January 2016

Babysitter shook friend’s baby then blamed MUM for his life-threatening injuries

A woman who shook her friend’s baby and then tried to blame his own mother for his life-threatening brain injuries has been jailed for 18 months.

Carmen Roberts was looking after the nine-month-old boy when she shook him out of frustration in what was described as a “momentary loss of temper” on April 17, 2013.

The young boy suffered a life-threatening blood clot on the brain and was rushed into emergency surgery.

But the callous 36-year-old denied any wrongdoing and even accused the baby’s own mum of causing the bleeding on his brain.

Roberts, of Braunstone, Leics, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm after a trial last month and jailed for 18 months at Leicester Crown Court yesterday.

Sentencing, Judge Robert Brown said: “This was a momentary loss of temper borne out of frustration or whatever, one knows not.

“She was a highly trusted good friend of the little boy’s mother.

“You shook this little boy and as a result of the injury he was taken to hospital and transferred to Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre.

“He required surgery to evacuate a blood clot, having suffered a large subdural haematoma.

“Fortunately, I’m told he’s made an almost full recovery.

“You’ve lacked the courage from the outset to accept responsibility.

“The baby’s mother has behaved with dignity throughout these proceedings.

The court heard that since the trial there have been “reprisals by members of the public” who had twice broken her windows and she has been taking steps to move house.

But Judge Brown said he hoped there would be “no further recriminations.”

Prosecutor Philip Gibbs said: “The little boy underwent an operation to save his life and also had a massive blood transfusion.

“He was discharged from the care of doctors 18 months ago.”

Speaking after the sentencing, the baby’s mother branded her former pal a “stupid cow”.

The woman, who can’t be named, said: “I hope she rots.

“She is a stupid cow and she should have got life.

“I was wrongly arrested and my children were taken away while the police investigated the matter.

“If she’d had the decency to own up in the first place that wouldn’t have happened.

“She tried blaming me – to say I’d hurt my own kid was awful.

“I’d have previously trusted her with my life, but in trusting her with my little boy it nearly cost him his life.

“He’s made a good recovery, but who knows what side-effects might show up in the future.

“She’s never explained why she shook him.

“Why didn’t she just ring me?

“I can’t forgive her and I will never forget.”

July 2010

Paedophile groomed 12-year-old over the internet

A PREDATORY paedophile who posed as a 14-year-old boy to sexually groom a 12-year-old girl over the internet has been jailed for four years.

Andrew Gibbs got the child to carry out sex acts on herself while he was in contact with her over an internet chatroom.

And the 43-year-old pervert, who had ‘eye-wateringly obscene’ conversations with the child, also arranged to meet her so he could have sex with her in his car.

But he was found out when a friend of the youngster told the girl’s mother what had been going on and the police were called in.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Gibbs first contacted the girl through a chat site in late 2008.

He said Gibbs, who called himself Joe Bloggs, initially claimed to be a 14-year-old boy while the girl said at first she was the same age.

However, while she went on to tell the truth about her age he later claimed to be 32 years old, when in fact he was a decade older.

Mr Meeke said: “She, in common with so many children these days, is on the internet at all hours of the day and night. In particular on various chatrooms.

“Her mother became aware, first through friends, that her daughter was making inappropriate contact on the internet.”

When her machine was examined by the police they found a log of the conversations which was riddled with sexual talk.

Mr Meeke added: “There are eye-wateringly obscene communications between the two of them.

“It is fair to say sadly that some of the child’s responses are equally as obscene as the defendant’s, though where she got that knowledge from one can only imagine.”

He said on a number of occasions the girl had been encouraged to perform sex acts on herself and he had sent her an indecent picture of himself.

Gibbs had also sent her directions for them to meet on three occasions so they could have sex, but he said they had never actually seen each other.

Gibbs, of Deacon Street, pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to witness sexual activity and sexual grooming.

Mike Pulsford, defending, said: “It really beggars belief as to how he had descended into quite such a pattern of degrading behaviour as he did.

“My client does accept that what he did from the outset was absolutely appalling.”

He said his client had suffered the bereavement of a close male friend and the break down of a relationship shortly before the offending.

Although he had engineered the meetings, he said his client was the one who had not gone through with it, making excuses for his failing to turn up.

Jailing him, Judge Douglas Field said “During the months of October and November 2008 you made contact over the internet with this young girl of 12.

“I accept that this girl was giving you encouragement in these appalling messages that you were sending each other: deeply obscene.

“But you were then about 41 and she was only 12, and the court takes this extremely seriously. In my judgement you are a predatory paedophile.

“You were grooming this girl in the hope that you could perform sexual acts on her for your own sexual gratification.”

Judge Field also banned Gibbs from working with children, imposed a sexual offences prevention order restricting his liberty and told him to register as a sex offender for life.

January 2016

Twisted paedophile used specially-adapted youth club van to prey on schoolgirl aged 13

A serial sex predator used a specially-adapted youth club van to prey on a vulnerable 13-year-old girl.

Richard Blackburn, a volunteer at the Congregational Church Youth Club in Raphoe, Co Donegal, attacked his victim for up to two years and even put a bed in the vehicle.

The brave woman waived her anonymity so that sick evangelical Christian Blackburn could be named in court.

Twisted Blackburn groomed his victim at the Congregational Church Youth Club in Raphoe between 2000 and 2002. She was 13 when the abuse began and was just short of her 15th birthday when the abuse ended.

She plucked up the courage to go to gardai in 2011 to reveal the shocking tale of abuse

Letterkenny Circuit Court heard how Blackburn bought his victim presents including a mobile phone so he could keep in touch with her.

Blackburn, 57, of Carnone, Raphoe, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault but she said in her victim impact statement read to the court that he had abused her ‘daily’ between 2000 and 2002.

Detective Garda Ciaran Brolly said the woman was unable to return from abroad to attend the court but wanted the court to know that she had waived her right to anonymity so Blackburn could be identified.

He read her statement to Judge John O’Hagan in which she described how the incidents had destroyed her life, making her constantly nervous and unable to sleep at night.

Blackburn would abuse her on trips back from Raphoe Youth Club to her granny’s house in Convoy.

On one occasion he had driven the van, with a sofa-bed in the back and curtains to stop anyone seeing in, to a secluded spot known as The Spire in Convoy.

He had then sexually assaulted the girl.

“I didn’t have my life,” she said.

“I had my innocence taken away, my teenager years didn’t exist at all. People can look back at their teenage years with happy memories but I cannot do that because it was dark, scary and life-altering.”

She said she rarely slept at night and suffered anxiety.

She felt unable to return to Ireland over the past couple of years to spend time with her elderly grandmother for fear of running into Blackburn who had spent years blaming her for the assaults.

Her granny, she said, had since died and she had missed special moments in the last years of her life.

She said she had been to counselling but had found the latest treatment too traumatic to complete.

The court heard Blackburn had helped to run the Congregational Church Youth Club for 12 to 18-year-olds.

During one attack on the then-teenager a garda patrol had stopped to check on the van which was parked on the Barnesmore Gap in Co Donegal.

Blackburn had jumped back into the front of the vehicle and told gardai he had stopped for a sleep.

Gardai had left the scene not realising the girl, then 14, was in the back.

Judge John O’Hagan said that while reports said Blackburn was at a low risk of re-offending, the breach of trust in the case was extremely serious.

He said the pervert had known her age very well because he had known her from when she was a baby.

The attacks had left “deep scars” on the victim, said the judge, and it was clear the incidents were still having an affect on her life.

He jailed Blackburn for two years, suspending the last year for a period of 12 months, on each of the three counts and placed Blackburn on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

January 2012

Paedophile jailed for possession of indecent images of children

A paedophile has been jailed after police found child abuse images at his home.

Brian Hambrook, 31, of Diana Gardens, Deal, was found guilty of:

• Eight counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of child 

• Six counts of possession of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child

The court was told that one of the films showed a child of around nine years old being sexually abused by an adult male and a dog.

He initially denied all the charges but later admitted his guilt

The prosecution say the material was found on various computers, video discs, memory sticks and hard drives at Hambrook’s home by officers after a conversation with the defendant

Hambrook was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

He will be on the Sex Offenders Register until further Order.

He was also made subject to Sexual Offences Prevention Order for a period of 10 years and a Disqualification from Working With Children Order.

January 2016

Paedophile ring members jailed for 26 and a half years – One commits suicide

Andrew Charles Lynes pictured above

A PAEDOPHILE committed suicide by jumping off a bridge on the day he was to be sentenced for sexually abusing a West Yorkshire teenager, a court heard.

Michael Fiek’s body was found in London early this morning, hours before he was due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court.

The accountant had pleaded guilty to 14 sexual offences which including him sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in Thornes Park, Wakefield.

Fiek, 40, was also facing charges relating to filming the abuse as well as possessing vile images of child abuse.

Two other men Andrew Lynes, 51, from Huddersfield, and James Bould, 34, from Dewsbury, were handed jailed terms totalling 26 and a half years after pleading guilty to serious sexual abuse involving two teenage boys as well possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

James Bould pictured above

The court heard how Lynes and Bould described themselves as “committed paedophiles” as they shared fantasies and made plans to sexually abuse a 13-year-old boy together.

Anthony Dunne, prosecuting, told the court how Bould of “blackmailed” the 13-year-old boy to go his home on Swindon Road, Dewsbury after the youngster had sent him a naked picture of himself.

Bould and the boy had been in contact with each other via an internet messaging service. Bould persuaded the boy to send him the image and then threatened to send it to his friends unless he agreed to meet him.

The teenager was then given directions to Bould’s home in September 2014 and ordered to go upstairs and get into bed where he was sexually abused.

The victim met Bould at the property on another occasion and he was subjected to an even more serious sex assault.

Bould was then in contact with Lynes on the internet and sent him the naked picture of the teenager.

They then made plans to sexually abuse the boy together as well as exchanging other abusive images and swapped graphic descriptions of child abuse.

The court heard Fiek and Lynes had sexual activity with a 15-year-old victim in Thornes Park and filmed the abuse after paying him £80.

Fiek travelled from London to Huddersfield to meet driving instructor Lynes and they travelled together to Wakefield to meet the boy in May 2014.

Fiek then met the youngster alone in the park on a second occasion. Fiek and Lynes also swapped horrific fantasies about the physical and sexual abuse of a baby.

The offences came to light when the vulnerable 15-year-old told a support worker about had happened.

At an earlier hearing, Fiek, of Hoffman Square, Shorditch, pleaded guilty to 14 offences including sexual activity with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, paying for sexual services with a child and distributing indecent pictures of a child.

Fiek’s body was found at the foot a bride in Hackney at 6.36am today. He had been due to appear in court for sentencing at 10.30am.

Det Con Adrian Howey, of West Yorkshire Police, said a Metropolitan Police public protection officer had identified Fiek. His identity had also been confirmed after his fingerprints were taken at the scene.

Bould pleaded guilty to eight offences including sexual activity with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and distributing and making indecent images of a child.

Bould was out of prison on licence at the time of the offence. In 2008 he was jailed for serious sex offences against a child under 16.

Bould was given an extended prison sentence totalling 14 years. He must serve a custodial term of eight years, eight months, followed by an extended licence period of five years, four months.

Judge Tom Bayliss, QC, said: “You are, James Bould, an habitual paedophile. A man who preys upon young boys.”

Lynes, of Deighton Road, Huddersfield, was given a 12 and a half year extended term. He must serve a custodial period of seven and a half years followed by an extended licence period of five years.

The judge told Lynes: “You are a manipulative paedophile and there is a risk of you offending in the future.”

Fiek was found underneath Archway bridge in north London

January 2016

Man imprisoned for sexual assaults on St Leonards boy

A man has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after being found guilty of sexual offences against a young boy from St Leonards, and of a driving offence.

Eric Cox, 57, retired, of Chesterfield Gardens, London, SE10, was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday (26 January) having been found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict earlier the same day after a trial.

The offences against the boy took place in St Leonards and at Cox’s address in London on the boy from 2011 to 2015 when the boy was aged from nine to thirteen.

He will also be a registered sex offender for life.

He was convicted of two counts of rape, two of sexual assault, one of inciting sexual activity, all between 2011 and 2015 on the boy who was then aged between 9 and 13.

Cox was also convicted of dangerous driving. This related to an incident in which he tried to drive away from police officers when they approached his car to arrest him in South Heighton near Newhaven in August 2015.

May 2002

Sex pest scout leader jailed for seven years

THE UK Scout Association has promised to review its vetting procedures after a Downham Market Scout leader, who sexually abused nine boys, was jailed for seven years.

Mike Hall (46) carried out some of the offences on camp trips, touching the boys when they were inside their sleeping bags, Norwich Crown Court heard on Friday.

Others took place at the former RAF serviceman’s home after he plied the boys with drink and cigarettes.

Mr Hall, formerly of Watlington, admitted 15 offences of indecent assault on nine boys, aged from 12 to 16, between 1989 and 1999.

Judge Paul Downes described Mr Hall as a “menace to young boys” and put him on the sex offenders’ register for life. He also banned him from working with young people and put him on extended licence for three years after his release from prison.

Judge Downes said: “You yourself were abused, and that is a two-edged thing. It does mean you must have been aware exactly what you were subjecting these boys to because you suffered the same thing.

“What makes it more serious is that you were in a position of trust and you abused that position.”

Lindsay Cox, prosecuting, said most of the offences occurred at camps, some at Thetford Forest. Some of the offences involved touching on top of the boys’ clothing.

Mr Hall was arrested on November 12 last year after some of the victims complained. A short while later he handed police a 25-page document in which he confessed to other assaults.

Mr Cox said the defendant had himself been sexually abused by a scout master. He claimed he was not sexually attracted to the boys but had touched them “in a protective way”, said Mr Cox.

Peter Britton, in mitigation, said Mr Hall had spent two days lying on a bridge overlooking a river before making his confession.

“He was clearly and obviously totally remorseful. He was a very respected member of the Downham and Watlington community and carried out work with other young people.”

He added that Mr Hall was “a ruined man”. His wife had left him and he was now living in a flat in Morecambe, Lancashire.

Mr Hall, said Mr Britton, had apologised to the young men, “a significant majority of whom made it clear they hold a great deal of respect for him”.

After the case, a UK Scout Association spokesman said there were clear procedures designed to minimise the chances of such problems occurring.

Checks were made on the background and previous history of any adult offering to become a leader. Local references were taken up and national records checked.

But he pointed out : “No system has yet been devised by the Scout Association, or any other agency working with young people, which is 100 per cent foolproof, or which can be used to detect first-time offenders.

“Parents are entitled to expect that their children are kept safe from harm while they are members of the Scout movement.

“Sadly, as in this case, when an adult betrays the trust that has been put in them it is a matter of great concern to us all.

“We can only offer our apologies and assure parents that the Scout Association will review its procedures in the light of this case to see if there are any learning points for the future.”

Norfolk Scouts’ deputy county commissioner James Kearns, who was at Friday’s hearing, said: “Certainly in this particular case it is an occasion where someone has abused the trust of young people and their parents and that is something which causes us all sadness.

“As far as the investigation is concerned, we have co-operated fully.

“When we were first made aware of the allegations our normal procedure was implemented immediately which was to suspend Mr Hall and fully co-operate with the statutory agencies.”

He said Mr Hall was a long-serving member of the Scout Association, mainly with the Downham Scout group of which he was a leader. He was suspended last November.

“The reassurance I would give to parents is that the Scout Association has been among the leading youth organisations in this country in implementing policies that protect young people,” Mr Kearns said.

“If a young person is left in the care of the Scouts they can be confident that steps have been taken to ensure the people managing them are fit to work with young people.

“When Mr Hall joined and was given his warrant to lead a troop, he would have undergone those checks.

“What we cannot account for is the behaviour of individuals once they have joined the movement, although we do carry out periodic reviews where concerns have been raised.”

Mr Hall was also a former project co-ordinator with the Rural Youth Bus, a colourful double-decker bus used to help establish new youth clubs in West Norfolk villages.

Young people, aged 13 to 25, in Denver, Hilgay, Southery, Middleton, Stoke Ferry and Feltwell were among those being supported by the multi-agency-backed vehicle and its teams of adult workers at the time of his involvement. Project chairman the Rev John Isaacs said Mr Hall’s spell in charge came to an end before any of these offences came to light.

He pointed out: “We always work with teams of three adults, so there’s no question of anything like that being able to happen within those circumstances.

January 2016

Predator jailed for attack recorded on phone by teenage victim

A sexual predator whose attack on a teenage girl was recorded on her mobile phone has been jailed for three years.

Dawei Zhang’s assault on the 16-year-old in Colwyn Bay was “the stuff of nightmares” and left his victim “shocked, frightened and upset”, Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

The 32-year-old, a Chinese national who was living on a student visa in Llys Madoc, Towyn, Abergele, was sentenced today after a jury unanimously found him guilty of sexual assault earlier this month.

The trial heard the 16-year-old was walking through Colwyn Bay in broad daylight when she was followed by Zhang, who sexually assaulted her.

When she asked him what he thought he was doing, he said he was looking for a model and wanted her to go back to his house.

He asked for her name and phone number, but the girl activated the voice recorder on her mobile phone and shouted at him to leave her alone.

Zhang assaulted her again, but she managed to escape and her attacker was later arrested.

The victim picked Zhang out at an ID parade, but he claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.

CCTV footage played to the court showed Zhang following the victim through the town ahead of the attack last summer.

Prosecutor Andrew Green described the case as “something every parent dreads – a teenage girl followed by a stranger and then sexually assaulted”.

Mr Green said: “It revealed planning and a degree of predatory behaviour, and specifically targeting a vulnerable victim.”

Simon Rogers, defending, said the jury had convicted Zhang of committing “an unpleasant offence”.

The 16-year-old, who gave evidence during the trial, also read a victim impact statement to the court today.

She said that, since the attack, she gets “very emotional” and often cries when telling others what happened.

The victim said she had tried to concentrate on school, college and remaining postive.

“I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what happened to me,” she said.

“I am petrified he will get hold of me again.”

The victim said she does not feel safe at home alone and suffers from panic attacks and nightmares.

Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins told Zhang: “You would not take ‘no’ for an answer. Your behaviour was nothing short of predatory.

“When she tried to escape, you grabbed at her bag and clothes and pulled her back towards you.

“Fortunately, she managed to break away from you and escape. How much further you would have gone, you only know.”

Sentencing Zhang to three years in prison and to register as a sex offender for life, the judge said: “Your actions on this day were the stuff of nightmares for all parents and children alike – to be stalked by a stranger and then molested.”

After sentencing, the judge told the victim he was “very impressed” with her quick-witted action in recording her attacker on her mobile phone and with the way she gave her evidence.

“You are a brave young woman and a credit to your family,” he said.

January 2016

Northumberland pervert ‘flushed out’ by fake teenage girl

This is the dramatic moment a middle-aged pervert was confronted by paedophile hunters when he thought he was meeting a 15-year-old girl for sex. 

David Curran had been chatting online to who he thought was a 15-year-old girl but in reality had fallen into a ‘trap’ set by Dark Justice.  

The 56-year-old walked away from the Newcastle city-centre meeting but was quickly tracked down by cops, who had been called by the group.

During the conversations, he asked questions about the girls underwear and even sent her a picture of his near naked body with her name scrawled on his chest. 

When his home was raided, officers found 1,673 indecent images of children among his porn collection of around 50,000 legal pornographic pictures and movies. 

At Newcastle Crown Court, Curran, of Warkworth, Northumberland, admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming as well as making and possessing indecent photographs of children.

Prosecutor Jonathan Devlin told the court Curran had called the girl ‘sexy’, soon after they started chatting in July 2014, even after he was told she was 15. 

Mr Devlin said: ‘He asked if he could kiss her, asked a number of questions about her underwear, sent images of himself semi-naked and naked but holding his genitals.

 ‘On one of the images he had written the name ‘Becca’ on his body.’ 

The court heard within weeks Curran had suggested seeing the girl and they arranged to meet at the Millenium Bridge on Newcastle’s quayside. 

Mr Devlin said: ‘He was videoed, wearing the pink shorts described in the chat. 

‘He was approached and asked was it appropriate to meet a 15-year-old girl.’ 

The court heard Curran said he was ‘sorry’ and that his actions were ‘role play’ before leaving the meeting point and being traced by the police. 

Judge John Milford QC said Curran had ‘become isolated from the world’ and that said his actions had been ‘disturbing’. 

The judge told Curran: ‘You walked straight into a trap which had been set by others on the internet. 

‘You have developed, in mid-life, an extremely unhealthy interest in teenage girls, which you were prepared to put into effect. 

‘It is fortunate you have been foolish and you were apprehended in this way before any harm could be done to someone such as Rebecca. 

‘Immense harm has been done to the subject of the images you had on the computer.’ 

Curran was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with supervision, programme requirements, a five year sexual harm prevention order and ten years on the sex offenders register. 

The judge said far more work could be done to protect public safety if Curran could be treated in the community Anne Richardson, defending, said: ‘If he is sent to prison no work will be done with him. 

‘He will come out remaining isolated.’ 

Miss Richardson said Curran has lived a law abiding life and turned to the internet when things started to ‘go wrong’ in his personal life.

May 2009

Violent thug guilty of attacking women and children

An out-of-control man repeatedly struck a five-year-old boy causing facial bruising and a blood-shot eye, a court heard.

Kenneth Peter Green also attacked his own mother with punches, while she was recovering from cancer surgery.

During a New Year’s Eve party, the 28-year-old also head-butted a 26-year-old woman in front of her six-year-old daughter.

Green, formerly of Stephenson Drive, New Parks, Leicester, was jailed for two years and four months after admitting three separate incidents of causing actual bodily harm.

Avik Mukherjee, prosecuting, told Leicester Crown Court that Green was staying overnight at a house in Neston Gardens, Saffron Lane, with a female friend, her five-year-old son and another couple last August.

The child began to cry after his mother went out – and Green went to tend to him, but ended up assaulting him.

The mother returned to see the boy’s blood-shot eye and bruised face.

The child claimed the defendant had punched and slapped him hard about 10 times.

Mr Mukherjee said an examination revealed the boy had pinch marks, a black eye, and bruising under his eyes, more consistent with slapping.

On New Year’s Eve 2007, he attacked a different female friend at a house party in Stephenson Drive, in front of her young daughter, who was screaming.

The woman had earlier spurned Green’s advances and he head-butted her.

She became dazed, confused and concussed and as she left the defendant was outside laughing at her.

She suffered a bruised mouth and underwent dental treatment to re-implant a tooth.

Green was on bail for both assaults, when he turned up drunk at his mother’s home, in Stephenson Drive, banging on the door and waking her up on November 15.

She had earlier thrown him out because of his aggressive behaviour.

He came into the house and when she asked him to leave, and began calling the police, he punched her in the face, causing bruising.

“She had recently had surgery,” said Mr Mukherjee.

He said: “She was terrified. She described curling up in a ball and being repeatedly punched. She was heartbroken and sickened.”

The court heard she had since forgiven him, had visited him in custody and tried to withdraw her complaint.

Green admitted damaging a window at his sister’s home

January 2016

Entertainer guilty of multiple child sex offences

Harborough singer and entertainer Robin Maughan today (Thursday) pleaded guilty to a series of offences against children.

Maughan (34), appearing at Leicester Crown Court by videolink from Leicester Prison, admitted offences including taking secret indecent videos of two boys, when they were 10 and 12.

He also admitted under-aged sex with a girl, under-aged sex with a boy and receiving and distributing indecent photographs of children.

Maughan, of Western Avenue, Market Harborough, is a popular figure in the town, and sang at the Market Harborough Christmas lights switch-on in 2014.

He also toured with his own Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tribute band, was a regular cruise ship entertainer, and performed with local amateur dramatics and theatre groups.

Maughan’s victims wept as they heard Maughan’s guilty pleas. It means they will not now have to appear in court to give evidence in a trial.

Maughan pleaded guilty to one charge of taking 17 secret indecent videos of children – two boys aged 10 and 12.

He admitted one count of sexual grooming against a boy, who was aged 14 and 15 when the offences occurred, and eight offences of sexual activity with the boy.

He also admitted a charge of sexual grooming of a girl aged 15, and three charges of sexual activity with the girl.

Maughan admitted six counts of possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and one charge of inciting children to send indecent pictures of themselves to him over the internet.

He pleaded not guilty to two further charges of sexual activity with the boy.

The case was then adjourned for sentencing to March 10 by Judge Robert Brown.

The grandmother of the two young boys who Maughan took covert videos of asked Judge Brown if Maughan could appear in person at Leicester Crown Court for the sentencing.

“We want to look him in the eyes” she said.

January 2016

Man jailed for sexual offences against schoolgirl

A MAN was jailed yesterday (Wednesday, January 27) for a string of child sex offences against a girl in Bedfordshire.

Elliott Brennan, 25, of Swan Close, Nuneaton, was charged with a total of nine offences against a 15 year-old girl.

Brennan was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment at Luton Crown Court after pleading guilty to:

Eight of the charges including:

• four counts of sexual activity with a child

• Two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

• Possession of indecent images of a child

• Inciting a child to engage in pornography.

A further charge of perverting the course of Justice was ordered to lie on his file.

Detective constable Greg Tomkins, from Bedfordshire Police’s Child Sexual Exploitation Unit, said: “Brennan committed a string of sickening offences over several months, gaining the trust of a teenager and exploiting her. We are pleased that Brennan has at least admitted his predatory behaviour to save her the further ordeal of having to give evidence at court.

“We welcome this sentencing and will continue to work to keep Bedfordshire safe and protect the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Brennan was placed onto the sex offenders register, has been issued with a restraining order to protect the victim from any further contact and will have his computer equipment and phone destroyed.

January 2016

Former St John’s Ambulance service volunteer convicted of sexual assault on a second victim

A PAEDOPHILE has been convicted of sexually assaulting a second boy.

Tobias Moncaster, a former St John’s Ambulance volunteer and Essex University PhD student, denied the charge but it took a jury only an hour to find him guilty by a unanimous verdict.

Moncaster, 40, formerly of Dukes Farm, Layer Marney but now living in Cambridge, already had a history of similar offending.

In 2009 Moncaster admitted several counts of sexual touching against a boy under the age of 13 and a charge of possessing indecent photographs of children.

The offences had taken place mainly in 2008.

A second victim, who had also been assaulted by the paedophile in 2008, came forward in 2013.

Moncaster was finally convicted of the sexual touching on Wednesday at Chelmsford Crown Court, and warned to expect to be sent to jail.

Judge Emma Peters said: “This clearly passes the custody threshold.”

The court heard Moncaster put the child on his knee before sexually abusing him with his hand.

Moncaster denied the incident had taken place.

Following his previous conviction in 2009 Moncaster was given a community order and completed the Thames Valley Sex Offender programme.

He has also been helped by the Lucy Faithful Foundation.

He is not believed to have offended since.

However Judge Peters criticised the defendant for not admitting offences against a second victim seven years ago and for making the victim go through the ordeal of a trial this week.

Moncaster was bailed while a pre-sentence report is carried out.

Moncaster has been banned from any contact with boys aged under-16 or from using the internet or similar devices.

He will be sentenced next month.

November 2009

St John ambulance volunteer sexually assaulted boy, 12

A ST John Ambulance volunteer indecently assaulted a boy he met through the organisation.

Toby Moncaster got to know the 12-year-old while running a training course for junior St John members outside the county, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Moncaster, 33, a past president of Essex University’s St John Ambulance group, assaulted the boy on several occasions, the court was told.

Moncaster, of Dukes Farm, Layer Marney, admitted five charges of indecent assault and one of possessing indecent photographs of children.

He was given a three-year community order under the supervision of the probation service. He will also be sent on a sex offenders’ treatment course, was put on the sex offenders’ register and banned from working with children for five years.

After the case, St John Ambulance spokesman Richard Bloomfield said Moncaster had resigned from the organisation, but would have been dismissed if he had not done so.

January 2016

Foster carer jailed for sex offences against young girls in his care

An East Sussex man has been jailed for eight and a half years for a series of sexual offences against three foster children who had been in his care.

Raymond Edgar Day, 75, retired, of Churchill Avenue, Hastings, was sentenced when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, January 28.

Day had been been found guilty by a jury the previous day of ten offences, which included six counts of sexual assault and four counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

He will also be a registered sex offender for life.

The offences were committed against three girls then aged between seven and 15 at his home between 2007 and 2014.

Two of his victims were foster children with him, and the third was a foster child who was in his temporary care.

Day was found not guilty of 11 other offences; two counts of rape of a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and four counts of sexual assault on a child.

In sentencing Day, Judge Anthony Scott-Gall described his offences as ‘the grossest breach of trust.”

Detective Constable Nicola Westgate of the East Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said; “This offending came to our notice after one of the girls gave a letter to another foster carer. The other victims may never have come forward without the courage of that one girl and all the victims and prosecution witnesses in this case showed great courage and resilience in the face of cross-examination in court.”

Day was not a local authority-registered foster carer but was an approved foster carer for an independent, Ofsted-approved agency commissioned to provide care for children.

January 2016

Wrexham man jailed after admitting sex assault on young girl

A man has been jailed for nine years after he sexually assaulted a vulnerable primary school pupil.

Sean Latham, 22, of Newton Lodge in Wrexham, had denied the offences initially but returned to court in November and admitted two charges of assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by penetration, and three charges of sexual assault.

Mold Crown Court heard yesterday how the victim was vulnerable but fortunately reported the matter to her mother on the day the offences occurred.

Latham was warned by the judge that the starting point the offences against such a young girl was 11 years after trial – with a range of between seven and 15 years.

If he had been convicted after trial then the sentence would have been one of 12 years but it would be reduced because of his guilty pleas, said Mr Recorder Simon Mills.

In addition to the nine year sentence, the judge extended his licence by a year which meant that he would remain on licence for a total of ten years.

Mr Mills warned him that he could apply for parole after serving half his sentence.

But if the parole board did not consider it was safe to release him he may not be released until he served the full term.

Latham was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender indefinitely and he was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely to curb his future activities.

The judge said that he took the view that there had been an element of grooming.

“This was serious sexual misconduct against a vulnerable child,” he said.

It was very serious offending and involved sexual penetration on two occasions, an incident of oral sex and he slapped her on her naked bum.

His behaviour had a significant impact – a massive effect – on her life.

Initially, he denied doing anything, pleaded not guilty and put forward a defence statement which effectively accused the victim of lying.

But in the face of overwhelming evidence he returned to court in November and admitted what he had done.

The judge described the defendant’s plea as being entered “grudgingly” on legal advice.

In his pre-sentence report he denied committing the offence and said he did not recall what happened.

He had read a medical report. He said that the defendant may be depressed but he was not clinically depressed.

Latham told how he drank alcohol to excess but the judge said alcohol was not a factor in the offence.

Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, said the girl was in discomfort and her mother asked her about it. Latham was arrested the same night.

John Hedgecoe, defending, said they had been courageous pleas by Latham who had been advised of the level of sentence he was likely to receive.

It was clear his family was concerned about his mental health and a helpful medical report medical report had been prepared.

January 2016

Pervert lorry drive avoids prison over child abuse images

A BURTON lorry driver who downloaded more than 120 indecent photographs of children on his laptop has been given a three-year community order.

Przemyslaw Kowal, 35, admitted three charges of possessing the images – some of which were of the most serious nature involving sexual activity.

He had made files to store the series of photographs on his computer at his home in Eldon Street, Winshill.

Kowal was told at Stafford Crown Court the community order would include a 30-day rehabilitation programme.

Judge Jonathan Gosling told Kowal, a married man with two children, he should be ashamed of the disgrace he had brought on himself and his family.

In passing sentence, he said he had taken into account that the offending was over a short period and the relatively low number of images compared with the normal high level associated with this type of case.

Kowal, a Polish national, was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, involving him not using a device on which search history can be deleted.

He will also be placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Both orders are to run for five years.

Timothy Sapwell, prosecuting, said that officers from Staffordshire Police’s Operation Safenet, an initiative run by Staffordshire Police which aims to catch sexual predators viewing explicit images of children online, searched Kowal’s home in September last year. The images were all discovered on an Acer laptop and were in a folder entitled ‘cars’ in Polish and had a sub-file headed ‘porn folder’.

Mr Sapwell said there were 26 images at Level A – the most serious – and 28 at Level B and more than 70 at Level C. When interviewed, the defendant told police he had only searched for the more ‘hardcore’ images when he had been drunk.

Steve Hennessy, defending, said his client came to the UK in 2005 and he was a man of good character.

He said the material was downloaded over a single weekend in August or September last year, despite the 2001 date mentioned in the charges, and that Kowal bought the laptop new in 2011 and had the receipt.

“There is no excuse for his behaviour and he accepts that he has issues and problems.

“His interest in pornography strayed into disturbing areas which need to be addressed,” he said.

This comes after the Burton Mail reported how Darren Haddow, 50, of Crest Close, Stretton, was also caught out as part of Staffordshire Police’s Operation Safenet.

This is the force’s bid to crack down on perverts who use the internet and is aimed at safeguarding children.

Haddow was given a three-year community order and placed on the sex offenders’ register after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent videos and photographs of children.

Haddow was sentenced at Burton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, January 7.

January 2016

Pensioner facing jail for historic child sex acts

A pensioner who systematically abused four young girls is facing jail.

January 2016

Pensioner who sexually abused a “terrified” young boy in the 1990s jailed for 16 years

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was aged under 13 when he was targeted by Peter Phillips but felt unable to tell anyone what was happening to him.

Phillips, who went on trial at Truro Crown Court last week, denied ever touching the boy sexually but was convicted by a jury.

The 68-year-old, of Carnon Valley, Carnon Downs, was found guilty of five counts of indecency with a child and five counts of indecent assault on a male person. The offences took place on dates between the late 1980s and the mid-1990s. 

 Emily Pitts, for the defence, said her client knew he had to accept the verdict of the jury and bore no grudges against the complainant.

She said: “[The victim’s] issues in life are not solely due to the contact with Mr Phillips.”

Ms Pitts added that Phillips, who was in deteriorating health and had problems with alcohol, had not committed offences against any other child.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Carr said the boy had already had certain problems when Phillips met him but “that was nothing compared to what you then did to him”.

Judge Carr said Phillips had abused the boy sexually for his own gratification.

“He was simply terrified of you and felt unable to speak out about what happened to him,” he said.

“He will live with the consequences of what you did for the rest of his life.”

Phillips was jailed for 16 years.

January 2016

Moray teacher struck off for sending graphic messages of sick fantasies about abusing children

A teacher appointed as the “named guardian” of 200 youngsters is facing a lifetime ban from working with children.

Dayna Dickson-Boath was yesterday struck off the teaching register for sending “graphic” messages of sick fantasies about abusing youngsters.

The 31-year-old was working at Forres Academy when she sent the messages in the summer of 2014, but the offence did not come to light until she had been appointed acting principal guidance teacher at Elgin High School.

At the town’s sheriff court last year, she was convicted of sending grossly offensive or indecent messages and conversing about child sex abuse with others in August and September 2014.

She was put on the sex offenders’ register and put under supervision for three years.

And yesterday, the General Teaching Council for Scotland suggested her offence was so serious she should be placed on a list of people unfit to work with children in the future.

At a fitness-to-practice hearing, the panel acknowledged that Dickson-Boath – who was not present or represented – had consented to being struck off.

But they decided to refer her case to Scottish Government due to the seriousness of the matter.

In the determination, convener Hugh Paton said: “The panel decided to exercise its discretion to make a referral under section eight of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 in order that Scottish Ministers may consider whether or not the respondent should be barred from working with children or protected adults.

“The panel decided to do so because …the respondent engaged in inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature involving a children or protected adult.”

If the Scottish Government agrees with the GTCS recommendation, Dickson-Boath – who is a qualified geography and modern studies teacher – will be barred from working with children for the rest of her life.

The offences were committed when she was working as additional support teacher at Forres Academy.

But in 2014, she was appointed a named person under the Scottish Government’s controversial scheme to provide every child under 18 with a “state guardian”.

However, it was not until she was promoted to acting principal guidance teacher at Elgin High that the offences came to light, and she was immediately suspended.

Married Dickson-Boath was also the child protection officer for the Aberdeen and District Motor Club.

During the trial, Sheriff John Halley said the messages she sent contained “graphic detail” and that her crime had a “significant sexual aspect”.

The named person scheme is due to be rolled out nationally later this year, with the intention of appointing a state official for every child in Scotland.

Critics have previously labelled the controversial scheme a “groomers’ charter”, as it gives those in the position access to a child’s private data and responsibility for judging how they are raised by their family.

But last night a Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The named person will typically be a head teacher, guidance teacher or health visitor who is already known to the family.

“Anyone working in these roles are always subject to criminal checks through the protecting vulnerable groups scheme. We are unable to comment on individual cases.”

A Moray Council spokesman declined to comment and said it was a matter for the GTCS.

January 2016

Female PE teacher jailed for teenage girls sex abuse

A PE teacher who abused her position of trust to groom two teenage girls for sex has been jailed for 18 months.

Sandrine Brown, 31, engaged in sex in a store room with one of her victims after befriending her on an internet messaging site.

Warwick Crown Court heard that Brown, formerly from the Stoke area of Coventry, pleaded guilty on the basis that there had never been an occasion when she was in bed with both girls at the same time.

The court heard that Brown had worked at Finham Park School from 2006 and her victims were aged between 13 and 17 at the time of the offences, which took place at her home, in a car and at a hotel.

Ordering Brown to register as a sex offender for ten years and serve up to half of her jail term in custody, the judge told her: “This case is a tragedy, most particularly for the two now young women who were young girls at the time that they were sexually abused by you.

“But it is also a tragedy for you because you were blessed with intelligence and athleticism and sensitivity, and you began to work as a teacher in a very responsible position.”

Brown, the judge said, had betrayed her responsibilities by taking advantage of her victims in a “weak and self-indulgent” manner.

The judge added: “I have to send you to prison because of that gross breach of trust and because of the effect it has upon the people who are the victims. The other aspect which compels me to take the course I’m going to have to is that this involves a matter of public confidence.”

Brown, who admitted one charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity while in a position of trust, and five further counts of sexual activity with a child, was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Graeme Simpson told the court that Brown began work at Finham Park in 2006 and that her victims were aged between 13 and 17 at the time of the offences, which took place at her home, in a car and at a hotel.

One of the victims felt she had been manipulated and taken advantage of, emotionally and sexually, while the other believed she had been targeted at an impressionable age.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, one of the complainants said she felt “that she was groomed into thinking that she was gay when she had never looked at the same sex in that way before”.