March 2014

“Submarine game” Tiverton paedophile faces jail

A RETIRED plant hire driver has been told he faces a long jail term after being found guilty of abusing two girls 40 years ago in the 1970s.

Dennis Cooper forced the girls to take part in a sexual game called Submarine with him when he was babysitting them while their mother was at work.

He abused them both in other ways and carried out one assault while watching the 1970s police drama series The Sweeney, Exeter Crown Court was told.

Cooper was remanded in custody and told he faces an inevitable jail sentence after a jury found him guilty of all but one of ten charges. He was cleared of the most serious allegation of rape against one of the girls.

Judge Phillip Wassall told him:”The sentencing in your case will be a complex exercise. I have to bear in mind these were protracted offences and the significant effects on the victims.

“You have been convicted of very serious sexual offences committed against girls when they were aged eight to 13 and the inevitable outcome is a substantial custodial sentence.”

Cooper, 70, of Ash Thomas, near Tiverton, was cleared of rape but found guilty of nine counts of indecency against the two girls.

All the offences took place between 1972 and 1980 when the girls were aged eight to 12 and living in a village in Mid Devon.

The victims told the jury how he abused both girls while looking after them in the evening while their mother worked as a waitress.

The first alleged victim says Cooper touched her in the bath and while watching television and one occasion tried to have sex with her in her bed.

The other girl says she was touched on a number of occasions including bath time. Both described a game he played with them in the bath called Submarine in which he encouraged them to touch him indecently.

Cooper denied any abuse. He said:”I have never sexually abused anyone. I did not try to rape the girl when she was eight. I have never encouraged either girl to touch me.”

”We would just have a good old splash around at bath time. There was no submarine game.”

February 2014

Pervert from Cambourne with fetish for spanking young girls is jailed for six years

A cleaner with a fetish for spanking young girls has been jailed for six years.

Trevor Cullington-Norris, of Lancaster Gate, Upper Cambourne, assaulted four different girls, one as young as five, over several years – but evaded justice for four decades.

The 59-year-old’s offending came to light in 2012, when two victims told family members about abuse which happened in the mid-1990s.

While Det Con Natalie Bottom was investigating the claims, a further two victims who had been abused in the 1970s came forward.

At Cambridge Crown Court, Cullington-Norris pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault, sexual assault of a girl aged under 13, and a charge of sexual activity with a child.

He was jailed for a total of six years.

Cullington-Norris was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order which bans him from being in the same house as a child aged under 16 and makes it compulsory to notify police if he starts a relationship with anyone who has children aged under 16.

Det Con Bottom, who led the investigation, said Cullington-Norris had a fetish for spanking girls.

She said: “Cullington-Norris’s actions have had a lasting effect on all his victims.

“They have shown great courage to come forward and then assist what has been a lengthy investigation.

“He targeted four vulnerable young girls and the length of sentence shows just how seriously such offending is taken by the police and courts.”

March 2014

Ashbourne pensioner Reginald Allen sexually abused girl for five years

A PENSIONER has been jailed for long-term sexual abuse of a girl – five years after a police probe ended when he denied the allegations..

Reginald Allen was yesterday jailed for four years after he admitted abusing the girl regularly between the ages of nine and 14.

Derby Crown Court heard that when Allen, 71, was first questioned by police in 2009 about the abuse he denied any sexual contact with the girl and no charges were brought against him.

But in 2011, he told his wife what he had done and the case was re-opened by the police. He admitted some of the abuse to officers.

Prosecutor Sarah Slater said: “She (the victim) didn’t realise any of this was wrong until she started having sexual education at school. It (the abuse) carried on until she was 14, when she realised how wrong it was.”

At this stage she told him to stop and he called her something like “a little monkey” but he never tried to abuse her again.

The victim told police that she had thought “it was normal” but as she got older realised it was wrong.

Miss Slater said: “She remembers at 13 wanting to end her life and took an overdose. (The abuse) left her with no self-respect or value. It affected relationships with other people. He has effectively taken away her childhood.”

Sentencing Allen, Judge Jonathan Gosling said: “You ensured her silence by telling her that she was your ‘special girl’ and she shouldn’t disclose what you were doing to her or you would get into trouble. When she was 14 she developed the courage to tell you to stop. Realising, no doubt, there was a risk at that stage she might expose you, you did stop.”

Justin Ablott, in mitigation, said Allen had worked hard all his life latterly as a fork-lift truck driver and before that as a lorry driver. He was also in the Royal Marines for nine years, which included active service in Yemen in the 1960s.

“Any reputation that he managed to build up over his adult life in the forces and in his civilian life thereafter, has been lost,” said Mr Ablott.

He said Allen was “thoroughly ashamed of himself”.

Allen, of Manor Road, Ashbourne, admitted charges of indecent assault, indecency with a child, sexual activity with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He must sign the sex offenders register for life.

March 2014

‘He is a dangerous individual who exploited his position as headmaster’ – Norfolk man admits sexual abuse of young boys

The headmaster of a former Norfolk boarding school is facing a life prison sentence after admitting sexually assaulting young boys in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bryan Greenhalgh, 63, previously of Suffield near North Walsham, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault and one count of a serious sexual offence at Norwich Crown Court today.

The charges related to eight male victims under the age of 16.

The majority of the offences took place at two former independent schools – Sheringham Court School in Norfolk and Thurlby Manor School in Lincolnshire – between the 1970s and 1980s.

Greenhalgh was remanded in custody to reappear at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing on Friday, May 23.

He was warned by Judge Nicholas Coleman that there was a “real risk” of a life sentence.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Tristan Coull, of Norfolk Constabulary’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Greenhalgh is a dangerous individual who exploited his position as headmaster to win over the trust of the boys in his care and subjected them to horrendous abuse.

“He clearly preyed on boys who were at their most vulnerable and who at the time of the abuse felt unable to speak out as he appeared to be an upstanding pillar of the community.

“Through the position he held, it would have been the most basic of expectations to protect these children, instead he chose to do the complete opposite.”

A spokesman for Norfolk police said the force is committed to working with partner agencies to prevent child sexual exploitation, support victims and bring offenders to justice.

To report sexual abuse or suspected sexual abuse, call Norfolk police in confidence on 101 or contact The Harbour Centre, Norfolk’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, which offers 24/7 support on 0845 456 4810.

March 2014

Longfield man admits sexual activity with 12-year-old girl

A Longfield man who groomed a 12-year-old girl on a social networking site has admitted three counts of sexual activity with a child and possessing more than 200 indecent images.

James Newman, of Longfield Avenue, began talking with the young girl over social media network ‘BearShare’ between January and May last year.

The girl told Newman she was 12, while he lied and claimed he was 18 years old.

Newman then began contacting the girl through Facebook and the pair talked on Skype regularly. The young girl suggested the pair meet in person and it was then that Newman came clean and admitted he was 23.

The pair met for the first time shortly after the girl’s 13th birthday at Rochester train station. They went for a drive and kissed on the lips. They then met up every week for the next three weeks.

On the second occasion they stopped at a place Newman bragged as being a place he ‘used to street race in’.

They engaged in sexual activity, which the girl consented to at first but she later withdrew her consent. Newman continued.

The victim reported that she either fell asleep or had a blackout and woke up afterwards, but states she did not take any drugs or drink any alcohol.

Two weeks later they met again and engaged in sexual activity. The girl later told Newman she thought she might be pregnant. He did not reply to her messages and stopped contacting her.

The teenager then spoke to a teacher at school and told them she was scared she might be pregnant.

Newman was arrested by officers from Kent Police on November 28 who seized his computer and phone.

The digital forensic unit carried out a detailed and thorough search of the computer and iPhone and found 213 indecent images.

He appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on 6 March and pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of a child and three counts of sexual activity with a child.

He is due to be sentenced on 22 April.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Sunita Dale of Kent Police, said: ‘From the very outset, Newman knew the age of the young girl he began talking to on a social networking site.

“He pretended he was younger than he was to ensure he could continue the relationship.

‘Newman set out to groom this young girl, who was vulnerable because of her age, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity.

‘I would like to praise the victim who showed courage and bravery in providing police with sufficient evidence to convict Newman.

“When officers arrested him at his address, Newman’s computer was storing a vast amount of abhorrent images, depicting the abuse of children.

“Illegally produced images are made to fuel the demand from offenders like Newman, and it is quite right that he faces imprisonment for accessing images of this type.

“If anyone knows of or suspects child abuse to be taking place then they should report it to us and we will investigate it thoroughly.’

DC Dale added: ‘While the internet is a fantastic facility, I would urge parents and guardians to be conscious of how children are using it and to speak to them about dangers of talking to strangers online.

“Kent Police works closely with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center and their website contains lots of advice on how parents can further protect their children.”

For further information on how to protect your child online, visit http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk

March 2014

Child abuse images councillor spared jail

A man caught with images of child sexual abuse on his computer while a councillor has been spared jail.

Julian Mineur, 59, of Common Edge Road, Blackpool, was given a three-year community order and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Mineur was convicted in January at Preston Crown Court of making and possessing indecent images of children.

He was elected as a Conservative councillor for Greenlands Ward in 2007 but lost his seat in 2011.

Most serious category

The court heard police found indecent images of children on his computer following searches of addresses on Sackville Avenue, Blackpool in December 2010 and on Common Edge Road in August 2011.

The images included level five, the most serious category.

Brett Gerrity, senior crown prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service North West, said: “Since his first appearance in court in July 2012, Julian Mineur continuously denied that he had ever knowingly viewed or downloaded indecent images of children.

“As a result of his evasive actions, and at an increased cost to the public purse, several computer expert reports were completed which provided overwhelming evidence to show that he had indeed accessed such images on a number of computers that belonged to him.”

Mineur, who was ordered to pay £1,000 costs, was elected as a Conservative in 2007 but subsequently deselected by the party, fighting the 2011 election as an independent.

March 2014

Carlisle sex offender caught trying to ensnare girl 13,online – 3 year community order given

A 58-year-old man from Carlisle has to register as a sex offender for five years after trying to incite a 13-year-old girl into sexual activity online.

David Harrison, of Gillford Crescent, Harraby, was given a three year community order when he appeared at Carlisle Crown Court today. He had admitted attempting to incite a girl under 16 to engage in a sexual activity after being caught by the police’s child abuse internet investigation unit.

DCI Rob O’Connor said his arrest was the result of a proactive operation and Harrison had “engaged in sexualised conversations for his own gratification.”

“By highlighting this case, it shows others that we are watching them, and we will target them with a view to putting them in front of the courts,” he said.

March 2014

Stepdad who abused Bristol daughter is jailed for eight years

TO the outside world Christopher Gibson was the perfect stepdad. He took Jemma Sanders and her two brothers for trips to Alton Towers, played games in the garden and helped them walk their dog. But the young girl was hiding a dark secret from her family.

From the age of nine until just before her 16th birthday the man she thought of as her own father had been sexually abusing her.

It is only now – 12 years later and aged 28 – that Jemma, who lives in Hartcliffe, has finally been able to speak out and fully face what happened to her.

But despite Gibson being found guilty of ten charges of indecent assault on Jemma when she was aged nine to 15, and sentenced to eight years in prison, her mum still doesn’t believe her.

Jemma’s mum Debbie has always stood by her partner and refused to believe her daughter – even after he was sent to jail. This fact was reported in open court – and the trial saw her walk out of the courtroom before her daughter’s victim impact statement was due to be read by the judge.

Now Jemma has bravely waived her right to anonymity to tell her story – in the hope that it may encourage other victims of sex abuse to speak out.

Gibson came into Jemma’s life when she was just a year old. Her mother and biological father had split up and her mum had met Gibson.

The whole family moved into a house in Withywood and Jemma remembers an uneventful early childhood.

She always thought of Gibson as her dad and enjoyed the love and attention he showed her and her brothers. It was around the age of nine that she first remembers an uncomfortable incident.

She told the Bristol Post: “I know now that he touched me inappropriately but at the time I didn’t know it was wrong.

“He was my dad and I just felt loved.

“I remember thinking, ‘My daddy thinks that I’m my mummy’. Every time it happened from then on I thought it was normal. As I was getting older the abuse was changing and the touching was getting more serious. We had sex education in school and that was when I began to realise it was wrong. He’d always told me it was ‘our little secret’ and he wasn’t violent so when I was young I’d never known it was wrong.”

It was around the age of 15 that Jemma began trying to avoid being alone with her stepfather.

“He used to work evenings and he used to get in just before I came in from being out with my mates,” she said.

“I began coming in and rushing straight upstairs, because I knew if I stayed downstairs he would try something. I used to wait for him to go to bed, just so I could go downstairs. At that point I felt sick when I thought about it. I was nearing my 16th birthday and kept thinking in my mind, “It’ll stop when I’m 16″, and after that it did – because I turned into a wild child.”

It was at that point that Jemma tried to escape what happened to her by going off the rails. She admits that she used to stay out until all hours, drinking and stealing cigarettes. She was also spending more time with her boyfriend Shane Sanders – who is now her husband – who she had known as a youngster but who her family did not approve of.

“I was never at home and was acting like a rebel child,” she said.

“Shane got sent to prison and on the day he came out we got together.”

“It was around this time that I went to a party, got very drunk and told a friend what my stepdad was doing to me.”

This conversation would later prove vital – as her old school friend was able to provide evidence in Jemma’s favour at Gibson’s trial.

In 2003, aged 17, Jemma finally made the decision to tell her mum what had happened to her – but, as explained in court, she was never believed. She said: “I felt it was time I told my mum what had happened.

“I went round to my mum’s and said, ‘Mum, I’ve got something to tell you,’ she said, ‘Are you pregnant?’ but I remember saying, ‘No, it’s worse than that, you’d better sit down’. I told her what had happened and straight away she went off on one, calling me all the names under the sun. She didn’t believe me at all.

“I went to my nan’s house, and although she believed me, she persuaded me not to press charges – she said it would destroy the family and be the worst thing I ever did.”

In the next few years Jemma sank into depression. Her grandma died and she wanted to give her grandad a chance to reconnect with the rest of the family, so she left their home in Withywood, where she had been staying. She moved in with her boyfriend but they soon became homeless.

Life reached an all-time low for Jemma, before the pair found a council flat in Hartcliffe. In January 2004 Jemma found out she was pregnant. The turning point came when their daughter Cleo-Leigh was born that September. Their second daughter Ella-Jayne followed two years later.

It was in November 2012 that Jemma was first approached by a police officer.

Gibson’s name had been mentioned during evidence given during another court case – in which he was not accused of any offence – and the detective later told Jemma he thought she should speak out. The case was passed to a female detective, Kerina Balchin, who came to speak to Jemma at her home and then asked her to record a video statement.

“It took more than four hours to record,” said Jemma.

“It was so difficult because the detail they needed was so graphic. I had never gone into all those details with anyone before so it was really hard.”

Jemma continued: “When he was found guilty I was in complete shock. After ten years of people not believing me I was shocked that someone finally had. My mum refused to hear my victim impact statement when he was sentenced and has never given me a proper chance to tell my side.

“It was the abuse that has destroyed our family, not me, and I want my mum to know that. I still suffer with depression and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. I’m upset at what this has done to my family but I know now that it’s not my fault. I was a child and he was supposed to be my dad.

“I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I went through.”

Detective Constable Kerina Balchin told the Bristol Post: “The victim in this case has been extremely brave to waive her legal right to anonymity in order for her voice to be heard.

“I hope this conviction will encourage victims of abuse to come forward in the knowledge that they will be heard and supported by the criminal justice system and that every effort will be made to secure justice for them.”

March 2014

Man Jailed For Six years After Sexual Relations With Two 15 Year Old Girls

A man who had sexual relationships with two 15-year-old girls has been locked up for six years.

Michael Smith, 24, of Chesterfield, admitted five counts of sexual activity with a child and two charges of common assault.

He was given a lifelong ban from having any unsupervised contact or communication of any kind with girls under the age of 16 years.

He must also not have any contact with his victims.

The charges related to relationships Smith had with the two 15-year-old girls are over several months in 2013.

Smith was arrested at his home in Arundel Close in October last year and pleaded guilty to the charges at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, March 5th.

March 2014

Man admits having indecent images of children

A 40-YEAR-OLD man was convicted of having indecent photographs of children after the images were found on his lost mobile phone.

Lee Shacklock admitted having the indecent photographs as well as extreme pornographic images.

Officers found 209 category one images and two in category three – the most explicit level is category five – on Shacklock’s phone.

Shacklock, of Smisby Way, Shelton Lock, was given a three-year community order, with supervision and a requirement to attend a community sex offenders’ group work programme.

Shacklock, who appeared at Derby Crown Court, must obey a sexual offences prevention order, prohibiting him from accessing the internet on any device which deletes the history, for five years.

He must also sign the sex offenders’ register for five years.

March 2014

35 yr old Fife sex offender ‘Papa Smurf’ avoids jail for sending explicit texts to schoolgirl

A married father of two from Fife who dubbed himself “Papa Smurf” as he sent sexually explicit texts to a teenage girl has narrowly avoided a jail sentence.

David Kidd admitted sending the messages to a 15-year-old girl he called “Smurfette” in March last year. The court previously heard the messages described a variety of sex acts.

Kidd, of Dalgairn Crescent, Cupar, also arranged a secret sexual rendevous with the girl at Tarvit Hill in Cupar, although that meeting never took place as he was first reported to the police by the girl’s parents after they found the messages on her phone.

It later emerged the pair had exchanged numbers for a month after meeting while the girl was on a family outing in Perthshire.

Kidd’s defence solicitor said the 36-year-old had lost his job of 14 years as a result of the offence.

Addressing Kidd, Sheriff Charles Macnair said: “You entered into conversations by text with the complainer and while the complainer may have been involved as well, consensual is not the appropriate phrase.

“A child of that age is not deemed to be mature enough to give consent. You took advantage of her feelings and the way she was behaving. There had been an agreement to meet and have sexual contact. That did not take place because of the interview with the complainer.

“I take into account the fact there was no sexual contact however this is a very serious matter and I have just reached the conclusion to deal with this by way of a lengthy supervision order as the public will be less at risk.”

Sheriff Macnair sentenced Kidd to a three-year supervision order, on the condition that he attends a sex offender programme, and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. He was placed on the sexual offences protection order and the sex offenders register, both for 10 years.

In addition, Kidd was told he must not communicate with children without the permission of the child’s parents or guardian who must be informed of his conviction and that he must also, whenever asked by a police constable, surrender his mobile phone or any internet-enabled device.

March 2011

Two Abbotsford men sentenced for child abuse images possession

Two Abbotsford men were sentenced to jail terms this week for possessing child pornography.

Jeffery Michael Armstrong, 35, was sentenced to four months in jail, while Christopher Robert Lamb, 27, received a 45-day prison term. Both were also given two years’ probation after previously pleading guilty to the possession charges.

In considering his punishment for Armstrong, provincial court Judge Donald Gardner viewed two videos and some still images that had been seized by investigators in February 2009.

He said one video showed an adult female holding the shoulders of a child as she performed a sexual act on an adult male.

“All of the exhibits are disturbing because they deal with children …. as young as three or four years old,” Gardner said Tuesday at the sentencing.

“ … for children to be so dreadfully victimized is because there is a market for it.”

In sentencing Armstrong, Gardner took into account that Armstrong has shown remorse and shame for his actions, has been in counselling, has family support, and has been regularly employed as a cook.

Defence lawyer Gordon Dykstra had recommended a jail term of three to four months, while Crown counsel Sylvia Domaradzki had suggested nine to 12 months.

Armstrong was charged in February 2009 after U.S. authorities notified local police that a computer in Abbotsford had downloaded child pornography. It was traced to a home on Eaglecrest Drive.

Police executed a search warrant on the home, and seized seven CDs in a dresser drawer in Armstrong’s bedroom, as well as seven videos. The discs contained 135 child porn images, as did four of the videos.

Lamb was charged under similar circumstances in March 2009. He was one of 50 people arrested as part of Project Salvo, the nation’s largest co-ordinated investigation into child pornography.

Abbotsford Police executed a search warrant at his residence on Sherwood Crescent and seized a computer containing child porn.

Lamb pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, but went to trial on a charge of making child porn available to others. He was acquitted of that offence in December, and was sentenced Monday on the possession charge.

March 2014

Blackburn pervert had sex with underage girls

A pervert who preyed on girls in a park has been sent to jail.

Benjamin Brine, 21, had been charged with eight counts of engaging in sexual activity with children aged 12, 13 and 15.

The defendant, of Princess Street, Blackburn, was told at Preston Crown Court yesterday that he must now serve four years and six months behind bars.

The court had previously been told that Brine was in a relationship for two months with one of his victims, and had full sex with her.

When the relationship was over, he continued to text message his victim, listing the sexual activities he wanted to do with her.

Speaking after the sentence, Det Insp Claire McEnery, from the public protection unit, said: “Brine was a predatory individual who targeted young females who were vulnerable to his advances because of the age difference. The police were relentless in his pursuit and I hope that the outcome sends a strong message to other adults who prey on children.”

Prosecuting at the earlier hearing, Adam Lodge said: “Mr Brine was deliberately preying on young girls in the park, a sexual predator in the community.

“One of his victims also began to self harm when she found out he had been involved with other young girls.”

James Heywoth, for Brine, had told the court that the defendant, who had no previous convictions, had had time to reflect on his behaviour while remanded into custody.

He said: “Benjamin is not a predatory paedophile, he was in a relationship with one of the girls and said he loved her. He now realises that he should have been the person to say no.

March 2014

Sex offender secretly filmed girl at arcade

A SEX offender who made more than 11,000 indecent images of children was caught secretly filming a girl at an amusement arcade.

Patrick MacKenzie was clocked by staff at South Parade Pier in Southsea who called police.

Officers later discovered he had 617 indecent movies of children on computer equipment – 200 of which were at one of the most serious levels.

Another 10,566 images at the lowest indecency level were found on equipment seized from his Bramble Road home in Southsea.

MacKenzie, 31, had also filmed up the skirt of a girl aged between eight and 10 in a shop in a movie saved on his phone. All of the victims were aged 14 and under.

He was sentenced to a community order, put under supervision and told to pay £400 costs and attend a sex offenders’ treatment assessment programme.

MacKenzie must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and was given a sex offences prevention order.

The court heard he told police he was ‘sometimes attracted to young girls’, however it was unclear exact what MacKenzie meant by the term ‘young girls’.

Barry McElduff, defending, said MacKenzie told the author of a pre-sentence report he ‘couldn’t stop himself’.

Mr McElduff said: ‘He effectively said he found it exciting, then he would be disgusted with himself but in effect couldn’t stop accessing the material.’

MacKenzie, who has no previous convictions, admitted taking an indecent image of a child and 15 counts of making indecent images of a child. The images and associated equipment are to be destroyed.

Addressing MacKenzie, Roger Hetherington, sentencing, said: ‘I have no doubt that you did this because you were bored and derived excitement and some sexual gratification from this sort of activity.’

He added: ‘You have some insight, but only a limited insight into the nature of your offending and the consequences for the unfortunate girls who were photographed or filmed in this way.’

March 2014

Man terrified two primary age schoolgirls by threatening to climb in their bedroom windows and rape them

A RUSSIAN immigrant terrified two primary age schoolgirls by threatening to climb in their bedroom windows and rape them.

Nazars Galaks also said he would slit the throats of their dads, brothers and boyfriends and “hang them from a lamppost”.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard the girls – aged ten and 11 – were in a play park in Livingston when the 25-year-old approached them.

Galaks – who had been drinking – also made unwanted advances to a 16-year-old girl at a nearby underpass earlier that evening.

He told the teenager: “The first time I see you – wow! You’re gorgeous.”

When she asked if he was drunk, he said: “No, I’m sober when I see you.”

When her friends arrived he asked them to leave so he could talk to the teenager alone.

He then stepped towards her, opened his arms and pouted his lips, giving her the impression that he wanted to kiss her.

The girl stepped back so he could not make contact and went home to tell her mother what he had done.

The mother later went to where Galaks was and demanded to know why he had try to kiss her daughter.

She called the police, and Galaks was detained shortly after 11pm.

When charged he replied: “I didn’t threaten anyone.”

Galaks, of Clement Rise in Livingston, earlier pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace by placing the girls in a state of fear and alarm by making threatening and sexual remarks.

The incidents happened in the Dedridge area of Livingston on August 2 last year.

Alan Jackson, defending, said his client was a first offender.

He claimed Galaks had recently moved because of “suggestions of repercussions”.

Passing sentence, Sheriff John Rafferty told the accused: “The conduct referred to in the charge to which you’ve pled guilty is serious conduct and may have had a considerable impact upon the young
children.”

He placed Galaks under supervision for three years with a requirement that he take part in group sessions for the rehabilitation of child sex offenders.

He also banned Galaks from contact with children under the age of 16 and told him his name would remain on the sex offenders register for three years.

March 2014

Man convicted of sexual activity with a child from Milton Keynes

A 43-YEAR-OLD man has been convicted of sexual offences and harassment against a child in Milton Keynes.

James McGrath, of Denewood Crescent, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity, one count of sexual grooming and a count of harassment at Aylesbury Crown Court last Friday (February 28).

At the start of last year McGrath began chatting online with the victim, then a 14-year-old girl (who cannot be identified for legal reasons), while posing as a young man.

He progressed to text messaging his victim and, during Easter 2013, he travelled to Milton Keynes to meet the girl, where sexual activity took place.

McGrath told the victim he was older than he initially stated and the girl told him she no longer wished to see him. Following this he subjected her to harassment in the form of thousands of abusive text messages.

McGrath was arrested in September 2013 and charged on 10 October 2013.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Gary Huff of Milton Keynes Force CID, said: “McGrath posed as a young man to entice his victim to speak to him and eventually to agree to meet him, when he committed sexual offences against her.

“This conviction shows that offences of this nature are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly to ensure justice is done.

“I would urge parents to monitor who their children are talking to online, to ensure they are not put at risk.”

The Child Exploitation Online Protection (CEOP) Centre has produced the http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk for young people aged between five and 16 years old, parents and carers containing tips and advice on how to stay safe online.

McGrath is due to be sentenced at the same court on March 27.

October 2011

Clydebank sex beast hounded out of home by angry parents after being let out of jail early

A SEX beast who abused his schoolgirl niece has been hounded out of his home by angry parents after being released early from jail.

Joseph Maxwell, 39, has set up as a painter and decorator in Clydebank, near Glasgow.

He was originally charged with raping his niece when she was 15.

Last March, the former bingo caller was sentenced to three years at the High Court in Edinburgh after admitting a lesser charge of indecently assaulting the girl, claiming he was too drunk to remember what he did.

Dad-of-seven Maxwell, from Clydebank, preyed on the girl during her dad Stephen’s 40th birthday and Hogmanay party in 2007.

Justine and her friend had gone to sleep earlier in her parents’ bed.

But drunken Maxwell seized his chance after sending the other girl  to fetch him a glass of water.

He was released from jail last month and moved into a house in Dalmuir, Clydebank. But worried neighbours hounded him out after finding out about his past.

Last night, one neighbour said: “We don’t want a paedophile living around here with all the children in the street.

“We had no idea who he was at first and he was visiting folk’s homes painting and decorating.

“What he did was disgusting. He’s not welcome in Clydebank.”

Maxwell has now moved to another part of the town and is still a decorator.

Last year, Justine, 18, told how two paedophiles ruined her life. She was abused in Yorkshire at age seven then targeted by Maxwell.

Waiving her right to anonymity, Justine said: “To be abused once is bad enough but twice is unbearable.

“My uncle has ruined my life. I feel dead inside and worthless.

“I was very close to my uncle. He used to call me his wee princess but he is nothing but a sex beast who preyed on me when I was vulnerable.”

March 2010

Horror ordeal of the teenager who was sexually abused by taxi driver and her own uncle

A TEENAGER told last night how her life had been shattered after being preyed on by two paedophiles.

Brave Justine Maxwell, now 18, waived her right to anonymity to talk about her nightmare after her second attacker was jailed on Friday.

She was just seven when she was sexually abused by a taxi driver.

He struck after she moved to Yorkshire with her family to start a new life.

Justine returned to Scotland with her parents after her abuser was caged for 10 years for a string of child sex attacks.

But she was targeted again – this time by an uncle who promised to protect her.

Last night, she hit out at the justice system after Joseph Maxwell, 38, was jailed for just three years at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Justine said: “He has ruined my life. I feel dead inside and worthless. I will never be able to trust anyone again.

“I was very close to my uncle. He used to call me his wee princess but he is nothing but a sex beast who preyed on me when I was vulnerable.

“He knew I had been sexually abused when I was younger and he supported me through that. He was supposed to look after me, not abuse me.

“I don’t know how I am going to get through this. To be abused once is bad enough but twice is unbearable.

“I waited more than two years to see him jailed and he only got three years. That is nothing for a wasted life. I feel disgusted and let down by the justice system.

“He will be out soon and I can’t sleep at night for fear of that day.”

Dad-of-seven Maxwell, from Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, was originally charged with raping Justine when she was 15.

He struck at her home during her dad Stephen’s 40th birthday and Hogmanay party in 2007.

Justine and her friend had gone to sleep earlier in her parents’ bed.

But drunken Maxwell seized his chance after sending the other girl to fetch him a glass of water.

The former bingo caller was sentenced after admitting a lesser charge of indecently assaulting Justine, claiming he was too drunk to remember what he did.

A judge told Maxwell he had pleaded guilty to “a very serious matter” and warned he would have jailed him for four years had he continued to deny the charges.

But Lord Brailsford said: “I find the explanation of a complete lack of memory caused by alcohol a difficult one to come to terms with.”

Maxwell’s defence counsel Margaret Breslin said: “He is thoroughly disgusted with himself and deeply sorry.”

Justine’s dad Stephen has threatened to kill his brother when he is released from prison.

Furious Stephen, of Faifley, Dunbartonshire, said: “Three years for ruining my daughter’s life is absolutely shocking.

“He is a disgusting paedophile and he will strike again when he gets out.

“He used to call my daughter his wee princess and he was very supportive when we brought Justine back to Scotland after she was attacked the first time.

“He nurtured her through those terrible times. I had no idea he was just paving the way to use and abuse her again.

“I was a fool to trust my own brother and I will never forgive him for what he has done. He must be sick in the mind to do something like that to my wee girl.

“Justine had her whole life ahead of her and was going to university like her brother. But now she has lost her confidence and everything.

“He has destroyed her life and mine. We will never get over this.”

Dad-of-four Stephen, 43, a lab analyst, has attempted suicide five times because he feels guilty for failing to protect his daughter.

He said: “My kids are everything to me. I am a family man through and through and I’d kill and die for them.

“When our Justine was sexually abused down in Yorkshire we were all devastated.

“I felt bad enough then that I didn’t protect her. But then we come back up here for the support of our family and my brother does something like this. It is beyond belief.

“I have been struggling to cope with my anger and have even smashed my head against a wall to get some of the rage out and have tried to take my own life.

“This has torn our family apart. I haven’t spoken to some of them since Justine was attacked because they didn’t believe my girl and defended my brother.

“Justine now lives with her mum in Yorkshire but we are still very close and she is still my wee girl.

“I have remarried and, if it wasn’t for my second wife Sandra and her support, I would be a dead man.”

March 2014

Snodland man used chatrooms to speak about and share child abuse images

Jamie Nichols, 21 years old, of Lee Road, Snodland, was given six months’ imprisonment – suspended for two years – after admitting five offences of making indecent photos of a child and one of possessing such photos.

He will be under supervision for two years and will have to attend a sex offenders’ programme 

Prosecutor John Fitzgerald said Nichols was candid with police after his computer equipment was seized and more than 100 sordid images from levels one to four were found.

Nichols was aged 19 when he entered various chatrooms online and spoke to others about child abuse. He was sent both still and film images.

“He encouraged female teenagers to expose themselves,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Nichols left school with GCSEs and was doing a university course, but did not complete it

March 2014

Man found guilty of sex offences against two young sisters in their home

A man has been found guilty of sexually abusing two sisters in their home when one of the girls was as young as eight.

James Thomson, 54, fled to Ireland after the older girl reported him in 2008 for molesting her in Glenrothes, Fife, years earlier.

Social workers sent their mother on a course to teach her to recognise the signs of abuse, but prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to take the case to court.

Thomson was only brought to justice when the younger of the two victims, now 18, came forward to back up her sister’s story.

After a year-long battle to extradite him from Ireland Thomson appeared before a sheriff in Kirkcaldy in August 2012.

He stood trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on a string of charges dating back to October 2000, including rape, sexual assault and indecent exposure.

Advocate depute Peter Ferguson QC told the jury they had to believe the evidence of both sisters before they could convict him of anything.

He said the nature of Thomson’s offences meant there were no eyewitnesses to the abuse. : “Sex offences, particularly against young children are covert and secret, furtive and disgusting things,” Mr Ferguson said.

He went on to claim that Thomson “pursued what can only be described as a course of predatory conduct.”

Solicitor advocate Krista Johnson, defending, told the court the older girl had a reputation for lying and had run away from home.

But the jury found Thomson guilty on seven counts by a majority verdict. One charge, alleging he pinned down one of the girls on a bed before raping her, was dropped during the trial.

Judge Edward Bowen QC called for a background report and remanded Thomson in custody pending sentence next month.

March 2014

Man who sexually abused an 11-year-old boy jailed for four years

A man who sexually abused an 11-year-old boy three decades ago has been jailed for four years. David Curry, of Milltown View, Drumahoe, was convicted of nine charges of indecent assault and three of gross indecency after a trial in the city.

The offences were committed between 1980 -81, when the injured party was between 11 and 12 years old . The court heard that Curry, now 51, used to buy the boy sweets and they became friends. He took the victim to a breakers yard which he had the keys for.

He began to abuse the boy in what was once a snooker hall there, by touching his groin over his clothes. It then progressed in seriousness and involved oral sex and simulated sex. Curry also took the boy to his home and abused him in his bedroom. The abuse would take place two or three times a week.

The injured party said he went to police because he couldn’t live with the abuse anymore. Curry denied all the offences and continues to deny abusing the victim. It was revealed the injured party has been badly affected by the abuse and will need to have further counselling.

The court also heard that the convictions had an impact on Curry, a man with no previous convictions, and his house and his car were damaged. Judge Philip Babington said Curry had ‘befriended and groomed the complainant to win his trust and abused him for your own gratuitous pleasure. ‘One can only hope the injured party will improve with help over time’.

He said the age difference between the complainant and defendant, the length of time the abuse took place and the element of grooming were aggravating factors in the case as was the nature of the abuse and the harm caused to the victim. Curry was jailed for four years , will also spend two years on probation and will have to participate in the community sex offenders programme.

He will also sign the sex offenders register indefinitely be subjected to a sexual offences prevention order for five years which prohibits Curry having any contact with children under 16 without approval and banned from contacting his victim. The judge said the conditions are ‘necessary to protect the young people, from harm’. Curry will also be disqualified from working with children and vulnerable adults.