Latest Offenders Cambridge

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18-year-old Dylan Paul Ansell appeared at York Crown Court today and was sentenced to 18 months in a young offenders institute for making and distributing indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography and a prohibited image.

He was also handed a ten year sexual harm order, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a 5 year restraining order.

Ansell, now of Camping Close, Haddenham, Ely, formerly of Harrogate, answered no comment when first interviewed regarding the allegations and content found on devices seized from his address on Friday 20 August 2021.

However, during a trial at York Crown Court he later pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of children, three counts of distributing indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing extreme pornography and one count of possession of a prohibited image.

Ansell also pleaded guilty to stalking, using false social media accounts to repeatedly target a victim, which has had a lasting impact on their day-to-day activities.

Speaking today after sentencing, investigating officer Detective Constable Sullivan of the North Yorkshire Police Online Child Abuse Team said,

“The devices seized from Ansell’s home were found to contain hundreds of illegal images and videos - including category A indecent images of children, prohibited images of children between the ages of 3 and 17 years, as well as extreme pornography.

“Ansell also manipulated photos of children that he knew and shared them with others online, without their knowledge, for sexualised purposes. He was also actively involved in an online network that created and shared indecent images of children.

“His actions have caused significant distress to his victims, including one of whom he repeatedly stalked using false social media accounts. In addition to this he has shown blatant disregard to the bail conditions that were put in place, by repeatedly attempting to contact the victim, causing additional stress and anxiety. He has shown absolutely no remorse for this.

“I’d like to commend the bravery of that victim and their family, who due to Ansell’s repeat offending had to endure a prolonged investigation. They have all shown strength and determination throughout our enquiries and the resulting court process.”

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A convicted sex offender who was found with 25 category A images and used search terms including “children in swimwear” on his computer has been jailed for more than two years. 

Specialist officers trained in dealing with sexual offenders were carrying out a routine inspection at 56-year-old Lee Williams’ home in St Neots in April 2021 when they discovered the searches and images. 

They were unable to access Willams’ spare mobile phone and computer as he gave incorrect password details and claimed he hadn’t set the computer up yet. 

As a result, the devices were seized and sent to the forensics team, which discovered child abuse images, 25 of which were category A, the most serious. 

Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and three counts of making indecent images of children. 

He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court last week (June 22). 

Detective Constable Decca Riondino said: “Specially trained officers will continue to monitor and engage with registered sex offenders in the community and conducting device inspections is an important part of our work. 

“Williams was subject to a sexual harm prevention order and demonstrated a blatant disregard for it. 

“We work with partner agencies to protect the public and bring offenders and reoffenders to justice.” 

Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to a child, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah’s Law. 

Anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry. This can include parents, carers, guardians, extended family, friends and neighbours. 

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A Cambridgeshire sex offender with "complete disregard for the law" superimposed the head of a child he knew onto an indecent image. Christopher Downes had been on the Sex Offenders Register for just two months when a photo editing software account linked to him was used to alter the image.

It was flagged to police by the National Crime Agency (NCA). Downes, 31, was arrested at his home on Oak Crescent, Dry Drayton on March 12 and his phone and tablet were seized.

These were analysed and found to contain 41 indecent images of children, including 12 category A – the most severe. Seven indecent videos of children were also found, three of which were category A.

When interviewed by police Downes answered no comment to all questions. On March 21 he pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court. He was sentenced to a year and six months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday (March 28).

DC Andrew McKeane, who investigated, said: “Downes had only been on the Sex Offenders Register since January, and to offend so soon after shows his complete disregard for the law and entrenched views on the matter. A child is victimised when an indecent image is taken and every time it is viewed or shared.

"Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we have specially trained officers who are there to support victims and bring offenders to justice. I am grateful for the work of our partner agencies, who are imperative in safeguarding the most vulnerable in our society. We will not stop pursuing people who are willing to place children at risk of harm and will work tirelessly to put them before the courts."

Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to a child, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah’s Law. Anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry. This can include parents, carers, guardians, extended family, friends and neighbours.

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A 91-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to ten years in jail for his sexual offences against a young girl almost two decades ago.

Eric Grant, 91 of Hall Barn Road, Isleham, appeared at Basildon Crown Court on Thursday, February 23, where he was jailed for his offences which took place between 2004 and 2005.

The victim was just 11 years-old at the time she was abused. The abuse took place in Essex and in Cambridgeshire.

The victim reported the abuse to Essex Police in March 2021.

Prior to speaking to police, she called Grant to confront him about what he did.

She recorded this call, where Grant implied that the acts were consensual. The victim then bravely used this as evidence when reporting to the police.

The investigation was picked up by Essex Police’s Quest Team, who dedicate themselves to investigating all non-recent child sexual abuse.

Grant was interviewed in July 2021 and refused to tell officers anything. Despite this, he was charged a few months later.

Following a trial at Basildon Crown Court, which began on December 12, 2022, Grant was found guilty and placed on the Sex Offenders Register whilst being remanded into custody ahead of his sentencing. He appeared at Basildon Crown Court again on Thursday where he was sentenced to ten years in prison.

He was also given a restraining order, preventing him from making any contact with the victim.

At the sentencing, the victim bravely spoke out in court, describing how Grant’s crimes have had a lasting effect on her including how it’s made her extremely protective of her own child.

His Honour Judge Hurst described Grant’s “cowardly defence” and criticised him for putting the victim through the difficult court process despite his recorded admissions.

Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Ed Massey said: “I want to commend the bravery of the victim in this case, who I know feels like a massive weight has now been lifted from her.

“I feel the sentence – and the fact that Grant is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison – reflects the devastating effects of his sexual abuse of a child, and the fact that he made the victim go through the difficult process of a crown court trial.

“I would also like to extend my thanks to the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) from CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) who supported the victim throughout the whole process, including several days of jury deliberations, and being by her side today as she read her Victim Personal Statement.”

Detective Sergeant Shirley Cole, from the Quest team, added: “The Quest team is made up of dedicated, specialist officers who work day-in, day-out to get justice for victims.  Our work shows that just because sexual abuse took place decades ago, it doesn’t mean that you have any less of a right to have someone who abused you held to account.  I would urge anyone who was abused as a child to come forward and report to us what happened to them.”

Support is there for anyone affected by rape and sexual abuse, and no victim or survivor is alone. Synergy Essex provides specialist support for victims and survivors of rape and sexual abuse of all ages and all genders across Essex, Thurrock and Southend.

Synergy Essex is a partnership of rape and sexual abuse centres in Essex: CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse), SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis). Synergy Essex is independent from the police and provides support for victims and survivors throughout their journey.

Victims and survivors can self-refer, or be referred by a parent, partner, friend or professional and can access specialist emotional support, counselling and advocacy.  For victims and survivors who report to the police, Synergy Essex provides an Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service, providing support throughout the criminal justice process.

For more information visit the Synergy Essex website.

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Cambridge paedophile Peter Jarvis told police he was 'disgusting' after admitting he was a paedophile. The 48-year-old sexually assaulted a teenage girl three times in June and July 2022.

He was arrested and initially denied the offence when interview. However he eventually admitted the offences before pleading guilty to three counts of sexual assault on a girl.

Jarvis, of Sawston, Cambridge, was sentenced to four years in prison at a hearing at Huntingdon Law Courts on Tuesday (February 21). He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to run until further notice, which means he will be closely monitored by officers.

DC Terry Bandoo, of Cambridgeshire Police, said: Jarvis abuse has had a huge impact on the victim. I am pleased he is now behind bars and once he is released he will be very closely monitored by specialist officers.

"Anyone who is concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to a child, can apply for disclosure information through Sarahs Law.

"Anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry. This can include parents, carers, guardians, extended family, friends and neighbours."

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A Cambridgeshire paedophile who sexually abused children for more than a decade has been jailed. Robert Codling, 58, of Princes Road, Wisbech, targeted girls, a court was told.

His victims were abused at an address in the town over a 12-year period. During this time, Codling would openly perform sexual acts on himself in front of the children, and would touch them sexually, calling it “playfighting”.

After more than a decade of abuse, one victim confided in someone close to her, who then reported it to the police. Codling denied the allegations.

However, on Thursday, February 9 at Cambridge Crown Court he was found guilty of six counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching, engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child, and exposure. He was sentenced to eight years and two months in prison.

DC Melanie Bull said: “No sentence will ever erase what happened to the victims, but I hope they will be able to find some closure from this traumatic period in their young lives. Tackling child abuse is a priority for us and we are working hard every day to bring offenders like Codling to justice.”

People who are concerned someone may have been convicted of a sex offence, and could be posing a risk to someone, can apply for disclosure information through Sarah’s Law. As well as this, anyone who looks out for the welfare of a child can make an enquiry, this can include parents, carers, guardians, extended family, friends and neighbours.

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A convicted sex offender from Peterborough has been jailed after he failed to tell police about his new address. Ishmael Khan, 40, was convicted of an indecent assault on a girl under 16 in 2006.

He was placed on a registration notification for an indefinite period following the initial conviction. This meant that he had to keep the police informed of personal details, including his main address and any addresses he stayed at for more than 7 days in a year.

In January 2021, Khan had told police he was living at a guest house in Eastfield Road, Peterborough. However, an officer carried out a routine check on August 23 and was told by a staff member that Khan had moved out a few weeks previously without saying where he was going.

His failure to notify police of his new address within three days meant he had breached the requirement of his registration notification. He also failed to complete an annual notification at a police station, which was due by January 27, 2022.

He was arrested in London in April. Khan, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Cambridge Crown Court on December 14. He had pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to comply with his Sex Offenders' Register notification requirements.

PC Lorraine Smart, from the Management of Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders team, said: “Khan showed a blatant disregard for the court order and we will always look to make sure sex offenders are adhering to their notification requirements. The prison sentence reflects how seriously the courts take this type of offence.”

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Michael Hewitt, 19, had failed to start a relationship with the girl so he set up a fake social media account in March 2020 and contacted the victim – immediately asking for sex.

The victim, who was 15 at the time, did not respond. However, Hewitt persisted and the victim began to reply. Over time, he tricked her into starting an online relationship with the fictional soldier who claimed to be serving in Afghanistan. 

After messaging for several weeks, and after constant requests, the victim sent him intimate photos and videos.

Hewitt then began mentioning himself in messages sent by his alias to the victim.

On 12 May, Hewitt sent an email to the victim from another fake account, claiming to be the father of his alias. The message claimed the “soldier” had died in Afghanistan and that his dying wish was for the victim to start a relationship with Hewitt.

The victim’s mother became concerned about the relationship after not seeing any British military deaths reported in the news and contacted police.

Officers visited Hewitt to speak to him about his friendship with the soldier. He denied knowledge of the man and the investigation continued.

He was later arrested by East Cambridgeshire officers, his electronic devices seized and the IP address at his home linked to messages supposedly sent by the fake soldier and the soldier’s father.

Hewitt, of Swaffham Prior, Cambridge, denied two counts of causing or inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, but was found guilty by a jury at Cambridge Crown Court.

On Friday (2 December) at Peterborough Crown Court he was jailed for 18 months. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

PC Guy Spencer said: “Hewitt went to great lengths to complete this deception and take advantage of the victim.

“She fully believed Hewitt’s alias was real and the online relationship was genuine. To deceive someone and then abuse that trust is awful. 

“I hope that Hewitt spends his 18 months in custody considering the impact his actions have had on the victim and her family.

“Finally, I would like to thank the victim for her courage in giving evidence and her patience for what has been a long investigation.”

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A teacher who took dozens of secret photographs of pupils and kept almost 53,000 indecent images and videos of children has been jailed.

Jeffrey Wilson used a camera pen to take images of pupils and staff at Thomas Clarkson Academy in Wisbech, before taking more photographs of students at Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge.

Police officers carried out a warrant at Wilsons home in Bluebell Way, March after an IP address was linked to viewing indecent images of children online.

Several electronic devices including mobile phones, laptops, USB sticks and tablets were seized.

Of these devices, 45 upskirting images were taken over a six-month period from April to September 2019, when Wilson worked at the two schools.

Wilson had also used a hidden camera in a clock to secretly film a woman undressing at his home.

A further search of Wilsons property was also conducted, where officers found the pen used to secretly take photographs at the schools.

Analysis of the electronic devices seized from Wilsons home also revealed nearly 53,000 indecent images or videos of children.

Of these, 90 were category A the most severe.

Wilson, 31, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, three of voyeurism and two of recording an image under clothing to observe another without consent.

On August 30 at Peterborough Crown Court, Wilson was jailed for a year and was made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

DC Keith Evans said Wilson abused his position of trust at the schools, both with staff and colleagues.

This was a truly disturbing case, said DC Evans.

Wilson was in a position of trust, which he abused by violating both colleagues and students for his own gratification.

His behaviour towards the woman he secretly filmed at his home was also disgusting. Im pleased his offending has been discovered and he has now faced justice.

DC Evans added: These images were taken without the knowledge of the victims and it is impossible to identify them.

Wilsons actions will inevitably cause a great deal of distress to pupils, their parents and staff at the schools.

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A Cambridge paedophile asked who he thought was a 13-year-old girl for naked photos the day before he was meant to appear in court for a number of breaches of a court order and Sex Offender requirements. However, his crimes were uncovered when the young girl turned out to be an adult.

Thomas Turney, 41, was caught at his Cambridge home in March this year, hours before he was due to be sentenced in court. Turney, who was conversing with an online child activist group on a dating app, in another conversation asked another adult pretending to be a 13-year-old girl if she wanted sex with him and also asked for a picture.

On the same app, he asked someone posing as a 14-year-old if they wanted to be a whore as well as repeatedly asking another posing as 13-year-old if she wanted a boyfriend and said 13 is not too young. This put him in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which forbade him to communicate with any child he had not met in person or should reasonably be aware to be under 18.

The following day, Turney was supposed to be sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court after admitting three breaches of an SHPO and two breaches of his Sex Offender Register notification requirements but that was adjourned. In September 2021, detectives had visited him at home and warned him after they found he had been using a dating site he had not notified police about.

Detectives visited him again in October and requested to inspect his mobile phone which was a condition of his SHPO. Turney handed over the phone and his internet history showed vast usage of a dating site where his profile picture was not him and he used the username tony674665.

He was found to be in breach of his SHPO by using a different name as well as his notification requirements by not telling police within three days of activating this profile name. Further inspection of Turneys phone internet history found he had been using another dating app he had failed to tell police about, further putting him in breach of his SHPO.

He was using a profile called Dragon_Master (Tina Turney) and used the profile picture of a blonde woman wearing a revealing dress. Detectives also found he had been using Facebook under the name Lucy Stevens with the same profile picture used for the Dragon_Master account.

Again, this put him in breach of both his SHPO and notification requirements. On Friday, August 19 at Cambridge Crown Court, Turney, of Langdale Close, Cambridge, was jailed for three years, having admitted seven breaches of his SHPO, two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two counts of failing to comply with Sex Offender Register notification requirements.

He was also given a 10-year SHPO. DC Andrew McKeane said: Thomas Turney clearly knew the requirements of both his SHPO as well as his notification requirements but showed blatant disregard for them by using different names on dating apps and social media, not telling police about some of the apps and names he was using and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He is a risk to children and I am grateful that we were alerted to this illegal behaviour which in turn brought about a swift guilty plea. Cambridgeshire Constabulary take a zero-tolerance approach and our main aim within the Management of Sexual or Violent Offender (MOSOVO) team is to protect vulnerable children whether in the real world or online.

In this instance, the use of Turneys SHPO allowed swift evidence gathering as well as identifying further offending. His fresh 10-year order going forward will allow for this to continue once he is released from prison and the unit will utilise these powers on every available occasion.

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The victim of a rape which took place in Cambridge has spoken out about "how much is still to be done on educating the world on what consent actually is" after her rapist was handed a seven year prison sentence. Following the incident Nya Kuatois was arrested on August 23, 2020.

The victim told officers she was awoken by the 31-year-old Kuatois raping her while she slept. Kuatois, of Glenalmond Avenue, Cambridge, denied the offence but was found guilty of rape at Cambridge Crown Court on August 26 this year.

He was sentenced on Wednesday, September 28, at the same court and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely. The survivor later issued a statement.

It read: "Going through this has highlighted to me how much is still to be done on educating the world on what consent actually is. I am not an object, I am a mum, a girlfriend, a young woman who was enjoying a night out with friends.

"I hope that one day there will be a silver lining to this, and he will think twice before acting again, not for fear of criminal proceedings, but out of respect for women and their bodies, their feelings, and their lives."

DC Sarah Lloyd said: "I hope Kuatois uses his time in prison to reflect on his actions, which have understandably had a lasting impact on his victim. I would like to commend her for her bravery in coming forward and supporting a conviction.

"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of any form of sexual abuse to report it to police. Please be assured that we will always treat you with the utmost sensitivity and respect.

"Reporting a sexual assault or rape can be extremely difficult. We take all reports seriously and have trained staff who support victims through the process."

Cambridgeshire Constabularly have reassured survivors of sexual violence they can have confidence the police and other partner agencies will support them throughout the investigation and criminal justice process. If you or someone you love has been the victim of a serious sexual offence, there are support options available on the force's rape and sexual assault page.

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A former teaching assistant has been jailed for the sexual assault of a child under 13 Essex Police officers from the child abuse investigation teams (CAIT) arrested 25-year-old Michael Pena-Briggs shortly after an offence was reported to the force in March 2019. Following a complex investigation he was charged in October 2019 with sexual assault of a child under 13. Pena-Briggs, of The Grove in Cambridge, faced his first trial for the offence at Chelmsford Crown Court in May 2021 but was met with a hung jury. The retrial began last month where he was found guilty. It took less than 2 hours for the jury to reach the verdict. At the same court on Monday he was jailed for four years. He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Investigating officer for the case, Detective Sergeant Stuart Pryke, said: Offences of this kind will always be shocking and disturbing, particularly when that person is in a position of trust. This will undoubtedly be difficult news for the local community but please be assured that our teams and partners have safeguarded and supported all those involved in the investigation. The victim and their family have shown incredible strength and courage throughout this lengthy and complex case. Everything we do and all the hard work is for them, to make sure that they get the justice they deserve." The victims family have said: This has been a long journey but the police and the CPS have been unrelenting in their pursuit of justice. We are especially grateful to DS Pryke of Essex Police for his commitment and dedication, and to CARA, the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse, for their ongoing support. We hope that by achieving this significant result, other victims and their families will have the confidence to come forward and work with the police so that more offenders can be apprehended and more children protected.

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A man snared by online paedophile hunters posing as 12 and 13 year old girls has been jailed.

Paul White, 55, had been having sexualised communication with what he believed were giris, aged 12 and 13, but in fact were members of a group known as Innocent Voices.

Norwich Crown Court heard White had been communicating with them after setting up fake profiles on social media.

Duncan O'Donnell, prosecuting, said that between October 2021 and March this year White had been engaged in "sexualised chat" with the pair, asking them if they had boyfriends and if their breasts had developed yet.

He requested they send pictures and asked whether they wanted to see him - although never met up with them.

But White was then contacted by an adult decoy who said she was an adult woman who he met with at a pub in Upwell on March 13 this year.

He was then confronted by paedophile hunters who had passed on details to the police.

White had been in possession of an internet-enabled mobile phone which was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed on him after previously being convicted for sexual offences in 2017.

White, of Dovecote Road, Upwell, near Wisbech appeared at court on Thursday (June 9) to be sentenced after having previously admitted four offences, including two charges of sexual communications with what he believed was a girl under-16.

He also admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order imposed in 2017 by attempting to communicate with under-16s and possessing a mobile phone without informing police.

Jailing him for 40 months Judge Katharine Moore said the spell of offending was "deeply concerning".

Judge Moore said White was a "dangerous offender" who was assessed as being a "high risk of causing serious sexual harm" to children.

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said White, who deserved credit for plea, lost his father, who he described as his best friend, about 12 months ago which hit him "very hard".

He said that White needed help to "rewire his brain".

White was ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for 10 years while the case was adjourned until July 7 when a new sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) will be made.

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A 41-year-old man described as a fantasist and a monster has been found guilty of the murder of the schoolboy Rikki Neave, who was found strangled in woods near Peterborough nearly 28 years ago.

James Watson, of no fixed abode, was convicted by a jurys majority verdict at the Old Bailey in London of the 1994 murder after a DNA breakthrough in 2016 revealed that, as a 13-year-old, he had been in physical contact with the six-year-old boy on the day of his disappearance.

Watson, who has a long list of previous convictions including sexual assault evaded detection for more than two decades, changing his account of his interactions with Neave as evidence piled up against him.

The conviction brings to a close a cold case mystery in which Rikkis own mother, Ruth Neave, was acquitted of his murder in 1996, removing suspicion that had haunted her since she pleaded guilty to a litany of shocking child cruelty offences against the boy, of which the jury in her murder trial were unaware.

Speaking after the verdict, Neave described Watson as a monster and criticised the original investigation, saying police and social services totally ruined mine and my daughters lives.

saying police and social services totally ruined mine and my daughters lives.

She said: The only thing now is to close this chapter in my life and open a new one. I wonder what Rikki would be like today. Married, children, who knows? But this monster has taken that all from me and my daughters.

Rikkis sister Rochelle Neave, 30, hailed the verdict as a victory for the family who had campaigned for justice. He thought hed got away with it for that many years and thought we were just going to go away and roll under the table. We werent.

She remembered her brother as a cheeky and loving boy who would look after his sisters. Sheradyn Neave, the youngest of the siblings, who was a baby when Rikki died, added: I think we were let down by the police at the time, we were let down by social services, we were let down by everyone who was in our lives who was meant to care.

The jury deliberated for 36 hours and 31 minutes to convict Watson by a majority of 10 to two after an 11-week trial.

The judge, Mrs Justice McGowan, said Watson would be sentenced as if he were a teenager. That means he will receive a life sentence but the starting point for the minimum term will be 12 years. The defendant was not in court on Thursday but watched verdict on a video link.

The prosecution said he lured Rikki to woods near his home in Peterborough on 28 November 1994 and strangled him from behind with a ligature or anorak collar to fulfil a morbid fantasy he had told his mother about three days before.

He stripped Rikki and posed his naked body in a star shape for sexual gratification, deliberately exhibiting him near a childrens woodland den, jurors were told. Rikki was reported missing that evening by his mother and found the next day.

Watson obsessed over newspaper coverage of the killing, photocopying front-page stories at school. The next month he was interviewed as a witness by police after a person reported seeing him with Rikki on the nearby Welland estate. His lies went unchallenged as police wrongly focused on a theory that Neave killed her son and used a buggy to dump his body.

The mother of four was cleared of murder in 1996 but jailed for seven years after admitting child cruelty. The case was unsolved for more than 20 years until Watsons DNA was identified on Rikkis clothes, which had been recovered from a wheelie bin.

In a police interview in 2016, Watson attempted to explain the DNA presence by claiming he picked Rikki up to look at diggers through a hole in a fence. The prosecutor, John Price QC, said that was his really big mistake as police were able to prove the fence was not there in 1994.

After the verdict, the former assistant chief constable Paul Fullwood, who led the cold case, called Watson a fantasist, a dangerous individual, and a compulsive liar. He said: All the way through this, its been a monumental series of challenges. But, as far as were concerned, weve got the right person responsible for the dreadful, dreadful murder of that little boy Rikki Neave.

Hopefully we can bring some justice for his family and also make sure that we put a dangerous individual in prison.

Sentencing will take place on 9 May at the same court.

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A man who raped and sexually assaulted a schoolgirl over a five-year period has been jailed for 14 years.

Elton Townend-Jones, 51, of Church Road, Walpole St. Peter, Wisbech, began the sexual abuse in Cambridge in 2015 and this continued until 2020.

The offences only came to light when a relative of the girl saw something suspicious and called police, with Townend-Jones then arrested in June 2020.

In police interview he denied the offences and claimed he didnt know why the girl would accuse him of rape or sexual assault.

In his second interview, he answered no comment to all questions.

Townend-Jones stood trial at Cambridge Crown Court in February where jurors found him guilty of 11 counts. These were:

- Three counts of rape

- Two counts of assaulting a child under the age of 13 on at least 10 occasions

- One count of assaulting a child under the age of 13 on at least five occasions

- One count of assault by penetration on at least five occasions

- Three counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 on at least five occasions

- One count of sexual activity with a child on at least five occasions

He was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to monitor any future offending and a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victim, both indefinitely, and must serve two thirds of his 14-year sentence before being considered for release.

DC Susan Brown, who investigated, said: Townend-Jones horrific sexual abuse of his victim went undetected for years and I am pleased he has finally been brought to justice.

Regardless of when it happened, we will always take reports of sexual offences, including child sex abuse, incredibly seriously.

Protecting young people from harm is one of our top priorities and we have specially trained officers who are there to support victims and bring offenders to justice.

The defendants abuse has had a huge impact on his victim and I hope she can now find some closure from this traumatic period of her life.