February 2016

Teenager messaged 20 under-age girls including a 13-year-old

A teenager messaged 20 under-age girls – one as young as 13 – asking for sexually explicit photos and then blackmailed one girl to send him more, a court was told.

Kieran Canham, 19 of Hudson Road, Cambourne, pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court.

Michael Procter, prosecuting, said Canham messaged a 13-year-old girl on social media asking her to send sexually explicit photos of herself to him on October 10, 2014.

A second girl, also underage, was messaged via social media between November 15-18, 2014.

The girl sent him naked photos of herself but Canham then blackmailed her to send more, the court was told.

Canham, who has no previous convictions, went through with his blackmail threat and sent the photos of the under-age girl to her friends on Facebook.

Mr Procter added that as a result, the young girl said she was now scared to go out for fear of being asked questions about the photos.

The 13-year-old girl also sent photos to Canham, but admitted she shouldn’t have done so given her age.

Mr Procter added: “Police looked at Canham’s phone, which showed he had been in contact with the girls.

“Between May 31, 2014 and January 7, 2015, Canham had sent sexually explicit messages to 20 girls under 18.

“Only two girls actually sent photos of themselves to him, including the 13-year-old girl.

“In police interview, the defendant admitted what he had done and said he had restricted internet access to pornography at home.”

Melanie Benn, mitigating, said Canham was a socially isolated young man who lived with his parents, four brothers and one sister.

She added: “He is the eldest and provides financially for his family.

“The internet was a place where he felt he had his own personal space in his own home. He said he felt more comfortable in this social setting where the girls were physically younger than him but at the same emotional level.”

Canham said there was an expectation of ‘sexting’ at school but he realised what he was doing was wrong and came off social media as a result, the court was told.

Recorder Guy Ayers handed Canham 15 months in a young offender institution and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also issued.

He was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

February 2016

Man downloaded indecent images of children

A 27-year-old man from Northampton who downloaded dozens of indecent images of children has been ordered to complete the sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Joel Smith, of Kingsthorpe Grove, has admitted viewing 92 indecent photographs, including 36 in the most serious category of child abuse, between October 2010 and September 2013.

Northampton Crown Court heard Smith’s laptop was seized by police on September 26, 2013 after information was passed on to officers from West Midlands Police.

Smith initially claimed that the indecent images of children had been downloaded by mistake after watching adult pornography.

But at Northampton Magistrates’ Court last month he pleaded guilty to possessing the indecent images.

Catherine Howell, mitigating, said her client was someone who had viewed adult pornography and then moved on to images of child abuse.

His Honour Judge Timothy Smith said the images were of children of a number of ages who were the victims of sexual exploitation.

Smith was given a three-year community order including the requirement he completes the sexual offenders’ treatment programme.

Judge Smith also imposed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and he must sign the Sex Offenders’ register.

February 2016

Pervert teacher allowed to stay in the job

A teacher who kept pictures of students’ breasts and bottoms has been allowed to stay in the job because he was not sexually motivated.

Sean Powell stored images on a pen drives along with photos of naked women while he taught at Harwich and Dovercourt High School in Essex.

Powell also engaged in inappropriate conversations and put his arms around students at the school.

He was the Head of Business and ICT at the school when complaints started being made by students in 2011, the National College for Teaching and Leadership heard. 

February 2016

Pervert teacher thrown out of the profession

February 2016

Cotswold man jailed for having sex with schoolgirls

A Cotswolds man has been jailed for almost six years for having sex with two under-age girls.

Kenny Smith, 21, of Stockwells, Moreton in Marsh, pleaded guilty at Gloucester crown court to four charges of having sexual activity with each of the girls 

He was sentenced to a total of five years ten months imprisonment and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

An indefinite sexual harm prevention order was also made against him.

His offences against the first girl only came to light when police interviewed the second one the court was told.

Prosecutor Kerry Barker said Smith began his relationship with the second girl in about May 2014 when she was underage.

Her mother became concerned that he kept visiting the house but despite her warnings he spent more and more time there and on one occasion stayed the night.

The mother thought they were in separate rooms but then found them in bed together. He insisted he had not touched her sexually.

“Social services became involved and told the girl she was not to have any form of sexual relationship with him,” Mr Barker said.

However, the girl started going missing and would lie about where she had been.

She was then interviewed by police and told them she had started a sexual relationship with Smith ‘because he was kind to her, comforted her and bought her nice things.’

But she also told police he ‘liked to be in control’ and that he would get angry and jealous and grab her around the neck if he caught her phoning anyone.

“He wouldn’t let her go to parties, wear make-up or talk to people her own age. He didn’t like her talking to boys at school,” said Mr Barker.

When Smith was arrested in Feb last year he denied ever assaulting her but would not comment about whether he’d had sex with her, the prosecutor said.

“She was interviewed and told them she was not the first girl he had treated this way

“That girl was interviewed by the police and said she’d had a relationship with Smith. The relationship had quickly become sexual. They had full sex every couple of days. He was her first sexual partner.

“She said he would buy her sweets, chocolate, crisps and pop. But as the relationship developed he would start to control her movements. He would stop her going out with friends and family.

The girl did not make any statement against Smith when interviewed by police, said Mr Barker.

The other girl, however, made a statement saying “He started controlling everything in my life. He stopped me doing things like wearing make-up.

“My life is better again now that Kenny is not in it. I can see my friends and go where I like.”

Judge Michael Cullum jailed Smith for five years ten months for the four offences against the second girl and 4 years 4 months concurrently for the four against the first girl.

“It doesn’t matter that the girls were willing. That is irrelevant,” said the judge. “These charges are about the exploitation of children. When you moved onto the second girl it was deliberate and exploitative. You groomed both girls.”

February 2016

Held: Man, 19, who admits having sex with girl of 13

A MAN who admitted repeatedly having sex with a 13-year-old girl has been remanded in custody by a judge.

Kesley Tuck, 19, had been due to face a trial at Swindon Crown Court after pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child.

But before a jury could be sworn in on the first day Tuck, of Stonefield Close, Eastleaze, changed his pleas to guilty.

He admitted having sex with the child on three occasions over a weekend in September 2014.

Tuck will now have to register as a sex offender with the total period he will have to continue doing so determined by the sentence passed.

Judge Peter Blair QC adjourned the case to Monday, March 7, so a pre-sentence report can be prepared and remanded him in custody until then.

December 2014

Jailed: Teenager who threatened to cut police officer’s head off

A TEENAGER who threatened to cut off a policeman’s head with large kitchen knife has been jailed for 40 weeks.

Kesley Tuck, 18, brandished the blade at the officer after he had been to his flat hunting a missing schoolgirl, who was found hiding under the duvet in his bedroom.

After hearing that Tuck had continued offending over the following six weeks, including breaching his ASBO, a judge said he had reached ‘the end of the road’.

Chris Smyth, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court on Friday that officers searching for the missing girl had gone to his flat on Sunday, September 21.

“Police asked whether this young lady was at the flat, which the defendant denied. This girl was located in bed under the duvet,” he said.

“She was told she needed to be returned to her home address. While the police were there he became extremely abusive and aggressive.”

He said Tuck shouted and swore at PC Leigh Vowles saying, “Who do you think you are coming in my house? I should punch you in the face”.

After being told to calm down he said he wouldn’t and repeated the threat, only to be warned if he carried it out he would be arrested for assaulting a police officer.

Tuck launched another volley of abuse before the officers left with the girl, but he then put his face right into the officer’s causing him to push him away.

The teenager then said he was going to kill him and said: “That’s it, I’ll get that baseball bat and see how hard you are,” and went back into the flat.

He emerged as they were getting in the police car and ran in the road shouting: “I’ll cut your head off. I’m going to kill you,” waving a kitchen knife with a nine-inch blade.

The officer returned soon after with armed colleagues to arrest Tuck who told them if he was going to use the weapon he would have.

Mr Smyth said he was released on bail but went on a spree of offending which saw him shoplifting, breach his ASBO and finally get caught with the weapon.

On Wednesday, October 8, he was seen stealing two pork pies and a drink from Wilkinson and CCTV footage showed he had done the same the day before.

On Saturday, October 25, he breached the ASBO, which bans him from ‘shouting or swearing at others or acting in any other anti-social manner likely to cause harassment alarm or distress’ or congregating in a group of three or more.

Then on Tuesday, November 4, he broke it by being abusive to a librarian in Regent Circus and refusing to leave after bouncing a ball loudly in the building.

His final offence took place two days later when police called to a disturbance outside Lloyds Bank in the town centre found him with the five-inch screwdriver.

When he was questioned he said he was carrying it to protect himself after someone he knew threatened to ‘shank’ him.

Tuck, of Stonefield Close, Eastleaze, admitted possessing a bladed article, threatening behaviour, two thefts, two ASBO breaches, and possessing an offensive weapon.

The court heard he numerous offences starting in March 2013 receiving community orders which he had not always complied with.

Ton Bignall, defending, said his client had ‘a terrible past’ having been in a succession of care placements as a child, feeling his parents had let him down.

Jailing him, Judge Peter Blair QC said: “You have come to the end of the road so far as courts giving you non-custodial sentences.

“You are going to be going to a young offenders’ institute this afternoon. The total sentence I am going to pass on you is 40 weeks.

“You have got to realised you have got to buck your ideas up and change your behaviour when you are out in public.

“Your behaviour was really appalling on September 21 towards this police officer.”

February 2016

Man admits ‘campaign of sexual abuse’ against three children

A former Moray man is facing a jail sentence after admitting a campaign of sexual abuse against three children spanning more than a decade.

Michael Cameron, 47, committed the offences between the mid-1990s and late 2000s at properties in Elgin and Portknockie.

He put one victim through a campaign of obscene sexual misconduct that lasted seven months during the 1990s.

February 2016

Woman who pretended her baby had died & conned people out of 1000’s of pounds has sentence cut

A woman who pretended her baby had died and conned people out of thousands of pounds has had her sentence cut on appeal.

Katie Rose Ringer, 20, carried out a series of “cruel” online cons between 2012 and 2014.

But yesterday her sentence was cut on appeal from two years and nine months to two years.

February 2016

Man who performed lewd acts in view of Newport schoolgirls put on sex offenders’ register

A man has been put on the sex offenders’ register for five years after he was seen performing a lewd act from the window of his flat in view of schoolgirls in Newport.

Andrew Carr will also be subject to a community order for three years with a rehabilitation requirement and will have to take part in a sex offender programme.

The 23-year-old was also fined £80 and ordered to pay court costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £60 when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court was told that Carr was seen looking over at sixth form girls from Adams’ Grammar School who were sat on a bench as he committed the act from his flat in High Street, Newport.

A witness who had parked nearby had also seen him appearing to take photos of the girls on a camera or phone.

She said Carr stepped away from the window after he noticed a police officer. He was arrested and interviewed.

At a hearing in January, Carr admitted two charges of intentionally exposing himself intending that someone would see him and be caused alarm or distress.

February 2016

Man jailed for sexual assault on schoolgirl

A man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a schoolgirl.

Salim Ahamad, 22, of High Road, Bushey, pleaded guilty to sexual assault at St Albans Magistrates Court on Tuesday February 16.

Police were called after the 14-year-old victim told her grandmother what had happened.

Officers got the CCTV footage and were able to identify and arrest Mr Ahamad.

Mr Ahamad was jailed for six months.

Hertsmere chief inspector Tannis Perks said: “This was a frightening and upsetting incident against a young girl.

“Officers acted swiftly to secure CCTV of the offender, identify him and then quickly arrest him, which has resulted in him being given a custodial sentence by the courts.

“Understandably, it can be difficult for a victim of a sexual offence to report it to the police.”

February 2016

Jetsetting Scots swindler jailed for fraud and indecent images of kids

A SCOTS swindler behind a £70,000 global travel con has been jailed in Iceland for fraud and possessing indecent images of kids.

Reece Scobie, 22, was nicked when his New York-bound flight – which he’d paid for with a fake credit card – touched down to refuel in Rekjavik.

Cops released him but re-arrested him when they discovered he’d used the fake plastic to pay for his hotel and a mobile. 

Yesterday at the District Court of Reykjanes he was banged up for a year and ordered to pay 3.3million Icelandic Krona – £18,000 – in court costs.

The crook, from Perth – once compared to Catch Me If You Can fraudster Frank Abagnale – admitted repeated fraud violations and possessing and distributing 4,750 illicit snaps and 345 vile videos.

Scobie, who also had his computer equipment confiscated, will serve out the remainder of his sentence in the UK.

In 2013 aged just 19 he was jailed for 16 months for swindling travel agents out of £70,000 to fund his jetsetting lifestyle.

He booked business class flights and hotels around the world and used so many bogus names he couldn’t remember them all.

Scobie – who claims he suffers from Aspergers Syndrome – was in Los Angeles when his scam was rumbled and admitted the fraud between July 2011 and January 2012.

At Perth Sheriff Court his solicitor compared him to notorious US fraudster Frank Abagnale, whose life story was made into hit film Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo Di Caprio.

Jim Laverty said: “People jot down their dream journeys on paper but, unfortunately, Scobie had the wherewhithal to book those in the real world.”

Scobie also scammed at least five luxury holidays each costing between £5,000 and £10,000 while living with his mother.

And he even managed to dupe court staff into handing him back his passport, which had been confiscated as a condition of bail.

After working for Thomson Travel for just two months, he continued to use the company’s passwords to book flights and hotels after he’d left – conning them out of £11,200.

And while in a British Airways lounge, he discovered that the previous computer user who worked for Cambridge Business Travel had not properly logged off.

He scanned their emails and was able to gain access to the company’s booking system – using it to book nearly £60,000 of flights to LA, New York, Atlanta and Abu Dhabi and Singapore.

February 2016

Pervert jailed after secretly filming up the skirts of more than 130 schoolgirls

A Walton pervert is behind bars after secretly filming up the skirts of more than 130 schoolgirls.

Christopher Baker, 40, was jailed for 12 months at Liverpool Crown Court after also admitting filming a work colleague and a relative who was using the bathroom.

Baker, of Bardsay Road, used a hidden camera to film 132 unidentified girls travelling on a bus in the Stoneycroft area.

February 2016

Paedophile jailed for sexually assaulting young girl in Swanscombe area

A pervert who molested a young girl and took an indecent photo of her has been jailed for five years.

Douglas Reader, 63, had denied seven charges of sexual assault and one of taking indecent photos of a child, committed in the Swanscombe area.

He was convicted in January of one offence of sexual assault and the photo charge.

The jury acquitted him of four charges of sexual assault and could not reach verdicts on two others.

The prosecution on Friday offered no further evidence against him on the “hung jury” charges.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Reader, of Ferndale Road, Enfield, north London, “snogged” the victim on a number of occasions.

Judge Michael Carroll said he considered one image Reader took of the girl was pornographic, despite the fact she was still had on underwear.

Victim statements from the girl’s parents detailing how the family had been seriously affected by the abuse were read out in court.

“No words can truly describe the pain and anguish I have felt,” said her mother. “I have been left feeling we did not look after her enough.

“My trust in people has gone completely. I am suspicious of everyone.”

The mother said she worried about the impact Reader’s actions would have on her daughter. She praised her for being “exceptionally brave”.

She added: “For me, our nightmare is far from over.”

The father said in a statement his daughter was worried she had done something wrong. “Whatever the outcome there are no winners,” he added.

Chloe Gardner, defending, said Reader had tried his hardest all his life to do what was right.

“This behaviour is extremely out of character,” she said.

Judge Michael Carroll said there was “grooming behaviour” by Reader showing the victim a video.

“She had the courage to disclose to her father what you did to her,” he said. “There is nothing on your record for this kind of behaviour.

“I believe you became obsessed with this little girl. It developed into an unhealthy sexual interest in her.”

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

After sentencing, Detective Constable Anne-Marie McAteer said: “The child involved and her family showed great bravery in coming forward and giving evidence.

“This case reflects how seriously Kent Police takes reports of sexual abuse and will support victims throughout the entire judicial process.”

February 2016

Paedophile jailed for 11 years

A paedophile has been jailed for nearly 11 years for sexual offences against underage children.

Stephen Gilbert, 53, of Golding Close in Thatcham was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday, February 16.

He was given 10 years and nine months in prison and his name has been put on the sex offenders’ register for an indefinite period.

Gilbert was charged with 13 counts in total – 10 counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, one count of sexual activity with a child under 13 and two counts of engaging a child in a sexual activity.

February 2016

Dorset paedophile who downloaded almost 24,000 indecent images of children jailed

A man who downloaded almost 24,000 indecent images of children has been jailed for two years and nine months.

James Murray, 42 and of Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to 10 offences, including one of possessing indecent images of children, six of making indecent images of children, two counts of voyeurism and another of possessing extreme pornography.

He was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday 5 February 2016.

The court heard that on Thursday 15 October 2015, officers from Dorset Police’s Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT) executed a warrant at Murray’s home address and discovered a large collection of indecent images of children on a number of hard drives.

In interview with officers he also admitted to covertly filming a number of women and a child. These were also discovered in his collection. 

In total, his computers held 22,592 category C, 295 category B and 750 category A indecent images of children, with category A being the most serious.

February 2016

Holt man downloaded images of children

HOTEL worker Ryan Patrick Crofts has been sent on an internet sex offenders’ course after he downloaded images of child abuse and bestiality.

A crown court judge told him they were very serious offences and, if he could, he would have placed him on a suspended prison sentence.

But that could not be done for three years, the length of time required to complete the course.

Crofts, 22, of Church Street, Holt, who admitted six charges of making indecent images by downloading them and possessing them when he appeared at the magistrates court, received a three-year community order.

He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for five years and was made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Judge David Hale said Crofts had admitted the offences immediately he was caught.

The reason such offences were taken so seriously was because somewhere, in some remote spot, a child had been horribly abused “just to provide you with entertainment”.

But it was something that child would never forget.

“So you must never ever look at this material again, nor should anyone else.”

The best way to achieve that was to send him on the internet sex offender programme.

Judge Hale said the track record of the course was extraordinary.

“The amount of reconvictions after attending the course is remarkably low,” he told Mold Crown Court.

It was probably the most effective course that the probation service ran.

Ffion Tomos, prosecuting, said North Wales Police received information the user of a chat account on the internet had been accessing indecent images of children.

Officers executed a search warrant at Crofts’ home on January 12 last year and a number of devices were seized.

Found on three computers were 545 indecent images – 134 at the worst category A, 223 at category B and 199 at category C.

There were also 122 extreme images involving sex acts between people and animals.

February 2016

Former firefighter downloaded 1 million child abuse images – but dodges prison

A former firefighter who downloaded more than ONE MILLION images and told police he wanted “the full set” has dodged prison.

Judge Tony Briggs said there was the “usual conflict and tension” between punishment and treatment in the case of Stephen Thompson.

The 61-year-old, from Thornaby, Stockton, told probation officials he had been collecting images of child abuse for 15 years.

And he admitted he would have carried on adding to his sick library – all dated with months and years – if he had not been caught.

Thompson also justified his vile behaviour by claiming the girls in the photos and films “looked like they were enjoying themselves”.

Police looked at thousands of the images stored on computers and discs and identified more than 13,000 which were indecent.

But Teesside Crown Court was told yesterday that there were an astonishing 1,085,963 downloads starting from February 2001.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said Thompson was asked by cops if he had any extreme pornography, and he replied: “Yes, for a laugh.”

“He said if police had not seized his devices, he would have continued to view such images,” Mr Hadfield told Judge Briggs.

“He had such a large volume because he wanted to have, in his words, the full set, and he was viewing them right up to his arrest.”

Laurie Scott, mitigating, said Thompson now realised that the children – some as young as four – were not enjoying being abused.

“That was his justification at the time, it made it easier for him,” said Miss Scott. “He now understands the lasting distress.”

Thompson, of Eldon Walk, Thornaby, admitted making indecent images of children, possessing extreme porn and prohibited images.

He was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, with supervision and was ordered to go on the sex offender treatment programme.

Judge Briggs told the wheelchair-bound arthritis sufferer: “It’s perfectly plain you have got completely addicted these images.

“An addiction of that type means that this dreadful trade is fuelled and encouraged, and you say you now understand that.

“You may have had a justification of thinking that the children were enjoying it, but now rightly accept that’s not the position.

“The difficulty here is we are faced with the usual conflict and tension between prison and a sentence that’s likely to be constructive and long-lasting.”

February 2016

Pervert caught with indecent images & movies of children

A Hatfield man who was arrested on suspicion of looking at indecent images of children told the police he was into naturism

David Kemp, 34, of Northdown Road, said: “There is a lot of naturism and porn, but no children.”

But prosecutor Nigel Ogborne told Luton Crown Court on Monday that when the police examined his computer equipment they found 206 illegal child images and 46 illegal child movies at Category A, the most serious level.

There were 247 images and 102 movies at Category B, and 1,409 images and 16 movies at Category C, the lowest level.

Kemp had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three charges of possessing indecent images of children.

Judge Barbara Mensah said the images were vile but passed a three-year community order with a Sexual Offences Treatment Programme.

He must register as a Sex Offender for five years and abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, also for five years, and pay £455 costs.

February 2016

Perverted father and son had indecent images of children at their home

A father and son had indecent images of children at their Hawick home.

Sixty-eight-year-old Dennis Barnes and his 27-year-old son, Stuart, both of Crailing Court, Hawick, appeared on indictment and admitted possession of indecent images of children at their home between May 1, 2014 and May 13 last year.

Stuart Barnes, who was jailed for 11 months and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years, also admitted taking or permitting to be taken, indecent photos of children.

His father, Dennis, was sentenced to a three-year Community Payback Order, with supervision, and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.

Sheriff Peter Paterson described the offence as “an odd and worrying case”.

“We have a father and son on the same complaint, with separate and deviant interests,” he added.

Having sentenced Dennis Barnes, he remanded his son, Stuart, in custody over lunch to consider his disposal.

Stuart Barnes, a first offender, was found with over 1,000 images.

“I accept there was no distribution, but the particular nature of some of these images is troubling,” concluded Sheriff Paterson.

February 2016

Roadsweeper jailed for indecent images of children

A former council road sweeper has been jailed for 12 months after he was found to have 161 indecent images of children on his laptop computer.

John Bull prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court officers executed a search warrant at the Newsome home of Harold Hayden on June 28 last year and seized his laptop.

Investigation showed of the images found, 86 were Category A, the most serious involving abuse of children as young as three.

The court heard Hayden also had a previous conviction in 1997 for sexual assault of a girl under 16 for which he was jailed for two years.

Zara Begum representing Hayden said he had not been able to work because of ill health for some time and now faced losing his job if locked up. He had expressed remorse for his actions.

Hayden, 57 of Falcon Street, Newsome, admitted six charges of making indecent images.

Jailing him Judge Tom Bayliss QC said: “Those who download, as you did, these indecent images promulgate the sexual abuse of children. You create a market for doing it.”

He said he accepted his last court appearance was in 2001 for assault but added: “Of concern to me is that in 1997 when you were aged 38 you were sent to prison for sexual assault on a female under 16. There was a significant disparity in the age between you and your victim on that occasion.

“I accept that was committed 19 years ago but it means in the past you have shown yourself to have paedophiliac tendencies and put them into practice.”

Judge Bayliss said the images in the current case depicted children some as young as two or three and including some moving images.

While a pre-sentence report suggest the probation service could work with him: “I take the view in light of the fact it is not the first time you have offended against children there has to be a prison sentence.”