March 2016

Man sent images to young girls asking them to rate his penis size

A 25-year-old Montrose man sent pictures of his penis to girls as young as nine and asked them if they thought it was small, a court has heard.

Michael Grimes admitted sending photographs of his genitals to three girls he did not know using Facebook, as well as inappropriate sexual messages to girls under the age of 16.

The youngest victim was just nine when she started receiving private messages from him, who she did not know, Dundee Sheriff Court heard.

Depute fiscal Donna Brown said: “He sent three separate images of his penis to her. He asked her if she thought his penis was small. She told her mother, who contacted police.”

The court heard how Grimes sent the private messages after the girl accepted his friend request on Facebook.

A search of his home had revealed pictures on his laptop and his mobile phone, as well as the pair of pink boxer shorts he had been wearing in some of the indecent pictures.

In another incident, Grimes met up with a 14-year-old girl at his home after saying he would give her cigarettes, but the victim left when she “got freaked out” by him.

The court heard Grimes asked the girl to send pictures of herself over Facebook, which she refused to do, but he sent her four or five pictures of his penis to her.

Grimes, of St John’s Place, Montrose, admitted using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards a 14-year-old girl between March 2011 and October 2012.

He also admitted sending written sexual communications and pictures of his penis to another 14-year-old girl between April 2012 and April 2014.

A further charge related to a nine-year-old girl who Grimes caused to look at sexual images by sending a picture of his penis over social media in March 2015.

Grimes is currently subject to the notification requirements of the sex offenders register, which he already breached by his latest Facebook communication with the nine-year-old.

He was granted bail while social work reports are prepared and will appear again on April 18.

March 2016

Ex-firefighter jailed for sex attack on girl, 15, in caravan

A RETIRED firefighter has been jailed for carrying out a “terrifying sex attack” on a girl in a caravan.

Christopher Hopkins, a former firefighter, fondled the victim inappropriately when she was just 15 years old.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said of the sexual assault carried out in the mid-1980s: “He just carried on as normal. My life as a young person was changed and continues to be changed to this day.”

Preston Crown Court heard how Hopkins, aged 55, of Tower Court, Chapeltown, attacked the woman when she was asleep in a caravan at Windy Harbour Caravan Park in Blackpool, Lancashire.

The victim said in an impact statement she read to the court that she woke to find Hopkins touching her inside her pyjamas.

Shaking as she read, she said: “I have suffered from anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts in my 20s.

“I can’t remember my teenage years. I have had serious trust issues with men. Even now I have similar thoughts and feelings with men in general.

“I still have flashbacks. I have had counselling sessions to learn coping mechanisms to deal with this.

“I am still unable to go to Blackpool or stay in a caravan for a period of time.

“I have difficulty sleeping in certain positions.

“Perhaps the biggest thing is the effect it has had on my relationships in my family. I have felt isolated from them.

“As I was being assaulted I was absolutely terrified. I have never been so terrified before or since.

“He had no respect for me. He just did what he wanted to do, so much so that I don’t think he even felt guilty the next day.”

Following the attack Hopkins was confronted by members of the woman’s family but denied the allegations.

In October last year – after counselling – the woman made a complaint to Lancashire Police, who launched an investigation.

Hopkins was arrested in December and told police the woman had “an axe to grind”.

However he later requested a second interview where he admitted he had indecently assaulted her — saying he it was “a drunken moment of madness” but that it was no excuse.

The court heard Hopkins, previously of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, served as a firefighter for 30 years and was well regarded in the community.

Hopkins was convicted of two counts of indecent assault on a female at Blackpool Magistrates’ Court on January 27.

Judge Jacqueline Beech sentenced the 55-year-old to six months in jail.

She told him: “If you had admitted your offending at that stage this matter would have been dealt with 30 years ago.

“The delay in cases such as this can not and does not reduce the sentence.

“You could have admitted these offences at any stage. This was not a case where you were immature at the time.

“You were 24 and knew exactly what you were doing as the adult in respect of a 15 year old girl.

“This is a graphic account of how sexual offences blight the lives of victims.”

March 2016

Kent man downloaded and distributed child sex images

AN OTFORD barman who downloaded extreme animal pornography and distributed indecent images of children, has pleaded guilty to 11 charges.

Twenty-one-year-old Liam Shorter, of Willow Park, appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The charges, including possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying an act of intercourse with a live dog, possessing indecent images of children, possessing movie clips of children and distributing images, ranged in severity from category A, the most severe, to category C.

All offences relate to July 7 last year. The images were split between an iPad and Dell laptop computer.

Chairman of the bench, Nicholas Woolger, said: “There is a possibility that this could be dealt with by way of a suspended sentence.”

Shorter’s case was referred to Maidstone Crown Court.

A date for the sentencing is yet to be set.

March 2016

Angus rugby coach on sex offenders register for asking 13-year-old girl to send him pictures

An Angus rugby coach who asked a 13-year-old girl to send him online pictures of herself in a series of sexually suggestive messages has been placed on the sex offenders register.

Scott Smith was snared after police found dozens of incriminating messages on his mobile phone and will be sentenced next month for an offence which has left his coaching career in tatters.

The 21-year-old, from Montrose, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court where he admitted a charge under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 of intentionally sending sexual written communication to the girl between January 1 and February 15 2014 containing material of a sexual nature and requesting that she sends photographs of herself.

An element of the charge alleging that Smith had asked the schoolgirl to include photographs of her wearing underwear was deleted as part of the guilty plea accepted by the Crown.

Mitigation in the case was reserved until the accused appears back in court on April 14 following the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.

Sheriff Murray placed Smith on the Sex Offenders Register, with the period of registration to be determined at sentencing.

March 2016

Man admits searching web for child abuse images

A 52-year-old man has been given a two-year jail sentence for downloading images of child sex abuse.

Jeffrey Baldwin trawled the internet for depraved photos and videos, York Crown Court heard.

Police raided his home in Scarborough and seized a computer tower containing 32 vile images, nearly half of which were rated Category A – the most serious kind.

Baldwin, of Nelson Street, was arrested following the police raid at his former home in Rothbury Street on August 30 last year.

He was charged with three counts of possessing indecent images and two of distributing the vile material between the summer of 2014 and July 2015.

He appeared for sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to all the offences.

Kirstie Watson, prosecuting, told the court that Baldwin had a particular interest in teenage girls but the images featured children across the age spectrum.

She said he had used “peer-to-peer” websites to share files with other paedophiles.

Some of the images involved teenage girls engaging in sex acts with each other.

Ms Watson added that Baldwin had used “cleaning” software in an attempt to hide his browsing history as he scoured the dark web.

Baldwin falsely claimed he had accidentally come across the images while searching for other types of porn.

His solicitor advocate David Camidge said Baldwin’s offending began after he turned to drink following the collapse of his marriage.

But Judge Paul Batty QC described the offences as “revolting” and dismissed Baldwin’s excuses as “frankly risible”.

“It’s perfectly obvious that the search terms you were using indicated a deep-seated obsession with this type of material,” added Mr Batty.

As well as the jail sentence, Baldwin was put on the sex-offenders’ register for seven years and made subject to a sexual-harm prevention order, which will restrict his internet activities and prevent him deleting his search history.

March 2016: Now living in Stockton/Norton

October 2010

Pervert spared jail after assault

A PERVERT carried out a sex attack on a woman after creeping into her home just 12 months after a judge ruled he should be closely watched.

Deano Westall, 32, had already sexually assaulted a young girl in 2007 before he appeared in court in January last year over his behaviour towards a family with children.

He was slapped with a sexual offences prevention order in a bid to curb his perversions.

But just a year later he carried out an assault on a woman who spurned his advances and once again has been allowed to walk free.

Teesside Crown Court heard the latest offence happened when Westall turned up at the woman’s house out of the blue and expressed his love for her.

The court heard Westall had asked the victim out on a date a few days earlier, but she declined.

However, he went to her house, knocked on the door and went inside without being invited.

Richard Bennett, prosecuting, said: “He walked through the hallway into the living room and said to her ‘I’m sorry to disturb you’.

“He had prepared a speech and went on to say he loved her and wanted to make love to her.

“She was nervous and asked him to leave.”

As the woman walked him to the front door, Westall put his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.

He then put his hand inside her trousers, touching her thighs.

She grabbed his arms and pushed him out of the door.

Westall kept going back to the house over the following days when the victim pretended not to be in.

Eventually, a neighbour reported his behaviour to police, leading to Westall’s arrest.

He admitted sexual assault when he was due to stand trial last month.

Westall was given a suspended sentence in 2007 for sexually assaulting a girl under 13.

He was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual offences prevention order in January last year because of concern about his behaviour towards a family with young children.

Westall, of Everett Street, Hartlepool, was given a three-year supervision order that will see him attend a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

Judge Peter Bowers said: “Your behaviour towards her was both worrying and obsessive because you were obviously fixated by her and expressed your love for her even though she had given you little encouragement.”

January 2007

Child sex pest flees vigilantes

Vigilantes carried out a revenge attack on a man who admitted sexually assaulting a child while he was drunk.

Magistrates at Bedlington Law Courts were told that former care worker Deano Westall fled Newbiggin-by-the-Sea to live in a hostel in Sunderland.

Sarah O’Neil, prosecuting, said Westall, 28, stopped an 11-year-old in the village on September 27 last year. He asked her for a cuddle, stroked her hair, and asked if she wanted to go to a pizza shop with him before asking her for sex.

When a woman came out of a nearby house and asked Westall what he was doing he said he had been having a joke and was missing his own children who live away.

Other witnesses had previously seen Westall standing naked in front of a window inside his home in full view of children walking past.

After Westall had been attacked he was interviewed by police and said he could remember nothing of the conversation with the 11-year-old, because he had drunk six litres of cider.

John Monkhouse, defending, said Westall had already experienced some “on the spot” retribution for his comments to the girl. “He has had a bit of rough justice already,” Mr Monkhouse told magistrates.

“He was given a seriously good hiding by local residents, who seem to think vigilante treatment is proper in the Newbiggin area.”

He added: “It got so bad the defendant had to leave town and live in a hostel in Sunderland.”

Westall was remanded in custody on December 13 when magistrates asked for a probation report to help them decide what sentence to impose.

Earlier this month they were told a Northumbria probation officer travelled to Holme House jail in Stockton after making an appointment to see Westall there.

But the prison did not produce him for the meeting and the probation officer was sent away after a fruitless wait. The pre-sentence report that was eventually prepared was handed to magistrates yesterday, but after reading it they decided it, too, was flawed.

They said it still left a number of important questions unanswered and called for a second, more thorough, report.

Westall was remanded in custody until January 30, for the second pre-sentence report.

March 2016

Gillingham FC’s former head chef claims teen sex assaults were ‘banter’

A man who repeatedly molested a teenage boy claiming it was “banter” has been spared a jail sentence.

Glynn Coomber, a former catering boss at Gillingham FC, was told by a judge it was “bullying and overbearing behaviour”, but he suspended a six-month sentence for 18 months.

Coomber, of Admiralty Terrace, Upnor, will be under supervision for a year and have to complete 220 hours unpaid work.

The 37-year-old father, who once ran his own restaurant and was a former head chef at the Jazz Bar in Maidstone, denied four charges of sexual assault.

He was convicted of three offences and acquitted of the other.

Coomber agreed he did not behave properly towards the victim but denied groping him in any way.

Maidstone Crown Court heard last month how the boy became distressed about Coomber touching his genitals and bottom and he told his mother.

Prosecutor Daniel Stephenson said Coomber sexually harassed the victim and assaulted him on several occasions.

When arrested, he said he might have touched the boy’s bottom accidentally and made comments in jest.

Peter Marshall, defending, said there had been a serious impact on Coomber and his family. He had lost his job at the club and had only worked occasionally since.

The offences involved immature behaviour, banter and a “laddish culture”.

Judge Julian Smith said he was prepared to accept there was no sexual motive in the offences.

“This was not predatory behaviour but rather a sexual joke which was intended to belittle, unsettle and bully him,” he continued.

“You still maintain this was a type of banter. You still try to justify or excuse your behaviour. There is no place for bullying. It was persistent, offensive and disgraceful.”

Coomber, whose name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for seven years, was ordered to pay £600 costs and an £80 statutory surcharge.

March 2016

Sex offender gets 10 years for ‘appalling’ abuse of girl

A MAN who regularly sexually abused a young girl has been jailed for ten years.

Albert Clough, 62, made “inappropriate comments” to the girl before sexually abusing her, which became progressively more serious.

Clough, of Withernsea Road, Hollym, denied any wrongdoing or having a sexual interest in her, but was convicted of ten sex offences against her following a trial at Hull Crown Court.

A jury of nine women and three men found Clough guilty by unanimous verdict of indecent assault, and by majority verdicts of 11 to one of three other indecent assaults, three counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, sexual assault of a child under 13, and two other child sex offences.

He was unanimously acquitted of three charges of attempted rape.

His victim, who was aged between 11 and 13, said she felt he had given her a “life sentence”.

Some jurors wept as she gave evidence during the trial.

Clough must serve at least two thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for release by the parole board.

He will be subject to an extended licence period of one year, and must sign the sex offenders register for life.

For more on this case, click this link 

March 2016

Paedophile caught with thousands of indecent images handed community order

A paedophile who was caught with more than 13,000 indecent images of children has been handed a two-year community order.

Fergus Casbon-Belson, of Mereland Road, Didcot, admitted four counts of making indecent photographs of a child between June 1, 2012 and May 13, 2015.

He was also made subject to a five-year sexual offences prevention order prohibiting him from using any device to access the Internet unless police software has been installed.

Sentencing at Oxford Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Deputy District Judge Jacobs said Casbon-Belson was a hard-working man but engaged in “repulsive” activity and viewed indecent images featuring children as young as four.

He added: “In your favour is the fact that you made full and early admissions to the police, even before the police had evidence in a proper form to put to you in an interview where many others would have made no comment or told the police to prove it.

“Also in your favour is that you are a man of no previous convictions or cautions and this is the first, and no doubt the last, appearance.”

Prosecutor Ann Sawyer-Brandish said officers searched Casbon-Belson’s home and found the indecent images on his red HP laptop and Dynamode hard drive.

She said he admitted looking at the images on a “fairly notorious” website for about a year but officers did not find any evidence of him sharing or distributing the material.

Kate Macnab, defending, said Casbon-Belson had been supported by his family after being charged for his offending.

Casbon-Belson, who must sign the sex offenders register, was also made subject to a rehabilitation activity requirement, a 43-day internet sex offenders treatment programme and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the laptop and hard drive.

March 2016

Pervert caught with indecent images of children

SEX offender Stuart Colley downloaded indecent images of children on his phone.

The 43-year-old use search terms such as ‘teen porn’ and ‘young young young’ and had six indecent images of children on his mobile. The youngest child was aged three.

Colley also failed to complete his annual registration of the sex offenders’ register.

Now he has been handed a suspended jail sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Robert Smith said Colley was subject to regular monitoring by the public protection unit. He had been made the subject of a civil Sexual Offences Prevention Order in January 2012.

Mr Smith said: “During a visit in October 2, he was asked about internet use and the use of pornographic material.

“His phone was looked at. There was an examination of the history of internet use which showed searches including ‘teen porn’ and ‘young young young’.

“There were six indecent images on his phone at category B. The youngest child was three years old.

“The defendant was due to complete his annual registration by December 3. He failed to do so.”

Colley, of Snow Hill, Shelton, pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children and failing to comply with the sex offenders’ register.

Judge Paul Glenn sentenced him to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 60 days and a programme to address his sex offending for 80 days.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for seven years and was barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Judge Glenn said: “You are socially isolated. There is more to be gained by trying to sort you out than punish you.”

March 2016

Pool pervert touched children’s bottoms at Dumfries pool

A 63-year-old man has been found guilty of three charges of sexually assaulting youngsters at a Dumfries swimming pool.

Kenneth Starks swam towards the children and touched them – two on the buttocks and one on the stomach – at the DG One leisure centre .

Starks, of Manse Gardens, Strachur, Argyll and Bute, who was on trial at Dumfries Sheriff Court , had maintained a plea of not guilty to the sexual assault allegations as well as a breach of the peace charge.

But he was found guilty of the offences which took place in March, May and September 2014.

Starks was also convicted of a breach of the peace charge by conducting himself in a disorderly manner between March and September of that year.

The court heard that staff at the pool had been alerted to “out of the ordinary” behaviour by Starks.

In evidence, DG One employees told the court that it had been decided they should keep an eye on him.

One described how he had seen Starks change direction in the water, put out his arm and touch a youngster on the buttocks.

The breach of the peace charge related to Starks watching youngsters and walking around in the changing area while children were present when it wasn’t necessary for him to do so.

It was also stated that he stood as if using an empty locker in order to be close to children and watched for youngsters going to the toilets and then followed them in.

One member of staff told the court that one afternoon she had seen Starks following children into the toilets as each swimming lesson finished every 15 minutes and wondered if there was something wrong with his bladder.

A solicitor for Starks pointed out that no one gave evidence of concern at Starks’ behaviour other than employees and no children gave evidence.

The court heard that Starks felt persecuted by staff at the centre.

But Sheriff Brian Mohan said he was satisfied from the evidence that the events had taken place.

He called for background reports and deferred sentence to May 4 and placed Starks on the sex offenders’ register.

March 2016

Convicted paedophile had 15,000 Skype chat-logs with young girls

A convicted sex-offender from Dungannon previously jailed for having a huge stash of indecent images of children has appeared in court after breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). 

In evidence from police, the court was told Cathal Francis Hughes (60) of Beechvalley sees himself as “protector” of young girls, and does not feel he has done anything wrong.

He is accused of breaching the SOPO by contacting girls aged between 10 and 15 by internet connection whilst banned from owning a computer. 

The contact is alleged to have been ongoing from 1 September last year until his arrest on Monday (21).

A detective told Dungannon Magistrates Court he conducted a search of Hughes home in relation to a computer seized during a previous bail breach which has since been analysed.

It was found to contain 15,000 Skype chat-logs and some 60 contacts, “the majority if not all are girls.”

It also emerged Hughes had – with the knowledge of his designated risk manager – travelled on holiday to Manchester.

However he admitted during interview he intended to make his way to a park where he knew girls from his chat-logs congregated.

“His claimed his intention was to take the girls to Social Services, and he sees himself as a “protector”

Some of the chat-logs were said to be “highly sexual in content.”

The detective added after being charged with using internet communication with a girl, Hughes replied, “I did not think I was doing anything wrong. I knew she had been sexually abused over a few years and I reported it.”

Objecting to bail, the detective said if released, Hughes would be a serious risk to young girls.

There was a short defence submission seeking bail, but District Judge John Meehan firmly rejected any question of release.

He said; “On what is before me this is very serious and concerning evidence.

“The defendant presents as a highly predatory, highly abuse, highly manipulative individual.

“There is evidence of highly sexualised content with pubescent girls. There is far, far too much of a risk.

“The trip to Manchester, under the guise of a three day holiday with designated risk manager notification was in fact to track down girls.”

In June 2014 Hughes was convicted on 22 counts of possessing indecent images of children as well as a further five charges of taking or making indecent images of children.

The offences occurred between 2008 and 2013.

Hughes was remanded in custody to reappear next month.

March 2016

10,000 indecent images of children found on student’s computer

Police discovered more than 10,000 indecent images and movies on computers owned by a Rastrick student.

Officers searched the home of Alex Garth on June 30, 2014 after receiving intelligence that he was downloading such images.

Robert Galley prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court five computer devices were seized and the vast majority of the 10,360 images and movies recovered were found on memory sticks.

Of those 50 images and nine movies were at category A the most serious, 103 images and two movies at category B and 10,167 images and nine movies were at Category C. Many showed babies.

Mr Galley said some were thumbnails not immediately accessible or recoverable but had been viewed at some point and others were in the recycling bin.

He said nothing had previously been recorded against Garth but because officers understood he had “a role in the scouting movement” the Scout Association had been informed and the barring service would take action automatically.

Garth, 21 of Holly Bank Road, Rastrick, admitted four charges of making indecent images or movies and was given a three-year community order with an activity requirement of up to 60 days including the sex offender treatment programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.

Judge Christopher Batty said he could have imposed a short prison sentence but that would mean Garth’s release within months without any work being done with him, when the importance for society was to prevent him acting in such a way again.

“The problem with people like you who look for these images and look at these images is that you are the market place. People like you are the reason why youngsters are abused in these horrific ways for your sexual gratification.

“If people did not want them the kids would not have to go through it, that’s what makes what you have done so serious. If probation can work with you to look at why you committed these offences there is a much greater chance you won’t do something like this again in which case the public are protected.”

He agreed the computer equipment could be destroyed but allowed 56 days for contact by Garth’s solicitors to recover any university work stored on them for him if it has not already been done so.

March 2016

Woman jailed for grooming & sexual activity with schoolboy

March 2016

Perverted theology professor escapes prison sentence

A theology professor avoided a prison sentence after indecent images of children were found stored on his domestic computer equipment.

But the discovery of the 165 images of young boys in a police raid at the home of Professor Charles Thomas Robert Hayward, led to the loss of the esteemed academic’s good character.

The 68-year-old bachelor was arrested after police visited his home in Neville’s Cross, Durham, last January.

March 2016

Pervert caught with child sexual abuse images

A MAN who had scores of illegal child sexual abuse images on his laptop has been spared an immediate prison sentence. 

Ian Chambers, 67, was caught out by police officers who raided his South Cumbria home and seized computer equipment.

Almost 200 illegal still images were found on a laptop, and 40 indecent movies were recovered from an external hard drive

Some of the pictures in Chambers’ possession were classed in category A – the most serious. A number of the children depicted were estimated to be aged as young as five.

Chambers admitted 10 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. The offences were committed between 2005 and 2014.

He was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today.

Judge Barbara Forrester gave Chambers an eight-month jail sentence which was suspended for two years. He will undergo 24 months’ supervision and complete one-to-one group work.

In addition, Chambers, of Jack Hill, Allithwaite, Grange-over-Sands, must sign the sex offenders’ register and is subject to the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for the next 10 years.

March 2016

Paedophile used child sexual abuse images as screensaver

A 43-year-old paedophile was so hooked on child porn that he used it as his phone screensaver, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Shane Lawrence was caught when a woman friend checked his phone for Facebook messages because he and his partner were arguing.

Lawrence, of Mount Grove, Eccleshill, Bradford, pleaded guilty to six offences of possession of indecent images of children, on or before April 25 last year.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron said he was living at an address in Lynwood Avenue, Shipley, when he was arrested.

The police discovered 1,626 indecent photos of children and 168 child sexual abuse videos on his laptop computer.

There were 71 indecent images of children on his phone and the screensaver was a photo of two children performing oral sex, Mr Hendron said.

The images were a mixture of Category A, the most serious, to Category C.

Lawrence told the police he had been looking at pornography for 15 years and had become obsessed with indecent images of children.

He had no convictions for similar offences.

In mitigation the court heard that Lawrence had been sacked from his job as a result of the court proceedings.

His partner was standing by him and he was addressing problems with alcohol.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, sentenced Lawrence to a three year community order, with a rehabilitation requirement, and a six month alcohol treatment requirement.

The judge made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered Lawrence to sign on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

March 2016

Pervert pleads guilty to child sex offences

A 25-YEAR-OLD man has pleaded guilty to child sex offences.

Ian Barclay, of Copes Way, Uttoxeter, pleaded guilty to inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

He will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on April 18, after a report is prepared on him by a probation officer. His bail was extended.

March 2016

Paedophile pensioner jailed

A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for a number of sexual offence against children.

Richard Bosworth, 71, of Beaumaris Road, Sawtry, was investigated following reports of historical sexual assault made in February last year (2015).

He pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault against two girls under the age of 13, between 1999 and 2010, at Peterborough Crown Court earlier this month (March 2).

He was sentenced today (March 23) at Peterborough Crown Court to nine years in prison and was made subject of a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

March 2016

 Man admits two child sex abuse charges

A CASTLE Cary man has admitted two counts of indecent assault relating to historic allegations of child sex abuse.

Robin Thomas, 59 of Remelard Court, pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assaults involving a boy under the age of 14 on Monday (March 21) at Taunton Crown Court.

Thomas denied a third charge of one count of gross indecency.

The case has been adjourned for a four day trial at an undecided date.

Thomas has been released on unconditional bail. He will next appear in court on May 16 for a further plea and case management hearing.