March 2014

Man filmed himself abusing a four-year-old girl – caught because of his tattooed fingers

A man who filmed himself abusing a four-year-old girl was caught because of his tattooed fingers.

A court heard how the child’s father found the footage on a mobile phone and recognised David Masson from his wedding ring and the letters “H-A-T-E” tattooed across his fingers.

The 62-year-old pled guilty to charges of taking and possessing indecent pictures at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday.

He also admitted sexually assaulting the child by exposing himself and rubbing himself against her bare bottom.

Judge Lord Boyd of Duncansby called for a background report and remanded Masson in custody pending sentence in Glasgow next month.

Advocate depute David Nicolson, prosecuting, said the girl’s father thought the clip was downloaded pornography. He then recognised the ring and tattoo on Masson’s hand and saw the child was his daughter.

Mr Nicolson said: “The situation became volatile.”

Police officers arrived to find the father being restrained by a relative.

When the phone was examined, experts found a video clip lasting about two and a half minutes and another lasting a minute and 20 seconds. A still image showed the child sitting on a couch with her knees up, exposing her pants.

Questioned by police, Masson would only reply “no comment”.

In court solicitor advocate Stuart Carson, defending, said Masson was extremely sorry and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

September 2010

Paedophile jailed for sustained abuse of boy and girl

A paedophile who abused a young boy and girl more than 1000 times, forcing them to carry out a catalogue of horrific sexual acts, has been jailed for two years.

John MacDonald was convicted for the seven years of abuse in June by a jury. His two victims broke down in tears as the verdict was being delivered.

MacDonald, of Crowwood Road, Calderbank, Airdrie, showed no emotion as a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial of the sexual abuse of a young boy, who was aged just five when the attacks began.

They continued until he was 11 years old and a jury was told that he estimated MacDonald sexually abused him over 900 times.

A jury of 10 women and five men took just 50 minutes at Airdrie Sheriff Court to return majority guilty verdicts of using lewd and libidinous practices towards the two young children, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The young girl was six when MacDonald sexually assaulted her and the attacks continued for almost two years.

Sheriff John C. Morris QC told him: “These are very serious charges which went on for an awful long time when you knew what you were doing was not right.”

The jury found deviant MacDonald guilty of sexually abusing the young boy, who is now aged 25, over 900 times between October 21, 1989 and October 20, 1996.

He forced him to carry out a series of sexual acts at a house in Airdrie and also showed the youngster pornographic images.

The boy, during evidence, told the jury: “It happened three or four times a week over seven years. Every time he saw me. It must have been over 900 times. I was so young at the time I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t known then it was wrong what he was doing, until I went to secondary school.”

He was also convicted of sexually assaulting a young girl between May 30, 1992 and May 29, 1994, at two houses in Airdrie, and on parkland at the rear of Hamilton Drive, Airdrie. His victim, now aged 24, openly sobbed in court as the verdict was announced.

The jury found a third charge of sexual abuse against another girl, not proven. It had been claimed he attacked her in a house in Airdrie on various occasions, estimated at 250 times, between May 5, 1991 and May 4, 1994, while the girl slept.

Defence counsel Derek Nelson, advocate said: “MacDonald, when interviewed by police, denied ever inappropriately touching the young boy. He admitted to once kissing and cuddling the girl, for which he got a kicking for his trouble. He denied any contact at all with the third girl.

“He has lost his job, his family and his home, and even coming to court for the deferred sentence as luck would have it he was stopped by the police for speeding. Clearly the public must be protected and children in particular.

“His movements will be continued to be monitored carefully, though I must point out there has been no further offences during the intervening period since he was 17 until this day.

“His family have been subjected to attacks, his car damaged and threats made to him. He has had to move out of the area for his own safety.”

MacDonald was also put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.

January 2011

Clackmannan man jailed over 1970s sex abuse

A 73-year-old man has been jailed for 10 years for sexually abusing children more than three decades ago.

David Chant, from Clackmannan, was locked up for 10 years after being convicted of abusing two boys and a girl between 1975 and 1990.

Chant had denied the charges but was found guilty after trial by a jury sitting at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Temporary Judge Michael O’Grady told Chant he had behaved like a “tyrant” towards his victims.

Chant sexually assaulted the first boy when he was aged five. The abuse continued until he was 12.

He also hit him with various weapons including a walking stick and a belt.

The trial heard that Chant sexually assaulted a second boy from when he was six until he was 12, as well as attacking him with weapons.

The pensioner also abused a girl from when she was aged five until she was 14.

All three, who cannot be identified, were abused at various addresses in Clackmannan.

The judge said: “It is stating the obvious to say you have been found guilty of the most appalling catalogue of offences.

“You have caused them untold distress which will never leave them and you have blighted their lives. You have shown no remorse or concern.”

Defence advocate Alastair Brown told the court Chant had an unsatisfactory upbringing and was of “limited” intellect and not equipped to understand his crimes.

He appealed to the judge to impose a lesser sentence of around three years prison due to his age and ill health, but Judge O’Grady said the serious nature had to be reflected.

Chant was also placed him on the sex offenders register for life.

March 2014

Police raid in Peebles finds indecent images of children on laptop

A sheriff has placed a man on the Sex Offenders Register after more than 1,000 indecent images of children were found on his computer.

Mark Hendron of Kittlegairy Road in Peebles admitted possessing the images between June 2007 and June last year when he appeared on indictment at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday,

Social workers will now prepare background reports and the 37-year-old is due to be sentenced on April 14.

Prosecutor Tessa Bradley told the court: “Intelligence was received by police in June 2013 that someone accessing the internet through a connection at the address had been accessing indecent images of child abuse.”

A search warrant was issued and police attended at his home at 8.50am on June 11 and a laptop and external harddrive were seized.

Ms Bradley went on: “In excess of 1,000 images of children were recovered, and also search terms indicative of actually looking for images of children.

“A number of images were found in the recycle bin, indicating he had tried to delete them.

“He confirmed he owned the laptop and said he came across these images while searching the internet for adult pornography.”

The majority of the images, the court heard, depicted pornographic posing with no sexual activity.

Hendron is on bail and his solicitor will make his plea in mitigation at next month’s sentencing hearing.

March 2014: Joanne Roberts has now been released and is living in the Garston area of Liverpool

April 2013

Paedophile and his perverted girlfriend jailed for child abuse images

A DANGEROUS child abuser took pictures of young girls in sexual poses so he could swap them with other paedophiles on the internet. 

Karl Torgersen’s crimes were uncovered after a European paedophile ring was cracked by German police and photos they uncovered were tracked back to Liverpool. Torgersen, 41, was arrested with his partner Joanne Roberts, 38, at their home on Churchway Road, Speke, last September. 

His computer was confiscated and photographs of him abusing girls were found on the hard drive. 

Torgersen pleaded guilty to more than 60 charges including sexual assault, taking an indecent picture of a child and distributing indecent images of a child. 

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said Torgersen was motivated to fulfil his “perverted ends”. 

His excuse that he was “objectively” investigating online paedophilia after being abused as a child were dismissed as “classic denial”. 

Torgersen was jailed for eight years and eight months, of which he will serve a minimum of two-thirds, after being labelled a dangerous offender. He was given an extended licence period of 14 years. 

Joanne Roberts pleaded guilty to less serious sexual assaults and charges related to indecent images. 

She was jailed for two years and seven months. 

The judge said: “You were present and played your part.”

March 2014

York man sexually abused boy

A man who showed two boys pornographic films is today in custody awaiting sentence for abusing one of them sexually.

Kyle Joseph Moorby tried to discredit the children in the eyes of their relatives so that they wouldn’t be believed if they told the truth about his activities, said Rupert Doswell, prosecuting.

But when the behaviour of the younger boy changed for the worse at school and home and reduced his mother to tears the truth came out.

The boy was so upset by her reaction to his actions, he revealed what Moorby had done to him and was then physically sick.

Police investigations into his story led to the second, older, boy. Both were in their early teens at the time of the offences.

Moorby, 23, of St Stephen’s Road, Acomb, denied doing anything wrong with either boy and claimed they were lying. He claimed that what he told the boys’ relatives before his arrest was true.

But a York Crown Court jury convicted him of three offences of sexual activity with the younger boy and two charges of getting a child to watch a sex act.

Mr Doswell said Moorby showed a film of adults having sex on his laptop to both boys and police found a video of Moorby having sex with another man on his computer. They also found he had been using internet search terms indicating a sexual interest in boys.

Moorby was remanded in custody while a probation officer and a psychiatrist prepare reports on him. His barrister Robin Denny there were matters in his background that needed a doctor to investigate.

The jury were unable to reach a verdict on a charge of sexual activity with the older boy and were discharged.

March 2014

Female, 21, is jailed for two years after she had sex with an eight-year-old boy 50 times, starting when she was 16

A female has been jailed for having sex with an eight-year-old boy more than fifty times.

Loren Morris, 21, was 16 when she first slept with the schoolboy, who cannot be named, and continued until he was ten years old.

Morris, who has a child of her own, would have regular intercourse with the boy, now 14, and was only found out after he was overheard bragging about it at school.

A judge today gave Morris a two-year prison sentence at Worcester Crown Court, following a trial last month where she was convicted of three counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 16.

She could be seen smiling and smoking outside the court today as she awaited her sentence.

The judge in the case told Morris that he would be lenient with the sentence – which will see her released from jail after one year – because she ‘realised it was wrong’ and stopped having sex with the boy.

West Mercia police said they started investigating Morris in March last year after the boy’s school told them that he had been heard bragging about having sex with her.

Judge Robert Juckes QC said: ‘I make no secret of the fact your case has given me cause for much consideration.

‘I have come to the conclusion that due to the concern and embarrassment caused to both you and your family that you will not be offending again, let alone committing sexual offences.

‘I am also aware of the effect this will have on your baby. I am pleased to hear your parents have started to build bridges with you.

‘That does not stop the fact though that you had full sexual intercourse with a child when he was eight to 10 years old – by his evidence it was upwards of fifty times.

‘It seems to me that I am bound to pass an immediate custodial sentence. I take into account what has been said to me and the fact that you stopped the activity yourself.

‘You realised it was wrong rather than being caught and forced to stop. Therefore my sentence is one of two years. You will serve 12 months in prison before being released on licence.’

Defence lawyer Antonie Mullers had told the court Morris was struggling to accept the facts of the case, and asked Judge Juckes to spare her a prison sentence altogether.

He said: ‘Her immaturity at 21 means she cannot accept the facts yet. She accepts her conviction but with time will accept more.

‘Her parents have stepped in and are building bridges, I understand she has met with some of her family.

‘This could be stifled by a custodial sentence so I urge your honour or try and suspend it if possible.’

Morris, from Lyde, Herefordshire, will serve two years each for the three counts to be served concurrently.

Her sentence included a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, banning her from contact with a child under 16 without permission of a parent. She was also ordered to sign the Sexual Offenders Register, where her details will remain for ten years.

October 2005

Brewery worker had sex sessions with schoolgirl

A DEVIOUS ex-brewery worker who “corrupted” an Accrington schoolgirl with secret sex sessions was this week starting a 40-month jail term.

George Moore’s victim was an inexperienced child when she met him but the defendant introduced her to sex and gave her alcohol.

Moore, then working for Thwaites and who has a daughter just two years younger than his victim, did not use contraception.

Burnley Crown Court heard how the girl’s emotional well-being had been affected as a result of her two-month involvement with Moore and her school work had suffered at a time when she was studying for examinations.

Sentencing, Judge Barbara Watson told Moore it was of no relevance that the girl, 15, was a willing party.

Moore, 35, who was living in Accrington at the time of the offences but is now living in County Antrim, admitted four counts of sexual activity with a child, last year.

The defendant, who had no previous convictions, was also given an extended licence period of two years. He was disqualified from working with children, must not have unsupervised contact with girls under 16 and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Judith McCullough, prosecuting, told the court Moore performed sex acts on the girl and told her not to tell anybody. He sent her text messages and the girl later told police she enjoyed the attention.

On one occasion, she did not want to go to school, forged a letter saying she had a dental appointment and met up with the defendant. They went back to his house but he ensured they did not go in together.

Miss McCullough said Moore got the girl to perform a sex act on him in a car and then took her to a petrol station and bought her a drink. The defendant came under suspicion after the girl’s mother noticed a change in her daughter’s behaviour. When police were called in last December, Moore denied anything had happened and claimed she had been telling lies.

Mark Stuart, defending, said Moore was aware of the psychological damage that would have been caused to the child and had not sought to put the blame on anybody’s shoulders but his own.

Moore, said by the probation service to be at low risk of re-offending, was in a state of shock, anxiety and remorse.

After the case, Detective Constable Susan Smith, of Accrington CID, said she was pleased with the sentence.

March 2007

Child abuse images IT man jailed

A former scout leader who was caught with a haul of child abuse images has been jailed for nine months.

Computer programmer Clive Holroyd, from Drymen in Stirlingshire, was caught in a transatlantic crackdown codenamed Operation Falcon.

At Stirling Sheriff Court, the 43-year-old was also told he would be supervised for two years, after he admitted the offence.

He formerly led the 25th Forth Valley (Balfron) Scouts group.

Police found that Holroyd had used his credit card to download photographs from the internet of children being abused and had installed specialist software to hide his activities.

Despite the attempted cover up, Central Scotland Police recovered more than 100 indecent pictures of children from his computer.

Sheriff Wyllie Robertson told Holroyd, who was also placed on the sex offenders’ register: “It’s clear that the images recovered by the police were only those downloaded in the days immediately prior to their arrival.

“One reason that many more were not recovered was because, no doubt using your expertise in computing, you installed a sophisticated software wiping programme that wiped previous images.

“You did that because, firstly, you didn’t want your wife and children to discover what you had been doing, and secondly because you didn’t want to get caught by the police.”

Holroyd committed the offence between January 2003 and June 2004, with his membership of the Scout movement ending that year.

Scottish Scout Association chief executive Jim Duffy said none of Holroyd’s offences occurred in connection with any organised Scouting activities. 

March 2014

Young musician admits sex abuse charges

A talented young musician who admitted sexually abusing a young girl told police he had been “experimenting”.

Robin Brandon-Turner touched the girl and made her perform a sex act on him when she was aged between six and 10.

The 18-year-old, from Dunoon, Argyll, committed the offences in Rothesay between 2009 to 2013. He was caught after the victim confided in a friend.

At the High Court in Glasgow, sentence on Brandon-Turner was deferred for background reports.

Advocate depute Richard Goddard, prosecuting, told the court: ‘The accused was aged between 13 and 17 when he committed these offences.

“He is a gifted and dedicated musician and his aim is to play oboe in an orchestra.

“He abused the complainer by sexual touching and this happened about four times a month.”

The court was told that when the girl was aged between seven and 10 he made her perform oral sex on him.

When confronted by police, he described his behaviour as “experimenting” and said he was glad it had come to light.

Defence QC Donald McLeod said: “He regrets what he did and is ashamed of his behaviour.”

December 2003

Girl, 14, tells of sex attack horror

A SCHOOLGIRL told today how a horrific sex attack left her life in tatters after the man who tried to rape her in a West Lothian park was jailed for seven years.

The 14-year-old blacked out as she was subjected to a brutal assault after being dragged into the bushes of a Bathgate park by 18-year-old Scott Walker.

Detectives traced Walker using DNA from his saliva, which was found on a button on the victim’s trousers which he had tried to bite off.

Walker was jailed for seven years at Glasgow High Court yesterday after admitting attempting to rape the girl.

Today, the 14-year-old told of her relief at seeing Walker behind bars, and how she was still receiving counselling nine months after the attack.

Walker pounced on the girl as she walked home through the park.

He dragged her into bushes before threatening to kill her if she didn’t stop screaming.

The schoolgirl, who lives in the Bathgate area, had been so traumatised by the brutal assault she had refused to allow doctors to examine her.

She said today: “After it happened, I felt dirty and cheap and I was terrified.

“I am scared of how it is going to affect me in the future. I’m still having counselling, but I am trying not to let it get the better of me and am trying to get on with my life.” The teenager said the attack had left her fearful of venturing far from home.

“I don’t go out very much and I don’t go too far away from my house.

“It has hit the rest of my family hard too. We are trying to get on with it though and I talk to my mum.

“I am that happy he is in prison and not on the streets on the loose.”

Police today welcomed the sentencing of Walker. Detective Sergeant Scott Young, who led the hunt for her attacker, said today: “I’m delighted to get a result on this case for the victim and her family.”

He added: “I hope this will help to bring closure to what has been a very stressful period for the whole family and allow them to move on.”

The court earlier heard of the impression which the traumatised victim had left on two female doctors, who had been sent to examine her shortly after the attack.

One wrote in her notes: “She was very withdrawn, frightened and whimpering in pain.”

Walker was caught later after a witness read a media appeal and remembered she had seen him riding his bicycle.

Detectives matched his DNA after traces of saliva were found after Walker bit the buttons of her trousers.

Lord Philip ordered Walker’s name to be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register. Walker, of Race Road, Bathgate, admitted attempting to rape the girl in Meadow Park.

His plea of not guilty to part of the charge alleging he stamped on the girl’s neck was accepted by the Crown.

The judge, Lord Philip, told Walker he had carried out a “terrible offence” on his defenceless 14-year-old victim.

He added: “Your behaviour gives serious concern and a custodial sentence must be imposed to enable the substantial gravity of the offence to be recognised.”

Lord Philip also ordered Walker to be supervised in the community for three years after his release from jail.

May 2003

Handyman gets life for killing Danish student

A museum handyman has been jailed for life for the murder of a 15-year-old Danish schoolgirl on the Isle of Wight.

Richard Kemp, 53, from Gosport, Hants, was convicted of killing Camilla Petersen at Winchester Crown Court.

He had confessed to the killing but denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Mr Justice Richard Gibbs said Kemp was a “serious and homicidal danger to children and young people”.

2004

Army Sergeant had child abuse images – Jailed for 15 months

A 36-year old SNCO who downloaded more than 500 indecent images of children on to his computer has been jailed for 15 months

Sgt Ian Shepherd of the Duke of Wellingtons Regiment trawled the internet searching for child abuse images over a period of several years, a general court martial in Hohne heard

Shepherd was caught with the offensive and illegal pictures after an operation by UK police to clamp down on internet child abuse images

Shepherd was identified along with a number of others as having paid over the net by credit card to access paedophilia websites

When arrested by the SIB, Shepherd, a married man with two step children, initially denied any involvement

But the computer crime team was able to forensically examine computer equipment belonging to him and establish that he had visited the indecent images of children websites for several years prior to October 2003 and had downloaded in excess of 500 images

More than 90 of the images were described as at, or just below, the top end of the scale used by police and courts to determine the level of indecency involved

When confronted with the SIB’s evidence, Shepherd admitted his actions

Having plead guilty, the soldier from Osnabruck faced specimen charges relating to downloading and possessing indecent images of children

The court gave him credit for entering a guilty plea and recognised his admission that he had a problem and had begun seeking professional help

Sentencing the SNCO, judge advocate Colin Burn told Shepherd that he had committed a very serious offence. Shepherd was reduced to the ranks and dismissed from the service. He was also ordered to be detained for 15 months

The judge said that Shepherd would only serve half of his sentence for good behaviour

March 2014

‘He stole my boys innocence away’

Ian David Gregory is today exposed as a predator who sexually abused a 12 year old autistic boy

And as the 46-year old former soldier starts a prison sentence, his victims mother told of the horrifying moment her teenage son told her he had been abused

The 33-year mum, who is from the Consett area but now lives in the south east said: “My son said, hes been doing things to me”

“I just felt sick when he told me. As a mother that is just your worst nightmare”

“Its just the thing you never want to happen. I just felt like I hadn’t protected him”

Gregory, of Fellside terrace, Stanley, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault with a child, two of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, one of causing a child to watch sexual images and 14 counts of possession of prohibited images

The abuse happened when he was living in the Basingstoke area

At Winchester crown court, defending said, he had begun accessing indecent images of children on the internet after he left the army 5 years ago following a 12-year career in the armed forces

And she added that Gregory had discovered he had an sexual attraction to young boys

Prosecuting said, the sexual assault had a devastating effect on the victim and hsi mother, who have since had to move from the area

Gregory had not admitted to the sexual assault before police found a video on his phone

In sentencing Gregory to 25 months in prison, the judge said, “these courts sadly accustomed to seeing the tragic case that you present this morning”

The judge also imposed a sexual offences order and ordered that he be on the sex offenders register for 7 years

March 2014

Domino’s pizza driver with 35 points on his licence is finally banned and exposed as a convicted child murderer who stabbed a schoolboy to death

• Ala Uddin, 44, was jailed for murder in 1993 for knifing a boy to death

• He served seven years and remains on licence for life for the murder

• Uddin was jailed again in Swansea, in 2009, for knifing a colleague

• Yet Domino’s – which doesn’t run checks on staff – still gave him a job
  

• Uddin also racked up 35 points after a string of motoring offences
  

• But he avoided a ban after made an exceptional hardship plea

• Finally, he’s been banned and moved to a job behind the counter

A pizza delivery driver has kept a job with Domino’s despite finally being banned from the road after clocking up an astonishing 35 points on his licence and being exposed as a convicted child murderer.

Ala Uddin, 44, was given a job delivering pizzas in Aberystwyth, west Wales, despite his violent past and appalling driving record.

He was one of just 10 drivers in the UK who managed to stay on the road despite racking up 28 or more points.

On one occasion he was handed 18 points in one go after he pleaded guilty to a string of motoring offences.

But he avoided a ban after making an exceptional hardship plea in his court hearing, claiming he would lose his job and ultimately end up losing the home he provides for his wife and children.

In court it was revealed Uddin was jailed for murder in 1993 for knifing a 15-year-old boy to death in a row sparked by religious differences.

He served seven years and remains on licence for life for the murder.

Uddin was jailed again in Swansea, in 2009, for two years – reduced to one on appeal – for knifing a colleague at a meat processing plant in Llanybydder the face.

Uddin has worked as a pizza delivery driver for Domino’s takeaway in Aberystwyth for more than two years.

Since his ban last week he’s been moved to a job behind the counter.

Domino’s pizza chain refused to comment. But the local franchise-holder confirmed that Uddin is still employed inside the takeaway outlet.

He said: ‘I have been told by Domino’s that I must not say anything more.’

As a murder conviction is never spent, it would have had to have been declared to an employer.

Criminal records checks on takeaway delivery drivers are not generally made by employers and it raises the question of how many other drivers have serious criminal convictions.

Uddin appeared in court in January when he was allowed to keep his licence despite building up 29 penalty points.

He had claimed a ban would see him suffer exceptional hardship.

But last Wednesday, Uddin, of Ffosyffin, near Aberaeron, west Wales, was finally banned from driving for six months after pleading guilty to further charges of driving with a defective tyre and without insurance

The previous convictions were not mentioned when he appeared before Aberystwyth magistrates for the motoring offence.

Prosecutor Ellie Morgan said Uddin was stopped by Pc Phil Westbury on January 28 at Heol y Bont in Penparcau, Ceredigion.

Checks showed the tread on the front nearside wheel of the Honda Civic he was driving was worn.

Further checks also showed that an insurance policy Uddin had was invalidated by the insurers and backdated to when the policy was first taken out, after he failed to declare prior convictions.

Defence solicitor Alison Mathias said Uddin had realised he had to be careful after escaping a ban initially. She said he had checked his car, but that even Pc Westbury had not been able to tell at first the tyre was defective and only realised it was after using a gauge.

Ms Mathias said Uddin had an insurance certificate that covered him on the day, but that his insurers had invalidated the policy and backdated that invalidation after learning he had not informed the company of previous convictions.

She said that Uddin hoped he would be able to keep his job at Domino’s and work in the takeaway itself.

But he realised that if the company could find a staff member who was not banned, he was at risk of losing his job, which would have a major impact on his family.

Ms Mathias added: ‘He wishes to apologise to the court for coming before the court in respect of motoring offences.’

Uddin was given six points for the no insurance charge, taking him to 35 points, and was banned for six months under the totting-up procedure. He was also fined £220 and will pay costs of £97.

According to the most recent DVLA figures only five people in Britain have been allowed to keep their licence with 30 points, one driver is on 31 points, one is on 34 points, one is on 36 points and one driver in the Liverpool area has a whopping 45 points on his licence but is allowed to remain driving.

March 2014

Sunderland paedophile filmed children on the metro

A PAEDOPHILE is facing jail after filming children on the Metro.

Robert Hart secretly shot the footage, which was found on a memory card at his Sunderland home.

Although the images were seemingly innocent, a court heard that the act placed him in breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

Sunderland magistrates were told that the 43-year-old was banned from owning equipment which could store digital images.

But a check at his home revealed he had bought video cameras and an iPod.

Keith Laidlaw, prosecuting, said the five-year order was imposed by the court in December last year.

Hart was found to have flouted it when police visited his house in The Royalty last Sunday.

Officers had to bang on the door and shout through the letterbox before he let them in, when he confessed to having two video cameras and an MP3 player.

Police searched the house and found two memory cards under a bedroom cabinet, one containing images of children and adults on the train.

Mr Laidlaw said: “He said he had bought the cameras from a car boot sale about two weeks before and bought the iPod three months ago.

“He had taken photographs of girls on the Metro system about a week previously.

“He said he might have knocked the memory cards off a bedside table and thought he had hoovered them up.

“He denied having hidden them under the bedside table while the police were at the door.” Hart pleaded guilty to the offence.

Brian Chapman, defending, said no abusive images had been found, and Hart had not taken part in abuse.

He was originally convicted after taking photos of girls walking to school and had a number of convictions for possessing indecent images of children.

District Judge Roger Elsey remanded Hart in custody, to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court.

He said: “Any breach of a court order is a serious matter. Breaching a Sopo is a very serious matter, and the offence is aggravated by your substantial list of previous convictions.

“Having regard to the circumstances, it seems to me the sentence that is appropriate is beyond the confines of this court.”

Hart will appear at court in the week of April 14.

March 2014

Police investigating man’s sex with underage girl found vile video on computer

A paedophile found to have a video clip on a computer of a young girl being sexually abused after he had underage sex with a schoolgirl he met on Facebook has been warned he faces jail.

Adam Fraser had consensual intercourse with the girl once just days before her 16th birthday — despite being twice her age — but when he ended the relationship he found himself at the centre of a police investigation that led to the discovery of almost 160 indecent images on a laptop and mobile phone.

Among them was a two-minute video depicting the abuse of a very young girl, categorised at the second-highest level for such material.

The 31-year-old, of Dens Road, Dundee, appeared for sentencing before Sheriff Gregor Murray at Arbroath on Tuesday, but the matter was delayed for another month after defence counsel Drew McKenzie raised concerns about the content of a criminal justice social work report.

Earlier this year, Fraser went on trial at Arbroath but after evidence was part-led he admitted an indictment alleging a charge of having unlawful intercourse with a girl under 16 at a house in Dundee on November 9 last year. He also pleaded guilty to having photos or pseudo photographs of children at a house in Dundee between July 2011 and May 2012.

In mitigation, Mr McKenzie told the court that at the time of the unlawful sex offence the girl was almost 16.

The court heard Fraser had approached her through a social media site and she travelled from Fife to Dundee, where she met the accused and went to his home.

“It is important to observe that if the events of November 9 had occurred on November 13, then it would not have been a crime,” said the defence counsel.

“Whilst I have to accept that the difference in age is of some substance, the accused was not in any position of trust with the complainer, was not in a family relationship and it is not suggested she had any form of vulnerability.”

Mr McKenzie criticised the social work report before the court of lacking in objectivity.

He urged the court to consider a non-custodial disposal, including participation in the Tay Project for sex offenders.

Sheriff Murray said he could not ignore evidence that it had been clear to Fraser when he first contacted the girl that she was 15.

The sheriff added: “It seems there are parts of the social work report that are wrong, parts that are wrongly phrased and parts that are quite simply irrelevant.

“I think he should understand that a custodial sentence will be at the forefront of any sheriff’s mind.”

March 2014

Sawbridgeworth sex offender pleads guilty to 15 new offences after downloading nearly 3,000 images of children

A CONVICTED sex offender from Sawbridgeworth was back in court today (Wednesday, March 19) and pleaded guilty to 15 new offences – which included downloading nearly 3,000 indecent photos of children.

Paul Elliott, 54, from Hazel Gardens, was appearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court. His case was sent to Crown Court for sentencing.

In March 2010, Elliott was sentenced by a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court to 20 months imprisonment for possessing indecent photos.

The judge also imposed a sexual offences prevention order which banned him from having a mobile phone or other devices capable of storing images, or having a computer without monitoring software installed.

Elliott was back in court today, though, where he admitted to 12 image-related offences, as well as three charges of breaking the court order.

The photos, and some film clips – 2,758 of which involved children – were between levels one and four. Level five is the highest.

Elliott, who wore a dark suit and tie, also admitted to two offences of being in possession of a mobile phone, and other devices, between January 2011 and December 2012 and one of possessing a computer with no monitoring software.

His case was sent to Chelmsford Crown Court for him to be sentenced during the week of April 7. He was remanded on bail.

Prosecutor Denise Holland, who did not outline details of the offences, said bearing in mind Elliott’s previous conviction and that there were over 2,500 images involved, magistrates’ powers for sentencing were not sufficient.

March 2014

Launceston teen shared indecent image of girl on Instagram

A LAUNCESTON teenager who published an explicit image of a school girl on an internet photo sharing website has been told to “pull his socks up” and control his anger.

Ryan Furse, 18, of St Johns Road, distributed the indecent image of a child to a social media site in a fit of anger after she refused to comply with his demands.

At Truro Crown Court on Wednesday, Phillip Lee, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Furse posted the sordid image of the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on October 9, last year to the photo sharing website Instagram.

The image – which was said to be at Level 4 on the scale police use to categorise such material, with five being the highest – showed the girl performing a sexual act with a can of hairspray.

Mr Lee said the image was online for at least 40 minutes before Furse removed it and was “tagged” with the girl’s name but that it was impossible to say how many people had viewed it.

He said: “One 16-year-old described how she had followed Ryan Furse’s profile.

“[She said] I was shocked that somebody would upload a picture for anyone to see’.”

The court heard Furse had previous convictions for criminal damage and two charges of battery, which involved him punching people in the face and breaking their noses.

Furse was placed on a suspended sentence by magistrates just days before he uploaded the indecent image and that offence meant he was in breach of the suspended sentence, the court heard.

Barry Hilliard, defending, said Furse had not realised uploading the picture was a criminal offence when he did it and that although this was the first case of its type he had been involved in, he did not think it would be the last.

He said: “If nothing else [this case] may well benefit other young people who have photos on their phones.”

Mr Hilliard added: “He had an apprenticeship which he lost.

“He is a sex offender and people don’t like sex offenders.”

Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, said some material posted on social media could go viral and that images could be seen by thousands if not millions of people and that Furse had done it in a “fit of pique”.

He said: “It was unpleasant, it was unkind and it was humiliating for her and you knew perfectly well, Ryan, that you should not have done it.”

Judge Harvey Clark added that Furse had not started his adult life very well.

Sentencing Furse to four months in a young offenders’ institution, suspended for two years, he said: “Pull your socks up. You have got to get to grips with the future and try to avoid losing your temper.”

Furse, who pleaded guilty to distributing an indecent image of a child at an earlier hearing, was ordered to be under the supervision of the probation service for 18 months, take part in 17 sessions of the Thinking Skills programme and pay an £80 victim surcharge.

He was also subjected to a three-day curfew from 7pm to 6am for breaching his previous suspended sentence and ordered to forfeit his iPhone and iPad.

March 2014

Pervert, 46, who grabbed child in Irvine and told her “You’re coming with me”, is jailed for 17 months

A PERVERT who grabbed a 13-year-old girl as she walked home from school was jailed yesterday.

Gerald Welsh, 46, seized the child in Irvine and told her: “You’re coming with me.”

The youngster broke free and ran home.

At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, Welsh, of Irvine, admitted threatening behaviour last April.

He was jailed for 17 months and put on the sex offenders’ register.

February 2014

Schoolgirl’s terror on her walk home

AN IRVINE schoolgirl was seized from behind and told “you’re coming with me” as she made her way home, a court has heard.

The 13-year-old had to fight to escape the clutches of 46-year-old Gerald Welsh, who this week was put on the Sex Offenders Register.

The terrifying incident occurred around 3.40pm on the afternoon of April 29, last year, as the girl made her way home alone through the streets of Irvine.

As she took a short-cut through a lane between Tollerton Drive and Caldon Road, she heard the footsteps of someone running up behind her. She thought the person might jog past her, but suddenly she was grabbed from behind.

Welsh, who was completely unknown to the girl, put one arm around her waist, the other on her shoulder and told her: “You’re coming with me.”

The teenager screamed for him to leave her alone, fought her way out of his arms and ran out into the street. No-one else was around to help her, but when she turned around she saw Welsh, standing his ground just a short distance away.

The girl continued home, taking an alternative route and arriving back around 4.20pm.

Clearly in a distressed state, she immediately told her mother what had happened, after which a call was made to the police. Officers on mobile patrol were passed a description of the assailant, and at around 4.25pm spotted Welsh in Caldon Road.

He was detained and taken to Saltcoats Police Office, where he was searched, and a condom was found in his wallet. During interview, he admitted approaching the victim – who he described as a “tidy wee bird” and asking her: “Any chance of a touch? You know I fancy you.”

He told officers his last sexual encounter had been six years earlier, and that he carried a condom “to promote safe sex”. Though his young victim had been wearing her school uniform, he claimed not to have noticed this, recalling only that she had been wearing “black tights, a black skirt”.

Welsh, a man with no previous convictions, appeared from custody at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week, when he admitted the offence, pleading guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm.

The court heard he had previously failed to appear, after initially being bailed, and a warrant was put out for his arrest. When brought back into custody he gave no real excuse for his non-attendance, claiming only that his “civil rights” were being violated.

Welsh’s lawyer described him as an “eccentric” who had believed he was chatting up a young woman of around 18 or 19 years old. Sheriff Alistair Watson, presiding, said: “Let me stop you there. She was not a young lady, she was a child.”

Welsh’s lawyer conceded the point, saying: “Regardless, It was inappropriate behaviour.” Referring to some of the accused’s comments as “bizarre”, Sheriff Watson said he would be calling for a psychiatric report, along with background reports, prior to sentencing.

Adding that there was “quite clearly a significant sexual element” to the offence, he said Welsh’s name would be immediately put on the Sex Offenders Register, for a period to be determined at his next court appearance. When Welsh heard this, he protested, exclaiming: “No, I’m not pleading guilty to that.”

Sheriff Watson told him: “It’s too late for that now.”