Latest Offenders Gloucester

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A Gloucester man has been jailed after pleading guilty to making thousands of indecent images of children.

Philip Wood, aged 71 and of Westgate Street, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday (23 October).

He had been charged with eight counts of making indecent images of children and nine counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Wood is a registered sexual offender and was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court in 2020 in relation to a number of sexual offences. He was handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order at the time, which expires on 1 December 2027.

As part of the order, Wood was not allowed to own any electronic devices, such as mobile phones or laptops, without declaring them to the police and offering them to police for inspection.

He received unannounced home visits from Gloucestershire Constabulary's Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders (MOSOVO) team.

Officers visited Wood on a number of occasions between August 2023 and May 2024. During each visit, they found that Wood had electronic devices that he had not declared or made available for inspection, these contained indecent images of children. He was also using a pseudonym for online accounts, which he was banned from having under the order.

After suspicions were raised on the first visit around the breaches, Wood’s devices were seized and examined. He was arrested in November and bailed while a case was built against him, before being rearrested and remanded in May this year.

Across the various devices, officers found in excess of 134,172 indecent images of children as well as more than 150 hours of video footage.

Wood pleaded guilty to the offences at a hearing on 7 August. In mitigation, he told the court that he had a thrill of the forbidden and that he had attended previous rehabilitation courses which had not had the desired effect.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for each of the nine breaches of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

In addition, he received three years for making Category A indecent images of children, two years for making Category B images and 12 months for making Category C images.

All sentences are to run concurrently. He was also put on the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

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A taxi driver from Gloucester has avoid jailed for sexually assaulting woman while he was at work. The 49-year-old was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault at Gloucester Crown Court on July 30.

Taranjit Singh, known as Tony, has been banned from driving a taxi for ten years following the sentencing. The court heard that the victim used Singh's taxi service several times before the attack and he had given her his personal mobile number.

In November 2021, despite being off duty, Singh agreed to pick up the woman from Gloucester and take her to Tewkesbury, breaching his licence conditions. The woman, in her 20s, fell asleep during the journey. Singh then drove to an industrial estate, and the victim awoke to find Singh digitally penetrating her vagina and touching her breast.

She asked Singh to stop and tried to push his arm away, but he continued to sexually assault her, telling her that she was enjoying it.

The court was shown footage that the victim had secretly recorded on her mobile during previous rides in Singh's taxi. In one clip, Singh is heard propositioning the woman for sexual favours, to which she firmly declines.

Singh, from Estcourt Close in Gloucester, denied sexually assaulting the woman and claimed he may have accidentally touched the woman's breast while assisting with her seatbelt. He further claimed the woman guided his hand into her trousers.

On October 18, Singh received a 24-month suspended sentence at Gloucester Crown Court. Additionally, he must register as a sex offender for ten years and is banned from working as a taxi driver or in any paid driving capacity involving passengers for the same duration due to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The judge ordered Singh to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, participate in a rehabilitation programme for up to 30 days, and pay £4,380 towards prosecution costs.

Post-sentencing, the victim said: "While this incident only lasted a short time that night, it has had a major long-term effect on me mentally.

"I would urge anyone who has been through similar to contact the police. I felt heard, seen and believed, and I had great support throughout the process. I'm so glad I reported to hopefully help stop the same happening to others."

Detective Constable Annabel Brittain has praised a victim's courage after reporting a distressing incident, saying: "The victim is to be commended for reporting this distressing incident as, by having the strength to support the investigation, she has helped keep others safe while achieving justice for herself.

"As she read out her victim impact statement to the court, it was clear how much she has been affected by what happened, and I am extremely glad she says she has felt well supported by police throughout.

"I hope this conviction is reassurance to others that when such concerning incidents are reported, we will be as thorough and relentless as possible in securing all available evidence to bring offenders to justice."

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A 50 year old Winchcombe man who took a woman's mobile phone from her and refused to give it back until she gave him oral sex was jailed for eight and a half years today (May 21).

Neil Roberts, of Godwin Road, Winchcombe, denied raping the woman and assaulting her causing actual bodily harm but a jury found him guilty at the end of his trial earlier this year.

Today he was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court by Recorder Jaron Crooknorth who told him he still showed no sign of remorse for his abuse of the woman.

Before passing sentence of eight and a half years jail for the rape and two years nine months concurrently for the assault, the Recorder heard a victim impact statement from the woman, who said Roberts had treated her 'like a piece of meat' on that night.

She stated "I was humiliated. I felt worthless. He made me blame myself. He left me feeling like it was all my fault.

"Now, after two years of fighting for him to be held accountable, I can admit to myself that I have been raped and that it isn't my fault. Only now do I feel I can truly start to live my life again and enjoy it.

"I am glad he has finally been held accountable for who he truly is and I hope that one day he will be able to admit it to himself.  When the jury found him guilty I was overcome with emotion."

During the trial at Cirencester Courthouse in March the court heard that on Oct 10th 2021 the woman agreed to spend the evening with Roberts drinking and listening to music at his home.

Roberts began questioning her about whether she was seeing any other men and he demanded to see her phone

She refused but he took the phone from her and would not give it back, accusing her of having an 'affair'.

The woman told jurors he could not initially look at the phone because it was locked and needed facial recognition or her PIN number. He kept waving it at her face in an effort to open it but she continually moved her head to prevent him.

However, eventually she gave up and gave him the unlock code. He then looked through the phone. After about an hour she asked to have it back but he did not hand it over and was mocking her, calling her a slut and a cheat.

She pushed Roberts and slapped him in the face in her efforts to retrieve the phone and he then punched her in the face.

Roberts told her that if she wanted her phone back she would have to give him oral sex. 

She told him 'I don't want to do this, just give me the phone back.'

But Roberts insisted he would not return it till she gave him oral sex so she did.

"He then gave me the phone back.  I got off the bed and sat on the floor with my belongings," the woman told the jury.

"He then said that he thought we were just doing role play and that he thought I was enjoying it. "

Roberts, in evidence, said that after drinking San Miguel beer with the woman for 4-5 hours that night they went into his bedroom at about 1am and she instigated the oral sex as a 'form of apology' for an argument they'd had earlier.

There had been no violence from him and he had not demanded to see her phone at any stage, he said.

He alleged afterwards she became very angry and pulled on his penis, causing a bruise.

"I told her to get off and she started to punch me in the head.  She hit me 10-20 times," he alleged.

Roberts was unanimously convicted of both charges and has been in custody on remand since then. Today he appeared via video link from Bristol Prison for his sentencing.

His solicitor, Sarah Jenkins, told the court he had no past history of sexual offending and his only conviction had been for an offence of violence in 2006. This had been his first experience of prison, she said.

It would not be just him who paid the price of his offending because his father, who is in poor health, and his young daughter in Thailand, who also has an illness, would suffer without his care and financial support, she said.

"The child will not be able to come to the UK while he is in custody," she said. "His incarceration will have a very significant impact on both of these individuals."

At the time of Roberts' offences against the woman he had a drink problem and that had got worse due to the stress of awaiting trial - but he had now undergone detox in prison and had signed up for education courses in languages and cycle maintenance in jail, she said.

She also referred the court to character references provided to the court by friends and colleagues of Roberts.

"They show a side of his character which was not shown during the evidence of the victim.  He has provided emotional support and friendship to these individuals in difficult times and circumstances and it is something they value him for."

Passing sentence Recorder Crooknorth told Roberts "You showed no remorse - not even for the injuries she had sustained.  She had a bruised and swollen face, bruising across her chest, scratching and bruising on her arms.  She felt humiliated, overpowered and abused by someone she thought she could trust.

"At this late stage you still show no remorse. "

He said he found that Roberts represents a danger to the public. He told Roberts he will have to serve two-thirds of his eight-and-a-half year sentence before he is eligible for parole.

The judge also reminded Roberts that he will be on the sex offender register indefinitely and will have to keep police informed of any changes of his address or his name.

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A man has been jailed after being caught with almost 400 illegal images of children on a mobile phone.

Carl Webb, formerly of Gloucester Road in Cheltenham, admitted making 240 Category C indecent images of children, 144 prohibited images, and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

He also admitted failing to report to a police station and being in breach of a suspended prison sentence.

The 37-year-old was jailed for three years and three months on 14 March.

Webb, who has a history of child sex offences dating back more than two decades, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court.

He was convicted of indecently assaulting a child in 2002 and was jailed for sexual activity with a child in 2009.

Prosecutor Alec Small said that on 28 September 2022 police visited Webb at his home to check he was complying with his sexual harm prevention order.

He volunteered that he had a borrowed phone that he had not previously declared.

The phone was seized by officers and was found to contain indecent images of children.

Mr Small added that Webb had failed to attend a police station to sign the sex offender register on 1 March 2023.

Webb is currently serving a three-year jail term imposed on him in October 2023 after he breached a community order he had received at an earlier hearing.

Defending, Catherine Spedding, said Webb is "keen to look at the root cause of his offending" by taking part in a sex offender programme.

She added: "Once he is sentenced, he hopes to be moved to a prison where he can undertake that positive and useful course. "He is looking forward to that because he wants to cease this sort of offending." Webb was also given a new sexual harm prevention order.

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A man has been sentenced to three years and three months imprisonment after sending graphic sexual images and attempting to meet what he thought to be a teenage girl.

Nathan Graham, 29, of Matson Avenue, Gloucester, appeared at Swindon Crown Court today (22/02) after pleading guilty to:

• Attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child
• Attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity
• Arranging/facilitating the commission of penetrative sexual activity with a child
• Possession of bladed articles in a public place.

The offences took place on December 5 and 6 last year, when Graham engaged with what he thought to be a 13-year-old girl via a social media platform.

The communication was graphic and sexual, with Graham sending graphic images of himself for the girl to view.

He lied about his age, pretending to be 18, and sent maps marking out the bus stops and routes for the child as part of his planning and preparation.

Graham was detained on December 7 in Bloomsbury Park, Freshbrook, Swindon, as he was walking to meet the girl at a bus stop on Gainsborough Way.

He was arrested and subsequently charged for the offences and remanded into custody.

Today, he was jailed for the offences. He will also be on the sex offenders register indefinitely and the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.

The sentence follows a joint investigation between Wiltshire Police and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Det Con Sarah Greenman of the Child Internet Exploitation Team (CIET) said: There can be no place for Grahams abhorrent behaviour in Wiltshire, let alone society.

Graham was fully aware that he was talking to a girl purported to be just 13, and yet he sent her incredibly graphic images and videos of himself, before attempting to meet her for his own sexual gratification.

CIET exists within Wiltshire Police to safeguard children, and we will continue to work alongside the SWROCU, where we are totally committed to ensuring dangerous individuals such as Graham are identified and brought to justice in order to protect the public.

DI David Wells from SWROCUs Online Investigations Team, said: Graham is a harmful sexual predator that has rightly today been handed a significant jail sentence for his crimes.

We are committed to supporting UK police forces in protecting children from harm, reducing risk in our communities and ensuring dangerous individuals like Graham are identified and brought to justice.

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A scrap metal dealer from Wales who sexually abused a teenage girl in Rustington has been jailed.

Mark Rumbol, 58, of Hewelsfield in Wales, sexually assaulted a girl under the age of 15 repeatedly between 2020 and 2021.

The abuse was reported to police in March, 2021 and Rumbol was arrested while his victim was supported by specialist officers.

He was subsequently charged with rape, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity (no penetration).

At Lewes Crown Court on 18 December, he was found guilty of all charges except rape, of which he was found not guilty.

At the same court on Friday, 26 January, Rumbol was jailed for 11 years, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, and given a restraining order and an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order significantly reducing his ability to offend.

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A man from Churchdown has been jailed after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a woman and secretly filming two others.

Alex Russ, aged 34 and of Craven Drive, was sentenced to six years and five months in prison when he appeared at Gloucester Crown Court last week.

He had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault against one woman and two counts of voyeurism against two further women.

The court heard that, the day before the first incident, Russ had used his tablet device to search for sleep disorders involving sexual behaviour.

In 2015, while staying at the home of a woman, she had started to go sleep when Russ pulled her pyjama bottoms down and sexually assaulted her. She was able to stop him and challenge his behaviour.

On another two occasions Russ got into bed with her while she again tried to sleep and he sexually assaulted her.

Russ also admitted secretly filming women without their knowledge or consent. One incident saw him set up a camera phone in a washbag and leave it in a bathroom, where he was able to film a woman before and after she showered. 

The other incident involved a camera hidden in an alarm clock which he set up in a room being used by a different woman.

Although he initially denied the offences, Russ pleaded guilty at the first day of trial in October 2023.

As well as being jailed, Russ has been put on the Sex Offenders Register for life and restraining orders have been put in place to protect the women.

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A 29-YEAR-OLD man who was exposed by a paedophile hunter group was later caught in a police sting attempting to chat to an underage girl, a court heard.

Matthew Appleton, of Hildyard Close, Hardwicke, was confronted by members of activist group the Guardian Angels when he lived in Leeds.

They caught him sending sexual videos to a decoy posing as a 12-year-old girl in October 2018.

Appleton was given a two-year prison sentence suspended for two years at Leeds Crown Court and ordered to complete a sex offender programme.

But within weeks of the suspended sentence order expiring Appleton was caught in a police sting which involved an officer posing online as a 13-year-old girl called Millie, Gloucester Crown Court was told on Thursday, December 14.

Prosecutor Alun Williams said Appleton was still on the sex offender register when, on February 1 this year, he contacted 'Millie' on social media and used 'highly sexualised' language.

Police visited Appleton's home on February 9 and found 91 indecent images and videos of children in all three categories on his phone, said Mr Williams.

An examination of the device confirmed he had contacted the decoy officer and used a cloud-based storage site used by sex offenders, the court heard.

In police interview Appleton claimed he did not know how the images got onto his phone.

Steven Young, defending, said: "He completed the sex offender programme that was aimed at preventing him from re-offending in the future. Obviously this was unsuccessful as he reoffended.

“He states that he doesn’t know why he was doing it and has difficulty accepting the position he is in."

Appleton pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child on February 1, 2023 for the purpose of sexual gratification. He also admitted possessing nine indecent images of children in category A, four images and four videos in category B and 72 images and two videos in category C on February 9, 2023.

He must complete 40 programme days, 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £340 costs and a mandatory surcharge and attend a monthly judicial review.

A sexual harm prevention order was imposed until March 18, 2030.

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AN ‘odious’ paedophile has been jailed for 19 years after sexually abusing a female child.

Paul Burton ‘put insidious pressure’ on a young girl to engage in sexual activity with him for five years before subjecting her to manipulative behaviour for a further five years.

The 45-year-old was found guilty on Monday (December 11), after a five-week trial at Oxford Crown Court, of eight counts of sexual activity with a child, three counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, two counts of sexual assault and one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

Occurring in an Oxfordshire village, Burton subjected his victim to years of abuse by filming the sexual assault, forcing her to take contraception, sending her 490 messages a day, showing up at her place of work, and more.

She suffered from several pregnancy scares across the nine years of abuse.

During the trial, Burton claimed it was the victim who had ‘seduced’ and ‘blackmailed’ him but the jury dismissed his account.

Sentencing him, Judge Maria Lamb dubbed Burton’s behaviour as ‘odious’.

She said: “She became your trophy. You began to abuse her, committing the most serious of sexual crimes.

“Whether you consider the abuse grooming or controlling her, perhaps it does not matter, as the two, in my view, are two sides of the same coin. 

“She felt suffocated and referred to herself as your robot. Your behaviour was self-centred and egotistical.”

In a victim impact statement read out in court by prosecutor Fern Russell, the woman said she now suffers from anxiety, depression, and possibly PTSD.

She said: “I think about this from the moment I wake up until it’s my last thought before I fall asleep.

“I find it hard to trust others or let anyone in. I’ve find it incredibly difficult emotionally. I struggle to talk about my emotions and it takes a while to open up.”

The woman added that she has struggled to return to work and has suffered a financial impact, as well as psychological, as a result of the offences.

Defending Burton, of Rookery Road, Innsworth, Gloucester, barrister Nadia Chbat pointed out that the defendant has no previous convictions of a similar nature and had behaved ‘excellently’ throughout court proceedings.

However, Judge Lamb noted he was ‘gesticulating’ in the dock during sentencing and as he was taken down to the cells, he shouted: “You’ve got it wrong, I never touched her.”

He will serve an estimated 13 years in prison before being released on licence.

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A 50-year-old man has been jailed for three years after attempting to meet a 14-year-old girl he had been grooming online.

Christopher Hill, of The Tythings, Newent, pleaded guilty to three child sex offences at Gloucester Crown Court.

He was exposed by an online paedophile hunter group who used a decoy persona to trap him.

The judge said his messages to the girl were "highly sexual and graphic" in nature.

The court heard on Wednesday how Hill had used social media to arrange to meet up with a 14-year-old girl called Sophie, who was in fact a decoy created by a member of the Leeds-based Predator Exposure group.

"Very quickly the conversation moved to WhatsApp, which is encrypted, and Hill requested that the girl send him a picture of herself," said prosecutor Lucie Stoker.

"He also asked for snaps of her not wearing any clothes and some sexy photographs.

"He revealed he was falling in love with her. He repeatedly requested that she reciprocates that love, but she doesn't," continued Ms Stoker.

Arrangements were made for 'Sophie' to travel alone from Leeds to Gloucester by train.

Hill told her he would take her to a nearby hotel and sent her a copy of the receipt.

"The girl was told that she could look forward to a lot of sex in all of its forms," said Ms Stoker.

"He was predatory in his behaviour throughout," she added.

'Bitterly regrets'

The judge, James Watson KC, told Hill: "Not only had you encouraged and groomed and planned this meeting for penetrative sex, you had offered her incentives by how you would treat her and the presents and money you would give her after you had met her.

"I've no doubt that had this been a real 14-year-old, you would have carried out what you proposed."

Catherine Spedding, defending, said Hill had suffered from loneliness after his marriage dissolved and "bitterly regrets" his actions.

"Hill met 'Sophie' on a normal social media site, he was not surfing the internet for this type of material and opportunities," argued Ms Spedding.

Hill pleaded guilty to attempting to have sexual communication with a child for the purpose of sexual gratification.

He also pleaded guilty to attempting to facilitate a child sex offence by engaging in sexual activity with 14-year-old girl that involved penetration; and attempt to meet a child following sexual grooming.

The judge sentenced Hill to three years and 11 months in prison and subjected him to the term of a 20-year sexual harm prevention order, which limits his use of the internet.

He was also put on the sex offenders register for life.

The judge also barred Hill from working with children and vulnerable adults in the future.

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A former teacher at Whitgift School was yesterday given a four-year prison sentence for abusing boys at the private school in the 1980s. The school could now face a class action legal case brought on behalf of three victims because of the abuse Dodd inflicted on them.

At a trial at Gloucester Crown Court in July, Paul Dodd, now 64, pleaded guilty to one offence of child cruelty and two of indecent assault during the time he was a history teacher and rugby coach at the school in South Croydon.

The boys abused were aged between 10 and 12.

Dodd moved to New Zealand in around 1988. His abuse at Whitgift came to light through a TV New Zealand documentary that was broadcast in 1995.

Two months ago, the Gloucester judge gave Dodd a suspended prison sentence of two years in addition to a rehabilitation programme, unpaid work and being placed on a sexual harm prevention order for seven years. The judge took into account that Dodd is sole carer for his wife, who has a chronic medical condition, and it was “for that reason alone” that his sentence was suspended.

But yesterday the Court of Appeal deemed that the sentence was too lenient, following an appeal through the Attorney General’s Office.

Lawyers acting for the victims of Dodds’ abuse had submitted that, “Survivors of abuse often face a life sentence in respect of the impact of their abuse, and it is only right that those that inflict these heinous acts should be punished appropriately, and this must include a prison term.”

Whitgift School is part of the Whitgift Foundation, together with Trinity School and Old Palace girls’ school, which in unrelated developments  it was revealed yesterday is facing closure in 2025.

Whitgift School is known for having peacocks strutting in its expansive grounds, very good sports teams and outstanding academic results. It all comes at a price, though. Fees for day boys at Whitgift are currently more than £22,000 per year. Full boarders are charged £43,629 per year.

Dino Nocivelli, for solicitors Leigh Day, acting on behalf of the victims, has confirmed that he will “continue with the civil cases against the school for the abuse inflicted by Dodd”.

Nocivelli has revealed, “It has come to our knowledge through a New Zealand documentary that Dodd was placed on a list prohibiting him from teaching after leaving Whitgift School, while apparently the Whitgift headmaster gave him a ‘glowing reference’ to take up a teaching role in New Zealand.”

Dodd joined the staff of Kings College, a prestigious boarding school in Auckland, in 1988. While there, Dodd admitted that he had been dismissed from Whitgift for hitting a child – for the second time – after having lost his temper.

The programme included an interview with a young man who alleged that he had been sexually propositioned by Dodd when he was a 16-year-old at the school, and it also found that because of his assault on the 10-year-old at Whitgift, Dodd was placed on “List 99” by the Department for Education in the UK, making him unsuitable for teaching children.

Yesterday, Appeal Court judges Lord Justice William Davis, Mr Justice Jacobs and Mr Justice Griffiths concluded Dodds’ sentencing judge in July should have imposed a total sentence of four years.

Victims had described their anxiety, nightmares and depression after the offending in personal statements, the AGO said.

Despite the restrictions placed on Dodd after his sentencing in July, he is at liberty, and following the Court of Appeal sentence, he was given until 4pm today to surrender himself to a police station.

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A paedophile whose actions left one of his victims unable to trust men, even her own dad and grandad, has been jailed. Anthony Hemmings sexually abused two teenage girls between 2003 and 2008 on a number of occasions.

Hemmings, 69 and from Yate, denied abusing either of the girls. However, he was found guilty by a jury of: indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14, gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16, engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15, and two counts of assaulting a girl under the age of 13 by touching.

During a sentencing hearing, Hemmings was jailed for 33 months, with a judge taking into account his current ill-health. Upon his release, he will be subject to indefinite notification requirements as a registered sex offender.

Avon and Somerset Police said both victims, now in their 20s, approached officers separately to report the abuse they received at the hands of Hemmings. During a court hearing, one of his victims read out a statement saying Hemmings' abuse had left her unable to trust other men, even those related to her.

She said: "My relationship with my own father and grandfather changed. After these things had started happening I distanced myself from them both.

"This is a huge thing for me as I wish I could go back and rebuild that relationship with my grandfather as he has now died and I can’t get it back. I just found it hard to trust male figures in my life after [the defendant] did what he did."

She also explained how her mental health deteriorated to the point where she dropped out of education. She said: "The inability to pursue further education has left me with unfulfilled potential and longing for the opportunities that should have been within reach."

'Profound and lasting impact of trauma'

The victim went onto say the trauma from the abuse has left her feeling distressed when she sees an adult hugging a child. "There is a profound and lasting impact this childhood trauma has had on my life," she said.

"The emotional and psychological wounds inflicted during those critical years echo throughout my existence, impairing relationships, eroding confidence and severing ties. I am grateful that I have been listened to, that I have been believed, and aim to heal the wounds that this traumatic experience has left behind."

Hemmings' other victim spoke of how the abuse she suffered stopped her from socialising and ended with her seeking medical help for anxiety and depression. She said: "I kept that secret with me and over the years I was finding it harder and harder to deal with.

"I spoke to numerous people on the Childline website. They told me I needed to report this crime, but I found it hard to come out and tell people what happened to me. I used to have night terrors and there were numerous times that I woke up in the middle of the night, and even throughout the day, thinking of what happened to me and knowing it wasn’t right."

While sentencing Hemmings, Judge Peter Blair KC said the personal statements clearly showed the long lasting impact the actions of adults like the defendant have when they commit offences against children. Speaking after sentencing, officer in the case Detective Sergeant Tom Williams: "I sincerely admire the strength the women have shown in coming forward. They have each spoken movingly about the impact Hemmings’ actions have had on their lives.

"Hemmings kept his real character hidden from his family. He acted for his own gratification without regard for anyone else, and did so repeatedly.

"I hope that the sentence handed down today will reassure the women that other children will be kept safe from Anthony Hemmings. I also hope that the case will give confidence to anyone else who has suffered sexual abuse to know they will be listened to and offences will be thoroughly investigated.

"If you have experienced sexual abuse, no matter when, do please seek help. Get in touch with The Bridge sexual assault referral centre. They offer counselling, medical care and practical help all day, every day, and it will still be your choice whether or not to contact the police."

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Officers have paid tribute to the bravery of a victim in a rape case that went to trial but resulted in a guilty verdict last week.

On Friday (15 September) a jury at Gloucester Crown Court found Matthew Dickens, 25 and of Greet Road, Winchcombe, guilty of two counts of rape against the same woman in an incident in 2020.

Dickens met the woman following contact with her via a messaging app. After meeting the victim and one of her friends, they went to a bar. Later, Dickens went to the woman’s home with her. She could not recall how she became undressed but recounted how Dickens then went on to rape her twice and hold her throat.

Detective Constable Rob Brown, officer-in-charge of the case, said: “Dickens subjected the victim to a terrifying ordeal that will deeply impact her for the rest of her life.

“He then compounded his crimes by pleading not guilty and claiming this was a consensual act, meaning the victim had to go through the trial process.

“I want to commend her bravery and determination to carry on supporting the case when it would have been understandable if she had decided not to put herself through it.

“Thankfully it took the jury less than two hours to decide on his guilt and I hope that provides some level of validation for her courage.

“In the process a dangerous individual has now been convicted at court and, potentially, prevented from wrecking other people’s lives.

“My message to anyone else who is a rape victim who is worried about coming forward is that you will be believed and that the criminal justice system is beginning to change, so please do report what has happened to you. We are transforming the way that the CPS and police handle rape and sexual assault cases, and are working together to ensure that victims are supported throughout the prosecution process.”

Dickens will be sentenced at a later date.

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A 28-year-old man who a court heard worked for Stroud District Council abducted and raped a young girl after grooming her on Xbox.

Shaun Davies pleaded guilty to abducting and raping a 14-year-old girl on July 27, 2021 and was jailed for seven-and-a-half years at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday (September 5). 

Davies, of Greenway, Brockworth, travelled to Derby to commit the offences.

He initially denied the offences but changed his pleas to guilty after the victim gave evidence on the first day of his trial. 

Jason Coulter, for the defence, said in court that Davies worked for Stroud District Council and that he had resigned last week.

However, speaking after the hearing, SDC said he was employed via an agency and did not work directly for the authority. 

Prosecutor Ian Fenny said the grooming began over the Xbox when the conversation evolved and Davies, who was aged 26 at the time, turned to the girl, who he knew was aged 14, and told her it was about time she lost her virginity. 

Mr Fenny said: “The victim felt she was getting closer to Davies and she felt he wanted to be with her. 

“The girl’s family suspected that something was happening but when challenged she denied to her parents that anything untoward was occurring.

“On July 27, 2021, Davies arrived at the girl’s home and told her that they were going away for a time. He whisked her away without the parent’s permission. 

"She believed she was travelling to Leeds to look at a plot of land. 

“While they were travelling, the girl’s father was sending messages to his daughter, who was prevented by Davies from replying. 

“Davies then took the phone off the girl and drove to two isolated spots in Derby to have sex with the girl.”

The court was told that after they had got back into the car, Davies was stopped by police in the Greater Manchester area after the alarm had been raised by the girl’s family.

The girl was returned to her family, whereupon she was subjected to a number of tests. Internal DNA evidence confirmed that Davies had raped the girl.

'The worst thing that ever happened to me' says victim

The teenage victim said in her statement: “I shall never forget the day Davies took me. 

“He had his hand on my lap all the time we were travelling, he spoke to me in a particular way. 

“When we had sex I don’t know why he didn’t stop when I said no.

“What he physically did to me hurt me greatly. That was the worst thing that ever happened to me. 

“I was upset and angry as I hated the idea that I could have been made pregnant by Davies. I have not felt the same ever since. 

“I’ve had difficulty sleeping.

"I’ve tried really hard not to think about what’s happened. I have suffered from nightmares ever since. This whole episode has made me feel lonely and sad.”

Jason Coulter, defending, said: “Davies wasn’t at the start of the trial process, as he was told he would lose his job if he didn’t attend that day. 

“He was persuaded that pleading guilty, in light of the girl’s evidence, was the way forward.

“Davies left school with little in the way of qualifications and last week he resigned from his job at Stroud District Council.

“The pre-sentence report suggests that he has shown little remorse for his actions, but through me he wishes to apologise and express his remorse to his victim and her wider family." 

'Carefully calculated process of grooming' says judge 

In sentencing Davies to a prison term of seven-and-a-half years, Judge Ian Lawrie KC told him: “You embarked on a carefully contrived and calculated process of grooming. 

“You took advantage of her youth and ignorance.

“It’s hard to understand why you did what you did, but there can be no excuses for your actions, which were based on lust and desire.

"You were reluctant to show any remorse, until your victim had given evidence at your trial, when you pleaded guilty.

“Your sexual activity and the abduction of this girl has come at a heavy price as you will not be eligible for parole until you’ve served at least two thirds of your sentence.”

The judge subjected Davies to a life-long sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration and ordered him to pay a mandatory surcharge of £190.

Description

A football coach who was found guilty of raping a 15-year-old in 2006 has been jailed for seven years.

Paul Edwards, 62, of Marling Crescent, Farmhill, Stroud, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court for sentencing on Friday 4 August.

Passing sentence, the judge, Recorder Neil Millard told Edwards: "That girl's life has been changed forever because you raped her."

Edwards was placed on the sex-offender register for life.

He has also been barred from working with children.

Prosecutor Giles Nelson said that during the summer of 2006 the 15-year-old girl had an argument with her father and sought refuge at the home of some people she knew in Minchinhampton, near Stroud.

"She was distressed when she arrived and was comforted by the occupants. Arrangements were made for her to stay overnight."

He said that Edwards was in the house and invited the girl to share the bed he was sleeping in. "She woke up a few hours later, to find that Edwards having sex with her."

The teenager told her sister the following day that she had been raped.

Mr Nelson said: "She was a child who couldn't have consented to sex. She was also sleeping when Edwards raped her."

'Lived a lie'

The victim reported the offence in 2020 with Edwards first being tried in January last year. However, the jury was discharged after failing to agree on a verdict.

Edwards was convicted after a retrial at Cirencester Court in June this year.

In an impact statement, the victim said the night was "one of absolute terror".

"Whatever happens to Edwards now, it will never be enough for what he did to me that night. He has lived a lie for the past 17 years," she said.

"I have been unable to go through with counselling as some sessions have been too much for me."

She said that, now Edwards has been sentenced, she hopes to resume counselling.

'You are a rapist'

The Judge Millard told Edwards: "You had been a football coach in the local community for much of your life.

"Your victim was vulnerable. She was distressed. You took advantage of her. You were drunk.

"Her life changed that day because of you. We now know you are a rapist, a child rapist."

Defending Edwards, Virginia Cornwall told the court that "at the heart of all this" was Edwards' drinking on that day.

"His life was football coaching in the community... [and] he has to face the consequences of his actions."

She added that she hoped the jury's verdict will give the victim some closure.