Latest Offenders Cumbria

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A WORKINGTON man who badgered a person he believed was a 12-year-old girl for naked photos has been put on the Sex Offender Register.

Thirty-four-year-old Marc Moore was communicating with the “girl” online and completely unaware that he was actually sending messages to an under-cover police officer, Carlisle Crown Court heard.

He admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke said the offending happened  over three weeks in April last year after the under cover officer, posing as a child online, received a friend request from Moore, and this led to a series of messages between the two.

“The main theme was that he was trying to harass her into sending him naked pictures of herself,” said Mr Burke. “He tried to encourage her by sending what he pretended was a picture of himself, fully clothed on the street.

“It was certainly not [a picture] of the defendant. It was a much younger looking man.”

Mr Burke said Moore “persistently” asked the girl for naked pictures and he also asked her for Snapchat contacts for her friends so that he could communicate with them also. He repeatedly “solicited” the girl for images.

Judith McCullough, for Moore, said he had been a hard-working family man, living in his one home and enjoying a varied and active life.

“But he has through his own actions brought that world crashing down; these proceedings have been a salutary lesson. But these offences are out of character, and he has pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.”

Miss McCullough said the offending happened over a “relatively short period.” She said Moore had not actively sought out a child’s profile and there was no indication in his internet browsing history that caused concern.

Moore, of Cavendish Court, Workington, lost his job as a result of his arrest but his old employer had indicated that his employment would be open to him once the case was concluded.

The prosecution had also placed his marriage under considerable strain.  Miss McCullough added: “He is deeply ashamed of his actions and very sorry for the hurt and upset that he has caused.”

Judge Nicholas Barker said he had read the messages and the under cover officer, in the messages sent to Moore, had made it plain she was a 12-year-old girl. “You knew that to be the case,” said the judge. “You said you were 32; she said she was 12. You said: “Really?” She said: “Yes. Why?

“The communication continued and it’s right when the prosecution say that you were persistent in the way in which you engaged with her, asking for ‘cheeky picture;’ asking her to send pictures to you with no clothes on.”

The judge accepted that Moore had shown remorse but said he suspected it was for having found himself in this position before the court. But Judge Barker said he was satisfied there is a prospect of rehabilitation.

He imposed a three year community order, which will include a sex offender treatment programme  and 15 rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours of unpaid work. Moore will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

The prosecution offered no evidence on two further allegation that Moore downloaded six Category C indecent child images and a charge that he possessed four extreme pornographic images. He was declared not guilty of those two offences.

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A JUDGE had demanded a written explanation after a legal slip-up prevented him from putting a Carlisle paedophile on the Sex Offender Register for life.

In December of 2021, 50-year-old Frederick O'Brien was given a 28-month jail term for using a secret mobile phone to communicate with a person he has mistakenly believed was a 14-year-old girl.

His offence came to light when he was snared by a volunteer paedophile hunter group. He committed the offence just months after being prosecuted for downloading indecent images of children.

But when O’Brien was sentenced, Carlisle Crown Court was unaware that he had committed a further breach of his sexual harm prevention order in May, 2021, several months before he given the 28 months jail term.

It involved him having a Samsung Galaxy phone which he kept secret from the police and deleting his internet browsing history.

O’Brien, from Glendale Rise, Morton, admitted that  he had been using the undisclosed phone to communicate with other paedophiles.

During a hearing before Judge Nicholas Barker this week, it was confirmed that in December 2021 the judge was legally unable to put the defendant on the Sex Offender Register for life.

That power is available to the court only when the jail term is 30 months or more. Thus the judge was allowed to put him on the Register for only a decade.

If the additional breach of the sexual harm prevention order had been dealt with a the same time, O’Brien’s sentence may well have exceeded 30 months, thus allowing the judge to put him on the Register for life.

“This matter should have been included in that sentencing exercise [in December],” said Judge Barker. “It was available to the police and the prosecution. It was a simple matter and [the defendant] made plain admissions.

“For some reason, this wasn’t included; and I have not been provided with a proper reason… It is hard to understand what proper reason there could have been.” The judge pointed out that such failures have “real consequences.”

O’Brien had been due for imminent release from his 28-month sentence, but the judge said this would now be delayed as Judge Barker jailed him for an additional eight months.

“I will need an explanation in writing,” said the judge, pointing out that the issue should be tackled at a level that ensures such an error is not repeated.

He said he needed to know whether the error was systemic, or a failure that was the fault of an individual. As the case concluded, O'Brien began weeping and said: “I’m so sorry for what I have done.”

At the hearing in December 2021, the court heard that O’Brien realised his mistake only after the vigilante group confronted him at a local hotel. The group – The Fleetwood Enforcers - then handed him and a dossier of evidence to the police.

The defendant went to admit three offences: attempting to cause or incite a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity; attempting to sexually communicate with a child; and breach of a previously imposed sexual harm prevention order, failing to register with police his ownership of a mobile phone.

As he passed sentence, the judge in December described the defendant as a “determined paedophile.”

This defendant's name has been spelt in official records as both Obrien and O'Brien.

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A WHITEHAVEN man has been jailed for nine years and put on the Sex Offender Register for life after a jury convicted him child rape. 

Gary Griffiths, 51, had previously admitted two sex offences against the same vicitm but denied three further allegations: raping the schoolgirl, attempting to rape her, and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

After a trial at Carlisle Crown Court, a jury delivered unanimous guilty verdicts for all three of the charges he denied.

Sentencing the defendant today, Recorder Neil Usher told Griffiths that he will be eligible for release after serving six years. The defendant, of Rudds Court, Whitehaven, showed no emotion as he was taken away to begin serving his sentence.  

Before the trial got underway, the defendant had already pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and a count of sexual activity with a child. The victim was of primary school age.

After the case concluded, Detective Constable Gail Penman said “I would urge anyone who has been subject to offences of this nature to come forward.

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A PERVERTED west Cumbrian man "lured" two 13-year-old girls to secret late-night meetings with gifts of alcohol and cigarettes because he wanted to sexually abuse them. 

The Carlisle Crown Court judge who sentenced 37-year-old Frizington man Graham Green branded him a “danger” to young girls.

The defendant had earlier pleaded guilty to an allegation of meeting the girls in August last year following online sexual grooming; and two counts of sexual activity with a child, with one charge for each victim.

Tim Evans, prosecuting, described how Green, who was 36 at the time he committed the offences, contacted the two girls over the social media platform Snapchat.

In June and July of last year, the court heard, Green exchanged numerous Snapchat messages with one of the girls, whose age he knew was 13. Despite this, Green made it clear he was sexually interested in her and her friend, also 13.

Mr Evans said Green had later suggested to Probation staff and a psychiatrist that he had no sexual interest in the two children.

But the messages he sent over a period of weeks painted the real picture, showing that Green was indeed sexually motivated in his communication with the girls and during their two meetings, said Mr Evans.

The Snapchat communication began on June 18 and Green’s messages included some that were “plainly sexual”, with Green spelling out in graphic detail what he wanted to do sexually with one of the girls.

“Other conversations were about whether he would provide them with drinks – cans of Fosters and Stella lager - and fags,” said Mr Evans, who described those items as Green’s “lure,” designed to buy him an opportunity to spend time with the girls for his sexual purposes.

He and the girls met after they sneaked out of their homes in the early hours on August 13, when he invited them to sit his van with him. He gave them roll-your-own cigarettes and cans of lager.

Messages that he sent suggested they went home just before 3am. Green then met the two girls the next night, he having sent messages that made it clear he would give them more booze and cigarettes.

The girls thought it was all a “bit of a joke,” said Mr Evans. “They were certainly not intending to swap sex for cigarettes or drink.”

Green then drove them to Hen Back, a remote area on the outskirts of Cleator Moor. It was during this late-night meeting, on August 14, said Mr Evans, that he sexually touched the girls over their clothing.

The girls rebuffed him but he reacted angrily, according to the account given by one of the girls. She had got out of the van, and he called her, asking why her friend was “not doing anything.”

Both girls were at one point out of the van and in tears, the court heard. Green sent another message, saying: “I guess it’s a no, then.” The girls asked Green to drive them home at this point.

Green accused them of “leading him on.”

Judith McCullough, mitigating, said Green, of High Stowbank, Frizington, committed the offences while under the influence of alcohol, but his offending was more complicated, given that he had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

This was borderline personality disorder but he also had a mild to moderate depressive disorder, with thoughts of suicide.

The barrister said Green would benefit from intensive support and treatment in the community to reduce his risk of future offending. “He was living a sad and somewhat isolated existence,” said Miss McCullough.

“He has difficulty forming and keeping adult relationships. The only constant in his life other than his pets are his parents; and his parents are literally worrying themselves sick about this defendant.

“These proceedings have been a salutary lesson for him and he wishes to deal with the demons of his past and to understand his own behaviour and move forward in a more positive way.”

The barrister said a long community order with appropriate treatment would in the long term be better for society.

But Judge Nicholas Barker said that, despite the defendant’s denials to probation and psychiatric staff, he was quite satisfied Green’s actions were motivated by a sexual attraction to the children.

“There can be no other explanation for it,” said the judge.

Green wanted sex with the girl he was most attracted to, said the judge. The girls were interested, as some teenagers are, in pushing boundaries to obtain the alcohol and cigarettes. “You exploited those desires to promote and advance your own sexual interests,” said Judge Barker.

Green deliberately took the girls to a remote area, hoping for sexual contact with them. “It’s a case which is a study, in my judgement, in grooming behaviour,” continued the judge.

After the girls rebuffed Green, became upset, and they told him he should not have acted as he did, Green tried to blame them. “That just demonstrates, Graham Green, your warped sense of them.

“You are 37; they were 13.”

Jailing Green for 21 months and refusing to suspend the prison term, Judge Barker added: “I am far from satisfied that you are a genuine prospect for rehabilitation.

“You are in denial about these offences.”…

“The sentence must be served. You are described as a high risk to children of this age so in my judgement there must be a custodial sentence.”

Green will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade and he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order, designed to ensure he does not have opportunities to reoffend. He was caught after the girls told somebody about what happened, and it was reported to their parents, who contacted the police. 

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 A PERVERTED Penrith man who sexually assaulted two schoolgirls was prosecuted after one of his victims secretly recorded his offending. 

When police began to investigate 56-year-old John Lawrence Kernan because of his most recent abuse, another victim came forward and disclosed that the defendant also sexually assaulted her when she was a child.

Kernan was himself 16-years-old when he committed that earlier offence. 

The defendant, of Scaws Drive, Penrith, pleaded guilty to four offences: one historical count of gross indecency with a child; and three more recent sexual assaults on a different schoolgirl. Both victims were under 13.  

At Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Gerard Rogerson outlined the background to the case.

He said that the offences came to light when the victim of the most recent sexual abuse told her mother that she had recorded an incident involving Kernan, when he claimed that what did was just 'playfighting'.

But the girl was deeply 'uncomfortable' with what happened and so decided to gather evidence by covertly recording her next encounter with Kernan, using her iPad.

She then asked her mother to look at the video she had recorded. “I showed my mum and said look at this video,” the girl told police. When her mother saw the video, what it showed left her feeling “sick to the stomach.”

The girl said she had previously spoken to only one other person about what happened – a friend at school. The victim said she had not known how to tell Kernan to stop the abuse but said: “I knew what was going on.”

The prosecutor then read to the court from a victim impact statement which was made by the child's mother.

The woman said that both she and her daughter had suffered 'significant emotional and psychological impacts' as a result of Kernan's abuse.

"She describes her daughter has having gone through a roller coaster of emotions and trauma," said Mr Rogerson.  The woman said he was heart-breaking to see her child - formerly happy-go-lucky - change so much.

The girl now suffered regular breakdowns, and her sleep was haunted by nightmares.

The woman and her daughter felt vulnerable when they went to Carlisle, fearful that they might see Kernan.

They avoided certain areas because of their fear of seeing him. "He took advantage of an innocent child for his own needs," the woman said.

She added that the abuse had a devastating impact and that the images she had seen on her daughter’s video recording played over and over in her head, leaving her unable to sleep and causing her mental health to spiral.

When he was interviewed by the police, Kernan claimed he had done nothing wrong, but conceded that it 'looked bad.' The court heard that in conversations with members of his family, the defendant had made incriminating admissions.

He told a relative that he had ruined his life. Mr Rogerson added that Kernan was a man of previous good character.

Mark Shepherd, mitigating, said the defendant had himself been exposed as a child to inappropriate sexual material in the form of pornography. “He regrets clearly what he has done and is remorseful,” said the lawyer.

Mr Shepherd said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.

But Judge Richard Archer noted that the defendant appeared to have learned little during the intervening years between his first offence – which involved inappropriate sexual contact on three occasions with the victim - and the more recent offences.

While it would be possible to suspend the sentence he would impose, said the judge, there should be an element of deterrence in sentences for such sexual offending against children who are aged under 13.

Referring to that deterrent element, the judge said this means sending a message to future offenders and to the public at large that those who commit such offences against young children will be appropriately punished.

Addressing Kernan directly, the judge said: “For that reason, I regret to say to you that I have concluded that appropriate punishment in your case can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence.”

Judge Archer jailed the defendant for 16 months.

Kernan will be on the Sex Offender Register for a decade, and he will also be subjected to a sexual harm prevention order which will bar him from having unsupervised contact with any child or staying at any home where a child is resident.

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A woman who was found with thousands of 'harrowing' child abuse images pretended to be mute when she appeared in court. However, despite claiming she suffers from a medical condition that renders her incapable of speaking, Lydia Chadwick later went on to talk in order to defend herself before a jury.

The 36-year-old, who has links to Aberdare in Rhondda Cynon Taf, had been found to possess more than 2,000 indecent images of children after police executed a warrant at her home address in Ulverston, Cumbria. Officers seized mobile phones and a laptop.

Over 700 of the images found were considered to be in the most serious category. Chadwick had already been found guilty at an earlier hearing but was sentenced last week (Tuesday, October 25) at Preston Crown Court, reports LancsLive.

She was jailed for three years for three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, possessing an extreme pornographic image and possessing a prohibited image of a child. Officers revealed that she would talk about child sexual abuse online with other people and even sell indecent images of children.

Detective Constable Ryan Parker, Cyber and Digital Crime Unit, said: "Lydia Chadwick stored images on devices belonging to her depicting harrowing images of child sexual abuse. She would communicate online with other people to talk about child sexual abuse as well as selling indecent images of children.

"At the beginning of her trial Chadwick claimed to be mute, due to a medical condition which rendered her unable to speak - but later on she spoke to defend herself. Indecent images of children offences are far from a victimless crime.

"Not only do the images show children being abused, but demand for such images also then leads to further abuse occurring," he added. "We will continue to do what we can to target those who commit online child sexual abuse offences and bring offenders to justice."

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A former councillor serving jail time for a child sex offence has described the “the joys of TV and tea on tap” and medical care better than a local GP practice.

William Kirkbride was jailed for 28 months earlier this year after sending explicit messages to an undercover police officer who he thought was a 14-year-old boy.

He had then arranged to meet the teenager at Whitehaven train station, but police were waiting for him.

The 57-year-old, who is incarcerated at HM Prison Durham, has written a letter to a man in West Cumbria, who has shown it to the News and Star, the sister paper of this title.

In the letter, the convicted paedophile gives an insight into daily life behind bars and reveals his release date has been "set for July 2023".

The letter says: “The list of people who have expressed an interest in my welfare is rather sweet but not unexpected.

“Due to the impact of the virus it is a Godsend that each cell has a TV and a kettle. The joys of TV and tea on tap.”

Kirkbride goes on to say that the medical section in prison is better than a local GP practice.

He says: “They have given me a clean bill of health and my feet have benefited from the skills of a foot specialist.”

The ex-Labour councillor who represented the Harbour ward on Copeland Council, refers to the prison cells as “pads”.

The letter says: “The view from the pad is of Durham Cathedral and the music from the recent Durham Miners Gala made the yard exercise time rather good.

“The food is like school or hospital food and is eatable. The library is like a branch library and that is a Godsend.

“Killing time is the main issue I have.”

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Prisoners are able to access a limited number of television channels under incentive schemes that encourage good behaviour. Privileges like this can be removed at any time.”

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A TERRIFIED woman bullied into meeting a man she had communicated with online was raped by him in a Carlisle school car park.

Ryan Neale, 23, carried out the horrific attack after giving the woman an ultimatum, demanding that she give sex or a cash or else he would post sexual images of her on social media websites.

At Carlisle Crown Court, the defendant, of Lingmoor Way, Harraby, pleaded guilty to a single count of rape. The prosecution earlier dropped additional charges he faced of blackmail and witness intimidation.

Hannah Forsyth, prosecuting, said Neale and the woman had made contact on Snapchat and as the online relationship developed they had mutually exchanged sexual messages and images.

They agreed to meet on October 14, 2021, said the barrister. But prior to that, [the woman] checked his Facebook page and realised that he was significantly younger than she had initially thought.

As a result of that, she cancelled the meeting.

But Neale, angered by this, began threatening the woman, demanding that she either gave him 100 in cash or she had sex with him - or if she did not he would post the sexual images he had of her on social media.

Despite her pleading for him to stop threatening her, he insisted she had to choose between giving him money or sex, otherwise he would act on his threat to make public her private sexual images.

Not having the cash, and terrified of what he might do, the woman agreed to meet Neale, driving into Carlisle to meet him. After driving to the car park of the Richard Rose Morton Academy, he raped her.

There was clear evidence that the woman did not consent to sex, and only met Neale as a result of her fear and his threats, said Miss Forsyth. It was later that night, when Neale contacted the woman again to demand money that she contacted the police, triggering a police investigation.

He was arrested on October 16, 2021, at his home, where police found him hiding beneath a sofa. After he was released, he again contacted the woman, telling her that contacting the police was the biggest mistake of her life.

The court heard that Neale had 26 offences on his criminal record, including two domestic violence offences against a former partner.

In a statement, the victim said she struggled with anger and found it difficult to sleep as she played over in her mind what happened. She was unable to continue with her job. Her mental health as been significantly impacted, said Miss Forsyth.
She no longer has the energy or motivation to go out.

Kim Whittlestsone, defending, said Neale had accepted responsibility for his crime, which he blamed on drink and drugs. He does have remorse, said the barrister.

Judge Nicholas Barker told Neale: You knew she was highly vulnerable because of the shame she would feel if you disclosed those images in a public way. You took advantage of that vulnerability.
You exploited it. The woman had felt bullied, said the judge and she was so fearful she felt she had no choice. There was an aspect of blackmail involved in Neale's offending, said Judge Barker.

He jailed Neale for seven years and seven months. The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register for life. After the case, Detective Constable Hein Van Der West praised the womans courage in coming forward.

The officer said of the defendant: "Neale is an evil man who failed to accept any responsibility for what he did until the very end."

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A SERVING Sellafield police officer secretly amassed a depraved collection of more than 18,000 child abuse images, including ones which showed the “sadistic rape and abuse” of babies.

Shaun Mandale, 45, plunged the “very depths of depravity”, said the judge who sentenced him at Carlisle Crown Court.

The defendant, from Belvedere Road, Workington, was jailed after he pleaded guilty to several offences. They included possessing 18,135 child abuse images, of which 7,651 were classed as Category A, the most serious kind; possessing 52 prohibited images of children; and possessing 96 extreme pornography images.

He was accessing the images over a 17-month period - from February, 2020, until July, 2021.  Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson outlined the upsetting facts of the case.

He said the offending came to light when police raided Mandale's home, the officers having had a tip-off that the defendant was using a “cloud storage” facility to access illegal child images.

Mandale was using various internet browsing tools to keep his habit of downloading such sickening images – still photos and videos – secret from everybody around him. 

He was also using cryptocurrency.

In secret communications with fellow perverts, he spoke of needing to be “discreet” because his wife was in bed in another room. The court then heard details of some of the images collected by Mandale.

“It was a huge collection of child sexual abuse material,” said Mr Rogerson. “It included rape and the sadistic abuse of babies.” Some of the abuse victims were tethered while they were being abuse.

One such victim was a boy thought to be about one year old, the court heard. The image showed him screaming in distress and struggling as he was being abused, the court heard.

Brendan Burke, defending, said that Mandale’s life had been “devastated” by his offending, leading to the end of his marriage and what had been a “genuine” and "almost successful" suicide attempt.

But, said the barrister, the defendant had taken steps to address his behaviour.

This included two things: firstly, he was working with an organisation called Safer Lives, designed to make him more aware of his flaws and to take steps to address them; and secondly, Mandale had turned his back on drugs and alcohol.

“That was one of the reasons for the offending,” said Mr Burke.

The barrister spoke also of Mandale having issues not just with substances but also with Asperger’s syndrome, which led to obsessive behaviour and “unbridled curiosity.”

Judge Ian Unsworth KC told Mandale: “You have plunged the very depths of depravity... having images of babies of six months being subjected to the most appalling depravity one can imagine.

“It truly defies belief that someone would have contemplated such a thing, let alone recorded it for paedophiles like you to watch.” The judge noted also that Mandale deployed sophisticated software to conceal what he was doing.

Judge Unsworth added: “It’s important to note that each and every one of those children are victims; somewhere in the world they were being abused. If it were not for people like you, if it were not for paedophiles who want to look at such material, it may well be that such activities would be less likely to occur.

“It’s worth noting that these are not just images; they are babies, or children; and they have suffered a great deal.”

The judge jailed Mandale, who has no previous convictions, for 33 months and put him on the Sex Offender Register for life. He will also be subjected to a sexual harm prevention order for the next decade.

A spokesman for the Civil Nuclear Constabluary described Mandale's offending as "repugnant". 

CNC Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: “All those who work in the police service know that their behaviour and actions have to be of the highest standards to ensure we maintain the trust of those we police by consent. On behalf of the CNC, I can say that we are angry, upset and sickened by his vile actions.”

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 AN on-the-run child sex offender whose disappearance from Cumbria prompted an appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme has appeared before a Carlisle court.

Paul Hunter Redpath, 51, admitted three offences when he appeared via a video link before the city’s Rickergate court.

The court heard that the defendant, whose past offences include convictions for sexually abusing two teenage girls, put himself in breach of sexual harm prevention order by leaving Cumbria without the permission of his offender manager.

He admitted that offence as well as two allegations of failing to complete his annual Sex Offender Notification form for the police.

When he went missing, police issued an urgent appeal, stating that Redpath was last seen in the Kendal area but also had links with west Cumbria, Preston and Scotland.

He was described as being 6ft 4ins tall and having a distinctive grey beard.

George Shelley, prosecuting, said: “Essentially, since a date in 2019, Mr Redpath has been at large in respect of his monitoring and management of his risk in the community.

“It’s a persistent breach which had gone on for two years plus.” 

 The starting sentence point for the offences admitted by Redpath was one year’s custody, said the prosecutor, who asked for the case to be sent to Carlisle Crown Court given the more limited sentencing powers available to the magistrates.

Magistrates agreed with the prosecution assessment and sent the case to Carlisle Crown Court for a hearing on November 4. The court heard that the defendant had been recalled to custody and had been due for release from prison on October 11.

His criminal record comprises 63 past offences, with the last conviction being a breach of his sexual harm prevention order in 2018.

Defence lawyer Anthony Wilson said the defendant took a 'practical view' of his situation, and did not wish to apply for bail before he is sentenced.

In September 2018, Redpath was featured on BBC Crimewatch, named as one of seven men who were wanted by Cumbria Police.

Over his video link from Lewes Prison in East Sussex, the defendant said he wanted to return to Carlisle to be sentenced in person because of his situation in that at jail, saying: “I’m banged up 23 hours a day.”

Originally from Stranraer, Redpath has previously gone missing, prompting earlier appeals for information about his whereabouts. In 2009, The Belfast Telegraph described him as a 'dangerous sex offender'.

He had fled from a probation hostel, triggering a manhunt.

Redpath was jailed in 2006 for three years after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing teenage girls, aged 13 and 15, at waste ground on the Killough Road in Downpatrick.

The Telegraph’s report stated: “Police have not said how long Redpath, who is known to abuse alcohol and is considered to pose a serious risk to vulnerable children and young people, has been missing.

"They said numerous attempts have been made to locate him and have warned the public not to approach him.” 

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A FORMER CUMBRIAN MoD police officer who was secretly collecting and viewing child abuse images has been given a community order.

Andrew Stevenson, 24, who has now been sacked from his Ministry of Defence job in Barrow, was arrested after police raided his home in Ulverston in August last year, CarlisleCrown Court heard.

On his iPhone, police found a child abuse image of Category C - the least serious kind.

But a forensic examination of the defendant's three devices - the phone, an iPad and a desktop computer - led police to an online file storage account where Stevenson had amassed dozens more sickening images, including videos and images of Category A, the most serious kind.

The defendant earlier entered guilty pleas to the following three allegations:

* That on or before June 3, 2021, at Ulverston, he downloaded 94 Category A indecent photographs of children. Category A is the most serious category for this type of offence.

* That over the same period of time, also at Ulverston, he downloaded 37 Category B indecent images of children.

* And that over the same period, and also at Ulverston, he downloaded 34 Category C indecent photographs of children.

Kim Whittlestone, prosecuting, told the court: "He has a sexual attraction to children as young as seven."

Ellen Wright, defending, said Stevenson had been dismissed from his police officer role following a disciplinary hearing the day before he appeared in court for sentencing.

Stevenson did not want to make excuses, said Miss Wright. "He is thoroughly and utterly ashamed of himself," said the barrister. 

She went on to argue that the best way to prevent a repeat of the defendant's criminal behaviour was not to send him to prison but to send him for an intensive sex offender treatment programme in the community. 

Miss Wright spoke of Stevenson's mental health difficulties, including anxiety and depression. She pointed out also that since the prosecution was reported in the press the defendant had “gone into hiding.”

Miss Wright said: “He lives in a very small town and everybody in that town now knows about it and that has had a very isolating effect.”

Passing sentence, Recorder Anna Vigars KC told the defendant: “On August  17 last year, a warrant was executed at the house where you lived alone and three items were seized. A Category C image was found on your iPhone.

“It was replicated on your iCloud account and a significant number of [other] images were found.”

The judge noted that Stevenson’s collection of abuse images included “short films”, lasting several minute and depicting  ”extreme sexual  behaviour” which involved children, some of pre-pubescent age.

Recorder Vigars said the people should be able to invest trust in police officers and offending such as Stevenson’s broke down that trust.

The judge noted also the defendant’s previous good character, and how he provides care for his grandparents, taking them to medical appointments.

Recorder Vigars said that she could impose a short jail sentence but that option would include only limited opportuntiies for rehabilitation work, she said.

She therefore imposed a three-year community order which will include 200 hours of unpaid work as punishment and a “Moving Forward and Making Changes” programme, which will involve 300 hours of work to address his offending.

Stevenson, now living at West Park Crescent, Kilmaurs, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, will remain on the Sex Offender Register for five years and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.

This will include various restrictions, including preventing him from having unsupervised access to any child.

After the case, Katie Beattie, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “As a serving police officer, Andrew Stevenson was expected to uphold the law and protect people.

“By downloading these images he was feeding directly into an industry which sexually exploits children. The CPS and the police will continue to work together to robustly prosecute anyone who commits such abhorrent offences, particularly those in positions of trust in our society.” 

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A COURT heard moving statements from two young men who were sexually abused as teenagers by a former Workington teacher. Paul Stuart Adams, 74, who was once responsible for pastoral pupil care at the school where he worked, was widely known throughout west Cumbria for his knowledge of theatre, music and the arts. But he abused the trust people had for him by sexually exploiting two teenage boys who turned to him for advice and guidance. Adams, of Banklands, Workington, denied more than a dozen charges relating to two teenage boys. The jury convicted of nine counts, including indecent assaults and paying for the sexual services of a child. During this trial, the jury heard that Adams regarded as a 'pillar' of his local community was so trusted that parents were happy for their children to go to him for advice on theatre and acting. The prosecution had outlined how one victim visited Adams at his home, where the pensioner ran his own recording studio. Adams gave the teenager whiskey before asking him to strip naked. He told the boy that this would be a good way to prepare for being on stage. After the abuse began, the boy turned to using drugs and alcohol to blank out what had happened to him; and Adams then took further advantage of the teenager, offering him cash in return for sexual favours. He paid the boy between 100 and 200 in exchange for being touched sexually or he got the teenager to strip naked, the court heard. Described by one of the victims as a 'master manipulator,' Adams was particularly interested in spanking, The victim told Carlisle Crown Court. As Adams watched from his prison video booth, the now adult victim courageously stood in court and read aloud his account of how the sexual abuse had ruined his life, robbing him of precious years of childhood. He said that he had turned to drink and drugs cocaine and Ecstasy to blank out the pain of what Adams had done to him. At its height, his addiction involved him using those drugs every day. The man told the court: In 2021, I received a diagnosis of PTSD as a result of this crime. I was suffering with nightmares and flashbacks particularly if I saw someone who matched the height and build of Paul. I would wake up numerous times in the night in cold sweats. I would get flashbacks of the recording studio and what Paul did to me. "I ended up taking time off work as a result of this as I couldnt cope. The trauma reached a crisis point which saw the man have to walk out of work half way through his shift, he said. He was off work for two months. Since then, he had been given professional help that has included medications and therapy. Although I am much better, he said, what happened never leaves me. It is always a niggle in the back of my mind. There is always something that triggers a memory or a thought bringing it to the forefront. Its still something that enters my mind daily. The man spoke also of having self-harmed and how his trauma had left him struggling to hold down relationships. His drugs use had been a coping mechanism, he said. Recalling how the abuse changed his life, the man said: My friends and I were always out together; we would be at the skate park, camping, doing the things that teenagers do. When this started happening with Paul, these things stopped and by the time I came out of the emotional stress of what was happening I was in my early 20s and feel like I had the better years of my childhood taken from me. The court also heard from the second victim, who came forward after reading in the News & Star about how Adams had been charged with child sex offences. He spoke of the profound effect. This included feelings of self-hatred and sadness. Now a young man, he suffered panic attacks and depression and returning to west Cumbria triggered painful memories of the abuse. Richard Dawson, for Adams, said the defendants parents had died in their mid 70s and he feared that the jail term he faced would effectively be a life sentence. His time on remand has been particularly difficult for him, said the barrister. He added that the risk posed by Adams was 'negligible.' Judge Richard Archer said the defendant abused young men who turned to him for support and, from the evidence of the trial, he was satisfied that he had also abused a third boy and acted inappropriately towards another. Noting that Adams was assessed as representing a significant risk of harm, the judge said the defendant continued to deny wrongdoing. Until he accepted his guilt, that risk would remain high, said the judge. He told the defendant: You were a pillar of the Workington community. Involved with local theatres for many years, Adams had been considered a worldly man, with experience of life beyond west Cumbria and knowledge of the stage and the arts. It was that reputation and experience that led to both your victims visiting you at your home," said the judge. Adams paid for sexual services from one boy at least six times and one of the victims was just 15 when Adams first abused him. Adams was jailed for seven years. He will remain on the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until further order. This prevents him from having access to any child unless the parent or guardian is aware of his offending history and unless he has the express permission of Social Services. Nor can he live in any household where there is also a child resident. Adams will be released on licence when he reaches the half-way point in his sentence.

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A MAN caught by a group of 'paedophile hunters' attempting to meet a teenage girl has had his sentencing put back. Darren Rybak was stung by the group at Barrow's railway station after he exchanged messages with a 13-year-old girl who turned out to be a decoy. A video of the sting was posted on social media by the group Elusive Child Protection Unit. Rybak, 50, of Nelson Street in Barrow, admitted attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He was due to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday but did not show up. A warrant was issued but it later transpired he had told his solicitors he was unwell. He is now due to be sentenced on Friday. In the video Rybak is confronted by members of the group outside the railway station, who claim he has arrived there to meet a girl who has travelled more than two hours from Manchester. Rybak tells the group he was going to take the 'girl' back to his home to 'watch movies'. He also admits sending explicit images of himself to the decoy account. Rybak also tells the group he would class himself as a 'paedophile'. The dating site account he had communicated with was operated by a member of the group. Until his sentence he is subject to interim notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act Police in Cumbria have made it clear they do not condone the methods of 'paedophile hunter' groups. Peter McCall, the county's police and crime commissioner, said: "It's a difficult area - what we don't want is people going around taking the law into their own hands. "But there is no doubt information they have supplied has led to catching and prosecuting some offenders. "The message is: if you do have information concerning these online predators feed it to the police and they can look into it." A spokesman said: "Cumbria Constabulary will act appropriately on any information which is reported. "However, the Constabularys position on so-called paedophile hunter groups reflects the position of the National Police Chiefs Council, in that we understand the desire to protect children but any member of the public who has information about child sexual abuse, online or otherwise, should contact police so it can be investigated and bring offenders to justice."

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A WORKINGTON paedophile who was jailed in 2020 was trawling the internet to ask schoolgirls for sex within weeks of his release from prison. The latest offending of 23-year-old Joshua Sibbald was exposed thanks to the work of two volunteer paedophile hunter groups who deployed decoys posing as girls aged 13 and 14, Carlisle Crown Court heard. The defendant, of Salterbeck Drive, Workington, admitted eight counts of attempting to sexually communicate with a child and three of downloading child abuse images, including three classed as Category A, the most serious. He also admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, outlined how in February, after his release from an earlier three year sentence, Sibbald began going online, using two websites to make contact with people he believed were young girls, aged 13 and 14. The profiles he clicked on featured photos of girls who were clearly around that age but they were decoys, set up by the citizen-run groups called Team Shade and Book of Exposure. Describing one of those groups, Mr Rogerson said activist parents who are concerned about adults who sexually groom children online. One activist, posing as a 14-yaer-old, later described being contacted by Sibbald on February 14. She clearly said that her age was 14, said Mr Rogerson, but Sibbald was not deterred. The suggestion was immediately put by Mr Sibbald that they should meet up to have sexual intercourse and he was aroused by her. She replied: Hey, Im 14; I cant do that. Sibbald had similar conversations with other decoys, despite them clearly stating their age as either 13 or 14. The messages he sent to the girls ranged from discussing sexual matters to requesting that they send naked photos of themselves, said Mr Rogerson. He also also discussed having intercourse with them, added the prosecutor. Sibbald has been assessed as posing a "high risk of serious harm" to children. Recorder Tony Hawks said that it was a matter of considerable regret that Sibbald was not given help to address his sexual interest in children while he served the custodial part of his three year jail term. Kim Whittlestone, defending, said that a recent psychiatric and probation reports were helpful, and revealed that the defendant has a low IQ and that he was suffering from ADHD, unstable emotional personality disorder and a degree of autism. When discussing the case with the barrister over a video link, he had become extremely distressed, said Miss Whittlestone. She said: He doesnt want to reoffend and wants to find out why he behaves in the way he does. There appears to be some clarity about the issues which need to be addressed and hopefully lower the risk [of reoffending] if he gets the support he needs. She added that it was extremely sad that the work he should have done while in prison, given the covid situation, was not done. Within a short time of his release, he was living a very isolated life and began drinking, she said. The offences were committed while in drink, added Miss Whittlestone. Recorder Tony Hawks told Sibbald: You are a young man with considerable difficulties; and it is unsatisfactory to say the least that during the time you spent in custody on that sentence it appears that there was no input whatsoever to address what is obviously a fundamental problem you have in relation to a prurient interest in under-age girls. The judge noted Sibbalds severe educational problems and his various psychological challenges but added: You knew perfectly well that you have no business doing what you did. The judge imposed two years custody and said that Sibbald, who was recalled to prison to complete his earlier three year sentence for eight child sex offences, will be on the Sex Offender register for a decade.

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A SIXTY-four-year-old Brampton man has been put on the Sex Offender Register after he admitted downloading child abuse images. Police who seized devices owned by Bruce Beveridge discovered that they contained five indecent child images which were classed as Category A, the most serious kind, Carlisles Rickergate court heard. The charge relates to images that included a video which lasted for seven minutes and 31 seconds, the contents of which prosecutor Peter Kelly said should not be aired in court. Beveridge committed the offence over a period of almost six years, the court heard. The charge states that between December 6 of 2014 and March 25 of 2020, the defendant made or downloaded five indecent Category A images of children. Mr Kelly said that the offences came to light after the police visited the defendant at his home on July 9, 2020. Given the nature of the images found on the devices, said Mr Kelly, the defendant should be sentenced by a judge at the crown court. Lauren Heasley, defendant, said Beveridge was a man of previous good character and asked background reports. These will be prepared by the Probation Service. The lawyer accepted that it would be more appropriate to have the case dealt with by the crown court. Magistrates agreed. They told the defendant that he must report to Carlisles Police HQ at Durranhill within three days and provide his personal details, as is required for those people who are on the Sex Offender Register. The defendant will be sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on July 11. In the meantime, he was granted bail. The length of time his name will be on the Sex Offender Register will be determined by the ultimate length and nature of the sentence he is given.