June 2015

Notorious Essex sex offender exposed genitals to Coggeshall girl, 11

A MAN with a history of sex offences pleaded guilty to exposing himself to an 11-year-old girl in February.

Darren Reynolds, 44, of Wagtail Drive, Heybridge, appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday where he admitted two charges.

As well as exposing his genitals to the young girl in Coggeshall, who was alone at the time, Reynolds was charged with speaking to the girl while prohibited from doing so on February 11 of this year.

Following Reynold’s guilty pleas, Judge Charles Gratwicke, heard Reynolds had a “significant history” of past sexual misdemeanours, resulting in him being placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order in 2013.

Since the implementation of the order, the court heard that he has been attending a group programme to tackle his behaviour.

A report on progress made, which will be provided by the probation service, will help determine his sentence.

Reynolds was remanded in custody following his court appearance and will next appear on the week beginning Monday, June 22 for sentencing.

June 2015

Droitwich sex offender remanded after breaching lifelong ban on contact with children

A 54-YEAR-old sex offender from Droitwich has been remanded in custody after he pleaded guilty to breaching a lifelong order banning him from unsupervised access to anyone under 16.

Eric Liveley, of High Street, Droitwich, was given the ban in 2010, Worcester Crown Court heard.

He pleaded guilty to being in breach between December 1, 2014 and February 28 this year when he appeared at a plea hearing by video link from prison.

A pre-sentence report was ordered and he is due to be sentenced on June 29.

June 2015

Man sent inappropriate messages to random strangers including schoolgirl

A man who randomly text strangers – including a young girl – inappropriate messages was spurred on by loneliness, a court heard.

David Wagstaff, Norris Road, St Ives, admitted sending a sexually persuasive text on February 27 to someone said to be under 16.

The 49-year-old – who was sentenced at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court yesterday – was found out after the girl showed her father the text.

The father decided to take the matter into his own hands by replying to Wagstaff and pretending to be his daughter.

Paul Brown, prosecuting, said: “He [the father] told him he was 13-year-old and Wagstaff said he was called David, was 14-years-old and lived in the Cambridge area.”

Wagstaff sent indecent sexual messages – including “do you like dirty texts?” and “I’m horny” – to the stranger, the court heard.

The father then contacted the police who called the phone number and got through to Wagstaff.

He was arrested by police in his home and he told officers in interview that he sends texts when he “gets lonely and depressed.”

Wagstaff admitted to police that he had spoken to a couple of adults through random text messages, a court heard.

But the 49-year-old said he couldn’t remember saying he was a 14-year-old on February 27 as he’d been drinking.

The court heard how he would spend around an hour, as often as once every four days, putting in numbers and dialing and text them in the hope that they’d reply.

Mr Brown added that Wagstaff told police that he is “sexually aroused by texting young females.”

The court heard that Wagstaff was given a community order for inciting a girl under 16 in sexual activity in 2006.

Kevin Warboys, mitigating, said: “He admits to being lonely and socially isolated.

“He spends his time at home and goes about his life locally. But most of the time he is on his own.”

He added: “He candidly admitted that this was one of a number of offences.”

In relation to the texts in question, Mr Warboys described them as being written like a child.

The magistrates were asked to take into account that Wagstaff pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Lead Magistrate Harvey Harrison gave him a 12-month community order with supervision, an electronic tag and 20 days of rehabilitation activity.

June 2015

Child abuser jailed for three years

A construction worker who sexually abuse two young children has been jailed for three years by the Royal Court.

Jeremy Wayland Aubert committed the offences at two addresses on the island.

He initially denied the offences but later admitted indecently assaulting a girl and committing the same offence against a boy.

He also admitted procuring an act of gross indecency by getting the girl to touch him sexually.

Crown Advocate Stephen Baker said that the ‘extremely serious sexual offences’ amounted very serious misconduct

He said one of the victims had not told anyone until recently and found it extremely difficult to speak out.

The offences came to light when one of the victims – now an adult – gave a statement to police

The two victims both described how the abuse has had a damaging effect on their lives.

As well as being jailed Aubert was also placed on the sex offenders register for at least five years

June 2015

Man left phone containing 14,460 indecent images of children in taxi

A PASSENGER was shocked to discover a mobile phone she found in a taxi contained 15,000 indecent images of children.

Richard Clark, 35, of Grovehill, Hessle narrowly avoided jail after appearing at Hull Crown Court, where he admitted possession of 14,460 indecent images.

He claimed his “head was all over the place” following the death of his mother when he downloaded the photographs.

Clark told police the girls were 12 to 14 years old and he had downloaded them over the previous three or four months.

Clark was given a three-year community order and a three-year supervision order.

He must also attend a sex offender group programme and carry out a six-month drug rehabilitation order.

For MORE on this case click here

June 2015

Drug addict mother jailed over baby son’s death

A DRUG-addict mother whose 11-month-old baby drowned in the bath while she was buying crack cocaine has been jailed for six years.

A social worker had visited Finola Cash on multiple occasions including an unannounced visit just hours before his death and two days before social services had decided not to take him into care.

“The social workers noted no concerns about the child.”

The baby was submerged when his bath seat fell in to the water while his mother was outside their hotel bedsit in Edgware in north London meeting her dealer, reported

The baby died a month later in September 2014 in a children’s hospice after suffering brain damage.

He was also suffering from a severe nappy rash caused by neglect to change soiled nappies.

Cash pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

Doctors found the baby had crack cocaine in his blood.

Blood tests and a post-mortem showed the baby had been in contact with various drugs including cocaine and benzoethylene, indicating he had been close to his mother as she smoked crack or it had been on her fingers as he was fed.

He was also suffering from a severe nappy rash caused by neglect to change soiled nappies.

She was known to social services because of her history of drug abuse and domestic violence and had been moved in to the hotel so social services could closely supervise the family.

The court heard how Cash first came to the attention of social workers in March 2010 and in April 2014 Ricky was placed on a ‘child protection plan’ over concerns that he was at risk of neglect.

“You will have to live with the fact that you’re responsible for this little baby’s death for the rest of your life I have no doubt that will be a burden to you but responsible for Ricky’s death you are,” said judge Charles Wide.

“You were grossly negligent. This was not the result of momentary inattention, this was the culmination of the continual failure to care for him.

“You repeatedly put your own preoccupations above the interests of your child. You were more concerned with receiving your consignment of drugs than looking after your child. That afternoon you were under the influence of drugs.”

Sarah Plaschkes QC, prosecuting, said Harrow Social Services became increasingly concerned about Cash who had already been evicted from two other hotels for disruptive behaviour before she arrived at the Madonna Halley Hotel in August last year.

She said social workers made repeated attempts to engage with Cash who refused to co-operate.

Social workers suspected Cash may have been taking drugs following reports from neighbours but Cash failed to arrive for drug testing.

On the morning of August 23 a social worker made an unannounced visit to Cash and noted that she had no concerns.

Hours later Cash left Ricky alone in the bath, returning to discover his lifeless body after collecting drugs.

Later tests on her blood and hair revealed she had taken crack cocaine in the 12 hours before Ricky had drowned and had been a user of heroin and methadone for the previous nine months.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said Harrow Council has launched a review of the case. The Met said: “As is routine, a multi-agency serious case review is under way, commissioned by Harrow Local Safeguarding Board. It would be inappropriate to comment further until its publication.”

June 2015

‘Vile child sex offender has ruined my life’ – Jailed

A woman who was subjected to vile sexual abuse as a child helped to bring her attacker to justice after she spoke out more than 25 years after the horrific attacks began.

Allan Benton’s wicked crimes caused lasting damage to his victim, a court was told.

The 72-year-old, of Oban Place, Bispham, was jailed for more than 13 years after he pleaded guilty to six offences spanning a four-year period in the late 80s and early 90s.

Police today praised the victim for coming forward to help bring the “horrendous” crimes to light.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said it was years before she realised the true extent of the impact the crimes had on her life.

In a victim impact statement prepared for Preston Crown Court, she said the abuse left her suicidal and feeling like a “despicable, dirty, untrustworthy failure.”

She added: “The emotional and mental scars have and will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.

“I have spent my entire life never feeling good enough, capable or worthy of anything, including being a parent myself.

“The reality is I have spent my life very sad and feeling very alone.”

Following a lengthy police investigation, Benton pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child, one of indecent assault and two charges of gross indecency at Preston Crown Court earlier this year.

Last week, he was jailed for 13 years and six months.

Detectives, who today welcomed the sentence, say they hope the case will encourage other victims of sexual abuse to feel confident to come forward.

June 2015

Old Kilpatrick paedophile possessed thousands of child abuse images

A PAEDOPHILE from Old Kilpatrick who pleaded guilty to having thousands of child abuse images is due to return to court for sentencing.

Brian Ball, 53, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week having previously pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children at his home at Thistleneuk.

Ball was due to to be sentenced at his appearance on Tuesday, May 26, but his lawyer Gail Campbell asked for the case to be continued as he had told social workers putting together a background report that the images were not his responsibility.

Sheriff William Gallacher warned Ball that the options open to him for sanctioning his behaviour were ‘limited’ given his stance to social workers.

He said: “This is not one or two images — we are talking hundreds or thousands and his perspective ‘it’s nothing to do with me’ is very difficult.”

The sheriff adjourned sentence until June 10 for Ms Campbell to have further discussion with Ball regarding a possible plea in mitigation.

June 2015

Pervert pensioner jailed for CSA images & movies of young children

A Sutton pervert who downloaded child abuse images and videos onto his computer showing boys and girls as young as six performing vile sex acts has been jailed for six months.

Philip Leonard Poole of Cuttings Avenue, admitted to police who raided his home in December that he had been downloading the material for a period of four years up to October 2014.

Poole, 72 appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday for sentencing after pleading guilty to specimen charges of making and possessing 38 category A images, 19 category B and 22 category C images.

Judge Hamilton heard that among the disgusting files discovered on his hard drive was a 15 minute film of an 8 year old girl being sexually abused by a boy aged from 5-7.

Another video more than three hours long showed young girls performing sex acts on webcams.

He told officers he preferred images of young people without adults and preferred 14-year-old girls on their own.

The court heard that police in Suffolk traced his computer via his ip address when he downloaded the images on a file sharing program.

Poole told police had had downloaded and deleted more such files after periodically becoming disgusted with himself.

Defending, Julia King said the defendant who has no prior convictions had been open with police following his arrest.

He said he had downloaded the films but had not necessarily viewed all of them.

He had sought help from his GP and a psychologist and attended sessions to help him deal with his problem.

He now only used the Internet under supervision.

The judge described Poole as a typical paedophile. He said: “How anyone of your age could contemplate downloading such disgusting things, particularly when you are a father yourself is beyond me.

“You did not think of how these poor children suffered abused by unscrupulous people. You thought nothing of that apart from your own sexual gratification.

“It seems to me the treatment you need is to turn your computer off and control your urges.”

He sentenced Poole to six months imprisonment and banned him from contacting any person under 16 on the Internet.

He was made to sign the Sex Offenders register and had to make the full history of his Internet activity available when asked by police.

January 2014: Widdop has now been released and is living back in Colne

December 2007

Jail for sex fiend who raped girl, 11

A “PREDATORY” Colne man has been jailed for seven years for the rape of an 11-year-old girl in a lane in the town.

Justin Widdop (27), of Byron Road, admitted the charge at Burnley Crown Court. He also admitted a charge of abduction.

The attack occurred in Coal Pit Lane, on the old road between Colne and Trawden, on a night in June

Widdop had met the girl in the Derby Arms, where she was dressed in her primary school uniform.

The pair left the pub and walked through Colne centre and down Carry Lane to where the offence occurred.

The youngster’s ordeal was only stopped when a woman jogging with her dog passed the scene, realised what was happening and challenged Widdop.

Forensic evidence that implicated Widdop was recovered from the scene.

After the case, DS Steve Holgate, from Nelson CID, said: “This is a sickening incident where an 11-year-old child was led away by a predatory adult and subjected to a serious sexual assault.

“The incident is every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Incidents of this nature are very rare in this area, Special praise must be given to the lady who witnessed this incident and stepped in to prevent this child suffering any further at the hands of this dangerous sexual offender.”

Widdop, said by police to be an unemployed alcoholic, was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and banned from working with children.

June 2015

Pervert jailed for abusing two children in 1990s and 2000s

A pervert from New Addington has been jailed for abusing two children during the mid-1990s and early 2000s.

Wayne Patton, of Queen Elizabeth’s Drive, 33 was sentenced on Monday (June 8) to eight years and three months in prison and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

He was found guilty of two counts of indecency with a child, indecent assault and rape.

They were in relation to offences on one victim aged 14 years old and another aged between four and seven at the time of the offences.

Click this for MORE on this story

June 2015

Pervert avoids prison for distributing child abuse images & movies via Skype

A 60-year-old paedophile from Great Dunmow who was caught with indecent images of children was spared jail on Wednesday (June 10).

Lorry driver William Bowrah, formerly of Edmunds Lane and now of Windmill Close, both in Dunmow, had 191 images and 15 movies on his laptop and mobile.

He had been using Skype and sharing with other paedophiles for two years.

Explaining why she was not sending him to prison, Judge Patricia Lynch QC told Bowrah as she passed sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court: “Be very certain, I’m doing you no favours.

“I am following this course because I think rehabilitation is the appropriate course. You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. Your conduct has been reprehensible.”

Bowrah pleaded guilty to two offences of downloading images and one of distribution.

He was given a three-year community order with a condition that he attends a sex offender group work programme and a 40-day rehabilitation course.

He was also placed on a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

He had served the equivalent of a 12-month sentence in custody while waiting for Wednesday’s hearing.

Police found images on a laptop and a mobile phone in his delivery vehicle after searching his house in Edmunds Lane on March 12.

Nnele Akudolo, prosecuting, said there were 189 images on the laptop, including some duplicates, with 42 at levels A and B and 105 at level C, two on the mobile and 15 movies “distributed between him and other users.”

Describing one of the images, counsel said: “A child depicted was intoxicated or drugged, being asleep while penetrated and appearing to show no reaction. He had also been having Skype contact.”

Virginia Ironside, mitigating, said: “He now has an address which would make him suitable for rehabilitation. The conversations on Skype were fantasy chat.”

Judge Lynch told Bowrah: “As far as these offences are concerned, what makes it so serious is the nature of these images. These offences have so many victims and these victims are innocent children.

“The difficulty when you look at them on the computer screens is persuading yourself they’re not real children.

“A three-month-old baby being penetrated by a male is shocking and dreadful. Imagine it was your son at three months.”

However, she added: “Regrettably, yours is not the worst case and the guidance allows me to look at a community order.”

June 2015

Serial offender caught with indecent images of children for FOURTH time

An “obsessed” sex offender secretly downloaded almost 20,000 images of child abuse – while already on a police register.

Repeat offender Niall Kemble, 24, accessed the internet through someone else’s unlocked account to view 500 movies of children as young as three being raped, abused and posed for pictures.

On Wednesday he was given a four-year extended sentence for the protection of the public.

Kemble was caught – for what was the FOURTH time – because police were keeping an eye on him and his whereabouts, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor David Pugh said they found so many movies and still images on his computer that investigators would never be able to get through them all.

Samples viewed by specialist officers showed hundreds of stills, many in the most serious category A of sexual activity between adults and children and films of up to 10 minutes long of boys and girls being attacked.

Police went to a house at Pensylvannia, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, where Kemble was recently living, because he had failed to sign on to the Sex Offenders’ Register as he is required to do annually, since being prosecuted for three previous downloading incidents.

The court heard there was no evidence he was passing on the pictures to anyone else or had ever touched a child but the “sheer quantity” of what he was viewing was “disturbing” and was alarming police officers.

In 2009, when still a teenager, he was put on supervision for 14 charges of possessing indecent images, two years later was sent to a Young Offenders’ Institution for an almost identical offence and in May 2013 was jailed for 20 offences of downloading.

“It seems to be an obsession”, Mr Pugh said.

“The police want to prevent him from acting out those obsessions.”

Vaughan Britton, defending, said Kemble handed himself in to a police station in April this year, some weeks after he was visited and his computer seized but before it had been examined and charges brought.

“It is an extremely disturbing and serious case”, the lawyer acknowledged.

“But he wants to break the pattern and will work with any of the (treatment) agencies available in prison.”

Mr Britton added: “He does it when he’s at a low ebb – it’s a solitary thing.”

Jailing him for two years, Judge Thomas Crowther QC also ordered his name should now be on the register indefinitely.

Restrictions were also imposed again on his future use of the internet.

The judge told him: “You were tracked down as a result of police monitoring you.

“You say you have no sexual attraction to children but this is the classic denial.

“Real children are being used to satisfy this (online) demand.

“An extended sentence will help to protect the public.”

Kemble admitted three charges of possession which reflected 20,000 stills and 500 movies.

He will serve a two-year custodial term with a further two years on extended licence.

November 2009

Cardiff teenager given community sentence for downloading indecent images of children

A teenager has avoided a prison sentence after vile images of children as young as four were found on his computer.

Niall Kemble, from Fields Park Road, Pontcanna, Cardiff, downloaded dozens of images and videos of children from the internet.

Judge Stephen Hopkins QC said they were “enough in some cases to turn any right-thinking person’s stomach”.

Kemble pleaded guilty to 10 counts of downloading indecent images of children and four counts of possessing such images.

The 18-year-old was given a three-year community order at Cardiff Crown Court.

The court heard the images, which included 88 static pictures and 30 films, were discovered when the defendant was on holiday. A family friend used the computer and reported what he found to the police.

Twenty-one of the films and 13 of the pictures were at level four in terms of seriousness. Level five is the most serious.

Judge Hopkins said the images included children aged “four or five” performing sexual acts with adults. He added: “What you find sexually arousing any right-minded person would think is revolting, as I did.”

The court heard that Kemble did not admit the charges in his first interview.

Judge Hopkins said the sentence he imposed was a result of the limited amount of images and the fact that Kemble would not receive any community rehabilitation orders if he were placed in custody.

He said: “Eight months would be the appropriate term and it would mean you would serve four months and then be released without assistance for the problems you have.

“The better course of action is a sentence that assists you and, in the long term, assists society. If you do this again, you will be sentenced to a term of eight months.”

Kemble was given a three-year community order with two supervision requirements, including an intensive sex offenders’ treatment programme. He was also put on the sex offenders’ register.

June 2015

Man, 25 admits series of sex offences against child

25-year-old David Saville pleaded guilty to causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted two charges of making indecent photographs of a child.

But Saville denied two offences of sexual assault of a child under 13.

He also pleaded not guilty to doing an act intending to pervert the course of public justice and another charge of making indecent photographs of a child.

Saville will now go on trial at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on November 9.

The defendant, of Spragg House Lane, Norton, had his bail extended.

June 2012

Charity cheat David Saville took money donated to Kidsgrove child Ruby Owen

CHARITY cheat David Saville pocketed hundreds of pounds pledged by well-wishers after pretending he was taking part in a sponsored bike ride for a young cancer patient.

Saville swindled £237 from dozens of victims who thought they were donating cash for Ruby Owen.

The 22-year-old used official sponsorship forms to claim he was joining a sponsored bike ride from Blackpool to Stoke-on-Trent, organised by the Caudwell Children charity.

The proceeds, he told around 50 people, would go to help five-year-old Ruby, of Kidsgrove, who recently returned from the U.S. where she received treatment for a brain tumour.

Saville also told people he was raising funds for Help for Heroes.

But the unemployed cheat was arrested after two of his victims became suspicious.

Officers raided his home in Spragg House Lane, Norton, and found a list of people who had handed over cash. Now Saville has been condemned by a judge, who called his crimes ‘despicable.’

District judge David Taylor, at North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court, told him: “Right-thinking members of the public would consider your behaviour disgraceful.

“The sums of money are not small nor vast, but it is the harm done to people’s feelings. People trusted you and held you in good faith.”

Saville pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by false representation.

Prosecutor Don Knapper said the donations were collected between April 2010 and December last year.

Saville was arrested after a barber in Stockton Brook and a man who recognised Saville from their schooldays became suspicious.

Mr Knapper said: “The defendant gave a statement amounting to a full confession. He said that he had been suffering depression and was taking medication. It was brought on by him being unable to find employment.”

Rachel Mason, mitigating, said Saville was ‘a very troubled young man’. She said he had been rejected by his parents and raised by his grandfather, who served in the Army, but problems at home led to his grandmother attempting to kick him out.

Miss Mason added that Saville’s grandfather had been saving to buy his grandson driving lessons, but will instead use the cash to reimburse the two charities.

Saville was given a two-year community order with supervision, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to repay £237, which is to be split between Caudwell Children and Help for Heroes.

August 2013

Police officer convicted of sending girl indecent image quits

VIA BBC news

Photo via the SUN newspaper

A police officer who sent a naked photograph of himself to a schoolgirl has resigned.

Anthony Fellows, of the West Midlands force, was given a two-year suspended sentence at Birmingham Crown Court.

The 26-year-old, from Sanderling Close in Featherstone, Staffordshire, admitted the improper use of the electronic communications network.

A charge of attempting to force a child between the age of 13 and 15 to look at an obscene image was dropped.

Fellows had been a constable with the force for four years.

He was suspended when the allegations were made in October and November last year.

The force confirmed on Tuesday that Fellows resigned two months ago.

At the hearing earlier this month, the court also ordered him to pay £135 costs.

June 2015

Ex nurse had child abuse images at his home in Leeds

A FORMER nurse ordered DVDs containing vile images of children being sexually abused to be delivered to his home in Leeds, a court heard.

Benjamin Altman, 50, was arrested at his home in Moortown after West Yorkshire Police received a tip-off from officers in Canada

Altman had purchased DVDs and ordered them to be delivered to his property after giving his name, home and e-mail address.

Bashir Ahmed, prosecuting, said records showed Altman had ordered DVDs between 2006 and 2011.

Police carried out a search warrant at the property on October 8 last year.

Computers and equipment were seized and found to contain 178 illegal images. Three of the images were at category A, the most serious level of offending.

The court heard Altman had worked as a nurse but had lost his job by the time he was arrested. He is now a mature student studying at university.

Altman, of Queenshill Drive, Moortown, pleaded guilty to six offences of making indecent images of children.

The court heard Altman was ashamed of what he had done, had admitted the offences at an early stage and was willing to receive treatment to address his offending.

Altman was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to take part in a programme designed to address his offending.

Altman must also go on the sex offenders register for five years.

Recorder Christopher Ekins said: “When these images were found on your computer it left you with little alternative but to plead guilty.”

July 2011

Pervert sent indecent images to police officer who was posing as child

A PERVERT was snared sending indecent pictures to an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl, a court heard.

Christopher McSorley, 37, of Cardross Court, Dennistoun, Glasgow, pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

June 2015

Newcastle sex offender snared by internet paedophile hunters Dark Justice

A man from Newcastle who thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl but had really been ensnared by internet paedophile hunters has been jailed for two years.

Colin Patterson, 51, is the latest person to be jailed following the undercover work of group Dark Justice.

During conversations on the internet, the sex offender asked for sexual intercourse, sent pictures of himself naked and arranged a meeting.

Tim Gittins, prosecuting, said the vigilante group had set up a profile on the website Badoo as a girl named Tasha.

“They were careful that contact was initiated by the defendant and he contacted the profile in January,” he said.

“It was made clear to him immediately that he was conversing with a 14-year-old and asked if that was acceptable to him.

“The defendant’s conversations moved quickly towards sexual matters and asking to meet her.

“He asked her about her experiences, including how he would like to teach her in relation to sexual matters, and was asking for oral sex and sexual intercourse.”

Mr Gittins said Patterson went on to send two pictures of his genitalia which was part of the 120 pages of conversation between them.

Newcastle Crown Court was told he soon moved the conversation onto the idea of meeting up, an idea he persisted with, just seven days after the first contact was made.

The meeting was arranged for the Centre for Life, in Newcastle, and when Dark Justice arrived they stopped a passing policeman who arrested Patterson.

“In police interview he accepted he was responsible for the conversations and he said he had arranged to meet her but it was just a bit of fun,” said Mr Gittins.

“He claimed he would have sat her down in a cafe and said do you know how stupid you are doing this.”

Sentencing him to two years in jail for attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming, Judge Penny Moreland also placed him on the sex offenders register for 10 years and made a sexual harm prevention order, lasting for 10 years.

Shaun Routledge, defending, said: “He does not seek to blame anybody but himself and there are clear indications of remorse.”

He said he had not used a mobile phone since and had no intention of using one in the future.

He said he had previously been a man of good character and had worked hard on the shipyards in Newcastle and in London.

Speaking after the verdict, Dark Justice welcomed the sentence and said their work had now resulted in 18 arrests.

One member, calling himself Scott, said: “This proves what we do works, the Government should take note of our work.

“We are an organisation for change, we are not about beating people up or being hostile.

“Everyone we have brought to court has gone to jail and we have about 50 ongoing cases.

“We have only been running since October as a two-man team and this is what we have achieved.

“The Government could catch a lot more people if they funded this kind of work and we don’t accept that enough is being done.”

June 2015

Pervert convicted of abusing two young girls whilst in foster care

A pervert has been convicted of abusing two under-age girls while they were in foster care.

Kevin Gillan had access to the youngsters – one of them aged just nine at the time – because he was staying in the house where they were placed for emergency respite care

The younger girl claimed Gillan groped her when she was alone in the living room with him.

The older girl, 19, who was 14 at the time of the offence, gave evidence that he touched and handled her breasts over her clothing and smacked her on the bottom after entering her bedroom.

Neither of the victims can be named for legal reasons.

Sheriff Susan Craig ordered that Gillan’s name be placed on the sex offenders’ register with immediate effect and called for background reports before sentencing.

Gillan, 24, of Katherine Street, Livingston had denied committing a total of four sexual offences against two girls between May 12, 2010 and June 25, 2013.

He was convicted of using lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards a nine-year old in 2010 and sexually assaulting the 14-year-old in 2013.

During his trial at Livingston Sheriff Court he was cleared of making sexually indecent remarks and a further charge of sexual assault.

The court was told he has no previous convictions. He will be sentenced on July 30.

June 2015

Pervert jailed after committing sex abuse on three children over several years

A Thanet man has been given a 12-year extended sentence for a string of child sex offences going back many years.

Mark Lloyd, 47 sat passively in the dock as one of his victims watched from the public gallery at Canterbury Crown Court just a few feet away.

Lloyd, of Victoria Road, Westgate On Sea had been found guilty of nine child sex offences after a trial at Canterbury Crown Court last month.

The court also heard that when police raided his home they discovered he was growing 72 cannabis plants in three rooms.

The pervert pleaded guilty to cultivating the drug but denied the sex offences.

He was given a 12-year extended sentence – made up of a nine-year jail term and an extra three years on licence.

Judge Heather Norton told him he won’t be eligible for parole until 2021 – and will have to serve up to six years on licence when released.

The judge told him that he posed a significant risk of committing future sex offences against children and the public needed protecting.

Judge Norton said his victims “are suffering and will continue to suffer from some years to come.”

She added: “You have shown no pity or remorse, no insight whatsoever for your offences.

The offences relate to three young victims and took place more than 10 years ago.

Lloyd declined to comment when officers interviewed him about the abuse which took place after he had been drinking and also failed to take to the stand in court at his trial.

For more on this story click this link