Latest Offenders Devon

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Philip Rendle groomed the boys by giving them alcohol and allowing them to drive his car.

A 60-year-old man has been jailed for sexually assaulting two boys during a camping trip more than 20 years ago. Philip Rendle plied the boys with drink before committing the offences at Brean Sands in Burnham-on-Sea.

He gained the trust of the boys' families before making the trip and groomed the children, aged 13 and 14 at the time, by giving them money to play in amusement arcades. But he had a dark past that included a police caution for molesting a Boy Scout a decade earlier.

Rendle, now living in Devon, was convicted of three offences of indecent assault, one by penetration. He has been locked up for nine years.

Taunton Crown Court was told one of the boys woke up to find Rendle molesting him.

In a victim personal statement he said the assault had caused psychological trauma and he had never got over the impact. He said his childhood was ruined and as the years went by he suffered while trying to bottle up what had happened.

The second victim experienced similar psychological difficulties. His life suffered and he had tried but failed to forget what happened.

Ms Emily Cook, defending, said Rendle had previously sought psychological help for his behaviour. He now finds it difficult to get work and suffers with depression.

Judge Paul Cook said the children were particularly vulnerable. They were given drink and were a long way from home.

Rendle, of Ashburn Close, Ashburton, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order to monitor his behaviour in future and told to sign the Sex offender Register.

Detective Constable Philip Hockey said: “The two victims have shown great courage throughout the investigation and the subsequent judicial process.

“It takes bravery to speak out about such a traumatic and violating experience, especially one which they had locked away from their families for more than twenty years.

“I hope this is some kind of justice for them both, provides some closure and assists them to move forward positively with their lives. I hope they can also find some peace knowing they no longer have to keep this secret hidden.

“It is never too late to speak out about something that has happened to you. This case shows that everyone will be listened too, the matter investigated thoroughly no matter how much time has passed and there is support available for you.

“If you have been affected by this inquiry then please don’t hesitate to contact police via the non-emergency 101 number."

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A former soldier from Okehampton has been jailed for 14 and a half years for multiple historic sex offences against children. Stuart Hood, from Okehampton, sexually abused a boy and two teenage girls.

His offending started when he was a teenager himself in the 1970s and continued when he was a young adult. The prosecution in his trial described Hood as a bully capable of 'deviant sexual behaviour' who enjoyed assaulting his physically weaker victims. He chased one with a horse whip and stripped another naked.

Hood, aged 59, was found guilty of 11 offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child during a trial in January. He returned to Exeter Crown Court on Friday to be sentenced.

The trial heard how all three victims had, at one point or another over the years, told different people what had happened to them when children. The offences finally came to light until 2018 when the male victim went to police.

One victim said in a statement that his childhood had been made a misery by Hood's behaviour. "He is a sick, perverse and a sadistic liar,' he said. "I trust the sentence reflects the immeasurable harm he's caused me."

A second victim said she hoped that by coming forward people who have suffered abuse in their own lives will have the courage to go to police and not carry the shame of what happened with them.

The defendant told his trial the victims were lying. A number of character references were read to the court saying he was a hard-working married man.

Joss Ticehurst, defending, said Hood had committed the offences many years ago and since them had become a valued member of the community and devoted family man. He was a teenager himself when committing most of the crimes.

Judge Anna Richardson said: "People are not necessarily one thing or another. I accept you have been a good family man and a valued member of the local community. That does not change the fact to your victims you were a dangerous and violent abuser."

Hood will serve at least two thirds of his sentence in jail before he is considered for release.

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A perverted pensioner masqueraded as a teenager online while trying to communicate with children. Gary Chivers from Dawlish used chat platforms to strike up conversations with what he thought were girls aged as young as 10.

The 71-year-old told the 'girls' he was 15 and tried to persuade them to send him sexual pictures. It turned out he was actually speaking to a paedophile hunter group who arrived at his address and called police.

Chivers has a history of committing similar offences and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the time. A judge at Exeter Crown Court branded him a danger to children and sent him back to jail for five and a half years with an extended licence period of 18 months.

Chivers made contact with five different profiles of young girls while using the OK Live platform. In each case he quickly turned the chat sexual, sending graphic photos of his penis and making suggestions about masturbation.

He pestered them for videos, tried to call the 'girls'' and told them he was a teenager or in his twenties. He was caught when he replied to a request from one of the profiles for his photo and address.

He was arrested on August 18 and police discovered evidence of his behaviour on a number of devices. The defendant admitted multiple offences of attempted sexual communication with children and attempting to incite sexual activity with a child.

Chivers was jailed in Reading back in 2015 for offences of inciting children to sexual activity and distributing indecent images of children. He given a SHPO to monitor his activity.

Mr Dan Pawson-Pounds, defending, said Chivers was leading an isolated life at the time of his latest offences.

Judge David Evans said the parole board will assess when he is suitable for release. He said Chivers, of Plantation Terrace, had displayed a clear pattern of behaviour and an extended sentence with licence conditions was needed.

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A paedophile targeted teenagers in chatrooms and shared sexual fantasies and pictures with another pervert, a court heard. Mark Stevenson, 37, struck up conversations with what he thought were girls aged 12 and 13 and asked if they wanted to have sex with him.

He did not know the people he was chatting to online were undercover police officers looking to catch paedophiles. But even after his arrest he continued to offend, asking one decoy if she was a virgin and sending videos of himself masturbating.

Stevenson, of Pilton Causeway, Barnstaple, was described in court as a lonely man who led a solitary life. He said he was not motivated by a sexual interest in children but admitted multiple offences, including distributing indecent pictures of children and attempting to engage in sexual communication with children.

The judge said: "The offences represent a series of offences that demonstrate you have a clear sexual interest in young children and those in their early teens. It is quite clear you were seeking out various contacts with those in their early teens and were quickly made aware the children concerned, in each case decoys or similar, made their age known to you but you did not desist."

Stevenson was jailed for 21 months.

Prosecutor Ms Victoria Bastock said Stevenson was arrested after a visit by police to his home address in November 2020. They seized a number of devices and found messages dating back to November 2017.

They showed Stevenson in enthusiastic communication with another paedophile sharing fantasies about rape and sex with children. He also shared indecent images of children aged between five and 16.

Stevenson also joined a teen chatroom and started talking to what he believed was a 13-year-old girl. He followed this up with messages to other decoys on Kik Messenger, Skype and WhatsApp. In each case the conversation was sexual and Stevenson would make lewd suggestions and ask if they wanted boyfriends. He also asked for photos.

Stevenson was released under investigation but committed almost identical offences in July 2021. He joined the UK Teen Friends chatroom and direct messaged a 12-year-old decoy, sending her an indecent video of himself and saying he wanted to see the child naked.

Mr Jason Beal, defending, said Stevenson endured a difficult lockdown, family bereavement and was a good candidate for rehabilitation.

Judge Peter Johnson said Stevenson had minimised his crimes by suggesting he was sharing in the fantasies of others.

The defendant admitted distributing indecent photos of children; making indecent photos of children; four offences of attempting to engage in sexual communication with children and two of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

He must sign the sex offender register for 10 years and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period. 

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A child sex offender who stabbed and seriously injured two police officers in a 'savage' and drunken attack after they found him drinking at wheel of car has been jailed for 20 years.

Jon Ross, 62, stabbed and slashed at PCs Darren Brimacombe and Timothy Willett after they responded to a disturbance at a home in Dartmoor.

Ross burst from his parked car launched a 'frenzied' attacked the officers with a knife after they found him in Princetown, Devon, in the early hours of July 9, 2021.

PC Brimacombe suffered a serious arm injury and cuts to his head and face while PC Willett sustained serious injuries to his arm and fingers.

Both officers needed hospital treatment and have undergone surgery as part of their recoveries. Neither officer has come back to frontline duties as a result of the incident, and both are looking for other roles within the force.

Ross of Burrator Avenue, admitted to two counts of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, with intent. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of affray and assault on a previous occasion.

He was sentenced to 12 years for these offences.

He had previously been found guilty of four historic sexual offences against a child in a trial that concluded in April, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The total 20 year sentence will be served consecutively and was handed down by Judge Simon Carr at Truro Crown Court yesterday.

Ross must serve two-thirds of that before he will become eligible to be released on licence and will be on the Sex Offender's Register for life.

Judge Carr praised the victim of the sexual offences and said: 'Your victim gathered the courage to approach the police to report what had happened to her.'

Referring to the serious assault on the officers, he said: 'Frenzied is a term overused by the court but not in this case.

'Armed with a knife, you stabbed out repeatedly causing permanent injury to both. The psychological damage has been immense. You went on to attack two other officers.'

The court heard how police were called to reports of a disturbance at a property late on July 8, 2021.

Officers were told Ross had been drinking alcohol, had taken his car keys and left the address and that the caller was unsure of his state of mind.

PCs Brimacombe and Willett, who knew Ross from previous community work, searched the area and located his vehicle.

They found him in the driver's seat and drinking from a bottle.

Both officers calmly spoke to Ross despite him being verbally abusive and aggressive towards them.

Without warning, Ross swung at and narrowly missed PC Willett with a knife.

He then exploded out of the open car door and attacked PC Brimacombe, repeatedly stabbing him as they grappled on the ground.

The officer suffered lacerations to his scalp and face — nearly having the end of his nose cut off.

Ross stabbed PC Brimacombe in the arm, causing a significant arterial bleed.

PC Willett then struggled with Ross and pulled him off his injured colleague.

He was stabbed in his forearm and sustained finger injuries as he wrestled the blade from Ross's grasp.

PC Willett deployed his Taser to subdue Ross, allowing PC Brimacombe to apply handcuffs and detain him.

Both officers then activated emergency buttons on their radios to request immediate help.

PC Brimacombe's arm was bleeding so heavily, a police-issue tourniquet had to be applied to the wound.

Ross was later found to be twice over the legal limit of alcohol to drive a vehicle.

Devon and Cornwall Police released shocking images of the scene, with the blessing of PCs Brimacombe and Willett, to highlight the dangers faced by officers.

Detective Constable Craig Ferguson said after the sentencing hearing: 'We are pleased with the outcome in what has been a lengthy and detailed police investigation.

'Jon Ross employed an extreme and savage level of violence, with a bladed weapon, to severely injure the two police officers.

'The officers were on duty and in uniform when they attended to try and help him. They knew him personally from previous dealings where they had successfully helped him.

'The officers sought to speak with him and tried to help, but he responded by repeatedly stabbing them in a sustained attack.

'As a result, Jon Ross has been imprisoned for a lengthy period of time, meaning that a significant risk has now been removed from our local community.

'I have worked as a police officer for the past 18 years and can say that this assault is without doubt the worst incident of its kind that I have dealt with.

'The officers conducted themselves with the utmost professionalism, both before and after this terrible ordeal, and we have concluded that their approach and conduct throughout was of a very high standard.

'There was nothing that they could do to plan for or avoid the extreme level of violence that Jon Ross had in mind.'

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Parker added: 'I would like to praise the courage shown by the sexual assault victim.

'This is an important reminder that such reports will always be taken seriously by the police and justice will be sought and we would always encourage victims to come forward.'

He added: 'The assault on the officers reflects the dangers and challenges police face on a daily basis, despite this force area being one of the safest places to live in the country.

'They understand risk comes with the nature of policing but being assaulted on duty should never be condoned or seen as 'part of the job'.

'Devon and Cornwall Police will always seek to pursue and prosecute those who behave in this way.

'This incident could all too easily have resulted in a more tragic conclusion.

'I would like to take the opportunity to praise the bravery of PCs Brimacombe and Willett and acknowledge the actions taken by their colleagues and other emergency service workers who came to their aid, whose actions and professionalism under difficult circumstances played a huge part in preventing an even worse outcome.'

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A HEATWAVE peeping tom has been jailed for spying on a 17-year-old girl as she slept on her bed naked at 6.30 in the morning.

The horrified teenager woke up to hear the sound of a camera phone snapping and saw a figure peering through a narrow gap in the blinds that covered her ground floor window.

She called her mother who shouted at prowler Kristoffer Roberts, pictured, causing him to flee. He was identified from doorbell video footage and his fingerprints were found on a beer bottle he dropped at the scene.

Roberts was already a registered sex offender, having previously been jailed in 2014 for using a phone to take 657 ‘upskirt’ pictures or videos of unsuspecting women.

He went on to attack his girlfriend so violently while high on drink and drugs that she was left traumatised and unable to carry on her training as a nurse.

Roberts, aged 29, previously of Drum Way, Heathfield, Newton Abbot, but now of Abelia Close, Paignton, admitted voyeurism, strangulation and battery.

He was jailed for a total of 22 months and put on the sex offenders’ register for a further seven years by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: ‘The victim of your voyeurism was a 17-year-old girl lying in her own bed asleep and naked because of the temperature. She became aware of someone standing by the window and of a clicking noise being made by a mobile phone taking photographs.’

Miss Felicity Payne, prosecuting, said the girl’s mother called police during a spell of very hot weather in August 2020 to report that a prowler had been taking pictures of her daughter through a small gap in the blinds.

He was identified through CCTV footage and arrested wearing the same baseball cap. He also dropped a beer bottle at the scene with his fingerprints on it.

Miss Payne said Roberts put his partner’s neck in an arm lock and strangled her three times with increasing force after she told him to leave her home in Torquay because he was drunk.

She was so badly affected by the ordeal and by his behaviour during their relationship that she failed nursing exams and is now appealing to be allowed to continue her degree.

Mr Martin Salloway, defending, said Roberts’s problems arose from his abuse of alcohol and drugs to mask the psychological effects of a violent and unhappy childhood. He is now addressing all these issues in custody and is truly sorry for the harm he has caused.

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A successful interior designer has been jailed for sexual activity with a vulnerable 15-year-old girl more than a decade ago. Daniel Kelly groped the girl's breasts after kissing her at his former home in Newton Abbot.

He groomed the girl by sending her sexually explicit messages and promising her alcohol and drugs. He preyed on her youth and inexperience to 'satisfy his lusts', a court heard.

'The teenager did not tell police until 2018 but Kelly's actions caused deep emotional scars and she still suffers flashbacks. In a statement read in court she said she 'hated' him for what he did to her.

Kelly, aged 40, was 29 at the time of the offences. He has a previous conviction for very similar offences and was jailed in 2017 for two years. Exeter Crown Court was told that since then he had rebuilt his life and earned decent money as an interior designer.

But Judge Peter Johnson said his claims of remorse were hollow because he had pleaded not guilty and was convicted of two offences of sexual activity with a child at a trial in June. He jailed Kelly for two years and nine months.

The judge said: "During the summer of 2011 you sent her wholly inappropriate texts as part of a grooming process. They made reference to drinking alcohol, drugs and sexual activity. "

When the girl visited his house Kelly provided booze then kissed her and put his hand on her bottom. A few days later she visited the house with a friend but fell asleep. Kelly climbed into the bed and fondled her breasts, kissed her on the mouth and put her hand over his penis.

The girl told schoolfriends what had happened but police only got involved after she made an attempt on her own life some years later.

Judge Johnson said the defendant regarded himself at the time as a 'Jack the Lad'.

"Alcohol was employed so you could satisfy your lusts," he said. "It is said you have changed markedly and I accept that. This was ingrained behaviour. I find it very difficult to accept your remorse when you didn't accept responsibility at the trial and it sounds hollow.

Kelly, of New Walk, Totnes, was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will last 10 years.

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A vile man said he "would like to be there" after watching a video of a little girl being being sexually abused.

Christopher Smith, 31, sent messages to paedophile, Vicki Bevan, online and responded to a clip of her abusing a young boy with "thats hot" and to one of her abusing a girl with "I would like to be there". Bevan was part of a paedophile ring based in St Helens and carried out some of her appalling sexual fantasies alongside Paul Rafferty and Tony Hutton by raping and abusing a young girl.

Bevan also spent time discussing with another man their desire to kidnap, rape, torture, kill and then eat children after sexually abusing them. The vile woman made contact with Smith, who lived 230 miles away, on internet chat rooms before sending at least two clips to him.

Charlie Barrass-Evans, prosecuting, said Smith was caught by an undercover police operation, where officers posed as chatroom users on Kik. Smith was using the hashtag andysmith01 and offered to "trade" child images before being traced through his phone.

Smith sent three child abuse images and said he had "personal stuff" before moving the conversation to Snapchat. He refused to give police the PIN number of one of his phones when he was arrested.

A forensic download identified the videos from Bevan, along with 36 child abuse images or videos. Smith of Clare Drive, Tiverton, Devon, admitted two counts of distribution and four of making, by downloading, indecent images of children and was jailed for two years and four months by Judge Peter Johnson at Exeter Crown Court.

Bevan, 37, of Newtown, St Helens, was jailed for life with a minimum term of ten years at Liverpool Crown Court in May this year. Accomplices Paul Rafferty, 62, and Tony Hutton, 42, were jailed for ten and four years respectively.

Judge Johnson said: "You exchanged messages with Vicki Bevan, who is now serving a life sentence, and it seems there were real time exchanges going on which at the very least were encouraging her to abuse children in which she was telling you what she had been doing.

"This sentence could not have been suspended because of the proximity between you and the maker of the images."

Evie Dean, defending, said Smith started using chatrooms at a low point in his life after the breakdown of a relationship and when he was drinking, taking cocaine, and in a self-destructive spiral.

She said: His remorse is genuine. He says his behaviour was disgusting and unforgiveable. He has been open and honest about assessing the material for his sexual gratification, which stands him in good stead when it comes to rehabilitation."

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A Snapchat groomer has been jailed for befriending girls online and then bombarding them with threatening messages to send him naked pictures.

Paedophile Christopher Ware, 32, set up multiple accounts on social media, lied about his age, his name and sometimes pretended to be a girl in order to gain the trust of seven victims aged between nine and 15.

He would initially be friendly to the girls before demanding they send pictures of themselves.

When they refused he resorted to blackmail, telling some of the children he knew which school they went to and where they lived. He also said he would shame them by posting pictures and details online.

The supermarket worker was tracked down after one victim and the mum of another found clues to help track him down.

A judge at Exeter Crown Court praised the efforts of parents and children who informed police and brought Ware to justice.

Judge Timothy Rose told Ware: "You wrought a campaign of intrusion and influence in children's lives. You bombarded them with sexualised comments, requests and demands and threats of blackmail."

Ware, of St Peter's Street Tiverton, was jailed for four years and nine months. The defendant, who has previous links to Dunster in Somerset, pleaded guilty to 15 offences of engaging in sexual communication with children under 16; attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

He appeared via video link from custody and held his head in his hands while listening to the sentencing hearing.

Ms Heather Hope, prosecuting said the first set of offences happened between January and July, 2018.

Ware contacted a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat using the false name of Ashley Page. The girl did not recognise the name but thought it might be somebody she knew so accepted his request.

"He sent her messages demanding she should send him nude pictures," said Ms Hope.

The girl blocked him but Ware managed to contact her again and continued to pester her using different names. He lied about his age, saying he was 23, then 18 and finally 15.

He continued to bombard her with messages, even when she was at school, asking if she wore a thong and sending her naked images of women.

The girl became so scared of his threats that she eventually sent naked pictures of herself.

Ware continued to message other girls, using the same threats and making the same kinds of demands.

He used a false name to pester a 13-year-old on Snapchat, saying he was aged 14. When she blocked him he would message through other accounts, asking if she was bisexual.

The girl turned detective using clues he left on the messages and Ware was tracked down, arrested and taken into custody at Bridgwater.

When police checked his computer they found he had been using it to search for indecent videos of teenage girls.

They also discovered he had been messaging other girls, again using false identities.

They included a 14-year-old who Ware inundated with requests for naked photos. He sent her a picture of himself on the toilet with trousers down and penis exposed.

When the girl blocked him he pretended to be a schoolgirl. The victim realised it was the same person due to distinctive orange-coloured walls in the messages sent to her. When she blocked him Ware again resorted to threats saying he knew where she lived.

She told her mum and police were called in for a second time. 

Ware was bailed but carried on offending.

In August 2020 he pretended to be a 16-year-old boy and messaged a 14-year-old on Snapchat.

He asked for naked pictures and even offered to pay money for them, sending a picture of his bank card with a name on.

"He then threatened her that if she didn't send nude images of herself he would 'shout her out for nudes' meaning he would make it known to others on Snapchat she had sent images of herself.

Some of the victims said Ware had sent images of his penis. One described it as 'proper small'.

When the mother of one 15-year-old schoolgirl found out what he was demanding she took control of the phone and pretended to be the daughter to get information about who he was.

She then took the information to police.

Ware's youngest victim was aged just nine when he started asking her about her bra size and saying 'show me pants'.

He continued to frighten and put pressure on the girl even when she refused.

He was arrested again on November 16, 2021. Police had to force entry after Ware barricaded himself in his bedroom.

The court was read victim impacts statements from some of the girls and parents.

One 'angry and confused' parent said he daughter had retreated into her bedroom and now suffered severe anxiety.

A father said his daughter had also become distrustful of people, especially men.

Other victims said they too suffered from anxiety and depression as a result of Ware's behaviour. 

"I did not want to send images to him but was so scared he knew where I lived and would hurt us I felt so out of control and felt I could not tell anybody," said one.

She said she was thankful her family had taken her phone and stopped her ordeal.

Another said she did not know who was messaging her but it turned out to be a 'nasty person with horrible intentions'. She had attempted suicide as a result of what he had done and suffered terrifying nightmares.

Mr Will Rose, defending, said Ware was a man of previous good character. The defendant denied having a sexual interest in children.

He said Ware deserved credit for pleading guilty and saving the girls from giving evidence at a trial. He was very sorry for what he had done.

He said Ware came from a broken home and his relationship with his father 'soured' after he discovered he was sleeping with his partner.

He 'hit rock bottom' and self-medicated by drinking alcohol, said Mr Rose. It was then he became 'entangled in a cycle of offending'.

Judge Rose said: "The worst part of this, apart from the terrible harm you've done, is the fact you were arrested and interviewed and kept on doing it and kept on going back to the type of comprehensive and damaging behaviour."

He said Ware had caused 'persistent and terrible harm' to girls he knew the ages of.

"On a number of occasions you resorted to the use of threats amounting to a form of blackmail in order to get what you wanted in terms of sexual images and sexualised responses."

Judge Rose said the sentencing guidelines restricted the length of sentence he could impose for the crimes. The sexual communication offences carry a maximum of two years and Ware was entitled to a reduction of one third for his guilty pleas.

"I commend all the children involved and the parents for the way brought matters to the attention of police.

"It takes a certain kind of fortitude and resolution to do that and the court expresses gratitude to all the families and individuals who came forward."

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A Devon man has been jailed for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

Jason Pagan, 48, told the child he was just playing when his tickling turned into sexual touching, Exeter Crown Court heard.

He touched the child over her clothing and then massaged her naked buttocks.

The factory worker, of Higher Roborough, Ashburton, was convicted of sexual assault by a jury after a trial in October. He denied doing anything wrong.

He returned to court on Tuesday [January 11] and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. The judge was told he still denied the offences but was sorry for the effect on the child.

A judge said she had 'lost her innocence' as a result of the assault. Judge Peter Johnson said: "I've considered with care whether it is appropriate to suspend the sentence and in my view it is not. Whilst it may be said you are capable of being rehabilitated this offence is so serious that only immediate custody is appropriate.

"There is ongoing harm to the young child.

"She has lost her innocence and that's why this must be an immediate custodial sentence."

Ms Kelly Scrivener, prosecuting, said Pagan maintained he had just been innocently playing with the child.

"What the jury did not hear is that he has a number of sexual offences recorded against him," she added.

Pagan was convicted back in 1993 of three offences of indecent assault on a female under 16. The defendant was sent to a Young Offenders Institution for 42 months for those offences. Since then he has been in trouble for criminal damage, dishonesty and threatening a person with an offensive weapon.

Ms Emily Pitts, defending, said the public would be better served with Pagan receiving a suspended sentence.

He had endured a difficult childhood and his life had fallen apart since committing the offence.

She said he was 'ashamed, embarrassed and disgusted' and was living a 'terribly isolated life'.

But she said he was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and was making efforts to get his life back together.

Pagan was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his access to children and told to sign the sex offender register.

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A former Torquay hotel handyman has been jailed for a series of sex offences against children dating back four decades.

Maurice Button, 69, disappeared half way through his trial at Exeter Crown Court for offences against two girls who were aged just eight and 12 at the time.

But the paedophile gave himself up over the weekend and was found guilty by a jury.

During his sentencing one of his victims fought back tears when describing the devastating effect his abuse had on her. She said after years of trying to lock away her experiences in the back of her mind she had found the courage to speak out. 

She told Button: "I tried to forget over the years. I boxed you up and put you to the back of my head and threw away the key." She added: "I will go today knowing I fought my demons and won with the support of family, friends and the police."

Button was found guilty of seven offences and was jailed for 13 years by Judge David Evans. He must also serve a further year on extended licence.

The trial was told six of the offences were committed against the older of the two girls.

Button groomed the child over a two-week period, showering her with praise and telling her how special she was. He repeatedly indecently assaulted and had unlawful sexual intercourse with a child under 13.

The abuser gained his victims' trust with his outgoing and 'fun' personality. In reality he was a predatory paedophile.

In her statement to the court the victim said: "Your type think you have done no wrong. You singled me out then you started to fulfil your sick desires, to sexually abuse me and rape me. You ruined my path of life."

She said for many years she was still too traumatised to think about what had happened in her past.

She considered suicide as the final throw of the dice to rid herself of the memories. But since coming forward with the truth everyone in her family was proud of her for the courage she had displayed bringing Button to justice.

"You are the one who has brought shame and disgust," she told him. "Your picture will be in the local paper showing the sick and perverted paedophile you are."

Button's other victim said she had also fought to supress in her mind what had happened to her. Aged just eight, Button had committed an act of gross indecency.

The defendant has a number of previous convictions. In 1995 he was jailed for six months for indecently assaulting a child.

Ms Virginia Cornwall, defending, said since then Button had not offended and had been happily married for 20 years. She said he now suffered with diabetes and prison would be difficult.

Button, of Dandelion Close, Newton Abbot, told police the offences never happened.

On Wednesday of last week he was due to give evidence in his trial but instead left the court at lunchtime, changed his clothes and drove away. Police issued an appeal for the missing man saying he had last been seen getting off a bus in Sidmouth High Street at around 2.45pm.

Despite some delays the trial continued in his absence and he gave himself up over the weekend.

"Perhaps that was always due to happen given you had little to eat and nowhere to go," said Judge Evans.

He added: "You were avoiding overwhelming evidence against you in this trial. It was a deliberate attempt to evade or delay justice." He sentenced Button to six months for absconding. That sentence must be served before the 13 years can begin.

The judge said: "The truth was you are a paedophile and you had a sexual interest in young girls. You used your position as an adult with a reputation for being gregarious and friendly and fun as the means by which to trick the first victim when she was just eight years old."

He said that offence happened when the defendant was 28. He then went on to commit the even more serious offences against the older child.

"You were doubtless reasonably confident that neither girl would feel able to raise the alarm given their ages."

He said the consequences of Button's offending had 'cascaded down the years' and left a deep trauma for the victims.

The court was told the sentences available to the court in 2021 would be more severe than they were under 1980 laws. Judge Evans said he had to take that into consideration when reaching the total sentence.

Button must serve at least half of his 13 years in prison. He will then be considered by the parole board for release. Once the 13-year term is complete he will be subject to a further year on licence.

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A VOYEURS string of sick offending came to light when a woman complained to police that hed tried to pay her son to video her while she slept. That allegation, which was reported to police in Swindon in 2018, never resulted in charges being brought against John Berry. But the claims led police to the home 36-year-old Berry shared with his mother, where they discovered a camera hidden in the bathroom ceiling and linked to a motion sensor device. On Friday, Swindon Crown Court heard how over more than a decade self-described voyeurism addict Berry had filmed women and girls without their knowledge. Starting in the mid-2000s, the images were taken using cameras or phones hidden in his then Witney home and at a friends property while they were away. He used a spy camera in a USB stick to film a woman while she performed a sex act on him and also filmed up an underage girls skirt on a bus. His victims included a child who believed she was five or six when Berry photographed her, although his recollection was that she was older. Berry told detectives hed deleted the images and videos from the computer, but admitted hed previously had a sexual interest in underage girls. He said he was addicted to taking videos of unsuspecting people and acknowledged he needed to be punished, telling the officers: I know what Ive done. Im not going to try and argue my way out of it. Digital forensics officers were able to find folders of images or videos relating to five women and girls taken up to a decade before. Also uncovered from his computers were 150 indecent images in category A, 100 in category B and more than 2,700 in category C. The files included 83 videos in the most serious category A which includes depictions of child rape and showed children as young as three. None of the files were accessible and none had been shared. In court yesterday, Berry was seen to cover his ears as he heard his victims and the father of one girl tell of the devastating impact of his offending. One woman said in a victim personal statement recorded by the police and played to the court: I suffer with anxiety. I havent been able to leave the house since [being told shed been secretly filmed]. I have kept my children at home because I feel like I need to keep them close to me because I dont want something to happen to them. [There] is just so much going on in my head and I just think what if they [hidden camera devices] are in my house. What if my children are being videoed? Its just destroying me. Sending Berry to prison for three-and-a-half years, Judge Peter Crabtree noted that one of the mans victims said she had felt guilty for speaking out. She shouldnt, of course, the judge told Berry. The only person who is guilty is you. He added: Anyone who downloads indecent images of children as you did and as is reflected in charges eight to 13 is fuelling an abhorrent industry which very often has serious life-long physical and psychological impact on the victims concerned. Berry, now of Totnes Road, Paignton, pleaded guilty at the magistrates court to voyeurism, producing indecent images of children and possession of indecent images of children in categories A to C. Gareth James, mitigating, urged the judge to spare his client an immediate prison sentence, citing the fact he had made admissions to the police when he was interviewed, his remorse, the efforts he had made to address his attraction to underage girls and the difficult conditions in prison during the pandemic. Berry, who is self-employed, was said to be the primary carer for his mother, with whom he now lived in Devon. He had taken courses aimed at halting his interest in underage girls Judge Crabtree said the offences were so serious that only immediate imprisonment would do justice to the case. The defendant must register as a sex offender and remain subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

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A sex offender has been jailed for having contact with children in breach of a banning order.

Craig Beddows, 55, befriended two mothers in breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed by a court to protect children.

He should have told the women about his past but ignored the order and was in regular contact with four boys.

He did not commit any sexual offence against them and was never left alone with the youngsters but a judge at Exeter Crown Court said he was guilty of persistent and wilful breaches of his order. He would give the children presents and liked to be called 'Uncle Craig'.

Beddows, of Wolborough Street, admitted four breaches of the order and was jailed for 20 months.

The court was told he led a lonely existence having been shunned by his family due to his previous behaviour which started with a conviction for indecent assault against girls under 16 back in 2003.

The court was told the defendant befriended a woman and over a period of about a year came into contact with her children.

"There was nothing inappropriate in the way he behaved towards them but she wasn't aware he was subject to a SHPO," said prosecutor Mr Ian Graham.

Beddows also made friends with another mother. There was no suggestion he behaved inappropriately to her children but did not reveal the contact to his offender manager.

When the women were told about his past they felt 'betrayed' and upset, the court was told.

Mr Barry White, defending, said Beddows previous offending had been against girls and he did not pose a risk to boys.

Recorder Timothy Kenefick said: "You have a number of previous convictions for sexual offences involving children under 16 and breaching notification orders.

"The probation report says there is a clear pattern of befriending mothers with young children and having contact with these children knowing full well you're not permitted to do that."

He said he accepted that Beddow led a solitary life and endured a considerable amount of loneliness but it was not the first breach and there was no alternative to immediate prison.

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A Devon paedophile who twice groped a teenage girl in her own Co Armagh home was handed a 12 month sentence on Friday.

In addition to the sentence with half to be spent in jail and half on licence, 34-year-old William Pope was also ordered to sign the police sex offenders register for ten years and banned from working with children.

Pope, from Stonelands Park, Dawlish in Devon, had entered guilty pleas to two counts of sexual assault on a date unknown between December 5, 2018 and May 1, 2021 by touching his young victim sexually.

Prosecuting counsel Nicola Auret told Craigavon Crown Court how the offences came to light in December 2021 when the teenager disclosed to a counsellor that Pope had twice abused her.

That disclosure lead to a police investigation with the victim describing to detectives how she had been 14 when Pope was at her home and when he “pulled her in for a cuddle,” he stuck his hand up her top, felt her breasts, moved over her stomach and then put his hand in her pants.

Pope asked her “do you like it when I touch you there,” said Ms Auret but the victim “kept telling him that she needed the toilet, he got frustrated and told her to leave.”

Turning to events in April 2021, the barrister said there was a party in the teenager’s house and she had been drinking alcohol when Pope “carried her up to bed,” seizing the opportunity to grope her breasts again.

Arrested and questioned by police, Pope denied doing anything wrong, a stance he maintained until 12 days before his trial was due to start.

Ms Auret submitted there were multiple aggravating features to the offending including the fact the girl was twice abused in her own home where “she should have felt safe.”

Defence counsel Joel Lindsay said while he accepted the aggravating features, he submitted there were also mitigating factors including Pope’s clear record, guilty plea and genuine remorse, “recognising the pain that he has caused this young lady.”

He also conceded that although the custody threshold had been crossed, there was also a possibility that Pope could be put on an intensive probation programme designed to address the underlying causes of his offending.

“Society I know could yell an objection to that and say that’s outrageous, that probation programme is not an easy option,” argued Mr Lindsay.

Judge Patrick Lynch KC said he accepted that Pope’s guilty plea had spared his victim the ordeal of testifying in a public arena and also that Pope had not offended before or since but that given the offences, “a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

In addition to the 12 month sentence, the judge also imposed a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bars the pervert from contacting his victim, prohibits him from loving anywhere without permission and compels him to make verifiable disclosure of his convictions to any new partner.

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A man caught with so many indecent images of children that investigators 'gave up counting' has been spared jail time.

Pinky Caine, aged 31, had almost 4,000 illegal photos on his devices and 22,0000 more which were never classified.

He had a secret mobile phone and 'boasted' of hiding his internet history so police would not catch him, Plymouth Crown Court heard.

Caine was also in breach of a suspended sentence for identical offences.

But he avoided immediate custody after a judge heard that it was more than two years since he had last offended and the steps he had taken to tackle his perversion.

His family sacrificed their savings to pay privately for treatment at The Priory, a London psychiatric hospital famous for its celebrity clients.

Handing him a fresh suspended sentence, Judge William Mousley told Caine: “You have been given a huge chance on this occasion. You have come as close as it is possible to get to going straight to prison.

“I am prepared to accept that you do not constitute an immediate risk of harm to the public. There are still hopes of your rehabilitation through work which is ongoing.”

The judge said that there were 22,000 images on his devices which were “questionable”, but as they were not classified they cannot be seen as indecent in law.Caine, of St Johns Terrace in Totnes, pleaded guilty to four counts of possession of indecent images of children in 2018.

The vast majority of the 3,902 files found on his devices were in the lowest bracket, but 12 were in Category A - including videos and images depicting adults abusing children.

He also admitted breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by having an internet enabled mobile phone which was not declared to the police.

Ian Graham, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said that he was handed that order after he was convicted of making indecent images of children in July 2017.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Mr Graham said that police found indecent images on his devices in both May and December 2018.

The barrister added Caine was heard saying that he was "still viewing" indecent images during a group counselling session in August 2018.

Mr Graham said: “He said that he was covering his tracks and he was not worried at that stage about the police finding anything wrong.”

Lee Bremridge, Caine's defence, said that he had pleaded guilty at an early stage and showed “genuine remorse”.

He added that the judge should take into account the long delay in the case – with the defendant not appearing in court until September last year.

Mr Bremridge said that Caine had used the time to tackle his problems, including heavy drinking, on his own initiative.

The barrister added that his family had used their savings to pay for his treatment at The Priory.

Judge Mousley handed Caine a fresh nine-month prison sentence but suspended it for two years.

He ordered that he have six-month alcohol treatment and 35 days of probation’s intensive Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

Caine was also fined £1,000 for breaching his original suspended sentence.

The judge also ordered that his phones and computers be forfeited.