Description

A MAN found with more than 21,000 indecent images of children, some as young as six months old, and adults, on his computer has been jailed.

Dean Faulkner, 36, had a collection of 21,113 indecent images of children across four electronic devices including a computer.

He was found to have access to, and downloaded; 'base, disgusting and revolting imagery'.

The indecent images were downloaded by Faulkner between October 2014 and July 2019, the day of his arrest, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

On this day in July 2019, Faulkner was visited by a officer relating to his sexual harm prevention order, in place for previous offences. His electronic devices were searched where the indecent images were discovered.

Faulkner was searching for these images, both still and moving, on the dark web via a private browser.

He was accessing the material while his partner of 10 years was sleeping upstairs.

He also made the material that he collected available for other individuals to download on the dark web, as there was evidence of file sharing software on his computer, prosecutor Rebecca Young said.

Faulkner was accessing indecent images on a daily basis at one point. He was later interviewed by police, where he said he needed help with his addiction to such material.

Faulkner, of Mayo Avenue, Bradford, was jailed for three years and nine months for six offences of making indecent photographs of children, possession of prohibited images of children, possessing an extreme pornographic image of a sexual act between an adult and a dog.

He was also sentenced for breaching a sexual offences prevention order made against him in January 2014.

Faulkner has a number of previous convictions including gross indecency and 21 counts of possession of indecent images of children.

Andrew Semple, mitigating, said Faulkner had sufficient candour to fully accept the charges against him.

Mr Semple added Faulkner's addiction to pornography increased when he was made redundant, leading to Faulkner having an 'isolated life'.

Faulkner, who pleaded guilty to the charges against him at an earlier hearing, was also placed under a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life.

Describing Faulkner as a 'potential danger', Judge Jonathan Rose said: "You opened your computer to other like-minded paedophiles.

"You derived sexual pleasure out of watching the abuse and defilement of children in a sexual way.

"You offended while your partner slept upstairs. You descended into the dark web. You found the most base material you could in a way to avoid detection.

"When you were working, you did not give into your sexual interest in children, but once you lost your job you did. This excuse is wholly without merit.

"Your offending continued up until the day of your arrest.

"You have taken few, if not any, steps to control your extreme offending.

"If men like you did not watch it, it would not be made."

Description

A Bradford man has been jailed after he was found guilty of raping a woman following a re-trial.

Christopher Davies was convicted at Bradford Crown Court on 14 January 2021 following a five-day trial.

The initial trial was held in May 2021, but jurors failed to reach a verdict.

The incident occurred on 6 January 2019, when Davies, 49, invited the victim to his house in Thornton Drive, Bradford.

Davies lured the victim into the property, before raping her. The victim fled the property on foot when Davies went into the bathroom.

She then reported the incident to the police and Davies was arrested and later charged with rape and sexual assault.

Following his guilty verdict, he was remanded and today at Bradford Crown (4 February 2022), Davies was sentenced to seven years and three months for rape and one year and nine months for sexual assault, to run concurrently.

He has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

West Yorkshire Police Detective Emma Lindley, who led the investigation said: I would like to praise the victim for coming forward and reporting Davies actions. Its not been easy especially going through a re-trail, but she has shown courage throughout and Id like to thank her for her bravery.

I hope this sentencing brings comfort to the victim and also brings closure, as she moves forward with her life.

We take all reports of this nature seriously and anyone who is a victim of a sexual assault can rest assure we will do all we can to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Description

A BRADFORD man bragged online about indecent images he had taken, not realising he was chatting to an undercover police officer on the other side of the Atlantic. The US authorities then flagged up Haseeb Rashads online activity to the UKs National Crime Agency, and a British undercover officer made contact with the now 23-year-old. Once arrested, Rashad was found to have around 600 indecent images of children on his phone and computer. Only 19 and 20 at the time of the offences, he was said to have been groomed by an older man who encouraged him to take his own indecent images. This led to Rashad, of Highlands Close, Bradford, taking two indecent photos of a young boy and sending them on to at least one other person via Snapchat. Bradford Crown Court heard that Rashad suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, and was described as being abnormally compliant and suggestible in a report presented to the court. He pleaded guilty to a total of nine charges, eight of which related to indecent images of children, with the final charge being possessing prohibited images of children. The charges covered a year-long period from March 2019 to March 2020 and included taking two category C indecent photographs of a young boy and distributing those images; distributing eight category A, 16 category B and 7 category C indecent photographs of children, and making 388 category A, 115 category B and 85 category C indecent photographs of children. Recorder Benjamin Nolan QC sentenced Rashad to 26 months in prison. He received 18 months for two counts of category A offences, nine months for two category B offences and six months for the category C offences, all of which will be served concurrently. He also received eight months for taking and distributing indecent images of a child. Rashad was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years and he was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years. His electronic devices, including phone and computer, were forfeited. In sentencing, the Recorder said: These offences were particularly vile involving very young children. Making and distributing images of children are serious incidents and require substantial sentencing. The prosecutor told the court that Rashad initially began chatting to an undercover officer in the US using cloud-based instant messaging service Telegram, under the user name UKLad21, in March 2020. He bragged about the indecent images he had taken, and shared links online to other indecent images, all for acceptance and credibility. His activity was flagged up by the US authorities to the National Crime Agency, and an undercover officer from the UK, posting as SwimDad, sought Rashad out online. In their chats, Rashad was said to have posted about hoping to get married and have his own children to abuse and about travelling to Eastern Europe to abuse children there, as well as detailing how he gained his victims trust and co-operation through a game of truth or dare. Rashad was arrested on March 20, 2020, and initially did not admit that he had a sexual interest in children. He told police that he had not actually viewed the indecent images in the links he posted online for others - but had just clicked on them once and then shared them. Rashad co-operated with the police investigation by handing over his code to unlock his phone and gave permission for his online account to be accessed. An examination of both his phone and computer, saw most of the indecent images found on his phone, with some in a secure folder entitled my eyes only. In his defence the court heard that Rashad had been abused and groomed by an older man, who had persuaded the defendant to take the indecent images of a young boy. He was guided, encouraged and incited, adding that Rashad, who had the victim of a traumatic experience, suffered from PTSD as a result and had a social anxiety disorder too. His barrister said that Rashad had tried to get out by deleting the app he used to chat to others, but had relented and eventually reinstalled it. He has the motivation and capacity to change, he added.

Description

A MAN who blackmailed young girls into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos saying “listen to me, or else” has been jailed for seven years.

Callum Sellers told one teenager he was a 17-year-old photographer from Yorkshire with an interest in railway engines before persuading her to send him topless images, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Then he pestered her for more, threatening to send the pictures he already had to her mother, prosecutor Nick Adlington said.

The girl, who was 15 and from a different part of the country, was blackmailed into sending Sellers videos of her performing sex acts on herself.

He messaged: “Tick-tock, hurry up,” and “how badly do you want the pics deleted?” leaving her crying, shaking and feeling utterly degraded.

She told a friend what had happened and then a teacher and her mother were alerted.

Sellers, 21, formerly of West Bowling, Bradford, now in HMP Leeds, had 1,624 indecent images of children on his phones when they were seized by the police in November last year.

He went on to plead guilty to a total of 24 offences of possession of indecent photo-graphs at Categories A, B and C; inciting or attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and making an unwarranted demand for sexual images and videos with menaces.

Mr Adlington said other threatening messages to Sellers’ victims included “let me see you or else” and “Do as I say or I’ll post it because I know your Facebook.”

Hundreds of indecent images of different girls from around the country were found on his phones. Some were traced but others couldn’t be found, the court was told.

One girl, who was 15 at the time, said in her victim impact statement: “I still feel rubbish.”

She had panic attacks and nightmares and stated: “I feel guilty like it’s my fault and I shouldn’t have been so stupid.”

Sellers’ barrister, Victoria Smith-Swain, said he was of previous good character and had just turned 20 at the time he began offending.

He had worked as a picker/packer at a warehouse and his interests included photography and railway engines.

Sellers had traits associated with autism, including highly restricted interests. He felt lonely outside of work and began to engage with girls over Snapchat. His sexual interest in them became obsessional and helped to manage his depression, the court was told.

He had written a letter of apology to his victims expressing his remorse and conceding that his behaviour had been “degrading and debilitating” for them.

Sellers had been working in prison as a painter while on remand since March, Miss Smith-Swain said.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said Sellers groomed, pestered and intimidated the 15-year-old into sending the explicit videos of herself.

She had the presence of mind to take screenshots of his messages and hand them to the police.

In all, there were 92 images of young girls on Sellers’ phones. Several were identified by the police and contacted, Judge Mansell said.

Sellers sent threatening messages to some of the girls, including “ignoring me now?” before demanding more explicit images.

Two of the girls were just 13 at the time Sellers targeted them.

One girl pleaded: “OMG delete it. You said you’d leave me alone” while another told him: “Stop, please, you’re ruining my life completely.”

Judge Mansell said Sellers’ demands could have led girls to self-harm or even commit suicide because of the psychological damage he had done to them.

But he was just 20 at the time and very immature, with developmental difficulties from childhood. He became “obsessed if not addicted” to gaining sexual gratification from the images, Judge Mansell said.

He warned Sellers he was “right on the cusp of being deemed dangerous,” and receiving an extended sentence of imprisonment.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for an indefinite period and Sellers must sign on the sex offender register, also indefinitely.

Judge Mansell made a restraining order banning him from having any future contact with any of his victims.

He told Sellers to reflect long and hard on the damage he had caused to the girls.

Description

A tech addict who hacked into teenage girls' Snapchat accounts and tried to bribe them into sending him naked pictures of themselves has been jailed.

Robert Parsons, 22, "toyed" and "teased" with his victims, who were aged between 14 and 19, and on one occasion posed as a 14-year-old boy.

His actions left the girls with severe trauma, Bradford Crown Court heard.

He was given a five-year custodial term to be followed by a closely-monitored four-year licence period.

At an earlier hearing Parsons, who carried out his offending while subject to previous sexual prevention orders, admitted 24 offences related to illegally accessing the Snapchat accounts of his victims.

The court was told how he had left the girls feeling frightened and embarrassed after accessing their private photos and, in one case, posted an intimate picture on a public platform.

The mother of one of the victims, a 15-year-old girl, said her daughter had suffered an horrific ordeal during which she was blackmailed by Parsons.

Prosecutor David McGonigal said Parsons was addicted to using internet devices and had persisted in offending with disregard for his existing court orders.

Sentencing him, Judge Andrew Hatton said Parsons had caused severe psychological trauma to the the girls and he was satisfied he met the criteria for an extended sentence as a dangerous offender.

His list of offences included attempting to cause a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, disclosing private sexual photos without consent, breach of a sexual harm prevention order, breach of the sex offender notification requirements and possession of indecent images of children.

His previous convictions included making indecent photos of children dating from when he was aged 15 and 16.

Parsons' barrister Abdul Shakoor said he was addicted to pornography and that had led him down a path of social isolation, with lockdown having made matters worse.

Fortunately, none of the complainants sent the images Parsons demanded so no sexual activity without consent ultimately took place, Mr Shakoor said.

Parsons, formerly of Wavertree Park Gardens, Bradford, but held in custody at HMP Leeds, was also given a nine-year sexual harm prevention order and must remain on the Sexual Offenders' Register for life.

Det Insp Lee Speight said Parsons posed a threat to young women and praised the bravery of victims and their families for giving evidence.

Description

Tyrell Robinson and his friend Korie Berman met three 14-year-olds at his flat in Bradford in August 2018. Bradford Crown Court heard the 23-year-old knew the girls' ages and had discussed the fact with Berman, 22. Both men admitted sexual activity with a child. Robinson was jailed for three-and-a-half years and Berman for six. Gillian Batts, prosecuting, said the player had met the victims at a social event he had been told not to attend by Bradford City's management. The court was also told the club had given all players safeguarding training regarding young and vulnerable people, which included guidance about not giving under-18s their contact details.

'Violently ill'

However, Robinson later sent one of the girls a message saying: "I think you are stunning, but your age is a killer." Robinson, from South Ockendon, Essex, admitted having sex with one of the girls in his bedroom after he and Berman met up with them. He also took a photo of Berman in bed with the two other girls and shared it with him. Berman admitted to police he had sex with them, although the court heard the girls, who had been given alcohol, had "little or no recollection" of events and had been "violently ill" afterwards. The court also heard Berman, from Thurrock in Essex, had sex on two other occasions with one of the girls at Robinson's flat while the footballer was away. Robinson was suspended by Bradford City days after the attack in August 2018 and was later sacked by the club. Judge Richard Mansell QC said the teenagers had been "immature, typical 14-year-olds who were sexually inexperienced, naive and vulnerable to grooming and sexual exploitation by adult men". All three girls and their families suffered considerable harm, he added. In addition to their sentences, both men will be on the sex offenders' register for life.

Description

A PERVERT pensioner has been jailed for 31 months for sexually abusing a young girl. David Magee, 65, of no fixed address, was locked up at Bradford Crown Court for three counts of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and a single charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Magee was sentenced on a video link to Leeds Prison where he was being held on remand. After the case, an NSPCC spokesman said: Magees actions are truly reprehensible - displaying callous disregard for a young victim who will need significant support to recover. The NSPCC urges anyone who has experienced sexual abuse to speak out and seek support. You will be listened to and this case proves that predators like Magee can be brought to justice.

Description

X Factor star Danny Tetley - who rocketed to fame on the 2018 series as a semi-finalist - had his 17-year sentence reduced X Factor semi-finalist Danny Tetley had his sentence for sexually exploiting several teenage boys slashed. Famously the star was catapulted into the limelight on the 2018 series of The X Factor where he came in sixth place as a semi-finalist. The disgraced singer, 39, was jailed for nine years in January as part of a 17-year extended sentence. Upon leaving prison, Danny was facing eight years of being closely monitored on license. However, following a successful appeal this sentence has now been reduced to just five years. The Criminal Appeal Office said: "The full court allowed the appeal and the sentence is now an extended sentence of 14 years, comprising a custodial term of nine years and an extended period of license of five years." At the time of sentencing, judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told the court the singer's celebrity status was "now gone, tarnished and destroyed". According to the Telegraph & Argus, the judge told him: "Nobody doubts a significant sentence of imprisonment is required. "The reality is our society is deeply interested in celebrity, it does no harm. Pure entertainment of highest order including X Factor, upon which you featured in some capacity. You exploited the status it gave you. You abused that status to satisfy your perverted sexual needs, by your actions "Those in the public eye dont have licence to abuse. Those in public eye have deep responsibility and many exercise magnificently." The X Factor contestant pleaded guilty to paying five teen boys for X-rated snaps. Danny sent thousands of texts and WhatsApp messages between October 2018 and August 2019. NSPCC slammed the shamed star for using his TV appearances and promises of money to carry out abuse. An NSPCC spokesman said: "Tetleys use of his TV appearances and promises of money in the thousands of messages he sent these boys, are an example of the depraved lengths that predators will go to in their pursuit of victims. This kind of abuse can have a profound and long-lasting impact, and this case underlines why it is so vital that social media companies are forced to make safeguarding our children their top priority. We continue to call on the Government to introduce new legislation that enforces a formal Duty of Care to keep young people safe online. As part of the NSPCCs Wild West Web campaign, we are calling on people to email their MP urging them to back a new Bill that paves the way for a proper independent watchdog to regulate online harms against children.

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A MAN has been jailed for 13 years for savagely raping an 11-year-old girl who leapt in terror out of a first-floor window to escape him. Haji Kaloga forced his way into the childs bedroom, seized her by the throat and pushed her to the floor while she cried and begged him to stop. Kaloga, 31, took off her trousers while she struggled, bit his hand and kicked him, Bradford Crown Court heard on Friday. He pulled her hair and banged her on the ground before raping her in a prolonged sexual attack at a house in Bradford. He made her promise not to tell anyone and if she did, he would kill her, prosecutor Christine Egerton said. The girl jumped out of a first-floor window after the attack and called the police. She was at first too afraid to get into the patrol vehicle but when she arrived at the police station, she told officers what Kaloga had done to her. She had been injured in the violent assault and Kalogas DNA linked him to the rape. He was arrested and interviewed and denied it. On the day of his trial, he pleaded guilty to rape of a child under 13 and assault by penetration on March 11. The girl read out her victim personal statement in court. Addressing Kaloga, who sat in the dock with his head in his hands, she said: I want you to know that what you have done to me, or ever said to me, is something I wont ever forget until the day I die. I want you to know this because you sexually abused me. Even though I wont ever forget what you did, I wont let it change my future, or change who or what I want to be. Sooner or later, one day, you will hear that I have become something that you can never imagine. I hope that I never ever meet a man like you again. Kalogas barrister, Kitty Colley, said the girls statement had been read to him and he fully accepted the effect of his offending on her and he expressed his deep sorrow and remorse. He was a hard-working man with no previous convictions and he was likely to be deported to his native Gambia after serving his sentence. Recorder Andrew Haslam QC said the girl was frightened and alone when she rang the police from a Bradford street. Kaloga had put his hands round her neck and said: Whos the man? before dragging her into a room and raping her. He had subjected her to a prolonged sexual violation, threatening to kill her if she told anyone. One is struck by her strength of character after her terrible ordeal. She is a truly remarkable young girl, Recorder Haslam said. He told Kaloga: This was a quite horrifying sexual assault. As an offender of particular concern, he would not be released until the Parole Board deemed it safe to do so. After the case, an NSPCC spokesperson said: It can take years to recover from the trauma inflicted by child sexual abuse, so it is vital that Kalogas victim receives all the support she needs to help her come to terms with what has happened. Survivors of abuse should know that they will be listened to if they speak out, no matter how long ago it may have happened.

Description

A man who was told to stay away from a teenage girl by police has been jailed after ignoring their warning.

Oliver Garrity, 22, admitted having sexual activity with a child on the first day of his trial at Hull Crown Court.

The victim, described as vulnerable, was not yet 16 and at risk of neglect and sexual exploitation at the time the offences took place.

She described Garrity, of Round Street, Bradford, as "toxic" and said he would message her calling her a "s***", "fat" and a "wh***."

Prosecuting, Kitty Colley said: She was identified as a vulnerable child by social services and the police. She was reported by social workers to have low self-esteem and at risk of being exploited and they were involved providing support.

She had low body confidence and had self-harmed and she had searched for affection online, and had gone missing before."

It is unclear whether Garrity knew the victims age before being arrested by police, but despite officers telling him she was underage and warning him to stay away, he continued to have sex with her.

After his arrest, Garrity then sent the girl abusive text messages.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court, the girl said she realised there had been a "decline of her own self-worth".

She said: "I was desperate for approval and love and I thought I knew what that was but I can clearly see now I had no idea. I'm in a much better place now."

Mitigating, Mr Ward said the defendant had realised he had made a "reckless mistake".

He said: "The pre-sentence report establishes there are no paedophilia interests, or interests in children and he has had other relationships with girls his own age.

"He knows this was a reckless mistake and something that he knows he brought on himself but that doesn't exclude the enormous impact it has had on him."

Sentencing Garrity to 21 months in jail, Judge Mark Bury told Garrity: She was a particularly vulnerable young girl and was identified as a vulnerable child at high risk of sexual exploitation with no self-esteem and a history of self-harm and had searched before coming across you anyone for affection.

In her eyes, she was desperate for affection at the time and she was used for sexual gratification by you, which has affected her already low self-esteem.

"Your personal attitude isn't one that suggests remorse and on your part, you are still in denial and it is still more about the outcome for you than her.

"I have been urged to suspend your sentence but have come to the decision that this society has a duty to protect vulnerable young girls from themselves sometimes and that is the position here."

Garrity must sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Description

A teenager who followed a West Yorkshire schoolgirl for half a mile before sexually attacking her has been locked up for three years and two months.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was sexually assaulted by Callum Lawson in Scott Lane near Riddlesden, Keighley, in March 2019 and a judge heard today the attack had completely changed her life over the past two years.

In a victim impact statement, the teenager described how she had suffered panic attacks, flashbacks and paranoia and had also undergone specialist trauma therapy.

Bradford Crown Court heard the victim suspected she was being followed that tea-time and stopped to let Lawson go by, but as she set off walking again, the teenager came jogging towards her and put his hand up her skirt.

The complainant stumbled into a bush, but managed to shove Lawson away and he ran off towards a nearby tennis club.

Prosecutor Chloe Hudson said the police were alerted after the complainant arrived home in a distressed state and a potential suspect was identified from DNA on her tights.

Miss Hudson said an anonymous call to Crimestoppers giving Lawson’s name led to his arrest almost a year after the attack.

Lawson, 19, of Cartmel Road, Keighley, initially denied being responsible saying he was not that kind of guy and not a pervert.

Later in his interview however Lawson he said he vaguely remembered what he had done, but said he didn’t know why.

“If I were her dad I’d want to kick the **** out of me,” Lawson said.

The court heard that while he was on bail for the sex assault Lawson went on to assault two paramedics who attended at a house in Back Rupert Street, Keighley, in July last year.

Lawson, who was under the influence of drink or drugs, became aggressive and threatening towards the paramedics after they tried to help him when he was found unconscious in the living room of the house.

The paramedics had to leave the house until the police arrived and Lawson was put in leg restraints when he became aggressive and agitated again as he waited for a police van.

Today Lawson was locked up in a young offenders institution for a total of 38 months after he admitted the sexual assault and the two allegations of assaulting an emergency worker.

Barrister Samreen Akhtar, for Lawson, said her client had been 17 at the time of the sexual assault and he had pleaded guilty to that offence at the first opportunity.

She said Lawson had been turning to alcohol in his teenage years to deal with personal problems and at the time of the sexual assault he had been kicked out of his mother’s home.

Judge Andrew Hatton said the complainant in the sexual assault had set off walking because she didn’t have enough money for the bus.

He said he was satisfied that the girl had suffered “severe psychological harm” as a result of the attack and it had involved a significant degree of planning.

“You purposefully and with determination followed your victim, changed your route and ensured you were in the right place to attack her at what was for you the right time,” said Judge Hatton.

The judge said Lawson was undoubtedly under the influence of alcohol at the time and the attack had taken place in a secluded location.

Lawson was sentenced to 32 months detention in a young offenders institution for the sexual assault with an additional six months detention for the two assaults on emergency workers.

Description

A man could face prison after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a young girl.

Muhammad Riaz, 26, was convicted on one charge of sexual assault of a child under 13 at Teesside Crown Court .

He denied the charge of sexually assaulting the girl in Stockton , stood trial, and a jury unanimously found him guilty on Wednesday.

After the verdicts, Judge Stephen Ashurst said: "I think this is a case where I ought to obtain a report about the defendant, about his personal circumstances, and also his immigration status.

"And also to assess the risk factors and his attitude in light of the jury's unanimous verdict this morning."

He told Riaz: "It now falls to me to deal with sentence.

"Before I decide on sentence I'm going to hear arguments from both the prosecution and from the defence as to where this case falls in the guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.

"But before I do that I want to know more about you and your family, to address the risk factors in your case.

"Your case will be listed here in about three weeks' time."

Riaz will be sentenced on February 25.

The judge bailed him on conditions to live at Oak Mount, Bradford, to surrender his Pakistani passport to police and not to apply for travel documents to leave the UK.

Riaz will also be on the sex offenders' register.

The judge added: "The fact that you've been convicted of the sexual assault of a child under 13 means that you are now subject to notification under the sex offenders legislation.

"You are required by law to tell the police of any change in your personal circumstances.

"If you fail to do so you commit a criminal offence for which you can receive up to five years in prison.

"The fact that you are being given bail and I'm asking for a report should not be taken by you as any promise as to what the sentence will be.

"I will want to hear submissions as to whether this is a case where I have no alternative but to send you to prison, or other sentencing options can be considered.

"So you understand clearly, no promises at all.

"For the time being you can leave the dock."

He thanked the jurors for their "careful consideration" of the case.

Description

A man aged 30 has been jailed for seven and a half years for sexually abusing a young girl.

Damian Clarke, of Penfield Grove, Clayton, Bradford, was convicted on Friday following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

The jury found him guilty of six charges of sexually assaulting a child under 13 and a single count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Clarke must sign on the sex offender register for an indefinite period and the judge, Recorder Simon Eckersley, made a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, also for an indefinite length of time.

Description

A MAN who had sex with a highly-vulnerable 12-year-old girl he met on Facebook has been jailed for 12 years.

Usman Hussain, 28, met the girl when he was 26, and over the course of several weeks provided her with alcohol and drugs in exchange for sex.

Hussain, from Carlisle Place, Manningham, had been charged with a count of rape of a child under 13, another of oral rape of a child under 13 and a charge of sexual assault. He appeared at Bradford Crown Court yesterday, where he admitted the three offences. The court heard that Hussain had sex with the girl on a mattress in his sister’s garage.

In late 2015, the 12-year-old got into an argument with a parent and left home. She was almost immediately identified as a child at risk of child sexual exploitation, and police were called. She returned home, but police received information from a relative that linked the girl with Hussain, who they arrested shortly after.

When they had met online, the girl had claimed she was 16. Hussain originally claimed he was 16, and the court heard that although he may not have known her real age when they first met, he became aware of it early into their relationship. He had asked her to send him naked photos.

Alistair Campbell, prosecuting, said: “They would use condoms from time to time, but not always, and on one occasion she required the morning after pill.”

He said the girl’s background meant she was “the perfect storm as far as vulnerability is concerned” and that she had been groomed. She had been sexually exploited by other men, the court heard.

Robin Frieze, defending, said there was no evidence that Hussain had been searching Facebook to start relationships with children, and he had not contacted any other young girls. He said Hussain had no knowledge of exploitation by other men.

Addressing Hussain, Judge Jonathan Rose said: “Your disgraceful, immoral and deplorable behaviour has caused a huge amount of damage. She was already extremely vulnerable, you may not have realised that she was being exploited by other men, but you should have realised she was not behaving like an ordinary 12-year-old girl. You knew shortly after you began an intimate relationship with her that she was just 12. You didn’t become disgusted with yourself after finding out. You didn’t mind. That is why you have to be classified as a paedophile. You groomed her. You were a grown man who caused a little girl to believe she was your girlfriend. Was this romance? When you look at the photos of the garage you used to carry out your depravity, it’s clear there was not an ounce of romance in this case.”

Detective Sergeant Dan Townend, of Bradford District Safeguarding Unit, said: "Hussain is a predator who has been convicted of serious child sexual offences and we hope the significant sentence he has received will provide some source of reassurance to the victim.

"We remain committed to protecting children from those who seek to exploit them and our specialist officers will continue to pursue offenders like Hussain to keep our communities safe.

"I would urge anyone who believes they have been a victim of child sexual offences to have the confidence to come forward and feel reassured we are here to help and will treat all investigations sensitively."

Description

A SCOUT leader has been jailed for four years after committing sex offences involving two schoolgirls, in one case at a Scout camp.

Sentencing Peter Gavin at Leeds Crown Court yesterday, Judge James Spencer QC said he had undergone the relevant safeguarding training to be in his position of trust with the Scout group concerned and therefore knew it was wrong to take advantage of their naivety.

“You knew as well as anybody else it was illegal to do what you did and I am quite sure you only did it for your own sexual gratification.”

Mark McKone, prosecuting, said in early 2015 the girls began to have online contact with Gavin, and there came a point when he realised who he was in contact with and continued to speak to them privately.

An “online relationship” then developed between him and one of the girls, although she was only 14 at the time. He told police later he realised she had a “crush” on him.

During the course of this contact they discussed sex and the defendant sent her an indecent picture of himself and she sent him some pictures of her naked breasts, said Mr McKone.

She described a break-up between them prior to a Scout camp in May last year where Gavin, 24, committed offences involving the second girl.

The second girl was also only 14 and he persuaded her to meet him late one night at a toilet block that he knew could be locked from the inside.

Once he had locked them in he kissed her, undressed her, touched her sexually and persuaded her to perform a sex act on him before they returned to their respective tents.

Mr McKone said it was clear from what Gavin later said in police interview that he knew that girl was upset by what had happened in their sexual encounter because he accepted he had apologised to her.

John Ozyer, representing Gavin, said texts between him and the second girl showed he had apologised more than once for what had happened that night.

“He accepts he was in a position of trust and clearly abused that trust.”

Since then he had voluntarily attended the Safer Lives programme.

Gavin, of Chats Wood Fold, Oakenshaw, Bradford, admitted one offence of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Judge Spencer said there had to be a jail sentence since he had encouraged the first girl to secretly have an “online” relationship with him rather than steer her away from such contact, then when that was petering out he had groomed the second girl and taken advantage of her.