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Description

A paedophile who targeted two children online has been jailed for more than a decade.

Northumbria Police’s POLIT department – a dedicated team working to protect vulnerable children – acted on intelligence and arrested Joshua MacFarlane in January 2024.

He was subsequently charged with a series of offences and in April 2025 at Newcastle Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual communications with a child, two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act and six counts of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in a sexual act.

He also pleaded guilty to meeting another child following sexual grooming, causing a child to watch a sexual act, sexual activity with a child, paying for sexual services of a child, three counts of distributing indecent images of a child and one count of making indecent photographs of a child.

MacFarlane, 20, of Coquet Avenue, South Shields, was also sentenced for multiple breaches of an interim Sexual Risk Order.

He appeared before the same court on Wednesday where he was sentenced to 10 years and four months behind bars, with a further four years to be spent on licence.

MacFarlane will also remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Elizabeth Biggins, of Northumbria Police said:

"First and foremost, I’d like to praise the victims for their bravery.

MacFarlane is a dangerous predator who is now facing a long spell behind bars, and this outcome was only made possible by the incredibly bravery of his survivors.

We would like to take this opportunity to urge all victims of sexual abuse to come forward, no matter how much time has passed.

Our message to survivors is clear – we are here to support you and we will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice."

Description

A dog walker who raped a dementia suffering pensioner in her own home in a shocking attack is facing years behind bars.

Married grandfather Paul Woodmass hunted down the elderly stranger after chatting to her while they walked their pets a few weeks earlier.

As police spoke to the vulnerable victim hours later, Woodmass turned up outside her house, refused to give his name to police until he was arrested and was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms. He had denied rape despite his saliva being found inside her underwear.

After jurors at Newcastle Crown Court unanimously convicted the 66-year-old, of Linnel Drive, Lemington, Newcastle, of rape, Assistant Judge Advocate General Andrew Smith said: "It's inevitably going to be a long prison sentence."

The judge called on the probation service to assess Woodmass' dangerousness before he is sentenced in September, adding: "I'm sure he went away and obtained some condoms and came back because he was forensically aware and realised by that stage he could do what he wanted to with that lady. For that reason, I want a risk assessment."

During the trial jurors were told the complainant has dementia, which affects her memory but does not make her delusional. It was just after 3pm one afternoon that the pensioner called her son and said someone had been in her house and raped her.

The son and his wife rushed to her home, where she repeated the claim, saying someone had had sex with her and she didn't want it. Lee Fish, prosecuting, said: "The individual who had been in her house was this defendant, Paul Woodmass. It's possible she had met him while walking her dog, however she didn't know him.

"There can be no doubt he had been in her house because he admitted as much when interviewed by the police. He also chose to return to the area where she lived after the police had been called by her son.

"The prosecution case is this defendant deliberately targeted (her) because of her obvious vulnerability. For reasons that only he can really explain, he chose to go to her home even though he barely knew her.

"The prosecution case is that he had sex with her in her own home when she was not consenting and he couldn't possibly have believed she was. There is no suggestion she consented to sexual activity. Therefore, you may feel one of the crucial issues for you to decide is whether this defendant had sex with her that afternoon."

Jurors were told that earlier that afternoon, Woodmass had gone to a nearby house asking for the victim but he had gone to the wrong address. A neighbour then heard the complainant talking to a man - prosecutors say likely Woodmass - around 1.30pm and between 2pm and 2.30pm another neighbour saw a man with two small dogs walking down the pensioner's driveway. It was just after 3pm that the woman rang her son reporting that she had been raped.

Mr Fish said: "He must have spent at least half an hour in her house, it's possible he was there for longer. Not long after this defendant was seen walking down her drive, she was on the phone saying she had been raped by a strange man in her house.

"She said there had been a man there who left two dogs outside and had sex with her. She told him she didn't want it."

The court heard police arrived at the woman's home around 3.30pm. While she was struggling to recall certain details, she gave some details of what had happened.

Police spoke to neighbours and had identified the man with the two dogs as Woodmass after he was caught on ring doorbell footage. Mr Fish said later that day, police were still with the pensioner when "bizarrely, the defendant came to them". As an officer spoke to the pensioner, they saw Woodmass at the bottom of her driveway.

Mr Fish said: "The police officer ran straight outside, perhaps in disbelief the person they were looking for was at the bottom of the drive. The prosecution's case is the defendant's behaviour was immediately suspicious. He refused to give his name, saying he would only provide information if he was accused of committing a crime, a rather odd thing to say, you may think, members of the jury."

After being arrested, Woodmass said he had gone to the woman's home "to have a cup of tea". When he was searched, he was found to be in possession of a packet of condoms.

Mr Fish said: "He said he had found them in the street. He said he had no use for them because he was an old man. He referred to the complainant as "a bit senile".

The prosecutor said: "The prosecution say you may wish to ask why he returned later with condoms in his pocket and refused to give his name to police if he had just been for a cup of tea."

When interviewed by police, Woodmass denied having sex with her and said he had met her on a dog walk. He said he had taken up her offer of a cup of tea but when he got there, they just chatted.

Mr Fish said it's accepted the victim has memory problems and was inconsistent about where in the house the alleged rape happened. But he added: "There can be no doubt he was in her house, she barely knew him and shortly after he left she reported being raped. Later on, he returned with condoms in his pocket."

He added that Woodmass' saliva was found on the inside of the pensioner's underwear, which "is not consistent with having a cup of tea and giving her a hug".

Jurors were told about a previous incident with another woman Woodmass met while dog walking in 2021. She said they got talking, had a shared interest in music and he offered to share some of his music with her. When he attended her house with a device with some music on it, the woman said he asked her for a hug and she agreed but during the "prolonged" embrace, he kissed her twice on the neck, which she said she was not happy about.

The woman said he then turned up at her home another day out of the blue in a drunken state. She said he told her he had not had sex with his wife for 20 years and that he "needed intimacy". She told him he was making her feel uncomfortable and she believed he was asking for sex. She said he asked for a hug and she closed the door and locked it.

The woman said she got a family member to call him and they left a message telling him to leave her alone and she never saw him again. She reported her concerns to the police.

Woodmass was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on September 26.

Description

A man has been jailed for almost two decades for abuse he committed more than 30 years ago.

David Wilkinson, now 56, initiated the abuse of the school-aged girl in the late 1980s when he was a teenager.

He raped and sexually assaulted the girl multiple times, including in the Newcastle area.

After living with the consequences of the abuse for most of her life, the victim bravery made a report to police in 2023.

In May last year, Wilkinson was charged in connection with the abuse.

Earlier this month, following a seven-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court, Wilkinson, of Wood Grove, Newcastle, was found guilty of 10 counts of non-recent child sex abuse.

The offences comprised of three counts of indecent assault and seven counts of rape – being that the offences occurred before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003.

On Friday (July 11), he returned to the same court where he was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. He will also spend an extra year on licence as part of his extended sentence once he is released from custody.

Wilkinson will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was handed a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The victim will also be protected by a lifelong restraining order.

Speaking after Wilkinson’s conviction, the victim shared these words:

“I’ve found writing this statement incredibly difficult. It has brought up so many emotions that I’ve been feeling and at times needed to bury due to the sexual abuse that happened to me when I was a child at the hands of David Wilkinson.

“I have had difficulty sleeping due to intrusive thoughts and flashbacks. I struggle to communicate with others about how I feel.

“Since the abuse, I have felt weak all my life. I don’t feel like I’ve achieved what I could’ve achieved in life. During and after the sexual abuse, my life spiralled.

“I had no respect for myself and was used to being treated like a piece of meat.”

She added:

“I believe if the abuse had not happened my life would have been so different, I feel I would have achieved more in life, I would have focused more at school and maintained healthy relationships with others and more importantly myself.

“David Wilkinson has committed horrific offences against me, and instead of admitting it and saving me a further ordeal of a trial, he watched as I was cross-examined and made to feel like I was on trial.

“He was a coward, and I feel like I have been so brave to stand up to him.

“I would like to thank my team for believing in me and bringing justice for me. I feel like I have belief in the justice system, and I have faith that the sentence given to David Wilkinson will reflect the impact that he has had on me and my life.”

Leading the case for Northumbria Police was Detective Constable Sarah Hails, from the Force’s Rape Investigation Team (RIT).

Speaking after the sentencing, she said: “I hope this case shows other people out there who may be hesitant to come forward that it’s never ever too late to make that report and look to have your abuser put before the courts.

“The victim struggled with the consequences of Wilkinson’s heinous crimes for most of her life – but bravely made the disclosure to us.

“Her voice has now been heard loud and clear – and it’s because of her that this predatory man is in prison.”

Det Con Hails added:

“No one should have to go through anything like this, and I'd urge anyone who has been a victim of any form of sexual offending to reach out, whether it happened today, yesterday, last year, or half a century ago.

“The clock never runs out on the support we can provide for you.”

Description

A man who was found guilty of rape has been jailed for seven years and three months.

Francesco Aria assaulted the woman at his Newark-based home in the early hours of 22 August 2021.

The victim was able to escape the address and bravely reported the incident to police immediately.

When the 30-year-old was arrested and interviewed by detectives, Aria claimed to have had consensual sex with her.

A jury at Nottingham Crown Court, however, disagreed and found Aria guilty of rape after a three-day trial in June (2025).

Appearing at the same court for his sentencing on Monday (7 July), after a nearly four-year wait for the victim, Aria, previously of Massey Court, Newark, was jailed for seven years and three months.

He was also handed an indefinite restraining order, which forbids him from contacting the victim, and was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

Detective Constable Donna Elliott, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Aria’s actions were appalling, and unsurprisingly this incident has had a very considerable impact on the victim’s life.

“She has shown emormous courage in coming forward and immense patience as this trial reached the courts.

“I hope this result empowers other survivors of rape or sexual abuse to feel able to report what happened to them.

“We have specially trained officers who specialise in helping people to report sexual offences and support them through the process.”

Description

A man crept into women's houses in the dead of night and entered their bedrooms to watch them sleeping, a court has heard. On one occasion Evan Powell pleasured himself while staring at one of his dozing victims.

When arrested the defendant claimed he had been going into houses looking for someone who might have the mobile phone he had lost during a student night out on Swansea's Wind Street. He denied there was any sexual element to what he had done. A jury rejected that version of events and found him guilty of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.

Making the defendant the subject of an extended sentence the judge at Swansea Crown Court said on the night in question Powell had been "prowling the streets" looking for "opportunities for non-consensual activity" and he described Powell's behaviour as "extremely sinister".

The court has previously heard that on the night of October 30 last year Swansea University computer science student Powell attended a fancy dress Cocktail Society house party on Brynmill Crescent in the Brynmill area of Swansea before going on to the bars of Wind street in the city centre. He was dressed in a black suit and tie in the style of the lead characters in the film "Men in Black".

In the early hours of the following morning the defendant left the city centre and returned to the Brynmill area where he entered three houses, and tried to enter a fourth.

In one property the student first went into a child's bedroom and rummaged through a chest of drawers - the child woke to see the stranger in his room - before entering the mother's bedroom. The court heard the women woke suddenly to see the 21-year-old standing near her bed watching her. Powell fled down the stairs and left the house.

At a property nearby Powell again entered a woman's bedroom - this time he exposed his penis and masturbated while watching his sleeping victim. The woman woke and challenged the defendant who fled into the kitchen where an altercation took place during which the woman punched him and he pushed her. The defendant then left.

The court heard Powell also entered a third property, though on that occasion the sleeping occupant was woken by the sound of the bedroom door opening. The defendant ran off and went home to his shared student house..

The incidents were reported to police and Powell was identified and subsequently arrested. Enquiries conducted by the police established that the defendant had tried to enter a fourth Brynmill property on the night in question but had been unsuccessful.

Powell subsequently pleaded not guilty and the matter went to trial in April this year. Following his conviction, sentencing was adjourned for the preparation of a report to consider the issue of dangerousness.

At the trial prosecution barrister Dyfed Thomas had put it to Powell that he had been "looking for sexual satisfaction from watching women sleeping in bed" but the defendant rejected that. Powell accepted it was a "very odd, unusual situation" but insisted he had been trying to find the property where the earlier house party had been held in the hopes someone there might know where his lost phone was. He added: "I'm very, very bad with directions".

Evan Powell, now of Rogerstone, Newport, had previously been convicted at trial of three offence of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence and one count of attempting to trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence when he returned to the dock for sentencing.

He has no previous convictions but the court heard that in October 2023 the defendant sexually assaulted a young woman in the Brynmill area in the early hours of the morning when he followed her along Bryn Road before grabbing her and putting his hands between her legs. The assault was reported to police but the defendant was not prosecuted and was dealt with by way of a "community resolution" which saw him admit the offence and write a letter of apology.

Judge Paul Thomas KC had previously expressed his concern at the 2023 offending being dealt with by a community resolution, and the prosecution barrister told the court he had made enquiries into the matter and it seemed the officer who investigated the incident had not referred it to an officer of detective inspector rank or above as he should have done before making the decision. The prosecutor said the officer had been spoken to.

Avirup Chaudhuri, for Powell, said the defendant came from loving and caring background. He said his client understands the gravity of the situation he was facing and asked the court to consider that it may be the "shame and embarrassment" Powell feels which prevents him from "confronting his offending in full". The barrister also asked the court to take into account the defendant's age and immaturity, and he said his client but been putting his "privileged education" to good use while on remand in prison by helping fellow inmates to improve their literacy skills.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said on the night in question Powell had been "prowling the streets of the student area looking for opportunities for non-consensual activity". He said the defendant's motivation in entering or trying to enter four properties in the space of around two hours had been sexual, and he described Powell's behaviour as "extremely sinister".

The judge said Powell had no insight into his problem and did not even acknowledge he had a problem, and he said until the defendant did come to terms with the reality of the situation he would continue to pose a high risk of sexual offending in the future.

Powell was given a nine-year extended sentence comprising five years in custody followed by a four-year licence period. He will become eligible for parole after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of the sentence. The defendant will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Judge Thomas added that it was a matter of "great regret" that the 2023 sexual offending had not been dealt with "properly" at the time as it should have been.

Speaking after the sentencing Carolina Mayorga-Williams, senior crown prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution service's rape and serious sexual offence team, said: "Waking up to find a stranger in your or your child’s bedroom must be a terrifying experience and violates a person’s right to feel safe in their own home. We take all allegations of sexual offending very seriously. The evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service resulted in the jury reaching their guilty verdicts and has brought Powell to justice."

Description

A sex offender has been jailed after he was caught staying at a home where three children lived.

Linton Mwingi had informed the mother of the youngsters of his sordid past and that he was on the Sex Offenders' Register but he hadn't informed the authorities that he sometimes stayed at her house.

The 28-year-old, who was given a suspended sentence in 2016 for sexual assault after he loitered near toilets in Eldon Square, exposed himself, made lewd comments and tried to drag a young man into a cubicle, also hadn't told the police of two bank cards he'd taken out or that he wasn't always living at his usual Lemington address, all of which were requirements of the register. A court heard that it was not the first time Mwingi hadn't adhered to the Sex Offenders' Register, having previously been convicted in 2021.

The former talented footballer, of Dene Avenue, in Lemington, has now been locked-up for eight months after he pleaded guilty to five counts of failing to comply with the requirements of the Sex Offenders' Register. Glenda Beck, prosecuting at Newcatle Magistrates' Court, said Mwingi's risk management officer attended his Lemington home in September 2024 and spoke with a male, who confirmed that Mwingi was not living there.

Mrs Beck continued: "Financial checks were carried out and the defendant had two registered bank cards, with one having a home address in Sunderland." The court heard that officers again visited his Lemington home and were told by two males that he didn't live there.

They then attended the Sunderland address linked to the bank account and found a number of items belonging to Mwingi. The property was the home of a woman Mwingi claimed to be a friend and her three children.

Kash Khan, defending, said Mwingi had suffered a brain injury in the past. Mr Khan added: "He's suffered since with remembering things and getting his affairs in order."

Jailing him, District Judge Paul Currer said: "These are serious offences because you were not living where you ought to have been. Instead, you were present at an address where there were children without notifying the authorities and you had two bank accounts, which you also didn't register with the authorities."

Description

A pervert who covertly recorded young girls getting undressed at a holiday park has been jailed. Mark Hansen targeted two victims at the Northumberland holiday centre, lurking outside in the dark and filming one unsuspecting girl through a gap in the curtains.

A court heard recordings of a number of girls were found on his phone when police seized it for downloading indecent images of children. Now Hansen, 45, of Denton Avenue, North Shields, who admitted voyeurism and indecent images offences, has been locked up at Newcastle Crown Court.

Police attended his home in September 2022 as a result of information received and seized his phone. On it, they found dozens of indecent images downloaded from the internet over a seven-year period, with the victims aged between four and early teens.

They also found Hansen had made recordings of several unsuspecting young girls. One victim was filmed with a hidden camera as she got undressed.

Another unidentified victim was filmed by Hansen at the Haven holiday park in Berwick. Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said: "He used the iPhone to covertly record an unidentified female aged between 12 and 14 while she was undressing. The recording was made from outside a window, through a gap in partially closed curtains. It is apparent she had no knowledge she was being observed or filmed.

"His phone contained another unidentified female in underwear. This film had been taken without her knowledge through a window and the relevant time stamps indicate the time when the defendant was staying at Haven Holiday Park. It is not possible to estimate the age of the child."The court heard another recording was taken of a child sitting on a bench at Flamingo Land. The victim's underwear was visible during the 2 minute and 18 seconds of film, due to the position he held the phone and him moving closer to her.Mr Wardlaw said other images were found on the phone, including four that had been taken through a window, of an unknown girl aged between 13 and 16, without her knowledge, while was partially undressed.

Hansen, 44, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images, two of taking indecent images of three of voyeurism. He was jailed for 18 months and told he must sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Judge Tim Gittins said: "These were images you took when you were roaming around Haven holiday park in Berwick, sneaking recordings in gaps in partly closed curtains and taking advantage of the darkness outside to take images of a girl while she was undressing."

Matthew Purves, defending, said: "This is a gentleman with no previous convictions or any interactions with the authorities. He acknowledges he has a difficulty with what he is attracted to and it's incredibly rare people will open up to that extent.

"The nature of these offences is inexcusable and he doesn't seek to excuse them in any way. He accepts that from viewing internet material his offending escalated.

"He acknowledges he has an undesirable attraction to children, recognising he has a sexual preoccupation and recognising he needs further support and assistance to avoid further offending."

Description

A grieving family have praised police after the man that raped their relative – who went on to take her own life – is jailed for a decade.

Ryan Callaghan, 33, raped the woman while she slept at an address in South Tyneside.

The victim awoke and immediately ran out of the address in a state of undress and informed a friend what had happened.

Whilst fleeing, she bumped into a kind-hearted member of the public who provided her with clothing and stayed with her whilst she rang police.

Minutes later, Callaghan was arrested.

However, tragically, the following month, the victim took her own life – making reference to the attack in the note she left behind for her family.

Following an extensive and complex investigation by the Force’s Safeguarding Department, led by Detective Constable Amy Burridge, a charge of rape against Callaghan was secured in May 2023 by working closely with the CPS.

This was achieved through the support of the victim’s family, and using the victim’s evidence she was able to provide in interview after the offences took place.

In March this year, following a six-day trial at Newcastle Crown Court, Callaghan of Mowbray Road, South Shields, was found unanimously guilty by a jury of rape.

Following the guilty verdict, he was remanded into custody.

And yesterday (June 17), he appeared at the same court, where was sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

Callaghan will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

The victim’s family have shared these words which were read in court to Callaghan: “Every parent can’t bear the thought of losing a child, just to imagine that loss is horrific.

“But now for us, we have to try and get through every day with the pain of knowing that our child was raped before she went on to take her own life.

“We’re sure everyone can understand that there are no words to describe what we are going through.

“Callaghan might have gone to prison, but we are serving a life sentence in the knowledge of what he did.

“He left her completely broken as a result of his actions.”

They added: “Callaghan showed no remorse for what he did and no sadness at all at the loss of her life.

“It’s a shame everyone involved with the case didn’t get to see the woman we all know and love. She was a kind, caring, funny and bright young woman. She was loved by all who knew her and had so many friends.

“We’d like to thank the barrister and the jury for seeing through Callaghan’s lies.

“However, it is cold comfort for us all, as she is gone, and can’t ever know that she got justice.”

Following the conclusion of the case, Detective Constable Amy Burridge, of Northumbria Police said: “This was an extremely distressing case due to the circumstances surrounding the report – and what tragically came after for the victim.

“After speaking with the family, it was imperative for me to be able to give the victim a voice and have her story heard in court, which it now has.

“I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of the trial, and the sentence imposed today. This case truly sends a message that we are committed to doing everything in our power to bring offenders such as Callaghan to justice.”

Det Con Burridge added: “I’d also like to take a moment to recognise and praise the victim for her bravery following the offences taking place.

“She informed a friend, and reported to police immediately, meaning we were able to quickly establish her account of what had happened, and fully take advantage of any forensic opportunities early on in the investigation.

“Even though she is tragically no longer with us, I hope her family can take some sense of closure knowing the person who caused her so much distress is now in prison and will be monitored by police for the rest of his life.”

Description

A trans-identified pedophile has avoided prison for a second time because of his “identity,” despite breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order that was in place due to his previous child sex offenses.

Peter Selby, 71, first appeared in court in June of 2022 and was found guilty on three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. The sex offender had a stash of 125,000 disturbing child sexual abuse images and videos on his computer, some of which featured children as young as three-years-old, and at least one featuring an adult engaging in bestaility. He had previously been sent to prison for four months in 1992, after being convicted on two counts of indecent assault.

Despite the fact that the judge at the time could have sentenced him to a maximum of 10 years in prison for his crimes, he instead received a slap on the wrist sentence of just 14 months, to be suspended for two years. The judge claimed that if Selby, who identified as transgender, was put in prison, the “impact of custody would be significant” for him, thus she determined he was safer living in the community, where he was determined by a pre-sentencing report to be “manageable.”

Along with his suspended sentence, Selby was placed on the sex offenders register and made to sign a SHPO, stopping him from using any in-private browsing on his computer, or downloading VPN software that could hide his crimes, for the next 10 years. The lenient sentence prompted outrage at the time, prompting Conservative peer Baroness Nicholson to call for a review. She condemned the decision as representative of a “disregard” for child safety and speculated whether the judge had “overlooked” matters of child protection. Despite the uproar, Selby’s sentence remained suspended.

But less than a year later, in March of 2023, police visited Selby’s home to conduct a risk review, and discovered that Selby had downloaded VPN software intended to conceal his internet activity. Selby pled guilty to a breach of his SHPO, and appeared in front of Judge Robert Adams, wearing lipstick and with visible fake breasts, at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday.

Selby claimed that he had health difficulties, including problems with his memory, and told the court that he had no memory of downloading the VPN software to his laptop. No new child sexual abuse images were discovered on his laptop.

“A VPN had been downloaded, which was active and could be used to mask internet identity or IP address when accessing sites on the internet,” Judge Adams said. “For obvious reasons, bearing in mind your previous convictions, that was a requirement of the SHPO, to make it difficult, if you were tempted, to re-offend in the way you had before.”

Even though Adams found he breached the SHPO, Selby’s transgender status enabled him to stay out of custody again.

“You have been wearing women’s clothing for the last 30 years,” Adams said. “Your family has distanced themselves from you as a result. You have no history of drug use and no drinking since 2013,” he continued. Because Selby had not offended again in the last two years, and that he would “undoubtedly be at risk of physical or sexual assault in custody because of [his] presentation in a male prison,” he got off with a 10 month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with a £100 fine and rehabilitation program requirements.

This is not the first time a trans-identified male pedophile has been allowed to walk free in the United Kingdom.

As previously reported by Reduxx, a trans-identified male who was convicted of possessing horrific child abuse material, some of which was in the most severe classification, was spared jail time after the court stated he was “cooperative” during proceedings. Tanya Howes, 66, was allowed to walk free despite living adjacent to a children’s park.

Howes pleaded guilty in May of 2023 to three counts of “possessing indecent photographs of a child” and a separate charge for possessing 100 “extreme” and “grossly offensive” pornographic images and videos. Of the images in Howes’ possession, 29 were classified as Category C, 17 as Category B, and 39 as Category A, which is the most serious type of child sexual abuse media. Images and video in this category can depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality, and/or sexual sadism.

The Eastern Daily Press, which referred to Howes by “she/her” pronouns, reported that the Norwich Magistrates Court acknowledged that some of the children in the photos possessed by Howes were being subjected to “horrific acts.”

Despite the severity of the crime, the magistrates decided to allow Howes to remain free in the community as they handed him a 12 month suspended jail term. 

Description

A sexual predator who thought he was messaging a child has been snared by a paedophile hunting group.

David Bloomfield, 56, believed he was engaging in a chat with a 14-year-old girl but it was in fact a decoy account set up by Yorkshire Predator Hunters. Newcastle Crown Court heard the account, named Olivia, received a request from the defendant and they began to chat.

The court was told 'Olivia' made it clear she was 14 years old and the pair would speak most days. The conversation became more sexual with the defendant stating she could kiss him.

The defendant, of Craster Gardens, Wallsend, also stated they would have sex when they met up and sent her Ann Summers pictures of underwear and bikinis he wanted her to wear. He stated he would 'peel it off her', the court heard.

He also sent images of his penis and told her not tell her parents about the relationship. He then asked Olivia to meet up with him and arranged for a date in October 2022.

The court heard on that day, the defendant was detained outside his address by members of Yorkshire Predator Hunters and police were called.

On sentencing, Recorder Peter Makepeace said: "I accept in this case, there is a feature that is not uncommon in these cases, you are generally isolated with limited skills to develop and maintain relationships. You present as an isolated, lonely, and rather naïve, certainly unsophisticated individual.

"You were arrested for these offences a considerable time ago which has increased your isolation and you have been largely isolated from your family and lost your accommodation."

Bloomfield pleaded guilty to attempting to engage in sexual communication and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. He was jailed for two years and eight months.

Description

Two Newcastle perverts caught distributing and making indecent images and videos of children believed it was a "joke", a court heard.

Abdullah Hamood, 28, and Essa Oghul, 45, were caught with a number of indecent images and videos after police seized their mobile phones.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Northumbria Police had received intelligence that a Facebook account linked to Oghul sent an indecent category A video to Hamood in January 2021. In December 2022 Oghul was arrested for an unrelated matter and his phone was seized.

Hamood's property was then searched in January 2023 and his mobile phone was seized, the court was told, with both phones forensically examined.

The court heard on Oghul's phone four Category C indecent images of children were found, alongside one image and four videos of extreme pornography. One of the children was aged between two and four years, the court heard.

Seven Category A videos of children, three Category B indecent images and two Category C indecent images were found on Hamood's phone. The ages of the children were between seven and 15 years old.

It was also found Hamood had distributed six Category A images and videos of children via Whatsapp, while Oghul had distributed one Category C image of a child.

Hamood, of Walkerdene House, Walker, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and three counts of making an indecent photograph of a child. On sentencing Hamood, Recorder Makepeace said the defendant had no previous convictions.

Recorder Makepeace said he had read a presentence report and "rejected entirely" any suggestion that the defendant believed what he was doing was "culturally acceptable". He added: "I reject entirely any suggestion by you that you thought the distribution was a joke.

"Just think for one second how you would explain to a right thinking person it would be a joke. I'm satisfied that what you were doing was for sexual gratification. You don't believe a victim would be harmed in any way, they are real children."

Hamood was given a 20 months prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation days and 250 hours unpaid work.

Oghul, of Todds Nook, Newcastle, pleaded guilty one count of distributing a photograph, one count of making an indecent photograph and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. On sentencing Oghul, Recorder Makepeace said: "Again, there are similar, very worrying explanations. I do not accept that you shared these images as a joke.

"How any right thinking person would think it is a joke. You did it, I have no doubt, for your own sexual gratification."

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A PAEDOPHILE asked a “14-year-old schoolgirl” to send him naked pictures of herself in the bath after contacting her online.

Serial sex offender Robert Mellon thought he was speaking to an underage child called Ella.

But he was in fact chatting to paedophile hunters Dank Dragon carrying out a sting operation.

The 57-year-old from Newport has been in and out of prison for more than two decades after committing a string of crimes.

His latest offending happened this year between March and April, prosecutor Abigail Jackson told Cardiff Crown Court.

The teenager he thought he was contacting on social media was a decoy who had a fake profile picture of an underage girl.

His first message to her was: “Hi sexy!”

Miss Jackson said: “The defendant thought she was a 14-year-old girl from Cardiff.

“He asked her if she had a sexual boyfriend and the conversations carried on for a number of weeks.

“The defendant asked Ella if she shaved her genitalia and he told her she was beautiful and sexy.”

She added: “He talked to her in detail about having sex and asked for some pictures of her naked when she was in the bath.

“The defendant thought he was speaking to an actual 14-year-old girl.”

Mellon, of Church Road, Newport admitted attempting to breach a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

He has 14 previous convictions for 27 offences.

In 2011 he was convicted of three counts of sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 for which he was eventually jailed for breaching the community order imposed in that case.

Seven years later in 2018, he was sent to prison for 12 months for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

In May 2021, Mellon was locked up for 15 months for breaching an SHPO and attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child by arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl.

That was another paedophile hunter operation.

A year later in May 2022 he was jailed for 12 months for breaching an SHPO and again for 16 months in February 2023 for the same offence.

“This latest offending was a serious and persistent attempt to breach the order,” Miss Jackson told the court.

“It is aggravated by his prevention convictions.”

Harry Baker for Mellon asked that his client be given full credit for his early guilty pleas.

Judge Paul Hobson told the defendant: “It is very plain to me that you are a paedophile whose sexual interest in children shows no sign of abating.”

Mellon was jailed for 32 months and told he would serve half of that time in custody before being released.

He will have to register as a sex offender and made the subject of an SHPO indefinitely.

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A serial city centre sex attacker who targeted a drunk student in a disturbing attack has been branded a danger and jailed.

Hosien Nedjad has repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted women on nights out in Newcastle in offences spanning almost a decade. Despite already being on the sex offenders register, he subjected a young woman who had become separated from her friends to a disgusting attack inside a bar.

Now, having evaded justice by fleeing to Germany for more than three years, the failed asylum seeker has finally been jailed and was told he is likely to be deported.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the victim was on a night out in Newcastle in 2019 when she ended up in Soho Room, on Mosley Street. By the early hours of the morning, she was drunk and had become separated from her friends.

Nedjad was in the same bar and sexually assaulted the student. Philip Morley, prosecuting, said: "He took the opportunity to put his hand, initially, down the front of her jeans and started to grab at her.

"She asked him not to and tried to push his hands away. However at this point he grabbed her arms and pushed her forward onto the bar and pulled her jeans further down."

After finishing his attack, Nedjad left the victim crying and distressed and she pulled her jeans back up. Forensic tests revealed Nedjad's DNA on her clothing.

In a victim impact statement, she said she finds it difficult to put her ordeal into words and she thinks about it every day. She has been left struggling with anxiety and has needed therapy and medication and struggles to sleep.

She added: "I relive the night so often but it still paralyses me." She added that she has been left questioning whether she is safe and has been "plagued by flashbacks so severe they have been mistaken for seizures".

She added: "The outside world is terrifying and exhausting. I can't feel safe or trust anyone ever again."

The court heard Nedjad was convicted of common assault against four women in 2011 at Beyond bar. He pulled one victim to the floor and punched her and when three of her friends intervened, he punched them too.

In 2013, he assaulted two women at the Magic Flame takeaway, in Newcastle, punching both of them in the face. Then in 2014, he sexually assaulted a woman in Newcastle city centre, pushing her against railings, molesting her and trying to pull her pants down despite her telling him to stop. He was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years after that offence.

While he was being investigated for the attack in Soho Rooms, he sexually assaulted a woman in Popworld, in Newcastle, lifting up her dress while he had his trousers unbuttoned.

For the Soho Rooms offence, Nedjad, of Brighton Grove, Newcastle, was found guilty of sexual assault after a trial in his absence and pleaded guilty to a Bail Act offence after going to Germany for three-and-a-half years, evading justice. He was found last year and sent back here.

Sentencing the 42-year-old to four years in prison with an extended licence period of a further four years and ordering to sign the sex offenders register for life, Judge Edward Bindloss said he poses a significant risk and is a dangerous offender.

He told him: "You took advantage of the fact she was on her own and in drink. She described the last five years as being in the prison of her own mind. This has had a significant and profound effect upon her."

He added: "You have relevant previous convictions. In all of them, you targeted females at night. You touched them either physically or sexually, even though they said no."

The court heard Nedjad came to this country in 2007 and had worked as a chef and Amazon driver. Judge Bindloss said he is a failed asylum seeker and is likely to be deported having been given a sentence of more than 12 months.

Andrew Walker, defending, said Nedjad is embarrassed and remorseful and has not consumed alcohol for three-and-a-half years. He added that he is a "capable and resourceful individual" with a good work ethic.

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A teenager downloaded hundreds of photos and videos of child abuse. Most of the indecent images found on Alan Mohammed's computer were in category A – the most serious type.

The 18-year-old, of Maesglas Crescent in Newport, pleaded guilty to the possession of 251 images in Category A, 52 in B, and 16 in C as well as 41 prohibited non-photographic images of children. He also admitted he was hoarding six extreme images showing "a person performing an act of intercourse with a live or dead animal".

Mohammed's offending took place between December 2022 and March 2024. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court where Judge Celia Hughes sentenced him to 30 weeks in a young offender institution suspended for 12 months. She also imposed 100 hours of unpaid work, 26 rehabilitation activity sessions, £200 in prosecution costs, a £41 victim services surcharge, and five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Mohammed must register as a sex offender for the next seven years. The judge ordered that the desktop computer where he stored the illicit images be destroyed.

Description

A 58-year-old man from Newport has been jailed for four years after he admitted sexually assaulting a child on the Isle of Wight.

Adrian Stone appeared at Isle of Wight Crown Court on Monday 13 January where he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on a female and one count of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

He was sentenced to a total of four years in prison with an additional extended license period of four years at the same court on Thursday 3 April. He is also subject to a Restraining Order and a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Stone had made contact with a girl he knew under the age of 16 on 3 September 2024, messaging her out of the blue to suggest they go fishing together.

On 17 September, Stone picked up the girl in his car and took her for a drive unsupervised and without her parents’ consent.

At this time, Stone was subject to a SHPO – handed to him following a previous sexual offence conviction – which prohibited him from having unsupervised contact of any kind with any girl under the age of 16, without the consent of the child’s parent and on the proviso that the parent had knowledge of his previous conviction.

The girl was driven to a secluded location near the River Medina where Stone sexually assaulted her. He then drove her home, but refused to let her out of the car until she hugged him. The girl agreed, at which point Stone gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Stone continued to message the girl after the incident, but the girl subsequently disclosed the messages and the assaults to friends and family.

He was later arrested by police and initially denied everything in interview, before admitting to police that he had lied to officers about the messages to the victim.

However, he continued to deny the sexual assaults, but soon admitted these when he appeared in court.

Stone, of Horsebridge Hill in Newport, also pleaded guilty to engaging in sexual communications with a child when he appeared before Magistrates on 11 November 2024.