February 2015

Former teacher admits string of sexual offences against children

A former schoolteacher is facing a long prison sentence today after he admitted a string of sexual offences against children.

White-haired Alan Alfred Medd – described as a “predatory sex offender” – has finally been brought to justice having molested four children decades ago.

The 76-year-old was told to “expect a substantial sentence” for a total of 21 child sex offences at Teesside Crown Court.

Last month Medd, whom The Gazette understands is a retired teacher, pleaded guilty to nine offences of indecently assaulting a boy under 14 in the 1990s.

Today he pleaded guilty to 12 more offences against three more victims, all under 13, dating back to the 1980s and 90s.

Medd admitted five charges of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child relating to a young girl.

He also admitted four counts of indecent assault on a young boy and two counts of indecent assault on another boy.

Medd, of Londonderry Road, Newtown, Stockton, could not be sentenced for his crimes straightaway and will be sentenced on March 2.

Prosecutor Richard Bennett said the Crown would seek up-to-date personal statements from the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The prosecution will also consider whether Medd needs a sexual offences prevention order to protect children in future.

Mr Bennett added: “It seems to the Crown he’s a predatory sex offender who chooses young children as a victim.

“We need to look at the potential future risk.”

Judge Peter Bowers bailed Medd, formerly of Billingham, on condition that he does not approach prosecution witnesses.

He told the defendant: “Mr Medd, I appreciate that in some ways you would like to get this matter over and done with, but I think justice which is dealt with quickly is not justice.

“I would rather have somebody reflect on it properly before sentencing you.

“You’ve got bail in the meantime, but obviously you can expect a substantial sentence.”

A woman was heard to say “rot in hell lad” to Medd as he walked out of the courtroom.

February 2015

Sentence deferred on Inverness sex offender

Sentence was deferred on an Inverness sex offender who confessed to social workers that he had watched a DVD containing indecent images of children.

Iain MacIntyre, 42, then posted the recording to a policeman before he was arrested and returned to jail to serve out the remainder of a previous sentence.

MacIntyre had been staying at Cale House in Millburn Road, Inverness when the offence took place.

The court heard he had been released from prison on licence for a similar offence in June, 2012 and was subject to routine monitoring by the Offender Monitoring team.

Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart said: “On April 22, he arrived unannounced at a social worker’s office and told her he had been looking at indecent images of children.

“She told the police and they detained him. They thought he was having a breakdown and took him to New Craigs as he said he could see demons coming from his TV set.

“He was assessed and the conclusion was that he wasn’t suffering from a mental health illness but was showing some signs of stress.

“The DVD they found did not reveal any indecent material.

“Then six days later on April 28, a letter was received by the police containing a DVD wrapped in cardboard.

“It was from MacIntyre who said he had found it in his belongings. It contained 7,536 indecent images of 13-year-olds at the lowest end of the depravity scale.There were also 28 videos at the lower end of the scale.

“He said he told the social workers because he didn’t want to go back to jail.” Mr Urquhart added.

Defence lawyer Robert Turnbull said: “This is one of the most unusual cases I have dealt with in some time.

“But I will reserve any further comments until a background report is prepared.”

MacIntyre will re-appear for sentence on March 17.

February 2015

AN online sting operation caught a South Cumbria man making “revolting” proposals to what he thought were underage girls, a court heard.

John Fife, 38, was warned he faces a jail sentence for a number of offences which also include the production of 19 cannabis plants which were found at his home.

Fife, of Fell Close, Grange, appeared at Carlisle Crown Court yesterday after approaching what he thought were underage girls online – only to find he was talking to an undercover police officer. 

He entered guilty pleas to four counts of attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity between November 20 and December 1 last year.

Fife also admitted producing cannabis, a class B drug, on December 2.

Defence barrister Mr Tim Evans said Fife claimed the cannabis plants were “for his own use”. He had entered a basis of plea accordingly.

However, Judge Paul Batty QC was sceptical and adjourned Fife’s case until March 26 for sentence, with background reports to be prepared in the meantime.

He told Fife: “The cannabis cultivation operation is a serious matter and the (sentencing) judge will decide whether you were in it just for yourself or whether you were in it for profit.

Judge Batty added: “So far as the other offences are concerned, you were seeking out on websites girls who you thought were under age for sexual activity. Unbeknownst to you it was an undercover police officer.

“Your requests in regard to sexual activity and what you wanted to do to them were perfectly revolting. Be under no illusion you are looking at a custodial sentence for that act.”

February 2015

Serial pervert found guilty of sexually assaulting schoolgirls

Scott McGuire targeted the youngsters, who were just 14 at the time, in April 2013.

The 27-year-old denied what he’d done, forcing both girls to take to the stand to give evidence against him. And after the girls — who can’t be named for legal reasons — told the court how McGuire had touched them up he was convicted of sexually assaulting them.

He now has the threat of a jail term hanging over his head when he returns to court next month to learn his fate.

The court heard that one of the girls, who was attacked by McGuire at a house party in the Ayrshire seaside town of Ayr, told her gran what had happened four months later.

The gran, who also can’t be named for legal reasons, told the court she learned what had happened following a family trip to the Showcase cinema, in Linwood.

She explained: “She said Scott had actually touched her sexually. “She asked me if I could keep a secret and I said, ‘You can tell me anything’. “

But I couldn’t keep it a secret, it was too serious, and I had to let her mum know what had happened. “She said she had been sick and had gone into the bedroom to lie on the bed. “She said that Scott came in and started rubbing her tummy. “

She thought he was being nice because she was not feeling well. “She said, ‘Scott’s hand went up and touched my boobs’. “She said he tried to put his hand in her pants and she stopped him.”

She told the court her granddaughter had told her that another male walked into the room to see if she was okay and that Scott got up and left.

The court heard it only became a police matter when the gran mentioned it to a friend who is a social worker.

The social worker said it was a child protection issue and they had to report it, leading to the police investigation and McGuire going on trial.

He was found guilty of sexually assaulting the girl by placing his hand inside her trousers and touching her thigh. And he was found guilty of assaulting another 14-year-old at a house in Paisley by touching her bare back and bare leg.

McGuire, of Glasgow’s Possil area, will learn his fate when he returns to Paisley Sheriff Court on March 19. 

February 2015

Pervert jailed for using Facebook and chat rooms to engage young girls in sexual acts

A pervert who created fake social media accounts to meet and commit sex crimes against young girls has been jailed.

Craig Leah, 44, formerly of Helmshore, lied about his name, age and profession to get his victims to engage in ‘gross’ sexual acts.

On one occasion he pretended to be a teacher in his 20s and another time claimed to be a 15-year-old boy on Facebook using a fake picture to lure in a 13-year-old girl, Burnley Crown Court heard.

He was jailed for six years and six months and given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order.

Leah pleaded guilty to three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of possessing indecent images of children for distribution, and one count each of causing a child to watch a sexual act, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and possessing 14 extreme pornographic images.

Judge Jonathan Gibson said: “This case demonstrates that, while the internet is a very important and essential tool in life, it’s also a dangerous place for children because of the activity of yourself and others.”

The court heard that he never physically met any of his victims.

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, told the court how Leah was caught after information was handed to Lancashire Police by colleagues in another force.

The court heard how social services contacted police in early 2013 after a 13-year-old girl spoke to Leah on Facebook under’ and he got her to send him pictures of her dressed in her underwear.

When she initially refused to carry out sexual acts he told her he had ‘images of her’ and would post them online.

In another incident the court heard how Leah engaged in a sexual act with a teenage girl watching.

On another occasion he spoke to a 14-year-old schoolgirl on a chat room claiming he was a teacher and said he had ‘videos of her doing things to herself’.

Leah’s youngest victim was aged 10 and, when officers spoke to her, she said she recalled Leah’s name and that he said ‘rude things to her’.

When arrested in August 2013, Leah denied responsibility but admitted using a laptop and two tablet devices to access the internet and chat rooms.

Richard Taylor, defending Leah, now of Blackburn, said: “He makes no attempt to deflect the blame from himself.

“He is entirely responsible for his actions.

“He acknowledges this has had a significant impact on a number of lives, his victims, his family and himself.

“He’s not looking for forgiveness as he understands that won’t be forthcoming.”

Mr Taylor said there was ‘never any direct physical contact’ with the victims and he has referred himself to counselling.

Judge Gibson said: “It’s plain you have devastated the victims and your own family life.”

February 2015

Jailed: Paedophile groomed schoolgirl for sex using Facebook

An online groomer who had sex with a 15-year-old girl and tried to entice a 13-year-old to his flat had been jailed for 30 months.

David Bull got in contact with both girls on Facebook and ‘wormed his way into their favours’, Stafford Crown Court heard.

Mr Robert Price, prosecuting, said Bull, then 19, sent the younger girl text messages asking her to have sex with him.

Bull made repeated requests for the girl to visit him at his flat and although she continued with the messages, she had no intention of going there.

When the messaging was discovered on her phone, a youth officer from the area where she lives set up a phoney Facebook account under the pseudonym ‘Holly’, pretending to be a 14-year-old girl, and was put in touch with Bull.

She engaged him in conversation and when she said she was only 14, Bull’s response was that age wasn’t a problem – and gave her his address. Police arrested him in May 2013 and under questioning, Bull confessed to having sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Bull, now 22, of Canford Place, Cannock, admitted arranging to meet a 13-year-old by sexual grooming, two charges of sexual activity with a 15-year-old and one charge of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Mark Eades told him: “I find this case concerning because it involves not just one girl, but two, both pretty much at the same time. [The 13 year old] was vulnerable to sexual grooming from someone like you. The matter doesn’t end there because you also had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old. There is a clear degree of persistence and a proclivity towards under-age girls and worming your way into their favours through grooming on the internet.”

Bull was also ordered to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Mr Price said it was the younger girl who contacted Bull first on Facebook but it was him who instigated the sexual conversations.

After his confession about the 15-year-old, police were able to trace the victim. She said she had sex with Bull on two separate occasions after meeting him on Facebook.

When her parents suspected something was going on, she was grounded but continued contact with Bull although their relationship ended about a month later.

Mr Neil Gerrity, defending, said Bull was only 19 when the offences took place. “He is not the sort of predator you might expect in a case like this. [He is] one who associates more comfortably with younger people. The internet provides an easy way for him to talk to people, particularly girls.”

Without his voluntary confession, the authorities would never have known about the 15-year-old, added Mr Gerrity.

November 2008

Man raped and molested girls

AN ABERGAVENNY man was jailed for eight years after admitting raping and indecently assaulting young girls.

Shane Spencer, 26, of no fixed abode, was sentenced at Newport crown court yesterday for nine counts of rape, indecent assault and having sex with a girl aged under 16.

The court heard Spencer committed offences against two girls when one was aged under 16 and the other under ten.

The court was told after he raped one of the girls after he offered her Lambrini to drink.

Spencer also admitted having consensual sex with a 13 year old schoolgirl of when he was 26.

He was arrested for this on April 4 and claimed to police he had thought the girl was older.

During police interviews he admitted having sex with her three times and said he had believed she was 17 years old, but admitted the third time they had sex he had known she was under 16.

Sentencing, Judge David Wynn Morgan described this act as a “breach of trust”.

Of the other offences, he said: “It can be said that the rapes were committed a long time ago when he was under 20 years old and there’s been none since.”

But the judge added they had had a “devastating effect” on those involved.

He told the court the defendant had a background of depression and alcohol dependency.

Spencer was handed prison sentences of:

1. Four years for indecent assault on a girl aged under 16

2. Seven years for two counts of raping a girl aged under 16

3. Four years for indecently assaulting a girl aged under ten

4. Eight years for raping a girl aged under ten, to be served concurrently.

No separate sentence was imposed for the offence of having sex with a girl under 16.

February 2015

Former teacher & scout leader found guilty after hundreds of indecent images found at his home

A FORMER teacher and scout leader is facing jail after being found guilty of possessing hundreds of indecent images of young boys.

Officers swooped on the former parish councillor’s address in Hamble last year, seizing hundreds of images.

Easterby was found guilty just weeks after fellow former Sholing Technology College teacher Edmund Warbrick was given a suspended sentence for admitting owning images of children.

Click this for profile on Edmund Warbrick

It took a jury less than an hour to find 43-year-old former Hamble Parish councillor Easterby guilty of 13 offences of possessing and making indecent images of young boys, and not guilty of one other charge.

He sobbed in the dock after the verdict was delivered, and a judge at Southampton Crown Court told him that “all options are open” when he is sentenced next month.

Police discovered ten DVDs at his home and searched his computer, a hard drive and three memory sticks on which they found 669 indecent images.

The DVDS were discovered on the top drawer of a bedroom and photos were also located in a holdall in the bedroom.

Almost 300 pictures had been viewed on the computer but deleted.

Another 375 images had also been downloaded and had been stored on the hard drive or on memory sticks.

Easterby was bailed ahead of sentencing on March 13, and Judge Henry gave him an interim sexual offences prevention order banning him from using devices to access the internet where history can be deleted or where images can be stored.

Under his bail conditions he must not have any unsupervised contact with children under 18, not contact any children under 18 online or attend any events organised by scout groups.

 Sholing Technology College

February 2015

Moment pervert, 57, is snared after he thought he was meeting up with 14-year-old schoolgirl

This is the moment a pervert was snared by online vigilantes who tricked him into thinking he was meeting up with a 14-year-old girl.

Internet group Dark Justice had set up a fake profile on dating website Badoo where they posed as a shy teenager.

John Rudd had initially thought the profile belonged to an adult woman – but continued having increasingly sexual conversations when he was told she was under-age, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

When the 57-year-old travelled from his home in Stockton, to a meet the girl called ‘Donna’ on the Millennium Bridge in Newcastle, he was confronted by vigilantes, who passed his information to the police.

He admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming.

Prosecutor Alec Burns told the court: ‘The case is a little unusual in that the actual people with whom he was communicating were two men in their 20s, members of a group Dark Justice.

‘They effectively set up a trap to trap paedophiles.’

Mr Burns said the Badoo website is aimed at adults and Rudd, who has no previous convictions, had initially believed he was speaking to a 19-year-old. 

He added: ‘After a short time, three weeks, she told them she was in fact only 14. That did not stop the communications.’

Dark Justice later said that they revealed the age of the ‘girl’ within the first three messages.

In the exchange, seen by MailOnline, Rudd asks ‘You at college x’ before Dark Justice reply: ‘no school I’m only 14. I signed up coz I struggle to make friends in the real world.’ 

The court heard Rudd started exchanging messages with the girl, who said she was inexperienced, on Whatsapp and he asked her increasingly personal questions.

Mr Burns said Rudd asked questions about the girl’s underwear and suggested she wear none when they met up. 

He added: ‘He suggested he should have a peek when they met and suggested when they met she should not be wearing any underwear.’

The judge requested more information about the case and proceedings were adjourned. Rudd, who was granted bail, will be sentenced next month. 

November 2014

Former Walsall cinema projectionists jailed for sexually assaulting young girl

TWO former projectionists at Walsall’s ABC cinema have been locked up for sexually assaulting a young girl.

John Smith was put behind bars for 16 years and told by Judge Martin Walsh: “You used her as an instrument for your perverted sexual desires.”

The Judge sent Richard Parker to prison for seven years as he stressed to both men their actions had left their victim “psychologically scarred.”

He said the actions of 62-year-old Smith reflected a “course of conduct” against the girl who he had groomed and he had later encouraged Parker to have sex with the youngster.

Smith, of Manor Road, Walsall had denied six charges of rape, five of indecent assault, two of indecency with a child and also aiding and abetting rape.

He was found guilty of all offences after the jury retired to consider the evidence at the end of his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Thursday (October 30).

Parker, aged 61 – formerly of Walsall but now living in Yates Way in Ketley Bank, Telford – had denied one charge of rape but he was also convicted by the jury at the end of the trial.

Prosecutor Stefan Kolodynski said it was clear the girl had been “deliberately targeted” by defendants who were both men of previous good character.

The judge further told both men who showed no reaction as they were lead away to begin their sentences they would have to register as Sex Offenders for the rest of their lives.

Peter Cooke, defending Smith, said: “His wicked behaviour has come back to haunt him after so many years.”

And Simon Davies, defending Parker, said he was a “charitable, kind man who has been described as a diamond.”

February 2015

Pervert jailed after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child

A MAN has been jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child.

Steven Dean, 21, of Windsor Crescent, Crowle, was also given a 12-month sexual offences prevention order, will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and must pay a victim surcharge of £100.

February 2015

Peterborough Labour Party official jailed for child sex crimes

A paedophile who helped Labour Party members in Peterborough seek election was yesterday sent to prison.

Andrew Palmer (52) was sentenced to 20 months in jail after twice breaching a sexual offences prevention order and a community order.

Palmer, who had been an Labour electoral agent for Peterborough City Council nominees, had twice spent time behind bars for possessing indecent images of children.

The second offence took place in 2007 and earned him eight months in prison.

Palmer had been the agent in the 2012 council elections for Labour group leader Nazim Khan as well as Jo Johnson and Richard Knowles.

Craig McDougall, prosecuting, said that the police had given Palmer the highest rating for a sexual offender.

He added: “The local constabulary have significant concerns about him.”

The sexual offences prevention order he had breached was handed out in October 2014, for breaching a previous order, and prevented him from spending unsupervised contact with a person under 16 years of age.

The first breach occurred on December 29 when he paid an unexpected visit to a house where a mother and her young daughter lived.

The mother at that time knew nothing about his previous convictions or the sexual prevention order.

The second breach was on February 2, 2015 when police arrested him and he admitted to having deleted messages from a phone messaging application called WhatsApp.

The content of the messages were not disclosed.

He had pleaded guilty to the charges on February 10 and was sentenced yesterdayat Peterborough Crown Court.

Edward Barr, defending Palmer, said: “This is not the most serious of breaches.

“It’s likely the circumstances of the 29th of December suggest something sinister in him going to the house and being in the company of the child.

“But his previous behaviour in their presence had not been suspicious.”

Barr, who asked that Palmer receive a suspended sentence, added: “There has been no attempt at supervision or therapy.

“No matter what the outcome of today is, his life in the part of Peterborough that he lives in will be in trouble.

“I would ask for one last chance for him.”

Sentencing Palmer, Judge Peter Murphy said: “It seems clear to me that you were aware from the end of October that not only you were barred from certain activity on the internet, but not to have unsupervised contact with young children without informing a parent or guardian of previous convictions.

“You turned up under cover of working with a housing association. You had several phones with you and the implication was clear.

“On the second count, there is not much information on what was deleted on your phone.

“But a previous matter indicated you have a clear interest in paedophilia and and the pornographic images of young children.”

Describing Palmer as a real risk to the public, Judge Murphy added: “It’s quite clear your offences were a calculated defiance of court orders.”

Palmer received eight months in prison for both of the two breaches of the 
sexual offences prevention order which will run consecutively.

For his breach of a community order, which was handed to him last year, he received an additional four months.

In total, Palmer had seven previous convictions for 13 offences, the first of which was for indecent assault in 1979.

Labour Party councillors in Peterborough were told to direct any press inquiries to the East of England spokesman. The spokesman said Palmer will be excluded from the party. He would not confirm his roles in the party, when he was involved, whether anyone knew about his past convictions and what the party thought of the sentencing.

Lisa Forbes, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Peterborough, pictured with Palmer, spoke to the Peterborough Telegraph but had not answered our questions by the time the paper went to press.

Councillor Nazim Khan said: “This is the first I knew about his previous history and I’m shocked. I personally don’t know him.”

Cllr Jo Johnson said: “He ran my council campaign in 2012. I don’t think anybody knew about him. I must admit I liked him to start with but I’m disgusted now.”

Former Labour now Independent councillor John Knowles said: “He was a really nasty piece of work, but there’s no way you could have known his past.”

The mother involved in the court case said: “I wish he had got longer. I was shocked. We knew nothing.”

February 2015

Man jailed for sexually abusing a young boy and girl

A MAN has been jailed for six years for sexually abusing a young boy and girl in the 1970s.

Bruce Cook, 71, of Lovett Court, Maybridge Square, Goring, was found guilty at Chichester Crown Court on Friday, following a week-long trial, of nine counts, including indecent assault of a male person, indecency with a child, attempted buggery and indecent assault.

Both children were abused at a home in Goring, between May, 1973, and September, 1978. The boy was abused multiple times between the age of eight and 12 and the girl was abused on one occasion.

Recorder Stephen Smyth told the court: “You not only robbed this boy of his childhood but also of his life.

“You were in a position of trust. Had this been reported at the time, you would have been more robust and easily able to serve a sentence. Now, at 71, having had a stroke and being in a wheelchair, it will be much more difficult for you and those that have to look after you. Accordingly, I have sentenced at the very bottom of the range. If it wasn’t for your age and your physical difficulties, the sentence would have been much longer.”

The male victim is now 48 and said he finally decided to tell police following the Jimmy Saville sex abuse scandal.

Following the trial, he said: “You see it in the news all the time. When it’s happened to you, you put it in the back of your mind. It was always there. It was there every day. All these people are coming out the woodwork now he’s (Saville) dead and I thought I’m not going to start pointing the finger when he’s (Cook) dead.

“I couldn’t live with myself regretting not saying anything before. I thought it’s either now or never.

“I want the people who thought he was a great guy to know he wasn’t. I’m still trying to take it in. I haven’t slept over the last couple of days. I’ve been pretty emotional since. I didn’t think this day would come.

“I’ve lived with so long now I’m hardened to it. I’ve cried many a night about what’s happened.”

The court heard how the victim had previously confronted Cook, in later life, about the abuse on two occasions – both of which ended in violence.

Gabby Henty, prosecuting, said the world of the seventies was a very different place from the world we live in today, with child abuse rarely mentioned in the media. She said the victim was tormented by his demons and had gone ‘off the rails’ as a young man.

February 2015

Paedophile raped 14-year-old girl and abused her 13-year-old friend after child sexual exploitation

A former factory worker has been jailed for raping a 14-year-old girl and abusing her 13-year-old friend in a sickening child sexual exploitation case.

Twisted Saham Amin, 21, plied the youngsters with booze before attacking them at his house in Stourbridge.

The pervert, of Balds Lane, Lye, has now been jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to raping the older girl and sexually assaulting her younger friend.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Amin preyed on the 14-year-old for around a year before the assault, when they came into contact through a mutual friend.

On September 24 last year he texted her and asked if she wanted to come round to his house for a “drinking session”.

The teen arrived with the younger girl and the pair were plied with two thirds of a litre bottle of vodka and given cigarettes by Amin, who sexually assaulted the younger victim before raping her older friend.

He initially denied the allegations but later admitted the offences in light of the medical evidence and the girls’ testimonies against him.

As well as being jailed, he will also be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Detective Sergeant Kay Redfern, from the force’s Public Protection Unit, said: “This was a complex case involving two very scared girls and – as with most victims of child sexual exploitation – they were reluctant to give details at first as they were fearful of repercussions.

“However, through a series of sensitively carried out interviews with specialist officers, we were able to gain their trust and their cooperation, which was vital in securing the conviction against Amin.

“I would like to thank them for their bravery and I hope this sentence goes some way in helping them move forward with their young lives.

“We are satisfied with the sentence handed to Amin, which sees him taken out of the community for a considerable time and unable to exploit other young girls.

“Sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime which we are committed to stamping out.

“We hope this case shows that we take all reports of child sexual exploitation extremely seriously, giving other victims the confidence to come forward, safe in the knowledge they will be listened to, supported and protected from future abuse.”

West Midlands Police, along with Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall, Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull councils and partner organisations, are working together to raise the profile of child sexual exploitation (CSE) to keep vulnerable kids safe.

Through their See Me, Hear Me campaign, the organisations hope to increase understanding of CSE and show families and other child care professionals how to spot the warning signs. For more information visit www.seeme-hearme.org.uk

February 2015

Telford sex case bookie found guilty after ‘sting’ by paedophile hunter

A Telford bookie has been found guilty of attempting to meet a child he groomed online after a ‘sting’ by a vigilante paedophile hunter.

Martin Currier, 51, of St Mark’s Drive in Wellington, arranged to meet up with a 13-year-old girl that he had met on a social network site.

But when he arrived at the house in Nuneaton,  Currier did not find the teenager called “Jodie” he was expecting.

Instead, he was confronted by Stinson Hunter, who runs a “sting” organisation that sets out to uncover those who prey on children on the internet.

Currier denied a charge of attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and claimed he was trapped into going to Nuneaton during the trial this week.

The jury retired for one hour at Shrewsbury Crown Court today before returning a guilty verdict.

The court heard when he arrived at the house in Nuneaton, Martin Currier did not find the teenager called “Jodie” he was expecting.

Instead, he was confronted by a “sting” organisation, which sets out to trap those grooming children for sex.

Messages and texts between Currier and “Jodie” were read to the jury at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.

The court was also shown a video of the moment he walked into the Nuneaton house to be confronted by Stinson Hunter, who later handed the recording to police.

Mr Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting, said Currier, of St Mark’s Drive in Wellington, contacted “Jodie” via the Badoo dating/friendship social network site.

The first message from Currier read “hello Jodie, you are a very pretty girl, do you have time for older guys?”, Mr Beardwell said.

The reply included the mention that “Jodie” was only 13, but the internet messages and text messages continued.

February 2015

79-year-old is jailed for child sexual abuse

A 79-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years for non-recent child sexual abuse.

Albert Victor Marvin, of Church Hill, Bagworth, was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges on January 19.

The charges were one count of indecent assault on a boy under 13 years and three counts of indecent assault of a boy under 16 years. Three of the offences took place in Leicestershire and one took place in Humberside.

The offences all took place between 1973 and 1983 when the two victims were aged between 12 and 15 years old.

Detective James Potts, who investigated the crimes, said: “Marvin abused his victims over some years and put them in a position where they felt unable to tell someone they trusted.

“His victims were left traumatised by what happened and continue to suffer to this day, but have shown commendable courage to draw a line under the abuse they suffered as children and come forward to the police so their attacker can face justice.”

February 2015

Pervert jailed for ‘settee assault’ on two schoolgirls 20 years ago

A MAN who indecently assaulted two schoolgirls as he sat between them on a settee has been jailed for two years.

Ashley Lewis, 40, carried out the attacks more than 20 years ago when the girls were aged 13 and 14.

He denied the offences but was convicted by a jury following a seven-day trial at Hull Crown Court.

Lewis, of Haven Garth, Hedon, was found not guilty of 16 other alleged historic child sex offences, including one of rape.

The court heard one of the victims knew Lewis was “doing something” to the other girl while she was being abused, but did not know what.

The second girl did not know Lewis was assaulting the other.

Neither victim can be identified for legal reasons.

The court heard the younger victim was “flattered” by Lewis’s attentions and thought he was “good-looking” and “fancied her”.

Judge Mark Bury said she did not protest and “did not regard herself then or now as a victim of child abuse”.

Judge Bury told Lewis the other girl “felt uncomfortable. She knew it was wrong, she did not fancy you”.

Lewis had been drinking alcohol before abusing the girls, but was not drunk, the court was told.

The judge told him: “Ashley Lewis, you are now 40 years old. You have been convicted by a jury of two offences of indecent assault, which took place one summer evening.

“You are of good character and a working man.

“I ignore the fact that the evidence has shown you to be a serial philanderer.”

Lewis fought back tears in the dock as the judge told him: “The offences took place in the presence of the other complainant.

“This disparity in age is noteworthy because you were adult and considerably more mature.

“Offences of this type are too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate sentence of imprisonment.”

Lewis must also sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years on his release from prison.

February 2015

Former millionaire jailed for distributing extreme indecent images and videos of children as young as six

A FORMER millionaire businessman has been jailed for distributing extreme indecent images and videos of children as young as six.

Frank Langworthy, who Bolton Crown Court heard was once a successful businessman until he went bankrupt in the recession, was caught in a NationalCrime Agency investigation aimed at tracking down people using peer-to-peer file sharing software to pass around child sex images over the internet.

Lindsay Thomas, prosecuting, told how the agency managed to obtain the addresses of people using eMule software, including the home of 48-year-old Langworthy in Hawkshead Drive, Bolton.

Langworthy was not at the property when police raided it on April 24 last year and found two laptops.

One of them was switched on in the living room and an expert examination revealed it contained a total of 373 indecent images of children and a further 24 videos.

Mrs Thomas added that 46 pictures and 20 videos, which showed children as young as six, were identified as being in category A, the most serious category, which includes pictures of penetrative sex.

A further 154 pictures were rated as category B, with 173 still images and four videos classified as category C.

In addition, Langworthy, who had been involved in sharing child abuse images for several years, potentially had access, over the internet, to folders containing a further 430 images.

When he was arrested, four days after the raid, Langworthy initially denied having obtained and distributed child images, claiming that it could have been done by a neighbour with whom he alleged he shared a wireless router, or that his computer could have been infected with a Trojan horse.

Eventually he admitted his involvement, pleading guilty to 16 counts of distributing indecent images of children and a further charge of possessing indecent images of children.

Colin Buckle, defending, said Langworthy, a father-of-one had hit “rock bottom” as a result of his crimes.

He has separated from his wife and resigned from a managerial job with a postal company.

“He was previously a millionaire with two remarkably successful businesses,” said Mr Buckle.

He added that Langworthy was remorseful and could empathise with the child victims in the images as he had been abused himself as a child.

“It is a shadow that has never left him,” he said.

Sentencing Langworthy to 30 months in jail, Judge Elliot Knopf said that a message had to go out to the public about the seriousness of such offending “to try to prevent the poison spreading further than it has.”

“What it was to you was akin to an addiction,” added the judge.

“Had you not been caught you would have carried on doing it.”

February 2015

Son of former Arsenal footballer jailed for three years after admitting indecent assault

THE son of former Arsenal and Hereford United footballer Joe Wade has been jailed for three years for historic sex offences.

Robert Wade appeared at Hereford Crown Court last Friday after earlier admitting before city magistrates to two charges of indecent assault.

The court heard how Wade, 61, of Hampton Dene, Hereford, abused the victim when she was a teenager.

Ian Windridge, prosecuting, said the victim, who is now an adult, suffered from mental health issues as a result of the assaults.

Wade initially denied any sexual touching in a police interview but the court heard that he phoned police the following day to request a second interview where he gave a full confession.

Nigel Stelling, defending, said he hoped the victim could now move on in a “real and constructive” way after Wade had admitted the offences.

Judge Daniel Pierce-Higgins sentenced Wade to an immediate custodial sentence of three years in prison.

February 2015

Pervert faces jail over 26,328 indecent images of children

A TV satellite technician was so alarmed by images he saw on equipment in a house in the Scottish Borders that he contacted the police.

It led the arrest of Brendan Lennon, 27, after an investigation uncovered 26,328 indecent images of children.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court the laboratory technician, of Newtown St Boswells, admitted having the images and distributing them to others.

Sheriff Gordon Liddle warned him he faced a jail term.

The sheriff was told that the computer expert who examined a laptop, systems unit, tablet and mobile phone belonging to Lennon found images of a “very strong and extreme nature indeed”.

Fiscal depute Melanie Ward said they mainly featured girls aged between five and 12, but also some infants and babies.

Defence solicitor Mark Harrower said Lennon lived with his elderly parents and was under “no illusion” that he would go to jail.

He said his client had had counselling and attended three sessions of ‘Stop It Now’, a government service to help people facing similar charges.

Sheriff Liddle said: “These sickening images are at the extreme end of the scale.”

He added: “Nothing other than a custodial sentence is appropriate. The question is for how long.”