Latest Offenders Cheshire

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A MAN has been jailed for 14 years for multiple sexual offences against women and children.

Simon Arden appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, April 17, where he was handed the sentence.

The 41-year-old, of Macclesfield, had previously been found guilty of multiple offences.

These included rape, sexual assault, exposure, sexual assault of a child under 13, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

In April 2024, police received reports of rape and sexual assault committed by Arden between 2011 and 2021 against multiple victims.

A woman told police she had been sexually assaulted by Arden multiple times when she was a child.

He also exposed himself in front of her and engaged in sexual activity in her presence.

Further victims also spoke to police. Another woman told officers Arden had raped her in 2013. He had also sexually assaulted her and exposed himself to her.

A further victim disclosed Arden had exposed himself to her in 2016.

Meanwhile, a teenager told police she had also been sexually assaulted by Arden as a child.

Arden was subsequently arrested and later charged in relation to the offences.

He was found guilty on Friday, February 21, following a two-week trial at Chester Crown Court.

On top of the custodial sentence, Arden has also been issued with indefinite restraining orders against the victims and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A PERVERT who filmed videos of naked women in the changing room cubicles at a leisure centre has been jailed.

Richard Halck, formerly of Winsford, was caught on August 22, 2023, filming one of his victims on his mobile phone.

The woman, at Winsford Lifestyle Centre, calmly got dressed before alerting staff to the 38-year-old's offence. 

She also asked a member of the public to prevent Halck, now of Landor Way, Stafford, from leaving before police arrived.

Halck was arrested before his phone was seized and analysed, revealing several other videos of women filmed without their knowledge.

The videos were all filmed between July 7, 2022, and August 22, 2023, at various locations across Winsford.

Police officers were able to identify three of the victims, however a number of others have never been identified.

Halck was charged with eight counts of voyeurism, which he pleaded guilty to at Chester Magistrates Court on March 25.

After the lower court decided it did not have the necessary sentencing powers, the case was sent to Chester Crown Court.

Halck appeared at the crown court on Thursday, April 24, where His Honour Judge Simon Berkson jailed him for 55 weeks.

Judge Berkson also ordered Halck to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, as well as handing him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and restraining order to prevent him contacting his victims.

Detective Constable Sarah Ollier, who led the investigation for Cheshire Police, said: "Firstly, I would like to praise the courage of the victims in this case.

"To discover that someone has filmed you without your consent must have been terrifying, but thanks to their bravery he has now been held accountable.

"Halck’s actions have had a lasting impact on his victims, who were simply going about their daily business.

"He violated his victims’ personal space and privacy, filming them without their consent in places that they should be able to feel safe.

"This result reinforces our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, we will prevent, deter and take action against anyone who preys on women and girls."

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A WINSFORD man was cornered by paedophile hunters after trying to lure who he thought was an 11-year-old girl into having sex with him.

Brandon Parton, of Tighe Avenue, had several sexual conversations online with ‘Louise’, who was actually a decoy, between March 30 and April 7, 2023.

He asked her if she wanted to see his penis, if he could kiss her, and touch her breasts and bum.

He also asked her to send naked pictures of herself and actually tried to get her to meet up with him in person for sex.

On Friday, April 7, 2023, police were called to an address is Sandbach where vigilantes were gathering, accusing Parton, who was inside, of being a paedophile. 

The group passed an evidence file to police, which included messages between Parton and so-called Louise.

He was arrested there and then and later charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to facilitate the sexual assault of a child, and attempting to incite a female child aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Parton appeared at Crewe Magistrates’ Court on July 12, last year, where he denied the charges.

But on Thursday, January 30, he changed his pleas to guilty, and was ordered to appear before Chester Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, April 1.  

His Honour Judge Simon Berkson sentenced Parton to 40 months in prison.

The judge also made a sexual harm protection order (SHPO), which lasts for 15 years, banning him from being alone with any female children under 16, except in specified circumstances. 

He must also sign the sex offender register for the duration of the order, and was banned from using a computer capable of going online unless it was registered with police. 

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A teenager from Crewe "took advantage" of a 14-year-old girl who was heavily intoxicated at a party to engage in sexual activity with her. Owen Zissler, then 19, had been invited to the gathering as he was old enough to purchase alcohol for the underage attendees.

However, when the girl went upstairs, Zissler followed her and committed the offence. At Mold Crown Court, the now 21-year-old defendant admitted to having sexual activity with a child and was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

Prosecutor Mark Connor revealed that the incident occurred in North West Wales in 2022. The victim, who cannot be named, had gone to a shop in Gwynedd with her friend and Zissler to buy booze, including vodka and a crate of beer.

After returning to the party, she went upstairs to her bedroom to fetch something.

Zissler followed her and began kissing and touching her. The girl said she was okay with that, but she did not want to have sex, yet Zissler forced himself on her, reports North Wales Live.

Mr Connor added: "The defendant purchased alcohol for all of the children and took advantage of the fact that (the girl) was very drunk."

When the girl's father came home and discovered what had happened, he rang the police.

Upon arrival, two officers found the girl looking "visibly upset". She said she couldn't recall what had happened because she was too drunk.

Samples were taken, and Zissler's semen was found on her underwear.

Previous phone text messages revealed that Zissler was aware of the girl's age, 14. When questioned by police, he gave no comment answers during multiple interviews.In a victim statement the girl said she had felt uncomfortable when the two paramedics who arrived were male.

She finds it difficult to trust people, is afraid of bumping into Zissler and felt she would be better off dead.

She went into a downward spiral, mixed with the wrong crowd and took drugs. But she is no longer friends with that group.

Simon Rogers, defending, said Zissler, of Haslington near Crewe, had been immature. He struggled with dyslexia at school and was moved to a school for pupils with additional learning needs, losing contact with his friends.

But he is remorseful and is in a relationship and has a five-month-old child. The judge His Honour Niclas Parry said: "You saw her going upstairs.

"You saw an opportunity and you followed her and began sexual activity immediately."

The effects made her contemplate taking her own life, he added.

But he accepts he is remorseful and it was out of character. Jailing him, he made him subject to sex offender notification requirements and a restraining order both for ten years.

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A man has been jailed for sexually abusing children in Congleton.

Philip Rigby, previously known as Philip Benson, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 24 March where he was sentenced to 13 years and 3 months in prison and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life.

The 55-year-old of River Street, Congleton, had earlier pleaded guilty to indecent assault on a girl under 14, and five counts of buggery.

The court heard how Rigby sexually abused three children between November 1982 and November 1988.

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A predator booked a hotel to meet with who he thought was a 12-year-old girl for sex. Police officers were alerted to Ciaran Clark, from Ross Street in Widnes, after he was caught in the act by an undercover officer pretending to be a 12-year-old child in an online chatroom.

The 46-year-old had even booked a hotel room in anticipation of meeting the child. Detectives immediately arrested the 46-year-old on December 31 last year and he was charged and remanded on New Year's Day.

Clark appeared at Chester Crown Court on March 17 to be sentenced after pleading guilty to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence - rape / assault by penetration of child under 13, and being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He was jailed for 10 years.

As well as the jail term he was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. DC Faye Taylor from Cheshire Constabulary’s OCAIT team said: “Clark was unaware he was sending his warped messaging to an undercover officer. He’d even booked a hotel room in anticipation of meeting the child.

“This is what makes us so determined to catch these people and stay on duty to make sure they are remanded into custody. Even though he was talking to an adult, he was unaware, and the intent was there - his messages were despicable.

“As a team we are driven to stop people like Clark in their tracks and we will do all we possibly can to protect children at risk from these predatory paedophiles.”

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A prolific offender found in possession of 90,000 images of child sexual abuse has been jailed for a decade. Daniel Tunney pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children and breaching his Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

An investigation was launched by Cheshire Police in September last year after they received intelligence that Tunney had been engaging with indecent images of children online. As a result, officers from the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team conducted a search at his home.

As part of his sex offender registration conditions, Tunney is required to notify police of any digital devices he owns or has access to. During the search of his address, Tunney was arrested, and officers seized three unregistered digital devices - a mobile phone, a hard drive, and a memory card.

Following a digital forensic analysis of his devices, officers discovered Tunney was in possession of thousands of images and videos displaying child abuse, these included at least 603 category A images, 240 category A videos, 735 category B images, 40 category B videos, 46,045 category C images, and 13 category C videos.

He was also found in possession of 104 images and 36 videos of extreme pornography. A further 72,659 images and videos remain uncategorised.

Tunney, 42, of Manor Way, Crewe, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Friday 3 January where he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

When interviewed, Tunney answered “no comment” to all questions, but was charged with the offences regardless due to the amount of evidence gathered against him. Tunney was left with no choice but to plead guilty.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Nathanael Johnston, said: “Tunney is a prolific sex offender who posed a significant risk to children. During our investigation, we found that he was in possession of more than 90,000 indecent images of child sexual abuse. Through the work of our officers, we were able to quickly bring him to justice and he is now facing the consequences of his actions behind bars.”

Detective Constable Meg Griffithes, of the Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “It is important to note that these crimes are not victimless, and as this case demonstrates, we are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual exploitation and play a part in the sexual abuse of children in Cheshire and beyond."

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Pervert in paedo pride boast says five callous words as 'horrific' diary read to court

A court heard that Gerrard Charnley was found in possession of so much child abuse material that police struggled to identify it all after it was recovered from his home in Widnes

A pervert who boasted about being a "proud paedophile" uttered five words of callous acknowledgement after sick passages from his diary were read out in court.

Police struggled to quantify the extreme amount of child abuse content collected by Gerrard Charnley, 52, who trawled the dark web in search for pictures and videos. Charnley, of Coronation Drive in Widnes, developed a "compulsive obsession" with the material and downloaded hundreds of thousands of indecent images and videos.

He documented his desires in sickening detail in a personal journal titled "my paedophile diary", in which he named girls he wanted to "rape some day". And when sentenced by a judge presiding over his trial for his possession of the abuse material, the offender issued a five-word statement of admission.

The Liverpool ECHO reports that Liverpool Crown Court heard Charnley collected 15,081 pictures and 2,308 videos graded as category A, meaning they showed the most serious forms of abuse, including babies being raped. Charnley was also found to have downloaded a further 17,383 category B images and 169,968 category C images.

He also had in his possession nine computer generated prohibited images of children, and an additional nine extreme pornographic images. Police were unable to categorise an additional 230,000 images due to the sheer volume of material on his devices. Prosecutor Sarah Holt said he documented the images in his journal "My Paedophile Diary".

She told the court the document "contained references to specific dates and what the defendant wanted to do to particular children", with one entry from June 2016 naming one girl he wanted to "rape some day very soon". He added in the entry: "I'm proud to say this as a paedophile."

Among other entries in the diary were a list of his favourite websites for viewing child abuse content, and a list entitled "preteen s**gs I'd love to rape". Charnley admitted possession of indecent images of children, three counts of making indecent images, possession of prohibited images of children, possession of extreme pornographic images and possession of a paedophile manual.

He was jailed for 14 months on Thursday, January 2, handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, and told to sign the sex offenders' register for the next decade. Nodding as he left the dock, having been told he would go to prison, he said: "I'm guilty. I'm sorry, ok." Sentencing Charnley, honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said the content he accessed was "truly shocking".

He told the court: "There were so many images, something approaching half a million, recovered from your devices. I am told that there are 232,000 images which remain uncategorised, such was the sheer scale of the task. It is safe to say that your collection of images was enormous by any standard.

You appear to have been keeping a diary of the sorts of things you would like to do to children. They are horrific. They may well be you playing out your fantasies in writing, but they demonstrate the depraved, perverted nature of your desires and your reason for accessing all of this material.

"This written material demonstrates clearly that yours was not an idle obsession, but one where you were fixated on the abuse of children. It is trite to observe that while you yourself did not generate these images, your accessing of them and collecting of them develops a market for this sort of material.

"It is trite to observe that while you yourself did not generate these images, your accessing of them and collecting of them develops a market for this sort of material." The judge concluded: "I am satisfied that only an immediate term of imprisonment is appropriate to deal with offending of the scale and type described in this case where you have quite deliberately, over many years, sought out and collected a huge quantity of appalling material.

"Alongside that you have generated your own material, demonstrating that you have a clear desire to participate in the abuse of these children."

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A man has been jailed for 16 years after subjecting a teenage girl to years of sexual abuse. Martin Falconer, of Spennymoor Court, Runcorn, was jailed on Tuesday, November 26 after being found guilty of five counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, attempted rape, sexual assault, and possession of indecent images of children.

Leah Green previously spoke to the ECHO and waived her right to anonymity to share her story after enduring the horrendous abuse at the hands of Falconer, who was her stepdad. During her early adolescence she endured inappropriate sexual behaviour from Falconer, 66.

The now 21-year-old claims Falconer put a camera in her bedroom to film her, and he later tried to rape her. Falconer came to the attention of Cheshire Police in 2019 when Ms Green reported he had sexually abused her.

This barrage of abuse occurred between 2016 and 2019, during which Falconer sexually assaulted and attempted to rape Ms Green. He also had indecent images of her in his possession on his laptop.

Speaking to the ECHO, Ms Green said: "I want my story out there. After being called a liar by my family for so many years, I want to be heard." She is encouraging others to come forward to stop abusers like Falconer damaging other children.

She said: "There are so many little girls out there losing their innocence to these vile men. There's something we can do to stop it. You should speak out if you can. You'll be protecting so many young girls. You'll be saving little girls' lives and saving their innocence."

Falconer moved into the family home when Ms Green was a toddler. For years, she called him dad, and he played the role of a doting stepdad. According to Ms Green, Falconer showered her with attention, buying her gifts, running her baths and making her hot water bottles.

"He was loving," she said, "and I liked the fact I was loved by someone. But I was loved in the wrong way. When I look back now, I think, 'that's wasn't love, that was grooming'." Following an investigation, Falconer was charged with the offences and later found guilty following a trial in June 2024.

On top of his custodial sentence, Falconer will be subject to notification requirements, a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Detective Sergeant Lee Ellis said: “Firstly, I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case, and I hope the conclusion of this lengthy investigation and subsequent court process will help to bring her some closure.

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A prolific sex offender who was found with indecent images of children on his device has been jailed. Gavin Collins appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 6 November where he was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

The 40-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children, two counts of making indecent images of children, and two breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

The case against Collins began on Tuesday 16 April, when officers from the Sex Offenders Management Unit attended Collins’ home address on Middlewich Road, Northwich, as part of the routine checks made to monitor registered sex offenders.

While at the address, officers used risk management software on Collins' devices to detect any keywords of concern.

The software alerted officers to a number of concerning searches and posts, indicating that Collins had been reoffending. He was immediately arrested on suspicion of possessing of indecent images of children and his devices were sent for forensic examination.

The seized devices were found to contain 92 indecent images of children - 91 category C images, and 1 category A image.

Following analysis of his devices, officers found Collins was also in breach of his SHPO after discovering he had been using a messaging app that destroys messages and images after 14 days.

Collins was subsequently charged with the offences and left with no choice but to plead guilty.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Keith Campbell said: “Collins has repeatedly demonstrated the high risk he poses to the local community, and he shows a complete lack of remorse.

“He thought he could go on to offend without disruption, but thankfully our officers were able to intervene and put him behind bars.

“The work of Cheshire Constabulary’s Sex Offenders Management Unit is paramount to ensuring sexual predators like Collins face the consequences of their heinous and despicable crimes.

“It is important to note that these crimes are not victimless, and I hope this result shows we remain steadfast in pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual exploitation and play a part in the sexual abuse of children in Cheshire and beyond."

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A man has been jailed for six years after sexually assaulting two women in Southport.

Peter Hudson, 52, of Cranfield Drive, in Cheshire, was found guilty of five counts of sexual assault and was sentenced on Friday 1 November at Liverpool Crown Court.

The two victims, who both have vulnerabilities, were each sexually assaulted by Hudson in Southport.

The first incident occurred in August 2021 and the second in February 2022. Hudson was arrested in February 2022 and later charged following a complex investigation.

As well as a prison sentence, Hudson has also signed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life.

As a result of the sexual assault, both women suffered PTSD, panic attacks, insomnia and depression. 

His first victim, who is aged in her 20s, said: “My mental health deteriorated as a consequence of the sexual assault I was subjected to. It has affected my life in many ways. For months after the incident I suffered with awful nightmares in which I would relive what he did to me time and time again and eventually this developed into PTSD.

“I don’t trust any man now. Any man that has cause to speak to me in person, it puts me in a fear. Even after all this time I can’t relax and can’t stop thinking about what I’ve been subjected to.”

His second victim, aged in her 30s, said: “My mental health has really deteriorated since the assault and in more recent time I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I am very frightened going out anywhere.

“When I get in bed I start to worry, panic, have flashbacks of the assault. I have vivid nightmares and relive what happened. I have terrible insomnia and don’t get much quality sleep at all. I cry during the night and feel frightened.

“My day-to-day life has been affected because I just feel so depressed and anxious. I feel very isolated because I do not trust people and have become withdrawn.”

Detective Constable Nicholas Gray, who led the investigation, said: “Hudson displayed predatory behaviour and targeted his two victims, who had vulnerabilities, to carry out despicable sexual assaults.

“He also denied the allegations and therefore forced the two women to relive the ordeal in a trial. Thankfully he was found guilty and will now spend a significant amount of time in prison for his actions.

“I want to commend the bravery of the two women in reporting what happened and helping us to put this man behind bars. While no sentence will repair the trauma which was inflicted on his victims, I hope this sentencing will not only provide them with justice, but also encourage other victims to come forward and have the confidence in us as a police force to take reports seriously and ultimately ensure offenders are put before the courts.”

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A prolific sex offender who secretly recorded a 10-year-old girl in her own home has been put behind bars.

Alexander Kerr secretly filmed and took pictures of the girl as well as three other females. Police said the 62-year-old 'knew what he doing was wrong, yet he carried on anyway'.

After an investigation was launched by officers, almost 2,800 indecent images of children were found on Kerr's devices - including some of the most serious category. He initially claimed he downloaded the illegal images and clips 'by accident' when 'searching for aviation videos', Cheshire Police said.

But was found to have downloaded them for his own 'his own sexual gratification'. The probe into Kerr was first launched in 2022 when officers received intelligence on indecent images being downloaded from his previous home on Hewell Grange in Runcorn.

Police raided the address on August 31 that year and Kerr was arrested. Officers found 2,779 indecent images of children on a number of his devices.

These included 528 category A images, 429 category B, 1,822 category C, 44 extreme pornographic videos involving animals, and 64 prohibited images of children downloaded between 2002 and 2023. Police also uncovered the secret recordings and pictures of the four females who lived in the area.

Kerr, of Rushmore Drive, Widnes, was subsequently charged. He pleaded guilty to nine counts of making indecent images of children (category A, B, and C), two counts of possessing indecent images of a children, one count of possessing extreme pornography, two counts of taking indecent images of children, two counts of voyeurism and one count of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

"Kerr is a prolific and dangerous sex offender"

On Wednesday (October 30), he was jailed for two years and eight months at Liverpool Crown Court. Following his sentencing, Detective Constable Michael McGuinness said: "Kerr knew that what he was doing was wrong, yet he carried on anyway.

"During his interview, he told officers that he accidentally downloaded indecent images of children onto his devices while searching for aviation videos. But when he realised the significant amount of evidence gathered against him, he had no choice but to confess and plead guilty.

"This wasn’t just a one-off incident - over a sustained period of time he downloaded more than 2,000 indecent images of vulnerable victims for his own sexual gratification – behind every image is a child suffering. Not only that, but he secretly recorded four women and girls, invading their privacy within their own homes.

"Kerr is a prolific and dangerous sex offender, and I am glad to see him behind bars. We are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who engage in online child sexual activity and those who play a part in the sexual abuse of children.

"I hope that the sentence handed down to Kerr reinforces the message that nobody is above the law and deters others from committing similar offences."

Kerr was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life. He was handed a sexual harm prevention order.

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A convicted sex offender who preyed on a woman after a night out in Liverpool has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Jordan Scott-Michael, also known as Jordan Callaghan, began talking to the woman after she left a McDonald's restaurant in the city-centre.

The 48-year-old went to a hotel with the victim, who was in her 30s, and raped and sexually assaulted her.

Scott-Michael, of Halton Lodge Avenue in Runcorn, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting rape, sexual assault and two counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

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A NORTHWICH man collected hundreds of indecent images of children and shared one of the most serious with someone via WhatsApp.

Paul Birleson has avoided jail after pleading guilty to a string of seven offences relating to the possession and distribution of images of children and animals.

At Chester Crown Court on Monday (October 7) the 48-year-old was handed a 24-month sentence - reduced from 30 months on account of his early guilty plea - suspended for two years.

If you had a trial I could not have given the sentence I did today, that is how close you came to going to prison, said judge Simon Berkson.

Prosecutor Tom McLoughlin explained that police raided Birlesons home on July 28, 2022, following reports of suspicious behaviour on his Google account.

Police analysed his devices and found a total of 529 images, including 28 category A images and 115 category A videos, the most serious.

Birleson was also found to be in possession of 40 category B images and 89 category B videos, as well as 124 category C images and 106 videos.

Also found on the devices were 25 extreme pornographic images involving dogs and cats.

Mr McLoughlin continued to explain there was evidence Birleson had watched these images on a TV at his home.

He had also distributed one category A image by sending it to someone over WhatsApp.

David Morton, defending, said his client was utterly ashamed of what he had done.

He added Birleson has a complicated medical history, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

Birleson, formerly of Emmett Street in Barnton, also has no previous convictions and was described by the Probation Service as having a low risk of reoffending.

Ordinarily he is a bright, articulate and capable individual, said Mr Morton.

He has made it clear he is willing to put his back into effective work to rehabilitate.

Mr Morton continued, saying his client had shown he is capable of change, highlighting his battle with alcoholism, with Birleson now the best part of 20 months sober.

Taking this all into account, Judge Berkson sentenced Birleson based on what he saw as the most serious of the seven charges distribution of a category A indecent photograph of a child.

He said: Not only do you like to watch child abuse on screens in front of you but you are prepared to distribute them to others with similar interest.

Medical conditions are not in themselves a get out of jail free but here we have a combination of factors.

Birleson, now of Carlingford Road in Chester-le-Street, was also ordered to complete 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a 120-day alcohol monitoring requirement.

On top of this, Judge Berkson imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

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A convicted sex offender subjected a child to a campaign of sickening abuse 'enabled' by his partner. Former couple Alan Townley and Patricia Jones have been locked up after the brave victim came forward.

Chester Crown Court heard Townley, 61, and Jones, 58, were in a relationship. She was aware he was a convicted sex offender, Cheshire Police said, but 'facilitated access' to the child, 'enabling the offences to take place'.

A trial heard Townley flirted with the child, touching them inappropriately. Townley went on to rape and sexually assault the child on multiple occasions.

When the victim tried to stop him, Townley hit them. The abuse came to light years later when the victim spoke out about their ordeal. Townley and Jones were then arrested and charged.

Townley, of Elton Road, Sandbach, Cheshire, was sentenced to 17 years, plus eight years on extended licence. He was found guilty of 12 counts - including rape of a child under 13; sexual assault of a child under 13; causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity; and actual bodily harm. Jones, 58, of Glastonbury Drive, Middlewich, was sentenced to three years for facilitating the offences, Cheshire Police said.

Detective Constable Stacey Thompson, who led the investigation, said: "Firstly, I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in this case, who not only came forward to report what had happened to them, but also endured the process of a trial after Townley refused to take accountability for his horrifying actions.

"What Townley subjected them to is truly horrifying, systematically abusing them in order to fulfil his own sexual gratification. What makes this case worse is the fact that Jones knowingly allowed Townley to have access to the victim, despite being well aware that he was a convicted sex offender. Putting her relationship above the safety and welfare of a child.

"The sentences handed to Townley and Jones reflect the severity of their crime and I hope that his conviction will encourage other victims to come forward.

"As this case demonstrates, we treat all reports of historic sexual offences seriously, with the wishes and needs of the victim as our main priority, and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated."