July 2016

Former police officer says his ‘morbid interest’ in possessing indecent images of children developed through his job

A former police officer has pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

Shaun Ballinger, 48, of Glassworks Cottages, Newport, admitted having nine category A images, 16 category B images and 11 category C images at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Category A is the most serious.

Prosecutor Simon Clements said Ballinger, who had been a detective constable, was still a serving officer with Gwent Police when the images were downloaded on his computer.

The 36 pictures were found on his PC when his home was searched by police on June 28 this year.

Initially Ballinger denied any knowledge of the images, saying he had no interest in such images.

“He said he was unsure if anyone else had access to the router,” Mr Clements said.

Police also discovered file cleaning software on his computer.

“That had been run across the computer on at least four occasions,” Mr Clements said.

Attending the police station on July 1, Ballinger admitted the images were his and claimed the majority of images he had used was of adults.

The court heard Ballinger told police in interview: “I was exposed to images at work and developed a morbid interest.”

The detective constable left Gwent Police when he retired on medical grounds after more than 28 years service.

Representing himself, Ballinger told the court he “had an interest in these matters for a short period.”

He said there had been “no further downloads of that type.”

“I have moved on from that morbid interest but it does not justify what I did do,” he said.

He said he was “thoroughly ashamed” and had been trying “to save my marriage.”

“I am not a coward and have to accept what I did,” Ballinger told the court.

“I ask you, if you could possibly deal with me here, I feel that would assist me so I can get on with other aspects of my life.”

The magistrates declined and sent the matter to Cardiff Crown Court .

Ballinger is due to be sentenced on August 9.

July 2016

Man had sex with girl, 14, in York Library

A man has been jailed for four years for 15 sexual offences involving two underage girls.

Paul Joseph Watson, now 22, had sex with the older girl two or three times a week for months, knowing she was 14 and despite warnings to stay away from her, said Chloe Fairley, prosecuting.

He had unprotected sex with her in their houses, in friends’ houses, in public toilets and at York Explore library in the city centre, and after both had been drinking vodka that he had bought for them.

Watson kept sexual pictures of both her and another 14-year-old girl with whom he had sex twice on one day and he got both to separately perform sex acts on themselves while he watched via Skype.

He got the younger girl to sit naked in his room while he chatted online to another girl.

Released on bail, he downloaded more than 2,000 indecent images and videos of children as young as four being abused, including a film of a man doing the same painful sexual act on a 14-year-old girl that he had done on the older victim.

“Your interest in children continues,” Judge Tom Bayliss QC told him. “Here there are a multiplicity of aggravating factors. I have to impose a prison sentence on you and a prison sentence of some length.”

He jailed Watson for four years, put him on the sex offender register for life and made him subject to a sexual harm prevention order also for life restricting his use of the internet and banning him from having contact with underage girls.

Watson, formerly of Lower Ebor Street, South Bank, pleaded guilty to seven charges of sexual activity with a child and three of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity committed when he was 18 and five of making indecent images of children.

According to a defence psychiatric report, Watson was suffering from an “emotionally unstable personality disorder” at the time of the sexual abuse.

For him Glenn Parsons said the medical and other reports showed that Watson had matured and changed since his initial arrest.

July 2016

Paisley paedophile blamed his gran for sick images

A RENFREWSHIRE paedophile who was caught with a huge stash of videos and images depicting child sexual abuse suggested to police his gran might be to blame.

28-year-old Paisley man Douglas Gallacher was nabbed with nearly 3,000 extreme sexual images involving children and videos at the home he shares with his parents and grandmother in Gallowhill.

He could have accepted his guilt, clearing his loved ones, who had done nothing wrong.

July 2016

Paedophile caught by DNA

A paedophile who denied abusing an underage girl was trapped when DNA proved he was the father of her aborted baby.

Christopher Coates claimed to have “nothing to do with it” when he found out his young victim was pregnant and pleaded not guilty to child sex charges at court.

Newcastle Crown Court heard that, after the schoolgirl went through a termination, scientific testing proved beyond doubt he was the father.

As a result, the 27-year-old predator pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child and meeting a child following sexual grooming.

Prosecutor Jonathan Devlin told the court Coates had targeted his victim, who was a virgin before they met, online.

Mr Devlin said: “She said she had sex because she thought the defendant wouldn’t speak to her if she didn’t.

“She described him being huffy and moody. She said she really liked him.”

The court heard when Coates, who had not used contraception, found out his victim was pregnant, he told her to “get rid of the baby” and said he had “nothing to do with it”.

Mr Devlin added: “She underwent a termination.

“Samples were preserved and sent for examination. It was revealed, through DNA, the defendant was the father of the fetus.”

Coates, of Newcastle Road, South Shields, who denied during police interview that he had had sex with the girl, has been jailed for six years.

He must also sign the sex offenders register and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for life.

Mr Recorder Simon Jackson QC told him: “You deliberately contacted and targeted her.

“These offences were driven by your selfish, predatory and ultimately reckless behaviour.

“I am quite satisfied, for any child, any woman, undergoing a termination in these circumstances, must be a difficult thing for them to have to deal with.

“One can reasonably judge and infer it must have been upsetting and distressing for her.”

David Callan, defending, said Coates, who has tried to hang himself in custody on remand, is “now full of remorse” and accepts full responsibility for what he did.”

July 2016

Pervert jailed for molesting young girl

A pervert has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after a jury convicted him of molesting a young girl.

Brian Wood, of Nevill Place, Snodland, had denied two offences of sexual assault of a child under 13, committed last year.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 52-year-old, who has learning difficulties, had been convicted as a juvenile of separate assaults on a girl and a boy and was given probation orders.

He had also groped an 11-year-old girl in 2006 but was not charged.

Judge Jeremy Carey described one of the offences in the latest case as “a gross act on an innocent child”. His previous offending was an aggravating factor.

The judge said Wood needed sex offender treatment.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and barred from working with children and vulnerable adults. A sexual harm prevention order was made.

July 2016

Pervert given community order for making indecent images of children

A man has been given a community order after he admitted making indecent images of children.

Edward Wetherill, 47, of Farrar Avenue, Mirfield, was arrested after a raid on his home.

Heather Gilmore, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court police executed a search warrant last December following information that an IP address was being used to download images.

An HP laptop was seized and in a folder seven indecent images or videos were found. Miss Gilmore said two were category C videos, the lowest in seriousness, one video at Category B. The four others had not been categorised.

When he was interviewed Wetherill admitted deliberately downloading adult pornography but denied looking for child images. He said he would download in bulk and if he found any inappropriate material he would always delete it immediately.

Wetherill admitted making indecent photographs in the folder concerned and was given a 12 month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £700 costs.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said there was no evidence before him that any of the images or videos fell into Category A the most serious as had previously been alleged, but they fell into Category B and C.

However, he told Wetherill: “You will appreciate the children in these images are subjected to terrible degredation.

“Yours is a very unusual case. There is no indication you have a sexual attraction to children, something I am almost never prepared to accept but in your case there is real justification for saying that from what I read in the pre-sentence report.

“I think the risk of re-offending is very low indeed and I do not regard you as being a danger to children so the offence does not cross the custody threshold.”

July 2016

Man who downloaded child abuse images claims he distributed sick pictures to ‘shock’ others

A collector of thousands of child abuse images claimed he sent extreme pictures over the internet to “shock” others.

Marc Fletcher, 48, confessed to police he had been downloading and sharing indecent images for years.

He stored thousands of illegal pictures of children on a separate hard drive – and he admitted distributing some.

Yet he still denies having any sexual motivation or sexual interest in children.

He claims he sent images to shock people to whom he had been chatting online.

Officers went to his door after he was detected sending two indecent images of children by email, Teesside Crown Court heard.

They seized a laptop and hard drive when they arrested Fletcher on November 24 last year.

Investigators discovered 3,662 indecent images of children, including hundreds of duplicates.

Some showed children as young as two being abused, said prosecutor David Crook today.

Fletcher said he had been viewing and saving the images for about three years. His search history revealed how he sought them out.

He said he had sexual chats on open public sites and shared images for up to two years, two or three times a week.

Mr Crook added: “He said they would often try and shock each other by posting more extreme images.”

Aside from his admissions, evidence could only prove he sent two indecent images via Skype.

Fletcher, of Sheepdene, Wynyard, admitted two charges of making and one of distributing indecent photographs of children, and possessing 90 images of extreme pornography involving animals.

He had never been in trouble before the offences between 2009 and 2015.

Kate Dodds, defending, said Fletcher candidly directed police to the material before they had evidence, and provided details of websites and correspondents.

She said: “He is quite clear. It was not motivated by sexual interest in children.

“This was material which he bitterly regrets accessing.

“He was looking for material to shock, to exchange with people.”

Fletcher claimed he put pictures on to the hard drive to “remove them from the screen”, and kept his whole life on the computer never deleting anything.

Miss Dodds added Fletcher was unsophisticated and naive in his offending, not thinking through the consequences.

She said the dad was respected in a full-time senior job who wanted to provide for his family. It was unclear how the case would affect his employment.

She questioned what prison would achieve, saying Fletcher recognised authorities’ concerns, worked with professionals to reduce risk and had the support of his ex-partner.

The judge, Recorder Andrew Dallas, told Fletcher: “Your presence here today is no doubt as humiliating for you as I hope you recognise it needs to be.

“This is your only blemish on an otherwise excellent, useful, hard-working life.

“This was serious material.

“This material exists because people like you are prepared to download it. Children are abused in dreadful ways in order for that material to be generated.

“This was systematic behaviour for several years.”

Neither the Probation Service nor the judge believed Fletcher’s explanation, the judge saying it was a “smokescreen”.

They concluded he downloaded the pictures for his own sexual gratification.

The judge said Fletcher’s previous good character, admissions and family meant he avoided prison by “an absolute whisker”.

He added: “Your punishment and consequences of this behaviour will extend far beyond anything that this court does to you.”

Fletcher was given a one-year jail term suspended for two years with 20 days’ rehabilitation activity and £535 costs.

He was given a sexual harm prevention order governing his computer and internet use, and will be on the sex offenders’ register, each for 10 years.

July 2016

Bar worker sentenced for downloading child abuse images

A BAR worker who downloaded pornographic images and videos of children has been sentenced to a community order.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Joseph Dart kept a collection of illegal images stored on computer equipment in his bedroom.

Lindsay Thomas, prosecuting, said that the offences came to light on February 5 last year when police called at his home in Andrew Close, Greenmount.

Analysis of his Dell laptop and external hard drive revealed he had 327 indecent pictures of children plus 121 videos.

Most of the still images were categorised as B or C, but 50 of the videos fell into the most serious A category involving boys as young as aged five.

Mrs Thomas said 32-year-old dart admitted having downloading the images and videos once or twice a year and claimed he had viewed them two to three times a week.

He stated that he looked for images of boys aged 10 upwards and was sexually attracted to them.

“He said that he had been looking at indecent images on his computer for the last 15 years – as long as he could remember,” said Mrs Thomas.

Ian Johnstone, defending, described Dart as a “socially inadequate and introverted young man” who only came out to his family as being gay last year.

“He has never had a relationship. His relationship is, in effect, with his laptop,” said Mr Johnstone.

He added that since his arrest Dart, of previous good character, has sought counselling for his behaviour.

“He is genuinely remorseful, disgusted with and ashamed of himself,” said Mr Johnstone.

“It is an unfortunate situation involving an unfortunate young man.”

Dart, who pleaded guilty to one count of possessing indecent images or children and six further charges of downloading indecent images of children, was sentenced to a three year community order by judge Richard Gioserano.

Dart was ordered to undertake 10 days of rehabilitation activities and participate in a sex offenders’ treatment programme, which Judge Gioserano stated would better protect the public than sentencing him to a short prison term.

July 2016

Rapper to be sentenced after filming himself having sex with schoolgirls

A rapper who groomed schoolgirls on social media before filming himself having sex with them will be sentenced today.

Daniel Rodriguez, also known as Grimey D, contacted five victims aged 14 and 15 over Instagram, Facebook and Blackberry Messenger and persuaded them to come to his home.

In one encounter, he filmed sex with a 14-year-old girl who had arrived at his house wearing her school uniform.

The 28-year-old, of Thrasher Close in Hackney, north London, was caught when detectives examined the phone of a 14-year-old girl and found messages suggesting he was in a sexual relationship with her.

She told officers he had first contacted her on Instagram when she was 13, and she was 14 when she visited his home, where he engaged in sexual activity with her on her second visit.

On one occasion, the girl went with a friend, also 14, and Rodriguez engaged in sexual activity with both of them.

Following his arrest on August 27 last year, officers seized and searched his phone, Blackberry and several USB drives, and found videos of Rodriguez having sex with four of the victims – three aged 14 and one aged 15.

He groomed his victims by complimenting their appearance on social media, telling them he loved them and inviting them to his home before regularly having sex with them.

A sixth girl, aged 15, did not want to be interviewed by police but Rodriguez admitted creating an indecent image of her.

In total, he has admitted five charges of sexual activity with a child, one of sexual assault and four of creating an indecent image of a child. He will be sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court.

July 2016

Surrey man jailed after admitting sexually abusing two boys in 1970s

A Mytchett man, who had previously assaulted a disabled boy, has been jailed after admitting nine child abuse offences against two boys.

Christopher Wake, of Thornyhurst Road, carried out the sex attacks in the 1970s, Guildford Crown Court heard on Tuesday (July 26).

The court heard that Victim A was only six years old when the seven-year reign of abuse began.

Wake, a former delivery driver, admitted five charges of indecent assault and one of indecency with a child, between December 14 1970 and December 15 1977.

He also admitted three counts of indecent assault on Victim B between December 22 1973 and December 23 1975, when the boy was aged between 11 and 13.

Three charges of a similar nature, which were not specified in court, were ordered to lie on the file by a judge

It was also revealed in court that Wake was imprisoned for two years in 1991 after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting a disabled boy.

Passing sentence on Tuesday, Miss Recorder June Venters took the unusual step of directly addressing Victim A in the public gallery after reading a harrowing statement of how the abuse had blighted his life.

She said: “What happened to you was not your fault. You were only a child at the time.”

Miss Recorder Venters said: “Your suffering has not gone unnoticed. You will receive justice for the significant harm you have suffered.”

Richard Barton, prosecuting, said the assaults involved sexual touching, masturbation and oral sex.

“Neither boy said anything about it at the time,” said Mr Barton.

He said that the defendant had told Victim A: “This is our secret.”

Despite Wake’s conviction in 1991, Victim A and Victim B waited until 2010 when they were grown men before they reported their experiences to the police, said Mr Barton.

He admitted there had been delays before Wake was eventually charged.

Miss Recorder Venters said: “Any child who has been sexually abused must suffer psychological harm. It’s inconceivable that they wouldn’t.”

Keith Goodhand, defending, said: “These are serious offences of their genre.”

He said that his client had not re-offended since being released from prison after serving his 1991 sentence.

“He doesn’t want to die in prison,” said Mr Goodhand.

He said Wake would suffer from the adverse publicity surrounding the case but added: “He is entirely responsible for his own predicament.”

Miss Recorder Venters acknowledged that Wake had spared the victims the ordeal of giving evidence in court by pleading guilty but she said he should have owned up earlier.

Miss Recorder Venters said there had been no victim personal statement from Victim B but she said the one from Victim A had demonstrated the long-lasting psychological harm that he had suffered as a result of the abuse – including relationship difficulties.

Wake was jailed for five years and put on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

July 2016

‘Monster’ who raped six-year-old girl in Cornwall is jailed for 15 years

A “MONSTER” who raped a six-year-old girl in Cornwall has been jailed for 15 years.

Truro Crown Court heard Stephen Gilbert “terrified” his victim and covered her face as he forced himself upon her.

Heather Hope, prosecuting, said the 25-year-old assaulted the girl after asking if she “wanted to play some games”.

Mrs Hope said Gilbert asked the victim if she had “enjoyed it”, adding: “She said she had because she didn’t know what else to say but in her own head she was screaming for it to stop”.

During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Judge Simon Carr was told the young girl had suffered suicidal thoughts following Gilbert’s heinous crime and often experienced night terrors.

The court heard she had been left “terrified of speaking to anybody [about the rape]” because she feared she would be “blamed”.

Mrs Hope said the victim’s mother described Gilbert as a “monster” and said he had caused her family considerable pain and suffering.

At a previous hearing Gilbert, of Pathway Fields, Hayle, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of raping a child.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Carr told him that he knew what he did was wrong and that is why he covered the victim’s face.

He added that the hurt and pain he had caused the girl would be long-lasting if not permanent.

Sentencing him to 15 years in prison, Judge Carr told Gilbert he will serve at least half of that time before he will be eligible to be released on licence.

Gilbert will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

July 2016

Pervert who exposed himself to children avoids prison

A pervert who was found guilty of indecently exposing himself to children has avoided a prison sentence.

David Gorman, 51 of Beacon Lane, Exeter pleaded guilty to outraging public decency by exposing himself in full view of members of the public, which included young children.

The court was told that perverted Gorman approached several children in the local park. He made a series of sexual comments which resulted in him exposing himself and masterbating in-front of them.

Gorman was convicted in 2010, after he was caught driving his mobility scooter while almost three times over the drink-drive limit. Gorman has been disabled since 1984, when he suffered an injury during training while he was in the armed forces.

Gorman was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £100 compensation. 

July 2016

Honorary policeman jailed for child sex offences

A former honorary policeman has been jailed for three years for making and distributing child abuse images.

Timothy Luce, 42, served as a constables officer in St John, Jersey, until he was arrested and stood down.

He admitted three counts of making indecent images and one count of distribution at the Royal Courts of Jersey.

UPDATE: Now living in polbeth near West Calder

December 2004

Rapist gets nine years for assaults on schoolgirls

A RAPIST who subjected two teenage girls to sex attacks has been jailed for nine years.

Leonard Welsh, 50, met his most recent victim in the street and invited her back to his then home in Logan Way, in Livingston, West Lothian, in 1999.

The 15-year-old went to the house, but Welsh took hold of her breast. When she tried to get free he seized her by the hair.

The girl screamed but he put his hand over her mouth, dragged her into a bedroom

and told her: “Shut up and it will all be over and done with.” Welsh then removed her lower clothes and raped her.

The attack came to light three years later after the victim was arrested for being found drunk and incapable. She then revealed to police her earlier rape ordeal.

Welsh, of no fixed abode, earlier admitted raping the teenager in 1999. He also admitted raping another 15-year-old on various occasions between June 1988 and May 1989 at a house in the Knightsridge area of Livingston.

The victim made it clear she did not want to have sex with him, but he threatened her.

The court heard that she lost count of the number of times that Welsh raped her, but it may have been 25 to 30 occasions.

At the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday, Lord Drummond Young told Welsh: “These offences involved threats of violence to the two unfortunate victims.

“It is clear a substantial custodial sentence is inevitable.”

July 2016

Man exposed himself to girls aged 4 and 7

A pervert dressed only in a long black coat exposed himself to young girls, a court heard.

Neville Crouch, 59, admitted four charges of indecently exposing himself to a seven-year-old girl and a four-year-old.

Sending Crouch, of Holmfield Road, St Annes, to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced, District Judge Jonathon Gosling told him: “I am extremely concerned about your behaviour and the breach of trust. This is a very serious matter and a Crown Court will decide how long you spend in prison as I have limits on what sentence I can pass.”

Martine Connah, prosecuting at Blackpool Magistrates Court, told how Crouch became friendly with the mother of the two girls and did garden work for her.

However when Crouch saw the girls through a window in July this year he would strip, change into the long coat, and expose himself to them.

Once he went as far as to go into their front garden.

The prosecutor said that during his time in custody Crouch admitted having worrying sexual feelings towards young females and was scared what he might do to them if he was not stopped.

Crouch was remanded in custody until he appears at Preston Crown Court on August 24.

July 2016

Sex beast jailed 

A 73-year-old sexual predator who preyed on two young girls has been told he could spend the remainder of his life behind bars.

Kenneth Lea was convicted of nine separate sex offences against the youngsters by a jury following a trial in May.

Sentencing him at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday, recorder Peter Wright QC told him: “These girls were groomed by you in order to make them sexually pliable.

“I am quite sure that you awaited your opportunity and took it. You are an opportunist and a sexual predator.”

He told Lea, of Oak Street, Shaw, that his actions in respect of the first girl almost 20 years ago, when she was aged just five or six, had left her confused and emotionally scarred.

He added: “Your effect on her has been profound and lifelong.”

Lea who showed no emotion as he was sentenced, has been jailed for a total of 16 years, and told that there will be no automatic release on serving half his sentence.

He was sent down for 12 years for the most serious offence of assault on a girl under 13 by penetration, and given four years consecutive for indecent assault on a young girl.

There were concurrent sentences of six and seven years for offences including sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

The court was told that a probation service report had concluded that Lea should be classed as a dangerous offender.

Recorder Wright said he had decided against an indeterminate sentence however, as the length of the term he was imposing would adequately protect the public.

In a statement to police, the first victim, now a grown woman, said what happened had taken over her life and caused massive strain.

She said: “Whatever sentence is imposed, it will never take away the pain he caused.”

She said she had carried the burden of what had happened for years, thinking that if she spoke out she would not be believed.

The court had been told that the second victim had been four to five at the time, but Recorder Wright said he hoped she might be able to forget about what had happened because of her age.

He said she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted, describing Lea’s actions as “dreadful”.

The court was told that Lea was suffering from poor health, and Philip Barnes defending, said time in prison would be difficult for him.

Recorder Wright told him the only possible mitigation in his case was his advanced age and the fact that he had no previous convictions.

He said: “You may well be incarcerated for the rest of your life.”

Should he be released he will be on the sex offenders’ register and subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for an indefinite period.

July 2016

Child rapist jailed

A young woman has spoken out after a 46-year-old Lowestoft man was jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of three counts of raping her while she was a teenager.

Stephen Waters, of Princes Road in Lowestoft, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court today, Thursday 21 July, to be sentenced after being found guilty, following a trial, of three counts of rape on Monday 13 June.

The allegations came to light when the young woman contacted South Wales Police in March 2015 saying she had been raped by a man on three occasions several years earlier.

The rapes had occurred in Lowestoft and the details were passed to Suffolk Police’s Operation Gemini team based in the town to investigate.

Following basic enquiries, Waters was arrested the same day the incident was reported to the Suffolk team. He gave a ‘no comment’ interview but officers secured messages he had exchanged with the young woman, which made it clear he knew what he had done was wrong.

The young woman told police she had initially tried to fight him off and had frozen during the attacks.

Today she said;

“I want to thank Darren Winchester and the Gemini team in Lowestoft and also the judge for helping me get the justice I deserve. Dealing with it on my own has been really hard but over the last year and a half, whilst the case has been ongoing, everyone involved have been outstanding, great support on all levels, and I was able to give my evidence comfortably.

“I was really worried at first that there wasn’t going to be enough evidence as it happened so long ago. But thank you all for everything. My mum has been outstanding and her side of the family have also been a fantastic support, also my ex-partner has helped me come to terms with the fact I’ve done the best thing and reported someone who was meant to be a role model.

“I can’t say in words how grateful I am. It is very upsetting and frustrating to know that someone who was supposed to protect me hurt me in the way he did. Anyone out there who has been a victim of something similar or any crime it’s never too late to report it and the Gemini team in Lowestoft have proved that. I’m now able to get on with my life after it being on hold for so long as I was struggling to cope with it badly. I’ve got the justice I deserve, thank you all involved.”

Officer in the case DC Darren Winchester said at the time of Waters conviction; “The young woman has been extremely courageous in reporting what happened to her and her account and the evidence we secured during the investigation has led to a jury finding Waters guilty of three counts of rape.

 “We would like to thank her for her bravery and integrity during the course of the investigation, and would also like to thank South Wales Police who assisted us with bringing Waters to justice.

 “This shows again that we can put offenders before the courts many years after sexual abuse has occurred. Even if you don’t wish to proceed to court, help and support is available and we’d encourage anyone who may have been a victim to get in touch with police or other agencies who can assist.”

DC Winchester added; “Waters continued to maintain his innocence despite the substantial evidence against him, forcing this to go to a trial, and we’re pleased he has been convicted and jailed. While the process has taken some time the young woman was determined to see this through so no one else would be subject to rape or sexual assaults by him.”

July 2016

Former Henbury man who filmed himself raping child convicted of abusing two other children

A former Henbury man faces a hefty jail term after admitting filming himself raping a five-year-old girl and being convicted of abusing two other girls.

A jury at Bristol Crown Court was told Mark Hill pleaded guilty to raping, sexually assaulting and making indecent images of the five-year-old last year.

But the 53-year-old, formerly of Station Road, pleaded not guilty to molesting two previous youngsters in his past.

Regarding one complainant he was put on trial for five indecent assaults; indecency with a child and two charges of having sex with a girl under 13 when she was between nine and 11.

Regarding a second complainant he was on trial for four charges of having sexual activity with a child when she was aged 13 or 14.

Following a trial lasting just over a week he was found guilty of all charges.

Judge Michael Longman remanded him in custody pending a report for sentence on a date to be fixed.

Rupert Lowe, prosecuting, said Hill started kissing the first complainant when she was nine.

He was then alleged to have sexually abused her with a pencil and his hands before getting her to commit a sex act on him and having sex with her.

Hill silenced the girl by threatening that if she reported him he would tell her mother what had happened, Mr Lowe said.

Mr Lowe told the jury 20 years later a middle-aged Hill started kissing a 13 year old girl before subjecting her to mutual sex acts and then full sex.

The first complainant said: “He would put his arm around me and give me a cuddle.

“He used to kiss me on the lips, proper French kissing I suppose.

“The touching just kind of progressed from that.

“It was all just gradual, gradual. It just happened really, really slowly so I was comfortable with it I guess.

“He never hurt me. It was never about hurting me.”

The complainant recounted how sexual touching, which became the norm, elevated to full sex when she was aged 11.

She said: “It was kind of like, really? It was odd and strange. It was just really, this is what everyone does?

“I was really confused by it all.”

She said she did speak to police but “backpedalled” and came up with a story about being raped, before giving a proper account of abuse.

What empowered her to divulge what she saw as her “horrible, dirty little secret” was her knowledge of a group supporting victims of sex assault, the court heard.

She said: “I want to deal with it, get it out and just deal with it.”

July 2016

Judge pays tribute to victims of child sex abuse as offender is jailed

A man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison following convictions for historic sex offences against two young children.

Kenneth Mockford systematically abused his victims at locations in Larkfield and near West Malling during the 1970s and 1980s.

When committing the abuse against one of the children, Mockford told her it was ‘their secret’ and that she was ‘special’ to prevent her from telling anyone.

Appearing at Maidstone Crown Court on 20 July, the 73-year-old, formerly of Church Road, Offham was already serving a separate 6 year sentence for child sex offences following an unrelated conviction in 2013.

In the latest investigation Mockford had denied a string of offences, but was found guilty by a jury following a trial.

In total he was convicted of 11 counts of indecent assault against a child and 4 counts of gross indecency with a child.

Judge Philip Statman praised both the victims and said they were ‘the bravest of the brave’.

July 2016

Man who had more than 1,800 indecent images on his computer is jailed

A KEIGHLEY man has been jailed for 20 months after he was found to have more than 1,800 indecent images on his computer, some of children as young as three.

Roger Stevens, 50, also distributed an indecent photograph and had extreme pornographic images, including of sexual acts with animals, in his possession.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Stevens, of Long Lee Lane, acquired 1,804 images and put them on his computer. There were 745 category A images, the most serious level; 298 category B images and 761 at category C, the lowest level. Some were still images but many were movies.

Judge Robert Bartfield said that on at least one occasion Stevens had shared the images with another porn user. He said the defendant’s computer was fitted with peer to peer software so he could be in a position to distribute.

Judge Bartfield said he accepted a point made by the defendant’s barrister, Stephen Wood, that Stevens had to be dealt with for one isolated distribution to another person.

“You acquired from him, he acquired from you,” the judge added. “To that extent, you would be encouraging this person to indulge in these offences.

“In addition, on your computer were found extreme pornographic images, relating to acts committed against animals, or other objects, which were not children.”

When arrested, Stevens made no comment. But he eventually admitted the offences.

Judge Bartfield said the aggravating features of the case were the ages of the children in the images, from three or four to 15.

The judge said it was a considerable volume of images, many of which were movies. The defendant had also sought to mask his identity so he could not be discovered. He took into account that it was many years since the offences.

“You have taken steps to address what you recognise to be your addiction to porn of this kind,” he said. “You have gone to the Safer Lives Programme and begun to have an insight into what happened and waking up to the seriousness of it; you have genuine regret and remorse and are a person of previous good character. I recognise you were leading a rather lonely and sad existence at the time.

“But nothing can detract from the pain and injury these children suffer, both psychologically and physically to fill the need to have this kind of material.”

Stevens pleaded guilty to making and distributing indecent photographs and possessing extreme pornographic images.