December 2016

Nursery boss branded ‘sadistic’ over shocking child cruelty

A “sadistic” nursery boss has admitted a string of shocking cruelty charges against children as young as one.

A judge said Christine Button was guilty of behaviour which “went out in the Dark Ages”.

A court heard the 56-year-old ruled by fear at her nursery, called On The Button and based at Dordon, near Tamworth 

She repeatedly targeted a boy aged around four – dragging him around, hitting him up to five times because he was crying and making him sit on the floor alone for more than two hours.

Another child, a girl of four, was made to sit at a table for two hours because she would not eat an apple.

A second girl, aged three, was forced to sit in her wet clothes for up to 45 minutes after she had accidents while potty training.

And a one-year-old girl was made to sit on the floor in Button’s office for more than an-hour-and-a-half, Warwick Crown Court was told.

Police were alerted after two concerned apprentices at the nursery told their college tutor.

Button, a former childminder, denied mistreating the children and only admitted what she had done days before her trial had been due to start.

She pleaded guilty to four child cruelty charges and was handed a 12-month suspended sentence.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told her: “You behaved very badly towards children who were entrusted to your care by parents who paid you to look after them in a way they thought would be appropriately loving and caring.

“You demonstrated a cruel streak.

“You acted towards those four children in a sadistic manner, and in a way that was very far removed from any type of appropriate care.

“This type of behaviour is wholly inappropriate.

“It went out with the Dark Ages.

“This was more than one incident, it was sadistic conduct.”

The judge told her not to try to work with children and said the Disclosure and Barring Service may consider a formal ban.

Button, formerly of Everglade Road, Wood End, near Tamworth, was also ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, made subject to an overnight curfew for four months and made to pay £600 costs.

Simon Hunka, prosecuting, said the two apprentices grew concerned over Button’s behaviour as they combined working at the nursery with their college studies in 2014.

He said: “They took the brave step, seeing the disparity between what they were seeing and what they were being taught, of telling their tutor, which led to Ofsted and later the police being informed.”

It emerged that Button had created an intimidating atmosphere and there would be consequences for anyone who challenged her, Mr Hunka said.

He told the court that Button would deliberately upset the children – convinced it would cause long-term changes in their behaviour.

When a staff member challenged her, she claimed to be trained in the psychological manipulation of children, and that she was “building them up to be better-behaved in the future”.

But Mr Hunka said her conduct was “simply cruel”.

The four-year-old boy’s mother said her son would hide in the back of the car when they arrived at the nursery, shaking and saying he did not want to go in.

And the mum of the four-year-old girl became concerned when she heard her daughter say: “Go to my office. You’re not having any lunch” as she played at home.

Paul Fleming, defending, said the matter had serious financial implications for Button and her husband.

She had to pay a penalty for ending her lease on the nursery premises early, she and her family lost their home and had relocated to Devon.

December 2016

Paedophile jailed for taking picture of child in the shower

A pervert who took a picture of a child showering has been jailed for 16 months.

Adam Godwin took the picture of a 15-year-old which was then found on his camera.

A search of his home found more than 1,000 images and videos of children.

Godwin, 38, of Marden, Herefordshire, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court for taking the image of the youngster, from Tendring.

He also received four sentences of eight months for four counts of making indecent images, the term used for downloaded images found on computers.

The court heard on October 29 about 500 images were found on one device.

They included 25 at category A, which includes the most obscene images, 391 at category B and 180 at category C.

Two films were found on another device and 638 images on another. On this device there were another 13 category A images.

On a final device there were 12 films including five at the worst level.

Godwin will only serve eight months in total.

The sentences for downloading will run at the same time as each other and the same time as the sentence for taking the picture.

December 2016

Man in court for distributing indecent images of children

Kieran Legg, aged 19, of Higher End, Chickerell, Weymouth. Admitted failing without reasonable excuse to comply with the requirements of a community order. Order revoked.

To pay costs of £85. Dealt with for original offence of possessing Category B indecent photographs of a child, committed to detention for 8 weeks concurrent suspended for 2 years.

For original offence of possessing a Category C indecent photograph of a child, committed to detention for 8 weeks concurrent suspended for 2 years.

For original offence of distributing indecent photographs of a child, committed to detention for 13 weeks suspended for 2 years.

For another original offence of distributing indecent photographs of a child, committed to detention for 13 weeks concurrent suspended for 2 years.

Overall length of sentence is 13 weeks.

December 2016

Man avoids jail despite having most serious type of indecent images of children

A pervert has avoided jail despite police finding some of the most serious type of indecent images of children on laptops he owned.

An investigation into Joshua Webb’s internet use was followed by a warrant executed at his home in Maypole Green Road, Colchester.

Three laptops were seized.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Webb was interviewed and initially denied downloading the images.

However, he later admitted downloading 11 still images and two films on the laptops.

The court heard the images ranged from category C, to A, the most serious.

The material involved children aged as young as five or six and teenagers.

Key words had also been used on the laptops to search for the material, the court heard.

Webb, 23, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children at a previous court hearing.

He appeared in court for sentencing on Thursday December 21

Webb is currently employed full-time as a factory operative.

Judge John Devaux told Webb the fact he had Asperger’s Syndrome shouldn’t be used as an excuse for what he did.

He added: “This case falls into category A, the most serious kind of image.”

He sentenced Webb, who had no previous convictions, to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for a year.

Webb was told the ages of the children and that one of the movies showed a girl who was upset, were aggravating factors which could have made the sentence longer.

But this was reduced due to his early guilty pleas.

The laptops will be destroyed and Webb was also given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to pay £650 costs.

December 2016

Longnor man downloaded indecent images of children

Dad-of-two Scott Gibbs has appeared in court after police found indecent images of children on his computer.

Officers went to the 27-year-old’s home in Longnor after receiving information he was downloading illegal material.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard his computer was seized and examined by police.

Prosecutor Philip Beardwell said: “It was found to contain two Category A images – the most serious category – and two Category B images.

“In interview the defendant admitted he had been involved in viewing such material. Search terms on his computer indicated an interest in child pornography.”

Married Gibbs, of Dove Ridge, Longnor, pleaded guilty to two charges of making indecent images of children. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Paul Glenn said any prison sentence he could impose would be so short it would not provide a chance to Gibbs’s issues to be addressed.

Instead, he handed Gibbs a three-year community order. He must complete the internet sexual offenders’ programme.

Judge Glenn said: “You are quite an intelligent man but you obviously gave no thought whatsoever to what these images involve. They are real children being abused for the entertainment of people like you.”

Gibbs will be barred from a range of activities involving children and vulnerable adults, and subject to notification requirements.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also imposed which means Gibbs must not delete his internet search history and must make it available to police on request.

November 2016

Pervert jailed for sexually abusing schoolboy 35-years ago

A pervert who sexually abused a schoolboy while babysitting him more than 35 years ago has been jailed for four years.

David Powis, 76, was left in charge of the vulnerable eight-year old three times by the boy’s abusive step-father in Hornchurch, Essex, between October 1980 and October 1982.

On each occasion the youngster was targeted by perverted Powis.

During one incident, coaxed him into performing sex acts on both him and an underage girl he was caring for

November 2016

Drug dealer exposed as paedophile

A cocaine dealer caught with thousands of indecent images of children has been jailed for five years.

Mehmet Bulur, 27, was arrested after the Metropolitan Police’s paedophile unit traced sickening material to his home in Camden, north London.

More than 5,000 indecent images were found on electronic devices during a search of his property in February.

Police officers also seized MDMA, ketamine and 85 per cent pure cocaine, along with scales, bags and debt lists, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

December 2016

Former aide to the French Minister exposed as paedophile

A former aide to the French Minister of Economy and Industry is facing jail after he admitted arranging to meet an underage girl for sex.

Christophe Bejach, 53, also pleaded guilty to possessing 60 child abuse images, including seven Category A images – the most serious kind portraying penetrative sexual activity and the rape or torture of children.

Police officers discovered the perverted stash on Bejach’s computer when they raided his luxury Westminster home on 2 July following an undercover operation.

Immaculately dressed in a smart suit and tie, Bejach admitted arranging the commission of a child sex offence and three counts of possessing indecent photographs of children.

He will be sentenced at a later date

Bejach most recently served as Special Advisor to Secretary Arnaud Montebourg, the French Minister of Economy, Industry Policy and the Digital Industries.

Bejach was a key Senior Counselor to the Minister responsible for national industry policy-making and restructuring/recovery negotiations, with additional responsibilities for the aerospace, defense, oil & gas, and mining sectors.

He was also a member of the Executive Board at the Compagnie Financière Saint Honoré, the French holding company of the Edmond & Benjamin de Rothschild Group, and as a senior investment executive at Euris/Rallye Group, the investment company held by Jean-Charles Naouri (today, controlling shareholder of the $70 billion food retailing Casino Group).

December 2016

Gateshead paedophile sexually abused three children

A depraved paedophile who sexually abused three young children and downloaded over 3,000 images of child abuse has been jailed.

Twisted Robert Farrow, 23, of Heworth, Gateshead, was arrested in January after officers began investigating a cache of child abuse images on a Russian file-sharing website known to be used by sex offenders

Police found Farrow was the man behind the account and swooped on his home.

During a search of his bedroom, they found items indicating a sexual interest in children.

And after arresting Farrow, officers from the National Crime Agency found he had committed sexual assaults on three children who were all aged under 13 years old and possessed almost 3,500 indecent images of children, many of which were in the most serious category.

Farrow pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault against three children under 13 at Newcastle Crown Court last month.

He also admitted eight counts related to making and distributing indecent images of children and a count of taking an indecent image of a child.

Farrow was jailed for 11 years and four months and placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order which heavily restricted his use of the internet and smart devices and his contact with children.

December 2016

Hartlepool man jailed for sleeping with an underage girl

An underage girl says a pervert has ‘ruined her life’ after luring her to a flat for sex.

John Eyre was significantly older than the victim when he lured her to a flat, Teesside Crown Court heard.

A judge dismissed Eyre’s claims that he thought the girl was 16.

The 25-year-old labourer has now started a jail sentence of three years and four months.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, told the court: “There is here, say the Crown, a significant disparity in age.” Mr Dodds said that Eyre called the girl “sexy” in text messages and asked her to spend the night with him.

The court heard he made special arrangements for the two to meet. Describing the effect the incident had on her, the girl said: “I was upset and scared I might see him again and he might hurt me again. “I get annoyed all the time, I can’t stop my bad moods and just want to scream all the time. “I feel like I won’t be happy again. I feel mad at him for ruining my life.”

Eyre, of Ibrox Grove, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child.

Ian Mullarkey, mitigating, said Eyre, a dad of two, had no previous convictions for similar offences and pleaded for the sentence to be suspended.

Mr Mullarkey said: “There has been no further offending.”

But Judge Simon Hickey said: “You maintained you thought she was 16. I don’t accept that. “There was also, in my judgement, a targeting and some amount of grooming over a short time.”

Eyre was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting future contact with girls under 16 for 10 years and a restraining order against the victim. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

December 2016

Paedophile jailed for string of sexual assaults against three girls

A serial paedophile who molested and sexually abused three young girls refused to admit his guilt throughout the buildup to his trial. However, on the first day of his trial, he changed his plea and admitted a string of sexual offences.

Unemployed William Loveridge, 45 of Pershore eventually pleaded guilty to:

• Three counts of sexual assault against a female aged under 16-years-old

• Two counts of sexual assault against a female child who was aged under 13-years-old

The court heard that the assaults took place in Pershore three years ago and were against three girls aged between 11 and 15-years-old.

At Hereford Crown Court, the judge sentenced Loveridge to a total of five years

He was told he must register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.

Note: Loveridge was also convicted two decades ago for a sexual assault on another child

December 2016

Widnes man caged for eight years for sexual activity with girls

A WIDNES man has been caged after being sentenced for sexual activity with two teenage girls.

Louis Condron, 20, of Lewis Crescent, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday, December 19.

He was sentenced by Judge Patrick Thompson to eight years in a young offenders institute and will spend another four years on licence.

The defendant was sentenced for four counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).

John Williams, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant was sent to a young offenders institute for 18 months in February 2014 and breached an order which prohibited him from contacting girls under the age of 16 following his release.

Mr Williams said that there were two victims in the case and both were teenage girls.

For the first victim, Mr Williams described three instances where Condron had sexual activity with the girl, Mr Williams said that before one of the meetings, the defendant ‘threatened’ to tell the victim’s mother if the girl ‘did not meet him’.

The prosecution said that Condron was in contact with the second victim over social media before having sexual activity with her in October 2015.

When he was initially arrested by police in December last year, Mr Williams said Condron ‘denied having any contact’ with either of the victims. Extracts from a pre-sentence report read out in court by the prosecution said that the document’s author described Condron as having ‘highly distorted, sexualised attitudes and beliefs’.

Mr Williams said that one of the victims has ‘emotional scars’ and has had ‘panic attacks’.

The prosecution added that the case has ‘many aggravating features’ which included previous convictions, the ‘disparity’ in age between the defendant and his victims, threats, as well as ‘exploitation and grooming’.

Condron showed an ‘apparent unwillingness’ to discuss the offences or his behaviour with the pre-sentence report’s author and said that his client will ‘have to address these issues to make any progress at all’ on a sexual offenders treatment course in prison.

The judge told Condron that he will serve at least two thirds of the initial eight years sentence in custody and made a SOPO without a time limit.

December 2016

Child rapist sentenced to 18 years

A paedophile has been jailed for 18 years after admitting his crimes midway through a child rape trial.

Karim Stuart watched his young victim – a girl under 13 – give evidence in a prerecorded video at Portsmouth Crown Court.

But the 57-year-old could not deny his guilt any longer and admitted what he had done.

Now as Stuart is waking up in a prison cell at the start of a long stretch in jail, the girl’s mother has told how her family has a ‘scar’ for life inflicted by the pervert.

Speaking afterwards, the mother said: ‘I’m glad it’s over but I will never ever get over what he’s done.

‘It’s a scar for life for me.

‘I hope my daughter forgets it but I doubt she will.

‘She understands what’s happened.

‘Watching her tape he must have realised that he can’t get away with it.

‘Even the jury walked out crying.

‘My daughter has changed completely after what happened.’

Stuart, of Earlsdon Street, Southsea, had denied four counts of raping a female child under 13 and two counts of assault on a female child.

The young girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, broke down on a train and told her mother of the abuse in February this year.

Police said Stuart took advantage of the girl for his own sexual gratification.

Stuart was jailed for 18 years at Portsmouth Crown Court by judge Sarah Munro QC on December 20.

December 2016

Abuser who lured six-year-old under blanket jailed

A pervert who molested a six year old girl after he had lured her under a blanket with the pretence of watching a movie has been caged for 12 years.

Kieran Curran, 40, now of Hilary Road, Newbridge, Wales, attacked the Fleetwood girl when she was as young as six, Preston Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Joe Allman said in September 2014, when the victim was older, he started to send her messages of a sexual nature on her mobile phone.

His sickening crimes came to light when the youngster, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, confided in her friends and teachers at her school in Fleetwood two months after the messages started, prompting an investigation.

Nottingham-born Curran, who worked for a catering distribution company, pleaded guilty to three counts of assaulting a child under 13 and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Graham Knowles QC ordered Curran to serve an extra year on licence after his release and imposed an indefinite restraining order and sexual harm prevention order.

December 2016

Man avoids jail after being found with indecent images of children

A GWENT man charged with having indecent images of children and animals has avoided a jail sentence.

Lee Kevin Short, 37, of St Sannan Road, Pontllanfraith, appeared at Newport Magistrates on Wednesday charged with three counts of making indecent images of a child and one charge of possessing extreme pornographic image involving an animal.

On December 2, Gwent Police carried out a search of his home.

Officers found 24 images of children, largely girls aged between the ages of six to 12 years of age, stored on a Toshiba laptop and various SD cards.

There were a total of eight category A images – the most serious category – as well as nine category B images and seven category C.

In addition, eight extreme pornographic images depicting a sexual act involving a dog were also recovered.

The court heard that Short, who has no previous convictions, denied having any sexual interest in children when interviewed by police.

Short was convicted and entered a guilty plea on December 5.

Short was handed a two-year custodial sentence suspended for two years, with a requirement of rehabilitation.

District Judge David Parsons said: “The sentence give you time to reflect on the gravity of the offence and will allow the probation services to work with you to bring about change so we don’t see you in court again.”

A sexual harm and prevention order was also imposed for seven years, with the defendant now a registered sex offender.

Short has also been ordered to pay a surcharge of £115 and additional costs of £85

December 2016

Child sex offender wanted after breaching notification requirements

POLICE are appealing for help to find a ‘wanted’ paedophile

Already convicted Christopher Spelman, 57, whose last known address was in Liverpool, was in 2014 convicted of a number of sex offences against a girl under 14 which happened in Carnforth.

As part of his notification requirements in line with his prison release, he was due to register at his new address in Cheshire which he failed to do.

Outside of Lancashire he has links to Liverpool, Staffordshire and Cheshire.

DS 2745 Angela Grey from the Sex Offenders Management Unit said: “We need anyone who may have seen Christopher Spelman or knows of his whereabouts to come forward.

“Spelman knows he should have gone to his new address to register and so I would also urge him if he sees this appeal to hand himself in at his nearest police station.”

He may have grown a full beard and is previously known to have camped outdoors.

If you have any information that could help police locate Christopher Spelman, please call the Sex Offenders Management Unit on 01772 20911 or email somu@lancashire.pnn.police.uk.

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.

November 2016

Former hotel manager spared prison after he was caught with almost 3,000 child abuse images

A former hotel manager whose past caught up with him as almost 3,000 child abuse images were found on his computers has avoided jail.

Police found 2,878 indecent pictures on five devices at the home of 37-year-old Wesley James Taylor as a result of a Canadian crime probe.

The still and moving images of boys aged 13 to 16 were found on two laptops, a computer tower, hard drive and memory stick.

They included 157 images at the most serious category in law, Teesside Crown Court heard today.

Officers also found eight indecent printed pictures taken or posed by Taylor more than a decade ago, said prosecutor Harry Hadfield.

They were mostly of consenting couples all over the age of consent, but these pictures were illegal as they involved two girls under 18, the legal age for such pictures to be taken.

Two of the pictures taken at his home were of a 15-year-old boy with his trousers down at a party, which was described as a “joke”.

Taylor described himself to police as a “voyeur” attracted to younger males after the seizure of the computers in January last year.

He said the old photos he took and developed himself were of people he knew “messing about”.

Officers came to his door following information about movies ordered from a website highlighted in an international investigation.

Taylor, of High Street West, Redcar , admitted six counts of making, taking and possessing indecent photographs of children and possessing eight extreme pornographic images.

He had never been in trouble before and last accessed illegal material more than three years ago.

Jeff Taylor, defending, said the defendant had a difficult early life and was bullied as he discovered himself and his sexuality.

“He would class himself now as a normal orientated homosexual male with normal adult tastes,” the advocate told the court.

“That’s the life he now lives. These proceedings have been a considerable blow to him, perhaps a past that he was leaving behind.

“He is perhaps gobsmacked at the trouble he’s landed himself in.

“He’s absolutely terrified of what might happen to him.”

He said Taylor searched for images and brought up material which was not to his taste, “but once you’ve viewed them, they’re there”.

He said Taylor was honest with the police, helping them to contact the people in the printed images and check his account of events, and showed genuine remorse.

He added the graduate was a well-regarded hotel manager who resigned after his guilty pleas and now planned to move away.

Judge Sean Morris said the images downloaded from the internet were not of the horrific kind against very young children, but showed teenagers being exploited.

He said: “It’s got to stop. These are victims.”

He added Taylor, assessed as a low risk of reoffending, did not try to distribute, copy or show the images to others.

The judge gave Taylor a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years with supervision.

He said this, with the indignity of being a registered sex offender for 10 years, was punishment enough.

Taylor was also given a five-year sexual harm prevention order, part of a “package” which the judge said met the public interest.

December 2016

Man faces deportation after molesting young boy

A man who molested a young boy he came into contact with through his church has been jailed and threatened with deportation.

Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, 45-year-old Zbigniew Komorowski was sent to prison for 14 months by Sheriff David Sutherland, who also recommended he was returned to Poland.

Komorowski, of Polvanie View, Inverness, was told: “The only appropriate sentence is one of prison. You will also be placed on the sex offender’s register for five years and I will recommend that you be deported.”

December 2016

Man jailed over grooming girl, 14

A man who tried to encourage a 14-year-old schoolgirl to send him naked pictures of herself has been jailed for 15 months.

Bhavesh Kumar Solanki, 29, of Links Gate, Fulwood, Preston, appeared before Preston Crown Court.

He admitted attempting to intentionally cause or incite a girl under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to meet her intending to commit a sexual offence, following grooming.

The offences took place between October 3 and 6 last year, the court heard.

Solanki stared at the floor as the proceedings took place, watched by members of his family in the public gallery.

Paul Cummings, prosecuting, said the probe centered around him making friends on Facebook with a person purporting to be a 14-year-old girl.

He later drove to Preston Railway Station, carrying a condom, readying himself for a sexual encounter – but was intercepted by police.

Judge James Adkin ordered him to sign on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

December 2016

Dudley man jailed for sex attack on a schoolgirl

A man has been jailed for a sex attack on a schoolgirl.

Judge Nicholas Webb told Adrian Walshaw he would be failing in his public duty if he did not put him behind bars for his actions.

He told Walshaw, of Bunns Lane, that his behaviour towards the girl, who was just 12 when she was first assaulted, must have badly affected her life.

She had been at an impressionable age, said the judge, and Walshaw must have known there was a clear risk of him causing her emotional harm.

Walshaw, who also targeted a second young victim, admitted sexual assault and a further charge of attempted sexual assault.

The father-of-four also pleaded guilty to a charge of indecency with a child and also engaging in a sexual act with a child.

John Brotherton, prosecuting, said the offences came to light when the girl, who is now an adult, went to police and at the same time Walshaw gave himself up to officers.

The girl had been “scared” by what Walshaw, now aged 43, had done and she had also confided in a close friend, said Mr Brotherton.

The judge jailed Walshaw for 33 months and ruled he must register as a sex offender until further notice.