Search results for Northamptonshire

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A 23-year-old drug dealer has been jailed after he was found guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl.

On the evening of February 23, Jack Lemaistre arranged to meet the girl after they had first connected on Snapchat a few days earlier.

He drove her to his caravan in Goldfinch Street where he encouraged the girl to smoke cannabis. This made her violently sick and despite asking Lemaistre repeatedly to drive her home, he refused.

He then told her to watch a film with him, and she fell asleep. But when she woke up, Lemaistre was sexually assaulting her.

The assault continued for 20 minutes in which Lemaistre raped the girl despite her continuing to tell him to stop.

She eventually managed to return home and bravely reported the incident to Northamptonshire Police.

Lemaistre was arrested and when police searched his property, they found a large quantity of cocaine and ketamine.

He was subsequently charged with rape, assault by penetration and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Lemaistre pleaded guilty to the drugs offences but took the sexual assault and rape charges to trial at Northampton Crown Court. However, following just two hours of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both counts with the trial ending on August 20.   

Lemaistre, of Goldfinch Street, Thrapston, was sentenced last week (October 9) to 16 years in prison. 

At the sentencing hearing, Her Honour Judge Lucking said:

“There is no time scale for recovery for the harm you have done. From sitting through your evidence, it is clear you have no respect for the autonomy of the complainant’s body.”

Detective Constable Orla Foster from Northamptonshire Police’s SOLAR Team said:

“This was a horrific and predatory attack on a young woman who repeatedly made it clear she did not consent to any sexual activity. Instead of helping her when she was vulnerable and unwell, Lemaistre chose to exploit her for his own gratification.

“I would like to commend the bravery and courage shown by the victim throughout this investigation and court process. Her determination to come forward and give evidence has ensured a dangerous offender has been held accountable for his actions.

“I hope this sentence demonstrates that we will relentlessly pursue those who commit sexual offences and do everything we can to secure justice for victims.”

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A 36-year-old man has been handed a 27-year extended sentence after being found guilty of a horrific campaign of sexual abuse against a child.

Jack Moore was reported to Northamptonshire Police on January 2, 2023, after a girl bravely disclosed the abuse that she had suffered at the hands of Moore over a two-year period.

Investigations by officers from the Force’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit saw the girl reveal that Moore had repeatedly raped her as well as engaged in sexual activity with her and forced her to watch pornography.

Moore went on to be charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of rape a girl under 13, two counts of assault a girl under 13 by touching, one count of attempted rape, assault a girl under 13 by penetration and causing a child to watch/look an image of sexual activity.

He went to trial at Northampton Crown Court in early May this year before the jury returned guilty verdicts on all 10 counts on May 11.

Moore, formerly of Johnswell Way in Moulton, returned to the same court on Friday, October 9, where he was handed an extended sentence.

Used for offenders convicted of specific offences who are deemed to be extremely dangerous, Moore’s extended sentence consists of 22 years’ imprisonment with an extension period of five years on licence.

In addition, Moore was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and handed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to prevent him from reoffending once released. He was also ordered to pay a £181 victim surcharge.

Following the hearing, lead investigator Detective Constable Nicky Webb, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said:

“Jack Moore targeted this girl for his own selfish, sexual gratification and I am pleased that he now must face the consequences of his predatory behaviour.

“Nothing will ever make the girl forget what Moore did to her, however for someone so young, she should be proud of the incredible bravery she has shown.

“This has been a lengthy and challenging investigation, but I hope she knows that because of her resilience and courage, Moore cannot do this to anyone else, and she has helped put a dangerous sexual predator behind bars.

“I also hope this case shows how seriously we investigate crimes of this nature. Our team will always strive to secure justice for anyone who finds the courage to come forward to us – please know that we will listen to you, believe you and support you every step of the way.”

Detective Inspector Julie Allington of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit added:

“This has been a challenging and complex investigation spanning several years, requiring significant persistence, professionalism, and dedication throughout.

“This has been very much a team effort involving various departments across the Force led by DC Nicky Webb and Police Staff Investigator Lucy Fraser-Allen, who both demonstrated outstanding resilience, commitment and determination in seeing the case through to its conclusion to achieve the best possible outcome for the girl.”

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Former Police Radio Dispatcher Harry Blumire Jailed for Seven Years

Harry Blumire, 24, of Slade Crescent, Kettering, a former radio dispatcher in the Bedfordshire Police control room, has been jailed for seven years after being convicted of rape and other offences against a woman in her 20s.

Blumire was arrested while off duty in Northamptonshire in June 2024. He was immediately suspended and dismissed by Bedfordshire Police in September 2024.

He was convicted at Leicester Crown Court on 7 October of rape, sexual assault, actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation, having denied the charges. The offences took place between August 2023 and May 2024. He received a seven-year sentence for the rape, with concurrent sentences of 24 months, nine months and 18 months for the other offences.

Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable John Murphy said: “He had tried to use his role as a member of police staff to dissuade the victim from coming forward by telling her she would not be believed. That could not be further from the truth.”

Detective Constable Gina Rosignoli of Northamptonshire Police praised the victim’s “remarkable strength and determination” during an investigation that took more than two years to reach trial. She said: “I hope this outcome reassures other victims of sexual offences that they will be listened to, supported and taken seriously when they come forward to report what has happened to them.”

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Two women who were sexually abused by a man when they were children have been praised after their evidence led to him being jailed today (Friday 11 September).

Jordan Gray-Higgs committed his crimes in Leicestershire between 2012 and 2014.

His offending was brought to the attention of police in 2022, when the victims told officers what had happened. They described how Gray-Higgs had incited them to engage in sexual activity and abused them.

In interview Gray-Higgs, of Waver Close in Corby, Northamptonshire, denied the allegations and claimed that the victims must have been seeking an act of vengeance against him.

However, he was charged with nine offences and found guilty of four counts of rape, four counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching and one count of causing/inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity following a trial at Leicester Crown Court in May this year.

Forty-year-old Gray-Higgs was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment with a four-year extended licence period. He was also placed on the sex offender register for life.

Detective Constable Kam Kalia was the investigating officer. He said:

“I’m immensely proud of the courage shown by both victims throughout the investigation and court proceedings.

“The details they were able to recall about the horrific abuse they suffered served as key evidence that led to Gray-Higgs being brought to justice for his crimes.

“I hope the sentence he’s been given today provides them both with a sense of closure and allows them to move on with their lives as best they can.”

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A 36-year-old man has been jailed for more than 18 years after he pleaded guilty to multiple child sex offences.

Joseph Hewitt, previously of West Haddon, appeared at Northampton Crown Court last month (June 26) where he admitted to two counts of raping a girl under 13, one count of raping a girl aged 13-15, and three counts of engaging in penetrative sex with a girl aged 13-15.

The offences were committed against a girl and took place over a period of six years when she was aged 10-16.

Following a report made, Hewitt was arrested and subsequently charged, and after admitting the offences at court, he was sentenced to 18 years and six months in prison.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks, said:

"Joseph Hewitt subjected this young girl to serious sexual abuse over a number of years, causing harm that no child should ever have to endure.

“I welcome the significant custodial sentence handed down by the court, which reflects the severity of his offending and ensures he will spend a considerable period of time behind bars.

“I would also like to thank the survivor in this case for her bravery in coming forward and supporting the investigation. Reporting offences of this nature can be incredibly difficult, and her courage has been instrumental in bringing Hewitt to justice. I’d also like to thank retired officer Sharon Jephcott for her help in investigating this case.

“Northamptonshire Police is committed to protecting children and pursuing those who seek to exploit or abuse them. We will continue to work tirelessly to investigate reports of child sexual abuse and hold offenders accountable for their actions.”

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A paedophile who raped and sexually abused a young girl over nearly seven years has been jailed for 19-and-a-half years.

Robert Jepson, 62, abused the victim between December 2015 and October 2022 in St Ives. 

As well as raping her, he carried out numerous other sexual offences against her.

The girl disclosed what had happened in February 2023 after she had a class at school with the topics of consent and appropriate sexual behaviour.

Jepson was arrested as soon as the allegations came to light but denied the charges and blamed the victim for instigating the sexual contact.

However, on Wednesday (13 May), at Cambridge Crown Court, Jepson, of Woodford, near Kettering, was jailed after a jury found him unanimously guilty of rape, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child under 13 and six counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching. 

He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and handed indefinite sexual harm prevention and restraining orders.

DC Leah Meftah, who investigated, said:

“Jepson was a manipulative abuser who committed serious sexual offences over many years.

“He apportioned the blame of these offences on a vulnerable child, and took no responsibility for his actions, describing the victim as manipulative and instigating the offences.

“The victim showed the upmost courage in disclosing her offences, and showed immense bravery throughout the judicial process. The impact of these types of cases on all of the families involved is far reaching but this was a successful prosecution due to the strength of the victim and her family.

"Anyone who experiences sexual abuse can take the next step in reporting it to us - we have special trained officers to deal with your allegation." 

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A 34-year-old registered sex offender has been jailed after he was found to be breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

Aaron Ray Dungey, previously of Butterfields, Wellingborough, was issued with a SHPO in December 2016 following his conviction for the assault by way of penetration of a female child under 13.

The SHPO was issued with certain conditions he was required to abide by, including not having any contact with children.

However, on February 9, when officers from Northamptonshire Police’s MOSOVO Team made an unannounced visit to Dungey’s home, they analysed his mobile phone and found that he had been in contact with three children.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of breaching his SHPO.

On February 10, Dungey appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to the offences.

This month (April 16), he appeared at Northampton Crown Court where he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.

Risk Management Officer, Lucy Fraser-Allen, from the Force’s MOSOVO team, said:

“Sexual Harm Prevention Orders are put in place to protect the public, particularly children, from individuals who pose a risk.

“Aaron Dungey was fully aware of the conditions he was required to follow and chose to ignore them.

“Breaches like this will always be taken extremely seriously, and we will continue to carry out proactive checks and take robust action against registered sex offenders who fail to comply with court orders.”

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A 29-year-old man has been jailed for 17 years after he was convicted of multiple child sex offences.

On a number of occasions between April 2023 and June 2023, Klein Chinoda, previously of Wellingborough, sexually abused a girl in Wellingborough.

An investigation was launched, led by specialist officers from Northamptonshire Police’s SOLAR Team, which led to Chinoda’s arrest. He was subsequently charged with seven counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of possessing indecent images of a child, and one count of rape.

Prior to the start of his trial, Chinoda pleaded guilty to all offences except the rape offence which was taken before a jury.

Following a four-day trial at Northampton Crown Court which ended on December 12, Chinoda was found guilty of rape.

He returned to the same court last month (March 20) where he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Lead investigator - DC Rachel Morrison from the Force’s SOLAR Team said: “I am really pleased with this significant sentence as it sends a strong message that the police and the courts take sexual offences extremely seriously.

“The survivor in this case has been incredibly brave and I hope, with Chinoda safely behind bars, that she can now move forward and learn to enjoy life again. I wish her the very best.”

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A 52-year-old man has been sent to prison after he was found guilty of eight child sex offences.

Between 2008 and 2019, Derek McAvoy sexually abused a girl on multiple occasions, touching her inappropriately and taking photos of her in various states of undress.

The girl bravely reported the offences to Northamptonshire Police in 2019, and McAvoy was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of sexually assaulting a girl under 13, four counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 16, two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of voyeurism.

McAvoy, formerly of Northbrook, Corby, took the case to a trial at Northampton Crown Court which lasted four days and ended at the beginning of the month (April 2) with guilty verdicts from the jury on all eight counts. 

He was sentenced on the same day to 11 years in prison.

Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks from Northamptonshire Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said:

“I am really pleased to see this case end with guilty verdicts, and I hope the survivor in this case feels both a sense of justice and that she has been truly listened to and heard.

“McAvoy’s abuse was extensive and prolonged, and he is now thankfully behind bars, where people who commit these types of offences belong.

“I would like to thank retired officer, DC Sharon Jephcott, for the work she did on this case, and I also want to reassure the public that we will continue working hard in the Child Abuse Investigation Unit to ensure more people like McAvoy end up in a prison cell.”

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A 52-year-old man has been sent to prison after he was found guilty of eight child sex offences.

Between 2008 and 2019, Derek McAvoy sexually abused a girl on multiple occasions, touching her inappropriately and taking photos of her in various states of undress.

The girl bravely reported the offences to Northamptonshire Police in 2019, and McAvoy was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of sexually assaulting a girl under 13, four counts of sexually assaulting a girl under 16, two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of voyeurism.

McAvoy, formerly of Northbrook, Corby, took the case to a trial at Northampton Crown Court which lasted four days and ended at the beginning of the month (April 2) with guilty verdicts from the jury on all eight counts. 

He was sentenced on the same day to 11 years in prison.

Detective Constable Kirstie Brooks from Northamptonshire Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said:

“I am really pleased to see this case end with guilty verdicts, and I hope the survivor in this case feels both a sense of justice and that she has been truly listened to and heard.

“McAvoy’s abuse was extensive and prolonged, and he is now thankfully behind bars, where people who commit these types of offences belong.

“I would like to thank retired officer, DC Sharon Jephcott, for the work she did on this case, and I also want to reassure the public that we will continue working hard in the Child Abuse Investigation Unit to ensure more people like McAvoy end up in a prison cell.”

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A 22-year-old man has been convicted of rape following a retrial at Northampton Crown Court.

The defendant - Dylan Saunderson - first stood trial at the same court in August last year, charged with three counts of rape, one count of assault and one count of administering a noxious substance.

At the end of that trial, Saunderson was found guilty of assault and not guilty of two counts of rape and administering a noxious substance.

The third count of rape could not be agreed upon by the jury and so the victim decided she would support a retrial at Northampton Crown Court which lasted for four days and ended at the end of last month (March 27). The jury took just two hours to return a guilty verdict.

The incident in question happened on the morning of September 28, 2023, when Saunderson attacked a woman inside a Kettering property and raped her.

He was sentenced on the same day he was found guilty to nine years in prison for the rape, 18 months in prison for the assault, to run concurrently, and six months in prison for a separate dangerous dog offence, to run consecutively. 

Saunderson will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. 

During sentencing, His Honour Judge Mayo told the court that “this was a prolonged attack which was aggravated by the assault.”

Lead investigator - Detective Sergeant Chelsea Noble from the Force’s SOLAR Team said:

“I’d like to commend the survivor in this case for the strength she has shown throughout this process. She has had to endure not one, but two trials, and the fact that she pushed for a retrial says everything about her absolute determination to get justice for what happened to her.

“In her victim personal statement, she commented on how she felt her life was on hold due to what Saunderson did to her, so I hope the conclusion of this case allows her to move forward. She has a bright future ahead of her and we wish her nothing but the best.

“Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for Northamptonshire Police and I hope this case demonstrates how important victim care and getting justice is to us.”

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A man who enticed a person to sexually abuse a victim he believed to be her six-year-old daughter has been jailed.

Christopher Clinton was in fact talking with an undercover police officer when he engaged in the conversations between November 2024 and January 2025.

Clinton, aged 60, befriended the 'woman' on a social media network.

Posing as a middle-aged woman he then guided her to engage in sexual activity with a child he believed to be her daughter.

He also expressed a desire to develop an ongoing physical relationship with the child as she grew older.

Clinton was aware of the child’s purported age and had no idea he was in fact talking to a police officer.

Police investigators were able to track him down via his username to an address in Edwalton, where he was arrested on March 4 last year.

During his initial police interview, Clinton declined to answer questions and spoke only to deny that he posed a danger to any children.

He later pleaded guilty to arranging the commission of a child sex offence.

Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday 1 April he was jailed for two years and eight months.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order which will closely restrict his future use of the internet as well as his access to children.

PC Summer Smith, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Internet Child Exploitation Team, said:

“Clinton genuinely believed he was talking to another like-minded individual who would help him to realise his depraved sexual fantasies.

“He claimed in his police interview not to be a danger to children, but sadly this is exactly what he is.

“Because if he had his way then he would have facilitated very real harm to a real child somewhere in the word, which is why I am so pleased that he has now been sentenced.”

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A former special constable with Northamptonshire Police has been convicted of multiple sex offences.

In 2020, Northamptonshire Police received intelligence regarding potential illegal images of children possessed by 48-year-old Wissem Bonafia.

In August, they attended his address in Barton Seagrave where he was arrested and multiple electronic devices were seized.

Upon inspection, they were found to contain numerous indecent images and videos of various females from prepubescent age up to the age of 17, many of which Bonafia had taken himself.

The offences took place between 2014 and 2019.

Bonafia was arrested and subsequently charged with six counts of raping a woman aged 16 years or over, one count of assault by penetration of an object/thing, six counts of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm, five counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child, four counts of making an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child, one count of causing/inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, one count of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one count of committing an act/series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.

A trial date was set for February 16, 2026, which saw a further two charges added - one count of rape, and one count of causing/inciting a child to engage in non-sexual activity.

On day one, Bonafia pleaded guilty to six of the offences - five counts of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and one count of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.

The remaining 21 were taken to trial with the jury hearing the evidence over the course of two weeks.

As the trial progressed, Bonafia pleaded guilty to a further four counts of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.

Today (March 30), Bonafia was found guilty of a further 12 offences.

He was found not guilty of three counts of rape, one of engaging in sexual communication with a child and one of taking an indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Caroline Knight said:

“First of all I would like to thank the women in this case for their resilience and patience while our investigation took place. It has taken a long time to bring it to trial and I cannot speak about them highly enough.

“They have shown great bravery in supporting our case and providing their evidence in court, despite experiencing the most heinous of crimes perpetrated by a person who knew what he was doing was wrong.

“They were all vulnerable in their own way and should be proud of what they have done to get it to this point. I want to thank them for staying on board and in times of hesitation, believing in and continuing with the process.

“Without them giving their evidence and remaining stoic in the witness box whilst experiencing thorough cross examination, we would not have had as good a case as we did.

“I also want to thank Jeff Wells from our Digital Forensics Unit. Without his diligence at the beginning of this investigation, we would never have identified these children. Also Michelle Mallison from the same team for providing additional evidence for court and standing in as Jeff’s replacement at the last minute. And retired DI Helena Congreve and my other supervisors, who supported me through the investigation. 

“And finally to our KC Sam Skinner and his colleague Laura Blackband who prosecuted this case marvellously.

“We will now prepare for sentencing, and I hope this case demonstrates our determination to bring those responsible for sexual crimes, no matter who they are, to justice.”

Detective Inspector Lee Jones said: “This has been a really complex investigation with a lot of moving parts, and I am grateful to DC Knight for her diligence, victim care and unwavering determination to bring Wissem Bonafia to justice.

“Bonafia’s crimes are a disgrace to the uniform he once wore, and I hope this investigation and subsequent result at court reassures the wider public that we will do all we can to root out individuals like him.

“We have a lot of brilliant special constables in this force who continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, and for them and their work, we are really grateful.”

Bonafia resigned from special constable duties on November 9, 2021. An accelerated gross misconduct hearing was held by Northamptonshire Police on February 16, 2023, which determined that, had Bonafia still been a serving police officer, he would have been dismissed without notice.

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A 57-year-old man has been jailed for more than four years after he pleaded guilty to 11 child sex offences.

Between 1995 and 2000, Darren James Wood sexually assaulted a girl on numerous occasions. Then, between 2013 and 2019, Wood repeatedly sexually assaulted another girl.

The offences came to light in 2024 when both girls, now women, reported what had happened to Northamptonshire Police.

An investigation was launched, and Wood was subsequently charged with six counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, two counts of assault of a girl under 13 by touching, and three counts of sexual assault on a female.

After pleading guilty to all 11 offences at Northampton Crown Court in November, Wood returned to the same court in January where he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.

Lead investigator - Detective Constable Samuel Bennett said:

“Although nothing can ever erase the awful experiences these women went through at the hands of Darren Wood, I hope the conclusion of this case provides them with a sense of justice.

“They have been through so much and this result is a testament to their bravery and strength.

“I hope this case reassures our local communities and demonstrates the seriousness and care with which we handle reports of this nature.”

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A man who secretly took intimate photos and videos of two women and a child has been jailed.

Sean Eaves’ crimes first came to light in September 2023 when the 41-year-old sent a screenshot of an intimate video of himself with the first victim to her through Instagram messenger.  

He was arrested in 2024, and officers found the video as well as evidence linking him to the Instagram account on his mobile phone.  

The phone also had intimate photos of another woman, taken without her knowledge, stored on it.

Eaves was released on bail but a few months later, officers received an anonymous tip-off he had another mobile phone and indecent images of children.

A warrant was carried out at a home in Chatteris in January where officers found a memory card containing 18 indecent videos of a child, taken secretly by Eaves.

The second phone was found in his car and contained a further eight indecent videos and 72 photos, all of the same child. 

On Friday (6 March), at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, acting as a crown court, Eaves, of Hawthorne Road, Finedon, near Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was jailed for two years, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of voyeurism and one count each of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress and taking an indecent image of a child.

He was also handed a seven-year restraining order for all the victims, a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and also required to register monthly at a police station for ten years. 

DC Amberlie Ford, who investigated, said:

“Eaves shamefully took photos of these women and the child without their knowledge, which violated their dignity and privacy, so I welcome the sentence passed down by the courts.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the victims, whose strength in coming forward and supporting us with a prosecution has led to this result.”