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Alan Potter – Glen Parva

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January 2015

Man, 77, jailed after accessing child abuse images on the internet for second time

A 77-year-old man who accessed child abuse images on the internet was jailed for two years and three months.

It is the second time Alan Potter has been prosecuted for possessing indecent images of youngsters

In 2010 he was given a 12 week suspended sentence, with a 10 year sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) banning him from having computers or internet accounts without notifying the police, for monitoring purposes.

Potter, formerly of Henray Avenue, Glen Parva, admitted downloading three indecent images between September 9, 2013 and January last year.

He also pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching the SOPO between May 2011 and January last year, by covertly keeping a laptop computer, with software to wipe traces of the illegal content, and a broadband account – without registering them with Leicestershire Police.

At Leicester Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Dean QC said: “Your daughter has written a very touching letter to the court on your behalf and it’s clear she loves you very much.

“You’ve let her down.

“In 2010 you were given a short suspended sentence for possessing indecent images of children and a SOPO was in place for 10 years.

“Very shortly after that order was imposed you breached it and I take the view you did so deliberately knowing what you were doing was wrong.

“You acquired computer equipment and a broadband account primarily because you wanted to pursue your sexual interest in children.

“You acquired sophisticated deletion software to cover your tracks and you lied (to the police) about your acquisition of a computer.

“It’s clear you were regularly accessing child pornography sites albeit you only fall to be sentenced for three indecent images (that had not been deleted).

The judge imposed a new SOPO for the rest of Potter’s life, restricting his future computer use which will be monitored by the police.

Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said that after Potter’s prosecution for similar matters in 2010 he was considered a “low risk” and the police visited him once a year.

Potter denied having a computer until his supervising officer found his laptop – and three illegal images were found on it.

Two programmes installed for deleting material and search history were installed and both had been used to wipe content in the previous week.

Vasanti Vaitha, mitigating, said: “It’s accepted these offences are aggravated by his previous conviction.

“He would welcome any assistance from any agency concerning addressing his offending.”


Steven Burn – Church Broughton

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February 2015

Church Broughton man viewed indecent images of children

STEVEN Burn, 53, of Main Street, Church Broughton, was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £80, costs of £85, and take part in the sex offender programme for 110 days after pleading guilty to possession of 31 category C indecent images of children and 34 prohibited images of children between September 30, 2011, and June 27, 2014.

He was also given a sexual offences order for five years.

Paul Atkin – South Shields

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February 2015

South Shields Jehovah’s witness jailed for sex attack on girl despite church refusing to help police

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Church leaders refused to co-operate with a police investigation into a sex attack by one of their congregation on a teenage girl.

Jehovah’s witness Paul Atkin has now been jailed for five years after admitting to sexual activity with a 15-year-old.

A court heard the South Shields branch of the church carried out their own investigation after the allegation came to light and Atkin was booted out, but when police came knocking, church officials refused to help what was then a rape allegation, on the grounds of confidentiality.

Prosecutor Deborah Smith told Newcastle Crown Court: “It would appear there was some form of investigation by the church. We know the defendant was disfellowshipped as a consequence of that investigation but there has been no disclosure of any minutes of meetings with the defendant and the elders have refused to provide statements to the police, despite the fact the defendant is no longer a member of their congregation, on the grounds of confidentiality.”

Atkin, of East Moffat Street, South Shields, was initially accused of rape but the charge was dropped when he admitted sexual activity with a child. The court heard his victim was 15-and-a-half when he had sex with her.

Miss Smith said: “She did not wish to have sexual intercourse with him. The Crown accept, having discussed matters with her, the defendant may reasonably have believed that she did.

“She did not fight back or shout out at the time of the incident.”

The court heard the woman is still on anti-depressants and says her self confidence has been shattered by the ordeal.

In a statement read to the court, the victim, who is now an adult, said: “This has had a major effect on me and I cannot trust men.

“I bottled everything up and as a teenager I turned to drink and drugs. I hope he gets sent to prison and gets what he deserves.”

Judge Simon Hickey jailed Atkin for five years and said he must sign the sex offenders register for life and abide by a sexual offences prevention order for five years.

The judge said: “This has had a huge effect upon this young lady.”

Gavin Doig, mitigating, said Atkin had a supportive family and partner and his family described him as a “hard working man with a job” who will face devastating consequences if sent to jail.

He added that it was Atkin himself who had brought the matter to the attention of police.

Mr Doig told the court: “This defendant made a very bad mistake a number of years ago. He has not made any further mistakes. He is extremely sorry he committed this offence knowing, as he did, the complainant was under age.”

After the case, Atkin’s victim said: “When I told someone all those years ago, they didn’t want to know. I was just told it would be sorted by the fellowship.

“I was disappointed that he only got kicked out. For me, there had been no justice.”

She said it was only when she saw Atkin on Facebook that she finally plucked up the courage to send him a message asking him why he had done what he did in a bid to get an apology.

It was at that point that the police became involved and, with the support of her family, she finally pushed ahead with making a statement to officers.

She added: “It has been really hard but, when the sentence was read out, I just cried. It was just a huge relief that he was finally going to get what he deserved.

“The police have been really supportive. They have been with me throughout. It just feels as if I can now finally move on with my life.”

Richard Hill – Griffithstown

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February 2015

Child rapist who abused boy aged under 13 years old is jailed for seven years

A GRIFFITHSTOWN child rapist who repeatedly abused a boy under the age of 13 has been jailed for seven years.

Richard Hill, 31, sexually assaulted and raped the “vulnerable” child but eventually stopped when his victim asked him to, a court heard.

“Wracked with guilt”, Hill handed himself to police and admitted the abuse, Newport Crown Court was told last week.

Hill, of Sunnybank Nursing Home in Sunnybank Road, Griffithstown, admitted one charge of rape, one count of attempted rape and three sexual assaults against the boy.

Hill had taken alcohol and drugs at the time of the abuse, the court was told.

The court heard that he had struggled with his sexuality and was left “devastated” by what he had done.

Hill had worked for a local authority helping disadvantaged teenagers for more than a decade, the court was told.

On Friday [January 30], Judge Richard Twomlow jailed him for seven years for the rape, six years for the attempted rape and three years for each of the sexual assaults, to run concurrently.

He will also have to sign on the sex offenders’ register for life.

His barrister, Ieuan Bennett, said his client had put himself “entirely at the mercy of the courts” by handing himself to police last summer.

Mr Bennett said his client had realised the abuse could not go on and wracked with guilt had made a “brave decision” by going to police to “face the music”.

He said that Hill had now stopped taking alcohol and drugs, adding his client felt that “a cloud had lifted from his mind”.

Hill will have to serve half his jail term before he is released on licence.

Judge Twomlow also imposed a sexual offences’ prevention order which will restrict his contacts with children under 16 for the next five years and ordered him to pay a £120 surcharge.

Speaking after the hearing Gwent Police Det Insp Lyndon Hawker said: “While we are satisfied Richard Hill has received a custodial sentence for these offences, his victim will have to live with his crimes for the rest of their life.

“We are hopeful that our investigation and the sentence given to him provides the victim with some closure to move forward with their life.

“We, together with our partner agencies, endeavour to provide victims of sexual offences with all the support they need throughout the reporting, investigative and court process.

“We would encourage any victim of such offences to report it to police on 101.”

Edmund Warbrick – Southampton

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February 2015

Teacher caught with indecent images of children and animal porn avoids prison

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A LONG-serving teacher has narrowly avoided prison after sickening images of children being sexually exploited were discovered in his home.

Music teacher Edmund Warbrick, pictured above, taught thousands of children during his 20-year career before he was fired when police found the disturbing images as well as animal pornography on his laptop.

There was also evidence he had been searching for pornography websites, particularly those showing children aged around 13-years-old.

Now the 48-year-old has been banned from working with children after admitting a catalogue of charges.

It came after police found sickening pictures of youngsters aged just nine and animal pornography on his laptop.

Southampton Crown Court heard how police were called in after staff at Sholing Technology College – where Warbrick has worked since 1994 – received numerous complaints about him in July last year.

He was suspended while officers investigated him before he was eventually fired by education chiefs, ten days before Christmas.

The court was told how Warbrick’s computer was seized by officers who searched his home in Middle Road, Sholing, and 18 images of children as young as nine were found – four of them in the most serious category.

He was later charged with 18 counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and two of possessing extreme pornographic images of animals which he pleaded guilty to at a hearing last month.

Defending Warbrick,, who dressed as film character Austin Powers at a school event, Katherine Stock said he was of previous good character and had come across the images on one or two occasions during the past two and half years after he had been drinking.

She told the court: “Mr Warbrick is very much ashamed to be in front of court today and is remorseful about accessing these images.”

She added that he had lost his job, his house was at risk as he was living off his savings and Warbrick was considering moving back to his hometown of Blackpool to be near family.

Judge Peter Henry told Warbrick there would have been victims of his crimes as he sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

He said: “These children will have been exploited to a greater or lesser extent. They will have been encouraged, or possibly worse, to get involved in this type of sexual activity and there is no doubt that as they grow into adults these children will have been damaged.”

Daily Echo:

Warbrick as Austin Powers

Warbrick has also been placed on the sex offenders register while a Sexual Offences Prevention Order bans him from working with children or contacting those under 16 on the internet.

Martin Brown, headteacher at The Sholing Technology College, said: “We are aware that a former member of staff, employed by The Sholing Technology College from 1 September 1994 until 15 December 2014 – pleaded guilty to 18 counts of possession of child abuse images and has been sentenced in Southampton Crown Court.

 

Andrew Buckingham – Wigan

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November 2015

Mum tricked by internet lies of sex offender

A SEX offender banned from having contact with children tricked a mum-of-three he met on a dating website into not only starting a relationship – but letting him move in.

Manipulative Andrew Buckingham told the woman, who had children aged two, four and seven, that he had a history of violent offending.

But he neglected to inform her that he was, in fact, also subject to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order after being jailed for engaging in sexual activity in front of a young child.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Buckingham, 22, repeatedly told suspicious police he was homeless, despite appearing remarkably well kept, and claimed he was living “behind a big black bush”.

But he was then caught out when officers spotted him walking with a woman as she pushed a pram.

When asked whether he had stayed at the woman’s home, Buckingham admitted he had and was placed under arrest.

In interview, he revealed that he had met the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on the Oasis internet dating website.

From September 23 onwards he had stayed at her home three nights a week, and from November he had stayed most nights.

In her statement, the woman said: “I was really upset and angry when I found out. I can’t believe I didn’t know and he would never have told me.

“I feel angry that his mother allowed him to continue seeing me and my children when she knew what he had done.

“I no longer want to be in a relationship with Andy and I want him nowhere near my children.”

Amazingly, it was the second time Buckingham, of Falconwood Close, Gidlow, had been caught out too – he had earlier been recalled to prison after contacting another young mum after being released on licence.

Katy Appleton, defending, asked for her client to be given full credit for his early guilty plea.

She told how Buckingham had met the woman when he was “homeless, lonely and depressed” and that she had been “the best thing that ever happened to him”.

Ms Appleton added that her client had never been left alone with her children.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones described Buckingham as “a manipulative individual”.

He said: “Not only did you fail to inform this woman of your past, you actively misled her into thinking otherwise. It’s clear to me that this was a flagrant, blatant breach.

“The pre-sentence report makes alarming reading. You still seem to be blaming others for your previous offending.”

He jailed Buckingham for 16 months and handed him a new sexual offences prevention order.

Buckingham must sign the sex offender register for 10 years.

David Parr – Linwood

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January 2015

Paedophile living in close proximity to two primary schools even though he has just been convicted of sex attacks on five different girls

Authorised for Photosales

A LINWOOD paedophile is living in close proximity to two primary schools even though he has just been convicted of sex attacks on five different girls.

Depraved granddad David Parr is facing jail for a series of offences against young girls in Renfrewshire.

The 68-year-old was found guilty of molesting five different youngsters following a trial at the High Court in Paisley.

His sickening offences took place over a period of 19 years and one of his vulnerable victims was just five years old when he pounced.

After the verdict on Wednesday, Parr was granted bail and returned to his home in Linwood ahead of sentencing later this month.

Although Parr is subject to various bail restrictions, the decision to release him has incensed the parents of one of the girls who think Parr should already be behind bars.

The victim’s father, who we cannot name for legal reasons, told The Gazette: “Obviously I’m absolutely delighted he’s been found guilty but I’m not happy he’s been granted bail.

“He still lives in Linwood, close to two schools and a nursery and yet he’s been convicted of sex attacks on wee girls.

“It’s been a traumatic experience for my daughter and she even had to walk past him on the way into court to give evidence.

“He’s never admitted his guilt and was smirking and drawing us daggers throughout the trial. It was sickening.”

The court heard that Parr attacked the youngsters in Linwood, Paisley and Johnstone between July 1990 and September 2009.

He denied the assaults, forcing all five victims – who can’t be named for legal reasons – to take the stand against him.

The women – one of whom is still just a teenager – sobbed as they told the jury what Parr had done to them.

And Parr, who shook his head in disbelief as he was convicted of the numerous sex attacks, now looks certain to be jailed when he is sentenced later this month.

Parr attacked his first victim on a number of occasions between July 1990 and July 1992.

The court heard he struck at properties in Linwood and Paisley. Parr attacked the girl while she was just five-years-old.

The attacks, which would see Parr touching the girl’s private parts and rubbing himself against her, continued until she was six.

He began molesting his next victim, when she was 10 and the attacks, which took place at a property in Johnstone and a park in the town’s Howwood Road, continued until she was 11.

The court heard they took place between May 1997 and May 1999 and saw Parr touching the woman’s privates, rubbing himself against the primary school pupil and simulating sex with her.

Parr’s third victim was just nine when he subjected her to his vile behaviour.

She told the court that he attacked her at a flat in Linwood sometime between June 2001 and June 2002.

The jury heard he made indecent remarks to her, touched himself, felt the girl up and tried to rape her.

His next victim was 13 when he repeatedly abused her over an 11-month period between 2001 and 2002.

At two properties in Linwood he grabbed the girl, touched her breasts and felt her up.

And in 2009 he found himself another victim.

Between August and September that year he repeatedly molested a girl, who was just nine at the time, by feeling her up.

Judge Lord Bannatyne placed Parr on the Sex Offenders’ Register and deferred sentence.

He was released on bail with special conditions. As part of the court order he is banned from having any contact with his victims.

And he is also banned from having any contact with children under the age of 16 — unless there is someone over the age of 21 with him at the time. Parr was seen smiling as he left the court. He will learn his fate later this month at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Cheryl Snaddon – Crosshouse

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February 2015

Twisted young Scots woman admits downloading vile images of kids being raped and sexually abused

Cheryl-Snaddon

A PERVERTED young woman who was caught with a hoard of images of children being raped and sexually abused is facing prison.

Vile Cheryl Snaddon, 22, was detained in an early morning 
police raid on her home.

Officers seized a laptop and a number of mobile phones.

In a highly unusual case, they were armed with a warrant and discovered the obscene images 
on the devices.

Forensic examinations revealed 17 from a total of 47 were at the worst levels of depravity.

The pictures, which were mainly of 
girls, included babies aged 
about six months and young 
teenagers.

Several depicted babies and 
children being tortured.

Twisted Snaddon admitted downloading the indecent images at her home in Crosshouse, Ayrshire, between February and July 2014.

Awaiting sentence: Cheryl Snaddon was bailed

Susan Brown, prosecuting, said Snaddon told police she may 
have downloaded the images by mistake after drinking but accepted carrying out the offence.

She had set up email accounts and used search terms linked to paedophiles such as “incest” and “father and daughter”, as well as seeking specific age groups 
between three and 15.

Paul Gallagher, defending, told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court: “The gravity of the offence has not been lost on her.”

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Cheryl Snaddon pictured above – From January 2014

Sheriff Shirley 
Foran deferred sentence until 
later this month for reports and 
bailed Snaddon.

At the same court in 2009, Emma Griffin, then 24, was jailed for a year for downloading 464 indecent images of children at her home in Kilmarnock. Click here for that conviction 

The court heard how reports described Griffin as a “potential predator” who was unsuitable for community service.


Glenn Codd – Rochester

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February 2015

Child rapist jailed by judge at Maidstone Crown Court

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A man who raped a six-year-old girl several years ago, telling her it was a game, has been jailed for four years.

Glenn Codd’s abuse of the victim was always liable to cause long-term emotional and psychological effects, said a judge.

The 27-year-old orthopaedic technician denied rape and indecent assault but was convicted by an 11-1 majority.

Despite the jury’s verdict, Codd, of Copperfield Road, Rochester, continues to maintain he is innocent.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he was a teenager when he raped the girl and forced her to perform another sex act.

She said in a police interview: “He was trying to make a game out of it. He kept saying waggle was the game. I can see him saying ‘Waggle – x marks the spot’.”

She told her mother what happened some years ago but said she did not want to involve the police.

She also told a male friend that Codd had done things to her that “were not right”.

“I was too embarrassed to say what,” she continued. “I was scared.”

Asked why she finally went to the police in 2013, she said: “I just want something done about it.”

Codd was arrrested in November last year. He claimed all of the allegations were untrue and said nothing of that nature happened.

Deborah Champion, defending, said Codd had a young son and another child was expected.

“He has been of good character since,” she said. “He is an exemplary family man, hard working and productive.

“Having built a life for himself and his family he is inevitably going to lose much of what he has built up over the years.

“He will not be able to return to work in the medical sector. It is likely his home will be lost because he won’t have the income.”

Miss Champion added: “He has not accepted the conviction. He still doesn’t accept his guilt. The passage of time tends to block out things that have happened in the past.”

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC told Codd: “The offences reveal you were somewhat precocious and because of your upbringing, which was somewhat harsh, you may have been more advanced about the ways of the world, in particular sexual matters, than your chronological age might have suggested

“The fact is you took advantage of her immaturity and naivete. You preyed upon her sensibilities and used your position of power.”

Codd’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register.

After the sentencing, investigating officer DC Ally Smith said: “Codd took advantage of a young child’s innocence in order to satisfy his own perverse sexual needs.

“This one incident has adversely affected the course of her entire life and she has had to adapt to deal with the trauma.

“I would like to pay tribute to the courage and fortitude she has shown in assisting us with this prosecution.”

Ashley Tuck – Margate

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February 2015

Margate police saw pervert trying to delete indecent images of children from his phone

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A convicted sex offender began a relationship with a mother of young children – but kept his vile past a secret.

It was only when he had to attend Margate police station for officers to check his mobile phone that it was discovered.

Pervert Ashley Tuck, 32, was spotted desperately trying to erase images from his mobile – and officers discovered they were sick sex pictures.

Now a judge has jailed Tuck, of Rowe Close, Margate for five years and ordered he serve an extra three years on licence when he is released.

Canterbury Crown Court heard that police then scoured Tuck’s online activity and revealed he had been swapping pictures with other paedophiles.

Prosecutor Peter Forbes said Tuck had been convicted sex offender since 2009 and was subject to periodic checks by police.

But when he went into the station, officers said they wanted to examine his mobile telephone.

Mr Forbes said it was then that officers noticed him deleting images from the phone while trying to hide it under the table.

Tuck then admitted he had downloaded images from the internet – but during further investigations it was revealed he had begun a relationship with a woman with children who was unaware of his sordid past.

Judge Adele Williams told him that she had been left traumatised after police revealed the truth and the revelation had caused her “great anguish”.

Tuck was re-arrested and later admitted 11 sex offences including sharing vile child sex images with other paedophiles on the Internet.

The judge said that when he was quizzed by police he had admitted downloading images of young girls.

She said that doctors and psychiatrists had examined Tuck but concluded he wasn’t suffering from any mental disorder.

“But what is clear is you lack insight into your offending and you have claimed you felt that what you were doing wasn’t completely wrong.

“You denied you were sexually attracted to young children but that is just you minimising your offending. It is abundantly clear that you have a perverted sexual interest in children.”

She added: “I have come to the conclusion that you pose a significant risk to young children and therefore I am passing an extended prison sentence, together with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Thomas James – Preston

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June 2012

Sex offender is spared prison

A man convicted of sexual activity with a boy under the age of 16 failed to inform police when he moved address.

Thomas James, 24, of Thornton Avenue, Fulwood, Preston, was sentenced to 130 hours of unpaid work after breaking the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

James was jailed for two years following an appearance at Preston Crown Court in March 2010.

As part of his punishment he was handed the five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which requires him to notify police within three days if he moves home.

But Preston Magistrates’ Court heard on Wednesday that James had changed his address in May this year and not followed the correct procedure.

Pam Smith, prosecuting, said James sent a police officer a text message on May 22 in which he told her he was moving home, and the address he was moving to, on May 28.

She said: “The officer reminded the defendant that he would need to notify that change of address within three days and the defendant confirmed he had received these instructions.

Steven Jessop – Hensall

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June 2013

Child internet child abuse images pervert given jail sentence

A Hensall father was jailed at York Crown Court after admitting making and distributing child abuse images.

Images included girls between two and ten being subjected to sexual acts at the hands of adults and bondage, York Crown Court was told.

Steven Alexander Jessop, 24, downloaded, stored and on occasions shared some of the 6,569 images on the computer in his bedroom at his family’s home in Station Road for up to 18 months.

Michael Bosomworth, prosecuting, told how matters came to light during a police raid of the family home on January 14 this year.

As well as the images, evidence was also found that Jessop had been in contact with other paedophiles

May 2013

Man (24) admits 20 child abuse images charges

A man has admitted making thousands of indecent images of children

Steven Jessop (24), from Hensall, appeared at York Magistrates’ Court last week where he pleaded guilty to 20 counts of making or distributing indecent photographs of a minor.

The court was told that police seized over 6,500 images of children during a search of Mr Jessop’s home on Station Road.

The images were of various categories of seriousness, from the lowest-end Level 1 up to the most serious, Level 5 which involves Sadism/Torture/Rape or involving the sexual penetration of a child by an adult

Jane Chadwick, prosecuting, said that following forensic examination of the images, it was found that Jessop had been sharing indecent images with other people on an internet chat room-site.

Jessop admitted 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and five counts of distributing an indecent image. The offences occurred between July 1, 2010, and January 14, 2012.

Jessop was committed to York Crown Court for sentencing on May 23.

Rogan Walsh – Moffat/Dumfries

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February 2015

Pervert placed on sex offenders register for possession of indecent images of children

A 61-year-old man who downloaded a total of 516 indecent images of children at his home in Moffat has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for three years.

Rogan Walsh was also made the subject of a community payback order by Sheriff George Jamieson at Dumfries with a condition he be under supervision for three years and attend a special group programme.

Walsh pleaded guilty to making sporadic downloads of indecent moving images at his home in Well Road over a period of almost three years to May 2012, and also to being in possession of indecent images.

The court heard that a tip off to police had resulted in a search of his home where the images involving youngsters as young as 7 were uncovered.

Solicitor David Finnie stressed that most of the images were at the lower end of the indecency scale laid down by High court guidelines and there was no distribution involved – it was simply downloading.

He added that Walsh, who now lives at Rosevale Street, Dumfries, had lost his job as a result and his home in Moffat.

Robert Young – Glenmavis/Airdrie

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February 2015

Pervert distributed pictures of naked boys as young as eight being sexually abused

young

An Airdrie supermarket worker has admitted distributing indecent images and videos of boys as young as eight, being sexually abused

Robert Young, 34, a shop assistant at a shop in the town was snared during a raid at his Glenmavis home where two computers and a mobile phone were found containing hundreds of indecent images of young boys, with a significant number of them at the highest level of indecency which involves Sadism / Torture / Rape or involving the sexual penetration of a child by an adult

Young of Waddell Avenue will return to Airdrie Crown Court next month for sentencing.

The court heard Young had downloaded the indecent images between 2011 and 2014.

Acting on intelligence, six police officers armed with a search warrant raided his parents home last year.

Indecent images of children aged between eight and fifteen were found on a computer and on a mobile phone. Young admitted possession and said his parents had no knowledge of what he was doing

Prosecution said: “He was downloading sites such as pre-teen boys and young teen boys”

The tower unit of the computer contained 555 images of young boys being sexually exploited and 250 movies which contained the same material, 100 of which were at the two most indecent levels.

320 sexual images of young boys and 120 videos were found on a memory stick belonging to Young. – 49 of which were at the two most indecent levels

When vice squad experts examined his phone, they found 197 still images of naked young boys and 78 movies

Young pleaded guilty to the distribution or showing of indecent images of young children to others.

He also admitted taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs of young children between May 2011 and March 2014

Sentencing was deferred to March 5, after a full background report and risk assessment has been made against Young. 

Young was placed on the sex offenders register and released on bail

 

Robert Clark – Airdrie

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July 2011

Robert Clark, 70, convicted of abusing girls in Airdrie

A 70-year-old man has been found guilty of sexually abusing two girls in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.

Robert Clark was convicted of abusing the girls between 1969 and 1985. He was also found guilty of hitting a young boy between 1969 and 1978.

The High Court in Glasgow heard the girls were aged six and seven, and the boy seven, when Clarke targeted them.

Judge Rita Rae QC deferred sentence and remanded him in custody. Clark was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.

The court heard the incidents took place at different addresses in Airdrie, where Clark lived.

He was convicted of two charges of using lewd and libidinous practices and two separate accusations of assault.

The pensioner was also found guilty of hitting a young boy with a belt and punching him on various occasions.

Following the trial, judge Rae QC told Clark the victims had been subjected to “fear and intimidation” and that they had been abused in an “appalling way”.


Michael Hicks – Bristol

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February 2015

Great-grandfather in Bristol spared jail over indecent pictures of children

A great-grandfather aged 81 who admitted possessing indecent photos of children has been spared prison. 

Michael Hicks said he strayed into child images when viewing adult pornography on the internet.

Bristol Crown Court heard he didn’t store images himself, but they were automatically retained by his computer.

Hicks, of Malvern Road, pleaded guilty to 17 charges of possessing indecent photos.

Judge William Hart gave him a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He told the pensioner: “Your family stands by you. They hate the sin but they love the sinner.

“It is always sad to see somebody of your age, of previous good character, before the court for any offence.

“Many people find their family and friends disown them. You should be very grateful for those who have stood by you and I’m sure you won’t let them down again.”

Hicks told the judge: “I won’t.”

The judge barred him from working with children or vulnerable people and ordered to sign as a sex offender for seven years.

Ian Dixey, prosecuting, said police visited Hicks’ home on suspicion of him possessing indecent photos of youngsters.

They carried out a search and seized computer equipment and analysed its contents, the court heard.

Hicks was charged with having 14 photos at the lowest “erotic posing” category.

Two photos were deemed to be at the highest level of abuse, and a final charge related to a further 296 images in the lowest category.

Police interviewed Hicks twice but he made no comment on both occasions.

The court heard his attitude was that he had accidentally downloaded the illicit material.

Sarah Regan, defending, told the judge: “You have before you an 81-year-old man who is thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed by what he has done.

“He has not been before the court before, not even for driving and has an exemplary driving record.

“He has let himself down. He has let his partner down.”

Miss Regan said her client had a close-knit family in which he played a big part.

She said the child images recovered were predominantly of girls in underwear in “erotic” poses which he had not stored or saved himself, but were located in temporary internet files.

Miss Regan told the court: “He was browsing adult porn sites.

Anthony Dixon – Macclesfield

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February 2015

Man caught with thousands of indecent images of children

A man has been sentenced after police found almost 5,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

Anthony Dixon, 60, was caught by officers after they were tipped off about suspicious online activity at his former home on Rainow Road, Macclesfield, a court heard.

And after confiscating his personal computer and discs from his house they found the illegal images, 2,208 of which were of the ‘most serious’ category of child abuse, a hearing heard.

In total he had 4,787 explicit pictures of minors.

After searching his computer’s history the police found Dixon, now of South Park Road, Macclesfield, had been searching ‘recognised’ terms to find indecent images of children, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to:

  1. one charge of making 2,208 indecent photographs of children; one charge of making 2,014 indecent photographs of children; one charge of making 565 indecent photographs of children;

  2. one charge of possessing 4,787 indecent photographs of children;

  3. possession of 1,000 prohibited images of children;  

  4. possession of 414 extreme pornographic images at a hearing at Chester Crown Court last month

At a sentencing hearing at the same court on Wednesday (February 4), Jo Maxwell, counsel for the prosecution, said: “Police executed a warrant after evidence from internet watch about suspicious activity at his address.

“In a police interview Mr Dixon claimed that he was searching for adult porn and came across the indecent images.

“After confiscating his personal computer and discs officers could see that there had been a lot of recognised terms searching for indecent images of children and file sharing programs installed on his computer used to download images.

“He was interviewed again at the end of July last year and made no comment.”

Defending Dixon, Matthew Higginson said his client deserved credit for admitting the offences in court.

He said: “He suffers from depression. He has no previous convictions and has pleaded guilty to all the offences.”

Sentencing, Recorder for Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, said: “These are serious offences that involves the abuse of children and that cannot be tolerated. You admitted your guilt which is to your credit.”

Dixon was handed a three year community order with supervision and told he must attend an Internet Sex Offending Treatment Program.

He was made to sign the sex offender’s register for 10 years and handed an indefinite sexual offence prevention order, and told he could not work with children until given permission by authorities.

 

Wayne Carr – Newsome

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February 2015

Man (28) jailed after he had sex with a 14-year-old schoolgirl

Leeds Crown Court heard Wayne Daniel Carr was 28 at the time he let the 14-year-old girl stay overnight at his home.

She had told her mother she was staying elsewhere and it was only when she did not return home that her cousin found her at Carr’s flat in Towngate, Newsome.

Simon Haring prosecuting said the girl accepted they had unprotected sex while they were together.

Mark Brookes representing Carr said he had never been to custody before. He took responsibility for his actions and was motivated to address his attitude.

Carr, now 29, admitted sexual activity with a child and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Sentencing him the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC said he was satisfied Carr knew of the girl’s age at the time of the offence.

A pre-sentence report suggested he was flattered when the victim showed him some interest and “put his sexual needs ahead” of concern for the girl

The judge said: “She was not only a child but a vulnerable one and you were the adult.” Rather than taking advantage of the girl he should have acted appropriately to protect her.

He barred Carr from working with children in the future.

William Westhead – Bootle

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February 2015

Ex-Bootle YMCA worker found guilty of sex attacks on three young boys 

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A former YMCA worker was found guilty of sex attacks on three young boys dating back 50 years.

William Westhead, 65, faced seven counts of indecent assault against children atLiverpool Crown Court.

Westhead, of Derwent Drive, Bootle, denied all the charges, which date from the mid 1960s to early 1970s, and centred on three victims aged as young as eight.

The trial heard they happened at campsites in Rhyl, Llangollen, Heswall and Tawd Vale, near Ormskirk.

A jury unanimously found Westhead, who was aged 17 to 20-years-old at the time, guilty of six of the charges.

He was found not guilty of an allegation of abuse on a fishing trip in Cornwall.

Recorder David Turner, QC, released Westhead on bail but warned him that he faces prison when he is sentenced on March 19.

Westhead, who was an assistant at the YMCA in Bootle, based at Breeze Hill and then at Trinity Road, admitted “snuggling up” with the boys when they all slept in sleeping bags in tents, but said he did not do anything wrong and that they had made up the allegations.

But prosecutors successfully argued he molested one boy on multiple occasions at a North Wales farm between 1966 and 1970, when the boy was aged eight to 11.

The jury found he also abused the boy multiple times at a campsite in Rhyl between 1967 and 1970, when he was aged between nine and 11.

Westhead molested a second victim between 1967 and 1970 at Tawd Vale and in Heswall.

And he abused a third boy, aged 12, in Heswall between 1967 and 1968.

Speaking outside court, the first victim, now 57, told the ECHO it was “one of the happiest days of my life” when Westhead was found guilty,

He said: “When he gave evidence, Westhead shouted: ‘you’re an angry person, making all these stories up’. He’s right that I was angry because of what he had done.

“Three people don’t make stories up like this – he was trying to say we met together and conspired against him. Police contacted the other victims by letter after I came forward.

“I’m so happy that justice has been done and he’s been found guilty.”

Austin Haddad – Bristol

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February 2015

Bristol pensioner who raped two young girls will probably spend rest of his life behind bars

A retired British Rail worker from Bristol is set to die behind bars after being jailed for 18 years for raping and molesting two young girls in the 1980s.

Austin Haddad, 75, from the St Paul’s area of the city, groped one of his victims when she was just five-years-old during a decade of abuse at his home.

He left one of his victims emotionally scarred and contemplating suicide.

Haddad, who worked for 40 years in the railway industry before retiring to his native Jamaica, stared blankly ahead as he was jailed at the Old Bailey today.

Judge Wendy Joseph QC said Haddad has shown ‘not one iota of remorse’ and should never again be left alone with a young girl.

She passed sentences totaling nearly 150 years on the pensioner, but ordered Haddad to serve 18 years behind bars as the sentences would be concurrent.

“My personal view is he should not be left alone with a female child,” she told the court. “I can give you no credit for avoiding putting these girl through what was plainly a torture for them at the trial. You have shown not one iota of remorse.”

The court heard Haddad abused the girls between 1981 and 1991.His first victim was 12-years-old when Haddad abused her, groping her as she lay on his bed.

He raped and molested her repeatedly between 1981 and 1985, but the girl was too scared to speak up and turned instead to alcohol.

“I’ve felt that my life since the sexual abuse has made me feel alone, sad, depressed, and angry,” she said in an impact statement to the court.

“My head has been all over the place, blaming myself for what happened to me. I’ve spent 33 years in the darkness, and have often thought about taking my own life.”

The court heard she had tried to kill herself once, and was ashamed that she had not spoken up about the abuse sooner.

Haddad turned his attentions to a second girl in 1987 when she was just five, groping and molesting her in the same way.

Nicholas Wayne, defending, said Haddad spent 40 years working in the rail industry, mainly with British Rail and a ten-year stint from 1992 to 2002 with a rail agency.

Haddad successfully overcame bowel cancer in 2002, and retired to Jamaica in 2007 with his new wife.

However, he continued to make frequent trips back to the UK until his arrest in December 2013.

Described in court as a ‘sprightly 75-year-old’, Judge Joseph said she had reduced the time he will serve behind bars due to his age.

But she added: “They richly deserve to be consecutive sentences – it was separate offending at different times against different girls.

“But the gravity of both sets of offending is such that the sentences must be of a length were I to make them run consecutively that totality would be too high.”

Haddad, of Burnell Drive, Bristol, was convicted of four counts of rape, 14 counts of indecent assault, and one count of indecency with a child.

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