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Abdullah Hamood, Essa Oghul 29,46
Caught distributing indecent images of children.
Caught distributing indecent images of children.
Walkerdene House, Tumulus Avenue Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear, NE6 & Todds Nook, Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4
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."
Hosien Nedjad 43
Serial sex attacker repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted women on nights out.
Serial sex attacker repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted women on nights out.
Brighton Grove, Fenham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4
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.
Rapist who took advantage of his unwell victim.
Thames Road, Hebburn, Tyne And Wear, NE31
Thomas Dodds, 56, attacked his victim as she rested in bed after feeling unwell and vomiting earlier in the evening.
Specialist officers from the Force’s Safeguarding Department immediately launched an investigation after a friend of the victim swiftly reported the offence.
Dodds, of Thames Road, Hebburn, was arrested the same evening and denied the offence.
He was charged with rape and following a four-week long trial at Newcastle Crown Court in December, Dodds of Thames Road, Hebburn, was found guilty by a jury.
He appeared at the same court on Wednesday, where he was sentenced to eight years and six months behind bars.
Dodds has also been made subject to a 12-year sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offender’s register.
Leading on the investigation was Detective Constable Amy Burridge, of Northumbria’s Rape Investigation Team.
Series of assaults on a victim in the 1990s.
Grosvenor Court, Chapel Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE5
A sex offender from Newcastle has been jailed after a series of assaults on a victim in the 1990s.
Steve Hinchan's victim has been living with the impact of his crimes, but after she bravely reported the abuse to police, an investigation was launched in 2021, by the Northumbria Police Safeguarding Department.
Hinchan, 56, attended a police station to be interviewed, denying the allegations put towards him. Later in the year, he was charged with five counts of indecent assault, as the offences took place before the Sexual Offences Act was introduced in 2003.
He continued to deny the allegations during a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, and in November, a jury found him guilty of all offences. Last Friday, Hinchan, of Grosvenor Court, Newcastle, was handed a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, and he will also remain on the sex offenders register for the rest of his life.
Speaking after the sentencing, the victim said: "The term ‘historical’ does not accurately describe the abuse I endured, and I do not identify with the label ‘survivor.’ Both terms suggest that the abuse is confined to my past, but for me, the fear and anxiety remain an everyday reality.
"I feel perpetually trapped in states of fight, flight, and freeze, unable to fully escape the shadow of what happened. Since the day the abuse began, I have felt as though I’ve been infected with an incurable disease, as I lived in shame and secrecy, unable to share the full extent of the abuse with anyone.
"His words, that no-one would believe me, imprisoned me in a pit of silence for almost 30 years. I have now had to accept that no amount of therapy, medication or time will erase what he did to me.
"What was taken from me has altered the course of my life irreversibly. No sentence can undo this damage, but I hope this process will provide some finality, allowing me to begin a new chapter."
The officer leading the investigation, Detective Sergeant Barbara Callaghan, added: "I hope this case shows other people out there who may be hesitant to come forward that it’s never too late to seek justice.
"The victim battled with the consequences of Hinchan’s horrific crimes for most of her life, but bravely disclosed what happened to police, allowing us to take action. Her voice has now been heard loud and clear, and because of her that a dangerous man is in prison.
"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 yesterday, or decades ago. There is no time limit on support, we’re here for you."
Christopher Sams 35
Rapist jailed for 12 years for offences he committed more than a decade ago.
Rapist jailed for 12 years for offences he committed more than a decade ago.
Kenton Road, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE29
A rapist has been jailed for 12 years after being found guilty of offences committed more than a decade ago.
Christopher Sams, 34, targeted his young victim for six years.
The victim reported the abuse in 2021, which saw officers in Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department launch an investigation.
During the investigation, Sams, of Kenton Road, North Shields, was arrested and denied all offences.
Christopher Sams (Image: NORTHUMBRIA POLICE) He was later charged with eight counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
A week-long trial took place at Newcastle Crown Court in November, where Sams was found guilty by a jury on all counts.
He appeared at the same court on Friday (January 17) where he was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.
He’s also been made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and has been placed on the sex offender’s register.
Leading on the investigation for Northumbria Police was Detective Constable Lucy Joyce.
Speaking after Sams sentencing, she said: “The courage and bravery shown by the survivor in this case is incredible, and I hope the lengthy prison sentence ahead of Sams allows them to find some degree of closure.
Historical sexual offences he committed 30 years ago.
Hallow Drive, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE15
A paedophile has been jailed for historical sexual offences he committed 30 years ago, thanks to the actions of his brave survivors.
John Corby has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after he targeted three young victims in the Newcastle area, subjecting them to appalling abuse.
The case came to light in November 2021, when one of Corby’s victims came forward to Northumbria Police.
This led officers from the Safeguarding Department to launch a comprehensive investigation.
In January 2022, Corby was interviewed and subsequently charged with two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault, and one count of gross indecency. He denied all the charges.
After an eight-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court in September, the jury found Corby guilty on all counts.
On Monday, November 18, Corby, 66, of Hallow Drive, Throckley, Newcastle, was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
He was also placed under a sexual harm prevention order and will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Raped a 14-year-old girl after grooming her online.
Hall Gardens, West Boldon, East Boldon, NE36
A predator who raped a 14-year-old girl after grooming her online has been jailed for eight years.
Rhys Walker, 24, spent weeks messaging the teenager before he forced her to engage in sexual acts with him, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
He had denied rape and sexual assault but was found guilty of both offences by jurors.
Judge Tim Gittins said Walker, from West Boldon in South Tyneside, knew about and "preyed upon" the "particularly vulnerable" girl's age and her difficult home life.
'I can move on'
Walker was 21 when he befriended the girl on social media and quickly started sending her sexualised images, the court heard.
After three or four weeks he offered to let the girl stay at his home, jurors were told.
Judge Gittins said it appeared on the face of it to be an offer of sanctuary, but Walker was actually "seeking to get her alone" where he would be prepared to use force to have sexual activity with her.
In a statement read to the court, the girl said the attack had severely damaged her mental health and led to her self-harming, while she also suffered flashbacks and an inability to sleep.
"I am relieved people have believed me and I can get closure knowing he can't do this to anyone else," the girl said, adding: "I can finally start to move on with my life."
Walker, of Hall Gardens, must also sign the sex offender register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order limiting his use of internet-enabled devices for an indefinite period.
Convicted of rape in 2003.
No fixed address.
A homeless South Tyneside sex offender who breaches a court order to be returned to prison has been spared fresh jail time after allegedly changing his ways.
Stanley Riches, 51, convicted of rape in 2003 and currently sleeping rough in a tent, has taken steps to turn his life around, his latest court appearance heard.
Before borough magistrates, he pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
He did so by failing to inform police of his whereabouts on one weekly occasion earlier in November, as required.
His apparent lifestyle progress led to borough magistrates jailing him for 26 weeks but agreeing to suspend the sentence for a year.
She revealed previous non-compliance saw him jailed for 26 weeks in July, 15 weeks in April and 26 weeks last November.
He was also put behind bars for 24 weeks in December 2021 – and has seven other same breaches.
Riches was returned to court after being arrested on Tuesday, November 12, for failing to keep his weekly date with police.
Ms Burgess added: “The circumstances are straight forward. He must register every seven days if homeless.
“He last did so on November 4, thereby seven days was midnight on November 11. He should have gone back to register.
“The defendant was arrested and in interview he made admissions. He has 40 previous convictions from 91 offences.
“There are a number of like convictions where he has not adhered to the notification requirements.
John Williams, defending, said he had seen a marked improvement in Riches’ attitude to life.
He said: “He accepts he should have signed on but didn’t. He’s homeless and living in a tent. He fully complied between September 12 and November 11.
“He says that on the day in question he had gone to his doctors for medication and his head was all over the place and he forgot.
“He signed yesterday and thought that would be the end of it. There’s been a significant change in his attitude.”
The Probation Service also said Riches’ attitude towards his work with them had seen “vast improvement”.
Riches must pay a £154 victim surcharge.
Historic sex offences against three schoolgirls.
Colliery Close, Hebburn, NE31
An 83-year-old paedophile could die behind bars for historic sex offences against three schoolgirls.
Terrance Whittingham denied he had targeted any of the victims but was convicted by a jury after a trial.
In harrowing impact statements read at Newcastle Crown Court the three women say the are still traumatised by their ordeals but one added: "I know he can never again do anything like this to anyone, which means I get peace."
Judge Gavin Doig jailed Whittingham for 13 years with a one year extended licence period.
Whittingham, of Colliery Close, Hebburn, was ordered to abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register for life.
Judge Gavin Doig told him: "There is no doubt your offending has caused significant and lasting trauma to these women, who were and are telling the truth about you and have been throughout.
"I would like to pay tribute to all for them for having the courage to come forward in the first place and perhaps having greater courage to see the case through."
Whittingham was convicted of 16 offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child and attempted indecency, all of which he denied.
David Callan, defending, said Whittingham, who has poor mobility, was of positive good character, served in the army and receives a war pension.
Mr Callan added: "It's probable, with any sentence that gets passed, it may mean the defendant is going to die while in prison. This is not a defendant who views the future as a friend."
Teenager caught with indecent images of children.
Chestnut Avenue, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE5
A teenager caught with indecent images of children has been spared prison.
Leon Dunlavy was arrested on August 22 last year following the police receiving intelligence about what he had been doing. When quizzed, he said he may have seen indecent images through pop-ups redirecting him but said he would click off them.
Newcastle Crown Court heard he also said he was on Discord and that people "may have sent him links to indecent images but they were not at his request and he didn't save them". His devices were then checked and on one phone there was no illegal material but there was evidence of him using search terms associated people searching for child abuse images.
On a second phone, two of the most serious, category A images and one category C image was found. On a cloud storage device, 45 category A videos, 27 category B videos and 12 category C videos were discovered, along with two extreme pornography videos featuring bestiality. The ages of the children were estimated to be between four and 14.
Dunlavy, 17 at the time of the offences and now 19, of Chestnut Avenue, Cowgate, Newcastle, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme pornography. He said he was only interested in the images of older teens and was disgusted by some of the material showing younger children.
He was sentenced to a two year community order with 120 hours unpaid work. He will also have to sign the sex offenders register for five years and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.
Jonathan Cousins, defending, said: "This is a very young man who leads a very sheltered life, is heavily reliant on the support of his family, considerably isolated and not a mature offender."
Using social media to acquire indecent images of children.
Wallsend, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE28
A man from Wallsend who used social media platforms to send explicit messages to and request indecent images from children has been sentenced following a National Crime Agency investigation.
Daniel Lee, 29, used multiple social media platforms to send more than 60,000 messages across 2,405 conversations to acquire indecent images of children through conversations with victims.
NCA officers recovered a total of 97 Category A, 94 Category B and 215 Category C images and videos from his device.
Nine UK male and female child victims were identified, aged between 13 and 16 at the time of his offending.
In one chat, a 14-year-old victim told Lee her age but he continued to engage in sexually explicit messaging via social media and using voice notes.
In another, Lee asked the age of his victim and continued to ask for indecent images after he was told she was 15.
Lee also deliberately used a false profile image on his accounts, telling one 14-year-old victim that he was 16 and sending her £20 during the course of the conversation to encourage sexually explicit messages. Lee swapped more than 4000 messages with this victim alone.
When searching Lee's phone, officers found that Lee had also messaged a number of accounts asking if they were selling sexual content. Numerous messages indicated he wanted to pay for images, videos or live 'sessions' but had no money to pay.
Lee was arrested at his home in August 2022. On arrest, he told NCA officers "I hold my hands up to it, I should never have done it". He went on to provide a no comment interview.
He was charged with 45 offences including inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity involving penetration, sexual communication with a child and making and distributing indecent images of children. He pleaded guilty to all the offences at Newcastle Crown Court in July 2024.
Lee was jailed for four years and five months at the same court today. He will be subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.
Danielle Pownall from the National Crime Agency said: "The NCA is committed to protecting children and bringing those who seek this material out to justice.
"Daniel Lee was a prolific offender, targeting children on social media sites and soliciting illegal images from them for his own gratification.
"We uncovered tens of thousands of messages on Lee's device, both to his victims and to other accounts to request sexual content. He preyed on vulnerable children to continue his offending."
Bethany Raine, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: "Daniel Lee made a number of different accounts with false personas, for the predatory purpose of targeting children online and obtaining sexual images of them.
"His offending has affected dozens of children, who were manipulated and exploited, all for his own sexual gratification.
"The CPS will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue justice for victims and prosecuting those who engage in online child sexual abuse."
Roland Mitchell 76
Convicted child sex offender jailed for hiding phones and digital devices.
Convicted child sex offender jailed for hiding phones and digital devices.
Cambridge Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4
A convicted child sex offender has been locked up after he hid three mobile phones and other digital devices in his Newcastle home.
Roland Mitchell, who was jailed in the 1980s and 1990s for indecently assaulting youngsters, was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order in 2016 after he was caught with indecent images of kids. Under the terms of the order, the 74-year-old must inform police of any devices he owned, which were capable of accessing the internet or storing digital photos or videos.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that, during a routine visit to his home, an officer noticed that his regular mobile phone had a very small internet history, which aroused her suspicions. A subsequent search of the property found three further phones, a laptop, a tablet, a USB and hard drive device and three camcorders.
Now, Mitchell, of Cambridge Street, in Elswick, Newcastle, has been jailed for 10 months after he pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and two of failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register.
Rachael Glover, prosecuting, said an officer attended Mitchell's address on November 30 last year. She added: "During that visit, the defendant handed over a mobile phone, in which the officer identified there was very little internet history and, suspecting this may be down to him deleting the history, he was arrested."
A later search of the flat uncovered the hidden devices, as well as a Barclays bank card and a passport, which he must also tell police about under the terms of his order. During interview, Mitchell claimed he had forgotten about the digital devices but had no explanation for the three phones.
The court heard that Mitchell had 32 offences on his record, including gross indecency from 1964, indecent assault on a female under 14 in 1980 and similar offending in 1983. He was then jailed again in 1998 for indecent assault. Caroline McGurk, defending, said Mitchell now suffered with ill health and there was no evidence that he had used the devices in a "suspect" way.
Locking him up, Judge Penny Moreland said: "They were deliberate breaches and I'm satisfied it couldn't be anything other than deliberate to posses that number of devices."
Thomas Reay 68
Vile Newcastle paedophile who raped and sexually assaulted two young girls jailed
Vile Newcastle paedophile who raped and sexually assaulted two young girls jailed
Hesleyside Drive, Fenham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE5
A vile paedophile who "stripped his victims of their childhood innocence" when he subjected them to multiple rapes and sexual assaults has been jailed.
Thomas Reay stole the childhoods of two young girls when he carried out the sickening abuse over a number of years. But now the 65-year-old has been locked up for 25 years after his victims found the courage to report the offending to a loved one in May of this year.
The report prompted an investigation by Northumbria Police’s Safeguarding Department and Reay was subsequently charged with a string of offences and remanded in custody.
Reay, of Hesleyside Drive, Newcastle, later pleaded guilty at Newcastle Crown Court to 16 child sex offences in July.
He appeared before Durham Crown Court on Tuesday where he was sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Paul Armstrong, of Northumbria Police, said: "Reay subjected the victims in this case to horrific ordeals over the course of a number of years, and I am pleased the courts have seen fit to hand him a very lengthy custodial sentence.
"Reay is a vile predator who stripped his victims of their childhood innocence through repeated abuse. I would like to praise the victims for their incredible bravery and courage to come forward because if they had not taken that first step of telling a loved one what had happened, Reay might not be behind bars today.
"No sentence will ever detract from the trauma they suffered, but I hope this lengthy sentence can provide some degree of closure which will allow them to move forward with their lives. Protecting the vulnerable and ensuring the most serious offenders like Reay are brought to justice are our top priorities as a Force.
"I would urge anyone who has been a victim, or wants to share information about an offender, to get in touch. We will support you and we will believe you."
Subjected woman to multiple rapes.
Throckley, Newcastle, NE15
Brett Wight, 47, subjected the woman to multiple rapes causing her lasting physical injuries.
The stoic victim, though, had the fortitude to come forward to disclose the offences to police.
An investigation was immediately launched by the Northumbria force and last year the defendant was charged with multiple sexual offences.
Wight, of Throckley, Newcastle, went on trial at the city’s crown court late last year where he was convicted by a jury of four counts of rape, following the two-week hearing.
He returned to the court, on Friday (September 20), where he received a 15-year custodial sentence to be followed by an eight-year extended licence period.
Wight will also be subject to registration as a sex offender and prohibitions under the terms of a restraining order, both for life.
Following the sentencing hearing, the sister of the survivor of his crimes praised the police investigators for their, “remarkable actions.”
She said: “I cannot emphasise how much of an impact the brilliance of Northumbria Police has had on my family.
“I can say with all honesty we would not have had this result had it not been for your amazing police force.
“Particularly those officers who have been by our side and supported us since the start.”
She singled out Detective Constable Leo Douglas and Police Constable Kris Wightman, who she described as, “the absolute guardian angels” of her sister.
“The care, attention, support, professionalism, shown is astonishing.
“I cannot emphasise enough how important it is that those officers on my sister’s case are recognised for their brilliance.
“I don’t think there is an award big enough for them.
“If I could scream this from the rooftops for the whole world to hear, believe me, I would!”
She said the force ought to be seen as, “amazing”, and should be, “celebrated and recognised for their brilliance.”
The grateful sibling added: “I will spend the rest of my life spreading positivity about Northumbria Police and how wonderful they are.
“I know my sister feels exactly the same.”
The officer leading the case, DC Douglas, responded by saying: “First and foremost, I would like to thank the survivor for the incredible strength she has shown which has ultimately made it possible to bring her abuser to justice.
“No-one should ever have to experience what she went through at the hands of Wight, but without bravery in reporting what had happened, he would not be behind bars today and his offending may never even have come to light.
“Her strength and bravery is something she should be incredibly proud of, and I want to personally thank her for her tenacity, and her continued co-operation throughout our investigation.”
He added: “Wight is a dangerous individual and deserves to be behind bars for a significant length of time.
“As a force, protecting and supporting vulnerable victims is our top priority and we will continue to work incredibly hard to put offenders before the courts and ensure that no-one gets away with this type of criminality.”
He urged any victim to take the first step and come forward, stressing they will be listened to and supported, “in whatever way we can.”
Paedophile jailed for raping two children.
St. Marks Way, South Shields, NE33
A paedophile has been jailed for more than 25 years for raping two children
In some instances, Karl Young, 33, offered his victims alcohol and made aggressive threats towards them if they did not comply with his advances.
Both victims bravely raised the alarm about Young to those around them who informed Northumbria Police, and he was arrested in December of last year.
Following a thorough investigation by specialist officers from the force’s safeguarding department, he was charged with a string of sexual offences including rape.
While initially denying any involvement, Young, of St Marks Way in South Shields, later pleaded guilty to nine offences including assault by penetration, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, sexual assault, and four counts of rape of a child at Newcastle Crown Court on May 7.
He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.
On Friday, Young appeared before the same court where a judge sentenced him to 25 years and six months in prison, and a further year on licence.
He will also spend the rest of his life on the Sex Offenders’ Register, and was handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Leading the investigation for Northumbria Police was Detective Constable Gavin James.
Speaking after Young’s sentencing, he said: “Young is a calculated predator, who used alcohol and aggression to coerce his victims into sexual activity.
“I would like to commend both of the survivors in this case for the immeasurable bravery they have shown throughout the whole process.
“From coming forward and raising the alarm to those around them, and then having to re-live their pain speaking about Young’s horrific actions towards them.
“Ultimately, their unwavering support has allowed us to bring a vile offender like Young to justice – and I hope the survivors and their loved ones are able to find some closure in today’s outcome knowing he is now behind bars.”
Det Con James added: “I hope this sends a clear message to those who have committed these types of crimes – you won’t get away with them and we’ll do everything in our power to put dangerous offenders like Young before the courts.
“Most importantly, this result is an example of what we can do when we work together to support survivors of sexual offences and hold their abusers to account.
“If you’ve been a victim of sexual abuse, please know that we can help you – and we will listen to you.
“Please come forward and report anything of concern today.”