April 2016

Engineer accessed explicit images of children

AN engineer who accessed explicit images of child abuse for his own “morbid curiosity” has been told to attend a rehabilitation course.

Charles Trowers, 65, had saved links to websites which showed the abuse on his computer although he did not download any of the pictures.

Salisbury Crown Court heard he had accessed nearly 200 images including nine of the most serious Category A pictures.

Trowers, of Cherrytree Avenue, Tidworth, admitted the charges on the grounds he had not viewed them for sexual gratification and had not intentionally saved them.

He claimed the images were accessed after he had a heart attack which brought back repressed memories of being sexually abused as a child.

The court heard up until now he had led a “blameless” life and had no previous convictions.

Judge Richard Parkes sentenced him to 30 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and told him to attend a Maps for Change Programme. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and told to pay costs of £2,000.

March 2016

Paedophile pensioner admits child sexual images offences

A 65-YEAR-OLD from Tidworth has pleaded guilty to possessing 198 indecent photos of children.

Charles Trowers of Cherrytree Avenue appeared at Salisbury Crown Court on Tuesday.

The vast majority of images were category C, considered the least serious category of indecent images of children. But he also admitted to having nine category A images and 12 category B images.

The court heard that while Trowers had not saved the images to his computer, he had saved links to the images.

In adjourning the case until April 26, for pre-sentence reports, Judge Andrew Barnett warned Trowers his sentence might include immediate imprisonment.

April 2015

Man, 25, jailed for two years for distributing horrific images of child abuse

A BAILDON man has been jailed after he was found to have sent horrific images of child abuse to others with a similar interest.

The pictures included one of a naked nine-year-old girl tied to a bench being molested.

Leeds Crown Court heard today the sick images distributed by Samraj Singh Kundi were among a collection of 350 films and images discovered on his computer equipment.

Some of those found also involved the sexual abuse of babies, Michael Smith prosecuting.

He told the court police had gone to an address in Teesside in February last year after receiving information about a specific computer exchange seeking images of child sexual activity.

That was the address of Kundi’s uncle who was arrested but innocent and he pointed the finger at his nephew who had been staying for a time.

That led in July to Kundi’s arrest and his computer equipment including a laptop and hard drive being examined.

Among the 350 images and films it was found 212 were rated as Category A the most serious.

That included images of babies as young as two or three months. Some extreme pornography involving animals were also found.

Kundi admitted sending ten to 15 images to other people including the sado-masochistic images of the nine-year-old girl and another said to involve a young girl molested by a clown.

He accepted he had sought out material while staying at his uncle’s home and saving it in folders. He said he had done so for sexual gratification.

He also admitted talking to others with a similar interest on the internet or in chatrooms and distributing some of the images to them.

He said he was not interested in animal pornography but would sometimes receive it in exchange for what he sent.

Tom Rushbrooke, representing Kundi, said he had sought help for his problem through Safer Lives and had expressed his remorse and regret to the probation service.

He accepted the case crossed the custody threshold but suggested the sentence could be suspended.

“Prison will come as a real shock to him, he will lose his job as well as his good character,” Mr Rushbrooke said.

Kundi, 25 of Woodcot Avenue, admitted three charges of distributing movies or images, 11 of possessing indecent images and three of having extreme images.

He was jailed for two years and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.

Judge Tom Bayliss QC told him: “Those who engage in this type of activity must realise they will be traced.”

He said while the images of the abuse of babies were not among those distributed, those that were involved young children suffering emotional and physical harm in abuse staged by adults for the purpose of pornography “and your actions contributed to that”.

April 2016

Man placed on sex offenders’ register for sending explicit sexual messages to a series of children

A CABERET singer from Clacks who even crooned at a bash organised by one of Prince Charles’s charities was unmasked by his co-star after sending sexual messages to children on Facebook.

Darren Whyte, 26 from Tillicoultry, used the social networking site to strike up inappropriate conversations with seven young girls, aged 13 to 15, and one 15-year-old boy.

He sent two of his girl victims pictures of naked male genitals, told a 14-year-old girl he would like to perform a sexual act on her, and told another girl about a sexual dream.

Whyte boasted then sent the 15-year-old boy messages, and then suggested “some kind of sexual practice between them”.

Graham McLachlan, prosecuting, told Falkirk Sheriff Court on Tuesday the offences took place over a six month period, between August 16, 2014, and February 7 last year.

The depute fiscal said the matter came to light when another singer who performed with Whyte stumbled on the chats on Facebook.

He said: “They were both singers performing at venues and the friend had access to the accused’s Facebook to allow them to advertise engagements and suchlike.

“During the course of this the friend became aware of certain contact that the accused had with people under 16, and noticed some of this was a sexual nature.”

Mr McLachlan said Whyte’s friend confronted Whyte who said he had been suffering from “anxiety”.

He did not immediately go to the police — but took action once he saw on Facebook that Whyte’s behaviour was continuing.

Mr McLachlan said: “He downloaded from the account a large amount of information onto a disc, and reported the matter to the police.

Officers analysed “chat logs” from the disc and found that Whyte had been taking part in a series of sexualised online conversations with teenage girls and with the teenage boy.

Whyte, of High Street, was arrested, and gave a “no comment” interview.

He later pleaded guilty to six charges of intentionally sending written sexual communications to children, and two counts of sending sexual images to children.

The offences were committed while he was living in The Wynd, Alva.

Sheriff John Mundy deferred sentence until next month for the completion of criminal justice social work reports.

In the meantime, Whyte was placed on the sex offenders’ register on an interim basis.

April 2016

Bagshot nudist jailed for indecent assault on young girl

A nudist who indecently assaulted a young girl confessed to his victim: “I’m just a paedophile”, a court has been told.

David Richards, formerly of Waverley Road, Bagshot, performed sex acts on the child and himself in 1992, a jury at Guildford Crown Court heard.

The 67-year-old, appearing for sentence on Friday, was jailed for three and-a-half years.

Judge Stephen Climie told Richards: “You were with a very vulnerable young child.

“You abused her trust to an extreme degree.”

He had denied all charges but been found guilty of three counts of indecent assault.

A jury cleared him of an allegation of gross indecency and they were discharged after failing to reach verdicts on five other counts of indecent assault, which were left to lie on the file.

Richards, who was living in South Wonston, near Winchester, during the trial, has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for an indefinite period and made the subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his access to children.

Ms Gabby Henty, prosecuting, said: “He took her clothes off, touched and rubbed her private parts.”

Ms Henty said Richards then committed an indecent act on the girl.

She said he had taken advantage of the youngster and used her for his own “sexual gratification”.

The court was told that Richards had kept in touch with the victim, who was under 13 at the time, and attempted to buy her silence.

“He was frightened that she would spill the beans,” Ms Henty said.

The prosecuting counsel said the victim had visited Richards at his home in 2002 to find him “sunbathing naked in his garden with his private parts exposed”.

Ms Henty said the victim confronted Richards about the abuse, only to be told by him: “I’m just a paedophile.”

But during the trial, Richards described the alleged remark as “ridiculous”, telling the jury: “Who is going to say things like that? It’s just something she has made up to bolster her story.”

The defendant, denying all the allegations, said: “None of this happened. It’s complete rubbish.”

Character witnesses at the trial included Stuart Shilson, who was assistant private secretary to the Queen from 2001 until 2004.

Mr Shilson, from Godalming, said he was happy for his own children to be with Richards.

His mother, Gillian Shilson, a writer, who has been Richards’ girlfriend after meeting him while they were students at the University of Creative Arts in Farnham, also said she had never any suspicions about the defendant.

“I have huge love and respect for this dear man,” she said.

Miss Adrienne Knight, defending, said her client was of previous good character and had lived with the allegations hanging over him for nearly four years.

“It’s been like a suspended sentence,” she said.

The court was told that jurors had been unable to reach verdicts in an initial trial.

Reading an impact statement from the victim, Judge Climie said the girl had suffered recurring nightmares and flashbacks.

“It has had a significant impact on her psychological well-being,” he said.

April 2016

Man who had sex with under-age girl

A 44-year old Scarborough man woke up behind bars today after he admitted having sex with an under-age girl on at least six occasions.

Robert Anthony Bayne, 44, of Eastborough appeared at York Crown Court on Tuesday when Mr Recorder Macdonald QC sentenced him to five years behind bars for a series of sex acts which left the victim’s life in tatters.

Bayne admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child over a two-month period starting in October.

The Crown Prosecution Service claimed he had sex with the victim on numerous occasions and charged him with specimen counts in connection with other alleged sexual offences against her.

But, following his arrest last summer, Bayne told police he had consensual sex with the girl on five or six occasions at a flat in Scarborough. Mr Macdonald QC agreed to sentence him on this basis of plea.

Prosecuting barrister Michael Collins said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not report the matter to police until August last year, nearly four years after the offences took place. She finally decided to act after telling her boyfriend about what Bayne had done to her.

Her boyfriend had twigged that something was wrong because she was having nightmares and pushing him away in her sleep, added the prosecutor.

He said Bayne and the girl had initially made contact on Facebook. On the first occasion that Bayne initiated sex, he persisted despite the victim telling him to stop.

“She froze and neither encouraged or discouraged the activity,” said Mr Collins. “She felt frightened; she didn’t want to tell anyone. He (Bayne) had told her not to tell anyone because it would ruin his life and that people would blame her.”

In a victim-impact statement read out in court, the girl said she had kept quiet for so long because she feared people would see her in a different way. She was also fearful of “reliving” her ordeal by giving police statements.

She said Bayne’s abuse had made her feel “worthless, disgusting and dirty”, and it had affected her relationships.

“I never feel I can truly trust (men) and I struggle in male company because of what happened when I was younger,” she added.

The court heard that Bayne, a jobless former heroin addict, had 50 previous convictions for 122 offences, including having sex with an under-age girl in 1993, when he was 21.

He also had court raps for fraud, theft, firearms offences, public disorder and drug matters, and had served previous time in prison.

Defence barrister Andrew Semple said Bayne was drinking a lot at the time of the sex offences and was now “horrified” at what he had done.

Mr Recorder Macdonald said Bayne had taken “gross advantage” of the girl, who was described as vulnerable and emotionally fragile due to her difficult upbringing.

“This was selfish abuse,” added Mr Macdonald. “You made threats to her to ensure her silence and you were successful in that for a number of years.”

In addition to the five-year jail sentence, Mr Macdonald ordered Bayne to sign on the sex-offenders’ register and pay a victim surcharge.

April 2016

Father who shook his baby son to death jailed

A man who shook his baby son to death with the force of a high-speed motorbike crash has been jailed for eight years.

Stephen Ward, 24, of Cirencester lost his temper with helpless nine-month-old Jordan Ward and shook him so violently he suffered “catastrophic and irreversible” injuries.

Bristol Crown Court heard how the tot was a “difficult baby” and Ward had previously shouted aggressively and even slapped Jordan to make him stop crying.

The mother of the child, his former partner Paula Watts, 22, wept and clutched her heart as he was unanimously convicted of manslaughter on Wednesday.

Mr Justice Popplewell told Ward: “You have refused to accept your guilt despite overwhelming medical evidence and persisted in your story that you tried to prevent him from choking.

“You will have to bear the heavy burden of guilt the rest of your life knowing that you killed Jordan.

“On the day in question you simply lost your temper with him.

“You shook him and caused impact to the back of his head with sufficient force to cause injury to his scalp.

“But only you knew exactly what happened that day.

“The shaking and head impact was responsible for his death.”

Jordan was rushed to Bristol Children’s Hospital but died in the early hours of June 12 2014 after falling into a two-day coma.

The baby had suffered a bleed on the brain which caused a “severe and irreversible brain injury” and also had several fractures to his ribs.

Doctors said most of his injuries were sustained in the hours shortly before his death – but some could have been inflicted between five to 15 days before.

Paediatrician Professor Peter Fleming said his injuries indicated a level of force comparable to “that which occurs in a high-velocity motorcycle accident”.

Mr Justice Popplewell described how Ward struggled to control his temper with the baby.

“Jordan was not a difficult baby,” he said. “You had problems controlling your anger.

“You used to shout at Jordan and use an aggressive tone of voice.

“Seven weeks before he died there was an incident in which you slapped Jordan to stop him crying.

“You admitted to Paula you had hit the baby. Paula moved out and took Jordan. You said you were sorry and you didn’t mean to hit him and you wouldn’t do it again.

“She agreed to come back only if you changed.”

Ward claimed that his son had choked on food and that he had desperately tried to save him before calling an ambulance.

He described how the baby “jolted”, becoming rigid, before turning “floppy” in his arms.

In a victim statement Jordan’s mother told the court: “My world and life changed form the moment the police came in and took me to hospital.

“It’s a parent’s worst nightmare and I will never get over it.

“A part of me died when Jordan took his last breath. This has been a very difficult time and trying to put it into words doesn’t do it justice.

“I never wanted to believe that Stephen Ward was responsible for Jordan’s death.

“Coming to court everyday and hearing the medical evidence made me feel physically sick.”

Ms Watts spoke of her guilt at staying with Ward against her mother’s advice when they briefly split up before Jordan’s death.

She said: “I blamed myself for going back to him. I felt guilty for not accepting my mother’s advice.

“I was in shock for a while after Jordan died, I was diagnosed with depression, I lost weight, suffered anxiety and I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t function.

“At times I did not want to carry on with life.”

She added: “I am not the victim. Jordan is. I want justice for him. I want him to be remembered for the happy lovely baby he was.”

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Bean, of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Public protection Bureau, said: “For a baby to die in any circumstances is tragic; when that baby has died at the hands of their own father, that tragedy goes beyond description.

“Jordan Ward was 9 months old when he was shaken so violently by his dad, Stephen Ward, that he sustained fatal brain and spine injuries which resulted in his death.

“Stephen denied any wrongdoing, claiming that Jordan had choked then lost consciousness whilst he was feeding him. He even tried to suggest that his ex-partner Paula might have been responsible.

“In the face of overwhelming evidence he eventually accepted that the injuries could only have been caused by himself, yet still fell back on the defence that he could not remember, but that if he had shaken Jordan it would only have been because he was panicking.

“Despite his apparent lack of memory he still had a very detailed recollection of events immediately before and after the fatal act, and even demonstrated the very calm and gentle way that he had apparently tried to assist Jordan whilst he was choking. He will have to live with what he has done for the rest of his life.

“Special tribute must be paid to Paula Watts, Jordan’s mother, for the strength and courage she has displayed over the past 22 months after such a traumatic loss. She has had to listen to some extremely harrowing evidence, particularly the graphic medical reports about the extent and severity of Jordan’s injuries, and our thoughts are with her at this very difficult time.”

April 2016

Jailed: Pervert, 63, who distributed pictures of child rape over internet

A MAN who distributed pictures of child rape over the internet has been jailed for 15 months.

Robin Follett shared the vile images with like minded people from the safety of his home in Trowbridge.

But when another pervert was arrested in Hampshire police found a trail leading to the 63-year-old.

And when his machine was examined it was found to have numerous indecent images of children including one he had stored showing the rape of a toddler.

Rob Welling, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court that last year police realised Follett had been sharing material with the other man.

When they went to his house they took two computers and found they contained 36 images in category A, the worst of the three levels, 47 in B and 83 category C.

They also found he had a number of images of extreme pornography involving adults and animals.

Mr Welling said when he was questioned and accepted he had become involved in chat rooms which led to discussions about fantasies and he passed on photos other people sent to him.

The court was told that he had sent out the material on eight occasions between February 2014 and April last year.

Follett, of Yerbury Street, pleaded guilty to distributing and making indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography.

Robin Shellard, defending, said that the courts often dealt with defendants with many thousands of pictures, which his client did not have.

He said the total amount of images he had was 166, of which 87 were accessible and just 23 had been shared with others.

After his marriage broke down he said he spent far too much time alone on his computer.

But he now lived in accommodation with people of his age, he said, and had a better network of friends to get him out of the house.

Jailing him Judge Simon Carr said: “It is absolutely right to say that sadly the courts often deal with people holding far bigger amounts of images.

“The fact remains that you had 36 images at category A.

“You engaged in chat room conversations. Though I accept a degree of fantasy you also showed an interest in children.

“All of that would be serious enough but you face charges of distribution.

“That distribution is the very backbone of the problem we have on the internet of child abuse images. It is not just that they were there, but that people move them about between people of similar interests.

“I am perfectly clear that those who distribute category A images, especially the rape of children, can expect nothing but prison.”

As well as jailing him he said he must register as a sex offender for ten years and also imposed a sexual harm prevention order restricting his liberty.

April 2016

Doncaster man Rumble jailed for sexual assault on teenager

April 2016

Aylesbury Man Jailed For Sexual Offence Against A Child

A man from Aylesbury, who sexually assaulted a girl, has been jailed for 2 and a half years.

Ian Waterworth touched the girl, who was under 13, in January last year.

The 35-year-old, from Lister Green, was found guilty and jailed for 30 months at Aylesbury Crown Court.

Ian Waterworth, aged 35, of Lister Green, Aylesbury, was convicted at Aylesbury Crown Court on 18 March after being found guilty by majority jury following a four day trial.

Waterworth was convicted of intentionally touching a girl under the age of 13, and the touching was of a sexual nature, during January last year.

He was arrested on 25 January 2015 and was charged with the offence on 18 March 2016.

April 2016

Ex-council carer Gordon Collins guilty of sexually abusing children

A former council care worker has been found guilty of sexually abusing four young residents at children’s units in Edinburgh.

Gordon Collins, 59, groomed troubled youngsters before molesting them while working in two homes in the capital.

Collins, from Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, had denied seven charges of indecency and one of rape at the High Court in Edinburgh.

April 2016

Paedophile Santa jailed for offences involving young girls

A PAEDOPHILE who dressed as Father Christmas has been jailed after offering two young girls cash to expose themselves.

Shelf-stacker Lawrence Lewis dressed up as Santa at Christmas time in Asda, in Leigh Park, and was known as Father Christmas in the area.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard the 57-year-old had a ‘white bushy beard, white curly hair and was well-built’ when he approached the girls in a pub between December last year and January.

Now a judge has jailed the ‘dirty old man’ for 22 months and banned Lewis from dressing as Father Christmas for 10 years.

Robert Forrest, prosecuting, said: ‘We say that given his conviction for these offences it would be necessary and proportionate to stop him acting as Father Christmas in the foreseeable future.’

The court heard how Lewis, of Springwood Avenue, Waterlooville, offered two girls, aged eight and 11, £3 and £4 to expose themselves in the Wellington pub in Waterlooville. He was not dressed as Santa at the time.

Sentencing, Recorder Shamim Qureshi, said the girls knew him as Santa, adding: ‘Father Christmas turns out to be a dirty old man.’

Mr Forrest told the court how Lewis asked the younger girl to show her backside.

The girl told her mother but Mr Forrest said she was surprised and gave the defendant the benefit of the doubt.

A second girl was also interviewed by police. Mr Forrest said: ‘She said that this male, this defendant, also asked to see her underpants and offered her £4 to expose herself.

But Lewis was only caught on a second occasion, when he targeted the younger girl alone again.

In the final incident in January, again in the pub, Lewis offered the younger girl £3 to expose herself.

She said no and ran off to her mother and told her Lewis had asked about six times.

The court heard police were called and then he was arrested.

Mr Forrest said:’He was known… as Father Christmas or Santa because of his appearance at the time.

‘He was to say in interview he did look at the time like Father Christmas, he had a white bushy beard, white curly hair and was well-built.’

In a victim personal statement the older girl’s mother said: ‘My daughter is now very suspicious of men and seems to be wary around strangers.

‘I’m now worried and careful to where she is all the time and don’t let her out to play far from the house.’

The younger girl’s mother said: ‘My daughter is now very wary of men and will come running indoors if an older man walks past while playing.’

Mr Forrest added: ‘[The mother] feels guilty for what happened.’

Lian Webster-Martin, defending for Lewis, said he felt genuine remorse and had no recollection of the crimes.

He had been drinking for four hours during one of the occasions.

She said: ‘He has shaved his beard and he wishes to step away from any suggestion that he is performing that role.’

Lewis pleaded guilty to three charges of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The judge sentenced him to 10 months for the occasion when he targeted both girls and 12 months consecutive for the second occasion.

A sexual harm prevention order bans Lewis from speaking to any girl under 16 and from acting as Santa for 10 years.

He must sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

Lewis must pay a £100 victim surcharge.

April 2016

Paedophile downloaded child abuse images using library Wi-Fi

A paedophile downloaded more than 10,000 child abuse images and videos, including babies being tortured, by using a library’s Wi-Fi.

William Cox was caught with the huge cache of pictures, which included more than 2000 at the most serious level, which he had downloaded in little over two months last year.

The unemployed criminal’s flat in Dundee was raided last June after police were tipped off.

Cox told police he did not have his own internet connection at his home in Craigowan Road but instead used the nearby Charleston Library’s signal to access the internet.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court the images depicted both boys and girls aged between a few months and 15 years old.

She said: “In total, 9226 indecent images and 1471 indecent videos of children were recovered across all devices.

“Of those, 1454 images and 754 videos were category A, 1277 images and 401 videos were category B and 6495 images and 316 videos were category C.

Cox, 59, pleaded guilty on indictment to charges of downloading and possessing indecent images of children between April and June last year.

Mike Short, defending, said: “Given the nature of the charges there’s clearly an ongoing problem for him.”

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and released Cox on bail, putting him on the sex offenders register in the meantime.

She said: “The guidelines suggest this is the kind of case where he might go to jail. It is a serious matter.”

April 2016

Sex offender jailed for sex abuse against children

A pervert who abused young boys in the Salisbury area has been jailed for 14 years after admitting multiple sexual offences.

John Keevil, of New Road, Landford pleaded guilty to 22 counts of historic sexual offences against four children between 1997 and 2010 when he appeared in Bournemouth Crown Court on Monday.

The 52-year-old’s victims are now all adult men living in Hampshire but were aged between nine and 17 when the crimes took place

April 2016

Pervert from Yorkshire jailed for ‘appalling’ abuse of young girl

A West Yorkshire man has been jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of a series of child sex offences.

Paul Griffiths, 49, from Knottingley, carried out repeated sexual attacks between 2010 and 2015 on a girl aged under 10.

Police today said he posed a “significant danger” to children, adding that his crimes were some of the most serious they had encountered.

Griffiths was arrested in October 2015 after his victim revealed the abuse to a relative who then went to the police.

Griffiths targeted the very young and vulnerable child and then committed multiple sexual offences against her over a sustained period, behaving in a truly appalling fashion in which he took advantage of a youngster who was in no position to stop him.

He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Tuesday after being convicted of rape and other sexual offences.

April 2016

Man jailed for raping teenage boys in 1990s in Notts

A man who groomed and raped two teenage boys in Hucknall in the mid-1990s has been jailed for 13 years.

Dean Underwood, 46, of no fixed address, was convicted of four counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape on Wednesday (April 27) following a three-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Underwood groomed becoming friendly with them over the course of ten months during 1997 and 1998, frequently buying them gifts.

Once he had gained their trust, and when alone with each of them on parkland in the local area he indecently assaulted and raped the boys, who were no older than 13 years old, and forced them to perform sexual acts upon him on numerous occasions.

Underwood was arrested in January 2015 after a relative of one of his victims went to police and said the victim had confided in her about the incidents.

Detective Inspector Nikki Smith, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Underwood exploited the good nature of two young boys by enticing them with gifts in order to commit horrific acts of sexual violence.

“He manipulated them and betrayed their trust in the cruellest and vilest way possible and a sentence of 13 years in prison cannot begin to truly help repair the damage his actions will have done to the lives of his victims.

“Such was his control over them that not even the rumours that it seems were circulating about him in the local community at the time of these offences could stop him from gaining access to them”

April 2016

Nicholas Marvin found guilty of historic sex abuse in Jersey

A man has been found guilty of four charges of indecent assault against two girls dating back 20 years.

Nicholas Price Marvin, 51, of Old St John’s Road, St Helier, had denied 11 charges of sexual abuse. The jury acquitted him of seven.

They took seven hours to reach their verdict at Jersey’s Royal Court on Wednesday.

Judge Commissioner Julian Clyde Smith remanded Marvin in custody and told him to expect a prison sentence.

Marvin will next appear in court on Friday.

He had originally faced 12 charges but one was dropped.

April 2016

Prolific Walsall sex offender jailed following police investigation

A registered sex offender from Walsall has been jailed for 18 years after admitting further sexual offences.

Christopher Astrauskas, aged 52, from Lindon Drive in Brownhills, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault on a child between April 1998 and April 2000.

Astrauskas had previously served three years imprisonment for indecent assault on a young girl in 1995 in Wishaw in Scotland.

Following his release from prison the 52-year-old relocated to Walsall where he again came to police attention when they were searching for two missing boys in June 2014.

A tip off led officers to Astrauskas’ flat and, although the boys weren’t there, their suspicions were aroused after walkie-talkies were found at the address similar to those used by the boys and he was arrested on suspicion of grooming.

The boys were later found safe and well, however a search of the flat revealed indecent images of children and an investigation was launched.

Several potential victims were traced and one was brave enough to give evidence of abuse she had suffered at a very young age at the hands of Astrauskas and his partner at that time − the girl’s mother, Christine Turley.

The court heard that the girl had suffered awful neglect, as well as physical and emotional abuse, as a child at the hands of her mother, who regularly left her alone in a communal area where they lived at an age when she should have had adult supervision.

The mother also knowingly allowed the abuse by Astrauskas to happen.

The victims testimony and the evidence taken from Astrauskas’ flat left him with little option other than to plead guilty. 

Astrauskas was jailed for sexual assault, indecency with a child and making indecent images.

The victim’s mother, 50-year-old Christine Turley, from Sutton-In-Ashfield, was sentenced to 20 months in prison at a previous hearing on Tuesday, January 26, after admitting child cruelty offences which included failing to prevent her daughter from being sexually assaulted.

Astrasuskas was sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday, April 27). He will remain on the Sex Offenders Reigster for life.

April 2016

Pervert spared prison

AN Irvine pervert who was caught in a sting operation by “paedophile hunters” after sending lewd pictures and messages online has been spared a prison sentence

Sick Andrew Smith, of Paterson Avenue, believed he was sending indecent images of himself over Facebook to a 14-year-old girl.

But in actual fact, the 38-year-old was speaking to a man who poses as children to catch out potential paedophiles.

Smith was charged with trying to induce the fictional girl to send naked pictures as well as sending explicit messages and pictures of himself to the account between September 1 and November 29, 2015.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court and is awaiting sentencing in April following the production of a social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

Smith was placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for a period of three years

A vigilante group called Public Justice PHL (Paedophile Hunters London) were responsible for bringing Smith to the attention of police.

One of the site’s founders – who asked to be known only as “Jay” – posed under an account called “Katie Mays” pretending to be 14-years-old.

Smith communicated with the account on a publicly available Facebook page titled “Young girls date old men”.

This was despite the “Katie” account immediately identifying her age to the perv who bombarded the account with sexual messages and explicit images of himself.

He asked: “How old you?” to which the vigilante replied: “I’m 14 and you?”
Smith said: “Really you look older I am 38.”

When asked by the vigilante if it was okay that they were 14, Smith replied: “Yes fine I 38 that okay.”

The messages then grew increasingly lewd, with Smith suggesting he should meet up with the fictional girl in London.

Since launching PHL in September last year, Jay – himself a survivor of child abuse – has helped convict four paedophiles in England.

Similar vigilante groups have gained notoriety for taking the law into their own hands to confront online child abusers.

Their actions have not sat well with police who warn they could jeopardise ongoing investigations.

Speaking exclusively to the Times this week, Jay said he hoped that Smith would be placed behind bars.

He said: “I first came across him when he interacted with the ‘Katie’ account.

“I found him quite vulgar and dangerous, he was in the group and friend requested us.

“We never make the first communication.

“I always state the age at the beginning of the conversation as a get out of jail free card but the conversation became sexual very quickly.”

Jay said: “I found him to be quite gross and devious and the thought of him possibly being out on a tag is shocking.

“My aim is to have people like him in jail, not masquerading around Scotland.

“They need to be exposed. The public need to know what he is about.”

He added: “We’re a non-profit organisation, we don’t do this for fame or fortune we do it for public awareness.”

April 2013

Sex criminal didn’t register his address

A TEENAGE sex offender living in the Denbigh area twice failed to register his address with the police, Mold Crown Court was told last week.

Defendant Sonny Sweetman, 18, of no fixed abode, now wished to live in Devon but Judge John Rogers QC remanded him in custody for four weeks so that social services could carry out an assessment in view of the fact that there were children present at the address.

Sweetman – convicted of sexual assault at Denbighshire magistrates’ court in May of last year along with other offences – had been given a 12 month detention and training order, and ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for five years.

Prosecutor Gareth Parry said that the regulations required the defendant to notify the police of any change of address within three days.

On April 5 this year he moved to live at The Cae Dai Trust in Denbigh and the next day registered his new address at St Asaph police station.

But on May 21 he was evicted after repeated warnings about his anti-social behaviour and causing problems for other residents.

Police were informed of the eviction on May 22 but the defendant had failed to register any new address within three days.

On May 25, he walked into a shop in Denbigh and stole a play station magazine worth £6.99, staff who saw it happen on a CCTV film called the police, and he was arrested.

Interviewed, he admitted the theft, claiming that he was bored.

He said that he had been homeless, had been unable to register a new address, but said that he was aware that police knew what his position was and thought that was sufficient.

Sweetman was charged with theft and one charge of failing to notify a change of address as a sex offender.

Arrangements were made for him to live at Gwaenynog Lodge in Groes Road, Denbigh, and he registered that address with the police.

But after two days he was found drunk and causing problems and was asked to leave on May 28. Again he failed to register an address with the police, said Mr Parry.

In court he admitted the two registration offences and stealing the magazine.

Judge John Rogers QC said that the offences were serious because if sex offenders failed to register with the police then it made it very difficult to apprehend sex offenders should something happen.

But wherever the defendant went to live, he behaved so badly that no-one would have him.

“He is going to end up in custody for a long time,” the judge warned.

Stephen Kemp, defending, said that the defendant had the opportunity of an address and a job in Devon which would provide him with stability which could help address some of the problems that he had.

But Judge Rogers said: “He could not complain if he got six months today. I have to remember that he has been convicted of a sexual offence,” the judge said.

He had to be concerned about who he would have contact with in the future and a four week adjournment would allow an assessment to see if it was appropriate that he should live at the Devon address.

April 2016

Newport man jailed for causing ‘devastating’ injuries to baby

NEWPORT man Gary Joy has been jailed for seven years after being found guilty of causing “devastating” injuries to a baby by shaking him violently.

Gary Joy, aged 26, of Wye Crescent, Bettws, was found guilty by jury at Newport Crown Court of causing grevious bodily harm with intent to the boy, who was just two months old at the time.

The court heard the baby suffered bleeding on the brain, spine and in the eyes.