Latest Offenders Leicestershire

Description

The actions of two witnesses who reported separate rape disclosures made by different women have led to the man responsible being jailed for more than 17 years.

Adam Shellard was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court after being convicted in August for a total of 10 offences.

Today’s (Friday 31 October) outcome follows a complex and sensitive police investigation which has taken five years to conclude.

Since 2020, specialist detectives have been working tirelessly to gather vital evidence relating to a string of sexual offences committed by the 27-year-old.

This first began after both victim’s confided in two separate people about the abuse they had endured.

Following these disclosures, in July and October of that year, those admissions were reported to police.

Detective Constable Chris Sherwin and Anna Pulsford, from the force’s dedicated rape and serious sexual offences investigation team, were assigned as the officers in the case.

Initial contact was made with the victims to offer support and discuss their options regarding the progression of the case.

Over the course of the next 18 months, DC Sherwin and DC Pulsford worked closely with the women as they undertook the difficult process of reliving the trauma inflicted upon them.

It was established Shellard, of Bosworth Road, Measham, had committed these offences over a five-year period.

During that time, one of the women was subjected to repeated acts of rape, sexual assault, coercion, physical violence, and threatening behaviour.

The second victim was raped multiple times over the course of just over a month.

Due to the strength of the case and the detailed accounts provided by the victims, Shellard was charged in March 2022 with 10 offences.

Six offences – three counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of coercive and controlling behaviour – were against the first woman.

And three counts of rape were against the second woman.

During the investigation, officers also uncovered additional offences involving a person connected to one of the victims. Shellard was subsequently charged with one count of racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence.

Following a trial in August this year, he was found guilty of all crime and was sentenced today to a total of 17 years and seven months.

DC Sherwin said:

“The two women disclosed what Shellard had done to someone they knew, and it was these two people who initially came reported to police. I want to truly thank them for coming forward and alerting police to the horrendous crimes being committed by Shellard.

“The victims in this case have shown so much strength during what has been an extremely difficult and long process. They have wait five years to get justice and their determination to see this through to the end has meant that a dangerous sex offender is now behind bars.

“This case really highlights the importance of the people around us having the courage to make a stance and speak up when. If someone you know is a victim of a crime, don’t stay silent. What you know could be the key to protecting someone’s life or ensuring those who cause the most harm in our communities are held accountable.”

Description

A rapist convicted of four counts of rape against two victims was sentenced to a total of 17 years in jail yesterday (Wednesday 22 October) – following a case in which the Judge said he ‘sought to dominate all aspects of the victims’ lives’.

The sentencing hearing, held at Leicester Crown Court, follows Charles Isabirye’s conviction after a trial at the same court last month.

Isabirye, formally of Ratcliffe Road, Loughborough, denied the offences throughout the trial and claimed this his victims made up their allegations in collusion with each other.

At the sentencing hearing, where Isabirye was also sentenced for one count of breaching a restraining order and three counts of witness intimidation – counts which the jury also found him guilty of – His Honour Judge Evans, commented about the complex nature of the investigation and the conduct of the officer in the case, DC Sarah Le Boutillier

He stated she “conducted herself with professionalism” despite accusations made by Isabirye about her conduct and integrity.

Addressing Isabirye, he said:

“You continue to focus the blame for your current predicament on one of the victims, stating that ‘If it was not for her, you would not be in prison’.

“During the trial, you focussed upon the unfairness of the prosecution rather than the witness testimony, cleaving to the notion that the case was closed. You found and saw conspiracies everywhere and painted yourself as the victim.

“I have no doubt that you present as a serious risk to women.”

The 48-year-old was also made subject to a restraining order prohibiting contact with the victims and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

DC Le Boutillier added:

“I have nothing but praise for the victims in this case, not only for coming forward and reporting what happened to them, but for the bravery they showed in court throughout a lengthy, difficult trial.

“Isabirye sought to discredit them at every opportunity.

“While it doesn’t change what they went through, I hope they find some comfort in knowing he’s in prison for a significant amount of time.”

Description

A man who sexually assaulted a woman after a night out in Brigg was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday, 6 October 2025 to four years and eleven months in prison and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

James Ward, 34-years-old, of Bottesford, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration after approaching a woman who had been socialising with friends at a bar in Brigg during the early hours of Sunday, 1 August 2021.

After engaging her in conversation, Ward left the venue with the woman and took her to a nearby field, before sexually assaulting her. The woman was later found by her friends in a state of distress, while Ward fled the scene.

An investigation was launched to understand the circumstances surrounding the assault and following lines of enquiries, Ward was identified and arrested at his home address on Sunday, 1 August 2021 and subsequently charged.

Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Rebecca McInnis said:

“Ward’s actions were abusive and exploitative, targeting a vulnerable woman for his own predatory gratification.

"This traumatic experience will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the woman, and while no outcome can reverse the harm caused, I hope his guilty plea provides some measure of relief.

“We take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously and remain committed to seeking justice for those who have suffered at the hands of exploitative predators.”

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A Loughborough man has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexually abusing five children in the 1980s.

Detectives from the force's Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) have praised Jayesh Khunti's victims for their bravery in providing evidence that led to him being sentenced at Leicester Crown Court today (Friday 26 September).

Two victims - a man and woman - first contacted the force in 2022 to report what had happened and as the investigation progressed, two men and a woman were spoken to and disclosed that they too had been sexually abused by Khunti.

On 30 May, following a trial at Leicester Crown Court, 56-year-old Khunti was found guilty of:

• Seven counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 14 years
• Five counts of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14 years
• Three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 years of age
• One count of committing buggery with a boy under 16 years of age

Khunti, of Beck Crescent, Loughborough, was sentenced to a total of 13 years' imprisonment and placed on the sex offender register for life.

Detective Constable Katie Harris, from the CAIU’s non-recent team, was the investigating officer. She said:

"First and foremost, I hope today's outcome provides those involved in this case with a degree of closure.

"They've continued to live their lives as victims of sexual abuse for several decades and - because Khunti continued to protest his innocence - had to re-live their ordeals in front of a jury. However, the detail of their accounts was key in securing a conviction and ensuring that Khunti is now in prison.

"I hope this case serves as a reminder to any other victims of non-recent sexual abuse that it's never too late to tell us what happened and that offenders can be brought to justice."

Description

A man has been jailed for 16 years for grooming and raping a child – after investigators from the Metropolitan Police Service tracked him down using only phone data and CCTV footage.

Richard Bosworth, 41 (13.07.1983), from Coalville in Leicestershire, was sentenced on Tuesday, 4 March, at Kingston Crown Court. He previously pleaded guilty on Wednesday, 23 October, 2024 to two counts of rape as well as seven other sexual offences, including sexual assault on a child under 13, engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to watch a sexual act, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, meeting a child following sexual grooming, and assault by digital penetration.

Detective Inspector Kieran Curry, who led the investigation, said:

“I commend the young survivor in this case for her courage. She found the strength to confide in officers, and her account of this appalling assault proved crucial in securing Bosworth’s conviction. Her and her family’s cooperation has put this dangerous predator behind bars.

“Bosworth travelled from Leicestershire to abuse his victim in Twickenham. He is a devious offender, who ensured he left very little evidence for police to pursue.

“It is a testament to our investigative teams that they succeeded in identifying Bosworth, combing over large amounts of CCTV evidence and phone data in order to apprehend him and secure a conviction.”

On Monday, 23 September, 2024, police were contacted by the victim's mother. She said her 12-year-old daughter had spoken to friends at school about being abused by a man who had reached out to her on the BeFriend social media platform, presenting himself as a young teenager.

Investigators spoke to the girl, who said the man picked her up in his car in the early hours of Thursday, 19 September, 2024. He used a fake profile when communicating with the victim, grooming her for a month prior to the meeting. He left little evidence of his true identity.

Officers in the case reached out to the Met’s Operation Atlas team, which specialises in digital manhunts. Having obtained the number associated with the fake BeFriend profile, investigators were able to trace the movement of a phone through London to the victim’s home, as it citied off various telecom masts. They then paired this with CCTV footage from the areas in question.

Through these enquiries, investigators were able to single out a car. This was found to belong to Bosworth. On Tuesday, 1 October, officers arrested him at his home in Coalville. On the same day, he was charged with 10 counts of rape, all relating to the same incident on Thursday, 19 September.

As well as serving 16 years in prison, Bosworth will be made to register for life as a sex offender.

Description

A "predatory" cheerleading coach repeatedly abused a 13-year-old girl. Rosanna Awan inappropriately touched the youngster and abused her position of trust with the child.

The offences by Awan, now 34, took place when she was in her 20s. Awan repeatedly inappropriately touched the girl. The abuse emerged when the victim reported it to Leicestershire Police in 2019.

Awan stood trial at Leicester Crown Court in October 2024, where she was found guilty of four counts of sexual activity with a child and a single charge of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. She returned to court yesterday (Wednesday, December 4) where she was handed a 10-year jail sentence.

Detective Constable Catherine Anderson, who led the investigation, said after sentencing: "This case involved a person in a position of trust taking advantage of a person in their care, and Awan's behaviour towards her young victim was predatory.

"I'm so pleased the victim came forward to report her behaviour, recognising it for what it was many years later. I'd urge anyone in the same position to come forward. We will take your reports seriously and investigate thoroughly."

Alongside the jail sentence, Awan was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. She will be a registered sex offender for life.

Description

A man who performed online sex acts in front of children has been jailed.

James Dyson was also found to have downloaded thousands of child sexual abuse images over a seven-and-a-half year period.

The 26-year-old, of Market Harborough, Leicestershire, was caught in January 2023 when evidence of his crimes was found on his work mobile phone.

He was jailed for five years and given a sexual harm prevention order at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday.

During an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police, forensic analysis of several other electronic devices found thousands of indecent images of children - many of which Dyson had tried and failed to delete.

Nearly 6,000 of the images were found to be Category A - depicting the most serious sexual abuse that can be committed against children.

Dyson pleaded guilty at a hearing in December, to four charges of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence and two counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.

He also admitted three charges of making indecent images of a child and three charges of distributing indecent photographs of a child.

Detectives also uncovered evidence of four occasions in which Dyson used a social media platform to engage children in online sexual activity, the force said.

Work is currently ongoing to identify the four children involved.

Det Con Tom Nuttall said: "The physical and emotional impact of that kind of abuse cannot be understated, and people like Dyson are contributing directly to that harm.

"It is very clear that he knew what he was doing was wrong and also that he went to great lengths to try and delete evidence of his crimes."

Description

A 62-year-old man has been jailed for non-recent child sex offences that took place in Daventry.

Kevin Marriott, previously of Coalville, Leicestershire, sexually assaulted a girl under six at an address in Daventry a number of years ago.

Following the offence, he told her not to tell anyone.

However in 2021, the woman in question bravely contacted police to tell them what had happened to her as a child.

An investigation was launched and Marriott was charged with one count of indecent assault on a girl under 16, and one count of assaulting a girl under 16 by penetration.   

After pleading not guilty to the offences and taking the case to a three-day trial at Northampton Crown Court last November, Marriott was found unanimously guilty by the jury.

He returned to the same court last week (January 15) where he was sentenced to seven years - six years to serve in prison and one on licence. He will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Description

A former Leicestershire teacher has been jailed for more than six years after admitting committing sex offences against children online.

Officers began an investigation in April 2022 when Leicestershire Police received a report that John Ewan Myles had been engaging in sexual activity with a teenage girl he had met online.

At the time Myles was working as a teacher at Ashby School.

Myles was arrested from his home in North West Leicestershire that month and a number of devices were recovered from the address including a phone, which was hidden under his bed.

As the investigation progressed, the girl was identified and later interviewed by officers where she disclosed Myles first contacted her online giving her a fake name and saying he was 18-years-old.

They chatted online for a few months before Myles began sending sexual images of himself.

Examination of the devices found that Myles pursued an online sexual relationship with her and numerous recorded videos calls where sexual activity was carried out between the two.

A video call between the two was also found whereby the girl could he heard saying she is 15-years-old and on some of the videos, she was wearing her school uniform.

The 36-year-old was charged with numerous offences and pleaded guilty however awaiting sentencing, he made a disclosure regarding further offences involving another girl.

These disclosures were investigated and evidence was found that Myles had contacted a further teenage girl online under the same previously used alias name of Jamie Reid, stating on this occasion he was 17-years-old.

As before, during conversations with her in which she disclosed her age, Myles turned the talk sexual and requested sexual images and videos from her and in return, he would send sexual images and videos of himself.

Myles pleaded guilty to the below offences involving the first victim:

• Two counts of engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child aged 13 to 15
• Two counts of causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity
• Two counts of engaging in sexual activity in presence of a child 13 to 15
• One count of engaging in sexual communication with a child
• Three counts of making indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child
• Two counts of causing/inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration

He pleaded guilty to the below offences in relation to the further victim:

• Two counts of causing/inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration
• Two counts of causing/inciting a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - penetration
• Two counts of causing a child aged 13 to 15 to watch/look at an image of sexual activity

He also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of possessing extreme pornographic image/images portraying an act of intercourse/oral sex with a dead/alive animal.

Myles was sentenced to six years and six months in prison at Leicester Crown Court today (Tuesday 12 December).

He has also been places on the sex offender register for life and will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 15 years.

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A man who subjected a young girl to a three-year "campaign of rape" has been jailed for over 19 years.

Anthony Reynolds, 42, from Melton Mowbray, pleaded guilty to charges of raping a girl aged 13 and two charges of raping a girl under 13.

He was sentenced to 231 months in prison at Gloucester Crown Court.

Judge Ian Lawrie told the girl: "You should be proud of your courage. You didn't budge an inch."

In a victim-impact statement the girl, who is from Gloucester, said: "I was wondering why this was happening to me and what I had done to deserve it?"

Prosecutor Ellen McAnaw told the court that the victim was about 10 years old when the offending started and was 13 when she told a school friend in January of this year.

Ms McAnaw said it was "effectively a campaign of rape".

Police were alerted and the girl told them how Reynolds had been raping her about once a fortnight for three years or more.

She said: "After he did it to me I would just sit there crying and terrified. At school, I couldn't concentrate and it was all I could think about.

'I lost confidence'

"Now I have told someone about it, I know I will never see him again and I feel safe."

"I lost confidence in myself," she said. "I thought I was fat and ugly. I just wanted to be someone else. I didn't like who I was."

The girl's mother said in a statement: "My daughter will, without doubt, carry this with her for the rest of her life.

"What this man has done to my daughter has completely broken me."

Reynolds initially denied the offences and pleaded not guilty to charges of raping a girl aged 13 on 21 January and two charges of raping of a girl under 13 between 21 December 2019 and 20 December 2022.

But he changed his pleas to guilty when the girl attended court, ready to give evidence against him to a jury.

Emotional pain

Shenaiya Kharegat, defending, said that although Reynolds had not admitted the offences from the start he now "accepts full responsibility and has made no attempt to minimise his behaviour...

"He has reflected on his actions and fully understands the effect of his offending on the victim and her family."

Judge Ian Lawrie told Reynolds that the statements he had heard had made clear the "pain, emotionally and psychologically, that your abuse has caused".

He imposed jail terms totalling 231 months as well as a lifelong sexual-harm-prevention order and a restraining order.

The judge said he had allowed a discount of 12.5% on the sentence to reflect that Reynolds had belatedly pleaded guilty, sparing the girl the "torture" of giving evidence.

Judge Lawrie added that Reynolds will have to serve two-thirds of his sentence before he can be considered for parole.

"It takes courage to come forward about things like this," the judge told the girl. "I know the appalling strain it puts on everyone.

"You should be proud of your courage. You didn't budge an inch and that made him feel he didn't have room for manoeuvre."

Description

A Detective has described the behaviour of a convicted sex offender as dangerous and disturbing after he carried out attacks on two lone women in Loughborough last year.

Detective Sergeant Amanda Boswell, who oversaw the investigation, has spoken how the defendant – Grzegorz Luczak - showed predatory behaviour, targeting women who were both under the influence of alcohol as he was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday (30 March).

The 45-year-old formerly of Holmfield Avenue, Loughborough, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

During an evening in March last year, Luczak admitting spending a number of hours driving and frequently stopping around Loughborough town centre around the time that the bars was closing. The prosecution believed his intention was to voluntarily seek out a vulnerable woman to assault that night.

Hours later, an intoxicated woman got into his car believing it to be a taxi and asked to be taken home. He did not ask her to leave and instead he drove off with her in his vehicle.

A brave member of the public tried to intervene and assist the victim to get out after she felt uneasy about the situation. She took images of his car and warned the driver against doing anything to the victim.

These are words of warning he clearly ignored as when he continued his journey, he sexually assaulted the victim despite her protests.

She was thoroughly scared and the incident only ended when she escaped out of the moving car and fled to a nearby house, alerting the occupants shouting for help.

Luczak was arrested but without sufficient evidence to charge him at that stage, he was released under investigation to allow officers to complete further enquiries.

In August some months later, Luczak was once again driving around Loughborough town late at night, for what he later claimed was to collect scrap items discarded by residents that he could mend and sell.

He spotted another vulnerable woman walking home from an evening out, alone, in a quiet residential street and immediately turned his car around, travelling the wrong way down a one-way street, to approach her.

CCTV captured the moment he got out of his vehicle, instantly attacking the woman and wrestling her to the floor. She was then subjected to a serious sexual assault.

Luczak was later arrested and charged with one count of sexual assault and two counts of digital penetration of a female over 13 and he was found guilty of all counts at a trial in February.

Detective Sergeant Amanda Boswell, from the force’s SIGNAL team, said: “This man subjected both women to degrading and humiliating attacks causing a level of emotional trauma that is unforgivable. He deliberately sought them out and targeted them as lone women, late at night; this is disturbing and worrying behaviour which thankfully the jury recognised in their guilty verdicts against him.”

“Women are entitled to go on a night out and drink alcohol if they so choose. Doing so, should not make them vulnerable to men like Luczak. Women should be able to walk home safely and not be targeted.”

“This investigation has shown how important it is to work as a team with the victims and their wishes at the centre. Victims should feel listened to, supported, respected and understand how important they are to cases like this. We are unable to achieve results like this without them.

“Both victims and witnesses in these cases have demonstrated immense courage and strength throughout the investigation and in providing evidence at the trial. It shows bravery and commitment and I want to thank each of them for the part they played in securing the conviction of a clearly dangerous man.”

DS Boswell added: “Given the obvious repeat offending of Luczak, there could be other women who have been assaulted by him in similar circumstances and didn’t feel that they could report the incident at the time. If you are a victim, I would urge you to come forward and contact my team. We have specialist officers who can support and guide out through that process and we also work closely with a number of other agencies and can refer you for ongoing support.”

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Ian Featherstone, who lives in Bushby, groomed the teenage girl for sex while working at a boarding school and was given only a suspended sentence at court

The schoolgirl victim of a sex offender teacher from Leicester has revealed how he stole her innocence in a heartbreaking statement describing the impact of his crimes. Ian Featherstone groomed the teenager for sex while working at a private boarding school, a court heard.

She was a pupil at Abbotsholme School, near Ashbourne, in the Derbyshire Dales, when the 44-year-old struck up an inappropriate relationship with her. Starting with text messages, the exchanges turned to sexualised chat before escalating further to sharing intimate photographs and eventually sex.

Featherstone pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust when he appeared before a judge at Derby Crown Court. He was a married father-of-two when the offences took place, but has since lost his job and is now living with his parents in Pulford Drive, Bushby, reports Derbyshire Live.

The teenager revealed to the court how the sexual abuse she suffered at Featherstone's hands had affected her life. "I didn’t realise what was happening, what he was doing, until someone told me that what he did was not normal," she said.

"It felt right because I finally thought I had found someone who wanted me. However, this never explained why I felt on edge and scared around him.

"I tried ignoring the sexual comments he made, but he always said more. This increased my fear, and I was always questioning if I could trust him. However, I did trust him, and that cost me everything."

The court heard how the Featherstone told the girl not to save his contact details. Instead, she had them on a piece of paper she kept with her phone, so his wife of 14 years did not find out about the relationship. He would also only communicate with her on a social media platform to avoid detection.

"I lost my innocence," added the girl. "I never understood this concept until he did what he did. I have had to grieve that I have lost what it meant to be a teenager. I have had to leave school behind as the weight of pain was too heavy for me to carry on anyone.

"I was always crying, breaking down and having to get picked up every day from school. He pushed my mental health to the limits. This completely destroyed me.

“I self-harmed to cope and even wrote suicide notes. I didn’t want to carry on anymore. The guilt, pain, sadness, and the constant abuse became too much."

The girl turned to Featherstone during the hearing and addressed him directly. "No amount of tears could explain the pain," she told him. "You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my confidence, and my own voice.

"You have no idea how worthless you made me feel. Always being too scared to say no, or not to do as you wanted. This always scared me." She added: "I knew in the end you would always have your way, no matter if I said no. This lives with me, it will never leave."

Featherstone was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but suspended for two years. An electronically monitored curfew will confine him to his home address between 7pm and 5am.

The defendant was ordered to attend a 45-day sex offender awareness programme, as well as 55 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service. He must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work and was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years.

Speaking at the conclusion of the case, Detective Constable Sarah Parkin commended the victim's bravery in speaking out against her abuser and helping to bring him to justice.

"Mitigation in court tried to explain away Featherstone's offending, and even tried to paint him as the victim, but he is clearly a sexual predator who preyed on someone who should have been safe in his care," she said.

"I would like to commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward and reporting this matter to the police," she added. "Anyone who is reading this and may have been the victim of sexual assault or abuse, please do speak to someone. There is help available. If you do feel able to contact the police we will always listen, investigate, and support you through the process."

Description

A trans woman who groomed and had sex with a 14-year-old girl, making her pregnant, has been jailed.

The defendant - named by police as "David Orton, also known as Danielle Rose Gemini" - was found guilty of penetrative sexual activity with a child following a trial.

Officers said the victim had been vulnerable and initially refused to believe she was being sexually abused.

However, she later changed her mind and told police what had happened.

The offender, whose name was recorded as Danielle-Rose Gemini by Leicester Crown Court, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years.

Leicestershire Police - who said the 25-year-old identified as a woman at the time of the offences - were not able to give a current gender identity.

The defendant was also charged with raping the girl, but was found not guilty of this following the trial.

Det Con Sarah Le Boutillier, the investigating officer, said: "Throughout our interviews, Orton refused to accept that there was any wrongdoing and [claimed] that they were in fact the victim," she said.

"The claims were unfounded."

The victim was 14 when her parents originally raised suspicions in October 2020.

Police said the offender was a family friend who often stayed over at the victim's house. The girl's parents became suspicious of a sexual relationship, police said, but the girl refuted those concerns.

"Orton used the victim's vulnerability for their own gain and not only groomed the victim, but also her parents who believed Orton was a genuine friend," said Det Con Le Boutillier.

"This was a complex and lengthy investigation; the initial report was made to the police more than two years ago. The victim's parents refused to accept her initial explanations and persevered with their concerns.

"We are pleased the victim found the courage to eventually talk about what she had been through and recognised that she was a victim and that Orton's actions were not that of a friend."

'Not easy to speak out'

The girl provided information to police in June 2021.

The defendant, of Willowbank Road in Hinckley, was interviewed and subsequently charged with four counts of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, and two counts of raping a girl aged 13 to 15.

A jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child, but not guilty verdicts on the other counts.

Det Con Le Boutillier said: "We hope the verdict and sentence now helps the victim to come to terms with what happened and try and put that time behind her, and also reassures her parents that they did the right thing by coming forward.

"We would like to reassure anyone else who may be in a similar situation to report their concerns, as they will be heard and we will help them through the process.

"We know it's not always easy to speak out; we have specialist officers who can help you every step of the way and also put you in touch with agencies who can advise and support you moving forward."

Description

A man from Loughborough who admitted being “sexually attracted to babies and toddlers” has been jailed for 25 years, after he paid for the abuse of young children in Asia.

National Crime Agency investigators identified that Ian Wynter, 59, targeted financially vulnerable individuals in countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia. He would give them explicit direction and pay them to live stream themselves carrying out the abuse.

Wynter was arrested by the NCA in January 2020 after flying into Gatwick Airport from Shanghai, China, where he had been living and working.

Officers seized a number of electronic devices, including phones, a laptop and an external hard drive from him at the airport, as well as from his UK home in Loughborough.

They recovered thousands of online chat logs which showed Wynter speaking with offenders based all over the world.

In the chats, Wynter describes himself as a “paedophile” who is “sexually attracted to babies and toddlers”. As well as discussing raping them among other horrific ‘fantasies’, he also advised others on how to carry out abuse without getting caught.

While on a trip to Thailand in 2020, he engaged in an online conversation with another paedophile about potentially finding a local child to abuse.

The chat logs and financial records showed that Wynter had paid a man in the Philippines to abuse a two-year-old boy for him via video call, on multiple occasions in 2019. Video recordings of these calls made by Wynter show him directing the abuse throughout, as well as requesting specific sexual acts in the chat box.

Additional messages show the man telling Wynter he is in financial difficulty and needs money for “milk and diapers”. Wynter later passed on the contact details of the Filipino facilitator to another online user, who he said was willing to pay “$125 up front for a show”.

The facilitator has since been sentenced to 15 years in prison in the Philippines and local authorities safeguarded the child.

Wynter also paid another male facilitator in Indonesia for several video calls of him abusing two-year-old boy in 2018. In this case, the man said the money would help pay for his diploma.

17,000 indecent images of children (6,000 in category A) were stored across Wynter’s devices, many of which he had also shared online. Within these was a naked image of a child that he had taken himself.

In June this year, Wynter pleaded guilty to 13 charges including multiple counts of encouraging the sexual assault & rape of a child under 13 and the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.

He was sentenced today (09/11/2022) at Leicester Crown Court to 25 years in prison.

He will also be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and has been placed on the Sex Offender Register.

Tony Smith from the National Crime Agency said:

“Ian Wynter is a prolific sexual offender who caused very young children to suffer the most horrendous abuse at the hands of willing facilitators, giving them specific direction and financial reward.

“Wynter spoke with thousands of other predators online with whom he openly discussed his horrific sexual fantasies, and offered advice on carrying out abuse while avoiding detection.

“This case is a key example of how predatory sexual offenders are using online platforms to target vulnerable children overseas, as well as to connect with other like-minded individuals. Wynter’s sentence reflects the gravity of his worldwide offending and our commitment to bring him to justice.

“The NCA works with law enforcement partners across the globe to ensure we are identifying and disrupting offenders, and safeguarding children, wherever they are.”

Bethany Raine, CPS Specialist Prosecutor, said:

“Wynter demonstrated sickening depravity by paying adults to sexually abuse children in video calls and exploiting innocent children in other parts of the world.

“This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA and international partners, will work to bring to justice those who sexually abuse and exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.

“Working with our international partners we have also been able to help the Filipino courts jail one of the abusers Wynter encouraged in his appalling search for sexual gratification.”

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TikTok influencer Mahek Bukhari's accomplice Raees Jamal had already been convicted of rape long before being convicted of murder. On Friday, four people, including Jamal, were found guilty of murder by a jury at Leicester Crown Court after a trial lasting 50 days.

Now it can be reported that Jamal had been convicted last year of raping a 17-year-old girl at his home in Loughborough. The trial for that crime took place before the TikTok trial and to ensure fair verdicts in the murder trial the jury was not told of the rape case and the press were not allowed to report it.

Jamal was sentenced for the rape at Leicester Crown Court in August 2022 and was given 10 years behind bars. During that hearing, the judge urged Jamal's young rape victim not to blame herself. The jury heard how Jamal had invited his victim to his home to watch a film just a few days after she had turned 17. Jamal pinned his victim on his bed and had unprotected sex with her, despite her trying to push him off and repeatedly telling him 'no'.

Judge Robert Brown told Jamal's victim's family members, who were in court for the sentencing: "She is a victim. She must not think she did anything to cause this rape. She did not. Tell her that from me. I hope it helps her come to terms with this."

The rape took place in June 2020 when the girl agreed to go out in Loughborough town centre with Jamal and later went back to his home in Lingdale Road in the town. His parents, who were at the house when she arrived, went off to work a night shift and Jamal took the girl upstairs to watch a film and he was "pestering" her for some time before trapping her under him and attacking her.

Daren Samat, prosecuting, said the girl had been 16 when Jamal started chatting to her on social media. Describing the day of the rape he said: "They went upstairs to watch a film and within minutes the defendant began to pester her. She said she didn't want that. She said no several times and tried to persuade him physically."

In a letter to police about how the crime had affected her, the victim said she had tried to kill herself and she remained "haunted" by what had happened, as well as being left with the scars of her suicide attempt. She said in the letter: "It's been two years since the rape happened and I still, to this day, get haunted. I've never felt so isolated and most nights I cry myself to sleep. I haven't learned how to live with this." Mr Samat said: "There is psychological harm here and grooming, via social media, over the course of about six months."

Ayoub Khan, representing Jamal, tried to argue there had not been any grooming and that the attack had not been sustained but the judge rejected both those statements. Mr Khan added: "He had only just turned 20. He is a young man who had a fairly turbulent upbringing."

The judge told Jamal: "When she met you she did not have sex in mind and did not want intimacy in that early stage of your relationship. I think it is justified to describe it as sustained. She was trapped. She was pinned on the bed and you overpowered her. She was not egging you on - she repeatedly said 'no' and 'stop it' and tried to push you off.

"She has undergone severe psychological harm." His sentence for the rape is likely to be eclipsed by whatever minimum term the judge decides in the murder case. As well as being jailed for the rape, Jamal was given a lifetime restraining order to keep him from contacting his victim and will be on the sex offenders register for life.