February 2015

York pervert downloaded sexual pictures and films of children as young as three

A POLICE raid prevented a sex offender from sending indecent images of children to other people like him, York Crown Court heard.

For years, Christopher Steven Goodyear, 31, downloaded sexual pictures and films of children as young as three, Aisha Wadoodi, prosecuting, said.

But his secret world ended when the national Child Exploitation and Online Protection group alerted North Yorkshire Police to his activities and he was arrested. Detectives found 2,372 pictures, of which 500 were of more serious levels of child abuse, and seven videos.

After reading logs of some of the online chats Goodyear had taken part in, the Recorder of York Judge Stephen Ashurst told him: “I suspect it was only going to be a matter of time before you were going to be distributing images to like-minded people.

“Behind these images are very often children who have been abused and you were taking part in that activity by viewing these images online.”

Goodyear, 31, of The Wandle, Chapelfields, York, was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he did a sex offenders’ treatment programme and two years’ supervision.

He was also put on the sex offenders’ register and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order curtailing his internet activities, both for ten years, and ordered to pay £500 prosecution costs.

He pleaded guilty to 11 charges of possessing indecent images of children a few days before his trial was due to be held.

A charge of distributing indecent images of children was left on file.

Miss Wadoodi said he had blamed another sex offender for the images found on his laptop in his trial.

For Goodyear, Glenn Parsons said of his attempts to blame others: “That was the level of fear and shame he felt.

“It is a pity he wasn’t man enough to admit this earlier on.”

Goodyear was a gritting lorry driver who worked at night and after work lived a “private” world on the internet.

His family couldn’t understand why he had done what he had, but were standing by him.

February 2015

Missing convicted sex offender found living with two girlfriends on Merseyside – one with young children

A CONVICTED sex offender from Pendle who disappeared without trace was found to be living with two girlfriends on Merseyside – one of whom had young children.

David Perry, 32, was banned from unsupervised contact with youngsters after being convicted of sexual activity with a child in November 2011 and serving a 40-month prison sentence, Burnley Crown Court was told.

Perry, of Napier Street, was required to keep Lancashire Police informed of his whereabouts and to sign the sex offenders register under the terms of his punishment.

Prosecutor Stephen Parker said the defendant was informed of his notification requirements at a probation hostel in August 2013 where he lived after his release from prison.

But just over a year later, when he was visited by officers from the constabulary’s dangerous and sexual offenders unit, he had disappeared from his registered address in Nelson.

One of his neighbours informed police he may be living with a girlfriend in the Birkenhead area, the court heard.

Mr Parker said Perry was spoken to about the situation when he attended Burnley Police Station on January 19.

But when further checks were made it was discovered he had gone missing again. Detectives eventually secured a contact number for Perry and he was interviewed about his absences.

He told officers that he had met a woman, via Blackberry’s instant messaging service and he had gone to stay with her, said Mr Parker.

The court heard she had three children aged under 18. Later he confessed to staying with a second woman also in the Liverpool area. She also had children but they had not been present when Perry stayed over.

The court heard the defendant had also breached the terms of his order by engaging in Facebook contact with his son.

Claire Thomas, mitigating, said her client felt “increasingly isolated and was looking for female company”. He accepted responsibility for the offences.

Perry admitted two offences under the sex offenders’ order, and failing to comply with the terms of the order, and was jailed for six months.

February 2015

Church youth worker has been spared jail despite admitting two sex crimes against two schoolgirls

Kirk Edwards, 25, admitted sexually touching the two girls between March and June 2012.

He pleaded guilty to two sex offences at the Old Bailey in January but avoided jail after the judge gave him a 12 month suspended sentence on Friday.

In statements from the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, one girl said she felt “scared” and blamed herself.

The other stated: “At first I didn’t want to go to talk to police. I would not have taken it further.

“Now I see it was not right and see it was really serious.”

Edwards, of Northcott Avenue, Wood Green, had admitted two counts of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16.

Edwards of Northcott Avenue, Wood Green was also given a 60 day sex offending supervision requirement and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100 and prosecution costs of £200.

February 2015

Mum used spyware to catch Northampton man who was grooming her 13 year old daughter on Facebook

A Northampton man who persuaded a schoolgirl to send him naked photographs of herself after talking on Facebook has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Sean Fallon, aged 21, was caught after the 13-year-old’s mother became suspicious and installed spy monitoring software which could access her daughter’s Facebook page.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Fallon was living in Northampton, 50 miles from the girl’s home in Lincolnshire, when they began talking to each other over the internet in the spring of 2013.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, said the girl’s mother discovered she had been having inappropriate contact with somebody calling themselves Sean “cheeky” Fallon when she installed the spy monitoring software in June 2013.

Mr Cranmer-Brown said: “It was plain the activity involved sexualised conversations and the sending of photographs.”

Fallon asked about the girl’s breasts and tried to persuade her to send him photographs despite the fact she was “reluctant and refused on a number of occasions,” Mr Cranmer-Brown added.

The girl eventually sent Fallon three photographs after he sent her a naked picture of himself, the court heard. Fallon also persuaded the girl to perform a sexual act on herself.

Robert Underwood, mitigating, told the court Fallon was an “immature” 19-year-old at the time of the offences and had not been in trouble before.

Mr Underwood said: “He was unemployed and often sat alone and isolated.

“He has come to court terrified of losing his liberty.”

Fallon, of Stockmead Road, Priors Meadow, Northampton, admitted two charges of intentionally inciting a child in to sexual activity and to take pornographic pictures.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for two years and placed under the supervision of a probation officer for two years. He was also made the subject of Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which will last for five years and must register as a sex offender.

Passing sentence Recorder Nicholas Syfret QC told Fallon: “I don’t want you in any doubt about the seriousness of what you have done. You have shown a lack of understanding on the impact of your behaviour.”

The Recorder added: “Thirteen-year-olds have to be protected from everybody, and have to be protected from 19-year-olds.”

February 2015

Former foster carer from Barrow sentenced for indecent images of children

A FORMER foster carer from Barrow has been sentenced for 12 counts of making indecent images of children.

Gordon Williams, 64, of Rustlings Court, was sentenced today (February 24) at Preston Crown Court to 16 months in prison, added to the sex offenders register, and given a Sexual Offender Prevention Order.

On the November 12 2013 a warrant was executed at his home address and Williams was arrested. A number of computers, memory sticks, and similar items were seized by officers.

A number of still and moving indecent images of children, obtained from the internet and ranging in severity from A – C, were found on these devices.

Williams was a foster carer for over 30 years; he had stopped fostering children before the police investigation commenced. He has no previous criminal history for offences involving children.

Detective Inspector Neil Cooper said: “I am pleased that Williams has been brought before the courts and sentenced today as it reflects how seriously we take crimes of this type in Cumbria. Every indecent image of a child has been created through the abuse and exploitation of children, and anyone found viewing these images will face the consequences.

“It is very rare that someone who has fostered children is involved in this type of offence, and all agencies in Cumbria work together to place foster children in safe and loving homes.

“It is completely unacceptable for anyone to access these type of images, let alone someone who is in a position of trust.”

February 2015

Dunfermline teen who raped two young girls aged nine and 12 has been jailed for 33 months

A boy of 16 who repeatedly raped a 12-year-old girl and tried to rape two other children was jailed for 33 months.

Jordan Watson was 14 when he began abusing the 12-year-old. He raped her repeatedly between December 2012 and July 2013.

He sexually assaulted and attempted to rape two other girls on various occasions between December 2012 and April 2013.

One of the girls was nine when the abuse began and the other was 10.

A first offender, Watson showed no emotion as he was led handcuffed to the cells.

All the offences took place in Dunfermline. Watson was told he will remain on the sex offenders’ register for the rest of his life.

Watson pled guilty at an earlier hearing and his lawyer asked judge Lord Burns to keep him in care and give him a sentence in the community.

The court had heard how the first victim used to play xBox games with Watson at his home in Dunfermline.

The girl recalled how in July 2013 she was with Watson when he told her he wanted to have sex with her before doing so.

Another young girl was also raped by him around the same time.

This victim found it “very difficult” to speak about what had gone on and instead asked to write it down.

A third girl was abused when she was aged between 10 and 11.

On Hogmanay 2012, Watson tried to rape the child after also saying to her he wanted to have sex.

She said she “did not know what he meant by this”.

Watson went to expose himself before the shocked child reacted and ran out the room.

The abuse came to light in August 2013.

Watson’s mum confronted her son about the allegations and he initially denied anything happened.

However, he later became “upset and distraught”. Asked by another relative what happened and for how long, he said, “I don’t know how long – I don’t know why.”

He also insisted it had “started as a game”.

The court was told Watson’s parents believed the teenager had been aware of “sexual boundaries”.

Lord Burns said there was no alternative to custody for such “very serious sexual crimes”.

The judge said he had carefully considered reports by social workers and psychologists. He had also taken account of Watson’s age and “need of sexual education”.

Watson arrived at court with his family. His sentence was reduced from three-and-a-half years because of his guilty plea.

February 2015

Pervert sent on a sex offenders’ course after he used his neighbour’s broadband to download hundreds of images of child abuse

Paul Baker piggy backed on the wi-fi signal of his next door neighbour in Topsham while they were abroad in Sweden and used it to seek out extreme images.

He was found after a website showing child abuse received so many hits from all around the world that it caused the web host to crash after just two days.

The company alerted the police who found it had been accessed by paedophiles from 136 different countries including 3,336 from Britain alone.

They were traced through their internet addresses with the result that Baker’s completely innocent next door neighbour was targeted by police.

He was traced to Sweden and told officers he had given Baker permission to use his broadband because he claimed he could not afford his own.

Baker, aged 55, of Pound Lane, Topsham, admitted four counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme images of adults having sex with pigs, horses and dogs.

He was jailed for eight months, suspended for two years and ordered to attend an internet sex offenders’ treatment programme as part of two years supervision by Judge Phillip Wassall at Exeter Crown Court.

The Judge told him:”The majority of the images were in the more serious bands and there were images of extreme pornography in addition to the abusive images.

“I am suspending the sentence because it is important you are given the opportunity to engage with supervision and adapt your offending behaviour.

“This will enable you to develop boundaries. The whole purpose is to challenge your beliefs and attitudes to ensure you do not offend again.”

Mr Sean Brunton, prosecuting, said Baker’s offences came to light as the result of computers crashing at a web hosting firm in June 2011.

Engineers found the problem was demand for files which were found to contain child abuse images. Baker’s neighbour was traced as one of 3,336 addresses in Britain.

Mr Brunton said Baker was traced after police discovered the IP address holder was living in Sweden and police raided his home seized computers, DVDs and videos.

There were 81 images at the worst category, showing child rape, and 284 at lower categories. There were also 56 extreme images showing adults having sex with animals.

Search terms recovered from the computer showed an interest in pre-teens and he told police he had a huge interest in pornography dating back 30 years and had downloaded the child images inadvertently.

Mr David Sapiecha, defending, said Baker was suitable for treatment and was assessed by probation officers as being at low risk of reoffending if he received it.

He said:”He is not somebody who is cynically trying to avoid responsibility. He admits downloading and accepts he is 100 per cent responsible.

“He is someone who had an interest in pornography and has slipped into downloading child pornography rather than looking for it.”

February 2015

Minibus driver is convicted child rapist, jury told

A MINIBUS driver accused of being a multiple child rapist was arrested when the mother of an 11-year-old girl he sexually abused posted messages about him on social media, a jury at Bradford Crown Court was told.

Martin Hostler is on trial facing 40 offences involving five children in the Bradford district over a period of more than a decade.

He is accused of repeatedly raping three of the girls and bribing the youngsters with money and plying them with alcohol.

Hostler, 49, formerly of Otley Road, Barkerend Bradford, was babysitting the girls when he abused them, between 1995 and 2006, prosecutor Karma Melly told the jury yesterday.

She said three of the children were often left with Hostler because their mothers were heavy drinkers who spent a lot of time in the pub.

Miss Melly said he was arrested after the mother of an 11-year-old girl he was convicted of abusing posted allegations about him on Facebook 20 years later.

The court heard that the first of the five complainants went to the police after she saw the Facebook posting saying that Hostler was a sexual abuser of children.

Miss Melly told the jury that Hostler had been convicted of abusing the woman’s daughter in 1993.

After the first complainant came forward, the police contacted other women who had spent time with Hostler when they were children.

Miss Melly said the first girl Hostler is on trial accused of abusing recalled him getting into bed with her smelling of beer.

He went from groping her when she was 12 to raping her so often that it “became a normal part of her life”.

She began drinking alcohol regularly and she played truant from school to visit Hostler, Miss Melly said.

When she was in her 20s, he again touched her indecently and pulled her down the stairs.

Hostler, now of Cumberland Court, Headingley, Leeds, is accused of abusing the second girl from when she was aged eight.

Miss Melly said he touched her indecently and raped her, saying “she could do nought about it.”

When her brother walked in on them, Hostler told the little boy they were “playing a game,” Miss Melly alleged.

He is alleged to have raped the third girl “numerous times” when she was aged ten to 12.

Hostler is said to have asked the fourth girl to share a bath with him. There was children’s underwear in his bed when he sexually abused her, she said.

Miss Melly alleged that Hostler touched the fifth girl while she pretended to drive his minibus, and offered her £20 “to have some fun”.

She said: “He had a sexual interest in pre-pubescent girls and through luck or planning he got himself in a situation where he had access to them.”

Hostler denies 21 charges of rape, ten allegations of sexual assault, one charge of causing actual bodily harm, seven of sexual activity with a child and one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

February 2015

Paedophile from Widnes slated from public gallery as he is sent to prison

A paedophile busted in a national crackdown and whose vile image collection was too big for investigators to process has been caged.

Widnesian Dennis Carroll, 65, told his then-wife ‘it’s me’ when police visited to search his former house on Grizedale in Hough Green on April 29 last year.

Investigators found that Carroll’s sick collection was so vast that they did not have the resources to trawl through the total hoard of about 370,000 images, which had been amassed over 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

They instead counted nearly 40,000 indecent photographs, videos and several computer generated pictures of sexual abuse.

Chester Crown Court heard on Monday that the files featured images children in ‘pain’ and ‘distress’, and 2,613 were of the worst ‘Category A’ type.

Carroll also shared access with other paedophiles via ‘peer to peer’ software. He had also emailed some pictures.

He had also retrieved some of the most depraved images which he had deleted because of his ‘hunger to revisit them’.

Peter Hussey, prosecuting, told the court that police also discovered an email sent by the defendant to another paedophile featuring a picture of an associate’s teenage daughter and a doctored image of himself next to it, subtitled with an obscene message.

Officers spoke to the girl’s horrified parents to establish no contact offence had taken place.

As he was sent down to the cells, Carroll was told to ‘rot in Hell’ from the public gallery.

Kyra Badman, defending, said Carroll’s sentence should be reduced for pleading guilty to his seven charges and said the defendant had worked since he left school at the age of 15, when he joined the Merchant Navy and later assessing metal. She added that he has now admitted to having a sexual interest in children, something he had denied in police interview.

Sentencing him to two years behind bars, with a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and disqualification from working with children, Judge Roger Dutton, presiding, told Carroll that every child in the 39,500 images was a victim.

He added that he could not order the defendant to complete a sex offender programme in prison because the sentence would be too long for a community punishment and too short a spell in prison to qualify for such a scheme. He called this a ‘lacuna’ in the system.

Judge Dutton said: “Rarely does this court have the misfortune to have to deal with cases involving images of children to the extent of this case which involves some 40,000 images.

“Not only that but I’m told that there is as much as a third of a million images that the police have not had the resources to get onto so this case is in my experience, and I have done many cases of this kind, of a category of its own, more serious than the seriousness of a usual case of this kind.

“For each image in this case there’s a victim, some child has been exploited, some child has been used for the purposes of the photographer or photographers.

“In some cases children have been caused pain.

“They have always been humiliated and one never knows what the true impact of on the individual child will ever be.

“That’s what makes this so serious.”

February 2015

Pontymister pervert found with 4,000 child abuse images after police failed to seize them in previous raid

A CONVICTED paedophile has been sent back to prison for possessing more than 4,000 indecent photographs of children after Gwent Police failed to recover his whole collection from his home two years ago.

David Ford, aged 61, made copies of the images he had hidden on memory cards in the spines of books after discovering Gwent Police had not found them while on bail awaiting sentence in 2012, a court heard.

Ford, of Ty Isaf Park Avenue, Pontymister, was locked up for 32 months on December 10, 2012, with an extended licence period of 36 months, for 16 counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

After being released on April 10 last year on licence, Ford accessed the photographs he had stored, breaching his licence conditions and committing a further offence.

Ford, who has 25 years worth of convictions relating to offences against children, admitted he had more than 4,000 images still in his possession at his home after failing a lie detector test, which had had taken as part of his licensing conditions.

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Ford pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing the indecent photographs of a child and one count of possessing extreme pornographic material in January this year.

Today, he was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment for possession of indecent images of a child and two years, to run concurrently, for possessing the extreme pornography.

Judge DJ Hale said that his sentence is “likely to have no affect” as Ford has already been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his time for his 2012 offences and his extended licence period.

Barrister John Warren, prosecuting, said after failing the lie detector test, “a search was conducted at his home address and a number of electronic storage devices were recovered.

“Initially he made no comment but then went on to explain what had occurred that when in the probation service office, how he’d failed the test and that he had some material he shouldn’t have that police failed to recover.

“He’d since viewed those images several times and transferred some of these images to a larger storage device.

“The items that police failed to recover consisted of memory cards in spines of books and in a CD case.”

The court heard of Ford’s prolific previous offences including in 1990 when he was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court for gross indecency with a child, 1997 at Oxford Crown Court where he was sentenced for indecently assaulting a male and making indecent images and most recently in 2012, where he was jailed for 16 counts of making indecent photograph of a child.

Defending, Andrew Taylor said in this case, there was no “contact” involved in his crimes as there had been previously.

Judge Hale said: “You’ve pleaded guilty to possessing a vast quantity of indecent and extreme pornographic images.

“They all were made before your last sentence in December 2012 but you made plans to have them available in obtaining the storage space and making the memory cards so that you could have your library when you were released.”

Ford will not be released before August 9, 2018. Gwent Police have declined to comment.

February 2015

Paedophile fed jelly sweets to six-year-old girl while he sexually assaulted her – Guilty

Ian Berridge shed tears as his sickening catalogue of abuse was outlined at Dumfries Sheriff Court yesterday.

The 60-year-old admitted four charges of sexual offences involving two six-year-old girls, filming one of them while she was in the toilet, and being in possession of hundreds of indecent images of girls aged between three and 14 years.

First offender Berridge, from Annandale, has been remanded in custody until sentencing on March 24.

The court heard how Berridge abused one of the children in the office of his three-storey home.

He was caught out when the girl asked her brother if he knew what sexual abuse was and told him that Berridge had touched her.

The procurator fiscal told the court that Berridge kept jelly sweets in his pocket and gave them to the girl if she went upstairs with him.

The youngster told police Berridge had touched her bottom and private parts.

He also made her touch his private parts and made heavy breathing noises while she did.

She was told not to tell anyone about their “tickling game”.

Berridge also filmed the girl while she did handstands and cartwheels in his garden and made her wriggle around on top of him.

During an inquiry into the allegations made against him, video clips were found on Berridge’s computer of a different six-year-old while she was on the toilet.

Hundreds more indecent images of children were recovered alongside numerous videos. Berridge was taken to Dumfries police station on May 16 last year and questioned but made no comment.

Sheriff George Jamieson deferred sentence for background reports but told Berridge each of the four offences he admitted attracts a maximum jail sentence of five years.

February 2015

Man jailed for series of sexual offences against children

A DEESIDE man’s perverted past caught up with him when he was jailed for 11 years.

Andrew Kendrick stood with his head bowed at Mold Crown Court dock yesterday when the sentence was passed for historic sexual offences.

Judge Niclas Parry, who said Kendrick had committed appalling offences, ordered him to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

Kendrick, 47, of Clwyd Street in Shotton, had denied a total of 19 charges of indecent assault, indecency with a child and an illegal sex act but he was convicted by the jury.

Sentencing him, Judge Parry said Kendrick was convicted after trial of appalling sexual offences against two victims.

Some of the offences occurred when he was in his 20s and some as a teenager. He sexually assaulted one victim when he was aged about 26 and the victim was very young.

The aggravating features were as numerous as they were obvious, he said.

The victim was very young, the offences continued for some time and he deliberately targeted a victim who was vulnerable because of her young age.

He groomed her and played games with her to get her to think sexual activity was normal.

Kendrick also threatened her about the consequence if she ever reported the matter.

On occasions the victim was provided with alcohol to assist compliance.

The evidence against him was “compelling”, the judge said.

Before that, he had taken advantage of another young victim when he was about 17.

The court had seen the victim, who the judge described as “a broken woman” who had to relive her experiences from many years ago.

Kendrick had shown no remorse and had forced his victims to relive their ordeals in public, Judge Parry said.

Owen Edwards, defending, said nothing he put forward in mitigation was intended to diminish the seriousness of his offending. But he said the court would have to balance current sentencing principles against the maximum sentences of the time, taking into account the young age of the defendant when he committed some of the offences.

He was now a man in his late 40s who had worked hard all his life, said Mr Edwards, who added Kendrick had recently suffered from depression which would make his prison sentence much more difficult to serve.

February 2015

‘Perverted predator’ jailed for sex offences against a schoolgirl

A “perverted predator” with “an addiction to sending inappropriate images” has been sentenced to three years and nine months in jail.

Garrett Moon, 28, pleased guilty at Guernsey’s Royal Court to 10 charges including inciting a 14-year-old girl to commit an act of gross indecency.

Judge Russell Finch told Moon: “Young girls need to be protected from perverted predators like you.

“You are a danger to vulnerable youngsters,” he said.

“The only thing in your favour is a guilty plea.”

The judgement included conditions, which must be met for 30 months after release.

Garrett Moon had previous convictions relating to sending grossly offensive messages

The court heard Moon contacted the girl via Facebook in March and, after obtaining her phone number from her profile, sent her naked pictures of himself via Whatsapp.

The girl blocked him, but he continued to approach her in an attempt to arrange a meeting, which never happened.

She told police the pictures had made her feel sick, but they were only discovered when officers were examining her phone for an unconnected investigation.

Moon admitted seven charges of sending indecent messages and images between March and June last year.

On 8 June, police found him at St Julian’s House, a homeless shelter, but when they asked to look at his phone he pushed an officer to the floor and tried to run away.

Defence Advocate Phoebe Cobb said Moon had “an addiction to sending inappropriate images”, but there was no “malicious element” to his actions.

Moon was sentenced to 30 months for inciting the girl to commit an act of gross indecency, 12 months for each of the indecent images charges – to be served concurrently, three months for assaulting an officer and seven days for resisting arrest.

February 2015

Vile images of children were saved on computer

A CHANDLER’S Ford man has been put on a sex offenders’ treatment programme after being found with hundreds of vile photos of young children.

Martin Murrell, 55, was arrested after police, armed with a search warrant, made an early swoop on his home in Northdene Road.

Southampton Crown Court heard they found about 1,150 images involving children aged between one and 14 on a computer tower unit.

Murrell pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent images.

He also received an eight-month suspended sentence and 24 months’ supervision.

February 2015

Depraved couple talked of having a baby so they could abuse her

They are Scotland’s most vile couple – And what makes it worse is Alexander McCracken (35) was a policeman

And his twisted lover Sharon Campbell (39) was a carer at an old folks home attached to a racecourse road nursing home

The nature of their crimes is appalling beyond belief – They chatted on-line about the rape and killing of new born babies

And they even talked about creating a baby themselves to be abused for their perverted pleasure and to share around with other paedophiles

They were also found with and distributed hundreds of depraved photos of infants and toddlers being abused and sexually exploited

Both perverts have now been locked up after appearing nervously in the dock at Ayr crown court today

The court was told, the police burst into McCracken’s terraced home in Ellisland square, Belmont on January 10th last year after being alerted by the National online child abuse protection (NOCAP) service.

The police forced the door and found him in the living room with 39-year-old Campbell. The police seized his Samsung phone and his computer.

McCracken, 35 was taken to Ayr police station and Campbell was driven to Kilmarnock police station where they both gave ‘no comment’ interviews

The court was told that cybercrime experts found 551 indecent images of children within Yahoo messenger chat files on McCrackens computer

Almost all these pictures had been distributed to other paedophiles between 2012 – 2013. Of the photos, 33 were deemed Category 5 – The most depraved possible which includes the rape and torture of children

The images were predominately of young girls with the majority being newborn. Also included were photos of babies and toddlers with a few up to the age of about eight

The court heard the chat indicated that McCracken has a predilection to violently sexually abuse these infants to death, or allow others to do so

The communications found included content of a paedophilic nature – comments on the rape and killing of newborn babies and what purports to be a couple trying for a baby so they can sexually abuse her

The usernames ‘Sleazyperv79′ and ‘NepocoupleUK’ were linked to the computer and the mobile phone owned and used by McCracken

Precise details of what was actually typed during these communications using a variety of identities is too abhorrent to publish

One, from a user linked to McCrackens computer says, “Oh would deffo rape a little baby girl”

When asked if his girlfriend would let him, the reply was: “Its the wife typing lol. I would help him lol”

Another suggested that they would breed a “baby toy” now and use it “as soon as born”

During an exchange ‘sleazyperv79′ sent the message “three month old getting molested…. I hope he snuffed her eventually”

Other images found on the laptop included adults engaged in sexual activity with horses and dogs

PC McCracken spent nine years with Strathclyde police before being exposed as a swinger and a £400 a night bisexual escort

Beside a semi naked picture he boasts:”Im really durty me! Just a normal filthy-minded guy in Ayr. Im 6ft 4ins, I g to the gym a lot and take care of myself. I am quite well endowed and I enjoy what I do….You can tell!”

Recently he lost his job as a factory production worker at the Yorkshire post after he appeared in court regarding this case

February 2015

Man who admitted being caught with sickening stash of indecent images escapes prison sentence 

Michael Hamilton, 47, admitted possessing pseudo-photographs of children on his mobile phone whilst at his work place in Irvine’s Amer Sports UK Ltd, Crompton Way, North Newmoor Industrial Estate, and elsewhere between February 3 and February 9 last year.

He also admitted possessing the images between March 15, 2013 and March 14, 2014 at McDowall Place, Ardrossan.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard how Hamilton was detained from his place of work by police on an unrelated matter on February 14 and taken to Saltcoats Police Office to await interview.

At this time his mobile phone was seized. On February 27, his phone was examined by the Computer Examination and Technical Support Unit of Police Scotland.

Two still images of an indecent nature, rated as level 4 and level 1, were uncovered from his home. Police in possession of a warrant searched Hamilton’s home on March 11.

A laptop found sitting in the living room was seized and examined. At the conclusion of the search, Hamilton was taken to Saltcoats Police Office where he gave “no comment” answers to questions put to him.

Between the phone and laptop, a total of 50 indecent images and five moving images were recovered. Their overall creation dates were between March 15, 2013 and February 9, 2014.

No specific search items were recovered from the laptop. However, there was evidence to support that Hamilton had visited a website known to host indecent images.

Some of the images described in court were too graphic to publish.

Hamilton previously appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in January and pled guilty.

He returned to court on Monday (February 23) after the preparation of his social work report.

Defence solicitor Lena Docherty told the court how this was Hamilton’s first court appearance and he had never been involved in the criminal justice system.

She added how Hamilton still lives with his wife and adult son.

Miss Docherty revealed that Hamilton has been in employment for all his life and is still employed with Amer Sports as a team leader, a position he has held for the last nine years.

She argued that a period of supervision and unpaid work could be an option due to Hamilton being assessed in the report as a “low risk” and unlikely to re-offend.

Miss Docherty insisted that a community-based order would provide him with support and counselling and if Sheriff McDonald did impose a custodial sentence then it would be Hamilton’s wife and son who would suffer the most.

Persuaded by Miss Docherty’s argument, Sheriff McDonald said: “Mr Hamilton these are very serious matters. “I have to consider the number of images the total number I believe were 50 still images and five moving images. “That falls into the low category. What I consider is the risk assessment in the social worker’s report and they believe they can work with you and it would be to the community’s benefit if you undertook this work.”

Hamilton was sentenced to three years supervision and ordered to perform 200 hours unpaid work. He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for the period of his supervision. 

February 2015

Pervert jailed after indecent images of children found on laptop

A Cambridge man who downloaded more than 1,000 indecent images of children has been jailed for six months.

Anthony Fordham, of Walpole Close, Cambridge, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register after he pleaded guilty to possessing and making indecent images of children aged as young as 10.

Other extreme pornographic material, some of which involved live animals, was found saved on to his laptop, hard drive and discs.

Adam Pearson, prosecuting, told Cambridge Crown Court the offences came to light on February 8 last year after Fordham’s ex-wife went to the police.

Mr Pearson explained she became concerned after discovering some DVDs at her address.

The indecent material was then found after a police officer examined the discs.

As a result of this police officers then carried out a search of the home address before interviewing Fordham on February 10.

Mr Pearson continued: “He [Fordham] indicated he had downloaded images of child pornography and bestiality because it was easy to do and he had a fascination for new things.

“He was frustrated with life at home but denies having any sexual interest in children or animals.

“He explained he was attracted to older girls who had been made up to look young.”

Across the laptop, hard drive and discs a total of 353 category A images were found, 335 category B and 431 category C.

Category A offences, which are the most serious, cover penetrative sexual activity and sexual activity with an animal or sadism.

However Christopher Johnston, mitigating, argued Fordham did not pose a threat to society, particularly in relation to the age of some of the images which date back as far as 2002.

He also explained the defendant did not realise how much material had been downloaded because of the torrent software operating on some of the sites he had visited.

He said: “It is right to say Mr Fordham had viewed pornography with his former wife.

“He expressed their marriage had become somewhat jaded, that he had strayed on to the internet.”

Mr Johnston added: “He [Fordham] says he is fully ashamed of what has happened and hasn’t looked at a single image since he was arrested.

“He has lost two jobs and the relationship with his children as a result. It’s a very shaming exercise.”

Mr Johnston asked Mr Fordham be given credit for his early guilty plea and his full cooperation.

However deputy circuit judge Peter Jacobs explained a suspended sentence was not appropriate due to the seriousness of the offences.

He said it was hard to believe Fordham did not realise how much he had downloaded when some of it had been “specifically saved”.

Judge Jacobs said: “Your probation report indicates you have taken limited responsibility but it’s quite clear you haven’t taken complete responsibility.

“I wish the message would get through about the gravity of what we are talking about, especially with category A images.

“We are dealing with seriously abused children.”

February 2015

Man with 70,000 child abuse images on his computer avoids jail

A MAN was caught with nearly 70,000 child abuse images on his computer.

The images included children aged between 13 and 15 years old and were stored on a laptop and external hard drive.

James Cormier told officers when he was arrested that he appreciated ‘artistic artwork of teenagers’.

Cormier, 32, pleaded guilty at Burnley Crown Court to 10 counts of making indecent photographs of a child, three counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, told how officers from the public protection unit executed a warrant at his former home in Accrington just after 7am on March 5 last year. They seized a black Samsung netbook and an external hard drive and were sent away for computer analysis.

Miss Kehoe said: “In total there were 70,000 images found, although only a sample of those have been involved in the indictment. These included 149 category A images – the most serious – 130 category B and 100 category C images along with two videos.

Miss Kehoe said: “They are reflected in the indictment although in total there were 65,947 category C images on the netbook.

“There were also 100 prohibited images, those representing 418 similar images, and the prohibited images are drawings, almost like a cartoon.”

Miss Kehoe said the girls pictured ranged from 13 to 15 years old however the girls in category A and B are ‘closer to 15’.

The court heard how in his report, police expert Anthony Carter said ‘it appears to be the case that the system user has constructed a structured environment for the storage of the reported imagery’.

Clare Thomas, defending, said: “He is extremely remorseful for his conduct. He recognises it was wrong.

“He was arrested 12 months ago now and these matters have been hanging over him and his family and he has had a long time to reflect on his actions and the damage to his family.”

The court heard how Cormier, now of Manchester Road, Haslingden, has sought help from the registered sex prevention charity Lucy Faithful Foundation.

Cormier was given a three-year community order with a supervision requirement and ordered to attend an internet sex offender treatment programme. He was also given a sexual offences prevention order and a sexual offender notification provision order, both to run for five years.

Judge Jonathan Gibson said: “The downloading and possession of images of this sort is always considered serious by the court because of the harm done to children and young people.”

February 2015

Paedophile jailed for sexually abusing a schoolboy

A paedophile from a village on the outskirts of Halifax has been jailed for a total of 8 years for a string of sex offences against a schoolboy

Morrison’s supermarket night-shift worker Ken Moorhouse, aged 52 of Mixenden, near Halifax appeared last month at Bradford crown court to plead guilty to the following charges:

1. Indecent assault on a boy who was aged under 14 years old

2. Gross indecency with a boy who was aged under 14 years old

3. Inciting a boy aged under 14 years old to commit an act of gross indecency

As well as being jailed, Moorhouse was placed on the sex offenders register for life

January 2015

Teens gave 13-year-old schoolgirl alcohol and drugs before having sex with her

TWO friends who had sex with a 13-year-old girl after giving her cannabis and vodka have been spared jail. Billy Drage and Reece Smith were both 19 when they committed offences against the girl.

The pair sheltered the girl after she went missing from home in November 2013, providing her with alcohol and drugs before having sex with her.

Both have been given suspended prison sentences, despite knowing that she was just 13 years old.

Mark McKone, prosecuting at Hull Crown Court, said: “The defendants are close friends. They separately had sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Mr McKone said social workers had indicated to the police that the victim was “streetwise” and “looked older than 13″.

However, Mr McKone said both Drage and Smith were aware the girl was under 16, the legal age of consent.

In respect of Drage, the prosecutor said: “She told him she was 13. He believed she acted older than 13. He admitted that he found out she was 13 and had sex with her after.”

Drage had sex with the girl at the home he shares with his mother in north Hull.

“She [the victim] told her mother she was staying with a girlfriend,” said Mr McKone.

“She had vodka and cannabis. He did not provide those to facilitate the offence.

“The defendant was flirty and tried to kiss her. She told him to get off.”

Drage and the girl then had sex before they were interrupted by his mother returning home, said Mr McKone.

The victim had initially accused Drage of rape.

“The prosecution did not prosecute him for rape,” said Mr McKone. “Sex was consensual. She actively encouraged him.”

In early November, a social worker, who was trying to find the girl after she went missing, spoke to Drage.

“Both Drage and Smith were warned off her by the social worker,” said Mr McKone.

Drage, of 32nd Avenue, north Hull, later told police he had sex with the girl on two occasions, but insisted it had been consensual.

One of the counts against Drage was ordered to lie on file.

Smith, of Marton Grove, east Hull, told police he had sex with the girl on six occasions. He told his mother she was 16 years old.

Mr McKone said: “On one occasion Smith gave her [the victim] weed and she was stoned.

“Social workers had told him she was 13. He said that she [the victim] had told him that she was 16. He went on to have sex with her.

“Smith said that he felt sorry for her and had taken her under his wing.”

On November 21 last year, tests showed DNA taken from the girl matched that of Smith.

Mr McKone said: “He admitted having sex with her and called her a s*** in interview and said he was the vulnerable one.”

Drage pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child on November 16 and 17 2013.

Smith also pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child in November 2013.

John Thackray, representing Drage, said: “He is not a mature man by any means. He has made a very serious mistake.”

Stephen Robinson, for Smith, said: “He is, on balance, ashamed of his actions. He says he is ashamed and disgusted by his behaviour.

“He was more comfortable with younger people, given his immaturity.”

Judge Graham Robinson ruled it was not in the public interest to send either of the men to prison.

He said: “The public interest is best served by ensuring you remain under supervision for three years rather than depriving you of your liberty for weeks or months.”

Both men were given a three-year supervision order, with a requirement to attend a sexual offences rehabilitation programme.

They were also both given sexual offences prevention orders and must sign the sex offenders’ register for five years.

Detective Constable Mike Smith, of Humberside Police’s protecting vulnerable people team, said: “Smith and Drage befriended their victim, a vulnerable 13-year-old girl. She then went missing from home and they sheltered her, providing her with alcohol and access to drugs, before sexually exploiting her on separate occasions, knowing that she was underage.

“I would like to commend the courage and determination of the victim in coming forward and reporting her abuse to the police and then subsequently supporting this investigation.

“Humberside Police is committed to investigating offences of this nature and, with a dedicated team and the adoption of a multi-agency approach, to identifying and safeguarding those at risk, while also disrupting and prosecuting perpetrators of child sexual exploitation.

“The work of the local authority and charitable agencies such as Corner House has been key in supporting and safeguarding the victim in this case and other children. This work is also preventing those children from becoming abusers or facilitators themselves.”

Anyone with information about child sexual exploitation should call Humberside Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.