Latest Offenders Reading

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Officers from our specialist Child Criminal and Sexual Exploitation Team (CCSET) are welcoming the sentencing of a Thames Valley man to eight years and four months for child sexual offences.

Kwame Yeboah, 30, of Drake Way, Reading, pleaded guilty to the following offences on Wednesday 22 April and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today, Wednesday 24 June.

Three counts of Rape of a girl under 13;

One count of Sexual assault of a girl under 13.

The offences took place in Wirral in February, after Yeboah had initially messaged the victim online before arranging to travel to the area. As part of his conviction, Yeboah will serve a further one year on licence and be subject to a 15-year Restraining Order.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Roxana Tusa from CCSET said:

“Our investigation has proved that Yeboah is a dangerous sexual offender, who will now begin a significant jail sentence for his abhorrent crimes. After contacting his victim online, he groomed her, and then travelled to Merseyside in order to abuse her, admitting his guilt only when confronted with the case against him.

“We hope that the swift identification and prosecution of Yeboah does at least offer some comfort to the victim and her family moving forward. I want to thank them for their strength throughout our investigation. We do not underestimate how difficult it can be to report sexual offences, or how important it is that such despicable offenders are removed from the community. 

“Merseyside Police is completely committed to protecting children and young people from sexual abuse and from those who seek to do them harm.

“I would like to take this opportunity to stress that if you have experienced any form of sexual abuse, or know of a child being abused, then please come forward and report this to police or our partners.

“We take all such reports extremely seriously and have specially trained officers, who will treat you with sensitivity and compassion every step of the way.”

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Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has been sentenced for rape.  

Jonathan Goldsmith, aged 52, of Hatch Gate, Whitchurch Hill, Reading was sentenced on Friday 15 May, at a hearing at Reading Crown Court, to 28-years imprisonment, with four of those years on licence. 

He was found guilty of seven counts of rape and one count of blackmail following a three-week trial at the same court. 

In 2002, Goldsmith threatened a woman, who was in her late teens, with a knife and raped her in a parked car in London. 

Between 2005 - 2019, Goldsmith subjected a woman, who was in her late teens when they first met in Oxford, to multiple rapes, many of which involved physical violence and left her with injuries. His visited her home in Reading and continued this abuse, he captured images and videos of the abuse and blackmailed the victim with this material to prevent her from speaking about it.  

In 2014, Goldsmith met a woman, in her twenties, on a dating site, and in December he raped her, leaving her with injuries.  

 Goldsmith was arrested on 11 August 2002, 6 December 2014 and 14 April 2021.  

He was charged on 29 January 2026.  

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Rachel Belsher said: “I am so grateful to the complainants in this case for the remarkable bravery and courage they have shown. 

“Jonathan Goldsmith is a serial rapist and has finally been held to account for his crimes. 

“He targeted women who he knew to be vulnerable and whom he assumed would never be believed. He was wrong.  

“The complainants have had to persevere in a very long and very invasive investigation and then trial process. I would like to thank these incredible women for making sure that Jonathan Goldsmith cannot hurt any more women.  

“I would like this conviction to show that no matter your circumstances, Thames Valley Police is committed to investigating violence against women and girls. If you are a victim of violence then please be reassured that we have specially trained officers who will listen and support you. 

“I would like to thank CPS Paralegal Mandy Dutton-Webb and prosecution trial counsel Ms Kim Preston and Mr Adam Williams for their expertise and hard work in getting the outcome we have.” 

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A 62-year-old man who tried to meet a 14-year-old girl for sexual abuse has been warned he is in a “position of some jeopardy” ahead of sentencing.

Jonathan Quinnell, formerly of Orpington and now living near Reading, sent sexual messages in December 2023 to an account he believed was a child, suggesting a meetup and discussing assault and rape.

The account was a decoy run by paedophile hunters, who confronted him on December 20, 2023.

Quinnell, who describes himself on LinkedIn as a psychic, hypnotherapist, life coach, healer, and published author, appeared at Croydon Crown Court on January 5 without legal representation.

He had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming and attempting sexual communication with a child.

Quinnell told Judge Anthony Dunne OBE he had “put off” hiring a lawyer due to anxiety and stress.

Judge Dunne adjourned sentencing until February, warning Quinnell to prioritize legal representation:

“This is a very serious matter... You’re convicted of two very serious offences where the likely consequence is a custodial sentence.

“There will be the issue of whether I can suspend the sentence so it isn’t served immediately, but there’s a chance that isn’t the case. You are in a position of some jeopardy.”

Quinnell has four weeks to find a lawyer.

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Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has been jailed for rape and numerous sexual offences in Reading.

Abdullah Shahnamy, aged 44, of Elizabeth Walk, Reading, was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years’ imprisonment at Reading Crown Court on Thursday (4/12).

Following a six-day trial at the same court, Shahnamy was found guilty by a majority verdict for one count of rape, one count of sexual assault and three counts of sexual activity without consent on 2 September.

Shahnamy has also been given a 20-year sexual harm prevention order and will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Shahnamy made a fake profile on male dating application Grindr, posing as a 26-year-old.

Shahnamy matched with a man in his twenties and sent him a location meet up in the east of Reading on 31 October 2024. There, Shahnamy raped and sexually assaulted the victim in Shahnamy’s car.

Shahnamy was arrested on 25 February this year and charged on 1 March.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Hailey Goodwin said:

“The victim in this case has shown immense bravery throughout this investigation and we thank him for his continued support.

“Abdullah Shahnamy’s conviction is a testament to our commitment to bring sexual offenders to justice and to make our streets a safe place for everyone.

“We will continue to listen and support complaints of such offences and work relentlessly against those who think it is acceptable to perpetuate any form of violence against women and girls.”

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Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has been sentenced for rape in Oxford.

Following a thorough and detailed police investigation, Amin Abedi Mofrad, aged 35, of Mill Lane, Reading was today (13/11) sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison with an extended licence period of 3 years, at a hearing at Oxford Crown Court.

On 7 October this year, he was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict following a trial, at the same court, of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

The incident took place near to the Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford on 14 February 2024. During this time, Mofrad was living at the Holiday Inn Express on Grenoble Road.

The incident was reported to us on 7 April 2024. Mofrad was arrested and released on police bail.

Due to the time that had passed, CCTV was unavailable. Fortunately, through Project Vigilant - a Thames Valley Police initiative to target predatory behaviour - officers arrested Mofrad.

Project Vigilant is our dedicated approach to preventing sexual offences and identifying predatory behaviour in the night time economy and public spaces, including sexual comments, inappropriate behaviour and harassment.

Specially trained plain clothed and uniformed officers patrol areas outside of nightclubs, bars and pubs and public spaces.

In partnership, they work to identify and deal with anyone displaying predatory behaviour, preventing offences from happening.

During December 2024, the force was made aware of previously reported assaults which took place in Germany that related to Mofrad, four of which had resulted in convictions. These convictions were for assault and bodily harm offences.

The force was made aware of these offences via pre-existing protocols, which allow police forces to share and obtain information for operational purposes.

In our investigation, new evidence linking Mofrad to the previously reported offences in Oxford were found on his mobile phone on 13 December 2024.

Mofrad was arrested for a second time and charged and remanded, on 3 February 2025. At the time of this arrest, he had been staying at Best Western Plus Moat House, Mill Lane, Reading, due to personal safety concerns at the Oxford hotel.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Bethany Liversidge, of Oxford CID, said:

“Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to the immense courage displayed by the teenage victim in supporting this investigation from the start all the way to the finish.

“It is thanks to her support and bravery that we were able to bring Mofrad to justice.

“I hope that this result illustrates how committed Thames Valley Police is in investigating and preventing violence against women and girls and bringing offenders to justice.

“Project Vigilant is a valuable initiative which helps us to prevent crimes from happening, but when they sadly do, allows us to continue to build intelligence around predatory activity.

“The victim and their family have requested privacy at this time.”

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A man who attempted to murder a child who had intervened to stop him raping and sexually assaulting another child has today (26/7) been sentenced after he was convicted of a number of offences including attempted murder and rape.

Anthony Stocks, aged 54, formerly of Icieni Close, Goring-on-Thames, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13 and one count each of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, rape and attempted murder in a trial at Oxford Crown Court, which concluded on 6 June 2024.

Returning to the same court for sentencing, Stocks was sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 19 and half years.

A joint investigation between Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police found that Stocks had calculated a plan to kill a young boy who had tried to stop him from his offending against a young girl.

Stocks had previously taken the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire with a plan to push him off the edge, but he changed his mind.

However, on 24 September 2022, Stocks took the child to a set of cliffs at Ovingdean, near Brighton, where he carried out his plan, pushing the boy from the cliff edge.

He sustained extensive serious injuries, but miraculously, survived.

Initially, the boy’s fall was thought to be accidental, but following the launch of an investigation, a much darker reason for the fall became apparent.

Stocks was arrested on 23 November 2023 on suspicion of attempted murder, rape, and other sexual offences and was charged on the same day.

Over a period of three years between 2019 and 2022, Stocks was staying at an address in east Oxfordshire.

During his time there, he subjected a girl to rape and multiple sexual assaults.

The boy, who became aware of Stocks’ offending, attempted to intervene to stop Stocks continuing his abuse, and it was then that Stocks hatched his sordid plan to kill the boy.

The girl had told the boy about the offending and the boy put himself in the way of Stocks to try and stop the incidents from occurring.

Stocks made concerted efforts to stop this, and took the boy to a quarry nearby in east Oxfordshire with a thought of pushing him from the cliff edge.

Although he did not do this at that time, later in the same year, Stocks took the boy to see Chelsea Football Club before heading to Brighton and the cliff side at Ovingdean, where he carried out his plan.

He had told his female victim he was planning to push him from the cliff.

The boy was pushed from the cliff, falling 100 feet to the ground, where he sustained multiple severe injuries. He still suffers from ongoing issues as a result of the fall, but has otherwise made a miraculous recovery.

Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson of Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that today, Stocks has been handed a very significant sentence for his horrific and evil offences against two young children.

 “Stocks is an extremely dangerous individual, who had no thought about anybody but himself, to protect himself from prosecution by removing the boy from the equation.

“He has never shown any remorse throughout the course of this investigation.

“I would like to praise both victims for their unbelievable courage and resolve that helped us to bring Stocks to justice.

“They showed immense maturity and clarity, both in their interviews with police and at court, about what had happened to them.

“It’s because of this truly inspirational courage that Stocks has now been brought to justice and will now be in prison for long time, where he deserves to be.

“In my years investigating child abuse, this is one of the worst cases I have dealt with, and the impact that this has had on both victims, as well as all of the officers and staff who investigated this, is not to be underestimated.

“Both victims have continued to show courage and resolve, and are moving on with their lives magnificently, with support networks in place for them both.

“Both victims have continued to show courage and resolve, and are moving on with their lives magnificently, with support networks in place for them both.

Detective Inspector Matt Stevens, of Sussex Police, said: “Anthony Stocks’ calculated offending betrayed the trust of two young people.

“Both victims must now live with the impact of Stocks’ crimes for the rest of their lives, but it is testament to both of them how they have supported our investigation and are moving on with their lives.

“They have shown remarkable courage, bravery and determination to support this investigation through to its conclusion. I would like to thank them both for helping us bring Stocks to justice.

“The events of 24 September, 2022, was also extremely alarming for residents of Ovingdean and the wider community.

“It was a miracle it did not end in more tragic circumstances, and I would also like to thank all of those who came forward with information and messages of support.

“Finally, I commend my colleagues and detectives in both Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police for their outstanding work on this joint and very complex investigation.

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Following a Thames Valley Police investigation, a man has been jailed for multiple sex offences against a child in Reading.

Vlazimr Rybak, aged 63, of Oxford Road, Reading, was found guilty by unanimous jury verdict of two counts of sexual assault by touch a child and a count each of sexual assault by penetration on a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity following a four-day trial at Reading Crown Court, which concluded on 18 January.

Returning to the same court for sentencing today (18/3), Rybak was jailed for 16 years with an additional year on licence.

The offending happened in the last ten years, the victim was sexually abuse by Rybak on numerous occasions.

The offences were reported to Thames Valley Police in November 2020 and following an investigation, Rybak was arrested on 29 May 2021.

He was charged with the offences on 28 July 2022.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Sophie Measham, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that Rybak was convicted by a unanimous jury of these offences.

“The victim in this case was a very young child and Rybak betrayed trust to commit these horrendous crimes.

“Today he has been sentenced to a significant prison sentence as a result of his offending, and I hope that this offers some closure for the victim.

“I commend the bravery and courage of such a young person to come forward and trust in the police and criminal justice system to bring Rybak to account for his crimes.

“I would also like to thank the Crown Prosecution Service for working with us to secure this conviction.”

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A WOODLEY dance company owner paid a 15-year-old girl to send him sexual images of herself, a court has heard. 

Richard Still, director of Vibez Dance Ballroom and Latin School, pleaded guilty at Reading Crown Court on Monday (November 13) to four sexual offences against a child.

The 38-year-old dance champion admitted to asking a girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to send him images that were sexual or erotic in nature in exchange for payments into her bank account.

He also pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child.

Still was also charged with four other counts including making and possessing indecent images of a child and engaging in sexual communications with a child but the Crown Prosecution Service have agreed to drop these charges.

The dance teacher was due to be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday (November 13) but the case was incorrectly sent to the court as a trial preparation hearing.

Instead, Still was re-arraigned and his sentencing has been adjourned until December 19 at the same court.

He remains on bail with the condition that he does not attend Vibez Dance Studio, based in Crockhamwell Road, Woodley, during opening hours, he only stay at his home address in Louden Square, Earley, and he cannot be with a child under the age of 18 without the supervision of an adult.

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A PAEDOPHILE has been handed a 20-year jail sentence after blackmailing a 13-year-old girl into sending him naked photographs and a 15-year-old girl into touching him.

Dean Yates, of Oxford Road, Reading, was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday (July 31) to nine charges: making an indecent photograph of a child, two counts of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, two counts of assault on a female, two counts of causing/inciting a 15-year-old girl into sexual activity, and two counts of causing a female to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Emma Nott sentenced the 34-year-old to a 20-year extended sentence with a 15-year custodial sentence due to the seriousness of the offences.

The incidents happened in 2019 when Yates was about 30 years old. The court heard that Yates would hack into young girls’ social media accounts to obtain private photographs of them to blackmail them into sending more.

He would pretend to be younger than he was when speaking to the girls online – using his real name and an alias.

The first set of charges relate to a girl aged 13, Yates had hacked into a 15-year-old boy's account and pretended to be him to persuade the girl to send him private photographs.

He then blackmailed the girl using the original photographs, forcing her to send more. 

Speaking to the police, the girl said: “I sent him a picture because I thought it would make him go away. 

“Then he messaged saying if I didn’t send him more he was going to send the picture to my mum and dad and put it on social media.

“So I sent him a few more photos. He said he would send them to my friends and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to send him more as I thought it would get worse.”

The 15-year-old boy whose account it actually was ended up being arrested and interviewed by police before it transpired that he had been hacked.

Following this, Yates was arrested and a second girl was interviewed about her interactions with the defendant.

She revealed that Yates had hacked her account and obtained her private photographs and blackmailed her using an alias.

He then forced her to meet up with him and engage in sexual activity while pretending that he too was being blackmailed by ‘the alias’ account. 

In a victim impact statement read out to the court, the 15-year-old girl said she feels ‘fear and distress’ when thinking about Yates and said she was ‘too young’ to deal with things at the time.

Yates will also be made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).

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An Afghan migrant caught trying to sneak back into Britain received taxpayer-funded legal help to try and overturn his conviction after being jailed for raping a 12-year-old girl.

Emal Kochai, 29, was deported from Britain in 2019 after serving half of a nine-year prison sentence for raping his victim at a house in Reading, Berks in 2014.

But he made his way back to the Channel in March 2022 where he was found by a reporter in a tent at the Grande Synthe camp, near Dunkirk, claiming he had 'changed his ways'.

The convicted paedophile admitted tying to board a boat to Britain, but his crossing failed after police arrived and punctured the vessel with a knife.

Now new Freedom of Information figures show the child sex offender received taxpayers' cash to pay for a solicitor to challenge his conviction prior to being booted out of Britain in 2019.

The asylum seeker turned rapist received a total of £19,395.02 in legal aid cash to pay for his defence at trial plus a further £1,752.31 for a solicitor to work on a Criminal Cases Review Commission application.

The CCRC investigates potential miscarriages of justice.

Kochai has previously claimed his rape conviction was, 'all a misunderstanding'.

His victim, told police that Kochai had raped her at a house where there were six or seven other men.

She said that Kochai, known to her as AK, had pushed her on to a bed, pulled off her clothing and raped her.

The other men had knocked on the door and Kochai had opened it, then locked it again and resumed his assault, his trial heard.

Kochai, who was 20 at the time of the offence, denied rape but told police he had been told the girl was 17 and that he would not have touched her if he had known her real age.

David Spencer of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: 'This case is yet another example of taxpayer money being put straight into the pockets of lawyers tasked with trying to defend the indefensible and mounting frivolous cases to try and keep immigrants in the UK.

'It is wholly wrong that taxpayer money should be used in this way and this case adds yet more grist to the mill that legal aid is long overdue widespread reform to prevent this sort of abuse of the system.'

The CCRC told us that 'no application had been received' from Kochai despite preliminary legal work on a case being undertaken.

The Ministry of Justice, added: 'Legal aid is not paid directly to defendants. Legal aid is paid to legal representatives to ensure a fair trial.'

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A SEX offender who poses a “substantial” risk to children has been sent back to prison.

Ashley Connock has a history of child sex offences and flouting court orders while living in Thatcham.

At Reading Crown Court on Friday, May 26, the 29-year-old was sentenced for his latest breaches of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) designed to protect children from him.

The court heard that Connock was first convicted of sex offences in 2008 and by 2009 had committed the first breach of the SHPO.

He defied the order again in 2013 and was jailed in 2016 for breaching a restraining order.

There were subsequent, serious child sex offences and further breaches of the SHPO.

Judge Heather Nott remarked: “And here we are again.”

Gabrielle McAvock, prosecuting, said the latest SHPO breaches involved Connock, who was living in Pound Lane, Thatcham, repeatedly lying to his offender manager.

Connock admitted two SHPO breaches and three counts of failing to comply with the SHPO notification requirements.

He had been secretly using the internet without allowing his browsing history to be checked and without risk management software being installed, said Ms McAvock.

Connock also had several different bank cards without notifying his offender manager of them, she added.

Ms McAvock concluded that Connock had told a “catalogue of lies” to avoid scrutiny and had persistently flouted court orders designed to protect children from him.

Caroline Stewart, defending, said her client was “the author of his own misfortune.”

She said that Connock’s latest deceits had not been aimed at covering up paedophile activity but at concealing his gambling.

Ms Stewart went on: “It is foolish and self destructive behaviour because it makes people fear he is doing something far more serious.

“He had begun to use illegal drugs and got into financial difficulties.”

Judge Heather Nott told Connock: “These are serious offences; you know how serious they are.

“Your record highlights the risk you pose and that risk is substantial.

“You have a long history of committing sex offences and breaching court orders.

“These are persistent and deliberate breaches and I don’t accept that here the only risk was you gambling with your own money.”

Judge Nott pointed out that, since his initial child sex offences, “there have been further, serious offences against children and further breaches of the SHPO – and here we are again”.

She sentenced Connock, who had recently been living on Oxford Road, Reading, to 20 months imprisonment, half of which will be spent locked up and the remainder on licence in the community.

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A man has been jailed following a rape in Reading. Catalin-Petrisor Luca has now been sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison following a hearing at Reading Crown Court on May 22.

Luca, of Chesterman Street, Reading, had pleaded guilty to one count of rape at the same court on February 3. The 33-year-old led a woman in her 20s down an alleyway off Garrard Street in October last year.

After leading her down the alley, Luca proceeded to rape the victim. He was subsequently arrested and charged on November 3 last year.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Amy Hennah, based at Reading police station, said: Luca took advantage of the victim while she was drunk and vulnerable. I am pleased that he will now serve a considerable amount of time in prison.

Thames Valley Police takes rape and sexual assault offences extremely seriously and will investigate robustly to bring offenders to justice.

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POLICE have released an image of a man imprisoned for raping a six-year-old girl when he was a teenager.

Bradley Holloway, of Rupert Square, Reading, has been sent to prison for six years after being found guilty of two counts of rape he committed when he was between the ages of 13 to 15.

The now 32-year-old was found guilty following a trial in December and was sentenced this week at Reading Crown Court.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she has been left with post-traumatic stress disorder and had to sleep with the light on after her life was turned upside down by Holloway's abuse.

The Reading man committed sexual offences every Sunday and would 'offer to buy her toys' if she didn't tell anyone.

Judge Hassan Khan sentenced Holloway to six years' imprisonment for one count of rape and another six years to run concurrently for the second count.

He will serve at least half of the sentence before being released on licence. A sexual harm prevention order has also been made.

The court heard that Holloway is in the early stages of launching an appeal against his conviction.

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A CHURCH has expressed its great shock after a member of its congregation was sentenced for downloading almost 5,000 child porn pictures.

Andrew Loring, of Hurst Road, Twyford, was spared jail after being convicted of three counts of making indecent images between 2017 and 2019.

The 45-year-old also worked with children having attained a number of leadership roles within the Hurst Scouts group.

Following his sentencing last month, St Marys Twyford released a statement.

A spokesperson said: News of Mr Lorings arrest, and the crimes he has admitted to, has come as a great shock to many in our community. He was a longstanding volunteer and member of the congregation at St Marys Twyford, a regular volunteer at Woodley Park Run, and has held a variety of leadership roles within the Scouts.

Mr Loring was immediately suspended from volunteering at St Marys Twyford on 22 November 2019.

There can be no excuse for his actions and his betrayal of trust. His is not a victimless crime, a fact the judge reminded Mr Loring of during sentencing.

Young and innocent lives are forever damaged by downloading indecent images. Many others are affected, too: the young people who looked up to him left questioning what to believe; staff and leaders left to pick up the pieces; a congregation bewildered by the actions of someone they called a friend.

In the view of the judge, Mr Loring has, since his arrest, demonstrated a willingness to address the root causes of his actions and has a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. We hope that this is indeed the case.

Today, we are shocked, saddened, and experiencing feelings that don't have words for. We offer all of this to God and pray for a world where children are safe from online abuse."

According to a court file, the 45-year-old downloaded:

- 971 Category A images (the most severe)

- 999 Category B images

- 2,623 Category C images

Appearing at Reading Crown Court on May 26, the 45-year-old was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months.

The Chronicle contacted Scouts for comment following news of Lorings sentence.

A spokesperson for the organisation confirmed Loring will never be allowed to work with Scouts again.

They said: We are aware of the court proceedings involving Andrew Loring.

The safety of young people in our care is our number one priority. In November 2019 Loring provided us with information that led to him being suspended from the Scouts. He has not volunteered with us since that date.

The statutory agencies have confirmed that there were no Scout victims involved in this case.

Following Lorings admission of guilt we will now take action to permanently exclude him from ever volunteering with Scouting again.

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A paedophile hunter groups victim, who sent pictures of himself wearing ladies underwear, has been jailed for four years. Michael Hall, 53, sent the 13-year-old girl sexually-explicit messages instructing her to use fruit as a sex toy. Having met the girl on 18+ website Loveoo, he made repeated requests for her to send pictures of herself in her underwear or a swimsuit. The former Berkshire man, who has since moved to France, also sent explicit images of himself using a sex toy. Despite attempts to meet up, he was said to have got cold feet. Ahead of a surprise meeting in Reading, he told her she was too young and he was scared of going to prison. The girl with whom Hall thought was speaking was, in fact, a member of a so-called paedophile hunter group called the Geordie Chasers. The group confronted him outside Reading railway station in mid-2018 after he travelled to meet the girl. Hall had denied a slew of child sex offences, telling police that he believed the girl was an adult. However, jurors at Oxford Crown Court earlier this week returned unanimous guilty verdicts to seven charges, including attempted sexual communication with a child, attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act and attempting to meet a child after sexual activity. Sending him down for four years, Judge Ian Pringle QC said: Your defence that you knew all along that the person with whom you were texting was a woman aged between 18 and 24 was flatly rejected by the jury. By their verdicts they found you did, indeed, believe she was 13 years of age.