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A man from London has been convicted of possessing over 800 indecent images of children, after he admitted owning stun guns and pepper spray.

A former BBC producer has been found guilty of possessing indecent images of children following a National Crime Agency investigation.

Victor Melleney, 76, who previously worked on programmes such as Panorama and Question time, also pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to four counts of possessing a prohibited weapon.

He was arrested by NCA officers at his Kensington flat in October 2018. The weapons – three tasers and a pepper spray – were recovered following a search of the flat and his Porsche.

Officers also seized Melleney's laptop and iPad from this address.

An external hard drive, which he initially attempted to hide in his pocket, was recovered at his house close by in Holland Park.

His devices contained over 800 images and videos of child sexual abuse (categories A-C) and he had downloaded four different Peer 2 Peer file sharing applications onto them.

Analysis showed that the keywords he used to search for the material included "PTHC" (Pre Teen Hard Core), "Preteen" and "11 yo".

In March 2019, NCA officers executed a warrant at another of Melleney's properties in West Wittering, Chichester, as intelligence showed that he had also accessed child abuse material from the address in the month prior to his arrest.

Today at Kingston Crown Court, Melleney was found guilty of possessing indecent images of children.

He will be sentenced for this, along with the prohibited weapons offences, on 14 January 2022 at the same court.

Martin Ludlow, Operations Manager at the National Crime Agency, said: "Melleney had a significant collection of child abuse material, which he had sought out from with other like-minded individuals using the internet.

"It's really important not to forget that behind every sexual abuse image is a child whose life has been cruelly torn apart by an abuser, with men like Melleney fuelling the demand for such material.

"Protecting children and targeting those who pose a sexual threat to them remains our top priority."

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A man has been jailed after he abused the trust placed in him to sexually assault a child.

William Powell, 66 (29.12.1954) of East Ham Manor Way, Beckton, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, 13 December. He is also subject to a lifetime Sexual Harm Protection Order.

He was found guilty at the same court on Thursday, 17 June of two counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 by touching.

The court heard that in May 2018, allegations of sexual abuse were made against Powell.

These allegations related to incidents that occurred between July 2016 and November 2016 at his home address when he was looking after the victim.

They disclosed the abuse to a youth practitioner on 15 May 2018. Following this, a report was made to the police who launched an investigation.

Powell, who often referred to himself as Bill, was identified by officers and interviewed - he was never arrested as he was already in prison for a separate offence.

On 14 July 2020, he was charged with sexual assault of a female, under 13 by touching.

Detective Sergeant Emma Stockman, the investigating officer from East Area's CID, said: "Powell abused the trust placed in him, and his offences are truly shocking. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the actions of a dangerous and predatory offender.

"I thank the victim for having the strength and courage to come forward. Without this, his abuse may well have continued and impacted on further victims. The trauma that victims suffer can last a lifetime. I hope that the verdict brings the victim some closure, so that they can begin to rebuild their life.

"Given the predatory nature of Powell's offending, there is a possibility that he abused other children. We urge any further victims to contact police right away – a specially trained team of detectives are ready to listen and support you."

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Rameen Farooqy and Pankaj Bangarh laughed as they attacked their victim in the Winston Hotel.

Their victim was unconscious as she lay on the floor during the traumatic ordeal in August 2018.

Her attackers were each jailed on Wednesday for a total of eight years.

Furthermore, they must register as sex offenders for life.

They were both found guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault following a trial at Southampton Crown Court earlier in the year.

Farooqy, 25, of Arundel Drive, Harrow, and Bangarh, 27, of Halsway, Hayes, London, have also been made the subject of an indefinite restraining order not to contact their victim.

Hampshire Police are now urging victims of rape and sexual assault to come forward and report any incidents.

Commenting on the sentencing, Detective Constable Sue Hampton from Operation Amberstone said: "This was undoubtedly a traumatic ordeal for the woman and I cannot praise her enough for the courage and bravery she has shown in coming forward and reporting what happened to her and for the strength, she has shown throughout the trial and criminal justice process.

"We know it's incredibly difficult to report incidents of this nature to the police but with her help, we have been able to bring these two men to justice today.

"I really hope that this case shows people that no matter the circumstances, Hampshire Constabulary is committed to supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault and we will do everything we can to identify offenders and put them in front of a court.

"In cases such as these, we work in partnership with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) Service, Yellow Door to ensure expert support is available to victims throughout investigations. I know from speaking with the victim that the ISVA assigned to her helped her immensely through the process and we are really proud and lucky to work with support agencies like Yellow Door who help and support survivors.

"We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourage victims to come forward and report their experiences to us so that we can identify offenders and do everything we can to stop them from doing it again to someone else."

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A man who carried out a series of horrific sexual attacks over several years has been jailed, following an investigation by the Met.

Kevin Smith, 55 (23.05.66), of Edwin Street, E16, was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November having earlier pleaded guilty at the same court to 18 counts of rape and assault by penetration.

Smith, who also used the name 'Ian Dormer', will serve six years on licence on release.

The offences began in January 2016 with the last in July 2021.

The victim, who is a vulnerable woman, disclosed what was happening to mental health services staff and they alerted police shortly afterward.

Smith was arrested on Saturday, 24 July. He was charged and remanded in custody the following day.

Officers from the North East Safeguarding Team conducted a fast-moving and meticulous investigation. Smith's phone was seized and interrogated, revealing a disturbing search history around rape and other sexual offences and the legality around them.

A thorough search of Smith's address was also conducted, during which officers discovered he had made plans to flee before police arrival. He had removed the sofa, bed and wardrobe in apparent attempt to give the impression he had not lived there, and had also packed what was left of his belongings into boxes.

On his phone officers found he had researched where he could go to disappear within the UK, and how he could get rid of his phone so that the police would never find it.

Detective Constable India Allen said: "This was a harrowing investigation involving a female victim who suffered terribly at the hands of Smith, who used a position of trust to abuse her.

"Her support during our investigation and the judicial process has been crucial. I would like to thank and praise her for the outstanding courage and bravery she has shown. I hope Smith's substantial sentence will give her some small measure of comfort as she looks to the next chapters of her life, safe in the knowledge that Smith is behind bars.

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A former science teacher has been jailed for being in a sexual relationship with a pupil.

Robert Hanna, 43 (11.01.78) of Southwark, London appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday, 23 November where he was jailed for three years for six counts of sexual activity with a child whilst in a position of trust.

Detective Constable Erica Slater, from Central South Command, said: "This was a complex case where Hanna denied everything from the beginning and lied continuously throughout the case. However, the victim courageously remained steadfast in her evidence and following a thorough investigation his accounts were disproved.

"Today's sentence highlights the severity of this case and I would encourage anyone who is a victim of or victim to sexual abuse in any context to contact police. We have specially trained officers to investigate as well as ensuring there is ongoing support provided to the victims."

Hanna had previously been found guilty following a trial at the same court on Tuesday, 19 October, following a 12-day trial. During the trial the investigating detective travelled to the North East of England in order to obtain further evidence from the victim and additional evidence to secure the unanimous guilty verdict.

He has also been issued with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), preventing him from having any unsupervised contact with people under 18 and he will be subject to the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The court heard how Hanna was a teacher at a school in Southwark from 2015 until May 2019 when he was subsequently dismissed.

During this time he began having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old pupil whom he helped to achieve good grades in physics.

During a school prom he asked a group of pupils to meet up with him. Hanna then purchased alcohol and met with a few of the girls.

A sexual relationship began with the victim, over a four-month period. The victim told Hanna that she wanted the relationship to end but he persuaded her to meet with him one more time, he then broke up with her.

On Monday, 1 April 2019 the victim found the courage to inform a teacher of what had been happening and the school immediately suspended him. Police were alerted and an investigation began, led by specialist officers from Central South Child Abuse Investigation Team.

Officers interviewed him the following day and he denied being in a sexual relationship with the victim. A subsequent investigation found hotel check in and check out confirmation, banks statements and phone download evidence that corroborated the account given by the victim.

In May 2020 Hanna was charged as above.

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A dangerous predatory offender who targeted teenage girls and then sexually and physically assaulted them has been jailed.

Joshua Plunkett, 25 (27.11.95), of Reginald Road, Lewisham, was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on Thursday, 18 November to 14-and-a-half years' imprisonment. He will serve at least eight-and-a-half years of the sentence in prison, with the remainder to be served on licence. He also received a 15 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sex Offenders Register.

He was convicted at the same court on Friday, 17 September of:

- Possession of a prohibited image;

- Sexual communications with a child;

- Controlling coercive behaviour;

- Disclosing private photographs;

- Actual bodily harm;

- Two counts of sexual activity with a child;

- Perverting the course of justice;

- Causing a child to watch a sexual act;

- Breach of a Sexual Risk Order;

- Failing to comply with section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

The court heard that Plunkett targeted five teenage girls aged between 13 and 18, between 2016 and 2020.

After befriending his victims online, he would then exercise coercive control and abuse them physically, sexually and emotionally. Several victims told detectives he used 'strangle holds' on them. He broke the finger of one of his victims and bit her so forcefully that a complete mouth impression was left.

Plunkett used coercive control to dominate his vulnerable victims and would publish graphic images of them online to punish them and cause embarrassment if they upset him or tried to break contact.

Even after he was arrested and charged, following a comprehensive investigation by the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, his reign of terror did not stop as he sought to intimidate one of his victims while on remand to avoid justice.

Plunkett's offending began in 2016, then aged 20, when he started an online conversation with [Victim 1] who was 15 at the time. As the victim started to feel Plunkett genuinely liked her, he started to ask her to send him intimate pictures of herself. She told him no because she was not ready and Plunkett responded by sending nasty messages and abusing her via text message. The victim relented and sent him a series of sexual photographs.

In July 2017, Plunkett began a conversation with [Victim 2] who was 13. He asked her how old she was, and she added a year to her true age and responded 14, but that did not deter Plunkett and he sent her a series of sexual messages.

[Victim 3] first met Plunkett through Facebook when she was 15 and they started messaging. They met up in March 2018 when she was 18 and he was 22. As the relationship developed, Plunkett began demanding access to her social media accounts. In May 2018, Plunkett demanded her phone and when she refused he grabbed her around the neck and strangled her. He did the same thing just three weeks later. In June 2018, the victim ended the relationship. This angered Plunkett who logged onto her social media account and was abusive and rude and sent a number of explicit pictures and videos of the two of them engaging in sexual activity to her friends and family. Plunkett's actions ruined the victim's modelling career and damaged her self-esteem.

Plunkett met [Victim 4] in 2018 when she was 15 and he had sex with her. In September 2018 the two were play fighting when he deliberately took hold of her finger and tried to snap it, which resulted in a suspected break. While on remand in prison in December 2018, Plunkett persuaded the victim that it was her fault he was still in custody because of what she had said in her police interview. Over the next four weeks or so he made a concerted effort to persuade the victim to retract her account that there had been any sexual element to their relationship. His efforts worked and she withdrew her statement in January 2019. However, after speaking with detectives she thankfully changed her mind and further disclosed the full extent of the abuse in June 2020.

In January 2020, having been released from custody on bail, Plunkett attended [Victim 4]'s home uninvited, giving an excuse that he thought he had taken her keys a couple of weeks earlier. Breaching the Sexual Risk Order that detectives had secured, he entered the victim's bedroom while she was listening to music and immediately started punching her repeatedly in the face and head, causing her to fall to the floor. He then kicked her in the face and gave her a cut to her forehead which bled profusely. She managed to get slightly towards the door when he pulled her back by her hair – pulling some of it out – and she fell to the floor again where he resumed kicking her. He then took the victim's mobile phone and bankcard and left the scene. All this was witnessed by her 12-year-old sister.

Plunkett contacted [Victim 5] over Snapchat in September 2019. He told her he was 16, but he was in fact almost 24. The victim told him her true age, 14. Plunkett asked the victim to watch some of his videos on Snapchat story. One of the videos he sent was of him having sex, so the victim blocked him. In the summer of 2020, while on remand for these offences, Plunkett attempted to add the victim as one of the contacts he could phone from prison. He lied to the prison authorities and said she was his 24-year-old cousin, meaning he once again breached his Sexual Risk Order.

Detectives began their investigation into Plunkett in September 2018, and first arrested him in November 2018. He was further arrested another three times throughout 2018 and 2019. It was a complex investigation which involved five victims and offending dating back to 2016. It took eight months of detectives closely working with the victims before the full extent of Plunkett's abuse came out.

Detectives also worked tirelessly behind the scenes to protect the victims and any potential future ones by doing things such as applying for Sexual Risk Orders, working closely with the prison to gain intelligence and making a Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act application after he refused to provide the PIN for his phone.

Detective Constable Natalie Franklin, the investigating officer from the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, said: "Plunkett is a cruel monster who preyed on young teenage girls. He would make their lives a living nightmare for his own twisted pleasure by abusing them with sexual, physical and emotional violence. He is the personification of violence against women. Even when he was on remand awaiting trial he exercised his control by intimidating one of his victims and making her so fearful that she withdrew her statement.

"This was a complex investigation which involved hundreds of hours of enquiries to be carried out, but we were happy to work around the clock to make sure that Plunkett was brought to justice so he could not hurt and control any more young girls.

"I would like to praise the bravery of Plunkett's victims who came forward and gave evidence. It cannot have been easy for them to re-live their traumatic ordeals, but their courage resulted in us being able to build a strong case against Plunkett which has resulted in him being put behind bars for a considerable amount of time."

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A woman who ran a sexual services business has been jailed alongside her brother and an associate after detectives discovered they were exploiting vulnerable women for their own financial gain.

Claudia Anca, 27 (31.05.94) and Vasile Anca, 24 (08.01.97), both of Garfield Road, Chingford, and Mihaita Strat, 51 (14.11.70), of Henley Road, Redbridge, were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 November following a comprehensive investigation by the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team.

The Ancas were each sentenced to six years' imprisonment and Strat was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

All three originally denied their involvement and a four-week trial started on Monday, 8 November. However, due to the vast amount of evidence against them, they all pleaded guilty on Tuesday, 9 November to controlling prostitution. The Anca siblings also pleaded guilty to supplying Class A drugs.

Charges of trafficking have been left to lie on file.

The court heard the defendants ran a sexual services business which was advertised on a website. The business provided transport for the sex workers to and from a customer's location, which was a hotel or home address. Typically, a customer would phone the number on the online adverts and a woman would be driven to their preferred location, which was usually a hotel.

Claudia was in charge of the enterprise. It was her phone number that took the calls from customers and she directed the sex workers. Her brother Vasile had a leading role and assisted Claudia in running the business as well as frequently providing transport for the women. Cocaine would also be provided by the siblings if asked for by the customers.

Strat also assisted in the running of the business. At times he helped Claudia with the website and gave direction to the sex workers. Like Vasile, he also acted as a driver, transporting the women to appointments and back.

The court heard the trio ran this business from at least March 2019, which is when a company called 'Ace Concept' was set-up, with the siblings listed as directors. It did not appear have a legitimate purpose and was set-up to facilitate the criminal enterprise.

Detectives discovered that Ace Concept was linked to a number of adverts on a classified website. Claudia's phone number was on the individual adverts to book sexual services with the women. In addition, the siblings' cardholder details were listed for the adverts on the website.

There were 73 payments from the siblings between July 2019 and January 2021, totalling £23,162.99. Strat also paid for some of the advertisements in August 2020.

During their investigation, detectives identified and confirmed at least six call outs to hotels through CCTV, mobile and ANPR work. On two of these occasions, the Met deployed undercover officers to pose as customers.

On 10 December 2020, an undercover officer called Claudia and they discussed prices for sexual services and drugs. The officer went to a hotel in Barking where he met the woman and later had the drugs delivered by Vasile. The officer then made his excuses, paid her in full, and left the hotel. The woman was picked-up by Vasile and taken to the siblings' home address.

The drugs provided to the officer were analysed and confirmed to be cocaine. The packaging was also examined and Vasile's fingerprint was found on it.

With enough evidence now collected against the defendants, detectives ran a 'sting' on 13 January 2021 with the aim of arresting the trio.

The sting began with an undercover officer calling Claudia and arranging for two sex workers and cocaine to be brought to a hotel in Barking. Shortly before 22:40hrs, Claudia called the officer to say the girls were outside the hotel. He went to meet them and Strat called out 'did you order an escort,' to which he replied he did.

The officer told the women to go and wait inside the hotel. Strat was then arrested by officers, who found £890 in cash in his car as well as a Satnav, which had the siblings' address in it, and a small zip lock bag, which later tested positive for traces of cocaine.

Police officers later examined the sex workers' bags – inside were several unused condoms and three black wraps of powder, which later tested positive for cocaine.

At about 23:40hrs on 13 January, officers attended the Ancas' home address and arrested the siblings. Officers searched the house and seized a quantity of cash and cocaine, several mobile phones and a pink notebook which contained several handwritten financial entries for the business.

Whilst at the police station, Strat noticed Claudia and said to an officer under his breath, 'that is the boss, she is the boss.'

Claudia's mobile phones were analysed by detectives and contained messages between herself and customers, sex workers, her brother and Strat. A typical message to the sex workers would indicate the price agreed for an hour, the postcode of the meeting venue and the mobile number of the client. There would also be messages discussing the services requested.

Detectives also found a message on her phone which demonstrated the control that was being exercised. As well as financially controlling the girls, Claudia dictated how the women should look. Officers found a message on her phone that she sent in December 2020 instructing the girls to dress elegantly, with make-up and straightened hair. She said they would be photographed by the drivers before meeting with customers and if they did not 'respect her rules' they would be sent home to get changed or 'even off.' The drivers were told not to leave with the girl before she gave her confirmation.

Photos of women posing in their underwear were also found in WhatsApp messages sent from Claudia to Strat, and were similar to those used in the online adverts.

The trio all gave 'no comment' interviews and were subsequently charged on 15 January 2021.

Detective Inspector Nigel Penney, from the Met's Modern Slavery and Child Exploitation Team, said: "This was an excellent investigation by my team of detectives, which resulted in the defendants changing their pleas to guilty due to the overwhelming evidence against them. This criminal enterprise was run and controlled by Claudia Anca who, along with her brother Vasile and Strat, had absolutely no regard for the welfare or safety of the women they exploited for their own greed.

"The Met is committed to keeping London a safe place for everyone and will continue to work behind the scenes to robustly target and bring to justice people like the Anca siblings and Strat who treat people as nothing more than an object to make money.

"We remain absolutely dedicated to doing all we can to protect women and girls, like those who were exploited by the Ancas and Strat. The Met takes all reports of exploitation extremely seriously and I would encourage anyone who has suffered from these kind of offences to contact police where they will be treated sensitively and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated."

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A man has been jailed for a total of 22 years having been found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

Mark Bolton, 55, (5.12.65) of New Malden was sentenced on Friday, 5 November, at Kingston Crown Court, having been convicted on 2 September after a trial at the same court.

He was found guilty of five counts of raping a child, two counts of attempted rape of a child, seven counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of assault by penetration of a child and one count of sexual activity with a child.

In addition he was found guilty of two counts of causing a child to engage in or watch sexual activity and one count each of taking indecent photographs of a child and voyeurism.

Mark Bolton, previously known as Dermot Bolton, committed the offences over a period of nine years against two girls under the age of 13. Bolton was known to the children and their relatives.

Police were alerted to Bolton's offending after one of the victims spoke to a member of staff at their school. The school contacted the child's mother, who in turn called police on 1 December 2020.

An urgent police investigation was launched and Bolton was arrested by Met officers the same day.

Detective Constable Katy Waddington who led the investigation by the Met's South West BCU said: "The details of this case were some of the most distressing I have heard in six years investigating child abuse.

"Mark Bolton sexually abused the children having groomed them and ultimately secure their continued silence. He used covert hidden cameras and his knowledge of IT to further his sexual interest in children all the while positioning himself as a respectable family man.

"I continue to be in awe of victims who come forward to face their abusers, even more so in cases where the abuse was by someone they trusted. There are not enough words to describe the bravery and dignity shown. I hope the children and their relatives will find some peace moving forward, and the lengthy prison sentence will reassure them as they begin to rebuild their lives."

In addition to a 22-year prison sentence, Bolton was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

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A teacher from a school in Leytonstone has been jailed for two years after admitting she had a sexual relationship with a pupil at her school.

Disgraced sports tutor Erin Hebblewhite, 29, admitted to seven charges which involved abusing her position to groom and sexually abuse a 16-year-old at Connaught School for Girls.

Hebblewhite took the teen's virginity in a restaurant bathroom on Valentine's Day and was the first person to kiss her.

The Sports Teacher of the Year contender also tried to pressure her into having sex in the toilets of Primark during a shopping trip.

The offending came to light when the teen's phone was seized by her mother and a family member was able to find explicit messages despite pleas from Hebblewhite for the girl to delete them.

Four charges relate to sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 to 17 and abusing her position of trust, with the fifth charge being sexual activity in the presence of a teenager.

The other two charges are taking and possession of indecent photographs of a girl under the age of 17.

Judge Neil Sanders, passing sentence, imposed a 10-year restraining order and sexual harm preventing order banning her from contacting the victim or working with children in any capacity.

He also jailed Hebblewhite for two years with all charges to run concurrently.

He said: “You sent her a text asking if she liked you. From that point, the relationship developed.

“It developed into flirtation, with you calling her a heart throb and the sexual encounters began.

“This involved kissing in the school premises and [the complainant] felt she was pressurised and she gave in.

“You went on a date in a restaurant and that was the first occasion in which there was sex.

“There were rumours going around the school and, in fact, the school warned you to be careful as you could get into trouble.

“When you split up with your partner, [the complainant] would go to your house and the sex would continue in your house.

“She had pictures taken of her. She felt she needed to do so to make you happy.”

He continued: “I have read the victim personal statement and can summarise as such the areas [the victim] describes is feeling guilty and shame and depression, PTSD and feeling suicidal.

"She describes the interruption of an important time of education and development.

'She talks about the damage to her relationships of her friends, family and her best friend. She says she struggles with adult relationships and she found the criminal process an ordeal.

“Given the number of your offences, I consider the appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody.'

Hebblewhite, from Brighton, wearing a navy suit and cream jumper, broke down in tears and tried to speak to her girlfriend who was supporting her from the public gallery.

The complainant attended the sentencing hearing alone but was supported by a police victim support officer.

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A man has been convicted of attempted rape following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court.

Daniel Bilan (18.09.93) of Camden, NW5, will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, 21 December.

On Sunday, 4 April, police received a report of an attempted rape which had occurred at a property in Camden.

Officers attended and spoke to the victim, a woman in her 20s, who said she had been attacked by a housemate who had recently moved in.

She was provided with specialist support from officers and taken to a nearby hospital.

She said: "After the trauma and disgust I am facing from the attack, I am very happy with the result of the trial.

"I am hoping this is the start of my journey to recovery from my worst experience created by his actions. Thank you to the Police, CPS and Women's Solace for helping me through the trial and investigation."

Detective Sergeant Joel Gregory, from Central North's Serious Sexual Offence team, said: "The victim in this case showed great courage in providing evidence during the trial which left the jury in no doubt as to Bilan's guilt.

"I would also like to commend her housemate for calling 999 after hearing the attack, allowing us to attend the scene very quickly and arrest Bilan almost immediately.

"We take all reports of sexual offences incredibly seriously and we hope this case shows we will do all we can to bring offenders to justice."

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A teenager exploited the failures of a mum as he raped and sexually abused two of her vulnerable children.

Brandon Mullin preyed on the youngsters, siblings a judge said were victims of the worst neglect he had ever seen.

His terrible abuse only ended when the children were taken into care.

Mullin, now 19, was convicted of 10 sexual offences against two victims following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

His crimes included the rape of a boy and abuse of a girl.

Mullin was a child himself at the time of the offences, though Judge Garrett Byrne today declared: "I am satisfied you knew perfectly well what you were doing was wrong."

Passing sentence on Monday morning, Judge Byrne described Mullin as a "cold and calculated individual" who had no regard for the impact of his actions on his victims and had displayed no remorse for his "wicked deeds".

He added: "The harm you have caused these children is incalculable. You have caused them physical, emotional and developmental harm. The harm will last the rest of their lives."

Classing Mullin as a dangerous offender, Judge Byrne handed the teen 13 years' detention at a young offender institution with an extended licence of three years.

This means Mullin will be locked up for at least two thirds of his detention period before he can be considered for parole.

Once released, he will be subject to strict conditions for the rest of that 13 year sentence, plus a further three years.

He was also given a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Ian Whitehurst, defending, had told the court Mullin was found to have been a "vulnerable and immature individual" at the time of his crimes and that "there was no structure in his life whatsoever".

He said there had been a "marked improvement" in his client since he had been taken into custody and that he was now engaging with a number of rehabilitation services behind bars.

The court had previously heard of the backdrop that allowed Mullin to prey on his victims.

The children, and their other brothers and sisters, grew up in a chaotic and filthy environment without adequate food and clothing, basic hygiene, medical care, any toys or love.

Judge Byrne said their home had not been safe with many people - mostly "strangers" to them - coming and going.

Their mum, who cannot be named because that would identify her children, admitted five counts of neglect relating to each child "from birth until the date of their removal by social services".

Her pleas were made on the basis she did not know about the sexual abuse and was not involved in it.

This was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Sentencing her last month, Judge Byrne said while the mum didn't "participate" in the abuse, her neglect "led" to it.

He told her: "You were rarely there, choosing instead to prioritise your own needs over those of the children."

He added that her neglect meant Mullin " was afforded the opportunity of sexually abusing them ".

The judge said: "If your basis of plea is you had no responsibility for that, then I reject it.

"I accept you didn't know about the abuse. But if you exercised greater control... that abuse may not have occurred."

David Polglase, who prosecuted both the mum and Mullin, said agencies and professionals had tried to support her.

However, he said a family support worker noted she was "clever" in "giving out the right signals but then not complying", while the judge observed she would "pay lip service but fail to follow through with action".

The court heard a turning point came when one of her children, a little boy, was found " wandering the street, barefoot, with no coat, in cold weather, in wet clothes and with a wet nappy".

The mum, who also admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply in relation to a police swoop after her children had been removed from her care, was sentenced to 12 years in jail.

Speaking as he locked up Mullin, of Kensington Road, Kensington, Judge Byrne said the only positive to emerge from the case was that the children were now being looked after by loving, caring foster parents.

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A London man who travelled to Cambodia and engaged in sexual activity with a child has been jailed.

Gary Cosgrove, 59 (05.03.62) of Bethnal Green was sentenced on Friday, 29 October at the Old Bailey to two years and five months' imprisonment. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order for a period of ten years.

On Monday, 6 September, prior to a trial, he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of a child and inciting a child to commit a sexual act.

On Friday, 13 April 2018 the Met received intelligence reports from the National Crime Agency of a male sexually abusing, grooming and exploiting children in Cambodia.

Intelligence suggested the male had been travelling around the locality of an area called Sihanoukville, meeting with children and sexually assaulting them.

Detectives from the Met's Central Specialist Crime began investigating and detained Gary Cosgrove on Thursday, 31 May 2018 at Heathrow Airport. He was arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a male child under 13-years-old.

During his interview he confirmed he was present in Cambodia, engaging with children, giving them gifts such as food, money, clothing and toys. He denied committing any offences of a sexual nature against these children.

Numerous items were seized from him, including data storage devices. Further electronic items were seized following a search at his address.

He was subsequently bailed with conditions.

A number of items seized were sent for analysis, one of which was found to contain video of a male sexually communicating with a child and also a large number of images of naked children.

A particular video, which was around 50 seconds in length, revealed an explicit conversation with a child where a male could be heard trying to persuade her to remove her underwear – she was around four-years-old. She appeared to be holding paper currency.

It was discovered that the video was made on an iPhone 6 Plus on 5 January 2018. The location of the footage showed to be in Cambodia, which was where Cosgrove was at the time.

Cosgrove was further interviewed about this matter on Tuesday, 26 June 2018 but denied he was the person recording or talking on the video. He was again bailed.

Voice analysis was later completed and a report from an expert in forensic speech and acoustics found the recording provided moderately strong support that Cosgrove was the speaker. Cosgrove continued to deny all questions put to him. In July 2019 he was charged with possession of indecent images of a child, engaging in sexual communication with a child and inciting a child to commit a sexual act.

Detective Constable Mike, Penn, from Central Specialist Crime said: "This sentence highlights the Met's and partner agencies determination to track down these offenders and tirelessly investigate offences to secure their convictions and safeguard vulnerable children no matter where they are in the world.

"If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape or you have information about an offender, contact police on 101 or 999 in an emergency – there are specially trained officers who will listen and investigate where needed."

Peter Vernon from the NCA's International Liaison Network, said: "Gary Cosgrove targeted vulnerable children in Cambodia then groomed them, building their trust through the provision of gifts, before sexually abusing them.

"Transnational child sex offenders like Cosgrove think that by conducting their abuse in a remote part of the world, they won't get caught. However, as this case shows, borders are not a barrier.

"The NCA works closely with international partners to target British nationals who commit these offences overseas. We are then able to share information with our partners back in the UK to ensure they face justice for their crimes."

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