Latest Offenders Hull

Description

A pig farm worker who "hunted out" hundreds of "sordid" and "obscene" images of children for more than 14 years hurriedly tried to "scuttle" upstairs and shut down his laptop after police arrived at his home.

John Floater told officers that he did not want them to follow him upstairs but his panicked plan "didn't succeed" and his laptop screen was seen showing an open "pre-teen" website page. He was still involved in "serial, perverted activity" that had lasted for an "inordinate and sustained" period of time, Hull Crown Court heard.

John Floater, 57, of White Horse Lane, Ottringham, near Withernsea, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children between July 12, 2008 and October 4, 2022.

Curtis Dunkley, prosecuting, said that all the images had been accessed online and the website data was retained on Floater's laptop. The images were not immediately accessible to Floater or saved to his laptop.

Police received information on May 30, 2022 about an online account linked to Floater that was suspected of uploading indecent images of children. They visited Floater's home on October 4, 2022 to execute a search warrant.

He said that he "wasn't any good" with computers and police told him that a search of his entire home would be made. "The defendant stated that he needed to go upstairs to his laptop," said Mr Dunkley.

"When he was told that officers would need to go with him, he stated that he didn't want to be followed. He was followed upstairs into his bedroom and officers saw that his laptop was open on the bed.

"The defendant attempted to close the screen on his laptop. The laptop was inspected by police at the scene – and the screen was illuminated with a 'pre-teen' web page open."

Indecent images of children, prohibited images of children and extreme pornography images were found on all four devices seized.

There were 788 images but they were not accessible. They included 135 still images and 26 videos in the most serious Category A, 155 still images and 19 videos in Category B and 395 still images and one video in Category C.

There was search activity for young models and bestiality. The images included girls aged between three and six months old and between three and six years old.

During police interview, Floater claimed that he was not very technically able and he denied having a sexual interest in children. He claimed that he did not know that the images were illegal.

Marc Luxford, mitigating, said that it was serious offending but Floater had no previous convictions. He had recently been doing a part-time job working three hours a day at a pig farm. He had worked nearly all his life.

Recorder Sam Green KC said: "He had been at this serial, perverted activity for well over a decade. This is a long-standing habit. Rather than recoiling the first time he went online and treated himself to these images in 2008, he kept at it until he was caught."

Recorder Green told Floater: "You tried to scuttle upstairs and shut down your laptop so you could conceal what you had been doing. You told the police that you thought there was nothing illegal about it. You attempted to cover your perverted tracks.

"You didn't succeed and multiple images were found of various degrees of criminality, many involving children, some involving bestiality, some involving bestiality and children."

The images were "sordid" and involved deliberate hunting out of "obscene" images of young children of the most serious kind over an "inordinate and sustained" period of time of more than 14 years.

Floater, who had been on bail, was jailed for 20 months. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

A convicted sex offender was found with dozens of "disgusting" images of children after he continued his obsession with them and failed to learn his lesson from being jailed for previous similar offences.

His "despicable" behaviour helped to fuel the abuse of children that caused "lifelong harm" to them. He now understood the serious damage to children that was caused by the vile trade, Hull Crown Court heard.

Scott Lister, 53, of Ferndale Terrace, Bridlington, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children between July 7, 2021 and March 18, 2022 and another of breaching a sexual harm prevention order on March 17, 2022.

Amber Hobson, prosecuting, said that police were given information about indecent images of children being downloaded and seized a memory stick and a phone belonging to Lister.

There were 66 images and 71 videos on the memory stick. They included 10 images in the most serious Category A, nine in Category B and 47 in Category C. The videos included 28 in Category A, 21 in Category B and 22 in Category C.

On the phone, there were eight images in Category A, five in Category B and one in Category C. There were 17 videos, including six in Category A, six in Category B and five in Category C.

During police interview, Lister denied having a sexual interest in children. He claimed that he did not specifically seek out images of children but that he did look at areas of the internet where such material was. He claimed that he might have been intoxicated at the time.

Lister had convictions for 21 previous offences, including similar offences in 2016, when he had been given a sexual harm prevention order for life. He was in breach of that order by committing the latest offences.

Holly Thompson, mitigating, said that Lister had taken a long time to come to terms with the fact that he had a sexual interest in children but he realised the "disgusting and despicable nature of the offending" and that it affected the most vulnerable people in society.

He was "under absolutely no illusion" about the prison sentence that he faced and the offences were a "form of self-medication for him" but he knew, with hindsight, that it was not acceptable. He had been jailed previously.

Lister had been working self-employed, building models for war games that he provided to the public and to museums. "After his release from custody, he did battle public perception of the offence," said Miss Thompson.

Lister had struggled with isolation and alcohol misuse. "His alcohol usage is now zero," said Miss Thompson. "He understands what the difficulties are in his head.

"He is understanding of the harm to children who are depicted in the pornography, which is something that he has struggled with previously. He is now aware of the impact on others."

Judge John Thackray KC told Lister: "This is not a victimless crime – far from it. It's people like you, viewing this disgusting material, your actions, which fuels the abuse of children, causing lifelong damage to them.

"You have proved that your risk cannot be managed in the community. You have gone on to commit serious offences. Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence."

Lister, who had been on bail, was jailed for 14 months.

Description

A vulnerable teenage girl was left suffering nightmares and flashbacks after a man sent her explicit pictures of himself that left her feeling shocked and "like a broken piece of glass".

The traumatised girl kept "replaying" what happened "over and over again" and she later said: "It's like a wrecking ball through my heart." She felt disgusted and ashamed at his "absolutely vile" behaviour and "cried for hours on end" because of her ordeal, Hull Crown Court heard.

David Hartley, 29, of Sandfield Close, Market Weighton, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child between June 14 and August 22, 2022.

Michael Masson, prosecuting, said that Hartley sent messages to a young girl, including intimate pictures of himself via Snapchat. The girl was "shocked and distressed" after she saw the X-rated pictures and she told her mother.

"The matter was ultimately reported to the police," said Mr Masson. The girl was interviewed and she revealed to police that Hartley told her: "This could be mine and your secret. This could live in your head rent-free."

There had been a number of incidents in which Hartley would make joking comments about the girl's body and he seemed to be inappropriately close to her. "They were constantly messaging each other," said Mr Masson.

During police interview, Hartley initially denied that he ever sent intimate pictures of himself to the girl but he later admitted that messages were sent as well as the pictures. He had no previous convictions.

The girl later said in a statement addressed directly to Hartley: "My life has changed since I reported you. I have been mentally struggling. I felt like a broken piece of glass. I shouted for it not to be real.

"I never realised the impact that it has caused. I cried for hours on end. I was not able to emotionally understand or process what was going on."

The girl was scared about seeing Hartley as she was walking to school and she suffered flashbacks. "I didn't go out much as I felt safe at home," she said. She was "replaying" what happened "over and over again" and she felt ashamed of herself.

"I would have nightmares of you being angry because you wanted it to be kept a secret," she said. The girl felt "disgusted and uncomfortable" with what Hartley did and she struggled when she was around men.

"These past two years have changed a lot for me," she said. "I struggle to make new friends again because I can't trust anyone. You broke that trust. It's like a wrecking ball through my heart.

"I was just a child. I will never be the same girl I used to be. I will try to fix myself but I will always ask what I did to deserve this."

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Hartley denied that he deliberately targeted the girl for the purposes of sending the messages. "She clearly is, or was at the time, a vulnerable young person," said Mr Hammersley.

"This was absolutely vile behaviour. He expresses deep regret and shame at what happened. It was clearly inappropriate and it's shameful on his part. He should have been the adult that was expected, rather than doing what he did.

"He did show a level of shame and disgust. Burying his head in the sand was illustrative of that shame and something that the court sees regularly in these type of cases. That rightful sense of shame and disgust is, in some cases, something of a protective factor."

Hartley had been in well-paid employment most of his adult life. He had been involved in the scouting movement, the court heard. His partner was expecting their first child in February next year. He was a low risk of reconviction.

Judge Tahir Khan KC said: "For a short period of time, he was in denial." The judge told Hartley: "She was a child and you knew that. You carried on being inappropriate to her.

"You would be inappropriate around her." Judge Khan said of the explicit pictures that Hartley sent to the girl: "That was wholly inappropriate. She was distraught and not expecting you to behave in that way.

"Her life has been turned upside down since she reported the matter to the police. She feared seeing you on the street. She had flashbacks. She isolated herself at home and had flashbacks.

"She was devastated by your behaviour towards her. Her mother did the decent thing, the right thing, and reported the matter to the police. It's clear that your behaviour towards this vulnerable young lady had a significant impact on her mental health."

Hartley was given a 14-month suspended prison sentence, 250 hours' unpaid work, 30 days' rehabilitation and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He must register as a sex offender for 10 years and he was given a 10-year restraining order.

Description

A serial sex offender who targeted two women – and raped one of them – faces a long prison sentence after being convicted by a jury of the "traumatic" offences.

David Beck tried to pretend that the victims were lying about what happened but his claims were condemned as "absolute and utter nonsense" and they were "not plausible" at all, Hull Crown Court heard.

Beck, 30, of Nornabell Street, off Holderness Road, east Hull, denied 10 sexual offences but he was convicted by a jury of six of them after more than eight hours of deliberations, spanning two days, following a nine-day trial.

They involved two offences of rape and two offences of assault by penetration against one woman and one offence of sexual assault and another of assault by penetration against the other woman.

The two rape convictions were both unanimous but three of the other convictions were either by majority verdicts of 10 to two or, in one case, by 11 to one. He was cleared of four offences, with three of them, including two of assault by penetration, involving the rape victim. The other involved a charge of sexual assault on the other woman.

Beck was convicted after a retrial. An earlier trial last year had to be abandoned after additional late evidence emerged.

Richard Butters, prosecuting, said that Beck sexually assaulted both women. "The defendant would say that these two women are liars from start to finish," said Mr Butters.

The rape victim had said: "It's so hard to talk about. It's so painful." Mr Butters asked the jury whether, if the woman was lying, she would allow herself to suffer the stress of the court process. "Would she put herself through the torture that she experienced in this trial?" he asked.

The ordeal had been "traumatic" for her. "This defendant has ruined her life and violated her and she is feeling it today," said Mr Butters.

The second woman had said: "I have got nothing to gain by lying. He did sexually assault me." Mr Butters said: "She felt violated." The woman had told the court that what Beck did was "not right".

It was claimed by the defence that the women and all the prosecution witnesses were lying to the court and were "part of a conspiracy", said Mr Butters. He said of the defence claims: "Everybody is a liar. Everybody is in this conspiracy together. It's not plausible."

Beck claimed that a man had "manipulated" the rape victim into lying. "That's absolute and utter nonsense," said Mr Butters. "His explanations are utterly ridiculous."

During Beck's defence evidence, his barrister, Michael Forrest, asked him whether the sexual allegations against him over the rape victim were true. Beck replied: "It didn't happen, no." He claimed of the two rape allegations: "That's not true."

When asked about how he felt when he was told about the other sexual allegations involving the rape victim, Beck replied: "It was just disgusting to hear. I felt physically ill. I still feel physically ill to this day. I was terrified and scared."

Beck claimed that he had been attacked as a result of the allegations. "I was physically beaten up on the doorstep," he claimed. "I remember being on the floor trying to protect myself. I had to run. I managed to get myself to my mum's property."

Beck claimed, when asked about the allegations involving the sexual assault victim: "That didn't happen. I wouldn't do something like that to a woman, especially without consent."

He repeatedly replied: "That didn't happen" when other allegations were put to him. After the first of the guilty verdicts were announced, Beck cried and wailed and put his head in his hands.

He had been on bail during the trial but, after the convictions, he was remanded in custody. Sentence was adjourned until September for an assessment by the probation service on the danger that he poses to others in the future. He faces a lengthy prison sentence.

Description

A "deviant" pervert who had already been jailed for wanting to target young children for sexual abuse has been branded a "dangerous" offender after he reverted to the same "disgusting" behaviour.

Former Royal Navy serviceman David Parker, a convicted sex offender at the time, started chatting online to someone that he wrongly thought was the eager and willing mother of a 10-year-old girl but who was really an undercover police officer.

He brazenly and shamelessly told the fake mother that he wanted to have sex with her young daughter and that he would bring a cuddly penguin toy with him to keep the girl "entertained" while he abused her.

He had also been tricked the previous time by undercover police into thinking that he was talking to a like-minded sexual predator but he naively fell for the same trap again, Hull Crown Court heard.

Parker, 67, of Cherry Tree Lane, Beverley, admitted nine offences, including arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence, distributing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Rachel Scott, prosecuting, said that, on February 21 this year, Parker became involved in online conversations with an undercover police officer, who was pretending to be a woman with a 10-year-old daughter.

Parker agreed to trade indecent images of children and he sent the undercover officer sexual images of children. He said that he would love to have pictures taken with the supposed daughter and that he would love to meet the girl and to have sex with her.

He sent a video of a male having sex with a child. Parker said that he would "play penguins" with the girl to keep her "entertained" and he sent an image of a penguin sex toy and discussed using them.

He said that he would love an eight-year-old girl. "Your girl is an ideal age," he told the fake mother. "He confirmed that he was serious about having sex with a child and it wasn't just a fantasy," said Miss Scott.

Parker suggested putting a gag on the girl's mouth. "He discussed meeting with the officer and her daughter," said Miss Scott.

"He discussed meeting the officer at a caravan, which he would pay for. It was agreed that the defendant would travel to the girl's home and stay over."

Parker eventually stopped the messages. He was identified and he was arrested at his home. He told police: "Not again" when he was arrested. He handed over a phone, which was registered with the authorities, but during a search, another phone was found hidden under a sofa cushion.

"That device had not been registered with his sex offender manager," said Miss Scott. Its deleted history included indecent images of children and extreme pornography.

During police interview, Parker admitted chatting online with adults about children but he claimed that he was "not stupid enough to meet them". He denied having a sexual addiction to children but he admitted that, in a fantasy world, he did.

Parker had convictions for 24 previous offences, including being jailed for 15 months in 2008 for possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

In May 2019, Parker, then living in Glebe Road, Brigg, was jailed for four years at Grimsby Crown Court for two offences of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sexual offence and four offences of making indecent images of children. He had been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

During those offences, Parker was trapped in another secret police operation in which he wrongly thought that he was speaking to the stepfather of two children when he arranged to meet up at a motorway service station.

Parker was in breach of that order.

"This is a very serious breach," said Miss Scott.

Amber Hobson, mitigating, said that Parker did stop the most recent online sexual messages. "He acknowledges that his actions have been nothing short of disgusting," said Miss Hobson.

"He acknowledges that his behaviour is absolutely reprehensible. He is ashamed of what he had done.

"He never formed the intent to meet the person who he was conversing with and that's the reason that the messages stopped as he had determined that the conversation had reached a point that it needed to stop. He says that this was merely a fantasy.

"He was able to demonstrate good insight into the harm and ongoing harm caused by the distribution of that material. He had no intention of meeting the child." Parker had served more than 20 years in the Royal Navy.

Recorder Abdul Iqbal KC said of the fake 10-year-old girl: "Mercifully, this was a fictitious individual but you weren't to know that. You engaged in and started a conversation asking what age children she was interested in sexually.

"You agreed to trade in indecent images of children. You sent various indecent images of children. You have a deviant and unlawful sexual interest in children. You said that you would bring a cuddly penguin and also sex toys with that theme.

"You gave graphic detail about how you would engage in that sexual activity with that child. You believed that you were speaking to the mother of a 10-year-old child.

"You had every intention otherwise to progress the offence if it was possible to do so. There is a significant risk of serious sexual harm from you in the future."

Parker, who was already in custody on remand, was jailed for six years and nine months after he was described as a dangerous offender. He will be on extended licence of three years after his release from prison. He will have to register as a sex offender indefinitely.

Description

A convicted sex offender who had a long-standing interest in indecent images of children fell foul of the police yet again after he tried to cover up and hide his internet search history.

Gary Crowhurst was banned under a court order from deleting his internet use but he defiantly ignored the requirement and carried on anyway. He was caught out after he forgot that police had put monitoring software on his phone, Hull Crown Court heard.

Crowhurst, 40, of Park Avenue, off Princes Avenue, west Hull, admitted two offences of breaching a 10-year sexual harm prevention order between July 13 and November 9, 2022.

Jazmine Lee, prosecuting, said that the sexual harm prevention order was made at Hull Crown Court in November 2017 after Crowhurst was arrested for being in possession of indecent images of children.

He initially denied the offence but he later admitted installing file-sharing software which downloaded the images. There were 23 images in the most serious Category A, eight in Category B and one in Category C as well as three extreme pornography images.

Under the terms of the sexual harm prevention order, Crowhurst was banned from installing and using a virtual video downloader but he installed one in September 2022. Monitoring equipment set up by the police on his phone detected this activity.

During police interview, he admitted installing the software but he claimed that he had forgotten that monitoring equipment was in place. Crowhurst was also banned from deleting or modifying his internet search history. He admitted that he installed an app to download adult pornography and that he did so.

"There is nothing to suggest any child content," said Miss Lee. Crowhurst had convictions for six previous offences, including making indecent images of children in January 2015. He had been jailed in 2017 for 20 months for those offences and the sexual harm prevention order was made then.

There was a similar offence in March 2014.

Michael Forrest, mitigating, said that the latest offences happened in 2022 and, since then, Crowhurst had complied with the terms of the sexual harm prevention order.

Crowhurst had limited previous convictions but he had served a short prison sentence in the past for similar offending. There was a pattern of offending involving his internet use and not disclosing it to the police.

"He can be managed in the community," said Mr Forrest. Crowhurst was keen to take advantage of a course that had previously not been available to him.

"He needs to face up to the fact that he can't be downloading these images and, if he does, he needs to seek help," added Mr Forrest.

Crowhurst was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and 20 days' rehabilitation.

Description

A young serial sex offender has been jailed for 16 years after he cynically targeted two girls during separate campaigns of sexual abuse and left them suffering severe psychological damage.

Harry Grindley has been branded a "coward" by one of the victims after he brazenly tried to talk his way out of trouble and did not confess to what he did to the shocked and vulnerable victims, Hull Crown Court heard.

Grindley, 22, of Hull, denied two offences of raping a girl under 13 and a separate offence of assault by penetration but he was convicted by a jury after a five-day trial in April.

David Godfrey, prosecuting, said that the offences came to light after the "plainly shocked" mother of one of the girls telephoned the police. Grindley was arrested and he was questioned about the separate offences against the girls.

The mother of the rape victim later said that the girl was left "in shock" and "frozen" and not knowing what to do by what happened to her.

The second victim condemned Grindley as a "coward" for not admitting what he had done to her and she said that she had gone through stress.

"I finally got justice," she said. She now had the "peace" of knowing that Grindley was, in her words, now where he belonged.

Nick Peacock, mitigating, said that few points in Grindley's favour could be made because he had been convicted after a trial instead of pleading guilty. "There is little that can be said," said Mr Peacock.

Grindley had suffered problems during his life. "It doesn't absolve him of blame," said Mr Peacock.

Grindley had no previous convictions. "It's his first custodial sentence," said Mr Peacock. "He has never been convicted of any offences in the past. The first few years are going to be very hard for him."

Judge Alexander Menary said that Grindley's offending had caused a "devastating and harmful impact" on the girls and one of the victims had been left as a "shadow of her former self" and "scared". The crimes had "cast a long shadow" and they had caused severe psychological harm.

Officer in the case, Detective Constable Shaun Chambers said: “Grindley is a perverted criminal who targeted two young girls, sexually abusing them for his own sick sexual gratification.

“Investigations of this nature are always incredibly concerning but I hope the fact that he is now off our streets and facing considerable time behind bars offers some reassurance that he is unable to continue his vile crimes.

“We will always take all reports of sexual offences incredibly seriously, regardless of when they happened. If you have any information or concerns about sexual offences please get in touch via our non-emergency 101 line or 999 in an emergency.

“You can also report information anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Grindley had been on bail until the point of his jailing. He will be on extended licence of one year after his release from prison. He was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Description

Police found a huge haul of 1,853 sickening images of children after searching a sex offender's mobile phone because of serious worries that disturbing pictures had been shared online.

The police also found 87 pictures of extreme bestiality involving animals and children on the phone. It was discovered that messages and images had been shared among a group of seedy internet perverts, Hull Crown Court heard.

Lilith Kovers, 27, of Axdane, Orchard Park estate, Hull, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children and other offences of distributing one indecent image of a child, possessing a prohibited image of a child and possessing 87 extreme images, involving bestiality.

Benjamin Donnell, prosecuting, said that Kovers came to the attention of police on November 9, 2022 when it was discovered that two indecent images of children had been uploaded to the internet. Police inquiries linked a telephone number and an IP address to Kovers.

Police went to the home of Kovers on December 12 of that year. Kovers told police: "I did use to do this but I have not looked at this for a very long time."

A mobile phone and laptop were found and analysis revealed 373 images and 21 videos in the most serious Category A, 417 images in Category B and 785 in Category C as well as 243 prohibited images and 14 videos and 87 pictures of extreme bestiality.

Kovers distributed one prohibited image of a child on April 28, 2022. "There was evidence of conversations between this defendant and other individuals and the sharing of indecent pornographic material," said Mr Donnell. "The defendant engaged in sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old."

During police interview, Kovers said that there had been a group sharing indecent images of children involving viewing and sending them but denied any sexual interest in children. Just requesting the images gave a "high" because it was wrong to do so. Kovers had no previous convictions.

Michael Masson, mitigating, said that Kovers, who is Lithuanian, had shown sincere remorse for the behaviour that led to the offences and had left behind that part of the past, with the aim of "keeping on the straight and narrow here out".

Kovers claimed no longer to be interested in indecent images of children. Admissions had been made during interview and guilty pleas had been entered.

Kovers was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence and 30 days' rehabilitation. A five-year sexual harm prevention order was made.

Description

A drunken sexual predator who who had been on a heavy "drinking spree" has been jailed for six-and-a-half years after he targeted a vulnerable woman.

"Functioning alcoholic" George Toner had been downing large amounts of vodka and beer before he cynically took advantage of the woman. He later tried to talk his way out of trouble with the brazen "fabrication" that she had consented to sexual activity, Hull Crown Court heard.

Toner, 48, of Knightscourt, Orchard Park estate, Hull, denied offences including sexual assault and also assault by penetration on November 8 but he was convicted by a jury after a trial of some of the charges. He was cleared of others.

Claire Holmes, prosecuting, claimed that the incident happened after Toner put his arm around the woman while they were talking. She told him: "Give over" and she did not welcome his advances.

Toner tried to kiss her and he put his tongue inside her mouth. "He ignored her protests," claimed Miss Holmes. "She was not consenting." The woman told him: "Pack it in." Toner sexually touched her and the woman told him to get off.

"She was crying and was trying to push him off," claimed Miss Holmes.

Toner was said to have pinned the woman down and committed a sex act. The woman suffered an injury and reported the incident to the police.

Toner later repeatedly apologised. "He handed himself in to Clough Road," said Miss Holmes.

Toner claimed: "It was just a drunken night." He made no comment during police interview but claimed that any sexual activity was with consent.

Miss Holmes claimed that this was a "fabrication" by Toner. "It's either a deliberate lie or he just can't bring himself to admit what he did, so heavily in drink," claimed Miss Holmes.

The evidence was "overwhelming" and Toner "made up his account" as he went along. "He knew that his account wouldn't stand up to scrutiny and it didn't stand up to scrutiny," claimed Miss Holmes.

"He was undoubtedly, this night, very heavily in drink. What a drinking spree he had been on. Bottles of vodka and cans of beer were everywhere.

"He was very drunk. Heavily in drink, he sexually assaulted her in a number of ways. She told him repeatedly to get off and to stop. She was crying. Why was the defendant repeatedly apologising if this was consenting sexual activity?"

Defence barrister David Godfrey said that Toner had been drinking before the incident but, although Toner was a "functioning alcoholic", he claimed that he had a clear recollection of the sequence of events involving the woman.

The defence case during the trial was that any suggestion that Toner had drunk so much that he could not remember events was denied. Toner claimed that any sexual activity was consensual.

The jury, however, rejected this and convicted Toner of two of the four charges but cleared him of the other two. During the trial, the defence disputed the woman's claims about what happened during the sexual incidents.

Toner, who was already in custody on remand, was given a 10-year restraining order.

Description

A perverted sex offender who forced a young girl to endure a serious ordeal of the "grossest" abuse has been jailed after a jury "saw through" his lies with "no difficulty".

Gary Phelan pretended that the girl had made up "wicked lies" against him but she had told the truth and she had suffered nightmares and "heartbreaking" problems, Hull Crown Court heard. Phelan, 40, of Cogan Street, off Hessle Road, west Hull, denied sexually assaulting the girl but he was convicted by a jury in April. He had been on bail during the trial but he was remanded in custody after his conviction.

The girl's mother said in a victim statement that her daughter started having nightmares because of what happened and, some nights, she would have between one and three nightmares. "It was heartbreaking to see her like this," she said. The girl could be "so angry at times" and did not know how to deal with this.

"My ears have heard so many heart wrenching things, it has turned our world upside down." She added that she would never forgive Phelan for what he had done.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, mitigating, said: "There is very little that can be said after a trial in terms of mitigation, if anything at all." Phelan had no previous convictions and he had worked in the past to the best of his limited ability. He had a good work ethic but he had suffered personal difficulties.

Judge Graham Robinson said that Phelan had claimed that the girl had "made up her wicked lies" but this was not true. The offences came to light through another person, not the girl herself.

Phelan "grossly abused" the trust of the girl. "You stood your trial," said Judge Robinson. "Had you pleaded guilty at the earliest available opportunity, on the basis of the clearest of evidence, which the jury had no difficulty accepting, I would have been able to reduce your sentence by one third.

"You didn't. You ran your trial and the jury saw through your lies so there is no discount for a guilty plea. You have never been in trouble before. That counts in your favour. You have worked hard throughout your life despite your difficulties."

Phelan was jailed for four years. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for life.

Description

A perverted serial sex offender who raped and abused a young girl, causing her to suffer a "complete nightmare" that left her "world turned upside down", has been jailed for 18 years.

Former bus driver and chef Owen Evers put the victim through a "deeply disturbing" ordeal that left her feeling "haunted" and fearing that the misery she suffered at his hands was "carved" into her and would be "almost impossible to eradicate" from her life, Hull Crown Court heard.

Evers, 61, of Rushworth Close, Bransholme, denied 12 sexual offences, including two offences of rape, six offences of sexual activity with a child and four offences of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, but he was convicted by a jury of all of them after deliberations of 11 hours and 19 minutes, spanning three days.

Ten of the verdicts were on a majority of 11 to one and the other two were by a majority of 10 to two. Evers had been on bail during the trial but, after the verdicts, he was remanded in custody on Thursday last week for six days to await sentence.

The girl said in a statement: "I am so sad to be in this position at all. My world turned upside down. What had been happening to me was so wrong."

She said that the "memories haunted me" and she added: "I continued to have nightmares about the sexual abuse that I suffered. It makes me feel sick. No matter how hard I try, such memories are almost impossible to eradicate."

Everyday things had become "tainted" for her. "I work hard to try to suppress the memories," she said. "I am scared his influence has been carved into me.

"He took my innocence. What he did became intolerable. It's been a complete nightmare. I am determined that my life, going forward, will not be determined by this."

Andrew Petterson, prosecuting, said that Evers took steps to try to prevent the girl from reporting the offences to the police and from supporting the prosecution. "The victim was particularly vulnerable," said Mr Petterson. "She was a child."

Dale Brook, mitigating, said: "The defendant has been convicted of the most serious offences and he is going to receive a very lengthy prison sentence."

The victim was "to a degree vulnerable" and the rapes were "serious, grave offences". Evers had no previous convictions.

Judge Alexander Menary said there was "a litany of sexual offending" and Evers had "taken advantage of" the girl to commit "insidious" offences. "She was an utterly truthful witness," said Judge Menary. "She was unable to cope with the burden of her existence."

The offences were "deeply disturbing" in their nature.

"The victim personal statement makes for heartbreaking reading," said Judge Menary. "There was, here, severe psychological harm. She was particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances."

Evers was given a sexual harm prevention order for life and he must register as a sex offender for life. As he left the dock to be taken down to the cells, he grinned and waved to a male supporter in the public gallery before making a phone gesture.

Description

A seedy online sexual predator sent "absolutely vile" explicit messages to what he thought was a 13-year-old schoolgirl – but who was really an undercover police officer.

Lewis Broughton got a nasty shock when he realised to his horror that he had been duped all along and that the girl did not even exist. He was now "disgusted with himself" and felt a "sense of shame" at what he had done, Hull Crown Court heard.

Broughton, 35, of Inglemire Lane, Hull, admitted attempting to communicate sexually with a child between June 3 and July 15, 2021 and attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Claire Holmes, prosecuting, said that undercover police arranged to have a profile of a decoy 13-year-old girl on the social media app Kik and Broughton started to send messages to it.

The fake girl said that she lived in Cheltenham, was at school in Year Eight and was just about to go to netball training. Broughton pretended to be 18 and he sent her explicit messages, including complimenting her on her looks and asking what sort of underwear she had.

He asked her what her bra size was and he talked about different types of sexual activity. "He clarified that he meant sex," said Miss Holmes.

Broughton asked intimate questions. "There was then talking about sex and whether it would hurt and the defendant indicated that he would be gentle," said Miss Holmes.

Broughton said that he would be prepared to meet the decoy girl and he sent a series of messages asking for more revealing pictures. He gave her instructions on how to touch herself intimately.

He was arrested on September 24, 2021. Communications between him and the girl were still on his phone as well as search terms suggesting a sexual interest in children.

Broughton claimed to police that he had been drinking at the time of the chats. The offences were charged as attempts because there was no real actual girl. He had convictions for fraud in 2016 and 2018.

Ben Hammersley, mitigating, said that Broughton had no convictions for similar offending and he made frank admissions during police interview.

"He acknowledges responsibility for the offending and there is a level of insight demonstrated in the letter that he has written, emblematic of sincere remorse," said Mr Hammersley.

"He is disgusted in himself, quite rightly. The messages are absolutely vile. He would never dream of doing anything like this again. He says that he has completely changed his frame of mind."

Broughton had a "sense of shame" and difficulty coming to terms with what he had done. "He does fully accept responsibility for what he did," said Mr Hammersley.

"Waiting for two years to know his fate has been no easy thing." Broughton had been working as a delivery driver for takeaway food.

Recorder David Kelly told Broughton: "You were communicating online with what you believed was a 13-year-old girl but was, in fact, an undercover police officer. You pretended that you were 18.

"You were holding explicit sexual conversations with a person you believed to be a 13-year-old girl. These are attempted offences. You were attempting the impossible."

Broughton was jailed for three years and four months. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

A "dangerous" and "manipulative" convicted sex offender brazenly targeted an impressionable 11-year-old girl for highly sexualised messages on Snapchat – just a few weeks after he had been released from prison.

Sexual "predator" Steven Bennett took advantage of the girl's naive belief that he could be trusted as a friend and his seedy behaviour cynically "stole her innocence".

He callously preyed upon the vulnerable girl and caused her horrified mother to endure a "nightmare" ordeal after she discovered, only by pure chance, what had been secretly going on, Hull Crown Court heard.

Bennett, 42, who had been living in a Hull bail hostel before later being remanded in custody, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child between November 21 and 28, 2022, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and three offences of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Patrick Palmer, prosecuting, said that Bennett was released from prison on October 31, 2022 after serving a previous six-year sentence for sexual offences and he went to live in a bail hostel in Queens Road, Hull.

But on December 10 of that year, police were alerted that Bennett had been sending sexualised messages to an 11-year-old girl on Snapchat. The girl's mother had been keeping tabs on her daughter's messages.

She became concerned about messages that she saw, involving her daughter, that had been sent from a man at the location address of the bail hostel. "It was, of course, this defendant," said Mr Palmer.

Bennett had tried to get the girl to tell her friends to "add him" on Snapchat. The mother took screenshots of the messages before they disappeared. The girl had sent an intimate video of herself to him.

Bennett was arrested at the hostel on December 11, 2022. He denied any contact with the girl and claimed that he had no recollection of any chat with her.

"He claimed that he had no sexual interest in children and he denied that he was guilty of those matters on his record," said Mr Palmer.

The girl's mother said that she believed that Bennett was a "predator" who had quickly identified her daughter's insecurities and had taken advantage of her. She felt "utter disgust, panic and regret" and she believed that Bennett's contact with the girl "stole her innocence" through the messages.

"This would not have happened if this disgusting paedophile had not been released from prison early," she said. She would not want the "nightmare" that they had endured for 18 months to happen to anyone else and she wanted to thank the police involved in the case.

Oliver Shipley, mitigating, said: "Sadly, there is nothing positive that can be said on this defendant's behalf. It's inevitably a significant custodial sentence.

"Risk reduction work is necessary and he knows that only he can do that in the long term. The circumstances make for difficult reading. He has had the good will to plead guilty at the first opportunity."

Bennett had previously been branded a dangerous offender and, after his release from prison, there had been further offending. He had limited previous convictions but they were "highly relevant and deeply concerning" because of their nature.

"There is clearly work that needs to be done for rehabilitation," said Mr Shipley.

Recorder David Kelly said that Bennett used Snapchat to communicate with the girl. "Fortunately, her mother became aware of it," said Recorder Kelly. "She was able to screenshot some of your conversation before they disappeared and was able to identify both you and the place where you were located.

"It turned out that you were a registered sex offender who, at the time, was living at the Queens Road bail hostel. Your victim had sent you photographs and videos.

"She naively thought that you were a friend who she could trust. You were extremely manipulative in your behaviour. You also tried to get her to get her friends to join in these conversations.

"You had been released from that previous sentence only three or four weeks before you were committing these offences and you were on licence. The prison sentence from which you had been so recently released was for very similar offences."

Bennett had also been jailed for two years in July 2006 for sexually assaulting a girl under 13. He had been released from prison after the six-year sentence on October 31, 2022.

"Here you were, while in the bail hostel, almost immediately doing it again," said Recorder Kelly. "I am satisfied that you are dangerous. You pose a significant risk of committing further offences."

Bennett was jailed for four years and eight months. He will be on extended licence of three years after his release. The indefinite sexual harm prevention order will continue.

Description

A couple who believed they were meeting a naive 14-year-old girl for sex at a railway station were caught out when they were instead confronted by paedophile hunters.

Neil Tranmer and his then girlfriend Kerry Burdall, who had hoped to engage in unprotected sex sessions with the young girl and even wanted her to fall pregnant, were met instead by seven members of an online paedophile hunters group, Hull Crown Court heard.

The 'teenage girl' they had connected with on Facebook did not exist, but the couple were unaware of this and fully intended to "follow it through" after making a "deliberate decision" to meet and take advantage of her sexually, reports Hull Live.

Tranmer, 35, formerly of Clarence Road, Bridlington, but recently living in Hornsea, and Burdall, 39, of Limedane, Orchard Park estate, Hull, both admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child in Bridlington between April 13 and 19, 2021.

Harry Bradford, prosecuting, said that an online protection group set up profiles of fake girls aged between 10 and 14 in a bid to catch online sexual offenders.

A fake 14 year old girl received a friend request on Facebook from Burdall and was asked, "Hi. How old are you? " The decoy character responded: "I'm 14. How old are you? " To which Burdall replied, revealing herself to be "36" accompanying her message with a photograph and sentence stating: "That's my boyfriend."

She followed with another message, questioning: "Do you want to share him? He be your boyfriend too."

When probed by the decoy about how they could share him, Burdall responded boldly: "Have sex with him."

The decoy accountholder then posted: "I am a virgin. Can I have sex at 14? " Burdall gave her approval assuring: "Yes. Would you want him to use a condom? " She told the girl they resided in Bridlington, suggesting she could tell her mother that she was visiting a friend.

The decoy girl asked if she could get pregnant and Burdall replied: "Yes." The girl asked: "Are you ok with your boyfriend having sex with me?" Burdall replied "Yes" and, when the girl asked what his name was, she replied: "Neil. You can add him on Facebook if you want to."

Further interaction ensued between the decoy and Tranmer following a friend request sent to her. Upon asking Tranmer: "Are you Kerry's boyfriend? " He confirmed: "Yes. Do you want me as your boyfriend? ".

After the decoy's prompt: "Did Kerry tell you I am 14? I have never had a boyfriend before." Messages were exchanged at the same time between Tranmer and Burdall.

The girl asked Tranmer: "Do you want me to get pregnant?" He replied: "Yes." Tranmer asked her if she wanted to see explicit pictures of him and he sent two photographs. He asked her if he could see intimate pictures of her and he asked her what colour her underwear was.

He asked explicit sexual questions. Arrangements were made for the girl to meet Tranmer and Burdall at Bridlington railway station at 1.10pm.

Tranmer and Burdall continued to send messages about sexual activity. Seven members of the paedophile hunters group went to Bridlington railway station and saw Tranmer and Burdall.

They were confronted during a live streaming encounter and the police were alerted. Burdall said: "I should not have done it. I feel guilty for what I have done."

Tranmer claimed during police interview that Burdall had made him go to the railway station to meet a 14-year-old. He claimed that he did not mean to send the decoy girl messages about sex and that they were meant for Burdall and not the girl.

Burdall denied sending any of the messages apart from giving her age and claimed that her account had been hacked and that she did not send any pictures. They both had no previous convictions.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, mitigating, said that Tranmer pleaded guilty. He had suffered a difficult upbringing and had problems.

Dale Brook, representing Burdall, said that she had, at the time, moved in with Tranmer and thought that the relationship was a "mutually loving" one but the nature of the offences had made her look again at it.

She thought that Tranmer wanted another girlfriend. "It may seem a naive and tall story," said Mr Brook. "Since this offending, she has settled down. She is in a relationship with a new fiancé. They have accommodation together. There has been no further offending.

"These offences were not actually carried out because it was a decoy. There is no actual victim."

Judge Richard Woolfall said: "They did actually go to the railway station to meet this child. Their intention was to follow it through. The pair of you thought at the time that it was a real child."

They arranged to have unprotected sex with the girl and this could have led to pregnancy. "She was a decoy but the pair of you believed that it was a real 14-year-old girl," said Judge Woolfall. "She said that she was a virgin but that didn't put you off."

Judge Woolfall told Burdall: "There was talk about not wearing a condom and that your boyfriend would want her to get pregnant and that, if that happened, she was to tell her mother that it was a mate's brother.

"All she had to tell her mum was that she was going to see a mate. You sent her pictures. The pair of you were texting her at this point about having sex with her. You sent photos and told her not to tell anyone or show them to anyone.

"You told her that she must not report him to the police. You arranged to meet the next day at the Bridlington train station. There was talk about what sexual positions she would want.

"The next day, you travelled and went to the train station, expecting to meet her, but you were apprehended by the group of people who had effectively set all this up and the police were called.

"This was a deliberate decision made by the pair of you. The harm is less because no actual victim existed. It still makes it a serious offence, however.

"You did both go to the railway station with the intention of meeting this child and it was obvious what was intended because you so graphically described it in those texts.

"She was encouraged and told not to report the behaviour. Pregnancy was a possibility. You each preyed on a vulnerable member of society, a child who you believed was a genuine child.

"Both of you attended at the train station expecting her to attend so that physical acts could take place."

Tranmer was jailed for two-and-a-half years and Burdall was locked up for two years and three months. They were each given an eight-year sexual harm prevention order.

Tranmer must register as a sex offender for life and Burdall must notify her details to the police for 10 years.

Description

An obsessed pervert exchanged "disgusting" sexual messages and pictures with two decoy young girls during what he confessed was a "moment of madness" – but he later went on to do exactly the same thing with a third non-existent girl.

Shane Gorman was already under police investigation after he was confronted by paedophile hunters in 2021 but he ignored the warning and ended up being caught again, this time by a decoy girl set up by the police, Hull Crown Court heard.

Gorman, 35, of Welshpool Close, Hull, admitted two offences of attempting to communicate sexually with a child on September 7, 2021 and a third similar offence on June 22 last year.

Holly Thompson, prosecuting, said that an online paedophile hunters group set up profiles for two decoy girls, one supposedly aged 14 and the other 12. Gorman made sexualised comments to the fake 14-year-old girl and asked for "sexy" pictures in her underwear.

He asked her if she wanted an intimate picture of him and asked what colour her underwear was. Gorman also sent messages to the second decoy girl and made "Wow, sexy!" comments about her.

He asked for more photographs and asked intimate questions. The paedophile hunters went to his home one evening and three of them detained him and alerted the police.

Gorman made significant admissions to police and he said that it was a "moment of madness". He claimed that he did it purely through boredom at work and denied any sexual interest or excitement about children and that he knew that it was disgusting and wrong.

Gorman was released under investigation but he went on to commit the third offence involving a decoy girl, supposedly aged 13, that had been set up by the police.

He asked the fake girl if she wanted to see intimate pictures of him on Snapchat and he told her that she had a nice body. He asked her to send naked pictures of herself.

He was arrested but made no comment during police interview and said that it was a mistake and that he had no sexual interest in children. He had no previous convictions but had a caution.

Tonicha Allen, mitigating, said that unemployed Gorman was a low risk of being reconvicted. "He remains extremely remorseful and regretful of his actions," said Miss Allen.

"He says that are born entirely out of boredom. It's not a situation that he will find himself in again. He hasn't been in any further trouble with the police.

"His main focus now is accepting that he has done wrong. To say that he has learned his lesson would be an understatement."

Judge Richard Woolfall told Gorman: "These three young children were decoys. At the time, you believed they were real children. Clearly, you were sexually interested in children.

"You did it for excitement, the thrill of talking to underage children. You knew it was wrong when you were interviewed for the first time and you were released under investigation.

"You went on to do it again and, even though you knew it was wrong and you knew it was inappropriate, you went on to do it again.

"The fact that you went and did it again makes it so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence is appropriate. It's not possible to suspend the least possible sentence that I can impose."

Gorman was jailed for 16 months. He was given an eight-year sexual harm prevention order and he must register as a sex offender for 10 years.