August 2016

Jailed: man who distributed indecent images of children

A Woolton man has been jailed for seven years for possessing indecent images of children and voyeurism.

Graham Patterson, 28, from Beechill Close, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court today, Tuesday 2 August.

Patterson was charged with 14 counts of taking, producing and distributing indecent images of children and two charges of incitement following an extensive investigation, which was referred to the Matrix Cyber Investigation team by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in December 2014.

During the investigation, it was established that Patterson possessed indecent images of children, and had additionally contacted numerous girls through social networking sites, inciting some of them to commit sexual acts on camera.

As a result of the investigation, safeguarding measures have been put in place for 44 UK children and a further 38 children have been referred to Law Enforcement agencies throughout the UK and USA by CEOP, meaning a total of 82 potential victims will have been protected from further harm.

August 2016

Man jailed for ‘disgusting and revolting’ sexual abuse of two children

A 54-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for three years for the “disgusting and revolting” sexual abuse of two children 40 years ago when he was himself a teenager.

The boy and girl who suffered at the hands of Gareth McGuinness in the 1970s stood up in court to relate the “life sentence” of horror and misery he had condemned them to.

Now middle-aged, they told of the long shadow cast over their lives by what McGuinness did to them when they were small children and he was their older babysitter.

McGuinness, of Burton Street, East Bowling, Bradford, pleaded guilty to eight counts of indecently assaulting a boy aged nine to 11 and seven offences of indecently assaulting a girl under 13. He was aged 11 to 17 at the time.

He began molesting the boy when they were play fighting but the abuse escalated to forcing him to perform a sex act on him.

The girl was only four when McGuinness began abusing her. He would remove her underwear and sexually assault her until she cried.

The man, reading aloud his victim personal statement, said: “It has been a rollercoaster of emotions – anger, shame and embarrassment.”

There wasn’t a day when he did not think about what the defendant had done, he said

Turning to the dock, he stated: “I want to know why you turned into such a monster.”

The man said he had been suicidal and had received counselling. He was on long-term anti-depressants and did not socialise.

“I no longer trust people in general because of this,” he said. “My life has been filled with pain and horror.”

The woman said: “All my life I have carried this shame and felt dirty and no good.”

She turned to drugs when very young and had regularly self-harmed, cutting herself with a razor blade and wishing she was dead.

McGuinness’s lawyer, Tom Rushbrooke, said he had led a blameless life since.

Judge Jonathan Rose labelled the offences “disgusting and revolting”. “This was repeated, prolonged sexual abuse over a long period of time,” he said.

He made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order without limit of time and McGuinness must register as a sex offender for an indefinite period.

August 2016

Woman jailed for seven years for sexual assaults on underage girl

A WOMAN who carried out a string of sexual assaults on an underage girl was jailed for seven years as a judge branded her “crafty” and said: “She was an innocent.”

Raheelah Dar sat emotionless in the dock as Recorder Tim Roberts, QC, told her she will not automatically be freed at the usual half-way point of a prison sentence.

Twice-married Dar was supported by members of the community in the packed public gallery at Teesside Crown Court as the 43-year-old was locked up

Mr Recorder Roberts said she will be released when the Parole Board considers it safe to do so, as two of her crimes made her “an offender of particular concern”.

Dar, of Central Mews, Middlesbrough, was found guilty after a re-trial in June during which her shattered victim spoke movingly of the impact the abuse has had on.

She was accused of isolating, manipulating and molesting the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and gradually grooming telling her that she was special.

The court heard she kissed the girl, made sexual conversation, undressed in front of her and got her to kiss a boy, escalating to more intimate sexual assaults.

Reading from a victim personal statement in the witness box, she said she has suffered worsening flashbacks and anxiety attacks, and dreads personal contact.

She told how the court process after she made her “brave” disclosures – the first one in November last year – had been “unbearable” and brought her ordeal back.

Alison Pryor, mitigating, said the shame her convictions had brought on Dar and her family would possibly be harder to bear for them than a prison sentence.

Miss Pryor provided a big bundle of references which spoke highly of the defendant, and said two failed marriages and the death of a daughter in 2008 had left her with fragile mental health.

Dar was convicted of three charges of indecent assault and two of indecency with a child, and was also put on the sex offenders’s register indefinitely.

The judge told her she would also be banned from working with children for life, and said: “I’m satisfied on the evidence that you targeted her because she was vulnerable.

“I have heard sworn evidence in the course of a trial, that you are ordinarily person of exceptional good character, and you are someone who has coped with the various hardships life has visited upon you with dignity, composure and a fair degree of consideration to others.

“But you are to be sentenced for exceptionally serious offences. You embroiled her in deceit and pretence to hide your offending.”

August 2016

Pensioner jailed for 10-years for raping young girl

A STOURPORT pensioner has been jailed for ten years after he admitted raping a young girl more than twenty-five years ago.

Glyn Nolan, of Olive Grove, Stourport, will not be released early without the consent of the parole board after he pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to two counts of indecent assault and five of rape between 1981 and 1991.

Michael Aspinall, prosecuting, told the court the offences had come to light only two years ago in 2014 when the victim, now in her forties, told police what 67-year-old Nolan had done when she was a young girl.

“He had told her it was their secret and she should not tell anyone,” Mr Aspinall said.

The victim had since suffered from mental health issues and she had tried to block the details out of her memory, he said.

Mark Sheward, defending, said Nolan had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to spare his victim having to give evidence in court.

Judge Daniel Pearce-Higgins, QC, said the crimes were extremely serious. The girl’s life had been ruined, he said.

Nolan was given a total of ten years with an extended licence period following his release. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order to run indefinitely and will have to register as a sex offender for life.

August 2016

Scout leader admits trying to get girl to send him an indecent photo of herself

A Scout leader from Gloucester who tried to get a girl aged under-16 to send him an indecent photo of herself was today bailed to await sentence.

Mark Andrew Curtis, 39, of Lichfield Road, Barnwood, had earlier denied charges of having sexual activity with the teenage girl by touching her in October 2014, and inciting her to send him an indecent photo in January 2015.

He was to have stood jury trial at Gloucester Crown Court today but changed his plea to the incitement charge at the last minute.

The other charge was not proceeded with.

The Recorder of Gloucester Judge Jamie Tabor QC said that by admitting the more serious charge Curtis had saved his young victim the stress of having to give evidence.

Defending, Joe Maloney told the court that Curtis had been willing to plead guilty to the second charge at a much earlier date but this had been unacceptable to the prosecution at the time.

The court has been told that Curtis groomed the girl by text messages.

He was bailed for a pre-sentence report from the probation service to be prepared, with the condition that he must not contact his victim. He will return for sentence on September 5.

Judge Tabor later spoke to the victim and thanked her for her courage in being ready to give evidence if the trial had gone ahead today.

But he told her to remember that anything she put on social media was not private.

October 2016

McDonald’s voyeur is a ‘devious predator’

McDonald’s voyeur Michael Gaffney has been branded a ‘devious predator’ – after filming hundreds of female customers going to the toilet at the city branch where he worked.

Staffordshire Police described the 56-year-old’s actions as ‘chilling’ after the former McDonald’s worker was this week jailed for 16 months.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the married dad-of-two, of Collard Avenue, Cross Heath, hid cameras in the female toilets of the Hanley branch.

He then recorded hundreds of videos of women and children as young as seven who had gone to the toilet at the Parliament Row restaurant.

Now Staffordshire Police – which arrested Gaffney in 2014 – have condemned the defendant’s actions.

Detective Constable Kramer Caldwell said: “Gaffney was a devious predator. He violated the privacy of customers who had a right to expect it to be respected.

“He was not deterred by his arrest and continued to download indecent images of children from the internet, even while he was being investigated. The way he went about things is chilling and he deserves to be punished.

“We will not tolerate this type of behaviour and, even if it takes a long time to gather the evidence, we will bring offenders like him to justice.”

Gaffney had pleaded guilty to 12 charges of voyeurism and five offences of possessing indecent images of children when he was sentenced this week.

October 2016

Pervert, 51, is confronted by paedophile hunters outside a railway station

A middle-aged arts producer who expected to meet an underage girl for sex was confronted by paedophile hunters outside a railway station.

David Metcalfe, 51, from Newcastle, arrived at St Albans thinking he was to meet a 13-year-old called Lizzie White.

But St Albans Crown Court heard that he was the target of a sting operation and Lizzie White was fictitious.

When he was standing outside St Albans City station, he was filmed by self-styled paedophile hunters Katie and Neil Ivall, who operate under the name Chris Fear.

He was arrested and, when police examined his computer, they found he had been having conversations with girls, aged 9 to 15, who also turned out to be fictitious. 

The officers discovered he travelled to Hartlepool beach where he expected to have sex with one of them.

Metcalfe, of Haldane Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming between 6 June 2015 and 2 August 2015.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming between 10 September 2015 and 13 September 2015.

Prosecutor Jai Patel said a 13 year old called Lizzie White was made up by Katie Ivall and her profile and date of birth was placed on an Internet site showing children in school uniform.

Metcalfe, who used the name David Langden, became her friend on the site, saying: ‘I love your pics.’

They agreed to meet up in St Albans. Lizzie said: ‘I am 13. Is that K?’ (Meaning OK) He replied: ‘Yes it is ok with me. What would you be up for doing?’

Explicit conversations followed and the day before the meeting Metcalfe wrote: ‘Maybe your last night as a virgin.’ She replied: ‘OMG – really.’

He also sent her a photo of his erect penis, saying: ‘I hope you like it.’

Mr Patel said when Metcalfe was arrested, the police examined his computer and found he had been in contact with 4 fictitious girls and discussed sexual activity and meeting up.

He arranged to meet one girl for a beach party in Hartlepool, telling her to bring her friends. When she did not turn up, he sent her a message saying: ‘I can’t find you.’

Another girl told him she was aged only 9, he replied: ‘Wow, nice and very naughty.’

He also asked the 15 year old to send him a picture of her vagina. An image was sent to Metcalfe, said Mr Patel.

Chloe Fairley, defending, said Metcalfe had already spent six months in custody on remand. She said Metcalfe acknowledge he needed help and had sought psychological assistance.

‘He is a professional man with a very distinguished career which he spent a long time building up. That is lying in tatters. He acknowledges he has brought that on himself,’ she said

Judge Jonathan Carroll said: ‘He has paedophile tendencies and has paedophile fantasies. On two occasions he tried to act them out. Fortunately, it was fictitious.’

Jailing him for two and a half years, the judge told Metcalfe: ‘None of these girls existed. They were created to entice someone like you.’

Referring to an interview with a probation officer about the St Albans meeting, the judge said: ‘You appear to seek to minimise what your intentions were that night and made excuses. In my judgement you got on the train to St Albans with the clear intention of having sex with a 13 year old child.

‘You are a paedophile. On two occasions you arranged to meet girls and on five occasions you sought to develop grooming relationships.’

Metcalfe must register as a sex offender and abide by the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the next 10 years. 

October 2016

Omagh man admits child sex offences

A 23-YEAR-OLD Omagh man has pleaded guilty to multiple sexual offences including voyeurism, possessing indecent images of children and inciting children to engage in sexual activity.

Rory Kelly of Pinefield Drive originally denied the 35 charges, but changed his plea in the dock of Dungannon Crown Court.

He admitted 21 counts of recording a person carrying out a private act without their consent on various dates between October 16 2013 and July 11 2014.

There are also six counts of intentionally engaging a female child aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

These took place on dates between February 21 and April 6 2013.

On May 14 2014 there is a single count of the same charge against a female child aged under 13.

Finally Kelly admitted seven counts of possessing indecent images of a child between January 12 to July 2 2014.

There are five female victims in the case, four aged under 16 and one aged under 13.

Kelly was remanded on continuing bail whilst pre-sentence reports are prepared.

However given the nature of the charges, Judge Stephen Fowler ruled sex offender registration was required immediately.

Kelly will be notified of the duration and requirements of compliance when he returns for sentencing in November.

October 2016

‘Sex addict’ teacher who asked girl, 13, to send topless pictures avoids jail

A “sex addict” teacher’s career is in ruins after he was caught with child pornography on his home computer.

James Luff, who was head of biology at Lutterworth College, also asked a 13-year-old girl on the internet to send him revealing and topless photos.

None of the children involved were pupils at the college, either past or present.

The 32-year-old, of Leicester Road, Mountsorrel, Leicester, was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with a requirement to undergo a sex offender rehabilitation programme.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, and his address will be on a sex offenders’ register, both for 10 years.

He admitted downloading 79 indecent images of children in category A, the most serious range, 59 in category B and 417 in category C, between September 2007 and June 2014.

Luff also pleaded guilty to possessing 128 extreme pornographic images, and attempting to incite a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, between March and May 2014.

Sentencing Luff at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Dean QC told him: “For most of the period that you’ve been addicted to pornography you’ve worked as a school teacher, and I’ve read that you’ve been very successful in your career as a teacher.

“I want to emphasise that in no way, shape or form did your use of pornography – or attempt at offending – involve any children in your care.

“Had it done so, it’s crystal clear you’d have been facing a lengthy sentence of imprisonment.

“There’s no suggestion you actually engaged in sexual activity with children.

“These offences are serious and the offending falls into such a category that would justify a short term of imprisonment.

“It’s important to say, however, that the sentencing guidelines indicate, where there’s a significant prospect of rehabilitation, an alternative to custody can be appropriate.

“Your reaction to being uncovered as a sex offender was unusually candid and you’ve voluntarily sought help for what had become an addiction.

“You’ve lost your career. That is of itself a significant punishment.

“And, no doubt, for the rest of your adult life, you’ll be haunted by these convictions.

“I’m confident you won’t offend again.”

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said: “On April 22, 2015, a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s home.

“He told the officers he had an old computer in the attic which was seized and examined.”

Miss Rose said that as well as illegal images downloaded from the internet, there was evidence of Skype and social media activity with exchanges between the defendant and school children. There were conversations about school exams and homework – but the conversation went further with one 13-year-old.

They exchanged pictures of themselves clothed, before the defendant inquired: “Have you ever taken sexy pictures of yourself?”

He asked for more revealing pictures in her “underwear, bikini and topless”.

But none were sent and the child concerned was never located or identified.

October 2016

Man spared jail after admitting downloading indecent images of children

A man who admitted downloading indecent images of children onto his computer was warned by a judge if he offends again he will be sent to jail.

Peter James Wright, 39, of Abergele was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Caernarfon Crown Court .

Wright was told he must carry out extensive work with probation officers to address his offending behaviour.

Judge Merfyn Hughes QC directed he live at premises approved by probation officers for the next six months.

He warned Wright: “If you do not comply with the order, or commit further offences in the next two years, you will be brought back to court and you will be sent to prison.”

Wright was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

The judge ordered the computer equipment seized by police at his home be forfeited

October 2016

Teaching assistant jailed for five years after having sex with schoolgirl

The mother of a teaching assistant’s schoolgirl victim said that the past two years had been “like living a nightmare”.

24-year-old Hamid Bhatti groomed her 15-year-old daughter after meeting her on a placement at her school in the South West.

The mum, 40, said she quickly cottoned on to what was going on but felt powerless to stop them.

Bhatti was jailed for five years for the sexual activity with a student, with the court hearing the 24-year-old had sex with a 15-year-old student at least 14 times, including once on his bedroom floor while another teenage girl slept in his bed.

Bhatti, a teaching assistant from a Yeovil school, was jailed for five years after a jury at Taunton Crown Court found him guilty of child abduction and two allegations of sexual activity with a child

Bhatti, now 24, was acquitted of three further charges of sexual activity with a child.

Speaking after he was jailed for five years on Wednesday, the mother of the girl said she is glad the ordeal is finally over – but that she thinks the sentence is harsh.

She said: “The past two years have been awful – like living a nightmare. It has affected the whole family, it really has. I’m just glad it’s over.

“My daughter went through the phase where she really thought she loved Hamid. Girls at that age have raging hormones and Hamid got a lot of attention.

“I did meet him a couple of times and I warned him off her but unfortunately he didn’t listen.

“He always told me there was nothing going on. It was only when the police got evidence that he told me and he was very apologetic.”

She added: “I’m quite upset at the sentence he has been given. Part of me feels sorry for him as I’m a mum and his life is ruined. But I’m glad he was found guilty. It has affected my daughter so much.

“I don’t think she really understood at first – because he was 22 and she was 15, she thought it was OK. But when he was in a position of trust, it was wrong.”

The mum added that she wasn’t concerned when her daughter first started talking about Bhatti.

But alarm bells rang when she noticed the youngster dressing up for school and fussing more about her appearance.

The mum said: “She started making herself look better and I just thought she had a boyfriend from school.

“I was aware she liked him because she used to point him out on the way home from school, but I didn’t think much of it – I had a crush on a teacher at school.

“He didn’t have the beard at that point and he was quite an attractive man. A lot of the girls fancied him.”

The mum added that it has had a “huge” impact on her little girl and the family as a whole.

She said: “It caused arguments at home all the time and it was just awful. I just hope she can forge a future now. This has affected her greatly.”

Sentencing him to five years in prison for sexual activity with a child and two for child abduction, to run concurrently, Judge David Ticehurst said: “For a period you were undoubtedly in a sexual relationship with a girl you knew to be under the age of consent.

“It’s clear she was a vulnerable girl who had difficulties in her life, and your presence in her life only compounded those difficulties. Your interest in her was for your own sexual gratification and you chose to abuse her.

“It is doubly regrettable that you were a teaching assistant at the time you met the girl. Your duty was to support the staff and the students at the school and instead you abused a young girl and took advantage of her crush.

“You will never be able to work in teaching ever again, and I cannot think of a person less suitable to do so.”

Over the course of the eight day trial Hamid Bhatti, who is now 24, but had been 22 at the time of the alleged offences, the court heard he had been on a teaching placement at the school when he met the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Suspicions about the pair were first raised when a teacher spotted the girl blowing him a kiss from a classroom window, which he “caught” and blew back to her. When the school spoke to him about the incident, he said it had just been a joke.

Bhatti, who had been on a training placement at the school, was let go later that year after being reported for improper conduct by three members of staff at the school, but by then the pair were already in a sexual relationship.

When the girl came to school one day with a black eye and when her mother was called in, the girl admitted she had spent the night at Bhatti’s home instead of with friends.

Following an admission that she had spent Social services, the local authority and the police were all called in. But the girl protected him and denied anything sexual had taken place between them.

Police officers were so concerned about the couple that they served a child abduction notice on Bhatti, explaining he was not to have contact with the girl. The girl was interviewed several times by the police throughout their investigation, but she lied to officers about the extent of their relationship.

Later, she admitted that she and Bhatti had planned exactly what she would say during her interviews.

Despite the police investigation, the couple continued to see each other, with the girl frequently staying at his home, said the prosecution.

On one occasion, she stayed there with another friend, who woke up to find them having sex on the floor next to the bed next to her. Even when the girl’s mother found a note from him to her daughter which said “you were amazing last night, as always. I love you,” the girl denied anything untoward had happened between them.

In early 2015, the girl was reported missing and police visited Bhatti’s home to try and find her.

He claimed that he had not seen her or been in contact with her, but suspicious police returned later that day with more officers. As officers knocked on Bhatti’s door, the girl ran out of his back door – straight into the arms of a waiting policeman.

A search of Bhatti ‘s bedroom found a used condom, with his and the girl’s DNA on it. He was arrested by police and gave a no comment interview.

But even then Bhatti continued to try and contact the girl, even calling her friends and family and pretending to be her father so he could talk to her on the phone.

Months later, the girl opened up to friends and family about the extent of their relationship, eventually admitting he had begun a sexual relationship with her while he was at the school.

But Bhatti told the court the girl and her friends thought he looked like Zayn Malik from One Directon and had been ‘pestering’ him to the extent that he was hiding in classrooms at the school to try and avoid her.

Throughout the trial, he maintained their relationship had not been sexual, until she came to his home and told him she had turned 16.

As well as five years in prison, he will be added to the sex offender’s register indefinitely.

October 2016

Paedophile in his 80s jailed for repeatedly abusing child

An 83 year-old paedophile from Kent has been jailed for subjecting a ”vulnerable child” to multiple sexual assaults  between 2011 and 2015.

Appearing at court Raymond Gray from Glendale in Swanley pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual activity with a child. On 6 October was he sentenced to 6 years and 7 months imprisonment. He will also be placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Gray had subjected his victim to multiple acts of abuse during a four year period. The child had also been given pornographic magazines and warned not to tell anyone about his actions.

During police interview Gray refused to comment to a number of questions but conceded to officers he was ashamed of himself, because he ‘shouldn’t have done it’.

October 2016

Paedophile jailed for 36 years after 22 sexual assault charges against two young girls

A man has been jailed for a total of 36 years for 22 sexual assaults against two young girls.

Lee Long, of Bardsley Drive, Farnham , pleaded guilty to the offences, that took place between 1991 and 2005, at an earlier hearing at Guildford Crown Court when historic DNA evidence proved by 2,300,000 times to one he was the offender.

Sentencing him to serve a minimum of 20 years, Judge Stephen Climie said Long, 48, and formerly of Guildford, had demonstrated a total lack of insight into what he done.

October 2016

Convicted paedophile got on to bus so he could sit next to boy, 12

A paedophile deliberately boarded a bus at school closing time so he could sit next to a young boy, a court heard.

Anthony Hall suggested to the 12-year-old they should meet in a park and he would bring “chocolate and a blanket”.

A court was told that although he had not offended in two decades, he was a “high risk” to children.

Mr Walter Bealby, prosecuting at Stafford Crown Court, said that Hall, 72, took regular trips on the Uttoxeter to Burton bus route and had spoken to the victim over a two-week period.

He said the grooming included stroking the boy’s hair and CCTV on the bus had shown Hall moving seats to sit next to the schoolboy.

After the proposal to meet at the park, the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told his parents and the police were alerted.

On one occasion he suggested to the 12-year-old boy they should meet at a Burton park and he would bring ‘a blanket and some chocolate’ with him.

Recorder Abigail Nixon described Hall as a “predatory paedophile” and said it was clear it had been his intention to engage in some form of sexual contact with the boy.

She said aggravating features were that Hall had blamed the boy for talking to him, and had later urged the youngster not to tell his parents. Recorder Nixon said that while Hall had not offended in this way for almost two decades, reports indicated he was a ‘high risk’ to children.

Hall, who appeared in court via a video link from HMP Dovegate, had admitted three charges relating to the arranging or facilitating child sexual offences in September and October last year. He was jailed for 12 months and must be on the sex offenders’ register for the next 10 years.

Hall, of Hillside, Tutbury, was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will remain in place until any further order is made by the court.

The court heard the defendant had several previous convictions for indecent assaults, involving males and females, dating back to the mid-1960s and for offences of dishonesty.

October 2016

Girl ‘self-harming’ after being sexually assaulted by Staines paedophile

A teenage girl has told how she had been left a nervous wreck after she fell into the clutches of a paedophile.

The teenager said she now self-harmed and was frightened to be away from her parents for any length of time after a man sexually assaulted her repeatedly when she was a young child, Guildford Crown Court heard.

The victim impact statement was read out on Monday as Ian Hartley, 48, was jailed for eight years for sex crimes against the youngster.

Hartley, formerly of Garrick Close, Staines, was sent down after pleading guilty to three offences of sexual assault by penetration.

He was put on the sex offenders’ register for life and also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further notice.

Passing sentence, Judge Stephen Climie said Hartley’s perverted behaviour had a lasting impact on the young victim.

“She has suffered severe psychological harm as a result of what you did to her,” he said.

Judge Climie added: “Nothing I can say can in any way improve her future prospects.”

The court heard the girl was not the only youngster to have had her childhood ruined by Hartley, who has since moved to Cambridgeshire.

It was revealed he had been given a 27-month prison sentence in April 2014 after pleading guilty to sexual activity with a four-year-old girl and possession of child pornography.

A probation report to the court described the defendant as posing a “high level of risk to pre-teen girls”.

Ruby Selva, prosecuting, said: “The defendant never said anything while the abuse was taking place and she never spoke about it to him.

“When she was older, she began to realise that what had happened to her was wrong.”

Ms Selva said the girl finally confided in her mother and the matter was reported to the police.

She said Hartley at first denied the allegations but later admitted his guilt.

In a victim impact statement which the girl insisted should be read out in court, she said: “I’ve been self-harming as a result of what he did to me.”

The girl said she also wondered if other children had suffered the same sort of ordeal at Hartley’s hands.

October 2016

Pervert recorded himself sexually abusing a schoolgirl – Jailed

Pervert Clifford Manley sexually abused a schoolgirl – and kept videos of the attacks on his computer.

Police found photographs and video footage of several assaults when they raided the 47-year-old’s Kidsgrove home.

Now he has been jailed for a total of seven years and four months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, after admitting 11 sex offences.

October 2016

Pervert ‘model agent’ tricked schoolgirls

A pervert set himself up as a fake model agent in order to get girls to send indecent photos of themselves to him.

A court heard that Matthew Pike created a bogus Facebook page and lulled youngsters into his confidence, first encouraging them to send him pictures fully clothed and later persuading them to undress.

Wigan and Leigh magistrates were told that in one instance the 28-year-old of Lune Road, Platt Bridge, paid one of the youngsters for the sexualised pictures.

And he also got the minors to sign fake modelling contracts that he had drawn up in order to convince them that this was a genuine route to a career in modelling, rather than simply to satisfy his own sexual urges.

Pike admitted three charges of causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity: namely to take indecent pictures of herself and send them to him.

He also pleaded guilty to one charge of intentionally obtaining the sexual services of a 15-year-old girl, whom he did not reasonably believe was aged 18 or over, having previously made payment to her for those services.

The justices were told that the crimes took place while he was on bail for other offences and therefore breached his bail conditions. So he was remanded in custody pending his sentence on October 28.

The magistrates decided that his offences were too serious to be dealt with at their court and so committed him to Bolton Crown Court where a judge will decide his fate.

He was also automatically placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register

October 2016

Pervert filmed up girls’ skirts at Blackpool McDonalds

A father used his mobile phone to film up young schoolgirls’ skirts as they queued up at McDonalds.

A father used his mobile phone to film up young schoolgirls’ skirts as they queued up at McDonalds.

Another customer at the restaurant alerted police and officers tracked Omar Hayes down via an appeal on Facebook.

Hayes, a 35-year-old former shopworker, now unemployed, of St Andrews Gate, St Annes, pleaded guilty to an offence of outraging public decency and possessing cannabis with intent to supply the drugs.

Martine Connah, prosecuting, said a man at McDonalds, Bank Hey Street, Blackpool, alerted police after seeing Hayes using his mobile phone to film up the skirts of four 13-year-old girls in the queue in front of him on April 5 at 4.30pm.

Police obtained a still photograph of Hayes from the restaurant’s CCTV and used it to trace him via social media.

Officers searched his home and found 85 wraps of cannabis on the kitchen worktop.

When interviewed, Hayes said he had no ideal why he had filmed the schoolgirls as he had no sexual attraction to them.

He added that he was a father and also had a partner.

He said he had looked at the videos but they did not show under the girls’ skirts and he had deleted the footage.

Hugh Pond, defending, said Hayes had been frank with police and admitted briefly trying to film under the girls’ skirts. He was totally contrite and could not explain why he had done it.

Hayes was a long-standing cannabis user and the majority of the cannabis was for him, but he admitted intending to sell some of it to pay for his own habit.

Hayes was bailed to appear for sentence on November 2 at Preston Crown Court by Blackpool magistrates.

May 2008

Baby died after being shaken by dad

A FIVE-year-old girl died of her injuries more than four years after being violently shaken by her father, an inquest heard.

Coroner Anne Hind recorded a verdict of unlawful killing on Sophie Smith, of Breck Road in Blackpool, who died in July 2004.

Sophie was born prematurely but lived a relatively normal life until she was shaken by her 18-year-old father at four months old.

She developed cerebral palsy as a result of the attack and an inquest heard she was not expected to live long when she was fostered by the Smith family in 2002.

The youngster who was described as “feisty and a real fighter” by Philip and Samantha Smith who later adopted her, defied all odds and went on to live until the age of five.

Her birth father Omar Hayes admitted causing grievous bodily harm in January 2000 and was sentenced to 18 months in youth custody.

Mrs Hind explained that the inquest was taking place four years after her death to formally “tie up the case after a very, very lengthy police investigation.”

The cause of death was recorded as broncho pneumonia brought on by chronic aspiration of her gastric contents which is consistent with head injury.

Mrs Hind said: “The two coroners who examined Sophie’s body were unequivocal in their conviction that the injury that caused her death was the shaking she had suffered five years earlier.”

Mrs Hind explained how the case had been complicated by a change in the law, removing a provision under which a victim had to die within a year and a day of receiving injuries in a crime for the person responsible to be tried for manslaughter.

Hayes had completed his sentence by the time of Sophie’s death but given the change in the law, the case was re-opened by the Crown Prosecution Service.

As the length of time had been so significant however, the CPS consulted the Attorney General who decided it was not in the public’s interest to bring a new prosecution. Their assessment concluded that an 18 month sentence was comparable with what Hayes might have received if found guilty of manslaughter.

Mrs Hind paid tribute to adoptive parents Philip and Samantha Smith for the love and care they had shown Sophie throughout her short life, she said: “I can’t tell you how much I admire you for the quiet heroism you show in bringing hope and happiness to the children you foster. “Sophie had the worst possible start in life but you made sure she had the best possible end.”

October 2016

Care worker used part in play to film child actors as they changed between scenes

Care worker Lawrence McKay used his part as in a play to take secret videos of child actors as they changed costumes between scenes, a court heard today.

Pervert McKay, 53, had a camera disguised as a pen and he took four films of young girls as they stripped down to their underwear in the changing area.

McKay, of Linden Road, Gloucester, pleaded guilty to one charge of voyeurism in July 2013 and four of making indecent images of children in 2014.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, and ordered to undergo 30 days of rehabilitation activities.

Judge Michael Cullum also placed him on the sex offender register for ten years and made a sexual harm prevention order for the same period banning him from making contact with anyone under 18.

Prosecutor Nick O’Brien said the case included children.

“The performances took place where there were not really any proper changing facilities.

“Rows of costumes were strategically placed to try to give some privacy but in fact it was not possible to provide complete privacy for anybody.

“The defendant had a video camera which he chose to put down on a possible spot and left it recording but in many other instances he actually aimed it at a child.”

One, of a girl, was of her while she changed into a dress.

The other three videos were all of the same girl. In one she was sitting under a rack of clothes wearing only a vest and underwear. In another she was changing into a dress which was unfastened.

The third video showed her sitting on the floor with one leg raised trying to put some tights on.

Passing sentence Judge Cullum told him: “This was abhorrent activity. You have caused enormous upset to the parents of those children.”

He said it would be better for society if McKay underwent treatment to steer him away from such sexual interests rather than serve a short jail term and come out the same.