December 2016

Ghost hunter convicted of sex offence involving schoolgirl

A well-known York ghost walk leader has been convicted of a sex offence involving a schoolgirl.

Andrew Auster, 59 was unanimously found guilty by a jury at Leeds Crown Court yesterday on one charge of causing a child to engage in sexual activity

The eight man four woman jury heard during the trial that Auster got to know the girl in 2014 while promoting his Ghost walk business in the centre of the city.

He has been running such walks for around 20 years, taking people to places which are supposed to be haunted, and during which he leads them in a top hat and Victorian Coat.

The prosecution said they exchanged numerous texts as well as meeting together in August, 2014, usually after his walks finished.

Auster, of Main Street, Newton-upon-Derwent, denied anything sexual happened between him and the teenager and said he felt fatherly towards her.

He maintained their friendship was spiritual and denied feeling any sexual desires for her.

Recorder Kate Tulk agreed to a defence request to adjourn for a pre-sentence report and a date was fixed for that hearing on January 13 next year at Bradford Crown Court.

She told Auster: “The jury have found you guilty on count one of the indictment, it will fall to me in due course to sentence you for that, but bearing in mind you have no previous convictions it is appropriate I have a pre-sentence report before I do that.”

He was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender and told him: “The period for which that will apply will depend on the sentence in due course.”

She told the jury if they wished to know the outcome of the case they could attend or contact the court.

December 2016

Man told ‘jail is inevitable’ after admitting sex offences against 15-year-old girl

A man has been told a prison sentence is ‘inevitable’ after he admitted a string of historical sexual offences against a 15-year-old girl.

31-year-old Shaun Prettyjohns, of Coopers Mill, Norton Fitzwarren, appeared at Taunton Crown Court today (December 19) and had been expected to stand trial.

But at the last minute he entered guilty pleas to two counts of a penetrative sexual act with a child, and four counts of taking indecent photographs of a child.

Judge David Ticehurst adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be created, but told him: “It is almost inevitable that you will get an immediate prison sentence for what you have done.”

Prettyjohns was ordered to sign the Sexual Offender’s Register and will be back before the court for sentencing on January 23. Until then, he was released on bail.

December 2016

Sex predator facing jail sentence

A sex predator groomed under-age schoolgirls on Facebook before meeting them for sex, a court heard.

Dylan Bennett raped a 12-year-old and had unprotected sex with a 14-year-old, who became pregnant by him and later had his child.

A jury cleared him of forcibly raping a 13-year-old girl, but took just half an hour to return a majority verdict finding him guilty of having unlawful sex with her.

Bennett (22) from Linlithgow, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and is now facing a prison sentence estimated at between five and seven years.

He will be sentenced by trial judge Lord Woolman on January 26, 2017.

Bennett pled guilty to statutory rape, having sex with an older child and further sexual offences, including intentionally sending sexual messages to the girls and sending one of them a picture of his genitalia.

He also admitted intentionally meeting an under-age girl to engage in unlawful sexual activity with her, knowing that she was under 16.

The High Court in Livingston heard distressing evidence from all three of the predator’s victims about how he hung about with younger children and befriended them through their classmates.

He had sex with the 12-year-old at a house in Linlithgow’s High Street, but arranged to take the other two schoolgirls to woods in Livingston and Uphall for sex sessions.

Giving evidence in his own defence Bennett said he didn’t realise that his sexual behaviour with under-age girls was illegal.

He claimed it was only after he’d been pulled up by the police about his relationships that he accepted it had been “the wrong thing to do”.

He said he had “no doubt” that the 13-year-old had consented to intercourse with him after they exchanged raunchy messages on social media.

He said she appeared to be happy after their Facebook date on May 7, 2015 and told him she was “glad” that she’d lost her virginity to him.

The girl, however, gave evidence that she was “scared “ of him because of his height and claimed he’d forced himself on her.

December 2016

Nottingham men caught by online action groups admit child grooming offences

Two Nottingham men snared by online ‘paedophile hunter’ action groups have admitted a catalogue of internet child grooming offences.

Ricky Slade, (pictured above) from the Meadows, was videoed by members of ‘The Hunted One’ as he was arrested for planning to meet a ‘decoy’ fake profile of a 10-year-old girl for sex.

In a separate case, Jimmy Jones, of Stapleford, admitted similar charges after evidence he pursued fake profiles of two underage girls was passed to police by a different group.

The two appeared separately at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday and were both told to expect prison sentences when they return to court in January.

Slade, 29, was cornered outside Nottingham Station on November 19, and filmed by a group of men from The Hunted One as they confronted him and revealed two girls he had approached online were in fact profiles run by them.

Police arrived soon after to arrest him and seize his phone. The video was then posted to YouTube by the group and viewed thousands of times. It is no longer available on the site.

Slade, formerly of Houseman Gardens but now of no fixed address, admitted three charges of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, and one attempt to meet a child for sexual activity.

The first two charges related to fake profiles of girls under 13, the third of a girl aged 13-15 and the fourth in relation of a fake profile of a 10-year-old.

Judge Gregory Dickinson QC told Slade to expect a prison sentence when he returns to court on January 20.

Slade, wearing a dark raincoat and jeans, spoke only to confirm his name and admit all four charges. All four offences happened between May and November.

He was released on bail while pre-sentence reports are prepared but given conditions which include reporting to a police station every day and not to having unsupervised contact with children under 17.

In the other case, Jones, 24, of Rycroft Street, Stapleford, admitted two charges of attempting to incite a child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity, one of attempting to incite a child aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity and one of attempting to meet a child aged 10 following grooming.

All the incidents involved fake profiles operated by a different online group and happened in November.

Jones was also bailed with conditions so a pre-sentence report can be prepared. Neither of the two men have any previous convictions.

Judge Dickinson told Jones: “When you come back to court you must expect to receive a prison sentence. Thankfully there was no actual child involved, but you didn’t know that and what you had in mind was truly terrible.”

The growing number of online volunteer ‘hunter’ groups remain controversial. Critics say some risk ruining evidence or scuppering cases because they lack official training, but supporters say they are providing a valuable service to police forces dealing with shrinking resources.

The Hunted One says it has caught 42 online groomers since launching 13 months ago, and claims a 100 per cent conviction rate.

December 2016

Drama school teacher who used faked names jailed after admitting sexually assaulting young boys

A drama teacher who set up schools with a range of fake names has been jailed for nine years.

The 71-year-old was sentenced after pleading guilty to indecent assaults on boys aged under 14.

Detectives from the Met Police launched an investigation after two men reported being assaulted in the 1980s by a private drama teacher.

Glyn Davies was arrested on February 10 this year after detectives from the Met’s Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command identified him as using a fake name, “Glen Knowles”, which he used to run The Glen Knowles Drama Schools and Clubs in areas across Hampton Hill in Twickenham and Coulsdon in Croydon.

Davies, of Fir Tree Close in Bridgwater, Somerset was later charged on September 29 with two multiple counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14.

The 71-year-old was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court to nine years in prison and he will remain on the sex offenders register for life.

December 2016

Pervert admits indecent image charges

A man has appeared before magistrates in Carlisle charged with possession of extreme pornography, which portrayed explicit images which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character.

Craig Francis Johnson, 29, gave his address as Manor Chare Apartments, Newcastle upon Tyne, he also faces three further charges that he made an indecent photograph/pseudo photo of a child, and one charge of possess indecent photographs, the dates of the offences range from May 25, 2014 up to July 4, 2016.

The images were found at an address in Keswick, Cumbria.

The court was told, the photos range from category A, B, and C with category A, the most serious, of which there was 1,200 images.

Johnson pleaded guilty to all charges and will appear on January 20 at Carlisle Crown Court to be sentenced.

December 2016

Man jailed after grooming teenagers on social media

A man who lied about his age and used social media to groom young girls has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Aaron Turner, formerly of Poplar Avenue, Carrington, was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday, December 16, after pleading guilty to child sex offences at a previous hearing.

The 20-year-old had sex with two girls aged 14 and 15 and sexually touched another 14-year-old girl.

Turner approached two of his victims through social media and met the other girl while ice skating.

He then met up with each of them separately and persuaded them to engage in sexual activity with him.

In addition to his prison sentence, Turner was given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

December 2016

Holyhead paedophile jailed for 13 years for string of sex attacks on girl and boy

A man who carried out a string of sickening sex attacks on a young girl and boy “robbing them of their childhood” has been jailed for 13 years.

Robert John Parry, 69, of Trefor, Holyhead , who abused the children over a number of years, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court today.

He admitted 18 abuse charges including one of attempted rape on the girl when she was twelve.

The female victim, now a young woman, attended today’s hearing and stepped into the witness box to tell the court how Parry’s appalling acts had affected her.

She said: “I have tried to block out what he did to me. It’s taken my childhood from me and has continued to have an influence on me as an adult.”

The male victim’s impact statement was read to the court and stated. “I knew it was wrong but didn’t know how to tell anyone.”

He said Parry had destroyed him as a person and also his education before adding: “I want him to spend the rest of his life in jail where he can never hurt me or anybody else.”

When passing sentence Judge Huw Rees told Parry: “You effectively robbed them of their childhood.”

Parry was expressionless as sentence was passed.

Elen Owen, prosecuting, earlier during the hearing said Parry – who had a gardening business – had described himself to police as a sex addict in need of help.

She said: “He said he didn’t get gratification but a buzz.”

December 2016

Pensioner jailed after downloading 1000’s of indecent images of children

A 70-year-old paedophile who downloaded 20,000 images and films of child sexual abuse cried as he was jailed for two and a half years.

The images were found when officers from the National Crime Agency raided a Somerset home on November 17 last year.

They seized a laptop, a number of hard drives and 10 DVDs, which were found to contain 2,063 Category A images, 992 Category B images and 3,949 classed as category C.

December 2016

Convicted paedophile ‘literally shaking’ after being caught with baby in home

A CONVICTED sex offender who failed to tell a long-time friend and mother about his history has been warned by a judge.

Gary Crook-Koncz, 25, was only in the company of the young mother and her baby for two short periods of time, Burnley Crown Court was told.

But the mother later confirmed to police she would never have let him into her home if she had known, and felt ‘disappointed’ with him.

Crook-Koncz was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, last summer after he admitted to sexual activity with a child.

He was also issued with a sexual harm prevention order, restricting his contact with under-16s for 10 years.

Daniel Prowse, prosecuting, said police were conducting telephone checks with Crook-Koncz on October 28 when an officer heard a child crying in the background.

Crook-Koncz, formerly of Tong Lane, Bacup, but now of Blackburn Road, Accrington, tried to tell the officer that the child was only passing by outside but later admitted the youngster had been present.

An investigation discovered that the infant belonged to a friend who had known him for around 18 years, the court heard.

But the defendant had not told her about his sexual offending.

He had also been to her home on two occasions but her baby daughter had been asleep upstairs.

Before the hearing Crook-Koncz had been ‘literally shaking’ with apprehension about what might happen to him, he told the court.

The defendant had also been held on remand since his arrest, after being refused bail, and had served the equivalent of a three-month jail sentence, the court heard.

Judge Jonathon Gibson said that the experience should reinforce to the defendant that court orders needed to be obeyed.

He was given a 12-week prison sentence by the judge, which would allow for his immediate release from custody. Crook-Koncz was given a four-week curfew and will remain under probation supervision.

July 2015

‘Pathetic and inadequate’ man who had sex with teenage girl is spared jail

A ‘pathetic and inadequate’ man who had sex with a schoolgirl after meeting her on social media has been spared jail.

Gary Crook, of Tong Lane, Bacup, exchanged text messages between the teenager for several months and later had sex with her, Burnley Crown Court heard.

However when she broke off the relationship he continued to text her and threatened to ‘self-harm’ if she didn’t continue.

Crook, now 24, formerly of Highfield Court in Haslingden pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child and was given a 12-month prison term, suspended for two years with supervision.

He also received a mental health treatment requirement, a sexual harm prevention order and made subject to police notification requirements, both for 10 years.

Matthew Hooper, prosecuting, told the court how Crook sent earlier messages ‘expressing his love’ to the victim, but when her mother later saw her phone and made accusations to him he contacted the police.

The court heard how Crook told officers that the victim initially said she was 18 and in college.

But he later received texts from her saying she was under the age of consent, the hearing was told.

Mr Hooper said he denied having sex with her and when asked about incriminating text messages said ‘someone else must have sent them’.

A victim statement read out in court heard how the teenager has had ‘low self-esteem since the offence’.

The court heard how Crook made her feel ‘stressed, anxious and guilty’ after threatening to self-harm if she didn’t continue the relationship.

A statement from the victim’s mum said it has been a ‘living nightmare’ and ‘traumatic and upsetting’.

December 2016

Pervert, 44, sexually touched girl, 15

Pervert David Knowles has been jailed after he persuaded a girl to send him indecent images and videos of herself.

The 44-year-old sexually touched the teenager when she was aged 15 after they met up in a supermarket car park.

They went on to have a consensual sexual relationship and he would ask her to pose for topless and seductive photographs.

December 2016

Pervert set up camera to watch underage girls undress

A pervert installed a camera to watch two schoolgirls undressing.

Sick Frank Collins, 46, placed recording equipment in a room at a Prestwick home.

He captured images of two girls, aged 14 and 15.

December 2016

Pervert PE teacher had sex with Ayrshire schoolgirl

Teacher George Fisher had sex with a schoolgirl at her family home while her parents were at work.

The PE instructor met the pupil for illicit sexual activity up to “three times a week”.

Married Fisher, 32, even asked the youngster if she was a virgin before bedding her for the first time.

Prosecutor Katie McColl said he went on to bed her for five months.

She revealed at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court yesterday: “He told her he loved her and she said the same.

“It was arranged he’d go to her house while her parents were away.

“During the meetings, they had sex on a number of occasions.

“He asked if she wanted to have sex and if it was her first time. She answered yes to both questions.”

Seedy Fisher coached sports teams after joining the Ayrshire school staff in August 2015.

He became close to the girl — who he knew since she was 12 — following a trip in May.

She texted her thanks to him and they chatted via text and WhatsApp.

Scheming Fisher told her to come to the gym hall early for extra sports coaching.

He let her in through the fire exit before they hugged and kissed.

Ms McColl said by the end of July, the relationship was sexual “two or three times a week” at her parents’ home before teachers became suspicious after the summer break.

She went on: “The girl was spoken to by a guidance teacher and said she was having extra coaching. The next day, she was questioned by the guidance teacher and head of year.

“The school carried out checks on CCTV and key fobs used by the accused.

“She admitted they had met but nothing was going on.

“She texted the accused and told him what she had said.”

Fisher, of Saltcoats, was signed off at the end of September after North Ayrshire Council began an inquiry.

Last month, the girl — now 17 — told her parents she was going to a takeaway but her mum found her in Fisher’s car nearby.

She contacted the cops’ public protection unit who quizzed the girl.

Ms McColl said: “The complainer admitted she was in a sexual relationship with the accused, she loved him and she knew he was married.”

Fisher yesterday admitted breaching a position of trust, performing sex acts and having intercourse with the girl between June and last month.

Lawyer Fraser Alexander said his disgraced client “fully expects” to lose his job.

Sheriff Alistair Watson told Fisher to prepare for a prison sentence when he returns for sentencing next month.

He said: “I give you fair warning, you may wish to put your affairs in order — it’s very likely you will receive a custodial sentence.”

Fisher was put on the sex offenders’ register.

December 2016

Pervert jailed after being caught with images of ‘horrifically abused’ children and bestiality

A PERVERT has been jailed after police found images of young children being ‘horrifically abused’ on his computer.

Dale Goll, aged 51, of Pitchill Cottages, Pitchill, near Alcester, also had 36 extreme pornographic bestiality images showing adults involved in sex acts with horses and dogs, and prohibited ‘pseudo-photographs’ depicting children in indecent acts.

Goll pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, one of possessing images of extreme pornography and one of possessing prohibited images of children.

He was jailed for 12 months and ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years.

A judge at Warwick Crown Court rejected a submission that the plant nursery boss, whose business it was said would struggle without him, could be given a suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Rebecca Wade said the police went to Goll’s home with a warrant after receiving intelligence that he had been accessing child pornography using file-sharing software.

When they spoke to him, he admitted he had been downloading such images, and they seized seven devices which were then examined by experts.

Three of them, two computer towers and a hard drive, were found to have had illegal images on them which had been downloaded on various dates between 2005 and 2015.

Altogether the experts found 27 category A images, the most serious category, showing children being subjected to sexual activity, including one of a baby no older than two.

There was also a movie of a girl aged between eight and twelve performing a sex act on an adult, although the download was incomplete.

There were also 21 category B images of children and 11 category C images.

On one of the computers peer-to-peer file-sharing software had been installed, which Goll had used to download the images, many had been deleted after being viewed.

When Goll was interviewed, he admitted downloading the pictures, and told officers he knew what he was doing was wrong, but that he was addicted to it, although he denied being physically attracted to children, added Miss Wade.

Goll, who had been married for over 20 years and had two sons, aged 20 and 17, employs seven people at his plant business.

Urging the judge to pass a suspended sentence, Mr Harry added: “It would be difficult to keep those employees on, were he to face custody today.”

But jailing Goll, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “You knew at the time it was wrong. The reason it is so serious is that although it may not seem like it when you’re sitting in front of your computer, these are real children being abused.

“If there was not a market for them, these children would likely not be being abused in this way – and the market for them is people like you.

“You have run for years a nursery you set up yourself, and you are a good employer. But I have to deal with you for this other side of your character.

“I am afraid it must be an immediate sentence. The message must go out that if adult men download images of children being horrifically abused then, no matter what the mitigation, public policy must outweigh that, and people who do this must go to prison.”

December 2016

Man jailed for 10 months after sexual assault on teen outside Wishaw kebab shop

A TURKISH pervert who sexually assaulted a teenage girl outside a Wishaw kebab shop over a five-month period has been jailed for 10 months.

Sex pest Abdullah Kaya was found guilty of the vile attack after standing trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court last month.

The court heard how twisted Kaya kissed the 16-year-old on the face, touched her on the body, sat on top of her, exposed his private parts to her and ejaculated on her clothing between November 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014.

The 35-year-old, who lives in Gowkthrapple, committed the crime within the car park of Istanbul Kebab Shop in Stewarton Street.

Kaya returned to the court last week to be sentenced.

Kaya was placed on the sex offenders’ register for the next decade.

December 2016

Rowley Regis pervert avoids jail despite grooming a schoolgirl for sex

A ROWLEY Regis child abuse images pervert who attempted to groom a schoolgirl for sex has walked free from court.

Judge James Burbidge QC told Matthew Harper, aged 25, he would take a risk with him while stressing his crimes caused “outrage and disgust” to members of the public.

He said it was to his credit that Harper who also possessed and distributed indecent photographs of children had already taken steps to resolve his problems.

The judge said: “The thing that has saved you from custody is that you have sought to respond to your criminal offending in an entirely appropriate way.”

He said Harper had obtained and shared the pornographic images of children but “mercifully” he had not viewed photographs in the worst possible category.

Harper, of Ross Height, admitted two charges of possessing indecent images, two of distributing the images and attempting incite a child into engaging in sexual activity.

He was given a three year community order with a condition he attends the Sex Offenders Treatment Programme – to help prevent future offending.

He was also made the subject of a six year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, told he must register as a sex offender for five years and ordered to pay £400 costs.

Philip Brunt, prosecuting, said Harper described explicitly to the schoolgirl just what he wanted her to do and it was grooming behaviour.

December 2016

PERVERT CAUGHT WITH PICS OF KIDS AVOIDS JAIL

A man who admitted having indecent images of children has avoided jail at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Douglas Adam, 62, of North Bank Street, Monifieth, admitted that on April 4 2015, at his home address or elsewhere, he took or permitted to be taken, or made indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond placed Adam under supervision for two years, and on a restriction of liberty order for nine weeks.

Adam was also told he must take part in a programme run by the Tay Project.

He was further made the subject of residency and conduct requirements, regarding where he can live and his internet use.

Sheriff Drummond also placed Adam on the sex offenders’ register for two years.

December 2016

Child sex offender jailed for four years

A 59 year old man has been sentenced to 4 years in prison for sexually abusing a young girl in Jersey in 2006.

Jose Da Silva, who is a Portuguese national, pleaded guilty in August to three counts of indecent assault.

He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for 5 years.

December 2016

Carlisle man jailed for sex assaults

A Carlisle man has been jailed for four years for sex assaults against a child

Geoffrey Blacklock was sentenced after being found guilty of six counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14.

The assaults took place in the later 1970s and early 1980s in north Cumbria.

68-year-old Blacklock, of Hawthorn Grove, was also sentenced to an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim. He will remain on the sex offender’s register indefinitely.

December 2016

Suspended sentence for Maidenhead man who took indecent photos of teenage girl

A suspended sentence has been handed to a Maidenhead man who took indecent photographs of a young teenage girl.

Ryan Henry from Blackamoor Lane, was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for nine months, at Aylesbury Crown Court on Wednesday, December 7.

The 22-year-old admitted one count of taking indecent photographs and was found to be in possession of material containing indecent images of the victim between June 11, 2014 and August 18, 2014.

Henry was sentenced along with three men who were also found guilty of sex offences against the same victim.

Christopher Hammond, 37, of no fixed abode was convicted of five counts of rape between May 28, 2013 and December 31, 2013, and sentenced to a total of 19 years in prison on December 12.

Charlie Merefield, 21, of Rosebery Avenue, High Wycombe, was sentenced on December 2 for sexual activity with a female child under the age of 16. He pleaded guilty to the offence, which took place between February 28, 2014 and April 1, 2014, and was given a nine month prison sentence, suspended for nine months.

Nathan Tilly, 24, of Suffield Road, High Wycombe admitted sexual activity with a female under the age of 16 between July 21, 2014 and August 1, 2014. He was given a 13 month prison sentence, suspended for 13 months, on December 2.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Kerry Bradfield of Force CID, said: “This has been a complex case managed by the Thames Valley Police Child Abuse Unit in Aylesbury and Force CID over two years.

“The effect that these offences have had on the victim cannot be overstated. She has suffered significant psychological harm, in particular at the hands of Christopher Hammond.

“Hopefully, the sentencing of these men will help in some way to assist in her recovery.”

Reporting restrictions were in place relating to this investigation but lifted once Hammond was sentenced on Monday, December 12.