Latest Offenders Liver

Description

A serial sex offender claimed his young victims "laughed at him" when he exposed himself to them as they walked home from school.

Peter Steinitz spotted the girls near to a McDonald's then began to follow them around as he performed a sex act on himself. The pensioner has now amassed convictions for 20 separate sexual offences.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that the three friends were walking near to a south Liverpool McDonald's in January this year when they saw the defendant with his trousers down and exposing himself to them. Stuart Mills, prosecuting, described how they continued to a nearby park but were followed by Steinitz, who began masturbating.

The pervert carried on with his vile behaviour as he watched them in a play area. One of the youngsters then phoned her mum, who advised them to return to school.

Stenitz, of Dingle Lane, again tailed them there. While their school was closed by the time they had arrived back, the girls were able to report what had happened to a teacher who subsequently called the police.

They had managed to take a picture of the flasher as he followed them, which led to the 67-year-old being identified as the culprit. Under interview, Steinitz claimed he could not remember the incident - but later said his victims were "watching him and laughing at him".

The teacher described her pupils as being "upset and distressed" following the ordeal. Meanwhile, one of the schoolgirls told officers that she was "disgusted, sad and scared".

Steinitz has a total of 48 previous convictions for 114 offences, including 19 for sexual offences. Eight of these have been for exposure, with one for outraging public decency and two for gross indecency with a child.

A sexual offences protection order also bans him from "loitering in the vicinity" of public parks. Rachel Oakdene, defending, told the court: "Custody after custody after custody does not seem to abate his offending, and the facts very much speak for themselves.

"He does not have any formal diagnosis, but he believes he does have dementia. It may be coupled with his substance misuse. He is an isolated individual. At the time of the offences, he had recently had two family bereavements.

"Happily, it does not appear there has been any significant long-term impact on these young ladies. They have been able to put this unpleasant incident behind them."

Steinitz admitted outraging public decency and breaching a sexual offences prevention order. He was jailed for 32 months.

Sentencing, Judge David Hale said: "This is a very serious offence of outraging public decency. They have undoubtedly been affected by what happened."

Description

A takeaway manager wept in court after he subjected a woman to a terrifying sex attack in a hotel.

Stefanita Mosescu had been on a night out in Nottingham city centre on November 3 last year, before following the victim back to a hotel. He grabbed her in the lift and once in the hall, moved along the second floor where his room was.

The 42-year-old pushed her against a wall and onto the floor. The incident was captured on CCTV, showing Mosescu trying to carry her to his room, as she was seen grabbing hold of the door. Afterwards, she went to the hotel's reception and asked for the police to be called.

Mosescu, of Mercer Drive, Liverpool, was arrested a short time later and initially tried to claim what happened was consensual. He also said he was drunk at the time and couldn’t remember what had happened. However, faced with overwhelming evidence against him, he later pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

At his sentence hearing on Friday, May 12, his victim bravely read her statement where she described the incident as one of the most extreme to happen in her life. "I was so overpowered by him", she said.

The woman described having a piece of her taken away, and said "I may never be the whole me again". Steven Gosnell, mitigating, said married Mosescu was of previous good character.

"He was very much in drink," he added. "That's no excuse. He has been a hard-working man and that has been taken away. He simply can't explain the man on that screen (meaning the CCTV) - but he accepts responsibility".

Judge Stuart Rafferty KC sentenced him to seven years and two months for offences of assault by penetration and sexual assault. Mosescu pleaded guilty to the charges, and is now on the sex offender register for life.

Judge Rafferty said: "Only you can truly know what was in your mind on the night that you violated that lady, and violated is the correct term to use. Because you did not abuse her simply once, you abused her repeatedly.

"It was an indication what her frame of mind was that she was holding her mobile phone in her hand all the time this was happening. She couldn't use it. She was fixed on it. In my judgement, she was fixed on it because she was trying to put from her mind what was happening.

"What you did to her has changed her life and it has changed yours. There is not much point standing here weeping now and feeling sorry for yourself - you did not feel any sorrow for her then, not a shred".

Description

A 24-year-old has been handed a life sentence for violently snatching a six-year-old girl and attempting to rape her in the nearby woods in Greater Manchester.

Lewis Jones subjected the child to 30 minutes of brutal abuse, Manchester Crown Court heard this week, and she was covered in blood, after she was kidnapped from a field in Droylsden, Tameside, where she was building a den with friends. The presiding Judge handed down a minimum 12-year sentence after concluding that, notwithstanding the horrific nature of Jones’ crimes, he still lacked “remorse”. Court reports suggested Jones had shown no emotion as he was sentenced. 

The attacker had been sitting on a bench near his victim and her friends last August, secretly taking pictures of their bottoms before he snatched the girl.

One of the children said she felt “uncomfortable” before Jones snatched her friend as he “kept smiling at her”. Earlier, he had spoken to the group and asked if he could help make the den. 

When they appeared distracted, Jones grabbed the six-year-old and pulled her into nearby woods, where she was subjected to a 30-minute assault. He threatened if she made a sound, she'd never see her parents again.

Jones’ semen was found on his victim's underwear. 

The girl said he'd put his hand on her throat and sexually assaulted her. Her top was covered in blood after Jones had put his fingers down her throat and knocked one of her teeth out. He'd also taken pictures of the girl during the attack.

Jones only let her go after he heard her family screaming her name as they began a desperate search of the area.

The alarm was raised by an 11-year-old who told her family what had happened.

Another girl playing nearby saw Jones carrying her with blood over her T–shirt.

She heard the man say: “You're okay, you're okay”. Later, she saw the girl alone on a footpath. She was screaming: “Help me, I've been kidnapped.” 

The paedophile fled the area on foot and returned to a hotel in Ancoats, where he was staying with his father. A few hours later, he shared explicit images of the incident with a former girlfriend. 

Greater Manchester Police issued CCTV images of Jones after the attack in a bid to track him down. The criminal’s father saw the images and took his son to the police station.

After he denied involvement when questioned by police, he later admitted to kidnap and two counts of assault by penetration.

The child's mother, in a victim impact statement, said she “couldn’t stop screaming” when she found out about the attack, adding she “could not believe someone had taken my little girl and assaulted her in such a horrific way.” 

Description

A convicted paedophile said "oops" when he was confronted about gaps in his internet history.

Jeffrey Wade was handed a 16 month sentence, suspended for two years, and had to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years in October 2020, when he admitted three counts of downloading and one of possessing indecent images of children, and one count of possessing prohibited images of children. Wade was caught when he took an Amazon Kindle containing sick pictures to Cash Converters.

He had been "downloading and stockpiling" more than 4,000 child sex abuse photos and videos since 2016. His collection included images of babies and toddlers being molested and children as young as five or six being raped.

Wade, 37, took his Kindle to Cash Converters and received £15 for it. However, when staff came to wipe the device, they found the disturbing images and contacted the police, leading to him admitting to the crimes.

However, he walked free in October 2020 after a judge heard he was "motivated to put this behaviour behind him". As part of his suspended sentence, any device of Wade's that could access the internet had to display its internet history in its entirety.

Today (March 3), Wade appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via video link from HMP Liverpool to be sentenced, having committed breaches of the suspended sentence and the Sexual Harm Prevention Order he was subject to.

Prosecuting, Mr Blasbery told the court that Wade's offender manager paid him a routine visit at his East Prescot Road home in Dovecot on May 20, 2022. During the visit, the manager found a black Nokia device.

The device had a Virtual Private Network (VPN) downloaded. VPNs give an internet user an opportunity to encrypt their use of the internet, making it harder for third parties to track their online activity.

Wade's Nokia also showed use of search engine DuckDuckGo, which protects the privacy of internet users. Additionally, there were gaps in his internet history on Google Chrome.

When the officer mentioned this to Wade, he said "oops, yeah".

On May 26, an examination of the phone was conducted. This confirmed that two VPNs were installed, along with use of DuckDuckGo, while an expert said that Wade had to take "positive action" to install and activate these.

Wade, who suffers from mental health problems including schizophrenia, attended a police interview on August 5, 2022. It was put to him that he should not have any way of conducting secure internet browsing. He said "I understand, it won't happen again".

The device did not contain any illegal images and Wade said he used the VPN for downloading films. However, the use of it breached terms he was subject to.

This meant that he appeared on video link from prison, as the offence took place during the length of his initial suspended sentence.

Mr Recorder Leach QC was unable to pass sentence today. Wade will need to undergo a psychiatric assessment in order to ascertain the role his mental health problems played in his offending, as well as to decide whether he has a realistic problem of rehabilitation, before the judge sentences him.

As such, Wade will appear at Liverpool Crown Court in May.

Description

A paedophile was found hiding in a cupboard after sending a naked picture of himself to an undercover police officer.

Violent domestic abuser and convicted robber Wayne Jones, 34, then tried to shift the blame onto his innocent partner who was in hospital at the time. He appeared via videolink at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to one count of attempted sexual communication with a child and one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

Kate Morley, prosecuting, told how Jones flew into a rage in Runcorn on March 25 last year when his then-partner - who we have chosen not to name - “confronted” him and "questioned his sexuality" due to content she discovered on his phone. In her words, Jones “flipped” and attacked her, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Ms Morley said Jones “jumped on (his victim), kneeling on her legs, and shouted in her face - she couldn’t move”. In the ensuing struggle she grabbed his T-shirt and said she might have scratched him while “trying to escape”, and he elbowed her in the face, knocking her glasses off.

She began to cry, and “described not being able to breathe out of her nose and her lip was bleeding”.

Officers learned of the incident during a routine welfare safeguarding visit a few days later. Jones, of Arden Drive, Speke, pleaded guilty to one count of ABH on the basis he didn’t bite her.

The victim suffered bruises including to her nose, left eye, body, arms and legs. When interviewed by police, Jones said the claims were “laughable and quite funny and all a lie”.

In her victim personal statement, she said she realised she was a victim of domestic violence and when she read back what had happened - “it sounded like a film - I thought ‘is that my life?’” She said she’d completed “so many domestic violence courses” in the past but following the assault it “sank in, everything fell into place” adding: “I don’t know why I protected him.”

Jones’s conduct left her suffering “panic attacks in the night” and waking up “not being able to breathe like I’m being strangled - the doctors think it’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)”. She was now trying to rebuild her life but had to move to another area, and away from friends and family, and no longer wants to go out and socialise but was “glad I’ve spoken up”.

The assault happened around only a month after Jones had been engaging in a lewd conversation on social media with an undercover police officer he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. Ms Morley told the court Jones used the pseudonym “JohnJones” on Kik Messenger and said he was 32 years old.

The “girl” said she was 13, to which Jones replied “yeah”. At first he asked “why are you on this, it’s dangerous for you?” He was back three weeks later in February, telling the “girl” he was “from Runcorn” and sent a picture of his genitals.

His watch and a “distinctive” tattoo on his left wrist were enough for investigators to match the picture to Jones later on. When she said she was 13 years old, Jones made out he wasn’t aware and said he “didn’t know” and told her not to message him.

He was back again on Valentine’s Day, February 14, asking the “girl” to chat on SnapChat, where he “immediately asked for pictures”, only to “delete her” when snubbed. Jones wasn’t finished, and a week later messaged her on Kik asking if she wanted to see his genitals and perform a sex act. He also asked to see pictures of her breasts.

She refused and he branded her a “weirdo” and told her to “f*** off”, but a few days later made a similar request to see her genitals. Police enquiries linked the account to his then-partner’s address in Runcorn - but she had been in hospital. Officers found the pervert Jones “hiding in a cupboard behind a wardrobe in a rear bedroom”.

Police found the incriminating picture of Jones’s genitals with watch and tattoo on his phone in addition to screenshotted messages, and although he had deleted Kik and SnapChat, the phone still contained files showing the apps had been previously installed.

Jones tried to blame the innocent victim of his domestic violence for the messages and picture, but police eliminated that as a possibility because she had been in hospital at the time and the phone had been traced to the residential property and they had been in communication with each other so “it couldn’t be her”.

When interviewed on April 1 he denied “ever having a Kik account”.

Ms Morley said Jones had 22 convictions for 34 offences including multiple robberies, affray, dwelling and non-dwelling burglaries, ABH assaults, criminal damage, “exposure”, possessing the Class B drug ketamine and possessing prohibited items in prison and most recently possessing a prohibited item namely a phone in prison for which he was sentenced to eight months in prison last April.

James Preece, defending, noted Jones’s guilty pleas on the day of trial for the attempted sexual communication and day before trial for the ABH, and lack of previous child sex or domestic violence convictions.

He said the victim’s injuries were “not serious injuries in all the circumstances”, and he said the victim statement referred to a course of alleged conduct that went beyond the scope of the convicted ABH offence, noting the court had ordered other charges to lie on file.

Mr Preece conceded the judge would impose consecutive sentences for the different types of crime, and as such he appealed to the “principle of totality”.

He added that father-of-three and former joinery worker Jones was “embarrassed” by his child sex offence conviction and had found custody “difficult”, struggling with his “mental health and low mood”.

Mr Preece said Jones said the reason why his last sentencing hearing was adjourned was because two men had attacked Jones with a broom handle in his cell on his “usual prison wing” after he entered his guilty plea to the sexual communication matter.

The attack left him with “two black eyes, bleeding behind one eye and a gash to the front of his face”, as well as being moved to another wing. Mr Preece said Jones has been undertaking courses with a view to rebuilding his life after leaving prison.

Judge David Potter sentenced Jones to two years and two months in prison and placed him on the sex offenders register with Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years in addition to a restraining order.

He said the relationship between Jones and his then-partner had been “toxic” and troubled with “difficulty from day one”

Commenting on the impact of Jones’s domestic assault during his sentencing remarks, Judge Potter said: “She now suffers from panic attacks and PTSD from the trauma she’s been put through and as a result of the assault had to leave her home area and start again with no friends or family. This relationship is thankfully at an end and there will be a lengthy restraining order imposed today.”

The judge gave a factual chronology of the attempted sexual communication matter, adding: “You denied that you had been responsible for those messages and in fact blamed the victim for being the author of those messages. You persisted with that denial right the way through until the beginning of your trial."

Description

A man caught with more than 15,000 indecent photographs of children claimed he ‘didn’t realise it was illegal’.

Tony Collins, 49, escaped jail after officers searched his Liverpool home in 2021 to find images of children as young as five and ‘children’s knickers’.

Investigators, acting on intelligence, found the trove of images on electronic devices including a Samsung mobile phone, a hard drive and a laptop.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday how officers found ‘category A images’ – the most graphic – on the devices, including a photo of a 13-year-old girl.

Around 138 ‘category B’ pictures were also found on top of 15,248 ‘category C’ images of children aged between eight and nine.

Some of the photographs included a child estimated to be around five and seven, prosecutor Sarah Holt added.

The images were all downloaded across the space of four years from 2017 to 2021, some of which ended up in the recycling bin of the devices.

During a voluntary interview, Collins said he has learning difficulties, struggles to read and write, and ‘didn’t realise it was illegal to look at those photos’.

He alleged he ‘didn’t look for images of children he wasn’t sexually attracted to’.

Collins faced a maximum punishment of a decade in jail – but the judge spared Collins jail, given his lack of prior convictions and his ‘personal characteristics’.

‘It’s important to note viewing and downloading of images, you are perpetuating a wicked and repellent market for the exploitation of children, some are very young,’ Recorder Harris said.

‘The corrosive effects and psychological harm caused to children who are forced to pose for these photographs is incalculable.’

Collins previously pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs and possessing indecent images and prohibited photographs of children.

‘Making’ indecent images of children, which can involve producing or distributing them, carries far more severe punishments than ‘possessing’ them.

Such charges are ‘serious enough to warrant punishment by immediate imprisonment’, Recorder said.

Though he was assessed as being a ‘medium risk of harm to children’, Recorder Harris said Collins had a ‘realistic chance of rehabilitation’.

Collins was handed an ‘alternative’ punishment that includes three years of concurrent community orders and a rehabilitation requirement of 30 days.

He must show his probation officer he is taking the steps to prevent further offending by ‘educating’ himself and working with the police sexual offences unit.

Recorder Harris also ordered Collins to be on the sex offenders register for five years and issued a sexual harm prevention order.

Collins must also pay £70 costs within a year and a statutory surcharge.

Description

This is the face of a man jailed for sexually assaulting a woman at a house party.

Merseyside Police officers received a report on Saturday, October 29, 2019, that James Madine, 34, sexually assaulted a woman at a house party in St Helens. Following forensic examinations and complex investigations, detectives from Merseyside’s Unity Team - who specialise in Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Offences - charged Madine, of Kamala Way in Norris Green for sexual assault by penetration.

Madine was then found guilty following a seven day trial and convicted of sexual assault on January 31, 2023. He was sentenced to four years at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, March 3).

Madine also received a 10 year restraining order against his victim, a sexual offences prevention order and a lifetime on the sex offences register.

Detective Constable Rebecca Igglesden said: “This sentence follows a lengthy investigation to bring Madine before the courts so that he pays for his crimes. His victim showed great determination and bravery when reporting this to police and throughout the entire process.

"I hope this result brings her the closure she deserves and allows her to move on from this knowing he cannot harm them or anyone else. Madine will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his deplorable actions and offences.

“Today’s results shows that violence against women and girls will simply not be tolerated and we will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice. We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation.

“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

Call 101 to report a sexual offence allegation where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers, or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Description

A pyromaniac who was previously jailed for life for setting fire to a curry house said "I feel sick" after he was outed as a paedophile.

Alan Cashman held daily lewd chats on Facebook with what he believed was a 14-year-old boy and exposed himself during a video call. But, unbeknown to him, he was being ensnared in a paedophile hunter sting.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Thursday, that the 39-year-old first contacted the decoy - which was being operated by the Saving Our Children Online group - on October 10 last year. Cashman, of no fixed address, sent the supposed youngster a friend request then began conversing with him on Facebook Messenger on a "daily basis" over the course of the next 12 days.

David Watson, prosecuting, described how the pervert sent a series of explicit images and performed a sex act during a video chat - encouraging him to do the same. A hunter then contacted him on another account, this time under the guise of an adult, and made arrangements to meet up for sex.

But he was confronted by group members at the rendezvous point on Greenheys Road in Toxteth on October 22 2022. When police attended the scene and arrested him shortly after 7.45pm, Cashman replied: "I feel sick."

His four previous convictions for four offences include two for arson, one of which saw him handed a life sentence in 2010 when aged 26. It came after he set a fire that ripped through the Spice City Indian restaurant, on Stanley Street in Liverpool city centre, and the flats above it in the early hours of August 9 2009.

Cashman then waited around to watch the building burn before, hours later, trying to pass himself off to the ECHO as a hero who had tried to save four residents trapped inside by the flames and smoke. But his lies were soon exposed and a judge described him as a "pyromaniac", having set rubbish in the rear doorway alight.

Residents described having woken up "choking on thick smoke", with one believing he may have to jump from his fourth floor apartment in order to escape the blaze. Others fled to the rooftop and clambered away onto other buildings.

Flames destroyed interior walls and the roof of the grade two-listed structure, causing an estimated £1.7million of damage. Cashman, then of Alfonso Road in Anfield, was given a minimum term of four years on this occasion.

He was locked up for the same offence in 2004 after picking up a 64-year-old man in Paco's Bar, also on Stanley Street, returning to his home in Huyton to continue drinking then setting fire to the property. The defendant was recalled on licence to prison following his latest crimes.

Ben Berkson, defending, told the court: "He has admitted to a sexual interest in children, which is often difficult for offenders to admit and is the only route to rehabilitation. He is intent on dealing with his sexual attraction to children.

"He is shocked and stunned that he is now a sex offender. He does demonstrate remorse for what he has done.

"He is exceptionally sorry and describes it as a big mistake. He is completely unaware and in the dark about when his release date is to be."

Cashman admitted attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch sexual activity and attempting sexual communications with a child. Appearing via video link to HMP Altcourse, he was jailed for 20 months as well as being handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders' register for the same period.

Sentencing, Recorder Jeremy Lasker said: "It is to your credit, and unusual in the experience of these courts, that you are a defendant who is prepared to accept that you have a sexual interest in young boys. I do accept a degree of remorse on your part."

Description

A north-east babysitter has been placed on the sex offenders register after showing pornography to children as young as four.

Kirsty Sutherland also used controversial website Omegle to make a sexually explicit video call with an unknown male while in the presence of two other children she was supposed to be looking after.

Description

A tearful pervert cried and wailed as he was jailed after being caught in three paedophile hunter stings.

Alan Thomley engaged in lewd online chats with three decoy accounts posing as what he believed were teenage girls aged as young as 13. The 51-year-old asked one of the supposed youngsters what colour her underwear was and exposed himself on video while in the bath to the others.

Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Tuesday, that he began communicating with a '13-year-old' on messaging service SayHi in July 2021 before continuing to talk with her on WhatsApp over the course of the following month. Thomley, of Longfield Road in Bootle, "asked what colour knickers she had on" and told her to "lift her top up so he could see her bra".

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how the paedophile "said she was sexy and had sexy eyes". He then began communicating with a hunter pretending to be a 14-year-old girl on the same platform, requesting naked pictures.

Thomley again instructed her to lift up her top and offered to video chat with her as he performed a sex act while bathing. In August, the defendant began attempting to groom another supposed 14-year-old - again asking for indecent images and filming himself in the bath, as well as "asking her what her bra size was".

He was eventually confronted at his workplace in Manchester by the groups on August 20 and was arrested. Under interview with police, Thomley "denied any sexual motivation".

This is the second time he has been convicted for such offences, previously being caught in such a sting back in 2015 before breaching his sexual harm prevention order during 2017. The court was told he acts a carer to his "vulnerable" partner and gained new employment after losing his job once caught out.

Thomley admitted three counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, two counts of attempting to incite a child to watch sexual activity and three counts of attempting sexual communications with a child. He was jailed for 45 months, handed a new lifetime SHPO and told to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

Sentencing, Recorder David Knifton KC said: "You engaged in extensive online chats, apparently with three girls aged 13 and 14. In fact, unbeknown to you, the teenage girls were adult members of vigilante groups seeking to catch paedophiles by acting as decoys.

"Even then, you denied any sexual motivation - suggesting you were simply lonely and keen to engage in contact with females you suggested were adults. It appears your sexual offending resumed due to difficulties in your relationship with your partner and what you describe as a lack of sexual activity.

"Had you been in communication with real children, there would undoubtedly have been the potential for a high level of lasting sexual and emotional harm. You are assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to children.

"Your conduct is aggravated by your previous conviction and your failure to respond to previous warnings. We will never know how far your conduct would have gone, but for the involvement of the vigilante group who confronted you."

Thomley was seen shaking in the dock as he was sentenced, then put his head in his hands as he was told he would be imprisoned and appeared to be on the verge of tears. Once taken down to the cells, the sex offender could be heard loudly crying and wailing.

Description

A man told what he presumed was a 12-year-old girl he wanted to see her "in her birthday suit" and plotted a sordid sex meeting at McDonald's. Harry Croft said he would pretend to be the youngster's grandad if customers or staff became suspicious during a series of lewd online chats.

Yet thankfully, and unbeknown to him, he was actually talking to an undercover police officer. Liverpool Crown Court heard that the 61-year-old began communicating with what he thought was a 12-year-old child in a chatroom in November last year.

Carmel Wilde, prosecuting, described how the pervert asked to see pictures of her in a "sexy nighty or her birthday suit". Croft, of Turton Close, professed that "there are groups out there trying to trap men like me" and confessed that he was "scared of being found out".

Nevertheless, he arranged to meet her at the McDonald's branch in Newton-le-Willows and said that they would "pretend to be granddad and granddaughter" if anyone became suspicious. The pervert also told the decoy: "I've always wanted to see what it's like to be with a young girl. As we get on so well, it's only natural for us to try."

Croft was arrested on December 20 at the arranged meeting point. Under interview, he said he had been on a website for over 18s and it had been a "fantasy, just playing along" - according to the ECHO, adding that he went to McDonald's to "see if anyone turned up" and that they would "have a laugh" if so.

The defendant has one previous conviction for two offences. David Rose, appearing on his behalf, told the court: "He has had some difficulties in coming to terms with and accept his guilty, but he accepts he committed the offences."

Croft admitted attempting sexual communications with a child and arranging a child sex offence on Friday. He was jailed for 30 months, handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and told to sign the sex offenders' register for the same period.

Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "The reality is, you recognise, there must be a prison sentence for these matters. The hope is, when you have served it, you will not commit any further offences in the future."

Description

Ahmed Khalio, a married man with an 11-month-old son, had no previous convictions.

A shop worker has been jailed after he sexually assaulted a girl wearing her school uniform on her 16th birthday.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Ahmed Khalio groped the teenager inside the convenience store where he worked and pinned her against the counter, but later claimed he had only been "messing around".

The city's top judge today told the dad that his sickening attack had been "outrageous".

The girl stopped in the Go Local store on Scargreen Avenue in Norris Green on her way from school on the day of the attack early last year, the court heard yesterday (Tuesday, January 17).

Andrew McInnes, prosecuting, said the youngster was alone and still wearing her school uniform on what was her 16th birthday.

Khalio, who was employed as a part-time shop assistant, was stacking shelves when she entered. He then followed her as she approached the till and touched her on her bottom.

The 22-year-old walked away to the front door before returning to her, pressing his body against hers from behind and sandwiching her against the counter.

Khalio - of Webster Road in Wavertree - asked her "if she loved him" as well as how old she was, telling her "not to tell anyone what happened".

The pervert then lifted up her skirt and began touching her legs and thighs before continuing his assault by touching her over her underwear.

The incident lasted a "couple of minutes" and only stopped when another customer entered, causing him to "jump away quickly" and allowing her to escape.

She was left "scared and in shock" and reported the attack to police that evening after telling a friend about what had happened to her.

The teen recalled "telling him to get off her" but Khalio continued regardless, while she also stated she had been "so scared she felt she couldn't scream or shout".

Under interview, the sex offender "accepted flirting" with the girl - whom he thought was aged 17.

He also "denied putting his hand up her skirt or touching her private area" and said he had "just been messing around".

Khalio, a married man with an 11-month-old son, has no previous convictions.

Sam Parham, defending, told the court: "He is extremely sorry for his actions and any negative impact on this young lady."

The defendant was assisted by an interpreter in the dock after being found guilty of four counts of sexual assault following a trial before magistrates.

Khalio was jailed for six months, as well as being handed a seven-year notification requirement and a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim for the next two years.

Sentencing, the Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said: "You simply took advantage of the fact she was alone and no one else was about. You touched her despite the fact she plainly did not want this attention from you.

"This lasted for a couple of minutes, although for her it must have felt like an eternity. Although you express some remorse for this incident, you continue to maintain that you did not simply assault her - certainly not in the was she describes.

"Your behaviour on this particular day was outrageous."

Description

A man has been jailed after raping a woman on multiple occasions in a house.

Gheorghe Tirzuman, 39, raped a three times woman at a house in St Helens. Police said his victim was subjected to "great physical and emotional abuse" during the month in which she was raped multiple times by Tirzuman.

Tirzuman, of Quebec Quey was jailed for 14 years yesterday after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court for the three counts of rape, which happened in August 2021. He has also been given a indefinite restraining order and made to sign the sex offenders register.

Merseyside Police have praised the bravery of his victim for coming forward and bringing the rapist to justice.

Detective inspector Laura Lamping said: "Thanks to the bravery of Tirzuman’s victim he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions. Tirzuman subjected his victim to great physical and emotional abuse and I would like to take this opportunity to praise her in coming forward and the fear they have overcome to bring him to justice.

"While no sentence will repair the damage that Tirzuman has caused, I hope that by seeing him sent to prison for such a considerable period of time will give his victim some sort of closure and allow them to move on with their lives knowing he can no longer harm her or anyone else.

"We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation.

"Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence or is concerned for the safety of someone they know should come forward and speak to us. We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.

"As shown in this case time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them."

"Anyone with information or wants to report sexual offence allegation is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. If you’ve been affected by sexual violence of any kind don’t be afraid to tell someone, find the courage to come forward and get the help you deserve."

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Dean Newland has 19 previous convictions.

A man has been jailed after assaulting and threatening staff at a Wetherspoons while drunk.

Dean Newland, 33, of HMP Altcourse but formerly of no fixed address, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates court on Wednesday.

He appeared before the courts on three counts of assault for an incident in the Richard John Blackler branch of JD Wetherspoon on Great Charlotte Street, Liverpool city centre - as well as one count of failing to comply with sex offenders register notification requirements.

Yvonne Dobson, prosecuting, said that on October 10 at around 11.45pm, the victims were both at work in the Wetherspoon pub. A female member of staff noticed Newland standing near a group of men in the pub and asking them for money, so she approached and asked him to leave the premises.

He then became aggressive and demanded a drink, and when she refused, Newland sat at a nearby table which had a half-finished drink on it, the Liverpool Echo reports.

She tried to remove the glass from the table, as “he was acting in a very aggressive and threatening manner” so she was concerned, the court was told. She asked her colleagues for assistance, at which point a male colleague approached and also attempted to get Newland to leave. He continued behaving aggressively towards the Wetherspoons staff, and threatened the female member of staff, claiming his sister would “assault her”.

Newland then assaulted her, pushing her in the chest area. Ms Dobson said: “The defendant poured the half pint over the floor and raised the glass as if he was going to throw it. He continued making threats, and then leaned over, touching her left breast area. She felt instant pain at this point.

"He continued to be aggressive until police arrived at the scene and arrested him.” Amy Butler, defending, said Newland had been remanded in custody since October 12, and had positively used alcohol addiction recovery programmes while in prison.

She said: “Mr Newland does not try to minimise his behaviour on that day but alcohol is his problem, he is an alcoholic.

"He is a different person from what happened on the 12th of October. He has completed a 12-step program and has begun a mentoring program.” The court was told Newland has failed to comply with notification requirements six times, and this offence took place while he was subject to two suspended sentences for previous sexual offences.

In sentencing, Judge James Hatton said: “The big problem in this case Mr Newland is your record of convictions. You have been put on trust by the court and you have continued to commit offences. I know that it is difficult for you because of your personal circumstances, but you know what your responsibilities are.”

Judge Hatton activated two previous suspended sentences, of eight weeks and 12 weeks each, both previously given for breaching the sexual offences notification order. For the latest breach of a notification order, he was sentenced to a further 16 weeks, to be served consecutively. For the three cases of assault relating to the incident in Wetherspoons, he was handed four weeks each, to be served concurrently.

In total, he was sentenced to 36 weeks imprisonment. A community order was also imposed, stating Newland cannot have alcohol of any kind on his person in Liverpool city centre for two years.

She said: “Mr Newland does not try to minimise his behaviour on that day but alcohol is his problem, he is an alcoholic.

"He is a different person from what happened on the 12th of October.

“He has completed a 12-step program and has begun a mentoring program.” The court was told Newland has failed to comply with notification requirements six times, and this offence took place while he was subject to two suspended sentences for previous sexual offences.

In sentencing, Judge James Hatton said: “The big problem in this case Mr Newland is your record of convictions. You have been put on trust by the court and you have continued to commit offences.

“I know that it is difficult for you because of your personal circumstances, but you know what your responsibilities are.”

Judge Hatton activated two previous suspended sentences, of eight weeks and 12 weeks each, both previously given for breaching the sexual offences notification order.

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A top chef shook his head and smirked as he was finally brought to justice for sexually abusing young girls.

Peter Wright, who has worked in some of the city's most highly-regarded restaurants and been hired to cater for private clients abroad, "poisoned" his two victims - leaving them "devastated". Despite this, he has shown an "utter disregard" for his vile crimes and "does not seem to care" for the impact on their lives.

A trial at Liverpool Crown Court previously heard that the now 31-year-old, of Old Swan, repeatedly targeted them when they were aged as young as 12 during the noughties. Wright, who was also a juvenile at the time, also tried to rape one of the girls on one occasion.

Natalie Cornwall, prosecuting, on Friday read out statements to the court on behalf of the complainants describing the extent of the effect his actions had upon them. One said she had suffered nightmares and wet the bed as, adding: "I don't feel like I have a normal childhood.

"There is a huge void that can never be filled. It's hard to accept my life is never going to be normal because of what he did to me."

The other victim outlined she had self-harmed and attempted suicide due to Wright's abuse, saying: "I felt like I was overwhelmed with pressure and pain. I withdrew more and more and distanced myself from everybody.

"It feels like the poison he has caused is never ending. He has an utter disregard for the devastation he had caused - he does not seem to care."

Wright appeared to be shaking his head and smiling as the statements were aired and said "I don't think so" at one stage, which saw the dad reprimanded by the judge. Andrew Jebb stated in defence of his 6ft7 client: "He himself was a child at the time of the offences.

"He is a very talented chef. He has worked here in Liverpool for some very esteemed establishments.

"He has travelled on a private client basis to Ireland to provide private dining. There are very positive aspects to this defendant.

"Obviously what he did as a teenager was appalling behaviour and he is about to be punished for it. He is now a positive, hard-working member of society."

Wright was convicted of attempted rape and eight counts of sexual assault by a jury. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Sentencing, Judge Anil Murray said: "I have to bear in mind you were a child at the time and I take into account your immaturity at the time. In recent times there are positive aspects to your character.

"You have got a good work record and looked after your brother when he was ill. While you deny the offences, they were committed at a time when you were an adolescent, which is a period of rapid change.

"You fail to take responsibility for your actions and there is no remorse. You have been shaking your head during the sentencing process."

Wright was also told to sign the sex offenders' register indefinitely. Judge Murray imposed a restraining order preventing him from contacting his victims for life.