Latest Offenders Northampton

Description

A Northampton man has been imprisoned for 15 years after using a room rental website to target a woman before raping her.

Ion Cojan, aged 37, of Worcester Close, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday, November 8 after a jury found him guilty of raping a woman.

Andrew Fitch-Holland, prosecuting, said the victim was looking for a room to rent in Northampton and set up an account on a rental website, which contained her photo, name and age.

The court heard that Cojan contacted her to tell her he had a friend with a room to let. When the victim said she was no longer interested, Cojan told her she was “beautiful” and asked to meet on February 17, 2019.

Mr Fitch-Holland said Cojan picked the woman up from Northampton town centre in his car and she sat in the back seat, expecting to be taken for coffee as planned. However Cojan drove her to a secluded area by a lake, the court heard.

Mr Fitch-Holland said the assault went on for approximately 10 minutes before Cojan tried to pull the victim’s trousers down but she said no so he eventually stopped and drove her back into town. Cojan told the woman he would call her and they would have sex, blew her three kisses and drove off.

The victim walked home, feeling “disgusted” and “shocked” and then reported the rape to the police. In a statement, she said she cannot forget what happened to her and she does not trust men anymore.

Cojan was arrested and his mobile phone was seized; police discovered numerous searches for female users of a room rental website, which he was treating as a dating site.

Cojan has one previous conviction of sexual assault in 2009 when he pushed a woman onto a bed, held her throat and pulled her hair - preventing her from leaving. She was able to escape when he let go of her.

Rajiv Chopra, in mitigation, said Cojan is “genuinely remorseful” that he has “upset” the victim and wants to write an apology letter to her.

Addressing the judge, Mr Chopra said: “Please use your utmost discretion and leniency to give this young man a second chance.”

Her Honour Judge Lucking KC, sentencing, said: “You have a tendency to commit sexual offences against lone women by flattering them and then isolating them before subjecting them to sexual activity without consent.

“Your evidence at trial revealed your arrogance and misplaced sense of sexual entitlement.”

Cojan was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of five years. He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register indefinitely.

Description

The offender offered children sweets and money while an order was in place to stop him having any unsupervised contact with a child.

A 90-year-old registered sex offender from Northampton has been jailed after breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Bernard Alan Crathorne, previously of Grosvenor Gardens, Northampton, was expected to abide by a number of very strict conditions, one of them being not to have any unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 16.

However, on multiple occasions in August 2020, Crathorne spoke to numerous children offering them sweets and money.

As a result of these breaches, Crathorne was arrested and charged with four counts of breaching his sexual harm prevention order, one count of sexual assault on a female under 13, and one count of causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

He was remanded into custody and pleaded guilty to the offences. He was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Friday (October 14) to four years and six months in prison.

Lead Investigator – Detective Constable Angie Torley, said: “Bernard Crathorne is a dangerous and prolific sex offender and I am really pleased that we have managed to get him locked up and away from children.

“As part of his sentence, he was also given an extended licence of five years, meaning it won’t expire until just shy of his 100th birthday, thereby protecting children further.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the children in this case for their bravery in reporting this matter, alongside their families, and for their support throughout our investigation. Initially, Crathorne decided to plead not guilty, meaning they had to be cross-examined in court, something no child should have to be asked to do.

“Their bravery in coming forward and providing evidence has meant that Crathorne can no longer harm children in the community.

“Northamptonshire Police takes an absolute zero-tolerance approach to situations like this. If a breach of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is identified, there are no second chances and just like Crathorne – offenders will be sent to prison.

“I hope this case demonstrates the force’s commitment to bringing sex offenders to justice and keeping the public of Northamptonshire safe,” DC Torley added.

Description

A Rothwell paedophile was caught asking ‘underage girls’ for naked pictures – two weeks AFTER admitting to police that he had been ‘doing bad things’.

Lloyd Bishop was already under investigation when he sent sexual messages to the Facebook profiles of young girls, including one who said she was aged just 12.

But all along he was speaking to paedophile hunters and on Monday (August 8) he was jailed for 44 weeks.

Northampton Crown Court heard the 29-year-old was initially taken into custody on April 13 over an unrelated matter and was asked to give police his mobile phone.

But he refused, telling officers: “I have been doing bad things.”

He said he talked to underage girls but then gave a prepared statement where he denied sexual communication with children. Bishop, formerly of Bridge Street in Rothwell, was released under investigation while his phone was examined.

But just two weeks later, on April 27, police were informed that he had sent explicit messages to people who he thought were children. They were in fact decoy profiles set up by those trying to snare online child sex offenders.

Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver said that Bishop first contacted a profile for ‘Rosie’, who said she was 12, on Facebook Messenger. At 7.45am on April 25 she told him she was doing school work. Bishop said she was cute and that if she was older he would ‘ask her out’.

When she asked if he wanted to be her boyfriend he said: “Yeah, you can trust me. It stays between us, no-one need know.”

Bishop promised that one day they would meet up before the messages gradually became more sexual in content. He told her he would like to perform a sex act on her, sent her a lewd picture of himself and asked for naked pictures of her in return.

The following day he messaged the profile of ‘Stacy’, who he thought was another underage girl.

Mr Cleaver said that Bishop asked if she would send naked pictures, bragged about having sex with a 14-year-old girl when he was 18 and sent a topless picture of himself in his room.

The court heard he had saved Stacy’s number in his contacts as ‘best mate’.

Bishop, who appeared over videolink from HMP Peterborough, later admitted two charges attempted sexual communication with a child. He had been given a suspended sentence on April 16 for possessing a knife.

Mitigating, Pree Brada said that Bishop had mental health difficulties, a personality disorder, ADHD and lifelong DiGeorge Syndrome. She said he moved to supported living accommodation in Rothwell in 2020 after spending nine years as an inpatient, that there was a ‘breakdown in support’ and that he had been taken advantage of by other residents.

She said: "The court can give him another chance by passing a non-custodial sentence.”

But Recorder John Benson QC said the offences were so serious that he could not impose a community order.

Bishop will serve half of his 44-week sentence in custody before being released on licence.

A sexual harm prevention order was made for 10 years, restricting his use of the internet and contact with children, and he will be on the register for sex offenders for 10 years.

Description

Dangerous pensioner jailed over repeated breaches of sexual harm prevention order A 73-year-old sex offender used the alias Michael Fairy to book tickets for a theatre show at a Northampton school starring children as young as six. Michael Leonard Roberts known as Mike was sentenced to one year, 16 weeks in prison after being charged with breaching conditions of his sexual harm prevention order. According to Northamptonshire Police, Roberts attended productions in May 2022 which starred children aged between six and 18. Using an alias when booking the shows was a further breach of the order. Roberts, previously of , previously of Dallington Haven, Northampton, also failed to complete his notification requirements and asked officers who arrested him why he had not been reminded to do so. He was given a 16-week suspended sentence by magistrates on August 2 but hauled back before the court over another breach of conditions just three days later. This time he was jailed for a year plus the 16 weeks from previous offences. Lead investigator, PC Gemma Glover from the police management of sexual or violent offenders team, said: Michael Roberts is a dangerous sex offender so I am pleased that he is now behind bars and away from the streets of Northamptonshire. Our team work really hard every day to ensure sex offenders are rigorously managed and if any breaches are identified we deal with them swiftly. I hope this case is a lesson to Roberts and to other sex offenders that our processes will always find you out if you are trying to go under the radar.

Description

A Northampton sex offender is back in prison after being caught deleting messages on his phone sent to kids as young as 10.

Police knocked on John Richards door in April this year as part of a routine check following his release from jail.

Officers found the 43-year-old apparently deleting data on his mobile phone.

Later inspection of the device found messages and indecent images of children.

An investigation by PC Gemma Glover and DS Ollie McNally, ending in a 20-hour shift, identified Richards contacts including another registered sex offender from outside the county who has since been recalled to prison.

Richards was sentenced to three years at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday (July 14) after being convicted of three attempted breaches of a sexual harm prevention order, two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and one count of making an indecent photograph.

Richards offender manager, PC Dani Wilton of the Northamptonshire Police management of sexual or violent offenders (MOSOVO) team, said: Richards is a high-risk sex offender and so I am really pleased to see him back behind bars, away from children.

This was a brilliant result for the MOSOVO team and I hope it shows the Forces proactivity and dynamic approach to the management of registered sex offenders.

Protecting children and vulnerable people from harm is why we come to work. This team has such a passion for safeguarding and I hope it shows through cases like this.

Description

A SEX offender arrived at Durham Railway Station expecting to meet a 14-year-old girl, with whom he believed he had been in communication, for a planned sexual encounter.

James Loades, 31, travelled from Northamptonshire, on March 2, and on arrival at the station sent a message to the girl saying he would visit her at home for a, kiss and cuddle, asking if she a virgin.

Durham Crown Court heard that in reality the girl did not exist and, unknown to Loades, he had been chatting with a decoy profile set up online by a woman posing as the 14-year-old.

As he sat waiting to meet the girl, police, who had been alerted, attended and he was arrested.

The court heard the planned visit took place less than three weeks after Loades release from a previous 14-month prison sentence for attempted sexual communication with a child.

Following his release, on licence, on February 11, he was visited by a police public protection officer and served with a copy of the Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) he was subject to, reminding him he was forbidden from having any contact with underage children.

But within days he was chatting to what he thought were two different girls, aged 14 and 13, as well as what was thought to be an actual girl, but who has not been traced.

One supposed 13-year-old, Lola, who accepted a friends request on February 25, was immediately flattered by Loades, who told her she would look good, in heels.

He offered to visit her to stay in a hotel and asked her to perform a sex act on herself, advising her to go into her mothers bedroom and find a sex toy, as well as sending the girl sexual images.

The court heard there was no actual attempt, by the time of his arrest, to meet this girl, while there was also messaging with another decoy, Hannah Smith, at about the same time.

In each case the girl would immediately tell Loades her age, and he responded that he was 31.

Loades told Hannah that girls her age were having sex and asking to see what underwear she was wearing.

The defendant, of Kettering, Northamptonshire, admitted four breaches of a SHPO, three counts each of attempting to cause/incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, plus a single count of attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming.

Lewis Kerr, for Loades, said it had to be remembered the offences were classed as attempts as all but one of the would-be victims did not exist.

But Judge James Adkin said: Its pretty obvious what his intention was being at Durham.

Hes done just about everything he could to commit them, by meeting with this girl, albeit, it wasnt a child.

Judge Adkin said his pre-sentence Probation Service report flagged up pretty serious concerns about his entrenched behaviour.

Addressing Loades, Judge Adkin said: I take the view theres significant risk of you committing further specified sexual offences.

It must be observed, especially as this was so soon after your release, you seem unable to resist the compulsion to offend.

Due to that risk of causing serious harm to children the judge imposed a five-year and four-month prison sentence, with an extended licence period of three years.

His requirement to register as a sex offender and SHPO restrictions both continue for life.

Description

A Wellingborough sex offender who was banned from contacting anyone under 16 has been jailed after chatting to girls at the Swansgate Shopping Centre.

Bradley Coulson, 21, was given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) on July 7, 2020, after Northamptonshire Police brought a civil case against him because of concerns about his behaviour.

He was forced to abide by a number of conditions, including having no contact with anyone under the age of 16.

Breaching the terms of a SHPO is a criminal offence which is punishable by prison and almost 18 months on he was arrested for doing just that.

On the afternoon of November 7 last year he was spotted speaking to a group of girls aged between 11 and 13 at the towns Swansgate Shopping Centre.

Coulson pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching his SHPO and was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court last week (April 29) to one year and six months in prison.

PC Andy Glover from Northamptonshire Polices MOSOVO team said: We take the management of sex offenders extremely seriously in this force they are very closely monitored and any breaches are dealt with swiftly.

If a breach is identified there are no second chances and just like Bradley Coulson offenders will be sent to prison.

I hope this case demonstrates our commitment to keeping the public of Northamptonshire safe and to bringing sex offenders to justice.

If you have concerns about someones behaviour report it to police by calling 101.

Description

A serial paedophile who lived in Watford has been handed a lengthy jail sentence for a string of historical sex offences. Colin McKissock, 70, had been found guilty of 11 counts of sexual assault/indecency against a boy aged between 11 and 13 and two sexual assaults on a girl under 14. They were said to have happened at his Watford home in the 1990s. A disclosure was made to police by one of the victims in March 2018, after McKissock was jailed over separate child sexual offences committed against two females in Scotland during the 1980s. He denied the new allegations throughout but following a two-week trial was convicted in early February. McKissock, who now lives in Northampton, was sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday (April 11) to 16 years prison. He was also given two years additional licence, a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Investigator Trevor Acors, who led the case, said: McKissock has shown absolutely no remorse for his actions and cruelly put his victims through a trial. Though nothing will ever make up for his despicable crimes, I am pleased with the sentence handed down. He also hailed the victims courage in coming forwards and having to relive their ordeals, as well as a previous victim for again providing evidence. Any sexual abuse victims have been urged to come forward, no matter how long ago the offences occurred. Officers can be contacted via 101 or on Herts Polices website.

Description

A Great Oakley paedophile who drove to Milton Keynes thinking he would sexually abuse three children has been branded a dangerous predator.

Allan Robins, 69, was jailed for five years and seven months last month, as first reported by the Northants Telegraph.

He bragged about having sex with a young girl during a week-long online chat, telling a woman what he wanted to do to her children, aged as young as two.

Robins drove 40 miles to the Buckinghamshire town with condoms after arranging to meet them but it was a police sting.

Today (April 12) detective sergeant Helena Congreve, from Northamptonshire Police's POLIT Team, said: I welcome the sentence handed out to Allan Robins as he has shown himself to be a dangerous predator who was willing to meet a child as young as two in order to sexually abuse them.

I hope this case shows the proactivity with which we treat child sex offences that we will not wait for cases to come to us but that we will use various tactics to catch people like Allan Robins and bring them to justice.

Northampton Crown Court heard Robins, formerly of Pound Close, was using online chat room Chatiw when he began speaking to Lucy on December 13 last year.

He said he liked young girls and was having sex with one. Lucy told him about her three children a two-year-old girl, a seven-year-old boy and an autistic nine-year-old girl. None of the children were real.

Prosecuting, Micaila Williams said: It's plain Robins is interested in the nine-year-old girl, asking if she has had sex yet."

The paedophile suggested a meeting and asked for Lucys phone number before calling her.

He asked her when she was next in Milton Keynes and offered to drive over to meet them on December 20.

The court heard that, when asked what he wanted to do, he described a lewd act with the children aged two and seven.

Ms Williams added: "[He said he] would like to have full sex with the nine-year-old and offered to bring condoms."

He drove to a pre-arranged location in Milton Keynes and texted Lucy to say he was there and had decamped from his motorhome.

Police, who had been running the sting under the code name Operation Jenson, then swooped in and arrested him.

The court heard he made comments suggesting he had been set up and had been a 'bloody idiot'.

When police searched his home they a Scout scarf, baby rattle, sex toys and viagra in a bedroom cabinet.

When interviewed he admitted he had spoken to Lucy online but claimed he was trying to uncover the actions of a paedophile.

Ms Williams said: "He said he had been horrified by what he had heard online and went to the location to find the people and report them to the police."

The paedophile denied he had a sexual interest in children but later admitted three charges of arranging or facilitating a child sex offence.

Robins will serve half of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence.

He will be on the register for sex offenders and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life.

Description

A repeat child sex offender from Northampton has been sentenced to more than two years in prison after sharing an indecent image of a child for the second time.

Thomas Scott Brews, aged 41, of Euston Road, Northampton, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Tuesday (April 5) after being caught sharing a movie depicting Category A child sex abuse, the most severe material under UK law.

The court heard that Brews shared the indecent image in a public parenting group on a communications app. Police later tracked Brews to his Northampton home using his computers IP address.

Miss Eunice Opare-Addo, prosecuting, read: The police had launched an investigation into sexual interest in young children.

They discovered a group, which Brews had joined. It was a public group.

"On August 5 2021, Brews posted an indecent movie of a child being sexually abused by an adult male. He also sent another user a private message, however there was no response to this message.

"The profile he used indicated that he had been on [the application] for 68 days prior to the offence.

"IP address data from Brews computer led police to the defendants Northampton address. Then Brews was not interviewed by police until January 18, where he stated that he had used [the application] but had not done so for about six months.

"He said that he could not specifically remember uploading the Category A image because he drank a lot and did stupid things which he could not remember whilst drunk.

This was not the first time that Brews was prosecuted for indecent images of children, as in November 2014 he was convicted in Scotland of making an indecent image of a child and was subject to a community order there, also known as a Community Payback Order.

Mr Liam Muir, defending, argued that Brews had never been given access to programmes like Stop It Now" to address his behaviour, and that he had shown a sincere desire to take part and improve himself.

The defence also argued that, as Brews was drunk at the time, he needed help with his substance use as well as his mental health to see whether his crimes were linked to the drink or a genuine mental challenge.

However, Her Honour Judge Lucking QC was not convinced, saying that Brews had already lost his good character due to his 2014 offence and that he should have already known that what he was doing was wrong.

Her Honour said: At that time you did not have, as it were, work carried out with you in relation to sexual offenders.

"In that moment you lost your good character. You had a community order imposed and you knew at that point that it was clearly something that was unacceptable.

"There is no doubt that you have a clear sexual interest in children. This wouldnt have occurred on two occasions if you didnt.

"Is there a realistic chance of rehabilitation? Im not satisfied that there is.

Brews was sentenced to two years and two months in prison and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was applied for ten years.

Description

One victim said she was "filled with pain and torture" and she had "given up on the thought of happiness" A Northampton man has been sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison for historic sex offences against children. Stephen Mitchell, aged 58, of Heron Way, was sentenced on Tuesday, March 22 at Northampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to a number of offences. The most severe of Mitchell's offences was the attempted rape of a child under the age of 14. Families of the victims wept in the public galleries as Mitchell's charges were read out and described in full. Mitchell was arrested on August 15 last year after the parents of one of his young victims reported the defendant to the police. Another victim subsequently came forward and then Mitchell informed officers he wanted to confess to crimes against a third victim. Sally Hobson, prosecuting, told the court that Mitchell's actions had a "significant impact" on his young victims. She described how one of his victims is now receiving counselling and self harms because it "helps him to forget for a short while". Ms Hobson said: "He feels there are permanent marks on his skin that he can't wash off." A second victim, who was present at court during Mitchell's sentencing, asked for her victim personal statement to be read out. It described how her innocence had been taken away from her and, as a result, she was "filled with pain and torture". She said she lost friends, partners, family members and even herself because she "gave up on the thought of happiness". She added that she turned to drink, had to leave a job she loved and she barely leaves the house. The statement said that - after finding out about Mitchell's other victims - she even put all the blame on herself for not going to the police as a child. Liam Muir, defending, said that an "extremely important mitigation" was Mitchell's engagement with the police, his guilty pleas and the fact that he made them aware of the third victim, who had not come forward at that time. His honour Judge Mayo sentenced Mitchell to 12 years and eight months in prison. He additionally slapped Mitchell with a restraining order that bars him from making any direct or indirect contact with his victims. A sexual harm prevention order was also made indefinitely, which prevents Mitchell from having any unsupervised contact with any children under the age of 16. This order additionally bars Mitchell from staying in any house with a child under the age of 16. Judge Mayo said: "It is considerable note that these people came forward with remarkable bravery with remarkable support from their families."

Description

A dark web Northampton paedophile who was caught with help from the FBI in the United States has been handed 30 years in jail.

Keith McFadden, aged 57, formerly of Talbot Road, Northampton, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court today (11 March) for historic child sex offences.

The convicted child predator was finally arrested by Northamptonshire Police detectives following an investigation of the dark web by the National Crime Agency.

Andrew Howarth, prosecuting, said McFadden had bragged about the offences and later read impact statements from McFadden's victims.

The statement said the victim had tried to take his own life and had been on "antidepressants for most of my life because of what he did to me."

Other victims described having their lives "turned upside down" by McFadden's actions.

Stephen Garbett, defending, said: "Mr McFadden is going to be in prison for a significant amount of time. By the time he is released from prison he will be extremely old.

"Mr McFadden is under no illusion that this will be the case."

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said in sentencing: "There is no way of knowing whether you will engage with programmes, especially given that you continue to maintain your innocence.

"You pose a threat to young boys, as opposed to the general public."

Keith McFadden was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with a minimum time to serve of 20 years.

Description

A Northampton detective tracked down a suspected child sex offender to Germany after he fled from the town in a bid to escape the law.

Szymon Leszek Sieczkiewicz, aged 38, has been jailed for six years for assault and incitement involving an 11-year-old in January 2019.

The Polish HGV driver skipped the country and headed across the Channel ahead of a court appearance but was hunted down by police using a European Arrest Warrant and dragged back to Northampton.

Sieczkiewicz, whose address was not given in court, was was finally found guilty of all charges in October 2021 and last month sentenced to six years and handed an indefinite Sexual Harm prevention Order at Northampton Crown Court.

DS Selena Leppard, who led the investigation, said: I am really pleased that my relentless pursuit of Szymon Sieczkiewicz has resulted in this six-year sentence.

Sieczkiewicz thought he could escape justice by leaving the country, but this case goes to show that Northamptonshire Police will not only go beyond our county borders to pursue offenders but also cross national borders too.

The child in this case has been very brave from the beginning of our investigation and I would like to thank them and their family for their support throughout.

I hope this result, after such a drawn-out case, will allow them some closure and the ability to move forward with their life.

Description

A 72-year-old man has been sent to prison for three years and six months after he breached the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements.

Peter Butt, previously of Northampton, was convicted in May 2021 of possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

As part of his sentence, he was handed a sexual harm prevention order, meaning he has to notify police of any new electronic devices and accounts.

However, when DC Sophie Duffree from Northamptonshire Polices MOSOVO (Management of Sexual Offenders and Violent Offenders) Team visited him in December 2021, alongside his probation officer, she found three phones and a laptop that he had not declared.

He had also created a new Twitter account, which again he had failed to notify police of, alongside two other names used online.

He was subsequently arrested for the breaches and charged.

At Northampton Crown Court last week (January 21) he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, in addition to the previously suspended 24 month sentence.

Following the sentencing, DC Duffree said: Registered sex offenders like Peter Butt are very closely monitored by our team and we take a zero-tolerance approach to breaches such as these there is absolutely no room for second chances or pleading ignorance.

"Breaches of a sexual harm prevention order are serious, and Im pleased that that has been recognised here with a custodial sentence.

"The facts of this case have shown Peter Butt to be a manipulative and deceitful individual who has shown a complete disregard for the orders placed upon him. I hope he takes this time in custody to reflect on his actions.

"In cases like these we will look to immediately arrest and charge these offenders, thereby protecting the public.

Description

A repeat sex offender from Northamptonshire has been handed a 'winning lottery ticket' after narrowly dodging prison for his second sexual offence.

Curtis Bull, now 29, of Oak Lane, Crick, was sentenced for sexually assaulting a female, to which he pleaded guilty.

During a hearing at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday (January 20), it was read that the assault took place in June 2019. Bull was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time.

This was not Bull's first offence. He had already served time for a near identical crime back in 2016 which had left bruises on another woman's neck. Bull pleaded guilty to that offence as well and was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

His then-barrister Jonathan Dee said it was an isolated incident that was 'out of character' at the time.

During the hearing for his latest offence, Her Honour said: "There is no indication that you have any criminal tendencies whatsoever and it is very hard to see why, after you have served a custodial sentence, that you have done almost the exact same thing as you did in 2016."

Bull's defence suggested that there were 'much deeper underlying issues' that had driven his behaviour, including mental health concerns, as well as the heavy use of alcohol.

The judge agreed to this and suggested that 'the public will get better protection' if Bull was allowed to work with the probation service from outside a prison.

Bull was issued with a 36 month community order and 40 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days. He was also required to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for a further five years, join a specified sex offender intervention programme for men, and submit to a six month alcohol treatment programme.

In closing, Her Honour cautioned Bull, saying: "Make sure you attend every appointment with the probation service as if you were holding a winning lottery ticket.

"That's how seriously you should take this, or you will end up in prison."