Latest Offenders Cumbria

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A WHITEHAVEN man serving a community sentence for possessing child abuse images committed a similar offence within a year.

But for unexplained reasons it took police two years to charge 34-year-old Liam Rothery, who this week entered a guilty plea the downloading 23 indecent child images of Category C.

These are considered the least serious category of child abuse imagery. At Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson outlined the facts.

He said the Rothery, of Ceda Park, Whitehaven, was sentenced for his previous offending in August 2020, with his three-year community order including rehabilitation and a sex offender treatment programme.

But in April 2021, police made an unannounced visit to his home because of suspicions over the delivery of 'equipment' to his address.

Though there was no issue with that equipment, police did ask Rothery to hand over his Apple iPhone while they were at his home so they could check it.

On the device they found a bookmark that linked to a website which was being used by people wishing to share illegal child images.

“It appeared to be Eastern European or Russian in origin,” said Mr Rogerson.

A forensic examination of the phone revealed that the defendant had downloaded 23 child abuse images. When interviewed, Rothery gave no comment replies to the questions put to him by the police.

Mr Rogerson added that the police found evidence on the phone that Rothery had made 'deliberate or systematic searches' for images of young children and that he had saved some of those illegal images.

Judge Nicholas Barker said that if the case had been dealt with in a timely manner the sentencing judge may have concluded that Rothery was not minded to change his ways and dealt with him accordingly.

“For a reason I am struggling to understand the police did not charge you for this offence until two years later,” the judge told the defendant.

But in the last two years, said the judge, the sex offender treatment programme that Rother had now completed and his work with the Probation Service had rehabilitated him.

His pre-sentence report was positive and there had been no repeat offending, observed the judge. In view of this, Judge Barker imposed an 18-month community order, with 20 rehabilitation activity days and an eight week 6pm to 6am curfew.

Rothery will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years.

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A man has been jailed for 12 years for multiple offences including rape and sexual assault.

John Crawford, 35, of St Vincent Street, Barrow, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court for:

• Rape of a female
• Sexual assault by penetration on a female
• Committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence
• Sexual assault
• Common assault

The offences relate to incidents against two women which occurred between February 2015 and February 2020.

Crawford will serve a minimum of two thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release on licence. He is considered a dangerous offender and will be subject to the sex offenders register for life.

Investigating officer Sergeant Kerry-Anne Travis said: “I would like to thank the two victims for their bravery in reporting these offences.

“Sexual violence can have a devastating impact on victims and their families.  We would encourage any person who may have experienced such incidents to report the matter to police. We have specially trained officers to investigate and support you throughout.

“I would like to give special thanks to the Bridgeway Sexual Assault Referral Clinic (SARC). They provide an invaluable service to victims of sexual offences who may not wish to report sexual offences directly to police. Victims can self-refer to the SARC and will be supported by a specialist team.”

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A REPEAT sex offender from Kendal downloaded dozens of sickening child abuse images, including ones featuring victims as young as three.

Kendal man Robert Lewthwaite, 29, who committed the offences despite having the benefit of professional help through the Probation Service, was jailed after a judge ruled that he poses a continuing risk to children.

He admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and downloading almost 300 indecent images of children, including 58 which were classified as Category A, the most serious kind of abuse images.

At Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant: These are not victimless crimes: these images depict real children, as young as three or four and five or six, who were subjected to the most horrendous, gratuitous sexual abuse.

The demand for such images by people like Lewthwaite supported the activities of the abusers who created those images.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the background was that Lewthwaite was given a seven-year sexual harm prevention order in February 2019, which was designed to curb his internet use and prevent reoffending.

It was part of his sentence for similar offending, when he downloaded hundreds of child abuse images, the court heard. Lewthwaite was specifically warned not to use cloud storage facilities, said Mr Burke.

But on January 14 police visited the defendant and discovered that he had done this, accessing three cloud storage sites. There was evidence that he had deleted content from his internet history and devices.

Police eventually recovered the images he had been viewing: 58 of Category A, 96 of Category B, and 128 of Category C.

Jeff Smith, defending, said the defendant, of Low Kirkbarrow Lane, Kendal, suffered autism and consequently was isolated and struggled to make relationships. He is isolated from the vast majority of his family, other than his grandfather, said Mr Smith.

He clings desperately to those who are close to him. Lewthwaite needed professional support to turn his life around, said the lawyer. The defendant recognised his failings and did not want to minimise them.

The lawyer said that group therapy would help Lewthwaite, who did not want to sink yet again to the depths of depravity.

Jailing Lewthwaite for 18 months, Judge Barker concluded that the defendant had returned to his former offending behaviour, which probation staff had described as being a highly established pattern of offending.

While accepting that Lewthwaite suffered difficulties linked to his autism, the judge said there was a pattern of offending, and he was not satisfied that at present there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

Lewthwaite will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and his sexual harm prevention order will last for the same period.

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The perverted behaviour of 27-year-old Windermere man Callum Spedding came to light after he was taken in by a police sting which involved an undercover officer posing online as a 13-year-old girl.

When police seized the defendant’s digital devices, they discovered that he was also sexually grooming a 13-year-old boy, though the victim was never properly identified.

Spedding, of Mill Brow, Droomer, Windemere, admitted six offences – one count of making an indecent image of a child, two counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual behaviour; and three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

At Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Tim Evans outlined the offences, which were all committed on dates in March, 2020.

The first set of offences related to the police sting, when Spedding began communicating online with a person who repeatedly identified herself as a 13-year-old girl.

During a series of online exchanges over several days, the defendant offered to buy her sweets and other treats – clothing, jewellery, and a phone; and he spoke to her about taking her to McDonald’s.

“It’d be cool to take you out and spoil you,” he told the ‘girl.’ As the contact continued, Spedding’s conversation became increasingly sexual, said Mr Evans. He spoke of wanting to meet her and described explicitly the sexual contact he wanted with her.

The court heard that the defendant encouraged the girl to “practice” certain sex acts in preparation for a potential meeting.

It was after police raided the defendant’s home and arrested him on April 1, 2020, that officers examined his digital devices, they found incriminating evidence that Spedding had also been grooming a boy.

Once again, the communication amounted to sexual grooming, with Spedding discussing sexual matters, including his desire to sexually abuse the child in graphic detail.

Jack Troupe, defending, said the defendant had struggled to come to terms with the offences he had committed. He was also struggling with mental health difficulties, said the barrister.

But with three years having elapsed since the offending, there had been no repeat of the illegal behaviour, added Mr Troupe.

Judge Nicholas Barker told Spedding that it was clear that he had genuinely believed he was communicating with children who were aged just 13. On March 20, 2020, he had clearly stepped up his attempt to sexually groom the girl, offering to buy her gifts.

He told the child he wanted to see her in swimwear.

In the days that followed, the communication became increasingly sexualised, with Spedding asking the “child” to send him indecent photos of herself.

The judge noted that Spedding had been “socially isolated” but he rejected the defendant's claim that his offending was triggered by the pandemic lockdown, given that the illegal behaviour began before the national lockdown.

The judge said: “You were socially isolated and you were suffering mental health conditions and continue to do so.” But a Probation officer had assessed Spedding as posing a “direct risk” to children, given the extent of his efforts to have sexual contact with the two 13-year-olds.

He jailed the defendant for 31 months and put him on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely. Spedding will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.

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A 23-year-old man has admitted making and distributing indecent images of children.

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CHILDREN as young as six featured in thousands of sickening child abuse images which were downloaded by a Carlisle man.

But the jail term handed to 46-year-old Richard Nobes for his crimes was suspended after a judge accepted that he is a principal carer for his elderly father and that there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

The defendant, of Sheffield Street, Carlisle, admitted four offences.

They were: downloading 1,359 indecent child images classified as Category A, the most serious kind of such image; downloading 674 Category B images; and downloading 4,291 Category C images.

He committed the offences between November 7, 2020, and May 6, 2021. Nobes also admitted possessing prohibited images of children on June 17. He denied a fifth allegation of possessing extreme pornography.

The prosecution accepted that plea.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the crimes came to light on June 17 when police, acting on intelligence received, visited the Carlisle home where Nobes was living at the time and carried out a search.

As police arrived, Nobes appeared to know why they were there but he told the officers: “That was years ago.”

Mr Burke said: “In fact, the images were created between April, 2019 and May of 2021."

All of the images recovered by the police were inaccessible to the defendant at the time of his arrest because he had deleted them, said Mr Burke. Nobes had been using a social media website that is popular with young people.

Judge Andrew Jefferies KC said there were two features of the defendant’s offending which were particularly serious. One was the sheer volume of indecent child images, which featured still and moving images, some as young as six.

The second aggravating feature was the charge involving distribution of some of the images involved. Judge Jefferies imposed an eight-month jail sentence but suspended it for two years.

He did this, he said, for three reasons: the defendant’s remorse, his prospects for rehabilitation, and the fact that he is the principal carer for his father, a fact supported by medical evidence.

The suspended sentence includes 40 rehabilitation activity days, designed to address the defendant’s “interest in children”. Nobes will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade.

A sexual harm prevention order, governing his use of the internet, will be in place for the same period. Judge Jefferies told Nobes: “I would have sentenced you to [immediate] eight months prison but two things stopped me.

“One, the probation officer thinks you can be worked with to control any sexual interest you may have in children and the rehabilitative possibilities; and two, the material I have seen and extracts relating to the ill-health of your father and the fact that you are effectively his main carer.

“If I did put you in prison today, for a relatively short period, it would have a disproportionate effect on your father, who has done nothing wrong.”

The defendant, said to have been living under certain unspecified 'stresses' when he committed the offences, formerly lived at an address in Lightfoot Drive, Harraby, Carlisle. Nobes had no previous convictions.

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A WEST Cumbrian man who secretly downloaded hundreds of child abuse images was told his offending warrants a jail sentence.

But a Carlisle Crown Court judge drew back from that option for 30-year-old Steven Hannay after being told that he was 'brutally frank' about his sexual interests when he was interviewed by a probation officers.

The defendant, now living in Workington but formerly of Cockermouth, admitted downloading more than 300 illegal images: 73 Category A pictures (the most serious kind); 46 Category B images, and 216 Category C images.

Police discovered the offending when, acting on intelligence received, they visited the defendant’s then home in Cockermouth. They found the illegal images on devices owned by Hannay.

A further two Category C images were also found.

Judge Andrew Jefferies said offending such as that committed by the defendant 'screamed out' for a prison sentence.

But his frankness suggested that he could be worked with to 'control his paedophilic interests.'

Though the offences deserved jail, a three year community order would allow the defendant to undergo 'intensive' rehabilitation work which would ultimately better protect the public, said the judge.

Judge Jefferies told the defendant, whose address was given as Devonshire Street, Workington: “Without doubt, your interest in this material means you should be in prison.

“That’s a given. But my duty is not just punishment for offending; it’s protection of the public going forward.

“Though some people may think you have made your position worse by your frankness with the author of the pre-sentence report, I think the opposite.”

A three-year community order focused on rehabilitation would not be a soft sentence, warned the judge.

Judge Jefferies imposed that order, specifying that it will include 15 rehabilitation activity days and 'accredited programme' of work to address the defendant’s interest in children. The sentence will also include a 120 day tagged alcohol monitoring requirement.

Hannay will have to be on the Sex Offender Register for the next five years and a sexual harm prevention order, controlling his use of the internet, will be in place for the same period, said the judge.

Ultimately, said the judge, people who commit such crimes either accept the available professional help that will stop them reoffending, or they have to be locked up.

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A WEST Cumbrian man who was convicted of raping a schoolgirl when he was a 16-year-old has been jailed.

Josh Atkinson, who is now 22, had pleaded not guilty to the offence but he was convicted by a jury after a trial at Carlisle Crown Court. Prosecutor Tim Evans outlined how the defendant committed the offence in 2017.

The girl was of primary school age at the time. “She told him no and tried to push him away but he was older and stronger than she was,” said Mr Evans. The girl’s ordeal lasted for about 15 minutes in total.

It was at a later stage, when the girl was having a sex education lesson at school, that she became upset and realised the enormity of what had happened and disclosed it to her mother, said Mr Evans.

The barrister went on to outline the impact of the rape on both the girl and her mother, who said it had been hard watching her daughter “go into herself and struggle with her emotions”, becoming upset and angry.

Speaking of the victim, Mr Evans said: “Being raped made her feel more insecure about herself; it plays on her mind. She can’t trust boys and she is scared of all matters sexual.”

The girl had also isolated herself and did not leave her home for a long time.

She also self-harmed on a couple of occasions, said Mr Evans.

The barrister explained that because the defendant, of Cockfield Drive, Workington, was 16 when he committed the offence, just a few months away from his 17th birthday, he would have to be sentenced as though he were still a youth.

Peter Wilson, defending, said maturity issues which affected the defendant’s consequential thinking and impulsivity were factors in the offending.  There were also other issues which arose from his childhood.

“There was significant instability in his young life,” said Mr Wilson.

The defendant had suffered violence in his family home and this led to illicit substances being used there. “He describes his father as a career criminal who has his own drug dependency issues,” said Mr Wilson.

As a result of childhood trauma, Atkinson had suffered depressive symptoms from the age of 12 and had experienced suicidal thoughts throughout his life. But he was now taking medication and using his time in prison positively.

Judge Guy Mathieson said the defendant, who still denies his offence, was convicted by the jury on “compelling evidence.”

He jailed Atkinson for four years  - half the sentence he would have been given had he been an adult when he committed the offence.

The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register for life and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. A restraining order forbids any contact with his victim for the same period.  

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A PERVERTED west Cumbrian man who fled the country after trying to rape a sleeping woman has been given a nine year jail term.

The dock of Carlisle Crown Court was empty as Judge David Potter passed sentence on 38-year-old fugitive Alan Adam, who had denied sexually assaulting the victim and attempting to rape her.

Still on the run, the defendant, formerly of Harrington Road, Workington, failed to turn up for his own trial last week and was convicted in his absence.

The jury heard that the victim reluctantly agreed to have a drink with Adam, during which he plied her with drinks.

She recalled suddenly feeling unwell, something which made her suspect that her drink had been spiked, though there was no medical evidence of that. The woman had made it abundantly clear that she had no sexual interest in Adam.

She had retired to a bedroom to sleep – and then to her horror awoke to find that Adam was sexually assaulting her.

As he summed up the case, Judge David Potter said: “She wasn’t used to drinking that quantity, but none of that was her fault.  I am sure that the defendant took full advantage of the obvious incapacity her condition presented.”

The woman had fallen asleep on a bed, and it was as she slept there that she was woken by Adam as he first assaulted her and then tried to rape her.

“She immediately protested... and told him no,” continued the judge.

Despite this, said Judge Potter, Adam forcefully pushed the woman on to the bed and made a “concerted effort” to rape her, his attempt frustrated only by the woman’s determined physical resistance.

Adam later told police that the sexual contact was consensual.

But a medical examination of the woman revealed she had suffered intimate injuries which supported her account of what happened, and showed that Adam had indeed used force as he tried to rape the woman. Prosecutor Robert Smith then read a detailed victim impact statement from the woman.

“When I think of what happened, I find myself having flashbacks to the moment in time when I was taken advantage of,” she wrote.

“I continue to have nightmares, crying. I am a broken person because of that man; I can’t even say his name and never will. He has broken me and I don’t think I will ever trust a man again. This will cause me issues for the rest of my life.

“He took advantage of me while I was asleep and intoxicated; he tried to rape me and that will live with me forever.”

She said she was no longer able to leave her home without fear and she doubted whether she could ever be truly happy again. She said she was pleased that the jury had returned guilty verdicts on Adam.

She hoped that he will eventually face justice should he return to the UK. But the legacy of his crime continued, she suggested, given that she had been humiliated and hurt but she now hopes to rebuild her life.

Judge Potter noted that the woman had been 'particularly vulnerable', and while he rejected the notion that her drink was spiked, the defendant had encouraged her to drink in the hope that she would be incapacitated.

He jailed Adam for nine years, pointing out that when he does serve that term he will not be eligible for released until he has served at least two thirds of the full term. The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

Adam’s current whereabouts are unknown, but police have confirmed that he boarded a ferry for France in July of last year.

It took the jury just 90 minutes to convict him of the two allegations he faced. 

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A predator who told a woman he met online to sexually assault two young children has his sentence increased by more than two years.

Alan Nicholson, from High Harrington, Cumbria, had his case referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

In September 2021, Alan Nicholson (53) spoke to a woman online, called Louise, who he believed had two daughters, aged five years-old and a baby of four-months.

Their conversations revolved around serious acts of sexual abuse that Nicholson intended to carry out on Louise’s children.

However, Louise was an undercover police officer supporting Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit.

Nicholson was found guilty on two counts of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and received a three-year prison sentence.

He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Following the sentencing at the Crown Court at Carlisle on 16 December 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Nicholson’s original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal on 9 March 2023 and was increased to 5 years 9 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Alan Nicholson believed he was successfully arranging to carry out vile acts on very young children. Thankfully the person he was talking to was an undercover police officer, whose diligent and commendable work led to his imprisonment.

I would like to praise all of those involved for catching Alan Nicholson and helping prevent anyone else come to harm. A longer prison sentence for this despicable crime shows such behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated.

Detective Sergeant James Bailey of Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit said:

We welcome the increased sentence given out to Nicholson.

Our specialist officers work hard behind-the-scenes all-year-round to deter offending, catch criminals and safeguard victims.

We will not tolerate those carrying out such crimes and will continue to do what we can to target those offending in this way and bring them to justice.

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A FORMER soldier who volunteered to support the Ukraine war effort has been prosecuted after police discovered he had a collection of extreme pornography and indecent cartoons of children.

Michael Lee, 27, who was one of the first former British servicemen to volunteer to fight in the war, has been put on the Sex Offender Register after he pleaded guilty to several indecent image offences.

All involved cartoons, Carlisle Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said that the offences - which were committed over a six year period - came to light when police searched the defendant’s address in Workington and seized two digital devices.

Both contained illegal indecent child images. Lee, whose address is now Westminster Street, Gateshead, admitted the following offences:

• Possessing 317 extreme pornographic images, involving bestiality.
• Downloading indecent child images – all of them cartoons, including 12 which were the worst Category, A; 7 which were Category B; and 32 which were Category C.
• And possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Kim Whittlestone, defending, handed the court a character reference from the Ukrainian platoon commander who served with Lee.

One of the first foreigners to volunteer for the war effort, Lee had uses his own military experience to help train other recruits to “Nato standard” and had taken part in operations. He was well-liked by his comrades.

“He’s been an industrious young man," said Miss Whittlestone.

“This defendant had a very difficult upbringing. He had alcoholic parents and there was [Social Services] intervention.” Lee had begun consuming alcohol when he was 13. Drinking heavily, he had described himself as a “functioning alcoholic.”

The barrister said: “Since July of last year, he’s been totally alcohol free. He volunteered in Ukraine and, in essence, says that saved him.”

Volunteering had given him focus, helping him to stop drinking.

Miss Whittlestone said Lee, like many such offenders when first confronted by such offending, had denied having a sexual interest in children. “He understands that is unrealistic,” said the barrister.

He was resolved to apply himself to the proposed sexual offender treatment programme.

Judge Nicholas Barker noted the prolonged period of the offending, which happened between November 2015, and March, 2021. But it was right to take into account the defendant’s challenging upbringing and his volunteering in Ukraine.

Lee was the “very example” of a defendant suitable for an alternative sentence to custody, focused on rehabilitation, said the judge. 

Judge Barker imposed a three-year community order, with 25 rehabilitation activity days. Lee must take part in the Sex Offender Treatment Programme.

Lee will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years. As punishment, he must complete 120 hours of unpaid work.

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A CARLISLE man who sexually assaulted a woman while she and he were drunk has been put on the Sex Offender Register.

James Greenwood, 39, with neither preamble nor warning, began removing the shocked woman’s clothing as she lay on the floor in her pyjamas. As she resisted, he apologised, telling her: “You need to understand you’re a beautiful woman.”

At the city’s crown court, a barrister outlined how the late-night incident had caused the woman severe psychological harm.

The experience left her suffering panic attacks and an “enormous sense of dread” while also damaging her self-confidence and her sense of self-worth. Greenwood, of Sybil Street, Carlisle, admitted a sexual assault.

Brendan Burke, prosecuting, outlined the facts.

He said the defendant and the woman had spent an evening together, both drinking heavily. “They were both very drunk,” said Mr Burke. During the evening, Greenwood told the woman he wanted their relationship to develop.

Mr Burke said: “She repeatedly told him that she wasn’t interested; and ultimately, in frank terms, told him: ‘I don’t fancy you.’”

By 11pm, said Mr Burke, both the woman and the defendant were “very drunk” and there came a point when she was lying on the floor in the property’s living room, in her pyjamas.

Initially, she was unaware of what happened next but then realised that Greenwood had started to remove her clothing. She immediately resisted, flailing around and demanding to know what he was doing.

“I can’t believe that you’ve done that,” she told Greenwood, who said he was sorry. The woman then started recording what happened on her phone.

“She asked him why he did it,” said Mr Burke. “He said: ‘I just cracked. Sorry. I love you.” Mr Burke continued: “She was asking him leave.

“He initially didn’t want to; he was asking her not to call the police.” He then did leave, telling his victim as he did so: 'I think you have a problem. I hope things are okay between us.'”

The prosecutor went on to read from the woman’s victim impact statement, in which she described the lasting effects of the sexual assault. She had been left feeling socially isolated and panic-stricken.

She needed counselling as a result of what happened. She added: “I don’t want to be seen as a victim… but I don’t want anybody else to be a victim of [the defendant] or hurt by what he is capable of.”

Jeff Smith, for Greenwood, said the defendant was immediately “overwhelmed with guilt” when the woman reacted to the assault. He was apologetic "in the extreme,” said the lawyer.

“There was a huge mistake made after both parties had consumed significant amounts of alcohol and were lying on the floor together.” Now supported by an alcohol charity, the defendant had been alcohol free for 30 days.

Mr Smith added: “He knows now that she didn’t appreciate his attentions and very much regrets the distress and harm caused to this lady and hopes that she can recover and move on.”

Judge Nicholas Barker accepted that Greenwood had not gone to the woman’s property with the intention of assaulting her. But what happened caused “severe psychological harm” to the victim, said the judge.

Judge Barker added: “She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested… You knew even in your drunken state that you were doing something you shouldn't have done. That's why you were so apologetic to her.

“You had absolutely no justification for doing what you did.”

The court heard that Greenwood’s only previous conviction was for a drink driving offence in 2013, prompting the judge to remark that the defendant clearly had an inappropriate relationship with alcohol.

But, given the absence of previous offending, Judge Barker said he could suspend the two year jail term he imposed for two years. Greenwood must complete 20 rehabilitation activity days and 200 hours unpaid work.

As well as putting the defendant on the Sex Offender Register for a decade, the judge imposed an indefinite restraining order which bans the defendant from having any contact with the victim.

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A PERVERTED west Cumbrian man is facing a jail sentence after he admitted a catalogue of sickening online child sex offences.

The crimes committed by 32-year-old Cleator Moor man Martin Cole included him 'plying' a girl aged 11 or 12 with gifts and money and asking her to perform sex acts on herself and also to send him a video of her doing a striptease.

A prosecuting barrister at Carlisle Crown Court said the behaviour was part of an attempt by Cole to sexually groom his victim.

When he appeared in the dock, the defendant, of Greystone Place, Cleator Moor, entered guilty pleas to eight allegations relating to his behaviour in 2020. Those offences were:

• Downloading 1,809 indecent child images class as Category A, the most serious. He did this between January of 2020 and November of that year.
• A similar offence, involving 1,493 Category B indecent child images.
• A similar offence involving 2,489 Category C indecent child images.
• Possessing three extreme and grossly offensive pornographic images involving bestiality.
• Inciting a child – aged 11 or 12 - to engage in sexual activity, which he did between dates in March 2020 and December of that year.
• A like offence, when he asked the same female child to video herself doing a striptease.
• A like offence, when he asked the child to take sexualised pictures of herself.
• And causing a child to watch images of sexual activity.

Prosecutor Peter Barr told the court that police initially began investigating Cole for the indecent images offences but as they examined his online activity the investigation took on a more serious aspect because of what was found.

Defence lawyer Sean Harkin requested that pre-sentence background reports are prepared before sentence is passed and he asked the judge to grant Cole bail so that he can put his financial affairs in order before the inevitable jail term.

Judge Guy Mathieson told the defendant: “You have pleaded guilty to a series of offences, which attract an immediate custodial sentence. Having a relationship with an 11 or 12-year-old girl in which you plied her with gifts and money – whether in exchange for or in order to acquire – sexual images of her quite appalling behaviour.

“You will serve a custodial sentence.”

The judge went on to direct that the Crown Prosecution Service provide an explanation of why the case has taken two years to get before the court.

The judge agreed to grant Cole bail but told the defendant, who has no previous convictions: “I take the view that this is extremely serious offending.”

He put Cole on the Sex Offender Register, saying the period he will be on it will be determined by the length of his sentence. 

The defendant will be sentenced on March 3. On that day, the court will hear victim impact statements from the child involved and her mother.

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A convicted sex offender has been jailed for using two mobile phones that could access the internet.

Gary Crandley, of Carlisle, admitted using the devices without notifying Cumbria Police despite being banned in 2017 from using them.

The 44-year-old was subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order after previously possessing indecent pictures of children in 2009.

He appeared at Carlisle Crown Court and was jailed for four years.

Crandley, of Huntington Place, had been found to have breached the order in November and December after an investigation by the force's Management of Sexual and Violent Offenders team.

The order had been put in place so officers could monitor the man's browsing history.

"Crandley was fully aware of the terms of the sexual harm prevention order imposed against him when he used a phone belonging to a friend," Det Con Jessica Myers said after sentencing.

"He had not informed [the force] of his access to this and another phone, therefore he was arrested and our investigation has brought him to justice.

"We work hard to monitor and manage people who are subject to such orders."

Ms Myers added the force would do "all we can" to ensure offenders are accountable if they breach the terms of an orders.

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A SEX offender who failed to declare email addresses to police has been spared jail – after his defence solicitor said he would be at risk of "considerable harm" in prison.

Ian Jackson, 37, of Main Street, Egremont, is required to notify police of any names or aliases he uses, as part of a sexual harm prevention order that was put in place in 2016.

But a number of usernames were found after police inspected his laptop in November last year, Workington Magistrates’ Court was told.

Prosecutor Pamela Fee told the court that Jackson was a registered sex offender, who was currently being managed in the community.

During police interview, Jackson stated he had not used some of the email addresses for some time. He said he had recently used one of the usernames for his betting account.

Jackson agreed his sexual harm prevention order had been in place since 2016 and he was fully aware of this.

He agreed his offender manager had explained the terms of this order and had gone through them on a number of occasions.

Jackson was asked about any email addresses he used and he said he needed a separate email address for Universal Credit. 

The defendant had also used his father’s email address and was asked why he had done this. Jackson said he couldn’t remember as it was a long time ago.

He was asked if he had a betting account and said he had a Coral account but wasn’t sure what the login was.

Jackson said a lot of the accounts hadn’t been used in years.

He was told he had an obligation to notify police of any accounts used. He said he didn’t mean to keep the information from police.

Ms Fee said Jackson had left his previous employment at David Wood Baking Ltd at Lillyhall and hadn’t informed police for a month. He had then sent a text to inform police he was on Universal Credit.

She said police also had concerns as he had refused to take part in a polygraph test.

Ms Fee described the offence as a 'deliberate refusal' to comply with the order.

She said: “It isn’t a minor breach. There are a number of email accounts not provided to police. Clearly, the defendant has kept these for a period of time.

“It’s a substantial period where contact could have been made or offending behaviour could have taken place.”

Chris Toms, defending, said: “When interviewed by police, there were no denials. He handed over his device when requested.”

Mr Toms said one of the email addresses was for The Outward Bound Trust, which he had not worked for since his conviction in 2016. Another was for the betting site, Coral.

He said Jackson had used his father’s account and didn’t realise this constituted using an identity.

Mr Toms said: “This is a man who is vulnerable. He will be vulnerable in prison. Considerable harm could be done to him if he is sent to prison.

“These orders pull you out of society. He is by trade a chef. Many establishments employ young people. He can no longer carry out his trade.

“If he goes to custody, he will come out a complete mess and will be more at risk of offending than he is now.”

Jackson pleaded to failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders’ register between March 2016 and November 2022, at a hearing earlier this month.

Passing sentence on Monday, magistrates said there was a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

Jackson was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.