December 2013

Harefield Hospital worker sentenced for child abuse images stash

A man who kept ‘horrific’ child abuse films on his computer was spared jail after a judge said he showed ‘remorse’.

Harefield Hospital night porter William Gostelow, 40, of Woodfield Terrace, Harefield, searched online for ‘most sexually explicit films of children’, ‘banned films of child sex’ and ‘notorious child sex films’, but walked free from Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, December 4.

During a police raid in March, a ‘sickening stash’ of 19 films, some depicting child rape and bondage, were found.

Gostelow told officers: “I don’t know if I need help over this.”

Most of the films contained level four images – the second worst on the depravity scale.

Judge Anthony Pitts called him ‘a hard-working family man’ and said it was ‘disappointing’ to find him before court.

He said it was difficult to believe someone of his public character could have developed such an interest.

“I can’t imagine the impact it must have had on your mother and your wife to find the man and son they loved is addicted to looking at this horrific material,” said Mr Pitts.

“The offences you have committed undoubtedly cross the custody threshold.

“But in my judgment you have demonstrated remorse and a determination to put this behind you, with help.”

Gostelow admitted seven counts of making indecent images of children and received a nine month sentence, suspended for two years. He showed no emotion, while relatives in the public gallery wept.

He will be supervised for a year, must take part in rehabilitation projects and was given a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order, restricting his internet use and access to children aged under 16.

He signed the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.

December 2013

Pensnett child abuse images sicko avoids jail

A 44-YEAR-OLD former Pensnett man caught with sickening indecent photographs of children on his computer has avoided jail time.

Stephen Martin of Kingsley Road, Kingswinford, admitted ten charges of possessing the images and three of having extreme pornographic images.

Judge Michael Challinor placed Martin on Supervision for three years at Wolverhampton Crown Court with a condition he attends the Sex Offenders Treatment Programme.

The court was told Martin was arrested when police officers raided his former home in Bromley Lane, Pensnett, and seized his computer equipment.

He was further told by the judge that he must sign the Sex Offenders Register for the next five years and pay £240 costs.

December 2013

Indecent images ‘addict’ had 12,000 pics of sexually abused children

PERVERT Dirk Edge was told there would be no market for child sex abuse images/films if it wasn’t for the likes of him.

Sentencing Edge, 48, formerly of Southland Court, Grimsby, Judge Mark Bury said: “Someone, somewhere has abused a child. If it was not for people like you there would not be the market for such abuse that there is.”

Grimsby Crown Court heard that Edge, a lorry driver who admitted being “addicted” to pornography, had compiled 12,000 images of sexually abused children, hundreds of them of an extreme nature.

The judge sentenced him to 11 months in prison and ordered him to be placed on The Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years.

A sexual offender prevention order was also imposed restricting Edge’s access to the internet.

The defendant admitted six offences of making indecent images of children.

Prosecuting, Jeremy Evans told how police found the images after a complaint was made by a 14-year-old girl contacted by Edge.

She was a friend of the teenage son of a fellow lorry driver Edge had befriended.

Edge denied any wrong-doing and police took no further action.

He moved out of the Grimsby area to Leeds, but as part of their investigation police visited his former home in Southland Court and seized two laptops.

Analysis of the history of the deleted images uncovered thousands of images of sexually abused children dated September 28 last year.

Edge was arrested in Leeds in October and taken to Pudsey Police Station.

During an interview, he admitted he was addicted to pornography, that he was responsible for downloading the images and that he had accessed illegal websites.

For Edge, Richard Hackfath said his client suffered mental health problems and had a personality disorder causing social isolation

December 2013

Woodley man jailed for possessing hundreds of thousands of child abuse images

Hundreds of thousands of indecent images of children as young as 12 months were found on computers belonging to a 58-year-old man.

Police also found thousands of video files of child abuse and binoculars capable of taking photographs and connecting to computers, at the home of Woodley man Alan Beattie.

At his sentencing on Tuesday, Judge Peter Ross branded the crimes as “appalling” and jailed him for two years.

Jon Sank, prosecuting, told Reading Crown Court how detectives had found 260,000 still images and 2,300 video files belonging to Beattie in June.

Police were alerted after another tenant in the shared house in Highgate Road discovered a disc containing child abuse images, which had ben left in a DVD player.

Most of the images viewed by detectives were at the lower levels of the scale, which ranges from one up to five, and were of both girls and boys aged from 12 months to 13 years old.

Mr Sank said there was also evidence of 6,045 indecent images being distributed to others on the internet through social chat sites.

Jane Davies, defending, said Beattie had admitted the three counts of possessing indecent images of children and two counts of distributing indecent material between July 31, 2011, and June 26, 2012, at Reading Magistrates Court in October.

But she admitted: “There’s not a great deal that I can say that will help.”

Miss Davies said Beattie, a former alcoholic, had suffered cancer of the tongue 10 years ago which resulted in a speech impediment and looking as if he had no teeth, which had led to some social exclusion.

She said: “He was living in a shared house and he was spending almost all of his time in his room and it became an addiction, looking at this foul stuff. Then he got involved in chat rooms.”

The court heard Beattie had a history of alcohol-related offences but not since 1989 and there were no previous convictions relating to the nature of these offences.

Sentencing Beattie, Judge Ross said: “All over the world at this moment, children are being abused, tortured and made to engage is sexual activity.

“Sometimes they are sold into that, sometimes they are simply coerced into it.

“The idea that a baby of 12 months old will be subjected to sexual abuse for the gratification of people like you is simply an appalling thought.”

Judge Ross said he was also worried Beattie had used digital binoculars to take photos of two small boys who lived in the neighbourhood.

He said: “There is no proper explanation for that and it’s deeply concerning when taken in context with the other material you had in your possession.”

Judge Ross sentenced Beattie to two years in prison and ordered him to sign the sex offenders register.

December 2012

Pervert who had indecent images of children walks free from court

A Greenock man who downloaded more than 600 indecent images of children has walked free from court after receiving three years probation.

John Joseph Bradley, 34 years old of Stafford Road, Greenock was caught in possession of the images which were rated at various levels of indecency including at level 4. 

Indecent pictures of children are rated between one and five with level one images said to be the least serious and level five the most serious. 

Bradley was also placed on the sex offenders register for three years

December 2013

Paedophile had ‘days’ worth of child abuse videos

A paedophile was found to have downloaded more than 30 hours of disturbing footage of child sex abuse.

Andrew Forbes, 36, of Logiealmond, was caught after police received confidential information about the nature of the material on his laptop.

Perth Sheriff Court heard that 212 video files of abuse were found, with the majority featuring the worst kind of sado-masochistic abuse.

Forbes was placed on the sex offenders register. He will be sentenced later.

He admitted two charges relating to child pornography between 23 March and 3 October last year.

Fiscal depute John Malpass told the court that confidential intelligence had been received about child porn being downloaded by Forbes.

He said Forbes’ Dell laptop was examined and found to have one active user profile in the name “Andy” and within this were three folders of illicit material.

The prosecutor said 92 of the files found were at level five – the most serious level of abuse, 79 were level four, 19 were level three, eight were level two and four were in the lowest category, level one.

“They were found to be of children – predominantly boys – from infant age to approximately 16.”

He added: “The video files had a combined running time of one day, six hours and 56 minutes.”

Mr Malpass told the court. Forbes was interviewed by police and admitted downloading the material.

Sentence on Forbes, whose address was given as Cottarton Cottage, Logiealmond, was deferred for background reports.

December 2013

Dukinfield pensioner jailed for series of child sex offences

A paedophile has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after committing a string of sexual offences.

George Michael Norcliffe, 65, pleaded guilty to eight offences including making indecent images of children.

At trial, Norcliffe, of Kentwell Close, Dukinfield , was found guilty of six further offences including sexually assaulting a child.

He was sentenced for a total 14 offences at Minshull Street Crown Court on November 27 and jailed for 12 years and six months.

December 2013

Skelmersdale Paedophile facing jail after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 and downloading indecent images of children

A MOTHER has spoken out after the paedophile who assaulted her daughter was told by a judge he faced fail.

Steven Mullen was convicted of sexually assaulting the girl when she was just five-years-old along with separate charges of downloading indecent images and videos of children.

The two sex assault charges related to incidents between May 1 and June 4, 2004. The five downloading charges and one of possessing 500 images related to June and November last year.

Mullen, 44, of Tanfield, Skelmersdale was convicted at Liverpool Crown Court on November 28 and was remanded on bail to await sentence on December 19.

The mum of his victim contacted the Advertiser to talk about her daughter’s ordeal.

Mullen preyed on her daughter during a family holiday when she was just five years old.

The mum, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “When I first found out about what he had done I couldn’t believe it.

“He was a close family friend and we all trusted him, we never suspected him of anything like this. To think how he abused our trust sickens me.

“My daughter didn’t tell anyone about the abuse she suffered for years and she’s been so brave throughout this whole ordeal. I’m very proud of her.

“The police were fantastic and when they found the images on his computer it made us even more determined to make sure he was sent down.

“I feel like justice has been done now he’s been found guilty, it means he can never do what he did to my daughter again.

“I want the case to serve as encouragement to other victims in this position that the attacker can be brought to justice.

“Our case just shows that even with historic sex abuse the perpetrator can still be brought to justice even after nine years.

“I’d encourage any victims of abuse to tell someone what has happened, no one should have to suffer alone.”

DC Graham Hunt, from West Lancashire CID has been involved with the case since it was brought to police by the family in December last year.

He said: “I would like to pay tribute to the enormous bravery of the victim and the dignity shown by her and her family during the investigation and subsequent trial.

“I am delighted that having listened carefully to all the evidence the jury unanimously found Mullen guilty of all of the vile offences that he had been charged with.

“Lancashire Constabulary will always take allegations of sexual abuse extremely seriously, no matter how long ago they were committed.

“We would encourage people with any information about sexual abuse or who has been a victim of sexual abuse to come forward and report their concerns confident in the knowledge it will be investigated appropriately and with sensitivity.”

December 2013

Sexual exploitation case: Trio face jail

Two men and a 17 year old are facing jail for the sexual grooming of underage girls in Middlesbrough.

6 victims, aged 13 to 15, told how 32-year-old Shakil Munir (pictured above) and Sakib Ahmed (pictured below) used threats and intimidation to cajole them into repeated sexual acts.

17 year old Ateeq Latif was today (December 5) found guilty of two counts of arranging commission of a child sex offence.

Taxi driver Shakil Munir, 32, picked up one Middlesbrough 14-year-old in his car and had sex with her in a lay-by. In the same week he took a 13-year-old to a “chill-pad” for sex, Teesside Crown Court heard.

And now details of two of the perverts – Sakib Ahmed, 19, and his friend Ateeq Latif, 17 – can be reported for the first time.

Orders banning the media from identifying the pair were lifted at the end of a long-running trial today (Thursday, December 5).

On the eve of the trial, Ahmed, 19, admitted sexual activity with a child – charges relating to five under-age victims.

He would take girls out for a drive and then pressure them into giving him oral sex or full intercourse.

His friend, 17-year-old Latif, was convicted by the jury today of two counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

He helped Ahmed by going along with him on drives, then taking one girl away for a walk to leave his friend alone in the car with a young victim.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court found that a total of six girls were victims of child sexual exploitation.

The abuse came to light after one of the girls confided in her mother about the abuse she’d suffered. That mother gave evidence during the 7 week trial at Teesside Crown court.

The court heard that Munir sent one of his victims hundreds of messages on Facebook after he befriended her one night. Many of the messages they exchanged were explicit.

His other victim, who is now in care, was just 13 when he took her to a flat for sex.

He was convicted of four counts of sexual activity with a child and one of abduction – relating to driving off with the 14-year-old.

Detectives believed he had many young “friends” on Facebook.

Ahmed used BlackBerry messaging to contact his victims, manipulating the girls into thinking he liked them, then pressuring them for sex.

He met one girl at an under-18s disco at a nightclub, and when she told him she was only 14, he replied: “Pretend you’re 16.”

He grabbed her and kissed her roughly in the toilets. Later, when her mother was driving her home, he began messaging her BlackBerry to set up another meeting.

He got her on a date and parked up near a field and pressured her into having sex.

Before the case opened, Judge John Walford urged the jury not to draw comparisons with similar grooming cases elsewhere in the country.

“For reasons which I hope are obvious, not least because you must decide the case on the evidence and only the evidence, it’s important you disregard any views which you may have heard or found about what happened in other towns and cities involving different groups of people on different occasions in the past,” he said.

Munir, of Tollesby Road, Latif, of Abingdon Road, and Ahmed, of Cambridge Road, all Middlesbrough, will be sentenced at a later date.

December 2013

School caretaker jailed over child abuse images

A Belfast school caretaker who was caught with almost 1,000 indecent images and videos of children has been jailed for nine months.

Mark Moan pleaded guilty to 14 counts of making indecent indecent images and seven charges of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Belfast Crown Court heard police found images of children as young as six being abused when they raided his home.

The 43-year-old’s address cannot be published for legal reasons.

A prosecution lawyer told the court that PSNI received information in September 2011 that somebody at Moan’s home in Belfast was involved in “making indecent photographs of children” through computer activity.

She said that she could not divulge how police had uncovered Moan’s activities but said that it was “connected to other people”.

The judge heard that a computer was seized from a bedroom that was found to contain 187 pictures and video files.

Moan admitted possessing the images on dates between 5 July, 2011 and 9 September, 2011.

The prosecution lawyer told the court: “A second computer was seized in the living room and police recovered 746 pictures and video files depicting extreme pornographic images.”

She added that some of the images were in two of the most serious categories of child sex abuse images.

A defence barrister said his client has been suspended from his post as a school caretaker and would now lose his job.

He told the court that Moan had started looking at the images for his own “sexual gratification” after the breakdown of his marriage and was drinking heavily.

However, the defence lawyer denied that Moan was part of any ‘ring’ or was involved in distributing the pictures and videos to others.

A probation report stated that Moan would need to go on a sex offenders awareness programme for three years.

The judge said: “This is a bad case. No child should be subjected to what I have viewed.”

Moan was sentenced to two years, with nine months to be spent in custody and a further 15 months on licence following his release from jail

December 2013

Former teacher jailed for admitting child sex offences

A FORMER teacher is facing jail for a two-year sexual relationship with a schoolgirl

Paul Burford, 38, yesterday admitted a string of serious charges and will be sentenced by a judge in the New Year.

The balding former science teacher worked at Branksome School in Darlington at the time of the offences.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he was in his 20s and the girl was aged between 14 and 16 when they had sex.

The victim came forward recently after having a child and deciding she should tell the police about her past.

It is understood that she also spoke to a work colleague, who advised her to report what Burford had done to her.

Burford was married and lived in the Darlington area at the time, and sex took place at his home and in his car.

His wife was pregnant at the time of the offences, and they now have a child.

Burford, now of Hyde Park Road, Plymouth, pleaded guilty to 14 charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

His case was adjourned until January 10 so background reports can be prepared by Probation Service officials.

Judge Peter Bowers granted him bail until his next appearance, and ordered he sign on the sex offenders’ register.

2004

Sex abuse man jailed

A man who sexually abused a young girl over a period of four years has been jailed for five years.

David Looseley, 35, was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court after admitting five charges of indecent assault on the girl between 1996 and 2000 while living in Brixham.

The jail term will run concurrent to a four-year sentence for offences that took
place in Kent between 1989 and 1992.

Judge Graham Cottle ordered an extended licence period of four years, meaning if Looseley commits any offence in that period he will serve that four years. He was also ordered to sign on to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

UPDATE: Released in 2009

September 2003

Pervert jailed for the sexual abuse of young girls

A HGV driver who was also a member of the territorial Army has been jailed for nine years for the systematic abuse of two young girls and rape and abuse of a woman

David John Cottrell, 35 of Merthyr Tydfil carried out a relentless campaign for six years of both physical and sexual abuse against a woman which included multiple rapes. However his offending was not confined to just the woman, it also involved two young girls who were subjected to sexual abuse over a two year period.

Cottrell pleaded guilty to the rape of the woman and Sexual abuse and attempted rape of one of the 13 yr old girls. He denied all other charges brought against him. 

Cottrell was jailed for a total of nine years and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

2004

Man jailed for rape

A man found guilty of sex offences against children has been sentenced to 14 years in jail.

John Robert Allison, 54, who was convicted at Plymouth Crown Court, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Allison had denied the offences throughout the trial

The jury found him guilty on 10 counts, including gross indecency with a child under 16, raping a girl under 16, two counts of committing sexual acts on a young boy and six counts of indecently assaulting a male under 16.

December 2013

Teenager locked up for sex attack on girl, 16, in Wakefield Road

A college student has been locked up for the attempted rape and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl after he was found guilty by a Bradford Crown Court jury.

Imran Hussain, 18, whom the court was told has learning difficulties, was found guilty by majority verdicts of 10-2 on both charges late yesterday.

Sentencing Hussain to 18 months detention in a young offender institution for attempted rape, with a further three month sentence, to run concurrently, for sexual assault, the trial judge, Mr Justice Keith, said: “Rape is a very serious offence.

“In my opinion, you are a very immature boy who has little or no experience of the world and quite a degree of vulnerability. You have never had a chance to explore your own sexuality and suffer from acute learning difficulties.

“However, women must be protected, even from someone of your age, immaturity, vulnerability, and problems with learning difficulties.”

The Judge also told Hussain, of Jasmine Terrace, Listerhills, Bradford, that he must serve at least half of the sentence, and will be put on the Sexual Offenders’ Register for ten years.

During the trial, the jury had been told that Hussain attacked the girl on the afternoon of June 11, in a subway on Wakefield Road, at the junction with Prospect Street and Bowling Back Lane. He followed his victim before grabbing her by the hair, kicking her in the stomach, and then pulling down his trousers and demanding that she perform a sex act on him.

The girl thought she was going to be raped and shouted for help, the court was told.

Hussain was disturbed by a mother on her way to collect a pupil from Bowling Park School at which point the girl ran towards the school and Hussain left the scene in another direction.

Prosecutor Jayne Beckett, reading from the victim’s personal statement, said the girl had suffered various problems as a result of the attack, including being left shaken and scared, unable to sleep, unwilling to go out alone and frightened of subways and dark places.

In mitigation ahead of sentence, Tina Landale, Hussain’s barrister, told the court that Hussain’s actions were “not a planned attack”, and said he was “sexually immature with very little health knowledge of puberty and sexual health”.

She also told the judge that Hussain had already spent 140 days under curfew via an electronic tag in relation to the offence.

On account of his learning difficulties, Hussain had a professional helper with him throughout the trial.

December 2013

Haworth man sentenced for indecent images of children

A judge heard a man lost his job at the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth after confessing to his employers downloading indecent images of children on one occasion three years ago.

Police seized computer equipment at the home of Sean Killian in 2012 after people were traced who had accessed a particular website, Child Love, on which such images and videos were found.

The website was closed down by the authorities but among the data retrieved were IP addresses of users which included Killian who had accessed the site for one minute at 3.22am on January 3, 2010.

Dale Brook, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday that Killian’s computer equipment was examined and a total of 199 images had been downloaded with the majority then deleted. A few were in system folders and only one was still active.

Of those, 149 were at level one, the lowest in seriousness, six at level two, 11 at level three, 31 at level four and two at level five, the most serious. The majority involved children under 13 and as young as three

When interviewed, Killian said he had become curious when some material appeared while he was looking at adult pornography.

He accepted he had to use links to get to the images and had pleasured himself looking at them but had realised what he had done was wrong.

Jeremy Hill-Baker, representing Killian, said he had already deleted all but one of the images and it was to his credit that he had now sought help voluntarily with the counselling service Stop it Now.

“He has lost his job as a consequence of revealing his conviction to his employers,” he said.

Judge Penelope Belcher said she was not surprised to hear that since he would have had access to children in that work.

Killian, 44 of Wood Street, Haworth, was committed for sentence to the court after admitting 11 charges of making indecent photographs of children.

He was given a three-year community order with a 60-day activity requirement and a £60 victim surcharge. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.

Judge Belcher told him the serious aspect of such offending was that “plainly children have to be abused in the first place to create these images and they are only created because people like you look at them.”

“They are shocking images of children suffering, and abuse like that marks them for life, causing all sorts of psychological difficulties, that is why this is so very serious by its nature.

“I am told you have now lost your job as a result of having to disclose this to your employers, as I understand you were working at the Bronte Parsonage Museum.”

While the offences crossed the custody threshold he would not be in jail long enough to undertake the work needed with him which would be available under the community order.

December 2013

Cruel Attacker Who Left Toddler Disabled Is Caught Working In Toys R Us

A “cruel” woman who left a toddler maimed for life has been discovered selling Christmas presents to kids in the MetroCentre branch of Toys R Us. 

Kimberley Davison was branded “cruel” by a judge who jailed her for two and a half years after hearing she’d thrown the defenceless tot around “like a sack of potatoes.”

Yet for two months until around November 26th she worked undetected in Britain’s biggest toy retailer after lying on her application form, saying she had no criminal record.

Toys R Us have she was dismissed as soon as her secret past was revealed to them – but admitted criminal records checks  are only carried out on potential employees “if there is reason to suspect anything.”

Shoppers were shocked at the revelation outside the shop in Gateshead’s MetroCentre complex.

A source at the store said: “She had been working there for two months before a member of staff realised who she was and what she had done.

“The staff member raised the issue with management and once they discovered what had happened she was sacked on the spot because she had lied on her application form.

“It shocked everyone to the core to find out someone like that had been working there, she had appeared quite normal.”

In 2011 Newcastle Crown Court heard the child suffered fractures all over its tiny body when Davison struck and has been left disabled for life.

Davison, of Coverdale, Leam Lane, Gateshead, admitted inflicting some of the injuries but prosecutors were unable to say who was responsible for the rest.

The court heard the baby had fractures to the left thigh, lower left leg, upper right arm, left tibia, right femur, left upper arm, left lower arm and a spinal compression.

Jailing her for two-and-half years, Judge Michael Cartlidge said Davison had “treated the child like a sack of potatoes” in throwing it on the floor, into the cot and in a chair.

The court heard the youngster now walks with an “unusual gait”, has to wear specialist boots and is likely to be disabled for life.

A hospital doctor who examined the baby said it was rare to see such severe injuries on a child which was still alive.

Judge Cartlidge said: “This child was subjected to some terrible injuries, this defendant was cruel. They were very serious injuries and if she had gone to the doctors sooner the child might have been walking properly today.

“The report is an indication of how difficult the baby is going to find the future as a result.

“While she doesn’t accept responsibility for all the injuries I think something terrible must have been happening.

“When one looks at the injuries it’s clear how distressing all this must have been to the child.”

Davison, now 24, of  Gateshead, admitted three counts of child cruelty on the basis of assault, failing to protect the child and failing to get medical attention. All of the injuries are thought to have been inflicted over a period of about a month in the summer of 2009.

Jane Foley, defending, said: “It’s heartbreaking to read about the problems which are ongoing with this young child.

“She did not intend to cause anything like the harm this child has suffered but this defendant will have to live with what she has done for the rest of her life.”

Mike Coogan, marketing director with Toys R Us, said: “This is the first time we have had an incident of this kind in the 29 years we have been around, our record in this area is very good and we go to great lengths to make sure we employ appropriate people.

“When we employed the lady we got references and she filled out an application form which stated she did not have a criminal record. 
“Once we found out about the situation we took action immediately.”

He said staff are not CRB checked as a matter of course, adding it isn’t done ”unless we suspect anything.”

December 2013

Guilty over 100 child sex images

A man has admitted making more than 100 indecent images of children.

Colin Prout, 55, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

He pleaded guilty to six charges of making an indecent photograph.

The offences happened in Huddersfield on or before October 19 last year.

Prosecutor Robert Campbell said that police found the images on two computers. These images are categorised into five levels of seriousness, level five being the most serious

Prout, of Broadgate in Ossett, had 103 level one images.

There were also two photographs at level two, three at level three and eight at level four.

Level four images typically show penetrative sexual activity involving a child or both children and adults. Police also uncovered two level one movies on Prout’s computer.

Judge Malon said that because of the level four images he needs to be sentenced by a crown court judge.

This will take place at Leeds Crown Court on January 2.

Prout was granted unconditional bail but must now sign the Sex Offenders’ Register as he stands convicted of the offences.

December 2013

Man found guilty of making child abuse images

A 54 year old Guernsey man’s been found guilty of possessing and making more than a million indecent images of children.

Jurats sitting at the Royal Court today delivered a unanimous verdict.

Kevin du Feu is guilty on all 16 counts.

He was charged with possessing, making or having the intention to distribute 1,149,348 child abuse images and more than 700 videos.

Guernsey Police say they believe it’s the largest case of its kind to be seen in the island’s courts.

Detective Inspector Andy Domaille led the investigation. He said: “1.15 million images, that is a lot by our standards – under normal circumstances we’d be dealing in considerably smaller numbers than that, and it’s the largest number I’ve ever come across and not usual for my colleagues in the UK either.”

The investigation began when the Defendant’s then wife found images on his home computer. She reported them to Police in 2009 and the investigation has been ongoing since then. She gave evidence during the trial.

Kevin du Feu chose not to be examined in court, but his advocate put forward the defence that his wife had placed the images on his PC to frame him as their marriage was in difficulties. The Prosecution denied that, pointing out that she was out of the island on some of the occasions when the downloading of indecent images occured.

The force admit it has been a complex case – sifting through the large amount of images took one officer a full nine months of work.

Detective Inspector Andy Domaille explained why it was so complicated: “We were dealing with encrypted drives, we were dealing with passwords, we were dealing with a hidden folder structures which were not visible to other users. Under normal circumstances this is not what we would expect to see from a home user and has created a lot of problems … Because of the individual not preparing to assist in any way, shape or form it’s taken a lot of time.”

Kevin du Feu has now been remanded in custody and will reappear in court for sentencing on 15th January 2014. When the guilty verdict was read, Judge Russell Finch warned him to expect a “substantial sentence”.

December 2013

Internet paedophile – who posed as teen boy to groom and abuse girls – is jailed for 10 years

A 40-year-old man who posed on websites as a young pop star in order to groom and sexually assault teenage girls was jailed for 10 years today.

Ian Sluggett, formerly of Browns Way, Whetstone, admitted 23 charges including making indecent photographs of a child, meeting a child following sexual grooming and sexual activity with a child.

Leicestershire Police said Sluggett downloaded images of a little-known American pop star and used it to mask his true identity on a number of Facebook accounts he opened under false names.

Through those accounts, he befriended hundreds of people, most of them girls aged 13 to16. Many of his victims were in the Melton and Rutland areas.

As the grooming continued, Sluggett sent indecent images of himself to some of the girls, and persuaded some of them to send him indecent images of themselves.

He then put pressure on his victims to send him increasingly explicit photographs or videos of themselves, threatening to expose them online by publishing the earlier images if they refused his demands.

Leicester Crown Court heard today that he met some of the girls in person, and had sex with some.

His activities were uncovered after a teacher overheard two pupils talking about how one of them was being forced to send indecent images of herself to Sluggett.

Detective Inspector Richard Hiom, of Leicestershire Police’s child sexual exploitation team, said after today’s hearing: “This case is very sad as it raises a number of issues around the use of the social media and the internet.

“Young people need to understand that there are people who will lie on social media sites to satisfy their own sexual needs.

“Our advice is to only have friends on social media sites that you actually have previously met and know.

“You should also never say or do anything on line that you would not say or do in person.

“Once something is on the internet it stays on the internet.

“Parents likewise can help by talking to their children about the risks from these types of people.

“They can take steps such as only allowing devices that connect to the internet to be used in areas of the house used by all members of the family. This includes games consoles.

“Parents should know who their children are talking to both on line and in person.

“I would like to thank the schools involved in this operation for their assistance throughout.

“I would urge any parent or person who works with children to report similar suspicions to us.”

Leicestershire County Council said today that its social workers had worked with police to find and support victims.

Ivan Ould, the council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Online exploitation is a serious offence and we’re pleased that a conviction has been secured.

“We took immediate action to ensure that any vulnerable young people were safe and have offered ongoing support to their families, whilst working closely with the police to help find victims.

“The internet, e-mails and texts are part of everyday life and essential learning tools for young people.

“We work closely with schools to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to educate children on this issue, and with the police to raise awareness of how children and young people can keep safe online.”

Sluggett was also given a 15 year Sexual Offences Prevention Order. This places various restrictions on him, such as banning unsupervised access to children, and forcing him to give police access to any computer he uses.

The order will come into force when he is released from prison.

Sluggett admitted the following crimes:

Making indecent photographs of a child (10 counts)

Distributing indecent photographs of a child (1 count)

Meeting a child following sexual grooming (2 counts)

Attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming (1 count) – Sexual activity with a child (2 counts)

Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity (1 count)

Attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity (5 counts) Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child (1 count)