January 2016

Toilet pervert preyed on 14-year-old schoolgirl

A man who tried to incite a 14-year-old schoolgirl to perform acts for him online was later found with a stash of sickening sexual images involving animals.

Preston Crown Court heard Stuart Anderson, 35, of Heysham Road, Heysham, told his victim he wanted to watch her use the toilet during a private chat on Facebook.

The former cycle mechanic asked her not to tell anyone, but the plucky youngster told her mother, and the pair teamed up and carried on the private chat, with her mum posing as her.

After a lurid conversation, Anderson asked for the conversation to be deleted but was told: “I’ve sent it to my dad. He’s always told me to be wary of dirty sex predators.”

Judge Justice Kerr sentenced him to a year in prison but suspended it for two years after he admitted inciting a child to commit a sexual act and possessing grossly offensive images.

Peter Barr, prosecuting, said: “ The complainant is a young girl who was 14 at the time of the offences. On April 11, 2014, there was contact between the defendant and the girl via Facebook.

“There’s an initial exchange where asks about the welfare of her mother. Suddenly the conversation turned sexual.

“Her mother says in the early hours she was alerted by her daughter and went on to Facebook and read the messages and then took over the conversation posing as her.”

The court heard police were called by the girl’s family.

His computer was seized and analysed, and pictures of sexual acts involving sheep were found.

The court also imposed a sexual offences order banning Anderson contacting any girls under 16 without parental consent, using any device capable of accessing the internet or storing images unless it can retain browsing history, and using the internet to contact under 16s.

January 2016

Foster mother jailed for killing toddler by violently shaking him

A foster mother has been jailed for killing a toddler in her care by violently shaking him.

Wendy Hardy and husband David were trusted to look after Harry Aspley when he was put into the care system after being assaulted in December 2012, aged 20 months.

The Hardys had been foster parents to numerous children over nearly five years.

Harry had developmental problems and was prone to temper tantrums.

On March 26, 2013, Wendy, who had been having trouble getting Harry to eat without vomiting, shook him forcefully, causing massive brain injuries.

She put Harry, who was then 23 months old, back in his crib.

It was only after David got home from work two hours later that the emergency services were called to the couple’s then home in Stoney Stanton.

Harry, breathing though unresponsive, was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary.

But his brain was badly damaged by the injury and starved of oxygen due to the trauma.

Life support was withdrawn on April 1.

After Harry’s death, the couple, who had been incorrectly receiving cash for fostering two children no longer in their care, decided to spend most of the embezzled £27,460 on a car and a holiday to Turkey.

Six months after Harry’s death, Wendy Hardy was charged with his murder, and in November 2015 she pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

At Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, the couple, who have since separated, were sentenced

Wendy Hardy (46), of Greedon Rise, Sileby, was jailed for six and a half years for manslaughter and for fraud.

Judge Jeremy Baker told her: “Harry was a very vulnerable child. As an experienced foster parent you would have known all too well the risks of treating Harry in the manner you did.

“Knowing you had seriously injured Harry you failed to seek prompt medical help.

“After such attention was given to him, you lied about the circumstances of his injuries.”

David Hardy (36), of Hinckley Road, Stoney Stanton, had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of converting criminal property, relating to the £27,460.

Judge Baker gave him a 21-month sentence, suspended for two years, adding that he would have been sent to jail if it were not for the children.

Both defendants had also been charged with cruelty due to neglect because Harry had lost more than a quarter of his body weight during the three months in their care.

Those charges were ordered to lie on file and could be proceeded with in the future.

January 2016

Pervert escapes jail after being caught with almost 75,000 indecent images of young children

A Sheffield pervert has escaped jail after being caught with almost 75,000 indecent images – including young children – on his computer.

Anthony Read, aged 46, of Sicey Avenue, Firth Park, Sheffield, was given a suspended sentence – despite having images that included ‘very young children’.

Sheffield Crown Court heard police found thousands of indecent images on Read’s computer after getting a warrant to search his home in May 2014.

The illegal pornography included 73,293 ‘Category C’ images, 1,108 ‘Category B’ images and 444 ‘Category A’ images, which are classified as the most serious.

The Judge Her Honour Judge Jacqueline Davies told Read: “When people like you access this material, you are abusing the children indirectly.

“If there wasn’t a market for people like you, these children wouldn’t be exposed to this kind of abuse, which is shocking.”

But she said that having carefully considered the case, a prison sentence would not be necessary.

Read was given a sentence of six months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.

He will also be required to participate in a sex offender’s programme. He will also have to pay £200 court costs.

Judge Davies said Read had been in custody for three days awaiting his sentence so would know what to expect if he breaches the terms of his sentence and is sent to prison as a result.

She told him: “The positive way forward is for you to be working with people who will help you.”

January 2016

Sea Cadet officer admits luring 12-year-old girl in bid to have sex with her

A sea cadet officer has admitted grooming a 12-year-old girl with the intention of having sex with her.

Lewis Hall arranged for the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to travel from her home 150 miles away to Inverness and visit him.

But when she failed to turn up at school, her parents called to find out where she was – and discovered she was on the train north, where she claimed she was going to visit a friend in hospital.

Police were alerted, and she was picked up at Inverness Railway Station.

Yesterday, Hall admitted making arrangements – while knowing the girl was underage – for her to travel to his home with the intention of engaging in unlawful sexual activity with her, or in her presence, on May 29 last year.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard Hall was 17 at the time of the offence.

Fiscal depute Stewart Maciver said the first offender had been a member of the Inverness Sea Cadets for about eight years at the time, and had reached the rank of petty officer – the most senior position a youth can hold.

He told the court Hall, of 23 Rosehaugh Road, Inverness, and the girl had exchanged messages via social media.

But in January last year, the girl and her brother swapped phones.

Her brother then spotted messages from Hall to his sister, some of which referred to her as “baby”.

Mr Maciver said a subsequent investigation found a number of text messages exchanged on May 21 last year referring to “cuddling”.

Another from Hall urged the youngster to “pull a sickie” from school to come and visit him.

The court heard there was a further exchange of messages arranging her to visit on May 29.

Mr MacIver said: “They were somewhat coy as to what exactly was planned.

“There certainly seems to be some kind of veiled reference to sexual activity.”

On May 29, the girl set off for school at the normal time but instead boarded a train to travel to Inverness.

Her absence from school was noted and the head teacher phoned her parents who in turn tried to contact her.

She answered the phone to her father and told him she was going to Inverness.

Mr MacIver said: “Police intercepted her at the station in Inverness and returned her to her parents.”

When questioned she initially told police she was going to visit a friend in hospital.

However, she later admitted she was going to visit Hall.

Mr MacIver said it had been noted she seemed “uncomfortable” talking about sex and indicated she had hoped they were just going to talk.

Hall was interviewed some time later and also initially denied any relationship before admitting later he knew the girl, admitting he was “being stupid and immature”.

Defence solicitor Shahid Latif deferred his mitigation until Hall returns to court for sentence. The case will call again next month.

January 2016

Man, 24, who had indecent images of children just weeks after being released from prison

A MAN who had indecent images of children stored on his phone just weeks after being released from prison for similar matters is back behind bars.

Christopher Williams, 24, was jailed in 2013 after failing to comply with a suspended sentence imposed by magistrates.

But his probation officer found he had gone back to his own ways soon after getting out of prison and he has now been jailed for eight months.

Tessa Hingston, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that his offender manager went to see him at his home.

“She asked to see his mobile phone and immediately saw images she thought to be indecent,” she said.

“She seized the phone and various images were discovered. There are 11 listed on the schedule.”

She said all of the images were level C, the least serious, with the youngest child thought to be about seven years old.

As well as the indecent images of children he also 23 pieces of extreme pornography of adults and animals and six prohibited images of children which were vile cartoons.

Williams, of Stonefield Close, Eastleaze, admitted one count of making and five of possessing indecent images of children.

He also admitted four counts of possessing extreme pornography and three of having prohibited images of children.

The court heard he was initially put on a community order in October 2012 for similar offending.

When he failed to comply with its conditions it was changed to a 12-week suspended sentence which was activated in May 2013.

Miss Hingston said the first image was downloaded in August 2013 and the rest were found on the handset the following April.

Tony Bignall, defending, said although the sentencing guidelines are for either a short jail term, which could be suspended, or a community order his client was asking for jail.

“He is saying to me what he said when he was arrested: that he wants to go to prison today,” he said.

“He is a vulnerable young man and failed to comply with a community order last time and doesn’t think he will be able to now.”

Judge Tim Mousley QC jailed him for eight months and told him he must register as a sex offender for the next seven years.

He said “I have to sentence you for these 13 offences for indecent and extreme pornographic images conducted over a period of time and the presentence report indicates that you were motivated by deviant sexual interests. That is absolutely right.

“You have a previous conviction from October 2012 for similar matters, which became a suspended sentence in 2013 and that was activated.

“You were released after that and then you went back to this activity of possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images.”

January 2016

Lorry driver duped boys into sending indecent images to his phone

A Perth long-distance lorry driver pretended to be a teenage boy so he could groom schoolboys and exchange explicit sexual images with them.

Married trucker Ian West, 50, posed as a gay teenager so he could dupe vulnerable children into sending him naked images of themselves.

West, who was caught when a picture of his penis was found on a 14-year-old boy’s phone, was placed on the sex offenders register.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that West was discovered with hours of videos and numerous images of schoolboys and had categorised them into individual folders for each boy.

The court was also told that one boy had even sent an image of himself in his school uniform to West, believing him to be a boy of similar age to himself.

West admitted causing a 14-year-old boy to look at an image of his penis and engage in sexual conversation between September 26 and October 6 2014.

He also admitted distributing child abuse images on January 16 2013 and having indecent images of children between January 16 2013 and March 4 last year.

Sentence was deferred for reports.

May 2010

Man jailed over sex assaults

A PAEDOPHILE from York has been banned from working with children for the rest of his life and sent to jail after his victim spoke out.

Andrew William Dalton, now 52, abused a boy for years, starting when the child was at primary school, York Crown Court heard.

But his crimes went unpunished for decades until the boy, now a man, was able to speak about the repeated ordeals he endured in the 1970s.

After hearing from both the victim and Dalton, a York jury convicted Dalton, of Beckfield Lane, Acomb, of five offences of indecent assault after a trial.

Dalton was jailed for 18 months. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and disqualified from working with children in any capacity indefinitely.

July 2009

Sex attacker fails to cut life sentence

January 2016

Man who shook 10-week-old baby and caused his brain to bleed told he will be spared jail

A MAN who shook a baby so violently that his brain bled has been told he will not be sent to jail.

A jury at Bolton Crown Court was yesterday due to hear evidence about injuries caused to the 10-week-old boy by 51-year-old Andrew Holland, who had denied causing grievous bodily harm to the child.

But the trial was dramatically halted after Holland’s defence team asked Judge Graeme Smith for a Goodyear indication – a decision about what the maximum sentence would be if he pleaded guilty.

After being told that a suspended prison sentence of no more than one year and six months would be imposed if Holland, of Brackley Street, Walkden, admitted the offence.

The child, who cannot be named for legal reason, was born four weeks prematurely in May, 2013. Ten weeks later, on August 4, he was with Holland at a house in Farnworth.

Holland was in charge of the boy whilst his mother slept but she was woken by him telling her to call an ambulance.

The boy had collapsed and paramedics rushed him to hospital where a scan revealed he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. 

The baby’s head was swollen, he was vomiting, not moving and there was bleeding behind his eyes.

He recovered and was discharged from hospital in mid-September 2013, but shortly afterwards had to be readmitted as his brain started to bleed again due to the earlier injury. This time the child’s skull had to be drilled to relieve pressure that was building up.

He is believed to have since made a good recovery and it is thought that there will not be any long lasting effects.

Doctors treating the child concluded that the injury suffered by the baby could not have been caused accidentally and Holland was arrested.

Yesterday, at court, he admitted he had become angry when he had care of the baby and had shaken him.

The court heard that doctors also discovered that the boy had suffered previous, smaller brain bleeds

Holland was granted bail and sentencing was adjourned until February 23 to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared on him.

January 2016

Man jailed for sexually assaulting, tattooing & piercing private parts of 14 young girls at his home

A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting, tattooing and piercing the private parts of 14 young girls at his home

Parents of the victims of David Renwick broke down in tears as the sheriff delivered her verdict and he was led away to the cells.

The 57-year-old has been jailed for four years and three months.

Renwick was convicted after a two-and-a-half week trial of 20 charges, which included sexually assaulting young girls under the age of 16 after grooming them over the internet, while tattooing and piercing their bodies.

Sentencing Renwick, Sheriff Petra Collins told him: “You were found guilty of sex offences against young girls using your unlicensed self-styled position as a tattooist, the purpose of which was for your own sexual gratification.

“You exposed yourself to three of those girls, sexually abused six of them and took and kept photographs of four of them.

“These charges are so serious that I can only impose a custodial sentence.

“To ensure that teenage girls are protected from you, you will be on licence for two years upon your eventual release. You will go to prison for four years and three months.”

It took place between February 2012 and June 2014.

The jury at Airdrie Sheriff Court found Renwick unanimously guilty of nine of the crimes and by majority of the other 11, two after deletions were made.

His vile assaults began when he engaged in sexual activity with a girl, then aged 14, while tattooing her.

The court heard that between April 2012 and December 2013, he sent messages on Facebook to a 16-year-old girl asking her to allow him to tattoo her on her private parts and then exposed himself to the same girl and her 16-year-old female friend at his home.

He sexually assaulted another female while tattooing her on various occasions, while making sexual comments to her. He also exposed himself to the same girl.

The jury heard he sent Facebook messages to four other girls asking them to allow them to tattoo them on their private parts.

He sexually attacked another teen at his home while tattooing her.

His attentions then turned towards another girl when, again through Facebook, he asked to tattoo her and for her to model for him.

This happened on various occasions. He also asked the same girl to kiss him and if he could pierce her private parts.

The girl said he sent her a message on Facebook saying he was lying in bed and asked her to come and join him.

In March 2014 he sexually attacked another girl at his Coatbridge home and then assaulted a 15-year-old girl on two occasions between May and June that year while tattooing her.

He also messaged the same girl and sent her pictures of females with tattoos on their private areas and made a variety of sexual comments.

Another 15-year-old told how Renwick made sexual comments to her and told her that he had a tattoo on his private parts and offered to show her it.

He then engaged in sexual activity with the same girl while tattooing her.

Renwick was also found guilty of taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs of children at his home.

Defence counsel Frank Gallagher told the court: “He continues to deny the offences but accepts he was found guilty regardless of his own personal position.”

Renwick’s denial of the offences forced all of his young victims to recall their horrific experiences and give evidence in court, either behind screens or in private with a supporter from witness services sitting nearby them.

Sheriff Collins backdated the jail sentence to December 1, 2015, and placed Renwick on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

He was acquitted of five other charges by not proven verdicts and found not guilty of another eight.

January 2016

Man performed sex acts online in front of children as young as five

A Reigate paedophile masturbated over a webcam in front of children as young as five years and encouraged them to do the same, a court has heard.

“Profoundly damaged” Clayton Phillips encouraged youngsters to perform sex acts while he spoke to them via Skype, the court was told.

Phillips, 32, of Coniston Way, admitted a string of child sex offences during a hearing held at Guildford Crown Court on Monday (January 25).

However, he will have to wait two months for a psychologist’s report before he will learn his fate.

The court heard Phillips had only just completed a five-year sexual harm prevention order, awarded after he tried to meet a boy at a railway station after grooming him online, when he began his latest spate of offending.

Phillips exposed his penis to the youngsters and encouraged one to rub his young friend’s genitals as the defendant watched, the court was told.

One of the children he exposed himself to was just five years old, while another was aged only 10 years, the court heard.

Phillips admitted three counts of causing a child under the age of 13 years to engage in sexual activity, and two of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He also admitted two counts of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, one of attempting to engage in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and three of making an indecent photo of a child.

The court was told police officers found Phillips also possessed 16 indecent images – two of which were of category A, the most sexually explicit.

Prosecutor Graham Smith said Phillips received a three-year community order in 2009 for other child sex offences, and was made the subject of a five-year sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).

Mr Smith said of the previous offence: “There was communication over the internet and arrangements made to meet a young boy at a railway station. Police intercepted the communication.

“We are led to believe the SOPO was for five years. It expired just before the start of this offending.”

The latest set of offences Phillips was charged with took place between March 1 and December 17 last year.

David Osborne, for the defence, said: “Although no psychiatric illness is described, he is a profoundly damaged man, with a complicated history.

“I am hoping for a psychologist’s report. I think that would be of more use.”

Judge Christopher Critchlow agreed and adjourned sentencing until March 16.

Addressing Phillips, the judge said: “I shall adjourn sentence in your case for a probation officer to come and interview you, and for a psychologist to write a report.

“You will be given the full credit for an early guilty plea for these matters when you come to be sentenced.”

January 2016

‘Crucifixion’ pervert is facing jail

A twisted Paisley pervert who fantasied about raping, torturing and drowning young girls is facing prison.

Sickening Raymond Robertson carried out some of his disgusting desires on a terrified 11-year-old girl who he tied to a bunk bed as if she was being crucified.

The 41-year-old disabled creep, of Marshall Lane, was snared after he shared distressing photos of the young girl’s torment with paedophiles online.

When cops raided his home in 2014 they uncovered school uniforms, a hoard of child sex abuse images and incriminating Skype and email messages.

Items including stained school skirts and underwear were seized, along with a laptop computer containing indecent images of children and a picture of Robertson wearing cycling shorts and roller skates.

He was linked to the faceless image by a rash on his lower legs, the court heard.

Robertson, who called himself PervyPerv and SkoolUniformLover in email and Skype messages, swapped images and indecent messages with others, including “she never made it to school”.

Other captions to Robertson’s images included “suffocated her and told her next time she won’t wake up”, “screamed and cried”, “turn them into little hoors for you” and “raped hard”.

Detective sergeant Fraser Normansell said officers identified the schoolgirls as pupils at a primary school in the west of Scotland.

Robertson’s former home in Stewarton, Ayrshire, was raided and the clothing and other evidence was recovered.

“The items appeared to be worn by Mr Robertson in some of the images,” DS Normansell said.

Wheelchair-user Robertson was found guilty by a jury of:

• Taking, possessing and distributing child sex abuse images

• Messaging others while exchanging pictures of schoolgirls

• Discussing raping, suffocating, torturing, drowning children

• Obtaining sexual gratification from watching them struggle and suffer

Robertson was also convicted of causing a child to participate in sexual activity by tying and gagging her tightly against a bunk bed and on a bed, performing an indecent act and photographing the activities.

The offences took place at a house in Ayrshire between March 2011 and March 2014, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard.

Sentence was deferred for background reports and Robertson was remanded in custody.

January 2016

Paedophile with hundreds of indecent images avoids jail

A paedophile who had hundreds of indecent images and movies of children has avoided a jail sentence.

Stephen Carter, 54, of Lawrance Gardens, Cheshunt, wept as Judge Stephen Warner told him his actions had helped create a market for this type of abuse.

Carter, who owns and runs a small business, was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and told he must sign the sex offenders register for five years.

He had previously admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children, some as young as two years old, and one count of possessing extreme pornography.

Prosecuting, Kevin West said police had raided Carter’s Cheshunt home in June last year, and found a laptop containing the collection and file-sharing software.

He said upon interview, Carter had accepted he had the images, and told police he would search for “pre-teen hardcore” images on the internet.

Mitigating, Minal Raj said the defendant had been married for around 17 years before his divorce four or five years ago.

She said: “The marriage break-up was one which was unexpected, certainly to the defendant, which had a devastating impact on him emotionally and physically.”

She said that, as a small business owner, he had people relying on him and was “very concerned” about the impact his conviction would have on his employees.

Miss Raj also pointed out the defendant was a man of previous good character.

Sentencing him at St Albans Crown Court today (Wednesday, January 27), Judge Warner said: “You had searched for these images and you had them for your own gratification and that sort of activity provides a market for this sort of material to circulate.

“I have seen samples of these images and they show the abuse of young children, some of them extremely young and vulnerable.”

He told Carter that the offences certainly crossed the custodial threshold, but his remorse and previous good character meant his sentence would be suspended.

Carter’s collection totalled 360 indecent images and 248 indecent movies.

The defendant must also attend a rehabilitation course for 25 days, carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, and pay court costs of £250, plus a surcharge to be set at a future date.

January 2016

Norfolk house father jailed for 12 years for sexually abusing pupil at Sheringham school

A house father at a former Norfolk boarding school has been jailed for 12 years this afternoon after he was convicted of “abominable” sexual abuse on a former pupil.

Kenneth Wells, who is now 78, was found guilty of sexually abusing a 13 year-old pupil at the former Sheringham Court School in the mid 1970s.

Wells, who lost his job after being charged and sentenced in relation to two counts of gross indecency against another pupil, is also said to have committed a serious sexual assault against the boy, when he was about 13 or 14.

The jury at Ipswich Crown Court heard that after losing his job, Wells visited the boy at his home address in the school holidays and took him to a hotel and seriously sexually assaulted him.

The victim only came forward in June 2014 following widespread media coverage after Wells was convicted at Norwich Crown Court of three counts of indecent assault against a boy at the same Sheringham school.

Wells, of Bracken Dale, Leicester, has denied two counts of indecent assault and one of serious sexual assault. He was convicted by a jury in just under two hours.

After the guilty verdict was delivered today, the court heard he was already serving a six-year sentence for the previous he was convicted of against a different pupil.

Jailing him for 12 years, Judge Rupert Overbury said that he had abused a vulnerable boy.

January 2016

Warwickshire 1980s child rapist jailed after appeal

Jonathan Rouse was convicted of five historical sexual offences at Warwick Crown Court in November.

His original two-year prison sentence suspended for two years was “unduly lenient”, said Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP.

Rouse, of Leamington Spa, was sentenced to three years’ immediate custody.

He had been found guilty of raping a girl between October 1980 and January 1984.

Rouse, of Heathcote Road, Whitnash, was also convicted of four indecent assaults on another girl in 1980 and 1981.

January 2016

Man admits sex offences against children

A 59-YEAR-OLD Margate man has pleaded guilty to a series of sex offences against children.

Michael Wiles, formerly of Wellesley Road, admitted two charges of rape, seven of indecent assault and two of sexual activity with a minor when he appeared at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday.

A charge of perverting the course of justice was left on file.

The sex offences were committed between 1990 and 2001.

Wiles will return to the court to be sentenced on February 29.

January 2016

Babysitter kept boy, 7, tied naked to a chair in his cellar

A sadistic babysitter kept a boy of seven in his care tied naked to a chair in his cellar.

Paedophile Harvey Sayles locked the youngster “screaming, shouting and crying” in the darkened dungeon for up two days at a time over four years with just bread and water to eat.

He bound him to a chair with rope, chained his arms together then performed a sex act in the corner.

Sayles claimed it was punishment for the boy misbehaving.

He then sexually assaulted the youngster’s eight-year-old sister upstairs.

When the siblings were in their teens in the 1990s they went to South Yorkshire Police to complain about their ordeals but were told: ‘It’s too late to do anything.”

The boy, now 38, made another complaint two years ago after his sister made several failed suicide bids for which she blamed their ex-babysitter’s vile antics.

Yesterday Sayles, now 51, was jailed for 14 years at Sheffield Crown Court after he was convicted of three specimen charges of falsely imprisoning the boy, three indecent assaults on him and six on his sister following a trial.

It emerged he was jailed for a year in 2004 after he being found guilty of downloading indecent images of children from porn sites which included young girls being tied up for sex.

Judge Michael Murphy branded his behaviour ‘controlling, callous and devious in the extreme’.

Ordering him to register as a sex offender for life and banning him indefinitely from working with children the judge added: “To bind a young child like this and leave him screaming in a cellar is sheer sadism.

“The parents of these children thought they had regular babysitters and you had vulnerable victims delivered almost to your door.”

The siblings were regularly left with Sayles – then in his 20s – and his wife at their Barnsley home for weekends while the children’s parents ran a market stall.

He struck while his wife was out or asleep.

The male victim told the jury: “I used to get stripped off with no clothes and was taken downstairs to his cellar.

“I was tied sometimes with a rope or chain to his chair. I was there numerous hours if not overnight with only bread and water.

“It was only a very small, damp, wet cellar.

“I was screaming, shouting and crying.”

Sayles denied he had any sexual interest in children, insisted he had downloaded indecent images by accident and claimed the pair were lying and ‘jumping on the Jimmy Savile bandwagon’.

March 2004

Internet pervert jailed for a year

THIS internet pervert gets kicks out of watching children as young as three years old old being abused.

For at least a year Harvey Sayles visited child abuse images websites and downloaded more than 200 pictures and videos of youngsters being abused on to his computer.

Now the 40-year-old’s reign of depravity has been ended after he was convicted by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court and jailed for 12 months.

After the hearing Graham Bennett, Sayle’s brother-in-law, said the case had split the family.

Graham, aged 40, said: “Who in their right mind would do something like this?

“It’s absolutely disgusting.”

Sayles, of Coronation Road, Hoyland, Barnsley, denied 16 charges of making indecent images of children, claiming they had accidentally popped up on to his computer while surfing the internet.

He said he was so app-alled by the images that he immediately deleted them – but after a four day trial a jury threw out his claims and convicted him on all counts.

After the hearing investigating officer Det Sgt Phil Riley told The Star that Sayles was the latest victim of Operation Pilsey, a British-based crackdown on internet porn.

He said officers found hundreds of images on Sayle’s home computer of children aged between three and 14 years old being abused.

Some pictures were of youngsters posing nude, while others showed children in sex acts with adults.

DS Riley said: “This continuing operation sends out a clear message to those who are intent on exploiting very young and harmless children.

“The message from South Yorkshire police is that you will be caught and put before the courts and the message from the courts is quite clearly that you will receive custodial sentences.”

The investigation revealed Sayles had accessed the sites after searching an internet file sharing network.

January 2016

Facebook pervert tricked teenage girls into sending him sordid selfies

A cyber pervert who set up a fake Facebook profile to entice teenage girls to send him sordid selfies was snared by police after his sick crime was uncovered by his girlfriend.

Michael Finnerty created an online account using the name James Smith to send naked snaps to young girls he befriended on the site – and encourage them to send graphic images in return.

The 28-year-old’s secret was only brought to light when his partner found his social media alter ego – along with an image of a 14-year-old dressed only in her underwear and requests to other girls to send pictures – while browsing his phone.

She alerted police and Finnerty was arrested on August 17.

He admitted possession of an indecent image of a child at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court – but was spared jail so that he can be given ‘help’ to address his offending.

Finnerty, of Bedford Avenue, South Shields, received a three-year community order and was handed a five-year sexual offences prevention order, which bars him from living with a child aged under 18 unless approval is given by social services.

The order also stops him from having unsupervised contact with any female aged under 18, other than with the consent of a parent or guardian, who must be made aware of his conviction, and subject to the approval of social services.

Ian Haq, defending, said Finnerty had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

District Judge Helen Cousins said; “A 14-year-old girl was abused by the taking of that image in the first place. Because people look at these pictures, they become complicit in this abuse.

“These types of offences are taken so seriously that most cases lead to a custodial sentence. However, I won’t imprison you. The way to deal with you is through the help and assistance of the probation service.”

January 2016

Man sentenced for possessing and making indecent images of children

January 2016

Pensioner jailed for sexually abusing 8-yr-old girl