February 2015

Man is warned to expect jail over images

A LANCING man, who admitted making more than 600 indecent images and videos of children, has been told to expect to be jailed.

Richard Chalcraft, 37, of South Street, Lancing, appeared at Chichester Crown Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent still images of a child and two counts of making moving images of a child between September 1, 2013, and September 9, 2014.

In total, Chalcraft made 609 indecent images and videos at his home, the severity ranging from category A to C.

Chalcraft also pleaded guilty to one count of distributing 30 indecent photographs of children from category A to C between February 7, 2014, and February 10, 2014.

Prosecutor Rachel Beckett said the new sexual offences guidelines recommend that for distributing category A images, which depict erotic posing with no sexual activity, the jail term should range from between two to five years.

John Naylor, defending, said: “Mr Chalcraft has had issues with depression and was sexually abused as a child.”

The court heard that 60 pages of chat from social media messaging app Kik had also been seized from Chalcraft.

Recorder S Smyth said: “Mr Chalcraft, you have heard everything that has been said this morning and I think it’s more or less inevitable you will be sent to prison on the next occasion you are in court.”

Chalcraft will be sentenced at Chichester Crown Court on March 12.

February 2015

Jehovah’s Witness elders deny responsibility for sex predator’s actions

JEHOVAH’S Witness elders insist they had no legal responsibility for the sick behaviour of ageing sex predator, Peter Stewart, whose abuse of a young girl in Loughborough in the 1980s has sparked a £500,000 lawsuit.

Their barrister, Adam Weitzman, argued that much of Stewart’s perverted activities had occurred “in the community” and that elders “could not restrict his movements or who he saw”.

Although Stewart acted as a “ministerial servant” for some of the time before he was “deleted” by the elders, this was not a position which carried any formal authority, he added.

When it was discovered that he had indecently assaulted another child in 1990, elders had taken active steps to remove him from his position.

Stewart had ultimately “disassociated himself from the Jehovah’s Witnesses, before he could be disfellowshipped”.

His withdrawal followed his conviction for sexually abusing a schoolgirl and a young boy in 1995, the court was told.

At London’s High Court, a traumatised woman, aged in her 20s but who cannot be identified, is suing the Trustees of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Great Britain, claiming that not enough was done to protect her from Stewart.

She was molested by the ministerial servant over a five-year period in Loughborough in the 1980s and 90s, her barrister, James Counsell, has claimed.

The trauma she suffered derailed her education and career, and led to harrowing nightmares and recurring thoughts of suicide, the court heard.

Matters came to a head after she “passed out on her bed next to a pile of paracetamol” while on holiday with her husband, “having left him a suicide note”.

Soon afterwards, she had a “bad panic attack” – triggered by seeing a collection of Jehovah’s Witness literature – and it was only then that she decided to sue.

Stewart – an apparently “respected and devout” congregation member – died aged 72 in June 2001.

Mr Counsell said he met his end “shortly before police arrived at his home to arrest him for sexually abusing the claimant”.

The elderly molester had repeatedly preyed on the girl between the ages of four and nine, “using his position as a ministerial servant to commit these acts”, the barrister claimed.

He ensured her silence by invoking the threat of Armageddon and by “telling her that what she was doing was fornication and that she was sinning”.

However, Mr Weitzman pointed out that elders had never had any “direct knowledge of any sexual abuse by Stewart of the claimant”.

“While it is not disputed that some abusive acts took place, they cannot admit the period, nature, scope or circumstances of the abuse,” he added.

And the barrister insisted it would be wrong to hold the trustees “vicariously liable” for Stewart’s actions.

So many years having passed, key documents – including crucial police interviews – had gone missing, and many potentially pivotal witnesses had died.

Mr Weitzman added that Stewart’s role “did not require him to have contact with children”, although some may possibly have seen him as a “mentor”.

Overall, the elders “did not exercise control over Stewart in the community where the abuse occurred”, he told the court.

“He was certainly not expected to develop either a personal or intimate physical relationship with children.

“On the contrary, individual contact with children in the absence of their parents is inimical to the role of ministerial servant,” he added.

The hearing is now in its final stages and Mr Justice Globe is expected to reserve his judgement until a later date.

February 2015

“Dangerous sexual predator” has been sentenced to life in prison for child abuse crimes including rape and indecent assault

Ian Stafford Bartlett, 55, of Jersey, will serve at least 10 years in prison.

He admitted making indecent photographs of children, rape, procuring an act of gross indecency, and indecent assault.

The judge, Bailiff William Bailhache, said it was the first time someone had been sentenced to life in Jersey for a crime that was not murder.

The Royal Court heard Bartlett carried out sustained and serious sexual abuse of a young girl from 2009 until 2013.

He made more than 3,000 indecent images of children, some of which were of him abusing a child, the court was told.

The prosecution called for a life sentence because of the severity of the attacks and Bartlett’s lack of remorse.

Det Insp Hafey said: “Every part of the police investigation revealed a high level of controlling and manipulative behaviour by Bartlett who is a dangerous sexual predator.

“He was clearly only interested in satisfying his own sexual gratification and gave no thought or consideration to the abuse that he was subjecting his young victim to.

“Bartlett has never shown any degree of remorse for his behaviour.”

February 2015

North Wales shoe shop worker guilty of exposing himself to 11-year-old girl

A shop worker has pleaded guilty to exposing himself to young girl as she tried on new walking boots.

Christopher Pollard, 33, lured the 11-year-old youngster into the back of a store in Betws y Coed and twice indecently revealed himself to her while the girl and her family were visiting Snowdonia on April 15 last year.

Prosecutor James Neary said in April 2013 Pollard had been cautioned for a previous exposure.

Mr Neary said the girl was visiting the area with her parents when Pollard, of Brickfield Terrace, Llandudno Junction, offered help with fitting new walking shoes.

“But he then invited the naïve youngster into a rear room of the shop where there was a curtain. She saw his groin but didn’t immediately tell her parents.

Pollard continued with his work but invited the girl into the rear of the shop again and repeated his exposure.

This time, however, the girl told her parents and Pollard was quizzed on September 26 in a voluntary interview at Llandudno police station.

Mr Neary said Pollard claimed at first that he had problems with his zip then, after being shown CCTV, he said he made a “terrible error of judgement” for a “thrill.”

The prosecutor added :”He denied having any sexual interest in children.”

Defence solicitor Roger Thomas said there was no suggestion Pollard had touched the girl, and he was no longer working at the shop.

Magistrates gave Pollard unconditional bail for sentencing on March 6 at Caernarfon crown court.

Pollard must register as a sex offender with police.

February 2015

Pervert jailed for six years for sex assault on child at holiday park

A man who was caught sexually assaulting a young child at a holiday park near Bodmin has been jailed for six years.

David Coombs was staying at Michaelstow Holiday Park in St Tudy on September 20 when another visitor at the site caught him with the girl, aged under 13, who cannot be named for legal reasons, Truro Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

Nigel Wraith, for the prosecution, said the 50-year-old claimed he was just showing the youngster his “thing” and that the girl had asked him to look at a spot on her bottom.

Police were called and the girl was interviewed. At first she denied anything had happened: “She said she was scared to tell the police what had been happening for fear of getting herself into trouble,” said Mr Wraith.

“This sort of behaviour had been on some five occasions. She said Mr Coombs had told her not to tell anybody and she was frightened to tell people.”

At an earlier hearing Coombs, listed in court papers as of no formal abode, had admitted five counts of sexually assaulting the girl.

Kelly Scrivener, for the defence, said Coombs had chosen not to appear in court, despite being brought to the building from custody, because of the shame and remorse he felt, and had not wanted her to put forward in mitigation the fact that he had himself been abused as a child.

“He has never got over that and he threw himself into his employment,” said Ms Scrivener.

She said Coombs had worked in a trusted role in the service industry for 15 years, during which time he had to deal with extremely difficult and harrowing environments.

Sentencing Coombs to six years in jail, Judge Simon Carr said he had no doubt that had he not been caught red-handed the abuse would have continued and escalated.

He said: “I accept his remorse at this stage is genuine.”

Judge Carr added that the offence had a devastating effect on the girl and her mother. “Sadly, I suspect this is something she will carry with her for the rest of her life,” he said.

Coombs was made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order indefinitely and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

October 2010

Saved from paedophile

A mum today told how she foiled a convicted paedophile’s sick attempt to marry her 13-year-old daughter.

February 2015

Serial rapist facing a long spell in jail after being convicted of series of sex crimes against females

Stephen Taylor, 58, is guilty of targeting two girls and two women during a period spanning about 10 years, with his offences including the rape of one of his child victims.

Cumbria’s top judge said he had been convicted of “brutal” offending, warning him he was set to spend years behind bars.

Taylor showed no emotion as Judge Paul Batty QC told him: “Be under no illusions, you face an extremely lengthy custodial sentence.”

Taylor, of Leconfield Street, Cleator Moor, had been on trial at Carlisle Crown Court, where he denied 22 charges.

But a jury found him guilty of 17 of these crimes. He also admitted two other charges before the trial got underway.

The trial heard how a “significant number of women” had come forward to make claims against Taylor.

Taylor’s overall crimes spanned a period between 1980 and 1990.

Isla Chilton, senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in the north west spoke after the hearing.

She said: “Stephen Taylor has been convicted of carrying out horrendous physical and sexual abuse of four female victims.

“He showed a distinctive pattern of behaviour throughout his contact with all the victims by controlling, manipulating and forcing himself upon each of them.

“The victims have shown immense bravery in coming forward and taking a stand against their abuser.

“I sincerely hope that following the verdicts, they can begin to move on with their lives in the knowledge that justice has been served.”

A jury unanimously found him guilty of six counts of rape and six serious sexual assaults against one woman.

He was also found guilty of two counts of rape against another woman but cleared of a third charge of rape for this victim.

The jury returned majority verdicts on one count of rape and two charges that he indecently assaulted a girl.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault against another girl.

In relation to a third girl, Taylor was found not guilty of three charges of sexual assault and one charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Taylor, wearing a grey sweatshirt and jeans, was told by Judge Batty: “You have been convicted of brutal offending.”

The case was adjourned and Taylor will be sentenced at a later date. He was remanded in custody.

February 2015

34-year-old Man jailed for 18 months after sex attack on 10-year-old girl

A cleaning company supervisor was jailed for 18 months for a sex attack on a 10-year-old girl.

Liam Williams was sent to prison and placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years after groping the youngster.

The judge, Recorder Tim Raggatt QC, sitting at Leicester Crown Court, told Williams said: “Childhood is precious.

“It is supposed to be one of the most secure and happy and beautiful times of our lives

“You entered this little girl’s childhood and degraded it and degraded it for your own sexual gratification.”

Williams (34) of St Thomas Road, Wigston, had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13 in August 2013.

He was found guilty after a trial at Leicester Crown Court last month.

Prosecutor Ben Gow told how Williams groped the 10-year-old.

He said Williams asked her if she enjoyed the touching and told her not to tell anyone about the incident.

Mr Gow said the assault had had a profound effect on both the child and her mother.

He said: “The mother had to have three months off work and used medication to try to reduce her anxiety.”

He said the young girl had been very upset by having to give evidence at the trial.

Scott Brady, defending, told how his client will now lose his job.

He said: “He maintains his position that he is not guilty of this offence.”

The judge said Williams was guilty of a grotesque crime.

He said: “You took the opportunity to cynically abuse this little girl.”

The judge made Williams subject of a sexual offences prevention order banning him from having any contact with females under the age of 18 until further notice.

He was also made the subject of a restraining order stopping him from contacting either the victim or her mother until further notice.

September 2013

Pervert jailed for sexual offences against two schoolboys

A pervert from Newbold has been jailed for a string of sexual offences against two schoolboys

Derby crown court heard self proclaimed Psychic James Alex Ellis systematically Sexually abused two schoolboys over a six month period in the Newbold and Dronfield areas of Derbyshire

The victims were aged 13 and 15 years old

Ellis was convicted:

1. Sexual activity with a child

2. Cause to incite child to engage in sexual activity

3. Sexual activity

4. Two breaches of sexual offences prevention order

Ellis was sentenced to 48 months (four years) imprisonment with a six year extended licence

He was placed on both the sex offenders register and a sex offences prevention order for an indefinite period

Ellis has a parole eligibility date of March 2016 and an automatic release date of July 2017

February 2015

Worcester child rapist has his sentence increased

Barry Nash has had his sentence for the rape of a child under 13 extended from six to nine years by the Court of Appeal

Barry Nash met his 12-year-old victim in the spring of 2014.

He began grooming her which rapidly progressed to sexual contact over a three-month period. The victim contracted a sexually transmitted disease as a result.

The abuse ended when the victim’s mother became so suspicious of his repeated denials of any wrongdoing, that she contacted the police, and the victim disclosed to them what had been going on.

“I asked the Court of Appeal to examine whether the sentence was appropriate, given the seriousness of the offences, and the fact that the law states that children under 13 cannot consent to sexual intercourse.

I am pleased that they have found that this sentence was unduly lenient and have imposed a sentence of nine years’ imprisonment.”

– SOLICITOR GENERAL, ROBERT BUCKLAND QC MP

February 2015

JAILED: children’s home worker jailed for 16 years for abusing under-age girls

A former children’s home worker from Stony Stratford who sexually abused two girls in his care over 30 years ago has been jailed for 16 years.

David May, 66, of King Street, was arrested in the wake of the Jimmy Saville investigation.

Recorder David Holborn, sentenced May today at Chelmsford Crown Court following his conviction earlier at Snaresbrook Crown Court of three offences of rape and three of indecent assault between 1981 and 1984.

The judge told May he had played favourites and targeted these girls, lavishing attention on them.

He described how the regime at the home in Plaistow was harsh with cruel punishments.

The judge said May took advantage of that by “playing the good guy”. He gave the girls presents, cigarettes and even supplied cannabis to gain their trust and allow the assaults to take place.

The defendant ran a photography group in which only these two girls took part and he used the head’s study, with the windows blacked out, to commit most of the abuse, said Recorder Holborn.

He added that May had deprived the youngsters of their innocence and that his victims were both suffering from long term psychological effects.

May sat in the dock shaking his head in denial throughout the hearing.

The trial heard that May, who used to live in Poplar, east London, met the girls while working at the home. He was first arrested in 1985 but police took no action against him at the time.

He was re-arrested again in 2012 when the second victim came forward in the wake of the Jimmy Saville scandal.

May denied ever abusing the girls or ever taking them to his flat, saying he had ‘no idea’ why they were making it up.

The prosecution said May molested the girls but they were convinced to keep it as a ‘dirty secret.’

The abuse then became more regular, shifting locations, including some times at his own home, and often in the presence of each other.

February 2015

Pervert avoids prison for grooming schoolgirls and posing as a female modelling agent

A man has admitted grooming Wigan schoolgirls on the internet by posing as a female modelling agent.

Mohammed Sarang, 20, of Pembroke Road, Wembley, pleaded guilty to inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent photographs of a child under 16 and causing or inciting indecent images of children at Harrow Crown Court.

He was given a two-year suspended sentence, a supervision order for two years, a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and was ordered to attend a 60-day training programme.

Sarang had remotely hacked into the Facebook account of one of his victims’ friends.

He took over her identity and created a fraudulent account in the name of Nicola Hay, posing as a modelling agent.

Using this alias Sarang befriended several young girls from the Wigan area on social media sites, leading them to believe he could find them modelling jobs.

In order to check out their “suitability” for these imaginary jobs, he would offer them a webcam audition, during which he would ask them to undress and perform sexual acts.

Sarang’s identity was uncovered when the mother of one of his victims became concerned when she discovered an online conversation her daughter was having with someone called “Nicola” and contacted Greater Manchester Police.

After a joint investigation between GMP and the Met, officers arrested Sarang after carrying out a search of his home address in Wembley, where they found computers with online conversations between him and his victim.

Det Insp Joanne Clawson said: “We worked extremely closely with The Met throughout their investigation and I am pleased that we were able to identify and put a stop to the actions of Mohammed Sarang, who used the internet to groom young children from Wigan and other areas within the UK.

“As part of the investigation and alongside partner agencies, we visited more than 60 children in Wigan who had come into contact with Sarang, many of whom befriended him simply because their friends had.

“All of the children and their families received safeguarding advice during these visits, as our top priority is ensuring the on-going safeguarding of vulnerable people.

“This is a tactic that is used by sex offenders online who seek to cast their net as widely as possible and so I would encourage parents to be vigilant and intrusive about their child’s activities online.

“With them holding the internet in the palm of their hands it is important to scrutinise who they are ‘friends’ with on social media sites and alert us to any concerns they have.”

Project Phoenix is Greater Manchester’s multi-agency response to tackling child sex exploitation. Bringing together police, local authorities, NHS and third sector organisations, including Barnardo’s and Crimestoppers, Project Phoenix aims to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation, help people recognise the signs, encourage people to report it and provide support to victims and those most at risk.

Visit http://www.itsnotokay.co.uk for information for children, young people, parents, carers and professionals on how to spot the signs of child sex exploitation and what to do about it.

February 2010

School teacher pleads guilty to sex offence

A Westminster secondary school teacher has pleaded guilty to “inciting sexual activity” with a 15-year-old girl.

Charles Logan was arrested at his Bromley home in December last year on suspicion of sexually abusing the teenager, who must remain anonymous for legal reasons.

His arrest followed an inquiry by the Met’s child abuse investigation team into allegations of sexual misconduct made against Mr Logan in September.

The 40-year-old appeared at Camberwell Green magistrates’ court on December 17.

He pleaded guilty to inciting sexual activity with a girl between 13 and 17 and abusing a position of trust.

The chairman of governors at the school, which also cannot be named for legal reasons, said that he was sacked immediately after the offences came to light.

Westminster Council children’s services boss Cllr Nickie Allen confirmed that Mr Logan had been instantly dismissed.

She said: “This is clearly a very serious incident and, as soon as the council and school were made aware of what occurred we acted swiftly, immediately suspending the teacher concerned.

“I would like to reassure parents and their children that we treat the care and well-being of pupils in Westminster with the utmost importance.

“Our child protection team and schools will continue to work with the police to safeguard children and young people in Westminster.”

Investigating officer Det Con Jon Knox said: “Logan abused a position of trust for his own sexual gratification.

“Fortunately swift action from the police and the school has prevented him from offending again.

“We can only be grateful that he pleaded guilty and the victim did not have to go through the ordeal of giving evidence at a court.”

January 2011

Former Highgate headmaster spared jail for child abuse images charges

A FORMER headmaster of Highgate junior school who has been convicted of downloading sickening images of children as young as three has been spared prison.

Hugh Simon Evers was the respected head of the private school, which teaches children aged seven to 11, for a decade between 1992 and 2002.

But his teaching reputation was plunged into disgrace last year when police found almost 400 pornographic images of underage teenagers and children on his home computer.

One of the most disturbing pictures showed a seven-year-old girl, while others depicted youngsters aged just three and four.

Evers pleaded guilty to six counts of making and possessing indecent images of children at Chichester Magistrates’ Court in December.

And this week the 62-year-old was given a 30-week suspended jail term.

Sentencing at Chichester Crown Court on Monday, Judge William Wood QC said he did not believe a man of Evers “education and intelligence” would be likely to offend again.

“Like anyone who has climbed high in a well-respected profession you have many good qualities which stand you in good stead, and result in my having to read the good reports from what people think of the way you have conducted your life, the benefit you have given to your society in various ways as a parent, and husband, and in the course of your profession.

He continued: “While there were a large number of graphic indecent images that are shocking to the public and this court, I accept that you would never have behaved indecently with any child in your care.

“What has tragically happened is that you have developed this sexual interest in children.”

But Judge Wood told Evers he thought it was necessary to give him a prison sentence because of the abuse suffered by the children in the downloaded photographs.

He said: “There are as you know real victims among those children – the children who are being abused in the photos. And they would not be victims if men like you did not download and view these images.

“In all these circumstances I feel it is necessary to mark what you have done with a prison sentence.”

Evers retired from teaching when he left Highgate in 2002 and moved to Eastbourne.

He continued to work at another prep school in the seaside Sussex town on a voluntary basis, while volunteering at the local Citizens Advice Bureau and sitting on the BBC’s Audience Council which monitors broadcasting standards.

But his retirement was destroyed last year when an engineer who was called in to fix his computer found pornographic images of children on his hard-drive and reported him to the police.

When the shamed teacher was arrested on February 11, 2010, he claimed that he was unaware the pictures were unlawful because they were mainly of teenage girls, adding: “The images were nothing but of an artistic nature.”

Sussex police found that between January 2007 and April last year Evers, who has no previous convictions, had downloaded 353 level one images – considered to be the least serious.

But he had also saved two stills and four video clips classified as level four, which is just one short of the worst category for such images.

Evers, of Meads Street, Eastbourne, was sentenced to 30 weeks imprisonment suspended for 20 months with conditions.

These included a 12-month supervision order and a ban from working with children.

In addition, he was placed on the sexual offenders register and told to pay £425 in court costs

November 2009

Playground pervert had previous convictions

A CONVICTED pervert was allowed to work as a warden in a Kentish Town park despite having a history of committing indecent acts, the Ham&High has learned.

Park attendant Michael Scanlon, 63, was given a four-month suspended prison sentence last Friday after pleading guilty to outraging public decency.

On the afternoon of August 29, Scanlon was caught committing a lewd act in front of two young boys while standing inside the park hut at Talacre Open Space.

Scanlon’s previous convictions included a similar offence of indecency in 2003 and, in 1981, he pleaded guilty to touching a 12-year-old boy in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

Security checks for park staff were introduced by certain boroughs years ago. But Camden Council only decided to introduce them for their wardens – who are employed by private contractor Glendale Services – in May this year.

Scanlon’s application was still being processed at the time of the incident so his history went undiscovered.

Haverstock ward and Liberal Democrat councillor Jill Fraser said: “I think it is a lesson well learnt but not one that we probably foresaw because we would have expected the company to be doing these checks.

“I am absolutely sure Camden will have learned its lesson and will be looking at this. We are very lucky no child was harmed in any way.”

Peter Cuming, chairman of the Friends of Talacre group, said that checks shouldn’t go over the top so we end up with “the whole kingdom vetted” but the council needed more care with its parks.

“You would have thought Glendale would have taken a little more care to find out the history of this man,” he said.

“Because of the thousands of children who use the park, you need a special kind of quality park keeper and, in the past, we have felt any old muggins who turns up is allowed to who would work there.”

Scanlon was sacked and replaced by a new warden immediately after the incident.

Prosecuting barrister Nathan Palmer told the court that despite his conviction in 1981 Scanlon managed to find employment working as a security guard near a children’s paddling pool.

He was only removed from the post in 2003 after committing a similar lewd offence while on duty.

During mitigation barrister Lee Sergent said that Scanlon had been brought up in Galway, Ireland, under the care of the Christian Brothers organisation and claimed he had been the victim of physical abuse by his mentors.

Mr Sergent said: “I think that goes quite a long way to explaining some of the behaviour exhibited by Mr Scanlon.”

Sentencing, Judge Martineau said: “This is deeply engrained obviously. Although it has only been noticed on three occasions, I dare say there has been more occasions than that.”

Mr Scanlon will also be forced to undergo a programme of treatment for sex offenders and faces a 24-month probation supervision.

A Camden Council spokeswoman said that there was no legal obligation to vet parks staff and by doing so the town hall was “going above and beyond what is legally required”.

She added: “We continue to work with Glendale to ensure that staff receive the necessary CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) clearance over and above the legal requirement and until these checks are fully completed no contractors working within parks or open spaces across the borough without CRB clearance are permitted to work alone.

January 2015

Scout leader who sexually molested teenage boys also admitted having thousands of child abuse images

A scout leader who volunteered at his local scout group for more than a decade sexually molested two teens.

Gavin Owen has been told by a judge a custodial sentence is “inevitable”.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court took less than an hour to unanimously convict Owen of two charges of sexual assault

Unbeknown to the jury, Owen, of Heathfield Close, Formby, is already awaiting sentence after admitting possessing thousands of indecent child porn images.

Adjourning the case so that a pre-sentence report could be prepared for both sets of offences, Judge Denis Watson, QC, told him: “A custodial sentence is inevitable but a report will help me assess the risk you present and the length of sentence.”

He remanded him in custody until February 19 and ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

During his four-day trial the court heard that Owen, who volunteered in Crosby, had abused both boys after inviting them round to his home on separate occasions.

Prosecutors said the 37-year-old had groomed one of them over a long time and plied him with whiskey before assaulting him.

Charlotte Atherton, prosecuting, said the boy, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, was particularly vulnerable, which Owen knew.

Owen invited him to a “sleep over” and began drinking Jack Daniels whiskey and also gave several glasses to the boy, who became “clearly affected”.

Miss Atherton said: “At bedtime they went upstairs and the boy said he had no choice on where to sleep and the only place was in the room with the defendant on the defendant’s bed alongside him.”

She said that while there Owen sexually abused him and although the boy, who was embarrassed, did not then reveal what had happened, he had not wanted it to happen and Owen knew that.

The second incident happened nine months later and involved an 18-year-old friend of the first victim. Owen invited him to his home for lunch and then upstairs to see his sound system.

It was a hot day and Owen said he had a fan in his room so the youth went in and relaxed on the bed and fell asleep.

He awoke to find Owen molesting him.

That youth later texted the other boy, who then revealed what had happened to him, and after he told his mother the police were notified.

Owen, an electrician, denied the allegations and told the court that the sexual activity had been consensual.

He was suspended by the Scout Association when the allegations came to light in August.

October 2014

Man found guilty of child rape

A Runcorn man has been jailed for 10 years for raping a young girl

Unemployed Matthew Gary Reed (23) of Runcorn was found guilty at Chester crown court of two counts of rape on a child who was aged under 13-years-old

The female child was aged just 11-years-old. One count of rape related to an anal sex attack

The court heard that the attacks took place on June 16th 2014. The child told her mother what had happened, and the police were informed.

Reed continued to deny the attacks and resorted to several outbursts from the stand which included calling the victim: “A lying little slag”

Reed was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for each count, to run concurrently

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life, and he will also be subject to a sexual offences prevention order on his release

February 2015

Pervert plied Bury schoolgirl with drugs and vodka as he groomed her for sex

A MAN drove more than 200 miles to have sex with a Bury schoolgirl after plying her with drugs and vodka – then afterwards gave her a teddy bear.

Married father of two Chuku Anyawu groomed his 15-year-old victim via Facebook and sent her more than 600 text messages to persuade her to meet him for sex.

When she hesitated, the 48-year-old, of Worsley Road, Stratford, London, sent her pictures of vodka and cannabis spliffs “to show her what she missing,” Judge Elliot Knopf said before sentencing Anyawu at Bolton Crown Court this morning.

Judge Knopf said Anyawu had preyed on a vulnerable teenager and groomed and abused her before jailing him for five years and six months.

The court heard the girl, who is in care, started talking to Anyawu last May.

He called himself “Prince Chris” during their online conversations and claimed to be 23 — sending her a picture of a much younger-looking man.

As time went on, the pair progressed to talking via email, text message and over the phone.

Anyawu made several requests for the girl to send him naked pictures of herself.

They discussed ways they could meet and Anyawu offered to pay for the girl to travel by train to London, but she was worried she would be reported missing.

Anyawu suggested she get a lift to Oldham where his cousin would drive her to London, but her care workers refused to take her there.

On August 9, Anyawu drove to Bury in a Mazda and parked outside her home at 10pm.

Prosecution counsel Peter Turner said: “The girl wasn’t sure it was him because, in his photograph, he looked like he was in his 20s and this man was much older, though she recognised his voice from the phone.”

The girl got in the car and Anyawu put his hand on his victim’s thigh before suggesting they go to a hotel, but she became alarmed and got out of the vehicle at a set of traffic lights.

The pair’s communication continued and Anyawu drove back to Bury on August 25, after persuading the girl to sneak out of her bedroom window at 12.30am.

Anyawu drove her to a wooded area behind a Birtle restaurant and drank whisky while she drank vodka and smoked cannabis, the court heard.

Mr Turner added: “They then had sex. The victim said that she felt obliged to have sex with him because he had driven from London and brought her drink and drugs.

“He gave her a teddy bear afterwards.”

The following day, the girl told her care workers what happened and police were called.

Anyawu was arrested and officers searched his mobile phone records and internet data.

At an earlier hearing, he had admitted one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of sexual grooming.

The court heard he had worked as a rent collection officer for 20 years and had two children, aged 16 and 12.

Judge Knopf said Anyawu had been leading a double life and “did not care one iota about the victim’s age.”

He added:: “After the first meeting, you wouldn’t let it rest and you had unprotected sex with no consideration about the possibility of pregnancy or sexually transited infection for the girl.

“You chose your target and once you had your target, you pursued it with single-minded intention to have sex with her.”

Anyawu must sign the sex offenders’ register and is also subject to a sexual offences prevention order, which prohibits him from working with children unsupervised upon his release from prison.

February 2015

Wirral OAP admits to vile stash of 220,000 indecent images of children

Wirral pensioner David Ramsay – whose wife is a child minder – admitted having a sick stash of more than 220,000 indecent photographs of children – some as young as five.

David James Ramsay, 68, of Littleton Close, Prenton, pleaded guilty to seven charges of possessing and making (downloading) indecent images at Wirral magistrates’ court today.

The court heard the offences were aggravated by the fact Ramsay’s wife and children would have been in the house when he viewed the images.

Prosecutor Amanda Cullen said his wife had also been a childminder, so had had other children in their home.

She said: “Other aggravating features were the age of the children depicted – one was as young as five. There was visible distress suffered by one child.”

Ms Cullen added that the case was further aggravated by the period of time covered by the charges – from October 2010 to May 2014 – as well as the high volume of images involved.

A total of 658 of the indecent photographs recovered by police were of the most serious category, Category A. Some 4,030 were Category B and the rest – 217,147 – were the least serious, Category C.

As well as the photographs, Ramsay had 1,587 video files, 51 of which were in Category A while the majority, 1,338, were in the least serious category.

The other six charges each involved making (downloading) an indecent photograph on dates between 2010 and 2014.

Ramsay spoke only to confirm his name, age and address and to give guilty pleas to all charges.

Magistrates agreed with Ms Cullen’s submission that their powers of sentence were not sufficient, and the case was committed to a sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on March 13.

Ramsay was told to sign the Sex Offender’s register after leaving the courtroom, and was released on bail subject to a string of conditions.

He was told not to possess any device capable of connecting to the internet other than for work purposes in the company of another, not to possess a camera or camera phone without police agreement and to allow police to access his home to check such devices weren’t present.

He was also ordered not to take any work with children under 17 or to be in the company of any child under 17 without police agreement, unless in the company of his grandchildren with agreement of their parents.