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A Middlesbrough man who downloaded 518 illegal images of children, as well as an extreme pornographic image of a dog, told police "I'm not a monster - I would never hurt a child" when he was arrested.

David Clark, 37, had hundreds of pictures of children as young as three being sexually abused, as well as a pornographic image of a dog. Teesside Crown Court heard that he was caught with 148 class A illegal images of children - the most serious category; 226 category B images and 144 category C images.

Clark, of Midville Walk, Netherfields, admitted five counts of making an indecent photograph, or pseudo-photograph of a child. He also pleaded guilty to possessing an extreme pornographic image of an animal, before his trial was due to start.

Paul Cleasby, defending, told the court that his client had been psychologically affected from his work in conflict zones around the world: "He's entirely capable of being rehabilitated. The probation service are willing to work with him.

"A short custodial sentence would be counter productive in this case. He's thoroughly ashamed of himself."

Judge Howard Crowson told Clark: "You deserve to be ashamed. These are vile images, including particularly disturbing ones." The judge handed Clark a 44-week jail term, suspended for 18-months.

He was ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation days and made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, with sexual offender notification requirements for the same amount of time.

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A sex offender who left his victim in debt after conning her out of more than 2,000 is back behind bars.

Geoffrey Ball told a string of lies to the woman - who he struck up a relationship with when she was working at a petrol station - to get cash sums from her, which he claimed he would pay back.

His deceit included saying his sister was seriously ill with Covid and he needed 300 to visit her and he needed 100 to secure a puppy for the woman, which never materialised. He pleaded guilty to five charges of fraud when he appeared before Teesside Magistrates' Court via video link from Acklington Prison.

Ball, 50, who was placed on a sex offenders' register in 2010 for touching and grabbing a woman on a train, also pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions by not telling officers he had moved out of his Teesside home.

In December 2018 Ball, who at that time had 35 aliases, was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison. Teesside Crown Court heard he used one woman to fund his drinking and gambling, tricked another out of 3,410 by saying he had cancer and told a third woman he knew a solicitor who could stop her children being taken away.

Lynne Dalton, prosecuting at the magistrates' court, said Ball used the alias of Peter Marsh when he struck up a relationship with a woman who was working in a petrol station in Wales in May last year.

Over the next two months he asked her for several sums of money, including 600 to buy building materials so he could do some work on her house, 220 for a locksmith to repair her door, 300 to visit his sister in Cornwall who was ill on a ventilator with Covid, 300 to travel to Ireland to retrieve his stolen car and 100 to secure a puppy for her. He admitted all five of these fraud offences.

However, the victim claimed in total she gave him 2,460. Ms Dalton said Ball also told the woman his son was a solicitor and could help her with a neighbour dispute she was having, but then said his son had died and was in floods of tears.

Ms Dalton said in her statement the victim said Ball struck up a conversation with her in the petrol station where she worked and asked for her number, then began ringing her every day and started to stay at her home.

She said: "He had the gift of the gab, was a sweet-talker and really charming. She was flattered and enjoyed speaking to him. It was all very convincing. She said she was emotionally blackmailed into giving him money."

Ms Dalton said in her statement the woman said: "He told me he would pay the money back and that he was worth a fortune. He said he earned 120,000 a year."

Ball said he had lost his bank card and needed money to visit his sister, then the following week he needed money to go to Ireland to pick up his stolen car. He said he had sold the car and the money he was going to pay her back with was destroyed in a fire. After about two months the victim contacted the police.

Reading from the statement the prosecutor said: "Looking back it seems so far fetched, but at the time I believed him."

She said: "I don't trust anyone anymore. I am so devastated I could let this happen, I didn't think I could be deceived like this.

"I feel violated having fallen victim to fraud and feel people will think worse of me because of that. I have not told any of my friends or family about the incident, I feel ashamed and they will think I am stupid for letting this happen to me."

Nick Woodhouse, defending, said the breach of the conditions on the sex offenders register was because Ball felt he had no option but to leave his Teesside home because some people knew he had information about an incident in Stockton which he had tried to tell the police.

He said: "He didn't target (the victim), he got talking to her. He accepts the money hadn't been paid back."

Mr Woodhouse said Ball had admitted the offences at the earliest opportunity. He said he is also suffering from some health problems, including high blood pressure.

Ball was jailed for 36 weeks and ordered to pay 1,520 in compensation.

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A pervert who uploaded an indecent image of a child onto Facebook Messenger has avoided prison.

When police raided Paul Foxton's home, the 60-year-old was caught with over 300 illegal images of children being sexually abused.

Teesside Crown Court has heard that Foxton's social media account was referred to Cleveland Police in January of last year; officers then turned up at Foxton's Thornaby address a few weeks later, in March.

Police found 27 category A images - the most serious cases of children being sexually abused; 32 category B images and 251 category C images and videos on Foxton's Samsung phone and two tablets.

The defendant, of Elden Walk in Thornaby, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Ellen Wright told the court that some of the pictures showed very young children being sexually abused - including one child who was in a high chair. The videos showed children in "obvious pain and distress".

Forensic officers also uncovered a systematic search history for the most serious images showing children being sexually abused, as well as for familial sexual abuse. The court heard that when Foxton was interviewed by police, he said he didn't "much like" the illegal material, and that he was just curious.

John Wood, defending, said that Foxton had eventually accepted that he had "an element of sexual interest" in the illegal content. Mr Wood said that his client has a brain injury which has left his lonely and depressed. He has separated from his wife and lockdown left him even more isolated.

Foxton's son sat with his head in his hands listening to the court hearing in the public gallery.

Judge Christopher Smith told Foxton "At the end of the camera there is a child being sexually abused - which can have a life-changing effect on them. After no doubt some probing by the probation officer, you were able to admit you have a sexual interest in prepubescent children.

"This offending is serious but in your case I'm entirely satisfied that this indicates a good chance of rehabilitation".

The judge handed Foxton a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18-months. Foxton was ordered to attend 40 rehabilitation days; he was placed under curfew from 8pm-7am, which will be monitored by an electronic tag.

Foxton will sign the sex offenders' register for 10-years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order - so that police can monitor his online usage.

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A sex offender has admitted exposing her penis, using a sex toy and masturbating in public.

Chloe Thompson committed the "grossly offensive" acts in daylight and in front of members of the public, a court heard.

At one point, three children saw her exposing herself and thrusting her hips in the window of her home.

Thompson had been due to be tried at Teesside Magistrates' Court on Tuesday morning but changed her plea to guilty just before the trial was due to begin.

Her latest offences were committed on August 13 last year in Cromer Street and Wellesley Road, in the Borough Road area of Middlesbrough.

A couple saw her performing a sex act on herself in a back alleyway of Wellesley Road at about 3.45pm that day.

Liz McGowan, prosecuting, said "the defendant was moving forwards and backwards against a wheelie bin" before being seen using a sex toy on herself.

At the time she was wearing "an ill-fitting black wig, a ra-ra skirt and a midriff-length top", the court heard.

"She was shouted at by the witnesses and ran away," said Ms McGowan.

Former soldier Thompson was also seen exposing herself on Cromer Street where she lived at the time of the offending.

Ms McGowan said a witness described seeing "a male on the street", "wearing women's clothing" and seeing that person "lifting and playing with their penis".

Ms McGowan said another witness described seeing "a male" standing in the forecourt area of a house "leaning over the garden gate, thrusting their hips forwards and backwards looking at the group as if he wanted them to notice him".

The thrusting continued for about a minute, the court heard, and Thompson was then seen walking back towards the house, apparently performing a sex act on herself.

On the same day, a woman was passing with her granddaughters in the car, who were aged 10,11 and 14 at the time.

As they passed the house, "one of the grandchildren shouts, 'Look at that lady'," said Ms McGowan.

The grandmother said she saw "a male standing in the window exposing his bum making thrusting movements with his hips".

Ms McGowan said: "The offences were carried out in daylight and in front of children who were passing. They were grossly offensive."

The court heard 42-year-old Thompson has 17 convictions for 22 offences and was still under a suspended sentence order at the time of the latest crimes.

Previously convicted as Andrew McNab, the defendant had been put on the sex offenders' register and made subject to notification requirements in 2011 for sexually assaulting an underage girl.

But she was hauled back before courts in May last year for breaching her notification requirements for the 11th time.

Andrew McGloin, defending, said Ms Thompson is "an individual who feels, at this point in her life, very optimistic and hopeful for the future".

He told the court she is originally from Glasgow and came to the Teesside area in 2011 to find work.

She worked in asbestos removal for a time.

Mr McGloin said Thompson plans to attend a gender clinic which may lead to her undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

"About two and a half years ago she expressed a wish to change her gender and, following that decision, has changed her name to Chloe Thompson," he explained.

"It's been a very emotional journey for her and she has, at times suffered with mental health problems which have been exacerbated with periods of homelessness."

The court heard she has recently undertaken courses for working in the wind turbine industry.

"She's very optimistic she will be able to gain employment in an industry she is very interested in," said Mr McGloin.

Thompson has also served in the armed forces, he explained, and was hoping to join the Army Reserve force.

"She is disappointed she has placed herself in this position in regards the distress she will have caused to members of the public on these occasions," he added.

Thompson, now of Borough Road in Middlesbrough, admitted three charges;

- Committing a public nuisance by indecent exposing herself while exposing her penis to members of the public while performing a sex act upon herself

- Committing an act outraging public decency by performing a sex act on herself in a public place in view of other members of the public, and

- Outraging public decency by behaving in an indecent manner, by using a sex toy on herself.

She will be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on March 15.

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A sex offender who once gave two schoolgirls love bites has been jailed for breaching a suspended prison sentence.

Serena Ransom was found guilty by a jury in 2015 of making sexual advances towards two young girls.

The 27-year-old was convicted of sexual assault, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.

She was sentenced to 18 months' detention in a young offenders' institution and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order banning her from work or unsupervised contact with under-16s.

In May last year, Ransom was hauled back in front of a judge at Teesside Crown Court for breaching her notification requirements.

The court heard how the qualified bricklayer created a profile on video sharing app TikTok in October 2020 and failed to notify police.

She also stayed overnight in a house where children also regularly stayed and did not tell the police.

Ransom was handed a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and made subject to a six-month curfew.

She was also ordered to undertake 120 hours unpaid work and carry out 30 rehabilitation days.

On Wednesday afternoon, the defendant made a further appearance at the court in Middlesbrough.

Ransom, of Brompton Street, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching her suspended sentence.

Miss Recorder Kidd partly activated the 12 month sentence and sentenced her to six months behind bars.

Teesside Live reported in 2015 how Ransom's first and youngest victim was described by a judge as being "particularly vulnerable" when Ransom sexually assaulted her by giving her love bites.

The court heard how Ransom gave the second older girl love bites, kissed her on the lips and asked her to touch her intimately.

During the hearing last year, the court heard how the notification breaches were Ransom's third and fourth.

She was caught after a man, who knew about her criminal past, saw her TikTok profile and sent a screenshot to police.

Nigel Soppitt, defending, said the breaches were "reckless rather than malicious" and that Ransom has "no sexual interest in children".

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A sex offender has been locked up after attacking a woman on Teesside.

Richard Marsden carried out two sexual assaults on the female in the Middlesbrough area.

The 27-year-old, of Locksley Close, North Shields, North Tyneside, committed the crimes in July last year.

He made a first appearance at Teesside Magistrates' Court in Middlesbrough in August this year.

Due to the severity of the charges, the magistrates' transferred his case to Teesside Crown Court.

He was given unconditional bail until the crown court hearing on September 24.

When he returned to court, Marsden pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by penetration.

He was sentenced by Judge Tim Stead at the court in Middlesbrough on December 6.

Marsden was jailed for three years and ordered to sign the sex offender register for an indefinite period.

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A former deputy headteacher of a primary school watched sickening indecent images of children on the dark web while his wife and child were at home.

Paedophile Richard Swinnerton admitted he had a sexual attraction towards children and would watch the vile abuse material on a weekly basis.

The 31-year-old was caught on May 15 after police executed a warrant at Swinnertons Coulby Newham home.

Following his arrest, he immediately resigned from his job at St Clares Catholic Primary School in Acklam, Middlesbrough .

His offences were not related to his employment at the school.

Swinnerton appeared at Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for three counts of possession of indecent images.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said that when officers went to Swinnertons home, he made a significant statement to them, and admitted straight away, saying; Its me, Ive been looking at indecent images.

He then pointed to a laptop on a nearby sofa which was recovered and examined.

On the initial examination, police found six videos containing indecent images, all of which were category A - the most severe.

The court heard that one sickening video was a full 36 minutes long and involved a child between the age of six to eight.

Another five-minute long video was found which depicted the abuse of a child who was aged between two and three.

A more in-depth examination of Swinnertons laptop was later carried out where a total of 95 indecent images were discovered.

A total of 87 were in category A - 11 of which were moving images.

Seven images were in category B and one was in category C.

Mr Dryden said that when Swinnerton was interviewed, he made full admissions and said he had been accessing indecent images for around two years.

He said he would view the disgusting material when his wife and child were upstairs.

He said he viewed the material for sexual gratification on a weekly basis for about half-an-hour.

The court was told that Swinnerton was employed as a primary school teacher at the time of the offences and was also an active member in his local church.

He had been a primary school teacher for the past eight years but resigned as soon as he was arrested.

Swinnerton, who had no previous convictions, admitted to police that he had a sexual attraction to children and had done so since he was a child.

In mitigation, John Nixon, defending Swinnerton, said he was a primary school deputy headmaster and that he was an intelligent, hard-working man who is well-educated.

He said that Swinnerton was very successful in his occupation.

Mr Nixon told the court that there was no suggestion whatsoever that there was any impropriety in his workplace and that he viewed the school children as pupils who were in his care.

His private life was quite separate from his public responsibilities, he said.

He added that it is a tragic fall from grace for him and that his life and reputation are in tatters and was required to split from his wife and child.

Mr Nixon said that he had chosen to be quite honest about the issues he has.

Before sentencing, Judge Deborah Sherwin said that there was no suggestion that Swinnerton crossed the boundaries with pupils at the school he taught at.

She sentenced him to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years.

He must also undertake 35 rehabilitation activity days as well as a 27 day sex offender programme.

He must sign the sex offender register and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order - both will last 10 years.

A St Clares school spokesperson said: This has been an upsetting matter for parents, carers, staff and the wider St Clares community.

We are grateful for the support we have received from them and we continue to assure them that the wellbeing and safety of children of St Clares remains our priority at all times.

It is also important to reiterate that this former employees offences were not in connection with his employment at the school.

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A SEX offender failed to inform a woman he moved in with of his previous conviction, a court heard.

Stephen John Robbins also failed to notify police that he had left his former accommodation, in a mens hostel, in breach of the notification requirements as a sex offender.

Durham Crown Court heard was told that during the six days he lived with the woman, in the Stockton area, her younger siblings, who lived nearby, would visit, putting Robbins, 21, in breach of the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), imposed following his conviction in 2015.

Phillip Morley, prosecuting, said Robbins was made subject of a five-year SHPO and mandatory notification requirements as to where he is living, upon conviction for causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, relating to a young girl.

The terms of that order included a prohibition on him having unsupervised contact with a child.

Mr Morley said Robbins was registered as living at the Changing Lives hostel, at Plawsworth, near Chester-le-Street, but on July 26 it was discovered he had handed in his room key earlier that day.

A Changing Lives worker told police Robbins said he was moving in with a male friend in Stockton and no children would be present at that address.

But, it emerged that he was with a female that he met in an online dating site, on July 25, and they began a relationship thereafter.

He told her he had not been a good person previously as he had been to prison for assault, but he didnt disclose the true nature of his convictions.

Mr Morley said during the following week the womans 12 and six-year-old siblings visited more than once, one staying overnight.

Police became aware of his whereabouts and arrested him at that address on July 31, and when interviewed he gave no reply to questions.

He admitted failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements and the terms of a SHPO.

Mr Morley said Robbins has five previous convictions for breaching notification requirements.

Mark Styles, mitigating, said although only 21 Robbins has struggled with substance and alcohol misuse, and amidst an unstable background has also suffered mental health difficulties.

He still has not stable bases in life, regarding accommodation. Clearly this offending was the culmination of his sense of frustration and hopelessness.

Mr Styles said when Robbins moved in with the woman he met online, he was unaware her other family members lived nearby.

Jailing him for two years, Judge Christopher Prince extended the SHPO by five years and told Robbins he had shown, a contempt of the efforts of the court and statutory services to keep him away from young people.

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A sexual predator who plied two children with alcohol and drugs before attacking them has been caged for 24 years.

"Dangerous offender" Stephen Allen raped a young girl and also attacked her on other occasions - using the youngster as a "sexual plaything".

Some years later, the 51-year-old also encouraged a teenage boy to engage in sexual acts, before raping him, Teesside Crown Court heard.

As Allen was taken down by guards after being sentenced by judge Deborah Sherwin, the room burst into life as he furiously shouted: "F***ing bulls*** from start to finish, scruffy *****".

Commotion could also be heard from the public gallery as one woman shouted "f***ing joke" before the doors were aggressively slammed and banged - with further noise heard outside court five.

Prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi said "the defendant managed to facilitate the offences using alcohol and drugs", adding: "The Crown certainly think that this is a dangerous offender".

An emotional statement from one of the victims read out at the sentencing hearing said: "I cannot think of an aspect of my life that it has not affected."

It added: "I have had mental health issues as a result of this abuse."

The boy victim said: "I was a child and Stephen Allen abused the trust that I put in him."

Paul Abrahams, mitigating, said that his client "still denies the matters".

Allen, of Bamburgh Court, Middlesbrough, appeared to be sentenced for 14 counts including: two counts of rape, sexual assault and sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded not guilty to the offences and made his victims go through the ordeal of a trial where a jury convicted him in May this year.

Judge Deborah Sherwin agreed with the prosecution's assessment, branding Allen a "dangerous offender".

She sentenced him to 24 years in jail, with an extended period of eight years - a total of 32 years.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

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Peter Gibson, from Middlesbrough, was jailed in November 2013 for 13 years and six months after pleading guilty to 15 sexual offences against the girls.

The offences included four counts of rape of a young girl in the 1990s and took place in Gibsons former home in Bowburn.

At the time of Gibsons sentencing, aged 66, Durham Crown Court heard he had a record of sexual offences dating back to 1967.

In 1998 he was sentenced to six years for the rape of a child. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Jailing Gibson, of The Crescent, Middlesbrough, in 2013, Judge Christopher Prince told him: You have a long-standing sexual predilection for young children.