Latest Offenders Hull

Description

A scheming sexual predator targeted a schoolgirl by promising her "the world", including them having "matching cars" and living in a big posh house together.

Ryan Smith called her "hot", "fit" and "perfect" and he spoke of the "amazing things" that they would do together – including "incredible date nights" – but the promises turned into a nightmare for her, Hull Crown Court heard. Smith, 30, formerly of Hull, admitted meeting a child following sexual grooming, sexual activity with a child, sexual communication with a child and making indecent images of a child.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said that an investigation began after it was discovered that a girl had been kissing Smith and had gone to meet him. Sexual messages had been exchanged between them. The girl said that they had kissed and cuddled and that they sent pictures to each other.

Smith made no comment to all police questions during interview, but a large number of messages were found that had been exchanged between him and the girl. There were intimate and sexual "grooming" conversations between them.

He encouraged the girl to send explicit pictures of herself to him. He sent her a picture with "I love you" written on an intimate part of his body.

The girl said he had promised her "the world" and he claimed that he was planning "amazing things" that they would do together. However, she added: "I wasn't allowed to tell anyone . . . he didn't want anyone to know."

Her school work had been "made pure hell" because of the problems caused. "My life became unbearable," she said.

David Godfrey, mitigating, said that the majority of the contact between Smith and the girl was "by electronic means", but he had now moved to Wales. He had no previous convictions.

"It has been a difficult and shameful thing for him to acknowledge," said Mr Godfrey. "He is the author of his own misfortune."

Smith was now working full-time. "He has not put this young person through the ordeal of a trial. He had that moment of clarity because of that shame," Mr Godfrey added.

"He has made efforts to move on. There were some very unpleasant images that were shared.

"There was talk of kissing and such like and that was the sexual activity that was undertaken by the victim and the defendant. There was talk of having cars and having a house, but not imminent penetrative sexual activity."

Judge John Thackray KC told Smith: "You groomed your young victim. She was no doubt impressionable and no doubt flattered by the messages and communications that you gave her.

"You are 100 per cent to blame for this offending. Your victim was a young girl who bears no responsibility whatsoever for what took place.

"It's clear that your offending has had a profound effect upon this young girl and will continue to do so for many years. She may never fully recover from your offending and may always have trust issues."

Smith was jailed for two-and-a-half years. He was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order and an indefinite restraining order. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Description

The parents of a young girl who suffered ongoing nightmares after she was sexually abused have been left "heartbroken" and "disgusted" at what happened to her – but they are relieved that she has finally got justice.

They hope that the jailing of the girl's abuser will mark "part of the road to recovery" for her after the "deeply unpleasant" incident, Hull Crown Court heard.

Craig Smith, 27, of Priory Grove, west Hull, denied sexually assaulting the girl on April 28 last year but he was convicted by a jury after a trial.

The court heard that Smith intimately touched the girl after pulling down her underwear. The incident had caused serious problems for her, including nightmares and dreams that started soon afterwards.

Her family hoped that these would become less as she got older but they feared that they would not.

Smith had previous convictions, including being locked up for 15 months in 2014 for wounding and others of criminal damage, burglary and arson. He had no previous convictions for sexual offences.

Defence barrister Nigel Clive said: "There's little that can be said by way of mitigation." There were "deeply unpleasant elements" to the offending but there was no significant planning and no use of alcohol or drugs. Smith was relatively lightly convicted.

"Thankfully, for all, this is not the worst offence of its type," said Mr Clive. "There are other offences which, regrettably, are far worse than this." With the passing of time, it was hoped that that the memory of the incident would "fall away" in the girl's mind.

Judge Kate Rayfield told Smith: "You thought you could get away with touching her. She still has nightmares and flashbacks to what happened."

This was an example of "just how far-reaching sexual abuse can be" and it would have to be seen what the lasting effects on the girl would be.

"You have been sentenced to custody before, although many years ago," said Judge Rayfield.

Smith was jailed for four years and he was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.

After the hearing, the girl's mother said: "We would have liked longer but are happy that she has found some justice. We are so glad that that she could come to us and that we finally got something back for her." She said of Smith: "We are just disgusted."

The girl's father said: "We are heartbroken. It's hard to put it into words. We got justice for her. She can rest easy. It's part of the road to recovery for her.

"We hope that it's all done and dusted and that we can keep her happy and smiling."

Description

A former Lib Dem politician has been jailed after having sex with an underage boy and making indecent images of children.

Ryan Langley, 34, of Hessle Road, Hull, admitted causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of a teenage boy between January 2019 and April 2021.

He also admitted distributing indecent images of children and three offences of making indecent images of children.

Hull Crown Court heard Langley appeared to "rejoice" when he found out the boy's real age and instead of being "shocked and appalled" carried on with his crime.

It was "very much a fall from grace" for the former councillor who aspired to win a "frontline" role at Westminster, the court heard.

Dale Brook, prosecuting, said the parents of the teenage boy found sexual messages on his mobile phone and he admitted that he had met some adult men for sex, one of whom was Langley.

They met on a website with the boy telling him he was 16. Langley told the court he thought the lad was 18, but it turned out he was actually 14.

When the boy admitted his real age, Langley told him he was "the youngest" he ever "had" and continued to send messages.

The pair carried on swapping photos and videos with Langley talking about having more sexual contact with the boy. Langley was arrested with his phone and laptops seized by police.

WhatsApp messages revealed highly sexualised messages with males aged over 18, during which Langley acknowledged having had sex with the boy, who he had thought was 16.

Images of the youngster were shared and he boasted of wanting more sexual contact with him before he turned 16.

Langley distributed several photographs and videos of his sexual contact with other boys under the age of 16, including with one aged 15, Hull Live reports.

Detectives found other indecent images of children, including 62 Category A, 44 Category B and 75 Category C.

Ayman Khokhar, mitigating, said Langley had no previous convictions but the offences showed he had betrayed others' trust.

Mr Khokhar, describing his client as a talented local councillor, said: "He will be living with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life.

"He does not seek anything other than an immediate custodial sentence. He wishes to reflect on what he has done."

Mr Khokhar added Langley had been paid "very little" as a councillor but did the job because he wanted to help others.

He said: "He has lost what looked like a promising career. He has served his local community for a number of years. Despite mental health difficulties, he threw himself into local politics and had aspirations eventually to go to Westminster.

"He knows that, now, is an impossibility and that he has no future in frontline politics."

Mr Khokhar continued: "His career is over. He has let himself down and he feels that he has let down those close to him."

Judge John Thackray KC said Langley initially thought he was having sexual activity with a boy above the legal age of 16 but he found out he was really only 14.

The judge added: "Against that background, rather than being shocked and appalled, you seemed to rejoice in the activity that had taken place and you demonstrated corrupt behaviour and a level of depravity by exchanging sexual images of the child and discussing future sexual activity."

Langley's behaviour was made worse by his distribution and possession of indecent images of children. Judge Thackray said: "This has been very much a fall from grace for you."

He was jailed for three years and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order. He must also register as a sex offender for life.

Langley stood down from his councillor role at the local elections in May.

Description

The owner of The Vintage Store clothes business has been convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman after intimately touching her and telling her: "This is what you want."

Philip Waltham made local and national headlines last year when he revealed that he was previously homeless and had sold copies of the Big Issue in London for three years in the 1990s to escape from his drug-taking past. He went on to set up a popular multi-million pound chain of clothes stores.

He kissed a woman on the lips "full on" and touched her in what seemed to be "sexually motivated" advances towards her, Hull Crown Court heard. Waltham, 46, of Ella Street, Hull, denied three offences of sexual assault against the woman last year, but he was convicted by a jury after a trial. He also denied intimidating another woman, who was a witness in the case this year, and he was cleared of that charge.

Recorder Simon Jackson KC said that the woman claimed that Waltham kissed her on the lips "full on". The prosecution claimed that the kiss was "sexually motivated", but Waltham denied that it happened.

The woman also claimed that Waltham grabbed her jacket and pulled her back towards him before putting his hand on her waist under her jacket. She claimed that he touched her on her hips and told her: "This is what you want." She claimed that he moved his hand towards her bottom.

The woman also claimed that he grabbed her hand and placed it on his private parts when he was seemingly aroused. She had "no romantic or sexual interest" in Waltham, said Recorder Jackson.

The prosecution had claimed that Waltham made "indirect threats" to another woman after an investigation was launched into the sexual assaults. He was said to have asked the second woman: "Do you think I did it?"

Waltham claimed that he was not trying to influence the second woman in any way. He agreed during a police interview that he had spoken to her, but he denied talking about the case.

Recorder Jackson said that Waltham told the jury during his defence evidence that he was in the "fashion business" and was the owner of The Vintage Store, originally based in Hull, but also with stores in places including Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle. There was a "huge warehouse" at the former Topshop premises in the St Stephen's shopping centre, Hull.

Waltham claimed that the allegations of sexual assaults by the woman were false and were "lies". He claimed that there had been no physical contact between them.

After the verdicts from the jury, sentence was adjourned for reports and Waltham was allowed bail until the next hearing. An updated victim impact statement will be requested. Waltham was not ordered to register as a sex offender, but he will have to do so at the next hearing.

In an interview published on Hull Live in January last year, Waltham revealed that he sold the Big Issue for three years after running away from his Hull home as a teenager to escape his drug addiction.

He said: "The Big Issue helped me put money in my back pocket and feed myself. They taught me how to respect myself. They taught me how to budget my money and how important a roof was.

"I had to have money to buy Big Issues so I could sell Big Issues and that taught me how to budget. The thing that has saved my life is selling second-hand clothes and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the Big Issue."

After three years as a Big Issue vendor in Clerkenwell and Hampstead, London, Waltham opened a market stall in Camden. He said of his sustainable clothes business: "We fight fast fashion. We save clothing from landfills, we go to big factories and take clothing.

"Last year, we saved around 600 tonnes of clothing and then repurposed them to sell on." His firm, Bulk Vintage Wholesale, was turning over more than £9m a year, it was reported at the time of the interview last year.

Description

A convicted sex offender who brazenly refused to register his details – because it would mean being "labelled as a paedophile" – was later caught with a large stash of crack cocaine ready for selling on the streets.

Drug addict James Fox hurriedly tried to make a run for it when he was spotted and chased by the police – and he threw a bag of cocaine away. It landed on the ground and split open, spilling a large amount of white powder on the street, Hull Crown Court heard.

Fox, 28, of Hull, admitted possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply, offering to supply crack cocaine and three offences of failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender. Nick Peacock, prosecuting, said that Fox had been convicted at Hull Magistrates' Court of sexual assault and he had been ordered on October 16, 2020 to register as a sex offender, including notifying any change of address within three days.

Checks were made on May 19 last year at the home of his mother, which Fox had registered as his address, but she said that he had not lived there since January last year. He was circulated as wanted and financial checks revealed that he had failed to register a bank account that he was using on the day that he had been sentenced.

He failed to attend at Clough Road police station, Hull, on October 16 last year for his mandatory annual registration as a sex offender. On June 26 this year, police identified Fox as he drove a Ford Focus in Hull. They attempted to pull the car over but Fox failed to stop and he was pursued.

He was eventually pulled in and, while he was standing outside the car, he tried to run off and threw a bag, which burst open when it hit the ground, spilling a large amount of white powder – cocaine – on the street.

"This was swept up and seized," said Mr Peacock. "It was a relatively large amount of cocaine, 14 or 15g." It would have had a street value of about £1,500.

Two mobile phones were seized. One of them had a drugs message on it reading: "Got some nice pure if anyone needs it. It's James."

Fox later told police that he would never register as a sex offender because this would mean him being "labelled as a paedophile". The police would have to arrest him again because he would not comply.

He had convictions for seven previous offences, including possessing drugs, but not for supplying them. Richard Butters, mitigating, said that Fox had pleaded guilty at an early stage. "This defendant was, at the time, and had been for about three years, a crack cocaine addict," said Mr Butters.

"He was addicted to crack cocaine. He was completely off the rails. While he was taking crack cocaine, he was completely out of control. He was massively in debt.

"He was homeless at the time. He had nothing. He was dealing crack cocaine to pay off debts, to pay for food, to pay for drink and to live. He was not doing this for any form of wealth or power. He was doing it to live.

"He says that it was a blessing that he got caught. It slowed him down. He is now clean of any form of drug. He has been a fool, he knows that. He knows what life can be without crack cocaine.

"He has lost everything. He had a girlfriend prior to taking crack cocaine. She has left. His family and friends have disowned him.

"Prior to crack cocaine, he had a business in partnership with a friend of his, gardening and landscape. That went to pot when he started to take crack cocaine because he couldn't concentrate on his business."

Recorder Abdul Iqbal KC told Fox: "Trafficking in controlled drugs fuels all sorts of other criminal behaviour. It ruins lives. You were operating a supply line for Class A controlled drugs from your own mobile phone. You expected significant financial advantage from that illicit controlled drug."

Fox was jailed for three years and four months. The phone seized will be forfeited.

Description

A "dangerous offender" who carried out a catalogue of abuse against four young girls has been jailed for 20 years.

Daniel Bottger has already served around half of a 14-year sentence for the rape of a fifth girl which took place after the latest offences which were brought before a court. Bottger had been released from prison prompting four other victims to come forward, Hull Crown Court was told.

Bottger, 35, of Sculcoates Lane in Hull, denied nine offences including two of rape and others of attempted rape and indecent assault. He was convicted by a jury after a trial.

One of the victims said in a statement: "I try to be a strong person but I am not really . . . I don't want anyone else to go through what I have been through." A second victim said: "All I have is trauma . . . I feel like I am on the verge of a mental breakdown. I live in a constant state of panic. I feel isolated like a prisoner in my own home. I look at the same four walls day in, day out.

"I get triggered by every noise. It has been extremely difficult to live with the awful pain for so long, but I have finally gained the strength and courage to speak out."

A third victim said her experiences had been "horrible". A fourth victim added: "Peace still feels very far away. This almost killed me. It almost stole my will to live. The key word in all this is 'almost'."

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that psychological harm had been caused to the victims and Bottger had been assessed as posing a high risk of committing further sexual offences. He had committed no further offences since being released from prison after his 14-year sentence for two offences of rape against the fifth girl, for which he was convicted by a jury in 2013.

The two rapes against the fifth girl had been committed after the offences involving the other four girls, but they came to light first. "Since his release, he has made the choice to isolate himself," said Miss Baines.

"He has not been in any relationships. He was keeping his head down and sticking to his licence conditions. He was living an isolated existence with his dog. These are all factors that reduce his risk."

Bottger still denied the offences and claimed that the four girls had all lied, the court heard. He had been on bail during the trial and arrived each day at court on a bicycle, which he left secured outside the court. He was remanded in custody after being convicted of the offences and the bicycle remained secured outside the court for several days until eventually being removed.

Judge Mark Bury told Bottger: "You have left in your wake four traumatised young women. Chickens have a habit of coming home to roost and I can tell you that yours have. Each of these four complainants have had severe psychological harm.

"I hope that they can get some closure from the end of these proceedings. Your attitude was to blame everybody but yourself. You wouldn't discuss the offences with the probation officer. This is a clear case where you pose a significant risk to members of the public. You are, therefore, a dangerous offender."

Bottger will not be released from prison until the Parole Board decides that it is safe to do so. He will be on extended licence of four years after his release.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Emma Andrew, of Humberside Police, described Bottger as "an abhorrent man" who "cruelly abused his victims". DC Andrews added: "He has shown no remorse for his actions, putting his victims through the further torment of a trial by refusing to admit his crimes.

“I am reassured that Bottger is now facing significant time behind bars for his crimes . . . I want to thank the victims for their bravery in coming forward and commend them for the courage they have shown.”

Description

A callous rapist who was "on the prowl" outside a Hull nightclub – and deliberately targeted a vulnerable woman who was "hammered" after a night out – has been jailed for 12 years.

Lazarus Olleh coaxed her into a car within about three minutes after he approached her outside in the street. He had earlier parked nearby at about 5.10am to look out for a woman to have sex with and he found just that person, Hull Crown Court heard.

Olleh, 38, of Belmont Street, Hull, denied raping the woman but he was convicted by a jury after a retrial spanning about seven days. An earlier jury in April had been unable to reach a verdict.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, said that, during the early hours of October 29 last year, Olleh decided that he wanted to have sex. He was so determined to do so that he drove the short distance from a friend's flat in Whitefriargate, Hull, and parked in a taxi bay outside the Propaganda nightclub – and waited at about 5.12am.

"Over 15 minutes later, at approximately 5.30am, that lone female presented herself – she was 18 years old – and she left the nightclub, dressed in a schoolgirl uniform, together with fake blood on her clothing and face, in a Halloween-theme costume that both she and her friend had chosen when going out the previous evening," said Mr Evans.

The woman, who is now 19, and her female friend had been to Bar Babylon and then Silvers/Yates Bar before going to the Pink Parrot cocktail bar and the Atik nightclub, where they stayed until 3am. The original plan was for them to get a taxi home at about 5am but the two friends became separated and could not find each other.

The woman had been drinking heavily and seemed to be struggling to put her arms into a jacket that had been on her shoulders.

"She crossed the road and sat, alone, with her back to the wall, with her knees pulled up towards her chest," said Mr Evans.

"Within seconds of watching her leaving that nightclub, the defendant walked over, crouched down in front of her and engaged her in conversation.

"In little over three minutes, the defendant walked her to his car, with his arm around her, and assisted her into the front passenger seat before driving away at 5.34am.

"He drove her a short distance, parked up in what turned out to be a short walk from his friend's flat on Whitefriargate." He almost "frogmarched" the woman and she had little option but to comply because because of her drunken state. "He was preying upon a drunken woman," said Mr Evans. "This was the very reason that he targeted her. The defendant had taken hold of her arm at the wrist and then placed his arm around her shoulders as he ushered her to the entrance of the flat."

Olleh took the woman to one of the bedrooms and raped her. She could not remember much about it afterwards except for waking up on her side, facing a wall and immediately realising that someone had been having sex with her.

"Such was her state of fear at the time that she could do nothing to resist," said Mr Evans. "Her next recollection was losing her consciousness once again."

DNA tests later confirmed that Olleh was responsible. The woman was awoken by a second man and helped from the bed to her feet. Olleh and the woman walked to the car, followed by his friend. Olleh asked her for her phone number and she gave a false number.

She was scared, confused and feeling insecure while they were in the car. She asked to be dropped off at the end of a street where a friend lived.

Olleh was eventually traced after police made inquiries at his friend's flat in Whitefriargate. When he was told that the police were looking for him, he contacted them. He gave mainly no comment replies to questions, despite being told about the DNA found.

"She doesn't see herself as a victim," said Mr Evans. "She sees herself as a survivor."

Liam Gregory, mitigating, said: "The verdict has come as a shock to him." Judge Mark Bury replied: "The only person that it has come as a shock to, then."

Mr Gregory said: "It's something that he is going to have to come to terms with. He still feels that he is not guilty of this offence."

The fact that Olleh turned up in his own car and did not use a condom suggested that there was not detailed pre-planning, claimed Mr Gregory.

Olleh was from Nigeria and he had been in this country for only about six weeks at the time. He had previously lived or studied in Canada and Ukraine.

Judge Bury told Olleh that he rejected the idea that Olleh had wanted to help and look after the woman by getting her something to eat and then taking her home.

"She was so out of it that she could not protest or fight you off and she fell back into unconsciousness," said Judge Bury. "She was hammered."

She was awoken after the rape by Olleh telling her: "We are going."

Judge Bury said: "That was because you had achieved your aim, which was to look for and find a vulnerable young female to have sex with. You were on the prowl outside Propaganda and you found exactly what you were looking for in her.

"It's plain that she had no capacity to consent. She was too drunk and too tired. There was some abduction because she did not want to go with you. She was just not able to stop you taking her.

"She has suffered severe psychological harm. She was devastated in the hours following the incident. You were a total stranger. This is the sort of nightmare that people worry about.

"All you wanted was to have sex and, if it involved rape, then so be it and that's what happened."

The woman had the worry for several weeks that she might become pregnant or suffer a sexually-transmitted disease. She later received the all-clear.

"You are a Nigerian national and that means that you fall to be deported at the end of your sentence," said Judge Bury.

Olleh, wearing a white long-sleeved top, showed no emotion as he was led out of the secure dock to be taken down to the cells. He will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Description

A convicted sex offender who thought that he was exchanging messages with a 12-year-old girl got a nasty shock when he discovered that she did not actually exist and was really an undercover police officer.

Matthew Quinton, 27, asked the decoy girl whether she had had sex and made comments about his private parts, Hull Crown Court heard. When police arrived at his home in Baker Street, Hull, he tried and failed to get rid of an incriminating phone.

Quinton had already served a five-year jail sentence for sexual offences against children, but had not learned his lesson and has now been given another taste of prison. He admitted attempting to communicate sexually with a child, breaching a sexual harm prevention order and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements.

Austin Newman, prosecuting, said that the latest offences came to light when, during an unrelated investigation, police were given evidence of messages and emails sent by Quinton to a woman about a young girl. It was on a phone that was not registered with the police as part of his notification requirements.

Information was also passed to the police that Quinton had been communicating with a fake decoy 12-year-old girl, who was really an undercover police officer. Messages had been exchanged.

"They were clearly sexual in nature," said Mr Newman. Quinton asked the fake girl: "You had sex yet?" and he made comments about his private parts. He asked about her underwear and suggested sending pictures to her.

"She had repeatedly stated that she was 12 years of age," said Mr Newman. Quinton used a number of identities and profiles that had not been notified to the police as part of his order.

The police went to his Baker Street home and arrested him. He asked to use the toilet and, while he was there, tried to get rid of his mobile phone.

Police searched the bathroom and found the phone, which had not been registered. He denied that it belonged to him and denied having a phone of any description.

'Not learning your lesson'

Quinton had been jailed for five years in April 2018 for sexual activity with a girl under 16, sexually assaulting a male, attempting to cause a boy to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He had been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

He had convictions for 21 previous offences in total. He had been jailed for 18 weeks in March last year for breaching the sexual harm prevention order.

Benjamin Donnell, mitigating, said that Quinton had come to terms with the fact that he had a sexual interest in children, but he hoped to tackle his problems by doing a "healthy sex" programme while in prison. He intended to have age-appropriate relationships in the future. There was no actual victim in the latest offences.

Judge Mark Bury told Quinton: "Only a sentence of immediate custody can be justified. Breach of a sexual harm prevention order is a serious offence.

"You have a previous conviction for breaching the sexual harm prevention order. You are not, at the moment, learning your lesson. There was no harm, in fact, caused because there was no 12-year-old child."

Quinton was jailed for three years and was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. The phone that was seized will be forfeited.

Description

A teenage sex pest was "bang out of order" when he sent "wholly inappropriate" intimate videos of himself to a young girl as well as highly "sexualised" messages that left her father sickened and shocked.

The girl's father discovered the disgusting videos and a whole host of messages after carrying out routine checks of his daughter's phone to make sure that she was not being put at risk. He alerted the police, who found that Dillon North had seemingly been in contact with his daughter for weeks, Hull Crown Court heard

North, 19, of Petersfield Close, Bransholme, Hull, admitted engaging in sexual communication with a child between February 13 and 28 last year. Jazmine Lee, prosecuting, said that the teenage girl's father regularly checked her phone to make sure that she was safe while using it.

On February 27 last year, he discovered a series of conversations between his daughter and North. The chats were almost all on Snapchat and they included images and videos. He took screenshots and recorded the videos. "He reported that to the police," said Miss Lee.

The girl later told police that she was in contact with North most days and that he had asked how old she was. She told him her age, which was under 16, and he gave his age.

"They continued to have conversations," said Miss Lee. "At first, they would send pictures of just their faces and the food they were eating but she later shared a video of herself in her underwear sitting on a bed."

She sent that video in response to him sending one of him committing a sex act. He used explicit language in the video. "She did not send any other videos of that nature," said Miss Lee.

North sent several more videos of him involved in sexual behaviour and using explicit words. "He asked her on three occasions to meet with him," said Miss Lee. "She said 'No' because of her age and he accepted that."

The girl claimed that the contact between them was for a few weeks but North insisted that it was for only a few days. He made no comment during police interview.

Marc Luxford, mitigating, said that North had no previous convictions and pleaded guilty. He had previously been an apprentice electrician. North told the court when asked about his behaviour: "It was disgusting and awful."

Judge Mark Bury said that the way that North spoke to the girl was "bang out of order" and he needed to understand that this was not the way to behave to females. "If you are caught again, you will go to prison," said Judge Bury.

"You got into a situation where you were sending sexualised texts which were totally inappropriate. They were inappropriate regarding how old she was."

The videos that North sent were "wholly inappropriate" but the girl had the "good sense" not to meet North when he asked her to do so. "It must be understood that offending like this does cause distress," said Judge Bury.

"It has affected her. If there was any repetition of this behaviour, a judge would send you to prison." North was given 30 days' rehabilitation as part of a two-year community order. He must register as a sex offender for five years.

Description

A seedy pervert was rumbled after using a hidden camera to secretly film a sex worker having a session with him at his flat.

Richard Newis, 43, was seen in the secret footage gagging and tying up the woman, which was consensual, but she had no idea the sexual encounter was being filmed.

The 22-year-old woman was only made aware of the footage after police were investigating Newis over another matter.

She had been left "horrified and shocked" when she finally found out about the covert filming, Hull Live reports.

Newis used "significant planning" to make sure that the camera was set up at the best possible angle and was seen making repeated checks and adjustments to the camera.

The face of Newis came into view on a video and the bed could be seen as he set up the recording device on a chest of drawers, or something of similar height, before the sex worker arrived.

A door could be heard opening and Newis got undressed. Images showed the woman come into view and sit naked on the bed.

"Newis ties her wrists and ankles to the bed and blindfolds her," said David Godfrey, prosecuting at Hull Crown Court.

There was consensual sexual activity and she told him that he could gag her. She was later tied up again before having sex.

Newis later claimed to the police during the interview that the woman knew that he was filming.

However, when he was asked if there was a prior arrangement to be filmed, he replied: "No comment."

In a separate incident, Newis also set up a camera to film a young girl that he had sexually assaulted.

Another encounter saw him ask a 17-year-old girl, who was working as an escort, to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.

Newis, who has now moved from Hull, denied a series of sexual offences but he was convicted by a jury after a trial of some of the charges, including sexual assault and two offences of voyeurism.

He was cleared of others including rape.

Newis admitted causing the sexual exploitation of a child and three offences of possessing a total of 24 indecent images of a child.

Mr Godfrey said that a camcorder and tapes were found during a police search of the flat where Newis had been living in December 2018.

In the incident with the 17-year-old girl, she advertised her services as an escort on a website and claimed in the profile that she was aged 22.

Newis did not know that she was under 18 at the time but the girl quickly told him her correct age.

However, Newis was undeterred and asked her to perform sexual acts in exchange for money and to send him explicit pictures and videos.

Mr Godfrey said: "They follow that pattern throughout. It would seem that he was quite infatuated with her and was making lots of offers. It was him asking for these photos and her sending them."

Newis had a previous conviction for harassment and a caution but he had not been in trouble since 2018.

Judge Kate Rayfield said “You took no responsibility and only saw yourself as a victim.”

Newis, who had been living recently in Rose Hey Lane, Failsworth, Manchester, was jailed for a total of six years and nine months.

A longer sentence was originally announced but it was reduced shortly afterwards after the defence pointed out a mistake that had been made in the court's calculations for the component parts of it.

Newis will be on extended licence for three years after his release from prison. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender indefinitely.

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A convicted rapist who is already serving a lengthy prison sentence has been branded a "monster" and jailed again after a series of further sex offences against two more victims.

Drug user and pornography addict Andrew Shaw targeted two boys and has now been branded a dangerous offender who posed a "significant risk" of further sexual offences.

He blamed drugs for his behaviour, had a sexual interest in children and had a lack of empathy for his victims, Hull Crown Court heard.

Read more: Police found Hull cannabis factory after British Gas raised suspicions over high electricity use

Shaw, 44, formerly of Redcar Street, Hull, off Cleveland Street, east Hull, but currently in Leicester Prison, admitted four offences of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and another of sexual assault of a child.

Michele Stuart-Lofthouse, prosecuting, said that the offences came to light in July 2019 when the mother of one of the boys went to the police to report what had happened.

At the time, Shaw was serving a prison sentence of 10-and-a-half years at Full Sutton Prison, near Pocklington. He had been jailed at Hull Crown Court in July 2016 for two offences of raping a woman and also possessing indecent images of a child, committed in November 2014.

The latest offences involved Shaw committing sexual acts in the presence of a boy. Filming was also involved and Shaw watched pornography in the presence of the boy. On another occasion, Shaw targeted another boy.

Shaw was interviewed in Full Sutton Prison in 2019 and claimed that he was using heroin and crack cocaine at the time and denied being interested in younger people.

He denied any sexual behaviour towards the first boy and accused him of lying. He denied any offending towards the second boy.

The first boy later said: "He became my abuser and nothing more than a monster. He took away my innocence and childhood." The boy now "hid in the shadows" and suffered "crippling anxiety" because of what happened.

"I am ashamed of what happened to me," he said. "He has left me feeling forever scarred. With the help of my family, I will continue to be strong."

The other boy said that he began to struggle at school and he suffered anxiety for many years. "I am hoping that the therapy that I am receiving will help me to recover," he said.

Samreen Akhtar, mitigating, said that Shaw had written a letter of apology. He was doing work while in prison to address his sexual offending.

Shaw accepted that the combination of his addiction to cocaine and amphetamine and a daily addiction to pornography and chatrooms led to him engaging in child abuse. An online conversation about distributing to others the sexual footage that he filmed had taken place.

"He became a monster when his whole life revolved around sex," said Miss Akhtar. "He expresses disgust about his behaviour. It is his intention to return to Hull after his release."

Judge Kate Rayfield said that Shaw attempted to prevent the first boy from reporting what happened to him and there was an "element of grooming" because he bought expensive gifts for the victim.

"All of your victims were vulnerable in their own way," said Judge Rayfield.

"A custodial sentence is inevitable. Your offences are underpinned by a lack of empathy and a sexual interest in children. You appear to blame your use of drugs for your behaviour rather than recognising that your issues run far deeper than that.

"You denied the offences when you were initially interviewed and only admitted them relatively recently." Shaw had a lack of insight into his "own risk factors" and was a dangerous offender who posed a high risk of sexual harm. There was a significant risk of him committing further sexual offences.

Shaw was jailed for three years and nine months, to run consecutively to the sentence of 10-and-a-half years that he is currently serving. He will not be eligible to apply for release until he has served a total minimum of nine-and-a-half years.

Shaw will be on extended licence of one year after his release. He was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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A girl who was groomed by a sex abuser trapped him by secretly setting up a camera on her phone to record his behaviour.

Hull Crown Court heard how Lewis Harrison, 32, intimately touched the girl and kissed her during a series of incidents.

Harrison tried to pretend the girl had a ‘crush’ on him but this was deemed a ‘frankly absurd excuse’ by the judge.

Harrison claimed to have touched the girl to comfort her.

The girl wanted to show evidence of what had happened to her by recording Harrison from the secret camera on her phone.

Judge Mark Bury said Harrison was sexually attracted to the girl after coming into contact with her.

‘You will have known exactly how old she was,’ he said.

The judge said there was ‘some grooming and planning involved’, and continued: ‘You sought to say that she had a crush on you. I reject that suggestion on the evidence that I have heard. You developed a sexual interest in her.

‘You appear to me to be sexually preoccupied. It is to be hoped that she will be able to put behind her this offending by you in due course.

‘She has the comfort of knowing that her evidence has, by and large, been agreed by the jury and she will have the satisfaction of seeing you sentenced to a term of imprisonment.’

Harrison was a heavy drinker and crack cocaine addict but the judge said: ‘There is no evidence that you committed any of these offences while under the influence of drink or, indeed, drugs.

‘There is no evidence that you plied her with either drink or drugs. You had on previous occasions been inappropriate with her, but she had no proof.

‘She has been very brave to continue with this complaint.’

Stephen Robinson, mitigating, said Harrison was drinking a lot and taking drugs at the time. Harrison had previous convictions but the most recent was some time ago and there was nothing of this seriousness. ‘He has shown that he can stay out of trouble,’ said Mr Robinson.

‘There has been no previous sexual offending. He has stopped taking drugs and now hardly drinks.’

Harrison, of Biggin Avenue, Bransholme, Hull, denied four offences of sexual activity with a child, but he was convicted by a jury after the trial. He was cleared of two other offences.

He was jailed for two-and-a-half years and must register as a sex offender for 10 years. He was given a five-year restraining order.

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A shameless sexual predator took advantage of a woman who had joked to him about her lack of romantic luck – and brazenly told her: “I can help you out with that.”

Opportunist sex offender Brian Walters quickly saw his chance and raped the woman before cynically telling her afterwards that they could “try again” the next day, Hull Crown Court heard.

Walters, 67, who has lived in Valentine Close and Anlaby Park Road South, Hull, denied rape and two offences of indecent assault but he was convicted by a jury after a trial.

David Hall, prosecuting, said that the woman and Walters had both been drinking at the time of the rape incident on September 8, 2018.

She later said: “I had a lot to drink. I was out of it. I was drinking cans of Fosters lager. We went through nearly 30 cans between us. I could hardly stand up.”

She was sitting down when Walters told her: “I have not sh****d a woman in ages.” The woman joked: “I haven’t either” and Walters replied: “I can help you out with that.”

The next thing that she remembered was Walters having sex with her. “I can’t remember how I came to be naked but I was fully naked,” she said. She could not remember much about what happened. “I was that drunk,” she said.

Walters told her: “Come tomorrow and we will try again.” She later said: “I did not want sex with [him].” The woman later reported what had happened to a support officer. She was “visibly upset” at the time. The police were alerted in September 2021.

The court heard that Walters had been jailed in 1979 for burglary. During his defence evidence, Hull-born Walters denied any sexual activity with the woman.

“That’s wrong,” he claimed. “I never did. I’m quite sure.” When asked if he had raped the woman, he said: “There is no truth in it. No, I never.”

He was asked: “Are you lying?” but he replied: “No.” He was asked why the woman would say such things and he replied: “I haven’t a clue.”

He admitted that he had been drinking at the time, but added: “I had some beer. Fosters. I don’t count them. I just drink them.” He claimed that it was not 30 cans between them, however.

Walters was asked: “Was there a decision between you and her about sex?” He replied: “No. She wanted me to do it. I said: ‘No’. I just left her to her own devices.”

Walters, who was on bail during the trial, had been remanded in custody after being convicted of the offences.

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that Walters had found custody difficult. "He is struggling to cope," said Miss Baines. "There is no suggestion that there has been wider offending here."

Judge Mark Bury told Walters: "She woke to find you on top of her, having sex with her. She told you 'No'. That didn't stop you. She couldn't push you off.

"You had your full weight on her. She was drunk. You had plied her with drink to the point where she was incapable of looking after herself. She felt disgusted and ashamed. Your denials to the jury were strident."

Walters was jailed for 10 years and must register as a sex offender for life.

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Paul Lamb was serving a prison sentence for historic sexual abuse and rape (Image: Humberside Police).

A former Metropolitan Police officer who was convicted of historic sexual offences has died in prison. 

Paul Lamb, 74, was jailed for 17-and-a-half years in May 2021 after being found guilty of 19 sexual offences which took place during the 1970s in London and in the 1980s in Yorkshire. 

The ex-policeman was diagnosed with breast cancer months after his arrival at HMP Hull and he then died just a year into his sentence, a prison report has revealed. 

Lamb’s crimes include the rape of a girl under 16 in Islington in the 1970s, when he worked for the Met. 

He then moved to East Yorkshire where he ran a children’s home for three years during which he carried out two more rapes and many more indecent assaults. 

A report into the care Lamb received in prison prior to his death revealed that his partner believed that a mastectomy had prevented the spread of the cancer. 

However, Lamb then stopped taking medication prescribed to him due to his concern about possible side effects. 

 
His cancer soon returned and he died on May 27, 2022, hours after being told that he had less than 48 hours to live. 

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A violent thug has been put behind bars for three years, after almost costing a young woman her life.

Tommy Ward, aged 23, of Hull Road in Hedon, was sentenced following a serious and near fatal attack in July 2022. Ward tried to suffocate his victim and caused her significant facial injuries, in what police described as a 'brutal attack which almost cost her life'.

Afterwards, he fled the area and destroyed his mobile phones prior to his arrest, in an attempt to get rid of the evidence. However, there was other significant evidence that was presented to him when he was arrested, which led to him being charged and remanded.

At an earlier court appearance in March, Ward pleaded guilty to Breach of Notification (Sexual Offences Act 2003), criminal damage, assault by beating, non-fatal suffocation, theft, sending an electronic communication with intent to cause distress and witness intimidation.

Speaking after sentencing, the Officer in the Case (OIC), Detective Constable Daniel Radford said: "Ward was placed on the sex offender’s register and was required to be registered for two years after he was cautioned for possession of an indecent image of a child in October 2021. He blatantly disregarded his requirements and breached his conditions under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 as a convicted sex offender, to have no contact with children.

"His victim had no knowledge of his previous background and had young children that could potentially have been put at risk. He also deceived those around him and those charged with his monitoring.

"His truly appalling attack on a vulnerable young woman was shocking, she was extremely lucky to have escaped with her life."

The detective also praised the young woman for her courage and gave a reassuring message to others going through domestic abuse. He continued: "I want to thank the victim for her support of the police action and in coming forward despite the intimidation.

"Her bravery and support may have saved future victims from the abuse, safeguarded children, and potentially saved someone’s life if Tommy Ward was allowed to continue his dangerous behaviour.

"We know it can be very difficult to disclose domestic abuse, and then have the strength to be involved in an investigation that, as in this case, can sometimes be lengthy. I would encourage anyone who is being abused or know someone who is, to call the police.

"We will listen, we do care, and there are support services available in many different forms and types that can help victims of abuse. If you are not in a safe position to call us, then please tell a trusted person or when able, to disclose to a professional person.

"Taking the first step to stop the abuse is brave and we can and will support you throughout any investigation. You are not alone."