Latest Offenders Nottingham

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A man has been jailed for more than two decades for a series of rapes and sexual assaults.

Russell Yeomans committed the vile offences in South Normanton, in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk over the course of four decades.

The predator's horrific criminal past was only brought to light after he sent an explicit image of himself to a schoolgirl in 2019, which was subsequently found on her phone.

After being encouraged to speak to support staff at her school, she revealed several incidents of abuse that happened at an address in Nottinghamshire.

When detectives opened an investigation, they received more complaints from another two victims who had heard about the police's inquiries.

One victim revealed the 58-year-old had begun to abuse her when she was just seven years old and that it culminated with Yeoman's raping her three times when she was a teenager.

Yeomans, of Monksway, Wilford, Nottingham, refused to comment in his first interview with police and denied all the allegations that had been made against him.

He eventually admitted sending the explicit image to the girl and pleaded guilty to one count of causing a child to watch/look at an image of sexual activity, and one count of inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity.

After Derbyshire police and Nottinghamshire Police worked together to bring the cases to the Crown Prosecution Service, he Yeomans was charged over the other historical offences.

He continued to deny these, but after a two week trial at Nottingham Crown Court he was found guilty of 14 charges.

These were two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, eight indecent assaults on a child under 14, three rapes and one act of gross indecency with a child under 14.

He was sentenced to 22 years in prison and a further five years on licence at the same court on Friday, May 14. He will have to serve at least 14 years before he is considered for parole.

Detective Chief Inspector Darren De'ath, of Derbyshire police's Public Protect Unit, said: "The victims in these cases, one of whom is still a child, should be praised for their strength and bravery in coming forward.

"Yeomans is clearly a very dangerous man and by speaking to officers, they have potentially safeguarded other children."

Detective Constable Paula Wilson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said the "manipulative sexual predator" was caught out after decades of abuse by sending a picture of himself to one of his victims.

"By doing this he unwittingly set in place a chain of events that have quite rightly culminated in a very lengthy custodial sentence," she said.

"The picture he sent to the victim proved to be catalyst for three separate victims to come forward independently with very detailed allegations of abuse – much of which happened a very long time ago.

"Their bravery and determination was absolutely crucial to the success of this prosecution and I am delighted that they have now received justice.

"I would also like to pay tribute to the professionalism and good practice displayed by staff at the latest victim's school, who followed safeguarding procedures to the letter and allowed us to gather very compelling evidence at an early stage.

"Taking into account Yeoman's pattern of behaviour over a very long period of time, I have no doubt that his campaign of abuse would have continued had he not been exposed and convicted for his appalling crimes.

"To any other victims of historic sexual assault I would like to say this – it is never too later to come forward.

"Regardless of how long ago things happened we will listen to you, we will investigate and we will do our very best to get justice for you."

Description

A rapist who targeted a teenage girl from Derbyshire has been jailed for 14 years.

Derby Crown Court heard how Anthony Langham befriended the victim before grooming and sexually attacking her.

The 56-year-old kissed, sexually assaulted and then finally raped the terrified girl, who finally plucked up the courage to disclose what happened to her years later.

The girl, now in her 20s, had to give evidence in court as her made her re-live her ordeal by pleading not guilty.

In a victim impact statement, read to the court by prosecutor Robert Underwood, the woman said: "Every day I ask myself 'why me?' and 'will he do it again?'

"That is why I came forward so he will not be able to do to anyone what he did to me.

"It has affected every aspect of my life.

"I cannot get a job because I cannot trust men, I feel very angry at everything and everyone."

The trial heard how the grooming began in the Ilkeston area.

Langham, a father and grandfather of Pasture Road, Stapleford, Nottingham, got to know the girl, gaining her trust and then cruelly abusing it to sexually assault her.

Jailing him, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: "She was under the age of 16 when you carried this out and she had to come to court and give evidence which she found very traumatic.

"She started smoking and you saw that as a opportunity to supply her with cigarettes and groom her.

"During that time you made her life an absolutely misery, she had no-one to turn to and no-one to tell.

"That's because you said to her 'you can't tell anyone or we will both get into trouble'.

"It was only later in life that she built up the courage to tell anyone what took place."

Langham was found guilty of 10 offences by a jury.

They were rape, attempted rape, a number of counts of sexual assault and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Michael Stradling, mitigating, said his client has three grown-up children and eight grandchildren.

He said: "His ex-wife is in court and thinks enough of him to come and support him.

"The defendant has COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and has been on oxygen for the past two years and is also on anti-depressants having suffered from depression for a number of years.

"He has a supportive family and he would like there to be some light at the end of the tunnel for him when he is finally released from what will be a lengthy custodial sentence."

Langham will serve a minimum of two-thirds of his sentence behind bars before being eligible to apply for parole and released on licence.

He will be on the Sex Offender Register for life.

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A man has been jailed for three years and six months after pleading guilty to 14 sexual offence charges.

Thomas Inglis, 23, from Portland Road in Hucknall was sentenced on Wednesday, December 4 at Nottingham Crown Court.

He has been ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for life and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

He was arrested on October 10 by officers from the public protection department.

Officers from the neighbourhood search unit seized a number of items including a written note, an iPhone and a laptop.

The charges were:

• Attempting to arrange / facilitate the commission of a child sex offence (1 count)
• Distributing an indecent photograph of a child (3 counts)
• Attempting to cause / incite a boy to engage in sexual activity (1 count)
• Attempting to cause / incite a girl to engage in sexual activity (1 count)
• Attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity (3 counts)
• Making indecent images (3 counts)
• Possession of prohibited images (1 count)
• Possession of extreme images (1 count)

Description

A teacher ended his career in disgrace after being caught with 117 child porn videos and over 20,000 photos.

James Cullen's downfall was revealed in court where he admitted taking the material off the internet over three years at his home in Lewis Crescent, Annesley.

Using a hearing loop to help follow the case, he was sent to prison for ten months after admitting downloading indecent images. City magistrates imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order to stop a repeat.

When he initially faced court, a deputy district judge said "although he was a teacher at the time, this was not committed as part of that employment".

Daniel Pietryka, prosecuting, told Nottingham Magistrates' Court the downloads were dated between January 2014 and December 2017.

Police officers seized electrical equipment and found 12 videos in Category B, the second level of seriousness .

They then discovered 95 videos from the third level and 20,182 still photographs.

Mr Pietryka told the court: "He initially denied the matters in question, blaming the internet.

"He said he made local searches for nudists and naturalists and these images would appear. He accepted downloading images for his sexual gratification."

Sean Conway, mitigating, urged the magistrates to follow a recommendation from a probation officer, which would have seen the 55-year-old attend a course to prevent further offences.

"The offences were caused by literally 12 links, clicking 12 times and accessing a large number. That is what happened.

"I am not for a second trying to minimise it but that is the truth. He accepts he has done wrong," said Mr Conway.

He resigned from his teaching job before action was taken against him. He also accepted the General Teaching Council would "strike him from the register".

Since then, Cullen has paid for training as an HGV driver and is now doing that job.

"There is a level of remorse and a willingness to get to the root cause and find why he finds himself before the court.

"There is a massive taboo to things like this and I don't seek to minimise that taboo," said Mr Conway who pointed out Cullen had never been in trouble before.

He is currently having hospital treatment and is due to have stitches removed after surgery.

Mr Conway urged the magistrates not to impose "the ultimate sanction" of prison so Cullen can keep working.

After being jailed, an appeal was launched against the sentence and this will be heard at the crown court by a judge and two magistrates. A bail application was made for Cullen while awaiting this hearing.

But it was rejected by magistrate Peter Dexter, who sat with a colleague.

"We have considered this carefully and bail will be refused due to the seriousness of the offending," said Mr Dexter. The case was initially adjourned to await a report from a probation officer.

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A man who was jailed for trying to meet schoolgirl Kayleigh Haywood for sex in the days before she was raped and murdered will be freed after top judges reduce his sentence.

Bruce John Cordwell, of Raleigh Street in Nottingham, was locked up for 43 months at Chester Crown Court in February.

He admitted trying to arrange the commission of a child sexual act.

But his case reached London's Appeal Court today as he successfully challenged his sentence - which was cut to just 12 months.

Given automatic deductions, the court heard Cordwell has now "served his sentence" and is due for immediate release.

20-year-old Cordwell, sent 15-year-old Kayleigh a series of sexually explicit texts just days before she was raped and murdered by 29-year-old Stephen Beadman.

Her body was found dumped near a lake in Ibstock in Leicestershire.

The discovery came five days after Kayleigh, who was from Measham, was last seen getting off a bus near Ibstock Community College.

Beadman was last year handed a life sentence after he admitted the teenager's murder.

An accomplice, 28-year-old Luke Harlow who initially made contact with Kayleigh, was jailed for 12 years for grooming and falsely imprisoning her.

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Adam Rocky Beniston was prohibited from being near girls under 16 after he was jailed in 2012 for having relationships with two 14-year-olds. Released on licence after serving half of his sentence, the 30-year-old joined Starbox Gym in Stanton Hill, but, following a tip-off to police, was arrested last month for breaching the order.

Nottingham Crown Court yesterday heard how Beniston had not told anyone at the gym of his past and there were regularly children on the premises.

He did not attempt to speak with any young people, but the court was told his work-out sessions as a professional kickboxer often attracted a crowd, some of which were children.

He had even offered to take classes, although there was no indication he wanted to work with children.

Steven Taylor, prosecuting, said: It was quite clear he was going to place himself in situations where he would come in to contact with young people. He wanted to play a significant role in the club.

William Bennett, mitigating, said: He accepts its a breach of the order, and it was his responsibility. He only has himself to blame, he accepts that.

He said Beniston had been living with his grandfather and had joined the gym to get rid of stress.

Mr Bennett said Beniston also wanted to apologise to the owner because of the embarrassment he had caused.

Beniston, who previously lived in Mansfield and Mablethorpe, but gave his most recent address as Haddon Street in Sutton, had been jailed at Lincoln Crown Court in October 2012 after admitting relationships with two 14-year-old girls.

He befriended one in 2010, before making advances towards her. He went on to have sex with her on as many as 30 occasions.

He was arrested after tip-off but he initially claimed the allegations were fantasy.

Soon after he started a relationship with another girl, but she turned on him when she found out about the relationship with the first teenager.

The judge at Lincoln Crown Court said he had wrecked lives to satisfy his lust.

Along with a five-year sentence, he was placed on the sex offenders register for life and given the sexual offences prevention order, which prevented him from working or engaging with any activity with girls under 16 unless they are accompanied by an adult who know of his criminal past.

He admitted breaching that order.

Sentencing him yesterday, Judge Michael Stokes QC, said: You have convictions for very serious sexual offences and you were sent to jail for five years, which is an indication of how serious it is.

When you were released on licence it was important you were transparent about the order. You were not transparent. He jailed him for eight months to run concurrent with his existing jail sentence from 2012.

It is understood he will serve at least another six months, but it is possible he will be forced to serve the remainder of the five years, meaning he may not be released until October 2017.

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Updates:

• December 2017: Has now been released
• July 2017: Now using the name ‘Nicola Cherrett’ – Currently held at HMP Foton Hall.

One teenage boy told of his three-year ordeal at the hands of a predator named Nicola Ward.

The lad, now 16, said: “She was funny and intelligent. She used all these posh words and came across as really well spoken.

“But she’d switch after she had a drink or took drugs. She became a different person.”

The school leaver said the abuse began when he was 12. Ward plied him with cocaine and then performed a sex act.

It was the start of a campaign in which she would corner the lad and coerce him into sex acts.

Ward, 34, of Worksop, Notts, was arrested last April after the lad’s father became suspicious.

She was jailed for eight years by Nottingham Crown Court after admitting sexual activity with a child and supplying drugs.

Ward, jailed in January, was sent to Peterborough Prison — making her one of an estimated 100 female child abusers behind bars.

She was moved to a low-security psychiatric unit in July.

Her victim is still having therapy to help him come to terms with the attacks.

He said: “I never thought a woman was capable of something like this.

“It’s ruined my trust in everyone. It’s made me fearful of women.

“But she’s in the gutter where she belongs and I won’t let her ruin my life.”

• Ward has a SOPO indefinitely with two restrictions
• Not to live in a family with a child under 18 No unsupervised contact with a child under 16
• Is banned from Nottinghamshire by way of a court order obtained September 2016
• Banned from Nottinghamshire by way of MAPPA

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A teenage sexual predator has been ordered to be detained indefinitely after carrying out a serious sex assault on a lone jogger at night in Worksop. The 17-year-old, who can now be named as Jonjo Elswaino, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to a serious sexual assault charge and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. On Wednesday 23rd October, Nottingham Crown Court heard how a woman at a house where Elswaino was staying described him as a sexual predator. There was stunned silence in the courtroom as it was also said that Elswaino would have killed his victim if he had not been disturbed. The 52-year-old female, who cannot be named, suffered a broken jaw, which meant she had to have metal plates fitted, a fracture to her right eye socket, a broken nose and excessive bruising to her neck where Elswaino had strangled her and she also lost some teeth. After the attack, which occurred at around 8.30pm in Eddison Park Avenue on 1st April 2014, she flagged down a passing car and said: Im alive, Im alive, thank god Im alive. Elswaino, whose mother was in court, sat in the dock with his head bowed for most of the proceedings, wearing a white shirt and black trousers. Prosecuting, Dawn Pritchard, said: The victim was out jogging that evening, she said that she did feel very well and went out to get some fresh air. She was wearing her jogging clothes, including jogging bottoms and trainers and she was out just doing her usual circuits. She heard fast footsteps behind her but didnt look behind her because she just thought it was another jogger. Two hands came from behind and locked around her and she said she knew something was wrong. She tried to scream for help but he punched her and dragged her down a grass verge into some trees by her ankles. She tried to look who it was. He kept punching and kicking her. He started to strangle her and she drifted in and out of consciousness. When she came back around, she thought it was a nightmare and he said if you start shouting I will kill you and continued to beat her up. When she regained consciousness again, she said she thought her trouser bottoms had been pulled up and he was gone. She then managed to scramble back up the grass bank and flag down a motorist who said she was shaking, had suffered serious facial injuries and could hardly speak. The court heard that the woman used a key to scratch his face during the attack and she spent a number of weeks in three different hospitals. The attack was so brutal that Elswainos laces and eyelets from his trainers were imprinted on her face. Judge Michael Pert QC said the blows to the face were like a footballers kick. The judge was also shown photos of the victim before and after the attack in which he said it was hard to believe it was the same person. In mitigation, Michael Auty QC, told the court that Elswaino had had a troubled upbringing and had the reading age of a 10-year-old. He also added it was important to take into account two factors when sentencing Elswaino - his guilty plea and his age. He is 17. But he is functioning at a level below that, Mr Auty said. It takes a real degree of courage to plead guilty at the first arraignment. There is nothing like this in his past where he has gone out and vented his frustrations. He does not have a mental illness but almost certainly has a personality disorder. On sentencing Elswaino, judge Pert said it was a truly horrific crime and said that it was premeditated and that he believed his version of events to be lies. Elswaino was given an indeterminate sentence meaning he will only be released when he is considered not to be a threat to the general public. He will not be eligible to be considered for parole until at least 2018. He will also be on the sex offenders register for life.

Description

A paedophile who carried out a life-threatening sexual assault on a toddler after social services failed to conduct background checks has been jailed for seventeen and a half years.

Christopher Atkins remained impassive in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court as the city's most senior judge described the 32-year-old's offending as being "almost beyond comprehension".

Atkins, from Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire, committed the "wicked and vile" sex attack two years ago after lying to social services about his personal life.

After Atkins was found guilty of sexual assault in July, it emerged that he was already known to the authorities before the offence, having been suspected of abusing another child in the Manchester area.

Sentencing Atkins, the Recorder of Nottingham, Michael Stokes QC, told him: "The child in this case was a vulnerable, innocent little girl when you committed an offence of unspeakable cruelty and perversion, an offence which all right-minded people would regard as repellent.

"You are in my judgment a predatory and sadistic paedophile and unless whatever issues you have are addressed you will present a serious risk of causing harm to other children.

"How any human being could do this to a little girl is almost beyond comprehension, but the fact is you did.

"I have no doubt that you would have been content for the grievously injured child to go without medical attention of any kind."

Atkins, whose offences will now be the subject of a serious case review, was sentenced to 16 years for sexual assault and a consecutive 18-month term for child cruelty.

Atkins, formerly of Westway, Cotgrave, was told he must serve half his sentence before being released on licence.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was treated for severe internal injuries after being taken to hospital, where medical staff also found 18 bruises on her face and scalding to her back.

Detective Inspector Yvonne Dales, of Nottinghamshire's Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: "Christopher Atkins was a sadistic and controlling individual who put a defenceless child through untold pain and suffering.

"I hope this sentence sends out a message to people who commit offences against children - we will do everything we can to make sure they are brought to justice."