Latest Offenders Liver

Description

Francis Ward, 36, of Fox Street, was jailed for 25 years at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, April 22, 2022.

A rapist looked stunned as he was jailed for 25 years for sexually assaulting two teenage girls.

Francis Ward refuses to to accept he raped one of the teenagers and sexually assaulted the other even after being found guilty earlier this year. The two girls and their families faced him down in court today and celebrated as the sex attacker was led to the cells. 

He was open mouthed as Judge Robert Trevor-Jones sentenced him to a lengthy jail term. David Birrell, prosecuting, said Ward, from Fox Street, Liverpool, committed his first attacks on one girl before then targeting the second girl. 

He said that after being arrested Ward, who turned his head away from the victims seated in the public gallery for much of the hearing, denied the attacks took place. Mr Birrell said: “He was arrested and taken into police custody. He was questioned and answered 'no comment' to each and every question."

Ward's denials continued through all of his court hearings, including the trial. Jurors found him guilty of the attacks on March 18. Jonathan Duffy, defending, said Ward still disagreed with the jury’s verdict. Mr Duffy said: “As your honour knows from having heard the trial and what is said in the pre sentence report, the defendant does not agree with the verdicts of the jury but he respects them and understands your honour will have to sentence him on the facts as the jury found them.”

One of the girls addressed the court today, explaining how Ward’s attack had made her contemplate taking her own life. A statement from the second girl, read out by Mr Birrell, outlined similar psychological trauma.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones told Ward his actions continued to have far reaching consequences for both girls. He said: “Each of them clearly articulated an enduring trauma and scarring. As far as they are concerned, I am satisfied you inflicted serious harm on them.”

Judge Trevor-Jones added that Ward’s continued denials during his trial had forced both girls to “relive the horrors of this abuse, branding them liars in the process”. He jailed Ward for 18 years for the rape and sexual assault of one of the girls and for seven years for the sexual assault on the other.

The length of the sentence appeared to take Ward by surprise. He was open mouthed and shook his head a number of times after the verdict was announced before being taken down to the cells.

Description

Jamie Hart hid his address from officers after being released from prison A convicted rapist who refused to tell police where he was living after he was released from prison is now back behind bars. Jamie Hart was required to inform officers of his address as part of the notification requirements of the Sex Offenders Register. But the 36-year-old "persistently and deliberately ignored" these rules and police warnings. Liverpool Crown Court heard Hart was convicted of rape and jailed for seven and a half years in November 2013. He was also told to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life. Paul Blasbery, prosecuting, said Hart's notification requirements included that if he had been in custody, or otherwise detained, he had to inform police within three days of his release of details including his home address. On February 8 this year he was released from prison. On February 11 an officer contacted Hart, who told him he had gone to Wavertree Road and Bootle police stations, but both had been closed. He claimed he had then called the police, but hadn't been given a log number, and promised to attend again to complete the process. On February 14 the officer checked whether Hart had done as he said he would, but he hadn't, and by February 17 he had still not notified police of his address. The officer contacted Hart and warned him again, but Hart said he had been in hospital having an operation. The sex offender was given a list of police stations he could attend and when the officer rang him the next day, Hart said he was on his way to St Anne Street Police Station. However, by February 21, he still hadn't notified the police of where he was living. Hart was arrested on March 16, when he declined to be interviewed. He had still not notified officers of his address. Hart, of no fixed address, admitted failing to comply with his notification requirements. He has 24 previous convictions for 43 offences, including three previous breaches of his requirements. The court heard for the first breach he was handed 12 weeks in prison, suspended for nine months, for the second in October 2020 he was jailed for 12 weeks, and for the third in August 2021 he was jailed for 26 weeks. He was then released from jail in February. David Birrell, defending, said: "He does maintain on release he did initially make efforts to notify, going to two police stations, both of which were closed, and speaking to somebody on one of those yellow telephones outside the police station, but that doesn't excuse what followed. He had ample opportunity to notify. "He's fortunate to have a supportive family, his mother sits in court. His father would be here, but for his ill health, and they stand by him." Judge Stuart Driver, QC, told Hart: "The facts are you persistently and deliberately, again and again, ignored police reminders and failed to notify the police officers of your address between February and March of this year." The judge said the case was aggravated by Hart's previous convictions and three past breaches, and mitigated by his guilty plea, entitling him to a discount of one third off his sentence, plus conditions in prison during the pandemic. Judge Driver said he had not been asked to consider guidelines on whether he should spare Hart prison, but if he had, he would have noted his "history of non-compliance" with court orders and that "appropriate punishment" could only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence. The judge jailed Hart for eight months, who sighed loudly and nodded to his mum as he was sent down.

Description

A sexual predator is behind bars after his quick-thinking victims took photos and videos of him. Another brave woman also chased Ahmed Al-Razawe and punched him. Al-Razawe carried out three sex attacks in Liverpool city centre in the space of just four days last year. The creep, 24, first targeted two teenage friends sitting at a bus stop - asking them for sex and groping their thighs, the Liverpool Echo reports . He then smacked a young woman's bottom, before biting her breast after she wrestled him to the ground. A judge said Al-Razawe tried to treat the victims as his "sexual commodities" with "no regard for their rights". But they outsmarted the predator - using their mobile phones to take photos and videos of him. And one woman even chased him down the street, before landing a punch that helped put him behind bars. Attacks on teenagers Al-Razawe attacked two teenagers, aged 17 and 18, who were waiting for a taxi at Liverpool One bus station, at around 11.30pm, on Saturday, October 23. He groped their legs and slid his hand up one victim's shorts. But the other used her phone to take a photo and record a video of him, which she later posted on Facebook, to warn others and to get him identified. At the time the Syrian national - who had entered the UK illegally and applied for asylum - was living in a hostel in Upper Park Street, Toxteth. Several days later, the man running the hostel was sent a screenshot of the post when he immediately recognised Al-Razawe and contacted the police. In the meantime Al-Razawe had struck again, this time in Lydia Ann Street, at around 12.40am, on Wednesday, October 27. The drunken thug approached two women walking down the street, asking them to open a wine bottle, and when they walked on, he slapped and squeezed the bottom of one of the women. When her friend protested, he started swinging his arm at her, so the woman he had just molested grabbed him around the neck, and they both fell over. There he sunk his teeth into her left breast and hit her in the head with the bottle. Liverpool Crown Court heard a man shouted "get off" and Al-Razawe ran away. But by now the two women had been joined by another female friend, who chased after him and caught him up. Henry Riding, prosecuting, said: "There was something of a struggle before he then ran off again. During that struggle however the friend punched the defendant in the face. "The defendant suffered an injury causing him to bleed and some of his blood got on the friend's clothing. As a result of which, it was matched to the defendant as a result of DNA analysis." The third victim and her two friends also managed to take photos of Al-Razawe, before he was picked out in an identity parade. Faced with the overwhelming evidence against him, the coward admitted three counts of sexual assault and one count of assault causing actual bodily harm. The 17-year-old victim told the court she was left struggling to sleep. In a victim statement, she said: "Every time I close my eyes I could see his face." She added that she is now much more wary of people when she is out and that she was relieved neither her nor her friend had been on their own. The 18-year-old victim said she was left jumpy at the slightest noise, struggled to sleep, and woke up with a heavy feeling on her chest. Mr Riding said: "She describes how she doesn't want to get up or go out and relives what happened in her head over and over again." The third victim, in her 20s, had moved to Liverpool from a different area and described how she was left feeling uncomfortable in the city. She suffered nightmares, struggled to cope with social situations, and reacted negatively to men touching her in a friendly way. Mr Riding said: "She describes that the bite to her breast left a lasting scar, which is a permanent reminder of what happened and affects the clothing she can wear." Passing sentence, the judge Recorder Harris praised the woman who "bravely" chased after Al-Razawe and helped bring him to justice. He said the pervert would have to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for a decade. Al-Razawe, who claimed drink and drugs played a part in both attacks and that he didn't remember the first incident, was found by a probation officer to "pose a high risk of causing serious harm to women". Recorder Harris said he had shown "no insight or empathy" and had "a predatory sexual approach to women". The judge jailed him for three years. Al-Razawe will serve half of that sentence in prison, at which stage depending on the outcome of a Home Office hearing he will either be released on licence or deported.

Description

The dad of a vulnerable young woman with Down's Syndrome and the mental age of a six-year-old walked in on a perverted care worker exposing himself to her on a video call.

Wavertree man Peter Edge, 62, was the then director of a company offering respite care to adults with disabilities - giving parents and carers a much-needed break. The family of *Jane (not her real name), told the ECHO they had total trust in him.

Today, Preston Crown Court heard Edge, of Goswell Street, betrayed them in the most devastating way imaginable, raping and sexually assaulting her at the West Lancashire respite centre at a time when he knew it was empty. The abuse only came to light when her dad, to his horror, saw Edge had exposed his penis over the webcam while Jane was in the family home.

An investigation was launched and Lancashire Police discovered that Edge had sexually abused Jane on the very first day she was allowed out from her home after shielding from coronavirus as a vulnerable person.

The pervert was supposed to be taking her to a park to maintain social distancing boundaries, but knew the fact other staff and service users at the respite centre were there meant it would be empty. Her parents said Jane had to point out what happened to her to specially trained officers, a process which caused her stress and embarrassment.

Judge Heather Lloyd, passing sentence today, described Edge as a remorseless and manipulative offender who posed a significant danger to the public. She said: "It is a blessing that [Jane's dad] saw what you were doing. Had he not, who knows how long you would have gotten away with this criminal behaviour towards his daughter.

"She may have enjoyed the attention you were showing her... but she did not understand the gravity of what you had done to her."

During the hearing, Jane's mum bravely began to read a victim personal statement about the impact of Edge's crimes on the family - but became so emotional she asked prosecutor Richard Haworth to finish reading it out.

She said: "[Her dad] was absolutely devastated when he saw Edge expose his genitals to Jane and in that moment everything changed for Jane and us. She could no longer go to [the respite centre] for overnight stays or meet with her friends, she lost her entire care network and social life, and this was totally devastating and hard for us to explain to her."

The court heard initially the parents had no idea of the full extent of Edge's offending against their "beautiful and amazing" daughter until a detective came round to explain Jane had reported being sexually assaulted. Her mum said: "I felt physically sick. [Her dad] cried and that really upset me because as he never cries, he very rarely shows his emotions. I found it hard to process what Jane had been through and didn't know how to deal with it."

The family have since struggled to find new respite care for Jane, and lost her grandad before he could see justice. Her mum told the court: "I find it hard to digest that the person I trusted with Jane violated her in the sickest way. It's hard to believe anyone could take advantage of Jane, let alone when the perpetrator is someone I'd also thought of as a friend, someone I allowed into my home and more importantly into Jane's life to care for her and protect her whilst she wasn't with me."

Edge accepted two lesser charges, but denied raping Jane and her family were forced to endure a trial - a process which Jane's mum described as a "horrendous ordeal".

Edge claimed he felt "disgusted" with himself after acting inappropriately with her, but denied he had raped her. A jury saw through his lies and convicted him of rape, sexual assault and other offences.

Jane's mum told the court: "On the day Edge gave evidence [Jane's dad] couldn't even be in court as he was too angry and upset and he couldn't listen to what that man had to say. I did sit through his evidence. There are no words to explain how it made me feel.

"I was in complete disbelief and disgusted to hear that he had sexual urges towards my beautiful daughter. It was utterly disgusting to sit a few feet away from him and having to listen. It didn't feel like it was my Jane that was being talked about. I felt like I was watching someone else's trial except, every time Jane's name was mentioned, it hit me hard it was my daughter who was being talked about and it made it real again."

Lloyd Morgan, defending Edge, told the court that a the legal definition of dangerousness, a significant risk of future harm, was not met. He highlighted that the Probation Service classed Edge as a low risk of reoffending, and said the inevitable long prison sentence and restrictions imposed after his release would be enough to protect the public.

Mr Morgan also said the Probation Service believed Edge had displayed remorse and a desire to understand why he committed the offences. However Judge Lloyd said she could not understand how he could show remorse when he still maintained his innocence of the most serious charges.

However Judge Lloyd said she disagreed, meaning Edge would find himself spending a considerably longer time behind bars. She handed down an extended sentence of 15 years in prison, with an additional two years on licence.

The sentence means instead of being automatically released on licence at the half-way stage, Edge must serve a minimum of two thirds - 10 years - behind bars before a Parole Board can consider him for early release.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Kerry Briggs said: "Peter Edge is an offender who abused his position of trust as a carer to subject his vulnerable victim to abhorrent abuse whilst he should have been providing care.

"I would first and foremost like to commend her for her courage in speaking out and facing her abuser through the court process, and both her and her family for conducting themselves with such dignity throughout this process in the face of repeated lies and attempts by Edge to use this ladys vulnerability to try and conceal what he had done.

"The victim is a happy go-lucky individual and its heart-breaking to think that someone who she trusted took advantage of her in this way. We have worked tirelessly to secure this conviction in very difficult circumstances and I hope that this significant sentence keeps the public safe from his disgusting sick behaviour along with giving others the courage who may have suffered similar abuse to come forward."

Solicitor Kevin Donoghue, who is representing Jane and her family in a civil case against the care company, added: "My clients parents were totally taken in by Peter Edge and his company. They were convinced he had their daughters best interests at heart.

"Edge used the cover of helping her professionally to commit repeated acts of the most serious sexual abuse. He then fought the criminal charges, resulting in a Crown Court trial which compounded my clients distress. Understandably, the victim and her parents are utterly devastated."

Description

A rapist carried a drunk girl into a house and sexually assaulted her.

Annuar Ameir attacked the 17-year-old back in 2018, they had only met earlier that day and had been out with separate groups of friends. Ameir, from Toxteth tried to deny he had raped the woman as she slept on a sofa but a jury at Liverpool Crown Court found him guilty.

At the 30 year olds sentencing hearing today, the court heard the two groups of friends including Ameir and the victim merged at one point during the day. They all then went to a house in another part of Liverpool to continue partying.

By this stage, the victim was drunk and had already thrown up outside the house. Seeing her vulnerable state, Ameir, who was also drunk, carried her back into the living room as she slept, took off her clothes and raped her. She woke up as the attack took place but was unable to get him off her.

Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, read out statements from the victim in which she said the attack continued to have lasting effects on her. She said she had struggled with depression and had at times turned to alcohol abuse to deal with the trauma of what happened.

She added Ameirs denials meant she was forced to relive much of what happened throughout the trial. Referring to her statement, Mr Baxter said: It is all back in court again. I could not sleep and I am having flashbacks again.

Louise McCloskey, defending, said Ameirs actions were awful but appealed to Judge Gary Woodhall not to rule him a dangerous offender, something which would have opened the door to an extended sentence. Referring to the fact that Ameir had no relevant previous convictions and to the opportunistic nature of the attack, Ms McCloskey said Ameir clearly required rehabilitation to address the attitudes that led to his offending.

She added that the expected lengthy jail term would provide a chance for this to happen, as well as providing punishment. Ms McCloskey said: He conducted himself abysmally on that night but prior to that, your honour, there is nothing indicating he was a risk in the past and would be a risk in the future.

Judge Gary Woodhall told Ameir he had exploited his victims vulnerabilities for his own satisfaction and traumatised her further by forcing her to go through a trial. He said: I am troubled by the circumstances of this offending, which involved predatory behaviour targeting a particularly vulnerable girl.

Judge Woodhall added that Ameir clearly had misogynistic and flawed views around sex. He said: You present as someone with a sense of male entitlement, with a misogynistic view of female characters.

While he said Ameirs actions meant he could be judged to meet the definition of a dangerous offender, he ruled that an extended sentence could not be justified. Ameir, of Arnold Crescent, was jailed for nine years and nine months.

Description

Roy Woodward, 56, was handed a prison sentence of up to 25 years for 14 counts of abuse. His wife Gaynor Woodward was also jailed A high-risk committed paedophile who subjected a young girl to campaign of rape could spend a quarter of a century behind bars for his heinous crimes. Roy Woodward, 56, of no fixed abode but previously of Runcorn and Widnes, faced justice at Chester Crown Court on Monday alongside his wife Gaynor Woodward, 58, of Worcester Court, Runcorn, who was convicted of one count of cruelty. At trial, Roy Woodward was found guilty of 14 counts of abuse, namely four of rape, eight of indecently assaulting a child, and two of indecency with a child. Some counts represented multiple offences over a period of time, and the abuse began when the victim was of very young. At trial in January, prosecutor Matthew Dunford told jurors Woodward - who had a previous conviction of child rape - abused the girl at the centre of the trial throughout her childhood and after she turned 16. He instigated abuse on one occasion by telling the girl he wanted to play snaky and in other instances by giving her lemonade that was really cider. The court heard the first rape left his victim in excruciating pain. At sentencing on Monday, Judge Patrick Thompson said Woodward plied his victim with sweets to secure her silence as well as alcohol to assist his grooming. He said the abuse began when the girl was very young and became a campaign of rape as she grew older. In an impact statement read to the court, the abuse survivor spoke of how since her early 20s she has had horrific nightmares resulting from her ordeal and said she believes it also triggered a mental health condition. She finds it hard to trust other adults, and feels she will never be able to live a normal life. Reading her statement, Mr Dunford said: I have to live with this for the rest of my life. I was denied a normal life and the chance to form my own life. I will never be able to live a normal life. I feel hollow and empty. Since my early 20s I have had horrific nightmares about the abuse suffered that I still get to this day. I can feel him repeatedly in these nightmares. It has affected my relationships and with my current partner. I am lucky I have the support of my partner. In general life, I find it hard to trust any adults because I was abused by an adult. Mr Dunford said Woodward had seven previous convictions for 10 offences including criminal damage, battery and the previous child rape conviction from 2018. Gaynor Woodward had older dissimilar convictions including two counts under Section 4 of the Public Order Act from 1999. Andrew McInnes, representing Woodward, said the defendant maintains his denial and could not be granted credit for remorse. Mr McInnes added the features supporting mitigation were low and he conceded there are a number of aggravating features which are inescapable including that the case involved serious offences over a period of time. He said although Woodward had been assessed as a high risk of harm to female children, he was 56 years old and will be older when he leaves prison. He called for Judge Thompson to consider the issue of totality. Maria Masselis, appearing for Gaynor Woodward, said the court had been presented with character references describing her as hard-working woman and loyal friend. She conceded Gaynor Woodwards pre-sentence report was unflattering but said the probation officer had a difficult task and had not been in the trial, which lasted two-and-a-half weeks. Ms Masselis said the jurors verdicts indicated they thought Gaynor Woodwards offending occurred later and was of a shorter duration than put by the prosecution. She compared the cruelty count to one of handling stolen goods in that Gaynors failing was one of recklessness and she closed her mind to the abuse. Ms Masselis also challenged whether there was any clinical evidence to support the victims attribution of mental health problems to the abuse. Judge Thompson sentenced Gaynor Woodward to four years in prison. He said Roy Woodward should be considered a dangerous offender and very high risk to children and sentenced him to 21 years in prison plus four years on extended licence, meaning he could serve 25 years in prison if he offends again including after initial release. It could be the year 2047 when he experiences life outside custody again. The judge ordered Woodward to be placed on the sex offenders register for life alongside an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. During his summing-up, he said Woodward had chosen to abuse the girl to satisfy his twisted sexual desires. The judge said the offences spanned about 12 years and from the victims age of 13 onwards can be described as a campaign of rape. Considering the question of dangerousness in light of this current case and Woodwards previous rape conviction, Judge Thompson said: Im required to consider the issue of dangerousness, and if theres a risk of further offences and causing serious harm. Im satisfied you do present a risk. I have no doubt you are a committed paedophile. You have an unhealthy sexual interest in children and present a danger to children. Speaking after the sentencing hearing, Wendy Newton, Senior Crown Prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, said :This victim was subjected to sexual abuse by Roy Woodward from when she was a little girl. The feelings and emotions of this young child meant nothing to him. His power and abuse continued as she grew up. She has spoken of how what he did had affected every part of her life. She now has to find a way forward in her life, having suffered such trauma. The victim was unable to disclose what had happened to her until fairly recently. This often happens. It is not unusual for children to deny the abuse they have suffered or be silent as to what has happened. It often takes years for victims of sexual abuse to vocalise what has been done to them. The Crown Prosecution Service works hard to support the victims of sexual abuse and help them through the criminal justice system. Time is no barrier to a prosecution. We will listen to victims, no matter how long ago the offending took place. The judge ordered a statutory surcharge in respect of each defendant. Woodward will serve two thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole. Jurors acquitted Roy Woodward of one count of rape and Gaynor Woodward of one count of cruelty. A bad character application approved before the trial meant jurors were able to hear Woodward had served a previous nine-year sentence for raping a separate 13-year-old girl.

Description

David Blackburn raped one girl and molested another then threatened them to stay quiet This is the paedophile who laughed in the face of his victims when they begged him to stop abusing them. David Blackburn targeted two girls from when they were aged just nine and seven-years-old - threatening them not to speak out about the abuse. He was a teenage boy when he started molesting the victims. But he continued as an adult, even after he got married and had children of his own. One of the girls was raped by Blackburn, of Quarry Green, Northwood, Kirkby, more than three decades ago. She burst into tears and clenched her fists when he was jailed for 19 years on Monday, as supporters celebrated and hugged her in the public gallery. Merseyside Police said it did not take a mugshot of Blackburn because he attended a voluntary interview, meaning the ECHO did not have a photo of him. But we can now show you the face of the man who "grotesquely abused" situations to use the girls as his "sexual playthings". Blackburn was found guilty after a harrowing trial at Liverpool Crown Court. He denied any wrongdoing, but was convicted of five counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child in relation to his first victim, when she was aged between nine and 13. The now adult victim said Blackburn touched her sexually, performed a sex act on her, exposed himself and asked her to touch him, and showed her sexual pictures in a book. Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said: "She would ask him to stop when he touched her but he would just laugh." Blackburn was convicted of 15 counts of indecent assault, two counts of indecency with a child, and one count of rape, in respect of his second victim. The prosecutor said Blackburn abused that girl from when she was aged seven by touching her sexually, including performing sex acts on her. Blackburn made her perform a sex act on him when she was 12, and once lay on top of her, only to be disturbed and flee, before he raped her when she was 14. Ms Snowdon said the girl reported that rape in 1990, but later retracted her complaint when put under pressure. In a victim statement, the second woman said she takes antidepressant medication and medication for anxiety. The prosecutor said she outlined how "the abuse is on her mind all the time" and led to suicidal thoughts. The woman has continuing nightmares and only now, after the trial ended, has been able to take up the offer of counselling. The judge, Recorder Ian Harris, said he had read a pre-sentence report provided by the Probation Service. He said: "It's as one would expect given the denials in the trial. He doesn't express any remorse and maintains his innocence, and the author of the report assesses him as being a high risk of further sexual contact offences." Lee Bonner, defending, said Blackburn suffered from depression "in part caused by his divorce", was on antidepressants and had been referred to a "memory clinic". He said his client had no previous convictions and at his age, prison may "have a far greater impact upon him than may otherwise have been the case". Mr Bonner said Blackburn previously made a serious attempt on his life, which left him in a coma, and his memory issues were linked to cognitive impairment. He said he was "perhaps not a sophisticated man", who didn't complete his education, had difficulties reading and writing, and was "unable to sustain long term employment". Mr Bonner said the last offences were 30 years ago. He added: "The defendant that the court will sentence today is, it would appear, a very different defendant to that young man of so many years ago." Recorder Harris said Blackburn initially satisfied his "predatory lust" with the first girl, then abused the second child. The judge said: "This paedophile offending continued after you were married and had your own children. "Both victims said how you threatened them and that the abuse had hurt them. The second girl said she would beg you to stop what you were doing." Referring to the second girl, Recorder Harris said: "She would say she didn't want to engage in sexual activity with you, but you would tell her not to tell anyone or you would hurt her." The judge said that girl was "forced" to retract the complaint she made about the rape in 1990. Recorder Harris told Blackburn: "Both of your victims have suffered and continue to suffer to this day. You simply ruined the innocence of these two children." The judge said he was sure Blackburn had known that what he was doing was "wrong". Recorder Harris said Blackburn was an "offender of particular concern" and jailed him for 19 years in total, with an extended year on licence. The effect of a combination of different types of sentences in this case means Blackburn must serve around 11 and a half years in jail before he can apply for parole. Blackburn must also sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Description

A paedophile who collected nearly 2,000 child sex abuse images was today told he could face prison.

James Mercer, 41, was handed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2013 after he was caught downloading indecent images of children. The 10-year order prevented him from accessing the internet unless he retained the browsing history and made it available for inspection by police.

Liverpool Crown Court today heard when officers performed a routine check on his computer equipment as part of the SOPO, they discovered a vile stash of indecent material. Mercer, of Ashburn Avenue, Tower Hill, Kirkby, later admitted possessing 1,997 indecent images of children, which according to the charge he downloaded between May 16, 2018 and March 17, 2021.

He pleaded guilty to downloading 368 Category A images - the most serious category involving child rape - plus 323 Category B and 1,306 Category C files. Mercer also admitted possessing seven prohibited [cartoon or animated] images of a child.

Jonathan Duffy, prosecuting, said Mercer was not in fact in breach of the SOPO when the sex offender appeared in the dock for sentencing this morning, as he had not disguised his search history. Mercer, with long grey hair and beard and wearing a black coat, spoke only to confirm his personal details.

Charles Lander, defending, said at a previous court hearing the case was adjourned for the defence to obtain a psychiatric report. He said that report would then be served on the Probation Service, so they could prepare an "addendum" to an existing pre-sentence report.

However, the court heard the psychiatric report had only been made available to the Probation Service today. Mr Lander said he therefore would apply for an adjournment.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones told Mercer that "regrettably" it would take the Probation Service four weeks to prepare the addendum report. The judge adjourned sentencing until April 28 and remanded Mercer on bail until that date.

However, he warned Mercer that the fact he was adjourning the case and requesting the addendum report should not be taken by him as an indication of the eventual sentence in his case. Judge Trevor-Jones told him: "All options remain open and that includes immediate custody. Is that clear?"

"Yes," mumbled Mercer from beneath a face mask, before he shuffled out of court, carrying a black rucksack.

Description

The family of a young man who downloaded images of children as young as three being abused stood by him after his arrest.

Matthew Simm, a 21-year-old zoological student, had his house raided after the indecent images were uploaded to the internet via Twitter, Liverpool Crown Court heard. Police arrived at his Lydiate home on May 6 last year after checks on a related IP address led them to that property.

Frank Dillon, prosecuting, said Simm acknowledged the email addresses were his but denied knowing anything about the offences. His electronic devices were seized and illegal images were found on two phones and a laptop.

The court heard that forensic examination revealed a total of 703 images and videos, including 362 in the most serious Category A, which involves child rape. Mr Dillon said that they also found 100 extreme pornographic images, of which one was a video.

It was found that the images had been searched or accessed in the days before his arrest. Simm, of Coppull Road, Lydiate, pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images of children, one of possessing them and one of possessing extreme porn. Judge Anil Murray told him that he found it impossible to accept his claim that he was not sexually attracted to children.

He said that the images showed children as young as three or four and they included videos but he accepted there was no distribution of the images. The judge told the student that he accepted he has shown insight into his offending and is being supported by his family.

Judge Murray also said Simm had also been assessed as posing a low risk of re-offending or causing serious harm and had pleaded guilty. The offences admitted by the defendant involved a lesser overall amount of indecent images of children - 566- than in the prosecution case and the judge said he would sentence on the lower basis.

He sentenced him to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years, ordered him to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and 15 days rehabilitation activities. Simm was also ordered to sign on the Sexual Offenders Register for ten years and the judge imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same length of time restricting his internet use.

Peter White, defending, said that the defendant has no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty, indicating his remorse. He also presents a low risk of re-offending, he added.

Description

A man kidnapped a teenager walking home after a night out and took her to an industrial estate intending to sexually assault her.

Danny Chen would later claim he was just being "chivalrous" by helping a drunk 19-year-old into his white Audi at 3.30am. But when he drove the victim to a "dark and secluded" spot and tried to get in the back of the car with her, the victim's "survival instinct" kicked in.

She managed to escape and a judge today said he was sure Chen had intended to carry out a sex attack. Liverpool Crown Court heard CCTV footage showed the woman, who the ECHO has chosen not to name, walking home on May 23, 2021.

Steven Swift, prosecuting, said she had been out in the city centre and the footage showed her "staggering" along Farnworth Street in Kensington. Cameras also captured Chen driving past in his Audi, before he turned around and pulled up alongside the victim.

Mr Swift said: "It was clear she was in no condition to consent to getting into Mr Chen's car." The court heard he took hold of her - she said forcibly by the arm - and got her into the back of his car.

The victim could remember giving Chen directions and telling him she wished to be dropped off at a friend's home. However, Mr Swift said Chen drove past roads and she was "ignored", before he stopped at an "isolated industrial estate".

He said the woman was "concerned about the actions and intentions" of Chen when he tried to get into the back of the car. Mr Swift said: "At this point she started to panic. She managed to push the defendant away, asking 'what are you doing?'"

The victim got out of the car, but realised she had left her handbag on the back seat and returned, only to find it was now in the front, with Chen. She fled and hid behind another vehicle before she phoned a friend and the next morning called police.

Chen used her bank card to buy crisps and a drink from a Texaco garage in Barlow Lane at around 5am. The card was declined when he tried to buy food from McDonald's in Walton Lane at approximately 5.30pm.

Police traced Chen and arrested him at his home in Westminster Road, Walton on June 4. When arrested, he suggested he had picked up a "drunken girl" and tried to take her home but she wouldn't give him correct instructions.

He said eventually when driving around he became "fed up" and asked her to get out. Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "Of course that didn't in any way square with the fact he took some three minutes from where he picked her up to where they entered that industrial estate."

The victim's handbag was found in a bin at the back of his home and Chen admitted two counts of fraud, relating to the use of the card. He denied kidnap but after one jury couldn't reach a verdict, a second jury found him guilty at a retrial.

The victim said she lost out financially, had to replace her driving licence and other cards, and was left struggling to sleep and on antidepressants. Mr Swift said: "As a consequence of this offence she finds herself hyper vigilant when out.

"She said 'I panic when cars pull up near to me, especially white ones like the one the offender drove. I also find myself avoiding the area where the male first got me into his car, despite having friends in the area.'"

Judge Trevor-Jones said an aggravating feature was "she was so drunk it seems she was effectively defenceless". Callum Ross, defending, accepted that was "the main aggravating feature" and she was therefore "vulnerable".

Mr Ross said his client, of previous good character, knew he would be jailed. He said it was a short incident, there wasn't any evidence of "any method of restraint" or use of violence or weapons, and he suggested it was "opportunistic" rather than premeditated.

The court heard Chen previously worked as a fraud investigator for a high street bank. Mr Ross said: "He has for all of his life prior to this offending contributed positively and productively to society."

He said Chen was assessed by the Probation Service as "an intelligent and articulate man". He said he was "a man who, though he still maintains his innocence, does entirely accept the verdict of the jury".

Mr Ross said Chen even "speculated" that if he had been on the jury, he would have convicted himself, which the lawyer suggested showed "some level" of "reflection". Mr Ross said: "He states his main regret from these proceedings is that the complainant has had to go through giving evidence twice in this case."

Judge Trevor-Jones said he was "quite sure" Chen was "driving around" not because he was going to McDonald's - as he claimed at trial - but "either looking for someone to attack or to steal from". He said the victim was "obviously" drunk because she could "barely walk" and that would have been clear to Chen, who got the "almost defenceless" woman into his car when "she was barely aware of what was happening".

The judge said: "You took her directly to that dark and secluded industrial estate and if not before, certainly by that time, it is clear you intended some sexual assault. I'm quite sure that is what you were going to carry out when you attempted to get into the back of the car."

Judge Trevor-Jones added: "You maintained all of this was entirely chivalrous on your behalf, trying to help her in her desperate state."

The judge said when Chen tried to get into the back of the car "some survival instinct kicked in" and the woman escaped. He added: "This was a very terrifying, if short lived experience".

Jailing him for three and a half years, Judge Trevor-Jones said: "I have no doubt you present a high risk of harm to vulnerable females."

Description

A convicted paedophile caught with a schoolgirl in his car walked free from court.

David Griffiths, 31, is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with children due to the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). He received the order when he was spared jail for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and making indecent images of children.

Griffiths was also told to sign on the Sex Offenders Register when he was handed two years in prison, suspended for two years, in September 2017. But he breached his notification requirements and the SHPO when police spotted him driving a red Land Rover Discovery at "high speed".

Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, said officers stopped the vehicle in Wavertree, at around 7.30pm, on September 7 last year. They found Griffiths at the wheel with a "young girl wearing school uniform" sitting in the front passenger seat, who was aged 15.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the girl was related to a young woman, who was the foster daughter of Griffiths' brother. Officers were speaking to Griffiths about his driving when they realised he was subject to the SHPO.

They then entered a home in the street he had been living at and recovered two mobile phones, which also fell under restrictions of the order. Mr Walsh said the phones had not been subjected to forensic examination by the police.

The judge, Recorder Ian Harris, commented: "There were difficulties with the PINs and identities. A curious tale, but I cannot make any adverse finding in relation to the use of those phones."

Griffiths admitted failing to comply with the notification requirements of the Sex Offender Register by not informing the police he had moved to Bannerman Street on September 5. He also admitted three counts of breaching his SHPO, by having unsupervised contact with the 15-year-old girl, failing to make the mobile phones available to police for inspection, and possessing the two devices.

Griffiths, now of Earle Road, Wavertree, pleaded guilty on the basis he had met the 15-year-old girl at nearby shops to collect items from her for a family member. He said he told her not to get in the car, but she got in anyway, and that she was only in the car for 10 minutes when he drove her back to the street where he was living.

Griffiths explained that he drove "erratically" and at high speed because he knew the girl shouldn't have been in the vehicle alone with him. He said the mobile phones belonged to his brother's foster daughter, who made them available for him to use, and he didn't realise he should have told his offender manager.

The court heard he has four previous convictions for six offences, included possessing cannabis with intent to supply in February 2018, for which he received an 18-month community order. Frank Dillon, defending, suggested the breaches were a product of "insouciance" - meaning a casual lack of concern - for the order "rather than calculation".

Recorder Harris said a pre-sentence report from when Griffiths was sentenced in 2017 noted he had an IQ of 65, numeracy and literacy issues, and "a lesser capacity to self regulate social behaviour". The judge said: "I think that has an effect on the degree of culpability."

Mr Dillon also pointed out his client had served the equivalent of a short prison sentence while on a qualifying home curfew. Recorder Harris told Griffiths he was "sailing close to the custodial wind" after avoiding prison sentences for his past sexual offences and drug dealing.

He said the author of a pre-sentence report said: "Mr Griffiths' recent offending highlights a disregard for sex offender registration, suggesting that he lacks awareness of the situation he is in and is willing to ignore preventative measures, put in place to reduce the risk he poses to others.

"It also demonstrates clear deficits in his thinking and behaviour. He's clearly not thought of, or he has chosen to ignore, the consequences of this offending behaviour."

The judge said: "If any of these offences had been linked with a more serious issue then I wouldn't have been able to suspend the sentence I'm going to impose on you." Recorder Harris said a psychiatric report placed him in an "extremely low range" of intelligence and a GP letter noted he cared for his mother, who is unwell.

He handed Griffiths 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, with a 25-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement to offer him "fairly intensive support", plus 100 hours of unpaid work and told him to pay 250 towards court costs.

Description

A brave young woman bit a teenager and kicked out at him in a bid to stop a "terrifying" sex attack along a secluded footpath after he followed her, a court has heard.

Leon Campbell, 19, followed the teenage victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and sexually assaulted her in a grassed area in Thetford.

Norwich Crown Court heard the victim had walked down a path past the Blaydon Bridge in Thetford and after a short distance became aware of "footsteps behind her".

Richard Potts, prosecuting, said the victim decided to run but "became somewhat breathless" and stopped near a grassed area off Canterbury Way when she turned and saw the defendant "right in front of her".

Mr Potts said Campbell "grabbed" the victim who described how he gave her a look to say he had "all this power" and could do "whatever he wanted to do".

The victim "tried so hard to scream but it was like nothing was happening".

Campbell tried to put his hand over the victim's mouth but she bit him and broke a fingernail with the defendant in the struggle.

He then threw the victim to the floor but was kicked out at by the teenager as she tried to stop him from attacking her.

But he was able to get his hands down her trousers and also touched her breasts.

After thinking he heard someone Campbell "got up and ran off".

The victim then ran home and broke down and said she had been "attacked and nearly raped".

Mr Potts said she was a vulnerable young woman walking home at night in a secluded area.

Campbell, of Toxteth, Liverpool, appeared at court on Friday (March 11) to be sentenced having previously admitted two sexual assaults at about 11.20pm on June 3 last year.

Before Campbell was sentenced, the victim read out a statement in which she described how her life "changed the day you did this to me".

She said: "I'm now unable to have sleep and have nightmares and have to have my dog or my boyfriend with me."

The victim, who now takes anti-depressants, said she has had to lock the windows in her bedroom as she was worried someone else would be able to get in.

She said she cannot go to sleep in silence and has to have the television on as all she can hear is her "telling you to stop" and the thud as she was thrown to the ground.

The victim said "I feel like I can't get myself out of this situation and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. "I feel what you have done to me will never go away".

Sentencing Campbell to an extended 10 year sentence made up of four years detention in a young offenders institute (YOI) and six years on licence, Judge Katharine Moore said he had subjected the victim to a "terrifying ordeal" and described it as a "predatory sex attack".

Judge Moore found Campbell to be a dangerous offender who posed a significant risk of serious harm by the commission of similar sort of offences.

The judge said the victim "struggled bravely" despite suffering "abject terror" and "fearing the very worst" adding that the consequences of the offence on her have been both "profound and enduring".

Adam Norris, mitigating, said the defendant was something of an "enigma".

He said Campbell was a young man, 19 now and 18 at the time, who is remarkably inarticulate and awkward.

Mr Norris said it was opportunistic in that they happened to be on the same path at the same time rather than it being targeted and insisted there was "no significant planning".

Campbell must also sign on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

A hearing to determine whether Campbell is to be made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) was adjourned until a later date.

Description

A computer hacker who was jailed for tormenting three young girls began a new campaign of abuse days after being released from prison. Ryan Campbell, 22, sent intimidate photos of his newest victim to family members and doctored a newspaper article to falsely suggest she was a paedophile. Cambell hacked into the womans account before escalating his abusive and intrusive behaviour after she decided against speaking to him. He had previously been jailed for 20 months in September 2020 for making three young girls lives a misery, the Liverpool Echo reports. They included a child aged 12 or 13, after she refused to send him naked pictures; a 16-year-old ex-partner, who he told to kill herself; and a 15-year-old victim, who he tormented by pretending to be her alleged rapist. Liverpool Crown Court heard that within days of being released from prison, he sent a friend request on Snapchat to his latest victim, a young woman who LancsLive has chosen not to name. Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, said at first she had normal conversations with Campbell, in October 2021. He was using the account Ry Antrickz, said he was 22 and from Liverpool, and would come and visit her in another part of the country. Due to the distance between the two, she decided they wouldnt be friends and blocked him on Snapchat, only to receive numerous friend requests. In November he contacted her on Facebook Messenger making threats to hack her bank account if she did not speak with him and accused her of contacting many boys. The woman told him she didnt want to argue but he replied big mistake and she blocked him on Facebook. On November 17, she received an email saying action was required on her Facebook account, but discovered the password had been changed. Friends told her a photo of her sticking her tongue out and a video of her dancing was posted on her Facebook wall, before Campbell messaged her on WhatsApp saying want me to stop? with laughing emojis. Ms Smith said Campbell sent her texts containing the postcode of her old home and her grandads address and said he was travelling there. The messages became more sinister and abusive when he accused her of attention seeking about wanting to self-harm and kill herself. He sent a friend of hers messages from her Facebook account, who asked who he was. Campbell replied: Haha long story but we had a takeover because shes a slag basically. On November 20 he text her someone put your number on Gumtree as an escort with a laughing emoji. Campbell then sent her stepmum an article from the Independent newspaper with the headline: Sinister female paedophile who abused nursery children handed suspended sentence. It had been edited to include the womans name, photo and the area where she lived. Ms Smith said: She found that extremely offensive and was shocked. Family and friends later contacted her to say Campbell had sent intimate photos of her to a Facebook messenger group chat. The woman said she believed he had hacked her Snapchat account to seize these private sexual images. She discovered Campbell had previously been jailed for similar offences and managed to change all her passwords. But he then hacked her old Instagram account and messaged her from it, saying: Want me to remove the lock off your bank then or nah? Days later, he placed a series of orders on Just Eat to her address, leading to irate delivery drivers ringing her demanding payment. She fled her home on November 21 to seek refuge, reported him to the police, and didnt return until December 1, after he had been arrested. The victim, appearing via video link, today read out a statement in which she described how Campbell left her housebound and suicidal. She told the court: This boy has destroyed my life. Campbell, of Smith Road, Kirkdale, admitted computer hacking, harassment and disclosing private sexual photographs. The court heard he has since been recalled to prison to serve the remainder of his 20-month sentence. Jonathan Duffy, defending, said in a letter to the court Campbell accepted what he did was wrong and when interviewed by police, had said he deeply regretted his actions and was genuinely very sorry for the distress that he had caused. Mr Duffy said their online friendship/relationship and the nature or depth of it was misjudged by Campbell, who then behaved in a wholly inappropriate way, which had the hallmarks of immaturity. The lawyer asked for full one third credit for Campbells early guilty pleas. Recorder Ian Harris said he was entitled to that, but it would be for him to judge how remorseful Campbell was, who was an accomplished hacker of computers and of other peoples personal details. Mr Duffy said: He disclosed in that letter how problems hes experienced in his family, the deaths of people close to him, caused him to lose, or to think in a way which he now, having had time to reflect of course, deeply regrets. Recorder Harris told Campbell: This behaviour of yours was criminal and cowardly. It paralysed your victim with fear. She became suicidal and reclusive. He said she was courageous to read her statement, which referred to the fact that her whole way of life, friendships and work, had been disrupted by you. The judge said: You say youre sorry for the distress that youve caused. Ive read your letter, which sets out your reasons for committing these offences. I dont accept that the reasons that are set out in your letter are any excuse... It is in my judgement offensive to refer to personal matters as you have done in that letter and in some way try to blame those matters for you committing those offences, when you had only just been released from prison for the same, or a similar type of offending. Recorder Harris concluded: I dont find there is any remorse that I can take into account. He jailed him for two years and imposed an indefinite restraining order and five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, restricting his internet use.

Description

An unrepentant paedophile rolled his eyes when told he will be at least 83 before he gets out of prison.

Leonard Wood, 67, raped a child victim nearly 40 times during abuse lasting more than a decade.

When the now adult woman went to the police to report her ordeal, Wood claimed she instigated his "vile" attacks.

Wood denied any sexual activity between them when she was underage and claimed any sexual contact after that was consensual.

But a search of his home revealed camcorder cassettes hidden in the loft - including one that appeared to have been destroyed.

And when a detective managed to repair the old cassette, it showed Wood had filmed himself raping and molesting the child.

Wood, of Bark Road, Litherland, admitted only two offences - counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

They related to two recordings, which he claimed showed consensual sexual activity when the girl was 16 or 17.

He denied any other wrongdoing - forcing his victim to endure a trial - and said everything videoed happened on just one occasion.

Prosecutors said different clothing worn by Wood and the girl, different lighting and different dcor in the background on the two clips suggested otherwise, while the victim said she was aged between 13 and 15.

David Polglase, prosecuting, said in one clip, a song could be heard playing in the background - perhaps on a TV or radio - followed by adverts for movies.

He said when the track was released and those films were in the cinema, the girl was only 14.

Wood told the jury that was just a coincidence and he used to record songs, then play them back, so he could learn to play them for his band.

He claimed it had been the girl's idea to film the videos and said he didn't know how the cassette came to be smashed and secreted away in his loft.

Wood was found guilty of 11 counts of rape.

They related to at least 36 separate rapes, including one when she was 11 or 12, and others from the age of 13 to when she was a young adult.

He was convicted of three counts of indecent assault, which related to at least 11 attacks, when she was aged 11 to 13.

Judge Louise Brandon today said the jury was sure the girl was under 16 when Wood filmed the clips.

The judge said the prosecution described it as a "campaign of rape".

She added: "I'm sure the jury's verdicts demonstrate they were sure that is exactly what it was."

Judge Brandon told him in an "extremely serious aspect" of the offending "you sought to keep illicit recordings of your sexual assaults... for your own gratification".

She said: "You directed and controlled her to ensure you had the footage that you desired."

Mr Polglase earlier told the court how Wood "essentially conditioned" his victim and "normalised his behaviour".

He read out a victim statement in which the woman said when the abuse started she thought it was "normal" and didn't understand what was happening to her, even though it felt "wrong".

The woman said: "I never had a childhood I was supposed to have."

The victim explained as an adult she began self-harming and turned to alcohol to cope with her trauma, as she suffered with anxiety, depression, a lack of self-confidence, sleepless nights and hit "rock bottom".

However, she said it felt like a "weight lifted" after she came forward and Wood was convicted, adding: "I now feel like I can finally start living my life."

The woman said: "I feel like my life is starting now - a life I should have had for a long time."

Wood, who has one conviction for benefit fraud in 2004, showed no emotion as the statement was read out.

Judge Brandon told him: "It's not an overstatement to say your actions had a devastating impact upon her for decades and she continues to suffer the consequences of the harm you did to her."

Anthony O'Donohoe, defending, said because of his age, the "inevitable, lengthy custodial sentence" would have a "profound effect" on Wood and "the rest of his life".

He said a pre-sentence report showed "some indications of some insight into his culpability" and while there was "limited acceptance of his responsibility", these "chinks of light" meant he could undergo a sex offenders treatment programme in prison.

Mr O'Donohoe said: "His conviction and sentence will essentially break ties with his grandchildren.

"His daughter was supportive of him during the trial. I don't know what the state of their relationship is [now], but inevitably the custodial sentence will have a profound effect upon his immediate family, including his partner... who stands by him."

Judge Brandon said Wood took steps to prevent the victim from reporting his abuse and the woman remembered him telling her: "I will out you to be a liar because no one will believe you."

The judge said he "deliberately sought to attack the credibility" of his victim during the trial, telling the jury she was a "manipulative liar" and claiming "she instigated the vile abuse that you perpetrated against her".

Judge Brandon said: "The jury saw through your lies but that has not deterred you from repeating them for the new audience of the author of the pre-sentence report."

She said Wood had "no remorse" and "no appreciation" of the "severe psychological harm" he had caused.

Referring to the "chinks of light", Judge Brandon added: "If they are there, they are very difficult to see."

Wood rolled his eyes as the judge jailed him for 24 years, with an extended one year on licence as "an offender of particular concern".

He must spend at least two thirds of the sentence - 16 years - behind bars.

Wood must comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Speaking after the case, an NSPCC spokesperson said: "Wood's victim has had to live for many years with the knowledge and harmful impact of his campaign of sexual abuse against her.

"We hope that his conviction and sentencing brings her some solace, and that she is receiving the support she needs to address the effects of his abuse upon her life.

"This case highlights that people who speak out about sexual abuse will be listened to and justice can be achieved, regardless of how long ago the offence took place.

Description

A 35-year-old man who raped a child under the age of 13 was jailed for 19 years at Liverpool Crown Court.

Richard Green, 35, from the Tuebrook area, appeared before the court on Friday, February 25, charged with 15 counts including rape of a child under 13, assault by penetration, sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Green was found guilty and jailed for 19 years after continually denying his offending.

Detective Constable Joanne Waldron said she was "pleased" to see him jailed for a "considerable about of time"

She said: "Green continued to deny his offending meaning his victim was forced to endure a trial. I am pleased that he will now spend a considerable amount of time behind bars for his actions.

"I would like to take this opportunity to praise his victim for their courage and dignity throughout the whole of this investigation and hope that by seeing him sent to prison will give them some sort of closure and allow them to move on with their lives knowing he cannot harm 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 similar 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

"Time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim at any time to come forward and we will do everything we can to help and support them.