August 2003

Man jailed for raping three boys

A MAN who raped and indecently assaulted boys broke down in tears as a judge gave him an eight-year prison sentence.

Paul Wainwright’s three victims had all suffered emotionally as a result of what they were subjected to by him.

He himself will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely and at the same time a restriction order has been placed on him which includes a condition not to undertake any activity likely to bring him into contact with anyone under sixteen years of age.

Wainwright, 35, of Manxman Road, Blackburn, appeared for sentence at Preston Crown Court for a number of sex offences. He had pleaded guilty to five charges of rape and nine of indecent assault.

Mr John Woodward, prosecuting, said the offences came to light in February this year. The three children were later interviewed by the police and gave accounts about what had taken place. One of them said of the secret: “It kept eating away at me and I couldn’t keep it in any longer”.

The boys are now receiving care from the NSPCC. Wainwright, who had no previous convictions, was arrested in March and had four interviews with police.

He denied being guilty of the allegations, but when the charges were read to him by police, he was distressed and said “I need help”. When the charges were put to him he replied “I didn’t mean to”, said the prosecution.

Mr John Jackson, defending, said the state Wainwright was in at court was brought about by his own conduct. The explanations for the offences were in reports produced to the court.

The one piece of mitigation was the defendant’s guilty pleas which had been indicated at an early stage.

Mr Jackson said: “Apart from the serious offences, he is a bit of a loner, but a good worker, admired by all those he behaves properly towards.

“In my submission it is quite clear that the remorse, the shame he has brought upon himself and his family, is genuine.”

Wainwright had not been segregated while on remand and had had to pretend he had been remanded for grievous bodily harm, said his counsel.

Mr Jackson said: “He understands there will be a lengthy sentence”.

The sentences for Wainwright were eight years for the rapes with three years concurrent for the indecent assaults.

May 2010

Man jailed for sex attack on 10-year-old girl

A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl.

Richard Warde (born 24/01/83) of Barry Road, Northenden, was found guilty of sexual assault after a trial at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square.

Today, Wednesday 5 May 2010, Warde was jailed for 32 months, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for seven years.

Warde sexually abused the girl on Friday 28 August 2009.

When the girl went home, she immediately informed her parents of what had happened.

Detective Constable Roger Jones said: “Warde abused the trust the victim’s parents placed in him in the most terrible way.

“It has been a horrific experience for the girl, but even though she was scared she showed immense courage to confide in her parents, and thankfully they then came to the police to ensure justice could be done.

“I hope this case sends a clear message that any report of abuse will be fully investigated by trained officers.”

November 2015

Child sexual abuse images found on computer

A Cardigan man used his wife’s computer as well as his own to access child abuse images websites, a judge heard today.

Nicholas James Smith, aged 44, used a sophisticated “data destruction” programme to eliminate images.

But technical experts working for the police were still able to find 33 indecent images in the most serious category A, 53 in category B and 220 in category C.

Smith, of Erwlas, Parcllyn, admitted possessing indecent images of children.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court the collection included images of men having sex with girls as young as four or five years of age.

Mr Jones said police had seized an Acer laptop, an external hard drive and a memory stick belonging to Smith and an Acer laptop belonging to his wife.

The images had been found on the memory stick.

Mr Jones said the computers had been sent to experts in Cambridge for examination. Although no indecent images were located on those machines it was clear they had been used to access internet websites which allowed access to such images.

Smith had run a “data destruction” programme on his computer 15 times and on his wife’s computer 25 times.

Mr Jones said the programme had caused some files to be overwritten with the continuous repetition of the letter ‘z’

The judge, Mr Recorder Jonathan Furness, said he would place Smith on a three year community order, rather then send him to prison for a shorter period, to allow him to undertake a sex offenders’ programme.

Smith must also register with the police as a sex offender for the next five years.

February 2016

Berkshire teacher found guilty of raping and abusing pupils

A TEACHER has been found guilty of raping a pupil and sexually abusing others at a West Berkshire school.

Robert ‘Alan’ Neill, a former head of year at Kennet School in Thatcham, had denied the claims.

However, he was unanimously convicted of all ten charges against him by a jury at Reading Crown Court on Friday.

Neill, 62, of Park Lane, Thatcham carried out a string of assaults on boys aged from 11 years old between 1986 and 2002.

The abuse ranged from exposing himself to serious sex acts and one count of rape.

Giving evidence during a week long trial, Neill had denied the charges, branding his victims liars and fantasists.

At the trial jurors had heard that the boy who was raped by Neill had suffered injuries lasting days – but that the mental scars had lasted a lifetime.

They were also told how Neill had squeezed the boy’s knee before grabbing his genitals. He then forced him to perform a sex act on him.

He was found guilty of:

• Four counts of indecent assault on a male person under the age of 16

• Two counts of indecency with a child under 14 years

• One count of rape of a boy under 16 years

• One count of indecent assault on a male person aged 12 or 13 years old

• Two counts of indecency with a child aged 12 or 13 years old

He will be sentenced on February 19.

Case investigator Leigh Facey of Reading Child Abuse Investigation Unit said: “This was a complex case spanning 16 years with the last offence occuring more than 13 years ago. I would like to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and reliving what were horrible experiences.

“I would also take this opportunity to say that Thames Valley Police takes all offences of this kind extremely seriously, no matter how long ago they took place and we can and will successfully prosecute offenders.”

February 2016

Parents jailed for child cruelty after baby girl found with seven broken ribs

A couple have been jailed for child cruelty after their baby daughter was found to have terrible injuries.

The eight-month-old girl had seven fractured ribs and further fractures to both arms and a shoulder blade, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

She also had a ‘very large’ number of bruises over her body and limbs, said Bernard Linnemann, prosecuting.

The shocking discovery was only made after her father Wayne Jones called 999 just after midnight on February 12, 2014, to complain that he was feeling suicidal.

The mother was not at the flat in Halesowen after leaving the little girl in his care while she went out for the night and had not come back.

When the apparently well-dressed baby was lifted by the paramedics she appeared to be in pain and was taken to hospital along with Jones.

“He was discharged but the child was found to have a very large number of bruises to her body and limbs. Further investigation found the fractures,” said Mr Linnemann.

Experts concluded the injuries had been inflicted on at least two separate occasions during the preceding two to seven weeks.

Both 27-year-old Jones and the child’s mother – Abbie Jones, aged 19 – were arrested the same day. “The cruelty must have been serious, whoever inflicted it,” said the prosecutor.

A relative had previously noticed bruising to the child’s body and forehead. Abbie admitted causing or allowing a child to suffer serious injury.

Her former partner pleaded not guilty and was convicted of the offence after a trial.

It is unclear who was directly responsible for the injuries.

Wayne Jones now living in Northfield was jailed for two and a half years while Abbie Jones, who lives in Halesowen was locked up for 20 months.

Judge Kristina Montgomery QC said: “There were fractures to seven of her ribs, both upper arms and one of her shoulder blades. You both failed to protect her from those assaults.”

February 2016

School bus driver caught playing with himself on coach had sick stash of child sex abuse images

A school bus driver caught playing with himself on a coach was found to have thousands of indecent images of children.

Frederick McBride was meant to be picking up Alsop High School pupils from Walton Sports Centre on Tuesday, September 16, 2014.

But a gym user spotted the 59-year-old pleasuring himself on the empty vehicle in the car park at around 10.30am.

Liverpool Crown Court heard police then raided his home and discovered 9,490 child sex abuse photographs and videos.

Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said McBride, of Merton Road, Bootle was working for Maghull Coaches and was set to collect boys and girls aged eight to 13, who were playing football.

A man who was using an exercise bike looked towards the car park and saw McBride standing in the middle of the coach.

He reported the incident to staff, who could also see McBride playing with himself.

Mr Taylor said: “He was challenged and told he could be seen from the gym area.

“He said ‘I didn’t know, I was only masturbating over my bird’.”

The Walton school was informed and police were contacted before the bus pulled away from the car park.

Officers tracked McBride down and arrested him at around 2.30pm. He confirmed he was the driver.

Police recovered a laptop and external hard drive from his home which contained 849 Category A – the most serious category – plus 909 Category B and 7,732 Category C indecent photographs and videos.

McBride made no comment when first interviewed by police, but later confessed, saying he was sexually attracted to young girls.

He has no previous convictions, but was previously investigated after girls made allegations against him in 2002.

Mr Taylor said no charges were brought in relation to these matters, adding that Maghull Coaches were aware of the allegations “but continued to place trust in him”.

He said McBride claimed he downloaded the images after that investigation ended “as a form of revenge against those girls who had made those initial allegations”.

McBride admitted outraging public decency and four counts of downloading incident photographs of children.

Katy Appleton, defending, said her client was seeking help from a psychologist and his doctor.

She said: “He is somebody who desperately needs help. He deeply wants to try and understand his offending behaviour.”

Ms Appleton said McBride was a low risk of re-offending and urged the judge to follow probation staff’s recommendation to give him help to address his problems.

Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, said McBride breached the trust placed in him by Maghull Coaches and downloaded the images over many years.

He said: “It’s no coincidence in my judgement that for the most part the images were of young female children aged between eight and 10.

“There were such children among the group of those you were waiting to collect. It’s clear you have an unhealthy sexual interest in girls of that age.”

Judge Flewitt handed him 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, plus two year’s supervision and 80 hours of unpaid work.

He ordered McBride to attend an internet sex offender group programme and to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, while subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

October 2014

Wallasey man who downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children avoids jail

A WALLASEY man who was found to have hundreds of indecent images of children on his computer has avoided jail.

Police raided Nick Bridge’s Mount Road home on November 15 last year and discovered more than 800 images – although the 25-year-old had already deleted some after seeing the police arrive.

Officers had targeted his home after his IP address was used to visit sites with indecent images.

After his arrest, it was found he had been using three separate email addresses with proxy names and using chat rooms, said Derek Jones, prosecuting.

When his laptop and a hard drive from another computer was forensically examined a total of 862 indecent images of children, including movies, were found.

The vast majority were in the least serious category.

In his first interview Bridge made no comment but when later confronted with the analysis evidence he admitted using chat rooms, pretending to be much younger and downloading images for his own sexual gratification, said Mr Jones.

Bridge pleaded guilty to downloading indecent images and was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years, placed under supervision for two years and ordered to attend the stringent Northumbria sex offenders programme.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, also ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and imposed a 10 year Sexual Offences Prevention Order restricting his internet use.

February 2015

Wirral paedophile sexually abused three boys after giving them coffee laced with whisky

A paedophile who sexually abused three boys after giving them coffee laced with whisky was jailed for 12-and-a-half years.

Thomas Pope, 69, targeted the “extremely young and vulnerable” victims at his Wallasey home and in Bebington, Wirral, in the 1970s.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Pope, of Barrington Road, plied the children with alcohol and made them watch pornography.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: “You took away their innocence, but you in fact have done much more than that.

“You have scarred each one of your victims emotionally and psychologically for the rest of their lives.”

Janet Reaney, prosecuting, said Pope was aged between 24 and 29 when he committed his crimes. His victims, one of which has since died, were as young as six.

Ms Reaney said Pope only stopped after he was confronted about the abuse and became “fearful of discovery”.

The first victim said he felt “afraid, ashamed and disgusted”.

He said Pope served what he described as “special coffee” and then molested him.

Pope admitted 24 counts including indecent assault, indecency with a child and another sexual offence. He has no previous convictions.

Simon Mills, defending, said his client had expressed shame and remorse.

Judge Aubrey said Pope left the children living in fear.

He said: “The abuse each one suffered at your hands, for two of them remains real, and for one remained real, this court has no doubt, until his untimely death.

“Of those two who survive, each one relives the agony that you have taken away from their childhood innocence.

“The harm you have caused to each is almost incalculable and immeasurable.”

Judge Aubrey said Pope abused all three boys together in one incident.

He said: “That occasion alone illustrates your predatory and determined instinct in the corruption and manipulation of these three victims.”

Judge Aubrey said Pope wrote a letter to the court “recognising his overwhelming feeling of sorrow and guilt”.

He added: “Guilt of course is something also felt by your victims – a guilt that stays with young children who have been abused.”

Pope, with grey hair, beard and glasses, displayed no emotion in the dock as he was sent down.

Judge Aubrey gave him an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered him to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life.

January 2016

Former primary school head teacher admits charges involving images of child sex abuse

Ross Workman, former head of Oldswinford C of E Primary School in Stourbridge, appeared at Dudley Magistrates’ Court.

The 50-year-old, of Low Fold Close, Worcester, was charged with six counts of making indecent images of a child between January and March 2011.

He was bailed to be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 2 March.

Workman was arrested in November 2014 and parents were informed about the investigation by letter.

Jenny Birchall, head teacher at Oldswinford CE Primary School, said: “We are aware of the court case involving a former employee, who resigned over a year ago.

“I would stress that there is no suggestion that the school, its staff, or the pupils of our school are involved in any way.”

Councillor Ian Cooper, cabinet member for children’s services at Dudley Council, said: “Mr Workman resigned from his post in January last year and therefore is no longer employed by the local authority.”

February 2015

Pervert jailed for multiple sexual offences

A Suffolk pervert has been jailed after he admitted multiple sexual offences involving children

Self employed gardener Adrian Connoly, 33 of Lowestoft pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a string of sexual offences involving children.

He was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court to four years imprisonment.

The charges he admitted are as follows:

• Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child

• Causing or inciting a child aged under 13-years-old to engage in sexual activity

• Two counts of making indecent images of children

• One count of possession of indecent images of children

• Assault on a girl aged under 13-years-old by touching

As well as being jailed, a sexual harm prevention order was also imposed. He was told he must also register as a sex offender when released from prison.

February 2016

Paedophile admits sexually abusing two young children

A paedophile is behind bars after admitting sexually abusing two young children in the Vale – starting when the youngest was just four years-old.

Charles McGinley, 60, preyed on the brother and sister while babysitting them at addresses in Bonhill in the late 1980s and early 1990s but the sickening sexual abuse was only reported to the police in 2013 in light of the celebrity sex scandal.

One of the victims said the abuse was “brushed under the carpet like a dirty secret” and a relative of the victims, who was at court told the Reporter the predator had “ruined their lives”.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard last week that McGinley began abusing the girl when her brother was out playing and younger siblings were sleeping.

Fiscal depute Tom Bowman said the woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, remembers that McGinley would bring a duvet to the living room, pull it over them on the couch and make her sit on his knee.

McGinley became sexually excited and induced her to perform sex acts on him. He also went into her room at night, crawled into the bottom of her bed and performed sex acts on her – which she said happened from the first time he babysat.

The abuse continued on and off for more than two years until one day when the girl was told McGinley would babysit them and started crying and saying she didn’t want him to watch her.

That day, McGinley abused the boy, who was aged under 10. The boy’s grandparents were in the next room, when McGinley touched his private parts and made the boy perform a sex act on him. He then gave the youngster “20p or 50p”.

Mr Bowman told the court the woman can’t remember what she told her mum at the time but after then McGinley stopped babysitting.

The woman told officials she “felt her parents brushed it under the carpet like a dirty secret and that she had done something wrong”.

Mr Bowman said the abuse came to light on Christmas Day 2013 when the woman and her parents discussed the celebrity sex scandal and the woman brought up the abuse she suffered as a child.

Her mum told her she regretted not telling the police but she was worried about social work involvement, feared her children would be taken away and was concerned about how a police investigation would have affected them at a young age.

Four days later, the mum went to the police, who launched an investigation and arrested and charged McGinley in 2014.

The court heard the female victim suffers from mental health problems following the abuse and has attempted suicide, also turning to drugs.

She told officials: “It was like I was wanting to run away from my problems but I can’t keep running forever, I have to face my demons.”

McGinley, described in court papers as a prisoner at Barlinnie, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to sexually abusing the two children.

His lawyer, Gail Campbell, told the court she would reserve any comments in his defence until he appears for sentencing.

Sheriff Simon Pender deferred sentence until March 8 for background reports and a psychiatric risk assessment.

McGinley was remanded in custody and placed on the sex offenders register.

A relative who was at court for the hearing told the Reporter: “He’s ruined their lives and now he’s got to pay for it. He’s got to pay the price for what he’s done.”

February 2016

Pervert travelled 150 miles to try to meet a child for sex

This is the moment a pervert was snared after travelling 150 miles to try to meet a child for sex.

Robert Crombie thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl called Amy, who he had been chatting to online.

But the teenager was in fact fictitious and had been created by online paedophile hunters Dark Justice

They were waiting with their camera for Crombie, who had got on a bus in Glasgow, to show up in Newcastle city centre.

The 26-year-old, described as a “loner”, has since been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court after admitting attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming .

Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw told the court : “The defendant was arrested as a result of the actions of members of Dark Justice.

“They are a voluntary group who seek to expose the grooming of young people on the internet, through social media profiles purporting to be teenage girls.

“Dark Justice simply respond to chat requests initiated by adult internet users.”

The court heard Crombie made contact with Amy on March 28 on a social media website and after being told she was 14, suggested they chat on WhatsApp , which involved exchanging mobile phone numbers.

He then sent the fictitious teenager pictures of himself, mainly his face but one of his private parts.

Crombie also asked her to send him naked pictures of herself, including one in a school uniform.

The court heard he also asked if she would like to have sex.

For the next few weeks he stayed in regular contact and on May 18 suggested travelling from his home in Scotland to meet her in Newcastle and an arrangement was made for May 25.

Mr Wardlaw said: “On being made aware of the defendant’s travel arrangements, Dark Justice attended Gallowgate bus station and recognised him when he got off the bus from Glasgow.

“The police were notified and the defendant was arrested and was found to be in possession of condoms.”

Crombie, of Clyde Place, Glasgow, initially protested his innocence but pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and being in breach of a previous suspended prison sentence for theft.

Jailing him for 12 months, Judge Robert Adams said: “You were in possession of condoms, clearly indicating what your intention was had Amy actually existed.

“It’s clear your intention was to have sex with someone you believed was 14.”

Imposing a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordering Crombie to sign the sex offender register for 10 years, Judge Adams added: “He has travelled some distance to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl, a lengthy order should be made.”

February 2016

Convicted sex offender had pictures of under-age girls on memory device

Unemployed James Broadhurst was banned from having any pictures of children after he was sentenced to two years in jail in 2010 for possessing the vast array of images and distributing them to others.

The 39-year-old, formerly of Smallwood, Sutton Hill, Telford, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court to admit breaching the terms of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Mr John Oates, prosecuting, said Broadhurst’s ex-partner was having a clear-out in October last year and found a memory stick in a draw. She handed it in to police after seeing there were pictures on it of girls who seemed to be aged between 10 and 13 “wearing swimwear”.

The prosecutor said: “Police found 889 images on the memory stick – 276 appeared to be images of persons likely to be under 18.”

It is the third time Broadhurst, now of Stonnall Road, Walsall, has been in court for offences relating to images of children.

The court heard that, after being jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court in 2010, Broadhurst received a further two-year jail sentence in January last year for another breach of the SOPO order, namely that he should have no contact with children. He had started a new relationship with a woman who had children, the court was told. He was released last month.

Mr William Douglas-Jones, for Broadhurst, said his client had started a forklift drivers’ training course and was hoping to get work after finishing the qualification.

Judge Peter Barrie sentenced Broadhurst to a three-year community order with a requirement to be supervised by the probation service and to complete an internet sex offender programme.

Broadhurst was also ordered to pay £120 court costs.

February 2016

Sex offender jailed for grooming vulnerable boy over long period of time

A SEX offender who “groomed and trained” a vulnerable boy for degrading abuse over a long period of time has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

The ordeal lasted about two years and “cast a massive shadow over” the life of the victim, a court heard.

Andrew Owen, 48, of Barton Street, Laceby, denied four offences of indecent assault on a boy.

He was convicted by a jury at Grimsby Crown Court on majority verdicts after a trial. He was cleared of four other offences. 

Judge David Tremberg told Owen: “You decided to engineer opportunities to explore your sexual urges with the boy. That was and is serious.”

The boy was “sexually inexperienced and entirely ill-equipped to protect himself” from Owen’s advances but was “conditioned and corrupted” into accepting sexual conduct.

“He felt unable to stop it,” said Judge Tremberg.

“He felt ashamed and embarrassed.

You groomed and trained him into acquiescing and participating in sexual abuse of escalating gravity.”

Owen gave the boy alcohol and cannabis.

Owen later made limited admissions and was given a police caution.

“You thought you had got away with it completely,” said Judge Tremberg.

The victim could not put the sexual abuse out of his memory.

“You caused the complainant significant and substantial emotional harm,” said Judge Tremberg.

“You caused this victim deep-seated and enduring emotional harm.”

The memory of it had “cast a massive shadow over his life and continues to do so” and he had turned to drugs to escape the memories of what Owen had done to him.

He had suffered flashbacks and difficulty trusting people.

“What you did has infected every part of his life,” added Judge Tremberg.

“You knew it was wrong. There was a significant degree of planning and grooming.”

Gordon Stables, mitigating, said Owen had no previous convictions. He would lose his job as a stores and purchasing manager and his home would have to be sold.

Owen was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

February 2016

Re-offending pervert groomed two 13-year-old girls after befriending them on Facebook

A REPEAT sex offender who befriended two 13-year-old girls on social media before convincing them to meet up with him in Newquay has been jailed.

Jason Tilley, 29, targeted the teenagers, who can not be named for legal reasons, and started sending them sexually explicit messages, Truro Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Jason Beal, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the offences came to light after one of the girls told a member of her family that she had been in contact with a 28-year-old and that he had sent her sexual messages.

The matter was reported to police and Tilley, of Hope Terrace, Newquay, was arrested.

Tilley admitted two counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO), two of meeting a child following sexual grooming and one count of sexual assault.

The SOPO was imposed on him after he admitted sexual activity with an underage girl at Chichester Crown Court in 2010.

The court heard he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for that offence but that more recently he had been given a suspended sentence order for sending an obscene or offensive message to a girl who had learning disabilities.

Mr Beal said the current offence put him in breach of that order.

Chris Andrews, defending, said his client had recognised for the first time that he had a problem and had said he felt bad for everything he had done.

Mr Andrews said Tilley was working in prison to make sure he was a better person when he left.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Carr said Tilley had deliberately targeted the two girls on social media as he had deliberately targeted a girl with learning difficulties previously.

Tilley was jailed for three years and made the subject of a new sexual offences prevention order.

He also had an extra 12 weeks added on to his sentence for breaching the suspended sentence.

February 2016

Pervert exposed himself to a ’12-year-old girl’ only to find out he was messaging an undercover cop

A sexual predator has been jailed for sending explicit pictures of himself to a “schoolgirl” – not realising it was an undercover policeman.

Malcolm Blount, 55, was caught by police after he emailed three pictures of his genitals to an officer posing as the 12-year-old.

A court heard that police created the account WelshBeth12 on a chat room site, and received messages from Blount hours later.

Under the username SilverFox54, he told the child she was “looking sexy” and that he was “feeling horny”.

Prosecutor Tony Trigg said: “He said his name was Mal and he said Welsh Beth was looking sexy.

“During an undercover operation police signed up to the website Chat Hour as a 12-year-old girl.

“After joining the site at 3.50pm, by 6.16pm that evening the account had been contacted by SilverFox54.

“He said he was feeling horny and said how sexy she would look if she was naked.”

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Blount told the young girl he would “teach her about sex”.

He then asked the schoolgirl for her email address – and sent her three pictures of his penis taken in his bathroom.

After undercover officers received the images Blount was arrested. A search of his mobile phone found 94 indecent images of underage girls.

Defence solicitor Ruth Smith said Blount’s family had spoken of him “in glowing terms” in terms of the support he had given them over the years.

Ms Smith added: “He is scared by the consequences of his actions. He cannot explain how he fell into this habit.”

Blount, of Winchester Close, Barry, pleaded guilty to inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, distribution of indecent photographs of children and possession of indecent photographs of children.

After jailing him for two years, Judge Tom Crowther QC said: “You made no secret of the fact you wanted to talk to underage girls when you made compliments to the child telling her she was sexy.

“Children have a right to grow up innocently, not to have the sexual fantasies of a middle-aged man placed upon them.”

February 2016

Court tells man that nude pictures of children are indecent

A MAN who claimed he accidentally downloaded images from a nudist site involving indecent images of children has been found guilty of possessing and making indecent images of children.

Matthew Stone, 21, of Lutwyche Road, Church Stretton, had pleaded not guilty to making an indecent photograph, namely a collage of male and female children between eight and 11 years old.

He also pleaded not guilty on December 15 to possession of four indecent images of children between January 11, 2015, and March 14, 2015.

Stephen Davies, prosecuting, told Welshpool Magistrates Court that Mary Cork, who was in a relationship with Stone, had handed his phone to the police on March 16 after discovering indecent images.

They were examined and four images were highlighted of category C.

Gareth Owen, digital device examiner for Dyfed Powys Police, gave evidence of how four images were discovered in a gallery on the phone.

He added how the user had saved the images, said one was entitled ‘youngnudist.jpg’.

Mr Davies said images included a naked adult male with a naked 11-year-old girl, eight and nine-year-old naked girls embracing, a naked 12-year-old boy, and naked girls, aged 10 and 12.

Mr Owen added he defined the images as indecent through the CPS guideline of under 18, sexually posing or naked.

He added pornographic photographs were discovered, but not to do with children, and that the browsing history from the day the images were downloaded was not available.

Mr Davies read Stone’s police interviews, during which he said he had been searching for nudist sites because he was curious about what they do.

He said he may have accidentally downloaded them because his phone had a sensitive screen.

In his interview he added he despised things like this and described how he was speechless when he was arrested.

He added he had a thing against child abuse and he was scarred because of sexual abuse as a child.

When examined by solicitor Phil Sherrard, he said his girlfriend had got him the phone, and he used it for games and social media.

He was curious about nudism and recalled going through websites, but didn’t think the pictures were indecent.

He said he must have pressed save by accident, and said he has no sexual interest in children at all.

Examined by Mr Davies, he said he had searched for ‘teen’ when looking for images of 18 plus.

He said he couldn’t recall deleting any browsing history.

When questioned by magistrates he said the images didn’t look indecent to him and that his girlfriend had taken his phone because she suspected he has been cheating on her.

Magistrates found Stone guilty on both counts and concluded the images were indecent and they did not accept they had accidentally been downloaded.

The case was adjourned to February 23 for an all options report and Stone will return to Welshpool Magistrates Court to be sentenced.

February 2016

Pensioner caught with 500 indecent images claimed he was doing research

A PENSIONER who was caught with child abuse images claimed he wanted to set up his own website and was doing research on what images he could feature.

He was keen to see what others “were getting away with” on other websites, a court heard.

Richard Robinson, 69, of Wold Court, Wrawby, admitted three offences of making or possessing indecent images of children.

Stephen Welch, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that police searched Robinson’s home on March 17 under a warrant after receiving information.

His computer equipment was searched and a total of 500 child pornography images, including movies, were found.

He later told police he had worked on the internet before he retired and claimed he wanted to set up his own pornography website.

He claimed he would have been looking at images to “see what people were getting away with” on the website.

James Gelsthorpe, mitigating, said Robinson made admissions and pleaded guilty.

Judge David Tremberg told the court: “They say there’s no fool like an old fool. This defendant has been playing Russian roulette with his liberty.

“The children depicted in these images suffered emotional harm. They have their innocence stripped of them when they shouldn’t.

“They tend to be corrupted and depraved by the experience of being exposed to such sort of sexual behaviour.

“Quite often, it takes years for the full effects of the damage that is done by the creation of these images to become clear. By viewing images like this, you were providing tacit encouragement to those who would produce more and that’s not acceptable.

“You were going to try to set up a pornographic website of your own and you were going to see what others were getting away with.”

Robinson was given a 28-day suspended prison sentence, a one-year supervision order and 10 days’ rehabilitation.

He was given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order

February 2016

Fife man used fake Facebook profile to ask young girl for naked photos

A 13-year-old Fife girl was targeted by a man who used a fake social media profile and asked her to send him naked photographs of herself.

The girl refused at first to send the pictures but Kyle Shaw, acting under a false name and pretending to be 14, told her it was a normal thing to do.

Shaw, 20, of Hatton Green, Glenrothes, admitted on various occasions between December 14 2014 and February 8 2015 he intentionally sent a sexual written communication to a girl aged 13 and intentionally caused her to look at a sexual image by sending her pictures of naked males.

He further admitted that between December 20 2014 and May 10 2015 he was in possession of indecent images of a child.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said Shaw set up a false Facebook profile and sent a friend request to the girl which was accepted.

The girl told him she was 13 and Shaw, under his false name, claimed to be 14.

Their online conversations became sexual and Shaw asked her to send naked photos of herself to him and said that this was “normal”.

The girl refused to do so but Shaw continued to ask and said he would “talk her through this”.

He said he would help find her a boyfriend and told her there was someone he knew called Kyle Shaw, although Shaw failed to turn up for a meeting the girl had arranged with him in February.

Shaw’s behaviour was eventually uncovered by the girl’s mother.

Sheriff Charles MacNair called for reports and placed Shaw on the sex offenders register. Sentencing will take place on March 16.

February 2016

Bryn Alyn care home worker GUILTY of child cruelty

A former Wrexham care home worker has been found guilty of one of the six child cruelty charges he faced.

Keith Alan Evans , 71, of Main Road, Rhosrobin, who was responsible for disciplining vulnerable youngsters at Bryn Alyn , was yesterday found not guilty on four counts.

But the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining two charges and deliberations continued today.

This afternoon the jury returned a majority guilty verdict on a single count, which related to an offence committed against one boy.

The jury heard Evans forced a boy to strip down to a netball sash, shorts and plimsolls before assaulting him.

Over the course of three days he forced the child to complete menial tasks, including prolonged periods of scrubbing floors and rooms which made his feet blister.

He forced his victim to go without food on one day and to sleep in a box room without a bed.

The jury reached a unanimous not guilty verdict on the other outstanding charge.

Yesterday co-defendant Kelvin Horriben, 63, from Beeston, Nottinghamshire, who used to supervise punishments, was found not guilty of a joint child cruelty charge.

He was also cleared of a separate charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against one boy, and walked free from court.

The offences were alleged to have been committed against six boys and one girl at the privately-owned care home between 1976 and 1983.

Following a three week trial at Chester Crown Court, sitting as Mold , the jury had retired on Tuesday afternoon to consider its verdict.

They spent nearly ten hours deliberating before reaching verdicts on all charges.

The two defendants had been arrested as part of the ongoing Operation Pallial investigation into historic abuse in the region’s care system.

Evans will be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on the week commencing March 14.

Operation Pallial Continues

Speaking after the case Ian Mulcahey, senior investigating officer for Operation Pallial paid tribute to all victims and witnesses who have come forward.

He said: “A total of seven men have been convicted of one or more offences, includingcare home owner John Allen who was sentenced to life in prison and five members of a predatory paedophile group who received a total of 43 years in jail.

“The investigation is continuing. Operation Pallial has now been contacted by 333 people, who have had the trust and confidence to come forward to report abuse.

“A total of 138 complaints are being actively investigated. 49 men and women have been arrested or interviewed under caution.

“Work to locate three more suspects, including one believed to be overseas, is continuing.”