January 2016

Child abuse images pervert jailed for more than three years

A Grantham pervert who confessed to being addicted to child abuse images was today jailed for more than three years after he downloaded thousands of illegal photos and videos and distributed them through a file sharing network.

Ian Philip, 57, of Finkin Street, Grantham, was tracked down by police after his flat above a bar in Grantham town centre was identified as being the source of the illegal images being uploaded on to GigaTribe.

Philip, who had a previous conviction for similar offences, was not at home when officers raided his premises in September of last year. He subsequently fled to the south of England where he was later arrested.

Robert Sandford, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that during the raid police seized computer equipment, including a laptop and memory sticks, which were found to contain 10,990 indecent images of children.

Mr Sandford said: “He was frank with what he said to the police. He accepted that he had been file sharing. He was using GigaTribe to share images. He said he would upload images so that others could have access to them. He believed he had allowed more than 30 people to access his folder.

“He said he would chat on GigaTribe to other like-minded people and they would discuss fantasies. He said he was an addict and needed help.”

The court was told that Philip had a previous conviction in 2012 for making indecent images when he was given a suspended jail sentence.

Philip admitted distributing child pornography together with six charges of making an indecent image of a child, one charge of possession of child pornography and a charge of possession of extreme pornography. He also admitted breach of the requirements of the sex offenders’ register.

Judge Michael Heath jailed him for three and a half years and imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order which bans Philip from having contact with children under 16 unless the contact is wholly inadvertent.

The judge, passing sentence, told Philip: “There can only be one sentence and that is immediate custody.

“You found these images exciting. The great tragedy is that to produce such gratification for people like you youngsters are grievously abused. No-one knows the incalculable harm which has been caused to those youngsters by perverted people like you providing a market for this filth.”

January 2016

Man with 1000’s of indecent movies and photographs of boys spared prison sentence

A Yeovil man who “served his community” and watched thousands of indecent movies and photographs of boys has been spared an immediate prison sentence after a judge said he was taking “an exceptional course”.

Philip Graham, 59, of Meadow View, admitted making indecent images and was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court to a three-year community order with supervision and attendance on a sex offenders’ programme.

Caroline Bolt, prosecuting, said police received information about an image which was sent in 2011 and searched his computer after executing a warrant in March last year. They found 919 moving images and 3,356 stills, including 633 of the most-serious Category A.

He said he was gay and liked teenage boys, adding he went on chat lines to make contact and had exchanged images. 

Recorder Adam Vaitilingham QC said he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and his level of offending was high.

“You accept that when you spoke to the police you had been sharing photos with other people, although you are not charged with distribution,” he said. “This is not a victimless crime.

“It’s said you are utterly ashamed of what you have done and that you are engaged with the probation service to deal with your underlying issues and that, at 59, you are a man who has served the community throughout your life”.

Graham was also served a sexual offences prevention order for ten years and told to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

January 2016

Dad jailed after he caused multiple fractures and brain injury to baby

A man who shook and squeezed his one-month-old baby and caused multiple fractures and a brain injury has been jailed.

Joshua Mills, 22, was jailed for six years and eight months at Leicester Crown Court on January 5.

His baby, who can only be referred to as Baby L because of a court order, suffered three broken ribs and broke both collarbones in August 2013 when she was one-month-old.

The infant, who is now nearly two-and-a-half years old, also suffered bleeding on three areas of the brain which affected her mental development.

Mills, of Orton Place, Earl Shilton, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The child’s mother, Sapphire McLeavey, 23, admitted cruelty by neglect.

McLeavey, of Strathmore Road, Hinckley, was given a nine month jail sentence, suspended for two years with supervision.

Detective Sergeant Dan Cumpsty from Leicestershire Police said: “Baby L was born prematurely in July 2013 and because of her life threatening condition at that time she was treated by three hospitals where she was given vital care from the very beginning of her life.

“After treatment she was entrusted into the care of her parents. Within weeks she was back again, fighting for her life. As a result her parents were arrested.

“Her injuries as we’ve heard were significant and are now life changing.

“The judge’s sentencing decision today reflects our need to safeguard all those at risk from others.”

He added: “Baby L one day will voice her own thoughts and Leicestershire Police hope the significant joint agency work that has brought about these results today will one day reflect her own understanding that those committing crimes of this nature will be robustly dealt with in the greater interests of the child’s voice.”

January 2016

Pensioner (80) sentenced to 20-years for child rape

A pensioner is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars after being jailed for 20 years for the rape and sexual abuse of three young girls

Frederick George Bailey was found guilty of a total of 15 offences following a trial at Dorchester Crown Court.

The 80-year-old had been accused of “sustained and repeated sexual violence” towards his three victims, with the offences dating back to the 1960s and 1970s.

January 2016

Paedophile jailed for raping and assaulting young girl

A man who raped and assaulted a schoolgirl over a four year period has been caged for 14 years.

Judge Robert Altham told Paul Heath, of Buckingham Road, Morecambe, he would be subject to an extended eight year licence period on his release from prison.

Heath, 33, was charged following an investigation by Lancashire police.

The alleged victim, who was as young as eight at the time of some of his vile crimes, cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Prosecuting, Susan Carter said the allegations, which relate to a range of sexual attacks, related to a period between August 2011 to as recently as August 2015.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of the rape of the young girl, and another of attempting to rape her.

Heath also admitted a charge of causing or inciting the young Lancashire girl to engage in a sexual act .

In addition he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children between 2011 and 2012.

The offences took place in Morecambe, Preston Crown Court was told

January 2016

Paedophile who carried out sexual attacks on 4-year-old girl avoids jail

A PAEDOPHILE who carried out a series of sickening sexual attacks on a four-year-old child at a house in Airdrie more than 45 years ago has avoided a jail sentence.

Douglas Blair, 62, whose address was given in court as a property in Glenmavis, was jailed for 12 months in 2014 on child abuse images offences and pled guilty at Airdrie Sheriff Court last month to carrying out sordid assaults on the young girl in 1970.

He admitted acting in a lewd, indecent and libidinous manner towards the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, by inviting her into a bedroom and encouraging her to get into a bed under the covers beside him before sexually assaulting her on various occasions.

The attacks took place at a house in Airdrie – not at his current home address.

Prosecutor Agnes Meek told the court: “He first appeared in private at this court on February 11, when he made no plea or declaration and the case was continued for further inquiries.”

Blair, a former oil worker in Libya who has adult children, was scheduled to go on trial before a jury in December but elected instead to plead guilty, avoiding his female victim, now aged 50, the ordeal of having to give evidence.

Ms Meek said: “The girl was around four-and-a-half years old at the time of the offence, when Blair was 17.

“It took her a long time before she revealed that she had been sexually abused by him. Following police investigations Blair was taken to Motherwell police office and interviewed.”

The court heard Blair had been married for more than 40 years but the marriage broke down following the recent prison sentence he served for downloading child pornography – the majority of the images in the most severe categories – between 2011 and 2012.

Defence lawyer Ross Dewar said: “He is well aware of the serious nature of the offence.

“He lacked maturity at the time. He is currently on an extended sentence from a previous prison sentence. He is on licence until March 2018.”

Sentencing Blair, Sheriff Derek O’Carroll told him: “This was a very unpleasant event. Clearly, from the impact statement I have read, it had a considerable effect on her.

“In your favour at the time of the offence you were 17 and had no previous convictions. You also pled guilty and spared the woman the trauma of having to give evidence.

“You are already subject to stringent requirements that will protect the public from you.

“I have to treat you as a first offender. In my view there is an alternative to custody.”

Blair was put on probation for three years and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, reduced from 240 hours because of his early plea.

He was also put on a four-month tagging order, keeping him at home each day from 7pm until 7am.

He was put on the sex offenders’ register for three years.

January 2016

Pervert student admits possession of 3,000 child abuse images

A pervert student admitted he ‘needs to be fixed’ after being caught with more than 3,000 child abuse images and movies on his computer.

Zachary Roberts, 23, was described by the judge at Exeter Crown Court as an intelligent young man who had viewed ‘truly appalling’ images online.

He admitted six offences of possessing indecent images of children and four of making indecent images.

The offences relate to a four year period between 2011 and 2015.

Recorder Don Tait said: “If you didn’t appreciate the seriousness of your behaviour before police came to your home it’s quite clear you do appreciate the seriousness of it now.

“You are an intelligent young man. You have had some difficulties in the past and some of these remain but the type of images you were looking at was absolutely appalling.

“This sort of material is not victimless. Somewhere in the world young children are being abused and that abuse is being recorded and it will continue as long as people like you continue to view this material.”

The court was told Roberts, of Fore Street, Chudleigh, was a man of previous good character, who had trouble relating to people due to his condition and had previously had Tourette’s syndrome.

Felicity Payne, mitigating, said the defendant did not want to use this as an excuse.

He told police after they raided his home that he looked at the images as a way of ‘exploring his sexuality’ and was ‘trying to create himself without having to endure face to face contact with people’.

He had accessed a known paedophile website to view the images, the court was told.

In total around 3,000 indecent images and movies were found on two computer devices owned by the defendant, with 480 in the most serious category.

“He wants some help to sort out why he started doing this in the first place,” said Ms Payne.

He told a probation officer: “I need to be fixed.”

Recorder Tait said the only matter he had to decide was whether to suspend Roberts’ inevitable jail sentence.

“Potentially you have got a future as long as you don’t relapse into this sordid behaviour,” he said.

“In your particular circumstances I feel I’m just able to suspend your sentence for two years.”

Roberts was told to pay costs of £250 and a surcharge. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and told to do a 60 day rehabilitation activity requirement to address his behaviour.

January 2016

Pervert jailed after pestering teen for sex

A 29-year-old Godmersham man has been jailed for 21 months after pestering a teenager for sex on a train for 20 minutes.

The victim had been travelling between Headcorn and Wye when pervert Louis Smith got on the train.

A judge at Canterbury Crown Court how he then sat near the teenager as she listened to her music.

Boozed-up Smith, of The Street, then subjected the frightened youngster to a series of sordid sex questions.

Judge Heather Norton was told at one point he began stroking his terrified victim’s leg and ignored her repeated pleas to stop.

The girl had been alone in the carriage and had to fight off the twisted sex attacker as he tried to molest her and kiss her.

And when she resisted his advances, Smith began calling her names before she was able to flee and report the incident to the train guard.

She later told police how she had been left “shocked, disgusted, upset and depressed” by the assault.

Judge Norton told Smith, who admitted the sex assault in July last year: “You subjected your victim to a 20 minute frightening, sustained and prolonged sex attack.

“It seems to me that you targeted this young girl because she was on her own at night.”

The judge said that earlier in the day Smith had made sex approaches to another woman – although no charges had been brought.

January 2016

Pervert who had hundreds of indecent images of young girls is spared jail

A pervert who downloaded hundreds of indecent pictures of young girls has avoided jail.

Christopher Wright, of Oswaldtwistle, who has previous convictions for indecent assault and two counts of indecent exposure, later confessed to police that he was ‘particularly attracted to very early teens’, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The court was told officers executed a warrant at his former home in Burnley on January 29 last year and seized computer hardware.

They later found a total of 403 indecent images including 26 of category A – the most serious – 32 of category B and 345 category C.

Wright, 54, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of making indecent images and was given a six-month jail term, suspended for two years with supervision, and a two-year internet sex offender treatment programme.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and made subject to police notification requirements, both for seven years.

Michael Brady, prosecuting, told the court: “The defendant was arrested and during his interview made full admissions.

“He said he was particularly attracted to very early teens, around 13 or 14 years old.

“The young girls in these images have not been identified but they appear to be between the ages of 12 and 15.

“The defendant said he made no attempt to hide the material and they were kept in folders on the computer with some banal titles.”

Mr Brady said Wright, of Hargreaves Road, also told police how he used internet search terms which would ‘come up with these sorts of images’.

Clare Ashcroft, defending, said: “He has retained the support of his wife. She is fully aware of these matters and his previous convictions.

“Since he has been on bail for these offences she has at all times encouraged him to remain in the room with her when he does any kind of computer-related work.

“He has installed as best as he can some systems within his own computer software in order to control, at first blush, any programmes which he may inadvertently access and will flash up to alert him.”

Miss Ashcroft said Wright had previously attended sessions at Burnley Hospital to ‘address his underlying issues’ but said they had no benefit as they ‘were not particularly targeted’ to his needs.

January 2016

Man jailed after having sex with 13-year-old girl

PERVERT Haseeb Shah has been jailed after he had sex with a 13-year-old girl.

The defendant was aged 23 when he and another man picked up the youngster and her 14-year-old friend in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Almost immediately Shah climbed in the back of the Audi car, sat between the two girls and said: “Who is going to do it then.”

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the 13-year-old performed a sex act on the defendant before the pair had full sexual intercourse.

The other man then got in the back and the same girl performed a sex act on him.

Prosecutor Glyn Samuel said Shah’s DNA was found on the girl’s jacket.

Shah, now aged 27, of Vicarage Road, Stourbridge, pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual activity with a child.

Alison Scott-Jones, mitigating, said the defendant has no previous convictions and had not been in any trouble since the offences were committed.

But Recorder Andrew Easteal said an immediate prison sentence was unavoidable and jailed Shah for 16 months.

The judge said: “It was after dark in the back of a car with a 13-year-old girl. It was squalid and disgraceful. Another child, only a year or so older, witnessed everything that took place.”

Shah will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

January 2016

Convicted paedophile jailed for breaching order after contacting girl

A registered sex offender has been jailed for breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

On Friday, January 8, Ashley Walker, 32, of Derby Road, Wingerworth, pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court to contacting a girl in August 2015.

This was in breach of the Sexual Offences Prevention Order that he was issued in 2011 for engaging in sexual activity involving a child under 13.

He was sentenced to 32 months in prison.

January 2016

Pervert jailed for 20 months over indecent images of children

POLICE found “shocking” images of child abuse after searching a man’s computer equipment, a court heard.

Owen McSorley, 55, of Crosby Avenue, Scunthorpe, admitted three offences of making indecent photographs of children and three of possessing extreme pornography between January 2009 and June last year.

Craig Lowe, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that police went to McSorley’s home on June 23 last year and searched his computer equipment.

A total of 574 images involving children were found and 31 extreme pornography images were discovered.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, mitigating, said McSorley had no previous convictions and had shown remorse.

He was “thoroughly horrified and ashamed” of his behaviour and did not intend to repeat it again.

His life had been a “rollercoaster” in recent years and it had taken a “downward turn”.

Judge Peter Kelson QC branded the images “shocking” and “grotesque”.

McSorley was jailed for 20 months and was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

January 2016

Grandad who had nearly 1,000 indecent images of children spared jail

A grandad who admitted having almost 1,000 indecent images of children, as well as other illegal images, has been spared prison.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, told Brian Robert Clements that a suspended sentence would be better “in the interests of the community” as he would get the treatment he needed.

Clements, 59, pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court yesterday to possessing indecent images of children as well as to possessing prohibited images of children – “cartoon-style” images – and to possessing extreme pornography involving animals.

Prosecutor Rachel Masters told the court the offences came to light as a result of information received by police.

They searched a Billingham address and seized a number of electronic devices.

Across two laptops, they discovered 965 indecent images of children – 139 in the worst category, Category A, 114 in Category B, and 712 in Category C.

Also found were 635 prohibited images and 439 images of extreme pornography.

Married dad and grandad Clements initially made no reply when arrested, but later admitted his guilt. He had no previous convictions.

Nicci Horton, defending, said he had a “good relationship with his wife”, adding: “He has children and grandchildren. He is a family man. There has never been any question of sexual attraction to children. This is not someone who is likely to move into contact offences.”

She said his family referred to the offences as “out of character”.

She added: “You are looking at a man of good character who has been of good character for a long time. A hard-working family man.”

The judge told Clements he found elements of the case “worrying”, saying he felt the defendant had tried to justify his actions.

He said: “That is a worrying aspect of the case.

“They are real children. Some child somewhere is having to undergo that abuse.

“You are getting sexual gratification from a child being abused.”

He said Clements would face punishment in terms of having to be in the community and “be known as someone who is a child offender”.

He gave Clements, of Acacia Street, Darlington, an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for two years with a supervision requirement.

January 2016

Former police officer jailed for child rape

A former police officer who molested and raped a young girl more than 40 years ago has been jailed for nine years.

Kevin Luckhurst was told by a judge that the passage of time was no mitigation.

“You now face custody in middle life because of crimes of your youth, but on the other hand the corrosive effect on the victim has been long and you have escaped justice for much of your life,” he said.

Luckhurst, of Flowerhill Way, Istead Rise, started the abuse while living in Faversham when he was just 14 and went on to join Kent Police in an “exemplary” career lasting 30 years until his retirement.

Now 58, the married former dog handler denied seven charges of rape and three of indecent assault.

He was convicted of three offences of rape and two of indecent assault. The jury could
not reach verdicts on the remaining charges.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Luckhurst had told the girl he wanted to play a game before raping her. He told her to keep it a secret.

The victim said in evidence from behind screens: “I didn’t tell my mother or head teacher. I don’t remember anything being said while it was happening. I was so fearful of him.

“I was told on the first occasion not to say anything to anyone – about it being a secret.”

She said of being raped: “I tried to think of something else and concentrate on that. I didn’t welcome any of these advances.

“I didn’t say anything to get him to stop. I always did what he told me to do.”

The victim said the abuse stopped after he wanted to rape her again and then tried to force her to perform a sex act on him, and she became angry and refused.

“I started shouting at him,” she continued. “He looked at me as if he was shocked. I was really angry. I was crying. I said I would tell somebody if he touched me again. He said he wouldn’t touch me again and I didn’t tell anyone.”

Decades later she reported it to the police.

Bozzie Sheffi, defending, said Luckhurst had an exemplary character in the police and was described by one ex-colleague as “a thoroughly decent man”.

After retirement he worked for the Environment Agency and as a volunteer for the National Trust.

Told that Luckhurst was thoroughly ashamed to be before the court, Judge Charles Macdonald QC said: “You say ashamed. You are not suggesting he is remorseful are you, for putting the complainant through this?”

Miss Sheffi replied that she could not “go behind the jury’s verdicts” and would say no
more.

Luckhurst’s name will appear on the sex offender register indefinitely and he will be barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

Judge Macdonald told Luckhurst: “These were opportunistic offences. On any view, the matters were aggravated by steps to prevent reporting.

“I give positive character such weight as I can, but these offences must be punished to deter others.

“You put the victim through a very agonising experience.

“The jury has vindicated her. Clearly, there is no shame or remorse here. This is extremely sad and a very serious case.

“The time has come for you to face up to what you did all those years ago.”

January 2016

Sentence delayed as police find more child abuse images

The sentence on a man guilty of downloading child abuse images has been adjourned after police experts found more material on his machine.

Graham Parkinson, aged 64, was already on a suspended sentence for identical offences when his Exeter home was raided again in December.

Parkinson, of North Street, Exeter, has admitted five counts of making indecent photographs of children.

Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, adjourned his sentence at Exeter Crown Court to allow the police’s high tech crime unit to prepare an updated report on new images.

He remanded Parkinson in custody and asked the police to establish whether the newly discovered images were downloaded after the previous suspended sentence was imposed in November.

Mr Neil Traherne, prosecuting, said the further inquiries had been prompted by a basis of plea submitted by Parkinson at a previous hearing.

He said:”A further examination of his computer equipment has been carried out by the high tech crime unit, who have found evidence of a further 259 category A images and an additional 4,500 other images in categories B and C.

“It is important that some of these images seem to have got into his system after the last suspended sentence.”

Mr Peter Seigne, defending, said the adjournment is not opposed.

Indecent images are categorised by the police in three categories, of which the most serious is A, which shows adults having sex with children, sadism, bestiality, or other serious abuse.

Categories B shows sexual activity between children and C shows child nudity.

January 2016

Man given 22-year prison sentence for 8 rapes & other sex offences

Robert McClurey, 35, of Station Road, Gunness, pleaded guilty to eight counts of rape, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

He was also found guilty of one count of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.

McClurey was sentenced at Derby Crown Court to 22 years, of which 17 must be served in prison with an extended period of five years.

 After the case, Detective Constable Shani Clark, who led the investigation for Humberside Police, described the sentence as “tremendous for the victims and their families”.

She said: “McClurey is a sexual predator and a bully, who systematically abused his victims over a long period of time.

“The investigation commenced in February 2014 and was concluded after he was sentenced, having pleaded guilty on the day of trial in June last year.

“Up to then he had denied the offences and put his victims through the additional stress of believing they would need to give evidence at court.

“This sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending and I hope it will serve as a warning to others that they will be found out and they will be brought to justice.”

January 2016

TA reservist who had sick images of youngsters escapes jail

AN ARMY reservist who admitted possessing hundreds of indecent images of children has been spared jail.

Charles Ellen, 31, had more than 100 of the most serious category A images on his laptop and two mobile phones.

He received a three-year community sentence through the sexual offenders programme, must sign the sex offenders register for five years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

Salisbury Crown Court heard police found the images when Ellen’s laptop was seized during a separate investigation.

He compiled the images over two years from December 2012 to May 2014, when he was arrested.

Ellen, of Pembroke Road, Salisbury, had argued against part of the prevention order that stopped him making contact with children without parents’ consent.

His barrister said that Ellen had no record of any offences involving contact with children.

But Simon Edwards, prosecuting, told the court: “There is no denying this man has a sexual interest in children,” adding that it would be wrong to draw a distinction between real life and the internet.

Judge Susan Evans QC agreed and told Ellen he would have to disclose his criminal record to parents before being able to have any contact with children.

 She said the “significant” number of images was made worse by the possession of videos.

But Judge Evans acknowledged an incident when Ellen was 15 had had a big effect on him and said he could be helped through a sexual offenders programme – which would not be available in prison.

“They are real children suffering real abuse,” Judge Evans said.

“I am quite sure they will be suffering from the effects for the rest of their lives. The reason why is because of people like you. You are the market.”

Ellen was told he could face jail if he breached the orders. He must also pay £350 costs.

January 2016

Judge decides not to jail teenager who set sheep on fire in Tilgate Park and carried out sex offences on children

A TEENAGER who set fire to a sheep and “pressurised” underage girls into having sex with him was “lucky” to avoid going to jail according to the judge who sentenced him.

Kieran Taylor was sentenced on Friday (January 8) for carrying out sex offences on three girls aged 13 and 14 between November 2013 and August 2014.

The now 18-year-old also set a sheep on fire in Tilgate Park on October 2, 2014.

Taylor, from Holbein Road in Tilgate, had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a female child, arson and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.

Timothy Forster, prosecuting, told Hove Crown Court: “The girls were between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years younger than Taylor at the time of the offences. One of the girls had been at his home playing Xbox when they started kissing and he suggested that they have sex.

“She didn’t think it was right due to her age but felt pressurised by Taylor. When she asked him to stop he did.

“On another occasion he asked her for oral sex but she was reluctant. He pestered her to do it and she eventually did but didn’t enjoy it and started to cry. Sexual things would happen almost every time they were together from then on.

“The second underage girl’s first sexual experience with Taylor came when he encouraged her to get alcohol and when they were drunk he put his hand down her leggings. It was totally unexpected and she found it confusing. Months later he started bombarding her with text messages.

“She only agreed to meet him when Taylor said other mutual friends would be there too but when she arrived he was on his own. He took her to nearby woods, she was scared, and persistently asked for sex. She said he did it as though she was his property. There was a second occasion when he said they would be with other people but again Taylor was alone.

“Another time a group had been at a house and when others were asleep or out of the room Taylor pulled down her leggings.

“This girl has made a victim impact statement where she said the stress of what happened has affected her and her confidence.

“It has made her ill and affected her relationships with friends.”

The court heard the third victim had also received texts from Taylor and as well as them having sex he had asked her to send sexually explicit pictures.

The male Boreray sheep was found by a Tilgate Nature Centre employee burning in the Heather Garden, in Tilgate Park, on October 2, 2014, – the day after the girls had spoken to police about the underage sex offences.

The animal had been stabbed, kicked and hit before it was set on fire. While he pleaded guilty to causing the sheep unnecessary suffering he admitted this on the basis that he had not been involved in the physical attack on the animal before committing the arson.

Mr Forster added: “The sheep was one of four kept in a paddock at Tilgate Nature Centre.

“A member of the public contacted staff at the site after they found blood. The paddock fence was four foot high and it looked like something had been pulled over it. There was a burnt patch of ground outside the paddock and in the heather garden the remains of the dead sheep were found.

“The remains of the animal were examined and there were several injuries. An 8cm wound to the neck was evident as well as a 5 to 7cm cut to the jaw and an impact wound to the chest.

“The injuries were consistent with the use of a sharp blade such as a pen knife. A witness would later tell police that Taylor had made comments about harming the sheep while they were in the park. He was seen going into the pen and the sheep was chased. It was assaulted a number of times while still in the paddock.”

The court heard Taylor sent a photo of his blood covered trainers to a friend who had been present for part of the incident.

Iain Morley, defending, said: “This is not a case of a predatory psychotic. My client has been through the wringer in the last year with this case. It has had a big impact on him. A psychiatrist has diagnosed him with major depression and severe anxiety.

“He has a history of panic attacks, has shown a level of alcohol dependency and has symptoms similar to those of post traumatic stress disorder.

“Kieran no longer goes out of the house apart from to see his mother. He definitely requires psychiatric intervention.”

Mr Morley said what Taylor had done was “disturbing”. But he added: “The pressure he placed on these girls was not so great as to say we are dealing with a rape case. It was the sort of persistence that unfortunately is not uncommon in young sexual relationships, when young people are starting out in their sexual lives.

“The cruelty against the sheep is not the most serious offence he faces. The arson was a schoolboy attempt to destroy the evidence but in the circumstances it made matters even worse.

“The sheep attack took place after he knew the girls had spoken to the police. He behaved as he did because he could see he was going to get into a lot of trouble. These were three girls he really liked.”

Judge David Rennie sentenced Taylor to 11 months in prison, suspended for two years, for the underage sex offences and a further four months for the animal cruelty.

Judge Rennie said: “There are very significant problems you have that go some way to explain, but not excuse, what you did.

“What you did to these girls was wrong. Some people may put it down as sexual experimentation but you were in control. You were much older than them in this age bracket and they found themselves unable to resist when you took them off to the woods.

“You have left them with these memories. Your crimes cross the custody threshold but I am not going to send you to prison today.

“You have been lucky because you did a bad thing and nobody would argue if I had sent you down to the cells. I am giving you the chance to get the help you need. You have to be careful, though, because if you breach this sentence I will send you to prison.”

Judge Rennie set a mental health treatment requirement so Taylor can receive behaviour therapy. He will also be supervised for two years, have to obey a four-month curfew between 9pm and 6am and abstain from drinking alcohol.

Taylor has also been banned from working with animals and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed.

After hearing his punishment, Taylor stood up in the dock and apologised for what he had done.

January 2016

Man Jailed for Molesting 13-year-old School Girl

A Wigan man who sexually abused a 13-year-old girl was today (Thur) starting an 18 month jail sentence.

Jordan Gould-Martin began chatting to the girl and her friend, both in their school uniforms, after they made a complimentary comment as he rode by on his bicycle.

He invited them both back to his home and while there he sexually molested one of them.

Sentencing him Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said that the girl had told him her age and he taken advantage of her naivety and immaturity. “She was excited and flattered by the attention of a older person.”

He said that he had sexual activity with her “despite barely knowing her.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the victim’s schooling was adversely affected because of gossip and spurious allegations about what had happened.

21-year-old Gould-Martin, of Hey Street, had been convicted of sexual activity after a trial. He was cleared on the judge’s directions of raping her and the jury found him not guilty of two other offences of sexual activity with her.

Gould-Martin admitted sexually touching the girl but denied knowing that she was under-age.

The judge imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life banning him from contact with under 16-year-old girls and ordered him to sign on the Sexual Offences Register for ten years.

January 2016

Former teacher at a Weymouth school who was “addicted to sexual online chat” with kids

A FORMER teacher at a Weymouth school who was “addicted to sexual online chat” has been handed a community order for offences involving underage girls.

Scott Andrew Lighten, who was a science teacher at Budmouth College, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court to be sentenced after admitting attempting to cause a girl under the age 16 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16.

The 35-year-old also admitted a further charge relating to another 15 year-old girl of attempting to incite a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences occurred between May 1 and July 29, 2014.

Prosector Simon Jones said Lighten’s offending behaviour emerged after concerns were raised in August 2014 by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children regarding his contact with a 17-year-old in an internet chat room.

He said Lighten had told her he was a teacher and “had a sexual interest in underage girls”.

Mr Jones said various agencies were contacted and on September 22, 2014 Lighten, of High Street, Fordington, Dorchester made admissions to his headteacher at Budmouth, saying he had been having sexual chat with underage girls.

Police officers attended the defendant’s address the following day and seized a laptop and mobile phone, which were taken away for analysis.

Mr Jones said Lighten also made admissions to officers in interview.

He said: “He said he had an addiction to sexual chat online.

“He said predominantly this was with consenting females over the age of 16.

“The defendant was also to make admissions to having such conversations with 14 and 15-year-old girls.”

Mr Jones said the first two offences related to three months of contact the defendant had with a user claiming to be 15 through Skype.

He said there were a “great deal of explicit sexual messages that were exchanged between the two” and added that the defendant had exposed himself on his webcam, had requested photographs from her and had received an intimate picture.

The third offence involved another user who told Lighten she was 15.

Mr Jones said: “The defendant attempted on a number of occasions to turn the chat sexual and requested photos on a number of occasions.”

He added that the defendant had told her he was looking for “sexy time fun”.

Jake Taylor, mitigating, said his client never encouraged or sought any kind of meeting with the girls but accepted the seriousness of his offending.

He said: “He doesn’t seek to distance himself from his responsibility, from his culpability or from the harm caused.”

Judge Jonathan Fuller said he accepted Lighten had taken every avenue available to him to “rid himself” of his addiction.

He sentenced the defendant to a community order with a supervision requirement for three years and requirement to attend a sex offenders’ programme.

Following Lighten’s admissions to the offences last month, Budmouth principal David Akers confirmed that the defendant was relieved of his duties as soon as the school was informed of the allegations and has not returned since.