January 2015

South Dublin sports coach jailed for sexually abusing two boys

A former sports coach has been jailed for three years for sexually abusing two teenage boys and for possession of a large amount of child abuse images.

Colin Goggin (52) fled to Spain after his first victim came forward in 2007. He remained there for five years until he was returned to Ireland on a European Arrest Warrant. He later failed to show up for his trial before being caught and remanded in custody until sentencing.

Judge Martin Nolan called them serious offences and said it was Goggin’s involvement with athletics which gave him access to young victims.

He imposed three years for each of Goggin’s victims and two years for possession of the child pornography. All sentences are to run concurrently. Goggin thanked the judge before being led away.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Goggin has held various jobs in the past including work as a photographer and external sports coach with a south Dublin school.

He sexually assaulted one of his victims during a photo shoot in his house and abused the other boy while pretending to treat him for a sports injury.

After one victim came forward in 2007 gardaí searched his home and discovered about 2000 images of child pornography. A large portion of his was graded by gardaí as being in the second most offensive category of child pornography on a scale of five. He also had 21 movie files which were in the second worst category

Goggin, who has a former address of Beach Park Road, Foxrock, pleaded guilty to possession of the material at his home on March 19, 2007. He also pleaded guilty to indecently or sexually assaulting two teenagers at his home between 1987 and 1994.

Sergeant Colm O’Giollain told prosecuting counsel Roisin Lacey BL that Goggin met both victims through athletics. He asked one boy if he could take pictures of him.

The boy felt special because he felt Goggin was asking him to model for him. They went back to Goggin’s home and into a back bedroom where Goggin had his photography equipment set up.

Goggin told him to strip naked which the boy did despite feeling uncomfortable. He then told him he would have to rub a special lotion on the boy’s penis for the photos.

He then molested the boy while telling him to “think about a girl he likes.” He took some pictures then told the boy to turn around and continued to molest him.

The second victim was being trained by Goggin in athletics. One day when he complained of a sports injury, Goggin said he had a pill that he could put in the boy’s anus which would help.

Goggin became forceful and said it had to be done. He used gel to put his fingers in the boy before stopping when the boy screamed. The victim later told gardaí he never saw any pill.

During interview in 2007, before he went to Spain, Goggin denied ever abusing the first victim. He was never interviewed in relation to the second boy.

Defence counsel Sean Gillane SC said Goggin’s eventual guilty pleas were a relief to the victims and saved the state the “huge problems” which can arise during trials of old charges.

Counsel said Goggin was living rough in Athlone when last arrested and that this represented a “very very significant descent downwards in terms of his background, in material terms.”

He said Goggin has held a range of jobs including being retained as a photographer by a well know solicitor’s firm to take photos in personal injury cases.

February 2015

Community order for man with indecent images of the most serious level on computer

A man has been given a three-year community order after police found 446 indecent images on his computer.

The majority of the images found by police on James Brittain’s computer were extreme pictures of the most serious level, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

Brittain, 20, was ordered to complete a sexual offenders programme as part of his community order, and placed under a sexual offences prevention order for five years during sentencing yesterday.

Mr Phillip Bradley, prosecuting, said the images were discovered when police seized Brittain’s laptop in June 2013 during investigations for allegations of which Brittain was cleared.

“The lion’s share of the images were of an extreme nature, including of pre-pubescent girls and of bestiality,” he said.

There were 14 images at level 1, 18 at level 3, six at level 4, and 408 at level 5, the most serious level.

Mr Bradley said Brittain had initially denied the charges, saying the images must have been put into his laptop by a virus.

Brittain, of Tern Way in Wellington, Telford, admitted the charges on January 5 this year.

Mr Paul Smith, for Brittain, said his client, who had no previous convictions, had expressed a willingness to change through “therapeutic input” to reduce the risk of future offending.

February 2015

Pensioner had over 1,500 indecent images of children – Supervision order

A 69-YEAR-OLD Cwmbran man has been given a three year supervision order after he was caught with more than 1,500 indecent images of children on his computer.

Allan Crowley, of Glade Close, Cwmbran, used online sex chatting sites to describe a “fantasy world” where he would abuse children.

In December last year, Crowley pleaded guilty to possessing 1,585 indecent images of children between January 2006 and March 2013. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Friday.

Judge Patrick Curran QC said the offences were “very serious” because they involve “real children being sexually assaulted”. He gave Crowley a three year supervision order with a requirement to undertake a sex offender treatment programme. Crowley will also be listed on the sex offender register for five years.

Officers from Gwent Police seized Crowley’s computer on 28 March, 2013, and found 257 category A images of children – the highest and most serious category. He also had 118 category B images and 1,210 category C images.

Prosecution barrister Michael Hammett told the court police also found a number of explicit messages and conversations sent via the internet which involved the defendant detailing his fantasies of abusing children.

The court heard how Crowley admitted using sex chatting sites and Windows Live Messenger but said “people would start chatting about things and he would simply go along with it”.

Mr Hammett said: “The defendant accepted involving himself in those types of conversations which was a sort of fantasy world.

“His interest in the photographs began from when he went on a site looking for music and was not actively looking for pictures but just happened upon them.”

But defence barrister Marian Lewis said Crowley committed the offences at a time when he was in low spirits and nursing his sick wife.

She said: “He was at a personal low ebb. He was nursing a sick wife and trying to carry on with his employment. The marriage failed and then his wife left him.

“His remorse is genuine and he feels really ashamed of the way he behaved.”

Judge Curran told Crowley: “The probation officer says you accept the seriousness of the case and you told her you deserve to be punished.

“The point is whether the interest of society will be better served by the alternative of what would be a relatively short prison sentence.

“Over a long period, the supervision and treatment programme will assist you in dealing with this problem that you had. It has, however, all the strength of a suspended prison sentence. It has the power to keep the hand of the court on you.”

February 2015

Taxi driver jailed for 12 years for raping teenage girl

Earlier this year Nasir Uddin was found guilty by a jury of one rape, two counts of attempted rape and four sexual assaults against the girl, who was aged under 16 when the abuse began.

At Leicester Crown Court on Friday he was sent to prison, despite his wife getting up in court and protesting her husband’s innocence.

Uddin (39), of Lower Cambridge Street, Loughborough, repeatedly assaulted the teenager over a period of three years.

Judge Robert Brown heard Uddin was still in denial about his crimes.

The judge said: “I’m very saddened he still blames his victim and her husband for orchestrating an elaborate plot against him.

“He was convicted on what I regard as compelling evidence.

“I thought between then and now he might have said something indicating remorse.”

Andrew Lewis, mitigating, said his client was not a dangerous offender.

He said: “In the years since 2006 he has lived a life that would be a credit to anybody.

“He came to this country with few if any advantages.

“He knuckled down to hard, unglamorous work to support his family.

“He is a man with the confidence of his wife and the respect of his children.

“He is not a man who needs to be taught a lesson – the life he leads shows he’s a very different man today.”

The judge replied: “There’s another side to this man and he doesn’t face it. There’s no contrition. There’s no remorse.”

The court heard Uddin had entered his victim’s home to abuse her and caused her “degradation and humiliation”.

The judge told Uddin: “You were attracted to her and took every opportunity you could to touch her sexually.

“You abused her over a three-year period and she needed counselling for the abuse you inflicted upon her.”

After Judge Brown ordered Uddin to be taken to the cells Uddin’s wife stood up and began pleading with the judge before being taken out of court by the defence lawyers.

Uddin will remain on the sexual offenders register for the rest of his life.

January 2013

Teacher admits sexual activity with child aged under 16 years old – Cautioned by police

February 2015

Paedophile care worker with Liverpool Social Services sexually abused children for years

A perverted former residential care worker living in Carlisle who abused two boys almost 40 years ago has been jailed for 13 years.

Philip Savage, 62, who was jailed for 15 years in 1996 for abusing nine other boys at homes in the north west, was told by Judge Clement Goldstone, QC, that his behaviour had involved “paedophile depravity.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Savage, who has been living at Cumberland Court, Denton Holme, befriended the two victims in the same way that he had with the other victims and then he abused them in similar ways.

The jury heard that one of Savage’s two victims is now in jail for a double murder many years ago.

Savage had abused him when he was 11 and 12 and the victim spoke of realising that other members of staff had been involved in the sexual and physical abuse of boys in Dyson Hall in Merseyside between 1979 and 1981.

(Dyson Hall in Fazakerley was a residential Special School for boys with emotional and behavioural difficulties)

He said that his reasons for coming forward now was he felt it would be bad if Savage was “getting away with it, for doing things to people who were just kids.”

The other victim told how the abuse had profoundly affected his character and how it had left him an angry person for years, and made him unable to trust anyone.

He spoke of wanting closure and wished he had revealed his ordeal when he was younger, said Ben Jones, prosecuting.

Savage, who did not give evidence, had denied a total of 12 sexual offences against the two lads, but the jury took just over two hours to unanimously convict him. The judge told him that he will have to have his name on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

According to a group which campaigns to expose the evil of child abuse, Savage had tried back in 1974, at the age of 21, to have counselling.

An earlier court hearing, said the group, showed that his medical records included a letter of referral to a psychologist from the counselling service.

Two years after seeking therapy for his attraction to young boys, he got a job as a residential care worker with Liverpool Social Services. He went on to sexually abuse children for several years.

February 2015

Lancashire Police hunt missing sex offender Hanif Alam

Police are trying to trace a missing sex offender who has breached the conditions of his release from prison.

Hanif Alam was jailed for 21 months and ordered to sign the sex offenders register after he was convicted of sexual assault in November 2008.

He sexually molested a terrified schoolgirl on a bus

The 31-year-old is subject to regular monitoring and checks, but failed to attend an appointment.

Alam was living in Burnley, Lancashire, and also has links to Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.

Det Con Tim Aspinall, of Lancashire Constabulary, said: “If anyone has seen Alam or has any information about where he might be I would urge them to contact us.

“I would also urge Alam himself, if he sees this appeal, to hand himself in to the police.”

November 2008

Jail for bus sex attack man

A bus passenger who sexually molested a terrified 15-year-old girl has been sent to prison.

Hanif Alam’s victim has been left traumatised by her ordeal and is seeking counselling, Preston Crown Court was told.

She is suffering from flashbacks and has had difficulty sleeping, Judge Stuart Baker was told.

Zoe Neild, prosecuting, said the girl was on an early evening double-decker bus travelling from Walmer Bridge to Preston in April.

When alone on the top deck, the defendant approached her, tried to kiss the girl and started to touch and molest her.

She managed to get off the bus and immediately contacted her mother.

By the time the girl got home, she was said to be in an hysterical state.

Alam, a 25-year-old from Small Heath in Birmingham who was visiting the Lancashire area, denied a charge of sexual assault.

He told the jury that the girl had lied and nothing had happened on the bus.

Alam was convicted by the jury at the end of a four day trial earlier this month and was returning to be sentenced.

The court heard he had a previous conviction involving an indecent assault.

In a victim personal statement, the girl said she remained frightened about going alone onto buses after what happened.

Jailing Alam for 21 months, Judge Baker told him his victim’s distress had been made worse by his claim that she had been lying.

“Being assaulted as she was on the top deck of a bus is bad enough but to be called a liar just adds to everything,” the judge told him.

As well as the jail sentence, Alam was informed that his name will be on the sex offenders register for the next 10 years.

February 2015

Woman faces jail for possessing extreme animal porn and more than 600 indecent images of children

A woman is facing prison after she admitted possessing ‘extreme’ pornographic images involving animals and more than 600 indecent images of children

Amy Hickson, 20, of Alresford in Hampshire, admitted 13 charges which included making indecent photos of a child and possessing prohibited images and a movie of children. 

Hickson also admitted possessing 16 pornographic images involving animals which were classed as ‘extreme, disgusting or obscene,’ Winchester Crown Court heard. 

The offensive images included one showing a person performing a sexual act with a dog and 15 involving other animals. 

The court heard the images showed sexual acts being carried out in an ‘explicit or realistic’ manner. 

Hickson, of New Cheriton, changed her plea today just before she was due to stand trial.

She admitted all 13 charges. 

The charges included eight counts of making indecent photographs of a child – one count alone involving 596 images.  

One charge was for making indecent pseudo photographs of a child.

Hickson also admitted a further two counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and admitted the two charges of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

The images were from all three categories; A, B and C – which indicate different levels of seriousness. 

Category A refers to pictures showing penetration and images involving an animal or sadism. 

Those covered by B include images involving non-penetration. 

C is the least serious, and is used for images not covered by the first two categories.

Judge Susan Evans QC said: ‘You will receive some credit for your guilty pleas.

‘I am not going to say how much at this stage and I am going to adjourn this case for a pre-sentence report.’ 

Hickson was granted conditional bail to appear back at court on March 6. 

February 2015

Anjem Choudary follower faces jail for grooming schoolgirl on internet

A follower of radical hate preacher Anjem Choudary faces jail after admitting to grooming a 15-year-old on the internet, a court heard.

Mansoor Miah, 21, of Hilgrove Road, Swiss Cottage, London, invited the schoolgirl via Facebook to meet him for sex at the Premier Inn in Folkestone, Kent, in November, 2013.

He pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming between 17 and 21 November, 2013.

Southwark Crown Court also heard Tesco worker Miah swapped lewd photos with the youngster and pleasuring himself in front of the teen on a webcam.

He was arrested last June after the mother contacted police after being notified by her daughter’s school about online activity between the girl and Miah.

He denied six other counts of sexual offences including encouraging a child aged 15 to make an indecent photo and causing her to watch images of himself engaging in an activity which was sexual, namely of him masturbating via a webcam.

He is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on February 28.

Miah is active on Twitter as a follower of Choudary and is an admirer of exiled radical cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad.

Miah retweets several messages from Anjem Choudary including one just three days before his arrest on June 25 last year, which begins: ‘Which Muslim wouldn’t want to live in the Khilafah, ie Islamic ruling system…’

February 2015

Failed asylum seeker convicted of child rape goes on the run

A failed asylum seeker who was jailed for raping a child is being sought by police after he stopped making contact with the authorities who were meant to be monitoring him.

Patrick Mosekwe Kanda, a Congolese national, was jailed in 1998 after being convicted of rape and indecent assault against a child.

He was released in 2003, but was not deported from the country and had been living at an address in Dagenham.

The fitness fanatic was supposed keep the police and immigration authorities informed of his whereabouts, but disappeared two years ago.

February 2015

Man pleads guilty to possessing and making indecent videos of young children

Andrew Gwyther, 49, of Ivatt Court, Grantham, appeared at Grantham Magistrates Court on Monday, where he admitted owning 40 movies of indecent material involving a child, including 20 category A videos which is the most extreme type of material.

The films were of children between the ages of four and six.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing 10 category B movies, seven category C movies and making three indecent videos of a child.

Prosecutor Shelley Wilson described how police raided Gwyther’s home on September 10, 2013, after police traced online activity back to his IP address following use of a shared folder with indecent images in it.

A computer was seized in the raid and evidence was found that Gwyther was using file sharing networks to search for indecent images.

The case was sent for sentencing at Lincoln Crown Court for a date to be set.

Magistrate Robert Rowley said: “Offences on this file are so serious that it needs a greater punishment than we can give.”

Gwyther was released on bail on the condition that he must not have any unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.

February 2015

MAN who owned up to fears that he poses a threat to young girls has received a mental health hospital order

Stephen Victor Barry, 47, admitted 17 charges relating to the downloading and storage of indecent images of children at Durham Crown Court, last April.

It related to a total of 132 still images, mostly in the first and most serious category of three categories of severity for such material.

The court heard Barry initially came to the attention of police as part of an investigation into data discovered on suspicious websites by the Metropolitan force, in 2007.

It led to his home, at the time, in Derbyshire, being searched and two lap-top computers being seized before its contents were searched.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said the indecent images and others featuring extreme animal pornography were recovered from one of the lap-tops.

But Mr Baker said, due to “human error” and the pressures of a backlog in such cases, Barry was not arrested and interviewed at the time by Derbyshire Police.

Judge Christopher Prince said assurances have been given that the situation will be improved and full appraisals of the system will be carried out in future.

Mr Baker said Durham Police became involved when Barry moved to the Chester-le-Street area.

Due to fears over a risk of self harming he came to the attention of medical professionals and made disclosures which were passed on to police over an “interest in children”.

Mr Baker said he feared that, after drinking alcohol, he would leave his accommodation and go to commit sexual offences.

“He was very candid in interview and accepted downloading the images onto his lap-top at his ex-family home in Derbyshire.

“He said he would look for indecent images of females aged six to eight, which he said made him sexually aroused, on a daily basis.”

Mr Baker said Barry even named one young girl with whom he had a “fixation”.

Barry, who until recently was resident at West Park Hospital, in Darlington, was said to have 33 convictions for 67 offences, including one for indecent exposure at a bus stop, in 2010.

The court heard medical and psychiatric reports indicated Barry has an organic personality disorder, a classified mental health disorder.

Judge Prince said: “I can never recall any defendant who has made such determined efforts to approach the health service to raise the fact he was sexually preoccupied with children.

“Coupled with alcohol misuse, it leads to concerns.”

Judge Prince imposed the mental health order which requires the defendant to remain in the care of the psychiatric service, until further order.

February 2015

Man escapes jail for possessing child abuse images

A MARRIED man caught with indecent images of children dodged jail after a judge heard he is already seeking help for his obsession.

Paul Tonkin was said to have a greater insight than most into the problem and started a course of counselling before he appeared in court.

The 55-year-old, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, has also been working with a specialist charity to stop him offending again in the future.

Tonkin – described by his barrister as “incredibly successful and high functioning” – was given a suspended jail sentence with supervision.

Judge Howard Crowson, sitting atTeesside Crown Court, also made him pay £800 costs and put him on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

He was ordered to go on a treatment programme and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order to monitor and restrict his internet use was made.

Judge Crowson told him: “What is particularly important is your attitude to your offending, which is unusually insightful.

“Many people in your position hide behind what they have done and make excuses, and you have not done that.”

The court heard how police went to Tonkin’s Thirsk Road home in January 2013 while he was at work and his wife and daughter were there.

When he returned, Tonkin was cautioned and arrested, and told officers: “I know why you’re here, you will find things.”

A computer and hard drive were examined and 256 images of child abuse were found, although they had been deleted after being viewed.

Prosecutor Paul Abrahams said Tonkin had searched various websites for the images between May 2010 and January 2012.

Carl Swift, mitigating, said he had been candid in an interview with a probation officer who drew up a pre-sentence report.

“It is fairly clear in stating he has a level of insight much more than most, and he himself has not discounted that there is potentially a slippery slope he needs assistance to avoid,” said Mr Swift.

“The images and material were accessed for personal use. There is no suggestion of distribution or sharing.”

Tonkin admitted making and possessing indecent images of children and was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

February 2015

COUPLE jailed after abducting, exploiting and endangering two teenage girls

Jason Jezzard, 20, of Dorset Close, Littlehampton, and Melanie Smith, 27, of The Causeway, Goring, appeared at Chichester Crown Court on Friday (January 23), having pleaded guilty at a previous hearing.

Jezzard was sentenced to a total of four years and two months’ imprisonment in a young offenders’ institution, having pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to abduction, one offence of robbery and one offence of causing actual bodily harm.

The robbery was of a mobile phone from another 16-year-old girl on April 22, 2014 – not either of the girls abducted – and the assault was committed against a man on the same date.

Smith was sentenced to a total of eight months’ imprisonment for each of three offences of abduction, all to run concurrently, having also pleaded guilty at previous hearing.

Detective Sergeant Alex Lowe, of the West Sussex Missing Persons Team said: “Jezzard and Smith had cynically drawn two vulnerable and naive young girls into an environment of petty crime, drugs and alcohol.

“They did not take the girls, who they knew, away by force or threat, or physically harm them, but they did over time systematically exploit their naivety to draw them on several occasions into a style of life that put them considerable risk.

“The girls were in local authority care, and remain so, and we worked with West Sussex Children’s Services to ensure that this pattern of behaviour did not continue.

“Both Jezzard and Smith had previously been given formal warnings, known as Child Abduction Warning Notices (CAWNs) under the Child Abduction Act 1984, telling them that they should not be associating with the girls, but they ignored these, so we arrested them.

“Police and Children’s Services will continue to work together to seek to safeguard vulnerable young people.”

February 2015

Man had ‘web cam sex’ with girl under age of 13

A MAN has admitted having ‘web cam sex’ over the internet with a girl under the age of 13 when he was aged 20.

Ian Nicholas Mottram, now 22, also got the girl to send her an indecent photograph of herself.

But Mottram, of Oaklands Road, Chirk Bank, was spared an immediate prison sentence at Mold Crown Court after a psychologist said his actions were directly related to the Asperger syndrome and other conditions he suffered from.

Judge Rhys Rowlands also hit out at the delay in the case which dated back to 2013.

The defendant, he said, had got in touch with the child over Skype and behaved very badly towards her.

They had conversations of a sexual nature, he asked her to indulge in a sex act on herself while he watched.

He would also engage in a similar act, but the girl fortunately did not do as she was asked and had simply pretended to do so, said the judge.

Mottram had also got her to send a naked photograph of herself.

While he had his problems, she was still a child, the judge told him.

Judge Rowlands said he did not understand why the matter had taken so long to get to court.

Her family had been horrified by what they had found and had promptly involved the police.

They handed the Facebook and Skype entries over to the police and Mottram was first interviewed in August 2013.

He was not interviewed again until August 2014 although the report from the hi-tec crime unit which analysed his computer and phone was dated in February.

It did not get to court until November of last year.

The judge said he accepted the defence submissions that it had put the defendant and his family under strain.

“But I am more concerned about the young girl and her family,” he said. 

“They must have been wondering what on earth was going on.”

The delay was not of his making, he had admitted the offences at a preliminary stage, had no previous convictions and crucially there was a psychological report which said that his behaviour was directly linked to his Asperger syndrome.

The prosecution accepted those findings and while it was a very serious case, it was unusual and not typical of its type.

He imposed a two year prison sentence wholly suspended and placed him on supervision so he can follow a one-to-one sex offender programme.

Mottram was placed on a six month tagged curfew between 8pm and 7am and was ordered 

to register as a sex offender for ten years.

A ten year SOPO (sexual offences prevention order) was also made.

The defendant admitted two counts of inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child over the internet and possessing the indecent photograph of her.

Prosecutor Jayne La Grua said part of the delay involved police investigations into further allegations but they had come to nothing and involved older girls.

The alarm was raised by the victim’s father who found inappropriate Facebook and Skype conversations between her and the defendant.

It turned out that the defendant appeared to prefer the company of younger people, it was alleged that he had been involved in a relationship with another young girl, and then contacted the victim.

He spoke of meeting up with her and they spoke of having sex. While they had met it was always in the company of others and nothing physical happened.

Interviewed, he admitted having “web cam sex” with her.

After his arrest he had admitted breaching his bail by having contact with another girl, aged 14.

February 2015

Pervert avoids prison after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences against a child

A Banbridge man has been given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to sexual offences at Newry Crown Court.

Martin McKnight, 62, from Mount Charles in Banbridge, was sentenced to eleven months in prison, suspended for three years.

The defendant was charged with two counts of gross indecency toward a child, indecent assault on a female and two counts of indecent assault on a female child.

The defendant was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for a period of ten years.

February 2015

Senior Plymouth Royal Marine who met Duchess unmasked as paedophile

Tony Jacka shows around the Duchess of Cornwall

A DISTINGUISHED Royal Marine who met the Duchess of Cornwall has been jailed for the “abhorrent” sexual abuse of a young girl.

Warrant Officer Tony Jacka, a former Regimental Sergeant Major of 3 Commando Brigade, has been unmasked as a paedophile who boasted online to other perverts about his crimes.

Jacka, recently second-in-command of a unit for injured service personnel, now faces dismissal from his 30-year career.

Jailing him for four and a half years, Judge Graham Cottle said the offences were “completely abhorrent” to right-minded people.

He criticised a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute Jacka five years ago, when the girl was interviewed by police.

Jacka, aged 50, went on to download indecent pictures of children and boast about his crimes to other paedophiles.

The veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan showed the Duchess of Cornwall around HMS Drake in 2013. She visited Hasler Company, a unit for the rehabilitation of service personnel, where Jacka was second-in-command.

He is also a former Regimental Sergeant Major of Stonehouse-based 3 Commando Brigade, a highly prestigious role in charge of discipline and behaviour.

Police mugshot – Tony Jacka

After reading a reference from a senior officer. Judge Cottle told Plymouth Crown Court: “He clearly set high standards for himself and for others, while failing to stick to those standards away from work.”

Jacka, of Ash Grove, Ivybridge, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault of the girl and four counts of sexual activity with the child between 2004 and 2007.

He also admitted making 139 indecent images of children between 2010 and 2013.

Lee Brembridge, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Jacka, then based at RMB Chivenor near Barnstaple, repeatedly touched the girl indecently in her bed over three years.

He added that the girl complained to police and was interviewed in 2009. But he said that the CPS failed to take the case for court because of a “lack of supporting evidence”.

Mr Brembridge said he found that decision “strange”.

He added that Jacka was eventually caught accessing indecent images of children at Devonport Naval Base.

Mr Brembridge said police later found messages sent to other paedophiles where he bragged about what he had done.

Sick search engine terms were uncovered on his computer.

David Evans, for Jacka, said his performance in the Marines, also including service in Cambodia and Northern Ireland, was “exemplary”.

But he added: “For a number of years, he was to a certain extent living a lie. He has buried his head in the sand.”

The court heard that Jacka had now admitted his guilt and was willing to tackle his problems.

Mr Evans said he had “supported injured personal with emotional issues”.

Judge Cottle said he “could not understand for a moment” the CPS’s decision not to prosecute five years ago.

Jacka was jailed for two years for sexual assault, with another two-and-a-half years consecutive for the sexual activity. A three-month jail term for the indecent images will run concurrently.

Jacka should be released at the half-way stage, but shall remain on the Sexual Offender Register for a decade.

January 2015

Paedophile with more than 29,000 images escapes jail sentence

A PAEDOPHILE caught with more than 29,000 indecent images of children as young as four-years-old has escaped a prison sentence.

Timothy Maher, of Cross gates in Widnes, was arrested and bailed after pictures and videos were found on his computer before officers later found a further 76 images on his phone.

Warrington Crown Court heard today, Tuesday, the 27-year-old had downloaded the images between August 2010 and February 2013.

Neil Gunn, defending, described the collection of images as an ‘addiction’.

“He did not download the images following his last court appearance, they were already on his phone and he accepts accessing them is abhorrent.

“He has been candid throughout and told officers the images were for his own sexual gratification and recognises he has a difficulty.”

He added the former supermarket warehouse operator was ‘genuinely remorseful’.

Judge Nicholas Woodward described Maher still having images on his phone while legal proceedings were taking place as ‘brazen’ but said he accepted the Widnes man had expressed remorse.

He added: “I’m not convinced about the motivation for your remorse, if it’s because of your situation and concern for yourself and family or a more deeper understanding that what you have been doing is very wrong.”

Judge Woodward handed Maher a 16 month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered him to complete the Northumbria sex offenders programme to ‘reduce the risk of reoffending’.

January 2015

Pervert jailed for rape and sexual abuse in Sittingbourne

A cruel, controlling and manipulative pervert has been jailed for 14 years for raping a woman and sexually abusing two girls.

Robert Thrift, 54, committed the offences, which dated back several years, while living in Sittingbourne.

Maidstone Crown Court heard it was not until October 2012 that one of the girls found the courage to contact the police. The woman and the other girl were then also interviewed.

Thrift, of Belvedere Road, Faversham, denied five charges of rape, six of indecent assault, six of indecency with a child and one of sexual activity with a child.

He was convicted of one offence of rape of the woman, indecent assault and indecency with a child on one of the girls and three of indecent assault on the other girl.

The prosecution offered no further evidence on one rape charge, two of indecency with a child and one of indecent assault after the jury of six men and six women failed to reach verdicts.

Thrift – who was allowed to sit outside the dock during the trial after claiming he suffered from claustrophobia – was acquitted of the remaining charges.

Jurors took over 24 hours spread over almost a week to return verdicts.

But Judge Philip Statman ordered him into the dock last Wednesday to be sentenced.

Prosecutor Philippa McAtasney QC said messages retrieved from Thrift’s computer showed he enjoyed domination and control.

“In addition, he has a sadistic side to him,” she continued. “He talks about domination and submission.

“The prosecution case is this defendant does indeed have a dominant, controlling side to him. He manipulated situations to carry out assaults, pretending he was playing games.

“He made them fear him and set them up to believe they would not be taken seriously or believed.”

Jonathan Turner QC, defending, said it was worth pointing out to jurors that his instructions had not changed about Thrift’s lack of guilt and there would, therefore, be no apologies or remorse on his behalf.

Passing sentence, Judge Statman said: “Underneath the jovial facade I have witnessed in the course of the trial I am satisfied you are a controlling and manipulative man.”

He was jailed for seven years for the rape and seven years consecutive for abuse of the two girls.

Thrift’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for life and he will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

After the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Shaun Creed said: “He took advantage of two vulnerable girls and a woman, and I am grateful they felt able to come forward and report the incidents to the police.

“The length of sentence gives us a brief insight into the seriousness of these assaults and I hope his victims can start to rebuild their lives knowing that their abuser has been proven guilty.

“This case shows that it doesn’t matter how long ago a crime took place, we will take it seriously and carry out thorough investigations to ensure offenders are brought to justice.

“All three of Thrift’s victims showed tremendous courage throughout the trial and thanks to their bravery and the pile of evidence compiled by the detectives investigating this case, they and the community should feel reassured that Thrift is now behind bars.”

February 2015

Paedophile DJ jailed for grooming 11-year-old girl

A former children’s disco DJ who groomed an 11-year-old girl on the internet has been jailed for four years.

Kelvin Wilkinson (36), of Park Road, Narborough, lost is DJ job in 2009 when he was jailed for three years for possessing child abuse images and inciting a youngster to commit a sexual act.

But two years after his release from prison he made contact with a girl he had seen videos of online.

Leicester Crown Court heard on Friday that the girl had posted YouTube videos of herself dancing, which Wilkinson commented on, offering encouragement.

But after they began communicating via email he started asking her what she wore under her onesie and other, more sexual, questions.

James Varley, prosecuting, said: “Kelvin Wilkinson had been searching the internet for videos of girls dancing and doing the splits and things like that.

“To begin with he’s encouraging her. It’s sophisticated and well-practiced grooming behaviour.”

He said that when the chat turned to sexual acts the girl replied: “I’m 11, I’ve no idea what that means,” and went to tell her mum.

Wilkinson was arrested and child porn videos and pictures were found on his computer.

He later pleaded guilty to three charges of making child abuse images and one charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Philip Gibbs, mitigating, told the court: “This is someone full of self-loathing who has battled against the urges your honour has heard about.

“When confronted by the police he makes admissions.”

Judge Robert Brown said the case had “worrying” features.

He told Wilkinson: “You pose a high risk of causing serious harm to female children.

“It’s clear you’re not someone who’s got a mental illness and you’ve not been sexually abused yourself as a child or anything like that.

“What’s worrying is you were before the court for behaviour that’s directly similar in 2009.

“You’re back having done the same thing again.”

Because of the risk Wilkinson poses to the public he will serve an extended time on licence after his release from prison, remaining under the eye of the probation service until 2022.

He will also remain on the sexual offenders register for life and is banned from contacting anyone under 16 or deleting his internet browser history.