Latest Offenders Blackpool

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A man who was abused by a rapist in Rochdale when aged just six-years-old has helped us jail his abuser after bravely giving significant evidence over three decades on from the incident.

Ian Nixon now aged 57 was sentenced to over 13 years in prison yesterday after pleading guilty to three offences including a rape from 1988.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Nixon abused the boy at a house in Rochdale when he was expected to look after him on three occasions between January 1988 and December 1989.

The victim contacted police to report the abuse in the summer of 2019 and was able to give us graphic detail of a number of incidents that he was subjected to by Nixon during the period of offending.

Detectives from our Rochdale districts Child Protection Investigation Unit soon interviewed Nixon who was now living in Blackpool where he claimed he didnt remember the victim and he couldnt recall the incidents that had been described by the victim; but didnt deny that they had occurred.

Nixon, currently of no fixed address, was later charged with buggery, indecent assault and gross indecency before pleading guilty in December last year

He has now been ordered to serve 13 years and four months in jail and has been made to sign the sex offenders register.

The victim now in his 30s has been offered continuous support from specialist officers and partner agencies throughout the case.

Detective Constable Dave Neil, of GMP Rochdales Child Protection Investigation Unit, said: Firstly, I have to pay tribute to the patience and stoicism of the survivor of this depraved abuse, as it is his bravery when coming forward and the subsequent detail of his evidence that has ensured Nixon will now rightly spend many years behind bars.

The campaign of sexual abuse that Nixon subjected his young and vulnerable victim to when he was supposed to be in his care was utterly appalling and something the boy has had to grow up dealing with mentally and emotionally all the way up to adulthood.

Its clear that no abuser can escape the consequences of their actions, no matter how long ago their offending was, and we will do our utmost to bring anyone responsible for such deplorable abuse to justice; while doing all we can with our partners to listen and support any victim of recent or non-recent sexual harm.

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A paedophile who repeatedly tried to rape a girl was arrested after she wrote "I want to die" on a school computer.

Gregory Witham molested his young victim on multiple occasions leaving her with "severe psychological harm".

Liverpool Crown Court today heard she started self-harming as a result of the abuse, which was spotted by teachers.

But the predator denied any wrongdoing and forced the child to endure a trial, when he blamed her for what happened.

The ex-Navy serviceman, 39, formerly of Walton, shook his head when he was today jailed for 16 years.

Judge David Swinnerton said Witham's attempts to blame his vulnerable victim showed "a complete lack of remorse".

He said: "Of course she is not to blame in the slightest. It's appalling that you seek to suggest that she was."

Witham was found guilty of two counts of attempted rape, which the court heard reflected "repeated attempts" to rape his victim.

He was convicted of eight counts sexual activity with a child, which included four counts involving repeatedly touching the girl's genitalia under her clothing, and one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, which was an attempt to get her to perform a sex act on him.

Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, said the abuse came to light after an incident at the girl's school.

He said: "It was suggested she had written 'I want to die' on a school computer."

Mr Roberts told the jury teachers were concerned and spoke to the victim, who initially denied writing the words, but said she was unhappy and harming herself, and the reason was because she was being sexually abused by Witham.

The prosecutor today said: "The defendant asserted during the trial and has repeated in his pre-sentence report that she was sexualised and had essentially attempted to come on to him if I can use that phrase, which the Crown would say is a deliberate attempt to impugn her character."

Mr Roberts said there was also "a degree of degradation", because Witham would become angry with his victim and tell her she was "useless".

Six members of the girl's devastated family attended the sentencing hearing this morning.

The court heard a victim statement written by the girl's mum, who said her daughter had tried to write it herself, but became "very distressed and broke down in tears".

The mum said: "She said to me she thinks about what happened every single day."

She told the court she believed her daughter would benefit from counselling, but the girl didn't want it because she doesn't like to talk about the abuse, which brings it all back to her.

The mum said: "She is putting on a brave face, but I know as her mother deep down she is hurting."

Witham, now of Manor Road, Blackpool, who has no previous convictions, was supported by three people sitting in the public gallery.

Jimmy Vakil, defending, said: "I cannot mitigate on the facts and I would not seek to minimise the seriousness your honour of these offences."

He added: "It's always sad when someone of good character, indeed someone who has represented their country, falls in this way.

"On his behalf I ask for an element of mercy in the sentencing process. There is a genuine wish on his behalf to become a better person."

Mr Vakil said his client wanted to undertake any courses available in prison "to make himself that better person".

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A former youth club director who repeatedly raped a teenage girl during a "campaign of sexual abuse" has been jailed for 20 years.

Christopher Rixon, from Blackpool, was convicted of eight counts of rape and six counts of sexual assault.

Rixon, 42, denied the offences, claiming he began a relationship with the victim when she was 16 and it was consensual.

Lancashire Police said it was "lies" and he was a "dangerous predator".

'No remorse'

The offences took place at Monty's Youth Club in the town in 2010.

Rixon, of Holmfield Road, was also found guilty of two counts of inciting a girl aged between 13-15 to engage in sexual activity after a trial at Preston Crown Court.

Simon Morris, of Lancashire Police, said: "I am glad the jury saw through Christopher Rixon's lies, and saw him for the dangerous sexual predator he is.

"I can't overstate the impact that his actions had on the victim, and she must be commended for showing immense bravery in reporting Rixon to us.

"He has shown no remorse by denying the offences, forcing her to go through the ordeal of a trial."

He added: "I am pleased he is now behind bars where he belongs."

Rixon was cleared of two counts of rape of a girl over 16 and two counts of sexual touching of a child relating to a separate girl.

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A teenager from Blackpool, who sexually abused a number of young girls, has been jailed for over 12 years.

Ryan Garside, 18, of Orme Street, groomed his young victims on social media, before meeting up with them to carry out the horrific assaults.

He was sentenced at Preston Crown Court for 20 offences relating to four child victims between 2016 and 2017.

His abuse included the rape of a 13 year old girl in which he covered her face and used a school tie as a ligature.

He was between 16 and 17 when he committed the offences.

At an earlier hearing Garside pleaded guilty to one count of rape, ten counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of possession of indecent images, three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and five breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order – issued in May 2017.

Garside was given two sentences - nine years and seven months and an additional 32 months for breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order on numerous occasions.

He has also been placed on the Dangerous Offenders Register.

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A 19-year-old man who had sex with a 14-year-old girl has been given 12 months custody.

Grant Pearson, of Aintree Road, South Shore, had pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual activity with a child.

Preston Crown Court heard Pearson had sex with the girl twice after they had met by accident at a bus stop and continued to contact each other by text and on Facebook.

Hanifa Patel, prosecuting, said Pearson had been fully aware of the her age.

The girls mother went on to find out what had happened and the police were called.

Janet Ironfield, defending, said: He entirely accepts that he is to blame. He hasnt sought to transfer any of the blame to the girl.

There was genuine affection between the two. There had been Facebook chatter which in the main of entirely flirtatious.

The court heard Pearsons mother had died when he was 13 and his father had later left him imprisoned in Singapore.

Passing sentence on Monday, Judge Andrew Woolman also told Pearson he recognised there was very profound mitigation in his case.

He said: You had very troubled years.

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He had served 18 years in Australian prisons and after being released from his last sentence he was deported to the UK.

A sadistic paedophile who went on the run after being kicked out of Australia was yesterday jailed for three years.

British born Kenneth Trotter, 78, served a series of jail sentences Down Under before being sent back to the UK last year.

Now the serial sex offender has been locked up after a judge described him as an exceptionally dangerous man

Trotter had been ordered to tell police if he changed his address.

But a court was told he blatantly and flagrantly breached the order by pre-meditated and wilful acts of defiance.

At one stage officers had no idea where he was and had to launch a public appeal for help.

The pervert was branded sadistic and callous by a judge who jailed him for child sex attacks in New South Wales.

He had served 18 years in Australian prisons and after being released from his last sentence he was deported to the UK.

But last year a court heard how within a month of landing Trotter had tricked his way into a church group to meet girls.

He had pretended to have been sent from a Jobcentre to hire 14-year-olds to work as canvassers. He even tried to lure girls to live with him.

Trotter, who had set up home in Blackpool, Lancashire, had denied two breaches of the order.

Jailing him for three years at Preston Crown Court, Judge Graham Knowles QC said he had been determined to give police the slip.

He said Trotter had a long and foul history of sexual depravity in Australia, where a list of 36 offences included indecent assault and gross indecency.

And he added: You, Trotter, in my view, are an exceptionally dangerous man with nothing to lose.

A pre-sentence report by the probation service speaks of prolific sexual offending against vulnerable male children, the predatory manipulative nature of offending, your portrayal of yourself as a victim, your refusal to accept any responsibility for your behaviour, your lack of remorse, your continued denial of any sexual interest in children and a lack of victim empathy.

The court had heard how on four separate occasions he visited a mother of four in Blackpool, pretending to be canvassing for work for sewing machine repairs.

It was the same ruse which had been a feature of his offending in Australia where he had lived for more than fifty years.

He had dual nationality but his Australian citizenship was revoked when he was booted out last year.