May 2015

A&E nurse jailed for downloading thousands of indecent images of children

AN A&E nurse has been jailed for making and possessing thousands of indecent images and movies of children.

Paul Richards, 36, had tried claiming he had been looking at the vile images in order to produce a “report” on the issue.

But he dropped the claim after police called his bluff and asked to see the report – at which point he said he had got rid of it “by mistake”.

Richards, who worked at the A&E department of Wrexham Maelor Hospital, told Mold Crown Court he had started looking at the images after injuring his back in work.

Police caught up with him when a link to chat rooms was traced to his address.

When arrested and cautioned, he said he had been off work 18 months with back pain, was bored and decided to test how easy it was to access images of child abuse.

He later pleaded guilty to possessing 3,000 photographs and 340 videos on his computer. Most of the videos were of the most serious “Class A” category of images. The photographs contained Class A, B and C images – although most were in the latter category.

Some of the images involved very young children and were described by prosecuting barrister, Simon Mills, as particularly distressing.

The judge told Richards, of Welsh Road, Garden City, near Mold, that the children being photographed and filmed would not have been abused but for the likes of the defendant who were prepared to access them many thousands of miles away.

The ages of the children and the nature of some of the images made it a serious matter, he said.

It had gone on for about 30 months or so.

“I read that you are genuinely ashamed and that you were suffering from depression and were in pain from back injuries following an accident at work in 2012,” the judge said.

But the evidence showed that he had accessed images before that.

“In any event, it is not easy to understand why depression or pain from a back injury would cause anyone to see out these depraved images,” the judge said.

Debra White, defending, said her client had made immediate admissions and while he put forward an explanation on his arrest, he had retracted that.

She added that Richards was a man of positive good character who had shown genuine remorse.

He pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent photographs between March 2011 and August 2013 by downloading them from the Internet and was jailed for 10 months.

The defendant was also ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for life.

Judge Rhys Rowlands also made a life-time sexual offences prevention order to curb his future activities and said his name would be added to a list of people who would be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

May 2015

Pensioner’s 40-year campaign of sex abuse against girls as young as 4

A north-east pensioner has pleaded guilty to conducting a 40-year campaign of sexual abuse against girls as young as four-years-old.

Peterhead Sheriff Court heard how John Tollerfield, 76 from Peterhead took advantage of five girls over a period of 42 years.

Tollerfield spoke only to confirm his name before procurator fiscal David Bernard detailed nine charges facing the pensioner

May 2015

Boston rapist, 70, on parole from life sentence, groomed girl, 15 and arranged to meet her

A convicted rapist on parole from a life sentence groomed a 15-year-old girl before arranging to meet her, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Pensioner Alan Grant befriended the youngster and persuaded her to give him her mobile number claiming that he might be able to find work for her.

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said Grant later rang the girl and arranged to meet her at a Spar Shop in Boston before driving her to his caravan.

Grant started talking to her about how he used prostitutes and how another teenage girl had cleaned for him in return for sexual favours.

He then offered to give the 15-year-old £40 just for visiting his caravan but she rejected his money.

The girl, who had no idea of his background, later made a complaint to teachers after Grant turned up at her school to meet her.

Grant, 70, of Wyberton, Boston, denied charges of meeting a child following sexual grooming and travelling to meet a child after grooming as a result of the incidents in June 2014. He was found guilty by a jury and jailed for two and a half years.

The court was told that Grant was convicted of rape in 1983 when he was jailed for four years and two years later he was given a life jail sentence for three attempted rapes.

He served 20 years in prison before being released on parole. He has since been recalled to jail for breach of his parole.

Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence, told him: “It is quite clear that you were testing the boundaries as to how far you could go with this 15-year-old girl.

“She was uncomfortable but she would have been considerably more uncomfortable if she had known of your past.

“It clearly was your intent to commit sexual offences against her.”

May 2015

Soldier (37) encouraged girl, 15, to send naked pictures

A soldier must undergo three years of treatment as a sex offender after swapping intimate pictures with a schoolgirl.

Craig Smith made contact with the 15-year-old online and later sent a photograph of himself.

“He encouraged her to send photographs of herself and she complied with the request,” said Sarah Allen, prosecuting at Derby Crown Court on Friday. “Five were in her underwear and partially undressed. There were two naked photographs.”

A three-year community order was imposed on Smith, 37, who is based at Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell. He admitted inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity between February 28 and April 3 last year.

Judge Michael Elsom ordered him to attend the Sex Offenders’ Programme during the three years on probation. He must do 200 hours community work.

Smith told police he had been “morally wrong” and it developed from exchanging normal text messages, added Miss Allen.

Laura Pitman, mitigating, said: “He has an impressive record. He has seen some real atrocities in those 19 years. He has effectively destroyed his life by his actions, destroyed the life of his partner.”

May 2015

Wrexham man caught with more than 140,000 indecent child images on computer

A Wrexham man said to have become addicted to viewing child abuse images, was found to have more than 140,000 indecent images of children.

A court heard how police stopped analysing them when they got to that stage and a further 680,000 images remained unclassified.

Defendant David Craig Morris, 41, who said to be ‘reclusive’ and ‘withdrawn’ and claimed he had been bullied when in work, later described the images as a drug and was addictive.

The laptop in his bedroom at his mum’s home “became his world”.

His barrister Oliver King told Mold Crown Court today while it was a relief to his client when the computer equipment was taken away by police – he also felt “as if he had lost a friend.”

Morris of Y Berllan, Coedpoeth near Wrexham, admitted making and possessing indecent images of children but escaped custody.

The Judge, Mr Recorder Paul Hopkins QC, placed him on a three year community order so he could follow an intensive internet sex offender’s programme to ensure greater protection for the public in the long-term.

Morris was also made the subject of a life-time sexual harm prevention order and must register with the police as a sex offender for five years. He placed him on a three year community order with £350 costs and a £60 surcharge.

The Judge said: “Were it not for people like you looking at them, then those vile people involved in the production of these films would have less inclination to do so,” he said.

Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing told how police went to the defendant’s home last year after receiving information his credit card had been used on an internet site linked to indecent child images.

They seized two hard drives, a lap top, a computer tower and a memory stick, only part of which had been fully analysed.

Police found 99 still images at the most serious level A. There were 480 still and 40 movie images at level B and 140,091 stills and 191 movies at level C.

There were also a number of printed images.

While there were images of children as young as three, the charges related to children aged seven and above.

Morris gave a no comment in interview but in a prepared statement said he had not distributed any or made any images available.

He himself had never behaved inappropriately towards any child.

Mr King said his client was a man of no previous convictions who had been remarkably open and candid, realised he had a problem, and wanted help.

He was to be sentenced for what he had been charged with and not on the basis of images which had not been looked into, he said.

The prosecution could have brought further charges but had decided not to do so.

May 2015

Man, 42, who downloaded child abuse images given three-year community order

A man who downloaded child abuse images from the internet has been given a three-year community order with a rehabilitation programme.

John Pemberton-Ebbs, of Lockhouse Close, Gilmorton, Leicester, admitted nine counts of making indecent images, by accessing them online, between July 2009 and July 2013.

Leicester Crown Court was told Pemberton-Ebbs, 42, was found to have downloaded 164 images including five movie clips, in category C, 50 images, including three movies, in category B, and 25 images, including four movies, at the most serious level of category A.

When arrested, the defendant had his computer equipment seized.

He denied knowing anything about the illegal images.

Sentencing, Recorder Martin Hurst said: “You’ve committed a vile crime.

“You deliberately searched the internet in order to download and view grotesque indecent images of children.

“People like you, who view such images, cause further ones to be taken.

“Your opinion was that they were ‘celluloid images and make-believe’.

“That’s not the case, they are real children.

“I hope you’ve realised the error of your ways and that you will work with the probation service to ensure you don’t commit further offences in future.”

Claire Robinson, mitigating, said: “He’s willing to work with any sort of programme that is required.

“He’s already shown a good level of insight into the consequences of his offending.

“In the pre-sentence report he admitted how this offending came about, what he’s done and why, and takes full responsibility. He doesn’t seek to excuse his behaviour.”

Pemberton-Ebbs, a carpenter, was placed on a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which included banning him from having unsupervised contact with children under 16 and enabling the authorities to monitor his future computer use.

He was also ordered to pay £400 costs.

May 2015

Aylesbury Grammar School teacher (40) given lifetime ban after ‘sexual behaviour’ with schoolgirl

An Aylesbury Grammar School teacher who was found to have behaved in a sexual way towards a 15-year-old girl has been given a lifetime classroom ban.

Jeffrey Tansey, 40, initially believed the girl he met via an adult online dating site was over 18 but she soon made him aware of her real age.

He nevertheless arranged to meet her for what was described as a ‘date’ and during this meeting in 2012, he held hands with her and twice kissed her on the lips, before agreeing to meet her again.

The IT teacher claimed he met her in order to assess her vulnerability and alert the authorities to prevent her from putting herself at risk in the future.

However, the National College For Teaching and Leadership panel said it ‘did not find this explanation credible and noted a number of inconsistencies with his earlier accounts’. It ruled that Tansey’s behaviour was of a sexual nature.

The panel was of the view that it was ‘unlikely that Mr Tansey would ever gain the necessary insight to demonstrate his understanding of why his conduct was

inappropriate and that this would pose an ongoing risk to vulnerable young people in the future’.

It therefore ruled that his teaching ban should be indefinite.

Alan Meyrick, deputy director of the National College of Teaching and Leadership, said: “This is a very serious case. The panel has found that Mr Tansey’s actions showed a serious lack of judgment and deliberate disregard for safeguarding protocols and that this amounted to misconduct of a serious nature.”

Mark Sturgeon, headmaster of Aylesbury Grammar School said: “The school was made aware of an allegation of inappropriate conduct by a teacher in relation to a young person. 

“The alleged behaviour was unconnected with his role at the school and no current or former students of Aylesbury Grammar School were involved in the matter.”

He said the school acted ‘promptly in suspending the teacher’ pending investigations and was subsequently sacked in November 2012.  

He added that ‘Aylesbury Grammar School takes its safeguarding obligations very seriously and is committed to keeping children safe in education’ and the school co-operated fully with external investigations

May 2015

Wannabe police officer with ‘sock fetish’ caught trying to meet fake 14-year-old boy for sex

A WANNABE police officer was caught out in a sting set up by the self-styled Paedophile Hunter.

Kristian Alexander Kirk, of Orchard Drive, Oswaldtwistle, admitted attempting to meet a fictitious 14-year-old boy for sex.

He sent a series of sexual text messages to filmmaker Stinson Hunter – known as ‘The Paedophile Hunter’.

The 25-year-old, who studied policing at the University of Central Lancashire’s Burnley and Preston campuses, could now face jail.

Kirk pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence at Burnley Crown Court yesterday.

The messages, sent between August 1 and August 25 last year, included requests from Kirk for Mr Hunter, posing as a 14-year-old, to send him intimate pictures.

Judge Jonathan Gibson told the court that ‘all sentencing options remain available’ to him.

In the texts, seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, Kirk also attempted to arrange to meet Mr Hunter in Oswaldtwistle, before describing a number of lewd acts and a fetish for ‘lads in white socks’.

Mr Hunter stated that he was 14 at the start of the conversation on the mobile dating application Grindr, before Kirk requested his phone number and asked if he had other multimedia applications including Skype and WhatsApp.

When Kirk asked Mr Hunter if he had ever done anything ‘dirty’, Mr Hunter replied: “I’ve never done anything like that with anyone tbh [to be honest] x.”

Kirk then wrote: “Well you’re only 14 lol xxx.”

Kirk went on to explain that he had just finished his policing studies at university and hoped to join a force ‘when they start recruiting’.

When discussing where the two could potentially meet, Kirk said: “Bit awkward ain’t it being seen with you being 14 lol x,” and later described Mr Hunter as ‘sexy boy’.

Mr Hunter was previously involved in the conviction of Accrington schoolteacher David Simpson, who believed he was meeting a 15-year-old girl for sex.

He rose to fame after his self-financed vigilante documentary, The Paedophile Hunter, was screened in 2014.

It won the 33-year-old and its director, Dan Reed, the Best Single Documentary category at the Royal Television Programme Awards.

He has more than 570,000 Facebook followers and earlier this year scooped two BAFTAs.

He reported Kirk to Lancashire police on August 27 last year. Kirk was initially charged with one count of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, but that count was deleted yesterday.

The indictment to which Kirk pleaded guilty to read: “You initiated attempts to arrange and facilitate the doing of acts you believed Stinson Hunter would do, believing Stinson Hunter was a 14-year-old boy, which, had the said Stinson Hunter been a 14-year-old boy, would have involved the commission of offences of sexual activity with a child contrary to the Sex Offences Act 2003.”

Kirk, who has no previous convictions and has not been accused of ever actually meeting an under-age person for sex, was supported by his family in the public gallery.

Daniel Prowse, defending, said the online and text conversations were the only evidence in the case.

Applying to change his client’s bail conditions, Mr Prowse said: “The defendant is 25-year-old and of previous good character.

“He is employed in a Spar shop and needs to begin at 6.30am on Sunday, currently the only day he works, but might wish to begin at 6am during the week.”

Judge Gibson allowed bail to be altered, meaning Kirk must stay at his given address between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

Kirk is now due to be sentenced, pending a pre-sentence report, at the same court on June 26.

May 2015

Man sent to prison for making and distributing indecent images of children

A CLEANER has been sent to prison for offences relating to indecent images of children.

Michael Tizzard, 65, of Stanford Avenue, Brighton, appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Friday for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on April 23 to one count of distribution of indecent images of children and 17 counts of making indecent images of children, all between 2002 and 2011.

He was sentenced to three months for the distribution offence and 12 months for the making offences, to run concurrently.

He was also issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for ten years, severely restricting his access to children and computers, and will be a registered sex offender for ten years.

The charges, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Sussex Police Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT).

None of the images, which were of girls estimated to be aged between 10 and 12 years old, are believed to be of local children and there was no evidence of contact offending.

Detective Constable Jackie Keogh said: “Tizzard had been systematically collecting still images and videos, some of the most serious type, and posting some on a site accessible to other offenders, over a period of years.

“When we arrested him last year he immediately admitted that he had been doing all this for his own sexual gratification.

“Any such image is by definition an image of child sexual abuse, and their possession and circulation serve only to encourage others.”

May 2015

Two-year sentence for East Cleveland pervert

A MAN who had sex with a schoolgirl almost half his age is starting a two-year prison sentence.

Gary Cooper, 27, slept with the teenager three times during what a court heard described as “an affair”.

Cooper confessed to police after his arrest last summer – but might never have been prosecuted had he not.

May 2015

Man assaults police officer after discovery of 53k indecent images of children

A MAN who had 53,000 indecent images on his computer assaulted a police officer after being arrested and taken to Swansea central police station.

Officers arrested Spiros Marjoukos, of Francis Street, in October last year, after he had been identified by the children’s exploitation and online protection centre as having used peer-to-peer file sharing. The intelligence lead to a search warrant being executed at his Brynmill home.

Prosecuting, Craig Jones told Swansea Crown Court that an examination of his hard-drives revealed he had 53,000 images, largely in Category C, although a handful were in classes A and B, and that his internet searches revealed he had looked for items with names such as ‘Lolita’ and ‘colour climax’.

After being taken to the police station, he said the 42-year-old: “Threw a punch and hit an officer, and then grabbed a cabinet containing a fire extinguisher and tried to throw it at the officer. He then began bouncing on his toes and clenching his fists” before “he was subdued by a number of techniques employed by officers”.

Mitigating, Vince Williams said Marjoukos had pleaded guilty to 14 offences of making indecent photos, and one of possession, and assault of an officer and making threatening behaviour, at the first opportunity.

He said Marjoukos had arrived in the UK in 1993, from his native Greece, and had earned an English literature and masters degrees.

He added the former BT worker had experienced redundancy, and ‘that may be when he had turned his attentions to pornography’.

“He has expressed remorse, and I get the impression that the remorse is genuine”, said Mr Williams.

Sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas said: “The picture here as far as the courts are concerned is a depressingly familiar scenario.

“I say to you what I say to every defendant. These are not victimless crimes. These are girls being abused and filmed to provide people like you with some form of perverted gratification. However you try to dress it up, you downloaded these because you get a sexual thrill from them. Until you come to terms with that you can’t make any progress.

“This is an extremely high number of images. But on the other hand, they are in the vast majority of the very lowest category. Very few are in particular children, but in the main teenagers.

“You did not make your position any easier by your clownish behaviour in the police station.

“The highest I can sentence you to prison is for a period of weeks, and you would come out with no help. The alternative put forward by the probation report is measured and considered.”

Marjoukos was given a three-year community order, with 200 hours unpaid work and told he would have to sign the sex offenders’ register for five years. He was also told he was banned from keeping a computer, unless it retained the capacity to retain and display his search history, and that it must not be deleted. His hard drives were also ordered to be destroyed.

May 2015

Former civil servant shared indecent images of children online

A former civil servant caught sharing indecent images of children online was spared jail.

Graeme McEvatt, 33, of Eastern Avenue, Speke, admitted sending pictures of young girls to men in order to get photographs of them in return.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how police raided McEvatt’s home after receiving information about his emails on December 12, 2013.

Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said they found a computer tower containing six Category B images – the second most serious examples – and 132 Category C images, which are the least serious.

There was also a single banned image of a child.

Mr Blasbery said: “He admitted that the tower belonged to him and went on to state that he was a homosexual but was attracted to heterosexual males and used social media to befriend them.

“He sent them pictures of primarily adult females and sometimes in return they would send him pictures of themselves.

“He said he got younger pictures of females in teens and went for younger and younger children.

“He said he sent these to men in order to chat with them.

“He said he was highly ashamed and disgusted by what he had done.”

McEvatt, admitted four counts of downloading, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

He had no previous convictions.

Philip Astbury, defending, said his client had been frank and open with the police.

He said McEvatt had worked as a civil servant until he became ill and suffered with anxiety and depression.

Recorder David Turner, QC, said: “Until you became ill with depression you had a good work record. The best thing you can do is try and get work, keep yourself busy and become a useful member of society again.

“There can be no doubt you will be ashamed of what you have done.

“I do not think the public will be assisted by sending you to prison.

“I do not consider on the evidence before me that you are a danger to children.

“You’re a man who has his sex life as a fantasy life in your own bedroom.”

The judge ordered McEvatt to attend a sex offenders programme and gave him a two-year community order with two year’s supervision.

He also said he must sign on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Recorder Turner said: “This is a day you will not forget. I hope you will never appear in court again.”

May 2015

Pervert sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl who he thought was a ‘temptation’

A family man has avoided jail for sexually assaulting a “vulnerable” 14-year-old girl he befriended on Facebook

Robert Watts, 41, was ordered to undergo a sexual harm programme after he forcibly kissed the teenager who he claimed was a “temptation” to him.

A judge said it would be safer for the public for Watts, of Macbeth Close, Huntington, to do the treatment programme rather than spend a year in jail.

Sally Hobson, prosecuting, told Cambridge Crown Court that Watts and the victim had been chatting on Facebook before the assault took place.

She said: “(The girl) came to trust him. He was friendly toward her.

“On October 9 last year, he went to visit the family home and spent the evening chatting with her parents and having a laugh.

“When he came to leave, she asked him if he wanted her to walk him to his car – she was trying to be nice.”

As they walked, Watts grabbed the girl’s hand causing her to become scared.

He then asked her how old she was and whether she had a boyfriend before putting his arms around her and kissing her on the lips.

He then drove the victim, who was by then “extremely scared” and “breathless” back to her house and kissed her again.

Ms Hobson said: “He told her not to tell anyone as he would lose his family. He said: ‘I would lose everything.’

Once inside, the girl immediately told her parents who called the police.

Watts pleaded guilty to one count of sexually assaulting a female at a hearing earlier this year.

Ms Hobson added: “The victim was an extremely vulnerable young lady who has suffered mental health difficulties.

“Her mum told police that after the assault, her daughter’s progress reverted to a stage not seen before.”

John Hallissey, mitigating, said: “This was not a devious plan to abuse a young girl or grooming in the traditional sense.

“The defendant is a man who does not understand the differences between adults and children.”

Sentencing Watts to a three-year community order, Judge Jonathan Haworth said: “I hope you now realise the real harm you have caused that child.

“I pass this sentence to protect children from your intentions.”

May 2015

Jailed paedophile illegal immigrant applies for political asylum so he can stay in the country

An illegal immigrant jailed for luring a 15-year-old schoolgirl to a Travelodge for sex has applied for political asylum to stay in the UK.

Subayer Ahmed had used WhatsApp and Facebook to groom two teenagers, telling him he loved them, a court heard.

He went onto play a sex game online with the girl he met at the hotel and had promised her he would marry her if she got pregnant.

Police burst into the hotel room in the nick of time to stop him having sex with the girl after they were tipped off by a concerned hotel staff member.

Further inquiries revealed Ahmed and the besotted girl had been caught on CCTV involved in ‘heavy petting ‘that evening at the city’s Odeon cinema.

Today Bangladesh-born Ahmed began 32 months in jail with a recommendation by police and a judge he be deported.

But Burnley Crown Court was informed he would be applying for asylum in an attempt to avoid being thrown out of the UK.

Ahmed, 29, had arrived in Britain in 2009 on a student visa yet is thought have overstayed and he used a fake passport in a bid to claim British citizenship. 

The six month process to apply for asylum will take place whilst he serves his sentence.

The court hear that the first girl, who was lured back to the hotel, had started communicating with Ahmed on Facebook last July 16.

Miss Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said: ‘She told him on that first occasion she was 15 and that she was from Burnley. He responded by saying he was 22 and he now lived in London but he said he was originally from Burnley.

‘The defendant asked her “How is your love life?”  He conceded in some messages “You’re still very young, aren’t you?”‘

‘The girl gave Ahmed her mobile number and they conversed on Facebook, by text message and also on WhatsApp.’

Miss Kehoe added: ‘ As soon as they became friends, they were ending their conversation by kisses at the end. They were telling each other that they loved each other and the defendant was calling her his babe. It was on July 21 that there was first a suggestion by the defendant that they meet up.’

The court heard the texting and the conversation began to get sexual and they played a game on Facebook called Truth or Dare.

Miss Kehoe said: ‘The defendant asked her what she would do if a guy was lying next to her naked. She at first was embarrassed. He went on to tell her what he would do if female was lying next to him.

‘She continued to tell him she loved him and he responded by telling her he loved her too. He began to talk about how he would book a Travelodge and how they would spend the night together. He told her he was looking forward to sharing a bath with her.’

Miss Kehoe said Ahmed and the girl carried on their conversation on WhatsApp, discussing contraception for their encounter.

‘He told her if she did get pregnant they would get married. He went on to ask if she would spend the night with him, naked in bed next to him. He told her one day he was going to marry her.’

On August 11, a room was booked at the Travelodge in Manchester by Ahmed under the name of Rezahul Shastab.

But a staff member became concerned after she saw the older man with a young ‘uncomfortable’ girl and called the police. 

Officers arrived at the hotel at 10.45pm to find the pair in the room, fully clothed and described the girl as ‘very quiet’.

Receipts from a cinema and a cafe were also found and when police studied the CCTV, they found footage of inappropriate contact.

Miss Kehoe said: ‘It clearly shows the girl and the defendant in seats at the cinema and that they were engaging in heavy petting throughout their time in these seats.’ 

Ahmed’s mobile phone was seized which revealed the Facebook messages and also contact between the defendant and the second girl, also 15. 

She initially did not want to give a statement but eventually broke down in tears and revealed how Ahmed’s false name had popped up in a Facebook request and she had accepted it.

She told police he had also asked her if they could meet, and he had asked if he could kiss her – to which she refused. They met on two subsequent occasions when she was 16. 

Miss Kehoe added: ‘There is evidence from the messages that they told each other on a regular basis they loved each other and she described the defendant as her boyfriend.’

In a victim impact statement, the first girl said what had happened had caused a ‘massive change’ in her life and she felt ‘anxious and distressed all the time.’

Ahmed admitted two charges of meeting a child following sexual grooming, one charge of sexual activity with a child, one of providing a false document with intent to obtain leave to remain in the UK and one of possessing a false document with intent.

He was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, banning him from having or seeking unsupervised contact with any child under 16 and from allowing any child under 16 into his home or where he is staying.

Inquiries revealed in October 2013, Ahmed sent an application for UK citizenship in the name of Rezahul Shastab with a passport in that name, with the same date of birth, saying his place of birth was Bangladesh. But Home office officials identified the documents as being fake with no record of a man using that name to enter the UK. Ahmed has since been served with a deportation notice by the police. 

His counsel Alison Heyworth said Ahmed came to the UK legitimately to study in 2009 to study, but his studies fell by the wayside because he chose to work.

Miss Heyworth said the Facebook contact was ‘immature in the extreme’ and added: ‘It’s teenage talk. Immaturity is something that, in my submission, is a feature the court can take into account. ‘There is no suggestion either of these two girls have been coerced into anything.’

But passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Gibson told Ahmed: ‘You went to the hotel room and it’s quite clear your intention was to have sexual intercourse with the girl.

‘You were disturbed and that did not take place.

‘I understand that you are applying for asylum. I’m afraid, based on the information that I have, it would seem to me that given what you did to these two young girls, you shouldn’t really be in the United Kingdom.’

May 2015

Foster carer molested teenage girls in his care while his wife turned a blind eye

A father who was honoured on TV talk show Trisha for fostering more than 70 children has been convicted of a string of child sex crimes.

Bill Rathbone is facing jail after a jury found him guilty of one count of gross indecency with a child and more than ten charges of indecent assault.

He had tried to prevent the abuse coming to light by emotionally blackmailing one of his victims, threatening to kill himself if she exposed him as a paedophile, a court heard. 

But the woman came forward and the 64-year-old was arrested last year on suspicion of child sex abuse.

Rathbone claimed he had been having ‘consensual sex’ with his accuser and had waited until she was 18.

But a jury, who heard Rathbone’s wife knew about him sexually abusing a girl but did nothing about it, rejected his claims.

The court heard that his victim had confessed the abuse to her doctor years earlier as she sought help for depression which had been brought on by being molested.

But when the GP contacted social services, Rathbone told them it had been a non-sexual affair when she was 18 and that he had regretted it ever since.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said his victims had been scared to come forward to report him to police as they thought he was held in such high regard that they would not be believed.

Rathbone had also sent one of his victims a series of text messages to apologise for ‘being a bastard’ and the psychological damage he had caused,’ he added.

The foster carer had originally faced court in August last year, but the jury could not decide on his guilt.

However, a second alleged victim came forward after hearing about the case to accuse him.

Rathbone, who along with his wife Brenda were described as ‘mum and dad to more than 70′ in a press report in 2002, now works for a hardware store in Eston, Middlesbrough. 

They had appeared on television show Trisha in the early 2000s in recognition for their services to children.

The pair were also given award for fostering more than 70 children by Redcar and Cleveland Council. The child placement team manager with the council’s social services, had called the Rathbones ‘excellent carers’ who were ‘an invaluable part of our team.’

The couple, from Ormesby, first became involved in fostering following the death of their week-old son Philip in 1976.

Brenda, who passed away in July 2011, had said when they received the award that they fostered because they ‘loved children’. 

Rathbone had told the local paper: ‘We keep in touch with some of the children we’ve fostered.

‘One day we were out and about and a young girl with a pushchair came over to us. It was someone we had fostered. Those moments make it all worthwhile.

‘It is really nice to hear from kids we’ve fostered and if any others want to get in touch, we’d love to hear from them.’ 

Rathbone will return to Teesside Crown Court next month to be sentenced.

May 2015

Pervert with ‘corrosive’ 8,000 child abuse images stash spared jail

A man found to have a stash of indecent images featuring girls and boys as young as four years old has been spared jail.

Police executed a warrant at Paul Millward’s home on Dean Fold in Water and found more than 8,000 indecent images on a computer and mobile phone.

However when the 30-year-old was bailed to later appear at court, officers issued another search of his home and another address and found three more indecent movies on a laptop.

A sample of 113 images was taken by police and found that there were 20 category A images – the most serious – along with 13 category B and 80 category C.

Millward pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images and given a 20 month jail term, suspended for two years, with supervision.

He was also ordered to take part in an internet sex offenders programme, a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and made subject to police notification requirements.

Lisa Worsley, prosecuting, said the 8,000 images were downloaded between 2011 and 2014 and the three other category A movies were downloaded after he had been originally charged.

Robert Elias, defending, said the images were ‘corrosive to the soul’ and it was ‘worrying’ that Millward re-offended while on bail.

He told the court: “He doesn’t understand why he would want to download pictures of young boys having sex and men having sex with young boys and girls.

“He feels sickened and disgusted by that sort of material.

“He is not in a state of denial, he is in a state of limbo.

“He doesn’t appreciate there is a demon of some sort on his shoulder causing him to commit these sort of offences.

“It has to be some sort of infatuation or craving to see this sort of pornography.

“He is punishing himself in a sense by downloading this stuff a second time and it is worrying he has done that.”

Mr Elias said Millward has a problem with alcohol and depression and did not show or share the images with anyone else.

Judge Andrew Woolman said: “There’s work that could be done with you to try and persuade you of the fact that it is wrong to download images.

“I don’t know if you are capable of stopping.

May 2015

Pervert who ‘systematically abused’ three-year-old girl, jailed for 19 years

A MAN who “systematically abused” a little girl when she was between the ages of three and five has been jailed for 19 years.

And Christopher Bryant will be on licence for an extra three years after a judge ruled he presented a significant risk of serious harm in the future.

He will also have to serve two thirds of the jail term before he can apply for parole and will only be freed when he is thought to no longer present a risk.

The 28-year-old, who has shown no remorse, targeted, groomed and the repeatedly sexually abused the youngster over a period of two years.

Bryant, of Lonsdale Close, Blunsdon, showed the child hard core pornography as part of the grooming process before repeatedly raping the youngster.

In a harrowing video interview showed at a trial before Swindon Crown Court the youngster showed a trained police officer how the pervert abused her.

Bryant pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape of a child under 13, two of sexual assault of a child under 13 and causing a child to watch a sexual act.

But last month a jury of seven men and five women took less than two hours to find him guilty of the offences, which took place between December 2011 and spring last year.

Gareth James, defending, said his client still maintained his innocence leaving him with little to say in mitigation.

The charges relate to a two-and-a-half year period between the start of December 2011, when the girl was three, and last spring when she was five.

Passing sentence, Judge Tim Mousley QC, said: “Over a period of two years you systematically abused this young girl.

“The abuse included multiple incidents rape. You also, on one occasion, caused her to watch pornographic material as part of a grooming process.

“What happened was brought about by your sexual perversions. I have read her mother’s statement as to the effect that your behaviour has had on the child and on her family.

“She is still young, your behaviour has brought about massive change in her and she is bound to be permanently affected and one can only hope with the passage of time her life will become easier.

“She has suffered bouts of anger and violence. This has affected nearly every aspect of her life. She still suffers nightmares. Her mother suffers from depression and that has led to her harming herself.

“You continue to tell others that the allegations are all lies but the jury convicted you on very compelling evidence.

“Because of the stance you continue to have it is a fact that you have shown no remorse.

“I have read the report, it says you show deviant attitudes towards sex and child abuse.

“These offences involved the rape of a child. They were sustained. She was particularly vulnerable due to her extreme youth.

“What you did was premeditated and planned. You did what ever you could to groom her so you could abuse her as you did.”

Prosecutors were also given a week to decide whether they wish to apply for a sexual harm prevention order to ban him ever having contact with children again.

May 2015

Man admits indecent assault of a child & CSA images

A man has admitted the historic indecent assault of a child and possessing thousands of indecent images of children.

Nicholas Henshall, 42, of Hawthorn Way, Hurdsfield, pleaded guilty to an indecent assault in the early 1990s at Chester Crown Court this afternoon.

He also pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing indecent images and nine counts of making indecent images.

Henshall admitted having 2,933 indecent images and videos of children between October 7, 2011, and April 24, 2013.

The charges included possession of category A images, the most severe level.

Henshall was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the same court tomorrow.

May 2015

Man pleads guilty to downloading 11,000 indecent images of young girls

A man who downloaded nearly 11,000 indecent images of young girls was caught after the software he used to delete them failed.

Police seized Stephen Dow’s computer after a tip-off led them to his Stenhousemuir home and the hard drive was forensically analysed, Falkirk Sheriff Court was told.

More than 4700 images of young girls were found in the recycle bin and a further 6050 images had been deleted from the system’s downloads folder, and could no longer be viewed by the user, but were recovered by the special police software.

Prosecutor Alison Montgomery said that the pictures were of girls aged seven to 14.

Over 99 per cent of them were graded as “level one”, the least serious, on a standard scale of depravity. Images at this level show children posing erotically, with no sexual activity taking place.

The computer was seized on June 3, 2014.

Dow, 43, a forklift truck driver, of Muir Street, Stenhousemuir, married with no children, pleaded guilty to downloading child porn.

Solicitor Willie McIntyre, defending, said: “There’s no excuse for doing this sort of thing, and he knows it.

“According to my expert, the downloading took place between January 10 and February 15, and the images were last accessed on February 25. The police raid was on June 3.

“Mr Dow was in a state of some stress at the time.

“His position is that although it was a month or so, he realised it was not the thing to do.

“He took steps to delete the images, but the software he was using to delete them was not successful.

“Some of the images seemed to be deleted, and as far as he was concerned they were away, and they were only recovered by the police forensic software.

“The other files were not deleted because the software said they could not be deleted, so they were put in the recycle bin, and there they remained.

“He is totally ashamed, and he is concerned about the effect the publicity surrounding the case will have on his employment.

“He works in a large warehouse, and as soon as this hits the papers he is going to have difficulty continuing.”

Sheriff Craig Caldwell deferred sentence until June 18 for social background reports, and released Dow on bail.

He ordered that his name should be placed on the sex offenders’ register.

May 2015

Paedophile couple behind bars after judge hears how they abused child

A PAEDOPHILE and his girlfriend who systematically abused a child were today behind bars.

John Brooker, 68, and Lesley Trewhitt, 56, were told they knew what they were doing when they abused the child in the Northallerton and Hartlepool areas in the 1990s.

Brooker, of Lansdowne Gardens, Newcastle, admitted four charges of indecent assault and two charges of indecency with a child, while Trewhitt, 56, of Green Batt, Alnwick, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to eight charges of a serious sexual nature.