March 2011

Pervert jailed after comments made to journalist posing as girl in web chat room

A MAN has been jailed after he made sexual comments online to a freelance investigative journalist posing as a 13-year-old girl.

Mark Bloomfield, 34, from Aspley, used the chat room headed “no adults”, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Journalist Peter Jackson was investigating someone else when he received a message in May 2009 from Bloomfield.

Working under a female screen name online, the reporter was asked by Bloomfield to send a picture and asked if “she” would pose for him and he would pay £100.

In further chats he talked about touching her.

And he even suggested a meeting in July that year and for a friend to go along.

Mr Jackson reported his findings to the News of the World and police.

Bloomfield, now of Coronation Terrace, Great Yarmouth, was arrested at his address in Aspley.

At court, he pleaded guilty to five charges of causing or inciting a female under 16 years to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Andrew Hamilton jailed him for two years.

After his release, Bloomfield will sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and be subject to restrictions on a sexual offences prevention order.

The judge heard Bloomfield was cautioned in 2004 for possessing indecent photos of children.

The defendant had an interest in young girls and for that reason accessed this internet service headed “no adults”, he added.

“You believed that the person you were contacting was a 13-year-old. You made, on five occasions, contact with ‘her’, with the attempt to incite her to commit various acts, to encourage her to do various things, to see what her interest would be, to see how much money you had to offer to make her do certain things.

“Whether you would have gone ahead with a meeting is in dispute. You showed a great interest in that child and her friend and clearly the interest was for your sexual gratification.

“When you were arrested you had the opportunity then to be frank with police, you chose not to do so. You gave your correct date of birth on the chat line, which would have proved rather damaging evidence if this matter had proceeded to trial.”

The court heard he did not intend to meet the “girl”.

“The victim of the offending was a reporter,” said Andrew Wesley, mitigating. “There was never a child involved in this particular case.”

May 2016

Internet pervert used Twitter to distribute sick images

A factory worker who used multiple social media accounts to share revolting images of child abuse has been jailed for two years.

Andrew Dixon used his smart phone to attract more than 300 followers on Twitter, telling other users: “I like pre-teens and incest,” Durham Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said Dixon created accounts using derivatives of his own name, often creating another account within hours of twitter taking down an existing one.

Mr Hadfield added: “An example was the account name ‘andy1074b’, Dixon was born in October, 1974.

“He would routinely download about a dozen indecent images, then repost them to be shared among his followers.

“He attracted followers from all over the world, many in America and Germany, some in the south of England, and one in this region.

“Durham Police raided his home after receiving an urgent notification from the National Crime Agency about his activities.

Dixon, 41, of Edward Avenue, Horden, admitted 15 charges of distributing indecent images of children, one charge of encouraging others to send indecent images to him, and one charge of possessing extreme pornography, all between August last year, and February of this year.

The court heard three of the images were in the most serious category A, including one of a three-year-old girl on her hands and knees being sexually abused by an adult male.

Twelve images were in category B, and 96 images were in category C.

The extreme pornographic image showed a woman engaging in sexual activity with dogs, the court was told.

Stephen Constantine, defending, said in mitigation: “Mr Dixon made early admissions and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

“He realises he has a problem, and is keen to take advantage of any help he may be offered to address it.

“His work record is a good one, and he was working on contract for a local manufacturing company until last April.

“There is the offer of another contract starting on June 1.

“If the inevitable sentence can be suspended, he can take advantage of that offer of work, and also take advantage of help within the community to address the causes of his offending.”

Judge Christopher Prince jailed Dixon for two years.

The judge told him: “You say in the pre-sentence report you had a light bulb moment and are no longer sexually interested in children.

“I do not accept that.

“Offences of this nature quite rightly cause grave concern among the public.

“The children in these images are victims every time they are abused to create an image, and they are victims again every time people like you view the image and share it with others.

“It has to be immediate custody, both to deter you, and to deter others tempted to do as you did.”

Dixon’s smart phone was confiscated and will be destroyed.

He was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order banning him from unsupervised contact with children, and limiting his internet use.

Dixon must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

May 2016

Man who repeatedly raped young girl jailed for eight years

A sex predator who inflicted a sexually transmitted infection on a schoolgirl after subjecting her to repeated rape ordeals has been jailed for eight years.

Steven Hanlon attacked his victim when she was eight and nine at addresses in Fife before she reported the the abuse to a woman.

Hanlon, 37, warned the girl that if she told anyone about what was happening he would be sent to prison.

Hanlon, formerly of Kelty, Fife, had earlier admitted sexually assaulting and raping her on various occasions between July 2014 and August last year.

The victim was interviewed by police and social workers and spoke in detail about the ill-treatment and was medically examined and found to have an STI as a result of the sexual abuse Hanlon put her through.

Lord Boyd told him at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday: “It seems clear that you used this young girl as a sexual object for your own gratification.”

He added: “The fact is you have committed a very serious sexual offence against a young girl.”

He ordered that the sex offender be kept under supervision for a further three years after his jail term.

Lord Boyd said he had taken into account that Hanlon had pled guilty and spared the victim the further ordeal of giving evidence.

The judge told him that if he had been convicted after trial he would have sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment.

Hanlon, who had worked as a warehouse operative with Amazon, was placed on the sex offenders register for life

May 2016

Man found with more than 1,000 computer-generated child abuse images is given treatment

A HENBURY man found with more than a thousand images of young girls engaged in sexual activity has been handed treatment.

Former gaming shop worker Zak Hems turned to inappropriate material online due to depression, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Police called on the family man after tracking indecent downloads to his computer address.

Hems, 42, of Ellsworth Road, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent photos of children and a charge of possessing prohibited images.

Judge Michael Roach imposed a three-year community order with two years’ supervision and sex offender treatment programme.

He told Hems to register as a sex offender for five years, pay £400 court costs and banned unchecked internet use with a Sexual Harm Prevention order.

He also forfeited Hems’ computer equipment.

The judge said the offences were “completely abhorrent” but the community would be better served if Hems was put on a programme rather than into jail.

He told Hems: “If I were to send you to prison it would be for a relatively short period of time.

“it would not address your obvious needs.

“You would be released back into the community to face the difficulties you have always faced.

“If I take the step the probation service recommends a watchful eye can be kept on you.”

Victoria Heasman, prosecuting, said police zeroed in on Hems’ illicit activity and searched his home, seizing computer equipment including a computer tower and laptop.

Forensic interrogation of the equipment revealed Hems had 1,269 prohibited sexual images of girls which were either computer-generated or cartoons.

He was also found to have four “real” abuse photos in the most serious harm category, four photos in the next category down and 32 photos in the least serious category.

Ms Heasman said images were in a specially created folder, containing sub-folders within.

Hems, a man of previous good character, admitted to police searching for photos and filing them.

He explained that initially he was sexually aroused but since taking an anti-depressant that was no longer the case,

Emily Evans, defending, said: “He is remorseful and ashamed of his actions.

“He experienced difficulties at the time he reverted to this course of behaviour.

“His relationship with his wife was struggling, they were not communicating and he had an extremely stressful job.”

Ms Evans said, though, that her client now had a better relationship with his wife, he had changed his job, his stress level had gone down and he was seeing his GP regularly.

She told the court: “His thought processes are entirely different now. The offences have stopped and he is addressing issues that led him into offending.”

May 2016

Wrexham ex-swimming teacher convicted of sex assault against girl at pool

A former swimming instructor has been warned he faces custody after he was convicted of child sex assaults some 20 years ago.

Roger Canton, of Tower View in Wrexham, 68, who also worked as a driving instructor, pleaded not guilty to three charges of indecent assault and a charge of indecency with a child.

It follows allegations that he sexually touched a girl now in her late 20s in a swimming pool when she was aged 10 or 11.

But he was convicted and was ordered to register with the police as a sex offender pending sentence in July.

Judge Niclas Parry, sitting at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday, granted him bail pending sentence, but warned him that he faced an inevitable prison sentence.

The jury was told that Canton had a previous conviction for a similar offence dating back to the late 1970s.

Prosecuting barrister Simon Parry said the offences occurred at the Plas Madoc swimming pool, where he said the victim was assaulted in a variety of ways in the changing rooms.

He also made her touch him when he was wearing Speedo trunks and told her not to tell anyone, Mr Parry explained.

As a child she complied, but went to the police last year and reported what he had done.

She had told a woman what had occurred when she was a teenager and that woman had made notes at the time, said Mr Parry.

A contemporaneous note had been made of what she had disclosed to her in 2001.

Canton said that the allegations were simply not true.

Jonathan Duffy, defending, told the jury that his client denied that anything of a sexual nature had ever occurred between the complainant and himself.

May 2016

Notts Police Officer Found Guilty of Sex Offences

A former Nottinghamshire Police officer has today (26 May, 2016) been found guilty of historical sexual offences.

Anthony Critchley, 64, of Riseholme Avenue, Wollaton , was charged with three counts of indecent assault on a child and one of indecency with a child. The offences were committed whilst off-duty in the early 1970s against a boy in his early teens.

Critchly denied the offences but was found guilty following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Sentencing was adjourned until 22 June 2016.

May 2016

Pervert admits making indecent child abuse images

Dale Hughes, aged 32, of Telford Close, Kidsgrove, has pleaded guilty charges of making still and moving indecent images of children between 2013 and 2015.

The defendant has now been committed to Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

Magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre granted Hughes unconditional bail.

May 2016

Pengam man, 85, indecently assaulted girl under 16

A PENGAM pensioner has been found guilty of three counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16.

Derrick Evans, aged 85, of St Deinols Close, was found guilty today by a jury at Newport Crown Court.

He was found not guilty of two counts of indecently assaulting a girl under the age of 16.

He previously pleaded guilty to a separate indecent assault charge at Newport Magistrates’ Court.

Evans will be sentenced on June 17.

Earlier in the trial when the jury were told that the complainant did not think anyone would believe her over “this upstanding member of the community” at the time of the abuse in the 1980s.

May 2016

Brothers jailed for ‘depraved’ sex attacks on children in Flintshire

The perverted past of two brothers finally caught up with them today when they were jailed for sexual offences.

Mathew Parkes, 28, and his brother Samuel Parkes, 31, were both teenagers living in the Talacre and Mostyn areas when the offences were committed.

Mathew Parkes, now of Lon y Ffrith in Llandudno , was jailed for seven and a half years after he admitted serious sexual offences against four separate children.

Samuel Parkes, who has carved a new life from himself in the performing arts and who now lives at Edward Street in Carlisle, received 45 months for offences against a young girl.

Both were also ordered to register with the police as sex offenders for life.

Mold Crown Court heard today that Samuel Parkes had admitted the indecent assault and rape of a very young girl when he himself was aged 15.

Mathew Parkes had admitted indecency and rape on one girl, indecent assault and rape of another girl, indecent assault on a third girl and indecent assault and the rape of a young boy.

He himself was aged between 13 and 16 at the time.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said that both cases involved “quite depraved behaviour”.

There could be no excuse for such behaviour, he added.

Judge Rowlands said that he took into account the delays in the case coming to court and the defendants ages when the offences were committed.

However, he said the victims had to live with what they had done to them while the brothers had been allowed to get on with their lives.

It was clear their behaviour had a profound effect on the victims.

One of the brothers’ victims wished to read her own impact statement to the court.

She told how she had suffered nightmares and flash backs, had trust issues, suffered depression and anxiety and has isolated herself.

Another victim revealed in her victim impact statement how she had tried to commit suicide at a young age because of what was happening to her.

She felt very vulnerable and scared and had self-harmed.

Defending barrister Andrew Scott, for Samuel Parkes, said that his client had a toxic childhood, went to college to do a performing arts degree, and had then done a three year music and drama degree course in Carlisle.

He and his partner had been due to get married but they had delayed that until the proceedings were over.

It was a case of his own childhood coming back to haunt him, he said.

Simon Killeen, for Mathew Parkes, said that his client was 16 or 17 at the time of the offences.

He had made admissions to the police which went beyond the allegations which had been made against him and which had directly led to some of the charges.

May 2016

Bristol man repeatedly raped girl aged 13

A MAN who repeatedly raped a schoolgirl has been jailed for 10 years.

Shane Gibbins tried to tell the 13-year-old that the abuse was “their secret”, Bristol Crown Court was told today.

When the “devastating” offences came to light and he was arrested, the 29-year-old told a cell mate in Bristol Prison: “I did it, but I think I can get away with it.”

Gibbins, a father-of-three from Lawrence Hill, pleaded guilty to five charges of rape and two of sexual activity with a child.

Kirsty Real, prosecuting, said Gibbins sexually abused the youngster when she was aged 13 and he was aged 27.

The offences came to light when the child told her mother she had had sex with Gibbins and police were called in.

Initially Gibbins denied all, the court heard.

Gibbins’ partner then messaged him, saying: “I will run away with you if you’ve done the things alleged.”

Gibbins then phoned her back, asking: “Can we run?”, admitting that he had done it once but it was a mistake.

Ultimately Gibbins pleaded guilty to forcing oral sex on the child and touching her private parts as she tried pushing him away.

He also admitted five occasions when he raped her, one of which involved him forcing her to give him oral sex.

The youngster made a victim impact statement charting how she had lost confidence as a result of the abuse and had had suicidal thoughts.

The court heard police recovered condoms containing Gibbins’ DNA .

While remanded in custody at HMP Bristol Gibbins reportedly told his cell mate he might escape conviction due to a lack of evidence.

David Scutt, defending, said his remorseful client had worked in security.

He had been diagnosed with depression.

Mr Scutt told the court: “Whatever the sentence, it’s going to be an extremely hard one for him to serve.

“He doesn’t know why he did it. He struggles with it.

“He will continue to actively seek help in prison.”

Judge Julian Lambert handed him a 14 year sentence, comprising of ten years’ prison and four years’ extended licence.

He told Gibbins: “One word for this is devastating.

“You have wrecked more than one life because of what you’ve done, I learn from the victim impact statements in this case.”

Gibbins was told to abide by a stringent, indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, banning him from contact with children aged under 16 and prohibiting him from loitering within 50 metres of school grounds.

He was also prevented from unchecked internet use or online forums without first notifying police.

May 2016

HGV driver who was ‘grooming’ a 14-year-old walks free from court

An HGV driver who sexually abused a vulnerable 14-year-old girl he was ‘grooming’ has walked free from court.

Simon Miles molested the youngster, who feared she was going to be raped, and she now has repeated nightmares where she is the subject of sex attacks.

But after hearing the 39-year-old’s problems can be addressed on a sex offenders’ programme in the community the judge imposed a suspended sentence.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court how Miles carried out the sexual offence against the girl on Thursday March 26 last year.

“The defendant has been a friend of the family for many, many, years. He has known the child since she was but a baby,” he said.

“And so it was on the day in question he took her out to Costa coffee and began behaving inappropriately to her.

“He asked her on a scale of one to ten how much she loved him, and so on. Asked her if she could keep a secret.

“He asked her to come back to his caravan. Asked her to kiss him on the lips. He kissed her on the cheek, she turned her head.

“He unbuckled her seatbelt and he licked her face. It all stopped later on when then they stopped to pick up her brother.

“In terms of sexual offending they are not the most serious: in terms of the girl they had had the most terrible effect.”

Although she had suicidal thoughts in the past, he said she had more since the offence and also had issues with being near men.

“She has nightmares that she is raped. She thought that was going to happen on this occasion,” he said

“Asked how often she these nightmares are. She said most nights It has clearly had a very severe effect on her indeed.”

Miles, of Carstairs Avenue, Park South, initially denied sexual activity with a child but changed his plea to guilty on the day of trial.

James Burke, defending, said his client, who has a son and daughter of his own, needed help to address why he committed the offence.

He said: “It started out as a somewhat innocuous and playful relationship, that the defendant had with the complainant in this matter, and he has now clearly accepted that he crossed the line and his behaviour became inappropriate.

“The pre sentence report addresses the fact that his insight into exactly why it was in appropriate an of a sexual nature is something which he needs to address.”

He said his client had worked almost all of his adult life as a heavy goods vehicle driver, making him unsuitable for a curfew or unpaid work.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: “It is submitted on your behalf it started out as an innocuous relationship.

“If that is right then it was fairly short lived. It is clear you were grooming her with the intention you had in mind to abuse her. She was extremely vulnerable and you knew that.

“You were supposed to be looking after her and you were trusted to do that, but you did exactly the opposite. You caused her very serious harm.

“I have to bear in mind that impact of what you did on her. I also have to bear in mind your total lack of insight in to what you did.

“Perhaps a greater insight is that you haven’t uttered a single word of remorse for what you did. What you did was appalling.

“The impact of what you did is clear for all to see apart from perhaps yourself, because I can’t think of any other reason why you would show no remorse.”

He imposed a 20-month jail term suspended for two years with a Thames Valley Sex Offender Programme and told him he must register as a sex offender.

He said “It is thought your risk of committing further offending can be managed in the community.”

May 2016

Female ex-soldier who used an electric shock dog collar to punish toddler

A woman who inflicted electric shocks on a toddler in her care using a dog training collar has been told that she will be jailed.

Lanna Monaghan, 34, admitted five charges of assault at Edinburgh high court on Wednesday.

The offences took place in the Highlands in 2014 and 2015.

Monaghan had seen the device being used and told a pet owner: “If it works on a dog it will work on kids.”

Former soldier Monaghan also admitted that she kicked and bit the child, hit him so hard with a wooden spoon that it broke and subjected him to cold showers.

She admitted to police that she had a temper and could “zone out” and would go “out of control”.

After she was shown photographs of injuries found on the little boy, the judge, Lady Rae, asked if those on his neck were consistent with what appeared to be electrodes on the collar. She was told they were and said: “So it must have been applied on a number of occasions.”

The judge told Monaghan: “This is an appalling catalogue of charges of physical cruelty, I think that is the only way to describe it, to a toddler over 15 months.

“Realistically it would be very difficult to avoid custody in a case such as this. This was a toddler, a defenceless child.”

Monaghan pleaded guilty to repeatedly fixing a dog collar with an electric shock device attached around the boy’s neck and inflicting shocks on him in July last year.

She also admitted forcibly placing him in a shower and turning it on and off while kicking the boy on the body.

The court was told that one occasion she gave three shocks in quick succession to the boy’s neck because he refused to swallow a mouthful of food.

When police saw the little boy, they noted he had suffered injuries to his face. Doctors later discovered a number of non-accidental injuries, including bruises on his body and multiple red marks on his neck that were a fixed distance from each other.

The court heard these neck injuries were consistent with what appeared to be electrodes on the dog collar. In response, the judge said: ‘So it must have been applied on a number of occasions’.

Monaghan, who served in the army for nine years, also pleaded guilty to biting him on the ear and repeatedly striking him with a wooden spoon.

The abuse ended when the boy was aged three after a concerned woman contacted the authorities.

Advocate depute Jane Farquharson said: “[The collar] works by a remote control which when activated delivers an electric shock through the collar that the dog feels on its neck.”

Farquharson said that when police saw the little boy they noted he had injuries to his face. She added: “When taken to the hospital and medically examined a number of non-accidental injuries were noted. This included multiple bruising on the body and multiple red marks on the neck at a fixed distance from each other.”

A tearful Monaghan later told a psychiatric nurse that she got “fired up” and described having continuing “anger issues”. She told police: “I am truly sorry for what happened, I can’t believe it happened.”

She claimed the child “pushes my buttons, spitting on me, peeing on the floor and being sick on the floor”.

She admitted that at times she would be crouched down to the child’s eye level, shouting and swearing aggressively at him when he wet himself and cried. The prosecutor said: “She did not appear to recognise the possibility that the child was reacting involuntarily and through fear.”

Monaghan was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing at the high court in Glasgow in July.

May 2016

Paedophile sparked a mass evacuation when he tried to kill himself 

A paedophile sparked a mass evacuation when he cooked a bomb in his oven in a bid to kill himself after police found a huge stash of sickening child sexual abuse images on his computer.

More than 300 residents were forced to flee their homes for eight hours after Ian Shingler, 41, frantically called police to say he had explosives and was going to commit suicide.

100 Met Police officers raced to the paedophile’s top-floor flat in Rainham, Essex, to lock it down, after Shingler said he had aimed to blow himself up because he was terrified of going to prison.

Officers from all over London stormed into jobless Shingler’s home to find the oven door had been destroyed and the remains of a powerful homemade explosive device on a baking tray. 

Tests showed the lethal explosive was 82% pure and had been bought off the internet.

They also discovered a kilogram of a deadly white powder called TATP, also known as acetone peroxide and used in the 7/7 London terrorist bombings in 2005, in the maniac’s bedroom. 

Police also found an improvised explosive device, using a nine volt battery, made by Shingler to take his own life as well as a notepad of instructions on making homemade bombs and a suicide note.

The explosives were destroyed in a controlled explosion in a nearby field before residents were allowed back into their homes.

Shingler was jailed for nine years after triggering the terrifying bomb scare.

He admitted the possession of ammunition and a firearm without a certificate, having an explosive substance under suspicious circumstances and possessing indecent images of children.

Shingler, who was found with more than 4,150 indecent images last March, had also tried to shoot himself with an improvised multi-barrel shotgun made of pipes, but the cartridges he had did not fit the makeshift weapon, Basildon Crown Court was told.

Michael Morris, defending, insisted he was of ‘good character’ but he was a loner whose only friend was the internet.

Mr Morris said Shingler, who was also into bestiality and horrific snuff movies, alerted police after realising to his horror that he was putting the whole estate in danger with his bomb.

‘He was concerned about his neighbours,’ he said.

‘He immediately called the police because his intention was to take his own life and he did not want to cause damage or injure his neighbours.

‘He didn’t really have a clue about what he was doing.’

But Judge Jonathan Black stressed the ‘seriousness’ of the astonishing drama outweighed his state of mind at the time.

Judge Black told Shingler: ‘It was possible that such an explosion would have endangered the lives of his neighbours and caused serious damage to property.

‘It seems to me that it is the seriousness of the offence that must take precedence in this case.’

Mr Morris said it was ‘a very unusual case’ but warned that more similar cases would surface as people live in ‘the dream world of the internet’.

‘This is a person who needed help and assistance,’ he said. ‘He has the opportunity to get his life back on track.’

Shingler was first arrested in March 2015 after his flat was raided by police and thousands of indecent images of children found on his computer.

More than 4,150 vile pictures were found and 698 were category A, the worst type, along with 66 films. Officers also recovered a Yahoo search for ‘pre-teen dominatrix’.

The court heard that Shingler told police at the time: ‘I started downloading credit cards details, it gave me a rush.

‘Then I moved on to bestiality, then the snuff and the child porn. It made me feel alive.’

May 2016

Dundee paedophile jailed after being caught by his own family

A paedophile shopped to police by his own family has been jailed after he refused to take part in a sex offender rehabilitation programme.

Andrew Miller’s relatives became suspicious of him when he became “nervous” as his partner’s son downloaded a film on to his laptop.

As the movie was transferred on to his hard drive, Miller became visibly nervous as his partner’s son looked for a folder to store the film in.

Miller was staying with his partner’s son in England for Christmas and New Year last year and when he went to bed his host retrieved the laptop and scoured through it.

He found a stash of indecent videos and images of young boys aged from five to 17.

Miller was initially given a non-custodial sentence for the offences but was returned to court when he refused to take part in rehabilitation programmes.

Miller, 52, of Hepburn Street, Dundee, pleaded guilty to downloading, possessing and possessing with a view to distributing indecent images of children.

The pictures were downloaded between October 2010 and March 2013 and in his possession until January 10 2015. One of the videos was distributed from his system between March 27 and March 28 2013.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC jailed Miller for nine months and ordered him to be monitored in the community for 18 months after his release.

He was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

At Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Drummond said: “I have no alternative but to revoke the order and impose custody.”

May 2016

Man convicted of sexually abusing girl, 3, faces lengthy jail term

A MAN who sexually abused a three-year-old girl has been warned he is facing a lengthy jail term.

Robin King pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 when he appeared before Swindon Crown Court.

But following a two day trial earlier this week, a jury of seven men and five women took an hour and a half to convict the 36-year-old.

Now a judge has remanded King, of Priory Road, Park South, in custody so the probation service can compile a pre-sentence report.

And he said that it was only necessary to address the length of the sentence and whether the defendant presented a future risk of harm to children.

King, who denied any wrongdoing, sexually abused the little girl on two occasions in March last year.

Mary Cowie, prosecuting, said that the Crown would be seeking a sexual offences prevention order, which restricts his liberty on release, at sentence.

Alex Daymond, defending, said his client was aware he was facing a lengthy jail term and could not object if he bail was revoked so he could start serving the sentence.

Judge Tim Mousley QC put the case off for the report to be prepared and remanded him in custody.

He said: “Robin Alan King: you have been convicted on the clearest evidence of these offences on a particularly vulnerable and very young girl.

“You will come back on a date to be fixed in about three weeks time. You will have a pre-sentence report on the length of the sentence.

“And more importantly whether you are dangerous in the meaning of the Criminal Justice Act 2013: that means whether there is significant risk of serious harm in the future.”

He also told him he must register as a sex offender with the total time he would have to continue doing so depending on the final sentence.

Should the judge find he presents a significant risk of serious harm then he could impose imprisonment for public protection, effectively a life sentence, or add an extended licence to his jail term.

That would mean he would be under the control of the probation service for a longer period when he is freed.

He would also have to serve two thirds of the custodial sentence rather than getting released at, or even before, the halfway point as with inmates serving normal sentences.

May 2016

Ipswich man with “disturbing interest” in sexual abuse jailed for 12 years

An Ipswich man with “an entrenched and disturbing interest” in sexually abusing females has been jailed for 12 years.

Sentencing 28-year-old Christopher Lander, Judge Rupert Overbury said he had come to the conclusion that Lander poised a significant risk and danger to the public, particularly children.

“I have no hesitation in determining that you have an entrenched and disturbing interest in sexually abusing females of varying ages and recording that abuse for your own and others’ perverted sexual gratification,” said the judge.

Lander, who was living in Ipswich at the time of the offences, but has been in prison awaiting sentence, admitted:

• Four offences of rape

• Four offences of assault by penetration

• Three offences of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity

• Sexual assault of a child

• Two offences of making a threat to kill

• Making indecent images of children

• Distributing indecent images of children.

Lander was jailed for 12 years with an extended licence period of three years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.

Judge Overbury said Lander would have to serve two thirds of his sentence before his case could be referred to the Parole Board.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Lander had filmed himself raping and sexually assaulting a woman and had threatened a schoolgirl he had sexually abused with a knife and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what he had done.

The court heard that Lander was found in possession of more than 700 indecent images of children and had distributed 26 of the images.

Neil Saunders for Lander said:”There is little I can say by way of mitigation because there isn’t any.”

He said Lander had expressed shame and guilt for committing the offences and was aware he was facing a considerable period of imprisonment.

May 2016

“In denial” paedophile jailed for ten years

Smirking & unapologetic paedophile Stephen Smith who abused two teenage girls has been jailed for ten years.

Smith, of Creighton Avenue, Rawmarsh, was found guilty of seven counts of sexual assault, one count of sexual activity and two counts of sexual activity with a child, following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court in February.

The 44-year-old, who claimed the victims were lying, was back in court today for sentencing and was jailed for 10 years.

May 2016

York paedophile gets 21 years for raping and abusing 4 girls

A man who abused four young girls over more than two decades has been jailed for 21 years.

George Gore was found guilty by a jury at York Crown Court of a campaign of abuse against the four children.

Gore was convicted of 23 counts of sexual assault and rape against girls, who were all aged under 13 years old. A trial began on Wednesday and by around midday on Friday the jury had unanimously found Gore, of Ordnance Lane, Fulford, guilty on all counts.

There were cheers and shouts of “take him down” in the public gallery as Judge Deborah Sherwin announced Gore’s sentences, which add up to 21 years.

After Gore was sentenced, his victims issued a joint statement through North Yorkshire Police, saying: “The last 13 months have been horrendous.

“But after all this time we feel that justice has now been done. Now we want to move on and to be able to live our lives and put this behind us.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in bringing this man to justice, in particular the police, lawyers and family and friends who have supported us.”

The judge told Gore: “For a large number of years you posed a very great danger. For years you got away with this. By the time you were abusing [the youngest girl] you must have felt invincible. Matters have caught up with you now.”

The matters came to light when the youngest girl went to the police, unable to live with the secret of what had happened to her, Judge Sherwin added.

Gore’s offences, which occurred at different places in York, included:

• Six indecent assaults on the oldest girl;

• Three indecent assaults against the second oldest girl;

• Three indecent assaults against the third oldest girl;

• Two child rapes

• Eight further indecent assaults

• One indecency with a child.

The various victims were aged seven to 14 when the offences happened.

Sentences for the crimes against each victim were passed separately, with the longest sentence being 14 years for the rape charges.

He was given four years for the offences against the oldest girl, and 18 months for his offences against each of the other two victims, with the sentences relating to each victim to run consecutively.

In court, prosecutor Philip Standfast read extracts from victims’ personal statements, which told of their anguish and pain. All the victims are now adults.

One of the women said she endured “over 40 years of torture, mental torture and stress”, while others said they were left feeling guilty they had not been able to stop others suffering the same abuse, felt scared, and suffered long repercussions in their lives.

The youngest of the women said she had been “trapped in her own little world, wondering when the defendant would hurt her again,” Mr Standfast added.

In passing sentence, Judge Sherwin said she had to take into account how vulnerable the young girls had been when Gore abused them.

However, she said Gore’s age and ill health meant that he would not pose a further danger to the public after his prison sentence.

May 2016

Pervert accessed vile images on dark web at his home in Leeds

A PERVERT waited until he was removed the sex offenders register before using the dark web to access vile images of children being sexually abused, a court heard.

After being arrested, James Dignon told police he deliberately bided his time until his period on the register was over before re-offending.

Dignon also admitted that it was “all too easy” to get hold of the images and he had made sure he had been “savvy” by using software that did not leave a digital footprint.

Leeds Crown Court heard officers from West Yorkshire Police executed a search warrant at Dignon’s home on Church Crescent, Horsforth, Leeds, on August 22 last year.

Computers and other equipment were seized. A total of 636 illegal images and movies were found on a USB stick.

Stephanie Hancock, mitigating, said 86 of the images were at Category A – the most serious level of offending.

Miss Hancock said it was clear that Dignon had used his computer and laptop to access the images on the Dark Web before storing them on the USB stick.

Most of the illegal images were of girls. Some were aged as young as two years old. Some of the images featured bestiality.

Dignon said he had decided to use the Dark Web to access the images after reading a newspaper article and doing research about the technology required to access it.

The Dark Web is a term that refers specifically to a collection of websites that are publicly visible, but hides the IP addresses of the servers that run them.

They can be visited by any web user, but it is very difficult to work out who is behind the sites. Sites cannot be found using search engines. Almost all sites on the so-called Dark Web hide their identity using an encryption tool.

Dignon, now of Crichton Place, Glasgow, pleaded guilty to seven offences of making indecent images of children.

The court heard Dignon had pleaded guilty to similar offences at Winchester Crown Court in 2008 and was made the subject of a three-year community order and ordered to take part in a sex offender treatment programme.

Dignon had also been ordered to go on the sex offender register until 2012.

Michael Walsh, mitigating, said Dignon had been open and frank with police and the probation service about his latest spate of offences.

Mr Walsh said Dignon had also sought help from his GP and wished to continue to receive treatment to prevent him from committing further offences.

The court heard Dignon was now separated from his wife as a result of his latest offences. A probation service report assessed Dignon as suitable for further treatment.

He was made the subject of a further three-year order and told he must return to the sex offender register for five years.

The Recorder of Leeds, judge Peter Collier, QC, said: “Unfortunately once the period of registration and notification came to an end you then reverted to looking again at images of children. Once you were discovered you were open with police and the probation service and have been frank with the court.”

May 2016

Sex fiend went on UK-wide rape tour to prey on university students

THIS is the sex-obsessed Glasgow businessman who travelled 7,000 miles on a rape spree and tried to creep into a university students’ room.

Businessman Tahir Nazir, 40, was today handed a 12 year sentence after a UK-wide “rape tour” where he targeted drunk women enjoying cheap student drink promos.

Nazir abused renowned student events like Freshers Fortnight in a bid to sneak into halls of residence and student digs in the hope to sleep with students who had one too many.

And shocking CCTV shows pervert selecting his prey as he prowled students’ halls late at night – attempting to open doors to women’s rooms.

One victim woke in horror to find a half naked Nazir licking her neck and trying to rape her while naked from the waist down.

In another incident he was seen lying on top of a woman as she lay drunk at student digs in Cardiff.

Nazir – who claims to be managing director of a hospitality and entertainment company – was arrested last November after a group of female undergraduates reported someone trying to open their bedroom doors.

Police found empty packets of Viagra in his car and a fake ID claiming he was student at Glasgow University.

Prosecutors said he had driven 7,000 miles on a tour of university towns Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Bristol and Cardiff, during which he slept in his car.

But he told a court that he was simply on a motoring trip “of a lifetime”.

However, police claimed Nazir spent long periods of time time surveilling his surroundings to ensure he could snare victims.

He was found with 38 images of Victoria Halls, Manchester, on his mobile phone.

He also carried out internet searches for “high school girls”, “Freshers Week” and “Swansea University Students Union.”

The divorcee would pop Viagra tablets and snort cocaine in a bid to heighten his sexual appetite.

But he was caged for 12 years at at Manchester Crown Court after he was convicted of trespass with intent to commit an offence, sexual assault, attempted rape, and three charges of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence.