Latest Offenders

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A man has been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of non-recent sex offences against a child.

Christopher Brooks, 74, of Bishopsworth, Bristol was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 18 September.

Brooks was convicted by a jury to two counts of indecent assault against a child, two counts of inciting a child to commit an act of gross indecency, three counts of making an indecent image of a child, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image at the same court on June 17.

As well as a custodial sentence, Brooks will be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years after his victim “showed great bravery” in giving evidence during a complex investigation which started four years ago.

DC Rhiannon Jugmohun, officer in the case, said: “For the victim, this is something she has lived with for many decades.

“A third-party report was made to police which led to us approaching the victim to confirm whether the report was correct. The victim confirmed the offences but said if it wasn’t for officers knocking on her door, she would have probably taken this to her grave.”

This investigation was complex for numerous reasons, and the passage of time meant that witnesses were difficult to trace and many of those found struggled to recollect information from the time of the offending.

Investigating officers travelled across the country to gather evidence from people connected to the investigation, paper records were sought, and digital forensics officers reviewed a number of electronic devices in relation to the indecent image charges.

DC Jugmohun added:

“The victim showed great bravery throughout the investigation. She has shouldered the weight of these offences for most of her life and life has been difficult for her at times. With great support from both family and friends, the victim was able to eloquently detail, not only the offences committed against her, but the impact they have had on her life.

“We are at a place where regardless of age, victims will be heard, and we as the police will listen. Nobody is ever too young, and it is never too late to report a crime.”

Judge Edward Burgess QC told the court he was constrained by the sentencing guidelines in place at the time the offences occurred and said that had the offending happened recently, he would have received an even longer prison sentence.

Judge Burgess expressed the victim had shown “remarkable courage”.

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A drunken 61-year-old man, Marin Cristea, of Melbourne Street, west Hull, targeted two young children in a park, kissing them in "unpleasant and upsetting" encounters that left them shocked and anxious. He later kissed a woman in an "unsettling" street confrontation, Hull Crown Court heard.

Cristea admitted sexually assaulting a child under 13 twice on August 17 last year and assaulting a woman on February 22 this year. He had prior convictions, including a 2023 assault where he grabbed a child's wrist in Pearson Park after seeking a fist bump.

Prosecutor Jazmine Lee said Cristea approached a 12-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy playing in the park, speaking unintelligibly in non-English. He kissed the girl's hand and cheek, and the boy's hand and mouth. The boy's mother intervened, and Cristea left. The girl felt "freaked out," spotted him staring the next day, and police arrested the apparently drunk man after a chase. She later described lasting anxiety about going out alone, feeling shocked and scared.

On the day of the woman's assault, at 8am en route to Pilates, Cristea—drunk and unsteady—thrust his head into her car window, then kissed her hand and cheek despite her recoiling and trying to flee. He blocked her path, leaving her panicked and trapped until she escaped and called 999. She now feels on edge around men.

Mitigator Stephen Robinson noted the offences occurred while drunk, involved only kissing with no sensitive touching, and "went no further." Cristea apologized, blamed excessive drinking in downtime despite factory work, accepted custody, and hoped to return to Romania and his adult daughter, realizing "there is very little for him here."

Judge Alexander Menary said: "These offences have had an obvious impact on the victims. It was unsettling for them and interfered with their daily routines thereafter."

Cristea was jailed for one year, given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A man from Neath Port Talbot has been jailed after pleading guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

26-year-old Darren Rogers, from Alltwen, uploaded one Category A indecent video of a child to his Snapchat account in January 2024. Officers arrested Rogers at his home address, before further child sexual abuse material was found on devices belonging to him.

Rogers pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing an indecent photograph of a child, one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image showing sexual activity involving an animal.

He also pleaded guilty to seven counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one count each of distributing an indecent photograph of a child and causing a child to look at an image of sexual activity.

He has been sentenced to two years and two months in prison. He has also been made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for a period of ten years.

Detective Constable Adam Staniforth said:

“Darren Rogers was in possession of incredibly depraved material, and he knew this to be illegal.

“Rogers was using Snapchat to view and share this material, and it is fortunate that this came to light before his offending escalated any further.

“He was exploiting vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification, and he is now embarking on a deserved spell in prison as a result.

“As a force, South Wales Police will leave no stone unturned in the protection and safeguarding of children.”

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A 53-year-old Plymouth man, Nicholas Stanyon-Tall, of Kiln Close, was sentenced to 18 years in jail after a jury convicted him at Plymouth Crown Court of four counts of rape against two girls under 16, plus two counts of sexual assault.

The offences occurred in Plymouth over a four-year period in the 2000s. Stanyon-Tall had denied the charges; the victims cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Judge Robert Linford imposed an 18-year sentence with a one-year extended licence for each rape, and five years for each sexual assault, all concurrent. He also received a 30-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, lifelong placement on the Sex Offenders' Register, a 30-year restraining order barring contact with the victims, and lifelong barring from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Lead investigator Det Con Fiona Archer said:

"We welcome the Jury's verdict and the Judge's sentence in this case. The victims now have some justice for the suffering they received as children, and we hope they can begin to move forward with their lives.

"They have conducted themselves in an exemplary manner and have been very patient whilst this case has been brought to court. Nicholas Stanyon-Tall subjected the victims to abhorrent sexual abuse on numerous occasions.

"He will now serve a long prison sentence and be subject of continued monitoring once released. We thank all those involved for their part in bringing Nicholas Stanyon-Tall to justice."

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Mohammed Naveed, 42, a Bradford barber, was jailed for nine years after locking a boy in his shop's back room, pinning him down, and raping him when the boy refused to "work for" free cannabis.

Bradford Crown Court heard the unidentified boy had previously received cannabis from Naveed. He was also separately abused by Muhammed Afsan, 43, of Lynfield Drive, Bradford, who committed sex offences against him in his Audi car. Afsan received eight years, plus time for breaching a 2022 sexual risk order by having the boy and a 15-year-old girl in his car twice.

The girl was sexually assaulted by Naveed in the back room, where he demanded she remove her clothes and tried pulling off her top—stopped when the boy intervened.

Prosecutor Louise Reevell noted Naveed's jury convictions for rape, sexual communication with a child, paying for sexual services, sexual assault, and engaging in sexual activity in a child's presence. The boy was "rewarded" with vapes, money, and £20 for oral sex for sharing photos.

Afsan was convicted of penetrative sexual activity with a child, breaching the order, and sexual activity in a child's presence.

The boy's victim impact statement described sleepless nights and nightmares. Recorder Patrick Palmer said: “You must both understand your offending is serious offending which obviously warrants immediate sentences of imprisonment."

Both face lifelong sexual harm prevention orders and sex offender registration.

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A woman attempted suicide twice, visiting a bridge with intent to end her life, after being sexually assaulted by David Walsh, 41, of Cardiff. She described her life in "turmoil" and feeling "sick to her stomach" when Walsh denied the offenses.

Walsh assaulted the victim by performing oral sex on her after she passed out from alcohol and penetrating her with his fingers on two occasions.

At Cardiff Crown Court on Friday, the victim reported the assault, leading to Walsh's arrest. He denied the claims, alleging she made up or "exaggerated" them. A jury convicted him of two counts of assault by penetration and one count of sexual assault.

In her victim personal statement, read by prosecutor Thomas Stanway, she said: "The impact on my family and I has been huge." A decade-long degree pursuit derailed, she can no longer chase her dream career, facing massive financial strain: "I am unable to hold a job down... I have been signed off from work due to anxiety. The incident has taken my independence away. Having my dream career taken away from me and not being able to work is heartbreaking."

She undergoes therapy but battles insomnia, flashbacks, severe depression, and shaking like Parkinson's: "I suffer with shaking as if I have Parkinson's. It happens when I'm watching TV at home and anxiety washes all over me... Some days I feel like I need to be cared for like a child." She added: "I am regularly severely depressed, on two occasions I ended up on (a roundabout) and my husband had to call me off to stop me from jumping... Standing on that bridge would never have happened if the defendant hadn't assaulted me that night... It sickens me down to my stomach (the defendant) thought what he had done was acceptable and for him to deny what he did while my life has been in turmoil really hurts."

Walsh has prior convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, battery, and dangerous driving. In mitigation, Christopher Evans claimed no "severe psychological harm," noting Walsh's two children and support for his sister's family bills.

Judge Greg Bull deemed the offenses "pretty serious" with aggravating factors, sentencing Walsh to six years and six months in prison, indefinite sex offender registration, and a 20-year restraining order.

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Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty to making an indecent image of a child.

The 43-year-old appeared at Nottingham Crown Court over an allegation relating to a category A video, the most serious kind, recovered by police in February.

Coote, from Woodhill Road, Collingham, Nottinghamshire, was granted conditional bail ahead of an appearance on 11 December.

Judge Nirmal Shant KC ordered a pre-sentence report and said: "You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. Whether this means custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court."

The court heard Coote extracted the video from a hard drive to a laptop on 2 January 2020.

He previously pleaded not guilty to the charge at a hearing on 10 September at Nottingham Magistrates' Court.

At the six-minute hearing on Tuesday, Coote, who wore a navy suit and black tie, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his guilty plea.

The charge of making an indecent image of a child refers to activities such as downloading, sharing or saving photos or videos containing abuse.

Judge Shant KC said: "You must not go away with the impression that this will not lead to a custodial sentence."

Coote was sacked last year when comments made in a video about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in 2020 came to light.

In August this year, he was given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association over the Klopp footage.

In addition, the ex-official is also banned by European football's governing body Uefa until 30 June 2026 after photographs emerged of him snorting a white powder through a bank note while in Germany for Euro 2024.

In January, Coote came out as gay in an interview with The Sun and said a lifelong struggle to hide his sexuality had contributed to the rant about Klopp.

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A child rapist has been jailed for 21 years for subjecting a young girl to years of sexual abuse in Warrington.

Graham Jones, previously known as Graham Peacock, of Clonners Field, Stapeley, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday 10 October where he was handed the custodial sentence. He will also need to serve an extra five years on extended licence.

The 64-year-old had previously denied the charges, which consisted of four counts of rape, 14 counts of indecent assault, and four counts of gross indecency with a child, but was subsequently found guilty following a trial.

The court heard how Jones had abused the victim over many years in the Warrington area. The abuse began when she was aged nine and continued for several years.

The offences were reported in May 2022, and the victim bravely spoke about what had happened to her. Following enquiries, Jones was arrested and ultimately charged with multiple offences in June 2024.

On top of his 21-year sentence, Jones was ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for life and is also subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, plus restraining orders to protect the victim in this case.

Detective Constable Caroline Wharmby said:

“Firstly, I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case for speaking about what happened to her.

“No-one should have to go through what she has been through, and I hope the conclusion of this court process will help to bring her some sense of closure. Although nothing will make her forget what this despicable man did, her evidence and courage has meant he is now behind bars for a significant length of time, where he can’t do this to anyone else.

“Jones is clearly a sexual predator, taking advantage of an innocent young girl for his own twisted gratification.

“The fact that he committed such dreadful crimes over a number of years shows that he had absolutely no regard for how his crimes would impact the victim.

“Thankfully, the jury saw through his lies, and he now has many years in custody to contemplate his actions.”

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A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for raping two women he met online.

Tony Heath, 28, of Avonmouth, was sentenced to two charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday 8 October.

Heath, who was convicted by a jury at the same court on 26 September, raped both of his victims at his home after meeting them on Tinder and Snapchat, respectively.

Heath met his first victim on Tinder, and, after a few days he invited her back to his home where he sexually assaulted her before committing rape, but she was eventually able to escape after kicking him off.

He contacted his second victim on Snapchat and after a few hours, he asked her to go to his home to watch a film. She agreed, and he later raped her.

The women, who were aged in their late teens and early 20s at the time of the offending, were supported throughout the investigation and trial, and were referred to support services for victims of sexual offences.

One of the women said in a statement which was read in court:

“To this day I have thought about it non-stop, although everyone said, ‘just don’t think about it’, but it is all I do. I go over what happened and felt like I was to blame, and I deserved it.

“But I was put in that situation by him, I was powerless, and I froze. He took every bit of dignity from me.”

The second woman who had her statement read out on her behalf in court, said:

“A couple of days after this happened, I started having nightmares. I had nightmares where I would be back there, in the room, and I couldn’t get him off. Now, more than six months later, I am still having these nightmares multiple times a week.

“I now struggle with all physical contact with men, including those closest to me, and I can’t let my dad or cousin hug me anymore. While I am relieved that I went through the investigation and trial, it doesn’t change what he did to me, the impact it is still having on me, which will continue for the rest of my life.”

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A dangerous paedophile and convicted rapist who extensively groomed and sent explicit images to a 12-year-old decoy has been jailed for six years, with a three-year extended licence period.

James Green, 35, of Vaughan Street, King Cross, Halifax, sent "highly sexualised" messages, graphic photos and videos of his penis, and masturbation footage to what he believed was a school-age childbut was actually a police officer. Over 12 days in May, he suggested meeting to "kiss and go on dates and then do naughty things to each other," discussed spending weekends together, and having sex.

When police raided his home, they found a damaged Motorola phone buried in his cellarthe device used for messaging. Possessing it, plus a PlayStation 5, breached his 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) banning internet-capable devices.

The phone contained Category A, B, and C illicit images and videos of children (A being most serious), plus extreme adult-animal pornography. Green was said to have "a clear interest in children" and showed little remorse.

His prior convictions, dating to 2005, include rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 in 2011 (five years in a young offender institution), possession of indecent images, and multiple SHPO breaches.

In mitigation, Green pleaded guilty, accepted responsibility, and was "much more willing" to accept help to change.

Jailing him at Bradford Crown Court, Deputy Circuit Judge Timothy Clayson rejected Green's claim of feeling "lonely and isolated" after his last licence ended. The judge described "extensive grooming" and a "blatant breach" of the SHPO, noting Green damaged and hid the phone to evade detection.

Judge Clayson said:

"You are dangerous. You represent a significant risk of causing serious harm to members of the public by the commission of further specified offences.

"Your previous convictions are substantial. All relate to your sexual interest in children and your unwillingness or inability to behave lawfully and in compliance with court orders.

You groomed the person you were in communication with, with a view to meeting in which intercourse was contemplated by you. This is very important in the assessment of dangerousness because it shows you wanted to commit a very serious sexual offence upon a young child.

Protection of young girls must be the primary object of this sentencing exercise.

Green received an indefinite SHPO, must register as a sex offender for life, and is ineligible for parole until serving two-thirds of his sentence.

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Police have released an image of a homeless sex offender jailed for breaching court orders.

Steve James, of no fixed abode, failed to inform police of his whereabouts in breach of a court order to do so every seven days.

James, 30, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Monday, October 13.

He pleaded guilty to the breach.

James was first convicted in 2017 and placed on the sex offenders register.

He then breached his order four times in 2020 and in 2021, he was convicted for using violence to enter a property in Botley Road where there was someone present who opposed his entry.

In 2022, he failed to comply with notification requirements before the breaches in December last year.

His charges also put him in breach of a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, issued on October 30, 2023.

In 2024, he was jailed for 36 weeks for a further breach.

On the most recent occasion, the court heard he found himself homeless on May 4, and would have had to notify police of this on May 11.

However he didn't do that and was next found outside a pub in Margate, Kent, on June 6.

The court heard he admitted the offence in police interview.

In mitigation, it was heard that James had become an 'avid reader' in custody and had ambitions to become a personal trainer.

James was jailed for 12 months.

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Clelland engaged in hours of vile innuendos via chats but was confronted by a group at his home before arrest.

He quit his Scotrail job after sting footage went viral online.

Clelland, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, denied wrongdoing and stood trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

A jury convicted him of sexual communications with the girl between April and September last year.

In evidence, he claimed the warped messages were sent to make her cut contact.

He told the court he used the app to communicate with others while his partner was at work.

The 37-year train driver admitted sending the messages but said there was no truth to them.

In one, he told her she would be 'stunning when older' and he could not wait to think about her being 17 or 18.

He said he was branded a 'blue collared paedophile' and 'f*****g nonce' during the sting.

Sheriff Colin Dunipace deferred sentence on the first offender until next month for reports and continued bail.

But he warned: "Be under no illusion you have been found guilty of an extremely serious matter but given you have no previous convictions I will continue bail at this stage."

Clelland was placed on the sex offenders' register.

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A married man groomed what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl online, booked a hotel room stocked with alcopops, condoms, lubricant, sex toys, and a copy of the Kama Sutra sex book, then arranged to meet her at a 10-pin bowling alley, where he was confronted by a paedophile hunter group, a court heard.

Rodolfa Galvao, 49, was arrested after arriving with a rose and Dairy Milk chocolate, saying he "wanted to make a good first impression." Police found the hotel room in Mumbles with additional tequila and Champagne.

At Swansea Crown Court, Judge Paul Thomas KC said there was "only one reason" for booking the room and items, and he had no doubt Galvao intended penetrative sexual activity with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old. He called the gifts "bribes" and noted the pre-sentence report showed no real remorse, only "self pity," with "highly imaginative excuses, none of which had any credibility."

Prosecutor Helen Randall said contact began on Facebook with a decoy profile run by Dank Dragon volunteer. The decoy stated she was 14, but Galvao continued, exchanging numbers and chatting on WhatsApp. He called it "our little secret," said "age is just a number," discussed massages and a hotel, and reassured her he'd be gentle on her "first time," claiming he'd found his "true love."

Galvao, of Dowsell Way, Yate, Bristol—a Brazilian national who moved to Portugal in his 20s, then UK a decade ago—pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a child under 16 following sexual grooming. He has no prior convictions, works delivering baked goods for his wife's business while studying accountancy, and volunteers at a food bank.

Defense barrister Hannah George noted the stigma and difficulties on remand due to prison views.

With a one-third guilty plea discount, Galvao was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment, serving half in custody before licence release. He'll be a registered sex offender for 10 years and subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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A man has today been sentenced to 32 years in prison, following a string of violent and sexual offences dating back as far as the 1990s.

Edwin Youll was today sentenced at Teesside Crown Court, after he was found guilty of 26 charges following a trial in July this year.

63-year-old Edwin Youll, of Bexley Drive, Normanby, targeted vulnerable women and children and became violent towards them if they did not do as he commanded. He used his job as an unlicensed taxi driver to drive women around and target them, and on occasion used knives to facilitate his offending.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Stuart Hodgson said:

“Firstly I would like to thank the brave victims who came forward and gave harrowing accounts of the horrendous sexual abuse carried out by Edwin Youll.

“I commend the bravery of these women, and all witnesses involved in this investigation, for coming forward and speaking to us, and for their patience throughout the investigation and judicial process.

“Whilst the experiences will stay with them forever, I am pleased that this chapter has now come to a close and that justice has been served, and Youll will now spend a significant time behind bars.

“Violence against women and girls is not acceptable and we will always urge anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to contact Cleveland Police.”

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A 55-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.

Christopher Waby, of Chapel Lane, Keadby, near Scunthorpe, committed the offence against the vulnerable teenager in the Market Rasen area, in May 2023.

He was sentenced today (13 October) at Lincoln Crown Court, and a restraining order has also been imposed, to preventing any future contact with the victim.

DC Marie Williamson of our Protecting Vulnerable Persons Department said:

“The victim in this case has been extremely brave in speaking out about this offence which was committed against her when she was at her most vulnerable and unable to protect herself.

"Waby was entrusted to take care of her, but instead of doing so, for his own depraved sexual gratification proceeded to subject her to a horrific sexual assault which has had a huge detrimental impact on his victim’s life.

"This custodial sentence sends a message that this type of offence will not be tolerated.

"Although the victim will never be able to forget what happened, we hope that this sentence will give her some conclusion and go some way to help the her start to re-build her life."