Search results for Basingstoke

Description

A Basingstoke man has been jailed for distributing child sex abuse material.

Bradley Fox, aged 28, came to the attention of police after he uploaded indecent images of children online.

Officers attended his address on 21 January 2025 where he was arrested, and searches uncovered digital devices including mobile phones which held evidence of Fox sending videos and pictures to other individuals.

Three category C images were sent, along with four Category A videos – the most serious kind.

He was subsequently charged with two counts of distributing indecent images of children, and three counts of making indecent images of children, which he admitted on 25 August this year.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 2 October, he was jailed for two years and four months.

Fox, of Brahms Road in Basingstoke, was also handed a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and will be subject to sex offender notification requirements for 10 years.

PC Ollie Green, of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Internet Child Abuse Investigation Team, said:

“At the centre of every child abuse image is a real child being abused. Some of the images that Fox had in his possession were category A and showed some of the most horrific sexual violence perpetrated against children.

“When these images are downloaded, uploaded, or shared amongst users, that creates further demand for this type of material and ultimately will lead to more children being abused.

“These investigations can be lengthy and complex, and can be some of the most harrowing that any police officer will deal with, but as an investigation team ICAT are dedicated to finding those responsible and bringing them to justice.”

Description

A man has been jailed for 33 years for 17 counts of serious sexual offences, committed against two people in Bordon and Southsea between 2012 - 2023.

Michael Lovelace, 49, of Tallis Gardens in Basingstoke previously appeared at Winchester Crown Court on 16 December 2025, where he was found guilty by a jury of the following:

• Five counts of causing / inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity – no penetration
• Assault of a child under 13 by penetration
• Two counts of Sexual Assault a girl under 13 by touching
• Two counts of Offender 18 or over cause a child under 13 to watch / look at an image of sexual activity
• Rape of a child under 13
• Six counts of Rape

The abuse was first reported to police in March 2023 and an investigation was launched by Hampshire and Isle of wight Constabulary’s Amberstone Investigations Team.

Lovelace appeared again at the same court on Monday 2 March, where he was sentenced to 33 years imprisonment with an extended licence for eight years. He has also been handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

Police Staff Investigator Karen Slade of the Major Crime Team North (formerly of the Amberstone Team) said:

“I am very pleased with this result and to see Lovelace jailed for a considerable length of time for his abhorrent actions.

“Whilst no sentence will ever atone for the suffering that Lovelace has caused, I am glad that we have been able to bring some form of justice to the victims. I hope that this can help them begin to rebuild their lives, knowing that he is now behind bars as he deserves to be.

“I would like to thank the victims for their courage, resilience and support throughout this investigation, which has enabled us to get this result.

“We want to encourage anyone who has been affected by child sexual abuse to please report this to us. We take all reports of this nature extremely seriously and promise you that we will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice.”

Description

A man from Basingstoke has been jailed for more than five years after he pleaded guilty to child sex offences.

Nicholas Muncey, 38, of Hatch Warren Lane, was charged with:

• Engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 x 2
• Engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 x 3
• Causing / inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity x 2

Winchester Crown Court heard the offences took place in the Basingstoke area between 2007 and 2008.

Muncey pleaded guilty and was jailed for five years and eight months at Winchester Crown Court on Friday 29 August.

Detective Constable Mike Cole, from Basingstoke CID, said:

“I really hope this sentence will reassure victims that they will be listened to when reporting similar incidents to us.

“We encourage other victims to come forward and speak to us. We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and work hard to bring offenders to justice.

“This case should also be a very clear message to other offenders out there that we will always work tirelessly to ensure you are brought to justice.”

Description

A paedophile who raped a toddler has been jailed for 15 years after the judge described his actions as ‘deplorable’.  

Jahsiah Semper, formerly of Paddock Road in South Ham, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Tuesday, July 1.  

The 24-year-old appeared in the dock from Winchester Prison wearing a grey t-shirt and a gold chain around his neck.  

He was arrested in November 2024 after police officers searched his home and found indecent photographs and videos on his mobile phone.  

One video was of Semper assaulting a child aged between one and two years old, at some point between January 2022 and November 2024. 

He was charged by police in March 2025, and later pleaded guilty to nine counts including taking Category A indecent photographs of a child, making Category A and Category B indecent photographs of a child, assault of a girl under 13 by touching, possessing extreme pornographic images, and rape of a girl under 13.  

Following the discovery of more evidence, on June 25, three more charges were presented against Semper: Voyeurism by recording a private act, making Category B and Category A indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty.

The court heard that Semper does not remember making the video of the toddler and could not provide any explanation for the incident.  

Mitigating, Adreinne Knight, said: “He is 24 years old with no previous convictions. He is so ashamed of his actions, he cannot face his actions.  

“He knows he must have done it because of the evidence, he is ashamed, and above all else, he is sorry for what has happened.  

“He has been suffering from depression, and he is overwhelmed by what has taken place.”  

Describing Semper’s actions as ‘deplorable’, Judge Paul Dugdale refused to accept the defendant couldn’t remember the incident.  

Judge Dugdale said: “The concern I have is he has failed to get to grips with this.

"The treatment cannot start until he accepts he has done these things, and he needs help with it. He cannot say because he says he does not remember any of it.”  

He further dismissed the defendant's former good character and lack of previous convictions as mitigating factors against the sentence. 

Addressing the defendant, the Judge said: “The victim will grow to understand the catastrophic impact that your appalling behaviour will have on her for the rest of her life.  

“There will be devastating damage from what has been done. Mr Semper, this will haunt her for the rest of her life.  

“You remain a very dangerous person, and you pose a very significant risk to children until you accept what you have done."

Semper was sentenced to 15 years in prison plus five years on license and will be ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register, which he will be on for life. 

He must serve a minimum of 10 years in custody before he is eligible for parole. 

Judge Dugdale also issued a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life and an indefinite restraining order.

Description

A man has today been jailed for more than 10 years after he raped a child in Basingstoke.

Declan Westwell, 29, of no fixed abode, raped the teenage girl – who was not known to him – in the Oakridge area on Wednesday 8 May this year.

Following a fast-paced investigation, Westwell was identified and arrested. He was subsequently charged with raping a girl aged 13, and remanded in custody.

He denied the offence but was found guilty following a trial at Winchester Crown Court last month.

Westwell was jailed for a total of ten and a half years at Winchester Crown Court today (20 December).

DC Thomas Bailey, from the Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Declan Westwell used a false name and persona in order to coerce the girl – whom he had just met in a passing encounter. Despite knowing her age, he raped her, then warned her not to tell anyone what he had done.

“She later made a report to the police, and Westwell was taken into custody. He denied the offence, but was ultimately found guilty by a jury, who were unanimous in their decision.

“The sentence passed today includes an extended licence period of four years, recognising the danger which Westwell poses to the public. Once released, he will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A paedophile told what he thought was a 12-year-old girl that he would s*** her like a princess and travelled to Corby to try and meet her.

Callum Brown said he would book a hotel room before he left his home in Basingstoke and hopped on a train having spoken about sex online.

But when he arrived at Corby’s railway station he was confronted by paedophile hunters, who had been speaking to him all along after they set up a decoy profile.

On Friday (November 3) the 24-year-old, who spent time locked up on remand, was handed a suspended prison sentence.

Northampton Crown Court heard online child protection team Phoenix Guardians of the Innocent had set up a profile on Facebook, purporting to be a 12-year-old girl, when they were contacted by Brown on August 13 this year.

Prosecutor Phillip Plant said Brown, formerly of Ferndown Close, introduced himself and said he thought the ‘girl’ was cute, adding: “I hope you don't think I am weird."

He lied that he was 18 and his Facebook profile claimed that he worked as cabin crew for British Airways, the court heard.

Brown discussed meeting and asked the ‘girl’ if she had dated ‘older blokes’, telling her they could keep it as a secret if they were dating. He also said he was a needy boyfriend and told the ‘girl’ he loved her.

Mr Plant said Brown instigated chat about sex and offered to book a hotel room before moving the conversation to WhatsApp.

Mr Plant said: "Sex came up on more than one occasion."

The court heard Brown tried to assure the decoy that he wasn’t forcing her to have sex with him and booked a hotel before he seemed to get cold feet.

He told the ‘girl’ he was worried about meeting and worried she was a decoy, before continuing to talk about sex when he was reassured that she was genuine and would turn up.

Brown, who had no previous convictions, then said: "I will s*** you like a princess. I will ba** you like a princess."

The court heard he had discussed a 'cover story' where the girl would tell her mum that she was staying at a friend's house.

On August 22, just nine days after the conversation began, Brown travelled more than 100 miles to Corby to try and meet the ‘girl’ but was confronted at the town’s railway station by paedophile hunters. They detained him in an incident which was live streamed on Facebook and has been watched more than 85,000 times.

Brown was arrested and went on to plead guilty to attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. He appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, where he had been held since his first court appearance in August.

The court heard sentencing guidelines put a starting point for Brown’s offending at two years in prison with a sentencing range of between one year and four years behind bars.

Mitigating, Samantha Ball told the court that Brown is autistic and would have a placement at supported accommodation for adults with autism if he was released from prison.

Urging the case for a suspended sentence, she said Brown doesn't think about things he is doing until after it's happened and that he needs a support worker to visit three times a day to help with his day-to-day living.

She said: "This is the first time he has found himself in court or in prison.

"He is someone who has admitted to what he has done at the earliest opportunity."

Sentencing, Recorder David Allan said that, after aggravating and mitigating factors, the sentence after a trial would have been 18 months in custody.

He reduced it to 12 months because of Brown’s guilty plea – but said he was satisfied there was a prospect of rehabilitation and that he could suspend the sentence for 12 months.

Brown was told he must take part in 60 rehabilitation activity days and will have to stick to a four-month electronic curfew, where he is not allowed out between the hours of 9pm and 6am daily.

He will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years and will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

Recorder Allan told him: "I hope you do not come before the courts again."

Description

A man has today (Monday 12 June) been jailed for attempting to rape a woman and assaulting another after a night out in Basingstoke.

Costache-Flaviuis Ruset, 30, has been sentenced to nine years in prison, with an extended licence period of six years, after pleading guilty to attempted rape, assault by penetration, attempted GBH and ABH at Winchester Crown Court at a previous hearing.

The court heard that at 4.31am on Saturday, 18 February, a CCTV operator, monitoring the town’s CCTV cameras, became aware of a suspicious incident involving a man and two women on Timberlake Road.

The CCTV operator immediately alerted police directly through the police radio link when he saw the man pull one of the women to the ground and start assaulting her.

The court was told that two women, both in their 20s, had been walking home from a night out in Basingstoke when one of the women went to look for an item they had dropped.

Whilst waiting for her friend on Timberlake Road, the other woman was approached by a man unknown to her. The man, Ruset, pushed the woman to the ground and then attempted to rape her.

The woman’s friend returned moments later which caused Ruset to get up.

Both women started to walk away when Ruset ran up behind them and kicked the friend on her back, causing her to fall to the ground. He then stamped on her head and punched her several times while she lay on the ground.

He then turned to the first woman and assaulted her, causing her to fall to the ground.

Upon hearing police sirens and seeing blue lights, Ruset ran off.

Police officers gave chase whilst the CCTV controller continued to follow Ruset on the CCTV cameras, giving the officers direct commentary as to Ruset’s locations and direction of travel.

The CCTV controller watched Ruset hide behind some commercial bins in Feathers Yard and informed officers.

Ruset was arrested at 4.36am and subsequently charged.

Ruset, of Marks Lane, Basingstoke admitted the charges when he appeared at Winchester Crown Court on 22 March.

Appearing at the same court today, he was jailed for nine years, with an extended licence period of six years, taking the total sentence to 15 years.

Detective Inspector Mike Higgins from the Northern Investigation Team said “This was a terrifying incident that has had a significant impact on both the women involved.

“I would like to praise them for the strength they have shown during this fast paced investigation. I hope that now Ruset is in prison this will go some way to helping them move forward and begin to rebuild their lives.

“I would also like to commend the CCTV controller for his quick response to the incident and calling us when he noticed something wasn’t right.

“His actions allowed us to stop Ruset and prevent the women coming to further harm.

“By following Ruset’s movements on CCTV and guiding officers on the ground he allowed us to locate Ruset within minutes from the moment he fled the scene.

“As a consequence, Ruset had no option but to plead guilty and I am pleased we have been able to bring him to justice so swiftly and avoid these women having to relive the ordeal in court.

“Ruset is a dangerous, predatory man and he will now spend a long time in prison for what he did.

“No-one should have to feel in fear of their safety when walking the streets, no-matter what time of day or night it is. Everyone should feel safe and protected within our communities and violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

“I hope this case sends a clear message to those who predators and those who commit sexual and violent offences, you will be pursued, we will catch you and you will be dealt with robustly.

“I also hope this sentence demonstrates our commitment, and partnership work, in tackling violence against women and girls and keep everyone safe.”

Rape and serious sexual offences are one of the most devastating crimes a person can survive and that’s why we prioritise it.

We are fully committed to focussing on perpetrators because rape is often a serial offence where offenders continue to commit crimes until they’re stopped.

The Operation Amberstone team is made up of specially trained officers who work incredibly hard to target perpetrators of rape, and provide specialist support to survivors who have been affected.

If you have been affected by sexual abuse, you can report this to police by calling 101. You will be treated in the strictest of confidence and we will provide you with the help and support you need.

Description

A BASINGSTOKE man has avoided jail after police found hundreds of indecent images of children on electronic devices belonging to him.

Police confiscated a computer, two smartphones and a USB stick from the home of Dean Richard John Clayton.

Officers were not able to access the USB stick, which Clayton maintained he got from a gym and did not have the password for, but indecent images of children were found on the other devices - some of children as young as four-years-old.

On Monday, September 5, Clayton, of Daneshill Court, Lychpit, appeared at Winchester Crown Court to be sentenced. Matthew Lawson, prosecuting, said: The computer and the two smartphones had indecent images of children some of them were moving images. There was a password for the USB stick, which police could not access.

The defendants (ex) girlfriend had told the police that Clayton told her that if police got access to the contents of the USB stick his life would be over. However, the defendant maintained to the police that he did not have a password and he got the USB stick from a gym.

The defendant also had an app on his smartphone which looked like a calculator. It was in fact a spy app protected by a password. Indecent images were hidden inside this app.

At an earlier hearing, after a trial date was set, Clayton pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children between December 2013 and November 2019: 51 of Category A; 57 of Category B; and 448 of Category C.

He denied possessing four extreme pornographic images between July 24, 2016 and August 28, 2019, and of possessing 66 prohibited images of children between August 28, 2019 and November 3, 2019.

Clayton was unrepresented due to ongoing barrister strikes. Despite being given an opportunity to consult with his solicitor about a pre-sentencing report, he decided to proceed with sentencing.

In sentencing, Judge Susan Evans said Claytons denial of the offences delayed the case considerably. The judge continued: It is awful that there were images of children as young as four years and upwards. These are real children who are suffering real abuse. They suffer serious psychological and physical injuries. People like you are a market for it.

Judge Evans, however, acknowledged that Clayton seemed motivated to change after demonstrating remorse. Having lost his previous job because of the case, he has started working again.

The judge said that Clayton is making an effort to change his lifestyle by staying away from substances.

Clayton was handed a 24-month community order, fined 1,500, and placed under a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation and 120 hours of unpaid work.

Description

A MAN who "poses a risk to children" had more than 23,000 indecent images.

Officers raided Ross McNaughton's home seizing a tablet, computer, laptops and a camera.

Forensic examinations took place which revealed he had thousands of files showing youngsters being abused.

Of the photos, 608 were deemed category A - the most serious.

Meanwhile, 969 were considered category B, and 21,426 were category C.

However, a forensic examiner found no evidence they had been distributed.

McNaughton told police that no one else used the tablet and that he was sexually aroused by the images.

PC Sarah Tickner from the Internet Child Abuse Team led the investigation.

She said: McNaughton had an extremely large collection of indecent images stored on one of his devices and some children depicted were babies.

"He clearly poses a risk to children."

The defendant of Kings Road, Basingstoke, admitted three charges of possessing indecent images of children and to breaching a sexual risk order.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: The ease with which McNaughton appears to have amassed this enormous collection of indecent images shows the disturbing accessibility of this kind of content online.

Children continue to be put unacceptably at risk by the online world. The Government must prioritise the Online Safety Bill and deliver this crucial piece of legislation without further delay to ensure tech firms stop preventable harm to children.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court this week he was jailed for 30 months.

PC Tickner added: "I am glad to see that he is now behind bars. He will have strict conditions imposed upon him when he is released from prison.

I hope this investigation highlights our commitment to keeping children in our community safe and that we will do everything we can to ensure offenders are put before the courts.

Description

A BASINGSTOKE man who was snared by paedophile hunters after he encouraged teenagers to engage in sexual activity has been jailed for over five years.

Kasey Rolfe, 40, of Holyrood Court, contacted what he believed to be three teenage girls on Facebook Messenger and rapidly moved the conversation towards a sexual manner.

On August 14 this year he messaged a 13-year-old girl from Liverpool and asked her questions, before asking for an indecent image of her. On the same day he also spoke to another girl, 14, from Cardiff.

Speaking at Winchester Crown Court today (Monday), prosecutor Jane Terry said: "He began speaking to her the following day telling her that she is stunning and wished that she was older so he could take her out."

Rolfe promised the girl that he would take her out when she was 16. He then tried to call her but was instead sent a picture of her posing – he replied with a photograph.

The court was told that Rolfe also messaged another 14-year-old girl from Romford on August 3, he did not receive a response until August 15.

On each occasion Rolfe was not actually talking to a child as the account was being operated by a paedophile hunter or an child online protection group.

On August 18 an arrangement was made for Rolfe to meet up with a woman in Basingstoke for a "sexual encounter" with the adult but was in fact met by some of the teams.

He was detained, both the team and Rolfe called the police, he said he was "being pinned against the wall" and denied having any contact with underage girls. The whole encounter was live-streamed on the internet.

Rolfe previously pleaded guilty to cause a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity, three counts of attempt to engage in sexual communication with a child, and a further three charges of attempting to cause/incite a girl to engage in sexual activity.

In mitigation, Gemma White said: "He was detained for over an hour in an intimidating and aggressive way by a group of individuals that in my submission were acting outside of the law."

She added that the fact that it was live-streamed "has had a significant impact not just Mr Rolfe but on other people including his children".

The court was told that Rolfe has a history of substance misuse but since being in custody has been on a detox.

In sentencing, Mr Recorder D Tait said: "These engagements were clearly sexual and involved various sexual suggestions to people that you thought were under 16 years of age."

The judge added "there is no doubt you were seeking sexual contact towards girls under the age of 16".

Rolfe was jailed for five years and four months, he will also be subjected to notification requirements for life.

Description

A FORMER Team GB gymnast from Basingstoke who walked free from court after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a drunk woman has had his sentence referred to the Attorney General for review as 'unduly lenient'.

Alexander Hicken, of Loggon Road, in Cranbourne, was found guilty in August following a trial at Winchester Crown Court, where it was heard that he abused a vulnerable woman after bragging to friends "I'm going to **** her".

The 23-year-old, who used to be a coach at Basingstoke Gymnastic Club, preyed on his intoxicated victim after she was put to bed at a party because she was drunk.

Hicken, a tumbling coach, who had a girlfriend at the time, ignored the woman's demands to stop during the eight-hour ordeal and repeatedly sexually touched her.

He was handed a suspended sentence of 21 months in prison in October, meaning he walked free from court.

Now, the Attorney General has been asked to review his 'unduly lenient' sentence.

Members of the public can ask the Attorney General's office to examine sentences handed down by crown courts in England and Wales within 28 days of sentencing, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme (ULS).

The Attorney General then has the power to refer sentences for certain offences which they believe to be unduly lenient to the Court of Appeal.

Information on the government website for the Attorney General's office states that they must "consider the case personally and decide whether a particular sentence is unduly lenient".

The Attorney General's office confirmed that it has received a referral for Hicken's sentence and that the law officers now have 28 days to consider the case.

Hicken, who represented the junior Team GB at Loule Gymnastic World Cup in Portugal in 2012, was aged 21 at the time of the assault and escaped an immediate prison sentence after the judge said his age was taken into consideration.

In court, the victim said Hicken "abused me, my body and my trust" and said the attack had led her to become depressed, suffer from anxiety and have suicidal thoughts.

In a statement read to the court, she said: "I can say with all certainty this assault has changed my life 100 per cent.

"I blame myself constantly for what happened... since this occasion I will never drink to excess, I don't like the idea of not being in control.

"Since this happened I have nightmares where I think Alex is sitting at the end of my bed. I often find myself looking around my room to check he isn't there."

Description

This is the 24-year-old man who escaped a jail sentence after grooming an underage girl before going on to sexually abuse her.

Winchester Crown Court heard the victim was left 'ashamed' and 'sick to her stomach' after predator Shane Kieron Illsley persisted even when she told him to stop.

The Bramley man sent her explicit messages to the girl then told her to delete them, saying that if anyone found out he could go to prison.

He then sexually abused her on two occasions and persisted when she told him to stop. On the second occasion, the court heard, the victim did not ask him to stop as she knew that he would not listen.

There was outrage from the public gallery in court on Friday when Judge Jane Miller QC handed Illsley a suspended prison sentence.

The 24-year-old told the girl, who was below the legal age of consent, that she was perfect and beautiful, prosecutor Andy Houston told Winchester Crown Court on Friday.

There was a grooming process, he continued. Various suggestive messages were exchanged, they referred to masturbation and ejaculation.

Mr Houston added that the defendant indicated he wanted to progress things, before he then touched her sexually.

Defending, Adrienne Knight said that Illsley was embarrassed by what he has done.

He had initially denied the charges but later changed his plea to guilty.

Ms Knight said this was because he [could not] take the embarrassment of admitting what had happened to his family.

This morning, he still started getting really upset and crying because he cant face admitting to it, she continued.

He is so terrified by coming to court and the prospect of prison that he will do everything in his power to not be before the courts again.

He doesnt feel that he is a sex offender, but he knows that is now his label.

He was never going to hurt her. He wasnt trying to groom her, he wasnt using it as an excuse to have sex with her.

However, Judge Miller disagreed with Ms Knight, saying: I hope you know full well the extent of the offences you have committed. You knew that this was all entirely inappropriate.

I cannot accept the messages were not grooming, and you used the messages to your own purpose.

[The victim] said she felt stick to her stomach. She of course ended up blaming herself for letting it happen, where it was nothing to do with her and all you.

Judge Miller told Illsley that she would be sending him to prison for a total of ten months, suspended for two years., which caused his family members and friends in the public gallery to let out cries.

They could even still be heard in the courtroom after they had left the public gallery.

But the judge angrily addressed the remaining members: May I suggest that some of you wait and hear what I am about to do.

She suspended the prison sentence for two years, in which time he must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

It is a great pity that your friends and family are not able to be as composed as you Mr Illsley.

The judge said: This is a chance that you are getting. Please dont throw that away. Please dont let us see you here again.

Description

Michael Geoffrey Smith befriended the parents of one of boys to convince them he could be trusted to be alone with him.

The judge ruled Smith had "caused him grave, permanent and serious psychological harm and impacted greatly on his life", labelling it "sick sexual abuse".

Smith, who previously lived in Freemantle Close, Oakridge, had denied seven charges of sexual abuse relating to incidents in the 1980s, before being convicted by a jury.

Guildford Crown Court had heard how the 66-year-old, who was also convicted for similar offences in the 1970s and 1990s, ran a film club in the early 1980s in his maisonette for children in the estate to attend.

Throughout the rest of the summer holidays, he sexually abused the primary school-age boy multiple times, claiming that he was teaching him about sex.

He said that it was "their secret" and that no one would believe the boy if he told them what had happened.

As a result of all the abuse, one victim admitted he had attempted to take his own life on more than one occasion.

Smith was sentenced to eight years in prison, of which he must serve two thirds. The sentence, which had a starting point of 12 years, was reduced on the grounds of his deteriorating health and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on prisoners.

He was also ordered to pay a total of £3,250 of compensation to the victims, and a £149 victim surcharge.

Description

A BASINGSTOKE man has been jailed after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl.

William Landy, aged 49, cried from the dock of Winchester Crown Court as he was caged for four and half years.

Landy, previously of Quilter Road, was found guilty by a jury following a trial at Winchester Crown Court this week of assaulting a child by penetration and sexually touching a child.

The court heard that Landy gained access to his victim by gaining the trust of her family before abusing her on one occasion after he had been drinking.

In a victim impact statement, Landy's victim said felt "the whole incident changed her whole life," Judge Jane Miller QC recalled, adding: "she stopped being a happy person and she withdrew into a hole".

The abuse only came to light after the victim told her family in 2018, having not spoken about it before because she "didn't think she would be believed" as she was badly behaved at that point in her life.

The court was told that in the weeks following the incident Landy had contacted social services claiming that the victim had exposed herself to him.

During sentencing on Friday Judge Miller said: "You were trying to get your story in first."

She continued: "She clearly found the run up to the hearing very difficult, having to watch her video interview again.

"You saw in court having her account challenged was upsetting for her."

In mitigation, Robin Sellers said his client suffers from a number of health problems including difficulties from a previous liver transplant and is "liable to falls".

He also has type two diabetes, which he has been dealing with for past 10 years, along with advanced peripheral neuropathy, which a result of damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord.

Mr Sellers said: "In 2019 there was an overdose that required hospitalisation. He expressed this morning that he is not minded to take his medication."

He continued: "The conditions in prison because of the current pandemic in my submission will be extremely difficult for this defendant bearing in mind the medical difficulties he has."

Judge Miller jailed Landy for four and half years and he must spend a further year on licence.

Description

A MAN from Basingstoke was found in possession of more than 178,000 child sex abuse images, including of newborn babies and toddlers, a court has heard.

Keith Sayer collected the tranche of images, stored on a network of 19 devices, USB sticks and hard drives, in a "deliberate and systematic" filing system that caused "immeasurable" harm to babies and children "across the world".

The court heard how his collection started immediately after he was released from prison after previously being found in possession of indecent images of children. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2014.

The 39-year-old admitted that he was "sick" and "obsessed" and told a psychiatrist that he was spending five hours a day looking at the images and movies.

Sayer, formerly of Bolton Crescent in South Ham, was also found in possession of six paedophile manuals, as well as cable ties, masking tape, bungee ties, children's colouring sets and a newspaper article on the abduction of a child.

These were found when police raided his bedsit, prosecutor Sophie Chaplain told Winchester Crown Court on Thursday.

Police were first tipped off to someone accessing indecent images of children in April 2019, when they detected two IP addresses searching for the content.

They traced it to Sayer, and when his property was searched, he showed officers to a cupboard under a sink where he had hidden the devices – of which he was banned from using under a Sex Offenders Protection Order (SOPO) issued after his previous conviction.

When they searched the devices, they found a "deliberate and systematic" filing system of the offending photographs and videos, which constituted more than 10,000 images at category A.

The Sentencing Council state that category A offences include "penetrative activity" as well as activity involving "an animal or sadism".

Ms Chaplain also told the court that he had more than 1,000 movies saved to his stockpile.

Sayer, who appeared via video link from Lewes prison in East Sussex, was also said to have used the TOR browser, which can allow users to access the dark web and hide their identity.

In mitigation, Sayer was said to have had "nothing else to do" other than search for and look at child sex abuse images.

"He has never had a job, he had no ambition for himself," defence counsel Rose Burns told the court.

"He doesn't have any intimate relationships with anyone and never has. He doesn't have social interaction and says it is not something he was able to have."

She labelled his addiction to these images as an "illness, a disease", like any other addiction.

Applying for a community order so that Sayer can be given treatment, she said that a prison sentence was not benefitting the public nor him, adding: "It is the only way that this man is going to be diverted from his compulsive addiction."

However, Recorder Adam Feest decided that he would give a longer prison sentence than guidelines would suggest, adding: "It is sometimes said that people who view images of child abuse don't cause harm to children, but that is incorrect.

"Anyone who has images of children being raped is creating a market for those type of images and that market harms children across the world.

"Where someone has this quantity of images involving the rape of babies and other children the harm that has been caused is impossible for me to measure."

Sayer was sentenced to 32 months in prison for the six charges of making indecent images – discounted for early guilty pleas – as well as two years for the breach of the SOPO, to be served consecutively.

For possessing six paedophile manuals, he was given a six-month custodial sentence to be served consecutively, resulting in a total prison term of three years and two months.

However, Recorder Feest admitted he is likely to only serve half of that sentence.

He ordered an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, an automatic disqualification from working with children and the forfeiture and destruction of the images and manuals.

Additionally, he was ordered to pay a victim surcharge.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: "Behind these images are often children who have been subjected to unthinkable pain and suffering.

"By continually seeking out horrific quantities of this sickening material Sayer has helped to leave a trail of devastation by fuelling demand for more children to be abused.