May 2015

Supply teacher in Wrexham had indecent child images on his computer – No prison

A teacher in the Wrexham area was found to have indecent images of children on his computer.

But Kieran Richard Walsh, 26, was spared a prison sentence when he appeared at Mold Crown Court on Monday.

Walsh, who had been living with his grandparents in High Street, Rhosymedre near Wrexham, was placed on a three-year community order so he could follow a sex offender programme.

A sexual harm order was made for five years and he must register with the police as a sex offender for five years. His name will also be added to a register which means he cannot work with children or vulnerable adults.

Mold Crown Court heard Walsh was degree educated and had registered with an agency as a supply teacher in the Wrexham area.

He had worked in schools locally but that work would no longer be available to him and that he was now unemployed.

He had moved out of his grandparents’ home in case of repercussions and had been living a somewhat itinerant lifestyle in hotels and hostels for the past month until he knew what his future held.

At an earlier hearing he pleaded guilty to six charges of making four indecent movies and one still image of children, aged between eight and 12, by downloading them from the internet.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing 49 indecent movies of children – 39 in class A, eight in class B and two in class C.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said they were serious and disturbing offences which occurred in April of last year.

He was not charged until March of this year and the delay had not been insignificant.

Walsh had made immediate admissions when police visited his home and in interview and pleaded guilty at a preliminary stage.

The case did cross the sentencing threshold and it was a choice for the court between a relatively short prison sentence or a long and onerous community order which would not be an easy option.

The judge said he would no longer be able to pursue any sort of career as a teacher. There had been no physical contact between him and the children and no likelihood of it progressing to any contact.

But he should be aware that were it not for the likes of him viewing such images on the internet then children, possibly thousands of miles away, would not be abused in the first place.

David Mainstone, prosecuting, said shortly after 8am on April 15 last year police executed a search warrant at his home address.

His grandparents contacted Walsh who returned to the property and when asked where they would find images, he told police they were on his laptop.

There was file sharing software on his laptop which had been used to download the images but it was accepted he had not been involved in distribution.

Interviewed, he accepted he had viewed such images during three periods in his life, in 2006, in 2009 and again in April of last year.

He said he came across the first image by accident but accepted he had then actively searched for them.

Walsh said he went through periods when he did not look at them, such as when he was in university or distracted by other interests.

At the time, he said he was working as a supply teacher, was signed up with an agency and had worked in schools in the local area.

Michael Whitty, defending, said his client was a man of good character.

It was accepted they were serious offences but a community order as recommended in the pre-sentence report would be a proper punishment and would be a proper form of rehabilitation to reduce further any risk that he might represent in the future.

He had completed a degree in history and he was following a career path which was educationally orientated.

“But clearly that will be a path that will no longer be open to him,” said Mr Whitty. “He knows he will have to start over. He finds himself without employment.”

There were issues in his life which needed to be addressed and Mr Whitty urged the court to impose a community order which would act as punishment, rehabilitation and a deterrent.

Update: Now released and living in a bail hostel in York

August 2000

Dangerous multiple rapist jailed for life

A SERIAL rapist has been jailed for life for the brutal assault of a Scarborough teenager. Barry Gibson, 40, of Herdborough Road, Eastfield, subjected a 16-year-old girl to a terrifying three-hour ordeal.

A manhunt had been launched across the county to catch the rapist, described by police as extremely dangerous.

Yesterday, Leeds Crown Court heard Gibson, who has a history of sexual offending, raped and sexually assaulted the girl.

She only managed to escape him by running barefoot across a field.

Judge Paul Hoffman, sentencing him to life imprisonment, said: You abducted and subjected her to a prolonged ordeal over several hours.

You threatened to kill her and regarded her as a plaything, a toy and an object of your lust.

You are a highly dangerous man where women are concerned.

The rape happened in the early hours of April 9 after Gibson spotted the teenager walking home from a nightclub.

She was marched for miles around Scarborough before finally breaking free and making it to a nearby house for help.

A senior police officer who investigated the attack described it as one of the worst cases he had seen.

Coverage of the attack in the Evening News led to vital witnesses stepping forward to help the investigation.

Det Chief Insp Barry Honeysett, of Scarborough police, said: Because of this we identified a second serious incident. Gibson had followed another woman earlier that night and she gave a description of a suspect.

We are very pleased with the result, particularly as he pleaded guilty and the victim was not put through a full-scale trial. The sentence is entirely appropriate for a very dangerous man who the public need protection from.

Gibson has been committing serious sexual offences for more than 20 years.

He was jailed in 1986 for 12 years after being convicted of three rapes.

His record also includes indecent assault and burglary.

The court was told Gibson had been living in Sleights, near Whitby, with his partner for some time after his release.

Simon Hickey, mitigating, said it was after this relationship broke down and Gibson moved to Scarborough that he returned to rape.

Judge Hoffman said at least five years and eight months of his sentence must be completed before parole could even be considered. He told Gibson: You have learnt nothing what you did to that girl was the stuff of every woman s nightmares.

July 2013

Ex-Tilly man jailed for online chat with girl, 13

A COLLEGE student who struck up an online relationship with a 13-year-old girl has been jailed for more than seven months. 

Scott Begg (24) began chatting to the Edinburgh schoolgirl through a dating website after she lied about her age to gain access.

However, when the teenager confessed to Begg her real age, the Glasgow-based student was undeterred.

He had the schoolgirl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, send him indecent photographs of her and he took it as a compliment when she called him a “paedo pervert”.

Begg, formerly of Tillicoultry, told her that age was “just a number” and urged her to sleep with boys her own age before suggesting they get a hotel room together.

The student claimed the chat was just a fantasy and he had no plans to meet up with the teenager, Alloa Sheriff Court heard.

Sheriff Alastair Brown described Begg’s actions as “utterly inappropriate” and placed him on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Sentencing him to 34 weeks behind bars, the sheriff added, “It has been said this was all fantasy but obtaining the photographs was not. You told her she was a free spirit and that age was just a number and not to be confined by rules. She was a child and you were taking advantage of her.”

Begg, of McPhail Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, pled guilty to intentionally engaging in written communication of a sexual nature with a 13-year-old girl through a social networking site, instant messaging and email between 12 April and 22 April last year. He contacted her from his home in Glasgow and from his parents’ home in Tillicoultry.

The court heard that the schoolgirl joined the dating website by claiming she was 19 years old.

Begg struck up an online relationship with her and, before he found out her true age, she sent him a indecent photograph of her.

A few days later the girl confessed that she was only 13 and Begg complemented her that she looked older than she was.

Over the next 10 days, he got further photographs, asked her about her sexual experience and whether she would give him oral sex and then urged her to sleep with boys who were having a sleep over at her home. Finally, he suggested that they meet at a hotel in Edinburgh.

He was caught after the girl confessed to a member of staff at her school about their relationship and police traced the student through her computer.

As Begg was led from the dock at Alloa, several people in the public gallery shouted “beast”.

Following the outburst, the sheriff told the gallery, “A man has committed a crime, been brought to book for that crime and I have imposed a sentence that the law requires. It is not appropriate that he should be persecuted by the community; he is paying his penalty.”

May 2015

Paedophile volunteered at Liverpool autistic support group to abuse six-year-old boy

A predatory paedophile volunteered at a support group for autistic children in Liverpool so he could sexually abuse a six-year-old boy.

Brian Hammersley, 56, was jailed for seven years today and handed an extended three years on licence after being found guilty of four counts of indecent assault.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Hammersley, of Insall Road, Wavertree, befriended the family of a child with Asperger’s syndrome in the 1990s.

Dan Travers, prosecuting, said: “The defendant had ingratiated himself with the victim’s mother through volunteering.

“The prosecution case is he chose to volunteer at the organisation to get close to children and because he had a sexual interest in children.

“On two separate occasions he took a six-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome back to his own flat without his mum’s knowledge.

“While in the flat he sexually assaulted him.”

The bearded pervert, wearing glasses and a grey sweatshirt in the dock, was 38 at the time of the offences, which were carried out over three days.

The court heard he was previously jailed for 20 weeks in 2008 after sending pornography to boys aged between 13 and 15.

Mr Travers said in that case he had again targeted a boy with Asperger’s since he was six.

Simon Berkson, defending, conceded that his client would receive a heavy custodial sentence for “a huge breach of trust”.

Judge Robert Warnock made an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order against Hammersley.

He said: “Despite your conviction you remain in total denial.

“There are three distinct important breaches of trust in this case.

“Firstly you pretended to be a friend of the boy’s family, when clearly your primary motive was to gain access to that boy.

“Clearly you knew that boy was disabled and suffers from Asperger’s syndrome.

“Thirdly, you purported to be a support worker for suffers of that syndrome and therefore you have breached that family’s trust in you.”

The judge said he did not know how Hammersley found himself in a position of trust and responsibility within the group.

He said: “You are devious and self deluded in equal measures.

“The simple fact is you are a dangerous and predatory paedophile, who poses a high risk of harm to children and in particular those who are less able to fend for themselves.”

The judge said Hammersley would serve four years and eight months behind bars then be on licence for five years and four months.

Judge Warnock also noted his “respect and admiration” for the victim and praised his courage in reporting the crime.

Speaking after the case, the boy’s mum told the ECHO she hoped other potential victims would come forward to police.

She said: “No sentence would ever be enough because he has done what he has done.”

Detective Chief Inspector John Middleton from Merseyside Police said: “Brian Hammersley abused his position of trust as a volunteer for a support group helping parents of children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

“He pretended to be offering help to the victim’s mother simply to gain time alone with her child to abuse and exploit him.

“Instead of providing the kind of genuine care and support that the vast majority of volunteers in the charitable sector excel at, Hammersley caused untold damage to this young person by sexually assaulting him numerous times.

“Such was the level of coercion and deceit that it was only many years later that the victim fully comprehended what had happened and was able to take the brave decision to tell his family.

“I would like to praise the victim for his courage in making that difficult first decision and for giving the police the opportunity to investigate Hammersley’s crimes and put him before the courts.

“Merseyside Police will always listen to victims of sexual exploitation no matter how long ago it happened and our officers will ensure the victim is supported every step of the way.

“I would encourage anyone who wants to know more about this important issue to visit www.listentomystory.co.uk ”

May 2015

47-year-old jailed after being caught with hundreds of indecent images of young children

‘PREDATORY paedophile’ Jon McGowan was caught with more than 1,600 explicit images and videos of children as young as nine years old

The 47-year-old was also spotted in Asda, Tunstall, meeting up with a fellow sex offender he had befriended at a support group.

Now McGowan, of Pinnox Street, Tunstall, has been jailed for nearly two years.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard how McGowan stored the images on his personal computer and mobile phone so they were ‘easily accessible’.

Prosecutor Heather Chamberlin said: “The defendant was made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) in March 2013 following a conviction which prohibited him from associating with any other like-minded person.

“He met a gentleman in a support group and was later spotted with him by a probation officer in Asda, Tunstall.”

Miss Chamberlin added: “The defendant had a USB drive and a Samsung mobile phone at home.

“They were examined by police who found they contained indecent images.

“When the police went to his address he was on the settee and they noticed a charger plugged into a wall. They found a mobile phone which had an application installed on it which automatically wiped the phone’s history, something he was also prohibited from doing under the order.”

The court heard McGowan had 46 category B images, 1,513 category C images and 61 videos or images which were category A – the most serious.

The defendant previously served almost eight years behind bars for child sex offences following a conviction in 2005.

He pleaded guilty to making indecent photos of a child and breaching his SOPO. Kevin Mortlock, mitigating, said: “Mr McGowan leads a solitary and isolated life.

“He has his own feelings of mistrust and ended up forming a friendship with another gentleman and they were seen together by a probation officer who knew them both.

“The defendant is realistic and says that he has had thoughts of this nature since he was a child. He acknowledges there’s work to be done. In the past he has had courses offered to him and he has participated. Since 2013 he has not offended again and he has been under intense scrutiny from probation.”

Jailing McGowan for 20 months, Judge Paul Glenn said: “It’s quite plain that when you got out of prison you renewed your interest in images of children and your preferred material is boys up to the age of nine years old. Your attraction to young boys apparently remains undiminished and the risk you represent is obvious.”

May 2015

Northampton man jailed for one year for sex with 14-year-old boy

A 22-year-old man who travelled from Northampton to Bedford to have sex with an underage boy was jailed for one year yesterday.

Gregory Mills was caught after the 14-year-old’s mother found Facebook messages between them, Luton crown court heard.

The mother of the boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – contacted Mills and told him her son was only 14 and that what Mills had done was illegal.

Several days later the police were called, but the boy refused to make a statement and refused to co-operate.

The police arrested Mills after they recovered 5 pages of messages between him and the boy.

Mills, of Cottesbrooke Gardens, Northampton, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child on the same day in July last year.

Stefan Weidmann, defending, said: “He was a young man struggling with his own identity. He was intending to seek friendship within the gay community on line. It started as friendship and on one night there was sexual contact.”

He said Mills, who works in the motor racing industry, was supported by his parents. “He comes from a good family who are shocked and appalled but love and support him,” he said.

Judge Barbara Mensah told Mills: “This was a very serious offence. I know it was consensual but it should not have been. You knew he was under age. A child of 14 is immature. You were the adult. You should have known better.”

The judge made a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning Mills from having unsupervised contact with any boys aged under 16 for the next 5 years. He must also register as a sex offender.

May 2015

Lifeguard’s false identity to groom sisters aged 10 and 13

A LIFEGUARD at an aquadome groomed two under-age sisters on the internet in a bid to have them take naked pictures of themselves and send them to him.

Using a false Facebook identity, 22-year-old Benjamin Mackay, of Woodlands Close, Westhill, near Inverness, used the name Danny Smith to contact the ten- and 13-year-olds separately.

But he used his actual image on the social media site and the girls recognised him, Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

Mackay, who worked at the Inverness Leisure Centre where he met the two girls, admitted two offences of sending sexual messages to the girls and asking them for naked pictures of themselves.

Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart said: “When the girls pointed this out, he claimed that he was using a friend’s account as his own was not working, but due to the fact that the profile picture was his, the girls did not believe this explanation.

“Although he contacted them separately, it is clear that the girls were telling each other about the messages they received.”

One conversation with one of the girls included the request: “Fancy doing something for me but keep it a secret between you and me? Xx”

The girl refused, asking him if he knew how old she was? He said 13 and added: “Age is just a number.”

Mackay then asked for a picture of her in her underwear or just a part of her anatomy.

In a 76-minute conversation with the other girl, he made a similar request, saying: “You are good looking and your funny and an amazing person.”

The girl repeatedly refused, finally adding her reason: “Cause ur a paedo!”

Mr Urquhart said she then went to her father and said: “Dad, I need to show you this” and told him about the conversations. He took screenshots of the Facebook conversations which he was able to provide to the police who were called that night.

Mackay told police who interviewed him that he created the fake account so that he could keep it secret from his then girlfriend, adding that he regretted that it happened.

Defence agent Shahid Latif reserved his comments until sentencing.

Sentence was deferred until 9 June for a background report and he was placed on the sex offender’s register.

January 2010

A SOUTH Yorkshire dad who downloaded indecent images of children and then superimposed the faces of children he knew onto the naked bodies of exploited youngsters is today facing ruin and public shame.

Doncaster Crown Court heard James Gilbert Toon – who narrowly avoided jail after admitting making and possessing indecent images on his home computer – could also lose his top job as general manager of the world’s largest Mercedes dealership in Abu Dhabi

The 37-year-old dad of two’s 200,000 home in Howden Close, Bessacarr, near Doncaster is already up for sale.

Prosecutor Carl Fitch said Toon’s house was raided in June 2008 after Doncaster police were tipped off by a child exploitation agency that he was subscribing to a child abuse images website.

His computer tower was seized and analysts discovered 250 still and moving images of child pornography with some at the worst level, although most had been deleted.

Mr Fitch said some of the images had been created by copying photographs of six children he knew and using software to manipulate their faces and paste them onto the bodies of girls engaged in sexual acts.

All the children he knew had since been made aware of what Toon had done with their pictures.

Toon’s solicitor, Cedric Hennis, told the court most of the images had been deleted by him in 2006, 18 months before he was arrested, and the material had not been shared with others or distributed.

He said: “He has made a full confession to all matters against him and expresses his regret because he recognises he has done wrong. He has been severely shaken by the proceedings because he was a man of good character, holding down a job with great responsibility, and his family are supportive.”

Mrs Toon submitted a letter of support to the judge and Mr Hennis said both his children were aware of what their father had done but there was still “a great bond between them”.

Toon committed the offences while he was at home in England on leave from his job at the Emirates Motor Company in Abu Dhabi, where he has more than 50 people working for him. Before the case came to court he had not informed the company of his crimes.

He pleaded guilty to 12 specimen offences of making and possessing indecent images on his home computer.

Toon’s wife was in court to hear what he had confessed to doing.

Judge Graham Robinson told Toon: “If it were not for paedophiles such as you there would be no incentive for those in the front line of child pornography to abuse children in the first place.”

Judge Robinson said if he sent Toon straight to prison he would not receive treatment to stop him offending.

He added: “While I must mark the gravity of these offences with a 12 month custodial sentence I am going to suspend it for two years so that I can compel you to attend the sex offenders programme.”

June 2010

Dereham man, 77, jailed for six years

A 77-year-old Dereham who sexually abused two girls has been jailed for six years.

Brian Heyhoe, of Clifton Terrace, Southend, Dereham, admitted a total of 16 charges of indecent assault on children between 1995 and 2002.

He was jailed at Norwich Crown Court on Friday.

Det Con John Carr, of Norfolk Police, said: “This sentence is a good result for the victims of Heyhoe and hopefully will put an end to their ordeal.

“The constabulary is committed to bringing such offenders to justice and has a dedicated team of investigators who deal with crimes involving child abuse.

“We recognise that coming forward can be a difficult step for victims and we will investigate cases that are reported to us whatever the timeframe.”

May 2013

Angel Lee Raymond Garrod aged 40 of Windermere Road, Charminster

He admitted accessing the internet on several sites, which he was prohibited from doing under the terms of a restraining order made under section 5A of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 by Canterbury Magistrates Court.

Community order made to attend and participate in the Thames Valley Sex Offender Groupwork Programme in accordance with the instruction given by the responsible officer and whilst attending there to comply with the instructions given by or under the authority of the person in charge of the programme.

To pay victim surcharge of £60. Costs £85.

May 2015

Blackburn man caught spying on naked teen girls chatting in swimming pool cubicle

A MAN who watched two teenage girls under the dividing partition of a changing room door at Waves has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

Blackburn magistrates heard that two girls aged 16 and 17 were standing naked in a changing cubicle at the Blackburn swimming pool when they looked down to see a man looking up at them under the partition.

The court heard the girls had seen the man watching them while they were in the pool and noticed him following them around.

Kuwait national Mahmudbahar Al-Anizi later admitted to police he had been attracted to the two girls, prosecutors said.

Al-Anizi, 30, of the Islington Motel, Great Bolton Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to observing a person doing a private act.

He was sentenced to six weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £50 compensation to each of the girls and £165 costs.

He was also put on the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said the girls had gone to the swimming pool at about 3.30pm.

They had noticed the defendant was following them and staring at them.

“When they went to get changed they realised they had forgotten their towels and were standing naked in a cubicle chatting while they dried off,” said Miss Allan.

“One of them noticed a shadow on the floor and they looked down to see a pair of eyes looking up at them.”

The girls screamed for help and dressed quickly and Al-Anizi was detained by pool staff and the police called.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client had been drinking on the day and had been attracted to the two girls.

“He knows he has done wrong and that he must be punished for it,” said Mr Taylor.

“He is adamant it was a one-off incident while he was under the influence of drink.”

Waves water centre closed on Sunday, February 22.

The new pool at the £13.5million Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre opened its doors to the public on March 9.

May 2015

Former RGS Worcester teacher Matthew Ingram jailed for ‘affair’ with teenage pupil

A FORMER chemistry teacher at RGS Worcester has been jailed for having a sexual affair with a teenage student.

Oxford University graduate Matthew Ingram pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to four charges of sexual activity with the teenager.

Ingram, aged 25, was said by Paul Whitfield, prosecuting, to have begun the affair by kissing the girl before touching her. He later persuaded her to touch him intimately.

The affair began in the Spring of 2014 and progressed for two months. Staff became concerned about her behaviour and Ingram was warned about his friendship with her.

They continued to exchange emails and the girl maintained at one stage that she was “intimidated” by Ingram, said Mr Whitfield.

Kissing and fondling had taken place in a classroom when they were alone.

Abigail Husbands, for Ingram, said he had deleted photographs taken of her and had not invited her back to his flat in the city. The main reason the case was before the court was because of the abuse of trust.

Ingram was a post-graduate student and had been taken on at RGS Worcester, in the Tything, to teach chemistry.

Ingram, now of of Roman Road, Bethnal Green, London, has since given up teaching and was working in London for a start-up computer company. He was incredibly embarrassed by the case which was a blemish on his good character.

Judge Michael Cullum, who reduced the period of imprisonment from 15 months to 10 months because of an early guilty plea, ordered Ingram to register as a sex offender for ten years. The serious aspect of the case was the abuse of trust. Schools were expected to be a place of safety for children.

Ingram knew that the girl did not want any sexual advances and she made it clear when she wanted it to stop. It was then that he should have distanced himself from her but he continued his activity in the school where he thought he was safe. But he ignored all warnings that he was doing wrong.

The judge said he was not making a sexual harm prevention order as he did not think it was necessary.

May 2015

Sneinton vicar admits possessing child abuse images – including image of a two-year-old

The vicar of a Sneinton church has been spared custody after he admitted possessing indecent images of children as young as two.

Rev Andrew Waude had been working at St Cyprian’s Church, in Lancaster Road as part of the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, when he was caught with 476 images and videos.

After pleading guilty at Nottingham Crown Court at an earlier hearing, he was sentenced to a three-year community order and supervision from probation and 250 hours of unpaid work on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old will be subject to a sex offenders’ prevention order, must attend a sex offender programme and sign the sex offenders’ register.

Sarah Munro, prosecuting, said the majority of images were of ten-year-olds and young adolescents, mainly boys, and there were images of children as young as two.

One image involved a two-year-old involved in sexual activity with a man.

Some videos were of adolescent children playing naked. None of the images were of children he came into contact with and were for private use, not distribution.

Waude, of Marston Road, Carlton, has been suspended from his job.

He was arrested after police acted on intelligence that he had purchased a DVD containing indecent images of children from a Canadian website.

Detectives working in Project Spade – an investigation into wide-ranging child abuse – raided his home and found a briefcase containing 27 discs, two laptops, two hard drives and a desktop computer all including offending images.

Detective Constable Steve Cotter, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Nottinghamshire Police is committed to preventing child abuse of all kinds, gathering intelligence from a range of sources and working alongside various partners to bring the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes to justice.

“Tragically, behind each of these images is a victim and we owe it to each and every one of them to ensure that we properly investigate these horrific offences.

“We hope this prosecution gives the public the confidence to come forward and report these offences, with this result serving as a reminder to anyone collecting these images that their offences will not be tolerated.”

A spokesman for the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham said: “He remains suspended from all ministerial duties and will be subject to a disciplinary procedure under the clergy discipline measure. The parish continues to be offered pastoral support.

“Diocesan officers are co-operating fully with the police and local authorities and regard safeguarding matters as of the utmost importance.

“The Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham is committed to helping every parish church to be a safe place for all.”

May 2015

Child abuser and rapist jailed for 12 years

A man who was convicted of physical and sexual abuse against three girls and a boy has been jailed for 12 years.

Robert Fury, 50, first targeted a 10-year-old girl, when he was aged 12, in the 1970s. He later raped a 17-year-old woman in Helensburgh in 1991.

The High Court in Aberdeen heard he also abused a teenage girl in Dumbarton between 2001 and 2004 and attacked a young boy there between 1995 and 2002.

Fury was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Jailing him, judge Lord Kinclaven told Fury: “You have been found guilty of a serious catalogue of offending.

“It started at the age of 12 and your last offence was committed when you were 39.

“The court has to mark the seriousness of your offending.”

Prior to sentencing, defence QC Brian McConnachie said Fury had not engaged with social workers after being found guilty during an earlier hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.

The lawyer said Fury “denies responsibility for his crimes”.

History of offending

Fury first started on his victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in the mid to late 1970s shortly after turning 12 years old, when he made various sexual advances to another girl aged around 10 years old. 

During this time he also carried out an assault on the girl – repeatedly hitting her on the body. 

He then went on to abuse and assault a schoolgirl in her early to mid-teens at a property in Dumbarton between 2001 and 2004. 

His final victim, a young boy, suffered a series of horrendous attacks at the same property between 1995 and 2002.

Fury made the boy lie face down in a bath filled with water for “extended periods of time” and also forced the youngster’s head under water to restrict his breathing. 

On other occasions he pushed the boy’s teeth into his lips causing him to fall over and strike his head on a toilet.

Fury also hit the boy with a belt.

May 2015

27-year-old man could face prison after he admitted having indecent and extreme images

Joshua Gordon pleaded guilty yesterday to one charge of making indecent photographs of children.

He had 150 images at varying levels of severity, Teesside Crown Court heard.

He also admitted possession of seven extreme pornographic images of a “grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise obscene character”.

The offences were committed between September 2012 and February 2013.

Judge Howard Crowson bailed Gordon, of Elmwood Court, Elm Tree, Stockton, until sentencing on June 12.

He told the defendant: “You’re at risk of a prison sentence. You probably know that.

“But that decision will be made on that day when everything is heard and all arguments put forward on your behalf.”

May 2015

‘Every mother’s nightmare': 49-yr-old pervert posed as schoolboy online – Jailed

A SEX offender labelled “the nightmare of every mother” by a judge has been jailed for more than three years.

Philip Swift, who was 49 at the time of his offences, posed as a 15-year-old boy called Charlie before beginning to chat with his victim online.

The youngster had been using website InterPals – a site designed for teenagers to meet pen pals from other countries – when she was contacted by Swift.

The defendant had ticked a box stating his age as being 18 or younger when he signed up the site.

Prosecuting, Kerry Maylin told a court there was “intense communication” between the two, who exchanged more than 1,000 texts in a single month.

The girl became aware of Swift’s real age and name, but their conversations continued, with the two using video chat site Skype to watch the other performing sex acts upon themselves.

“Mr Swift professed that he loved [the victim] and by Saturday, November 2 2013 various arrangements had been made for him to travel to Bournemouth and stay at the Norfolk Royale Hotel,” Ms Maylin said.

The prosecutor said Swift met the girl at a recreation ground before they walked together to the hotel, where the defendant had booked a room using his real name, asking staff for a double bed as he had a bad back.

“He told the girl not to go with him [to the reception desk] and to put a hood and jacket on so she would be disguised,” said Ms Maylin.

“He had pre-booked breakfast. The prosecution says this shows a desire to keep the girl out of the gaze of the public.”

Once in the hotel room, the two “kissed in a passionate way” before engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity, the prosecutor added.

The relationship was to continue for a year in total before a family member of the victim saw a photograph of Swift on her internet-enabled iPod, and informed her mother.

However, before he was arrested, Swift flew to visit relatives in South Africa, where he remained for six months.

He was arrested at Heathrow upon his return.

In mitigation, Paul Trotman said his client – who suffers from penile cancer – had told the girl of his age “within two hours” of first communicating with her.

The defendant, of Atherley Road in Shanklin, Isle of Wight, admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming and two of sexual activity with a child.

On Friday, Judge John Harrow, sitting at Bournemouth Crown Court, sentenced Swift to three years and four months behind bars.

He said: “You must represent the nightmare of every mother of a teenage girl.

“You are 50 now, and were 49 at the time. You employed quite a degree of subterfuge and craftiness to establish contact with this young girl on an innocent internet site.”

Swift will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order upon his release.

May 2015

27-year-old paedophile knew girl was 12 but said “it didn’t feel wrong”

A well known Newbury athlete has been jailed for a series of child sexual offences.

A jury convicted 27-year-old David Fry of inciting a 12-year-old schoolgirl who was in foster care to engage in sexual activity and of inciting her to send indecent images of herself to him.

Fry of Green lane, Newbury had already admitted grooming another under-age girl and performing a sex act on her – but he told detectives that he didn’t think he had done anything wrong.

The judge said he had no doubt that Fry – A member of Newbury athletics club – was sexually aroused by the young age of his victims.

The court heard Fry had sent the 12-year-old schoolgirl a picture of his genitals

Fry refused to take the stand and gave his defence on his own behalf.

The jury heard Fry had made it clear that he knew how old the girls were – for example by replying to the 12-year-old: “Wow, you’re so young…but I fancy you”

Prosecution then told the court that Fry tried to persuade the child to meet him and added: “This defendant made it quite clear that this meeting would involve him having full, penetrative sex with her”

In a police interview, Fry said: “I couldn’t help myself, I just got carried away. I was curious how sexually active a 12-year-old girl could be – I guess Im sorry”

He continued: “When you go online, you just cant help yourself, whatever the girls age – I just didn’t see it as wrong”

May 2015

Paedophile,77, who groomed and sexually assaulted 11-year-old girl is jailed

A MAN in his 70s who sexually assaulted a young girl has been jailed.

Thomas Marsh, aged 77, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for two offences of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.

He was sentenced at Dorchester Crown Court after being convicted of the two offences at trial.

The court was told Marsh met the girl in November 2013 when she was 11 and there was an element of what Judge Douglas Field described as ‘grooming’ as he gained her trust before committing the offences.

Victim impact statements from the young girl’s parents claimed that the offences had caused an adverse impact on the lives of the whole family.

Marsh, of Holmes Road, Swanage, had no previous convictions.

Thomas Horder, mitigating, said that Marsh had lived in the same home for 35 years and was well liked and highly regarded by many people.

He attempted to persuade the judge not to impose a custodial sentence because of Marsh’s age and ill health.

Mr Horder said the defendant had a number of ailments including diabetes, back pain and kidney disease while he had suffered three heart attacks in recent years

He added: “The main impact of such a sentence would also be on his family.

“These events have impacted very greatly on the defendant’s family as well.”

Judge Field told the defendant that he had abused the trust the young girl had place in him.

He said: “You started to groom her, you were showing interest in her difficulties at school and you gave her money and so on and her trust in you grew.

“You started to abuse that trust by assaulting her.”

The judge sentenced Marsh to 30 months in prison and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.

He also imposed a sexual harm prevention order, which again will run for an indefinite period.

Judge Field told the defendant his offending was likely to have a ‘profound’ impact on his young victim.

He said: “You have got to realise that what you did to her has had a profound effect on her and that’s going to be long lasting, perhaps for the rest of her life.”

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May 2015

Pervert who put hand up 13-year-old schoolgirl’s dress jailed

A drunk pervert who put his hand up a 13-year-old schoolgirl’s dress on a bus has been jailed.

David McCrimmon, 39, had downed bottles of vodka and was on prison licence for a previous offence at the time of the offence, the Liverpool ECHO reports.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how he got on a bus at around 8am and his victim got onboard about 15 minutes later.

Alice Dobbie, prosecuting, said she was stood next to where he was sat and was holding onto a pole to keep her balance.

She said the girl felt a hand go up her skirt on the back of her right thigh and touch her bottom.

The court heard she turned around and put his hand away but McCrimmon did not say anything.

Other passengers who saw what happened intervened and one of them told the bus driver, who called the police.

Officers arrived at the scene and saw that McCrimmon was “extremely intoxicated”.

He was taken to a police station and left to sober up, during which time he said: “I’m sorry for my behaviour.”

The defendant was interviewed at around 10pm that day, when he now claimed he had no recollection of the incident or his apology.

Miss Dobbie said: “He said he had been drinking bottles of vodka.

“He was shown CCTV. He said he knew at the end what he had done was wrong and apologised to the victim for what had happened.

“He said he knew it was bad and said ‘paedophiles do that sort of thing’.”

McCrimmon, who entered court on a crutch and had to be told to be quiet by Judge Robert Warnock because he was shouting at a dock officer, admitted a charge of sexual assault.

He has previous convictions for robbery and attempted robbery and had been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of a sentence.

Judge Warnock jailed McCrimmon for four months, to run concurrent to his present sentence, and told him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.

Note: Although the offences do not relate to children aged under 16, this offender is clearly a danger to young females.

May 2015

Jailed: Rapist army cadet instructor who preyed on cadets

A south London army cadet instructor who raped and sexually assaulted women cadets as young as 17 has been caged for seven years.