Search results for Leeds

Description

A man who subjected a young teenage girl to a campaign of sexual, physical and mental abuse before going on to rape a woman has been given a 19-year prison sentence.

Ben Tate, aged 21, of St Wilfrids Avenue, Harehills, was convicted of two counts of rape, involving multiple occasions between 2017 and 2020, and a further count of coercive and controlling behaviour, all in relation to one victim.

He was also convicted of a count of rape in relation to the second victim over an in incident in 2021.

The first victim initially told a social worker about the abuse in 2020. Police were notified but she did not feel able to support a prosecution at the time.

When the second victim contacted police in 2022 to report being raped by Tate, the first victim also agreed to support a prosecution.

Both victims were spoken to by specialist officers from Leeds District Safeguarding Unit and provided detailed video recorded interviews detailing Tates offending against them.

Each disclosed how he had attacked them while they slept and had sex with them without their consent.

The first victim also described how Tate would pin her down, assault her and strangle her while ignoring her pleas for him to stop.

He repeatedly manipulated her, making threats to kill himself and took advantage of her financially.

Officers gathered extensive statements from the victims friends and family, as well as obtaining digital evidence of the messages Tate had sent to the victims.

They were supported throughout the investigation by safeguarding officers and independent sexual violence advocates.

He was convicted following a trial at Leeds Crown Court, where the victims were able to give their evidence under special measures, which allowed their cross examinations to be pre-recorded.

Tate was given a 19-year sentence and will be on the sex offenders register for life. Both victims were also granted life-long restraining orders against him.

Description

A predator who systematically abused a boy and a girl aged six and three has been handed an extended jail sentence.

Defiant Luke Hall continues to deny any wrongdoing but was convicted after a trial of 10 counts of abuse against the vulnerable children. The 27-year-old was deemed a danger to children and was handed the 15-year sentence at Leeds Crown Court.

This included two counts of assault by penetration, four of sexual assault of a child under 13 and four of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court heard that the abuse took place over a three-and-half-year period in the Wakefield area. No mitigation was offered by his barrister because he continues to “vehemently” deny the offences.

The judge, Recorder Matthew Happold told Hall that he “engaged in grooming behaviour” before carrying out sickening and degrading sexual acts on the terrified youngsters. Hall, formerly of Blenheim View, Woodhouse, but now of no fixed address, was only a teenager himself at the time.

He said: “It was clear from the trial, it was evident the psychological toll your abuse has had on the children. The jury found it very difficult to watch [the video evidence given by the young victims].

“You continue to deny your offending. The best points that can be made is that you were young at the time of the offending and having had a difficult childhood yourself.”

He gave Hall a 14-year jail sentence, with a one-year extended licence period. He must serve two-thirds of the sentence before being considered for parole, rather than at the usual half-way point.

He was also put on the sex offender register for life and given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Description

A man who subjected vulnerable young children to horrific sexual abuse has been jailed following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police.

In May 2023, officers arrested Nathan Woods-Springer, 37, from Sherburn in Elmet, in connection with sexual offences against children. A number of electronic devices were also seized from his home.

A search of the seized devices uncovered images of Woods-Springer committing sexual offences against children.

Woods-Springer was charged with six counts of rape and nine counts of sexual assault against children.

The victims were all very young at the time of the offences. Officers ensured specialist support was put in place for the victims.

Woods-Springer was also charged with taking and making indecent photographs of children, including hundreds of Category A images the most severe category.

He pleaded guilty to all the offences at York Crown Court on 6 September 2023 and on 19 February 2024.

On Friday 28 June 2024 he was given a 36-year extended sentence.

Description

A pervert who made unwelcome sexual comments towards a teenage girl, touched and kissed her, then bought her a sex toy for Christmas that he had gift wrapped.

Neville Tinker was found guilty after a trial at Leeds Crown Court of four counts of sexual assault. The 62-year-old was jailed this week after details of his bizarre behaviour came to light.

It was heard that the girl, who cannot be named, was between the age of 17 and 19 at the time. Sick Tinker would ask her questions about her sex life “from the outset”, the court heard.

He asked her about sex with her boyfriend and made suggestions about sexual positions they should try. Judge Ray Singh told Tinker: “It made her feel uncomfortable and she made it clear she did not wish to pursue such conversations.

“You would show her images of sex toys and suggested that she and her boyfriend use them.”

Then at Christmas, 2017, he bought her the sex toy with attachments and gift wrapped it. The court heard that he would take photos of her and made comments about her underwear.

He encouraged her to sit on his knee, would stroke her bottom and kissed her. When she once mentioned she had a bad back, he told her to lay on the floor. He then unclipped her bra and rubbed her back.

Tinker denied any wrongdoing but was found guilty by the jury after a trial lasting more than a week.

In a victim impact statement, read out by prosecutor Nick Adlington, the victim said she had been left “emotionally broken” and continues to struggle with “overwhelming” panic and anxiety.

Tinker, of Holt Park Approach, Adel, has no previous convictions. Judge Singh jailed him for 33 months.

He told him: “You said you had no sexual interest in her. I’m afraid that is wholly untruthful.

“You still can’t bring yourself to accept your sexual behaviour and deviancy towards her. You have accepted little responsibility.

He said that a probation report into Tinker suggests he continues to be “wholly dismissive” that his actions towards the girl were “sexually motivated”.

Judge Singh continued: “You are victim blaming and I simply do not understand how you find yourself at this late stage to be of that view.”

He was given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and a restraining order to keep him sway from the victim for life.

Description

A convicted murderer who killed a pregnant woman in a barbaric sexually-motivated attack was caught trying to meet an underage girl at the Royal Armouries in Leeds after grooming her online.

Norman Bowen-Jones was jailed along with his friend for the brutal slaying of the woman at a flat in Durham in 1996. The pair had fantasised about having sex with her and murdering her. They were given a life sentence and ordered to serve at least 13 years.

Bowen-Jones, who is now 45, was caught out by the paedophile hunter group, Predator Exposure, having contacted several child decoy profiles last year.

Appearing at Leeds Crown Court via video link from HMP Leeds, he was jailed again this afternoon.

Prosecutor Gareth Henderson-Moore said Bowen had made contact with the first profile in July of last year. She told him she was just 14 but he was undeterred and moved the conversation to WhatsApp.

Bowen-Jones, who had been living on Springwell View in Holbeck, sent her pictures of his penis and asked for photos of her. He suggested they meet and travelled to the Royal Armouries, where he was confronted by the hunter group who livestreamed it over the internet.

However, he had also contacted other decoy profiles run by the same group and suggested meeting at Leeds Railway Station, although he did not carry that meeting through.

He admitted attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity, four counts of attempting sexual communication with a child, arranging or facilitating commission of a child sex offence, two offences of attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and two of making indecent photos of children.

Mitigating, Andrew Stranex said that since his release from prison he was like a “fish out of water”.

He added: “When he went into custody the world was a very different place and was really struggling to find his feet. He was in a city he was not familiar with. He used the internet to make contact with people. He accepts what he did was wrong.”

The judge, Recorder Alex Menary acknowledged Bowen-Jones was “struggling to adjust” after such a long time behind bars. He jailed him for 32 months, but said his life licence will remain in place, meaning he could be returned to prison at any time. after serving his latest sentence.

He was also given a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use and put on the sex offender register for life.

Bowen-Jones and his friend Timothy Dunn were just 17 and 15 respectively when they carried out their horrific murder. They had become friends with 29-year-old Lesley Fox, and frequently visited her at her basement bedsit in Darlington.

They fantasised about having sex with her, then killing her, and went through with the vile plan on October 12, 1996. She was four-months pregnant at the time and had been dead five days before he body was discovered. She had to be identified by dental records.

She had been subjected to a prolonged and violent sexual assault before being strangled by Bowen-Jones who used a piece of rope. The sexual assault continued after she had been killed.

Later arrested, the boys blamed each other for the killing. They were sentenced in November 1997 and deemed “very dangerous” by the presiding judge. They were told to serve a minimum 13 years, which was later cut to 12 years for Bowen-Jones, and 11 years for Dunn.

At the time of the successful appeal, a police advisor had reported that Bowen-Jones was “cold, calculating and ruthless” and he seriously believed he might kill again if released.

Description

A woman who sexually abused a young boy and shared images of the incidents has been jailed following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.

Emily Hedigan, aged 21, of Broadlea Grove, Bramley, pleaded guilty to eight offences when she appeared at Leeds Crown Court on February 29.

She was convicted of offences of causing or inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, sexual touching of a boy aged under 13, taking, making and distributing indecent images of a child, and possession of cocaine.

Police were alerted on January 29 this year after a person obtained Hedigan’s mobile phone and found images of the boy on it.

She was arrested and her phone was examined by expert digital forensic investigators who recovered video and still images of her sexually abusing the child on a number of occasions.

Further work by digital media investigators established that Hedigan had been sending the images to a man elsewhere in the country in exchange for money.

She admitted the offences when interviewed but claimed she had been providing the images under duress.

She was sentenced to a total of four years and eight months imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

She will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was also given a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Description

A paedophile tried to groom a teenage girl online, asking her for photos of her genitals, sending pictures of his own and made vile sexual suggestions.

But the profile Robert Burke had singled out had been set up by a paedophile hunter group looking to catch online perverts.

The 60-year-old was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week. Prosecutor Robert Galley said Burke had contacted the Facebook profile in 2022, telling the supposed 14-year-old that she was “gorgeous”.

But “within half an hour” of making contact, he began making lewd suggestions about having sex with the girl. He requested pictures of her vagina and sent her a picture of his erect penis. He later sent images of him masturbating. He suggested she could stay with him at his home address.

He then arranged to meet the girl but was confronted by the hunter group at Pudsey Bus Station. Having been arrested, he made full admissions to police.

Burke, of Nowell Terrace, Harehills, admitted attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, attempting to arrange a child sex offence and attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act.

Description

Mohammed Ali tried to meet the girl outside Leeds Town Hall after telling he wanted to have sex with her and another underage girl at the same time.

He was jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week after being stung by an online paedophile hunter group. But his barrister, Mohammed Rafiq, told the court: “He was not aware of the age of consent. Things are different from the part of the world he comes from. The ways things operate over there is that there’s a judge who decides whether two parties are mature enough to get married.

“He was 16 when he got married and his wife was 14. He accepts what he has done is wrong.”

The court heard that 23-year-old Ali had illegally come to the UK in the autumn of 2021 seeking asylum. Just weeks later he latched onto the profile of a young girl on Facebook Messenger which was a decoy run by Predator Exposure - the online hunter group looking to snare paedophiles trawling the internet for children.

After making contact, he told her he was 18 and from Syria but was in Leeds staying at an Ibis hotel. Throughout November of 2021 he communicated with the girl, sending her photos of himself in his hotel room.

He asked her several times to meet, and turned the conversation sexual, saying he had another girl with him and that he wanted sex with both of them. He told her not to tell anyone about their communication.

They arranged to meet near Leeds Town Hall, near to the Ferris wheel on Briggate on November 20, 2021, but Ali was met by members of Predator Exposure who livestreamed the confrontation.

A large protest was being held in Leeds that day, so police were already on hand and arrested Ali. He later admitted attempting to meet a child following grooming, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child. He has no previous convictions.

Mr Raffiq told the court: “He is extremely ashamed and deeply frightened about his appearance before the court. He accepts what he has done is wrong.

“I say he was a very foolish and immature young man when he committed these offences. When he was arrested he did not try to run away. To his credit, he put his hands up and pleaded guilty. He was brought up in a difficult environment with a war raging in Syria.”

He said that Ali wanted to show he was “not a menace to society but an idiot”.

Judge Richard Mansell KC questioned Ali’s claim about not knowing the age of consent, pointing to his lies about his own age and telling the girl not to tell anyone.

He told him: “These offences are too serious to be dealt with by any other way than a sentence of immediate custody. You fully intended to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl.”

He jailed him for 12 months, gave him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use, and put him on the sex offender register.

But he told Ali he was “liable for deportation” once he is released.

Description

A man has been sent to prison for five and a half years after subjecting a girl to sexual abuse almost a decade ago in Filey.

Daniel Christopher Broadmore (pictured below), 36, of Somerdale Walk, Bramley, Leeds, was sentenced at York Crown Court today (Friday 5 April 2024).

He was found guilty of all four charges relating to the girl, who was aged under 13 years, after he stood trial in January this year.

These included inciting sexual activity; indecent exposure, sexual assault and engage in a sexual act in the presence of a child.

The victim reported the matter to North Yorkshire Police in April 2021 when she was aged in her late teens.

Description

He was sentenced to 10 years for the rape offences with a concurrent four-year term for the other offences. He was also given a one-year extended licence period.

King was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

The family were disappointed with the length of the sentence and the officer in the case, Detective Constable Oliver Hunter, submitted a request to the reviewing lawyer for the sentence to be appealed under the Unduly Lenient Sentences scheme.

This was assessed and supported by the Crown Prosecution and an application by the Attorney General was heard at the Court of Appeal on Friday.

Kings original sentence was quashed and a new sentence of 20 years, including a one-year extended licence, was imposed. The sex offender conditions placed on him remain unchanged.

The offences, which took place over a six-month period, came to light in December 2022 when the victim disclosed the abuse to a friend.

Officers from Leeds District Safeguarding Unit supported the victim during video-recorded interviews and carried out extensive enquiries including securing forensic evidence.

Description

Sick Joshua Mahoney was also found in possession of a “paedophile handbook”, a guide to avoid being caught out when downloading illegal images. Yet the 34-year-old, who was found to have more than 1,000 images and videos, continued to plead not guilty despite contacting a counsellor and confessing.

He was jailed for 28 months this week. Prosecuting the case at Leeds Crown Court, Gareth Henderson-Moore said police attended Mahoney’s home address on Queen Street, Morley, on July 13, 2021, armed with a search warrant.

Intelligence had been passed to West Yorkshire Police that the IP address linked to his home was being used to download the illegal images. They arrested Mahoney and seized a Mac Book and computer hard drive.

Police found 817 category A images – depicting the most serious kind of abuse. Of them 113 were videos. There was also 430 category B images including eight videos, and 566 category C images including six videos.

In addition, they found 17 extreme pornographic images including people engaging in sexual acts with animals, and a dead baby. They also recovered the paedophile “manual”.

The court heard that Mahoney gave a no-comment interview to police, then continued to deny three counts of possessing indecent images, and one of possessing extreme pornographic images up until his trial at Leeds Crown Court had started in December last year.

However, he had bizarrely enrolled in the Safer Lives sex offending programme. Mitigating, Satpal Roth-Sharma said: “That’s his downfall in these proceedings. His saving grace is that he has admitted his wrongdoing in all of this, and admitted there is problem that needs addressing.”

She said it became an addiction and “a form of escapism perhaps” for Mahoney during lockdown.

Judge Ray Singh told Mahoney: “You stood there and uttered the words ‘not guilty’ when for two years you were admitting this to a counsellor. I have no understanding why on earth you pleaded not guilty. Some of the images have been described as being the most vile one could ever imagine.”

He put him on the sex offender register for 10 years and gave him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to limit his internet use.

Description

Mark Warcup targeted the boys, were both under 12, in 2020 but continued to deny any wrongdoing while providing a “ludicrous story”, before he eventually confessed. The boys had already given their recorded evidence in preparation for the trial which was due to start in September last year.

The 45-year-old has now been jailed for more than four years at Leeds Crown Court. Prosecutor Christopher Rose said he showed the first boy videos of men having sex on his phone, made the youngster touch his penis and would try to pull the boy’s underwear down.

The second victim said that the defendant had tried to force the boy to touch Warcup’s penis through his jeans. Further details cannot be disclosed to help protect the identity of his victims.

Victim impact statements were read out for the boys, with one saying he regularly felt suicidal, and said of Warcup: “It makes me want to kill him.”

Warcup, of Colenso Gardens, Holbeck, eventually admitted engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, two counts of sexual assault of child under, and two of causing/inciting child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He also admitted two counts of possessing indecent images of children after more than 130 images were found on his phone after he was arrested. This included two category A images – the most serious – and 129 category C.

Mitigating, Stephen Uttley said there had been no further offending from Warcup and there was no suggestion of any other victims. He said that Warcup himself suffered an “appalling” childhood, and was subjected to sexual and physical abuse.

He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has previously attempted suicide. He said Warcup was also drinking heavily at the time of his offending, had a gambling addiction but had become involved in the church.

The court was also told Warcup had learning difficulties. He has no previous convictions but a caution for making indecent images of children.

Judge Tom Bayliss KC told him: “It involved the sexual abuse of two very young boys. Your attitude was to abuse them. You had an opportunity to admit your wrongdoing, and you are not even admitting it now to the probation officer.

"It was only in September 2023, three years after, that you pleaded guilty when it was listed for trial. You came up with a ludicrous story and denied any form of wrongdoing.

"It was highly-manipulative behaviour and grooming behaviour in my judgement. You have intellectual difficulties and have a low IQ. But you, of all people who suffered abuse, should have realised what you were doing.

"You created opportunities to sexually abuse them. It was calculated and manipulative behaviour.”

He jailed Warcup for 51 months, put him on the sex offender register for life, and also made him subject to a lifelong sexual harm prevention order (SHPO).

Description

Nathan Waddell engaged in “at least 19 conversations” over a six-week period on the messenger app, Telegram, with analysis of his devices showing he even sent videos to multiple people involved in a single chat.

He had also stored almost 1,000 images in a personal “library”, involving children as young as two being abused in the most horrific way, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Judge Simon Batiste jailed him for two years this week and told him: “The message must go out that if you distribute such vile images, then custody will follow that. Some were of very young children. It makes it more serious that you distributed them.”

Prosecutor Charlotte Noddings said the National Crime Agency alerted West Yorkshire Police in August 2022 about images being uploaded by an account that was eventually traced back to Waddell.

They arrested him three months later on November 29 at his former in Leeds, seizing an iPhone, Apple MacBook and a USB stick. On them they found 148 video and images in Category A – depicting the most serious abuse. There were also over 200 Category B and 570 Category C.

They also retrieved 600 images classed as Category Six – which are not illegal images but contain children and could indicate a sexual interest in children, Miss Noddings said.

Following his arrest, 30-year-old Waddell was candid with police, admitting what he had done. He admitted two counts of distributing indecent images, and three counts of possessing indecent images. He has no previous convictions.

Mitigating, Laurence Dilworth said Waddell, now of Rundle Place, Pocklington, East Yorkshire, had experienced mental health problems, lost his job, became withdrawn and isolated and “turned to pornography”.

He added: “He had a sexual attraction to children but has taken steps to address that by engaging with a children’s charity to prevent sexual abuse. He is ashamed of his actions and has taken steps to address his offending behaviour.”

In addition to his jail sentence, Waddell was put on the sex offender register for 10 years, and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to restrict his internet use.

Description

A predatory sex offender who committed a catalogue of crimes against children and vulnerable adults spanning more than three decades has been jailed following an investigation by specialist safeguarding officers in Leeds.  

Craig Meredith, aged 50, of Middleton Road, Morley, was convicted of 38 offences following at trial at Leeds Crown Court.

He was found guilty of offences including rape, sexual assault by penetration, sexual activity in the presence of a child and sexual touching.  

The offences covered a period from 1987, when he was 14 years old, to 2019 when he raped a victim under the guise of a paranormal entity which had possessed her.  

He manipulated vulnerable young children and adults with learning disabilities and left them suffering significant trauma and long-term mental health issues.  

Today he was sentenced to 33 years – 30 years custody with a three-year extended licence. 

Detective Inspector Vikki Daniel-Thomas, of Leeds District Safeguarding, said: “The level of harm that Meredith has caused to such a large number of victims over a very long period of time is truly appalling.  

“He is clearly someone of a predatory nature who presents a very significant danger to children and vulnerable adults, and we hope it will give the victims some reassurance to know he has finally had to answer for his actions and has received a significant term of imprisonment.  

“This was a complex and challenging investigation where the diligent work of the officers in the case, Detective Constable Julie Arnott and Detective Constable Paul Ashton, has resulted in this positive outcome for the victims.  

“Serious sexual offending such as this will always attract the highest level of investigation by specialist safeguarding officers to ensure that offenders like Meredith are brought to justice.  

“We hope the successful conclusion of this case will help to give victims of other similar offences to confidence to come forward.” 

Description

A sailor has been jailed for six years for raping and sexually assaulting a woman on a Royal Navy ship in international waters.

James Carnegie, 33, who was a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Motorman,  was found guilty by a jury at Truro Crown Court today after he first sexually assaulted and then raped a woman.

The incident took place in 2021 while he had been working on a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel in international waters, while it was returning to Cornwall from overseas.

The victim reported that he had first sexually assaulted her and then later raped her, physically forcing himself on her when she had explicitly not consented. 

He denied the offences, and later in interview told police their interactions had been consensual - which she explicitly denied.

Along with serving six years, he will also be signed onto the sex offenders register for life.

Following his sentencing, Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Nick Williams said: 'First and foremost I would like to thank the victim for coming forward and reporting this horrendous crime, so that we could investigate and bring the offender to justice.

'I hope that the sentence given by the judge will help to bring some level of closure and also serve as reassurance to other victims of sexual offences that we fully and thoroughly investigate reports and take action.

'Carnegie brazenly denied the offences, but the jury returned a guilty verdict after their deliberation.'

District Crown Prosecutor Suzanna Butler praised the courage of Carnegie's victim.

She said: 'The victim in this case has shown immense courage in speaking out against the perpetrator of these awful crimes and supporting the prosecution.

'I am very pleased that we were able to deliver justice for the victim.

'We want every victim of sexual assault to have the confidence to come forward to report abuse, in the knowledge that support is available and that the police and CPS are committed to securing justice.'