May 2016

Berkhamsted Man Had “Tens Of Thousands” Of Child Abuse Images

A man from Berkhamstead has been jailed after police found thousands of child sex abuse images on his computer.

63 year old Stephen Byfield from Haynes Mead had tens of thousands of images of children – some as young as six or seven, he’d also been distributing them.

He’s been jailed for five and a half years after being caught by police, despite installing software which was supposed to hide both the images and his internet history.

Jailing the 63 year old at St Albans crown court, Judge Jonathan Carroll told him:

“Let’s make it absolutely clear, these offences are not victimless. These are real children who are bing sexually abused”

The court was told some of the “repulsive” images were of the very worst kind.

In the main, the material featured children as young as six or seven up to the ages of 14 or 15 being abused.

After hs arrest it was found that Byfield didn’t just possess the sickening images, a search of his computer revealed he had been distributing the material by email to other perverts.

The court was told Byfield of Haynes Mead in Berkhamsted had three previous convictions stemming from his interest in downloading child sex abuse images.

As a result he was subject to home visits by the police to check on his computer use.

It was as a result of visits to his home by officers monitoring his computer activity, that it was discovered that he had not only been viewing more of the depraved images he’d found on the Internet, but that he had also taken steps to hide from the officers his computer’s search history.

Judge  Carroll was told that Byfield had deliberately not opened his door to the police when they called, switching his computer off in a hurry in an attempt to hide what he’d been up to.

The court heard how early this year when his computer equipment was seized by the police and taken away for a forensic examination, it was discovered he had been using sick search terms to locate the images.

Police discovered he had amassed a staggering collection of depraved images running into tens of thousands.

He had also attempted to cover his tracks by installing special software.

Judge Carroll hearing the case as it was outlined by the prosecution commented that Byfield had created a “virtual computer” within a computer to hide his activities and had taken steps to hide the history of his internet search activities with sophisticated software.

“You had taken positive steps to minimise the chances of you being caught,”

Byfield appeared in court to be sentenced for three offences of possessing indecent photographs of children, a charge of possessing a prohibited image, distributing images and two breaches of the terms of a sexual offences prevention order.

He was jailed for a total of five and a half years and was told all the computer equipment seized by police would be forfeited and destroyed.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

May 2016

Bourne man fled to France after confessing to sexual activity with girl (13)

A sex offender who confessed to having sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl and then fled to France was yesterday jailed for four-and-a-half years at Lincoln Crown Court.

Ian Proud was described as being “in turmoil” after telling his wife what he had done.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, said that Proud’s wife told him to leave their home in Bourne after he made his confession.

Proud then disappeared and was reported to police as a missing person.

But later he rang his wife from France, coincidentally while a police officer was speaking to her about her missing husband.

Mr Scott told the court that the phone was handed to the officer who persuaded Proud to return to the UK.

Proud was subsequently arrested as soon as he arrived at Dover on the ferry from Calais.

He repeated his confession to police and it was only afterwards that officers spoke to the victim, who then confirmed what had happened.

Proud (40), of Daisy Court, Bourne, admitted three charges of sexual activity with a child and a further charge of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The offences occurred between January 31 and April 1 this year.

As well as being jailed, he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Judge John Pini QC, passing sentence, told him: “You were the adult and you were 40. She was 13. You knew full well you should not have been doing this.”

Mark Watson, defending, said that Proud had lost his home and his marriage as a result of what happened.

He told the court: “Going to France was not to avoid capture by the police. It was because he was in turmoil.

“He was only very briefly in France. While he was there the officer was at their home speaking to his wife. She handed the phone to the officer and the officer persuaded him to come back.”

May 2016

A PENSIONER has been jailed for sex offences committed in Portsmouth more than 30 years ago.

Londoner David Smith was sent to prison at Portsmouth Crown Court for offences involving a teenage boy in the Cosham area in 1980 and 1981.

Smith, of Hermitage Walk, Walthamstow, was sentenced to two years in prison and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

He pleaded guilty to one count of gross indecency with a child under 14 and five counts of indecent assault.

May 2016

Solicitor struck off for indecent images offences

A solicitor has been struck off the roll of solicitors after being convicted of two offences involving the use of indecent images of children.

John Urquhart, 68 of Kirkcaldy, who had retired from practice but remained on the roll, was found guilty of professional misconduct by the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal after being convicted on indictment of two offences under s 52 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

These involved the downloading from the internet of 75 images over a three year period to 2013, and sharing several of them with other people.

He was given a community payback order and placed on the sex offenders register after pleading guilty to making and distributing indecent images of children.

He was also made subject to the notification requirements for sex offenders for a three year period. 

In its decision the tribunal said that if the public were to have trust in the profession, it had to observe a high standard of conduct, and this requirement of integrity applied equally to a solicitor’s private life as it did to his professional conduct.

This type of offending behaviour was considered by society to be serious and abhorrent, and the tribunal had no hesitation in unanimously finding the respondent guilty of professional misconduct.

May 2016

Paedophile given one last chance and forced to complete rehabilitation programme

Police found 180 indecent stills and movies of children when they seized two laptops from a Watford man.

Vincent West, 27, made an immediate confession to the officers when they arrived at his home Gaddesden Crescent on August 17 last year.

Prosecutor Edward Renvoize told St Albans Crown Court today there were 150 stills and 30 movies.

Some 133 were at level c, the least serious grade, the others were at level a and b, the more serious grades.

West, now living in Bedford, appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to two charges of making (downloading) and one of possessing indecent images of children before magistrates.

The court heard West’s sense of shame had prevented him “opening up” to probation officers about his crime.

Judge John Plumstead made a three year community order with conditions that West is supervised for three years, attends an internet sex offender programme and attends a 40 day rehabilitation programme.

He told him: “If you behave like this again, there will be no question of rehabilitation. You will be locked up.”

West must also pay £340 prosecution costs, abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order and register as a sex offender for five years.

May 2016

Nail technician jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage customers

A sexual predator has been locked up for four years and six months today after he sexually assaulted two young customers in his nail salon.

Today, one of his victims, an 18-year-old student who cannot be named for legal reasons, was in court to see him jailed after he subjected her to an hour-long sex assault in the basement of his shop.

The teenager told how Minh Chi Lam, 58, tricked her into coming to his nail salon after opening hours, exposed himself to her and sexually assaulted her twice.

The victim said she was too terrified to escape from Lam who became aggressive towards her, and only allowed her to leave when she promised to return the next day.

She said she had visited the salon in Hackney for the past two years ahead of special occasions.

Lam had passed her his number so that she could book an appointment over the telephone, and he convinced her to come in at 7.30pm on March 11 so that he could get her alone in the shop.

She said: “I normally got my nails done there and the line was quite long, and [Lam] had told me to take his number so that when I wanted to get my nails done I wouldn’t have to wait.”

The victim said she arrived at the nail bar she had previously visited only to find it had closed down and moved to another location nearby – the reason for the move was that Lam had been arrested over a sex offence at the original premises.

Lam, a British citizen originally from Vietnam, was on court bail after he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old woman at Supreme Boutique, Amhurst Road, on July 6, 2015. 

The victim went to the new salon, which did not have a name but was situated at 221 Mare Street, Hackney, just five minutes away.

“When I got there he was outside smoking and told me to come back later. I went to the library to do some schoolwork and when I came back later and went downstairs there was no one there, just me and him,” she said.

”I asked where the other ladies were that do hair there and he said they’d gone home or gone to a party.”

She said that at first she had a normal conversation with Lam, of Myrtle Street, Hackney, in which he asked her about her school work.

She said Lam then asked her to move closer to him, telling her he needed to work on her nail.

However, she said she began to feel uncomfortable when he started to talk about sex and asked her about her sex life.

“He was telling me about things he’d done with other girls,” she said.

“He said they often did sexual things with him so they didn’t have to pay to get their nails done.”

He also questioned why the victim always visited the salon in baggy clothes, saying “I’d just like to see your body.”

The victim said she began to feel unhappy with the situation and moved further away from Lam. 

However, she said he then became very aggressive before sexually assaulting her.

The predator then told her “I like young girls, especially ones around your age.”

The victim said she asked Lam to stop, and got up to leave, but when she went to a sink to wash her hands he assaulted her again.

“I wanted to leave the basement, but I was really scared,” she said. “He carried on doing my nails but it was really awkward.”

The victim said Lam then exposed himself and propositioned her.

The teenager finally managed to escape the salon at about 9pm, only by promising Lam she would come back tomorrow.

She then rang her boyfriend in tears, who told her to call the police.

“I was very shocked,” she said. “It’s not like I didn’t know him, I’d been coming there for my nails and I never thought he would be the guy that would do that to me.

“During that time I wasn’t really turning up to college, to lessons. My schoolwork had reduced and I had to retake work I missed.

“I found it really difficult to sleep at night, I would get flashbacks, hear noises. [During the attack] he was laughing and I would hear it over and over again.

“I don’t live far [from the salon] and I could feel his presence around. My relationship went a bit rocky, I found it hard to go out and just live a normal life.

“My confidence went so low, I hated myself, I felt like I could have done a lot more to stop him. I was keeping myself to myself, staying at home, avoiding contact with even my mum. I just basically hibernated.

“Just now have I been able to come out and get back to the way I was before.”

The teen said she has had her nails done again once since, saying: “I’m the type of person who likes to go out, get my hair and makeup done.

“I struggled, I felt like from the outside people could read what was going on in my life, I felt quite paranoid.

“I got my nails done once again but the experience felt really uncomfortable and I don’t think I would again.”

Today the victim said she was relieved to see Lam admit to his sickening crimes in court, as she feared she would not be believed.

“It was a bit surreal; it was a bit of a relief as well. Before I didn’t think it was quite real, until I got into the sentencing.

“As a young woman I see things happening on the news when a woman does come to the police and say things like this had happened and things don’t really get solved.

“When he did plead guilty it made me feel I did tell the truth, they did believe what I was saying.”

Lam was sentenced today at Wood Green Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault.

The sentence handed down today encompasses both incidents.

May 2016

A private tutor who indecently assaulted an eight-year-old girl in her Black Country home during a maths lesson has been jailed for a year.

John Cattell molested the child as he sat beside her at a table in the kitchen while her parents were in a different room of the house.

The shocked girl told her horrified mother and father what had happened and police were called in to investigate.

Cattell had been privately tutoring the youngster – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – in maths and English for 15 months before committing the offence on December 7, 2014.

He pleaded not guilty but was convicted after a trial and then remanded on bail until yesterday for sentence.

The mother of his victim said in a statement: “We just wanted the best for our children. We trusted this man, believing he understood the boundaries of the job.

“Now we are paranoid. Who do we trust? How do we protect our children without being overbearing? How can you let your children out of your sight without worrying if a person like this can sexually assault a child in her own home?

“No-one should be allowed to prey on children. He should never be allowed to have any contact with a child again. The emotional impact of his actions will be felt for years to come but he has expressed no remorse.”

Cattell, from Willenhall Road, Eastfield, Wolverhampton, was sent to prison by Judge Kristina Montgomery QC, who told him: “This was a gross violation of her body and a substantial breach of trust.

“Her parents were ambitious for her and wanted her to excel educationally. Now they have feelings of paranoia as a result of what you did to their daughter. They suspect anybody who comes into the lives of their children.”

“You continue to deny any wrongdoing. There is no remorse. You are arrogant and deceitful and think you can act as you wish on your sexual desires.”

Cattell was put on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order banning any contact with children under 16 without prior permission for five years.

He will also be reported to the Disclosure and Banning Services that prevent unsuitable people working with vulnerable groups, including children.

May 2016

Two men sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for sex offences

Stephen Lee and David Bevan

Two men involved in an child sex abuse case in Gloucester have been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.

Stephen Lee, 58, of Sandyleaze in Longlevens and David Bevan, 67, of Coney Hill Road, Gloucester, were convicted of sexual offences against young children between the 1970s and 1990s following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

Lee was given an 8-year term while Bevan was sentenced to four years 9 months.

They will now be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Lee was convicted of indecent assault and indecency with a child between. He abused his position of trust and indecently touched a child under 16.

He was also convicted of indecent assault and indecency with a different child under the age of 16 who he committed acts of gross indecency against.

David Bevan was convicted of indecent assault on a boy under 16. This involved him abusing his position of trust and indecently touching the boy on a regular basis. He was also convicted of indecent assault against another boy under 16.

Both men had pleaded not guilty to their crimes and made the victims endure giving evidence in front of a jury. They were both found guilty by the jury on Tuesday, April 26 and sentencing was adjourned for full medical reports.

His Honour Judge Longman, who passed sentence, said that the defendants’ refusal to admit their guilt and therefore take the case to trial had “caused additional trauma” to the victims and “demonstrated a lack of remorse”.

He added that as a result of their offending the victims’ suffering would be “profound and long lasting”.

May 2016

Man who repeatedly raped 11-year-old girl jailed for 18-years

A scaffolder who used an 11-year-old girl as his “sexual plaything” has been jailed for 18 years.

Darren Pitcher, 49, of Farthingale Court, Waltham Abbey, raped the girl, now 22, five times in three years and threatened to kill her while she slept if she did not comply with his demands.

Judge Peter Griffiths QC convicted pervert Pitcher of rape and sexual assault at Chelmsford Crown Court and slapped him with the lengthy jail term.

He said: “She sets out the devastating effect of the abuse you perpetrated on her and the effect on her young life. She has been through overdoses, hospitalisation, depression.

 “What you did, which was unforgiveable, is that you treated her as your sexual plaything, to do as you wanted with her.”

The court heard that his victim consistently told individuals – a friend, a nurse and former boyfriend in 2005, 2009 and 2011 – that she had been abused and identified her attacker as Pitcher.

She had made two suicide attempts.

Pitcher pleaded not guilty four charges of rape, one of inciting a child into sexual activity, two of assault by penetration and two of sexual assault.

But on the second day of his trial changed his plea to guilty to a tenth offence of sexual activity with a child telling police she gyrated on his lap and touched his private parts.

The offences happened at a different address in Waltham Abbey between 2004 and 2008.

The jury of seven women and five men heard that he told officers at his door: “I ain’t got nothing to do with this. She come on to me and I have not done anything. I am sick of people coming to my house and accusing me of rape.”

He was unanimously convicted, apart from on two charges. The jury returned 11-1 guilty verdicts on rape over the age of 13 and on assault by penetration over 13.

Pitcher, who was arrested in December 2014, had earlier pleaded guilty to possessing an extreme pornographic image involving a person having intercourse with a dog.

He was also ordered to sign the sexual offenders’ register for life and will not be able to spend time with underage girls unsupervised.

May 2016

Pervert jailed for four years after abusing little girl

A Wirral man who sexually abused a little girl was jailed for four years today.

Damien Brown denied allegations that he abused the child when she was just four years old but was convicted by a jury after a trial on sexual assault charges.

Jailing him Judge Alan Conrad, QC, said that it was a serious case and the victim has been affected in a number of different ways. He added: “No one can say what the long term affects will be.”

He pointed out that 30-year-old Brown had shown no remorse and had claimed that the child’s mum had put her up to making the allegation.

Brown, of New Chester Road, Rock Ferry , was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was imposed for five years.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the child told her mum how Brown had pulled down her clothing and sexually abused her.

The police were informed and he was arrested. When the victim’s clothing was forensically examined bodily fluids were found, said Robert Dudley, prosecuting.

The child’s mum told the court that the girl was “still bright and breezy” but there have been some behavioural problems and confusion in her mind.

Paul Treble, defending, said that Brown, who has previous convictions but not for sexual offences, maintains he is not guilty.

Mr Treble said it had been a one-off offence after Brown, who suffers from depression, had been drinking.

He added that Brown was in the Territorial Army but had to leave because of his depression. He said he is now acquiring engineering qualifications and will probably move back to his family in Shropshire after his release.

May 2016

Lancashire pervert avoids jail

A MAN who downloaded thousands of images of children possessed pictures of victims as young as four years old, a court heard.

When police raided the Huncoat home of Stephen Ives, 43, they found hard drives containing thousands of images of children.

And when studying his search history they found various searches for “pre-teens”.

Ives, of Higher Gate Road, admitted to three counts of making indecent photographs of children between December 27, 2002, and May 21, 2015.

Of those 19 images were of the most serious category and showed sex with children, 31 were at the second most serious level and 4,429 showed children in sexual poses.

He also admitted a charge of possessing 4,429 indecent images of children.

Among the pictures was one of images found was a girl aged four.

Roger Baldwin, prosecuting, said police visited Ives’ home in May last year and seized a computer, 15 hard drives, five CD drives, 570 CDs, a Kindle, a Toshiba laptop and two mobile phones.

Mr Baldwin said: “The items were examined. The defendant was called in for interview in November 27 and he made no comment to any questions that were asked.”

He said it was impossible to say how long Ives had been offending.

Judge Beverly Lunt adjourned the case temporarily to alter the recommendations of a pre-sentence report that said Ives was not attracted to children and had no scope for an appropriate treatment order.

Judge Lunt said: “He was clearly looking for children of a certain age. To say that he is not attracted to children is just not true.”

Ives was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, ordered to attend an internet sex offenders programme, complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement, comply with a five-year sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

May 2016

Keighley pervert caught filming up females’s skirt’s

A VOYEUR has been jailed after he installed a camera at work to watch female colleagues using the toilet, following years of secretly filming up the skirts of hundreds of women in public for his own sexual gratification.

Roger William Marsh, 65, was described as manipulative and predatory by a judge.

Police also found 9,547 indecent images of children on his computer

The pervert’s bizarre activities came to light after he was caught using a camera strapped with Velcro to his shoe in the Ikea store at Birstall on November 29 last year.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court a man shopping with his wife noticed Marsh acting oddly because of the strange position he was standing near to her and when he saw something flash on his shoe he bent down and spotted the camera.

He grabbed hold of it and challenged Marsh saying: “What the hell is this?”

Marsh denied any wrongdoing saying “It’s not what you think” but he was found to have been filming up her skirt.

She was distressed when she realised what he had been doing and the police were called.

Marsh’s details were taken and later that day his home, then in Halifax, was searched and computers and hard drives were seized.

He also had two screens in his bedroom showing footage of a woman using the toilet. Marsh was interviewed and not only admitted filming up the shopper’s skirt in Ikea but doing the same to other women.

“He said he had been doing this act for ten years.”

Mr Nassiri said Marsh admitted going to public places where he could film women either using a camera in a shopping bag or attached to his shoe.

He also then admitted for the previous 18 months he had been secretly filming some women staff at work in Brighouse at a firm where he had been employed for 35 years.

He said he would set up the camera to record 35 to 40 minutes prior to staff leaving the workplace for the day because that was the busiest time for using the toilets. The footage was then downloaded later at home for his own enjoyment.

At that time he named four women but at a later interview after the computer and hard drives had been examined he accepted filming three more.

Mr Nassiri said police found 709,376 images and videos of which only a sample was reviewed. He said 1653 live files of a voyeuristic nature were recovered including some footage of a neighbour taken into her home through a window.

They also recovered 9,547 indecent images of children which had been downloaded between December 2011 and February 2012 the last time they had been accessed. Marsh told officers he had not looked at them since out of guilt.

James Gelsthorpe, representing Marsh, now of Park Lane Bottom, Cowling, near Keighley, said it was “a deeply troubling case.”

May 2016

Halesowen pervert jailed after being caught with 3,600 indecent images of kids

A PERVERTED Halesowen man caught with over 3,600 sickening indecent photographs and films of children as young as two has been locked up for 20 months.

Recorder Abigail Nixon told James Lisle, aged 30, he had committed a string of “abhorrent” offences because he had watched the pain and distress clearly suffered by the young victims.

She said it was clear Lisle had “perverted desires” and stressed he had made no effort since his arrest to address his problems.

The recorder said he had been extremely candid regarding his “addiction to pornographic material” and it was accepted he needed help and support to deal with the issue.

She told Wolverhampton Crown Court: “These are very serious offences indeed because they involve very young children.”

It was evident a large number of the photographs and films were in the worst possible category.

Lisle, Hamilton Avenue, admitted six charges of making indecent images of children and another of possessing extreme pornography Mark Phillips prosecuting said police officers went to his home and seized computer equipment which was found to have a total of 3,624 hidden images.

In the worst category the officers recovered 531 indecent photographs together with 383 films and they showed children aged two and three being sexually abused.

There were also a total of 761 photographs and films in the second category with a total of 1,949 photographs and films in the next category, said Mr Phillips who stressed there was no suggestion there had been any distribution.

Simon Hanns, defending, said Lisle was a man of previous good character had “tried to put behind him this rather unpleasant part of his life” with the support of his partner who was expecting their first child.

He said: “Lisle had expressed shame and remorse for his actions while accepting he needed assistance to resolve the problem.”

Lisle was further made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice and told he must register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.

May 2016

Indecent image pervert’s u-turn

A judge said “better late than never” after a man entered eleventh-hour guilty pleas to having indecent photos of children.

Terence Arthur Stroud, 59, finally admitted possession of child abuse images – after the judge indicated he would not go to jail for his crimes.

He had 4,832 illegal images of children on his computer equipment, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Yet until today, he denied wrongdoing in the face of “overwhelming” evidence.

He was to stand trial accused of having the pictures on a computer and a hard drive between 2010 and 2013.

Some of the photos were found at an address in Ayresome, Middlesbrough, the others from a home outside Teesside.

As the potential trial was about to start, Judge Sean Morris asked: “What on earth is his defence?”

Stroud claimed other people must have used his computer between 2008 and 2013, said his barrister Nigel Soppitt.

He added Stroud made assertions in a “convoluted statement” which were not borne out.

An expert said Stroud’s explanations were not correct, yet the defendant still maintained his innocence.

This changed after Judge Morris told him: “I’ve been doing this job for eight years. I’ve been at the Bar for 25 years.

“I know the sight of a man that’s sometimes his worst enemy.

“It may well be you really are your own worst enemy.

“I know these are unpleasant offences but you really ought to consider the evidence against you, and the evidence you haven’t got.

“I’m going to give you another few minutes to have some words with your counsel.

“If at the end of that you insist on a trial, that’s your right. You should think long and hard about it.”

After discussions behind the scenes, Mr Soppitt asked the judge for an indication of the maximum sentence Stroud would receive if he pleaded guilty.

Judge Morris said: “The most important thing I always think in cases of this nature is recognition of what’s happened and what is done.

“That matters. Usually it means you can work with people like that.

“People who are in denial and just brazen it out are the people that worry judges.

“For relatively low-level offending of this nature, which this is, if it’s admitted and there’s contrition, very often a very long community order, a three-year community order, could be on the cards.”

He said Stroud might receive a suspended prison sentence with measures attached to protect the public.

After further discussions, Stroud pleaded guilty to two charges of making indecent photographs of children – his first conviction.

He had the pictures – including 894 at the most serious level in law – on an external hard drive and a laptop recovered from his home and a temporary address on February 21, 2013.

Judge Morris bailed Stroud, of Clarendon Road, Ashford, Middlesex, until sentencing on June 17.

He told the defendant, who is now on the sex offenders’ register: “A little late, but better late than never.

“And believe me, you’ve done the right thing.

“The evidence in this case is quite frankly overwhelming.”

He urged Stroud to cooperate in the preparation of a pre-sentence report, saying: “If I see any whingeing or back-tracking in that report, all bets are off.

“You get my drift. You may go.”

May 2016

Man sentenced for making indecent images of children

A man from Kendal has been sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court for making and possessing indecent images of children.

Brian Beagan, 46, of Langdale Crescent, received an eight month sentence suspended for two years for three counts of making indecent images and one count of possession of indecent images.

Even Beagan’s own barrister described his criminal conduct as “disgraceful” and “reprehensible” 

He has also been placed on the sexual offender register for ten years, received a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) for ten years and been issued with a two-year supervision order.

May 2016

Man jailed for making and distributing indecent images of children

A DUDLEY man who downloaded and distributed vile indecent photographs of babies being sexually abused by adults has been jailed for two years.

Daniel Kruger also discussed with other perverts what “he would like to do” to small children, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

“I do think you have a serious problem,” Recorder Simon Ward told the 36-year-old.

He said it would have been “bad enough” if Kruger, of Old Park Road, had just looked at the indecentimages, but he had “crossed the line” when he passed them on to others for their enjoyment.

Kruger, he went on, had deliberately sought out a different way of accessing the indecent photographs and films when his wife discovered what he had been doing and it was an aggravating feature of the case that some of the victims were just months old.

Neil Ahuja, prosecuting, said police officers acting on information went to Kruger’s home and seized his computer equipment and iPhone.

They recovered more than 800 indecent images and movies from his computer, including a number in the worst category, while further images were found on his iPhone.

Jodie Smith, defending, said Kruger, a man of previous good character, had already been seeking treatment to resolve his problem having accepted he needed support and assistance.

She maintained his attitude to his offending had changed, adding: “He now realises he has to move forward.”

Miss Smith said his family had been left traumatised by his offending but stressed there was still a “lot of good” in the defendant.

Kruger admitted four charges of making indecent images of children and another of distribution and he was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.

The recorder said possession of the images might have meant he would have been able to suspend any prison sentence but said that by distributing them, Kruger had put his offending on a “different level.”

He said he accepted Kruger’s family life had been shattered by his offending and he had lost his reputation and his job but he ruled only an immediate jail term was appropriate for his actions.

The recorder also barred him from ever working with youngsters and said he must sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.

May 2016

Child carer jailed for 12 MONTHS for spitting on victim’s family after brother convicted of sex crimes

A woman who spat at a prosecution witness in an astonishing court outburst was immediately jailed for 12 MONTHS.

Nicola Sutcliffe, 43, a mum and child carer, reacted furiously when her brother was convicted of sex offences at Warrington Crown Court , Cheshire.

She lashed out, punched and spat at one of the witnesses – a member of the victim’s family – in front of shocked court officials and members of the jury during the final moments of the trial of Anthony Sutcliffe, 44, of Barnes Road, Widnes, Cheshire.

One member of the jury could be seen crying as the assault unfolded.

Sutcliffe was arrested in the court and detained at around 11.30am. By 3pm she had appeared before trial judge Tina Landale and been sentenced to a year in jail for contempt of court. She admitted the offence.

Nicola Sutcliffe, of Cherry Sutton, Widnes, launched her tirade moments after her brother was found guilty of historic sexual offences.

She was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Warrington Crown Court after she subjected a number of court witnesses to a vicious outburst.

Her brother has yet to be sentenced.

Moments earlier, the jury had unanimously returned a verdict of guilty against her brother, who was standing trial for one count of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency with a child under 14.

The 43-year-old single parent, who cares for three children aged five to 16 as well as her 20-year-old son with autism, had been present throughout the week-long trial.

Seated in the public gallery in front of Ms Sutcliffe as she awaited the verdict was the victim’s family who were also prosecution witnesses.

Court staff were forced to rush to the public gallery to protect the prosecution witnesses before Ms Sutcliffe was escorted out of the room.

The jury were quickly ushered from the court room as the shocking scenes unravelled and were only allowed to return once Ms Sutcliffe had been detained.

Judge Tina Landale thanked the jurors for carrying out a ‘responsible and efficient job’ before adding that it was regrettable that their jury service had ended in such a manner.

Ms Sutcliffe was charged with contempt of court and, after she was granted legal representation, pleaded guilty to the offence.

Defending, Simon Minsk outlined how Ms Sutcliffe, who is of previous good character, had not been in full control of her emotions.

He said: “This quietly spoken and gentle woman of 43 behaved in a manner that was completely out of character as she was overcome with emotion following the first trial and the subsequent trial.

“She was unable to contain her emotions and that is partly because she has not been taking her medication in the past couple of days.”

But Judge Landale said it was clear that there must be a deterrent for those who act in this manner.

She said: “You were warned before the jury came into court to return their verdict that it is necessary to behave in a proper and modest way.

“You totally ignored that warning and following the returning of the verdict you immediately launched an attack on the prosecution witness who had given evidence during the trial and the mother of the complainant.

“It was a verbal and physical attack with repeated blows and it continued when you spat towards them.

“As a result of your behaviour the jury were extremely distressed and took a significant period of time before they were able to compose themselves fully.

“It is a corner stone of justice that any jury is able to do their duty without fear or intimidation.”

Ms Sutcliffe was ordered to serve her sentence immediately, her brother Mr Sutcliffe will be sentenced on June 17.

The victim, who suffered at the hands of Anthony Sutcliffe, has praised the judge for taking action against his sister who launched an attack on her family at the end of the trial.

The victim, who decided not to attend court when the verdict was returned, said: “I could not believe it when my family told me what happened.

“I would like to thank the judge for taking what happened seriously.

“I didn’t want any trouble which is why I decided to stay away but my family do not deserve to be treated like this.

“As she works in social services you would think that she would know better than to act like this.

“I was gobsmacked.”

While the victim revealed that coming forward has been one of the most difficult decisions she has made, she now feels relieved that justice will be served.

She said: “It has been hard but it has given me some confidence back.

“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”

May 2016

Man who ‘persistently’ sexually assaulted young girls is jailed for 15 years

A man who “persistently” sexually assaulted young girls has been jailed for 15 years.

Terry Christopher, 68, from Oakfield Terrace, Tonypandy , was found guilty of attempted rape and 19 counts of indecent assault, with some incidents dating back to the 1960s.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard his offences included sexually touching young girls and forcing a girl to touch him.

Alex Greenwood, defending Christopher, said he has been in and out of hospital due to diabetes. He said: “A lengthy custodial sentence could be one from which he does not emerge.”

Judge Richard Twomlow said: “There are numerous sexual assaults over a number of years.

“It was a persistent bullying course of conduct.”

The judge said that on one occasion Christopher gave alcohol to a young girl and sexually assaulted her.

He told Christopher: “You have shown no remorse whatsoever. Everybody has had to give evidence.”

One of his victims spoke after the hearing about the impact the abuse had on her life.

“I have suffered with depression, anxiety and panic attacks and I couldn’t communicate with people,” she said.

“The abuse went on for seven years and he was going from child to child.

“I thought it was my fault that he was doing what he was doing. He bought me things and I was petrified. A 15-year sentence isn’t enough for all the charges against him.”

The woman said she kept the abuse to herself for years until another one of his victims spoke out.

She said: “When I talked about it for the first time I cried and cried. I kept it from everyone, including my partner, and I’m glad that now I don’t have to live a lie.”

Christopher was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order preventing him from having any contact with any female child under the age of 16.

May 2016

Serial flasher banned from going out in public unless he’s wearing ‘properly fastened trousers’

A homeless flasher has been banned from being in public unless he is wearing appropriately fastened trousers.

Wild-haired John Bustin has also been barred from every public park and children’s play area within the centre of Oxford city after repeatedly exposing himself .

Sentencing him at Oxford Crown Court CBO, Mr Recorder Alistair Wright told Bustin he was not allowed to expose his genitals anywhere other than a male public lavatory and can only do so “for the purposes of urination.”

The court heard Bustin had smoked synthetic cannabis spice and had alcohol when he was spotted standing in a bike shed with no trousers on by a mum and her 11-year-old child.

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said that when Bustin saw the mum in Paradise Street he greeted her with a “hello”.

After the 50-year-old pleaded guilty to indecent exposure and was handed a Criminal Behaviour Order it emerged he had 30 convictions for 54 previous offences, including 29 sexual offences going back to the 1980s.

He was sentenced for similar offences in 2002, 2005, three times in 2006, three times in 2007, once in 2008, twice in 2010 and in 2012

The court heard the latest offence took place on April 23 in Paradise Street, Oxford, where Bustin indecently exposed himself to a number of people.

Ms Olliver said the woman tried to get her son to look the other way to stop him seeing Bustin exposing himself.

She added: “She was locking the parking gate when she saw Mr Bustin standing in the bicycle shed – it was apparent to her that he didn’t have any trousers on.

“Her 11-year-old son was in the car nearest Mr Bustin and she urged her son to look the other way.

“Mr Bustin looked in her direction and acknowledged her presence with a ‘hello’.

“It made her feel very anxious and uncomfortable and she was pretty shocked by his behaviour.”

The court heard how Bustin had also been spotted by another man looking out of the window.

Ms Olliver said the man filmed Bustin and passed the footage to the police when they arrived.

However, Ms Olliver told the court after being arrested, Bustin was caught on CCTV committing indecent behaviour in his cell at Abingdon Police Station.

The tramp-like figure, who has no fixed abode, admitted indecent exposure at magistrates in Oxford in April but was sent to the city’s crown court for a judge to impose a more severe penalty than magistrates could give him.

Bustin was jailed last Tuesday for 16 months and ordered that his trousers fly opening must also be properly fastened.

In spelling out the terms of the CBO, Mr Recorder Alistair Wright told Bustin he was also barred from exposing his genitals anywhere other than in a male public lavatory and can only do so “for the purposes of urination.”

He was also prohibited from using abusive, insulting or sexually explicit language towards any person.

September 2012

Another jail term for ‘incorrigible’ flasher

A FLASHER who “will not or cannot stop exposing himself” has been jailed again for being naked in central Oxford.

John Bustin has 24 sexual offences to his name dating back to 1984, and has been jailed eight times for exposure or outraging public decency.

He was locked up again at Oxford Crown Court on Monday after admitting exposure, breaching his Antisocial behaviour order and breaching a suspended sentence.

The 48-year-old, of Coleridge Close, Cowley, was spotted with his trousers around his knees close to Oxford Ice Rink at about 2.20pm on August 10.

Tim Boswell, prosecuting, said: “A police community support officer saw Mr Bustin walking towards him with his trousers pulled down resting on his knees.

“When he saw the Pcso he quickly turned to his side and pulled them up.”

Mr Boswell said Bustin told the officer: “**** off, I was having a pee. Leave me alone.

“You haven’t seen anything.”

Bustin was given an Asbo in October 2010 in attempt to curb his behaviour after performing a sex act in front of a mother and her daughter in Cowley.

That offence was committed just three days after he was given a supervision order for exposing himself to two teenage girls a month earlier.

He was sentenced for similar offences in 2002, 2005, three times in 2006, three times in 2007, once in 2008 and twice in 2010.

The Asbo, which will continue to be in force, prevents Bustin from exposing his genitals in a public place other than in a public convenience and only then for the sole purpose of using such facilities, and being in a state of indecent undress in public view.

Matt Rowcliffe, defending, said his client had a “deep-seated problem” but that his latest offence was “not the most serious imaginable”.

He said Bustin had previously completed all but three days of a three-week sex offender treatment programme.

Judge Mary Jane Mowat, who called Bustin “just incorrigible”, jailed him for a total of 15 months and ordered he re-sign the sex offender register for an extra 10 years.
She said: “You have had about half a dozen community orders, about half a dozen short prison sentences, but nothing has stopped you.

“Attempts have been made to stop you, but you will not, or cannot, stop exposing yourself.

“The only thing the court can do is keep you off the streets for as long as possible, so the public are not bothered by it.”

May 2016

Former Runcorn teacher jailed for sexually abusing vulnerable victim

A former Runcorn teacher who preyed on a vulnerable abuse victim for his own sexual gratification is now behind bars.

Anthony James O’Neill, of Carmarthen Close, Winsford, was sentenced to four years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, after being convicted by a jury of two counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child.

The 69-year-old who used to live and teach in Runcorn was acquitted of a further four sex offences by the 12 jurors – two of these were concerning a second alleged victim.

The court heard how the victim had come forward in 2014 after years of suffering in silence about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of a teacher she trusted.

The abuse, which took place over several months during the 1980s, included encouraging the pupil who was under the age of 13 to touch O’Neill while he was naked in the showers at English Martyrs – a former high school in Warrington.

O’Neill also repeatedly touched the girl underneath her uniform while she was at the school.

Prosecuting, Sion ap Mihangel, said: “There was a significant breach of trust given his position as a teacher.

“But this was compounded by the fact that the victim was a vulnerable individual as she made it clear to him she was being abused by others.”

The court heard how the victim has struggled in the years since the abuse.

In a victim impact statement, read out in court, the prosecuting team said: “It has had an effect on her family life and children.

“Because of what has happened to her at school she is overprotective of her children and this affects their friendships and their school life and she blames what has happened at the door of the defendant.”

Defending, Simon Christie, said O’Neill, who has no previous convictions, had gone on to bring up a family with three daughters.

He added: “These offences occurred from the December to the June and did not go on into her second year.

“There after the defendant continued his career and effectively retired at 65.

“Any sentence of custody will have an enormous effect.”

But Recorder Paul O’Brien refused to suspend the sentence as throughout the trial O’Neill had ‘attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of the jury’.

He added: “You told her if she needed to speak about this [the abuse she had previously suffered] she should go to you.

“Well she did think about this and she decided to confide in you about her abuse but instead of helping her you took advantage.”