Latest Offenders Liverpool

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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Mark Smith, AKA Mark Bocker, used to lead a number of schools in Merseyside A headteacher who specialised in pupil behaviour and safeguarding is now a convicted paedophile. Mark Smith, better known as Mark Bocker, led a number of schools in Merseyside and the North West in career spanning almost 40 years. Yet his reputation was left in tatters after it emerged he downloaded dozens of images of children being abused. Smith was handed a suspended sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after 82 indecent images were found on his phone. He had changed his name shortly before appearing in court in an apparent attempt to shield his full identity. Yet the judge in his case confirmed his birth surname, identifying him as a former headteacher with years of experience. Smith was previously the headteacher at Oswaldtwistle School in Lancashire, an alternative provision school focused on pupils who have been excluded from other schools or for whom mainstream education isnt suitable. Before that, he was the head of a pupil referral unit (PRU) in Knowsley. PRUs are similarly targeted at pupils who have been excluded from other schools. His niche experience in the area of behaviour management meant he became well known within the profession and was featured numerous times on an education podcast focused on improving pupil behaviour and safeguarding. In an episode of the podcast, now removed from the internet, Smith said he first taught PE when he became a teacher. After moving from Glasgow to England, he continued to work in a range of roles before moving towards teaching in schools with pupils with difficult behaviour. A blurb accompanying the now removed podcast said Bocker believes schools should provide life-affirming experiences for children, and that their carers and we as professionals and skilled trainers should enable and empower them to realise their aspirations. It also said that his experience meant he held a range of other roles in education, such as being a chair of governors for a trust that runs a school in Formby, where he lives, and being a member of a number of education councils. Now aged 61, police arrested Smith after receiving a tip off about indecent images on a device that was later traced to him. He was eventually arrested last year, with police analysis identifying a range of child abuse images on a Samsung phone. Peter Hussey, prosecuting, said On just one of those devices, a Samsung, they were able to spot that there had been stored on that item some 82 indecent images of children ranging across Category A, B and C. Overall, 13 images fell into Category A, the most serious, while 23 were in Category B and 46 were in Category C. Lee Bonner, defending, said Smith was deeply remorseful for downloading the pictures and had already taken steps to try to address his behaviour and not offend again. Sentencing him to six months in jail, suspended for 18 months, Judge David Swinnerton said: It is a great pity that a man who has done a great deal for children in difficult circumstances finds himself before the court after looking at pictures of children being abused. It may seem remote to you because it is a picture - but each picture is a case of a child abuse that is taking place somewhere in the world. Those photos have been taken to feed a market and you are one of the customers for the worst type of content that the internet can provide.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Jem Traynor had more than a thousand images of child sexual abuse on his computer A former soldier downloaded more than a thousand child abuse images including one labelled paedo archive. Jem Traynor tried to deny to police that he had a sexual interest in children despite them finding the vile collection of photos and videos on his computer. Police raided his house in April last year after a tip off and quickly found a vast array of images, including 167 which fell into Category A, the most serious type of abuse. Zahra Baqri, prosecuting, said Traynor originally told the police the computer was broken but they found it actually worked and later analysis established that Traynor had used it to look at images of children being raped just a week before his arrest. The court heard that some of the material was particularly extreme, including one in which a young child appeared to be blindfolded while being abused. Despite this, Traynor continued to deny a sexual interest in children and told police he was not aware he had downloaded indecent images, despite the files having names like paedo archive and pre teen hardcore. Ms Baqri said: He told the police that he was not interested in the material and would not have downloaded it deliberately. He also explained that he suffered from PTSD that was exacerbated by his him taking illegal drugs and abusing alcohol. Ms Baqri said other features of Traynors computer, such as a VPN that made it look like his internet activity was taking place in another country, indicated that he had prepared to download indecent images and tried to cover his tracks. She also pointed to thumbnails on the computer indicating the images had been opened. Despite his original denials, Traynor eventually pleaded guilty in Sefton Magistrates Court earlier this year. He was found to have 167 Category A images, 371 Category B images and 454 Category C images. These included 12 videos. Michael Bagley, defending, said the 51-year-old was an extremely isolated individual who had struggled with PTSD since his return from Bosnia, where he served during the Yugoslav Wars. Mr Bagley said the fact that Traynor had worked for only a few weeks in the entire 26 year period since he left the army was an indication of the extent to which his PTSD had affected his life. He added that Traynor, from Everton, had turned to drink and drugs as a coping mechanism and had then begun to act upon an interest in children. Mr Bagley said Traynor now accepted he did have a sexual interest in children and wanted to address this. He appealed to the judge to suspend Traynors sentence so he could engage in rehabilitation without going to prison. Mr Bagley said: He has been taking steps to have counselling. He presents as someone who is lonely, who needs assistance but is making some progress. I invite the court to punish him but with a suspended sentence so that he can make the progress needed, that society as a whole would benefit from. Yet Judge David Potter said the length of time over which Traynor been downloaded images, combined with the extreme nature of some of the material, meant only an immediate jail term was suitable. Judge Potter said: These images reveal the abuse of children in its most fundamental and horrific form, including penetration and abuse involving animals. Traynor, 51, of Ember Crescent, was jailed for a year. He must also sign the sex offenders register and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

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Charles Goodwin was found guilty of raping two students and sexually assaulting another A man was convicted today of raping two students and sexually assaulting another. Charles Goodwin, a mixed martial arts fighter, was told by a judge to expect a lengthy period of imprisonment. The 21-year-old business management student was found guilty of three charges of raping one student in Manchester, and of assaulting her by penetration. He was also found guilty of one charge of raping a student in Liverpool. The jury also convicted him of two offences of sexually assaulting a third student in Liverpool but cleared him of a sexual assault on a fourth student, also in Liverpool. The attack on the first victim involved him holding her down by the throat and he was found guilty of attempting to choke her and assaulting her. The court heard he had told her she deserved to be treated like a princess and picked her and carried her - before going on to violently attack her in her own home. He had faced three charges of rape against the second victim - to whom he had said he was a sex god when she complained he had hurt her - but was cleared of two of those charges. Goodwin, of Hilbre Street, Liverpool city centre but formerly of Salford, showed no reaction when the jury returned their unanimous verdicts after just over six hours deliberations. But his father and grandfather, who stood in the public gallery as the verdicts were returned, afterwards shouted Shame on this court, disgusting." Goodwins granddad shouted, A young mans life has been totally scotched and ruined. How can you believe someones lies to the court? It is really no way to deal with these offences. During his 13 day trial Liverpool Crown Court heard how he had been on police bail after the first attack but went on to commit the other attacks. Judge Garrett Byrne told Goodwin, I am going to order a pre-sentence report to be prepared by probation to include the extent to which you present a danger to women and the outcome of that may affect sentence. Please prepare yourself for a lengthy period of imprisonment, he added. He further remanded him in custody to await sentence in March. The offences of which he was convicted took place between January 15 and September 30, 2020. Matthew Curtis, prosecuting, had told the jury, The prosecution say the defendant did not care whether the complainants consented or not. In short, he got what he wanted with no care for them or the immediate consequences of his actions. Goodwin, who had a girlfriend at the time, admitted having sexual activity with all four women but maintained they had all consented and denied all 12 charges.

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A Merseyside scout leader and former police community support officer groomed and sexually abused a 13-year-old girl.

Graham Draper, then 22, had sex with her multiple times over an 18-month period and telling her they would run away together when she was old enough.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Draper, a volunteer scout leader at a troop in Merseyside and formerly a PCSO with Merseyside Police, messaged the girl online.

Peter Killen, prosecuting, said the messages between the pair were not sexual in nature at first, with texts about various topics eventually being replaced by those of a sexual nature.

The court heard he then kissed the girl after picking her up in his car.

Mr Killen said: "He said he had forgotten something and took her to his house.

"When there, he kissed her on the lips."

Eventually, Draper, now 31, took the girl to various areas of Merseyside in his car and had sexual intercourse with her.

He also gave her gifts, including money and alcohol, and said they would be able to reveal what was happening when she was older.

Mr Killen said: "He said he loved her and that when she was 18 they would run away together and buy a house."

He also said he told her he was in the police.

"That was true. He was at the time a PCSO but he is no longer."

Their connection ended after an 18-month period, with Draper gradually losing contact with his victim.

She went to the police in 2020, with Draper admitting to her allegations when interviewed by officers.

In a victim personal statement, the woman said she had been left with long-lasting mental health issues related to being groomed by Draper and said it had had a devastating impact on her family.

Max Saffman, defending, said Draper was an immature and emotionally stunted young man when he committed the offences and that he had been attracted to girls who showed any interest in him because he struggled to attract women his own age.

He said Draper now recognised how damaging his behaviour was and that he had already completed courses recommended to him by police aimed at helping to rehabilitate him.

Mr Saffman said: "He now knows he put his own selfish wishes and desires before any concern before [the victim's] wellbeing."

He added that Draper was now in a long-term relationship and had a child and felt guilt about what had happened with the victim.

He said: "He wishes me to express to the court that he has cooperated with the investigation right from the outset.

"He in fact said it was in some way cathartic to make these admissions to the police because he had been living with this for some time."

The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said it was clear Draper was contrite about his crimes but rejected the notion that he was so uniquely immature that he wouldn't have recognised what he did was wrong.

He added: "Whilst I accept that you were much younger, and you were not mature for your age, there is nothing I have seen that would suggest you were particularly immature or did not know that what you were doing was wrong."

Judge Menary also rejected a claim made by Draper that he did not groom the girl.

He said: "You maintained [in the pre-sentence report] that you did not groom her.

"It seems to me that on any view there was grooming behaviour. Grooming can take many forms and has many different styles."

Draper, of Halifax Crescent, Thornton, was jailed for 40 months after pleading guilty to eight counts, including sexual activity with a child by kissing, causing a child to watch sexual activity and multiple counts of sexual activity with a child.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order preventing contact with the victim.

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A paedophile who failed to tell police where he was staying claimed he was sleeping under a hedge and had no idea what day it was.

Paul Kemp was given a suspended jail sentence after offering to pay two teenage boys to take part in sexual activity in a McDonald's branch.

He has now been locked up for not complying with the terms of that sentence.

Kemp was handed a nine month suspended sentence in November over his illicit approach to two 14-year-old boys.

Louise Santamera, prosecuting, said Kemp had admitted two counts of attempting to cause a boy to engage in sexual activity.

While he avoided an immediate jail term, his freedom was subject to him abiding by a series of conditions.

He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and, as a result, Kemp had to regularly update police of his whereabouts.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he did so twice and said he was homeless and had no mobile phone - but suggested the Adelphi Hotel could be a point of contact.

However, later checks with the hotel revealed he had not stayed there for several weeks and he failed to attend St Anne Street police station on November 29 and failed to attend for probation supervision.

He was located on December 3 at the Mercure Hotel in Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port and was arrested.

When interviewed he said he had returned to that area where he had grown up and had been sleeping under a hedge.

The 64-year-old claimed a religious couple found him and paid for him to stay the night at the hotel.

Miss Santamera said: "He admitted he failed to comply with the requirements and said it was due to his mental health problems and did not know what day it was… The prosecution say it was a deliberate failure to comply.

"He undoubtedly knew he was expected to go to St Anne Street or any police station."

The court heard Kemp had five previous sexual convictions include two indecency offences when he was in the Army in 1977 for which he received 84 days detention and was discharged from the forces.

He was also convicted in 2012 for sexually assaulting a boy.

Bernice Campbell, defending, said Kemp had been on remand for the sex offences last year and after being freed he ended up in a hospital for two days, had no contact details for probation and unsuccessfully asked the police for help to contact them.

Kemp said he had thousands of pounds in his bank account but he had difficulty obtaining hotel accommodation as he had no photographic identification. He claimed he left a hostel by the police station as screaming in the night exacerbated his mental health problems.

Ms Campbell pointed out that Kemp had twice reported to St Anne Street police station despite being homeless and having a chaotic lifestyle.

However, Recorder Ian Harris, QC, told Kemp: "Bluntly you have shunned opportunities given to you by the court and deliberately flouted notification requirements."

The judge said: "You hoped to melt back into the community and you no doubt continue to be a threat to young children.

"It was a deliberate failure to comply with the requirements….Your convictions show you are a predatory paedophile and a risk to children."

The judge added: "The author of the pre-sentence report says you cannot be managed in the community and you had deliberately evaded your responsibility. Your mental health did not impair your ability to make rational choices."

Recorder Harris activated seven months of the suspended sentence handed to Kemp in November and imposed a further five months for the breach, making a total of 12 months imprisonment.

Kemp, of no fixed address, had pleaded guilty to breaching requirements of the Sex Offenders Register and admitted being in breach of the nine month suspended prison sentence.

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Darren Friday bought a phone from Cash Converters to speak to who he believed was a 13-year-old girl A convicted paedophile was jailed once again after being caught chatting up and arranging to meet with a 13-year-old girl. Darren Friday, 53, received 14 months in prison in August 2018 and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) imposed on him for ten years. But despite this the a dad-of-two began chatting with who he believed was a child, but was in fact an undercover police officer. A judge in Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, December 13, jailed Friday for three years and told him the case was aggravated by his previous conviction. The judge said he had breached the SHPO by having two mobile phones, and another aggravating fact was that he had used one of them to commit sexual offences. The judge ordered Friday to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. Steven Ball, prosecuting, told the court that Friday, using the handle Darren68, began communicating with the girl via the online Kik Messenger chatroom on September 17 last year. He established straight away that she was 13 and he claimed to be 35. He started asking her to send him photographs of her in her underwear and naked and went on to ask for videos of her naked. Mr Ball said he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her and in other conversations directed how he wanted her to pose for photographs. He also asked if she was a virgin and said he wanted to be her first. Friday progressed to referring to them meeting up and asked the girl, who purported to live in Somerset, for the name of some local hotels and he again asked for more photographs of her. In their last online chat his tone changed and he began asking why she had not been available to chat to him and on November 28 he sent her a 10 telephone credit and "told her he loved her". Mr Ball told the court: "He telephoned her and that was the first time they had directly spoken. The defendant told her she had a sexy voice and there was a discussion about the possibility of meeting up sooner rather than later." His sex offender manager went to visit him on November 25 and asked if he had any electronic devices which he denied but when police went to his home to arrest him they found he had two mobile phones. One of them, a Samsung, was unregistered and he had bought it from Cash Converters the previous month. When interviewed he made no comment. Friday, of Webb Street, Wavertree, pleaded guilty to six offences including attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity; attempted sexual communication with a child; attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Kate Morley, defending, said: "He is a man of few words, he offers no excuses. "There is clearly a fundamental issue, a disturbing interest in young females." He only has the convictions for which he was jailed in 2018 and during that period in prison he did not participate in a rehabilitation course because "he was embarrassed and it was a very short course". Miss Morley said that he lived alone and was somewhat isolated. He suffers from arthritis and curvature of the spine and walks with a cane as he has mobility issues. She added: "He knows he has done wrong and is going to be punished. He has difficulty explaining his behaviour but for what it is worth he is sorry." The offences for which he was jailed previously involved him chatting online with two girls aged 13 and 14, who actually did not exist and were fake profiles set up by a paedophile hunting group. During those chats he made similar comments and requests as in the new offences.

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This is the hate filled face of a twisted teenager who raped a 13-year-old girl. "Highly dangerous" Shaun Bennett raped his vulnerable victim in woodland, just weeks after meeting her online. The 15-year-old later subjected her to a second sex attack, then threatened her on Instagram when she went to the police. Now aged 18, a judge branded him "utterly shameful and wicked" when locking him up for seven and a half years. Merseyside Police said they didn't have a mugshot of Bennett, because he voluntarily attended an interview. But we can now reveal the face of the sexual predator and his furious rant in a foul-mouthed Snapchat video. The ECHO understands Bennett filmed the clip in response to being accused of being a rapist by another teen. The expletive-laden clip shows him screaming and using a homophobic slur, which we have censored. He then yells: "Get Liverpool right now, I'm telling you lad, get f*****g Liverpool right now!" Bennett, formerly of Liscard, Wallasey, but now of Bishopgate Street, Wavertree, added to his victim's suffering by denying any wrongdoing for more than two years. Just a week before a trial - and four days before his 18th birthday in September - he finally pleaded guilty to rape, sexual assault and assault by penetration. However, a judge said the vile teen hadn't shown any remorse, had a "misogynistic approach to young women" and "finds it funny causing someone to be upset". Bennett already had a conviction for sexually abusing a young girl when he was aged just 14, for which he received a 12-month referral order in 2018. In 2019 he was caught with a knife. For possessing a bladed article, common assault and battery he was handed a Youth Rehabilitation Order. That summer, he befriended his 13-year-old victim online. Ben Jones, prosecuting, said the girl went out with friends one night, when she met up with Bennett and headed to parkland in Wirral. He took her into secluded woods, pushed her against a wall and tried to pull her pants down, despite her rejecting his sexual advances. Recorder Ian Unsworth, QC, said it was a "carefully planned" and "horrific" attack. The judge said the young victim "said no and meant no", but Bennett was "consumed by desire" and treated the victim with "utter contempt". Bennett called her a "d**** little c***" and despite her trying to push him off, he raped her. The court heard the victim was subjected to a further "vile and wholly self-centred" sexual assault just days later. Recorder Unsworth said: "She was, relatively speaking, significantly younger than you. "I have no doubt that at the time, she looked up to you. "You were grooming and targeting her and making her believe you had a significant romantic interest." The judge said Bennett had downed "large quantities of neat vodka" before carrying out his sick attack. He said the traumatised girl was "too scared to tell anyone" but later confided in a school counsellor and a report was made to police. Recorder Unsworth told the rapist: "Her bravery contrasts with your cowardice." The judge said Bennett knew what he did was "very wrong and very serious" and hoped by threatening the girl she wouldn't report him, but he "couldn't have been more wrong". In a victim statement, the girl said she is now scared of boys and she was made to feel "disgusting and vile", having changed her appearance as a result. Recorder Unsworth said: "She wrongly blamed herself for what happened and feels she has let her family down. She couldn't be more wrong." Andrew McInnes, defending, previously told the court Bennett had been physically and psychologically abused as a child. He said his client had limited contact with his dad, some contact with one set of grandparents, and no contact with his mum - none of whom were in court. Mr McInnes said Bennett - sitting in the dock with his long hair covering his face - had difficulty communicating and "complex vulnerabilities". He quoted a report from a member of Wirral Youth Offending Service, which said: "Shaun is a young man who has experienced significant childhood trauma. "He's grown up in a dysfunctional household with a lack of positive attachment, which has led to him existing in survival mode for much of his childhood. "He is a deeply troubled young man who requires significant professional intervention to move away from an egocentric, defensive position and progress into an insightful and responsible approach, allowing for meaningful change and recognition of the harm he's caused." Recorder Unsworth accepted Bennett had a "difficult upbringing" and "suffered significant childhood trauma". But he said aggravating features of the disturbing case heavily outweighed any mitigation at his disposal. He said: "You have shown no remorse for what you did. "It is only hoped as the years go by, you reflect on these utterly shameful and wicked things you did to her." The judge was required by law to sentence Bennett based on his age at the time of the attacks, which limited his sentencing powers. However, he said: "I'm abundantly satisfied there is significant risk you will commit further offences, and in doing so cause serious physical and psychological harm to someone or multiple people. "You are a highly dangerous young man." Recorder Unsworth locked Bennett up for seven and a half years, with an extended five years on licence. This type of sentence means Bennett must serve at least two thirds of the custodial term - five years - behind bars. He will only be released before the end of the sentence if the Parole Board no longer considers him to be a risk. Recorder Unsworth told Bennett to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for life.