Latest Offenders Hull

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A 'sleazy' Solihull man who sexually assaulted a teenager on a train has been jailed. Ben Pountney, 30, targeted the 17-year-old victim on a quiet train.

Pountney, of Swallows Meadow, Solihull, boarded a quiet train from Stratford-Upon-Avon and sat opposite the victim, Warwick Crown Court heard. He proceeded to persistently ask the teen about her shoes and went on to sexually assault her, before leaving the train.

Labelled "vile" by investigating officers, Pountney pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at a trial on December 5 2022. He was sentenced to 20 months in prison at trial on Thursday, January 26.

Officers say Pountney was identified and arrested following help from the public and a media appeal.

The court heard how on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, the 17-year-old victim was travelling on a quiet train from Stratford-upon-Avon when a man boarded a few stops later and sat opposite her. She noticed the man looking at her and after a short while, he began speaking to her. He persistently asked about the shoes she was wearing and her shoe size.

He stated that he wanted to buy a similar pair for his niece while getting closer to the girl and leaning in towards her. He then sexually assaulted her and got off the train.

Following a number of enquiries and a media appeal to the public, Pountney was later identified and arrested. Investigating officers at the British Transport Police said actions like Pountney's will not be tolerated on the transport network.

'Vile' offender

Investigating officer Police sergeant Daniel Hart said: “Pountney is a vile offender who targeted a lone teenager and subjected her to a distressing sexual assault.

"His sleazy behaviour is a prime example of the harassment and intimidation of women and girls which we are dedicated to tackling on the network. It simply won’t be tolerated, and we will bring offenders to justice.

"If you are a victim of, or a witness to, a sexual offence on the railway - I urge you to report it to BTP by texting 61016 or via the Railway Guardian app. We will always take you seriously."

Pountney was sentenced to 20 months in prison, handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years at his sentencing last month.

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A retired bus driver convicted of sexually abusing four teenage boys over a period of nearly 30 years, including arranging for them to have sex with his wife while he watched, faces a long prison sentence.

John Foster, 78, asked some of the young boys to have sex with his wife on numerous occasions while he encouraged them to do so and eagerly looked on. He was lying next to them in the same bed at the time.

Foster got to know the boys while he was working as a bus driver. He repeatedly abused them in his car, including on football or train spotting trips, and while one of them was on holiday in London and the Isle of Wight with him, Hull Crown Court heard.

Foster, of Main Street, Wawne, near Beverley, denied 28 sex offences, involving four boys, but he was convicted by a jury of 27 of them after a trial. The charges included indecent assault, indecency with a child, rape and attempted rape, between July 1973 and February 2002. He was cleared of one charge of indecent assault on the direction of the judge.

Tom Storey, prosecuting, said that the offences happened over a period of nearly 30 years. They took place after Foster got to know them and befriended them while he was working as a bus driver in East Yorkshire. He had previously lived in the Burton Agnes and Harpham areas, near Driffield.

The boys were usually aged 12 or 13 when Foster began talking to them and befriending them before taking them out in his car for trips. He had also given them free bus trips. The abuse began by touching the boys and then progressing to sexual activity.

Some of the boys were taken to watch football matches, including in Manchester and Hull, or to watch trains, something that Foster had an interest in, during trips to Crewe and London. The abuse took place during the journeys or while they were staying overnight away from home. Some of the incidents took place at Foster's home.

He allowed some of the boys to steer the car, either from the passenger seat or while sitting on his lap. "He would buy them cigarettes or give them money to do so," said Mr Storey. Foster would also, in some cases, buy them alcohol.

Foster, in one case, bought the gas aerosol Damp Start, usually used to help start a car engine, for a boy to inhale to "produce a high like glue sniffing". These were all used as rewards or payments in return for the sexual abuse that Foster was "inflicting on these boys", said Mr Storey.

It no doubt "increased their dependency" on Foster and the likelihood that they would spend time with him. "By virtue of their age, these boys were all vulnerable at the time they were abused," said Mr Storey.

As a bus driver, Foster was in a position of trust in relation to the boys. "At the time, they were, in law, incapable of consenting to what took place," said Mr Storey. "In short, they could not do so."

Foster was married at the time to Dorothy Ann Foster, known as Ann, and it was claimed that he persuaded two of the boys to have sex with her. This was allegedly while he, his wife and one of the boys were in bed together and he watched. He tried to persuade the other boys to do the same with her but either they or she declined to do so, claimed Mr Storey.

Foster took one boy to London for his 16th birthday and abused him, said Mr Storey. The boy said that he had suffered "three years of hell" because of sexual abuse. "He described John Foster as having destroyed him," said Mr Storey. "Eventually, he ended up cracking up and then going to the police." The incidents in relation to this boy were "harrowing" because they were "horrible" and had left physical scars.

Foster did not claim that there was any consent from the boys for sexual activity. "He says that the entire thing has been fabricated and this sexual activity never took place with anybody," said Mr Storey.

The matters came to light in 2019 when police went to speak to one of the boys on a completely separate, unrelated allegation and he told them that he had been sexually abused by Foster when he was aged 13.

Checks of records from 2015 revealed that a health worker had contacted police to report that one of her clients had allegedly been abused by Foster. That boy was contacted and he and his brother made allegations. Police also found that, in 2010, a fourth boy had reported to the police that he had been sexually abused by Foster when he was 13 but the police "inexplicably" did nothing about this.

Mr Storey told the jury that Foster had been convicted of similar offences before and after the period of the current charges. Foster had been convicted in 1961 of two offences of indecently assaulting a boy under 16, with seven offences of gross indecency taken into consideration.

In 2007, Foster was convicted of three offences of sexual activity with a boy under 16. The significance of these convictions was that they showed that Foster had a "propensity or tendency" to commit precisely this sort of offence against young teenage boys, said Mr Storey.

Foster was arrested in February 2020 and police found, at his home, an envelope with old photo booth pictures showing him as a much younger man with the two brothers. He denied all the sexual offences during police interviews or that his wife had been involved. He confirmed that he had been a bus driver between 1962 and 2006, had two children and that he used to be known as "Big John". He claimed that, if he took the boys out for free bus trips or car outings, it was because they were "all lonely lads" and he was doing them a favour by taking them out for the day.

He denied buying solvents for one of the boys to sniff and denied using sex toys. "He denied ever having a liking for young boys," said Mr Storey.

Foster had been on bail during the trial but he was remanded in custody after the jury verdicts to await sentence.

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A homeless sex offender deliberately texted his victim so he would breach his no-contact order and be jailed in time for Christmas.

Jake Jones, 36, has been jailed for eight months after making the ‘deliberate breach, despite knowing his actions could cause severe emotional distress’.

He was handed a sexual offences protection order under a different name in March 2014.

It came after he was found guilty of sexual assaults against a child under 13, sexual activity with a child under 16 and causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

On December 24 last year, Jones called a detective involved in the case to say he was no longer living at his former home on Anlaby Road, in Hull, Yorkshire.

The registered sex offender told the officer he had tried to find emergency accommodation but was refused because of previous issues in a hostel.

He had been without a roof over his head for five days at this point.

Jones then called again to say he was handing himself in for contacting his victim.

Prosecutor Michael Masson told Hull Crown Court: ‘It was a deliberate breach. The defendant has contacted the victim despite knowing that his actions could cause severe emotional distress.

‘It was targeting of an individual that the order was designed to protect. It was a deliberate failure to comply.’

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said it was ‘stupid offending’ caused by Jones not having anywhere to live.

Judge John Thackray KC agreed and told Jones: ‘It was plainly a deliberate breach by you, designed because you wanted to spend some time in custody rather than be homeless.

‘Whatever your motivation, it must have been extremely upsetting for your victim.’

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Noor Ibrahim approached her and asked her, "Where have you been?" She said that she had been at work and he asked her "if she had been with anyone", to which she answered innocently and said she was waiting for her mother to pick her up.

Ibrahim then grabbed her and sexually assaulted her. Miss Scott said: "She was left feeling scared and unsafe and, a minute or so later, her mum arrived to pick her up. She told her mum what had happened. They drove along the road looking for the male. They found the male on Paragon Street, which is very close to where the incident had taken place."

The girl's mother got out of the car and approached the man and took photographs of him on her mobile phone. "He had a pint of alcohol in his right hand," said Miss Scott. The mother asked him: "Have you just grabbed my daughter? You're not going to get away with this."

Noor Ibrahim did not reply and continued walking down South Street. The matter was reported to the police the next day and, as a result of inquiries, police went to the address where Noor Ibrahim was staying. He was arrested.

Noor Ibrahim admitted kissing the girl, but would not comment on whether it was consensual, the court heard. He claimed that he thought that the girl was aged 20 to 25 and claimed that she told him that she was 17.

The girl later said that the incident had upset her and made her feel really uncomfortable. "She feels scared and unsafe now," said Miss Scott. Noor Ibrahim had no previous convictions in this country. He had been here for two years, the court heard.

Marc Luxford, representing Noor Ibrahim, said that it was "disgusting behaviour" involving a vulnerable 16-year-old girl late at night, but the defendant had been drinking. He had tried to minimise the offence in an interview with the probation service, but had shown remorse.

"He is sorry for the offence," said Mr Luxford. "He was in drink." Noor Ibrahim was seeking asylum from Sudan and still had family living there.

Recorder David Gordon, sitting with two magistrates, allowed the appeal and reduced Noor Ibrahim's sentence from one year to 10 months because the magistrates had not given him enough discount for his early guilty plea.

But Recorder Gordon said that Noor Ibrahim had been assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to the public, particularly females, and especially sexual harm. A future offence could happen "at any time", according to the assessment. "That's concerning," said Recorder Gordon.

"This offence was extremely upsetting for that young girl, who in law is regarded as a child. She said this incident upset her and made her uncomfortable and has left her feeling scared and unsafe. This offence has had a serious detrimental effect on the complainant.

"You are assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to the public, particularly females. You are an asylum seeker in this country. The victim was particularly vulnerable, a lone female, 16, on her own in Hull city centre late at night. You specifically targeted a vulnerable victim."

Noor Ibrahim was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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An ice skating enthusiast took advantage of a trusting 15-year-old girl after their budding friendship turned into a completely unsuitable relationship.

Rhys Burton showered her with compliments and they gradually became closer before he moved in on her and kissed her, making her feel uncomfortable. The law was there to protect vulnerable young girls from getting into difficult sexual situations that they could not control or "extricate" themselves from, Hull Crown Court heard.

Burton, 24, of Kingsley Drive, Willerby, admitted two offences of sexual activity with a child in 2018. He originally denied the matter but changed his pleas on the day of a scheduled trial.

Michael Greenhalgh, prosecuting, said that Burton got to know the teenage girl through an interest in ice skating in Hull and he complimented her during conversations with her and social gatherings in May 2018. "He was friendly to her," said Mr Greenhalgh.

Burton hugged her and later kissed the girl. He knew that she was only 15. The girl was "upset" after sexual contact from Burton, Mr Greenhalgh said.

Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Burton had no previous convictions and the sexual activity took place nearly five years ago. "He fully accepts his behaviours and he hasn't tried to hide from his behaviour at all," said Miss Scott.

Burton did the wrong thing but did later end the relationship because he knew it was not right, the court heard. "He realises just how stupid his behaviour was and how much harm that he has caused," said Miss Scott. "He thought he was in love with her.

"He thought his feelings were genuine. He accepts that it was a relationship that he should never have entered into in the first place."

The girl was willingly involved with Burton and it was not a case of him grooming her. Burton started taking cocaine at the age of 16 to cope with his emotions. He had been working full-time.

Judge Kate Rayfield told Burton: "The law is there to protect young people from engaging in sexual activity. Even though she went along with the sexual activity, she felt uncomfortable.

"Young people get into situations that they don't know how to handle or control or how to extricate themselves from and that was exactly what happened to her. These instances have stayed with her and had an impact on her.

"Ultimately, you did the right thing and called off the relationship. She did not feel in control of what was happening to her and that was because of the differences in your ages."

Burton was given a 22-month suspended prison sentence, 20 days' rehabilitation and a sex offender treatment programme. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Description

A perverted sex offender who thought that he was chatting on Facebook to two young girls aged 13 and 14 was trapped by a "self-styled paedophile hunter" who met up with police and showed them where the online predator lived.

Luke Lindley later brazenly tried to pretend that his Facebook account has been hacked and he turned violent when he was confronted and arrested by the police, Hull Crown Court heard.

Lindley, 28, of Sharp Street, Wyke, Hull, admitted two offences of attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of a child sex offence between November 20 and 29, 2020 as well as two offences of assaulting a police officer as an emergency worker and another of possessing cannabis on December 1, 2020.

Julia Baggs, prosecuting, said that police went to Cottingham Road, Hull, at 8.20pm to meet with a man who had travelled from the Rotherham area. He had been working as a "self-styled paedophile hunter" and had set up decoy girls, supposedly aged 13 and 14, online. He directed the police to Lindley's home.

Lindley had chatted to the fake girls on Facebook Messenger and had said that he wanted to have sex with one of them. "He had been sending videos of himself committing sex acts," said Miss Baggs.

Lindley told police: "It wasn't me. My Facebook has been hacked." He was arrested but pushed a police officer away and resisted. Other police helped by taking hold of Lindley. One of them ended up on the floor, with Lindley on top of him. The officer's hand was bleeding.

While Lindley was in custody, three hand-rolled cannabis cigarettes were found on him. He later admitted during police interview that he believed that both fake girls were children.

He had convictions for 29 previous offences between 2012 and 2020, including two of arson, eight for violence and others for public disorder, criminal damage and possessing cannabis.

He had a conviction for a serious assault on his father, causing a fractured skull and two of assaulting police. At the time of the latest offences, Lindley was subject to a suspended prison sentence.

Connor Stuart, mitigating, said that Lindley did not now own a mobile phone. He had been on bail until the day of the court case and had been receiving help.

Sentence was adjourned for reports until February 13 and Lindley was remanded in custody because of the "high risk of offending" that he posed and the fact that the offences were committed while a suspended sentence was in force. A prison sentence was likely to be imposed at the next hearing for the "very serious" offences, the court heard.

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This is the face of a Hull dad found guilty of horrific sexual offences including rape.

Darren Broadbent, 31, of Seafield Avenue, Hull, denied six sexual offences but he was convicted by a jury after a trial of five of them, including rape and offences of assault by penetration.

His victim was left suffering "mental torment" as well as nightmares, flashbacks and night terrors. The abuse had caused "catastrophic effects" on her and the "severe psychological harm" had badly affected her whole life through a "tidal wave" of suffering, Hull Crown Court heard.

Judge Mark Bury said that Broadbent committed the offences when he was much younger but the girl did not report any of them at the time. "She did not appreciate the severity of what you were doing," said Judge Bury.

"You, however, did have some idea because you told her on more than one occasion not to tell anybody. It would be your secret. She was anxious about whether she would be believed."

"The court can see how devastating your actions have been," said Judge Bury. "It has affected every aspect of her life. You took the case to trial and the court is now in a good position to see the harm that you have caused."

The "catastrophic effects" of Broadbent's behaviour on the girl had become clear. "She continues to have nightmares and night traumas," said Judge Bury.

"She has been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. She has sadness. Now that you are going to be sent to jail, she will get some closure. Severe psychological harm has been occasioned. You did know you were doing wrong. These are serious offences, as you well know."

The girl said in a statement: "I have suffered with mental torture over the years, which has gradually got worse and worse. What Darren did to me was so wrong. What's happened should never have happened. I suffer with nightmares and night terrors."

She said that she would "wake up dripping with sweat" and this had been happening as long as she could remember. This was the lowest point of her life.

Sometimes she struggled to get out of bed and she struggled to sleep at night. She had suffered a "tidal wave" of effects. "This is not the life I should be living," she said.

"The nightmares, flashbacks and night sweats continue, along with intrusive thoughts. My family have given me so much support throughout this. He has taken too much from me and put me through too much hurt."

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said that there had been no repeat of the offending. "He does not pose a high or significant risk to children at this particular time," said Miss Baines.

Broadbent had a lack of previous convictions, including for anything similar. He was married, had a daughter and had been working.

Broadbent was jailed for six years and must register as a sex offender for life.

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A sex offender who was twice caught with sickening images of children has been warned that he is now a "marked man" because of his "perverted" behaviour.

He narrowly avoided being sent to prison, even though he later assaulted a policeman after becoming aggressive towards him and had a knife with him, Hull Crown Court heard. Norman Winduss, 34, of Boothferry Road, Hull, denied six offences of making indecent pictures of children and another of possessing an extreme pornographic image but he was convicted by a jury after a trial.

He admitted later offences of assaulting a police officer as an emergency worker and possessing a spring-lock knife as an offensive weapon. Recorder Anthony Hawks said that police found indecent images of children, including in the most serious Category A, during a search after going to the home of Winduss in January 2020.

More indecent images were discovered during a second visit in December 2020 after it was found that he had access to a second phone. There were "far more" Category A images in the second raid than the first one.

"What makes your position worse is that you would not accept your guilt and insisted on having a jury trial," said Recorder Hawks. "That was your right." Winduss had been convicted by the jury on the "plainest possible evidence".

Police searched the home of Winduss in June this year. He had "no business" having the offensive weapon. "You became aggressive and assaulted a police officer, who was simply carrying out his duties," said Recorder Hawks.

"The police are entitled to go about their lawful business searching premises and the like without being harassed and assaulted by people like you. You have been in some trouble with the police in the past.

"There is some light at the end of the tunnel because the probation officers think that you may be developing some insight into your perverted behaviour. You are lucky that she takes the view that you can be safely managed in the community.

"You are now a marked man. If you do anything like this again, you are going to go to prison for a significant length of time."

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A social worker at a Derbyshire children's home has admitted grooming and sexually assaulting a teenage boy more than four decades after the victim reported the abuse. Derby Crown Court heard how after being assaulted by Paul Harvey, the victim was told to keep quiet by the now 73-year-old defendant.

But instead he reported the abuse and was not believed at the time and has spent more than 40 years telling others of the ordeal he went through while in care. In 2017 a second man who also sexually assaulted him at the same home was jailed for 10 years for carrying out sex attacks on him and four other care home children.

Now he finally has his justice on Harvey who was likewise jailed in the 1980s for similar offences. Handing him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Michael Fowler said: "You served a significant custodial sentence in 1984 for similar offences committed against other boys in a children's home.

"You were a member of staff at Greenacres, in Clay Cross, a social worker responsible for the counselling of (the victim) who was in there as he had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of another. You had responsibilities and you groomed him."

Robert Underwood, prosecuting, said the sex attack happened when the victim was in his mid-teens and the defendant was a social worker at Greenacres, which was run by Derbyshire County Council. He said the then teen was at the home after allegations of sexual assault by a different man led him to being convicted of assault .

The prosecutor said: "He had authority and responsibility over his young charges and we say he groomed him (the victim) with kindness and attention. One night he took him to a flat he was using that night and gave his lager which caused this young boy to suffer some memory loss.

"He says the next thing he recalls was waking up on his front with his trousers and pants down and the defendant on top of him (sexually assaulting him). He (later) said this made him remember the pain he suffered when he was sexually abused before."

Mr Underwood said: "The defendant sent him back to his room with the instruction not to tell anyone but he did make a complaint to another member of staff but, sadly, that was not believed and he was moved to Moorfields Children's Home, in Sinfin." He said the local authority did carry out an investigation but "formed the view" that no action needed to be taken.

The prosecutor said: "But the complainant continued to tell people for years he had been sexually abused in care. He went on to say a second man at Greenfields, called Duncan Ritchie, has sexually abused him and in 2017 he (Ritchie) was jailed for more than 10 years (after he was found guilty of eleven sexual charges involving five teenagers following a trial)."

Mr Underwood said a police investigation into Harvey, then of Pilsley, was launched in 2019 after the victim disclosed to officers what happened when they spoke to him about an unrelated matter. The defendant, now of Dayton Road, Hull, was interviewed, denied the allegation and told officers he recalled the victim was moved from Clay Cross to Derby as he "was a trouble maker".

But he later pleaded guilty to sexual assault. In 1984, he was jailed for 30 months for similar offences against boys at the children's home, Mr Underwood said. John Dunning, mitigating, said: "Actions speak louder than words and there is no way what I say can compensate for what (the victim) has suffered over the years."

As well as the suspended jail sentence, Harvey was also ordered to pay 1,000 compensation to the victim and was handed a four-month curfew confining him to his home address each daytime between 11am and 10pm. He was also handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offender register for 10 years.

In 2017, after Ritchie, then 71 and of Highfields Way, Holmewood, Chesterfield, was jailed for 11-and-a-half years, Derbyshire County Council issued an apology to his victims saying we deeply regret if there have been complaints that may not have been dealt with as they should have been at the time they were made.

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A Yorkshire sex offender who preyed on girls between six and seven years old died from heart failure while serving a sentence at HMP Hull a report has revealed.

David Raymond May, 57 at the time of his death, was jailed for the historic offences, carried out between 1996 and 1998, in November 2019. He was given five years behind bars for what was described as "a sickening sexual assault on a very young and vulnerable girl".

In January 2021, May was reported to be suffering from a persistent cough chest pain but tested negative for Covid-19. Further investigations at Hull Royal Infirmary found that he was suffering from widespread cancer.

May would eventually succumb to heart failure in September of that year with his condition being linked to a chemotherapy drug. He was also suffering from testicular cancer which contributed to, but did not cause, his death according to the report.

May had initially received a six-year prison sentence at Lincoln Crown Court in May 2005 for indecent assaults on a seven-year-old girl between 2003 and 2004. He would later be hauled back before the courts in 2019 for the historic offence committed between 1996 and 1998.

North Yorkshire Police said May's victim was aged about six or seven when the attack happened and the offence was first reported to them in 2018. May had denied the attack until the first day of his trial in November 2019 when he pleaded guilty.

May, formerly of St Phillip's Grove in York, groomed the girl by offering money. He isolated her in part of the house where he indecently assaulted her.

May was sentenced to five years behind bars and was sent to HMP Hull. At the time of his conviction Detective Constable Alastair Foy, of North Yorkshire Police, said: This was a sickening sexual assault on a very young and vulnerable girl which had a massive and lasting impact on every aspect of her life."

A report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman published in July this year has revealed that May died while serving his sentence for the attack. He first complained of chest pains and a persistent cough in January 2021.

Tests for Covid-19 proved negative but blood tests returned abnormal results and later investigations at Hull Royal Infirmary found May was suffering from widespread cancer. On April 25, he was transferred to St Jamess University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

May was treated with a combination of chemotherapy medication and on July 25, he was discharged from hospital and was taken back to Hull. On July 29 he fell ill in his cell once again with symptoms consistent with post-chemotherapy.

May was sent to hospital for assessment on another occasion during in August before a marked deterioration on August 25 when he once again complained of chest pains and was weak with shortness of breath. There was a four hour delay for a non-emergency ambulance call during which time his condition deteriorated further.

His call was upgraded to an emergency call and he eventually arrived in hospital at 2.35am the following morning. Mr May was taken to St Jamess University Hospital and he was treated for community acquired pneumonia.

On September 16, it was confirmed that Mr May had died in hospital. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman said: "The pathologist gave Mr Mays cause of death as acute cor pulmonale (heart failure) caused by bleomycin toxicity (a recognised complication that can occur with the use of a chemotherapeutic drug, bleomycin). He also had disseminated germ cell tumour of testis (testicular cancer), which did not cause but contributed to his death."

Mr May was the 14th prisoner to die at HMP Hull since September 2019. Of the previous deaths, five were from natural causes, seven were self-inflicted and one was drug related.

The report concluded that there were no significant similarities between the findings in the investigation into Mr Mays death and findings from the investigations into the previous deaths. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman did not find any non-clinical issues of concern.

The report said: "The clinical reviewer concluded that the clinical care Mr May received at Hull was of a reasonable standard and equivalent to that which he could have expected to receive in the community. She made a number of recommendations about the need for healthcare staff to accurately record clinical observations using the NEWS2 tool, ensuring that specialist services are updated when a prisoners health deteriorates and that staff complete appropriate assessments when a prisoner returns from hospital."

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An obsessed ex-soldier started touching up and kissing a teenage girl after pulling her towards him while he was sitting in the opened-up side area of his camper van.

Sexual predator James Dyson parked up at St Andrew's Quay and grabbed the girl and cuddled her after they had arranged to meet following earlier online contact. But little did he know that he was being watched on CCTV by an eagle-eyed security guard who became suspicious and alerted the police to what was going on, Hull Crown Court heard.

Dyson, 36, of James Reckitt Avenue, Hull, admitted sexual assault on August 7, 2020. Daniel Penman, prosecuting, said that a security guard at St Andrew's Quay, Hull, saw a white camper van in the car park, with Dyson sitting inside the opened side door area of it.

Two girls were nearby and the guard zoomed in the pictures to see what was going on. Dyson pulled a 14-year-old girl towards him, kissed and cuddled her, put his arm around her and put his hand on her leg.

"She tried to get off him but he pulled her towards him," said Mr Penman. "The defendant remained sitting inside the van."

The security guard noted the van's registration number and the police were alerted. Dyson was found a short distance away and he was arrested. It transpired that the girl had met him a few times before via Snapchat.

"She felt scared about what was happening," said Mr Penman. "She couldn't sleep afterwards due to constantly thinking about it."

The girl's details were on Dyson's phone. He had looked at the websites of paedophile hunters to see if he was being tricked.

He claimed that he thought the girl was 16 when they arranged to meet up but he admitted that he knew that she was really 14. He admitted grabbing the girl and cuddling and kissing her while she was sitting on his knee.

"He said that he couldn't believe what he had done and that he had really f***ed up," said Mr Penman. "There was a significant degree of planning, given the Snapchat chat."

Dyson had convictions for drink-driving and theft. Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Dyson had been in the Army between the ages of 16 and 23 and served in Northern Ireland, Canada and Germany before leaving to start a family. He had a 10-year-old son.

"He is extremely remorseful for his actions," said Miss Scott. "He is disgusted in himself. He knows that his reputation is in tatters. It was a disgraceful offence.

"Clearly, the victim was extremely vulnerable in this case, given her age. There was contact on Snapchat beforehand. They did arrange to meet. He does not want a repeat of this offending."

Dyson was given a 16-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours' unpaid work, 30 days' rehabilitation and a 35-day programme. He was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

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A former school teacher has been jailed for a string of historical sex offences against young girls after he handed himself into police 36 years later.

Solihull man Peter Jenkins, 53, who also ran a church holiday club with his wife, groomed schoolgirls before subjecting them to sexual assaults between 1984 and 2005.

One of his victims was a 12-year-old girl who Jenkins befriended while he was at university and another was abused when he became a teacher.

A teenage helper at the holiday club he ran with his wife later became a babysitter for the couple and following years of grooming he also began abusing her at 16.

A court heard his interest in underage started in his teens and continued into his 20s when he got married where his offended continued over the space of 21 years.

His crimes eventually came to light when a solicitor contacted West Midlands Police to say their client wanted to disclose offences he had committed.

Detectives began to try and trace the women Jenkins claimed to have abused as young girls and identified and contacted four victims.

He went on to admit 15 charges, including rape, indecent assault, sexual assault, unlawful sexual intercourse and inciting a girl to commit an act of gross indecency.

Jenkins, also known as Peter Greenham, of Solihull, West Midlands., was jailed for 13 years at Warwick Crown Court on Friday (12/8).

He will also be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Detective Constable Gemma Rowan, of West Midlands Police, said: We always treat cases with the utmost sensitivity but this was especially true with this investigation as we had to contact the women who Jenkins had identified, out of the blue.

Our initial enquiries were largely carried out during the pandemic, when many people were already feeling isolated and vulnerable, so our specialist officers were at pains to ensure the women were supported and guided through the process as carefully and considerately as possible.

We felt it was important that the women who had been subjected to Jenkins abuse were given the opportunity to come forward and talk about their experiences.

It is testimony to the strength and power of these women that they supported this successful prosecution and have now been able to see Jenkins locked up for many years.

We know that Jenkins groomed these girls at a time in their lives where personal circumstances made them vulnerable and he used his position of power and trust to abuse them.

The effects of this type of behaviour have long lasting and scarring effects. We do not underestimate how traumatic this can be.

We work with a range of other agencies who can support victims of sexual abuse, no matter how long ago it happened.

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Kristofer Mitchell, from Hull, 'didn't care' that one of his victims was asleep - she woke up in total shock to find him raping her and latest discovered she was pregnant from the attack A vicious double rapist sobbed as he was convicted for forcing himself on sleeping women - and impregnated one of them. Kristofer Mitchell imposed frightening scenes of sexual violence on his innocent victims, who were meant to feel safe in the comfort of their own homes. Mitchell's victims were too scared to try and stop him during the terrifying ordeals, with one of the women finding out she'd become pregnant after being raped by him, Hull Crown Court heard. Mitchell, 34, of Hessle Road, Hull, denied five offences of rape but was found guilty on four counts after a trial. Two of the rapes involved one woman and he was convicted on a majority verdict on one of the charges, but cleared of the other. The sex offender denied a further three rapes against a second woman and two charges of assault by penetration, and was convicted of all these offences. Simon Reevell, prosecuting, said: "He committed these offences because he had absolutely no concern for their wishes or their feelings. Instead, he chose to prioritise his sexual desires." During the second incident, the victim was asleep when Mitchell raped her. Mr Reevell said Mitchell "didn't care that she was asleep" and "just began to have sex with her and without any consideration for her". She later told police: "I woke up and he was raping me. I didn't know what to do. I just pretended it wasn't happening. I was forced to have sex. I remember waking up and tried to push him off but I couldn't. "It was all about him. He didn't care. He was on top of me. He had sex with me and I couldn't move. I just remember waking up and seeing him. He was looking at me. I was trying to say 'get off me, get off me'. I didn't want it to happen. He called me all the names under the sun. It was awful, absolutely awful. It was quite a shock." The woman later discovered she was pregnant after the rape. "I woke up and he was having sex with me. I didn't consent to it. I was just scared to say anything. I woke up. I didn't say anything. I just remember feeling a bit sick. He woke me up, having sex with me. I was scared of him," said another of his victims. The court heard Mitchell denied having sex with the women without their consent or while they were asleep. But, he was convicted, and starting crying in the dock after the verdicts - before being remanded into custody before sentence. Judge Sophie McKone told him: "You have been convicted by this jury of a number of serious offences. You know it's inevitable that you will receive a very lengthy custodial sentence."

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A violent bully "launched a vicious sexual attack" on a terrified naked woman and pinned her down in her own bed after he "invaded her home" while she was sleeping.

Angry and fired-up Stephen Clavering was in a "highly sexualised state of mind" and had been watching pornography before he entered her home and brutally attacked her at a time when she "simply didn't stand a chance" against him. She could not breathe and told him to get off her before she eventually managed to put some clothes on and flee barefoot to a neighbour's home to raise the alarm, Hull Crown Court heard.

Clavering, 47, of Kingsbury Way, Hull, denied sexually assaulting the woman and assaulting her, causing actual actual bodily harm, in April 2020, as well as trespass with intent to commit a sexual assault and sending offensive messages to her, but he was convicted by a jury on May 2 after a trial. He admitted assaulting a female police officer.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, said Clavering sent a barrage of highly intimidating, menacing and threatening voice messages to the woman. He was in a "highly sexualised state of mind" when he went on his bicycle to her home.

"He walked into the house through the unlocked front door," said Mr Evans. Clavering took his underwear off and pulled back the bed covers before forcing himself on her."

"She was terrified," said Mr Evans. "She had ear plugs in and she couldn't make out what he was saying." He added: "She simply didn't stand a chance. He was on top of her."

Clavering pinned her down, but his victim struggled and told him to get off her. He put his hand over her mouth and she was struggling to breathe.

Mr Evans said: "She recalled the defendant telling her not to scream. He released her with the promise that she wouldn't scream. She took the opportunity to reach for her mobile telephone.

There was a tussle over the phone, said Mr Evans. "He used his superior strength and size to overpower her, assault her and pull her by her hair." He added: "She ended up in the living room with the defendant still clutching at her mobile. She realised that she needed to get away. She was able to put on some clothes but, barefoot, she had to run from her own home.

"She knocked on her nextdoor neighbour's window, raising the alarm as to what was going on in her own home. The defendant followed her outside."

Clavering threatened to hit the woman with a bicycle chain before cycling away. He later denied what had happened and tried to "lie and mislead his way" out of trouble, said Mr Evans.

The woman said in a statement: "I was still in shock during interview. Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw what he had done." She suffered flashbacks and was in constant fear that Clavering would come back. She was terrified and had a panic alarm installed, but said she was "refusing to let what he did have a negative impact" on her life.

Clavering had previous convictions, including wounding in May 1998, involving headbutting and stamping on the victim's head, causing a broken jaw. He also had convictions for assaulting police and criminal damage, but none for sexual offences.

Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Clavering still denied the offences. "My instructions are that he is innocent," said Mr Brook. The sexual part of the incident was very short-lived, he added.

Clavering's last conviction for assault was 18 years ago. "This is his first prison sentence since the 1990s," said Mr Brook. "He seems to have turned his life around." Clavering had built up a business through hard work, but it had failed because of the case and being remanded in custody since May 2 after being convicted by a jury.

Judge John Thackray QC said Clavering had sent the "most horrendous" messages to the woman and they were the "most disgusting and vile messages", before going to her home while she was asleep.

"You invaded her home while she was sleeping," said Judge Thackray. "She was entitled to feel safe and secure in her own home. You attended in her bedroom. You launched a vicious sexual attack upon her. You attacked her physically.

"She may never fully recover from the effects of your offending. Your offending has had a profound effect upon her."

The court heard that Clavering had been looking at pornographic websites before and after the incident. He was jailed for seven-and-a-half years and was given an indefinite restraining order. He must register as a sex offender for life.

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A convicted sex offender who posed a "very significant risk to children" was found to have a 10-year-old boy living in his house in blatant breach of a court order.

When the authorities visited Francis Dawson's house after a tip-off they found him home alone with the boy who was in the kitchen. Dawson had a lifelong ban on having children in his house after a series of sex offences against boys and girls.

Hull Crown Court heard Dawson was "ultimately responsible" for ensuring that he did not flout the order but he brazenly ignored it even though he knew the consequences after being previously jailed for the original offences. Police and social services intervened to get the boy removed for his own safety but he was found living there again with his mother just two days later, the court heard.

Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that Dawson was jailed in 2008 after being convicted of a series of sexual offences against male and female children. He had been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order restricting him living in the same household as children under 18 or arranging contact with them.

But a woman and her 10-year-old son began living with Dawson and his wife on May 12 as a favour to them but in breach of the order. Social services and police became aware of the matter a fortnight later. The boy was found in the kitchen of the house in Ings Road, east Hull getting some food while his mother was out at work.

They were moved into accommodation provided by social services. But on May 27, police were contacted by social services to say that the mother and her son were missing from the hotel where they had been staying.

Dawson's address was checked by police and the door was answered by the missing woman. The boy was there doing school work on a tablet computer. Dawson was arrested because, as a registered sex offender, he was not allowed access to children. "Having been removed, the mother and child returned there a couple of days later," said Mr Welch.

Dale Brook, mitigating, said that Dawson's wife had been keen to help others by providing somewhere for the mother and son to leave but it was his responsibility to make sure that he followed the court order.

"He is ultimately responsible for ensuring that he complied with the order," said Mr Brook. "It's no excuse. He turned a blind eye to it but he knows there is an order and he knows there is a child in the house. He has been imprisoned as a result of it."

The sexual offences conviction related to matters many years ago. "There has been no offending in the intervening years of a sexual nature," said Mr Brook.

Judge John Thackray QC told Dawson: "You do not accept responsibility for your offending behaviour. You said the situation was out of your control and you had no influence on the outcome. I don't accept that. You represent a very significant risk to children and you breached the order and the notification requirement, placing that 10-year-old child at risk of sexual harm. There is no actual harm.

"You were well aware of your requirements and that the onus was upon you to make sure that you did not reside with a child. I am not satisfied that your risk can be managed in the community and I am not satisfied that you can be rehabilitated in the community. My priority here is to protect the public."

Dawson, 61, admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order between May 12 and 27 and failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender. Dawson, who had been in custody on remand, was jailed for one year.