March 2014

Internet sex fiend who posed as a teen and then raped girl, 15, is jailed for ten years

AN INTERNET sex fiend who groomed a young girl and then drove her to woods near Luton Hoo where he raped her has been jailed for 10 years.

The 32-year-old father-of-one living in Luton posed as a 17-year-old boy after making contact with the troubled schoolgirl who had just turned 15.

But Czechoslovakian Petr Kudelka quickly began discussing sexual matters with her and sent an intimate picture of himself.

Luton Crown Court heard on Friday he then persuaded the teenager to give him her post code. Then on September 22 last year Kudelka drove to the area near her home having arranged to meet her.

She appeared, expecting to meet a much younger boy, but the father ushered her towards his car and they drove off.

In court Kudelka of Harefield Road, Luton, pleaded guilty to meeting a child following sexual grooming, two offences of sexual assault, possessing a prohibited weapon which was a pepper spray, rape and two offences of possessing indecent photos of a child.

Jacqueline Matthew-Stroud prosecuting said the victim was a troubled teenager with problems at school who in September of last year visited an internet chat room where she made contact with Kudelka, believing him to be 17.

The prosecutor said in the days leading up to their meeting the defendant had deliberately turned the conversation to sexual matters and asked if she would meet him.

Judge Michael Kay QC was told by now he had established she was just 15 but on September 22 last year he was parked up near her home in Luton waiting for her to appear.

He then drove the teenager out of Luton stopping in a layby close to Luton Hoo. There he led her into woodland where he raped the terrified youngster,

Afterwards he drove her back into Luton and dropped her off at the top of her road.

The defendant was arrested on September 27 last year and claimed all he had done was kiss the youngster. Officers later found indecent pictures of young girls on his computer.

Robert English defending said “He recognises his interest in younger females is not acceptable.”

Passing sentence the judge told Kudelka: “I find this case to be a particularly disturbing one.”

He said the girl had been left shattered by what had happened.

In addition the court was told that earlier this year the youngster had taken an overdose and had been rushed to hospital.

For that reason the judge said he was satisfied Kudelka was a danger and as a result he ordered that he must serve two thirds of his prison sentence before being considered for parole.

Kudelka was told he would also be on licence for a longer period than normal when he is eventually released – five years in all.

In addition he was made the subject of a restraining order forbidding him from having any contact with the teenager, and he was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order.

His name will also go on the sex offenders register.

March 2014

East Devon plumber admits eight charges of making indecent photos of a child

An East Devon plumber has admitted eight charges of making indecent photos of a child.

Thomas Gooding, of Tumbleweed, Musbury, pleaded guilty to all the charges he faced of making indecent images between May 2011 and May 2013.

Exeter Magistrates court heard the 57 year old liked adult pornography and sexualised images, said prosecutor Lyndsey Baker.

Gooding, who has no previous convictions, made 124 images of different levels of seriousness involving children aged five to seven years.

He was bailed to return to court to be sentenced next week after a report is prepared.

The court heard he made full and frank admissions to the police and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, said his lawyer Jeremy Wickham.

March 2014

Former primary school teacher from Ammanford, found guilty of abusing pupils during sleepovers

A former primary school teacher has been convicted of abusing two young boy pupils during sleepovers at his home.

Martin Smith, 64, from Ammanford, Carmarthenshire was arrested and charged with the offences after internet communication between the complainants on ‘Facebook’ and ‘Friends Reunited.’

Woolwich Crown Court heard Smith, who transfixed the boys with elaborate ghost stories, used those tales to instigate some of the abuse, which involved the youngsters pleasuring him.

Smith taught at a school in Camberwell, Southwark and all the offences took place at his former two-bedroom flat in St. Julian’s Farm Road, West Norwood.

The jury were told the boys were aged approximately eight to ten years-old at the time and were “absorbed” by Smith’s imaginative ghost tales, which usually involved World War One soldiers.

They stayed at Smith’s address to get an early start on various school trips and one of the victim’s claimed he thought he felt the presence of a ghost during a visit to an old music hall, such was the influence of the defendant’s stories.

The same victim told police in a video-recorded interview that on occasions he was caned and spanked by Smith, who ordered the youngster to ‘punish the ghost’ by touching him intimately.

The man also told the jury that on one occasion “confirmed batchelor” Smith put him in a nappy and the truth only started coming out when he confided in his wife that a schoolteacher had abused him.

He approached police with his complaint in November, 2011 and officers then contacted the second victim, who confirmed similar abuse occurred when he stayed at Smith’s flat.

Smith, who now lives in a three-bedroom converted chapel, insisted he never touched the boys and recalled the second victim warning: “I’ll get you for that,” after a caning.

He also claimed to have overheard the same boy making plans to get money as a result of sexual activity.

The third complainant told the court that during a sleepover Smith entered the room he and another boy were in, lay between them, and encouraged them to touch him intimately.

He is due to be sentenced on 11th April

March 2014

Paedophile planned to get 13-year-old girl pregnant then abuse their baby from birth

An incest-obsessed British ­paedophile flew to America for sex with a 13-year-old girl – so he could get her pregnant and then abuse their baby.

Shuhel Mahboob Ali from Salford, but who grew up in Eccles told an undercover FBI agent posing as the teen’s father he wanted sex with his newborn daughter “as soon as the midwife left”.

Ali, 40, planned to bring the 13-year-old back to Britain to “train her sexually and prepare her for a family”.

But now the monster has been jailed for 10 years in America after being snared in an FBI sting.

He replied to an online ad last year offering the fictitious underage girl for sex and told the fake dad he wanted to settle down with the girl and “breed” a “daughters only” family.  

He described in horrific detail what he would do to them all, saying: “When you start with very, very, very young, you can mould them to believe anything and do anything.”

Ali arrived at Sanford, Florida, last April to meet the undercover agent with bondage tape, two face masks, condoms, cameras and a laptop containing child abuse images hidden in his luggage. He was arrested near Titusville by Department of Homeland Security agents and sheriff’s deputies.

Ali has been held in a US prison ever since.

Last week he pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Sheriff Wayne Ivey said: “It is truly 

unimaginable that monsters exist and walk among us with the purpose of victimising our most precious citizens.”

March 2014

Child rapist Vinit Lala dragged from car by passers-by as he tried to abuse 13-year-old

A child rapist was caught by members of the public after he attempted to abuse a 13-year-old girl in his car.

Passers-by spotted Vinit Lala (48) as he sat partially undressed in his car in Martin Street, Belgrave, Leicester, with the girl, who wearing her school uniform.

They then dragged the married father-of-two, who lived in nearby Harrison Road, out of the vehicle.

As he jailed Lala for nine years at Leicester Crown Court on Friday, Judge Richard Brown praised the passers-by for preventing Lala from carrying out any more abuse.

The court heard that, after his arrest, Lala denied any wrong-doing and accused the girl of setting him up.

But he later admitted one count of raping the girl, one of attempted rape, one of sexual activity with a child and a further charge of kissing and touching the same girl earlier last summer.

Prosecutor James Varley told the court: “On October 15 last year, passers-by saw a man and a woman in the car.

“They went to rescue her. She was wearing school uniform.

“He was immediately saying, ‘I’m sorry. Don’t call the police’.”

Mr Varley said Lala had used “coercion, threats, blackmail and emotional blackmail” against the girl.

Mr Varley said: “She was vulnerable and at a difficult time in her life and he’d been able to use that time to groom her.

“There would be threats to tell other people what she’d done to embarrass her.

“He would say, ‘You’ll get in trouble, not me’.

“She is a very young and naive 13-year-old girl with no previous sexual experience.

“She says she will hope to one day forget about what happened to her.”

Matthew Smith, representing Lala, said: “Mr Lala has indicated his desire to address his own behaviour and not do this again.

“His only mitigation is his plea of guilty.”

Judge Brown said the offences stopped “because on October 15 passers-by saw what was happening in your car and intervened”.

“It’s a great credit to them for bringing this abuse to an end.

“I’m told there’s no physical injury to the young girl but of course the harm is psychological. It’s always long-lasting and often they never get over it throughout their lives.

“She was 13, and the presence of coercion and threats of blackmail are further aggravating factors.”

As well as jailing Lala, the judge made him subject to a restraining order to protect the girl, and a sexual offenders prevention order stopping him from having any unsupervised contact with underage girls.

Both orders are indefinite.

March 2014

Pervert had indecent images of children on computer

A man who used to live near Penrith has admitted downloading indecent pictures of children onto his computer.

Carlisle Crown Court heard that the pictures were found when police searched 45-year-old Graeme Davies’ home at Cliburn after he was arrested following an allegation of rape.

No further action was taken for any rape offence because the allegation was withdrawn.

But today Davies, who now lives in Carnforth, pleaded guilty to seven charges of making indecent photographs of children.

He was remanded on bail for background reports and is due to be sentenced on April 4.

March 2014

Sentence delayed for sex offender who had sex with underage girl

A 35-year-old man who admitted having sex with a 15-year-old girl has been warned to expect a jail term ‘of some length’.

Gary Driscoll pleaded guilty to carrying out a series of sex offences against the child when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court.

But a judge said he could not pass sentence because the defendant’s solicitor was talking part in the day of strike action against cuts in legal funding.

Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “These are very serious offences which are extremely likely, probably inevitably, going to attract a prison sentence of some length.

“I have got a report on you. Before I sentence you, you must have the benefit of being represented by a fully qualified lawyer.”

Driscoll, of Jopp Close, Haydon End, admitted five counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Mousley QC adjourned the case to Friday, April 4 and released him on conditional bail until then.

He told him he must not contact named witnesses or the victim and must stay out of The Prinnels area of west Swindon.

Driscoll must now register as a sex offender.

March 2014

Teenager who had sex with two 13 yr old girls has been jailed

Stephen Devlin was told by a judge he had taken advantage of his victims’ naivety and had been able to “present himself in a romantic light”.

The 19-year-old, of Read’s Avenue, central Blackpool, had pleaded guilty to five offences of sexual activity with a child – four of them involving one of the girls.

Devlin had been 18 at the time of the offences, while both his victims were 13.

A judge at Preston Crown Court gave him five years custody, with four years extended licence to follow.

He will be on the sex offenders register indefinitely and subject to a sexual offences prevention order.

Nick Kennedy, prosecuting, said the offences initially came to light when one of the victims told a social worker in the joint police and social care team, called Awaken.

John Woodward, defending, said Devlin had made a terrible mistake for which he was sorry, but he had been immature at the time.

Sentencing Devlin, Judge Pamela Badley said: “It appears the case you took advantage of the naivety of these girls.

“You were able to present yourself in a romantic light.

“However it is quite clear they were utterly mistaken.”

March 2014

Pervert admits following schoolgirls around streets in Sittingbourne to covertly film up skirts

A pervert has admitted following young schoolgirls around streets and supermarkets and covertly filming up their skirts. 

Richard Ferguson-Robe, 25, appeared by video link at Medway Magistrates’ Court today, where he pleaded guilty to several offences.

Ferguson-Robe of Dalewood, Sittingbourne, admitted to four counts of committing an act of outraging public decency and one of possessing indecent images

March 2014

Cruise ship sex fiend jailed after victim tracks him down on facebook

A CHILD abuser whose crimes ruined the lives of two women is today starting a prison sentence of more than seven years after one of his victims tracked him down using Facebook.

For years casino worker Barry Willoughby had enjoyed his new life on cruise ships and in the USA, but his past finally caught up with him when he was extradited back to this country to stand trial over the abuse he committed back in the 1980s.

A police inquiry which had been started in the early 1990s was resumed in 2010 after one of Willoughby’s victims told officers that she had found her abuser after recognising him from a photograph on Facebook.

Bradford-born Willoughby’s extradition 14 months ago led to headlines in the local media and that resulted in a second woman coming forward to make claims of sexual abuse against him.

Today a jury a Bradford Crown Court took less than two hours to find the 46-year-old guilty on 10 charges of indecent assault and three of indecency with a child relating to his abuse of the two women.

The court heard how Willoughby, who has been living at Mandale Road, Buttershaw, Bradford, since his return from the US, ‘’groomed’’ one of his victims so that he could abuse her between the ages of 11 and 15.

The woman, who used Facebook to find Willoughby, was molested by him when she was aged just nine and he was acting as her babysitter.

As he jailed Willoughby for a total of seven years and 92 days Judge Jonathan Rose said he had no qualms about the effect the sentence would have on his life because of the damage suffered by both of his victims.

“For whilst you have enjoyed a good life all that I have heard and all that I have read is of lives ruined by what you did in the 1980s,” the judge told Willoughby.

“You’ve been convicted because these two women told the truth however difficult it was for them to do so.

“They told the truth because they are brave women. They are brave women because after twenty plus years they faced their demons, they came into court and they told the jury of the appalling way in which you ruined their lives.

“Both of them were brave and you were the coward because you would not admit your offending and so they had to relive it in front of the jury.”

The court heard that some of the offending committed by Willoughby while he was babysitting took place at a time when his own wife was in hospital having a baby.

Willoughby, who now faces the prospect of never being able to return to the US, will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and he will be subject to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order.

Speaking after sentence, Det Inspector Vanessa Smith of West Yorkshire Police said: “The process to bring Willoughby to justice has been a long one, but we believe that today’s sentence justifies the hard work of our detectives, in conjunction with the US Authorities.

“I would like to thank them for their co-operation with the extradition proceedings and of course, the victims themselves for coming forward. We hope this will give them some closure after all this time.

“We also hope that this case demonstrates that our officers will do all they can to locate those wanted for sexual offences, regardless of where they might be living now.”

March 2014

Phone diary trapped child abuser

Graham Birkett tried to keep his vile sexual abuse against children quiet by telling them bad things would happen if they spoke out.

That ring of fear was smashed wide open thanks to two young girls, the first to reveal his evil double life.

The mother of one girl hoped her story will give other potential victims the confidence to come forward.

The girl cleverly recorded the details of her abuse on her mobile phone.

That evidence was a huge help to police in their investigation that saw Birkett put behind bars last month.

The mum, who we cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “When you read about other stories like this I have always asked, how can the parents not know?

“He built this wall of fear around her to stop her from talking about it.

“These men should be named and shamed, children are not consenting adults.

“My daughter hopes others may come forward so they can get help and don’t have to feel lonely any more.

“My daughter doesn’t want others to live the life she has had to live.

“It has destroyed us. My husband is broken inside.”

The girl first spoke about her ordeal to school counsellors.

The headteacher then contacted her mum, who felt physically sick when she discovered what her daughter had been through.

“I was heart-wrenching,” she said.

“My husband came home straight away but wouldn’t believe it until he had spoken with our daughter himself.

“My daughter had done sex education in school and knew something wasn’t right.

“She didn’t think she would be believed.

“It was very brave of her to speak up.

She was very clever as she put a voice message on her phone to record what was happening, how she felt.”

The messages were accidentally deleted but later recovered by specialist police technicians.

Although Birkett denied the accusations at first, he later pleaded guilty, avoiding a lengthy trial and further distress for the victims.

He was sentenced on February 7, seven months after his arrest.

The mum added: “The sentence was better than I thought it would be. In my eyes, life would not have been enough.

“My daughter cried and said it was not long enough, I explained to her the judge had a job to do.

“Hopefully he won’t come back to Gloucester.

“I understand at work he would keep disappearing to Tuffley in his van.

“If he was ever questioned, he would fly off the handle.

“He would say he was looking at a job. It was weird, but he was always in the Tuffley area.

“He was never found with images of children on his laptop, the police said he was very clever.

“We don’t know if he was going to someone’s house or to see another child.

“You just don’t know. He was always one step ahead.

“The judge said it was strange there was a big gap between the abuse. Children may not know a name, but they know a face.

“And that face would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

“The police officer said Graham tried to manipulate him too. He was very controlling.”

In court, Birkett was told by Judge Jamie Tabor QC at Gloucester Crown Court that his abuse of the girls had been ‘dreadful’.

Birkett abused one girl in 1999 and 2000 and the other two last year.

The girls were all aged under 13 at the time.

He pleaded guilty to indecent assault of the six-year-old between October 1999 and November 2000.

He also admitted sexual assault and another offence against another of the girls between January and July 2013.

And he admitted three other sexual offences and one of sexual assault on another of the girls between May and July 2013.

As well as the nine-year jail term the judge made an indefinite sexual offences prevention order against Birkett and told him he must sign the Sex Offender Register for the rest of his life.

March 2014

Female teaching assistant jailed after having sex with teenage boy who has special educational needs

A TEACHING assistant had sex with a “besotted” teenage boy with special educational needs – and exchanged “explicit sexual fantasies” with him.

The vulnerable teenager had a “crush” on her and she “crossed a red line” when they sent each other sexually charged videos, pictures and messages, a court heard.

Delta Ferneyhough, 28, of Freeston Street, Cleethorpes, was jailed for two years after admitting sexual activity with a child in breach of a position of trust.

She also admitted causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that the boy suffered from learning difficulties.

Ferneyhough worked at the school where he was a pupil. His mother discovered a text message from Ferneyhough in which she said “Hi, gorgeous” to him.

The mother became suspicious and he eventually confessed that he had had sex with Ferneyhough.

The mother agreed not to report the matter to the school if Ferneyhough resigned her job as a teaching assistant but she did not do so.

The boy admitted that he and Ferneyhough had sex and that they sent sexually explicit messages, pictures and videos to each other.

The teenager’s mother reported the matter to the school and the police were alerted.

Ferneyhough was suspended from her job and was sacked at a disciplinary meeting. She did not attend that meeting. When she started at the school, she had signed up to the school’s codes of behaviour policy.

Judge David Tremberg told the court: “This defendant crossed a red line. She has contributed to corrupting this boy.

“There can’t be a teacher or teaching assistant in England who does not know that engaging in sexual activity with a pupil is a fundamental breach of trust.”

It was a “profoundly inappropriate course of conduct” and she “led this young man on”.

Judge Tremberg told her that parents of children were entitled to “regard the school as being a safe haven where pupils could learn, develop and grow” without inappropriate relationships developing between staff and pupils.

“You were fully aware of your responsibilities and the procedures and protocols in place to ensure that children were safeguarded from staff,” he said.

“You were the adult. You were in a position of authority and responsibility. What you did was wholly wrong and you well knew it from first to last.

“You were content to use him to fulfil needs in you.”

Ferneyhough had an “illicit meeting” with the boy at her home and had sex with him.

The boy had a “crush” on her and was “besotted” with her. Ferneyhough helped to corrupt him and did so “with some vigour”.

She had helped cause him “serious emotional harm” and “connived with him to open forbidden channels”.

Judge Tremberg added: “It may well be that he was not just willing but enthusiastic to engage in conduct with you.

“These laws exist to protect young people from themselves as much as they exist to protect them from predatory adults who are inclined to engage in inappropriate relationships with children.

“This offending is so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate for it.”

Ferneyhough was given a 10-year sexual offences prevention order, severely restricting her future contact with boys under 16 and her use of the internet. She must register as a sex offender for 10 years

March 2014

Sex attacker jailed for four years after abusing 14-year-old girl

A MAN with an “extremely low” IQ has been jailed for four years for sexually abusing a teenage girl.

Alan Holley abused the girl over a period of months in 2009 when she was 14, in Basingstoke.

The 52-year-old had sex with the girl several times and made her feel uncomfortable by holding her hand in public, Winchester Crown Court heard.

Holley, of May Place, Basingstoke, appeared in the dock for sentence having admitted one count of sexual activity with a child.

Simon Edwards, prosecuting, said the count covered multiple occasions of sexual abuse against the girl, who was described as vulnerable.

The matter came to the attention of the police in June last year, when officers went around to the house where the girl lived and spoke to her concerned mother.

The court heard the victim detailed the abuse the next day in a video-taped interview with specialist officers.

Mr Edwards said Holley admitted to the abuse when arrested, and later pleaded guilty to the charge at a plea and case management hearing earlier this year.

Richard Onslow, defending, said the greatest mitigation he could offer was the early guilty plea.

He told Judge Jane Miller: “He is not a man in good health. Your honour will have noted that he’s a vulnerable individual, and to that extent his time in prison may well be worse than those that are more robust.”

Judge Miller said that while Holley had an “extremely low IQ of 65”, the aggravating features were the vulnerability of the victim and that the abuse had been “committed on a number of occasions over a period of some months”.

She jailed Holley for four years, made him subject to a sexual offences prevention order until further notice, and ordered him to sign on to the sexual offenders register for life.

March 2014

Rapist George Moseley jailed for 23 years for attacks on women and girls

A man branded a “danger to females” has been jailed for 23 years for a series of sex attacks in Hertfordshire.

George Moseley, 38, raped a young girl, sexually abused another and raped and physically abused a woman in Watford.

His sentence was extended for a further four years so that even if released early he will be supervised by probation officers until he is aged 65.

At St Albans Crown Court, Judge Stephen Gullick said he was a significant risk to women. “You’re dangerous,” he added.

Moseley, of Charlemont Drive,  in Cambridgeshire, was convicted of causing actual bodily harm to a woman between 1 June 2001 and 24 August 2012.

He was also convicted of the rape of the woman between 1 May 2004 and 24 August 2012, unlawfully wounding her with a mug between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010 and unlawfully wounding her with a Stanley knife between 1 November 2010 and 30 January 2011.

He was convicted of the rape of a child between 2 May 2004 and 1 May 2008 and rape of the same child between the same dates.

He was found guilty of inciting another girl aged 13 to engage in sexual activity between 4 September 2007 and 3 September 2008.

Moseley, who still maintains his innocence, claimed there had been a conspiracy by his accusers.

Judge Gullick said: “The woman victim said you had ‘No soul, no mercy, no compassion, no conscience’.”

March 2014

Bushey man admits possessing child abuse images and extreme pornography

A man from Bushey pleaded guilty to downloading indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography.

Ricky Hughes, 30, of Scottswood Close, admitted possessing 60 images – 20 being at Level 4 the second most serious level.

He also admitted possessing a Level 4 movie and an image of extreme pornography that involved sex between a woman and a dog.

In all he pleaded guilty to four charges of making (downloading) indecent images of a child, one of possessing images, one of possessing a Level 4 movie and one of possessing an image of extreme pornography.

St Albans crown court was told he had no previous convictions.

Judge Michael Kay QC adjourned sentence for a probation report until 31 March. He said all sentencing options were open as the offences crossed the “custody threshold.”

March 2014

80 year old Child rapist given 20 year prison sentence

A RAPIST who abused his victim for nearly a decade – starting when she was aged just ten – has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

Aubrey Mitchell was told by an Aylesbury Crown Court judge yesterday he had robbed his victim of her childhood and adolescence as sentence was passed.

A jury had convicted the 80-year-old of two counts of rape and one of indecent assault after a trial.

And Mitchell’s partner, 68-year-old Mary Goscombe, was also given a lengthy jail sentence after jurors found her guilty of aiding and abetting Mitchell’s deeds.

They found Goscombe guilty of one charge of aiding and abetting rape and one of cruelty to a person under 16, with jurors deciding she knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop her partner committing his crimes. She was jailed for 14 years.

Both were barred from ever working with children and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

The court heard on Monday that when the offences came to light Mitchell – described as a “dominant and controlling character” by Judge Johanna Cutts – was attacked with an iron bar by two men, before he was almost killed in an arson attack on his home in Bookerhill Road, High Wycombe.

Passing sentence, Judge Cutts told Mitchell: “You acted for your own selfish gratification and it happened many times.

“She was a vulnerable child.”

The judge added: “I accept you are frail but I cannot ignore the fact you robbed [the girl] of her childhood and her adolescence. You used and abused her to suit the interests of both of you.”

Mitchell was given a 20 year prison term for each of the two rapes and a five year sentence for indecent assault, which will run concurrently.

Goscombe was given a ten year stretch for aiding and abetting rape and a four year sentence for cruelty to a person under 16. Those sentences will run consecutively.

March 2014

Fareham man had indecent images of children

March 2014

Solicitor from Hackney admits making indecent images of children

March 2014

Suspended sentence for teen with 1,000 indecent images of children

A teenager found with nearly 1,000 indecent images of children on his computer after uploading a photo of himself naked to a Russian website has avoided going to prison.

Jake Albany, 19, from St George’s Road East in Aldershot, received a six-month suspended jail term at Winchester Crown Court on March 6 having previously pleaded guilty to 22 charges of making indecent photos of a child.

The court heard how the offences came to light 12 months ago when the police received information that a user on a Russian file sharing website had uploaded a photo of a boy, who looked about 18, naked in the snow.

After initially denying any knowledge of the photo when first asked by police, Albany, admitted uploading the image of himself when a police officer spotted a pair of shoes in his house which matched those in the photo.

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland said: “His computer was seized and subjected to an examination. Police found 967 indecent images.”

Miss Hyland said the 19-year-old could no longer retrieve most of the photos on his computer. She also confirmed there was no suggestion Albany had taken or uploaded any images himself – except for the one of him in the snow – with the other images having been downloaded instead.

The judge, Recorder Jonathan Barnes, told Albany he would get the help he wants and needs.

“I’m not going to send you to prison today,” he said. “You downloaded the images for a sharing website and also posted a photo of you naked in the snow. There’s no suggestion you took any indecent images of children or distributed to others.

“To your credit you are a hardworking young man. You have made it quite clear you recognise you have had a problem in wanting to look at this material and you are willing to accept the help which is put on offer.”

Albany received a six-month prison sentence for five counts, four months for three counts and two months for the other 14 counts. All have been suspended for two years and are to run concurrently.

He was also given a two-year supervision order, treatment to help him with his sexual interests and a sexual offences prevention order for five years as well as a victim surcharge of £80.

“I’m satisfied as evidenced by these charges making this order is necessary for public protection in the short term,” added Recorder Barnes.

“I hope and expect with the benefit of the programme and supervision you will no longer, in due course, present a danger to the public.”

March 2014

British man jailed in US over child sex offences

A British man has been jailed for 16 years by a US court for child sex offences.

Richard Castle, 47, of Northampton, was extradited last year over a trip he made to Ohio in June 2011.

He admitted coercing a minor, travelling with intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with a minor and transferring obscene sexual contact to the same minor.

He was sentenced by US District Judge Timothy Black in Dayton, Ohio.

Castle admitted that, posing as someone named Richard Joshua Parker, he used the internet between March 2009 and June 2011 to coerce a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity.

He flew to Dayton in June 2011 to engage in sex with the minor, staying about three weeks.

Castle was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers in January 2012 at his home in Northampton and indicted by a federal grand jury the following month.

He appealed against an extradition order but that was rejected on 6 March, 2013 and he was transferred to the US.

Castle admitted the charges on 3 October last year.