Latest Offenders Portsmouth

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An 18-year-old man has been jailed for nine years for raping a woman he approached in a city centre.

Abdelarahman Saleh Adam was found guilty of attacking the 19-year-old victim in Portsmouth in the early hours of 20 September last year.

Police said Adam was one of two men who followed the woman after approaching her in Lake Road. Adam then raped the victim in Turner Road at 00:30 BST.

He was told he must serve at least two thirds of his sentence in custody.

Adam, of Gathorne Road, Wood Green, London, will also be placed on the sex offenders register.

Hampshire Constabulary said the judge Robert Bright QC had praised the victim for her courage during the trial.

Seven other people were arrested during the investigation - all were released without charge.

Portsmouth Chief Inspector Robert Mitchell said: "Stranger assaults of this nature are rare, and I hope the community feels reassured that when we receive these sorts of allegations, we will take them seriously and do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice."

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A Portsmouth man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually abusing a child and being found in possession of thousands of indecent images.

Stephen Newell, 48, of St Mary's Road, London, came to officers' attention as a Portsmouth resident when an online account linked to him uploaded an indecent image of a child to the internet earlier this year.

Our Internet Child Abuse Team subsequently carried out an investigation, which led to the seizure of a number of devices, including a laptop and mobile phones that had inappropriate content on them.

Our investigation revealed that Newell had also sexually abused a boy under the age of 13.

Newell was arrested in February this year and subsequently charged with two counts of taking indecent photographs of a child, one count of making indecent photographs of children, three counts of distributing/showing indecent photographs/indecent pseudo-photographs of a child/children, one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, two counts of assault of a child under 13 by penetration and three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.

He pleaded guilty to all charges and appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Friday 16 July) where he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Officer in charge of the case, DC Stephen Hill said: "The sexual abuse of children causes unfathomable damage, and I hope that this sentence provides some justice for the victim, who will continue to receive support from partner services.

"We take all reports of sexual assault extremely seriously, and will do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.

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The survivors of a horrific cycle of non-recent child sex abuse bravely confronted their abuser in court today (Wednesday 30 June), where he was branded a 'conniving and exploitative serial paedophile'. Mark Burgess, aged 68 years, of St Chads Avenue in Hilsea, was handed a 40 year sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court today after he was convicted of abusing children over a period of nearly four decades. He will serve a minimum of 21 years in jail before being considered for parole. Following an investigation by Hampshire Constabulary's Operation Marmion team, Burgess was charged with a raft of offences relating to 13 children, all of whom were under the age of 16 during his time as a choirmaster for the All Saints church choir in Portsmouth, and Westbourne Choir in Sussex between 1975 and 2009. On 28 May this year, following a lengthy trial, he was convicted of the following offences:

• 26 counts of indecent assault
• 15 counts of gross indecency with a child
• 4 counts of buggery
• 1 count of attempted indecent assault
• 2 counts of sexual activity with a child

During the trial, which began on 15 March, Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Burgess had previously been a music teacher as well as a choir master, vocations which had brought him into contact with children time and again. Burgess had taught at Portsmouth City Boys' School and also ran choirs in St John's church in Westbourne, Sussex, and All Saints church in Commercial Road in Portsmouth. The court heard that, over the years, his attention became 'fixed' on a series of children. Burgess then took advantage of his positions in the school and choir settings in order to get closer to these children and draw them, and sometimes their families, into his trust. These children were then sexually abused by Burgess, with assaults taking place during piano lessons at Burgess's home address or in the church vestry, in Burgess's car, on choir trips out of county, and in the school music room. After decades of keeping this a secret, the children – all now adults – found the confidence to report this abuse to the police. In emotive statements read out in court, the survivors told of the damage Burgess had inflicted on so many lives, with one describing his abuser as a 'festering, rancid boil'. Others spoke of how Burgess manipulated, groomed, charmed and bribed his way into their lives for his own sexual pleasure, and labelled him abhorrent, deplorable, calculating and despicable. One survivor, now an adult woman, told how the abuse at Burgess's hands had affected her passion for music. In a statement, she said: "This person helped me use my voice to make beautiful music, but I would become too ashamed to ever use it again." Another, who was abused at the age of 13, told the court: "You took a bright, naïve, funny, energetic child and you destroyed all of that in the most cynical and vile way." Speaking of finding his voice after all these years, he continued: "It has been a very difficult process, but I take courage and strength from the survivors here, and the love and support of my family." Passing sentence, His Honour Judge William Ashworth commended the survivors in this case for coming forward, and commented on the 'dignity, restraint and stunning openness' in which they spoke about their experiences. Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Adam Edwards said: "Burgess made a choice to exploit his position and manipulate certain scenarios that would give him the opportunity to carry out these heinous and evil acts. "These were young children, and he deliberately preyed on their naivety for his own sordid agenda. "He is now behind bars, where he belongs, for a very long time. "The survivors in this case have shown an incredible amount of bravery and strength throughout this entire process, which has ensured that the cowardly man who sat in the dock can't hurt another person again. "Their courage is to be commended. I am pleased that justice has now been served and these brave individuals have had their voices heard after years of keeping this abuse secret." An NSPCC spokesperson said: "Burgess brutally abused his position of trust at the cruel expense of his victims' wellbeing. "This case shows that perpetrators of child abuse can be brought to justice, no matter how long ago or who they are, and we hope that this sentencing allows the survivors to move on with their lives." Operation Marmion is Hampshire Constabulary's dedicated team who tackle non-recent child sex abuse perpetrated within an institution or by a person of prominence.

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A RUTHLESS paedophile who raped a girl and subjected her to other sexual assaults has been locked away for 11 years. Fratton predator Daniel Cross, 22, left the girl psychologically damaged after taking gross advantage of her. Cross, of Samuel Road, was jailed at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday. The child-groomer was locked up for a string of offences against a girl aged under the age of 13. These included rape, attempted rape, two counts of sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sex, and possessing three indecent category C images of the girl. In the victims statement read out to court, the girl said she now struggled with every day life. The girl said the episode had a severe impact on her schooling and personal life as she became withdrawn. She said: I find it really hard to trust anyone now. It makes me wonder if people are telling the truth and mean what they say. This has made making new friendships and relationships really hard. Im anxious around men now. If I find myself alone with a man I find myself trying to get out of the situation. It makes me feel unsafe. The victims mum said she had been left struggling to cope after the bombshell discovery of what Cross had done to her daughter. What he did haunts me to this day, she said. It has had a catastrophic effect on my health both physically and mentally. I feel like its affecting every aspect of my life. It has been truly devastating. I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions with shock the first emotion, which was crippling. I was unable to function. I did not know how to be a mum any more...and this was one thing I had always considered to be natural at. The mum went on to say she was consumed by harrowing guilt after failing her daughter. I knew I could never give her innocence back. My baby girl had been broken and I didnt know how to fix her, she said. She added: I do not think I will ever be able to get over this. I really need the closure of justice. Judge Timothy Mousley QC then served up justice on Cross who he called a groomer and someone who had limited insight into his offending which had caused serious psychological harm on the girl. You took gross advantage of her, he said. After being dumped behind bars for 11 years - which Cross will have to serve at least two-thirds of - the defendant was also told he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the rest of his life. He will also have to maintain in regular contact with police when he is released back into society.

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A PROLIFIC sexual offender travelled across the country from Hampshire in the hope of grooming what he thought was a 13-year-old girl, only to find out he had been stung by a vigilante group.

David Hodges made contact with what he thought was a youngster on Chat Avenue using the username Hubblebubble99, a court heard.

The decoy, from the group Confronted and Caught, made clear she was 13.

Hodges told the account she made him feel "tingly" and she said she "doesn't know how to kiss and has no experience."

Hodges proceeded to say he thought about touching her on her breasts and between her legs.

He went on to send her pictures of his genitals and videos of him engaged in sexual activity.

In one of the pictures sent a letter could be seen which revealed his identity and his address in Portsmouth.

He went on to arrange a visit to Oldham last month when he was told the girl's father was working a night shift.

While there he was stung by the vigilantes and reported to the police.

He was found to have two mobile phones, which he was banned from having without permission from previous sexual harm prevention orders.

When taken to Ashton Police Station he made a full confession and admitted having a sexual interest in children.

He appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court to be sentenced for sexual communication with a child, grooming and two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Peter Malone revealed his previous convictions for sexual offences.

He said: "At Portsmouth Crown Court in July 2017 he was convicted of possession of indecent images of children, extreme pornography and prohibited images of children.

"In Cardiff Crown Court in May 2018 he admitted attempting to meet a girl under 16 following sexual grooming."

He said he was jailed for more than two years for the second offence.

Representing the 57-year-old, defence counsel William Donnelly said his client was realistic in accepting a jail sentence was inevitable.

He read from a letter which Hodges had written to the judge, in which he said: "I am here for the abhorrent thoughts and actions that I have.

"I do want help, I can't continue like this.

"I do not see myself as the victim, other people are the victims, I apologise to them."

Imposing a sentence, judge Sophie McKone said his intentions were obvious.

She said: "You are determined to have sexual activity with a child.

"Your attempts have been thwarted until now.

"It seems no court order or prison sentence can deter you from your ultimate goal to have sexual activity with a real child."

She jailed him for 40 months, but also ruled that after his release he must be subject to an extended period of licence for two years.

Hodges, whose address was given as Western Parade in Swansea, was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

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Muhib Uddin attacked and raped a 19-year-old woman in an alleyway off of Clarendon Road in Southsea at around 10pm on Saturday, August 29, 2020. The victim did not know her attacker.

The 31-year-old, of Newcomen Road, was jailed for six years at Portsmouth Crown Court on Wednesday (January 13) after pleading guilty to rape when he appeared at the same court in November.

In a statement, senior investigating officer, detective inspector Emma Crute commended the victim for her bravery in coming forward and reporting what had happened.

She said: "We are pleased that the victim has found justice now that Uddin is behind bars.

"I hope the outcome of this case reassures members of the public that we take allegations of this type of offence extremely seriously, and will do everything in our power to bring offenders before the courts.

"This has understandably been a traumatic time for the victim who has been supported by specialist officers at every stage of our investigation. I would like to commend her for her bravery and courage in coming forward and reporting what happened. I hope that today's sentence will give her some closure and help her to begin moving forward in her life."

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Portsmouth chief inspector Robert Mitchell, of Hampshire Constabulary, added: "The officers involved in this case have worked extremely hard to bring the investigation to the point we have reached today. I would like to thank them for their dedication to securing this outcome for the victim.

"Stranger assaults of this nature are rare, and I hope the community feels reassured that when we receive these sorts of allegations, we will take them seriously and do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.

"We work very hard in Portsmouth to tackle sexual offences in partnership with organisations that support survivors. We want you to have the confidence to come forward and talk to us if something has happened to you, or somebody you know."

Police have encouraged anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101, and speak with an officer in confidence.

We encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 and speak with an officer in confidence. To find out more about the support available to victims of sexual offences, follow the link here.

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Anthony Stallard, 30, of Alverstone Road, Southsea, admitted assault by beating in Fareham on June 28.

Portsmouth magistrates jailed him for eight weeks.

He must pay a £128 victim surcharge, a statutory requirement courts must impose.

Magistrates declined to impose any compensation.

He admitted failing to surrender to court from bail but received no separate penalty.

His guilty plea to the assault was taken into account when he was sentenced at court.

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Larry White, 55, now of Canal Walk, Portsmouth, was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday for numerous sexual assaults including rapes on the girl who was then aged between 14 and 16.

The victim revealed she 'could not have asked for a better outcome' after White was jailed.

Det Con Leigh Rankin of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said: 'White came to know this young girl and took advantage of her vulnerability to sexually abuse her for his own gratification for two years.

'Eventually she felt strong enough to confront him and to tell us. We immediately took action, arresting White and carrying out a thorough investigation which established the full and appalling nature of his offending.

'His victim has given full support to the investigation and bravely gave her evidence in court.

'This case shows once again that we will resolutely investigate all such reports, support the victims and seek justice for them wherever possible.'

The victim said: 'I couldn't have asked for a better outcome. It took a long time to achieve this result but I'd do it all again without a second thought. This man was well practised in what he did and there is no doubt in my mind that there were victims before me.

'I hope upon reading this article, said victims can muster up the courage to tell their story or at least take comfort in the fact that Larry White is in prison paying for his crimes.'

White will be a registered sex offender indefinitely and was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order severely restricting his contact with children, to last until further court order.

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Brian Hemborough 'systematically' searched for the abuse images, claiming he used them as a perverted 'safety net' to stop himself abusing children.

Hemborough was already being monitored by police - following convictions in 1989, 2004, 2013 and 2016 - when his devices were seized and checked.

So many images and videos were uncovered that police just took a sample of 15,000 from the 55-year-old's devices.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard some children were in 'discernible pain' in the images, and were as young as two.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said the defendant twice lied to police claiming he had no internet-enabled devices, telling officers in December 2018 'he was hoping he would get something' like that for Christmas.

The socially-distanced public gallery containing two people erupted as judge Roger Hetherington jailed Hemborough with cries of 'he's ruined people's lives'.

One man shouted '12 months?' as judge Hethering jailed the defendant for 32 months.

Hemborough admitted eight charges of making indecent images, two breaches of a sexual offences prevention order and three charges of possession of indecent images.

He was secretly viewing the images between December 2015 and January this year.

Jailing him, the judge said: 'When the police attended your premises earlier this year it was found that you had a number of devices which on analysis were found to contain a very large quantity of indecent images at all levels and including moving images - on the basis of the sample taken, a little under 15,000.'

The judge said Hemborough had a 'very significant record of previous convictions including various contact offences' in 1989 when he was jailed for 10 years.

Detailing probation's findings, the judge added: 'You at times sought to justify what you did, to minimise the reality that you plainly harbour supportive beliefs in the area of child abuse and you have a high degree of preoccupation (in children) - all those are very troubling matters.'

He added: 'You told the police that you have used indecent images as what was termed by you as a safety net to prevent yourself committing contact offences.'

Hemborough must sign the sex offenders' register for life, and is subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Philip Allman, mitigating, said his client was 'willing to address his issues' and added: 'He has gone to great efforts to learn about his desires and how to combat them.'

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Portsmouth Crown Court heard that Mark Blackwell, 69, preyed on the children - aged about 10 - for seven years in the 1990s.

When Blackwell was arrested in mid-January in 2018 police seized his devices and found the videos still in existence.

He was already on the sex offenders' register and under an order restricting his internet access after admitting 24 charges relating to indecent images in 2011.

When officers went back to his home on January 31 - around two weeks after his arrest - they found a perverted search terms and an image of a naked child with cartoon face on a new laptop.

Richard Onslow, mitigating, said Blackwell claimed to have 'strayed off the path'.

But judge Timothy Mousley QC did not brush off the crimes as easily as the defendant had tried to portray them.

Jailing Blackwell for four years and four months, he said: 'You are a man with a number of previous convictions for this kind of behaviour and the images have been retained for a long period.'

Nicola Hadley, prosecuting, said: 'They were asked to go out into the woods, videoed in provocative poses and sometimes with clothes on, sometimes with clothes off.'

The woods were in Hampshire. Some 76 indecent images also featured close ups of a girl's genitalia and body, the court heard.

Blackwell, who uses a wheelchair and is in 'deteriorating health', was cleared of charges accusing him of assaulting the two girls. He denied taking the images.

The prosecutor added Blackwell had been fined in 1972 after being convicted of assaulting a girl under 14.

Mr Onslow said Blackwell insisted he had 'taken the images without any sexual intent'.

Blackwell must sign the sex offenders' register for life. A sexual harm prevention order restricts his internet use for life. He was convicted of six indecent image charges.

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Mark Fox-Mulder was brought to justice when the man he raped as a 13-year-old boy found an article in The News online about the defendants 2012 conviction for indecently assaulting another teenager.

The predatory paedophile was jailed at Portsmouth Crown Court where his victim gave evidence at a trial last year.

Fox-Mulder previously changed his name from Mark Palmer as he is a fan of the sci-fi TV series The X-Files starring David Duchovny as Fox Mulder.

Jailing Fox-Mulder, judge Timothy Mousley QC said the defendant had increased the abuse against the groomed boy bit by bit.

Judge Mousley said (He) was quite understandably too scared to tell the police.

It could not have been expected of him that he would do so, and he tried to forget about what happened as many people to do who have been abused in the way that he was.

Addressing the defendant, he added: For many years (he) felt unable to report what you had done. He began an email search for you.

Then, by chance, he came across a report in the Portsmouth Evening News about what you had done to another young boy in (the 1990s).

Coming across that report, (he felt) that was a solid basis arising from the fact that someone else had accused you of a similar sort of behaviour and you had been convicted. It seemed that gave (him) the confidence to report matters.

Sick Fox-Mulder raped the teenager in marshland near the bridge at Hayling Island and even told the boy: I want to make love to you.

He repeatedly abused and raped teenage boy after grooming him by plying him with alcohol, cannabis and cigarettes at his flat in the Waterlooville area more than a decade ago.

Prosecutor Simon Jones said: These were deliberate actions designed to get and ultimately take sexual advantage of (the victim) when he was young and vulnerable.

In a statement read by Mr Jones, the victim who is now in his late 20s, said the abuse saw him develop a now overcome drug problem and he still suffers from depression and anxiety.

It still haunts me to this day, the victim said. He found the News article four years after it was published.

Mr Jones said Fox-Mulder carried out routine sexual abuse of the boy.

Investigating officer, Acting Detective Sergeant Jamie Palmer, said: Im pleased that the victim has got justice.

The defendant, of St Barbara Way, Gatcombe Park, in Hilsea, was convicted of three charges of rape covering multiple incidents, and four charges of sexual activity with a child. He denied all charges.

He must sign the sex offenders register for life. A sexual harm prevention order imposed for life restricts his contact with children.

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Twisted Darren Callaghan, 48, Southsea in Portsmouth, laced his date's drink before claiming she had taken the drugs of her own accord causing her to turn into "like something out of the Exorcist"

A rapist who spiked his victim's drink with ecstasy and blamed her injuries on a 'demon' has been handed a 16 year extended prison sentence.

Darren Callaghan, 48, claimed his victim had became "sex-crazed" after taking MDMA.

And the monster claimed it caused her to act "like something out of the Exorcist."

When she woke semi-naked in the morning, with 80 injuries all over her body, he tried to bizarrely convince her they were caused by supernatural activity.

But a court was told "this was nothing to do with ghosts" and Callaghan had laced her drink with drugs before raping her.

Callaghan was found guilty of rape, administering a noxious substance with intent to stupefy, and assault after a trial at Warwick Crown Court in October.

On Tuesday, he was a given a 16-year extended prison sentence and will only be freed if the Parole Board considers it safe to do so.

Callaghan will then be on licence for any period that remains of his sentence and for a further five years as well as having to register as a sex offender for life.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC said the case was one of "the most appalling pieces of violence associated with rape that the court has witnessed in many years."

He told Callaghan: "Your actions have as good as ruined her life.

"You met her on a dating website. You brought drugs with you and were keen to give them to her.

"It was a powerful form of MDMA, and you well knew it would have a massive impact on someone not used to taking it.

"You gave her such drugs with a view that she would be incapacitated.

"This was to be sex for your own perverse and twisted desire, and sex where you could beat and abuse her.

"You said she had had a seizure and that her home was possessed. This was a cruel aspect of your behaviour.

"You showed yourself to be a dangerous and manipulative man."

Throughout the hearing Callaghan, of Southsea, Hants., interrupted the judge by loudly proclaiming his innocence.

Kim Preston, defending, said: "He feels passionately and indignantly about his version of events.

"He had a distortion in his mind about whether she was able to consent during the intercourse which took place.

"This defendant did not set out that night to go to her home and assault and rape her."

But Judge Lockhart QC added: "That may be your assessment. You must be mindful that my assessment is different, and the jury's finding is very different."

The court had heard Callaghan drove 140 miles from the south coast to meet the woman in Rugby, Warks., for a date after they met on the internet.

Prosecutor Adrian Fleming said "Darren Callaghan, while out with someone he had met over the internet, spiked her drink with MDMA, or ecstasy.

"He put it in her drink without her knowledge and, having done that, he assaulted her causing a number of injuries, and he raped her while she was in a state partly brought about by the administering of the drug.

"The combination of the spiked drink and the large amount of alcohol she had had to drink left her incapable of consenting to sex."

He explained that Callaghan had met the woman through a dating app.

During their online chats they talked about sex and he even sent her an intimate picture of himself.

Mr Fleming said: "They got on so well that an arrangement was made for him to travel up to Rugby for a face-to-face meeting."

She said he became "a little boisterous" and got physical when he arrived at her house, trying to pull her trousers down, until she told him to stop.

The pair then visited various pubs in Rugby, where she had five or more glasses of wine before they got a taxi back to her house.

When they got back she recalled Callaghan making them both a Jack Daniels and Coke, despite her feeling "pretty drunk".

Mr Fleming added "She thought her drink tasted a bit funny, and soon after she began to feel unwell and had some sort of seizure.

"She recalls falling down and her memories after that are vague. It's the Crown's case that he had put MDMA in her drink. She is very clear she did not take it knowingly.

"Although the defendant has admitted giving her a small amount of MDMA, he says it was at her request.

"The next thing she recalls is waking late the following morning, naked apart from her bra, and Callaghan lying next to her, naked.

"She was aware she had injuries all over her body, and she asked if he had punched her in the face.

"He said no, and that she was possessed and that there was a demon in her house.

"But it's the Crown's case that this ghost had nothing to do with what happened.

"She says Callaghan appeared to be trying to blame her injuries on the supernatural.

"The inescapable fact is that somehow she got very real injuries all over her body. This was nothing to do with ghosts.

"She has no recollection of having sex with him whatsoever. If she was incapable, any sex he had with her was rape."

After the case, Detective Inspector Cindy Stephenson, of Warwickshire Police, said: "This was a horrific crime that has had a profound impact on the victim.

"While I am sure she will never fully get over what Callaghan did, I hope she can take some comfort from this verdict and start to move on with her life."

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Garry Byrne lay in bed in the room he lodged in at a married couple's home swapping images with more than 400 people across the 32 groups - copying his favourites from his Samsung phone to two laptops.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard the 55-year-old loner confessed having a sickening sexual interest in children aged between six and 15 but had videos of a toddler boy of 18 months being abused.

When he was arrested at home Byrne, co-founder of GDC Waste Limited in Portsmouth, immediately admitted officers would find indecent images on his two laptops, phone and USB stick.

In all, he had 4,211 child abuse images - including 755 videos and 614 still images rated as category A, the most serious classification.

Prosecutor Sally Mertens said: 'On the phone there were 27,329 images which were ungraded but they have been flash reviewed (by police). The majority appear to have been of children and would fit into categories A, B and C.'

Ms Mertens revealed Byrne, who has since moved from his home in Langley Road, Fratton, has two convictions for attempting to incite gross indecency with a six-year-old boy in 2004.

Byrne sent 56 images on WhatsApp groups but the court heard they were received by multiple people meaning they were distributed more than 15,000 times.

Judge William Ashworth said: 'Each of these images represent a moment, a memory, for those children when they would have been in an environment with abusive adults - likely to be either away from the care of their parents or abused at the hands of their parents, and subjected to horrifying ordeals which will no doubt scar them forever.

'It's the trade in those images that perpetuates the need or perceived need for people to continue to abuse those children in this terrible manner behind closed doors.'

He added Byrne shared the abuse images to 'thousands and thousands' of people via WhatsApp groups. The charges showed he distributed 104,000 images.

Ms Mertens said: 'He admitted to having a sexual interest in young boys. He said that, despite his previous conviction of attempting to incite gross indecency with a child, he had never approached a child.'

Byrne claimed his watching abuse images was 'his release and that prevents him from offending against children,' Ms Mertens said.

Byrne, a chronic alcoholic who had drunk the equivalent of two bottles of vodka a day until recently, admitted three charges each of distributing and making indecent images of children between May 2017 and February 2018.

Daniel Reilly, mitigating, said Byrne was thrown out of his home at the age of 13 after telling his Irish Catholic father he was gay - leaving him staying with friends – and entered into prostitution once at 14 in London.

Byrne had halved his alcohol intake, sought counselling, seen a psychiatrist and was set to be welcomed to a counselling programme if he had not been jailed.

The defendant had searched 'why am I a paedophile?' on his phone, the court heard.

Byrne was jailed for three years and put on the sex offenders' register for life. A sexual harm prevention order was imposed for life.

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A TWISTED pervert who downloaded a ‘paedophile manual’ containing graphic instructions on how to abuse children, including babies, has been jailed.

Depraved paedophile Ross Clifford, of Toronto Road, Fratton, admitted downloading the manual onto a memory stick as well as thousands of indecent images of children – some showing toddlers as young as two – being abused.

Appearing via video link from Winchester prison, the 40-year-old, sat silently as his sickening list of offences was read out in Portsmouth Crown Court.

Sentencing, Judge David Melville QC said: ‘One cannot really have a more serious catalogue of offences before the court particularly bearing in mind you were before this court in the last part of 2017 for similar offences. 

‘You must know how the children who take part in these films are abused. If it wasn’t for the likes of you accessing this information those children would not have been abused. 

‘The pain and distress that they would have suffered is disgusting. It’s something that will probably be with them throughout their lives and it’s an appalling thought that that distress and upset will probably work its way out through their lives all because people like you want to view these images.’

After police raided Clifford's address on February 12 and seized computer equipment and mobile phones, examiners found 1,195 category A images – the most serious level, 786 category B and 3,001 category C. 

They also uncovered 221 category A moving images of children being sexually assaulted as well as 56 category B ones and 13 category C.

The 25-page paedophile manual was also found, which contained vile ‘diagrams’ of how to molest children.

Speaking of the most extreme images, Judge Melville said: ‘They are of the worst type. They show penetrative sexual activity with children as young as two years old.’

Clifford had previously been convicted of similar offences in 2017 and was sentenced to eight months in jail, suspended for two years.

For Clifford, Karen Walton said her client accepted his crimes but urged the court not to jail the 40-year-old and instead put him on a three-year community sentence and treatment programme.

She said: ‘He has accepted all of his behaviour and he has accepted he needs help.

‘I absolutely accept that is a hugely upsetting and most devastating offence for those young children. The difficulty with somebody who admits that kind of offence is that punishment doesn’t necessarily alleviate the risk when he is released.’

Judge Melville refused this and jailed Clifford for four years and three months. Clifford will serve half of this before being released on licence.

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An ex-British Army officer is facing jail after he spent thousands of pounds watching children being sexually abused live on the internet.

Andrew Whiddett, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, also discussed flying out to the Philippines - where the sickening videos were filmed - to commit abuse himself, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.

The 70-year-old ex-lieutenant colonel, who was awarded an MBE for service in Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty to six charges relating to the sexual abuse of children at Croydon Crown Court on Wednesday.

The NCA said his crimes were committed in the UK after he left the Army and finished private contractor work as head of security at the British Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

Following his guilty pleas, the NCA said Whiddett had directed the live-streamed abuse over Skype with "known Filipino child sex abuse facilitators".

Whiddett had conversations with a woman between September and October 2016, in which he made clear he "wanted to sexually abuse a child when he visited the Philippines that October", the NCA said.

Investigators were able to prove that he made 49 payments to the woman totalling £8,584 between January 2015 and July 2017.

On November 21, 2015, Whiddett paid £31.41 to watch a nine-year-old girl abused, the NCA said.

Travel records show Whiddett flew to the Philippines capital Manila on October 21, 2016, and other messages between Whiddett and abuse facilitators were also discovered by officers.

The NCA said it had passed intelligence to Filipino counterparts who made one arrest and safeguarded six children aged between three and 14.

After Whiddett was arrested in October 2017 at Heathrow Airport he admitted in interview to sending 158 payments to the Philippines but said these were for live adult sex shows.

He declined to answer questions in another interview in March 2018.

In court on Wednesday he admitted one charge of attempting to cause or incite a girl under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity in November 2015.

Whiddett also pleaded guilty to a charge of intentionally causing or inciting a girl under 16 to engage in sexual activity in September 2016.

Under a further charge he admitted that in September 2016 he intentionally arranged or facilitated the commission of a child sex offence.

He will also be sentenced over guilty pleas to three charges of making indecent photographs of a child, involving a total of eight category C and three category B images.

Following the guilty pleas Judge Nicholas Ainley warned Whiddett: "You should prepare yourself for a period of imprisonment."

Judge Ainley had issued a temporary order banning the publication of photos of the defendant because his lawyers claimed it would place him in "particular peril".

But legal representations from the press made in court on Thursday saw this restriction lifted by the judge, who admitted the order was made "in error".

Whiddett, who has no previous convictions and is on bail, will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on May 22.

NCA senior investigating officer Gary Fennelly said: "Andrew Whiddett was directly responsible for the soul-destroying abuse of children thousands of miles away from him.

"He thought he could get away with abusing Filipino children from the comfort of his own home.

"Anyone like him should realise the NCA and UK police will never give up our pursuit of offenders who commit these horrific crimes.

"The NCA does important work with international law enforcement partners in the Philippines to combat these sorts of crimes."

An NSPCC spokesman said: "Whiddett's actions have helped to fuel a sickening industry where children are horrifically abused to order.

The effects of sexual abuse can last a lifetime and we hope that the children involved are receiving support and safeguarding to get their lives back on track.

"The internet is used as a gateway to child abuse far too frequently. The NSPCC is campaigning for providers to take greater responsibility for what's shared on their platforms and cut off this vile material at source."