Latest Offenders Chester

Description

A man who broke into an Oldham care home and tried to rape an elderly woman has been jailed.

Jake Astley, of Sharples Hall Street, Oldham, appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday (July 31) after pleading guilty to attempted rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in May.

Prosecution counsel Rachel Faux told the court that in the early hours of January 1 this year, Astley, 22, tried to gain entry into a care home in Oldham care home by kicking a door, before eventually entering through a faulty door at around 2.30am.

Three employees became aware of Astley's trespassing but he began shouting and threatening them while holding a butter knife, forcing the staff to hide and call the police.

When police arrived, Astley had locked himself inside a resident's room, but police managed to gain access through a master key.

When they entered, Astley was found half-naked while his elderly victim was lying in bed with significant injuries to her head and face, including bruising and a cut which had caused bleeding.

The victim is not able to verbally communicate and suffers with dementia and partial paralysis, the court heard.

During bodycam footage of the arrest, which was played in court, Astley could be heard screaming that he had been "forced to do it" by the victim.

In a police interview, Astley said he had been drinking from 5am the previous day and had taken cocaine, causing him to have no recollection of the incident.

The victim's granddaughter read out a victim impact statement to the court, saying the victim used to be "happy" but has now become "withdrawn" and no longer eats food, causing her to be hospitalised.

The woman said she will "remember the trauma" of the day she visited the victim in the hospital for the rest of her life.

She added: "Jake Astley has not just destroyed my grandma's life but mine and my family's lives.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to get over the trauma of this."

Defending, Stuart Neale, said it appeared that Astley was "in the midst of a psychotic episode" at the time of the incident and that he had no recollection of the events having been "off his head".

He said Astley feels deep and genuine remorse and now "hates himself" for his actions which he described as "horrible", before adding that Astley has expressed suicidal thoughts.

Mr Neale said Astley's history of drinking and taking drugs had begun during his teenage years, saying it is "difficult to imagine a worse adolescence" than the one Astley experienced.

A psychiatric report said that Astley had a history of mental illness.

When passing sentence, Judge Bernadette Baxter said the report had ruled out that Astley was having a psychotic episode at the time of the incident.

Judge Baxter said to Astley: "You have quite simply devastated [the victim's] final years and these years for her whole family.

"The consequences of your offending will stay with them forever."

Judge Baxter sentenced Astley to 10-and-a-half years in prison, which he will serve at least two thirds of before he can be referred to a parole board for release, as well as an extended licence period of three years.

Astley was also placed on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

Detective Constable Sharon Harper of GMP’s Oldham district said: “The crimes that Jake Astley committed that night were horrific and we would like to thank the victim, her loved ones and the care home staff for their continued support throughout our investigations. This was no doubt a long and distressing investigation for the victim and her loved ones.

“Jake Astley – whilst under the influence of drugs and alcohol - was able to gain access to the premises and arrogantly and knowingly walk through the care home to commit crime where vulnerable adults resided whilst he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

“He not only put the care home’s residents and staff through danger by threatening them with a knife and chasing them through their place of work or their home with a knife, but he then committed further atrocious crimes to a vulnerable elderly woman.

“Astley knowingly entered the victim’s bedroom, preyed upon her vulnerabilities, and began to assault and sexually assault her. His crimes are horrific and his lack of remorse for the victim and her welfare is despicable. Astley is a dangerous individual who fully deserves the sentence imposed on him.

“We also completely understand that this case taking place in an assisted living/care home environment will cause some concern within the local community.

“We would like to assure members of the public that incidents like these are extremely rare, and we are working in collaboration with local authorities, care homes and support organisations to ensure that vulnerable people and residents are better protected and supported from all partners including GMP.

“This case demonstrates the seriousness with which Greater Manchester Police deal with report of sexual assaults, including those committed against women and girls. We will believe you; we will support you and we will do everything we can to bring an offender to justice.”

Description

A SEX offender caught out by a police team dedicated to protecting vulnerable children online has been jailed.

Liam l’Anson North, 29, was sentenced to three years and four months yesterday (Monday, July 24) at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty by a jury of three online child sex offences.

He thought he was in contact with a young child but was in fact speaking with undercover West Yorkshire Police staff.

He was found guilty of offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and two offences of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

His activity first came to light in mid-2021 when an account using an alias created by l’Anson North, from Middleton in Rochdale, made contact via social media with a West Yorkshire Police-controlled account.

Thinking the person he was speaking with was a 13-year-old female, the male engaged the account holder in conversation which quickly became sexual.

He was arrested by officers in June 2021 and charged on February 18, 2022, to appear before magistrates.

Investigations in the case were carried out by the Kirklees Online Investigation Team and the West Yorkshire Police Digital Forensics Unit.

Working together the teams were able to uncover a number of messages from l’Anson’s devices - despite the attempts he made to delete them and hide his activity.

PC James Hackman of the Online Investigation Team, said: “We welcome the sentencing of L’Anson North and believe he poses a real risk to young children.

“In his conversations, he demonstrated clear intent to commit serious sexual offending against young children, and it is fortunate the person he thought he was speaking with was actually a police officer.”

He added: “A key part of this investigation was the very close working between Kirklees officers and our specialist colleagues at the Digital Forensics Unit which provided us with a full picture of activity L’Anson North would rather have stayed hidden.

“This case should also make very clear to those who think they can ‘cover their tracks’ when engaging in child sexual offending that force specialists are extremely skilled at retrieving deleted evidence from phones and computer equipment.”

Description

Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

A former cathedral verger has been jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage boys.

Clive McCleester, 77, was sentenced to 16 years on Thursday after pleading guilty to 10 counts of sexual abuse.

The first victim was assaulted between 1969 and 1970, when McCleester was a child welfare supervisor at a Hampshire boarding school.

The second victim was sexually abused when he was the head verger at Southwark Cathedral in the 1980s.

He abused the victim, who was a chorister, at his flat, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The victims came forward in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

'Lifelong trauma'

McCleester pleaded guilty to carrying out sexual abuse between 1968 and 1987 on 26 June at Inner London Crown Court.

Momata Matin, senior crown prosecutor from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit in London South, said: "McCleester flagrantly abused his position of authority and trust within the communities he served to commit vile offences against young boys, leaving lifelong trauma.

"The abuse has clearly had a profound impact on the victims.

"I would like to highlight the bravery of the victims and thank them, the witnesses, and the prosecution team, for helping bring McCleester to justice.

"The first victim sadly passed away after giving police his evidence, so was unable to hear the guilty verdict.

"I hope his family can have a sense of peace knowing that justice has been finally served."

Description

A thug who sexually assaulted one ex-girlfriend and attacked another has walked free after a judge told him that she was giving him a final chance to 'learn his lesson'.

Luke Madeley Bell, 24, described as a real life 'Jekyll and Hyde' forced himself on one victim whilst they lay in bed together saying: 'I have not had sex in a long time.' 

Another woman he subsequently dated was throttled until she passed out during an argument about her ex-boyfriend.

Madeley-Bell, from Manchester, admitted to sexual assault, intentional strangulation, three counts of assault and two of criminal damage at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

However, he avoided jail after a judge decided to give him a final change to learn his lesson. 

He was subsequently sentenced to 19 months jail, suspended for 24 months and ordered to complete the 'Building Better Relationships' programme, 20 rehabilitation activity hours and 120 hours of unpaid work. 

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

Police who arrested Madeley-Bell last March over the attacks discovered he had a previous conviction for assaulting, harassing and intimidating a third ex-girlfriend who reported him to police. He later blamed his behaviour on his heavy drinking.

In a statement the second victim said: 'I still love Luke but I hate what he has done to me. I struggle to sleep because I know what he is capable of doing to me. It left me shamed, embarrassed and afraid.'

The court heard the first victim met Madeley-Bell in a work setting and they began a relationship shortly afterwards.

Mr Ben Lawrence, prosecuting, said: 'All was well for the first month, but soon after that the defendant began to get paranoid and jealous of the complainant. He kept checking her phone and asking her if she had been with any other men.

'The defendant had anger management issues that the complainant was aware of, however he did not attend the anger management sessions scheduled for him. These issues were exacerbated when he refused to take his medication and began drinking more and in one incident he lashed out at her, hurting her back in the process.

'She reported this incident to the police, but it was not taken further. She did however get a domestic violence protection order against him. After the order expired, the defendant rang the complainant, saying he wanted to resume the relationship.

'They agreed to get back together, but shortly after this his behaviour resumed. There were a number of other incidents between the two, which the complainant did not report to the police. Later both parties were lying in bed and were wearing pyjamas with no underwear on.

'The defendant slid his hand inside of her pyjama bottoms, to which the complainant slapped his hand away, saying, 'I'm tired'. He then tried to plea with her, saying he hadn't had sex in a long time and persistently tried to engage in sex. Later that night, the complainant was awoken by the feeling of the defendant's fingers attempting to penetrate her. He was persistent and continued to beg for sex.

'In another incident the pair were out together. The defendant had been drinking heavily and had become aggressive. In response, the complaint left him in the venue. The defendant then sent seven abusive messages to her, including one asking her to meet him at Tesco.

'They met up in the Tesco car park and went into the supermarket. An argument ensued and the defendant threw a box of dog food at her head. The store security came over and told them to leave but outside the store, the defendant threw the dog food into a nearby field and began to threaten the complainant, saying, 'I am going to punch and kick the life out of you.'

'A passer-by came over to the complaint and asked if she was alright, to which she replied, 'No, I'm not alright.' The defendant then approached the passerby and asked if he wanted to fight with him. The complainant walked towards her car and sat inside but the defendant then forced his way in.

'She grabbed her dog, which was with her, and left for a family member's house, where she stayed the night but when she got back home the next day, she found that the defendant had got into her house and made £100 worth of damage to her wardrobe. The relationship ended after this incident.'

Mr Lawrence added: 'A month later the defendant began a relationship with another woman. Similar to the previous relationship, it was good at first, but then the defendant began to get paranoid, and this was aggravated by drinking and drugs. The police were called after an incident where the complainant had to lock herself in the bathroom to hide herself from the defendant.

'Later the pair had participated in a pub quiz before returning home. At home, they began to argue about the complainant's ex-partner. The complainant was recording him during the argument, but her grabbed the phone and called her 'pathetic' and a 'slag'.

'He then began laughing at her but when he asked if she would get back her ex, she said she would. At this point, the defendant grabbed her by the throat and began to strangle her. After initially resisting, she began to lose consciousness. She thought she was going to pass out and die. When she passed out, the defendant began shouting 'no, no, no' in panic and they both fell off the bed.'

'The complainant came to and shouted, ''you psycho, you just tried to kill me. Why don't you just kill me then?'' He then tried to grab her again, but she ran home and stayed with her mother that night. The next day, co-workers noticed her behaviour was strange, and she was sent home early from work. The next day, her neck was hurting and she had consistent headaches. She went to hospital and found she had swollen lymph nodes and scratches on the back of her neck.

'In the time she was away, the defendant had gone to her flat and smashed her TV and turned the fridge off. The defendant was arrested on the 29th of March and gave no comment in interview. He has remained in custody since the 31st of March.'

Madeley-Bell had one previous offence for an assault on another former girlfriend in 2021. 

He also harassed her calling her up and issued threats not to take her case to trial otherwise her children would be taken away. 

He was handed a six-month community at the time and was ordered to have treatment for addiction issues.

In mitigation, his counsel Nicola Carroll said: 'Unfortunately, this is a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde situation, and there is a clear escalation of his behaviour when he has been drinking. He is still a young man, and men don't often reach emotional and neurological maturity until much older. It is clear that the defendant needs more help.'

'He is somebody who is fully aware of the punishment he will receive, but he wants to make himself a better man, not only for him but the others he has a relationship with in the future.

Judge Stephen Davies told Madeley-Bell: 'These are serious offences, especially considering your previous offences. However, I believe it is better for you and the community that you get constructive rehab work alongside appropriate punishment -although you will have a proverbial guillotine hanging over you for the next two years.

'I hope you will understand you have been given a final chance today. You will take that, learn your lesson, and not come back to these courts again.'

Description

A Heywood man has been sentenced to nine years in prison with a two-year extended licence after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.

The court heard that Francis Henshaw aged 42, of Bury New Road,pressured the victim to join him in a back street, he proceeded to sexually assault her. A member of the public intervened in the incident and led the victim away.

Henshaw committed a further offence in December 2022, when he approached a woman on a night out in Rochdale Town Centre. A short time later, he sexually assaulted and raped her in a secluded area.

In addition to his imprisonment, Henshaw has been placed on the sex offender’s register for an indefinite period of time, to be reviewed regularly.

Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, of GMP’s Rochdale district, said: “Firstly I would like to thank the victims in these awful incidents for their bravery throughout this process. I would also like to thank all of the witnesses who came forward to help us bring about this result.

“Multiple officers and detectives have worked hard on this case and their efforts have ensured that the victims of this case received the justice that they deserved.

“Francis’ actions were abhorrent, and we welcome this sentence. This is a stark warning to offenders in Greater Manchester – this sort of behaviour will be treated with zero tolerance.”

Description

A paedophile who plied a schoolgirl with cannabis and repeatedly sexually abused her after meeting on Snapchat has been jailed.

Faisal Khan, 20, met up with the girl ‘nearly every day’ and had an ‘intense sexual relationship’ with her, Manchester Crown Court previously heard.

The pair initially met on Snapchat via one of the girl’s friends. Khan complimented her and told her she was ‘pretty’, before meeting up with her in person and giving her cannabis.

He would tell her to meet him in a nearby park because he was ‘clearly concerned her mum would find out’, prosecutor Ben Lawrence said.

They shared more than 3,000 messages on the social media platform and Khan 'made her feel special'. He told the schoolgirl that he loved her and they shared kisses and heart emojis on Snapchat. He also provided her with cannabis, alcohol and nitrus oxide balloons.

The victim described not knowing whether he was her boyfriend or not but that the relationship had turned from something “cute” to “sour”.

At one stage he suggested they could spend time in a hotel room together, and said he would 'f*** her hard'. "He knew full well she was a schoolgirl," Mr Lawrence said.

Prosecutors said that he would have known she was still at school because she told him about incidents in her education, and even picked her up from school.

On one occasion the girl went to Khan's home and they had sex while his father was asleep in another room in the house.

And on another occasion, he picked up the girl and her younger brother, giving them both alcohol and drugs to ‘stop the brother from snitching’.

The court heard that during one incident when she became jealous of him picking another girl up in his car, she called him a ‘paedophile’ and in response he slapped her.

In a message to her, he said: “...so you can stay with me and no one gets caught.”

The police became involved after a teacher at the girl's school noticed a 'sexual image' on her phone.

At trial, Khan denied having any sexual contact with the girl. He admitted he'd met up with her three times, but said at most he had kissed her on the cheek. He told police the girl had never mentioned being at school and claimed he thought she was in college.

In April this year, following a trial at Manchester Crown Court, he was convicted of three counts of having sexual activity with a child and another count of supplying her with cannabis.

A number of messages from Khan to the girl were read to the court, including: “I’ll come give you the spliff. We’ll go on a little drive, we'll do our stuff.”

Another read: “We can do what we want, weed, drinks, everything, all on me baby, do what you want with me because I know you wanna do stuff proper together.” It was also said that he told her he was 17, when he was actually 19 at the time.

In sentencing, Judge Timothy Smith said the victim described meeting Khan on an ‘almost daily basis’, and said he took her out in ‘different cars’.

“On occasions you would collect her from school in your car. You would also collect her brother, and he would help her sneak in and out,” Judge Smith said.

“You gave him alcohol and cannabis in part to keep him on side so he would not tell others of your relationship.”

The judge said Khan showed an ‘unwillingness’ to accept responsibility, adding that he ‘lied to the police, the jury and in his interview with a probation officer’.

He said the victim was unable to recognise if situations were unsafe, and said she had limited understanding of intimate relationship dynamics. “She describes how you made her feel ‘special’, in her words ‘by an older boy giving her love’,” he said.

“I am entirely satisfied you knew the relationship was wrong but you persisted in it for your sexual needs.”

Khan, of Milne Street, Oldham, was jailed for four years and ten months. He was also made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years, and handed a restraining order, banning him from contacting the girl indefinitely.

He was also placed onto the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

Description

A CHILD abuser is beginning a four-year jail sentence for sexual offences committed against a teenage child in Bradford.

Andrew Carroll, 58, had denied two allegations of non-recent indecent assault, but a jury at Bradford Crown Court found him guilty on both charges following a trial.

Carroll, now of Northumberland Street, Salford, appeared before Recorder Christopher Rose and was jailed for his abuse of the teenager, who must not be identified for legal reasons.

In a victim impact statement summarised by prosecutor Camille Morland, the complainant described how the abuse had always been in their mind, but they were finally able to report the allegations because they felt more likely to be believed now.

Barrister Clare Walsh, for Carroll, said he had suffered brain haemorrhages in 2021 and he now had significant mental health and physical difficulties.

She said her client also suffered from claustrophobia and described him as a very unwell man with complex needs.

Recorder Rose said the complainant had been particularly vulnerable and had concealed the abuse for many years before finding the courage to make a complaint.

“The victim impact statement speaks of the lifelong effect that your abuse has had,” said the judge.

Carroll will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.

Description

A paedophile who had been performing sex acts outside the home of a woman he had become 'obsessed' with was snared after she set up a 'makeshift trap' using a bucket and a fishing line.

His victim turned detective when she suspected something was amiss. It later emerged Farhan Zafar, 22, had been seen standing naked in the woman's garden illuminating himself with a phone torch whilst performing the disgusting acts.

When he was arrested he was found with dozens of indecent images of children on his phone. Zafar had, a year earlier, had sex with a 14-year-old girl on multiple occasions during four months of abuse. He has now been jailed for over four years. He met the girl in the summer of 2021, the court was told.

"They began a relationship at the defendant’s suggestion about two weeks afterwards," John Close, prosecuting said. He said Zafar invited her to her his house to 'do what grown-ups do' and in August they had sex at his house, this was one of six occasions he sexually abused her with other encounters taking place in his car.

The girl told her mother what had happened in November that year and he was arrested. During his police interview he said he said he did not know it was a crime to have sex with a 14-year-old if both consented. However, a judge said he 'clearly knew' it was a crime as Spain has the same age of consent.

Zafar was released on bail and moved to Nelson in Lancashire. And it was in September 2022 that he became 'fixated' with an adult woman he met there. Several days after first meeting her, he knocked on her door and asked via Google translate if she would teach him English. The woman declined and thought this was a 'little strange', Mr Close said.

A few days later he returned and again using the translation app asked if she would go out with him. Despite her saying no he came back on numerous occasions, asking her to borrow things and asking her out again. She also saw him on numerous occasions near her back door.

"On several occasions, (the victim) had noticed residue on her back door which she initially thought was bird faeces but which she began to believe was semen," Mr Close said. "Such was her concern and suspicion, she set up a makeshift trap of a fishing line and a metal bucket which meant that any intruder to her backyard would cause a noise when entering.

"On one occasion in early November, she heard the bucket clatter late at night when she was in the bath and heard a male voice which sounded disgruntled. The backyard was walled and accessible only through a locked gate, so she thought the intruder must have come over the wall." She reported the incident to the police.

Police investigations found that during this period neighbours had seen Zafar wiping something on the woman's front window. "They had also seen him stood at the window in the early hours of the morning, completely naked, illuminating himself with a phone torch whilst masturbating," Mr Close said.

Police arrested him at his home on November 23 last year. His phone was seized and 384 indecent images of children as young as 12 were discovered. 137 of these were classed as most serious in nature. In a victim impact statement his adult victim, who lives alone, said he had left her feeling 'anxious and uncomfortable.'

Zafar, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 16 offences; five counts of sexual activity with a child, one of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of outraging public decency, three counts of making indecent images of children, one of possessing a prohibited image of a child, one of possessing an extreme pornographic image, and stalking.

Sonya O'Brien, defending, said that Zafar came to the UK from Spain six years ago after his father discovered his cannabis habit. However, she said he had continued smoking strong variants of the drug here in the UK prior to and whilst committing the 'very peculiar set of offences.'

She said Zafar had now disclosed to a professional that he was the victim of a 'very serious sexual assault' himself as a youngster and that he 'carries a great degree of shame' regarding it. The offences were, she said, 'born out of isolation and drug misuse and his childhood trauma that he's carried into adulthood and that he's not yet addressed.'

Judge Maurice Greene told him: "You are still young, and were only 20 at the time of the sexual offences."

The judge added: "You were isolated at the time because of the fact your English was so poor. You have had a traumatic time in your youth. Perhaps as a result of that, you started using cannabis regularly, and to extremes, so much so it's clear from the psychiatric report that it has affected you.

"Although I don't accept that it reduces your culpability in any significant way as it was self-induced over a prolonged period of time. There's some remorse but I do note you seek to blame the taking of cannabis."

He jailed Zafar for four years and two months. He was also ordered to sign the sex offender's register and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. A 10-year restraining order was also put in place preventing him from contacting in any way his adult victim.

Description

A husband and wife have been jailed for a combined total of 28 years for non-recent child sex offences against three victims.

Claire Moores (15/03/1977) was sentenced to 13 years and her husband, Craig Moores (25/07/1971) received 15 years imprisonment today, (Tuesday 13 June 2023) at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for a number of child sex offences against two girls between 2002 and 2008.  

The couple, from the Stockport area, were arrested and charged on August 2020 and found guilty at trial of 15 charges put before them.

Craig Moores was charged with four counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 18, two counts of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 18 and one count of indecency with a child under 18 by penetration.

Claire Moores was charged with three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 18.

The couple were jointly charged with two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, one count of sexual activity with a child and one count of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 18. Against a third victim they were charged with one count of cruelty to a person under the age of 16.

They were also charged with causing a boy under the age of 15 to engage in sexual activity and administering a substance with intent to stupefy to allow sexual activity but were found not guilty.

Police were informed in May 2019 of non-recent sexual offences concerning two girls in Stockport.

The court heard how two girls, who have not been named due to legal reasons, reported being given substances prior to being sexually abused by the husband and wife. The third victim was exposed to the presence and consumption of controlled drugs and sexual activity.

Description

A man has been jailed for child sexual offences following the hard work of a team of officers from Greater Manchester Police. 

Sean Johnson (10/05/1990) of Roundhouse Avenue, Wigan, has today (Wednesday 7 June 2023) been jailed for 16 years and 6 months with a 5 year licence at Bolton Crown Court.

Johnson was found guilty of 27 counts put before him:

• 16 counts of sexual activity with a child
• Six counts of causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity
• Two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13
• Two counts of assault of a child under 13
• One count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity
• The court heard how Johnson repeatedly took advantage of the child and would force them to engage in acts with him.

Johnson was also charged with a section 18 wounding in an unrelated case, which he had earlier pleaded guilty to.

In that instance, Johnson attacked a man in a pub in Wigan in July 2022, leaving the man with serious and life-changing injuries.

The sentencing follows painstaking work by GMP detectives and officers, whose commitment has helped secure Johnson's conviction.

Their work now means Johnson is off the streets, behind bars, and away from the public.

In total, he received 14 years for the sexual offences and a further two-and-a-half for the assault. 

Inspector Andy Devine, of GMP’s Wigan division, said: “I firstly want to thank the victims in this case for their bravery throughout the process. Sean Johnson’s crimes were truly horrendous and today marks the culmination of a lengthy investigation.

“I hope that all of those involved can take some comfort in knowing that Johnson is now behind bars and and will be locked away for a long time.

“We encourage anyone who has been a victim of sexual assault, or knows someone who has, to come forward and speak to the police. We will listen to you and we will investigate. Your safety is our number-one priority.”

Description

A violent sex offender has been jailed for 15 years, following a GMP investigation into a two-year campaign of abuse.

James Scanlon (25/01/76) of Sedburgh Close, Sale was sentenced today (Friday 26 May 2023) at Minshull Street Crown Court, after being found guilty of offences including rape, sexual assault, and actual bodily harm.

The jury was told that the abuse culminated in June 2022, when Scanlon held the victim against her will and subjected her to a serious and prolonged sex attack.

Detective Constable Jacob Corrigan, of GMP’s Trafford district, said: “Firstly, my thoughts are with the victim of this horrific incident. She has suffered tremendously at the hands of Scanlan. The victim will continue to receive support from specialist services and, owing to this, she has been able to begin the recovery process.

“Sexual violence will not be tolerated in our communities, and we will continue to support those who suffer. Of that’s you, please talk to us. We can help you; we can give you the support you need, we can work with you to achieve justice and remove dangerous individuals from our communities. You are not alone.”

Description

Bernard Grace lived a solitary life.

The 72-year-old was bound to his wheelchair following a leg amputation, and so his only source of communication with the outside world was through his Apple MacBook Air.

His family, including his eight children, were estranged from him and live miles away in Scotland.

And so his sordid secret remained hidden.

Meanwhile, in October 2020, the National Crime Agency was investigating a series of suspicious payments made to various Filipino women, including one woman who was under investigation for sex trafficking offences.

Up to 600 payments had been made to the women, from a Halifax bank account, totalling nearly £21,000.

Their investigations led them to Grace’s door in Wythenshawe.

Executing a search warrant, they found his laptop and conducted a thorough examination. It revealed horrific and depraved abuse.

Officers poured through thousands of Skype messages within 23 chats. In each chat, Filipino women were directed and manipulated by Grace to live stream the sexual abuse of children.

Months later, in March 2021, the brazen paedophile was found sitting at his computer doing the same thing when his offender manager walked in.

Admitting numerous offences of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, as well as making indecent images, Grace has finally been jailed.

Vile messages uncovered

Manchester Crown Court heard that Grace spoke to the women, most of which he had met on Facebook, before moving the conversation over to Skype so they could video call.

"These women were endeavouring to make ends meet, to better themselves and the lives of their children in relation to education," prosecutor Rosalind Scott-Bell said.

In one chat, Grace told the woman, who had a five-year-old daughter, he would send money to her if she performed an indecent act. He sent an inappropriate picture to the woman and told her to show it to her child - and sent £15.

In another conversation, a woman asked if he would pay her rent. Grace said he wanted a picture of her nine-year-old daughter. He sent two payments totalling £35.

The court was told of another chat with over 1,000 messages between August and September 2019. He offered money to a woman in return for the woman's children to perform indecent acts.

Grace sent the cash via PayPal and an indecent image of himself. The court heard he 'encouraged' the woman to set up a live stream of the abuse of the woman's daughter - and offered money in return for 'live shows'.

He sent that woman £173. Grace, the court heard, 'persisted' when women initially refused to carry out his sick wishes. He bombarded one woman with up to 5,000 messages, asking her to send inappropriate images of her child.

A number of indecent images of children were also found on Grace's computer. NCA officials were granted access to his bank account as they built a case against him.

It later transpired that he was receiving disability benefits into that same account.

Arrest and interview

Grace was arrested and interviewed, telling officers he did not have access to children and stating that he had never been to the Philippines before.

He also said he worked as a coach driver for 20 years, but had to stop working after suffering kidney failure and a leg amputation. He accepted he had transported children as part of his job.

“The defendant told officers that he didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of the internet. He said he would spend four hours a day talking on Facebook,” Ms Scott-Bell said.

“He didn’t use any social media, and would focus on looking for relationships. He admitted exposing himself over webcam.”

When cops asked him about speaking to underage children, he said: “Not in that way, if somebody talks to me, I’ll talk to them.”

He also admitted touching his genitals over webcam and claimed he had received the ‘unsolicited’ images.

When officers asked why he made his demands, he said: "Just to push it, you know what they are like in the Philippines. You know sex over there doesn't mean nothing to them, they have sex when they're 11."

Between 2015 and 2021, Grace sent more than £20,800.

When his offender manager visited in 2021 - following his arrest - he was sat using a computer and appeared to be 'liaising' with women in the Philippines about the sexual abuse of children.

“These children were vulnerable due to poverty,” the prosecutor concluded.

His barrister, Simon Blakeborough, said Grace has a number of health problems including chronic renal failure. "There is a suggestion he will not survive after a period of incarceration," he added.

Sentencing an emotional Grace, Recorder Anthony Donohue said: "What you did involved the exploitation of vulnerable and impoverished individuals in the Philippines. It's staggering that over a period of time you sent £20,800 in payments for sexual services involving the exploitation and attempted exploitation of children."

Grace, of Stoneacre Road, Wythenshawe, was jailed for eight years. He pleaded guilty to 11 charges of arranging/facilitating the commission of a child sex offence; and two offences making indecent images of a child.

He was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order, restricting his use of the internet. He will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

'Bernard Grace caused them immense suffering through sexual abuse, which can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on people’s lives'

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Despite being on the other side of the world from these children, Bernard Grace caused them immense suffering through sexual abuse, which can have a devastating and long-lasting impact on people’s lives. These offences were horrific and we hope the victims in this case are receiving all the support they need.

“It is of the utmost importance that tech firms are regulated to prevent these types of transactions happening. Online companies need to prioritise the safety of children and be aware how their platforms can be used to harm young people.

“The NSPCC is committed to doing all it can to ensure a strong and robust Online Safety Bill is passed through Parliament to force tech companies to do everything possible to protect children and prevent crimes such as this.”

Following Friday’s hearing (May 12) at Manchester Crown Court, NCA operations manager Graham Clare said: "Bernard Grace was an unrelenting offender, whose actions led to several children being abused in the most horrific and depraved manner for his own sexual gratification.

"He may have thought he'd avoid detection by arranging for abuse to take place against vulnerable children on the other side of the globe, but the NCA has the capabilities to investigate online and internationally.

"We work with overseas partners to tackle the abhorrent abuse of children, and actively target offenders who pay for it to be live streamed. There is no bigger priority for us than protecting children, wherever they may be.

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A man has been jailed for a minimum 14 years after a jury convicted him of raping and sexually assaulting two young girls. Michael Hopwood, 27, from Openshaw, sexually abused the girls, who were under the age of 12.

The married father had denied three counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, four charges of sexual assault and one charge of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child. But a jury convicted him and now he has been handed a long jail sentence with an extended licence period.

Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court that one of his victims went into school 'upset' towards the end of last year and 'indicated' to friends that she had been raped.

The girl, too young to understand what rape was, reported what had happened to an adult and police were called, the court was told. She described to officers how Hopwood climbed on top of her and described one incident which the jury concluded amounted to an oral rape.

Police later interviewed the second girl. The girl told police graphic details of how Hopwood would molest her.

The girl said the abuse had started during the summer. She told officers she had not spoken to anybody about her ordeal and was scared to do so, said Mr Cadwallader.

When police arrested Hopwood, he denied all allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct, said the prosecutor. The court heard those caring for the two girls were glad he was facing a long jail term as Hopwood could no longer harm them.

Both girls, entitled to lifelong anonymity in press reports of their case as victims of sex crimes, have been 'profoundly' affected by the abuse, the court heard.

One had been bubbly and confident but 'isn't like that now', the court heard. The other was a sweet girl whose attitude 'has changed' and has become very emotional every time she did anything wrong.

One tearful family member described Hopwood as a 'monster'. She told the judge: "If it was up to me, I would lock him up and throw away the key. I believe people like him should be locked away forever."

The court heard Hopwood had no previous convictions or cautions.

Joanne Shepherd, defending, pointed to her client's previous good character and said Hopwood had been suffering with depression 'for a considerable period of time'.

Judge Hilary Manley said the younger victim had 'found the courage' to tell her school friends. She had been groomed by Hopwood who then raped her, said Judge Manley.

The judge went on to say that the older girl had been 'groomed and debased' by Hopwood who then 'bribed her with sweets'. "You destroyed her innocence," said Judge Manley, who went on to say that the impact on both girls had been 'profound'.

Hopwood was handed a 20-year prison sentence. He will be eligible for parole after 14 years. He was also handed an extended licence period of eight years, which means, even if he is released after 14 years, he will be on licence for a further 14 years.

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A PREDATORY offender who would target schoolgirls on buses by passing them his phone number has been jailed for sexual offences.

Adetunji Akona-Dosunmo, 35, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday, May 9 after committing sex offences in Merseyside.

In April last year following a long investigation by Merseyside Police, detectives charged Akona-Dosunmo with a number of crimes which took place in Merseyside and Manchester during February and March last year.

'Passing phone number'

Detectives say that while travelling on buses he would "pass his phone number to underage girls to engage in sexual activity".

On Monday, February 6, he pleaded guilty to four counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that was already in place, two counts of sexual communication with a child, and an attempt to arrange/facilitate a child sex offence.

Detective Constable Rachael Barcas, who headed the investigation, said: “We welcome this sentence given to Akona-Dosunmo as he is now behind bars and can no longer cause harm to children with his predatory offending.

“Akona-Dosunmo committed a number of offences in Merseyside and Manchester where he would travel on a bus and attempt to engage with schoolgirls wearing a school uniform by handing them notes with his telephone number and asking them to call him.

Child was aged 11

“In one instance the victim he targeted in Crosby was aged just 11, proving that he is a serious risk to children.

"Upon sentencing the judge stated that he poses significant risk of committing further offences as he has strong sexual urges or desires resulting in him planning ways to bring about contact with underage girls with the express aim of having sexual activity with them.”

Merseyside Police is committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.

Praise for young victims

Detective Inspector Alan Nuttall added: “This investigation was complex in nature, requiring collaboration with colleagues in Greater Manchester Police.

"Detective Constable Barcas has worked tirelessly to ensure that justice has been served and I wish to take this opportunity to thank the young victims in the case for coming forward and providing the evidence required to ensure that this individual is appropriately punished.

“We have specialist officers who are dedicated to investigating these crimes, bringing those responsible before the courts and ultimately protecting young people from unimaginable suffering.

“I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, please come forward and report this to police.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and if you can find the courage to come forward and speak to us we have specially trained officers who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion.”

Akona-Dosunmo, of no fixed address but formerly from Salford, was also issued an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

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A RAPE victim has spoken out after her attacker was convicted of rape by a crown court judge.

The woman, whose identity is protected, explained how she awoke suddenly to find Shaun Western raping her.

The victim had been on a night out with friends in Colchester in September 2018 and returned to her flat at the end of the night, but when she woke up to find she was being raped by Western, 24, who fled the flat when he had been discovered.

In a police interview, Western claimed the sex was consensual but the jury at Chelmsford Crown Court did not believe him and on Tuesday he was sentenced to six years and six months imprisonment.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said the attack had impacted hugely on “every aspect” of her life.

She said: “Since this happened, I started to suffer from night terrors.

“I never used to have issues sleeping, now when I have a night terror I start to drift off to sleep, I will jolt awake with the memory of him on top of me.

“It would make me feel breathless and panicky.”

The victim also said she has since been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder, with her ability to work also majorly affected.

Officer in the case Detective Sergeant Danielle Markoutsis praised the victim for her courage.

He said: “[The victim’s strength character throughout this process has been an inspiration.

“While delays in bringing this case to trial were outside of our control, the verdict and sentence serve as a stark reminder of our clear determination to bring sex offenders to justice.

“The early advice process we have in place [with the Crown Prosecution Service] seeks to involve a lawyer in the very early stages of an investigation to agree a joint action plan with the officer in charge.

“This is helping to improve the timeliness of our investigations, leading to more solved outcomes and has now been recognised by the college of policing, which has included this as evidence of good practice for other forces to follow.”

Western will be subject to an indefinite restraining order and will remain on the sex offender's register for life.