previous police caution for accessing child abuse images on the internet.

He claimed he had been researching Rasputin for a writing project when he entered his credit card details into a website called Children of God.

Merton, the author of works such as The Official Encyclopaedia of the Cornish Pasty, denied all of the allegations and told the jury he thought the girls were lying for financial reasons.

Judge Harvey Clark added: “There is however a dark, sinister and depraved side of your personality.

“You are a paedophile … your sexual abuse of them has been truly appalling.”

Merton was convicted of nine counts of indecently assaulting one girl and five of indecency with a child in relation to her.

He was also found guilty of three counts of indecent assault in relation to another girl, two in relation to a third and single counts of indecent assault in relation to fourth and fifth victims.

Merton was also made subject to a sexual offences prevention order and the notification requirements of the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

January 2015

Pervert ‘violated’ vulnerable girl over the internet

A pervert who engaged in sexual activity with a child over the internet will be sentenced next month.

Matthew Hoffman, 28, of St Hilda’s Court in Aylesbury, had an inappropriate on-line relationship with a 15-year-old girl – who he knew was under-age – between December 2012 and April 2013.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of ‘sexual activity in the presence of a child’ at Aylesbury Crown Court on Monday.

Investigating officer Det Con Carl Wilson said: “This was a lengthy investigation into the violation of a vulnerable girl over the internet.

“I am pleased the defendant had the decency to admit his guilt to the court and face the consequences of his actions.”

Hoffman will be sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court on February 16.

January 2015

Teacher who had sex with 15-year-old pupil had lied about qualifications to get a job at her school

A teacher who had sex with a 15-year-old girl after lying about his qualifications to get a job at the school where she was a pupil has been warned that prison is inevitable.

A court has heard that Lee Smith had got posts at one secondary school in Coventry and two in Nuneaton by making false representations about his qualifications.

And while teaching at one of the schools Smith, 38, of Acacia Crescent, Bedworth,had sex with a 15-year-old pupil.

Smith had originally denied three charges of engaging in sexual activity with the girl while he was in a position of trust at the school, where he worked in the early 2000s.

He also denied earlier allegations of gross indecency with her when she was 14, by getting her to touch him, and of indecently assaulting her.

But on the day of his trial his barrister asked for the three charges of engaging in sexual activity to be put to him again – and Smith changed his pleas to guilty.

Accepting those pleas, prosecutor Simon Phillips said: “There was a sexual relationship which started between them when she was 14, but it only became a full sexual relationship when she was 15 and continued until she left school.

“It was a consensual relationship, but one which took place when he was in a position of trust.”

And Mr Phillips pointed out that the maximum sentence for the offence at the time was five years – and Smith will have to be sentenced on that basis.

After Smith had entered his pleas, Mr Barnes pointed out: “The situation is complicated by another indictment which is also for trial.”

That matter involved four charges of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception by falsely representing that he had higher qualifications than he in fact had to gain employment.

He explained that case was to have been tried first, but although it had been in a ‘warned list’ it had not yet been listed for trial.

So Judge Sylvia de Bertodano suggested that because there was now no trial on the sexual matters, it could be tried straight away as long as witnesses were available.

But as that trial was then about to begin 24 hours later, Mr Barnes asked for three of the deception charges to be put to Smith – and he entered guilty pleas to those offences.

The charges detailed that in the early 2000s he had obtained the opportunity to earn remuneration at a secondary school in Coventry, and at two different schools inNuneaton by falsely representing that he had higher qualifications than he actually had.

Mr Phillips said the fourth charge, which Smith continued to deny, resulted from a second period at the Coventry school and involved him being paid the largest sum of money of any individual charge, £29,000.

But accepting the pleas, he told the judge: “The total involved on the ones he has admitted is £60-70,000.

“The criminality is the lie and the opportunity, rather than the amount of money obtained; so it’s not in the public interest to try him on count four.”

Asking for a pre-sentence report, Mr Barnes said: “He was of good character until now, and he has a serious medical issue with epilepsy and diabetes.”

Judge de Bertodano agreed, commenting: “I would want a pre-sentence report in a case of this kind, especially in light of what he pleaded to yesterday.”

Granting Smith, who has been ordered to register as a sex offender, bail, she told him: “These are serious matters, and you know a prison sentence is inevitable.

“But given your previous good character and your medical situation, a report is essential.

“Please don’t be under any false illusions as to the likely outcome of this.”