May 2016

‘Arrogant’ drug-dealing pervert who preyed on young girls is jailed for 21 YEARS

An “arrogant” pervert who plied underage girls with drink and drugs so he could use them for sex has been jailed for more than 20 years.

Arkan Hosen, who also dealt in heroin and carried a .22 revolver, targeted vulnerable schoolgirls who were easily caught “under his spell”.

The violent 43-year-old used teens he was already abusing to entice more victims to him and tried to turn one girl into a dealer of his drugs.

One youngster reported her sexual assault ordeal to the police in 2011 but the Crown Prosecution Service took no further action against Hosen and he continued with his “disturbing” catalogue of crimes.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the shocking abuse took place over a ten-year period.

The girls would be plied with vodka and mephedrone at Hosen’s house parties so he could use and abuse them as he wanted.

The court heard the married dad would brand some of the victims of his sexual abuse with distinctive love bites to show he owned and controlled them.

Police mugshot

Prosecutor Gavin Doig said: “He has committed a serious sexual offences upon a series of young girls in the Sunderland area.

“The prosecution case is that Hosen came into contact with a number of young girls over the period. He would befriend then, he would ply them with drink, he would provide them with drugs.

“Of course these young women should not have been taking illegal narcotics, but they they were vulnerable to temptation, vulnerable to the charm of Hosen and vulnerable because, perhaps, in some of their cases, the attention Hosen gave them they had not been receiving at home.”

“Once under his spell, once used to being given alcohol and sometimes given drugs for free, this defendant moved to abuse them and began to commit sexual offences upon them.

“He would use one victim to gain access to another or a girl to whom he sold drugs would be asked to entice another future victim into his presence.”

Hosen, formerly of Derby Street, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to offences of sexual activity with a child, sexual assault and assault in relation to four teenage female victims.

He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin, mephedrone, MCAT and cannabis and possession of a firearm.

Hosen’s heroin and MCAT dealing was exposed when an undercover officer infiltrated his illegal world and was able to buy £8,000 worth of drugs from him and his associates.

It was the covert officer who saw Hosen’s handgun in 2014, which led to his arrest.

The officer and said the operation to expose his exploits was “one the most traumatic episodes” in his twenty year career and left him fearing the lives of himself, his colleagues and the wider public were at risk.

The court heard the victims of Hosen’s sexual offending said his “controlling” behaviour was a major influence in them taking drink and drugs.

One victim said in a statement: “He used me, controlled me, exposed me to things a young girls should not be involved with.

“He has stolen my childhood. I will never get that back.”

Another victim said: “He was preying on young females like me.”

Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced Hosen to 21 years and seven months behind bars with an extended five year licence period.

The judge said Hosen’s behaviour was “disturbing” and told him: “It is the crown’s case you showed an arrogant disregard for those victims.

“In relation to two you placed trademark lovebites on their bodies, a sort of arrogant branding to show they were your and under your control.

“It is clear you were handing out drugs to make contact with young girls, this was your M.O., your method of breaking down people’s barriers.”

Judge Bindloss said he accepted Hosen, who is married with children and does not have a bad criminal record, had the handgun for just a short period of time and that others were involved in the drugs conspiracy which supplied the undercover officer.

May 2016

Teesside mum snared Facebook pervert who tried to groom daughter

A Teesside mum who snared a pervert who wanted to meet her 11-year-old daughter is urging parents to be aware of the dangers of online grooming.

Jonathan Evans, 23, had befriended the young girl on Facebook in May last year and began sending her explicit messages which were being intercepted by her mum.

The Grangetown woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her daughter, said: “I went to log on to the family computer so I could send a message to my friend.

“When I logged on to the computer, my daughter’s Facebook was already on the screen and this guy just popped up straight away and started talking to me.

“It was early in the morning and he began to send really explicit messages. I just couldn’t believe what he was saying to me. It was sickening to think he thought he was speaking to a child.

“I decided to stay online and talk to him.”

After realising Evans had to be caught, she began exchanging messages with him and decided to call the police who told her to carry on the conversation.

She said: “I could tell by the way he was spelling words that he was a Geordie and when I called the police they said that they already had him on file and confirmed that he lived there.

“He wanted to meet up at Eldon Square in Newcastle the next day so I set that up.”

After speaking to Evans, throughout the day, the police then raided his home and arrested him the same night.

Evans, of Field Terrace, Throckley, Newcastle, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court last week where he admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and was jailed for eight months.

Jonathan Devlin, prosecuting, told the hearing Evans had believed the girl was 16 for a time but the mother, posing as her daughter, told him she was 12, a year older than her actual age.

He added: “Having been told her age the language then became sexual.”

When he was arrested he said he was on drugs at the time he sent the messages. Sarah Mallett, defending, said Evans lacked maturity and had learning difficulties and health problems.

But speaking after the sentencing, his victim’s mum told how she cannot comprehend what could have happened if she ignored the messages.

She said: “I was so happy that he was jailed and I feel very proud of what I did but I just can’t help thinking what could have happened if I didn’t see that message.

“It’s sickening and terrifying to think what he could have done.

“My hope is to go around schools and explain to kids, parents and teachers about the dangers of online grooming.

“I am urging them to check their use.

“I know all of my daughter’s passwords for the computer and I monitor her online use. I think it is something all parents of young children should do to keep them safe.”

May 2016

Men guilty of grooming and abusing teenage girls

TWO men groomed girls with alcohol and cigarettes before sexually abusing them.

Osmon Koroma and Max N’Gasa have now been convicted of a total 18 sexual offences.

The friends bought the girls alcohol and cigarettes and invited them up to Koroma’s flat at the time in Wick Parade, Littlehampton.

May 2016

Man, 50, jailed for seven years for sexual offences

A 50-YEAR-OLD man has gone to jail for seven years after being found guilty of sexual offences.

Richard Payne, of South Coast Road, Peacehaven, was told he would be registered as a sex offender for life when he was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday.

He was found guilty of two sexual assault charges against a woman in her twenties in Hassocks nearly a decade ago, and a sexual assault against another woman in her twenties in Burgess Hill last year.

Detective constable Nathalie Bundy of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: “This was a complex investigation and both victims gave evidence in court.”

May 2016

51-year-old father of two met up with 13-year-old schoolgirl for sex in his car

A married father-of-two groomed a young schoolgirl – often meeting her in his car before she went off to school.

They exchanged thousands of text messages, many of them “very sexually graphic”, a court heard.

Kevin Emptage, 51, of Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes, admitted four offences of sexual activity with a child and others of meeting a child following sexual grooming and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, between January 30 and June 26 last year.

He also admitted causing a child to watch a sexual act and making ten indecent photographs of a teenage girl.

Gordon Stables, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that investigations were launched after rumours about a relationship between Emptage and a 13-year-old schoolgirl.

He sent her intimate texts, asking personal questions and asking for photographs of her.

Thousands of text messages were exchanged between them.

“The defendant sent many texts of a sexual nature,” said Mr Stables.

“There were indecent images exchanged.” The texts were “very sexually graphic”.

Emptage and the girl started to meet from February last year, including in his vehicle before school for about 15 minutes three or four days a week.

They sometimes met at other times, including for six hours at a time during weekends, mostly in his car. He would drive her to secluded places.

They had sex “many” times, perhaps on more than 12 occasions in four months, and he promised her that he would marry her and that he would leave his wife and children.

They “got engaged” on May 31 last year and he gave her a ring. She lost it and he gave her another ring.

Emptage seemed to have “targeted” the girl and, as he became “more successful”, he “pursued it further”, said Mr Stables.

The girl’s mother said in a statement that things had “changed irreparably” between her and her daughter because of what had happened.

The girl had suffered “massive psychological problems” and “she should not be this way”.

She was “not as innocent as she should be” and had been self-harming.

“I can never forgive him for this,” said the mother.

The girl said in a statement: “I have had mixed emotions about everything.”

She said: “I do wonder if he ever did love me or if it was just words to him.”

She wanted to “start to try to move forward” and added: “I can’t put this behind me because it’s a memory.”

Half of her still loved him and wanted to be with him and the other half wanted him “to be locked up for the rest of his life”.

The girl said she was “grateful this has been dealt with so quickly” and added: “I am relieved that it is all over.”

Emptage took ten indecent photographs of another girl, aged 16, on or before January 22 last year after they became friends via Facebook.

They exchanged “sexual chat” and he asked her for pictures. He sent intimate pictures of himself.

Craig Lowe, mitigating, said they were very serious offences but Emptage had shown remorse and regret.

He had no previous convictions and was a decent, loving family man who had been married for 14 years and had two daughters.

References described him as courteous, caring, reliable, hard-working and supportive.

Emptage, whose bail address was Blundell Avenue, Cleethorpes, was jailed for six years and four months and was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Recorder Tahir Khan QC told Emptage: “You persuaded her by exchanging contact and talking about sexual things.”

Emptage had a “full-blown sexual relationship” with the girl and “went through the sham of engagement or marriage vows”.

Recorder Khan said: “It was meaningless and you knew it was meaningless because you were married and had children of your own.

“This was a gross abuse of trust. There was a significant disparity of age between you and this girl.

“There was planning and significant thought put into what you did. There was grooming behaviour and targeting of this young girl.”

May 2016

Suspended sentence for retired sex offender policeman

A RETIRED policeman who groped a woman visiting his home some years after he had indecently assaulted a young girl has escaped with a suspended prison sentence.

Michael Colledge had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to various charges of indecently assaulting the girl in the early 80s and one of indecently assaulting the woman in 2003.

Colledge, aged 73, of Waverley Avenue, Nuneaton, was sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years, with supervision, and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.

Prosecutor Simon Hunka said the offences against the girl, who is now a woman in her 40s, date back to the 1980s when Colledge was a serving policeman.

There had been an incident when the girl was seven when she and her mother were at his home and, with her mother out of the room, he pulled her on top of him as he lay on the sofa.

And when the same girl was 13 and 14 Colledge, who had a drink problem, took opportunities when he saw her to smack her on the bottom or grab at her breasts.

Nothing was reported to the police at the time, and it was only when she was attending a therapy session in February last year that his victim saw him at the same centre she was attending.

She became concerned because Colledge was running spiritualist sessions for vulnerable people, and spoke to someone about her concerns.

Mr Hunka said it then emerged that that woman had also been indecently assaulted, but as an adult, by Colledge.

In an incident dating back to 2001 or 2002 the woman had been visiting Colledge’s wife, who was suffering from a brain tumour at the time, and went into the kitchen to get a drink.

“He came up behind her and pushed her against the wall and put his hand into her dress and tried to touch her breast and kiss her. She could smell alcohol on his breath.”

After the two women had spoken to each-other the matters were reported to the police, and Colledge was arrested in June last year.

When he was interviewed he said that at the time of the early incidents he was alcohol-dependent and on anti-depressants, and accepted it was ‘a possibility,’ added Mr Hunka.

Addressing Colledge’s barrister Daniel Oscroft, Judge Richard Griffith-Jones said: “The question is, should there be a consecutive sentence for the final count, and does it have to be an immediate sentence?”

Mr Oscroft said: “He wants me to apologise to both of them. He is thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour. He can offer no good explanation for it.

“During the 1970s and 80s this man was a police officer, until he was discharged on medical grounds in 1990.

“He had spent a number of years on plain-clothed duty, spending a lot of time in pubs associating with people.

Throughout that time he was suffering from depression and what would now be referred to as alcoholism, drinking something like 20 pints a day.”

And Mr Oscroft said that at the time of the last offence Colledge was acting as his wife’s full-time carer and suffering from the stress of looking after her.

“Since the mid-2000s he gave up drinking, which has caused him to reflect on his behaviour.

“He is now an old man, and has ongoing health issues. He has lost his wife, but he does maintain a good relationship with his daughter and grandchildren.”

Judge Griffith-Jones told Colledge: “The fact that many years have passed and you do now present as an old man, and you have health problems, cannot save you, because it’s often the case that these things come to light when people are old.

“This case clearly crosses the custody threshold, and if there was any doubt about it, I’m afraid the final count against someone again subjected to a miserable sexual approach when you were affected by drink, confirms it.

“You made unwelcome advances towards her when she was in your house and vulnerable.”

The judge imposed consecutive nine-month sentences for the offences against the girl and against the woman – but added that it was just possible to suspend them.

May 2016

Man jailed after ‘squalid’ images of young children being sexually abused are found at home

A BELFAST man has been jailed for just three months for what a judge described as “squalid” indecent images of young children being sexually abused.

Children’s nurse Aaron Ravel (46), of Thorndale Avenue in the north of city, pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court to 22 counts of making indecent images of children.

The court heard that a total of 7,367 indecent images were found with some 174 in the most serious category including images of abuse on “a child under one year-old”.

Ravel had previously worked at Carlisle Health and Well Being Centre in Belfast

The offences were committed on dates between October 2013 and April 2014.

Prosecutor Simon Jenkins told Belfast Crown Court police carried out an “intelligence-led search” at Ravel’s home on October 27, 2014 and found a large number of computers and electronic storage devices.

Judge Devlin was told that Ravel gave a no comment interview to police and was asked for any passwords for the computers.

Mr Jenkins said police were able to view only a “a very small number of files” due to passwords being protected with encryption codes.

However when Ravel was re-interviewed in April 2015 he supplied the passwords, the court was told.

He admitted that he had accessed and stored indecent images of children for a period of one-a-half to two years.

Defence barrister Des Fahy said since Ravel was caught his marriage had fallen apart, he had lost his job and he had no ongoing contact with his children, aged 12 and 14.

The defence lawyer said Ravel was remorseful for his offending, adding that the Probation Service required at least two years to work with Ravel on a supervised treatment programme.

Judge Devlin described the images as “squalid” and said the “particular young age of the children” was a further aggravating factor along with the large volume of images found by police before jailing Ravel for three months who was told he would spend a further two years on licence.

May 2016

Winsford man jailed over sex offences against a child

A Winsford man has been jailed after he was found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Anthony James O’Neill, 69, of Carmarthen Close, Winsford, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child on April 22, 2016, following an five-day trial at Chester Crown Court .

Today (Thursday, May 19), he was sentenced to a total of total of four years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court.

The charges related to historic offences which were committed at English Martyrs, a former high school in Warrington, during the 1980s.

May 2016

Man jailed for trying to arrange lap dance from 11 or 12 year old schoolgirl

A PAEDOPHILE who messaged a man online believing he would arrange to meet his granddaughter for sexual activity has been jailed.

Andrew Taylor, 55, was jailed for 15 months for trying to arrange getting a lap dance off the schoolgirl, whom he believed to be 11 or 12.

Oxford Crown Court heard how police swooped on Taylor’s Barton home after being tipped off he had indecent images of children.

But after seizing his Acer laptop and Blackberry phone police found messages from Taylor trying to arrange to get a lap dance off a young girl.

The court heard on Thursday, May 5, Taylor had been messaging a man who was offering him the chance to meet his granddaughter and had said he “couldn’t wait to have fun with her”.

Prosecutor John Upton said: “He said that he had been told by the man that the girl was his granddaughter aged 11 or 12.”

Police found 14 indecent images of children on Taylor’s laptop, as well as the messages on his Blackberry mobile phone after searching his home in May last year.

Taylor, of Barton Village Road, admitted possessing indecent images of children and attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence.

He had previously been handed a community order in 2010 for making indecent images of children.

Timothy Boswell, defending, had previously stressed his client did not meet the girl and it was not clear if the youngster actually even existed.

Taylor was due to be sentenced earlier this month, but judge Zoe Smith delayed jailing him “out of humanity” because there was no one to care for his elderly father.

Mr Boswell said Taylor was the main carer for his elderly father, who would have no one to look after him if his son was jailed.

He told the court yesterday on May 13 how Taylor had contacted social services to arrange support for his father.

He added: “Social services will be visiting Mr Taylor’s father to assess his needs and how they can meet them.

“If Mr Taylor loses his liberty in the meantime his father’s day to day needs will be provided for by a neighbour.”

He appealed for a suspended or community sentence, saying Taylor was prepared to undergoing a sex offenders treatment programme for two years.

But Judge Smith said despite Taylor’s early guilty pleas and full admissions to police, only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

She said trying to meet the youngster to engage in sexual activity with her was “a very serious offence and one for which custody is appropriate”.

Taylor was also handed a sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

May 2016

Ex-police officer downloaded pictures & videos of children as young as 2 being abused & tortured

A RETIRED police officer from Redditch who downloaded twisted pictures and videos of children as young as two being abused and tortured has avoided prison.

Iain Mackay, 63, who served with West Midlands Police in Birmingham until retiring in 1994, downloaded more than 14,000 indecent images between 2004 and March last year.

Birmingham Crown Court heard more than 1,000 of those images were in the worst category showing the rape and sadomasochistic torture of children.

They were discovered by officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in a raid on Mackay’s Astwood Bank flat where he lived with his wife.

The hard drives storing the sick images were also used to store Mackay’s family photos.

He pleaded guilty to seven counts of creating indecent images of children.

But the retired police officer and charity worker avoided prison after it was heard of his previous public service, personal problems and steps he had taken to address his offending since his arrest.

He was handed an 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years with two years supervision.

A costs order of £800 was made and Mackay was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Judge Patrick Thomas QC told him: “What you have done since, embarking on courses and deriving understanding of the gravity of what you have done is sufficient to justify suspension, particularly in light of a long life of public service.

“But it’s a pretty marginal decision and one I have reached with some difficulty.

“Every human being and every judge is constantly astounded by the way people seem to regard viewing images of children being tortured and abused as sexual stimulation.

“Anyone who actually pauses to think about what he is doing and then carries on doing it is plainly somebody whose moral fibre has eroded to an alarming degree.

“There are thousands of pictures of children being tortured and you kept on and on, looking at them, downloading them, and feeding the trade in such pictures.

“This is, to use a strong word, a revolting way to behave.”

The court heard NCA officers went to Mackay’s flat on March 19 last year after receiving information a computer at the address was downloading indecent images.

They seized nine hard drives containing a total of 14,771 pictures and videos.

Of those, 1,264 were ranked in the worst category A, 958 were ranked as category B while 12,549 were ranked in category C.

May 2016

Man had scores of child abuse images on computer

A MAN has been sentenced after child sexual abuse photos and movies were found on his laptop.

Police who raided the home of 24-year-old Samuel Whetton in June last year found he had downloaded scores of illegal still and moving images.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that some of the photos recovered by officers featured children as young as five.

Whetton, of Park Terrace, Workington, pleaded guilty to four charges of making indecent category A, B and C images of children during a 20-month period. He also admitted one count of possessing a prohibited image.

Whetton was sentenced at the crown court today by Judge Barbara Forrester, who heard he was “ashamed and disgusted” by his crimes.

A three-year community order was imposed, comprising 200 hours’ unpaid work, a rehabilitation requirement and attendance on a sex offenders’ course.

In addition, Whetton was made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and was placed on the sex offenders’ register.

May 2016

Children’s hospice worker jailed for child sex offences

A DEVOTED Andover charity coordinator, who hid his sordid past through tireless fundraising, has been jailed for three years for historic sex offences.

Simon John Hall, of Cornfields, was given a three year sentence during a hearing in Winchester Crown Court on Friday 29 April.

The 46-year-old pleaded guilty to two charges involving historic sex offences with a girl aged between 13 and 15 years old.

The first was of indecent assault on a female and he was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.

He was given a one-year concurrent term on a charge of indecency with a child under 16, and ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge.

Hall pleaded not guilty to a number of other offences which will now be kept on his file.

The offences took place between 1992 to 1994, when Hall was in his early twenties.

Hall was a popular member of the community and had a longstanding affiliation with Andover Wheelers spanning over 35 years. He also claimed to be a part-time firefighter.

Hall was an ambassador for Naomi House and Jacksplace and helped to raise thousands of pounds for the children’s hospices over the seven years he volunteered there.

He was well known for regularly coordinating the Salisbury Plain Cycle Challenge.

Spokesman for Naomi House & Jacksplace, Keith Wilson, said: “We are aware of the recent sentencing of Simon Hall and can confirm that he assisted our fundraising teams as a volunteer basis.

May 2016

Nursery worker held child upside down until blood vessels “popped” in his eye

A nursery worker who dangled a child upside down until blood vessels around his eyes burst faces jail.

In another horrific incident Caroline Bell lifted up a child by his ankles, carried him across the room then “dumped” him on his head.

Shocked co-workers told a trial Bell then “joked” about the incidents and “talked about it as if she was talking about what she had had for tea”.

Bell had denied the charges but was found guilty of carrying out the two assaults at the Busy Bee nursery in Cupar.

The nursery is now known as Little Beehives.

The nursery’s owners said they “fully supported” the police throughout the prosecution and that Bell had been sacked when the allegations came to light.

A former worker at the nursery, told a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court she was the whistleblower who flagged up two specific incidents to bosses, leading the cases to be reported to the police.

She said Bell had been her senior at the nursery, where she was employed for five years before going to work at a children’s hospice in England.

Miss Conway said: “I was working with Caroline — she was my senior.

“There was an incident involving one of the children on the climbing frame.

“The child had bitten another child and Caroline went over to deal with the situation.

“She picked him up off the climbing frame and had him upside down by the ankles.”

Miss Conway wept as she told the court: “She walked him across the room, dangling him by the ankles all the way.

“Then she dumped him on the floor, she dropped him from stomach level, she just let him go.

“Then she came over to me and had a laugh about it, she made a joke of it.”

Describing another incident, Miss Conway added: “I was on holiday — I only know about it because Caroline told me about it when I came back.

“Before I’d gone away we had been playing with the kids, holding their hands and letting them walk up our legs until they were almost upside down.

“One of the children didn’t like it when he got horizontal, he’d become upset when we did it before.

“She told me that when I’d been off she was doing that with children and she had done it with that child, but he had got so upset that blood vessels had popped in his eye.

“The way she talked about it was as if she was just telling me what she had had for tea.”

Bell, 44, of Lorraine Drive, Cupar, denied two charges of assault and one of ill-treating children at the nursery.

After a summary trial at Dundee Sheriff Court she was found guilty of the two assault charges, committed between November 1 2013 and February 26 2014.

The Crown said it was no longer seeking a conviction on the ill-treatment charge at the beginning of the trial

That charge had alleged that she “emotionally abused children in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering” by speaking to them in an inappropriate manner and threatening them with physical abuse.

Sheriff Simon Collins QC deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports and ordered Bell to appear on that date.

May 2016

Devon railway worker jailed for sexual assaults on girl

A railway worker has been jailed after a teenage girl told a teacher about the abuse she had suffered.

Neville Gibbings had been molesting the girl for 10 months but she only revealed her ordeal after becoming upset by what she learnt in the lesson on human reproduction.

She revealed to police he had touched her and watched child abuse videos while she was with him.

The Great Western Railway ticket clerk sobbed as he was jailed for four years at Exeter Crown Court and told that the psychological effects on his victim were incalculable.

Gibbings, 46, of East Cliff Road, Dawlish, admitted two offences of assault by penetration and three of sexual activity with a child. He appeared by video link from Exeter Prison and sobbed and buried his face in a jumper as details of what he did were set out.

He was jailed for four years, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order by Judge Graham Cottle.

He told him: “These matters came to light when the victim disclosed to a teacher what was happening to her at your hands. What you did is beyond comprehension to most ordinary decent people.

“You clearly have a significant problem which needs to be treated on a sex offenders’ programme while you are in custody.

“The victim has set out in an impact statement how she feels disgusted, outraged, upset and tearful. She has suffered flashbacks, nightmares and has had trouble sleeping.

“It is not possible to say how long term the consequences will be for her. It is very likely she will continue to suffer for many years, if not forever, as a result of what you did.”

Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said the abuse started in June last year and continued until the victim revealed what was happening last month.

He said: “She became upset during a talk about the reproductive system. The teacher spoke to her and she made disclosures. She was interviewed by the police and described incidents which started the previous year.”

She told police she could recall hearing the voices of children on pornographic videos which Gibbings watched when she was with him. She said at least two of the assaults happened when he had been drinking.

Mr Wraith said child abuse images and movies had been found on computers seized at Gibbings’ home and he had admitted all the offences.

May 2016

Pervert caught by undercover policeman

A paedophile who travelled nearly 140 miles to Medway believing he would be having sex with a young girl had offended in a similar way before, a court heard.

He was not prosecuted over the previous incident after he turned to a child protection charity for help.

But within two years the married 57-year-old printer was back to his old ways scouring the internet to prey on innocent children.

May 2016

Pervert teacher jailed after he posed as teenager in chat room

A TEACHER who was sacked from his school after police caught him posing as a teenager in online chats with boys has been jailed.

Richard Lythall committed a raft of offences over a three-year period, including downloading and distributing indecent photographs of children.

The 35-year-old was working at Sir Thomas Boughey High School, in Halmerend, when the allegations came to light and he was immediately dismissed.

Now the English teacher and church organist is this week starting a three-and-a-half year jail term.

Police seized Lythall’s computer equipment from his home in March last year.

Officers found he had been chatting online to boys aged 14 and 15 – while posing as a 15-year-old boy and a 23-year-old woman.

They also discovered indecent images of children.

Lythall pleaded guilty to 15 offences committed between January 24, 2012 and March 24, 2015, including:

• Attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity;

• Causing a child to engage in sexual activity;

• Taking indecent images of a child;

• Possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Chester Crown Court heard Lythall, of Wesley Avenue, Alsager, had exchanged indecent images, including photos of himself and the teenage boys in their underwear.

Jailing him, Judge Nicholas Woodward said: “On the surface you appear to be a decent and respected member of the community and an experienced teacher.

“That you have done this with your background is extremely worrying. 

May 2016

Police meet sex offender on Heathrow flight after warrant issued for arrest

An international warrant saw Wiltshire Police waiting for an early morning flight at Heathrow this week to arrest a man who had been extradited back to the UK after absconding seven years ago.

Mark Euston-Brown, of Kestel Road, Cape Town, South Africa, but formerly of Swindon appeared in custody at Swindon Magistrates’ Court before District Judge Simon Cooper where he pleaded guilty to seven charges of making indecent photographs of a child between October 6, 2005 and May 7, 2009.

He also pleaded guilty to a further charge of possessing indecent images and videos between the same period.

Vyvyan Thatcher, on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, explained that the images had come to light after one of Euston-Brown’s family members had borrowed his computer and stumbled across the illegal material.

“Police subsequently analysed what was on the computer and found two category five images and 17 category four images,” he said.

Category five is the term used by officers to categorise the most extreme images.

His defence, Emma Thacker, told the court that her client had fled the country in 2009 and gone to South Africa where his family were. He had been detained in South Africa on February 2 of this year and was met by police officers at Heathrow at 5.30am on Wednesday.

“The reason he absconded is he was scared of the outcome of these proceedings,” she said. “It is simply a matter for you whether it is something you can sentence today or whether you feel matters can be dealt with in the magistrates’ court. I would respectfully submit that these are matters that you can sentence here.”

District Judge Cooper agreed to retain jurisdiction for the offences. He told Euston-Brown: “The possession and downloading of these images causes untold physical and mental harm to the young children who are used to create these images by evil men who place them on the internet for your sexual gratification. There is no doubt here you had a direct hand in that degradation – and in one offence, of a baby. The less I say about it the better.

“Having committed these offences you fled to South Africa to evade sentence. An international warrant was issued and you have been brought here from Heathrow.For the first seven charges of making images I sentence you to six months imprisonment. For the offence of possessing a large number of indecent photographs and movies I sentence you to three months in prison. That is nine months in total.”

He also ordered that his computer be forfeited and destroyed.

May 2016

Lakenheath pervert had 570 child abuse images

A Lakenheath man caught with more than 570 indecent images of children has sought help to cure his addiction to pornography, a court has heard.

Adam Harrison pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday.

The court heard that the 23-year-old was arrested after the National Crime Agency alerted police to illegal material in an email attachment.

Officers went to his Avenue Road home last December and seized a computer tower and two laptops containing a total of 579 images, including a video involving two girls aged six and eight.

Andrea Lock, prosecuting, said Harrison had been “disarmingly frank” about his addiction to online pornography when interviewed by police, saying he started viewing indecent adult images at university and moved on to child images.

Ms Lock said 75 of the images found on his computers had been assessed as the most serious Level A, while 76 were Level B and 428 were Level C.

She said Harrison had asked police if there were any organisations he could turn to for help.

In mitigation, Daniel Taylor said Harrison, who had no previous convictions, was deeply remorseful. He said: “Perhaps in contrast to the majority of cases of this kind, he is eager to address his offending behaviour.”

The court heard that Harrison had voluntarily received 15 hours of cognitive behaviour therapy with charity Lifestuff, and had completed an online counselling course with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, which works with sex offenders.

Mr Taylor said: “Mr Harrison became addicted to online pornography when he was a teenager. As time passed his taste for images of a more extreme nature grew stronger. He began to search for younger children.”

He said the illegal nature of the images was of more interest to Harrison than the sexual content.

“He accepted that these are not victimless crimes and for every photograph displayed on his computer there is a young and vulnerable victim,” added Mr Taylor.

Harrison received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and to participate in an internet sex offender programme.

May 2016

Chef Lewis Williamson “snared” teenage girl for sex

A man who had sex with a schoolgirl when she was under age has been jailed for 13 months.

Leeds Crown Court heard Lewis Williamson got to know the girl online in 2013 and arranged to meet her.

He was about 18 and she was vulnerable because of her personal circumstances.

Michael Smith prosecuting said they had sex together on that first occasion and continued to do so on subsequent occasions but she became disillusioned by his possessive attitude towards her and realised “it was unhealthy”. She stopped seeing him but he continued contacting her on Facebook until she felt he was pestering her and contacted police.

Chloe Hudson representing Williamson said he was younger then and lacked maturity with time on his hands but since the contact with that girl had grown up to an extent. He had found his own accommodation, a job as a chef and was working hard to fulfil his potential if he could avoid an immediate jail term.

Williamson, 21, of Shill Bank Lane, Mirfield admitted two charges of sexual activity with a child. He was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Jailing him Judge Christopher Batty said Williamson knew the girl was having problems at the time and was self-harming. Initially he was charming to her but having “snared” her he showed his true colours.

May 2016

Leeds father and son found with indecent images

A father and son accessed hundreds of indecent images of children from computers and mobile phones at their home in Leeds, a court heard.

Philip Douglas, 62, and Paul Douglas, 30, were arrested after police executed a search warrant at their home on Cherry Rise, Whinmoor, on May 12 last year.

Leeds Crown Court heard officers received information that illegal images had been downloaded using an internet service provider address linked to the property.

John Bull, prosecuting, said: “They were both frank and co-operative from the start and readily accepted that they were responsible for downloading material.”

Mobile phones, laptops and computers were seized from the property. Philip was found to have accessed 337 illegal images. The court heard 95 of the images were at category A – the most serious level of offending.

Paul was found to have downloaded 391 images and movies. A total of 83 images and seven movies were at category A.

Both men pleaded guilty to seven offences of making indecent images of a child.

Mr Bull said there was no evidence to suggest that the two men knew of each other’s offending.

They accessed the images independently and had not shared them. Both men are of previous good character.

Alex Boyd, for Philip, said his client had been taking part in a programme, called Safer Lives, designed to address his offending since his arrest.

The court Philip still had the support of his wife, who would suffer financially if her husband was sent to prison.

Michael Jowett, for Paul, said his client had also been taking part in a programme designed to address his behaviour.

Both men were made the subject of a three-year community order, during which they must take part in a sex offender treatment programme. They must also go on the sex offender register for five years.