January 2014

Man, 64, admits to child sexual abuse 

A MAN has admitted to a string of child sex offences in the middle of his trial and will be sentenced at the end of the month.

Bernard Chapman, 64, formerly of Monmouthshire, was on trial for four counts of rape against a girl under 13 years old, four counts of sexual activity with a child and a further six counts of rape, all relating to the same girl, who is now an adult.

He initially denied all 14 of the charges but has now pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at the end of the month.

The victim gave evidence during Chapman’s trial at Cardiff Crown Court last week, and broke down in tears as she told the court she suffered years of sexual abuse at his hands in Gwent.

Chapman, of Church Lane, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire initially denied all of the charges.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, sobbed as she told a jury of six men and six women she did not tell anyone about the alleged abuse until Chapman’s arrest last year.

She told the court from behind a screen: “I never thought it would be the right time.”

The woman spoke to police after an altercation during which Chapman allegedly hit her, though he was never charged over the incident, the jury heard.

The jury heard the abuse began when Chapman touched her over her clothes, and it later became full sexual intercourse. Chapman will be sentenced on January 30 at Cardiff Crown Court

January 2014

Frome man convicted of sexual assault on child is jailed for four years

A FROME man has been jailed for four years after being convicted of sexual offences.

Christopher Martin Payne, 54, denied four counts of sexual assault when he appeared at Taunton Crown Court.

He was convicted of sexual assault on a female, sexual assault on a female by penetration, sexual activity with a child under 16 and inciting a child under 16 to take part in sexual activity.

The jury was sent out to consider its verdict on Monday, January 13 and it took just over four hours to find him unanimously guilty on all four counts.

Judge David Ticehurst sentenced Payne to four years imprisonment, he was placed on the sexual offenders register for life, given a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order for five years and disqualified from working with children.

After the court case, Detective Constable Mark White said: “Christopher Payne was in a position of responsibility and he abused the trust in him when he made inappropriate comments to young girls and sexually assaulted them. He singled out several of them for his own sexual gratification and no doubt would have taken it further if the victim had not been strong enough to report the matter to her family. I commend the victim for coming forward; her strength has resulted in this man being given a custodial sentence for what he did. I also hope it gives anyone else who has suffered sexual abuse the courage to come forward and tell the police about it.”

January 2014

Blacon paedophile jailed for seven years

January 2014

Barnstaple paedophile jailed for 10 years for using young girls as sexual toys

A PENSIONER who ruined the lives of two young girls by using them as sexual toys has been jailed for 10 years.

Anthony Smale molested the girls when they were aged between nine and 15 and forced them to take part in sex acts with him.

The retired meat factory worker was babysitting the girls in the 1970s and 1990s when he took advantage of them, Exeter Crown Court was told.

They have suffered decades of psychological misery with anorexia, self harming and problems with relationships caused by their childhood traumas.

One of the victims only plucked up the courage to go to the police after reading in the Journal that Smale had appeared in court after being arrested over the other girl’s allegations.

Smale, 72, of Fair View, Barnstaple, denied nine offences of indecent assault against one girl and 13 offences of indecent assault or gross indecency against the other.

He was convicted of all counts and jailed for a total of ten years by Judge Graham Cottle.

The judge told him: “You were convicted on the clearest possible evidence of the sustained and serious abuse of two very young girls.

“You decided to plead not guilty so these two palpably honest women were required to relive their miserable childhoods, which were characterised by abuse by you.

“You behaved in a way which ordinary people will find completely incomprehensible. You used these girls as sexual toys to satisfy your sexual desires.

“The effect has been to damage their lives irreparably. They have suffered everything associated with abuse in childhood.

“You thought you had got away with this, and you did for many years but now justice has finally caught up with you and there is no alternative to a lengthy prison sentence.”

During the four-day trial the girls told how Smale groomed them by starting his abuse with minor assaults before moving on to more serious acts.

Smale told the jury all the allegations against him were false. He said: “I never abused either of these girls.”

January 2014

GREENOCK man who carried out a sickening swimming pool sex assault on a young girl has avoided a jail sentence

Stuart Barr, 32, rubbed himself against a terrified 13-year-old at the Waterfront Leisure Complex in Greenock.

He also exposed himself to an 11-year-old girl on a rubber ring in the centre’s small flume pool.

Both incidents took place on 15 July last year.

Barr was found guilty during a trial at Greenock Sheriff Court in November of one charge of sexual assault and one of indecent exposure. He returned to court for sentence — and was given a community payback order.

During the trial his victims had given evidence about their ordeal via a live video link.

The 13-year-old victim said that Barr had deliberately ‘brushed’ against her in the training pool while she played with her younger brother and sister.

Her 11-year-old sister was under the water at that time and said in her evidence that she witnessed the incident.

Another child, aged 11, had visited the pool that day with her friend’s family. She said Barr had exposed himself in one of the small ‘bowl’ pools which link the flumes.

In his evidence to defence solicitor Aidan Gallagher, Barr said he thought it was ‘a wind up’ when approached by a member of staff who said a complaint had been made against him.

He claimed CCTV would prove he done nothing wrong.

However, footage shown in court was taken at the wrong time and did not show Barr.

A recording of the incident was never recovered because of ‘malfunctioning’ recording equipment.

However, a child in each of the separate incidents confirmed that Barr was wearing a pair of green football shorts at the time. Sheriff Gerard Sinclair put Barr on the Sex Offenders Register and placed him under supervision for 12 months.

January 2014

Cumbria paedophile pleads guilty to child abuse, child abuse images and animal porn charges

A PAEDOPHILE from Cumbria pleaded guilty to child abuse, child porn and animal porn charges.

John Woodburn, 63, from Esthwaite Avenue, Kendal, appeared at Kendal Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and admitted two counts of gross indecency against a girl under the age of 14 in the late 1980s. 

He also pleaded guilty to seven counts of making indecent images of children between 2001 and 2013, and eight counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Woodburn also faces two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images of a person having live intercourse with a dog, dating from between January and March last year. 

He will be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on February 14, and has been released on bail. 

January 2014

Release on bail of a twisted animal and child abuse image pervert has sparked anger and astonishment

Darius James Sierp, 19, admitted 12 counts of offences involving obscene videos of sex with dogs, horses and other beasts.

Police discovered eight disgusting bestiality films among the weirdo loner’s vast porn collection.

He was granted bail at Folkestone magistrates court to attend crown court to be sentenced.

Our report of the case immediately sparked a volley of online criticism of the court’s decision.

This was echoed by local politicians.

Folkestone Ukip county councillor Hod Birkby said: “Why has he been given bail? It’s staggering. It’s disgusting, especially in light of the child porn offences.

“He should have been remanded in custody in a secure environment.”

Tory MP for Dover and Deal Charlie Elphicke said: “Why on earth has this horrible little man been given bail?

“He should have been sent to prison to await sentence at crown court.

“Bail in this case is totally inappropriate. What was the court thinking of? I hope he is sent down for a very, very long time.”

The teenager stood silently in the dock as the court heard a list of sickening charges from May 30 last year.

Softly-spoken Sierp, who was born in Ashford, whose Twitter biography states ‘I am a black star shining bightly (sic)’ told magistrates he was pleading guilty ‘to ebveryhting.’

He admitted making more than eight hours of disgusting movies involving children at levels four and five. Level five is the most extreme.

Alan Land, defending, asked for his client to be sent to crown court for sentencing.

Sierp, of Brabner Close, Folkestone, was released on conditional bail and must have no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16.

He is also prohibited from using the internet unless at work, the library or a place of education and it is for ‘educational purposes.’

Sierp must also disconnect any games consoles from the internet.

A date for him to appear at Canterbury Crown Court is to be arranged.

January 2014

A former soldier has been jailed for six years over the death of his 19-month-old daughter in Northampton

Liam Culverhouse, 25, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court after admitting causing or allowing the death of Khloe Abrams.

He once played dead to survive an attack in Afghanistan in 2009, which left five of his colleagues dead.

His daughter died in a hospice in November 2012 after being assaulted.

The court heard Khloe was admitted to hospital in May 2011, a few months after Culverhouse was medically discharged from the Army.

She spent more than a year in hospital and was being cared for in a hospice before dying of pneumonia, which was brought on by the severe injuries she suffered when she was seven weeks old.

Culverhouse suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after being blinded in one eye in an attack in Helmand province on 3 November 2009.

Then a lance corporal, he was shot in the face, arms and legs with an AK-47 machine gun at checkpoint Blue 25.

Five other British soldiers were shot dead, six were injured and two Afghan policeman were wounded.

November 2013

Former soldier faces jail after admitting killing his toddler daughter 

A former soldier who lost his right eye after being shot by a rogue Afghan policeman in Helmand province has been warned he faces a ‘significant’ jail sentence after admitting killing his 19-month-old daughter.

Liam Culverhouse, 25, who at the time was a Lance Corporal, was injured at an Afghan National Police checkpoint in Nad-e-Ali in November 2009. Five of his comrades were killed in the attack.

Eighteen months after returning home, Culverhouse assaulted his then seven-week-old daughter Khloe Abrams at the family home in Northampton.

She was left fighting for her life in hospital for nearly 18 months.

Today at Nottingham Crown Court, Culverhouse, who was medically discharged from the Army in April, pleaded guilty to causing or allowing the death of the toddler.

Khloe was admitted to Northampton General Hospital on May 8, 2011 with severe injuries. She never recovered and died at the Rainbow Children’s Hospice in Loughborough on November 7 last year.

In a statement, Northamptonshire Police said: ‘Khloe Abrams died at the Rainbow Children’s Hospice in Loughborough on November 7, 2012. She was 19 months old.

‘Khloe died as a result of a severe trauma following an assault which took place in May 2011 when she was seven weeks old.’

Culverhouse, of Kingsthorpe, Northampton, appeared in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court today alongside his former partner, Khloe’s mother Clare Abrams.

Wearing a black suit with blue shirt and tie, he showed no emotion during the hearing.

Sally Howes QC, prosecuting, told the court Culverhouse had pleaded guilty ‘to causing or allowing the death of Khloe Abrams under the heading of causing the death of Khloe Abrams’.

She said: ‘Mr Culverhouse is accepting that he is responsible for the unlawful act that caused the death of the child.’

No details of the assault were heard in court.

Miss Abrams, wearing a black suit and pink top, pleaded not guilty to the joint charge of causing or allowing the death of her daughter.

After a review of the evidence, Miss Abrams, of Abington, Northampton, was cleared of the charge.

Miss Howes said: ‘The Crown would offer no evidence against Miss Abrams in relation to these counts and invite a verdict of not guilty.’

David Howell, defending Culverhouse, told the court his client was an ex-member of the military who had suffered extensive injuries as a result of operational service in Afghanistan in 2009, including the loss of his right eye.

Culverhouse was granted bail to allow him to receive rehabilitation support, the court heard.

Adjourning the hearing for pre-sentence and medical reports, the judge Mr Justice Jeremy Baker told Culverhouse: ‘Please understand, and I am sure you do, it is extremely likely you will be facing a significant custodial sentence when you return to court.’

Culverhouse will be sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court in December.

In March 2010 he appeared in a Channel 4 documentary in which he told how he played dead during the attack in Afghanistan when the gunman shot him six times in his face and both arms and legs as he tried to escape.

He described the moment he heard the footsteps of the gunman pacing over to him to make sure he was dead.

The shootings sent shockwaves through the Nato mission in Afghanistan.

Those killed in the shooting were Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Sergeant Matthew Telford, 37, and Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18, of the Grenadier Guards, and Corporal Steven Boote, 22, and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24, of the Royal Military Police.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killings but British military sources suggested it was more likely that the incident was a one-off and unconnected to insurgents. The rogue gunman has never been caught.

In the documentary, Culverhouse said he and his colleagues picked up a ‘funny atmosphere’ at the checkpoint before the shooting but could not have predicted what happened.

The soldier revealed that the troops were having a competition to see who could catch the most mice when the policeman opened fire.

He said: ‘I remember getting hit in the face with something and I remember shouting and swearing.

‘I remember saying, “f****** hell, what was that?” and I covered my face and turned around to see the back of an Afghan, one of the police officers, shooting the lads.’

January 2014

Stevenage paedophile pleads guilty to indecent images of children and animal porn

A 48-year-old man has pleaded guilty to possessing more than 300 indecent images of children.

Guy Lawrence, of Prestatyn Close in Stevenage, pleaded guilty to possessing 369 indecent images of children when he appeared at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Four photographs were rated Level 5 – the most serious – 118 Level 4, 123 Level 3, 23 Level 2 and 101 Level 1.

Lawrence also pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image portraying a sexual act with an animal, and two counts of breaching a sex offender order.

He has been committed to Cambridge Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be determined.

January 2014

Plymouth man jailed for underage sex with drunk girl

A 21-YEAR-OLD man who had sex with an underage girl has been jailed for more than three years.

George Henry Freeman took advantage of the 15-year-old when she was too drunk to resist, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Judge Paul Darlow jailed him for three years and four months.

He told Freeman he “absolutely knew” the age of the complainant.

Judge Darlow said: “Not only was she vulnerable because of her age but also because she was drunk to the point of insensibility.

“You took advantage of her when she was totally powerless to resist.”

Freeman, of Holloway Gardens, Plymstock, admitted sexual activity with a child on November 1, 2012.

Kelly Scrivener, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the DNA was found on the girl’s body.

She added the sexual intercourse had been unprotected.

The court heard Freeman had received police warnings for the same offence in 2008 and 2009, when he was 16 or 17.

Nick Lewin, for Freeman, urged the judge not to send him to prison for what he called his “drunken mistake”.

He said: “To an extent it would also be right to view this as a drunken mistake by the victim.”

Mr Lewin added Freeman was 20 at the time of the offence.

He said sending him to prison would achieve nothing, but sex offender treatment was more likely to stop him committing crime.

Mr Lewin said: “Common sense says that the right thing to do, in my submission, would be to put him in a position where he can get on with his life without causing harm to any individual in the future.”

Judge Darlow said he thought custody was appropriate.

But he added that if he suspended a prison sentence it was likely to be sent to appeal.

January 2014

Paedophile is spared prison

A paedophile who pleaded guilty to making 17 indecent images of children was spared jail today (Friday, January 17).

Judge David Farrell QC told Neil Burrows, 33, of Potton that he should be ashamed of himself – but that prison was not the appropriate sentence in this case.

Burrows also pleaded guilty to possessing three indecent images of children.

Luton Crown Court heard that police who raided Burrows’ home in Sheffield Close found 70 indecent images of children on his computer, ranging from level one to four in content – with level five being the most severe.

James Edenborough, prosecuting, said police found 39 images rated as level one, two as level two, 21 as level three and eight as level four.

A further 267 images discovered were also said to be of an extremely pornographic nature, Mr Edenborough said.

Police had previously received a tip-off about a website which had been compromised and now contained indecent images.

An investigation led them to Burrows, who pleaded guilty to the offences during two police interviews.

While he had admitted to downloaded and possessing the images, Burrows claimed that he thought the people in them were aged 18 and 19, Mr Edenborough said.

He added: “It was clear to officers that some contained children who would not have been no older than 15, while others featured children as young as four.”

Sentencing Burrows, Mr Farrell said: “You clearly did this merely for your own perverted, sexual gratification.

“While you were just downloading these images, by doing so you were encouraging the people who make them – as in produce them – in what they do.”

“It is obvious that some sad things have happened in your life in the past but that is no excuse for what you have done.”

He added: “In these circumstances a prison sentence will not be long enough for you to complete a satisfactory programme of treatment.”

Burrows was given a three-year supervisory community order and must complete a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

He is also banned for fives years from using a computer or camera or any other digital device which can contain digital images and which does not contain software which will stop indecent images being accessed or downloaded.

Additionally he cannot make any contact with a female under the age of 18 without their parent or legal guardian’s consent, and must pay £160 in costs.

Mr Farrell warned Burrows he faces a substantial prison sentence if he is found to have breached any of the conditions imposed.

January 2014

Pervert Leeds fishing coach sent to jail

A PERVERT who abused his position in charge of the junior section of a fishing club to sexually abuse young boys has been jailed for 11 years.

Paul Stead, 45, was found guilty of 23 sex offences against seven victims dating back to the 1990s.

Leeds Crown Court heard Stead abused the youngsters for his own sexual gratification over an eight year period.

A jury heard Stead also did all he could to “denigrate” the character of some of his victims when they reported the conduct to the club’s chairman and committee.

Stead, of Stanks Lane South, Whinmoor, also threatened to take an injunction out against one of his victims back in 2002.

The victim went to Stead’s fishing tackle shop to confront him warning him to quit his position at the club. Stead continued to work with young anglers until more victims came forward in 2011 and 2012.

A jury took too just over six hours to find him guilty of 17 offences of indecent assault and seven of indecency with a child.

Stead would abuse the youngsters while they were out fishing on a river bank. Further abuse also took place at his then home in Cross Gates, where he would give the youngsters alcohol and play pornographic films.

Jailing Stead, judge Tom Bayliss, QC, said: “You abused your position, corrupted these children. You abused these children. What you did to them will live with them for the rest of their lives.”

After the case, Det Insp Lawrence Bone, of the Leeds District Child Safeguarding Unit, said: “Stead abused his position of trust to systematically exploit vulnerable young people over a long period of time for his own sexual gratification.

“We hope the fact he has now been brought to justice will go some way towards helping his victims and their families to deal with the trauma he has caused them. I would like to pay tribute to the victims for the courage they have shown in standing up to make sure Stead has now faced the consequences of his actions and in playing their part in protecting further children from this predatory paedophile.

“Any allegations of this nature are always thoroughly investigated by specialist officers who ensure victims are fully supported throughout the process. The passage of time is no barrier to a successful prosecution.”

January 2014

Darlington man left off with a suspended sentence after hoarding 12,000 images of child abuse is jailed after police find thousands more pictures in second raid

A PAEDOPHILE who dodged jail after being caught with 12,000 images of child abuse created another sickening collection immediately after his conviction.

Alan Hauxwell hid a computer hard-drive full of indecent images when he was first arrested so his obsession with children would not be interrupted, a court heard yesterday.

After being given a suspended prison sentence in July 2012, he retrieved the electronic equipment and transferred some of his filth onto a new laptop.

Police searched his Darlington home again last October, and found more than 8,000 pictures and movie files showing children as young as four.

Hauxwell, 51, avoided custody 18 months ago so he could get treatment on a sex offender programme – designed to reduce or remove any future risk.

A judge told him yesterday that he had “paid lip-service to the course” and said it appeared as though he did not want to be helped with his problems.

Judge Bowers told Hauxwell, of Dodds Street, Darlington: “You paid lip service to the course and any assistance given to you.

“You are clearly addicted to child pornography and it is quite obvious after your arrest on the last occasion, you had every intention of continuing, whatever sentence you got or whatever efforts were made.”

Hauxwell was jailed for two-and-a-half years after he admitted making 8,260 indecent images of children, and possessing 4,073 prohibited images.

Detective Constable Ian Banham, of Darlington CID, said afterwards: “It sends a message to others doing it that prison sentences are now being given.

January 2014

Sex offender who flashed 16-year-old girl on train spared jail

A MAN with a history of sexual offences dating back nearly 30 years has been spared jail for flashing a 16-year-old girl.

Mark Ferguson, 48, exposed himself to the teenager on a train at West Croydon station on October 22 last year.

Yet despite having 15 similar convictions dating back to 1986, and being subject to a life-long ban on exposing himself, he was handed a suspended sentence at Croydon Crown Court today (Friday).

A court had previously heard how Ferguson, of Edmeston Road, Hackney, deliberately “targeted” the teenager, asking where the Victoria-bound train was headed before exposing himself while rubbing his thighs.

He pleaded guilty to exposure and breaching a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) on December 6.

Judge Warwick McKinnon, the Recorder of Croydon, read out a list of the American national’s previous offences, which began 28 years ago in the US.

He was convicted five times for indecency and exposure between 1986 and 1989, for which he received sentences of between 30 and 90 days in prison.

He did not reoffend until 1992 when he was jailed for 108 days for indecency, an offence he committed again in 1995 when he was sentenced to 60 days.

Ferguson was convicted three more times for the same crime between 2001 and 2003 before moving to the UK.

He has been convicted five times since then, including disorderly behaviour in 2006 and then indecent exposure in 2008, for which he was jailed and given a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) for life.

His last conviction before this week was for playing a pornographic message down a phone in 2009.

The court was told that he exposed himself to the 16-year-old just weeks after starting therapy to prevent such behaviour.

Judge McKinnon said it was clear Ferguson had been unable to stop committing “disgusting and extremely frightening offences”.

After his arrest, Ferguson gave a prepared statement to the police. He confessed and said he was “thoroughly ashamed and embarrassed”.

Mark Dakin, defending, said his client had been at a “pretty low ebb” at the time because his mother, who suffers from dementia, had been admitted to hospital. He also felt “isolated” because she, like the rest of his family, live in the US.

Ferguson had been the manager of Cash Generator, in Croydon High Street, but lost his job when they learned of his arrest.

The maximum punishment for breaching a SOPO is five years, but Judge McKinnon said an immediate custodial sentence would not be “constructive”.

Addressing Ferguson, he said: “You have a large number of previous convictions for offences of exposure and indecency.

“What happened on this occasion must have been a frightening and distressing thing for this 16-year-old girl to experience. It was disgusting and inherently intimidating, and is a serious matter.

“I could send you to prison, but it would achieve little except to punish you and put you out of circulation for that period of time. That may not be a particularly constructive sentence.

“So I will hand you a suspended sentence. This really is your very last chance. This behaviour must stop.

“If you breach the order again, let me be absolutely clear, you will go to prison.”

Ferguson was given 12 months for indecent exposure and four months concurrently for breaching the SOPO, both suspended for 18 months.

He was given a supervision order of 18 months and ordered to attend a sexual offences treatment program.

January 2014

MAN who groomed six teenage boys online before abusing them has been jailed for 15 years

Two of Nicholas Geddes’s victims were from Long Eaton while the other four boys were aged 14 or 15 and from Durham, Newcastle, Montrose and Gwent.

The case against Geddes, 24, began on June 10 last year when the parents of a 13-year-old Long Eaton boy called police to report that their son had been groomed online, taken to a hotel in the East Midlands and abused by Geddes.

Officers discovered that Geddes had been in contact with the boy via social media.

They identified him through his car registration details and arrested him the next day.

Geddes was convicted of two counts of sexual activity with a child, rape, meeting a child following sexual grooming and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation in relation to this victim.

Examinations of Geddes’s phone revealed that he had been having explicit conversations with other teenage boys, which led police to identify a 15-year-old victim from Long Eaton and the other victims from outside the county.

In the case of the older Long Eaton boy, Geddes, of Coombe Park, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port, had groomed him online and taken him to a local nature reserve and kissed him.

He was convicted of two counts of meetings a child following sexual grooming in relation to this victim, along with sexual activity with a child and causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Geddes was sentenced at Derby Crown Court today after he was found guilty, or pleaded guilty prior to his trial, to several counts including meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child, attempted rape, rape and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Geddes was also placed on the sex offenders register.

DS Steve Shaw, of the child exploitation unit, said: “This sentence reflects the severity of Geddes’ offending. Thankfully, cases such as this are rare but it does highlight the fact that it is not always girls who are victims of exploitation.

“It’s not only the parents and guardians of girls who need to be aware of the problem. I would urge all parents to be alive to the risks posed by social media sites and to discuss these risks with their children.

“In this case, the boys were effectively groomed while they were in their own homes. While work is being done by the police and schools to educate parents and children, there is still more to be done to raise awareness.

“I would urge youngsters not to share any information online that they wouldn’t feel happy sharing face-to-face.”

For more information and advice about staying safe online, visit http://www.ceop.police.uk

January 2014

Dewsbury pensioner’s 1,800 child abuse pictures – Spared jail

A pensioner who stored hundreds of child abuse images has been spared jail.

Wilfred Batty, 69, has been given a community order after police discovered more than 1,800 indecent images of children on his laptop.

Officers went to his Dewsbury home in October, 2012, after it was discovered he had accessed a website in June the previous year after it had been compromised and images put on it.

Richard Canning, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court although it was quickly shut down details were kept of all those who had accessed it. When Batty’s laptop was checked he was found to have 1,257 images at level one, the lowest in the range of seriousness from one to five. He also had 62 at level two, 197 at level three, 361 at level four and eight at level five.

He said he had lived alone for nine years and was not good on the computer. The images had popped up when he was looking at adult porn sites and he had tried to delete them. Khaleeq Zaman representing Batty, said after he had got the laptop others mentioned to him “girlie” sites and he began looking at them but pop-ups then appeared for child porn and he accepted he foolishly looked at them.

He still maintained he had got no sexual gratification from that.

Batty, 69, of Moorside End, Dewsbury, admitted 21 offences of possessing images and was sentenced to a three year community order with a high level activity requirement which included the sex offender treatment programme.

Judge James Spencer QC said it was “shameful offending”, the consequences for the victims depicted was “beyond imagination.”

But it was hoped probation involvement would stop any further temptation in the future.

January 2014

Community order for woman who downloaded indecent images of children

A WOMAN with mental health issues who downloaded thousands of indecent images of children was given a community order yesterday.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard that Davina Ayrton, who was born David Ayrton, admitted possessing nearly 4,500 images graded level one – nude poses with no sexual activity – at the residential home in Fordingbridge where she lived in March last year.

Among the images the 32-year-old had downloaded, which featured children aged between three and 14 years old, was one rated level four, the second most serious category.

Prosecutor Heather Shimmen said: “The defendant is subject to a mental health order and is restricted to a residential care home for people with learning difficulties and mental health issues.

“Part of her care plan is that her use of electrical devices and mobile phones is monitored by staff. During one of these checks the home manager came across the images which caused her concern and she contacted the police.”

Judge Harrow was shown examples of the images and the 32-year-old’s Google search history, as well as a psychiatric report.

He imposed a three-year community order with supervision and a sexual offences prevention order with various conditions, including police monitoring of her computer and phone.

He said Ayrton, who had no similar offences to her name but a conviction for arson in 2007, had been “quite clever” in downloading the images while under supervision.

“With one exception they were all in the very lowest category of these images, which the courts unfortunately have to consider. This does not suggest a prison sentence. This is a serious case and a vile deed.

“People make money out of creating these images, which have a devastating effect on these children. It is easy for someone thousands of miles away to feel remote, but there are victims who suffer, and people like you are feeding this vicious trade,” he said.

Ayrton was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years, and to pay a £60 victim surcharge.

January 2014

Burnley ‘groomer’ jailed for eight years

A PERVERT who plied a teenager with drink and repeatedly had sex with her has been locked up for eight years.

Sean Devitt, 31, groomed the girl, striking when she felt unloved and unwanted and she was flattered by his attentions, a court was told.

Devitt, who had a girlfriend at the time, flirted with the girl, started to kiss her and then had sex with her.

His illegal behaviour continued even after he had owned up to sexual activity with her and had been cautioned, Burnley Crown Court heard.

The hearing was told how the defendant, who was caught when listening equipment was set up, was later arrested.

He was questioned by police over the allegations, claimed the conduct he had been cautioned for had been a one-off drunken incident and alleged the girl was ‘simply making it all up’.

Devitt eventually confessed on the day he was due to face trial. The defendant, of Booth Court, Burnley, admitted seven sexual offences. He was also ordered to sign the Sexual Offences’ Register for life.

Louise Kitchin, prosecuting, said Devitt bought the teenager gifts, made her laugh, flirted with her, tickled her and involved her in play fighting.

Miss Kitchin told the court: “She was flattered by the attention. The defendant made her feel special at that difficult time in her life.”

The defendant gave the teenager alcohol and cigarettes, kissed her and then regularly engaged in sexual activity and intercourse with her. The pair also performed sex acts on each other.

Miss Kitchin said Devitt was arrested and interviewed at length at Burnley Police Station.

She said: “He maintained nothing had happened, he had always acted appropriately towards her.

“He said there had not been a physical or sexual relationship and she was simply making it all up.”

The court was told the defendant was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register after the caution.

Tim Storrie, for Devitt, said: “There has to be a reckoning for this sort of behaviour and today is that reckoning.

“He will receive a custodial sentence and it will be a long one.”

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Woolman said it was an aggravating feature that Devitt’s conduct continued even after the caution.

He told the defendant: “It’s serious offending. The only mitigating feature is that you pleaded guilty, but it takes some bravery for any sex offender to plead guilty, even at trial.”

January 2014

Facebook sex offender refused to co-operate, court told

A convicted sex criminal who put pictures of a half-naked teenage girl on his Facebook page without her knowing has refused to co-operate with a court order – because he didn’t want to be labelled a “sex offender”, a court was told.

Evesham man Daniel Parmenter, aged 23, was handed a three-year community order in May 2013 and was ordered to take part in a sexual group work programme after admitting four counts of distributing indecent photographs of a child.

But Worcester Crown Court heard that he had refused to participate in the programme because he feared the reputation it might create for him, especially when he had a young son.

Re-sentencing him, Judge Michael Cullum said he would grant him “one last chance” to avoid prison for this conviction.

But he added that he found it “disappointing” that Parmenter had been jailed for two new offences since March.

“You have a young child and you were anxious to avoid the label of ‘sex offender’, and to avoid moving in the circles of known sex offenders,” he told him.

“The difficulty is, you committed a sexual offence, and you had previously committed a sexual offence as well. That is why there was concern to stop that sort of behaviour from happening again, whether it be through ignorance or through misplaced thought processes.”

Parmenter, of Fairfield Road, Evesham, was convicted last year after posting pictures of a half-naked 17-year-old girl to his Facebook page without her permission.

He was handed a new 12-month community order at court and told to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

“I hope this will help you put an end to this spate of offending,” Judge Cullum added.

January 2014

Former postal worker jailed for sexual assault on five-year-old girl

A former postal worker has been jailed after he admitted sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl.

Detectives also discovered hundreds of obscene images of children and videos when they searched the computer of 45-year-old Glen Churchill.

Reading Crown Court heard how the man’s family have been left devastated by the case and had been forced to move away.

The assault on the young girl took place on March 30, 2013, when Churchill was living in Reading.

The girl’s mother noticed her daughter had become withdrawn and when asked what was wrong she said Churchill had touched her.

During a police interview, the youngster said Churchill had touched her five times in one evening.

Judge Zoe Smith said: “She should not have been subject to the activity that she was. What should have been a fun time turned out to be a nightmare.”

When detectives studied Churchill’s computer they found 71 photos and three videos at level five, which is the highest category.

There were also 457 photos and 90 videos at level four, 817 stills and 39 videos at level three, 93 pictures and 21 videos at level two and 180 photos and 20 videos at level one.

The police officer who viewed the images said most of them featured children under seven years old and some as young as one.

Lisa Bald, defending, said this was Churchill’s first contact with the law.

She said a medical report found there was no sign of injury to the girl and there was no evidence Churchill had pre-planned the situation.

Miss Bald said: “The sentence should allow this man to get the treatment he requires.

“He has been extremely candid, particularly in explaining the assault and in particular how disgusted he is with himself.”

Regarding the images, she said: “He was employed as a postal worker for 25 years. He’d previously always been in work and then became unemployed and it’s something that has escalated.

“He has ruined his family’s life. They have had to move. The stigma is going to follow them around and it’s all his fault.”

Sentencing, Judge Smith said: “You are 45 years of age, you are of previous good character and you have had an excellent career in the post office over a number of years and I appreciate what has happened has devastated your family.”

She sentenced Churchill to two years’ prison for sexual assault, 12 months for possession of indecent images of children and two months for possessing prohibited images of children, all to run consecutively, and three months for possessing extreme pornographic images, to run concurrently.

Churchill, of Rainborough Gardens, Aylesbury, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.