April 2015

Bristol paedophile jailed for raping two girls in Slough

A paedophile has been jailed for 16 years after raping and sexually abusing two girls over an 11-year period.

Andrew Picton, 66, of Eastcroft Close, Blagdon, Bristol, abused the girls in Slough between the ages of six and 16.

He was found guilty of 13 counts of sexual abuse, including two counts of rape, at Reading Crown Court in February.

The offences took place between March 1984 and February 1995 and were reported to police in 2012.

Det Con Francesca Worley, from Thames Valley Police, said: “These victims have waited a long time to see justice done for the abuse they suffered.

“I would like to thank them for their bravery and patience during what was a lengthy, detailed and complex investigation.

“I hope that this brings this chapter of their life to a close.”

April 2015

Sex offender who groomed and raped schoolgirl fails in bid to clear name

A dangerous sex offender who groomed, molested and raped a teenage schoolgirl has failed in a landmark bid to clear his name.

Nigel Hunter was found guilty of a catalogue of crimes and handed imprisonment for public protection – almost identical to a life sentence – at Manchester Crown Court in March 2012.

The 38-year-old, of Higher Openshaw, challenged his conviction – along with four other sex offenders – at London’s Criminal Appeal Court.

His lawyers argued that his trial was unfair because the judge misdirected the jury on the issue of his ‘good character’.

The test case appeals were heard by five of the country’s most senior judges – including the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas – as they raised an important legal point about trial judge’s directions to jurors on a defendant’s credibility.

But his appeal was dismissed by the court, with Lord Thomas saying the judge did not misdirect the jury and that there was ‘telling evidence’ against Hunter anyway.

Hunter was arrested in 2011 after his victim complained to police that he had sexually abused her.

She described how, from the age of 14, she had been subjected to appalling sex assaults and was later forced to have sex with him.

He denied any wrongdoing, claiming the teenager was ‘attention seeking’ and had made up her allegations.

But he was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault, two of rape and one of attempted rape at Manchester Crown Court in January 2012.

His lawyers argued his trial was unfair because the judge misdirected the jury in a way which ‘undermined his credibility’.

But, dismissing his appeal, Sir John said: “To the extent that the failure to refer expressly to credibility was an omission by the judge, we do not consider that this renders the convictions unsafe.”

April 2015

Hastings man jailed after arranging to meet boy for sex

A Hastings man has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment after being convicted of grooming someone he believed to be a teenage boy and arranging to meet him for sex.

Police today (Tuesday, April 21) revealed Steven Haldane, a photographer, from Cambridge Gardens, Hastings, was sentenced earlier this month for arranging and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity on 19 August last year.

Haldane was caught after a trio of residents grew suspicious of him and set up a fake internet account posing as a teenage boy.

Detectives in East Sussex received information from three local people that Haldane was planning to meet a 13-year-old boy he had come across via the internet.

However, the ‘boy’ was a bogus identity created by the trio, who knew Haldane, after they became suspicious about material and entries they had spotted on his account.

After they arranged for the ‘boy’ to meet Haldane outside Hastings railway station on the morning of 19 August they did not intend to keep the appointment themselves and referred the matter to the police.

Haldane did not keep the appointment but on the same day detectives arrested Haldane and searched his home address, seizing electronic devices which contained the indecent material.

Detective Constable Rob Tillyer said; “We have no evidence that Haldane has currently committed any sex offences against young boys, although he has a previous conviction for a sexual assault on a young boy in Scotland 24 years ago but he made his intentions very clear in the web message exchanges and the court was clearly satisfied that he is a danger to the public.

“We will always follow up information of this kind, and this man will now have no opportunity to endanger the safety of young boys for the foreseeable future.

“We are glad that the people concerned came to us and the court found that they were acting lawfully.

“The information they provided was key in the investigation.

“However, we do not encourage members of the public to carry out investigations themselves, especially in such a sensitive type of case.

“They could have jeopardised evidence, hindered chances of prosecution, or most importantly have risked harm to themselves.”

Sentencing at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday, April 8, Judge Charles also advised them against taking matters into their own hands, saying it is better for police to run such an operation.

The 47-year-old was convicted at a trial earlier this year.

He was also convicted of possession of indecent videos and nearly 600 indecent still images of young boys, which were found by police when they searched his flat.

The first nine years of the 14-year sentence will be served in prison custody and the remaining five will be spent on prison release licence.

He is also subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

The order severely restricts his access to children and the internet and he will be a registered sex offender for life.

April 2015

A convicted paedophile has been jailed for a second time for separate offences relating to child abuse

Self employed photographer Steven Haldane, 48 of Cambridge Gardens, Hastings (who also calls himself Thomas or Tom Haldane) was found guilty of multiple offences 

At Hove Crown Court on 8/4/2015 the defendant was sentenced as follows;-

1. To arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence – To serve a period of imprisonment as follows;

An extended sentence of 14 years comprising a custodial term of 9 years and an extension period of 5 years.

1. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 9 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

2. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 9 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

3. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 4 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

4. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 4 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

5. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 9 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

6. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 9 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

7. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 9 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

8. Making indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of child – 9 months imprisonment concurrent to above.

He was also ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders register indefinitely, and given a sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice

The court heard that haldane was convicted at Edinburgh high court in April 1991 for impersonating a police officer and handcuffing a 9 year old boy with intent to abduct for sexual purposes.

Haldane is originally from Falkirk in Scotland

On that occasion he was sentenced to just 4 years imprisonment but only served 2 years 

April 2015

Man, 37, who tracked down & stored depraved films & pictures of child abuse may never be freed

A MAN who tracked down and stored scores of depraved films and pictures of child abuse has been jailed for a year.

But Owen Crowther, 37, may never be released from prison because he was on life licence at the time having been convicted of attempted murder.

A judge at Swindon Crown Court told Crowther that his fate would be in the hands of the parole board who may never deem him safe for release.

Crowther, who must also now register as a sex offender, was found with seven films and 92 pictures of mainly young boys being raped and abused when he was arrested last summer.

And when police looked at them they found about a quarter of the files, including all the movies, were in category A which depicted the rape of children.

And when officers went to his home they found he also had a quantity of stolen goods that had come from a burglary which had taken place over the previous week.

Crowther, of Carman Close, Stratton, pleaded guilty to having indecent images of children and handling stolen goods.

He admitted downloading the depraved material between the start of May last year and Thursday, July 24 – the day after he was arrested.

And he was also found to be in possession of the stolen goods between Saturday, July 19, and Thursday, July 24.

The haul included an iPad, a Toshiba laptop, Carrera, Tag Heuer and Casio watches, Sony camcorder and various memory sticks.

He also had a glue gun, Nike trainers, headphones, a Babyliss trimmer and another small hair trimmer, which had been taken in the raid.

Passing sentence, Recorder Ian Lawrie QC said: “You have pleaded guilty to offences of handling stolen goods and what I would call a composite count in relation to a variety of indecent images.

“The most serious are category A, where there are seven films of the 23 images, and a variety of category B and category C. A total of about 99 images.

“These offences are serious. Category A matters are particularly serious.

“What they do show is depraved abuse conducted with very, very, young men. There are some females but the vast majority of them deal with young men: children.

“Whatever prompted you to make these searches and keep them you are, by your actions, encouraging and sustaining the appalling abuse of children, the sexual abuse of children by the fact that you go searching for that material. That is a point often overlooked by defendants.”

He imposed a 12-month sentence with a nine month concurrent jail term for the handling stolen goods meaning he will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

But he went on to tell him that he would not be released in the normal way at the halfway point because he had been returned to jail under the previous sentence.

“You have been recalled on licence. That is open ended. The parole board will have to decide when you get released if, indeed, you get released,” he said.

April 2015

Man found with indecent images of children spared jail

A 65-year-old man has avoided jail after admitting five charges of possessing indecent photographs.

Roger William Masters, of Selby Close, Poynton, admitted:

• One count of possessing indecent images of children

• Three counts of making indecent images involving children

• One charge of possessing extreme images

He was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday, April 17, after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

He was given a 12 month prison sentence for each offence to run concurrently, suspended for two years.

He must also carry out a supervision order with the requirement to attend a sex offenders programme.

April 2015

Man admits child abuse images charges

A WIGAN man has admitted distributing indecent images of children.

Ian Toase, of Tenbury Drive, Ashton-in-Makerfield, pleaded guilty when he appeared in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court to 13 charges of distributing indecent images of children.

The 34-year-old was further remanded on bail to await his sentence on Monday, May 18.

June 2011

Swanscombe sex offender attacked girl days after release

A sex offender who attacked a teenager just 20 days after being released from prison is back behind bars.

Justin Towner, 22, from Manor Road, Swanscombe, was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court, which heard how he’d only been released from prison on April 13.

Less than three weeks later he had breached his sex offender’s prevention order twice and had sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl.

Judge Martin Joy said there had been an element of grooming in the offences where Towner had first befriended the victim through text messages.

When she visited with her boyfriend on May 3, Towner assaulted her while her boyfriend was out of the room.

Towner pleaded guilty to two breaches of his sex offender’s prevention order  and to one count of sexual assault on his teenage victim.

He was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for each of the breach offences, to run concurrently, and 24 months for the sexual assault.

Jailing him for a total of 32 months, Judge Joy said the victim and others needed protection from sexual predators such as Towner.

He also ordered that Towner be required to sign onto the sex offender’s register indefinitely and that his sexual offences prevention order remains in place.

April 2015

Paedophile with over 9000 indecent images of children spared prison

A paedophile has escaped a prison term after being found guilty of the possession of over 9000 indecent images of children

On Wednesday 11th March after a three day trial, Neil Bretton of Stuartfield was found guilty by the jury by unanimous verdict at Peterhead Sheriff’s Court on two charges of possessing indecent images of children.

At his sentencing today, the judge stated that there were 9337 images and two videos found on two laptops and two USB drives.

Around 9000 of the images showed schoolgirls in erotic poses that were estimated to be aged between 10 and 13 years old.

The remaining images were classed as a higher level category up to and including the most severe level 5 which involves the sexual penetration of children, torture or sadism.

The judge took into consideration that this was Bretton’s first offence, and that most of the images found were of the least indecent category.

The court heard that Bretton supports his wife and four children, and that if jailed they could not maintain their lifestyle without him.

As such, the judge chose not to impose a custodial sentence.

Instead, Bretton will serve a 300 hour Community Payback order and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

He must work with Social Services to recognise and change his sexual attitude towards children.

May 2014

Wrexham man admits possessing child images

A GREAT-grandfather from Wrexham viewed indecent images involving children as young as 12-months-old.

But George Earnest Isaac, 62, who admitted a series of illegal images offences was spared immediate custody yesterday.

Isaac, of Y Wern, Caia Park, Wrexham, admitted 10 charges of making indecent images of children by downloading them from the internet.

He also admitted possessing 1,678 images together with four charges involving extreme images of sex between humans and animals, and prohibited photographs of cartoon images of children and adults having intercourse.

At Mold Crown Court he received a 10 month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and he was sent on a 35 session internet sex offender programme run by the probation service.

He was made the subject of a 10-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPA) and he must register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years.

Judge Philip Hughes said the offences took place between December 2011 and June 2013 and involved more than 1,600 indecent images of children, extreme images of sex acts between humans and animals, and prohibited images which involved cartoon images of sex between children and adults.

“Some of the children were as young as one years of age. This is a bad case,” the judge told him.

But he was effectively a man of good character, he had no similar offences and he had significant health problems.

He would also receive full credit for his guilty pleas.

Richard Edwards, prosecuting, said police executed a search warrant at his home and he said while he had looked at images he had not stored them.

Search terms on the internet included pre-teen young, pre-teen models and child models.

Ceri Evans, defending, said Isaac was a hard-working, law abiding family man who had started looking at adult porn sites and it moved on to the sickening and shocking images the court had heard about.

He had been single since separating from his wife 20 years ago, he had four adult children who supported him, and he had five grand-children and two great grandchildren.

Isaac had been open with the probation service about his problems and expressed regret and shame for what he had done.

He was not a man in denial and was someone the probation service could work with, she said.

April 2015

Convicted sex offender has been found guilty of rape, indecent assault and abduction charges

Calan Morrison, 29, raped one woman at houses in Fernhill, Glasgow, and at Galston, East Ayrshire.

He indecently assaulted another victim at houses in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, and Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.

He also abducted two women who were left locked in a flat in Faifley, Clydebank.

Sentence on Morrison was deferred and he was remanded in custody.

Morrison, who has a previous conviction for sex with an underage girl, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register.

During his trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, Morrison accused the women of lying.

One woman told the court how she was raped by Morrison in 2014.

She told the jury: “I said ‘no’ about 100 times. I don’t see how that could be consensual.”

Another woman told the court how Morrison had grabbed her hair and forced her to perform a sex act.

One victim also said she was repeatedly locked in a flat by Morrison.

“I could never take the dog out for a walk. The dog used to defecate in the house,” she said.

“There was electricity, but there was no heating. It was really cold,” she said.

The woman told the court how she managed to get out of the flat in 2005 after sending a text to an acquaintance and the door was eventually broken down.

Another woman told Morrison’s trial: “I was constantly locked in the house. He constantly wasn’t there. I sat in the flat with no heating and no hot water.”

The woman said that during the period in 2004 she was left feeling that her self-esteem had hit “rock bottom”.

April 2015

Louth man found guilty of multiple sex offences including the rape of young children

A Louth man is awaiting sentence after being found guilty of multiple sex offences, including three counts of raping a child under the age of 16.

Robin Anthony Fenton, 48, of Jubilee Crescent, was found guilty of 14 charges in total, including the three rape charges, 10 indecent assaults against a female under the age of 16, and a further charge of indecency with children.

During the two week trial at Lincoln Crown Court last month, the jury found Fenton not guilty of a further 16 sexual offence charges.

Fenton has been remanded in custody, and no date has been set for his sentencing at this stage.

April 2015

Paedophile postman filmed himself abusing baby boy and newborn girl

A postman filmed himself abusing a baby boy and a newborn girl who was only just five weeks old.

Johnathan Forshaw was held last November as police uncovered more than 21,000 indecent images of youngsters.

They revealed the 33-year-old had preyed on the babies. The first victim was less than a year old when he was attacked.

The other had been born just over a month earlier when Forshaw first molested her.

He was remanded in custody after he pled guilty to a string of charges including sexual assault, using lewd and libidinous behaviour and possession of indecent images of children.

Police swooped at Forshaw’s home in Campbeltown, Argyll, last November where officers found thousands of indecent images.

They had been downloaded from websites and via Skype between 2005 and 2014 but it emerged he had also recorded footage of him abusing children.

A young boy was molested in the summer of 2009. He then went on to repeatedly attack a little girl between 2011 and last year. The High Court in Glasgow was told how she was just weeks old when the abuse started.

Forshaw pled guilty to a number of voyeurism charges. He secretly recorded three women visiting his home using the bathroom or while they were partially clothed.

Forshaw also filmed another young girl without her knowledge. After being held for the crimes, Forshaw wrote a number of letters to his partner and his brother “apologising” for what went on.

He claimed he felt “guilty”, described himself as a “sex addict” and that using cannabis had apparently affected him.

Donald MacLeod QC, defending, said Forshaw had shown “a lot of contrition” for what he had done. Lord Turnbull deferred sentencing for reports until next month.

April 2015

Indecent images offences leads to jail term for Bristol man

A Bristol man was found in possession of more than 2,300 indecent images and videos of children after he voluntarily handed a memory card over to police in connection with an unrelated matter.

Benjamin Nash, 31, of Bishopsworth, was spotted by officers deleting images from a memory card before handing it over in connection with a separate inquiry.

Examination of the memory card and another phone found on arrest revealed found thousands of images of child abuse, the majority of which were in the most serious category and many featured children as young as two.

Nash was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court earlier today (22/4) to two years and four months’ imprisonment after admitting 17 charges at an earlier hearing, including offences of contacting teenage girls on social media and encouraging them to engage in sexual activity.

He was also given a 10 years Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and will have to sign on to the Sex Offenders’ Register for the next 10 years.

The charges he admitted were:

• Two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity 

• Five counts of distributing indecent images of children 

• Three counts of making indecent images of children 

• Three counts of making indecent videos of children

• Three counts of possessing indecent images of children

• One count of possessing an extreme pornographic image

Investigating officer Det Con Russell Saunders said: “Benjamin Nash had amassed a collection of indecent images and videos of children that were of the most vile and extreme kind.  

“Our subsequent investigation found he was actively making contact and exchanging those same images with like-minded offenders both in the UK and abroad.

“Nash had also contacted two girls, aged 13 and 15, through social media; as well as sending explicit pictures of himself he was able  to manipulate one into sending him explicit images, preying on her vulnerability to achieve this.”

“There is currently no evidence of any direct contact offences but there’s no doubt that Nash has a pronounced sexual interest in young children and the progression in his offending represents a significant risk in the community.

April 2015

Pervert groomed and sexually abused 14-year-old girl

A 28-YEAR-OLD man who met a 14-year-old girl on Facebook and told her he was 18 has been jailed after admitting having sexual activity with a child.

James Craig pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child under 16 and one count of causing or inciting a child to be involved in prostitution or pornography.

He was jailed for four years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

The case against him began in January when police were called to a domestic incident at a house in Langley Mill.

A 14-year-old girl was present at the house with Craig, who told police he was 18. Further checks revealed he was actually 28 and the girl told police they had begun talking to each other online via Facebook before meeting up.

Craig, of First Avenue, Carlton, was sentenced at Derby Crown Court.

April 2015

Teacher jailed for three years for child sex offences

A MUSIC teacher has been jailed for three years for grooming and committing sexual acts with a child.

Neil Hammerton, 44, formerly of Grovehill Road, Redhill, took advantage of the girl, who is aged younger than 15 and cannot be named for legal reasons.

A successful music tutor, Hammerton had worked at a number of schools and was employed by Surrey County Council to teach music to schoolchildren. He set up the Redhill and Reigate School of Music and the Redhill and Reigate Community Big Band.

But divorce, debt and drink contributed to his fall from grace, said his barrister at Guildford Crown Court.

The father-of-three admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child and two of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

At his sentencing last Friday, prosecutor Rachel Davis said he had sent the girl Facebook messages that became increasingly sexual in nature.

On the occasion of the first offence in October 2009, he gave her wine before kissing her. On two other dates, he touched her after the two had undressed.

Barry Kogan, defending, said Hammerton was full of remorse for abusing the girl.

“He is deeply sorry for what he did, he is disgusted with himself and ashamed of himself,” he added.

From the early 1990s, Hammerton began working as a teacher, ending up as a deputy head and director of music.

However, stress forced him to quit in 2004 and he formed the Redhill and Reigate School of Music.

He also worked for Surrey County Arts, with a number of church choirs, composed music and published papers.

In 2005, he went through a costly divorce from his first wife and by 2008 was drinking eight to nine pints of cider per day.

His second marriage has broken down and, before he was jailed, he had moved back in with his parents in Yapton, West Sussex, the court was told.

Jailing him, Judge Neil Stewart said the offences have had a “profound effect” on the girl, and her parents had been left “simply heartbroken.”

“She is plagued by shame and guilt, wholly unnecessary but unavoidable where offences of this kind are committed by an adult on a girl,” he added.

Hammerton was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, which indefinitely restricts him from having contact with children aged under 16.

April 2015

Human rights journalist jailed after hundreds of child sex abuse images were found on his computer

Hikmet Yehya, 57, was arrested in March 2013 when police seized two hard drives from his home.

In all, 842 images and 30 movies had been downloaded. Of those, seven images and three movies were at Level 5, the most serious grade. There were 64 images and 16 movies at Level 4, 34 images and 6 movies at Level 3, 10 images and 4 movies at Level 2 and 727 images and 1 movie at Level 1, Luton Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver said the children involved were pre-teen and pre-puberty. They had been stored on the drives for “upward of four years”.

Yehya, of Queens Crescent, was convicted of 10 charges of making (downloading) images, two of possessing images on the hard drives and one of possessing extreme pornography.

Lewis Perry, defending, said Yehya, who was aided by an Arabic interpreter, still maintained his innocence and intends to appeal against the conviction.

“Mr Yehya still maintains his innocence. He works as a human rights journalist and recognises the harm that has been caused to the children involved.

“He is a family man and a law-abiding citizen. In all other respects he is a decent and hard-working person,” said Mr Perry.

He said Yehya had worked in journalism in Europe and Africa, and handed the judge references from his friends and family, including his daughter.

Judge Stuart Bridge told him: “These images and movies show the degradation of children of a very young age. These offences are always treated seriously. Those who download and store these images and movies fuel the market for the abuse of children.”

The judge said he could not pass a sentence that would involve rehabilitation because Yehya was in denial about the offences.

In addition to the 12-month sentence, the judge passed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which included a provision that risk management software is installed on his computers so police can monitor his internet activity

April 2015

Pervert spent years downloading indecent pictures of children from the internet

Ian Gofton called a mental health crisis team to confess to his crimes and said he did not want to speak to the police but knew he had to.

When officers searched his home in Stockton, they found a computer tower which had evidence of 70 still and moving images of abuse.

The 48-year-old was described as “a very lonely, sad figure” by a judge when he appeared at Teesside Crown Court to be sentenced.

His lawyer, Andrew Turton, said he had “a number of unusual difficulties” and told Judge Tony Briggs: “He’s a vulnerable person.”

He added: “There was self-reporting of these matters. Guilt effectively got the better of him for what he had done and volunteered information.

“He is accepting of the fact he has distorted thinking and needs help to deal with those issues . . . he has various other difficulties.”

Gofton, of Durham Road, was given a three-year community order with supervision after he admitted making indecent images of children.

Judge Briggs also ordered him to sign on the sex offenders’ register for five years, and imposed restrictions on his use of computers.

He said: “I accept this is a highly unusual case, and one where you volunteered to the authorities the fact that you had been doing this.

“In the future, it is necessary to continue to supervise you. It is for that reason, and that reason alone, there will be a community order.

“I am aware a variety of other measures outside the jurisdiction of probation orders which I’m confident will continue to protect the public.”

April 2015

Kettering paedophile jailed for having 2,160 indecent images of children

A Kettering man was found to have more than 2,000 indecent images of children on his computer.

Christopher Rosemeyer, 29, of Arthurs Way, Kettering, appeared at Northampton Crown Court where Judge Rupert Mayo told him that some of the images and videos stored on his computer were among the most shocking he had ever known and included one of a young child being tortured.

The court was told the images were found on Rosemeyer’s computer after officers visited his home in April last year.

Some of the videos had been stored in folders on Rosemeyer’s computer which could be accessed and shared with paedophiles elsewhere in the world

In interview, Rosemeyer said he had been looking at images of children since he was 16 years old.

The court heard how Rosemeyer had himself had a troubled childhood and in adult life had trouble with intimacy.

Judge Mayo handed him a three-year jail sentence for eight counts of possessing indecent images of children and placed him on the sex offenders’ register.

March 2015

Paedophile jailed after being found guilty of sexually abusing five young children

A paedophile has been jailed for sexually abusing four young girls and a boy.

James McCracken appeared at Glasgow Crown Court on 12 March 2015 and was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.

McCracken (70) of Maryhill, Glasgow was found guilty of multiple charges of sexual abuse against five children. 

One female victim was just six years old when McCracken began abusing her. The girl endured over seven years of prolonged sexual attacks between 1978 – 1986.

Glasgow Crown Court heard that McCracken was arrested after one victim contacted the police to say she and other children had been abused. 

The abuse took place at two properties in the Maryhill and Castlemilk areas of Glasgow.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

April 2015

Dawlish martial arts teacher pleads guilty to rape of young girl

A martial arts coach who ran his own kick boxing school in Dawlish has pleaded guilty to raping a young girl 20 years ago.

Paul Drury ran the Black Belt Academy in Dawlish until he was arrested and held in custody earlier this year by police investigating historic abuse allegations.

He referred to himself on his website as Master Drury and his business offered special ‘Family Time’ events and anti bullying courses for schoolchildren as well as coaching in Tae Kwan Do and Kick Boxing.

Drury, aged 56, of Maudlin Drive, Teignmouth, admitted four charges of raping the same girl when she was under 13 in the 1980s and 1990s. He denied a second count of raping another woman between 2004 and 2005.

He appeared at Exeter Crown Court by video link from Exeter Prison and was remanded in custody until the next hearing on May 14 by Judge Simon Carr.

He may be sentenced on that date if the prosecution decide not to proceed to trial on the one charge which he has denied.

Mr Sean Brunton, prosecuting, said the complainant in the fifth charge will be consulted by police before a decision is made.

Miss Mary McCarthy said Drury is keen to be sentenced as soon as possible.