May 2015

Colwyn Bay woman placed on sex offenders register for act with 13-year-old girl

LOVEBITES on a schoolgirl’s neck were linked by DNA to a 20-year-old woman.

Police warned Kayley Ann Davies to stay away from the 13-year-old girl and had served her with a child abduction warning notice.

Davies, of Greenfield Road in Colwyn Bay, pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a female child under 16 at Mold Crown Court but escaped custody.

Prosecutor Elen Owen said according to the girl’s mother, Davies and her daughter had become friendly when her daughter was just 12.

On one occasion the girl had been reported missing by her parents and police had gone to Davies’ flat.

When the girl was taken home, love bites on her neck were analysed and DNA from saliva was matched to Davies.

Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones said Davies had been locked up for three months while awaiting trial and imposed a six months youth custody sentence suspended for two years.

The order requires her to live at a Liverpool hostel for six months; carry out a rehabilitation activity requirement for 60 days; and not contact the schoolgirl again.

He also imposed an exclusion order to prevent Davies going to Kinmel Bay for two years and imposed a sexual harm prevention order on Davies forbidding her to have contact with any person under 16 known to her, unless supervised.

She must register with the police on a sex offender register.

March 2015

Monster jailed for 26 years for rapes which drove victim to take overdose

A MONSTER has been caged for 26 years for repeatedly raping a girl – eventually driving her to take an overdose.

Violent Kevin Snaith, aged 54, sexually abused two other girls in a five-year campaign of casual and regular offending, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

He may have made one of the victims pregnant at the age of 13 – but she believes she may have lost the baby when he beat her and pushed her down the stairs.

Racked by the guilt of what happened to the two other girls after her, she tried to take an overdose four years later.

Snaith threatened to kill his victims if they ever told anyone about his sick behaviour, a jury at Plymouth Crown Court decided in January.

Judge Paul Darlow jailed him for 26 years for a total of 15 sex offences amounting to what he called “deviant” behaviour.

He imposed an extended sentence, which means he will be released two thirds through his term, at about 17 years and four months, rather than the usual half-way mark.

The judge added: “In my judgement you pose a significant risk of serious harm by the commission of an offence upon your release.

“You made it necessary for the three girls to relive their experiences in front of a room full of strangers.”

Snaith, of Normandy Way, St Budeaux, pleaded not guilty to 17 offences against the three girls between 2004 and 2009.

But a jury unanimously found him guilty on 15 counts after a week-long trial which was punctuated by the Christmas break.

The oldest victim told he court she feared he would kill her if she told anyone about his abuse.

She said Snaith started by groping her and went on to rape her up to five or six times a week. He would beat her, punch her and pull her out of bed her hair if she resisted.

The woman told the jury he made her take a pregnancy test at the age of 13 when her period was late. The woman said he then punched her in the stomach and pushed her down the stairs.

She added that she bled heavily and now believes she miscarried.

Snaith then went on to indecently touch the second complainant and tried to rape her.

He also made the third and youngest complainant touch him indecently, starting when she was only three.

Ali Rafati, for Snaith, said his offending was exacerbated following the death of his wife. He admitted that the jury had found he regularly raped the girl, but questioned whether the attacks were as frequent as alleged.

“I still cannot forget what he has done to me”

A moving statement from the rape victim was read to the court by a police officer.

She said: “I still cannot forget what he has done to me and the other girls. Just before I turned 17, I had what I call a rough patch. I had a combination of things going on.

“I felt guilty about not telling someone what he had done to me. I had thoughts that no boyfriend would have me or would quickly leave me if he found out what had happened.

“I did not think I had a good future. I did not feel like people would understand and I felt so guilty. I ended up trying to take an overdose.”

The woman is now herself a mother.

She said: “It also affects my partner. He tries to understand but he feels angry and upset that he is not able to help me more.”

The woman said she sometimes had nightmares and ended up sitting downstairs crying.

She added: “Sometimes I will see someone who looks like him. I will panic, my heart will race and I will feel like the little girl all those years ago.”

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, added that she was concentrating on making her own children’s childhood as normal as possible despite what had happened to her.

April 2013

Pontypool man’s jail term cut for sex with under-age girl

A TEENAGER who left a schoolgirl “emotionally scarred” after he seduced her had his six-year sentence cut by a third on appeal.

Christopher Waite, of Hillside Drive, Cwmfields, Pontypool, said he believed the girl was “15 or 16” when he lured her into his bed in 2011.

In fact, she was under 13 and was left in turmoil by the sex session which followed, London’s Court of Appeal heard.

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Mr Justice Andrew Smith, said Waite had not forced the girl to have sex, but the law deemed her too young to consent.

Waite, now 20, was charged with three counts of rape to which he pleaded guilty at Newport Crown Court and was handed a six-year detention term in January. But his case reached the Appeal Court as Waite’s lawyers challenged his “manifestly excessive” sentence.

They argued the six-year term took insufficient account of his youth, his previous good character and guilty pleas.

There was no physical pressure applied by Waite, the court heard, and his victim said she “just agreed to what took place”, although she never initiated sex.

Mr Justice Baker said there were “potent mitigating factors” in the case – including Waite’s own immaturity, his early admissions and the fact “he believed she was older than she was”.

Waite’s sentence was cut from six to four years.

June 2015

Pervert tried to flush phone down toilet as police searched for child sex pictures

A man tried to flush his mobile phone down the lavatory when police raided his home looking for evidence that he was downloading child sex abuse images from the internet.

The officer retrieved John Nolan’s mobile and they also seized his computer, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Experts were able to find 658 indecent images of children on the pair of them – including 76 in the most serious Category A rating.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said that Nolan had also been sharing them over the internet with another pervert.

The 27-year-old was convicted after a trial last month of making indecent images of children and possession between 18 October, 2012 and 24 November, 2012.

Nolan, who had mental health problems, was accompanied in the courtroom dock today by a representative of MIND when he appeared for sentence over the raid on 10 January, 2013.

Mr Cleasby said that the aggravating features of the case were the attempt to destroy the evidence down the lavatory.

There was also the sharing of the images with the other man – although Nolan was not charged with that separate offence.

The Crown Prosecution Service applied for a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his future use of the internet giving police the power to inspect his computer equipment at any time for illegal use or images that had been wiped.

Bryan Russell, defending, said that the order seemed highly appropriate to monitor Nolan’s future behaviour.

The judge told Nolan that the sentencing guide lines indicated that a prison sentence was appropriate for the offence.

Recorder Richard Wright QC told him: “You need to understand that acting in that way, accessing indecent photographs of children in sexual offences is a very serious step.

“It is more so by sharing them in such a way that others could see them, and that you made active steps to dispose of them.”

The judge added: “These are not just images of children.

“What lies behind them are real children suffering prolonged horrifying sexual abuse, so that people like you can share them on the internet.

“So by looking at them you are encouraging these people who want to subject children to that sort of awful ordeal of appalling abuse around the world.”

Nolan, of Ryde Road, Norton, was given an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for two years with supervision, an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and he was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of his phone and computer.

June 2015

Victims of evil female Merseyside pensioner tell of their hell

Victims of a depraved pensioner who was today jailed for historical sex abuse told of their hell.

Widow Barbara King, 71, and her husband Tommy, who died in 1992, abused two young girls from troubled backgrounds under the pretence of offering them a safe haven.

Evil King was today jailed for 12 years after being convicted by a jury of 17 historical sex offences – ranging from indecent assaults to inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency.

Their two victims, then aged 11 and seven, had never met each other and were abused by the Kings at different addresses at different times.

But they shared the same harrowing experiences at the hands of their tormentors – who would bicker among each other over whose turn it was to carry out the sickening abuse.

In victim personal statements read out in court, they both spoke about the damaging effect that the Kings’ crimes had upon them and their relief at finally speaking out.

One said: “When the abuse happened I was young and did not know what was happening to me and to some degree, although I did not like what was going on, I thought at the time it was ‘normal’. It was only when I got older I realised the full extent of what they had done to me.

“Barbara King has no idea how she and her husband have affected my life. I am so glad I had the courage and support to come forward and report the abuse and that I was believed. It will take time for me now it is over to start to rebuild my life.”

The second victim said: “Barbara and Tommy King have ruined my life from an early age. I began to self-harm as a result of becoming more aware of what had actually happened to me a few years earlier.

“It was when I became older I realised what had happened. I could not mention the abuse to anyone as I was scared and felt I would not be believed so I just put it to the back of my mind. All I have ever wanted is to block the thoughts of the abuse from my mind and be happy, be normal.

“I can’t forgive them for what they did to me. They have ruined my life. I am glad I did eventually report the abuse I suffered even though it can be traumatic from start to finish.

“I would encourage others in the same position to so do and I’m sorry I didn’t deal with it earlier. I hope now that I get some normality in my life. I will carry on with the support I have and I know eventually I will become at peace.”

King, of Muspratt Road, Litherland, ​​​was arrested last January after the first victim, who was just seven at the time but is now aged in her 40s, came forward.

The second victim, who was 12 but is now in her 50s, then heard about the arrest and came forward in February 2014.

Detectives from the force’s specialist Unity Team investigated both allegations and provided support to both women as the case progressed to court.

Speaking after the sentencing, DC Trish Lacey, the case officer, said: “The victims have shown immense courage in coming forward to tell their story and help the police and CPS bring a manipulative and coercive sexual offender to justice.

“They have been supported throughout by officers within the Unity team as well as other agencies who have always believed in their allegations, have always listened with sensitivity and compassion and put their interests first.

“The Kings, like other sexual offenders, took advantage of their victims’ vulnerabilities by pretending to be offering a sanctuary in their home and gaining their trust through kindness.

“It was only years later that they were able to comprehend the crimes that had been committed against them and the damaging effect these terrible experiences had had on them.

“I would like to urge all victims of sexual abuse out there, whether they were abused decades ago or days ago, to find the courage within themselves to make that difficult first step and tell someone.

“It doesn’t have to be the police, it can be one of the many support agencies who are there to help. The important thing is to tell someone and not suffer in silence any more.”

June 2015

Man jailed for breaching order banning him from approaching young girls on Facebook

A 22-YEAR-OLD Kidderminster man has been jailed for eight months for breaching a court order by approaching young girls on Facebook and failing to hand over his phones to police.

Samuel Turner, of Beeches Road, admitted four allegations of breaching the “risk of sexual harm” order, which had been imposed by Kidderminster magistrates in April 2013.

The order followed incidents in which he sent a “grossly offensive” letter to an ex-partner’s mother, obstructed police as they were searching for a missing 13-year-old girl and had indecent photographs of his then 15-year-old girlfriend.

The order meant that he should not contact under age girls and that, if required by police, he must hand over his computer or mobile device to be checked.

Mr Brotherton told Worcester Crown Court that, on January 1 last year, Turner contacted a 14-year-old girl on Facebook, using the name of “Jack Matthews”, and asked for her phone number.

The following day, when she looked at “Jack Matthews’” profile, she recognised it as Turner and informed police.

On January 21, Turner refused to hand over his mobile phone to police, said Mr Brotherton.

Turner then, on February 19 last year, contacted another girl by using the name “Matthew Sanders” on Facebook and, on September 2 2014, when required to hand over his mobile phone to police, told officers he did not have one.

Michael Aspinall, defending, said there was no suggestion that Turner had been accessing inappropriate material on the internet, had not been accused of grooming young girls and had no convictions for sexual offences.

Mr Aspinall described Turner as “immature”, adding: “He’s grown up too late.”

He was now working in a restaurant, living with his mother and his current partner was aged 17.

Recorder Denis Desmond, jailing Turner, told him it was for “persistent flouting of a court order”.

June 2015

Rapist ‘ruined the life’ of 10-year-old after continual violent assaults

A VIOLENT sex attacker “ruined” the childhood of a 10-year-old girl by continually raping her over a number of years, a court heard.

Ricky Tyler was jailed for 13-and-a-half years for repeatedly raping the girl over a period of years in Bolton and Bury, from the age of 10 to 15.

Bolton Crown Court was told that the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, tried to resist but Tyler, aged 54, was violent towards her.

On one occasion, the court was told that Tyler tied the girl up and left her there following the sexual assault.

In addition, the girl plucked up the courage to complain about the attacks, but Tyler denied any involvement and the girl was subsequently branded a “liar”.

Tyler, of Bury Road, Breightmet, also attacked a 12-year-old friend of the girl, and groped her.

The court was told that until recently Tyler was totally dependent on alcohol, but had undergone detox while in prison which was starting to improve his health.

Judge Timothy Stead said: “On one occasion you tied her up and left her in that position for some time. You were almost always drunk during the period.”

The court heard that Tyler had previous convictions for robbery, violent disorder and battery, as well as indecent assault more than 20 years ago.

Judge Stead continued: “I cannot underestimate what you did to her and what the impact must have been. It has ruined her childhood and may subsequently ruin her adult life as well.

“It is very much to be hoped that she can manage to get on with her life.”

Tyler previously pleaded guilty to six counts of raping a child aged under 13, a further six counts of raping a child under 16, and four counts sexually assaulting a child aged under 13.

Judge Stead sentenced Tyler to 12 years for the first six counts, eight years for the next six counts of raping a child under the age of 16, and for 18 months for the charges of sexual assault.

He ordered the first two sentences to run concurrently and the third to run consecutively, therefore Tyler received a total sentence of 13-and-a-half years.

June 2015

Pervert who groomed girl, 14, jailed for two years

A 27-year-old man who “groomed” a schoolgirl before committing a sexual act in her presence has been jailed for two years.

William Edward Frear, of Brunswick Gardens, Halifax, was cleared by a jury at Bradford Crown Court last November of a number of other sexual allegations relating to the same complainant, but he was convicted of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.

The court heard that Frear was 24 and the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was about 14 when he started kissing her and then performed a sex act on himself.

Frear, who will now be subject to registration as a sex offender for the next 10 years, also admitted a further charge of common assault which related to an incident in a Halifax pub when he pushed a man over.

He received a concurrent sentence of one month in prison for that offence.

Barrister Joanne Shepherd urged Judge Peter Benson to consider suspending the prison sentence on the father-of-two, but he said Frear had “groomed” the teenage girl and there was a significant disparity in their ages at the time.

“It’s clear to me that you were attracted to this young girl and you went about pursuing a relationship with her and groomed her,” the judge told Frear.

The judge noted that Frear had shown no remorse and said there was no reason to suspend the prison term.

As part of his sentence Frear will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years which restricts his contact with girls under 16.

June 2015

Darlington pervert had indecent images of children on his computer

A pervert who amassed a catalogue of pornography on his computer also had indecent images of children, a court heard.

Lewis Bourne was told by a judge that he was worried the 27-year-old did not seem to realise how serious it was.

Bourne – a former swimming pool attendant – was given a community order with supervision and treatment sessions.

Twelve indecent photographs of children and three prohibited images were found on Bourne’s computer.

In a report, a probation officer described him as “shy and withdrawn” and said he appeared to minimise his offending.

Passing sentence, Recorder Simon Myerson, QC, said being “miserable” was no excuse for what Bourne had done.

“The concern I have is you don’t realise and don’t appreciate quite how serious for what you did,” the judge said.

“I accept that in part that’s because you have had quite a difficult time, socially, and it may not be something that registers with you any more than your gaming activities and the way you entertain yourself at home.

“The reality is without people like you, these photographs and ones where children are abused, exploited and degraded, that would not happen, and so you are part of the problem which is corrupting society, and that is a serious issue.”

Bourne, of Burnside Road, Darlington, admitted making indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images.

His barrister, Ian West, told the court that he had never before been in trouble, and was unlikely to appear in court again.

“He is most unlikely, I would suggest, to progress to any kind of contact offence,” added Mr West. “Facing court for the first time is deterrent.”

Bourne was given a two-year community order with one-to-one sessions with the Probation Service. He was also ordered to sign of the sex offenders’ register for three years, and pay £100 costs.

June 2015

Bristol man jailed for 10 years for indecent assault offences on two young boys

A 50-year-old man has been jailed for 10 years after being convicted of indecently assaulting two young boys following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Martin Spicer, of Wilton Close, Southmead, abused one boy from the age of six in the mid-1980s in the Hartcliffe area of the city. 

He abused a second boy from the age of nine-years-old in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These offences happened in the Bedminster and Horfield areas of the city.

Following a short trial, Spicer was convicted of six counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child.

In addition to the prison sentence he’ll be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Investigating officer Det Con Sarah Bowden said: “Martin Spicer committed some horrendous offences against very young children who’ve had to live with the consequences of the abuse into their adult lives.

“They’ve both shown immense courage in speaking to us about what Spicer did to them and their evidence has helped to secure the conviction of a dangerous sexual offender.

“Our priorities have been to make sure Spicer is unable to cause any further harm to children and to provide his victims with all the help they need.

“Both victims were supported by the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service provided by Next Link whose assistance proved invaluable in helping support the victims throughout the investigation and legal process.

“I hope this conviction sends out a strong message that despite some of these offences happening up to 30 years ago, we were able to investigate them thoroughly and ultimately secure justice for the victims.”

June 2015

Man, 41, sexually assaulted schoolgirl 

A MAN aged 41 sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl while she was standing on a chair to change a light bulb.

George Davison was drunk when he molested the teenager in front of partygoers at a house in Bingley, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

He was sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for two years, by Judge Jonathan Rose who said it was “a very unpleasant and disgusting” offence.

Davison, who now lives at Kerrison Mews, Brighton, was banned by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order from contacting his victim ever again.

He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her late on July 12 last year.

Prosecutor Sophie Drake said Davison put his hand on the girl’s leg, over her jeans, and touched her private parts in the kitchen at the house.

His actions were witnessed by other guests and he was told to leave.

Davison told the police he “grabbed her bottom for a laugh”.

The court heard that the teenager suffered flashbacks and now had to sleep with the light on.

Judge Rose was told that Davison had written to her to apologise. The letter would be handed over by the police if she wanted to read it.

He was ashamed and disgusted with himself and tackling his drink problem.

The judge said Davison “violated the woman’s privacy.”

He must undergo supervision from the probation service and do 180 hours of unpaid work.

Davison must also sign on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

June 2015

Man guilty of sexually assaulting three young girls

A 63-year-old man is to be sentenced at Bradford Crown Court for sexually assaulting three under-age girls.

Ralph Craven, of Bradford road, Riddelsdon, near Keighley has pleaded guilty to five offences today.

His case was adjourned until 16 July for the preparation of a probation service report.

Craven admitted three offences of sexually assaulting one schoolgirl between November 2012 and November 2013. He also pleaded guilty to two other offences against two girls during the same period.

Craven has a previous conviction for a sexual offence dating back to 1971

Craven was given bail but will have to sign the sex offenders register with immediate effect

June 2015

St Helens man jailed for grooming schoolgirl on Facebook

A St Helens man was jailed for 12 months after admitting grooming a 15 year-old girl on Facebook.

David Gordon, 35, from Rye Close, Clockface, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years after pleading guilty to sexual activity with a child and breaching bail.

He was also banned from having any unsupervised contact with a child under 16 for the next five years.

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June 2015

51-years prison sentence for Leeds men who “sexually corrupted” vulnerable schoolgirl

FOUR men who took advantage of a vulnerable 13-year-old and cynically “sexually corrupted” her have been jailed for a total of 51 years.

Tariq Islam, Nasir Sultan, Amir Zaman and Zafar Iqbal are among ten men found guilty of a range of serious sexual offences committed against the youngster in the Beeston area of Leeds.

A court heard how the youngster was groomed, systematically abused and sometimes forced to have sex against her will by the defendants who all knew she was under age.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court heard the girl would be given cigarettes and alcohol, contacted via Facebook with demands for sex and picked up in the street and ordered to get into cars with the men.

Jailing the men, judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, said: “(the victim) was systematically abused, in some cases by men who knew each other and exchanged their experiences with each other which no doubt led to further sexual abuse.

“Over a period of more than six weeks I have had the opportunity of observing the defendants and hearing their evidence.

“Not one of them has uttered a single word or sentiment of remorse.

“There only concern is that they have been caught and brought to justice.”

Describing the offending, prosecutor Michelle Colbourne, QC, said: “She was corrupted sexually and exploited in various ways by each of these man.

“Sexual activity with girls under 16 is against the law because no matter how precocious or willing they may say they are, they are children and need protection.”

Amir Zaman, 25 , of Sefton Terrace, Beeston, was jailed for 11 years after being convicted of four offences of sexual activity with a child.

The jury heard he was the first to abuse the girl after tricking her into believing she was his girlfriend despite being nine years older than her and being married with four children.

Zaman took the youngster to a graveyard where sexual contact took place. Zaman went on the run before the case came to trial and is still at large. The court heard he may have fled the country.

Zafar Iqbal, 41, of Latchmere Drive, Horsforth, was jailed for 15 years after being convicted of one offence of attempted rape and two of sexual activity with a child.

Iqbal committed the offences after winning the victim’s confidence by giving her cigarettes, Jack Daniels whiskey and cannabis joints.

Tariq Islam, 31, of Cross Quarry Street, Woodhouse, was jailed for 13 years after being convicted of two offences of rape.

The court heard Islam locked the girl in his car on one occasion and forced her to have sex with him. He threatened the victim with violence if she did comply with his sexual demands.

Nasir Sultan, 24, of Beeston Road, Beeston, was jailed for two offences of rape. One of the offences took place in Beeston Cemetery.

Sultan contacted the girl on Facebook after the incident and told her to keep it a secret.

Judge Marson said the victim would be unlikely to ever recover from the psychological damage she has suffered as a result of the abuse.

He said: “There have been other cases not dissimilar to this one.

“They have received widespread publicity. Whatever (the victim’s) problems were, it should be clearly understood that this sort of repeated and systematic abuse will not be tolerated.

“The courts will protect as best they can, young children.

The judge added: “Although these offences were committed in the Beeston area, it is not to be taken as a condemnation of those who live there.

“There are many good, honourable and decent hard-working people in that area.

“It is the defendants who have brought shame upon themselves and the community.

Six other men are to be sentenced at a later date.

June 2015

Paedophile pensioner admits inciting child to engage in  sexual activity

A PENSIONER admitted convincing a young girl to send him a sexually explicit picture of herself.

Ernest Treleaven, 75, of Tall Trees, Colchester, admitted causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity via an indecent image between January 2011 and June 2012.

Treleaven appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday.

He denied a second charge of attempting to entice the girl into a sexual encounter and the charge will remain on file. His attraction to children was uncovered when he took a computer to be fixed.

In the summer of 2011, Treleaven took his machiner to Nexus Technology, inStanway.

Images and videos of children aged ten to 13 were discovered on the computer and the police were called.

A subsequent search of his home found he had more than 300 images and films, including 65 classed as the highest level of filth.

In 2012, Treleaven received a nine-month suspended prison sentence for possessing child abuse images and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

He was also ordered to take part in a sex offender programme.

Treleaven is due to be sentenced for his latest offence on June 26.

June 2015

Paedophile freed 5 years into 48-year jail sentence

A PAEDOPHILE who abused a string of children over three decades has walked free from prison after spending just five years behind bars.

Lorry driver Robert Manson, 66, from Broomhouse preyed on three girls and a boy aged as young as eight between 1979 and 2010 and was given jail sentences totalling 48 years.

Frustrated relatives of his victims gathered outside the prison gates at Saughton yesterday to voice their anger at Manson’s release.

Armed with posters of his face and banners, they were kept back by officers as the sex offender was driven away by police escort while shielding his face from view.

One protester, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, said: “I just want to make him aware that we know that he’s out and we are standing together.

“He has been in there for five years and we have been suffocating – now he’s getting out and everybody is panicking.”

Manson’s disturbing record was discovered by police who found sickening videos on his computer during a raid on an unrelated matter in 2010.

He admitted six charges of serious and sustained sexual assaults on the four children at addresses in Edinburgh over the 30-year period.

Manson was handed individual sentences amounting to 48 years, but was ordered to serve them concurrently, leaving him with an eight-year prison term.

Manson – who was described by judge Lady Stacey as posing a “threat to public safety” – is understood to have arranged to stay in a city hostel.

He will be on a two-year supervision order and his movements will be restricted. However, his victims and their families said this brought them little comfort.

One said: “We’re not going to have much of a life now. It was a horrific crime. He was given 48 years for six charges. Their childhood has been ripped from them.”

He said victims’ relatives had been lobbying for Manson to remain behind bars via the Victim Notification Scheme and the Parole Board, but were devastated to find out that he had been found eligible for release after five years.

“He was given 48 years and he only does five,” said the relative. “We are angry because we don’t feel like we’ve had the right justice.

“We want to show him that we are not going to back down. We feel like we’re the criminals here. We just want people to know that this guy is out. People have got to be wary. He preyed on vulnerable people.

“We thought he had at least a good couple of years, for us to have a life before we have to think about going through this.”

Under current policy, 
prisoners are eligible for parole after serving half of their sentence, and are automatically released after completing two-thirds of the jail term.

Manson, who was in HMP Glenochil before being transferred to Saughton in preparation for his release, is understood to have turned to religion during his stint in prison.

The victim’s relative said: “He just wanted to be a model prisoner so he could get out earlier. He says he has found God – but he’s just saying that.”

He added: “He’s not sorry for anything he has done. He apparently has enjoyed jail, he says he just misses the swimming pool – that just makes us even more angry.”

Scottish Conservative whip John Lamont said Manson’s release would be devastating for young victims who are still trying to cope with their traumatic experiences – and called for tougher punishments for “dangerous” offenders.

He said: “If automatic early release was scrapped, this dangerous individual would at least be serving the whole term. People will be astonished that someone who could notch up a 48-year sentence is deemed fit for release after only five.

“The victims and their families will be devastated at this move, which illustrates once again the vulnerability of Scotland’s justice system when it comes to punishing dangerous offenders.”

The sentiment was echoed by the victims’ relatives, with one adding: “We are only human – our lives are a joke because of this. Trying to get somebody to listen to our side has been the hardest thing in the world.”

Another parent, who was among the four people outside the prison gates yesterday, said: “My child got a life sentence and he’s out in five years. That’s wrong – a robber can get more. [Outside the prison] I screamed at him from the soles of my feet. He was holding his hands over his face. I don’t want anybody to go through that pain.”

She said several strangers approached the group outside the prison to congratulate them on staying strong.

“I just want people to be aware,” she said. “I don’t want any other kid to ever go through what mine has. We’re going to be looking over our shoulders.”

The Scottish Prison Service said it was unable to comment on individual prisoners.

A spokesman for Police Scotland said: “Sex offenders are monitored robustly under the terms of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements.”

June 2015

Brentwood child abuser weeps as he is sent to prison for sex crimes

A PAEDOPHILE cried in the dock as he was jailed for three years for molesting a five-year-old girl in Brentwood during the 70s and 80s.

Richard Duhrsen, 71, wore all black as he admitted:

1. Two counts of attempted rape of a girl under the age of 16

2. Two counts of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 16

3. One count of indecent assault of a girl under the age of 14

On the day he was due to go on trial at Basildon Crown Court, the former cook also pleaded guilty to one count of making indecent photographs of a child.

The court heard on Monday how German-born Duhrsen was brought to the attention of police in 2013 when the indecent photos were discovered on his iPad when he took it for repair in a shop.

Prosecutor Stephen Rose said Duhrsen made admissions to some family members in the 1990s about the offences, which were committed between 1973 and 1980 in Brentwood.

Mr Rose said: “The victim’s allegations, as they now appear, she recalls happened between the ages of five and six.

“There were numerous incidents that took place from that age through to 14 and there were incidents that amounted to attempted rape.

“The victim indicated herself that the defendant should not go to prison.”

Jailing Duhrsen for three years, Judge Ian Graham says he took into account his guilty pleas.

He explained: “When you started committing these offences, the victim was a young child.

“It emerged this had first been raised and aired in 1997 and there was no action to take the matter further.

“The abuse started when the victim was no more than five or six and it continued up to the age of 14.

“I am told there are dark matters when you were a child and it is right to say there have been no other allegations made against you and these allegations are now many years old.”

Duhrsen, of Celandine Close, South Ockendon, was handed a sexual harm prevention order and was told to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

June 2015

Former teacher jailed for inciting ten boys to engage in sexual activity

A former teacher and chaplain at a county school has been jailed after he pleaded guilty to inciting ten boys to engage in sexual activity over the internet by pretending to be a teenage girl.

Michael Carrigan carried out the offences over a seven year period after he started teaching at Lucton School, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Christopher Lester, prosecuting, said Carrigan had breached a position of trust as five of the boys he contacted through social media were pupils at the school where he was a chaplain and taught personal and social health education.

The 45-year-old would pretend to be a teenage girl, on one occasion calling himself Lydia, and the conversations he started would quickly become sexual, Mr Lester said.

He would invite the boys, aged between 13 and 16, to send pictures of themselves engaging in sexual activity and was successful in this once or twice, though most of the conversations would gradually fade out over time.

The offences came to light after police found his details when they investigated an internet company and raided his home. The boys said they were “shocked,” Mr Lester said. One boy said he had had a high degree of respect for Carrigan and another said, “he was a teacher, I trusted him,” Mr Lester told the court.

Carrigan, now of Hawthorn Close, Tottington, Bury, pleaded guilty to:

1. Ten charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

2. Five of these while in a position of trust

3. Five charges of having indecent images of children.

Police found five pictures and nine movies in category A, the most serious, 204 images and 15 movies in category B and 1045 images in category C on his computer after the search on April 7 last year.

Paul Mytton, defending, said Carrigan had been suffering from mental health problems and he had “fallen very low.” He handed in a number of references showing Carrigan to be of positive good character and pleading for him to be spared a jail sentence.

Judge Robert Juckes, QC, said Carrigan had been a teacher with a highly successful career and had been expected to set “high standards morally” as a chaplain.

He said Carrigan was now “a man completely stripped of his good character, his self-esteem and his mental health who has been completely humiliated.”

He was given a total jail sentence of two years and a sexual offences prevention order banning him from contact with children under 16 for ten years. He will also have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Following Carrigan’s conviction, West Mercia Police confirmed the investigation was instigated as part of Project Spade, a national investigation coordinated by the National Crime Agency regarding purchasers of indecent DVDs and videos from a Canadian-based internet company.

Detective Sergeant Mark Walters said: “Carrigan abused his position of trust to take advantage of young people for his own gratification. Today the court has passed sentence for his predatory behaviour.

“I would like to pay tribute to the victims in this case and for their cooperation throughout this investigation; their bravery has meant that we were able to put him before the court.”

Paul Thorne, the bursar at Lucton School issued this statement: “We are sad to hear of such news about Mr Carrigan, a former teacher who left Lucton well over a year ago.

“Following our enquiries, the investigating police officers have told us that all of the offences were online, there was nothing physical, and that nothing happened at Lucton School.”

June 2015

Repeat sex offender jailed over child abuse images

A SERIAL offender has been jailed again after a laptop containing images of the “most appalling scenes of child abuse” was found by workman renovating a pub. 

Charles Cawley, 63, unemployed, of London Road, Brighton, was jailed for five years after previously serving two other sentences for indecent images.

These latest offences came to light in January 2014 when a laptop computer was found hanging from a wire in a lift shaft at the Hare and Hounds pub at Preston Circus in Brighton, which was closed for renovation.

The worker who found it turned it on and found indecent images so handed it to the police at once.

Police enquiries eventually led to Cawley who at the time had been living and doing some casual work there on the renovation. When he was arrested officers found two more laptops in his possession. He readily admitted everything.

Cawley appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday having previously pleaded guilty to 13 offences of making indecent images of children, two offences of possessing extreme pornographic images, one of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and of possessing three computers in breach of a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) he was given when he was last convicted in 2011.

For the latest offences he was sentenced to a total of five years – three years for breaching the SOPO and two years for the indecent images offences, the sentences to run consecutively.

There was no evidence of actual offending with children by Cawley, direct or on-line.

Detective Constable Chris Smith said; “Cawley is a repeat offender who is unable to resist the temptation to look at this type of material, accessing images of some of the most appalling scenes of child abuse. We trust that this latest sentence, his longest yet, will cause him to reflect, and to seek help.

“All such images are by definition images of child sex abuse, and we will continue to pursue anyone who is suspected of accessing them.”

June 2015

Petrol-guzzling sex pest found high on fuel eight hours after prison release

A petrol-drinking sex pest who propositioned schoolgirls while high on unleaded fuel is back on the streets despite receiving a prison sentence.

Repeat offender Robert Stephens was today handed a 21-week jail term for breaching an anti-social behaviour order for the second time.

But a judge said he would be released later today, despite the fact he is still addicted to the substance he “craves”, as he had already served significantly more than his sentence while on remand.

Sentencing Stephens, Judge Zoe Smith conceded the petrol guzzler would probably be released from prison almost immediately after serving eight months on remand.

The homeless addict was arrested in February in a filling station he was banned from just eight hours after being released from jail for breaching a previous ASBO.

She said: “On February 2nd, you went to a Sainsbury’s petrol station in Heyford Hill in order to obtain petrol.

“It was in an area from which you were prohibited from entering by virtue of an ASBO.

“This is your second breach of that order and that is what makes it a serious matter.

“However it is right to say the petrol station is on the very boundary of the area (he is banned from) and it’s not suggested that while you were there you were harassing anyone.”

Stephens was also given a conditional discharge for racially abusing a police officer, so the offence will lie on his file.

His ASBO is still valid and he will be prosecuted for any breaches.

Stocky Stephens, who is also addicted to alcohol, was last month granted a temporary reprieve when his case was adjourned for sentencing.

He was bailed for three weeks to see if he could live in a hostel under strict conditions.

But two days later he was back in jail after breaching those rules.

When officers arrived to arrest him, Stephens once more became violent, resulting in new assault charges which will likely see the addict arrested as soon as he is released from prison.

The thug insisted he had been ill-treated by officers and said he had been defending himself in fisticuffs that resulted in him losing a tooth.

Stewart Matthews, defending, conceded his client had not shown he could adapt to life back in wider society.

He said: “It’s right that it didn’t go particularly well.”

Appearing at Oxford Crown Court today, Stephens showed no emotion as a judge heard how he had been constantly in and out of jail since the age of 12, racking up an astonishing 44 convictions.

Mr Matthews added: “He himself worries that he is institutionalised.

“He says he’s been in and out of custody since he was very young.”

A police report into his colourful offending said: “Stephens is known to drink and sniff petrol and during his spree of offences it was noted by some witnesses that he smelled strongly of petrol.”

Between 5.30am and 8.20am one morning last autumn the sex pest approached three women and two schoolgirls in the street, yelling crude propositions at them.

The shocking campaign of abuse began when he walked up to one woman at the crack of dawn and said “I am gonna put my hand up your skirt”.

He made further crude suggestions whilst rubbing his crotch.

An hour later he randomly approached two other women who were unloading a delivery van, asking one if she wanted to give him oral sex and telling the other very crudely that he wanted to have sex with her.

He then walked up to two schoolgirls who were in uniform and on their way to lessons and said: “If you’re old enough to smoke you’re old enough to suck my dick.”

All of the women reported that he smelled heavily of petrol at the time of the incidents.

The same morning the dishevelled petrol addict assaulted his grandfather who was out walking his dog, yelling “I will knock you out” and pushing him in the chest.

To cap off his day Stephens went to his father’s house in the evening, despite being banned from the street by a restraining order he was given for brutally assaulting him.

When a police officer arrived to arrest him, he attacked him too.

He was jailed for six months for his bizarre crimes and was handed his first ASBO banning him from the area of his offending, the Blackbird Leys area of Oxford, where most of his family live, for five years.

However, a day after being released from prison on licence he breached the order.

The homeless petrol addict went to a garage and once more got high on unleaded fuel, went to his grandparents’ home and then racially abused a member of staff at the hotel where he was staying.

The court heard when the police turned up to arrest him he told them he was going to “get a 9mm and do a Dale Cregan,” referring to the infamous one-eyed police killer.

His foul-mouthed tirade continued back at the police station, where he racially abused another officer and told him he would “cut him up in the bath.”

He then ranted: “What you going to do, give me life? I couldn’t give a f***, I’ve got a TV and a job in prison.

“You might as well charge me with murder and lock me up because I’m going to kill you.”

When the comments were read back to him at a later interview he laughed and remarked: “It’s amazing what you make up.”

Within 24 hours he was sent back to prison for a further six months, but then reoffended yet again just eight hours after being released from jail in February this year.

Prosecuting, Naomi Perry said Stephens had taken himself straight off to the Sainsbury’s fuel station to get the petrol that he “craves,” where he was found completely intoxicated.

She added: “There are limits to which officers are expected to have thick skins.

“He really doesn’t seem to be able to stay out in the community and not offend.”

His long-suffering grandmother, who asked not to be named, said that she was at a loss to explain his unusual addiction, although his family believe he may have undiagnosed autism.

She said: “He messes everything up, but he’s got to be given a chance.

“He just doesn’t know what he’s been doing when he’s on the petrol.

“I don’t think at heart he’s a bad man, as when he’s not on the petrol he’s very helpful and thoughtful.

“There’s no one else there for him so you stand by your own and keep hoping don’t you?”