April 2016

Malmesbury pensioner spared jail after searching for pictures of child abuse

A PENSIONER who downloaded thousands of indecent images of children has been spared a jail term.

Stephen Redway searched online for pictures of child abuse for more than six years before his arrest.

But after hearing the 69-year-old was ashamed of what he had done and was prepared to undergo courses to address his offending, a judge imposed a community order.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how police executed a search warrant at his home in December 2013 and when checking his computer, found 2,263 images of child abuse, 69 of which were in the most serious category.

He said while one was in the recycle bin, the vast majority were in the caches section meaning they had been viewed online and not downloaded or saved.

“The search history revealed the usual searches for child abuse images, the well known search terms,” he said.

When he was questioned he accepted what he had been doing and tried to suggest he wasn’t aware of the age of some of the subjects.

“Initially he tried to persuade the police it was difficult to tell the ages of people in pornographic images.

“It was pointed out that the majority were clearly underage, prepubescent, children. He didn’t have an answer for that.”

Redway, of Rodbourne, Malmesbury, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and having prohibited images and extreme pornography.

Charley Pattison, defending, said that her client was wracked with ‘shame and remorse’ over what he had done.

“Mr Redway was open and honest with the probation service. He has acknowledged he needs help with the problems that he has.

“It seems from the probation report that they see Mr Redway as someone they can work with.”

Judge Peter Blair QC imposed an 18 month community order and told him he must do supervision and complete a Maps For Change Programme, register as a sex offender for five years, and pay costs of £350 and a £60 surcharge.

April 2016

Jail for man who tried to meet 13-year old for sex on chatroom

A man in his 50s who attempted to arrange to meet a 13-year-old girl for sex has been jailed today

Colin Barber, 52, of Mansfield Road, Blidworth, admitted at a previous court appearance a charge of attempting to meet a child for sexual activity, along with three counts of possessing indecent images of children. Today he was jailed for three years.

The court heard Barber was involved in a lengthy text message conversation which lasted a number of weeks with a girl he believed was aged 13. However, the messages were actually a specially trained police officer.

Officers had begun a proactive operation after intelligence was provided indicating Barber was attempting to groom children online.

In the course of the conversation, Barber persistently pressed the “girl” to agree to a time and date they could meet up to have sex.

On one occasion he wrote: “we go to some woods do it you can never tell anybody.”Barber’s messages left no doubt he was well aware the girl was underage. On another occasion he wrote: “You OK to sex? I am 50 you are 13.”

Barber was arrested in Lincolnshire on 15 December 2015. He gave no comment responses in interview but admitted the offence in court.

April 2016

Child abuser jailed for four-and-a-half years

A Dundee man who carried out a series of violent and sexual offences against children has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Stewart King subjected three children to physical abuse before going on to sexually assault two girls.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard how King’s first victim, who came forward via Facebook, had been attacked on various occasions between 2005 and 2006.

King, 56, was convicted following a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court.

A jury heard that King repeatedly launched violent attacks on three young children over the course of almost four years, between July 2010 and March 2014.

King, from Dundee, had denied three charges of assault to injury, one under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act and one of indecent assault.

A jury found Stewart King, of Forres Avenue, guilty of three child assault charges, engaging in sexual activity with a child and indecently assaulting a child.

King was found guilty after trial of assaulting three youngsters on various occasions between 2010 and 2014, at a property in Dundee.

He assaulted one child on various occasions by punching the child on the head and body and throwing objects at the youngster.

King further assaulted a second child on various occasions by punching and kicking the child on the head and body and kicking the child on the legs, all to the child’s injury.

He further assaulted a third child on various occasions by seizing hold of the child by the clothing, lifting the child off the ground, pushing the child against a wall, punching the child on the head and body and kicking the child on the legs, all to the child’s injury.

He also engaged in sexual activity with a child, on various occasions between 2013 and 2014, also at a property in Dundee.

And he indecently assaulted a fourth child, on various occasions between 2005 and 2006, at a property in Dundee.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC jailed King and placed him on the sex offenders register for life.

She said: “You have been convicted by the jury of five charges, serious charges of sexual and violent offences against children.

“These are very serious charges and they warrant custody, and that’s the only appropriate sentence.”

April 2016

Voyeur who secretly filmed people having sex in their own homes

A man who used a camcorder to secretly film residents having sex, showering and getting changed in their own homes has been jailed.

Carl Green (43) of St Hughes Close, Eastfield, Peterborough, was found with 35 clips of unsuspecting householders when police searched his home last year.

Green, a factory worker, was also found with a number of indecent images of children on two computers and two phones.

Green was jailed for six months by Judge Sean Enright at Peterborough Crown Court.

Sally Hobson, prosecuting, said police had searched Green’s house after information about indecent images being shared via email had been reported.

In total, they found 37 images on the devices.

They also found the camcorder and cassettes, with the clips dating back to an 18 month period between 2006 and 2008.

Miss Hobson said: “The defendant was interviewed, and he initially denied the offences.

“However, he entered guilty pleas at court.”

The court was told the residents who were filmed by Green have since learned about his actions – but were unaware until police contacted them following the discovery of the tapes.

Sarah Acres, defending said: “He is not the brightest man – he has limited social skills, and is at the lower end of the intelligence spectrum.

“He is a man of good character who has struggled to come to terms with his offending. He is a remorseful man.”

However, despite Miss Acre’s pleas for Green to get a community sentence, Judge Enright said he had no option but to send him to prison.

Green had pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, four counts of making indecent images of children and three counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Along with the jail term, a sexual harm prevention order was imposed, to last for seven years, and the phones and computers were ordered to be forfeited and destroyed.

April 2016

Thousands of indecent child images found on man’s computer

A WREXHAM man who rarely left his house and spent most, “if not all”, of his time watching films on his computer has been jailed for making and possessing indecent images of children.

Judge Rhys Rowlands, sitting at Mold Crown Court, told Michael Shaun Slawson, 30, that the sheer volume of the most serious category of images meant it had to be immediate custody.

Slawson, said to lead a very lonely life and who lived at home with his parents at Hill Court in Hightown, Wrexham, was jailed for 10 months.

He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years and a

10-year sexual harm prevention order was made to curb his future activities.

The judge said there were more than 3,000 category A images and films, which made it a serious matter.

“You may have believed you were removed from what was happening to those children many thousands of miles away,” he added.

“But you appreciate that were it not for the likes of you seeking out these images, the children would not be put through these appalling experiences.”

Slawson admitted a total of eight charges – six of making indecent images and films and two charges of possessing 9,886 indecent images and 63 indecent movies.

Prosecutor David Mainstone said police executed a search warrant at Slawson’s home last June.

The defendant immediately admitted that he had downloaded illegal material.

Interviewed, he said he downloaded and looking at them.

A mobile phone, a hard drive, a computer tower and a Dell computer were examined and more than 10,000 images and films were discovered.

Re-interviewed, Slawson said he was surprised at the high volume but accepted he had been responsible.

The court was told 340 of them were accessible to him at the time. The others had been deleted.

Ceri Evans, defending, said that her client was a man of good character who had been very open and honest with the police from the start.

They were for his own use, there was no distribution or commercial element.

Slawson was an only child who had left a rather lonely life.

He had a history of psychological and physical assault which had an effect upon him.

“He rarely leaves the house. He spends the vast majority, if not all of his time, on his computer watching films,” Miss Evans explained.

He had a limited social life and little interaction with others.

The defendant was genuinely motivated to change and was willing to address his offending behaviour which had developed over a period of time.

He regretted his actions and had shown remorse.

The judge said that the difficulty in his case was there were some 3,000 images and films at the worst category A.

“It is an awful lot,” he said.

He took into account his guilty pleas, his background, his good character and the fact that he had been leading a fairly isolated life which contributed to his behaviour.

Looking back in the cold light of day the defendant appreciated just how serious the matters against him were.

“There are a very large number of images – more than 3,000 at category A.

“That being the case, I am afraid that only an immediate custodial area can be justified,” he said.

April 2016

Pervert caught with indecent images of children helped “evil trade”

A PERVERT was caught with hundreds of indecent images of children after he signed up to an illicit website.

Charles Waters downloaded the images and movies featuring child abuse from the website, which he had found on the ‘hidden internet’.

Waters, 49, was caught after Police Scotland’s Cyber Crime Unit received details of his online activities and, after they searched his home for computer equipment, he quickly admitted his guilt.

Many of the child ABUSE images found on Waters’ computer and phone were at the most serious end of the spectrum.

Sheriff Kenneth Maciver slammed Waters for aiding the “evil trade” of child abuse and sentenced him to three years of supervision.

Waters, of Whitecraig, was also placed on the sex offenders register for the same term during last Tuesday’s appearance at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Previously, the court heard that police officers arrived to search Waters’ home at about 7am on April 13 last year and were met at the door by his unsuspecting partner.

Depute fiscal Anthony Steele said: “The locus is the home address of the accused. In March 2015, the cyber-crime unit received intelligence that a person residing there had viewed or downloaded indecent pictures of children.

“These images were accessed by the internet and included first generation Category A indecent images of children which were uploaded to a website.

“To view these images, the user had to be a member of the website.”

Mr Steele added that police discovered 183 movies and 24 still images of child pornography on Waters’ electronic devices.

Defending solicitor Rebecca Weissgerber said that her client maintained he had “not actively searched” for the indecent images but had found them by accident while viewing adult pornography sites before downloading them.

Ms Weissgerber said that at the time, the former electrical engineer had been binge drinking and using the internet up to 10 hours a day following a spinal injury that left him confined to his home.

The solicitor added: “He is aware real-life abuse takes place in order for these images to be produced.”

Sheriff Maciver said: “People abhor this type of offending, and for good reason.

“These are not simply images, not some constructed pictures to be viewed on your monitor, but they are films of actual children who are being sexually abused by adults.

“You were not buying it, I know, but people access it on the internet and pay for it and thus it is a trade – an evil trade.”

Waters admitted to taking or permitting to be taken indecent photographs of children at his home between October 7, 2014, and February 21 last year.

April 2016

Paedophile “beyond the pale” says judge

A MAN with hundreds of sexual films and pictures of children put him “beyond the pale”, a judge said as he jailed him.

Judge Peter Kelson QC was speaking after reading and hearing about the videos and pictures found on Wayne John Montgomerie’s home computers.

He said they included a two-hour film of a girl aged seven to nine being sexually abused and a 47-minute film of two men raping and sexually abusing a child aged seven to ten.

“These are coarse and gross,” the judge said of the 218 films and pictures in the most serious category. “You are beyond the pale. I cannot look to alternatives in this case.”

He jailed Montgomerie at York Crown Court for 12 months and made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order restricting his use of the internet for ten years. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Montgomerie, 47, of New Lane, Holgate, pleaded guilty to seven charges of having indecent images of children, one of having a prohibited image of a child and one of extreme pornography featuring an adult having sex with an animal

His barrister Glenn Parsons said Montgomerie had suffered from depression for many years. The illness had put him in hospital when he was a child and meant that he had had to have strong medication. He lived a “very lonely and isolated life”. He had sought escape by going into the “dark depths of the internet.”

David Hall, prosecuting, said police raided Montgomerie’s home and found two computers containing the 1,174 illegal images in the charges. In addition to the 218 in Category A, they included 61 in Category B and 852 in the lowest category, Category C. There were also 12 prohibited images and 31 extreme pornographic images. Some of them involved young children.

Mr Parsons urged the judge to delay sentence so that Montgomerie could put his affairs in order, as his solicitor had not warned him that he could be sentenced. He had expected the hearing to be an administrative affair.

But the judge warned that in the interests of greater efficiency, the courts are now less likely to adjourn cases for pre-sentence reports, even where the defendant has no previous convictions.

April 2016

Convicted paedophile from Egham to serve further nine years

A convicted “dangerous paedophile” from Egham has been sentenced to a further nine years behind bars for grooming and sexual offences against children.

Wayne Collins is already serving a four year prison sentence for sexual offences against a young girl from Surrey.

Now, evidence obtained during this original investigation revealed further offences – and the additional time behind bars.

It includes:

• •    Two counts of penetrative sexual activity against a 15-year-old boy from Hull in 2009

  •    One count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a 15-year-old boy from Manchester in 2015

  •    Two counts of grooming 

  •    Making indecent images of a 15-year-old boy in 2009

Collins admitted grooming, penetrative sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a 15-year-old from Manchester.

He also pleaded guilty to the possession of indecent images and making indecent images of a boy from Hull.

He was then found guilty of the remaining offences by a jury at Guildford Crown Court on February 9.

The court heard Collins had online contact with his teenage victims whom he groomed and met and engaged in sexual activity with.

He also took indecent images of one of the boys.

April 2016

Pervert jailed for 10 years for shocking abuse of young girl

April 2016

“Dangerous” and “prolific” Peterborough sex offender who posed “significant risk” jailed

A Peterborough sex offender who breached a number of orders has been jailed for four years.

Aaron Goosey, 36, of Sheepwalk, Paston was listed on the Sex Offenders Register and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order put in place to monitor his behaviour whilst in the community.

Officers had reason to believe he was in breach of the order and a warrant was executed at his home on February 2.

They discovered an iPad containing images of two young children he had taken without permission and a laptop hidden under his mattress.

Goosey was also found to be using Facebook and Twitter under false names.

He was charged with two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and one count of failing to comply with notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register.

Goosey pleaded guilty to all counts and was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Tuesday.

Detective Sergeant Amerjit Singh said: “Goosey had a prolific history of criminal offences, including possession of indecent images and exposure. He is a dangerous sex offender, who is a capable groomer and manipulator of vulnerable people. The judge clearly felt that Goosey posed a significant risk to the public and therefore gave a four year sentence.”

April 2016

Man jailed for 13 years for indecent assaults on young girl

A 62-year-old Ipswich man has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of six counts of indecent assault of a young girl.

Joseph Page, of Brecon Close, went on trial at Ipswich Crown Court in March and was found guilty of the offences, all against the same girl, on Friday 18 March.

He appeared at Ipswich Crown Court this morning, Thursday 7 April, for sentencing and was jailed for a total of 13 years.

The offences date back to the 1990s and came to light in July 2014 when the victim found the courage to contact police about what had happened.

She reported that she had been subject to sexual abuse by Page over a period of time when she was aged under 10.

Police immediately began an investigation and, after initial enquiries, Page was brought in for questioning. He denied having any sexual contact with the victim but when he was asked about why she may have made the allegations he gave a ‘no comment’ answer. 

Following further enquiries, Page was summonsed to appear at Ipswich Magistrates Court on 30 June 2015 to face the sexual abuse charges.

April 2016

Child rapist faces prison

A CHILD rapist is behind bars awaiting a long prison sentence after a jury today convicted him of a catalogue of terrifying sexual abuse against a young girl.

Paul Holt stood impassively in the dock at Bradford Crown Court this afternoon as guilty verdicts were returned on nine offences of rape of a child under 13 and two charges of sexual assault.

Holt, 31, of Whytecote End, Wyke, Bradford, was told by Judge Robert Bartfield that he will be sentenced on Friday morning.

April 2016

Lollipop man sentenced for possessing indecent images of children

A Forest Row lollipop man has been sentenced for possessing indecent images of children.

Paul Clevett, 47, of Castle Farm Cottages, Castlefields, Hartfield, appeared at Lewes Crown Court today having pleaded guilty to the charge at an earlier hearing on March 9. Initially, at a hearing on January 4, he had pleaded not guilty.

A search of his computer was made after police were informed Clevett was passing inappropriate Facebook messages to a schoolboy he knew from being a lollipop man.

April 2016

Man who repeatedly raped and sexually abused two primary school aged girls jailed

A Wirral man who repeatedly raped and sexually abused two primary school aged girls was jailed for 19 years.

Jason Rowlands was told by a judge that “the damage your predatory sexual selfishness has caused” had been “devastating” for his victims.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the sex offences took place when one girl was aged between five and eight and the other was aged between six and ten.

April 2016

TEACHING assistant at primary school found with indecent images of boys

A TEACHING assistant at a Derby primary school found with indecent images of boys has been banned from working with children for life.

Anthony Doohan’s former partner took his computer to the police after she came across the images and one movie of the most serious category, a court was told.

The 40-year-old, of Normanton, has now pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images of children.

Judge Jonathan Taaffe, handing Doohan a 44-week jail term, suspended for two years, said: “This is a very worrying and serious situation.

“You come across young people at your place of work, primarily those who have special needs, and you have deliberately searched for images of young boys in a sexual context for your own sexual gratification.

“This is not a victimless crime. If people do not view the disgusting and disgraceful images they would not be made.

“At the end of the day they are young boys in this footage and there is a market for it on the black web and the internet.

“You are an intelligent man, I have read positive references from your local priest and members of the Catholic church you are a member of.

“Clearly my concern is the protection of young members of the public and your probation report may say you are low risk of repeat offending but it does not sit comfortably with me that you are still viewing pornographic images.”

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court was told how Doohan had worked with autistic and special needs children at the school for 15 years.

The name of the school was not read out in court, but it is understood to be close to his home in Fleet Street, Normanton.

Peter Bettany, prosecuting, said the case came to light when Doohan’s former long-term partner took two of his computers to the police as she “believed there were images of young males” on them.

He said: “Analysis showed he had been browsing a particular Russian website of an indecent nature using the search term ‘boys’.

“The category A movie was of a boy aged 12 to 14 carrying our sexual acts.

“Other searches included the term ‘young Pakistani boy’.”

Mr Bettany said in police interview Doohan told them he had “an interest in naturism” and had looked at naturist websites before.

He said: “I will be asking for an order preventing him from working with children as the defendant has been working at a local school as a teaching assistant working with autistic and special needs children.”

Doohan pleaded guilty to two counts of making indecent images and must undergo 30 days rehabilitation.

He will also be on the sex offender’s register for seven years and was ordered to pay £85 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.

April 2016

Man raped and made a teenager pregnant and then raped her child

A paedophile who raped and made a teenager pregnant and then went on to rape the child she gave birth to was jailed for 20 years.

Gordon Dean, 79, repeatedly raped, sexually abused and assaulted his first victim when she was aged between 13 and 20.

Liverpool Crown Court heard she fell pregnant with his child and after the girl was born, he went on to rape and sexually abuse her from the age of eight to 12.

The OAP, of Chilcott Road, Knotty Ash, denied any wrongdoing and only admitted his crimes in the face of irrefutable DNA evidence.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: “You are a domineering, controlling, deviant and depraved man. You are a predatory paedophile.

“How does any person ever come to terms with the fact firstly that they came into this world as a result of their mother being raped by you?

“How does anyone ever come to terms with thereafter the fact you raped that very person?”

The judge said “perverted” Dean chillingly told both his rape victims that he intended to “break them in”.

He added: “You took away their virginity, you took away their innocence, you took away much of their lives.

“You have scarred both of them emotionally and psychologically.”

The court heard Dean also punched his first victim and warned her “bad things would happen” if she told anyone.

Frank Dillon, prosecuting, said his crimes came to light in December last year, when she spoke with police.

The woman’s daughter then revealed that she too had been raped by Dean as a child.

Mr Dillon said there was then a confrontation between Dean, his first victim and a third woman.

Dean shoved the third woman and repeatedly punched his first victim in the face, displacing her jaw.

He denied any wrongdoing when interviewed by police and pleaded not guilty to all allegations.

He only changed his pleas after “waiting and waiting” until DNA evidence was served on his lawyers ahead of a trial.

Dean admitted six counts of rape, indecency with a child, indecent assault, assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault. He has no previous convictions.

The youngest victim told the court she suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts.

Bravely reading a statement in court, she said: “Thanks to him I’ve never known what it’s like to be normal. I feel my childhood was stolen from me.

“I felt dirty and worthless, the result of sin. I thought about ending my life with a bottle of pills, but being a Christian stopped me.”

The first victim said she too believed she had lost her childhood and described how she lived in fear.

She said she felt “vulnerable and intimidated” and he left her feeling “ashamed, disgusted and dirty”.

Carmel Wilde, defending, said her client, a former mechanic and airport police worker, had previously said sorry in the dock.

She said: “There is no getting away from the fact these are shameful and disgusting offences.

“Inevitably he will spend his dying days incarcerated. He is 79, nearly 80 years of age.

“Perhaps initial attempts on his life before he was arrested are indicative of the shame he now accepts and expresses.”

Judge Aubrey said Dean claimed to be remorseful, but they were “hollow words” following “a campaign of rape” because his “dark secret is now known to all”.

He said: “It’s difficult to imagine any more aggravating features than are present in this case.

“The effects on people’s lives, the anguish at the distress caused by you, are unimaginable and incalculable.

“Your conduct, your behaviour, was totally and utterly abhorrent and depraved.”

Dean showed no emotion as he was sent down, while his youngest victim burst into tears.

The judge deemed him an offender of particular concern, meaning he will serve at least 10 years in prison, and only be released if a parole board decides he is no longer a threat to society.

April 2016

Pervert jailed for exposing himself to child at Strood Leisure Centre

A convicted sex offender lurked in changing cubicles at a leisure centre before exposing himself to a young girl, a court heard.

Ian Wardley had previously been given an extended sentence for flashing at young girls on trains in London and performing a sex act.

Maidstone Crown Court heard four months after his release, the muscular 34-year-old was at Strood Leisure Centre in Watling Street on October 15 last year when he committed the latest offence.

Three days after taking out a gym membership, he stripped off in a cubicle and exposed himself to the girl, aged nine, and performed a sex act in front of her. She reported it to staff and Wardley was arrested.

“It is clear you deliberately went there to do that,” said Judge Charles Macdonald QC. “You remained in the changing rooms for the sole purpose of offending for approximately one hour.”

Wardley, of Weston Road, Strood, admitted engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and failing to comply with notification requirements.

He was given the extended sentence at Croydon Crown Court on August 30, 2013 after he was found to be a danger.

Now, he has been given another extended sentence for public protection.

Judge Macdonald jailed Wardley for 28 months with four years extended licence.

He will have to serve two thirds of the term before the parole board will consider his release. His name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Under a sexual harm prevention order, Wardley was banned from going to leisure centres where children were present.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Matt Lincoln said: “Wardley has proven himself to be a danger to the public and I welcome the sentence he has received.

“He exposed himself to a vulnerable child and left them feeling disturbed and uncomfortable. This behaviour is entirely unacceptable.

“Wardley now has a chance to use his time in prison to turn his life around and I hope he realises the severity of the offence he has committed and the impact it has had on the victim.”

April 2016

Hastings pervert jailed for string of child sex crimes in Bexhill

A pervert has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after admitting a string of sexual offences against children as young as three and secretly filming young foreign students as they showered.

Alan Haldane, now of Priory Avenue, Hastings, but previously of Amherst Road, Bexhill, appeared at Hove Crown Court on Thursday (April 7) having previously admitted 16 offences:

• Six of sexual assault on girls under 13

• One of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child

• One of causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity

• Two of taking 300 indecent still photographs of a child

• Two of taking indecent moving images of a child

• Three of making indecent images of children

• One of voyeurism by recording a private act, by covert video recording of young people using the shower in his bathroom.

The victims of the sexual offences – the image taking offences, the sexual assaults and the sexual activity – were three girls between the ages of three and ten, all known to him, over a prolonged period up until his arrest.

The young people who were victims of the voyeurism were all young students, mainly from Germany but some from France, who were hosted at his home address while studying at language schools in Hastings and Bexhill.

The 62-year-old builder will be a registered sex offender for life. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to children and computers until further court order.

The prosecution followed an intelligence-led investigation by the Sussex Police Paedophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT) into indecent images uploaded to the internet. A warrant was executed and Haldane was arrested at Amherst Road in July 2015.

POLIT Investigator Dave Sharpe said: “When we first arrested Haldane we had only the evidence of one indecent image which he tried to explain away as having been acquired accidentally.

“However after conducting a full examination of his computers, all the other evidence emerged. After re-arrest, and having had this evidence put to him, Haldane admitted the offences.

“Clearly he had systematically abused the girls over a period of years for his own sexual gratification, and had similarly exploited the young students by placing a covert recording device in his bathroom, strategically placed with the aim of recording them in the shower.

“It was possible to work out from these recordings that there were at least 12-15 students, though not their identities.

“We believe there would have been many more. Haldane acted as a host family at the Bexhill address from 2005 to 2015 and we believe students were being placed there for most if not all of that period.

“However there were no complaints lodged by the students and I am certain that none of the students had any idea what was happening. The language schools concerned have been contacted.

“This was an appalling catalogue of abuse over many years, but Haldane has now finally faced justice.”

April 2016

Pervert music teacher sentenced

A former teacher now living in Robertsbridge has been sentenced for more than 15 sexual offences relating to young boys.

Andrew Witham, 47, a cleaner, of Robertsbridge High St, East Sussex, was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, March 31.

He will be a registered sexual offender for life and was also served with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) severely restricting his access to children and to computers until further court notice.

Witham, who was a music teacher working at a school in Kent at the time his arrest, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to;

• Nine counts of Making indecent images of children

• Two counts of Taking indecent images of children

• One count of Paying for the sexual services of a boy via the internet

• Two counts of Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a boy via the internet

• One count of Causing a child to commit a sexual act via the internet.

He pleaded not guilty to another offence, of sexual assault on a child in London in 2008.

The court ordered that this should not be proceeded with and should remain on the court file.

The two offences of taking indecent images of children took place when he photographed two boys in adjacent premises from the flat where he was then living in south east London.

All the other offences were committed at his current home address and none of those related to local children or pupils at any schools where he had taught. Much of that offending took place over the Internet, involving boys who were befriended by Mr Witham.

He offers his services as a private music teacher, and had worked for 25 years as a music teacher at two private preparatory schools, in Kent and in South East London.

He had also been involved in churches where he lived in London.

April 2016

Pervert caught after losing his phone outside Bridlington flat

A PASSER-BY found indecent images of children on a phone left on the pavement outside a pervert’s flat. The member of the public was trying to identify the phone’s owner when they came across images of child abuse.

Police were informed and seized a computer and another mobile phone from Christopher Walton’s flat. As well as finding 1,498 indecent images on the hard drive, police also found an extreme pornographic image of an adult.

Walton, 27, of Bridge Street, Bridlington, admitted “possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying an act likely to result in serious injury to a person’s private parts”.

He also admitting making indecent photographs of children, and a sample charge of possessing an indecent photograph of a child.

One of the images was of a one-year-old being abused. Most were of children aged between nine and 12, Hull Crown Court heard.

There were 184 Category A images, the most serious, 202 at Category B, and 860 at Category C.

A total of 138 Category A moving images were found, as well as 88 at Category B, and 26 at Category C. The image of the baby, and one of a child aged four, were at Category B.

Prosecutor Stephen Welch said of the extreme image of the adult: “Unfortunately, despite requests, the police failed to provide me with a description of that image.”

Walton, who had owned and built the computer since he was at college aged 16 and 17, had installed the file-sharing programme Livewire on it, but there was no evidence he had sought to distribute any of the material. He stored the images in files called “porn” and “yaoi”.

All the offences took place between December 3, 2012, and December 23, 2014, the court heard. Walton accepted in interview the images were “methodically gathered over a period of time”.

Mr Welch said: “He said he’d come across them originally by accident, but accepted that his interest, having being piqued, he’d gone on to search for other images.”

Mr Welch said Walton’s claim that he did not have a sexual motivation for looking at the images was not accepted by the Crown.

Walton had no previous convictions.

Walton was jailed for six months. He must sign the sex offenders register for seven years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.